Child present and accounted for

The Catholic Church is celebrating the Presentation of Mary today because back in the day some research showed it must be true that Mary, God’s baby momma, had religious parents who led her through the ritual knowing...afterall, Mary ended up saying “yes” to birth Jesus. Regardless what you think of Catholics or Mary or the relationship between the two there is something to be said about taking one of your own to the altar. Sacrificing livestock was a tithe they made in the Old Testament for various reasons and holidays. For parents, a presentation is the sacrifice of themselves. No matter how tradition or religion does it, Bible believing churches have a presentation ceremony Catholics call “baptism.” Some are sprinkled while others are dunked. Participants can be infants or adults. Whatever you follow isn’t the heart of the matter. What is absolutely amazing and wonderful is I have faith filled parents who chose to put God first and present me to the church as an infant. It wasn’t for them or the church. It was a moment of grace for me, a gift my parents gave me believing God would accept my itty bitty thumb–sucking self at the time into His Kingdom. Like the parents of Jesus, they went along with tradition and put me through each sacramental ceremony to instill again and again God was going to reign over this family. No one will know how God does such wonders in creating a foundation in such rituals. The only ingredient needed in this “magic spell” is belief. As a parent, if you truly believe God is going to care for your family you are going to humbly present your children to Him. God gladly accepts all who come to the altar. Allowing him to take over from there is another issue. Eventually I had to go to the altar myself to make that commitment. The last time I did that it was my own son who led the way by going months before me. Sure, I faithfully made a celebration of his presentation when I asked the local priest to sprinkle him just weeks after my son left my womb in 1997. I followed all the traditions my parents did for me for him. Putting God first in my family let to an amazing summer day in 2010 when my son began begging me to let him participate in our interdenominational church’s water baptism. Honestly at first I thought he just wanted to be dunked in the Gulf of Mexico because it looked cool and fun. Then they announced the date of September’s monthly Spirit douse would be on my son’s birthday. Obviously this was confirmation. Joy-filled smiles on his face in every photo we took that day proved that God will radiate out from within. We don’t know how it happens but we can believe children who walk in this light must have connected with the seeds that were planted by the people they met on their journey, some starting with their parents. So if the Catholics have an out of Biblical idea Mary had done to her what she did for God and Jesus, I’m not going to debate it. Instead I’m going to use their argument to think of my own life and responsibilities as a Christian parent. Is God really first, my son second and then me? Hopefully so because that is the only recipe for peaceful parenting. Each time I present my son’s issues to God and not try to run my child’s life to what I believe he needs, I get struggle free miraculous solutions. The power of grace is real. No matter how you receive it, if you believe it and confess it then it’s alive in you.

why blog? share revelation

And this is the purpose of my blog! So much we can share!

Time warp

Funny I thought it would be easy to write a blog because I am constantly journaling. Like my 20 year anniversary with the Air Force, I don’t know where the time went. All I can be assured of this week is I got this far by following God. He was always driving. Most of the time I was the backseat obnoxious traveler shouting out my own directions or a repetitive “are we there yet?” inquiry. At some point during service this week I was reminded by this internal God Positioning Spirit of the glory days when I fell in love with praise and worship. This all started at my first assignment and almost feels full circle 20 years later. Both church families encouraged me to live out my faith in a loving community, challenged me to stretch my talents through service positions and provided awesome date nights with my husband Jesus. If I wasn’t launched into this world I’m not sure where I’d be right now. I really don’t even want to think of what my 19-year old “Ms. Independent” self would have ended up. Life just can’t be in isolation. We weren’t created to be alone. We were created for a higher purpose by an Almighty God who himself is three in one. I’m sure Big Poppa had to take me kicking and screaming sometimes but locked down in His car seat was the safest way to ride. He knew that. Eventually so did I. When I stopped trying to provide it all for myself and started giving Jesus my “honey do” list, prayers were answered before I even knew I had a need. My past proved His miraculous hand in my life guided me to exactly where I needed to be, my future is secure as I continue to trust His piloting and I’m alive daily looking forward to where ever we go next. Thank you Jesus!

Forgive me Father, I'm stupid

 Paul calls it out like it is in Galatians 3:1 naming the people of this church “stupid” or “foolish,” depending on your translation. Something has bewitched them he said. Can I say I’m not under the same spell of fallen human life in a fallen world? Do we really know for sure we haven’t accepted some lie about ourselves, the situations we allow/desire in our life or the God who created us?

 Jesus is downloading so much to me this past week my blog can’t keep up. I’m caught in this world of opposites trying to find out which side I’m on in all aspects of my daily being.

Life or death?

Light or dark?

Praising or complaining?

God-centered or selfish?

Good or evil?

Truth or lie?

Saved or sold?

Free or slave?

Clean or dirty?

Spirit or flesh?

Wise or STUPID?

 Surely I’ve been stupid before and still make foolish decisions, especially if I act on impulse or feeling. Usually it isn’t until I take a long look back at a past event when I realize I could have done things more His way than mine, more team building than resume building and more compassionate than judgmental. I’m human!

 But lately what is really making me crazy sick in the head in love with Jesus is this transformation of the mind. Long ago God knit me in my mother’s womb, a mystery each of us never unravel this side of Heaven. More recently though God challenged me to devote a few years of my life to seminary. The innocent call to do studies I love online seemed easy enough. It was simple and in my control until I was moved to end the first year on my knees, trembling with face planted in the carpet praying fervently “God I don’t want my old life anymore.” For next twelve months He invaded my world and began separating out what wasn’t of Him. Nothing will ever be the same again.

 While my physical life was under metamorphosis, I continued picking courses interesting to me. Once settled in the new land God moved me to,  I was challenged to go for the masters. At that point I didn’t even know I was that close to completing a degree. Some finances had to be put up front just to add another level of commitment that would punch me as hard in the gut as Paul did to the Galatians. The last year was full of mandatory classes.

 I came out of my cocoon at the beginning of 2010 with a degree in my hand having no idea what God just gave birth to. The girl in the mirror was a warrior woman for her Savior Jesus wielding a Sword of fire-quenching Spirit who had a deep desire to see every knee bowed for love's sake. A united front for Jesus would cure the world’s stupidity of thinking this body of believers would be a divided house doomed to fall. As a Catholic in a Baptist seminary gathering her thoughts and inspiration for more than three years, a deep yearning for ONE BODY, ONE SPIRIT in Christ developed upon realizing every Christian church had the same creed.

 Unsure of how to walk in this new self, I stumbled upon an interdenominational church who echoed the missions God planted in my heart. My reflection now made sense and found a home where it could grow. The closer I walk with God the more the world looks stupid to me. As I’m entranced by the Holy Spirit I am frustrated with a world that seems bewitched. Like Paul, I see people who know about faith but have no works or see people who don’t want faith because the work infringes on their lifestyle.

  

 This lukewarm faith and work seen in Laodicea  makes Jesus sick in Revelations 3. Our Savior is throwing up at the thought his people are so stupid they don’t see they are living poorly because they are not accepting the riches of His love. My stomach turns when I think of how stupid I was not to love Him back the days before I bowed totally and completely the first time during seminary. Vomit fills my gut when I think of days I still slipped up after such mind-blowing change and provision equipped me to live a satisfying life complete with everything I could need.

  

 Yet there is peace beyond understanding! Praise be to GOD I get sick, I know I am stupid and admit my flesh wins sometimes. It means the Spirit has taken root in me for real this time. Those past times are not there to condemn me nor is Paul really calling these people stupid. He is more like that annoying alarm clock beeping at me 6 a.m. daily refusing to let me snooze just five more minutes.

 Here, now, daily is our opportunity where ever we are to make a choice which side we’ll be on in the lists of opposites. I’m constantly having to remind myself I’m the new creation in Galatians 6 by God’s own mysterious inner workings. So while the world looks stupid, I shouldn’t allow the sickness cause me stress. Maybe this is why we learn to pray constantly, without ceasing, and are told to meditate on His Word day and night. Those two things are my shield in this armor of God.

REFERENCE

“From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus., The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.” Galatians 6:17-18 (NIV)

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

 

Clogged pores

More and more I find that my frustrations with the world are self-absorbed people. Really isn't that the opposite of God's call? If we aren't porous for the Word He wants to plant in our life then where do we end up?
I hate when a sponge sits on my counter unused for days. It hardens like a rock and smells worse than any present my dogs can leave. Florida heat gives its own odor of humid musk.
Lately my challenges aren't expressing myself but being understood. As I'm transformed more on the inside by an invisible force of Spirit my outlook on life is transforming without a sense of acknowledgement. I find myself suddenly frustrated with the world. Why?
The good news is my values demand higher people-centered standards embracing the concept that we are all ONE Body in Christ. The bad news is living in a fallen world means having to deal with people that have not seen or heard anything beyond their mirror. It’s a sad state of affairs when someone can rage through a room with hurricane condition winds without assessing any damage done. Instead the damage done is blamed on the people who feel hurt.
As if it was their fault they are reacting with sadness, pain, sense of loss and confusion. Sure the only thing we can control is how we think and react to such situations. We are called to be the better person and turn the other cheek, love our enemies and smile the light of Christ as a beacon of hope. Our minds have to fight the war to stay continually focused on the promise we know is yet to come while witnessing evil actions and destructive behavior.
This is the climax of war. We are all there moment to moment in every decision. Whether we choose to believe in a higher being or not, there is a spiritual war. Those that believe in Christ know what a famous Christian artist sings is real "there’s a battle between good and evil...a battle for my heart but the war is already won."
Pride ensues and wants to provide evidence the claims against us are false. Judgment wants us to paint the offender in a prison. Anger demands justice or revenge. None of these are the verbs of love are of Christian character listed in 1 Cor 13.
Faith demands silence. Hope demands prayer. Love demands mercy.
God help me deal with the clogged pores around me! Only your Spirit can open them, release the stench and pour rivers of live back into the rigid flat life. Fill me up so much that I'm leaking out on all those around me. Breathe fresh live giving air in my soul and let my droplets sparkle!

 

Omni what?

Understanding God’s omnipresence had a whole new eternal perspective this week as I engaged in a virtual high school reunion on Facebook.  After 22 absent years, this is what a dear friend messages me yesterday:

“By the way, you were never lost. Maybe gone for a while. But you were always there :)It may be a long time ago, but I remember those days like yesterday. I need those stories in my life. They were good times.”

How true that is! Friendship, like our relationship with God, can be physically distant for any amount of time and as unseen as our Lord is, especially on down days, but it doesn’t diminish the significance of the experience of the person in your life. People struggle with “religion” because they feel we are walking with an invisible man believing an outdated book. Not so! OMINIPRESENCE means God is always with us and His stories guide us today as they did up to thousands of years ago when someone was inspired to write them down with a passionate purpose to lead future generations.

The friend requests piled in when I was finally “tagged” in a yesteryear photo posted on Facebook in 2009. Tears filled my eyes reading the comments made about me during a huge time of transition in my life when I would have no idea what positive words were being spoken of me somewhere in cyberspace. People who once filled my daily being wondered where I was out of a fond memory, shared experience and desire to reconnect always with the joy they felt in the season we were physically together.  Laughter ensued in my soul as I read how they remembered the silly things I did and guessed where I might be now.  Even if I had not messaged one of my closest classmates in April, nostalgia alone would still spark the idea real sisterhood was out there and we are loved (what my scrapbooks are for).

This spring my son, excited about teen years and upcoming high school days, had fun sifting through my yearbook pages of a variety of school books. To add to the experience, I looked up one of the girls from my first high school on the social media site. After moving every two years since 1992, I didn’t know what to say as my mind struggled to remember 1990. 

Finally this week her reply comes in apologizing for the delay? What delay? God’s timing is always ON TIME. He could not have picked a better season in my life than now to show me people out there do care about me, think about me and wish me well. Right now I’m right in the fog of spiritual war again; a battle started this summer. As I lean more toward God’s direction in life serving family and making time for friends in these recent months, the enemy seemed to seep into my life through other avenues. This week in particular my parents are here to share the reunion as we celebrate my son's 15th birthday. There's lots of memories celebrated and new ones being made.

Settling into the location I live now has been the hardest transition so far but the one God surely led me to. He knows I answered His call in 2008,  packed up “Abraham style,” short sold a house and followed His decisions since then. Miracles have truly happened – perfect school for my son's particular needs found, exact house we needed bought, prayers answered, church community discovered matching a mission God put on my heart during seminary, family reunited in one state and so much more! Certainly I was made to be here.

Many times though I need that reminder. Many times I need to look above for His view because if I look around things may not appear as put in place as they are. As I wrote my book documenting my 2008 discovery of my life, I realized God’s fingerprints ordered every step since conception. But many times I had to step out, look up, to really see God has got this all under control on a very mysterious time schedule that is always “on time.” There is so much unseen! And if you look that up in the Bible, its called faith - believing in what may not be visible because an invisible force field called Trinity has our lives covered beyond our imagination!

Cookies crumble, mercy sustains

A beautifully hand-written scripted note filled the entire loose leaf sheet of pristine paper my son handed me yesterday. Humble words described bluntly what has taken place during the last 30 days or more. The confession was honest, real and penned by a teenager.

Something made me worry a bit when I approached this muscular military man to let him know it seemed like his son was bullying my son. My only shred of evidence was the disappearance of 18 cookies noticed on a very frantic Wednesday morning last week. In hindsight I’d laugh at my son for pulling out this foiled container of store bought cookies, peeling back the lid and with a shocked expression say there was nothing in there.

With only two people living in the house and me not touching the item I purchased just a few days before, my son seemed to be the obvious culprit. However, he has not learned the art of forgiveness because he still struggles with the first step of awareness. Surely he must have tried to cover up what he knew was wrong in some way by putting the container away in such perfect condition he was even able to trick himself! Now that’s funny but sad. Any hiding we do should automatically take us back to the hiding Adam and Eve did, revealing there is something we are not owning up to. Alarm bells should sound like emergency sirens when we catch ourselves because if we don’t want to hold on to it or bury it for soul’s sake.

It took forever on an already rushed school day morning to get any shred of truth from my son who obviously held on and buried so much he deceived himself. All he could say was he had a friend who loved cookies. Drawing the only logical conclusion without losing my mind, I figured my son hung out with Cookie Monster and decided to give away our cookies out of the goodness of his heart. Unfortunately the situation escalated at counseling later when I admitted I lost it over cookies the way couples normally lose it over how the toothpaste was left in the bathroom.

An honest confession on my part led to an honest assessment. More information was revealed with professional probing. My son admitted this boy had been bullying him which concluded the classmate was more “monster” than friend and less sweet than chocolate morsels. The story crumbles further when we return to school and have the opportunity to address the boy’s parent.

Truth does set you free! A apology of such caliber like the one I received, though worried if it came with severe basic training-like pushups, deserved a otherworldly reply. Nothing speaks truth better than the Word so the first verse I thought of was “be merciful for I am merciful.” And nothing spoke it better than writing it on a note card sized just right to fit into a sandwich bag containing one large homemade pumpkin cookie.

The child in me just giggled as I placed the raisins into that dough making it look like pumpkin eyes, nose and teeth. Luckily it still came out of the oven looking like a face. My son was already asleep when the air around him filled with cinnamon spice. So it was quite a surprise to him, who struggles with honesty, to have to be the disciple to deliver the tasty message to a Cookie Monster.

When we were children we probably thought it was funny to watch the blue fuzzy guy spread crumbs all over the other side of our T.V. screen trying to hold a cookie with flimsy incomplete fingers. But never would we imagine that his passion for his favorite food would mean our lunch box needed a padlock. Its moments of such a reality our mind fills up with a new found anxiety, causes us worry in like situations and teaches us new ways to respond. As adults the world would never accept perfect penmanship when revenge is so advocated.

I know I forgot about the time I had to write a note like that to my mother and how embarrassing it was each time she mentioned it again years later laughing at words I probably felt I was writing with my last breath. Discovering I was in trouble was a tough pill to swallow. Somehow I went from respecting authority to self righteous teenage years and full circle back with God who now tells me to drop my backpack full of junk for the world to see at the foot of His cross.

Obviously I could run a lot faster and play more freely without this weight. So why do we carry it? Why not start taking up calligraphy and start farming out forgiveness to everyone in our contact list, starting with our selves first? Everyone wants a cookie but the chain has to start somewhere.

Childlike faith means childlike prayer

One of my superheroes in faith said this morning childlike faith means praying like a child. Perfect timing being that it is the week of my son’s 15^th birthday!

Something popped in my head of how a child has NO LIMITS when asking for stuff. Ever notice how you ask a kid what he wants for his birthday he answers without any hesitation "that robot lego guy"? Yea, that “guy” is $300 and neither your single mother or your PHD father states away buried in college classes can foot that bill.

But as a family we were all online yesterday discussing an agreement on a set price. Sean was deep into scrolling through more than 600 toys and gadgets listed on a website catering to all the geeky stuff he loves. We passed the phone back and forth trying to keep him calm in the coffee shop supplying the WiFi. He understood dad only had $50 and that led to him finding several reasonable toys. His final selection sold for $39.

So what do you think happened next? As dad is punching in shipping information on one end of the phone call, Sean is searching through the “gifts under $10” because our son knows he has $50 to receive. He expects dad will give the full 100%!

Then a coupon pops up for $10 off of a $60 order and Sean’s math genius mind instantly realizes he can now can pick two of those gifts or search “gifts under $20” section. He blurts out the coupon code over the phone.

While Sean announced dozens of ideas to go with the new spending limit loudly into the cell phone, Sean’s dad paused on filling out the rest of the order. My son couldn’t see what dad was doing on the other line. Finally after mom “Shhhed” him enough, Sean settled to hear dad say “search this, son.”

Sean’s frantic page ups and downs came to a halt when he saw the item dad found for $29. In the end dad ended up going past the $50 limit with an idea that wasn’t even in the options we could see on our end. Isn't that just like GOD to go above and beyond our expectations and set limits out of nothing but unconditional love?

Can a child do anything without depending on their parents and/or guardians? Then know you can't do anything without depending on God. Nor do we or the child really know the full picture of what it is we are basing our decisions on.

Only the ALL KNOWING GOD can really give us what we need because He has the full map from His conception knitting to Heaven’s seat holding the same name sticker that was on our elementary school cubby. Father God wants us to get all excited in the marketplace about the options he can provide us. He wants us to share everything we searched for and discovered with Him because only with Him we are found. He gives the final answer-the best option, the means to our discernment. Then we can live our full 100% that is matched by Him and exceeded in abounding grace.

Get out on the playground of life’s possibilities without limits. Enjoy the relationships and experiences that open up to you. Welcome them all as a child imagines everything they can be when they grow up. Set no boundaries other than the one the Bible has already set for you. They will keep you safe and fulfilled with everlasting hope no matter if you are stuck inside on a rainy day.

Such is momhood

Friday I was a big baby inside ready to throw a temper tantrum for losing my summer vacation and having to give up a financial bonus because my son needs summer school. Then today I'm hit with WORD of correction.

Abigail is my hero for this season of motherhood. Here's her self-created chore list accomplished for her family within a day:
Bake 200 loaves of bread
Two skins of wine
Slaughter and dress out five sheep for cooking
Collect a bushel of roasted grain
Bake 100 raisin cakes and 200 hundred fig cakes
Load all of the above into her mini van (called donkeys back then)
Give out the keys to each servant and instruct the caravan to pave the way for her
Board the donkey following the shipping line
Meet the King on the road, fall to your knees, proclaim His Word, speak His blessings, ask for forgiveness and humbly serve the Lord

The King in his anger responded out of feelings like we usually do, like I did Friday. He is out to kill the fool she is married to who insulted him after he did nothing but praise the man.

But Abigail does the one thing most of us can't do so easily. She lays down her life.
Knees in dirt, face planted in the ground with eyes on her king she says "let me take the blame for the fool. I wasn't there when he did what he did to you but I knew it better for us all to regard him as the fool he is and be merciful as our Lord is."

Self sacrifice is rewarded and Abigail is sent home in peace. As with other branches cut off and burned who don't produce fruit, the fool ends up dying anyway. He doesn't get to leave the Earth without first hearing about what his wife did to preserve His soul.

Abigail did what she did because she was a Proverbs 31 woman seeing beyond the visible and trusting in an unseen God. She was a model of Holy Spirit and Savior. With her Heavenly vision, she said to the king what the criminal said to Jesus on the cross "remember me when you enter the kingdom." As promised the king did. David came back for the devout widow and crowned her queen.

So good bye summer plans! My eternal crown is greater than some temporary relief from the daily sweat, toil and dirt. Besides, if I take time to see people who create chore lists for me like Abigail did for her family I've already recieved favor. Jesus alone checked off the largest box on that list; dying for my sins. Now he emplores people to come into my path and breath His life into my family.

I couldn't ask for any more than that as I temporarly live in this world but take up my mission while here - motherhood to my son and anyone who will stop in their tracks to listen to what God speaks through me. That's why a woman was chosen to be the vessel to bring Christ into the world. I don't want my temper tantrums to clog those pores.

Embrace these three Holy Days!

With todays Sedar meals n last supper remembrances going on I cant help but also pray John 13 isnt continued to be used to divide the Christian church. Dont want enemy to have the satisfaction of watching Gods family debate over foot washing, communion nor see others deny Jesus or be so proud to say they can follow him to death with pride or ignorance. It all happened in that chapter and sadly continues to last day. John 6 we see the first division of followers over communion. Jesus asked them not to bicker and I believe He still asks us to not argue or be haughty in faith. Jesus also commands us to love as He does right after the holy meal, a covenant with us. Pray we hold our end of deal as Christian united front for Jesus world wide. With Spirit we can show world Ressurection is a joyfilled gift for all.


Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later." John 13:7 MSG
Set apart time with the Spirit to reflect on these Holy Days of Easter, the holiest of the Season. God will reveal amazing things!

WORD...just can't get enough

Hello...I'm JesusFreak316/Chrissy and I've been a Bible Study junkie since I was 12. For anyone else who has a deep dependance on WORD you will wonder why you didn't download this sooner! I'll have crack to go on my netbook and armed with SWORD OF SPIRIT! http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html

I love how the Bible just all connects to itself in one giant ball of REVELATION. I love how the Bible sneaks up on us throughout the day in a variety of mediums. How does this happen? Simple, its the TRUTH spoken by an OMNIPRESENT, all powerful, all knowing God, Our Father, Our Creator who himself is a collection of THREE in one. Vines and branches, Bridegroom and bride, Shepherd and sheep or however else you need the relationship described, let the WORD to sink into you so deep it begins to grow. You will be amazed how God comes alive in you and through you.

I can't explain how it happened. At a summer camp I was introduced to the Bible, proclaimed Jesus as my Savior and I haven't been the same each time I returned to that first love I met one hot lakeside day when I was 12 years old. Fast forward to a life continually returning to that foundation. God leads me to seminary in Fall 2006. Each night I'm in deep study within the confines of my room feeling like a monk. Joy and love fill the room with each discovery, each revelation, each lesson and each connection with my God. December 2009 I had no IDEA what I'd step into the following year but God did and life will never be the same!

His only son, Jesus, and I are bonded for eternity! I've got a LIFE GRIP on this WORD and I'm never going to let this world distract me from my Heavenly home.