The All Compelling Love of Christ

My meditation on 1 John 4.

To love the Lord means you must first hear the voice of God calling your life. You must confess that Jesus Christ has come to earth in the flesh and has died for you and you must then, follow the example of Jesus and deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him. Following Jesus means that you're going to be obedient to His will and not your own. You're going to be conformed to His image and not the popular image of the culture you find yourself in. It means being transformed by believing in Jesus’ death and resurrection. It's in the resurrection that we are transformed. The transformation is that we are now hid in Christ. Our life is hidden in Him but His character in us is not. We begin to decrease to self and increase to righteousness.

To love God means we have the realization that God has built everything, not with His own hands as we build houses and cars; by the word of His mouth. He spoke and the earth appeared out of nothing. Out of a void, dark and desolate place, removed from heaven, the earth was made. In summary, the elements that God made came together by His sheer will. God's word is therefore extremely powerful.

To love God means that we not only understand that everything exists because of Him but also it exists through Him. We live because He allows us to live. We die when He decides. The love of God is spiritually felt. The reality of Christ's death exists and from the act of His death we see the love He has for us. We learn to experience that love everyday through seeking Him in fervent prayer, through reading His word and obeying Him in all the ways we know we ought to. Eventually we begin walking and talking with Him.

Christ's love is not earned and we can never be good enough for it. Yet we love Him because He first loved us. We love Him because nothing can separate us from Him. We love Him because in Him are pleasures forevermore. Ultimately we love Him because He is the only One we can just receive love from. He does not require what mankind requires for love. We can simply feel His love and then reflect it on others. What a joy to feel loved and have to do nothing about it!

Encouragement For The Unmarried Christian

I'm clearly not living the life that I planned to live. As I talk to more women, I learn that a lot of us aren't on the life track we thought we'd be on. It's not that we don't eventually arrive at our desired destination; rather the path taken to get there wasn't anticipated. My goal in writing this post is to offer the unmarried person some godly perspective.

I know how hard it is to be single because I'm single. I've had bushels of boyfriends and first dates and what remains are some pleasant memories of the good times and some cringe worthy moments of the bad. I lost my mother and pleaded with God to send me a physical being to comfort me. He decided to answer "No, for now." I embarked on a five year journey that encompassed reading dating self help books, joining multiple dating websites and researching various personal improvement topics. I delved into my faith with gusto and began to pray earnestly. At first the prayer was for a mate, then for friends, and then I started praying for a mate again; finally it was for "they will be done". Learning to pray "thy will be done" has been life altering. With that statement comes a peace that lingers long after the prayer has been said.

Has the pain gone away when I find out a friend is pregnant or another is engaged? Have I stopped asking myself when it will be my turn? It hasn't stopped. I'm coming to learn that we all have feelings and we can't help how we feel and we really can't control our reaction. Our feelings will control how we react.

It seems hopeless right? I have days when I think it is. Then I remember the things I've learned. The sweet things and memories of a beautiful life come back to me. If I could, I'd ask you to close your eyes and visualize my life.

I grew up safe and protected. My mother infused in me her love and Christ's. I felt loved at the molecular level. My childhood was poignant and innocent. My mother strived to captivate my imagination and carry me off to endless possibilities as we played. I smiled as I wrote that.

My career started off a jumbled mess and I hated every minute of the first 5 years of it! I dispaired of work and wanted, more desperately than before, to find a spouse and have my babies. That didn't happen! What happened is even more incredible. During my paralegal studies I was given a list of legal recruiters. I scanned the list and promptly discarded it. I had, had some bad experiences with recruiters in the past and had vowed never to use them again. I applied for a legal position in the newspaper and discovered it was from a recruiter listed on that list. I almost didn't take the interview but figured if the school recommended the agency than it was worth taking a chance and wasting some time off. Accepting that interview was life changing! It put me face to face with a very talented woman who had an eye for recognizing talent. She immediately promised she'd find me a job and she did! Within weeks I had 3 interviews and successfully was made 2 offers. One of them is where I'm working now. I interviewed for a legal secretary position but was offered something in HR instead. This job has changed my life! It's here that I've learned to grow, accept positive and negative feedback and rely on my own talent to get me through. I'm blessed by God to be where I am.

What I'm trying to say is that the scripture that says all things work together for the good is quite true. They not only work together for the good but what is prepared by God ends up being the perfect match for what we desire and need. That type of genius orchestration can take years of a master chess player (God), moving pieces around before something amazing comes into play. Nevertheless, God has had plans for you and me since before we were born. We must never doubt Providence. It all works out and it works out so brilliantly. Think of the story of Joseph. One of my favorite scriptures is when Joseph says "What was meant for evil, God meant for good." So true! This is the same for your life, dear reader. The Lord is never late. Trust Him to accomplish what you ask and in the interim focus on bearing fruit for Him and finding your place. Life isn't a dress rehearsal. We all only get to live 1 day at a time.

Additional Resources: Single In Christ: A Name Better Than Sons And Daughters, What I've Learned Since I Kissed Dating Goodbye, All Things For Good, Part 2

Love One Another

Online dating companies, self help authors, life coaches and counselors all have 1 thing in common; they all promise to help us get one step closer to love. I sat in church today meditating on the loss of a fellow parishioner. This person spent his lifetime struggling with a drug addiction. He loved God, loved his mother and loved those in the church. Each person during the eulogy mentioned the same fact, that the deceased loved God and others.

It was then that it hit me. So many of my posts have been bemoaning loneliness, singleness, lack or loss of family. Truth be told, my feelings are pointing to a condition that is hard to erase. I have a gnawing need and an insatiable appetite for love. This need can suffocate others. Don't we all want love though? Millions of people log in to online dating services everyday, songs are written obsessively about it and most float down the church aisle on their wedding day hoping that statement "I do" will help them feel the ever eternal flame of love. What is love though? Shakespeare asked whether it was a fancy or a feeling. Does it satisfy us? The person who went down the aisle saying I do, later on says, emphatically, I don't! No wonder so many of us have multiple sexual partners, several x-spouses and enough heart break to bury us. We spend a lifetime looking for love in all the wrong places.

Let me return to today's scene at church. I wish I could more adequately describe the feeling I had while there. We were all mourning the loss of this beloved parishioner whose untimely death had shaken our faith. He struggled with drug addiction, never married and felt so alone prior to his death. Where were the positive fruits of his life? Where was God in all of this? The fruit was unrecognizable in his life but completely perceptible in his death. He left us one legacy, his love; that's a great legacy indeed!

The Bible tells us "⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away." Lord, we are such imperfect beings. We're born in sin but we can die free from it. Death doesn't touch the saint because we choose to willingly give Jesus our life while we're living. There are parts we may struggle with until our death but all in all, You have loved us and have been in us. Keep us in Your love. Help us not to work too hard at getting temporary love but rather help us to earnestly seek out the eternal, heavenly kind. It is so different and so satisfying! Ensconced in that love is all that we need - the faith, the strength and the love for each other and for You. Increase our faith. We can never love you by ourselves. We love Him because He first loved us.

What path leads us to the most satisfying love of our lives? The Bible tells us "Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." I think love is multidimensional. We're not meant to absorb love and selfishly use it for our own selves. We're meant to absorb Christ's love and diffuse it.  John 13:34-35 tells us that we must love one another. Jesus told his disciples that is how others would recognize the Christian, by their love for one another. To further emphasize the importance of loving on another 1 John 4:7-8 tells us not only to love one another but says "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

Lord, teach me not only to pray and read my Bible daily but also to love others. This is something I know I cannot do by myself. This is a love that must be infused in my heart by divine grace. Start the work in me.

When The Prayers Must Cease

There comes that moment in many a saint’s life when you know you must stop praying. You stop praying for the person who’s sick because the Lord has answered the prayer by taking the person to heaven. It’s not that prayers cease, it’s that they change in purpose from the pleading for a person to the pleading for the strength to endure the present pain.


That happened to me five years ago. I spent several painful weeks pleading with God to spare my mother. I knew in my heart that He wasn’t going to. I knew that the thing I dreaded and feared more than anything was going to happen. On that morning of March 16, 2006, I stopped praying for my dearest mom. 24 years of prayers were halted and my heart began begging for relief. It’s natural in times of deep sorrow to look up towards heaven with grief swollen eyes. The heart feels the need for some answers. Some things can never be explained. God never explained to Job the purpose of his loss. He doesn’t always explain the purpose of ours either.

There’s solace in knowing that God knows best, in knowing that we are in need of endurance and in the encouragement not to forsake our hope. There is a promise that runs true. I will never leave you or forsake you.  Dear saint, whatever the trial, the sorrow, the sickness or pain, know that we are Christ’s and our hope is secure in Him. All that is here will not remain but all that is in heaven is established and reserved for us forever.

Shh...It's a Secret, My Dinner Party Tips

What are some fail proof tips to having a great dinner party for friends? Through a bunch of mishaps and various kitchen disasters, I've learned there's a dinner party recipe that's tried and true. Check out these quick tips to get you started.

• If you're on a budget, consider hosting no more than 4-6 people.
• Don't try to make everything from scratch. Make a couple home made items and supplement the rest with something catered or from the grocery store.
• Have a combo of soft drinks and liquor available. Keep these in an easy access location so your guests can help themselves. Don't forget ice! Some people practically breath by ice.
• Consider your guests dietary restrictions. Anyone Jewish (kosher), diabetic or vegetarian?
• If serving cocktails, try to choose several that don't require more than soda water and a liquor. This saves you time and your budget.
• Choose menu options that can be prepped in advance and don't require a watchful eye (think roasts, casseroles etc).
• Prepare dishes you've made before. This avoids embarrassment - trust me!

Of course, have fun and remember the more relaxed you are the more relaxed your guests will be.

In Loving Memory

The torrents of rain have given way to a cool, warm and sunny afternoon. I don't remember what the weather was like five years ago when her life ended but I do remember the scripture that rolled like a movie reel through my head. It was "To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." Isaiah 61.3. Through the last five years I've struggled with that scripture and have begged, pleaded and petitioned God for an answer as to how beauty emerges from ashes, how joy can come from the deep mourning and how I'd ever recover from the jet lag of death. The night before she left me, I still can't quite say she died, she told me that whatever happened I would be ok. I didn't believe her at the time but I certainly believe it now. How great is the God we serve and how awesome an experience it has been learning that I can not only survive loneliness but thrive because of it. Through my pain I've watched many rejoice. Through all my fears I've learned I have nothing to fear. I can now relate to Job's words "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You." Job 42:5

Here's what happened when she first left. The cat box wasn't cleaned for several weeks at a time, the dirty laundry piled up in my bedroom and phone calls were returned weeks later. In the beginning I pleaded with God for a husband; reasoning that I needed someone to take care of me and that everyone is meant to be in a family. Are they? Is family a right of passage? Is having a husband a gift? Is love is a gift? Hard to say and today I don't write about that. Today my dear Savior has called me to forget the past and move forward. I've been learning to pray "thy will be done" and I've been learning to shift my thinking away from the here and now and into the hereafter. God has been very good to me. It was painful to rip the stitching that sewed her heart to mine but the work has been finished. What remains is a heart that's now stitched to Christ. What remains is the memory of all she taught me. What lingers is the image of her (my mother) on her bed at 5:00 a.m. reading the Bible and praying. All the scriptures she taught me plays through my mind as each day unfolds. I awake with the Lord and I go to bed thinking of Him. The nights of reaching across the bed and pleading for another soul are over. Those nights are replaced by a peaceful drifting off to sleep.

I've learned to discipline my thoughts away from sensual things and to place each thought, each action and each desire into the hands of God. Therein is a peace that passes understanding. It's in loving memory that my life is ever grateful for hers. Thank you Lord for giving me such an example. Her godly example rests upon me after her death. She was the epitome of the scripture that says "Her children will rise up and call her blessed." Until we meet again on that beautiful shore -- I shall never forget the gift of her life but how can I; for we are stitched to the same Savior and her prayers are now mine.

A Fatal Flaw - Refusing to Embrace Differences

I'll start with my first thoughts, if only b/c they're so amusing and I love a good story...oh wait, I love telling a good story...or hearing one? Dunno. When you mentioned that you rarely meet anyone who shares, my initial thought was I encounter the opposite, why is that? I keep a box of tissues next to my PC for the passerby who will stop in and just need a good cry! I think I know the intimate details of all my friends. Truth be told, I'd be offended if they didn't share so I'm not complaining! That wasn't a good story though was it? Sorry, I'm definitely in my joking sort of "must have a good time or die" mood. This weekend will prove interesting.

I digress from the religious discussion which at this point is certainly interesting. Perhaps at the heart of it is the fact that I've been down this road many times and even have a miserably failed romantic relationship due to it. So, I must admit that reading your very strong take (it seemed stronger than some), had me questioning middle ground. Here's the thing...religion doesn't always matter when it comes to friendship (my best friend is Hindu -- u could argue it's a religion but pantheism and monotheism aren't the same) but it has mattered a lot in my romances. Since you're not offering romance, it's definitely possible to forge a friendship -- I'm not sure I can guarantee more but then again you're not offering more, how presumptuous of me!

But, let's remove the faith thing for a second though b/c it brought me to an interesting observation about myself. I avoid differences yet I see the need in highlighting the differences and the flaw in my stance to avoid them. There's no argument there.

So to conclude, you've highlighted a prevalent flaw in my character and I'm thankful. No worries, you're the 3^rd person to highlight it so I really need to pay attention. I'll begin fixing it through prayer. While finding the middle ground in the faith issue might prove an insurmountable challenge b/c we're at opposite ends of it, there's middle ground in terms of disposition. Perhaps had you known that I shirk from blunt honesty you could've been honest but more diplomatic? I think I misused the word filter. I didn't mean not to say what you have to say; rather to say it a little more softly b/c I really, really love the God I serve and I might be hurt if someone doesn't love Him the way I do. I get why others don't love Him and accept it but for whatever stupid reason - and it's stupid, it still hurts. Mitigating the damages can be helpful.  And you guessed it, I'd be offended if someone doesn't like my favorite restaurant too! I appreciate diplomacy but tend to shut down with blunt honesty. With bluntness I just can't let the person in and I've tried. I've learned this through the men I've dated. Heck, I've only learned from the men I've dated b/c they're the only ones who've been honest with me! Actually that's not true. My boss is excellent at delivering positive and negative feedback in a form that I can accept. On my end, I have to work on allowing people to be honest and not taking it too personally nor relating it to some other instance that happened. I also need to learn to respect differences.

Of course these conversations have proved enlightening. I've discovered a possibility of why people share with me and also came to understand a scripture that's been mysterious for several years now. Thanks! So, when all is said and done, I welcome your thoughts & will try my best not to be overly sensitive about them. I'm happy to discuss my faith, I just hesitate to argue over it, if that makes sense. But then again, I hate to debate anything. But perhaps knowing my flaw, you understand a little more as to why? But the discovery of why people tell me so much and this scripture is fascinating. Thanks again!

Childish Dreams or God's Will?

A co-worker said something to me that really shed some light on a struggle I've been having. I was telling her of my disappointment in not getting a manager title nor a raise for my title change. I need the money and desire to move out. She said, "From getting to know you, have you ever thought that perhaps you're not getting what you want because you really don't want it?" I asked what she meant and she said, "It seems your heart is more towards finding a husband, having children and making a difference in the lives of those you meet. While you love your job, perhaps you secretly love something else more?". There's more to the convo but I'll stop there so as not to bore you, you precious reader!

Perhaps God's plan and what's secretly in my heart is a shade different - hence it hasn't worked out? Heck, it might even be better!  I'm finding that sometimes childish dreams stubbornly remain and maybe it's because they aren't dreams...could they be God's will from day 1?

When Children Feel Hopeless

Dear Friend,

I was so grieved the other day by what you were telling me about your daughter’s feelings and your son I thought I’d write.

I sympathize with your children and found myself in that very position frequently during my childhood. To be raised by a father who withholds love is a very painful experience and a very difficult one to bear for the young. I often wondered how I’d survive it. My mother tried to protect me but I ended up feeling her pain as well as my own.

As I matured my mother passed away and left me in the position to face my father alone and also face all the feelings of rejection that had built up. I stand today in the same circumstance but with a very different attitude. On my behalf, perhaps your children can learn what God taught me.

He taught me that “When my father and mother forsake me, but the Lord will take me up.”Ps. 27:10. And take me up He has! He brought a grief counselor into my life for free when I needed her, the generous friendship of my mother’s best friend who I call every day on the way to work, a co-worker who has borne my tears and grief with me and male friends who have proven that some men do exist to care for another and to love in ways my father hasn’t. He’s given me the wisdom to turn down dates that weren’t right for me and even to select a job that would support my current emotional state. Nevertheless, at this time your children aren’t alone and they are loved – by you. While their father may have forsaken them, their mother has not and will not. There are people in this world that grow up with no one to love them. Had a colleague not adopted her child from the orphanage, he’d have grown up with less love or none at all. We can be thankful for at least a mother who truly loves and I know you really love your children. Yes, you have to work and you are not always home but in those times of loneliness, your son and daughter can pray to God and ask for peace and comfort through the lonely moments. I promise you it will come!

Most importantly, even when both parents are not present, God is there. The Bible tells us that “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Eph. 2:10 Our children are not ours but God’s and He has a design for their life. They are here and living because He desires them to. It is not for any of us to decide if life is worth living. Of course it is though! God has great things in store for your children and has a path designed with only them in mind. They are special in His site and beloved. It’s the reason my mother was able to tell me the night before she died that all would be ok for me and whatever happened, I would be ok. She was right! God has a plan for my life, a plan for yours and definitely one for your children. “Sorrow may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.” Ps. 30:5 It truly does because I’ve watched so many I know triumph through horrible times. God has good works prepared; they simply take time to unfold.

I hope what I’ve written isn’t offensive. I just know how that feels and sympathize with a child that feels lost and insignificant in a very impersonal world.

Grant me faith to hope when I can't see

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor. 5:7

But that's not all! We gladly suffer, because we know that suffering helps us to endure. ⁴And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope ⁵that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love.

Lord Jesus, as I lay my head upon my pillow and say the last words of my prayer, grant me your love. Help me to love you enough to not require to "see" the future. The future is yours. My life is yours. This trial is one that's teaching me how to be abased. Perhaps it's through our need that we learn what it is to be full in Christ and to be thankful for His provision.  It's through tribulation that we learn that the Lord never dissapoints us - He always comes through.

Trusting God for the Spiritual and the Physical

2011 was heralded in with a canon of loneliness shooting holes into my armor of faith. The darkness felt dense. I'm learning two important lessons as I begin the year. The first is to trust God for the strength for each day and the second is to make my requests known to God.

With respect to the first point, I'm learning not to allow worry to creep in and plague my soul but rather to trust God. As children of God we live in the light and walk in the blessings of God. As we walk in the day and in the light of God's blessings, He will give us the strength to face each day. We can't worry about the next day or the next month. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. My mother always told me to stop fretting over "the what ifs" because they might never happen. I've found myself worrying about what it will be like to live in this house forever, to never get married or have children. Those are all worse case scenarios and likely won't happen. Why? They won't happen because Jesus promises to give us what we ask when we're in His will. This goes into the second point; to make my requests made known to God.

I recognize that there's a fine line here. I avoid the faith message and the notion that God is here to bless us and because of that always hesitate to ask God to bless me but the truth is; as I step into 2011, I really need His blessings. I need His strength to face the loneliness that's engulfing me and the courage to say no to the temptation to do sinful activities just to fill the loneliness. I need His mercy to find me new spiritually strong friends and a husband that fears God. I can't get any of these things without Him.  When I seek Jesus first, meaning (1) pray to get His guidance and (2) desire His will in our lives, why wouldn't He grant me the consolation of a godly man and children in my future?

Here's my back-up reading on this...
Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek.) For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

And this is the confidence that we have in Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

Trust in the LORD and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

Fret not about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,


The question remains, how do we know we're asking in the will of God? We do this by asking God to examine our hearts, test us for any presumptuous sins and give us the wisdom. God will reveal to us, while we're seeking Him if what we're asking for is out of line. If we're asking for something spiritual, then more than likely it will be granted. Nevertheless, this quote from Charles Spurgeon's sermon titled "As They Days, So Shall They Strength Be" is telling. He says:

"Once more, it does not say, our strength shall be as our fears. God often leaves us to shift alone with our fears,—never with our troubles...I have known an old lady sit and fret because she believed she should die in a workhouse and she wanted God to give her grace accordingly; but what would have been the good of that? because the Lord meant that she should die in her own quiet bedroom?...your day shall never be more troublesome, or more full of temptation, than your strength shall be full of deliverance." See: http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0210.htm

So dear Saint, I quiver a bit in saying that this year I'm going to trust God not merely for the spiritual strength but also for the physical comfort I long for. I long for a place to call home but recognize I'm just a pilgrim and therefore don't desire a mansion but will be satisfied with a cottage. I long for a husband to love and children to tend. Perhaps it's not in His will for me to ask but I'm learning that sometimes in order to receive, we must ask. Forgive me dear Jesus if I'm wrong and correct me speadily.

Making Difficult Decisions

When making tough decisions, these are some comforting words for me.

"He Who hath led will lead

All through the wilderness,

He Who hath fed will surely feed ...

He Who hath heard thy cry

Will never close His ear,

He Who hath marked thy faintest sigh

Will not forget thy tear.

He loveth always, faileth never,

So rest on Him today .... for ever."

These words were penned by Mrs. Carmichael to her daughter, Amy Carmichael. Amy was, at the time, testing her desire to be a missionary. She left later that year for Japan and became the woman who rescued temple children from a life of prostitution in India.

Another favorite is Ps. 143.10 "You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path."

God never fails to lead us when we prayerfully consider the path we take. You won't make a mistake. Just remember that wherever you are and wherever you go, Jesus is with you. We need nothing else! Ponder each step in prayer as you make it and don't take another step until God's peace is in your heart. The peace means you're in the will of God.

My Plans Are Thine

"We make our own plans, but the LORD decides where we will go." Prov. 16:9

How do you make plans for the future? You must wean yourself from the world's wisdom and always seek the will of God. A servant has no plans except that which the Master has ordained. His plans will always be made known to you in the form of His word (the Bible), solid preaching and godly counsel. 

Trust the Lord and do good. Settle it within yourself that God is overall. Take one step and ask God to illuminate the next. No need to fret. With God for us who can be against us? Have faith, dear child. Your only plan ought to be - Lord, here I am, send me.

What are you willing to lose when you stop planning? Your reputation perhaps. Can you sell all for the gospel? Can you live without material comfort? Life is more than food and the body more than clothes. Put Jesus first and you will have no regrets. Planning is unnecessary.

Forgetting the Past & Trusting Him for the Future

The year is almost over and I know I wrote a post about some lessons I learned over the year. Here's another. As I face 2011, I can't help be a bit discouraged. The best way to battle discouragement is to take it to Jesus in prayer. During my time of prayer, I was led to a scripture that was featured today on my blog. To paraphrase it said to forget about the past and understand that God is starting something new. That statement excited me because it reminded me that the moment we live through something, it becomes a feature of the past. Only the present stretches before us. We don't even have the future. With each new day, God assigns a new portion of mercy and His love never ends.

I don't know what 2011 holds. My fears and excitement are bundled together. The idea of something new excites me and the thought of my sinful heart frightens me. Lord, help me to trust you patiently, to wait quietly on your wisdom and daily yield every atom of my being to you. Give me control over my feelings and help me to have the victory through Christ Jesus. Praise be to Jesus that He is the same every day!

Ringing in the New Year

At the stroke of midnight tonight, 2010 will end. Today, I'm busy contemplating the close of 2010 and the start of 2011. Yet as I pen "The End" to 2010, I've learned some thing.

1. Do not search for romantic love. God will bring you love in His perfect timing. In the interim, hide your life in Christ and diligently seek His love and approval.

2. Put the Word of God before you during every encounter whether you're encountering a man or a woman. The word of God is sharper than any two edged sword.  A soul's reaction to the Word of God will reveal what type of person they really are. Avoid those who reject the gospel.

3. Be obedient to God in all things.

4. Pray always & give thanks, especially for and about all things.

5. Commit your way to the Lord and trust Him to always lead you.

6. Be mindful that just as we are forgiven, we are required to forgive others - regardless of the magnitude of the wrong.

Dear one, life is not so hard when we are hidden in Christ. Claim the power of Jesus in your life. Take His life and be healed by His abundant life. Following Jesus is easy when we claim the victory through Him. We love Him because he first loved us.

As the hymn goes: "Leaning on the everlasting arms."

Discerning the Will of God

For quite sometime now I've been confused as to when I'm hearing from the Lord and when it's just something I've conjured up in my imagination. Of late, I've been deciding whether I should date someone or not. I was so confused as to what the will of God was. I prayed and prayed but could not discern the voice of the Lord in this instance.

I've learned several points with respect to discerning the voice of the Lord. (1) There are two types of wisdom. The first comes from mankind and is earthly, sensual and demonic. The second comes from God. It is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruites, without partiality and without hypocricy. In summary of the first point, the wisdom from God should lead us to righteousness. It should encourage us to be godly, to see our wrong in a situation and it will not seek it's own because God's love doesn't. (2) When discerning the will of God pay close attention to your heart. Is it confused, anxious or at peace with the wisdom you have received? There's a difference between confused anxiety and fear. If your mind is racing and the thoughts you are having are contrary to the wisdom you've received then you ought to keep pressing God for clarification or for an answer. Use Phil 4:6-7 as your guide. Ask Him to lead you to a scripture or seek godly counsel in the form of your pastor or spiritual mentor. Fear, on the other hand, arises when God has called us to a situation that we sense could be dangerous or we are inadequate to perform. This type of fear is natural and we need to pray for God's grace and strength. We know that God will give us the strength and it is enough to accomplish the task and that perfect love casts out fear.

So next time you are struggling to decifer the will or voice of God, remember that God's will, will always align with scripture, he will never go back on His word and God's wisdom will be in the best interest of all involved.

Trusting Through the Inability to be Courted

It's not been easy to watch all my friends get married, plan vacations and anticipate their futures with someone. The older I get, the more solemnly I yearn for such an experience. A part of me can't imagine standing somewhere, perhaps under the moonlight and having my boyfriend tell me he can't live without me and he must marry me. I can't imagine the courtship or being desired but I can imagine standing over the stove, cooking dinner. I can imagine reading our children a bedtime story, cuddling by a fire with my honey and even cooking Christmas dinner for all of us. I see myself hovering over the pregnancy test waiting for the blue plus sign to materialize and visualize telling him a baby is on its way. Why can't I imagine the courtship? Why can't I imagine meeting him?

My boss wrote me a beautiful note. In it she said I deserved the wonderful Christmas experience I had. Funny thing though, do I think I deserve romantic love? It feels as though no one is ever right for me and I'm waiting for some one who doesn't exist. Yet, he does exist. I think a part of it is allowing myself to wander into love and imagine it. I know God makes all things beautiful in His time. Lord help me to wait on Your Divine timing and to trust each outcome of my life to you.

The darkness shall never overtake take you.

"The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out"

Hallelujah to a great God. A God who decided to manifest Himself physically so that we might know Who created us, so that we might have access to Him, so that we might have victory through Him. The Word is Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God in physical form. The Holy Spirit is that same form, only in the spiritual sense. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we accept the light of Word. That light becomes our life and our life raises us from the dead just as it raised Christ from the dead.

The galaxies are so huge we can't measure them, nor can we see beyond them into space. We can't comprehend anything because we aren't the Creator but when we invite the Word (Jesus) into our life, we can know all things because He knows all things. This perfect love casts out fear. This Word gives us the mind of Christ.

Little one, whatever troubles you, whatever depresses you, whatever you fear - cast it on Him. You serve a God that is bigger than the galaxies, who was able to be born a child, die a man and rise again. Never ever fear the darkness - the darkness cannot and will not overtake the light that is in you. Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world.

Finding Solace

I'll never forget that Sunday before she left me. I don't remember what the weather was like. I think it was sunny but my heart was clouded by the sensation of fear. My mother had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and my life as I knew it was soon to be forever changed. The idea of losing her was my gravest fear and fear was staring at me. I cried vehement tears and whispered in her doorway that I could never go on without her.

Without taking a moment to think she said, "Whatever happens I know you'll be OK. And remember I love you very much." She's gone now and on the darkest of days I say to myself "You are someone's daughter and you were very loved." But here's an even greater knowledge...

"...the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts..."

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing"

When you face mourning or something that shackles you with fear bring it to the Lord and ask for His love. You'll find a solace there.

The End of Christmas Eve - 2010

It's Christmas morning, technically. As I sat amongst my family members this evening I was blessed with knowing that we were all together but somewhat taken aback by how much has changed. Our family has shrunk and it was obvious to me that a very important person was missing. My mother was missing. I drove over by myself and watched my father kiss his girlfriend and gaze fondly at her throughout the night. I found myself yearning to hold someone's hand or rest my head on someone's shoulder. There wasn't anyone at that moment. In the loneliness of watching a world of couples it's tempting to get depressed. Lord, tonight as I lay my head to sleep, I pray for my husband - my future man. I pray he's out there looking for me, that he's lonely and waiting for someone just like me. I hope he'll know he's found a good thing when he meets me. Perhaps tonight we're both spending Christmas eve alone and feeling a bit undone. Perhaps he's up praying and feels a bit of my tears. Lord, increase my faith as I wait for you and what you have for me. Help me to be obedient to your call. Thank you for your grace. In this moment of feeling a bit undone, a little shaky about the future, please be my comfort. I've lost my mama and tonight I feel the pain stabbing just a bit further into my heart than usual. I feel a little more undone than usual. You are my comfort and my solace.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

I will never leave you nor forsake you. 

No good thing will he withhold...