The Christ-Life Speaks Joy to the Soul

Freedom versus Bondage

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. --John 10:10 NIV

Christ-following is not rule-following. 

Christ is life; not a burden, not working harder, not being buried under a weight of guilt unable to meet all the requirements of "righteous" living. Bondage to an ideal is not the stuff of freedom in Christ, contrary to what many have been taught, and in some ways, as I was taught.

Joy is repressed when the Christ-life is reduced to a list-following duty. You see, Christ came to set us free. We can access that freedom by living in close relationship with Him. He is life. Real life is an over-flowing of Christ in us that is life-giving and real.

Liberating in essence, Christ-following is crying out to Him with your heart and soul, to know Him, to love Him, to being filled with Christ's life now bringing -- and His Life now being -- life in you. Christianity is about Christ, His hope, His love, and His life. Pure and simple, it is all about Christ.

Many Christians live in duty-bound bondage to the religious form that has little to do with the "life" of Christ in their daily living. Christ came to set the captive free. He is life eternal. Through Him we partake of Living Life. His Life brings life with its joy to the soul. We become fully alive in our spirit.

Belief is rooted in what you believe. If it is reduced to a list of rules, traditions, and religious practices, then it will fail to bring life to the soul. Instead, it will cause bondage to the practices. Opening your life to Christ and focusing on Him is what gives life to your inner being. This is freeing and breaks the bonds of do-good-ing religiosity. Trying to achieve holiness in our own strength is not possible though it may be well intentioned. Striving to be godly will fail. Its motivation is from the wrong source. Godliness originates from Christ, in us and transforming us.
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What goes on in the heart is where we must look to find our true spiritual state. As we are in our heart, so are we. Why we do what we do is important to know. A self-examination is in order. What does your heart love? Therein you will find your spiritual truth. Is it in Christ the Savior or is it in the practices and forms? I mean, really look for what is true in you. The wearing of "spiritual masks" is commonplace. They quite effectively hide the true truth about your spiritual condition. Seek God until He mirrors your soul's condition to you. Then you're ready to access freedom through Christ and in Christ.

Grace, joy, and peace come through Christ living in us. Embracing Christ, loving God, seeking spiritual truth through Father, Son, and Spirit -- through God's Word, and through a life enkindled in its reality through love in Christ, prayer and meditation -- is life-giving goodness. It is then you live spiritual life from a place of light and beauty rather than bondage and servitude.

It doesn't get any better than that.

A Relatable Tale That Grabs You

A good book speaks about real life.

Do you ever read a book and feel like you're reading your own personal story? I just finished a book that way. I couldn't believe it. So many passages were matches and ponderings much like my own past conflicted feelings.

Wow! What it told me is the author understands the human mixed with the spiritual elements. She gets how they cause us to act in self-protective mode, which is not all that good for us in the long run. We can't be genuine if we are controlling the conversation.

You have to risk being real.

Decisions  and choices abound in our daily walks. Sometimes we simply do not know what to do. That happens quite often in my life. I try to ascertain the best course of action by using my best thinking. Yet there are the occasional curve balls.

The book I was reading was about a later-in-life romance. I could relate. I've been in a similar predicament. The relationship was one of the joys in my life, but it also brought me a great deal of angst. Like the protagonist, I suffered through indecision and fears while also being filled with joys and sweetness. I was trying my best to make it work but all the time doubting that it could work. Such thinking sabotages best effort. Not a good way to do life.

It was strange and delightful to read a book that captures that conundrum well, the confusion and contrary feelings that hold a debate in the head. Ever been there? Relationships have everything to do with life. Did I mention the author is Jan Karon? Have you heard of the Mitford series?

Author magic is such that it elicits a response in you. 

Prayer in the Daily Occurrences of Life

We could pray 24/7.

Praying throughout the day is a beautiful thing. Suffering and struggle are everywhere. Hope and healing are also everywhere, but you must intentionally look for them in order to see their effects. Praying throughout every day becomes a lifestyle practice, an on-going conversation with our Heavenly Father. It is also a mind-set of doing good for others.

I pray as I drive, as I shop, as I sit in a coffee shop, as I view a natural wonder. As I see them, I pray for them. I pray for the homeless, for the elderly, for the children and their parents, for the disabled, for the person who looks sad, for the person in line at the clinic or pharmacy, for the friend or relative in need of a touch from God. Life is hard and everyone needs prayer. While in the hospital E-R, I pray for the newborns every time the music on the intercom announces a baby's arrival. I pray for their life and that they will someday know God and his love. Yes, it is a privilege to pray. Prayer is a blessing we give to the world.

Daily I visit an acute rehab facility where a family member is receiving assistance. Some residents have amputated limbs. Some suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Some have head traumas that limit their capbilities. Some are alert and some are not. There is a cheeriness in the place due to a friendly, caring staff. It's a different world, though. Some there get forgotten by the outside world.

An old friend of mine sings hymns with the residents on Sunday afternoons. It is a gift from his heart to theirs. When he asked me to pray in the middle of the service, it caught me off guard. I didn't know these people or their spiritual path. Yet God's grace was in that room with us. The peace of God enveloped me and them as I prayed and thanked God for being in the room with us. It was a beautiful moment. One of the residents who suffers with Alzheimer's was singing the words of a hymn. That surprised me. I had silently prayed for her the day before because she was confused and behaving erratically. I asked God to calm her and to reach her. It was amazing the difference in the moment.

We pray for those struggling in difficult marriages. We pray for those with anxiety and depression. We pray for those who need a relationship with Christ. We pray for the many needs, and we ask God to intervene. We pray prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of praise, and prayers that honor God and for his blessings to us. We meditate, contemplate, and speak words of gratefulness.

Prayer enriches our lives and the lives of others. What a joy it is to pray. Prayer changes things. Prayer changes us. We soften in the center of our being when we pray. Our attitude towards others also soften as we make prayer a light that glows in the daily. Prayer is God's work. He uses us. Our prayers effect eternity. That is praise-worthy.

Revitalize your day by speaking blessings as you encounter people, places and things. Stressed? Send a prayer up. God is awake. Happy? Give thanks to God. Sad? Know you are heard. Thankful? Send up a praise to God. Discouraged? He understands. Be blessed.

The need is great. God calls us to pray without ceasing

"Father God, I pray blessing on each person who reads this. May you surround them with your love and grace. Amen"

A Matter of Perspective

Life is hard. I hear people say that statement, and I say it. Life IS hard. There's no way to get around it. But God is good. My mind thinks that thought as the answer to the equation. Two big truths connected together by an unseen thread, one conjunction that brings the two side by side. Life is hard BUT God IS good.

All I know in my human limitations is that every time I go through hard times I draw upon God to help me get through them and grow in the process. He carries me along, sees my tears, gives me hope, and blesses me in the process. That's being a good Father God. I never welcome the struggle and I complain more than I should, but I'm never alone.

I asked an elderly lady how she was doing. She said, "I'm upright." Yes, some days it is that way. We are hanging in there and pushing through. God is pushing with us, the unseen partner that we call upon time after time. Some days he seems more distant, that is where trust comes in. He teaches us to trust him for the journey. Later on, we look back and are amazed that we made it through. Praises and more praises.

The deeper we go with God, the more we center our thoughts and being in him, the more we will know his blessed peace in the middle of a storm. He calms the storm with "Peace be still." I know it's true. He's been that for me. New challenges keep coming, and I am stretched a bit further in a new direction. Life is hard but God is good. He teaches me how to handle these new dynamics and disappointments. He is my best friend throughout it all. I love him.

God bless you today

Is the Bible Relevant for Today?

Is the Bible relevant?

I have been reading in Genesis, Psalms, and Mark lately. It so impresses me how stories in the Bible are full of drama.

Joseph's story is one of them. It plays out like a movie, with injustice after injustice, event after event, and so forth. He sorrows for his homeland, his people, even though he rises to second in rank in Egypt. And the story line has one amazing, unexpected, unpredictable resolution.

And, in the book of Mark, walking with Jesus and the way each situation occurs and causes people to stumble, rejoice, heal, reject or whatever. There's never a dull moment for the disciples. And the audience? Three days without food while sitting on the hillside listening to Jesus. Could or would we do that?! I love reading the words of Jesus. They speak life and cut to the chase, don't you think?

I read the psalms and see my own kaleidoscope of emotions, defeating fears, incredible joys, depressed feelings, and multiple sorrows ... with ever-present steadfast hope in God. This is the one book in the Bible that I read a chapter of almost every day. It is extremely applicable to the daily struggle and gives us what we need to carry on.

Is the Bible relevant? Yes, the Bible is relevant. At least for me it is. The Bible speaks the language of heart, Spirit, and truth, and that is what makes it relevant for every age.

Blessed I am by its words.

YOU CAN DO THIS

Be Others-Focused, Just Because

You can do this.

You can. You can do this.

You can find your voice and use it wisely. You can extend grace, show mercy, and be kind. Your life can make a difference in the world. The focus changes when you live to give, not to get; live to help, not to hinder; live to love others and not to hate them.

 Live for the better good. Be a remarkable citizen. Roll up your sleeves and do the hard work to make life better for others in your community, county, country, and world. When you see a problem, do something about it rather than say to yourself, that’s not my problem. 

Lead the way to making a better day. Believe in others, the process, and lead and guide the discussion to motivate action in others. 

Be sincere. Listen to others. Motivate your own actions through love that chooses to bless others.You are given a chance to make a difference in this world. 

Change it up. Get it right for yourself and show how it can be done for others. Be a person of quality and integrity. Rethink what you do and how you come across. Work on your stuff first before advising others. 

Become the person you can be. Address your habits and your purpose. Speak life to others and secure a right relationship to health and well-being for yourself and for others. Don’t sell yourself short. 

You can do this. 

You can’t change someone else but you can change yourself. You can’t make the world become a happier place, but you can make yourself into a happier person. 

I have watched people do that. I did that. I literally changed my focus to an outward focus. Mothers often do this. They put themselves last and others first. It is not because they are weak or ineffectual, it is because they are selfless and caring. They want their family, friends, and others to be happy. Period.

This puts people on notice that somebody’s happy around here. 

How sweet it is!

A Walk Down Memory Lane

The days are so beautiful right now. They remind me of Southern California. When I was a child, we would visit my grandmother in Glendora. We spent our time skating on the sidewalk or playing in her lovely backyard. There was this vibrant peacefulness and a unique scent in the air. 

Glendora still has that mystique. Recently we were in Glendora for my Mum's graveside service. Afterwards, the reception was held at the church where my mother (as a child) and grandmother attended two blocks from my grandma's bungalow. 

We breathed the air and walked the circle from the church to her house and back, me with my two adult sons. We walked down the alley out back. The citrus trees and avocado tree, with the best avocados ever, in the backyard are thriving. How I miss our visits. I often dream of being back in that house for a visit.

My oldest two sons remembered their younger years and visits to Great Grandma's and the neighbors just down the street. Visits to Grandma's house were always a delight, for me and for them. 

Those are special memories that will not to be replicated. Wonderful. Today is like being back there, with the sounds of the city and the lazy, crisp beauty of another day. 

I feel soft inside with a tenderness that joy so richly imbues in the remarkable moments that give goodness to our days. Life is good. How precious is each moment.

The picture is from a visit to my Grandma Weigold's in Glendora around 1994. We're standing in front of her sweet little home on a Sunday morning, ready to walk to church. The boys are wearing shirts my mother made them. What a blessed memory.

Night Sky in All Its Beauty

Life is so interesting. Sometimes I get stuck and feel like I'm running in place. Other times it is absolutely delightful.

The other night I was at my dad's place out in the country. The night sky was deep indigo and I could see the Big Dipper and a multitude of brightly shining stars. The air was crisp-cool and a light breeze was tingling my arms.

So lovely, exquisitely beautiful.

Beauty after loss is a wonderful tonic for the tender heart.

Photo: Unsplash

Seniors: On Picking the Best Utensil

What spoon will I choose?

I looked at the spoons in the tray as I hunted for the kind I wanted. Not wanting just any spoon to scoop my granola with, I was looking for the best to my liking (Oneida flatware). I spotted one of them, and set it to the side. I prefer a quality spoon with just the right curve and weight.

Satisfied, I pour my milk in the bowl and proceed to eat my breakfast. I am aware of this every time I am going to eat with a spoon. When I'm stirring sugar in my coffee or in my iced tea, I don't care which spoon to use. I am less picky because the spoon's function is different.

I think back to my Grandpa long ago when I was a youth. Grandpa liked just the right spoon, too. He preferred a thin-edged, well-worn silver spoon (silverware) with a deep scoop to it, over other types of spoons. He liked using a silver spoon when eating soup, oatmeal, pudding, or ice cream. I remember him saying that he didn't like metal spoons as well.

Does that sound silly? I remember thinking it was sort of silly. A spoon is a spoon, right? Nope. Now that I am older and more decided in my preferences, I am more like my grandfather and more particular in what it takes to satisfy me. I prefer the best tool rather than the adequate or better tool. I am less content with status quo or just okay. I like what I like and choose what I prefer when life affords it.

What does this say about life? about me? about choices I make? I have grown to appreciate certain things more than others. Most of us seniors are that way. We have grown with life. We have become more aware of what works and what doesn't work for us. We gravitate to what serves our purposes and in the best possible way. Our likes have become preferences that now are more pronounced than they used to be. You have learned what works best and you consistently apply certain tools to accomplish defined tasks.

You use what works best for you but you also notice what others are using. It pays to pay attention to what is available. A parent demonstrates to their child the way to proceed and accomplish an undertaking. A sloppy or poorly completed endeavor is an indicator of using the wrong materials, rushing through, or not fully focusing. We don't have time for wasting time. Really.

Make good choices as best as you can. Selecting the spoon I want demonstrates a nonverbal desire to be pleased and satisfied. In life, that is a good thing . . . unless someone else wants the same spoon at the same time -- but that's another story. Choose what works the best for you. I've been indecisive for most of my life, I'm done with that way of living.

I want my next twenty to thirty years to count. I don't want to waste time on what won't deliver the goods, this includes relationships and endeavors. I won't settle for less. Don't you settle for less.

Life is Not Hopeless

Whatever is in your life is not hopeless. 

God is working behind the scenes. 

God cares about you. He heals your sorrows. He lifts you up. 

This is his new day to you. Rejoice in it. Believe in the God of the impossible.

 Believe God will make a way through the desert. Believe in God always. 

Trust in him. Thank God for holding your hand and not letting go.

Thank God for holding your hand and not letting go.

He is your silent partner.

9-11 -- Fall-out, Fealty, and Future

September 11 is the anniversary of the day that changed America.

She has never been the same.

Fear has become her companion as we as a country have had to put safeguards in place to prevent another such tragedy. These were necessary given the threats to our nation's safety.

However, something was lost and something was compromised. America lost her sense of security, and narrowed her sense of purpose.

May she not despair.

America is the land of the free and the brave. May she rise again and live with honor. May her wounds be bound and then healed. May she speak for the marginalized and downtrodden. May those who defend her freedoms know they are supported in their efforts and through acts of bravery. 

May freedom ring both for love of country and in the hearts of her country's men and women. May her people rise together and honor God with their actions and hearts. 

Today, tomorrow, here and on foreign lands, may God bless America, her citizenry and patriots, her innocent and weary-worn, her children and her elderly. 

May God bless America, my home sweet home.

MY MOTHER'S HAIRBRUSH, PAINTING, & VIOLIN

Painting by my mother, Evelyn Brumbaugh

My mother lives in a care home these days because she must. Most of our visits have few activities, and I do most of the talking. What is meaningful, though, is being together. We have our routine. After greeting Mother with a hug, I gravitate to her nightstand. A purple brush is next to a black comb in its drawer.
     I grab the set and then begin to brush my mother’s hair. Mother has soft, curly, gray hair. I style her hair until it puffs out nicely and gently frames her face, just the way she used to wear it. A dab of lipstick on and she looks lovely. She smiles at me when I am done and thanks me. This is my favorite part of the visit.

My mother is an artist at heart. No longer does a painter’s brush move across the canvas, but I remember her at work on her beautiful paintings. Every dip of the paintbrush and dab of paint added to the scene set before her, whether a rose, an ocean view, a mountain cabin in the pines, or a pond with lilies surrounding it. They were beautiful.

Mother’s other love, her violin, now rests in quiet repose in its case between the piano and living room wall. An oval framed photograph from long ago of my mother’s violin teacher as a young woman wearing a chiffon gown, hangs on the wall. I knew that some day the orchestra concerts would come to an end, and I wouldn’t be ready. And that is exactly how it played out.
The first time Mother got sick was the day of an orchestra concert. From the hospital I called her director to let him know she wouldn’t be making the concert. That was the end of violin concerts for Mother and the last of playing her violin altogether. Violin playing had been a source of pleasure for her for eighty years, which had started with my grandma taking my mother in to Los Angeles an hour by tram for the violin lessons. Mother was six years old. I miss Mom playing her violin.

On quiet visits to my mom’s room, I play CDs of my mother’s orchestra concerts—and we both enjoy them. The William Tell Overture is my favorite selection with Phantom of the Opera as a close second. Mother loves them all.

I view my mother differently in her sunset years. All the wonderful parts of Mother’s life are remembered and appreciated. I see her more clearly than I used to. She gave so much or herself to her family. Now, during my visit to see her, she and I are content to sit side-by-side and enjoy the moment.

HEALING OF PAINS FROM THE PAST

No matter how long ago it happened, you have to yield yourself to God's way in order to heal a trauma. A year after my husband left me and the family, I decided to ask God for healing. This was my own idea. No one encouraged me to go there. I was broken inside but alive in God. I was open to healing if that was something I needed. I didn't know what to expect but I trusted God to do what only he could do.

Teacher picture in those days.

God took me at my word. A few days later memories began to surface, usually after an intense time in the word and in prayer. I only prayed the prayer once, but I guess that's all God was waiting for me to do. I was seeking intimacy in my relationship with God. I had been pursuing God with no holds barred. My life was changing as a result of my new found openness with God. God helped me heal and returned peace to my soul.

Here is a segment written in my first journal from during that time of upheaval and renewal.

JOURNAL 1 -- 2003 

Most days I walk in the orchard for exercise and as a time of renewal. This morning, while in the orchard I talked with God about the spiritual desire I have to walk through the pains of the past, to give them to Him, to let go of them, to have them change from a wound to a scar. 

I cannot do this on my own. I don’t even know how to allow Him to lift and free me from their power, to release them.  I asked for His help in doing this. 

To begin this process of walking through the pains of the past and remembering their hurt and then offering them to God; I went back to the beginning. I began to remember those first few weeks of marriage when I realized that my husband and I were not going to have the close marriage fellowship I had envisioned, how I had felt the lack of bonding together--and the aloneness I felt.  

I remembered how at the time I realized that my marriage was probably a big mistake, and how I regretted my choice.  I also remembered my determination to put my marriage in God’s hands.  For 21 years that was the way it had been.

I allowed myself to feel, to remember that terrible day, when my first born was a baby, when my husband told me he was leaving because it just wasn’t working out, how he didn’t love me or have feelings for me, how he had not really wanted to marry me, the doubts he had before we wed.   

The pain of these memories was so intense that I wept so hard my heart just hurt.  I asked God to release me from their pain.  I felt exhausted, depleted of all energy.  After the tears subsided the beauty of the trees and creation spoke to me.  As I stood there the memory of the biblical character Job--and his intense suffering and faithfulness--touched me.   

I want to listen for His communion when I finish this."

By giving my hurts to God, I was able to access his healing grace. The sorrow and suffering left my inner being and never returned. A redemptive touch of God met my need and healed me. My wounds became a trophy of God's tender touch making me anew.

Life is tremendously different ever since that day. God set me free and began to shape me. I am grateful. 

My full story can be found here in two audio segments of pain and healing. May God minister to your heart through them. 

Please share my testimony with someone God puts on your heart.

Blessings, my friend. 

I welcome any comments.  

SHOW KIDS YOU CARE

Notice the children and give them an appropriate sense of self.

Children need tender loving care. They also need affirmation. All the adults in their lives put into their lives and are giving them a sense of self. Your words and actions matter a great deal and leave lasting imprints that project into the future. Positive words and actions are empowering.

Children need parameters and established boundaries. It is important to teach youth that some things are good and some are not okay. Model appropriate behaviors for them and plan ways to create a safe environment in your home. Make sure you commend children for right behaviors. All children need to be cared for and nurtured. Chaos happens when the environment is out of control. With a little thought, this can be improved and provide what the children need.

Teachers, parents, grandparents, coaches, youth leaders, ministers and others will communicate messages to their youthful charges. They are helping build a whole person one word at a time. Wrong messages often stem from frustration, lack or organization, and lack of consistency.

Focus on helping children grow into responsible adults by helping them participate. People need structure to build upon to hold it together like a body needs its skeletal system to support the body. By paying attention to structure and nurture causes a child to feel wanted in their environment.

Parents teach their children about strangers to keep them aware and safe. Be careful in how you interact with children. Be a safe person. Do make the effort to acknowledge children. Do the extras if they are in your care.

 Here are a few simple ways you can show any child that you care.

Notice them. 

Smile a lot.

Acknowledge them.

Learn their names.

Seek them out.

Remember their birthdays.

Children are like sponges. They soak up the attention and guidance you give them. They need it.

Children will listen after they have learned to listen. We, as adults, learn to speak with quiet authority and to not overdo it. They respond to care, and they respond to being treated with respect. Lack of respect towards them results in them reacting, acting out, or defending themselves. Respectful behavior is taught, modeled, given, and should be the expectation for everyone in the family.

Much has been written about raising children. I think one area has been neglected. Parents are in control, not the children. You are in charge. Don't give the children all the power to make all the choices. They are not ready for it and will become what we used to call "spoiled" or "brats" when they control the home. They will have more voice as they mature and show responsibility.

There are ways to do this. You might want to read about this subject.on my other blog: Intentional Parenting: 21 Tips for How to Parent Children.

Be in control but don't be harsh. Use appropriate consequences. Love well. Be kind. Take time.

ARE YOU WHOLE?

To embrace wholeness requires that one be whole. To be whole in our humanness is to be well and have health in physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and intellectual areas. 

To ignore fitness in any area will affect all areas of self. You want to be well? Then you have to do the things that make you well. 

This isn’t about addictions or psychological health, but it is important to know that if something, someone, or some substance is in control of you, has control over you, is what you live for—when you can’t get along without it—then you are not whole. 

Emotional health, your mental health, is an area to consider and then uncover any ties to negatives both past and present. The goal is to use these as teachers that propel you into understanding and release you to be free of their entanglements and influence in your life. 

Are you whole? 

It takes some work but you can be whole. Getting well in body, soul, and spirit, and in your emotions, intellect, and will, is the stuff of real life. Lots of times you probably don't think you're doing okay, and maybe you aren't.

That's where you come to a roadblock in your life and take an intense look at yourself. This is a good thing. Start identifying what you know to be true about your interactions and your relationships, and your attitudes, and, lastly, your positive and negative self-stuff.
I have faced a few roadblocks that made me look intently at myself. Some of the ways I was thinking were not good for me or for others. I took stock. Saw where I needed to change. Prayed about it. Read books that related in some way. Then I started working on myself, and it worked.
You can do it. 

You can make your life better if you want to.  Everyone is given an opportunity to deal with their stuff. Sometimes it takes some help and guidance. But you can get there. Spiritual help is rich, too. God will listen, and he will help you. No demands, though. You can partner up, God does his part in guiding you, and you do your part in showing up and doing the what you need to do.
There is a lot more to this than I am stating, but I just want you to know that it is possible. It takes some hard work too. But that's good in the end. Then what you learn, and any change, become a part of you. Trust me, I've been there.

Blessings to you.

Let me know if I can help in any way. 💁

GOD is in the PEOPLE CHANGING BUSINESS

Get Ready for a Spiritual Makeover

  A spiritual makeover changes you from the inside out. 

A spiritual makeover is quite the adventure. God touches you where you've have been wounded by thoughtless words or unkind actions. He also shows you when you've been wrong-minded and acted in self-interest. God takes you on a journey through your past and into your present.

So why should you care?

What God offers you are two R's, and they're life-changing R's. God offers you redemption and relationship. You can't have one without the other. You get a new life as he redeems your soul and forgives what needs forgiving and gives you a new life in Christ. This new life begins a spiritual journey with God guiding your life as you follow the path of divine love. 

It's not easy, but it's good because God is good.

God never abandons you. He is a good father, a loving Father. My son struggled with depression. He'd been hurt and life was disappointing and had too many problems. I couldn't reach him. I worried and prayed. He moved far away. Then God started a work in him that grew and grew. When I saw him next, his face no longer was sad and hang-dog. There was life in his eyes and joy in his expression. He looked much different, better, free. No way could he have done that on his own.

God wants you to clean up your act, spiritually speaking.

God wants to set you free. He is here to help you. But you have to give him your stuff. That's the hard part. God will make you anew if you let him. That's the tricky part. It's better to not play games with God. Be honest with him. Once you get started then the miracles start happening. The divine life is a presence, God's presence in you, a beauty that lives within that lights the eyes with life, peace, and inner radiance that spills forth in splashes of joy and inner delight.

Does it matter?   

Yes, your spiritual side is always with you. God desires to nurture your inward places that he might lead you by the still waters. There you will feel safe, loved, and whole. God helps you heal. Spiritual renewal is intentional. Your intrinsic need to be loved and wanted is found in God. God can meet this deepest longing in every human heart. 

First, though, you have to find God as real.

A life of peace is something you may want and hope to have, yet it can seem out of reach. Peace is acquired through God. All of us need some help from God to deal with our personal stuff.  Life has many challenges that are difficult to address or to effect change. If you want to live in freedom, the first step is to look in the mirror of God. It starts there. Ask God to reveal what is in your heart to you. Be brave.

God is in the business of making us beautiful.  

Want to know about the best relationship out there? It is God + his child. God and his children are a team by way of his redemptive work in them. With God’s help, you can return to spiritual health: restored, purified, and healed. God does his best work in a life that’s changed by him. You can be that life.


God is love in its purest form.

• God’s  ♡  speaks in the stillness. 

• God's  ♡  offers grace to his beloved children. 

• God’s   ♡  redeems and sets free. 

• God’s  ♡   is beautiful, real, and fulfilling. 

• God’s  ♡  is unselfish, life-giving, and life-changing.

Join the family ... find the love... experience the happiness ... accept the beauty
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ & you will be saved

AMEN

I invite you to subscribe to this blog. Blessings & joy. Norma

FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE

My son surprised me with this cell phone photo in a text message. He told me he was going to visit my sister. I wasn't expecting the photo. It made me emotional, of course, and it took me down memory lane. The day we buried her was a complex mix of unbelief, sorrow, and grief.

My son was eleven when his aunt, my sister Lois, passed away. Now, a quarter century later, he is back at the hillside cemetery in Stayton, Oregon. His first time revisiting the very spot where she is at rest. It took him about an hour to locate her marker. Then he sent me this photo and told me he said "hi" to her for me.

I wonder what emotion he feels, and his thoughts. The two--his wanting to pay his respects and the memory of her--warm my heart.

We never stop loving. Those we have lost continue to be a part of us.

In life, our lives intersect, and we may experience an everlasting bond. Our connections with family, siblings, parents, mates, and children and even those who are like family to us, have many differing threads. These may be sweet or not so much. Our lives are influenced by the intricate web these threads weave that make up the tapestry of our lives.

Sometimes these change the trajectory of our lives. I spend a few to many hours a week fulfilling a promise I made after losing my sister. She had been troubled, depressed, and had lost her way. When our family got the call, it was already to late.

We all grieve differently. I promised myself and God that I would learn more and be more available to those who struggle with life. I also have become more sensitive to the actual struggle. Life IS hard. There's no denying it. Words are not enough. I believe caring with feet on it is part of the answer.

I see life and my part in it differently than I used to. I want to love people without bias, judgment, or categorizing; that's the desire. Is it easy? No. I've had to change my way of thinking and become more flexible.

I think Lois was part of that. Her loss was part of an awakening in me, to do more, to be kind, to validate what I can validate, to speak truth in love, to abandon what gets in the way of these.

I miss my sister and always will. She was a beautiful person. I'm glad my son wanted to validate her memory. That means something to me. She would have been pleased with the man he has become. I know it in my heart.

Life is too short. Love well. Be good.

Thank you, my son.

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WHAT ROCKS? A Spiritual Awakening

 Spiritual life has the power to rock your world.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. ---John 10:10

Deeper Spiritual Life is the Abundant Life

 

I didn't tap into the deeper spiritual life until I was in my late forties. It rocked my world.

How do we get to where our spirituality becomes real, deep, life-giving and free? The process is one of going from "doing" religiously to one of "being" authentically.

When troubles come, we can be decimated by the events. But, but . . . but what does that say about our spirituality? You and I can live through events on two levels, human vs spiritual, but it is best when they are blended together as one.

Our spiritual journey begins with a decision to believe, accept, and acknowledge belief in God, Christ, and salvation. This is a "by faith" transaction, choosing to believe by faith in the gospel, and accept the salvation offered to us -- whereby we receive redemption for our soul. Our soul awakens.

A baby is born ready to be shaped, loved, and nurtured. They grow and become within the context of human stepping stones on their way to becoming a functioning adult.

Spiritual life has its own stepping stones to mature spirituality. The place of worship, study of scripture and doctrine, dedication of heart and mind to truth, obedience to the Savior, Father God, and Holy Spirit--are all part of the spiritual path.

The issue is this. All those good endeavors may miss the point--and they have made many a Pharisee--when they may miss the mark of what it is to be enlivened spiritually. What is missing is a pursuit of God in a living and breathing relationship with him, formed within the context of becoming Christ-like.

We are "becoming" Christ-like through a constant growing relationship with the Divine. When we are connected through the heart with the Savior, we begin living in him, not living intellectually in him--although we are intellectually stimulated by this holy alliance.

Here is the secret. Christ's life awakening in us changes us into living, authentic spiritual beings.

Here's how it's done. To get there takes stripping away all our arguments and biases to look fully on the Savior. We open our mind, heart, and soul to God. We let him teach us and reveal his love and kindness, truth, and character to us, day after day.

His life will rock you. Get alone with God and use this time to focus your thoughts on him, his word, and his truth. Let his being ripple in you. Do this without preconceived conventions and barriers. This will awaken your soul into the deeper spiritual life--where one lives and thrives, where one experiences the greater love and being.

The problem is, it is easier to live our spiritual lives in our own strength, with its limited parameters and rigid beliefs. Christ came to free us from that way of thinking and living. He is the way, the truth, and the life.

This spiritual life is known by its life-giving qualities. Spirituality that is centered in Christ is known by its love, humility, purity, and strength. This kind of spiritual life is liberally living within a sense of "being" through an interactive walk with God.

Here's the deal. The joy, peace, love, and spirituality that I mentioned in last week's writing is not automatic for any of us, but it is possible for all of us. It is the greatest thing that could ever happen to you.

True spirituality is commiserate with an interactive relationship with the Father, Son, and Spirit through praying, listening, and pursuing living relationship. I find it easiest to do in the silences, in nature, in a room by myself, alone with my own thoughts, centered and focused on the Divine. Prayer, scripture, and meditation facilitate this process.

Our anchor in life is in the One who is the Anchor. The deeper our relationship, the more assurance we have during all our moments, even those with adverse circumstances.

 Spiritual life when lived well is peace-giving, strong, loving, and kind. I no longer worry if I'm living my spiritual life in a right way. The living relationship with God is life-giving and real. He ministers to me and teaches me. In the process, I am becoming more fully his. He is my light and life-giver. I am blessed. This is a beautiful way to live every day.

This is my wish for you.

Any questions?

TRUE SPIRITUALITY ... Makes a Difference

A few thoughts of mine that reveal my take on spiritual life and how it should impact our lives. If our spirituality doesn't make a difference in how we live our lives there may be some clues as to why embedded in this short essay.

Another way to say what spiritual life should look like:

Your spirituality should make a difference in your life. Real spiritual life will impact your interior self: how you think, choices you make, your deep down true desires.

Take it a step further, Spirit-led spirituality is like having a living being in you that guides you and speaks to your soul, and that has the capacity for greater beauty, higher levels of joy and peace, and tremendous hope and courage.

The truth is, the liveliness of God in the soul also desires purity, truth, and goodness and lives its internal life in you with hope, faith, and love.

Relationship with God, a true spirituality that is not human-based but God-based, speaks life to the soul. The person tuned to this life in them makes a daily choice to live and thrive, or mute and ignore, the Beauty within them.

Our spirituality is easy to see. One only has to look at what matters most to us, what our pursuits are and why, and how we react to life in general, with its joys and sorrows, goods and bads, relationships and amusements.

We have problems we need to solve, wounds we need to heal, and heartaches we need to repair. But we also have resources to help us. Our spirituality is one of those resources. No matter how bad it is, we can embrace the Living Being that resides within us with our heart, mind, and soul. We can read its spiritual--life and "how-to"--manual, the Good Book, to find help, guidance, and strength as we draw near to the source of its wisdom and life, and its theme, God, his living presence, his Son and his Spirit.

True spirituality centers a person and makes them a better person. They will use their gifts to bless others. They will use their mind to grow, enrich, and infuse spiritual truth with living reality. They will also do impossible things like love their enemy, forgive those who hurt them, and access healing that brings peace to the soul.

Bitterness and residual anger cannot live or thrive in the person who is finding their life hid in Christ, the One who speaks life to the soul. The spiritual life in you confronts, changes and impacts the mind and soul and offers newness and renewal of mind and heart. The Spirit of God then transforms us, and our spirituality becomes a living, breathing, life within us and makes a difference in our inner being and how we live our life, our motivation and our loves.

Any questions?

THE LADY IN RED

I called her, 'the lady in red'. I'd see her almost every day on the same street. Walking. Walking fast. Wearing a dress, not pants. Not just any dress, though, but one that was flouncy, bright and noticeable from the distance. You'd see the red, the hat, and her quick gait. Her dresses were tight to the waist and then with a full skirt, like 50s style. Red belt, red hat, and red heels, not sexy or tawdry but happy and cheerful, and old-fashioned-like.

Other times she wore a red dress with flamboyant accessories, or a black dress with scarlet accessories, or wearing a bright blue print with red accents. And the handbag, always a large handbag. The big brimmed hat, too. The hat, the bag, and the dressy-dress made her stand out. And her stride. She was in a hurry, places to go, people to see, shopping to do. I looked for her whenever I was driving in that section of town. It was common to see her in the late afternoon. Usually she was on the same side of the street as me, walking on a sidewalk, her back to me as I drove on by.

Her hair was curly, shoulder-length, bouncy, like the determined, bouncy way she walked. I wondered her story. Hers was not the normal stride but that of the person marching to her own tune. I never knew, of course, and I never talked to her. She was walking, and I was hauling a car full of kids.

We moved out of the area. Five years later we were back. A few weeks into our return, I spotted her. She had aged. Her hair was now pepper and salt in color. Her dresses, not quite so outlandish. But she was going shopping, walking fast, carrying a colorful tote bag in hand. It felt good to see her again, to know she was still around. Every time I saw her I would smile. She had a cheerful aura about her, and I knew she had to be a good person by the way she dressed, the kind of person that celebrates life and says nice things to make others feel good. She had character, more than most.

Then one day, years later, the front page of the local paper boasted a picture of her. She'd passed on, and they'd written an article about her. Now I knew her name. Now I learned she'd been homeless off and on but a favorite in town. Now I knew she made a lot of people smile and was loved by merchants and homeless alike. She'd been an encourager to many. In fact, the locals were covering her funeral expenses. The lady in red was going out in style, beloved by many in the community.

I've always wanted to write about her because she impressed me and touched something in me that others have not. Her inner beauty was magical even though she was doing what she did without a concern for what we thought about it. She liked being beautiful. She liked color. She loved red. She liked purpose and was about her business. Though different than mine or others, there was something special about it, and about her.

Look for the beauty and you will find it.

A SPIRITUAL ANTIDOTE

ANTIDOTE FOR THE STRUGGLE?

As one ages you bear more burdens: Loss upon loss, heartache upon heartache, disappointment upon disappointment. Even culturally, you seek to adjust to the constant change, some good, but some not so good. I can understand why some people pull in and quit trying so hard.

What to do?

As we age, we must make good decisions and choose to look on the bright side of life. We must look to our best friends for validation and encouragement, and to hear our hearts. We must embrace the love of our Heavenly Father. We must also learn to let go, release, choose to forgive, release, and realize the need to accept there are some things we cannot change, release. Prayer is a huge part of this. God helps us release when we ask him to. He also helps us heal. He guides us on the path.

Okay, how about in real life?

I look at my folks and feel for them. Life is not the same or as enjoyable. Besides the normal aging process with it's health issues, many of my folks'friends are passing on, people they used to play cards with, vacation with, go out to eat with, attend church with. That's a hard thing once you're getting up there in years.

As their children, we try to fill in the gap. We do the little things that make them smile. One of our frequent happy moments is looking out the kitchen window as we view the clouds, blue sky, the Sierra Nevada mountains with snow peaks. We enjoy eating a home cooked meal that we kids brought, or talking about their past or some current event. Our purpose is to help them and make them happy as much as we can.

The point is, we can give, and giving gives us pleasure.

Life is not easy, but life is good. We can celebrate life or we can be overwhelmed by it. I find it easier to celebrate life when I apply prayer for my family and other concerns. It lifts the monkey off my back by releasing the fears, worries, and concerns. I give the details to God and then let them rest with him. I pray blessings on people and situations. Then I do it the next day, and next. . . . God is good, very good. I center myself in this knowledge.

But is there an antidote?

Yes! Decidedly, yes. PRAISE and THANKSGIVING. We find our antidote through the practice of applying praise and thanksgiving in all things. This is a cultivated practice that looks at the problem and sees what it teaches and gives. Giving thanks and being grateful changes your mind and shifts your focus. You can also shift it to another subject. Do you have sight, appendages, hearing, friends, loved ones, food, shelter, education, material blessings, pretty things, music . . . ?

All of these are praise-worthy.

And you're still here, that's a major blessing. Make your words a constant stream of praise to God and your thoughts a river of thankfulness. It will breed a new attitude in you that can face and absorb the endless struggle of life.

Do it. Praise and give Thanks. Report back in a few days, weeks, or months. I hope you do.

Blessings to all on this lovely day.

THE GIFT OF BEAUTY

Celebrate Beauty

Beauty surrounds us. 

Beauty unfurled-—graceful lines, smooth surfaces, varied hues of color, uneven textures, soft whispers, feather light kisses, ocean waves.

Beauty within a person comes out in shining radiance, speaking words of kindness and affirmation, gracing others with its presence.

Outward beauty may be cultivated or found in intricate design of human effort, or it may be present in exquisite offerings in nature’s grand display.

True beauty emerges in a natural form without constraint or alteration; it sings, speaks, heals, lifts, mesmerizes, grips, penetrates, gives.

A person is blessed who looks for beauty in the every day, who cultivates a sense of wonder, and who finds peace and joy in its presence.

Beauty comes from God, the maker of all things beautiful. Beauty is ours because God has given us eyes to see and hearts to feel.

• Look to the sky today and thank God for it. 
• Smell the delicious scent of food baking and thank the cook for it.  
•  Hug a friend and thank them for their friendship. 
• Clean something that needs it, and thank God for the ability to do so. 
• Listen to music and be thankful for your hearing. 
• Touch a soft pillow or the fur of a pet and be thankful for the gift of touch. 
• Taste a slice of fresh fruit and be thankful for the gift of taste. 
• Read a newspaper, book, blog, or magazine and be thankful you have something to read.
• All of these are beauties we are given as gifts to enjoy.

Thank you, dear God, for the beauty that surrounds us, speaks to us, enfolds us, and endears us to it. You are an artist with the earth as your canvass. In every petal, raindrop, smile, we see some of you and your artistry. You make our world lovely. We must open our eyes to see it and rejoice in it. We are blessed by who you are and what you do.  Amen

YOUR DESTINY

Regarding your destiny, 

YOU have a unique destiny. Discover yours. 
You have a gift that only you can give. 
You have a song that only you can sing. 
You have a message that only you can impart.

And that's pretty special in my book.

WHAT GOOD WRITERS KNOW: Writing is about Passion, Belief and Message (and money)

What Good Writing is Not➤

Writing is not all about making money. If it is only about dollars and cents then it will be of temporary value. This statement is not all that true--I can hear people arguing with me, we're in it to make money, of course--but a writer at heart usually finds they are compelled to write from some driving force within them. 

For most writers, yes, they're in it for the money and may write stuff they don't tell Mom about or that is a means to an end as a way to support themselves and the family. And that's okay. I am going to make a distinction. A writer with a message or the writer who knows they were meant to write, writes out of their inner need to share the message. They will write the writing even if they're not paid to do so. Writing is in their blood.

Writing is not about making a name for yourself, though it's extra nice if you do. Star power is a motivator and driving force for many writers. I think few are exempt from the dream of being interviewed by a celebrity. But this is not a realistic expectation.

Writing is not just writing a book or for other publications. Writing is knowing the craft, learning the business end, finding the best 'how to' for marketing your wares, connecting with people who can help you or befriend you, and writing is general skills development in writing know-how. These all are involved big time.

Writing is not for quitters. Real writers don't quit though they may receive very little encouragement on the journey. They dig deep and push themselves to keep on learning, producing, and sharing. Writers give it their best, then give it their best Best and so forth and so on.

What Good Writing Is➤

Writing is about passion, about having something to say that's worth saying; some worthy idea the writer believes has merit and meaning. A writer's gotta have the passion for it or it ain't going anywhere.

Writing is communicating big ideas with carefully crafted wordings. Well-written works are a delight to the reader, like icing on a cake. The audience of readers love the taste of good writing and experiencing its emotional tenor. Writers continue to develop this skill with every article and book they write.

Writing is speaking with a musicality endearing to the reader, causing them to want more. Some writers have it, and you always want more and more of what they write. Their voice is distinctive and pulls you in. They make a promise to the reader and will deliver.

Writing is about communicating with an audience, connecting to their soul. Writing speaks to the heart and grasps the person who reads it. Good (great) writing has the power to make a difference and endures over time; and it has the capacity to become legendary.

Writing captures ideas to bring them to life, and it incorporates understanding of human foibles, errors and triumphs. The element of story will never go out of style. Great writing tells (and shows) story well.

Writing is doing the hard work for the purpose to get out the writer's message and create value for their readers. I don't care what it is, a writer's gonna have to work for it and provide substance for the reader. Writing clean and clear is a must have.

Writing is consistency, belief, work, vision, connecting with others, and much, much more. Great writers treat writing like a business you go to every day and take the time to learn and do well. There are no shortcuts.

What Great Writers Know➤

Great writers write because their voices refuse to be silenced. The fire burns within them. Some have written from prison cells where they languished because of their beliefs. Thoughts came to them in the quietness of the hidden place behind walls of separation. The world is better off because of their contributions. For them, their writing was bound to their message that needed to get out.

Great writers have expectations of themselves. The journey may be difficult with problems that interfere and derail the effort. They may receive criticisms that seem unjust and unmerited but they soon learn to develop a thick skin and to move forward and keep their eye on the goal. If they need a writing schedule to get the job done, they will make a schedule and do their best to keep it. They do what it takes.

Great writers know writing is the observation of the nuances of language and emotions of living; that show the spirit of the spiritual and evil of the diabolical; that comes together in a clash of plot and message, that teaches through subliminal message and characterization through plot, that weaves the very essence of life and living in a fluid, intelligent, beautifully woven writing that speaks the language of its audience.

 

Passion and writing are like hand in glove, one needs the other to make it work.