May My Heart See...

Two more weeks of Lent – that’s all.    Next Sunday is the Triumphant Entry and the next, the Celebration of the Resurrection – Easter.     Besides getting your Easter baskets filled, are you preparing for these celebrations?   Preparing your heart, that is? In reflecting upon Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, I marvel at how one day, the people worshipped and praised Him and the next day, His authority was questioned.   One day, they loved, the next, they hated.   What happened?   What changed their minds?   Matthew 21 says: The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple and He healed them.   But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.   “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked Him.   “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, ‘from the ...

In order to stand still, you must be strong.    “Standing” requires strength.   Now sitting or lying down - that’s easy.   But standing isn’t.   And especially standing still . It takes power and action to “stand”.   Standing is not wimpy.   Its firm.   And standing still requires me to go beyond what I normally do – it requires faith.    God’s Word tells us that we are to stand firm in the faith.   I Peter says Be self-controlled and alert.   Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.   Resist him, STANDing firm in the faith. Self-control?   Now THAT’s a hard one!   Alert, I can be alert maybe, but self-control?   Websters defines “self-control” as “control of one’s feelings, desires or actions by one’s own will.”   (I hate when they use the word to define the word!)    So I looked up, “control” and Websters said “to exercise a...

How’s that inner reflecting coming along?   I was thinking about that this week (while inner reflecting) (!), and these thoughts came to my mind:     Stand Still You tell me to be still To wait and listen Yet I wait and nothing happens The quiet leaves me defeated. So I start over I wait and listen My mind wanders . . . Was that You? I don’t know, it sounds like me. I pray and ask for guidance Looking for a sign Nothing happens In the silence, I hear “nothing”. I empty my mind, I dwell on You.   I remember Your works How wondrous they are! This time, my heart is pounding You are near, I just know it My walk seems stagnant My talk is excessive I forget about all that And dwell on my Savior His love is never-ending His power unyielding His voice a whisper His will my desire. Stand still, He ...

Ash Wednesday was just last week and I just want to say that being a Lutheran, I LOVE LENT!   Now, I know that sounds weird to you non-L’s out there – but I do!   I love Lent.   I love what it stands for, I love the music, I love the devotions, I love the soup suppers, I love it all.   From Ash Wednesday to Good Friday and then top it all off, Easter – this is one of my favorite “church seasons”. In Biblical times, the people showed their repentance by covering themselves with ashes and sackcloth.   Jesus spoke of that in Matthew 11. Hence:   Ash Wednesday. What does Ash Wednesday mean to you?   To me, it’s the beginning of Lent and a time for inner reflection and repentance.   Inner reflection being soul searching – confession – alone time with God to just listen.   Have you ever done that – turn the world off and just listen to God ?   Turn off the world, the computer, the TV.   Turn off your thoughts, your comp...

Did I ever tell you my ABSOLUTE favorite Bible verse, my life verse, so to speak?    Its Romans 8: No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.   For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Convinced, via Websters is to cause to believe with certainty ,    The King James’ version uses the word, “persuaded”.   Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote the Book of Romans telling us that he knew, with certainty, without a doubt, that NOTHING could separate us from God’s love.   NOTHING.   How did he know that?    Paul knew, down deep in his heart, that no matter what happened to him (prison, beatings, persecution, shipwrecks), that God would always love him. ...

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;    You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.   Psalm 51:16-17 This Valentines’ Day, I want my heart cut out.   Yes, I said MY HEART.   I know that grade schoolers everywhere are cutting out hearts and making Valentine cards but I’m talking about a “heavenly surgery” here.   Cutting out my heart.   No, I haven’t been watching gory movies lately or CSI J J .   I’m talking about my selfish, deceitful, prideful heart.   Cut out of my heart, Lord Everything You see That is VOID of You And all about me. All the black places, The bitterness and self. Fill with Your Spirit, Your abundance and wealth! Shape it and mold it, Making it new. So that all that is left Is only from You. ...

Do you ever sing with the radio?   I do all the time (I know, SHOCK SHOCK!).   But do you ever sing with the radio and have NO IDEA what you are singing or let me say it this way, no idea of THE MEANING of what you are singing?   There is a lot of garbage out there as far as music goes.   Even from WAY BACK in the 70’s, there are no-sense lyrics and I guess I always knew this but it really came to “light” when we started listening to Sirius 70’s radio in my husband’s truck and I would notice EXACTLY the words that I was singing. That got me thinking . . . do I do that when I sing in church too?   I mean am I paying attention to the lyrics or just singing along and not realizing EXACTLY what I am singing?   I don’t think I really notice or pay that much attention to the meaning of the songs I know by heart, or the songs I have known for years.   Let’s think about that for a minute . . S-T-U-P-I-D !   I had the privilege of attendin...