May My Heart See...

God is above all.    Above the heavens and the earth.   Above all powers, dominions, and kingdoms.   The beginning and the end.   He is all-knowing, all-encompassing.   He is everything – ALL.   PERIOD. 2 Cor 8:9:   And “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. Ephesians 1: 22-23:     And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over every thing for the church, which is His body, the full ness of Him, who fills every thing in every way. All I need.   No matter if I am at the lowest point in my life or at the top of the world, He (Jesus) is ALL.   I think by now you get my drift – but the real question is, how?   Not how can God be all but how can I believe it, know it in my heart and live by it?   St. Patrick said , “ Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ...

In this world of IPODS, microchips, and ultrasounds, can I ask:   what amazes you?   What excites you, truly?   Is it creation or something creat ed ?   Are we so inundated with technology that NOTHING amazes us anymore?   If you try and recall some of the miracles Jesus did that are recited in the Bible, do they amaze you?   Or are they just “stories” we have read and really don’t think much about?   I mean, we’ve got the healing of the woman who bled continually or the feeding of the 5,000 with one boy’s lunch.   Or how about when Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law or raised the only son of the widow and Lazarus from the dead?    There’s also the healing of the lepers and the crippled and the blind. WOW - that’s some amazing stuff !!!!   I guess what even seems MORE amazing is when you group them all together like that (and that’s not all of the miracles either) and remind ourselves that He did them w...

He is risen indeed!  Alleluia! Happy Easter!  The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; He has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ Now I have told you.” MATTHEW 28

Today, was a “woundful” day – a day full of wounds.   My husband lost his father to cancer.   My heart aches.   It aches for my boys who will never go canoeing with their grandfather again or hear his corny jokes.   It aches for my grandchildren who will probably not remember their great grandfather at all but most importantly, it aches for my husband, who lost his parent, his mentor, his dad. The “wound” in my heart, however, is not deep.   For you see, HOPE has covered it up.   Hope has bandaged my heart in that yes, it hurts that I will not EVER see Dad again here on earth - I  KNOW that he is now in the presence of His Savior with a new body and a new mind – that he isn’t confused anymore or anxious.   He is now perfect in every way, living in a perfect place – that covers my heart with HOPE everlasting! I understand that “wounds” help – they teach, and mold.   They help us remember.   They change us, grow us.   ...

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 ...