Category Archives: Following Christ Has Changed My Life

The University of Higher Learning

Off and on I have shared with you a few of the hardships I have experienced the last 3 years.

The death of my son. Then immediately after his death I needed more emotional support than ever, but instead was further alienated and impacted by terrible family drama, followed by the estrangement of a precious family member. Shortly after that I experienced an ankle injury that took 8 months to fully heal. I thought I was out of the woods once my ankle healed, but no. Sitting around waiting for my ankle to heal led to my back atrophying and further caused issues with a previously existing back injury, which then led to over six months of sciatica (also referred to as psychotica because of its ability to drive a reasonable person to utter insanity).

After some time I could commiserate with Job’s predicament.

Throughout the hard times I asked, begged, and sometimes in frustration demanded healing and relief. I cried buckets of tears. I wanted, needed, an escape from the agony and the heartache. I wanted a speedy recovery, a prompt delivery, anything, to get me past the immediate pain. Continue reading

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Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, God and Jesus, Hope, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Life Lessons

The Locked Gate

imageLife is just like this sometimes. Our path goes smoothly for a while then suddenly there is a locked gate ahead looming large before us, a blockage in our path that won’t allow us to pass without stepping way out of our comfort zone and making some sort of sacrifice. In life we can’t exactly go back to what life was before we arrived at the locked gate; we have three choices. We either give up, or sit by the locked gate and hope someone with the key will show up soon, or we must get uncomfortable, sweaty, messy, and possibly wet. We must get out of our cozy place and get to a place where things are out of sync with our earthly comfort and understanding to get around the locked gate. Continue reading

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Filed under Following Christ Has Changed My Life, God and Jesus, Hope, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Living for Jesus

In the Potter’s Hand

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This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:  “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.”  So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel.  But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Jeremiah 18:1-5

Feel like a marred pot?

That you have made so many poor choices that you are beyond hope?

That nothing can make you worthy in the eyes of God?

I have those moments too.

In the verses above God makes a point, using the potter Jeremiah watches, the pot is not conforming under the potter’s hands. What makes the pot flawed we don’t know but we are told that the potter had to re-form the pot into “another pot shaping it as seemed best to him.” Continue reading

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Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, God and Jesus, Hope

Even God Knows Relationships Are Messy

imageWhen I was a teen I was very curious about love as it was a foreign concept in my home.

At home, the word, meaning, or idea was never ever discussed… far from it. Life there was a string of harsh criticism and heartache.

In my mid-teens I became enamored with the newspaper comic strip called “Love Is.” I carefully cut out each little square and taped it inside my bedroom closet door along with the rest of my collection of Love Is comic strips trying to make sense of what love really meant. I gazed longingly at the little figures; their messages of love seemed so ideal.

I wanted their harmonious, altruistic, and thoughtful ways to be part of my life also.

I genuinely thought these little people represented the true example of love and relationship, and that anything else proved to be lack of love, something to run from. Continue reading

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Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Hope, Life and Relationships, Marriage and Relationships

The Smoothing Out of the “Rugged” Cross

It seems the tremendous sacrifice of the rugged cross has been minimized to a wooden symbol we attach to God. That symbol is linked to chains around people’s neck, tattooed on different parts of their bodies, erected over buildings, and imprinted on t-shirts and other items, but the intimate connection between God and soul seems to be missing. Churches keep growing bigger and bigger, with more programs and ways to evangelize, yet our willingness to personally connect with God becomes less heavenly minding and more earthly prone.

Churchgoing feels much like a duty and a social gathering one participates in, a tradition if you will, with God thrown in for good measure. We move in haste from one event to another without giving much thought to what we left behind.

I know it’s a shocking thing to say.  I am simply writing from what I have experienced through the lives of others and in my own life at times; however, I know this is not the way all Christ followers live.  Continue reading

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Filed under Following Christ Has Changed My Life, God and Jesus, Living for Jesus

Find Rest in Him

 

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There is someone who loves you enough to not only help you unpack,

but to take your heavy burden off your shoulders and back…

God Continue reading

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Filed under Everydayliving, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, God and Jesus, Hope, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Living for Jesus

A Word of Appreciation to God

imageDear God,

Thank You for the stunning world You have given us to live in.

There are countless delightful colors and sounds everywhere we turn.

Your imagination exceeds that of any artist or sculptor,

yet You placed a portion of Yourself in us. Continue reading

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Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Hope, Living for Jesus

Made to Reflect His Love

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Psalm 139

 You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
 You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

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Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Living for Jesus, The Miraculous

Happy Father’s Day God!

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You created me out of love. Whether I’m young and beautiful, or older and worn, you love me just the same!

Continue reading

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Filed under Everythingelse, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Holidays and Special Days

When Things Get Tough, Hang in There

imageDo you, like me, sometimes

wonder why God even created you?

‘…For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well. Continue reading

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Filed under A Broken Childhood, Awed by His Love and Grace, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Life and Relationships, Loss of a Child