"Divine love tender and self-sacrificing and devoted, and glad to bear and forbare, and suffer, and eager to lavish its best gifts and all blessings upon the object of its love. Put together all the tenderest love you know .... the deepest 'love' you have ever felt, and the strongest that has ever been poured out upon you, and heap it all up ... and you will begin to perhaps have some faint glimpses of the love and grace of God." The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life. Hannah Whitall Smith
Sometimes in our journey called life, we focus on the circumstances that we would not have chosen -the broken heart, the grief, the dashed hopes. We spend so much time looking back, that we lose sight of the fact that God's love is all encompassing and unconditional.
Jesus told us that unless we become as little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
It is my hope that the following clip will bring you back to the simplicity of God's love.
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
There's a Time to Act and a Time to Be Still
Recently I have had some health challenges. I have had to be still. Sometimes I have slept twelve hours at a time.
As I began to recover myself, I picked up a new rhythm. I have been reminded to "Be still and know that He is God."
It is always a sweet time when I do that. Each time I wonder why it took me so long to get back to this place.
More often than not it has been fear that has drawn me away from the safety of His arms. It really doesn't matter whether it is fear of man or fear of tomorrow. Fear is the antithesis of faith. God has given us each a measure of faith.
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Romans 12:3
If He has given us this measure of faith, are we not to be good stewards of it? That is totally impossible if we are entertaining fear. I had to realize that when I was in fear, I simply was not trusting God. Seeing it clearly, it was an easy decision to run back into His arms and once again Be Still.
As I began to recover myself, I picked up a new rhythm. I have been reminded to "Be still and know that He is God."
It is always a sweet time when I do that. Each time I wonder why it took me so long to get back to this place.
More often than not it has been fear that has drawn me away from the safety of His arms. It really doesn't matter whether it is fear of man or fear of tomorrow. Fear is the antithesis of faith. God has given us each a measure of faith.
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Romans 12:3
If He has given us this measure of faith, are we not to be good stewards of it? That is totally impossible if we are entertaining fear. I had to realize that when I was in fear, I simply was not trusting God. Seeing it clearly, it was an easy decision to run back into His arms and once again Be Still.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Blogs Begetting Blogs
It was a blogger who encouraged me to begin blogging. Another stepped up to the plate with similar encouragement.
Now my son, Michael, has begun a blog called Iron Man.
My oldest son, Jonathan, has been staying with us this week and going through the program that we have at the ministry I work for. (See www.beinhealth.com/programs) Already we are seeing beautifu changes and I would not be surprised at all if next week, he had his own blog as well.
I can remember over 50 years sitting on my grandmother's front porch after supper and just listening and talking. It was a form of family and community communication.
Today I also have a large front porch with a swing, but there is far too little time spent on it. My family and friends are from China to Africa. Yet I believe deep inside each of us is both a need to be heard and share our heart.
A pastor once told me that if you truly listen to someone, truly listen, you allow those hidden things to bubble up and bring hope. When thoughts go unexpressed, they can torment, stagnate or become bigger than life.
Blogging allows one an opportunity to share their thoughts and even knowledge or skills and those things hidden are revealed. You find out that the monster under the bed was just a dust bunny when you expose it.
I love writing. I always have. Some bloggers have taken individual blogs and created a book. I don't know that will happen here, but isn't that what we do with our lives?
Each day is a new page. What kind of book is your life? Mystery? Suspense? Romance novel? Or a How-To Book?
Write ON!
Now my son, Michael, has begun a blog called Iron Man.
My oldest son, Jonathan, has been staying with us this week and going through the program that we have at the ministry I work for. (See www.beinhealth.com/programs) Already we are seeing beautifu changes and I would not be surprised at all if next week, he had his own blog as well.
I can remember over 50 years sitting on my grandmother's front porch after supper and just listening and talking. It was a form of family and community communication.
Today I also have a large front porch with a swing, but there is far too little time spent on it. My family and friends are from China to Africa. Yet I believe deep inside each of us is both a need to be heard and share our heart.
A pastor once told me that if you truly listen to someone, truly listen, you allow those hidden things to bubble up and bring hope. When thoughts go unexpressed, they can torment, stagnate or become bigger than life.
Blogging allows one an opportunity to share their thoughts and even knowledge or skills and those things hidden are revealed. You find out that the monster under the bed was just a dust bunny when you expose it.
I love writing. I always have. Some bloggers have taken individual blogs and created a book. I don't know that will happen here, but isn't that what we do with our lives?
Each day is a new page. What kind of book is your life? Mystery? Suspense? Romance novel? Or a How-To Book?
Write ON!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
The Hole in My Heart Is Healing
Today is my oldest daughter's birthday. What a beautiful woman, wife and mother she has become in spite of the fact that as an infant I never even held her or saw her sweet face. Instead adoption papers were signed and I went home with empty arms.
For months I had talked to her in utero and shared what I thought were important life secrets and told her repeatedly how much I loved her. Yet I never knew if she heard me. I never saw her first tooth, her first steps, her first day at school or graduations, wedding or the births of her own children.
In that dismal home for unwed mothers, we were repeatedly told that we had no rights, that we could never interfere and all the other protocol of that generation. So I left New Orleans with a hole in my heart.
It would be over 30 years before we reunited through a series of what I call miracles. She was the one with the tenacity to find me. It's been over 10 years, but I will never forget the anticipation of her coming to Dallas. What a beauty she is. I constantly stole glances.
A lot has happened in the past ten years. I have been to Africa and back and nearly died of some heart complications. For whatever reason, we have had only three short visits.
Today while talking to a co-worker, I mentioned how I was trying to find all of those "hope deferred" places, so I could release them to the Father. Wham! Tears sprang to my eyes. This date was another "hope deferred" place.
Later another friend stopped by to check on me and when I told her with tears brimming that this was a hard date for me, she firlmly, lovingly said, "That is ungodly grief. It's time to let it go."
That was hard to hear, but I know by doing it that hole in my heart will begin to heal for ungodly grief keeps it open. Also, that ungodly grief puts distance between my daughter and myself, because she can never feel that hole. Only God's love can.
Over 40 years ago, I gave her away to faceless strangers who loved her and gave her the best they had to give. Today I release her a loving Father who has our best in His heart and is just waiting for us to put down our encumbrances and receive it.
Happy Birthday, Sweet One.
Diane
For months I had talked to her in utero and shared what I thought were important life secrets and told her repeatedly how much I loved her. Yet I never knew if she heard me. I never saw her first tooth, her first steps, her first day at school or graduations, wedding or the births of her own children.
In that dismal home for unwed mothers, we were repeatedly told that we had no rights, that we could never interfere and all the other protocol of that generation. So I left New Orleans with a hole in my heart.
It would be over 30 years before we reunited through a series of what I call miracles. She was the one with the tenacity to find me. It's been over 10 years, but I will never forget the anticipation of her coming to Dallas. What a beauty she is. I constantly stole glances.
A lot has happened in the past ten years. I have been to Africa and back and nearly died of some heart complications. For whatever reason, we have had only three short visits.
Today while talking to a co-worker, I mentioned how I was trying to find all of those "hope deferred" places, so I could release them to the Father. Wham! Tears sprang to my eyes. This date was another "hope deferred" place.
Later another friend stopped by to check on me and when I told her with tears brimming that this was a hard date for me, she firlmly, lovingly said, "That is ungodly grief. It's time to let it go."
That was hard to hear, but I know by doing it that hole in my heart will begin to heal for ungodly grief keeps it open. Also, that ungodly grief puts distance between my daughter and myself, because she can never feel that hole. Only God's love can.
Over 40 years ago, I gave her away to faceless strangers who loved her and gave her the best they had to give. Today I release her a loving Father who has our best in His heart and is just waiting for us to put down our encumbrances and receive it.
Happy Birthday, Sweet One.
Diane
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