Father's Hugs

Just looking at this picture was like, oooh, that soothes my heart and soul!

How does it make you feel !?

(Maureen, it reminded me of the picture on your blog you put up recently)

found the picture here if you want to check it out .

Continuing on In Knowing Christ

Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more.
2 Cor. 5:16

The relationship that the disciples once had with Jesus, of knowing Christ in the flesh, was changed, forever changed, by the Holy Spirit. By the wind and power of the Holy Spirit. I would think that as Paul spoke to the church, and tried to convey this truth to them, that they would have found this difficult to understand. Jesus understood that there were many things inexplainable until the Holy Spirit would come - there were many things He could or would have said to them but He knew it wouldn't make any sense til the Spirit of Truth would come and explain it to them (John 16:13)

Knowing Jesus as I do, I am coming to understand that the best relationship that I could ever have with Him is one that is by the Spirit.

That is why Jesus said:
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7)

Jesus said that it was a very good thing that He go, { for He wanted to go } so that we, together with all saints, might know Him by the Spirit and develop our spiritual 'seeing' of Him.

He spoke of a spiritual vision, a 'seeing of Him', that was necessary to have within us, to encounter and experience relationship with Him. Knowing with certainty that the Kingdom of God is within us.

This despite the fact that we cannot see Him in the natural, we cannot touch Him in the natural, nor hear Him in the natural.

A relationship based upon the Spirit of Christ, connects us to Him, and to each other!

Thank you Jesus for the gift given unto us by the Holy Spirit !

Should We Be Content in the Boat?

Religion has always taught many the 'need to get out of the boat' so to speak and walk on water. You know, do something miraculous and supernatural, like Peter did, .. er .. I mean attempted to do. Not much has ever been said perhaps about the others, who stayed behind in the boat and only watched as Peter stepped out of the boat and subsequently failed. All in the boat had feared as Jesus came toward them (walking on water) but Jesus soon spoke to them, calmed their fears by saying, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." Matt. 14:27

Perhaps Peter, unlike the others, was not content to stay in the boat after receiving Jesus' words and comfort. Jesus words were spoken to all. But in the end, it wasn't faith that drove Peter out of the boat because Jesus eventually said to him, "O ye of little faith, why did you doubt?" (fear) Perhaps, after all we have been taught on this, we should consider the other side of this story: consider those disciples who were willing to stay in the boat, willing to receive the comfort and words of Jesus vs Peter's lack of faith.

Often, our first religious inclinations, as honorable as they can appear to be, to ourselves and to others .. if we are truly honest and sincere, they can be traced back to fears and insecurities that linger within all! Linger in all their strengths and passions - yet subtely masquerade as faith!

I think back to so much of what I was taught and often compelled - by not only myself, but others as well - of what I needed to be doing, needed to be thinking, exercising faith, etcc. and see it as clearly a lack of faith and instead rooted in insecurity & fear.

Now that I am settled down in the boat, (gasp lol) and no longer compelled as deeply as I once was towards these things, I find it truly much easier to continuously receive Jesus' comfort and words to my very own heart. Experience His love & enjoy confidence in Him, in His ability to sustain and provide for me.

At the same time, I often see others struggling over and over again, struggling in their fears and doubts, thereby driven to try to do so many things, reflective of walking on the water. I see them struggle and pray above all that they would find rest and peace from this battle deep within. That they might gain Christ, deep within, for truly He speaks to all, He is all we need and will ever need. And become the peaceful influence He desires us to be. A resting place for His Spirit. He provides for all as we simply learn to be content and keep our eyes on Him. Eyes on who He is and the wonderful provision He has given and laid out before us. He will certainly see us through every storm, and every rough current that we face or see on the horizon.

Oh, the peace of God that surpasses our understanding! Now that is truly miraculous~!

More on Marblez Once Again

Ok. Continuing on the topic of marbles in the mouth, so tonight what happened was I stopped over at my best friends' place, and right out of the blue she started asking me all kinds of God questions. I mean, you know, the real ones. I mean changing the subject, interrupting, and wanting to talk about God. About reading the Bible, about what to read in the Bible for starters, and what Christians should and shouldn't do... sigh...

When she got to the 'how do you become born again question', well it seemed like I was having quite a good old time with some more marblez rolling around in my mouth. I mean, like the good Christian that I am, (cough) I had learned long ago how to answer it from a religious perspective, but NOW, how do I explain it from the Spiritual reality of Christ in one's life? I mean it is all spiritual. Explain something spiritual ?! whoa, what !? Explain Christ so that she can grab hold of it, the Spirit can quicken it and bring meaning and guidance to her (for only He knows what she is asking and what glasses she is seeing her questions to me thru). Clearly, only He can bring spiritual life.

What if I said too much or perhaps not enough, or worse than that, what if I confused hereven more (marbles). Oh Holy Spirit, what do I say? Can't I just follow the religious script on this one? I mean marbles anyone? lol

Is it just me? I don't think so. Right off the bat what I really wanted to do was roll off the scripted answer page. "how to lead someone to Christ" page 59. It reminded me of a time when my middle daughter came to me in tears worried about her salvation and need for forgiveness. I mean she was crying. Oh what to say, oh what to do. Did I do the right thing ? I said to my daughter, 'Honey go kneel by your bed, He will speak to you, tell Him what your feeling right now, speak to Him and He will listen. He will give you reassurance as you bring this all to Him and talk to Him." (No I did not lead her in the sinner's prayer but I was tempted to) smile. He has a plan, He always has a plan. Thank you Jesus.

In this situation with my friend, thankfully, I also quickly recalled to mind how utterly confused I myself was 13 plus years ago when I first tried to understand the whole born again experience. What is it ? How does it work ? What do I need to do ? Con-fu-sing!!

Nicodemus said , "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" (John 3:4)

Clearly we are all like Nicodemus in our lifetime as we ponder this very same question. Perhaps we should remember this for we all just like him at one time. All of us do not understand Jesus and the truth about the new birth. Add on top of this or in the mix the incredible confusion of churchianity and their 'messages' (*&^:#@) to their adherents week after week. Therefore, we are not only confused & incapable of understanding the new birth, we are blinded to the wonder of it all by many things.

I didn't have a clue back then of the amazing life that is available, that I could have a relationship with Him unlike any other - where I am cherished by Him. All we/I could compare or call to mind is dead old religion as well as kooky way out there Christians I met here and there perhaps. Come to find out, it was nothing like that ! We have no idea how beautiful it truly truly is, and can become with Christ. We all need to be BORN AGAIN and made completely new to find this reality in our lives.

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (Notice how there are two births being described here. There is the fleshly one, then there is the spiritual one. There is a deliberate distinction here between these two. )

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

This gives me peace because I now realize sitting here that even though I couldn't explain the spiritual process of being born again (ie just as I can't explain the wind, where it comes from, where it goes) I could however explain the spiritual life and reality of Christ, Christ living in us, changing us from the inside out.

Just like the wind. We don't know where it comes from either, or where it goes, and we certainly can't describe it other than when we see the effect of it around us, blowing softly through the trees.

Right now I am thankful for the fact that the Holy Spirit is blowing in her direction. I am not sure how he is doing it, but He is. Definitely He is. I see the effects of the wind (spirit) blowing in her life.

Rolling Marbles

I couldn't help but laugh as I read the post from Barb at Former Leader's Journal.

I have felt the same way as her and thought often with amusement about the words I used to say
and how they now feel so 'strange' . She describes them as marbles in her mouth.

for example,

"how was church today?"

"worship was so amazing today"

"the message was so powerful today"

"what time is church at"

"where do you go to church"

"the annointing was so strong today"

lol

I am sure there's more.

More marbles.

Forgiveness Quotes

Which quote is your favorite???

Quotes:

Know all and you will pardon all. --Thomas A’Kempis

We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies
--Voltaire

A mature Christian has capacity to absorb the offenses and weaknesses of others, not just demand they perform up to the code of ideals. --Stephen Crosby

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.—Unknown

Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were. --Cherie Carter-Scott

He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.--George Herbert

Resentment is like a glass of poison that a man drinks; then he sits down and waits for his enemy to die.—Unknown

A Christian will find it cheaper to pardon than to resent. Forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, and the waste of spirit. --Hannah More

Forgiveness means that you've decided not to let it keep festering inside even if it only comes up once in awhile. --Doc Childre and Howard Martin

Forgiveness is giving up the possibility of a better past. --Unknown

Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting. --William A. Ward

You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well. --Lewis B. Smedes

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. --William Blake:

Forgiveness is . . . accepting God's sovereign use of people and situations to strip you of self importance, and humiliate your self love. --Martha Kilpatrick

Without deep humility, true forgiveness is impossible…and will never happen. --Martha Kilpatrick

Forgiveness is me giving up my right to hurt you for hurting me. --Anonymous

Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it foregoes revenge, and dares forgive an injury. --E. H. Chapin

Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?-- Abraham Lincoln

There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.-- Josh Billings

Always forgive your enemies--nothing annoys them so much.-- Oscar Wilde

To err is human; to forgive, divine.-- Alexander Pope

Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, or else forgiving another. --Jean Paul Richter

The glory of Christianity is to conquer by forgiveness. --William Blake

Yes, this is what good is: to forgive evil. There is no other good. --Antonio Porchia

A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. --Robert Quillen

Forgiveness is the final form of love. --Reinhold Niebuhr

One forgives to the degree that one loves. --Francois de La Rochefoucauld

'Tis the most tender part of love, each other to forgive. --John Sheffield

Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness. --H. Jackson Brown

We are all on a life long journey and the core of its meaning, the terrible demand of its centrality is forgiving and being forgiven. --Martha Kilpatrick

Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life. --George MacDonald

Sweet prayer to you Father

Father , I pray you would help us to be mindful of you, of your heart, your love, your kindness and graciousness.

We can chit chat about so many things (me) but Father you hear us , you long for us to close the door and love you , and let everything that would weigh us down evaporate as we feel your love and presence wash over us.

Nothing is more important than listening.. listening to you and hearing clearly your heart that soothes us, that cares for us... that is RIGHT there, opening up for us a deep satisfying DRINK right down inside of us.

thank you Father for transforming us everyday. thank you Father that we can lean on you, and lean on our brothers and sisters and know that we are but fellow travellers discovering the delight you have always in us.

Help us to share the full joy that you have given us with others. We want to be a delight to others and be a soothing balm to others Lord.

Thank you Father for giving us a life with you - a life with your Son - you have truly made and continue to make all things new.

Lord dwell in us and between us, richly. Enrich and empower us as brightly shining instruments radiating with your love, light and truth ... each and every day !

amen