Just*if*id - a Post for a New Year

Sometime this past year, I was participating in a group Bible Study at the North Dakota State Penitentiary (I am a volunteer there) when one of the residents expressed his deep regrets about the way that his life has turned out thus far. 

At that time, we were discussing the grace and forgiveness that Jesus Christ made possible for us all, as a group.

The man said, "When I think about my life, I keep saying to myself Just if I'd...."  If I had made different choices in so many circumstances, my current situation would be different.  But then he went on to share that he knows in his heart that he is 'Justified' through Christ. 

Here are a few of the Biblical references that we referred to during our discussion: 

Galatians 2:16 (NIV)

16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

Romans 3:24 (NIV)

24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

I was deeply engaged by this man's play on this word, just*if*id...  I decided that evening, that I was going to ponder this and write a blog post about it sometime. 

So, here I am, thinking back over the past year as we face the beginning of a new year and a new decade. 

There are things that come across my recollection which cause me to think, just*if*i'd....   How about you?

But, To be justified in Christ means that we do not need to earn our forgiveness or win God’s favor by good works. God is the one who justifies us because we believe He exists, that Jesus is God, Jesus died so that He can forgive our sins, and He returned to life. If we believe these truths, then He justifies us and declares us to be eternally holy. 

It is a gift.

And, the lesson that I learned that night at the penitentiary was a gift as well. That Christian man seems to understand grace and accept it, better than I ever have.

He gave me the gift of learning to give myself grace and reminded me that my downfalls as normal human nature, but fully covered by Jesus.

So, as you ponder the past year, and perhaps even the past decade, try not to get hung up on the "just*if*I'd s" of the past, but rather offer yourself grace and move into this new year and new decade knowing even more clearly than ever before, that you are Justified through  faith thanks to our Savior Jesus Christ!

Happy New Year!  May you have a blessed and grace filled year to come!!

Mommin' and Ministry

As I leave the family campsite this morning at 6:30 a.m., all dressed up to be the presiding minister at church this morning, I am feeling conflicted.

I went to sleep 1st last night, while others stayed at the campfire and giggled together. 

I am driving back to town for worship, by myself, as my family still sleeps peacefully in the camper. 

Last night I was feeling guilt about leaving early. I was having thoughts about my kids growing up so quickly and that they may not be willing to camp with us too much longer. I would be missing family breakfast at the picnic table and fishing and how could I have double booked myself in a manner that would cause me to miss some family time.

But this morning, as I drive, I feel excited. Excited to preside at worship. Excited to sing loud praises on this beautiful day. Excited to have the ability to set this example for my children and have them see me creating a balance between being mom and being me! 

Signs of God's beautiful creation were everywhere as I drove;  the Orange sunrise, caught between layers of clouds, and the deer standing in the road looking directly at me as if she had a message for me.

I watched this sunrise caught between two layers of clouds, and I thought to myself, 'that is how I feel sometimes, caught between two things'.  Caught between two passions really, motherhood and ministry.  And by "ministry", I don't just mean leading worship at church; "ministry" includes volunteering at the food pantry, spreading love to those around you daily, and so much more.  

Those things, are what I am passionate about; serving others and being with my family. 

Have you felt torn between or stuck between two things before?  Or perhaps, even more than two? 

The message that I got from staring at this sunrise, was that the sun can still shine bright between the layers. No matter what is conflicting you or I, we still shine despite it!

What I felt as I drove, was peace because I am doing both things.  I am finding a way to balance both and still shine through as me. You can too! 

Just believe in yourself and the path laid out for you each day.  Seize the opportunities and balance the rest! 

Us moms can do a lot of things. Strong women can accomplish so much.  Trust me, you can figure out a way to gain healthy balance between whatever the things tearing you in different directions are! 

Whether it's mommin' and ministry, career and family, caregiver and athlete, we've got this ladies and we can create balance to enable to to do all that we love! 

Tenacious Hope is Anchored in Love

Do you feel the unshakable, immovable love of God for you?

The life-breathing hope that transpires from truly feeling
the love of Jesus Christ for you every day, creates strength
to carry on.

2 Corinthians 13:14 (Msg)

“The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the
extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship
of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.”

We can lean on the extravagant and tenacious love of God
always! I am certain of it!

May I share with you a recent experience that prompted me to
think deeply about the love of God and the sure, secure, and
tenacious hope that we can have because of Jesus’ loving
sacrifice?

A few months ago, one of my pets had been missing for
several days. I suspected that she had been hit by a car, and
was not coming home.

The morning after walking our neighborhood looking for her
and calling her name, she showed up at home.

She was not, however, in very good health. One of her front
legs was broken in many places and her jaw was stuck opened.
She was so frightened.

She looked up at me, her broken and bruised body hurting
severely, and I saw hope in her eyes, because she had found the
one that loves her and would care for her.

I held her for many hours that day, trying to comfort away the
pain. It took several hours to even get her to drink. She was so
weak and scared.

In those moments, I began thinking about the deep, unending
love of God. I thought about God taking care of us whenever we
cannot care for ourselves. I recalled times that I have felt like I
did not have the strength to go on, and God always comes
looking for me, picks me up, and reminds me of his deep love
for me. He gives me hope for the future and fortitude to keep
on.

As I was holding my pet and trying to care for her; at one point
she stood up on her back legs and licked my nose and then
nuzzled into my neck. This pet had never been a cuddly pet,
in fact, she was quite cranky most of the time. But in this
moment, she felt loved and therefore also felt hopeful that she
would be alright.

I thought about Jesus taking all of the burden from us and
giving us the gift of hope for a beautiful life and future, because
of his sacrifice on the cross.

My pet had apparently been invigorated by the sound of my
voice looking for her. She heard my voice and had the strength
to come home.

Whenever I feel lost or broken, I fall to my knees and pray, and
when I hear the life-breathing voice of God, I too have a
renewed vigor to carry on. The voice of God uplifts my spirit
because I am confident in his deep, unending love for me.

We can feel secure in the sure and certain truth that the Good
Shepherd himself, our Savior Jesus Christ, never loses one from
his flock. He will seek us out at any time, in any way needed,
and fill us with a hope so undeniable that we cannot escape the
power of his love.

God will always give us the strength to persevere.

There is nothing that the Lord will not do to pursue us each and
every day. He will move mountains to show His love. He will
knock down walls in our lives (or build walls, if needed) in
order to show his unending love for us!

Today, our 3-legged pet lives a happier life then before. She has hope because she is certain that the people who love her will
care for her. She is no longer a cranky, standoffish gal, but
rather a loving, happy, peace-filled being.  

I hope and pray for the same for each of you.  

Acknowledge the immeasurable love of God for you, and live in
tenacious hope that you are cared for completely!

Live today and everyday, certain of the hope that a relationship
with Jesus Christ gives. May you notice God seeking you out,
holding you, comforting you in times of need; and may you be
anchored and grounded, with tenacious hope, for a beautiful
tomorrow, because of his undying, unending love for you.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This post was previously submitted for a spot in a Devotional
book. This post didn't make the cut, but I have a different
devotion in the book!! Check it out and purchase a copy here:

http://www.frommylifetoyourheart.com/store/p4/%22Tenacious_Hope%22_Devotional.html

"Love Like Jesus" my Recent Post for Bridging the Gap

Happy Friday to you all, friends and fellow lovers of Jesus! 

My dear friend, "What Blessed you today?" 

Think about that for a minute. 

Then, check out my newest Blog post, posted on "Bridging the Gap MN" to find out my answer, and to read about friendships that I hope and pray that all my readers have and nourish in your lives! 

"Friendships like Jesus often had; full of shared, mutual respectfulness; a shared desire to learn from one another; mutual love of God and Scripture; and brought together with a sense of deep community."     CLICK TO TWEET

Click the Link below to read this Post: 
"Love Like Jesus" my Post for Bridging the Gap

Enjoy! 

Are you Overwhelmed or Stressed? - My recent post for MNBTG

Are you stressed or overwhelmed? You might be surprised at the difference between the two! 

"So the next time that you find yourself saying, 'I am so stressed,' stop and think: Am I stressed or am I overwhelmed? Am I in an environment that does not serve me well? Is there a purpose of love or praise or joy that is being fulfilled by these overwhelming acts?"

Learn more by clicking here to read the whole post: 

Are you Overwhelmed or Stressed?

Favorite Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes

This year I felt deeply compelled to post on Martin Luther King Jr. day. 

I will be honest, I have lived with a fairly common level of oblivion to just how meaningful and formative this day was and is for this nation. It wasn't until earlier this month, as I attended a "Dismantling Racism" class, that I even noticed just how oblivious I was. 

Because of my blindness of and years of allowing myself to remain blind to racial issues, it is important to me that I offer a post honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and his life well lived. 

Here are a few of my favorite quotes of Martin Luther King Jr.: 

"I have decided to stick with Love, Hate is too great a burden to bear." 

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." 

Some of my all-time favorite words are woven into those quotes; like Love, Hope, and Justice. 

Those words also were very high on the list of importance to Martin Luther King Jr. 

In the class I attended a few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to meet the daughter of a Pastor who regularly marched with Dr. King. Listening to her stories of Martin Luther King Jr. and the causes that he was passionate about, it was obvious that he was a man that would not back down. He boldly went into 'battle' (meaning speeches, marches, etc.) knowing that each one could be his last. He knew that the position he took was dangerous, but he had deep enough faith, hope for justice and love for mankind, that he did not let fear stop him. 

If you wish to read more about Martin Luther King Jr.'s life, check out this link: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr

As I read the news this morning, I was so saddened to read about, in 2019, youth standing in the way of an Indigenous Peoples' March and news anchors (yes plural) making racial slurs about MLK Day. One would think that in 2019 we should be far beyond these occurrences. We should be more kind, more educated, love more, and more Just than to allow these things to happen in this day and age... 

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." May we continue to fight for justice for all, and model love and hope in the way we live, just as Martin Luther King Jr. did every day of his life! 

Please share Your Favorite Martin Luther King Jr. Quote, in the Comments Below...