Leaning in the Whirlwind

'His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of His feet ... the Lord is good,

 a refuge in times of trouble, He cares for those who trust in Him'

~  Nahum 1:3-7  ~

/   /   /

From this week's journaling ...

Whirlwinds leave us reeling, unfocused, unsettled, strained.  Everything is upended, uprooted, out of sorts.  We are left to find a new normal, a stable reality.  We want to make some sense of it all, for out of kilter we feel.

No wonder I feel the way I do right about now.  

Exhausted.  Sad.  Frazzled.  Done.

So here I am now.  Processing the farewells, aiming to leave well, to grieve thoroughly, to appreciate the remaining moments I have with those I care so deeply for.  To understand the stress of the whole house-selling process, to give myself grace, to thank my husband for sitting with my tears, for holding me gently while I weep.

That You, Lord, never change and are rock solid and sure is such a wellspring of strength right now. Because 'when all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.'

May these quiet times together, this conversation back and forth, this sustenance, these moments tucked somewhere near the beginning of the day revitalize and stable me, strengthen and re-calibrate me.

You are in the whirlwind,

 yet You are never shaken.

I am leaning into You.

/   /   /

'As we continue the seasonal dance from one month to another, may we be willing to release our tight hold on familiar and grab on to something new.  May we carry our questions with us even as we gather up all the hope we can find for the days to come.'

~  Emily Freeman  ~

/   /   /

THE TRANSITION JOURNEY ~ AN UNEXPECTED SERIES

In Which This Is All So Very Bittersweet

Dear Linda  : :  Answering Your Questions About the Transition

For Sale . . . Our Much-Loved Haven

The Getting-the-House-Ready-to-Sell Whirlwind

Leaning in the Whirlwind

The Sheer Joy of Kindred Spirit Companionship

Honoring My Clients As I Close Up Shop

3 Things I Loved Most About House Church

Choosing Light-Hearted Responses

Moving On

In Which I Keep on Journaling My Conversations with God

'Could it be that no one receives the peace of God without giving thanks to God?  Is thankfulness really but the deep, contented breath of peacefulness?  Is this why God asks us to give thanks even when things look a failure?

Authentic thanks is always for all things, because our God is a God kneading all things into a bread that sustains . . . to bring the sacrifice of thanksgiving means to sacrifice our understanding of what is beneficial and thank God for everything because He is benevolent.  A sacrifice of thanks lays down our perspective and raises hands in praise anyways - always.

A sacrifice is, by definition, not an easy thing - but it is a sacred thing.

There is this: we give thanks to God not because of how we feel but because of who He is.

He who is grateful for little is given much laughter . . . and it's counting the ways He loves, this is what multiplies joy.'
~ Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts Devotional: Reflections on Finding Everyday Graces

Thank You, Lord, for the movement of the seasons.

Always going forward.

  

I can't wait to see what You're going to do. 

I sit back with eyes wide open, faith strong and solid, 

 sometimes tinged with fear, those whiffs of anxiety coming to call.
Yet still ringed with joy.

  

For You are good, You answer prayer, 

You care about those I love and our endless neediness.

So, I give You this day, these last days of March, the unfolding future . . .

 I release my fears and concerns and all those I love into Your keeping.

For, if it is possible, You love them even more than I, 

and You have all power to affect change in their lives,

 to give wisdom and courage and direction,
to bring healing in all the ways that matter. 

You understand the need for hope and faith multiplied.

Where would we go without Jesus?
Who would we be without You, Lord?

These questions have no imaginable answers.

None.

:   :   :

You'll discover random bits and pieces of my journaling right here.

Sabbath's most refreshing blessings to you, to yours, my friend. 

Early Morning Heart-2-Heart

Quiet, quiet, quiet.  I wake up in a haze that matches the haze of the morning heat.  I pray myself awake, always a blessed way to start the day - praising You, expressing my gratitude and faith, naming the disappointments and the frustrations and concerns and then handing them over to You.

There is no better way to begin.  All goes into Your hands, all belongs to You.  Release.  Release.  Release.

I tell You I love You and I re-pledge my trust in who You are, in Your timing of events and decisions, the orchestration of my life.  I give You free rein to do as You will.  I know You've heard my heart cries well.  And now I step back and allow You to orchestrate every detail that makes up my day, my week, my life.  All those I love, I influence, I hand them into Your care.  For You know their needs, You surely know that Your will is what's best, You know how to best guide them in their own circumstances and decisions.  I entrust my loved ones into Your care and keeping.

The day is Yours.  I am Yours.  My thoughts and hopes and dreams fade to dust without Your enlivening touch.  Thy will be done in each and every situation we have talked over in recent days.  Thy will be done.

I relax.  Because I know without a doubt that the Creator of the universe and the Redeemer of my soul is in charge. 

And I am not.

 

 

... this, a recent early morning journaling

 

 

 



On Being Related to Doubting Thomas

I journaled yesterday morning.  About this lethargy hanging over me ... a veil of exhaustion, a distinct lack of creativity, the I-could-care-less haze that has descended.  Still recovering from some kind of bug or virus?  The aftermath of a family-filled weekend?  Too much blogging recently?  Winter weather that drags on and on? 

I mused, I penned ... Whatever it is, it's simply alright.  I allow myself to be exactly where I am.  Grace and patience start right here, and if I can't extend these gifts to myself, how on earth can I share them with others?

And as I'm writing these words, it begins to dawn on me ... this heaviness in my spirit seemed to descend on Sunday evening, while watching 'The Bible.'  Seeing Jesus' life and ministry, betrayal and upcoming death played out in all its Hollywood grandeur in my family room in living color.  Thanks to the marvels of technology and advanced screen production, this final week in His life became way-too-real in my own.

I experienced the apprehension, the dread, the sadness, the fear.  I've read The Book.  I know what's ahead.  And I am drained with the horror of His sufferings.  And I know that there's no way I'm going to be watching my sweet Savior being tortured to death during next Sunday night's commercial laden series conclusion.

Now I know why I'm feeling the way I do.  God is allowing me to get just a taste of what His precious Son and those who loved Him experienced in these days all those generations ago.  In some sense, I am there with Him.  The ugliness of human betrayal, the stark reality of sin, the horror of the violent torture to come.  And that overwhelming separation from God.

It's all too much for me to grasp. 

A week or so ago it hit me how I sometimes feel like Thomas, the doubting one.  I'm sure we must be distant cousins.  The core of his faith is rock solid.  He loves his Savior madly, his life is devoted to following Him faithfully and serving Him with every bit of his heart.  But his own uncertainties creep in, he's not always sure of what's going on, and he's got questions with no answers in sight.

I just love that he tells Jesus that he believes.  And that he needs his unbelief to be shored up.  And I am hearing his heart's cry, for it is my own.

So I come to You today, just as I am.  I am filled with awe and gratitude for that huge sacrifice that we celebrate this week.  I admit that I have questions and there's so much that I don't understand about Your ways.

And then Your Spirit gently reminds me that Your ways are not my ways, Your thoughts are not mine.  No wonder there's so much I don't have a clue about, can't grasp ahold of, can't quite get my hands around.

That's where the that solid core of faith kicks in.  Big time.

Your immense love for me, my eternal salvation, the presence of Your blessed Spirit, answers to prayers that have left me speechless, the miracles I've seen in the lives of Your children, Your plans for my life, the promise of heaven ... these truths and so many more I stand firmly on without question.

And the things that bring the wonderings, that are too lofty for me to attain to?  I join my distant cousin, my brother in the faith, in laying them all at Your feet.  A living sacrifice.  Knowing that with absolute certainty that You alone are God, and that You do all things well.

Thy will be done.

*   linking heart to heart with my sister counselor, Beth   *

Another Answer to Luigi's Prayer

... from Monday's journaling

"The most beautiful gift came last night when Jenn called and said that Katie wanted to talk to us.  Right then, I knew in my spirit that she had accepted Christ as her Savior.  As Katie took the phone and began to speak with a bit of shy hesitancy, yet with confidence, she told us her news. 

"I prayed that I would give my life to Jesus and He would be my King forever."

I just knew there were a great cloud of witnesses applauding.  I thought of my own grandparents, gleaming with pride and excitement as they welcomed another great-great-granddaughter into the Kingdom. 

It just doesn't get better than this.  Everything else gets put aside.  We praise God together."

And then this morning, my mom reminded me of her grandfather Luigi's prayer for his family.  Way back in the day in Piverono, Italy, he often asked God that each one in the generations to follow would find salvation in Jesus Christ.

And I'm thinking today that Luigi and Henrietta Negri, Katie's great-great-great-grandparents, just might have been leading that great cloud of witnesses in celebrating the salvation of this most precious girl that I call My Kates.

Rejoicing with the angels ~
Linda

"'As for Me, this is My covenant with them,' says the Lord.  'My Spirit, who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,' says the Lord"
- Isaiah 59:21.

A Bit of Sabbatical Rest

I've been pretty much unplugged in recent weeks, with my only computer access coming via a trip to the local library or a jaunt to my parents' house a half hour away.  The tiny, vintage 1950s beach cottage that my husband and I call home for 2 weeks each September possesses maybe five electrical outlets.  There's none of the amenities that we've become accustomed to.  No TV, no phone, no microwave, no washer/dryer, no dishwasher.  There's barely room to turn around in this quiet little retreat. 

Just the most elemental basics.  And we like it that way.  Life becomes very, very simple as we look through those old windows out to the sea. 

- The Blackie clan -

This time away is a purposeful escape that we yearn for, plan for all year. There was a moment here and there that I missed blogging and trolling the internet, but the time away from the screen was energizing and refreshing and much needed.  Lots of walks, conversations, rest, explorations, reading, and journaling.  Extended time with God.  And that much longed for reconnection with the sea ... and with my family and husband of 35 years.

This bit of sabbatical rest was good for the body, good for the soul, and good for the relationship I have with my heavenly Father.  

I spent one evening sifting through all the sermon notes stuffed into my Bible.  This journal entry reflects the impact of that simple task ...

"I spend more time copying some of this summer's sermon notes into my Bible.  Your Word is so precious to me.  How thankful I am for those men and women who have taught me over the years.  I am richer with conviction and life change and insight because You've sent them my way.  Bring joy to my soul as I reflect on what I have learned on my journey.  And daily reveal more truths of Your Word, more treasures of Your heart to me.  I have such a long way to go, to grow.  And it will only be by Your Spirit that I will in any way begin to bear the image of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Continue the work that You've already started in my life.  Thank You for Your grace and patience with me when I have not been grace-filled or patient.  Thank You for not becoming weary with my process of maturing to be more and more like Christ.  Quicken my heart, give me a deeper desire to strive for godliness, holiness, Christlikeness.  Let me never become bored or complacent or nonchalant about the faith that You are shaping in me.  Stretch and grow me, even when it hurts.  Conquer my selfish resistance and any sense of self-satisfaction or thinking I might have somehow come close to arriving.

I know I have such a long way to go ... encourage me on my journey to be closer and closer to Your heart."

Linda

Filling Yet Another Journal

Some reflections this morning ...

"We're getting to the end of another journal. And these large, lined, spiral-bound ones are my favorites.  And there are more to come and more to fill.  Life goes on.  And this is a discipline that lets me review and process and learn and release all that enters my life. Thank You, God, for being a part of every line, every page.  You are the One who walks with me as I sort through events and feelings and thoughts.  You're the One who has given me comfort and perspective and a sharp kick when I've needed it.  You've collected my tears and have shared my smiles as I've written line after line.

You've integrated Your Word into my daily journey.  You've given me Scripture and You've given me songs in the night.  You've given me hope when all was hopeless, and wisdom and grace when I've had none.  You've allowed me to understand what forgiveness and peace look like.

And during these hours, You've reminded me through Your Word that You will never leave me, never forsake me.  You are my rock, my fortress, my calm in the storm.  You are the forgiver of sins and the giver of wisdom and strength.

And You have been safe for me.  You give me full permission to be authentic and real and transparent in our times together.  I feel accepted and loved and cherished.  I feel validated and affirmed in who I am in Jesus Christ.  You have convicted me, but not condemned me.  Firmly, but gently, You've pointed out my disobedience.  And graciously have granted forgiveness.

You've refreshed my soul and clarified my perspective.  Given me hope and joy and strength for the day.  You've stretched and molded, shaped and grown me, slowly but surely.

And I am forever grateful for Your never ending love and Jesus' sacrifice that made it all possible."

Linda

 - collage by Veri's kleiner Winkel -

Open Doors ... Closed Doors

sharing some thoughts from today's journaling ...

- the kav -

"What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.  I know your deeds.  See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.  I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name"

- Revelation 3:7-8.

God is the One who opens and closes doors, who allows things to happen and come to pass.

Or says "no, Linda.  We're not going through this door."

I always want to look for the open door.  The opportunity.  The invitation.  I've long passed the time where I frantically attempt to pull something open that's been firmly closed. 

That is done.  Finished.  I don't have the energy or time or inclination to go there anymore.

I completely trust God to lead.  I'll try the door, but if it's not happening, that's it. 

And I'm reading that He knows me, knows my track record, knows what I am able to do through His strength.  He knows my frailties and my weaknesses, as well as my gifts and my calling.

Yet through it all, it's about obedience, devotion, living up to what He has already asked of me. 

And we go from there, together.  We continue to journey along the road, sometimes hand in hand.  Sometimes with Him holding me, carrying me.  Sometimes I'm kicking and screaming.  But usually I lay back in His strong arms of grace-filled love and strength.  But no matter how we move ahead, He leads. 

Always.

So I will keep on asking You to open and close doors.  To opportunity.  To ministry.  To relationships.  To the future and whatever it holds.  And I will continue to trust that if You want it for me, whatever it is, Lord, You will make it happen.

And if You don't want it for me, I will be content.  Because the bottom line is I really do believe that You do all things well.

Linda

Grace

~ ~ FROM PEN TO PAPER ~ ~

... my disappointments and concerns are Yours today, and I am so happy to leave them in Your most capable hands.  I have no interest in hauling anything damaging around any longer than I need to.  You are my burden-bearer!

Hebrews 12 ... once again You meet me through Your Word!  You speak directly to me, giving me words of instruction and wisdom for exactly where I am.  I just love it!  And You!

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.  See to it that no one misses THE GRACE OF GOD and that no bitter root grows up to defile many."

We talked about Your grace last night at Creekside in 1 Corinthians 15:10 - "But by THE GRACE OF GOD I am what I am and His grace to me was not without effect."

So I will not miss Your grace this morning.  I am who You have created and shaped me to be.  Your unmerited favor directs my life, ministers to the deepest part of me.  It has affected me, and influences those who You allow me to walk on life's pathway with.  If I am not conscious of Your unmerited favor (that I no way deserve!), then I will hold on to frustrations, disappointments, fears.  I will quickly lose my energy and focus in my goal to live in peace with all and in my pursuit of holiness.  And those bitter roots will dig down deep - and my life will be a mess. 

I am not doing that, not going there.

God's unmerited favor allows me to pursue holiness.  To live in peace.  To forgive.  To move ahead in such a way that some day I will see Him.

Linda

Journaled on Sunday morning, July 11th

All That I Am ... & All That I'm Not

... reflections from yesterday's journaling ...

Lord, I come with all that I am and all that I'm not.  And I know it pleases You when I settle in for this time together. And my soul is fed, and those empty places are filled.  I am recharged and renewed.  All gets put on the table where Your Spirit helps me sort through all that is my life and helps me discern and learn and be convicted and comforted and directed.

These are the times when I cling to the Rock that is Jesus.  And my anchor takes hold firmly once again.  This is when I am reminded once again of who You really are and what You require of me.

Thank You for calling me to Your holy, peaceful presence.  Thank You for the power of Your Word to address exactly where I am, to give me exactly what my soul is craving, to bring me back to right relationship with You.

Thank You for meeting me here, just as I am, and taking me by the hand and bringing me a few steps closer to who You are.

I am grateful that You are my Father, and that I am Your chosen child.  Hold me, comfort me, fill me, teach me, admonish me, control me, live through me, I pray.

Linda

Keeping Your Head

" ... but you, keep your head in all situations ..."

- 2 Timothy 4:5.

I love when a verse pops out that I've never seen before.  Your Word, Lord, surely is a treasure trove filled with nuggets of truth I need to hear ... and be reminded of in the future. 

You are able to do so much for me - to give me faith, to protect me, to lead me, to discipline me.

But I am responsible to ask You for what I need.  To make choices that reflect my faith.  To be in a place spiritually and emotionally where I respond to life's ups and downs in a way that brings You pleasure.

Keeping my head in all situations - Not flying off the handle.  Not automatically fearing the worst.  Not reacting like an immature child.  Not freaking out and going into panic mode.  Not stamping my feet and demanding my own way.

Keeping my head in all situations - It's not going to happen on a consistent basis without being filled with the Spirit {Galatians 5:22-23}.  So that my response to all that life throws at me comes from a heart that is loving.  Joyful.  Peaceful.  Patient.  Kind.  Good.  Faithful.  Gentle.  Self-controlled.

Keeping my head in all situations - It's nothing I can master on my own.  I know myself too well and know that just isn't going to happen.

Thank You for what You can do in my heart.  So that I can respond, in all that comes my way, in a way that will make You smile.

Linda

If There's Ever a Time ...

A Few Random Reflections ...

1. Technology Works - If there's ever a time that technology shows up with flying colors it's during a crisis. We're able to connect with hundreds of people at a time just by hitting the ENTER key. Those days of standing in line waiting for a pay phone with a roll of quarters in your hand? They're gone.

2. Relationships Shine - If there's ever a time that relationships matter, it's now. Ongoing ones. Brand new ones forged through fire. Old friends that have reconnected. People who are simply just there for you. And they let you know it.

3. Prayer Counts - If there's ever a time when you need prayer, it's when you need a miracle. Prayer circles form. Prayer groups meet. There's prayer at a bedside. Prayer around a table. People gather at church. Brand new acquaintances intercede for each other's children in a small waiting room. No matter where, no matter how, Jesus hears the heart that cries out to Him.

Processing it all ~

Linda

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior"

- Isaiah 43:2-3.

Recent Wrestlings ...

Some recent wrestlings from my journal earlier this week ...

"The impossible has happened. I don't know how we can bear this. I don't know how many more tears I can cry. I don't know how I can stay strong for everyone around me.

But You know, Lord. And so I will trust You with my family. With every detail. With every tear. With every decision.

You promise strength for the weary. I claim that now. You say any strength I have must come from You. I know that is true.

So I give my precious Lyds back to You. She was given to You long ago, and so often since. She is Your precious daughter. And if it is possible, You love her even more than we do. Pull Your hand-picked team around us. You know who each of us needs. Help us to handle this well, even through our tears.

You are able to bring healing. Your grace is enough.

I feel Your peace. I know that people are praying.

Linda

Pockets of Delight

Some snippets from recent journaling ...

Underneath all the busyness and craziness, a deep sense of peace and gratitude is present for the blessings that have come my way in recent months. My growing family, my marriage, my work, my health (with its glitches), my friends, my home, my past, my future. I hold all these gifts with reverence and joy, thankfulness and peace. I choose to reflect on them when tired or discouraged, apprehensive or fearful. As the old hymn instructs, I count them, I name them one by one, and I thank God for all He has done.

The gratitude runs deep and wide. Miracles, pockets of delight, joys that were so unexpected, answers to prayer ... intermingled with deep disappointments, ongoing frustrations, and moments of searing heartache. Writing it all down allows me to sort through things, to learn lessons I need to learn. I am learning to contemplate what is true about me and about You, oh God. To explore the impact of these truths. To acknowledge and accept and embrace what You are teaching me. And from all these learnings, freedom and joy and peace spring forth.

You bring truth to my life. You seal it in my heart. You allow me to reflect on all the gifts, great and small, that You have lavished on me. Some make me smile. Others cause me to shed some tears. But they are all deeply-valued gifts, given to me by the One who loves me.

You fill my heart and my hands, my hours and my days. And I offer all back up to You. All that You have blessed me with. It is all Yours to own, to control.

And I like it that way. You have taught me to loosen my grip on all that I consider valuable. And so I choose to present these priceless treasures back to You.

They're all Yours anyway, aren't they, Lord ...
Linda

Column A OR Column B

When I was a kid, I loved those Chinese restaurants where you could peruse the menu and choose delicacies from both Column A and from Column B. You selected one or more dishes from each column and the result was often a wonderful variety of culinary treats - and sometimes some very strange and disappointing tastes!

But Galatians 5 makes it clear that when it comes to life and faith, we can't pick and choose options from each column. We either choose to go with Column A OR Column B.

COLUMN A

Galatians 5:19-21

Sexual Immorality

Impurity & Debauchery

Idolatry & Witchcraft

Hatred

Discord

Jealousy

Fits of Rage

Selfish Ambition

Dissension

Factions & Envy

Drunkenness

Orgies

OR

COLUMN B

Galatians 5:22-23

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-Control

There's no option for picking and choosing. It's black and white, either one or the other. God gives me a choice. My way or the power and fruit of His Spirit. Attempting to pick and choose results in confusion, discouragement, a lack of integrity, and an invalid witness to what living for Jesus is all about.

"Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve ..."

- Joshua 24:15.

By the powerful filling of the Spirit,

go for the fruit in Column B -

Linda

The Invitation

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love"

-Galatians 5:6.

I just love it when the Holy Spirit sheds new light on a familiar passage of Scripture. Paul is telling the Galatian gang to forget all the trappings that come along with keeping the law, striving to impress others with their piety, thinking they need to add more to their salvation than what Christ has asked.

Our faith is so simple, isn't it. So powerful and life-changing. Yet so basic that even a little one can understand the truth. No wonder Christ says He wants the little children to come to Him.

They are the ones who truly get it. We adults come with all kinds of baggage filled with preconceived notions, cultural expectations, junk from the past, and legalistic debris.

But it is all about faith. Trust in Jesus. Trust that shows itself through a pure love with absolutely no agenda except adoration of Christ. And a pure, vital belief in all of who He is.

Period.

"All other ground is sinking sand ..."

Thank You, Jesus, for the truth that frees us. Give us courage to accept the beautiful purity and powerful simplicity of the invitation you've extended to us.

Linda

Today I Glean ...

Recent musings from my journal ... Linda

... So I come to You, Lord Jesus, eagerly this morning with all that's true about me. And thank You for Your presence ... the presence of Your Spirit, Your Self. The presence, as I seek it, of peace, and rest, and hope. And reclaim my faith and trust in You, which some days seems so strong, and on other days seems so tentative and fragile. I claim absolutely every promise You've given me as mine. And in the claiming of Your promises, there is a perspective that's holy and right and solid.

Galatians 5:1 says that, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

So for today I glean ...

1. Christ has redeemed me. Freedom becomes paramount. Yes - from the old law, but also from sin, the old me, the taunts of the enemy. Freedom from anything that would enslave or tie me down. I am free. I am defined by all that Jesus says about me. I am not defined by lies, memories, sin, sadness.

2. The Spirit who indwells equips me to stand firm. Not to cower, to regress, to get caught up in what's going on around me. I stand firm because the power of Christ dwells in me.

3. I make the choice not to pick up the burdens that I used to haul around ... That's done and over with. Truly I am free indeed. Praise God! And that freedom that came at such a huge price gives me cause to praise the name of Jesus, my Savior.

So, love is my focus today, along with that praise. My focus. My choice. So may praise to and love for the Redeemer fill my soul today. And may that filling leave absolutely no room for anything that would distract or take my focus off of the One who loves me so deeply.

After all, I am a daughter of the King.

GRATITUDES

1. The quiet gentleness of today.

2. Glimpses of anticipation for the days ahead.

3. Nuggets of treasure revealed.

Compelled

"For Christ's love compels us ..."

- 2 Corinthians 5:14 -

Compels me to worship sacrificially. Serve faithfully. Give lavishly. Love well. His love compels me to release and reject anything that does not draw me closer to Him. It compels me to pursue solitude and embrace quietness with Him. It is the grace that saves me. The force that drives me. The peace that fills me.

Compels. Onward, forward, upward, ahead. Away from sin, sadness, frustration, and pain. Toward holiness. Righteousness. Godly living.

His love not only compels me, it is compelling. It draws me closer and closer to Him. To what is "true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). In order that I might more and more bear His image, know His heart, be entwined with Him.

I am deeply grateful today for that compelling love. It fills me with desire to be more and more like Him.

Linda

3 Keys to Loving Interaction in the Church

"Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the HOLINESS and SINCERITY that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom, but according to God's GRACE"
- 2 Corinthians 1:12.

I read this verse today with new eyes.

Holiness. Sincerity. Grace.

These are the 3 keys to our interactions with others - most particularly in the family we call "the church." Paul tells us to lose the "worldly wisdom." Forget all this business model stuff that's infiltrated our midst. Ultimately, it's not working because it doesn't deal with the heart. It's taken us in an ineffective and unedifying direction.

Sad, unfortunate stories abound. Hearts are broken. Trust is lost. People turn from the faith. Priceless relationships are shattered. The church's testimony is tragically marred and irrevocably altered as those outside the walls sit back, observe our behavior, and nail us as hypocrites.

Why? Because we didn't love one another well.

The solution? We need to get back to Scriptural basics.

Holiness. Sincerity. Grace. Character shows through. These attributes can't just be drummed up. They don't evolve from a hot new program or a snazzy game plan. They are about relationship. First, with God. And then, with others.

#1. HOLINESS - If I have any holiness at all, it is because He's changed my heart. Made it new. My intents and agendas slowly but surely lose their self-protective, self-centered focus. They become Christ-focused. They are pure. And powerful.

The goal? To please and honor God. Not myself.

#2. SINCERITY - No masks. Genuine and transparent clear through. No phony double-speak. My "yes" is "yes." My "no" is "no." I'm the same person on Saturday night as I am on Sunday morning.

The goal? I refuse to say one thing to one person and another thing to the next.

#3. GRACE - Unmerited favor. I don't deserve all that God has lavishly extended to me. I don't deserve who He is, what He has provided. But I accept it with joy. And because I have been forgiven much, I can extend that same generosity of spirit to those He brings into my life. I become a servant.

The goal? I don't keep a record of wrongs. I am able to extend lavish favor and forgiveness. Gladly.

Journaling, discovering, reflecting ~
Linda

"... I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love" - 2 John 5-6.

My Choices

"I die every day"
- 1 Corinthians 15:21.

Selfishness. Pride. Unkindness. Greed. Impatience. All have to go, to be released, to be abandoned, each day - by the power of Christ in me. I have to make those choices, moment by moment, to let Him be in charge of every aspect of who I am.

Bottom line?

My choices.

His power.

Minute by minute ~

Linda