Thank you Lord for another day.
Thank you for this wonderful place You've Blessed us with.
It's not the Garden, no, but it's beautiful anyway.
If this world is this beautiful, I can't imagine the Garden.
Being human, I can't help but imagine what it may be like.
However, being human, I also realize that my imaginings aren't enough. It will be more. More than I could ever think, dream, imagine in my puny little mind.
I dream of it anyway.
Thank you Lord for this day.
Thank you every day.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The Lord Be With You
"The Lord be with you."
"And also with you."
A little piece of Catholic mass.
Yet a sentiment that we Christians seem to lose track of.
A classic Catholic mass is a very formalized worship service.
The Church is the Bride of Christ. ALL the Church.
Catholicism may be very formal, but unlike some of my evangelistic charismatic Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I still see Catholics as Christians, just as Christian as you or I.
Yes, I know, I hear people say, "My husband was Methodist and I'm a Christian," or something on the order of "Catholics aren't real Christians."
Oh my Lord, what is up with that?
We are ALL Christians! Every single one that accepts Jesus, whether in a formalized ritual or a free form charismatic experience, every single one of us is a Christian.
This divisiveness is not good for the Bride.
We may have differences in experience, in doctrine, even in which Bible we read, but it's all Christianity, it's all the Word.
We're all Christians.
"May the Lord be with you."
"And also with you."
The Lord is with each and every one of us.
The larger Body, the Body of Christ, has many parts and each has a function. And honestly, some parts don't function at all. But that's a matter of individuals not choosing to serve.
"The Lord be with you."
That is not the question. The Lord is always with us.
The question is, "Are you with the Lord?"
Jesus might be your homie, but where are you taking Him in your day-to-day life?
Ummmm, oops.
Are you taking your Homie with you when you sin?
Ummmm, yes.
Are you taking your Homie with you when you act in an unChristian way?
Ummmm, yes.
The Lord is with you. Everywhere, every day, in every thing, the Lord is with you.
Do you REALLY want to take Jesus with you to the bar, to the movies, to work, to play?
Yes, of course you do. That's part of being a Christian. We don't turn Jesus off on and on like we turn on the shower.
He's already washed us, cleansed us of our sins, made us new inside.
But maybe you should take to heart those simple sentences in a Catholic mass:
"The Lord be with you."
"And also with you."
He is always with you, so maybe it's past time to consider where YOU are in your life, your worship, your service. You may be new on the inside, but if you don't start working on the outside, you're going to stay stuck in that old sinful rut.
"The Lord be with you."
Simple, yet effective.
"The Lord be with you."
Whole sermons are written around that simple phrase.
"The Lord be with you."
My prayer for you today is that you absorb that into your mind and spirit, that your soul be uplifted in knowing that the Lord is with you. And you reflect that Spirit to the world.
That you become a better and more effective part of the Body, of the Bride.
And you willingly and joyfully walk in the Path the Lord has set before you.
"The Lord be with you."
"And also with you."
"And also with you."
A little piece of Catholic mass.
Yet a sentiment that we Christians seem to lose track of.
A classic Catholic mass is a very formalized worship service.
The Church is the Bride of Christ. ALL the Church.
Catholicism may be very formal, but unlike some of my evangelistic charismatic Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I still see Catholics as Christians, just as Christian as you or I.
Yes, I know, I hear people say, "My husband was Methodist and I'm a Christian," or something on the order of "Catholics aren't real Christians."
Oh my Lord, what is up with that?
We are ALL Christians! Every single one that accepts Jesus, whether in a formalized ritual or a free form charismatic experience, every single one of us is a Christian.
This divisiveness is not good for the Bride.
We may have differences in experience, in doctrine, even in which Bible we read, but it's all Christianity, it's all the Word.
We're all Christians.
"May the Lord be with you."
"And also with you."
The Lord is with each and every one of us.
The larger Body, the Body of Christ, has many parts and each has a function. And honestly, some parts don't function at all. But that's a matter of individuals not choosing to serve.
"The Lord be with you."
That is not the question. The Lord is always with us.
The question is, "Are you with the Lord?"
Jesus might be your homie, but where are you taking Him in your day-to-day life?
Ummmm, oops.
Are you taking your Homie with you when you sin?
Ummmm, yes.
Are you taking your Homie with you when you act in an unChristian way?
Ummmm, yes.
The Lord is with you. Everywhere, every day, in every thing, the Lord is with you.
Do you REALLY want to take Jesus with you to the bar, to the movies, to work, to play?
Yes, of course you do. That's part of being a Christian. We don't turn Jesus off on and on like we turn on the shower.
He's already washed us, cleansed us of our sins, made us new inside.
But maybe you should take to heart those simple sentences in a Catholic mass:
"The Lord be with you."
"And also with you."
He is always with you, so maybe it's past time to consider where YOU are in your life, your worship, your service. You may be new on the inside, but if you don't start working on the outside, you're going to stay stuck in that old sinful rut.
"The Lord be with you."
Simple, yet effective.
"The Lord be with you."
Whole sermons are written around that simple phrase.
"The Lord be with you."
My prayer for you today is that you absorb that into your mind and spirit, that your soul be uplifted in knowing that the Lord is with you. And you reflect that Spirit to the world.
That you become a better and more effective part of the Body, of the Bride.
And you willingly and joyfully walk in the Path the Lord has set before you.
"The Lord be with you."
"And also with you."
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Our Days Are Numbered
Sometimes it's hard to accept that our days are numbered and only He knows how many we have.
I'm starting to get to an age where family members and some of my peers are passing over.
It's hard.
It's hard to accept that God takes people home long before I'm ready for them to go. (But I'd never be ready...)
Just in the last few of years, I lost an old friend from the party days. My friend lost his father. Not one but two of the people from the group I work with to help homeless Veterans passed. My grandma went Home.
I say that I lost them, but they really aren't lost at all. I fully expect to find them in Heaven.
Still, it's been wearing on me.
Life is short, we have just a brief moment. I am just a breath of wind, a puff of smoke, a brief flash in the universe.
But I belong to a greater Whole.
So when my days are done and my spirit and soul leave this body, I will pass from this limited plane of existence, and rejoin my Father, rejoin Jesus, rejoin my family and friends. Rejoin the greater consciousness that rules the Universe, the great I AM that we call God.
Despite my Faith in my God and in everlasting life with Him, I'm human. I'm not in a hurry to go.
I have more work to do here...
And there is SO much work to do.
I'm starting to get to an age where family members and some of my peers are passing over.
It's hard.
It's hard to accept that God takes people home long before I'm ready for them to go. (But I'd never be ready...)
Just in the last few of years, I lost an old friend from the party days. My friend lost his father. Not one but two of the people from the group I work with to help homeless Veterans passed. My grandma went Home.
I say that I lost them, but they really aren't lost at all. I fully expect to find them in Heaven.
Still, it's been wearing on me.
Life is short, we have just a brief moment. I am just a breath of wind, a puff of smoke, a brief flash in the universe.
But I belong to a greater Whole.
So when my days are done and my spirit and soul leave this body, I will pass from this limited plane of existence, and rejoin my Father, rejoin Jesus, rejoin my family and friends. Rejoin the greater consciousness that rules the Universe, the great I AM that we call God.
Despite my Faith in my God and in everlasting life with Him, I'm human. I'm not in a hurry to go.
I have more work to do here...
And there is SO much work to do.
Friday, September 5, 2008
RIP Matt
Matt Garcia went Home this week.
God took him Home and we ask, "Why Lord, oh why did You take him so young? Was his work done already?"
None of know why he was murdered. None of us know why he was shot -- yet.
All will be revealed, the Truth cannot be hidden.
But losing Matt Garcia, a young Fairfield Councilman, only 22 years old, is a blow to all of us.
As a Christian, I take comfort in knowing that I will see him again.
As a mother, I mourn for his parents and grandparents.
As a former Fairfield resident, I'm still in shock that this fine young man, a Christian, a rising politician in the local community, would be taken from us in this way.
"Why Lord? Why?"
I don't know. God knows in His infinite wisdom.
But let me quote from Matt's own MySpace page, posted on August 27th:
"I been thinking about my life and it is not complete but it is getting there. I thought about the things I have accomplished over the years it has truly been a blessing. It just shows people when you put your mind to something you can make it happen. I still haven't accomplished everything, but I am working towards it and I believe if it is God's Will, it will happen...
"I just see the potential in our generation to make things happen. Some other people in past generations, and sometimes in my case our generation, don't feel that way but let's prove them wrong. That is what drives me proving people wrong when they think I CAN'T but then, I keep making things happen."
RIP Matt.
We NEED more fine young men and women of Faith like you. I hope that many will follow in your footsteps, that you have inspired our youth to follow their Paths to the end of their days.
You will be sorely missed by those of us who only met you in passing and those who knew you intimately.
And I pray that when you met Jesus, you heard, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Welcome Home."
Rest In Peace my young Brother in Christ.
Rest In Peace.
God took him Home and we ask, "Why Lord, oh why did You take him so young? Was his work done already?"
None of know why he was murdered. None of us know why he was shot -- yet.
All will be revealed, the Truth cannot be hidden.
But losing Matt Garcia, a young Fairfield Councilman, only 22 years old, is a blow to all of us.
As a Christian, I take comfort in knowing that I will see him again.
As a mother, I mourn for his parents and grandparents.
As a former Fairfield resident, I'm still in shock that this fine young man, a Christian, a rising politician in the local community, would be taken from us in this way.
"Why Lord? Why?"
I don't know. God knows in His infinite wisdom.
But let me quote from Matt's own MySpace page, posted on August 27th:
"I been thinking about my life and it is not complete but it is getting there. I thought about the things I have accomplished over the years it has truly been a blessing. It just shows people when you put your mind to something you can make it happen. I still haven't accomplished everything, but I am working towards it and I believe if it is God's Will, it will happen...
"I just see the potential in our generation to make things happen. Some other people in past generations, and sometimes in my case our generation, don't feel that way but let's prove them wrong. That is what drives me proving people wrong when they think I CAN'T but then, I keep making things happen."
RIP Matt.
We NEED more fine young men and women of Faith like you. I hope that many will follow in your footsteps, that you have inspired our youth to follow their Paths to the end of their days.
You will be sorely missed by those of us who only met you in passing and those who knew you intimately.
And I pray that when you met Jesus, you heard, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Welcome Home."
Rest In Peace my young Brother in Christ.
Rest In Peace.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Twelve Extraordinary Women
That's the book I'm reading right now, Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible, and What He Wants to Do with You by John MacArthur.
It's fascinating.
I've only read a couple of chapters, so I can't really give a review on the entire book.
But with only a couple of chapters read, I'm already ready to recommend you add this book to your reading list.
In addition, the author has written Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You. I've already decided that I need to buy that book too.
I definitely need these in my home library!
It's fascinating.
I've only read a couple of chapters, so I can't really give a review on the entire book.
But with only a couple of chapters read, I'm already ready to recommend you add this book to your reading list.
In addition, the author has written Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You. I've already decided that I need to buy that book too.
I definitely need these in my home library!
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