Tag Archives: Galatians

For Anna

21 Aug

I grieve so deeply for you and your children. I pray you have the strength you need to get through these very hard days and months to come. It’s a terrible weight you and your children have to bear and to do it under the magnifying glass of the  judging world is incomprehensible.

I pray you run to Jesus and He showers you with His tender mercy and you feel His loving presence so profoundly.
  As you grieve for a life that was built on great expectation, I pray you remember that this is not your fault and there is nothing you could have done to save him from his undoing.
You will feel inadequate, unattractive, confused, angry, foolish, and an array of other ways you couldn’t fathom unless you walk through this mine field.  But precious one,  you are enough, because you are who God says you are…nothing more nothing less.
This will undoubtedly be a season where you will feel alone in your despair, abandoned in a jungle of humiliation, all the while trying to discern sincerity from sin. This is a journey of time, even though time doesn’t really heal all wounds, it does help draw you closer to One that does.
This is not your sin even though the burden of it lies heavily on your heart.  Don’t hide away in shame and grief and don’t let bitterness own you.  In due time, when the world sees you again, let them see that your pain birthed strength, grace, perseverance, beauty, compassion and character….let them see Jesus…the Jesus you always intended for the world to see. Leave the shame and burden at the foot of the cross.
When the hot healing tears dry, lift your head high and remember who you belong to…..you will be OK and Joy will find you again!
My heart just aches for the magnitude of sin that is penetrating our culture under the guise of love, fun, opportunity and happiness.  The enemy knows how to romance us. He sees where our armor is weak (even if we don’t) and offers us snippets of our weakness and presents it to us in a pretty box labeled “curiosity”.  When we open that box the invisible seed of destruction is planted.  Then, he has you- and what was once romance is now burden and bondage.
This destroys seemingly good, faithful people and turns them into hypocrites, cheaters and liars.
Sin holds you in bondage and you will become a slave to it!
Friends, our sins are always seen (Jeremiah 16:17)  and when we chose to continue to water our seed of destruction our secret sins will eventually be brought to light (1 Corinthians 4:5) and when they do are you prepared for the consequences?
The world is out to destroy you but Jesus came to save you.  Real freedom and joy is found in Christ and Christ alone.
I leave you with Galatians 5:1, “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.”
~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
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Helping Those who are Grieving

16 Dec

The Christmas season, for most, evokes a feeling of nostalgia, warmth, and joy but for others it can be a time of great sadness.  Whether an extended illness, a family break up, or the death of a loved one, the holidays can be tough to get through.  Friends and family are quick to gather together to show love and support in the midst of the trial, but with time, we all resume our regular lives and fall back into our normal routines.

Let’s be honest, it is extremely awkward to bring up someone’s grief.  The truth is, is that the grief is there it just isn’t as visible as it once was and that is what makes it so uncomfortable to acknowledge.  Here are a few ways to help our friends and family through the hard times.  You just might find yourself being blessed in the process!

Find practical ways to be there for them such as bringing a meal or house cleaning.  Even in grief people sometimes have a hard time asking for help.  Ask, “What day next week is best for me to drop off a meal?” that allows you to help without having to be asked.  A hot meal, a clean home, and a good night’s rest is great medicine for the soul.

Send a card or note in the mail letting them know that you are thinking of them especially  during the holidays, anniversaries, or any other personal milestone.  It will make them feel good knowing someone remembers and that those days are still special and important.

Most importantly pray for them and let them know that you did.  We were never meant to carry our burdens alone-Galatians 6:2 tells us to, “Carry each another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

How do you bless those who are grieving? I would love to hear from you.

I pray this Christmas season has you in awe of the baby in the humble manger who came to give everlasting life.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

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This is not Heaven

1 Jul

“The song of the whippoorwill. Let her sing. Let her sing in the dark. let her sing at the dawn. Let her song remind you that you were not made for this place and that there is a place just for you. But until then, be realistic. Lower your expectations of earth. This is not heaven, so don’t expect it to be.”

~Max Lucado~

I just now read that. I had to stop and read it a dozen times. As I sat quietly looking this over, this thought came to my mind-“Will what you sow now be worth reaping in the future?” In Galatians 6:7-10 it says that “for the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

When we live for worldly things it creates turmoil and misery in our lives, well, actually our soul.  When we give in to the lusty appetites of our flesh our only gift is endless disappointment.  But, when we live under the influence of the Holy Spirit we reap everlasting life.

It is hard to comprehend sometimes. We are fallen and of the flesh brings immediate gratification. Doing something for eternal value sometimes can be uncomfortable and even painful. I needed the reminder that what I do or don’t do has eternal effects. Is what I’m planting going to have kingdom value for tomorrow and tomorrow’s tomorrow?

Not always, but God reminded tonight to be more mindful of my life and those who pass through it. To plant seeds of truth and life. To look up and remember this is only my temporary home. To find my joy in the Lord and to not make this place heaven because heaven will never let us down.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

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