Living in The Lords house our Home

Psalm 19:9-14 (New International Version)

⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

¹⁰ They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

¹¹ By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

¹³ Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

We are His children learning to be content. We eventually become grown ups and decide for ourselves where we live. As His children gone astray; we have left His house, past the front gate. We go and search out our own dwelling place to prove ourselves able, grown up, sufficient.

Problem: We are only sufficient in Him, with Him in His house. We weren't meant to live any where else. We are fish trying to walk on sand; birds giving up flight for stronger legs and a good walking stick. We were created to live in the house of God. As a bird must know what is beyond his own nest in order to decide for himself that indeed what he had in the first place was the dearest and the best already, so does our hearts fall astray in order to be drawn back to see, to know how perfect is the loving dwelling place we have already in our Father God.

We need the word of God, our bread crumb trail back to our house, our home. Going through trials, and hard times are not forms of punishment. They are for our opportunity. We are shown again and again we are unable, insufficient, incapable. Yet we think just one more sin, one more step left or right instead of closer to His sufficient embrace. "If I could just pay off this or that then I will trust you God, and rely on you. Lord let me do what ever it takes for me to gain $5,000 then I can trust in you." We scramble, we lose hope, we grope for air, almost wishing it would run out, so giving up would not be our fault. When the trial is not meant to hurt us, but only to heal us. It is meant to bring us back to our manna ( bread of life); our provider of all we need. It is not to rub our insufficiency in our faces so we have to try harder to fail. It is meant to bring us to Him. To draw us to our knees, knowing by ourselves we can do nothing, but in him, in Jesus, all things are made possible. When we choose to trust, Love, Live, each day for Him, eventually we find ourselves through the gate and back in the house that was meant to be our home.

I am not talking about death. I am talking about us living in Him and God in us, as we rely on Him as our sufficiency. When I realize I am less, he can fill me with more, more of his love, more trust, more faith, more hope. His Joy is made complete in us. Imagine a fathers joy having his child home to stay. A joy pressed down, overflowing, bubbling over becomes known to us. Our hearts become thankful sacks of love ready to be given out like groceries to the poor.

Sure we will still have hard times. We may walk through cancer, loss of loved ones, financial trouble etc. But we have his promise that nothing is impossible for God. What have we to fear? Neither death, nor life, nor angels, or demons, nor anything else can separate us from the love of our God. The peace that surpasses all understanding transforms us and comforts us, as only the Prince of Peace Can.

May we learn to live content in God's House. May we learn to claim it as our home and have the blessed peace he has for us to live in everyday. Not just on the weekend or for an hour on Sunday, but every waking hour we live.

If this is for you and you have found yourself past the gate of your home. May you follow the bread trail back to the arms of God. May you know of Jesus's death on the cross, paying for your sin. May you ask him for the forgiveness he already died for you to have. May you trust in him and let him lead your heart to people you can trust that will help you in your walk living in His house, your home that is more beautiful than any one can imagine, with more than enough room for all of who you are and are meant to be:)

God bless you and Happy Thanks Giving!

John 14 ¹"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ²In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴You know the way to the place where I am going."

John 14:19-21 Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

John 14:23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.

"Follow the Lord your God!"

John 1:35-42 Summarized

"Look the Lamb of God" shouted John the baptist

They heard... Two of them followed Jesus.

"What do you want?" Jesus asked.

"Rabi, where are you staying?"

"Come" He replied, "and you will see."

So they went.

One of them, Andrew, sought out his brother first thing. " We have found the Messiah!" Then he brought his brother to Jesus. Jesus renamed this man Peter.


Often we are so empowered by the fact that God will not leave us nor forsake us that we forget something huge. He said take up your cross and follow Him... not our own every spontaneous desire or whim. I know I am guilty of not putting HIM first in everyday. I have my agendas, my appointments, tasks, phone calls to make. I used to daily sit and write down a list and then seal it in an envelope. I would then read my bible and give my day to him "your will not mine God." Then having written down my plan I would not look at it again. I would remember what ever was important and thank God when he changed the agenda to something more important as the day progressed. Perhaps envelopes got too expensive or more likely I got lazy.. but for what ever reason I got out of this habit. My Goal after reading this passage is to ask God... "Where are you staying each day... God where are you working and need me most." I know he will say "Come and you will see."



Am I following or still fighting to take the lead?
Am I a tree, a plant, a sprout or still a tiny seed?

What effort, What cost, What steps, What habits lost?

Does my heart desire to dwell, to be close, and belong,
Or turn away, this way and that, to sing it's own bland song?

Oh Lord, my Lord How Majestic is Your Name in all the earth! How beautiful you are to me!
Oh Lord, my Lord, How Marvelous, How wondrous you are, Open up my eyes and let me see!

Feed me, Love me, heal me, guide me, set me free!
Take me by the hand I want to be where you want to be!

With in your hand is my life, my purpose, my initial worth.
My Jesus, My Rock, Your will be done in heaven and on earth.

I want to follow you, to be where you are, take the Lead!
I want to be a fruit bearing tree, a shining star, no longer a seed!

Close to Jesus

Think of a time in your life when you had a deep sense of God's closeness and felt Christ was the first in your heart and life. What helped created this sense of closeness and connectedness to Jesus?


God only feels close to me when I acknowledge, desire, and pursue Him.

When I wake up and ignore Him, forgetting "This is the day the Lord has made!", I have an empty feeling like I am missing something...( more than breakfast) my arrow/life is hitting a little to the left of my target. Another way to say it is I begin the day by getting up on the wrong side of the bed. The day continues on slightly or horrifically out of whack.

Course If I wake up from my "Worst day ever!" or " Just another Monday" syndrome, I realize there is time to set the day back on track. The kids and I will set aside the books, (science, math, etc.) and pull out The Book. We pray and read God's word and give the rest of the day to Him. We apologize for not thanking Him earlier and ask Him to help us live the rest of the day for Him.

The most wonderful of days are the ones I wake and rise with my eyes on Jesus. I Thank God and chat with the Lord as my best friend while spending time in his word and writing thoughts and prayers down as they come to mind. These days flow smoothly even through rough times and frustrating circumstances. God is brought up naturally, randomly through out the day, as my children freely speak about God and ask questions.

A few days ago my daughter asked me " Why are there so many Jesuses?" In her mind if so many people have Him in their hearts that adds up to a lot of them. I told her that God in spirit is like the air we all breath. It is all air and we all breath it in to survive. Jesus is so huge he is like air. He is able to be everywhere all at once. The next day I get this question: " If God is Jesus and Jesus is God why does God call him his son." "Oh man..." You might be getting nervous thinking there is no way I would know how to explain the trinity to an almost five year old. God promises us if we relax and just trust in him we will have the words we need to say when we need to speak them. Miraculously with the analogy of the three parts of an egg and words I can't remember, I answered her question. It was another Precious moment in my memory bank. Here is another one : My son and I were talking about the grafting of fruit trees. How scientists can graft different kinds of apple branches on to a tree and have one tree producing many different kinds of apples. We decided this was an example of how we all are different people but of the same body of God. We went on to discuss the verse about the branches that are broken off from the Vine and whither and die. Sammy decided that just as the scientist can take a broken branch and graft it back on to the tree so God can also graft us back on to the Vine. That the branches/people withering and dying can still be saved and brought back to life by God's forgiveness. Wow what a close to God, sweet moment that was, talking about God casually with my son believing together in His mercy, grace, forgiveness and love.

I feel closest to God when I purposefully and wholly desire His presence during my day. When I seek Jesus not just to receive, but instead because of my love for him and my desire to be near him. Then I feel his peace, strength, joy, patience, kindness and love flowing through me.
Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
God's Love for us is ever so deep and wide... How amazing is His love for us!

Desires of my heart

I am a fan of the Nooma Ministry Videos. Recently I was watching one called Rhythm. This one question clanged in my mind as I watched it and the question has been rolling around up there ever since. The Question grinding in my heart/brain is am I playing out of tune with God's desires for my life? God grants the desires of my heart. What father would give his daughter a broom for her birthday, when she asked for a dress or new shoes?

This film talks about what having a relationship with God looks like. It says that a lot of people find themselves thanking God for the blessings of clothes they want going on sale or parking spaces opening up at just the right moment. Yet then there are those who wonder about disease and if God can suddenly make things go on sale for us then why isn't he interested in curing cancer for good? Course you gotta love these films taking you deep into the what's and why's of how we believe. But then again, sometimes they kinda leave you hanging. It's like giving a pirate a map of buried treasure and leaving him to find it on his own. The questions are the map to find the answers, the treasure we seek. We are left doing some of the asking... asking of God.... asking of ourselves. We are left to dig and find the rubies and diamonds. Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

There is of course a main point to this film. It was as I said about our relationship with God. It is like a song that is always playing. God is the song. We are the instruments playing along with the song. When we have him in our heart, as the focus of our mind, the center of our heart and desires we are in tune with God..We are at peace, have joy, can be content in any circumstance. When we break away in to selfishness, greed. hate, etc., we become out of tune and life sounds and is chaotic, messy, stressful, even hard to deal with. The sound of instruments all playing at the same time, out of tune, playing their own made up melody, is pounding head ache. To sum things up: to live in relationship with God is, to talk with him, love him, accept his gift on the cross, and it is to be like him as we love others and treat others. It is to be in sync with His style, His Rhythm.

Now back to my question... The film left us thinking.... so are these tiny coincidences little ribbon bound packages from God or just coincidences? Is the rain stopping so we can play at the park important enough for him to have done? Is the groceries being on sale just enough that we could afford everything we needed on his list of things to bless us with? Does he really care that we do not feel like walking that far to get into the store and makes the parking space right by the entrance suddenly open? Does he really make red lights turn green? Does he help us get home when the eyes start to droop and our driving ability is lacking? I would like my friend who is doing mission work in Africa to answer this. She sees sick children dying just for the lack of a warm bed to sleep and the right food to eat. She holds little ones who have never known anyone to call mom and dad. She hears laughter and dries tears coming from children starving for love and affection... and not to mention food. She is a health care administrator for many orphanages in Liberia. I think she would agree though when I say "yes!" Yes God is in charge of every good thing in our life... be it a card of encouragement to a new friend when we needed one. Yes even that toy our kid's have been pleading for on sale when we are Christmas shopping. Why? Cause God does care about the tiniest to the larges desire of our hearts and loves us that much! Psalms 37:3-5 "Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this" James 1:17-18 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.

God is concerned with the desires of our heart. Through Christ Jesus we can do anything... Nothing is impossible with God...If God is for us who can be against us... Us, me and you, we make the changes. In us is the power to move mountains, even feed villages of starving people. We are His instruments of good will...We are the bearers of tidings of good joy... great news for all people. Do we desire to be part of his orchestra? What is the desire of our heart? Is this why so much crap happens...kids are starving...people dying... because so many of us put selfish desires above God's....?


The initial question above is about to be answered. But I know I am not alone when I say the answer is "Yes, much of the time." Are our desires of our heart matched up with God's desires for our life? God is selfless, God is love, God is merciful always having the gift of Joy and peace to give, He sacrificed his life for ours! Being in tune with God... Living my life in His will in Him....Do I look like that when I see myself in the mirror?
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Am I soooo preoccupied with my wish list, I want this and I want that...in turn I miss out on being a part of the bigger miracles. The ones that feed ten thousand people with only a loaf of bread and a few fish. Are my wants and desires so small and petty that all I will ever get is the parking space opening up or a new dress just the right size and price. I think God would want me to have more to say for my life. I think he wishes I could be more concerned about the well being of others, having his word/love spread into all the world. Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."


Lord I pray that my mind and my heart and my soul would be consecrated unto you. That my desires and prayerful concerns would be worthy of miracles that spring forth more profound than I could ever imagine. May I desire cancer to be cured and for countries' safety. May I be more concerned and prayerfully aware of the needs of your heart Lord. Help me pray according to the needs you have to be met in my neighbors house, in the people I see that smile at me as I pass by and the ones that don't. Help me have your eyes and your love for your people in this world. Praise you God for loving me enough to make my dreams come true. For the little packages of joy you care enough to give me. Thank you God for the life I have, For my family and for my friends.. Lord help me live this life for you. Amen in Jesus name

Quote from Rhythm by Rob Bell "Maybe the way we live every day, every single choice we make, determines how in tune with God we are."

Proverbs 3:3-7

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.







If you are interested in Nooma Ministry Videos, visit www.nooma.com

Jesus

Psalms is one of my favorite prophecy books. Jesus's whole beginning and crucifixion can be found in this book if you have the eyes and ears to envision what is really being depicted. Picture this as a scene; a life played out, unfolding before your eyes. I often have a hard time feeling God out as flesh and bone. He is so majestic and awesome I forget the human side of him. The side that came and lived in a body much like my own. The side that lived, felt, endured and yet conquered our sins in a human, frail, emotional state. As I read this passage of scripture I saw his life lived not in the majesty of God in flesh. But rather God as flesh and bone, with yes, weaknesses, (not sin) but fragile and a voice crying out for help. Read this and see Jesus, See these words as his lived out.

Psalm 22

1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? ( Jesus spoke these very words )
Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
2 Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief.

3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 Our ancestors trusted in you,
and you rescued them.
5 They cried out to you and were saved.
They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

6 But I am a worm and not a man.
I am scorned and despised by all!
7 Everyone who sees me mocks me.
They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
8 “Is this the one who relies on the Lord?
Then let the Lord save him!
If the Lord loves him so much,
let the Lord rescue him!”

9 Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb
and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast.
10 I was thrust into your arms at my birth. ( do you see the star, the shepherds, the magi, Simeon the priest and Anna praising God saying they have seen the Lord their savior. )
You have been my God from the moment I was born.

11 Do not stay so far from me,
for trouble is near,
and no one else can help me.
12 My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls;
fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!
13 Like lions they open their jaws against me,
roaring and tearing into their prey. ( can you see the whips lashing )
14 My life is poured out like water, ( see his blood spilled for us )
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax,
melting within me.
15 My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.
16 My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;
an evil gang closes in on me.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
My enemies stare at me and gloat.
18 They divide my garments among themselves
and throw dice^[a] for my clothing.

19 O Lord, do not stay far away!
You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!
20 Save me from the sword; ( he was pierced for our transgressions)
spare my precious life from these dogs.
21 Snatch me from the lion’s jaws
and from the horns of these wild oxen.

(Hear the victory dance in these words of hope and fulfillment!)

22 I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.^[b]
I will praise you among your assembled people.
23 Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!
Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob!
Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
He has not turned his back on them,
but has listened to their cries for help.

25 I will praise you in the great assembly.
I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied.
All who seek the Lord will praise him.
Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.
27 The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
28 For royal power belongs to the Lord.
He rules all the nations.

29 Let the rich of the earth feast and worship.
Bow before him, all who are mortal,
all whose lives will end as dust.
30 Our children will also serve him.
Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.
31 His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.
They will hear about everything he has done.

Jesus thank you for living and dying. God thank you for enduring till the end and setting our sins ablaze, setting us free! God Thank you for my eyes that have seen you and your sacrifice more clearly today. Help me to remember how touchable, how real, how very much you do understand all l I am going through and do care for me and all those I know. Thank you God, My Lord, my Majesty, my Big Daddy J.C. but also my dear friend.

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

In Honor of Thankful Day

Quality time with my family growing up was spent many times as we sat around our table to eat. Sitting around the table three times a day was not unusual for my family. I have to say there were moments this tradition seemed old fashion, got taken for granted and even thought of as menial.

Now grown and having a family of my own I have learned to treasure time spent in conversation with my family around the table. Perhaps because it is not an everyday occasion. I'd like to say it is because I have realized how important conversation, relationship, quality time with those you love really are.

These thing are important to God too . If you have a daily walk with Him and are giving your time to know Him, you might have noticed this fact yourself. He talks often about getting together around a table to spend holy quality time with Him breaking bread. You might also have noticed that God likes a party just as much as we do. Scripture says there is a rejoicing party in heaven every time one gives there life back to God! Remember the prodigal son? How his father adored him and gave him his ring claiming him as his own. The son had shown when he left he wanted nothing to do with the family by leaving with his share of the fortune. But even though the son had once disowned his family, his father, the Dad had never given him up for loss. The Father killed his fatted calf that day and had a feast in deed! He celebrated his son home coming!

He talks of throwing us a great feast when we arrive in heaven. A feast prepared for us by himself. I don't know about you but my mouth is watering at not just the food but the joy and laughter around that thanksgiving dinner feast!

Today I decided to study up on two topics in the Bible, Two words to be precise: Table and Feast!

Here are some of the scriptures I found to help me celebrate how wonderful God is!

Psalm 23:5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ( we can enjoy a feast, God's love, his presence, joy, right in the middle of our hard times.)

Jeremiah 52:33
So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table.
Matthew 26:20
When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.
Luke 24:30
When he was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.
Hebrews 9:2
A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place.
Deuteronomy 16:10
Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you.
Psalm 36:8
They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
Proverbs 15:15
All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.
Matthew 8:11
I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 13:29
People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
John 7:37
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

May we all be joyful, and thankful as we celebrate our feast this year. Whether it is around a table or not spend, time with those you love . Recline as Jesus did at the table of his hosts and enjoy the presence of your loved ones. Sure we have differences. But no more than there are between you and Jesus the God whom while we were still sinners died for us on a cross.
Love, Laugh, Forgive, And for goodness sakes be Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Love, Love! ( its amore! )

Woman is God's designed gift to man. Imagine Adam at the alter and God bringing Eve up the ile to present Adam with his daughter. Can you see the tears rolling down God's face as he is about to give his only daughter away? Then right in that moment Adam rolls his eyes and says God couldn't you have made her a bit thinner or perhaps with blond hair instead of brown. NO Way he did that!

Think of it, in the bible God showed Adam his need first before presenting him with Eve. He brought all the animals two by two and placed them in front of Adam to name. This one is a buck...this one his doe, this one a bull and his Heifer and so on. In all the animals Adam did not find a mate, a companion for himself. He was incomplete. Thus from Adam God fashioned him a woman.

To the men reading, the Woman God has placed beside you is not an accident but a gift! Ladies Listen up! The man God placed beside you is his gift also to you. No mistakes were made. God has a plan and will complete it in you both as you seek oneness and grow in your companionship. The race you began on the starting line of Marriage was oneness/companionship. It is an on going race that only with God can you be victorious. Only with God can you live in forgiveness and understanding becoming the companions you both desire in one another:)

We were reminded this weekend to do our best to see each other as God's gifts. Especially when we are about to loose our tempers or voice our frustration over the little details that bug us about each other.

Our own faults always seem petty and our spouses large and cumbersome. When we realize each of our own imperfections as the logs in our own eyes we can more compassionately address the spec in our spouses. For God says Truth is only to be spoken in LOVE! Truth by itself is cutting and harsh. But Truth in love brings healing, mending and peace:)

A story: Three old maids live in the same house. One of them is upstairs about to place her foot in the bath tub when she yells down to her sisters "Wait... was I getting in the tub or out of it?" One of the sisters rolls her eyes and starts up the stairs to help her sis out. When she reaches the middle stair she yells out " hey was I going up the stairs or down them? " The third sister sitting at the kitchen table rolls her eyes and knocks her hand on the wooden table saying " for goodness sakes, knock on wood, I am so glad I am not as bad as you two! As soon as I see who is at the door I'll be right up to set you both straight!"


May God's Love Surround You!
My husband and I had a most marvelous "Weekend to Remember." It is a marriage conference everyone should attend. Even those just considering marriage, to know what marriage is really designed to be and is all about. I just wanted to share a tid bit of what we learned over our lovely weekend! Don't be surprised if I keep adding tidbits of Love knowledge here and there over the next few months. We learned so much and writing one blog only about it would be tragic!

A special Thanks to Alicia for giving us the tickets to go for free! Also to my parents whom made going possible by caring for our kids. My husband and I feel like we have the tools needed to make sure nothing, especially the worlds culture can bring our marriage down!

God bless you all, Tabby (nora)