How Did We Get Here?

I find myself looking at the date and wondering how we got here so fast...    2021 ! 

It doesn't seem possible. It seemed that 2020 would never end and yet here we are in the new year... and already it seems like it may be longer than the previous year. I started this blog years ago as a haven on the internet of charm, beauty, and the graceful things of life. My ideas of what those things actually are have evolved over the years, but my trust in the Giver of those things has not. When all around us is chaos and confusion, there is still one place to look for true Beauty and that is to the One who IS beauty: Jesus Christ. I think our desire to surround ourselves with beautiful things comes from a DEEP, DEEP longing for the One who makes all things beautiful. 

 "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." - Ecclesiastes 3:11

 It has been a long year of uncertainty, unrest, and unrepentance. Despite the wake up call that Covid should have given to us, the world and its evils continue to spin out of control. We look around at the values we have long held dear -- truth, beauty, goodness, purity, integrity, freedom -- and see that they are slipping away like sand through our fingers. Yet, if we truly know the One who IS beauty, we cannot be shaken because we are securely a part of His kingdom that cannot be shaken.

 "Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire." - Hebrews 12:28

No matter if all the ground around me crumbles away, He will continue to be the firm foundation even if just underneath my feet. I have no need to fear...

"Why should I fear in days of adversity,
When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,
Even those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?
No man can by any means redeem his brother
Or give to God a ransom for him—
For the redemption of his soul is costly,
And he should cease trying forever—
That he should live on eternally,
That he should not undergo decay. 

For he sees that even wise men die;
The stupid and the senseless alike perish
And leave their wealth to others.
Their inner thought is that their houses are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have called their lands after their own names.
But man in his pomp will not endure;
He is like the beasts that perish."

Psalm 49:5-12

Whatever this world throws at me, my life is in His hands. I pray that you, too, would have this assurance. For all my life, I have lived in one of the richest and most blessed nations in the history of the world. While this is true for those who have lived here, this has not exempted us from the struggles and challenges of life. This world, and specifically this nation, is filled with sin and those who give themselves to sin. I lived as a slave to sin for the first 18 years of my life and because of that inflicted the pain of that sinful, selfish life on others.  But, at age 18 I discovered the great love of Jesus, that He had paid the penalty for that sin in order to bring forgiveness into my life and restore His relationship with me.  This was the greatest gift of my life. Knowing Him (not just knowing about Him, but really KNOWING HIM) these past 38 years has been the ultimate freedom and joy. He has enabled me to live in ways I could never have lived, to love in ways I never imagined possible, to serve Him in ways that bring me true joy and fulfillment because it is filled with His purposes and not my own selfish desires. I can say with the apostle Paul...

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,  

that I may know Him

and the power of His resurrection 

and the fellowship of His sufferings, 

being conformed to His death; 

 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Philippians 3:7-11

If this past year has taught us anything, it has taught us that ultimately we are not in control... we cannot control disease, the weather, the government, other nations, even the actions of those around us. If you think you are in control, then you might be delusional. The one guarantee we do have on this earth is that death will come for us, as it comes for all. Whether it comes sooner or later, it will surely come. And yet even with this death sentence... if we put our trust in Christ, the One who ultimately holds it all in His powerful hands, whether we live or whether we die we will be with Him forever. The One who knows us best loves us the most, and He provided the payment for our sin (the thing that causes separation from Him) by coming to earth and dying on a cross. He showed us His mighty power through His resurrection, and He freely offers us this power when we put our trust in Him. So, whether we live or die is of no consequence. If I live I am His. If I die I am His. 

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again." - Philippians 1:21-26

Encouragement Post - Coronavirus Distancing Day 38 (Wednesday)

Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in His wonderful face…

Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Encouragement Post - Coronavirus Distancing Day 36 (Monday)

Encouragement Post – Day #36 (Monday) Let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns…"

1 Chronicles 16:29-34
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Worship the Lord in holy array.
Tremble before Him, all the earth;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord;
For He is coming to judge the earth.
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

Encouragement Post - Coronavirus Distancing Day 27 (Saturday)

Encouragement Post – Day #27 (Saturday) Pausing today to think… what must it have been like for the disciples after the crucifixion? They had left family, community, and livelihood to follow Jesus. They had been with Him for three years. What did His death accomplish, they must have wondered? It is clear that although He had told them what was coming, they still did not understand. Even after He took the time to explain, even after He washed their feet, even after they heard Him pray for them in the garden, even though they had seen Him perform the miracles with their own eyes, even though they had heard the prophets preached all their lives from the book of Isaiah and Psalms and Jeremiah and others… after the crucifixion, they still did not understand.

Are you in between wanting to believe and truly understanding what Jesus did for you? Are you wondering if this could really be true? If you are, you are not alone. We have all been there at one point or another. It is the place of “just before” and it requires either walking through the door of faith or leaving it behind. It is a choice. Will you choose to walk through that door to believing and receiving the greatest Gift ever given. He offers it so freely …salvation, forgiveness from sin, eternal life, resurrection, abundance, everlasting joy and more are waiting for you on the other side! Best of all, you can come as you are. He promises to accept you but not to leave you “as you are.” Instead, He will give you His robe of righteousness.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” – John 1:12-13

The Robe
by Wes King

Anyone whose heart is cold and lonely,
Anyone who can't believe and
Anyone whose hands are worn and empty,
Come as you are.

Anyone whose feet are tired of walking,
And even lost their will to run,
There is a place of rest for your aching soul;
Come as you are.

FOR THE ROBE IS OF GOD
THAT WILL CLOTHE YOUR NAKEDNESS.
AND THE ROBE IS HIS GRACE; IT'S ALL YOU NEED,
COME AS YOU ARE.

Anyone who feels that they're unworthy,
Anyone who's just afraid, come sinner,
Come and receive His mercy.
Come, come as you are.

CHORUS

A Fresh Wind...

Do you ever feel as if a fresh wind has blown across your life?



In my life there have been times of extreme staleness, where I almost felt as if I were a house that had been closed up with all the doors locked and all the furnishings covered over with dust covers, cobwebs growing in the corners and hardly any light coming in... as if someone had sucked all the fresh air completely out. Then suddenly the doors and windows burst open and sunshine bursts in... a fresh wind blowing through all the staleness, blowing off the dust, letting in the light, allowing me to breathe again.



Today I feel that profoundly. I feel as if spring has brought with it the power to breathe again. I feel creative juices flowing and my spirits rising to the light that radiates outside my windows.



I have just returned from a week in another place ... a blessed change of scenery ... and some very good fellowship. The title of the conference I attended was Overflow 2010, and that is just what I am feeling today. My heart is overflowing with love and gratitude and readiness for whatever comes next in my life.



In my years of knowing Christ there have been times when I especially sensed His presence and times when I haven't, times of drought and times of overflow, times of staleness and times of refreshing. Those are the seasons of a spiritual life, just as we have seasons on this earth. And though my faith does not depend upon my feelings, I am especially thankful for those times when I really sense the nearness of the Lord and the blessings of this life.



I returned home to find some beautiful things happening in my garden... they, too, give a lift to my spirits. The sun is shining brilliantly today, and the Son is shining in my own heart.



I pray that spring has come for you both literally and figuratively with all its beauties and joys!

Blessings,

Thinking Happy Thoughts

Sorry for the gloomy previous post... computer issues can really get the better of me sometimes. As thankful as I am for them, sometimes I loathe all the baggage that comes along with them (and I am quite sure I am not alone in this!) But we will leave that subject now and move forward.

Lamentations 3:22-23 are some of my favorite verses in Scripture. "The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." I am so thankful that God's mercies are new every morning. His unfailing love never ceases, and He is more faithful than we can even wrap our minds around. Despite the circumstances of our world, our nation, our city, our own family, He is in charge of my destiny. As His child I have no need to worry or fret about what the future holds because I know that He holds my future. I am His child. I am loved by the King of kings. Nothing in all creation can separate me from His love. These truths are straight from scripture and are there so that we can remind ourselves that when things seem to be going awry in our lives, our lives are securely held in the hand of the One with all the power. And His hands are hands of love. This not only allows me happy thoughts, it gives me deep, abiding joy. I pray that it will encourage you as it has me this Monday morning. Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

And here's another commissioned work from the Christmas season of a home in Birmingham: