We are Chosen

"While it's true that Israel was chosen by God then and Christians are chosen by God now, we should not understand chosen as a synonym for favorite. The point of our "chosen-ness" is as a means to an end -- so we can shine as light for those to whom God wants to demonstrate love. With our exalted state comes a call to share it with all who will respond."

Excerpt from Coffee Cup Bible Studies - "Kona w/ Jonah" by Sandra Glahn


Does this statement speak to you as it does to me? We willingly accept that we are chosen by God, but do we really think about what that means? Do we ACT on what that means?

It's certainly something that I will be thinking and praying about for awhile.....

Learning From Our Past Experiences

Last week I shared about trying to let go of past experiences -- about moving forward and trusting God that it will be different this time. I shared my perspective on what a difference it makes when we refuse to let past experiences get in the way of our current decisions.

I think there is more here to examine than just learning to let go of those past experiences. I think before we completely let go, that we can learn much from our experiences. Many times the learning happens as we are living the experience. Some of the learning comes as we look back, too. The important part in looking back is that we don't stay there... we look, we learn, and then we move on.

The situation I shared was a difficult work situation that I experienced several years ago -- long hours, much stress, co-workers that lost their jobs. As I walked that road and as I strive to put it behind and not let it control how I react to work situations today, here are a few of the good things that have come of it all:

1) I am learning to let go of those situations where I have no control -- fully knowing that God can handle it for me.

2) I am learning to respond as God would want me to even when the situation feels anything but right or easy or fair.

3) I am learning that just because I don't understand God's plan doesn't mean that it isn't the "right plan". I may not understand, but it will always be better than my plan.


All of this has really been put to the test these last few days. I've been told I should work more hours and found that there are "perceptions" about how I do my job that were not necessarily positive. Long story about why this perception is out there, but I am secure in the knowledge that I have done the right thing. And, after several days of praying, I am secure in the knowledge that God will see me thru this. It may be tiring and it may be frustrating, but God will be with me each and every step of the way.

".... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  Matthew 28:20

Sharing God's Love

Originally posted June 23, 2008:


"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him, in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things, Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." 1 John 3:16-22


In the Greek language their are four types of love. There is Eros which refers to sexual love. Then, there is Storge which refers to family love; the love between a parent and child. The third kind of love is Philia which speaks of brotherly love and affection. And, the fourth kind of love is Agape love. Agape love is described as a love that loves without changing. In the Enduring Word commentary, we find this description -- "Agape love gives and loves because it wants to; it does not demand or expect repayment from the love given - it gives because it loves, it does not love in order to receive". Wow!

It really sums up all that God has done for us. He loves us unconditionally. He allows us to choose whether or not we will follow Him.... and then continues to love us even if we choose NOT to follow. He sent His only son into this world to save us and to do so by giving up His very own life. The perfect example of a love the gives and does not expect repayment, huh?

"...in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart..." I love this truth written in this passage of scripture. I find it so very comforting. No matter how I feel in my heart -- no matter the untruths I have allowed to creep in and eat away at my self-confidence and affect how I feel about myself and all around me -- God's love is greater than all of that. God still loves me and God is still with me. It does not affect my Christianity. God knows that even as Christians the things around us are going to creep in from time to time and He is there to help us combat all of that. He helps us to put it aside and to listen no more. He provides us the truth and shows us His love throughout it all.

As we look at the way God loves us, we can see how He wants us to love our fellow man. We should be willing to lay aside what we are doing and things that are important to us in order to help others. To be there for them and show them the love of God. Even as we look out for our own interests -- our family, our well-being -- we should be looking out for the interests of others.

It is important that we share His love with others. We must be willing to show them God's love and His mercy. We must be willing to help them and, at times, put their needs before ours. After all, if we cannot love others, how can we ever love God and be committed to Him in all that we do? How can we ever convince the world that we are Christians and that God exists if we are not willing to help someone else in their time of need? It all goes hand in hand.

This morning as we were singing the closing song at the end of our worship service four teeenage girls came forward to visit with our pastor. After they had spoken for a moment, large smiles broke out on the faces of all four girls and they began jumping up and down. As we soon found out, these girls were all close friends that went to school together. Three of them had invited the fourth to church with them several months ago. Since that time, this friend had become active in our youth group and had renewed a commitment to the Lord that had fallen by the wayside since she had first accepted Christ into her life several years ago. Today she was coming forward in church to publicly state her commitment to the Lord and to join our church. As she did this she was supportedly wholeheartedly by her dear friends that loved her.

When someone joins our church we have a short responsive reading that our congregation says together welcoming them and committing to support them in their walk with the Lord. As we completed this, these friends all clapped and smiled and rejoiced together. The joy I saw on these young faces was spectacular! It was truly beautiful and brings tears to my eyes even as I type these words.

To me, this was a beautiful example of showing God's love to others. These girls know what it means to love with God's love. They know how to share God's love with their friends and the people they encounter in their daily life. I know God was smiling as He looked down and watched today.

I pray we all will show this same kind of love each day. I pray we can show daily what it means to know the Lord, what it means to be a true friend, what it means to love unconditionally.

Pay It Forward!

Over the last couple of weeks I have been following posts on several blogs about a Pay It Forward challenge. I loved the idea behind it, but was usually not one of the first three commentors on the post so kept missing out on my chance to participate (you'll understand the importance of that in a minute).

So, a few days ago when I saw that Tricia at It's All About Him! was posting on this challenge and then noticed that no one had commented yet, I jumped in just as fast as I could.

So, you ask, what is this challenge all about? Well, here you go.....

The first three bloggers to leave a comment on this post will receive a hand-made item from me. Also, those same three bloggers promise to post this challenge on their own blog. This means they will be "paying it forward" by creating a handmade gift for the first three bloggers that leave a comment on their blog. Now, doesn't that sound like fun? All that hand-made love going around in the blogosphere?

This part is fun, too... the gift can be anything that you choose and be in any price range. And, you have 365 to make/ship your item.

How about it? How about joining in on the fun with us?

Thru the Eyes of our Children

The Christmas my son was about 3 years old he helped me put up our family nativity scene. As we unpacked the pieces and put each one in place he began asking me questions about each person in the scene. As I began to answer his questions I found my eyes begin to tear up and my voice begin to quiver.

A year or two after that my sister gave my kids the book “You Are Special” by Max Lucado. This is the story of a village of wooden people and their creator, a woodcarver. It shows us how we are created specially by God and how he loves us unconditionally.

And, you guessed it, this is another story I can barely read to my kids without tearing up. As a matter of fact, the last time I read it to them I choked up so that I almost couldn’t finish reading the book. At the end, my husband had to take over the conversation we always have about God and how very much he loves each one of us and how very special we are. It seems that since my kids were born I have become a bit more emotional about my faith and my relationship with God. Have any of you experienced this, too?

I think, for me, it is probably a combination of several things. The first being that I am just a bit in awe of this responsibility I have to teach my children about God. Each time there is an opportunity to show them or teach them something about God I realize anew that there is no greater responsibility I have than this very one.

The second reason I think is that I am being given a chance to re-experience all the wonder and amazement of learning about God for the first time. I was raised in a Christian home and was taught from the day I was born about God. I have been in church my whole life. And, while that is great, I think that over time I have let go a bit of that “newness” and excitement that I first had as a young child hearing the Bible stories for the first time. The amazement of learning that God loves even me… me with all my flaws and “humanness”… he loves me and I AM SPECIAL.

However, I have found that through my kids I get to experience all of that for a second time. I can’t even begin to put into words how great it is to hear my children tell me a Bible story or to hear them pray. Or, as my daughter has begun to do, walk places exclaiming, “Look, Mom, God made that! Mom, God made EVERYTHING!”

It puts tears in this Mom’s eyes. Tears of joy. Tears of amazement. Tears of thankfulness that He loves me and that I AM SPECIAL. Tears of thankfulness that God has entrusted me with these two sweet precious treasures, my children.