Happy Ever After

 

     I have been honored and blessed to have my husband in my life for almost 40 years. He has put up with my blindness, my weaknesses, my quirks and with the complete opposite parts of our personalities for a long time. He continues to be my safe and happy place in this crazy world, my earthly happily-ever-after.

     Together, we are moving into what, not that long ago, we considered, “old age.” The cremation plans have been made and paid for and we have given our daughters instructions. The joints are beginning to ache and we are appreciating the blessings of each and every day as we have said our earthly goodbyes to so many we love.   

     My husband loves the movie, “The Great Escape,” starring Steve McQueen. As the prisoners in this movie worked to escape the prison walls, they slowly dug a hole through the floor of their cell.  Little by little, they placed the dug-up dirt in their pants legs and slowly let it out in the prison yard. Since my husband knows Lake Nokomis continues to be a special place for me, he said he could do the same with my ashes if I am the first to go home to heaven. I’m down with that!

     After our earthly deaths, we will be in our ultimate happy places forever. In fact, Jesus tells us he is preparing a place just for us! Maybe my mansion will include a lake and, hopefully, a palm tree or two.

My Father’s house has many mansions. If it were not so, would I have told you I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me where I am. John 14:2-3

     Our earthly bodies will wear out, but our eternal bodies will be ours forever in a place meant just for us, our happy place, our eternal home.

Jesus,

Thank You for preparing the perfect spot for each of us. There are days we can’t wait to be with You. In the meantime, keep us focused on what is important to You.

Amen

Plant Some Seeds

 Years ago, my husband and I followed a sign posted on the side of the road to a garden center and found pure treasure. We would call the owner, “old guy” and we visited him year after year. He was ancient looking. His large greenhouses sat on the peropty where he lived.

     He and his shop were a treasure trove of unusual and common plants, planted in every kind of container you could imagine, from pots and pans to watering cans to birdhouses, to cages. When I think of the seeds he planted and took care of, it seemed astronomical and impossible. His gnarled hands worked lovingly and every time we stopped in he was singing.

     What a joy to be in his presence. Over the last few years, the shop was closed. On a beautiful Saturday year ago, on our 28^th wedding anniversary, we decided to take a drive. We found out this loving gardener and wonderful example of humanity had died and the family was selling it all, everything. I bought an old watering can and a garden sign. We reminisced with his son and great grandson and enjoyed picking through everything he loved and cherished.

     What seeds are you planting in the lives of others? His passion, his love for nature, his joy-filled nature filled the souls of all who visited. We are reminded in Scripture to plant those seeds of kindness and love and of Jesus. Sometimes it takes more than one person to pass along the Gospel. You might begin the process, the next person waters and one day, they bloom into the kingdom.

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

1 Corinthians 3:5-6

Father,

Give us our task of sowing, planting or watering the seeds of grace. We know it is Your work to grow the Spirit.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

What Would Jesus Do? Look up and See

 

     Our lives of following Jesus will include deep prayer, a willingness to listen to the outcast and the lost, and will take conviction and courage. What would Jesus do? I want to know more and more about Him, to draw more and more from His word, to live the life He has envisioned for me.

     What would Jesus do in your life right now? Let’s go to a quiet place and pray. Let’s follow His words of comfort and hope. Most of all, lets remember what He has done for us. He continues to work upon the earth through His Holy spirit. And that Spirit lives within all of His believers.

     The Holy Spirit is the true light of this world. Jesus is our Lord. He sits in the heavenly realms, ready to come back, ready for the Father’s perfect timing to vanquish evil once and for all, to set up His kingdom with us on the new earth and bring heaven to us. Listen to these words of Peter.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends. With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9

     The day is coming. In the meantime, we can follow in His footsteps. We can have a passion for Him and His ways. We can move with confidence and conviction. He is real. He is alive. He died for us. He has risen! He is coming. Look up and wait expectantly..

Jesus,

Fill us with Your Holy Sprit today. Breathe new life into our weary bodies, bring fresh light to our souls, increase our love and commitment to You. You will do miraculous things with us and through us.

Amen  

What Would Jesus Do? Tell

 

     Jesus does not want us to be discouraged. Not everyone will listen. Many may criticize us. In fact, He tells us just as, we too, will be persecuted. It isn’t easy when others are offended by our faith, or criticize, or not like us. Here is what Jesus told His disciples.

“Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words, go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.” Matthew 10;14

     Jesus spoke in the neighborhood where He grew up and they did not listen. All they remembered was the boy who grew up near them, the carpenter’s son. (Matthew 13:54-58)

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10

     Standing up for Jesus and His truth will not always be easy. But He gave up everything for us. Let’s take up our crosses and go!

Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

     He gave us what is called, “the great commission.”

“Therefor go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them everything I have commanded you and surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Jesus,

Keep us strong in faith, even when others don’t believe. Help us to plant seeds of faith, even when it is not easy. We will be blessed.

Amen

What Would Jesus Do? Stop

 

     As we sit in our churches with the people who look just like us, who act like us, who dress like us, we forget about how Jesus lived His life. He was looked down upon by the religious leaders of His day. Why? He hung out with the outcasts. He spoke and loved the lepers. He ate with a tax collector. He forgave an adulterous woman.

But the Pharisees and the leaders of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:2

     A great reminder to all of us. He may ask us to get out of our comfort zones, to speak with someone from a different culture, from a different neighborhood, to stop along the way.

     Jesus stopped.

     As the crowds moved around him, as they followed behind Him wherever He went, He stopped. He stopped for the blind beggar. (Mark 10:46-63) He stopped for the woman with the bleeding disorder. (Luke 8:43-49) He stops for you and for me.

     Let’s remember to pause when we feel the nudge of the Holy Spirit, to speak, to listen, to offer comfort and hope where it is needed most.

Lord,

Stop us along the way, to see and to listen and to open our hearts to those that others shun. You love us all.

Amen

What Would Jesus Do? Pray

 

     Jesus was in constant contact with His Father in heaven. Prayer was woven into His days and nights. He was followed by crowds of followers as He walked through His days. Just as we do, He would grow tired and weary. Just as we do, He faced fear and temptation. Just as we do, He felt hunger and thirst.

     And He prayed.

Yet the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:15-16

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went to a solitary place where He prayed. Mark 1:35

     When we are busy and overwhelmed, we can move to a quiet place and spend time with our heavenly Father. When the house is quiet, we can get up and find peace as we connect with Jesus.

     Jesus prayed with thanksgiving and praise. And He taught us to remember Him as we eat the bread and drink the cup.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take it. This is My body.” Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them and they all drank from it. “This is My blood of the covenant which is poured out for many,” He said to them. Mark 14:22-24

     Getting close to Jesus includes praying and listening, includes remembering and honoring the sacrifice He made for us on the cross.

     And Jesus prays for us!

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. John 17:20-21

     Jesus greatest prayer for us is that we will be one with Him and His Father and why? So that others may believe!!  What an honor. Prayer is available to us all day, all night, as we pray for others, as we look for a quiet place, as we give thanks, and as we look for His will in our lives. Even in anguish before the cross, Jesus was obedient.

Going a little farther, He fell on His face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, remove this cup from Me, yet not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39

Lord,

Give us every opportunity to stay in close contact with You throughout our days, to thank You, to listen to You, to praise You, to remain in Your will. Thank You for teaching us to pray.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

What Would Jesus Do?

 

     Remember the bracelets with the letters, “WWJD”? When we need to make a decision, wondering how to answer a question, faced with a temptation, it is a great question to ask ourselves. What would Jesus do? And if He would not be willing to work in this environment, talk back angrily to that person, say yes to that temptation, what do we do?

     Let’s get to know Jesus and find out. No one alive has seen God the Father. He sent Jesus to show us just who He is. He sent the perfect man to us because He loves us so much.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Colossians 1:15

     Jesus told us He is the way to the Father. If we know Him, we know God.

Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know My Father as well. From now on, you know Him and you have seen Him”. John 14:6-7

     Do we really know Jesus? Let’s take a look at Him this week. How did He live on this earth? What was most vital to Him as He walked through the streets of Jerusalem? As He visited with friends and family? As He ministered to others? I love reading through the words of His 33 years on this planet.

     Knowing everything about Him, will give us the courage to ask, “What would Jesus do?” And walk in His footsteps.

Jesus,

We want to honor You with our lives. Take us back to the days of Your life as one of us and show us who You are. Just as You are the image of Your Father, we long to be the image of You.

Amen