No Limits

No Limits

 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. –Philippians 4:13.

The first of January brings about a lot of evaluation. Am I doing what God would have me do? Am I happy? Do I bring joy to others? What can I do differently? How can I improve? Those are some of the questions I ask myself and ask God in prayer.

In years’ past I reflect and realize I self imposed limits on myself. Not daring to try something because I would have talked myself out of it before ever beginning.  Or going out on a limb to do something out of my comfort zone and stopping at the first setback.  I know I am not alone. Remember that saying….”if I knew then what I know now”?

My younger days were about what I could do on my own. I pushed hard and was determined. But when you go it alone, without God, you can only go so far. Now, I know that all things are possible. That I can dream “no limit” dreams and give God control. There is great peace to be found trusting in Him.

But you are reading this and maybe you are saying, the doctor said there is no hope for this disease or my marriage is failing or I can’t find a job. What happened to my dreams? God would want you to hold His Hand through this valley. A scripture to engrave on your heart is this….Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean NOT on your own understanding, but in ALL ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3: 5-6.

The New Year

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The New Year

…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. –Isaiah 40:31 NIV

 

Expectant hope is the term that I want to keep close to me in this coming year. Just like the calendar year transitions from 2014 to 2015, we often go through cycles of transition ourselves. One thing for sure, we are never standing still. We are either going forward or backward. Sometimes the choice is up to us.

 

I recently heard of a woman who is facing a difficult time with her health. If I could talk to her I would say “choose life”. When hard times hit us, especially a health crisis, we have to see ourselves well. Visualize that we improving. Look forward to the things that once brought joy and think about doing them again. That is an example of “expectant hope”.  Learning to replace the fear that comes to steal, kill and destroy with expectant hope is good medicine.

 

What will 2015 bring to each of us? There may be good times and bad times. Happy times and sad times. In-between times. Busy times and quiet times. Like the tide that comes and goes, our life ebbs and flows, too. But this much we do know. God is Our Source. We can face anything that comes our way as long as we have a strong, steady relationship with God. A daily relationship. It doesn’t have to be a long-drawn out session….just start off by talking with Him a few minutes each day. Tell Him your concerns and surrender them over to Him. Then Trust Him. Wait on Him. Learn to listen for Him to speak wisdom into your heart. But most of all, while you grow in the Lord, hold on to expectant hope. Believe that God has wonderful things He wants to bless you with. I believe that 2015 has something wonderful for each of us, if we choose to live in expectant hope, while trusting Him.

Giving and Receiving

Giving and Receiving

 

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

-1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV

 
On the Outer Banks, Mother Nature both gives and receives. Everyday there is evidence of that with the changing shoreline, incoming and outgoing tides, ocean treasures that have washed up on the beach and clouds that pass by overhead. 

Although the presents of Christmas morning have been opened and put away, the feeling of giving and receiving lingers on as we look forward to the New Year. God’s love has been present in the giving and receiving spirit that is so present in our midst. We have many occasions to give. To be on the receiving end of generosity can be a spiritual experience as God shows us His love through the helping hand of others.

 believe that whether we “received” or “gave” this year, that God would have us take a moment to offer Him praise and thanks for sending us what we needed through our brothers and sisters in Christ. If God used us to give to others, we might offer Him praise for giving us the strength and resources to be used by Him.

 

Traditions

Traditions

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, --Galatians 5:22 NIV

 

 

 

One definition for tradition is, “a story or a custom that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation”.  I think of it as a circle of love. It goes round and round to warm and comfort a family in their own specialness.

 

 It is the time of year to finalize those holiday plans and bring to life those childhood traditions again.  It is the traditions that were set in place long ago that are the common thread in our family,  We will enjoy my mother’s cornbread stuffing because all the cooks in the family now have that recipe. My husband will have a bit of his mother with him as we use her cranberry bowl. It has been passed down now 3 times!  We haven’t decided if we will have my fathers’ fruit ambrosia or banana pudding. He finally conceded and gave us his secret recipes several years ago to our delight! And I will dust off Christmas decorations that have travelled with us from place to place. Whether we are all at the same table together or scattered across many states, it is the comforts of tradition that brings about closeness and bridges any gaps.  It is also a reminder to us of the memories that have helped to shape us and our holidays’ past.

 

Many families, regardless of their faith or heritage will begin celebrating using their traditions carried from generation to generation. The Jewish community is celebrating Chanukah by lighting the Menorah for eight days.  The Christians will celebrate Christmas, honoring the birth of Christ on the 25^th..  African-Americans will honor their heritage for seven days in a fairly new tradition called Kwanzaa, beginning on the 26^th.  A local Outer Banks tradition called, “Old Christmas” goes back over 100 years and is still celebrated by some, but this celebration occurs as it always has, in January.

 

What will you pass down this year? A recipe, an old treasured family tablecloth, that special saw that always cut down the Christmas tree? Maybe we can add to that. Let’s meet this season with peace and the fruit of the spirit in our hearts to love and forgive the offenses from the past. Let it be a time to right the wrongs, make peace, love the unlovable and be merciful. We are all God’s Children and we are a part of His Circle of Love. Pass it on!

The Christmas Ornaments

Christmas Ornaments

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall

–Psalm 55:22 NIV

We moved from one house to another this year and fortunately the boxes of Christmas decorations had not made its way from the garage to the attic yet. I thought about getting an early start on my decorating. We put up the tree and then it sat there for a few days, maybe even a week with just the lights. In years past I would have had the help of our children to trim the tree. There would be hot chocolate, half- eaten candy canes strewn about, my husband mumbling about the tangled lights and Andy Williams Christmas songs playing on the stereo as the dogs and cat fought for a place to lay under the tree. If it sounds chaotic, it was. But, I admit I miss all the commotion of this treasured family pastime.

 What happened to the spirit of Christmas this year? I just couldn’t seem to get motivated in my new surroundings. Finally, we looked at the barren tree and decided we had to decorate it. One by one, we opened the boxes and the memories came flooding back to us. The special ornaments like the plastic Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus that my daughter “borrowed” from my parents tree and placed on our tree when she was four years old. Then there was the stuffed Easter bunny that has been on our tree ever since my son realized the connection between Christmas and Easter and decided that we should celebrate both holidays at once, or at least on our tree. The glittered gum balls from grade school along with the hand painted ornaments we made one year when we were feeling crafty were placed carefully on the tree. The tree was filling up with over 30 years of memories. I couldn’t help but think long and hard of where we had been and where we were going. Our life was spread out on that tree. There was the little white church that I bought for the tree the year I went through a serious illness. There were the ornaments that my husband and I gave to each other when times were lean and they were our only gift to each other. The handmade cloth stuffed ornaments that have lasted over two decades still looked good as new. But I couldn’t say the same for the featherless bird (thanks to the cat) that has had a place of honor on the tree for years.

 Standing in the distance, gazing at the tree in all its years of memories and beauty, I was left with a wonderful thought of gratefulness that we have been blessed through good times and bad, through ups and downs. The memories of Christmases long ago continues to live on in the beauty of each ornament. The spirit of Christmas that I was trying so hard to find was there all along. It’s in the love of God and family. Love is at the heart of Christmas and God’s love remains the same even when there is change all around us.  He is the One we count on, the One we look to and the One we have faith in. The One who sustains us. God is there always, standing beside us in all times.

The Best Gifts

The Best Gifts

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.   -Galatians 5:22 

 

It’s the season of Christmas and all through the house are Christmas lists, presents to be wrapped and cookies to bake. Oh, the busyness of it all! The hustle and bustle of the holidays is in full swing. At least, that is how it used to be for us. When our children were little and grandparents were able to travel, it was a large festive time with everyone enjoying overall abundance, prosperity, sharing plans for the future and sharing gifts from under the tree. Now, things are just different. Everyone was spread out for many years and now we are all back together again…that is our Christmas blessing this year! And now, Christmas is no longer measured in material things, but in health, gratitude and joy…as it should be.

 

The Bible talks of the fruits of the spirit in today’s scripture. I believe God is impressing on my spirit that while material things are nice to give and receive at this time of year, there are greater gifts awaiting us. If Christmas is truly about Jesus then the gifts that are the most important are those that Jesus lived by that are mentioned in the scripture: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Oh how our homes and extended families, our friendships and the workplace would benefit so much if we all practiced these virtues. I think we could start with just picking one of these to focus on. To have joy in our heart. To find peace within and share it. To have patience with ourselves and those around us. To show kindness and to be good to those that are hardest to love. To be faithful to our families and relationships. Offering a gentle touch and a kind word when we can to all. Above all exercising self-control with our actions, behavior and words spoken. We can’t wait for everyone around us to treat us this way. It begins with us.  All I have to do to be motivated to live with the fruits of the spirit as my compass is to think of the people whose countenance and personalities I am drawn to.  And they are the ones that take time, love unconditionally, forgive easily, laugh heartily and in all they do God’s Light shines for all to see.  I want to be one of those people.  I believe that it is true that what we give will be given back to us. The biblical law of reaping what you sow.

 

Some gifts can be wrapped with bows and set under the tree, but the fruits of the spirit are a reflection of God’s heart and Jesus’ life and they are available to us. If you had a fruit tree and it didn’t bear any fruit year after year, you would certainly get rid of it and replace it with one that was fruitful and productive. Many of us are not bearing fruit right now. And that doesn’t reflect the goodness of God and it speaks poorly of us. Today I will consider it a blessing to be given this roadmap for living, loving and being. Thank you God for these gifts!!

Faith

Faith

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.-Matthew 21:21 NIV

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. I once heard it said that it is faith that is the light that guides us through the darkness. A boat captain understands the importance of light to guide his vessel back to safety at night. Equally, a small child tucked in to his bed at night depends on the glow of a nightlight to comfort him if he wakes. Then sometimes we just feel the light fading in our life and our faith slipping away at the same time. It has happened to many of us. We want so hard to believe in God’s power and provision but our natural eyes can’t see anything supernatural in front of us, so our faith wanes and our unbelief builds. Thoughts and words come in like waves in a storm like “God will never heal me”; “my circumstances will never improve; “my child is never going to amount to anything” and so on. We can chase away our thoughts, but when we give our own voice to these thoughts by speaking them out loud or telling others, we are feeding the unbelief in our hearts and spirit so that it can take root on the inside of us.

So many times I have prayed to God to give me more faith, when actually I should have asked Him to bind the unbelief. The unbelief is not from Him. By not agreeing with those thoughts that come in our heads that rob of us our hope, we can be overcomers. There is always hope. This week a friend called to say they were going to close their business after a long struggle. It was taking its toll. They didn’t believe that it could work anymore. God has the answer but my advice was for them to seek God’s light. That He would shine light on the path they should take, to either stay the course or move on. How do we know it is God and not just us exercising our own will? God confirms it by the words spoken by a friend, the way circumstances are shaping up, or most of all, He uses His Word to speak to us.  While we are waiting for God’s confirmation we can do what a wise man once said…“As you practice counting your blessings, you will find your faith is being suddenly revitalized.” This is the first step in being positive towards getting out of unbelief and back into faith living.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn

Autumn

Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.

-Matthew 13:32 NIV

 

One definition for the word “autumn” is reaching maturity.  Autumn is the time of year when the harvest comes in. The seeds planted in spring are ready to be harvested now. If summer droughts and disease didn't affect the plants and they made it through, then the harvest is to be celebrated. From just a tiny seed, so much is provided. This is a fun time of year to go to the various produce stands to see the pumpkin patch's, fruits, nuts and Indian corn. We have enjoyed decorating our home with a wreath of colorful fall leaves, nuts and acorns and miniature pumpkins. Each year when my children were little, we went to the country fields to walk the rows of pumpkins so they could each find their special one. We still laugh at the time I brought home a 75 pound pumpkin and had to strap it in the front seat with the seatbelt! Our front porch was always decorated with  pumpkins, pots of mums and that handmade wreath.  We even hung a cluster of Indian corn with a ribbon to the mailbox. 

In our spiritual life, we can also enjoy the benefits of a harvest. But we do have to plant seeds first. So how do you do that? First it is the prayer of salvation that invites God into our heart. Making Jesus our Lord and Savior. Then it is reading the Bible to learn how to apply the principles to our life. Did you know the Bible will talk to us about how to have relationships, how to raise our children, how to be a light in the darkness? Probably the greatest thing any of us can do to strengthen our bond with God is to meet Him each day in prayer. Hopefully we should have a hunger and thirst for Him. Making time to do this is also an act of obedience and it is good discipline. It is as though we are showing up each day for our assignment from God. We can ask Him to mold and shape our day so that it glorifies Him.

Praying is like planting seeds. We know if we have done the work, the harvest will come. We know that in our prayer life, the harvest is when our prayers are answered with a solution or wisdom for being able to cope.  Sometimes before we can plant seeds, we have to plow up the soil and amend it. The soil may not be good and if so, nothing will grow. That applies to us spiritually as well. Forgiveness and bitterness have to be pulled out by the roots. They are weeds in our garden. Letting go of anger and disappointment too. Again, more weeds. Only when the weeds are gone, and the soil is right can we plant our seeds with confidence. A harvest awaits us if we are willing to do the work. That is how we can begin to walk in spiritual maturity.