Love

He is speaking of Himself

/ jill autrey dorman

I have been thinking a lot about Truth. I am compelled by the passion Jesus has regarding true Truth. He told His followers that He is Truth and knowing Him(the truth) will set us free.
Truth is controversial and it requires confrontation. The key here is the confrontations are not arguments. The confronting of issues flows readily from what is “life giving” plans, not to bring condemnation.
Remember the famous Bible recording of a woman being brought to Jesus in the public meeting place and they told Jesus that she needed to be stoned. You probably know the reply Jesus gave. It is a controversial confrontation in his early ministry but His delivery of Truth was so clarifyingly crystal clear! .He said, ” if anyone here Is without sin why don’t you throw the first stone..”
Can you imagine if those men knew they were talking to the only One who was qualified to throw stones! I just love how Jesus teaches! He tells us the Truth and he is speaking of himself.

Life’s Quiet Influencers

/ jill autrey dorman

Do you have people who on life’s journey have for some reason impacted, or influenced you in either a good or a bad way or both? I am not speaking here of influential parents etc…but those who perhaps displayed character and wisdom that remain in your memory bank and you would like to emulate. That person that you may meet suddenly and briefly but their impact quietly journeys on with you long after.
For example, I met a girl on the first day of tenth grade who impacted me with her kindness in a profound way but by Christmas she died of Leukemia. We were fifteen years old. She was so kind to others and never complained of her pain. The last time I saw her was in a hospital bed and even though she tried to hide it I could see her pain as she periodically would grab the side rails of her hospital bed until her knuckles were white . I knew this is what “courage and bravery” were about. I did not yet understand fully what I was seeing at the time but she stayed with me. Her beautiful young skin was alabaster white and perfectly smooth. Her smile remained genuine and her eyes sparkled when she smiled. From our meeting to this current day every time I hear John Denver’s song, ” Sunshine on my shoulders .” I stop and remember. No matter how short her physical life seemed, the impact she had on me was a gift. It was a gift to many others too.
I have a few people. Their actions or examples of how they handle life are inseparable from my development as a human being. To be a good human, to be creative, to be life giving with actions and words, to speak with wisdom and kindness, to be witty or clever. You see, each one of them have shown me their dance steps of joy and sorrow. These steps come with success or failure. They have taught me how to love and forgive others. They have even shown me even when to walk away.

Grace

/ jill autrey dorman
Photo by James Wheeler

I am always astounded when a renewed sense of the “Realm of Grace.” is gifted to me by the Holy. My dear mentor Dr. Hud McWilliams puts it this way, “Grace erodes all of our human ability to be gods. Grace removes ALL of our ability to PRETEND we are in control.”

I clearly see This Realm of Grace cannot be diminished, Grace cannot be penetrated by darkness, Grace cannot be stopped by disease nor death, and best of all it cannot be bought or earned!
The birthing place of Grace is Mercy. The person of Grace is Jesus our Lord who died and gave us his grace because our Heavenly Father is merciful.
This refreshing and renewing gift from Grace is that Grace annihilated Shame! And I bear it no more!

A Hallelujah

/ jill autrey dorman

Today God orchestrated some happenings that I needed. It was an affirming whisper from him…

Such an intimate and sweet “I love you” from my Lord. I say intimate because He and I are the only ones who know. I say sweet because I am his daughter and he understands me.

So I end this day with a Hallelujah.

Sleep well my friends.

Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

The Knockout Punch

/ jill autrey dorman
Photo by Musa Ortau00e7

The knockout punch…

I have eaten nothing in three days.

The pain in my chest is a slow agony.

I have no memory of warmth with others of my kind.

Although fading, my longing drives my soul forward.

A primal memory of Joy beats like a captured bird in my brain.

Yet somehow I know Him and see the full Glory of God.

So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me. Genesis 16:13

Riding on the Wing of a Plane

/ jill autrey dorman

Photo by Mark Neal

Blackbird screaming in the top of a tree, the Sun goes passing by.

A full moon shines at the crossing in the road exposing all the lies.

Good girl hiding in the alley in the night, she’s praying no one sees.

Looking for love in the darkness, now alone, it’ll bring you to your knees.

Our children are riding on the wing of a plane, the want to try to die.

Looking for peace from pain in their lives, they’d rather crash then try.

Poor boy in hell at the top of a bridge, he’s praying he can flying.

He’s looking for love in the water down below, it wasn’t in his daddy’s eyes.

Can this bring us around or does history say we lose,?

Does the Cross mean no one goes to Hell or do we have to choose?

Hope for today and tomorrow in not gone, nor does it fall asleep.

Jesus is waiting for us to seek His face and only there will we find peace.

Henry Bridge (We Belong to the Day)

/ jill autrey dorman

Photo by iPhone Photography

Sitting on the Henry Bridge watching the river run.

A little boy is skipping river rocks beneath the glitter of the Sun.

Autumn breezes gold and ruby red decorate the beaver’s dam.

A little girl hold her baby doll making sweet life plans.

We belong to the day free to be living in a symphony.

Walking of of the night no more darkness to see.

We belong to the day.

No sorrow left to see.

We belong to the day.

The burden of Merit…We can’t get religious enough. We can’t be good enough. We cannot do better for God. Jesus did it for us. 

/ jill autrey dorman

Photo by cottonbro

“The fact is that sin is a bigger disaster than we think it is and grace is more amazing than we seem to be able to grasp that it is. No one who really understands what Scripture has to say about the comprehensive, every-aspect-of-your-personhood altering nature of sin would ever think that anyone could muster enough motivation and strength to rise to God’s standard of perfection. The thought that any fallen human being would be able to perform his or her way into acceptance with God has to be the most insane of all delusions. Yet we all tend to think that we are more righteous than we are, and when we think this, we have taken the first step to embracing the delusion that maybe we’re not so bad in God’s eyes after all.”   Paul Tripp

  1. You better pray everyday
  2. You better read your Bible every day.
  3. You better join the choir, teach Sunday school, be a missionary, or do some kind of ministry.
  4. You better tithe.
  5. You better be at Church every time the door was open. (This one was easy because my Dad was a Pastor.)

 So, if you are out there trying to earn your way into relationship with God it is a burden that you need not carry and when you realize this Truth it is actually a relief. Then you can start to actually do and say the things that please God by letting His Spirit live in you.

It can be a rough ride and not a pretty sight, but Jesus did not come and die for us because it was comfortable or pretty. He did it because he understood and still understands that it is HE who brings life from sin and death, and it is Jesus in you that will produce “good works and fruit.”

Your behavior will change because Jesus transforms our hearts and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, the hands serve, and the love overflows. I know, because I spent years trying to be good enough and failed and then as I lay all of that down I began to change.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Three words…

/ jill autrey dorman
Photo by Pixabay

…all civilizations, and ages both on earth and heaven hinges on them
…they profoundly transform those who hear, say, and believe them
…they annihilate shame, guilt, burden, loneliness,depression, and death
…they provide supernatural joy, freedom, and hope
…they expose and destroy all lies, suffering, and evil
…they hold all the mysteries of creation, time, and purpose
…they drag “lies” kicking and screaming into the light and banish darkness
…they wreak havoc on all evil authority and authenticity
…they redefine success and sincerity and sacrifice
…they are immediately understood and leave their mark when spoken
…they hold in their meaning all beginnings and endings
Three words…
“He is Risen”