Photo by Tookapic
The summer sun is baking the side walks and streets.
The Texas horizon looks like a melting mirage.
Summer solstice has arrived and a few things never change.
Even in the shade it is one hundred degrees.
My grandson has begun his love affair with the sprinkler and popsicles.
In his backyard with his parents.
And wonderful cool sheets for his afternoon nap.
And all is right with my world today and I am grateful.
Photo by sebastiaan stam
She opened the door, called out his name
he lie there dead, a needle in his vein…
the devils’ been round, staking his old claim
now nothing is ever gonna be the same…
oh God we try to make it right
deliver us from evil, deliver us from night
it seems there is nothing good
nothing that remains…
another child dead
another sad song
one try of heroin
another child gone…
Psalms 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
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Side bar, just a short one I promise… (This sounds like theology 101 but fear not…it is not boring! It is absolutely fabulous for women.)
You have been anointed by the Holy One and you know the Truth. 1 John 2:20
Jesus’ approach to women is revolutionary considering the cultural norm of his day. When we hear the “Woman at the Well” story in the traditional exegesis, so much is made of the fact that this woman had multiple marriages and is in quite a predicament of living with a man, even as she speaks to Jesus, who is not her husband. Not only is that issue not the focus of this conversation with Christ but he actually gives her an apostolic role: Once she believes and is made a follower of Christ (disciple) she call others as Jesus called the twelve. She says “come and see” and others believed “because of her word.”
I love this declaration of Jesus’ first “evangelist move.” It clearly frees us of any cultural or theological hang up that women are NOT messengers of “The Kingdom of Heaven” that Jesus came to establish.
“Exposure to Jesus and His Kingdom are not related at all to being male or female. The Gospel of Jesus is about receiving the testimony of the Spirit and embracing the hope of the gospel.” Don’t you just love that? (1 Corinthians 2:14)
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A pact forged in eternity passed, present, and future between the three persons of the Godhead. Heavy stuff you say? Not even the tip of the iceberg…think on this a while… An eternal agreement in which The Father God sent the Son of God on a mission that he (The Son, Jesus) gladly obeyed to every jot and tittle so that the Spirit of God could come and reveal all to those who believe…
Jesus does not need for us to SAVE people (he does that alone and without help from us), manipulate people, abuse people, shame people, destroy people and/or ourselves. He cannot be bought for a “book” deal, a “mega” church, or even for “good” charity….
In spite of all you’ve said
it’s never been in your hands
So let us speak a farewell eulogy
over all our plans
Light the match that burns the bridge
that doesn’t lead to Grace
Now I clearly recognize
I am a stranger in this place
Every street I’ve walked upon
had to be redeemed
The places where I lay my head
never felt like home it seems
Light the match that burns the bridge
that doesn’t lead to repentance and Grace
Light the match that burns
the alters and idols we have made
It is a Lover’s dream we all have to tell
It is a Ship of Dreams that never did set sail
I wander in and out of a sleepless fog
Hearing peaceful song that draws me to the Throne of God
“Your fierceness has deceived you, the pride of your heart…”
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I hit rock bottom. For me it wasn’t an addiction that spiritually bankrupt me. It was me, my desire to be my own god that brought me to the end of my self. At rock bottom someone was waiting for me. He had been there all along. At rock bottom I remembered like the younger brother in the Prodigal Son story that I had a heavenly Father who was calling out to me to come home! I love that the Father’s heart has not changed toward his Child and I love that the son’s heart has deeply repented (changed) regarding his actions and his deep regret of his rebellion and sin…
With the daily news full of young and old stars overdosing or ending their own lives makes me ponder what is “Rock Bottom” for us all?
who’s at the bottom of the bottle?
who’s at the end of the needle?
who’s there after the divorce?
who’s there after the empty nest?
who is there when the man comes to you and tells you you have cancer?
who’s there when you have all the money in the world or none at all?
The Cleft at Rock Bottom is the only the One who delights in us. The only One who counted the cost and yet charges us nothing. If I have learned one thing in life it is that the Refuge I have found in God through Jesus Christ is the only Refuge that is offered freely.
He gives an open invitation to come and be sheltered in the dwelling of God, The Most High. At rock bottom Jesus is the cleft in the rock. I encourage anyone who might read this post to come! Come and abide in the Cleft of the Rock that is Jesus Christ.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: My God, in Him will I trust.”
From the minute the Resurrected living Jesus, God/Man ascended into heaven the “Church”, { people who want to follow Christ,} was already in disagreement, misunderstanding, judgement, lack of unity, and broken relationships. They were overwhelmed humans who had their hearts touched by Christ but no one could suspect where the journey of Sanctification would take each one of us. Jesus knew it would be hard for us when he left here for a season but he also knew the Power of The Holy Spirit was to come and lead, guide, teach, counsel, and comfort us…
From birth to about the age of fifteen The Church was like a Mother’s womb for me. I was nurtured there, taught there, grew in the knowledge of The Word of God there. I quickly learned the native customs, soon a hymn and bible verse or two. You learn to speak Christian-eze rather quickly and “take on” an “idea” of who God is and how you are supposed to live but then one day you realize you cannot trust these people and they cannot trust you UNLESS you can admit that we all are simply trying to find our way in Jesus Christ. Trust must be earned by day in and day out relationships.
As time goes on you see that there is so much more to this Church thing. You see the gap that often lies between what we say and what we do. When you are young you don’t realize that this gap is the utter “human problem.” It is so easy to call them all hypocrites and judge them harshly therefore making my self the very same hypocrite…
I came to see that because each of us is so broken in one way or another that we are not equipped to love each other well without the Spirit of Truth in us, Jesus. We are not full of forgiveness most of the time because we do not really understand how serious God is about His Holiness nor do we (most of the time) realize the COST of Forgiveness. His forgiveness is of course rooted in love for us but He forgives us because of one thing only which is the price that was paid by His Son, Jesus, on the Cross.
I also came to realize that expecting forgiveness and understanding was so arrogant of me. We all have masks we wear, we all hold forgiveness from others and judgment and bigotry in our hearts UNTIL we are regenerated, born again if you will. Until we are transformed. This transformation while INSTANT in Salvation is also a process by which we grow and learn the Joy of our Salvation.
So, I hold none of you, my brother and sisters in Christ, responsible for my hurt, my wounds. I let it all go because Jesus let all of my stuff go and I stand in Him only. I long to empty my self of my self so that there is nothing left but Jesus and his love. (Philippians 2.)
There is so much more to the Christian life than what is here on earth. The eternal perspective is one that only God can reveal to each of us. We are put here to simply “know Christ and make him known.” The Holy Spirit will do and does all the work.
So if you have been wounded or wronged by the Body Of Christ, I ask for forgiveness from YOU! And if the Gospel of Jesus has done one single thing for me (which what He has done is immeasurable) then who am I to be unforgiving for what someone did to me?
To have Joy I must Trust in all that is Christ and in that Freedom we experience Service and in our service we experience Joy.
For many years as a young adult I felt like a “watercolor wash” painting. Blending into the dominant colors of those around me who had so much influence on my life. I didn’t even know my favorite color, food, or music. I didn’t know what I believed about life and death…and I realized I had to paint with my very own colors. My gentle memories run to those persons and I love them whether they were harsh or gentle. They had dreams of their own but listened to mine anyway and for them I am grateful…
The first and glaring color was a bright arterial red. While red is not my favorite color there is no doubt in my mind there can be no redemption without the shedding of blood. That color represents the day I met Jesus Christ and let him become my Redeemer.
The next and my favorite colors are the blues and greens of the sea and sky. The ocean, the beach is where I walked stronger and healed my heart. The salt water and wind a balm to my young weary soul. These colors are where I learned that I will live forever and that I can soar on the breeze or dive into the depths and behold my God is still there.
Yellows, pinks, and violets are the colors in my life where I flew too close to the sun and my skin was burned but the new skin grew back pink and healthy. The rich flora hues and scents drove me forward toward the goals of softness, children, and safety. Still and always learning…
The rich dark color of the brown/black dirt with its earthy scent comes next for after all this is where this earthly body was formed…how can a human not love the earth? Deep within it lies the mystery of creation and purpose…and then the clear snowy white to emerald to muddy silt of the rivers that run to the sea…a Holy Baptism there…
The last and final colors in my watercolor are silver and gold. The bright and shining stars of the galaxies. These colors remind me that I am significant but small and even greater still these colors are a testament to the infinite bigness of my God. The one who loves me beyond all measure and always will. So, I will keep painting for now and let the fire keep burning bright. On that day that I lay down the paint brush I will have said what I have to say and make my stand humbly and always trusting that life will carry on…and oh yes, I will keep painting…
all the Birds have flown from Winter’s blast
the Trees seem to long for their nesting
i long for their Song
at least the Sun has not withheld her face from us today
jill autrey dorman
Jill Autrey Dorman 