Cause to Rejoice
Mother’s Day Knockout Rose
“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing” – Zephaniah 3:17.
Tag Archive for: love
Love is …
“Love is a fruit, in season at all times and within the reach of every hand. Anyone may gather it and no limit is set. Everyone can reach this love through meditation, the spirit of prayer, and sacrifice” —
Mother Teresa, Her Essential Wisdom.
My marching orders
“Love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life …” (Deuteronomy 30:20).
I’ve had a busy, busy week entertaining family and long distance friends. A good week in most respects, but exhausting. Stress is stress. There’s good stress and bad stress. Either brings with it a need for renewal of body and mind. What to do first in order to recover? Where do I begin? So much to do — so little energy and motivation.
As I pull apart the verses above and search for answers, I see a few secrets for life renewal:
- Choose to love the Lord your God
- Listen to his voice
- Obey his commandments
- Commit self firmly and hold fast to God
Live life exuberantly. The Lord your God is your life (Deuteronomy 30:20).
Dear God, help me quiet the racing of my mind and heart. I need to filter out all else so I can listen to your voice alone.
Everlasting Love
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be re-built” — Jeremiah 31:3.
God’s love continues to amaze me. The definition of the word “everlasting” means eternal, continuing indefinitely or for a long period of time, tedious, never coming to an end. That’s a long time! He draws us with loving-kindness. I don’t know of anyone else here on earth that cares and continues to love me unconditionally even when I mess up.
No matter what I’ve done in the past, God stands by to build me up again. This knowledge gives me the courage to get up and try again.
Do you feel defeated today? You are not alone. Tell it to Jesus; he already knows and cares and waits for your return.
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Rejoice!
Daffodils
“The world seems sad mid winter’s gloom.
But all’s well when the jonquils bloom.”
This is so true. Winter (at least in the mid-west) can last forever. My spirits sag dramatically when the sun doesn’t shine for days. As soon as I glimpse the first crocus or yellow daffodil, hope springs forth!
Jonquil stands for the word “desire.” Desire for new beginnings, fresh starts, and warm temperatures reign paramount. Whether it be a do-over with a sour relationship or a jump start to a neglected project such as organizing my office space — nothing is impossible if taken one baby step at a time.
Dear God, thank you for creating seasons, newly budded plants and trees. They remind me that you never give up on your children and continue to love unconditionally. Thank you for the many blessings, both seen and unseen, that you’ve given me, my family and friends.
Are you feeling blue and downcast today? You are not alone. Can you focus on one positive thing that happened in the last 24 hours and thank God for this?
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)
The Language of Flowers review
The Language of Flowers, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
This story shows the complexity and brokenness of human nature through the eyes of a young girl. Victoria was abandoned at birth by her mother. She never knew her mother or her father. Jerked from foster care to foster care, she understandably lacks stability, love and self-esteem.
Year after year her insecurity and hesitancy to attach to any human being grows. Any human touch causes Victoria nausea and potential vomiting. Until she meets Elizabeth at age 10. Elizabeth is a vineyard owner and becomes her temporary guardian. This home is finally where Victoria begins to feel what real love might feel like.
I realize the book is not categorized as inspirational/religious, but I saw unconditional love played out in the part of Elizabeth. Elizabeth told Victoria repeatedly that there was nothing she could do to cause her to give her up or to not love her. Victoria still tries the limits of this love on more than one occasion. Yet Elizabeth never withdraws her love or gives up on winning her back again. Just like God never gives up on us no matter how many times we mess up. He’s always willing to take us back under his wing of protection.
Then came the fire, hospitalization for Victoria, and Elizabeth disappeared from Victoria’s life. Unfortunately, she’s left with no choice, so it’s back into the flawed foster child system where she stays until she becomes emancipated from a group home.
A form of redemption came into Victoria’s life when she met Renata, owner of Bloom flower shop. Renata hires Victoria to work for her at the flower shop. Renata seems to understand Victoria’s complexity and need for her own space. Victoria begins to bloom and blossom as she creates arrangements according to the client’s needs — almost to a magical point. Client’s personal relationships improved according to the flowers Victoria’s arranged and delivered. Hence, the flower shop prospered and Victoria matures.
The author goes into great detail about plants and flowers describing their unique meanings. I looked forward to learning, along with Victoria, the history and thinking behind each flower and grew to love flowers even more as I read the story. “The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, aster for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude.”
The main character, Victoria, deals with deep-rooted woundedness and unresolved self-esteem issues her entire life. She resists anyone who tries to get close to her emotionally or physically by acting out in uncivil ways. As a reader, I personally felt the pain of the underdog, the unwanted, unloved and pushed aside in society. I wanted to reach out and adopt Victoria myself!
The Language of Flowers deals with complex human nature and social issues. I found the book to be very intriguing and swept me right along from start to finish.
Forgiveness is a gift
Blooming cactus at Frederick Meijer Gardens
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” — Ephesians 4:32.
When someone wrongs me, the last thing I want to do is to forgive him and move on. If you’re like me, I want to think on it, mull it over, and play it again over and over in my head. When I rehearse the dirty details blow by blow, I notice I become angrier too. This isn’t how God desires me to act or think.
The Message reads, “Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.”
Ouch! The last thing on my mind are the words gentle and sensitive. Forgive quickly? Not my style. Forgive thoroughly? Seriously — this is a suggestion, right? Wrong.
The reason for this tough assignment … God forgave me. Not just once, but over and over and over again. He continues to forgive me and take me back under his wings of love and protection.
How can I do any less for those who harm or hurt me intentionally or unintentionally?
Thank you, God, for forgiving me too many times to count. With your help and strength, I can forgive any wrong inflicted upon me.
Is there someone you harbor a grudge against? When you hear their voice or see them, does it bring up bitter feelings? Can you step back and remember the times God forgave you? Take time to thank God today for forgiving you. Ask him to give you the strength and the desire to forgive that person who wronged you.
Happy Birthday to my Son
It’s hard to believe my “baby” boy is 33 years old today! It seems like just yesterday when he began to eat solid food, say his first words and took those first unsteady steps. I distinctly remember when he was riding in the front seat of our truck (there was no back seat) and he spied a truck just ahead of us and proclaimed,
“F – O – R – D; truck!”
He was so pleased with himself as he practiced letters he was learning, that I didn’t have the heart to tell him that wasn’t quite right!
My Mom was right when she encouraged me to enjoy those early years because sooner than you think, they’ll be grown and out of the house. Now he’s married and has three little ones of his own! My … how those years seemed to fly.
Son, we’ve been through good times and bad. Ups and downs. As in every family, not every day was a perfect day. But we managed to weather our experiences together as we grew and learned. Tears, pain, and lots of prayer goes into parenting, but I wouldn’t trade our children and grandchildren for any amount of money.
Some days it takes a conscious effort to love our children unconditionally regardless of their behavior — just like God loves you and me. God loves and forgives us when we don’t deserve loving or forgiving. But that’s what God does, isn’t it?
Your Dad and I are so proud of you — for what you stand for and for what you’ve become. A faithful husband and loving dad, and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ … a son whom we love and enjoy talking to and spending time with. Thank you, God, for protecting and strengthening Andrew in the faith. We are blessed beyond measure have MUCH to celebrate in 2012.
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True Freedom
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” — 2 Corinthians 3:17.
Do you sense that freedom? Freedom that comes only when God is involved. The freedom to speak about what God is doing in your life? I’ve experienced it, and there is no comparison to anything else on earth. I’ve also known bondage — bondage to man’s rules and regulations, bondage to feverishly trying to win another person’s approval and love. Relief may come, but usually is temporary.
God’s freedom is boundless. His love is unconditional. When I mess up by not seeking his wisdom or approval, I’ve felt disappointment in my soul. And so did God during those times. He gave me life, and he continues to bless me with seen and unseen blessings. Why do I even consider giving him anything but my best? What can I give God today?
· My time
· My energy
· Words of praise
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My life’s an open book (re-visited)
“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts,” (2 Corinthians 3:2–3).
My very life is a letter that anyone can read (or not read) just by looking at me. Scary thought. To think that anyone can trace my actions and hear my words and judge me — well, that’s a whole lot of pressure. This fact causes me to ask myself if I am truly living as God would have me live and saying and doing what he desires of me. His mark on me is written on the tablet of my flesh, not on a tablet of stone.
Prayer: Dear God, I confess that the mark I leave behind is not always pleasant, kind, or loving. Sometimes I leave a trail of strife and confusion—forgive me for those times. Help me to plant seeds of kindness, and tell others of the joy of my salvation.
Ask: What kind of mark are you leaving today? Will others be able to tell that you belong to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Do others see the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?
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