It's Spring

Lord it's spring

I saw a field one day 

and looked for signs of You.

I saw a fresh green sprout and early morning dew.

And then I saw the can, the box,

and old car part,

and wondered -

when You saw them ruin all Your art,

did You cry for beauty gone

for freshness ruined there?

Because dear God I know 

You keep even flowers in Your care.

Lord, today I saw that field again 

and lingered there so long

to gaze upon the trees and hills and listen to the song

of Your gentle creature of the sky as they greet the morning sun,

and I looked around again to see the damage man had done.

But today there's something different about what's in my sight.

The grass grown green upon the ground is covering the blight.

and

I thought about the blight of sin

and how You died to cleanse all man.

I thought of how that fateful day

You washed man’s guilt and sin away.

Unlike the grass upon the ground, which only covered up the mound

of can and box and old car part, - the things that marred creations art,

You took my life’s dark sin away

and brought a fresh new life today.

Thank you my wonderful Lord.

A New Beginning

Easter is next Sunday – I look at Easter as the dawn – a new beginning for this world.  When Christ died on the cross and rose again, He gave us all a new beginning, a brand new start.   I’m sure you remember many Easter’s in your life – so many New Beginnings.

But it didn’t start with Easter Sunday, did it?

Let’s talk a little bit about what happened prior to Jesus’ resurrection.  Mankind sinned and needed redemption – the price of sin is death and somehow that price had to be paid.  God planned for it to be paid by His Son dying on a cross, atop a hill, on the outskirts of Jerusalem. 

Think about that death.  Jesus knew it was coming.  So many times in our lives we know something is inevitable – it’s coming and we’re not thrilled about it.  Jesus didn’t look forward to dying on the cross for our sins.  He even asked His Father to keep it from happening.  He asked His Father if there was possibly any other way to bring us back to Him.  But it wasn’t to be – the price had to be paid.  The perfect, sinless sacrifice had to be made.

Yes, He asked for another way, but He was still willing to die for us.  He said, “Not My will, but Yours, Father.”  Jesus knew that, if His Father didn’t come up with another plan, He would have to pay the price for us all.  

That really humbles me.  You know, the fact that Jesus asked for it not to happen, but went ahead and gave His life up for me, touches my heart so deeply.  If He hadn’t asked God to take the cup away, if he hadn’t asked His father not to make Him suffer in the way He knew He would – I’m not sure I would have as good a grasp on His love for us.  Because, you see, He knew ahead of time.  He had time to think about just what would happen – the pain, the humiliation, the separation from His Father.  Even then – He was willing.

The price was higher than we can ever imagine. I’m sure you realize that. 

We've all seen the pictures of our suffering savior, so we have some idea of the cause of the pain He went through, but what about His loneliness, have we thought about that? 

Yes, there were people around, a few of His followers and His mother who cared about him.  There were soldiers and the two other men who were crucified at the same time.  But even then Jesus was entirely alone in this world.  Even His Father could not partake in that aloneness.  The price for our sin was not only death, but it was separation from His Father.  When He cried out, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me,” I believe that His Father God hurt like He had never hurt before in all of time and before time. 

I believe He could have stopped the suffering of His son, but He would not – He loved us too much.  I believe He could have protected Jesus from this terrible burden, from paying the price of salvation for us, I believe He could have made sure that His son knew He was there, but He did not.

 

And it did not end there!

Thank God it didn’t end there!  Spring was coming – a new day was dawning – God knew what He was doing. 

It was only a matter of days until the story made a remarkable change.  In only a short time, sorrow turned to gladness.   In the darkness of our world a new sun was shining.  In a blink of an eye in eternity’s time the whole history of man changed from darkness to dawn.  Christ burst from the tomb, and the heaven was filled with singing.  The whole world woke up to spring.  It was a new day, a new beginning.  

Jesus’ disciples changed from the timid, beaten down, men they were – from the fraidy-cats that ran away and denied knowing Him, to real men who spoke out, who were willing to stand up and be counted as followers of Jesus.  The world would be changed forever because of this one event in history.  Wrongs would be dealt with; hospitals would be built; charity would be given; children would be protected; slavery would eventually be ended, all because of this one event in history. Isn’t that exciting?

You see Easter isn’t over!

Easter isn’t over, and it will never be

Christ paid the price to bring the Spring – and set this captive free.

May your Easter this year mean more to you than it ever has before.  May you be more aware of how much God loves you than you ever have before and may that warm your heart and comfort you.  He loves you so much.  

Do You Know Him?

God is closer than a brother, a husband, a wife, a parent, a friend. 

He is higher than a skyscraper, a tree, a mountain, the stars, and the sun. 

He is more powerful than a thunderstorm, a tornado, an earthquake, or a hurricane and more rare and beautiful than a perfect diamond.

He is more - so much more,

than we could ever imagine.

He is loving.  He is kind. 

He is Father.  He is God - The God - The one and only God.  

Do you know Him?  

There is so much to know about God.  Do you remember hearing the story of the blind men who were able to touch and feel parts of an elephant and then asked to tell what it looked like?  They all came up with different ideas.  The one who touched the tail thought the elephant must be something like a rope.  The one who touched the ear, thought a fan.  The one who touched the leg, thought a stout pillar, the trunk, a snake and so on.  They were all right to some degree, but not being able to touch and feel the entire elephant, they had a very limited view of its physical attributes.

Sometimes we’re like that with God.  Some people see only judgment – when we read the Old Testament, there is a good deal of that on the nations that refused to believe in Him.   “Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest?  Job 21:21-23

Sometimes when we look at our world, we see His power and might.  And when we look into the scriptures we see many instances where God displays His power and His people praise His power.  The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.  Heb 1:3

The Bible tells us that He is our Father.   It talks about God – the Father of all.   But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Gal 4:4-5

Sometimes God's comfort shines through and we feel comforted with His word and the knowledge that He cares for us.   Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, 2 Cor 1:3 

Or He is our teacher, His Spirit teaches us, through the Word, our conscience, and God’s people.  These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God 1 Cor 2:10 

Do we see Him as our savior?  When Easter time rolls around, we get a clear view of the price He paid for our sins.  We see Him on the cross and risen from the tomb.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

Do you feel His love, His judgment, His fatherly discipline, His Help, His might and power?  If we see Him in all of those facets, we get a clearer picture of the God we serve.

When I hear that word, facets, I always think of diamonds. 

There’s a saying - Diamonds are forever.  It’s partly true because they are the hardest natural material ever known to man.  Even though they are beautiful and expensive and mean a lot to people because of that beauty, they are also useful.  In some cases they’re used for cutting or polishing extremely hard materials.

Diamonds are known as a symbol of love. The word “diamond” came from the ancient Greeks – adamas – which is roughly translated as untamed or invincible.  Before diamonds began to be cut and polished, they were left uncut and mounted into their settings.  This gave each one a dark, deep mysterious look, unlike the polished look we see today.  I like that picture, deep and mysterious, it fits more closely the original Greek word “untamed.”  Would you want a tame God – I don’t think I would.

Since they’re so rare, they are also the most expensive gemstones in existence.  And isn’t our God the costliest and rarest gemstone to ever exist.  Just as the diamond, He personifies endurance and strength. He is dark and deep and mysterious, yet He shines brilliantly.   He is the diamond, the symbol of love.

Diamond facets are the smooth surface areas of a diamond which have been cut, polished and placed at different angles to allow light to enter and reflect back from the stone. The cut of these facets enable you to see the sparkle.

When we look at the different facets of God, His majesty, his love, his judgment, his fatherhood, his role as our savior, as spirit as comforter, we can see his brilliance and beauty.  We must see the whole picture of Him to really appreciate Him for who he is.  Diamonds come in all grades and clarity, from industrial to perfect.  Their colors range from totally clear to more cloudy and brown.  Some diamonds look wonderful when  mounted in a beautiful setting, but under a microscope you can see flaws. 

That’s not so with our Diamond of a God.  He has no flaws and there will be none found.  His facets: 

Dear friends. I received a note from my sis recently. I have edited the content just a bit, but I believe we all need to think about it. This is a vital election year. There are many issues to think about and no matter where you are on the political spectrum, you will want to ask God’s guidance in deciding who and what to vote for and who to support. Please don’t delete this just because you think I’m talking politics right now. It’s not politics; it’s our country and our lives and children’s lives. Will you join me in prayer each evening? I believe that God loves us and wants the best for us.

ONE MINUTE EACH NIGHT

We all need to be on our knees. Do you believe we can take God at His word? Call upon His name, then stand back and watch His wonders unfold.

2 Chronicles 7:14 gives us, as Christians, the ability to call upon God to heal our nation. The scripture states 'If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.'

During WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute, to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace. This had an amazing effect, as bombing stopped.

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America.

The United States of America, and our citizens, need prayer more than ever! If you would like to participate, each evening at 9:00 P.M. Eastern Time (8 PM Central, 7 PM Mountain, 6 PM Pacific), stop whatever you're doing, and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world, the upcoming election, that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land, and that Christianity will grow in the U.S.

If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along. Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Thank you.

Please pass this on to anyone who you think will want to join us as well.

God bless you,

Diane

Pride - It's a Bug!

Pride’s a lethal virus that affects each living man,

and we don’t often know the range of evil that is spans.

We don’t know that awful pride is there within our hearts

unless we look beyond ourselves,

and take our thoughts apart.

Or possibly we’ll find it tucked within our halo’d hair,

preparing to reveal itself, when we least expect it there.

Pride masquerades as many things. Its costumes are so fine,

that you sometimes even think it is humility divine.

Pride’s a lethal virus that affects our walk as well.

We stumble on our “I” and “me”

in the stories that we tell.

In tales of glory, we’re the ones that win the big grand prize

for deeds we’ve done and races run; our works are supersized.

Pride enters through a mirror that reflects a wish to shine,

and hear the words that puff us up; those words we underline.

You see –

When pride builds me and lessens you, I need to ask what I should do.

Whether searching for the spotlight or looking in the glass

If I am first, that pushes you to second or to last.

The Bible tells us just the way to act our parts and what to say

“Put others first – on the front row.”

That’s really all we have to know to keep ourselves from falling prey

to the virus that we fight each day.

Diane



Look Beyond the Pane

I’m looking out the window – the snow is settling on the branches of the pines, there’s a little hint of sunshine on the trees across the drive. It’s a beautiful winter wonderland. But what if, when I looked out that window, my eyes caught the smear on the inside and the dirty spots that are definitely there. What if I couldn’t get past that window pane? I would never be able to see the beauty that lies just beyond the glass.

What if a moving song was sung by a less than splendid singer? If her voice cracked a bit on the high notes and there were a few fumbles for words, what if I couldn’t look past the delivery to be moved by the message? I would never know what was in the heart of the song writer. I might miss something that could be of great comfort or inspiration to me.

What if I met a person of great wisdom, but would not listen to his sage advice because he appeared to be somehow very different from me, or if he was a bit intimidating? I would never hear or learn what God had in mind for me to heed.

If we look out the window and think – “that’s a dirty window pane,” we’ll never really consider what’s on the outside. If we look at a rose and worry about the prickly thorns, we’ll never be able to smell the beautiful fragrance.

Looking beyond the glass, looking beyond the messenger, looking beyond the comfortable, all of these things make life an adventure.

Let’s start this new year by looking beyond the window panes, and see what exciting things God has planned for us.

Look beyond the window glass.

Yes, look beyond the pane.

Look beyond perfection’s loss, you’ll see what’s there to gain.

Look beyond the prickly thorn and smell the crimson rose.

Look beyond the differences.

Watch as excitement grows.

Love, Diane

What Will You Do With Jesus Now?

Christmas is over and we've begun a new year.  There are so many things to think about, so many things to do and to plan for.  We have memories of 2011, both good and not so good, and we have memories of Christmas past.  Was God in the forefront of your celebrations.  I hope so.  But now what?  Sometimes it's much easier to put things into words if I rhyme them, so would you take a look at the last chapter of my little Christmas book.

Another Christmas has come and gone, let us talk of what we’ve seen.

The angels sang of Jesus birth

announcing peace to all the earth. 

The shepherd bowed then at the sight.

They found the Child that wondrous night. 

He came to earth as Mary’s Son, the promised, long awaited One. 

We heard of Jesus wondrous birth, and sang of glorious peace on earth.

We praised the Baby in the hay and paused to celebrate the day

and now we pack it all away. 

With trees and lights and treasures fair,

we put the crèche with Jesus there. 

For one more year we put away the trappings of that special day.

But, if we take God from his manger bed, and see the holy life He led,

and watch the Son of God and see Him die upon that cursed tree.

Christmas might be just the start

of Jesus living in your heart.

Ask yourself this question; has this Christmas changed my life? Has this Christmas changed me? Has this season of concentrating on the birth of my Savior made a difference? 

Tomorrow, when I start to “undecorate” my house, I will not be putting Jesus away for another year. This year, as I looked at Christ’s birth in a different way, I found so much more about God to worship and to love. He will not be living in a box in the attic; he will be living in my heart.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  (Galatians 2:20)

God bless you dear friends.

Diane