Jesus Came…
Posted: Wednesday, December 18, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: abundant life, followers of Jesus, John 10:10, purpose Comments Off on Jesus Came……to give us life, a rich and satisfying life, an abundant life, better than we could have ever dreamed, to the full, till it overflows, and have it abundantly…in ALL its fullness.
What if we actually lived our lives like we really and truly believed that? As followers of Jesus, do we live life like someone literally came to earth, died to save us, and then rose from the dead?
That’s the question that I have been wrestling with the last week or so.
Do I live life like Someone actually was born for the sole purpose to ‘take a bullet’ for me, just so that I could live an outrageously, ridiculously abundant life?
What does that even look like???
Scripture Basis…
John 10:10
10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (NLT)
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (NRSV)
10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). (AMP)
10 The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. (TLB)
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (KJV)
Fa La La La La
Posted: Tuesday, December 17, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: caroling, Church in Restoration, Hanover County, Southern Barton Heights, VA 1 CommentThanks to Church in Restoration out of Hanover County, VA. What a great group of friends!
It all started in Christmas 2012 when this same group stopped by our home to sing some carols and eat some Krispy Kreme Donuts. And this flexible, spontaneous group willingly stopped by 2 neighbors’ homes, too. This year they agreed to make SBH their only stop; and we were able to sing carols at about 12 homes in less than an hour. There were so many more houses we could have blessed, but the kids still had homework to do and much needed sleep to get. We really appreciate their sacrifice! What a fantastic time of singing Joy to the World, Away in a Manger, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and more! Spreading JOY about a baby born in a manger who later sacrificed his life for us. That’s worth singing about!
And we will be doing it again next year! Woo Hoo!!! 🙂
YAY! YIPEE! WOO HOOOO! CHEERS! CLAPPING HANDS! SMILES! JIG DANCING!
Posted: Saturday, December 14, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: answered prayers, Christmas, Faith, Lemon Crinkle Cookies, Luke 15, Southern Barton Heights 4 CommentsThere are some days where I am overwhelmed by just how much God cares for us. Like in this scripture…
Luke 12:6-7 (NIV)
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Jesus says in Luke…God has forgotten not even one sparrow. And…he says not to be afraid or to worry. I am worth….YOU are worth more than MANY sparrows. That makes you and me pretty important to God! He cares about the littlest things about us. He even knows how many hairs I have on my head. For some of us, He knows how many we lost…how many we USED to have.
OK. Now, let’s join that with this scripture where Jesus also says…
Matthew 7:7 (NLT)
Effective Prayer
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
So. Jesus also says that we should ask and we will receive what we ask for. And, He says to keep looking for it and we will find it. Pretty simple stuff. Now, I’m not saying that we will get what we ask for it when we want it. And we won’t find everything we are looking for when we want to find it. We were on God’s timing. And I’m OK with that most of the time.
I firmly believe that God wants us to consult with him about even the little things in life. So, I find myself talking to God all day long. Asking him what I should do, how I should handle something, even where something is. That happened this week. On Tuesday, as I was packing for a short trip (which never came to pass), and Louis asked me to leave him the checkbook on his desk. Well, I couldn’t find the checkbook ANY where. I looked in the 2 places it normally is. I checked the last place I remembered using it. I checked under the cushions of the furniture, under the bed, under the Christmas tree. I prayed a lot…asking God to show me where it was..for 4 days. Nada.
Then, this afternoon, Louis and I were meeting with a friend, Cherie. We were praying together, and I asked her to pray with me to find the checkbook. Without a second thought, she added it to her prayer list which she keeps on her phone. No judgment. No ‘that’s silly’. Just a ‘Sure. No problem.’ LOVE THAT!
This evening was one of those fun evenings at Miss Marti’s House. 2 neighborhood teenagers were eating dinner with us. One decided to bake cookies. The other was using dry erase markers to color on the downstairs bathroom mirror. I sat at my desk (usually home of my checkbook) and prayed again. That’s when I opened the bottom drawer to look and it sounded funny. And seemed to get caught a little. Unfortunately the drawer doesn’t come out easily. So, one of the teenagers helped me use the pick-up stick to get papers and other items that had fallen out the back of the drawers down to the bottom when he said: “And…what could thiiiiis be? Black. Looks like a wallet. Could it be? Hmmmm. Could it be a checkbook????” And we rejoiced when my checkbook was revealed from the bottom of the desk where it fell from 3 drawers above!!! YAY!!! YIPEE!!! WOO HOOOO! CHEERS!!! CLAPPING HANDS! SMILES! JIG DANCING!
Which then reminded me of the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son (all found in Luke 15). Just as the search continued for the valued items…and longing for the young son. God won’t stop looking for someone that is important to him. During this Christmas season when we are looking for Christmas to come. We are looking toward the birth of Jesus Christ. We also need to know that He’s looking for us, too. And He will keep looking. He’s not brutal or pushy or demanding. He’s a gentle gentleman in his pursuit of us.
And when we find Him, the angels all rejoice! YAY!!! YIPEE!!! WOO HOOOO! CHEERS!!! CLAPPING HANDS! SMILES! JIG DANCING! Check it out here…
Luke 15:7 (NIV)
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents…
and here…
Luke 15:10 (NIV)
10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
So, I am excited and rejoicing that it took 4 days to find my checkbook. Let’s think about what we would have missed out on. If I had found it on Tuesday…
- this post would not exist and YOU wouldn’t be encouraged by this story of God faithfulness.
- I wouldn’t be reflecting on God’s pursuit of us, His love of us, His faithfulness, His goodness, His answers to my prayers.
- I wouldn’t be praising Him the same.
- My faith was made stronger.
- Terence and Bishop were able to witness God’s faithfulness in person.
- Cherie and Louis’s faith is strengthened.
- I am reminded of soooo much.
Last thing… check out the handiwork of my two friends…
Lemon Crinkle Cookies – One of Terence’s Faves
Bishop’s Artwork – Who needs a fridge to post it on???
Bishop Love…. My Version of a Selfie
Happy Birthday, Jesus! Christmas Party
Posted: Saturday, December 14, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: Birthday Party, Christmas Party, Jesus, Santa, Southern Barton Heights Comments Off on Happy Birthday, Jesus! Christmas PartyIn 2010, we held a Birthday Party for Jesus at a local church. Check it out here >>2010 Birthday Party This year, we decided to host another one…at home. We are grateful that Santa has already provided a YES to our invitation!
For an update from me and Louis, check this out too>> 2013 Louis and Marti Update
Miss Marti's House 