Tag Archives: christianity

When God loves a woman through her bad…

15 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in General, Scripture, Sheila

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The love of a man for his wife can only be as great as his love for the Lord is deep and real and true.

Making me greatly loved for all I am. My good, and even my bad.

With a love that blesses and soothes in ways I cannot count.  Countless points of love touching my life, flooding my soul, refreshing my heart.

In the quiet things done for me when no one save The One is looking.

And the long hours of prayer which cover me like a comforter, downy warm.

Gentle teachings from God’s Word.

And that certain soft look in his eyes that I have seen not only in moments of sheer bliss, but in the harder times, too.

For all of this and so much more, there are no earthly words with which to utter profound enough thanks.

Only humble, hushed gratitude lived out daily…

I thank my God always concerning you, Michael, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus
1 Corinthians 1:4

But in those moments after darkness, when for a time I have chosen to shut my eyes to the Light, I am especially grateful for a man who loves and serves Jesus Christ above himself.

A man who lays down his life for me, to present me without spot, wrinkle or blemish before a Holy God.

Moments when I haven’t done my best, when I’ve disappointed both God and husband. These are the beautiful moments, when I see with heart wrenching clarity, the love of Christ in the words and actions of the man whose name I bear.

After years of progressively moving forward, I chide myself when sin prevails, though blotted clear by crimson.

Cringing to admit that my fallen humanness sometimes leads me down an unholy path, tripping over self, stumbling into a dark pit.

And then the love of this one, good, godly man extends a hand to me in sheer Grace, lifting me up, helping me regain perspective, while admonishing where needed.

Reaching across the breach, reassuring me.

Pulling me close so I can see the Light again, recognize my worth…

In Christ.

Lamenting over my poor choices while trusting in Perfect Love.

Coupling repentance with forgiving myself, and reaffirming the true desire of my heart which is to be good.

 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48

Brushing myself off after forgiveness asked and received, and the issue talked all through.

Pulling up by the bootstraps and purposing to block out the lies of satan which taunt, “You’ll never get this right.”

Choosing to believe the truth about myself, that I am precious to the Lord, that He died to save me {all of us!} from my sins, that He is building me from the inside out, that He will always love me.

And then, continuing on…

Awash in the light of His love, surrounded by Holy Grace.

Moving forward in the strength of the Lord, until the work on earth is done, job finished well.

Filling up leaking places in the foundation with Word that seals in hope, cemented by a love so strong and deep that nothing can destroy it.

Washed by the water of His Word.  Made water tight again.

Resting in the Lord, who is forever always with me, trusting His love that never changes.

Not ever.  No matter what.

 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39

Seeing a shadow of this Perfect Love in one imperfect man, perfect for me.

And me for him.

Helping each other to grow up in the Lord as we make our way each day along a journey of a thousand miles — littered here and there with glitches and gravel — to His happily ever after…

Hope is restored!

All is not lost!

Jesus lives!

And by His grace, and with a wise and patient husband’s love, I am one day closer to being a little more like Him…

In Jesus name.

~sheila

Saturday Psalm: Psalm 17

12 Saturday May 2012

Posted by in Audio, Michael, Scripture

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Today’s Psalm…

~michael

An assault on calling…

09 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by in Coaching, Michael

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In the fourth chapter of Luke’s gospel we find the Holy Spirit leading Jesus in the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by the devil. During the entire forty day period Jesus eats nothing. Afterward, he’s hungry.

I bet!

The devil seizes upon the opportunity and issues a challenge: If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.

It is the beginning of a two-pronged assault.

The first prong deals with identity: If  Jesus is the Son of God? Give me a break!

A second front in the battle opens with the words: tell this stone to become bread.

Jesus is an obedient Son, doing only what he sees his Father doing. And his Father doesn’t turn rocks into bread. God can rain down manna from heaven if he likes but he doesn’t turn stones into bread.

So how does all this translate into an assault on calling?

Every one of us has a primary calling on our life, a calling made by the Caller of all humanity. A calling to come home to the God and Father of us all, taking our place as obedient and loving sons and daughters. A call issued through Jesus Christ: follow me! Once this primary call has been heeded we are led into a secondary call: we are given something to do for the kingdom of heaven, a particular role in God’s grand story, a specific, irreplaceable purpose by which we reflect the glory of God to the world around us.

Being who we are called to be and doing what we are called to do leads to a similar assault by the devil on our own lives. Our identity is challenged as is our calling: Who are you to think God even cares about you let alone that he has given you something special to do? Pompous! Arrogant! Prideful!

The devil challenged Jesus’ identity and calling. Jesus is the Son of God and his calling was not to be self-serving but to serve as a ransom for many, the Savior of the world. Jesus rebuffed the devil’s assault with the truth.

We do well to do likewise.

The truth is, you are his beloved bride, sons and daughters of the living God—Creator of all that is seen and all that is unseen—and you are destined for good works prepared in advance for you to do. (Eph 2:10)

Discover, live, and fulfill your calling to the glory of God!

~michael

To learn more about the idea of calling visit us at Longings End Coaching.

Image courtesy of Master isolated images

MacDonald: Has your faith been challenged?

09 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by in MacDonald

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The following excerpt is from the novel, The Curate’s Awakening, by George MacDonald. At this early part of the story, Thomas Wingfold, a curate, has been confronted as to the sincerity of his faith just the evening prior by George Bascombe, an ambitious, self-assured attorney who thinks it his role to liberate others from their false religious beliefs. By way of the confrontation, Wingfold found himself wholly unable to refute Bascombe’s charges as Thomas found himself without any true convictions, only having absorbed and parroted the Church of England’s traditions and viewpoints over the span of his young curacy. His conscience aroused as a result, Wingfold takes upon himself the charge to see if there be a God worth believing in with all his heart.

I find in this brief exchange things worth noting.

First, that challenges as to our personal faith are not without value. They serve to reveal to what depth we believe what we espouse.

Secondly, it hints at the value of doubts—something which, at times, is scorned as a measure of weak faith by some but which are helpful prods to a rich relationship with God and are a part of every sincere follower’s experience.

Lastly, the exchange between the two men highlights the advantage of showing God to others who reject him out of hand through the witness of our lives over any kind of verbal debate, as well-intended as our speech may be.

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The curate’s search had already greatly widened the sphere of his doubts. But if there be such a thing as truth, every fresh doubt is yet another fingerpost pointing toward its dwelling. So reasoned the curate with himself as he rounded the corner of a street and met George Bascombe.

The young lawyer held out his large hospitable hand and they went through the ceremony of shaking hands.

“I have not yet had an opportunity of thanking you for the great service you have done me,” said Wingfold sincerely.

“I am glad to know I have such an honor, but—

“I mean in opening my eyes to my true position.”

“Ah, my dear fellow! I was sure you only required to have your attention turned in the right direction. Are you thinking of resigning, then?”

“Not yet,” replied Wingfold. “The more I look into the matter, the more reason I find for thinking the whole thing may be true after all and I may be able to keep my appointment to the church.”

“But what if you find it is not true?” pressed Bascombe.

“What if I should find it is true, even though you might never be able to see it?” returned the curate.

After a somewhat uncomfortable pause, each of the two men continued on his own way. Bascombe had said nothing more, for his mind was only directed at finding holes in another’s consistency rather than seeing whether truth had anything to teach his own self. Meanwhile, Wingfold’s honest heart continued its quest for truth, wherever and however he could unearth it.

“If I can’t prove there is a God,” said Wingfold to himself, “then surely just as little can Bascombe prove there isn’t.”

But then came the thought, “But the fellow would say that, there being no sign of a God, the burden of proof lies with me.”

And with that he saw how useless it would be to discuss the question with anyone who, not seeing God, had no desire to see him. The only good to be gleaned out of any discussion would have to come by sharing doubts and conjectures with another who shared the common desire of knowing and finding the truth. Otherwise, discussion would be but the vain exchange of differing viewpoints, leading nowhere.

“No!” he concluded at length, “my business is not now to prove to any other man that there is a God, but to find him for myself. If I should find him, then there will be time enough to think of showing him to others.”