You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you. - Augustine
As the man came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord,” he said, “I want to see.”
Teach me your ways, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth.
Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
jk
Coming out of a few days of clouded vision and a heart divided here.
But He gives grace, never changes, always loves.
He carries me through and on.
Thankful…
jk
This morning when I hooked the clasps of the “by grace alone” necklace around my neck, I paused, knowing.
Knowing that the Truth of those words needed to run deep and full today.
Nothing big – just because.
Because I’m teaching school and one is wrestling with fractions and factors, one is weary of instrument practice and one needs Kindergarten to be a joy.
Because spring is marching on and after spring comes camp and I’ve got to stay in the parade.
Because last night I said a hard “no” and the tendency is to wallow in guilt instead of flying on in freedom.
Because these kiddos are growing fast and I’m not a perfect mama and there will be holes.
Because I can’t do all or be all but I want to bring Him glory - and with joy.
All this is and will always be by grace alone…
Because of Jesus…
Life, Celebration, Joy, Hope!
In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…
Thankful for a beautiful weekend of celebrating. So good for my heart to embrace all the sweetness pictured above as coming from Him and His goodness.
This morning I was reading in Luke 13 where Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed and to the tiniest bit of yeast in batch of dough.
Then Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.” He also asked, “What else is the Kingdom of God like? It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
With just a few minutes to reflect, I was asking,
“Father, why do want me to think of Your Kingdom as a small thing? What do you want me to know about the ways and the priorities of the Kingdom?”
I closed the Bible, hoping to take these questions with me and ponder them more throughout the day, and opened a prayer devotional to today’s date.
Dear Father, take this day’s life into Thine own keeping. Control all my thoughts and feelings. Direct all my energies. Instruct my mind. Sustain my will. Take my hands and make them skillful to serve Thee. Take my feet and make them swift to do Thy bidding. Take my eyes and keep them fixed upon Thine everlasting beauty. Take my mouth and make it eloquent in testimony to Thy love. Make this day a day of obedience, a day of spiritual joy and peace. Make this day’s work a little part of the work of the Kingdom of my Lord Christ, in whose name these my prayers are said. Amen.
Perhaps the final words of this prayer give some insight into Jesus’ words on the smallness and – at the same time – mightiness of the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God (within me and throughout the world) grows, thrives, and shows its might with each small decision of obedience to the King, each small act of devotion, each small choice to love and live like Him.
Want to join Him in bringing the Kingdom today?
Start small.
hj
hj
On Wednesdays, the big kids have choir.
A good friend is the piano accompanist and unofficial choir bus driver. She takes my big two, her daughter, plus one more and off they go to sing, play and make merry for the entire afternoon.
The program, instruction, and atmosphere at choir are fantastic. Makes a mama’s heart so happy.
So that leaves just Mom and the Little Man at home (except I don’t call him “Little Man” quite as much any more – I usually call him “J” or “J-man”).
Sometimes we have lunch with Mimi. Sometimes we play a game. Sometimes we invite a friend over to play. Sometimes we run errands. Just Mama and J. Makes a mama’s heart so happy.
A little one on one time with any of the kids is a sweet gift.
One on one time with J is fun because I hear more of his voice, his thoughts, the way his little mind puts everything together.
Yesterday we were out and about looking for the office of a small local newspaper. We had to drop off J’s entry for a coloring contest. This is important stuff when you are six. And when you are the youngest, this important stuff sometimes gets skipped. So, yes, driving around town for the sake of entering a coloring contest actually made my mama heart happy. ~smile~
Finally, we decided to stop in at doctor’s office and ask there for directions. As we were walking up to the door, J says,
“Mama, are we lost?”
“Well, buddy,” I answered with a smile and giggle, “I sure don’t know where the newspaper office is”
“But Mama,” he said more seriously, “you know where home is, right?”
“Yep, J. No worries. I know where home is.”
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Ps 73:26)
Indeed, my flesh and heart do fail and will fail again.
Why then am I surprised, disappointed, and frustrated by these failings?
Am I living with the mistaken idea that I will one day arrive? That a mature believer is someone who has conquered flesh and self and sin?
His Word to me today: Maturity in Christ is not about conquering, but rather about surrendering and laying low before the Conqueror.
He invites me to bring each failure and every shame to the foot of the cross.
He says that His grace is sufficient and that His power is made perfect in weakness. His grace, His power…the strength of my heart and portion forever…
Father, teach me to surrender failures at the foot of the cross instead of running away, hiding in shame, and hoping to get better.
Grace from the weekend…
~ a birthday
~ a museum trip
~ a picnic
~ an ant farm
~ a cookie baker
~ a pot of pansies for the front porch
And Grace not pictured too…
~ laughter – the kind that makes it hard to breathe
~ late night conversation about grandpa and memories and about politics – my hero answering my silly questions, helping me understand
~ understanding, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness
hjk
The forecast for today was cloudy with a chance of rain.
After days of sunshine and spring’s early warmth luring us outside, there was something comforting and restful about gray skies.
Midmorning we gathered around the kitchen table. J got out the play dough, Si carved soap, and Maggie experimented with Modge Podge. For an hour, I read about the Assyrians, the Northern Kingdom of Israel’s fall, and then reunited Odysseus with his son Telemachus in The Children’s Homer.
After lunch all three played “store” in the living room while I slipped upstairs for a half hour of quiet.
This is not how it goes everyday, but this is how it went today and it made my heart glad – to welcome gray skies, take it slow, and make simple memories together.
Sometimes cloudy with a chance of rain is just right. ~smile~
hjk
In the Word today…
(…from Luke 8)
“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves…the disciples were terrified and amazed. ‘Who is this man?’”
“…As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, ‘Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?’”
These words and their surrounding stories brought me to a place of awe and worship this morning. I was reminded that salvation and healing are not found in a philosophy or a good theology or solid biblical knowledge or even the wise application of Scripture. Rather, salvation and healing are found in a person – the person of Jesus Christ.
It was the God-man Jesus that the wind and waves obeyed. It was in the face of the God-man Jesus that evil spirits cowered and surrendered. It was the God-man Jesus who died on the cross to pay for my sins.
Jesus is God’s ultimate revelation – the mystery kept hidden for ages and generations, the fulfillment of all God’s promises, the Way, Truth, and Life.
My prayer is not to be forgetful of this or shy of this or to wander off after patterns of thought that remove Him from the center.
Jesus alone is my Savior and Healer.
Because of His grace...daughter of my King, wife to my hero, and mama to my three. Seeking to give my heart fully to Him in all these endeavors...
