I woke this morning to a very grey sky and deep purplish blue clouds promising a soaking rain that would soon eclipse the sun and settle into my neighborhood. A feeling much like that has settled down in my heart the last few weeks. The effects of seeing my father struggle with physical illness after his radiation treatments in September have left me with emotions feeling something like a gloomy weather forecast. "When will the sky grow brighter again and the promise of sunshine and outdoor pursuits be coming?" we sometimes ask when the weather grows rainy or stormclouds gather to infringe on our days. My heart keeps asking questions about the emotional forecast that sound the same. When will life as we knew it be possible again? When will our strong and dependable father be back to normal?

When my days are filled with busyness, I can evade the whispering of my heart's queries, but this morning without any scheduled plans, my emotions seemed to mirror the impending weather outside. As always I try to include some physical exercise in my day. Walking inside to a tape seemed the more reasonable choice, but I felt a real need to get outside and breathe fresh air in spite of the coming rain. I grabbed my rain coat and umbrella and drove to the Greenway. Usually teeming with people this time of day, I was happy to see there were very few people walking the Connector to downtown.

As I rounded the circle to enter the gentle climb upward to downtown on the Connector I made a determination that I would listen for anything God might like to speak to me while I made my way to the top. It's a pretty steep incline from the beginning to the end. Most days I am focused on my breathing, the time it takes me to get to the top or how warm or cold I am feeling. Today I knew it was needful that I divert my attention from temporal things like my heart rate or how many calories I might burn to the voice of my Creator.

Quieting the chatter in my mind is something I have been practicing as I walk and pray. Making a deliberate choice to silence my thoughts, I began to focus on the songs of the birds and the many and varied songs they sing. I noticed several small birds finding refuge under a bush and wondered if they were preparing for the coming rain and finding a shelter there. As I ascended the first half mile, I found my mind more focused on the foliage and taking in the sights around me. I must confess there was still a wrestling match going on for the thoughts that would inhabit my mind as I slowly made my way to the bridge that leads to the steepest part of the climb. However, just before I crossed the bridge, I spotted the most brilliant red holly berries intertwined with limbs filled with some blackened berries devoid of color. Making a choice to stop and enjoy the beauty of the bright green holly leaves and the Christmas red berries, I felt a twinge of something hopeful ignite inside of me.

It wasn't until I finished my ascent and started descending and  retracing my steps that I heard God speak to me. "Even in this season when all things seem to be dying, there is life." At that very moment, I saw a dead log, perhaps there for many years in that same position, dry and disintegrating, wrapped in the most verdant green ivy. A few steps later I became aware of all the giant fallen timber lying across the creek that winds its way along the Greenway. By each of these fallen ones were many evergreens standing like sentinels standing guard over the trickling water gurgling on its way to bring life to many plants along the way. At the base of a tree, amid a pile fallen leaves, slipped a green shoot of new life in shark contrast to the dead leaves surrounding. As I came to my finishing point, I glanced up to see one small crimson oak, shining like the sun from side of the hill. All around it were barren trees stripped of all their glory but this one stood as a testimony of the brilliance of this season. And finally, as I walked to the parking lot, one last picture grabbed my attention. It was a small elm, recently planted, and bearing only one or two leaves.

My eyes focused on one small yellow leaf clinging to the limb from which it had emerged in the spring. I found myself wondering how some leaves fall so soon and others seem to cling to the life they find in the tree they've called their home. Then I saw what He had prepared for me. Our journey through this life is like a steep climb and many times we are too busy to see or hear the eternal message in our surroundings. As we descend, as we grow older or find our physical bodies in decline... we are as one of my favorite authors so beautifully put it... "taking that slow determined walk back to our Creator." It is our human nature to cling to this life and the physical body in which we have found our home for many years. Perhaps some of us cling more stubbornly to this life than others. No matter our determination, there will come that appointed time for all of us to let go of life as we have known it for something more precious and glorious.

Its hours later and the rain has not yet begun. Our journey with our father still holds days of questioning and letting go. My heart still feels I am losing my father one day at a time, much like the trees whose leaves are shed gradually until all are swept away by the wind and rains of fall. I can't imagine a season without the familiarity of all that has been family and home. Letting go of the familiar is so difficult.  Some days feel like the struggle of ascending the hills of the Greenway this morning. Personally, I am still wrestling with my own fears. However, today God wants me to know He stubbornly clings to my sister and I as we walk through this season of changes as a family.

As I walked back to my car, I saw these words on the mile marker sign... "YOU ARE HERE." I heard His quiet whisper...."I AM HERE too. See ME in the crimson oak. See ME like the verdant ivy, the brilliant red berries, the clinging leaf. I am in the changing of the seasons. I will be with you in yours.

Lesson 12 Our Inheritance

“In Him we also were made [God's] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will.” (Ephesians 1:11)

Reading carefully, we see the past tense of the verbs 'obtained' and 'foreordained' indicating God's action took place as we learned in verse 5 before the foundation of the world. It was for His purpose and plan in our lives and in agreement with His own will He planned a future for us. His plan to make us His children was for His own pleasure and is part of our predestination package. Nothing has ever caught God our Father by surprise, neither has he ever had his arm twisted to take action in our lives. He has known us since before we were in our mother's womb. (Psalm 139) The inheritance we have in Christ, cannot be gotten by any efforts of our own. It is based on family ties to Jesus.

“And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him].” (Romans 8:17)

Now, let's go to Hebrews chapter nine to see our connection into the family of God.

“[Christ the Messiah] is therefore the Negotiator and Mediator of an [entirely] new agreement [testament, covenant] so that those who are called and offered it may receive the fulfillment of the promised everlasting inheritance—since a death hath taken place which rescues and delivers and redeems them from the transgressions committed under the [old] first agreement.

For where there is a [last] will and testament involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.

For a will and testament is valid and takes effect only at death, since it has no force or legal power as long as the one who made it is alive. “ (Hebrews 9:15-17)

When Christ died for us, He fulfilled the plan of God as the Originator of the plan to make us His children and ratified the old agreement (Old Covenant) through the shedding of His blood. His last will and testament not only rescues, delivers and redeems us from our transgressions, it provides for our future an eternal home in heaven and everlasting life with the family of God for eternity.

I am reminded of our study of the Old and New Covenants today and encourage you to continue your own personal study of the blessings of the New Covenant in Christ's blood. It is through Christ's blood the old agreement was done away with and the New Covenant was able to take effect in our lives. I leave you with the words we sing at Homecoming each year at my father's church.

“I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God


Washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood,


Joint heirs with Jesus, as we travel this sod,


I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God.”

We will continue on Wednesday, September 29 with the concluding verses of chapter 1 of Ephesians as we learn how all of these blessings are sealed by the precious Holy Spirit of promise.

The REAL ME

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3kr9eqxwCo

My Identity in Christ (Study of Ephesians 1)

A MESSAGE FOR THOSE WHO ARE FOLLOWING THE BIBLE STUDY FROM MY WEB SITE....
http://www.aredeemedheart.com/ !!!
THE LESSONS ARE IN DESCENDING ORDER WITH THE LAST LESSON OCCURRING FIRST ON THE BLOG. AS YOU SCROLL DOWN YOU WILL FIND THE INTRODUCTION AND LESSON 1. I HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE STUDY AND SEND ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO ME AT  robin.lys@hotmail.com. THANKS FOR VISITING MY BLOG AND MY WEB SITE!

Transition from Old to New

We have taken this digression from Ephesians 1to take a look at the Old and New Covenants. They existed in Old Testament times and New Testament times and are still present in individual believers and churches today. These two covenants represent the spirit of bondage and the spirit of liberty. They existed in the home of Abraham and they existed in God's home, the temple.

First, let's review the scripture about Abraham's home from a New Testament scripture. “It is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants. Abraham and Sara's choice to have a child through Sara's bondservant was a decision made in the flesh, while God brought them the promised child Isaac as they came to wait on God in faith.

It is important for us to recognize that one great cause of weakness in Christians is the Old Covenant spirit of bondage still rules their lives. Nothing but spiritual insight and understanding of the spirit of liberty and wholehearted acceptance and experience of the spirit of liberty of the New Covenant will bring us to that intimate relationship that God desires with each person He created. In Romans, Galatians and Hebrews we repeatedly see how believers were held fast in the bondage of the Old Covenant. In order to come to a full acceptance of our identity in Jesus Christ, we must first understand the implications of living in the freedom of the New Covenant promises. If we live after the flesh and the will of man, we are living in the spirit of bondage. If we choose to live by faith in the promises of God and His power, we live in the spirit of liberty.

This transition can also be seen in the Old Testament teachings of the temple. The priests could enter into the Holy Place to draw near to God. They were not allowed to go into the Most Holy Place because a veil separated these two areas and this veil kept them at a distance. Once a year the High Priest was allowed access into the Most Holy Place to be in God's presence. But we read in the New Testament that at Christ's death this veil was torn, and we are told His blood on the cross gives us full access to enter into His holy presence.

We have been given full access to the presence and throne of God. As it states in Ephesians 1, we are seated with Him in heavenly places. We have a choice to live a double life, living half flesh and half spirit. We can choose to live by our own fleshly self efforts or by the grace of God and the promises which Christ purchased for us with His own blood. As we continue to take a look at Ephesians 1 and the identity we have been given in Christ, let's ask God to help us understand and fully experience deliverance from sin and how to walk in the full power and blessings of the New Covenant promises. The veil has been torn and we have been invited into God's Holy presence. We need the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the mystery of this new birth experience and all we have gained in coming to know Jesus Christ. We truly “belong” to the God of this universe and the security of that is sealed by the Holy Spirit. The spirit of the life that is in Christ Jesus has made us FREE from the spirit of sin and death.


We will continue on Wednesday with our study of Ephesians 1. For more understanding about the two covenants, I recommend E.W. Kenyon's The Blood Covenant and Andrew Murray's Covenants and Blessings.

Lesson 10 The Old and the New Covenant

First, I will start by including information about “cutting covenant.” According to E.W. Kenyon there are three reasons men have cut covenant with one another.

1)A weaker tribe would cut covenant with a stronger tribe living in close proximity that they might be preserved.

2)Two businessmen might cut covenant when entering into a partnership to insure that neither would be taken advantage of.

3)If two men who loved each other as David and Jonathan in the Bible did, they would cut covenant for love's sake.

For more information about the method of cutting covenant, you might be interested in reading The Blood Covenant by Kenyon.

For now, we will relate the cutting of covenant to the terms Old and New Covenant in the Bible.

Let's look at the following scriptures

“It is written, that Abraham had two sons,the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was born of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants.” (Galatians 4: 22-24)

“Behold, the days come...that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel... not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers.” (Jeremiah 31:31-32) This passage is also quoted in Hebrews 8:13, “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old.”

Jesus spoke of the New Covenant in His blood. It is important for every Christian to understand the two covenants. They indicate two stages of dealing with man. In the fellowship with God and man, there are two parties. With these two covenants, both God and man are given opportunity to demonstrate their part in the covenant. In the Old Testament, we find that man was given every opportunity to prove what he could do. As man proved unfaithful and weak, even with all the grace God bestowed upon him.

The New Covenant was the one promised by God would never be broken because He himself keeps it and ensures our keeping it also. It is an everlasting covenant.

God made man in His own image. The problem that was presented was man was given his own free will and the ability to choose his own way. God is always the Source and man the recipient of His grace. When man fell into sin, God's plan of salvation was already in place. He entered into the covenant of Salvation with man. There were still two sides of the relationship in this covenant... man and God. Man will always have a choice and this is the reason for the first and second covenants.

In the Old Testament, man's desires and efforts were fully awakened and he was given time and opportunity with God's help to prove His faithfulness. When his efforts and inability to conquer sin were evident, the New Covenant came. Man's true liberty from sin and recognition of who he really is in Christ would only come in his absolute dependence upon God.

There are two ways of serving and worshipping God, one in preparation and promise and the other fulfillment and possession of the blessing of God. Entering into a New Covenant relationship with God is the answer to experiencing the joy of the Spirit of Christ living in you. Your identity in Him will be sealed as you come to understand this everlasting covenant and all the blessings and promise of this more intimate relationship with Christ.

In the next lesson  we will talk about the transition from Old Covenant to New Covenant.

Lesson 9 Forgiveness

From the Message Bible----

“Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free either. Abundantly free! Ephesians 1:7

How many times do we live as if we are totally and abundantly free? I don't know about you or your friends and family but as I have walked through this life, I have found we are a people often burdened by our fears, doubt and unbelief. What of this freedom that is spoken about in Ephesians 1? At this point I would like to digress to spend some time looking at both the Old and the New Covenant. Understanding the covenant blessings in Christ Jesus secured in the New Covenant of Christ's blood is essential to walking and living in the freedom for which Christ died.

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.... For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities (habitual sin) will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:8-12)

We are granted a clean slate at our new birth. Living under a burden of guilt from sin should no longer be our way of life. We cheapen the blood of Christ when we refuse to receive this absolution of our sins. Perhaps you have found this freedom in your walk with Christ. Or perhaps you find yourself , along with most Christians still living in the Old Covenant mindset, doing penance and continually looking for some form of sacrifice for your latest indiscretion. One of our greatest obstacles to living in the freedom of the New Covenant is misunderstanding God's total forgiveness of our sin.

“Now where there is absolute remission (forgiveness and cancellation of the penalty) of these [sins and lawbreaking], there is no longer any offering to be made to atone for sins. “ (Hebrews 10:18)

“I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: (return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”) (Isaiah 44:22)

“I, even, I am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25)

“Every benefit and blessing we possess in our redemption including complete and total victory over Satan, is based on Jesus and His triumph over Satan at the Cross. We have victory over Satan because of Jesus' shed blood. The oldtimers in Pentecost understood a truth about the blood of Jesus.” (Hagin, The Triumphant Church, p.187) As we close today, let us remember to make much of the blood of Jesus, our purchase price and receive and trust that our sins have been completely blotted out to be remembered no more. I leave you with this verse and a question....

“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Dear Son; In whom we have redemption THROUGH HIS BLOOD, even the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13, 14)

In our next lesson we will go beyond Ephesians chapter one to learn more about the Old and New Covenants. This teaching is essential in our understanding of our covenant blessings and our identity in Christ.

Redemption (continued)

It is only in Christ that we have all the spiritual blessing we have read about in Ephesians 1 including redemption and forgiveness. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they lost their position with God and threw all of mankind into slavery. Every man and woman born to natural parents is born a slave and slaves beget slaves. We are unable to free ourselves, just as slaves are unable to free themselves from their captors. It was necessary that we be “bought back,” or “ransomed,” in order that we might be free from the penalty of sin.

In Romans we read, “For the wages which sin pays is death, but the {bountiful} free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.” ( Romans 6:23) At one time we belonged to the Lord but through Adam's transgression we were lost to Him thus requiring a Redeemer, someone to buy us back for the Lord.

Jesus' blood represents His life. We find that life is in the blood in these words of Leviticus...

Jesus came into this world through the virgin birth to give his life as a ransom for our sin and redeem us from the penalty of sin which is death. He was the only one qualified to “buy us back” because he was free from the nature and penalty of sin. When we receive Him as our Redeemer, he forgives us of the original sin in Adam, “according to the riches of His grace.” In Ephesians 1:8 we read “Wherein {in grace} he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.” There is no sin too great that it will exhaust his grace to redeem and forgive. God abounds in grace towards man. God does everything, while man simply believes and receives.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you (ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives) I have called you by your name; you are Mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)

In Strong's concordance, #1350 the word gaal (gaw-al'), from a primitive root, to redeem (according to the Oriental law of kinship,i.e. to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relatives property, marry his widow, etc...) : avenger, deliver (do, perform the part of near, next) kinsfolk (kinsman) purchase, ransom, redeem (er), revenger. He is our Kinsman Redeemer.

We are purchased with the blood of Jesus.

We are justified (just as if we had not sinned) and have right standing with God through the redemptive blood of Christ. (Romans 3:24)

He has provided the ransom from the eternal penalty of sin by His blood. I Corinthians 1:30

You may want to take some time to meditate on the book of Ruth, a beautiful foreshadowing, or picture of how Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer.

I finish our thoughts today with the following scripture which you can declare with me if you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

“For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, and at last He (the last One) will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25)

Redemption (Part one)

“In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor.” (Ephesians 1:7)


The subject of redemption is at the heart of the gospel message. God, the Father, sent Jesus to be our Redeemer. As God opened my eyes to my identity in Jesus Christ, the subject of redemption became clearer to me than ever before. One morning as I was reading in Isaiah, I came across the following scripture. “Fear not, for I have redeemed you {ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives}; I have called you by name, you are Mine.” (Isaiah 43:1 Amp.) For several weeks I meditated on this scripture, asking God to show me the full meaning of redemption. For that reason, I am sharing some personal revelation that came to me during those weeks. Jesus came to redeem our hearts. Follow me through some of the personal revelation.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind? I the Lord search the mind; I try the heart, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah17:9-10)

A friend and I were doing the Breaking Free Bible study by Beth Moore. One morning, I saw these words beside a bullet point on the page...

‘Christ’s ministry is a ministry of the heart’.

She pointed out in the following statement that after hearing Jesus teach (Luke 4) “the people spoke well of Jesus and were amazed at his works” (v.22). Then she shared the following statement.

“I am touched again by the realization that speaking well of Christ, and even being amazed by His works or words, does not equal belief.”

This reminded me of a discussion we had in our connect group just the day before about the passage in Proverbs 6: 16-19 about the seven sins God hates. We all came to the conclusion these sins had to do with the ‘heart’. I asked God to continue to make this clear to me. He is always faithful when we ask Him to reveal His word to us. All we must do is ask.

The next morning, I woke to find an email from a dear friend with the following word-picture.

“A closet door with a high shelf on which sat a silver-plated heart complete with valves, aorta, etc…”

My friend Sandy shared what she felt God speaking to her about her heart as she read scripture that day.

“I have redeemed your heart from destruction…. All those things you have kept hidden in your closet.”

Two scripture references were included.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm and impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

“Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] His benefits—Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring].” (Psalm 103:2-5)

He came to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty and freedom to the captive in their hearts, to release us from the darkness in the chambers of our own hearts. He wants to comfort our hearts where there is pain and bestow upon our very hearts a crown of beauty in the place where there have been only ashes.

God sent Jesus, our Redeemer, in the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit to bring our hearts under the freeing authority of God’s word. We will only find freedom to the degree our hearts accept, rely and respond to the truth of His word. Being free has everything to do with our hearts. He came to redeem our hearts from destruction.

Our prison doors are locked from the inside and we hold the key to being set free from captivity. We have built walls around our hearts and placed a “No trespassing sign” at the gate of those chambers where our dark pain and sorrow reside. We have become skilled at compartmentalizing our pain and covering our brokenness. I would like to suggest that those of us who are Christians have become even more adept at hiding our wounds and brokenness. We speak well of Jesus in our daily conversation and even share with others the amazing things He has done in our lives, and yet there in the chambers of our heart lurks a dark secret sin we have set up on the highest shelf in our closet. In other chambers reside the lies we have believed about ourselves and the condemnation and victim mentality which has served as our life blood. We need a transfusion.

Silver in the Bible represents ‘redemption’ which makes the word picture of the silver plated heart more meaningful. In the Bible, both Joseph and Jesus were betrayed with silver. Though Joseph was sold into slavery for silver, he rose to bring release to his family and is a picture of the redemption that would come through Jesus Christ. No matter how deeply we have buried things in our hearts, He is always working to redeem us from the enemy’s plan of destruction.

Looking back to Psalm 103, it is Jesus who came to forgive ALL our iniquities and heal ALL our diseases. He came to redeem our very hearts from the pit and corruption. We have to unlock the doors from within and allow His blood which He shed to redeem us, to flow from chamber to chamber, bringing new life to those areas we feel we have safely hidden away from Him.

I challenge you to join me in allowing the Great Physician to have a look into the chambers of your heart. Allow Him to search out your mind and heart as it speaks about in Jeremiah. He wants to make our hearts His home.

Some thoughts for journaling.....

What have you hidden away in the chambers of your heart? A secret sin, the fear of failure, rejection or abandonment, pain that seems too great to expose?

What holds the highest priority in your heart and is most accessible? A victim mentality, judgment and a critical spirit, lies that protect you from confronting the truth, or a lifestyle of fear?

Where have you been deceived in your own heart?

On which chamber of your heart have you posted a “No Trespassing Sign”?

How and when did you become deceived?

Why is it difficult for you to trust His Word?

He has paid the price (past tense) for your redemption. Will you allow Him access to your whole heart so that your heart can be entirely redeemed and surrendered to Him?

Part two is posted on the web site at http://www.aredeemedheat.com/ today, Sept. 13, 2010.

Lesson 6 Accepted in the Beloved

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. “ Ephesians 1:6

At the point of your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you are accepted by God the Father. There is no other place of acceptance except in the Son of God. As we see in this verse, God's motivation is always His glorious grace. All the spiritual blessings we have talked about so far are free gifts of God's grace.

Charis (5485), the word grace in the original Greek, means joy, favor, acceptance , a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude, grace. A favor done without expectation of return; absolute freeness of the loving-kindness of God to men, finding its only motive in the bounty and freeheartedness of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor. God is the Giver, we simply receive His free gift of grace by faith.

Charis stands in direct antithesis to erga (2041), which means works, the two being mutually exclusive. God's grace affects man's sinfulness and not only forgives the repentant sinner, but brings joy, thankfulness, and acceptance to him.

When you accept Christ, you are no longer under the law of the Old Covenant. You are now under the covenant of grace. “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14) The New Covenant in Christ's blood, spoken of by Jesus at the Last Supper, had its origin in the wonderful grace of God. With His grace working in us, all the promises of the blessing can be fulfilled and experienced by those who believe.

Grace came by Jesus Christ to deliver us from the bondage and dominion of sin. It's work is twofold.

Full pardon and the righteousness, or right standing with God, and acceptance into God's favor and relationship with Him are first. This is the redemption spoken of in the Bible. Second, throughout our lives, grace will forever put an end to thoughts of merit, work and worthiness.

Two important points as we close our lesson today. Grace is the power that moves the heart of God in its compassion and love to accept us as sinners, it is also the power that moves our hearts and provides us as believers everything we need to love God and accept His will for our lives.

Lesson 7 and 8 on Redemption. Don't miss this vital piece of our study of your identity in Christ. Lesson 8 continues with the subject of Redemption on the web site at http://www.aredeemedheart.com/ today Sept. 13, 2010. Archived lessons here at Unveil my Heart will be in descending order... lesson 7 last one in archives, 6 before that one and so on. There are two lessons on some archives indicated by the (2) beside the date.

Holy and Blameless

“ According as He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him.”(Ephesians 1:4)

When He called out your name before the foundations of the earth, he called you holy and blameless before Him in love. You are without reproach in His eyes. He sees you as holy and without reproach or blame because you are in Jesus. Since Jesus cannot get any more holy than He is as He is seated at the right hand of His father, then neither can you become more holy in God's eyes.

If you have never learned of your position in Christ, you may feel defeat each and every time you sin or miss the mark in life. You may be striving in some way to do penance for your sin. These first verses of Ephesians clearly teach us we are seated with Him in heavenly places and God sees us as without reproach in Christ. You cannot become any more holy than you are in God's eyes at this moment.

“While we look not at the things which are seen [our mistakes and failures], but at the things which are not seen [our heavenly position]: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” II Corinthians 4:18

When you miss the mark and commit sin, God still sees you through the blood of Jesus who became your substitute on the cross. I John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” In the Amplified Bible, it is translated...

”If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].”

Our position in Christ in no way gives us license to sin or live an unholy life but it does remove the attitude of being defeated by the sin in our lives. We are without reproach, holy, and without blame, before Him in love. He has accepted us in Jesus Christ long before we decided to accept Him.

You can find the following lesson, Acceptd in the Beloved, at http://www.aredeemedheart.com/. Click on the page entitled Heart Peace. The preceding 5 lessons and Introduction are archived here at Unveil My Heart.

CHOSEN AND PREDESIGNED

As we learned in the previous two lessons, we were chosen before the foundation of the world. God is not bound by time ,as we are, so time presents no problem for Him. (these lessons are archived at http://www.unveilmyheart.blogspot.com) In His realm, time does not exist. He can see eternity to come as clearly as we see today. He has always known the problems we would face and planned an answer for every one of them. No problem we will ever face will catch God by surprise. If God in His great mercy and love saw the problem of sin and death and provided His son as a sacrifice for our sins, then certainly He has a plan for our every day situations and problems.

Just as a loving parent makes provision for his children and these plans are the result of many thoughts and much planning, the thoughts and plans which God has for us have been carefully laid out and designed before God's people or the world had a beginning. If God designed a plan for our eternal life, why would He leave us to our own defenses when it comes to other problems we will face? At this point you may want to read I Corinthians 10:13.

“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” Ephesians 1:5

Election and predestination are the springs out of which the other spiritual blessings flow. ( Matthew Henry's Commentary)Think of election as our chosenness and predestination as being predesigned for blessing. We are “predesigned” for every spiritual blessing in Christ. It has always been God's purpose and plan that in time we would become his adopted children with all the privileges and inheritance of children. Jesus is the head of the election. He is God's Chosen and Anointed One. In the chosen Redeemer, we find the favor and plan of God for our lives. We must not fail to notice this was according to the pleasure of God's own will. It was His idea from the beginning that we would belong to Him.

In the Amplified Bible, we read verse 5, “For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His own will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent.]

Only those who are in Christ Jesus are pre-designed for these blessings. God looked out over time and saw each of us presented with the choice of accepting or rejecting His Son Jesus. It is our decision what we will do with Jesus Christ. By a choice of our own will we enter into the Redemption plan and every spiritual blessing.

Here I remind you of Lesson 1 where we spoke about our positional truth. It is our position “in Christ” where we find favor and every spiritual blessing mentioned in the previous lessons. I would encourage you to look into the gospels and the book of Romans for every reference to the words “in Him” or “in Christ.” One such reference is II Corinthians 5:27, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.” Many of us have been taught to invite Jesus into our heart but we haven't been taught that we are also grafted into Him.

In Colossians 3:3 we are told that our new and real life is hidden with Christ in God. I like to think of it as similar to a baby in the womb, that place of protection where every need is met while surrounded by the loving provision of the mother's own body. The same way the umbilical cord brings the nourishment needed for life and sustenance to a baby, we must find a place of trust and faith, dependent on God for every need. When we invite Him into our lives, He also invites us to find a place of habitation in Him. Picture yourself “hidden in Him.” See yourself resting close to His heart. That was His design and plan from eternity. If your new and real life is hidden with Christ in God, you may begin to see how you are seated with Christ in heavenly places. Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father. He has provided the new birth experience so that we can share in all the blessings of the Son, even the divine nature. (II Peter 1:4) “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these promises we might be partakers of the divine nature.”

Succeeding lessons will be posted at http://www.aredeemedheart.com/ on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Why Am I Chosen? (Lesson 3 of My Identity in Christ)

 Let's do a quick review of the previous lesson before beginning today. In the first three verses of Ephesians 1 we learned that God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing that is in the heavenly realm. In His love, God actually chose us, picked us out for Himself before the foundations of the earth. In verse 10, we read of God's plan in the fullness of time, when the time is ripe, to gather us to Himself where we will spend eternity with Him forever. The consummation of His great plan will be a glorious gathering of all those who belong to Him to live for eternity as His chosen ones.
Many questions may come to mind as you read the first fourteen verses of Ephesians 1. Perhaps you ask yourself when you receive these spiritual blessings. All these blessings were poured out on the Son, Jesus Christ, and held “in Him” until the day of your Redemption. On the day in which you trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, these blessings are lavished upon you. Long ago, before man or angels or any living thing was created, the Triune God settled on this plan and it was complete.

Take a look at the past tense used in verses 3-14. He “hath blessed us,” “hath chosen,” “having predestinated us,” hath made us accepted,” “we have redemption,” “hath abounded toward us,” “having made known unto us the mystery,” “have obtained an inheritance,” “were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,” and finally, “were given the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance.”

You may ask how these blessings come to you. As you read the first 14 verses, pay attention and perhaps mark the many references to our Mediator, Jesus Christ. He hath blessed us “by Jesus Christ,”

“through Jesus Christ,” “ in Christ,” and “in the Beloved.” Jesus, the God-Man, who came in human flesh made it possible for God's plan to be realized in your life.

You might ask, “Why did He choose me to be the recipient of all these spiritual blessings?” Knowing the mistakes and failures in my life and even the doubts and fears I've had in accepting His love for me, why would He choose me, a broken and struggling individual like myself? I love the Living Bible's translation of the answer to this question.

“Moreover, because of what Christ has done, we have become gifts to God that he delights in, for as part of God's sovereign plan we were chosen from the beginning to be His....” (v. 11)

Imagine for a moment a time when you received a treasured gift you'd longed to possess and the excitement you felt at that moment. I don't have to think far into the past to get a picture of that kind of experience. My grandson received a cherished gift for his ninth birthday just yesterday. His obvious pleasure was evident in the large smile and the light in his eyes. But, I'd like to focus on the words that followed. “Now, we don't have to work anymore to get this!” You see, he and his sister had spent time at home and at my house doing chores to earn enough money to buy this prized possession. While their responsibility to do chores is not over, they have realized the satisfaction of what they longed for.

Now, allow yourself to picture your person, your life as that perfect gift God has longingly waited for, gift wrapped with care and filled with all that will delight and bring pleasure to God. He actually chose you to be His gift before the foundations of the earth. ( the When) He longingly waited for you to choose His free gift of His Son Jesus Christ, the free gift of salvation. ( the How) All the beautiful attributes, gifts and blessings that are “you” were held “in Him” until your day of Redemption. You have, in a sense, been wrapped up in the package of the Lord Jesus Christ since before God created the heavens and the earth.

Picture God the Father, unwrapping a package, a long awaited gift, with excitement in His eyes and a delighted smile on His face. You are just what He wanted and planned for. You are the person He chose to lavish with all the spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, the Son.

Now, remind yourself you no longer have to work to find the delight of His smile,the pleasure in His eyes. He chose you to be His gift because He delighted in you before you were ever born. ( the Why)

Ask God to open your heart to trust in His great plan. Choose Him. Give Him the opportunity to open the package that is “you” and show forth His glory which has been His plan for your life since before time as we know it began.

Lesson 4 can be found at  http://www.aredeemedheart.com/ on the page titled Heart Peace. If you or anyone you know has been looking for help in the areas of domestic violence, addiction or struggles with pornography, child sexual abuse or just need healing of wounds from past experiences of life, check out the Links and Resources page.

CHOSEN

CHOSEN

Ephesians 1:4 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in his love.”

Let's focus on the first part of this verse for a moment. Acceptance is so very important to us as human beings. We long to be loved and accepted not only by family but friends, classmates and co-workers. For many of you, a feeling of rejection may be something you have lived with for most of your life. Perhaps even now you are picturing a circumstance in which you were rejected or failed to be chosen for an activity or position you greatly desired. Even greater pain may accompany the thoughts or picture of the rejection of a particular person or persons in your life. You were not chosen but rejected and felt a sense of worthlessness, a person of no value. All of us will experience this in our lifetime repeatedly. Being rejected and even betrayed by others as well as being overlooked for positions of leadership or inclusion in others' plans will bring a pain of feeling unacceptable. But this verse clearly tells us God has chosen us in him before the foundations of the world.

Even if you have felt you were a mistake or accident or have been told you were a surprise and felt unwanted by the first persons who were to provide the love and acceptance you needed as a child, you were not a surprise to God. In Psalm 139:15-16, David declares that God's eyes were fixed on us in the earliest stages of being formed in our mother's womb. He knew us when we were nothing more than “substance” without hands, fingers, or toes. He took note of every detail as we were being formed but he knew us before we were ever conceived. I remember the day the Holy Spirit, the Revealer of God's plan, impressed these thoughts on my heart. I was reading the Message Bible and came to the scripture above....

“Long before He laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. “

Before He even spoke the world into existence or ever called out for the moon, the sun or the stars to shed light on this world, He had already spoken my name and planned a great future for me. The word “chosen,” in the original Greek language is eklego which is the compound of “ek” and “lego.” “Ek”means “out” and “lego” means “I say.” Literally, then, to be called chosen by God means to be “called out”. It means we are separated and set apart for the purposes of God. Eklego is used to portray the election or selection of individuals. It carries the idea of honor and privilege.

As we meditate on these thoughts today, I would like to share the picture God gave me when the Holy Spirit brought this verse alive to me. The words “focus of His love” continued to jump off the page each time I'd read the verse. I began to think of my recent experiences using a digital SLR camera to take photographs of my grandchildren. Some of my photos were too dark and lacked focus or were fuzzy around the edges. I had to remember what or who was to be my subject in order to get clear and focused pictures. Sometimes I had to adjust the settings in order to get the picture I desired. As I thought of looking through the lens at those beautiful grandchildren and how much I loved them, God spoke to my heart of His great love for me. His love so great, He looked out over the years to the time when I would be born and spoke my name and my purpose into existence. Long before I was even a picture on my parents' hearts, He made me the focus of His love.

God wants us to understand that He has had a picture of us in His heart since before the foundations of the world. In the Amplified Bible, verse 4 says “Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world....” I began to see God's decision to choose me was much like my decision to photograph my grandchildren. They have become the objects of my love and my heart is filled with great dreams and desires for their happiness, success and purposefulness. God's heart longs to see His purpose fulfilled in my life as He sees it through the lens of His love.

Every photographer has a shot he didn't expect through his own skill or expertise. It is not unusual to hear a photographer say, “I can't believe how great this turned out,” as if it was just happenstance. God has left nothing to chance. He has settled on us, focused His love on us and made a plan for our lives.

As we end today's lesson, I want you to imagine God is looking out through eternity through the lens of a camera. He has already adjusted all the settings to accommodate for any lies you have believed about yourself, any misconceptions about who you really are. Click! He snaps the picture and there before His eyes is a picture of perfection, a person made in His very own image, lacking nothing, complete in every way.

Have you ever uttered these words,”I don't like pictures of myself,” or “that is a horrible picture of me, just look at my hair, what I'm wearing”... and on and on we go. Can you make a choice today to accept this picture of you God has printed on His heart? Will you choose to believe He has chosen you personally from before He ever spoke one other part of creation into existence? Now, bring a picture to mind that you feel is one of the best representations of who you are, a picture you'd choose to put in the family album. Can we accept today that God's picture of us is more perfect than anything we can conceive—-the perfect photograph with no missing elements of light or color?

Today we focused on being “chosen” by the Creator God as the focus of His love. A continued lesson titled Why Am I Chosen? at http://www.aredeemedheart.com/.

Lesson One "My Identity in Christ"

One of the four epistles written by Paul during his Roman imprisonment, the book of Ephesians addresses the Body of Christ, the church. The book is divided into two sections, the first addressing positional truth and the second half, temporal truth. Positional truth has to do with who we are in Christ and temporal truth the application of that positional truth in our individual lives. The first three chapters of Ephesians deal with righteousness, election, eternal life, redemption and our hope in Christ while chapters four through six examine the application of these spiritual truths in our relationships. It is in Christ we find out who we are and what we are made for on this earth. Let's look at how the triune Godhead has provided all the spiritual blessings we will need in Christ.

If you have felt incomplete, unsatisfied or unfulfilled in your life, you can find yourself complete in Jesus Christ.

I. THE PLAN

THE ORIGINATOR

God has a long range plan. He originated the plan before the foundations of the world. Just stop and try to take that in a moment. Before the creation of the earth, the universe and the angels, the eternal Godhead existed and God our Father formulated the plan of Redemption. God’s plan was to be executed by His son Jesus, the mediator and perfect God-man. The bridge between fallen man and a Righteous God is possible through God’s perfect plan executed by Jesus Christ, the Son. In chapter one, verses three through fourteen we find all the rewards and gifts provided by this plan. These verses are all one sentence in the Greek language. Every blessing is listed in past tense indicating the plan was settled and complete before the foundations of the earth. Every physical and spiritual blessing we would ever need was provided for in the execution of this plan of Redemption.

THE EXECUTOR

God had a plan for us to be His children. When God looked out over time and saw that man would need a Redeemer, He provided the new birth as part of His plan for sinful man.

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be

conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the

firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29)

When we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we enter into the plan executed by Jesus on the cross at Calvary. God the Father has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Ephesians 1:7 says “In whom (the Beloved, Jesus Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Jesus, the only one who has lived a sinless life, was the only man qualified to redeem mankind from his sin and pay the ransom price to free us from our fallen position as slaves to sin.

THE REVEALER

The part of the plan reserved for the day in which we live, the church age, is revealed by the Holy Spirit of God. The Bible is divided into seven dispensations. There are five dispensations in the Old Testament. The names of these five dispensations in chronological order are innocence, conscience, human government, promise and law. After the crucifixion, there came the” dispensation of the grace of God.” and the New Covenant. This dispensation which began with the day of Pentecost is called” the church age”. The ministry of the Holy Spirit began in this dispensation of time and became the Revealer of God’s plan for mankind. Paul was given the commandment by God to preach and reveal the mystery of that which had been hidden by God from those of the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit was the person chosen to reveal these mysteries to those of us who are a part of the church age.

As you think back on these thoughts, you will see God's plan is perfect and involves God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is in a relationship with Christ we are blessed with ALL spiritual blessings. If you have not accepted Christ into your heart and want to know more about this, today is the perfect day to inquire. Please email me at robin.lys@hotmail.com . We will continue with more thoughts on verse 4 on Monday.

My Identity in Christ (Study of Ephesians 1-3)INTRODUCTION

A few weeks ago, I spotted a very interesting chair,sitting alongside my neighbor's large trash receptacle. They had recently moved and every day it seemed someone was pulling up and taking their pick of the various and sundry items left behind. First to go wa a gently used entertainment center. Other smaller items were overlooked and made their way into the large trash truck on trash day. Each day as the pile grew smaller but the chair remained,standing like a sentinel guarding the goods for several days.



On Monday morning, I hurriedly dashed across the street, grabbing the chair before it joined the other rejected items at the dump. Obviously it had not been very attractive to the others who had pilfered through the now small heap of personal belongings left behind.

It was clearwhey it wasn't drawing much attention. The seat made of slats was uneven as the larger slats had succumbed to the heat and were warped and swollen. The bottom was covered in cobwebs and the paint was a very unappealing color the shade of old cheese. I felt quite sure this was not the only color this chair had worn in its lifetime.I made a mental note a cushion would be needed in order to sit comfortably on this chair if I were able to make it presentable in appearance. I was not completely confident this trash could be turned into treasure but the unique shape and construction seemed to smack of the promise of transformation.

Now,before one gets the idea I've experience in restoring antique furniture, let me set the record straight. The only project of this nature I can claim as successful is the restoration of a very small rocking chair found at an auction just before my granddaughter was born.With some sanding,paint and stencils, I transformed a broken and weary looking piece into an adorable toddler sized seat, fit for a princess. It became a gift from my hand and my heart to one I love very deeply.

The first fall-like day, armed with a package of sandpaper, a stool and bottle of water, I headed to the garage. Seating myself on the stool, I tackled the back rest of recently confiscated chair. I soon grew weary for I only managed to get to the next layer of paint. My eye caught sight of the bubbled paint on the seat so I switched gears and began diligently rubbing back and forth over the warped and wobbly slats. I was not going to give up my efforts but needed some encouragement to stay with the task.


I'd only been working about fifteen minutes when I was able to see the original wood peeking out from under the two colors of paint. Something inside my heart did a little somersault! As a powdery peach colored dust film began to cover my clothes and crept up my elbows, my thoughts turned to the origin of this unique piece of furniture.


Having noticed the legs of this chair resembled those of some chairs I'd only seen at my great grandparents' home, I began to daydream of a man such as my great grandfather constructing a chair like this one for his family many years ago. I thought about the love with which he might have crafted it and his attention to detail as he purposed in his heart to make it a thing of beauty. After all, it was a crafted by his own hands and would serve a purpose in his family when his creation was complete.


I pictured his family gathering around to see the unveiling of his beautiful pristine creation and thought of the joyful exclamations and admiration of those looking on. Surely, his handiwork would find a place of honor at the family table alongside others he would create. I saw him run his hand across the surface and could almost feel the pride and satisfaction he had in his finished work.


As I finished up for the day, I positioned the chair back in the corner of the garage. Glancing back across my shoulder, I caught a glimpse of the soft pink glow of the original wood, inviting me to finish the project at a later date. It was a glimmer of hope that this once rejected chair might one day find its place in my home. I realized my desire would be to uncover the beauty of its original state and never cover it again with paint hiding its true beauty.


In the same way, God wants to uncover the original design of each of His creations.We are His handiwork, created by His own hands. He has given us a position of blessing and honor and authority. Many of us live far below that which He has designed for our lives and have felt we were sitting in the corner of a dark place waiting on someone to discover our beauty and bring us into the house of God. We long to find a place of usefulness and service but we have allowed the lies of our enemy Satan and the condemnation of man to define who we are.


In the book of Ephesians, we discover that God has a long range plan. He originated the plan before the foundations of the earth. Before the creation of the earth, the eternal Godhead formulated a plan of Redemption. This plan was executed by the Son, Jesus Christ. He bridged the gap between fallen man and God. The Holy Spirit is the Revealer. He wants to reveal to you His original plan and purpose for your life.


I hope you will journey with me through the first three chapters of Ephesians and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you, the areas of your heart that have not been restored to their original design. As He gently sands away the guilt and the shame, and dusts off the deception and lies, you will catch a glimpse of the beauty in His original design. You will hear that His heart's desire was always to welcome you into His presence, into His home, His heart where you have always belonged.


If you have struggled with insecurity, loneliness, fear, anxiety, shame, guilt, unforgiveness or just want to find the "real you" hidden under all the brokenness and scars, join me as I share short devotional thoughts about Heart Peace found in knowing Jesus Christ.

You have just read the introduction to the study. A new session of the Bible study will appear each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at my web site. For today's lesson (08-25-10) concerning the spiritual blessings of accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior, go to http://www.aredeemedheart.com/ .

Unfolding Beauty

This morning I found that place of quiet contemplation as I waited before God and opened my heart to Him. I was thinking about my time with my grandchildren yesterday and the impact I might have on their lives. First, I had those familiar guilty thoughts about how I'd grown somewhat irritable near the end of the day. I never seemed to get cool yesterday. These days it seems the hormones are a daily distraction and unless I'm seated under a ceiling fan I struggle to keep cool.

Well, back to the thoughts I brought to Him this morning. More than anything else, I want to be a real and authentic person with my grandchildren. I want them to look at me and see a person who really knows and accepts the love of God so they can find their way to Him early in their lives. It seems I struggled for so many years with believing He really loved me.

First, I talked to God about my feelings of guilt... the feeling I had not been perfect with my grandchildren yesterday. We had so many wonderful moments during our day together but I was focused on the moments that had not been so sweet. As I told God my heart was to love them with His love and be a picture of that love for them, I felt His incredible touch as He showed me I must let go of the illusion that I can be a "perfect grandmother."

Illusions.... how many times I came across that idea as I read the book, The Hidden Life, the story of Betty Skinner. Written by two women who were mentored by Betty, it has spoken healing to some of the deepest parts of my heart. The authors, Kitty Crenshaw and Catherine Snapp, PhD, have beautifully captured the journey of one woman, Betty Skinner, in her search for a life of wholeness. Through these two authors, Betty speaks with incredible vulnerability about her life and journey to a life surrendered to God and how her heart was literally transformed by the love of God. Her poetry alone captures the real life experiences of Betty as she finds the way to wholeness through determination and utter dependence on God. Betty's experiences continue to touch my heart as I am on my 3rd time through the book.

This morning as I opened the book to the chapter titled, Unfolding Beauty, I saw the message again. The one that God has been driving home in my life for several years. Colossians 3:3..."My real life is hidden with Christ in God." For at least a year, I questioned God about the meaning of this verse and as I seek the answer, He continues to be faithful to bring it to me. He is unfolding the beauty of the Christ- self that lives inside of me. Covered over by years of illusion and lies, the real and authentic person He created me to be is unfolding. A part of my own journey is like that of Betty Skinner. I believe that is why this book speaks so personally to my heart. As He teaches me to take my focus from myself and turn it to Him, I am finding the healing love of God poured into my heart like the healing balm spoken of in the scriptures.

Today, as I read  page 129, something within ignited in my heart. I'd like to share those words with you.

"In creation, God offered me a gift that was not at all threatening. Being a fearful person, I needed to bring something inside myself that was beyond me and was not frightening. Love was manifesting Himself to me through creation and it was stilling my fear. I know now that as I brought God's perfect love into me, it cast out all of my fear and healed me...... One way to bring God into ourselves is to discover Him outside of ourselves. I found Him in creation, but others might find Him in the love of another, a painting, or a magnificent piece of music. These are hints of Something beyond and far greater than us.... We hear the Voice within calling us His beloved and we know, just for that moment in time, that there is something way beyond calling us home to be our true self, calling us home to our Christ-self that has been put in us from the beginning of time.Opening ourselves to  receive Him by savoring these moments of heightened perception brings us into a deeper and deeper oneness and love relationship with God." (Crenshaw and Snapp, p.129)

As I continued to read the chapter, I realized the times I have felt most alive in the last years are times when I am closest to nature and His creation. In a culture where the majority of us are busy running in the rat race that has become normal, a life of contemplation and finding God's beauty in nature seems a bit outdated and to some even peculiar. I am finding that creation itself speaks to me of God's love for us. The photo above of the beautiful gossamer wings of one of His winged creatures spoke to me just days ago about my need for patience and persistence as I waited and persevered to get this shot. I am beginning to see God's love in everything, just as Betty learned to do. And as Betty so beautifully expressed in her sharing with the authors, I want to "quietly press it into my heart."

Taking quiet times to reflect on God's beauty brought balance and healing into Betty's life. As I think about the most beautiful times I've had with my grandchildren to date, I often think of times when we have connected together through something God has created for us to enjoy.... a rainbow, watering the beautiful flowers, a beautiful song that set our feet to dancing or a time of chasing bubbles and watching as they drift over the housetop beyond our reach.

He is not beyond our reach. We are hidden inside our God and He in us. No wonder the times of frustration and failure come when our focus becomes our schedule, the duties, the rushing and racing about to meet time frames and deadlines. With Betty's story I am learning that wholeness involves balance in our lives. Certainly we will have times when we must observe a schedule and plan our days accordingly. But, I am finding that the Hidden Life, the life hidden within Christ, calls us to draw away from those things every day to find the authentic, real life of God within us.

As I finish up my thoughts for today, I share the holy moments of hidden life I shared with my grandchildren yesterday.
The real conversation we had about being called names...
Watering the plants and removing the dead leaves....
Watching my turtle adventure captured on video together....
Cuddling...
Acting out their own made up stories of rescuing animals (what a beautiful thing for children to think of)
Praying for their first day of school together...

What a waste if I were to find myself bogged down in the schedule, the failures, the missed opportunities of yesterday. I come away from my time of quiet with Him today with the renewed picture of the joy in the journey. I will not be perfect before I meet Him but He perfects my way. Yesterday I was my real self, growing in God's love for me and others. My heart is one day deeper in its surrender to His  perfect love. I don't have to be perfect. He's perfect in me.

Stretching

After quite a few attempts at writing today, I felt the need to stand and stretch, hoping my moving around might create some movement in ideas.  Read a beautiful story this morning one of my friends was writing, filled with imagery and bursts of color. She paints a story like a paintbrush and fills my mind with visions of  her world far removed from mine but touching corners deep in my heart. Her stories encourage me and invite me into her experiences. It is always an invitation to hope that one day I'll be able to experience what she so beautifully describes.

Standing and slowly lowering my arms to the floor, knees slightly relaxed, I discover my fingertips no longer 3 inches from the floor, instead my palms nearly flat on the carpeted floor. It was almost as if  my arms had grown extensions! And what about the absence of pain in the backs of my legs as I finished the stretch and straightened to a standing position? Certainly, I am thankful for my chiropractor's encouragement to stretch as I explained to her the amount of time I spend writing at my computer these days. Settling back into my chair, thoughts about flexibility began to flow through my mind.

First, I pictured my granddaughter proudly displaying her newly acquired ability to do a headstand. She was very proud of the length of time she was able to sustain this stance.  I remembered a recent visit when my grandson announced he was now doing the stretching exercise each day.  Then he imitated the stretch I'd shown him a few weeks ago. He seemed so happy to discover he was also able to reach the floor as if his limbs had grown several inches. He had expressed his displeasure in being unable to reach the floor on his first try just a short time ago. I realized eyes are watching and ears are listening and they are imitating the things they see and hear.

Being a grandmother holds such a place of honor but also a place of great responsibility. I feel limited when my stamina runs out before my day is over or I am unable to stretch my body into a pretzel or join my grandchildren in a cartwheel or goodness me, a split. But I am encouraged today as God showed me I am growing more flexible in my spirit every day as I open my heart and mind to new experiences He has for me. I would like to say it seems as effortless as the twists and turns of my five and eight year old grandchildren. In some ways it has been more like the efforts of my newest grandchild just learning to crawl. We have all observed a child before his first year pulling up to a sofa or chair in his or her attempts to walk. There is a straining and stretching as a little one tries out a new position from which he or she will have a much greater view of the world. Legs a little wobbly, balance a bit shaky but a freedom coming that one never knew..... Stretching...

As I experience the stretching that is taking place in my life, I want those watching, not only my grandchildren, but everyone surrounding me to feel encouraged to see the new horizons and new opportunities God has for us when we surrender our lives to Him. I want them to feel there will always be hope for something new showing up on the canvas of their lives. I am reminded of the description in my friend's story of the joyful appearance of the New England Aster that will come and take over, splashing light and color onto her lawn.

Last night  I visited a maximum security prison where a large number of women inmates gathered to hear God's Word. It isn't difficult to see  how limiting these circumstances might feel to one confined with no hope for immediate release. Surely there must be a feeling of discouragement and displeasure in the limitations of such an environment. Like a rubber band, God stretched me as He never has before as the harsh realities of others' lives snapped into view. Standing before a large group of adults to give my testimony was like exercising a new muscle for me. Making an effort to write about this experience is yet another new muscle bending and flexing.

I pray that the Word of God and the victory in my testimony painted pictures of possibility for each woman who came to be a part of the service last night. Eyes were watching and ears were listening. I pray that seeds were planted in the hearts of women that would cause their hope and courage to be stretched. I pray they will find a place to "Be still and know that He is God." But, I also pray they will find some flexibility in their schedules to study God's Word, that their view of God was stretched and  will begin to call out to Him in prayer.

My testimony would have little meaning, little encouragement to offer, if I hadn't truly found that God is able to stretch His grace and make it abound to me in a way that will provide for a fresh new outlook on life. As I stretch my faith, I can see a vision of many of these women saying, "Look! see who I've become. God's Word painted a picture of hope for me and the hope of how he entered your own personal darkness touched something deep in my heart and I was changed."

One of my greatest desires as a grandmother is to provide hope for my grandchildren's future. For quite some time, I have dreaded, even feared the day when I would have to share unsavory parts of my story with my grandchildren. Today I had a revelation of the greatness of God and His plan. The season of my life that was filled with shame and disappointment is over. He has stretched out a fresh page on which my story will be written.  As God stretches my view of Him and paints a new story of His great love on my heart, my grandchildren can know the greatest story ever told. They will see how He stretched Himself on an old rugged cross for me and for anyone who would desire to surrender themselves to Him.  He flung open the prison doors and let us all go free! A brand new picture... a brand new landscape... a brand new life stretching into eternity!

Rethink and Reconnect

It's been a few years since I was introduced to the ministry of Rob Bell. My first experience with his teaching and ministry was through his short video vignettes with simple titles like Rain, Luggage, and Store. Each packed such a punch in such a short time, I immediately wanted to purchase the entire set and share them with anyone who would listen to me go on and on about the giftedness of this young pastor. He can be found on the Internet by googling his name or NOOMA if you are interested in seeing some examples of the vignettes which cover topics like forgiveness, anger, shame, love. All one word subjects with deep ramifications for how our lives are working.




I own many books and had to come up with a way to organize them for easy access. I have one shelf of books that it seemed didn't fit any particular category. On this shelf is a book by Rob Bell titled SEX GOD. I remember the day I found it and his other book titled Velvet Elvis. I was drawn to the titles and of course curious about the subject nature of SEX GOD. Turning it over to the back side, I read the following words, “SEX GOD is about relationships revealed in a way that elevates the human condition and offers hope to those whose relationships are wounded.” Not at all what I expected but definitely intriguing! Both books found their way into my home that day. This morning I picked up this book, for what reason I had no idea...just that same curiosity as the day I bought it. I read it through immediately upon purchasing it and found some really profound thoughts and ideas about how our sexuality and spirituality are connected. Perhaps you will have the same initial reaction I had upon reading on the front cover that there are endless connections between the two. I beg you to stay with me for one or two thoughts in the first two chapters as I attempt to share what I feel God highlighted for me as I reread about being disconnected.



First a quote from the last page of chapter two, “You can't be connected with God until you're at peace with who you are. If you're still upset that God gave you this body or this life or this family or these circumstances, you will never be able to connect with God in a healthy, thriving, sustainable sort of way. You'll be at odds with your maker.”



The way I see it after rereading the first two chapters This is really about That and God Wears Lipstick (hoping to pique your interest again), until we come to terms with who we are and what we are here for, it will be impossible for us to accept others and the way God has made them and the lives they are supposed to live here on this earth. Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, there has been a disconnect. Whether we feel disconnected from those of our family, our church, those of the opposite sex, it's all the same. The disconnect came as the first man and woman chose their own way. They were immediately disconnected from each other and from the earth. They were disconnected from their Maker, the one after whom they had been fashioned.



We actually arrive on the scene where there is already a disconnect and spend our lives longing for a connection. Sometimes we find it briefly in an experience with nature.. a day on the beach observing God's magnificent waves and the sand between our toes. Or perhaps, we hear a piece of music that touches something deep within and we feel connected to another from our past or present for the moment.  Ever enjoyed a movie where you could hear others around you sniffling and knew they were wiping tears from their eyes the same as you? You feel a connectedness, though you don't know their name or where they are from. Still, you relish the few moments of being of one mind and heart.



As I read through the first chapters I copied the following words into my journal. I felt they were screaming at me to pay attention. “How you treat the creation reflects how you feel about the Creator.” This quote from the book followed a story about a gift Rob had made his father at age 5 from scraps he found in an alley one Christmas. He realized as a grown man visiting his father's office, it held a place of importance on his father's desk. I immediately thought of notes and drawings that grace my frig, given to me by my grandchildren. Some of them have been there for years, held precariously by magnets, for just the same reason. Of course, I was also reminded of my need to see the stamp of the image of God on each and every person I meet and instead of looking at the ways they are different from myself, recognize how deeply connected we really are as human beings.



The second quote that made it into my journal was this, “When I respect the image of God in others, I protect the image of God in me.” There is too much in this one statement to write about in one blog. The implications are vast and I spent some time thinking about them this morning. One additional thought concerning His image-bearers... fellow image-bearers are just like me. When I love them, I love God. If you are reading between the lines like myself, you are probably realizing where some of your “disconnectedness” lies.



I'm quite sure you have been wondering when I would share something about the SEX---GOD connection. We must rethink our definition of sexuality. I give you these quotes from the book as food for thought....



“For many, sexuality is simply what happens between two people involving physical pleasure. But that's only a small percentage of what sexuality is. Our sexuality is all of the ways we strive to reconnect with our world, with each other, and with God.”



If this brought to your mind thoughts of “casual sex” or “its just sex”... think about these next thoughts from the book.



“You can be having sex with many, and yet you're alone. And the more sex you have,the more alone you are.”



“And its possible to be sleeping alone, and to be very sexual. Connected with many.”



“It's also possible to be married to somebody and sharing the same bed and be very disconnected.”



I will add these thoughts of my own as a final note, hoping I've provoked you to thoughts about connectedness.



One can sit among friends and family and feel very alone.



One can have hopes, dreams and visions and feel no one cares that God put them there.



We hurt others, gossip about others, and fail to forgive others who bear His image. Until we identify the place where things were disconnected in our own hearts, we are never going to be able to restore connectivity with those around us. And most of all we will remain disconnected from God, our Maker.



I pray these thoughts God put on my heart today will somewhere intersect with the thoughts He has been impressing on your heart. I pray He will create one of those moments when suddenly you feel you recognize the connectedness we all have as we journey through this time together here on this earth. Our time here is so precious and dear. Will you join me, even remind me, to look for that image He has stamped on every one of His creations? I thank God He has made you a part of my journey!!!!

Breading a Culture of Child Prostitution in Thailand

Breading a Culture of Child Prostitution in Thailand

Enter into Rest

The feeling of exhaustion came over me as I woke this morning and began readying myself and helping my son get my grandson ready for church. Since my surgery in April, I have had days when an overwhelming fatigue has swept over my body leaving me with a growing sense of weakness. There is an inner sense of depletion and a feeling I am missing some particular nutrient that will recharge my physical body. Sometimes my legs have felt a bit shaky. I've felt I needed a nap or at least a time to just sit and rest. Fueling my body with the right nutrients, getting some extra vitamin D along with some extra rest have brought some much needed relief from the feeling of “being physically spent.”

My son and his firstborn who is almost eight months old were here for the weekend. We talked and played and fed and bathed and visited with other family. What a blessing. I had hoped the physical strength I'd seemed to regain over the last two weeks would see me through the weekend. I didn't want to feel “spent” while enjoying my family and my very best blessings surrounded me.


"God always gives us opportunity to work on those things He wants to heal within us,” are words I continually hear repeated in my heart over the last four years. These words came from my friend, Dave McIlrath,in my training to become a Life Coach. He urged me to watch for the day to day circumstances where God was at work. For several years it seemed these life lessons were slow in sinking into my spirit. Now, I find God speaks to me immediately as I stay open to hear what He has to say about the condition of my heart.

As my son and I drove up to the church, I felt such a deep sense of comfort. I was about to share a time of worship with my daughter and her husband along with my son and my newest grandchild. What could be more satisfying? My son stepped and I stepped out into the 90+ temperatures and began gathering the baby's things. While we were still in preparation to walk to the entrance, my son observed my former husband at the door. I lifted up a request out loud that God would help me get through this situation, cognizant of my hope he would be able to respond to us and I would sense that forgiveness has taken place between us. It was not to be that way today.


Just as I had desired my physical exhaustion would not return while my son was visiting from out of town, I have also longed for the painful emotions of the past to no longer be crippling to me personally nor to my family. I can't speak for my family's emotional responses to what occurred, but I was very aware of my own. As worship began, my heart felt pain as I felt an almost visible wall stood between myself and my former husband sitting only seats away from us. As the worship began, I closed my eyes and listened to the words of the songs. “I need you Jesus, to come to my rescue. Where else can I go?... there's no other name by which we are saved. Capture me with grace.” Capture me with grace... that's what He did as I sang... “I will follow You.” As I cried out to my Father, He reminded me of His faithfulness through all the painful years of this relationship.

As I listened to the message at church today, there was a moment in which the words of John Hernandez seemed to describe this feeling perfectly. The message was centered around the scripture in which Paul was describing “the race” in which we run as believers. He reminded us we are following in the footsteps of Jesus,who gave His all, giving EVERYTHING for our salvation, healing and deliverance. He used the large screen to give a visual of some folks participating in a race for Speed the Light. Following the visual, he gave a description of his own bike ride and his own attempt to finish the race with the others. His desciption of aching leg muscles, the need for hydration and the desire to find the nearest sofa seemed to resonate with something inside of me.

As John continued the message, he reminded us we are in a race and we will be beaten, betrayed, tired and weary as we follow Christ. He used the word “spent” often in the message. One of his key points was how much risk there is in loving someone. In many instances, he declared, you will be betrayed and rejected as Christ was rejected. Still, you are to pour yourself out as an offering.

There was a time when I would walk away from a situation like the one I faced today believing I had failed in loving my former husband. For days I would punish myself and accept the condemnation of the enemy as he whispered in my ear about my failures to make the marriage work. This was not my response today. As I lifted my voice to Him, “Come rescue me!” I felt the healing balm pour over my heart. The strength and resolve to hear the message He had for me came as He captured me with His grace.

“Some of you have disengaged from ministry, calling it a sabbatical,” John exclaimed. Oh my, I have said those words I thought to myself. “You have said the pain was too great... you couldn't allow yourself to take the risk again.” I asked myself how he could know my innermost thoughts and choose to say them on THIS day. Didn't he realize I was dealing with the pain that resurfaced just twenty minutes ago? He kept using the words rejection, betrayal and pain repeatedly. “If you have told yourself you can't get back in there, you have taken your hand off the plow.” This went so deeply into my spirit as I remembered how many times God used this verse of scripture as I struggled against His voice to “let go” of this relationship and move forward.

For the last year I have told myself I needed rest and a time for healing emotionally. I have also had several months of healing physically from surgery. I am reminded today of what God spoke to me when I asked Him “Why do some people have to have their appendix removed and others do not?” It has no seemingly real function for the body. He responded to me with an answer that is personal to me, certainly not to be taken as a physical diagnosis. “I want to remove all things that are unnecessary from your life, so you can move forward and into the plan and destiny I have for your future.”


As I walked away from the service today, I felt a certain sadness in my heart. The realization that the perfect work of my Savior has not happened in the relationship between my former husband and I grieves my heart as I believe it grieves the heart of God. Jesus gave His ALL, “spent Himself” for our salvation, healing and deliverance. He then, ascended into heaven and has become our High Priest who is able to understand and sympathize and share our weaknesses, infirmities and liabilities to the assaults to temptation. He recognized the pain rising in my heart, my temptation to judge, blame and condemn.

Today, I choose to come to a place of rest as I choose to believe God's Word about all of my life that is in the rear view mirror. I put my absolute trust and lean my entire personality on Him as He captures me with His grace. “For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter into that rest.” (Hebrews 4:3) My flesh cries out, “No more pain, no more rejection or betrayal!” but my spirit man says there is a place of rest. Just as my physical body responds to the proper nutrients, my spirit man will respond as I trust in the precepts of God's word. My heart has chosen to forgive. I choose to extend mercy and continue to pray for peace to come to the heart of my former husband. I thank God for the peace that reigns in my own heart today. God' Son purchased it for me as He poured out His lifeblood on Calvary.

So then, I am left with the personal call on my heart today to come out of that place I've called a sabbatical, the place where I have wanted to shelter my heart from the pain. I have come face to face with the pain and He came immediately to my rescue. Isn't it a contradiction in terms that one would come out of a sabbatical to enter into His rest? Not when I think of the pain and weariness I experienced as I presumed healing would come in the lives of others through my own human labors.


I am a spirit being. I have a sould and I live in a body. These three are as intertwined as the Godhead. I surmise that God is speaking to me through this physical sense of exhaustion my deep need to depend on Him in every aspect of my life. Perhaps there are those things I am still trying to affect by my own human labors in other relationships. To be effective in ministering to the needs of others as I come out of this self imposed sabbatical, I must be aware of my need for total reliance and trust in Him.

“I need You Jesus, please come to my rescue... I will follow You.”

Touching eternity

My eyes glanced from the computer and the first line of a poem on the front of a scrapbook grabbed my attention.




“These hands we hold we touch them now for all eternity.”



The picture above the poem was that of a teacher holding the hand of her student as they walked up a hill on the last day of school.



The Lord began to speak to me about the responsibility we have as parents and grandparents to touch the children entrusted to us by Him.



Handholding is symbolic of friendship. God spoke to me that this was a key principle he wants us to share with our children and grandchildren. HE, the great I AM, the God of creation wants to have “relationship” with us and we can be a “friend” of God.

“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15:15)



It is also symbolic of “intimacy”. He is asking us to model an intimate relationship with God for our children and grandchildren.



The Lord highlighted the scriptures in John 15 as the scriptures we are to share with our children and grandchildren. It has been prophesied that the generation that will be teens in the year 2012 will lead the first stage of the great endtime harvest. These will need to know how to be fruitful, to abide in the vine and produce that harvest that is coming.



“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)



Two hands clasped together represent “unity” and “agreement”. We can be one with God as Christ is one with the Father. The anointing is associated with unity in the Psalms. We must be the example of unity for those who come behind us.



“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments.” (Psalm 133:1-2)



Across the top of John 15 of the Bible, I have written “Address of the Promised Land”. God has spoken this directive to us as parents and grandparents that none of those we have within our sphere of influence would miss the Promised Land of an intimate relationship with God.



This word from the Lord is spoken to the adults of this generation. First, we must experience this kind of loving and intimate union with Him. Then, and only then, can we pass on that which we have experienced for ourselves.



We know, for these who are following, there will be steep hills to climb, rocky places, times of wanting to turn back as the Israelites experienced in the desert. Like the teacher, we can walk with them for a time up the hill toward their future. The day will come, however, when the anointing we have imparted will give way to their personal walk of faith.



Picture the teacher, holding the hand of the student, walking up the hill the last day of class. When she gets to the top of the hill, the end of the last class, her job is done. She lets go the hand of the one who has spent hours and hours in her presence. What will be the impact of those minutes, hours, days and weeks? Will this student be ready to walk into his own destiny, plan and purpose?



“That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.” (Psalm 78: 6-7)





“We hold their hands for a time now, but we touch eternity.”

This morning I woke early. Taking my coffee to my favorite chair I settled in to read the Word and get into my regular morning routine. Can you say ritual? My mind started racing as I thought of the one day conference I plan to attend on Saturday.

The conference is training for speaking out about Domestic Violence. Racing through my mind were questions of whether this is the direction God would have me go. While I tried to focus my attention on Him, pictures of past abuse and real situations came to the front of my mind. Quite naturally it seems the next thought flooded my mind. “Don't go there again...that's the past. After all, you are finally living in peace, why not just enjoy your life for a change. Maybe, just being an example of living a peaceful life will be an example for other women.” However, the opposing thoughts of how the passion has risen to the surface the last several days as I was confronted with several articles concerning domestic violence and also the harmful effects of pornography.



Feelings of frustration and even condemnation surfaced as I found myself struggling to get into prayer or even the desire to read the Word. Finally, I gave into the urge to go into my bedroom and lie across the bed. Suddenly, the word “illusion” came floating into my mind as I stared at the artificial tree standing by my bed. Decorative and yet lifeless, it seemed to be the perfect picture of illusion to me at the moment.



Peace... am I really at peace in my life? My home is quiet most every day, only changing when my grandchildren are over, filling it with the sounds of laughter and conversation. When they left yesterday after an almost 24 hour visit (sleepover), I immediately recognized the deafening sound of silence in the room. Even the presence of another person sleeping in another room seems to fill a home with sounds one would not hear living alone. The sounds of movement as the children toss and turn during the night or the soft sounds of slumbering children... a cough or a sigh, gentle snoring have a way of bringing comfort and peace.



As He gently drew me into a conversation, I heard the question clearly. Is it possible that you have told others you are living at peace, but your heart is still filled with unrest? And of course, I knew the answer. The conflicting nature of my mind and emotions for the last several months prove I am still engaged in a spiritual battle. There are thousands, maybe millions of women who would trade places with me right now to find an “oasis,” or quiet place without the turmoil and conflict raging in their homes. I remember the longing for peace while living in a house filled with fear, strife and confusion. While the battle raging within the four walls of my home has been silenced, the battle for “heart peace” continues.



Even “letting go” of the routine and settling into a place where I can just “listen” is difficult for me. Over the last several weeks, God has been showing me how difficult it is for me to live a peace-filled life. When one's life begins with strife and discord as the foundation, one almost feels guilty to engage and enjoy the peace of God. He comes with the offering of letting oneself off the hook for just one morning. Instead, like a worker bee, feeling I must keep on task or else the hive will collapse due to my failure to produce the necessary but endless trips to gather for the others, I fail to find the rest He so longs for me to find.



I'm sure others around me have sensed my unrest. Even my words betray me as I flit from one thought like a bee flitting from flower to flower in my endless search for heart peace. Somehow I know as intimately as the bee knows just what his place is in this world, I know my place is to find satisfaction in being the one God made me to become. The one who attacked my character and with seemingly malicious intent no longer resides in this house with me. Why does the battle still rage for the peace of my heart? Divorced now from the abuser but still feeling the abuse of the constant questions about how to go forward, I recognize the illusion of peace will never satisfy. Just like the lifeless tree standing by my bed, it looks like the real thing but a mere touch begs one to differ. Illusions, the appearance of real life is not what I'm searching for but a life teeming with possibility and passion.



As I glanced to my left I spotted the book I have been reading, The Help, a page turner I have difficulty putting down. THAT is what my life is meant to become.... a page turner. As I felt impressed to look inside the cover, I knew God was speaking directly to me. Almost immediately I felt the infusion of something that felt like real life pumping through my veins. Reading the book jacket summary I saw these words. “Seemingly different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.



The last paragraph speaks of how the author creates 3 women whose determination starts a movement that changes their town and the way women, mothers, daughters, caregivers, and friends view one another. I hear God tapping on the windows of my heart as He shows me some key things about my absence of heart peace.



The tug of war going on in my heart is not a detestable thing. He does not hold me in disdain as I struggle with the future. He knows the disablement that occurred as the enemy sought to destroy me particularly through the abusive relationship I just exited. I have drawn lines about my own heart, denying access to others to avoid pain. Others have purposefully and others unwittingly drawn lines I fear crossing over. He invites me through this book to peer into the hearts of other women who experienced fear as He invited them to step over the line and take a deep breath of His life giving purpose.



Stepping back out into the lives of others still experiencing the pain of abuse, violence and abandonment will require that I step out of an illusion of peace and into the real life struggles of other women. In some ways, staying in a place that looks secure and peaceful is like a death of its own. I reach out and touch one of the leaves of the artificial tree. The dry, crunchy feel betrays the appearance of life it gives to the room. It fills the corner with some color and fills and EMPTY space. All day long it can stand in my bedroom and it will never shed any dead leaves onto the carpet. No matter how hot the summer sun bears down through the window, it will never expire from the scorching summer heat. It has no life. One only has to touch it to see how dead and lifeless.



When Lazarus was raised from the dead, the people stripped him of his grave clothes. To live with an illusion of peace, an external experience of moving out of an abusive relationship or relationships but never experience the true heart peace Jesus purchased would be a travesty of the worst kind. What if Lazarus had enjoyed wearing his grave clothes just to make sure others knew his testimony? He would have looked as my mother used to say, “like death warmed over.” Not too appetizing for those looking for a way out of a deadly relationship. In the book, The Help, there is the real story of slavery inflicted upon black women. While I haven't finished reading the book, I suspect the heart peace and freedom came to these 3 women as they stepped over the lines imposed by society and out of the grave clothes of old mindsets passed down through generations.



While in an abusive relationship, there were so many times I felt the taunting of the enemy, daring me to step over the line and be the real woman God made in His image. The fear had me in a stranglehold of acceptance. After coming out of years of manipulation and tactics designed to destroy me, a required season of rest was necessary. The comfort of my four walls and peaceful environment invite me to stay here for the rest of my life. But God...He has another plan. He will not leave me in that place of fear and intimidation. He has not given me a spirit of fear but a spirit of love, a sound mind and self control. Today He has invited me to engage in life again. He invites me to get back in the game and become the real authentic woman He created me to become. I'm reminded of one of my favorite verses in Ephesians 1 (Message Bible),”It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.” I want to be ready to invite some other women to join me in the “real life,” leaving all illusions behind!



God help us inhale deeply the peace you purchased for us on Calvary. As you fill our hearts with this life giving peace, give us the courage to step over into the lives of those who are suffocating around us. Give us the grace and strength we need to give CPR to those waiting for a lifeline as we step over the line of fear, from illusion to the real life you have breathed into each of us.