March 24, 2012: The Power of Words

 3 gifts spoken:

• "Holy, Holy, Holy Adonai Almighty. You are worthy to have honor, pow’r and glory. Holy, Holy, Holy Adonai."  Lyrics from a favorite worship songs, Adonai Almighty © EarReverent Music 2001.  Holiness is my favorite attribute of God.  Blows me away every time.
• "See you then!"   Dinner plans with a dear friend.  I have learned the importance of having things to look forward to.
• "Look, I got the painting done."  Three cheers for my husband who touched up the paint in the laundry room--it looks great!

February 14, 2012: God's Love Is the Very Best Valentine Gift of All

3 ways you feel the love of God:

• through my husband.   He loves me because of Christ in him.  He has stayed faithful to me for 26 1/2 years because of Christ in him.  He remains committed to me no matter what the future holds because of Christ in him. That is a gift for which I am truly grateful. 
• through the Word.  God tells me over and over again how much he loves me. If you've never seen the video from fathersloveletter.com you should really check it out.  Today. On Valentine's Day.  Or any day.  
• when I worship.  I have always liked to sing, and especially to sing in worship.  Worship just brings me close to God, it's a very intimate thing to me and I feel God's presence there.  I become more aware of his love for me and mine for him. 

February 5, 2012: Stitched in with Love

one gift stitched, one hammered, one woven:

• one gift stitched: me, and the comfort and peace it brings to know that. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. (Psalm 139:5).   He keeps me protected and warm, stitched in by his loving care.
• one gift hammered: the keyboard and drums during worship in church this morning.  My church's worship band is among the best I've ever heard and I love to worship there more than anywhere else.  There is the most beautiful spirit of truth and love when we sing together in praise to our God. 
• one gift woven: the complexity and richness of God's Word.  Heard a teaching at church this morning that once again revolutionized a passage of Scripture that I've heard many times.  Acts 12:1-17 is the story of Peter's miraculous release from prison.  It's also an archetype of my (and your) miraculous release from the prison of our own making. We all create prisons for ourselves, prisons built by choices to addictions like anger, fear, jealousy, approval, money, anxiety, work.  The miracle is that all it takes for our release is the choice to reach out and take the outstretched hand of the one who died to set us free.  "The Spirit of the Lord is on me [Jesus], because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free."  (Luke 4:18)