God's Love

God looks for us - He searches us out and calls us by name.  He leaves the 99 to find the lost 1. He waits eagerly for us to come to Him.

He loves us in spite of our faults, in spite of our sin, in our brokenness.

God delights in us in spite of all of these things.

He understands.  He cares.  He grants mercy.  He forgives. He provides.
He loves fully and completely.

He knows us inside and out because He created us - He thought us up and then spoke us into being.

Because He knows us so well He can love us perfectly.

He loves unconditionally as only He can.

He loves personally.

The only thing He wants in return – is fellowship - that we love Him back.  That we talk with Him and get to know Him. That we believe.

What do you do with a love like God’s?

You accept it. You bask in it. It's a gift.
You truly realize just how great His affection is for you - how He loves you so!

And then you share it. 

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19 

That's it...simple.

How Should I Be?

As a preschool teacher, I always felt it was important to share how a child's day was with their parents.  I also liked to capture things the children said.   I would ask the children a leading question and then jot down their answers and at the end of the year, I would provide the parents with what I called a Dictation Book.  After one particularly hard behavior day -  lots of tattling and bickering going on - that's what 4 and 5-year-olds do, right??  - anyway, I thought we needed to take a breather so I had everyone sit criss-cross applesauce on the floor.  I turned out the lights and we sat in silence for about 3 minutes.  To them, that was an eternity and by the end of the 3 minutes someone started giggling and it, of course, had a ripple effect. Once the hilarity died down we were ready to have a TALK and I asked a leading question.

"Ok", I said, "we have had a hard time getting along today.  Really, guys, how should we be?"  That's all I said.  Micah's hand shot up - I should be good and loving.  Brayden chimed in - I should be nice. Laura was more specific - I should be nice to people.  Andrew piped up - I should be a sharer.  And so it went, I should be:  a listener of God, noble,  kind and not listen to the devil, be myself and be good to God's creatures, good to my friends oh and kind, forgiving and on and on.  These kids had it right. They just forgot for a moment.  They were all caught up in doing what preschoolers do and they forgot how they should be.

As adults, sometimes we forget how we should be.  We get all caught up in the excitement of a kids baseball game and we forget.  We get caught up in a heated political discussion and we forget. We get caught in the middle of a neighborhood dispute and we forget. When we feel ourselves being some way other than how we should be, it is time to stop and take a breather.

Looking at how God is - His character - serves as a reminder and gives us a plumb line to hold ourselves up against.   We are filled with God's love -- not dotted, not sprinkled, but "filled" -  it should ooze out of us like the jelly when you bite into a jelly-filled donut.  "...for we know how dearly God loves us because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love." Romans 5:5  God is good.  Even Jesus proclaimed God as good. "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked. "Only God is truly good." Mark 10:18  Being good isn't just about being obedient, it isn't just for children.  Oh no, being good can mean so much more - honest, virtuous, having integrity, and noble - as my little Ian said.

The Bible is very clear about how we should be.
"But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also.  If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you."  "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate."  Luke 6: 27-31, 35-36   

Kids sometimes forget how they should be. Adults sometimes forget how they should be.  It is just a fact.  I think God's expectation of us is that we always aim to be the best person we can be.   Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you."  2 Corinthians 13:11  And Mark instructs, "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."  Mark 5: 48
Perfection is a pretty high bar.  We won't truly be perfect until we get to heaven, but we can aim for it now.  Aim to be more Christ-like.  Look inside yourself and see what area God might like to see you work on.  I know what area He has pointed out to me.

As you peer deep inside, go into it with an open heart and mind and a can-do attitude claiming the verse: "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13.   Let's take it from the mouths of the babes and be how we should be.  How much more beautiful our homes, our blocks, our towns, our cities, the world would be if everyone was how they should be.
It could happen. But it has to start somewhere - let it be with me! I invite you to join me.

Sweet Friendship - A Good Gift

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another."
—John 13:35

Billy Graham said, “The human soul is a lonely thing. It must have the assurance of companionship. Left entirely to itself, it cannot enjoy anything.”

As God was creating all things, He said, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). God did something about this with the creation of Eve. This was the very beginning of human companionship. Ephesians 4:25 reminds us that "we are all members of one body." God’s people are one body. We are not intended to function alone, not intended to be unconcerned for one another. We were made for community. This is where friendship comes in, the comradery that lightens the heart and lightens burdens because they are shared. 

As God’s children, God promises us "good gifts". (James 1:17)  One of those gifts is friendship. While we are here on earth, we are guaranteed the richest and truest friendships. Only in true Christ-centered friendship does genuine trust exist.  Only in true Christ-centered friendship do we feel genuinely safe. Only in true Christ-centered friendship do we find genuine peace. The only true cohesive power in the world is Christ. He alone can bind our human hearts together in genuine love and trust.

“A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” Proverbs 27:9

Much like Jonathan and David, hearts can be knit together in friendship. (1 Samuel 18:1) Jonathan was a gift to David. He supported him, encouraged him, and helped him become the leader and king that he was. True friends can do that for each other. In the words of Melanie Shankle, “The aim of friendship is to sow into each other words of eternal life and blessing. We remind each other of God’s wisdom and provision, refresh each other’s spirit, and strengthen each other’s faith.”

Just like Jonathan was to David, God has given you people around you that are a gift. People have been placed in your life by Him, at this particular time for a reason. I love this quote from Corrie Ten Bloom, “Every experience God gives us, every person He puts into our lives, is the perfect preparation for a future only He can see.” Your future is in His hands. He is faithful and can be trusted to give you exactly what you need when you need it. He is faithful and can be trusted to give you exactly WHO you need when you need them. God has given you a "good gift" in the people around you. Lean in to Him and to each other and sow blessing into each other’s lives through your sweet friendship.

Be sure to thank God for your friends, the people He has given you to walk through life with. The people that will tell you the truth, even if it hurts. The people that will listen and not judge. The people that you love and will love you back no matter what. The people that time and distance have no hold on. The people that will make you stronger and a better person. They - are a good gift! 

  

The Sound of Silence and Electronic Devices

Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel, a musical duo that had their beginning in the mid to late '60s wrote a song called Sound of Silence.  According to Sean Kelly from Quora, "In The Sound of Silence, he (Paul Simon) was expressing his angst toward his, and other's, feelings of alienation in a post-modern world.  Part of this alienation is viewed as a result of our inability to communicate effectively with one another, combined with our ready acceptance of thought and opinion as provided by the mass media." 

'Alienation due to our inability to communicate effectively with one another.'  

Whoa! Does that sound vaguely familiar?  Aren't psychologists and educators today saying that the social media phenomenon, video games, and cell phones have done just that?  Are we not so tied to our phones and ipads and computers that they have replaced a good old fashioned one on one conversation.  I myself have been known to spend (waste) an hour or more at a time flying through social media to find out what's going on in people's lives.  But, is that really the whole story on their lives? I would be willing to bet - not!

Is there a place and/or use for social media, of course.  Sharing exciting news, sending invitations, building a business and perhaps sharing some vacation pics are all excellent uses for social media. Should kids be allowed to have fun playing video games and watching TV, sure.  However, these activities should never replace communicating with people one on one. And all too often it does.  "Kids are spending an average of more than 7 1/2 hours a day using electronic media, which includes TV, the Internet, video games, and mobile devices, according to a 2010 report by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation."(Quoted from Very Well Family) I would suggest that this is causing a breakdown in the relationship building process.  People are meant to be in community - real-life community - not just a digital community.  

Jesus gave us a good example of how life is meant to be lived in community. Seriously, He talked to everyone and He listened. Really listened. He asked tough questions. He gave straight answers. And He made people feel loved, accepted and well...important.  That's what being in community is all about. We get to know - really know - people...not just the good stuff that gets posted but the bad and the ugly and the truth of it all.   

Think about it, when you are perusing social media, there is no conversation, no communication - just silence, unless of course, you see something funny, then you might hear yourself laugh.  But, there is no one to laugh with you. Just silence. 

The sound of silence can be lonely. The sound of silence can be frightening. In the silence there is room for your mind to compare, judge, feel jealous, resentful, fearful and so many other emotions that are not from God.  

So, we have established previously that there are a place and use for social media and cell phones, as well as a time and place for kids to play video games or watch TV.  However, I would propose that we be smart about it.  Set limits and practice what we preach.

Here are a couple suggestions to help us all make the right choices and decisions when we are using our electronic devices:
1. Be disciplined about how much time you spend on social media or using electronic devices (your kids are watching you)
2. Set clear hard boundaries on how much time you allow your kids to spend on social media or using electronic devices (including watching TV) - # of hours per day, only on the weekend, only certain shows, etc.
3. If a real live person comes home or enters the room - they come first - put the device away
4. Make a plan for those times when there is nothing to do. Instead of going for the X-box, play family board games, here's a novel idea (no pun intended) have a family reading time every day - your kid's teachers will thank you! 
5.  Don't be afraid to just turn off the TV, gather all electronic devices in a basket and go cold turkey for a night and just talk. (Warning: It might take a while to get the hang of this but it is so worth it!)

Think about how the sound of silence might be influencing you and your family, and give this a try.