Tag: Jesus

Have I Crossed the Line?

Jesus, freedom, adventure, life, inspirationIt seemed like a strange thought as I walked along the beach. I’d had it for several days so finally acted on it. Finding a small stick, I picked it up, drew a line in the sand, and then stepped over it!

The only thing that changed was that I was now on the other side of the line. There was no guilt, no unmet expectations and no enlightenment. For years I have heard the phrases line in the sand and don’t cross the line. I’m sure they were said to keep me safe or out of trouble.

The problem was they also held me back. Many years ago I identified with a line in a song that said, “Somebody draw the line so I can blow right past.” This didn’t mean that I wanted to do anything illegal or immoral. I just longed to break out of the self-confining box I had placed myself in.

Living up to the expectations of others, whether real or imagined, is what had destroyed my freedom. True freedom comes from choosing to follow Jesus. He wants to give me a rich and satisfying life. The only way that can be accomplished is to forget about my line in the sand and cross over into the adventure with him.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.( John 10:10 NLT)

How to Use Rumble Strips

inspiration, Jesus, Holy Spirit, conscienceMy husband and I were driving and the warmth of the sun shining through the windows soon lulled me to sleep. As we travelled down a rural road Brian purposely drove across the rumble strips to see if the noise and vibration would wake me.

Rumble strips are grooves or rows of indents in the pavement designed to alert distracted or drowsy drivers that they are leaving their lane.
There are center-line rumble strips which are used on undivided highways to reduce cross-over incidents that could result in head-on collisions. Another type are shoulder rumble strips which are used to reduce run-off-road collisions. On a long stretch of rural highway I have also encountered rumble strips across the traffic lane to alert me to the fact an intersection is coming up.

Brian and I talked about how useful rumble strips would be as we travel the road of life. Wouldn’t it be nice to have something to alert us when we are straying of-course? How about a warning for when we are approaching a potentially dangerous situation? I could use something that tells me when to be alert and proceed with caution.

Actually, I have all of this and more. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be with me to teach me all things. When I feel my conscience warning me about something, I know that this is the Holy Spirit working to keep me from harm.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26 NIV)

Be alert. Be firm in the Christian faith. Be courageous and strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13 GWT)

Frost Heaves of Life

frost-heaveThere is a creek close to my house with a paved path that runs alongside it. Many people enjoy walking and biking along this path.

This spring when the weather warmed, removing all traces of frost from the ground, a hole appeared in a low-lying area of the pavement. Over a period of several weeks the hole became so large that a portion of the path had to be closed.

My understanding is that the damage was the result of a frost heave. When the ice crystals in the ground melted, the ground became soft.  This undermined the surface, causing collapse.

My life has sometimes suffered this same kind of effect. There have been times when bitterness or hurt feelings have caused my heart to grow cold. This frostiness permeated my life and soon my demeanor was bleak and cold.

The act of forgiveness was able to melt the ice and warm my heart again. What I needed to remember was the damage the frost had done. It had undermined the loving kindness I wanted to exhibit. Repairs to relationships didn’t happen instantly.

Over time, as I let the light of Jesus shine in and through me, his radiance filled in the hollow spaces. What had once been undermined was now restored. The warmth of his love was then able to overflow and spread peace in my life and to those around me.

“‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’(Numbers 6:24-26 NIV)

Not Easily Ruffled

harmony, Jesus, inspirationThree women were visiting and the conversation turned to summer clothing. We talked about shopping for sun dresses and the fact that many of them had ruffles.
We all agreed that this was not a style we felt comfortable in. As we parted ways, one turned and said, “I guess we’re just not easily ruffled!”

The play on words brought laughter but the phrase stuck in my mind.
If I am easily ruffled that means I get it doesn’t take much to get me upset. The definition for ruffle is to destroy the smoothness or evenness of …

When I take on too many things or don’t allow myself enough time the smoothness of my life becomes disturbed. In other words, I become ruffled. This is a position I find myself in more often that I like to admit.

The best way to combat this is to slow down and re-evaluate what is important in my life. I have found that I can achieve this by starting each day with Jesus. His love is at work in my life and when I am in harmony with him things flow much more smoothly. By letting him guide me I will not be easily ruffled.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)

Lessons From an Easter Egg Hunt

easter-egg-huntWe were holding our annual Easter egg hunt for the family. The grandkids were excited and couldn’t wait to get started. Once everyone had arrived, they were given some instructions and then we counted to three so all could head off at the same time.

We heard many squeals of delight as they discovered the hidden treats. There were always adults nearby to give assistance to whichever child needed it. Everyone had a good time and memories were made.

Our grandchildren know that we always have treats for them in our pantry. It would have been so much easier to gather goodies from there than search through the house for the unknown. There’s something exciting about the hunt
though.

This reminded me of my life. Many times I’ve set out searching for something even though I didn’t know what it was I was searching for. When I saw others finding what they wanted, I grew frustrated. Where was the treasure I needed to be fulfilled? If I couldn’t find it on my own, was there someone nearby to point me in the right direction?

What I discovered was that it was within my reach all along. I had been so focused on my search that I’d missed the treasure right before me. Jesus provided the answer to all of my needs. All I had to do was to put my life in His hands and trust Him for the outcome. He has led me on bigger adventures than I could have planned for myself. His faithfulness is so great that I am excited to see what treasures are in store for me as each day unfolds.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness”  (Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV)

Do You Wear a Mask?

authentic, Jesus, strength
My husband and I recently attended an event called Behind the Masque. It was mandatory for everyone attending to wear a mask. I had discovered that it wasn’t easy to fit a mask over my glasses so chose to have one painted on.

After I told the face painter that I liked turquoise and had a book coming out with the word Dragonflies in the title she came up with the amazing design you see pictured here. It was a work of art and seemed such a shame to have the canvas washed clean later that night.

Although people wore masks during the evening, we could usually tell who was behind them. This made me think of the masks I have hidden behind in my life. Maybe I haven’t hidden quite as well as I thought!

My struggle has been to be authentic. My ego doesn’t want to let people know that everything in my life isn’t perfect. They may not like me if they really know what’s behind this mask of confidence and self-assurance.

I was speaking to a friend about this and we agreed that wearing these masks is exhausting. She had recently taken hers off and was amazed at the new depth in her relationships.

In order to remove my mask I had to stop thinking I needed to do things on my own strength. Instead, I allow Jesus to take control. He has told us that he works best in our weakness. No I don’t see my weakness as a bad thing, but as an opportunity to let his strength work through me.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT)

Frayed Around the Edges

Jesus, rest, quiet time, inspirationI was taking towels out of the dryer when I noticed that one of my favourite sets of hand towels were frayed around the edges. When did that happen? Although I hadn’t noticed it before, the rough edges indicated that this wasn’t a new occurrence.

Thinking back to how long I’d had the towels and the fact they are used and laundered on a weekly basis, I knew I shouldn’t be surprised. The signs of wear and tear must have been so gradual that they could easily be ignored.

As I looked at them I realized that at times my life has become frayed around the edges as well. Just as with the towels, constant demands on my life have caused this. It doesn’t mean that I am no longer needed or loved. What it does mean is that I need to take a step back and think about how to mend those frayed edges before the damage becomes permanent.

Jesus offers me the perfect solution when the hectic pace of life wears me down. When he and his apostles were too busy to even take time to eat, he told them to come with him to a quiet place and rest. That advice is just as valid today. Spending quiet time with Jesus gives me the rest that binds my frayed edges.

Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. (Mark 6:31 NLT)

Is This Your Baggage?

prayer, Jesus, inspirationMy husband and I have done some traveling lately. The airports we’ve visited have had many announcements concerning baggage.

We are warned not to leave it unattended. There are also cautions on arrival to make sure it’s your baggage you pick up. Many pieces of luggage are similar in appearance so this can sometimes be a challenge.

This rule from the airport is also valid in life. Each of us carries our own baggage. Sometimes it is small, like hand luggage. Other times the volume of hurts and regrets are too heavy to carry on our own. This over-sized baggage needs to be checked.

When I see someone with excess baggage I want to help them. Perhaps by lending a sympathetic ear the burden can be lightened. Although I may want to help carry the baggage of others I’ve learned that taking it on doesn’t help them or me. Similarly, no one else can carry the load that is dragging me down.

The most effective way I’ve found to deal with this is to give it to Jesus. Nothing is too big for him to handle. Spending time talking with him gives me the refreshment and perspective I need to live freely and lightly.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28 The Message)

Milkshake or Margarita?

needs, Jesus, inspiration,
image from bing.com
My husband and I were sitting in an airport restaurant on a layover between flights. We had been en route since very early in the morning and it was difficult to know if it was breakfast or lunch we wanted.
I did a quick check of the time when I heard the waiter ask the people a few tables over if they’d like coffee, a milkshake or a margarita. It was 10:30 am. My first thought was, “Who would want an alcoholic drink at this time of the morning?”
This was quickly followed by the realization that we were in an international airport. There would be people en route from time zones all over the world. The waiter was taking into consideration that he didn’t know where people were coming from or what their needs were.
A good life lesson had just been presented to me. When I encounter people I really have no accurate way of gauging where they have come from in their lives or what their current needs may be. For this reason I need to be conscious of treating everyone with courtesy and respect.
Jesus set this example and if I keep myself aligned with him it will be easier to see others through his eyes of love and compassion.
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Psalm 139:1-5

My Stumble

focus, Jesus,My husband and I were walking along the beach when I reached for his arm so I could point something out to him. Since I was walking in one direction and looking in another I wasn’t paying attention to my footing.

My foot became ensnared in the fibrous strands of a sand bag that was being destroyed by the elements. This caused me to stumble. I caught myself before falling completely but still felt foolish.

Before long I was wondering how this was a mirror of my life. Do I frequently focus on something other than the direction I’m travelling in? Is this what has caused me to stumble along life’s path?

Sometimes a stumble is what I need to bring my focus back to where it needs to be. It is the complete fall that’s harder to recover from.

When I keep my focus on Jesus, the obstacles in my way won’t be a problem. He will guide me safely through them. It’s only when I look away from him that I become ensnared and stumble.

though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. (Psalm 37:24 NIV)

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