10 Days of Thankfulness: Christ my Redeemer

She had lived for years with the shame of her choices.  No one noticed her.  No one spoke to her.  Most sneered at her, quickly moving away from her unless they too would be polluted by her sin.  Some laughed.  Some looked with compassion, but they never offered to help.  

She was a sinner.  And she knew it too. 

There was a rumor of freedom.  Could it be true?  She had heard so many stories, wonderful things, and she hoped they could be true of her some day.  She longed to be free from her prison.  Every time her reflection caught her eye, she would cringe at the sight.  Sin was a cage that kept her locked up.  Could she ever be free?  Oh, how she wished to be free from her sin.  Was there not some way to get rid of it?  

As a child, she was told about God.  She knew that He accepted the blood of animals as a covering for sins.  How long must she offer animal blood, she didn't know; and neither did anyone else.  

"We will wait for the Messiah.  He will come and set us free."  

Free.  

She moved deftly through the crowd.  There were always crowds of people around Jesus, but no one noticed her slight frame moving closer to the house.  She walked with purpose, yet cautiously for fear of dropping the precious container in her hands.  She gingerly fingered the bottle.  Inside was a precious, expensive ointment.  She wanted to give it to Jesus.  

Maybe He would forgive her sins too.  

This was the home of Simon, one of the Pharisees.  It was a beautiful home, full of people, good smelling, food, and the Teacher.  He had been invited there to eat.  As she moved inside the house, she began to feel the judgement.  She was surprised that no one stopped her when she came into the main room of the house and stood behind Jesus.  

She began to weep.  Years of guilt and shame poured over her.  The sobs wracked her body.  She knelt down before the Teacher and began to wipe His feet with her hair.  The tears wet His feet; she kissed them and anointed them with the precious ointment.  

She heard behind her, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." said Simon the Pharisee.  

Jesus gently looked at the woman at His feet, and then to Simon.  "Simon, I have something to say to you."

“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon looked confused, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt."

Jesus nodded, "You have judge rightly."  

He shifted His gaze to look at the woman kneeling before Him, and said, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.  You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.  
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." 

And looking at her, He said, “Your sins are forgiven.”

She looked up into His eyes, and joy flooded her heart.  

Forgiven?  
Her sins, really forgiven?  

This is the promise of redemption.  Christ paid the debt for sin, yet not for mine or hers only-but for the world.  This Jesus is the Messiah.  He is the Son of God.  He came to earth, 100% God and 100% man.  He lived a perfect life to pay the penalty for sin.  Redemption and forgiveness are free for all who believe by faith in Christ.  

Here is something to be thankful for:  He bought us out of the slave-market of sin, never to be sold again!  He is our Redeemer.  He is my Savior.  

~ Adapted from Luke 7:36-50

10 Days of Thankfulness: God my Father

This Thanksgiving season, I am endeavoring to be thankful for more and speak more about the things that really matter.  I'm afraid that many times, the tendency is to make a list about things that we're thankful for like, family, friends, food, jobs, the weather, a warm house, and other things. And these are things to be thankful for!  But have you stopped to think about all the blessings that are found in God our Father?

We see God's hand every moment of the day.  From the minute we hop out of bed in the morning till our sleepy eyes shut at night, God's goodness is everywhere to behold.

Have you stopped to think about God's goodness lately?  

Have you taken a moment to examine all the beautiful changing colors of the season and see 

God's creative hand.  

Have you looked at the moon tonight?  (It's a full moon.)  

Have you wondered at the marvel of music and how it works and why it works?  (I had some music to practice and spent a couple of hours working on singing and playing the piano)  

Have you thought about how God has brought just the right people into your life for just the right time? 

We echo the Psalmist who declares the works of God and gives thanks.

"Come and see what God has done; He is awesome in His deeds toward the children of man." Ps. 66:5

"Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You." Ps. 63:4

"Blessed be the Lord who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.  Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death."  Ps. 68:19-20

"For You, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth." Ps. 71:5

"Your way, O God, is holy.  What god is great like our God?  You are the God who works wonders; You have made known Your might among the peoples."  Ps. 77:13-14

"For You, O Lord have made me glad by Your work; at the works of Your hands I sing for joy.  How great are Your works, O Lord!  Your thoughts are very deep!"  Ps. 92:4-5

"The Lord reigns; He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; He has put on strength as His belt.  Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.  Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting."  Ps. 93:1-2

"If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.  When I thought, 'My foot slips,' Your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.  When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul."  Ps. 94:17-19

Be thankful today for our heavenly Father!  Praise Him for all that He has done in creation, in the Word and through His Son.  Let this kind of thankfulness change your life and thoughts. 

God is good.  God is my Father.  I am thankful.

Really Thankful?

I am so blessed.  We all are, really.  Take a moment to look around you, if even for a minute, and see how many items comprise a portion of your earthly possessions.  Within in arms reach, I have my phone, wallet, coffee recently purchased from Starbucks and computer.  So much stuff to be thankful for if I couldn't think of anything else.  It's funny, actually, to think of being thankful for stuff when I have been given so much more!

I've had writer's block for a couple of weeks and I don't know why (please, don't judge the content of this blog post because of this statement!).  I've wanted to write about all the things that I am thankful for this year.  You know the normal list: family, friends, church family, my job, a warm house and food, etc.  But for some reason, this list wasn't coming out in an organized fashion.  

Why?  I'm thankful for these things...right?  So why not just make a grand ole' list and entitle it "Things Bekah is Thankful For"?  

Here's why.  Whenever I think about making a list of things I'm thankful for, most of the time it starts looking like the one I just composed, including the "normal" everyday things of life and the blessings of family and friends.  Yes, these are all mostly material things (which is not bad!).  But isn't there more?  I didn't want to write of list of "Things Bekah is Thankful For" because the list would be too small and I wouldn't be able to include all the things I should be thankful for.  

We think too small.  When all of these blessings become common-place, we do "thank" God for them, but our thankfulness is more of a "thank-you" in response to something we think we already deserve.  It's like telling the waitress "thank-you" for your food; I mean, she was going to bring it anyway!  

This year, I want to be thankful for the right things.  I want to have a godly perspective which looks at the material things and thanks God for them all.  I want to take each breath and move each step with a heart that is filled with thankfulness.  I want to speak with thankfulness and sing about it.  I'm not just going to write a list about things that I'm thankful for; if I'm truly honest, the list would go on and on. 

 

Praise God from Whom ALL blessings flow! 

Praise Him all creatures here below. 

Praise Him above the heavenly hosts. 

Praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Amen, may it be so! 

 

My soul will sing...

"I will bless the Lord at all time; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.  

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together! 

 I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to the Lord are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.  

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.  The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.  

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!  

Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack."  - Psalm 34:1-9

It's rolling off my fingertips.

Sometimes it is hard to write down exactly what you are feeling and thinking.
Sometimes I wish that I could just make the words in my head come out onto the page.
Sometimes I think it would be nice if the screen could read my mind.
Sometimes...

Today, I am thankful.
Thankful for salvation in Jesus Christ.
Thankful for His faithfulness in my life.
Thankful that God is working all things in my life to bring about His ultimate glory.
Thankful that life is not about me.
Thankful that life does not change because of my choices.
Thankful that God is completely sovereign.
Thankful that my sin, all of it, is forgiven.
Thankful for time to spend in the Word.
Thankful for the Holy Spirit and His work to make me more like Christ.

And for the "little" things...

Thankful for life.
Thankful for Saturdays.
Thankful for family.
Thankful for friends.
Thankful for warm blankets and a cozy cup of coffee.
Thankful for creative ideas and projects to work on.
Thankful for books to read.
Thankful for sunshine.
Thankful for healthy bodies to run around with.
Thankful for...

God glorified in death...

Life is so short.  Of this truth, I've been sorely reminded more often than I should like.  I mean, we all know that death is “normal”.  Everyone is going to die at some point.  But it still hurts, and it's still hard.  And it's unexpected.  

My friend Dustin died, and it was unexpected.  

As has been said before, Dustin was a crazy guy!  He was the dictionary definition of goofy.  Some of my favorite memories include the time he was walking around our college campus with a gun belt and chaps.  Of course, he wasn’t just walking.  He was jumping over things, and lilting like a cowboy.  

Another time, my brother and his friends were making a music video of an original song about falling in love with a microwave.  Dustin wasn’t playing the guitar, although he did play, but rather he was in the background, dancing with the microwave!  Oh, and then there was that Spring Break skiing trip to Colorado.  Who could forget all the funny memories?!  Like everyone getting VERY sunburned and sore, and Dustin's bright blue snow pants.  

But I’m not writing only about Dustin.  Because he lived for something more, and through his death the gospel is being declared.  

I don't know how many people Dustin actually knew.  He was 24.  I don't know who he talked to.  But God is more glorified through His death.  And that was what Dustin was living for: the glory of God!     

The apostle Paul was thinking right when he said, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  Everything in our lives revolves around our relationship with God.  If we live, we live to God.  If we die, we gain eternal life with Christ forever.  Whether we live or die, Christ wins!  

I know that we serve a sovereign God, which means that He is the Supreme Ruler of everything, and nothing happens outside of God's control.  I know that God is good.  He allowed Dustin and those other firefighters to die, because in His will and goodness He would be more glorified through their death. 

Dustin's death has reminded me that each day is a gift from God.  And not a gift for myself, but so that I can serve Him more and love others through the strength that He has supplied.  It has reminded me that I could die at any moment; or have a loved one die.  Yet, being reminded of this causes me to think about what I am doing.  Is is really of any eternal value?  Is it glorifying to God?  

Thank You, Lord, for using Dustin for Your glory!  Thank You for teaching me!

It's just life, now...

There are some days that feel like they shouldn't be.

No, this isn't a melancholy statement, because I know that many of you have thought the same thing.  

Today was Tuesday.  

But all day, I had to keep looking at my phone (because calendars have escaped me) to see what day it was.  And every time the screen lit up and announced the day, I promptly thought to myself how it didn't feel like a Tuesday.

You see, it's just life now.  Life, as living and breathing and moving and loving.  It's an alarm clock in the morning, ushering in a new day.  It's the groggy hello that comes from your mirror as you walk by.  It's a creative breakfast of whatever you find in the fridge, like scrambled egg sandwiches, or a bowl of cereal with strawberries and bananas. (Don't make fun...Simple can be creative too!)  It's the lovely walk to work, a time for some exercise, memorizing verses, and praying.

Life is starting a "new" job.  Or rather, the same job, just a full-time position.  It's talking to people, hearing each individual story of God's grace.  It's investing in lives that He loves.  It's living grace to those around me.  It's ministry.  It's people.  It's life.  

God's grace for "simple" life is amazing.  Because it's the same grace, mercy, peace, and love from God that is immense enough for difficult storms and "normal, boring" life!  The same God of Moses, who championed over the Egyptians through God's power and lead an entire nation thousands of miles, is STILL MY GOD.  The same God of Paul, loves Bekah thoroughly!  

Life.  It's fascinating, really!