Extravagant Love

I remember a time in my life when I thought that I could never be used by God. My life was a mess and I felt like no one else around me knew what it was like to fall. Had they known, maybe they would not have judged so harshly. But see, the amazing thing about our God is that he allows us to fall, to struggle, to fail, to sin in order that we might see victory! He is waiting there with his arms wide open, just like the father of the prodigal son. He didn't clean his son off before he held him and loved him. He loved him right where he was at that very moment! That's how our heavenly Father loves us; right where we are. What an extravagant love.

It is so easy to love a child, a friend, those that are a part of our lives. Even God says that it easy to love someone that's loveable. How easy is it to love a child that has been left behind by a parent? But have you ever passed a homeless man on a corner that is holding up a sign asking for food, money, a job and driven away broken hearted? How about a rebellious, run-away teen living on the streets? What about a man in prison or mother that has neglected her children for drugs.

You see, when God looks at each one of us, he just sees our heart. We are the ones that look at the choices that a person has made or the surface. Oh to be able to look on someone and just see them as God does - as a soul that is crying out for the forgiveness and salvation of a sovereign God who loves them beyond their wildest imagination and wants to use them for His glory. What a GREAT God to be able to use someone that has been accused of adultery and thrown into prison. How amazing is our Heavenly Father that he would use a forgiven and redeemed prostitute to spread the gospel. How unfathomable to our human minds is a God that takes a man, that lusted after another man's wife and committed adultery with her, had her husband killed and then took her to be his wife, and call's him a man after God's own heart.

What a great God to give us his precious word that is full of folks who failed, sinned, struggled, doubted, rejected and triumphed, to show us what he can do in us if we just let him. God has an amazing plan for each one of us. What an extravagant God!

Who does CHRIST say I am?

Tonight, I sit in the living room by myself, trying to turn off my mind. The only light is the Christmas tree (ok, and the computer). The house is peaceful, but my head is full of noise! I have had a big battle going on in my mind for quite some time. I am retraining my train of thought. Sometimes it is SUCH a struggle to bring our thoughts into captivity as in II Cor 2:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

It really is an excercise! I have to work out some old muscles that have gotten stiff. It seems to be such an effort. It sounds crazy, but I am having to WORK at being thankful again. I had let circumstances and struggles in my walk and in the ministry get in the way of prayer life. Can you imagine? STRUGGLING to thank your Heavenly Father that has provided eternal life? That's where I have been for a while. Sad, but true. I share, not to say poor me, but to say that we can all slip into that pitiful place at any moment. Praise God that he has forgiven me for my faithlessness!

I have to begin with who I am. So often I stop at wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend. However, God calls me more! I am, very simply going to share who I am in Christ. I am just trying to remind myself, retrain myself, redevelop some spriritual muscle! Baby steps....

I am a child of the King!
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:

I am a FRIEND of Jesus!
John 15:15 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.

I am justified and redeemed.
Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

I am a new creation.
II Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I am 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 love:

I am complete.
Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

I am God's child.
James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

I have been set free in Christ.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

I am God's workmanship, created for HIS good works!
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.


This is just a few verses! How can I read this and doubt? How can I read his word and be ANYthing but thankful? How can I possibly not consider that God has a perfect plan and purpose for every struggle that I face. It's the same for ALL of us. He DOES have a perfect plan and purpose. His timing is perfect and he has everything placed, in each one of our lives, right where he wants it, that we might come to him, run to him! But he doesn't want me to come to him just when I struggle, but when I am at peace, at rest, on the mountain top, in the valley, in the storm! If I am truly his friend, as his word calls me, that I WILL do those things. But I have to remember, that I can only be a friend to him in HIS strength. All that I have is from him and because of him.

He is an amazing God. He is good beyond all our imaginations and loves us beyond all reason. Our minds cannot fully grasp the the depths nor the vastness of His love. I do, however, know that HIS love never fails! He seeks us, just like the shepherd after his lost sheep. When we are broken, he binds our wounds. So often, I limit God when HE doesn't limit me. He is relentless!

Light unto my Feet

I shared some of this with a friend today, to encourage them. It sure helped me. I hope it helped my friend and I pray that it helps you too.

Psalm 119:105 say, "Thy word is a LAMP unto my feet and a light unto my PATH".



God's word is a LAMP...not a spot light. It lights up each step of the way and not the big picture. It ligths our PATH, not the highway...only what we NEED to see.

God doesn't want you see the big picture. HE wants you to see one step at a time. THat's his plan. That's how he builds our faith. He KNOWS that I wouldn't even try to trust him if I knew what all was ahead of me. His ways are not our ways.

He wants us to Trust HIM to each step of the way. If he gave us a spotlight to show us everything that was ahead of us, we wouldn't need Him. Remember whe you were a child and you followed your daddy in the snow? We weren't tall enough to see much ahead of us, just that one step in front of us. What about when we held our daddy's hand and just followed him where ever he went. We were too small to see much ahead of us. We just had to trust our Daddy and follow. Our heavenly father is the same. Call him ABBA! ABBA! DADDY! DADDY! Take his hand and let him lead you, as though you were still a child. You are HIS child! Trust Him! Seek Him! Talk to Him and let Him talk to you...through his word. Listen to HIM! God has something wonderful for you if you follow HIM!! He has this perfect, amazing plan for each one of us and it becomes more amazing and beautiful as it unfolds.

And it's ALL for our good and his glory!!

Keep Your Eyes on the LORD!

I wrote this back at the beginning of ‘08. We had ALL been through some tough stuff. Difficulties don’t end just because we are children of the King. But GOD shows us that HE is with us THROUGH the trials! We serve an UH-MAY-ZING God!! So I have tweaked this just a bit!


It should be sooo easy for us to keep our eyes on the Lord, because he is so good to us! Why should it be so difficult to keep my mind and heart constantly stayed on the ONE true, loving and merciful God? I try and try to keep my eyes on the Lord, but my flesh sure wants my eyes stayed on circumstances (whatever they may be). No WONDER Paul said he had to die DAILY! Some days I die hourly or minutely!!

I KNOW in my heart that I need to bring my thoughts into captivity, but my FLESH wants to let my thoughts run wild and focus on all the junk and battles of the flesh. It IS such a battle. But the GREAT thing about the battle is this ONE, simple fact; Jesus has the victory over EVERY battle we face!

The ENEMY wants to use the battle to get our eyes off the Lord and onto the circumstances. The battle might something as simple as the overwelming tasks of laundry, bills, hurt feelings. JESUS uses that battle (whatever our battle is for any given day, no matter how big or how small) to show us that HE is all we need. He is ENOUGH; our supply, our breath of life! The Lord allows ALL the battles in our life to grow us (remember how painful growing pains were when you were a kid?) and strengthen our faith. Growing hurts, but if it grows our faith and our relationship with our Lord and savior, then that pain has served it's purpose! It has brought us exactly where God wants us!


Psalm 37 is AWESOME!!! READ THE WHOLE CHAPTER!!! Here are just a few verses....
1) [[[A Psalm] of David.]] Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2) For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3) Trust in the LORD, and do good; [so] shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4) Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5) Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring [it] to pass.
6) And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7) Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.


Our God is good! He is faithful. He ALWAYS loves us and never gives up on us (even when we give up on each other) Nahum 1:7 says....The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

No matter what we go through...he is there to help us! Where is YOUR battle? Home, work, personal, spritual, marriage, kids?

GOD IS THERE TO HELP YOU!!!
Don't go to him LAST!
Go to him FIRST!!!

We love you ALL! It is a privelege to serve you!!!

First time

Well, an old friend asked me to start a blog, so..I am giving it a go! This won't be a "diary" type blog. It will, most definitely, be a blog with a purpose. I won't blog everyday, only when the Lord gives me something that might help someone though the week, day, moment.

My purpose is to encourage, love and direct the attention to our all knowing, all loving Heavenly Father. As Duane has been encouraging, love GOD and love PEOPLE!!