A HEART OF LOVE

Hungry for love, He looks at you. Thirsty for kindness, He begs of you. Naked for loyalty, He hopes in you. Homeless for shelter in your heart, He asks of you. Will you be that one to Him? - Mother Teresa

I have this little book sitting on my coffee table titled: In The Heart of The World by Mother Teresa. It wasn’t until just recently I read the entire thing. Actually, my dad read it first and was so touched that he inspired me to read it too. I was so moved by her heart of compassion and her simplicity, which is basically, if there is a need, meet it, even if it’s just a simple smile. She truly was a walking Jesus on this earth.
The quote above really blew-my-mind. So powerful! So profound! In the book, the quote was preceded with a story about a girl who shared with Mother Teresa her experience aiding the dying destitute in Calcutta. I won’t do it justice if I put it in my own words, so here it is from the book.

The girl from the university, who had seen and understood so many things, came to my room with such a beautiful smile on her face. She said, “For three hours I’ve been touching the body of Christ!” And I said, “What did you do? What happened?” She said, “They brought a man from the street who had fallen into a drain and had been there for some time. He was covered with maggots and dirt and wounds. And though I found it very difficult, I cleaned him, and I knew I was touching the body of Christ!” She knew!
(In The Heart of The World – Mother Teresa pg.56)

Wow, this really brought to life the scripture where Jesus says, “when I was hungry you fed me, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, when I was sick you looked after me…when you did this to the least of man, you did it as unto me.” (Matthew 25: 34-40)
Jesus was all about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick and showing God’s love. Mother Teresa truly knew God’s heart. She spent her entire life dedicated to serving, caring and loving the needy, and sharing the love of Jesus.

I remember the day she died, September 5, 1997. It was just five days after Princess Diana of Britain died. All the media was still so focused on Princess Diana’s death that they gave more attention and praises to her and very little coverage on Mother Teresa. Princess Diana learned to do good deeds during the last few years of her life. Most of the rest was all about the scandal brought to the Royal family, whether true or false. Somewhere along the way Diana discovered the things that truly matter in life, but what a shame that the woman who had dedicated her entire life doing good to others was not as greatly honored. Princess Diana may have received her crown here on earth, but I’m certain Mother Teresa received her crown of jewels in heaven. I’m sure she heard those words, the only applause that matters, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”
Matthew 6:19-21"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

When I read the quote a second time, it opened my eyes to see it in a different light.
Hungry for love, He looks at you. Thirsty for kindness, He begs of you. Naked for loyalty, He hopes in you. Homeless for shelter in your heart, He asks of you. Will you be that one to Him?
We are all a dying destitute when we don’t have an intimate relationship with Jesus. He wants us to love Him. He wants us to thirst after Him. He wants us to trust in Him. He wants us to let Him dwell in our hearts. He wants us to call Him friend.

Jesus came for the lost and the dying. If that is you….Jesus loves you and wants to be your Savior!

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."
- Mother Teresa

WHAT IS YOUR NEED?

I heard an incredible message the other day! It was like a new revelation. The title of the message was, “There’s always someone watching you” …pretty intimidating thought. But, here is what stood out the most to me, and I’ve never quite heard it put this way.
God sees us and He sees our needs and He always meets our needs, but do we see Him?? Do we see Him as our need? Yes, He’s our provider, that’s a given, but it’s not talking about seeing God as our provider who makes sure we have food to eat, clothes on our back and a roof over our head, but do we see, God Himself as the need, as the provision? Meaning that He is all we need. Do we desire the Lord above all other things? Once, He becomes our need, then nothing else will really matter, all the other things will be taken care of. (Matthew 7:11 how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! )
When we read the scriptures that talk about “I shall supply your every need…” we always just assume it’s talking about this physical world, the materialistic things of this world and we completely miss that the key word here is “I” God said in the beginning “I am that I am.” God, Himself is what He will supply us with. More of Him. That’s what we need above all!!

I know people, who are so unhappy with their lives. They think that finding a new job, moving to a new city, having more money, a bigger house, more friends, is what’s going to make them happy. And yet, all along they have the answer, but they don’t really want that. They don’t really desire a personal and more intimate relationship with the Lord. We want God to give us the things we want; new jobs, new friends, new place to live, more money, etc., but we don’t want to give God the time of day. We don’t want to spend time praying and reading His word, so we can actually hear from Him, but we just want Him to give, give, give, and yet He gave us the greatest gift of all, didn’t he? … Salvation through His son Jesus Christ. John 3:16

I love the Psalms because David the author, truly understood this. He knew that the Lord was all he needed. This is why he was a man after God’s own heart.
Psalm 23 - “The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not be in want.”
Psalm 27 - “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 37 - “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of you heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”

What is your need today?

COMPLETE JOY

Today’s blog is simply about the feeling of complete and utter joy! There is no greater experience of joy than that of a prayer being answered. Especially, when it’s a prayer for someone else whom you love dearly. I think I now know the joy that the prodigal son’s father felt when his son found his way back home. No wonder he wanted to throw a party and dress his son in the finest robe. What an occasion to celebrate!
Luke 15:21-24 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
A similar version of this story happened to my younger brother Derek. He was lost and now he’s found. Praise God! I asked my brother’s permission to share a little bit of his testimony in my blog. I’ve been so overjoyed that I can’t contain myself. I shared his story with my close circle of friends, who know Derek, and have often kept him in their prayers. His testimony has already been such an encouragement and blessing to many others. That’s just the way God works, isn’t it? Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I have two brother’s, an older and younger.
We all grew up going to church. Derek use to play guitar on the worship team, and wrote such beautiful songs to the Lord. After high school, Derek got off the path of God’s will for his life, when his dream of being a professional baseball player was shattered. He was truly a gifted player, but it just wasn’t his time yet. He decided to live life his way and walked away from God. His life since then has never gone quite right. It was one struggle after another. At times there would be a slight glimmer of hope, but there was always some obstacle getting in the way, or another challenge to face. One thing that I know from my own experience, is when you are outside the will of God, you will never have the strength to overcome those battles on your own. Life is tough without the Lord, but when you’ve known the Lord and then walked away, it’s even tougher!

God gave us choice, so He will always allow us to make our own choices, even if we choose to do things the hard way and go through those struggles without Him, but He has never left our side. We are the ones who choose to leave Him. Hebrews 13:5 I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. The good news is that He will never let us crash and burn. Yes, sometimes we have to get to our lowest point in life, and that might look pretty ugly for some. We have to be so broken down before we will look up. Jesus is our Shepard and he will never let one of His sheep go. He may have to break our legs and carry us over His shoulders, but that just shows how much He loves us. In Derek’s life, that is basically what happened to him. Literally, he was so physically broken down, and it was in that place where he finally heard God’s voice. He had that personal encounter with God that changed his life forever. All those walls he had built-up came tumbling down. God set him free and buried his past! Derek surrendered all of himself, humbled himself before God and was able to recognized how much God truly loves him. When you’ve experienced that and really know how much God loves you, and the price He paid for me a sinner, there is no turning back. I can attest to that! Derek said he will never forget February 19, 2010 the day he rededicated his life to Jesus, and the word that God gave him. Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer 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.

When my brother shared what happened, my mother and I could see the change in him. When he spoke about his experience, he couldn’t hold back the tears. I knew God really touched him and transformed his life. Now, I look at my brother and see a new man with a heart filled with joy and the peace that passes all understanding. I posted the photo above of Derek because it captures the joy that only comes from knowing Jesus as your personal Lord and savior and friend. I’m so happy to see my little brother smiling again. As I’m writing this, my heart is just bubbling inside and of course tears running down my cheeks. If you only knew the journey it’s been. You can only imagine the joy my mother felt. A mom, who’s been praying for the past 16 years for her son, has now seen it become a reality. I will never know the pain a parent must go through watching their children suffer. I’m just the sister and I know how much it broke my heart to see my brother struggle. I just want to encourage those who are still praying for a loved one, to not give up hope. It’s never too late. God hears your prayers and even when it may seem like nothing is changing in that person’s life, most likely getting worse, just know that God is working on the inside. He is in control and knows exactly how much they can endure. God will never give us more than we can handle. I love that scripture that says, speak that which is not, as though it is. God has heard your prayers, now start thanking Him and proclaiming, “it is done!” _and get your party hats ready to celebrate!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

WARNING SIGNS

I came across a scripture that God revealed to me a few years back. It was during the time I had just met someone and we were in the very beginning stages of dating. The scripture was 2 Timothy 3:1-9 There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women… always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

Doesn’t really get any clearer than that! This was God’s warning to me about this particular man, but I didn’t take heed. When I read it again I just fell to my knees and wept. I felt so sorry and ashamed for not listening to my Father in heaven. I was so foolish. I know God has already forgiven me of my disobedience, but sometimes I think I haven’t forgiven myself. I sometimes have a tendency to beat myself up. I just don’t ever want to ignore God’s voice and not yield to His warning signs, ever again! And the thought of how much God loves me is so overwhelming at times. He is always there to protect us, guide us, always looking out for our best interest, and yet why do we time and time again, ignore His voice? We desire more the desires of our flesh, rather than God’s desire for us.

When you read the scriptures, especially the Old Testament, God was always giving His people (The Israelites) warning signs. He was doing miracles and wonders right before their very eyes, providing food and shelter everyday, and they still doubted, they still complained and disobeyed Him. It took the Israelites forty years before they entered the promise land, and yet they were just a few miles away the entire time. I guess it’s our human nature, but unfortunately we suffer the consequences of our rebellion. It happened in the garden of Eden when God said to man, “Do NOT partake of this tree or you shall surely die.” That was the warning “you shall surely die” and we still chose death instead of life. We are in this life because we chose separation from our Creator who gave us everything.

Genesis 2:15-17 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

Now, we are living in this fleshly body with blood running through our veins (Genesis 3:21&22) which makes it even harder to make the right choices in life. We are continually battling between the desires of our flesh and the Spirit of God living inside of us.
Galatians 5:16-18 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
Even Paul, one of Jesus disciples struggled with this. He writes in Romans 7 - I do not understand my own actions. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. He continues to say, when I want to do good, evil lies close at hand. My inner being delights in God's law, but I see another waging war against my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

It isn’t that God doesn’t want us to have things, but He knows that there are certain things we are not ready for. It’s for our own protection. If I had listened to God’s word, I could have saved myself two years of a relationship that only led to heartache and pain, and off the path of God’s will for my life. Time and time again, God showed me plenty of signs or “red flags” but I wanted things my way, rather then trusting that God knows what’s best for me and what’s not. I know some will say, “oh it’s okay, your heart was in the right place, you were hopeful and just wanted it to work.” Yes, that’s true, but I still suffered the consequences of my actions. The bottom line is that I ignored God’s voice. There is no other excuse. The good thing is that through it all, I’ve learned that God’s better, is SO much better than what we think is better.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

When I am reminded of these things from the past, it’s not to make me feel guilty, because there is no condemnation in Christ. I believe that it’s just God reminding me how much He loves me and that His grace and mercy endure forever. There is nothing that I can do that will cause him to love me any less or any more than he already does. A dear friend of mine bought me a book titled A Perfect Mess. The timing couldn’t have been more appropriate. It doesn’t matter how many times I mess things up, God is always right there to build me up. That’s what His forgiveness is all about. That’s what Jesus is all about.

Psalm 40: 1-3 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

God literally rescued me from a relationship that was leading me down a path of destruction. Sometimes we may not have the strength of our own will to get out of that hole. As soon as we recognize it, all we have to do is cry out to Jesus for help. He will instantly yank you out of the pit! It may be painful. You may feel like your heart is broken into pieces, but He always gives us a way out. In my case, it had to hurt for me to wake up! But, I am so thankful God rescued me, no matter what it took. He has picked up my broken pieces and has healed my heart and soul. I am so thankful that our God is in the restoration business. If you are in a pit, just call out His name. I guarantee He will rescue you, too. He did it for King David, He did it for me, and He will do it for you, because He loves you so much.

Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside
quiet waters, he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

What is God warning you of, and are you listening?

TIME WELL SPENT

I’m starting to get this feeling of anxiety. I know I’m going to get busy working again and won’t have as much free time, so I’m trying to hurry and get things done that I started at the beginning of the summer. The time has flown by. Where has it gone? It’s a new year already!! I just don’t want to be back at work and be kicking myself thinking, “Why didn’t I do this, or get that done?” Don’t you hate when that happens? We’re given all this free time and yet somehow we waste so much of it. Yes, there is a time to rest, but we need to be diligent and wise with our time too, especially when you know you have things to do that could determine your future. When I get anxious I try to remember the scripture that says:

Philippians 4:6&7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The past couple of mornings I slept in and just stayed in bed a little longer then usual. Of course the rain was the instigator. I love how my 93 year-old Grandmother from Scotland puts it, “I had a long lie.” I confess I had a few long lies. On the flip side of that, it makes me think of that famous quote, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” But, sometimes it just feels great to sleep in. I don’t know about you, but I love to sleep! There is nothing better than a good nights sleep, or an afternoon nap. “Forty winks” as grandmother would say. I think of those who suffer sleep depravation. I can’t ever imagine what that would be like. What a horrible thing to suffer. I have never experienced it to that degree, but I have had nights when I couldn’t sleep due to worry or too much on my mind. It’s a terrible thing. I always feel like a wreck the next day.

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

It’s a new year, and already January is near its end. Is it just me, or does it seem that time is going even faster? Is that what happens as we get older? Usually, every New Year, I like to sit and reflect on the past year, look back at my journal and check off the goals that I actually accomplished for the year, and then I make a new list for the New Year set before me. However, this year I decided to make a change and do things differently. My friend has a great quote. I don’t know if it’s actually hers or she’s quoting someone else, but it goes like this; “If you want something you’ve never had, you must do something you’ve never done.” I love that! Sometimes we get into our routines and nothing changes. So, it’s time to make a change!

I believe last year was a challenging year for many. I can attest to that. Actually, the beginning of the year was going great, but at midpoint, the challenge began. This was the first in all my years of freelance to be out of work for so long. But, it never ceases to amaze me how God uses what we think is a bad thing and turns it into something great.

If I didn’t have the time off, I would not have been available to be an Auntie to my beautiful niece whose adult life is just beginning, and help her get registered in college. I would not have been available to help my dearest and best friend move into her new home, which some of you know can be very stressful, and also the opportunity to spend more time getting to know her wonderful family, who I can now call my second family. I wouldn’t have been able to spend those mornings working out with another friend of mine who was also out of work, going to breakfast together and keeping each other encouraged. If I didn’t have the time off, I would not have been available to just love and comfort another dear friend of mine who is battling Aids. I wouldn’t have been available to spend time with my father who’s now retired and trying to get use to so much free time. And the extra special time spent with my mother, having our tea and a biscuit while talking for hours about the Lord. I’d say God has filled my time pretty well! There isn’t a job or amount of money that is worth more to me than these precious moments. I’m truly blessed with so much more and I am so thankful to be available.

Matthew 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Bitter or Grateful?

I decided to read the story of Ruth and Naomi in the Bible (Book of Ruth). I’ve read this story before and have heard it many times. Usually, the emphasis is on Ruth and her great display of a servant’s heart. It seems I’ve always focused on the part where Naomi instructs Ruth on how to win the heart of Boaz, by laying at his feet, and how Boaz represents Christ. He was their kinsman redeemer. Today, Christ is our redeemer…The one and only Redeemer of the world. This time, as I read the book of Ruth, I asked God to reveal to me what he wants me to get out of this story, something new about Ruth and Naomi that I may have missed before. This is my new perspective:

Here we have two women, Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth, who both went through the same suffering. One, older and wiser, the other younger and perhaps more resilient. They both lost their husbands and family because they had deserted their homeland during a famine, but the one thing I noticed is that they differed in their attitude. This story is about the hearts of two women. In their difficult time, Naomi became very bitter and blamed God for all the misfortune in her life. She believed God was punishing her. In fact she even changed her name to “Mara” which means “bitterness.” Ruth, on the other hand, had an attitude of gratitude. She was still grateful to be alive. She was willing to put the past behind her and do whatever was necessary to start a new life, to build a new future for her and Naomi. And because of her servant’s heart, she chose to stay with Naomi and take care of her. Ruth worked the fields in order to provide for both of them. Because of Ruth’s attitude and faithfulness, their lives were turned around. She found favor in a man of good standing. God blessed her with a husband (Boaz) and they gave birth to a son. Ruth gave her son to Naomi so she would not be left without a kinsman, so the family name could live on. Through this family lineage, came David who became the King of Israel and a man after God’s own heart.

Which of these women do you identify with? Hopefully, we all choose to have the attitude of Ruth. But, I think many of us are like Naomi. We are bitter that our lives are not what we would like, or we have hurts and pains from our past that we are not letting go of, and we’re blaming God, or think that He is punishing us. So, we choose to sit in our bitterness and misery like Naomi, instead of being grateful and thankful for what we do have, as Ruth did.

Deuteronomy 30:19&20 – Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to Him…

The key word here is “choice.” How are you choosing to live your life in 2010?