Reflections on the Cross

This morning I received this in my email from Women Living Well. 

I'd like to share it with you!

Today we remember. 

(Taken from Matthew 27)

 We remember…

 the betrayal for 30 pieces of silver

the flogging

the crown of thorns

the purple robe

the sign “Hail, King of the Jews!”

the strike on Jesus’ face

the crowd shouting “Crucify Him!”

the long walk to Golgotha carrying the cross

the nails in his hands

the nails in his feet

DARKNESS

the words “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

the temple curtain torn in two from top to bottom

the earth trembling

the guards exclaiming “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Life is in the blood –the precious blood of Jesus.

To read the rest of the post - click here!

Military Life Wins Again

I can't believe where the time goes when I'm tied up running our household. I am not complaining. I just have been inundated with one thing after another and that often means my writing gets pushed off to the side.

I am in my third week of a new Bible study with a friend of mine by Beth Moore. I am loving it. It is challenging my thinking and my belief in a whole new way.

My friend has a minimum of eight weeks left in her pregnancy. It is a high-risk pregnancy that is going very well. I believe that God is working through her and I have seen her faith grow over the years and  especially throughout this pregnancy. I'm glad we selected this study to do during this time!

Beth Moore describes "Believing God" as a present-active-participle. As a communication junkie, I love that terminology. It reminds me that my faith needs to be active every day. It's not always easy to believe God, but this study is showing me Biblical truths to affirm that:
1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God's word is alive and active in me.

I didn't come up with that handy-dandy list. Beth Moore did, but it really helps me wrap my mind around the concept of believing God.

The Man has been on field exercises lately so we haven't talked much. In fact, I have lost track of time because we've been so busy with his job. I realize that I'm not going to work for him every day, but his job has a profound effect on my day-to-day life. Some people might be offended by that, but any military member who can't acknowledge that the spouses and families are impacted by their job may need a reality check.

Today, I had a little revelation during my quiet time today. Often, the time that we spend apart from each other is often when I do my most growing in my faith. The human part of me is not exactly excited in that fact, but love that I can find joy in our time apart. If it causes me to depend more on God and less on The Man and the world, then it's a sacrifice worth making.

I have also found that I eat fewer calories when he's not around.

It's a good thing I really love my husband or he might have something to worry about!

Face Your Fears

Even a baby bunny can be scary.

I just read this post at SpouseBuzz.com, a military spouse website regarding facing your fears.

The post made me laugh, but also made me so grateful for the other military spouses who take on military life with a sense of humor.

I often feel instantly connected with other military spouses I meet. In this instance, I realize that many of the same "fears" we face like palmetto bugs, spiders or bunnies with fleas, other civilian wives face too.

What makes a military wife different is that we know that at some point in time, usually sooner than later, we are going to have to face that fear head on, and it's always going to be when your husband is gone!

We can laugh about insignificant fears together because we understand that there are more serious fears to face. It's the deeper level of life that we live allows me to draw nearer to a military spouse.

Rather than shy away from those fears, I'm grateful for them because they allow me to live a fuller, more purposeful life. The fears also cause me to draw nearer to God.

2 Timothy 1:7 it says "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

Military life gives me the opportunity to push away the timidity that easily controls me and gives me a spirit of power. It's not power from my abilities, but God's. He gives me the strength to face my fears no matter how big or small.

Update: Community Church Garden

Admittedly, this is not the best photo I have ever taken, but I wanted to give a quick glimpse of the plants for our church community garden! They’re strong and getting bigger every day.

I’m really excited to see our garden grow and eventually see it benefit people who need fresh, healthy, delicious produce right in our own community.

When I think about gardening and harvest, one of the first Biblical images that comes to mind is that of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians. I have pasted the passage below so you don’t even have to dig out your Bible!

Just as we need to prepare the land at our church for a garden, we must allow the Holy Spirit to work on our hearts, digging it up, turning it over, and softening it to allow the plants to grow and fruit.

When we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to work through our hearts, weeds take over (do you recognize any of the “weeds” below in your heart? I know I have some weeds that need to be pulled in my own.). It’s often difficult to pull weeds, their roots grow webs under the dirt, strong, powerful and hidden to us. Some weeds have seeds that seem to be able to grow anywhere they land. Ridding your land of weeds is painstaking, tedious and you must stay vigilant or the weeds will be back. One way to prevent weeds from growing is to have your desired plants taking up space.

I doubt that the church land will feel pain or struggle when we dig it up and plant it, however, it will be quite a task. Fortunately we have access to the proper tools to allow us to remove the grass and soften the dirt. We will lay ground cover to block out new weeds from growing and allow our desired plants to flourish. We will water and care for the small plants as they grow deeper roots allowing the plants to grow taller, stronger and eventually, fruit.

We, too, have tools to prepare and protect our heart garden. The Bible, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and our church family are just a few of the tools we have at our fingertips. Often, I forget to use the tools in my shed, or fail to use them properly or in a timely manner. And it makes sense, I’m a human with flaws and a pretty black thumb when it comes to matters of the heart. When we allow the Holy Spirit to take full control of our gardens we allow a master gardener with a very green thumb to help the fruit of the spirit flourish in our own hearts.

Galatians 5:17-26
The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us (emphasis mine): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another.

Just Breathe.

I feel like I fell off the blog-earth the past two weeks. Last week, The Man returned from school in Utah. He spent the week, a very busy week, at home. We had the normal routine, plus I had my four-year-old nephew over for a few days. We, well actually, The Man, prepared and planted our garden. We had a party for The Boy's first birthday. And to top it off, one of my sisters was in town for Memorial Day weekend - so I didn't spend a minute in waste!

I am exhausted.

After blogging every day during the Wives of Faith Blog Carnival, I had to be blogged out for a few days or risk not getting a thing done before The Man got home! Now, it's back to business as usual. The Man is back to work and I'm back to crazy land with The Boy, The Dog, and occasionally, my nephew around for added fun. I'm pretty sure my neighbors think I'm crazy.

One of the four neighbor dogs has also been over to play frequently which just adds to the madness.

I'm pretty sure Odin and Tucker share a brain...

In all of this chaos, I was struggling to find some rest and some peace, when in one of my daily devotions spoke to my soul.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:5-8

I can't imagine living life without my mighty rock, and my refuge. Oh to have a heart for God like David did. I'm embarrassed that I don't turn to Him first in every test and every trial. When I fall short time after time, God meets me at that place no matter how far away I've fallen from him. Not only is He willing to meet me at any place that I call out to Him, He will give me rest, He will give me strength and He will give me hope. It's what I'm looking for this week, at the feet of my Father first.