Easter Reflections

Me and My Grandgirls

On my way to church on Easter Sunday I saw people working in their yard, riding their bike, walking their dog, and doing a myriad of other weekend things.

And it saddened me.

Not because there is anything wrong with planting flowers or going for a walk, but because I realized that many people didn’t even think of Jesus on Easter.



My Grandgirls



Funny isn’t it?

A national holiday set aside to honor the resurrection of Jesus Christ and many don’t even pause to acknowledge His existence.

Maybe it’s because they don’t know that Jesus came to the earth so that they could have an abundant life. (John 10:10)

Or maybe they don’t know that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that everything they’ve ever done can be completely erased. (Psalm 103:12)

 And perhaps it is because they don’t know that there is a grand and glorious life after the one here on earth for everyone who becomes a true Jesus follower. (John 14:2)

And if they do know of Jesus, but did not honor His resurrection then perhaps I could raise their awareness by asking:



My Grandkids



“How did you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ?”

Not, “How was your Easter?”...

But, “How was Christ’s resurrection day?”

My commemoration of Christ’s resurrection began on Good Friday with a very special communion service.

Then on Easter Sunday, I went to church with my family, out to eat and then everyone came over to my house for some rest and relaxation.

It was a great time of drawing close to Jesus, thanking Him, and renewing bonds with my kids and grandkids. (Scattered throughout this post is some pictures from this past Easter)



At Church



And what about you my friend?



 How was your celebration of Christ’s resurrection?

How did you choose to honor Him?

Every Idle Word

Did you say anything yesterday that you wish you hadn't?

Have your words gotten you in trouble?

Do you sometimes speak before you think?

Me too.

Oh boy, oh boy... me too.

Jesus often deals with me in themes and lately He's been telling me to shut my mouth.

To be still.

To hold my peace.

To not push my way or my opinion into a conversation.

To pay attention to every idle word I speak.

"A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.


For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." (Matthew 12:35-37)

Wow.

That's a pretty strong passage of scripture.


But one of the things I appreciate the most about living every day with Jesus is how He goes out of His way to speak to me.

To help me grow.

To teach me a better way.

To warn me before I get myself in a big mess.

Isn't that just like a loving parent?

They nudge.

They admonish.

They warn.

And then they wait patiently while we stumble and struggle to embrace the truths that they've known all along.

And that is exactly what Jesus does.

He gently nudges us to grow in His graces.

Since I've been really paying attention to every idle word I speak it is amazing how much less I have to say.

In every day conversations, I am listening much more and praying silently for Jesus to "set a guard over my mouth" and prompt me to contribute to what's being said only when He wants me to.

There was a priest named Brother Lawrence who wrote a book called  The Practice of the  Presence of God" who wrote about this.

Lawrence said: "The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in a great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament."

And others said of Lawrence: "Wherever he was, the Light was there; wherever he walked was hallowed ground. He showed us how, at any moment and in any circumstance, the sould that seeks God may find Him, and practice the presence of God."

Later in the book Lawrence talks about every idle word and speaking only when led of God to do so.

I am no where near the place in my spiritual growth where I'm only speaking when God says to, but I am much more aware of what I say and am learning to pray much before reacting when I'm frustrated.

And what about you my friend?

What idle words hang you up the most?

What seems easy or hard about this endeavor?

Join the conversation and leave a comment. :)

The Experiment

For awhile, I was blogging about my weight struggles and how I lived my faith at work.

And, intermixed with those posts were more devotional style postings about my grandkids or something interesting or exciting that happened in my relationship with Jesus.

There are all sorts of blogs and columns out there and lots and lots of advice on what to do and what not to do with a blog. Advice is offered about ways to approach a blog, and how to write in such a way as to get more readers.

But what it all came down to for me was too much pressure to get readers and not enough of just flowing from my heart.

So, today, I'm starting a new experiment. 

And if you like you can join me. 

Instead of trying to write on a certain topic, or with certain key words that will get the search engines attention. I'm just going to write what Jesus is showing me, dealing with me on,  or teaching me.

The experiment will be that if this 'just being myself' approach pleases God then the readership will increase and so will the comments without any special effort on my own.

My act of faith will be the writing from my heart.

I will do this until the end of the year and together we will see what the Lord does.

But you know what?

Even  this experiment is an exciting aspect of living every day with Jesus.

Why?

Because Jesus is alive and I have a relationship with Him so I can ask His help just like I would a friend.

He is a living, breathing, thinking, knowing, seeing, God who has many, many incredible attributes. For example:

Jesus is all powerful.

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18)


And Jesus can change our life in an instant.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)


And He loves us.

"The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." (Jeremiah 31:3)

And His intentions towards us are always good.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jeremiah 29:11)



And  Jesus longs for us to love Him so much that we joyfully obey Him.

"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: ...And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel." (Exodus 19:5-6)

Oh to be His peculiar treasure.

To love Jesus and be loved by Him is the most incredible experience in all the world.

Knowing Jesus and having his holy spirit living inside of me doesn't mean I don't have struggles, but it does mean that I don't have to figure out my problems on my own.

So often I meet people who are dealing with incredibly difficult circumstances all by themselves.

To them God is abstract.

An uncaring, distant diety that is not involved in their day-to-day lives.

Well, I'm here to tell you that Jesus is very real and very involved in every aspect of my life.

If I lose my car keys, I ask Jesus to help me.

If I'm sick, I ask Him to heal me.

If my work day is difficult, I ask Him to fill me with His peace.

If I lose my temper, or struggle with attitudes, I ask Him to forgive me and help me do better the next time.

The whole point is that living every day with Jesus means I live every day with hope.

And you can too.

The Holy Bible says in Psalm 33: 17-18 "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine"

Do you need a car?

Look to Jesus!

Do you need grocery money?

Look to Jesus!

Do you need a job?

Look to Jesus!

Do you need your marriage restored?

Look to Jesus!

Whatever your need, the God of hope will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

What do you hope for today?

Leave a comment so we can pray together about it.

-Debbie