Word Filled Wednesday: Fruits

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Fruits are evident in my life.  Not the "apples and oranges" kind of fruits, the "goodness and kindness" kinds of fruits mentioned in the passage from Galatians.  These kinds of fruits nourish my soul the way the other kind nourish my body.

These fruits are not always easy for me to see.  I am not the most patient or disciplined of people.  I get anxious a lot.  But when I take a moment to reflect, and trust in God, these fruits become more evident.  However, I must do my fair share of the work.

My job is a perfect example.  The opportunity for a job that was perfectly suited for me arose when I least expected it.  God was clearly opening a window for me to experience fruits of the spirit.  But I had to do my share.  I had to apply, and be patient, and work hard at showing why I was the perfect one for the job.  So I worked, and now am reaping the fruits.

For some people, seeing these fruits seems effortless.  I will never be one of those people.  I have to work really hard at discipline, in order to see the fruits of self control.  I have to work at being kind when I lose my patience.  But the work worth it, to see the fruits, and be so filled with joy, the way I am now.

I will work as hard as I need to, in order to be nourished by these fruits.

Word Filled Wednesday: Two Better than One

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

As I mentioned yesterday, this past weekend we attended the wedding of our dear friends Erin and Jason.  It filled me with so much happiness to see them so happy, joyful, and in love.  These two are perfect together.  The verse above mentioned that "two are better than one" and that is never more evident than in this case.

I did not know Jason long, about a year, before he started dating Erin, but many of our other friends did.  Everyone remarks about the positive changes in Jason since he met Erin.  He is so full of love, and joy.  She gives him the confidence he needed.  The same can be said of Jason's effect on Erin.  Her lifelong friends have remarked how good it is to see Erin treated so well, and to be so happy.  These two truly balance each other out.

Jason and Erin have supported each other over the past two years, not only through wedding planning, but through many things.  They have truly strengthened each other, and along with God have formed a threefold cord that I truly believe will never be broken.  My heart soars with happiness for these two.

And truly, two are better than one.

Word Filled Wednesday: Comfort

Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Comfort.  More than anything, I need comfort.  My family has suffered a deep loss this week.  My wonderful uncle, my mother's brother, passed away on Monday.  My heart aches for my aunt, their children, my mother.  I just do not know what to do.

I wish I could take away their pain, I wish I could wipe their tears.  I wish I could change the reality.  I wish, beyond all measure, I could bring them all comfort.

I know beyond all shadow of a doubt, my uncle is in Heaven, with Jesus.  He was a caring, loving, generous, godly man, beloved by so many in his community, and really, by everyone who ever met him.  I am heartsick by the fact that he is gone, but I am thankful that he is in paradise, and will never be in pain again.

All I can do, is seek comfort in the Lord.

Word Filled Wednesday: As the deer

Psalm 42:1
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.

Have you ever wanted something so bad, you felt it to the very depths of your soul?  As a child, was there a toy you wanted bad enough you would give anything to have it, sacrificing everything else, working as hard as possible to earn it?

What would you give to have your deepest wish desired?  Would you give that much for God?

This psalm talks about longing for God as much as the deer longs to drink from flowing streams.  Do you feel that same longing for Him?  I must confess, I do not always put God at the forefront of my wishes and desires.  It is simply my sinful, human nature.  I get wrapped up in the possessions and situations of this earthly kingdom, and forget about the perfection of the heavenly kingdom.  Often it takes me going through a long, rough patch of life to thirst for God as much as an animal thirsts for water.

It is my wish today that I be filled with a deep thirst for God, that I long to see Him at work in my life, and that  He become my greatest desire.

Word Filled Wednesday: Woman, You Have Great Faith.

Matthew 15:28
Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

If you ask five different people to define the word faith, you could get five different answers.  For some people, faith means religion, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish.  To others, faith is a belief, like having faith in yourself.  To others, faith is a commitment to something bigger than yourself, such as being faithful in marriage.  But no matter how you define it, you know that faith is a wonderful thing to have.

I admit, in many ways, I lack faith.  Not faith in God, or the faithfulness of marriage, or anything like that.  No, where I lack faith is within myself.  I forget that God created me to chose the best path possible, to be as strong and healthy as I can.  He created me to have great faith, not only in Him, the creator, but in myself, the creation.

I want to strengthen my faith in myself, faith that I can attain goals that I set, faith that I can be the righteous woman He created me to be.  Faith that one day, I will see Him face to face, and He will say to me "woman, you have great faith".

Word Filled Wednesday: A Pathway

But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19

God is all about change.  He is the supreme makeover artist.  He changes all of us, once we allow Him into our hearts and lives.  He changed the future of mankind by sacrificing His son, Jesus.  In God's eyes, change is a good thing.

Yet it is human nature to be resistant to change.  We like to remain in our comfort zone, knowing exactly what will happen, how things will be, and what our lives will be like.  When change is thrust upon us, we have a tendency to panic, at least I do.

Last night, in my small town, major political changes happened as a result of the primary election.  Some of these changes make me happy, and some of these changes make me sad.  But all of them make me nervous.  Yet, I have to look at the bigger picture.  Life changes every day.  God makes each day special and unique, to serve a specific purpose.  I have to believe that change, even the change I dislike, serves a purpose, or I would drive myself crazy.

So much has changed in my life in the past 2 years even.  Most of the changes were positive, but that did not prevent me from fretting over each and every change that happened.  Yet, today, I am happier in my life than I was 2 years ago.  So, I know, in my heart, these changes were a part of God's plan for me.  I can only pray that with each passing day, I continue to be open to God's pathway, changing me for the better.

Word Filled Wednesday: I Wish

3 John 1:2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.


All my life, I looked for any excuse to make a wish.  Going through a yellow traffic light.  Dandlions. 11:11 on the clock.    Birthday candles.  Every silly superstitious opportunity you can think of.  And from the time I was about 12 until the age of, oh I don't know, 30, these wishes involved romance.  I wish to find a boyfriend.  I wish my boyfriend and I would get back together.  I wish to find true love, someone who loves me for who I really am.  What I should have been wishing for was that I would find God's will, and the patience to see the man He created as my partner.

Now that I have met that man, and found true love, I realize that while it took a long time, all those wishes were actually granted.  And now, I know that what I should be wishing, in fact praying for, is God's will in both our lives.  I wish for happiness for all those I love, for health and peace.  And above all, I wish for them to know how much I love each and every one of them.  They are all my wishes come true.

Word Filled Wednesday: Drinketh the Rain

Hebrews 6:7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God.

We have had an abundance of rain lately.  It rained the whole time we were in Erie last month, and there have been very few sunny days since.  The days have been chilly, gray, and dreary.  I am so over the rain.

The rain is so plentiful, our the grass in our yard need mowing twice a week.  But we can never mow it, because, well, because it is raining.  But today, it struck me, that perhaps we need this rain.  Perhaps this rain is preparing something, such as crops.  Each summer I shop at the farmer's market for fresh fruits and vegetables.  Perhaps this rain is being sent to make those things grow.

Or perhaps this rain is being sent to cleanse.  After the winter, often there is a coating of dirty grit all over things.  Perhaps this rain will help wash that away, and make the world sparkling and new.

Or perhaps the rain can be seen as a metaphor, the fact that God's abundant blessings are showering down upon us, yet we still find reason to complain.  For, as we all know, we would be unhappy if there were too little rain, just as we are when there is too much rain.

I am not sure what the "bigger picture" reason for all this rain is.  But, rain it shall, so I will choose to see it as a blessing.

Word Filled Wednesday: Do Not Conform

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

As a child, I watched a lot of Sesame Street.  And one of my favorite sketches on the show was "One of these things is not like the other", where four things were shown, three of which were the same, one of which was different.  I always like the thing that was different.

Today, I was outside taking pictures, when I caught the shot I am using for today's post.  They are my neighbor's tulips, most of which is red, one is yellow, and one is a red-yellow variegation.  I found it to be a great metaphor for how Christians function in the world at large.  Many Christians want to blend in, be like everyone else.  They conform.  Then there are the Christians who want to bridge both worlds, the sacred and the secular.  They make it clear that they are Christians, and in many ways different from the status quo.  And then there are those Christians who are brightly, boldly different.  They will never conform to the secular world, but still find ways to function within it.

At different points in my life, I have been all three of these types of Christian.  Right now, I would have to say I am at the point where I am trying to straddle both worlds.  I wish I was at a point where I had the courage to be bolder, and I pray that someday I will be bold again.  But I know that even where I am right now, even without being that bold yellow tulip, God is using me in amazing and powerful ways.  So, who knows, maybe slowly that red will fade away and that yellow will overtake, and my boldness will be used for even more of God's glory.

Word Filled Wednesday: Flowers

"Flowers are appearing on the earth. The season for singing has come.
The cooing of doves is heard in our land."
Song of Solomon 2:12

This is one of my favorite times of year, mostly because flowers are starting to bloom.  And my favorite flower of all time is the daffodil, or as I like to call them, daffy down dillies.  Because they are one of the earliest blooming spring flowers, they can often be the only splash of color in a drap landscape still recovering from winter.

Today, I spent several hours driving around, shooting pictures.  This is becoming a regular activity for me, so I headed to an area I had shot in winter, covered in snow, hoping to see some signs of spring.  And while the green grass and young deer are delightful to see, what struck me most was the thousands of bright yellow daffodils I saw today.  It took every ounce of strength to not pick them.  I just loved how much they brightened up the otherwise brooding atmosphere.

Some people are like that too.  They are bright and shining examples of God's love in a drab or difficult situation.  If I were to be a flower, I would want to be a daffodil, and can only hope I possess the daffodil's ability to brighten others.

So, what kind of flower would you be?

Word Filled Wednesday: In the Morning

Psalm 59:16
But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.

Do you have a morning ritual?  Is it a nice steaming cup of coffee and the morning paper?  A pre-work jog? A goodbye kiss to your spouse?  What if your morning ritual involved talking to God?  Do you think it would change the way your day would go?

When I first started working in Pennsylvania, I was still living in Ohio.  I commuted over an hour each way to work.  I often used my drive to work to talk to God, and would pray, ask for guidance, and sing, yes, actually sing.  I would listen to Christian music, and start many days singing to God.  I sincerely believe it helped me deal with some of the things my job entailed.  I was a social worker at the time, and often saw kids who were sick, hurting, in need, and troubled.  My heart broke for many of these kids, and sometimes I would pray on the drive home as well, trying to make sense of some of the tragedies I saw.

After a year of commuting, and a nasty wreck on the Parkway (in which no one got hurt, proof that God listened during these morning chats) I found that I really missed that time in my car each morning, time with just me and God.  I was still setting aside time to pray, but it just was not the same.  Now, I often end my days with prayer and reflection, but maybe, just maybe, it is time to reinstate my morning prayers and praises.

What if you started your mornings with a chat with God, a few moments in scripture?  What kind of an impact do you think it would have

Word Filled Wednesday: Sheep

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Do you ever wish someone was there to guide your path in life, help steer you in the direction that is best, someone steadfast, reliable, true?  If you are a Christian, then you do have someone, you have Jesus.  Many times, the Lord is referred to as a shepherd.  And what does a shepherd do? He guides his flock, and protects them.  Just as Jesus wants to do for you and me.

One of my online friends asked just the other day, how do you know what is just a thought, and what is a gentle nudge by God to point you in the right direction?  Discernment is key when trying to remain a loyal member of the flock.  As animals, sheep have a tendency to stay among the group, and rely on each other, as well as the shepherd.  As member's of God's flock, it is important that we also rely on each other, to help us determine what is the leadings of the Lord, and what is is our own will telling us to make a decisions.  We need to rely on each other for purposes of accountability, support, care, and love.  Jesus, like any good shepherd would, pulls his sheep together to accomplish this.  We find fellow sheep in our churches, families, peer groups, and even on social networking sites.  As animals, sheep are often distressed when separated from their flocks.  As a Christian, I feel the same way.  I rely on the other members of the flock to lift me up when need be, and I relish in being able to do the same for all of them.

So I urge you, the next time you feel a little lost, just call on the Good Shepherd to lead you back to your flock.

Word Filled Wednesday: Love as Christ Loved

Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

I am a very lucky woman.  I have a wonderful husband.  I know, I know, I talk about this all the time, but I just can not help it.

I would have thought that by now, the "honeymoon" period would have worn off.  Everyone said what hard work it is to be married, so I would have thought by now, it would seem a little like work.  But it has not, it has never seemed like anything but an immense blessing.  Sure, there have been unpleasant things to deal with, there always are.  But  never have the unpleasant situations been created by one of us lashing out at the other, hurting the other.  Never is there anything but love between us.  Sure, we might annoy each other because we snore and wake wake each other up (both of us), or I might be disappointed that Hubby's work schedule prevents us from doing things we would like to do sometimes, and goodness knows my choice of television is not always what Hubby would prefer (Glee anyone?), but that never gets in the way of our love for each other.

The thing with Hubby is, he loved me before he ever even dated me.  Before he ever had a romantic feeling for me, he loved me as a person.  All throughout our friendship and courtship, I would tell him my amazement for the depth of his caring.  I had never experienced that from anyone other than my family.  He would get angry when people hurt me, and would demand better for me when I was mistreated, simply because he loved and respected me as a person.  Once real romantic love entered the picture, that loving, protective nature grew exponentially.

I have often thought of what a wonderful example of Christian love my husband has been.  Starting with helping me when I was a relative stranger, his love and care grew into friendship, and then romance.  But he would have, and for several years did, love and care for me with no expectation of romantic reciprocity.  He loved me because it was his nature, not because he expected anything.  Do you know how rare that is?  If ever I feel I need to see Jesus at work in my life, I need only to look at my husband.

Word Filled Wednesday: Worry

Matthew 6:25=27 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

I tend to be a worry wart.  It is just who I have always been.  I worry about my family, Hubby, my friends, my pets, global situations, finances, the future.  You name it, I have worried about it.  But, I am slowly learning to let go of worry.  Because I know God is in control.  He loves me, and wants good things for me.  He will provide me with the things I need, and get me through the hard times, so what good does worrying do?

Now, that is not to say I sit back and let God fix everything.  Oh no, I have to do my part.  For example for a long time my heart ached to find the person I was meant to be with.  I went through some bad relationships, and some that were not really bad but just were not right.  I worried that I would never find true love, but I knew in my heart God had created me specifically for someone.  I could not, however, expect to sit back and let God deliver my future spouse to my door, nicely gift wrapped.  Instead, I spent time searching, and literally years getting to know someone that did in fact turn out to be the one He intended for me.

As Christians, we are often ridiculed for trust in God, because people find it to be naive.  I am a firm believer in trusting God's plan for me, but I also have to do my part.  I have to make choices, and work hard, to get where He is leading.

I am sure I am always going to worry.  But now, because I trust, I worry a whole lot less.

Word Filled Wednesday: Ashes

Daniel 9:3
So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

Today is Ash Wednesday, which signals the beginning of the Lenten season.  For many Christians, today is a day of fasting, repentance, and prayer.  As I sit and reflect on my sins, I wonder what Jesus would say if He were beside me as I committed my sinful acts.  How would he react to my transgressions?  Would He look at me, tears in His eyes, mourning my sin?  Would He extend His hand to me, to comfort me and explain that despite my sin, He still loved me?

Many Christians use Lent as a time to sacrifice something.  Various ethnic customs include ridding the house of sweets, until on Easter Sunday treats can once again be enjoyed.  Many people use this time to give up a vice, like eating junk food, or chocolate.  And I too am going to perform a similar act of sacrifice.  But I also want to do something greater.  I want to sacrifice my sins.  You see, there are some sins that are easy, comfortable even.  We do them to fit in with others, or as a way to avoid dealing with the real issue.  It is easier to be jealous of another, than to focus on improving ourselves.  It is easier to gossip that to seem like a "stick in the mud" among friends.  It is easier to covet that to work hard to achieve what we want.  But what would you rather be, comfortable, or holy?

So today, I come to the Lord, fasting, praying, and with ashes.  Ashes of the sacrifice of my sinful, comfortable lifestyle, with a repentant heart, and an honest attempt to move toward holiness.

Word Filled Wednesday: Who?

Psalms 147:8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

I think, very timidly think, we may be heading for Spring.  Yippee.  It would appear as though all the snow from our last big storm is almost gone, and March seems to have come in like a lamb.  Fitting, as it is The Lamb whom we will be focusing on soon enough, with the Lenten season fast approaching.

I personally love Lent.  It is such a glorious time to reflect upon He who is responsible for our lives.  Not only did God give us our lives in a physical sense, He also gave us spiritual life in the form of Jesus.  What a glorious gift indeed.  Catholics believe that during communion, the wafer and wine literally become the body and blood of Jesus.  The first time you receive communion is a great celebration, as it is then that you affirm the baptismal promises your parents made for you as an infant.  It is an opportunity to choose Jesus, and declare him Lord.  I made my first communion on my birthday, and what makes a better birthday present that Jesus?  Several times, my birthday has also fallen on Easter Sunday.  Once again, a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the gift of salvation in the form of Jesus.  But also, let us reflect on God the Father, as it is He who gave us this miraculous gift.

So today, go outside, look at the beauty of the earth.  And thank Him who gave it to you.

Word Filled Wednesday: Father has given

1 John 3
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Life these days is crazy, and not in a fun "man that was a crazy party" kind of way.  You have political factions at war with each other, poverty and unemployment sky high, countless diseases causing people to suffer.  Sometimes, dealing with all the stress, we forget who is really in charge.  And even when we remember Him, we sometimes forget why He does the things He does.  His reasoning can be summed up in one word: love.

In these days of technology, what with the texting and the tweeting and the check ins and the blogging, we forget to listen to that still voice that stirs within our hearts, the voice that reminds us of God's tremendous love for us, and encourages us to act out that love in our everyday lives so that people will know God through us.  Sometimes we need a gentle reminder.

A friend of mine was recently approached by a stranger at church, who simply told her God wanted her to give her a card.  She was deeply touched by this small act of love, and knew it was God reaching out to comfort her, to show her His love.  And He knew that it would take something like this stranger's act to really touch her soul the way she desperately needed.  I love that God always finds a way to give us what we need. The act of this stranger helps people see God in the world.  Because the act of this stranger was one of love.

I encourage you all to take a few moments each day, away from your computer, away from your television, away from your cell phone, and sit, in silence, to listen for that voice within, the stirring of God's love, and His call to make Him known to the world through our love for one another.

Word Filled Wednesday: Freely Received

Matthew 10:8
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

I am not even going to lie, this month has been a rough one.  I pulled a hamstring about 3 weeks ago, bruised my knee falling on ice on Superbowl Sunday, and this past Saturday, I bruised my tailbone.  In short, I feel pretty beat up.  And it would be really easy for me to be angry about being in pain, having these injuries mess up my plans, and receiving all this bad luck.  But instead, I am joyful.  And no, it is not the pain meds talking.

I am joyful because I am trying to freely receive God's gifts, blessings, and plans for me.  And though I believe with all my heart that God could instantly heal this pain, I freely receive the love He exhibits by allowing me to suffer, even just a little.  Confused?  Suffering allows me to more heavily rely on Jesus.  At times, when I try to move, I am anticipating the pain to come (it hurts each time I change positions).  My limbs start to shake, I start to sweat, and I know there is no way I can do this by myself.  Luckily, I do not have to, because He is with me every step of the way.  What an awesome gift that is!

So, while I would love to freely receive the gift of healing, I would much rather freely receive the gift of Jesus. And just as freely as I received this gift, I want to share it, and give it to you.  So, if you are suffering today, know that you are loved, and supported, not only by little old insignificant me, but also by a triune of the utmost significance- Father, Son, and Spirit.

And maybe that will provide healing of another kind.

Word Filled Wednesday: A Time to Dance

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

The winter is getting the best of me dear friends.  Two weeks ago, I pulled a muscle by slipping on water, and on Sunday, Hubby and I both fell on some ice.  We are ok, just a little bruised, but couple that with a bit of a cold, and it has me totally over this winter, and looking forward to a joyful celebration.

Luckily, we have just such an event to look forward too.  This summer, two of our dear friends will be getting married.  What could be more joyful than that?  They have decided to have an out of town wedding, in a place we have visited before, so we get to take the opportunity to have a little mini vacation!  I can not explain how fun this is going to be!  All of our closest friends will be there, and we all have been looking forward to this day for so long.

When I met Hubby, he told me all about his friend J, the now groom to be, and how his one wish for him was that he would find a woman to make him as happy as I make Hubby.  When I met J, and saw what a special and unique guy he was, I knew it would take one amazing woman to fulfill Hubby's wish for his friend.  Luckily, J latched on to just such a woman when he met E.  She is the peanut butter to his jelly, the cheese to his cracker, and cookies to his milk.  In short, she is the PERFECT match for him.

You know people are meant to be together when all the people around them have such outpouring of love on their behalf.  Such is the case with E and J.  Both have been through some tough times in the past, as we all have, but now that they have each other, this is their time to dance.  And we all look forward to dancing with them on their wedding day.

We love you Burkharts!

Word Filled Wednesday: Heart, Soul, Strength

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5

February is a month that focuses on love, with Valentine's day being smack dab in the middle of the month.  And there are so many different kinds of love to celebrate, parental love, spousal love, friend love.  But none of this would be possible without the example of love set forth by God.

God's love for us is so incredibly immense.  He sacrificed His life in the form of His son, out of nothing but love for you and me.  How can we not love Him in return?  And how could we love Him with anything less than our entire being?  Every day, we are given a choice to live a life of love, a life of honor, a life for God.  We have a chance to show Him love with every breath.  What choice will you make?