A Blank Day

I woke up this morning with nothing on my
calendar. I grew up in a family whose motto
was, "Busyness is next to Godliness!" Exercise
was a close second. AND, It is not "politically
correct" to have a blank slate.

Now, if my calendar had been full I would not
have been able to meet a friend for lunch on
short notice, make some needed phone calls,
care for a sick husband, or begin work on
future blogs--not to mention cleaning and
filling the hummingbird feeder! Also the dog
got his walk so the exercise part was filled!

The first thing I did when I rolled over to look
at the clock this morning, was to give the hours
of this day to my Papa to fill as He saw fit. Whether
it is a day filled with appointments and other
pulls of life, every day is a God ordained day when
He has permission to set the schedule--even when
He does NOT have permission. Now if I can only
remember this!

The Three Planets

The end of last week I read that three planets would
be visible just after sunset. It seems that Venus, Jupitor,
and Mercury would be aligned almost within "spitting
distance" of each other and worth seeing. We watched
on Saturday but saw nothing. On Sunday the sky was true
blue--unusual in the east-- and it was the best day to view
the planets so we set out on a walk to find some place
where we were not surrounded by trees. It was getting
dark as we returned home and my heart's desire was still
unmet. Suddenly Glen said, "it looks like a star through
those trees." We walked around the lake and stood opposite
the back of our house and studied the sky. Yes, that was the
planet Venus. As we watched another light flickered on,
Jupitor. Finally Mercury could be seen. God brought
me home to see His handiwork in my own backyard.
How sweet is that?

Malcom Smith

I would like to introduce you to a man I have heard but
never met. His website, "unconditional love Fellowship"
is full of life giving information. I consider Malcolm Smith
one of my mentors. He KNOWS the Father's heart, and he
knows scripture. I once heard him give four long sermons
around ONE VERSE! I didn't think it possible. I find myself
incorporating thoughts into my blogs that have been generated
from God's heart through Malcolm.  A few weeks ago I was
having a bad day and realized that it would be a good idea
to turn to the Lord. So I scrolled down the list of sermon titles
in Malcolm's webnar until I came to one that sparked my interest.
It was called "The Laugh of God." It was out of this sermon
that the last four blogs came to life. On Tuesday evening at
8PM he gives live webnars. Be sure and take notes!

Malcolm Smith's website:
http://unconditionallovefellowship.com

Running Laughter!

Be sure and read the last three blogs, but
especially, the previous one. This blog
is a picture of the father's love:

"...But while he was still a long way off, his 
father saw him and felt compassion and ran
and embraced him and kissed him"
....the son's speech...
"But the father said to the servants, 'Bring
quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and
put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And
bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat 
and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead, 
and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' 
And they began to celebrate."

The father runs...He has seen his son. (He may
not be able to see his face but he knows his walk!)
His heart explodes with joy and laughter erupts
out of him as he runs. He throws his arms around
his boy and covers him with kisses. His son tries
out his speech, but is interrupted by love. The love
of his dad throws him off completely. He is helpless
before such extravagance! Can you see it? The
Father and his boy collapse together into the dust of
the road because of laughter, volcanic laughter; mirth,
shouting. The plan to crawl home changes as the joy
and delight of his dad splits the air with laughter.

Dear reader, I am the elder brother in so many ways,
but my desire is to be able to experience the extravagant
love of my Dad!

What is the desire of your heart?
Can you hear the laughter?

Stories:

http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.html

The Younger Son

The younger son is a piece of work. He is every
dad's nightmare. He took his inheritance and went
to a far country and squandered it on riotous living.
He was reckless and soon came into need. He
became a hired hand, but was not given anything
to eat...

"But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many
of my father's hired servants have more than enough
bread, but I perish here with hunger. I will arise and
go to my father and say to him, "Father, I have sinned
against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy
to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired
servants.''' And he arose and came to his father."
(Luke 15: 17-20)

The Prodigal Son remembers that his father's hired
servants have enough to eat. He reflects on the table
set for the hired hands, one loaded with food. He
carefully plans his re-entry with a speech that should
impress his Dad. He sets the conditions for his re-
entry into the family.

He comes knowing he is no good, a failure, unworthy
of sonship.

So the son comes home...
(Don't skip tomorrow because you think you know
the story!)

The Eldist

The Elder Brother, the oldest son...
Just the word, "elder" sounds stiff and very responsible.
The younger son had just returned home and this
is what happens. (then check out the characteristics
of the elder brother.)

"Now his older son was in the field, and as he came
and drew near to the house, he heard music and
dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked
what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your
brother has come, and your father has killed the
fattened calf, because he has received him back safe
and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in.
His father came out and entreated him, but he answered
his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you,
and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never
gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my
friends. But when this son of yours came, who has
devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the
fattened calf for him!'" (Luke 15:25-30)

Characteristics of the Elder Brother

• Does his duty and does it well
• He believes in justice, "Take the boy to the woodshed!"
• He is faithfully obedient
• Anger floats under the surface
• He separates from his father and stands aloof
• He is in control. The father has to come to him.
• He is bitter. You didn't even give me goat
• He has contempt. "THIS son of yours...."

Ouch!

Extravagance vrs Frugality

The resurrection has to come under the title of
"extravagant," don't you think? Doesn't the thought
of becoming something so glorious fill you with
delight and rejoicing?

To Rejoice--JOY! joy-filled. The primary sense is
to shout, be animated, get excited. It is to experience
joy and gladness to high degree. To exult.

Laughter--convulsive merriment, volcanic, an expression
of mirth.

Prodigal--Given to extravagance, wasteful, lavish,
excessive liberality as opposed to frugality, economy or
parsimony. (Meaning excessive caution especiallyin the
spending of money.)

I found something yesterday that has filled me with joy,
but I cannot share it all at once, because some of my readers
like short, crisp blogs! So, be sure to check in.

What Kind of Body?

It sounds a like a title of a mystery story,
doesn't it? Well, it is a mystery!

What kind of body?
Get a load of this:

Sown as perishable.
     Raised imperishable
Sown in dishonor
     Raised in glory!
Sown in weakness
     Raised in power
Sown a natural body
     Raised a spiritual body.

Doesn't it make you want to laugh????

No Resurrection?

What if Christ had not risen? Paul lays it out:

"If there is no resurrection from the dead, then
not even Christ has been raised.
If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching
is in vain. We are preaching a lie.
Your faith is futile.
You are still in your sins." I Corinthians 15:13-16

The ramifications of the resurrection of Jesus
from the dead are enormous and worth pondering.

Sweet!

Late afternoon and into the early evening I was
preparing for the book club. I was overly stressed
and kept seeing things that needed to be done. It
has been awhile since I have hosted something for
more than four people. I found myself mumbling,
"where is this," or "where did I put that?" Each
time the answer came immediately! The Holy
Spirit knew where everything was and was working
right along with me! We think of ourselves partnering
with God, but the really awesome thing is that He
is partnering with us. There is nothing too mundane
for Him to be involved with. He wants us to
commune with Him about everything and He does
answer questions that are not formal prayers. So,
dear reader, enjoy God today!

Unlike Any Other God

In Paul's day physical resurrection from the dead was
unknown. Oh, they had many gods but not one of
them had come back from the dead. The early church
had discussions over this aspect of Christianity. "Did
He, or didn't He?" So, in the early part of the 15th chapter
of 1Corinthians, Paul takes the time to list those to whom
Jesus appeared alive:

"He appeared to Cephas
He appeared to the twelve
He appeared to more than 500, most of whom
are alive today."
Then he appeared to blood thirsty Paul!

Many of us have grown up believing in the resurrection
but in Paul's day it was radical, outrageous, unthinkable!
Well, there are those who don't believe it now. Does it
really make a difference to me personally, to you?

Stories: http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.html

Mother's Day

I read a column on Mother's Day in the newspaper
yesterday, after sending Glen off to Germany. In it
a young woman with small children and a busy husband
was given advice on how to have a happy Mother's Day.
"First you lower your expectations. Then you lower
these expectations further, and finally, you lower even
your lowest expectations."

Expectations have always been my problem. I have
discovered over the years that high expectations end
in disappointment and self-pity. Our culture hypes the
day which can make it worse. This past Mother's Day
I joined with another woman who was celebrating the
day alone and we enjoyed the gorgeous weather with
a hike in a state park, followed by an early dinner on
our deck surrounded by tubs of lovely spring blooms.
I had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Questions

As I read through the 15th chapter of the first
book of Corinthians, I am struck by the fact that
Paul builds something from the very first verse.
It is impossible to pick a verse here and there,
because each verse stands on the previous verses.

Paul begins the chapter with the foundation of
our faith. Christ's death, burial and resurrection.
Then he spends verses 12 to 34 on what the
resurrection is all about, "for if Christ did not
rise from the dead then our preaching is in vain
and your faith is in vain." IT IS IN VAIN!

Paul asks questions, which seem to be the very
questions the church asked him in a letter. It
appears that the questions asked came out of
discussions and probably some heated arguments
among the believers. I am so glad that Paul took
seriously their questions and spent a lot of time
laying out the truth. I would rather look at
resurrection than the suffering of Job, wouldn't you?
So, beginning next week, I want to tackle this chapter.
And, I promise you, I will only scratch the surface.
Stories:
http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.html

Worthless, Empty, Meaningless

Paul spends 58 verses discussing the resurrection
in the 15th chapter of 1Corinthians. Handel used
some of it in The Messiah where the trumpet sounds
the coming of the Lord for His bride. How I loved the
sound of the trumpet at Carnegie Hall in NYC!

In the first couple of verses, Paul reminds the
church of the Gospel he preached to them by
which they were saved and then he encourages
them to hold fast to this word--"unless you
believed in vain."

VAIN: Something that is worthless, empty, having
no substance, fruitless, ineffectual.

Well, is our faith something that has no substance,
 that makes no difference, something empty and
meaningless? Is it rooted in imagination only, or
does it carry us through death into eternal life? 

Dysfunctional Christians

Last week I looked at the seed falling into the ground--
a place of death, followed by resurrection. The seed
has taken me to 1Corinthians 15, a favorite of mine.
I hear trumpets every time I read it because Paul goes
from the seed, to resurrection and then to transformation.
Our resurrection and transformation!

I find it interesting that Paul wrote both the "love"
chapter (I Corinthians 13) and the "resurrection" chapter
to his most dysfunctional church. It is an encouragement
to me as I look at all of the dysfunctional Christians around
me. My friends and family would  categorize me in that
group! However, I know that all of us are favorites with
Papa. He is captivated by our beauty, by our individuality
and by our love for Him.

Stories: http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.html

Reunion

Well, this past Saturday I met with 30 women who had
trained with me at Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing
in the class of 1963. Do the math and you will find that it
was our 50th reunion! The school was a three year diploma
program that had hardly changed since the school opened
75 years earlier! The entire cost of our three years was $300.
Why? Because the students carried the load at the hospital.
I could go on but I feel a story springing up...

Did you know that all of us do change over 50 years? As we
came close to fellow classmates our eyes would meet, then
came the sweep followed by the blank stare as we tried to
put the face with someone we had known. Name tags helped,
sort of. As the afternoon progressed we felt more comfortable
because voices and mannerisms varied only slightly. In a very
short time conversation was punctuated by gales of laughter.
I got up the nerve to ask one gray headed "older" woman if
she had recognized me. She paused and said, "no."

Read the stories:

 http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.html

Judgement?

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but
after this the judgement." (Heb 9:27)

My eyes blurred over. Not only was that
verse underlined but it was highlighted in
my bible! The words rang in my ears, and
my heart sank. The picture of a huge throne
and an even bigger God who leaned down
to pass judgement on me, rose before my
eyes. I then thought of all the things that I
had done--not good. And so it went for many
years. Then I took the time to read the entire
passage but especially the verses before and
after. Context is so important!

"For Christ has entered...into heaven
itself, now to appear in the presence of
God on our behalf...he has appeared 
once for all at the end of the ages to put 
away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
And just as it is appointed for man to die
once, and after that the judgement,
so Christ, having been offered once to 
bear the sins of many, will appear a 
second time, not to deal with sin but 
to save those who are eagerly waiting 
for him." (Heb 9:24,26-28)

This is long, but, dear readers, many of you
are laboring under the fear of death and
judgement just as I was. The author is
emphasizing that Jesus died once to take
care of all of our sin. We died when He died
and the judgement of our sin fell on Him.
We will not be judged for our sin again.
Do you know this gracious God?

Stories:

http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.html

When Christ died, I Died

How in the world is this possible? Christ died over
2,000 years ago. Paul nails it in Romans 6:2,6

"Do you not know that all of us who were baptized
into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?...
For if we have been united with him in a death like
his, we shall also certainly be united with him in a
resurrection like his. Knowing this, that our old 
man was crucified with Him, that our body of 
sin might be done away with, that we should no 
longer be slaves to sin."

I understood this better when it was explained to
me that Jesus not only died in time but He also
died outside of time because He is eternal, and
dwells in eternity. As a Believer, I dwell in Him
which means that I dwell in the eternals as well
as in time:

When Christ Died, I died.

When Christ was buried, I was buried.

When Christ arose, I arose.

If I grasp the truth of this, my behavior changes

and I find myself living out of His grace instead

of law. This sounds so cut and dried but, really,
it is a game changer in the Christian life.

See the new story:

 http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.html