relationships

What I Know For Certain

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

I don’t know a lot. Shocker. There’s so much to learn already and new information pops up everyday. Old information changes and is rendered obsolete and it’s just plain hard to keep track. Which is why I read the comics page and the sports page.

I do know a few things that are going to be true tomorrow and the day after that and for as long as I live.

I’ve never ever seen a night that wasn’t followed by day. No matter how dark it gets, the sun is bound to come out soon enough.

I’ve never seen a storm where the clouds didn’t break and the sun didn’t come breaking through. Storms come, but those storms have an expiration date. Storms aren’t forever.

The best part is this.

God is the same through it all. The God over the night is also the same God over the day. The God who watches over you in the storm watches you in the sunshine.

The God who is with you as you stand by the deathbed of a loved one is the same God who will greet your loved one with open arms the very moment that person leaves this earth.

The God who saw you fall and saw your life break into a million pieces is also the God putting those pieces back together and will be the same God who looks at the finished you, better than new and a shining replica of Jesus.

I know this because I’ve been through a few storms and prayed through some dark nights. I’ve been afraid and ashamed and I’ve failed more times that I’ve gotten it right. I know for certain that God loves me the same as if I had never sinned or failed or let fear rule my heart. He loves me the same in the storm as in the sunshine and in the night as in the brightest part of the day.

That’s what I know for sure and that’s what I hold onto always.

Another Day, Another Dollar, Another Lesson Learned

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

I had a professor once that said, “Of all the classes I’ve seen, this is one of ’em.” That’s how I generally feel about Mondays. Of all the Mondays I’ve lived through and survived, today was one of them. Not great, not bad, just kinda there.

I got reminded that although I continue to fail and sin and fall into the same old temptation traps, grace is as sweet and the mercies of God are as fresh and new as ever. I am eternally held by the loving arms of my God and nothing will ever cause Him to let go. Not the weather, not current events, not famine or feast or flood. Not anyone else or anything else in this whole wide world. And not me.

I also got reminded that all those things I don’t have and all the desires in my heart that are unfulfilled are in Good Hands. I spend way too much time obsessing over how I can ever get married or get a better job or how to help God out instead of just breathing deeply in and out, relaxing, and trusting God to do what only He can do.

I think Monday gets a bad rap. I give Monday a bad rap sometimes. I know you’ve heard that Monday is a terrible way to spend 1/7 of your life. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Monday is the new start and the clean slate of the week. Just as those mercies of God are new every morning, so every week you get a fresh chance to cease striving and worrying and to really trust God and His promises. No matter how badly you failed last week, this week starts with a clean slate.

I hope that helps. Tonight I will go to bed, looking back at that one sin trap I not only didn’t avoid but rushed headlong into. I will see sour-graps attitudes, grumbling, opportunities not taken to share and be Jesus to somebody. I will see pettiness and bitterness instead of gratitude.

But tomorrow I will wake up and the score will be 0-0. The slate will be clean and all those past sins forgiven, forgotten and forever behind me.

So if I just wrote this blog for me only, it was totally worth it. I needed to remind myself of just how good the grace of God is and how He’s not even close to quitting on me. I will still hear that sweet voice singing over me in the night and that voice will still call me BELOVED.

The same goes for you, too. Happy Monday!

Another Unoriginal Blog

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 2 Comments

“But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

That’s the good news. That’s the story you and I have to tell to the world. That’s not original to me, but I guess you knew that.

What is original is your own story. No one in history has ever or will ever live your life. The good, the bad, the goofy, the ugly, no matter what it looks like, it is all yours and only yours.

God has given you your story to tell. God has given me my own story to tell. I heard today that someone who will never step foot inside a church building or spend a red cent on buying a Bible is watching your life. You are their Bible, their Jesus, and what they see will inform what they think about God.

That’s what the word Christian means, after all. Little Christ. Not that we’re divine or anything close to that. But if we have surrendered to Jesus and invited Him to take over our lives, then His Holy Spirit is inside us, making us more like Jesus each day.

The beautiful part is that transformation looks different for each person. We each display a different facet of Christ’s character and when we come together in unity, love and fellowship, Jesus is magnified. That’s worship. Whether together or individually, everything we do can show the great worth of God’s glory.

We’re not always the best witnesses. I know for sure that I’m not. Thankfully, as I heard a pastor say, Jesus isn’t quick to judge, but He is quick to be patient and merciful and, best of all, to unconditionally love. He treats us so much better than we deserve and He invites us to treat others that way.

Remember that. You were a nobody and a reject, but now you’re somebody and you’re accepted. You were lost but now you’re found. You are a child and heir of the King of Kings have a new name– BELOVED. That itself changes everything.

Tell your story. Someone will hear it and find that this Jesus is as good or better than you say He is. It’s worth it for just that one person. I should know, because that person was me once.

Life and How to Live It (No Relation to the R.E.M. Song)

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

This past Wednesday, I went to Williamson Medical Center to see my newborn niece for the first time. Displaying my usual directional prowess, I barged into the wrong entrance, meandered aimlessly around for a bit, came back out, puttered around the building, and finally found the right entrance.

As I left the elevator, I almost ran into a lady who was obviously upset and weeping. As she entered the elevator, I heard sobs beginning. I’m sure she had just enough strength to get to her car before she completely fell apart.

I can only imagine the loss of a loved one could bring out such grief. To think I passed someone who had just said their final goodbyes when I was on my way to say my first hello to the newest member of the family.

Life is like that. So much joy and sorrow, laugher and mourning, sunshine and rain (I bet those of you who grew up in the 90’s immediately thought of the same song I’m thinking of now. Good luck getting that out of your head!) Very rarely is life as good as it could be or as bad. It’s usually somewhere in the middle.

I was reminded tonight that the story I’m in isn’t a “me-story,” but a “God-story.” I love the way someone put it tonight: I didn’t invite Jesus to be in my story, but Jesus did invite me to be a part of God’s story of redemption and restoration for the world.

God’s plan is still the best plan because He sees what we oftentimes can’t. He can get you through anything, no matter how dark or hopeless it seems. He is always, always for you. His love is still the most powerful element in the universe, more than any weapon or group or force that ever has been or ever will be.

My advice to you (but mostly to myself) is to live in the wonder of God’s story and never cease to be amazed at what He is doing in you, through you, and around you. Always keep your eyes open with the expectations of seeing God do amazing things.

I love this passage. I think it says what I’m trying to say a thousand times better:

“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!” (Romans 8:15-17)

A Blessing Blog

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 2 Comments

This is my blessing to you (although I’m not Irish, so this may not be as good):

May you awaken every morning with renewed hope and mercies that never run out.

May you feel the embrace of your Abba as He hold you in His everlasting arms.

May you hear His voice whispering to you throughout the day, calling you beloved.

May you remember the price Jesus died for you to take away your sin and be filled with gratitude.

May you also remember the joy you knew when you found your true First Love in Christ for the first time.

May Christ dwell in you richly and may He shine through you so that people want this Jesus that you have.

May you see the hurting around you with God’s eyes and feel their pain with His heart.

May you always be willing to love those Jesus loved, especially the broken and the outcast.

May you know that you yourself are loved more deeply and more perfectly than you could possibly imagine (and then some!)

May you rest in the arms of your Father God at the end of the day.

May you hear Him dancing and singing over you in the night and may your dreams be filled with His glory.

May you take hold of the fact that at no point will this Love ever let you go or desert you or in any way diminish. May you find that as you grow older you see more and more of your weaknesses and find that God’s strength works best in those weaknesses.

That’s all. Thank you again for reading my blog. Each of you are a blessing to me and I thank God for you all the time.

Who You Are

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

“Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete” (1 Cor. 1:20-22).

The Bible says that whoever is in Christ is a new creation. Not just an overhauled creation or a rebuild creation or a refurbished creation. A completely new, never before seen creation. I think this is what that means.

You are God’s YES to the world, when the world asks can anyone really change and can anything good come out of a bad situation.

You are God’s AMEN, an exclamation point to the story of God’s power to change lives and redeem lost causes.

You are God’s POSSIBLE, for what is impossible for us is not even remotely diffucult for God (thanks to Pete Wilson for that one!)

You are God’s I CAN, when people say it can’t be done, that there’s no way, that it’s too late and I’ve screwed up too much for God to use.

You are God’s AMAZING, a testimony to how God can make brokenness into beautiful and He can even make the brokenness itself beautiful by how His strength is made perfect in it.

You are God’s LOVE STORY, His epic whirlwind romance about how He went to every length and never gave up in His pursuit to win your heart and how now your name is BELOVED.

You are GOD’S OWN, precious to Him and safe in His everlasting arms always. He’ll never let you go or give up on you or decide you’re not worth it.

That’s WHO YOU ARE.

It’s Not Your Fault

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

In my defense, I just finished watching Good Will Hunting, so if this blog bombs big time, blame it on that. That out of the way, here goes.

It’s not your fault. Yes, I know I completely stole that line from the movie, but it’s true. It’s not your fault.

I’m not saying that you never do wrong or sin. I’m not saying that you can blame everyone else and never take ownership for your life. I know that I screw up daily and don’t need to be reminded. You’re the same way.

But maybe you’re carrying around guilt for something that isn’t your fault. I’m here to tell you: it’s not your fault.

Maybe you had a father who hit you or a mother who called you names put you down. It’s not your fault.

Maybe you had relationship end because the other person just didn’t care enough to try anymore. It’s not your fault.

Maybe you wanted a relationship but the other person didn’t want to take the risk. It’s not your fault.

Maybe you lost a loved one– a parent, a friend, a mentor and, worst of all, a child. Maybe you blame yourself, thinking God was somehow punishing you. It’s not your fault.

I still don’t understand why some things happen. I don’t get why so many people can be so mean and cruel and do horrible things to other people. Maybe I never will.

I do know that the same God who loves me like crazy love you the same way. I do know that this same God roots for you and wants the best for you. I do know that He’s the most sure and safest bet you’ll ever make.

Let go of all the blame you’ve assigned to yourself. Believe that you are wonderfully and fearfully made and your life is uniquely yours and no one else will ever have your life. Remember, like I always tell you, your Abba is still very fond of you.

That’s the only opinion that matters anyway.

Taken, Blessed, Broken, Given

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

lifeofthebeloved

“During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples: Take, eat. This is my body” (Matthew 26:26).

I’m in the middle of another Henri Nouwen book and I am loving it. He more than any other writer (except for maybe Brennan Manning) always seems to speak to where I am right here and now.

He says, “To identify the movements of the Spirit in our lives, I have found it helpful to use four words: ‘taken,’ ‘blessed,’ broken,’ and ‘given.'”

I had never thought about it that way before. I never looked at Jesus breaking the bread at Passover and made an analogy to my own life.

We are taken (or chosen) by God who loved us from the start. We are blessed by Him with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. We are broken by our own sin and the broken and marred world we live in with so much poverty, injustice, and inhumanity. We are given to be God’s hands and feet to bring healing and justice and compassion into the world.

I read somewhere that my life is loaves and fishes. Remember the ones that Jesus used to feed the 5,000? In and of myself, I can’t do much. But if I am blessed and broken and poured out, God can bless so many more through me.

News flash: God takes and uses broken lives, scarred hearts, screwed-up pasts, and promises left unfulfilled. He can use anybody. In fact, He more often than not prefers the outcasts and nobodies and failures to be the ones to turn the world upside down (see the 12 disciples for examples).

Lord, may I be taken by You, Who chose me before I was born and gave me the name Beloved, and blessed with as much of You as I can stand. Break my heart for the things that break Yours and then give me out to those in need.

PS The book I’m reading is Life of the Beloved. Expect more blogs to come out of this. I’m not even halfway through. And, to throw in yet another shameless plug, go buy or download or pilfer or ingest this book as soon as humanly possible. It’s that good.

The Little Things

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

littles

A lot of us (me included) have this idea that life should be epic and full of dramatic, Gladiator-style moments where risks are involved and manly muscles are flexed. Life usually isn’t like that. Besides, I am decidedly lacking in the manly muscle department.

Like a friend of mine said, life is like taking 10,000 steps every single day. Every step you take leads you closer or further away from your desired destination. For believers, that means every step leads you closer or further away from Christ.

Obedience is the same way. Most of the time, we’re not called to make the ultimate sacrifice and jump in front of a fast-moving train to save a group of Girl Scouts. Mostly, obedience is doing the next small thing you know to do. It’s a thousand tiny deaths to comfort, pride, convenience, and self.

We become like Jesus when we take the tiny steps and do the little acts He calls us to each day. I love the statement that there is no microwave holiness, but that sanctification is a lifelong process that we never really finish here.

Life is in the details. It’s the small stuff we look past waiting for the grand moments. It’s what we miss in the present because we are too occupied with the past or obsessed with the future.

That’s where Jesus is strongest. Jesus is strong in that moment when you’re wondering how you can get through the next 5 minutes. Jesus is strongest when you don’t see how you can get it all together.

Rarely does God speak in the dramatic James Earl Jones-type voice (not the Darth Vader voice, the other one). It’s ususally a still, small voice that you’ll miss unless you can be still and quiet and present in the moment.

Thank you, God, for the little moments. That’s where life happens and that’s where You’re making me more like Jesus.

The Substitute People

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 3 Comments

In my favorite movie of all time (insert shameless plug here), Elizabethtown, there’s a scene where one of the characters, Claire, tells another that they are substitute people. They fill in when the person you really wanted to be with isn’t around.

I know that feeling. I’ve felt like that in the past. Like the only reason someone would talk to me was because the person they really wanted to talk to was AWOL. I felt like I wasn’t anybody’s first choice.

I bet you’ve felt like that. It’s like being a part of that dreaded kickball selection process and it comes down to you and one other. It’s the humiliation of having the team captain pick the other person, which leaves you unpicked but automatically sent to the other team. Ahh, the agony and ecstacy of the glory days of kickball!

The good news of the gospel is that you are not a substitute person to God. He picked you, chose you before you were born, because He wanted you. Not because the person He really really wanted wasn’t available. He wanted you.

He had you on His mind when He went to that cross. He decided He’d rather go through hell for you than be in heaven without you. He thought you were worth dying for.

And the part that gets me every time. If if had only been you, He still would have gone through it all, just to win your heart. If it had been me, He would have suffered through Calvary.

Christianity shouldn’t be a somber occasion. It should be a joyous remembrance of how the Father is crazy for you. It should be day after day of unbroken gratitude that Jesus thought you were to die for.

Remember this always. You may not matter to some people and you may not think much of yourself some days, but you matter a whole lot to God every day. He’s got you tattooed on His hands and on His heart.

Thank you, Abba, that you really are very very fond of us!