Between the Blogs

Bible Blessings: Before you knew God, you were dead—nothing more than a spiritual corpse. Your life was a dead-end road steeping in a cesspool of sin. But God climbed down into that filth, took you in His arms, and rescued you! He forgave your litany of sins and gave you a new life in Christ. He dismissed the bevy of accusations leveled against you. That’s right; all charges have been dropped—wiped out! God nailed them to the cross on Calvary. It was there that Jesus defeated evil! It was there that Satan’s disguise was publicly stripped away, exposing him to the entire universe as a fiend and murderer. It was there that Love stood victorious. ~Colossians 2:13-15 (Randy Reed Paraphrased Version)©

His Mysterious Ways (Letting God be God)

Along the way I’ve noticed God’s footprints everywhere; clearly He’s working in every corner of the globe, repeatedly reaching down to rescue us from the darkness we’ve embraced.

I am constantly amazed by the methods God uses to touch my life, and I have ceased trying to decipher His plans for me (or for others).

Recently I’ve been deeply moved by this biblical passage: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT).

The beautiful truth is that God will use any avenue necessary to save me. And I find comfort in the fact that He has an infinite number of rescue methods that He individually customizes to insure the best possible chance of a successful rescue.

God comes down to connect with us where we are and He will, if we allow it, cultivate a deep, singularly unique relationship with us. We are all on a spiritual journey and God is in the middle of the fray fighting fiercely for our souls, continually drawing us to Himself, using every ounce of His power to reach out and save us.

So join me as I stop trying to dictate to God how He should work (both in my life or in the lives of others), and instead allow Him to transform my thoughts, constantly refining me so that one day when He looks at me He will see a reflection of Himself.

Naked and Vulnerable (Thoughts from the Pot): God’s ways truly are mysterious, wonderful, and abundantly diverse.

Choosing Beauty (A Conscious Decision)

Along the way I’ve discovered that we find what we look for—in situations and in the people around us.

This world is filled with beauty and ugliness; sadly, the beauty—this God-given loveliness—is all too often marred by the jagged scars inflicted by a sinful world. Every moment of life is a choice; we choose where to go, how we spend our time, what to talk about, what to dwell on, and what we think of others. Many situations are saturated in darkness, but there is always light. And what we choose to dwell on dictates what we see in the world around us and in the actions of others.

Recently I have made a conscious choice to look for the beauty and light God created in each of us. In every situation I look for the beam of light spotlighting the hand of God at work. In my conversations I continually seek ways to bring Him glory. And I try to direct my every thought to the God who created me, because I have discovered that where my thoughts go my words and actions will soon follow.

But I can’t do it alone, so I start each day with this simple prayer: God, guide all my thoughts directly to You today.

So join me on this joyful journey as I seek God’s handiwork in the world around me and allow His presence to permeate every aspect of my life, giving Him free reign to transform me one thought at a time.

Naked and Vulnerable (Thoughts from the Pot): In this world there is light and there is darkness; thankfully, when Jesus died for our sins He gave us the option to forever turn our backs on the darkness and to choose an eternity of light.

Between the Blogs

Personal Epiphany: The words we want to say are not always the words we ought to say, and sadly, the words we ought to say or not always the words we actually say. ~Trena & Randy Reed©

An Everlasting Hope (Embracing God’s Promises)

Along the way I’ve discovered the Christian life is a life lived in hope. Hope for restoration and rebirth. Hope that a broken past filled with pain can be a stepping stone instead of a roadblock. Hope for a present overflowing with unlimited forgiveness, unconditional love, and unbridled joy. Hope for a future abundant with blessings of wisdom, peace, joy, happiness, and truth. Hope for a future not filled with worldly wealth, but with a wealth of the Spirit. Hope for an eternity where sorrow and pain is a thing of the past and the God of the universe eagerly waits to embrace us.

After experiencing this living hope I cannot imagine a life devoid of it. Without hope, life would stretch out endlessly—a dusty road leading to nowhere. Instead I choose to dwell in the abundant hope of a living, engaging God who is eager to renew and restore me.

And the best news of all is that this is not a flimsy hope or an unreachable dream, this is an everlasting promise from the living God!

So join me on my joyful journey as I embrace God’s promises of restoration and rebirth; unlimited forgiveness, unconditional love, and unbridled joy; wisdom, peace, happiness, truth, and abundant wealth of the Spirit. Join me in the eternal embrace of our ever-loving God.

Naked and Vulnerable (Thoughts from the Pot): I have an everlasting hope.

Between the Blogs

Personal Epiphany: One of the greatest blessings of following Christ is that even in our darkest moments of despair, still hope shines bright.

Between the Blogs

Quick Quote: In all things it is better to hope than to despair. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Between the Blogs

Bible Blessings: I have to confess, God, if I didn’t know how the story turns out, I would have lost hope long ago. But knowing that in Your time You will lavish Your goodness upon me in this life and the next—that has made all the difference. ~Psalm 27:13 (Randy Reed Paraphrased Version)©

Service Redefined (Love in Action)

Along the way I’ve discovered that service is love in action and this love should express itself in every thought, in every word, in every deed.

Recently I’ve wrestled with the idea of service, asking myself what it should look like and how it should play out in my life. After much prayer, asking God to show me the right charity, to point me to the right volunteer opportunity, to show me how I should serve, I’ve concluded that I need to throw out the idea that service is a once-a-year, once-a-month, once-a-week, or even a once-a-day act that I check off my to-do list; instead, I must view service as a lifestyle choice.

This realization required me to stop attempting to fit service into my busy schedule and learn instead to embrace the barrage of endless opportunities that quietly introduce themselves every minute of every day. I had to redefine service and embrace the idea that service in my life should be an accumulation of small acts that become embedded into my everyday rituals—acts that are transformed from conscious acts of service into a steady stream of service habits. For service to become habitual I must start by intentionally scrutinizing every activity, every interaction, and every chance encounter for service opportunities.

I want to embark on a lifelong journey of service, where service tops every priority list, pervades every thought, and becomes a permanent part of my psyche. I want the words “How can I help you?” to live on my lips. And I want my automatic response to every situation to be an open hand reaching out to help.

So join me on this joyful journey as I redefine service in my life, as I look at every moment for opportunities to serve, and as I make these words my daily prayer: God, make me a servant.

Naked and Vulnerable (Thoughts from the Pot): As a Christian, I am commissioned to be a servant, to live a life fully dedicated to the service of God and my fellow man.

Finding Fulfillment (Modifying My Mindset)

Along the way I’ve searched for fulfillment in all the wrong places. I’ve looked for it in my relationships with my family, my coworkers, my friends, my husband; I’ve sought it by expanding my knowledge, by reading, by traveling, by studying; I’ve hunted for it in my job, volunteer opportunities, service, and other noble pursuits. I’ve searched for fulfillment in all these good things, but the one place I failed to look was the one true place it can be found—in a rich, full relationship with God.

I desire to live up to my potential; not the potential I or others see, but the potential God sees in me.

Unfortunately I have become self-sufficient, and too often this stubborn independence seeps into my relationship with God. I believe I can do it on my own, or maybe with a gentle nudge in the right direction, I can continue down the right path on my own. When the inevitable happens, and I find myself lost, I cry out again, “God show me the way so I can walk in it!” But I’ve learned that instead of asking Him to show me the way, I should ask Him to lead me in His way—walking by my side, holding my hand, and carrying me through the tough times.

So join me as I change my mindset and seek fulfillment in a rich, full relationship with God. Join me as I ask Him to walk with me, allowing His will to become fully develop in my life. Only then I can finally embrace and experience the joy of this journey—a journey overflowing with abundant fulfillment that comes from fully embracing God’s will and urgently pursuing an intimate relationship with Him.

Naked and Vulnerable (Thoughts from the Pot): Every attempt to find the fulfillment I so desperately sought outside of God left me looking for more, searching for answers, feeling empty and void. Every single attempt ended in disappointment and failure until I looked to God.