Plumb Line

It has been like a plumb line... this bloomy process God has called me to.  In those moments of discouragement or wondering why my world is off-kilt; I look back at that plumb line leading to BLOOM and I see all that God is calling me to Bloom in and I feel a connection... a need... a draw to re-situate for full-SON and proper nourishment to reach that BLOOM.

It is those extra moments with my children, the ones I use to think they would just ignore me if I took... yet they pull close to me, 'sit here, sit by me'... 'read this, read it again'... and 'play a game?'

Moments of looking deep into their eyes as they rattle off a story of play and seeing their joy sparkle, their understanding that I am listening not just humoring.

It is the moments of giving my heart, my time, to my husband.  Of setting aside self to recognize his deep needs... needs in the unexpected.  And praying, striving, praying to meet those needs of honor and respect.

It is reaching beyond myself.  To be relational, devoted to God, giving to others of myself, my time, my attention.  Listening instead of talking.  Hearing instead of saying.  I am seeing hearts, hurts, and needs and I am loving others more deeply as a result.

This bloomy path is not easy.  I want to draw back to my own safe center.  The one in the shadows, outside of the SONlight and nourishment.  The one where bruises and sacrifices don't happen.  The one where, if I were to be honest, it is more about me than it is about anything or anyone else.  How did I ever grow so much without blooming?

Blooming is growing too and I haven't missed that simple fact.  The growth isn't as exponential or obvious, rather, it is the extension of previous growth in a more beautiful form.  How could I have missed blooming sooner?  It is such a wonderful process... even in the pain and sacrifice.  And I am so grateful to the Father for calling me to this critical point in growing.

I pray, no matter where your plumb line is, that you are finding yourself in bloomy thoughts and graceful growing... to be more like Him and pointed towards the Son for full nourishment in every day.

Blessings,

To read my journey so far with my ONE WORD: BLOOM, follow my blooming Icon:

Linking up to share the journey at:

Also linking up with:

 Teach Me Tuesdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Intentional Me, Mercy Ink, Whole Hearted Home , Domestic Randomness,Tell His Story  

Valentine Reflections on Love

There were so many scriptures God used when I was a Christian wife married to a secular husband.  Some He spoke to encourage me to stay, some to give me strength.  But the hardest scriptures were those which He used to transform ME, to be a better wife, love my husband (even in his secular ways) more deeply and show God more completely.  1 Corinthians 13 was the hardest of all.

All Christians know 13.  They smile and numbly nod as it is read, 'Ah, yes, the love chapter'.  If they are like I was, they think on how beautiful that scripture will look next to their framed photo of their wedding day (if it isn't already there).  They scribble it, share it, memorize it... but like so much scriptures, it is often done in vain.

I once did it in vain.

Then God spoke to my heart and said LOOK, really look and see with the eyes of the heart, apply really apply, even when it is hard, the precepts spoken of...

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Do I speak ALL things with kindness and love, not accusations or irritability?

 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

Is my faith head knowledge or heart matters?

 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Do I give to others from the heart?  Do I follow the spirit's leading and use of me or do I seek to plow my own path to receive some sort-any sort of recognition?

Love is patient

relying on the Spirit for understanding for which our patience is often extended

Do I?

love is kind

not me being kind to gain approval from God or others, rather, the gentle kindness that spills out of a heart full of the Spirit... the kindness that looks at ALL others with the eyes of Christ.

Do I?

love is not envious 

or boastful 

or arrogant   

or rude. 

 love is glad for the success of others

it stuffs pride and unpacks listening ears

 is humble, ready to serve those around... NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE!

 is ready to see beyond self and extend grace to others (rudeness is really only selfishness expressed when we want our own way)

Do I?

It does not insist on its own way; 

 It is pliable and always waiting for God's way... not just in self, but recognizing the value in others as well

 Do I?

it is not irritable 

or resentful;

 It is patience, waiting, and open to see LIFE abundant around, ready to embrace it with open arms

it lets go of the past... even 5 minutes ago past... because Jesus let go of the past to offer us a future, we should accept it readily, without strings attached.  Everything happens for a reason we should ask what we can learn, how we can grow, who we can help as a result.... not resent.

Do I?

it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, 

but rejoices in the truth.

 Do I?

It bears all things, 

 good, bad, and everything in between with spouse, children, family, friends and... ALL

Do I?

believes all things, 

 have a purpose, have a place, have a time and trusts God with ALL

Do I?

hopes all things, 

will work out, are working out, are part of God's plans because CHRIST is the hope I live through

Do I?

endures all things. 

Through our sufferings, He is glorified; through our weakness, He is strong - do I fully submit to enduring ALLLLLLL?

Do I?

Love never ends. 

 It is eternal, not just external.  It is internal, not just superficial.  It is the gateway to heaven so

Do I really live it?  Breathe it? Show it?  All-the-time?

Jesus did.

I'm not Jesus, I never will be, but shouldn't I be a reflection... am I allowing myself to be a reflection?  Or do I get in the way trying to do instead of letting him do...

unending through me.

Do I?

 But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; 

as for tongues, they will cease; 

as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 

Our humanity will end only One thing is everlasting

so what is the purpose of our desires now?

What is the value of HIS desire now?

Which will I choose?

The temporal 

or the eternal?

 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.  

When God first convicted me to REALLY apply this chapter to my life I realized then how much I had looked at the passages as an "idea" but never really OWNED them.  As I began applying, living, doing them- joy seeped in, peace took over, faith was built, hope was renewed and BIG change happened in my house.  I didn't look at how others weren't living 13, I simply did my part to live it and God worked in others through me.

I would like to say I have it down now.  But I don't.  These verses often echo in my heart though, as I weigh out my choices in behavior and thinking.  "The Love Chapter" is a challenge, meant to be carried out day-after-day-after-day until we meet Jesus.

It isn't about love it is how to act in love.

It is the ULTIMATE love dare!

Are you up for the ultimate love dare?  Will you reflect on LOVE each day, all day?

I do... well... at least I try!

Happy Valentine's Day!  May your heart be full of Christ's love.

Blessings,

 

Linking up today with: 

Intentional Me, Mercy Ink, Whole Hearted Home , Domestic Randomness, Titus 2 Tuesdays

Tell His Story  

In the Beginning God

On the other side of Sunday morning I journaled, looking at the trials and heartaches the sunrise had brought...

I felt trapped, imprisoned.  The worship leader talked about "Freedom"... Paul's writing about freedom as he sat, chained to a wall.  FREEDOM in prison... how could I continue thinking I was imprisoned to hear those words and KNOW that truth?

The enemy is the only prison guard who ever keeps us... but our sentence is dismissed in Christ... the only thing to keep us imprisoned is ourselves.

So I let go of the chains and walked out the 'door'.  But I stood still within the 'halls' of my prison. And that was when someone said it:

In the beginning GOD

Nothing else matters but those four words setting the stage for all of creation, all of God's Word.

The walls disappeared and i saw HIM there.

In the beginning GOD.
As it is now GOD
Nothing else matters GOD

He wants us there, simply with Him.

So when an older gentleman hobbled onto stage and picked up a guitar, standing quite solo behind the microphone, bent back, bushy eyebrows, looking as though he just rode in off the range, and shared his heart with a whisker framed smile, "This song meant so much to me when I first gave my life to Christ.  All I have, all I do, I owe to HIM... HE is all that matters in my life..."

And he played....

In the Garden

I had to sing along with this old hymn I remembered so clearly from my youth.  When faith was simple to me, loving God selflessly was natural.

God was there on Sunday.
In those words
God's great heart
That place
And He wove His spirit into the crevices of my heart.

How could I not see Him sooner?  All this time I run and work and try... do-do-do, be-be-be.  It isn't about me or 5-steps ahead.  It isn't about tomorrow or how... it is about now.  HIS strength and wisdom and call and the peaceful simplicity of his presence.

The chains and halls and imprisonment... dissolved around me.
And there I stood, in the garden alone, as it was in the beginning... God.

This older gentleman in his blue jean vest and striped button down... he had it
He lives it.
He LOVES with all his heart and lives it simply and bluntly.

Oh that I could breathe such faith.


Be Blessed in the garden this Sunday,

also linking with:

Sandra Heska King, My Freshly Brewed Life, Glimpse of Our Life, He Cares For You