"Be Mine". I hear it whispered often now. Not just when I see a candy heart but when I see any heart. If you missed the first post in this series, you can click at the end of the post and it read about what I learned from a little piece of valentines candy. But today we are going to look at that place we deem the heart... The shape of a heart permeates the stores this time of year. But, we also post them on social media when we like something. We sign cards with them. We hang up photos of them, draw them, the list goes on. Society uses the heart symbol to replace the meaning of love. For some it conjures thoughts of a deep, abiding love. For others, perhaps some brokenness. No matter the end of the spectrum of the images it conjures, they all stem from something we feel in our innermost beings. Emotions. But what about the biblical heart? The Biblical heart encompasses more than emotions. It is the place where our thoughts and our "will" reside as well. This place we deem the heart? It is the place joy comes from. Where hurt is felt. From here that both affection and regret live. It is a place that kindness and humility grow. A place where jealousy and bitterness fester. But it is also a place where our emotions meet our mind. A place where our thoughts dwell. A place where our will chooses, stands up, and takes action. A place where we decide who will we follow? Ourselves? The world? Jesus? Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Most of us know that the physical heart pumps blood through the body to the vital organs; sustaining life. Our spiritual heart does the same. What we think about, what we dwell on, what we choose to partake it in, what we choose to act on, who we choose to lead us-affects every aspect of our spiritual walk. When Jesus is at the center of our heart, life is pumped out into the rest of our life. Present and eternal. When our heart is aligned with Jesus, when our will allows Him to lead us, when the Spirit dwells in us and our minds are filled with pure and loving thoughts? Our actions reflect this. A different kind of light shines out. It affects our work, our family life, our relationships. It calls us to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
When Jesus calls and requests, "Be Mine. Belong to me." It is not a request just of an overflowing emotion. It is a request to direct your thoughts to Him. It is a request to willing let Him lead you. A request to love Him. Follow Him. Seek Him. Know Him. Accept His will. And praise Him. Where is your heart today? Have you given it to Him? Do you need to give it to Him again? Will you be His? Blessings, Elizabeth
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Did you know that race cars, when lined up closely behind one another, go faster? They do, and the reasons may or may not surprise you, but it did make me think about my own walk in faith; my own race each day. What kind of race do you want to be a part of? Me? Read on as I talk about the kind of race I want to be in. I'm hoping that you, too, want to be a part of a race such as this.... My 8 year old son LOVES Nascar. He talks about it every chance he gets. He watches Nascar documentaries and old races. He collects the cars and studies their drivers. He caught my attention on a different level when a few weeks ago he told me something about race cars that I had never heard before. I'm no race car expert, that's for sure, so feel free to research it yourself, but what caught my attention was this: Race cars, when lined up closely behind one another, move faster. The technical word is drafting. And when two cars are only inches apart, the air actually goes over them as if they were one vehicle. This reduces resistance and enables them to move faster. These cars are exemplifying a kind of race we are called to race in as well. Not a race where we are focusing solely on our own purposes and destination. Not a race where we are looking at our sisters next to us and comparing their faith walk to ours, comparing their gifts or talents, clothes or social status with our own. Not a race where we try to outshine the woman next to us. But rather a race that is done side by side of our sisters. One where we build them up, encourage them, strengthen them, make them "go faster". A race where, when a sister falls, we stop immediately in our tracks and help pick her back up rather than leave her in our dust. This my friend, is a race where we become one in heart, just like the early church in Acts (4:32 "all the believers were one in heart and mind). When we are linked arm in arm, each in our determination to bring glory to God and to be the best versions of ourselves (growing in the desire to be more and more like the image of God), while at the same time desiring to help our sisters in their race just as much as our own, this is when we reflect one heart. This is when the "air" go over us together and we are able to stand against resistance, the enemy, more strongly. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor; If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them 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." Paul talks about a race in 1 Corinthians 9:24 that needs training and self-discipline. And as I read it, I reflect on "the race" Jesus himself was in.
Training. Self-discipline. Jesus knew this well. His journey exemplified endurance, perseverance, hope, and focus. His eyes may have been fixed on His purpose and the victory that was going to be won, BUT along the way, He gazed to the side (not in comparison) and saw those around Him. He stopped to touch them, to heal them. He felt them tug on Him and He didn't ignore it. He addressed them and taught them. He walked with them and discipled them. He built them up for the rest of the race. Let the race we enter be one that demonstrates the love of Jesus. Let it be one that reflects his goodness, his willingness to lay down His life for us. One that is raced with the desire to build up others in truth and light. One that carries another when they cannot race another step, when they fall behind, or break down. One that stops to hold out a hand, to embrace, to wipe a tear. One that lovingly corrects, and puts aside our own ambition to feed another soul what they need to be fed. A race where we love others, and are willing to sacrifice along the way. Because, with one heart, when we are the hands and feet of Jesus, we are stronger. Our light burns brighter and reaches out farther. Race in this way. Race in love. Because in this race it is not about who crosses the finish line first, but that we finish, finish well, and that we have many sisters finish the race beside us. Hebrews 10:24 " And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Blessings, Elizabeth Mini Mondays for the month of February is taking on a short series - "Be Mine". Each Monday during the month of February, I will be sharing a short devotional, which I hope encourages you and has you looking at those little valentine candy hearts a little different than before.... For as many years as I can remember, each February, I buy those cute little candy hearts that have the valentine sayings on them, and put them in a bowl for the kids to eat as a treat. But there was a year that those candy hearts weren't just a little Valentine's Day treat. A year, that changed the way I see this holiday; changed the way I look at those tiny little hearts.
That year, like usual, I poured them out into a pile in a glass bowl on the table. As I nonchalantly went to grab one to pop into my mouth, I stopped. A yellow candy heart was staring back at me. Or rather the words on it did. "Be Mine". They were etched into it and they almost seemed to call me. Normally, I would see this as a cute endearment to my husband, but at that moment I saw it as a love note. A love note from the One who loves above all others. A love note from the One who loves faithfully and eternally. The One who loves the worst and the best of each of us. These two little words, "Be Mine", sat on my heart that day. I pulled the little piece of candy out of the pile and kept it on the counter. As I began to regard it as a love note from my heavenly Father, I pondered the significance of such simple words. The simple definition of "to be" means to belong to. And "mine"? It refers to something that belongs to the speaker. These two little words became more than just "be" and "mine". A question mark hung on the end of them. Not a statement but a gentle calling. A nudging. Will you be mine? Does not the Lord ask each of us this very question at some point? "Will you be mine?" He asks, "Will you belong to me? Will you put me before the world? Will you let me lead you? Will you have a relationship with me?" We have a choice. A choice to be His! A choice to draw closer to Jesus, to discover our identity in Him, to build a relationship with Him, to believe, to be a child of God. He wants us to be His! And because we have the choice, He extends his hand, and perhaps is not actually holding a candy heart, but still He whispers, "will you be mine?" Will you be His today? For the first time? As a recommitment? Be His! Choose this over and over again. Every day. And place a candy heart somewhere you will see it often. Let it remind you, that He wants you to be His. That He calls you, on the days you feel near to Him and the days you may not be feeling so close. Let it remind you that YOU ARE HIS. Isaiah 43:1 says, " Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; YOU ARE MINE." (my emphasis) and John 1:12 says, "Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God-" Blessings, Elizabeth So glad you are here for another Morning With Jesus! The Promise: John 15:14-15 "You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father, I have made known to you." Such sweet words Jesus spoke! Here in this beautiful verse, He promises us friendship. He wants a real relationship with us . Not a superficial relationship, not a servant/master relationship, but a FRIENDSHIP. He wants us to get to know Him, and to share what He has learned with us. He wants a two way relationship that only comes with friendship. He offers us something so much more than servitude. He offers a genuine, intimate relationship with Him. I encourage you to go and read the verse before and after this promise. Verse 14 states there is no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend. And right after that we have our promise-that He wants to be our friend! He layed down His life for each of us and guess what? Verse 16? It says He chose us. Yes, He chose us. He chose you and me to be friends with, to lay down His life for. And what greater love is there than this?! If you don't truly know Him but want to, if you are feeling like your relationship with Him is a one way street, or it is lacking depth that you are seeking to have - let this promise remind you that Jesus wants more than that too! He wants a real relationship with you. One where He listens and you listen to Him. One where you seek to know Him more, serve Him because you love Him. One where He never leaves your side and walks along with you in this life. A friendship so precious he gave you the greatest gift-eternal life. You are chosen. You are loved. And when you follow Him, He calls you friend. Blessings, Elizabeth How do you get to know Jesus better? Be in the Word Pray Listen Worship The white hot chocolate recipe is below.....and it is so good! Make a cup, grab a blanket and get to know Jesus a little better this morning! The Recipe: White Hot Chocolate 2 cups milk 1 cup vanilla chocolate chips (or use shaved white chocolate pieces) 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract Marshmallows or whipped cream Place the milk, chocolate chips and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until all the chocolate has melted. DO NOT BOIL. Once the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat and it is ready to serve! Add marshmallows or whipped cream as a topping. Or as I added in the photo above, add one big marshmallow (I found this one at Target). Next step: Enjoy! Next Hot Chocolate recipe? You can expect a Valentine's day inspired Morning With Jesus.... Need a little Monday encouragement? Need to be reminded that God loves you? Read on... God sees you.
And He doesn't look away. We, when we look through lenses - on our cameras, phones, or even the lenses of our own judgement - we choose what we want to focus on. But God? His lens is Grace. And Grace is wide open to those who want to accept it. No subject is left out of the frame. It's a lens that sees all. Right now. Yesterday. Tomorrow. It's a lens that doesn't take its focus off the hard stuff and turn to something else. God sees you, friend. And His Grace will meet you right where you are. Your life doesn't have to be picture perfect. In fact, it can be a down right mess. Because His lens is a lens that sees through the mess. That makes a beautiful image out of broken things. He sees you. The girl you were. The woman you are. The woman you will be. He sees you. Sees your worth. Your potential. Your purpose. Your heart. He sees you. And calls you beautiful. Calls you His. He sees you like none other can. He sees the real you, not the one hidden behind a filter. And oh, how He loves you.❤️ . Blessings, Elizabeth . 1 Samuel 12:21
"Don't go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you-they are totally useless!" I always take notice when a verse has an exclamation point.... There are as many seasons in our faith as there are in our life. I don't know what season you are currently in, but if it's one where your faith seems to have taken a step back or feels stagnant, read this verse again. And then again. And yet again. Samuel didn't give this warning to the Israelites because it was a slim possibility that they would fall back into old ways of worshiping some of those idols again. He warned them, because without guarding their hearts and having their eyes set on the Lord, it was a REAL possibility. And there is nothing like a stagnant season or a few steps back that can let our guard down. And in doing so, often a few of our own idols (something that becomes more important to us than God) seep back into our life. Take a few moments today, no matter what season you are in, to reflect about what idols might be lurking around that either 1. you have let back in your life, or 2.that you need to guard your heart against. Whether your feeling like your sitting in a stagnant season or not., if something is becoming more important than Christ in your life, I encourage you to pray about it! These "idols" as Samuel says are "useless"! They will never fill you with the completeness you are looking for. They are temporary and eventually will leave you wanting more. But Jesus? He will satisfy. A deep, down to the bone kind of satisfaction that we will find NO where else! Don't go back! Keep moving forward and "fill" up with Him that truly satisfies! Blessings, Elizabeth After taking a break over the holidays, "Mornings With Jesus" is back again! The promise in John 14:16 is one of my favorites! Read below to discover and learn more about the promise Jesus gives us regarding the Holy Spirit - it is a good one! Keep reading and you will find a recipe for mint hot chocolate. Make yourself a cup, curl up with a blanket and sip this tasty treat while digging into God's Word! The Promise: John 14:16 NIV "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever -" But let's not stop there! Let's continue on to verse 17, "-the Spirit of truth. the world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." *bolding is mine for emphasis. Ok, There is so much here I could unpack, but this is just a blog post, so I will try to keep it short and sweet. But I encourage you to dig deeper on your own and at the end of the post you will find a digging deeper section with references to do just that! Jesus promises us an advocate. A helper. The Greek word in the original text for advocate is parakletos. It means "one who is called beside." See the Spirit isn't just there when we need Him. He lives INSIDE us, beside us through it all. He indwells in us (1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Timothy 1:14, Romans 8:11). The Spirit of truth. Notice how the in the bible, the word "Spirit" is capitalized? That's important to take note of. It's capitalized because the Spirit that Jesus promises us IS God. Is Jesus. Is part of the trinity. The Spirit isn't new here in the New Testament. The Spirit has been alive and active throughout the bible - new and old. In the old testament, the Spirit would dwell in people for a limited time to inspire them, to help them accomplish tasks by strengthening them or giving them gifts, or for prophseying. But the Spirit didn't dwell in these people forever. That is different than what Jesus promised here. And after pentecost, when the promise is fulfilled, the Spirit was staying. Jesus was leaving but He was not leaving the disciples-or us-alone! He promises that the Spirit will be with us forever. And in verse 17, He tells us that the Spirit will be IN us. What a beautiful gift! One who lives inside us, goes with us everywhere. This is comforting and such a blessing! But it also means He goes with us even into our sin. Ephesians 4:30 tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit- which means to not cause Him pain by bringing Him into our sin. Stew on that for a moment. As a believer, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ and give him our hearts, and the Spirit dwells inside of us....when we sin, the Spirit is brought into that sin with us. The Spirit isn't just there when we need Him. He is always there. He dwells in us. So when we stumble into lies, into anger, into cheating, adultery, drunkenness, lust, ect, we are bringing the Spirit into it with us. And this causes Him pain. We will never be perfect, and I am certainly not, but understanding that in my sin, I bring the Spirit with me, has most definately shed a new light on my own sin. How about you? The good news is that while we may stumble at times and bring the Spirit with us in that stumble, the Holy Spirit does so much more for us! And one of those things is helping destroy the power of sin in our lives! Can I get an Amen?! But He does so much more than that! He guides, teaches, and comforts. He gives us an assurance of salvation, sanctifies us and makes us aware of that sin in our lives. He speaks truth to us, leads us, and gives us each gifts. And He empowers us. Wow. Now that's a promise. (Read below in digging deeper for the verses on the works of the Holy Spirit) To have the Spirit, is to have Jesus living inside you. It is to be empowered and to never walk alone. Ask the Spirit each day to rise up in you, embrace His leading and watch what He will do! Blessings, Elizabeth Keep reading for the hot chocolate recipe! Want to dig deeper? ~Read the entirety of John chapters 14,15,16, Luke 24, and Acts 2. ~Read the following verses on the work of the Holy Spirit: 1 John 2:27 Acts 8:29 2 Thessalonians 2:13 John 16:18 Acts 1:8, 4:31 Romans 8:2-6 Galatians 5: 16,25 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 The Recipe:
Mint Hot Chocolate 1 cup whole milk 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1/4 cup mint chocolate chips 1 tsp peppermint extract Heat the milk, add the last three ingredients, mix them all together, and enjoy! *I love to add a little whipped cream and some Hershey's syrup on top! Click the button below for "Mornings With Jesus" and enjoy a few more promises and recipes! Have you ever faced a battle that seemed impossible? One you haven't felt equipped or strong enough for? Perhaps you have faced several. I encourage you to reflect upon those times as you read along.... Let me tell you a brief story about Jonathan. He was Saul's son. And in 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan, along with his armor bearer and against great odds, attacked the philistine army. It was an impossibility for the two of them to have victory over this army, but regardless, they left the safety of Saul's camped army and set out on their own. They left the camp, a camp of men who were afraid to go into battle, and set out in faith. Faith that God would guide them and give them victory. Faith that the battle they were headed into could not be too big for God. And God? Well He proved them right and honored their faith with an amazing victory! But what if Jonathan had not had this faith? What if, he had stayed in Saul's camp, afraid and unmoving? Some battles are never won, not because they can't be, but because we stay in the safe confines of our "camp". Some battles we don't see victory over because we skirted around them and never really entered into the battle to begin with.
And other battles, well, some we decide to battle ourselves instead of trusting in God and letting Him be the warrior for us. What battles are before you? Will you stay in the camp, where fear abounds and the battles looms above you? Will you stay in that place where your feet retreat? A place where they lead their own way? A place where, perhaps, they are not moving at all? OR Will you leave the camp of fear and head into battle with faith like Jonathan? Will you move from the camp, allowing God to guide you into the battle with patience, discernment, trust and victory? What will you choose today? Blessing, Elizabeth As some of you may not have signed up for the free 7 day Christmas devotional/reflection, "A Journey to Bethlehem", I wanted to share Day One with you! I hope it blesses you! DAY ONE: "JUST A GIRL" The Passage: Luke 1:26-34 " In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin." Back in Mary's day, many would have wondered why God chose Mary for a purpose such as carrying the Messiah into the world. She wasn't a "likely" choice. They would have looked at her and seen just a poor, young girl. She had no "credentials" to be the mother of the Savior of the world. And yet, that is exactly who God chose. God chose Mary. Not the other way around. He chose her for that purpose and He chooses us, too, for specific purposes. Yes, that means, YOU. The call might not come in the form of an angel with a message, but He is calling. Do you hear it? Are you listening? Is it drowned out by lies saying you are not enough? I imagine Mary was aware that she was an "unlikely" choice according to many in her community. Verse 29 tells us Mary was confused and disturbed when the angel first appeared! Here she was, "just a girl". Just a girl faced with the prescence of an angel with a message from the Lord. She had to be wondering, why me? We often feel "unlikely", don't we? I know I do at times. When an unexpected task is presented to us, we can feel unequipped. Imperfect. Unworthy. Too old. Too young. Too uneducated. Too inexperienced. Too quiet. Too weak. Too ordinary. The list of reasons can go on and on. But, just like God saw more in Mary than those around her did, he sees more in us too. And He calls us. Let's not forget, too, that God has chosen over and over again the "unlikely". The woman at the well. Jonah. Rahab. Jacob. Paul. David. Moses. Just to name a few. They were cheaters, liars, murderers, prostitutes, aldulterers. Some stuttered. Some ran from God. Some killed Christians. Some were outcasts. Whatever reason lies behind your "I am not enough", there is nothing that will stop our mighty and merciful God from using you. The angel sensed she was confused and troubled, and told her not to be afraid. God senses this in us as well. He knew we would feel this way at times. I believe that is why, over and over again, in His Word, He tells us not to be afraid. Do not be afraid. Let those four words comfort you in whatever challenges are in front of you. He will equip you when you face trouble, when you walk down the unknown path in faith, when you say yes to your calling, and when the journey is burdensome. Understanding that Mary was troubled is vitally important to her response to Gabriel's message. In verse 34 she asks, "But how can this happen?" Mary's response was not like that of Moses, who (when God told him he was to go to Pharoh and lead the people out of Egypt) protested, "Who am I to appear before Pharoh?", "Who am I to lead the people?" (Exodus 3:11) and then pleaded, "I'm not very good...", "I have never been...", "Lord, please send anyone else...". (Exodus 4:10,13) No, Mary didn't make excuses for why she couldn't be used, even though she had some trepidation. Instead, she was obedient and simply asked, "How". When God calls, will we answer like Moses? Or like Mary? I don't know about you, but I sure have found myself saying a few things to God just like Moses did. But I desire to answer more like Mary, obedient and trusting. When He calls us, it is not a matter of will we be equipped for the task, because God will equip us, but rather will we say "yes", trusting in His purposes? REFLECTION QUESTIONS 1. What tasks have you been called to? Is your heart open to being called? 2. Are you feeling unequipped for what God has called you to do? Is this holding you back from following your calling? 3. Think of a time you found it hard to trust God in what He was asking you to do. Were you like Mary or Moses? Did you come up with excuses as to why God should not have picked you? Why someone else would be better to fulfill this purpose or task? Or despite not understanding why or how, did you trust that God would equip you? What lesson did you learn from this? Looking back would you handle this differently now? How will you answer God the next time he calls? 4. Are you ready to say "yes"? Are you ready to step out in faith and trust that God will equip you? 5. If you say "no" to what you are being called to do, reflect upon what amazing work you may miss out on! What if Mary had said no? Saying yes, didn't mean an easy road ahead of her, but imagine what she would have missed out on? Through her obedience and submission, hope was brought to the world! I hope you enjoyed Day One of A Journey to Bethlehem: Preparing Our Hearts. If you would like to receive free devotionals in the future, you can sign up by clicking below. Blessings, Elizabeth "My sacrifice to you, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, you, God, do not despise." Psalm 51:17 This has long been a favorite verse of mine. Because it spoke straight to my soul the first time I read it, I wanted to fully understand what a broken and contrite heart was. A contrite heart is one humbled by its own brokenness and guilt, it makes no excuses and is fully aware that it's righteousness comes from God alone. It is a heart that embraces the need for God's mercy and truly desires a more holy life. So what does a broken and contrite heart look like? I studied this for quite some time and here are just a few examples to reflect upon during the week.
A broken, contrite heart is: ~ overwhelmed with the awareness of their personal spiritual need ~ can forgive because they have been forgiven ~meek ~ genuinely wants to serve others ~ truly cares about the success of others and lifts others up ~willing to get close to others and take the risk of developing deep, loving relationships ~lives transparently and allows others to see their weaknesses, flaws, and sin ~ compassionate ~ elated when God chooses to use them and sees their worthiness through God's redemption in their life Is this your heart today? Blessings, Elizabeth |
Meet ElizabethWife. Mother. Writer. Photographer. Child of God. Encouraging others in faith through a lens of grace and seeing beauty in the ashes. All images and content belong to me (Blue Jean Gypsy), unless otherwise noted. You may use an image ONLY if it is linked back to this blog! Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
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April 2020
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