When the storm is raging, we call out to God from the depths of the deep we are drowning in . We cry out. We ask Him to take the wheel of the vessel of our lives that is about to capsize from the waves crashing over it. We let go of the wheel and step aside for Him to captain us through these rough waters in the dark of night. But what do we do when the waters are still? When our lives are calm for a time, like glass on a lake? Do we forget to continue to call out to Him? Do we remember He brought us to this still place? Do we turn once again to ourselves and the world to navigate our lives until the waves rage again? Or in the stillness, do we continue to let Him lead us, to stay captain of the ship? Do we give Him praise for not just getting us through the storm but for sailing us through blue skies. Do we trust Him in and let Him take the wheel in whatever horizon He plans on leading us too? Let us not just ask Him to be captain of the storm, but to ask Him to be the permanent captain of our vessel, through every day, even the still ones. Blessings, Elizabeth
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Every spring I take my children to a nearby farm to see all the baby animals. Last year there was a particular lamb that I was drawn to. This little lamb was blind in one eye. And He was standing all alone. All the other lambs were running here and there with their mothers protectively chasing after them. This little guy looked lost. Scared. Overwhelmed by all that was going on around him. He caught my eye because I knew how it felt to be lost. Scared. Overwhelmed. My son spotted him standing there too, but not for the reasons I did - he just wanted to hold a lamb so badly! He ran over and when the little lamb didn't try to run away from him, he immediately scooped him up into his arms. And then my son clung to him. Clung to him like he was never going to let go. And the lamb let him. Even snuggled into my son. I realized something in that moment. The lamb? He didn't look so alone anymore. He didn't look so scared or overwhelmed. Why? Because he now had a Shepard that didn't just tend his flock, but carried it in his arms. We have a Shepard too.
His name is Jesus. When we are feeling lost, or overwhelmed in a chaotic life... When we are blinded by the darkness around us.... May we KNOW there is a Shepard just waiting to scoop US up. He wants to hold us and walk with us when we can't put a foot in front of the other. When we can't see the path in front of us. When we can't see a way out. He wants to lift us above the chaos. He wants to pull us close. And He never wants to leave us. Sometimes our troubles paralyze, blind, or immobilize us to one spot. We see this as a bad thing, but count it a blessing! If we are running here and there, we cannot be scooped up into Jesus' loving arms! And that my friend, is the greatest place to be! "Like a Shepard he will tend his flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom." Isaiah 40:11 Blessings, Elizabeth I felt God's nudge as I was drawn to the third commandment in Exodus 20:7, "Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain". This was a commandment I had struggled with for a long time. Long before I had a relationship with Him. And while this habit has greatly diminished, I am still growing; still a work in progress. From time to time, a casual utterance of His name may still cross my lips. At first I thought that I was being pulled towards this commandment because I still had room to grow. And while this is true, I do, as I began to dig deeper, I realized that the lesson was not admonishment. It was "Reverence". This post is not to talk about why we shouldn't misuse the Lord's name, rather, it is to encourage each of us to use it with reverence and renewed praise. So what is reverence? Reverence is deep respect, it is love beyond doubt, it is honor, and having regard for the revered's feelings and wishes. So what is in a name? In Scripture, a name not only identified a person, but it stood for something. Often that was an attribute. I think it is important to note here, that God chose His name. Whenever a name was given to Him, it was not the people who named Him. It was God And He reveals to us who He is in this way. So to revere His Holy name, to revere the name God, Lord, Jesus, is to revere the characteristics and attributes that make Him who He is. This is where I could spend quite a bit of time but let me say it like this to keep it short and sweet: So who is He? He is the "I am" He is the alpha and omega The bread of life A mighty warrior Prince of Peace Friend The Door Comforter Lamb of God King of Kings Lord of Lords Redeemer The Way The Morning Star Good Shepard Light of the world Servant Horn of Salvation The Word And the Messiah He is Beauty and Blessedness. He is Glory and Holiness and Knowledge. He is Eternity. He is love and peace and perfection. He is wisdom. He is freedom and righteousness and mercy. He is omnipresent. And He is good. His name is a reflection of all that He is. And in His name there is: Life. Hope. Redemption. Truth. Salvation. In His name: We are baptized. Washed clean. Strengthened. Sanctified. Justified. To His name every knee will bow. And in His name we. rise. up. We rise up. And we have eternal life. You see, when we walk into a room and everyone is talking around us and then someone says our name? Our ears perk up. We respond to the sound of our name; we are moved. When I think of this fact, it encourages me and creates in me a desire, in a new and profound way, to want to move the heart of God when His name is on my lips. When I speak His name I want to revere it. For it is mighty. It is beautiful. It is Grace and love unimaginable. Psalm 111:9 "Holy and reverend is His name." Let His name be revered on our lips every day! Lord, great is your name! We praise you and thank you for giving us your name. And sometimes, in our brokenness, the only prayer we can utter is your beautiful name...Jesus. For some of us, Lord, there are things pushed down deep in our hearts, prayers our soul longs to whisper to you. Lord, I pray for those things. I pray that you make those things rise up so that we may lay them at your feet, Jesus. I pray, Lord, for every prayer on every heart that calls out to you. You are a good, good father. May we revere your Holy name! May we not only know there is new life in your name, Jesus, but may we breathe it in. May we live in it! And when your name crosses our lips, may it always glorify you! In Jesus name I pray, Amen! Blessings,
Elizabeth I took this photo below at my brother's cottage. The light on the lake at this time is my favorite, and I had a vision (for months) of how I wanted this photo shoot to go. But, as often times happens, our vision is not the one God has in mind. From the moment we began to prepare, the vision of what I had in mind slowly started deteriorating. The row boat was an old boat of my brother's and we didn't realize until turning it over, that it had a hole in it. But we attempted to use it anyway. Water started seeping in as soon as I pushed it out into the lake. My daughter was a trooper, and posed for this photo even though water was slowly filling in around her feet. After only being able to snap a few quick photos, it became evident that the row boat was going to start sinking if much more water seeped in. So she headed back to shore; those rugged paddles rowing her safely in before the boat was too full and sank. She got out-her white dress dirty and wet. And as we dragged the boat onto shore, I thought to myself that it had all been for nothing, as I had barely had a chance to take any photos. Certainly there were none that could be used for what I had planned.
But later, when I looked my camera, I saw a few that I loved - like this one. A few that were worth the effort and that I will treasure. A few that could be used. And used in other ways than I had originally intended. Our lives and circumstances are the same as this photo shoot, aren't they? We have one vision, things don't go as planned, but God uses it in unexpected, beautiful ways? Sometimes, we need to get in the boat. Even if it's leaking water and we think it will go no where. Sometimes we have to trust the rugged oars will get us back to shore. And sometimes, we won't see the photos that are created when we bravely step out amid the sinking boats, the holes, and the rising waters. But that doesn't mean they don't exist. That you didn't make a few "photos" worth saving in your effort. Sometimes those "photos" that God creates when we are brave and step out into uncertainty? The ones you can't see? I imagine they are some of the best. I imagine they are beautiful. And I imagine someone is looking at them-in thankfulness-that you were brave and trusted an old boat and some rugged oars. Blessings, Elizabeth Just in case you didn't sign up to receive the free devotional series, I wanted to share with you Day One from the "Rise:Raising the Lazarus in Our Lives" series. I hope is blesses you, friend! The Passage: John 11:1-3 " A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. this is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, your dear friend is very sick." NLT The Devotion -Lazarus was sick- We all have a "Lazarus" in our life. A spiritual ailment. A wound of temptation. An infected marriage or relationship. An amputation of joy, stillness, or contentment. Perhaps it is the promised land that seems sick or dead because we have wandered back to the wilderness or maybe it is self-forgiveness and self-worth that are buried because we are still living in shame. Sickness, ailments, wounds, missing parts - they all need healing. They all need to rise up from the grave they are living in. I speak of these things, to challenge us, my friend. Challenge us to look deep into our hearts and souls and see what it is that ,like Mary and Martha, we need to call out to Jesus to address. -Lazarus was sick.
And he was a friend of Jesus- These three - Lazarus, Martha and Mary - were Jesus' friends. He had been welcomed into Martha's home and Mary had sat at His feet listening to Him. She had washed His feet with expensive oils and wiped them with her hair. We do not know the extent of these friendships but we see there is a personal relationship and that Jesus must have cared for Lazarus. He cares about us, too. Knowing Jesus and being close to Him, does not mean we will never suffer, never have hardships, never hurt, never have things in our life that have a kind of death that needs reviving. Jesus wants to be called to the bedside of our "Lazarus". Mary and Martha, when they were troubled, when they were in despair, when they saw someone (or in our case something) in their life that was dying, they called out to Jesus. They knew what He could do. They believed in His gentle mercy, and so they called out to Him by sending a message. Not a dictate or command, but rather a humble request; making their need KNOWN and yet leaving space in that request for the Lord's will. Leaving space in the request that the Lord knows all, sees all. Leaving space for the will of God to work for His Glory. So right now, the "Lazarus" in each of our lives needs our recognition. We need to acknowledge it is there and then offer a message to Jesus today. Ask Him to come to our bedsides. Tell him our hearts are heavy; that we are feeling sick. And then expect that He will come! In His own time and His own will. Come to the place where what is dead lives. That room, or hiding place where our "Lazarus" lies. Don't hesitate, but rather scribble the message across your heart, close your eyes in prayer.....and ask. Ask Him to come and see your Lazarus..... Blessings, Elizabeth When I was a little girl, my family took a road trip to Florida. I don't remember the name of the place, but on the way, we stopped somewhere in the mountains. This place had a beautiful view of a vast area of land. My mom says we could see several states from that spot. However, from the view of a child, I thought I could see the world! I was mesmerized! When I first discovered the vastness of God's unfailing love, I was that little girl again in awe! I saw the world like I had never seen it before! The view took my breath away!
I want to grasp tightly to that view and not let it fall to the back of my mind. I want to open my eyes each morning, soaking in the beauty of His everlasting love and mercy. I may not be standing on top of a mountain, but each day I am blessed with a view of hills and valleys that display His amazing Grace and unfailing love! So when you wake in the morning, what will you see? Will it be a view in the back of your mind? Or will you take a step forward with renewed awe and see the vastness of the "world" before you? Today, if you haven't already, take a moment to take it in with fresh eyes. Eyes of wonder, like that of a child. Take in the vastness of His love and mercy and grace....like a child of God. "But because of his great love for us, God , who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved." Blessings, Elizabeth I love new paint. The soft, clean, untouched pallet. The colors oozing the desire to be used. The numerous possibilities of what they will create. The fanciful dreams of what I will paint with them. But, I love even more a pallet that is dirtied and worn. One that has barely a drop of paint left. One in which splatters of the beauty it created linger behind. One that was used well.... Over the course of our lives, which will we be? Will we be pages colored with splatters of our pallet or will it remain crisp and white?
Will we wait so long -for the right time, for the right moment- to use the gifts God has given us, that we end up not using them? Will the pages remain empty of the paint that God laid in the pallet for us? Will the brush remain dry? It's use longed for perhaps, but never picked up? Or Will we have used every last drop of the gifts we have been given? Will our pallets be worn and the pages of our lives be splattered with the effects of pursuing our calling? Will our pages be painted with the use of our gifts, pointing others to Jesus? Will the world be a little brighter because we chose to use everything He gave us for His glory? Me? I want to use every drop of paint in the pallet I have been given. Which kind of pallet do you want to be? "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 "Each of you should use whatever gifts you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10 Blessings, Elizabeth I'm so glad you are here! This is one of the last Mornings With Jesus until fall. Enjoy and take in this promise along with some delightfully sweet hot chocolate! The Passage: John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. If your looking for a devotion or a teaching, you won't find it here this week in this post. This one is short and sweet. I struggled with what to write about regarding this promise. And then I realized why. Why? Because this verse is stunningly simple and beautiful by itself. What more could I say? It stands profound and explanatory. All the hope and encouragement you need is right there. To whoever believes, there is salvation. Whether you knew this verse or you are hearing it for the first time- Breathe it in. Live in this promise. Blessings, Elizabeth Read on for the recipe.... The Recipe: Red Velvet Hot Chocolate 4 Cups milk (whole preferred) 1/4 cup sugar 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 teaspoons red food coloring 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Mix them all in a pot on low heat, until all the chocolate chips have melted (stir often). Pour into your favorite mugs and top with some whip cream and sprinkles/colored sugar. Then serve and enjoy! For more Mornings With Jesus, just click below!
"Be Mine", what a beautiful offering our God extends to us....for us to be His! Each time I hear the whisper I am overwhelmed. I know I will never be worthy enough, but He calls me to be His anyway. And He calls you too! This is last in the "Be Mine" series for Mini Mondays in February. If you haven't read the first three posts in the series, just click the buttons at the end of the post. I hope you have found some encouragement and that you hear the whisper, respond to it, lean into it, and Make Him yours as well. Keep reading for a little more inspiration..... He is my God.
He is your God. He is our God. Isaiah 41:10 says it so beautifully, "So do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be dismayed, for I am your God." This verse does not say "sometimes" He is our God. No, God tells us He IS our God. He loves us unconditionally and eternally. My mistakes? His love says they don't define me. Your past? His love says it covers it. Our doubts? Our frustrations? He says give it to Him. Our pain? He says, "Be Mine" and His love will take it up and replace it with comfort and peace. Be Mine.....I hope you hear the whisper everyday. I pray that in it you see the offer the Lord puts before you. The next time you see these simple words, may they be a reminder, that we -that you, that I - have this choice in front of us to be His. To lean into Him. To give over our thoughts and let Him be in control. To give him our whole hearts and trust where He will lead. To bury ourselves in the comfort of His embrace. To use our will to honor and praise Him. Be bound with all that you are to our Heavenly Father; the one who molded our hearts in His image. For He is so good and so worthy. There is no greater love than His. It is a beautiful gift when He whispers to us, "Be Mine". And it is a beautiful and heart changing response when we, like David professed in Psalm 119:94, whisper back to Him, "Save me, for I am yours." Be blessed today and everyday, Elizabeth Want to read the first three posts in the series? Just click on the buttons below. " Be Mine..." I hear the whisper over and over again. "Will you belong to me?" Over the last two weeks we have discussed belonging to the Lord and the heart. If you have missed those, links are provided at the bottom of this post. This week I'd like to talk about saying "Yes".... As the Lord whispers, " Be Mine..." do we fully embrace what He is offering us? Do we put Him before the world daily? Let Him lead us daily? Say "yes" daily to belonging to Him?
Do we say "yes" and then pull back that answer? Do we say "yes" when times are easy, and following Him has no challenges? Do we say "yes" and then turn away? Do we say "yes" and place Him on the back shelf until we need Him again? It is so important to say "Yes" not just today. But everyday. Over and over again. When the days are rough, say yes! When life is going smoothly and beautifully, say yes! When there is no understanding why things happen, say yes! When dreams come true and when they don't, say yes! When the direction of life is unknown or when doors are opened, say yes! We need to say yes from the depths of our hearts-with our emotions, our thoughts and our wills. To belong to Him with the entirety of our hearts in all circumstances. And when we stumble? We stand back up again, in perserverance, and say yes. We allow the well of our hearts to be deepened with the Lord's love and healing, with His strength and comfort. We stand up and say yes again, and His peace overflows our hearts and our souls beyond our understanding. Why? Because there is no other who can fill that well, such as the Lord! And when we say "yes", let us also say "You are mine." For in belonging to Him, He dwells in us and becomes ours. Isiah 41:10 says, " So do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be dismayed, for I am your God." (Bolding mine) And John 14:23 says, "Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." I am His, And He is mine. Will you say "yes" today to belong to Him? To be His? To embrace Him as yours? Will you say yes tomorrow and the next day too? Each day deepen the well. Fill it with the echo of daily affirmations of your belonging to Him. Let it overflow, in a multitude of waves that spill over the edge of the well with whispers of "you are mine, Lord". And let the love of our faithful Father wash over you. 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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