Have you ever thought about what it means to ‘live a life of love?” Full of Christ’s love to the point of overflowing? Sometimes life distracts us, pulling us down to the depths of reality. Current circumstances leave little room for love, peace or even joy. Maybe we don’t feel like loving or like being loved. But God’s Word tells us how to get there and why we should. Ephesians 5:1-2 reads, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love; […]
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What is joyous freedom? Last week, we talked about joyful obedience which is a phrase that comes from the United Methodist liturgy. It goes like this; “Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will., we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. […]
As I recited the words, “free me for joyful obedience,” from United Methodist communion liturgy, it was like hearing them for the very first time. “Free me for joyful obedience.” I have recited these same words more times than I can count. Free me. Me. For obedience. Not just for any obedience, joyful obedience. What does that even mean? How can obedience be joyful? How can obedience be joyful? I have been on a path, a […]
In the warmer months of the year, I enjoy my morning time with God sitting on my patio. With the birds chirping and the bees buzzing, I feel closer to God there. This morning, as I sat there struggling to get into the groove of my routine, (i.e.- devotion, scripture, prayer,) I was distracted. Not by all of creation, but more with the things I needed to do for the day. I made myself open my Bible. As the red letters leaped off the page, […]
The other day, I woke up to an old hymn playing in my head, “Trust and Obey.” “Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.” I instinctively knew The Lord was trying to teach me something. Today, I want to share that lesson of how to trust and obey with you. I remember, years ago, sitting in a church service with this unsettledness in my spirit. An anxiousness really. I felt as if the Holy […]
Many of us just celebrated Father’s Day. As we reflect on our dads, it is always bittersweet. Some are still here with us, but many have gone on. They have left us with great examples of what it means to be a good, good father. That’s why I knew it was a good time to repost this blog my husband wrote a few years back. I hope you enjoy it as much now as we did then. From Travis; When Melissa first suggested I write […]