Tag Archives: jesus

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: JAN. 7, 2025

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Today a remarkable step is being taken. Someone I’ve known a good deal of my life is coming for help. He has been someone who has helped me on my own journey. Today, I get to be a helper for him with a difficulty he recently told me about. When he was a messenger of Light for me at some very difficult times in my life, I now pray I can be a messenger of Light for him. God has a way of doing this and I feel honored to return a favor.

I know I keep bringing up The Holy Spirit in my daily writing of late. It is incredible to me how much I’ve missed throughout my life about this loving, powerful Gift Jesus Christ gave to me–to each of us as we have asked HIm into our heart and lives. Throughout the New Testament, The Holy Spirit is spoken about/referenced. I’ve always read these references as something nice, but very mysterious. Today, I finally find what has been so mysterious taking root in me. The fact that The Holy Spirit is mysterious is simply because I’m flesh with limited capacity for understanding Spirit. God Himself is mysterious. Jesus Christ today is mysterious, yet because God sent HIm to earth to live for us in flesh and die for us in flesh, do we better understand Him.

I feel as though a cloud has been lifted from me. Instead of confusion, I am finding a contentment of Trust replacing it. I am beginning to rejoice in what I don’t know and thanking Christ for what I am now finding. I don’t need to understand so much as I have needed to TRUST what I couldn’t understand. God is worthy to be Praised and I join the ones who have been Praising Him already!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: JAN. 6, 2025

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I don’t know about you, the reader, but I have to admit my human weaknesses far more often than I wish were true. This morning as I was having my devotions I was reminded by Jesus that it is one thing to confess my weaknesses, but along with confession I must make a plan to address them. Then I was reminded that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:17). If I have faith that I can overcome my weaknesses but I don’t put effort into it, I am simply stuck with the weakness/es.

I attempt to give thoughtful advice to those who come for counsel. And, every once in a while, I am reminded that what I had just said, God wants me to put into my own practice. I then have to tell the one sitting across from me that “we can work on this together”.

As I have added worship music to my devotional time I am finding a renewed effort to confront flesh with Spirit. As my spirit awakens through worship it is accompanied with a passion beyond myself that I know is God’s Holy Spirit. He is the very One who will fight this battle, weakness, for me as I release my struggle to Him through my worship of Him. Worship is far more than singing a favorite chorus or hymn. It likely starts there, but God’s Spirit speaks to us in these times if we allow ourselves to listen. I am a newbie at this, but I want to continue growing for God’s Holy Spirit to be in full control of my everyday life.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: JAN. 2, 2025

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What in the world would we do without Jesus? As I’ve listened to the worship music this morning while having my devotional time, I’ve needed to just stop and let the spirit of worship sink into the depth of my being. Jesus–there is just nothing like him except God Himself and The Holy Spirit. The one exception is that He came into our world just like you and me and He did it all just for you and me. There just isn’t any greater example of love than this!

Helping others find Jesus in the midst of their strife is a commitment I’ve made in stepping into this counseling world. However, I’m also finding that keeping Jesus in the center of my own self is a critical element. How can one help others if Jesus isn’t the center of oneself? Starting the day with worship music playing in the background of my devotional time has been a game changer for me. If you haven’t listened to “I Speak Jesus” then please dial it up on YouTube and let it minister to you. It speaks loudly the entire purpose of living out the life of a christian in the name of Jesus! “I just want to speak the name of Jesus!”

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: JAN. 1, 2025

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HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome to the year of 2025. As light is just beginning to show the out of doors, I see the ground is covered with snow. We didn’t have a white Christmas, but we are having a white New Years. The rain and snow are blessed gifts to our area. We need it all each year to fill our reservoirs for the coming year of irrigation.

I was asked during the time our kids and grandkids were here, what I’d want sung and said at my funeral? I told them I wanted that service to be put together with things they wanted. I’d be dead and I’ve always wondered why people don’t put together a service that makes them feel better. As I have pondered this since being asked I’m realizing that a last remembrance is the purpose for the funeral. I’ve never liked the focus being on me for fear the ugliness of my life would be brought out and that’s what people would remember.

Getting to use the ugliness of a past as a tool in God’s toolbox to help others makes one’s past a Light, is nothing less than a miracle. Yesterday I met with a young man who had asked for counsel. I didn’t know him, but I know his wife rather well and all of his wife’s family. As he told me why he was seeking counsel I couldn’t help but identify with it. When he was mid-stream in telling me his story, he asked what the counseling sessions would do for him? I then said I’d like to give him some background on the person he is talking to once he’d finished giving me his background. When he was done I gave him a piece of my own story and what God has done for me. I concluded that this is what God wants to do with his past during the counseling sessions. He smiled big and said that he was really glad to be here.

When my time comes I want my service to glorify the God who brings such incredible healing and purpose to one’s life no matter what story it has attached to it. This is what I want people to remember as they leave my funeral service one day. Our God is faithful to the end!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 31, 2024

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Today I go back to the room I use for counseling. But, before I take this step, I want to take a moment and reflect upon the year I will step out of in just a few more hours. There are lessons I know God wants me to take with me into the new year, not just as lessons to know, but lessons that have changed me–my life.

As I was reading my devotional, the author was pointing out that no matter how young or old we are, God has continued purpose for having us here on earth. We need to seek this purpose out regardless of our age. I do know the truth in this for at the age of 72 God had me enter into this area of counseling. This has been an amazing step for this grandpa to take. Little did I know how much God would continue to grow me in so doing.

This Fall, as I was introduced to the idea of starting my day with worship music, I seem to have been introduced to God’s Holy Spirit in a way which I’ve never known. I’ve always wanted to have The Holy Spirit as mine, but have never gotten past the “wondering how” part of this step. Awakening my own spirit this time of the day, there is nothing more my spirit wants than to surrender to God’s Holy Spirit for the day. This step is far more than a lesson to learn, it is a life-change. It is as though the new creation I am is finally found.

As this year of 2024 ends I want to move into 2025 more alive than ever before. However, the more alive is defined by alive in Christ because His Gift of The Holy Spirit is alive in me. This is no longer a hope, but a reality! Thank You God for never giving up on me (us).

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 28, 2024

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It is incredible how God works. For many years (40+) my older two daughters have longed to settle their issues with their mom. They have wanted to do this for all of their adult years. Only a couple months ago they met with her. She has begun to get her own help from her childhood which has allowed her to be vulnerable. With all this, God opened the door for an immense amount of healing to take place. Yesterday I was able to talk with my kids and hear the full story. I couldn’t help but weep with joy with them!

I’ve read through the bible many times in my lifetime, yet, this morning something became very clear to me that I’ve overlooked until now. In the little book of Galatians Paul is writing about belief vs rules. The old testament is filled with rules to follow. The new testament is all about believing. What hadn’t hit me so powerfully until this morning is that even in the old testament, the characters who are called the men of God are those who believed along with following rules. Abraham, Moses, Joshua and all of the prophets–believed. It was one thing to follow rules, believing was the foundation for these men to be called men of God. Somehow, this shouldn’t be a new thought and it isn’t. It is the reality of the firm foundation of BELIEF. I lived a long time wanting to believe and now that foundation is firm.

God just never quits with us and how grateful I am for this!

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THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 24, 2024

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The beauty of Christmas is upon us. The Love of God has been poured out to us through God’s Son Jesus. In my mind I can see why the Jews of old thought Jesus had come to be their earthly ruler and not a spiritual one. However, being a gentile as I am, I am so grateful God included us in His remarkable plan to redeem mankind for we sure aren’t able to redeem ourselves with our selfish nature being so strong.

The reminder that Satan is here to steal, kill and destroy all of God’s perfect plan, is so very evident. Christmas is such an exciting time. However, I hardly ever experience one where relationships don’t turn sour in someway. Take a step away from the turmoil and one can see Satan smiling at this. However, no matter what Satan attempts, it only takes an apology, a humble sorry, a hug, forgiveness to change that strained relationship back to Godly love. God did a miraculous work sending Jesus to model how this Love of God works.

How grateful I am for this blessed time of God’s Great Love!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 20, 2024

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There is a huge reality I awoke to this morning. My “old person annual checkups” call me healthy, but that doesn’t mean my healthy flesh doesn’t get tired. As I got up this morning my body was saying to leave it in bed even though my mind was saying it is time to get up. As I began my devotions and started the worship music, my flesh was still saying–“turn it off”. However, when I told my flesh I was surrendering it to Jesus so my spirit this day would be devoted to The Holy Spirit, I surrendered.

Jesus told Peter that Satan wanted to “sift him like sand”. That wasn’t a one time statement meant only for Peter. I’ll bet all of us can say this has happened to us at different point in our lives. It is certainly true for me. I felt a dose of it this morning as I was battling temptations to surrender to flesh rather than to submit my flesh and spirit to Christ’s Holy Spirit. Satan isn’t going to back off just because we have Christ in our lives. His deception is quite masterful particularly when our flesh is tired. But, this AMAZING GOD we serve has all of this in hand when we don’t let our flesh rule–even for a little bit.

I am now ready for this day. The armor of God is in place and I’m surrendered. Yes, my flesh may be tired but I can give it a nap this afternoon if needed by then! How loving and generous our God is. Matthew 11:28 says: “Come unto me and I will give you rest…take My yoke upon thee and learn of Me…my burden is light….” Stepping into today with Christ’s yoke rather than the weight my flesh was carrying is SO different. Our God is truly our LOVING FATHER!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 19, 2024

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As I write today’s date I realize just how close Christmas is in it’s arrival. My kids and grandkids are arriving this weekend and the joy of family all being together will begin once again. What is equally on my heart is the reality of “Christmas arriving”. This babe we call Jesus came to us in the same way we came into this world of ours. The only difference was who had planted the seed of life for Him. I have a difficult time with this reality knowing what God and Jesus knew ahead of time and followed through with their plan for you and me. That was only a beginning of the plan too.

Jesus conquered sin for us so we can have our eternal life with God as was the original intent. In conquering sin He conquered the grip Satan wanted to have over mankind. As I write this I can hardly explain in words my gratitude for what Christ has done for you and me. The grip sin had on me for so, so long is broken. Not only is it broken, it is replaced with the gift of helping others find this truth for them.

Part of what Jesus did while on earth was heal the sick. What a privilege it is to get to participate with Him in continuing this healing work in a healing process we call counseling. We get to plant the seeds of new life which Christ gave to us and Satan wants to kill. I have always loved being a gardener. This is like spiritual gardening and the beauty of blossoms is like none other!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 15, 2024

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Before I write anything else today, I must back up to complete yesterday’s story. I wrote that I was to step into the day in FAITH only. The counseling sessions were to be experienced and not led by me. The quartet singing event was to be experienced and not prepped ahead of time (the order for it had already been done and I needed not prep any further). The experiences of the day as each one completed itself were amazing. The young men, the wife and mother, the attendees of the concert–all had the same message. God, Jesus, Holy Spirit were so present and I am walking away having had an experience which gave each of them and me new Light.

For me personally, I walked away from yesterday shaking my head in sheer abundant joy. I have lived a lifetime fighting temptation in the flesh not understanding how I was to surrender the battle so it could be actually fought and won by our VICTOR–Jesus Christ. We spend a lot of time getting to know our Savior and Lord. We also work on knowing Christ’s Gift to us–The Holy Spirit. This has helped me immensely. The lesson with the young men yesterday added an ingredient I needed. It focused on knowing our enemy–Satan: his many names and his many tactics.

God is Spirit, Jesus Christ came in flesh, but left in Spirit and remains this way for eternity. The Holy Spirit is His Name–SPIRIT. Satan is also spirit. Has flesh ever won over spirit? Never! Satan uses this tactic with us (me) endlessly that I am a loser who is lucky enough to have a Savior. Jesus has helped me experience the truth that I am worthy and not a loser. His Worthiness is mine and seen by God for God sees Jesus in me. It is one thing to know this, it is another to now walk in the confidence of it letting Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit fight the enemy who wants to “sift me like sand” just as Christ told this to Peter. Instead of fighting, I Worship the Victor! He has already WON the battle!