What Will You Offer to God...to be Your Best Self for Service?

Galations 2: 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

What will you sacrifice to get closer to God?  That word, sacrifice, is defined as giving up something you want to keep, especially to get or do something else, or to help someone else.  It’s also described as the act of killing a person or animal (as a religious ceremony) as an offering to please God.  What will you give up to get closer to God?   It’s interesting that we are called to die unto ourselves daily.  God is giving us the opportunity to be less flesh focused and more spirit focused.  We have to step out of ourselves or it continues to be all about us.  It is not (about us). 

It is about our relationship with God and how we can worship Him and serve others.  We have an abundance of gifts from God.  How will you use your time and your talents so that God is lifted up? When you’re at work, will you worship God by how you treat your co-worker or by how you do your job or by how you minister to those who don’t have a personal relationship with him?  When you’re at the store or getting gas or walking along the sidewalk, will you say something to someone that let’s them know that the love of God is in you and that he loves them, too.

You are God’s beloved! He loves you dearly, and there is nothing you can do about that.  So how will you respond to that love?  Will you continue to please yourself; your flesh; or will you die to yourself daily?  What will you sacrifice to be closer to God in your daily life? It may mean saying no to some really good and descent things in order to say yes to the things God has for you. 

Gratitude

 There Is Beauty All Around
Psalm 27:4 One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.

     I was walking the other day and couldn’t help but notice the leaves beginning to change colors, some already falling to the ground, and the trees blowing back and forth from the slight breeze.  When I looked up, it was as if the sky had been shaped and formed so the beauty of nature could shine and remind me of who God is.  The beauty of God is all around us, and whether we want to accept it or not, the beauty of God is in us.  He made us in his image.  Is he not a beautiful and wondrous and awesome God who can do and be all things!  That’s not a question, that’s a proclamation!  God is all things... good and perfect.  Will you not look all around you today ( in this season of your life) and take in His beauty.  Look at the trees that stand so tall and the oceans that roar and then sit peacefully and calm.  Look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field.  Rest in the beauty of the Lord. 
     Sometimes in the hecticness of our day to day, we struggle to find a moment’s peace.  We work all day; some days without a break.  We shuttle the kids around, or if the kids are grown or we don’t have children, we run to and from meetings. Errands take control of our lives and there is barely time to work out or make that phone call to mom or our siblings or the friend we’ve been meaning to call for weeks.  We don’t rest.  We have become content with the unrest.

     There is time to turn it around and take back your lives.  There is time to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. Find a special place in your home or office to create a space to commune with God...to hear  what He has to say to you about your life and your purpose and who He created you to be.  Today, look for the beauty in the world and the beauty inside of you. 

PRAYER
Lord, help my sister to seek you in all of creation.  You have created so many marvelous and beautiful things all around her and in her.  Bless her, Lord, that she may have eyes to see and a spirit to receive your goodness and your beauty.  Make her more like you every day.  Help her to see that she is created in the image of God.  Help her to see that she is beautiful because of you.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR LENITA YVONNE WILLIAMS WESSON......

The beauty in God and how he shows up is that it rarely looks like what I expect.  I have been celebrating my birthday in small ways for at least 3 weeks, and it's been a delight.  It's been that impromptu lunch with someone I've been wanting to chat with and get to know; or the rehearsal time for Grace's play that I've used to do some studying/reading during an hour that would have otherwise been filled; or the chats with Dale to catch up when we've been running on all cylinders but in different directions.  While those are not the typical or even ideal forms of "celebration" for ones birthday, they are ways that enrich and uplift me and simply....make me smile.

More than 200 of my Facebook friends thought enough of me to say Happy Birthday.  WOW!!!!! Thank you!  I got text messages and phone calls and lunches and a day off and a chance to see my daughter, Grace, perform in her first school musical and a night out with girlfriends and sushi and time to reflect and champagne toasts and hugs and kisses and perfume and flowers and cards...I love cards....yes...I got cards.  Grateful is probably overused, but I stay there because it's so easy to venture into bitter and jealous and angry and guilty and ashamed and ....pick an adjective.  So, my thought is to be Grateful.  That way, I get to acknowledge God's greatness, and I get to smile in spite of and because of who I am. 

Happy Birthday to me!  It is well with my soul...even in my early 40's ;o)


EXPECT MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER THINK OR IMAGINE!