Casting Our Cares

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 105: Today, I am grateful we can cast our cares. 

This is my verse for today:

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." -1 Peter 5:6-8

Many of the disciples were fishermen. It was a common trade on the sea. It was not always easy work, but if they cast their nets, eventually they would fill. They had to not give in to discouragement. They could not give up. Not every day is a big fish day. 

We often quote this passage for the comfort of knowing we have a God who cares for us. It really is awesome to consider that He looks with love upon our good days and in the middle of our messes. His faithfulness is truly awesome. 

We can cast our cares like a fisherman throws out a net or a line. We are reminded to come humbly before His throne and to be sober minded and watchful as the enemy of our souls is an ultimate predator seeking to devour and destroy. Our God is bigger, stronger, and loves restoration projects. We can trust His hand with the net, the rod, and the reel. 

Today, I am grateful we can our cares. 

Zoom Out

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 103: Today, I am grateful we can zoom out. 

The temptation to zoom in on today's fears or struggles is real. It can lead to anxiety and discouragement. 

My dear friend, Kelly, shared this image. It is a perfect reminder of all that we have in a world that constantly bombards us with images that can leave us wanting more. We even buy storage units to put it in when our homes and garages are filled. 

Consumerism can steal the joy in our ordinary days. 

We have so many ordinary luxuries. Clean water, reliable electricity, a safe place to sleep, and plenty to eat. These things are extraordinary. Savor them more. 

I am more of a glamper than a camper, but think about how many good memories are made around a campfire with family and friends. It is all so simple. The same can be said for a beach, if you live close to the water. Zoom out and enjoy the things that are most important.  

"And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." -2 Corinthians 9:8

All that we need for this day is truly an extraordinary thing. 

Today, I am grateful we can zoom out.

Justification

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 102: Today, I am grateful for justification. 

The starfish is at the edge of the sea, but it needs to make it into the water to live. Will the sea lap the shore and carry it to safety? 

In our human, sinful state, we could not get over the finish line by simply being told to obey the rules. Arrogance, pride, selfishness, and moods get in our way. As we read the Old Testament there is record after record of God reaching out to pull those who loved Him over the finish line. 

Not everyone was perfect. Even the best of the best failed at times. The cross would change everything, but it was many years coming. God is holy; sin is offensive to Him. Through faith in Jesus Christ that individuals are justified (Romans 3:28). God created a way and accepted the sacrifice. 

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" -Romans 3:23-24

Like the person who needs a gluten free kitchen or a peanut free zone, our souls must be justified and clean before God. Heaven is a sin-free zone. Jesus came so that we might be redeemed, cleaned, and justified. 

We are Easter people. Jesus, like the water lapping up the starfish, reached out to pull us to safety for those who are willing to confess, believe, and receive the gift. 

Today, I am grateful for justification. 

Priorities

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 102: Today, I am grateful for reminders to choose our priorities.

Oh those pesky "to do" lists. They seem endless, but they are great tools for helping us conquer the day... and the week. What tasks are important? Which are necessary? Which can wait, if time gets short. 

My friend, Stephanie, reminds us to "be where your feet are." It is a reminder to be fully present in the moment you are currently living. It is a great way to walk through the day. Priorities show what we value by how we spend our days. 

This scripture is all about priorities:

"And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." -Luke 9:23-24

The idea of taking up our cross to follow Jesus implies that not every day will be sunshine and roses. There are great days ahead, but there will be hard days, too. We can trust Him to be our life preserver and our restorer when we seek His face and with our whole hearts. When we present our lives as a living sacrifice, there is no losing. 

Today, I am grateful for reminders to choose our priorities.

Early Spring Blooms

 Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 101: Today, I am grateful for early spring blooms. 

The day has been full, so this post is short. Everywhere I looked today there were blooms and promises of flowers to come. As the earth comes back to life, the birds sweet songs provide a soundtrack for the rebirth. 

Again, the perfect chorus of “let heaven and nature sing” comes to mind  

 Today, I am grateful for early spring blooms. 

Timers

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 100: Today, I am grateful for timers.

My oven timer has been broken for more years than it worked. For years I carried hand held timers while doing laundry or other tasks so that dinner or a baked item wasn't burned. 

I've set timers to not forget the laundry and to put things in the oven to have them done on time. Timers are a game changer.  

With cell phones and watches with timers, I rarely need the one I used to carry around. Timers help us stay on task. While Kermit the Frog masters procrastination, I like to set multiple timers to keep me moving. 

Solomon was right. There is a time for everything. 

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:" -Ecclesiastes 3:1

My timer says I need to get out the door to work. 

Today, I am grateful for timers.

A Comfy Chair

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 99: Today, I am grateful for a comfy chair.

Do you have a favorite chair? The one that is cozy and fits just right? Perhaps, you have your "spot" on the sofa or loveseat. This image made me laugh because most of us have experienced that moment when we find our comfy chair and it takes us by surprise. 

Everyone has a different definition of what makes a chair cozy and comfortable. Our different opinions make the world more interesting. There is no true right and wrong. The perfect seat is very open to opinion. 

I do not know why I am still surprised when the thing that catches my eye relates to the "Verse of the Day." The scripture is about Jesus sitting down at the right hand of God after the crucifixion and resurrection. He returned to take His comfy seat. 

There is nothing like "coming home" where the cozy chair awaits. Jesus's suffering was complete and conquering sin and death finished. His spot waiting for Him with a celebratory return. His radiance and position restored. Human skin no longer binds him. Oh, what a homecoming! 

"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high," -Hebrews 1:3

Savor your comfy chair today and rejoice knowing that Jesus conquered the grave so we could join as joint heirs at the table in heaven. "We can only imagine"... as the song goes. 

Today, I am grateful for a comfy chair. 

Our Amber

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 98: Today, I am grateful for our Amber.

It is the anniversary of the day she was born and a wonderful reason to celebrate. 

She is the daughter Walker chose for us and it has been a joy to see them care for each other with such gentleness and compassion. They really like and encourage each other daily. 

She fits into our family of six just right. She loves color, crafting, cats, conversations, cozy couch moments, and Walker. Gardening and cooking together fills their days with the ordinary things that are truly extraordinary. She is intentional about walking in love. 

This was the scripture read at their wedding almost a year and a half ago. It is a popular passage, but for them it was perfect. 

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." -1 Corinthians 13:1-8

We are grateful for her birth, her heart, and the choice she makes every day to love well. Her name is perfect. Amber stone is a naturally occurring fossilized resin. It has long been valued by many cultures and is found in a variety of rich colors. Amber loves color! 

Amber, also, has been thought to have healing properties acting as an effective pain reliever for inflammatory, muscle, and chronic pains. Our Amber brought healing, too.  

Happy Birthday, Amber. We love you. 

Today, I am grateful for our Amber.

Peonies Popping

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 97: Today, I am grateful for the peonies popping. 

Spring is trying to break free of winter. We have had enough warmth and sun to give the peonies the courage to break through the soil. Before the green foliage and pink blooms, they look a little like red asparagus. 

This year, it is particularly exciting to see them because Randy divided them last year. We will wait and see what the summer brings. We are hopeful. 

The plant world "feels" things differently. It responds to the environmental factors thrown its way. Drought, too much rain, pruning, wind, and pests impact the plant. Most plants fight the fight. They struggle until they win or lose. Humans, at times, offer intervention to help, not always with success. Nature is still full of mystery. 

What about new life in Christ? We are two days past Easter. This was my verse of the day that reminds us that new life in Christ is like no other. The mystery is summed up in this letter to the Galatians:

"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." Galatians 2:20

When there is an invitation to let Christ lead, everything else changes. We can trust that the one who paid our debt in full by his death and resurrection has our best interests in mind. Not every day will be sunshine and flowers, but there is a purpose to the path, even in the struggle. 

Often in the struggles, new life takes root and flourishes. 

Today, I am grateful for the peonies popping. 

Budding Trees

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 96: Today, I am grateful for budding trees. 

Out the window this morning are budding trees! What a delight it is to see them bursting with that perfect spring green color and resurrection. 

After the resting season of winter, the pruning, and the deep freeze, new life springs forth. It had been waiting for the right time. The time is now. 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." -2 Corinthians 5:17

Our bodies look the same on the outside, but what was once dead inside of us has been brought to new life. Restored and ready to fully live. 

Let heaven and nature sing! 

Today, I am grateful for budding trees. 

He Is Risen!

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 95: Today, I am grateful, "He is risen!"

My friend, Susan, posted this image today and it captured the "Wow!" of this day. It is the most important holy day for Christians. 

At Christmas, Jesus was born in human skin. It must have felt so strange. Perhaps, by his thirty-third year he was kind of used to it. He had certainly embraced living in a family, with friends, and in fellowship with others around him. 

When he bore the cross, he experienced a human death. He chose it. He asked if the Father had a better idea, but in the end Jesus prayed, "Thy will be done." Then, He submitted to ridicule, humiliation, beatings, and execution on a cross. 

I have enjoyed listening to Wes Huff (Apologetics Canada) and others talk about historical documentation on Jesus's death on a cross. When the ancient Romans crucified someone, they were dead when they were done! They removed a dead human body late that Friday and placed it in a stone tomb. 

Saturday was full of stunned silence and shame for those who had betrayed even knowing Jesus. Then on Sunday, with the men still hiding, the women get up to go to the tomb to better prepare the body in death. They carried spices for the task, but when they arrived - the tomb was empty! A heavenly messenger announced that they would not find Him in the tomb. Jesus had risen... as he said he would. 

"He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay." -Matthew 28:6

Resurrection proves Jesus was fully God. Very dead, now fully alive, again. For 40 days Jesus would continue to appear and engage with people. The word spread like wildfire with so many eye witnesses. It must have been especially clear to those who had a front row seat at the cross, at the tomb, and in the forty days beyond the tomb. 

Jesus accomplished his mission! Our sin debt was paid in full. Jesus declared, "It is finished." Then, he proceeded to conquer the grave so that we might only know death as a door. Our part? Believe, confess, repent, and receive the gift of salvation. Then, accept the invitation to walk with Him through all of our earthly days. 

"Deal? Or, no deal?" 

Today, I am grateful, "He is risen! He is risen, indeed!"

Work Done in Silence

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 94: Today, I am grateful for the work done in silence.

"Holy Saturday. The best reminder that the silence of God doesn't equal the absence of God." -Tullian Tchividjian

Some work is a showy production. Other work is tedious, time consuming, and best accomplished in silence. 

On the day between the crucifixion and the resurrection, some were in hiding. A group of women waited for the Sabbath restrictions to lift so they could care for Jesus's body. There were tears from many and a deep sense of sorrow that words could not really capture. What did they hear for heaven? Silence. 

Jesus had told them more than once that he would die and rise on the third day. After such a brutal death - did they believe it impossible? They had witnessed Jesus raise people from death. Lazarus was a recent and impressive resurrection, as he had been in the grave four days and he did not even stink when he came out of the tomb. Yet, it seems they had no hope. 

Waiting places are rarely our favorites. Yet, in the waiting places the seeds of faith or doubt most often take root and grow. What shall we plant today? 

"Do not dig up in doubt what you planted in faith." -Elizabeth Elliott

Big things are brewing in the silence. 

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1

Sunday's on the way! 

Today, I am grateful for the work done in silence.

The Spoken Words

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 93: Today, I am grateful for the spoken words. 

After the betrayal, abandonment, rejections, and the flogging that would have killed most men, Jesus was forced to carry his own cross until it was physically impossible to take another step. 

Simon of Cyrene was "compelled" or "seized" to help. It wasn't voluntary but it was life-changing. He is the only human who helped Jesus carry the cross. (Mark... typically a man of a few words... is the one who mentions Simon as the father of Alexander and Rufus... connecting the cross to future carriers of the Gospel of Christ.)   

The horrors of the past 24 hours, the casting of lots for his clothes, the swing of the hammer that pounded the nails into his flesh, the cross raised up making every breath a struggle, and the offering of vinegar when Jesus craved water exemplified man's ability to act without humanity toward other men. Still, the lost souls on each side of Him mattered. One believed and received. One rejected the opportunity. The choice we all must make epitomized. 

The spoken words of Jesus from the cross are my gratitude for this Good Friday. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John give us four views of that day that changed everything. The prophecy in Psalm 22 comes to fruition. (If you are a math person, what are the odds of this psalm reading like a picture of the crucifixion?)

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." - A plea for forgiveness for his executioners reveals the heart of Jesus. (Luke 23:34)

"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." - Assurance to the repentant thief beside him. He was still mission focused until His last breath. (Luke 23:43)

"Woman, behold your son!" - Addressing Mary, entrusting her to John. (John 19:26) “Here is your mother!”  (John 19:27) -Clarifying for John that she was now under his care. He was still a son who loved his mother.

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" - A cry of anguish reflecting his suffering. (Matthew 27:46)(Psalm 22)(Mark 15:34) His prayer for another way was answered with a "no" so we might be pardoned. He felt the separation from the Father in that moment, as God put forward a propitiation for all through one. 

"I thirst." - A statement expressing his physical, human suffering. (John 19:28) 

"It is finished." - Declaring the completion of his mission. Victory! (John 19:30) He did it! He had completed the mission of the cross so we could be reconciled. 

"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." - A final act of surrender to God. (Luke 23:46) His life was not taken. It was given. 

Good Friday reminds us that love held Jesus on the cross, not nails. 

Today, I am grateful for the spoken words. 

Maundy Thursday

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 92: Today, I am grateful for Maundy Thursday. 

It was Passover week. From Palm Sunday to Thursday, the community climate around Jesus changed. From waving palms to the coming betrayals, his heart must have been so heavy. 

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” - Matthew 20:17-20

He pressed into the Passover celebrations. He even planned for the Passover meal with his disciples that we now call "The Last Supper." Would they have described his mood as pensive? He was deep in thought and determined to follow through with washing their feet before sharing the meal. 

Peter resisted. Jesus won. 

"When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you?" -John 13:12

What were the men thinking? Jesus had repeatedly told them of what was to come, but they did not seem to process His words. Was it too unthinkable? For three years, he had masterfully escaped the challenges from the temple priests when they tried to set him up. The traitor would come from within. He was successful because... "now was the time." 

Maundy Thursday was monumental in the historical context. Nothing was accidental. Everything that was to pass was allowed by the hand of the Father and according to His purpose. The plan for the execution was executed. 

Jesus knew it. What did He do? He gathered them, fed them, and explained the new covenant... after he washed their feet. Kings are known to be demanding and unreasonable. Jesus served first. He healed those broken by sin and circumstance. Our little ones at church sing a song to the tune of "What Do you Do with a Drunkin' Sailor?" 

We have a King with a bowl and towel (x3), Servant King is Jesus!
Jesus the King is Risen (x3), Early in the morning.

How do our hearts respond to this Servant King? Eternity hangs on the question. 

Today, I am grateful for Maundy Thursday. 

No One Is Good

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 91: Today, I am grateful for the humbling reminder that no one is good. 

In Jesus's last days before the crucifixion it must have felt like everyone was pressing in on him. The Jewish king, Herod, wanted to see a miracle like Jesus was some type of a magician. The disciples were fighting over who would sit next to him in Heaven. The Father was giving no sign that he would be spared the cross. His emotions were deep, real, and... human. 

The "modern" world and culture was full of religions and other gods that were held up in high esteem. Humans felt very enlightened while missing the Messiah that had come 33 years ago. They missed seeing the many ways Jesus fulfilled the prophecies they had heard for many centuries. 

Religion became something they did, but it was not rooted in their hearts. It was more of a clubhouse than a house of worship. Many went on the appointed days, but they did not keep the Word of the Lord in their hearts. Perhaps some kept the traditions honoring parents, but did not wholly invest in their faith. They were taught the commandments and the covenants, but to many, it was "outdated." 

The people were many years out of Egypt, morning manna, and the desert days. Many did what was right in their own eyes. They had lost their sense of awe when it came to God. 

"The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good." -Psalm 14:1

The Psalm of David was as relevant then as it is now. It is much easier to judge others than it is to see our own sins reflected in the mirror. Jesus spoke these words to the disciples at his last meal with the disciples before he was arrested. It was their Passover meal. 

"But behold the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of man goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” And they began to question one another, which of them it was that would do this." -Luke 22:21-23

They all would remember His words at different moments at the time of the crucifixion and beyond the resurrection. They were beloved, chosen, forgiven, and redeemed... but they were not "good." 

Today, I am grateful for the humbling reminder that no one is good. 

Mission Minded Focus

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 90: Today, I am grateful for mission-minded focused. 

I appreciate mission minded focus. It is so easy to get distracted. Distractions are abundant and focus can be hard to maintain. Something is always ringing, dinging, beeping, or vibrating. 

Did someone say, "Squirrel?" If our Daisy Mae hears that word, she bolts for the door to be let out. If she doesn't see a squirrel, she heads to the place she last saw one. She is on a mission and her focus is intent every time. 

My scripture was from John again today. It includes a voice sounding from Heaven. 

“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour.  Father, glorify thy name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show by what death he was to die." -John 12:27-36 (RSV)

Jesus remains mission focused, even when he is not excited about what is ahead. He could have asked the Father to save him, but he didn't. The crowd was stunned to hear a voice from Heaven affirming. Jesus commits to the cross ahead in submission saying, "I have come to this hour. Father, glorify thy name." 

Commissioned. Committed. Conquering death so we might live! 

Today, I am grateful for mission-minded focused. 

A Hunger to See

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 89: Today, I am grateful for a hunger to see.

What or who do we "hunger to see?" There are many different answers, as we are all unique in our experiences. There might be far away places our hearts desire to visit or it might be a full night of sleep for those with new babies in the house. 

The Lent passage for today is long because I could not decide where to start and stop. It all fits together to show the fear mounting around Jesus. Raising Lazarus from the dead created quite a stir. Everyone was talking about it. Four days in the grave, and Lazarus comes out fully alive, whole, and with no stench of death on him. What a miracle! 

The chief priests plotting Jesus's death decided they should kill Lazarus, too... again. Jesus and Lazarus were a dangerous combination. Too many people were seeing and believing in Jesus. The church leaders had a hunger to see both Jesus and Lazarus eliminated. 

Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii[a day's wages for a laborer] and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

The Plot to Kill Lazarus

9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. -John 12:1-11 

There it was. The real threat was the evidence of the power in Jesus's hands and commands. Lazarus was living proof. The people wanted to see Lazarus for themselves. Imagine the conversations! But, quietly in the whispers, others wanted to see Jesus dead and Lazarus dead again. 

Today, I am grateful for a hunger to see.

Signs of Rebirth

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 88: Today, I am grateful for signs of rebirth. 

There is something about dead things coming back to life that never ceases to amaze me. That from a hard, lifeless seed, life sprouts when living water is applied.  

This is Holy Week! It is all about the dead coming back to life. Sin causes shame. Shame leads to separation and loss of relationship. Jesus came to bring forgiveness, cleansing, healing, hope, and victory over death. New life is a miracle every time! 

It’s been a full day of waving palm, washing feet, and remembering Aunt Judy with family and friends. The drive was full of new life on the ground and in the trees. It was really a gorgeous day. With each ending comes new beginnings. 

Pause. Ponder. Pray  

Today, I am grateful for signs of rebirth. 

Third Times a Charm

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 87: Today, I am grateful that the "third time's a charm." 

Honestly, by the third attempt at something, we have a chance to tweak what is wrong and finally "get it right." Bakers rarely feel the first time they bake something that it is perfect. The saying is old, but still in our lexicon. French and Spanish have similar sayings, too. 

Communications 101 taught us that we must tell people something three times for it to be committed to memory. Somehow, things stick on the third telling. 

For today's Lent passage, Jesus is taking his third attempt at telling the disciples that his death is coming. They did not want to hear it. Was it selective hearing? In retrospect, it would all become clear, but at the time it did not sink in. 

"They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”-Mark 10:32-34

Not a pleasant prediction, so did the disciples close their ears to the possibility? It made no sense. Jesus was healing people. He raised Lazarus from the dead. He did not pick a fight, but he did not back down when the religious leaders poked at him, trying to catch him breaking a law. They were out to get him, and he was fully aware. 

Three times Jesus tried to tell them, but they were still surprised. At that moment, Jesus was being sought out and celebrated by many. The idea of everyone turning on him seemed unlikely at the height of his popularity with the common people as well as some of the powerful Roman citizens. 

Were they too caught up in the Passover festivities? Did the Palm Sunday triumphal entry make them overly confident? With Holy Week ahead, are we preparing our hearts? 

"Three days later he will rise.” Oh, that third day is coming! 

Today, I am grateful that the "third time's a charm." 

The Final Word

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 86: Today, I am grateful for the final word.

My verse for today is one of my favorites. It is Paul writing to he much loved brothers and sisters in Christ knowing that this time, they might really kill him for sharing the Good News of the gospel. He realized that live or die, he wins! Absolutely and with not a single doubt. 

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!" -Philippians 1:21-22

Paul began his life as Saul. He was well-versed and a scholar of the scriptures. He was Jewish and a Roman citizen. He lived when Jesus lived, but he did not know him. He watched them stone Stephen for his faith. He had not encountered Jesus personally. 

His "come to Jesus moment" could be the origin of that phrase. Jesus showed up after his return to heaven with so much light Saul was struck down and blinded. He was a passionate coach, but he was playing on the wrong team. He needed a new jersey to wear. Everything changed that day. He had to be blinded for him to see. When his vision was restored, the world looked different. He required a name change to accompany his new sight and redirection. I love Paul's passion. I think it might have been a bit overwhelming in person. He was bold in word and in deed. 

At the end of his life, Paul could not lose. To live was to preach the gospel another day; to die was to be with the Lord he came to know and love more than life. Either way, it is a win! 

When the final word on our lives is spoken, I am so grateful that we have "an advocate before the Father" who walked this earth and lived in our skin when the final word is spoken. "Well done, good and faithful servant." 

Today, I am grateful for the final word.

Intercessions

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 85: Today, I am grateful for intercessions.

This is my Lent scripture for today: 

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” -Romans 8:26

It is absolutely the right verse for the right time. When our hearts ache and break, we have the Holy Spirit to intervene on our behalf. Jesus promised the comforter would come and he did. 

The Holy Spirit is part of the Holy Trinity. He is a constant companion for those who believe and receive. In any and every trial and loss that comes our way. We are never abandoned or forsaken. From the time Jesus cried out from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" to the promise of the Holy Spirit to the disciples after His resurrection, Jesus knew the reality of feeling abandoned. He did not want that for us. 

From the garden, to the cross, to the grave, and from His first heartbeat in resurrection... Jesus experienced it all. He did what we could not do in conquering sin and death. For forty days He was with them, but knew he was returning to Heaven. In His leaving, he would not abandon us. The Holy Spirit is with us, for us, and interceding in our prayers when human words fail. 

His faithfulness endures. His promises are true. His Spirit is with us always so we are never abandoned and alone. 

Today, I am grateful for intercessions.

A Good Cleaning

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 84: Today, I am grateful for a good cleaning. 

I love a good cleaning. My nose is very sensitive to bad smells. I am good at detecting gas leaks, I can often name fragrances I am familiar with, I love clean sheet smells, and the clean smell of rain. I adore the smell of clean floors. Clean is one of my favorite scents.  What about cleaning our hearts? 

We are four days from Palm Sunday. It is a Sunday of celebration remembering Jesus's triumphal entry on the back of a donkey... not a horse. The people understood that the king who comes on a donkey comes in peace; the king who comes on a horse comes for war. He was about to fight the biggest battle of all time from a place of humility, but on the Sunday before the Friday, they celebrated the one who had healed so many and just raised Lazarus from the dead. No wonder there was excitement. 

Many did not understand that He was about to "clean house" in a different way. Things were about to change. Many could recite Isaiah, Psalm 22 and Psalm 23, but missed the prophecies being fulfilled before their eyes. I do not judge them. I fear that I would have missed Him, too, had I been present. 

The scripture for today: 

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." -1 John 1:9 

To know that we can acknowledge our sins honestly to God is something new and different. They had grown up with priests. They learned how to shepherd a flock from the Good Shepherd, Jesus.  They confessed their sins directly to Him, realizing he already knew them. He told Judas to do what he had to do. The Centurion and the Woman at the Well both experienced the "truth"-ometer that was a part of Jesus. He knew before they confessed, but confession is good for our souls. 

We are challenged to trust in God's faithfulness and justice, even when absolutely nothing makes sense in today's trials, illness, loss or brokenness. We can never be "good enough" to earn salvation. It is a gift. We need only to believe and receive. A clean slate and the debt paid in full! What a gift! 

He purifies us from all unrighteousness. He makes our sins white as snow. We can embrace the assurance of His grace and mercy.

Today, I am grateful for a good cleaning. 

Gifts Received

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 83: Today, I am grateful for gifts received. 

Have you ever ordered a gift from Amazon or been promised a gift that was never received? If you are a giver there is frustration because you did the work of ordering, sending and paying for the gift. If you are an expecting recipient, there is disappointment. 

Have you ever been given a gift that was never opened for whatever reason that might be? 

It is 12 days until Easter. This passage is perfect. 

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 6:3

Jesus was the gift on Christmas morning. He gave us the gift of mercy and grace when he took our place on the cross. I've always loved the idea that love held him to the cross, not nails. The love was the power, but the nails were real. The pain and suffering was man's brutality pour out on an innocent man. He paid our sin debt as a gift. 

With only twelve days until Easter, the gift is still available. Many have knowledge of the gift, but have never opened it. Others have opened it and walked ways. Some are discovering the freedom in unwrapping the gift for the first time. 

How will we approach Easter this year? Does the best gift ever remain unopened?

Today, I am grateful for gifts received. 

Treasure Seeking

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 82: Today, I am grateful for treasure seeking.

From childhood, I have been a mystery lover. I love the idea of treasure maps and solving puzzles. Uncovering and discovering what we previously hidden. It is exactly how I feel about studying and uncovering the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament. 

I once heard a great quote that sums it up:

"The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed; the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed." 

I do not know the author, but I love the truth in the quote. It never gets old or boring. I don't have enough room in my margins for the wonders uncovered and noted. The Bible is a history and mystery. It is a wonder and wonderful. You can engage with it in so many ways. It is the "living" Word of God. It is incredible to know that we can hold it in our hands. Still, it is often left unopened. 

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” -Matthew 6:21 

Do we seek out and treasure in the word of God? 

I met a friend, Patsy, through Bible Journaling. She is an amazing artist, devotional writer, and deep lover of Christ. She was the first to suggest to me that our Bible is like a castle with many hidden or secret passages just waiting to be discovered. I couldn't agree more. 

I was studying Job at the time. The "secret passage" was from Job 16:19 to 1 John 2:21.

"Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high." -Job 16:19 

Our witness before the Father... the One advocating for us... is Jesus. 

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." -1 John 2:21

Time unfolds and the mystery is revealed. To think that he is our attorney and witness is humbling and awe inspiring. Do you know any public defenders that invite their worst offenders home for dinner and to be part of the family when the verdict of innocence comes in? 

Maybe Matlock, and that is on TV not in real life. And, I am not innocent. Yet, His grace and mercy is offered to me daily. 

Our hearts follow what we treasure most. It is where we spend our resources and our time. Are we as hungry for his word as we are the next episode of our favorite show to drop? 

Today, I am grateful for treasure seeking.

The Power of Prayer

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 81: Today, I am grateful for the power of prayer. 

We have been doing a special study in Sunday School on prayer with the adults and the youth. Prayer is powerful. It is a first line offensive move, not a last resort. When we seek His face before our trials, it is easier to pray in the struggle. When we gather in groups to pray, it is supercharged prayer. 

We read today from Matthew. Three times Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane asked the disciples to stay awake. Three times they failed to do so. He found them sleeping prior to the toughest human experience of his life. The cross was before him, and his closest disciples (Peter, James, and John) were asleep.  He prayed in agony. 

Luke records, "And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:44)

He felt deep loneliness. Jesus cried out to the Father for a another plan, but the answer was "no." The course of events was set. He could have refused and walked away, but His love was bigger than the fear. On that night, he prayed for us... for future believers. John was the one to record it in the gospels in John 17:9-10.

"I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them."

He loved us in our brokenness. He lived in our skin, but did not sin (this is still mind-boggling to me). Not even in thought. When the evil one tempted him in the desert, Jesus spoke scriptures with eloquence as his defensive shield... even when he was hungry, thirsty, tired, and profoundly weak. Jesus defended his position and defied the enemy of our souls. 

It is the thirty-third day of Lent. This is my scripture for today: 

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." -Ephesians 6:10-11

Armor up! Evil is real, but so is the "Defender" and "Perfecter of our Faith." Jesus won, so we do not have to pay the price. It is a precious gift. Prayer is our powerful hotline , but we forget to use it. Jesus... our Yeshua... acts as our defender before the Father who is wholly holy. 

Today, I am grateful for the power of prayer. 

Deep Trust

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 80: Today, I am grateful for deep trust. 

When planting a field or a garden, too much water or rain can prevent the crop from growing deep roots. When the roots are deep, they can tolerate more drought when it comes. There are wet seasons and dry ones. Most plants learn to adapt to survive and thrive. 

This verse reminds us of our spiritual walk. It is a journey with seasons of abundance and seasons of struggling. How deep are our roots when things get tough? 

Lent Day 32 verse: 

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” -Jeremiah 17:7-8

We can trust God with a bold sense of security, knowing he works all things out. He is our confident, the one with whom we can share our deepest thoughts... in trust. From that trust springs the kind of roots that can get us through the times of struggle and uncertainty. We may not understand, but we can withstand through His strength... sheltered in His care. 

Like the little one who reaches up for a parent or a grandparent when the world gets scary, our Father in heaven never fails us. The waiting places are not my favorites, but they are part of the journey. I am so grateful we are never abandoned. We are never forgotten or alone. 

Today, I am grateful for deep trust. 

Spiritual Cravings

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 79: Today, I am grateful for spiritual cravings. 

There is a song out right now that has a line that speaks to my heart. It says, 'We got dust on our Bibles, brand new iPhones. No wonder why we feel this way." He sings about longing for the way things were in 2017. 

Has our human disconnect grown that much wider in just under a decade? Do we talk to Siri and Alexa more than we do each other? Imagine how it has decreased our time in The Word, too. Thanks Josiah Queen for a great song! "Dusty Bibles" is a wake up call. 

In the beginning, we used technology. Now, I have to wonder... is technology using us? I love the ease of answers and help at my fingertips. I love learning but books get heavy. Technology gives us a library at our fingertips twenty four hours a day. It even gives me deeper access to Bible study tools. Technology is not all bad, but it can become an addiction. We can begin to believe it is all-knowing and always right.

 "Deception, deception, deceptions!" is a memorable line from Tennessee Williams's play "The Glass Menagerie." Thomas Sowell said, "Deception is one of the quickest ways to gain little things and lose big things." 

There is so much deception around us every day. Could that be why when humans truly need to recharge we seek the beach, the garden, the mountains, or a farm. They are places where we can breathe fresh air. What do we crave? 

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. -1 Peter 2:2-3

What do we crave today? Where do we find nourishment? Do these things reflect our relationship with our Lord?

(Note: Saturday is the IL Mennonite Relief Sale at the Interstate Center in Bloomington. The pancake and sausage breakfast is worth the lines. The quilts are incredible works of art and heart.  It supports those in need locally and around the world.)

Today, I am grateful for spiritual cravings.