Tag Archives: following Jesus

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Let There Be Color!

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I love color! The world would be a dull and dreary place if all was gray scale. As an art teacher I share with my students the definition of color –
Color is the element of art that is produced when light, striking an object, is reflected back to the eye.

Think about it. Have you ever gotten to work or church and found that your socks are two different colors? Come on….

I looked down at my shoes half way through 1st period one day and found that I had one blue shoe and one blue patterned shoe on  – both the same style! It was dark in the bedroom as I got dressed and I did not see the difference because of the lack of light.

One of the BEST parts of being an art teacher is that people expect me to be a bit weird. I have no problem living up to that image. No one said a word to me – they probably thought I meant to dress that way.

Colors do look different in different light. I have picked out wall paint and begun to paint it on the wall only to realize with horror that it doesn’t look the way it did in the store. Sorry, Phil…

Light has everything to do with color. In a pitch black room no color is distinguishable. It takes light to reveal the ” true colors” that exist. The color is already there, just not perceived.

Can you just imagine the glory of creation when God said “let there be light” and in that instant, what had been dark burst forth in glorious color as the light shone forth? What a magnificent moment!

As women we often live our lives as if they were grayscale. We go from one day to the next, fulfilling our responsibilities, but something is missing. It feels dull and routine. We do the things that need to be done, or we do what we can because there is always more to be done. It is not dark, just colorless.

Where is the color?

In John 1:4-5  (NLT)  John refers to Jesus – the light of the world –

4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

The light of the world is Jesus. If we lack beauty and meaning in our lives, we need the Light.

John 8:12 (NLT) says –

12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

Here Jesus tells us that we don’t need to walk in darkness – in a colorless, drab world – if we follow Jesus we will walk in the Light.

What a marvelous promise!

If I am experiencing a dull or gray period in my life right now I need to spend time with Jesus and follow Him. Practical ways to do this are prayer, Bible reading, and fellowship with other believers. This is nothing new. It is not a “magic formula”. Just as we turn on the lights to see what is in a room, God’s word will illuminate the dark corners of my life and bring light and color!

Let there be light – let there be color.

God will bring beauty into our lives.

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Solid Rock – Solid Hope

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“On Christ the solid rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand.”

My husband quoted that hymn yesterday in his sermon on the sovereignty of Jesus. I started thinking about the importance of solidness – something that is not hollow, frail, subject to caving in.

Jesus is the solid rock we can count on. No matter

  • what we are facing,
  • who we are facing
  • when we are facing the challenges of this life

Jesus is the solid rock.

I can remember a time when I was feeling doubt and fear concerning what I was facing in my life. I felt paralyzed and weak. I did not even know what to pray, and even if I did know what to pray, I didn’t believe then that it would do any good.

I was driving alone in the car and that song started to escape from within…

“when darkness seems to hide His face

I rest on His unchanging grace.

Through every high and stormy gayle -oops – gale

My anchor holds within the vale.

On Christ the solid rock I stand

all other ground is sinking sand

(here is when the tears started flowing)

all other ground is sinking sand.”

I realized at that moment that Jesus was my only hope – if I did not stand on faith in Jesus, I would sink deep in the “sand” of despair and fear.

I just kept singing that song over and over and gradually I started to sense hope. Jesus is the solid rock.

1 Peter 2:6-7 (NLT)

6 As the Scriptures say,

“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,
chosen for great honor,
and anyone who trusts in him
will never be disgraced.”

7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,

“The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.”

As we begin advent and the celebration of the birth of Jesus, may we keep in mind that Jesus is the cornerstone prophesied about in Isaiah.

Jesus is the chief cornerstone on which our hope rests.

 

 

 

 

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Stay Connected!

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See the rocks that little Daniel is picking up? Even a little child can take one of these stones and throw it into the ocean –

never to be seen again.

I was reminded of a sermon Phil preached several years ago about being connected in the Body of Christ. He shared the Scripture from I Peter 2:5 – 6

5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As the

Scriptures say,

“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,
chosen for great honor,
and anyone who trusts in him
will never be disgraced.”

Phil encouraged us to be those living stones that Peter is talking about. God is using us to build His spiritual temple. Each of us is a stone and the Holy Spirit is the mortar that cements us together. Phil went on to say how easy it is to pick up a loose stone and steal it or throw it away. Yet a stone cemented in a wall – well that is another thing!

Tremendous effort and time would be involved in taking a stone from the wall behind my parents , my brothers, and me in the picture below. That stone wall has been there a LONG time!

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When we are connected in the Body of Christ we are not easy prey for the enemy to snatch away. We are also less likely to be deceived if we have brothers and sisters in the Lord whom we are close to. One of them is more likely to say – “Now wait a minute! You know that does not line up with Scripture!”

We all need people to speak truth into our lives no matter how old we are or how long we have walked with the Lord.

I had the blessing of spending the night with some dear friends last night before presenting a workshop in a town 3 hours away. We sat sharing about our lives and catching up on mutual friends. All of us knew of friends from the past who are no longer walking with the Lord. These were friends who we had fellowshipped with over the years – some who had a meaningful impact on me spiritually.

Why have they walked away from their faith and fellowship?

Some have experienced deep hurts from other Christians – so have Phil and I.

Some have faced tragedy personally and in their families  – many of us have as well.

In asking the Lord about this and pondering the circumstances life throws our way, I was reminded of Phil’s sermon.

Those friends who have

  • stayed in fellowship
  • stayed connected to the Body
  • been built IN as living stones

those individuals are still walking with the Lord despite what they have faced – and some are in the midst of the fire right now.

God does not promise us a bed of roses because we are His children. In fact we are assured that we will have trials and tribulations. God does promise He will be with us through the trials and tribulations of life.

When I am connected in the Body of Christ – those around me support and comfort me during my times of suffering. We’re cemented together.

God is our rock and our salvation….

“anyone who trusts in Him
 will never be disgraced.”

Stay connected.