You Are My Father
Lord God, you are the Mighty One
Great in wisdom…full of knowledge.
You are Right and our only righteousness,
There is none like you.
You know our thoughts and see our deeds
You know all our needs before we are aware of them.
You in your wisdom and knowledge
Know the desires of our heart,
Even as those desires are born in us.
You, who are wise in all things,
Know how to give us good things.
You are the provider of every need
The one from whom all blessings come.
You, in all your wisdom,
Know when to allow us the desire of our heart,
Though it may grieve yours.
You are mighty in power,
Awesome in Glory.
There is truly none like you.
When I consider the heights and depths
Of your love,
I am overwhelmed, to think that you
Would give that love to me.
I have nothing worthy of this gift.
Why would you shower me with your love?
Why would you pour out these gifts on me?
All these questions and more rise up within me,
And yet the only answer I can find….
You are my Father…
I am your child.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Who Do I Look Like?
Never take anything for granted! For instance, you pick up a pen or a pencil and you begin to "doodle", you know just a wiggle, a squiggle here and there, disconnected lines that suddenly take shapes and forms. Not a formal picture, nothing identifiable as yet, but something is taking shape. I have always been a "doodler" and a scribbler. I can be sitting around talking with others or taking notes in a lecture or a Wednesday evening Bible study and suddenly the pen or pencil in my hand begins to move around on the paper in those lines and squiggles. I am still listening but often those squiggles become 'flowers' or a butterfly and sometimes they become scribbles - words take shape in the form of poems, lyrics or a record of thoughts inspired by what I am hearing. Sometimes those scribbles begin and then just end becoming fuzzy and losing shape.
If you think about it, you might discover that our lives are much like those 'doodles' and scribbles. We begin life sort of like an empty sheet of paper and as we grow something begins to take shape on our sheet of paper. Perhaps at first the pen or pencil is in the hands of our parents and other family members, but we soon take the pen and begin to express ourselves. That 'empy sheet of paper' is becoming who we are - the shape of us. Our lives are beginning to be defined, to have purpose, to impact those around us. We are writing our lives daily - growing and becoming. We reach a point in our writing when we don't really know what comes next and the pen begins falter and our 'writing becomes fuzzy and without purpose.
Have you ever been in this spot, feeling fuzzy and without purpose? The book of Genesis (Gen. 1:26-27 and Gen. 5:3) tells us that God created man in His own image. Why? Adam and Eve were never 'empty sheets of paper' to be written upon by parents, family, or friends and certainly they were never intended to shape themselves. They were created - made by the Hand of God - in the image of their Creator. Life for them was perfectly ordered and in perfect harmony with each other, with their environment, and with their Creator until the day they picked up the pen and began to write their own story. We all know what happened then! Life took on fuzzy, jagged edges and they were no longer reflections of their Creator.
I have decided that for me the best place for my sheet of paper and my pen is in the Hand of my Creator. When I allow Him to write my story everything comes into focus, all the jagged edges are smoothed and all the disconnect lines and scribbles take on a shape, the Image of the Creator.
If you think about it, you might discover that our lives are much like those 'doodles' and scribbles. We begin life sort of like an empty sheet of paper and as we grow something begins to take shape on our sheet of paper. Perhaps at first the pen or pencil is in the hands of our parents and other family members, but we soon take the pen and begin to express ourselves. That 'empy sheet of paper' is becoming who we are - the shape of us. Our lives are beginning to be defined, to have purpose, to impact those around us. We are writing our lives daily - growing and becoming. We reach a point in our writing when we don't really know what comes next and the pen begins falter and our 'writing becomes fuzzy and without purpose.
Have you ever been in this spot, feeling fuzzy and without purpose? The book of Genesis (Gen. 1:26-27 and Gen. 5:3) tells us that God created man in His own image. Why? Adam and Eve were never 'empty sheets of paper' to be written upon by parents, family, or friends and certainly they were never intended to shape themselves. They were created - made by the Hand of God - in the image of their Creator. Life for them was perfectly ordered and in perfect harmony with each other, with their environment, and with their Creator until the day they picked up the pen and began to write their own story. We all know what happened then! Life took on fuzzy, jagged edges and they were no longer reflections of their Creator.
I have decided that for me the best place for my sheet of paper and my pen is in the Hand of my Creator. When I allow Him to write my story everything comes into focus, all the jagged edges are smoothed and all the disconnect lines and scribbles take on a shape, the Image of the Creator.
One morning last year while having my morning devotional time I felt like maybe what God was leading me to do was write a book of morning devotions. I began by writing what God gave me each morning, but writing a book is timely and costly I found and I abandoned that idea for the time being. I kept writing and one day I may write that book and maybe it will be published. The folks who visit Scribbles though will have already read most of it by that time since I have decided to share those writings on my blog.
The first few devotions I wrote all centered around the theme of 'Fire'. I guess God was trying to make me understand personally how important it was for me to spend time with Him - letting His fire consume my sacrifices. So I, like Abraham and Moses of old, began to build up an altar and offering my sacrifices. I found that most of what I had to offer up was my time and He was thrilled that I gave Him my time. Soon I began giving Him those things I held dear in my life, like the hurts and the anger over offenses that I was hanging onto as memorials. Yes, we humans hold onto the oddest things - we drag our little memorials out and almost gloat over them as we remember why we don't talk to this one or we talk about that one. We remind ourselves continually how this one hurt my feelings or got recognition instead of me.
If you find yourself hanging onto these memorials, let me share this with you. Those little memorials will one day take on a life of their own and destroy your confidence and thereby destroy your future. The Word of God tells us to forgive (not just once but we are to forgive 70 times 70) and forget. You may say I can forgive but I can't forget. Yes, you can forget and the process is simple. Build your altar and sacrifice those 'memorials' to Him. His fire will turn them to nothing more than ashes and God does great things with those ashes.
The first few devotions I wrote all centered around the theme of 'Fire'. I guess God was trying to make me understand personally how important it was for me to spend time with Him - letting His fire consume my sacrifices. So I, like Abraham and Moses of old, began to build up an altar and offering my sacrifices. I found that most of what I had to offer up was my time and He was thrilled that I gave Him my time. Soon I began giving Him those things I held dear in my life, like the hurts and the anger over offenses that I was hanging onto as memorials. Yes, we humans hold onto the oddest things - we drag our little memorials out and almost gloat over them as we remember why we don't talk to this one or we talk about that one. We remind ourselves continually how this one hurt my feelings or got recognition instead of me.
If you find yourself hanging onto these memorials, let me share this with you. Those little memorials will one day take on a life of their own and destroy your confidence and thereby destroy your future. The Word of God tells us to forgive (not just once but we are to forgive 70 times 70) and forget. You may say I can forgive but I can't forget. Yes, you can forget and the process is simple. Build your altar and sacrifice those 'memorials' to Him. His fire will turn them to nothing more than ashes and God does great things with those ashes.
A Morning Devotion
Beauty for Ashes
When the fire of the Holy Spirit burns within us, tended daily by prayer and the Word of God, all of the doubt, fear, and unrighteousness that troubles us will become just so much ash in the furnace of our soul. What do we do with all of that ash?
We know that at some point we need to clean the ash out of hearth in order to allow airflow to feed the flames. Shoveling ash isn’t the most endearing task of our day, but is a necessary one.
Isaiah 61:1-3 speaks to us concerning those ashes in our lives. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,……..to give them beauty for ashes, and the oil of gladness for mourning.
I have found that when I shovel out all the ashes in my life and pour them into His hands, He exchanges them for the beauty of His Spirit and covers me with His Grace.
What a great trade – all the worthlessness in our lives reduced to ash and traded for beauty. Not beauty as the world judges – not just surface beauty, but the “Beauty” of righteousness and holiness before His Throne. A beauty of the heart and soul which causes our countenance to reflect His Image.
O, God, grant that I may keep your fire burning within me
so that I may trade my ashes for the Beauty of Holiness. Let
all who encounter me see a reflection of your Love, your Grace, and your Mercy. Oh that they might see You in my life and desire your life giving fire.
Written January 22, 2006
Monday, September 24, 2007
Lyrics - J Chance - January 2007
Jan - at your request here are the lyrics - You gave them music. What good are the words without the music? Thank God He gave me you.
YOU ARE EVERYTHING
You oh Lord are everything
All my needs you supply
Light in my darkness
Peace of mind
All my needs in you Lord I find….
You are ……
Strength in my weakness
Bread of Life to me
Water when I’m thirsting
You are everything
Hope when I’m hopeless
Perfection in my faults
Potter for this lump of clay **
You are my strong tower
My shelter in the storm
You’re the very air I breathe
You are everything
YOU ARE EVERYTHING
You oh Lord are everything
All my needs you supply
Light in my darkness
Peace of mind
All my needs in you Lord I find….
You are ……
Strength in my weakness
Bread of Life to me
Water when I’m thirsting
You are everything
Hope when I’m hopeless
Perfection in my faults
Potter for this lump of clay **
You are my strong tower
My shelter in the storm
You’re the very air I breathe
You are everything
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Tending the Flame
Today I have decided to move forward. I’ve spent the past 57 years ‘growing’ in the Lord, but never reaching the place of ‘grown up’ in God. By the help and Grace of God, today I will begin to tend the fire of God in my life and share that fire with any who desire to know about this life giving ‘Fire’.
Fire 101
Flames
Pieces of Wood
A bit of Fire
Fueled by the Wind
Creating a flame
To keep out the cold.
(JC 1-2006)
This morning I woke up to pray and read the Word. The night had been cold and so was the house, so I built a fire before beginning my devotional time. While reading the word and giving it my thought and attention, what had begun as a bright cheery fire in the stove slowly began to die down. As I rose from my chair to begin my prayer time I noticed that logs once bright with flame had gone dark.
I opened the stove and began to tend the fire. This was to be my spiritual lesson for the morning. ‘An untended flame will die out’.
Our spiritual lives like that fire depend on fuel, ignition, and air. Our fuel is the life we submit to God; ignition is provided by contact with the Power of God and the Breath of the Holy Spirit is the air this spiritual life depends upon. If we fail to continuously submit our life (wood for our fire) to God (our source of ignition) and regularly experience the Breath of the Holy Ghost, our fire will go out. Embers will be left which may be fanned into flames, but those embers left untended will eventually become cold ashes.
If we desire to be a spiritual force in our workplace, in our neighborhood and our community we must tend our own personal ‘fire’ with poker and shovel. Poke around in our life to insure we are in contact with God and shovel out the pile of ashes left behind by the undesirable contents of our life in order to feel the sweet breath of the Holy Ghost as He creates flames that impact our world for His Glory.
Fire 101
Flames
Pieces of Wood
A bit of Fire
Fueled by the Wind
Creating a flame
To keep out the cold.
(JC 1-2006)
This morning I woke up to pray and read the Word. The night had been cold and so was the house, so I built a fire before beginning my devotional time. While reading the word and giving it my thought and attention, what had begun as a bright cheery fire in the stove slowly began to die down. As I rose from my chair to begin my prayer time I noticed that logs once bright with flame had gone dark.
I opened the stove and began to tend the fire. This was to be my spiritual lesson for the morning. ‘An untended flame will die out’.
Our spiritual lives like that fire depend on fuel, ignition, and air. Our fuel is the life we submit to God; ignition is provided by contact with the Power of God and the Breath of the Holy Spirit is the air this spiritual life depends upon. If we fail to continuously submit our life (wood for our fire) to God (our source of ignition) and regularly experience the Breath of the Holy Ghost, our fire will go out. Embers will be left which may be fanned into flames, but those embers left untended will eventually become cold ashes.
If we desire to be a spiritual force in our workplace, in our neighborhood and our community we must tend our own personal ‘fire’ with poker and shovel. Poke around in our life to insure we are in contact with God and shovel out the pile of ashes left behind by the undesirable contents of our life in order to feel the sweet breath of the Holy Ghost as He creates flames that impact our world for His Glory.
Everything or Nothing
Mom always told me to give my best-nothing less, to recognize my strengths and my weaknesses. I know that she was referring to my education, my job, or whatever I set out to accomplish in life. Those are wise parental words - I gave the same instruction to all of my children and will no doubt share that same 'wisdom' with my grandchildren at some point. Give life your best and nothing less! Through the years I have found that those instructions are even more important when it comes to living for God.
He is my Everything, how can I give Him less than my all. You say my all isn't much! You're correct! He knows my beginning and my ending; my faults and my failures; the best of me and the worst of me and He wants all of it. In His hands my faults and my failures can become my greatest victories! In His Hands my broken, scarred soul is molded into a new vessel. What shall I do with this new vessel? You see I gave Him everything! He gave it all back to me and asked me to allow Him to fill my vessel and use it to reach a world that needs Him. The decision was mine. I chose to give my all or give Him nothing, now He is my Everything. What will you do with your everything?
He is my Everything, how can I give Him less than my all. You say my all isn't much! You're correct! He knows my beginning and my ending; my faults and my failures; the best of me and the worst of me and He wants all of it. In His hands my faults and my failures can become my greatest victories! In His Hands my broken, scarred soul is molded into a new vessel. What shall I do with this new vessel? You see I gave Him everything! He gave it all back to me and asked me to allow Him to fill my vessel and use it to reach a world that needs Him. The decision was mine. I chose to give my all or give Him nothing, now He is my Everything. What will you do with your everything?
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Opportunity to Scribble
When I first heard my daughter talk about 'blogging' I was sure it was just one of those frivolous activities. You know 'sharing' recipes, what's up with what, a tidbit of gossip here and there-just stuff. But I have been visiting her blog and am impressed with her 'sharings'. She is an inspired musician and song writer but much more than that she is sharing God News.
I have been scribbling for years - poems and lyrics and sometimes just prose inspired by Bible studies and sermons. I have all these scribbles in small notebooks stuck here and there and read only by me. I guess I have been hoarding my scribbles, or maybe I have been hiding them. Anyway, recently I was reading some of my scribbles and realized that God may have originally given them to me for my own growth but others might benefit by those thoughts inspired by God. I will be posting those 'scribbles' periodically on this blog site and it is my prayer that those who visit will be inspired to grow in God.
I came to the Lord at the age of 14 and have never regretted giving Him my life. He filled me with the Holy Ghost in March of 1962 and I don't know what I would do with out Him. Have I always walked in His Wisdom? No, but He has allowed me to walk in His Forgiveness with a repented heart. Through the years I have failed Him numerous times - failed to give voice in testifying to others of what He has done. Failed to share the 'good news' of His plan of salvation with those who did not know Him. I don't doubt that they knew of Him, but to truly KNOW Him is to be filled with His Spirit. I hope to give voice to my testimony of Him to all who visit this blog and read my scribbles - I have a lot of catching up to do.
I have been scribbling for years - poems and lyrics and sometimes just prose inspired by Bible studies and sermons. I have all these scribbles in small notebooks stuck here and there and read only by me. I guess I have been hoarding my scribbles, or maybe I have been hiding them. Anyway, recently I was reading some of my scribbles and realized that God may have originally given them to me for my own growth but others might benefit by those thoughts inspired by God. I will be posting those 'scribbles' periodically on this blog site and it is my prayer that those who visit will be inspired to grow in God.
I came to the Lord at the age of 14 and have never regretted giving Him my life. He filled me with the Holy Ghost in March of 1962 and I don't know what I would do with out Him. Have I always walked in His Wisdom? No, but He has allowed me to walk in His Forgiveness with a repented heart. Through the years I have failed Him numerous times - failed to give voice in testifying to others of what He has done. Failed to share the 'good news' of His plan of salvation with those who did not know Him. I don't doubt that they knew of Him, but to truly KNOW Him is to be filled with His Spirit. I hope to give voice to my testimony of Him to all who visit this blog and read my scribbles - I have a lot of catching up to do.
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