Happy Jesus Day

I watch the ripples a rock makes in the water.  I ponder how each of us affects the other.  Like ripples in the water our lives and the way we live it affects the next, then the next, then the next.  

As they argued satan took over his thoughts and convinced him to kill her.  She was the past wife and children’s mother, of someone close to me.  Her boyfriends actions caused pain and despair to one person… then the next… then the next… all the way to me.  I mourn, because the one I love, mourns.

When we are hateful to someone it flows down the line.  When we cut someone off in traffic it causes them to be rude to the next.  When we ignore the person in our path, it causes loneliness and in turn makes them ignore the next .  But when we are kind, when we love, that light shines thru the person in front of us on to the next, then the next, then the next.  When we plant seeds… seeds of hope… seeds of love…  seeds of kindness… they grow.  They grow and at some point they provide love and hope to many more.  Like ripples in the water the kindness and love we display to others spreads out in even circles and produces infinite joy.  Look what the life of our Savior did and that was 2000 years ago.  Let’s see how many love ripples we can make per day.  Colossians 3:12 (MSG)

I LOVE YOU!

Perry

He is fully human.  He is fully God.  He embraces the spirit, as the three live in each other.  This is a Savior who through the Trinity climbs into our lives and makes beauty out of our mess… out of our pain… out of our sin.  This is a God who can take the ugliest, most evil, torture device ever invented and use it to save us.  My God, out of a deep unwavering love for us, not only used the cross to reconcile our sin but he turned it into an instrument of beauty. An emblem we use to proclaim our love for him.  He takes our brokenness, no matter how tragic, and turns it around to bring good to our lives.  As our Savior hung on the cross his cry was “My God why have you forsaken me?”.  The pain was so intense that he could not feel the love of his father.  There are times in our lives when the pain is so intense that we can not feel his love.  But we have a God who climbs into that pain… because he loves us that much.  There is nothing you can do that will make God love you less.  Out of his love he will take the worst part of you and make it good.  Out of the pain, out of the sin, out of the brokenness he will make beauty.  No matter your circumstance GIVE THANKS!  He is using it for good! 

1 Chronicles 16:34 

I Love You!

Perry

I grieve… I mourn… I sometimes cry uncontrollably…

Gandhi.  Dr King.  Kennedy.  Lincoln.  Lennon.  Evers.  Our Savior Jesus Christ…  all killed simply because they stood for peace… for love! 

I have great trouble understanding why?  Understanding the struggle between Gods’ children.  Why do we use skin color. Race. Differences in opinion. Nationality… as an excuse for such hatred and such violence?  I see friends and loved ones not speaking simply because they disagree.  I see churches terminating leaders because they are not perfect.  Scripture tells me that we are all his children and made in his image.  So why do we abuse and treat each other as we do?  Why do we judge based on color, based on opinions, based on differences in lifestyle?  Are we not ALL made in his image and filled with his spirit?  From that spirit we inherit the knowledge that anything, other than love, for others, is wrong.  Stop letting the evil one direct your actions and look solely to the spirit that lives in you.  The spirit of the God who made you.  The spirit that says I don’t care who you are, where you come from, or what you did, you deserve my love… my respect… my compassion!  Oh to live in that world!!   

Romans 15:7-13

I Love You!

Perry

As we all sit in a circle the question was “what do you get from your spouse”?  After listening to all the desires, all the wants, from the others, I simply answered “I expect nothing from Lorna except to love me”.  Love is free choice.  As the two of us are soulmates our love does not demand or expect performance.  We simply do for each other out of a place of deep love.  Unconditional love produces a desire to please… to serve… to cherish.  So it is, with our love and relationship with Christ.  As we accept his deep unconditional love it forms in us a desire to please him. Not out of fear… not out of a desire to earn… but out of respect and love.  Unconditional love never demands performance.  Never demands compliance. Never demands rules.  If love is truly unconditional there is no need for rules, because everything is done from a place in the heart.  Our Savior does not demand that we do things a certain way, act a certain way or follow a given set of rules.  If he did, then what was the cross for?  He simply and unconditionally asked that we love him in return… the way he loves us.  From a place of love that goes bone deep… and includes all of who we are!! 

1 John – Chapter 4

I Love You!

Perry

Matthew Chapter 22. 

During times like these when anxiety fills the air  We must remember that we are all more alike than different…   Christ would love first.  During times like these when there is so much division the wise build bridges while the foolish build barriers…    Jesus would love first.  

As we are all his children, we simply have to run, not walk, toward each other with arms open wide….. in love.  

It’s not about who’s right and who’s wrong… it’s about what brings glory to God.  It’s not about who’s ideas are best and who’s are not… it’s about how can we all be one people.  It’s not about mistakes made or triumphs won… it’s about giving the praise to the one who rules over all.

I see so much hatred… turmoil… pride… resentment… and I know in my heart that is saddens our Savior.  According to Jesus the two most important things are loving him and loving others.  He didn’t say only if they agree with you.  He didn’t say only if they look like you or if they behave like you.  He said love everyone just like you love me.  Next to that… nothing else matters.

Luke 6:27-42 (MSG)

I Love You!

Perry

As I met him for the first time he had questions.  How long have you owned this company?  How many employees are there?  It appears you have money.  My reply caught him by surprise… “I do not own the company, I have no assets and as for money… I was broke when I was born,  I currently don’t have a thing and I will die without a dollar to my name”.  Honesty brings the realization that all we see,  all we take comfort in, all we claim we own… belongs to God.  He commented “but you built this company from the ground up.  You had the wisdom to do what was needed.”  “But who gave me that wisdom?   Who opened the doors for me?”  God!!   Do you take pride in your accomplishments? God gave you that talent.  Do you measure your success by the people you know?  He puts people in your path. How about the size of your bank account?  He trusted you with his money.   Everything we have…  every talent we possess…  every accomplishment… belongs to God and must be used to his glory.  It’s not about us.  It’s about using what he blesses us with to glorify him and love others.  The next time you have a chance to use your talents, money, or possessions to love others.  Do it in his name.  His love will come back to you… ten fold. 

1 Corinthians 8:4 (MSG)

I Love You!

Perry

As I sat at my desk a call came thru the intercom.  There is someone in the parking lot looking in cars and trying doors.  As everyone rushed outside I caught a glimpse of the young man.  Homeless… simply looking for a way to get a dollar.  As I stood there watching him walk away the thought weighed heavy on my heart.  Why were we more concerned with our material possessions than the life of this homeless young  man?  Why were we so quick to think of running him off then to care for him and pray for his well being?  As Jesus spoke from the mountain, he taught of the need to minister to ones such as this.  To be more concerned with each other than with this world.  To love those that persecute you. Love those that steal from you as much, as if not more, than those that love you in return.  I went back to see if I could help… but he was gone.  As a child of God I should minister to him.  If it means giving him everything I have in order to bring him to Christ and show him the love of our Savior then I should be willing to do that.  “If he steals your shirt, give him your coat also”!  From the mountain… and the mouth… of our Lord.   Luke 6:27

I Love You!

Perry

As we all spend so much time on our phones.   As I watch so many spend endless time looking at a screen.  As I observe people on FB and so much social media… God put the following thought on my heart!  “What if I had made you with a screen on your chest that showed the thoughts in your mind and the desires of your heart?”  Scary thought?  Would others see Jesus is first in your life or money?  Would they see that family takes center stage or our Savior.  Would your friends be the most important or God?  How about your hobby, your job?  Would those be at the front of your screen or would it be covered up by Jesus?  Could the world see your thoughts and still accept you or would you run in shame.  Would they see a heart of Jesus or a heart of stone?  Would they see judgement or compassion? Love or hatred?  There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us.  I pray daily that my screen would show unending love for everyone surrounded by Jesus, Jesus, and more Jesus.  Don’t know if I will ever get there… but I’m trying. Lest we forget… God sees it all as if we have a screen.  I for one am so thankful for the grace of our Savior.     

I Love You!

Perry

Eighteen inches!  Such a short distance… but a long journey.  Does your walk with God start in your head or your heart? It’s eighteen inches from one to the other.  Christ didn’t spend time telling people what they did wrong. He didn’t spend time telling of his wisdom.  He didn’t make a list of all the things they needed, to gain his approval.  He simply loved.  He simply forgave.  He simply made them feel special.  When it came time to love he didn’t analyze why they were caught in the situation they were in… he simply helped.  He didn’t worry about where they came from… he simply helped.  When you run across a homeless person do you judge or do you pray and help.  When you encounter a person with a hardened past do you shy away and judge or do you pray and help.  Why are we so quick to see differences when Christ doesn’t?  If your walk with God is in your head.  If your walk with our Savior is all about one scripture after another.  Take time to let it travel the eighteen inches he intended for it to.  It’s the only way we will change this world for him.  It’s not about how many verses you can remember.  It’s about how much love you can show.  He is counting on our hearts to be the door he walks through. 

Colossians 3:12

I LOVE You!

Perry

“Samaritans?  Half-breeds!  Who would think of associating with them?  They must stay in their village and they are not welcome here.  We must keep them in their place and their place is certainly not with us.”  

He knew the unwritten rules.  Jews simply did not talk to samaritans.  But she was there.  He was there.  He could tell she needed a kind word and a loving heart.  Jesus had been traveling so you know he had his chalice with him.  But he asked her to dip him some water with HER cup.  Why?  I believe he wanted to show compassion… empathy… by drinking from her cup.  He wanted to know what it felt like to be a samaritan.  He wanted her to know he was not afraid to be in her life… in her world.  Should we not do the same?  I have no idea what it feels like to be black.  What it feels like to be born in Iran.  I am clueless to the struggles of the homeless but I should try to learn.  Christ showed compassion to this samaritan woman by stepping into her shoes, if only for a moment.  We should pray for the empathy and compassion to do the same with the people around us.  If we call ourselves Christ followers then let us follow. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

I love you!

Perry