Hearts in Service

John 19:26-27 (HCSB) ~ When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.”   Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” My heart aches when my children are hurting. I am so emotionally connected to them that it's hard to see them struggle or hurt by the unkindness of others. So I cannot even imagine the emotional horror and pain Mary was going through as she sees her son hanging on that cross. She watches him labor for each breath. She knows that he is going to die. She is heartbroken. I'm sure she would have taken his place if she could. These words of Jesus show his humanity and love for his mother. Some scholars believe at this point Joseph is deceased, so as a widow in that society, she was vulnerable. It was up to the oldest son to fill the shoes of his father as the next in line. So here we see Jesus doing just that.  He asks his friend and disciple to care for his moth...

Luke 23:43 (HCSB) ~ And He said to him, “I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.” Hour after agonizing hour, Jesus hung on the cross. As the splintered wood cut into the raw and open wounds on His back, Jesus is asked a question by the criminal hanging next to him, "Will you please remember me when you come into your kingdom?"  And even in his pain, Jesus assures the man of his eternal destiny. As I reflected on this, I realized that there would have been no time for this man to ask for forgiveness from those he wronged. No time for him to make restitution. No time for him to act differently. No time for baptism nor any of the outward symbols of a changed life. There was just a desperate plea to be remembered. And just as quickly Jesus, recognizing his heart condition and his desire for repentance, speaks these simple words, "You will be with me today." It's just that simple.  How many times do we think people have to prove ...

Luke 23:34 ~ “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” The tears streamed down my cheeks, as I thought of the multitude of ways I had been hurt by another.  I relived each intentional word and action that had cut me to my core. "Father, how can I forgive them, when they so deliberately hurt me?" The image of Jesus, hanging on a tree in agony, popped into my head.  How could he forgive those who put him there?  How could he forgive those who cursed at him, spat at him, mocked him, beat him, and nailed his hands and feet to the rough wood?  I think the answer comes in the second part of his sentence, "They don't know what they are doing."   Jesus understood that without his sacrifice, there would be no ability for people to even comprehend what forgiveness meant, let alone being able to do so..  His sacrifice gives me the ability to forgive others when they hurt me.  Without Christ's death and resurrection, ...

The Unexpected King  by Terri Groh Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed be the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Here comes the expectant King, riding towards Jerusalem, not with sword As what thought. Not on horse, tall and proud. But on a young beast of burden, before the expectant crowd.   They shouted and through the streets the men, women and children ran, Waved their branches of palm and threw up their welcoming hands. Little did they realize that in just a few short sleeps. This king would be led to a slaughter, much like sheep.   The crowd that waved those praising hands in the sky Would soon lift fists up high and shout, “Crucify!” “Crucify!” Fickle people that would so easily be turned astray, by religious leaders old and gray,  with hearts as hard and brittle as clay.   Jesus rode through that crowd and the children laughed and cried out. “Master, Teacher, Lord!” the people did shout! Joy and praise, love and laughter, ador...

Yesterday, I did the time of prayer for our church.  We are entering into the Easter season and I've been reflecting on the Name of Jesus and what that means to me.  I would like to invite you to take some time and join me for a time of prayer and worship as we reflect on His beautiful name. 

The weather was beautiful this weekend and yesterday afternoon, after church, we headed out to go for a walk. No matter what is going on in my life, getting outside in nature always lifts my spirits. Some of it is because exercise increases endorphins, but it's also a sanctuary for me.  As a pastor's wife, as well as a ministry leader, Sundays are not generally a day of rest. And to be honest, I don't always leave church feeling restored. And that's because I'm teaching or counseling or absorbing another's burden. Sometimes Sundays can be days of feeling beat down because of expectations of others and their idea of what they think the pastor and his wife should or shouldn't be doing. At times, it can be a day of pure exhaustion. So when I have the opportunity to get outside and enjoy some solitude I will take it.  God's hand is in all I see.  The humorous.  The majestic. In every little detail. In new life. In song. In colors blooming. In the warmth of t...

Early morning sun peeping in my window, robin's red breast, bulbs popping up through the ground, the sound of bird song in the air. These are all signs that spring is on the way. Even though it's still chilly and the snow flies some days, these small signs lift my spirits after a long, dark winter. I love spring because it's a renewal of living things, a sign that no matter how gray things can be, there is always life and hope right beneath the surface. No matter how discouraging things can be in my life, there is the knowledge that things will get better and brighter. I'm taking close notice this year of the opening of the bulbs and buds around me because it's a reminder to me that no matter what I face, I know without a doubt that God is at work in my life. Because my roots are deep and grounded in Christ, I can have hope. The unfurling of leaves from their buds, is symbolic of the hope inside of me when I stay grounded in the knowledge of God is working through m...

In looking back over the past few months I thought, "This blog has become a bit of a downer!" Almost every post seems so serious. I haven't felt a lot of light and joy the past few months and it has obviously carried over into this realm. I write because it's a way to help me process so that means you may get the good, the bad, and the ugly! But I do try to write in a way that each reader can pull some bit of truth from the post. I point people to the source of help, which is the Lord. It's where I find my strength and I know that He can help you no matter what you are going through. Today I do want to focus on some points of happiness, joy and light that have happened over the past week. Monday is always devoted to a post on thankfulness and I'm feeling thankful for a few things. Beautiful sunrises out my front window. This is the worst picture of it because it was through the window, but it was breathtaking. More bird activity, a sure sign spring is on the w...

My brother-in-law and nephew came over yesterday to spend some time with us and were here for lunch. Because my brother-in-law is a vegetarian I wanted to make something meatless that he could eat. I came up with Mexican Black Bean Casserole. I made it up as I went along and this is something that can very easily be made into a meat-filled dish by adding ground beef. It turns out differently each time because I use what I have and change it up here or there. I thought I'd share the recipe here today. Mexican Black Bean Casserole Ingredients: ½ onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced ½ green pepper, chopped ½ red pepper chopped Sofrito* 1-2 Tbsp. Olive oil 2 cans of black beans** 1 cup of frozen corn 14 oz. diced tomatoes 1 cup salsa 1 tsp. chili powder (I used Mexican hot chili powder that I had, but you could just use regular) 1 tsp. cumin 1 package Sazon (not necessary, but I added it) Salt & pepper to taste 2 cups of shredded cheese (I had a ti...

I woke up feeling icky this morning and I've felt on the edge of tears. I said to my husband, "When am I going to feel like myself again?" The reality is that I haven't felt like myself in over a year. I've struggled so much this past year and feel like I'm bobbing in the ocean and being slammed by waves over and over again. I've experienced loss in multiple ways - friends, family, ministry, and all that I hold dear. I've experienced sickness and death. I've experienced extreme loneliness and trying to figure out where I belong. But as I've reflected on all of these things, one thing pops into mind. That no matter how much I'm slammed by one wave after another and no matter how many times I'm pushed under the water, I bob back up to the surface. And that's because I have Christ in my life... He is the one that helps me get up out of bed each day. He is the one who gives me the strength to face whatever comes my way. He is the one th...

I've been sick the past few weeks and have very little energy, but the one thing I have managed to do is to make a batch of soap each day, as well as some sewing. The farmer's market I participate in will be coming up again in a few months and since each batch of soap takes 4-6 weeks to cure I decided to get a jump start on it.  I currently have 56 bars of soap curing and have been trying to make a batch each day.  I make my soap in small batches to be able to control the process better. My soaps have oatmeal in them to help moisturize the skin and are made with goat's milk. I also don't use fragrance oil; only essential oils. I currently have eucalyptus-peppermint, lavender-peppermint, lemongrass and sage, orange and star anise, Siberian fir, and grapefruit and aloe.  I'm assuming they all smell great, but since I lost my sense of taste and smell over a week ago, I can't tell! lol   Each day I try to do one or two sewing projects so I can restock my Etsy shop. ...

I had a dream last night that I was in school and was performing in front of an audience. When I was done with my less than stellar performance, I went looking for my mother in the cafeteria for comfort. I knew she was there waiting for me. However, when I went to look for her, she was no where to be found. And then I woke up with the knowledge that she is gone. I know I'll see her again one day, but that still doesn't always ease the pain I feel now. The past couple of weeks I haven't really thought about my mom too much and that is mostly because I have been sick. But I'm finding as I'm feeling better that memories of her are popping back up to the surface. But even though I grieve, life goes on and all I can do is put one foot in front of the other each day. I get up, get dressed, and move forward step by step. I do know that as time goes on the pain will ease and I'm also thankful that my trust is in God who helps me through these rough patches. My heart sti...

We often look for God's blessings to come in big and bold and beautiful ways. We want to have the mountaintop experiences and the miraculous. And yet, so often, blessings go unnoticed unless we are on the alert. It's easy to miss the multitude of minute blessings in our life if we spend all our days on the hunt for the spectacular.  I've seen numerous small things for which to be grateful this week. I enjoy Mondays when I can list them here because it keeps me on the alert all week long. Th is week I'm thankful for blessings #4,031-4,045 4031. Small improvement in my health each day. 4032. Friends who quietly bless us - dinner sent to our door, pots of soup dropped off, cupcakes sent one day. All small blessings for which we are thankful. 4033. A daughter who is making a difference in the lives of women with addictions. 4034. A son who is doing the same in a different city. 4035. Sunshine which is showing up more each day on both ends of the day. 4036. A long-term bill ...