Month: August 2017

The LORD has said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

Abram was called by God to leave his home, all that he knew and set out into the great unknown. There was no GPS, or travel show to prepare him for what was ahead, but that didn’t deter Abram’s faithful obedience. God called and Abram headed toward a destination to be named later.

A divine promise followed Abram’s call. Childless, 75 year old Abram was told his descendants would become a great nation, a blessing to ALL people. The gospel, long before Bethlehem or the cross, was told by God to Abram in Genesis 12. The Good News and God’s love are for all. It is not exclusive.

Obedience powered by faith becomes a blessing far beyond the boundary of human imagination.

Love,

Gretchen

 

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. I Corinthians 15:1

The Jews and Greeks were struggling with conflicting ideas of resurrection regardless of religion. The Jews believed the original you became the eternal you. (NO Thanks!) In contrast, the Greeks knew only of an immortal soul. What is the true Gospel? The resurrection of the Christ!!

We can get very bogged down in insignificant details and miss the big picture. The Gospel is about a death that has been defeated, sin’s prison bars opened and satan’s threat forever silenced. All because God loves us.

The people of Corinth took the step of faith and believed. Their sins were washed away, and then…..cultural and traditional questions minimized their spiritual victory. Get the big picture! When we stand in the presence of the LORD, we will be like Him: Eternal, immortal and free.

Love,

Gretchen

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” Genesis 9:1

In the beginning of time God made order out of chaos. He separated the water from land. As a result of man’s sin, the forces of destruction are let loose and water completely covers the earth destroying all life except…..…

The big picture of Noah’s story is God’s saving power. Against the backdrop of judgement, God provides a place of safety and refuge.

Noah knows and trusts God. Through obedience God prepares him for this moment in time. A man that never saw an ocean, never heard thunder or saw a raindrop, faithfully followed. His blind faith led to blessings. It would have been hard to see success while building a boat on dry ground. The logic of loading smelling, hungry beasts was lost all while Noah’s family stands loyally beside him expecting his leadership to amount to a life worth living.

Faith begets obedience, obedience begets blessing. That’s all!

Happy Half Way to the Weekend!

Gretchen

And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet. II Samuel 9:13

David and Mephibosheth’s story is one of my favorite. It is the story of grace and mercy lived out in living color between two men who had every right to fear each other and do whatever was necessary to survive. King David choose mercy and grace, and Mephibosheth returned to his original state, the child of a king.

Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan, David’s best friend, and the grandson of Saul, David’s foe. It was customary for new kings to seal their throne by annihilating the former king’s family. David, in honor of his loyalty to Jonathan, found Mephibosheth who had been crippled on the very day his father and grandfather died as his nurse ran from invaders and dropped him.

Hiding in a dry and barren place, fear was all this former prince knew. It was magnified when David’s emissaries arrived. But instead of the dreaded judgement and death, this crippled, orphaned young man returned to a place he had lost, a home he believed was forever out of reach. He always ate at the king’s table!

The feast is waiting for you too!!

Pass the Butter Please,

Gretchen

Today is the one year anniversary of my blog. Thank you for reading and leaving encouragement and comments. It has been an amazing year and I have been blessed by you.

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:24

Sleep is something the human body cannot do without. It restores the physical body and allows our minds to process and reset so our mental state can remain healthy too. For many, sleep is elusive. Bad things happen in the night, or dreaded things await when we awaken. The wise writer knows this and has probably experienced a worry and exhaustion that goes beyond reason and rest.

I find it interesting that just a few verses above you find the words, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart.” 5a. I know this isn’t a simple sleeping pill, but if you read verses 23-26 you have the knowledge that God is taking care of the universe while we slumber. From the huge picture of world affairs to the most minute details of our personal life, God’s got this.

Seek God’s wisdom because it offers the things money cannot give us: Peace, happiness and security. Remember, He is never wrong so everything is going to be alright.

Love,

Gretchen

The Uncharted Path

I am a creature of plans, agendas, roadmaps and lists. Mostly lists. Long ago I began treating myself to special rewards when all my itemized objectives were met, with ensuing wailing and gnashing of teeth when victory was thwarted. (Messy closets are my nemesis). The problem is, there is no known living thing, human or otherwise that respects my perfectly ordered schedule or program. After years of conflict and frustration, the God who knows me best, loves me beyond measure and longs for me to respond with joy to the life He gave me, revealed that my little docket, while necessary to keeping me focused and motivated, had become a prison, where friends and family came to visit, stayed a few minutes, then backed gently away hoping no one got hurt.

What was God’s big reveal? Nothing, it was gentle, kind and beautiful. When my youngest child left for college I noticed a subtle change in my overall approach to life. I call it ‘grandma mode’. It is similar to ‘mommy mode’ but characterized by greater flexibility and grace. Remaining connected to a world that once left muddy footprints on the floor meant turning loose of my controlling instincts and saying, “Nothing matters but walking with God today. He knows where I’m needed and my energies won’t be waisted or exploited.” This ‘uncharted path’ is the definition of livin’ the dream.’

My daughters are now adults. They have lives I see less frequently but I long for them to succeed beyond my hopes and theirs. They are on paths my best efforts cannot control. My clean toilets don’t increase their quality of life any longer, if they ever did to begin with, but my presence and availability are as important today as it has ever been. The same applies to the world at large. The angle of earth’s axis didn’t change because I failed to fold laundry and instead, went to see a child play ball.

Satan does his best work when individuals feel isolated, alone and totally hopeless. A good life does not come from the things money can buy, it originates and remains in the relationships we build and hold dear. God promises to never leave us alone (Deuteronomy 31:8). The great miracle is that His assurance is carried out human to human. An obstacle exists though. My plans, agendas, roadmaps and lists. To connect means stepping out into uncharted territory. Releasing my plans for the weekend because someone needs me, or losing a night’s sleep to wipe tears is not a burden when God’s voice asks you to be the difference between hope and despair.

I still make lists. They are rigid and I hold them close to my heart with ambition and determination, but I have an alternative list that begins with a phrase I heard an evangelist, Nathan Covington, state during a revival when I was a teenager. He said, “I hope the devil groans when I get out of bed and my feet hit the floor.” Make someone smile, be someone’s blessing, love my neighbor and leave the world better than I found it, are the things I endeavor to achieve each and every day. The road less traveled has no GPS other than faith, but there is a Light unto my pathway and I’m finding the absence of dust bunny distractions an incredibly lovely thing.

Wasting Less Paper,

Gretchen

Nevertheless, those who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. Galatians 6:6

All of Galatians chapter 6 discusses the church’s care toward one another. This verse in particular makes known that there is no culture of exclusivity. Spiritual insight and testimony are to be shared. God doesn’t speak to a few, expecting them to share while the rest remain hushed. God speaks to all who seek and listen.

Sharing is a two way street in which all are held accountable to personal discipleship and leaders are held to a high standard of Biblical truth. The community of believers is important and the celebration/testimony of spiritual victories is one of the greatest joys of the Body of Christ.

Happy Saturday,

Gretchen

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.” Isaiah 42:1

Isaiah, referred to as the sixth Gospel, is prophesying about Jesus, the servant, the One who will die so that we can all be found NOT GUILTY.

Isaiah’s words to the nation of Israel 700 years before the virgin birth, give undeniable proof that God has always loved the creation on which He bestowed His own likeness and He has always had a plan of redemption, salvation and restoration for everyone. There is hope for the sinner and comfort that all can be forgiven and the image of God restored once again, on earth as it is in Heaven.

The people of Isaiah’s day had to confront many false God’s. Isaiah reminds them and us that none but God alone has the power to save and create a new creature from grace and mercy.

Happy Weekend Eve,

Gretchen

Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. II Chronicles 7:15

I & II Chronicles were some of the last books of the Old Testament to be written and the first audience of these writings were people struggling with the questions of a personal, loving God. Documenting the lives of King David and his son King Solomon, Chronicles seems to gloss over the imperfections of these men. In reality, their sins are documented elsewhere. These writings are focused on what was done right in the eyes of the LORD.

Solomon has built a beautiful temple to honor God. The people are celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles and sacrifices have been presented and burned. Solomon has prayed, asking God to never leave the presence of His people. God’s Glory filled the temple and He responded, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves……..verse 14. He will hear and see those who seek and listen.

God is a very personal God. Relationship is His entire agenda and it is good. He hasn’t left, but we must seek Him and draw close.

Love,

Gretchen

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6

Grace, an unmerited gift and salt, a preservative.

The thoughts that originate in our hearts/minds and find their way across our vocal cords should reflect and extend the forgiveness we have been given and our life that is saved.

From prison and most certainly death, Paul writes to implore the believers in Colossae to take good care of each other, both spiritually and physically and to extend love to outsiders in order to make a way for the Gospel to transform them too. The most basic truth is: If we expect or have been granted the beauty of Christ’s sacrifice, then by ALL means we must be a conduit of these same gifts to a world searching for something they do not yet understand but can’t live without.

Have a Great Midweek!

Gretchen