It was 9:00AM on July 9th when I got the phone call.


My daughter’s unintelligible words mixed with tears told me something bad had happened. “Mom, I think I just got bit by a poisonous snake”.


I tried to stay calm as I rushed to get my clothes on. Maybe she was wrong. Did she really know snakes that well? Moments later a conversation with her father confirmed it. My daughter had been bitten by a baby copperhead while walking through the doorway at work.

It lay hidden between the thresh hold and the door.


It took several weeks of healing before she was back on her feet. From that point on, she watched where her feet were planted.


Months after her healing, I realized something profound. That is a picture of my story.


Jesus came to me and offered me salvation. I accepted. I had no clue what it all really meant. I knew that I had alot of sin and needed forgiveness. I knew I needed love. It was by grace that I was saved.


I walked through the door and was immediately bitten by the serpent that lay hidden in the doorway of religious activity.


I was loaded up with a list of things that good Christians do. If you want to love God well, you should spend at least 30 minutes a day in quiet time, preferably in the morning, like Jesus did. Every good Christian made prayer lists, volunteered to teach Sunday School, attended Bible study and every church service, evangelized, signed up for VBS. You get the idea.


I look back on it now and realize something astounding. Grace brought me to salvation. But I left grace behind once I walked through that door. The list of “should’s" took over my life. I lost sight of the invitation to just be loved. In fact I didn't really know that being loved was the offer. The serpent had his bite into me and I didn’t even know it. With my imperfections he began to spread his poison of shame throughout the veins of my life. I never seemed to do enough to feel loved.



The serpent lurks about seeking who he might destroy. If he can keep me bound to a life of should’s he will keep me bound to shame, for I will surely fail. If you don’t believe that, think about how you feel when you miss your “quiet time” for several days or haven’t prayed for anyone. Guilt and shame rear their ugly heads.


Here’s my reality. For God so loved, He sent Jesus to restore me back to love. I am an image bearer of the Most High God. I and all my old, dead flesh have been crucified with Christ. I no longer live. Christ now lives in me.


I didn’t get it back then, but I am starting to now. Jesus brought me to salvation to bring me back to living as one who is loved. The One who knew He was loved because of who He was to the Father says to me. “Just as the Father has loved me, I now love you.” It’s a love where there are no conditions, no expectations, no requirements because all was fulfilled by Him.


It’s the most stunning thing I’ve ever known. Words of invitation are extended,

“Jewel, let me love you into who you are.”

“Take off the shackles of slavery to the should’s."

“You are free.”

“Live out of my love.”

“Don’t return to a yoke of slavery.”

“Not to sin.”

“Not to works.”

“It’s no longer about what you need to do.”

“It’s now about Me and what I will do in and through you.”

“Follow me, Jewel..."

“I will make.”

“I made you to love you, it’s that simple.”

“As you live in love, you will fulfill all the Father desires for you.”


I’ve been on this path for a few years now. He’s held true to His promise. My true identity is emerging as I receive His love. Guilt and shame have for the most part dropped away. They frequently try to visit, but have become unwelcome guests.


His Spirit has taken me to places I didn’t know existed, straight into the heart of deep intimacy with the Father. I've never known love like this before. As I’ve settled into His embrace, I’ve found the place of grace. It’s the doorway where love covers a multitude of sins. It’s where love covers me.

You can find Julie at her blog: Jewelz Sightings

We were in the kitchen last week as my daughter's and I were discussing the Thanksgiving menu for 2009! I said, "Girls, we are discussing this already and it is still a month away?" "Yes!" They shouted with excitement!

Listening to their excitement about their favorite dishes that they wanted to prepare, it began to stir my emotions inside of me! I am not sure what has perspired in your lives since Thanksgiving of last year with still having a heart and spirit of being thankful, but I know that it got me thinking!

Have you sat down recently and began thinking what exactly does it mean to be thankful in all things? The girls again reminded me of that during our Woman's Bible Study this past week! Does it not just get you when the younger ones are the ones reminding you? UGH!



We began discussing how this verse says, in everything to be thankful and then you let your requests be made known! Ouch! Does that mean you have to be thankful before coming to Him with your requests? YES! I don't know about you guys, but that can be pretty difficult at times.


So, again we continued with our Bible study and after we finished I could not get "with thanksgiving," out of my mind. Upon recalling some of my stories since last Thanksgiving, I was thinking this could have given me a heart attack!




For instance recently with one of our newly "adopted" daughters who came out of sexual abuse and incest for 23 years had an opportunity to be interviewed and share her story. One thing that struck me was her thankful attitude towards the Lord as He had protected her all those years! She was thankful that she was now in a family she could count as her own. Somewhere she was safe and loved! She brought me to tears and it was a sweet reminder to me that in every circumstance there is thanksgiving! Wow!


Is this a difficult proposition to be thankful in all these matters before even coming with our requests before the Lord? YES! Can it be done? YES!

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

Listen to this from Acts 16:22-25: "Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them." If that does not bring me to conviction!

So this is what I simply gathered. To be thankful in all things! This Thanksgiving, when you gather with your family and friends, remember those that came before us and their difficult times under their circumstances and conditions. Their thankful attitudes and hearts should encourage us to come with thanksgiving before bringing our petitions to Him!


Close and Personal:

What can you be thankful for in the midst of unbearable circumstances?

"Thanksgiving." Should it be only celebrated in November?

Can you think of a time this year that now looking back you realize you should have been thankful?


My dearest Savior,

I want to take time to tell you thank you for those moments this past year that seemed so gloomy and difficult! Those times now looking back you were using for your Glory and Honor yet I saw them so hard to endure! Father I love you and I thank you for entrusting those difficult times to us and our family! May this Thanksgiving we remember that it does not end in November but rather last all year round! I praise you now and forever!
Amen.

I found myself thinking a lot and pondering the things in my heart, but not really having active prayer with God. However, that does not mean He doesn't uphold who He is in me.

For instance: He's the author and perfecter of my faith. He is interceding on my behalf. He never stops praying for me. He is living and active. He holds me together by His powerful word...not mine.

Over a few days, His faithfulness to communicate with me in Spirit (even when I didn't know it) drew me back to faithful and active prayer.

However, if you find that you have the strength to stay in active, engaging prayer, well then, by all means, do it!

Wait
Up in the mountains I suffered a little bit from "How high are we?" tummy ache! I didn't have to endure waiting for Tylenol to kick in so I could go back into town. But, spiritually, it was a different story. I was getting sick and no earthly pill could snap me out of it.

I knew it.

God knew it.

By Sunday, JT knew it.

By Tuesday, my friends knew it.

I had done the first two things: talk and listen. I was in resting with sleeping better. I had a profound sense that my friends and husband were praying for me when I could not, and I was left with the final way to get back closer to my God: waiting.

That's it.

Not far from the art of resting is the art of waiting. Technology is quick and easy, but the things of the Spirit are to be experienced, tended to, and waited upon. Not in the sense of inactivity, but a humble awareness that God is working regardless of how we feel.

Allow yourself, and Him, time to restore your soul. Waiting is an art form. Practice it well.

The Five

These things were a life-line to reconnecting with the One who loves me most. I pray that in times of difficulty or in seasons of disconnection, you too will try using these five things.

Just so you'll have them:

1. Talk

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16.

2. Listen

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Psalm 34:113.

3. Rest

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone... Psalm 62:5 4.

4. Pray

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 7:25

We do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8:26, 27

Christ Jesus...is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34

5. Wait

I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm27:13, 14

Keep these five things active and you'll find your connectivity will be active as well. When you find you've lost track, kick these back into gear, and well, wait. :)