simplelife

Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. Revelation 1:4-5 Holy Saturday: rescuing souls from Hell Almost done - Lenten prayers in paint The last day of Lent is a quiet Saturday, Holy Saturday  in the Christian calendar. It lies between Good Friday and Easter and offers us a day of reflection. We meditate on the sacrifice and accomplishments of Christ's death on the cross, before the celebrations of resurrection tomorrow. This song explains it so well: (c lick here to listen. ) The wonderful, merciful Savior, Precious redeemer and friend Who would have thought that a Lamb could rescue the souls of men ... oh, you resc...

Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,     and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days,     and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered,     he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,     and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,     and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death,     and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many,     and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:10-12 Before Jesus was crucified, he spent time with his Father. During that long night in prayer, Jesus gathered the resolve and strength to go through with God's plan. He agreed to carry out the plan of salvatio...

Surely he took up our pain     and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God,     stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions,     he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him,     and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5 NIV Day 34: Turbulence and noise Palm Sunday - acclaim before the cross Day 35: Birthdays: relinquishing our right to celebrate as we prefer Day 36: Meals with friends: leaving those we love in God's hands 37: Blank - relinquishing sins of omission So much happened in Jesus' life the week before Easter. Most of the book of John describes the Holy Week. (Read it for yourself this week?) Over the years, until today, the bloody cross has been despised.   Secularists have almost succeeded in eradicating the Christian commemoration from the American calendar. When I wished someone a "Happy Easter" this we...

Search me, God, and know my heart;     test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,     and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 NIV Sunup; time to begin again Morning.  It should be a new beginning. A fresh start. And often it is. But once in a while, I wake with a stiff neck or clenched jaw from the worries or cares that have occupied my mind while I slept. Has this ever happened to you? This has been a week of early beginning and details-in-motion. My husband left and came back from a cross-county trip. I had three cancellations, two dates reassigned, and a few unexpected opportunities on the calendar. I've had several joyful and meaningful meetings with friends and colleagues. My granddaughter and I went for lunch with my heart settle-ers, my mom and dad. (What a gift from God to have parents who affirm, encourage, and pray for us!) Here are some questions to ask when you find life ...

    Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23  They are new every morning;      great is your faithfulness. 24  I say to myself, “The  Lord  is my portion;      therefore I will wait for him. Lamentations 3:22- 24 We approach much of life, whether relationships, a book, or even a cup of tea with expectations. Based on what we know and have experienced, we make assumptions on what's coming. Sometimes we are happily surprised by "more than!" and sometimes we feel disappointed by what we find. These past days, I've been surprised and delighted by conversations, visits, and information that have nudged me in new directions. I've had to let go of some expectations as a result. Consistently, constantly, God who knows everything, opens up the world to us in fresh ways. Whether people study medicine, science, biblical archaeology, or other aspects of what-can-be-...

I rejoiced with those who said to me,      “Let us go to the house of the  Lord .” Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love  you be secure. May there be peace  within your walls      and security within your citadels. ” For the sake of my family and friends,      I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the  Lord  our God,      I will seek your prosperity.  Psalm 122:1, 7-9 Gratefully received Day 27: generous gifts from friends Day 28: linens for hospitality Sabbath: worship in God's house Day 29: a day of resting Many good things are possible within healthy boundaries. The Psalmist lists generosity, purity, worship, and rest, just a few of the things that the righteous enjoy. Who draws you into those things? These are your true friends.  Who - or what - tries to take them away from you? Be on guard against ...

[Jesus said,] “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has  cross ed  over from death to life." John 5:24 The bridge between eternal life and death is well-guarded. Not everyone who claims to be a follower of God will cross it. While all of us will die, not all of us will live eternally in God's presence, though he desires that for us. He prepared the way to reconcile us with himself, but not all will choose to travel it. Some will reject it because: we try to balance their sins with good deeds, and so perhaps to tip the scales in our favor and escape the wrath of God we prefer to take our chances, counting on our ability to be a good person and hoping for the best after we die we want to live without supervision: if God exists and holds us accountable, we will have to relinquish control to him our reason can't wrap around God's provision. Because our understanding...

Whatever your  lips  utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the  Lord  your God with your own mouth. Deuteronomy 23:23 We can truly be incautious with our words. When we're in trouble, you - like I - may beg God's help and make promises about the future. Then we forget our part of the bargain (not that God needs us to negotiate with him) or get wrapped up in old habits. We hope God overlooks our foolishness as we renege on our word. Have you "made deals" with God when you've been in a tight spot, vowing to serve him and obey him?   Don't take your own words lightly!  Scripture warns us to be careful with what we promise God. Take some time to look through your journals or other reminders of God's faithfulness. How have you kept your resolutions or lived out your agreements when God has answered your frantic prayers? God forgives us when we ask him, but he also takes note of our intentions and promises.

Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,  that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows  and builds itself up  in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:15-16 Sunday: we spoke in two churches; Monday: coffee with ministers Tuesday: "God is love, and God loves me" Truth-telling is difficult for humans. According to scientists , we lie mutliple times a day (or often every hour, every few minutes...) I find myself hedging the truth or agreeing (nodding, saying nothing) when I don't want to disagree or make a fuss.  God is truth. We know there is no deception in him at all. Yet for us, there seems to be a fine balance between speaking out or speaking up and keeping our thoughts to ourselves. Scriptures mentions times to confront and deal with failure publically (in the case of leaders in the congregation) and says th...

"Son of man, say to the Israelites, "This is  what you are saying:  Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?' "Say to them, As surely as I live," declares the Sovereign Lord, "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?" Ezekiel 33:10-11 NIV Thankful today for an online conference: spiritual direction and accountability Do you ever feel like God "has it in" for you? That he is a stern taskmaster looking over your shoulder, hoping to spot imperfections? That he's holding a whip over your head to punish any weakness? That illness (or financial crisis or family chaos or ...?) is his retribution for your past sins? The Bible says God is perfect. That sin has to be punished. That we can't earn our salvation. (Could a righteous...

All the Levitical  singers,  Asaph,  Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with  cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120  priests who were trumpeters; and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the  Lord , and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the  Lord , “For he is good;  for his steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the  Lord , was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud,  or the glory of the  Lord filled the house of God. 2 Chronicles 5:12-14 ESV The last few days have been filled with music (the piano is getting warmed up) and with love: my husband joined me 2 days ago after nearly a month apart. In scripture, love ...

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside. Job 23:10-11 ESV My husband carries on the heritage of his father. He also is "Opa" in name as well as deed. The grandchildren love and trust their Opa because both men have been steadfast followers of Jesus since childhood.  Though DadK passed away 14 years ago, his legacy remains. He planted his reliance on God's love into the whole family. His children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren live in Christian families. The immediate blessings and protections of serving God as a family are apparent: we're not addicted to substances, divorced, or in jail. But more than those outward, easy-to-see markers is rest for the soul. We live in God's faithfulness. Though we get sick, have financial crunches, job changes, and face many challenges (like everyone else), we call each other when w...

Bless the  Lord , O my soul, and  forget not all his benefits, 3  who  forgives all your iniquity, who  heals all your diseases, who  redeems your life from the pit, who  crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, Psalm 103:2-4 We take our health for granted - until we are unwell. I went for a few checkups this week and my body seems to be sound and working well. I am so grateful that God created us to be healthy ... and that he heals us when we are ill or unbalanced. Some of us are sick in body. Some of us are sick in mind. Some of us are sick in our souls. Yet nothing is too hard for God, whose name is "Your Healer" (Exodus 15:26). He can use modern medicine, Grandma's old-fashioned remedy, a body that restores itself (as in repairing a wound or recovering from the flu) or  offer divine intervention. I've sometimes thought about this: if we always got healed when we prayed, even Adam would still be around. (Oh wa...