Monday, May 19, 2014

Devil's Slide

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The other day Steve and I hiked on a local trail along a high cliff above the ocean. This trail was really fun to walk on because it once was a road where we used to drive - a very treacherous road that washed out often. More than once in the winter, parts of the road slid down the cliff onto the jagged ocean rocks below. That is why the place is called “Devil’s Slide.” 

Now it has been shored up to be a safe walking trail, and the road for cars leads away from the cliff through a tunnel. This construction took many years to complete. During that time residents had to drive about 15 miles around the back of the mountain to get to the next town.

This reminds me of some of the exhortations in 1st and 2nd Peter – where we are encouraged to continue in the faith, make “our calling and election sure” and finally, to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

When we face trials and difficult situations in life, we learn to trust him more. After a while, those places become easier and easier to maneuver, like walking on a firm path instead of driving on a precarious road on a high cliff. God teaches us to persevere, to grow, to depend upon him. After a while, knowing him better even becomes the highlight of our walk - the scary cliffs aren’t so scary anymore. Happy trails! Barbara

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

remind my soul

{via the entertaining house}

things have been a bit crazy around these parts. crazier than normal for me. i feel like spring is pretty crazy for everyone, honestly. kids start to get antsy to finish school and have their summer, and everything starts buzzing in anticipation.

for us, this spring means buying a house, and attempting to sell our house. and that means lots and lots of projects. it means an increasingly large pregnant belly, and a toddler developing more and more of his personality. it means playoffs for the soccer team i'm coaching. it means there is always something going on from day to day. always.

it means there is usually more on my list than i have the time to do.

and that means that i need constant reminders. not just a reminder posted on the fridge kind of reminder, but a reminder for my soul. my soul needs to be reminded daily, not just of who i am, but of whose i am.

yes, i have things to cross off of my list, but those are not the most important things in life. i need to be reminded that i am the daughter of the king, and i am not the protagonist in this story.

my body, and my mind, and even my heart get tired. so i need a reminder for my soul. remind my soul of the goodness, and the love of a God who gave himself up for me.

remind my soul.

xo,
katie

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Jesus Loves Me This I Know....

This is song we hear as children, teach to our kids and is a sentiment close to our hearts.  Yet, have you ever stopped to think about it?  I mean, really stop and think deeply about what it means to know the love of Jesus.  Not the Jesus loves me "when I study the Bible," not Jesus loves me "if I am doing my best, " not Jesus loves me "if I am living a moral life with Christian values."  Jesus loves me.  This is true regardless of what I am doing or not doing, saying or not saying, being or not being.

What does it feel like to know that Jesus loves me?  I often have a hard time turning my head knowledge into understanding and feeling in my heart.  I know a lot about Jesus and believe that He loves me, yet so many times I don't feel loved.  I think that is because I don't take the next step -- thinking about Jesus loving me.

When I stop and think of those who have loved me best -- my husband, my mom, my sister, my best friends, my kids -- my heart is filled.  So I tried something:  I imagined the best love that I have experienced by each of the people in my life.  Then I combined all that love into one big mass.  Next I took the mass of love and wrapped it in a snuggly-soft blankety-type material.

Then I realized that regardless of how well I have been loved on earth, Jesus is the best expression of love there is.  Because Jesus invented love (agape=unconditional love / eros=romantic love / philia=brotherly love / storage=parental love) he is the culmination of all the love I have known.  So now when I think "Jesus loves me this I know," I feel the snuggly-soft blankety-type nugget of all the loves that are from Jesus -- and what I know I also feel -- it warms my heart and fills my soul.

May you know Jesus loves you best this day and always - Cynthia