John 14:23 (Passion Translation) Jesus replied, “Loving me empowers you to obey my word. And my Father will love you so deeply that we will come to you and make you our dwelling place.
It is a promise – that when we love Him, we keep His commands. Keeping His commands becomes easy and natural when we devote our lives to Him.
God responds to us when we choose to obey, certainly obedience is attractive to God.
When He comes and dwells with us and constantly present, it is such a blessing and it is as result of being constantly obedient and committed child of God.
Prayer: Lord this is exactly what I want! Please help me to be that person, to be that obedient and quick to respond so that You can make Your dwelling place in me. I want so much for You to live continually in me and have Your presence in my life. Amen.
Today marks one year since losing my beloved David. God gave us two years of dating and fifty one years of marriage. Or actually it was more like fifty three years of hanging out as best friends. My heart still cracks wide open with the grief of missing him. Knowing he is with the Lord softens the pain, as in I do not sorrow as those who have no hope. And yet I sorrow. Deeply. I guess I always will. Someone wisely told me that this grief is the price of great love. So yes. I will pay that price gladly in exchange for the life we shared.
Beloved David. Oh how I miss you.
You can tell how much he loved me by the size of that corsage.
Steve Hartman tells the story of a young man on a mission to preserve the stories of WW2 Veterans. The snippets you see let you know that there are some wonderful stories of people who served our country being saved…by this young man. What a treasure in light of our 250th celebration. ENJOY!!!
Max Lucado shares how to replace those bad thoughts with better ones. We need to rid our minds of the negative and replace those thoughts with things that build and edify. If you are a gardener like me, you will understand. Listen and learn.
I struggled to write this piece, if I am honest. Although I just squeaked in for the bicentennial year, it is not as likely that I’ll be around to see the tricentennial in 50 more years. (Wow, 50 years certainly went by faster than I thought possible. Our country really is still so young and new.)
Thinking about a piece to write for the semiquincentennial (that’s a five-dollar word) carries certain weight. How does one capture such a milestone adequately in a compressed space? Do I approach things with grimaced reflection of the many woes, ills, and discontent reflected by much of the media and society at large? Does one make amends for ancestors’ mistakes or reflect with a glorified nostalgia? There are dangers in any way one would approach it.
So, I approach it the only way I know how – with personal, honest, unapologetic reflection on how some of the Four Freedoms have affected me over the 50 years since the bicentennial.
I am thankful to have been born to parents who had the freedom to choose or not choose the religious experience that they desired. In my case, it led to a sense of peace and contentment just before a terminal illness journey that would alter what family would look like.
I’m thankful that although my father suffered delayed consequences from service to his country in a war he probably did not want to fight, he still had access to medical care. The result may not have been a cure for him but led to hopeful interventions decades later for others. My mother received provision to care for two children after he was gone. It was not luxury, but it did provide for many necessities. My mother was able to graduate from college and work, further enabling provisions that her peers in many other countries could not have enjoyed.
I had the freedom to learn in a variety of schools and be taught in ways my parents thought best. Social Security enabled my mother to make some choices about our education. I may not have had the same clothes as my schoolmates, but I had access to opportunities because of how she prioritized the money she received. Furthermore, I could learn from a Christian worldview and still worship with friends from public school thanks to many other freedoms.
I’ve traveled abroad for leisure, ministry, and to learn because I can freely visit many places domestically without having to notify a local leader or request permission. I get to enjoy the beauty of many preserved natural spaces or learn about both the good and the ugly of our nation’s past at memorials and museums. I can even learn about discoveries and artistic achievements of other countries at exhibits in our museums.
I am free to read or write almost anything I want. I have the right to praise and regard what I please or criticize and complain to my heart’s desire.
As I reflect on the past and present, I’m truly thankful. I don’t have to let others tell me how I’m supposed to feel or think – that’s one of the freedoms I’m grateful for. I hope you take advantage of that freedom to celebrate all that is good in this beautiful land that we call home.
Ashlie Miller, a true Tar Heel, has family roots in North Carolina dating at least as early as the 1790s. You can email her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.
It’s time to fire up the grill and get ready for all our Fourth of July favorites. There will be hamburgers, hot dogs and all the trimmings. Then there will be the heavy-laden dessert table filled with tempting treats. After all our stomachs are stuffed we will sit back and enjoy a grand fireworks display. My mouth is already watering and I am ready for the big day.
My brother hosts our family gathering at his house. He has joked in recent years that he and his wife can’t downsize on their house because where would our family gather for all the major holidays? You never know who is going to be in town and who you might see at these gatherings. Sometimes neighbors and friends join the fun. Whoever is there feels like they are part of our family because we all make them feel welcome.
This is a special year as our country celebrates 250 years. It is hard to believe that our democratic experiment has lasted for 250 years. 250 sounds old but when compared to other nations we are young. When you study our history you realize that many things have evolved over time. We have been through hard times and survived.
One of the things one must consider on such a momentous occasion is all the men and women who have fought and given their lives so we could live in freedom. Our nation was birthed and has maintained its identity at a very high cost to so many. On this day we must stop and reflect on the high price many have paid for this great nation and have thankful hearts for their sacrifice.
One thing that gives me pause as I consider this great nation is the media reports of polls that show a majority of us believe we are a divided nation. I have heard my own mouth say it and the thought troubles me. I do not want to believe that we are a divided nation and I want to encourage you to grab ahold of that belief. Do we all think alike? No. Do we all want the same things for our country? No. Do we have problems? Yes. Do we have differences? Yes. But I would argue these are the things that make us so great. We are a diverse and wonderful people who see our differences as strength, as something we should celebrate.
Our diversity is what gives us the creativity that we all enjoy in the arts, theater, and music. Seeing life from different angles opens the doors to entrepreneurship. If we all thought and acted the same where would new product ideas develop? It would be a very boring existence if we were all the same. A simple example that comes to mind is in all the different foods we enjoy because people bring their culture and different traditions to our tables.
These differences can and should be celebrated in the body of Christ. Paul writes and compares us to the various parts of the human body. He asks, can we all be an eye? Then where would hearing or smelling take place? Can the hand say to the foot, I don’t need you? How would the hand get around? We should be the example to the world around us on how we encourage and celebrate each person’s uniqueness and service in the body of Christ.
The only caution I would suggest is that we can’t allow our diversity to diminish our unity. We are the representation of Jesus here on earth. We are His ambassadors. We need to work to present the body as one: united, standing together, fighting for each other not with each other, and believing our diversity is designed to help us fulfill our destiny. God created us to be unique but not to allow that uniqueness to separate us.
I want to encourage you to celebrate the 250th anniversary of this great nation. Reflect on how our differences have made us a stronger and better nation. I also want to encourage you to consider the diversity you find at your local church. Celebrate how God has brought you together to serve your community in a way that will glorify Him. Consider the important part that you play in your church, your roles and responsibilities. God placed you in your congregation. He needs your uniqueness to shine brightly. He also needs you to display the unity of the fellowship of believers gathered together to bring glory to Him. Happy Birthday America! Here’s hoping you will enjoy your 4th of July celebration.
