Five Minute Friday: Beloved

Beloved.

A person who is greatly loved; dear to the heart.

As I was putting laundry away the other day, I noticed the current state of my children’s closets.  Clothes hanging precariously by one shoulder off of hangers, clothes that are too small or don’t fit are shoved in the back, toys tossed in a jumbled pile on the bottom shelf, random candy wrappers on the floor.

Scripture tells me that I’m my beloved’s and He is mine.  (Song of Solomon 6:3) 
It is easy to accept that He is mine.
I have gratefully accepted His sacrifice for me.
I love Him.
He is perfect…holy…worthy…Love.

I’m not.
He can see into the closet of my mind.  He sees thoughts and ragged emotions hanging on precariously by a thread.  He sees the struggle with thoughts and tendencies that don’t fit that of a child of God, and should have been discarded long ago.

Scripture tells me that He loves me.
And not only am I loved, I am “so loved.”  (John 3:16)

I am His daughter who is greatly loved; dear to His heart.

Beloved.

          

One Thousand Gifts

811.  Reading on the plane

812.  Flight attendants with a sense of humor

813.  Fragrant orange trees

814.  Seeing him honored and appreciated by his peers for all of the hard work he has done over the years

815.  Hanging out with an amazing group of artists

816.  Talking late into the night

817.  Finding her "I love you" note in my suitcase!

818.  Listening to his music while driving along the ocean

819.  Sandpipers scurrying along the sea foam

820.  Pelicans flying low, wing tips skimming the water

821.  Dinner with a view of the ocean

822.  Birds' nests perched high in barren branches

823.  Thermometers

824.  Flexible straws

825.  When he notices the little things

Five Minute Friday: Bare

I travel through quite a bit of countryside to take my children to school each day.  Each season offers a beauty of its own.  During the winter months, as I cross the river, I enjoy looking at a certain bank of trees with their barren branches scribbling at the sky.  Unmasked of their leaves, I see several birds’ nests nestled high in their branches.  The nests seem so exposed and vulnerable in the bare landscape, and yet their height speaks of security and they are snug and secure in the arms of the tree.

These nests remind me that the Lord lifts us high, and we are secure and safe in His arms.  Each nest represents a home, life, a haven of rest.  Sometimes in the winter seasons of life, we feel vulnerable…exposed...bare to the world.  The “leaf cover” of happy times and good things are stripped away, and we sometimes plod through the trial in silent pain.  We tend to wear masks when we are hurting, and shy away from baring ourselves to one another, for fear of seeming weak or vulnerable.  It’s hard to admit your struggle, when everyone around you seems so “leafy.”

During the summer months, when the trees are lush and green, and the nests are hidden from view, I’m sure those birds are aware that there are other nests in the near vicinity.  As believers, we need to be aware of those around us and reach out.  Do you know a friend who is in a winter season?  Can you see their nest?

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“Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NASB)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”  (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NASB)

          

Five Minute Friday: Afraid

I struggle with fear. 

One thing I have learned during my battle with it, is that it is insidious and relentless. 
It steals my joy.
It clouds my thoughts. 
It’s exhausting.

I know what Scripture says about fear.  I know that He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and discipline.  I need to stop looking at the waves crashing around me and walk in faith.

The battle rages on.  I wrestle with what I know versus what I feel.  Too often, I give my feelings the upper hand, and I find myself afraid…again.  My mind reels, my feet begin to sink.  I reach for His hand once again and cling to His words.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God [is] with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9, NKJV)

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:7, NASB)

“In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.  What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:11, NASB)