Dragonflies are near and dear to my heart. We are lucky to live in the country on a piece of property that breeds dragonflies each year. Our home is nestled between two neighboring ponds and is surrounded on the outskirts by swampy terrain; a perfect environment for these beautiful insects. Each year in late summer there are a few days when thousands of these delicate creations swarm the sky around us. I eagerly anticipate this time of year because it feels like an outpouring of God’s love upon me. These unique insects have profound personal and spiritual meaning to me. In my experience, dragonflies appear around me at times of joy in my life; times when I can feel God affirming His love for me or reminding me of my blessings. Sometimes I will be walking in nature with family or friends and one will fly by; a reminder that I'm surrounded by those I love. Other times I will be sitting on my deck deep in prayer or journaling and a dragonfly will land on my chair; an affirmation that … [Read more...]
Freedom For Life
“Sometimes love asks us to limit our freedom on behalf of someone else.” Margaret Feinberg Who is a better example of this message than Jesus? Christ didn’t limit His freedom; He gave up His freedom completely on behalf of the entire human race. Why? Because He loves us. Because God the Father called Him to do it. Jesus obeyed and adhered to living out the covenant promise by God to offer His only Son as a sacrifice for our eternal reward. Christ sacrificed His freedom so we could be set free from sin. And we're called to pay this forward as Christians as we sacrifice our freedom at times for the benefit of another. This act of selflessness is of paramount importance in marriage. We spoke vows to one another on our wedding day and entered into a covenant relationship with our spouse. We took an oath, before God, to love, honor, cherish and commit to our spouse at all times. We swore in God’s presence to live up to these promises in sickness and in health. More times than not, … [Read more...]
Stuck On Stuck
Contemporary Christian singer, Michael W. Smith, has a beautiful new album out called, Wonder. In a poignant song entitled, “One More Time”, a particular verse hung in the air for me as I listened. “Forget what lies behind you, Heaven walks beside you.” And to take it further on my own if I may, “Heaven walks beside you…and paves the way before you.” How liberating would it be for us, in the midst of suffering, to begin and end each day believing and feeling Christ’s Heavenly presence walking right beside us? Would that be enough to keep us centered in the present moment, and enable our hearts to leave behind painful memories of our past and see hope on the horizon? How I wish all of us as married couples facing challenges, despair, resentments, hurt and fear would allow God’s Grace to shower us as Heaven walks beside us. So many relationships begin a slow fade, fall into a tailspin and ultimately stall where the rubber meets the road. A husband and wife become stuck on … [Read more...]
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