Archive for March, 2008
A Marvelous Love
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.”John 3:16, 17 NIVThere I stood wide eyed on an Easter Morning marveling at the beautifully tailored green coat dress my mother had created with her very own hands. Her limited budget and lack of sewing machine did not thwart her plans, nor limit her marvelous gift to me. My hopes weren’t dashed; my mother had exceeded my expectations.
On Sunday morning I awoke to the site of seeing an ensemble that was created with me in mind. There on the hanger hung my Easter dress and on this occasion I didn’t have to make due. That childhood memory, so many years ago is still very clear in my mind! But it was my mother’s constant and active displays that nurtured me and my brothers. There were many days of home baked cookies, sewn tote-shoe bags with creative stitching, construction paper made into vocabulary and math flash cards, encouraging words and her being an unselfish person—it’s all of those tokens of a marvelous love that have been instilled in me and carry me through my life and still give me this incredible and memorable gift as we approach Resurrection Sunday!Our Heavenly Father is surely the exemplary loving parent!
Have you experienced it? Friends, you know well the Easter themes, the melodic hymns of Zion, eloquent sermonic messages spoken in The Seven Last Words on Good Friday and lest we not forget the baked ham, Easter lilies, colorful outfits and baskets running over with fruity jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and crosses. This too is a real part of many Easters across the nation. But more importantly the ultimate gift given us- yes, our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
A marvelous gift that allows me and you to confidently lean on the promises of God with an expectant hope!So during this Passion Week we can confidently embrace the truth-that there’s no greater gift that we can have than the love of God. God I am sure is counting on us to let His love be the focus and main ingredient in our Easter festivities. With that thought let me encourage you to remember your birth rights as children of the most High God and carry in your hearts and conversations the spirit of an expected good to permeate your life and the lives of others.
Just like me as a child on Easter morning-know without a doubt that something wonderful and good awaits you no matter our perceived limitations and the negative nay sayers!
No my friends, I agree it’s not about the clothes; it’s about the marvelous sacrificial love of a parent. What my mother and possibly many of your parents have done on countless occasions is model love, a love that revives and lifts us! My mother’s behavior exemplified what was merely a reflection of the love that Christ has for us.Just trust in him!
“There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God. Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished. But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants.”John 3: 18-21 (NIV)
Go ahead and boldly embrace a spirit of great expectancy; no matter the days that are filled with some mighty highs and agonizing lows. It’s the anticipation of something wonderful to come; the Lamb of God actively visible in the outcomes of our lives! Yes He was struck down, but no hell could contain Him. It’s the celebration and resurrection of a new day, a new hope, a new truth, a new glory and a new and real determination that our Christ is alive. So in essence our personal ruts and predictable behavior can always be blood washed and refreshed because it’s a marvelous love that saves us! Keep singing, keep hoping and keep on loving in the name of Jesus!
Have a blessed Easter! Amen!
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Joyfully submitted by Linda Mose Meadows
Author of: The Blessedness of Believing
A Devotional Journey of Life’s Lessons and God’s Promises
http://www.blessednessofbelieving.blogspot.com/
Blessed and Running On
Allow this music to minister to your heart as you revisit one of my favorite writings and remember that you are not alone. Many times I listen to different artists as I write and this is one of those songs that is so inspiring. Friends, have a blessed day. Today.
This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account; it is presented so that you also can believe. John 19:35
No one wanted the day to end. As the cleaning crew began dismantling tables, people were in there way. Some stood huddled together, others ignored that the vendors packing up their displays and they needed to make room for them. I am not sure if help was solicited from the young people standing on the deflated romp a room, but they appeared to be having a little to much fun jumping up and down on the deflated gym, which needed to be rolled up and removed. I could see that only the clean up crew wanted to go home, no one else appeared to be in a rush to get moving. A calming atmosphere of joy, peace, and love hung in the air like the distinct aroma of something wonderful baking in the oven.
As I walked toward my husband it was evident that this Saturday had provided more than we could have anticipated. My husband had been invited as a “LifeNet donor parent” and clergy member to participate as one of the guest speakers to address the issue of teen violence and shed some insight about handling grief. He did such a fine job, not reiterating the graphic details regarding our son’s death, but instead reminded that the listeners that the enemy hadn’t stolen our joy and celebration was evident and we will continue as a family and community to run this race.
And at the close of the day’s festivities there stood my husband on the dusty high school race track beaming with his hands extended towards me.
I squeezed my husband’s neck and couldn’t help but remark, “Hey look at you, and you’ve received a medal also!” He chuckled and smiled broadly and acknowledged that he too had been a runner in the race. I gave a hearty “Amen” because indeed he had.
As I reflect on the symbolism of the dusty tracks and roads, I understand that all of us have stood on the dusty tracks of life at some point in this life journey. Sometimes the run is smooth and, often time it’s a hard stretch of a run that makes you wonder when it will become smooth again. But we continue to persevere!
I thank God for the organizer’s and parent’s foresight and all those that rallied around them grieving the loss of this excellent young man and commemorating his life of sportsmanship and scholastic accomplishment with an invitational community event Enthusiastic runners young, middle aged and some not so middle aged enjoyed the day. This multifaceted day provided fun, fellowship and an opportunity for community leaders, administrators, parents and students to announce to the world that the epidemic of teen violence must be addressed. I marveled at the ingenuity to bring recognition to such a dismal occurrence through such a worthy event.
Yet I am pushed to appreciate the day for more -it was a day filled with optimism that evil had not conquered good in spite of the negative reports, I’d like to think the community said with their resounding appearance that we do have victory, we are winners.
I recall observing that many of the youngest runners from the seasoned sprinters were proudly wearing their LifeNet bracelets and their Olympic style medals. The medals each had a pair of gold running shoes handsomely displayed on a red, white and blue ribbon. It was apparent that the recipients of the medals were pleased at their accomplishment of running the 5 k race. My husband was equally proud to place in the runners hand a plaque signaling a job well done!
Earlier that day my husband stopped to chat with a young runner who walked with his father. My husband inquired how young man had done in the race. The young man appeared to be in his early teens, and half heartedly smiled and acknowledged that the race had gone fairly well for him. My husband looked at the father and then said to the son smiling, “You know the race is not given to the swift or strong, but those that hang in there until the end.” “Tell him father!” For a quick moment, the father must have thought this guy is right! He then looked at Ricky in his eyes and said, “Yes that’s right!” The young man’s shoulders for a moment appeared slumped, but I could see the life and energy return to this young runner and his posture was erect.
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.
I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.[fn4]
Phl 3:12-14
Surely God’s word does that for us –it rebuilds our brokenness and disappointment.
That day when we reflected on the tragic loss of life for the teens or other loved ones, our hearts did ache because of the travesty of the senselessness of the loss of life. But for a moment when I closed my eyes and lifted a prayer of thanksgiving I felt the warm sun my face, opened my eyes and witnessed the runners, the cheering bystanders, and heard the background music, children running, playing and laughing in the inflated gym, saw the vendors dispensing health information–without a doubt I knew we all were winners on that day. The air was filled with exuberance, there was a celebration in our midst and it was contagious. Our hearts were alive with hope and promise and our spirits were soaring for new days ahead.
Let’s thank God together friends, for his infinite wisdom and loving kindness in sustaining us with the resolve to endure and keep it moving. Some can give a good report and yet others are a little worn from their experience nonetheless we can be eyewitness for each other that love, Holy love, enduring love has sustained us for this race!.
God had once again poured his love on us, given us medallions of love and we’re recipients of grace, and I knew I too stood on the dusty track and was in position to run again!
Dedicated to Baron “Deuce Braswell…This is an article written by his mother Gwen Braswell-Nash (Click her to view article)
Joyfully Submitted by
Linda Mose Meadows
The Blessedness of Believing-
A Devotional Journey of Life’s Lessons and God’s Promises
blessedlm@hotmai.com
Introducing…Souls of My Sisters



Just Believe!
They won’t do what I tell them. They’ll just say, `The LORD never appeared to you.’ “
Exodus 4:1
God I do believe that my son and daughters will succeed and reach out to many others! Lord thank you!
God I do believe the best is yet to come and you hear our prayers! Lord thank you!
God I do believe that I have the heart to forgive! Lord thank you!
God I do believe we’ll make it through the sun and the rain! Lord, thank you!
Shouldn’t you believe that God will care for those who are upright?
Job 4:6 (NIV)