Sometimes I wonder if I am ‘too familiar’ with my Savior. A book that has impacted me regarding the person of Christ is called God Came Near by Max Lucado. I loved it when I read it during college and it was the very first book I ever gave to Todd.
Why? You wonder. It is not a theological exegesis on the Savior of the World- but does exactly what the title suggests. It brings God, in the person of Christ, near to me.
One of my favorite chapters is Twenty-five questions for Mary. I loved reading it then writing my own questions out to the side. Maybe, like Jessica Thompson does regarding her questions for God, I will just ask God to ‘add them to my list’ in my prayer time.
You see Mary was a mother like me. A mother with fears, frustrations, love and joy- just like me. But, unlike me, she was the mother to a perfect God- in the form of a baby that she watched grow. She nurtured him, and took care of him; she watched in the doorway as Jesus worked with Joseph in the carpentry shop, if Jesus was sick, she probably stayed up with Him. And that is another question for Mary- does a perfect God get sick?
Now, I would love to sit at Mary’s feet and learn from her. What would she do with the internet and her son Jesus? Would she run out and protect Him from bullies? Did Jesus clean His room? Help around the house? Have chores? Would she let Him watch PG-13 movies? And would He even want to?
How did she feel to see her son teaching in the temple? Proud? Or sad, knowing that He was really not hers that He belonged to the world and was stepping into His role- as Teacher, Master, Redeemer, and Savior.
All of these thoughts echo in my head as Frontline begins a three-week series on 'Who is Jesus?' (www.frontlinedc.com)
Over the years my understanding of who He is has been shaped by many things- most recently by studying the book of John, verse by verse. At times I felt that Jesus was austere, removed, but at others I sensed his passion in the fervent expressions of the words He spoke. He was a man burdened, a man of sorrows and a man of love. God came near to me again as we studied John 17. In this chapter you hear Jesus’ heart for His disciples, and those coming after.
Who is Jesus to me? At times He is my closest friend, at others He is my teacher and one who convicts me, but at all times HE IS MY SAVIOR.
All the way my Savior leads me, What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide? Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell! For I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well; For I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.
All the way my Savior leads me, Cheers each winding path I tread, Gives me grace for every trial, Feeds me with the living Bread. Though my weary steps may falter And my soul athirst may be, Gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! A spring of joy I see; Gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! A spring of joy I see.
All the way my Savior leads me, Oh, the fullness of His love! Perfect rest to me is promised In my Father’s house above. When my spirit, clothed immortal, Wings its flight to realms of day This my song through endless ages: Jesus led me all the way; This my song through endless ages: Jesus led me all the way. (Fanny J. Crosby 1875)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Prevent and Prepare
Todd got a ticket on the way home from taking Parker to camp last Sunday. It wasn’t for speeding or doing anything blatantly wrong- it was for expired license plate tags. I wrote a blog about this same thing happening to me (http://juliegphillips.blogspot.com/2008/03/journey-with-julie.html) in March. Obviously there are some preventative steps Todd and I can take to keep this from happening to us.
When we lived in San Antonio we had the blessing of purchasing our first NEW home. We went through the whole finishing the building, the inspection process, etc. I was 6 months pregnant with Parker. It was so much fun! We had lived there about one year when we were woken up one night to continuous beeping. It was not fun to wake up to this annoying sound. It was the smoke alarms. They were going off but not from smoke. The batteries were going out. If there had been a hidden camera- we could have won money! We were going through our house waiting by each of the smoke alarms trying to figure out which one was beeping! But they were taking turns…
“It is this one!”
“No, this one…”
“It is coming from over there”
“Quick, before Parker wakes up!”
Complete chaos! Needless to say, we didn’t figure it out. Todd ended up just taking the batteries out of all of them and we prayed there wasn’t a fire for the rest of the night. We didn’t have a plethora of nine-volt batteries in the house to replace them and would have to make a run to the store.
Now before all of you kindly people out in blog-o-sphere offer all of your ideas…we know and have learned that it is best to change the batteries with Daylight Savings time. See…preventative measures to keep the alarms from going off in the middle of the night.
God desires us to enact preventative measures in our life as well. The Bible is filled with verses to inspire, encourage, and challenge us to be Holy, pursue a life of righteousness and share the hope that lies within. However, many of us just remove the batteries and go back to sleep. We don’t get to the bottom of our sin, we don’t seek out the root of our issue and we keep going along half-heartedly following Jesus. Here are some verses that I hope will encourage you to dig deeper into your own walk- seeking to clean out the hidden closets of unrighteousness in your life- why? Because God commands us to “Be Holy”. Isn't that reason enough? And like Jude 3- we must all FIGHT for our faith- but for many of us the fight begins in the preventative and the preparation of our armor (Eph 6).
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep a clear head, and set your hope completely on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not be shaped by the desires that you once had in your ignorance. Instead, just as the one who called you is holy, be holy in every aspect of your life. For it is written, "You must be holy, because I am holy. 1 Peter 1:13-16
Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more...Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his,"and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 2 Timothy 2 14-15,19, 21-26; 4:2, 5
When we lived in San Antonio we had the blessing of purchasing our first NEW home. We went through the whole finishing the building, the inspection process, etc. I was 6 months pregnant with Parker. It was so much fun! We had lived there about one year when we were woken up one night to continuous beeping. It was not fun to wake up to this annoying sound. It was the smoke alarms. They were going off but not from smoke. The batteries were going out. If there had been a hidden camera- we could have won money! We were going through our house waiting by each of the smoke alarms trying to figure out which one was beeping! But they were taking turns…
“It is this one!”
“No, this one…”
“It is coming from over there”
“Quick, before Parker wakes up!”
Complete chaos! Needless to say, we didn’t figure it out. Todd ended up just taking the batteries out of all of them and we prayed there wasn’t a fire for the rest of the night. We didn’t have a plethora of nine-volt batteries in the house to replace them and would have to make a run to the store.
Now before all of you kindly people out in blog-o-sphere offer all of your ideas…we know and have learned that it is best to change the batteries with Daylight Savings time. See…preventative measures to keep the alarms from going off in the middle of the night.
God desires us to enact preventative measures in our life as well. The Bible is filled with verses to inspire, encourage, and challenge us to be Holy, pursue a life of righteousness and share the hope that lies within. However, many of us just remove the batteries and go back to sleep. We don’t get to the bottom of our sin, we don’t seek out the root of our issue and we keep going along half-heartedly following Jesus. Here are some verses that I hope will encourage you to dig deeper into your own walk- seeking to clean out the hidden closets of unrighteousness in your life- why? Because God commands us to “Be Holy”. Isn't that reason enough? And like Jude 3- we must all FIGHT for our faith- but for many of us the fight begins in the preventative and the preparation of our armor (Eph 6).
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep a clear head, and set your hope completely on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not be shaped by the desires that you once had in your ignorance. Instead, just as the one who called you is holy, be holy in every aspect of your life. For it is written, "You must be holy, because I am holy. 1 Peter 1:13-16
Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more...Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his,"and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 2 Timothy 2 14-15,19, 21-26; 4:2, 5
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
A little talk with Jesus
While in Texas my children listened to many CDs driving around. My mother has a kids’ cd that has many old hymns on it. Raney just loved it! She would sing and sing. One of the songs is “Just a little Talk with Jesus”. The refrain says, “A little talk with Jesus makes it right” but Raney would sing…. “A little talk with Jesus makes ME right”.
I laughed because so many times that is true! There is self-satisfaction in reading God’s words or praying and saying to ourselves… “See…I am RIGHT!” But we have to be careful in how we allow those thoughts to manifest themselves.
Just a little difference in words but it can be profound. Now, talking to Jesus does make us feel better, but it doesn’t always make us ‘right’ as in correct!
However, I think many of us make assumptions of what God is saying…and then we generously share those thoughts with others.
We get the idea of prayer, and reading the Bible out of whack. Rather than going to Jesus to align our thoughts with His…we try to make His words JUSTIFY our actions, thoughts, and ‘holier than thou’ attitudes. I am not saying this always happens but that it CAN happen…and very subtlety.
Matthew 7:1-5 says, "Stop judging, so that you won't be judged. For with the judgment you use, you will be judged. And with the measure you use, you will be measured. "Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when the beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
Humility. A character trait sorely missing in many of us at times. We must check ourselves often and allow God to work out the motives in our heart. Do we want to be ‘right’ so that we can be more like Jesus? Or are we wanting to be ‘right’ so that we tell others they are wrong and in doing so- puff up ourselves?
It is a dangerous line to walk and one I wanted to bring to light.
Not a new thought by any means. We all struggle with this. Our goal is to be Holy like God. When I find myself feeling some self righteous thoughts- I try to take a step back and just allow my life to speak for me- allowing God’s words and my time with Him to be my focus, rather than pushing my own agenda.
Jeremiah 17:9-109 "The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? 10 But I know! I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve."
I laughed because so many times that is true! There is self-satisfaction in reading God’s words or praying and saying to ourselves… “See…I am RIGHT!” But we have to be careful in how we allow those thoughts to manifest themselves.
Just a little difference in words but it can be profound. Now, talking to Jesus does make us feel better, but it doesn’t always make us ‘right’ as in correct!
However, I think many of us make assumptions of what God is saying…and then we generously share those thoughts with others.
We get the idea of prayer, and reading the Bible out of whack. Rather than going to Jesus to align our thoughts with His…we try to make His words JUSTIFY our actions, thoughts, and ‘holier than thou’ attitudes. I am not saying this always happens but that it CAN happen…and very subtlety.
Matthew 7:1-5 says, "Stop judging, so that you won't be judged. For with the judgment you use, you will be judged. And with the measure you use, you will be measured. "Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when the beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
Humility. A character trait sorely missing in many of us at times. We must check ourselves often and allow God to work out the motives in our heart. Do we want to be ‘right’ so that we can be more like Jesus? Or are we wanting to be ‘right’ so that we tell others they are wrong and in doing so- puff up ourselves?
It is a dangerous line to walk and one I wanted to bring to light.
Not a new thought by any means. We all struggle with this. Our goal is to be Holy like God. When I find myself feeling some self righteous thoughts- I try to take a step back and just allow my life to speak for me- allowing God’s words and my time with Him to be my focus, rather than pushing my own agenda.
Jeremiah 17:9-109 "The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? 10 But I know! I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve."
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Heritage of Faith
Heritage...women in the Bible...female relationships...Women of Faith...
I read a book a while back called The Red Tent. It is about the relationships of women in the old Testament- particularly Leah, Rachel and kin. I don't know that I would recommend the book- but one thing stood out to me and that was the importance of female relationships. Let's be honest- relationships among women can be really difficult. There is the unspoken competition, the PMS 'you are getting on my last nerve' reactions, the ups and down of weight, the comparisons, etc, etc. However, there is also strength. We, as women, have the ability to walk along side one another in a way that men can never have.
And in our families...we women can be the bearers of faith- passing down faith and our relationship with God to the next generation.
When I was home this past month, I went through some things that mother had kept for me. I came across an email that my grandmother had sent me. She never went to college, her life was not easy by any means, her love wasn't always felt by all... but she was a woman of faith and I saw it, experienced, received it and counted on it. It is one of the reasons I miss her. This email was in response to an email I had sent out in regards to Todd not getting a job- it was in the time of our 18month desert experience where we didn't have any income. Two weeks later we were interviewing for a job at Frontline. Isn't it funny how God works?
March 29, 2004
Hi Todd and Julie,
I wanted to say thank you for keeping us informed on what is going on in your life. There is no need for me to tell you that we all have things that don't work out the way we want, but that God is in control and all is well. I thank God for your faith and leaning on God to direct your lives. Enough said, except I thank God for both of you and your dedication in following him.
I don't know if you use the Upper Room or not, being an old Methodist I cannot get a way from it. If you do use it you have probably seen today's devotion, but just in case I felt it fit my life as well as yours. I would like to share a part of it. The title is "Out of the Fire", scripture is 1 Peter 4:12-19. It talks of a forest fire and how after the fire things come to light. New plants spring up and it is God's way of bringing new life. The last paragraph says, "Like those forest fires, the fiery trials we endure are forces that can produce spiritual growth in our lives. God uses these experiences to refine us. To be sure, we are changed forever by the fires, but the purifying of our hearts and minds also allows seeds of spiritual maturity to take root and grow."
I think this applies to everyone, but I wanted to share it with you today. Please know we love you and you are in our prayers. Give the kids a big hug!!
Love, Grana
My response:
Grana, Thanks so much for sharing. Todd and I really appreciated your words...it brought tears to my eyes to realize what a gift I have in having a grandmother that actually pursues her faith on a DAILY basis- your wisdom (and don't send me an email saying Grana isn't wise) is wonderful. I love being at least a 3rd generation woman of God.
* The pictures above are from Raney's 1st birthday and dedication. We dedicated her at home among friends and family and had Todd's mom, my mom, my grana and myself pray over Raney. I wanted her to be surrounded by strong women of faith. All of our faith, over the years, had been tested and yet was still strong.*
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Phillips Family- Life on the Road
Hello all,
Many of you know the kids and I are in Texas visiting family while Todd is on a Mountain Climb in Russia. Todd is with a group of Frontliners raising money and awareness for water in Liberia. Their goal is to provide water for the entire nation over the next 5-7 years. The group is working with Living Water International to organize water wells, pumps, etc. so that clean water will be provided for the people of Liberia. I thought I would share Todd's blog regarding the team's progress in Russia.
http://www.thelastwell.com/blog-content.html
As far as the kids and I...
We are doing extremely well though we have been surprised at the whirlwind pace we are moving! We have been to Houston, a visit to a Lakehouse-( lots of fun, sunburn and sore muscles). We have plans to go to San Antonio, and East Texas this next week. Though we had scheduled a time to visit the Hurt Family at their new home in Victoria-we had a minor emergency room visit that took precedence. Katherine had a fall from her bed which caused a concussion...but we hear the Hurts are taking Victoria by storm!
Many blessings to you all,
Julie
Many of you know the kids and I are in Texas visiting family while Todd is on a Mountain Climb in Russia. Todd is with a group of Frontliners raising money and awareness for water in Liberia. Their goal is to provide water for the entire nation over the next 5-7 years. The group is working with Living Water International to organize water wells, pumps, etc. so that clean water will be provided for the people of Liberia. I thought I would share Todd's blog regarding the team's progress in Russia.
http://www.thelastwell.com/blog-content.html
As far as the kids and I...
We are doing extremely well though we have been surprised at the whirlwind pace we are moving! We have been to Houston, a visit to a Lakehouse-( lots of fun, sunburn and sore muscles). We have plans to go to San Antonio, and East Texas this next week. Though we had scheduled a time to visit the Hurt Family at their new home in Victoria-we had a minor emergency room visit that took precedence. Katherine had a fall from her bed which caused a concussion...but we hear the Hurts are taking Victoria by storm!
Many blessings to you all,
Julie
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Impact?
The vision of McLean Bible Church is to make an impact on secular Washington with the message of Jesus Christ.
Vision Statement of McLean Bible Church. This town is all about impact. This week, in the death of Tim Russert- we saw how impact has ripple effects. I am a Russert Fan. I am also a Chris Matthews fan, an Anderson Cooper Fan and a Brit Hume Fan. I am NOT a Bill O’Reilly fan, a Glenn Beck fan or a Keith Olberman fan. I am sad that Tim Russert will not be there to guide me in processing the political climate of our nation.
But, what I noticed most this last weekend was the impact that he had on so many people- and not just politically. Russert was known to be a wonderful father, son, and husband as well as- boss. Though he was a well-known public figure- he also seemed to know the details of people’s lives. I am sure he wasn’t perfect- but I still was consistently struck by the bipartisan love he drew- something difficult in this town. The remembrances were personal, touching, and authentic. That says a lot for a man whose influence extends into the highest echelons of power. Details. That is where impact is made.
And I was left with a question. Impact? What is my impact? AND…is the impact am I making tied to the gospel of Christ? Once again I go back to Todd’s words to me so many years ago: “Julie, you are either drawing people to Jesus or drawing them away.”
By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other's toes, numbered into the thousands. But Jesus' primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, "Watch yourselves carefully so you don't get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness. You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town. Luke 12:1-3 (The Message)
Does my inside life and my outside life match? Do people know the passion of my heart? Is Jesus a part of my conversation? I cannot just ‘preach’- I have to LIVE out a life that draws people to God. Not only do I need to love God- but also I need to truly LOVE the people God created…all people- even the drive through worker that gets my order wrong. To make Jesus known…hmmmmm.
And I ask you the same questions:
What is your impact?
Is the impact you are making tied to the gospel of Christ?
Are you, and your life, drawing people to Jesus?
Does the inside of your life and the outside of your life match?
What is the passion of your heart?
Is Jesus a part of your conversation?
Are you LIVING a life that pleases God and draws people to you so that you can direct them to God?
Vision Statement of McLean Bible Church. This town is all about impact. This week, in the death of Tim Russert- we saw how impact has ripple effects. I am a Russert Fan. I am also a Chris Matthews fan, an Anderson Cooper Fan and a Brit Hume Fan. I am NOT a Bill O’Reilly fan, a Glenn Beck fan or a Keith Olberman fan. I am sad that Tim Russert will not be there to guide me in processing the political climate of our nation.
But, what I noticed most this last weekend was the impact that he had on so many people- and not just politically. Russert was known to be a wonderful father, son, and husband as well as- boss. Though he was a well-known public figure- he also seemed to know the details of people’s lives. I am sure he wasn’t perfect- but I still was consistently struck by the bipartisan love he drew- something difficult in this town. The remembrances were personal, touching, and authentic. That says a lot for a man whose influence extends into the highest echelons of power. Details. That is where impact is made.
And I was left with a question. Impact? What is my impact? AND…is the impact am I making tied to the gospel of Christ? Once again I go back to Todd’s words to me so many years ago: “Julie, you are either drawing people to Jesus or drawing them away.”
By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other's toes, numbered into the thousands. But Jesus' primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, "Watch yourselves carefully so you don't get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness. You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town. Luke 12:1-3 (The Message)
Does my inside life and my outside life match? Do people know the passion of my heart? Is Jesus a part of my conversation? I cannot just ‘preach’- I have to LIVE out a life that draws people to God. Not only do I need to love God- but also I need to truly LOVE the people God created…all people- even the drive through worker that gets my order wrong. To make Jesus known…hmmmmm.
And I ask you the same questions:
What is your impact?
Is the impact you are making tied to the gospel of Christ?
Are you, and your life, drawing people to Jesus?
Does the inside of your life and the outside of your life match?
What is the passion of your heart?
Is Jesus a part of your conversation?
Are you LIVING a life that pleases God and draws people to you so that you can direct them to God?
Monday, June 9, 2008
Ode to Campbell
My niece is growing up and I cannot wait to see her this summer. One my favorite things that she has done over the past couple of years is say, "I hold you" when she wants to be picked up.
Todd, myself, and my parents are never immune when she runs to you with her arms wide open, squeezing her little fists open and close and reaching for you, "I hold you, Aunt Joolie".
I love to pick her up and just hold her as she cuddles into me. It is a feeling too precious for words and makes me feel like I have conquered the world.
So very cute...but she is growing up and probably no longer says that anymore so I wanted to document it through this short little tidbit as I look forward to seeing her soon.
I was thinking about it this morning and was struck with a thought- Campbell reaching out to me and saying, "I hold you" reminds me of Jesus- reaching out to us with his arms wide open in the midst of trials, joys, and the normal hours of our day.
Jesus reaches out, his arms ready and says, "I hold you".
Not only does He desire for us to respond to Him, but He is telling us a truth- He already holds us! All we have to do is rest in his arms.
Isaiah 49
13 Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. 14 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." 15 "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! 16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands
Romans 8
38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Psalm 62
5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
Matthew 11
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Todd, myself, and my parents are never immune when she runs to you with her arms wide open, squeezing her little fists open and close and reaching for you, "I hold you, Aunt Joolie".
I love to pick her up and just hold her as she cuddles into me. It is a feeling too precious for words and makes me feel like I have conquered the world.
So very cute...but she is growing up and probably no longer says that anymore so I wanted to document it through this short little tidbit as I look forward to seeing her soon.
I was thinking about it this morning and was struck with a thought- Campbell reaching out to me and saying, "I hold you" reminds me of Jesus- reaching out to us with his arms wide open in the midst of trials, joys, and the normal hours of our day.
Jesus reaches out, his arms ready and says, "I hold you".
Not only does He desire for us to respond to Him, but He is telling us a truth- He already holds us! All we have to do is rest in his arms.
Isaiah 49
13 Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. 14 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." 15 "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! 16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands
Romans 8
38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Psalm 62
5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
Matthew 11
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
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