Day 3: OUR HOPE IS FOUND IN CHRIST

We received an encouraging email today with this quote and as we read it, the words rang true in our ears.

"All of our difficulties are only platforms for the manifestations of God’s grace, power and love in our life".

To be honest, most of the time it's hard to keep track of what day it is. We do know it’s day #3 at the hospital with Mom.  We know God is with us in this time.  Jess has asked me to make a guest appearance on her blog. I (Courtney) am taking my turn to fill you in on Mom's progress today. I want to share that although this time is difficult we have been able to see God answer our prayers and yours through the progress Mom is making. However, we still long to hear her voice and to know what she is thinking.

Yesterday, the doctor stressed the importance of mom increasing her daily food intake, either that, or a feeding tube will be ordered. When we met with the doctor again this morning he said applesause will not due and she needs to be eating full meals. At breakfast she only had 2 spoonfuls of oatmeal; a slow start to the day.  We knew the rest of the day was crucial. When lunch came around she ate 3 spoonfuls of potatoes and ground beef. After shaking her head "no" to the 4th bite she did have 3 spoonfuls of pudding... already an improvement.  From there she had an afternoon snack of a few bites of yogurt before the next real test of dinner. Dinner came and after moving Mom to the chair (a new instruction from the Physical Therapist) we sat her up and Jess prepared to feed her.  Dad and I watched and counted; bite #1, #2...#3 and were pleased as she went on to eat 2 more big bites! She then finished with a few sips of a protein shake. DEFINITE improvement.  While she still needs to eat more, we count today as a big step forward!

Another step forward was taken as mom worked with the Physical Therapist, Danielle. She completed the exercises she did yesterday with improved ease and confidence. Then continued to play catch with Jess and to do walking/weaving exercises with Danielle.  Her therapy also included picking up the cones she weaved in and out of off of the floor and we were floored to watch her do so. Once she was done, Danielle told us how well Mom was continuing to improve with her movement as well as responding to commands.

Of course there is the flip side, too.  She still hasn't spoken and leaves us guessing as to how much she really does comprehend and understand. But we are praying for patience and continued health, as we know her brain is swelling right now, and some functions will take longer than others to return.

One last note for the day; Mom had an ultra sound on her legs last night to look for any blood clots. We found out today that she does in fact have a large clot in her lower left leg.  This confirms the cause of her stroke.  A piece of this clot broke off and traveled through her body, through the PFO and then into her brain.  The doctor did put her on a very mild blood thinner in order to prevent further clotting.

After another day, we realize again what a long road we are on, and how God is using this time to teach us about His grace. He is showing us in a whole new way that He is in control.  A friend shared with me this verse today:

"... we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope" and hope is found in Christ. - Romans 5: 3-4

AND SO WE PRESS ON and can not continue to thank you all enough for your continued love, support and prayer.

Gordy, Courtney and Jessica

Where have you seen God’s grace in our life today?

DAY 2: DANCING WITH THE STARS

FORSYTH MEDICAL CENTER

I had to run to the ladies room before we went up the elevator to the 7^th floor this morning to see Mom, so Dad and Courtney went ahead of me. The curtain was closed as I walked into the room, so I zipped it open and said GOOD MORNING MOMMA…and her eyes lit up and she smiled REALLY big. This led us into a series of questions…Do you know I’m your daughter? Dad says, “Do you know I’m your Husband?” Do you know Courtney? She would shake her head yes, but as the confused look came across her face – and we saw a bit of a blank stare – we knew that we really could still only guess what she knows and understands.

Dad said, “Honey, do you know this is the longest time in 27 years you haven’t talked to me?” We all laughed, and as tears came to our eyes he said, “And I DON’T like it!”

I think the reality of the entire situation is really setting in for all of us today (you ALL who love her so much included)! I wanted to update you on the situation surrounding the PFO testing I posted this morning. We found out that she not only has one large hole, but actually has another small hole (very uncommon to have two) in her heart. This is going to require a surgery (PFO closure) eventually, but this will take place several months down the rehab road. As we further discussed this topic with the Doc today, it began to set in that this is going to be a long road, but we are steadfast in supporting Mom every step of the way and know that God will see her through.

Mom’s Neurologist showed us the actual MRI scan of her brain today. We sat in awe as we actually saw the bright white areas covering a large percentage of the left lobe of her brain showing the damaged area from the stroke. The most damage is in the area of making speech (central left lobe), the area of understanding speech is a little “less bright white” (posterior left lobe) and the front left lobe which is responsible for paralysis is virtually untouched. We praise God for saving this area of her brain. Mom is still able to move all extremities and get up and walk to use the restroom (and MAN does she jump out of bed when she’s gotta go :o)!!! We still get our glimpses of Mom and we are so thankful for them!

So as we move forward, we know that the next 3 days are going to be tough as her brain swells. She has been considerably more tired today and a little bit more difficult to wake up for the nurses and docs for different things. We also have had our eyes opened to the fact that this is going to be a long road.

So why dancing with the stars? Well, one, this is one of Mom’s favorite shows and two, you should have seen her with the Physical Therapist today! Although she definitely still favors her left side she was up walking forward, backwards, turning in circles, and yes dancing with our fabulous PT, Danielle. We are so proud of her and will continue to engage her on her right side.

Another victory today was APPLESAUSE! In all seriousness, Mom has not wanted to eat the last two days. The nurse said when she first got upstairs yesterday morning she ate a small container of applesause, but both yesterday and today we have not been able to get her to eat anything (not that we would want to eat hospital food, either).  When we were talking with her doctor he mentioned that the food intake was of concern and they would be counting calories for the next two days. He said that if she decides not to eat enough in the next few days then she will need a feeding tube inserted first through her nose, and then possibly through the stomach. We prayed after doc left about many things, but specifically for the food. Right before therapy Court looked at me and said, “Should we try the applesause again?” I agreed we should! When Court got it out, not only did Mom take it from her, but she opened it all by herself (and after she tried to drink it a few times) with a little assistance almost ate the whole thing! GOOD START!

We’ll be back tomorrow. Thank you again and again for your support!

Gordy, Courtney and Jessica

Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?

HERE COMES DAY #2:

Focused prayer for today: Mom’s Heart

Doc thinks Mom may have a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) in her heart between the two atriums. The reason for this is IF it was a blood clot that was in her leg, the clot would have normally caused a Pulmonary Embolism (the clot would have gotten stuck in her lungs not her brain) BUT if she has this PFO (hole in-between the 2 atriums in her heart) the blood clot may have passed through the hole into her brain - causing the stroke. They did the echocardiogram yesterday (frontal view of the heart) and did not see the hole, but today are testing her with a probe through the throat to get a lateral picture.

LINK: What's a PFO?

NO hole = different possible cause of stroke

Hole = either need to perform a PFO Closure or Mom will most likely be placed on blood thinners for the rest of her life.

…I’m no doc – but just wanted to try my best to give you an update on where our focus is today! THANK YOU for the continuous prayers!

DAY 1: PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE:

"For with God nothing will be impossible." Luke 1:37.

First and foremost I want to thank ALL of you for your thoughts and prayers. We feel them here in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and are so blessed to be held up by such amazing family and friends. For those of you who follow my blog, in light of what has happened to my Mother, I am going to still highlight God's grace in my life, but also focus specifically on updating our family and friends on Mom.

PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE:

The phone rings at 12:30 this morning and I wake up in confusion and miss the call. I looked at my phone and saw I missed both Dad and Sister. Of course, my phone was nearly dead and I was half awake and as I finally hear Court say, "Dad called, Mom's in the ER call Dad right away." I thought YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME...this all feels like a VERY BAD dream. I got up and went downstairs and called Dad who proceeded to tell me it was in fact reality!

"They think she's had a stroke." He said. And EVERYTHING INSIDE OF ME did not want to believe him!

Mom was traveling back from a Tennessee Pod Camp and was in her Winston-Salem hotel doing laundry (we think around 7:00 pm). Another hotel guest (who happens to be a nurse) was also doing her laundry. Mom's speech began to slur and she lost consciousness. EMS was called to the hotel and she was taken by ambulance to the hospital. I called the ER as Dad got in his car to drive down from Baltimore, MD. The ER nurse said she had been with Mom since she arrived and if it were her mom, she would be on a flight to NC. Courtney and I had our one-way tickets booked by 2am and had two hours to shower and pack (you should see what we brought :o)

The on-call Neurologist was back and forth with Dad on his drive and an x-ray, spinal tap, MRI and echocardiogram later it was confirmed that Mom has suffered a large stroke of the left frontal lobe. Dad pulled into town about an hour ahead of us with the last ER update stating Mom was awake but not able to talk and not able to function on her right side. By the grace of God, Courtney and I were on the same connecting flight from Charlotte, NC to Greensboro, NC. We arrived at 10:48 am. As Dad ran up to us with tears in his eyes at the airport he said, "First miracle; she can move ALL extremities and is up WALKING (with help). PRAISE GOD! BUT  - she did not recognize him and she still could not talk.

You sure never can prepare yourself to walk into that room for the first time. As we walked in she did not recognize us either. But we are here as a family hugging, kissing, loving and praying on her. We can not continue to say how thankful we are for all of your prayers.

Doc came by this afternoon and gave us an update:

With a left frontal lobe stroke, two major issues:

1. Lack of communication (both understanding and production)
2. Right side function

Also, the most crucial point is that the brain continues to swell five days after the stroke with day 3 through 5 being the most critical. As her brain swells we were told to expect a decrease in both 1 & 2 listed above and also told there is still a risk of fatality as the brain swells. Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be vital days and as they continue to run tests and monitor her, we continue to surrender it all to God as he is holding our family right now. We find comfort in knowing that he knows what is going to happen and we continue to pray for a miracle.

Momma Besch is a fighter and we see it in her eyes. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!

Gordy, Courtney and Jessica

As I always ask, and we continue to see amplified in NC, Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

What To Preach To Yourself Everyday

God continues to blow me away through Pastor Tullian Tchividjian of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church! I came across his blog post from Saturday and it has summed up everything God has been teaching me lately. I don't even want to take another second trying to describe how good it is...JUST READ:

Here is the link if you would like to go to his blog (which I totally recommend following!): WHAT TO PREACH TO YOURSELF EVERYDAY

Tullian writes:

Because we are so naturally prone to look at ourselves and our performance more than we do to Christ and his performance, we need constant reminders of the gospel.

If we’re supposed to preach the gospel to ourselves everyday—what’s the actual content of that message? What is it exactly that I need to keep reminding myself of?

If God has saved you—if he’s given you the faith to believe, and you’re now a Christian; if you’ve transferred trust from your own accomplishments and abilities to Christ’s accomplishment on behalf of sinners—then here’s the good news. In the phraseology of Colossians 1, it’s simply this: You’ve already been qualified, you’ve already been delivered, you’ve already been transferred, you’ve already been redeemed, you’ve already been forgiven.

It’s been widely accepted that in the original language of Greek, Ephesians 1:3-14 is one long sentence. Paul becomes so overwhelmed by the sheer greatness and immensity and size and sweetness of God’s amazing grace, that he doesn’t even take a breath. He writes in a state of controlled ecstasy. And at the heart of his elation is the idea of “union with Christ.” We have been blessed, he writes, “in Christ with every spiritual blessing” (1:3): we’ve been chosen (v. 4), graced (v. 6), redeemed (v. 7), reconciled (v. 10), destined (v. 11), and sealed forever (v. 13). The everything we need and long for, Paul says, we already possess if we are in Christ. He has already sweepingly secured all that our hearts deeply crave.

We no longer need to rely, therefore, on the position, the prosperity, the promotions, the preeminence, the power, the praise, the passing pleasures, or the popularity that we’ve so desperately pursued for so long.

Day by day, what we must do practically can be experienced only as we come to a deeper understanding of what we are positionally—a deeper understanding of what’s already ours in Christ.

I used to think that growing as a Christian meant I had to somehow go out and obtain the qualities and attitudes I was lacking. To really mature, I needed to find a way to get more joy, more patience, more faithfulness, and so on.

Then I came to the shattering realization that this isn’t what the Bible teaches, and it isn’t the gospel. What the Bible teaches is that we mature as we come to a greater realization of what we already have in Christ. The gospel, in fact, transforms us precisely because it’s not itself a message about our internal transformation, but Christ’s external substitution. We desperately need an Advocate, Mediator, and Friend. But what we need most is a Substitute. Someone who has done for us and secured for us what we could never do and secure for ourselves.

The hard work of Christian growth, therefore, is to think less of me and my performance and more of Jesus and his performance for me. Ironically, when we focus mostly on our need to get better we actually get worse. We become neurotic and self-absorbed. Preoccupation with my effort over God’s effort for me makes me increasingly self-centered and morbidly introspective.

You could state it this way: Sanctification is the daily hard work of going back to the reality of our justification–receiving Christ’s words, “It is finished” into new and deeper parts of our being every day, into our rebellious regions of unbelief.  It’s going back to the certainty of our objectively secured pardon in Christ and hitting the refresh button a thousand times a day. Or, as Martin Luther so aptly put it in his Lectures on Romans, “To progress is always to begin again.” Real spiritual progress,  in other words, requires a daily going backwards.

In her book Because He Loves Me, Elyse Fitzpatrick writes about how important remembrance is in Christian growth:

One reason we don’t grow in ordinary, grateful obedience as we should is that we’ve got amnesia; we’ve forgotten that we are cleansed from our sins. In other words, ongoing failure in sanctification (the slow process of change into Christlikeness) is the direct result of failing to remember God’s love for us in the gospel. If we lack the comfort and assurance that his love and cleansing are meant to supply, our failures will handcuff us to yesterday’s sins, and we won’t have faith or courage to fight against them, or the love for God that’s meant to empower this war. If we fail to remember our justification, redemption, and reconciliation, we’ll struggle in our sanctification.

Christian growth, in other words, does not happen first by behaving better, but believing better–believing in bigger, deeper, brighter ways what Christ has already secured for sinners.

Preach that to yourself everyday and you’ll increasingly experience the scandalous freedom that Jesus paid so dearly to secure for you.

WRECKED AFRESH!

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

WHEN LIFE'S NOT WORKING:

For the past two Sunday's at Eagle Brook Church in Minnesota, Pastor Bob Merrit has preached two phenomenal messages on WHEN LIFE'S NOT WORKING. These messages were very helpful for me and I wanted to pass them along to you. I think they can meet you wherever you are at in your walk in life!

CLICK THE LINK HERE: http://www.eaglebrookchurch.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=38656


Then click show details under the first message and you can watch Part 1 and Part 2 from there.

Bob also discusses his book which I can't wait to start reading! Here is a link to his website: http://bobmerritt.net/book.html

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

GOOD vs. EVIL:

A wonderful friend of mine sent along this eye opening video this week and it was very eye opening! It went along well with my Grace tor the Moment this morning, so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to share!

First, Grace for the Moment:

When Christ Comes:

“In this world you will have tribulation,” Jesus promises, “but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33

God has kept no secrets. He has told us that…we will experience trouble…But just because the devil shows up and cackles, we needn’t panic…Our Master speaks of an accomplished deed…”It is finished” (John 19:30). The battle is over. Be alert. But don’t be alarmed…Satan is loosed for a season, but the season is oh-so-brief…Just a few more scenes, just a few more turns in the road, and his end will come.

Next, Good vs. Evil Video:

I know, heavy subject for a Friday! But something I’m really chewing on this weekend! AND - if you don't have time to watch them all now, maybe something to come back to...

Thank Goodness It’s Friday :o) Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?

HIS PRESENCE FOUND:

At this moment, many ordinary men and women just like you and me are being invited to enter into the rhythm of loss and gain. In each of our lives, there no doubt have been periods of fervor when we could almost touch the goodness of God. We have enjoyed various religious exercises, precious securities for many of us, in which it was a joy to be in his presence. Perhaps all this has changed now: like Catherine of Siena we seem to have lost Christ, and we fear he might never return.

But the gain is NEVER far away. God’s love and mercy are too great and too lasting to depend on the rise and fall of his frail creatures. CLOUDS MAY SHROUD OUR SOUL IN DARKNESS, BUT ABOVE THEM THE SUN SHINES BRIGHTLY; GOD’S MERCY NEVER FAILS. Those who grasp the real meaning  of this truth find Christ in a new way. This experience marks the beginning of a richer life in which joy and peace flourish even in the darkness, because they are ROOTED not in superficial human feelings, BUT deep down in the dark certainty of faith that JESUS IS ALWAYS THE SAME.

Happiness and sadness may play havoc with our emotions, but once we learn that God dwells in darkness beneath the shifting surfaces of our souls, we know that that is where we must go to find him. There we will pray in peace and silence, attentive to the God who NEVER CHANGES.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” ~Isaiah 30:21.

Thank you Mr. Brennan for another wonderful Reflection for us Ragamuffins :o)

Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?

ABOVE ALL:

Oldie, but such a GOODIE! Happy Monday all!

Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature
And all created things
Above all wisdom
And all the ways of man
You were here
Before the world began

Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders
The world has ever known
Above all wealth
And treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure
What You're worth

Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature
And all created things
Above all wisdom
And all the ways of man
You were here
Before the world began

Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders
The world has ever known
Above all wealth
And treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure
What You're worth

Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today? Hope you have a GREAT start to your week!

EPILOGUE:

This sermon is FANTASTIC!!!

A friend of mine and I were catching up and she shared with me a really cool story of a church in Birmingham, Alabama. Pastor David Platt or The Church at Brook Hills took an entire year and read through the Bible from cover to cover with his church. This immediately put the thought of Grandma Besch into my head. When I moved to Chicago, IL to start school, Grams always said it doesn’t matter what church you chose to go to, as long as they preach from the WORD OF GOD! As I continue to learn more about the Bible, I learn how much MORE there is to learn!

SO – Back to David and The Church at Brook Hills. After the church read through the entire Bible together, David gave this sermon: EPILOGUE: Re-Creation. It is one of THE BEST outlines I’ve ever seen of how and why the Bible fits together the way that it does along with the significance of WHY!

Basically, my words can’t do justice to this sermon. Just can’t do it! SO – PLEASE set aside some time and WATCH IT! Whether you’ve grown up in church or have never opened a Bible in your life – this message is FOR EVERYONE!

Here is the link to EPILOGUE (I would also recommend downloading the notes and then opening them and following along as you watch):

 http://www.brookhills.org/media/series/epilogue-re-creation/

I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts!

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend and, as always, coming along with me in my challenge to see God’s grace in your life today!

UNENDING LOVE, AMAZING GRACE:

Prince William’s speech to those of Christchurch, NZ was on the news this morning (GREAT speech, by the way). As I was getting ready, I heard him quote his Grandmother. He said, “Grief is the price we pay for love.”

Here is his speech:

“GRIEF IS THE PRICE WE PAY FOR LOVE.”

This quote really sat with me this morning for two reasons:

1. I thought about all of the tragedy going on around in the world (Egypt, Japan, New Zealand and beyond) and how my personal little fight down here in beautiful, sunny South Florida is SO PUNY in comparison. AND BY THAT, I mean REALLY PUNY!! (almost laughing at myself right now..haha).

2. The quote also really SHOOK me! (and I think I needed a SHAKING!)

I am very thankful that growing up I was shown such love and grace from family and friends (Not everyone gets dealt that set of cards!). Prince William (or I should say the Queen) is right, we pay for our deep love of one another with grief. This is not a new concept or the first time I’ve heard it, but it just hit me in the right place at the right time.

I have felt this grief through the storms of life and in the death of my Grandparents whom I loved so very much. BUT - I REALLY felt how I have numbed myself this morning. I have dealt with the pain of the past few years by really pushing love away. Not to say I haven’t recognized this before, but for the first time, I really remember WHY it’s SO VALUABLE to turn that part of me back on. As much as grief HURTS, LOVE FAR OUTWEIGHS that price. We all know our days here on this earth are numbered, and I can’t truly let God’s love shine through me if I won’t allow myself to be vulnerable and truly LOVE – my family, my friends, and most importantly, those who are not.

Not an amazing new concept, something really heavy to chew on, just a REALLY GOOD reminder of HOW MUCH LOVE AND GRACE I HAVE IN MY LIFE! Undeserved (because Jesus paid the price), but SO THANKFUL for it because I don’t deserve it! :o)

I LOVE the song UNENDING LOVE, AMAZING GRACE. As I thought about all of this, the song came into my head, and I wanted to share with all of you! I love this version “my chains are gone, I’ve been set free! “

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine

Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?

SIDENOTE:

I am excited to report I have a very special sidenote to my post yesterday on my mom! While she was here we completed A LIST FULL of projects on the house. One very special project was a photo wall up my stairwell…and my dear friend decided to feature it on her blog today! HOW EXCITING!

I wanted to share the post with all of you! CLICK HERE: Emily's Blog

Also, today is my Grandpa Besch’s birthday. He is no longer with us, but celebrating up in heaven with Grams. He truly was such an amazing example of a Godly man. I am so thankful for the years I was able to spend with him and looking forward to eternity with him…someday :o)

Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?

NOTHING LIKE A MOTHERS LOVE:

Sending Mom back up north today and MAN AM I GOING TO MISS THAT LADY! I can't count the number of times I saw God's grace through her love while she was down visiting! We spent this past weekend on the west coast of Florida looking to see if that is a possibility for Mom and Dad at some point in the near future!

For those of you who don't know Momma Besch...She LOVES maps :o) Here she is this past weekend @ lunch showing me the golf course where Dad had his BEST round of gold in his entire LIFE (Ft. Myers, FL)! She really loves that guy!

It would be AMAZING to have them SO CLOSE! The request has been moved to the top of my prayer list - as I'm feeling a bit of the sting of loneliness this morning having to say goodbye to Mom.

I am SO thankful for her and the time we had together! The fight continues today and although I continue to wonder why God has me hear alone in South Florida, I am choosing to focus on all I have to be SO THANKFUL for.

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

MIGHTY TO SAVE:

Happy Friday to all!

Well, we are officially rounding out Mom’s trip down to Florida this weekend. We are headed up the coast to meet my Aunt for dinner tonight and then we are headed out of town over to the other coast of Florida! Can’t WAIT for a great weekend with the mom after all of the hard work we put into the house the last few weeks :o)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I was reminded of this song this morning and it’s just the perfect way to start off the day! What a great reminder of what freedom it is to TRUST the one who really is in CONTROL!

ENJOY:

Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?

DISCIPLINE:

I have no real reason behind posting this. I saw a friend post it and all I could think about is how amazing the human body God created is and what we can accomplish through discipline and hard work!

WOW! This is a MUST WATCH!

Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?

PEACE:

I hope that you all are having a wonderful weekend :o) I wanted to mention that the prayer that was in the process of being answered nearly two months ago (with much patience) is in its end stages. It has to do with a career move – and I will know more in the next few weeks! THANK YOU VERY MUCH for all of your thoughts and prayers! I can’t wait to fill you in on all of the details.

Brennan Manning broke down peace this morning – and again God continues to meet me where I’m at! Here’s what he has to say to us Ragamuffins this morning”

The way to peace begins with accepting the truth of myself – the WHOLE truth. Any bit of me that I REFUSE to ACCEPT becomes the ENEMY. (Had to pause for a moment…WOW!) My struggle to cope with certain people has a simple explanation: THEY REPRESENT TO ME PRECISELY THOSE ELEMENTS THAT I HAVE REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND ACCEPT IN MYSELF. (I’m just going to be honest here – God totally ripped me a new one with this!!! I don’t know if any of your struggle with this – but this really woke me up today! Before you get to hard on yourself; make sure to read on…)

To accept the truth of my own brokenness is unbearable, if not impossible, without turning to Christ. If my vision of myself is not purified by the mercy and compassion of Jesus, I have to get dishonest, camouflage my warts, and present to you a self that is mostly admirable, fault free, and superficially happy.

For Meister Eckhart the equation “in Christ = in peace” is ALWAYS valid. When I accept the truth of myself, shipwrecked and saved, and give it over to the person of Jesus, I am in peace even if I don’t FEEL at peace. (such a beautiful reminder!) The peace that comes from God and surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7) was wrought by Christ on the cross and does not depend on my shifting feelings or moods.

The PEACE that comes through accepting the whole truth about myself is rooted in Christ “who has reconciled all things in himself, making peace through the blood of his cross.” The “Shalom” of Jesus is not a mere greeting but AN AUTHORITATIVE DECLARATION FROM THE SON OF GOD, a crucified word that produces the PEACE it proclaims.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139: 23-24.

Great song to soak this all in with - just to sit for a moment and think about Peace:

THANKS BE TO GOD! Well, I must say I feel a lot lighter…and I hope you do, too! God is SO good! I love that he reminded us of Philippians 4:7. Through some tough storms the last few years a really turned to these verses (actually 6 & 7). I had them written on a note card and just could not get myself to throw it away!

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7.

Wishing you PEACE today in a whole new way! Off to paint the LAST ROOM in my house with Momma Besch :o) Sure do LOVE that lady!

Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?

THE DEMANDS OF LOVE:

I probably blog more about my morning reflections then anything - but God has just continued to reveal SO MANY TRUTHS to me this way - and I MUST share with you again this morning!!!

For those who feel that their lives are a grave disappointment to God, it requires enormous trust and reckless, raging confidence to accept the love of Christ, which knows no shadow of alteration or change. When Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened,” he assumed we would grow weary, discouraged, and disheartened along the way. These words are a touching testimony to the genuine humanness of Jesus. He had no romantic notion of the cost of discipleship. He knew that physical pain, the loss of loved ones, failure, loneliness, rejection, abandonment, and betrayal would sap our spirits, that the day would come when faith would no longer offer any assurance, any drive or comfort, that prayer would lack any sense of reality or progress, that one day we would echo the cry of Teresa of Avila, “Lord, if this is the way you treat your friends, it is no wonder you have so few.”

All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. ~ 2 Thessalonians.

Thank you Lord for using Brennan Manning’s Reflections for Ragamuffins to continue to teach me the value of being a true disciple! This is a great piggy-back off of what we just discussed on suffering and being lukewarm (previous two posts). I don’t want to be lukewarm, God! I want to give you all of me (but not with an attitude, Lord)…with a JOYFUL HEART!

Thank you for today!

Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?

PROFILE OF THE LUKEWARM:

After a few weeks off from study, it was SO WONDERFUL to see the girls last night! We went over Chapter 4 from the book Crazy Love titled Profile of the Lukewarm.

What’s a Lukewarm Christian? WATCH FRANCIS’ SUMMARY HERE:

The chapter gives some very convicting examples that truly challenged me to reposition myself and where my priorities in my day-to-day living are! We expanded upon the quote from C.S. Lewis I posted yesterday in the book of Philippians where God unravels the topic of suffering. I wrote down a quote in my Bible from a sermon last summer and I just think it’s something really great to chew on today:

“If you are a Christian, this life is as close to Hell as you will ever experience and if you are a non-Christian, this life is as close to Heaven as you will ever experience.”

Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?