Month: November 2017

Earlier in my life I thought of becoming a Christian as a little like casting a spell. If I still struggle with anger and impatience I didn’t do it right- let’s try again.  I’ll do another book study or say a different prayer.

I’ve learned the hard way that’s just not true.  There’s no magic here.

Does that sound depressing? Were you hoping for a Disney or Avengers kind of transformation like I always did (and ok, maybe I still do)? But you know- they always have a limit, or a flaw, or a weakness the bad guy can exploit so, that magic isn’t so great, either.

Becoming the image of Christ, my friends- that takes work.  It takes intention and effort and discipline.  Then comes the magic; and I have to say that in my life there have been times that the power of God working in me feels profoundly magical. When my patience lasts or the words come out right or I don’t give in to the temptation.

God’s power is far beyond magic, but he chooses to work in us as we obey him.  Mysterious, powerful, incomprehensible is our God, but I have found him also to be loving, faithful, and present. (Colossians 3)

Father, we want the magic wand when you want our hearts. Today my prayer for these kids whom I love is that they would pursue the things that are above, that they would actively kill off everything connected to the way of death. I pray they would choose compassion and kindness, humility, quiet strength and discipline.  That they’d be even tempered. Content. Forgiving. And above all else, I pray they would practice love every day. #prayersformychildren #friendshipprayersfromcolossians

Some things, my friends, are just hard.  This is not one of those things.

I bet each one of us could, quite literally, make a list of 50 things we are thankful for within 5 minutes.  In fact, let’s play that game today.  Set a timer, sit around a table and let’s see if we each can do it.  The trick is- think about anything you have or experience today that you would miss if it were gone tomorrow. And categories- think of people, physical abilities, groups to which you belong, resources we need, food, hobbies and leisure activities. Don’t limit yourself- I put interstates and public restrooms on my list because they make it so much easier to visit family 🙂

I love Thanksgiving, and I love that I have a name for the one to whom I am thankful.  Our Father is so good, so generous, and the story he has written for us absolutely defies our imagination.

So today, I am thankful. And I pray that along with my children and all those whom I love, I will “let my living spill over into thanksgiving.” (Col 2:9)

Father, today our hearts are joined in thankfulness to you. Your gifts are innumerable, unbounded in beauty and love.  You are kind and good, strong and just, generous and wise.  You are present, you are faithful, you are personal in your attention to us, your children.  You right our wrongs, you have defeated our enemies, you rescue and redeeem. Thank you. #prayersformychildren #Thanksgiving2017 #friendshipprayersfromcolossians

How do you spot the fake? You spend a lot of time looking at the real.  If we, as God’s people are “woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God,” it’s harder to fool us with the fake, the foolish, “empty deceit according to human tradition.”

So kids, friends, mamas and daddys- let’s all spend lots of time looking at Jesus, looking at God.  Let’s “walk in him, rooted, built up in him and established in the faith;” or in other words, “go ahead with what you’ve been given. You’ve received Christ Jesus the Master; now live in him.”

This is my prayer, my friends.  That we know Jesus, that we know his love and his character so well that we look like him and think like him. Then, when hard times and misleading thoughts come along we recognize the lies and recognize the presence of our Friend and Savior.

“You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.” (Colossians‬ ‭2:6-7‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Father in heaven, I pray that we will know Jesus, that we will know you so well that we are truly rooted in you. I pray that, having received Jesus we will walk in him, rooted and built up and established in the faith so that we are not fooled by human wisdom. I pray we will do what we know, living our faith in a way that spills over into thanksgiving. #prayersformychildren

Ok kids- imagine this. You’re about four years old, and you are sitting in the middle of a huge playroom with all the best toys.  Only, nothing is where it’s supposed to be. The kitchen is dumped on its side, the food is in the toolbox which is way over on the other side, the race cars are hiding all over the place.  You see a bright red Mega block so you think you’ll build a tower, but no, there are no more blocks- wait- there’s one over there but still. It’s a really lame tower.  Mom comes in and looks around, and five minutes later you have a bucket of Mega blocks, or a well stocked kitchen, or a great racetrack with 5 cars to choose from- one faster than the other.  Everything has been put right and is working the way it should.

This is an overly simple analogy for our next verses in Colossians but stay with me just a minute. Mom and Dad bought you all those toys, set up your playroom, and made sure you had everything you need to learn and grow while having fun.  As a four year old, it would take you about 3.4 minutes to mess the whole thing up, right? But nothing makes sense, nothing fits right when you are done. You need Mom or Dad to come fix it.

That’s the way I see this passage.  We have this big, beautiful, amazing world God created in Christ.  We have taken the last several thousand years to mess it all up, but Jesus came back and showed us what it is supposed to look like.  And as long as we keep looking at him, he continues to make sense of it all, bringing joy and meaning and purpose to our lives and our world.  Some days, our lives not only feel like that chaotic playroom, they actually are filled with chaos and pain.  But if we stay true, stay focused, stay patient, stable, steadfast in our faith we know our Christ will bring healing.

Father, thank you for this beautiful world you have made, and the place you have given us within it.  Thank you for the way it all fits together in Christ, for how he is our beginning and end and everything in between. I pray these children whom I love with remain focused on you throughout their lives; that we all will.  I pray we will bring all our questions and doubts and fears and hopes to you so that our faith will grow daily along with our love for Jesus.  #prayersformychildren