Manna Monday

Love.

I have been trying to wrap my mind around that word.

Trying to imagine how a God could so fully and completely love me, despite everything I really am.

I've been going back to the basics.

Just ruminating on the fact that God, with the power of just His words, spoke life and created everything that surrounds us;

The God that designed each animal, each and every plant;

The God that thought up how far away the sun had to be from earth that it would provide warmth and energy, but not singe us;

The God that created the night sky with its many different galaxies and stars;

The God that designed the intricate and complex inner workings of the human body;

Could care enough to send His son to die just for me.

And for you.

Why would He do that?

What type of intense love would cause Him to do that?

It is amazing to think about.

I have been trying to allow that Truth to wash over me.

During the times that I doubt myself.

During the times that I am not sure of anything,

I know there is a God who has a PERFECT love for us.

And made the ultimate sacrifice, just so that we could again be reunited with Him for eternity.

And the simplest thing we have to do??

Choose.

Choose Him.

Wow.

He DIED for us.

And all we have to do is choose?

That is some incredible love.

And I need that love.

Every.

Single.

Day.

A love that I know will never desert me.

A love that cares for me enough to not let me stay the same broken way that I am.

A love that is perfect.

And when I look into the faces of the people I serve each day?

I know that that same perfect love is extended to them too.

If they would only choose.

I see the brokenness, I see the pain.

I see the rawness in their emotions in their speech.

I feel like I just need to shout from the rooftops that even though they feel like no one loves them?

Their Creator, The One who designed every detail about them down to how many hairs they would have on their head, is so desperately in love with them.

That they don’t have to feel the intense loneliness anymore.

They don’t have to allow the excruciating pain from their past (or even present) to have rule in their life.

Instead, they can allow love to rule.

And that is really the message for all of us.

We can allow love to rule in our life.

We can choose to allow the pure and perfect love of a God who adores us to wash over us.

And speak Truth to our souls…

But we first have to choose.




**Looking for other Manna Monday posts? Click the Manna Monday link below this post.**

Manna Monday

I thought about writing an entire post about this one quote for Manna Monday, but decided against it. I believe this quote speaks for itself.

It is a little reminder to us all…

St. Francis of Assisi:

“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.”

Manna Monday

(Want to read other Manna Mondays? Click the link at the bottom of this post that says 'manna monday' and it will take you to the others.)


How do you take off the ‘old man’ and put on the ‘new’?

Think about it.

Habits die hard. Very hard.

And all those things that you think make you, ‘you’, can sometimes be things that shouldn’t make you, ‘you’.

A.K.A. The ‘you’ that you’ve become is not that great.

Ouch.

Sometimes I think about who I am. My ‘old man’. It is self-centered and consumed with M.E.

Reading Ephesians 4:28-30 has revealed several things that I really need to work on.

1. Give GENEROUSLY to others in need.

2. Let EVERYTHING you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

3. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as His own.

Oh man.

My old nature is still VERY much there.

1. Yes, I have chosen a career path where I can give generously to others with my time and efforts. And yes, this is good, but I want to say ‘blah blah blah’ to myself.

How much do I hold on selfishly to my own possessions?

For example, if I was walking by someone who needed my coat, would I give it to them? If I had the choice between giving someone the best food available while I chose something lesser, would I do it?

Hmmm… Do I even want to answer that question?

2.Is EVERYTHING I say good and helpful??

Wow. I think you would just have to interview my husband to find out that I often allow words to slip my mouth that are nowhere near an encouragement to him or others.

And what about if you talked to my friends? Do I spend more time whining than I do speaking positively???

3.I have addressed this issue before in other Manna Monday’s, but I carry the name of Christ! As such, am I living in a way that brings the Holy Spirit joy or grievance?

People, you are going to have to pray for me.

Just reading through Scripture in this way lets me see how much of my ‘old self’ permeates my daily life.

Shame.

Manna Monday?

So it’s supposed to be Manna Monday, right? (Missed the first Manna Monday? Click here.) A.K.A. the time where I share what God is teaching me at the time.

So I thought and I thought, and I came up with nothing?

Maybe (and you will all have to excuse me) because I am BLINDED by my anger right now.

Remember our faux child? Also known as my brother-in-law who is living at my house right now. Who just so happens to be a teenager. Who is irresponsible and young.

I am not a patient woman. I wish I were, but I am not. All of the patience in my family is my husband’s. And his is wearing thin too.

We set out very simple rules for him to follow when he came to live with us.

We even had him sign a contract. Why?

Because the whole purpose of him coming was because he had been getting into a lot of trouble back home, so we figured if we offered our home up to him, it would be an opportunity for a fresh start. Since he had been in trouble in the past, we didn’t want to leave ourselves vunerable so we made a contract.

Anyway.

I DO applaud him for coming to live with us to begin with. At least he took the first step to change his life.

But people? I am so angry I literally feel like my whole body is on fire.

Simple rules are simple rules.

#1 Tell us where you are going and be back by 12:30 am.

Telling us where he is going helps keep him safe. And I personally think 12:30 am is pretty darn lenient if you ask me. Brandon and I both have jobs/school in the morning to go to so its not too much to ask him to be back by 12:30.

----Does he tell us where he is going? N.O. Despite numerous requests to do so, he still disappears. Without so much as a note.

----Does he come back by 12:30am? N.O. He blames it on his work schedule. But once? I caught him in a lie saying he was up at the basketball court even though earlier he said he was working.

COOL.

#2 Do not take anything of ours without asking

-----Has he taken 4 different things within the past month? YES . Most recently? My husband’s $300 MP3 player.

COOL.

#3 Pay rent

-----He has been here for a month. Not only has he not paid his security deposit, he has not paid his rent.

COOL.

#4 Do not sneak in and out of our house

----On more than one occasion we have noticed a window being left open or a door being unlocked. Thanks, I really want my house to be burglarized. Thanks so much for leaving us all vulnerable. No really, I am so grateful.

COOL.

HOW IN THE WORLD DO PEOPLE SURVIVE WITH TEENAGERS IN THEIR HOME?

I feel like I have totally lost my mind! To know me is to know that I am hard core. When I set rules? I am not joking. I really mean them.

But with our faux child? He is sooo sensitive and can go off in an instant, and even though I am furious with him for doing all of the above? I still love him and want him to be safe. The last thing I want is for him to blow up and leave and do something stupid.

I guess this is the same predicament all parents of teenagers have. You want to punish, but you realize they are part adult but at the same time still so very much a kid. You realize that if you push too hard they will disappear, but if you don’t set the boundaries they will walk all over you.

And people? I am NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT one to be walked all over. If anything? I can be way too harsh.

UGGGGHHHH…..

What’s that you say, Lord?

That I am a hypocrite?

The last thing I want right now is to be convicted.

Can’t I just be angry and hold a grudge? Just this once?

Fine.

Even as I write this blog post, I realize I am in need of a change of heart.

Should I allow my brother in law to walk all over us? By no means. We have already brainstormed consequences for when he walks in the door tonight. And they WILL be implemented.

But when Peter came to Jesus himself and asked how many times should he forgive his ‘brother’ who sins against him and asks: “Should I forgive him seven times??”

What does Jesus reply? Not seven times, but seventy times seven. A.K.A. 490 times. A.K.A. Unlimited forgiveness, which is the same type of forgiveness that Jesus gives to us.

And WOW. I Know that I have just as many, if not more, sins that I have committed against other people.

I know that I am a hypocrite.

Even as I write this? The anger is dissipating as I allow the Truth to wash over me.

Yes he needs consequences, but more than that? He needs love and forgiveness. He needs to have a human experience of a Christ-like love that is so unconditional that it leads him to Christ himself.

If I, as a Christian (a representative of Christ’s name) is not acting like that same name I represent, how will the world… how will my brother-in-law see that the love of God is SO much better, bigger, and greater than any other love you will ever find.

And how will he thirst for a relationship with Jesus if he never sees how life-altering it can be?

Forgive me, Jesus.

And I guess this turned into a Manna Monday, afterall.

Manna Monday

So welcome to a segment I would like to call Manna Mondays. It is where I share some of what God is teaching me.

Last Sunday at church, our pastor really had a phenomenal sermon where I truly felt convicted and inspired. Hopefully you too will enjoy what he shared. Here were my notes:

It was entitled: “Full of God’s Purpose” and was based upon Ephesians 3:20.

Ephesians 3: 20 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”

#1. We are asking too small! We limit what God desires to do through our life because we are asking too small. Often times our prayers consist of “Lord, just help me get through this day.” Ok, well if He is a God who can do exceedingly more than that, but that is all we are asking??? What if we started to pray bigger dreams and more powerful prayers. For me, this might look like this:
-“Lord, bring me an opportunity to lead at least one person to Christ Every. Single. Day.” Or

-“Lord, will you raise up a revival in the United States so that the spirit of apathy and unbelief will be extinguished.”

-“Lord God, allow me to be your servant every day by sacrificing myself to bring glory to your name.”

- “Jesus, give me a heart for the nations. May I bring your gospel to nations that have never heard your name before.”

-“God, will you revive the inner cities of America! Empower me to meet the physical needs but to bring the message of salvation to those living there!”

-“Jesus, burn up everything unclean inside me. Make me into a new creation that looks more like YOU every day.”

#2 We think too small! This is among the same point. We envision the plan for our life as so insignificant in comparison to what He desires for us! After all, are we not here on this earth for HIS purpose???? We need to start dreaming bigger and allowing Him to lead us in the direction we need to go…

#3 God’s power is working in us as Christians because the Holy Spirit is alive on the inside. We must never forget that we are coming to the KING of kings! All power in all of the earth is His! However, God’s plan is possible only by the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to be willing to submit to that power.

#4God’s Plan is all for God’s glory. If we are to dream bigger, and ask bigger, we need to be increasingly aware that it is all for His glory that we do any of it! Allowing pride to creep in will surely stop us in our tracks. Instead, we need to start each day without putting ourselves first. We can never think that we deserve any glory---all glory belongs to Him because it was He who gave us talents, abilities, resources, etc.


Even as I type this sermon, I get convicted again. There is so much that I hope to do for Christ, but I need to start praying more radical prayers. My faith needs to grow exponentially! After all, if we ask, the door will be opened, if we are seeking, we will find, …we simply need to ask!