LAY DOWN CROSSES

As we all know from the experience of living on this earth, crosses are a normal occurrence in life. I think it is a natural part of life because we know that Jesus, who was both divine and human, dealt with one of the biggest crosses of all time. Jesus carried and suffered upon a cross in His humanity, with His cross being both physical and figurative at the same time as He carried the weight of all our sins on His shoulders.

 

Finally Pilate handed him [Jesus] over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.  –John 19:16-18  (NIV) Continue reading “LAY DOWN CROSSES”

THE DIVINE

 

It was a quote a person shared after reading one of my books; a way of life that we can live out daily.

Merriam-Webster.com defines “divine” as “of, relating to, or proceeding directly from God.

Do you agree that in the ordinary of life we see the divine—how God is present in all of life? God takes the ordinary and the everyday things and transforms them by His presence.

 

I always say the truth that I am just a simple, ordinary gal who does not hold any advanced degree or prestigious role in this world. I am quiet, always thinking too much, and am happiest when serving or helping others even in the small ways. Yes, I’m happy in my little world enjoying the simple joys of life.

Yet, I have always seen special orchestrations in our lives—how the little things are meaningful, which helps us see goodness in this world. I believe deep in my heart that this goodness is part of the divine, who is God.

When God inspired me to start this website over ten years ago, the purpose was to highlight His presence in the ordinary of our lives. Putting my thoughts to the written word helps them stop from just running through my head.

 

 

 

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.  –Matthew 4:18-22  (NIV)

How interesting to see that Jesus, both divine and human, called as His first followers simple, ordinary men who were fishermen. These men, who became known as His disciples, met the divine in the ordinariness of their life of being fishermen. We too have opportunities throughout our days when the divine is meeting us in the ordinary of our lives.

 

Now he [Jesus] had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”  (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”  –John 4:4-10, 25-26  (NIV)

Jesus is always working out divine orchestrations. This Samaritan woman was doing the ordinary task of getting water from the town well when she had a face-to-face encounter that changed her life forever. She encountered the Messiah who loved her despite living a sinful life—so much so that she changed her life from that day forward. Jesus is always waiting to encounter us in the ordinary circumstances of our lives.

 

These people had the distinct privilege of being alive at the same time as Jesus walked this earth—of meeting the divine in person. How fortunate we are to be alive in this day and age, having the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us—thus  having the opportunity of meeting the divine every day in our lives.

 

Photo courtesy of Sharon Tate Soberon under Creative Commons License (CC BY-ND 2.0) 

 

What are some ways we see the divine in the ordinary of our lives?

The chance encounter of running into people we haven’t seen in a long time.

Seeing miracles happen before our eyes, like someone having a feeding tube for eight months and suddenly being able to swallow again, or giving parents the strength to care for a physically challenged child in their home.

Observing a total solar eclipse with God’s perfect timing in providing a break in the clouds.

The miracle of new life, whether people, animals, or flowers.

Someone turning their life over to Jesus.

Seeing a special reminder of God’s love in our lives such as hearts, rainbows, or cloud shapes.

In receiving an unexpected hug from a toddler.

Looking into the eyes of a person near death.

When experiencing a sunrise or sunset.

Soaking in the view of a vast ocean.

In having clean water to drink and bathe with.

When standing in faith in prayer with other people.

 

How can we be more open to seeing the divine in the ordinary?

Start each day with gratitude for waking up to a new day.

Asking God to help you see His presence in the little details.

Be totally present in the moments with other people.

Giving thanks to God throughout the day for being in control of life.

Reflecting on God’s goodness that you see  throughout the day.

 

 

Be encouraged this week to…
… be more aware of the divine meeting with the daily ordinary events of life.
… see the presence of the divine each day.
… seek the divine’s assistance in a difficult situation.
… pray to see the divine in all of humanity, even those who hurt you.

 

REFLECTION:

When did you see the divine show up to help you through a negative circumstance?
How have you experienced the divine with another person?

 

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  –2 Peter 1:3-4  (NIV)

HOLY SPIRIT ARRIVAL

When I was excitedly recounting a “God moment” story to a deacon friend of mine, he shared this quote he coined that fits for today’s reflection.

 

 

Vocabulary.com defines coincidence as “an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental.” Continue reading “HOLY SPIRIT ARRIVAL”

GREATNESS

What is your initial thought when I ask, “What makes someone great?”

 

Is someone great if they…

… have a PhD?

… are a millionaire?

… won an Olympic medal?

… are a brilliant composer?

 

Notice that with all these cases people’s greatness is measured by what they have accomplished outwardly in their lives.

What if we were to measure true greatness as who we become that starts inwardly and not by what we do outwardly? Continue reading “GREATNESS”

TEAMWORK

I have been reflecting on a beautiful sermon I heard this week that helped inspire these thoughts. I’m in awe of thinking about God and how he made everything in this world different yet with commonalities. I think a good case in point is to look at us as individual people, church communities, and sports teams.

 

SPORTS TEAMS

*GOAL: Work with one another to achieve a win.

*CHOSEN: Coaches pick the cream of the crop.

*POSITION: Each player usually has one specific position they excel at.

*TEAM: Every team member puts forth their best effort to succeed—sometimes sitting on the sidelines. Continue reading “TEAMWORK”

CHANGING THE PRESENT

A friend shared these words of wisdom that I found inspiring and beneficial to reflect upon. I hope you will too.

 

 

  Continue reading “CHANGING THE PRESENT”

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Have you viewed the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as just a fun tune, thinking of the physical gifts mentioned, or have you viewed it through a spiritual lens? Thanks to a prayer group I’m involved with, I became more aware of the spiritual meaning behind the song, which I found interesting.

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a festive Christian season that starts with the celebration of Jesus’ birth on December 25 and runs for twelve days. The twelfth day celebrates the Epiphany, which is when the Magi visited baby Jesus, bringing the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The twelve days were a time of rededication and renewal. Children received small, simple, and usually symbolic gifts of faith.

 

What are the hidden Christian symbols found in The Twelve Days of Christmas that we can reflect on? Continue reading “THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS”

THE LAST DAY OF OUR GREECE PILGRIMAGE

Welcome back to the final day of our pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Paul! We will explore some places in Greece that, though not directly related to Paul’s missionary journeys, are too beautiful not to share. Some of the sites have biblical references.

DELPHI

One of my favorite places to experience God’s beauty in nature was in Delphi, Greece, which is about six miles from the Corinth Canal and north of Athens. Delphi is situated between two towering rocks of Mount Parnassus known as the Phaidriades (Shining) Rocks. It became an ancient religious sanctuary in the 8th century B.C. dedicated to the Greek god Apollo. The Oracle of Delphi was an ancient oracle that was believed to deliver prophecies from Apollo at the Temple of Apollo, but the oracle was always a woman who spoke on behalf of others. There is a theater above the Temple of Apollo, and even further is the stadium where the Pythian Games, the second most important games in Greece after the Olympics, were held. The view is breathtaking, especially upon the descent. Delphi declined with the rise of Christianity. Continue reading “THE LAST DAY OF OUR GREECE PILGRIMAGE”

CHRISTMAS TO-DO-LIST

Since the holiday season is upon us in full force, we’ll delay our last day of Paul’s second missionary journey until the New Year and focus on a ‘Christmas To-Do-List’ this week. When I saw this picture,  I thought it was perfect to share. This ‘Christmas To-Do-List’ is what I want to focus on—not just on Christmas, but every day.

 

 

 

Rather than just BUY PRESENTS—BE PRESENT!

Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”  –Luke 9:62  (NIV)

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  –Matthew 6:34  (ESV) Continue reading “CHRISTMAS TO-DO-LIST”

JOURNEYING WITH PAUL TO EPHESUS

Greetings, my dear pilgrims. We leave with Paul from Corinth as we travel to Ephesus, which is located in Turkey. Turkey is unique in that a small portion is located in Europe while the majority is in Asia. Ephesus, currently known as Kusadasi, is near the west coast of Asia and is the fourth largest city of the Roman Empire. Its spectacular Roman structures still possess glory two thousand years later. It was a major seaport in Paul’s time for both the Greek world and then the Roman Empire.

 

Our early morning arrival to Ephesus (Kusadasi)

 

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.  –John 19:25-27  (NIV)

We know that when Jesus was on the cross, He entrusted the care of Mary, His mother, to the beloved disciple, who we believe is John. Jesus, even while suffering, was concerned that His mother would be taken care of after His death; it was an important part of the culture. Continue reading “JOURNEYING WITH PAUL TO EPHESUS”