Jesus- my Life.

I'll just tell you. Life without Jesus is meaningless. You see, if Jesus is the Center of who you are- and you are living from that truth- then He puts all other things in their proper place.

Otherwise, life is just something you are trying to fill up. Trying to make sense of. But you never will. You will still feel empty, lonely, void and fruitless.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

If you are living this- lonely, fruitless, empty life then you are exactly where the enemy of your life, your soul and your heart wants you. John 10:10a "The thief comes only that he might steal and might kill and might destroy."

But Jesus.

"I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly." John 10:10b

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11

Life isn't about will you live when you die. Life is starting to live NOW. And it's so so clear in Scripture and bore fruit in my life as well as countless others- that when I found my life IN Jesus (and continue to yield to Him and abide in Him) I found everything I needed and wanted. He filled the emptiness and loneliness with Himself and then everything else in my life was put in it's true place, it's proper place.

Learning to trust and hear God.....

1 John 2:20

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.

1 John 2:27

As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

 It has taken me a long to learn and grow into who God has created me to be. Don't get me wrong- I am still learning and growing but I am more comfortable with who I am now.

I used to jump right into things. I used to be the first on board. I used to do a lot of things because people asked me to, or because I thought it was what I thought God wanted me to do.

A lot of things I did without truly asking, "Jesus, is this really what You desire for me?" And then listening for His response.

I did a lot of things I- in my inner man- did not really want to do. I did it to fill an empty spot sometimes. I did it because nobody else would.

Now, I think carefully and even pray about even the littlest things. "Lord, what do You think about this?" And I listen to Him.

I love to teach. I love to speak about what God is speaking into me. Because if He is speaking into me, I know He is speaking into others. When I hear others teach/speak about what He is doing in and through them- my heart just about leaps out of my chest because it's like that with me.

Through the years I have come to the realization that I am not a "weekly" teacher. For one thing- I don't really like teaching from pre-written material. I don't like being handed a teacher's guide and have to teach what God has spoke into someone else. Second- it takes a lot of time, of thinking, of study- and praying, listening to the Lord as He guides me and teaches me.

So, I have come to the happy understanding that I love to share what God is speaking into me, what He is teaching me BUT He has not created me to do this every week- year after year.

Before I understood this I was in chaos a lot. I thought I was letting God down. I thought I wasn't doing enough for Him. I thought He wouldn't be pleased with me.

Then I opened the Scriptures and He spoke to me through them. He began to speak into me that He created me, uniquely. That He wasn't making clones. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am who I am because He has made me this way. He asks me to yield to Him, surrender to Him- to allow Him to be Who He is in me and through me. THIS pleases Him. Abiding. Trusting.

So, when I am asked now to teach/speak- to me, honestly, it's sharing the truths of this magnificent God who loves us- who has given us everything we need for life and godliness, I get really excited! It's not a chore to me. It's not toiling to me. It's not drudgery to me.

I get to share- Him! He leads me, He guides me- He speaks into me. It's amazing how He is the One who puts all the pieces together! I'm just along for the ride. A vessel. A branch.

Have you asked the Lord to bring you to the place of being comfortable with who He has created you to be? Maybe you are like me- you are doing just to be doing? Or just maybe you are still in the process of God speaking into you who you are- maybe He is weeding some things out of your life that are choking you? Maybe He is fertilizing some things in your life to they will grow and expand?

Spend some precious time with Him and He will nurture and grow you in Him.

Content

A friend and I have been talking about "contentment".

What does it mean to be content?

HELPS Word Studies says this about being "content":

-[842 (autárkēs) comes from autos ("self") and arkein ("sufficient") meaning "self"-sufficiency, which is entirely God-produced.]

-842 /autárkēs ("sufficiency within") occurs only in Phil 4:11 where it refers to positive self-sufficiency (inward adequacy) – i.e. that comes through the indwelling power of Christ.

-self-sufficient, content in the sense of being satisfied because living in God's content (fulness). This inward sufficiency is as valid in "low times" (suffering) as in "high times" (temporal prosperity).

Paul, says this about being content:

Philippians 4:11-12
Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 Timothy 6:6-8
But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

You don't have to be healthy and wealthy to have contentment.
You don't have to have all the money in the bank and material possessions to be content.
You don't have to have the perfect children, the perfect spouse, the perfect house, the perfect job, the perfect- anything.

All you need to be truly content is Jesus. And if you have Jesus- He is and has given you everything you need for LIFE and GODLINESS.

So then, why are so many people, believers, discontent? Maybe you are choosing to be discontent rather than contentment?

Maybe you- we- I am choosing to allow the circumstances and situations in this world to become our idols- maybe we are worshipping them instead of the Giver of Contentment?

How can that be you say? I dislike my circumstances! I dislike my situations! How can I be worshipping them? Whatever has YOU- has your attention- has become your idol and you are worshipping it.

Friend, are you content? Are you living in God's contentment and fully satisfied in Him? As my friend Sandy says, "Jesus is the cake and everything else is the icing."

This old world may not feel like it but it is temporary. Faith is not. Faith that God holds you IN HIM- right NOW. Whatever you are going through is temporary. It will end one day. But we do not live like those who have no hope. And our hope (and contentment) is not in or of this world.

You can be content right now. Wherever and in whatever circumstances you are.

Maybe you just need to spend a bit of time talking to and listening to the Giver of contentment? I know He would like nothing better.

Bone weary

In the morning- 

He will refreshen me, He will give me rest and He will quieten me with His love. 

I woke up this morning tired- almost bone weary. 

I think the last three weeks are catching up with me. You can only live on a roller coaster for so long. 

We have had great unexpected sorrow and aching expected grief. 

We have had sweet joy and happy fellowship and loving kindness. 

I rolled out of bed, fed the dogs, fixed my coffee- tired. And then I opened the door. 

A little rain and a little coolness- 67 degrees- goes a long way when you are parched and dry. 

My running shoes- and dog- were calling me. 

Jesus speaks to me in the most gentle, nourishing ways. This morning He spoke to me about His healing and wholeness for my soul (mind,will and emotions) through this:

What a plan! Are you a partaker or forsaker?

In God's book are written all the days ordained for each and every person ever born. God, in His sovereignty and foreknowledge, set the number of our days even before we were born.(Psalm 139:16)

God knew, because He doesn't dwell in time (His creation), whether or not we would abuse our body or nourish our body. And He set our days according to that.

Every disease, every illness, every addiction, everything that depletes and destroys our body and our soul (our mind, will and emotions)- comes from that choice Adam and Eve made that day- in the garden. Their sin of unbelief, disobedience, choosing to be their own god- had results that were absolutely devastating- on mankind and all of God's creation which groans and suffers (Romans 8:22).

God knew. He knew even before "in the beginning". 

God had a plan.

And His original plan was NOT thwarted by sin or by evil.  

He perfectly incorporated His glorious means of redemption into His original plan.

He did not plan the sin of Adam and Eve.

Oh, His purpose and plan for man is much greater than redemption- the forgiveness of sins.

But in His sovereignty and foreknowledge, He knew.
And He planned.
Before the foundation of the world, He planned.

Friend, Jesus is the Plan. 

He has always been the Plan.

Jesus is the only way to "set things right".

Not just to save man from sin for God's calling is much greater!

God in His grace and mercy:

He had to come to be born a babe- and yet not conceived by an earthly father.

He had to live- and grow in wisdom and stature.

He had to come into His time.

He had to share His life with at least 12 others...which grew into a multitude of male and female disciples- which followed Him.

He had to be adored then-

He had to be ignored then-

He had to be hated, abused and tortured..

Then He bled.

When He bled His blood- pure spotless, clean, disease-free, illness-free, addiction-free, holy, healing Blood was shed for the forgiveness of sin.

Then He died.

When He died He took with Him- IN HIM- HE became- SIN.

So that He could put sin to death.

To separate YOU from SIN.

And then He AROSE.

He DID NOT stay in the grave.

For if He did- we would still be in our sin.

And when He arose, those that believe in Him- arise to a new life also. A life IN HIM and HE IN ME and WE are in GOD.

A new, completely new, brand spanking new- man.

Exchanged!

The old sinful inner man put to DEATH, through His death!

A new holy, righteous, blameless inner man risen to new life, through His resurrection!

YOU, oh believer, child of God- are NOT who you used to be!

I have been crucified with Christ.

Jesus Christ lives in me!

The life I now live in this physical body- that will be planted in the ground someday to await it's resurrection- I live by the FAITH of the Son of God who loves me-

And has given His life for me.

And now the Father has many sons.  The Son has a body.  The Holy Spirit has a temple.

God's ultimate original plan and purpose.  

This physical life is temporary.

Your body will die some day.

Are you prepared for what is after this life?

Are you IN Christ or still in your sin?

Your days are set for you.

And you do not know the number of them.

God, in His wisdom, sovereignty and foreknowledge- has a plan for you. 

You can choose Him.  

But it's your choice.

He wants you to choose Him but He will not force you.

The Church, His Body

I have yet to read in the letters of the New Testament Paul, or John, or James, or Peter or the author of Hebrews or Luke in his account of Jesus and the beginning of the church- that "their" "church" was the only or the best.

As a matter of fact, whenever you read about the church it is always mentioned as one body of believers.
I will be honest with you, I dislike seeing the shirts or billboards that pronounce "I love my church"- or that "their" church is the best. Why? Because it's not talking about what the Bible describes as the church but a PLACE or BUILDING where a group of people meet together. This is very divisive. It's also a deception since most people have come to believe that the church is a building or a place. It's also putting one body of believers...and their pastors above the others. It's all very self-centered. The church is not a ball team. 

I often wonder if people AND pastors that pronounce their church as the best, or even the only church, really know what God says, through the Scriptures, WHO the church really is. I often think they are so busy preaching themselves they forget WHO the head of the church, Christ' body IS. 

The church is Christ's body. The church is made of those in whom Christ lives in because they have believed in Him. There is no division. 

The church is not a WHAT or a WHERE.
The church is a WHO.
His body. His bride. The household of God. 

Colossians 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church;
Ephesians 5:23
as Christ also is the head (Husband) of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
Ephesians 5:24
But as the church is subject to Christ,
Ephesians 5:25
as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
Ephesians 5:27
that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
Ephesians 5:29
for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
1 Timothy 3:15
but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

How about read John 17.
The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.- Jesus in communion with the Father (v 22-23)

"Will the Church, redeemed by His blood from bondage, live only unto herself, seeking only what He can do for her? Or will she be awakened to her responsibility of living up to His ultimate intention? Only as she comes under divine authority can she truly exercise authority. It must be total submission to the Head to live under the complete glad-hearted leadership of His Spirit."- Devern Fromke

The Father has a vast family of son's (children) conformed to the image of His only begotten Son. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son who is the Head in union with His body, the church, which is the expression of Himself. The Body is a glorious temple built of living stones in which is the eternal habitation of the Holy Spirit.- Devern Fromke. 

A family of love, a body of life and and a temple of light.

Yes, tell me.....

'Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'
~ Mary Oliver

Ireland and Peg's Cottage

July 9 at 6:28am ·

SE

So I decided to go with SE as my grandmother name. Pronounced "Esse". 

It's my initials. : )

Lynne

One of my dearest friends passed away last night/early this morning. My neighbor, my friend- Lynne.

Lynne, wasn't your "typical" believer. She was one of those that would literally give the shirt off her back to you. She would give you her last penny. She would give you her bed to sleep in. She would give you her last morsel of food. She had a deep trust in God.

I never knew her to go to church except once, Allison's wedding. I can still see her sitting in the pew. It kind of looked odd. Here was this wild beautiful daughter of God- a loner, a homebody inside of a manmade building. It just didn't look right.

Her sanctuary was her back yard. The wind blowing through her hair, the sun on her face, dirt on her hands, knees and clothes. Flowers blooming EVERYWHERE and she knew their names and background.

Many many times through the years we would sit on the back porch and spoke of Jesus. We had true fellowship of spirit and Spirit on that back porch. I learned a lot about this God that you can't put up and leave in a building. I learned what really TRUSTING God from this beautiful woman.

A woman whose husband had a debilitating stroke when she was 36 that changed the course of their lives- along with their young children 9 and 12. And her two stepsons that she loved like her own. A woman that bore a load that most woman would crush under. A woman that still loved her "little man" Lamar when he was healthy and to the last day he died 15 years later. She babied him and she DIDN'T baby him! She loved with a selfless love.

I don't remember her much opening her Bible but I saw Jesus being lived OUT. Jesus, a name she spoke with intimacy and knowing.

I thank God for Lynne. For Brandi McCallister and Jesse Thomas McCallister. I thank God for Lamar, dear beloved Lamar. For Connie and Jason.

I learned more about who God really is by watching a woman knees on the ground and face lifted to the sky- than I did from about anyone else.

I told Lynne recently, "You've been through a lot in your life. You've had a lot of sorrow." She said to me, "I don't see it that way- I think I've always had a blessed life."

I love and miss you....and yet I know who is walking through the great gardens of heaven with Jesus- smelling the roses.

***There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven. A time to give birth and a time to die. A time to mourn and a time to dance.- Ecclesiastes 3:1,2.4****

Roman Michael Wofford July 6, 2016

The last few days have been so- exciting with some moments of sheer fear in my heart. Fear when only in my heart and mind I was praying, "Please Father, please...keep our girl and baby safe." 

I may have looked calm on the outside but in the inside a prayer of deep love a mother has for her daughter and for her daughter's child was pouring like a mighty torrent to my beloved Father. In the moments when I couldn't remember words, the Holy Spirit prayed for me.

Romans 8:26
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

Father, of all grace and mercy. 

Jesus. Jesus. "I am your Peace." 

Did you know that in Luke 2:51 when it says Mary "treasured, pondered" these things with her heart that word in Greek is diatereo? Diatereo means to "guard with care".

That verse should read, "His (Jesus') mother guarded with care these things in her heart."

That's how I was feeling- "guarding with care" these things in my heart. Jesus knew my fears and He knew that my emotions also needed to be "guarded with care."

But this I also know...my Father was guarding with care...Allison, Roman and Ben.
Trust. Let Me hold you together. I am all you need. Every moment. 

When Allison was in recovery she asked Ben to come and get me. When she saw me, she and I both cried. My heart with relief. Her heart with relief. We both were happy to see and touch one another. 

She said, "Mom I felt so alone and scared."
I said, "Al, you were never alone. Christ in you. Jesus is always with you."
"Yes," she said. Yes. 

If you prayed for Allison, Ben and Roman- we thank you. I knew the only way we could really get through this is ON/IN/THROUGH prayer. You all lifted us up and held us up. 

He is faithful. Always. No matter what.
He is present. Always. No matter what. 

We thank you.

3 yeas ago!

July 1, 2013 · Spartanburg, SC · 

 

July 2nd, our 25th wedding anniversary. Nick Ellison, I sure love you. Thank you for sticking with me all these years! You are more than I ever thought you would be. Thank you, for loving me. I don't know how many wives feel as loved, as cherished, as adored as I do- you make me feel so special.

How many men, when baking a cake, sets aside a bowl of batter just for their wives, cause he know she loves the batter best? 

Countless countless ways you have shown me through the years your deep and abiding love for me. From starting to run, cause I like it. From watching sifi, cause I like it. From going to the boys detention center every Thursday night, cause that is where God has called me to minister (and you too!). 

You have been a great example to our boys of how a man should love his wife and provide for his family. 

You have been a great example to our daughter of how a father loves his daughter- and how a son-in-love should love his daughter also - my Daddy would agree with that! 

: )
You have always worked hard to provide for us. You did whatever it took to put food on our table and the electric on! You are hard working, cherishing our home of 20 years by caring for it and maintaining it. 

You listen when I talk. You don't laugh at me when I am verbally trying to work out what's going on in my mind. You talk to me. You share with me. 

You laugh with me. We enjoy so much together! You are always game for whatever I would like to do. You have such an open, giving, loving heart!

There is no one as tender as you. 

25 beautiful, crazy, topsy-turvy years. Together. Just us. Raising our kids, building our life together. 

I am honored to be your wife. I am honored to be the one to which you have chose as your life-mate. NO MATTER WHAT. The good, the bad and the ugly!

But most of all, my beloved Nick- I see Jesus in you. You love as Jesus loves- with grace and mercy. No condemnation in you- just love. 

I am blessed. Thank you for loving me. 

Happy 25th Anniversary, my sweet Nick! I still think we can make it to 70 years!