Instead of asking Jesus to be with you...
Thank Him that He is always with you, in you, under you and above you! (Matthew 28:20, Colossians 1:27, I Corinthians 3:11, Acts 2:33)
Instead of asking God to bless you and others...
Thank Him that He already has blessed you and others who are in Him!...With every spiritual blessing! (Ephesians 1:3)
Instead of praying to God for strength...
Thank Him that He is your strength! (Isaiah 12:2, I Peter 4:11, Ephesians 6:10)
Instead of asking God to forgive you your sins...
Confess and thank Him that He has forgiven you, every sin, once and for all! (Hebrews 7:27, 10:12, Colossians 2:13. Side note: When Jesus was sharing with His disciples a pattern for praying to our Father, He had not yet died for our sins.)
Instead of asking Jesus to give you His peace and joy...
Thank Him that He gave all of us who are in Him, His peace and joy! Yes, just accept and believe what He has already given you! (John 14:27, 15:11)
Instead of telling God that you want more patience, love, kindness, gentleness...
Thank Him that you are indwelt by His Holy Spirit! These characteristics are His fruit! We do not produce them; we bear them! Then continue to walk in His Spirit! (Galatians 5:16, 22, 23, 25)
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." ~Colossians 3:15
I'm crazy about you three!
oxo-Mom
ps~Nick...Haiti?! So excited to see what God does!
Ali, no more stylish blue boots! Yay! You are a tough cookie!
Greg, in any more weddings? 27 Tuxes?! :-)
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Life Here & Now
A habit is developing...
Heading out on a trip tomorrow...
Lots of things to do, errands to run, bills to pay, clothes to pack...
Here I am at my computer, sensing an urgency to share with you three.
Sermon #5:
"always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." ~II Cor. 4:4
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." ~II Cor. 5:17
"Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." ~Rm. 6:4
So...what does Jesus being manifested in our bodies, this new creature, this newness of life look like?
FREE! "and you will know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free." ~John 8:35
LOVING! "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." ~John 13:35
SATISFIED! "Jesus said to them, 'I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.'" ~John 6:35
EXPERIENCING ABUNDANT LIFE! "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10
PEACEFUL! "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." ~John 14:27
ABIDING IN CHRIST! "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me." ~John 15:4
FULL OF JOY! "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." ~John 15:11
A HEARER OF JESUS' VOICE! "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." ~John 10:27
NOT OF THIS WORLD! "...they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." ~John 17:14
So...this is the life that is available to all of us who are IN Christ! Not just a promise for our future life, but NOW! And...this just from John's gospel! I could go on and on! (But I won't.)
Closing hymn:
Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest and joy and peace!
oxo-Mom
ps~Ali, yay! Your feet are healing! You have been an amazing trooper! I thought I was going to die when I just had one foot, on one side operated on. My prayer is that you listen to your Guide (Ps. 73:24) as to your future plans. He knows best!
Nick, have so much fun celebrating precious Maryann's 21st birthday today! So excited for you if your trip to Haiti works out! I praying for God's will in that.
Greg, I love that you have been so intentional about spending time with us, knowing that for four years you will most likely be far away! My prayer for you is that you have your flesh under control during soccer games. :-) Just kidding...I pray that daily you are sensing the presence of God in your life!
Heading out on a trip tomorrow...
Lots of things to do, errands to run, bills to pay, clothes to pack...
Here I am at my computer, sensing an urgency to share with you three.
Sermon #5:
"always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." ~II Cor. 4:4
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." ~II Cor. 5:17
"Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." ~Rm. 6:4
So...what does Jesus being manifested in our bodies, this new creature, this newness of life look like?
FREE! "and you will know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free." ~John 8:35
LOVING! "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." ~John 13:35
SATISFIED! "Jesus said to them, 'I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.'" ~John 6:35
EXPERIENCING ABUNDANT LIFE! "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10
PEACEFUL! "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." ~John 14:27
ABIDING IN CHRIST! "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me." ~John 15:4
FULL OF JOY! "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." ~John 15:11
A HEARER OF JESUS' VOICE! "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." ~John 10:27
NOT OF THIS WORLD! "...they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." ~John 17:14
So...this is the life that is available to all of us who are IN Christ! Not just a promise for our future life, but NOW! And...this just from John's gospel! I could go on and on! (But I won't.)
Closing hymn:
Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest and joy and peace!
oxo-Mom
ps~Ali, yay! Your feet are healing! You have been an amazing trooper! I thought I was going to die when I just had one foot, on one side operated on. My prayer is that you listen to your Guide (Ps. 73:24) as to your future plans. He knows best!
Nick, have so much fun celebrating precious Maryann's 21st birthday today! So excited for you if your trip to Haiti works out! I praying for God's will in that.
Greg, I love that you have been so intentional about spending time with us, knowing that for four years you will most likely be far away! My prayer for you is that you have your flesh under control during soccer games. :-) Just kidding...I pray that daily you are sensing the presence of God in your life!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Hau`oli Lā Hānau
Greg...26 today!
Right now, are you surfing, eating, dentisting? (Maybe watching soccer?)
Every year, on your birthday, I am reminded of God's goodness,
Grateful to Him for YOU! (One of my favorite people in the whole world.)
Wish we were together today.
Remember...party at the Wrights when you get home! (5 of us. Is that a party?)
I want you know (in case I haven't told you)
God gave us one of the best gifts ever on June 20, 1986...
He gave us you! (And, you have been a blessing every day since.)
Today, we celebrate YOU!
Happy birthday, Greg!
Love and miss you!
oxo~Mom
Right now, are you surfing, eating, dentisting? (Maybe watching soccer?)
Every year, on your birthday, I am reminded of God's goodness,
Grateful to Him for YOU! (One of my favorite people in the whole world.)
Wish we were together today.
Remember...party at the Wrights when you get home! (5 of us. Is that a party?)
I want you know (in case I haven't told you)
God gave us one of the best gifts ever on June 20, 1986...
He gave us you! (And, you have been a blessing every day since.)
Today, we celebrate YOU!
Happy birthday, Greg!
Love and miss you!
oxo~Mom
Friday, April 20, 2012
24 Candles!!!
Always wanting to learn
Lovely inside and out
Intelligent, kind and beautiful (you is!)
Wonderful daughter and friend
Radiates the joy of Jesus
Infectious laugh
Gifted at cooking
Hilarious (whether appropriate or not)
Totally a gift in my life (and others')!!!
Happy 24th birthday, my Boo (without an h)!!!
oxo-Mom
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
My Prayer
My Three Favorite Young Adults in the Whole Wide World,
Throughout the years, your dad and I have had the privilege of sitting in on a few of Bill Roth's (our dear friend) mini-seminars on contemplative prayer! We love listening to and learning from Bill! Right, Ali?! In the most recent series, one of the homework assignments was to meditate on one of Adrian van Kaam's prayers. The prayer is beautiful! And, I did meditate on it!
Being authentic to what God reveals to ME, I had a strong desire to write my own meditative prayer. So...that's what I did. Here it goes...
Thank You, Jesus Christ, for this beautiful day, in which You call me to empty myself, to be clothed in You, to walk in Your Holy Spirit and to set my mind on the things above, on You! May Your Life be displayed through me to my family and to those with whom I come in contact. May I always be filled with the joy of being in Your Presence! Thank You for offering up Yourself once for all my sin! Through the work of Your Holy Spirit in my life, cause me to rejoice always, to be in constant conversation with You and to give thanks in everything. I want knowing You to be everything to me! May my heart's desire be to love You above all else and with Your Life in me, to love others! I love You!
(References I used: Phil. 2:7, Romans 13:14, Galatians 5:25, Colossians 3:2, Galatians 2:20, Acts 2:28, Hebrews 7:27, I Thes. 5:16-18, Phil. 3:8, Matt. 22:37-39. Again, just jotting down a few of my favorite verses together and then making it in a prayer to my Lord Jesus Christ!)
Ali, Nick and Greg, I'm challenging you to sit still for a few minutes, listen to your Shepherd's voice and come up with your own meditative prayer!
I'm crazy about you three!
oxo-Mom
ps~A few minutes after writing this, while on our way to work, a really bad driver almost rear-ended us, then cut in front of a long line of waiting cars. I, just the passenger, made sure I gave him a look that let him know what an idiot he was being. Yep...Jesus, I need YOU!
Friday, March 16, 2012
My Third Son, Part II
Greg and Nick,
I'm sure you understand...Sometimes there are people in your life that are just so extra special, that you feel like they are a part of the family. Just wanted you to know that your cousin, Brad, is that special to me. He is definitely like a third son to me.
So, you can call him your cousin, your brother, whatever. But, to me, he will always be like a son.
Love you both,
oxo-Mom
My Third Son!
Maybe...someday...if it's God's plan for you, Ali, I will get a son-in-law! Months ago I shared with your brothers my thoughts on their future wives. Today I wanted to jot down my desires and dreams for your future husband, my little Pooh!
You know this one...Above all else, I pray that your future husband loves the Lord Jesus Christ passionately! That he desires to be walking in the Spirit! That he is in awe of our God!
And, (you already know this, too) that he has a teachable heart, eager to grow and learn, to allow the Holy Spirit to change him.
I hope you marry a man and not a little boy. (You already know this. Hmm...wondering why I'm even writing this...) A man who has already been taking care of himself, is independent, makes his own decisions, ready for the responsibility of joining himself to YOU! Yes, my precious one, I pray that you marry a man!
Ali, you are darling! You have a very unique, a bit quirky personality. I want your future husband to cherish that about you! To laugh at your little "Ali-isms"! (And, to gently cover your mouth to protect you and those around you from some of those things that pop out of your mouth. I'm thinking of an evening around the dinner table when Kim was over. And, a few other instances come to mind. Makes me smile. And, squirm just a bit.) To sing with you when you do your funny singing-instead-of-talking thing. Or, at least to smile and not tell you to be quiet. :-) To dance your little sprinkler or going-under-water dances with you! To belly ache laugh with you! Or, at least to smile at you when you laugh that laugh! To stoop with you when you are pretending to tie your shoe lace (even if you are wearing slip-ons). And, I pray that he knows how to hold you in his arms and just comfort you when you are feeling sad. That he tells you you are beautiful and that above anyone else in the world, he has chosen YOU to be his wife!
A talker would be good...maybe. A good listener and a good question asker would be a plus!
A man who will truly appreciate your gift of cooking healthy, delicious meals!
And, someone who loves your mother and likes to hang out with your family! ;-)
Can't wait to see what and/or who God has in store for you! And, if your choice of a first (almost) boyfriend is any indication, you have great taste!
oxo-Mom
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