I Love To Tell The Story

"I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme and glory, to tell the old, old story, of Jesus and his love.
~I Love To Tell The Story, United Methodist Hymnal #156

I have a story, boy do I have a story. My story goes back to long before Jesus became my savior. I grew up in church, I knew all the Bible stories and I knew all the books of the Bible forward and backward. I knew about Jesus, but I didn't know him. Most of all, I didn't understand.

How could I ever be good enough for God? How could I be good enough for God--who was the master Creator of everything including me; God- who sent Jesus to save people from their sins? How could I earn this? How could I ever be good enough, how could I earn what God did for His people? Could I ever actually be one of His people? Really- with all the bad things I had done?

Growing up in a performance based world made it so hard to see what salvation actually means. It made the kind of love that God has for his children that much more incomprehensible to me. All those years I had perfect attendance in Sunday school and church I didn't have salvation because I didn't think I could. I didn't understand that I could. It took me a long time to truly understand that God made me to be who I am right now, flaws and all. I didn't understand that He loves me so much that Jesus covered all of my sins, even my future sins,  He sees the very best parts of me; when He looks at me He sees who I am going to be.

The only thing that stops God from fully living in my heart, and Jesus from walking beside me is me! My sense of insignificance, and my not being able to grasp the amazing love that He loves me with, can pull me away from him.

I have three children. As I had each one, I had that much more love, and still loved each one as much- all of them the same. And so it is with God and His children.

There is nothing we can do to make God love us more and nothing we can do to make Him love us less. He is crazy about each one of us, because God is love. And that makes you what you are: His beloved.

Isn't it amazing that He cannot help but love you no matter what you do or don't do? It's not about what you do but who you are; you are His.

Hear the song I Love To Tell The Story here.

Above The Clouds

Taken by Kim Burnette 9/7/16

Dedicated to my friend Bonnie.                                                                         "For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind And declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness And treads on the high places of the earth, The LORD God of hosts is His name." ~ Amos 4:13                                                                                                                It has amazed me the times we have flown on a plane, and it might be dark and rainy outside, but once our plane got above the clouds, the sky had changed-- and so it is with perspective.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I found myself entering a world of brutal, unpredictable chronic illness almost 4 years ago and my life was turned upside down. As I lost more control of my body and my life, I felt like I was losing the best parts of myself, but I wasn't. That was the lie that so many of us buy into when our circumstances change.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                We have a choice in how sickness changes us. I have friends who have made illness their identity. This is the easiest thing to do when you battle illness on a daily basis. When that happens, life becomes more and more about the illness and the misery it causes, and less about the person and the life that is still there.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     There is a road less traveled, and I have a very special friend who by example, has shown me that road. My friend has been battling cancer and a number of extremely painful diseases for years now. Her form of complaining which is very rare, is less than most women complain about menstrual cramps. She seeks beauty in the every day of her children and her home, cloud formations, what she finds along the road, all of God's creatures and even the doctor's offices she has to visit frequently.                                                                                                                                                                                                                "When I consider Your heavens, he work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty!"  ~Psalm 8:3-6                                                                                                                                                                                I have learned much from Bonnie and how she makes the most of each day, learning more about our world and appreciating everything it holds; embracing her friends and loved ones, to whom she gives much love.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         And so I keep learning from my God to whom I have grown much closer, but I also learn from my dear friend who really gets it.

What If?

How many people have turned back to the past with sadness saying what if this had been different or what if I had done that differently? It is so easy and most likely within our own human nature to do that. When one has a chronic illness we miss the person we used to be. I sometimes miss the things I could do before that I can't do anymore. It is natural to revisit grieving the losses we have faced. I really miss ballroom dancing and hiking.

Some of us can get stuck in the past and the sadness of losing those parts of ourselves. "What if" can be a dangerous phrase. "What if" can also be a remarkably helpful phrase too. When it comes to Christ our what ifs are endless!

What if God were to lead you to a different but better place than before? What if one day he decided to restore part or all of what you lost? With Him, anything is possible. Do you believe that? It's true! What if you started trusting God that He has a grand purpose for your life as you are right now? What if you were to count the blessings you have each day and look for the good, instead of focusing on the past and what has been lost?

So much of one's life isn't about what we have as much as what we do with what we have; in otherwords the perspective we have. This is one thing each of us has a choice about. For those who have been stuck in grieving the losses it may take some practice, but any of us can choose to focus on the positives in our lives and thank God for what we still have, which many would give their right arm for.

We can look up at those who have more, or look down at those who have less. There are many who have less. There is an evangelist named Nick Vujicic who was born with no arms or legs but chose joy in his life. You can look him up on You Tube under "Life Without Limbs," he is quite inspiring. He chose to make the best of what he has, and he is married with a child, and gives his life to bring others to Jesus.

So "What if" your best is yet to come?

To Him Who Has Ears To Hear

"Whoever has ears, let them hear."  ~Matthew 13:9

Listening is one of the greatest skills one can have. When one listens they are giving full attention to the speaker;  they are not distracted, they are not anticipating their own response. Much of what we hear is filtered through a screen of what we have taken away from our own experiences. It's kind of like adding a couple of tracks to a song; it can completely change how the song sounds.                                                                                                                                                         "So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them." ~Luke 8:18

So when one listens to a Sunday message, or a Bible reading, with a "calloused heart" what one takes away from the message would be very different than what one who prays for understanding, has forgiven others, and has let go of the past would hear. This would also be true for one reading the Bible. Is your heart open to what God has to give you? Have you asked Him to reveal Himself to you? Are you too damaged and hardened to perceive what He has to tell you?

"You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts." ~Matthew 13:14-15

This passage talks about a people that inhabited Israel over 2,000 years ago, I think it also talks about many people today. People who carry anger, unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment; also people who put idols before God such as wealth, material things, position, activities etc. When one knowingly continues to live in sin, that person's heart also hardens. So it makes me wonder, how many people in society today are actually hearing what God has to say? I know I want to be one that hears!

The best way to get to know God and have a relationship with Him is through His word and through prayer. Are you free of the chains that keep You from learning about and understanding God? Are you willing to let go and give the baggage you carry to Him? Are you willing to be honest with yourself and with God? All you need to do is ask Him to take it from you and He will. I want my perception and what I read and hear about God to be unfiltered, unbiased and heard through a heart that is filled with Jesus. I hope you can have that too.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, Please remove anything that gets in the way of hearing and seeing You. Break the chains of the past, heal the wounds, open our hearts and help us all to let go of everything that we no longer need. Replace fear with faith and help us to trust You completely. Soften the calloused hearts that we may understand You when You reveal Yourself to us. Thank You for Your help and forgiveness. In the name of Jesus' I pray, Amen.

Do I Really Put God First?

“You shall have no other gods before me." ~Exodus 20:3  
                                                                                    I grew up in church. My family went to church every single Sunday, I went to Sunday school and knew the creeds, all of the books of the Bible forward and backward, and all of what were considered the "significant" Bible stories. I had the perfect attendance award every year! I knew all about Jesus but I didn't know Jesus. In fact I didn't understand salvation. It was very easy to follow people and to do what they did, but I wasn't a true Christian because although I knew so much from memory, I had no real comprehension of what it all meant.
                                                                                                                                  It wasn't until I was older and in a bad position that I called out to Jesus and then gave Him my life. I died to myself and began a new life in Him. It was a new beginning. I was a baby Christian at the beginning of a new road. I had much to learn and still do; in fact I will have more to learn and more growing to do for the rest of my life. I have a long way to go and always will, for I always be a sinner. There is no cure, we have all been born sinners. I am blessed to be filled with God's grace since believing Jesus to be my savior and giving God my life. It is genuine and He has been working in my heart.

Honestly speaking, it wasn't that long ago that I realized that although I always said I put Christ first, in reality I didn't. My husband and children were put right there with Him. Sometimes, my worries and burdens were put right there with Him, sometimes my wants were put right there with Him, and my wish to be healed of chronic illness was put right there with Him. At times, any of these, I am ashamed to say were put above Him. I realized that the things I put above Him were idols! Idols don't have to tangible things, precious carvings of silver and gold; idols can be anything that we hold more dear than our beloved God. It took a lot of honesty and soul baring to admit how guilty I was and none of these sins were intentional or even realized at the time.

"But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you."  ~Matthew 6:33

It is so easy to put other people or things before God without even thinking about it.But when we do put Him first the rewards are numerous-- we can "hear his voice,"  and we can actually lay down our burdens. We are open to receive everything he has for us and can live in his strength and do things through and with His assistance. The list of things that happen when we put God first is endless. He is our creator, He is responsible for all the good in our lives and in us.

How many times do we have to go back to start to learn this?

Here are a few simple questions to help you determine if You are putting God first in your life. I hope that you work on it and ask for His help in doing it (He will) like I do.

1. List the five most important things to you
2. List the order of importance
3. Do you feel like you have been growing in the Lord?
4. Are you satisfied with the amount of time You spend with God and the quality of that time?

Thank You Heavenly Father for loving one like I who doesn't deserve the grace and mercy that I live in! I pray that you help us all to put You and keep You first in our lives, where You belong, for You are the great I Am. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.