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Forgiven Little, Loves Little?

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia. After I stepped out onto the front porch to embrace this new day of a new week and to fill my lungs with fresh air, I met with the Living God from inside looking out, and I read my Instruction Manual long after the sun showed itself in the sky. It’s that time of year of uncertainty in Virginia. One day it’s warm enough to spend the day outside, one day the cold can be endured with warm clothes or a blanket, and one day it’s SO cold that no winter wardrobe has what it takes to break the sting. I’m not one to give up or complain when the weather gets in the way of my morning “routine” on the front porch, and I don’t give up when other things alter what my Heart desires either. Instead, I embrace it all, I give thanks for it all, I press on through it all, and I look for the Treasures in the good and the “bad” throughout this amazing Journey of Life. Isn’t that what you do too?

Being able to enjoy the sunrise outside on my old porch is truly one of my life’s greatest Pleasures. Some people think my “obsession” with mornings on the front porch comes with old age… but they’d be wrong. Watching the Master wake up the world from a front row seat has been one of my favorite things to do ever since I Met Him, and it always will be until He takes me Home. I Praise Him when it’s raining, and I Praise Him when it’s cold, and I Praise Him for everything in between. This time of year, I cling to the warmth for as long as I can, and I won’t much like it when the season changes and temperatures drop for the long run. But IF I have a Heart of Gratitude, I take it all in stride. I look for the Beauty through every season… just as I do in this Journey called Life. Comparing the joy of the sunrise to significant trials in Life may seem lame on the surface to some people. Still, it takes the SAME KIND OF HEART to embrace the ups and the downs in the Journey as it does to appreciate the beauty in an “imperfect” day. I am Confident that the Most High God…the God who “gives and takes away,” the God who “scattered the stars in the sky and knows them each by name,” the God who flooded the earth because He was sick of the wickedness, knows what He’s doing in ALL things, and I choose to Trust Him. Trusting Him is the Key to Peace.

If I had my way, I’d probably design each day to be clear, sunny, and 70 degrees, AND I’d destroy all the beauty that comes through each Season in the process. I’d wreak havoc on nature, and I’d thwart the growth. I’d never see the magnificent colors of the Fall, and I’d never watch the new things unfold in the Spring. I’d never see the fields blanketed with pure white snow, and I’d never see the birds scrambling for worms after a rain. There’s no end to the “damage” I would do IF I had my own way with the weather at the farm….and so it is with Life. Taking it in stride, pressing on no matter how dire the circumstances appear, and seeing the Beauty in the Will of a God we cannot see with our own eyes, is the KEY to Spiritual Contentment and Joy. That’s what Spiritual Maturity looks like!

I’m an imperfect woman living an imperfect life, but I serve the Perfect One, and I love Him with all of my Heart. He’s taken me to the valley more times than I care to count, but when I’ve chosen to Trust Him with the outcome and I stepped out of His way, He’s taken me back to the mountaintop, and I’ve soared like never before, all because of the Beauty that’s Perfected in the Valley by the Hand of the Author and Perfector of Faith.

The Bible says, “But he who has been forgiven little, loves little,” a Spiritual Truth that should be pondered by all. When you see someone who holds onto unforgiveness, you’ll see someone with a VERY limited capacity to Love. That makes perfect sense. After all, it takes selfless Love to Forgive…just ask Jesus. As for me, I don’t just love a little, appreciate a little, live a little, preach a little, give a little, or serve a little, NOT because I’m some sort of Saint! It’s ALL because I never lose sight of what my Mighty God has forgiven me of and how He Supernaturally transformed a “wretch like me” into a usable Vessel in His Name. Now THAT’S miraculous and worthy of holding onto all the days of my Life.

He truly does have “the whole world in His hands,” so I’ll Trust Him every step of the way. Rain or shine. Warm or cold. Ups and downs. Good or “bad”.

How about you?

Be Like The Oak Tree…

/ www.LivingLarger.life / 2 Comments

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I woke up the way I always do…filled with Gratitude for another day to Serve the Author and Perfector of my Faith. Living is one thing…living with Purpose is an entirely different story altogether, so I have Purpose in mind this morning. The Fall season has officially set in, and every day looks different from the one before, as nature heads toward winter. As I sat there looking at the sun illuminating the color of this old oak tree, the tree reminded me of my Life. The old oak may be a few hundred years older than I am, but we have a lot in common. We’re both standing tall and strong after many years of being upright, and we both have very deep roots. We’re both changing as the season comes to an end, and neither one of us knows precisely when we’ll succumb. We’ve both been through the storms and lived to “tell about it,” and neither of us gave in under pressure. We’re both pretty colorful when the Time is right, and we both have grown where we were planted by the hand of God. We’ve both endured, no matter how hard the wind blew year after year. We’ve both shed some branches when it was time to let them go, and we’ve both gotten stronger because of it. We both show some wear and tear from the journey, but we just keep getting more beautiful over time. I’m pretty sure the old oak won’t cry when I lose my journey on this earth, but I’m sure I’ll cry for the old oak if it surrenders its life before I do. This beautiful old tree made me think about Life and how each one of our days is different than the last as we head toward the “winter” too. Yesterday becomes a memory, and tomorrow becomes a dream. Today is all we really have to work with and our greatest opportunity to Live, to Serve, to Share, and to Love. Isn’t that the way you look at the new day, too?

We could all learn from the old oak tree that focuses on nothing more than digging deeper roots and reaching for the Son day after day. Unfortunately, it seems to be so easy for people to live in the past or in the future while they squander away TODAY. Some are “stuck” in the past, while others are so focused on the future that they forget about the blessings of NOW. When you think about it, today really IS like “the first day of the rest of your life,” and today is all we have any control over whatsoever. We can’t change what we did or didn’t do yesterday, and since tomorrow is promised to no one, all the things we dream of for tomorrow should be focused on today. If there is any Unfinished Business, like asking for forgiveness or making our peace, leftover from yesterday, today is the day to make it right. If there is an unspoken “I love you” or a word of encouragement that could change the course of another, today is the day to speak it. If there is anyone in our world who has never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, today is the day to Share it. If there is anything within us that holds us back from all the things the Living God has for us, today is the day to move forward in His Name. There’s no end to the things that should be reconciled on a new day, and there is seemingly no end to the putting off. Yesterday is only a memory now, and tomorrow is only a dream. Living TODAY is the Key to an Abundant Life in all the ways that matter.

Some people have a “near-death” experience that puts things in perspective for them…at least for a little while. But every day is a near-death day for all of us because tomorrow is promised to no one, AND YET, we have so little regard for the frailty of life that we’ll put off the important things as if we have all the time in the world. When you look at it that way, how can any of us dare to squander even one day? There is a past that needs to stay in the past and a future to dream about. The Bible says “Without a vision the people perish” and that “hope deferred makes the heart sick”, so, looking forward with longing is a good thing for the Heart and Soul. It’s when we linger in thoughts of tomorrow while squandering away today that we stand the chance of NOT living long enough to see what the Heart has been longing for all along. Yesterday is a memory, and tomorrow is only a dream. Living TODAY is the Key to living Life to the fullest in all the ways that matter.

I’ve been on top of the mountain and deep in the valley and every place in between…but my past is now in the past where it belongs. The only piece of the past that has any Value for today is the Wisdom I gained in the Process. The “bad” has been Forgiven, and the Trials have become my Testimony, which is Shared with the world today with Purpose. I have Dreams for my future, and I take steps to fulfill them every day, BUT my future isn’t here yet, so I Focus on Today just like the old oak tree does. Today will be the most spectacular day in the history of me, and I’ll continue to be like the old oak tree – standing tall and with roots that grow deeper every day.

This day will be filled with Gratitude and countless surprises straight from the Throne of a Mighty God. The past has become but a memory, and the future is only a dream, but I have TODAY to do Good in His Name, and I can’t imagine a better way to spend any day Allotted to me.

How about you?

Reflect Who You Celebrate!

/ www.LivingLarger.life / 2 Comments

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the One I Celebrate all year long from inside a warm house with an even warmer cup of coffee and I’m very thankful for both. I’m a little more tired than usual this time of year but not because I’m caught up in the madness of the holiday. I’m more tired than usual this time of year because I’m busy making things with my heart and my hands to express my love instead. It’s easy to head to a mall and shop til you drop; it’s an entirely different story to make something out of nothing. Every piece of this holiday season is (and will always be) about Love at the farm. You won’t find anybody in my tribe squealing over a luxurious gift with a big price tag, although we’ve all received plenty of those over the years. But you can be sure they’ll be moved to tears when they open a gift that was made with heart and hands. What a sweet reminder to me this morning straight from the Throne of my God that the most precious Gift is Love and how we express it makes all the difference in the world.

In many ways, this time of year resembles a contest to me…who has the best lights in the neighborhood or the most presents under the tree? Who has the best Christmas party with the finest food and wine, and who sends out the most cards? It’s funny and sad all at the same time when you think about it – most people celebrate Christmas…even the ones who want nothing at all to do with Jesus Christ any other time of the year. Some don’t mind telling you that they’re offended by the mention of His Name and yet they don’t miss an opportunity to celebrate His birthday. The glitz and glamour, the lights and gifts are just too good to refuse, so the ones who don’t Believe (and the ones who do) ALL set out to make it a Christmas to remember, and before you know it you can’t tell the Believers from the non-believers and Jesus is out shadowed by the “fun”. Believers are happy to say “Merry Christmas” as if we just “won the right” to speak His Name. But beyond the words, does it really look and feel like the Celebration of the Birth of the Greatest Gift the world has ever known, OR do we slip a little Jesus into the festivities to pacify the conscience?

It’s a good thing Jesus can Love greater than any man, that’s for sure. Leave it to Him to keep Loving and Forgiving while His People blend the Message of the Birth of the Greatest Gift the world has ever known with Hollywood-style glitz and glamour. How sad to see His People teaching their children to give credit to a fictitious man as the one to determine their worth based on “naughty and nice”. How tragic that the Message of the Birth of a Savior is not enough fun for the family and that Salvation is not the Gift that keeps on giving. How pathetic to see images of that big guy in the sky mixed in with THE Big Guy in the sky as if sharing a Birthday with a fictitious character and giving him credit for the gifts would be pleasing to the Lord. Yes, Jesus wants us to be joyful! He had fun with His friends and family too! After all, His first miracle was performed at a wedding feast where he turned the water into wine and the Bible says that there is ” nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be merry.” Having a great celebration is NOT the problem…and neither are the gifts. It’s the mixing together of the message of Hope, our Savior, and our Redeemer with all those things that take the focus off of Him and onto a lie the world tells just for fun. NOW that’s a problem.

Christians don’t stand out to the lost world just by saying “Merry Christmas” – we stand out to the lost world by making SURE that the world knows Who we Celebrate…and NOTHING else.

I’m excited about celebrating Christmas with my family tomorrow and we’ll have lots of fun! The farmhouse is decorated for the Occasion but you won’t find Santa hats or any other sign of him here because we ONLY celebrate the Birth of the King of all kings. There will be plenty of gifts from the heart and a feast fit for our King….after all, it IS His birthday! We’ll do lots of laughing and we’ll walk down Memory Lane, for sure. We might even play a few games by the time the day is over, but my tribe will NEVER lose sight of Who we are, Who we belong to, and Who we celebrate, so we’ll be giving Thanks to Him for every gift – especially the BIGGEST Gift He was born to give…the gift of Love, Hope, Redemption, and Forgiveness so that we can have Eternal Life with Him. Now THAT’S something to celebrate, Amen?

“The greatest of these is love”

Merry Christmas, world.