Peace?

      Today the shopping comes to a halt. The gifts sit wrapped under the tree. Stockings are filled. Baking is finished. All the busy preparations for this one day cease. Today I sit amongst the tinsel and wrappings, and try hard to see through it all…to celebrate and focus on the One who made this day famous – Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

The hustle and bustle that leads up to this day can sometimes leave me asking, “Where is His peace?”

He said, “Peace I leave with you…”

      Do we know His peace in our lives? It seems like a radical idea, the concept of peace in a world filled with turmoil, and in lives filled with so much noise and busyness. The media reminds us daily that this world is unstable; governments are overthrown, wars break out, and closer to home - families fight, marriages split, and children rebel. The television commercials scream at us to fill our lives with “things” instead of Him. But our hearts cry out for peace…His peace. What did Jesus mean when He said He would give us His peace?

“My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.”

      He made a point to tell us it is His own peace that He gives us, not the kind the world offers. The world’s peace is dependent on circumstances, the ups and downs of daily life or the things we have (or don’t have). His peace doesn’t come from without, it comes from within; the place within our souls where His Spirit dwells. It is His own peace because it comes from Him, inside us, His followers.

      When all the wrappings of life fall away, He is so much easier to see. His peace is known when we spend time seeking Him and being still in His presence…not rushing past Him to do the next thing or get the next thing.

“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

      Worry, upset, fear, leave when we trust Him and rest in His peace. There will always be much to do, but He will never ask so much of us that we don’t have time for Him – the Prince of Peace.

 

      On this Christmas day may we celebrate Him, as the baby who arrived in the manger bed and began His journey to the cross. He was born to die, so that in Him we could fully live and know His peace.

 

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” ~ Jesus

 John 14:27

God doesn't need a tooth brush

      One day while driving my six year old granddaughter home she asked me, "Does God brush His teeth?" At which I answered, "No, He doesn't have to brush His teeth." A few moments later she asked, "Does His breath stink?" After I stopped laughing (I couldn't help myself) , I gave a long (probably too long) explanation about God and His teeth.

      Later that day when I recalled our conversation I got to thinking about God and His lack of need for dental hygiene. And how His breath is many things, but stinky is not one of them. He breathes out stars, His breath makes dry bones live!

      We are made in His image...the image of God! He is our Father and we are His children. Yet we brush our teeth and He doesn't. We get bad breath, He has the breath of life. We live in frail bodies that get bruised and deceased, His is Spirit. We make mistakes...not Him! He is perfect in every way.

      We might tend to think with a Father like that how will we ever be good enough to gain His approval? He answered that question with Jesus! In one way He was the opposite of us. He was God in the form of man...we are man made in the image of God. Because He came and gave His life for us, we can be like Him. Not Gods, but the children of God...accepted into His family through the gift of grace given by Jesus on the cross. His life for ours...now our lives given to Him. He welcomes us...bad breath and all!

John 20:22 Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on them (the disciples) 
Ez. 37:5 by His breath - dry bones live!
Ps. 33:6 by the breath of His mouth heavens were made
 

"All things"...really?

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:13

 

      How many times have you read this verse? I’ve read it many times. It’s etched in the leather that covers my Bible. I’ve reminded myself of it over and over again, and have often even chosen to believe it. It is one thing to see it, to say it, and quite another to really know it and do it...(continue reading over at Laced with Grace)

 

Please join me today at Laced with Grace....

Walking in the Rain...

      It rained today. That may not seem very significant to anyone living in an area that receives frequent rain, but here it is an unexpected happening so close to the month of July. As I walked in the rain and felt the cool drops running down my face, soaking my sweatshirt, and fogging my glasses, I couldn't help but think of the dry places around me that were being softened. The ground that's become so hard to dig, so parched that only tenacious weeds can thrive there...the ones that appear when all others have died and turned brown.

      Layer by layer the drops penetrate the surface and go deeper down to where the roots of the living are found.

      The roots of the fruit trees in my yard hold on tightly down beneath the hardened top soil where I play with shovel and hose, where grandchildren run and throw the dog his ball.

      Seeping down into the dark places that eye cannot see. Where wildflower seeds wait to be softened so sprouting can begin. I am reminded that it is not so different with me.

      Those drops that soften. Is that not what God does for me...softens me? Does He not go deep into the dark and hidden places and bring His refreshing, living water? Especially on those unexpected days when my soul is hot and dry...in need of His rain. He softens hard things - hard hearts, stiff necks, knees that won't bend, and fists that are clinched. He softens hard places that we find ourselves in and teaches us to grow between the rocks there. With His water we can grow anywhere. The water He gives is more than rain, it is Spirit and life. It softens, it fills, and it cleanses.

      I'm glad I couldn't get my umbrella out from under the heavy bags of horse feed in the car this morning and that I couldn't find the hood to my rain jacket...I am happy to be drenched! Not just by water that fell from the sky, but by the reminder of love poured out by my Father above who covers me with His rain from heaven...living water, full of mercy and grace.

      His rain makes the soil of our lives soft enough to leave prints in the places we touch. It nourishes our souls and causes fruit to grow there... His fruit - Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Lord, bring on the rain!

Victim of Imagination?

     

      If imagination is where the trouble begins then I’m in trouble. My imagination is always getting the best of me or should I say making the worst of me? I take a thought and run with it, even if the direction is heading in the wrong direction.

      So many times I let my imagination run wild and turn something small and insignificant into a much bigger thing;...Continue reading this devotion at Laced With Grace.

Empty Things -

 

      It was a day of filling things up - empty things. The sugar bowl was empty when I found it with my black coffee. The sugar canister, the second place I looked, was empty too. The day required me to problem solve before I had my first cup of coffee! I filled every sugar container to the brim, added some to my cup and drank the lukewarm liquid.

      Dishes waited on the counter to be washed (they are always waiting); signs of boys raiding the kitchen after dinner last night. No soap in the dispenser! Empty! No washing until filling, no filling until finding. Where is the soap? Rummaging through half empty bottles under the sink, I find the dish soap and fill the dispenser – washing can begin.

      There are days I feel like an empty dispenser....(continue reading over at Laced with Grace)

Growing in Hard Places

      Have you ever found yourself growing in a hard place? A place where you felt pressed from all sides with nowhere to go, nowhere to look, but up? I am in such a place right now. It's a hard place to be and yet I know I am growing here; perhaps more than I would if the ground around me was soft. If I had a choice I might spend too much time spreading out or looking around...getting distracted with the space, but here between the rocks I must look up; grow up.

      A hard place can be any place that is beyond our ability to thrive apart from the help of God; a difficult relationship, sickness, finances, anything that presses in and threatens to squeeze the life out. But God has not just promised us life, but abundant life (John 10:10), not just provision, but all our needs (Phil. 4:19), and exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ask or think (Eph. 3:20-21).

      So why the hard places? I can't tell you all God's reasons for allowing hard things in our lives, but I can tell you this - He keeps His promises! Somewhere in the hard thing is a good thing growing...a flower that will bloom. All things are possible when we look to Him in the hard place. When we look up, and grow up. He is there with us in the rocks.

Growing in the Rocks

Sometimes you’re asked to grow,
In places that are hard.
To sprout among the ashes,
Of things that have been chard.

A place where nothing else will grow,
And no one wants to be.
A spot you view as barren,
No good thing there you see.

But God says, “I have planted you,
For others who are near.”
To grow beside these harden rocks,
And show my beauty here.

When others watch you growing,
Within this rocky place.
Your Father will be glorified,
As He shows in you His grace.

He raises the poor out of the dust,

And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes –
With the princes of His people.

Psalm 113:7-8

 

 

In His abundant care,

 

Charlotte

Dry Bones Live!

And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

So I answered, "O Lord God, You know."

Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them,

'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!

Thus says the Lord God to these bones:

"Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live....

Then you shall know that I am the Lord. " ' "

Ezekiel 37:3-6

 

 

      The bones were dry and scattered in pieces along the valley floor; a place of shattered dreams, where hope seemed dead. Yet God had not forgotten His people. Rebellion brought them to this place and drained the life from them that once was filled with the promises of God; His mercy came back to collect them.

 

      Rebellion leaves us wasted away in the valley and dries up hope. But like God's people of old, His mercy finds us. His love puts flesh back on bone. His Spirit is eager to be breathed into us and bring us back to life.

 

 

Is your life in pieces today? Are you feeling dry and lifeless in your Christian walk?

 

Hear the word of the Lord..."Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live." v.6

 

 

Our dry bones can live again! And we will know that HE is the LORD!

 

 

 

"Lord, I know You don't want your people lying in pieces; scattered, immobile. You have breathed Your breath of life in us. May we truly come alive - filled with your Spirit - and live for You. Amen"

 

Alive in Him,

Charlotte

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Blessings ~ Charlotte

He Came

He Came…

 

Streets of gold where angels sing

He came from a holy place

To dusty earth with humanity

To walk with a sinful race

 

Eyes of heaven piercing through

Unveiling broken hearts

Touching lives with healing hands

Giving brand new starts

 

Inconceivably He came

From throne - unending praise

To cursing, scorn, and vial remarks-

The mockers hateful gaze

 

He came to make a way for me

Through the blackest night

To pierce the darkness of my soul

Dispel it with His light

 

He had no choice but to come

His love was much too great

To watch me perish on my own

And suffer my own fate

 

Lamb of God, undefiled

Came to die for me

For sins dark chains to be removed

That I would be set free

 

He came…for me

 

...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,

of whom I am chief.

1 Timothy 1:15

Hungry Children...

      I spent some time this morning reading the stories on World Vision's blog. Stories about little children struggling to survive. It breaks my heart. I want to know what I can do to help. I ask God. I think His answer is simple yet not easy...they need food, clean water, shelter, and Jesus (not in that order). That's the simple answer. There is a more complicated one, with many more things added to the list, but if these few basic needs are met, the life they are living now would be changed from surviving to thriving.

      But it doesn't just begin or end there. It begins with us...we Christians who have. It begins in our hearts where caring and loving are birthed, and it grows to doing and being...love acts. God's love transforms. They don't need all that we have because all that we have we don't need. Some of it isn't good for us. They need our love first, then our help. Love always manifests itself in helping, meeting needs.

Jesus - "...for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." (Matt. 25:35-36)

And just as the righteous asked him (v.37), we ask...When did we do these things?

His answer (v.40) - "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."

      World Vision is just one ministry, there are many others who are also answering the cry for help echoed around the world; Compassion International is another. We see the children's faces on their blogs. They are just pictures to us, until God uses their beautiful piercing eyes to penetrate our hearts and change the pictures on page to people in need...and our hearts cry with theirs, and we act.

God's love can change a life. It can change a home...a world. One beating heart at a time.

Ask God how you can help a child in need today, and show them the love of Jesus...in your own family, down the street, or on the other side of the world.

What we do for the least of these...we do for Him.

Seeking a heart like His,
Charlotte

 

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"Hit or Miss?"

 

Charlotte

 

 

 

Happy Hollow Lane.

Just how happy could they be on Happy Hollow Lane?

I was excited when I saw the sign. I thought, “What a nice place to live. What a nice name.” It made me feel happy! But then, I saw the rest…NO TRESPASSING, KEEP OUT! And it didn’t seem like a happy place anymore. They had to warn people – "Don’t come here! It’s not as happy as you think! We don’t want you here!"

Now, they may have a perfectly good reason for not wanting any visitors, especially strangers like me, but my idea of Happy Hollow Lane will never be the same. It will never be as happy.

What kinds of signs do we erect in our lives? Are they true to who we are, or who we want to be?

Just a thought for the day.

A Powerful Spirit in Us!

...God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,

crying out, “Abba, Father!” Galatians 4:6

      The Spirit of His Son...the Holy Spirit. In each believer...crying Abba Father! He becomes a part of us, and we become a part of Him...we are the Father's children, bearing His Holy Spirit within us (John 14:17). Safely sealed until the day of Christ Jesus. The Spirit of the Living God, the one who created all that is; Mighty Counselor, the Great I Am - His Spirit dwells in each and every one of His children; bearing witness that we are indeed the children of God.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit

that we are children of God, Romans 8:16

How awesome is that? Take a moment to think about it's relevance, what it means in your life today.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;

and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and

Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”Acts 1:8

      Is there something you're struggling with right now...someone? Trials, temptations, fear or doubt? Could you use some power to be victorious in your struggles? You have access to the Father because of Jesus. He died and rose again so you could live a life in fellowship with the Father. He sent His Spirit to connect us to Him...the God who is three in one. Now we are a part of this unity. God's word says this is true. All we have to do is believe it, and yield to Him. He will work in our days, through everything that is allowed to touch them, and transform all that is within them, to His good and perfect will for us - His beloved children.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

 

Abounding with you in hope,

Charlotte

Molly's Adventure

      This is Molly. Yesterday Molly was lost. She followed another dog and went on an adventure. Unfortunately, she didn't bother to find out if this other dog knew where he was going before she followed him. As a matter of fact, she didn't bother to find out much of anything about him. He had a wagging tail, a wet nose like hers, and seemed fun...that's all she knew. Off she went without a care!

      Have you ever followed someone you shouldn't have? Or listened to someone who persuaded you to do something wrong you never would have done on your own? We can probably all think of one time when we have.

Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."

1 Corinthians 15:33

It's important to know who we are listening to...what kind of person they are...and what they believe. The Bible says,

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
 Psalm 1:1

      Listening to, or following the wrong person can get us headed in a direction we're sorry we went once we get there. It can get us where we feel lost or confused about how to get back where we belong. It can take us where we might compromise our beliefs.

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20

      Molly ended up lost. She ended up on a dangerous street with heavy traffic where she was unsure of what to do or how to get back home. I know it was God who kept her safe and brought a kind person to help her. Prayer found her that day when I couldn't. God knew where she was and eventually through a chain of events, He let me know.

      I picked her up from the kind person's house and she was happy to go home where she belonged. She was tired from the ordeal of spending the night in a strange place (and oh my goodness - outside on the deck!)...but she was safe. The other dog? Nowhere to be found! He left her to fend for herself.

      I doubt if Molly will ever understand the importance of choosing her friends wisely, or not following strangers, after all, she is a dog. But for us, there is a huge lesson to be learned through her little adventure.

Who are you following, and who are you listening to?



Keeping good company with you,
and following hard after Jesus ~
Charlotte

 

Are you afraid?

 Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Isaiah 41:10 (NKJ)

 

     I said it today, out loud. I admitted it, confronted it. I said it to the one who already knew; the one who has always known, even before I knew. He has been waiting for me to say it, to admit it to myself. Just three little words, “I am afraid.”

      A question was asked a few days ago…and I made up an answer, one that I tried to convince myself was true. But really, as I thought more about it, I had to admit it wasn’t. It was the answer I had been telling myself for a long time, so I wouldn’t have to take a chance and risk failing. If I had answered truthfully, I would have admitted that I was indeed a coward.

      Thankfully, every day is a new day, filled with new mercies from God’s steadfast love toward me. I will begin anew this journey of seeking my Father’s face, drawing closer to His heart. I will take a step, be brave and speak over the year 2013 one life-changing word.

Fearless…fear-less.

That’s it, my one goal - Have less fear.

I’ve had fear all my life and I'm sick of it. It needs to go!

      It's the one thing that keeps me from fully trusting God with everything…my boys, finances, college, and His calling on my life. It paralyzes me from taking a step forward, in faith, and obeying Him instantly. I stop to calculate the risks…question my ability; ask myself, “Did I hear Him right?” That’s all it takes for fear to sneak in and prevent me from moving forward.

No more!

      He loves me too much to leave me in fear’s grip. He has promised to be with me, protect me, and love me…I can trust Him. Trust and fear cannot coexist in the same heart, when one comes in the other leaves.

I choose trust. My Father is trustworthy, faithful and true.

I will fear-less. I will be fearless.

Are you afraid? It's not too late to change. Join with me today and choose to be fearless.

Charlotte

For Such a Time as This...

      Yes, I have changed the name of this blog (and some other things). I thought the first of the year would be a good time to do it, though I've been thinking about it for a while now. The blog address has always been myfathersgirl, so I thought it would be fitting to change the name and have them both the same. I still believe God has put each of us here...right now...for something only we were meant to do; His special plan for each one of us within the body of Christ, that no one else would do quite the same way. He has put us here...

"For Such A Time As This"

 

As His royal daughters

He placed us here today

To be a light of hope

In a world that's gone astray

 

Not to hide in silence

Secluded from the crowd

But out among the people

Wearing faith out loud

 

He's promised us His presence

No matter where we go

His Spirit dwells within us

His power ours to know

 

His Truth in us stands ready

To counter every lie

The destroyer has been preaching

To the people passing by

 

We hold in us the answers

Asked by dying men

And knowledge of the only One

Who saves the world from sin

 

Will we embrace our destiny

Or His calling will we miss?

Let's have no doubt He's chosen us

For such a time as this!

 

©2010 By Charlotte Foster

 

(“And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14)

 

Please continue to join me here as I share my life with you and hopefully you will see in me something of my Father. I desire more than anything else to live my life in a way that people will see I am My Father's Girl.

      The Mighty God of the universe, creator of all, calls us to come to Him through His Son Jesus Christ, and be His children. Adopted into His family and dearly loved.

...but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15


Do you know Him as Father? He loves you!

In His grace,
Charlotte

New Year - Are you picking up where you left off?