tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19826364742527310252024-03-18T21:03:38.730-07:00My Life As I Know ItChristian musings; devotional style writing that encourages and inspires.Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-78950650695300927732011-07-15T10:22:00.000-07:002011-07-15T10:50:49.601-07:00Starting Over<div>I know - I know. It's been a ridiculous amount of time since I posted. Not that I've run out of things to say (just ask my husband). It's just that I've just been going through a 1 Kings 19 kind of thing and have been weighing the value of writing at all any more. But I have come to a conclusion - my desire to share what God has done and will do needs to outweigh my fear of judgment and rejection.<br /><br />So with this in mind, what to share? What to write? Yesterday, the Lord brought to mind a book of songs He gave me many, many years ago. After some searching, I found it, spent the next hour playing and relishing His love. So, I've decided to share the words of the songs with all of you. (Yikes! Even as I write this, I am getting fearful of my motives being misunderstood) No, this is not some self-serving attempt to be recognized. It is merely a way to share what I've expressed to the Lord. It is also a way for me to get back into the discipline of writing more without the pressure of being clever and interesting.<br /><br />So, here I go (You know the feeling you get when you ride on a really big ferris wheel? You're strapped in-you know you're safe, but as you ride to the top and look out and your stomach jumps to the top of your throat? Yeah-that's how I feel right now as I'm poised to hit the enter button and post this. I told you it was a 1 Kings thing).<br /><br />The first song is called "Holy Hand of Mercy." So as I start over, I hope that you will be blessed by the words and thoughts. Join with me and sing to the Lord a new song.<br /><br />-----------------------------------------------<br />A single lonely moment, etched within the walls.<br /> <br />The course of human history lost forever in a fall.<br /><br />The shame that once exploded in paradise is mine,<br /><br />So the pure and blameless Lamb of God stretched out His hand and died.<br /> <br /><br />Chorus:<br />Oh holy hand of mercy, reaching out to me.<br /><br />So many times I’ve fallen, so many times deceived.<br /><br />The hand that holds the tears I’ve cried, the hand that heals the pain inside.<br /><br />Oh, holy hand of mercy still reaching out to me.<br /><br /><br />A single lonely moment etched deep upon the page,<br /><br />The seed of human deity paid full the costly wage.<br /><br />The power that exploded from the cold and darkened grave.<br /><br />That mighty hand of mercy still reaching out to save.<br /><br /><br />Chorus:<br />Oh mighty hand of mercy, holding up my life<br /><br />So many times I’ve chosen to walk outside your light.<br /><br />The hand that holds my bleeding heart, his touch of light has pierced my dark<br /> <br />Oh mighty hand of mercy still reaching out to me.<br /> <br /><br />Bridge:<br /><br />A glorious reunion when all is face to face.<br /> <br />To finally know and understand to finish in the race.<br /> <br />At last to kneel before the feet that bears the scars of love for me.<br /> <br />What joy to see the Son of Man and place a kiss upon that hand.<br /> <br /><br />Chorus:<br /><br />Oh holy hand of mercy reaching out to me.<br /> <br />So many times forgiven, so many times released.<br /><br />The hand that holds the tears I’ve cried, the hand that heals the pain inside.<br /> <br />Oh holy hand of mercy, still reaching out to me.<br /> <br /><br /></div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-28944404814243880612011-01-04T09:29:00.000-08:002011-01-04T09:43:54.630-08:00What Have I Learned?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByQR06xnymDdG49-uCcruiaLQpsTe7z4Voi-nB9jz8QCRBFyz78MmASng4t2_3p2Gan6rXS-BI9NVKo79BCQsK9W35VOnURdmdzUqB5krsjPCNLiRfMfFj5oyfUgZ0Q8rLD8ciypgjSM/s1600/DSCN0698.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 269px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 169px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558387831664078098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByQR06xnymDdG49-uCcruiaLQpsTe7z4Voi-nB9jz8QCRBFyz78MmASng4t2_3p2Gan6rXS-BI9NVKo79BCQsK9W35VOnURdmdzUqB5krsjPCNLiRfMfFj5oyfUgZ0Q8rLD8ciypgjSM/s320/DSCN0698.jpg" /></a><br /><div>As the new year begins, I always take the time to reflect on what I have learned in the past year. What has life taught you? What have you learned from the Lord? Let's keep adding to the list. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br />Life has taught me to fear.<br />You have taught me to be brave.<br /><br />Life has taught me to doubt.<br />You have taught me to trust.<br /><br />Life has taught me to worry.<br />You have taught me to rest.<br /></div><br /><div>Life has taught me to retreat.<br />You have taught me to be a warrior.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br />Life has taught me that my worth is measured by the acceptance of my accomplishments.<br />You have taught me that my worth is not contingent on what I do, but is measured by the scope of Your limitless love and what <em>You </em>have already done.<br /><br />Help me, Lord, to remember and to walk in what I’ve learned. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-56626763793805645022010-07-19T05:22:00.000-07:002010-07-19T05:35:58.658-07:00Psalm 139<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kjLA791VvfXu4GYJrlN56PKdOI5Erjgh5p38E2ARw2ZkD9vGppnZ97paQ37jKFFdnozp6E614sAGxKrSuaOUERLyPOjqzaETO3e-EbQPYUOcNVWMnVVrJUPdvL9hIz-TPLSg_2lqVWU/s1600/19008621.thb%5B1%5Dgrace.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 154px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 185px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495594376315037122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kjLA791VvfXu4GYJrlN56PKdOI5Erjgh5p38E2ARw2ZkD9vGppnZ97paQ37jKFFdnozp6E614sAGxKrSuaOUERLyPOjqzaETO3e-EbQPYUOcNVWMnVVrJUPdvL9hIz-TPLSg_2lqVWU/s320/19008621.thb%5B1%5Dgrace.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I've been thinking about this blog lately and realized that it's been way too long since I've shared my heart. I have been in a contemplative place lately with God - weighing, sifting - reviewing. A good thing ... difficult at times, but necessary. I came across this little song that the Lord gave me many years ago and thought I'd share it. No, you won't hear me singing or even know the tune, but read it over with the Lord - create your own melody - sing in the spirit. Make it your prayer.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div> Psalm 139</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious mind.</div><br /><div>Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Show me where I'm blind.</div><br /><div>Seek out the bitter ways in me that hold my aching heart.</div><br /><div>Lead me in Your everlasting ways that lead to where you are.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>You know when I rise and when I leave. You know every time I've been deceived.</div><br /><div>Before it began deep in the womb, You loved me even then.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>If I should rise upon the wings of dawn or leave and go astray.</div><br /><div>I could never run far from Your love or from Your wondrous ways.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Seek out the bitter ways in me that hold my aching heart.</div><br /><div>Lead me in Your everlasting ways that lead to where You are.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious mind.</div><br /><div>Search me, oh God, and know my heart.</div><br /><div>Show me where I'm blind. </div><div> </div><div>"For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know them full well." Ps. 139: 13-14</div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-31504534977795818842010-04-20T07:37:00.000-07:002010-04-20T08:00:20.504-07:00He will not Forsake You<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOyovKoDlxTiFOTVyalH6NfFdc_PfzjGgk16RkQA7rtSiSjQ227N7f9dauarR7UwgwUe0ND3IW6qWn8OZGJAK-4I13AmhB2VCZMzpY3CzFPyOecWsyd1V-PsSYEDRYbPG91BRdN5Lcak/s1600/25372155.thb%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 163px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462229846288951682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOyovKoDlxTiFOTVyalH6NfFdc_PfzjGgk16RkQA7rtSiSjQ227N7f9dauarR7UwgwUe0ND3IW6qWn8OZGJAK-4I13AmhB2VCZMzpY3CzFPyOecWsyd1V-PsSYEDRYbPG91BRdN5Lcak/s320/25372155.thb%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a><br /><div><br />Lately, I have been surrounded by doubts – oh, not the BIG doubts as to whether God exists or if I’m saved, but the little doubts that creep in, like: am I putting my hands to what God would have me do or am I just wandering aimlessly? And if I am in God’s will, why does it seem like He has disappeared in the work – where is the evidence of His approval – the blessings, the success? </div><div></div><div><br />Yes, I’m looking for the blessings – there, I admit it. When it comes to business affairs, it seems that the accepted meter of whether or not God is in it or that you are right with God is success. </div><div></div><div><br />When you pour your heart (and money I might add) into something for two years, and it appears that you are sinking fast, do you continue – stay the course? </div><div></div><div><br />I suppose that if I knew without reserve that I was definitely following God’s lead I would continue no matter what happened. But along the way, I have found that I am not so sure anymore. Everyone cites the economy – bad time to grow a business – but I’ve always believed that God is above the unpredictability of the economy. I really do believe it. </div><div></div><div><br />So this morning in my angst over failing financial statements and bleak prospects, I stopped listening to the voices of fear and doom and gloom and went to God’s word. I was willing to have Him tell me – “Look, you’ve strayed, you missed it – you’re not only off base, you’re in another game altogether.” </div><div></div><div><br />But in His quiet, still small voice, He ministered to my fear of failure, my fear of abandonment – my fear of disappointing Him. </div><div><br />I pray you will let His words of life into your fear today. </div><div><br />“…acknowledge and learn about, recognize, experience, and confess the God of your father, and serve him, be tilled like the soil for him with wholehearted devotion, with complete and perfect peace and with a willing mind, emotion, appetite, and passion that delights in God, for the Lord searches and seeks with care every heart – the soul, the understanding, the mind, and the will and understands, discerns, perceives and regards every motive and purpose behind your thoughts, plans, inventions, and purposes. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>If you seek, resort to, frequent, and consult him, he will be found by you; He will acquire and fall in with you; but if you forsake, leave, abandon, forsake, neglect, and depart from him, he will reject and spurn you forever because of the stench of your sin. Consider now, perceive, regard, give attention to, watch, learn, observe, and have vision for the Lord has chosen and selected you to build up and establish a family and rebuild a house as a sanctuary and sacred place. Be strong, prevail, be firm, be secure and do the work – accomplish it, act with effect, produce, prepare, attend to, and bring it about it. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>All this, said David, the LORD made me understand, to have insight and comprehension in writing – every character and letter - by his hand, strength, and power upon me, even all the works, business and service of this image and pattern. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Be strong, firm, bold, be caught fast – and give strength and be courageous, solid, brave, determined and do, produce, make, and attend to the work. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Do not be afraid or feel dread nor be discouraged, broken, shattered, and afraid, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you, let you sink or withdraw from you; He will not forsake, desert, abandon or neglect you … “ I Chronicles 28: 9-10; 19-20 </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-78142571642596489762010-04-13T06:47:00.000-07:002010-04-13T06:53:38.974-07:00May I have This Dance?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONr7BRUguxYNjXgYVFno1qbNLfo9pHcpUaSNgWE3rlkgBzmW_d-yRKcN7Scc1fZjKnl3VBzbP7NOcL_kcqvVkoXK5OiF8Ff1ajKVB6cfoeuM2Sck1DENXaBsFlo5njnuyi5dJGYAaj70/s1600/15595470.thb%5B1%5Ddance.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 84px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 98px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459619107878110434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONr7BRUguxYNjXgYVFno1qbNLfo9pHcpUaSNgWE3rlkgBzmW_d-yRKcN7Scc1fZjKnl3VBzbP7NOcL_kcqvVkoXK5OiF8Ff1ajKVB6cfoeuM2Sck1DENXaBsFlo5njnuyi5dJGYAaj70/s320/15595470.thb%5B1%5Ddance.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I had a dream last night. Images from my past – high school days and friends – mostly just silly fleeting faces and situations. But toward the end of the dream, I was sitting on the ground at a gas station playing my guitar. Someone heard me and stopped their car by the side of the road and made suggestions about how I might change the tuning to make the sounds more substantial. I agreed and started to play a song that I made up on the spot.<br /><br />During what I remember to be the chorus, I heard sweet harmonies blending with my voice. Although I don’t really remember all the words, I knew that the song was a sorrowful love song – I was singing the depths of my heart. I could hear myself sing the last words of the song – “Why don’t you dance with me” as clear, now awake, as when I was dreaming.<br /><br />This morning as I thought about my dream, the words kept mulling around my heart. When I sat down to spend time with the Lord, the words kept coming back to me – Why don’t you dance with me?<br /><br />My heart stared to break when I realized that it was the Lord’s voice asking me this. He wanted to “sweep me off my feet” and take me in His arms and rejoice not only with me but in me.<br /><br />You speak to me: Come away with me, just for a while. Let me take your weary hand in mine. Let me hold you close.<br /><br />Lord, I release my hold on myself. I repent of the way I’ve delighted in the dance of the world. </div><div> </div><div>I close my eyes and see You take my hand in Yours. The music begins. You hold me close and whisper in my ear, “May I have this dance?”<br /><br />Jeremiah 2:2: I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-57246513869720363242010-02-03T07:09:00.000-08:002010-02-03T07:35:39.695-08:00Let Go and Hold On<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooroa3nhZLC0rFnM9ZksXFOqYeLkKzDFeuSGJY-Y1fYAsx4kaCM_CkTUQVK2UZ_5QqHkHpC-NWnRBVDHtOXjg4NEvWSMpETUCasSl2SQEGYCGgs5ghKKgDGkBgRNo9laSw5PBoegPVis/s1600-h/20922170.thb%5B1%5Dletgo.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 124px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 151px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434040409995331666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooroa3nhZLC0rFnM9ZksXFOqYeLkKzDFeuSGJY-Y1fYAsx4kaCM_CkTUQVK2UZ_5QqHkHpC-NWnRBVDHtOXjg4NEvWSMpETUCasSl2SQEGYCGgs5ghKKgDGkBgRNo9laSw5PBoegPVis/s320/20922170.thb%5B1%5Dletgo.jpg" /></a><br />I was going through my Bible this morning and found this list that I had made a while ago. I remember back in the 70's when I first got saved people always used to say to me, "Let go and let God." It sounded right to me -very neat and catchy - but I really didn't know what it meant - really meant. Let go of what? Let God do what?<br /><br />Afetr more than 38 years knowing Jesus, I am still learning what letting go and letting God means in my life. Here are just a few of the things the Lord has shared with me:<br /><br />Let go of transitory feelings and hold on to the depth of My Love.<br />Let go of hate – hold on to love<br />Let go of unforgiveness – hold on to mercy<br />Let go of judgment – hold on to understanding<br />Let go of lies – hold on to truth<br />Let go of apathy – hold on to passion<br />Let go of shortsightedness – hold on to possibility<br />Let go of limits - hold on to dreams<br />Let go of can’t – hold on to can<br />Let go of weakness – hold on to strength<br />Let go of uncertainty - hold on to determination<br />Let go of hopelessness – hold on to hope<br />Let go of blindness – hold on to vision<br />Let go of fear – hold on to safety<br />Let go of confusion – hold on to clarity<br />Let go of rebellion – hold on to acceptance<br />Let go of carelessness – hold on to purpose<br />Let go of insecurities – hold on to worth<br />Let go of anger – hold on to peace<br />Let go of regret – hold on to respect<br />Let go of insensitivity - hold on to gentleness<br />Let go of heartlessness - hold on to patience<br />Let go of malice - hold on to kindness<br />Let go of resentment – hold on to benevolence<br />Let go of pity – hold on to empathy<br />Let go of doubt – hold on to belief<br />Let go of humiliation - hold on to grace<br />Let go of captivity - hold on to salvation<br />Let go of the past – hold on to the future<br />Let go of the tears – hold on to the joy<br /><br />Let go and be free My child, and hold on for the ride of your lifeJody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-18185160973255336852010-01-29T06:39:00.000-08:002010-01-29T06:45:51.288-08:00I AM the Light of the World<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahvUjIgHt_Tb9H2mwaICnEki7nSsheKT2AGA2ejT9aZrcLCgqPwv0K2GhXvJ9hqzOH0WZ-9KUEKdUCcqGCj8QIodMDpLYtB8oji_0qSz-OYUg5rmNP3e3j7brWVD3cfncmauBYDzmFa4/s1600-h/24231228.thb%5B1%5Dlight.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 163px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 154px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432172792322165666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahvUjIgHt_Tb9H2mwaICnEki7nSsheKT2AGA2ejT9aZrcLCgqPwv0K2GhXvJ9hqzOH0WZ-9KUEKdUCcqGCj8QIodMDpLYtB8oji_0qSz-OYUg5rmNP3e3j7brWVD3cfncmauBYDzmFa4/s320/24231228.thb%5B1%5Dlight.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I was meditating on the things of God the other day and I felt him say to my heart, “I am the Light of the world.” I thought, Wait aren’t we the light of the world? Again I heard, “I am the Light of the world.” Because this was different from the scripture in the New Testament (Mt. 5:14), I was set back some. You always need to check what you’re hearing to what God has already said. </div><div> </div><div>So because I realized that the Lord was not simply stating scripture and wanted me to understand something else, I started to meditate and ask God what He meant by the phrase “I am the Light of the world” and what He wanted me to get out of it.<br /><br />The first thing that came to mind when thinking about the phrase was that when Moses asked God His name, He said, “I Am who I Am” (Ex. 3:14). He is the eternal, self-existent One. <em>Lord, you are the great I Am, the Lord over all creation. Help me to give my life to you today as a living sacrifice and as an act of worship.</em> Too many times I seem to get absorbed into the busyness of my day and forget who God really is and how He wants to express His eternal love in the everyday things of my life. <em>Yes, Lord, You are the great I Am. Now help me to understand what You mean by light of the world.<br /></em><br />I started thinking how the very first thing God created was light (“Let there be light” Genesis 13). The Lord brought me to the idea of how the presence and absence of light affects us - the necessity of light for life. I thought about it for a few days – a few very gray days – and realized that on the days when the sun was not shining, it was harder for me to get going and harder to stay motivated. I am definitely one of those people who gets affected by lack of light. I love the sun. I feel better when it’s shining. I feel more motivated, even healthier. I know, I know – skin cancer and all, but even the medical community is now saying that we should expose ourselves fifteen minutes a day to the sun without sunscreen so our bodies can absorb vitamin D.<br /><br />Consider this article that discusses the connection between the lack of light and depression:<br /><br />The association between darkness and depression is well established. Now a March 25 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals for the first time the profound changes that light deprivation causes in the brain. </div><div><br />Neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania kept rats in the dark for six weeks. The animals not only exhibited depressive behavior but also suffered damage in brain regions known to be underactive in humans during depression. The researchers observed neurons that produce norepi-nephrine, dopamine and serotonin—common neurotransmitters involved in emotion, pleasure and cognition—in the process of dying. This neuronal death, which was accompanied in some areas by compromised synaptic connections, may be the mechanism underlying the darkness-related blues of seasonal affective disorder.<br /><br />Principal investigator Gary Aston-Jones, now at the Medical University of South Carolina, speculates that the dark-induced effects stem from a disruption of the body’s clock. “When the circadian system is not receiving normal light, that in turn might lead to changes in brain systems that regulate mood,” he says.*<br /><br /><em>OK, Lord, I get it now, what you wanted me to know. That you are the great I Am and without the sustaining power of your light, the essence of your greatness and power, I will be negatively affected – the world will be negatively affected. Light is necessary for health – in the natural and in the spiritual.<br /></em><br /><em>Thank you Lord for your desire to speak to my heart, my soul and my mind.<br /></em><br />*http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=down-in-the-dark<br />(Editor's Note: This story was originally printed with the title "Down in the Dark") </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-16047024911583492282010-01-02T09:41:00.000-08:002010-01-02T09:48:29.194-08:00The Letters of Love<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4bLoIqFKcTeOmKMaNPFA__93nR8F5S3xV5upj1DPMiirqv_cyC6NUYOFauUUVtXP2_goUPqdwsw6lxjpGgLxvVcM4zEvnDUcWbrUM-qB5qENX-zldH8ujkjyHwxz2uQ9YjhH04OttjQ/s1600-h/23404863.thb%5B1%5Dabc.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 170px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 61px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422200665805941490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4bLoIqFKcTeOmKMaNPFA__93nR8F5S3xV5upj1DPMiirqv_cyC6NUYOFauUUVtXP2_goUPqdwsw6lxjpGgLxvVcM4zEvnDUcWbrUM-qB5qENX-zldH8ujkjyHwxz2uQ9YjhH04OttjQ/s320/23404863.thb%5B1%5Dabc.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div align="left">I wrote this for my nephew's wedding, but wanted to share it with all of you.<br /><br /> The Letters of Love<br /><br />A – aware: be aware of each other’s needs, desires, hopes, and dreams.<br />B – bear: bear one another’s burdens; carry and lift up the very heart of your love.<br />C – communicate: like the moving water of a stream, let your thoughts and words flow like a current, keeping the waters of your love deep and healthy.<br />D – devotion: your devotion to God will fuel and direct your devotion to each other.<br />E – encourage: urge each other on; strengthen and inspire each other toward holy greatness.<br />F – fellowship: embrace your partnership and the intimate familiarity God can bless you with.<br />G – growth: cultivate your love and discover how deep, how high, how wide and how long true love really is.<br />H – heart: be bold in the sharing of your hearts. It is the seat of your inmost thoughts and secret feelings and the center of your inner life.<br />I – intercession: be an advocate for each other. Bring each other before your heavenly Father daily. Stand for, fight for, and live for the one whom God has given you.<br />J – joy: let the strength of your holy joy be the strength of your relational joy.<br />K – know: appreciate, comprehend, discern, experience, grasp, perceive, prize, and realize. Deliberately grow in your understanding and knowledge of each other.<br />L – listen: pay attention to not only what the mouth is saying, but what the eyes and the body are saying as well. Listening is active and intentional. Hearing is what your ears are programmed to do. Do not confuse the two.<br />M – maturity: experience and time when combined with wisdom can cultivate a mature spirit between you that will make your life a living well where others will be refreshed.<br />N – nourish: appreciate, discern, grasp, perceive, prize and feed each other’s unique individuality.<br />O – obey: submit and surrender to love. Obey the Spirit, embrace His Word, and yield to the call to go deeper.<br />P – praise: praise and celebrate each other as you praise and celebrate the One who has given you life.<br />Q – quiet: find the calm in the midst of the storm. Take time to be still. It is in stillness that we can know that He is God.<br />R – rest: breathe and dream in quiet; be refreshed in the tranquil rest that comes from being joined to each other and to God.<br />S – safety: be a safe haven for each other. Create an atmosphere of security in your home, drawing on your knowledge and experience of the One who delivers all who call on Him.<br />T – time: find the tempo of your relationship. The God of timelessness is there to bring the unlimited possibilities of eternity into this day, this hour, and this minute of your lives.<br />U – understand: grasp the meaning of it all as you open your minds to this new journey. Because we are called to observe and seek the deeper meanings to life, seek understanding with all your heart.<br />V – victory: be open, wide and free in your desires. Go into battle for each other. Celebrate each other’s successes.<br />W – worship: treat each other with great honor and respect. Consider how extremely precious your life is. Hold each other in esteem. The depth of your worship and devotion to God will be reflected in your devotion to your partner.<br />X – x-ray: look beneath the surface of things. Just as an x-ray gives off radioactivity, Godly discernment can bring light, heat, and electricity to a relationship.<br />Y – yearning: ache, crave, hunger, pine, and thirst for each other. Let the passions of your heart drive you into each other’s arms.<br />Z – zeal: with fierceness and intensity, stoke the fire of your passion with perseverance; and sincerity. Let no one steal away or quench your devotion to God and to each other. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-66620316893949572502009-12-25T06:20:00.000-08:002009-12-25T06:24:56.576-08:00Day Twenty-Five: Give the Message of Hope<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_O_ZNMz2S80loiIDS3mkFCnrP_JY4SNeC-efP8D17cTvx29huOnr-8_cQypJ6jzypp067SvvgOmPdkiYRNMrSNbniCnVOYIiT7Hbu2wf9vB4i942CpicLgpZWVH4HFkV400tpExwlRY/s1600-h/1662440.thm%5B1%5Djesus.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 98px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 135px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419179661573277922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_O_ZNMz2S80loiIDS3mkFCnrP_JY4SNeC-efP8D17cTvx29huOnr-8_cQypJ6jzypp067SvvgOmPdkiYRNMrSNbniCnVOYIiT7Hbu2wf9vB4i942CpicLgpZWVH4HFkV400tpExwlRY/s320/1662440.thm%5B1%5Djesus.gif" /></a><br /><div>Give … The Message of Hope<br /><br />The good news of Jesus Christ—The Message!-begins here… Mark 1:1<br /><br />With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. Mark 4:33<br /><br />God didn't send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn't send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center--Christ on the Cross--be trivialized into mere words. 1Co 1:17<br /><br />Stay with what you heard from the beginning, the original message. Let it sink into your life. If what you heard from the beginning lives deeply in you, you will live deeply in both Son and Father. 1Jo 2:24<br /><br />Why do we do what we do? Why have we spent the last twenty-four days thinking and praying about giving? There is only one answer: it is because we believe that there is a message of hope that can save to the utmost all who call on the name of the Lord.<br /><br />This good message brings life to those who are just existing; it brings hope to those who feel they are going down for the third time, and they are just too exhausted to try anymore; it brings peace to those tangled up in chaos and fear; it brings grace to those who think they have to earn God’s love and favor; it brings truth to those who have lived their lives believing a lie; and it brings forgiveness to those who are bound by their hurt and their sin.<br /><br />Deliver, impart, provide, supply, and commit – give all you are, give all you have - give until you disappear and all that remains is Jesus. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-1284085608913385322009-12-24T06:42:00.000-08:002009-12-24T06:46:24.820-08:00Day Twenty-Four: Give Love<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVj5P6VNm76P_8HCMTC_m1diac1fKm6aaD7d6FgPpfpikRWYtrhkxyMehyZsUnPU3cKQGDa7tNEWRCJU_tzDU63RO-gGXJAWvThcsposqimrdjyE5P6qFeIqh89_PA2RNJS_fyjB-obkk/s1600-h/21484959.thb%5B1%5Dlove.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 186px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 157px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418813656380715394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVj5P6VNm76P_8HCMTC_m1diac1fKm6aaD7d6FgPpfpikRWYtrhkxyMehyZsUnPU3cKQGDa7tNEWRCJU_tzDU63RO-gGXJAWvThcsposqimrdjyE5P6qFeIqh89_PA2RNJS_fyjB-obkk/s320/21484959.thb%5B1%5Dlove.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Love </div><br /><div>Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. Eph 5:2</div><br /><div>This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples--when they see the love you have for each other. John 13:35<br /><br />I Corinthians 13 is considered the love chapter. Paul goes into great detail describing the intrinsic characteristics of love: unselfishness, kindness, patience, humility – the list goes on. We are even told that it is greater than faith and hope. Love is written about, sung about, and cried about. We all want love, but what is love?</div><div> </div><div>We say things like, “I love that color,” or “I loved that book.” We use it on a daily basis to express our most basic feelings; but is love - true, deep, holy love - merely a one-dimensional, emotional response? I believe that love is a motivator, a catalyst, and a state of being. </div><br /><div>Love motivated Christ to lay down his life. Love propelled him forward under the heavy burden of the cross. Love was born in human form and had a name: it was and still is Jesus. </div><div> </div><div>Love must inspire us to give of ourselves; it must drive us forward, carrying the burdens of others; and it must distinguish us as we are born from above and grow in his likeness. </div><br /><div>Father-God, deepen our understanding of Love. Let it never be just a word or an emotion. Let it be the identifiable mark of our relationship with You. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-38918931030264818902009-12-23T04:29:00.000-08:002009-12-23T04:35:05.521-08:00Day Twenty-Three: Give Truth<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZQ8roFItCqSR1PxrORngaamp3Tv_FeKWI_T_uWLPuaZhV4_sM5fReKS6GDtHLDp30PjGR5cI3gsvtyOfl1-9z2Cc7sNg5FlDOta-asanHf1dQxB5lQJ9e6s5pCJD1OR-cRZykq62ipA/s1600-h/33392408.thb%5B1%5Dtruth.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 88px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 137px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418408963734036594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZQ8roFItCqSR1PxrORngaamp3Tv_FeKWI_T_uWLPuaZhV4_sM5fReKS6GDtHLDp30PjGR5cI3gsvtyOfl1-9z2Cc7sNg5FlDOta-asanHf1dQxB5lQJ9e6s5pCJD1OR-cRZykq62ipA/s320/33392408.thb%5B1%5Dtruth.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Truth </div><br /><div>God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love--like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. Eph 4:15 </div><br /><div>But anyone who examines this evidence will come to stake his life on this: that God himself is the truth. John 3:33 </div><br /><div>Make them holy--consecrated-with the truth; Your word is consecrating truth. John 17:17<br />Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. John 14:6<br /><br />In the gospel of John, Jesus stands before Pilate and tells him that the reason he was born was “to testify to the truth.” Pilate then asks the question heard around the world: what is truth? (John 18:38) People have been searching to answer this question for thousands of years. </div><br /><div></div><div>Today, truth has become an abstract, grayed into oblivion, left to wander through time and culture. Jesus answered Pilate’s question even before it was asked. After he had washed the disciples’ feet and predicted their betrayal, Jesus comforted them. He said not only was he Life and the only way to the Father, but that he was literally the Truth. Not a way to know the truth or a path to the truth – Jesus made the bold statement that he was the embodiment of Truth – period. </div><br /><div>Giving truth is giving Jesus through your actions. Speaking truth is speaking love through your words. Living truth is living out the mission of His Life. </div><br /><div>Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and it is that truth that will set you free. (John 8:32)</div><br /><div>Father-God, You are the Truth that opens blind hearts and closed minds. You have given substance to abstraction and color to a graying world. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-37901139465867451122009-12-22T06:03:00.000-08:002009-12-22T06:05:52.606-08:00Day Twenty-Two: Give Wisdom<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDg8Yz2YT4jH0MEfwqtqiWyCBHfsX5rR2LaosCbtJ3Ixb-XHkvkNDLHNDvd5yvXXJiyW8imj3UITb0BAcYkM4SaltoxBCqqOH2XOPAK_LoxDbnNvXtuIKpbJB0QmmdiEuXqjeOZjkDCPs/s1600-h/714606.thb%5B1%5Dwisdom.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 100px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418061488450927698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDg8Yz2YT4jH0MEfwqtqiWyCBHfsX5rR2LaosCbtJ3Ixb-XHkvkNDLHNDvd5yvXXJiyW8imj3UITb0BAcYkM4SaltoxBCqqOH2XOPAK_LoxDbnNvXtuIKpbJB0QmmdiEuXqjeOZjkDCPs/s320/714606.thb%5B1%5Dwisdom.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Wisdom </div><br /><div>Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. Jas 3:13,17<br /><br />Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within. Pr 20:5<br /><br />We all desire to be wise – make wise decisions, think wise thoughts, speak wise words. We sometimes think that if we can just gain enough knowledge, we’ll eventually become wiser. But knowledge is merely the circumference of wisdom, only coating the surface. Wisdom comes from a deeper place – a place of continuous spirituality, a place of deep, contemplative thought, and a place of prudent, ethical choices.<br /><br />Wisdom is skillful intelligence that not only contains essential natural qualities, but contains the unnatural breath of the Eternal Creator. Wisdom is the place where heaven touches earth and the very essence of God is shared.<br /><br />Father-God, fill me to overflowing with Your Spirit, create in me a clean, wise heart so that I may share with deep understanding and conviction. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-31616136099687319562009-12-21T04:25:00.000-08:002009-12-21T04:29:46.402-08:00Day Twenty-One: Give Guidance<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kFGwXeXg7k2koqsbdOmrEWm6QAiFz4ga7z5604CNS1rH8PHNjbgbkvHxNyQgAJJm_M2qV4lDPRKwK2uxi6qNZATTTSNxY19EjBcd7gwAyvl_OBRSqhqr3eLmthD50P8bBlhNDkao_pQ/s1600-h/14594896.thb%5B1%5Dguidance.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 165px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 119px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417665587517471250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kFGwXeXg7k2koqsbdOmrEWm6QAiFz4ga7z5604CNS1rH8PHNjbgbkvHxNyQgAJJm_M2qV4lDPRKwK2uxi6qNZATTTSNxY19EjBcd7gwAyvl_OBRSqhqr3eLmthD50P8bBlhNDkao_pQ/s320/14594896.thb%5B1%5Dguidance.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Guidance<br /><br />You're my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb. Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide. Ps 31:3 </div><br /><div>But I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way, who can't see where they're going. I'll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I'll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don't fall into the ditch. These are the things I'll be doing for them-- sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute." Isa 42:16 </div><br /><div>Have you ever been in a strange place and had to rely on a guide book? I have. It contains maps of highways to help you get around, reviews on hotels and restaurants, and critiques of places of interest– everything you need to know to have a good time. </div><br /><div></div><div>As a Christian, our guide book is the Bible – it has everything we need to know to have a good time: life-maps that help us get around, reviews on rest and provision, and commentaries of the interesting places God will take us in our walk with Him. </div><br /><div>If we follow God as our personal guide, we will never get lost. As others see us following Christ, we, in turn, become a guide for them and so on. Commit yourself to closely following Jesus – the direction and sureness of someone else’s path may depend on it. </div><br /><div>Father-God, guide me in the way I should go. Minister your instruction to me as I travel on the path of life. May I guide as I am lead. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-7174938088996583852009-12-20T05:58:00.000-08:002009-12-20T06:00:51.876-08:00Day Twenty: Give Blessings<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwrfC2VBGOl-_H162r7AM_DpouFAJ7ox8C-h1_PcT0XLVP9400oz0QRI1bJij92B1SKkQM2pg-7oKo1bCqr9PoCWRNtJeoBXab3qFzjjtjBUd9A2fcZfdCLSHcaxAd3ajaXq9bGb61_4/s1600-h/19396733.thb%5B1%5Dblessings.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 158px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 182px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417317970316451522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwrfC2VBGOl-_H162r7AM_DpouFAJ7ox8C-h1_PcT0XLVP9400oz0QRI1bJij92B1SKkQM2pg-7oKo1bCqr9PoCWRNtJeoBXab3qFzjjtjBUd9A2fcZfdCLSHcaxAd3ajaXq9bGb61_4/s320/19396733.thb%5B1%5Dblessings.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Blessings </div><br /><div><br />God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. 2Co 9:8<br />God's best to you! Christ's blessings on you! Phm 1:3<br /><br />Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers GOD, your God's, blessings in everything you do, all your work and ventures. De 15:10<br /><br />And God bless Mommy and Daddy, and my brother, Jack, and my dog, Sam. From an early age, parents teach their children to pray before going off to bed. What do we begin with? We teach them to ask for God to bless others. Deep down we know that to be blessed is a good thing – it means peace, prosperity, and benefits.<br /><br />In the Old Testament if you had good health, many children, and a plentiful harvest you were considered blessed by God. Ill health, however, barrenness and failed crops meant that you had somehow disobeyed God and were cursed. This direct “it is or it isn’t” was easy to identify. But today, it’s not always so cut and dried. Many devout Christians battle illnesses, are not able to have children and have dealt with financial difficulties.<br /><br />Are these people excluded from God’s blessings? Certainly not! The blessings that come from God are not restricted to material possessions and outward signs. It is true that if we have committed our all to God that He will provide all of our needs. But the true nature of blessing encompasses the peace that passes all understanding, the prosperity of well-being and inner health, the benefit of Christ’s sacrifice, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The call is to look beneath the surface and go deeper.<br /><br />Father-God, I bless your name. You are the God of enough. Show me how to be a blessing to someone in need. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-87973572870947353502009-12-19T05:26:00.000-08:002009-12-19T05:28:32.252-08:00Day Nineteen: Give Faith<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGguoNFPC__s-m29Ou3EumpGX35GQJ_3P2DLJi5beioCoKogP1l44up_ILujf3TKtEX49lQYSfvJvKUeI8SJogDicjFUkB5ZNHKZ6QAkqULvxoQN9K7t27okFhGAbCgCYkD2bOadGCOoY/s1600-h/23896141.thb%5B1%5Dfaith.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 146px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 80px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416938516641911250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGguoNFPC__s-m29Ou3EumpGX35GQJ_3P2DLJi5beioCoKogP1l44up_ILujf3TKtEX49lQYSfvJvKUeI8SJogDicjFUkB5ZNHKZ6QAkqULvxoQN9K7t27okFhGAbCgCYkD2bOadGCOoY/s320/23896141.thb%5B1%5Dfaith.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Faith<br /><br />So, my friends, this is something like what has taken place with you. When Christ died he took that entire rule-dominated way of life down with him and left it in the tomb, leaving you free to "marry" a resurrection life and bear "offspring" of faith for God. Ro 7:4 </div><br /><div>Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Ro 15:1 </div><br /><div>For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love. Ga 5:6<br /><br />We express faith on a daily basis: faith that the mechanic who fixed our brakes did a good job; faith that the meal we are eating in our favorite restaurant was prepared with the freshest ingredients; faith that the chair we are about to sit in was built correctly. Faith is often perceived as an intangible abstract – hard to understand – easily misunderstood. </div><br /><div></div><div>Faith as small as a mustard seed able to toss a mountain into the sea? Faith able to open blind eyes and unstop deaf ears? Such a powerful aspect of belief, but such a difficult thing for our finite minds to grasp. </div><br /><div>One meaning of faith in scripture is fidelity. In the natural, fidelity has to do with the degree an electronic system is able to accurately reproduce the sound or signal that it is receiving. Could faith simply be the outward reproduction of our relationship with God? </div><div> </div><div>When we are “plugged in” to God and receiving his “signal,” allowing the current of the Holy Spirit to flow through us, what is expressed is faith –large enough to move mountains, powerful enough to express love. </div><br /><div>Father-God, I believe in You. I trust your holy character. I open my heart to receive your love. Release your mountain-moving power within me. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-48156855123523658572009-12-18T04:45:00.000-08:002009-12-18T04:49:44.203-08:00Day Eighteen: Give Kindness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9bpLmgxg0d6RM4k4qf3TCYX-E77hSUw7ycHci4C_MwjJSKj77np3Qchz-1kx6yv3_wn6BPV3bEaYjNalOurwhmD7OcShqZQaTWHvbqzhSxGCCYPTuH93326ZG99ifkokaW7wszTE0E0/s1600-h/21990665.thb%5B1%5Dkindness.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 136px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 142px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416557374347256130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9bpLmgxg0d6RM4k4qf3TCYX-E77hSUw7ycHci4C_MwjJSKj77np3Qchz-1kx6yv3_wn6BPV3bEaYjNalOurwhmD7OcShqZQaTWHvbqzhSxGCCYPTuH93326ZG99ifkokaW7wszTE0E0/s320/21990665.thb%5B1%5Dkindness.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Kindness<br /><br />She said, "Oh sir, such grace, such kindness--I don't deserve it. You've touched my heart, treated me like one of your own. And I don't even belong here!" Ru 2:13 </div><br /><div>Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God. 1Pe 2:2 </div><br /><div><br />So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Col 3:12 </div><br /><div>Romans 2:4 tells us that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. His mercy and unchanging love urge us toward him and compel us to lay all before him. As Christ’s sacrifice opens to door to heaven, we are greeted by a heavenly Abba-father. </div><br /><div>But sometimes our human understanding gets in the way because our belief about what is kindness does not comes from God’s word, but merely from our personal experience. Have you ever tried to show kindness by telling the truth in love only to be met with judgment and attitude? </div><br /><div></div><div>A great many in the world feel that Christian kindness does all things for all people all the time. But God’s kindness is not a Santa-Clause, genie-in-a-bottle-grant your-every-wish type of kindness, but a kindness rooted in holy righteousness, divine love, and eternal purpose. “Drinking deep of God’s pure kindness” will fill us with holy kindness and will clothe and equip us to do good works.<br /></div><div>Father-God, your kindness draws me close and wraps around me. I lean into your compassion embrace, stretch out my arms, and invite the world in. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-55891733701204828112009-12-16T21:29:00.000-08:002009-12-16T21:33:14.287-08:00Day Seventeen: Give Support<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittWd8vrZGMVJYP2aRnkeLEK1d3V-dvxcvys6-mpGkGCi0g2nnebY_TMkutzbbxS2LWI6WsEgBYoJrwiEvyZgCidYyKykpDyP4VWbeI2PAVNVYoDQD09judlllZRu2z4CWRpJqel7Hcs8/s1600-h/19311441.thb%5B1%5Dsupport.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 118px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 171px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416073885149658194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittWd8vrZGMVJYP2aRnkeLEK1d3V-dvxcvys6-mpGkGCi0g2nnebY_TMkutzbbxS2LWI6WsEgBYoJrwiEvyZgCidYyKykpDyP4VWbeI2PAVNVYoDQD09judlllZRu2z4CWRpJqel7Hcs8/s320/19311441.thb%5B1%5Dsupport.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Support<br /><br />Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. </div><br /><div>Job 4:4<br />When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me. Ps 94:18<br /><br />There are many different aspects to support. There is monetary support, emotional support, physical support and spiritual support. We give money, lend an ear, provide a help, and say a prayer. Whether we are supported by kindly actions, loving words or heartfelt gestures, human nature responds positively to genuine support. But do we really understand how utterly necessary it is to lend an all-inclusive support? The kind that draws its strength and purpose from God? </div><br /><div><br />Think about living in a house, under a roof that was not properly supported. Would you feel safe? Would you sleep peacefully knowing that at any moment the roof could literally cave in on you? It is a matter of degree. Lending just a little, superficial support when what is needed is full-commitment support is like making the beams in a house out of balsa wood. There is an appearance of support but not enough to make those within the house feel safe and valued. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div>Support that is given with the right motive and drawn from the right source has the ability to transform those who receive it. If you give monetary support, give with all your heart; if you give emotional; support give with all your soul; if you give physical support, give until it hurts; and if you give spiritual support, give until you touch the very throne of God. </div><br /><div><br />Father-God, your love lifts me above the storm. Your strong arms support and cradle me. May Your arms be my arms as I give support to others. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-15654898678217516272009-12-15T19:24:00.000-08:002009-12-15T19:27:50.454-08:00Day Sixteen: Give Friendship<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAexnND9dDelSSxzuy26mYGNwte3nxsRgNxrExd9GnPW5bHbdORiqZ-MtE8PjMHR8V_OZxKXsm58LFAhQVJTpbjyC84GwnKMD55LSLnOvMfe-UQcAUCo1CNpkE1vwWyYVco9Iw3jI-NiY/s1600-h/20664733.thb%5B1%5Dfriendship.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 183px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 128px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415670452111777218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAexnND9dDelSSxzuy26mYGNwte3nxsRgNxrExd9GnPW5bHbdORiqZ-MtE8PjMHR8V_OZxKXsm58LFAhQVJTpbjyC84GwnKMD55LSLnOvMfe-UQcAUCo1CNpkE1vwWyYVco9Iw3jI-NiY/s320/20664733.thb%5B1%5Dfriendship.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Friendship<br /><br />Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul. Pr 27:9<br /></div><div>The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend." Jas 2:23<br /></div><br /><div></div><div>"When the friend I plan to send you from the Father comes--the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father--he will confirm everything about me.” John 15:26<br /></div><br /><div></div><div>There are many different types of friendships written about in the Bible: human friendship, friendship with God, and an intimate, inner friendship with the Holy Spirit. Human friendship is essential. God designed us to need each other and to develop healthy relationships. But what is friendship really? </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>To grasp the full meaning we can refer to the trilogy by Tolkien, Lord of the Rings. The first book, Fellowship of the Ring, follows unlikely souls who all have one common goal: to see that the ring is destroyed. Through intense adversity, this group of disconnected individuals develops into a devoted, faithful family. The goal gave vision and the struggle offered opportunity; as personal fears and hopes were exposed and selfless acts were performed, friendships were forged. Struggle + vulnerability +selflessness + shared Vision = friendship. </div><br /><div><br />Father-God, you have called us friends. Teach us to be there for others the way you are there for us. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-324481675497490852009-12-15T05:25:00.000-08:002009-12-15T05:29:23.484-08:00Day Fifteen: Give Grace<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq13xEd8c-4gz_zcZkgdg0e89Ebt-nYNgCXOn1HyKzsEL-fnuG4Qld2kza4ZBhbaYk664Gu0WeKYjTXt4yq9vdEHqA_qH7sdC5Kbo8la5S_VnAAEnMm3CvjpVRcVZD9UJHfBpgjn5Cl0/s1600-h/19008621.thb%5B1%5Dgrace.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 103px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 155px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415454318206606914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq13xEd8c-4gz_zcZkgdg0e89Ebt-nYNgCXOn1HyKzsEL-fnuG4Qld2kza4ZBhbaYk664Gu0WeKYjTXt4yq9vdEHqA_qH7sdC5Kbo8la5S_VnAAEnMm3CvjpVRcVZD9UJHfBpgjn5Cl0/s320/19008621.thb%5B1%5Dgrace.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Grace<br /><br />Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. Eph 4:29(New Revised Standard Version) <br /><br />I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. Ro 12:3<br /><br />Anyone who has ever had a bill knows what a grace period is. It is the time between when the bill is due and the time when you will be charged a late fee. Grace is extended – you are given time to get your resources together so you can pay what is owed. The kind of grace we often extend to others can sometimes feel more like the grace period of a credit card company than the unmerited grace of God. Grace with the condition of repayment. I will give you a break, but remember, there is a catch. The grace we receive from God is a gift – we haven’t earned his favor, we didn’t deserve to be saved.<br /><br />The goal is to extend this kind of supernatural grace to others, through our actions, attitudes, and words. But there is catch to this kind of grace, too: It is only by God’s grace that we can extend God’s grace. Without an understanding of what God has done for us, it is impossible to bring life-changing grace to the world.<br /><br />Father-God, thank you for the graciousness of your gifts. Help me to grasp how deep, how wide, how, long and how great is your loving grace toward me. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-29428133117930062532009-12-13T17:34:00.000-08:002009-12-13T17:37:52.517-08:00Day Fourteen: Give Direction<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1TBXv6BussfoDqsOi_m5DG_ybd-BTR8_B4uzE3iXSNDmOxpSRYmXcyFZ_OcCmKwdGgWtidW_NT1983j7Ggnpjfla3RGkwUH6boZUCDTyxvqSD8xDHoGWE37dV1AguMuyxRLXl5-fbZ6k/s1600-h/21609314.thb%5B1%5Ddirection.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 158px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 176px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414899945674958530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1TBXv6BussfoDqsOi_m5DG_ybd-BTR8_B4uzE3iXSNDmOxpSRYmXcyFZ_OcCmKwdGgWtidW_NT1983j7Ggnpjfla3RGkwUH6boZUCDTyxvqSD8xDHoGWE37dV1AguMuyxRLXl5-fbZ6k/s320/21609314.thb%5B1%5Ddirection.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Direction<br /></div><br /><div>You've been a good apprentice to me, a part of my teaching, my manner of life, direction , faith, steadiness, love, [and] patience 2Ti 3:10<br /><br />You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. Eph 4:4<br /><br />Do you have a good sense of direction? If you get lost, are you able to quickly get back on track? Some people joke about a man’s apparent dislike for asking for directions when lost, but, in reality, the tendency to want to find our own way back and resist direction transcends gender.<br /><br />It is a garden-sin, infused deep within the human heart and mind. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and distanced themselves from His intended direction for mankind, a rift was created – man was now on his own track, going in the opposite direction – away from intimacy, away from connection, and away from the Father’s embrace.<br /><br />Fortunately for the human race, God created a way to find us, turn us around, and direct us back to the garden where relationship and intimacy could be restored. Direction requires a compass. Where is your true north? Where are you headed?<br /><br />Father-God, lead me by your gracious hand into the depths of your rest. Direct my path and lead me in the way I should go. Show me how to take others along. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-4981277601164507502009-12-13T06:23:00.000-08:002009-12-13T06:27:14.101-08:00Day Thirteen: Give Encouragement<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dFQmjWiEcXLB2MQs_RJ_KuneCRtRZwNGLsYna03lYquWNLfJwmSgdP4XSziEHu2qyHl0nrOpPy3ycHXkvdlebQc9_FWcFhmNAgxzytJIBaIgIsNkKynsbA-uPRvNNDPcur6tB9oJU0U/s1600-h/15379448.thb%5B1%5Dencouragement.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 106px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414727058881526930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dFQmjWiEcXLB2MQs_RJ_KuneCRtRZwNGLsYna03lYquWNLfJwmSgdP4XSziEHu2qyHl0nrOpPy3ycHXkvdlebQc9_FWcFhmNAgxzytJIBaIgIsNkKynsbA-uPRvNNDPcur6tB9oJU0U/s320/15379448.thb%5B1%5Dencouragement.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Encouragement<br /><br />Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope. Ac 20:2 </div><div> </div><div><br />My sad life's dilapidated, a falling-down barn; build me up again by your Word. Ps 119:28 </div><div><br /> </div><div>Encouragement is a concrete action, not an abstract notion. Encouraging words can lift the heart and bring release from distress. But words are only half the story. When David was at his lowest, he encouraged himself in the Lord (1 Sa 30:6). What did he do? He got up, washed and clothed himself – there was a very natural application to the very spiritual reason he had to be encouraged: he was loved by an almighty, all-loving, eternal God. </div><div><br /> </div><div>When we give encouragement, we should remember there must be a words-in-action counterpart to just the words. New Testament encouragement not only refers to urging, entreating, and inviting, but to calling to one’s side. This infers action – come with me, work with me – I will walk by your side and help strengthen your steps – I will feed you the truth of God and be by your side – I will encourage your heart, your soul and your mind. </div><div><br /> </div><div>Father-God, I receive the encouragement of your Spirit in my life. Increase my understanding, strengthen my heart, and show me how to live and breathe your life-giving encouragement. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-75641019181319889852009-12-12T05:14:00.000-08:002009-12-12T05:18:03.244-08:00Day Twelve: Give Confidence<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmd9hzu3iXEjDH6FjISnYbI8lqNrHvclHQdc5ZWopFmzPmkcTrupDCkku419SzJ_bYFJGZRkz3DYIjNOfHxPL-FNJpCMlKbOP_KlBPHgsEVq00WvrX35Bh-zgUsFgl-2kQUVRxo-nHLs/s1600-h/22473509.thb%5B1%5Dconfidence.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 102px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414338055124510722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmd9hzu3iXEjDH6FjISnYbI8lqNrHvclHQdc5ZWopFmzPmkcTrupDCkku419SzJ_bYFJGZRkz3DYIjNOfHxPL-FNJpCMlKbOP_KlBPHgsEVq00WvrX35Bh-zgUsFgl-2kQUVRxo-nHLs/s320/22473509.thb%5B1%5Dconfidence.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Confidence<br /><br />Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence. 1Co 10:12<br /><br />I have, in fact, the greatest confidence in you. If only you knew how proud I am of you! 2Co 7:4<br /><br />Giving or instilling confidence in someone can be a daunting task. On the natural level, our confidence comes from a positive sense of self-worth. If we feel we can do something well, we have confidence. But if we have had limited success in life, our confidence level can be quite low. Have you ever had someone tell you that you did a great job and found you just couldn’t believe them? It always seems to be easier to believe the negative over the positive every time. But why is this? </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div>Quite often it is because the basis for our confidence is our perception and experience. Because what makes up human confidence can be so unstable and inconsistent, Paul tells us not to focus on it at all. Our confidence and assurance about ourselves and others is to be rooted in God – we are to be confident because we trust in a trustworthy God. He is the foundation of our confidence – we can do all things –why? Because it is Christ who strengthens us (Php 4:13). So what is the practical application when trying to give someone a sense of confidence? </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div>Remember where your own confidence comes from: you are able because Christ in you makes you able; you are valuable because God loved you so much that he died for you to provide a way to be with you forever; you are strong because God in you gives you strength; you have purpose because no one can do the work that God has prepared for you to do. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Father-God, you are the sure foundation of my confidence. Help me not to build up a personal Tower of Babel in myself and others; instead, help me to yield up a humble heart that finds its worth in you. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-83525932103137502682009-12-11T04:07:00.000-08:002009-12-11T04:10:29.303-08:00Day Eleven: Give Comfort<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYwH9A8LiBbgq0epLYH0pfN7MC7zKBfCxOdWiaX4ekA2CdUJsaHPe_JwyMoH2MSkGGey2fGqw7YmugVndAojQHIU5qTtWyRJUZlnD836XRk7gLAg1-IfYySwKtxNwAP51aemUOoyYVWo/s1600-h/199550.thb%5B1%5Dcomfort.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 139px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 164px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413949696030418930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYwH9A8LiBbgq0epLYH0pfN7MC7zKBfCxOdWiaX4ekA2CdUJsaHPe_JwyMoH2MSkGGey2fGqw7YmugVndAojQHIU5qTtWyRJUZlnD836XRk7gLAg1-IfYySwKtxNwAP51aemUOoyYVWo/s320/199550.thb%5B1%5Dcomfort.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Comfort<br />We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort--we get a full measure of that, too. 2Co 1:5<br />Jesus was quick to comfort them: "Courage! It's me. Don't be afraid." Mark 6:50 </div><div> </div><div><br />When Jesus spoke these words to his disciples they were in a boat in the middle of a lake, straining against the power of the wind. They were on their own, and the miracle of the multiplied loaves and fishes had not yet registered. When Jesus strolled by them, walking on the water, they were terrified. Who wouldn’t be? The last thing they expected was to see was Jesus-walking on the water-getting into their boat-and calming the raging seas. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Mark tells us that Jesus immediately sensed their fears and comforted them. How did he do it? By identifying himself, “It’s me” and by acknowledging their fears, “Don’t be afraid.”<br />When we give comfort to someone, we need to consider whether we bring the calming power of Christ into the situation and identify His concern for their heart or merely grant a momentary and transitory respite to someone’s grief. The call to comfort is clear; comfort is a person – Jesus – and He is calling, “It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” </div><div> </div><div><br />Father-God, Help me to show you to others and to bring your comforting words and your ever-lasting compassion into their lives. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-35744839951371061622009-12-10T06:20:00.000-08:002009-12-10T06:23:07.851-08:00Day Ten: Give Peace<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4SwX5-65j2J_3rOjg_fcMqFtpMCCRz4l7t-JtCkRQlr0z3iCMdbaKFfjzr03b9GTF6aVzT27eeZLENVdXlg9vTWSnumaihLca1j9HZQ8bg3RJl5fkD7Kt6gGgYSRFDXFWyKa2si3REs/s1600-h/19978858.thb%5B1%5Dpeace.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 199px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 185px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413612775999236434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4SwX5-65j2J_3rOjg_fcMqFtpMCCRz4l7t-JtCkRQlr0z3iCMdbaKFfjzr03b9GTF6aVzT27eeZLENVdXlg9vTWSnumaihLca1j9HZQ8bg3RJl5fkD7Kt6gGgYSRFDXFWyKa2si3REs/s320/19978858.thb%5B1%5Dpeace.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Peace<br /><br /><br />Shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace. Lu 1:79<br /><br />Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you." John 20:21<br /><br />I come from the generation who waved the peace sign like a flag. The peace sign was given instead of a handshake and the byword of the day was, “Give peace a chance.” Long before The Beatles immortalized those words in a song, Jesus sang peace over all he met: he spoke peace to those in distress (Luke 7:50), peace to the disciples as they were hiding behind locked doors (John 20:19), and peace to the tumultuous, raging seas (Mark 4:39). </div><div></div><div></div><div>True peace is not a hand gesture or a phrase in a song. It is a gift. In John 14:27, Jesus said, “I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you.- peace.” As with any gift of God, peace is meant to be shared. But how do we give peace? We give it through our words, our actions, and our attitudes. To bring order to chaos, to bring assurance to doubt, to bring stillness to the inner rage – these are just some of the ways to give the gift of peace. </div><div></div><div><br />Father-God, I embrace your gift of peace and I rest secure in your promise. You have overcome the world, and it is well with my soul. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1982636474252731025.post-57236603655689473172009-12-09T15:20:00.000-08:002009-12-09T15:26:26.616-08:00Day Nine: Give Patience<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZI9cxBIiJ0ajInWC2XiFuWuOrd_aWzFVKm5L-JWx_CvSKea_uP1Q67hMK7l57ePMieZaz2PGD9oF0rBhG5PEq8oIbeJw1EfWGhOrrzrH5eASCh3sBhXlEPc5bqLZBC4FCYjU1AGMuMU/s1600-h/22093233.thb%5B1%5Dpatience.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 161px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413381770437851362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZI9cxBIiJ0ajInWC2XiFuWuOrd_aWzFVKm5L-JWx_CvSKea_uP1Q67hMK7l57ePMieZaz2PGD9oF0rBhG5PEq8oIbeJw1EfWGhOrrzrH5eASCh3sBhXlEPc5bqLZBC4FCYjU1AGMuMU/s320/22093233.thb%5B1%5Dpatience.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Give … Patience<br /><br />There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us. Ro 5:3<br />… and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. Ro 5:4<br /><br />Oh, that patience could be sprinkled on us from above like fairy dust. How many of us have prayed for patience just to have the very circumstance we prayed about get worse. Our frustration comes from a misunderstanding of how patience comes and grows. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Galatians 5:22 identifies patience as a fruit of the Spirit. In the natural, fruit is an outgrowth of a tree; the fruit is not placed on the tree like a Christmas decoration– it is the direct result of the nature of the tree. An apple tree grows apples, an orange tree-oranges and so on. And if the tree is has a disease or needs to be pruned, the quality of the fruit will be affected, perhaps completely limiting the tress’ ability to produce anything. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As we develop our relationship with God, our old natures are “pruned” away, allowing for the Spirit within us room to produce not only patience, but all the other gifts of the Spirit. So what does it mean to “give” patience? It is the giving of second chances. It is the timelessness of gracious waiting. It is the calm of Christ within someone’s storm. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br />Father-God, your never-ending patience inspires and propels me to extend a patient hand to an impatient world. May this fruit in me be pleasing to the eye and nourishing to the heart. </div>Jody Zilske Green Tees Embroideryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16436362466746265731noreply@blogger.com1