Author: Jodie

Empty

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

Romans 5:3-5

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Recently, Doug opened the cover on our hot tub to do some routine maintenance and found that it was almost completely empty! Perplexed, he began checking everything in and around the tub to determine what may have caused it to drain on its own. After a thorough investigation, he refilled it.

The next day when he went back out to check the status, it was empty again!

This time, both of us became detectives; tightening knobs, changing the settings and searching for evidence of a leak. After we surveyed almost every inch of the hot tub we refilled it…again.

The next day, when I went out to check the status, it was empty….again!!!!

Disappointed?

Yes.

The weather had just begun to approach the freezing mark– the perfect dichotomy of extreme temperatures to enjoy lounging in the hot tub.

After much frustration and troubleshooting, I did what any self-righteous Christian woman would do: I threw a hissy fit. Recalling all the problems and trials we’ve had with that electric water box just further infuriated me. Eventually, however, I came to my senses and began praying. Then my daughter and I went to work…determined to find the problem— and fix it!

After locating the drain plug (hidden behind the stairs, pressed against the upper deck) we laid down on our bellies straining to reach it. After a few turns, we realized it was loose! Wet boards (hidden by autumn leaves and fallen pine straw) further confirmed our suspicion- the water had, in fact been leaking out of the drain.

After re-tightening the plug, refilling it … again, and waiting a day for the water to reach 102 degrees, Doug and I were finally able to enjoy using the hot tub for its intended purpose; to relax and enjoy one another’s company after a long, hard day.

A week later, after re-hashing the problems with God, He showed me yet another life lesson:

Just like that electric water box, I was designed with a purpose. In order to fulfill that purpose, I must be filled with His living water. But occasionally, unbeknownst to me, my drain plug becomes loose and His water begins to slowly seep out- leaving me feeling drained. If I remain empty for too long, my motor will over heat and destroy my circuit board. In an attempt to save myself, I may panic and shut the breaker off, leaving myself without power…..

Fortunately, unlike our water box, I can rejoice when I face problems and trials of any kind. For I know that God loves me and I am free to ask Him at any time, during any season of life, to show me any leaks that are hidden. After I acknowledge my faults and ask for His forgiveness, He refills my water box….again, and through His power, I can fulfill my intended purpose.

Jeremiah 2:13

13 “For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!

John 7:38

38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

Through the Roof

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

Luke 5:17-20

17 One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.

18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, 19 but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”  

I wonder….did that young man ask his friends to take him to see Jesus- or did his friends, out of their great love for him know that he was suffering and needed help to get to Him?

Either way, there had to be an agreement between them.

The same agreement must be made within the Body of Christ today.

Look around- there are “paralyzed” people everywhere…rendered incapable of getting to Jesus by themselves because of pornography, fear, addiction to drugs, a terminal illness, unforgiveness, adultery, rage, bitterness, shame, jealousy, greed…. their pain may or may not be physical, but they are suffering nonetheless.

Of course, in order for this to happen, every man- or woman who needs help must be willing to lie down on a mat and ask their friends to carry them to the Healer. Furthermore, those friends must be willing to sacrifice their time, talent and treasure to get their friend to Jesus…even if it means busting a hole through the roof!

All of us, at one time or another are that young man- desperate to be able to stand up, pick up our mat and go home. And, all of us, at one time or another are those “friends” that must help them get to the only One who can forgive and restore.

2 Chronicles 7:14

14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

Romans 12:4-13

4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection,[a] and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.[b] 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them….

 

White as Snow

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

Isaiah 1:18

New Living Translation (NLT)

“Come now, let’s settle this,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson,
I will make them as white as wool….

There is nothing more majestic than freshly fallen snow blanketing the ground. It covers every flaw, every imperfection of our landscape and the sight of it reminds me of my youth; when I would play for hours on end, throwing snow balls, making snow angels and sledding down the steepest of hills.

The same expression of joy invades my heart when I remember the day I chose to submit my life to the One who created me. He covered my sins- every flaw, every imperfection with the blood of His son, Jesus Christ. In that moment I was made pure, clean, white as freshly fallen snow.

Fortunately, unlike rare winter storms that occasionally bring snow to our area, Gods forgiveness is available to me at any time, during any season. When I finally surrender trying to fix all the “issues” in the landscape of my life, He sends a fresh blanket of white to envelope my soul… and once again my sins that were like scarlet are made white as snow.

Ephesians 3:14-21

New King James Version (NKJV)

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Obey

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

Ephesians 6

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

When I was a child, my parents had verse 1 of Ephesians 6 framed and hung in a place where my sister and I were FORCED to read it regularly. It infuriated me! I was what some might call; a “strong willed child” and I didn’t want to obey ANYONE- including my parents.

Earlier this week, as I erased the same verse off our school dry erase board, I chuckled as now, decades later, I am the one trying to teach our children why this Truth is so important- and why they should learn to submit to it while they are still young…..

During a recent conversation with another mommy, we discussed the same passage of scripture. As we talked about specific circumstances with our children the revelation of why came out of my mouth before my brain even had time to comprehend its impact: If we love God, we are to obey Him.

John 14:15

“If you love me, obey my commandments….”

In training our children to obey (which often times requires repeated discipline in order to help them submit), we are not only teaching them to love and respect their parents, we are showing them how to love and submit to their Heavenly Father- even when they don’t feel like it.

As an adult, when I finally repented and submitted my strong will to the Father, He lavished His unfailing love on this prodigal daughter and gave me a childlike faith to pursue Him- and obey His commands. Now, as I fight the battle of obedience with several strong willed children of my own, (thanks dad, for praying I’d have those!) I am able to enforce “the laws” of our home, and when necessary, administer discipline, in love (well, most of the time….sometimes I still lose it). For I know that God did not send the law to punish us, but to teach us how to live a long life… in FREEDOM!

Romans 7:21-25

21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

PS. Thanks Mom & Dad for continuing to sew the Word into my heart- even though it took a looooong time to take root.

Cactus

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

Isaiah 43:18-21

18 “But forget all that—
it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. 20 The wild animals in the fields will thank me,
 the jackals and owls, too,
 for giving them water in the desert.
Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland
  so my chosen people can be refreshed. 21 I have made Israel for myself,
and they will someday honor me before the whole world.

I grew up in the foothills of Southern California in a little town called Glendora. About an hour away (depending on the amount of bumper to bumper traffic) is the “High Desert,” where my family used to ride dune buggies and 4 wheelers through the rugged terrain. I absolutely loved circling the wagons (aka: motor homes), suiting up in my protective gear, and exploring the dry wasteland for hours on end. I’ll admit, the desert isn’t the most beautiful landscape to behold- but just as everything else God created, there IS a purpose for its existence.

It’s astounding that wildlife and plants can live- even thrive- in the dry, scalding heat in the area between the San Gabriel Mountains. Still, Our Father, in His infinite wisdom, made a way. Take the cactus. It’s a prickly thing on the outside, but its soft interior is able to absorb and store water in order to survive drought-like conditions. Not only is it self-sustaining, its stored water supply (which turns into a thick, sticky substance) has been known to save countless numbers of people who have found themselves dying of thirst in the desert.  However, as with all reservoirs, if not refilled, it will dry out. As a result, not only will the cactus die, but it will greatly impact those whom depend on its nutrients for life.

I’ve often acted like a cactus…prickly on the outside, yet able to sustain myself for long periods of time without any Living Water. I can even tap further into my water reserve to share a drink with those who need help. Eventually, though, if my water supply isn’t replenished, my reservoir will run dry and my soul will begin to die.

When I enter into a dry wasteland, my natural tendency is to hop on a dune buggy and ride to a more lush location. But sometimes, God allows me to live in the desert for reasons known only to Him. Maybe it’s to show me that I am not designed, like the cactus to be self-sufficient. I must depend on The Living Water each and every day for life. And, when the rains don’t fall, my roots must be forced (just as cactus roots are) to dig deep and wide into the underground rivers that run through the desert. Only then can I live life to the full and share my thick, sticky substance with others.

Fog

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

Mark 16:5-6

5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.

Sometimes there are seasons in our lives when our soul becomes empty and our relationship with the Lord no longer feels “life giving.”

Although we may know that Jesus was crucified and died for our sins, when the circumstances of life become unbearable with feelings of grief, anger, jealousy, injustice, unforgiveness….and our prayers seem one sided, we begin to believe that “He isn’t here.” If we continue to give way to these emotions instead of seeking the One who is always present, the more dense the fog becomes and the more hopeless we feel.

Fortunately, for us, our Father is not intimidated by the low lying clouds in our mind, will and emotions. He patiently waits, showing His love for us in subtle ways (which we often fail to see because we are blinded in the fog by the enemy). Until, in desperation we come crawling back to Him, begging for the clouds to evaporate into life giving water.

When we are able to push past our emotions and allow the Holy Spirit to dig down into the depths of our soul, we find that the emptiness isn’t a result of Him, but of us. In that moment, as we re- encounter our risen Lord, we are consumed by His love and in His presence we are compelled to pour out all our sins at His feet. As He whispers “you are forgiven” a mighty surge of living water consumes our soul and we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, which once again compels us to, “go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone.”  Mark 16:15

And at last I see the light

And it’s like the fog has lifted

And at last I see the light

And it’s like the sky is new

And it’s warm and real and bright

And the world has somehow shifted

All at once everything looks different

Now that I see you

-I See the Light, from Disney’s “Tangled”

The Reason for the Season?

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

If Jesus is the “reason for the season,” why do I invest so much time, energy & effort in:

-picking out and trimming a tree?

-stringing lights, garland & bows all over the yard?

-going to 3 different malls to buy the perfect gifts for family & friends?

-attending every holiday party I’m invited to?

-listening to Bing Crosby sing “White Christmas” on Pandora all day?

-cooking & baking an absorbent amount of food & desserts for family reunions?

-going to see the same Christmas lights every year?

-decorating every inch of the house with holiday decor?

-watching the same holiday movies over and over and over?

-buying new clothes and taking 400 pictures of the family to send a photo card to people we never see?

Tradition.

Matthew 15:1-9 Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, 2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[a] and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’[b] 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents.[c] And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

9 Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’

“The Pharisees and teachers of religious law came from Jerusalem, the center of Jewish authority, to scrutinize Jesus’ activities. Over the centuries since the Jews’ return from Babylonian captivity, hundreds of religious traditions had been added to God’s laws. The Pharisees and teachers of religious law considered them all equally important. Many traditions are not bad in themselves. Certain religious traditions can add richness and meaning to life. But, we must not assume that because our traditions have been practiced for years, they should be elevated to a sacred standing. God’s principles never change, and his law doesn’t need additions. Traditions should help us understand God’s laws better, not become laws themselves.” – Life Application Study Bible

Father,

Thank you for sending your Son into the world to be born of a virgin, suffer, be crucified, buried and raised to life so that I may know you. Help me to remember that He IS the reason for this season- and every season of my life. May I honor you with my lips- and my heart. May my worship be genuine and my life reflect your commands, not man’s traditions.