GRACE-PACE!

There's always much to learn on a "Teaching Tuesday." Today was a time of reflecting on a re-learning that needed to occur based on a recent faux pas.

My hurry-scurry "get it done" pace trampled my grace-pace. Reflection was needed for learning. Reflection takes time. Time adjusted from self-centered, people pleasing accomplishments to God-Centered time. 

I am yours, O Lord. May nothing touch my heart more than your love and acceptance. 

I need a breather from "doing." A lesson in mercy-math requires time.

Recounting God's acts of goodness and mercy, even severe mercy, were my "Teaching Tuesday" focus. 

Re-learning, has me remembering that the Lord loves me the way that I am, and all work is his work. His grace in me and through me fulfills His purpose for me---not self-aggrandizement or personal peace without interruptions. 

Yesterday, as I walked by the practically empty office on our new pastor's first day, "on the job," I peeked in to say, " welcome"....or was it more like barging in to interrupt his time of peace and reflection?  Regardless, he jumped right up with a smile on his face. 

Lesson learned from this brilliant, thoughtful, energetic, kind and courteous young man.

Lessons of grace from Pace to this old lady. 

His Grace-Pace shows how much I have left to learn about responding first to others over self.

"identi-TEA": a Re-brew

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; (Jeremiah 1:5a, NIV)

Those words were spoken by the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah. They are true for us today, as well.  God, as creator, even knows and names the stars. (Isaiah 40:26.) But as our creator, God factors love into His relationship with man.  We are known and personally loved by our Good Shepherd; (John 10:14) He calls us friend. (John 15:15) He calls us by name. (John 10:13) He has set us apart for the plans He has for us, as Jeremiah continued in the verse.
Therefore Our true identity is in Him.

This morning's cuppa of identi-TEA was my third one. In October of 2010, I began with the many ID badges I had worn in my life time and concluded with, "I plan to savor my identi--TEA with a “cuppa”----Lyons Gold Blend---as I begin my day with Him, because that’s the identity that counts for eternity. In July 2011, as I was entering a new season in life, I had begun to reflect on and rethink my identity---wondering how others might "see" me.

Now-a-days,  I ask, "Do my actions allow others to "see" my true identity? Child of God.

Once again, on this snowy February morning in 2014, I'm spending "Tea With Thee" time with my Lord sipping a cuppa true identi-TEA. A cuppa poured into my heart by the One whose sacrifice gave me that identitiy. My ID is really His ID imparted.

Remember---the Lord calls you by name, even your nickname...
 or your grandparent one!

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1) 

Questions for Reflection

10/26/12 Having a daughter who is a professional photographer, I have watched her capture reflections of love, growth, birth and change in all of her “baby’s first year” family portfolios. She beautifully captures those inner reflections of a wide range of emotions.

She has even shown me how one can use reflection to enhance or enrich a picture. I have even tried to capture such reflections as we have traveled. 

Oklahoma City 2012

She can use reflected light or capture diffused light with a filter to show amazing effects and beautiful images. For her, photography is all about lighting. She is always checking her lighting source. She even has meters that read the intensity or degree of the lighting. I’m probably using the wrong terms, but you get the idea of the importance of light and reflection in pictures.

Amateur that I am with a camera, even I, have come to realize that surfaces seem to reflect light more clearly when a surface is completely smooth. To me all this seems to bear a resemblance to a Christian’s reflection of the “light” within them. If I have anxiety in my life or am striving for self- promotion or bearing a fruit of impatience, there’s not smoothness of spirit to reflect that inner light. It will be distorted----full of ripples and waves. Sometimes blurred beyond recognition. Source of light not truly visible.

If one's life is in turmoil from trying to control life himself and do things in his own strength, won't the reflection be wavy and distorted? 

If one's light source is Christ and yet that light is not visible, how can one truly reflect Him and His character?

Living a light-filled worthy life, one submitted to God, will bring about the "smoothness" that comes even with life's bumps and enable us to reflect the Spirit within, as Paul reminds us in the fourth chapter of Ephesians.

 “Live a life worthy….with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
 bearing with one another through love,
 striving to preserve the unity of the spirit
 through the bond of peace; (Ephesians 4: 1b-3)

Have you seen this worthy life in others? Do you reflect this yourself?

Street Corner Reflections

9/26/12

What I saw with my eyes…..

Corner of Grove Park and Poplar---a youngish woman dressed in colorful attire with a turban-type wrapped head piece---- scratching her entire body almost spasmodically and certainly inappropriately, even pulling up her shirt and scratching under her arms……as she opened her car door in the CUMC parking lot, I saw that it was her “house”---homeless

Corner of Mendenhall and Poplar---a bearded man in blue shirt & clean jeans, cinched at waist to keep them up---directing an orchestra, only he could see----often switching to guitar strumming or keyboarding, though no instruments were visible, just his movements----mental instability

Corner of Shady Grove and Yates---2 well dressed gentlemen in dark suits wearing yamakas, the Jewish skullcaps, accompanying a lady who was wearing a white doily type head covering similar to ones I saw Catholic women wearing bobby pinned to their coifed hair when going to mass at St. Peter & Paul’s in Hoptown---orthodox Jews on the way to Shul for Yom Kippur services

Seeing the first 2, I felt fearful. Seeing the Jewish trio I felt no fear. I, who thought I had no “real” prejudice, was clearly shown that sin in my life.

Have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? (James 2:4)

 What God saw with His heart………mankind, His creation---in need of a Savior.

I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation, the one who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. (Acts 10:34-35)

Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He promised to those who love Him? (James 2:5)

What I now see………………All people are in need of God…………..as well as people who reflect His love to them. May that be my reflection.