SelahV Today by hariette petersen

He Loved Me Even Though I did Not Love Him

He loved me:

Even though... I did not know Him.

Even though... I sinned against Him.

Even though... I failed Him.

Even though... I did not trust Him.

Even though... I did not believe Him.

Even though... I did not obey Him.

Even though... I ignored Him.

Even though... I am not holy.

Even though... I am not righteous.

Even though... (___________), fill in the blank, He loved me. 

and the most eye-opening, life-changing revelation I've ever experienced is when I realized, accepted and trusted the fact that because He loved me, He died for me, and He made a way for me in all my blackness to spend an eternity in His presence. He took my place and put upon Himself the punishment that I was due for my sin.  He did that because He loved me.

"We love, because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

and He continues to love me.  And nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate me from the love of my Father.  And no one is able to take me away from or remove me from His love. I will always remember the day I came to Jesus, because He first came to me.  I will never forget the darkness of my soul, nor the conviction of my lostness.  And I will never forget the peace that flooded my entire being, nor the peace He instills in me since.

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

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Grace As I See It, by hariette petersen

How to Live With Grief

It's not easy.

I'm not going to sugar-coat it.  It is a pain.

Some moments it is all you can do to breathe.  Some days it's all you can do to get up and brush your teeth.  Sometimes we hold onto pain to survive the emptiness and void we see beyond our heartache.  I know.

Each day you make it through a night that follows a sunset, you waken to see another sunrise, you walk toward a brighter moment. You may not see the light, but it is there or there would be no shadows. 

It's true; life will never be the same again.  You'll never be the same.  You'll never have the same "normal".  How could you when you can no longer hold your loved ones hand, or feel their for-nothing-hugs?  How could you when you no longer hear their laughter, their voice, their footsteps coming down the hall?  How could you when their own special smell only lingers in your mind?

Firstly, try to understand there is no perfect way or combination of ways to live with grief.  You find your own way-- at your own pace.

No one else has your grief. The path you walk is not necessarily blazed by another-- no matter how close they are to the same person who left this old earth. They did not lose your relationship with your loved one. They lost theirs.

So it's best to understand that few can comprehend the depth of your pain or loss-- nor can you totally understand theirs.  Some have walked grief's journey, but it was still theirs.  Yours is what you know, what you feel, what you have to deal with on a daily basis.  The things that trigger memories that bring you joy or sorrow are not the same another may have.  You have to find your own ways of filling your void.

Some like crowds-- to be surrounded with noise.  Others like solitude and silence.  Some laugh; others cry.  Some bathe their minds in soothing music.  Some drown their pain in the hum of chainsaws which muffle the silent thunder in their hearts.  Some want to do nothing; others can't stay busy enough.  Grief calls us each to experience our own hour of living without someone.

So...dear friends. Learn to be yourself.  Do what you need to do to survive grief's cycle of anger, denial, and acceptance.  No one can take away your grief to make it better.  You have to relinquish it yourself.  And you will do that...

when you are ready... when you are strong enough to turn loose and trust the world again.

It's not easy, but it is possible.  It really is.  Especially when you know the Savior who is aquainted with grief.  He is the balm to heal your brokenness. He is the wholeness you need.  His grace is sufficient.  He is enough.

Related Posts:

How to soothe a troubled heart.

Lessons of Loss.

So I Had a Bad Day

Grief Matters

 

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The Day IS Coming

Endings, Beginnings and Stuff In Between

Things I Miss- Integrity, Honor and Hope

I miss the days when integrity flourished.  When your word was a bond.  When a handshake sealed the deal.  When promises were kept and people meant what they said.  When innocent pinky swears were do-or-die and stick-a-needle in your eye unbreakable.  When someone said they were your friend, they remained a friend for life.  When marriage was between one man and one woman and no one ever thought otherwise. 

I miss days when honor was an unseen knowledge that you could trust and believe and rely upon.  When hearts beat harder at the sight of an flag unfurled or draped over caskets of heroism.  When a president stood at a microphone and carried our fears with dignity, treated our thoughts as worthy and protected our freedoms rather than diluting them one by one.  When our military would never dare be punished for believing and exercising their faith.  Where churches were esteemed and not dismissed as unworthy to even participate in donating money to help the wounded soldiers who protected their freedom of religion.  I miss those days.

I miss the hope I once had that my child and her children and theirs would grow up in the same kind of country I did.  Where pledging allegiance to the flag was customary but never taken for granted. Where the nativity was taken for granted to always grace the public square.  And Ten Commandments hung on every school room wall.

Where a cross never held disdain, ridicule or hatred but symbolized goodness, purity and hope.  Where hope was built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and the righteousness He brings to each heart who trusts in Him.  Where I was free to share my faith and not held prisoner to my thoughts or words of expression.  Where I was never bullied for belieiving that "in God we trust" or found myself wondering why our government would choose to rob us of the freedom to worship as we please and express our faith in ways we've done all our lives. I miss those days.

However... I do look forward to the day when Christ shall come with shout of acclamation, the eastern sky will part, the trump will sound and we will see everyone bow and confess that Jesus is Lord.  I do.  I really do.  selahV

 

Amid the Havoc... Remember

There is harmony. There is hope.

In the world we have havoc.  In Christ we live in harmony with God and in hope of eternal peace.  Our peace is not in this world.  For the world is ruled by the prince of darkness.  He creates havoc in the lives of every Christian.  His aim is to destroy your peace, to rob you of joy, to impede your progress, your every effort, your every goal.

"Why can't we live the dedicated, sold-out, life of Christ?" the Sunday School teacher asked.  The circle of people looked at one another.  Some looked down.  Others shrugged their shoulders.  Two offered, "Because we are human."

"Is that not just an excuse?"

Perhaps it is an excuse.  Perhaps it is truth.  We are human.  We cannot possibly live the life of Christ in our own strength.  Our dedication needs to be to Him.  We feed our bodies with breakfast, lunch and dinner--a few snacks in between.  We feed our minds with the morning news--the evening news---the late-night news.  In between we snack on thrillers, mysteries, comedy, sit-com and reality shows.  We drink blog-surf instead of Living Water.  Where is the nourishment for our minds?  Stop.  Turn off the television, the radio, the computer screen.  Listen to the stillness.  Listen for the still small voice of God.  Open His word and purge the world from your mind.  Put on the helmet of savation and keep your mind protected from the fiery darts of satan's accusations, lies, and assaults.

You are a saint.  You are separated from this world of darkness.  You are light.  You are salt.  You add flavor to this world.  You are not tasteless--nor are you putrid spew.  You are righteous in Christ--not living unto unrighteousness.  You are a child of the Most High God.  You have favor among men.  Live like a child of the King.  Lift your head and walk tall.  Do not slump, nor stagger.  Lift your eyes unto the hills from whence cometh your help.  Do not cast your eyes down into the dirt.  Look up.  Let the sun shine upon your face--let the shadows fall behind you.  Cast your cares upon the Lord, for He cares for you.  Take His yoke upon you and let Him bear the weight.  God is good--in you He perfects goodness and blessing and righteousness--for His name's sake.  God's Spirit dwells within you.  He makes intercession with your every prayer.  Pray for every person you see and let the Spirit of God lead you to spur others on to good works. 

Havoc is chaos cloaked in opportunity.  God's opportunity to show you how great He is.  Embrace His strength, His power, His wisdom.  Let harmony and peace flood your being.  For you know He is God.  And He has favor upon you.  selahV

"Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour." Proverbs 14:9

What the Future Holds

No one really knows.  For some reason, we cannot help but wonder about it, though.  We wonder what our kids will be when they are grown.  We wonder what their kids will do.  Will everyone stay in the same area, or will they move to all parts of the globe?  In these unsettling economic times, we wonder about employment.  Will we have a job next year?  next month?  next week?

I have two friends whose husbands have lost their jobs after a long tenure.  They are in their late fifties.  It's a scary thing.  They are knowledgeable, experienced and dependable.  By and large, those are qualities a prospective employer seeks.  However, financial pressures for corporations limit an employer's ability to hire older men with those qualities.  Younger, unproven and teachable people do not command the same salary commensurate with older rivals.

It's hard for my friends' husbands.  They have mortgages.  They are more apt to need their insurance coverage.  They are closing in on retirement age and every dime they put into a pension or 401-K is vital.  It's only natural for them to wonder about their future.  Will they have to relocate to another city, another state?  Will they lose everything they worked for their entire lives?  Could they really and truly end up homeless?  It's possible.  They do not know what the future holds.  But, fortunately for them, they "know Who holds the future."

When Job lost his entire family, grown children with families of their own, servants, livestock and possessions, he did not know how things could get worse.  When his body was wracked with sores and pain was his constant companion, he wondered what would happen next.  What was left for him to lose?  For Job it boiled down to complete humility and total dependence on his Creator.  He had every reason to listen to his wife and "curse God and die."  But he didn't.  He questioned his condition and circumstances, but he did not curse God.  God restored to Job all he had and more.

In the season of difficult circumstances, we are vulnerable to fear, to worry, and concern.  Yet, as Christians we are assured that when we put our trust in God, He will provide.  He will take care of us.  He will never leave us.  We do not know what tomorrow holds, but the daily trials are sufficient to battle without us borrowing battles beyond the horizon.  When the abundance of "what ifs" come my way, I remember that "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me." Psalm 138:8  I pray He gives my friends the same assurance as they wait upon His provision.

What about you?  Do you need God's sustaining grace to cover your heart and still your worried mind?  If so, I pray He fills you with peace today.  I pray you see Him move in such a way that it could only be Him to whom you give the glory.  selahV

There Is Coming A Time

...when we can no longer go and tell.

Our loved ones, the kind-hearted neighbor, the generous boss, the diligent co-worker--each will have a day when they face death.  We who are saved will find peace and abundance in the arms of God in heaven.  But there will be a chasm between we who trust in the Lord, and those who do not.  When that time comes, we will no longer tell others of the hope they could have in Jesus.  Their hope is gone.  Even if we want to go to the others and offer comfort, we will not be able to.  We know this because Jesus admonished the Pharisees:

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.

"But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us." Luke 16:22-26

Now is the time.  Today is the day of salvation.  Today may be the only day we have to share our faith and the promise of eternal life.  It's so hard to comprehend the idea that people we know who aren't willing to listen today will someday be eternally separated from us and God and will live in eternal torment.  But that is truth as written in God's Word.  I think of myself with the pain I go through with various things in life.  Nothing compares to the pain and heartache a person will experience who does not know God.  For again it is written as Jesus spoke:

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.  And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where “‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’  Everyone will be salted with fire." Mark 9:42-48

Some folks scoff and say that they are living in hell on earth.  However that is not Biblical.  Hell is a real place.  Just like Heaven is for real.  And there is coming a day when we will no longer be able to proclaim the Everlasting Life people can have in Jesus.  They will have made their choice as surely as they choose to brush or not to brush their teeth. 

Lord, give us hearts on fire to share Jesus, the anecdote for sin and escape from everlasting torment.  You stand at the door and knock and whoever opens the door, You will go in and dwell with them and give them eternal life in Your presence.  Help all those who proclaim Your salvation be heard, Oh Lord.  Let people hear now, while there is still time. selahV

RELATED POSTS:  Heaven Is For Real , How To Come To Jesus , When Heaven Is Home

I AM ASSURED

I HAVE A DWELLING PLACE

"You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand." Psalm 16:11

The Lord has made known to me the path of life...it is through Jesus Christ the Lord.  There is no other way but through Him that I can go to meet the Father above.  He will fill me with greater joy than I have ever known upon this old earth, just by being in His presence.  I will have constant eternal pleasures as I stand before my Lord, My Redeemer, and King.

Oh, my friend, that you would stand next to me that day!

What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see.  What a day, glorious day, that will be! selahV

[WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET JESUS?  Click here.] 

May 8th, Five Years Later

I am no longer a puddle on the floor.  I no longer feel tortured by each breath, nor cry with each thought of him.  I am no longer angered that others pass by, and live life--as if his life had no meaning.  I still swell with pride at the sound of his name, and slow down at the memory of his words, "chill out".  I continue "to stop and smell the roses", and pick wildflowers by the side of the road.  I try to "count every moment special, and make every moment count".  I still remember his warm for-nothing bear-hugs, and miss his just-because phone calls.  I still long to hear his voice and see the brilliance of his smile.  I wish we could still hang-out while he runs errands, and share stories of God's intervention in our lives.  I doubt that will ever change.

Time is a strange commodity these days.  It no longer feels like it is standing still, yet it never seems to fly by either.

Whenever heartache comes my way, I "remember the good times".  Sometimes I still cry.  Sometimes I still get angry.  Occasionally I wonder "why".

I've let go of the dreams I once had for him and am resting in the reality of what is left in the wake of his life.  Brooklyn.  Abby.  Love.  Sunshine.  Flowers.  Soccer games. Softball.  Playing hard, and living each moment as if there is no tomorrow.  Sharing my heart as if I will not have a chance to say all I have to say after the sun sets today.  Treating each person I love in light of that May 8th five years ago; a call to go to our heavenly home could be here for any of us--at any time.  So take no one for granted.  Forget the small stuff.  Forgive quickly.  Seize the day.  Make time to say you care.  Live with all your heart--for your family.  For friends, and strangers.  And most of all--for Christ.  

[Remembering your life, my son.  Rejoicing that you are in the arms of the Lord.  I love you, Momma]

HOPE IN CHANGE

As I read post after post on Facebook, multiple comments on "As A Mom" blogs, and listened to a bit of the diatribe on Fox News, I felt like my brain would explode with the gall fermenting in my stomach.  The fact that our country is now being forced to swallow the lies, bribery and promises of a white-washed abortion Executive Order that is impotent in the face of law, is heartbreaking.  I might cry if not for a hope far greater than any threat we face with the legislators in Washington, D.C.--a hope in the change I know is available.

My spirit is unwavering in the hope that change is in the air.  Hope is not in found in the promises of man.  Hope is not found in entities.  Hope does not lie in government.  And that is a good thing.  When people are disappointed and discouraged with misplaced trust, it opens the door to find a greater, lasting, enduring hope.

This hope is found in Jesus.

Hope is given to every person with faith in the unseen promises of God.  Hope covers fear with certainty.  In Christ we have everything we need.  He holds all things together.  Not man, not legislation.  Freedom in Christ supercedes the imprisonment of man's false liberty.  As inspiring as our country's constitution is, the inspired Word of God has the power to change lives in ways a document cannot.  I am proud to be an American, however, I am humbled to be a Christian--a child of God.  I was privileged to be born in America.  I was blessed to be born into the kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ.  This country is not my home.  I'm just passing through.  I have the grace to sustain me through any tribulation that comes my way.

This is a great time to be alive in Christ.  May the difficulties and fears so many face today be viewed as an opportunity worth siezing, for us to share the gospel of Christ, and the hope He offers to all who believe in Him. selahV

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you," 1 Peter 1:3,4.