How Can We Love Others the Way Jesus Loved Us?

John 15:12 NKJV
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

I have been pondering some of the ways Jesus loved His disciples. (We are His disciples if we follow Him) 
How did He love us, and how can I walk this out daily? 

I want to spend some time meditating on this. Today's thoughts are these:

•  Jesus was completely submitted to Father God. He faithfully revealed the love of the Father in such a way that He equipped His disciples to continue His redeeming Kingdom life. His love brought them up to His level! 
•  His love was completely selfless. His yoke was connected to the Father. He offers His yoke to us! A yoke is only used for work. As we go, we are to demonstrate the love of the Father to those around us. If we are yoked to Him, He takes the lead and knows the intended "field" to plow. 

If we take His yoke upon us and bear it without resistance, the fruit of the Spirit would be ripe and plentiful in our going. Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control would be available to those who are placed in our path. 

If we take His yoke upon us and bear it without resistance, the gifts of the Spirit would be manifest when needed. Words of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues would be activated as needed to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to the earth. 

Today I choose to bear His yoke without resistance. I want to reveal the love of the Father to those around me and in doing so, equip them to do the same. As He raises me up to His level, I want to raise others up to that level as well. 

Today I choose to let the Father take the lead for our path. As I am willing to go, He is willing to be revealed! 

Father, in Jesus' precious name I choose You and Your love. Teach me how to reveal You to those we meet! 

Blessings, Anna Marie

Is the Fruit of Our Lips Singing Praise?

Hebrews 13:15 NKJV

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

The birds are cooing loudly outside this morning.  Even though it seems a mournful tune, I always hear a song of praise calling out to Abba God. This morning, as I sat quietly listening to the dove choir, and thinking about prayer, a memory popped into my head:

It was a Saturday morning. I was 16 years old and vacuuming our living room for my mom.  Crash!  I spun around to see what had happened, and was dismayed to see one of my mother's most treasured porcelain figurines lying shattered on the floor.  The delicate little ballerina was destroyed.  The tiny pink and white treasure had been given to my mom as a young girl by someone she loved dearly.

I began to cry and my mom flew into the room to see what was happening.  She looked at the sight and her face showed a moment of pain, but she reached out to me and hugged me, and said,

"Anna Marie, it is only a thing.  You are more important to me than any thing.  Don't cry."

I pondered why that memory would surface in my time with the Lord.  I felt like He was reminding me of His love towards us, even when we mess things up.  Even when our messes lead to destruction of precious things, He never stops loving us, never stops cherishing us, and wipes away our tears.

As I remember all the messes I have made in my life,  what I really feel is the overwhelming love of my Heavenly Father as He has held me and comforted me and forgiven me.  It is a feeling like my heart must explode because it cannot contain all the gratitude and wonder from His heart to mine.

The birds are still cooing loudly outside...sounds like their hearts must explode, as well....

Trial or Gift?

James 1:2-4  (The Message)
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.


This passage really poked my heart this morning.  I have been in a season of testing and I have been crying out to the Lord to save me.  But His answer has been to be with me in the midst of trial.  Day by day, I am getting revelation of the power we have in simply keeping our eyes firmly fixed on His.  He is training me to live and move and have my very being in Him.  When the waves of the storm come crashing over my heart, I am quickly restoring my sights towards Him.

Gratefully, the times I take my eyes off Him are growing shorter and fewer.  But I have also discovered that those moments, when I change my focus from Him to my situation, bring more pain than I have ever known.  What I am realizing is as I stay with Him, in Him, the love that we share is becoming so intense.  Any separation causes distress.  So that it is not the trial causing the pain any longer, but the separation from my Lord. 

Thanks be to God for His gifts of mercy and love...He fills my every empty cove.

Are You Worried?

2 Timothy 3:12-17  (The Message)

Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there's no getting around it. Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They're as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse.But don't let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers--why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother's milk! There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another--showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us. 

Today, let us press into the Word of God. Let us drink deeply of the truth found inside.  This world is passing away, but the kingdom of God is forever.  We are grafted into the olive tree of the Lord.  The way fruit from the tree is obtained, is by shaking the tree or beating the trees branches.  We are entering into a season of harvest unlike anything that has ever been seen in the world.  Expect much shaking and much beating.  But rejoice and take heart!  It is in the pressing of the olive that oil is obtained.  That oil is for the lighting and healing of the world.  ~ Blessings, Anna Marie

Are you lonely?

John 1:14 (The Message) The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.

I love this description of Jesus! He was fully God, yet He became so approachable. The cool thing is, He still is!! There is a picture of Jesus, standing at the door knocking. If we open the door, He says He will come into us and share a meal! This passage reminds me of the neighbor who comes over and knocks to bring a plate of goodies for me to eat! That's just who Jesus is! He spreads the feast! All we have to do is open the door!!

As for me and my house, we say, "Welcome!"

Are you Suffering?

Every generation has had its challenges and troubles.
Every person will meet with trials and sorrows. 
Sometimes, it can feel as if the pressure will crush the breath right out of you.
But God.

Recently, I had an encounter with Jesus.
My heart was bleeding and I felt as if nothing would ever be okay again.
Suddenly, I saw Him on the cross.
He was looking at me.

He reminded me of His words, "He who has been forgiven much loves much."
Somehow, as I focused on His eyes, I received the understanding that in the same way, "He who has suffered much loves much."

I saw Him as He took not only ALL my pain, but also the pain of everyone who ever has lived or will live. The sorrow He bore for us was unfathomable

He did this willingly, selflessly, eternally...

This Love will never let me go. This Love will never let you go.

I can breathe again.

Want to Get Raptured? I do!

Noah's Ark, It is Still Afloat!

I was reading one of my favorite, new blogs this morning.  These words arrested my heart!

"Noah, our eldest, asked a few months ago, “Would you have still wanted me had you known I’d get cancer?”  That’s an astonishing question to cross a nine-year old’s lips.  Obviously the weight of the disease and the stress of the treatments prompted him to take a look at life from a much more adult perspective.  And of course we responded, “Absolutely, we would have still wanted you.”" ~ Bryan, read his blog:

http://brvan.com/?p=1438#comment-730

As I read this profound question from this man's young son, my eyes filled to overflowing with tears.  Even now, I am still having trouble seeing my keyboard.  My husband and I are praying for this young man's complete recovery. I hope many will join us.  Jesus never refused to heal someone who came to Him, so we can pray believing the same for this young man.  

His question gave me a new understanding of Father God's heart towards us.  I have asked Him, essentially, the same question before, but could never feel his heart until now. Until Noah.

"God if You knew we were going to choose sin and death over this life You planned for us, why would You still have wanted us?" 

Our sin, our evil, our brokenness is our cancer.  I feel His heart so strong for me and you.  His answer is in the Love.  Even knowing the horrible sacrifice He would suffer for us, His answer is an unequivocal, resounding,"Yes!"  He cannot imagine this Life without us!  So, He willingly paid the price, suffered the horrendous beating, the agonizing death on the cross, overcame the relentless grave so we could be healed spirit, soul and body; never to be separated from Him again!

Lord, thank You for Noah.  Thank You for using him in my life, today, for letting him be the vessel to open my heart to receive Your breathtaking Love!  Pour back into him 1,000-fold return, for what he has given me this day.

Thank you, Noah! You provided me an ark today!

What Would I Do in a Year if My Goal Was To Become Wise?

What Would I Do in a Year if My Goal Was To Become Wise?  This was last week's blog challenge.

It is an idea worth contemplating.  The Bible says that if any of us desire wisdom, to ask God. He loves to impart wisdom.  Seems like such an easy thing.  I wonder why we don't do it more?



I have determined to start with Him. I am going to be ruthless in pursuing Him for wisdom. 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9:10
He is the Light to my path and the lamp for my feet! Psalm 119:105

One of the greatest reservoirs of wisdom to be found, in the entire world, is the book of Proverbs.  In 1973, when I became a follower of Jesus Christ, the woman who mentored me, Wanda Plummer, told me that she read one chapter of Proverbs every day of her life. It was really nice of God to put 31 chapters in it - one for each day of the month!  I decided to emulate her.  For the most part, I have read a chapter a day for all these years. I figure I have read through it way over 400 times! It has given me deep insights into the ways of mankind, as well as the mind of God.

Therefore, one of my actions this year, will be to continue this practice, with a twist.  As our friend Dudley Perio likes to say, "You only get to keep what you give away."   So this year, I am going to blog more about those insights.  I have journaled my thoughts in the past, but blogging is a great way to encourage others. I am excited to see how the wisdom will return to me, as I give it away.

Another source of wisdom is the elders in our lives.  I have been missing Jack's mom.  She was a wonderful teacher. She always had a nugget to share with our family.  I have a few friends in my life who I look to as elders.  This year, I want to be intentional about seeking them out, and drawing from them the great deposit that comes from living a full lifetime.

I have gained much wisdom from living life.  Experience truly is a wonderful teacher.  So, I am going to try to have some new experiences.  Most of us have a "bucket list," written or not.  This year, let's cross a few of those desires off our lists, what do you say?

History is another, often overlooked, source of wisdom.  Learning from the successes and failures of those who have gone before us is a no-brainer.  I must confess, I do not study history like I used to.  That is going to change. I think I would like to start with reading some biographies of famous women.  Women who changed the world, for good or bad.  Anyone have any suggestions for a good book?

These are five good steps for me. I may add more as I go through the year.  Join me, won't you?

Blessings, Anna Marie
Click here for a wonderful song of worship. It is a song that is a wonderful reflection on True Wisdom.

Rage Against Evil or Do Good?

David never ceases to inspire me.  If anyone had reason to get enraged at the evils of politics, it was he; anointed to be king, then running for his life instead.

I tried to select just one verse from Psalm 37 today for meditation, but it was all so powerful and encouraging.  I have posted it in its entirety below.  Several words jumped out at me as I read, and I put them in Bold text.  

• Don't be upset
• Stop being angry
• Put away rage

These three things seriously struck home with me, as I tend to get caught up in the world's troubles, in politics, and all the evil I see around me. I know I am not alone in this.  As one who loves the Facebook and Twitter kinds of communication, it is obvious that many of us fall into this trap.  I believe we are not to be ignorant and uninformed about our world and the issues that affect us all,  but we are called to see it through the eyes of Love.  David had some powerful suggestions for us to accomplish this:

• Trust
• Do good
• Delight in Adonai
• Commit your way to Him
• Be still
• Wait patiently

By trusting in Jesus Christ, we are able to do good to those who oppose us.  As we delight in our heavenly Father, we cannot but commit our way to Him.  He knows the Way of light.  If you are finding this difficult, be still and wait patiently for Him. He is near and will not fail you.

Even in strong trials, our hope is secure in the Lord.  From the Cross, Jesus said, "It is finished."  He won. We win, in Him. Love never fails. A soft answer still turns away wrath.

As the world gets darker and more obscure, let us not succumb to the temptation to fight the darkness with more darkness.  Instead, let us light the lamp of the Spirit of Christ, and be a shining beacon  for those caught in the tombs of ignorance.

There is a link to a wonderful worship song at the very end of this post...enjoy!

Psalm 37  ( From The Complete Jewish Bible)

1 By David: Don't be upset by evildoers or envious of those who do wrong, 2 for soon they will wither like grass and fade like the green in the fields. 3 Trust in ADONAI, and do good; settle in the land, and feed on faithfulness. 4 Then you will delight yourself in ADONAI, and he will give you your heart's desire. 5 Commit your way to ADONAI; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will make your vindication shine forth like light, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before ADONAI; wait patiently till he comes. Don't be upset by those whose way succeeds because of their wicked plans. 8 Stop being angry, put aside rage, and don't be upset - it leads to evil. 9 For evildoers will be cut off, but those hoping in ADONAI will inherit the land. 10 Soon the wicked will be no more; you will look for his place, and he won't be there. 11 But the meek will inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

12 The wicked plots against the righteous and grinds his teeth at him; 13 but Adonai laughs at the wicked, knowing his day will come. 14 The wicked have unsheathed their swords, they have strung their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slaughter those whose way is upright. 15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

16 Better the little that the righteous has than the wealth of all the wicked. 17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but ADONAI upholds the righteous. 18ADONAI knows what the wholehearted suffer, but their inheritance lasts forever. 19 They will not be distressed when times are hard; when famine comes, they will have plenty. 20 For the wicked will perish; ADONAI's enemies will be like sheep fat, ending up as smoke, finished.

 

21 The wicked borrows and doesn't repay, but the righteous is generous and gives. 22 For those blessed by [ADONAI] will inherit the land, but those cursed by him will be cut off. 23ADONAI directs a person's steps, and he delights in his way. 24 He may stumble, but he won't fall headlong, for ADONAI holds him by the hand.

25 I have been young; now I am old; yet not once have I seen the righteous abandoned or his descendants begging for bread. 26 All day long he is generous and lends, and his descendants are blessed. 27 If you turn from evil and do good, you will live safely forever. 28 For ADONAI loves justice and will not abandon his faithful; they are preserved forever. But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. 29 The righteous will inherit the land and live in it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous articulates wisdom, his tongue speaks justice. 31 The Torah of his God is in his heart; his footsteps do not falter. 32 The wicked keeps his eye on the righteous, seeking a chance to kill him. 33 But ADONAI will not leave him in his power or let him be condemned when judged.

34 Put your hope in ADONAI, keep to his way, and he will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. 35 I have seen a wicked man wielding great power, flourishing like a shade tree in its native soil. 36 But I passed by again, and he was no longer there; I looked for him, but he could not be found.

37 Observe the pure person, consider the upright; for the peaceful person will have posterity. 38 But transgressors will all be destroyed; the posterity of the wicked will be cut off. 39ADONAI is the one who saves the righteous; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. 40ADONAI helps them and rescues them, rescues them from the wicked and saves them; because they take refuge in him.

Have a moment of worship:"Enough" By Chris Tomlin

My Abba, by Anna Marie

My Abba

A time away – a moment of peace

Nature sings, hums, and bubbles all around me

As I listen for you, my Abba

In this moment – in this time

Your presence is real – it is palpable

As I hear you, my Abba

Why is it then – why do I fail

To stop and hear you each day; fail to feel your presence

In my daily life, my Abba

As I rush and as I fret

You travel with me patiently

At my feverish pace, my Abba

A time away – a moment of peace

As telephones ring and emails arrive

I pray that I may notice you are there

And stop to say hello

My Abba, my Abba, My precious and faithful Abba.

We Can be Happy!

This tiny pink flower is less than 1/4 inch wide in the bloom
 and  maybe 1 in. tall.    Hope in a dry thirsty land!

"The deepest secret in our heart of hearts is that we are writing because we love the world." 

I found this beautiful quote by Natalie Goldberg in my favorite book on writing, The Right to Write, by Julia Cameron.  Ms. Cameron has such a love for writing, but even more she oozes encouragement to the rest of us.
She reminds us that we all have a voice. And it is through sharing our words that we connect to each other.

I have so fallen in love with the awesome power of the Internet to connect me with people who are faceless to me, but whom I know, because we share ourselves through our writing.  It has an eternal feel to it.  Just as prayer we send out for people, who we only know by a name from an e-mail, or Facebook, or Twitter, and we may not ever know the impact of until we meet again in Glory, these blogs reach other's hearts and minds in a way we may never know, but it is felt in the Soul.  It is a form of brotherly love.

In her book, Ms. Cameron suggests making a list of those things that bring you happiness.  Her suggestion is for 50.  That may be tough to do, but I would encourage you to give it a try.  I have been working on my list for awhile.  I am still not up to 50.  I was shocked at that.  I am a rather happy person by nature, but this exercise made me realize that I have to be more intentional in my life.

I am going to share the top ten from my list for you, as a pump primer.  The items don't have to be profound or complex, just straight from your heart.  Try it. You 'll like it!  Try to write them down as they pop in your head.

1. Being lost in worship
2. The faces of my grand-children
3. The Beach Boys or John Denver Beach Boys- Wouldn't it be nice? (Click here to hear one of my favs!)
4. When my husband tells me I look pretty
5. Finding a flower growing in the midst of a drought (Hence, the picture at the top of this blog.)
6. The perfect slice of pizza
7. Sharing with others the ways God has touched my life
8. Making snow-angels
9. E-mails from my cousin George (And he will surely say something about being at the end of this list! LOL)
10. When someone tells me they liked something I have written....that really floats my boat!

Blessings, Your soul-sista, Anna Marie

Return to Me

Have you ever awakened in the morning with a dark cloud of depression around you?  It makes you feel hopeless and unable to get out of bed.  Depression is one of the tools the enemy has used against me in my life.  I remind myself, when "it" comes at me, that I am on a journey and that I have the victory over all the power of the enemy.  Sometimes, I have to slug through some sludge, to get to the Light.

This morning was such a time. Lying in bed, unable to move, imprisoned by emotions of grief and intense "aloneness,"  I cried out to the Lord, " I just need to hear Your voice."  As I lay there, worrying about all these issues running through my mind, I heard Him speak:

"Anna Marie, Anna Marie, you are worried about many things, but 

only one thing is needed, come and sit with me and learn from me."  (Luke 10:41)

Tears began to flow as I felt His Holy Presence.  The depression evaporated, and I felt so loved and surrounded by Love.  I realized that I had been caught up in worry and busyness. I had not taken the time to sit with my Heavenly Father, and be filled up with His love.  As I opened my Bible, and began to read, fresh understanding was there for me. I am renewed. 

And, as it almost always happens, everyone I prayed with today, or ministered to, was suffering from depression or anxiety.  It is beneficial to have training in the trenches of life.  If we let Him, God turns our pain and sorrows into glory for others on the Way.  

Blessings, dear ones.  May you be lifted up and filled with Joy this day! 

Jesus has always caused trouble!

Matthew 2:1-3
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, Wise-men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. (Emphasis mine)

Jesus has always caused trouble!  Even when He was born, in a time with no TV, internet, or cell phone communication, the news of His manifesting spread across the known world!  God has His ways of getting the Word out!  And the enemy wants to stop it! You can almost gauge how true a visitation of the Lord is by the opposition that is stirred against it.

I had never noticed the second part of verse three before: "and all Jerusalem with him."  According to historians, Jerusalem at the time of Christ's birth had a population between 30,000- 50,000, not counting the pilgrims who would come to worship.  Even if this passage is only referring to the leaders of the city that is still a significant number. Imagine, everyone stirred up and troubled by what should have brought the greatest of rejoicing to the Jews: their Messiah had come!

Recently, our Governor of Texas, called for a solemn assembly, a day of prayer and fasting, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX.  I thought that the stadium would be filled to overflowing, just from the Christians who live in the city of Houston.  Instead, there was an outcry against the event, not just from non-Christians, which was to be expected, but from Christians whom I have had considerable respect for.  The judgement and presupposition of what it was all about was astounding!  Instead of rejoicing,  coming to see, and to let their voices and prayers be heard, they condemned. They were "troubled."  I have been particularly sad about the voices of condemnation.  But this passage helps me to realize that some things will never change until Jesus returns, and His Kingdom is once and for all established.

The videos can be seen at http://theresponseusa.com/  through the end of August.  I hope that if you read this blog, you will check it out for yourself.  Just imagine, if the news spread through the city of Jerusalem without video archives, how many in the country and around the world could be affected in our time!

Blessings and Peace, Anna Marie