Confessions From A Sassy Mouth

I have shared before that my mouth can be so sassy. Quick and snippy.

Ask my husband. Ask my boys. They will tell you.

I am not shy about this confession anymore. Two reasons... (A) I know God's power is made perfect in my weaknesses, therefore I will boast all the more {2 Cor. 12:9} and (B) I know that I know that we all struggle with this to some degree. James 3 says, the tongue is a restless evil.

My struggles are not with cut-downs or foul language. My sin lies mainly in frustration towards my children. A raised voice. A heated and impatient rebuke.

My loud, snappy mouth is oftentimes my response to being ignored or feeling unappreciated. Maybe they are playing the Wii and not hearing me. Or complaining about what I made for dinner. Ugh. SO. Frustrating. Can you relate?

While reading through Psalms on Saturday, oh my, how a verse spoke to my core.

I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. Psalm 17:3b

I wrote it down immediately. And prayed. My journal reads, "Lord this is my cry. But I know that this is absolutely impossible apart from you. Keep this passage at the forefront of my mind. Write this on the tablet of my heart."

Resolved (zamam) - plan, purpose, to consider, fix thought upon.

Today, my thoughts are fixed upon my mouth and how I speak to my boys. Today I will consciously consider how I greet my husband. Today, I purpose to use my words for His glory. Who can I encourage today? Who can I lift up? Does someone need a hug and a prayer?

Today, I intentionally plan to use my words to bring life to my house. Not death.

On my own, I will fail. In Christ, my plan succeeds.

How do you struggle? Is it gossip? Do "bad words" slip? Is it negativity? A raised, impatient voice?

Will you resolve today, joining me in my prayer, that our mouths will not sin?

The Post I Never Wanted To Write

It was a cool Sunday in May 2010. I drove past the only rental house on my street. In the driveway were three blonde-headed little girls splashing in a kiddie pool. Tucked away in the shade of the garage was their blonde-headed little momma painting kitchen chairs.

I stopped the van, "Welcome to the neighborhood! My name is Becky. I live three doors down. I just wanted to say hello. I have three little boys around the same age as your daughters. We would love to have you over to play sometime."

And a friendship began.

A couple of days later my boys brought cookies and flowers to greet the girls. (You may remember, I wrote a post during our Summertime Sanity series about Serving Others - this was the family!) Playing sometime became most days and most days became almost everyday. Teresa and I were instant kindred.

Statefarm is not kidding - there is nothing "like a good neighbor." We had never shared life with another family like this before. We celebrated every holiday. Every birthday. Every occasion last year. Teresa and I went to the same gym, our kids went to the same preschool, we worshipped at the same church, we read the same books, we car pooled and even grocery shopped some together. We shared life.

Thursday nights, while Brent was at CRU, Teresa would walk down once the boys went to bed. We'd eat KettleKorn and talk about Jesus. How many friends do that? Eat KettleKorn and talk about Jesus? Not many.

Our kids became the best of friends. Each age matched. A day never passed when I wasn't asked, "Are we going to see the neighbors? Can I walk down to the neighbor's? Can the neighbors come over later?"

Princess parties, Trick or Treating, cookie baking, Christmas dinner, our New Years "Just Dance" party - LOL, Women's Retreat, Easter Egg hunts, lazy days at the pool.

Teresa. I just miss you so.

I knew they were moving after one year. I knew it, I knew it. But their being here was not happenstance. Or an afterthought on God's part. Their residence three doors down was Divine.

Even our husbands became good friends - rare.

This special family left last month for Germany. The dreaded end of July. And now I am left to drive by the quiet of her house. And left to write the blog post that I never wanted to write.

Sweet Teresa. We miss you all. I miss your tender heart for Jesus. Your affection for all of His creation. I miss your prayerfulness for your family and mine. I miss your "it will all work out" attitude and your extreme enthusiasm for Zumba :). I miss our "anytime we felt like it" talks over coffee. I miss your encouragement. We miss you too, Geoff! And of those little girls. I miss them. So. Much. {tears}

I am so thankful for the sweet year we had. Thank you for not withholding your friendship from us, knowing you were only here for a short time. Thank you Jesus for the gift of this family. No words will do.

Now that I am a complete mess, I will celebrate the rest in pictures.

So Teresa, go eat some spaetzle for me (what is spaetzle anyway?) and tell Germany "Guten Tag" from the Crenshaws!

I love you, Sweet T.


Praise the Lord, O my soul. Psalm 103:1


Every good and perfect gift...

...is from above. James 1:17

The Lord is your keeper. Psalm 121:5


May the Lord bless you and keep you;


The Lord make his face to shine upon you,


And be gracious to you...


The Lord lift up his countenance upon you...


And give you peace. - Numbers 6:24-26

Ich Liebe Dich, friend.

31 Days of Prayer: Nine (Love and Respect)

Respect for self, others and authority:

Children
"Father, grant that my children would show proper respect for everything and everyone, as your Word commands."

Myself and Others
"Father, I pray that I and ________ would show proper respect for everything and everyone, as your Word commands."

Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king. 1 Peter 2:17


Respect (timaō) - To honor, to revere, to admire

Love (agapaō) - to wish well, to have a preference for, to regard the well fare for

Imagine...

How different would our world would be if this was how we treated each other? With honor and admiration. Wishing well. With preference and regard.

What an opportunity we have to pray for and teach this rising generation how to love well. Even if you don't have children of your own, will you take a moment and pray for someone specifically? Call them by name.

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4

31 Days of Prayer: Eight (Showing Mercy)

Mercy

Children:
"May my children always be merciful, just as You are merciful."

Myself and Others:
"May I and _________ always be merciful, just as you are merciful."

Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:36

Being female, compassion somewhat comes with the package. Girls are, for the most part, more nurturing and boys. It is amazing to me that I have to teach mercy and compassion to my children.



I am always a bit discouraged when I don't see Grant running to his brother's aid when he falls and gets hurt. Especially if Grant is the cause of the injury. And with boys, this is often the case.

"Grant, will you come here and check on your brother? Pat his shoulder. Ask him if he is OK. Show mercy and compassion to those hurting around you."

I'm not kidding. Those words have come from my mouth.

But, as silly as that sounds, Jesus' words to us are not much different. "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." He had to teach his disciples the same principle. Mercy isn't a suggestion - it is a command.

Our first response is not always mercy. Sadly, my flesh likes revenge, grudge and bitterness much better. But Jesus says, "No, no Becky. Love those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for your abusers. Not only do good to those who love you, but do good to the unlovable. Expecting nothing in return." (Luke 6:27-36)

A tall order for little me. But just another day for the Holy Spirit. With Him, nothing is impossible.

31 Days of Prayer: Three

Love

Children:
"Grant that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them."

Myself or Others:
"Lord, grant that _____________ would learn to live a life of love, through the Holy Spirit who dwells within."

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:2

Last night, Luke and I went to Target in pursuit of paper towels and a night light for the boy's bathroom. When I turned the corner onto the light bulb isle, I was greeted by a Target employee stocking shelves. Young lad with a big smile. His red shirt matching the rosy of his cheeks. You'd think he had been there waiting for me.

"Good evening, Ma'am. Is there anything I can help you find tonight?"

With every shape and size of bulb before me, "I just need a night light."

"Are you looking for one in particular? We have some right here and a few more up front." Picking one from the shelf, "This is our new LED light that is energy-efficient and gives a soft glow. It lasts twice as long as an average bulb. If a regular 60 watt is paper and pen, this LED bulb is a laptop computer."

"I think you've sold me on the LED bulb. I'll try it. Thank you so much."

"Yes, ma'am. If there's anything else I can help you with, please let me know."

As I turned to leave the light bulb isle, I thought, What great customer service. I can't imagine anyone more concerned about my night light purchase.

I turned back. "Excuse me. Can I get your name? Your manager should know what a great job you are doing."

"Thank you, ma'am. My name is Ross. That makes my night."

I didn't ask Ross if he was a Christian. But his motivation was love last night. Maybe it was a love for his job at Target. Or maybe a love for LED light bulbs. But I'd bed you my bottom dollar, Ross was motivated by love through the Holy Spirit within him.

I could see it.

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

There was good stored up in Ross's heart. And his fruit was good.

I pray that my children would be recognized by the good fruit stored within them. I pray that love would exude and that the love of Christ would be a blessing to everyone in their path.



If we live by the Spirit, let us walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

Be it feeding the hungry, laying hands on the sick or helping someone find a night light, let the love of Christ be evident to all.

31 Days of Prayer: Two

Growth in Grace

Children:
"I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)

Others or Myself:
"I pray that I and __________ would grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."


But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and "recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory (honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)! 2 Peter 3:18 AMP

"To Grow in Grace." What exactly are we praying?

Grow (auxano) to increase in inward Christian growth

Grace (charis) 1) good will, loving-kindness, favour 2) the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge and affection. Kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.

Lord may we grow in grace. May we increase in inward Christian growth and may your favor rest upon us. Father, exert your Holy influence upon our souls. Turn us to Christ. Strengthen us, increase our knowledge of Jesus. Increase our affection for you and for one another. Kindle a desire within us to practice Christian virtues and to, ever increasingly, understand our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Mmm. I love that. Have an amazing, Spirit-filled day.

A New Discipline Idea

Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul. Proverbs 29:17

If you are anything like me, every so often it is time to revamp the system of discipline in your home. What worked well for my boys two years ago may not be so effective today. Timeouts don't phase Grant and taking trains away lost its luster long ago.

Although the overall house rules of the Crenshaw home have not changed, the consequences/rewards have evolved and changed overtime. If you are just tuning in to A Cup of Joe, take the time to read how we came about our family rules here.

Not long ago, I sat in Brent's grandmother's kitchen as she told me how she (very impressively) raised five children on one system of discipline.

"The Token Board"

I could picture her homemade board as she described a simple piece of wood. Five nails. And several tokens for each child.

Mema's system? If a child disobeyed, they removed a token. If they lost all tokens....a spankin' from Pepaw. As simple as that.

She said she used it for years and it worked well.

And what's good enough for Mema is good enough for me. So off to work I went.

I bought these little boards at A.C.Moore. I think they cost $1.79. It took me all of 10 minutes to get my paint supplies out and give them a few strokes.


I had to nail little metal hangers on the back (not pictured). We had some from old picture frames, but you can buy them at Lowe's or maybe even Wal-Mart.

These are just basic nails. I did spray paint them black, but you don't have to do that. The tokens came from Staples. They are called "Key Tags" for your shopping knowledge.


I bought a paint pen from A.C. Moore. I was going to use a Sharpie, but it just didn't look right. This is when I wish my handwriting had graduated from middle school. But oh well. It looks fine.


I made this one for the Ancelet family! I spelled a name wrong (sorry Aidan!) Had to fix that.

Here's my system:
*Each child starts the week with five tokens.

*Each token is worth 50 cents.

*At the end of the week, they are rewarded for each token kept.

The reason we did it this way is because they are breaking the bank at the swimming pool concessions. This gives them the opportunity to buy their own snacks with their own money. They also have talked of saving it for a new Wii game. The money is theirs to spend how they wish. But you could choose whatever would bless your kiddos the most. Ice Cream on Saturday night. An extra hour of Wii. Etc...

Removing Tokens:
* When a family rule is broken, they remove a token and place it on the spare nail.

*If all five tokens are lost, they receive a spanking from Daddy.

Earning tokens back:
*This is still fuzzy. Last week I would "catch them" doing something above and beyond (taking initiative, helping out without being asked, etc) and I would give them a token. I'm not sure that I will continue this. Still praying about it. It's a lot more to keep up with. I want this to be very simple and straight forward.

I am into my third week of tokens. So far it has worked great. Of course there are always gray areas. Yesterday, Grant's behavior was far beyond the token board. He did receive a spanking. Of course he cried "Can't I just loose a token?!" Umm no. Some things (a.k.a. hitting your brother) are more serious than a token.

I am no expert. And your opinions may vary on all of this. That's OK. I just wanted to share. The Lord has entrusted your children to you. He will direct you on what discipline is best for your children.

This summer, Brent and I are focusing on delighting in our children first. It is so easy to focus on discipline discipline discipline. I can be very hard on my boys. :(

The Lord delights in us. He enjoys us. His motivation for us is LOVE. He disciplines us out of a position of LOVE.

Let us as parents delight in our children. Enjoy them. And, like our Father, discipline out of LOVE.

Chalkboard Reflections

I wrote the cry of my heart on my kitchen chalkboard.



This is smack-dab where I am.

A transition into deeper.

I could cry as I read...
"Give me real faith; give me warmer zeal; inflame me with more fervent love; grant me the grace of meekness; make me more like Jesus." - C. Spurgeon



His name is beautiful. Even in chalk.

I love you, Lord. Make us look like You.

Serving Others - Without Obligation

Show Your marvelous loving kindness by Your right hand. - Psalm 17:7

My service to others should always be motivated by love.

Not love I "muster" up, but genuine love, from the depth of my heart.

In my own efforts, this is hard to do. Practically impossible at times. Especially when I have worked for forty-five minutes preparing a meal for my family, everything finally in place, each drink poured, every condiment in easy reach, and before the fork can touch my lips, "Mom, will you cut off my corn?" or "Can I have bread, too?"

A bit begrudgingly, I rise. My food growing colder by the second.

I serve. But not with "loving kindness". Not with "marvelous" compassion.

But with sass.

Ugh. This is not love. This is love seasoned with guilt. A little extra force as I butter the bread. An exerted huff as I cut the corn off the cob.

"Mommy wants to eat, too, you know."

Charles Spurgeon wrote, "When we give our hearts with our alms, we give well, but we must often plead to a failure in this respect. Not so our Master and our Lord. His favours are always performed with the love of his heart. He does not send to us the cold meat and the broken pieces from the table of his luxury, but he dips our morsel in his own dish, and seasons our provisions with the spices of his fragrant affections. When he puts the golden tokens of his grace into our palms, he accompanies the gift with such a warm pressure of our hand, that the manner of his giving is as precious as the boon itself."

Oh, read that again. I could just cry.

The pressure He applies to our hand as He presents us a gift is a precious as the gift itself.

Oh, Jesus. Let me serve like You.



Serving - without aggravation. Not with exasperation. Nor motivated by duty or obligation.

Lord, let me be motivated by selfless, Christ-centered affection for the recipient. Be it my husband. Be it my children. Or even more difficult right now, my grandmother, whose situation is growing more complex by the day.

Let me die to myself. And love like Jesus.

"It is impossible to doubt the sincerity of Christ's charity, for there is a bleeding heart stamped upon the face of all his benefactions. He giveth liberally and upbraideth not. Not one hint that we are burdensome to him; not one cold look for his poor pensioners; but he rejoices in his mercy, and presses us to his bosom while he is pouring out his life for us." - C. Spurgeon

Let our lives be poured out as an offering, not only to God, but to all those His Sovereignty places in our path.

Lord, give us grace to show "marvelous loving kindness" motivated by affection only your Spirit can give.

Prayer Request: Today my grandmother will undergo back surgery. Pretty major surgery for any 90-year-old person. Please pray for Sweet Ethel today. She has been in so much pain for so long. She's beyond ready to be done with her discomfort. Thank you.

Love you all so.

Easter Week Activity: Maundy Thursday

Experience your own Maundy Thursday foot-washing ceremony. Fill a bucket with water. Grab a few towels, gather your family, and share the story found in John 13:1-17. Then take turns washing each other's feet and praying for one another.



Jesus, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin...



...and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.



Grant asked, "Mom, why would Jesus wash his disciples feet? He was their King. Shouldn't they be washing His feet?"

Peter had a similar question.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now." Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet."



When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should do just as I have done to you."



"Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos."

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you. John 13:34

Maundy is derived from the Latin translation of this phrase: Mandatum: A new commandment I give to you.

Maundy Thursday. The day before Good Friday.

A day set apart, to serve.

A day set apart, to love.

Just as He loved and served us.



The boys giggled and truly enjoyed this activity.

But I could see something much deeper.

Unity through servant hood.

An sweet affection for each other.

Brent asked, "Ethan, how did it feel when Grant washed your feet?"

He laughed, "It tickled!"

Brent rephrased, "How did you feel inside your heart?"

He smiled, "Loved."

Having A Two-Year-Old Means...

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Psalm 127:3



It is rare that I consciously sit and think of my children as a heritage from the LORD. Reflection takes time. And my time is tight.

Especially with a toddler. There are many days I can not see past my own frustrations to view my two-year-old as a heritage.

Ponder with me today.

Heritage (nachalah): a possession granted by Jehovah; a possession of Jehovah.

My boys, your children, your tween, your teen, that tiresome toddler, a possession of Jehovah, the One True God, granted to you. As your portion. As a reward.

And a reward indeed.

This morning, let us celebrate the favor of Jehovah God, as we reflect on our inheritance.

Having a Two-Year-Old Means...

...finding my toothbrush in the pantry.

...eating quickly at restaurants.

...discovering patience I never knew I had.

...never sitting still at a park.



...putting all steak knives out of reach.

...listening to his favorite song over and over and over.

...Oxy-Clean.

...a crib escapee crawling into my bed.

...stealing quiet kisses.

...finding my wallet on the train table.

...needing a patient hairstylist.

...getting exercise at the pool. But not in the water.

...confessing I have given him this for breakfast:



...belly laughs.

...praying more often.

...realizing my inability to slow time.

...letting him fall.

...being there to help him up.

...kissing away his tears.

...and rocking him...as long as he'll let me.



What would your line be?

Having a ________-year-old means...

It's a Birthday! With Presents!

I am so excited....it is a bloggy birthday!

A Cup of Joe is turning ONE tomorrow!

Last night I sat and reflected on what the Lord has done in my life in ONE YEAR.

Take a minute to do that. Wow.

I am so thankful to Him. And so in love with my God. Mmm.

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. 2 John 1:6a

I made a commitment to Him, to obey Him, no matter what it looks like. I commit to offer myself as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).

Not because He is an Iron Fist God, but because I love Him. My love leads me to obedience.

Disobedience doesn't mean "harsh punishment"....it means I'm missing out on something He has for me. Heaven forbid it.

If I had talked myself out of this blog, I would have done just that....missed out.

Is the Lord giving you unction to move into an unfamiliar place? DO IT. Oh, he will NOT let you fall. His plans are so much greater than our eyes can see.

Here's my first blog post. Kind of embarrassing...
**********************************************************************

Let me just start by saying.....this was God's idea.

If you know Jesus, then you know what he does....makes us do crazy things. Outlandish at times! Out of our comfort zones....Like starting a blog...a blog about me and Jesus drinking coffee, at that. SO! This blog is NOT about me....its about Him and this amazing journey of life.

So, how did it all come about? In the mornings, I get up....make coffee, grab my Bible, journal, computer and spend time in the Word. So many of you do the same thing. But every now and again I feel as if I have no place to go.

Do you know what I mean?

I go through seasons of life where I just HAVE to be in a Bible study! I crave fellowship with other women and love the structure a study offers. Other times (usually at the end of that study) I am just ready to be on my own with the Lord. Just go wherever I want to go in the Word, journal, pray, etc.

But after a while of that I get lazy.

And distracted...I start to google. And facebook. And look at Ebay....and craigslist...and iTunes. And if you asked me if I had a quiet time that day I would say, "yes, I sat quietly for a time :)" But let me tell you....when I have a place to go, a verse to read, a moment with the Lord, it is NEVER a waste of time. Some days we all need a place to start. In light of that, this blog idea kept coming up during our little chats in the morning...I pushed back and God pressed in. So here we are.

Our times over coffee in the morning are often the best times of my entire day. So rich and life-changing. One thing about the Word is...it doesn't take much. Even if you haven't cracked your Bible in years, He is faithful to bless you with his Word.

No matter where you are, where you've been or where you think you're heading.
You now have a place to start. I invite you to join us for coffee in the mornings.

Grab a cup of joe and let the Word of God transform your life....as it does mine.

*************************************************************************
So...Thank You. Thank you for joining me. He has used YOU to transform my life.

And what is a birthday without PRESENTS?!

I bought this CD for you last night. By far MY MOST FAVORITEST worship CD in years. I mean it.


Hillsong Chapel: Yahweh

So I'd love to share it with you. Leave a comment to enter.

The drawing will close Sunday night at 9pm. The winner will be announced Monday morning!

Thank you for joining me on my journey. Thank you for your friendship, encouragement and comfort. I love the body of Christ. The distance of the country can not keep us apart!

Literally.

Family Hardship at Thanksgiving

Relationships are hard.

And next Thursday you may be breaking bread with people you don't want to be around. People in your own family.

You may have to pass a piece of pumpkin pie to a person who has deeply hurt you, offended you or you just flat out don't like.

Thanksgiving may not mean turkey and dressing to you. It may mean family drama, an overbearing mother, deep tension or awkward silence.

Family relationships have plopped me smack dab into a counseling chair.

I know it is hard.

I am thankful to the Lord to say He has met me in the hardship and brought great healing.

But it takes time. And prayer.

And dying to self.

It takes obedience to God's Word.

Healing takes obedience to love each other deeply, ABOVE ALL. 1 Peter 4:8a

Above all the hurtful words. Above all the years of building tension. Above all of the unmet expectations. Above all of the mistakes. Above all the wrong done to you.

Love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sin. 1 Peter 4:8b

We can't pick and choose who we break bread with next Thursday.

The Lord chose for us.

In all of His great Sovereignty, God has placed our table setting exactly where we need to be.

A Divine seating arrangement.

For our good. For our growth.

I can share openly now, that I struggled for years with my sister's husband.

He didn't like me. I didn't like him.

You've never met two people more opposite.

In every way.

But after a little counseling, a lot of prayer and a spirit of wisdom concerning our relationship, I can now move towards the holidays...looking forward to seeing him. Hugging him. Telling him we love him. Telling him how thankful I am for him.

Did God change him?

Some.

But the greatest change happened in me.

Jesus happened in me.

Jesus loves this man. He loves my brother-in-law, deeply. Above all.

Jesus died for this man.

That is reason enough for me to love him. Deeply.

God's great love covered all his sin.

It covers all my sin.

God's great love covers all of your sin.

This Thanksgiving forgive.

And love.

Deeply.

This is my command: Love each other. John 15:17

Random Thoughts on I-40

I'm on I-40 this week. Driving. Little boys in the back seat. On my way to get Grant from school.
And I have a revelation.

I was thinking on scripture. Muttering the Word. Nothing specific, just anything I could think of, really. And 1 Corinthians 13:8 comes to mind.

Love never fails.

Familiar as the day is long. This verse is read time and again in marriage ceremonies, engraved in wedding rings, typed in love letters, plastered on bumper stickers, painted on wall hangings...I bet some people even have tattoos that read...Love never fails.

I said it over and over. Love never fails. Love never fails. Love never fails. And it starts to register....Wow...Love never fails!

An elementary truth, yes. But something clicked in my heart that day on I-40. I can never go wrong with love.

Fails (πίπτω piptō) as used here means the sense of losing its authority or ceasing to have force.

Love is a force, is it not? And it is powerful.

Love will never lose its authority. Ever.

Love was Christ's motivation for me. For you. Look what it drove Him to do.

Love hung Him on a Cross.

Amazing.

Oh, Lord forgive me for not loving well. I am thinking of several areas of my life, right now, where I need to LOVE well. To LOVE deeply. To LOVE like you LOVE me. Let love be my motivation today. Let LOVE be the force that does not cease today. And everyday. Grow me here, Lord.

I'd love to hear any random thoughts you have today. Love to you all...

Visit here for more caffienated randomness.

This is huge for me...

Well, today's post started out as something light and easy and the Lord took me on this roller coaster ride of eye-opening truths. Strap your seat belt. You're coming with me.

I want to obey God. Period. All of the time - without wavering. I want to grow in my obedience and my love for God. I want to be overly sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I want to hear His voice. I want to be very uncomfortable with disobedience. I want to be very uncomfortable with apathy. I need growth here.

Jesus said, "If you love me you will obey my commands." John 14:15

Of course I love Him! I could blog about it all day. But. Actions speak louder.

In marital terms, it would be like me saying, "I love Brent. I am married to Brent. I wear a wedding band. We have children together." This things are true, yes, but they are just words. Facts. Symbols of my love for him. These things do not show my love. They only represent my love. To show Brent my love I want to serve him. I want to show expressions of my love for him. Make his coffee. Call him throughout his day. Ask good questions. Make his favorite meal. Make popcorn and watch Band of Brothers.....again.

The more I pursue Brent the more I know about him.
And the more I know about him the more I love him.
And the more I love him the more I want to serve Him.

The same with Christ. It is hard to know what we don't pursue. And its even harder to love what we don't know. Pursue...know....love....serve. I want to show God expressions of my love. I want to call on him. Ask Him good questions. Offer myself to Him. I want to know Him. Deeply. As deeply as I POSSIBLY CAN in this brief little life of mine.

He has led me to this passage and I just have to share. He is blowing my mind today.

"He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." John 14:21

Bear with me as I break this down. Don't lose me.

"He who has" my commandments in the Greek is echō and means: He who is closely joined to, in a sense wearing, to have possession of the mind, to hold fast, to adhere.

A commandment (entolē) is a precept or principle.

Keeps (tēreō) - guard.

Let's piece this part back together. The Word is saying.....He who is closely joined to my principles or he who practically wears my precepts....He who is guarding my commandments...He is the one who loves me.

Me! Me! I want that to be me! But what does it really really look like to LOVE GOD?

I met with a student in our ministry a couple of weeks ago. Girlfriend is so on fire for God. She has had some MAJOR breakthroughs these past two months and the Lord has burst through some stubborn barriers in her heart. Here's one thing she said to me..."I just want to love God so much better. I want to grow in my love for Him." What a heart.

The word for LOVE in John 14:21 is agapaō - and it is used four different times in this verse alone. Very important.

At first, agapaō is referring to OUR love for God.

Get this.... This love is speaking of the one (me and you) whose primary object of love is GOD. And it is a love that expresses itself in implicit, unquestioning obedience to his commandments. WOW. READ THAT AGAIN.

We don't obey God because he is mean and rules us with an iron fist. We obey God out of our great agapaō love for HIM.

So...if I have an "obedience" problem then I really have a LOVE FOR GOD problem.

Is God the PRIMARY OBJECT OF MY LOVE? If my honest answer is ever NO then, of course, it makes sense that obedience would not come easily. I might obey Him, but it would be a bit begrudging.

For example, if Brent and I are having a disagreement and I am angry with him or have unforgiveness towards him - then I should die to myself and go apologize, resolve and forgive. That would be obedience to God. HOWEVER. God usually is not my primary object of love in the midst of a disagreement with my husband. I AM the object of my own affections. I am usually self consumed - making an idol of my hurt, my anger and my not-getting-my-way-ness.
It is not until I place God back where He goes (as the primary object of my affection) that I can obey Him. It is then that I can go to Brent and say I am sorry. And mean it.

THIS IS HUGE FOR ME.

So what happens when we have agapaō love for God? He shows His agapaō love for us.

What does God's agapaō love look like? It is God's expression of affection toward His Son, to the human race and to those who believe in Jesus Christ.

Read this carefully:

"In respect of agapaō as used of God, it expresses the deep and constant "love" and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential "love" in them towards the Giver, and a practical "love" towards those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to seek the Giver." - Vine's Dictionary

What in the world!? Do you see that God loves you and me with the same affection as He loves his own Son? We are entirely unworthy objects. Yet, he has deep and constant love for us and He doesn't stop there. This agapaō love for us, in turn, fosters in us a deeper love for Him. Then a desire to love each other. And a desire to help others know His love. Wow. Now that is some busy lovin'.

Last thing. I love this part.

Once we obey out of our great love for Him....he discloses himself to us.

How? Disclose (emphanizō) means to appear. Metaphorically, it is the manifestation of Christ by the Holy Spirit. He exhibits Himself to be viewed. He makes Himself known.

OH MY! I could scream! This is too good. Do you see?

When we make God our primary love, we in turn obey his commandments. IT IS THEN THAT he will make himself known to us. He manifests and shows Himself because of His agapaō love for us.

Go back to my pretend argument with Brent. So... I go to Brent, apologize, forgive and move forward with God as the primary object of my love. What happens? God manifests himself in the midst of us. He shows up. It is by God's power Brent and I can move forward. We can work through anything by the Power of the Holy Spirit. This is nothing short of a miracle.

Lord, I don't want to miss out on You making Yourself known to me. I don't want to miss out on You manifesting in my life because I am disobedient. This is HUGE. I understand that when I obey - You appear. Gracious. I pray this speaks to someone today as it has me. I want to GROW in my obedience. I want to GROW in my love for You. I see now that the two are directly connected. Thank You for this revelation. It is just that for me. A revealing of deep truth. Thank you.

Be blessed by His agapaō love.

Becky

As always, I cherish your feedback.
"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith..." Philemon 1:6