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Tag Archives: jesus
Easy like Sunday Morning
You children of the 70s will recognize the title of this blog referencing the song, “Easy” by the Commodores. Frankly, church girl that I was, I couldn’t relate to the metaphor of Sunday being easy back then because Sundays were the hardest day of the week (Sunday morning church, people for Sunday dinner, choir practice at 4, Sunday night church, etc), but it was intriguing.
Sometimes I still cannot grasp the truth of what Jesus said about life following Him – that to follow Him would be to find rest for our souls (our minds, our wills, our emotions – our very personalities!) He even said that His yoke (which was a wooden beam used to tie two oxen together as they trudged forward in their very hard labor) would be easy. Easy. Seriously? When? Where?
What is the essence of what Jesus really said? Well, here it is 3 ways (Mt. 11.28-30):
“Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” NIV
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” THE MESSAGE
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-ladened and are overburdened, and I will cause you to rest [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls]. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp or pressing, but comfortable, gracious and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne. THE AMPLIFIED
Following Jesus is following REST!
Following Jesus and His plan for my days is NOT: ill-fitting (having a job to do but being stripped of the resources or authority to do it), heavy, harsh, hard, sharp (pain-causing), or pressing (can’t seem to stay ahead – losing your breath, feeling pushed), wearisome, burdensome, hard work (work is good, a blessing, but there is a work that is just nothing but hard and life-sapping), loud and abrasive.
Following Jesus and His plan for my days IS: go to Him, run, maybe. Because He is gentle and I will find rest for my whole being because He is going to give me rest! In Him? Real rest, recovery, living the abundant life freely, lightly. Ease. Relief. Refreshment. He’ll re-create me. And blessed quiet for my mind, my will, my emotions. Quiet for my emotions! I am sensing/feeling freer and lighter already!
And His call on my life? The work (good works) He prepared for me before time began (Eph. 2.10)? Easy. Light. Comfortable, gracious, and pleasant. Not to mention wholesome (whole, not fragmented, and holy).
I’ll trade this for all the churchy titles and religious service I have done all my life any day. Where do I sign up?…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: I am going to Him. I am going to follow Him and watch how He does this thing. I want to do life the way Jesus did…this is vital to life…”Why in the world would anybody put chains on me…”
Christmas Award
Audrey has bequeathed upon me the Christmas Spirit Award. I am suppose to tell 5 things I love about Christmas and bestow the award upon 5 other people for them to do the same.
Five Things I Love About Christmas:
1. The Christ of Christmas. I am a Jesus follower, lover and worshiper. Everything, and I mean everything is because of Him, about Him, to honor Him. The reason I live is to worship You, Lord…
2. Dave’s joy. Dave IS Mr. Christmas. Dave loves everything about it. He comes alive in the shortest days and longest nights of the year and makes my life merry and bright.
3. The five kids God gave me so I would understand the sheer JOY of giving them what they need to live (and get why He loves it so, too) and watching them, as they marry and have children, experience the same!
4. The five grandkids, of course. I did not know I could or would become one of those grandmas, but I guess I am. And I LOVE doing Christmasy things with these amazing, wonderful, sweet, funny, charming, talented, and loving children. They are beyond words for me, really. They renew my Christmas spirit regularly!
5. The symbols, the lights, the music and sounds, the smells, the meanings, the good wishes, the cookies, the friends, the laughter, the gifts I get to give, the Gift God gave to me, I love it all! All this and more…
Five People Who Also Get the Christmas Spirit Award
Because it is Christmas, I am keeping this a secret and not giving my 5-selected-blogger-friends the award – so that they may get their shopping and baking and all else Christmas done. :) Really, I am not just trying to keep the award for myself!…
May YOUR days be merry and bright…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: All this focus on Chrismas…am I forgetting other stuff??? Oh well, who cares? :)
Healing Rain is Falling Down
Times are hard right now for a lot of people. A newer friend of mine just lost her job and is now homeless, living in her car. Another friend’s brother-in-law is having to work across the state, away from his wife and young children to keep food in their mouths. An amazing pastor’s wife has breast cancer and is facing major surgery in a few days. One beautiful family struggles through prolonged accusation and custody hearings, sapping life-strength one agonizing day at a time. A brother is fighting his way back to his family from addictions that have ripped his soul, and crushed his family’s hearts. Everywhere I look, the result of the fall is wreaking havoc.
Yet, in these same circumstances and many more I am watching, grace is flowing like water. The faithful are rejecting the fear and looking to Jesus, and oh, what a beautiful sight as their faces reflect the glory of the One who is holding them steady - walking right beside them through these things.
Think about this, my friends, and don’t lose heart. This is what Jesus did so He could complete HIS work in YOU:
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12.2-3
He is your Author, your story-writer and He endured it all so He could make sure it ends with a glorious flourish. He is in all the way to the finish with you!
Dave and Tara blew me away singing the last part of a Michael W. Smith song at church on Sunday. I did a quick search for it this morning and the video actually captures, right toward the end, what I have been “seeing” in the Spirit in the lives of the people I mentioned here – a looking to Jesus, a receiving of His healing and blessing. Check out the video and stay with it, and then sing it, declare it:
Healing rain, I’m not afraid to be washed in heaven’s rain.
Healing rain is falling down. I’m not afraid! I’m not afraid!
Healing rain is falling down.
I’m not afraid! I’m not afraid!
Don’t lose heart. Don’t be afraid. He is not finished yet…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: He. Is. My. Author. My story is His.
Cease from Your Labors
Labor Day is a day off for the working citizens of America. Stop working. I mean it. Cease. Stop it! Quit working right now! This is a fedreally mandated day off, for crying out loud! Plus, God wants you to enjoy time off, too.
Jesus, as quoted in Matthew 11.28-30 (Amplified):
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease, and relieve and refresh your souls.]
Take My yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle (meek), and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief, and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.
For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good – not harsh, hard, sharp or pressing, but comfortable, gracious and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.