What is love?

February 19, 2019 carriedinthecross3 Comments

Love is such a simple word for something so complex.
It is resounding passion and a simple promise.
Fear and courage all rolled into one. It’s the cold of winter and the brilliant, warm rays of a summer sun.
Is love a maid running from a ball, losing a shoe and having a prince fall in…love?
Is love flowing hair from a tower window up high?
Is love a secret meeting in the darkness of night?
Are any of these true love I ask?
Or is love not so easy, is true love a task?
When the troubles come and the cold winds blow, will this kind of love stay or will it go?
Love is an overused word and so it’s true meaning has been lost. Love is sacrifice, love has a cost.
Once upon a time as all great stories go a man came down from Heaven abandoning His royal throne. He dwelt among shepherds, fishermen and kings. Then He was crucified for saying the wrong things. If you assume He does not know love betrayed, then you have forgotten the garden and the kiss Judas gave.
True love rose again after three days and still loves us in every possible way.

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Blog · Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · Jesus · searching

How often do we feel we are going the wrong way when we are really going the only way?

February 5, 2019February 5, 2019 carriedinthecross3 Comments

How often do we feel we are going the wrong way when we are really going the only way?

I wonder how often we are truly following God and His plan and the devil comes up behind us and covers our eyes making us think we are going the wrong way. How often do we stop and change course because the devil has blinded us to the path?
God is fighting for us. That doesn’t just mean in our stead He is also fighting to keep us. As God is directing our paths we constantly have the devil telling us we are going the wrong way; that we aren’t following God but are following ourselves, even though we know that is not true.
Sometimes when God is quiet the devil gets very very loud and that can confuse us. But if we focus on God and pray, even if we don’t hear God He can send us a feeling to His direction. Sometimes in the heart racking sobs the unbelievable peace that hits you is God answering you. Sometimes in the wistful joy it’s the pang of uncertainty that is God saying, “be careful.” I have no answer to the question of, “what do I do God?” Because I am not you and only you can know what God is saying to you. It’s that still small voice; that impossible whisper that guides us. It can be so hard to hear, but don’t lose heart because Jesus knows what He is doing with you and He will show you the next safe place to put your foot.

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Blog · Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · Jesus

When the tears don’t cease

January 29, 2019 carriedinthecross5 Comments

I once said that my guitar has seen less tears than my pillow, my pillow less tears than my dog and my dog far less tears than Jesus, because Jesus sees them all. For some reason we as people get it into our heads that the pain and stress and worn thin feelings we had last week should have been healed and cleared up by this one; That would be nice but that doesn’t always happen.
Last weeks troubles may very well have carried into this week, and you may feel that you have clung so tight for so long to Jesus that you are molded to Him and can never let go.
Bingo. That’s the point. To never let go. That realization is not going to fix your problems but now maybe you see that you have someone to help you through them. I saw a movie where the guy said he regretted letting go of the girl he was in love with so soon because he was enjoying holding her (in a hug). Jesus enjoys holding us; He enjoys taking care of us and I bet He regrets it when we let go of Him too soon, or at all, because He doesn’t want our moments together to end. Our moments do not have to end. If there is a place in our lives we can’t take Jesus with us then it is a place we need to get rid of. But even if we do, and I am sure we all have places we feel Jesus wouldn’t approve of, He would go there with us anyway; this is Jesus friend of sinners remember. Maybe taking Him there with you will help you see how to clean those places up.
Its nice to be able to hold Jesus’ hand no matter where you go or what you do in a day. Its nice to have that support, love and friendship.
Sometimes when you look around and ask “where is God in the midst of this?” He will send you a sign. It may be big or it may be so small that if you closed your eyes at the wrong moment you might have missed it. But it is there. Just a gentle reminder that He is right here in the midst of you and your circumstances. A reminder that He is still holding you up and is still holding your hand.

Jesus, thank you seems a hard word to say at times, but even in the struggles we can be thankful that you are there with us and that you are still God. Amen.

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Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · Jesus

Hold my hand

January 15, 2019 carriedinthecross2 Comments

What is it about holding someone’s hand that makes us feel stronger, safer, steadier? Why does that simple touch, the warmth of their fingers around yours make such a big difference? Its a symbolic gesture, a way of saying “I’m here for you” similar to a hug. My aunt has two little boys and they both constantly want to hold your hand when out walking. I can not begin to tell you how many times I have been holding one of their hands and something has happened to cause them to trip, the only thing keeping that kid from pain was my hand. The minuet I feel them start to go down I tighten my grip and hold them up, lifting them back to their feet. In the exact same way Jesus is holding our hands. As we go through life His powerful fingers are intertwined with ours and when we trip He holds us up and lifts us back to our feet. He even gave us other people to help hold us up. When we pray together how often do we hold hands? It’s a symbol of you’ve got me and I’ve got you. Sometimes we try to pull away from that constant loving hand and it will let us go until we come back and accept it again. I’m going to end with a word picture. I can imagine Jesus, strong and gentle, standing on hill top overlooking whatever veiw makes you happiest. Now place yourself running up to see Him so excited or maybe scared and you trip expecting to hit the ground. Suddenly a hand reaches out. Its scarred and battered from years of work but you grasp it instinctively. Strong arms lift you back to your feet and you look up into those laughing, dancing eyes now filled with tender concern. He asks if you are alright as you nod your head embarrassed. Then your savior takes a tighter grip on your hand and leads you to the best spot to see the veiw. Even though you move across vines and rocks you do not stumble again because that constant hand keeps you secure on your feet. Don’t let go of Jesus and He won’t ever let go of you.

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Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · Jesus · searching

Trust fall

January 8, 2019 carriedinthecross2 Comments

Do you remember how in school every so often the teacher would insist upon doing trust exercises? You’d pair up and then take turns falling and catching each other. Usually you would choose to pair up with a friend right? You wanted to make sure that the person who was catching you was someone you could trust. When we pair up with Jesus we are falling blindly into His arms and trusting that He will catch us.
I can tell you that thinking back on those exercises I don’t remember the people I caught but I definitely remember the people I let fall, (by accident). How often do we feel like God has let us fall and then we focus on those times alone? Just a heads up God never lets you hit the ground. He always has a plan for you no matter how abandoned you may feel at times. Think on how many times God has caught you instantly when you trust fell into Him; those times will out number the amount of times He has let you dangle. Also try and look at the circumstances. It may be annoying to hear but try to see the good that can come out of God not catching you right away this time. I won’t do the eagle and nest quote but sometimes in our flailing we are able to find a stronger hold on Jesus. Even if you can’t see Him standing behind you, your friend Emmanuel is ready to catch you, you never fall past where God wants you because that’s where He will catch you.

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Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · Jesus

December 25, 2018 carriedinthecross1 Comment

There must have been so little hope, sometimes I wonder where I’d be if no one had sent that gift to me. But wrapped in mercy grace and love a gift was sent from up above…..the gift by Paul brandt

I may not have the lyrics exact but this song is so true to the reason for Christmas. Hope. Jesus.

Imagine being the star. You have been given the job, the blessing of showing people Jesus. You burn brightly and enduringly for 2 whole years as you guide people to the savior. (There have been many ideas on what the star really was and where it went but no one really knows. Not everything God does is explainable.)I feel we are very much like the star as Christians. Without Jesus there is no hope. If God had decided we weren’t worth the sacrifice we would have been left in a world of darkness, longing to have hope but never achieving it. Jesus is the light of the world, the HOPE of nations for a reason, He knew we needed Him so He came and the star drew in His first few followers. We all have gifts God has given us we can use to draw people into the light of Jesus we just have to have the courage to use them. At this time of giving as we open presents and spend time celebrating let’s think on the gifts we have been given. The gift of public speaking, teaching, art, auto repair, parenting, and so many more. Gifts that we can use to bless the giver. Jesus. May we be the star that draws people to Jesus this upcoming year and every to come, and to be thrilled with our God given gifts as we see them bless this world!

Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · free · J.R.R.Tolkien · Jesus · searching

Dragons and kings

December 4, 2018December 4, 2018 carriedinthecross1 Comment

God is not like smaug, the great dragon from the Hobbit, where when we come into His lair trembling and say “I had heard stories about you but I did not believe them,” he stands back from us flexing the scales across his chest and blowing a snort of smoke out of his nose he proplaclaims, “and do you now?”
In contrast when we come up to Jesus trembling saying, ” I had heard stories of you my Lord, but I did not believe them.” He looks at us with love and responds, “I know, I have been waiting for you to come and see me for yourself.” Then He hugs us and all our fears and sins and scars melt away and not only do we believe the stories we now know the man they are about and we know He loves us. His gentle embrace following us everywhere we go until we get to live with Him in His kingdom. There is no dragon pride, just the gentle/powerful/all knowing/unending love of a king.

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Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · free · Jesus · searching

Open handed combat

November 26, 2018November 26, 2018 carriedinthecross1 Comment

When I was in high school I took basic karate. One of the main things drilled into the class was the fact that karate means open handed combat, which means that our combat is self defense it is not meant as a form of attack. If we apply this technique to life we get a person entering their day open minded to the people around them and empty handed of judgments. When we go out into this world we are stepping onto the mat and as Christians the way we respond to daily jabs and kicks need to be censored according to our teachings. In martial arts your fight technique reflects that of your teacher, in the same way our daily response to life needs to reflect Jesus. We enter the arena holding nothing against the people we will face, we come in open minded to their situation. Picture this. Bright blinding lights, a roaring crowd and a tall battle scarred warrior faces you down as your toe touches the mat, there’s no turning back now. You see that angry face, the deep creases of old battles lost and you gain your opinion of the warrior. They step closer and you step up to them, you don’t yet know what will happen next all you know is this person has been hurt too many times and it is your turn now to decide, do you attack or do you help? Do you reign judgement and add to their scars or do you give compassion and help the scars heal? Your mind open and clear so you can hear from the Holy Spirit and see this person’s needs and you realize all they need is a comforting hand. As the vision fades away; the crowds and the lights dim, you see the warrior in a new way, the way Jesus sees them. We shouldn’t enter the arena to fight we should enter to help; but sometimes in this daily life we Christians forget that we are not here to judge and attack the people around us, we are here to help them and in doing so show them Jesus. That’s the point to open handed combat, coming without prejudices and without judgements so you can help heal this world just as Jesus came without a sword or armor as a gentle baby in a manger.

Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · free · Jesus

When the devil comes calling let it be Jesus who answers the door

November 20, 2018 carriedinthecross1 Comment

How often have we felt like the world has delivered a spin kick in the stomach to us and then laughed as we grimaced in pain? Too often I’m sure. We have all been there. Down and almost out, wishing we could crawl from the fight ring of life and curl up in the comforting shadow of the stands where nobody can see us. We close our eyes and try to wish away what we have been dealt, but when we open them the hurt is still there. We blame everything. The world, people, ourselves, even God, but when it comes down to it there’s only one to blame for all misery and that’s the devil. He is knocking at the door to our hearts and our minds waiting for us to open up even just a little, and because we aren’t letting him in he brings a battering ram with him. Victory in such times comes from response. If we let Jesus take over and respond as He would want us to then we win. The devil won’t stay long if it’s Jesus who answers the door. Whenever the hit comes, where ever you are, however it presents it’s self Jesus is right there ready to defend you; He is a loving and jealous God and He is very protective of His people. I know that it’s hard to understand why the pain happens at all but the trying of our Faith produces endurance; sometimes suffering is required of us and it is impossible to understand why a living God would hurt His people, but He isn’t the one hurting us, yes He is allowing it, but He isnt causing it. I once heard a pastor say, “don’t pray away your blessings.” What he meant was if we never suffer than we never get to see God save us. Miracles don’t happen for people who don’t need them. We must put all of what we go through in God’s hands and respond as Jesus would no matter how hard it is because that is how we reach a break through. Whenever the devil comes to the door step back and let Jesus answer He has defeated the devil before.

Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · Jesus

Great Expectations

November 13, 2018 carriedinthecross2 Comments

We have all heard the great expectations sermon; it’s a really great sermon, but do we come truly come with great expectations? Today I had a miracle that actually shocked me. After having the vet out to diagnose my horse’s unexplainable lump as just that an unexplainable lump I started to get serious about my praying for him. To be honest before I found out that the vet had no idea what it was I just figured if God healed him that was fine but if he didn’t the vet would just treat it and it would still be fine, but unlike God the vet doesn’t know all. Today I checked my horse’s lump and it was GONE! There wasn’t even a trace it had been there! If you want to shout a Hallelujah go right ahead because I am still amazed! Oh and did I mention the lump had been there for nearly 4 months? It wasn’t something that was just going to go away. In this life we have so much that we can take care of ourselves because of modern medicine, modern technology, modern this, modern that that we sometimes don’t even bother to seriously pray about things, because if God doesn’t fix them that’s fine we know someone who can. That is the wrong way to think. I can say this because I go there too. I like to think that I seek God first and just go with Him on things but I (as many people do) fall into the solving it myself rut. God can do EVERYTHING! We just need to give Him the chance to take care of things for us, and to truly believe that He can. We don’t want to leave off asking for help until we reach something we truly can not do ourselves, because if we see God taking care of the little things we will most likely have more faith when we need to give Him the bigger things. Another thing I love about God is that I didn’t have to do anything to make this or any other miracle happen. All I did was pray and believe and I saw the unbelievable. I fail constantly and hurt God probably daily, as hard as I try not to my human nature gets in the way of my Christianity at times. I am also a major failure when it comes to being a public witness, my words stick in my throat and I end up saying nothing. Yet despite all these negative qualities of just being me God steps in and holds me when I cry. He still listens when I pray and blesses me with amazing miracles. It is so nice to know that no matter how bad we screw up, No matter how constantly we sin and fail Jesus still loves us. He wants us to do better that’s true and He will help us do better, but He’s still loving us everyday no matter who we are or what we’ve done. Isn’t that the most amazing miracle of all? because it’s that constant, undying, faithful love and ridiculous grace that led our Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, and to rise again three days later. What a miracle!

God I come with great expectations for this and everyday! Thank you for being our constant friend and greatest miracle. Amen.