Plugged In (in a wireless world)

Plugged In

(in a wireless world)

I am not a 'techy' person. Case in point, I have an iPhone 3. It is my first 'smart (-er than me) phone' that I have ever owned. My advanced education and minutes of technology research has taught me one important thing - the power button. Yes, I am a turn-it-off-turn-it-on person. 

So…my phone and what can it show me about our Great Big God. 

As smart as a phone can be, it needs to be connected to power. Watch the battery indicator fade to red and the most genius of phones will no longer work. 

Now…me. I am not brilliant. I am thankful for the knowledge and gift of wisdom God has entrusted to me, but I do not have an IQ to be envious of or intimidated by. But, like my phone if I am no longer plugged in to my power source, my battery will fade. If I remain apart from Him, I will no longer be of any use. 

"Remain" - take anyone else back to Sunday School lessons? If you aren't familiar with church and the Bible…let me show you the verse coming to my mind!

John 15:4 - Remain in me, as I also remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 

So…like a branch or a smart phone, I know I must remain connected to the source of life and power. I faithfully charge my phone ever night (and throughout the day when I see my battery needs some refreshment!). But do I faithfully pull out my Bible every night? Am I in the word like I plug my phone in?

Ouch. 

Plugging in for a MOMent…

Rachel

Shadows and Light

Shadows and Light

My 2 and (almost) a 1/2 year old is now both interested and terrified of shadows.  He will both look for shadows and tell me they scare him. 

Shadows can scare me too baby!  As I'm trying to explain this to him with both very shallow and yet a somehow deeper explanation, God spoke to me. (See my previous post, He speaks grandly through the simple!). I'm racking my brain to remember the Scripture about darkness fleeing in the presence of light.  I can't remember even old or new testament, but I know it's there! 

James 1:5 - The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. 

This point was illustrated multiple times in our house, much to the pleasure of our power company and not so much to my bill-paying husband.  :) People outside must have wondered what was going on with our lights as they flicked on and off multiple times. Little did they know, I was imparting wisdom on my child. You see, I had to show that in darkness, there are shadows and yet as soon as the light comes on, the darkness immediately is gone. Darkness doesn't have a choice, it can't dilly-dally it's way away when the lights come on. The reaction is immediate and my child's fear was gone! So, in the true presence of our Light (Christ Jesus), darkness (evil, death, sin, sadness) immediately is gone! (AMEN!)

Another hope I learned is that with scary shadows, there is the promise of light, somewhere. You see, to create a shadow, light must be close. Yes, darkness is closer, but light is near. With complete darkness, there are no shadows, yet with even a sliver of light, shadows are created! 

So…to quote one of my favorite versus (so much so, we named our second son after this very scripture!) ---- James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Light, who does not change like the shifting shadows. 

Looking for light in the MOMent of shadows…
Rachel

This Little Light of Mine

God speaks…quietly at times and usually in very simple words. But He knows how to get through to me. Use simple words, simple illustrations in my every day life. Give meaning to the mundane and routine. Make extraordinary out of ordinary and I'll bend my ear. 

We had a Yankee candle glowing away in our dark kitchen the other night. Being a super responsible adult, I put out the candle before we headed up to bed for the night. I have always enjoyed putting the lid on a candle like this and watching the light quickly burn through the remaining oxygen and go out. This way also eliminates that dreadful post-candle smell that I do not enjoy. 

Mundane and ordinary…right? 

Well, all of a sudden, I realized I better pay attention. 

Life is like the lid of a candle. We are living for Jesus, just shining or flickering away, but hanging on to our ability to shine! When all of a sudden, life comes along and we burn through our 'spiritual reserves'. We are relying on quickly fading prayers and last Sunday's sermon. We have lost our source of ongoing oxygen - the giver of life, the one who breathed man into existence. 

Sometimes I feel like can be suffocating…the every day can drag us down. I need my every day to consist of a refueling of oxygen, a constant check in with my Creator and my source of Life! 

Like a Yankee candle flame, I'll yearn for that oxygen, the Words that come from above and speak directly to my soul. 

Taking a MOMent to fan the flame…

Rachel