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Cleansed

Back in March 2009, I had the extreme privilege of going on a short-term missions trip with Amazon River Churches (ARC) to the Amazon jungle in Brazil.  We traveled by boat to a remote little village called Arumanduba. Our main mission was to build a church for the community of believers who lived there. That is a wonderful story for another time!

Once the church was built, we had the pleasure of taking a mini-speed boat ride to visit the neighbors and invite them to the inaugural service. The custom over there is that instead of knocking on someone’s door, you clap as you approach their house as a way of announcing your arrival.

In one of the houses we visited, there was a man and a few of his friends who seemed very excited to see us. During that visit, the man invited our group to see the well he had in his backyard. Not realizing how far we would be walking, we thought nothing of leaving our shoes by the front door. We ended up walking quite a distance barefoot, over a make-shift walkway made out of long, thin tree trunks. Thankfully, it wasn’t so high, but it was still quite a balancing act. When we arrived at the well, we rested and our host was kind enough to cut down some coconuts from a nearby tree and split them open for us to drink.

While that was all quite an experience in itself, one of the things that stood out to me the most from that home visit was watching the man pour the filthy well water into a water filter he had in his home and watching the murky water instantly come out clear of impurities and clean enough to drink. Amazing!

As I watched the gunk being transformed into drinking water, I got a picture of what happens when someone is born again so I shared it with one of the men there. I told him that that is what happens when we give our lives to Christ.  We give Jesus our junk, our mess, our sins, our brokenness and His precious blood wipes away our sins and cleanses us and restores us and makes us brand new.  Now that is truly awesome!

Today, if you are struggling with old ways of thinking and living, I would like to remind you that as a born-again Christian, you are a new creation! You are a blood-bought, redeemed child of the Most High God! Don’t let the enemy fool you! There is no sin too awful that the blood of Jesus can’t wipe away! That is His promise to us!

If you’re just starting to learn more about Jesus, I invite you to visit http://peacewithgod.jesus.net/ or the Info for New Believers/Seekers page.

I’m proud to be joining Bonnie’s Faith Jam this week!

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No Peeking

Lessons from Baking

MissionControl / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

 

I finally started exploring the world of baking. To my amazement, I actually like it!  I thought it would be stressful because I’m the type that doesn’t like following recipes or waiting for water to boil, but it’s actually rather relaxing.

I’ve always been intimidated by the oven so before I baked my first set of brownies ever, I had fun watching videos online to see how the pros do it. I also read an article about oven settings.  Both times I read the tips, these lines jumped out at me:

“While your food is baking, try not to open the door too often to check for done-ness.  Every time you open the oven door to see if your food is cooked, your oven temperature will drop and extend the cooking time.”

I was happy that the disclaimer was there and even happier to think there must be other impatient, novice chefs out there like me. But there was something about those simple instructions that got me thinking about my prayer life and times that I have gotten impatient while waiting on God.

At times in my life, I have been like an anxious baker opening the oven door to check if my “treats” were ready. In my eagerness to find out the status of my treats, I didn’t realize that I could actually be interrupting the work that God was doing and delaying the process even more!

What about you?  Have you ever prayed for a situation, said that you’ve left it in God’s hands and then done something that was the equivalent of opening the oven door to peek if the “goodies” were ready?  Were you then discouraged to find out that you had to wait even longer?

If your answer is yes, then I invite you to join me in heeding the advice to keep the oven door closed until God says it’s time to open it and enjoy dessert!

God works in seasons. He isn’t in a rush. As His Word declares, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

 

 

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What do You Crave?

Lessons Learned from Junk Food

loop_oh / Foter.com / CC BY-ND

 

Yes, I admit it. I can be a chip-aholic! Everyone who knows me knows better than to leave me unattended by an open bag of chips. Salty, crunchy chips don’t stand a chance next to me.  They will be gone within minutes. Ok, seconds!

I have my standard chips that I like but sometimes I get the craving for a different variety so the hunt begins.  That’s when I will walk to two or three stores just to find the exact kind of chips I’m looking for. I know it sounds crazy, but I’m sure some of you would do the same for your favorite snack food or coffee.

So one evening I was on a mission to find a particular type of chips. No others would do. After I had gone to multiple stores, I finally found the ones I was looking for. I remember being thrilled that the search was over and that in just a few short moments I would be enjoying my snack.

But along with rejoicing, I remember having this thought, “Wow, what if I searched for Jesus, the way I searched for these chips.” Ouch!

What if we all sought His presence that way?  What if we would let nothing stop us, nothing distract, nothing hold us back from seeking after the Bread of Life and the Living Water? What if we were a little more desperate to spend time with Him daily? What if our day wasn’t complete unless we made time to pray to Him and to listen to Him?

God lavishes His love on us and in return He asks us to love Him with all of our heart, soul and mind. That can sound like a tall order, and yet when we think about His goodness and mercy and grace and faithfulness, how can we respond in any other way?

If your relationship with Jesus has cooled down lately, I pray that the fire in your heart would be reignited!  Let’s be sure our eyes are focused on Jesus and let’s crave the only One who truly satisfies!

If you would like to learn more about Jesus, please visit the Info for New Believers/Seekers page or visit http://peacewithgod.jesus.net/

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Sweet Surrender

Lessons from the Outdoor Pool

photo (23)

One of my most favorite things to do when I’m in the water is to simply lean back and float. There is just something so delightful about being able to let go and relax and to feel the water gently taking me wherever it pleases.

On my last trip to Florida, I had the pleasure of swimming in this gorgeous outdoor heated pool overlooking the ocean!  It sure did feel like a bit of paradise to me!  On my final morning there, I was one of only two people in the pool for quite a while so it became my own private oasis. As I floated in the water, I just blocked out everything except for the sun shining over me, the bright blue sky covering me, the palm trees swaying all around me and the warm water carrying me. It’s in those moments that I don’t feel a care in the world. I can just Be Still.

It’s in those moments that I also feel like I’m truly in the palm of God’s hand. I am reminded of what true surrender feels like. As I glided in the water, I kept thinking how important it is for me to be this relaxed in my everyday life!

Does that sound too impossible?  What if we lived every moment as if we truly believed that God is in control?  What if we walked in peace remembering that God is Faithful and He is there with us in good times and bad? What if we could go through our days confident that He knows the way, He knows the next step and His good plan for us will unfold in His perfect timing?

What if we simply leaned back and trusted Him in every circumstance? Wow, I’m taking a deep breathe even as I write this.

The Bible tells us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Did you catch that? We’re not supposed to fuss around and get frustrated trying to figure everything out. We are to lean on Jesus and trust that He knows what He is doing. I know, it’s easier to say than do but it will help you keep your peace and joy.

So the next time you start feeling nervous, frightened, frustrated or anxious about the situations in your life, try to take a moment and lean back and surrender those thoughts, plans or worries to God. He can handle them!

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Daddy’s Girl

Daddy's Girl

 

I don’t normally take photos of random people on the streets of New York City, but when I saw this duo walking in Manhattan last summer I couldn’t help but snap some pictures of them. At first glance, this is a sweet shot of a dad and daughter walking hand-in-hand along the streets of the concrete jungle in midtown. It also captures a guy secure enough in his manhood to sport a Hello Kitty bag! But that moment meant so much more to me.

Whenever I look at this picture and I see how the burly dad is gently guiding along his daughter and how he’s even carrying her backpack for her, I’m reminded of my walk with my Heavenly Father. In many ways I am like that little girl who is walking alongside her dad. I don’t have to worry about where I’m going or how to get there because my “Abba” Father is leading the way. He’s not standing far off. He’s right beside me. I don’t even have to carry all the weight of the world on my shoulders because my Heavenly Father is there to carry it for me!

Yes, the Bible says that as Christians who have the Holy Spirit living inside of us we can call God Our Father. “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:15-16).

I don’t know about you, but I love that I can go to the God of the universe and can call Him Dad! And I love that my Father hears me and acts on my behalf. He wants His children to trust and lean on Him. The Bible says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him (God) because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Jesus tells us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

If you’re feeling tired, alone or weary today, I pray that God would remind you or reveal Himself to you as your loving Father. Your biological father may have disappointed you, but your Heavenly Father will not fail you!

 

 

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Welcome!

Welcome, everyone! MiraculousLovely is a place to celebrate all those unmistakable moments when we see or feel the hand of God working in our lives. Whether you’ve been a Christian for years, just starting your walk with the Lord or simply curious about Jesus, I hope you will be encouraged by the stories, lessons and photos I’ll be sharing. God bless! – Nancy

To sign up to get my weekly blog posts from www.MiraculousLovely.com e-mailed straight to your inbox, and to get my free e-booklet MiraculousLovely Abroad: Lessons and Snapshots from the Mission Fields, click here.

For more encouragement and to learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or speak at your event, please visit my website www.AboundingFaith.com.

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