What if God was one of us?

Hm. What. If. God. Was. One. Of. Us.

I just finished watching a lovely movie. Jamie insisted. "The Diary of a Mad Black Woman."  I had never heard of it, until she mentioned it. She proceeded to share how it was a must see and that it was a story that depicted grace. Trusting that my good friend wouldn't steer me wrong on this, I rushed out to get it at the movie store to watch this evening. 

Let me tell you, she was right. I won't give away the movie, in case there are others out there like me who have not yet seen it. BUT, BOY!!! What a picture of grace indeed! From broken, to restored. From a controlling abusive first husband, to an accepting loving (patient, gentle, compassionate, kind, peace filled) husband. Sound like a familiar story yet? (think Rom. 7, law into grace.)

What struck me though was the song that came on at one point and I recognized it, but this time I really listened to these profound words, What if God was one of us? And do you know what, what if God was made into the likeness of human flesh? What if he came and lived like we do not equal to God, but just a mere human? What if he then was able to live through you and me? What if? What if He was in people all over the globe, alive in them? What do you think He could do in and through any one of us? Hmmm.............................................................

Me and my girls..........

Jamie, Me and Jul

As if I am not blessed enough already, God had more in store for me by way of a special time of fellowship with two of my most favorite ladies on the planet!!! 

Julie and her family came down to Delaware from Canada to visit family over the Christmas holiday. So my dear adventurous friend Jamie decided she had to take the trip up to see both Julie and me. For the first time ever! Face to face!! 

She and Ryan came up on a Monday and that night we dined together. Quiet fabulously I might add. Tuesday we all met for lunch at a most fabulous cafe inside a most divine greenhouse! We then all went our separate ways for the afternoon and I got to go on a trip down memory lane with Ryan and Jamie. How sweet it was just to be with them! That evening we all met back up for dinner right in my town. It was a delightful time of sweet fellowship, and it was as if we hung out all the time together. I for one had the most amazing time!! 

Thanks you guys!!!! I love you !!!

Sharing some fun........

A little birthday fun and some good ole' Southern Red Velvet Cake...........

I didn't have my camera, so we used photo booth on the laptop. Today we celebrated my husband Keith's birthday. Months ago, out of the blue, he told me he wanted Red Velvet Cake for his birthday. I was quite surprised at this request, but tucked into the back of my mind. In a recent email to Jamie, she mentioned Red Velvet Cake was her favorite and that she'd be happy to share her recipe. Of course I was honored. So this post is for her, and for fun and to share a piece of our family fun with my fellow blog family!! 

(By the way, it's not easy taking good photos on your laptop...........I had fun anyway!)

A treat for you..........

Many of you may have become aware of the fabulous grace filled, Jesus centered worship music done by Kelanie Gloeckler! (Thanks to my wonderful friend Jamie!!) If you aren't yet familiar with Kelanie, you are in for a treat!! I can't get enough of this music! I find that I can just let myself go and really enter into a wonderful time of loving up on my Father and him loving up on me!! He and I dance often to Kelanie! There is just something about music like this that seals the truth of who I am, how loved I am, how amazing this great Gospel of Christ and Him crucified truly is, in my heart and mind!! What a glorious privilege and blessing that we get to sing, dance and worship like this for the rest of eternity!! (swooning here....) Anyway, Kelanie has got a grip on who she is and I can assure you will too when you listen!! May I highly recommend you getting your hands on any of her cds!! Okay, now I want to make a repeat mention of another wonderful woman of worship, Sarah McMillan. I find that I am able to be so childlike in His presence while worshipping to her songs!! I feel like a little princess, so loved and so precious!! Seriously, I do!! Just being honest...............!! I have her site linked in my favorite worship music on the side and you can listen for free!!

So, today, I went to hunt down Kelanie's cds on Amazon, no luck they don't carry them, BUT I found the most wonderful duet done by Kelanie and Sarah (shriek!!), AND to top it off the most beautiful mandolin playing accompanying them!! Oh man, I am so in HEAVEN!!! Oh, and did I mention it's 10 minutes long, yeah I am happy!! And when I am bursting like this I just have to share with others!!

If you want to see what all the fuss is about go here, and click on Emmanuel/Do you recognize me. And for more Kelanie visit her MySpace page here. And of course you can always go hang out at Jamie's place for awhile!!

What dying to yourself is really like.............

"Life is what happens when we allow ourself to die. To accept the death of our right to believe we're in control. Life is discovering that Grace waits at the end of our own personal resources, knowledge, and performance. Grace isn't the safety net God places beneath us as we attempt to master the high-wire trapeze of life. Grace is the ability to live as creatures that soar, no wires or nets required. Grace can't be earned or bartered for, nor do we eventually grow beyond it. We accept it. We grow in it! Our union with Christ clothes us in His Grace and what is true of us spiritually becomes more and more evident experientially. He lives in us and through us as we abandon our attempts to mimic authentic life." (quoting my dear friend and sister Jamie)

This simple quote is so profound to me. For many years of my Christian life I have heard the phrase, "die to yourself". I never fully understood this. What did it really mean? I think the way people meant it was more like you have to brace yourself, dig in your heels and work hard and serve and lay down your life like Jesus did. In other words, you had to work somehow in order to die to yourself. Die to your desires for the better good of others. And other such trains of thought. Since I have come to grace, or to Jesus himself, and a greater knowledge or should I say heart understanding of the Gospel, this phrase has puzzled me. "Die to yourself." Pick up your cross and die to yourself daily. What did it really mean? Well, today, Jamie has cleared the muddied waters in my mind on this issue. She summed it up so clearly and so simply that I just had to share. "Life is what happens when we allow ourselves to die. To accept the death of our right to believe we are in control."  Can it get any simpler than this, yet be as hard as hell at the same time? This is what true surrender is, "letting go and letting God." Some Christians don't care for that phrase. Wonder why? It's us letting go of the reigns and giving up trying so hard to live the life that we simply cannot live. Only HE can! It is a conscious effort, this letting go. We must surrender in our minds first, and give up trying and simply lean back into His arms and rest knowing that He's got it sorted. Him, not us!! 

And when we realize this, truly realize this truth, that we have to relinquish control knowing it's His life in us flowing through us, it's Him that will live the life and not us, it's then and only then that we begin to experience truly living. The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God - who lives in me!! This is mind bogglingly amazing! The more His love and His life gets a grip on me, the more I live abundantly and freely. Free from lots of things that once bound me tightly with fear, which ultimately led to a life lived in a "box" mentality. But life in Him, is not restrictive like that, it's so freeing. I get to live out in the fresh air and breath deeply and see all the amazing breathtaking views..............Okay, now I am babbling away. I just want to celebrate though, don't you? This kind of dying is LIFE GIVING! Crazy, huh?