Work in Progress

Welcome to Unseen on a beautiful fall day. This story may have been posted before, but I couldn't find it. The last couple of weeks God has really opened a lot of doors and I have had some divine appointments. Watch for new links soon to help you find other sources that share this vision of helping people who are living Unseen. In light of the open doors, today's story is about how God continues to bring us from glory to glory.

Work in Progress

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.   2 Corinthians 3:18

                My little boy was very allergic to mosquito bites and they would swell and itch miserably. He had several bites on his ankles and had scratched them until they bled. Then the blood had dried, effectively gluing the socks to his legs. I did not realize this and when I was getting him undressed for bed I pulled his socks off and he howled. He put his little hands on his hips and said, "I wish I had the kind of mother who would take my socks off slow when I have a boo-boo." Full of remorse, I said, "I'm so sorry. Will I do until they can find you a mother like that? Wiping his eyes, he said, "Yeah. They're working on that kind of mother but they are not finished with him yet." God is still not finished with me as a mother.

                I was walking to the library to work on proofreading this book. I was a little distracted but my attention was quickly arrested. Our part of West Texas is on the migration path of the Monarch butterflies. Between the sidewalk and the library, probably a hundred gorgeous monarchs flitted in front of me. It was so exciting that I felt like a child. It made me think of the awesomeness of the creator and also of his transforming power. The proud-looking Monarchs with their bold orange and black coloring come from a striped caterpillar that bears little resemblance to the adult. I am so glad that the same God who can make that transformation is at work in me.

                2 Corinthians 3:18 says,  And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. I am so glad that God did not leave me as I was when I first came to him in 1978. I am glad he did not leave me as I was in 1994 when I re-dedicated myself to serving him out of love and gratitude for who He is, not just to follow the rules. He has used situations in my life to draw me closer to Him and make me more like Him. He has taught me things in His word and molded me through service. The more time I spend with Him, the more he changes me.  As I am beginning to take more "faith-steps" in my ministry I see such a change from the scared, inadequate person I used to be.

                It is easy to get stuck at one level of grace or growth. How do you avid this? If you want to be changed into God's likeness, you have to behold his likeness. Spend time with Him in study and worship. Spend time with His people. James says, "Come near to God and He will come near to you. (4:8) If you want more of God, He is eager to meet you.

Chocolate

In honor of fall weather, (Finally) we are revisiting a past story. In fact this is the story that started it all. It was the first one I wrote for my project with my friend. The lessons never get old.   Besides who doesn't love chocolate?

Chocolate

Count it all joy my brothers when you encounter various trials, know that the testing of you faith works patience, and let patience have its perfect work.  James1:2-4

             The other night I was drinking hot chocolate and I heard from the Lord.  I love to drink hot chocolate, especially on a chilly evening.  I was thinking about the different kinds of hot chocolate. Once, my child decided to make his own hot chocolate. He stirred chocolate chips into a glass of milk and was very distressed that it did not taste better.  Then there are the instant hot chocolate mixes.  They taste good, but often leave clumps of chocolate at the bottom.  Finally, there is the good old-fashioned hot cocoa, where you heat the milk and stir in cocoa and sugar.  Nothing quite compares with this. 

            Believe it or not, there is a spiritual application here.  All of us are in different places with God. Some are just beginning to be open to the word and it has not taken root in their lives.  Their walk with God is like the chocolate chips and milk. The good things of God’s word and his spirit are present, but they are not able to make much difference yet.  Others have come farther with God and are letting the word and the spirit affect some area of their lives. They may have cleaned up their language or behavior.  They are becoming sweeter. They still have clumps in their lives, though. These are areas where they have not allowed God to touch, for some reason.  Finally, there are those who are trying to let God into every area of their lives and live by the power of the spirit.  They are like the old fashioned hot cocoa, a sweet sacrifice to God. 

            There are two requirements to this state.  There must be heat and the ingredients must be stirred.  Have you been feeling the heat lately? Has God been stirring you up?  Don’t despair.  You will be a sweeter fragrance to the world of God’s glory. Finally, remember, God has not left you on the burner alone. He is still in control and will not leave us

No experience necessary

Welcom to unseen. Once again, I had a totally different plan for this week's post. When I sat down to write it, God "changed the channel in my head. Maybe you need to read this as much as I n eeded to write it, especially if you have ever felt unworthy or unqualified.

No Experience Necessary

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:33

Recently I attended a painting class with a local artist. We were assured that no experience was necessary. Most of the students had little to no experience and were more than a little anxious about how the project would turn out. Fortunately, there were four things to help us ensure success. The basic outline was already done in charcoal, giving us a pattern to work with. It showed us where the general boundaries were for different elements in the picture. Second, we had a finished painting to look at for an example and a standard. Also, we had the teacher to instruct us and guide us. She painted along with us and then walked around giving specific tips, such as the fact that if what we painted wasn't what we intended we could either paint over it or use a wet rag to wipe it off. (Bonus lesson on grace in our lives). Finally we had the other students to help us. Another person might be able to clarify something that we didn’t understand from the teacher. In the end, even though they were completely different, we each left with a painting we could be proud of.

Although some of us have been in church since the second Sunday we were alive, others come to God later. Either way, walking with God is something that can be difficult. We are not sure what God wants us to do and even when we do discover our mission and purpose, we can't do it alone. That's OK though, because we were never meant to. He has given us everything we need for life and Godliness. (2 Peter 1:3) He has given us a pattern in his Word that shows us the general boundaries for how we should act and who we should be. I am very grateful for the Bible, and it gives me lots of wisdom. I have mentioned before that I am thankful that my Grandpa began Bible stories and memory verse drills from before I could remember. I remember when I became a Christian thinking, "Why isn't there any practical advice on how to be a Christian?" Then I read the book of James and realized that there is. As wonderful as the Word is and as much as we should treasure it, it is not our only help. God willingly sent his son to earth, both as a sacrifice and as an example or standard. As Max Lucado says, Jesus is God with skin on. He didn't stop there either. He sent the Holy Spirit to instruct and guide us, interceding (or being a go-between) for us before God. We also have our Christian family to help us understand and show us how they walk out the Christian life.

Let’s look at the power of these tools. In Hebrew 4:12 we read “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart .” Psalms 119 is David’s beautiful psalm of how much he love’s God’s word and his Law. In verse 105, he says it is a light to his path and a lamp to his feet. Although we are familiar with what Jesus did for us, we cannot forget how precious it is that we have a high priest who was like us in every way. (Hebrews 7) Because we cannot see or hear him, we may discount the power of having God’s spirit as our intercessor and guide, but to do so would be like trying to use your computer without plugging it in. Also, we can rely on our Christian family even the ones who get on your nerves. 1 Corinthians 12 describes the church as a body, where no one part can do without the others.

So you want to walk with God? It may not be easy, but it is simple.Using the tools at our disposal, there is no experience necessary.