My Love Life

 Written April 2, 2016

“Which is the most important command?” Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. ‘This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: ‘Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.” Matt. 22:36-39

Life is all about learning to love and God gives us a lifetime to get this commandment right. We fill our life up with so many other things and even good things. For example, the first thing we do when we have a child is accumulate all that is needed for that child. The crib, the layette set, the diapers and all the beautiful little things we see in the baby stores for our little ones. We focus on accumulating the money needed to bring up that child, our careers and our children's education. All of these things are important and well meaning in life.

At this stage of my life as I look back and realize now that all those things and all those concerns were not really where I needed to focus. The best use of my life, my time and my energy for my husband and my children would have been a life of Love. Yes, of course I loved them all but was it really my primary focus each day? As parents, we do the best we know how to do but humanly speaking it can lead to much disappointment.

If we really understood God's redeeming love for us then everything else would be fine. Why? Because if we believe in a God that is all about "Love & Grace" then we will reflect that same "Love & Grace." Do our children see our love for God and our love for others in our daily life? What would our children say was our focus? A million other things? 

Do I write this because that is exactly what I did or do now? No, I write this because I didn't get it right at all and want others to learn from my own mistakes. My blogs need to expose me for all my own sins and my own mistakes, not the sins of others. There is much to be learned from just my mistakes, trust me! Thank God I am redeemed at the cross for ALL my mistakes in the past and ALL my mistakes in the present and future. 

Romans 7:18-20For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 

This picture was taken many years ago of our family when we stayed in the Cumberland Mountains ~ wonderful memories!

He Will Keep Us From Sinking

 written by Tracey Schultz Graham 4/1/15:

This morning as I was journaling my time with God, I wrote down on my index card Matthew 14:30-31.  But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was frightened; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.  And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

As I was writing I focused on the words "frightened" vs 30 and "immediately" vs 31. There are times I become "frightened" just like Peter, then I start to doubt and just like Peter, I begin to sink. Then I feel guilty because of "my little faith." This verse tells us that although we start out with good intentions, sometimes our faith falters. But this doesn't mean we have failed - failing would be staying in our doubt. True faith is calling out to Jesus to save us, to keep us from sinking, knowing that he's the only one who can. 

Then I focused on the word "immediately" vs 31. Jesus "immediately" answered Peter's cry for help! How awesome to know that God will "immediately" save us no matter how many times we fail him. He may not change our storm right now but he will keep us from sinking. 

Sunset over Lake Okeechobee on one of our camping trips 2021.

Negative Emotions

 And the king took an oath and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress, I Kings 1:29 

Looking back on King David's life we know that God had delivered him from much anxiety, sorrow, pain, anguish, suffering, agony, torment, heartache and heartbreak. These are many of the same emotions we all experience in life at one time or another. We can trust God as David did with all of our emotional stresses. If anyone had a right to nurse a grudge it was David towards Saul who attempted to kill him. He trusted God with his life and knew that it would only do harm to himself and God's purpose in his life.

The root of anxiety and stress in my own life is always my own lack of faith. I am constantly repenting to God for my unbelief. Sure I have blamed a million and one other things or other people but when I finally am honest with myself it is always by my own doing, my own sin, my unbelief that God has taken care of everything for me. 

I took this picture on April 15, 2008 on a walk on the beach.