Female in Motion

  John 12:1-3 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Full of meaty meaning, this portion of Scripture has been discussed and debated since it was originally written. I love to read it over again, and consider all the facets of this jewel. The alabaster box was costly, and likewise the spikenard it contained. This was an extravagance, unheard of in this situation. Similar gifts would likely be offered to kings or other dignitaries, never an ordinary man, a carpenter. Mary anointed Jesus as her king, the King.  I think all of us are like that alabaster box. We are merely a shell, a vessel for th...

You can tell spring has sprung in rural Kansas when the farmers and ranchers start their spring burning. As I drive back and forth to work on weekdays, I see smoke plumes dotting the horizon, and scorched earth along the roadways. Fields must be cleared for new growth. After the fires have died down, the remains are black and charred. No life to be found. And then, merely a few days later, tiny green shoots spring forth from the blackened pastures. Death into life. Within a month, there is a verdant prairie where once a burned plot laid. This is regeneration. After Jesus' crucifixion, when Joseph of Arimathea placed the body of Christ in the tomb, there was no doubt that He was dead. Otherwise, what would be the point of it all? Our Savior gave up His life here on earth, so that we might have eternal life in Heaven. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead. Death into life. The empty tomb was proof. We are all assured new life in Christ. Regeneration--it's our cho...

I teach third through fifth grade Sunday School at my church. And I love it. They are bright and fun and inquisitive and challenging. I have to make sure to prepare and study to stay ahead of them. They are little sponges, at this age. Yesterday, we started reviewing the colors of salvation. This is a simple teaching tool. Gold is for the kingdom of Heaven, and Revelation 21:18 says, "And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass." Black represents our sin, and the corresponding Bible verse is Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Red stands for the blood Jesus shed on the cross. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." White is for the pure gift of salvation, and Romans 10:9 assures us, " That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in t...

Proverbs 2:6 (KJV) For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.   English is the second language for my new co-worker. She speaks it well and more importantly, she speaks the universal language of math. American culture and narrative are more of a challenge, however. She wants to be clearly understood. As humans, we want God to understand us. We ache to be comprehended and validated and loved. An intimate friendship between two souls is what we crave. In our mortal state, however, we have no tools to achieve this lofty goal. Similarly, God wants us to understand Him. He aches to be comprehended and validated and loved. The kind of relationship we desire from Him, is exactly what He wants from us. Our Heavenly Father created a bridge to cross the divide between our hearts. It is His Son, Jesus. He's your new Best Friend. *** Notable Quote: "If you're not daring to believe God for the impossible, you're sleeping ...

Proverbs 10:12 (KJV)   Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. There are Christ-like qualities that, as Christ Followers, we aspire to achieve or perfect during our lifetime, such as selflessness, forgiveness, honesty, love and hospitality, to name a few. One of the ones I struggle with the very most is forgiveness. It seems to be most counter-intuitive to humanity. We simply don't get it. Here's the interesting part, when people hurt me--it stings---but I get over it. My ego has been bruised enough in my 55 years, that I can take it. Even with the worst offenses, it takes me but a few months to completely turn it over to the Throne and let it go. (I'm not perfect; it takes a lot of work!) However, if they hurt someone I love--the mama bear in me comes out and I see red. Christ commands us to forgive in obedience to Him. When we show grace to those who cause us pain, we are modeling Christ. He was quick to forgive. Mark 11:25 promises that if we...

Anyone who has suffered loss, knows the pain it causes. Your heart feels shattered...unmendable. As grief takes its toll, we begin to ask tough questions: Why them? Why me? Does God really care? Why would God let something like this happen? Here's some better questions: Who do we know God to be?  Is He a just and loving and good God? Tell yourself some truths: We never grieve alone. He is beside us. When God does what only He can do, things can change. When we open our heart and will to Him, healing happens. Dare to follow Him, even when times are hard. Don’t hide the tears…let them fall. Cleanse your soul.  *** Notable Quote: "Even hundredfold grief is divisible by love."--Terri Guillemets