Depression is a downward spiral leading to…

Depression is characterized as a downward spiral, possibly leading to diminished capacity in all areas of life.  For me depression sneaks in like a thief in the night.    I am good to go most of the time, energetic and full of life, then for some reason my mind begins processing things from a negative perspective.  I don’t know why.  I just know it does.  It seems to me,  negative thoughts are symptomatic of the depressive process and spotting this and other signs of the spiral ‘early on’ is key.

Combating the spiral and impending darkness is tough.  I purposely avoid negative people as our negativity can feed on each other.  I look for the positive in people and circumstances.  I reject the negative and ask for supernatural Godly intervention to kill off the darkness with His light.  Key is identifying the spiral early on and calling on Jesus to straighten my path and mind before the spiral takes on a life of its own, forever sucking me further down into a cesspool of negative thought and action.

It seems to me David of Israel experienced similar cycles as i.  One moment proclaiming the majesty of God the Father and the next crying out for God‘s intervention.   Many times we see David acknowledging the fact that if God does not intervene, catastrophic collapse was inevitable.  You can almost feel David’s spiral downward.  I’d like to think that even in the darkest of times and strongest of spirals, God is waiting to be part of the outcome.  His love is real and incredibly tangible when compared to the darkness.

It may be this is the purpose of a depressive spiral… to appreciate the tangible presence of a Holy God you might miss if it had not been for the whirlwind of a deadly spiral.  Thank you Jesus for abiding even in the darkness.

 

 

Challenge me. Challenge you. There is so much more… ask.

I don’t know if I have ever taken any bit of new information for granted. In my early married days, my bride was often frustrated with my incessant questioning of everything she had to say. It was not that I didn’t believe her. It was just that I needed the thought validated. If she could share the source, I could add or subtract the likelihood of truth or to what degree of accuracy was likely. As life has gone on, I have tried to mellow out and not appear so offensive in my questioning of my bride. I find value in all she has to say, these days.

Oddly in contrast to life’s questions, there was a time in my early Christian walk, I tended to believe anything another Christian told me about Christ, the Bible and all its characters. I questioned little, trusted implicitly and worked hard to be the model Christian others believed me to be. It was this early belief system that shaped me and kept me well grounded to survive in a world that continues to be ever increasing difficult to thrive in. I especially have my mother and father to thank for this wonderful Christian upbringing.

Today, I have known Christ as my Savior for over 50 years and experienced the bitter sweet of living a Christian life. Most of my life, I spent trying to stay on the mountain top with Christ. I dreaded the valleys, but seemed to spend more time there then I dared to admit. It was this impossible mountain climb that kept me frustrated with my Christianity and kept me asking the single most important question of my life… “Is that all there is?”

I wish when a body realizes the love of Christ on his life and chooses to not reject Christ, there would be infinite wisdom imparted. It would seem so much more of life could be experienced so much quicker, but somehow in God’s wisdom it doesn’t work that way. We grow slowly toward the target of living in Christ daily…  fully in the knowledge of His presence. Christ is so patient with us during this journey. His love never fails.

In the last few years, Christ has honored me with a response that continues to ring loudly in my ears and experienced in my life.  ”I have only just begun!“~Jesus

After 50 years or so, Christ daily reinforces the truth that He has only just begun to build me into the man He desires to spend eternity with and there is so much more.

Jesus had a profoundly ridiculous story to tell, yet i believed.

There once was a man named Nich who was ruler over a nation and was a highly educated man.  He marveled at the miraculous prospect of climbing back inside of his mother’s womb, to be born a second time and thus achieving eternal life.  You and i think his belief system pretty ridiculous.   Why is that?

Could it be… our lack of belief in the ridiculous prevents our ability to believe in the reality of the miraculous.  We look at Nich and think how ridiculous he was to consider climbing back into his mother’s womb, but was he really that ridiculous or could it be his belief in the miraculous of Jesus was so strong that nothing seemed impossible to him if Jesus chose.

Jesus had a profoundly ridiculous story to tell.  He had little time to tell it.  In just a few months, He was tasked by the Father to convince the world He was their Savior.  It was a story filled with love and miracles.  It was His story written by the Father and concluded on the cross.  It was a ridiculous story.  The story was written for you.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”~Jesus

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It seems most of the time, God reveals and provides opportunity without warning…

I was in Starbucks minding my own business, when a lady shows up with a couple large empty covered plastic containers.  A Starbucks employee proceeds to give her all the dated pastries for her containers and she hangs around at a table in front me sorting things out.

After a while, i get up to leave and go to work.  I stop in front of her and make comment that i bet she is going to make some people happy. She explains she is from the Saint Assisi or something catholic church and these pastries will go to feed the homeless.  As we are chatting about the local homeless shelter, i am doing a heart check and i think God is saying give her money.  You have to understand there was a time when giving from my excess was not challenging at all.  Today, i give from what i don’t have and i am very aware to give without God’s direction is stupid.

So as she is talking, i am thinking, “God.  Do you want me to give? i am not sure and i want to be responsible with the little i have.”  i am confident this thought was from God.  ”Whether you give or not, you will know my will when you walk out the door.”  It reminded me of the times, i heard God and chose to ignore the opportunity to be used by Him.  I get that really sick feeling in my stomach that i just blew it.

Today, i was not going to blow it.  i reached in my pocket and pulled out the exact amount God had impressed on me (without counting).  I handed it to the lady and without a word, began walking out.  She yelled, “What’s your name?”  I wish i had said, “Jesus.”

Getting better

Hi Archie

I have been sick for about 3 years….doctors did not put enough thought into me, but thankfully, God did.

God gave me the wisdom to help myself, when doctors just dismissed me as having nothing wrong.

I have had an adverse drug reaction that attacked my nervous system.   I solved this now by going to the right specialist,  and having the Rx changed to a different drug…also something milder.

I also had a kidney infection (past 6 months) that was either denied by doctors or they gave the wrong medicine……I thought I was going to loose my kidney……I solved this in 2 steps….I went to a friend’s lab and used their microscope to identify what was there….then I went home, and happened to find a left over Rx from a tooth infection in my daughters’ drawer that happen to match what I needed.    So God had already provided for me….I just had to go on a treasure hunt in my house to find it.

Trust God, not man

For the first time, I feel better. I told the Lord that if he wanted me to do anything useful, he would have to heal me.     Otherwise, I was going to be pretty limited. So since I am getting better, I guess he has something for me. Wonder what that is.?

Anyhow, I praise God for the little miracles he does in our lives….with patience, the answer will always come.

blessings
Marianne

Picture of God

I want to do something special for God this year.  I want to put a picture of Him in a frame and hang him along side of Jesus. 

Now don’t take offense.  I know many of you have a picture of Jesus hanging on the wall right alongside of Elvis.  I think it is time to hang a picture of God.

This is where the trouble begins.  What is the picture going to be?  No one has seen the face of God and lived to tell about it.  Moses saw the backside of His glory.  That was a start but doesn’t help me.

Can anyone help me with your idea of what goes in the picture?  Possibly, I should put…

•  
• A beautiful sunset
• A walk on the beach
• Two love birds
• Giving $5 to the “bell ringer”
• Standing on the corner yelling Jesus

What do you think?  What should I put in the picture? OK.  You read the blog.  I see you.  There you are.  A few hundred of you are lurking.  Now you are grinning.  I told you I could see you. 

Now click on comments and give a word or two of your picture of God.  Do it anonymously if you must.  Come on.  Click.  You can do it.  Put your fear behind.  That’s it.  Click.  Thanks!

I love odd people

“They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn’t thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan.”  That’s a bit odd.

I love odd people.  I suppose it is because I am a bit odd myself.  I feel at home with odd people.  My dad was an odd person.  I loved my dad.  What is it about odd people that make my day?

I think maybe it is because they love life.  They appreciate what God has done for them and are confident enough in their identity to just be themself.  While most of the world looks at them and giggles behind their back, they have a smile and beauty that maybe only they appreciate.  They love God.

When I was a research scientist, I had a friend who wore different color socks.  He had more interesting things going on in his head than worrying about the color of his socks.  I had a mathmatician friend that took his toothbrush for a walk on a string.  I had another scientist friend who was comfortable peeling his toenails in the middle of a party.  These people were all brilliantly odd and didn’t fit in.  They were modern day Samaritans.

Samaritans don’t fit in, but do great things.  Wouldn’t you like the confidence to be a modern day Samaritan?

One Church. One Mission. One Life.

The staff of Grace Point is to memorize “I have given them the glory that you gave me…” John 17:22-23, but I have a question.

What is glory?

Does anyone know what Moses was asking when he asked God to show him His glory?

This is not a trick question…

Remember when your children were young and almost everything they said was a question.  Like: Why is the sky blue?  Why is water wet?  What makes a car go? 

Now remember when you first discovered Christ.  Remember all the questions?  Who is God?  How did a virgin have a Son? Is Jesus coming again?  Is talking in tongues real?

When was the last time you asked a question about your faith?  When was the last time anyone asked you a question about your faith? A while back, you say?  Why is that?

All that said to merely ask a question that has me intrigued.   What is God’s glory? 

Moses said, “I beseech thee, show me thy glory.”

I’m told there are 4 elements to God’s glory.  First, God’s glory exists with no other action required.  Second, God glory is increased when He creates.  Third, God’s glory is further increased when we appreciate His creations.  Lastly, God’s glory is increased the most by our telling others of God.

BUT wait!  What is God’s glory?

Might there be value in what you think?  Might you help others by sharing what God has revealed to you? Do you know what God’s glory is? I really want to know and Moses is not around to ask.