If Jesus Were a Blogger...

Chances are that if you’re reading this article, you’re either a blogger yourself, or you enjoy reading blogs. In the USA alone, there are more than 20 million bloggers, blogging away in the big old blogosphere... all with different voices, all with different opinions, but all with one thing in common...they each want to be heard. 
 

Every blogger blogs in the hope that someone out there will be listening. Every blogger writes in the hope that someone out there will be reading, and every blogger hopes that one day, someone out there will leave a comment.

The power of that one little comment is amazing. I know this to be true. I know this to be true because I am one of those bloggers whose heart skips a beat when soon after posting my latest entry, my eyes alight upon those two magic words, 1 comment.

 I rub my hands together in glee and allow myself a moment to ponder who it might be that has taken the time to read my words and leave a comment. And then, when I can stand it no longer, I click on those magic words to discover who this wonderful person is and what they have to say. 

But the truth is that it does not really matter who the person is, or what their comment might be. The excitement lies in the knowledge that I, as a blogger, have been noticed. I have been heard, and I have been responded to. And in that regard, maybe Jesus is a bit like a blogger too. Jesus yearns to be noticed. Jesus yearns to be heard. And Jesus yearns to be responded to. 
 

But that is where the similarity ends. Jesus is not a blogger.

Jesus is the Son of God, who calls us away from our laptops, who wrestles us away from our words, who pushes us out of our office chairs and propels us into a broken world...not to comment, but to act. 

If Jesus were a blogger, I’d definitely be one of his followers, but it’s not my comments that would make his heart skip a beat- it’s my actions.
 

Christians-  type your words, post your blogs, leave your comments, but remember, it’s only our actions in this world that really matter.

PS Comments welcome.

Question: If Jesus were a blogger, what would he blog about?

Are You in Too Deep?

If I was given the choice, I would probably choose shallow waters rather than deep.

When I'm swimming in a lake, I like to be able to put my feet down and know that I can stand up. I much prefer the warmer temperatures of shallow waters, and I love to paddle and dip my toes just at the edge of the ocean.

But I have to admit, I'm a little envious of those braver folks that go out into the deep. After all, I'll never be able to plunge, if I continually choose to paddle. I'll never have the opportunity to surf a mighty wave if I choose to stay where the teeny ripples are. And there's absolutely no way I will ever catch a salmon in four feet of water.

And I wonder..is that what I'm like in my ministry...afraid to step out and take a risk? Am I paddling around at the edge, where I've always been, afraid to make changes, or try anything different? Because if I am, then I'm missing out on the incredible opportunities that await me if only I could venture out into the deep. 

This is my prayer:
Jesus, hold my hand.
Lead me out into deeper waters.
Help me to plunge instead of paddle.
Let me choose to surf rather than be safe.
And let me be a catcher of big fish...for you. Amen.

Friends..we can paddle all day long when we get to heaven. While we're here on earth, there's no such thing as being in too deep.

Read What Jesus Said About Going Into Deeper Water

Ups and Downs

When our family first visited the United States, a kind church member gave me the option of accompanying him, my husband, and our four sons as they went fishing, or going shopping with his wife. Being a family girl, and never having gone fishing before, I chose the former....but I think it may have been the wrong choice. I had envisioned sunbathing on the deck while the boat drifted lazily on the water...but the experience was not at all what I had anticipated. Eight miles out in the turbulent waters of Lake Michigan, the boat constantly rose and fell with the swell of the waves. I never really got to sit down at all, let alone sunbathe! As my sons caught salmon, I just kept my eyes focused on the horizon... the only constant and steady part of the scenery that was not changing.
Life is full of ups and downs, highs and lows. The only constant and steady part of our ministry is Jesus Christ. Focus your eyes solely on Him. When everything around us is changing, He alone can bring calm and order to our lives. 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrew 13:8

Looking Up

Click on the photo to see
Xander looking up to Grandad

One of the delights of being grandparents has been to watch our little grandson as he learns to walk. Just over one year old, he bravely totters around, frequently falling, yet always getting back on his feet, ready to try a few more steps. Sometimes, when he gets tired, he will reach out for a supporting hand, looking up every now and then just to see who it is that is helping him out. But the day will come when this little boy will be all grown up. One day, he will not need, or want, to hold my hand. One day, Xander will be walking independently...which is, of course, exactly how it should be.
In my Christian journey though, I never want to walk independently. There will never be a day when I want to let go of God's hand as He leads me, guides me, and helps me up when I fall down. I want to be totally dependent on God, holding on tightly to His hand, and constantly looking up to see who it is that is helping me out. No matter how old I am, I will always be His child, and He will always be my Helper, lifting me back on my feet, and encouraging me to take a few more steps. That is, of course, exactly how it should be.
I will take hold of your hand. Isaiah 42:6

Good News

Good news was waiting for me in the mailbox. 
I peeked inside and saw a shiny, brightly colored envelope peeking back. The words in glittering gold danced across the envelope.....'You have been selected! Your responsibility is about to be rewarded! No annual fee for the first year!' I realized then that despite its shiny, attractive wrappings, this was nothing more than an invitation to debt. I relegated it to the recycling bin where it belonged.
This Friday, I will sit in front of a plain, wooden cross. It will have no shiny wrappings, no letters that glitter in gold, no bright colors that peek at me. Yet in this cross is the most wonderful invitation I could ever receive. And from this cross, Jesus whispers,' You have been selected. Your responsibility will one day be rewarded. And best of all there is no fee- ever... because this debt has already been paid.'
It is Holy Week. Let's elevate the name of Jesus high above everything else, where He belongs. Good news is waiting for us at the cross.
That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,  far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that can be invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:20-21