The Gift of the Golden Bow

When I started this blog "Growing in His Love" I wanted to share what things in my life reflected Gods love and how with God's love I am growing. That's why I feel the story of the Golden Bow belongs here.

"She" was casually showing me some of her jewelry when I noticed the golden bow pin. It had clear and black rhinestones and glistened in the light. I commented on how very pretty it was. She reached in and grabbed the pin and gave it to me. "Wow are you sure"? Yes she said, I don't wear it and if someone else can enjoy it then they might as well have it.

I wear that pin every year on my wool winter coat. It makes me think of her every time I see it. Every year I get tons of compliments on it - "What a lovely pin" and "Oh that pin is beautiful". So each time I tell the story of her unselfish giving, by letting go of something she didn't use to someone that would appreciate it more. I also share that since then I've tried to follow that same example of giving to others. Let go of things I'm not using to someone that could use or enjoy it more. So her unselfish act not only touched my life, but can touch everyone I can tell the story to.

But there is part of the story that not everyone knows. "She" is my husbands 1st Mother-in-law. After 25 years of marriage my husbands first wife went to be with Jesus. It was through helping my husband through his grief that we got to know each other and eventually got married. "She" was his first wife's Mother, but gave to me unselfishly.

But there is still more, "She" knew me when I still had one foot in the world and one foot trying to follow Jesus. Before her Daughter went to be with the Lord, she knew me, the old me. And even knowing that, even knowing I am now married to her Son-in-law - "She" gave unconditionally, as God would, in love.

The gift of The Golden Bow - that sparkles every year.

"She" helped me to "Grow in God's Love"

Be Blessed,
Lynn

Listen to my teaching

I had an opportunity ... or should I say God had an opportunity to teach me and He did.

A co-worker called this morning and was rambling on and drawing out a request and putting all these words in there but not getting anywhere - and right when I wanted to wander in my mind God spoke and said "Didn't you say you like to be listened to? Doesn't it upset you when people don't let you finish your explanations?"
Let me back up: See just yesterday I had a situation with a customer service rep, that would not let me finish my story. I was trying to give them the scenario of what had happened and what had been done so far only to be cut off and huffed at. Then she got really frustrated with me because she did some work and found out she didn't need to because she only listened to half of the story. So she transferred me to another Sales Rep, that admitted the first was upset and that she said I had a really long story.
So I tried to be short and sweet only to have him jump in again and start doing things only to find out that he too didn't get the whole story and got a little (not at bad as the first) upset too. When I got off the phone I was really upset and wasn't sure of all the emotions I was having. Was I hurt, angry, feeling rejected, what? So this really bothered me and I prayed to God and asked what am I to do. If I drag out the explanation they get mad, if I don't tell enough they get confused and then mad, what am I to do?

That's what God was reminding me of. Then in this mornings chronological reading Wendy (click for today's teaching ) our host picked -
Matthew 13:12 "To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them."

Thanks Wendy for picking that scripture to teach on today. God didn't really say to much to me yesterday when I was asking why. But He showed me today. Do I think all of this was a coincidence? I don't think so God is just that good. It may have had an impact on all of us in different ways because God works with each of us where we are at, but I know God placed that there for a lesson for me.
Hope my revelations can be a blessing to someone else too! When the light bulb goes on and the bells and whistles of a revelation happens for us we want to share.

I heard God saying "Are you listening?" So I stopped and really focused on what my co-worker was saying, not how she was saying it. All of the sudden it was like a floodgate of understanding that had never been there between us opened up. We had a great conversation, we resolved the issue she was questioning, she took my advice and thanked me.
When I hung up I remembered something our Pastor had told us, if we want to speak into peoples lives and share the gospel with them we need to get to know them and earn their trust and respect. When I got off the phone I felt like that was a step to earning the right to speak into her life someday.

If you want friends be a friend to someone, if want people to listen - listen to people, and not just the easy ones. It's good to love the lovely - it's even better when you learn to love the unlovely.

Blessings everyone.
Lynn

Good Fellowship

I just got home a little while ago from my Bible Study. We took the month of August off due to vacations and scheduling. My friend, the leader of the study and I went to dinner before the study to catch up on life. With her schedule and mine we keep missing each other, it was nice to visit and see what was going on with each other.

We headed over to our meeting place after dinner not sure who would show up since some had canceled and some hadn't confirmed or denied. But one of our members that recently lost her husband was there. She is almost completely deaf and reads lips, and started talking about her life. She shared about her Mom's battle with cancer and the days right before her passing - how she started a chain of people getting saved. Then she told of how her stubborn Dad received Jesus two days before going home. She shared the struggles and triumphs in her life and how God was always with her.

Our friend talked a lot tonight, and we got to know her in a deeper more personal way. We didn't get to our study tonight, but that's okay, we were still learning of God's goodness. As she shared with us and opened her life to us, we opened ours to her, and we shared God's love between us.

Before we said our prayers and left for the night she shared one last story, of a time when money was tight and times were hard. She asked God for a word that would give her strength to go on. The word she got was Psalm 3. She read it a loud to us and I heard it with new ears. Please read it even if you have before -

Psalm 3

¹ LORD, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
² Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah

³ But You, O LORD, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
⁴ I cried to the LORD with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

⁵ I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.
⁶ I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.

⁷ Arise, O LORD;
Save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
⁸ Salvation belongs to the LORD.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

In Verse 6 she wrote "creditors" above the word "people". She said she finally slept very well that night.
Maybe in this media frenzy of doom, gloom, and panic - we need a little more Psalm 3 "Gods Word" in our lives.

We had a good night of fellowship, bonding with each other and with God.
Chapter 14 can wait, another couple of weeks. :)

Blessings everyone,
Lynn

Loving Him - Loving Me

Loving Him - Loving Me

I Love Him - because He Loves me - He loved me 1st.

He loves me when I'm happy!
He loves me when I'm Sad.
He loves me when I'm naughty,
He loves me when I'm Mad.

He loves me in the morning
He loves me in the night
He loves me in the sunshine
He loves me with all His Might

He loves to hear me praise Him
He loves me when I obey
He loves for me to share Him
He loves me for forever and a day.

And for all of this - I love Him too!

(Lynn R 7/09)

Joy and Blessings
Lynn

Loving Him

Psalm 95 vs 1 Come let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. vs 6 Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for He is our God.

How He loves our praises! As much as us who have children, love to have them honor us with love and gratitude so much more our Lord loves our praises.

As we traveled along the Oregon Coast this weekend to visit my earthly Father, we commented how deep and rooted the rocks off the shores must be to withstand the raging waves of the sea, and still stand above the water. God is that rock for us.

Psalm 96 vs 11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

Have a wonderful day!
Blessings,
Lynn

Forgiveness

We are told to Forgive others -
^{Matthew 6:14}
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Mark 11:25
²⁵ “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

God also tells us that we are to love one another -

John 13: 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

God also tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, but what if we don't love ourselves? What if we haven't truly grasped Gods love for us. If we can't love ourselves, how do we love others? Then I ask, do we hold forgiveness from others because we haven't forgiven ourselves? Do we still feel unworthy. Do we still think that our sins were too bad. Do we feel that God can't use us because we were just that bad. Or maybe it's not that we were that bad, maybe we think we are just not good enough. I'll let you off the hook - you're not and neither am I. But Jesus is! He is what we could never be. For 33 years He lived Sin free. He took everything on Himself, because God knew we could never bear it ourselves. We all need to really wrap our trust around the truth that because of the Holy Spirit that lives on the inside of us - we have - are and can do everything. Don't forgive with your feelings, don't love with your feelings, love and forgive with the power that Jesus died to give you.

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins

Blessings,
Lynn

New Blog for the Crafty Side

Hi Everyone -

Like I don't have enough projects already... as my husband would say, I have started another blog on this site. Just go to my profile you will see my 3 blogs and the new one is "Quiltn 4 Fun".

Eventually I want to put all my quilt and craft pictures and links there, but since I still want to have time to do my quilts and crafts, it may be slow.

Also I signed up for a "Mini Quilt Swap". I'm excited! In a couple of days they will pick a name and send it to me and I will make a mini quilt and swap it with the person I get linked with. However it's a mystery so I don't think I will necessarily get my mini quilt from the same person. Anyway I think it will be a lot of fun and it's due in a month so I better start getting some ideas going.

Thanks for stopping by,
Blessings,
Lynn