Reckless Love

I'm a sucker for romantic scenes where the hero sweeps in and rescues the heroine. The song, Reckless Love, describes the most awesome rescuer ever.

The hero refuses to allow anything to come between him and his beloved. He leaves everything and everyone behind, and embarks on a search and rescue mission.

And he does it without any guarantee his devotion will ever be returned.

The song says, "When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me.
You have been so, so good to me.
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me.
You have been so, so kind to me." "And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine.
And I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away.
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God."

"There's no wall You won't kick down,
Lie You won't tear down,
Coming after me.

There's no shadow You won't light up,
Mountain You won't climb up,
Coming after me."


Romantic books and movies take a backseat to the reality of true love. God's love. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Because of that incredible love, Jesus left heaven and embarked on a search and rescue mission for us. He did it for the young, the old, the rich, the poor. For every person in the world.


God is reaching out to you right now. Do you desire His unconditional, never-ending love?

Pray this simple prayer:

"Jesus, I welcome you into my life. Please forgive my sins. Be my Lord, savior, and friend."

And get ready to experience the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God!



Photos courtesy Wicci Commons 

Miss America, Cheese, and True Love

Have you seen the Miss America parodies in the movies or on TV?
A cheesy host asks the contestant, "If you could have one wish, what would it be?" The young woman simpers and answers in a sugary voice, "World peace."         
                   

                                                                                    
I'm not bashing the Miss America contestants. They're intelligent, talented, and beautiful.
I cheer for those young women...even with my cellulite thighs and bat-wing triceps flapping.
And even though I've experienced many times when I didn't feel intelligent, or talented, or beautiful.

Or worthwhile.

Or loved.
Have you ever felt like that?

Hold onto your Kraft American singles because this may sound as cheesy as the mock Miss America host.
If I could have one wish, I'd want everyone, young and old, to know this:

You are special. 
You are loved. 
You matter. 

Since the Miss America Fairy won't be swooping by to grant my wish, consider this.

You matter so much that God says to you, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!" Jeremiah 31:3 The Message.

May that truth bring peace to your world.

Photo of Mitzi Strother, Miss Florida 1941 from http://www.flickr.com

Oh, Mercy!

A while back my husband, Jake, bought 2 dozen feeder goldfish for his afternoon of fishing. But some were too cute to become bait, so I begged, "Please let me keep them as pets."


courtesy of digitalart @freedigitalphotos.net

Those three, named Faith, Hope, and Love, remained. My long-suffering fisherman hubby even bought them an upscale aquarium plant for their tank. A nice one, not the cheap plastic kind I would have picked up.

The other goldfish became bait,

but we showed these three mercy.

Fast forward two years. Jake trapped a possum, which we cooked and ate as related in a previous blog. Seriously. (Click here if you don't believe me.)

Side note:  Anytime people eat something unusual they say it tastes like chicken.       "Rattlesnake? Tastes like chicken"
"Ostrich? Tastes like chicken."
"Possum? It tastes like a collision of ham and chicken."
             It's delicious...once you look past the fur and feet.

Courtesy of jiggoja@ freedigitalphots.net

Enter possum #2. This little guy wound up stuck in the cage without food or water for a day. Jake looked at its sad little face and fed it a McDonald's hamburger.

Disclaimer: Fast food in not part of an optimal diet for possums. Or humans.

Nevertheless, Jake not only fed and watered it, he released it. "Jethro" the possum ambled away, safe from the stew pot.

 Possum one became dinner.

Possum two received mercy.



    courtesy of iosphere @freedigitalphotos.net

Think about God's great mercy. Unlike us, He holds out mercy to all. He doesn't grab anyone and say, "OK, you're bait. I'm dumping you in the river to catch something better."

He never decides, "Hmm, you're not appealing enough. Into the oven with you."

courtesy of iosphere @freedigitalphotos.net

God always extends his mercy to us.

He always gives us another chance.

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT

 courtesy of Sura Nualpradid @freedigitalphotos.net

 

 Have you seen God's mercy at work in your life? It's new every morning, special for you.



courtesy of KEKO64 @freedigitalphotos.net

Since God has shown me so much mercy, I'm heading out to extend some right now. Jethro the possum is asking for his McDouble and fries.



Craigslist in Heaven?

Does anyone else read Craigslist, the free online want-ads, for giggles?

The perpetually misspelled ads cheer me when I get tired of looking at my own misspellings.

Armoires, those tall wardrobe cabinets, pose a challenge. Craigslisters usually refer to them as armwars or armwores.

There's plenty of "Rot Iron Patio Sets" and "Chase Lownjes."

But my favorite is the inadvertent humor found in the "Free" column. 

Free Chickens:  I was driving and I hit their mother, so I took them in and cared for them. Very health and looking to get rid of them. Call...

 

Free brown leather rocker recliner:  Leather continues to peel. Great if you use a cover. Text for address and i can sit outside of garage door.

Free water bottle: Works great! Ask for 5 dollars.

Pile of junk tires: need gone asap please someone come get sick of looking at them!!!!


Sometime we may feel as though our luster is gone.
That our value is diminished.
That God is ready to list us in the "Free" column of a heavenly want-ad.

That, my friend, is a lie straight from the pit of hell.

The truth is we are valuable to God. He sees us as precious. He loves us with an everlasting love.

". . .  I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." Jeremiah 31:3

And here's more good news:


"Don’t be afraid, for the Lord . . . will be with you; he will not fail nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:8 

So relax. The only thing in heaven's "Free" column is God's love.

Gain Victory Today

                --I wish I could...
                           --If only... 
                                --Maybe one day...

                 Great news. "One day" is here.

                              Today's our Victory Day.

• Maybe it's putting out the cigarette before the final drag.
• Or turning off the TV before the next show starts.
• Or putting away the bag of Cheetos before it's empty.
• Or signing up for that class.

No matter how large, no matter how small, today let's celebrate every victory. 

Let's lift each other up, not beat each other up.

And that includes our spouses, children, friends...and ourselves. We're often our own harshest critics. Instead of focusing on what we did wrong, let's celebrate what we're doing right.



Feel like you're doing nothing right? Each moment is a new beginning. Start
fresh right now.

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  Lamentaions 3:21-23

Still feel like there's nothing to celebrate? Grab hold of this awesome promise: 

 God has said, "I will never leave you or abandon you." Hebrews 13:5

The God who created the universe loves us so much he'll stick with us always. That's something to celebrate.

What victories spark your world today? I'd love to hear. 

My victory is walking away from the chocolate covered strawberries.

Update: I ate them all as I went to put them away.

Ok, my NEW victory is being honest about eating all the strawberries.

How about you? What will you celebrate today?

Photo of girl under the trees courtesy of PhotoKanok @freedigitalphotos.net

This Blog's for You

Dear Nancy, this blog is written especially for you. I've walked a mile in your mid-heeled pumps, and want to remind you that no matter how crazy things get, God loves you, and is standing by to help.

Nancy, please don't give up.

By David Castillo Dominici @ freedigitalphotos.net





You're working as hard as you can to take care of your family. You handle the cooking, housework, yard work, kids' transportation, pet care, and volunteer activities-church, school, and sports.

 



You love your husband with your whole heart, but you'd appreciate more romance and fewer dirty clothes on the floor...six inches from the hamper.

Courtesy of anankkml @freedigitalphotos.net

You love Jesus.

You're concerned about the battles your kids face every day walking into their classrooms. Along with drugs and bullying, you're troubled about their constant exposure to a world view that says everything's permissible--except true Christianity.

courtesy Gualberto107 @freedigitalphoto.net

 

You and your family are bombarded with the lie that christians who take a stand for biblical values are ignorant and narrow-minded.

photostock @ freedigitalphotos.net

 

You want to give your kids an alternative to the Harry Potter and Twilight novels the rest of their friends, even the christian ones, are devouring. You want to turn on the TV without listening to a string of words being bleeped out...and hearing those that should have been.

Courtesy of hin255 @freedigitalphotos.net

In the midst of your super-heroic, super-busy life, you need time for prayer, love, laughter, hope, and a nap.

 

Most important, you need to be reminded how precious you are to God. How much He treasures you. And it's not for what you do. He loves you for you.

Serge Bertasius Photography @ freedigitalphotos



So Nancy, be encouraged as you take your stand against a world that doesn't understand God's Word; that ridicules your determination to live by it, and raise your children by it.

You may feel overwhelmed at times. You might not do everything right. But keep standing strong. Keep pressing on.

Courtesy of graur razvan ionut @ freedigitalphotos.net

Here's God's message for you:

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you."    Deut 31:8 NLT

I truly want to hear from all the "Nancys" out there.

What are you believing God for today? What are your hopes and dreams and aspirations? What have you endured? Where do you struggle? How can I help?  

 

Please leave a message in the comments below. If you don't want to share it in the comments, email me directly (jeaniej@cox.net).

You matter to God, and you matter to me.

You matter.

You've probably seen the Miss America running gag in movies or TV.  A cheesy host asks the contestant, "If you could have one wish, what would it be?" The young woman simpers and answers in a sugary voice, "World peace."         
                     

                                                                                      
I'm not bashing Miss America. I cheer for those young women...even with my cellulite showing, and my triceps flapping. The contestants are intelligent, talented, and beautiful.

What about when we don't feel intelligent, or talented, or beautiful? Or worthwhile? Or loved?
Hold onto your Kraft American singles because this may sound as cheesy as the mock Miss America host.
If I could have one wish, I'd want everyone, young and old, to know this: You are special. You are loved. You matter.
Since the Miss America Fairy won't be swooping by to grant my wish, I'll remind you, starting now.

You matter so much that God says to you, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!" Jeremiah 31:3 The Message.
May that truth bring peace to your world.

Photo of Mitzi Strother, Miss Florida 1941 from http://www.flickr.com