Week 6

February’s theme is Abide. 

The week 6 verse is :

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:13-16‬ ‬‬

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

The word ‘live’ is also translated ‘abide’ and ‘dwell’ depending on which version you read.

We dwell in God, and He dwells in us. Find out more and share your lovely creative moments here this week!

Advertisement

The Girl in the Mirror has the Key

The key to freedom is His Love, not some love I work up. I can’t just copy what Jesus did. That’s my interpretation of how He shows Love. In reality, He went to His Father in prayer each day and kept their connection fresh. He only did what He saw His Father doing, said what His Father said. He stayed vitally connected, and then he told his followers to stay vitally connected to the same vine.

IMG_0396.PNG
In that connection we don’t figure out Love, we draw it out from the Jesus vine and it seamlessly flows out of us just in time of need. That’s what the world needs again. That’s what I need, the Love of the only one who really aches for the lost, hurting, disappointed, every race, rich and poor. Each person and situation requires agape Love straight from the throne and Christ, the reigning one who lives in me, the hope of that glorious Love.

It’s going to take some work on my part, more time in prayer on behalf of others, an intentional relationship with my Heavenly Father and His Word, giving away what I have been given, stepping out of my comfort zones, stepping into a raging lost world.

Lord help me stay united with you in such a way today that I just let your compassion and love flow through and out of me to produce fruit in and for your name. Amen.

Inspirational thoughts:

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:15-16 NIV)

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10 NIV)

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV)

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing… If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:5-8NIV)

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12 NIV)

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. (Matthew 10:8 NIV)

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:23-25 NIV)

Onomatopoeia

I adore words. Big words, little words, words that sound like rocks…?! nvm

In the cool of the mornings I like to sit on my back deck and hang out with Jesus. Most of the time the sounds of the forest call out to me and share His love.

Intrigued by the sounds this morning, I tried to capture them in words. What was that crazy word that is a word that sounds like what it is?…. Oh yeah, the coolest word ever – onomatopoeia – tada!

20140623-102356-37436836.jpg

Jumbo juicy raindrop – plop
Charming cherry cardinal – trill
Passive perching squirrel – chirrup
Whispering willow leaves – swish

Just to make sure I got that word right, I looked it up on the fount of all wisdom, the internet. The definition got me stuck in a thought.

Onomatopoeia means more than I expected: making or creating names. I remember reading a couple of stories about people who did just that.

On the other hand, words that sound like real-life sounds are called echomimetic. Those words are imitations or echos of sound.

You know, Christians are stuck in echomimetic mode. Yup, we copy the past, each other, the music, the experiences, the jargon… Face it we are copycats. Not much new going on here, kind of an echo of past glories without the original Glory.

But God is still in onomatopoeia mode. He calls those things that be not as if they are. He makes all things new. He created the world with creative words and gave Adam the commission to create names for all living things. He used creative methods for healing, delivering and teaching. Not once did He copy his previous method.

I want to live an onomatopoeia life. Start each project with fresh creative eyes, as if it had never been done before. Create an atmosphere of hope and love with my words. The only constant i need is Jesus.

Oh, BTW, did you know there is an onomatopoeia dictionary? Really, there is http://www.writtensound.com
Aren’t you glad you read to the end?