Friday, April 21, 2017

Going to the chapel

Excited was not the word!  I met a lovely lady at Bible study that was able to allow me to visit the beautiful road chapel near my home in Colorado.  I was intrigued by the little chapel in the wild.  It sits so beautiful up on the side of the mountain and in the summer isn't even seen from the road.  I wanted to see inside.  

Kenny and I were invited up to see it closer.  We road up the little road in our jeep and came upon the sweetest place to celebrate Our Lord.  The view is unbelievable.  God's Creation out of every window and the inside is beautiful woodwork, pews, and God.

We heard the story of a father who wanted to find the best setting on all of his property to build this chapel for his daughter to have her wedding.  He found it and what an act of love for his daughter, but also God.

I could not wait to walk into this chapel.  It was calling to me.
We opened the doors and the view behind the podium was the first thing I saw and words just do not do it justice.  God is everywhere and you do not miss that point.  I will never forget the feeling of opening that door and witnessing the view and the profound moment of knowing that God is celebrated with every word, with every moment, with every turn of the head in this little chapel in the wild.


The pews are still decorated from years before with the dried flowers and bows of celebration of the wedding that the chapel was built to hold.  The wedding was so special to hear about knowing that Our Heavenly Father was celebrated in such a mighty way, but that this young woman's earthly father wanted such a special place for his little girl to begin her new journey.


In Colorado, my time is always so very special.  I am also reminded with every turn of my eyes that God with me.  I am reminded of who He is and just how big He truly is.  I come back home ready to face each day with vigor and love ~ not because of who I am, but because of who God truly is...Colorado fills me up with God and every once in awhile I just go back to be refueled with all that He is through His creation.  It just speaks to my soul.


I thank God for the gift that He gave me the day He took me closer into His arms and allowed me to find Him in birds, bees, moose, bears, elk, porcupines, and little chapels in the wild.  Thank you Lord for this special trip to the little chapel in the wild.

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Monday, April 3, 2017

A, B, C, D, or F...



Today, is about grades!  Not really, but it might be easier for us to talk about this way.

I am writing about a topic that absolutely none of us want to seriously talk about or look at, but we must.  I hope that you don't click the x mark and leave the page, because the topic is sin.   Yes, a word that we don't even like to say aloud, much less talk about.

Sin is defined as anything that sets itself up against the holiness or glory of God.  I think some of us (myself included) at times would like to have a grading system.  My sin isn't near as bad as that sin or my sin is only half as bad as that sin and well you know what God doesn't look at sin that way.  No sin is just sin.  Plan and simple.  No big debate sin is sin, but I was thinking the other day we don't want to call it what it is.  We want to label it a mistake, a lapse of judgment, a problem, the list goes on and on.  When was the last time we called it what it is?

God loves us and He sent His Son to pay the price for our sin.  So we must recognize it for what it is, in order to receive grace.  Yes, grace.  Admit your sin and accept your grace.  Then we must begin to look more and more like Jesus.

No longer should we look at the next person and say well I'm at level C and that person over there well they are well an F.  God doesn't see a difference in our sin and it is hard for us to grasp, because we see ourselves as good people.  We haven't done anything really bad.  We try to do good things.  We go the extra mile.  Well, Jesus is the one that did what mattered.  He died to wipe away our sins and we need to realize the cost He paid for each of us.

It is the time of Easter.  It is the time to recognize the love  Jesus had and still has for each of us and accept the gift that none of us deserve.  

Jesus loves me!  Jesus loves you!  Remember the song we all sang when we were little.   Jesus loves the little children.  All the children of the world.  Red and Yellow, Black and White, they are precious in His sight Jesus loves the little children of the world.  I don't know if I remembered it exactly right, but it's true.  Jesus loves all of us and our measure of sin doesn't matter.  Jesus sees it all the same and He loves us all the same.  He loves each of us a lot!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie