God is HUGE

We've been studying the names of God on Wednesday nights and we're drawing to the close of this interesting time together.  I will tell you openly that I thought I had a concept of who God is but studying His names has brought out so much to me that I had not taken the time to learn about my Father. 

We have talked about God our healer, God our peace, God our banner, God who supplies my needs.  We have discussed the strong names of God, the caring names of God, and even our Master/servant relationship with God.  All of these studies have been fascinating to me. 

Last night, though, we learned about Elohim, the Strong Creator, and it was incredible.  As I prepared for this class my mind was racing but discussing it with my brothers and sisters in Christ really blew my mind!  Some of the things that we discussed are

God is life:  He is not only the source of all life, He is life.  Everything exists because He is in it.  Sounds simple, doesn't it?  Think about it for a minute, though.  Everything that we know is because He is.  Wow. 

God is self-existent:  He was around before anything, even before the beginning of creation.  No one created God. 

God is bigger than space and time:  God has no boundaries, no limitations, by space or time.  He's bigger than either of those because He created them both.  I'm a self-proclaimed calendar junkie and scheduler extraordinaire.  To think that God doesn't have to be limited by 24 hours in a day and 7 days a week is a lot for my mind to digest. 

I hope that these tidbits have whetted your appetite to learn more about God.  Check out the concordance of your Bible or go to this link My Father's Names.  God is fascinating and He wants us to know Him more. 

Check Him out for yourself today.  He's change your life!!!

Who Loves You, Baby?

I love reading my Bible.  God is so good and He speaks to me me when I read His word.  Sometimes there are obvious things to learn:  thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill and so on.  We all need to know these things.  What truly fascinates me is the Michelle-designed encouragement that God gives me through His word.  It is mind blowing to me that God can take a sentence or phrase that countless numbers of people have read and translate it, through His Holy Spirit, into words that are meant exclusively for me. 

I have waited my whole life for someone to love me in a unique and unfailing way.  I think that we all desire this type of love - perfect, unfailing, divine love.  As much as we want our family and friends to provide this for us, they simply cannot do it.  We're human.  We fail sometimes or we disappoint or we just miss the boat on what our loved ones would wish for us to do or say. 

Not so with God.  He loves me with a perfect love.  He never misses an opportunity to tell me He loves me.  He has surrounded me with the beauty of His creation and the glory of nature to remind me of this.  He has placed people in my life who, in His wisdom He knows that I need,  These folks are on many days they are my earthly reminders of my heavenly father.  God thinks about me. 

I wish I could pour my heart out into this blog because I am truly overwhelmed by the love that God has for me.  We teach personalization of scripture in the 201 class and I think it's appropriate to end today's offering to you with an example of this.  Today, personalize John 3:16.  Who loves you, baby?  Your heavenly father loves you - that's who!  

[Traditional - NIV] 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



[Personalized] For God so loved Michelle that he gave his one and only Son [for Michelle], that when Michelle believes in him [she] shall not perish but [she]have eternal life.  John 3:16

Non-Negotiable

My son, James, and I had a pretty interesting conversation last night. As conversations tend to do, like a lazy river twisting this way and that, the topics that we discussed veered here and there until we landed in a spot where we decided to stay for a while.

The topic: is God's Word Negotiable?

Before you throw out the glaringly obvious answer of "NO!" and look at me with that did-she-really-put-that-in-writing-look, you have to know that I agree with you and with that answer.  However,  I do not always live that way.

God has been telling me some things over the last year and a half that I know to be from Him.  The funny thing is that some of the things He has told me are time definite and I truly think that there is type of  blessing from God on the horizon if I do what He says, but rather than act I still chose to regale Him with "good reasons" why I can't follow His direct command to me.  So over the course of this time, I've been dancing the guilt-and-shame-I-can't-hear-You dance.  You know the one.  We've all done it and it's a lot more work and so much harder dancing this jig than walking in obedience is 

Poor God.  I'll bet He rolls His eyes a lot when He looks at me. 

But He is so good and He loves us so much and He doesn't give up on us.  He said to me a couple of weeks ago, "Michelle, if you really think it's my Word, is it negotiable?" 


With one simple question God put all of my cheap excuses in the garbage.  I said very much out loud and from my heart, "No, God, it's not negotiable."  And in the amazing way that only God brings, the immediate freedom from guilt and shame that follow confession and forgiveness overwhelmed me.  My heart was lightened, my burden gone (I guess my dance ticket was gone!)  I have started to do those things that I have known for sometime now that I need to do.  And simple obedience to God's word has already brought about a better life because I am living with in His freedom.  

What about you?  What do you need to do today?  You don't need the devil as a dance partner when you can walk in the light of God.  Whatever God is saying to you, do it.  It'll set you free.