April 30, 2014

It's Not Me, It Must Be You

If God said it is not good to be alone, why are committed relationships so gut wrenching in comparison to our extra-curricular relations.

Why do we make meaningful promises with a good intent and yet so flippantly forsake our own words. We are aware that we are pummeling hopes, dreams, commitments and compromising our loved ones abilities to painstakingly not retaliate in an evil way. But more significantly, they must continually attempt to trust in God and love well.

God's desire is for us to run under His wing.......will we?

God is not a masochist; He knows we cannot uphold relationship commitments by sheer grit.   We are made in His image; and we are ABLE to do this …..Because He lives.  Don’t miss this: If we could do it without God, then He would not get to be intimate with people.  Not physically, because He doesn't have a body like ours. He created a loop hole though; He lives in this world now INSIDE us! 

Again, don’t miss this:  It is not US who won’t leave people destitute.  It is God within us; we simply must allow His will to mature us. Our weak willed spirit cringes at the thought of having to put up with all the icky, sticky, goo of close relationships. God said He wants to wrap us under wing...some people would think that is terribly suffocating!

I had someone say to me once, “ I won’t leave you ........destitute.”   It appeared that they felt this should be something to trust, as if it could possibly sow up the deep wound they caused and numb my pain/suffering.  I said to myself, “Do they not realize destitute means left forsaken.  We have discussed many times that we can only do our part – this is the reason God tells us, “Be at peace as far as it depends on YOU.”  

No one can repair or reconcile a relationship without a reciprocating “you” involved; agreed?  If someone does not desire peace “with others” then they only desire comfort for them self.  The reason we get confused at times, is because some of the things others receive comfort from happens when they comfort us.  Maybe this is the reason for all the proverbs in regard to the deceptions of our feelings.  

 Comfort is the nemesis to maturity, especially in our maturity within Christ’s body. God desires to lavish His love on everyone.  But as we see, not everyone wants to receive real love.  Who knows all the reasons why they find it terribly uncomfortable to stay close, really let others in.  Sometimes they find it too hard to keep distance and leave.   It does hurt and it even harms them, us and anyone else entangled. And, it deeply grieves the Holy Spirit, but they find all this easier than allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to work for them...And God keeps trying anyway.

We cannot force peace because then it is not kindness, it is controlling.   Do not allow yourself to be verbally bullied either, you are a peacemaker; not a mute point.   If you are attempting to relate with immaturity (or call it whatever you wish) it will repeatedly verbally and sometime physically desire to push you out the door, so to speak.  We do not have to take part in destroying relationships, but to not speak the truth in love also destroys intimacy.  

And lastly, remember:  With God as your witness, in all you say and do…..simultaneously you are His witness that He is alive and well in YOU!    This is why where Christ is there is liberty, so honor your commitments – Don’t leave God forsaken!

In Love with Christ, Kisses,
Candace

 Copyrights Reserved ©Candace Huffmaster
 2014 Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Inc.®

April 19, 2014

The Problem Is Not That We Have Expectations

As I study scripture, my thoughts merge and the topics emerge.  However, it is never concise, with all the loose strings neatly tied into a place. Which ever way I look, there are more scriptures to go deeper and wider than I could ever hope to comprehend fully.  This is why I could never get bored with attempting to get to know God and understand fully what a relationship with Him is really like.

Sometimes I think about how difficult and a struggle it is to have a fully satisfying relationship with something I have no ability to really see.  And how I am supposed to run to Him first, but I cannot feel His arms around me.  These are the things which cause us to fear, yet we really do believe in Him - but I cannot not say without fail.  Do you think God gets angry or does not have sympathy for us, knowing how desperately difficult it is? Actually, I think He is brought so much glory as we keep attempting to experience Him, no matter what the entire human race may think - it's a mute point.

Today I was studying "knowing" things and Love never fails kept coming to mind. For several months I have been meditating on knowing and being known.  It should not have surprised me when the verses I came to spoke about knowledge and love never failing.  Love NEVER fails, 1 Corinthians promises. I know love and sometimes it really does fall short of God's expectations.  When we want to be loved we sure know how to expect it from others: patient, kind, rejoices with truth, bears all things, believes all things, endures all things. Then we have the love is not list, just to clarify in case someone thinks there is a loop hole.  (Do not worry, we will be covering how we want to be let off the hook later ;)

We have been thinking about how long and far things are, so you must be prepare to plunge into Never.  Never means: not ever at anytime.  I thought back to the other verse I have been meditating on: the end of a thing is better than the beginning and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.  To which I thought, how can I expect a wonderful end when I do not really know how good, good can get?  Doesn't it seem odd?  How foolish we are to think God blames us for not getting something we have no comprehension of; not fully anyway.  This is why He promises, we cannot get it through what we know or what we have experienced....Expect So Much More!

Then I thought about life and pain.  Sometimes we do not want to find out what is ahead, or go back because we do not want to experience something painful.  But then wonderful wise Ecclesiastes came to mind - but the end is so much better than the momentary affliction.  If you do not attempt to get beyond it, you won't experience the great things.  Life is not easy; but easy is not a good life.  God wants excitement, laughter, enjoyment, fulfillment, zeal.  Think about powerful things and how if they are not in the hands of a skilled craftsman bad things can happen; emotions are the same; fury, lust, greed, insanity etc.

When we cannot handle a powerful thing, we cut it off.  Sometimes, we mistakenly call that peaceful or relaxed. But it is not, it is nothingness, detachment, isolation.  That sounds like misery to me when my heart craves peace, serenity and rich relationships.  Knowing these are the very hopes God has for the future, I thought again about "Love Never Fails". I also thought about all our painful memories and thought about God having an eternity of memories to deal with, as well as a universe of unrighteous people who hurt him.  So I studied more.

What good would it do God to destroy a bunch of broken, messed up creatures? All that would do is wipe out the ugliness along with everything He loved.  At the end of that there would be nothingness, no hope, no happy, no sadness, just a big God with an enormous empty space and a God sized love to give into nothing.  How sad is that?

God had to do something with all His righteous need for justice and since wiping us out would not satisfy His rage, anger, jealousy and all the stuff He wanted to stop remembering.  Christ said, I'll help you.  I am perfect and together we will never fail.  So God allowed it, Christ received it and together along with the Holy Spirit we can have a better ending than what we know of.  I cannot tell you how any of this will end because I have not gotten there yet.  But I can tell you to read the bible, after all it is His beginning, end and eternity.

I have so much more, but will stop for today.  I pray you think about all this and know...God is real, Christ is true and the Holy Spirit is with you - Expect more from God not less; more from yourself than you alone can do and hold others accountable, but not in a shameful way.  Let's raise the bar, Christ was raised from the dead! That is a pretty high expectation, don't you think!

Happy Easter Family,
Candace





Copyrights Reserved ©Candace Huffmaster 2014
Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Inc.®


April 16, 2014

How Long is Long?


How does one measure the depth of deep?
What limits the length of pain?
At what point does far begin?
What distance determines an end?
~ from Fabric of Life 

In 2006, I would have been about 44. I was studying God's word and journaled my reflections.  It is good for us to reflect on our growth and God's truth as we perceived it, to ensure we are striving to manifest the character of Christ.  My opening thought shows that I must have been also meditating on the lines listed above.  How long is long? What determines End........ To think that in my forties I felt I had already been alive for a long time, now seem rather ridiculous.  However, if I remember correctly, I thought the same thing around 20 as well.  God tells us that to Him one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day.  He also tells us that He is not slow as some might think to fulfill His promise, but rather He is patient for our sakes. Peter wrote about this and the end of all life asking: what kind of people ought you to be?

Here is the rest:

Be realistic about what your race is. Do not look for the quick fixes or things based on worldly limited understanding.  Do not seek to accomplish what you, in your own strength can accomplish.  This is settling for failure, or at the least something vain and will not be beneficial toward reaching the finish of your race.  Seek to understand, to gain wisdom; to be strengthened by the grace of God. Then you will be able to bring aid to less mature athletes; showing them what you learned, encouraging them to endure and be strengthened.  By sharing your story within God's whole story, you are telling Christ's story and adding their character in.  

"Above all else ....Guard your heart" Use discernment.  See with eye's wide open.  Do not hope only for what you know you can face; pray for the "day" and that God's glory be seen.  You can face the longest of distances if you look at them through truth, in His presence.  When others sense His peace in your situation, you blanket them with His peace to endure, if they will receive it.  This opens doorways which might have taken years, otherwise.  Allow the Lord to use you as His doorway, He to them and them to Him, in their time of need.  

Do not always be looking for what is in it for you.....Look far beyond yourself so that you might see what He is looking at.  He has already provided for all your needs, so that you may help another with exactly what He has given into you.  He never asks us to give beyond our measure.  See beyond yourself, but do not give from yourself - extend from the Lord.  To those who have been given much, much is expected.  "Do not taste the goodness of the Lord and turn back".  

Think on these things and decide for yourself in whom you believe.  I pray that we all are maturing, moment my moment, in His truth and the expression of His love.  How long will we suffer....until Christ returns to take us home.  But how we suffer can be determined through His mercy, grace and our will. 

With Hope in Christ Jesus ~ Kisses,
Candace

Copyrights Reserved ©Candace Huffmaster 2014
Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Inc.®

April 10, 2014

Please Do Not Give Me Another Opinion

How many opinions have we all listened to, not to mention given, throughout our lives. Not everyone opens up to get in the conversation of life, but we all have added our view points if, we breath, from time to time. Even if we cannot, or chose not to, speak our very presence speaks volumes. As we mature a shift happens. We gain enough experience that we can discern an opinion or theory, which may be based on very real information, from something deeper and richer. When we hear these words it is the difference between listening to Ercle verses Indiana Jones. The zeal of someone having traveled the very words they are speaking, having utilized what they believed and standing there in front of you is vastly different from the one who listens, reads, thinks and talks. 

Proverbs 15:23 States: To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!

Everything I have been studying this month subconsciously keeps aligning me with verses from Ecclesiastes. There is a purpose for everything under the sun, a time for all things, somethings are vain, enjoy life it is only for the living - and much more. Today as I was studying, I cross referenced with the verse from proverbs, typed above. I remembered Solomons desire for wisdom to ensure he was just in caring for everyone and how God blessed him with more wisdom than any man before or after. But Solomon was still just a man with opinions, if he was not speaking the words of God.

I had to look up the word apt to be sure I knew exactly what it meant. Two applications perfectly aligned with my studies this morning and made me stop and write this to share with you all : usually fitted or qualified; ready (as a tool in the hands of the conspirators). having a tendency; likely : ordinarily disposed; inclined (plausible as true) : suited to a purpose; especially (being to the point, an apt quotation).

What I was going to write this morning was about how everyone wants to make it to the top. There is so much talk about "our purpose" since The Purpose Driven Life. If life is for the living then of course we want to participate and not miss out. Today we are only taking a few steps into this deep topic for now.

Over simplifying to save much time, a leader has all things before him. He must decide each path and the way steps are made. He must go first on the very long journey, then return with the experience, full knowledge of what was successful verses what would fail. Servants have been told where to stand, what to do and what to see / or be on the watch for. They have nothing but time to notice and be about their current space. They have much more down time ........if they chose to have it.

Too many of us call our self leaders and then drag others down our path, our experience. We selfishly use them for our comfort and gain. This is not a leader, not a good leader anyway; these are the mannerisms of a servant who serves in vain. Think about all the biblical history we have about people wanting to get to the top. Now think about Christ. Since the beginning he was serving God, creating alongside Him and walking with Him. It was God who decided it was time for Christ to take a journey out from Him. Christ was pleased to take it and did not despise the road God chose, the purpose of his life or the fact that he had to wait till it was God's time and way.

Even when among us, Christ was serving all people, all the time as God would. It makes me think that it was not only a way for us to see God, but for Christ to remember every detail of Him. Divinely, honor was brought to God and God was blended into each current moment with Jesus, and those in his presence. Christ was very clear that every word He ever spoke was not his but His Fathers. He said if they saw him they could be assured they had seen His Father; therefore his mannerisms and directives were stimulated by the same things as well.


Jesus trusted God in every way, he went where he was told, did what was asked but more importantly he relied on his relationship and not just instructions. God allowed Christ to completely finish, withholding no experience, entrusting the fullness of the journey was a glorious thing. Ecclesiastes 7:8 states: Better is the end of a thing than the beginning; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Let us make no mistake, there is but One Leader, One Creator, One I Am. So, never run ahead, taking His position, proudly reaching the pinnacle and echoing out into the nothingness "Here I Am!!" Be pleased that you have purpose, right where He met you; not above it all, but while you were still in your mess. Your purpose was to be with Him, even in Him for ever - starting then!

There was only One time that He called you and you turned to hear Him and noticed exactly what He said. And from the middle of your chaos you lifted up your face, opened your mouth and from the depths of your heart said "Here I am!!" This was your moment and the start of "YOUR" journey - but your journey is not alone; it is His journey as well - that is why it is Yours!

There will be times when you are with others, there will be times when you are separated from others for a time. God has a reason for all things, but these things are not necessary for you or I to understand. Remember in all things what He tells you. Remember what He taught you and value them enough to bring them up. These are the mysterious moments when they see Him, as we see them, but also the Greatest Love above all men!

Today do not look for your life's purpose - that would be like saying God alone is simply not enough. Just sit down as Mary, grateful that He is with you; let all other anxieties wash away. Christ served, He sojourned and sat down. He led us right up to the Father and said please come on in.


I know this world is a noisy place and "in my opinion" it will not be quieting down. Shouldn't we do our part to help them hear His voice? What if we all spoke nothing but His words...the very same words that He said were Our Dad's? Hmmm.......but then again, we already do; even if we do not know it - because Christ said we do. I guess what I should ask then is this:

Who's child am I? Who's child are you? We may not see the resemblance, but everyone else knows the truth - it is as plain as the nose on our face!

Be still in His presence and bring Him to remembrance today.....or several day....or forever ;)

For the Love of God, in Jesus we are alive forever ~ kisses,
Candace




Copyrights Reserved ©Candace Huffmaster 2014
Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Inc.®