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.®

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.®

How Far is Far? What Determines an End?

We are entering a very mature segment of things to ponder, but I have faith that each of you is ready for this.  We are not entering a race, although at times your discomfort might desire to run eagerly toward the finish line.  But allow yourself to slow down and experience each moment, thoughtfully.  This will be your space of openness, liberty and safety.  Remember that!  Here, unlike most of your experiences in the past, there will be no expectations, only acceptance of your questions, thoughts and understanding.  With that in mind, we will base our direction on a plea and warning from Gods loving words to us.

Jeremiah 6:16 (GWT) This is what the Lord Says:  Stand at the crossroads and look.  Ask which paths are the old, reliable paths.  Ask which way leads to blessings.  Live that way, and find a resting place for yourselves.  But you said that you wouldn’t live that way.

Galatians 6: 7-10 (GWT) Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God.  Whatever you plant is what you’ll harvest.  If you plant in the soil of your corrupt nature, you will harvest destruction.  But if you plant in the soil of your spiritual nature, you will harvest everlasting life.  We can’t allow ourselves to get tired of living the right way.  Certainly, each of us will receive everlasting life at the proper time, if we don’t give up.  Whenever we have the opportunity, we have to do what is good for everyone, especially for the family of believers! (Emphasis added for our study purposes).

Deeply was about where you are.  Honestly is about where you are going.  We will take this sojourn viewing these questions: 

Where are you going?

     What is your mental focus toward?

     Are you aware of a spiritual focus?

     How do you perceive your future?

     Are you facing your life honestly?

These are not in any specific order.  They are just things to think about.  I do not expect you to answer them, yet, just ask yourself the questions remembering “the sojourn is the answer; the question an endless plight” We are here to fly, not be live weighed down by sorry conditions!

So today, we are going to stop blaming others for what they did or did not do for us and to us.  I am not saying these people were kind, right or fair.  I am simply stating the obvious “they will be an obstruction for you to have a full view of your own life, where you are going and what you desire to discover about yourself”.

Sometimes we use this distraction to protect ourselves from pain. It is easier to deal with what we do not have any control over than it is to deal with what we have the power to alter and change.  This is not a feat for the faint of heart!  Let’s be brave though….one small step at a time, one complete day at a time; okay?

We never see ourselves as others do, good or bad.  We are too close and our view is askew.  Changing your life begins with honestly looking at your “self”.  We create our life not others.  Others may only suggest, reflect and have an impact toward us.  The affecting, altering power is under the dominion of “yourself”.  Knowing this helps us comprehend that in order to change our self perception we must stop using others perspectives and opinions as our truth.  It is only a piece of the puzzle not all pieces perfectly placed.

We know that there is only one True View Point and that is from the eye of God, His mind and the pure will of His heart.  We must be willing to discover and follow His ways for us. 

For the sake of all good things being done unto you, I pray that you will honestly consider the things we will be journeying through, together in Him.

Kisses,

Candace

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