Matthew 8:1-3

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said , “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and TOUCHED the man. “I Am Willing.” He said. “ Be Clean!” Immediately he  was cured of his leprosy. 

Schools closed. Tournaments cancelled. Music competitions delayed. Work from home. Online classes. Isolate. Isolate. Isolate. It’s the theme of our times…. but Jesus won’t follow those rules. He never has and he never will. 

Jesus has been pushing the envelope from the moment he burst forth onto the earthly scene as a little baby born among cattle. What kind of king lays among hay in the middle of cow dung?

Jesus began teaching in the temple at age 12 and by his early 30’s he had created a following that not only moved the lowly but infuriated the political and religious rulers of the day. 

Jesus also dared to do something else no one in his time was doing…. he spent time with and TOUCHED.…. the sick.  Went right up to them, placed his hands on them and healed them.

People that were social outcasts.

Quarantined from life to prevent the spreading of disease and Often living in shame and sadness- the result of a life of isolation. 

Jesus meets them right where they are with no fear and the healing begins.

There is the potential for all of us to quickly succumb to the fear that can enter when we isolate ourselves from the world.  Today and the days following you need to know that Jesus has not left the building, or your home or your heart. He is walking with each and everyone of us. He is and will guide us into all truth. He will show us his power, peace and provision like you may have never experienced before.  I have learned from past seasons of isolation due to family sickness, job loss, moves across the country that the one thing, the only thing I can count on has stayed…

Jesus – he shows up.

 In his word… 

The actions of loving people in communities….

In music….

In his creation.  And so many other, often unexpected places.

Jesus – breaking all the rules to ensure he will always be right where you are. Reach out- grip his hand. He’s not going anywhere.

Loving you where you are and pointing you forward to where He is,

Justbeth:)

19 days into Lent.

What have you learned?

What have you let go of?

What have your gripped tighter?

How is Jesus more real to you today?

Where do you need him to be more real tomorrow?

May Jesus be your light, your wisdom, your guide. May he be the power behind your every YES and your every NO. May you trust him in your everything.

justbeth:)

Pull out your notebook, your best pen… start writing… start listening…God wants to speak to you today.

1 John 4:10

NIV: New International Version

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

AMP: The Amplified Version

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation (that is the atoning sacrifice and the satisfying offering) for our sins ( fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating his wrath.

MSG: The Message Version

This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about- not that we- once upon a time loved God – but that he loved us and sent his son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

TPT: The Passion Translation

This is love: He loved us long before we loved him. It was his love, not ours. He proved it by sending his son to be the pleasing sacrificial offering to take away our sins.

The Voice:

This is the embodiment of true love: not that we have loved God first, but that He loved us and sent His unique Son on a special mission to become an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

GO ahead… carve out some time. Write the words. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open you heart to what God wants to communicate with you.

And if you have an extra minute… I’d love to hear what he had to say.

justbeth:)

It made me do a double take.  The scene outside the window to my backyard. The view of some of the most magnificent sunrises in the world. Today it was the contrast between the brightness of the sun and the darkness of the early morning sky. The drama caused my head to snap back and the shifting beauty kept me coming back over the next 30 minutes.  This drama between light and dark immediately reminded me of the power of Jesus when he enters our darkness. It’s bold. It’s unapologetic. It’s clear. It impacts everything around it- making it more beautiful just by standing in its presence. The light of Jesus – you can’t feel the warmth without being changed. 

Enjoy my photo journal of the beautiful start to my day.

  Make it a point to look up to the east over the next days of Lent. In a world that feels like it’s changing by the minute  let the power, beauty and glory of the sunrise remind you of our great Creator that loves his creation – always. No matter what the day holds-he is with us.

Loving you where you are and pointing your forward to where He is. 

Justbeth:) 

Matthew 27:20. Meanwhile, the chief priest and the religious leaders were inciting the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be freed and to have Jesus killed. So Pilate asked them again, ” Which of the two men would you like me to release for you?” The shouted, “Barabbas.” Pialte asked them, ” Then what would you have me to do with Jesus who is called the Anointed One?” They all shouted back ” Crucify him!” “Why?” Pilate asked. ” What has he done wrong?” But the kept shouting out, ” Crucify him!”

It made absolutely no sense. The crowd was out of control and Pilate knew it. He had just offered two prisoners to the people – leaving  their freedom in the hand of a popular vote. One would go free. The other would die by crucifixion.  An election that gave no opportunity for defense or rebuttal .

One prisoner a murderer The other innocent of ALL wrong doing. Not one black mark on his record. It seemed like a no brainer- why in the world would you want a proven killer set free? Why would you end the life of a man who had done so much good for the world?  

Crazy things happen when a world falls into frenzy. Poor choices are made when group think grows to epic proportions and the fuel for the decisions are found in FEAR.  It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.

I have found myself fighting feelings of frustration today as I watch a world gone mad over a virus like others we have experienced in history. I turned the news off weeks ago as I found the dramatic music and even more dramatic news anchors reporting stories of the growing virus were  causing anxiousness and fear in my mind over something I literally have zero control. 

Last night I learned my company had cancelled one of our biggest sales force conferences of the year. My team is angry and frustrated. Today I read news of March Sadness- no fans except a few staff and family – at the annual NCAA basketball tournament. Fear. Fear. Fear. 

I have spent much time today wondering what would Jesus do… if he were here On earth today?.  Do we have any account from his earthly life that is similar to our current state of affairs?

Frenzy? Decisions based on fear? People missing facts and jumping on the loudest bandwagon? 

Yes. Jesus can relate. And we can follow his lead. We can look to Jesus in the middle of frenzy. When the crowd was wild and lies were surrounding him as Pilate put him up against Barabbas-He did one thing. He kept his eyes on His father and his goal. He didn’t worry. He didn’t lash out. He didn’t defend. He trusted his all Powerful. All capable. All knowing Father.  

As I move through however long this frenzied season lasts ( until the next one comes along)- Yes- I’ll wash my hands. Yes – I’ll drink lots of water and get good sleep, yes I’ll pay attention to how I feel. But I WILL NOT allow fear to dictate my choices. I just won’t.  

 If you are noticing a change in your behavior- less patient with your family, struggling to sleep, inability to focus…. you may need to shift your gaze. If you just can’t turn off the news I challenge you to spend equal if not more time reminding yourself of the promises of your Savior.  He is

Almighty 

Creator of the world

All powerful

All knowing 

Loving

Kind

Just

Sovereign

Holy

Comforter

Counselor

Rock and Fortress

Look to Him. Follow Jesus lead. Step out of the frenzy and into his powerful arms. He is more the capable to hold you. 

Loving you where you are and pointing you forward to where he is,

Justbeth:)

When I type “Jesus Walks” into my search box in my bible gateway app- there are over 50 references to this phrase. It’s not too shocking since Jesus time on earth came before any type of motorized transportation. If he wanted to spread his message it was going to happen as a result of moving his feet and opening his mouth. When you read through the gospels you not only see references to Jesus walking but you also see him talking and teaching his disciples he had called to train to eventually share the gospel after his death and resurrection. He made the most of those miles long journeys. He taught some challenging lessons- some that are taught best shoulder to shoulder. I think the ‘walk and teach’ method also created a safe space for question asking when the disciples didn’t quite understand the meaning behind Jesus words.

Part of our family has enjoyed a short trip to Texas for our spring break this week. It’s a fabulous time to be in the south. Spring has sprung. Flowers are blooming and everything is green. The weather is warm but not overwhelmingly hot – which makes it a perfect time…

to walk.

Our only child ( young adult actually ) with us this week is Jonah – our 20 year old sophomore in college. As much as we would have loved all of our family to be together we recognize that group getaways are going to be few and far between. We are staying with my parents who keep asking ,

“What do you want to do?” to which we say…

Walk.

Play games.

Walk. side by side. Talk. Slow down. catch up. Listen and learn from each other.

Ask questions. Point out flowers and wildlife.

Walk.

My soul is refreshed by both the weather and the slowed pace and the walking. I have enjoyed some one on one time with our son – who hasn’t spent much time at home since he started college two years ago. I’ve discovered new dreams for his life, updates on friends, thoughts about classes and hobbies and his insights have both encouraged and inspired me.

As we continue our Journey through Lent – I encourage you to find some time to slow, to walk. To leave your phone at home. To find a friend or a spouse or child to join you. Ask some questions. Notice your surroundings. Welcome Jesus into your space and let him lead you on. Pray for a willing, open heart to a message he may want to share… and has been waiting for you to slow long enough so you can listen and hear. Just like he taught his disciples on their walks centuries ago… he most certainly is ready to teach you too.

The path is waiting…

Loving you where you are and pointing your forward to where He is,

justbeth:)

2 Timothy 1:8-9

God saved ME and chose ME to be his holy PERSON, but not because of anything I did MYSELF. God saves ME and made ME his person because that was what he wanted and because of HIS grace. That grace was given ME through Jesus Christ before time began. And now it has been shown to ME in the coming of our Savior Jesus. He destroyed death and showed me the way to have life. Yes through the Good News Jesus showed ME the way to have life that cannot be destroyed. 

I have the privilege of participating on the leadership team of our local Bible Study Fellowship location. (For more info on this study that has locations worldwide and thousands and thousands of participants go to http://www.mybsf.org).  The leaders meet weekly to go over the study lesson before we meet with the class participants later in the week. Challenging questions are discussed, practical leadership tips are taught. It’s an hour packed with prayer, learning and encouragement- I love it. Our leader is a kind, wise and brilliant teacher. She also has a way of speaking truth we need in a way that doesn’t shame us but does communicate truth we need to hear. Last week we needed a good dose of truth. 

We were discussing a question that asked us to share an area in our lives we felt God was asking us to change. The topic was sexual sin. We’re in Corinthians where Paul gets straight to the point. The question made us all squirm. 

Instead of sharing our own challenges in this area – we quickly talked about “others”, “the crazy world we live in,” etc. At the end of our sharing our leader gently took our eyes back to the question- which did NOT ask us to talk about the areas OTHERS needed change but OURSELVES. US…. the one we see in the mirror.

The one that is with us always.

The one we can never get away from.

That person in my life is ME. 

Her reminder was so important for all the leaders. I can speak for my own group that met later that week and can say the focus off of others and onto ourselves was freeing. When one leader was vulnerable in sharing HER struggles and victories in this area of life the floodgates opened for others to share too. When each person felt safe to share it created a space for the Holy Spirit to rush in and comfort and encourage. You see when we fail to stop to recognize our own sin we miss the grace that Jesus has ready to pour into our lives. When we focus only on the sins of others we become numbed to the fact we desperately need Jesus as much as the ones we are focused on and are often times judging. 

Today I wrote the above verse of the day inserting “ME “- where the scripture says “US” or “YOU”. I was so comforted as I thought about Jesus coming for ME, just beth. I was humbled with the reminder that my sin is so evil that the death  of Jesus is my only cure. I’m so grateful and amazed that NOTHING I did prompted God  to send his Son. The 100% motivation for this incredible act was our Fathers love for us. For me. For you.

Today I’m taking my eyes off of others. When I over focus on the offenses of the people around me I become self righteous and proud. When I over focus on the positive accolades of others around me I can feel shame and that I’m not enough. Today I’m looking at me. I’m planting myself at the foot of the cross. I’m trusting that I can safely share all of me and receive all that I need- straight from Jesus. What a free life indeed.

Loving you where you are and pointing you forward to where HE is,

Justbeth:)

Mark 1:16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come,follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. 

When we made the unexpected move from Michigan to Missouri we had some decisions to make . (Duh) The job loss was revealed in May, new job offer June, move July. It makes me tired just writing those words. In that short window of time we had to prep a home for selling and pack 17 years worth of living . 17 years of having babies, raising children, building a business…. NOT staying on top of organization and cleaning. My goal was to keep 3 important people alive:)

When we were faced with the reality of a move we made some important decisions-one being- choosing people over stuff. 

The beauty of increased challenges in life is that it narrows my focus. I stop worrying about what people think. I detach from things that will ultimately never bring me true peace. I surrender responsibilities that can easily be done by someone else but I have held on to because of a feeling of obligation or my need to feel wanted and in control. I leave behind the old. To move boldly into the new. The new home. The new circumstance requiring my attention. The new behavior. 

One of my favorite memories of the time was the decision to host an open house – complete with a  back yard fire at the end of the day. We invited anyone that wanted to stop by for a little or long time. I made home made chicken salad, I wore old shorts and a dirty t shirt- hair covered in a ball cap and connected with people- all day long. A day that some may have suggested we use for packing. 

As I sit in our new home now almost 4 years later- I thank God he freed me from so much and pointed me to the best way to use my time. I can’t even remember The things that didn’t get packed because we ran out of time. We left what felt like a house full of stuff at the curb for people to scavenge or the garbage man to haul away. It was freeing.

As I move through this season of Lent – our family is faced with some new, challenging responsibilities. In order to navigate this season I am going to have to leave some things behind. Responsibilities on my calendar and belief systems in my brain.  Just like those early disciples following Jesus call to follow, I will need to “at once, leave and follow him.”

As daunting as these new tasks feel right now… I am actually experiencing the relief that comes with a clear focus that leaves me unapologetic and confident regarding the decisions of who and what I will leave behind.

It brings me peace to know that Jesus promises that he is the creator of all things new. He is the healer, the guide, the restorer. May you have clarity to know what to leave  and who’s hand to hold as you step into the future. 

The old things are gone- a new life has come!!

PRAYER: Jesus loosen my hold on what is keeping me from moving forward with you. Help me trust that the grip of your hand is all I need. 

Loving you where you are and pointing you forward to where He is. 

justbeth:)

12 days into Lent.

What have you learned?

What have you let go of?

What have your gripped tighter?

How is Jesus more real to you today?

Where do you need him to be more real tomorrow?

May Jesus be your light, your wisdom, your guide. May he be the power behind your every YES and your every NO. May you trust him in your everything.

Loving you where you are and pointing you forward to where He is,

justbeth:)

Pull out your notebook, your best pen… start writing… start listening…God wants to speak to you today.

Psalm 18:1-2

NIV: New International Version:

I love you, Lord my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn or my salvation, my stronghold.

AMP: Amplified Version

I love you (fervently and devotedly) O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me; My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower- my stronghold.

TLB: The Living Bible

Lord How I love you! For you have done such tremendous things for me. You are my fort when I can enter and be safe. No one can follow me in and slay me. He is a rugged mountain where I hide. He is my Savior, a rock where non can reach me and a tower of Safety. He is my shield. He is like the strong horn of a mighty fighting bull.

MSG: The Message Version

I Love you God. You make me strong. God is bedrock under my feet , the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God – the high crag where I run for dear life hiding behind the boulders safe in the granite hideout.

TPT: The Passion Translation

Lord – I passionately love you and I’m bonded to you, for now you’ve become my power! You’re as real to me as bedrock beneath my feet, like a castle on a cliff, my forever firm fortress. My Mountain of hiding, my pathway of escape, my tower of rescue where none can reach me. My secret strength and shield around me. You are salvations ray of brightness shining on the hillside always the champion of my cause.

GO ahead… carve out some time. Write the words. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open you heart to what God wants to communicate with you.

And if you have an extra minute… I’d love to hear what he had to say.

Loving you where you are and pointing you forward to where He is,

justbeth:)