I Found God in Glue...

Your life is a miracle and the Creator of the universe knows you by name. He's big enough to breathe out stars, yet intricate enough to fashion together the trillions of cells that make up every facet of who you are. The God who spoke the universe into existence made you, too, and knows everything about you. From the smallest molecule to the situation you find yourself in RIGHT now, He's aware of your circumstances and intimately acquainted with everything you do. And He cares about you and promises to carry you through...

How Great Is Our God - by Louie Giglio

There is a type of "glue" in every human body that serves as the body's "cell-adhesion molecules;" it literally holds all of the cells in your body together. Without it, you would fall apart... for real. This glue is called Laminin - and it is miraculous.


It is miraculous because it is a physical marker WITHIN your body that speakes to Colossians 1:17 which says, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

And the SHAPE of this miracle glue looks like this....

The shape of the GLUE that holds each person together is in the shape of the cross of Jesus Christ. Literally, in our bodies, Christ is holding us together.

So when you feel lost or lonely, bereft or broken, take comfort that God is literally with you within every molecule of your being. You are not alone.

Louie Giglio has a magnificent message about God's Glue HERE.

I hope you have a few minutes to be inspired by his message!!

I Found God In My Name...

I'm ashamed to admit it... but some days, I hate my name. Not the "Maggie" (although it's taken me a while to enjoy that moniker... especially when I've met more dogs than people with the same name), but the other name... The name I received when we had our first child:


"Mom."


I'm ashamed because I know there are hundreds of people who would LOVE to hear some little child call them "Mom." And because I know that God has blessed with the two perfect boys for us - and I love them dearly.


But the fact remains that having small children means that I hear

Mom....

Mom.....

Mom.....

M O M . . . .

about 100 times a day. Kids that yell M O M?!?!? from the basement (when I'm on the 2nd floor)...

or wail MOMMMMMMMMM when they are ready to tattle on the sibling...

or repeat "MAAAH-M!" just in case I didn't hear them the first 3 times.

It can get very tiring... quickly!! And it's tempting to say, "STOP CALLING MY NAME!" or some equivelent, for sure.... Because the whining/tattling/nagging, and such gets OLD swiftly. Sometimes, when I least expect it... when I'm on my last nerve... my little one will say, "MOM!" for what seems like the millionth time, and I'll probably either say?/sigh?/shout?/growl?/snarl? "W H A T!!" and in return, the little voice will smile, "I LOVE YOU....." :) And I'll be warmed by these words (and properly chagrinned by my snarky response), and I'll remember what a blessing my children are - even in their most trying of moments.

And, I am humbled when I think of how "childlike" I AM when I call God's name. I'm sure He would be ever so pleased to hear me call out, "God...! I love you!" on a regular basis. But, I'm equally as sure that he more often hears me sigh / shout / growl / snarl / scream,

"G-O-D !!!!!"

in that shrieky, whiney voice that I also possess. And the very thing that annoys me about my own kids is the very thing that I do to my own Father.

Fortunately, there is this verse from the Bible:

People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Luke 18:15-17 (NIV)

I know...! I know...! That's NOT what He meant!! :) He was talking about the honest and pure "childlike faith" - the children who come seeking Him with no hidden agenda. But often, that's what my kids are doing to me. They are looking to ME to be their caretaker, referree, savior, doctor, comforter... When they are hollering "Mom," it's because no one else can take MY place in their lives either. They need me - and I need to make sure that I can be counted on.

Because if one of our goals in life is to emmulate Jesus, to ask ourselves, "What WOULD Jesus Do?," then we need to answer the call. God is ALWAYS there when I call Him... Always. And I am so thankful that when I call unto Him, an angry, weary, snarky, tired voice DOES NOT shout back from the Heavens, "WHAT?!!!!"

My questions, laments, cries, or comments are welcomed.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

How have YOU been calling out to God lately? Have you inserted a smiley, "I love you," lately? Because I'm sure He's love to hear it.

:)

I Found God On A Walk...

I am impatient and uber-efficient. I like to get things done quickly and as streamlined as possible. It's a good thing that I live during the "information age" - As a teenager, I needed to by physically near a working telephone... just in case I needed to contact someone (or get a call). When cell phones came out, it wasn't long before I was sporting my StarTac flip phone on my belt loop. Now I open 4 Internet browsers simultaneously while I check email, Facebook, and eBay with one eye ... and monitor the App Updates on my iPhone with the other. I become a multi-tasking machine... eyes racing across the screen, fingers flying over the keyboard, mind racing to the next "thing" I have to do. I like things fast and efficient.

I can't stand SLOW.

So I was struck today by something one of our pastors said today during his sermon. Craig was speaking to us on the topic of "WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT FROM US?" He said that

"Walking humbly with God meant staying on pace with God - not running ahead and not lagging behind."

I must admit, I often run way, way ahead of God... I race off in the direction I think my life should go - and then get frustrated when I realize that I'm heading off all by myself... that God is patiently standing back at the fork in the road waiting for me to turn around and join Him. Fortunately, God doesn't just stand there tapping His foot and rolling His eyes at me... but I do think that sometimes he cups His hands around his mouth and shouts, "YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY, MAGGIE!!!" :)

Micah 6:8 says that God expects us to act justly, to love mercy and kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. Walking with Him does not mean running off half-cocked, ahead of Him... nor does it mean sulking along behind Him grumbling about trapsing through various thorns, briars, or other hardships. It also doesn't mean splitting up your attention to 20 other "things" plus Him.

It means walking WITH Him... in tandem... together. It means listening to His Word... letting him grab your hand to pull you up when you fall... being respectful... being grateful... being faithful. Walking WITH the Lord requires us to S L O W D O W N, stop multi-tasking, and cherish each amazing moment: the moments we celebrate, laugh, cry, mourn, worship, pray, study, praise, heal, sleep. While you may try to juggle many moments at once, you can't multi-task when you're talking with the Lord - He wants, and, frankly deserves, your undivided attention.

And when I actually --S L O W D O W N-- and pay attention to what God expects from me, I see that He expects me act justly: to do the right thing, to behave in a manner that makes Him proud, to use the talents and gifts He has entrusted me with to parent our 2 two children effectively and to be the kind of wife He wants me to be.

He expects me to be kind - to help others without regard to my pride or my own gain, to give generously of my time, talents, money, brain, or labor. The "Golden Rule" isn't supposed to be just a pretty saying cross-stitched on a pillow - but a keystone to living right, and He expects me to live it.

Finally, He expects me to walk humbly with Him. Not ahead, not behind - but side-by-side.

Are you living up to the expectations God has of you?