New Life

There is something amazing about new life, even if we know the beauty of the new born baby will give way to a large, snorting, filthy, pig. But babies! What is that impulse in us, that "ahhhh" reflex? No doubt it's from God, built right into our subconscious, put there by the creator of life to make us appreciate and even long for new life every single day. You might see cute cuddly pigs. I see God's billboard. And it reads, "Come to Me; and You too will have New Life."

...the love God has for us

I like the verse of the day on my browser's homepage: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”- 1 John 4:16  We did a little devo with the kids this morning and had them draw pictures of what they think it means that "God is Love." Really cute (and very pure, spiritual) ideas. Reminds me that the Kingdom of God belongs to the little ones. For them, there's a simplicity to it all, untainted by years of experience with people, struggles with trust, broken hearts, disappointments, and hurt feelings. There's just a young heart and an eager mind. So they draw "God is love" and it is just hearts, and crosses, and people. It's simple. Simple love.

There's not a lot of theology needed for this verse. I found myself trying to explain it to them at first, asking them, "Now how do you think it's possible to live in God and at the same time He lives in you?" There it was. A paradox for sure. If I were talking to an adult we'd likely have engaged in some deep conversation. But something insightful sprang to life as I attempted to explain it to a five year old. I mumbled it out at first. "We don't know what it means exactly but what we can be sure of is this,"  I said, and then with a little more energy continued. "There's love, there's us living in love. God is love so we're living in him. It's a great big swirl," I continued, now excited, and with my hands making big whoshes in the air. "Yeah, a great big swirl of love and God and us; and we're in love and his love's in us and we're loving, and you're loving, and we love God and he loves us, and ... well, love love love."


Thank God for times that we have to try and explain God's love to a five year old. That's when we see something new ourselves.

We "rely" on the love God has for us, not because we can understand it or explain it, but because we feel that it's true, because God has proven to us that it's true, and that only this great and powerful - and simple - love can change the world, starting with the little corner of it where we live.

The Supremacy of Christ

I just really, really like this section of scripture...it doesn't matter how many times I read it, it does something for the soul.

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.


21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. - 1st chapter of Colosssians