When Holidays Are Hard

For so many, Mother's Day and other holidays are hard.

Some are really tough for tragic reasons, some are trying due to relational difficulties and
some disappointing because of idealistic expectations.

What if instead of man's instituted and set holidays, we chose to celebrate as we were led by the Spirit and remembered our mother's, fathers, the new year, Jesus' birth, death and resurrection and all things praise worthy, all the time; each and every day?

Might that somehow alleviate the pressure, the sadness, the stress and the envy that are often associated with holidays?

What if the standard was raised to the place, where instead of just on one day out of the year, each and every day we chose to love one another, "where we were at?"  And whether in grief, remembrance, repentance or celebration, in everything, we gave thanks, honored one another and our Savior?

Might it put the focus back on God and His greatest commandment?

And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” 
Mark 12:30-31

Instead of a need for awkward apologies, a bumbling of inappropriate responses, or the pressure to be where we're "not," and the envy that others seem to "have" what we wish we had and and "be"where we wish we were...is it possible we might could actually:

 

REST in God knowing each tomorrow is: A day where He is at the center of the universe, His tender mercies are new and His promise remains: Never will I leave you nor forsake you.

Heavenly Father,
We bless those that struggle with holidays. We bless those that are grieving. We bless those having relational difficulties or any current circumstance that makes celebrating a holiday particularly hard.
We ask that You surround them with an extra amount of comfort and love, and that Your presence be with all those who need You most.
Give us an awareness and an extra sensitivity that will make us mindful that we are not all on the same page nor all running the same race.
What we celebrate most of all, LORD, is the holiness of You.  For You alone know the times, seasons and how to minister to our spirit, each and every day.
We thank you that like a mother, Your Holy Spirit knows how to kindly, lovingly and tender-heartedly nurture and comfort us.
We honor all mothers this Mother's Day and pray that each and every child and mother in need of comfort, love, affirmation, validation, affection, understanding, forgiveness, guidance, healing, redemption restoration, resurrection and power will know, that whether they have these things in their  earthly relationships or not -- they can always be found in You.
In Sorrow and in Joy - We PRAISE You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Gina Higgins

"Behold, I am Coming Quickly and My Reward is With Me..." Rev. 22:12

It has stood out to me lately that I have heard sirens, the cries of children and felt the wind.
I had a dream last night where my house turned around three times and slid down the hill -
while one slept peacefully. When I asked the LORD what it meant, I heard "I am moving your house."

Today, I felt the presence of an Angel behind me and experienced a breakthrough in my home that felt like it could only be God. And, literally and figuratively, I found what was lost and twice a door opened on it's own.

I share this because I feel so much of my small circumstances relate to all of our circumstances -- and our larger circumstance as a whole, in the body of Christ.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you that you hear before we ask and that the alarms in heaven sound way before the need arise.
Attune our ears to be increasingly sensitive to the cries of Your children so that we may intercede on their behalf that the power of Your Holy Spirit may be present, active, alive in their lives and comfort them.
As Your Spirit moves, though we don't always understand or know where it is going, increase our faith and our ability to trust that You have heard our every prayer and in the fullness of time will move us and our house, for Your glory.
A great and effective door You have opened to us -- let us be mindful of opportunities as they present.
Thank you for angels that guard, guide and give messages from heaven.
May our hearts not be troubled, for in Your house is many mansions, room enough for all, a place prepared for all -- that You may receive all. For when we believe, You do come and take us to where You are...so that we can see what You see.
Thank you that there is no end to Your mercy. As receivers of such a gift, may our own be as infinite.

May Your Glory Arise.
In Your Son's Blessed, Precious and Redeeming Name We Pray,
Amen

I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD
And the praises of the LORD,
According to all that the LORD has bestowed on us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,
According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.
Isaiah 63:7


Thus says the LORD:

“ As the new wine is found in the cluster,
And one says, ‘Do not destroy it,
For a blessing is in it,’
So will I do for My servants’ sake,
That I may not destroy them all.
I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
And from Judah an heir of My mountains;
My elect shall inherit it,
And My servants shall dwell there.
Sharon shall be a fold of flocks,
And the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,
For My people who have sought Me.

Isaiah 65:8-10

“ Before she was in labor, she gave birth;
Before her pain came,
She delivered a male child.
Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion was in labor,
She gave birth to her children.
Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the LORD.

“ Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God.
“ Rejoice with Jerusalem,
And be glad with her, all you who love her;
Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;
That you may feed and be satisfied
With the consolation of her bosom,
That you may drink deeply and be delighted
With the abundance of her glory.”

For thus says the LORD:

“ Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream.
Then you shall feed;
On her sides shall you be carried,
And be dandled on her knees.
As one whom his mother comforts,
So I will comfort you;
And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Isaiah 66:7-13

Gina Higgins

When We Go Through the Rivers

The Lord created Jacob and formed Israel. Now, this is what the Lord says:

Do not be afraid, because I have reclaimed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through the sea, I am with you.
When you go through rivers, they will not sweep you away.
When you walk through fire, you will not be burned,
and the flames will not harm you.
I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Egypt is the ransom I exchanged for you.
Sudan and Seba are the price I paid for you.
Since you are precious to me, you are honored and I love you.
I will exchange others for you.
Nations will be the price I pay for your life.

Isaiah 43:1-4


Heavenly Father,
When we find ourselves in uncomfortable places and feeling unsettled, unsure, shaken or overwhelmed...lead us to the Rock that is higher than us...and keep leading.

Lead us because we need to follow.
Lead us because we need to know You love us.
Lead us because we need to know You're in control.
Lead us because we need to know You're with us.
Lead us because we need to know You're real.
Lead usbecause we need to know You will.

We need to know You desire to not leave us where we are, but to take us from there to where You are...moving us to a place you've prepared for us...a place above our daily insecurities, ahead of the things that seem to always be at our heels, away from the things that burden, bind and oppress us, and over and beyond the present difficulties of circumstance.

Lead us to the place of healing You have for each one of us.

At Your feet...
Safe in You're Arms...
Where we hear the Word of encouragement...
Where a strong assuring arm is around our shoulder...
Where we feel the covering of our hand with You're hand...
Where You shelter us from the storm...
Where You carry us when we can't walk...
And steer when we can't see...

Where You Sing over us as we rest...
...Imparting joy and laughter to our spirit.
Shining light in the darkness...
...Lifting us out of the pit.
Revealing truth in the rising of Your Son...
Resurrecting in us new hope, new life and new dreams.


May we trust in You and lean not on our own understanding and may we taste and see the goodness of You in the land of the living...and find peace and rest for our souls.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen


Gina Higgins

He Holds Your Heart

In the Potter's hands,
The clay of the earth shaped the Living Temple.
The breath of God; the cry of pure innocence...brought it to life.
The blood of a Savior "taken in,"
imparted a "lasting" communion,
And the lifeblood flowed through,
And covered the Temple in grace.


Gone is the evidence

Of this earthly life,
But for eternity...in our hearts.
Freed from earthly garments

And the grave,
This earthen vessel
Once lifeless and without form,
Now contains a treasure
a heart and Spirit,
A light...
Shining out of darkness.
Full of power, not of us
But of Heaven and the Kingdom.
Giving knowledge of the glory
Of the One who gave His life...
So that we too, might have it.


"Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay;
For shall the thing made say of him who made it,
'He did not make me'?
Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it,
'He has no understanding'? "
Isaiah 29:16


But now, O LORD,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.
Isaiah 64:8

Heavenly Father,
Only You could be so well aware of our heart condition...
Over-stressed, wearied, wounded, hard or broken...out of rhythm, overworked or struggling to keep the pace. You have held each and every heart in Your hands and designed it to flow with love and beat to the chorus of heaven.
How easily we take ownership over our hearts; Your creation -- thinking we somehow know best.
If only we might quit guarding our hearts and "let go," we just might see You never have. We just might see the Potter's hands still gently wrapped around the clay, reshaping, remolding, healing and holding...the object of His love, the apple of His eye...for in it He holds the world He so loved that He gave His only Son. Thank You Father, for loving us in a way we will never fully understand until we see You face to face.
In Your Son's Glorious Name,
Amen

Cause to Celebrate

We are familiar with the old phrase from Daniel about "the writing on the wall." 

In the spirit of God's extravagant love, redeeming grace and resurrection power...I want to suggest we profess and acclaim the "new!"

That God has put a "new" kind of writing on the wall.

I saw it yesterday... and I saw it again, today.

As I looked over at three signs on the wall - with the words HOPE, FAITH and INSPIRE written on them - I saw a celebration!  Light from the window was shining through a prism and there were about 35 to 40 different dots showering the wall in a moving, colorful "rainbow" confetti of light!  It was as though God was saying:

Rejoice! My "light" and My "words of life" are great cause to celebrate! 

Heavenly Father, 

Though the Son often arrives unexpected...when we look for Him we will find Him... and when we invite Him in... He will fill the walls of our hearts with the promises of hope. And just like the prism, as we brilliantly reflect Him, our mourning will turn into dancing and joy will spring up in our heart. We will see the words of life and the promises "to give us a hope and a future" swirling around us, delighting to get our attention. 

Sweetly, You ask us for this dance...a dance of trust...and of comfort and assurance. As our steps follow Yours, we have that kind of "knowing" feeling inside that says to our hearts, "Truly, You have us," if ever we were to fall. 

And so, I can almost see You smiling and hear You saying, right after our twirl, "I think you just might be ready for the dip." 

Lead on...Awesome Savior...lead on.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

Gina Higgins

More grace...and more grace...and more grace.

But God's not finished. 

He's waiting around to be gracious to you. 

He's gathering strength to show mercy to you.

God takes the time to do everything right—everything. 

Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.

Oh yes, people of Zion, citizens of Jerusalem, your time of tears is over. 

Cry for help and you'll find it's grace and more grace. 

The moment he hears, he'll answer.

Isaiah 30:18-19 (The Message)

It's rather amazing how much grace God gives.

 

A short story...

I had run out of grace; my reserves severely limited and lacking, due to what my own humanity could never supply.
However, in my weakness, He was strong.
He not only whispered to me I was to go and give, "more grace...and more grace...and more grace," He also poured it over me in the process -- so that I could give, so that I would understand why I must give.
And so there I sat. Stunned, blessed, surrounded and filled by what I felt so "undeserving of," and had withheld, for that very same reason. 

Grace is divine. 

We don't deserve it and we "cannot," of ourselves, produce it; but we can cry out to a God, who by nature, is "grace divine."
And when we do...we just might find grace comes like the rain, too bountiful to catch or contain, pouring down on us more...and more...and more.

"Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me,

Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away."

Todd Agnew, "Grace Like Rain"

He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:7 (Amplified Bible)

Gina Higgins

Lifted Out of Broken-heartedness

The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.

Psalm 34:18

Heavenly Father,

Great is the strength to be found in You. Though we go through the fire and the waters rise...they will not burn nor overtake us. 

We will praise You in affliction and in storm; with honor we will seek You and claim the promises of Your Word... and You will hear and deliver us. 

Though our hearts may be heavy and our dreams feel shattered within us.... we will set our faces like flint; we will put our trust in You and we will plant our feet upon the rock of Your salvation and we will STAND.  

We will open the eyes of our heart to taste and see the good You have intended.... and we will, as so much as it depends on us, do good unto others and seek out what makes for our peace.

We will cling to and know, without a doubt, that we are not alone.  And with enlightened hearts, we will see You in all the ways You are our Savior. 

As the parent who tenderly cradles, rocks and holds us... 

As the brother who took upon himself the punishment we deserved....

As the one we know "all to well" and the one "we hardly know"...the friend and the stranger...the one we pass by on the road or see in the mirror....the one who is kind and merciful, who bandages our wounds and heals our hurts.

You are the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Advocate...who lives within us, that never leaves us nor forsakes us, that pleads our case before the courts of heaven and with the balm of Gilead, redeems all that was broken.

With grateful, renewed, and ever-stronger hearts,

We thank you for Salvation.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

Gina Higgins

Treasure in Earthen Vessels

Created in the womb... 

Formed in utter seclusion.

Our first breath,God's ruach.

We are not bound to the dreams of another, 

Nor are we simply a "portion" of the light.

We are born into freedom.

We carry our own complete measure... 

The full intention of who we are to become, 

Present in us from the very beginning.

God's seed births the full miracle...

Just waiting to be "lived into." 

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

Ephesians 3:18-20 (The Message)


Heavenly Father,
You are glorious! Your entire living being - in us - is glorious!
Glory, Glory, Glory...the whole world is filled with Your glory.
The angels sing "Glory!" and "Halleluia!" and You smile as You see Your
own glory reflected back to You...the world aglow...the world
consumed by the fire of Your love, a love that fuels and ignites a
passion; a fire and flame that rises and ascends in a holy offering...

My chains are gone I've been set free 

My God, my Savior has ransomed me 

And like a flood His mercy reigns 

Unending love, amazing grace.
Chris Tomlin's Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

In Jesus' Most Glorious Name,
Amen

Gina Higgins