Category Archives: Finding God’s Love

There are many habits and strategies we can learn that help us draw nearer to the Lord. And sometimes finding Him simply involves an attitude shift.

Celebrating Immanuel – God With Us

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by Lydia Floren

I made a new friend at a conference last summer, a writer named Letitia Suk. In her wonderful book Rhythms of Renewal, Tish mentioned her practice of recording a few things everyday in a thanksgiving journal. I was inspired. I started a thanksgiving journal of my own. (I’m still a bit spotty, but the habit is taking hold.)

As I mentioned last week, it is easy for me to forget to actually give thanks TO God. In the same way, I can also neglect to give thanks FOR God. Like the prodigal and his brother, in focusing on the Father’s gifts, I can overlook His greatest gift: Himself.

So I have an idea for advent: each time I write in my thanksgiving journal, I will try to include at least one attribute of God that I am particularly thankful for. For example:

Thank you Father, for 

Your kindness
Your wisdom
Your sense of humor
Your beauty
Your grace
Your strength
Your consistency
Your faithfulness
Thank you for the ways I have seen You and known You more this year

Thanking God for Himself. What a wonderful way to celebrate Immanuel – God with us!

What a wonderful way of welcoming in advent!

Share with us: What qualities of God are you particularly thankful for?

10,000 words

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10,000 Words by Lydia Floren

I had the privilege of visiting lndia a week ago. It was my second visit to this fascinating country. I did a 2 month rotation there as a med student. I loved it then and I love it now. I think Indians, particularly the women, are some of the most beautiful people in the world. In lieu of a blog this week, (and because a picture is worth a thousand words) I am sharing some candids from this wonderful place.

(for more pics, click here )

Mary and Marlene…beautiful!

fashion show after Marlene spent 20 minutes wrapping me up!

Carol’s smile blends right in with these beauties

mowing the lawn with cycles and brushes

yee haw. gives a new meaning to hump day!

beauty in every decade

the art of eating in lndia!

demonstrating the merchandise. Yes I was one of those dumb americans that bought one!

lots of laughter. we women really are a lot alike all over the world.

weeding the rice field

a way to remember

Hello and goodbye, Ravinder.

sweeping before lunch

lunch at the orphanage

ancient tree on the taj grounds

family roadtrip

peekaboo!

lining up at the medical clinic

The Meeting

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by Lydia Floren

Imagine: You are involved in a big building project. Not only are you working there everyday, but you are living on-site, too. The venture is a huge undertaking. So much so, that the Architect, a world-renowned expert, also lives and works on the premises.

Every morning as you awake, your mind floods with all the things that need to be done. Your mental list is so long, you hardly know where to start. You drag out of bed and clamber down the hall in search of coffee, already sorting through the priorities in your mind.

As you sip your java and start committing your list to paper, you remember, “Oh, yeah, I have that daily 7 AM meeting with the Architect…. Do I really have time for that?”

There have been days when you’ve made it to the meeting, and others when you haven’t.

“Still,” you say to yourself, “The day does go so much better when I do make that meeting.”

He helps you focus on what’s most important. He trouble-shoots difficulties you have encountered, and helps find solutions. And, more often than not, when you make that daily meeting, you end up working the rest of your day with Him, enjoying His company and learning from His expertise.

“You know,” you think, “On the days I make that meeting I not only accomplish more, but I have more fun doing it.”

Why does that surprise you?

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me. For I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my load is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Our Deepest Need

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by Lydia Floren

“Christ is wisdom and He is our deepest need. Our inner restlessness can only be pacified by the revelation of His eternal friendship and love for us.”
–Margaret Bottome (as quoted in Streams in the Desert, 8/26/15)

I need you, Father,

to tame my wandering mind

to still my soul

to focus me on what is important

to fill me up with Your love, and to show me how to live as one who is beloved

to banish my nagging sense of being “never-enough”

to teach me to truly love myself, love You, and love others

to complete me–to fill in all the holes and gaps, and make me whole. Again and again.

Thank you for Your unwavering love for me, for each of us.

Our deepest need is You.
Our deepest need is met by You. In You. With You. Without fail.

The Truth About God (God’s Company Part 2)

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I used to be afraid of God. At different times, I believed that God was:

A stern authority figure handing down punishment
A meticulous accountant, checking to be sure I was doing things “right.”
A bored benefactor, mildly amused by my efforts, but not interested enough in me to offer meaningful guidance.
An Important Person I Must Impress, only attentive to my grandest accomplishments.

The more time I have spent in God’s company, the more I understand His true character.

God is:

A loving Father, cherishing me as His precious child.
A forgiving friend, ready to make things right and start fresh every day.
A wise counselor, giving excellent guidance about decisions and problems.
An encouraging mentor, prompting me to use the gifts He has given me to follow Him in my own unique way.
A powerful protector/provider, releasing me from my fears of not having my needs met.
A trustworthy leader, guiding me down the very best path, and staying with me every step of the way.

Day by day, year by year, the truth of who God really is burrows its way deeper into my being.

What lies do people believe about God? What truth have you been learning about Him?

Previous Post: God’s Company (Part 1)

Morning On The Marsh

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by Lydia Floren

For so much of my life, I brush past the magnificence of God’s creation. One day this past week, I stilled myself enough to absorb a bit of its wonder. Andrew and I were wrapping up a visit to South Carolina. We spent our last few days with dear friends in their Georgetown home, situated on the edge of the Edisto Marsh. Our final day, I woke up early and wandered out on the back deck. The boards were still damp from a nighttime rain. The breeze was uncharacteristically cool. I settled into a chair and tried to soak in the sights and sounds of my beloved South one last time before heading home. Here is my attempt to put into words a morning’s beauty in the Low Country:

Morning on the Marsh

Crickets hum.
Trees rustle.
Birdsongs echo.

Sound surrounds.

Thump-thump, thump-thump.
Wind-stirred leaves spill staccato drops.

Sparrows flit between moss-draped branches.
Tall pines brush a dusky sky.
Waters glimmer amid cattail reeds.

Seagrass ripples.

A snowy egret glides across
the flat expanse of gold-tipped green.

Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14

What are you noticing about God’s beauty this summer?

Related Posts: Spring In The North Woods

Recent Post: Encountering God Our Father

Encountering God Our Father

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by Lydia Floren

When we step into God’s heavenly throne room for the first time, I imagine we will be juuuust a little bit intimidated. God’s “glory”—His powerful presence, His bright beauty—will surely take our breath away.

But here’s what I see happening next:

God glances down the great hall, and spies us near the door. His eyes light up, and a big grin spreads across His face. He steps down from the dais and strides toward us, arms open wide.

We, His children, we know that smile. We know those arms. We break into a run and race down that gilded throne room until we reach our Abba. He scoops us up, swings us around, smothers us in a big hug, and then carries us back up to His seat. Settled on His lap, we chatter away. He listens intently, His warm eyes never wavering, His strong arms encircling us. Once our words are spent, and any tears dried, He murmurs a few words in our ear–words of wisdom and encouragement, kindness and grace. He gives us a squeeze; we smile and nod. Then He puts us down, and sends us on our way.

God wants–and invites–this kind of encounter with us now. Every day. Isn’t this what WE also want?

Each morning, choose to enter your Father’s presence, confident of His warm welcome! Soak in His love and wisdom. Stay in His arms long enough to be restored and refreshed. And then joyfully walk along the path He has shown you.

Be loved. And then love.
Soak in God’s love and shine!

“You encircle me from back to front, placing your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:5 NSV

Recent Post: All I Have Needed Thy Hand Hath Provided

Great is Your Faithfulness

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by Lydia Floren

I went to a funeral recently. A celebration, really, of a life lived walking with God. The service was mostly music, and during the course of an hour the 400 or so of us attendees (or should I say participants?) sang a variety of classic hymns. I haven’t sung those words in years, yet I still knew most of the songs by heart. I guess that’s what comes from occupying a Baptist pew 3 times a week for 18 years. As I sang verse after verse of those old hymns, their words “fell fresh” on my heart. What wisdom and encouragement those hymnists gave us! The words of Thomas Chisholm, in his song “Great is thy faithfulness,“ were particularly encouraging to my tired heart.

“Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father…”

What does “faithful” mean, exactly?

“Faithful” is a powerful word. A faithful person is consistent. Steady. Loyal. Constant. In our corner. A faithful friend is “there” for us. A faithful person has our back, no matter what. Chisholm declared God’s faithfulness. How exactly is He faithful?

God is faithful to Himself.

No matter what, God is

Consistently loving.
Steadily leading.
Loyally defending.
Constantly providing.
Always present.

And God is always good.

God is faithful to us. Whether we are faithful back or not, and He

Consistently loves us.
Steadily leads us.
Loyally defends us.
Constantly provides us.
Is always present with us.

No matter what our circumstance, God is always faithful to Himself, and to us.

And God always has our back.

Great is Your Faithfulness, O God my father.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Related Posts: Be Still and Know That I Am God,

Recent Series: NOMB Part I, NOMB Part II, NOMB Part III

Savoring A Taste of Heaven. Joy Lives In Contentment.

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by Lydia Floren

One Saturday last August, Andrew and I blasted ourselves out of our rut and spent the day boating on nearby Lake Wissota. It was a perfect Wisconsin summer day. The water, hemmed by lush green, shimmered in the quiet morning light. The sun was warm, not hot, and a gentle breeze was rustling the trees.

For the first half of the day, we puttered from one end of the lake to the other. I was preoccupied. My thoughts kept drifting away from this beauty to the restlessness of “I wants.” I want to live on the water. How could we find a way to do it? Where would be the best place to live? Wonder what the property values and taxes are? Is it feasible? Wonder how much that property costs? I was distracted by what I didn’t have, instead of focusing on what I had been given:

A gorgeous day.
The company of my wonderful husband.
A panorama of natural beauty.

About midway through the day, I pulled out my camera and started snapping pictures. My attention was captured by lily pads and weeping willows, craggy cliffs, wild flowers, and of course the water–rippling, reflecting, shimmering, and sparkling. An awareness of my surroundings remained long after I stowed my camera. I noticed the quiet sounds of crickets buzzing and water lapping. I felt the tangled senses of sun-warmth and cool breeze. I experienced the gentle rock of the boat lulling me to sleep. I was content.

God offers me tastes of heaven every day–and every day I choose. Do I strain to look beyond the amazing gifts in front of me? Or, do I savor the blessings I have already been given?

Joy lives in contentment.

(BTW, I didn’t photograph a single house.)

Share with us: How do you remain content? We would love to hear from you.

Recent posts: Circling Back, Sharing a Sunset, Enjoying God’s Presence.

Circling Back

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u turn arrow

Circling Back

by Lydia Floren

God loves me—personally, and intimately.

I feel like God has taught me a lot over the years, but it all seems to circle back to the fact that He loves me. Me, personally. Not me as a part of the universal blob known as Humanity, though He does love every person He created. He loves me–individually, personally, intimately.

I can feel like such a stranger to that love.

I am so frustrated that after all this time of reading and writing on God’s love, I can feel like such a stranger to that love. I don’t know what the barrier is, but I want to break through it and let that love stream into my heart and soul. It has before. What is hindering it now?

I have drifted.

I think it is what it always is. I have drifted. My focus has drifted away from God somehow. I get caught up in what I am doing, the project I am working on, the plans I have made. Or I get distracted by obstacles, or fears, or hurts. I don’t stay focused–in my mind and heart–on Him.

He knows this happens.

He knows this happens. Maybe even expects it. Yet He isn’t angry, or impatient, or annoyed. He is just waiting. He is waiting by the well of His living water—His love. He is waiting for me to come back and drink deeply, and resume our conversation. He is waiting for me to recognize my fear as the sign it is—a lack of focus on Him—and to return. And focus.

Circling Back

When I do return—and I do, because once I have tasted the joy of being loved, I don’t want to be without it–He doesn’t want me to fill up my canteen and take off again. He wants me to wait: to wait with Him, and to wait for Him. To wait with Him as He heals a wound or rectifies a false belief or misunderstanding. To wait for Him to signal when it is time to move ahead once again.

Hopefully in my journey, as I learn to wait with Him, and to wait for Him, I will find myself circling back less and less,. Because I know God’s desire for me is to travel in tandem with Him every day, enjoying His loving presence as I go.

How do you circle back? Please bless us with your insights!