God's Divine Design

Families of Faith:

It could be said that the BIBLE is the “Basic Instructions (we must know to live properly) Before Leaving Earth.” Many would say God or Christ wrote the bible. But in fundamental truth – the CHURCH Jesus established wrote the bible, INSPIRED by God the Holy Spirit.

So while the New Testament is written with many “factual” events of Christ’s life as experienced by the apostles, the literal facts lead us to focus on the SPIRIT of each event. Simplified: neither God, nor Christ actually, or physically, wrote down the words that are written there, rather the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostles and the Fathers of the Church as to what was important in faith to be passed on thru our faith—the Tradition of God’s Divine Design.

While the Church is the bearer and holder of the truth of the divine design, each of us personally is called to know him, love him and serve him within the beauty of His design.

So what did God tell us? What examples in Christ’s life were important enough to be written down? In what Spirit did the Apostles record in writing God’s design for us? How are we to know Him, love him and serve Him?

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit”. Jn 4: 7-13

What a different world we would live in if each of us gave it our all to live by this design: To truly love one another as He loves us.

A short walk in the bible has God in Genesis creating woman from and for man. He creates for us a perfect helpmate so that we together can recreate His love (human birth) -- children. It shows us God’s power and His promise – from the promise to Noah of continued life after the flood to the depth of that love given by the death of His own Son: a death not for himself, but a death to perfect love by manifesting for us His/God’s forgiveness and mercy.

And He continued to teach and inspire through the writings of Paul as to how the benchmarks of a “serving love” should be acted out. The divine design is completed in Revelation with an inspiring picture of heaven—the purpose, the be all that ends all, THE reason for life – to remain in Christ and to return to His love eternally.

His divine design, love, is proven in the very gift of life itself, procreated within human families, with the support of the helpmate God fashioned for me (a spouse). It is passed on to our children, in new families, and shown to others around us in a Spirit of community service: whether that community is in my own home, or taken out into the world.

A lofty goal, yes; but like Christ, a goal that I should accept freely, totally, faithfully, fruitfully and with great passion. A design in which like Christ, I am asked to give up my own life (my selfish desires) by suffering (not nearly as much as those that are persecuted for their faith) and sacrificing (not nearly as much as much of the world that does not have enough food, shelter and clothing) because the final achievement is the promise of an eternal life of love with the designer of love, God.

Heavenly Father, You have created me in Your image and likeness as a product of heavenly love and born out of the bond of love thru my parents marriage. Help me to participate willingly in your divine design for marriage and family by passing that love on to my own family with the help of my spouse. Allow the world to see how you created in me your divine design. Amen.

In God’s design of love we are created.

Blessings as you go forth to live and share His love – BE His design,

Charlotte

Charm and beauty

Women of Faith:
Makeup, $15; Shoes, $35; Day at the spa, $150…..

The internal beauty of living God’s love and truth—Priceless.

We are created by God IN HIS IMAGE, our charm and our beauty are not on the outside, but rather on the inside –in the spirit we exhibit thru service to others given without promise of earthly rewards.

Wearing the “right” clothes and makeup or spending days at the spa will last only until soap and water wash away the mask and lotions at night or the clothes go out of style. This is an artificial beauty—beauty only by our own earthly standards.

“When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and works with loving hands. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.” Prov 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31

Internal compassion, service, honor, respect and unconditional forgiveness are true values of life.

As Father Mike spoke yesterday, it is not just about what others see on the outside, but rather that our spirit is answering God’s call. It is not about just knowing what is right, but rather DOING what is right that makes the difference in our lives—in loving and serving with the “fear of the LORD” as our guide that brings us the rewards of blessed marriages, families and ultimately heaven.

Am I seeking inner change within myself rather than going through the outside motions? Am I praying to change myself rather than some circumstance or a person outside of me? (We can only change ourselves!)

It is through unconditional service and self-sacrifice that we become a worthy wife; a wife worthy of husbands who will protect us, provide for us and to whom we can mutually entrust our hearts.

Our husbands are to treat us as a prize, a gift from God—because we are God’s daughters. (Likewise—they are God’s sons—a gift to us.)

By our MUTUAL service, honor, and respect for each other, husband and wife, we will receive the richest of rewards—joy here on earth and eternal life in heaven.

Heavenly Father: May I look to your glory by entrusting my heart to your control. Help me not to be concerned with my outward appearance, but rather with the inner spirit you have given me. May my desire to please you inspire me to give you glory and honor through service to my husband, my family and all those around me. Help me to wisely and graciously use all of the blessings and talents you have given me. Amen.

May the gift of your inner beauty be given to someone you love in honor to God this week,
Blessings,
Charlotte

Happy Valentine's Day

Women of Faith:
Happy Valentine’s Day!

It’s all about Love. Our love for each other, but more importantly about God’s love for us. Both loves are the same—in one Christ died for us; in the other, we must die for each other because that is what love is all about ; the giving, about being selfless and about serving our spouses, our families and our community.

At our couples of faith date night we shared the song, Lead Me by Sanctus Real in which a wife asks her husband to help lead her to Christ AND the husband asks for help to be led BY Christ. (Some of the words of the song follow—and if you haven’t heard the song, the link to the rest of the words.)

"…Lead me with strong hands, Stand up when I can't, Don't leave me hungry for love, …

So Father, give me the strength, To be everything I am called to be, Oh, Father, show me the way, To lead them, Won't you lead me?

To lead them with strong hands, To stand up when they can't, … chasing dreams that I could give up.

I'll show them I'm willing to fight, And give them the best of my life, So we can call this our home, Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone.

Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone.”
www.christian-lyrics.net/sanctus-real/lead-me-lyrics.html#ixzz1AfissT00

These words are for all—married and unmarried—not words just from a wife to a husband, but words from each of us to our heavenly Father—to be led, carried, and guided by His love.

Love means that we will “GIVE Them & Him THE BEST OF OUR LIVES.” And Love is in what we give up—for Christ and for each other.

God tells us to LOVE one another as He has loved us. When our lives are going well it seems like giving God our love would be easy; and sometimes when our lives hurt turning to God, believing in His love can be difficult.

Yet, when do our prayers seem to be the loudest? When we suffer; because that is when we cannot find our own answers, when there are no easy answers, when we most need His strength to carry us and to lead us. And because we trust and believe, we are guided and comforted; led and carried. God hears our prayers.

And when do we most often forget to pray? When our lives are going well—because in our human nature we think we are creating our own happiness. We forget to “give Him the BEST of our lives.”

God’s love is here for all of us; in the highs and in the lows. God created the love we have and share with each other. We should give HIM “the best of our lives,” because He has already given us the “Best of His Life,” in giving us His child, His son, Jesus.

We are helped thru our trials and sorrows by the love given to us by God, thru our friends and families. And we find the most joy in our lives when we give our gifts, our life, back to God; by our thoughts, by our words and by our actions, by letting our lives be led by Christ.

Heavenly Father: Praise be Your love in my life in good times and bad. Give me the courage to always follow your lead. Thank You for Your love, for Your comfort, for Your caring, and for Your carrying me in both the highs and the lows of each day. Help all of us, as Your children, to seek and to be led by Your love. Amen.

Happy Valentine’s Day. This is God’s Day. This is a day for His Love to be shared humanly and divinely.

Give Him Your Day! With Love and Blessings,
Charlotte