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Focus On Jesus

October 31, 2014 by pattiburris

the storm

 

 

Matthew 14:22-33

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said.Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

 

It was a normal Thursday morning in mid-October. I had just picked up my oldest daughter, Cherokee, from her dorm room, and was going to spend a few hours in the prayer room at a local House of Prayer. We had not even made it out of the parking lot when this precious child of mine announces that she was pregnant. I was floored. She was 19 and had just started her first semester of college. She had been seeing this boy off and on for just over a year, but I had no clue they had taken things that far. Cherokee was always my purity ring wearing God girl. As I drove to the House of Prayer, she says laughing, “Well, I thought I would tell you now, since you were on your way to the prayer room.” Cherokee and I had always been close, but we had recently struggled in our relationship, as she pulled away and discovered her independence.

We did not end up at the prayer room that day. We went window shopping and simply hung out and talked about her future. I was heartbroken for this daughter of mine, but I also cherished the life that she carried. As I loved Cherokee that day and in the months to come, I felt the love of God as I had never felt before. I focused on God and took comfort in Laura Story’s song, “Blessings”

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the achings of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise.

I felt God’s unconditional love for me in all my imperfection, as I stood by my daughter and loved her through this tough time. My hopes and dreams for my first born were dashed, but new dreams took their place. She was 6 months pregnant when she and Nick married. Ava was born in June of 2013 and is the sunshine of my life. Cherokee, Nick and Ava live on a Marine base in North Carolina. Ava is 16 months and is a blessing in my life.

My dreams changed. When I focused on Jesus in the eye of the storm, I was blessed with a grand-daughter and a son-in-law that I am proud of. It was a difficult time, but I chose to keep my eyes on Jesus and I was blessed.

Often, when we as mom’s are in the middle of the storm, we doubt that Jesus is there to help us walk on the waters of our trials. He is there. We simply have to focus on Him and not our situation. We have to keep the faith and not doubt. Jesus tells us to take courage, do not be afraid. He is there standing in front of us, encouraging us in this journey of motherhood. Focus on Jesus, sweet mom, and not on your circumstances and you will be able to walk on the water of the stormy seas of parenting. Jesus is right in front of you, encouraging you. Go to Him.

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Thundering Waves

October 28, 2014 by pattiburris

waves

 

 

Thundering waves

jumping and dancing as

the grey clouds

gather above.

The roar of the waves

sounding like

hoof beats of horses

cantering across the land.

The wind

howling through the trees.

The salt water

bitter to the tongue,

painful to the eyes.

Sea gulls

swiftly hunting for prey

as

the first winter rain

starts to fall.

* This is original poem I wrote at the age of 16

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Fear: A Poem

October 28, 2014 by pattiburris

Jesus

 

 

Fear, like the blade of death

cuts through her heart

she holds her breath.

Alone to face the terror she feels,

she tries to run, but she stands still.

Waiting, waiting in the night

to scared to run, to scared to fight.

She feels the chill of hands upon her throat.

She waits for death and prays to God,

“Please God, help me. I can’t fight this alone.

If anyone can help me, you are the one.

I don’t want to die, Lord,

I want to live.

Give me one more chance, Lord,

I have a lot to give.”

She feels His presence, as the hands slip away.

God is with her, she won’t run away.

Her enemy, fear, is gone from her soul,

filling her with peace, with the words Jesus told,

“As you pass through the valley of the shadow of death,

fear no evil, for I am with you.

I will neither leave you, nor forsake you.

If you call on me, I will be there,

to fight the evil,

to fight the fear.

I am with you, child,

see my footprints in the sand,

remember this, my child,

I will never let go of your hand.

* This is an original poem I wrote at the age of 17

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Community

October 23, 2014 by pattiburris

community

 

 

 

Acts 2:44-46

All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

In the last few years, there have been many intentional communities springing up all over the United States. Neighborhoods, where residents form a community to support and encourage the residents in that community. When I first heard of these communities, I thought it was a strange idea. As I researched some of these communities around the U.S. I realized that these Christians are living a modern day version of the Church of Acts. These contemporary communities are simply newer versions of monasticism and religious orders that have been around for many many centuries.

I have been blessed to work in the Mother house of the Sisters of Providence and in the 3 1/2 years I have worked there, I have learned much from these women about community. They are united by their charism of love, mercy and justice. They work and live together to better the communities in which they live. Do they always get along? No. Sometimes they disagree, but they accept that they each have their own opinions and personalities and love each other anyway.

Jesus and His disciples formed a community. The Israelites formed a community as they wandered the desert. The early Christians formed a community. The early religious formed communities, as they formed monasteries and convents. Saint Francis formed a community and there are still many Franciscan communities alive today in honor of him. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin left her home in France, made a new home in Indiana and started a community of women who live and work to better the communities in which they live.

For most of us, building community starts with the church. This can be difficult in some churches, where everyone comes together for a couple of hours of Sunday and forget each other the rest of the week. Many churches are trying to build community by starting small groups of like minded individuals. These groups meet once a week and usually stay connected enough to bond and help support and encourage each other. Catholic churches are known for having daily masses so that Christians can meet together daily in the Temple courts as the early Christians did.

Another way to build community is in the neighborhood that you live in. Start a neighborhood Bible study and invite your neighbors. I have written a blog post on community transformation. To read that post, click here.

We see community all throughout the Bible. It is so important for us to have those people in our lives that share life with us. We need people that will go through the ups and downs of life with us. God never intended for us to go through life alone. He made us to desire that contact with one another.

I know sometimes it is hard to push ourselves out there and let our guard down long enough to build relationships. What if we get hurt? I get that. Believe me, I get that. I’m the one with an avoidant personality. Even I know that God made us to do life together and as hard as it is for me to push myself out there, I have to, because God did not mean for us to do life alone. If He had, He never would have made Eve as a companion for Adam. He wouldn’t have had to. Adam would have been fine on his own.

My challenge to you:

Go out, get involved and build a community. Don’t let fear keep you from connecting with other people. Trust God and start building relationships that may last you the rest of your life. You’ll be glad you did!

 

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Prayer

October 20, 2014 by pattiburris

prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Pray continually, 

Prayer is our line of communication with God. This verse tells us to pray continually, telling us to be in constant communication with God. God wants to have an open line of communication with us at every moment of our day. It doesn’t matter what we are dealing with, God is ALWAYS with us and wants us to share EVERYTHING with Him.

Jesus gave us the main components to prayer, when He gave us the Lord’s Prayer. Click here to read my blog post on the Lord’s Prayer. According to the Lord’s Prayer there are 5 main components to prayer:

1. Praise

2. Praying God’s will

3. Supplication

4. Confession (Asking forgiveness for our sins and forgiving others for sins done to us)

5. Praying for protection from evil and temptation

Below are a few other suggestions that might help in your prayer life:

  • Centering Prayer– Centering prayer is a way to empty your mind of every day distractions and really focus on God. Centering prayer helps us LISTEN to what God is saying to us.
  • The Daily Examen– The Daily Examen is an Ignatian exercise and is used to examine our daily activities and see where God is speaking to us. Is there any way we could have been a better example of Jesus? Were we impatient when we needed to be kind? The Daily Examen is a way for God to mold our character, as we pray for Him to reveal what we need to change.
  • Prayer Journaling– We can use prayer journaling with the Lord’s Prayer model and as a way to keep track of requests and answers to prayer. Writing out prayers can be helpful in emptying our hearts of worries and anxieties. Often, when I am done writing out everything on my heart, I feel at peace. I know that God is working in the situations involved.
  • Every Hour– Every hour, on the hour, say a prayer about a person, event, or situation that you have promised to pray about. You can also, take the opportunity to praise God and thank God for all that He has done in your life. Pray as the Holy Spirit leads. This is a great way to make sure we pray continually.

These are just a few ideas. The internet is full of different ways to enhance our prayer lives. I like to try different methods of prayer to enhance my communication with God. I have found that some things work and some don’t. I try to keep it simple. I don’t want to get to legalistic about my prayer life.

There are times when I can’t pray at all. There are times when words fail me and I can only whisper, “Don’t let me go, Jesus.” You will have times like this too. Don’t worry, God knows your heart and has sent the Holy Spirit to intercede for us.

Romans 8:26

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

I’m not an expert on prayer, but I do know that I could not live without that open communication with my Creator. I know that at any moment of the day, that I can praise Him or cry out to Him and He will hear me. I encourage you to go to God in prayer. He is waiting for you. If you have any suggestions or prayer methods that work for you, let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

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Walk By Faith

October 9, 2014 by pattiburris

faith

 

 

 

2 Corinthians 5:7

For we live by faith, not by sight.

 

I have loved researching my Mormon Pioneer ancestry. It was a long, difficult journey from Denmark to the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1861, but they chose to leave their homeland, believing they would find something better. My great great grandmother, Anna Mette Jensen was 18 at the time. She made the journey with her parents and 2 brothers. They left her 2 older siblings behind in Denmark. The part that really inspired me was that Anna and her brothers walked 1000 miles between Florence (now Omaha), Nebraska and Salt Lake City. All of the kids walked. They walked! I know they had made the journey with their parents, but they HAD to have believed that there was something more for them. I believe that even the kids had hope for a better life, that God had more in store for them than what they were living. I believe that the kids chose to trust in their parents, just like God wants us to trust Him. They walked by faith.

I am not a Mormon, but I admire the faith they had in God. They left everything they had, because they chose to believe that God had a plan for them. I don’t believe that any of them did this on a whim. They were responsible adults, parents that believed in God for a better life.

I admire these pioneers, because so often I have let fear keep me from walking by faith. I have been so afraid of losing control that I lose sight of a God who has EVERYTHING under control. I have failed God and I have failed myself. I believe that God has something more for me. I believe that there is a risk that I am supposed to take, a cliff that I need to jump off of, a ladder I need to climb. It scares me. It terrifies me, this idea of trusting an unseen God with my life. Can I really call this living, if I am not living radically for God? Is this really what life is supposed to be? Doesn’t God want us to be so on fire for Him that it doesn’t matter what the risk is. If we aren’t living that life, then are we living at all?

Just my thoughts on being totally, completely sold out to God. If God has called you to something bigger than yourself, if you have a gi-normous dream that you think is unrealistic. I am urging you to trust God. Walk by faith, not by your current circumstances, your lack of money, or lack of resources. God has all the resources in the universe in the palm of His hand and will use them for you, if you believe.

I see the edge of the cliff ahead of me. Do you see it? I’m jumping. Are you? Take my hand and we can jump together. God has this and He won’t let us fall.

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The Word Of God

October 8, 2014 by pattiburris

Word of God

I have started many, through the Bible, reading plans and have failed on many, many occasions. Let’s face it, the Bible is not the easiest book to read. Parts of it can be hard to understand and other parts are downright boring. I can read the same passage a hundred times and get nothing out of it and a few months later, something clicks and I feel like I’m reading it for the first time.

Even through the difficulties, I stick with it. Why? Because the Bible is God’s handbook for living. There is wisdom for EVERY situation we could ever face and encouragement for times of trial. God speaks to us through the Bible. I learn life lessons through the imperfect people that God chose as role models for us.

Remember the most important reason that we need to study the Bible; it points us to Jesus. The Bible is all about Jesus. As you read, look for Jesus.

Studying the Bible works in two ways: 1. Filling our hearts and minds with God’s Word 2. Taking that Word out into the world.

Input

Psalm 1:1-3

1 Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

Hearing- There are times when I can’t focus on what I’m reading and I will listen to a sermon instead and it really sinks in. The internet is a great source of online sermons on just about any topic or scripture. Many churches will upload their Sunday sermons to their websites, so the general public has access to those during the week.

I love to listen to my local christian radio station. Many Hymns and contemporary christian songs are based on scripture and I enjoy the snippets of Bible study and encouragement.

I’m sure that we have all watched a T.V. evangelist at one time or another. With Cable T.V., we can now watch sermons, Bible studies, Biblical history shows, christian movies, etc.

Going to church is, of course, still the ideal way of hearing God’s Word.

Reading- Like I said earlier, I have tried many, read through the Bible, plans. What it boils down to is discipline and sacrifice. I am reading through the Bible in a year now. It isn’t always easy and I tend to have a short attention span, but God is worth it and so I make the sacrifice.

The internet is full of Bible reading plans. Go through them and pick the one that works for you.

If you really feel that you can’t read through the Bible, word for word, then pick a book of the Bible and pick out the main characters and main events and read about them. Journal about the character, who he/she was, strengths, weaknesses, ways we can learn from this person. Same thing with an event. Write down what the event was, why it was important and what we can learn from this event today.

I am a voracious reader, so when I read my devotional or other christian based books, I will sometimes write a blog post on a scripture I have read. This allows me to dig further into that scripture and God’s Word really sinks in that way. I have learned things that I would not have learned otherwise.

Journal what you read. If a scripture jumps out at you, write it down. What about that passage spoke to you and how can you use it in your every day life? What has that scripture taught you?

Like Verse 2 above says, meditate on the law, day and night. We have to be intentional about letting God’s Word sink into our hearts. Remember that what goes in, will come out. Garbage in, Garbage out. The love of God in, the love of God out.

Output

James 1:22

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Luke 8:21

He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Matthew 7:24

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

God makes it abundantly clear that we need to put His Words into action. It does us no good, if we can recite the Bible backwards and forwards, but our every day life does not reflect that knowledge. This does not mean that we have to be Biblical scholars. Most of the 12 disciples were not Biblical scholars. They were fishermen, tax collectors and doctors. God just expects us to allow what we know of Him to make an impact on the world around us.

Love one another– John 13:34

Be kind and compassionate– Ephesians 4:32

Forgive one another– Colossians 3:13

I encourage you to look up other scriptures and find out how God expects us to act towards each other.

Part of putting action to God’s Words is serving each other. 1 Peter 4:10 tells us that we should use whatever gifts we have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace.

We are God’s Ambassadors on this earth. God tells us exactly how to treat others and He expects us to obey His Word.

*Challenge- find a Bible reading plan and get into God’s Word. Let it seep into your spirit and overflow into the lives of those around you. God says that we will be like a tree planted by streams of water and that we will not wither. That is an amazing promise! So, get in the Word!

God Bless!

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The Rending Of The Curtain

October 4, 2014 by pattiburris

8Tearing of the Curtain

 

 

Matthew 27:50,51

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.

I never really thought about the significance of God rending the Temple curtain in two. I read something the other day that made me really think about what the rending of the curtain means to us as Christians. According to http://www.thefreedictionary.com rending means to tear or split apart or into pieces violently. This is what God did with the Temple curtain at the time of Jesus death. Why?

Hebrews 10:19,20 gives us a clue:

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body…

The curtain was placed in the Temple to keep the unclean and unsanctified from having direct access to the Holy of Holies (the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept). The only person who was allowed in this room was the High priest and only on Yom Kippur. In Leviticus 16:2 God tells Moses that He appears in the cloud over the atonement cover. God appeared in the Holy of Holies and no one on Earth was holy enough to approach God.

At Jesus’ last breath the curtain was torn in two. Why? Because Jesus took the place of that curtain through His obedience and death. When we have faith in Jesus and we believe that He died for our sins, we have open access to our Father in Heaven. No longer is there a curtain keeping us from God. We can have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place because of Jesus.

I know how much God loves me. If He didn’t, He never would have given me access to the Holy of Holies. I can run to my Abba Father day or night and He will hear me. He gave us open access to Him because He loves us.

If you are hurting right now or dealing with a difficult situation, RUN to our Abba Father, our Heavenly Father. God tore the curtain down for YOU. He loves you and has given you access to Him. Tell Him whats on your heart. He is waiting for you!

 

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Indian Drums

September 25, 2014 by pattiburris

indian drums

Indian Drums

Black clouds gather,

the sun disappears,

waves crash against the cliffs,

alone in the world an eagle cries,

and Indian drums beat in my heart.

The wind is howling,

tears sting my eyes,

an eagle soars alone once more,

like the eagle, my spirit will fly,

and Indian drums beat in my heart.

*This an original poem that I wrote when I was 19.

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Bearing Our Burdens

September 25, 2014 by pattiburris

our burdens

 

 

Psalm 68:19

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

 

Every day brings with it trials and problems to solve. We have a choice in how we deal with those trials: A. We can worry and fret about them until we make ourselves sick, B. We can bury our heads in the sand and pretend that everything is fine, or C. We can place our problems in God’s hands and trust Him to work it all out.

I don’t know about you, but I worry and fret about things all the time and all it has gotten me is high blood pressure and the warning to lessen the stress in my life or I will have a heart attack by the time I am 50. I have tried to live in denial, but eventually problems need to be solved and action needs to be taken.

In my life, I have found it so much easier to give it all to God. He is more than capable of dealing with whatever life throws at us and He wants to bear our burdens. He said so in the above passage! God already has the answers to our problems. He wants to bear our burdens and not on a yearly, or monthly basis, but on a daily basis. Our heavenly Father wants us to surrender our burdens to Him on a daily basis.

A challenge:

For the next 7 days, I challenge you to take God at His word. Every morning when you wake up, surrender your burdens to Him who loves you. Tell Him everything you have to deal with that day and surrender it to Him. Take care of what you need to take care of, as far as that issue goes, but leave the outcome to God. Refuse to let worry or denial cloud your heart and mind. Instead, let the peace of God enter your spirit.

I want to hear how this challenge has worked out for you. Are you at peace with the daily struggles of life? It isn’t always easy to keep worry and anxieties at bay, but trusting God is worth the effort.

 

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