Why do you look for the living among the dead?

 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them,

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?

He is not here; He has risen.

I have been pondering these very words, in light of all that is going on in our world today - where death tolls are rising daily and stay at home orders continue to be extended, where the balance between fear and wise counsel can easily be intertwined. 

       “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”

How often do we look for the living among the dead,

  Seeking things that do not bring life,

     Looking for fulfillment in things that only bring more emptiness,

               as if dead things can bring life.

How often do we focus on our current circumstance, trial or situation,
   seeking answers from endless news briefs, data or statistics,
        which can bring more questions, discouragement, fear or hopelessness.

Why do we look for the living among the dead?

     when all along the living one, the resurrected one, our living hope
             is the only one,

  to bring life to those dry places,      
            those thirsty places,

                     those dying and dead places.
  

He is the only one that fills those empty places.
        His resurrection life breaths hope into our present circumstances,
            His presence covers those discouragements and fears.

Sometimes we can live in the in-between place, 

    that place between His resurrection and the power of His resurrection,

               that place of knowing  He is alive and the place of living in that truth.

^{After he had resurrected -}

Jesus said to His disciple, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

His very breath of life covered them,
    In that very moment He filled them with His presence,
         Life giving salvation, eternity set in them.

But before He send them out,

   He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

       Imparting and reminding them of all He had taught them,

           head knowledge now becoming heart knowledge,

               the living word not only living with them, but now dwelling in them.

This Easter as we celebrate His resurrection, rest in the power of His resurrection, rest in His life giving presence...  

He has risen, He has risen indeed.

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The "Yada, Yada" Letters

Tomorrow will be the first year of my precious mama’s passing from this earth into God’s glory. 

I miss her so much, I miss our regular phone conversations, our week-long visits in person, but most of all I miss her letters.  

My mom was a faithful letter writer. Her letters were filled with the dailies of her life, such as what meat was on sale at the supermarket and who they had over for dinner. 

Over the years she wrote regular letters and made photocopies of them to mail it to each one of her 6 children.  We used to call each other up (pre-internet days) to see who got the original letter. 

Her letters became coined as the “yada, yada letters,” by my siblings because of the simplicity of them. 

The urban dictionary defines the word Yada as boring or empty talk, often used in recounting words regarded as too dull or predictable to be worth repeating. 

But I loved those “Yada Yada” Letters, because they gave me a glimpse of her everyday life and made me feel closer to her. It was through those letters that I got to see what was important to her, to know her heart, and to know her more personally.  

These past few weeks, I have been reflecting on Psalms 46.

Psalm 46

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.^[c]

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷ The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹ The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

God Himself said “Be still and know that I am God.” The word “know” here comes from the Hebrew word Yada or yä·dah'.

To know God is not to know about him but to learn to know, to perceive and see,  to find out and discern – to know by experience, to recognize, declare, acknowledge and confess, to know personally and with certainty. 

I like to call this - the know that I know that I know. A deep-rooted knowing.

In times like this- times of distress and when our nation is in an uproar, when fears are high –  we can be still,

we can dwell in the Most Highs presence,

and we can know that He is God, that He is our refuge and strength, and that He is with us.

We get to know our God by spending time with Him –

 Paul reminds us in Romans 15:4 that everything that was written in the past (in His word), was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

That hope comes from knowing Jesus. 

In this season of uncertainty, 

may you know God through His word –

may you perceive and see His life-giving presence, may you discover 
       and discern His wisdom, 
   may you not only recognize but also confess, declare    and acknowledge His goodness, 
    may you know Him with certainty 
       by experience Him personally, and  
may you hear His heart for you 
       through daily relationship with Him, 
as you read His “Yada, Yada" Letters for you. 

Our Church is online and streaming messages every Sunday. You can join us at: https://windbornchurch.net/

Love and Hugs,

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An Open Letter to My Children's Father

Today we celebrate this man (my man) for the father that he is.  I wanted to share with the world (or those willing to read this humble blog) a letter I wrote him.

June 18, 2017

Dear David,

I know that it is our children’s role to wish you a Happy Father’s Day today, but I wanted to take the time to tell you how grateful I am for the Father you are to them.  I could not imagine doing this journey of parenthood without you. I am in awe of how God took two people like us, who where reluctant to be parents, and blessed us beyond our own understanding and ability with 8 children (and one waiting in heaven).  

 You play such an important role in their lives, one that can only be filled by you.  I love how you

have instilled a strong work ethic into them.  You have shown them that hard work is a worthy pursuit and one that they honor you with today.  You have modeled faithfulness and perseverance.  You have instilled in them the importance of critical thinking and taught them to think for themselves.  You have challenged them to search for truth and check what they hear. You have encouraged them to think outside the box and to see that there is more than one angle to view things at.  You have given them a love for history, music, old movies, adventure and politics.

I love how you have found a way to connect with each one of them and you find small and big ways

to pour into each on of them, from a burrito, Beatles memorabilia, hub caps, food for their friends, an In and Out burger or a weekly trip to McDonalds, to nurturing their hobbies with saws and sanders, jars to make candles in, special instruments and kitchen appliances to learn cooking in.  

You have spend many years investing in them everyday by going to work and cauffeuring them in the evenings and/or weekends. 

Thank you for taking them on special adventures and building special memories with them.  

I pray that you will know how loved and appreciated you are.  That you will see how significant your role in their lives is. 

I pray that you will never grow weary of investing in them and spending time with them.  

I pray you will continue to value the relationships you have with each of our children and you will see the great wealth that God has given you.  

David, you are a rich man.  I love you more than words can express and I say THANK YOU for being Nick, Brittaney, Alex, Aaron, Jonathan, Audriona, Angel and Shekinah’s Dad. Thank you for being YOU.

Hugs and Kisses,

Your Special K  (his nickname for me)  

As we celebrate today, I have reflected on some other post I have made in honor of him.  

Honor Your Father

Saying No to His Blessings 

Happy Birthday David (A tribute from Aaron)

Happy Father's Day - You are loved, You are honored, You are blessed

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Honor Your Father

In the span of two weeks my two oldest children posted these two entries to their Dad on Facebook:

On Monday we crossed the border into Jordan. We went up near Mount Nebo and took in the view that Moses would have had in Deuteronomy 34. For those who don't know the story, Moses got to see the Promise Land but was not able to go there.
As I stood there, I thought about how Moses must have felt.Think about it, despite his hard work for and faithfulness to Israel he did not get what he wanted. He instead got to see someone else live out his dream. How would you feel if you were him? These thoughts of Moses began to blend into thoughts of my dad (David Chellsen). It's always been his dream to visit Israel. I thought about how like Moses saw the Promise Land from a distance, my dad would be seeing these photos of my visit on Facebook. Essentially, he would be seeing someone else live out his dream. This emotional moment near Mount Nebo gave me a new love and appreciation for my dad. Like Moses to Israel, my dad's hard work for and his faithfulness to his family has allowed me to walk in my calling and follow my dreams. I would not be here today without him. And when I say "here," I mean that in every sense of the word.     I love you dad and I hope you can come with me next time!

This one's for you, Dad  :) #humphreybogart   #hollywood #walkoffame  #classic with David Chellsen at Hollywood.

Both of them living out a desire or dream of their Dads. What struck me was the honor they showed their Dad not only with their words but their desire to share with him the things he has not yet to do.  The significance they saw in this connection – in fulfilling their father’s desires, his dreams – the connection they have to his heart.  Now this man (my man) does not feel that what he does has great significance.  
Yet, over the years, he has received countless notes, cards and letters from his eight children sharing their love, appreciation and honor for who he is and for what he does. 

A few years back a wrote a blog post about this father’s love as seen through his children:

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

The character of His children are a reflection of their Fathers love..
                            …children are a reflection of their Father.

The best of this man
       is reflected in each of our children.


In Nick -
I see your love for current events, politics and history
           and your gentle strength and faithfulness.

In Brittaney –
I see your all or nothing approach to life
        and your passion for this world and those you love.


In Alex –
I see your sense of humor, love for music
       and your love and compassion for children.

In Aaron –
I see your drive for justice
     and your inventiveness and creativity.


In Jonathan –
I see your wonder for life
    and your resilience and perseverance.

In Audriona –
I see your loyalty and competiveness
     and your desire to take care of those you love.


In Angelina –
I see your candidness, (Jersey attitude)
     and your heart for the underdog and sense for adventure.

In Shekinah –
I see your hot and cold range of emotions and quick wit
      and your desire to talk, and talk and talk -
                                        about the things you love.

A Father -
provides the fountain of strength, wisdom and hope
           so that his children may build their dreams upon it.
Thank you for providing that fountain of strength, perseverance and love... 
                                    so our children can build their dreams upon it.

His son is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact likeness of God’s being.  He holds everything together through his powerful words.   Hebrews 1:3

As I pondered these words: The character of His children are a reflection of their Fathers love... I thought about how our children are not only a beautiful reflection of their earthly father - they are a glorious reflection of their heavenly father. 

Andrew Murray said in his book How to Raise Children for Christ
“The deepest secrets of the Godhead in the fellowship of the Father and the Son by the Holy Spirit were to be shown in the family.” -Murray

Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus was a reflection of His father, a reflection of His glory, the exact likeness of His being. Our relationships here on earth - Husband and wife, parent and child, friend and friend are to be a reflection of this Heavenly relationship. One that is laced with love, grace and honor.

So, this man (my man) - the one who does not feel that what he does has great significance -
He is a reflection of His Heaving Father, as he is faithful in serving his family-

by chauffeuring them here and there and everywhere,

by encouraging them to live out their dreams and desires,

by sacrificing many of his desires to see his children be able to do them,

by getting up early to go to a job that is physically hard - day in and day out,
by paying attention to their interests and gifting them with special gifts just because,

by encouraging them to test the things they read or hear -even the things he says,
by instilling in them to be their own person and not a carbon copy of the world,
by loving them everyday the best he knows how.

His significance is shown in the character of his children.

His children are a reflection of his love.

David, we love and honor you today - just because.

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Our Dwelling Place

This week our Missionary Daughter will be coming "home"  from Brazil for a few months.  I use the term home loosely because home for her has taken on many faces.

 

 The home she grew up in,
       the home she ministered in India for 10 months at the age of 15,
         the home base she trained - lived and was sent out from at YWAM,  Chico,
            the home for the past 2 years in Brazil,

               the home we now dwell in ,
   the one she rests in when she is in the states.

The Lord has taught her many things over the years about the word home.

   that home is more than an address
     that home is our dwelling place
        that home is where your family is
           and we often have more than one family,
               that home is where our heart is,
                  that home is where Jesus is.

She wrote about it here: Wheres your Heart?

I have been pondering that word "home" as we have been preparing for her to arrive.
    Wanting to make a place - some space for her to feel she is home, she is loved, that she belongs.

       a bed that welcomes her, with her own blanket and pillow and invites her to rest,
          a shelf for her to place some of her belongings and makes her feel she belongs,
             a space in the closet that says hang your coat, and stay awhile.


  And while all these things are important, tangible reminders that we care...   I am reminded that the greatest thing I can do is just embrace her, and yet surrender her at the same time:


to the one who holds the keys, to her heart,
       the one who is her dwelling place,
          the one who says "your are mine,
             you are secure, you are home in me."

Psalm 90:1 says, 

"Lord you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations."  

I love how the New Living Testament puts it:

"Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!"

I am looking forward to hugging her deep, to hearing her heart, to mini adventures as a family, to watching her connect with each of her siblings in that special way she does, and above all to just resting in our dwelling place, our home together.

He is our dwelling place, he is our home.
Resting in his love for us, resting in Him,


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Happy 19th Birthday Jonathan

Today we celebrated our special guy's 19th birthday.

Every year this boy teaches or reminds me of something new as we celebrate him.  The Lord will speak loud and clear and remind us of His grace and beauty... through this boy, this gift, this child, now a young man.

He has taught us about simplicity
- about fullness
- about contentment
- about joy, the unabandoned kind
- about the gift of wonder,
      seeing things beyond the natural
- about hope, unending hope
- about being a reflection of God's glory.

This year as we celebrated, It struck me how he will sit with us and enjoy eating this particular meal with us, with his family, because it is his birthday, and he wants to be celebrated and he wants to celebrate with us.

Now, let me remind you that this boy usually gets his plate and goes outside to eat by himself, because sometimes sitting at a table with a bunch of people is just a bit overwhelming for him.

Yet today, on his birthday he enjoyed every moment of it. We talked and laughed and asked
him questions, to which he would just smile and nod. He opened his present, we took pictures, his face lit up when we sang happy birthday, he blew out his candles, he wore his crazy glasses and blew his silly birthday horn... because it's his birthday and he wants to be celebrated.

As I was reflecting on this, I was thinking about God's desire to celebrate us.
   This God, who is powerful and mighty, takes great delight  us.  
      This God who spoke all of creation into being, rejoices over us with singing.

and this boy, now a young man, has grasped this truth to the core of his being.  He lives it out year after year, not doubting, not wavering but simply embracing this celebration fully... this celebration of him.

You can read more about this amazing young man at these posts.
Jonathan's 16th Birthday
Hope
Our World with Autism

today we celebrate you, Jonathan, we celebrate with you fully. You are a reflection of your Heavenly Father's Glory - You are loved.

The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

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Stones of Remembrance - Part 2

Our Pastor has been doing a series on Grace in Genesis. This past week he mentioned stones of remembrance, when Jacob build an alter to mark the place were God had revealed himself to him.

There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother. Genesis35:7

Matthew Henry said in his commentary "The comfort the saints have in holy ordinances, is not so much from Beth-el, the house of God, as from El-beth-el, the God of the house. The ordinances are empty things, if we do not meet with God in them."

I was reminded of a post I made back in 2013 - that year God had brought us to a place of buying our first home after 27 years of marriage. It was an answer to many years of prayer and trusting in his timing.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

  Stones of Remembrance



In our front yard is this awesome, wonderful tree…

    that the Lord has been using to speak words of hope…

               words of promises fulfilled...
                         words of love…

   that simple say “I am listening…  I remember”

He hears and remembers every prayer…   every word spoken...    every word sent up to Him.

and…

around this tree…  this tree of life…      are 12 bricks…     

12 bricks that have become memorial stones of remembrance…

Joshua 4:20-22
And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground."

12 stones that are a visual reminder of God’s love…
                of His provision…
                      of Him opening the way for us to cross…
                                  onto solid ground…
                                             into  His promises for us.

Stones of remembrance~


As a visual reminder…
we each took one brick…  
              one stone
   
and wrote our name on it.
because...
     He calls us all by name. 


We took our stone of remembrance…  
and gave Him praise…   thanks…  

for all He has done for us this year.

we flipped that heavy brick over, weighted down with blessings - and wrote one  “hard thanks”…   

one area in our life that we struggle with giving thanks for…

Why?

           because giving thanks in all things is what He asks us to do…

                    and when we can give thanks in the hard things… 

we open His flood gates of heaven…
                                turning the hard things into praises… seeing the blessing…

                                                 a sacrifice of praise.

He becomes the cornerstone…    the center of all things…   
   in our life…  

     easy Thanks...
no brainer Thanks...    
   and those messy,

     hard Thanks…  

       
He becomes the beginning and the end...  
              Our starting and finishing place…
                                              Our Chief Cornerstone

reminding us that…

God is building a home.

He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using us, fitting us brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together.

We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.  Ephesians 2: 20-22


We can also "set up stones of remembrance” symbolizing times in our lives when God gave healing, perseverance, protection or encouragement—times when we were especially aware of God’s faithfulness.

Possibilities:

• Make a quilt with squares symbolizing "faith events."
• Create a display of items on a shelf as reminders.
• Draw, paint, or craft a collage.
• Decorate actual stones in your garden.
• Write your faith stories, tie them with a ribbon, and put them in a special box or bottle. (Then read them on special occasions.)

building stones…    of remembrance~

There have been other times we have created stones of remembrance - simple stones that come in the form of a letter to a son leaving for college or a note of encouragement to a special friend or even a scrapbook remembering the events from the past year. I have been pondering how these words, these letters are beautiful ways to remember someone, or a special event. And I have been thinking about that Matthew Henry quote… "The comfort the saints have in holy ordinances, is not so much from Beth-el, the house of God, as from El-beth-el, the God of the house. The ordinances are empty things, if we do not meet with God in them."

The remembering or the act of remembering is an empty thing - something that does not give life - if  GOD is not in the midst of it.   I have also been pondering how we were created to be living stones - a living remembrance of Jesus. Our life is a story daily unfolding of His great love, of His great provision, of His presence. Our very lives are a letter anyone can read, just by looking at us. Christ himself wrote it, not with ink but with God's living spirit. 2Cor 2:3  

Living as a remembrance of GOD's amazing love and grace,

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