Drops of Inspiration
Drops of Inspiration is the Internet Café's monthly writing prompt!
On the first of every month there will be a new scripture, quote, photo, opening line, closing line, word, song, or video to inspire you and your objective is to write a post using that prompt and then post it on your blog! You can link back to it here by using MckLinky (not to be confused with the misbehaving Mr. Linky). Then you should place your posts exact URL in the URL section, your name in the name section, and then leave a brief comment. This is a community activity so be sure to visit others who are participating. You can join us at any time during the month.We should be able to see the hand of God in all things whether it be a trip to the grocery store, a rainbow, or a mishap with a toaster oven. He is always with us; always teaching us; always loving us. We encourage you to share your God experiences with us through this writing exercise.
If you have an idea for a writing prompt then you can send it to: amy@internetcafedevotions.com. I cannot guarantee that all ideas will be used but they will be considered.
We have made this writing prompt available so that women can creatively and freely discuss their thoughts and offer each other comfort and biblical direction. We do not necessarily agree with everything that is linked to our site in response to these prompts or the comments that are posted here by individuals. You can click here to read our beliefs: Internet Cafe Beliefs.
We strongly urge you to pray and seek guidance from the Father and study your bible to see if what you are reading lines up with God’s Word. This should be the case with all things. We also encourage you to use this as an opportunity to lift others up in prayer.
Blog entries can range from biblical studies or inspirational to light and humorous, however the women whose links that we post must meet with our guidelines as outlined below.
Our prompts will range from the deep and divine to the abstract and quirky–what you do with them is up to you.
Guidelines
This is open to Christian women bloggers who are in agreement with our biblical beliefs. We will not accept links to posts that are of a controversial nature or that open up doors to debate. Nor will we accept links to blogs that lean toward controversy, slander or debate in general. It is at the discretion of the Café administrators as to what will or will not be accepted.
Labels: Drops of Inspiration
posted by Amico Dio @ 10:48 PM
4 Comments:
God is awsome. I love connecting with other strong christian women learning, growing and having fun together. When we go through trials we come out stronger and blessed when we keep God on our lives. The blessings are awsome and the trial is learned from and gone. Its Gods way in our lives that bless us and keep us wholesome and nurtured as woman and moms in every area of our lives. take care. your friend rhonda.
By turning to God and seeing him everywhere in my life, He gives me strength. I have been away from God for a while now, as I tried to connect with Him through other means. Nothing worked. I was miserable. Now I see God everywhere and it is not a struggle. I am a strong capable woman, who is now humbled before God. He knows best for me and I accept His help.
I write this after spending a few days in bed after a round of cancer treatment. I would like to say I feel strong during such moments, but the truth is often I am gripped with fear. I'm not sure what I am tired of most being sick or a life controlled by fear, but I do know that when I am tired of being sick and tired and fear offers me shear panic, surrounding myself with music of worship and His comfort, lifting up His Words of promise and hope and writing a gift He gave me as a child, I am amazed how even cancer and fear no longer seem to matter, because all I can see is the One who has carried me through more than one wilderness and then I can write notes to myself like the following.
"Give yourself permission to embrace life, love, laughter and grace. You can still climb a tree, carefully. The sweetest thing in life isn't a kiss, but someone who loves you so much they'll settle for simply holding your hand. The most beautiful painting is not on canvas, but each day you wake up to see another day. Long walks will do more for you than staying inside...step out into the day and give it try. Love your loved ones, but remember the years you lived for everyone else except yourself...it doesn't get you very far. Sift through each day and keep only what belongs to you, everything else, let it go. When someone reaches out to you, helps you, holds you and walks by your side in your darkest hour....thank them, and thank God for them remembering to replace all their faces with the face of God...He sent them."
As I sat in the quiet church last night, I quietly whispered to God, "I am so sorry! I have gotten it so wrong up until now." I was sitting at an Orphan Sunday event and Steven Curtis Chapman was singing a song about where he has seen Jesus. Ironically, or not so, a pastor had recently talked about where to find Jesus. And I have come to realize that for so many years, I have been so wrong.
Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 25 that when he was hungry, they fed him. Also, when he was thirsty, they gave him a drink and when he was homeless, they gave him a room. I thought I understood this passage as an instruction to BE CHRIST to people in need. It is Christ-like to feed the hungry and give water to the thirst. Our call is to become more like Christ, so my job on this earth is to act like Christ to those people God puts in my life.
But that's not what Jesus was saying. He was saying the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless...they are Christ! As I pass by the homeless woman mumbling to herself, sitting in the bus shelter desperately trying to avoid the cold winds whirling off Lake Michigan, I see Christ. When I see the pictures of the orphan children who are hungry and shoeless, I see Christ. In these scenarios, Jesus is not the mom who hands the woman a sandwich. Jesus is not the missionary giving a cup of water to the orphan. The homeless woman and the orphan are Jesus!
What I have failed to learn, until recently, is that Jesus is the hurting people around us. Jesus goes on to say in Matthew "Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me - you failed to do it to me." (The Message, Matthew 25:45). Sadly, many times I have failed to love Jesus.
This really hit home as I looked at our adopted son from Ethiopia. The transition has been hard and sometimes, honestly, I struggle loving him. But as I looked at him,lying on my lap with such peace on his face, I saw Christ. What amazing lessons have been learned because of this adoption. Loving this boy is keeping me close to God. Loving this boy is refining my soul. Loving this boy is causing me to weed out sin. Jesus, in his gracious and non-condemning way, has given me an opportunity to love HIM when I chose to love my son.
Too often I mess up and walk across the street from the homeless woman or ignore the call of the orphans. What I have come to learn is that when I do this, I am missing the chance to love Jesus. I want to take every opportunity I can to love Christ, who loves us all so passionately, who knows us so intimately, and who waits for us to love him.
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