God in non-biblical terms

I would encourage you think of your relationship with God as a friendship. That's what he wants, right?.. To be our best friend. No matter how many times we drop him like a hot potato, he still has the same goals for us. The more we get to know him, the more we want to know. The more we learn about him, The more we want to tell our friends about him. First we're afraid to talk about him incase others are uncomfortable... Then we feel like it's time to stop being shy about our friendship with him. We might even have his back at the expense of loosing other friendships. We realize he has lots of followers?...

Be careful;

he has lots of friends. He is that sort of guy. But remember having lots of friends or followers comes with a price. He will have friends that represent him well. They will tell you all about him and make you want to hang out with him because he has something you want. These people might challenge you, make you want to strive to do better, be a better version of you. He will have friends who misrepresent him. They will make him out to be something he is not. There will always be friends of him that take only the parts of him that are directly beneficial to them. Sometimes friends forget that maintaining a friendship means being a friend, sacrificial love. Sometimes the duties of love are painful and hard, but certainly worth it.

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It would obviously be wrong to sit in the church pew, leave and make judgemental remarks about the person in front of me. Likewise, if I concern myself with what the person behind me thinks of me, I'm just as guilty.. In other words, I can't let someone's opinion of me, keep me from bettering myself. I can't use other people's mistakes as a standard for myself. But so often I do.

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I have been both a good and a bad friend to Jesus. I have represented him well and frequently. Likewise, I have misrepresented him just the same. His love for me remains unchanged regardless of whether I'm choosing him at that particular time in my life or not. His relationship with me might change because I choose other people and other things over him, but his love is still there for me, unchanged.

Easter is a reminder for me that Jesus died and rose for me both when I am following him and when I am not. It reminds me that my faith journey is ongoing and I have work to put in. It reminds me to seek answers for the mysterious ways of my faith. It's through that search that my mind and heart remain open to what God's purpose for me is. I'm thankful for concepts in my church,the Bible, and my faith that I don't fully understand. It is in my seeking of answers that draws me in. I'm a curious creature, I was made to be that way! If I had all the answers, would I still be looking for ways to grow spiritually? Would I wonder what I could do better? I think God knew what he was doing when he created us. He wants our hearts but only at our own choosing. I need to open my heart, now more than ever to truth.

Easter reminds me that if I want to be more like Jesus, I have to forgive others and myself. I have to try harder to love without conditions. I know that I'm not always going to be a perfect follower of Jesus, I don't know all the answers, but I do know this..I want to be a better friend to Jesus. He is the best friend I have ever had. I have been blessed with some amazing friendships in my life. But only one of those friends literally took on a long drawn out execution to save me from myself, my own sin,my own ignorance, my own pride.

He is risen! He is alive! Alive in the church, alive in the holy spirit, alive in me!

Here's to new beginnings, stronger, more meaningful friendships, and a renewed understanding of God's unconditional love. Here is to sharing my faith with those around me in efforts to turn more eyes and hearts over to him. Here is to working as hard to forgive myself as I do to forgive others.

We are coming up on Pentecost Sunday, marking the end of the Easter season. Let's celebrate Easter even after the peanut butter eggs are gone from our stash! Let's celebrate the true meaning of Easter by being renewed each day and accepting the gifts we have.

(Plus, our family is just now doing the baby chicks thing (another story 🤣), and that makes me think of Easter, too! If you haven't raised baby chicks in a tote in your home, with toddlers...Well half of me screams, "Don't do it", and the other half says, "You have to!" Let's just say we have learned a few things. 😉)

Let's keep on focusing on renewal and giving thanks for the forgiveness of sins... Lord knows, I need renewal and a whole lot of forgiveness!

🖤I dare you to focus on the meaning of the Easter season all year long...

🖤I dare you to forgive yourself for something that you haven't let go of yet.

🖤Allow yourself to move forward from your own grip.

Work on forgiving someone. Start with you. ✌️