Pure

So I have been doing a lot of thinking lately... For anyone who knows me that would not come as a surprise. :0)

The meaning of my name is Pure. I never really liked that meaning mostly, because I felt like I never measured up to it. Even when I came back to the Lord at the age of 15 and my life changed completely I always felt I had blown it for purity. I felt God had restored my life and accepted it all, but that meaning always bugged me.

I hadn't really gave it much thought until recently. I was reading the book Shepherding a Child's Heart (I HIGHLY recommend all parents & parents to be read it) and it was asking something about exaimening the things your family does whether for God or for your own reason. I decided to write a list of ways we as a family stays close to the Lord and challenges us to grow closer to him.

The question was this- Are there spoken & unspoken rules of your family life consistent with true spirituality, living for the glory of God?

A first I was just putting all the spoken things down. Then I started thinking of the things God has really called us to do and the word purity kept coming to my mind over and over for days. I kept hearing purity in our relationship with the King, purity in our marriage, purity in how we represent the King, purity in our relationship with our daughter, purity in our heart, minds & body.

Here's my original list.

1) We pray so that we are in communion with the Lord & so we can give him thanks.
2) We read our Bibles to learn more about who Christ is, to renew our minds and to continue to learn from Christ
3) We go to church because we enjoy it, to be fed by others and to be in fellowship with other believers.
4) We tithe to give back to the Lord what is his. To bless God's work & to obey him. (this was a very tough area for me to learn at first, but I'm so glad I have a faithful husband who got through to me in this area)
5) We volunteer service in many different ways.
6) We eat healthy, organic and as close to how God designed food to take care of our bodies. We are the temple.
7) We give to those in need. Just like Christ did while on earth.

After hearing all the Lord was saying I felt him say you are living pure, Kathy!! It was like God was saying I have wiped your slat clean, but I have now replaced it with purity. Something I never saw in myself. God has done it all! It wasn't in me until he placed it in me. I am fully aware I am not perfect and fall short of purity, but I felt for the first time God was calling me to follow in the name he ultimately called me to.

Hope this blesses someone!

Hosea

I haven't written in a blog since I was 15. Not sure how often I will write, but after reading so many good blogs I decided to start one.

Today as I was reading in the book of Hosea andI was overwhelmed by Christ love for me. Starting in Hosea 4:1-5 HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD, YOU ISRAELITES, BECAUSE THE LORD HAS A CHARGE TO BRING AGAINST YOU WHO LIVE IN THE LAND: THERE IS NO FAITHFULNESS, NO LOVE, NO ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF GOD IN THE LAND. THERE IS ONLY CURSING, LYING AND MURDER, STEALING, AND ADULTERY; THEY BREAK ALL BOUNDS, AND BLOODSHED FOLLOWS BLOODSHED. BECAUSE OF THIS THE LAND MOURNS, AND ALL WHO LIVE IN IT WASTE AWAY; THE BEAST OF THE FIELD AND THE BIRDS OF THE AIR AND THE FISH OF THE SEA ARE DYING.

THEN IN CHAPTER 6:1-6 WE SEE HOW MERCIFUL GOD IS. HE DESIRES THEM MORE THAN ANYTHING. HE IS WILLING TO SAVE THEM NO MATTER HOW EVIL THEY HAVE BEEN.

WITH BEING A WIFE AND MOTHER I CONTINUALLY SEE GOD'S LOVE IN A NEW LIGHT. IT'S AMAZING HOW GOD USES ALL OUR EARTHLY RELATIONSHIPS TO POINT TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST. WHETHER IT TEACHES US HOW TO LOVE OTHERS LIKE CHRIST LOVES US NO MATTER WHAT OR HOW IT SHOWS US HOW MUCH CHRIST LOVES US. MY HUSBAND AND I ARE ALWAYS AMAZED BY OUR OVERWHELMING LOVE FOR OUR DAUGHTER AND CONTINUE TO PONDER HOW MUCH MORE CHRIST LOVES; AND DESIRES THAT KIND OF LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH US. IT BLOWS US AWAY EVERY TIME!

SO BACK TO HOSEA. CHAPTER 6:1-3 COME, LET US RETURN TO THE LORD. HE HAS TORN US TO PIECES BUT WILL HEAL US; HE HAS INJURED US BUT HE WILL BIND UP OUR WOUNDS. AFTER TWO DAYS HE WILL REVIVE US; ON THE THIRD DAY HE WILL RESTORE US. THAT WE MAY LIVE IN HIS PRESENCE. LET US ACKNOWLEDGE THE LORD; LET US PRESS ON TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM. AS SURELY AS THE SUN RISES, HE WILL APPEAR; HE WILL COME TO US LIKE THE WINTER RAINS, LIKE THE SPRING RAINS THAT WATER THE EARTH.

IN VERSE 6 HE SAYS: FOR I DESIRE MERCY, NOT SACRIFICE, AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF GOD RATHER THAN BURNT OFFERINGS.

His desire is for us not for what we can do. He desires to be in love relationship with us. He's always there waiting for us. He desires a heart that seeks him with everything we have. He longs for us far more than a mother longs for her baby. As you seek Christ I promise it will be worth more than diamonds.

Read all of Hosea! It's my second favorite book in the Bible!