We celebrated Father’s Day early this year. Our precious “grown and flown” daughters came in on Saturday to celebrate and spend time with their Daddy. (And me, too!!)

I am so blown away—humbled, thankful, astonished—by the love we have as a family.

No. We’re not perfect. And our life has not been free of pain or sin or illness or confusion or many other opportunities for growth (aka–challenging times).

But! The love of our Abba, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has given us such a passionate, intimate, honest, faithful, crazy, joy-filled love for each other.

And I am blown away. And humbled. And thankful. And astonished.

Thank you, my Abba, for showing me that You are my True Daddy. Thank You for healing my heart. You turned my mourning into dancing! And I love You so much!

Thank you, my Timmy—my husband, my most intimate of friends—for being the most incredibly loving, always present, completely unselfish, wise, fun, encouraging, counseling, generous, tender and strong Daddy our precious girls could EVER have had! You have been a faithful reflection of our Loving, Holy, Eternal, Intimate Abba to them. No better foundation could ever have been given to our girls. I love you!

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,

that we should be called children of God!

…This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

1 John 3:1, 11 

It is the LOVE of our Abba to us that has made it possible for us to love each other in this way—in His Way! Thank You, Abba!  Hold us tightly so we will choose to let you lead us continually in Your Love…in Your Way…Every Day!

HAPPY DADDY’s DAY!!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

…God has set eternity in the hearts of men;

yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Wow. Just think about that for a minute: God has set eternity in each of our hearts.

God purposefully—fearfully and wonderfully—formed each one of us with His Thumbprint: a longing for and a deep awareness of eternity…of God…of Life–now and forever.

We can’t even begin to fathom what God has planned and done from the beginning of time and, already counts as accomplished, for the end. God is awesome and outrageous in wonder. And GOD is ETERNAL and ETERNITY is found only in Him!

Although we cannot fully comprehend or even begin to imagine what our eternal life will look like or be like with our God, we do know the WHO: our God–the Lord Jesus Christ…the HOW: through the death and resurrection of Jesus…and the RESULT: eternal life lived with our God in His eternal home.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:1-6 

God made each one of us as His special creation. We each have our own unique set of finger prints, thumbprints included, that matches no one else who has ever lived, or ever will live, on this earth.

It is God’s own Thumbprint on our hearts—that deep imprint of yearning within us for eternity and eternal life with our God—that will ONLY be matched by and fulfilled through the saving, transforming, eternal-life-giving love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s Thumbprint–eternity set in our hearts. And our God has reached out His own nail-scarred, holy hand to take us Home!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane 

 Two days ago I got some Anonymous Love sent to me.

The Anonymous Love came in the form of a card–a message mailed to my home–not voice-mailed, not emailed, not texted, not tweeted, not blogged. (Although LOVE in any form—coming through any delivery system, food and hugs included—is still Love!)

The Anonymous Love Card was signed by “a servant and messenger of God”—and began with this phrase:

“Your life shows what your words tell—

that daily walking with God really makes all the difference.”

It made me just stop. Really Stop. I was thankful. And I was blessed by this sharing of Anonymous Love. The message was such a beautiful and kind encouragement to me—as it was meant to be.  (If the sender is reading this: Thank you, for being such a sweet and loving hug from God to me!)

But! What made me just stop—Really Stop—was that I was absolutely humbled. I knew that my trust in Jesus was because others before me had trusted Him and LOVED me enough to point me to Jesus with their faithful words and ways and through their faithful lives.

And so, I’m humbled. And challenged. Because I want everyone to know the LOVE of Jesus and the Truth of His Word and the Power of His Spirit. For me to play even a small part in that happening in even just one life means that I have to stay passionately and completely dependent—aka staying in a mindset of trust—on the unlimited LOVE and Truth and Power of my Lord Jesus Christ!

We know we can trust Him! There’s nothing Anonymous about the LOVE of Jesus! We know the Source!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 

 (Scripture written on the Anonymous Love Card)

Trust God. And LOVE on somebody for Jesus! Face to Face or Anonymously!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

“Uh, oh! Here comes trouble!”

Have you ever had anybody say that about you as you were approaching? I have.

On a number of occasions I heard it humorously from my Grandpa or one of his old-timer friends when I came to visit him at his assisted living apartment–and, then later, in his room at the nursing home. It was funny. Grandpa and his buddies would say it to see if they could get a bit of a rise out of me. Or to tease me about how fast I had probably driven during the one and a half hour two hour trip from my home to Grandpa’s.

But, there have also been a number of occasions for me—and probably for many of you—when, because of our faith in the Almighty God, we have been called to disturb the peace—to be a TROUBLER—for the sake of God’s grace and truth to be known to the people around us.

This was true for the prophet Elijah. King Ahab of Israel had tried to hunt down Elijah for awhile–but without any success. Elijah had courageously spoken out against the wrongs committed by the people of Israel—who were supposed to be the people of God. So, Ahab wasn’t exactly a big fan of Elijah and he wanted to stop him from causing so much TROUBLE.

Then one day, according to God’s perfect timing and perfect plan, the LORD led Elijah to present himself to King Ahab. (Yeah! God can ask some pretty outrageous things of His children!) The meeting and greeting between Ahab and Elijah went like this:

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you TROUBLER of Israel?

“I have not made TROUBLE for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals [false gods and idols].” 1 Kings 18:17-18

Out of compassion for others and so that they would know the true peace—true love, true joy, true hope, true purpose—that come from obeying the commands of Almighty God, are you willing to trust and obey God enough for you to disturb the peace–to be a TROUBLER–for the LORD? Even if it’s uncomfortable?  Even if you might be ignored or misjudged?

God wants us to be His people. And sometimes, God needs to send a TROUBLER to shake us up and wake us up spiritually so that we will follow Him and keep His commands. Our LORD does all this out of His incomprehensible love for us and His desire to give us His true peace!

And sometimes, you or I may be the one called by God to approach others as the LORD’s TROUBLER—aka an Ambassador of Christ! So be it!

So! Here Comes Trouble!—when this is from the LORD, we can be sure it is a good, right and loving thing!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

O my Strength, I watch for You;

You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. 

Psalm 59:9-10

 What are you watching for? What are you looking for? An easier day? A promotion? A vacation? An encouragement? An achievement? An award? A quick answer? A plan that comes together? A cure? A new relationship? A healed–renewed relationship?  An easier time with a cantankerous family member, boss, co-worker or neighbor? An easier life? All of the above?

What we watch for depends on where our eyes are focused—physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally and spiritually. And what we watch for reflects what we expect to see and experience. 

God’s Word tells us—and His Spirit confirms it: we can watch for and expect to see and experience the Strength and Love of God as our protective, enduring, non-destructible Fortress! 

God doesn’t change—so we should know what to watch for and expect. God  is our Strength. He is our Fortress. He is our Loving God! What’cha watchin’ for?

 In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs...

Salvation comes from the LORD.  Jonah 2:8-9

What might you—what might I—be clinging to as worthless idols?  What is that something that we may be clinging to—on which we base our identity or our security or our happiness or our purpose?

If we are clinging to anything other than the LORD our God who loves us—if we are clinging to anything other the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ alone—then we are clinging to worthless idols. And it just isn’t worth it!

NOTHING is worth forfeiting the grace of our LORD. NOTHING. It is our Holy, Loving LORD who alone gives us life—now and eternally. Who alone gives us true love, true joy, true peace, true wisdom, true healing, true strength, true security, true riches, true honor.

Clinging on to our LORD—and allowing our LORD to cling on to us–is the only way to know and live in God’s loving, saving, transforming grace! Don’t ever forfeit that! God’s grace is Life itself!

 In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane 

It’s been raining a LOT lately. As a matter of fact while I’m writing this, it is absolutely pouring! And as I’m fighting the grumpies, I can almost sense God’s smiling, shaking His head and thinking:

“Yep. It’s raining. It’s dark. It’s gloomy. And it’s not exactly what you wanted or expected this season to be like. So what?! You’re still alive. And I am still God!”

(Don’t you love it when God just tells it like it is?!)

“You have so many reasons to be thankful! The rain shouldn’t make a difference. I am still God! I do not change. My loving, hope-filled purposes will still be accomplished even if your plans are subject to change!”

 And God’s Word goes through my head:

 As the RAIN and snow come down from heaven,

and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is My word that goes forth from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty

but will accomplish what I desire and

achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace…

Isaiah 55:10-12

So, YES, it has been raining a lot lately! So what?!

God is still God. God’s purposes will still be accomplished. And with God I will go out in joy and be led forth in peace.

This will happen if I choose to keep my ears open to God’s purpose-accomplishing Word of love, grace and truth and if I choose to keep my eyes open to the joy and peace that is around me and available to me every single day—even on the gloomiest of rain-drenched days!

We might not have any choice about the rainy days in our lives, but we always have a choice about trusting God, His Word and His purposes and we always have a choice about being filled with and led by God’s joy and peace!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Being Effective and Productive. Hmmmmm?

That sounds business-like, a bit formal and maybe even a bit boring, doesn’t it? It’s OKAY to say, “Yep, it sure does!”

But, in relationship—in fellowship with Jesus, in our knowledge of Him and what He has given us through His Spirit and His Word—this is exactly what we become.

We become Effective and Productive in the deepest, truest, most constantly increasing and most eternal way possible–as we “…participate in the divine nature…”  of Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:4)

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

and to goodness, knowledge;

and to knowledge, self-control;

and to self-control, perseverance;

and to perseverance, godliness;

and to godliness, brotherly [sisterly]–kindness;

and to brotherly [sisterly]–kindness, love.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure,

they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive

in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But if anyone does not have them,

he is nearsighted and blind,

and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 2 Peter 1:5-8 

There is no limitation to how Jesus is able to transform us—with ever increasing measure—to be more like Him in our nature, in our thoughts, words and actions.

The divine nature of Christ called us into existence—into life—in the first place!

The divine nature of Christ gives us everything we need to live out this life, right here and right now, as Effective and Productive human beings who do not forget what Christ has already done for us through His loving, merciful forgiveness of our sins and His gift of eternal life!

The divine nature of Christ gives us the purpose and the power to be Effective and Productive Ambassadors of Christ!

And the divine nature of Christ does this by continually filling us, increasing in us and flowing through us His Effective and Productive qualities–faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly [sisterly]–kindness and love!

Being Effective and Productive isn’t really so business-like, formal or boring after all!

Being Effective and Productive—in and through Jesus—is Absolutely Divine!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

We come to KNOW, to learn about, to believe something or someone because someone has told us, taught us or testified to us about that something or someone.

OR we come to KNOW, to learn about, to believe something or someone because we have had direct experience with that something or someone for ourselves.

John, the Apostle, really knew Jesus. And John tells us all about Jesus! John knew the flesh-and-blood man Jesus. John knew Jesus the Risen Lord. And John knew that Jesus was One with the Eternal God–One as the Living Word–One as the Son with the Father and the Spirit.

And John wanted everyone he knew to KNOW Jesus–and KNOW the Life and KNOW the Joy that Jesus is and Jesus offers: Eternal Life with Him!

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard,

which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at

and our hands have touched

-this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it,

and we proclaim to you the eternal life,

which was with the Father and has appeared to us.

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,

so that you may also have fellowship with us.

And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:1-4

 John had such joy in knowing Jesus, but his passionate heart would not be completely full of joy until others also knew–and believed–that Jesus is the Eternal God–the Eternal Life–the Living Word.

For John: Knowing Jesus is Knowing Life and Knowing Joy!

Although we cannot physically see, hear and touch Jesus as John did, we can KNOW–fully know–the truth of who Jesus is. He is the Living, Eternal Word of God–present with us now and for all eternity.

We can experience–we can KNOW–Jesus for ourselves in a deep and life-changing, eternal-life-giving, very real way as we see, hear and touch the testimony Jesus gives to us through His Living, Eternal Word and through His Living, Eternal Spirit.

The Apostle John tells us that his joy will be complete when we know Jesus as the Life. But! I can assure you that knowing Jesus–really knowing Jesus for who He is for yourself–will bring more joy–deeper, higher, truer joy–to you than you can possibly imagine!

If you know Jesus already as the Living Word of God and as the Eternal Life offered to you–Give Thanks!

EnJoy the sweet, loving fellowship Jesus offers. Get to know Jesus a little better. Fall in love a little deeper with Jesus!

And share with others the Joy you know in knowing the Life–in knowing Jesus–so that your Joy and their Joy may be complete!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

You’ve heard that phrase, “This is the LIFE!”

You may have even said it yourself during some sweet moment of joy, fun and freedom!

Tim and I just celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary a few days ago. We had a fabulous time with each other! The day was magnificently beautiful—from sun-rise to the setting of a beautiful full moon. We worshipped together. We took a couple of long walks, and a couple of naps, on the Jersey Shore. We ate great food looking out over the Ocean. Had some great red wine and shared a yummy chocolate dessert. We totally enjoyed the fun, the romance and the love we shared in celebrating our anniversary—and have shared as a married couple for all of these years! And we closed the day as we began it—with praying together and confirming our love for each other.

Oh, yeah!  You could definitely hear both Tim and me say…over and over, “This is the LIFE!”  And NOT to sound tooooooo darn holy, but we absolutely followed that phrase up with, “Thank You, Lord Jesus!!”

We are so thankful for the sweetness within this life that our God gives to us! And we are even more thankful to know that we have been given true LIFE–by having Jesus as our Savior and Lord—now and for all eternity! Do you have Jesus as your LIFE?

And this is the testimony:

God has given us eternal LIFE,

and this LIFE is in His Son.

He who has the Son has LIFE;

He who does not have the Son of God does not have LIFE.  1 John 5:11-12

Ahhhhh! Eternal LIFE in JESUS! Now, That is the LIFE! 

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane