I had a dream

Last night was fitful. I've continued to have trouble sleeping soundly for a long time now, but just as the evening ends and morning begins...I get really comfortable and fall into a deep, deep sleep. This morning, just before waking, I had a dream. In the dream, my Father and I were talking (not my earthly father, but my Heavenly Father.) Things were very hazy and I couldn't make out much more than our conversation and a wonderfully overwhelming feeling of peace and love.
To the best of my memory, our conversation went like this:

"I have a gift for you, Bonnie, do you want to open it now?"
Not sure what I was supposed to do as He handed me the gift, I didn't respond but looked to Him with eyes of concern.
"You must be SURE you want to open this gift, He said."
I replied, "But every gift from you is good and perfect, isn't it?"
He replied, "Yes, but sometimes my gifts are hard."

I held the gift in my hands and wondered whether or not I should open it. I couldn't see the package in my dream but I could feel the weight of it in my hands. Some time passed and I felt it was time to open the gift. As I did, I looked into the box with sadness at what I'd been given. My Father, said comforting words to me and let me know it was okay for me to feel this way...discouraged, challenged, afraid. I felt myself swallow, a huge lump in my throat, as He reminded me that some gifts were hard.

"Your cancer was a gift. It was a gift I specifically chose for you, my dear child."
I held the box at arm's length and looked into His loving eyes. Immediately I felt these words rising up in my spirit, "shall we only accept the good from You and not the bad?"
Without saying a word, I knew I had His approval. I had understood exactly what He wanted me to know, that even though my struggle had been very difficult, God knew what He was doing. He had handpicked this gift for me.

I woke up feeling relieved. There was much more to the dream but I don't feel at liberty to share those parts because they are between my Father and I. I do know He allowed me to experience this dream so I could understand how much He loves me and how He chooses exactly the things He knows we need in our lives to perfect us and form us into His image. Perhaps there's something hard He's given you to deal with in your life right now. If so, please know that He has handpicked your challenge for your benefit. Nothing comes into our lives without passing through God's hands first. He allows things to touch our lives through either His perfect will or His permissive will. When we can learn to see things from this perspective, we can more easily understand that all God's gifts, both the good and the bad, are beneficial for us.

These two Scriptures spoke to my heart and helped clarify my dream.

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes."

 Psalm 119:71 Amplified Bible 

"See now that I, I am He, and there is no god beside Me; I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand." Deuteronomy 32:39 Amplified Bible

The Bible says that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. With that being said, I know that what was spoken thousands of years ago is still relevant for today. I still believe in miracles. I believe God has the power to would and to heal. I have been wounded and now I await His perfect timing for my complete healing. I know He is able and I don't mind waiting until I receive the gift of His perfect and complete healing in my life. 

© bonnie annis all rights reserved

Eucharisteo

This is the word that can change everything: eucharisteo—it comes right out of the Gospel of Luke: “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them … ” (Luke 22:19 NIV). In the original language, “he gave thanks” reads “eucharisteo.” The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning “grace.” Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be gift and gave thanks. Eucharisteo, thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for grace, charis. But it also holds its derivative, the Greek word chara, meaning “joy.” Charis. Grace. Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving. Chara. Joy. Deep chara joy is found only at the table of the euCHARisteo; the table of thanksgiving. As we've begun this new year, I've decided to become intentional about learning how to live a life of eucharisteo...always giving thanks with a grateful heart. It isn't easy to choose to live life this way, when everything around you seems to scream out in negativity. Our world today is filled with unkindness and evil, but if you look hard enough...you can find a reason to give thanks.

Ann Voskamp, wrote a wonderful book in which she learned how to live a life of eucharisteo. As a child, she witnessed her sister being crushed under a truck. Immediately after that event, her mother checked herself into a psychiatric hospital and her father couldn’t find God.  She has experienced much pain in her life but even in the pain, she battles to believe that in God is joy, and that there are as many gifts amid the grittiness of life as in the moments of celebration. In her book, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare  to Live Fully Right Where You Are, Ann helps provide answers to tough questions like these:

• Where is joy in the midst of cruelty and chaos, duties and despair?
• How does one slow down enough for the soul and God to live in synch?
• How in the world do we learn to find God and live fully?

Every day of our lives, we must make choices on how we're going to get through difficult situations and circumstances. We can choose to be enveloped in the struggle or look for joy in the midst of it. Living a life of eucharisteo, is learning to live a life purposely looking for reasons to give thanks.

One of the best ways to begin living a life of eucharisteo, is to begin keeping a gratitude journal. It doesn't have to be anything fancy...a simple memo pad or notebook will do. If you've never kept a gratitude journal before, start off small. Look for just 3 things a day in which you can give thanks. By purposely jotting down a few items a day, you'll shift your focus from the negativity in the world around you to the positivity of what God is and always has been doing in your life. The journal will be your personal journey into seeing God's goodness. As you continue looking for those "gifts" each day, the ones in which you can give heartfelt thanks to God, I believe you'll find that you can begin to list more and more "gifts" each day. He gives us wonderful gifts of grace every single day. I think when we begin to intentionally list them and focus on them, our minds discover how very much He loves us and wants to bless us.

Let me give you an example of my three gifts of gratitude this morning:

•  As I looked in the mirror this morning, after my shower, I noticed the large, ugly scars across my chest. Cancer tried to kill me, but God in His magnificent grace said, "No! I'm not through with you yet! You will live." I am so thankful for the gift of life. 
• Three beautiful deer traipsed across my lawn this morning. I was thankful for the gift of eyesight for without it, I would never have seen them. 
• The dishwasher is full of dishes, which means we have had money to buy food, and we have had food to eat,  and we have been content. Thank you God for your provision!

Do you see how easy it is? When you start looking for things in which to be thankful, the blessings will be there. When you start writing them down, you'll see that you have become intentional in looking for ways to give thanks. If you need a little boost to get started, read Ann's book or you may even want to take her Joy Dare. My first time taking the Joy Dare was last year and I'm so glad I did!

The world is full of things that will pull you down and make you feel sad, lonely, and depressed. Instead of looking around at your circumstances, choose to look up to Christ instead. He loves you so much and He longs to bless you. Simple little blessings surround each of us daily. Look for them and you'll find them. I promise. 

©bonnie annis all rights reserved

Unwrapping the greatest gift of all, Jesus

This morning I woke up thinking about the greatest gift of all, Jesus. Christmas is coming! It's only two days away. Christmas is the day we have chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ. On Christmas morning, houses will light up in the wee hours of the morning as littles scramble from bed. The Bigs will rise more slowly and they'll all gather around the tree for great expressions of joy. It will be a wonderful celebration as the wrapping paper flies and the children squeal with glee but will the greatest gift gain their attention or will it be forgotten?

"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son..." you remember it, don't you? That very first important verse you learned in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School. But can you say it in its entirety? "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Yes. The gift. The most important gift of all...everlasting life! And God gave it freely to anyone who would accept His gift...that's right, all you had to do was open your arms and accept... and did you?

Gifts! Everyone loves gifts. The beautiful wrappings, the bows, the ribbons, the pretty paper! There's something wonderful about making a present look beautiful. And oh, how the receiver will appreciate the gift and be filled with excitement upon receipt. Gifts and giving of gifts...so much emotion is tied into the choosing and into the giving, and then there's the love...the BIG LOVE that comes when the perfect gift is chosen for that special someone...all the care...all the time spent in picking out the perfect thing...

There's a story I heard once, about gifts. I'd like to share it with you and hope you'll understand more about the importance of gift giving.  Some years ago, a missionary in a small coastal village in East Africa was explaining to kids, who never had anything of their own, why believers give gifts to each other on Christmas day. "The gift,” she said, “is an expression of our joy over the birth of Jesus and our friendship for each other." When Christmas came, one little boy brought the teacher a unique and a very beautiful seashell. She asked, "Where on earth did you ever find such a beautiful shell?"
”There’s only one place,” the lad said, and he named an isolated bay several miles away.
So taken by the beauty of the little shell and how far the child had to go to get it, she finally stammered: "Why ... why, it’s gorgeous ... wonderful, but you shouldn’t have gone all that way to get the gift for me." His dark eyes brightened to match the beam of his smile as he explained, "Long walk part of gift." Each step of the way, the child anticipated the joy his gift would bring as he trudged the many miles to bring it back. Do you understand? Do you get the picture?

That story made me think about the gift God chose for us...Jesus. His gift was specifically chosen for you and for me. And in His choosing, God took the long walk from Heaven to Bethlehem...the long journey was part of the gift. He chose to travel from paradise to a dingy, dark manger; from that hay-filled stable to a cross; from that rugged cross to a borrowed tomb; and from the grave back to heaven. Have you ever wondered why He went to all that trouble to give us the perfect and best gift? Can you hear our gracious Heavenly Father whispering to your heart..."long walk part of gift?"

When all the unwrapping is done and the paper and bows are strewn across the floor, don't forget to unwrap the most important gift of all, Jesus. Don't leave Him underneath the tree. Don't forget the BIG LOVE with which the Father chose the gift...

Unwrap the Gift of His Love.
You may be wondering how you can unwrap the love of Christ. The easiest way to unwrap His love is to accept Him as your Savior. Believe He is who He says He is! Take the free gift He has given you. If you haven't done that yet, it's the first step. I'm so grateful that Christ loved us so much that He wants to take us to Heaven to be with Him. I also love the fact that His love sustains us while we're here on earth. Every day I wake up, I find the love of Christ. The love of Christ is one of those gifts that we need to share with others too. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving!

^"[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]" Ephesians 3:19

Nothing can take that gift of love away from us either. The Bible says so!

"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:39

Unwrap the Gift of Grace.
God's BIG LOVE is filled with gifts! Another gift we can unwrap is the gift of grace. Through Christ we have access to that wonderful grace that's given to us. Not a gift we deserve,  but because of Christ has chosen to give it to us.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1,2

"But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many." Romans 5:15

"That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:7

Unwrap the Gift of the Resurrection.
This is one of those gifts that it's worth getting excited about. Without the resurrection of Christ, we have nothing. 

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins." 1 Corinthians 15:17

When we unwrap this part of the gift and dwell on it awhile, we should get really excited!

"Now sin is the sting of death, and sin exercises its power [upon the soul] through [the abuse of] the Law. But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:56,57

" Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3
 
Unwrap the Gift of Inheritance.
Because of Christ, we can become heirs of God. Now that's a gift! Just knowing that we will inherit all the good things He has to give us...all of His attributes, all of His wonderful qualities, everything that is His will be ours too! And all because our loving Heavenly Father wants to give...to bless His children...  

"[Born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay [imperishable], unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you" 1 Peter 1:4

"The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God. And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory." Romans 8:16-17

 
There's so very much we are given through the gift of Christ. The ones listed are just some of the things we gain with a life in Christ. Can't you just see it? It's like there's a huge Christmas tree and the bottom is stuffed with gifts and the branches are weighed down heavy with gifts tucked in just for us. We have wonderful and precious promises, strength, the Holy Spirit, peace, joy, and so much more because of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of Christ our lives can become so full, so rich, so meaningful.

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10

On Christmas day, have you ever seen a tree with the gifts left unwrapped? I haven't! Most of us don't leave our gifts unwrapped under the tree. We want to see what's inside. Maybe we should spend more time in the Word and in prayer finding those things that the Lord would have for us. Perhaps we should spend more time saying, "thank you" for our gifts and appreciate them more. I know I need to work on this. I don't want to miss out on anything or forget to say "thank you." I want to make sure I am grateful for the most precious gift of all. I want to make sure I don't forget to unwrap Jesus.

"For God so LOVED (with the biggest love EVER) the world, that He GAVE (He chose, this gift specifically for you and for me) His ONLY begotten Son (the most precious gift He had to offer), that WHOSOEVER (anyone...everyone...) believeth in Him would not perish (would not die an eternal death in the fires of hell receiving just punishment for their sin) but have everlasting life (a life always in His presence enjoying all He has to give us forever)....

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
 Romans 10:9

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." You can’t work for what is freely given. Romans 4:5

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36
 
It’s the NEW life that puts your name in God’s book. The righteousness of Christ, himself, is deposited to your account.

"For he (God) hath made him(Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
 
The REAL Christmas is that GOD who so loved the world ... that he gave his only begotten son ... that whosoever believes on him should not perish ... but have everlasting life. 

If you don't know Jesus...if you don't have Him in your life, you can have His free gift of salvation. It's there for the asking! All you have to do is pray this prayer and mean it from the bottom of your heart: Dear Lord Jesus, Please forgive me. I am a sinner. I have sinned against you by not keeping your commandments. I know I am lost and I need a Savior. I want to be sure that when I die, I will go to heaven. I can't do anything on my own to get there. I can't ever be good enough...no matter how hard I try. I believe you are the Son of God. I believe you came to earth to die on the cross for us...for me...you came to die for me! Even if there was no one else on the earth, you still would have come and died for me...because the Bible says that the wages of sin are death and sin is whenever I deliberately disobey your laws and choose my own way over your way. I know that you promise everlasting life if I believe in You. I choose, as an act of my will, to believe in You. To believe that You are now in me and I am in you and that we are one! I believe that God sent you to earth to die on the cross but on the third day, you were raised from the grave and now you are forever at the right hand of the Father. I submit my will to yours and I ask you to come into my heart and become the Lord of my life. And I know that if I ask, you hear my prayer and answer it because of your great love for me. Thank you Lord for coming into my heart and saving me! I have accepted your free gift of salvation and I will live my life for you from this day forward. Amen.

So, have you unwrapped all of your presents? Have you unwrapped Jesus?

©bonnie annis all rights reserved

Any act of kindness is never small

There's a tube of medicated Chapstick sitting on the nightstand beside my bed. It's been there for the past four months, and it's there to remind me of an act of kindness, one I received when I needed it most.

I had just been wheeled into my room, still groggy from anesthesia. For the past few hours, I'd been in the recovery room sleeping. It takes me a long time to wake up after surgery. The nurses had constantly come to rouse me and each time they did, I'd wake for a few minutes and then fall immediately back asleep. This cycle continued until they were able to sit me upright and have me remain conscious for more than a few minutes. My family was already in the room anticipating my arrival.

Things are still fuzzy in my mind about that day, but I do remember several family members surrounding me. Speaking was difficult because my throat was so dry. After a few sips of water, I finally found my voice. I answered the usual caring questions, "how are you feeling?" or "do you need anything?" It was nice to see familiar faces and to know they loved me enough to come. I must have dozed in between questions because one minute the room was full of people and the next minute it was almost empty. But there is one thing I remember vividly.

My lips were so dry and parched. I kept trying to lick them to moisten them but it wasn't working. I remember making a comment about how dry my lips were and that's when my daughter in law said she had a Chapstick that might help. She pulled it out of her purse and gave it to me. I'll never forget that small act of kindness. The medicated Chapstick felt so soothing as I applied it to my lips. Within just a few seconds, I felt revived. She didn't realize it at the time and neither did I, but that small act of kindness taught me so much.

I was able to go home from the hospital a day later. When we arrived, my husband helped arrange all of the bandages and medical supplies on the bathroom counter so I could reach them easily. As we unpacked my overnight bag, we tossed the clothes into the washer and put away the other items. Deep in the inside pocket of my bag was the little tube of Chapstick. I took it out and held it in my hands. That little tube held such great importance to me. Not only had the medicated wax soothed my cracked and parched lips, but it had soothed my soul as well. I had needed the Chapstick and my daughter in law had given it to me freely. She had blessed me and I don't even think she realized how much that unselfish act had touched my heart.

One of Aesop's famous sayings is " no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." That saying is so very true. In my case, the simple act of my daughter in law being willing to part with her tube of Chapstick spoke volumes to me. It meant that she had seen my need and cared enough to help meet it. She had put her love into action. She had shown me kindness. Her kindness was intentional.

That little tube of Chapstick will stay on my nightstand for a long time. It's there to remind me to be kind to others...to be intentional in showing love...to never forget kindnesses done to me. "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." Yes, it is true. She didn't have to give me her new Chapstick. She could have kept quiet and let me struggle with parched, dry lips...but she didn't. She chose to sacrifice. She chose to love. You may be thinking that I'm making a big deal out of nothing but to me, it was a really BIG deal.

When we see a need and help to meet it, we show the love of Christ. A good example is found in the book of Luke. The story of the good Samaritan shows how love was put into action in a Christlike manner. In the story, the Samaritan went out of his way to go above and beyond the call of duty...he not only cleaned and bandaged the man's wounds, but put him up in an inn until he could come back through town and check on him. He paid the innkeeper for the man's lodging and also paid him for taking care of the man while he was away.

That gift of a soothing balm was a small act of kindness, one that could have been easily overlooked by many. I choose to be reminded of it daily and that's why I keep the Chapstick right beside my bed. It's the first thing I see when I wake up each morning and it reminds me to always make my words and my actions intentional. Kindness and love go hand in hand. Don't ever think that one small gesture of kindness is too small to share. You never know how it may impact someone's life for years to come.

Look for ways to show love by being kind. Random acts of kindness are the most fun for me. I love looking for little ways to bless others. There are many ideas on the internet if you need help planning ways to help others. Here's one: http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas
If you aren't quite ready to step out and show kindness to others, take a day to just record every kind deed done to you in one day. You'll be surprised by the number of small kindnesses that come your way. Perhaps someone will hold open a door for you or send you an encouraging email...if you look, you'll find them! As we become kindness seekers, we'll also become kindness sharers. Kindness is contagious. Try it and you'll see!

©bonnie annis all rights reserved

The Parable of the Good Samaritan 
²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”
²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37 New International Version