Hidden Treasure - The Colossians Series.

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Hey there, Sweet Friends! Welcome back to the Colossians series that we are doing throughout this year! This is something new... something we have never done together on the blog --but I hope you are loving it as much as I am! We are simply reading a couple of verses at a time and really soaking in them... letting the Word speak to us today!

As I mentioned earlier, we are going slow on purpose for two reasons: 
1. Colossians is SO FULL of goodness!
2. We are spreading these posts out, so there are two per month and by the end of the year we will have really Saturated ourselves in His goodness found in the book of Colossians! (Ya see what I did there?)

Today, we will read through Col 2:3-5 in a few different translations!

{If you are new, the basic layout of each post in this series includes the text in several translations, a few of my thoughts on the passage, possibly a deeper truth or root word meaning found there, and then we close with prayer! This is a new type of series here and I can't tell you how honored I am to have you here, reading through the Book of Colossians with me!}

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COLOSSIANS 2:3-5:

Let's dig in, starting with the full passage from The Passion Translation Bible:

"For our spiritual wealth is in him, like hidden treasure waiting to be discovered—heaven’s wisdom and endless riches of revelation knowledge.

I want you to know this so that no one will come and lead you into error through their persuasive arguments and clever words. Even though I’m separated from you geographically, my spirit is present there with you. And I’m overjoyed to see how disciplined and deeply committed you are because you have such a solid faith in Christ, the Anointed One.." (The Passion Translation)

Let's remember that Paul was writing to real people.
Real believers who lived in a culture surrounded by Gnostics. The Gnostics boasted of secret knowledge... of gaining some sort of hidden information or something Extra! But Paul reminds the Christians in Colosse that everything we need is in Jesus! 

Anything secret or hidden and extra is available to all of us... and it comes only from leaning in, pressing in, and discovering more and more of Jesus --not out there, but in Him. 

He is like Hidden Treasure just waiting to be discovered!

He is like a good, good Father playing Hide-n-Seek! He 'hides' with half His body in view behind the curtain because 
He wants us to seek --but He also wants us to find Him!

Promises... A Five Minute Friday post.

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Hello, Friends! Life is full --busy! Let's just be real... it's busy and it's busy with all kinds of bossy and not so fun things to deal with --and yet... His Peace is Present and we remind ourselves and each other to Just Breathe... and to --well... you'll see!

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: PROMISE

{GO!}

My immediate thought?

"All God's Promises are Yes & Amen!"

I don't know about you... but for me? I needed that reminder this week!

To be honest... I need it more often than I'd care to admit! I mean... I am, after all, the one who wrote an entire series/book on Truths I know but sometimes forget!

I belong to a great group on facebook for writers and every Tuesday there is a prayer thread... I shared some of what was going on over the last week or so on that thread and was reminded that I am not the only Crazy Faith girl over there!

Man, you guys... we NEED each other! 

We need the Word and the Lord
and the Body all at the same time! 

Practice what you Preach... A Five Minute Friday.

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Hey there, Sweet Readers! This is a big weekend around here because we have my Dad's birthday, my girlies' birthday, and Mother's Day all within a couple of days! This, of course, means at some point: Cake! This week we also dealt with a big move and some (more) unwanted news... which brings us to the One Word Prompt this week!  This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: PRACTICE

{GO!}

My first thought --especially after this week, Y'all-- comes on the heels of last weeks' 'Opportunity' and it is this:

"Practice what you Preach!"  

I mean, last week we talked about counting it all joy and then this week -Y'all... our family got slammed! 

So, of course --of COURSE the word prompt is Practice! Because it's so much easier to talk about than it is to do, right? It's so much easier to say something or encourage others to do something than it is to actually follow through and put it into practice ourselves!

For the last couple of years, it seems we've been preaching to ourselves more so than to anyone else! 

A Tapestry of Love... The Colossians Series.

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Welcome back to our Colossians series! Today, we are jumping into Chapter Two!  We are going slow on purpose for two reasons: 
1. Colossians is SO FULL of goodness!
2. We are spreading these posts out, so there are two per month and by the end of the year we will have really Saturated ourselves in His goodness found in the book of Colossians! (Ya see what I did there?)

Today, we will read through Col 2:1-2 in a few different translations!

{If you are new, the basic layout of each post in this series includes the text in several translations, a few of my thoughts on the passage, possibly a deeper truth or root word meaning found there, and then we close with prayer! This is a new type of series here and I can't tell you how honored I am to have you here, reading through the Book of Colossians with me!}

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COLOSSIANS 2:1-2:

Let's dig in! We like to start things off by reading the full passage from The Passion Translation Bible:

"I wish you could know how much I have struggled for you and for the church in Laodicea, and for the many other friends I’ve yet to meet. I am contending for you that your hearts will be wrapped in the comfort of heaven and woven together into love’s fabric. This will give you access to all the riches of God as you experience the revelation of God’s great mystery—Christ." (The Passion Translation)

So, Y'all know my heart for prayer and intercession and Paul starts right in with language that any intercessor recognizes and feels down deep. 

How many know that sometimes we DO struggle in prayer? We battle and persist... we do warfare on our knees and in the middle of the night and in the car --whenever or wherever He lays a person or a people on our hearts, we press in!

When was the last time you struggled for someone or something in prayer?

An Opportunity for Growth... A Five Minute Friday post.

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Hello, friends! My, how I am missing the #fmfparty community over on Twitter on Thursday nights. However that is the evening of our small group meetings now and as much as I miss Y'all --you know how I value some eye to eye, face to face, kind of connections! Still... I haven't given up hope to somehow make them both work (--at least once in a while!) Until then... This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: OPPORTUNITY

{GO!}

Oh, Opportunity!  

I see the word and realize this can go in so many different directions! 

We've been in a strange, long season of waiting in the In-Between... keeping our hearts in His hands and allowing our eyes to scan the horizon for any new opportunities coming our way! We've been patient (mostly!) and willing to wait for whatever is next --while still pursuing HIM more than we pursue anything or anyone else!  

To be honest, we've been saturated with His goodness and graced with an abundance of peace -but, Y'all!- we are growing a little weary... 

Learning a New Dance... -A Five Minute Friday post.

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Hey there, sweet readers! I hope you had a great Easter! I've been meaning to sit in this chair and write, but alas --Spring has sprung here and that means the return of Patio time and, Oh My Heart... I lose track of time out there! Plus somehow we found ourselves out of town over the weekend. Still... I'm back now and ready to write!

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: TOUCH

{GO!}

I see the word and I laugh... just a little at first,

but then the Ah Ha giggle starts to build.

Because... Gah!

It's been a LONG time since I was a young new Mama...

and a LONG time since I mothered a toddler...

and a LONG time since I reached the end of the day

so dog-tired and completely drained...

and a LONG time since I had had my fill of touch

by 2pm and what I wanted most was just for

no one to even think of pulling on me

until the sun rose on a new morning!

Right? Anyone remember those days?
(Anyone living them right now?)

Fast forward some 20+ years and here we are!

Right back to All those Feels!

The Expectation of Glory... The Colossians Series.

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Welcome back to another post in the Colossians series! Today, we wrap up the last few verses in Chapter One! (Yes... Chapter One. It's fine!) 

{If you are new, the basic layout of each post in this series includes the text in several translations, a few of my thoughts on the passage, possibly a deeper truth or root word meaning found there, and then we close with prayer! This is a new type of series here and I can't tell you how honored I am to have you here, reading through the Book of Colossians with me!}

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COLOSSIANS 1:24-29:

Let's dig in! We like to start things off by reading the full passage from The Passion Translation Bible:

"I can even celebrate the sorrows I have experienced on your behalf; for as I join with you in your difficulties, it helps you to discover what lacks in your understanding of the sufferings Jesus Christ experienced for his body, the church. This is the very reason I’ve been made a minister by the authority of God and a servant to his body, so that in his detailed plan I would fully equip you with the Word of God.

There is a divine mystery—a secret surprise that has been concealed from the world for generations, but now it’s being revealed, unfolded and manifested for every holy believer to experience. Living within you is the Christ who floods you with the expectation of glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for his people, and God wants everyone to know it!

Christ is our message! We preach to awaken hearts and bring every person into the full understanding of truth. It has become my inspiration and passion in ministry to labor with a tireless intensity, with his power flowing through me, to present to every believer the revelation of being his perfect one in Jesus Christ." (The Passion Translation)

So, listen... the temptation is to just dive right into the 'secret surprise', right? I mean... it makes me think of the prizes in cereal boxes when we were kids... who wants to wait until it just spills out while pouring breakfast into a bowl? We dug around or emptied the whole thing out to get the surprise!

But let's not rush through the first couple of verses here.  I mean... we are all familiar with Paul and his sufferings... He, along with many (read: all) of the disciples and early apostles truly did endure trials and tribulations... so let's not gloss over the fact that he starts here by saying he can even celebrate his sorrows... 

This, my friends, is a lost art 
in our Western culture.