SETTLE - A Five Minute Friday post.

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I figured it is WAY past due to sit here and talk about something OTHER than Colossians! (Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course!) It's just I have only been managing to sit here every other week as we dig into the Word... but there are lots of other words to share --and it seems maybe, just maybe, they are ready to start bubbling up and pouring out again!

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: SETTLE... so let's go!

{GO!}

I mentioned last time I wrote an FMF post that God had oh so gently

whispered something to me about being both

Anchored and Tethered... 

And my immediate thought was along the lines of,

"Isn't that just how it is?!"  

At that moment, I most definitely felt Anchored AND Tethered... 

Anchored to a Truth that grounds us 

  yet Tethered to a Hope that asks us to fly!

Anchored to earth

  yet Tethered to Heaven...

Anchored to Faith and Promises and Holding our breath

  yet Tethered to the Waiting... the Doubting... the Heavy Sighing...

Heart & Soul... The Colossians Series.

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You guys?! Can you even believe it? Today, we are wrapping up Chapter 3!  

When the Lord first put this on my heart to do, I thought --a whole year, God?
Like --take an entire year to go through Colossians? 
Won't people get tired of just a couple of verses at a time? 
But He was clear --and I am thankful! 
I have gained so much out of taking these verses slowly,
and reading them in several different translations!
I hope you are getting blessed as you read along, too!
(I know I am getting blessed along the process of writing each post!)
Finally, Paul changes direction a bit and we will tackle God's plan for Family...
Family as it pertains to earth: marriage, children, and even working relationships.
It's all covered in our verses today! 

If you are somehow new here and just joining in, you can read each installment by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom of the post to find our Landing Page, where each post in the Series is linked!

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COLOSSIANS 3:18-25:
Let's begin by reading our verses all together in The Passion Translation:

"Let every wife be supportive and tenderly devoted to her husband, for this is a beautiful illustration of our devotion to Christ. Let every husband be filled with cherishing love for his wife and never be insensitive toward her.

Let the children respect and pay attention to their parents in everything for this pleases our Lord Jesus. And fathers, don’t have unrealistic expectations for your children or else they may become discouraged.

Let every employee listen well and follow the instructions of their employer, not just when their employers are watching, and not in pretense, but faithful in all things. For we are to live our lives with pure hearts in the constant awe and wonder of our Lord God.

Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others.

For we know that we will receive a reward, an inheritance from the Lord, as we serve the Lord Yahweh, the Anointed One! A disciple will be repaid for what he has learned and followed, for God pays no attention to the titles or prestige of men." (The Passion Translation)

Let's take a breath here first, alright?  

I know these verses can get tricky... I know they have been twisted and turned and used as a weapon from time to time (or for centuries, whatever.) I get that they can be sensitive... I do.  

But as we read these familiar verses, let's read them with Jesus in mind! 
Jesus... not man or a system... but Jesus 
-who loves order, sure --but more than that
--He loves you! 
Yes, you... whether you are
male or female, child or adult, slave or free... 
He is crazy mad --not angry,
but as in Romantically WILD--
about YOU! 

So, let's just start there... 

Soul Harmony - The Colossians Series.

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A lot has happened in two weeks... some (more) Hard and Heavy things! But you can read about that elsewhere on the blog. For today, we continue on in Colossians, Chapter 3! And here we are... going over a few of my FAVORITE verses in this gem of a book! If you are somehow new here and just joining in, you can read each installment by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom of the post to find our Landing Page, where each post in the Series is linked!

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COLOSSIANS 3:15-17:
As usual, we will start by reading all of our passage in The Passion Translation:

"Let your heart be always guided by the peace of the Anointed One, who called you to peace as part of his one body. And always be thankful. Let the word of Christ live in you richly, flooding you with all wisdom. Apply the Scriptures as you teach and instruct one another with the Psalms, and with festive praises, and with prophetic songs given to you spontaneously by the Spirit, so sing to God with all your hearts! Let every activity of your lives and every word that comes from your lips be drenched with the beauty of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. And bring your constant praise to God the Father because of what Christ has done for you!" (The Passion Translation)

Listen... 'Always' is consistent, for a LONG time...

Always be guided by Peace... 
Always be Thankful...
Bring your constant praise to God... 
That's a big ask, right?  

DEEP - A Five Minute Friday post.

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I don't want to shock you... but here I sit, ready to write. I know it's been a while -especially if you don't count the Colossians posts (which you totally should, of course!) In fact, the last FMF post that was written in this space was all about taking two steps forward, and one step back and included a prayer request for my sweet sister and her Jackson. It's been a week ago today that he took one step forward into eternity... and we took several steps back, grounded here without him. But --we'll get to that in a moment... 

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: DEEP... so let's go and let's see what spills out, shall we?

{GO!}

I got the call.  

I have been telling my oldest sister that all she needed to do was call me

and I could get to her in 2-1/2 hours!  

She called last Thursday with no words really to be said. 

It was the call we all dreaded and refused to see coming...

the call saying,  'If you want to come to say goodbye

-now is the time.'  

Only we didn't want to...  We didn't want to say goodbye... 

Always & Dearly Loved - The Colossians Series.

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Hello there! Are you ready to get back into studying through the book of Colossians together?  We are still in Chapter 3, and we'll take a couple of verses, read them in a few different translations, and we will discuss what stands out! We've been going through Pauls' letter, verse by verse, and leaving room for the Holy Spirit to speak to us about it all year in this little corner of the interweb! You can read each installment by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom of the landing page!

Today, our text is Colossians 3:10-14! Let's go!

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COLOSSIANS 3:10-14:
As usual, we will start by reading all of our passage in The Passion Translation:

"For you have acquired new creation life which is continually being renewed into the likeness of the One who created you; giving you the full revelation of God. In this new creation life, your nationality makes no difference, or your ethnicity, education, or economic status—they matter nothing. For it is Christ that means everything as he lives in every one of us!

You are always and dearly loved by God! So robe yourself with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others. Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them. For love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues. Love becomes the mark of true maturity." (The Passion Translation)

Well then... Paul just goes right ahead and states it plainly: "In this new creation life, your nationality makes no difference... or your ethnicity, education, or economic status... they matter nothing."

Wait... what?

Dead Man Walking... The Colossians Series.

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Autumn is beginning to sneak up all around us and is beckoning me outside with my camera in hand! (And Y'all know how much I adore this!)  It's part of why things have been so quiet around here lately.  The other part is simply that Life keeps happening and some of it is amazing (our Grandgirlie turning two!) and some of it is not so great (family battling sickness/disease!) -but I made a promise to you, Sweet Readers, and to God that I would do this Colossians study consistently throughout this year! So... here we are... ready to dig into more of Colossians chapter 3!  In case you are new here, we take a couple of verses at a time from Colossians, read them in a few different translations, and see what stands out. We've been going through Pauls' letter, verse by verse, and leaving room for the Holy Spirit to speak to us about it all year in this little corner of the interweb! You can read each installment by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom of the landing page!

Today, our text is Colossians 3:5-9, so buckle up and let's go!

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COLOSSIANS 3:5-9:
As usual, we will start by reading all of our passage in The Passion Translation:

"Live as one who has died to every form of sexual sin and impurity. Live as one who died to diseases, and desires for forbidden things, including the desire for wealth, which is the essence of idol worship. When you live in these vices you ignite the anger of God against these acts of disobedience.

That’s how you once behaved, characterized by your evil deeds. But now it’s time to eliminate them from your lives once and for all—anger, fits of rage, all forms of hatred, cursing, filthy speech, and lying. Lay aside your old Adam-self with its masquerade and disguise." (The Passion Translation)

We just jump right into the fire here, don't we? I mean... the Apostle Paul isn't known for how he beats around the bush, right? Before we dive into the hard parts (read: sexual sin... forbidden things... love of money... anger, fits of rage, etc!), let's start with the first six words here:

"Live as one who has died..."

Hidden Away... The Colossian Series.

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As Fall hints at making an appearance around these parts, (and I'm telling you -- I am HERE for it!) it is time for another installment of our Colossians series!  As you know by now, we take a couple of verses from Colossians at a time, read them in a few different translations, and see what stands out. We've been going through Pauls' letter, verse by verse, and leaving room for the Holy Spirit to speak to us about it all year in this little corner of the interweb!

Today, our text is Colossians 3:3-4! Let's open the Word together!

 {If you're new to this series on the blog, 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 closes with a prayer!}

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COLOSSIANS 3:3-4:
Let's dig in, starting with the full passage from The Passion Translation Bible:

"Your crucifixion with Christ has severed the tie to this life, and now your true life is hidden away in God in Christ. And as Christ himself is seen for who he really is, who you really are will also be revealed, for you are now one with him in his glory!" (The Passion Translation)

Wait... what? MY crucifixion? Um... what are we actually talking about here? 

Please tell me that at least some times, you are like me and you forget that you died... you're dead! 

When our flesh wants to rise up --its' first job is to convince us that it's still living...

(and the second is that it we have rights, man!)