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Articles By Living Treasure
Most Recent Articles
- Spontaneous storytelling from one you love is grand! It's not so much the story, as the intimate bond that exists. It's like receiving a rare gift from one you love.
- It's not about me, or you, Pilgrim. It's about HIM! – whether we're talking about a four-mile walk along a river's edge or an 80-year pilgrimage walk of life. It's not about us, but HIM!
- Do you know, Pilgrim, what I believe is the most important question in the whole wide world? It's the one our Lord Jesus asked His disciples and I think asks each one of us. It is "Who do you say that I am?" We’re not to memorize other's answers and just recite them. No, He wants our own answer that we've learned individually by being in relationship with Him.
- Usually claustrophobic in “close” situations, Lucy shares her experience visiting the Christian catacombs in Rome and how she felt she was on hallowed ground.
- Close your eyes and come with me to the land of St. Francis. May this imaginative travel lead us into a deeper comprehension of the holy ground each one of us occupies. It is out of this realization that this saint operated and, as a result, his life became art.
More Article Archives
About Jesus Christ
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Lord, I'm tired - bone tired - both mentally and spiritually tired. I mean weighed down, burdened and wrung out! A glimmer of hope would almost flicker then - whomp! Put out by a "but." Crime, drugs, economics, education, government, racism, sexism - whomp! I feel like I have been bombed by reality. My beautiful bubble has popped, or has it? And if it has, what's left - a puddle? No! A cross - two crosses.
- Precious pilgrim, I care too much about today. How does one write about the holiest of days—Good Friday? It was easy to list the activities of the day. If that's where it all ends, just the shallow schedule of busyness, then all is sham. It would be an affront to our Lord God. Lord, forbid.
- Do you know, Pilgrim, what I believe is the most important question in the whole wide world? It's the one our Lord Jesus asked His disciples and I think asks each one of us. It is "Who do you say that I am?" We’re not to memorize other's answers and just recite them. No, He wants our own answer that we've learned individually by being in relationship with Him.
Christian Living For Women
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Have you ever had a magical person in your life? When you were with them the world was just a little bit brighter; a shine was on the ordinary, a giggle was constantly about to burst forth.
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I went snowmobiling yesterday and it was fantastic! I love my husband so much because in so many instances, he won’t take "no" for an answer. You see, I'm basically a chicken. If I had my way, I would probably still be riding a bicycle with training wheels. I like safety and rules – going 55 miles and hour. But my husband makes me stretch my boundaries – my limits.
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I know we're fast approaching the Lenten Season, nevertheless, I'm still holding on to a few reported "Nativity Play" happenings. "Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
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"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing..." 2 Corinthians 2:14. How do we keep that aroma of Christ strong?
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It was those two postcards of old that broke my heart. They were both addressed to "Darling Lucy" and one of them said, "Don't forget your Uncle Chris." And that was the statement that started the "heart crack" - for you see, I had. Along the way, my eight-year-old innocent, accepting and yes, loving eyes had been replaced by jaded, judging ones. And with judgment, came hardness of heart. I realized that there were a whole lot of "Uncle Chris'" in my life - those just not quite living up to my standards.
- I guess I pride myself (that’s the problem) on thinking that I hold lightly to material things. I pride myself in thinking that I could give it all away – clothes, jewels, paintings, books…things – as long as I have the Lord and His Love and my family and friends. Even those last two I’m trying to learn how to hold on to them more lightly and less possessively.
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The "Tuna Group" is made up of ladies who have been meeting each Friday for the last twelve years. Our main goal is to encourage each other in our walks with the Lord. Part of that encouragement is being excruciatingly truthful with each other.
- At the Holy Sepulchur in Jerusalem, I stood in line with my tour group for about ten minutes, waiting for my turn to enter the small outer chamber. I was reverently ushered in, only to realize that there were already three ladies devoutly kneeling and praying. I quietly joined them on one bended knee.
- Control. “I’ll do it my way,” is already the precious child’s theme song, but isn’t it also mine and yours? Might you need to be doing a little more surrendering, too?
- It's not about me, or you, Pilgrim. It's about HIM! – whether we're talking about a four-mile walk along a river's edge or an 80-year pilgrimage walk of life. It's not about us, but HIM!
- Spontaneous storytelling from one you love is grand! It's not so much the story, as the intimate bond that exists. It's like receiving a rare gift from one you love.
Christmas
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We know throughout our human history, ever since sin slithered in via that snake, we have experienced hard times. It's part of our broken world. It's just that never before has "doom and gloom" had such worldwide media coverage. Live and in color, 24/7, we can see, hear, or read all the negative "glop" that's going on all over the universe. And with that invasion to our senses, there seems to be a stench of hopelessness seeping out and spreading like a virus. It is a lie from the father of lies.
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I'd like to share two interesting happenings, which occurred over the Christmas Season. Some days are better than others -- one day in this letter leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling -- the other is a gentle reminder to all of us to remember whose birthday we're celebrating!
This time should be uplifting, not downtrodding. Judy, who’s our trained counselor and thus when she speaks we listen, said she thought it was because of the myrrh. “Myrrh!” What did she mean? She reminded us that after Jesus’ birth, he received “gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11. The gold and the frankincense had to do with His Kingship, while the myrrh, which was a spice used in burials, acted as a symbolic foreshadowing of His death. So, Precious Pilgrim, embrace this time of year. Allow yourself to feel the whole of the Christmas story. If there’s some sadness, some pain, some regret, some myrrh-like qualities which seem to be coming forth in you, that’s OK.
- I believe each one of us, regardless of gender is a mixture in varying degrees of the Bethany sisters, Martha and Mary. We each have some active and some contemplative parts to our makeup. I'm constantly seeking to balance the two. Are you?
Easter Week
- My Daddy gave me the greatest gift you can give another. He gave me unconditional love. It is because of that gift that I can love others. It also made it easier for me to understand our Father God's love for us. It makes total sense to me that our Father would give His gift of His only begotten Son, so that we could be in communion with Him.
- Precious pilgrim, I care too much about today. How does one write about the holiest of days—Good Friday? It was easy to list the activities of the day. If that's where it all ends, just the shallow schedule of busyness, then all is sham. It would be an affront to our Lord God. Lord, forbid.
Family & Parenting
- As a mother of four adults I am even more thankful for the example that Mary gives us of how to release loved ones. We’re not just letting go and throwing them to the wolves. We are rather allowing them to stand and become--become what they were brought into this world to be, children of God, not children of a possessive Mama. Precious Pilgrim, might you be needing to do a little letting go exercise, like myself?
Father's Day
- My husband and I had the most wonderful, perfect, heavenly day. It does not get much better. Have you ever experienced such a place - Holy ground -- "thin places" where our Lord's presence is felt so strongly that you felt compelled to take off your shoes and fall to your knees in worship of our Almighty God.
Fear & Peace
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Our material secular world recommends R&R (rest and relaxation), and I do think it does help mental and physical exhaustion. But as Christians, I think we need to go farther and take sabbaticals, even if it's just for five minutes a day, for rest and worship! It not only restores the mental and physical sides of our nature, but more importantly, our spiritual side.
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Is there any person, place or thing to which you are holding? Grasping? Clinging? Sometimes, I believe such a grip locks gifts from the Lord. Let go and see surprises surface!
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How can I recommend to you to go away to a quiet place to be refreshed when your world might not afford such a retreat? I don’t think He cares about the location as much as the intentions of our hearts. Do we really yearn, pray to be His and to be with Him more than anyone else in the world?
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This afternoon when I had a lull and decided to write to you, I took a folding chair out onto the front stoop of our guesthouse where we’re living after our house fire. Under normal circumstances, this would not be my most desirable, inspirational spot. A mud hole and a burned out house can be limiting, but not at dusk. The wash of the horizontal sunlight seemed to bathe away the ugly and spotlight the spring.
- My husband and I had the most wonderful, perfect, heavenly day. It does not get much better. Have you ever experienced such a place - Holy ground -- "thin places" where our Lord's presence is felt so strongly that you felt compelled to take off your shoes and fall to your knees in worship of our Almighty God.
Prayer & Spiritual Life
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What is "Holy Ground?" For me, it's where I meet God "one-on-ONE." It's funny, but the first thing that I was dying to do when I came out of the woods, was to find a rock to place on the very spot where I prayed – to mark the spot. I yearned to say, with a monument or a marker of some sort, that this now was "Holy Ground." I wanted it to be set apart – a God-encountered spot.
- He was old. I probably would not recognize him now if I saw him. When he started praying, there was such an intimacy that I had to open my eyes to be sure that Jesus wasn’t standing right there next to him. Now, as I reflect, I believe our Lord was. The psalmist said, “Look upon him and be radiant, and let not your faces be ashamed.” This holy man did radiate, and I think it was from his exposure to the Son. This man had it. I want it. Do you have it, Precious Pilgrim?
- Control. “I’ll do it my way,” is already the precious child’s theme song, but isn’t it also mine and yours? Might you need to be doing a little more surrendering, too?
- On Friday I had done the unforgivable. I had betrayed the confidence of a dear friend. She’s one of my soul sisters, one of my encouragers, one who always sees me as I am meant to be in Christ, not how I am in sin.
- Pilgrim, have you felt called by the Lord to do something? Felt totally unqualified, but nevertheless, that nagging pull just wouldn’t go away? You’ve tried to rationalize, make excuses, ignore, run, but nevertheless that still small voice just kept pressing unrelentingly. You want to be used to our Lord’s glory. That’s been in your prayer it seems for ages. But then when a door opens, a call is heard, you’re scared to death. Lord, are you sure? Do you mean me?
- So often it’s when we’re experiencing the valleys or the plains, rather than mountaintops that our focus is fine-tuned and our faith is tested. Down or flat times aren’t necessarily negative times, but on reflection are often when we experience real growth spurts. It is often when our vision is limited and our room is barred and the doors are shut by either external or internal situations that the real relationships between us and our Lord become apparent.
- Never in my life have I been dependent on so many name tags. If we could get across to each and every person we meet the reality that the Lord Jesus Christ knows our names, our whole names, and that is what is important . . . If we could get across to each and every person we meet that it is by following Him that we get our true identity .
- "Clothes make the man" -- or woman -- or do they? "It matters what people think" -- are you sure?
- The visit to the Island of Patmos was an unexpected gift.
What I want to take home, what I want to remember and never forget is that strong, fearless sense of the Holy Spirit, Who is active and is alive and is well. If tongues of fire and swirls of wind had blown through that cave today, I wouldn't have been surprised. The atmosphere was that electrifying. - I just opened the Bible up to Hosea 2:19-20, which says: "I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and companionship. I will betroth you in faithfulness and you will acknowledge the Lord."
- We are people with history; people with a history, people with “the History.” We are the children of God, Christ’s own. Oh, I wish I knew all of the stories, could quote all of the verses from our Holy History Book, the Bible. It is the Word, our Lord God’s Word that defines us, tells us who we are and to Whom we belong.
- Total acceptance -- total love. Pilgrim, our Lord Jesus Christ totally loves you and me – loves us like no other. Do you know that? Do you believe that in your innermost being?
- “Receive the gift.” (2 Corinthians 8:4) My darlin’ is a rose grower and I’m so glad. He’s taught me so much about receiving an unexpected love gift. Precious Pilgrim, this year, I want, by God’s grace to try and “receive” (John 20:22b) to a deeper, fuller, more complete level, His LOVE. There is so much mystery. I do not understand. I cannot comprehend such love. I probably never will on this side of eternity – but I do yearn – "God so loved, He gave..." John 3:16.
I know I’m not really a writer. I mean, like it’s a profession or an avocation. Previously, I’ve just written in between ‘grocerying’ or ‘grannying’ or cleaning or cooking. Well – not too much of the latter! But how can I find time to write daily – for the sheer fun and discipline of it? The possibility is exciting, but scary. What will I write about? To whom? Why?
- Precious Pilgrim, might you need a portion of this Holy Spirit fruit of self-control? Ask your Father God. There is plenty to go around.
- Close your eyes and come with me to the land of St. Francis. May this imaginative travel lead us into a deeper comprehension of the holy ground each one of us occupies. It is out of this realization that this saint operated and, as a result, his life became art.
- Usually claustrophobic in “close” situations, Lucy shares her experience visiting the Christian catacombs in Rome and how she felt she was on hallowed ground.
Salvation
- As a mother of four adults I am even more thankful for the example that Mary gives us of how to release loved ones. We’re not just letting go and throwing them to the wolves. We are rather allowing them to stand and become--become what they were brought into this world to be, children of God, not children of a possessive Mama. Precious Pilgrim, might you be needing to do a little letting go exercise, like myself?
Sin
- On Friday I had done the unforgivable. I had betrayed the confidence of a dear friend. She’s one of my soul sisters, one of my encouragers, one who always sees me as I am meant to be in Christ, not how I am in sin.
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