1 John 1:3

As Caitlin so humbly attested in one of her posts, I can also ashamedly admit to periods in which fellowship with my Father in heaven has been sparse. Lately, I have felt a bit "far" from my husband, as we both have been busy with school and work. I long for an hour alone to sit and sip something warm and reconnect. This is the kind of fellowship our Savior wants to have with us. I shared a comment on Caitlin's post about this verse I recently came across in reading about prayer. Song of Songs 2:14 reads, "...show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely." Perhaps it is easier for a woman to read it this way, but as this book can be read as a dialogue between Christ and his bride, I can embrace this verse as his words to me. The lover longs! to spend quality time with me. That truly awes me. Praying that he fills me with a longing to be continually in his presence, to know he is there, and for quiet moments with something warm to sip.

This verse in I John also reminds me of the kind of longing I have to speak with others and share faith. It is so refreshing to talk with someone who lives under God's canopy of grace. I'm so thankful for this with you all and others. I know when I feel I cannot broach this subject without making someone feel awkward, I get sad. It is the ultimate joy to be able to freely converse with somebody about the faith we share. I am continually praying for wisdom in how to speak around different individuals. We are all different, and some people just need to feel our love before we talk about Jesus with them, I realize, but who knows when he will return? Praying for boldness, so that, through his word, others might come to be a part of our fellowship.

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.

It may be oversimplified, but I see this as spreading God's word. It's amazing to me that they were doing the same thing that we continue to do so today. It is refreshing to have people come for fellowship both for the first time and every week. I know I really enjoy seeing some people on a regular basis at church both for their fellowship and knowing that I am worshiping with people who believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as I do.

Hope(ful) Romantic

Just got out of a 3-hour poetry class tonight where "religion" was referred to as some romantic phase that poets drew on for a time and then grew too smart for, at least the majority of them. It helps that the man teaching is warm and deep in knowledge, but it still hurts to hear. And to see the doubters being sympathized with and encouraged to pursue their own substitutes for Jesus.

But it doesn't change the fact that he is life, from beginning to end, our eternal God who is working all things for my good (and yours), even hours spent in a skeptical poetry class. He isn't some phase. He is our unchanging, faithful, loving God, and I am so glad he has opened our eyes to him. But there remain eyes with scales that need to be removed. As John writes to "proclaim to [us] the eternal life," as he originally wrote to the audience God intended for him, we need to proclaim it to those he gives us the opportunity to meet and know. Praying that God gives us his Spirit to see and speak the truth in love.

"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."

As someone who did not grow up going to church on a weekly basis, I am so grateful to have found Jesus through campus ministry and continue to work on our relationship over the past several years and today. I think about when "The life appeared" and how it continues to work in my daily life. Frequently, it is still hard for me to give up "control" (like we have any anyway, right?) and trust the Father, but over the years I have learned that He does provide both now and for the eternal life.

1 John 1:2

"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."


I love how this verse uses the word life - "The life appeared" because living without him would mean no life for us. No meaning, no purpose, no loving creator. God makes himself known to everyone that has walked and will walk this earth, but sadly it doesn't mean people will "testify to it." Today I'm going to keep those I know who need our Savior in my prayers.

1 John 1:1-2

Hello ladies!

I am so thrilled to be studying this Spirit-inspired book with all of you. Since I don't have internet access every day, I'll probably play "catch-up" and post in little chunks like this one. I hope you don't mind! So onto God's Words for us...

That which...we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes (1 John 1:1)

I, too, was struck by the thought that the apostles touched and gazed upon the One who had created them. To hear the very words of Jesus as He spoke them, to observe His life of compassionate service and sacrifice - what wonder! And yet, don't we have this same inexpressible joy, though we have not yet seen Him face to face? Every time we study the Word, we hear the voice of our Good Shepherd. We take salvation into our mouth at the Lord's Supper. And through studies like this one, we strive with the Spirit's help to know every more fully this Savior we adore.

The life appeared (1 John 1:2)

I read the first three words of this verse and stopped in my tracks (mentally anyway :)). The miracle of Jesus' incarnation always floors me. That God should wrap himself in the flesh of a little baby and enter human time and space is beyond my comprehension. I've always liked the last stanza of this ancient Nativity hymn:

"'Glory' saints and angels sang; heaven with their praises rang; while shepherds saw with wondering eyes the Shepherd who had made the world." (C. Sedulius, 400s AD).

My prayer for you dear girls is that this study would draw all of us closer to Him and embolden us to proclaim Him to the world. May God bless and keep you today.

1 John 1:2

Good morning!

I just finished reading Verse 2 of our study, and at first struggled to see how it was much different from Verse 1 from yesterday! Sometimes going slowwllyy through Scripture is tantalizing and each little "bite" is quite enough. Other days and "bites" though, can seem bland or we can be unsure as to what God wants us to know about Him in such seemingly repetitive or simple words.

However, after I read the footnote on Verse 2, something popped right out at me! It says "he is also the source of life and sovereign over life". He gives us our life in baptism when beforehand we were actually the walking dead - in sin! In those short, grace-filled moments when the Word of God is spoken and the water is poured, a still lifeless soul is awakened and breathing full abundant, eternal life!!

This reminded me of course of the baptism of my nephew this weekend. :) It just bring tears of joy to see a baptism. How God promises to give eternal life and faith to a soul in baptism - it is the ultimate witness of grace working! How undeserving we are but his desire and love for us is magnificent! He wants us home with him someday to spend all of eternity with him! The way he values us, that he came from living with the Father in heaven to live with us on earth and not just live - but die a death unspeakable in order to have us with him forever.

And just a note in regards to starting a new study: I don't know if any of you have read this post on the other GMG site, but I want to share it because it has some great ideas for studying the Bible and encouragement for the commitment! I know without this tool, I am much slower to read my Bible daily and use it for the life power and resource it is! When I really think about it, it's so obvious why at any point I feel the way I do in anger or frustration or worry (the list could go on!)...my filter isn't clean and my faith and heart aren't recharged! I confess that there's been too many stretches of time without God's Word, and after those times, I can only thank God for his patience and forgiveness towards me. I want a relationship with him that is strong and fruitful - but why do I act sometimes like I'm just a distant acquaintance?!

So, I am thankful for each of you that take the time for this accountability and encouragement group. I know God is using each of you as well as many other women all over the world going through this study with me, to do amazing things and to stretch our faith so we don't grow stagnant! According to the enrollment over at the  GMG site, 

"We have women in Guam, Singapore, Italy, South Africa, Ukraine, the Caribbean,  Israel, Germany, Austria, Costa Rica, Japan, Switzerland, Palestine and more!  Nearly ever state is covered from the west coast with a group in Orange County, California, to Oregon, Washington and two groups in Hawaii to Las Vegas, Chicago, North and South Dakota, Montana, Iowa down to Florida, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, and over to New York, Maryland and Ohio!"

...cool, right? Needless to say, there's lots of alarm clocks going off and coffee pots brewing each morning as we all study God's word together in the mornings! (Or in the evenings or whenever you know is your best time...) :)

Praying you all have a day full of blessings! When you notice them or experience them - please share your joy! 

Love,

Cait