Moving Forward - Renewed faith

Thank God for Easter. Aside from the obvious glory of the risen Christ, which you've all heard of in abundance the last few days, there is the wonder of renewal in our own faith. After years of being a committed Christian, perhaps we take things for granted, like a marriage 10 years on has lost some of the sparkle of the wedding day preparations, the vows and the honeymoon. I thank God for Easter as a time in the liturgical calendar to slow down, assess the cost of our salvation, witness the power in it, and start with a renewed focus or dedication.

I got to witness one of my sons being confirmed into the Catholic church this weekend. That's a huge newness for him - not of his faith in Christ, he's had that since he was a small child - but a newness in participation in the Eucharist, the fellowship of believers, and the vast legacy of teachings from the founding father's onward, and much, much more. Amen!

It's important in our faith to keep on moving

forward. Otherwise we get stale - and stale things eventually get smelly, like Lazarus in the tomb! When Jesus called for the tomb to be opened, his mourners were shocked. Martha cried out "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days" (John 11:39). But Jesus rose him up and Lazarus lived to walk in faith a while longer.

This Easter, I am contemplating what newness of the faith I can grow into. I am deepening my prayer life. I've adopted a two-pronged effort: Offensive and Defensive. The offensive are my prayers to God for all of the things the Father wants me to pray into being - for peace, for health, for spiritual fruit for my work, my children, my husband, for strength for the journey, and for an abundance of love to share. The defensive are all the things the Father wants me to pray against: spiritual attack, the enemy, lies, deception, destruction, flaming arrows that come at me and my husband and my family and my home and my work. I feel empowered with this new approach to prayer. It's a great one-two punch that makes my prayer life fuller and more effective. It brings a holy spiritual power not only in and around me, but also in the fallen world that we all must journey in - for now, until we meet our risen Lord!

What newness are you entering into with God? I pray for you, that you will be blessed in that and our Lord will be glorified.

God bless & Happy Easter!

Andrea

Your own personal psychologist and theologian :)