Two Trees

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

I read a couple of quotes that I found interesting this morning. It seems like such a long time ago and the inspiration that I had at that time before running out the door for a day of music lessons and other activities that fill our day.  So It is 10:30 at night and I have about a half an hour before I will need to call it a night so I guess we will see how far I get with this tonight.

"Sigmund Freud realized that the cause of man's depression was guilt, just as any honest seeker of truth will find if searching fo the root of man's confusion. But he could not see past the tree of knowledge and suposed that the remedy was to be found in the very fruit that was the cause of the problem. Instead of teaching that relief from guilt and resulting depression was to be found in doing what was right, he began to attack what he considered un realistic morals and standards. " Rick Joyner page 20-21 There were Two Trees in the Garden.

So I am reading this book in my quest to get a better handle on the Tree of Life mosaic project that I plan to do in the near future. Generally when I get an idea for a big mosaic like the Beloved Project, or the Waiting Angel I have a moment or a time where the inspiration is very clear in my mind. It is during that time that I try to capture some rough sketches of that inspiration. It becomes the frame work from which I will later work.  I have currently done two sketches for the Tree of Life Project. 

This is the first one I did and my idea was that we as believers are ingrafted into the Tree of Life. As we abide in Jesus we bear fruit.
So you see the couple at the base of the tree - again kind of like the Beloved project in that everything flows out of that abiding love relationship with Jesus.

The second one is loosly based upon a dream my husband had of a tree coming down from heaven with roots that dug into the soil.  You can see in it how the roots of the tree go down into the heart of the earth and bind together what was once broken. The river of God's presence flows through and also brings healing. Again you still have the Beloved couple beneath the tree. Intimacy with Jesus is a strong theme that is on my heart to communicate.  I liked the verse that I found to go with this one. All in all I just don't have the sense that I have nailed this one yet and so I am continuing to let it stew and mull around in my head.

"So I read another quote in the same book this morning. "Neither is man truly free to live in this world without the restrictions that God place upon him. The very thing that confines man is what sets him free to be what he was created to be."

So I think of that quote in relationship to my life as art and the art work that I do. I am most free when I have boundaries that are secure. When I know where those lines are I am able to be fully creative within them. In a sense I am not so much trying to see this project in finite detail but more to understand where the boundaries of truth fall concerning it. I need to get a handle on what is the message or the inspiration of the piece.  Here are the opening words from the first chapter of the book There were Two Trees in the garden. "There were two trees in the Garden of Eden which challenged the course of the entire human race - the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. These same two trees continue to challenge us. When one becomes a Christian, challenges do not end - they increase. Many times a day we must choose between the fruit of these trees. Between them lies the focal point of dichotomy between the Kingdom of God and the present evil age.

The Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life are symbolic of two spiritual lineages, or family trees. The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is the history of two lineages. Understanding these two lineages can help us to understand the most common errors besetting the human race, including the Church"

I've had the book for a month now and just have not had the time to really read it. I am hoping to find some quiet reading time during the next couple of weeks to finish this book and hopefully come to some sense of where I am going with this project.

I guess in one sense I trust that the Lord will bring the inspiration that I need to take the steps of faith to decided on things like the size and shape and to begin to draw it on the supporting structure.
I've been thinking I might want it to be some what transparant.  It is a funny sense that I have - when things feel right.  While I try not to base a lot of decisions on "feeling" I don't discount them entirely.

I was thinking about the guilt thing in the first quote. I know a lot of people that struggle with mental illness and depression. That whole subject is one that I find hard to draw nice black and white lines. How much is chemical, how much is demonic oppression, how much is the cumulative effect of a life filled with guilt and regrets. I guess I get frustrated by those who feel that a happy pill will solve everything for people. While I can see that can be a tool in the process I think that without looking at the effects of guilt and regrets, and admitting that we do live in the battle ground of a spiritual war I just don't think we really get to the roots of the problem and we just are putting bandaids on things that require surgery to repair.  Not sure why I'm going down this path tonight. I certainly don't claim to be be an expert on the subject. I do know that in my own life Jesus often takes me through layers of things before getting down to the deeper roots. I guess I have learned to trust His timing and some of the interesting ways that he brings things to my attention. 


I guess my thought are a little tangled tonight like the roots of this tree I am trying to understand.

I know you and I have been part of the old Tree of Knowledge linage and we must get beyond thinking our knowledge and ability to reason is going to turn things around. We must turn to Jesus, we need the Tree of Life. We must abide in Him. If we abide in Him then our lives bear fruit. If we accept what He has done for us in paying the price for the penalty which our sin deserves. Then we can begin to release all that guilt and shame to Him.  He is willing to forgive us, He is willing to set us free to a new life in Him. I guess we have to decide which family tree we want to be part of. The Tree of Knowledge has had a long time to saturate life as we know it. We can keep trying to fix things within a broken system or we can accept the new life and the healing and fruit of the Tree of Life found in Jesus.

Prayer
Dear Lord,
Will you take these words that I've written and let what is vital to each reader jump out to them. I pray that little nugget would inspire them and help them like an important missing puzzel piece. That some how this along with other things that you have been speaking to them would some how connect and the bigger picture of your plan would become clearer. I pray that you bless them with your wisdom and your peace as they seek to know you in greater intimacy.

Tips for Commenting and Sharing

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

My son's: Niah looking so cool, Cai ever fun, and Me

Zechariah 4:10

Do not despise 

these small beginnings, 

for the LORD rejoices 

to see the work begin. 

 Ok so I need your help. I know there are a fair number of you lurking and some of you who read this pretty faithfully. You've told me in person or on face book and I can look at the stat numbers and see that there are people reading from all over the world.  I do have days that it is really hard for me to write. Days when I feel discouraged and wonder if anything I am saying is connecting with anyone out there. I realize my job on this is to write what the Lord inspires and puts on my heart. What He does with it, and who it happens to touch is His job. He might want to use you to help with that too.

So here are a few little things you might want to know about to help you spread the word when I write something that encourages you or that you think may encourage someone you know.
At the bottom you will see under the post some little box icons.

Tips for Sharing These Posts with your Friends
See the envelope icon  it points you to some ways you can forward a post to others. 

The first option looks like it has a "M". 
It opens up a box that lets you put in the address of who you want to e-mail the post to and even allows you to send them a short not to let them why you are sending it to them. 

The next one looks like a "B" and lets you post a copy of this blog page on your own blog. 

The next looks like a "T" and let you post a link to your twitter page. Twitter frustrates me because I can't seem to shorten what I have to say down to so few words.  If it works for you by all means use it to spread the word.


The last one looks like an "F" and is my favorite button. It lets you post a link of the page on your facebook wall. You can also comment to your friends about why you are sharing the link. It is a super easy way to help spread the word about this blog.

Down in that same area you will see a link that says comments if you click on that it will open up a box that says leave your comments. In orange below it asks you to choose your identity.  If you have a google id or open id and know how those work - use them. If not you still have two more options. You can use the one that says Name/URL which means you type the name you want attached to your message. The url is optional - if you have your own blog address or web address you would put it there.  

The last option is to post as Anonymous. Should you feel a need to conceal your identity you can use that one. (I was getting too much spam so this option is no longer available)

So those are the options available to you under each post. It would really help me if you would help spread the word and if you would comment from time to time.  I love writing but there are days when it is really difficult and a little encouragement would go a long long way. 

Also I don't always know what you want to read about. What are you struggling with - I would be happy to try and tackle some of your questions or to take on a topic that you might find interesting.

Commenting is a great way to communicate with me.  Or you might want to share how a post has challenged or encouraged you and what things have happened in your life as a result.

I also need a writing break from time to time and if you would like to send me something you have written to consider I would be happy to recieve it. 

Some Other Features:

Some other features on this blog that you might not be aware of:

There is a donate button: I don't get paid to write this, nor am I on a church staff or job pulling in a nice salary.  I am an artist and I make and sell mosaics. I home school my kids, I teach some guitar lessons and do some life coaching. I can't say I am getting rich on any of those things. If you would like to donate - I would be blessed by your financial support. 

Below that you will see a box that says follow by e-mail. Which means if you enter your e-mail address into that box. Everytime I post you will get a copy sent to your e-mail. I do notice that things like the links and videos that I often include don't always come through. But it is a great way to be reminded about this devotional blog and to keep up with it on a daily basis. 

Then you see my photo with the green back ground. 

Below that are some other Share it options. 

Use those if you want to share the whole Blog site not just a single post.

Again I soooooooo appreciate you helping to spread the word. 

Next you can subscribe to the posts and to the comments. Can't say I understand all the workings of those options. If you do perhaps you will post a comment and help enlighten me.

Next you see my Card widget. If you click on any of those cards it will take you to Greeting Card Universe where I have about 300 of my cards posted. They can be personalized on the inside with your own message. I don't make big money on cards. I create them and post them there and when you buy them I get a small royalty. I often use the cards and other products that I have posted on line at the top of the posts. Most are things that I have created the images from photos that I have taken of my mosaic projects and then done some extra design work in photo shop.

Finding Things by Topic
Below the card widget you will find a biz-zillion labels. So if you want to read what I have said on a particular topic you click on that word and it will take you to posts that have something to do with that topic. 

BLOG Archive

Below that is the Blog Archive - It gives you access to the posts I have written in the past. Need some extra encouragement you might want to read some of the older posts. My goal is to eventually publish a devotional in book form - but I decided to post them on line in the process.

Find Me on Facebook: 

You see my facebook badge and clicking on that takes you to my facebook page where you will need to request to be a friend. If I don't know you it helps if you send me a note along with your request letting me know you are Mosaic Devotional blog reader.   

Follow This BLOG

Then there is a way to be a blog follower. Not sure what that does for you but it is encouraging to me to see your smiling face there. 

Encouragement for Today:

Ok so all that being said you are probably feeling a bit jippped on the spiritual side of things. 

So lets talk briefly about walking by faith. Why because this is one gigantic faith journey for me. 

I am writing because God put it on my heart to write. A friend helped me to see that I did have things to say that would encourage people.  It is so easy for me to feel insecure, who am I, and what do I have to say of any value. So writing and posting has been a big step of faith for me. I don't know what God will do with it but I am thankful that it is touching lives and encouraging people at this point.  I noticed that Moses and David also had overwhelming feelings of "Who am I" and wonder at God choosing them for their tasks in His bigger story. My "who am I" is pretty simple I love Jesus and do my best to follow Him daily. I happen to like to write and I've been through a fair amount of "stuff" and I am trying to be open and honest about my own journey and hope it helps you on yours.

So again thank you for reading - 

 

Zechariah 4:10

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.  

Maybe we will all look back and remember when I first started this blog - and marvel at what God has done with it. I guess we'll have to wait and see on that.

If God has put it on your heart to take a step of faith - do it. 

Don't forget Proverbs 18:16 

A gift opens the way for the giver 

and ushers him into the presence of the great.

We don't know where that step of faith will take us - but I am sure that each step is part of an amazing adventure. Don't miss out and let doubt and fear keep you from taking the journey beyond the borders of Ordinary. 

Prayer: 

Dear Lord, 

Thank you for these readers. I pray you will bless and encourage them by these posts. I pray that you will make this a tool for them to encourage others. I pray that we might encourage one another and follow you more faithfully.  Help us be a blessing and your ambassadors as we go through this day.

Drawing Near

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Hebrews 4: 16  

Let us then 

with confidence 

draw near 

to the throne of grace,

that we may 

receive mercy 

and find grace

to help 

in time of need.

I decided to just go to bed last night because I could not come up with something to write about. I know that I struggle more to stay positive when I am tired. I was not doing very well at finding much that was positive or inspirational to say so I went to bed.  I'm not sure I've nailed it this morning although I don't feel nearly as discouraged as I did last night. I did go back and edit it way down because I was concerened that the lack of inspriation may have lead to long winded rambling. I hope something in it will be a nugget of hope for you on your journey today. At this point its after noon and it will just have to be good enough.

So God's mercies are new every morning and I am going to trust Him to be with me in this day. 

I need the Lord to help me move beyond my perceived lacks into a place of hope and possibility. I know better than most that one never knows what is around the next corner.  So I will wait with hope and anticpation.

My mom and aunt were here this past weekend and it was good to be able to help them work through the issues they were having with some of their new technology.  My mom had called earlier in the week and was having trouble with the set up of the gift she had gotten for my aunt. I told her, at that time put it back into the box and leave it alone till I can help you with it. Of course she could not wait and had to try to set it up on her own. Which meant by the time my youngest son Cai and I got to it, it was a big mess and she could not remember what she had done or how she had done it. We finally got it back to factory presets and started over to set it up correctly.  Now my sister and brother and I are getting my mother a similar gift for Christmas. My job on the gift is to make sure it gets set up and she learns to use it. My sister who knows my mom won't leave it alone and won't know what she's doing, decided the way to solve that problem is to have the gift sent to me. That will give my tech savy children and I  have a chance to get it set up and learn to use it so we can take it to her Christmas day.  I'm sure there must be a point in this somewhere... ok so... here it is... God can give us a nice new gift but we don't have a clue how to set it up and use it. We can be so excited by the possibility of this new thing and all that it will do that we rush in and try on our own to get it set up only to find out we don't possess the skills needed and find our selves stuck. I believe the help we need is probably very near, but we have to admit that we just don't understand this new gift and need help. Oh and a little patience might come in handy too.

This past Sunday I worked in the kitchen for our homeless feeding. We had some things that for what ever the reason did not go to plan. I am really good at finding a work around ways to do things. So the big problem we had was all the burners were taken up trying to boil potatoes and we still needed to cook corn and gravy. Generally the potatoes cook and you move them out of the way and have time for the the other items. The potatoes just would not cook. We were able to get gravy on the stove top but the corn was clearly not going to be able to be done according to that plan. That was an easy fix - we could cook it in the ovens but the ovens were all full keeping the Salisbury steak patties warm. So that required that we layer those patties to make room for the corn. I was a little discouraged at the end of the day because the potatoes cooked and cooked but never got soft enough to mash. So in the end the plan for having mashed potatoes had to be scrapped. Its still a mystery to me why they did not work. We've made mashed potatoes many times for meals and had no trouble. In reading on line to see if others have had potatoes that won't soften I found that that it is possible to get old potatoes that just won't cook.   I am good with the whole "when life gives you lemons - make lemon aid" kind of mentality.  Sometimes I get stuck - like with those potatoes and just can't find a work around.  Sometimes the thing we are trying to do is simply not going to work. Thats when I need people like Tonia the lead in the kitchen to say enough, stop. Its time to just throw out those old potatoes. I need people in my life who will help me to pronounce something dead and help me to move on

 

Ugggh agian I must be heading for a point in all of this I've gone from stories of new technology to potatoes in one post. I think there are times in our life when we need to realize that we need help particularly with something new. There are other times when we simply need to stop and conceed that something is not going to produce the results needed in the time that is allowed. In those things I have to look to the lead or the authority in that situation to call the "stop". I have to look to God in my own life to call the "stop" cause other wise I keep looking for the work around its just how he wired me.

Our verse today talks about aproaching the throne of grace with confidence. 

I have to go to the Lord with those places where I feel stuck. I need the Lord's help us to tell the difference between something that needs to be renewed and revived and something that needs to be buried because its dead.  I think sometimes it is part of having a high level of faith that it is very hard for me to give up. Dead is not dead because I believe in a God of resurrection power. I think however there are times that God says its time to let this thing go, let me take this from you and give you something that will work better for my plans and purposes for you. Let me send it to you with the help you will need to set it up and get it working in ways that will thrill and astound you. 

I remember now why I started to tell you the story of my mom being here this weekend. She was sitting on my couch and was reading me a little story that she has found on the new tech device,

about two frogs that fall in a bucket of cream.

   

"One day, two frogs were enjoying the day in the barn when they accidently fell into the farmer's bucket of cream, and they couldn't get out. The two frogs kept swimming around to keep from drowning, and every once in a while they would try to climb out, but this was becoming very tiring.

One frog kept saying, "This is useless, we should just give up." But the other frog just ignored the comment and kept swimming. Finally, the pessimistic frog gave up and drowned. The other frog was sad at the loss of his friend, but he wasn't going to give up. He kept swimming and swimming, and, finally, the cream turned into butter and the frog simply climbed out.

This story shows that even if we stumble and others try to pull us down, we got to keep on swimming because, eventually, the cream will turn into butter and we'll make it out of the pail."

--- Author Unknown

 

So my tendency is towards being like that frog who keeps swimming. I don't see an answer so I just keep doing what I can do till a solution presents it self. In the case of the frog it was to swim. To believe that the answer is in not giving up. That faith and hope are valuable and to believe that God is honored by my faith and stubborn tenasity.

Theres another inspriational story that I love.

Pushing Against The Rock ~ Author Unknown

There once was a man who was asleep one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Saviour appeared to him.

The Lord told him He had a work for him to do, and showed him a large rock explaining that he was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, and for many days he toiled from sunup to sundown; his shoulder set squarely against the cold massive surface of the rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling his whole day had been spent in vain.

Seeing that the man showed signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture - placing thoughts in the man's mind, such as ``Why kill yourself over this?, you're never going to move it!'' or ``Boy, you've been at it a long time and you haven't even scratched the surface!'' etc. giving the man the impression the task was impossible and the man was an unworthy servant because he wasn't moving the massive stone.

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man and he started to ease up in his efforts. ``Why kill myself?'' he thought. ``I'll just put in my time putting forth just the minimum of effort and that will be good enough.'' And this he did or at least planned on doing until, one day, he decided to take his troubles to the Lord.

``Lord,'' he said, ``I have labored hard and long in Your service, putting forth all my strength to do that which You have asked of me. Yet after all this time, I have not even budged that rock even half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?''

To this the Lord responded compassionately, ``My friend, when long ago I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you to push against the rock with all your strength and that you have done. But never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. At least not by yourself. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me, your strength spent, thinking that you have failed, ready to quit. But is this really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled; your back sinewed and brown. Your hands are calloused from constant pressure and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your ability now far surpasses that which you used to have. Yet still, you haven't succeeded in moving the rock; and you come to Me now with a heavy heart and your strength spent. I, my friend will move the rock. Your calling was to be obedient and push, and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom, and this you have done.''

I guess my point in all my little stories today is that I don't always have a clue about what God is doing. Sometimes I just need to obey and keep doing what he's told me to do even when I feel like the guy with the rock that I am failing. God is building strength in me.
Sometimes like the frog I need to keep going and not give up.
Sometimes like my mom and the technology I need to remember to ask for help.
Sometimes like the potatoes - I just need to stop. That one is really hard for me.

I think what I am saying here in all my stories is that one size solution does not fit every problem and I don't always know which of these antidotes to apply to my situation unless I go to God and believe that he will help me sort out what he is doing at this time. The same is true for you.

Is Gods word to you - get some help with the new gift he's given you.
Is it don't give up - keep swimming like the frog
Is it you think you have failed to move the rock but the plan was always to build your muscle.
Or is God saying to you that those old potatoes are not going to cook - time to toss them out.

I realize I don't always know what God is doing. I look for help,  I can flail around in the cream like the frog, I can push and build spiritual muscle, and I can at times accept that what I'm trying to do just is not going to work. Unless I draw near to the Lord I won't know what He is saying to me now. 

So I go to him and I tell him.  I take those things that to me seem to not be working and I lay them before the Lord.  I can look back and see that there have been times when He has fixed what was broken, there have been times he has taken somethings away and replaced them with something new. There are times when he has inspired me to not give up, and other times when he has said enough, it is finished.  In the end we must each come to Him to really know what is His direction for us is in this moment. 

What is He saying to you?  He wants to speak to you, will you take the time to listen til you hear His voice.  Hebrews 4: 16  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,

that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Prayer: 

Dear Lord, 

Help us know what you are saying now.  Speak clearly to us Lord. You know what we need, so Lord we look to you. Grant us wisdom to know what inspriational stories apply to our particular situation today. Lord there are not always easy anwers to the things we face in life. Sometimes we need to do more than to slap a bandaid on somethings and stand there saying its all better now. Sometimes the boo boos in our life are bigger than what simple bandaids can fix. Lord you are the author and the finisher. You know the end from the beginning and you know all the chapters and the twists and turns the story will take.  So Lord I come to you. I can't always make sense of it all but I believe that you can.

I turn to you  - you know me better than I know myself. You know what I need and when I need it. 

 

 

 

A Star Foretold

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio



If you get this in your e-mail you will want to click the blue title
to be taken to the actual page to see the video of one of my favorite Christmas songs. 

Numbers 24:17

7 “I see him, but not now;

   I behold him, but not near.

A star will come out of Jacob;

   a scepter will rise out of Israel.

He will crush the foreheads of Moab,

   the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.

There are some really amazing things about the Birth of Christ that we kind of gloss over. There are many, many prophecies concerning the birth and the coming of Christ. The likelyhood of them being fullfilled in one person is astounding. These prophecies were each written at very least 400 years prior to Jesus birth many being much older.  The one that is our verse today is one of the older ones it was  written between 1440 and 1400 B.C. Written by Moses who leads the people out of Egypt in route to the promised land. They get there and send in the 12 spies of which all but two, Caleb and Joshua have the faith to trust the Lord in a land filled with giants. The other 10 discourage the people from going in and they enter as a result a 40 year period of wandering in the desert. The unfaithful generation must die off before the people can go in led by Joshua. But thats another story - I want to talk about a star fortold.

So I was wondering about the wise men and how these smart guys from the east would know about a king being born to the Jews. That they would leave their home to go and worship a baby in an land far far away. So far that it would take them several years of traveling. I mean come on - they had to really think something special was happening to leave their home, families, jobs and go off following a star. What were they nuts - or really really smart or had someone clued them in on Gods plan?
Who were they and how did they know. Why were these non Jews expeciting something to happen in thier life when the people Jesus came to pretty much missed his coming.

I had been podering thiese thoughts about a week ago. I wondered if they might have been an off shoot line from Abraham. Kind of like how Moses finds Jethro when he flees Egypt. The priest of a people who worshiped the one God. How did they know about God. I think in that case they were an off shoot from Abraham. He did have another wife after Sarah and he gave gift to his other children before sending them away and leaving everything to Issac when he died.  Perahps one of them carried on the worship of the one God.  The more I thought about that...it just seemed too far in the past.  The wise men needed to be from someone a bit closer.

Next I thought about Daniel. He was carried to Babyalon along with all the other smart and tallented people when Jerusalem finally fell.  He becomes a pretty influential and respected guy even among the wise and learned men of that day.  So I was wondering if he might have clued them in. Turns out he had some very specific prophetic words.  My pastor who loves history took up this very topic in todays sermon. It turns out that I was right about Daniel. He however was able to explain some of the whys and the missing pieces of the puzzel that I had not totally solved on my own. So I thought I would give you the link so you can listen to the sermon for yourself.

Here's the link. http://www.fccspokane.org/2011/12/sunday-12-11-2011/
I'm going to make this one a short one and enjoy the evening with my family. 

Prayer:
Dear Lord,
I pray you will bless those who read this today and those who listen to the sermon from the link I posted. Lord your story is so amazing and when someone can help us connect the real history it is incredable. Help us all Lord find you. Help us make room in the inn of our heart even though the world around us is busling and full of holiday activities and festivities. I pray we would make room to spend time with you - to did in to the story more and seperate the myth from the real history of your story. I thank you Lord for people like my pastor who have a gift for helping us understand history. I pray my readers will be blessed as they listen.

Holdin' On

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

(If you recieve this by e-mail click the blue title link to return to
A Devotional Mosaic to see the video included in the post)

Habakuk 3:17 - 19 

Though the fig tree does not bud
   and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
   and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
   and no cattle in the stalls,
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
   I will be joyful in God my Savior.

 ¹⁹ The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
   he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
   he enables me to go on the heights. 

I talked to an old friend yesterday, visting with her is always a gift and a treasure. We live far away from one another but there was a time when we lived in the same town and were as close as family. During that time she went thorough one hardship after another and suffered from terrible depression and various mental issues.  She said last night that she had come to a realization of how that time had given her the tools to be able to deal with the death of her brother. He was a truck driver and I remember the day that she received a call that he was missing. His truck was found empty, but he was missing. Horrible weeks followed of wondering where he was and what could have happened to him. He was found dead in the desert it broke her heart and she was angry with God.  I remember wondering after all she had been through. How much more Lord,  does one person have to endure. Her life seemed to me like reading the book of Job.  Last night I shared with her that she is my mental picture of what it means to be an overcomer.  This was her response. "I did not do anything Margot. I only kept breathing, the rest God did"

Maybe thats you today your holding on, barely breathing. You look around you and feel like you have fallen sort in every area of your life. Don't give up.

My friend now ministers to international students. She shared how she took some to see the holiday lights and stopped at a beautiful Nativity display and got to tell the story of the birth of Jesus because they had never heard it. She has one of the students this time who is is from Pakistan. He is a believer which is very rare. His family has a rough hand carved Nativity because there are none to be bought, so they made one. She shared how they set aside a room in their very small house just to worship, pray and study the word.  My friend said of this student "he knows that his life could be very short because of his faith in Pakistan but he does not hesitate.. nor hide who and what he is." She has the pleasure of seeing the great wonder in the eyes of her students. Her great heart ache these days is that of coming to know and love these students as sons and daughters to in only 6 months putting them back on the plane to return to their homes.  Many of her students are Muslim. This week two of them have asked if they can go to church with her. She is through her life demonstrating the kindness of Jesus. She marvels at how God used those difficult times to prepare her for the things she is doing today. There were so many times when she wanted to give up and tried to take her own life.  She said in our conversation yesterday "I think always God prepares us for the vision he has for our lives. Sometimes we can see the distant path and sometimes we just go around the corner and be surprised" She will be traveling to Egypt and Pakistan in the new year to visit some of the students who have become like sons to her.  She looks forward to meeting their mothers. God has done such a transforming work in her life.  Perhaps you will join me in praying for her and these international students. That the seeds of kindness and faith that she plants in their lives will grow up to become mighty trees of righteousness.

She is right - we don't often know what it around the next corner and how the hard things we are facing today are building in us and inner strength and a dependence on Jesus that will allow us to minister hope to others in the future.

I know that there is often a weight that proceeds writing theses posts. Some of it I think is a spiritual battle, the enemy would love for me to give up and stop writing. (Please pray for me as I endeavor to be faithful to the Lord in this task.)  Sometimes I think it is a weight that God allows me to feel so I can write the message that is on His heart for you.  I know when I pray for people - God allows me to "read their mail to him" He allows me to express what is stuck inside of then. He gives me the words to express the cry of their hearts. They stand there weeping and ask me after wards how did you know. How do you understand." Some of it is the things I have been through or am going through. Mostly it is just God. It is like I am the elevator operator and my job is to take those people to the thrown room of God and lay those prayers before Him. I think that gift is overflowing here some how today. I admit this is a step of faith for me - to write, and believe that this is specifically for someone who is struggling. I don't know who you are or why I am writing this today. Don't give up - press in to Jesus. Hold on - let Him hold on to you. 

Today I think there are some of you feeling like you are a hopeless failure.
That the things you have tried to do seem to shrivel up and blow away.  I think about the words of Rich Mullins " I beat my head against so many walls... I'm falling down... I'm falling on my knees."

The prayer that rises up in my spirt as I write is this one and so I will pray it for you and with you. 
 (I think as an intercessor God often allows me to feel the weight of others burdens. This weight of failure seems so heavy. Don't believe that lie - God is not though with you yet. He is doing a transforming work - you are the clay in his hands, soon you will become that vessel that he is creating out of a lump of clay that does not look like much now but will be unique and special and beautiful when he is done. I don't know who this is for today but I pray God will meet you and minister encouragement and hope to you in some very deep way today by what I have written. )

Prayer: 
Jesus I need you - I can't do this life on my own.  My self sufficiency is a sham and my neediness seems so great. I feel overwhelmed in a sea of sorrow. I call out to you come and fill me. Let your Spirit overflow from my life.  You know the things I am facing in this season and what they are working in me to prepare me for greater fruitfulness in the days, weeks and years ahead. In this moment I can't think that far ahead. Come and hold me in your ams of love. Help me hold on to you,
I feel like I am barely breathing. I'm tired of beating my head against so many walls. When I feel like I'm failing and falling down, I choose to turn to you,  to fall on my knees. Thank you for helping me see how much I need you. I thank you for the difficulties that have caused me to draw near to you. To hold on, when every circumstance seem to scream, God has forgotten, that His answers are late.  Lord, I'm holding on to you, your timing is perfect. Thank you for letting me see how much I need you today and every day. I choose to trust you - give me the grace to walk through this day, give me the strength to follow you. Hold me Lord, I'm holding on to you.






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No Turning Back

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Ephesians 5:18-20

¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹ Speak to one another
with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make
music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks
to God the Father for everything,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am not feeling particularly great today. I caught some bug that is going around and have not felt well all week. I am thankful that I managed last Saturday to get a few posts written ahead for the week. Today I am running behind on getting this written and posted.

So heres the deal - I don't feel good. I would just assume curl up in a ball on the couch and ignore the world. Stop the world I need to get off. I could easily slide in to having my own personal pitty party. Poor me.... I feel lousy.... I have so much that needs to be done..... bla bla bla. I'm sure you have your own litany of woes.  I am choosing to resist that path and I am going to do what I can to allow the Holy Spirit into my day. The word says that when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  This verse follows Paul's pleading with the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh. Some say it was an illness of some sort, others say he had a messenger of satin the buffeted him. Perhaps they are one in the same.  What ever it was it caused him to suffer enough to plead with the Lord to take it away from him.  I like to tell you that the Lord answered him and told him "Sure Paul, your a good guy, out preaching to the gentiles, and serving me with your whole heart. Sure consider it done my friend." But..... thats not the answer God gave him. Now you may be scratching your head along with me on this one. So here is Gods answer to Paul found in 2 Corinthians 12 . "⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." So today I have an opportunity to allow the power of Christ to rest upon me to some how make me strong in spite of my weakness. I can choose to be thankful even in hardships. I can choose to stand upon his word that tells me in Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. " I have a choice even in stupid things like a head cold as to where I will put my focus. Will I focus on poor me? or will I resist that and align myself today with the word of God.
I admit I was leaning towards poor me, even about having to write this devotional. Now I'm kind of laughing because this thing keeps me on track. It makes me face head on the choice before me. It really isn't much of a choice when you think about it. I can choose to be physically and mentally miserable today or I can buck up and stand on the word, do what I can to take care of my body and put my mind on things above. I may not feel great physically but I don't have to give in to the idea that therefore I will also feel mentally miserable. 

I should have an attitude of the 3 guys in the Firey Furnace in Daniel 3:1-3 My favorite part of the story is the choice that they declare out loud to the king.  Take a look at verses 16-18. " ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”  They made up their mind before they knew how God would deliver them that no matter what even if they died in the fire that they were choosing to serve God.  Some times we need to make up our mind that we are going to choose Gods way no matter how a thing turns out.  Like Paul in our verse today God may leave you in something but supply you the grace to walk through it and to become stronger as a result.  We would like to put God in a box or make him like the geni in a bottle who gives us what we want. We serve a God who gives us what we need. He knows the desires of our heart but there is more to that verse from Psalm 37
³ Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
 ⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
 ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him,  And He shall bring it to pass.
 ⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
The getting the desire of your heart thing goes along with trusting the Lord, doing good, feeding on and remembering his faithfulness, commiting your way to the Lord.   .... So we don't always get the quick fix, easy answers, some stuff God walks with us through day by day, layer by layer. There are not easy answers for some of the things that we face in our life.  We live in a fallen world, and we are affected by it, our sin, others sins, generational sins, the demonic. Uggh it can seem overwhelming.
My friend is wrestling with how to respond to a daughter who has decided to choose a lesbian lifestyle. I was asking if he would be up set if she was living with a guy before marriage. Its funny the sins we are willing to tollerate and have become desensistized to. Anytime we choose life on our own terms rather than Gods way it leads eventully to brokenness and pain. As christain's we are to love the sinner and hate the sin. All sex outside of marriage is sin no matter what our culture has nummbed us into believing on the matter. Its working very hard in shows like Bones and others to get us to swallow the idea that the sleeping aroud, or the homesexual or lesbian lifestyle is just another choice. I don't mean to step on toes but Gods way is a narrow way. We have to choose on a daily basis to pick up our cross and follow Him. God designed sex to be part of a covenant relationship between one man and one woman with God at the center.  God gives us free will to choose of our own accord to do things His way. He loves us in spite of our poor choices. He understands the many of us come from broken families and are broken in many ways ourselves before we even get to relationships with others. I don't have time to stand around pointing out the sins of others. I have enough of my own that I need to crucify. While I'm at it,  I am happy to share the journey with others who are endeavering to follow Christ. We all fall terribly short of God holy standards. Thankfully he has sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins. We will never be good enough to stand before a holy God on our own. So our salvation is found in Jesus not in our good works or our good life.  He wants us to repent of the sins in our life, and to choose His way. Having walked with him for nearly 30 years at this point. He does not always work on things in the order that I think he should. I have found that after 30 year of Him dealing with varous areas of sin in my life that there is always another level of purification and deeper levels of closet cleaning that He continues to do. Life on our terms leads to distruction, pain, torment, life on Gods terms leads to freedom in Christ. It does not gauantee an easy life. Look at the disciples, shipwrecked, beaten, in prisoned, most of them martyered for their faith in Christ. It does not sound like the life they chose was a pleasure cruse. They saw first hand people getting set free, healed, learning to live in the Kingdom with Kingdom principles that are very backwards from the cultures we live in.

We all have to choose will we put Jesus on the thrown of our our heart and allow him to be the King of our life or will you continue to keep "Self" on that thrown. I am not saying that it is easy to change. The chains that have each of us bound in the old dead life are quick to entangle us. It often feels like we take 2 steps forward and 1 step back. It sometimes feels we have so many layers of muck and brokenness that we won't ever get totally free. Jesus extends his hand to you. He wants to help you.
He wants to walk with you today and everyday. Will you look to him to help you with what you are facing today or will you choose the pity party today and another bath in the mud. 

As for me.. I have decided to follow Jesus - no turning back no matter what. I am remeinded of the verses to that song. The melody comes from India, the writer of the lyrics is unknown. At the top of the post I will embed a beautiful version of this song being preformed by Third Day. If you got this in your e-mail you may have to return to the actual post to hear it. Where ever you are today and what ever you are going through.  Today is the day to return to Jesus. Decide today to follow him today. It might be just an area of your life that you have yet to yield to him, or it may be you are making that decision for the first time, or perhaps you have gotten off track and need to return to Him. Don't put it off ... He is the way.  My prayer is simple today. I pray that you will have the courage to follow Him. 

1. I have decided to follow Jesus 

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. Tho' none go with me, I still will follow,
Tho' none go with me I still will follow,
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'll carry till I see Jesus,
My cross I'll carry till I see Jesus;
No turning back, No turning back.

4. The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

Fearfully And Wonderfully Made

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

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Psalm 139:13-16
¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
 ¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
   were written in your book
   before one of them came to be. 

Through the yeas I have spent a lot of time encouraging people to not give up. To believe that in spite of their present circumstances that God has a plan. I have helped them to connect the dots to discover what Gods plans and purposes for their life might be. I help people get from where they are today to where they believe they want to be or God wants them.  Some are trying to overcome a bad habit or behavior and need some extra accountability and encouragement. Some are trying to reach for a dream that God has placed on their heart and are on a journey, taking purposeful steps to reach various milestones and goals.  Some are discouraged and fighting depression and need help to see that the light at the end of the tunnel is not an on coming train. They need hope. Some are dealing with broken relationships and need to work through reconciliation. For some that broken relationship is with God and they need help to see that He love us each where we are today. This past year I discovered a name for what I do, "life coaching." You can learn more about coaching by going to my coaching page using this link or the tab above.

All that so I can tell you this story.... I got a call from one of my coaching allies yesterday. Her young child was writing words on a paper. My coaching allie questioned her about what they said. Little children learning their letters write things that must be explained. The child responded that they say "I'm stupid".  "What should I do. She insists that she is stupid? "  We start getting bombarded by negative self talk and doubts at a very early age.  I suggested that she sit down with her and tell her what God says about her. It is easy to take on the wrong views of others and even our own wrong views when the view we need is that of the one who created us and knows the plans and purposes for our life. He knows why he created us, how he wired us, and why he has given us certain gifts, abilities and  talents. Sometimes we are trying to live up to the wrong yardstick.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” ~ Albert Einstein


I don't know who you are reading today but perhaps you struggle with berating yourself. Speaking doubt, unbelief and curses over your own life. Perhaps you have taken the mean, unkind things people have maliciously said to you and rather than resist those things you have looked at your circumstances and rather than see them from Gods perspective you have taken the Enemy of your souls perspective and joined the rabble to beat yourself up.

Its time to stop. Child of God, lets look at What God says about you.

Lets start with our verse today. You were not an accident - God created your inmost being, he knit you together in your mothers womb. He knew about your life before even one of your days started. 
He loves you and thinks you are wonderful.
In Genesis he completes his work of creating ( and that included making man and woman) and he says that it is good. Genesis 1:31 And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Sin entered the world and things became broken very early on.  God had a plan...Galatians 4:3-5 (NKJV) Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

When we accept what Jesus has done on our behalf we become new creatures.
 

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I am hope that you already have a grasp of the basics of faith in Christ. God loves you so much that he sent his Son to take the punishment that you and I deserve. In Him justice is satisfied. In Him we are reconciled to the Father. 

The more we can begin to see ourselves as God sees and that He accepts the more we can walk in the freedom of who He has created us and called us to be. 

So here are some other verses to consider. These are some of the same verses I shared with my coaching allie.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Luke 12:7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Acts 10:34-35 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

If you search your Bible there are many verses about how much God loves you. None of us are good enough to stand before a Holy Righteous God by our own merit. It is only because of Jesus that we can inter into His holy presence. Jesus wants to help you to overcome the places of sin and darkness in your life. He wants to to be free from the things that have you bound, he wants you to grow and be fruitful for His glory.  He has sent his Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into all truth. To be your comforter to help you navigate through this life.  We do not deserve, nor can we earn this love, we are not worthy, but we are valued, loved, desired and of great worth to God. 

I love this one from Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

I love the image of God singing loudly over me. I like that he will quiet me by his love. There are times we need to be reassured of his love. He loves us on our worst days and on our best days. He simply loves us. We are his creation, his beloved.  Its not about what you do but who you believe in. Jesus made a way for you to be right with a Holy God.

Sure there are always things in our life that we are working on and growing in but we can rest knowing that God loves us right where we are today and He has a good plan for us. Be open and honest about the struggles you are facing. David in the Psalms bares his heart over and over in the Psalms crying out to God for help. God already knows but he waits for you to be ready to share it with Him.

Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Help us today to see our selves though your eyes. Help us see your love and delight in us. Come and quiet us with your love. Come sing loudly over us. Help us proclaim how wonderful you are, you, who has called us out of darkness into your marvelous light. Help us to find those things that you have created for us to do and to walk by faith in this adventure called today. We put our trust and faith and hope in you and are thankful that you know everything about us and still love us. Your love is amazing - Thank you Lord - I give you this day and invite you to walk with me through it for your glory.