God my Father

The other day I read a chapter in The Attributes of God, Volume 2 by A.W. Tozer. I love this book for the main reason that the whole book just talks about WHO GOD IS. It points me directly to Him and it does good for my soul. This excerpt stood out to me...

"We need to remember, of course, that when we think of that vast mysterium tremendum, that mysterious wonder that fills this universe, and all the other big words that philosophers use to describe God Almighty, He is the same God who called Himself "I AM THAT I AM" (Ex. 3.14). And His Son taught us to call Him "Our Father which art in Heaven" (Luke 11.1). A king sits on his throne, inhabits a palace, wears a crown and a robe, and they call him "your majesty". But when his little children see him, they run to him and yell, "Daddy!"."

I can't totally explain it but I felt God's true love for me as His daughter. Tozer went on to use an example of a king of England and his interaction with his granddaughter and it helped give me a picture of how intimately God my Father loves me just because I am His. The past few days as I have been reminded of this constantly. Whenever I think about the things of God or talk to Him I have been looking at Him as my Father. It has made a difference in my heart and I can feel His love. It has been good. :)

Always Changing

The past couple weeks I feel like Aiden has changed and grown so much! It has been really fun to experience each new thing with him. Here are some of the highlights:

He has found some new facial expressions including scrunching up his face and
kind of blowing through his nose, which makes me laugh every time!


If I stick my tongue out he will start to play with his tongue. And he loves when people click their tongue and has tried to do that, being successful maybe twice. He also is exploring new sounds saying things such as "ma-ma", "da-da" and "na-na". Although he does not realize what ma-ma and da-da mean yet we get very excited when he says them. LOL. My mom discovered that he will do "ha-ha" changing tones and will sometimes do it after us.

BUT, the biggest and most surprising new thing is that Aiden is now an all-time tummy sleeper. This just blows my mind, because he mostly disliked being on his tummy for so long. But over a few days of playing with his crib bumper he learned how to roll from his back to his tummy and fell asleep. At first I would flip him back to his back, but after constantly finding him back on his tummy I surrendered and now put him to bed that way.

Over all I just feel like he is starting to understand so much more and have opinions about what he wants or doesn't want. This makes life more interesting, but definitely fun! He continues to be such a joy to my heart and in light of Mother's Day yesterday I am so thankful to God for blessing me with the honor of being a mom to such a wonderful little boy!

Eternity

Take the time and read this slowly...

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life."

Revelation 21

As I read this my heart is filled with awe and excitement. I am regularly being swept away by the things of this world, but after I read this I am able to see beyond a little and it's mind blowing. God is real. God is awesome. Spending eternity in the new earth will be GLORIOUS. Full of GOD'S GLORY!

But notice at the end of chapter it says "But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life" Not everyone will be there; not those who have refused to call on the name of Jesus and be saved. This is very sad. Their eternity will be much different.

But- there is hope! I don't know know where you are at (whoever may be reading this :)) BUT THERE IS HOPE!! Every person has the choice to know God and to live in eternity with Him. Because JESUS lived on earth and JESUS died on the cross and JESUS took the punishment for our sin and JESUS conquered death and rose again! I have chosen to believe and accept His sacrifice in my place and that is why I live and why I will spend eternity in that place described in the verses above.

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that he sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved"

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

What will you choose?