Robin Gilbert Luftig's Blog, page 41

Understand Your Life’s Tapestry

In life, nothing happens in a vacuum. Understand your life’s tapestry.

What is the plan for your life? Are you flowing with what surrounds you or are you swimming against the current?

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Know what you’re all about. #lifeisatapestry #thrivingafteradversity

For the Love and Lives of Others

[image error]My heart aches over the recent activity in Charlottesville, Virginia. How did we get here? Where do we go next? Lori Roeleveld’s August 12th blog post gave a voice to my heart as I weep for us–all of us. And her words gave me hope as well.

Join me in praying for this country–all of us–as we sort out the chaff around us to see what the issue really is. https://loriroeleveld.com/blog/the-act-of-worship-we-must-commit-to-impact-charlottesville-and-beyond/

Sheila Walsh’s, “In the Middle of the Mess”

I’m super excited about Sheila Walsh’s newest book, In the Middle of the Mess coming out this fall.

Hear a well-known Christian speaker talk about Christianity’s tabu subjects. Hear her heart–raw and transparent–as she shares, “brokenness is always the beginning of healing.”

Anticipating this book is just about as exciting as getting ready to review it.

Building a Resume from Wealth or Poverty

[image error]As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:3-4 NIV

Once in a while after an Event Planner has reviewed my resume or one-sheet, they’ll ask what qualifies me to speak with authority on the Grace of God. To some, my level of education doesn’t offer much by the way of the sought-after alphabet soup next to my name. Why would anyone ever want to listen to me? What do I have to offer?

In a word: Hope.

If God can pull a messed-up life like mine from the gates of Hell, then surely he can work in the lives of others.

It’s quite a simple story. Jesus came to heal the sick and offer grace to those who need it. And I was among the neediest.

God wants us to reach out from our poverty. He offers grace, unmerited favor, to those who seek it. Unmerited, meaning undeserved. That’s the point. It’s not what we have to offer to Him. It’s never been about that. We can never ever earn the right to speak on His behalf.

But we can if He leads us to. If we stand in our humility and sing the praises of God.

God wants us to share from His wealth, not our own. When I speak at retreats or conferences, I share with women from my brokenness. I share that without God’s touch of grace I’d be nothing. Yet He loved me … and He loves them in their brokenness, too.

I give out of my poverty. And in their poverty, they will find wealth.

It’s not so much the messenger. It’s the message. Before Christ, my life was bankrupt of security and peace. Now Jesus has given me both.  And if He can use my poverty to offer wealth to others, then I’m good with that.

What is your resume built on?

The Downside to Knowledge

[image error]I met with a friend recently who was suffering from a crushed spirit. The reason? He was alone. There were few people in his life who were willing to help carry his particular heartfelt burden. My soul ached for him. When we got together to discuss his dilemma, my plan was to offer what I had: compassion and hope. To my disappointment however, he wasn’t interested in either. Instead, he commenced in telling me how his knowledge of the facts around his quandary should be enough to get him through.

Relying on knowledge was his ruin.

I, too, strive for knowledge. I continually weigh knowledge of one subject against another. But I learned years ago never to put all my eggs in the Seeker of Facts basket. There is more than knowledge to strive for—there is also the gift of relationships.

Relationships is the genesis of life. Power. Empathy. Compassion.

Everything revolves around relationships, yet we tend to take them for granted. Had my friend allowed people to enrich his life instead of relying on facts, his situation would be different now. His heart would be lighter and his world would be fuller. More balanced.

Apostle Paul’s words hit me hard as I left my friend. In Philippians 3:8-10, Paul wrote, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.“

It’s not knowing about Christ that’s the key, it’s about KNOWING Christ!

Oh, please, listen to others. Reach out to them. Invest in their lives and allow them to be a part of yours.

Spiritual Affirmation

How big is your God? Take a moment to pause and reflect over Stacy’s … pause and reflect. God’s worth the moment of serenity. Thanks, Stacy, for making me stop and really think about how good God has been to me.

Through the Stillness

Every morning look in the mirror and say, “You’re beautiful. You’re smart. You can do anything.” I’ve heard many examples of personal affirmations and the reasons why they actually work. I cannot say I have consistently tried this in my life. I simply giggle anytime I have tried to talk myself in such a way. It is intriguing, nonetheless.

I was thinking, though. What if I did this in a spiritual sense? Like, take what should be a simple fact that I tend to overlook or brush past, engrain it in my thoughts, and (bam) I feel the truth more deeply.

Take the first part of Romans 8:11, “And if the same spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you…”. The same spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in me. Wow, the same spirit. When I think of my life and the way I’d…

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Regaining Social Skills after A Brain Injury

[image error]If you’ve followed my blog for any time at all, you’ve seen shared posts from people I highly respect for one reason or another. Today I’m sharing a post from Michelle Munt, a brain trauma survivor. She’s battled back and continues to gain momentum in her journey of healing–and we’re all on a journey of healing, right?

https://www.jumbledbrain.com/2017/07/17/shy-sociable-brain-injury/

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Writers, Do You Have Any Idea What You’re Doing?: A Review

[image error]Like most authors, my goal as a writer is to weave words into a beautiful tapestry; thoughts that take the reader’s breath away. To do this, I grab time when I can. While doing laundry or cooking dinner … or instead of doing laundry or cooking dinner.

But when I see it happen–when I read a piece that tightens my chest and stays with me for days–I know I’m in the presence of brilliance and need to share it with the world. That happens many times when I read Lori Roeleveld’s work.

Check out her latest piece. Find out why writers write. 

This may help those who live with writers understand why their clothes may still be in the hamper or their dinners periodically get burnt.

Thank you Lori.

Stop Words That Cheapen Redemption

[image error]The value of words is immeasurable. They shape our lives and determine how we see the world around us. Because of their power, we need to monitor what we hear and read—and think. Christians tap into specific words of power and comfort.

Blessed. Redeemed. Forgiven.

Because of the power in words, it’s imperative for Christ followers to be on our guard against damaging words. Satan wants to destroy the lives of Christians, often using our own words against us.

Loser. Unworthy. Ashamed.

Stop the madness! Don’t let these words find residence in your heart. We all have past experiences that helped we’d wish weren’t there, but we can control which experiences define us.

Our redemption is our greatest gift. Not only does it free us from the weight of an eternity of torment, it gives us a vehicle to help others.

We’re in good company if we see our past sins for what they were. Take in the words of the Apostle Paul. He was able to look beyond his past to see how he could still shine for God:

“You know what I was like … how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.”

The greater the offense, the greater power of God’s grace. When we get down on ourselves from past mistakes, we doubt our value. That, in turn, cheapens Jesus’ gift to each of us. I remember my past sins—there’s no way around them. Harmful relationships were like a drug to me. And like someone addicted, I felt powerless against my compulsion. But when I learned after accepting Jesus as my savior that God took my sins from me, never to recall them again, I took those words to heart.

I no longer allow my sinful history to define who I am. Instead, I choose to allow Jesus’ redemption to describe me.

Beloved. Forgiven. Child of God.

Remember, the creator of the universe knows who you are. If you need scripture to point to, how about this one: And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God… Luke 12:7

Remember the power in words. And remember your place in Jesus’ heart.