Black & White

While I am in a photography class that is solely black and white photography, my mind doesn't think about photographs today. The last few days have brought many occasions for me to think about life itself in black & white.

How black is black and how white is white? A very wise and godly man once asked me if any of my Biblical beliefs were more abstract than concrete. I had to say yes because some of them are. Some of my beliefs are formed from understanding how God responded to people in the Old Testament, over and over again, as it was.....some of my beliefs are formed from watching
Jesus interact and respond to people in the New Testament. And some of them are in my heart because of God's response to my life because of prayer and obedience.



Other beliefs are there because it's perfectly clear what is expected of a follower of Christ. Some things are just spelled out and obvious.

So what about those abstract things? After all, real life is in living color.

I've found it interesting that things can stay black and white if they don't affect you or those you love. When the impact of real life comes to your front door, a little gray might show itself.


I'm not talking compromise. Compromise is a word that should have only 4 letters and to compromise one's beliefs about God or His statutes is toying around with disaster. (I've seen that, too.) But what about the gray stuff the "abstract stuff? While all of our ideas, thoughts and actions should be sifted through the sieve of God's Word, it seems that some days there is a lot of gray to choose between.

I'm not sure why I'm rambling on here.

We just have a couple of "issues" going on with our family that are exhibiting themselves in not such black and white forms. Is it possible that 2 different postures could please God? Isn't it possible that God can work one thing out in 2 different scenarios?

I learned a long time ago not to put God in a box. Inevitably, it is MY box I put Him in and it is me that is limiting the possibilities. For me to say that my way is the only way is shutting down a whole lot of possibilities. Even if I can hold "my way" in line with the Word, that does not mean that God can't or won't work His plan out in other ways as well.

So, anyway....I'm trying to see all the grays with a #0 filter (you would have to be in my photo class to know what I'm talking about ). Trying to see all the texture, all the shades. Our physical eyes were created to see all the varieties of colors, shades and textures. Maybe God wants the eyes of our hearts to see the same.

Here I am again.....2 blogs in 2 days....nobody faint....but I have some good news. I have finally found a name for my disciples.....if you know me, you know that when God involves me in the life of another I take it very seriously....I take her into my heart and grow to love her as my own. So the term "disciple" just sounded so....cold. So project like.


I've really thought about this. What fits? What describes them....both to me and to God? After all, they are His....entrusted to me. Big responsibility. So what do I see in them? Potential. Promise. Some of them are a work in progress when I meet them. Some are starting at the very beginning when I cross their path. While a most beautiful picture of them would be flowers unfolding in the light of God's love.....it's much different than that. It's more like the work of a diamond cutter. When the jeweler gets the chunk of metamorphic rock (it doesn't sound very pretty does it?), He begins to shape it. He doesn't send it through a diamond cutter that produces a beautiful clean stone on the other end of a machine. No, he puts on his magnifying glasses and begins to chip away at all the unwanted pieces of the rock. He slowly cuts away all that keeps the rock from showing what's been hiding in the earth...he works diligently at keeping all that makes the rock unique. Slowly but surely he chips away. Not all at once....but little by little. Eventually he designs a beautiful, clear stone that reflects the light back to his eyes. He is thrilled with his workmanship and sets it out for all the world to see.

I see these women like that. What's ahead of them won't be easy. But in each of them I see a diamond in the rough. As God continues to chip away the unwanted pieces of rock, a beautiful reflection of Him shines through. His light shines through their lives. People who knew the untouched piece of rock will now see the reflection of Light that radiates through their every move. How exciting is that to be a part of I ask you? Next to seeing my own children grow in the Lord, I have never experienced anything quite like it.

So to get back to my original thought....I guess they all start out as "disciples" but eventually I see them as Jewels. Precious, beautiful and expensive...remembering that the cost was His very life. I considered Gems....but maybe it's not quite as...precious. We never hear of the Crown Gems...or the Gem of the Nile (yeah, I know the Jewel of the Nile was really Cleopatra, not a stone but you get the picture). When it's exquisite it's a jewel. So with confidence in His promise to finish that which He starts, I already see them as precious jewels. Right now, as He has entrusted them to me, they are Judy's Jewels.....but only for a time. They are truly God's Jewels and He promises that in Zechariah 9:16 & 17:

The Lord their God will save them on that day

as the flock of His people.

They will sparkle in His land

like jewels in a crown

How attractive and beautiful they will be!

So there you are. Jewels...in the making. If you are one of them take heart. Do not be anxious about anything. You are in the hands of the Master Diamond Cutter.

Now for a run.....Judy

Blessings of Simplicity

I have been so blessed. I have had the privilege of having children of my own flesh and blood and now God has blessed me with spiritual daughters that I am growing to love as if they were my own.

I was in prayer this morning for them all, both physical and spiritual children. I prayed with passion for my disciples....that just sounds so impersonal to me. I'm must come up with some other way to refer to these ladies that I have grown to love...for strength, protection, understanding. I prayed verses for them. I called upon Jesus to honor His words. I prayed with confidence. If you were to read my prayer journal where I keep my prayers as letters to Jesus, you might think I have this praying thing down pretty good. And honestly, truthfully, it was and still is all from my heart. It's sincere. But here is the kicker...after a long discussion with my Lord about those spiritual daughters, I pulled out my prayer journal for my kids and began to pray for my daughter......

She's searching right now. After years and years of claiming the power of God in our Lord Jesus Christ, she now wonders where He is. She sees Him in our lives. But she is not trusting Him with her own. If you've been there you know how that hurts. So I started to pray. One sentence and then He spoke to me. In a small quiet voice....

His eyes are always upon you.

His eyes never close in sleep.

And no matter where you are

You will always be in His eyes.

You see, I used to sing that to them as they left the house every morning. After they were dressed and fed, headed out the door, I would sing that to them. I can see her smiling up at me as she walked down the front sidewalk and then I can remember Zach, when he got in high school trying to get out the door before I finished...laughing.

So, in it's simplicity, this prayer comes back to me and stops me with tears. In it's simplicity it speaks to my heart of God's promise to watch out for her. That no matter where she goes, He will always have His eyes on her. It was a promise I reminded them of so many years ago and now He brings it back to me as a reassurance of those promises.

Simple blessings. Simple prayers. Mighty power.