Thanks!!!!

"I don’t want you to leave." She said. I responded, "You are not supposed to make me cry first thing!" We hugged, sniffed and then wandered apart before we both started blubbering. It was the beginning of a great day!

Yesterday, the church celebrated my husband’s 17 years of ministry. We laughed, we cried, we sang, we hugged, we smiled and we prayed. It was incredible to hear them relate the effect of God’s ministry through Dick. It really made us glad.

During one of the video messages, a former member related the impact of Dick’s sermon of how God lavishes us with His love. For the past several days, I knew I wanted to write on the lavish but could not put my finger on how to express it. At that moment, I realized that while FBC lavished their love and praise on us, we were all reminded that that is a mere fraction of the love God lavishes on us.

I tried to find a lavish experience in my past. I thought about that first cruise when I reveled in the meals that I did not cook or clean up and my cabin where I never made the bed and on a couple occasions didn’t even hang up my clothes. I think of my rain shower head and how I feel refreshed and rejuvenated every time I step under it.

Dick’s sermon illustration years ago was 20 boxes of chocolate covered cherries given to a woman who dearly loved them.

These examples only qualify as lavish to a handful because we all have different definitions of lavish for our own life.

Lavish is just barely used in the Bible. It is defined as extravagant, profuse and prolific. In Ephesians chapter one Paul tells us that God has lavished His grace on us. Thanks God we need your forgiveness and grace.

In I John chapter 3 John tells us God has lavished love on us as His children. I had great parents who gave me lots of good things. God has given me everything good I need. Thanks God for giving me so much Good.

I noticed in my journal that I had used the word lavish in regard to Ecclesiastes 5. The writer talks about the toils and trials of life and concludes, "...when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart."

So God gives me enough "Good" to be glad, satisfied and provided. No need to evaluate or compare my life to any other standard if God has made my heart glad.

G od

L avishes

A ll my

D ays

Gladness. That’s what we felt yesterday after being lavished by God and FBC! Thanks!!!!