One of the Family
There’s no place like home.
Isn’t it great to be one of the family? There is a feeling of security when you know you belong . When you are part of the family, you know where you live…duh. You have a key to the door and you come right on in whenever you want to, because you live there. Right? When you are part of the family, you can help yourself to whatever is in the refrigerator (unless of course, your mom has but an “Eat this and you will Die!” note on the banana pudding. When you are one of the family, you can snuggle up on the couch and put your feet on the coffee table. You can relax because you know you belong. You know you are supposed to live there. You are loved and accepted, even if you are having a bad day and are feeling a little testy.
Have you ever thought about how amazing it is that God, our creator, wants us to know Him as our father? Really…! This is one thing He wants us to be completely clear on. I love the scripture verses that talk about how God is our “Abba, Father.” Abba is a term of endearment, and is often translated as Papa. It is a wondrous thing to be a child of God, which is reflected in the following verses from a recent quiet time:
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God… Romans 8:14-16 (NAS)
An outsider no more.
Have you ever spent time in someone’s home where you felt like an outsider? I can remember visiting a relative once when my children were small. I felt nervous because I didn’t want thier cute little toddler fingers to smear peanut butter on the spotless white sofa. I didn’t feel “at home” and could not relax, because I knew I was a guest. Even though they were family members, we weren’t close enough for me to forget that I was a guest. I knew I must mind my manners, and somehow make sure my little people did so as well. What a relief it was to return to my own home, confident that I belong there.
Over time, I have learned that my opportunity to know God as my Heavenly Father includes many wonderful blessings. One of those blessings is to able to come into His presence and talk with Him, knowing that He will listen. In fact, Hebrews 4:16 shows me how God wants His children to approach Him:
Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. Hebrews 4:16 (AMP)
To come with confidence means to trust that I will be lovingly received.
Reflecting on this instruction, I see that to come to God boldly is to come freely, without fear, with frankness and assurance. To come with confidence means to trust that I will be lovingly received. In these verses, there is no question of being received or heard. I think of them as God’s invitation to intimacy with Him. To believe that God truly wants me to have a close relationship increases my confidence. I begin to enter into the throne room as one of the family who is at home there, rather than a stranger who knocks hesitantly, wondering if anyone will come to the door and invite them in. You know, the spiritual meets the practical when we truly understand that, in Christ, we are one of God’s family–we are welcome and we belong.
God has given me access and invited me into intimacy with Him. I choose to respond to this privilege by returning the invitation. I will invite God and give Him access to my thoughts and plans. If you relate to this thought, join me in this prayer:
Abba, thank You for making it possible for me to come into relationship with You. Thank You for inviting me to come to You with bold confidence. May I come to You before seeking answers, guidance, or comfort elsewhere. I invite You into my thoughts and plans today. I pray that I will grow closer to You as I learn more about coming with boldness and confidence. Lord, You are the One who invites me in.
Life with Teenagers…and their rooms
Let’s talk about THE Teenager’s ROOM. I’ll try to keep this post short, and focused on one characteristic. You know you have a teenager in the house when … …you open the door to their room and are bombarded by…THE SMELL. I would post...
Make Today’s Goals From Yesterday’s Lessons
(Part 2 of Some Thoughts about New Year’s Goals) Pay attention to what God has been doing in your life and form your goals in response to what He has been teaching you. When we start thinking about the possibilities that a new year...
Some Thoughts on New Year’s Goals (Part 1)
When I write the word “January,” what is the first thing that comes to your mind? New Year’s resolutions, right? January is a time of year we traditionally set goals and indulge in all kinds of self- improvement plans. For some folks,...
A Simple Rule in the Art of Conversation
Have you ever had a conversation that went something like this: You begin telling friend about your day and they kind of nod with an, cheap “uh,huh…” It isn’t a stretch to realize that you don’t really have their full attention. (I have been...
Playing a Game Called Catch-Up
After returning from my trip to the far corners of the world in Dallas, Tx (yes it all depends on where you are coming from, doesn’t it?), I have been playing Catch-Up. Do you ever feel like you spend more time trying to catch up than you do in...
One on One is Important
Here we are, back again. This time from a 777 United jet about an hour out of Tokyo. Still a long way to go on my trip to Dallas. The cruising altitude is smooth and the movies are starting to roll. As I can’t seem to get into “Despicable...
I Am Putting My God Ears On
Today I am leaving my corner of the world in Okinawa, Japan, with a final destination of the Protestant Women of the Chapel International Conference. I am on an Al Nippon flight to Tokyo, where I will catch a flight to Seattle, then to Denver,...
Where the Spiritual Meets the Practical
Welcome to the first post at GingerHarrington.com!
When I started the blog with this first post, I had no idea where it would lead. Fifteen years later, I an still be blogging! This blog has lead to a professional speaking career, a published book (Holy in the Moment), and a podcast! Over the years I’ve grown in experience, skill and depth of content. The ministry that started with this website also lead to having the opportunity to help start a ministry for women in the military community (Planting Roots) and stand up the publishing arm of the ministry. With PR, I’ve contributed to several books, as well as being senior editor for seven books. You can see all of these books on the book page and resource page of this website.
At the time, learning to work with a website was a huge tech ramp–I struggled with uploading photos at this point. It was a risk, and a big step of faith to start a website with the minimal tech skills. Fortunately, I had the help of amazing friends who created the website and taught me how to work in this medium.
It’s fun to look back at this post, written on November 5, 2010–back in the days when blogs were more like journals. This is post shows a unique slice of our life as a military family, living overseas in Okinawa, Japan. By far, Okinawa was our favorite duty station. We were blessed to spend four years here while raising three teenagers.
You never know what God will do with our small steps of faith and obedience!
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Here’s the first post:
Hello whoever happens to be out there just waiting for new blogs to start up! Hello to friends and family that are kind enough to indulge my faith that God will enable me to write regular stuff worth reading—words to make you laugh, advice love, and learn. Welcome to my corner of the world. These days I often feel like I literally live in a corner of the world, a small island in Japan that lies between the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea. By the way, did you know that if you are in the United States that it is tomorrow here? The current address in my corner of the world comes via the graciousness of the United States Marine Corps, and I truly love living in Okinawa, Japan.
Manzmo Point:
More on Okinawa some other time…
Back to the corner thing.
We all occupy space on some corner of this earth and we want to make our days count for something of value—that’s just the way we are. If you are like me, you want to be the best you that the real you can become. I learned a long time ago, that when God is working in my life, I will grow forward in that process of becoming truly me. Conversely, I have discovered, rather painfully at times, that God’s ways really are higher than mine. When I am certain that I know best in my own imaginings, I am actually in danger of being at my worst: selfish, irritable, impatient, focused on the momentary rather than the significant, and on occasion, just plain wrong! Somehow, getting this truth through my sometimes thick head is where God meets me, a place where the spiritual meets the practical…my everyday life.
Okay, so we are back to where the spiritual meets the practical—can you go around the block and end up at the same corner? Sure can. I do it every day, multiple times as I taxi three teenagers to the activities that fill their corner of the world. So why did God plant this phrase in my brain? I am realizing that if I don’t let God show me how to put the spiritual and the real-life-live-it-out-practical together, spiritual knowledge has very limited value and quickly atrophies to dry, self-righteous religion with little heart in it. Understanding that the Bible is to be lived, not merely read, opens the door for the spiritual and the practical join up. This happens anytime I apply God’s ways in the moment to moment thinking, talking, walking, and whatevering I do with myself each day. Hear and act, know and do, show and tell…not just kid’s games for the playground. This is where the truth of God get’s worked out in my day.
Now I am not talking about the practical instead of the spiritual.
I’ve tried it that way….many times. And let me tell you, it ain’t what it is cracked up to be….Busy is not better. Frantic is not productive….necessarily. Although, when I really have to crank something out, a little bit of frantic can go a long way. Frantic can come in handy on occasion, but mostly it’s just miserable in a stressful, my-blood-pressure-is up-and –my-claws-are-out-kind of way. There are some days when the balance in my life flies out the window. When the duties of the day are running my schedule, the spiritual can get pushed to the side in favor of that next task on the “to-do list.” Ever feel like this is your life?
Times like these the spiritual can become a distant memory as my soul runs dry and yearns to slow down, to be still. To know God is good in my today, and to savor truth like a good cup of coffee that warms my bones and fills up my soul.
And it’s not the spiritual instead of the practical.
I realize many days that neglecting the practical with the spiritual gets a little old around dinner time. This has been known to happen on occasion when I get caught up with God, a good idea, and my computer. Yes, growling tummies and hungry teenagers aren’t happy about late dinners, overdone meat, and burnt French fries at all. Keeping up with it all can be a juggling act!
Here is dinner-making at my little base house last night. And yes, that’s the whole kitchen—a unique design not-so-affectionately called “The One Butt Kitchen.” The spiritual instead of the practical is certainly not appreciated when there is a lack of clean underwear in the house….just kidding; I don’t do that. In fact, Laundry (yes, with a capitol L) rarely stops in my house, and is definitely a continual part of the family. By the way, don’t you just love those few moments when the laundry is done? That, my friend, truly can be a spiritual moment in the practical—one rarely experienced in my house. Yep, the spiritual can’t take the place of the practical. Some things you should just NOT multitask; for instance, bible reading does not go well with driving carpool. Do you know what I mean?
That’s not spiritual…that’s dangerous…and stupid. So don’t do that.
You’re Invited!
I invite you to join me as I explore this process where the spiritual and the practical intersect in daily and family life, humor and real-girl mistakes, devotions and lessons, how-to’s on spiritual growth, and sharing life as it is. I hope you will have as much fun following this blog as I am going to have writing it because I am blessed—all day, every day, as the spiritual meets the practical in my little corner of life.
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Holy Moments Where the Spiritual Meets the Practical
This very first post on my blog marks the beginning of a journey that eventually led to writing my book, Holy in the Moment. If you’re looking for practical encouragement to live your faith with intention and grace, I invite you to check it out! Discover how small, everyday choices can lead to a life set apart for God.