A place where my thoughts, words and feelings converge…
Author: charlotteannrobinson.com
I enjoy reading, writing and searching for truths. I am active in my church and like participating in small groups learning and developing new ideas and skills in becoming the person God created me to be. God has blessed me with so much and my desire is to share my thoughts and words with you in hopes they comfort and inspire you.
“They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.” ~Psalm 145:7
“But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.” ~Luke 15:22-24
“This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.” ~Exodus 12:14
“Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” ~1 Corinthians 5:8
I’ve always loved celebrating my birthday with family and friends. I look forward to it year after year. Age is just a number, for me it about being thankful for what I have been blessed with and I want to share my birthday with people who love me. When I was a kid my mom always made a big deal about birthday’s, mine and my brothers. I have pictures of a huge cake and all my cousins were there to celebrate! What beautiful memories. Celebrations, in my opinion should be often and shared. Celebrate life, celebrate friendship, celebrate whatever…most importantly always invite God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit along, we are nothing without them!
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” ~John 14:6
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” ~2 Corinthians 13:13
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.
Blessings to everyone on this first Sunday of Lent 2020. Today is Sunday, March 1st, 2020, only 19 days until Spring! 🌷🌼🌸
Thomas Cole‘s Angels Ministering to Christ in the Wilderness. *Wikipedia
The verse for today is taken from the book of Matthew where he writes the story of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Are you currently in the wilderness or perhaps emerged from a wilderness? Life is a wilderness if only metaphorically speaking. We people decide to trek their way through an actual wilderness the most important thing they do is plan for possible obstacles and/or situations. They prepare for the worst, to ensure safety and survival. Life is the same way, we want to be prepared. This is why we send children to pre-preschool, preschool, regular school, and provide opportunities for continued education whether it be college or job skills/trade opportunities. We are fascinated with learning though some might deny it thinking things like, my kid just plays video games or plays music all day…I would agree that a job of some sort is relative but to play video games successfully takes skills, a set of skills actually. And music, it’s more than liking an instrument, it takes commitment and practice to actual play the instrument and make music.
Feeling as if you’re in a wilderness can evoke many emotions but I want to remind you that we are never alone. Though at times, we may feel alone. God promises to always be with us. Thinking about Jesus in the wilderness and the circumstance in which he was tempted by the devil, I cannot imagine. Jesus had been drive to the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, then Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights. To say he was famished would be an understatement! It was then in this weakened state, the devil appears and begins to ask Jesus questions. If I go more than 24 hours without food I’m delirious! Jesus though He was hungry and tired, weak and probably a little cranky , resisted the devils trickery statements and loaded questions. He did not give into the devil. My personal thought is that Jesus trusted and relied upon His Father for strength. Jesus asks no less from us, right? Jesus is the Great teacher and the lesson I’ve learned from Jesus being tempted is to trust in God and His word. Jesus didn’t need trickery to outwit the devil. He quoted scripture and spoke truth. We know that Jesus had the power to overtake the devil at any time throughout their interaction but at what cost. What a huge lesson can be learned if we are willing to see it…Jesus did not need brute force to dispute the devils claims, Jesus did not have to prove who he was, he simply stated the obvious truth. In the end, the devil simply left because his tricks and smooth talking manipulative tongue lost.
As we continue our journey are there things that could be lost, recover, and rediscovered about by facing demons instead of fleeing from them? Remember, you are not alone and God has a host of angels watching over you.
Practice:
What do you need to face instead of flee?
1. One way to find out is to map out the last month.
2. Write down 5 significant moments.
3. If you were to draw a terrain of your last month, would it be mountainous, a flowing river or a deep woods?
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” Amen. ~Psalm 23:1-6
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.
Happy Saturday to all my friend near and far away! Today is Saturday, February 29th, 2020. It is also a special day, today is Leap Day! This extraordinary day only happens every 4 years, so 2020 will have 366 days instead of the usually 365. Happy Birthday to all those celebrating a unique Birthday Celebration!
“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” ~Psalm 51:15-17
The “BLAME” game, have you heard of it? What about “SCAPEGOAT” is that a term you are familiar with? After reading my devotional today, I decided to do some research and in the process learned a lot about the origin of “scapegoat” as it relates to scripture. It is a Jewish ritual used in the Old Testament and can be found in Leviticus 16:1-34.
• a goat upon whose head are symbolically placed the sins of the people after which he is sent into the wilderness in the biblical ceremony for Yom Kippur
• one that bears the blame for others
• one that is the object of irrational hostility
During this first week of Lent, the focus has been on REPENT. Repentance is key to a full and rich relationship with God. We must come before God in prayer taking responsibility for our actions and turn away from our sinful ways. We cannot blame others for our mistakes. We cannot sacrifice the innocence of others to purify ourselves. God does not want us to sacrifice life but to live a life pleasing to Him. It is the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross that makes it possible for us to have life and to live it abundantly. It is God’s Grace and God’s Mercy that makes it possible for us to be in relationship with the God of all creation. The Holy One! The question we must ask ourselves is this, “Does our hearts break for what breaks God’s?” We are called to repentance, so we may be cleansed of our sins and live a life pleasing to God. With a clean heart we are able to spread God’s love and sing praises to God, for He alone offers forgiveness and new life.
Stop the blame game! Stop blaming yourself and others. Seek forgiveness and renewal. Accept your humanness, not as a fault or abnormality but for its truth, you are a BELOVED child of God, created with intentionality and purpose. YOU MATTER! 💚
Read aloud Psalm 51:15-19, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, pyou would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.”
In closing, the suggested practice for today is to let you know that God will never ask us to be a scapegoat – for our own faults or the faults of others. God simply wants our hearts to break for what breaks His.
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.
Happy Leap Day! It only happens every 4 years so enjoy the extra day of 2020.
Serve is the photo word of the day.
Top left-Flowers at my moms grave site Top right-ACC Pancakes & Jazz 2020 Bottom left-Me speaking at Disciples Women’s Conference 2019 Bottom right-ACC Chapel
The word today is SERVE. In the picture, I wanted to express how I apply “serve” in my daily life. My mother passed away in 2012, and there’s not a day that goes by that I do not think about her. I thank God for her every day. I typically visit her gravesite at least once a month and take new flowers or trinkets to place at her stone. I know she’s not there, she’s in heaven but I find a special sense of peace when I’m there and I feel as if I’m in a very small way I’m caring and serving her the way I would if she were still here.
The next photo is a long table with a blue table cloth. This is from Pancakes & Jazz at my church on Fat Tuesday. It is an annual event at my church that benefits “Family Promise” an agency helping the homeless. I served by helping make the waffles! I also assisted in the clean-up following the event. Serving my church and community is so fulfilling.
The picture on the bottom left is of me speaking at the Disciples Women’s Conference in 2019, it was such an honor to serve God and the women in attendance.
The picture on the bottom right is from my church, a large cross on the wall in our chapel. It is so serene in that space. It has served me in many ways from classroom studies, Bible studies, prayer services, weddings, church meetings and quiet contemplation. The room has served me and in return I have served in it.
I love using the Merriam-Webster Dictionary when explaining word usage. Please know that it is not meant to diminish any one persons intellect, it is used solely to explain my usage and it’s correct usage.
“For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” ~Mark 10:45
“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” ~1 Peter 4:10
“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.” ~John 12:26
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” ~Galatians 5:13
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.
What does it mean to repent? It’s more than saying you’re “sorry,” it should include saying the words, “I’m sorry” and “I will try to not do it again.” It’s the words being said, followed by the action of not doing it again. Let’s be honest, hard as we try most of us are repeat offenders of the smallest of things and sometimes bigger ones. Does this mean we lied? No, not at all. We are human and we are going to make mistakes and just because we sometimes fail, it doesn’t necessarily mean we didn’t try. News Flash!! God knows you and I are human. God knows were are fallible. God desires our obedience and also a relationship with us. God is a loving and forgiving God. He is a God that extends “Grace” and He disciplines those He loves. Accept God’s grace for yourself and extend grace to others as freely as God gives to you. Please know that I do not share this with you lightly, it’s hard. I struggle daily with accepting grace from God and from others. On the other hand, I find it extremely easy to extend grace to others. I am learning the benefits of accepting grace and the benefits of it towards healing. I trust God and know He loves me and I’m trying every day to be the person He created me to be. We are all God’s children and He loves you and me. ♥️
“My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts.” ~Hebrews 12:5b-6
“My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves the one he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.” ~Proverbs 3:11-12
“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that they power of Christ may dwell in me.” ~2 Corinthians 12:9
“The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” ~John 1:17
“But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” ~James 4:6
In closing the writer (Rev. Sam McGothlin) of the pamphlet I’m reading for Lent offers the following suggestion or practice:
• Turn your head or your body to the left.
• Ask God to help you see and confess what hinders you from extending grace to yourself and to others.
• Turn your head or your body to the right.
• Ask God to help you accept your humanity.
• Close the practice by reading Psalm 51:10-14 out loud as a prayer.
Thank you for traveling this Lenten journey with me. ❣️
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.
• To bid; to order; to direct; to charge; implying authority, and power to control, and to require obedience.
“We must go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as he commands us.”~Exodus 8:27
• To direct; to send.
“The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns, and in all that you undertake; he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” ~Deuteronomy 28:8
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.
Today’s word is “Wilderness.” Feel free time join along if you want. I hope you enjoy the photo. It was taken October 28, 2017 during a “Girl’s Weekend” camping trip with some of my friends from my church.
#acclife
Wilderness according to the dictionary means a wild and uncultivated region, as of forest or desert, uninhabited or inhabited only by wild animals; a tract of wasteland.
Some examples of wilderness in the Bible are:
Ezekiel 34:24-25, “And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord , have spoken. I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild animals from the land, so that they may live in the wild and sleep in the woods securely.”
Isaiah 43:19-21, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.”
Mark 1:12-13, “And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.”
When thinking about the word, “wilderness” I have experienced it a couple of different ways as it relates to life in general and living a Christian life. The wilderness can be a sense of being lost or confused, as a kid I spent a lot of time in a woods near my home. If I wasn’t careful I could easily get lost or be directionally challenged if I didn’t pay attention to landscape. In the same respect, the wilderness can be a place of quiet respite. As a kid I loved going into the woods to pick wild flowers for my mom, well I learned later in life they were weeds but pretty weeds nonetheless. My mom would also take my brother and I fishing in those same woods in old mining pits. My wilderness holds lots of precious memories for me. It also holds some frightening truths about my childhood but I now know that I serve a God that is with me no matter where I go or where I’ve been.
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.
Today is Thursday, February 27th, 2020. Our scripture verse today is Psalm 51:1-2, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”
Lent is about us looking into a mirror and seeing our hearts. Taking a hard look at ourselves on the inside and facing our own truths is very difficult. This season of Lent is asking us to be honest with ourselves and with the sin that is in our lives. In doing these difficult yet necessary steps we make room for God to come into our lives and give us new insights, to teach us His Will. This willingness to take an open and honest look at our hearts and what they reflect, will provide space for healing and repentance to occur. Remember, there are no right or wrong, good or bad answers when reflecting. Simply naming and claiming the distractions that keep us from a healthy and full relationship with God. In order to begin any journey one must know where they are before they can start.
As we continue on our journey of repentance and lamenting, I pray for courage and God’s abundant grace. Below is a poem I read tonight during my devotional time and I wanted to share it with you.
An activity suggested in the devotional pamphlet I am reading is to draw a heart and ask God to help you examine your heart. Ask yourself:
• “What does it reflect?”
• “What do you want it to reflect?”
In a time of reflection read Psalm 51:1-10 as a prayer.
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” -Psalm 51:1-10
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, creator of all things, I give thanks to you. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit guiding me through life. And, Lord Jesus I am thankful that you selfishly gave yourself to the cross so that all who believe and profess you as Lord and Savior would have life eternal. Jesus, you conquered the grave, defeated death and rose again! Forgive me of my sins and please be with me in all that I do and say, to bring glory to you. I ask all these things in Jesus name. Amen.
Here’s my heart drawing. Heart are typically red but my favorite color is green so a green background with a red heart. May the green serve as fertile soil so that I may grow in God’s will and spread His love wherever I go and with everyone I meet.
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.
I attended a beautiful Ash Wednesday service at my church tonight. As we entered the Chapel area we were invited to write down on paper a “repent” or a “lament.” During the service those notes were burned in a small fire safe container and then were mixed with gypsum. After we received our ashes we were invited to prepare the canvas using the mixture of ashes and gypsum. It was a wonderful experience, knowing and visualizing that God can use the ashes (mistakes and wrongdoings) of our lives and refresh and renew us. The season of Lent is a time of reflection and repentance. It is an opportunity to reflect upon what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Lent is a season to observe and commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I hope you will join me during this season and we can learn and journey together.
Welcome to Lent 2020! Last evening I had the privilege of attending “Pancakes & Jazz” at my church. It’s an annual event we sponsor to provide support for “Family Promise” a local organization that provides for the Homeless of Hendricks County.
Ash Wednesday is a Christian holy day of prayer and fasting. … Ash Wednesday derives its name from the placing of repentance ashes on the foreheads of participants to either the words from Mark 1:15 “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or Genesis 3:19 “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Week 1 – REPENT
The scripture verse for today is Matthew 6:6, “But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Lent can be different things to different people for a multitude of reasons. The season of Lent is preparation leading up to Easter. Some may choose to give something up during this season such as chocolate or soda, an item that serves as a luxury and might even be difficult to give up for the season of Lent. Other devote themselves to doing acts of kindness and generosity during Lent. There’s no wrong way to experience Lent as long as the goal is to draw yourself closer to God. It an opportunity to deepen and strengthen our relationship with God, our Savior and Redeemer. Jesus was driven into the wilderness and was tempted by satan, and although Lent quite different from what Jesus endured it is similar to a wilderness in that it is uneasy and often very uncomfortable since it is a time of reflection and repenting. The scripture verse for today provides instructions on how we should pray, we should go into a secret place where we can seek and ask for God’s forgiveness. While in this wilderness we are to examine our lives, how we live them and how we treat others. The two greatest commandments are “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” -Matthew 22:37,39
Matthew 22:36-40, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
I hope you choose to join me on my journey through Lent, the next forty days will hopefully lead us to a revival and a renewing of ourselves and revive as well as deepen our relationship with God, ourselves and our neighbors.
Matthew 6:1-21
“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
This is a painting of Jesus that I grew up with at my church. I recently learned of its origin and name. The Head of Christ, also called the Sallman Head, is a 1940 portrait painting of Jesus of Nazareth by American artist Warner Sallman (1892–1968).
Oh God, my rock and my redeemer! Thank you for the opportunity to share your words with the world. My prayer is that all who read and hear your words would come to know you in a personal way. I ask that the Holy Spirit will lead us towards your Son, Jesus. May we all seek forgiveness and renewal as we travel through life’s wilderness. I ask all these things is Jesus name. Amen. 🙏🏻
The Ballad of Reading Gaol
Oscar Wilde
And thus we rust Life’s iron chain Degraded and alone: And some men curse, and some men weep, And some men make no moan: But God’s eternal Laws are kind And break the heart of stone.
And every human heart that breaks, In prison-cell or yard, Is as that broken box that gave Its treasure to the Lord, And filled the unclean leper’s house With the scent of costliest nard.
Ah! happy day they whose hearts can break And peace of pardon win! How else may man make straight his plan And cleanse his soul from Sin? How else but through a broken heart May Lord Christ enter in?
DISCOVER 
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