by Sharon O | Mar 26, 2018 | Uncategorized
[12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
(Luke 6)
13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,
16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.]
The beginning of the group… the chosen ones who would learn and be taught by him.
These guys were special and most of all they also chose HIM.
[17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,
18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured,
19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.]
It had to have been a powerful day for all of them. To hear him teach and to see the healings taking place among the crowds, he continued to do this till the time came for him to move closer to the cross.
His Godly power walked with him along with the human part of him.
He got hungry just like the others, and tired. The teaching was hard work along with the healings.
He prepared the men to follow after him and watch and observe all that he had taught them.
The he sent them out to do the same thing.
In Luke 9 it says:
[When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,
2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.
4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town.
5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.]
It was a preparation of what was to come. He knew the cross was coming and he had to teach till the end.
[18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.
22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”]
He knew what was coming and it wasn’t going to be easy for any of them, let’s continue to the cross.
by Sharon O | Mar 24, 2018 | Uncategorized
[One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, (Luke 5) the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.
2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.
3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”
9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,
10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”
11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.]
The beginning days of his circle of friends who he would teach and live with for the remaining three years before his death. He often showed power along with kindness. Strength as well as gentleness.
He was preparing the way for the men who followed him to continue the teaching and healings.
It would all be a matter of time for him and he knew that was the reason for creating his group of men to follow after him and continue the work once he was away from them.
The story continues as we move towards the cross of Easter.
by Sharon O | Mar 22, 2018 | Uncategorized
[14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit (the book of Luke), and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,
17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.
Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.
The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.
“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”
24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.]
[31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people.
32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.
33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.
36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!”
37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.
Jesus Heals Many
38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her.
39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.
40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.
41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.]
His ministry began with teaching and healings as he moved in the direction of the cross.
by Sharon O | Mar 21, 2018 | Uncategorized
[52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52
Luke 3:21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.
And as he was praying, heaven was opened
22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven:
“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”]
I see this verse as a declaration of his identity and his ministry.
Jesus grew not only in wisdom but also in stature, I see this in the way my own grandson’s are growing up.
They change from the little boy look to the ‘young man look’ and desire to be taller than grandma.
Jesus grew up too and after he was baptized by John he went off to be alone.
[4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.
7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here.”
10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;
11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.]
Jesus was put through a tremendous tempting time that was not much different than what we go through sometimes. The enemy wanted to remove his identity and test it to the fullest.
If you are … then do this. Jesus knew how to rebuke that and it was through the written scriptures.
This is the lesson for us, to memorize scripture so that in a time of testing we will understand and know, this is NOT from God this is from someone wanting to harm us.
His IDENTITY was established. “YOU are my son whom I love and who I am well pleased with.”
What a beautiful promise for us.
Can you even imagine the honor for John to baptize his own cousin and also his ‘Savior’?
Can you even imagine the people in the crowd watching the dove and then to hear the voice?
This is such a powerful point in the story as his identity is established in public now.
Which is the beginning of the process of the religious leaders attack against him as we head into the Easter story.
by Sharon O | Mar 20, 2018 | Uncategorized
[39 When they had performed everything (in the book of Luke) according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth.
40 The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
Visit to Jerusalem
41 Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
42 And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast;
43 and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it,
44 but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.
45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him.
46 Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
48 When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.”
49 And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
50 But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.
51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.]
When I read this there are many questions that come to mind for me.
First of all how could Mary and Joseph not realize Jesus was not with them for so long?
There must have been a lot of people in the crowd; but how could you not know?
A day’s journey back then was a long time, there were no fancy ways of travel.
It was either by foot or donkey so that would have been quite the back tracking for them.
Then they looked for three days, IS that NOT a significant number?
HE would later be buried and raised in three days.
Then they found him in the temple sitting with the leaders. He was only twelve years old.
I find it both interesting and understandable that ‘they did not understand him when he said, “I had to be in my father’s house.”
In their heart they knew he was different from the beginning, but he was also their child.
The word tells us Mary treasured all these moments in her heart. A heart that would soon be broken.
She was just like any other ‘mother’ who loved her children and didn’t want them to be hurt
Let’s move closer to the Easter story as we read and learn more about what happens next for him.
by Sharon O | Mar 18, 2018 | Uncategorized
When we think of the Easter story we have to go back before we go ahead.
The whole purpose of the cross was so that we ‘the people’ who God loved with a fierce and everlasting love could find salvation and hope through His SON.
Christmas was the beginning. He had to come as a real, living person just like us.
So the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit the third part of the trinity, and placed in Mary the chosen one.
The miracles began as the story moved through the players; and those moments when Mary pondered and held them close to her heart, were just a preparation of what was to come.
She wasn’t any different than any other expectant mom.
She was in newness and amazement as her round tummy grew, I’m sure she had fatigue and nausea.
We all had those moments, if we had children.
I remember watching my tiny ’round tummy’ grow and move as our little babies expanded the size of me.
Mary was in the same situation only she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Who would be the savior.
In preparation for what was to come she listened and took in all that was spoken about her child.
Every word was showing her that this SON, this baby who was hers, this ‘chosen one’ was different.
No mom wants to realize her test of love would come when the death of her child would happen.
It’s a grief too horrible for a heart to bear and Mary was not protected from that, in fact she was chosen for that.
She watched her son grow with the internal knowing that someday, he would leave her.
I wonder sometimes how it felt for Jesus.
We don’t often think of him in terms of a child growing up.
Did he play in the streets and kick a ball with friends? did he follow Joseph around like a son watching his dad learning many life skills?
He was known as a carpenter so Joseph must have taught him some tricks of the trade.
It’s a very interesting thought since we often move from his birth to his death and somehow not focus on the middle teaching part.
Let’s do some thinking as we move towards the direction of the cross.
by Sharon O | Mar 13, 2018 | Uncategorized
Spring is also a time for coming together for Easter celebrations.
I remember as a little girl we didn’t do much in a church but we did dress up for Easter.
Our mother would dress us in matching outfits, always with white anklet socks with prim and proper dresses.
The pictures are so sweet and precious when you look at them.
Not necessarily how life was at the time, but sweet little girls are always precious.
Easter is a hard holiday, it is full of hope and full of the anticipation of life, but also death.
A hard and brutal death for without the death of Jesus on the cross, we would have no hope.
It is the story of God’s love for us.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his ONE and only son, so that who ever chooses to believe in him shall have everlasting life.” John 3:16
HE GAVE, chose purposely for us to have a chance. That is what it’s all about.
The Christmas story leads us down a lifetime road to the Cross of Easter.
Jesus only had a few years of ministry to show us what needed to be done.
He impacted lives for generations because of HIS love through the Father, through the Spirit.
When we read the story it is hard. It is painful. It is confusing. It is freeing.
All the emotions of the story of the cross.
Just as Mary, Jesus mother pondered all the ‘Christmas’ moments of birth in her heart.
The death moments had to have been horrendous for her.
As he walked down the via dolarosa, the road to Golgotha, dictionary.com says:
a trying, painful, or sorrowful course or series of experiences. The route followed by Christ from the place of his condemnation to Calvary for his crucifixion.
It is the story of God’s love for us as we move through the Easter story in the next few weeks.
by Sharon O | Mar 12, 2018 | Uncategorized
Spring is a time for flowers and birthdays.
It’s always so delightful to have the first few warm days of spring after the winter’s rain.
This part of Oregon is known for rain and overcast skies and when we are treated with a spring warmth and blue skies we all try to go out and enjoy it.
The flowers are beginning to bloom. Crocus tiny purple and yellow colors, buds of daffodils and beginning tulips peek out from under the dirt. 
Our children were both born in March. First our son and then our daughter.
Our son Christopher was such a surprise. We were young in our marriage and learning how to navigate adult hood and then parenting, back then they didn’t have all the tests to tell you what your baby would be.
It was a wonderful surprise.
He turned 43. A man now with son’s of his own. His wife Sarah also born in March and the same age.
Then our daughter Sarah will be 40 this week.
Life is passing us by and it is just so quick.
Those days of raising babies, a blur to the memory. Where did we live? what did we do? how did we survive?
Then the puppies and kitties added to our mix of children and days of daycare.
I was back then considered; a stay at home mom.
I wanted to be home, in fact I took in day care kids to help pay for extra things we needed.
It was something that we both wanted and felt it to be important for us as a family.
When I think of birthdays and spring, it reminds me of new beginnings.
Every year we have a chance to make things better, and more personal.
A time of renewing and restarting.
With both of our children in their 40’s it feels like we are getting older and hopefully wiser.
We are grandparents to 6 wonderful children all very different.
Spring is a time for flowers, birthdays and remembering.
All the wonderful things that make our lives rich and beautiful.
by Sharon O | Mar 2, 2018 | Uncategorized
The story and legacy of a man’s life was on the internet today.
The reverend Billy Graham was laid to rest in the Billy Graham gardens.
He was ninety nine when he died, lived a good long life and one that was watched both near and far.
He was a man of integrity and honor and he was someone who most people respected.
The service was amazing and simple. The music was the same, simple and pure.
The legacy He left behind was one of deep faith and rich words sharing the gospel wherever he would go.
Many times I have watched the altar call, as a choir would sing, “Just as I am.”
As hundreds and hundreds of people would walk forward to give their lives to Jesus.
It never got old. Come as you are, HE is waiting for you.
I am sure the stories his family would tell would perhaps be different than what we hear.
We all know every family has ‘moments’ that they could share that are not public.
The wonderful heritage and legacy of parents who loved well, is a rare find.
It would have been a great honor to meet him. Someday in Heaven that is possible.
As I listened to the children now grown talk about “my daddy”, I felt the lump in my throat.
Tender words, spoken about a man who aged into the late senior years.
“Good bye, daddy.” They said, before leaving the podium.
The stories from their hearts shared with emotion and memory.
I watched a very special tribute to a very special man today.
We all have a chance to leave a legacy. Not necessarily like Billy Graham but we do have influence and a circle of those around us who follow our words and actions.
May we do it well, so that at the time of our parting and the time for those to remember us, do so in a kind and loving way… with a memory of legacy and faith.
by Sharon O | Mar 1, 2018 | Uncategorized
Time seems to be passing by so quickly these days.
Yesterday as my husband and I were driving to the beach I realized it is the first of March.
In fact once we got to the beach I had to do some scrambling to pay a bill that was due the first as I had spaced out that February was ending.
Getting old has it’s moments I guess. Seems like we just had Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Spring will be just around the corner and we will enjoy some sunny days of warmth and newness.I am by nature one who loves the rain and the coolness of our climate but sometimes it is good to have a sunny warm day.
My husband and I go to a Christian camp and he volunteers his time helping out with a much needed list of things to get done.
Normally in his work world he is an engineer designing dental equipment but sometimes when given the opportunity he loves to be on the farm equipment.
He is actually retired but working just a few days a week now for a few months.
I am often sitting in the office or today I am in my trailer and enjoying the warmth of heat, coffee and time alone.
I walk the trails when it’s warmer and enjoy the flowers of the coast and the oceans landscape of flowers and sand.
The Oregon coast range is often cold and rainy and it’s a wonderful majestic time of beauty and force of nature.
It is raining outside and very cloudy not sure if I will get a walk in today the wind is cold and it’s nice to be cozy by the heater.
These pictures were from a different time here at the beach.
Another place I love to visit is what they have named a conversation pit. I imagine people sitting and sharing matters of heart or soul and enjoying the time together around a fire perhaps making smores. This is a special beach for us.
We will always have a fondness of heart for this place.
It’s nothing special yet it is… and it is a place for spiritual growth if one allows themselves to listen to the quiet and peace of the day. I have already told my husband should I pass away before him, I want to be placed here where I will be remembered.
Near the crosses and near the ocean that roars constantly.
There are three crosses overlooking the ocean high upon a hill… reminding me of the song ‘the old rugged cross.’
