BoldGrace

I used to read this and I was convinced that these were the knees of those who lived their lives choosing not to believe that God could really love us as much as he does. I prided myself on not being one of those who would need to bow down before God at some later date because I was convinced that I already believed in his awesome grace and understood how deep his love was. And then a funny thing happened, I was reading a book called “Furious Pursuit” by Tim King & Frank Martin. In the last part of the book they list some sacred vows that God (the bridegroom) wants us to hear from his heart to ours. They are very simple and at first I didn’t put much into their profound meaning to my heart.

Here they are:

I have always been there for you, and I always will be.

I will walk with you forever—-just the two of us.

I will always understand you.

I will always be kind to you.

You will always be my own personal concern.

I love you. I always have, and I always will.

Now here is the strange thing. After mulling these over in my mind I found myself asking “Is God that loving?” “Can he really accept me with all my flaws?” “Don’t I have to do something to at least show him I love him?” And then I found myself going back to read these vows over and over again, and I began to weep, not because of how great his love is, but because I realized that his love is so great that as long as I am a human in the flesh I will never really be able to comprehend his love for me. Then it struck me that until we lose this body of clay that is so subject to weakness of all kinds we will never truly be able to appreciate everything God really is to us.

Yes, I do believe in God’s Love for all mankind, and I want others to believe it too, but I also know a time is coming for all of us when we will shed this body made from dust and we will see God with clarity for the first time, and when that happens we will all bow our knees and give the truest form of praise that we have ever given. We will be witnessing the brightness of his glory and we will be doing it without all our questions, and doubts, and divisions, and weaknesses of our flesh.

And at least for me I think I really know now what Paul meant when he said: “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.”

I have worked so hard NOT to judge my brother, and I will continue to do that, but now I also realize NO human being can really fathom how unbelievable God’s love is for us. Yes, that means me too. And guess what? It feels great to know that as much peace as I feel right now, it’s even going to be greater, grander, and beyond my wildest imaginations.

The challenge we each have while we are still in the flesh is to trust his love. His love is trustworthy, and even when we struggle with that trust He is greater then our heart and the day will come when He will take away all our doubts. I am going to read those simple vows more often, and when my time comes to lay down this tired old body of flesh, closing my eyes for the last time, I will be bowing my knees for the first time in perfect praise of my loving God.

As I live says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God. Rom 14:11

This is a post that I found on my Father’s computer this morning. I don’t remember ever reading it before so I am really unsure if he ever posted it or not, but I found it and just had to share it with all of you.

Submitted by Cliff on Mon, 2006-05-22 15:48. Everyday Life

I drive a school bus as well as pastor a small church. Two weeks ago four of my sweet children got on the bus. Two of them, Jordan 7, and Brandon 9, are foster kids. The other two, Mary 7, and Emily 9, are adopted children of the same woman who fosters the first two. On this particular Monday morning they were the first four to get on the bus. As they got on they were all excited and couldn’t wait to tell me how they had been baptized the previous day. They talked and talked about this event in their lives. Emily and Mary told me how they would have to wear dresses from now on. Jordan announced that he couldn’t lie anymore. At least for that brief Monday morning all seemed well with the world in their little eyes. The problem started on the afternoon ride home. Emily accused Jordan of lying. Brandon screamed at Emily for being a tatletail, and poor little Mary just seemed depressed from being teased about wearing a dress. The innocense they had in the morning seemed all but gone. I asked them what would happen if they sinned after being baptized, and Emily told me they would have to go back to the church and repent. I then said, What would happen if they continued to sin. Emily said: "Well, you have to go down there", poiniting her finger toward the floor. Of course I have to be very careful what I say on the bus, but I couldn’t help feeling a great sadness for what was ahead in their lives. They were already judging each other and condemning each other—-sounds like the church doesn’t it. Toward the end of the week I had got to the school early and went inside to talk to some of the staff. Mary had been telling her teacher how she had been baptized and then in a kind of defeated voice she said: "I guess I’m gonna have to go to church the rest of my life". Aren’t those the saddest words you ever heard. How many people are going to church out of a sense of fear that if they don’t they are dammed to a place of eternal torment. When I encounter adult christians who strongly condemn me for my stand on grace I just try to remember they were little children at one time who may have been taught the gospel of fear and legalizm since they were very young. I will continue to try and reach out to everyone telling them that God loves them period……….And I will pray for these little ones.

Peace,

Cliff

Wednesday, June 3, 2009 @ 9:00pm EDT will be a dedication to Cliff Hazelbaker. Go to www.glennkleinonline.com to listen or call 1-800-436-3260 to tell your story of Cliff.

"The Purpose of our lives is to give birth to the best which is within us."

Marianne Williamson

The best that is within us is up to us to acknowledge. It is always there. It has always been there and it will always be there whether we tap into it or not. To be reborn is to have acknowledged the perfection within. The perfection that God sees. The perfection that God made. The perfection that Jesus died on the cross for.

How do we find it again? BE KIND. See the beauty in everyone you meet. Say hello to a stranger. Enjoy life. Take comfort in the ones you love. Have no fear. Don’t fear getting old. Don’t fear your faith and your spirituality. Don’t fear speaking up for yourself. FIND out what makes you YOU! Parachute out of a plane. Travel someplace you want to see. Take a day off with your children. Learn how to play the guitar. Learn to love what you cannot change and change whenever you can!

Life is taken so seriously. People live everyday walking in circles rather than taking a different path, a path that they would never take because they are afraid of what is around the corner or who might be watching. I truly believe that organized religion has done this to us. How can we find ourselves when we are taught that we aren’t good enough for God? WE ARE GOOD ENOUGH!

Find your inner child. Reconnect with that child and allow your heart to filter out the mess that organized religion plugged it up with. You will find that God has been in there all along and peace will fill your soul.

I have been reading Everyday Grace by Marianne Williamson. What a great book!! I bought it for my Dad a couple of years ago and I never read it. I got it out today on my way into Richmond for Caitlin’s funeral. I needed to feel strong for Bridget and her family and right now this book is giving me a great connection to my Father and to love.

In the book Everyday Grace, Marianne Williamson talks about us being mystical and how we need to look at each other as one. We are a part of each other. Once we let go of the fear and acknowledge that God loves us all equally the peace becomes stronger and that peace helps us understand better the cruelty in others. They are living in fear.

It is my understanding that some people actually believe that "bad things" are happening to people like me and my family because we don’t go to Church. LOL…I don’t look at my Father’s death as a bad thing. I look at it as a natural thing. He lived a full, happy, beautiful, amazing life and he left all of that for us. I am the luckiest girl in the world!

Death is a part of life. It is a part of what we will experience. Once I let go of the fear the layers began to shed and I found my true self. I realized that God made me in his image which is of his perfection, life became simple…it became brighter…it became clear.

I will continue to be the bright light that God made me as he did all of us. I will live in love and I will live in peace because Fear has left the building!

We will be having a celebration of Life ceremony Saturday, April 25th, 2009 (4:00p.m.-??) It will be held at the American Legion located at 109 North 6th Street, Richmond, Indiana 47374. We will laugh, sing, cry and tell amazing stories about Cliff! We will have pictures and videos so we can share some of his incredible moments with all of you.

Clifford L. Hazelbaker II, 57, of Richmond was born January 13, 1952 and was reborn on April 16, 2009. Cliff was the son of Clifford and Barbara (Goodwin) Hazelbaker. Cliff graduated from Centerville High School in 1970. He was married to Nancy McBride Hazelbaker on March 6, 1970. They recently celebrated their 39th Wedding Anniversary. Cliff enjoyed spending time with his incredible family. Their family motto is “Love Never Fails!” He also enjoyed sharing his love of God on www.boldgrace.com. Here is an excerpt from that site… “Clouds don’t seem to care where they’re going. They are content to follow the directions of the spirit of the air, enjoying the journey as they make their way to their purpose. Though they are unaware of their designation or their purpose as they travel along, they find themselves eventually called upon to join forces and deliver liquid life to the earth. Often exhausted, they whither and die, having given all of themselves in doing their work. But, as those clouds die, others are reborn from their seed to carry on the purpose.” Cliff is survived by his wife Nancy ; Mother, Barbara; Children: Tammy (Bob) Thompson of Centerville, Clifford (Bridget) Hazelbaker III of Richmond, Mindy (Charlie) Hill of New Carlisle, Ohio, Amy (Todd) Witter of Bath, Indiana; He is also survived by 9 grandchildren: Josh, Jacob, Paige, Samantha, Clifford IV, Abby, Emma, Lilly and Phoebe. Brothers: Andy (Teresa) and Doug (Cindy) Hazelbaker.

Dad was reborn at 6:40 this morning with all of his family around him singing you raise me up. It was the most beautiful thing we have all ever witnessed. We will see you again Daddy.

We are all together right now in Dad’s final hours. We have been playing all of Dad’s favorite songs and we have been singing to him. Lots of tears. Lots of pain. I can’t quite explain all of this, but I can feel God in the room. He is with Dad and all of us helping him to move forward. This is beautiful and painful all in each breath he makes. We keep telling him that he has prepared us well for this and that we are ready to give him back to God. I don’t know when Dad will be reborn, but I know we are close. Pray that God takes him soon.