Old Things New

TRANSFORMED, from broken to beautiful

Navigation
  • Home
  • Painted Furniture & Misc.
  • Tutorials
  • Abortion Story
  • Freedom Friday Posts
  • Funny Stuff
  • My (Our) Story
  • Freedom Session Website
  • Contact

Freedom Friday – Lavishly Loved by God & Me!

July 7, 2017 by Patti 34 Comments

It was a long night spent tossing and turning.  One of those nights where one thinks of every negative thing that has happened, or could happen, or might happen once in a million years, but still, it might happen! 

Every once in awhile I have a night like that and when I wake up the next morning the feelings linger.  My tired state of mind often leads me down a road of self-doubt.  Self-doubt leads me to God-doubt.  Not doubting God’s existence, but rather, doubting that there is a whole lot for God to love about a person such as me.

“For Heaven’s sake Patti,” I say to myself, “you are a 61-year-old women – near old as dirt – who should have a bit more confidence in God’s love for you by now.”

Welcome to FREEDOM FRIDAY – A devotional, emotional, spiritual and sometimes hysterical series that I will be sharing on occasional Fridays, in addition to my regular Old Things New posts. Why?  Because though once bound in chains Christ has set me free –  FREE to live, to love, to dance, to sing, to be who God created me to be!

After a firm talking-to I give myself a quick kick in the BEE-hind and a reminder from Scripture:

Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us—He calls us children of God! Click To Tweet

It’s true.  We are His beloved children.  I love the word LAVISH that’s used in The Voice Version of I John 3:1.  Some synonyms for the word lavish are: give freely to · spend generously on · bestow on · heap on · shower with. 

Can’t you just feel the warm showers of love?

Or maybe not.

How do you view God?  Is He a God of wrath and vengeance?  Or is He a neutral God who is up there – somewhere – but doesn’t pay much attention to you?  Maybe you believe in SCARY God who flashes bolts of lightening from His fingertips and roars with thunderous anger.

Most of us know that our view of God is greatly influenced by the type of earthly father we grew up with.  Some of us are lucky enough to have had dads that modeled godly character, offered proper discipline, and loved us well.  Others find it difficult to understand the type of love our Papa God has for us. 

I’m offering you a very simple post today, but perhaps a post that will help you think differently about God the Father. 

In a recent Bible study I was involved in we were given the Bible passage I Cor. 13:4-8 to meditate on, two different ways. 

Let’s read it:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Next, we were instructed to go back and replace the words LOVE and IT with the word GOD.  Not an unscriptural thing to do since the Bible tells us that God is love (I Jn. 4:8).

  Let’s read it again, slowly this time (out loud if you will), really thinking about the words we’re saying:

God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God does not dishonor others, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.

God. Is. Love.

I have no need to expound on that.  I hope you’ll take this passage and meditate on exactly what this means to you, right where you are today.  If you have had a misconception of who God is I pray that these words of Scripture will speak to your heart just as they did to mine in a time when I most needed to hear them.

He loves you with an everlasting love my friends. 

You can believe it!

Oh WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!  I almost forgot. If you haven’t already taken my Reader Survey I’d love for you to do so now.  It will only take about five minutes and just for taking the time to do this HUGE favor for me you will be entered to win a:

$100 Amazon Gift Card!

Simply take 5 minutes to complete the survey and let me know in the comment section at the end of this post that you’ve completed it!  Even if you don’t win please know that I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my dear friends you’ll be 😉

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

I’ve been known to link up to the following great parties!!!

Sunday:

SundaysAtHome, TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays

Monday:

IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor, TheDedicatedHouse, Dwellings, ProjectInspired,  InspireMeMonday, BetweenNapsOnThePorch, CelebrateYourStory, What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings, Darling Downs Diaries, The Art of Homemaking, MomentsOfHope, Glimpses, SittingAmongFriends

Tuesday:

TalkOfTheTown, HomeStoriesAtoZ, AStrollThruLife, CoastalCharm, CedarHillFarmhouse, TuesdaysAtOurHome, TheWinthropChronicles,  Rich Faith Rising Unite Linky, Testimony Tuesday,Cheerleaders of Faith,Tell His Story

Wednesday:

SavvySouthernStyle, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesdays, Coffee for Your Heart, MessyMarriage, ThreeWordWednesday,  WriterWednesday

Thursday:

ShareYourStyle, ImpartingGrace, EmbracingChange, HaveADailyCupOfMrsOlson, MyRepurposedLife, ADelightsomeLife, KatherinesCorner,  Thought Provoking Thursday, SincerelyPaulas, ThoughtfulThursday, Tune-inThursday

Friday:

FrenchCountryCottage, TheCharmOfHome, TheDedicatedHouseAnythingBlueFriday, ShabbyliciousFriday, Sweet Inspiration,  Faith’nFriends, Missional Women Faith Filled Fridays, Dance With Jesus FreshMarketFriday

Saturday:

FunkyJunkInteriors, OneMoreTimeEvents,  SaturdaySparks, TheInspirationGallery, Make My Saturday Sweet

 

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Tweet

Filed Under: Christianity, Freedom, Freedom Friday, God's Grace Tagged With: Christianity, Freedom, Freedom Friday, God's grace, God's Love

« June in Review, a Winner & a Bribe!
Building a Gate With Architectural Salvage »

Comments

  1. Terry M says

    July 7, 2017 at 4:06 pm

    completed!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 7, 2017 at 5:02 pm

      Yay! Thank you so much Terry <3

      Reply
  2. Lori says

    July 7, 2017 at 4:08 pm

    Thanks for your inspiring and edifying blog, Patti. I completed the survey for you.

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 7, 2017 at 5:03 pm

      Thank you very much Lori. I really appreciate it!

      Reply
  3. Rhonda says

    July 7, 2017 at 5:52 pm

    Thanks for the opportunity to tell you why and how I enjoy your blog!!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 8, 2017 at 8:19 am

      Thank you so much for taking the time to take the survey Rhonda. I appreciate it so very much. <3

      Reply
  4. TRACY says

    July 7, 2017 at 7:00 pm

    I enjoy your blog. You honestly help lift me up. You have kind words from the Lord and stories that help explain the verse. Thanks. I also took your survey. Hope it helps.

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 8, 2017 at 8:53 am

      Every bit of input I get will help me make my blog better suited to y’all. So THANK YOU Tracy. I appreciate your encouraging words too! <3

      Reply
  5. Marlene Stephenson says

    July 7, 2017 at 9:22 pm

    Thanks Patti, sometimes we need reminding.

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 8, 2017 at 8:56 am

      Yes, we certainly do need reminding of God’s love for us Marlene. How can we be such a forgetful people? I appreciate you so much and the time you take to leave comments on my blog posts. It keeps me going. Blessings friend <3

      Reply
  6. Sharon H says

    July 8, 2017 at 8:42 am

    Great and inspiring post today Patti. This is one of my favorite “comforting” scriptures…especially when substituting God for the word Love.
    By the way, I completed the survey a few days ago, but don’t remember if I told you!
    Blessings and a great weekend to you

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 8, 2017 at 8:59 am

      Thank you for doing the survey Sharon. You didn’t tell me but I think I recognized your response from your comments. Tee hee! You have a very recognizable voice m’dear, and an incredible amount of wisdom to share. I still think you should be blogging yourself. Or maybe you want to do some guest posts! I love you my friend <3

      Reply
      • Sharon H says

        July 8, 2017 at 8:52 pm

        I do??? LOL, you better be careful about suggesting that I guest post sometime….I may shock you! Love you back

        Reply
        • Patti says

          July 9, 2017 at 8:03 am

          Come on!

          Reply
  7. Linda Charlton says

    July 8, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    Survey completed

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 8, 2017 at 4:31 pm

      Check! Thank you 🙂

      Reply
  8. Linda Charlton says

    July 8, 2017 at 1:49 pm

    Your post about God was really timely for me. I was taught God was vengeful and this gave me a new perspective.

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 8, 2017 at 4:29 pm

      Yay! I’m so happy my post came at the right time for you Linda. God understands our weaknesses and has such grace toward us when we can’t seem to forgive ourselves. Thank you for taking the survey 🙂

      Reply
  9. Jen Lawrence says

    July 9, 2017 at 8:17 pm

    Oh my soul needed this. XO

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 10, 2017 at 11:24 am

      So did I when I wrote it Jen. We so often write to ourselves don’t we? Thanks friend.

      Reply
  10. Michele Morin says

    July 10, 2017 at 7:09 am

    I love that word too, Patti: “lavish.”
    It describes God in so many ways.
    Took your survey, but can’t recall where I follow you, so gotta go check it out!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 10, 2017 at 11:31 am

      Ahhh, thank you Michele. I really appreciate your taking the time to fill our my survey. May God’s lavish love be poured out in your heart today <3

      Reply
  11. Kym Thorpe says

    July 10, 2017 at 7:36 am

    Thank you for this encouraging post and reminder of how lavish God’s love is. I’m an occasional visitor here, usually through one of the link-ups, but always enjoy stopping by so I filled out your survey. Have a blessed week!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 10, 2017 at 11:32 am

      Thank you for taking the survey sweet Kym! Blessing to you 🙂

      Reply
  12. Lisa notes... says

    July 10, 2017 at 5:11 pm

    God is love. It’s a simple truth, but a profound one that takes us a lifetime to fully grasp! I’m still learning too. I often wake up from a bad dream and it’s hard to shake it off, but remembering that God is love is a helpful tool. Thanks, Patti!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 11, 2017 at 7:59 am

      “God is love” really IS a simple truth isn’t it? Why do we so easily forget that? Thank you for your comment Lisa. You are a great encourager.

      Reply
  13. Laura @ Fantastically Four says

    July 12, 2017 at 7:45 am

    I absolutely love what you’re sharing about God’s love. It had never occurred to me to replace the “love” scriptures with God’s name. That’s so powerful. Thanks so much for reminding me of his love! Happy to have found your blog today on the RaRa linkup from Purposeful Faith. 🙂

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 12, 2017 at 2:42 pm

      I so glad you came over from the link up Laura! This was powerful to me too and came right at a time when I most needed it. Thanks for taking the time to come by and comment. I’ve visited your blog too and left a comment there.

      Reply
  14. Jodie says

    July 13, 2017 at 8:52 am

    What an inspirational message this morning Patti!!
    And don’t we all question ourselves at times?? I don’t think we’d be human otherwise!!
    XOXO
    Jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
    #TuneInThursday

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 14, 2017 at 11:09 pm

      Yes we do Jodie! Thank you for reading and coming by to let me know it spoke to you 🙂

      Reply
  15. kim says

    July 13, 2017 at 9:47 am

    Thank you for today inspiration! I can so relate to this….It was truly written for me this day.

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 14, 2017 at 11:05 pm

      I’m so happy to hear that my post spoke to you today Kim. I’m happy to pass on something that meant a lot to me as well.

      Reply
  16. Robinality says

    July 14, 2017 at 12:21 pm

    Hello! It’s my first visit to your blog – thanks to the link-up! I completed the survey. I enjoyed your post. I look forward to sharing your post and the “exercise” God is love! I love this passage!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 14, 2017 at 10:53 pm

      Thank you so much Robin. I’m happy you found me too and I hope you’ll come back to see me again! Blessings 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Laura @ Fantastically Four Cancel reply

OldThingsNew

I am Perfectly Imperfect Patti, daughter of the King, wife to the amazing Mr. OTN, mom to two grown daughters, a great son-in-law, and companion to two spoiled dogs. At Old Things New I share DIY’s, budget friendly home transformations, as well as posts about how God transforms our souls. I myself have been made new and I love to share what I’ve learned through WRITING and SPEAKING. To view a short Vimeo of “Our Story” (Mr. OTN and I) please follow the link at the top of the page.

Disclosure: Old Things New is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program, which is designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com . . . or, in other words, Shopping through my links helps Old Things New keep the lights on!

Search this site

Click below to:

Follow on Bloglovin

Click on icon below to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, & Instagram

facebook twitter pinterest instagram

My HGTV Tiny House Hunter Experience

My HGTV Tiny House Hunter Experience

Christmas Cloche Ideas

Christmas Cloche Ideas

Pottery Barn Knockoff Jingle Pillow

Pottery Barn Knockoff Jingle Pillow

Christmas Shopping Ideas

Farragoz Online Painting Course

Sign Up Now

Save

Instagram

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No feed found.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.

See what I’ve been pinning lately!

Color Washing Technique

Color Washing Technique

Chalk Painted Kitchen Cabinet Tutorial

Chalk Painted Kitchen Cabinet Tutorial

Three Chalk Paint Recipes Reviewed

Three Chalk Paint Recipes Reviewed

Fab Over 50 (or 60, or 70 . . .)

Fab Over 50 (or 60, or 70 . . .)

Love Fashion? Follow my Fab Over 50 Board on Pinterest!

Archives

  • December 2018 (2)
  • October 2018 (31)
  • September 2018 (2)
  • August 2018 (3)
  • March 2018 (1)
  • December 2017 (4)
  • November 2017 (3)
  • October 2017 (3)
  • September 2017 (4)
  • August 2017 (9)
  • July 2017 (7)
  • June 2017 (8)
  • May 2017 (9)
  • April 2017 (7)
  • March 2017 (1)
  • February 2017 (5)
  • January 2017 (5)
  • December 2016 (1)
  • November 2016 (1)
  • October 2016 (1)
  • September 2016 (3)
  • August 2016 (7)
  • July 2016 (3)
  • June 2016 (4)
  • May 2016 (5)
  • April 2016 (6)
  • March 2016 (7)
  • February 2016 (6)
  • January 2016 (9)
  • December 2015 (12)
  • November 2015 (11)
  • October 2015 (7)
  • September 2015 (3)
  • August 2015 (3)
  • July 2015 (8)
  • June 2015 (6)
  • May 2015 (1)
  • April 2015 (8)
  • March 2015 (10)
  • February 2015 (8)
  • January 2015 (7)
  • December 2014 (9)
  • November 2014 (7)
  • October 2014 (7)
  • September 2014 (3)
  • August 2014 (2)
  • July 2014 (5)
  • June 2014 (5)
  • May 2014 (4)
  • April 2014 (12)
  • March 2014 (7)
  • February 2014 (1)
  • January 2014 (3)
  • December 2013 (7)
  • November 2013 (4)
  • October 2013 (6)
  • September 2013 (6)
  • August 2013 (6)
  • July 2013 (7)
  • June 2013 (11)
  • May 2013 (8)
  • April 2013 (7)
  • March 2013 (9)
  • February 2013 (10)
  • January 2013 (6)
  • December 2012 (5)
  • November 2012 (2)
  • October 2012 (2)
  • September 2012 (2)
  • August 2012 (5)
  • July 2012 (6)
  • June 2012 (3)

Tags

Addiction Antiques and Collectibles Blogging Books Chalk Paint Chalk Painted Furniture Christianity Christmas Coastal Style Crafts DIY Drop cloth projects Entertaining Faith Fall Decor Flowers Food Freedom Freedom Friday Freedom Session French Country Friendship Furniture Painting Gardening God's grace Home Decor Home Decorating Hospitality Inspiration Junking Lakeside living Marriage My Home My Story old junk transformations Prayer Recipes Recovery Redemption Shopping southern living Spring Summer thrifting Tutorial

Fistbump Media, LLC

Copyright © 2022 · All Rights Reserved · Designed by Blogger Boutique for Old Things New Blog

 

Loading Comments...