PAPA GOD

To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12–13 NIV

I'm often asked why I refer to God as "Papa God." The reason is simple: Because He is. My Papa. Your Papa. When we make the decision to believe in Him, to receive the unconditional love demonstrated by the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus, in our place, we're adopted into Papa's family. We become His beloved, adored, cherished daughters. Hey, we might not think we're much, but He thinks we're to die for!

The intimate term in the Bible for God the Father is the Aramaic word "Abba," the name Jesus referred to Him by and offered to share with us as Papa's adopted children (Romans 8:15). Children specifically chosen. Handpicked. Wanted. The Message translates Abba as "Papa." I totally love that. It's warm, protective, and delightfully cuddly. What name could more richly express our close relationship with our heavenly Daddy?

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Dear Papa God, You are my heavenly Daddy, a good and gracious Papa. Thank You for wanting me and loving me enough to die for me. Amen.

LIGHT AND BEAUTY

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest."

Matthew 11:28 MSG

God desires only to colorize our black-and-white world and refill it with light and beauty. "'Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly'" (Matthew 11:30 MSG). We have to be willing to sneak up on ourselves and rest in an unexpected beautiful moment before we can talk ourselves out of it through reason and sensibility, schedules and agendas.

Living life, after all, is a series of conscious decisions, an act of the will. So it's up to us to choose to slow down enough to enjoy snapshots of beauty — like impromptu violin concerts, spiderwebs, sunbeams, and puppies — that bring rest and peace to our weary souls.

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Dear Papa God, please allow me to rock, rest, and revive in Your loving embrace today. Thank You, Father, that no matter what comes my way, You will give me rest on every side (1 Kings 5:4 NIV). Amen.

FEAR CAN BE A GOOD THING

"Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you."

Isaiah 41:10 MSG

Papa God gave us the emotion of fear for good reason. It serves a useful purpose — to motivate us, move us forward, and keep us from making mistakes. Sometimes fear saves us from ourselves. Why else would we faithfully squash our bosom buddies flat with mammograms without the possibility of that frightening C word invading our bodies? We could be out pounding the pavement if fear of losing our jobs didn't motivate us to get our reports in on time.

It's when fear becomes controlling that it debilitates. When it alters our course from the splendid women Papa God intended us to be and makes us settle for a wimpy, whiny imitation. Or when it begins to dictate our thoughts and behavior.

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Dear Papa God, please help me to have a healthy attitude about fear. Let it spur me to action when needed, and let it always prompt me to pray and draw closer to You. Amen.

A VIBRANT LIFE FORCE