Enduring LoVe
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:7
The beginnings of a special Enduring Love Cross. 💜
A Cross PenDAnt
I made my first cross pendant when I was age 10-11. It wasn’t fancy. I wore it with a jute chord around my neck. It didn’t take long to replace that jute chord for itchy reasons with a ball chain from a light pull chord.
Why did I make It? I wanted all the kids in the neighborhood to know that I was a saved Christian without them having to ask or guess. I didn’t make it to put in my pocket or hide somewhere else. I wanted to openly profess my Love for Jesus without having to shout it. Much the same as people wear their favorite college football teams on their shirts. It’s to show where you stand.
I most likely removed and lost that first cross for fear of being teased and persecuted by the other kids. Also, because little boys don’t make jewelry, right? I wont feel that way again. I won’t live in fear of persecution anymore. I will proclaim that I love Jesus in any way I can.
I hope that some one seeing that cross around my neck will know instantly I am for a Jesus and just maybe in that instant they will not have a fear of standing with me away from a church building and talking about our Savior with me.
Keep in mind also when you are seen wearing a cross around your neck you are held to a higher standard by other judging eyes. If it’s in your pocket people wouldn’t know that you are Christian right away of course! And, you may even be more likely to act inappropriately if they don’t hold you to a higher standard or “classify” you as teller of truth or a “goodie goodie.” That’s the easy way though isn’t it? To hide that you are a Christian until You are ready for others to know?
That’s not what Jesus said we are to do. Jesus says in red right here in Luke chapter 8 verses 16-17.
“Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it with some object or places it under a bed. But he puts it on a lampstand so that all those who enter may be able to see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor secret that shall not be known and come into open view.”
Let your light shine! They will find out one way or another that you are a Christian. Go ahead and let them have that first impression. Then show them with every moment after through your actions who your savior is and what Jesus does through you. It’s not the easiest way in today’s world, I know. But, it will get easier when you realize you are part of a huge army of Christians who refuse to hide that they are for Team Jesus. Just like you!
https://divinecrosses.org/pendants
Who Is Divine Crosses®?
This business may be listed in mine and my wife’s name with the state of Florida. But, it is not ours. It is our heavenly Father’s to do with what He will.
Who is Divine Crosses?
-definition
Children of God, witnessing and spreading the glorious message of His sacrifice on the cross.
This business may be listed in mine and my wife’s name with the state of Florida. But, it is not ours. It is our heavenly Father’s to do with what He will.
This business has a manual for success called the Bible.
It has a motto..
“Thy Will Be Done”
My position: Cross Maker/Carpenter
That is all I will ever be and I love that!
Yes, It is a Ministry! What makes it a Ministry is all of us working together with one purpose in mind. It is not my Ministry. It is Ours together! It is growing into a powerful one too! To God be the Glory!
So, Who is Divine Crosses?
You are… We are!!
Please share any photos you may have in the comments. Show us who is Divine Crosses!
(originally posted on August 23, 2017 on divinecrosses.com)
It Put Things in Perspective
Little background. He is British and she is Chinese. They are an awesome couple and we are blessed to have them next door. I was invited in for the first time. I’ve never had English Tea or Ginseng root and had them both in the same sitting.
God is amazing how he reaches out to you. It was an emotional morning walking through the old wood shop I grew up in the day before we close on it…
I came home and unloaded some things that I just thought I couldn’t leave behind. Grace got out and ran to the neighbor’s house. They came out to let me know. She’s hard to miss. Big frantic white dog sniffing everything as fast as possible.
Little background. He is British and she is Chinese. They are an awesome couple and we are blessed to have them next door. I was invited in for the first time. I’ve never had English Tea or Ginseng root and had them both in the same sitting. And.. out of nowhere I’m learning bible verses in Chinese. Here is the Divine message: they showed me how they crossed oceans leaving everything behind, with only their suitcases in hand. Here I was worried about leaving a tiny piece of wood or a some memory. They literally left it all! It put things in perspective. You never know where God will lead you and you have to be willing to make that journey no matter how difficult or far. No matter what you have to leave behind… It may be just 45 minutes up the road or across an ocean. Thank you Lord for letting Grace get out. I needed that message today.
(originally posted on February 3, 2017 on divinecrosses.com)
Leonardo DA Kitty
A day in the life of Leonardo Da Kitty. (Missing are any photos of him trying to climb into the rafters because I usually panic seeing this and it takes two hands to get him down.)
St. james (Santiago)
St. James (Santiago)
Known as James the Greater (older) was one of the first of the 12 apostles who followed Christ. He and his Brother John were nicknamed the Sons of Thunder by Jesus because of their fiery tempers.
He was also one of 3 apostles chosen by Jesus to bear witness to the Transfiguration. James was the first disciple to be martyred for being a “Christian.”
Herod the king executed James by the sword in 44 A.D.
About the Cross of Saint James (Santiago)
In heraldry, the Cross of Saint James, also called the Santiago cross or the cruz espada,[1] is a charge in the form of a cross. It combines a cross fitchy (the lower limb is pointed, as if to be driven into the ground) with either a cross fleury[2] (the arms end in fleurs-de-lys) or a cross moline[1] (the ends of the arms are forked and rounded).
Most notably, a red Cross of Saint James with flourished arms, surmounted with an escallop,[2] was the emblem of the twelfth-century Spanish military Order of Santiago and Portuguese Military Order of Saint James of the Sword, both named after Saint James the Greater.
The Pilgrimage
The Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, is an ancient pilgrimage trail originating in medieval times. Made up of a vast network of roads and paths, pilgrims travel these to arrive at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The cathedral is found in the ancient city of Santiago de Compostela of Galicia in the northwest of Spain.
It was no coincidence that I finished this cross on July 25th this year. (Shown in pictures on the night of July 25th in the finish room.) I’m baffled by this honestly and I had no idea that it is the Day recognized in western religion as the Feast of St. James.
Every time I make these crosses I always imagine what it is like to have a sharp sword at your neck and to not deny Jesus for fear of death.
Could we do this today in the face of death?
Divine Cross of Santiago
God is Greater
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39 - NLT
From transgressions to blessings
So I sat down and made a list of what I was thankful for, and I found that I had a longer list than I imagined. Last night I had a list of transgressions. Today I had a list of blessings.
In 1 Thessalonians it says that “In everything give thanks. This is what God wants you to do in Christ Jesus.” What a difficult lesson to remember. I’m sure that we all know how to give thanks to God when He has provided us with whatever we think we need at the moment, but the hard part is to be thankful when things are tough.
Today is my first day off after a stressful three days at the hospital. I’m so exhausted: mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Don’t get me wrong, nursing is an incredibly rewarding profession, but it can take its toll. Today is one of those days. Today I questioned my career choice. It’s not like I haven’t questioned it before, but this week was a doozy and the questions have been LOUD!
After feeling sorry for myself and my coworkers all morning, I decided to get out of the house, and go to the barn. I needed to get some computer work done for Divine Crosses, and I saw this block when I sat down at the computer. I stopped for a minute, and I looked at it for a while. I made this block on a whim a couple of weeks ago, trying to get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I wasn’t under any pressure when I made it, and the layout just flowed. God knew that I would need it soon, of that I am absolutely positive. Because today, it stopped me in my tracks.
How can I be thankful for this week? Is it possible to find anything to be thankful for when I feel so defeated and insignificant. I opened the bible to look up the verse and read the rest of the chapter. “In everything give thanks.” In everything. Every-thing. That means I should be thankful for this week. All I could think was “how in the world do I do that?” Incidentally, the bible told me how. Through Christ Jesus. Through love and forgiveness and kindness.
So I sat down and made a list of what I was thankful for, and I found that I had a longer list than I imagined. Last night I had a list of transgressions. Today I had a list of blessings. Remember, when you need guidance, the Lord is with you and He left you with a guide book. You just need to be still and read it :)
Love to all my coworkers. I see you and love the work you are doing. You are God’s children, doing God’s work, and I am eternally thankful for you.
-Brandi Geoghagan
