...Search for her as for hidden treasure...book of Proverbs 2:4a One of the favorite things we would do for the kids birthday parties was to set up a treasure hunt. Lots of clues (they rhymed depending on how energetic and creative I was) that sent them from place to place running off energy until they finally found what was usually their goodie bags. They had to follow the clues to find their "treasure" God is telling us in Proverbs 2 that Wisdom is to be sought after like treasure. Here are His "clues": Receive My words Treasure My commands Incline your ear to wisdom Apply your heart to understanding Cry out for discernment Lift up your voice for understanding Seek her as silver Search for her as treasure
That is all pretty active participation. In other words He isn't just dropping it down on us. In James we are told if we lack wisdom we should ask and He will give it to us but we are not supposed to doubt....
Proverbs 2 goes on to tell us what we will find if we do the above. So I encourage you to read it (all of the rest of chapter 2) for yourselves. Remember reading or at least hearing in history class about the people who left everything to pan for gold? They spent all day long in all kinds of weather hoping for a gold strike. I know we are busy, busy, busy! Thats why these devos get started early, saved, then finished when I can sqeeze in more time later in the day...but take some crying out, lifting up voice, inclining ear, applying heart time today or maybe tonight. Just think the Creator of the Universe who knows how everything works and knows all about us and loves us, wants to meet with us!!!
For they will be a graceful ornament on your head and chains about your neck...The book of Proverbs 1:9
Today we will begin looking at a gem of wisdom from the book of Proverbs corresponding with the date. The verse right before this one is a mother instructing her son to listen to those who care most for him, his parents. A listening that hears the heart of the speaker. When those instructions and "laws" are given and put into practice they will be like the laurel wreath put on the head of someone who finishes the race in first place. Something that makes those around take notice of you. An ornament of grace that comes from living in the wisdom of God.
I have to admit I did not realize until I was a parent, the investment my parents had in me. There are different kinds of investment. It isn't all about money. I would be foolish though, to ignore that there is definitely a large monetary investment. I have had my heart wrapped up in my own children, have had the majority of my time, had lost hours of sleep, wept, prayed and fasted, disciplined and rewarded, fed and clothed, carpooled and counseled, nursed sick ones to health, endeavored to impart God's principles and heart, and sanctified myself for not just myself but for them. Until all of that, I did not realize my parents primary purpose in instruction was not to make life easy on themselves and hard on me. That is just a laughable thought now that I have been a parent! (alright I would be also foolish to not recognize a well disciplined child does make my life easier too and also that there is great joy in raising children )
I want my kids to live well. To do that they need wisdom and until they know to ask God for that it is my part as a parent to get wisdom from God for me, then I can live it and impart it to them. This does not guarantee no bumps in the road or side tracking when they enter the years of wondering and maybe wandering before making my God their own who they know. It does give them the keys and foundation to prevent a world of misery though and to walk in favour and grace with God and man as they grow.
Do you ever have those days where you feel like Cinderella (you know before she was ever set into the place of who she was for real)?Today that is my feeling. Sick kids, dr appointments, dishes, dishes, dishes, dogs, keeping a listening ear for wise solutions for on going struggles (that threaten to make me feel like a failure). But I don't have to stay there in that feeling!When we know Who and Whose we are, serving at home or on the job, takes on a whole new light. I can get rid of the weariness and poor me's. I wonder how many of us walk far short of the true person we are in Christ shrinking inside with little expectation of good to come our way. Cinderella sang in the midst of her oppressive circumstances seemingly forsaken and little more than a slave to her wicked and jealous step mother and step sisters. When every cruel attempt was made to rob her of value and dignity. I know the scripture I am about to share was directed to Israel but I would like to personalize it for us. ...you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD will name. You shall also be a crown of gloryin the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called Hephzibah (literally My delight is in her) and your land Beulah (literally Married) for the LORD delights in you and your land shall be married... from the book of Isaiah 62:2a-4 Cinderella may be a fairy tale but there are plenty of examples of people raised from rags to ruling in scripture. You may be one of God's best kept secrets right now but get ready for Him to reveal who you are. It will start on the inside princess.And that goes for you guys getting this-you are made to rule and reign with him. Let's begin believing His press about us and not the evil ones lies.
“Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli.
I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones."from Isaiah 54:11-12
My experience in my walk with Jesus (much to my initial surprise) has had various types of affliction. I am not complaining about my life, just so you know. I am not looking for sympathy or an outlet to feel sorry for myself either. But sometimes like it says in 1 Peter 1 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed... We aren't supposed to think it's strange either when we encounter these fiery trials! During those times I want to say like the Psalmist did "my heart is fixed (set) trusting in the LORD, I shall not fear when evil tidings come".from psalm 112 There does come a time though for the promise of being be set or established and rebuilt with foundations of precious stones. So today we are ready to see the stone set. Sometimes stones are just kept aside until they chosen to be put into use. Sometimes a group of stones are used together in a setting. Sometimes the use is solitary in a simple ring. Or it may be solitary in a specially wrought work of silver or gold. There are many ways and many purposes for a stone to be displayed. It could be a ring that is worn everyday signifying engagement or a family or organization I am part of. Could be earrings or necklaces and bracelets. Could be for very special occaisions only and seldom shown off... However they are to be used, they are "set" to be useful. Much of the time we have an inkling of what we think we are called to be or do for the LORD. And then begins the process and all we have spoken of this week until God is ready to fully establish us. So enters the season of wondering if I even heard from God and if I did what in the world is going on with me and my life?!? Even though we have seen Him use our lives in many ways and known His hand on our lives the separation, preparation and process can make us feel forgotten. But now in the setting phase we are matured more and will bring more forth in our lives. Don't get weary of process. Don't worry if you feel put aside a while. Seek Him and He will be found of you. Trust Him, you are not forgotten and discarded. The day will come where you will hear "Ready, get set...GO!"
...He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire...from Matt 3:16
The gem process we are looking at today is the purpose of heat. Not every stone has heat applied. Those that do, have different types, temperatures and length of time used according to the stone they happen to be. Heat helps to do a couple of things.
First of all it clarifies and brings out the color like in the picture above. The stone on the left is after heat was applied. Have you ever felt like you were going through the "fire" so to speak in the difficult trials in life? Is there a point? There is a promise that we will walk through the fire and not be burned Isaiah 43:2 (This isn't walking a bed of hot coals by the way). Remember the Hebrews Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego who refused to bow to the idol even though they would be thrown into the fiery furnace? Daniel 3 They came through without being singed or even the smell of smoke on them. And what's more there was "One like the Son of God" who joined them in the fire. We don'tgo through our fires alone. And in the end God is glorified and we display more of His glory ourselves. We get our "color"...
The second use of heat on gems is to "fill in cracks". That makes me think of the Holy Spirit filling me! Where I am weak, He is strong. He gives super to my natural! He also reveals the areas that need tightening up in my walk. The areas that need healing. And then goes about helping to make that happen. He is so indispensable to our walk with God yet is the quiet almost forgotten One in the Trinity. He is the promise Jesus spoke of when He was ascending to Heaven.
So today remember He never leaves you nor forsakes you. He is your comforter and teacher making Gods word alive and real in your life. Making life shine in your countenance. He will bring you through the fire.
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16
God went to great length and detail in the design of His temple in Old Testament times. He had all sorts of people involved in different ways but He ultimately had some who were filled with skillful wisdom in the areas requiring the finer details of color and weaving and working with metals, wood and stone. The scripture above tells us we are the temple of God now. Scripture also tells us we are fearfully and wonderfully made. And we know He spared no expense in redeeming us.
This week I am drawing comparisons between our lives, the work of God in them and the process of refining precious jewels. Today I am looking at the process of cutting the stones into a glorious reflector of light. In our case reflectors of His light. When we submit to His word, wisdom and ways we are yielding to being shaped carefully under His skillful hand. When a diamond, for example, is cut the depth of the cut and the angle and symmetry are all important for the stone to reflect brilliantly. The lower picture of the above chart is a shallow cut stone. We could say we want to be sure our walk with God is not shallow. I was thinking this morning how it is possible to be saved from sin but still not walk with Jesus as my LORD. That is a shallow cut. I am not too sure what application to make of the center cut except disobedience where our walk is on again off again or our character is not well developed so the reflection is not as broad or brilliant. Then there is the "perfect cut" in all it's beauty. I don't know if anyone is a perfect walker with God no missteps (we do have Enoch who walked with God and then was not because God took him). But I do know His love covers a multitude of sins. I do know it is not my perfection that saves me but I also know my disobedience hacks away at my testimony. I want to keep in mind obedience to Him. I want to be sensitive to His voice telling me "this is the way walk in it" book of Isaiah and I want to reflect Him to others around me so I want to yield to His skillful working. Be blessed today and shine!
"They shall be Mine," says the LORD of Hosts, on the day that I make them my jewels. Malachi 3:18a Do you ever have those days where a scream is just welling up inside? And you know you really can't let it rip (or at least it would be best if you didn't!).... Yes, well today and yesterday too, that has been this blog writers experience as I sit here tip tapping away on the keyboard and eating left over perogis for breakfast. Just so you know there is only One real Hero who never blew His cool unless you count the whip and table flipping at the temple one day. And it is true the Holy Spirit can be grieved. Then there is the bit where God sent plague after plague to stubborn Pharoh's realm. I guess it's that God is always righteous in the things that provoke Him and in His response. In fact God even invited negotiation in some of that. Hmm, ok then on with the devotional...
Jesus sees something in you! Value, potential and beauty. He bought and paid for you while you were still rough cut material being mined from the ground. To bring the gem to full value there is process involved. Just as, obviously, when a baby is born there is process invested in the growing of that person into full potential even though I don't wait for them to be full grown to declare them precious and valuable to me. And so it is with us in our Christianity.
There is a procedure in fashioning the stone to a useful adornment. One of the processes I want to touch on today to compare with our walk is called Tumbling. This is not the fun tumbling in gymnastics. A well-chosen speed for stone polishing causes the rocks within (a) barrel to slide past each other, with abrasive grit between them. The result of this depends on the coarseness of the abrasive, and the duration of the tumble.Wikpedia
Did you catch that part about abrasive grit? Does any one have any circumstances going on that might fall under the category of abrasive grit? (Why else would I have a scream welling up inside) God has a plan for the jewels we will ultimately be. Remember His good plan. So even though I may not like the abrasive circumstances taking me through the process of getting there, I am committed to the barrell tumbling instead of barrell jumping.
But then this almost begs the question "How long?".The precise tumbling time is determined by many factors, including the hardness of the rock and the degree of smoothing desired in thecoarser steps.wikpedia Some of us come into the process with pretty hard hearts or heads. We also have some sharp barriers we have built around us to "protect ourselves" so some of that will have bearing on the overall process.
His word says I am being conformed to the image of His Son and that nothing can separate me from His love and all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. the book of Romans So hang in there Ruby. Hold on Pearl. Don't quit Jasper! Your brilliance is about to reflect His glory!
Sometimes we have irritating circumstances that seem to be part of our life for a long season. In and of itself that is simply irritating! However I think we can see a strategic life lesson in the oyster. When a foreign substance is introduced into its shell, it is kind of like getting a splinter so to relieve the pain that creates, the oyster secretes substance and surrounds the irritant with it. A cut in the mantle of the pearl can produce the same effect. It takes many years for a natural pearl to develop (about 5 years for a 3 mm pearl).
So what strategy am I trying to draw from this? These pearls are very valuable. I think the trials and tribulation the Bible says we will have in our lives can produce something better than crankiness or despair.
The substance we surround the irritant with is the Holy Spirit and His wisdom. After all one of the fruit of our Spirit filled life is (dare I say it?) long suffering. Ouch. No one wants to suffer long. But sometimes that is part of our life experience. Jesus sanctified Himself and suffered for us.
I am not saying every painful thing has to be accepted and we shouldn't take steps to resolve circumstances and differences, maintaining healthy boundaries. Or sometimes, as my friend said yesterday, determine if the offense while still needing our forgiveness, is a "deal breaker" and the offender not allowed to stay as part of our immediate relationship circle.
If it isn't a deal breaker though let's let it be a pearl maker (cheesy play on words I know).
Holy Spirit, today do your work in me. You make the difference in this situation I don't seem to be able to change on my own. I give it to You. Help me to cooperate with You. Fill me today. I choose Your way of responding. I choose to worship and keep a heart of remembering your goodness and promises. Amen
I started a blog post that was depressing me, myself and had to erase it to avoid sending any of that on to you. Ever have those days that you focus on the things that have been wearing you out? I know that was the thing about the 40 day Fast From Wrong Thinking. It was supposed to help turn those thoughts around to God's point of view. Because I went through it twice I do know it helped me to re-focus. And so many things are good and right! But the things battling to hold my mind today are up front in my face close so they look large and intimidating. God however has that view from above that lets Him see further than I do. He even sees the end from the beginning If I will look at things from where He does theywill look like ants crawling. As we remember, David was a worshipper who knew Who his God was and he remembered and spoke of the things God had done for him and through him in the past when he faced the giant Goliath. Wow! I am amazed at how he was not intimidated by the giant but spoke back to him about how he was going to take him down in the Name of the Lord! Those were fighting words for sure! Well Goliath asked for it. He started it! He just really didn't think he could be beaten. Sometimes we just need to remember the things God has already done for us and promises to still do then speak to our giants in the Name of Jesus, and do what God has equipped us to do. We are told we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but principalities and powers and rulers of wickedness in high places. Unfortunately they tend to use people to do their work against us. My paraphrase of Habakkuk 3:17-19 (though please read it for real for yourself) is this: Even when everything I set my hand to seems to come up empty at the moment and challenges me to my face, I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD...He is my strength and will make my feet quick and sure like a gazelle ... to walk over the mountain set in my way..
I am my beloveds and he is mine...His banner over me is love...I love chocolate...love you!...I love my car...I love playing golf...I love chicken nuggets... I love your hair...I love money...I love Jesus...I love my husband...I love my dog, my kids, my parents, my lattes, my boots, and so on. Love gets used so many ways for so many things, it kind of loses its meaning. I want my husband to know he rates higher than my favorite boots and I want to know I am more important than some TV show he might love to watch. (Just so you know, that is a random list there. Those are not all things I "love". For instance, I do not golf.)
I don't mean for this to be a dry topic since it is a holiday, but I want to bring the different levels or types of love to our attention (in between giving attention to my husband, kids, granddaughters, house, dogs and my malfunctioning computer, that is).Three of these involve our emotions.
The first comes from a Greek word storage. This would be the type of love and affection that naturally occurs between parents and children, between siblings and then in healthy marriages between an husband and wife.
Then we have the word Greek word phileo. This would be the love that means "to have a special interest in someone or something, frequently with focus on close association; have affection for, like, consider someone a friend". So it is a strong liking or strong friendship.Since this implies strong emotional connection between friends, we would not phileo our enemies but is possible to agape them, which brings us to the next Greek word translated love.
Agape is the word that refers to the love of God, the very nature of God ("for God is love" 1 John 4:7-12 and "for God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son" John 3:16). It's one of the types we are to have for people. Even though we tend to think of love as primarily an emotion this type is actually love because of what it doesregardless of feeling. I also think this means regardless of what I get out of it. It has the good of another in mind.
Eros is the word for passionate or sexual love. It referred to the Greek god of love when used as a noun and has pervaded our culture as seen in advertising, porn, attempts to legalize perversion and maintain legalization of abortion making uncommitted sex without responsibility possible and more "legitimate", the trafficking of young girls, clothing styles and more currently sexting. My lengthy assessment on this does not mean God is against sex. Of course not! He created it but also knows how we function best and are healthiest so set boundaries up (in marriage people!!!) for the enjoyment of sex. And as we see the above distorted uses of sex we can see His boundaries are for the protection of society and it's people. .
Again Happy Valentines Day! Enjoy the day and make sure those you love know you do!
Do you know your loved ones love language? There is a book that is highly recommended called "The Five Love Languages" by Dr Gary Chapman. This is designed to help us understand each other better and communicate our love in a way the other can receive. Here is a link for an assessment tool:
www.5lovelanguages.com
I thought it was eye-opening. It doesn't take very much time and will be worth the time it takes. I only understand English for the most part so if someone is speaking to me in another language, I pretty much don't get what they are saying. I might guess at it and they might be smiling but it just isn't my language!
Let's just say I am a cat. I have hunted and brought home a dead mouse and laid it at my person's doorstep as a gift because I love them and appreciate them feeding me everyday so it is my language as a cat to show that by mousing. My owner screams. She just doesn't get it. I am perplexed by her reaction to my expression of love.
Well clearly we do not always "get" each others expressions of love either so will end up feeling unloved when we are in fact unlearned in the others "language". On the other hand we may not understand why the person can not see I am showing love when I am speaking it loud and clear in my own love language.
This can be a fun tool to use as a couple to open conversation and to clear up misunderstandings paving the way to more loving relationships. Find some time to spend together for this. Loving relationships take time and maintenance and yours is worth it!
I love the absolute exhultation in his voice as he sings this! So many things cross my mind. I think of God when He declared His creation was good! I think of Adam when he saw Eve! I think of first love and then the moment of isle walking in weddings. I think of new borns. I think of God singing over us in Zephaniah. Proverbs says "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor of the Lord". It is shown in statistics that married men and women have longer lives than singles.They have lower levels of depression. Married sex is better. Married women are less likely to be victims of violent crime. Married men are safer drivers. Chidren are more secure. Society is stronger and safer. I know there are voices who would have us think differently. And sometimes our own experience may seem to say differently, but click this link for a fuller picture of benefits: http://www.psychpage.com/family/library/brwaitgalligher.html So if all this is true what is the story behind all the broken families? That, my friends, is for another blog another day. But I want us to be reminded God means for marriage to be GOOD and til death do us part. Click on Stevie Wonders song and take time today to remember why you married who you married, if you are married that is. Begin to re-do the things you did in the beginning to win each others heart...and thank God for your husband or wife!
God help me when I'm "staying by the stuff "and it doesn't seem to be enough help me to remember...some plant, some water, some harvest, but God is in it all He's in the big and in the small...So basketball which I am so truly grateful for my kids playing this year and a sweet grandbaby living here have filled up every spare crack of time in my life and I was faced again with a two sink and overflowing load of dishes I was about to tackle, when the AROMA of something stinking from the dog kennel assaulted me. And I am not sure that the word aroma is appropriate for this! Gasp!
WHAT! DID! SHE! EAT!??? I am so careful to give her dog food only but she has been sneaky sometimes and I have caught her with tin cans from garbage bins and horse manure from the field. Its the gross kind of smell that fills your mouth too. Nope no kids home to deal with this. They would probably throw up anyway adding to the mess...I was simply trying to ready my self to take it out. I had just gotten my hair washed, a bath after running the kids to school, payed a bill and was getting ready to do toddler care for the next shift. Does this seep into pores I wonder?
These are the kind of days that I put order back into. Its not as prestigious as my office job could be if I worked it full time or in fact that my husbands is as he meets the public everyday and takes care of helping people save money and get their lives back on track. But what I do is incredibly important. It helps produce sanity and sound lives. A place to call home for my family. A place they want to unwind in and refuel before heading out again. It just doesn't get a title like my yahoo signature proclaiming I am Senior Life and Health Agent, Property and Casualty- Angel Auto Insurance. Which I am. But that is truly a fraction of what or who I am.
And these are the events in a day that don't get put on my things to do today list but consume a fairly large block of time to clean up. I remember reading about a young mom who is likely my age now whose husband would ask her (as mine will) what did you do today? Note that is not necessarily a criticism from husbands but hearing with female ears makes it sound that way. One day she only did what needed to be done to keep the kids fed and from hurting themselves. Her husband came home to a home in shambles. Toilet paper strewn across the floor, food messes, toys, dishes, clothes ect. When he asked her what happened she looked at him and said "You wanted to know what I do all day. I keep this from happening." I am not advocating this at home ok? But I have to admit the story stuck with me.
Takes only moments to dismantle a room and carpet it with toys and clothes and blankets and so much longer to teach picking up (while singing the Clean Up song of course). This is the reason I love having a closet that is put in order. I can go open the door, see a space chaos free and a sense of peace fills me. Is that pathetic or do you have something like that in your life too?
When God spoke and created order out of things that were formless and void He called it good. I understand that in my own corner of the world that needs order created time and again. It is such a sense of satisfaction. Bless you as you go about your day creating order in whatever sphere you are in- home, job or school. You are His partner.
Just a bit ago I was finishing up looking at a book and some playtime with one of my grandbabies. I was struck then by the realization that I feel old tonight. Oh not decrepit and entirely feeble and all that. Just the feeling that "the vision" I had for ministry stuff is yet unfulfilled. And it made me sad. I know it doesn't mean it isn't yet for a future time. Like Sara, Abraham's wife who waited a longggggg time for the promise. Like Hannah. Like Ruth and Naomi. Like Abigail. Like so many who waited for the promises of God. And in the mix of waiting is everyday life. That's not such a bad thing. There are plenty of good and powerful blessings in everyday life. The ordinary preparing us for the extraordinary. I am all about the preparation phase of fulfilling the promised things. Turkey is not done til its done and cake isn't cake with out all the ingredients and proper cooking time. Gourmet foods take more time and preparation. More care,special seasonings.Babies ought not be born until they are fully developed. And it was in the fullness of time that God sent His Son into the world not before. I guess I am trying to encourage myself in the Lord and His ways. He is the one who knows when I am "done". I think I remember the energy I used to have and seem to have zip of now. I also think when I do the dastardly thing we are warned not to do(since it is not wise) of comparing myself with others in ministry, I see how young everyone is. There is, I have to remind myself something fine about aged things in some categories. Maybe this is all menopausal musings tonight. That could be the reason I am so tired and melancholy. Maybe this difficulty I am having tonight is good for someone else to know. Most of us are in waiting for something. Most of us are trusting in faith for something. Most of us know the sweetness of promises fulfilled along the way. I guess tonight the vision was feeling about dead. Seeing that looks kind of silly to me. I could live to be 100- though I am not really trying for that (sorry kids). If I do, I am only just barely half way through life. I am maybe only half baked.. Maybe the " vision for yet an appointed time" is preceded by a steadfast walk and then a short burst at the finishing lap. What do I know? My times are in His hands. Right now it feels like a long walk and I really hope its not like the wilderness walk. I don't want to be stubborn and rebellious at all. But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary They shall walk and not faint Isaiah 40:31 Sometimes it seems waiting is a silent stillness. A rest. Sometimes I just wonder if waiting is active. Not wasted activity but a purposeful attention toward the Lord and His voice. A time of activity before the goal is actually accomplished. A waiting expectantly for the thing I am waiting for. Like when I waited for my babies to be born. Lots of activity related to building babies and lots of activity going on in life in general at the same time but still expectantly waiting for that new baby to be held in my arms.. then the growing of that baby into a young man or woman with vision and responsibility of their own that takes years and alot of action but looking for an expected end. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth And called from its farthest regions And said to you You are my servant I have chosen you and have not cast you away Fear not for I am with you Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you Yes I will help you I will uphold you with My righteous right hand Isaiah 41:9-10 And there we have it the word of encouragement from His word....Take heart any of you who may have been growing weary His promise for those waiting is right there
I remember when I had a second miscarriage in the summer of 1990 or so. I was devestated by the first one I'd had the year before and perplexed by this second. Pretty tender emotionally. It happened in the midst of planning an outreach Back Yard Bible Club for the month of July at a mobile home park we had once lived in for a few years. Should I still go on with it? Physically and emotionally I wondered if I was up to it. Then one day I was passing by the television where my kids had some old Bugs Bunny Daffy Duck cartoon on and Daffy was declaring "I am detirmined to make his victory a costly one!" Ever had God speak to you from a cartoon? Well I have! Right then and there I detirmined what satan meant for evil in my life was going to cost him big! Back Yard Bible Club commenced with a full team from church to minister to kids every tuesday in July. Keeping kids off the streets for a few hours with fun, food and Gods Word. Ministering to moms many who were single giving them some time off.
I guess I am a bit disappointed in my post from a couple days ago. Have to say I am so grateful for the loving concern and prayer you have given me because of it. I love you! Overall I have calmed down and begun functioning in a way more normal for me. I had been discussing at a prayer meeting a week ago about Isaiah 54's reference to weapons formed and tongues rising up against us and not being ignorant of satans devices...And what do I do but react in shock and verbal outrage when something hits the target (me and mine). I thought I was better at holding my peace. You know responding not reacting. I have heard when the bucket is full and gets kicked whatever is in it will spash out..so I am not too happy with what spashed with the kicking. It was a sort of mixed concoction. But neither can I pretend it didn't hurt -just wish I had held off a while before posting and thought about that before pressing the publish button..Oh well
On the other side of life though things have been really busy and good! Had an unexpected opportunity to do a health fair presentation for Aflac on Saturday and one of our lovely employees was recently licensed in life and health so could work it with me. Looking forward to more growing along that lines for the business. The kids have had in two days dental visits, eye exams and school sports physical! Whew! Looks like they will be playing Basketball for the season at their new school Victory Christian Academy. And I have seen their being there as part of God's unfolding plan He knew about for "a future and a hope one not for evil or calamity" Jeremiah 29 paraphrase...So thankful to Him! And I get to take part in teaching in the School of Ministry at Living Waters Worship Center. Exciting and humbling. So even more now I see how I reacted to some of the crazy findings that kicked my bucket to be a way for me to look at how I live compared to how Jesus lived with people. Been reading Portrait of Jesus as part of our study and it is an answer plain and simple to some questions I have had. I highly recommend it. Marty and I visited a veteran who is in hospice this morning to pray and for me to play the harp and sing as he rested..This man served veterans well not just his country in war..I know Jesus is welcoming him, holding him.
Well off to the office. Hope you are blessed well today
Today I am wearing my heart on my sleeve so to speak. Today I realized I have really been betrayed by yet another friend. Sounds so weird to say. Sounds so bad to me to write about. Especially since I prefer writing upbeat fun stories about my walk with Jesus. It is sometimes the stuff of life though and most people, believers in Jesus included, encounter it along the path of life. As in Psalm 55:12-14...it was one that I took sweet counsel with, walking in the things of God together. Let me set one thing straight. It is not my husband that betrayed me. I get disappointments.They happen but they are not betrayals. I get disagreements. They happen too. God created such variety that we can't possibly see things the same all the time with each other. And God knows I don't know everything and am not always right. But this is true betrayal. Maybe this person doesn't actually realize the depth of the actions being taken. Kind of like "Father forgive them for they know not what they do". I am not perfect like Jesus. I do not even want to lay my life down for this person any more though I have in many ways time and again. I want to justify myself and those this person is slandering...But You LORD are my vindicator. You say vengeance belongs to You. You even tell me not to take this person to court if it were to come to that but rather be wronged. Your ways are perfect oh Lord help me to walk in them. Give me understanding and a pure heart. And I pray for this one Lord...and find I can only pray in the spirit right now because my mind and heart are jumping all over the place about this. The person is to be pitied and desperately needs You. I am just a bit wearied and torn over being used and trampled on by yet another person we invested our lives into...well who was it for after all? For some pat on the back from people about how great we are when we simply spent ourselves for others like You commission us to do? Yay us!...The rewards are not here they are in heaven, so help me not to be hard hearted toward others who You lead our way because of a few bad experiences brought about by broken people. Help me to trust You.
Last night "God with skin on" saved my day at the grocery store when my deposit was not showing as credited to my account. A fact unknown to me until I went completely through check out. As embarrassing as that was (I wore a blush for a good while and not the makeup kind), God had two of His very own in line behind me both offering to pay for my groceries! He knew ahead and had me covered! I am so amazed and humbled..and thankful... I was called later and told by the husband of the one who swiped her card on my behalf that they would be tearing my reimbursement check into little peices. I would be paying forward not paying back. God supplying my needs just like He promised and people living for Him letting that light shine what an awesome end to a headachey day!
This is more for my female readers than any others. As if there are others beyond that but male readers. I mean monkeys, puppies, herons,and so on do not read.. The statement above is an indicator of my wacky state of mind. We have had super hot weather lately. The type that is typical for summer. The type we long for when the temperatures have dipped below 0 and the ground is frozen and snow covered. Added to the normal high degrees of summer is the fact that we are managing without air conditioning this year and interior climate control is handled by following the sun around the house adjusting windows, blinds and fans. I am not complaining about that since most of the time the temperature is comfortable. However... we have had this accumulation of hot days that made the house HOT no matter what I did. Wouldn't you know this is also the season of hot flashes for me. And so we have the seasons and we have personal seasons. And this is one for me where I find me difficult to live with. When we started our womens Bible study based on Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore, our first meeting was at our house and the day was hot. I had watched Annali that day and also run some errands with her and with Lily along to get a new bathing suit as well as assist. I arrived home with about 60 minutes to spare before the ladies would be arriving. Now just because I am very comfortable visiting your house with a lived in atmosphere- you know dishes in the sink, laundry to fold, toys strewn about does not mean I am very comfortable having you visit me with my house in its normal state. MUCH LESS A GROUP of women visiting! Surely my reputation as a woman, wife, ect would be at stake!!! So enter the mode known as frantic rather than walking in the peace of God. Lydia who had arrived to pick up Annali took one look at me and taking note of the wild eyed look in my eyes and of the panicked sound of my voice took on the gift giving task of washing the dishes. Mind you this was not a simple sink load of dishes but rather an accumulation as though I just hadn't been able to bear to part with them in their dirty state and then realized too late they were no treasure but stinketh like Lazarus' tomb after a few days. They were not a treasure to me in that state. It was just a too busy to keep up life going on so they were set aside to "soak" and then soak again in bleach water and they were rearanged a few times. The ladies began to arrive and were greeted by myself trying to appear cool, calm, and collected. A woman walking in the fruit of the Spirit and so on instead of one who had grabbed chips at the gas station on the way home and called it finger food for the evening group. Thank God others brought things better prepared to offset my meager offering! As we sat to begin our study I was overwhelmed not only by the number of women who had come but also how hot our un airconditioned room was and began to appologize only to have blank or wondering expressions look back at me with assurances of the room being comfortable not hot...It dawned on me then HOT FLASHES. Oh yes they have begun and just in time for our heat wave! Why not! I am likely to have more menopausal musings in this blog as I walk this season out so reader beware. Have a blessed day and stay cool!
Feeling strangely light headed was the result of only 10 minutes exercise on the aerobic exercize machine the Gazelle. I think it was the effect of oxygen being fully inhaled and exhaled!..And as I was "gazelling" there was an interview with an aerobics instructor on LIFE TODAY. They were speaking of the presence of oxygen in the garden of Eden and greater gravitational pull and how life was healthier and longer...The point was drawn that aerobic exercise of course increases oxygen and weight training is essentially a gravitational pull. We really do need to take care of these temples God has given us! I am not sure why sedentary life seems to be ok nor how I slipped into that pit. But I do know I am glad I was on the Gazelle watching the program instead of just sitting with my coffee and breakfast watching that this morning! As a side note about the Gazelle: This one is compliments of our daughter Deborah who homeschooled her last two years of highschool and seeing a late night infomercial detirmined this would be an ideal addition to her PE requirements being met. So she bought it! And more important, she really used it! When she and Garrett married the Gazelle remained behind stored in the basement. And I might add it is a basement none of us wants to exercise in. It is the "Creepy Basement". No,no,no! Not haunted! It has other factors that make it creepy. So unless you are a Rocky Balboa type you don't want to exercize down there. It was back around Thanksgiving we recovered it from the dungeon and brought it into the light. It has a very prominent place in the room Marty and I sleep in. And WE ARE NOT going to let it be draped and hidden by clothing though it would be quite handy for that. Marty uses it and now that I am released from Chiro treatment I do also. Even if it is only a 10 minute start. And in a moment of self justification, I also did another set of exercise with my powerfully heavy 3 pound weights for upper body strength! Yes thats right I typed it correctly: 3 lbs...and I do have an exercise ball I have been using...Well my hope is small beginnings will lead to something better and and that they are better than nothing at all! The sad thing is I will probably be sore from just these minor changes..But I will press on! Here is to more oxygen and strength! God really made us remarkably able to rebuild and repair.. Oh and how amazing of Him to make it so exercise would release endorphines in our brains and make us happier people and they even act as pain reducers. The person being interviewed said her husband will even toss her running shoes to her when she is having crabby moments because she comes back so much happier. I am not sure I would respond maturely enough if my shoes were thrown to me and I was invited to get out (cause that is how I would twist it initially). So I have discovered yet another area long guarded like it was a treasure...my bad attitude! In unwrapping it I have found not a jewel but smelly trash! Yeah for the Pit study and the Holy Spirit never letting me go on in pit dwelling life styles. Time to move on with the rest of the day.
...Search for her as for hidden treasure...book of Proverbs 2:4a
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