Category: Perspective

Beauty in the Sky

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This is indeed an unusual year as we entered the Holy Week with Palm Sunday being just behind us. Passover began yesterday evening at sundown. We also had the first of four blood moons that will occur over the next eighteen months.  (Lunar Tetrads) Interestingly, these four blood moons will coincide with the Jewish feasts of Passover and Sukkot this year and again next year.  There have only been a hand full of times through history that these have occurred on Jewish Festivals since the time of Christ. Each time it seems, significant events were witnessed in the lives of the Jewish people.

Last nights blood moon began around 2:30 in our time zone.  It was supposed to be able to be best seen in the Western Hemisphere and especially well seen in the United States.   I was looking forward to setting my alarm and watching from 2:30 a.m. until 4:30 when it was going to be at the height of the eclipse. There was only one problem…it had rained all day and no sign of clearing. I checked the radar a final time. Rain covered the whole area of north central Georgia and extended almost to Mississippi. Not a break in the action to be seen. Oh well, Lord you know the desire of my heart. I am going to turn off my alarm. If things clear up, You are more than able to awaken me to see it, after all You have done this many times to have me pray about situations and for people…

About 2:25 a.m., I found myself awake. Could it be? I. Quietly walked to the picture window in our bathroom and looked out. The sky was much brighter than when I went to sleep but still too dark for a full moon. Then I moved to a smaller window and looked up.  I caught a glimpse through a break in the clouds of the pre-eclipse moon so I decided to get comfortable in the sun room and watch a while. Cloud cover returned; steady rain followed as I sat quietly waiting. The thought came to me, you should check online.  Think me nuts if you will, but I believe it was God’s prompting that awakened and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit whispering check online.  Some think it is crazy, I call it Faith. Not once had I considered someone would have it live online. I certainly expected to see pictures in the days to come but not live.  So I got my iPad and googled 2014 blood moon and there it was…a live broadcast from an observatory in Arizona! It was a beautiful thing to watch. The silvery white brightness began to be covered with a pinkish glow. It then turned into a peachy color gradually darkening to a darker burgundy color. It was beautiful!

This is a screen shot of the live broadcast. It was actually brighter and more vivid on the live stream but this is a good representation of how it looked in full eclipse as the earth blocked the sun and the rays of light bending around the earth reflected back to us after reaching the moon.

 

Though I am not wishing my life away, I am looking forward to watching again on October 8 and again next year in April and October. Hopefully we can see it in person if it is still visible here and weather is permitting. My understanding is the last moon of the tetrad will be visible over Jerusalem next October. Either way, it is great to know observatories around the world will likely be broadcasting these occurrences in the heavens.

Each time at tetrad has occurred, significant events have occurred among the Jewish people. The most recent was in 1967 and 1968 coinciding with the Six Day War. One result was Jerusalem becoming the undivided Capitol of Israel. Prior to that was 1949-1950 which followed on the footsteps of Israel becoming a nation. Jewish people from around the world began to be gathered to their homeland and that in-gathering continues even today. Another example was the event prior to and following the blood moons of 1493-1494. We all know that Columbus sailed and discovered America in 1492. During this group of blood moons, an Edict of Expulsion was instituted against the Jews of Spain and the Spanish Inquisition. The Jewish population had a choice between converting to Catholicism, torture, or leaving. Because of Columbus’ discovery, many found safe haven here in America. Will the blood moons have great significance as all the previous ones? Only time will tell but in the past they have all been significant times on the Hebrew calendar.

For more information there are a number of good books and online resources available both from faith perspectives and scientific perspectives.

Joel 2:28-32 “After this I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. I will even pour out My Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days. I will display wonders in the heavens and on the earth: blood, fire, and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and awe-inspiring Day of the Lord comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved, for there will be an escape for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord promised, among the survivors the Lord calls.” (HSCB)

A Lesson Learned…Again

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Can I just say, God is amazing!

Yesterday was one of those days, you know the kind I am betting because we all have them from time to time. One of the days where some things seem to get turned upside down. Something is said or done with the best in mind but comes out wrong and ends up misunderstood and in spite of correcting the problem…the kind that seems to have a cloud that just hangs over the remainder of the day-basically a Murphy’s law kind of day. The kind you get through moment by moment and when the day is over your not entirely sure how you made it through but you did!

So this morning is a new day, things look brighter. The sun is shinning, no rain, snow, or ice. It is time to get the day started… Good Morning Lord. I will spare you the details of the prayer that followed. It contained some heartfelt repentance for my allowing my words to be spoken hastily and leaving room for misunderstanding and the hurt that it caused, and if I can be honest a bit of complaining about how difficult balancing relationships and keeping them as healthy can be at times. Again, I will spare you the details because in every relationship there are times when one person bears more of the responsibility for the relationship than the other. This is usually when one of the two is going through a strained and difficult time in their life. This is true in families, in marriages and in friendships. Relationships are rarely if ever a 50/50 or 100/100 percent proposition and sometimes I find that when there are problems, even a small one it is just better to pray about them. Trying to fix them without praying first can be disastrous. When I pray first it tends to reveal anything that I might need to address in myself, like the plank in my eye…when I get that straight and only then, I might can help with their splinter. In this case, if I want someone to understand my heart on a matter the responsibility of communicating it in a loving way that can be easily understood is completely on me. If I am hasty or fail communicate it well, it is on me. If I communicate well and clearly, but they are not fully engaged and miss what I have communicated, that responsibility may just fall on them. It can also fall on my if I have chosen an inconvenient time.

This is where my lesson came into play. There arose a question in my spirit, maybe it was posed by God’s Spirit. The question was, “Is this how You feel God?” You created us for relationship with You. You long for us to spend time with You, in Your Word, in prayer, talking to You, singing over You, Your Spirit connecting with our spirit.  Is this how You feel when I am distracted during prayer and start a grocery list, or think of the bill I forgot to pay? When the phone rings and it can’t wait until after quiet time to be answered? How about when I set aside time to thank You for answered prayer and it is interrupted by a distraction or an unexpected care or worry? You have told us to bring all our cares to You, to be anxious for nothing and to pray about everything; yet have we not heard or have we misunderstood thinking that only means the big cares and worries? Have we the mistaken impression that we are to only bring the things beyond our ability to handle to You and handle the rest ourselves? Did I miss the scriptures true meaning? Be anxious about nothing, pray about everything!  Your Word says You have given us everything we need for life and godliness, 2 Peter 1:3-4, yet like a rebel do I try to do it on my own power and strength?  Like a student with an attention disorder, am I distracted from my teacher, the Holy Spirit? Do I find I am tempted by mirages? Yes, by those things that look pretty, inviting, satisfying. They look like just what I am looking for until they are right in front of me and I see they are only an illusion of that which I am deeply longing. When I realize this, will I be off chasing the next mirage or will I finally see You for Who You are and realize that true satisfaction and every other thing we need is only found in a relationship with You and in turn every other relationship in our life will be richer because we put You in first place in our lives!  How is it I get easily distracted and forget a lesson that I have already learned over and over again?

Oh how patient and merciful You are Lord! Please remind me, teach me again to choose moment by moment encounters with You throughout my day! Just as we may enjoy an unexpected text message or phone call from a loved one letting us know they are thinking about us;  You enjoy Your sons and daughters  reaching out to You. Even more importantly, those little momentary encounters will change not only our day but they will also change our lives by gradually drawing us deeper into a more intimate and satisfying relationship with the ultimate lover of our souls. No one loves us like You love us!

2 Peter 1:2-4  “May grace and peace be lavished on you as you grow in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord!  I can pray this because His divine power has bestowed on us everything that is necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the One who has called us by His own glory and excellence.  Through these things has He bestowed on us His precious and most magnificent promises, so by means of what was promised you may become par takers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire.” (NET)

Philippians 4:5-7  “Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (HSCB ).

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Categories: Perspective

It is This Generation?

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I am betting someone, if not many, in every single generation since Jesus Christ ascended to be at the right hand of His Father has asked this question. Jesus Himself told His followers before He was crucified,  “I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” Mark 9:1 Six days later He was transfigured before Peter, James and John and spoke on the mountain top with Elijah and Moses. A cloud overshadowed them and the thunderous voice of God declared, ” this is My  beloved Son, listen to Him!” Then began the journey toward the cross. His followers expected the coming of His Kingdom to be very different from the reality that they experienced and when He decreed “It is finished.” I am pretty sure they were stunned at the events that they had witnessed as He was arrested, questioned, beaten mercilessly and forced to carry His cross toward the Place of the Skull, Golgotha. This in not how a King comes into power, they did not understand. Though Jesus taught them, told them what was coming and even after Jesus died, was buried and rose again appearing to His disciples, followers and some five hundred people: people were watching and waiting for a Kingdom to come. Jesus told them that He had to leave; to go back to the Father. He told them He would not leave them alone but would send the Holy Spirit who would guide them in all truth and that He would one day come again. People have watched and waited ever since for the day He would return.

The Bible is full of prophecy of all the things we could expect to see over the years as His followers await His return. Prophecy after prophecy have come true as many have waited, many have given up and many have questioned the veracity of God’s Word. The prophecy of Israel’s scattering to the four corners of the world is a historical fact, as is the rebirth of the land of Israel in 1948, the reunification of Jerusalem after the Six Day War in 1967. Israel has always been an indicator of where we are on God’s timetable and continues to be today as the rumors of a peace treaty, returning to pre-1967 borders, people calling for a shared Jerusalem, others calling for destruction of Israel and her supporters and many other middle east topics are in the news daily. Iran is closer than ever to having nuclear technology and has made its displeasure for Israel and America clear. N.A.S.A. is saying over the next two years we will experience four blood moons (lunar/solar eclipses). These will also coincide with major Jewish celebrations and three will fall in a Shemitah year and are spoken about in Revelation. What if anything does this all mean? Are we the generation that will see Jesus Christ second coming? Only God truly knows the answer. I know for a fact in my lifetime alone there have been no less than four times some bold person decided that the world was going to end and named a specific day only to be laughed and made fun of! The Word of God is clear in saying no one, not even Jesus Himself knows the day or hour, but only the Father. It does give those of us who follow Jesus an idea of signs, things to look for or indications that will be in the world at the time of His return and indicates when we see them to Look up church, for your redemption draws near. Are we that generation? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I want to be informed and ready!

Making Room

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Today’s Bible reading passage in the plan I am using is Isaiah 54, or at least I thought it was… until I looked later and found I jumped ahead a chapter. Perhaps I was subconsciously eager because it is one of my many favorites in Isaiah. It is right on the heels of another favorite, Isaiah 53 which is the prophecy of the coming Suffering Servant, Jesus Christ. There are great promises for Israel in this chapter, I personally believe there are lessons for the Christian also in these words and perhaps some of the promises apply to us as also. Based on Galatians 3: 13-14 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree ”) in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:13, 14, 27-29 NET).

The first attention getter for me was verse two. It says to enlarge your tents, spread out the wall, stretch your boundaries. Then one translations says don’t hold back; another says spare no effort; and lastly another says spare no expense. It goes on to say lengthen your ropes and pound your steaks deep. Many commentaries agree that this refers to the time after Christ when the gospel would be shared with both Jews and Gentile. As I considered the passage this morning I felt impressed that it could also be very applicable in my life and the lives of others. Maybe for our day, it is saying make room for God and all that He desires to do in our lives. Make space for Him, for the assignment He has for our life, and for the blessings He wants to give us. Be diligent and prepare even when it may seem nothing is actually happening right now. Keep trusting God and being expectant of what He has planned for it will come to pass in His timing. His timing is always perfect and right on time. His plans for us are good, believe and trust He is for us!

Don’t be afraid, for you will not be put to shame! Don’t be intimidated, for you will not be humiliated! You will forget about the shame you experienced in your youth; you will no longer remember the disgrace of your abandonment. (Isaiah 54:4 NET). Trials, troubles from the past that cause shame will no longer haunt you, they will be forgotten was my next big take away. We all have an experience or two in our lives that haunts us, one we want to forget. That is exactly why Jesus came (Isaiah 53 & 61:1-4) to bear our sickness, disease, sin and shame. Also He came to encourage the poor, heal the broken hearted, bring liberty to captives, freedom to prisoners, and relief and joy to those who mourn! We are neither limited nor do we have to be defined by our past, we can move past the things that shamed, intimidated, humiliated and held us back in the past!

Though the mountains move and the hills shake, My love will not be removed from you and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says your compassionate Lord. (Isaiah 54:10 HCSB) Our Heavenly Father loves us and nothing can change that. Those In Christ have been given right standing with Him. His love is unwavering and His covenant of peace will not be shaken!

I also love verses thirteen and fourteen, that our children will be taught of The Lord and prosper and that we can live oppression free and far from terror. Followed up by: ‘No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed; you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. This is what the Lord will do for his servants – I will vindicate them,” says the Lord’.(Isaiah 54:17 NET) I certainly am no theologian, just a simple follower of Jesus. One who, based on many experiences in my own life, has witnessed the goodness of God and His promises in even the toughest of times and the loss of some of the people dearest to me. I can attest to His great love, His mercy and grace in the hard places in life even in the times He seems absent or silent, He is there working, loving and watching over you. May you be blessed this day and may His goodness and mercy follow you!

Fresh Start

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New Year’s Eve at our home last night was a simple, quiet yet beautiful experience. My husband and I enjoyed a slow paced evening with some great music from WinterFest, followed by their countdown to welcome in 2014. We shared a New Year’s kiss and a toast with some delicious Sparkling Peach grape juice followed with a time of Communion and dedication of our year to The Lord. It was simple, yet perhaps one of the best since that very first New Year’s Eve we spent together with our families and their friends that resulted in our first date. We were mere kids that night long ago and yet we have shared every one since.

Life has a way of moving on, speeding by. Unlike when I was a child and a week seemed like a month, today a week seems more like a day! So with that in mind, about a month ago I began doing some thinking and praying about the year, 2014… What would it hold? What do I want to accomplish? Perhaps the most important question – What are Your goals and plans for me this year, Lord? Is there a verse for me for 2014? Maybe a word or theme. Little by little I felt him guiding me. The first glimpse came when I “happened” across a scripture verse in Habakkuk. It resonated down to my core.

I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint(question). (Habakkuk 2:1 NLT)

A little more time passed, a few more days, and I ‘stumbled’ over someone teaching on healing and speaking about the meaning of dunamis. Already somewhat familiar in that it speaks of the power of God including the power to perform miracles and we get our word dynamite from this Greek word, then I heard and additional meaning. I, being unfamiliar and therefore skeptical, decided I must check out what was said. After checking several reliable sources, it is true. Dunamis not only means the power of God, might, power to perform miracles, strength; it is used to mean moral power and excellence of soul. This brought my mind back to Habakkuk from my reading a few days ago. Habakkuk 3:2 says “Lord, I have heard the report about You; Lord, I stand in awe of Your deeds. Revive Your work in these years; make it known in these years. In Your wrath remember mercy! (Habakkuk 3:2 HCSB)

A little later while reading the Word, Isaiah 43 was my passage. Here God’s word to his people is, ” Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. The animals of the field will honor Me, jackals and ostriches, because I provide water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people. The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise. (Isaiah 43:18-21 HCSB)
Next came:
Isaiah 54:2 “Enlarge the site of your tent, and let your tent curtains be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your ropes, and drive your pegs deep. 3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left, and your descendants will dispossess nations and inhabit the desolate cities.”

You may, like me, be asking by now “what does all this mean?” Or “where is it going.” I can honestly answer I don’t know, not even a guess. What I do know is I am both excited and expectant to see what unfolds in 2014. I can not wait to see if and how any of this plays into the coming events. Will as NASSA predicts there be four Blood Moons over the next two years. The Word of God also speaks of the sun darkening and the moon looking like blood. What will happen with Israel? The Middle East? Is God doing something new? Will God’s power be more apparent than ever before? I have no answers, only anticipation and expectancy over what the next 364 days will hold.

Wishing you each a very blessed 2014 as I climb up to my watchtower and stand my guard post. There I will wait and see what The Lord says and how He will answer!

Leaving the Old Behind; Pressing Forward

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I am betting there are few of us who have not experienced a hard year; one to which we are ready to bid an eager good-bye. Other years we close reluctantly because it was a year full of mountaintop highs. Then there are those ‘normal’ years where life was average with only a few swings in either direction. No matter what our experience in 2013 has been, time marches forward. Now that we are of the cusp of a new year, I can not help but be a little excited and filled with wonder at the possibilities which might manifest in 2014. I find myself looking at a blank canvas, where will I begin? What do I want to make of it? Will I color in the lines others have drawn for me or that I have drawn in past years? Will I retrace the same comfortable image of past years? You know the ones practiced and repeated over and over because it is easy and comfortable, familiar.

Perhaps this is the year…is it possible? The canvas will be fresh, clean, new…dare I? What would it look like to live this coming year wide open, fully engaged moment by moment, authentically, fully focused on what is important without worrying or complaining and holding nothing back? How about a year of only speaking life and blessing over those around me and releasing every word that is not life and blessing that I am tempted to speak or that is spoken over me rather than letting it play on a loop in my mind? While I am dreaming, maybe I could take all my concerns, fears, worries, disappointments, hurts from the careless words that slip from someone I love immediately to my Father, who can handle them appropriately and is the only One who can truly do anything about them. What will this upcoming years canvas look like? How will fit together in the puzzle that is the mosaic of my life?

Will I take a moment to seek a scripture verse for the year and listen for Him to lead me to it? Will God in His sovereignty give me a word for the year that is to be my focus for 2014? Will I immediately understand it’s meaning? Or will understanding unfold as the year progresses? Perhaps the word given will resonate immediately and gradually unfold over the year to have a much deeper meaning than I ever would have imagined! As 2014 approaches and is already right here knocking at the door, I have many more questions, many hopes and dreams and much anticipation!! Yes, I am ready to leave behind 2013 and begin a new and exciting year; a new adventure. With me I will take all the memories of this year, I will treasure all the wonderful and wonder-filled memories and all the rest I will do my best to learn from them, let them go and move forward stronger for them.

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My prayer as we enter this New Year is that we will find ourselves fully alive, fully engaged in life drawing closer to our Creator, Our God; that we find balance between our being and our doing, after all we are human beings. We often live at an impossible pace and when we do we loose our peace, sacrifice our health and relationships, and carry more stress than was ever intended for us to bare.
I pray we choose life and blessing for ourselves and encourage all around us to do the same.

3 John 1:2 (NIV) Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually.

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Hebrews 12 (HCSB) 12 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.

Grace Gifts – Pondering the Precious

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I no longer feel as I once did the tremendous pressure to perform or produce, oh it stills rears its head from time to time but it does not haunt me moment to moment as it once did! Why? Because I finally understood…I ran across Psalm 139 a number of years ago. The realization became clear. Jesus, God – knowing me fully before I was ever formed – loved me, loved us. Knowing before either you or I was formed EVERYTHING about us in advance – still He formed me, formed you. He knew I would fail, He knew I would blow it – just like now two days behind again  in my Christmas devotional reading, or something stupid or hurtful that I carelessly said to someone dear. Still, He loves me; He loves you! Knowing everything about us, in advance of our first breath, He lovingly formed us with a purpose, a plan…a specific place in time in His mind for us where we would be placed purposefully.  Knowing we would go our own way at times, get off track…yet He, in His great love, called forth my life and has walked every step with me  – the good, the bad and yes, even the ugly! Even before I was aware of His Presence, He was right there whispering, “Perform no more, walk with Me and be free to become who I created you to be… not someone else’s image or destiny but your own unique calling unlike any other – no cookie cutter image here!” He provides grace for the gaps; and there are gaps! Times of self-doubt; times of difficulty; times of comparison; times fear slips in that I am not enough, unworthy, unloved. He always steps in, His Words chase me with grace; compel me; woo me; draw me closer… His grace whispered… love lavished…drawing me back, closer… reminding me of His love – unconditional – the love He created me in, you also!

How grateful I feel for God’s gift, His ultimate gift… Salvation! Right standing, a chance for real life, full and abundant life… Not just about heaven, the after life. No it is not just about avoiding separation from God, or a fiery hell and eternal punishment. No, His salvation is so much more… It is about life, true life.  Full life, living water flowing in and through me; through you, overflowing that we might love  others with a love that is greater than ourselves. A love like His! Pure love, unselfish love. His salvation is about working it out in our lives while we are alive, Philippians 2:12, with fear and trembling.  Fear? Doesn’t perfect love cast out fear? Yes, this fear has a rich deep meaning of reverence and respect – not being afraid but a deep reverence and respect for the One who created us, loves us.  He is for us, Jeremiah 29:11. When we understand and believe His Word, when we know He is for us and not against us, then we are able to see God as a perfect and loving Father who is always seeking our best as we walk this planet; then the reverence and respect He desires from us follows naturally. It is then we stop seeing Him as the great rule maker; we stop seeing Him as out to limit our fun, control us. It is in this place we begin to see His loving and gentle hand protecting us, guiding us to be the best we can be; to reach toward our destiny. We begin to live life to the fullest and most abundant progressively moving forward in love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, goodness, kindness, gentleness and self-control.

Salvation and eternal life are found in Jesus, but it does not stop there! We work it out (Philippians 2:12) in our lives by seeking the Father and walking with Jesus by means of the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our life – hearing God’s Word directing us in what He created us to be, wooing us, drawing us into the dance of our lives. His salvation is not just for eternity but for life here and now!  He makes it so simple a small child can understand, yet we complicate it. He loves us indescribably, exponentially!! Yes, He like any good father wants us to be obedient but not for His sake or for His satisfaction but for our protection, for our good so that we can have the richest and most satisfying life possible. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” He would not have taught them this if it we not possible, in fact all things are possible with God.  What would it look like if every one of us who God calls son or daughter walked in our destiny and fully understood who we are in Christ.   Can we even imagine? What would His kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven look like?

I am betting that just one glimpse and not one of us would ever be the same!!

Releasing Expectations

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We all have expectations in our life, some met, others that are unmet and even a few that may never be met. Last night as I talked to a close friend, some unexpected and unacknowledged words came out of my mouth. I really did not think too much of it at the time, but as I lay down to go to sleep about an hour later those words came back to me. ” I am just tired of being the one trying to hold it all together!”

My next thought, or maybe it was His still small voice…”you’re not God, only He holds all things together.” Then I remembered another friend speaking recently on putting all our expectations in God and a Sermon about not drowning in the shallow water. Knowing myself well enough to know if I did not stop, there would be no sleep tonight: I made some notes and resolved that I can not fix anything, nor can I hold it together. I am going to pray and go to sleep, this will still be here tomorrow! And it was!

Yes, I awoke with the revelation that I can neither fix ‘this’ nor can I hold it together heavily resonating through my mind…time to pray! As I took this matter before The Lord, I was given a couple of reminders and a few things became clear to me:
God gave all of us a choice between life and death; blessing and cursIng.  Deuteronomy 30:19
We can not choose for another, only for ourselves!
He holds all things together! Colossians 1: 16-18
I am not Him, without Him I can’t hold me together! Acts 17: 27-29
We have been through a lot tougher things in our lives, compared this is shallow water!
Shallow water… You can actually stand up now and walk! Stand up, breathe deep and walk out of the water!!!
Yes, you are tired, exhausted even…BUT the Joy of the Lord is your strength!  Nehemiah 8:10
He who began a good work will see it through to completion!  Philippians 1:6
I can not change anyone or anyone’s mind, not even my own without Him!
Acknowledge unspoken expectations, let go of them and place all my expectations in Him! Pray!  (Thank you, Katie. Your words echo in my heart.)
Hold on to my dreams loosely, putting my faith and trust in God!  Hebrews 11:6
Walk in both gratefulness and in the rhythm of His grace in my life! Yes, even when it is tough!
Walk in expectation! What is next, Daddy?

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Words for a Weary Warrior

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20131106-093537.jpg It happens to us all, life hits us full on at times. Life is speeding by and if we are not paying attention and getting proper rest and recreation it can bowl us right over before we know it. It is so easy to get caught up in life whether it is a prosperous time, a sad or grieving time, a time of great happiness or a time of trial in your life! Even for those of faith who find our hope in God and are lovingly shepherded by The Holy Spirit as we attempt to follow in the footsteps of Jesus are not immune to this. It is so easy to get caught up in doing things, good things; enjoying the company of others; serving others; working and so many other good and normal activities. Can I just say from firsthand experience, go for it! Get out there and give it your best but if you want to finish strong and do not want to grow weary in well-doing, don’t neglect the Sabbath! Mark 2: 27 Then He told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” HCSB We all need a break, rest. Our Heavenly Father knew this and for that reason He told us to rest every seventh day and to rest the land every seventh year! Almost ten years ago, I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in Germany. One of the things that stood out as a startling difference: most if not all shops, restaurants, etc. we’re closed on Sunday. This was true here in America in my youngest of years, also. Sundays there were quiet and peaceful, slow-paced and relaxing. Families and friends spent time together just enjoying each other’s presence. Today, most of us have bought into the rush of life, squeezing the most out of the day just like squeezing the very last little bit out of the toothpaste tube. We try to exist on the absolutely least amount of sleep possible so we can finish that project, watch the latest episode of our favourite show, put in just another hour at work trying to get ahead. The simple fact is that our bodies were not designed that way and after a while, we get weary and b. It may not manifest that way. It can show up in many other ways such as: being over sensitive, over-reactive, over-stressed. When this happens we can react to others, often those we love the most, in ways that are very uncharacteristic of our behavior. I believe that is why in 2 Thessalonians 3:13 ‘Brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.’ Why do we do this to ourselves? Have we bought into the got to have the latest and best now? Or perhaps, we simply want better for our kids: better education, better opportunities? Are we seeking to ‘make up’ for something we perceive someone needed from us that we just couldn’t or wouldn’t give? Are we just driven, seeking more? Are we motivated by fear of lack? Perhaps you are like I once was and just find it impossible to say, I’m sorry but no I can’t do that. The reasons are as endless as the as the waves in the ocean! Sometimes it even comes down to doubt. We may or may not doubt God’s goodness, or that He keeps His promises to His children. Even if we are completely convinced of His goodness, His promises and His love, we may question our own worthiness. 1 Peter 5: 4-7 in the Message says, ‘4-5 When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with His rule, He’ll see that you’ve done it right and commend you lavishly. And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for—God has had it with the proud, But takes delight in just plain people. 6-7 So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; He’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; He is most careful with you.’. Perhaps it is time to begin taking those Sabbath rests regularly. Maybe we can spend some of it quietly resting in His grace, researching in a comfy chair who He says we are in Christ and what He says about us. It is surprising how slowing down and spending a half hour or hour listening to your favourite worship music can refresh us and soothe our weary soul! Isaiah 40: 28-31:

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole eart.  He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.

Living in the Now

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It is amazing what can happen in the span of three days! This weekend my husband and I celebrated our anniversary, took care of a work related chore, spent a few hours exploring a nearby town, enjoyed a great time of worship at church, spent some time with family members and even had a visit with some friends we have not seen in about 5 years. This morning, I was reflecting on the last few days, a message I heard Sunday morning as we got ready for church, and life in general. I did some quick calculations. More on that in a bit, but as I calculated, the memory of the message the t.v. pastor was giving came flooding back to mind. His topic was on the Power of Now, and was one I really needed to hear! In fact, I went online to listen again this morning. The main theme was enjoy now, don’t get bogged down in yesterday and the past and don’t spend all your time longing for tomorrow.

Ok, back to the calculations. I have been married for 64.6% of my life! Wow! That makes me sound old! Guess that’s what happens when you get married at 18. When most people our age have teenagers or college students, we have adult children and six beautiful grandchildren between the ages of new-born and almost seven! The point, time flies! Yes, I know! everyone says that especially to young parents starting out! They, like we did, will smile, nod and probably roll their eyes just a bit thinking we are young and have our whole life before us. We sure did! I smile thinking about that and the one or two that said all those years ago that “we were too young, it’s puppy love; they will never make it!” They underestimated our tenaciousness to keep our vows to each other and to God.

Tenaciousness, the gentler and more controlled side of stubbornness is a great quality when channelled properly and can be very beneficial to us as we endeavour to live ‘in the now’. Life happens fast! sometimes it comes at us like a freight train and if we let it, it can barrel over us and leave us flat on the ground! Two cars, both needing repairs in days of each other, having to rent a vehicle to get to work and back, sickness, busyness, and any number of other things vying for our money, our time, our attention. We may focus on why we didn’t prepare better, save more in the past….if we had been more thrifty, saved more for a rainy day; or we may focus on the what-if’s… What if insurance premiums double or triple, what if this sickness is really serious, what if it is something major wrong with the car?

If we are not careful, we can worry our entire life away by choosing to focus on the past or focusing of futures worries. Days or weeks can be lost in this type of thinking and that basically was the premise of the message. He quoted John 10:10, ” The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. (John 10:10 NET). This is one of my favourites, though I have never thought of it quite like he presented it. He presented it in reference to time. My summery, when we get all caught up in our circumstances whether it is not letting go of the past or whether it is worrying about the future, we loose! We miss out on the now, in our lives! Yes, we should be responsible and deal with our past properly and prepare responsibly for our future, however if we are not careful, we will be robbed of our today in the process. The problem with that is once today is gone, we can never get it back! What is more, we are not promised tomorrow. My goal; focus on the now! Whether I am dining with my friends who I have not seen in years; attending a seminar or conference; working; or chatting with friends or family, I want to be fully present and in the now. Anything less is cheating myself and cheating them of the fullness of today and the abundant life God meant for His children.

My prayer for both myself and all who may read this: Lord, may we learn to forgive  and let go of the past whether it is ourselves or others and may we trust you fully for our futures letting go of doubt, worry and unbelief and cling to faith and trust in You. Help us to fully engage in today, in our now because if we don’t we will miss it and possibly miss You in the process! Strengthen us with Your Word, I pray!

Hebrews11 Now, faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. 2 For by it the people of old received God’s commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God’s command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible. 4 By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faith he still speaks, though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God. 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.