Waiting is Preparation

There are times in life when we wait long. Waiting for answered prayer, waiting for a vision of a goal to come to fruition. Waiting for a time of trial or illness to pass...during those times we might have a vague question hovering in our heart, "Where is God?" 


Yes, we know He is always there, but it doesn't seem like it sometimes.


Similar to the trees, and the perennials during the winter, or a baby growing in the womb, we can trust that God is always up to something that we cannot see during our times of waiting.


I led a study through Isaiah 40:1-11 over Advent and a quote from my study drew me to consider and read about the two 400 year periods of waiting in the Bible: Israel waited for deliverance from slavery before Moses was called (and Moses had 40 years of waiting) and Israel waited 400+ years for deliverance  before Jesus was born...


The prophecy in Isaiah 40:3 of John the Baptist coming to "prepare the way for the Lord" prompted us to consider that "every great work of God begins with great preparation". The entrance of John the Baptist into the God's great drama was the transitional point, like the budding of a leaf in spring time...or the transition of labor into the delivery of a baby.  


The picture became more clear through our study that we {disciples of Jesus} are {participating currently; constantly} in preparation for the second coming of the King of Kings...mountains of pride will be leveled, valleys of unbelief will be raised up...a highway is being cleared for our King to return (Isaiah 40:3-4). We are in a time of Advent...waiting...and preparation just as God's people have been in the past...and I wonder...could we also possibly be seeing something transitional happening? 


I wonder.


May the Lord fortify us, establish us, and give us the perseverance to 'set our face like a flint' (Isaiah 50:7) and march on in our journey of faith wherever that finds us today..(likely waiting for something!), that salvation may come to His people and we will be watching and ready for His return!

Isaiah 40:1-5

Comfort for God’s People

 ¹ Comfort, comfort my people, 
   says your God. 
² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, 
   and proclaim to her 
that her hard service has been completed, 
   that her sin has been paid for, 
that she has received from the LORD’s hand 
   double for all her sins.

 ³ A voice of one calling:
“In the desert prepare
   the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
   a highway for our God.
⁴ Every valley shall be raised up,
   every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
   the rugged places a plain.
⁵ And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
   and all mankind together will see it.
            For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

May your New Year be full of God's Peace and may you experience great awareness of His Presence!  

Combining Artistry

My men are hard workers and take very good

care of me. My main man (hubs) is working

out of state for the next six months, and 

situated me well to be cared for by our "boy"

of nearly 20 years...

who happens to be doing online college courses

from home, enabling him to haul wood and keep

the home fire burning  (I have been

very toasty in our below 20* weather!!!)

So...Ethan was hauling wood in his modified

~*toy*~

and snapped this picture for me.

I then did a little "coloring" via picnik

and "VWALLA!"

Our "combined" artistry:

Here is a Christmas greeting for you from

our little farm in Wisconsin.

Christmas Cafe

I'm aware this doesn't look a lot like Christmas...

But the men who look as if they are AWOL from

the tree-stand are our delightful

Christmas Cafe pre-entertainment!!

(Christmas Cafe is our annual Ladies event)

They are called something different every year

and often have variations in participation.

One year they were "Men in Aprons"..

This year, "Merry Men"...it was all about being

~Merry~

~The men dressed normally are our servers!~
Here they are...performing. 

(The one stooping the lowest, btw, is our

Pastor...similar to the posture of his heart:

humble.)

Our speaker was Pati Kachel. A heartwarming

storyteller from Shoreview, MN. 

We were beyond blessed!!!

 Pati is Scandinavian as you can see
by the props in my photos!...in my 

experience with Scandanavians 
(and there are many in "these parts"!), 
they are fullof life, and creativity,

 humor, and depth...

and Pati proved once again, it's true!

Her stories and songs tugged our hearts

back to childhood memories of
shopping & baking with mama, & 

White Christmas with the sound of Bing Crosby,

and then upward to the faithfulness 
of our ever-present Savior.

 Here is Pati:

We have a resident (very talented) 
song re-writer in our midst
my very own "other mother" Mary. 
(she adopted me and I her!
she is the one with the beautiful 
white hair in the center of the video!)
Here is one of the songs she wrote
and the Merry Men performed for us...

Tidings of comfort and Joy to you!

Christmas Rescued Me

Mind weighed with chains

Heart-ache and pain...

Dark prison cold

stone walls of shame.

Seeking release

Reach-straining for peace.

Seeing my sin

Oh, only my sin and

the cavernous crater of guilt within.

When the Deceiver

whispered to me, "no hope"

 I searched and I yearned

for a rescuing rope...

The Liar, he said,

"you have gone too far...

The Mercy will never

reach where you are.

You have done 

the abominable thing.

Trusted yourself

so you'll no longer sing.

Of that Christ-child 

come down

with his promise of peace,

For you have

lost your place

and you have

lost your seat.

His table is no longer

open for the likes of you.

You are so filthy-dirty

you'll never be made new."

And came the glorious LIGHT

into my dark-long night.

The Truth of Love's

endurance.

Found me.

Gave hope.

Assurance.

The baby-God was sent

into the cold, dark night,

came to my chilled

 burden-weary heart

with His oil-fire Light.

With His hand He 

cupped my chin

Lifted my eyes to Him.

Stood me to my feet,

He made me whole. 

I'm now complete.

 My soul sings as Jesus prays

that I'll dwell in His Son-rays.

The light of His Love-face

beaming mercy and sweet grace. 

I have come into the world as light, 

so that whoever believes in me 

may not remain in darkness. 

John 12:46

because of the tender mercy of our God,
   whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness

and in the shadow of death,
   to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Luke 1:78-79

A Familiar Rut

Prone to bear weights of responsibility and prone to fear failing at just about everything. Prone, but not always living in that rut in the road...I find myself stuck there still from time to time. Usually the times are full of "to-do's" and deadlines.

I found myself in such a rut a day or two ago. It seems that as I traveled along the past two weeks or so, the jagged groove in the road got deeper, but I didn't recognize it for what it was because it was gradual (and did I mention I am prone to it?). I should recognize the rugged ridges of the rut when I begin to feel weary, and when the familiar fear of dropping {failing} one of the things on my "to-do" list bears on my mind.

The surest warning sign should be the absence of joy and the pressure of duty upon my heart. Jesus doesn't lead one there. (Matthew 11:28)

The Bible calls it "leaning on my own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5-6). The rut is the hard, stuck place I find myself in when I have been once again living in my own strength, independent of God. I forget to "acknowledge Him in all my ways" so that He is directing my path {thus keeping me out of the rut}.

I took a "time-out" on Thursday night to watch Princess Diaries with my friend Holly and two of her sweet offspring. Afterward, when the two went to bed, we sat on her couch and talked about our dreams, and difficulties and Jesus and His never-failing grace. 

She had wonderful reports of sweet ways that Jesus had spoken into her life and affirmed her in her new worship-dance ministry called Karar {Karar is a Hebrew word for dance} where she is  teaching people to express worship to God through movement. {It's lovely by the way!} 

Jesus spoke through her husband, through a friend, and through His word. I rejoiced with her and a longing was sparked in my own soul. 

On my way home, I told Jesus I needed desperately to hear from Him. I needed a cup of His living water for my weary soul. I acknowledged that I had worked my way into the rut once again and I needed Him to deliver me out. To remind me that this life I live is not mine to live any longer. (Galatians 2:20). True to His ever-faithfulness, His Spirit spoke to me of the lesson I have learned over and over and over again...such great patience He has for me! 

He invited me to sit awhile by the well with Him. (Psalm 23:2-3) He said to me, "walk free, Kathy. Remember live from my love, it casts out fear" (Galatians 5:1, 13-14; 1 John 4:18)

Sometimes we just need a "time-out" with a friend...

Water into Wine

After receiving a postcard advertising a retreat near me, I went to the internet to research the speaker. Her name sounded familiar...Kelly Minter...It was on her website that I stumbled upon her book, Water into Wine.

Over summer a friend and I met every Thursday to study the gospel of John. We went chapter by chapter and listened in on Louie Giglio's messages (The Word series). An ember was kindled in my heart in my personal study of the miracle in Chapter 2 where Jesus turns the water into wine. (John 2:1-12) I continue to mull over the fact that the stone water jars were "the kind used by Jews for ceremonial washing" (John 2:6) which to them would be part of their method of preparation for entering the presence of God. (Psalm 26:6)


In the story, there is a crisis of sorts when there is no more wine for the guests at the wedding. Prompted by His mother to fix this problem, Jesus has the servants bring the jars to Him full of water, and as you probably know, he miraculously transforms the water into wine. When this miracle is tasted, it is found to be superior to what had already been served (John 2:10).


Reflecting further on wine as part of our communion with Jesus, our remembrance of His life-giving-that-we-might-really-live gift; and that He is the New Covenant Wine that we drink. (1 Corinthians 11:24-26) 


By-His-blood we enter into the presence of God now and there is no need to wash our hands any longer, because He washes our hearts. 


Did you know that alcohol enters directly into the blood stream where life is? (Leviticus 17:14)


...Is there a mystery (or three) hidden in this story?...Perhaps Jesus was saying to those who would see, "The first wine is inferior (the wine of the Old Covenant); the ceremonial washing is now obsolete as a means of approaching God. I am giving you a new and superior way of entering the presence of God. I am the New Wine. When you drink of the new wine, you are clean inside your heart, the place where life's blood is."


Perhaps too, there is a second message in this story. A rather obvious one if you see the first message. Washing with water is an exterior event that must be done over and over again. The receiving of Jesus inside of us, into our very life-blood, brings about a permanent transformation. New blood, so-to-speak.


This stokes my fire! You can imagine why I purchased the book "Water to Wine...Hope for the Miraculous in the Struggle of the mundane" by Kelly Minter... I wanted to know, 'What did God show her? Does she have any other insights into that first wondrous miracle that Jesus performed?' ...and I am not disappointed! 


True to my suspicion, in the first chapter Kelly reveals things that I had not considered from the story. The water represents a "mundane" or "a usual, easy-to-come by element", and the wine (by way of the miraculous transformation of the water, not the crush-grapes-ferment-over-time process)...the wine represents the result of the touch of Jesus on the mundane offerings we are asked to bring to Him (mainly, and first-of-all, ourselves!)


The mundane when brought to Jesus...miraculously becomes a divinely-empowered, life-giving, into-relationship-with-God element. 


"Intimate friendship with God is the true wine." ~Kelly Minter


Communion means fellowship or friendship. What has He really given us that we miss in the day to day living? There is so much more to be discovered!!! I am not halfway through the book yet, and the light keeps shining brighter. Join me for some Wine? You can purchase the book here: Water to Wine

Oil Me~Oil You

A friend shared recently how she has lost over 30lbs...then she shared about how her son is being a light in another person's life. One woman then scooted over next to her enthusiastically and squeeled, "I want some of what you have to rub off on me!!!"


I laughed and shared with them what God has been teaching me about 'anointing' and oil.


In 1 John 2:20-21 John tells us (brothers and sisters in faith) that we have been anointed by the Holy One and have knowledge of the Truth (John 14:6). This is a common anointing that we receive when we turn to Jesus with our whole heart and He takes up residence there by His Holy Spirit. This anointing gives us knowledge of the truth and the ability to discern what is and isn't true. (referenced above)


The definition of anointing (or unction) is: shedding of Divine influence upon a person; manifestation of Spiritual inspiration.


The Holy Spirit is often represented by oil which is used in anointing. The anointing that is in us seems to be united with the Spirit of God. (2 Corinthians 1:22)


In the Old Testament, anointing was a sign of consecration (being set apart as holy) to God and it was done by pouring oil on the head. Moses anointed Aaron and his sons as Priests in Exodus 29:7-9. In 1 Samuel 16:13, David was anointed and set apart as King. This meant they had been Divinely enabled to do the work that God had appointed them to do. God was with them and His grace and favor (power by His Spirit) was upon them.


Reflecting on the common things I know about oil: 

• Oil is used in the potpourri that I sell in my shop-the fragrance is very recognizable to everyone who comes in. I believe it makes the fragrance "stick". (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)
• Oil also makes it look rich and shiny. 
• Oil evaporates and needs to be reapplied on a regular basis to keep the fragrance fresh and lamps burning. (Leviticus 24:2; Exodus 35:28) 
• Oil reflects light off of the thing it is applied to. 
• Oil keeps things like my maple butcher-block from becoming brittle. 
• Oil makes muffins moist and tasty. 
• Oil keeps my skin from itching and promotes healing. (Jeremiah 8:22)
• Oil keeps engines running smoothly.
• Oil fueled lamps of the past for light. (Matthew 25:4)

In conclusion: Oil carries fragrance, protects, shines, heals and keeps things supple. We can make application of each of those properties to the Holy Spirit of God inside of us and coming through the Word of God, the prayers and the hands of others who are anointed! (I love that we are fueled by our being with each other!)


The Greek word for 'anoint' is Chrio/ Christos and means "His Anointed". Jesus our Messiah is "The Anointed One". (Luke 4:1)


As Believers in Jesus, we are all priests of God (1 Peter 2:9) with the common anointing. We also have a distinct, God-given purpose in the family of God and there is a more distinct anointing on our lives for the mission God has given us according to our Spiritual gifts.


So you, dear Believer, are set apart by God, filled with God, and given everything you need to serve God with your consecrated life! Isn't that freeing? Doesn't that give you a sense of rest and peace that God will fulfill His purpose for your life as you keep your relationship fresh with Him? Psalm 138:8 (So His OIL will continue to rub off on you!!!) Also keep in His word, and hang with His people~You will then be a brilliant beacon of light!

Dear Father in Heaven,
Thank you that your fragrance of love is in us and on us. Bless us, your children, to honor you by believing that you give us everything we need! Don't let us get distracted by less valuable things than spending time with you each day. Help us remember your favor, grace and power are freely given to us. We walk by faith and not by sight, relying on You for everything we need. In Jesus' Name, Amen.


Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Bearing Burdens Not My Own

When we Jesus-followers are really about the other side of that unseen threshold, but the cares of this life seem to suffocate because they keep pressing in... when there is a continual flow of imposing concerns, and when worries invade my living, it seems before I can take and "shake the first out" the next is thrusting it's weight on my already-heavy heart and I groan under the load.

{Lord, my friends are pressed...}

Will I look up and recall the Mighty Power of the Living God who longs to show compassion?The One who has healing power in His Hands? The One who continues to add to the constellations and call them by name? Who knows even my name and the number of hairs on my head?

When knowledge of the Lord and His promises are attained, and stored, and when it comes time to need that knowledge, will I tap into it ? Will it transpose to wisdom and consolation for me? Or will I forget what I know and act on what I feel? How can I live in the light of what I know when I need it?

But by the grace of God go I...

& I get by with a little help from my friends,

and from their prayers...

Remember now the Love, Faithfulness and Power of God for those who believe but sometimes have doubts in our belief because of continual waves crashing into our shore...

.

You are LOVED by God. He will NOT let you down. 

And please remind me of this when I need it. :)

If you would like prayer for something, please leave me a comment and I will pray for you. 

Love~It's Fierce

Philippians 1:9-11

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Do you get that part highlighted in pink??? I admitted to the Lord that it was confusing me... (My) love may abound in knowledge. (My) love may abound in depth of insight. 

What does that mean?

I asked Him to give me a greater revelation of LOVE. What is this love? I understand that HIS agape love is sacrificial, Jesus died for us though we don't deserve it; He layed down His life for us in unconditional love. His passion is so fierce, He, the perfect one, hung on that cross in torturous humility to rescue us from deathly sin-shackles. 


"But what about MY love abounding Lord?"

I heard a whisper, "Fierce Loyalty"
and another whisper:


...no matter what, He is fiercely loyal to His children (2 Timothy 2:13), and...

He requires and deeply desires fierce loyalty from His children (Luke 14:26).

And the first commandment: (Matthew 22:37).

And This: God is love (1 John 4:8)

So how does (my...and your) love abound in knowledge and depth of insight?

Knowledge of?...God! 
Deep insight into?... the heart of God!


Love abounds in seeking/pursuing the God of LOVE!

A passionate pursuit of God........ Fierce LOYALTY.

How is my heart Lord? How would you rate my loyalty? Is it fierce? Am I willing to leave everything to follow you? 


Lyrics from Michael Card : "I Left Everything to Follow You"
And the song:

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

It's A Happy Day!

I love fall. You do too, right? It is so...cozy. The colors, the fragrances, the cool air...Today I spent OUTSIDE gathering cornstalks from a generous neighbor, sunflowers and gourds from my garden, twigs from our fence line, and bittersweet from our windmill.


My heart was simply delighted in nature. Me and God...hanging out, making things together...


My mom comes from a family who loves "jingles". We know lots of them, they stick with you. My siblings and I grew up singing songs...little "diddies" that we were taught by a great-uncle, or that were sung in our home by mom. The one that came to mind today that she sang often..."It's a happy day, and I thank God for {fill in the blank...the weather, Jesus, you}...living each day in the promises of God's word."


The wonder of the lavish gift of life, of autumn...pumpkins, corn stalks, branches, bittersweet, gourds, maple leaves... and a melody... Can you hear it? 

Which Way?

There are always two choices.

Right or Wrong.

Up or Down.

Heaven or Hell.

Good or Evil.

God or Satan.

Peace or Turmoil.

Joy or Depression.

In or Out.

Love or Hate.

Light or Dark.

Freedom or Bondage.

Obedience or Sin.

Follow or Leave.

Belief or Unbelief.

Surrender or Rebellion.

Good or Bad.

My self or God's Spirit...

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. ~Romans 8:5-8

Choose the good way. 

Choose God's way.

Luke 9:23

Tell It ~ Dispel It

When you find fear choking your heart, when the dark cloud of foreboding hangs heavy overhead, how do you break free? When we are people of faith, exhorted to trust Perfect Love ~1 John 4:18~, and we find the familiar fear-feeling gripping us instead of the peace we are abundantly given ~John 14:27~ how DO we access that peace?


I have had my share of run-ins with, and run-overs by fear. It has crippled me. It has held me back. It has stolen from me. Fear strangles out joy, peace, and light. Fear is darkness. 


"Fear is the darkroom where Satan develops your negatives" ~Francis Frangipane


Understanding that fear is a negative, something related to darkness, it stands to reason that exposing it to the light ~2 Corinthians 4:6~ would  be a good first step in overcoming it. So often I have hidden my fears; kept them to myself, and in doing so have given them power. 


It is humbling to admit fear, but just in the act of telling it, it loses power. Then usually that someone that you trust can give you greater light from a "higher" view, a different perspective, and encourage you. En. Courage. Give you courage. Strengthen your faith. Better still, pray for you and remind you of the truth. That God is bigger, stronger, and loves to bring you good. Reminding you that God is God and He loves you. ~Romans 8:28~


We need that sometimes. Reminders. Peter ~2 Peter 1:12-15~ gives what I call "extreme expression" to the value of reminding and remembering. Because he knows that sometimes... we forget. 


So be free in expressing your fears to a trusted friend and you will find faith coming to light on the other side. 


For more "faith talk" go here:

Home and Happy

I received a call late on Monday night, my brother's daughter Rita had fallen from their hayloft and was being airlifted to the Twin Cities because they may have to do surgery on her brain. Would I please put her on our church's prayer chain?

My brother's facebook status: 

On Monday our daughter Rita Rose fell and hit her head, she was air lifted to Minneapolis where she underwent surgery to remove the blood buildup from inside her skull. I'm happy to report that all seems well at this time and the blood came from the fractured skull and not the brain. God is good!

God has answered several prayers for my family over the past year. A year ago my dad had an artery nearly totally blocked. He had been prayed over a day before, and on our prayer chains after being diagnosed and prepped for surgery. He was, two days later, out of the hospital riding an ATV.  


Then one day late winter this year, my mom's heart had been racing for an hour, I happened to call her on my way home from a Moms In Touch prayer time for Ethan and his college, and I prayed with her over the phone. She was frightened. As I prayed for her, she suddenly said, "It stopped!". 

"Really? It stopped? It's done?" My voice revealed shock {sorry Lord!}. 


"Yes, it stopped!!" 


We started singing together on the phone: "He is Mighty to Save". God moved through prayer again and it was an "auto-response" to overwhelming thanksgiving.

Rita had to have an incision to drain the blood-swelling from her head that night as we prayed. 

My brother's facebook status yesterday:

Rita is coming home. No PE, playground, sports or recess until January at least. All things she loves, this is going to be tough on her! But thank God she will eventually be 100%!

My brother's words off of facebook today:

"My Rita my Rita, I'm so very happy to have her, home, healthy, and healing! her perpetual smile back home where it belongs!"

I have a feeling that God says that very same thing when we turn to Jesus, and He wipes away our tears, heals our heart and receives us home where we belong!

Word Tsunami

Your word, O LORD, is eternal;
   it stands firm in the heavens. Psalm 119:89

Stand in Awe of God

 ¹ Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

 ² Do not be quick with your mouth,
   do not be hasty in your heart
   to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
   and you are on earth,
   so let your words be few.
³ As a dream comes when there are many cares,
   so the speech of a fool when there are many words. Ecclesiastes 5:1-3

In the tsunami of words at our fingertips, it is good to withdraw and dwell on the eternal word that stands in the heavens. :)

Do Joy and Burden Blend?

As I pour out my heart to God for my friends and family hurting, needing healing, my heart hangs heavy with burden. I thank my God for the many blessings in the lives of my friends and family and joy envelops me.

I find there is a weariness in my heart that lingers though, for the ones suffering. I feel so helpless. I cannot get release, and yet I know that our God is mighty to heal and deliver and save. I wear the burden as a mantle of prayer. For if the burden were removed, the Source that can and does heal may remain untapped.

Dear God...El Elyon~Great and Mighty One. El Shaddai~Merciful Provider Jehovah-Rapha, the God who heals. Please heal my friends. The ones who have non-treatable, ongoing illness weighing them down. Unable to function in the daily things. Waiting on you Lord. Heal them please. Give them grace to hope in your Sovereignty. My friends enduring chemo, Lord, give them grace to endure the tumultuous waves of anguish. Loss of appetite, loss of hair, loss of energy and clarity of mind. Bless them Lord to endure the wait. To praise you in the storm. I know Lord God in Heaven, that you are Good, Loving, Faithful, Powerful, Gracious, Kind, and able to lift the burden and heal the body. Bless them Lord, give them awareness of your love and peace as they trust you to provide...

So yes, joy and burdens do indeed blend, for all the while I have the heaviness of Burden, I have the weightlessness of Joy. The dance in my heart for the blessings too numerous to name. I sit before the Lord listing my thanks for His giving.

I marvel at the gift of family framed on walls and plastering my refrigerator; at prayers already answered, miracles witnessed. I thank Him for knowledge that I will have enough for groceries today; and grateful that I can throw this day's soiled garments in an agitating machine to come out clean. For there are many who don't have those things. Many whose burdens far outweigh mine. May the Lord meet their needs today I pray. Lord, you are strong enough to carry all the burdens.

In that knowledge, in the knowing that God can handle it all, I find that Joy wins. Yes, through the drone and the dance, in the hope and in prayer, I find that the drone dies, but the dancing endures. For God meets needs, God heals, God lifts the burden and with HIM all is good in the end. It's all part of life's song...

I recall the chorus:

For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28