Tuesday's ponderings...

It was a crazy morning-all because I hit the snooze too many times. When I do that, it seems to have a domino effect on the following engagements...

I have a few girls over on Tuesday morning at 8:00. When they arrived I was filling the dishwasher...(I cut into our time...domino).When we started meeting about a year ago we did a Bible study together. Lately though, we have been praising God and lifting our burdens in prayer. One of the girls has only 45 mn. So we cover her first (unless I am spewing out my list of little annoyances :( from my hectic morning...domino), then we continue to give updates on our joys and struggles and go into prayer. God has answered us with victories in many areas over the last year and we are in awe of His grace, love and power.

Our favorite study is called "The Confident Woman..knowing who you are in Christ" by Annabelle Gilham. It is a very life changing study. Helpful in solidifying your identity in Christ and growing your marriage.We discussed going through it again this morning because it blessed us so much and we want a review.

Then two of us proceed to Moms in Touch meeting with a few other moms for our junior high and high school students and teachers. There too, we have seen God do amazing things in answer to our prayers. Two years ago we saw drug busts in our community, and knew that it was a result of our asking God to expose the dealers, and to hinder the sales of drugs in our community. We have seen children soften and open up their hearts to the Lord. We know that there are many more things that we don't see, but are being accomplished because we are praying.

This morning it was 6 degrees, and the sun was shining brightly. The fresh snow was squeaky underfoot as we went out to the car. I was 7 mn late. (we had to skip listening to the song of the day which I enjoy so much...domino) We focused on God as Creator. We read Psalm 104 which magnifies His majestic Hand in Creation and we were more in awe of our Lord. We praised Him and rejoiced in His goodness to us. We went through our time of confession, then thanks and finally intercession for our children, teachers and schools. As we lift one another's children to the Lord, He knits us together in a tighter bond.

I had a lunch date after that with my friend. This stopped the domino effect-you can't be late to lunch if you are together:-p Over lunch we continued to rejoice in all God is doing in our lives. What a privelege to share life together in the Lord! I left there to continue in my errands and then rushed home to add wood to the furnace. On my way home I was experiencing a fresh sense of wonder at the Lord and His nearness in creation, and in friendships.

Got home and added wood. The fire was almost out and the house was at 63 degrees. So I filled it up, folded a couple of loads of laundry (yes I DID have a basket unfolded and one still in the dryer-but I DIDN'T iron) After that I started supper. I think it was a 9lb chicken I put in the oven. She's a biggie, we raise them, they are better than any chicken ever. I called a friend while I was working on cleaning and cutting potatos. Then I listened to a Becky Tirabassi CD that I have from a confrence on having a burning heart-wow. I want more of the Spirit on my life.

Before supper Ethan (my son) and I met my husb. @ church to unload tile for the new addition. Then we came home and ate and watched a movie together. Laughed alot and now they are all in bed and I am here. Sweet life.

Father, thank you for all you have given us and all you have revealed to us of yourself in creation. Thank you for the rich experience of friendship. Thank you for the chickadees and cardinals that eat at our feeder, they are such magnificent manifestations of your creativity and it is theraputic to watch them feed and flutter. Thank you for keeping us warm in winter. For being our all in all!

Thankful Thursday

I want to have a Thankful Thursday post even though I don't know how to link to the blogworld. I have looked into it, but it doesn't translate into my brain...

I am thankful for my husband, that he gets up in the wee hours of the morning and drives an hour and a half to work everyday. That he is gifted with the ability to lead and oversee construction projects. I am thankful that God's favor rests on him and he is appreciated. I am also very grateful that he keeps the house and farm up. He cuts and keeps wood in the house so we can be warm. (especially the next few days dipping below zero!!) He maintains my vehicle. He clears our driveway of snow, he has done extensive work on the house and the building of the gift shop enabling me to work at home. Wow, I am blessed! Even though he oversees many men every day and has many issues to deal with, he listens to my mouth overflow about anything I have been dealing with over the course of the day. What a guy!

He also is a great dad. He has taken time to work with Ethan so he knows mechanics. He is guiding him in the rebuilding of a truck. He and Ethan have restored a fishing boat. They have rebuilt old snowmobiles and ATVs. Teaching him and giving him a valuable work ethic and skills. He has given opportunities for Ethan to learn hunting and fishing even though he didn't do those things with his own father.

With Kayla, he has always understood her better than I have because their personalities are more similar. When she was just a few weeks old, he held me down in bed while she cried knowing that she was using her tears to get me to cater to her. From that night on, she slept through the night...how'd he know?? I have been very grateful for his understanding all through her growing up years:)

What a blessing a partner in parenting is...and all other areas of family life. Yes! - On this Thursday, I am thankful for my husband.

Temporarily Here

Losses...In the past 6 years I have lost my father-in-law to heart disease, my niece to a car accident, my little sister lost 2 sets of twin boys, giving birth @5 months and watching them die in her arms. My brother-in-law (father to my niece who died) lost both his parents to cancer on each side of his daughter. Both of my dad's siblings died, and almost 2 years ago, I lost my brother Peter (27) in a farm accident. We have also lost 4 young people in our community the age of my daughter to car accidents. I could go on and on.

Last week, on Wed, my neighbor called me crying, she has 3 diseases and now they think she has bladder cancer. She is lonely and has had a very difficult life. I have been praying for a miracle for her. On Friday morning, I asked the Lord if He wanted me to close my gift shop because I felt it hindered my freedom to minister love and encouragement to people like my neighbor....He answered in a profound way by sending a hurting soul to the shop on Friday afternoon who had lost a sister 13 years ago and still struggling with the loss, and with aging parents. I ended up holding her as she wept, going and getting my Bible out of the house and reading 1 Thess 4:13-17 with her, and praying with her. Sharing truth with her about life after death, etc. Then on Saturday, He sent another who just lost a brother to cancer, whose nephew was just diagnosed with it and in tears she wanted to know about going to our church. She just knew she couldn't do it alone anymore...It occured to me after the weekend with these two ladies that God was indeed working my losses and the losses of my family members out for good, for if I had not experienced them, I wouldn't have had the understanding I needed. It amazed me that He was using my gift shop that way...we cannot know what kind of fruit He is going to bear through the lives of His living temples. I feel so priveleged that He has called and chosen me...

I feel so blessed that He holds me and comforts me and I can comfort others with the comfort that I have recieved from Him.

I will praise Him in the storm... He gives and takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Jesus, thank you for the truth that this life is temporary and our losses are but gain in your Kingdom. Thank you that life in you is eternal and forever joy. May all come to know your great love and grace and comfort and Presence in their storms.

Misunderstood

Because of a painful experience with some family members at Christmas this year, I find myself thinking of Jesus and how He was misunderstood. Most people around Him didn't see Him as He really was. They must have talked among themselves about Him and it hindered the reality of Who He was from being seen. It boxed Him in. I can picture His mother and brothers talking among themselves..."he must be crazy". I can picture the Pharisees talking about "this man who healed on the Sabbath"..."it must be by Beelzebub"..."He doesn't wash before he eats", They then applied the law to what Jesus was doing, warping the people's perception of what was truly happening when Jesus healed or ate or forgave. Obscuring Who He really was and what He was about. Imagine...they actually thought they had figured Him out, and it was absolute opposite of the Truth!! Their pride resulted in slander and malice toward Jesus. They were blinded to the Truth that could set them free. What a tragedy.

The enemy wanted to discourage Jesus, I am sure (if that were possible) and wear Him down...Jesus had to put up with this all through His ministry. He couldn't just minister and experience the joy of doing the work of His Father without the aggravating, wearying nagging of the Pharisees and the misunderstanding of His own earthly family.

We are called to fill up on the sufferings of Christ. If we are walking in the truth, we will be misunderstood just as Jesus was. We may be called homophobic. Judgmental. Hypocrites. Crazy.
How did Jesus endure? How did He respond?

I think first, He knew that it was Satan using the people to wear Him down. (It is Satan that blinds minds and our battle is not against flesh and blood) He was not afraid to rebuke them. Sometimes He even did it sharply, ie."You brood of vipers..." He kept in mind Who He was and Who He was pleasing. Never caving in to pleasing man. He endured by the Power of the Holy Spirit. By focusing all His affection on the Father. All His energy, all of His being was about the Kingdom that is to come. He faithfully continued in the Work He was called and anointed to do.

Father, give me grace to be able to stand in the face of accusation, misunderstanding, and opposition. To trust that you are at work. Help me respond with wisdom and grace, but not ever be afraid to state Your beautiful truth.
Thank you, Jesus, for walking this road before us. Amen.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him. Psalm 33:1

Did you ever notice that everything that is growing and alive is reaching toward heaven? Maybe you never thought about it, but if you drive around the upper midwest in the winter, there isn't alot to see along the interstate except trees with no leaves and unending fields. When I looked at the trees, and then the dead weeds laying down and going back into the earth, it struck me that everything growing praises the Lord while everything dying goes back into the earth.

Seeing the trees reach toward the sky, I reflected on raised hands. Many times in scripture God's people raised their hands toward heaven as a gesture of dependence. "We need you, Daddy!!" When I was first saved, I asked my mom about raising hands, she said it is like a little child wanting to be picked up. I could relate to that. I was inhibited and afraid to do it until I saw a clip from a concert on TV and all the girls in the front rows were raising their hands. The Lord spoke to me and impressed upon me that if they could do that towards a mere man, how could I do any less for my Savior? I have been raising my hands ever since.

One of the Hebrew words for praise in the Psalms is Yadah, which is praising with hands raised.
Raising of hands is a universal sign of surrender. Gen 29:35 is the first time in scripture that Yadah is used. Leah began to extend and recieve all her love from the Lord at the time of Judah's birth. It is extravagant praise with all our emotions.

Intresting to note that when asked, a chiropractor stated the benefits of raising hands are opening of the diaphram to increase oxygen (freedom) and loosens up a stiff neck. Hmmm... Lets all Yadah the Lord!!

Who is Master?

Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:6,7

My heart is heavy over the struggle with sin in people's lives. It is even heavier at the lack of struggle against it in more lives. It is understandable that the unbeliever still lost in darkness is mastered by sin. They have not the light of the knowledge of God so they do not discern their ways as being offensive to Him, nor do they care. But believers...have the light; His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3 So why???? Why the rampant sin? People falling into alcohol, porn, unhealthy relationships, foul language, self-reliance etc. Idols we cling to instead of turning to and trusting in the Lord with all our hearts.

The cares of this life choke out the word of God. (Matthew 13)
Leaning on our own understanding. (Prov 3: 5,6)
Forsaking our cross that we are called to carry. (Luke 9:23)
Forsaking the fellowship (accountability) of other believers. (Hebrews 10:25)
Grumbling and complaining (Philippians 2:14)
Loving the world and the things of the world (1 John 2:15-17)
Failing to separate ourselves from the worldly influences. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
Prayerlessness (Prov 3:5,6)

Dear Father in Heaven, call us out from our compromise, from our complacency, from our apathy, our perversion of your grace. Forgive us for failing to pursue you with vigor and forsake all other things that hinder our true devotion to you. Revive us, Lord, change us and make us more like you. Give us eyes that see in the Spirit, that we may have eternal perspective. All else fades in the light of your glory. Enable us to see you, Jesus! To know that you are HOLY!! Enable us to smash the idols we trust in. To throw them out and cling to you and the cross. Help us see your worth, and reverence you again. To master our flesh and submit to your Spirit. Help us to hold one another accountable. To bear fruit in keeping with repentance. In your sweet powerful Name. Amen

Shining Like Stars in the Universe

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life-...Philippians 2:14-16a

Here is another contrast that enhances the truth: Blameless and pure contrasted with crooked and depraved. The Lord wants us (His called and chosen ones) to be sanctified, holy, set apart unto Him. To be distinctly His, different from the world around us. The stars that shine in the universe oppose and overcome the darkness. They are created and empowered by the Lord. That is His desire for us. His Spirit within us makes us able to be blameless and pure and shine for Him. (See 2 Corinthians chapter 4)

As I studied this for youth group tonight, and I was also meditating on Hebrews 2:18 which says (about Jesus) Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Jesus suffered himself in saying no to the things of this world. Choosing to do the will of the Father instead of doing the popular things. He was strained in His humanity just as we are. He suffered being despised and rejected, denying himself in all areas of lust or gluttony. This gives me the desire to walk uprightly and obediently and to overcome my aversion to suffering. Help me Lord to be willing to suffer when you call me to.

He must not have given thought to His pain, He must have seen it as an offering pleasing to His Father. And had that joy that James tells us to have in all kinds of trials. What wondrous love is this!! That He left His perfect home in heaven to be identified with the likes of me...of all of humanity. He chose suffering. Selah. Oh that all would open their hearts to this love, recieve this gift of eternity in exchange for the temporary life here on earth.

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfiet his very self?
Luke 9:23-25

Father, help me to have a heart to surrender all, to endure the cross you have called me to carry. Some days, because I live here in the USA, my cross is barely noticable, but other days it is quite heavy. Thank you for always being here with me. For enabling me to carry whatever you call me to. Please be with my brothers and sisters in hostile nations as they carry crosses we cannot even begin to imagine. Hold them. Thank you that their reward will be great in heaven. Help us to keep our eyes on you, our prize.