Holy Garments

I am currently reading the KJV of the One Year Bible. I love the one year versions. This is my 11th year of reading through the Bible;  it is a rich experience. If you have not done it, I recommend it and you will keep going. I have also read NIV, and NLT.


Today's OT reading is in Exodus 28:1-43. In verse 2 God is talking to Moses:"And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty." My heart landed on those words holy garments...for glory...for beauty...That is Jesus, what He is and what He has clothed us with. His garments of righteousness (holy garments) for glory and beauty.


Then He goes on to say; "And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office." (v.3)
Following is the description, in glorious detail, of how they are to make the priestly garments. Including a description of the ephod with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on two stones, which will be worn on the shoulders of the ephod. The priest carries the burdens of the beloved on his shoulders. "for a memorial" (v.12) Reminding the Lord whose are His. We, His beloved, can picture Jesus with our names written on Him as he lives to make intercession for us before God. (see Hebrews 7:25) So this picture is of Jesus, but also of us who are of the royal priesthood. (1 Peter 2:9) We are called as well to make intercession, bearing the names of His people as we come to the throne room. We cry out, "Lord, remember these..."


We, like the OT priests, need to prepare ourselves by cleansing (with confession), we too must be clothed in holy garments, the robes of Christ's righteousness. We too represent His glory and beauty. 


Some of the elements of this garment are: gold, blue, purple, scarlet and fine twined linen. Kingly colors and textures. Do we really appear as royalty before our God? YES! What a high calling we have in God's family! What a privilege!


Now look at verse 29, "And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually." Jesus...continually bearing our names before the Father, us...continually bearing one another before the father (Ephesians 6:18). Have you ever prayed unceasingly? I'm sure you have, when there is a situation in a dear one's life that is beyond human ability to alleviate or help. We pray, pray, pray. I have a couple of situations right now that are constantly on my mind and I am continually bringing them to the Lord.


Now, look at v.36,38 "And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD."...And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord."



We know that Jesus is our offering, our "Holy Gift" and that as we wear the inscription upon our foreheads (as we are set apart, made holy,) we are accepted before the Lord. Read v 41; And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.


What a profound picture of our Savior as well as our calling. We are to be consecrated (distinct, holy, set apart) and pursuing the throne of our Father on behalf of the Church. This encourages me and challenges me to be more diligent. To be more prayerful. To have a greater understanding of what the prayers of the saints mean to God. May He increase our knowledge of Him and fill us with the spirit of wisdom and revelation.


Thank you, Father for all you have given us in ability to see and understand Jesus and all He has done for us. Thank you too for your high call on our lives which can only be fulfilled by the Holy Spirit living in us and the garments you have clothed us with. We love and adore you. Amen.

In Sweet Remember Bitter

The beach was abuzz with bronzed boys kicking soccer balls, elderly couples tooling along on their bicycles, and kite-flyers hanging on with gusto. As we, ahem, middle-aged vacationers “buzzed” along on our bicycles enjoying the slow, but powerful sound of crashing waves, the deep blue hue of the ocean matching the glorious expanse overhead, and the seashells crunching under our tires, I began praising God for our breath-taking experience and simultaneously I thought of those who are trapped in slavery; those who are in an entirely different setting enduring darkness and confinement.

I found inside my heart even deeper gratitude for my freedom to enjoy such magnificent beauty, and at the very same time a burden so heavy, I was near tears.

How can I give thanks without spending some part of me to help rescue those who cannot enjoy this liberty?

                                        Isaiah 61:1-4

                                       

                                The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me

                                because God anointed me.

                                He sent me to preach good news to the poor,

                                heal the heartbroken,

                                Announce freedom to all captives,

                                pardon all prisoners.

                                God sent me to announce the year of his grace—

                                a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies—

                                and to comfort all who mourn,

                                To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,

                                give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,

                                Messages of joy instead of news of doom,

                                a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.

                                Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness”

                                planted by God to display his glory.

                                They’ll rebuild the old ruins,

                                raise a new city out of the wreckage.

                                They’ll start over on the ruined cities,

                                take the rubble left behind and make it new.

Interestingly when we returned home, we put in a movie we knew nothing about called “I am David” which was about a little boy in a concentration camp who had been separated from his family and endured the pains of evil men oppressing men. Someone helped David escape. The movie walks with him through his journey into freedom, and the same contrast I experienced on the beach a few days ago was on the screen before my eyes. I won’t give away any more of the movie. I highly recommend seeing it, but I will tell you it brought me to tears because of experiencing the emotions of the character.

I am glad that there are many things we can do to rescue those trapped in bondage. We can pray that the Lord will continue to anoint us to preach the good news of liberty for the captives and that He will empower and equip those who He has called to the mission field and rescue missions such as IJM and World Vision. We can also go where He tells us, and give what He asks us to give of our time, money and energy.

What is your part? Have you asked Him?

Father in Heaven, THANK YOU for liberty in Jesus from bondage to darkness in our souls, and thank you for liberty in our country to enjoy such delights as a ride on an ocean beach. May we not take it for granted and please enable us to spend what we have to help others be free in Jesus’ Name!

God Kisses Us With Grace

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

In planning for my rare ten-day getaway, as is typical when planning a vacation, “visions of sugarplums” danced freely in my head. However, upon arrival there were the usual bitter fruits that make their way into the sugarplum bowl. I should know by now that “sugarplum” images rarely come to fruition from failure to factor in the “unknowns” and the differing personalities and interests of mixed vacationers-even if only TWO...

I have ALWAYS wanted to escape to a warmer climate in January from the below zero temps we typically get, however I had very small hopes of doing so due to the fact that my idea of vacation in Florida is quietly reading on a beach, while my husband’s is tearing up the beach in a four-wheeler and taking in most everything.

Due to the slow-down of the economy, as a Commercial Construction Supervisor, has been working away from home for the past two years in various locations. He is currently in Florida and while I am at home in Wisconsin. He receives travel compensation for “going home” during his time away. Since he is in a warmer climate, we decided I would go to him and we would have the weekend for our “vacation”.

Though I do like a little four wheeling on the beach, I cherish time alone with my thoughts or a good book. He loves to bless me, and is willing to give me the decisive vote, but I know from experience that if I was sitting on the beach next to him, he would not last more than 20 minutes before getting agitated and wanting to go, which would then make me feel agitated and defeat the whole purpose of pursuing my desire.

When we made our way into the historic city of St. Augustine, FL on Saturday, we found ourselves immersed in State Fair-like chaos. There were people everywhere buzzing in and out of little shops. We saw scooters for rent, horse-drawn carriages amidst heavy traffic, and signs beckoning us to visit major attractions such as “The Fountain of Youth” or “The Old Jail”. 

God kissed us with grace when we found a free parking space at the site of the post office. The entire day of walking around the city, we saw no other free parking places. We wandered the city taking in the sights, the history and snapping several photos of old buildings and the historic fort where cannons with “blanks” were shot out over the water. It was enjoyable, but I was weary by mid-afternoon.

There are three bridges that exit the city toward the ocean. It is much quieter when you cross them, and we had booked a cheap room in an Oceanside hotel. We checked into our room late in the afternoon, and had a distant, but beautiful view of the ocean. I breathed in a sigh, and longed to sit on the balcony for awhile. True to his nature though, Dale was anxious to go onto the beach. Adding to his fervor, was him seeing vehicles driving out there. I was looking forward to getting out to the ocean too, so we drove out there and parked. He wanted to survey the terrain on foot. I wanted to take pictures and just sit and gaze. Together we walked the length of the beach area with me stopping several times. We returned to the truck, and he was a joyful boy as his longing to drive on the beach was fulfilled. God kissed us with grace by our choosing to stay near the only location that allowed trucks on the beach.

Sunday morning we went over a different bridge to discover more ocean shore. We parked at the site of a pier, and walked out to see people fishing off of the pier, and to look down the length of the shore to see people sunning themselves, surfing, biking and a variety of other fun things. It was breath-taking, majestic beauty! And I was longing to absorb it all in a quiet time on the beach. I didn’t say anything, but just resigned myself to doing the next thing. We had our bikes in the back of the truck, and I suggested a bike ride. He seemed resistant due to the fact that he had been unsuccessful in airing his bike tire with his little hand pump. I didn’t want to push, but asked if we might find a gas station. After deliberation, it was decided we would go!

God kissed us with grace once again. I was especially thankful since I hadn’t even asked Him... While biking along the beach, I was granted the thing I so desperately needed, time alone with my thoughts, while Dale was busy discovering new territory and the thrill of moving fast...

My joy in God overwhelmed me as I rode along. The beauty of the ocean, the colors of the water and sky, the sound, and the feel of the air ignited my heart with wonder at His creation. The gift of both of us having our longings satisfied simultaneously, when we never even asked, caused my heart to adore Him more.

As I consider the joy of seeing God throughout my vacation, it dulls in comparison to any sugarplum visions I had. The fact that two such opposite personalities could enjoy the same vacation is nothing short of a miracle.  J

Moments That Take Your Breath Away

 The SKY and the OCEAN. 

God's Majesty revealed. 

My lens is quite inferior to reality

...but delightful nonetheless... 

FLORIDA, USA <3

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!