I went to bed last night feeling dirty. Between North Carolina passing the lottery in a very underhanded move yesterday to the images of looting (especially around the children's hospital) and all the ravages of sin around us, this world just seemed to have a stronger ongrowing stinch that is continuing to rise and spread like the flooding in New Orleans.
Come Lord Jesus, Come quickly!
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
A fairly well known piece of scripture has somewhat been the scripture of our homeschool ..Eagle Nest Academy. I heard it first sometime after our babies died...and it was a reminder then of where my strength comes from and that this situation would not defeat me.
Today at the doctors office, I saw this piece of scripture framed and hanging on the wall of the examining room they had taken Christopher and myself to. My first thought was comfort in a well known verse that had at one time brought comfort, but God's spirit spoke to me to read it slower this time . The word "wait" caught my eye. Here in the past few years, we have been waiting. Waiting for God to work out his will in our lives in many things. Waiting on God, knowing it may be months or years before He brings his will to pass. Waiting on God to take us from where we are now to where we are going. We often hear jokes about being careful in our prayers for patience. I've often thought that patience meant being able to be patient with one another...but this morning I was given some thought about how when we wait on the Lord, we develop a patience with God where we wait in peace knowing He is working out the details. Waiting generally fustrates me, but waiting on the Lord gives me peace because of who HE is...and also gave me patience with Him...trusting His hand was going to take us at the right time where He has planned for us to go and be.
I read further into the verse where it goes on to say that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. There is blessing in the waiting. We are renewed in strength. Perhaps rather than being fustrated in the waiting, I should find thankfulness that God has given this waiting time because that waiting time gives way to being renewed by God. The cares of the world can so bog us down...but we are renewed as we patiently wait on God . It is much how my phone has to be charged up to work properly. The phone has to wait for the battery to charge...and is renewed as it waits. It waits for strength, and is charged, ready to face what it is there for.
Perhaps , God, in his wisdom and mercy gives us these days of waiting where we wonder what God is doing and why it is taking so long for anything to happen because He knows we need to be renewed in our strength. He knows that the hard knocks of life have really hit hard...and so in trusting His provision and timing and realizing our total dependance in all things on Him, we can pick up and then fly, run and walk where He takes us. All of a sudden we realize one day we are one step closer towards His plan and no longer waiting, but flying again .
A fairly well known piece of scripture has somewhat been the scripture of our homeschool ..Eagle Nest Academy. I heard it first sometime after our babies died...and it was a reminder then of where my strength comes from and that this situation would not defeat me.
Today at the doctors office, I saw this piece of scripture framed and hanging on the wall of the examining room they had taken Christopher and myself to. My first thought was comfort in a well known verse that had at one time brought comfort, but God's spirit spoke to me to read it slower this time . The word "wait" caught my eye. Here in the past few years, we have been waiting. Waiting for God to work out his will in our lives in many things. Waiting on God, knowing it may be months or years before He brings his will to pass. Waiting on God to take us from where we are now to where we are going. We often hear jokes about being careful in our prayers for patience. I've often thought that patience meant being able to be patient with one another...but this morning I was given some thought about how when we wait on the Lord, we develop a patience with God where we wait in peace knowing He is working out the details. Waiting generally fustrates me, but waiting on the Lord gives me peace because of who HE is...and also gave me patience with Him...trusting His hand was going to take us at the right time where He has planned for us to go and be.
I read further into the verse where it goes on to say that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. There is blessing in the waiting. We are renewed in strength. Perhaps rather than being fustrated in the waiting, I should find thankfulness that God has given this waiting time because that waiting time gives way to being renewed by God. The cares of the world can so bog us down...but we are renewed as we patiently wait on God . It is much how my phone has to be charged up to work properly. The phone has to wait for the battery to charge...and is renewed as it waits. It waits for strength, and is charged, ready to face what it is there for.
Perhaps , God, in his wisdom and mercy gives us these days of waiting where we wonder what God is doing and why it is taking so long for anything to happen because He knows we need to be renewed in our strength. He knows that the hard knocks of life have really hit hard...and so in trusting His provision and timing and realizing our total dependance in all things on Him, we can pick up and then fly, run and walk where He takes us. All of a sudden we realize one day we are one step closer towards His plan and no longer waiting, but flying again .
Sunday, August 21, 2005
I have a secret to share.
I keep a tamborine under my bed.
It's really not mine, it belongs to my son. We had arrived home from church one day and I was helping him clean out his room and found the tamborine. I had a song in my head that was sung at church ... "waves of mercy...waves of grace...everywhere I look I see your face.." and started dancing around the house banging the tamborine on my head as I said the words very loudly.
The kids thought it was fun...and it was. Basically it was a very real joy in the Lord spilling out very openly in our home between all of us as we all took turns with the tamborine. That is how it is here, very open and loud. I am very animated with my kids and here at home for the Lord.
I guess that means I am somewhat teetering on the pentecostal side of worship...however...I do not believe "anything goes". Order still has its place as we enjoy being in the Lord's presence. I was raised in the Southern Baptist Denomination, very quietly. Perhaps some of that quietness was my own personality in my shyness around those outside my family, or perhaps it was just not yet having learned how to express my love of the Lord in a very open way. Perhaps it was affection not yet realized until a few years ago....when what we did at home found a new place in our public worship of the Lord as we raised our hands, clapped our hands and sang OUT. Perhaps it is a passion, a love of the Lord that found it's place to overflowing and to keep it in, I'd explode. It came pouring out.
Im just a Christian that enjoys pulling out this tamborine out from time to time as the love flows to overflowing and the singing happens spontaniously. There is freedom in our expression of our love and surrender to the Lord. It reminds me of how David danced for all to see in worship and celebration....just enjoying being in God's presence...
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Not too terribly long, a Jewish believer that attends Calvary Chapel of Jerusalem came to our church to visit his son and his family. He has spoken before(in particular about the current state of Jerusalem biblically) , and again, spoke on this particular Wednesday night for a few minutes. He brought up what was to happen a few months from that night (and is happening now) in the Gaza Strip . He also brought up a verse in Zephaniah 2:4 where it states Gaza will be abandoned.... in relation to this historic event. I have pondered it, as I ponder those settlers (many of which he said were fellow believers) and what they are going through right now in having to abandon their homes. They need our thoughts and our prayers, in this time and the future.
Jesus is coming soon, Come Lord Jesus.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Prepare to be blessed.- Go to Andrew Peterson's Web site .
- Check out his "soon to be released" new CD, The Far Country.
- Read what others are saying about the CD in anticipation of its release
- Read the wonderful lyrics.
- Buy lots of copies for yourself and your friends from his site.
- Whatcha waiting for? Skitter on over to his site and check it all out!
When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:37 and 38
A simple act of worship, a simple act of faith, a simple knowledge of who Jesus is..
Her worship was heartfelt. She was a sinner, much as we all are, much as I am as well. The perfume was poured on his feet and she wiped the tears and the perfume with her hair. She took on the fragrance of Christ as she worshiped. It reminds me of another verse...
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. 2 corintians 2:14 -16
May I be a worshiper and be the fragrance of Christ as I go into all the world. May I reflect His glory so that others can see Him in all I do.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Micah 6:8 No, O people, the LORD has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
I was thinking some about this verse this week, in particular the part where it says to love mercy. I thought back to something our pastor said not too long ago. In his teaching, he mentioned this verse and about the difference between just knowing we are to show mercy and to LOVE mercy. To love showing mercy is a lot different than just understanding what mercy is all about and is a lot different than just knowing it is something we are to do as believers. No, to love mercy is to embrace it...it is to love giving mercy to those around us that wrong us. To love mercy is to desire to show others leniency when our rights have been stepped all over.
As I pondered it, in conjunction with a situation...I knew God was trying to tell me something through His word where that situation was concerned. He brought this verse to mind as I prayed for guidance. It is so hard to lay down our rights and times when we know we have been wronged. It is so hard to keep loving someone in Christ when someone continues to push you to the side or take you for granted. But we are to continue to love to show mercy. To walk humbly also means we do not demand our rights, but to love anyway. To do what is right often means to give up ours. May I learn to love mercy because He first loved me.