In Nockamixon State Park, which is five miles east of Quakertown and nine miles west of Doylestown in PA. Photo by gailf548
Good morning, beloved,
Ever notice how when life is quiet, peaceful, everyone is healthy, money in the bank, how easy it is to come to rely on this? Slowly but surely we can remove our trust in God and put our trust in these very temporal circumstances. The picture of this tree is such good reminder to me. This tree is quite alive, healthy, roots firmly established by the water. Can you imagine this tree picking up it’s roots and saying, “I don’t like the water. I’m good on my own.” ? Of course not. This tree relies heavily on the water in good times. And in bad. However, when the waters stir, when the downpours come, when health issues arrive that are not solved, when money is NOT in the bank, we look up to heaven and begin to panic.
Or not. When downpour after downpour come on the Bruinius family, I have to be honest I get overwhelmed. I can type it all out, make a good story for our family but yet I am finding as I type it out, I begin to find reason to be upset with God. Yet, within the span of a day, such good, such stress poured down on our family. As I watched the emails come, as I listened on the phone to another issue, I had to just keep saying…
My friends, you have so many choices in your day, choices for life, for joy. I know I can resonate with Robert Robinson’s hymn..
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above. Robert Robinson
So, join me this day.
Make known your declarations to God. Lift up your debtor’s heart. Don’t forget to keep worship. Refuse the whispers of Satan.
7 “But the person who ·trusts [has confidence] in the Lord will be blessed.
·The Lord will show him that he can be trusted [L …whose trust/confidence is in him]. 8 He will be like a tree planted near water [C vital and strong]
that sends its roots by a stream [Ps. 1:3].
It is not afraid when the ·days are hot [L heat comes];
its leaves are always green.
It ·does not worry [is not anxious] in a year ·when no rain comes [of drought];
it always produces fruit. Jeremiah 17 EXB
Trust. The Lord HAS shown Himself so faithful. I want to be that tree at the top of my post. Vibrant, strong, trusting in my God to provide for each and every need we have. He is so faithful.
227. Tears of my children that with comfort and reminders of joy a smile can be found..
228. My Ella girl finishing her AWANA book..so proud.
229. Chocolate pudding that was all mine from start to finish.
Please continue to pray for Micah Ahern. His parents are sitting in a hospital holding their breath, wondering if the cancer truly has returned.
Prayers for our Pastors and their wives:
Day 21 Pray that your pastor and his wife will not give in to discouragement, but will deal with inevitable criticism and conflict by committing themselves into the hands of God, who judges righteously. (1Pet. 2:23) (ROH)
A lighthouse on the islet of Keri, Estonia. Photo by Andrus Uuetalu
Good morning, beloved,
I was reminded of two prayers yesterday. After a day of much frustration and weeping with my children, grinding through a day that did not reflect all that He had shown me that morning. I sat numb after the kids went to AWANA. My children depend on routine and that was a fail yesterday. After shoveling, I thought it would be fun to make scones and try something new for breakfast. Fail. It was not the routine. And we began a day of fighting and walls. Friends, it just was a pit day. I know you know what I mean.
I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry. 2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. Psalm 40 NKJV
Last night I was reminded. Do you remember me telling about Mike and Wendy Lambert? Well, they have been working hard to find people to support them so they can head to the mission field. They have been praying, hoping for God to open doors. And yesterday, God opened a door. Chris Fabry will be hosting them on his program today at 2pm CST! They will be given a chance to share their story. Will you join me in praying for them today? And the link on Chris Fabry will take you to his program today so you can listen either live or a recording. Join me won’t you?
God is always working. God is always fresh and moving and holy. Look at this first prayer with me.
Awake, my soul, and with the sun
thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
to pay thy morning sacrifice.
Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
disperse my sins as morning dew;
guard my first springs of thought and will,
and with thyself my spirit fill.
Direct, control, suggest, this day,
all I design or do or say;
that all my powers, with all their might,
in thy sole glory may unite.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Thomas Ken
Declaring over this day. Awake my soul! I my vows to thee renew. Guard my first springs of though and will. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! You are the one to be glorified with this day. As I get into the nitty gritty of this day, I remember You are directing this day. I do not begin this day in my own strength.
I heard Chris Fabry’s conversation with John Eldridge last night. He said he has been praying a simple prayer as he walks into a conversation, or phone call, or work. Jesus in me, Jesus, help me with this _____.
Jesus is with us. Jesus is in us. Here is the other prayer:
Christ with me, Christ before me,Christ behind me,Christ in me, Christ beneath me,Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,Christ when I stand,Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me,Christ in every ear that hears me.
It is a good morning.
My thankfuls:
208. New mornings
209. Danny finishing his memorizing of the 10 commandments
Friends I am going to be praying that part of the Breastplate prayer! Christ with me, Christ before me,Christ behind me,Christ in me, Christ beneath me,Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,Christ when I stand,Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me,Christ in every ear that hears me.
Panoramic image of the Morteratsch glacier in the Bernina Range. Photo by Daniel Schwen
Good morning, beloved,
A quiet morning, this morning is turning out to be. Everyone is still. I like peaceful. Who doesn’t, right? After the last couple of days, a quiet start to our day is a very, very nice change. On Tuesday, Ella lay listless and curled in a ball. I did everything I could with her, and finally, after a sleepless night, we took her to the pediatrician. She had a bunch of tests done and it was determined that she had some inflammation in her appendix, a fever and her blood numbers were slightly elevated. So they wanted to observe her overnight in the hospital. We began praying. That night, a surgeon came in to see her and looked at me, looked at my girl and said, this is not appendicitis. I was starting to wonder myself. She was hooked up to an IV and starting to perk up, starting to get color again. So we were released from the hospital that night. Pray is amazing. Life changing.
So, yesterday was one of those battling days for me which is strange considering how amazing the week was watching God heal my girl and the body of Christ come to our aid. As I battled, this picture was shared with me.
And I have to say, well timed, God. Well timed.
God’s voice vs. Satan’s voice
Which got me to thinking about where this author got each of these bullet points..
And I decided I needed to update this for me.
God stills:
Psalm 46: God says, “Be still and know that I am God.
I will be ·praised [exalted] in all the nations;
I will be ·praised [exalted] throughout the earth.”
God leads:
2 Corinthians 2: 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s victory ·parade [procession; C the image is of a victorious Roman general leading his army and his captives through the streets]. God uses us to spread ·his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume [L the aroma/fragrance of the knowledge of him; C incense or spices were burned during such victory parades].
Isaiah 48: 17 This is what the Lord, ·who saves you [your Redeemer],
the Holy One of Israel [1:4], says:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you ·to do what is good [what is best; or how to succeed],
who leads you in the way you should go.
God reassures:
Okay, so I looked up the word reassures: Say or do something to remove the doubts and fears of someone. (www.dictionary.com) So, I began to look for ways God, in the Word, removes our doubts and fears. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:
37 But in all these things we are completely victorious through ·God [or Christ; L the One] who showed his love for us. 38 Yes, I am ·sure [convinced] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ·ruling spirits [or heavenly rulers; or demons; L rulers; T principalities], nothing ·now [in the present], nothing in the future, no ·powers [or spiritual powers/authorities], 39 ·nothing above us [or no powers in the sky], ·nothing below us [or nor powers in the depths], nor ·anything else in the whole world [any created thing] will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God enlightens:
Ephesians 1: 13 So it is with you. When you heard the ·true teaching [message/word of truth]—the ·Good News about [Gospel of] your salvation—you believed in Christ. ·And in Christ, God put his special mark of ownership on you by giving you [L …having been sealed with] the Holy Spirit that he had promised. 18 I pray also that ·you will have greater understanding in your heart [L the eyes of your heart may be enlightened] so you will ·know [comprehend] the hope to which he has called us and that you will know ·how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised [the riches of his glorious inheritance for; or the glorious wealth of an inheritance that God possesses in] ·his holy people [T the saints].
17 This is how love ·is made perfect [is made complete; comes to full expression] ·in [or among] us: that we can ·be without fear [have boldness; have confidence; 2:28;3:21; 5:14] on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him [C probably referring to Christ, our example of love]. 18 ·Where God’s love is, there is no fear [L There is no fear in love], because ·God’s perfect love drives out fear [T perfect love casts out fear]. It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made ·perfect [complete] in the person who fears [C fear of punishment, not an appropriate fear of God; compare Prov. 1:7; 2 Cor. 7:15; Phil. 2:12].
God comforts:
2 Corinthians 1: 3·Praise be to [Blessed is/be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father who is full of ·mercy [compassion] and all ·comfort [encouragement]. 4 He ·comforts [encourages] us ·every time we have [L in all our] ·troubles [trials; tribulation], so when others have ·trouble [any trials/tribulation], we can ·comfort [encourage] them with the same ·comfort [encouragement] God gives us. 5 [L For just as] ·We share in the many sufferings of Christ [L Christ’s sufferings abound in us]. In the same way, ·much comfort comes to us [L our comfort abounds] through Christ. 6 If we have ·troubles [trials; tribulation], it is for your ·comfort [encouragement] and salvation, and if we ·have comfort [are encouraged], ·you also have comfort [or it is for your comfort/encouragement]. This helps you to accept patiently the same sufferings we have. 7 Our hope for you is ·strong [unshaken; firm], knowing that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the ·comfort [encouragement] we receive.
God calms:
2 Timothy 1:7[L For] God did not give us ·a spirit [or the Spirit] that makes us ·afraid [timid] but ·a spirit [or the Spirit] of power and love and ·self-control[self-discipline; or good judgment].
God, be ·merciful [gracious] to me
·because you are loving [according to your love/loyalty].
·Because you are always ready to be merciful [According to your abundant compassion],
·wipe [blot] out all my ·wrongs [transgressions]. 2 Wash ·away [L me thoroughly from] all my guilt
and make me clean ·again [L from my sin].
Of course, this is NOT an exhaustive list of each of these bullet points. I have no idea who wrote this list, however, I thank him/her for reminding us to be bold in recalling His word when we are in the battle. Test your thoughts. Make sure that you are hearing His word in your mind.
Prayers for your Pastor and his wife:
Pray that your pastor will love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. Pray that God’s Spirit will work in his heart in power and that he will value and follow biblical priorities. (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 6:33) Revive Our Hearts
Natural reserve “Žernov”, located in Pardubice District, Czech Republic. Valuable oak-hornbeam forest with surrounding ponds and wetlands.Photo by Vojtech.dostal
8 Love never ·ends [fails; falls short]. There are gifts of prophecy, but they will ·be ended[cease; pass away]. There are gifts of ·speaking in different languages [or ecstatic utterance; L tongues], but those gifts will ·stop [cease; fall silent]. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will ·come to an end [pass away; be set aside]. 1 Corinthians 13 EXB
Sometimes I need to remember that this earth is not our home. We can look ahead and know that there will come a day when we have no need of gifts. We will be in the presence of the ultimate Gift. Rather than discuss the gifts of prophecy, speaking and knowledge, we know we have a day:
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “[L Look; T Behold] Now God’s ·presence [dwelling; tabernacle] is with people, and he will ·live [dwell; tabernacle; John 1:14] with them, and they will be his people [Ex. 29:45; Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 37:27]. God himself will be with them and will be their God.[a]4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes [7:17; Is. 25:8], and there will be no more death [Is. 25:8; 1 Cor. 15:54], ·sadness [mourning], crying, or pain, because ·all the old ways [the old order; L the first things] are gone.” Revelation 21 EXB
Love never fails. Our true Love, our true Gift will never fail. The word fail:
(1) In 1Cr 13:8, katargeo, “to reduce to inactivity” (seeABOLISH), in the Passive Voice, “to be reduced to this condition, to be done away,” is translated “shall fail,” AV. This, however, misses the distinction between what has been previously said of love and what is here said of prophecies (see No. 3); the RV has “shall be done away;” so also as regards knowledge (same verse).
Can you imagine a world where love is done away? I don’t even want to dwell on that thought. God’s love started first. God’s plan, His love has saved us. As I start this day, this is the Word I stand on today. His love never, ever will reduce to inactivity. I may weep today but soon there will come a day when He will wipe away every tear. Imagine that day.
Pray for a fresh divine anointing on your pastor’s ministry. Pray that God’s working will be powerfully evident both in his personal life and the spiritual life of the congregation. (1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Tim. 1:7; Rom. 15:18-19a)
Praying for your Pastor’s wife:
Ask God to remind her of the hope and refuge God offers her each day. Pray that she will be encouraged in God, knowing that He is a firm, secure anchor for her soul. (Ps. 9:9-10; Ps. 42:5; 71:14; Heb. 6:19a)
Jerusalem – Tower of David, Israel photo by Jehonatan Leurer
Good morning, beloved,
Lent begins this week, friends. I can hardly believe we are about to walk the path to Gethsemane. Spring is coming. My family is in charge, the next three weeks, with shepherding and teaching the little kids in our church. We have looked at the material and we have the privilege of introducing the children to the idea of covenant. My brain went nuts with this news. I was getting so excited until I realized the story we get to help them understand is Genesis 15. Please don’t get me wrong, you know I love talking through His word. However, trying to help children understand in their terms, their level why God chose to make this promise with Abram this way, this bloody, this harsh.
So, kids, lets see what this covenant says, Abram will have more descendants than stars of the universe. (We could show them…)
Very pretty. and amazing. Abram’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. He was going to have that many descendants. However, he was old and no kids were on the horizon yet. So…
8 But Abram said, “Lord God, how can I ·be sure [L know] that I will ·own this land [possess/inherit it]?”
9 ·The Lord [L He] said to Abram, “Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ·male sheep [ram], a ·dove [turtledove], and a young pigeon.”
10 Abram brought them all to God. Then Abram ·killed the animals and cut each of them into two pieces [L split them down the middle], laying each half opposite the other half. But he did not cut the birds in half. 11 Later, ·large birds [or birds of prey]flew down to eat the ·animals [L carcasses], but Abram chased them away [C perhaps representing later enemies of Israel].
That is a lot of blood.
17 After the sun went down, it was very dark. Suddenly a smoking firepot and a blazing torch [C fire and smoke often represent God] passed between the ·halves of the dead animals [L pieces; C a self-curse ritual; by passing between the pieces of the sacrifice, one vowed to keep an agreement or suffer the same fate as the animals]. 18 So on that day the Lord ·made an agreement [L cut a covenant/treaty; 6:18] with Abram and said, “I will give to your ·descendants [L seed] the land between the river of Egypt and the great river Euphrates. Genesis 15 EXB
God was doing something extraordinary with mankind. He was binding Himself to a covenant. The blood of the innocent animals brought images to each of the importance of keeping the covenant. If one side did not keep the covenant, it would be death. You would not enter into a covenant lightly, or without thinking. However, God was the one making the covenant. Abram was asleep. He watched, he remembered his dream.
Should be an interesting morning at children’s church. However, this morning as I work it through in my mind, lo and behold, my first reading for Lent is Matthew 1. God reminds me, everything He does points to Jesus, to His redemption plan.
This is the ·family history [record of the ancestors; genealogy; L book of the offspring/family; C perhaps a title for the entire book] of Jesus ·Christ [the Messiah]. ·He came from the family of David, and David came from the family of Abraham [L …the son of David, the son of Abraham; C “son” can mean descendant].
2 Abraham ·was the father of [fathered; T begot; C and so throughout the genealogy; the word can refer to more distant ancestry] Isaac. Matthew 1 EXB
So I sit here in the quiet of the morning, watching the sky lighten with the start of a new day and I revel in God’s plan. A plan that included you, and me. God never failed. God never broke His covenant, will never break His covenant.
I ask the Lord to help us in teaching His word to His sweet children.
Beit Yanai beach – rain, wind and waves Photo by Sigal Ben Amram
Good morning, beloved,
Rain on the windows, coffee in hand, a fire in our fireplace, piano music in the background, quiet. We have heat, friends. Yes, a nice fire, but our heat is fully functional. I am thankful. I wrote on my Facebook page, we have heat, WOOHOO! or some such nonsense, and I realized how NOT having something has truly shifted my focus. To be grateful, to be thankful, to see with new eyes what I take for granted in my life. How quickly life passes me by, I stare, this morning, at our chairs we have begun using for school and I know who sits in each chair. I see them. Each day I have is a gift. A day with pain gives me perspective to say, to savor, to enjoy a day without.
I played out in the snow with two of my kids, talking with them, planning, dreaming how big our snow fort would become. I would stop and just stare at them. Talk with them. Do you
Rhoen Schneetreiben Source: M. Klüber Fotografie
ever just stop and talk with children? Sit next to them. Not to hurry to the next activity, but to savor, to enjoy a moment with children. They have the most amazing things to say. The words. Their imaginations.
I just have to stop myself. Stop the hurrying. Listen.
When I get all frantic, rushing them, pushing them, the focus of our house becomes me. I lose the chance to help my children, weaving in and out, encouraging, prompting with kindness and agape. Instead I become a clanging bell, a sounding brass. I take center stage. In my last post I discovered these NOT words in verse 4 keep self at the center. Now for verse 5 of 1 Corinthians 13:
5 Love is not ·rude [disrespectful], is not ·selfish [self-serving], and ·does not get upset with others [is not easily provoked/angered]. Love does not ·count up [keep a record of] wrongs that have been done.
The root word of this word rude/disrespectful is to be deformed, indecent, unseemly.
29 ·God knew them before he made the world [L For those whom he foreknew…], ·and he chose them […he also predestined/chose beforehand] to be ·like [molded to the pattern of; conformed to the image of] his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn [C the preeminent one, but also indicating others will follow] of many brothers and sisters [C Jesus’ resurrection confirms that his followers will also share in God’s glory]. Romans 8 EXB
So either we can be deformed by fleshly behaviors, or we can be conformed, transformed into the image of His Son, right?
Not selfish. Not self -serving..to crave, demand something from someone (zēteō).
2 ·If so […then], ·make me very happy [L fulfill/complete my joy] by ·having the same thoughts [being like-minded/of one mind], sharing the same love, and having one ·mind [heart; soul] and ·purpose [goal; mind]. 3 When you do things, do not let ·selfishness [rivalry; selfish ambition] or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and
View of the Sierra, fresh powder Photo by Introvert
give more ·honor [regard; value] to others than to yourselves. 4 Do not ·be interested only in your own life [look out for your own interests], but ·be interested in the lives of others [look out for others’ interests].Philippians 2 EXB
Does not get upset with others, not easily angered..the greek:( paroxynō) to make sharp, sharpen, to irritate, provoke, arouse to anger.
19 My ·dear [L beloved] brothers and sisters [C fellow believers], [L under-stand/know this:] ·always be willing to listen and slow to speak. Do not become angry easily [L be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; Prov. 17:28], 20 ·because anger will not help you live the right kind of life God wants [L because human anger does not produce God’s righteousness]. James 1 EXB
Does not count up, keep a record of wrongs…
two Greek words (logizomai): to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over AND (kakos) of what is morally or ethically “evil,” whether of persons, or qualities, emotions, passions, deeds
Do you notice that these words, these descriptions mar the person? Change us. Disfigure.
These last few days I have gotten up to finish writing this blog and it just hasn’t been done. I can’t get past this idea of disfigurement by sin and record keeping, and not getting upset, not being controlled by emotions. When I am in pain, (emotional or physical), my filters, my control goes on the blink. Hear that? I. I. I wonder if all the crazy things happening in my house, my children’s lives, my life, Joshua’s bring me exactly where He wants me. Out of control. Letting go.
Release. There’s chaos here, yet He is up to something. He is not letting His child go. He is asking His child to let go.
36 One of the Pharisees ·asked [invited] Jesus to eat with him, so Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and ·sat at the table[L reclined; C at a formal meal guests would recline at a low table with their feet stretched out behind them]. 37 [L And look/T behold] A ·sinful [immoral] woman in the town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she brought an alabaster ·jar [vial; flask] of perfume 38 and stood behind Jesus at his feet, ·crying [weeping]. She began to ·wash [wet; drench] his feet with her tears, and she ·dried [wiped] them with her hair, kissing them many times and ·rubbing [anointing]them with the perfume. 39 When the Pharisee who asked Jesus to come to his house saw this, he thought to himself, “If ·Jesus [L this person] were a prophet, he would know ·that the woman touching him is a sinner [L who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner]!” Luke 7 EXB
I see myself in both of these people in this scene. Pharisee judging. Assessing a situation, seeing himself as better. My brain can be such a train wreck. Yet, here is something I am realizing HUGE. The Pharisee ate a meal with Jesus but this meal did not bring the answers he wanted. He wanted Jesus to measure this woman by his standards. Here was this Rabbi allowing this woman to touch Him! Yuck! After the Pharisee walked away from the table, He walked away from Life. The Living Water. Living. Jesus didn’t give him the answers he desired.
However, the woman walked away from the table with her sins forgiven. Healed. HEALED. I want to be at the table with Jesus and walk with Him in peace. I don’t want to walk away from Life, believing Satan’s lies, whispers.
These last few days have been more like the woman for me. Weeping at the feet of Jesus…realizing the weight of my attitudes, my frustration..Lord, I want to walk away from this table with You this morning healed. Restored. I confess. I hurt. I ask for healing, from the inside out. If you don’t heal my body, don’t. Heal me heart.
Remind me with Your holiness, Your grace. Remind me in the songs we sing this day. Remind me in the candle. Remind me in the eyes of my sweet children. Thank You for Your tenderness towards this woman. Me. And towards those who read this, may they meet You this morning at their table. Lord, may You open the floodgates of Your love. Breath on each one of these precious souls. Give them the breath of LIFE! As my day begins, I begin, we begin with You.
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The people ·sitting at the table [L reclining together; 7:36] began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “·Because you believed, you are saved from your sins [L Your faith has saved you]. Go in peace.” Luke 7 EXB
Go in peace, friends. You are saved from your sins this day. Believe on Him…forgiveness…
169. The gift, the reminder of His forgiveness by just looking out my window at the bliss of clean, white snow on my rooftops. The rest of my snow is trampled by little feet.
170. The gift of time this morning to finish this blog, to be healed.
Italy, Sicily, Agrigento, Valley of the Temples, Temple of Juno Lacinia photo by Berthold Werner
Good morning, beloved,
Last night, two of our bunch were out at Superbowl parties. The rest of us might have cared if, say, Phineas and Ferb were hosting the SB. However, since this was not in the plans, we chose to watch Fractured Fairy Tales. Surprisingly, we ALL agreed they were fun. What caught my attention was how uncomfortable I became as they twisted and remade these well-known tales. We know Cinderella, Rapunzel and we know how they should begin and end. I waited for the right ending and the credits popped up instead. I began thinking about other books that are made into movies and it occurs to me I don’t like many of those either. I have a picture in my mind of how the set should be, how the characters should look and what parts of the book should come alive.
I read parts of the Bible, I pray in certain ways, I hope God to move this way or that…I get a picture in my mind of how His help should come. Keepin’ it real. I don’t even realize how often I do this, until I sit and look at decisions I have made in this past week. My husband asked me yesterday, what if God wants to bless you in this way? Nope, I don’t think He would do that. REALLY? Who made me the Author of salvation? Freedom, for me, I pray, is that I welcome what He is doing, His will be done. Not mine. NO matter how much I moan and complain. May His will be done.
I am really struggling with this concept. No matter how my circumstances seem, seriously, I want to follow. I don’t want to keep telling God, hey let’s try it this way. (Now, you know I don’t say that, but my heart, my attitudes, my actions…) When has GOD ever made a wrong turn or decision? Why can’t I trust Him fully? What is stopping me?
16 But I will sing about your strength.
In the morning I will sing about your ·love [loyalty].
You are my ·defender [refuge],
my place of safety in ·times of trouble [L the day of distress]. 17 God, my strength, I will sing ·praises [a psalm] to you.
God, my ·defender [refuge], you are the God who ·loves [is loyal to] me. Psalm 59 EXB
So join me in singing. Reminding ourselves…
He is our strength… Remembering His strength carried the cross..
Jerusalem, Via Dolorosa, Station IX – Crosses left after walking the Stations of the Cross by Berthold Werner
He is our love…. He is here. He is watching. He is…
Shepherd and Sheep by Anton Mauve
He is our defender…our place of safety…
The walls of Chlemoutsi Castle, built by Geoffrey Villehardouin in 1223 AD, overlooks the port of Kylini, from where ferries run to Zakynthos and Kefalonia. by Robert Wallace
I am full of earth You are heaven’s worth I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity You are everything that is bright and clean The antonym for me You are divinity But a certain sign of grace is this From the broken earth flowers come up Pushing through the dirt
You know what else I need to keep reminding myself? His Word. Using it, wielding it, holding on to it in the midst of the chaos and storms of life. It isn’t just for nice words, it is for use in my battles all day long.
Today is busy. This week is..busy. I have the opportunity to start right here.
I love you, Lord. You are my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, my ·protection [L fortress], my ·Savior [rescuer; T deliverer].
My God is my rock.
·I can run to him for safety [L …in whom I find protection/take refuge].
He is my shield and ·my saving strength [L the horn of my salvation; C symbolizing strength based on an animal lifting its head triumphantly], my ·defender [stronghold]. Psalm 18 EXB
Thank you for praying for my family. Heat is almost installed and we will be ensconced in warmth by tomorrow…hopefully. We have heat upstairs in the two bedrooms and the loft is warmish. My boy is back home and we will be working hard to re-establish routines and boundaries. My next round of injections is Thursday. No migraine since my last round. Grateful.
Rosh Haniqra, Israel. Rosh Hanikra (“head of the rock caves”) is a geologic formation in Israel, located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in the Western Galilee near the border with Lebanon. It is a white cliff face which opens up into spectacular grottos. The Rosh Hanikra grottos are cavernous tunnels formed by sea action on the soft chalk rock. The total length is some 200 meters. They branch off in various directions with some interconnecting segments. In the past, the only access to them was from the sea and experienced divers were the only ones capable of visiting. Today a cable car takes visitors down to see the grottos. Photo by Ester Inbar
Good morning, beloved!
I will celebrate the light, as I stumble in the darkness, I will call Your name by night. You are holy! You are holy! (God of Wonders)
I took my dog outside this morning and we have snow! It was beautiful. A little chilly with my choice of footwear but still to be marveled and all I could think about is the excitement of my children.
Snow near a lake in Bavaria, Germany Photo by Borovino
It finally covers the land. Sledding!
So good to be in His presence this morning, I keep fading in and out with thoughts and concerns floating through my mind.
Waiting for the nerve blocks, waiting for answers for my boy, waiting for…yet will I be faithful? Will I listen?
I will be faithful. I will fall. I will serve. I will stumble. I love that God extends His hand to me. May I extend my hand to my children every time. To those who hurt, may I not walk away.
Yesterday left us in 1 Corinthians 13…continuing on. When I discussed with the kids again, we didn’t even move on. However, it was fun to sing the first part of Sing the Word‘s song and they actually understood what they were singing. Watching the light fill their eyes. Love it.
Next section:
3 I may give away everything I have, and I may even give my body ·as an offering to be burned [L to be burned].[a] But I gain nothing if I do not have love.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not ·jealous [envious], it does not brag, and it is not ·proud [arrogant; conceited; puffed up]. 1 Corinthians 13 EXB
Let’s tuck in here:
Give away:( psōmizō) primarily “to feed by putting little bits into the mouths of infants or animals,” came to denote simply “to give out food, to feed,” and is rendered by the phrase “bestow . . . to feed” in 1Cr 13:3
Jesus gave His everything, didn’t He? He did not hold anything back. He loved, He served, He lived and He died, oooooh! but He was raised from the dead! I digress.. well, no, I don’t. He is our example. He is our leader.
Rishon LeZion, Israel – The Lake’s Park with Glebionis coronaria (a.k.a Chrysanthemum coronarium) yellow carpet. Photo by MathKnight
5 In your lives you must ·think and act like [have the same attitude as] Christ Jesus. [C What follows may be from an early Christian hymn.]
6 ·Christ himself was like God in everything [L Who, being in the form of God].
But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be ·used for his own benefit [or grasped; seized; held on to]. 7 But he ·gave up his place with God and made himself nothing [L emptied himself].
He ·became like [L took the form of] a ·servant [slave; bondservant]
and was born ·as a man [L in the likeness of humanity/men]. 8 And ·when he was living [L being found in appearance/likeness] as a ·man [human being],
he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God,
even ·when that caused his [to the point of] death—death on a cross. 9 So God ·raised [exalted] him to the highest place. Phillippians 2 EXB
God ·made his name [or gave him the name] ·greater than [far above] every other name 10 so that every knee will bow to the name of Jesus—
everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. 11 And ·everyone [L every tongue] will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
and bring glory to God the Father.
So He is our example. We follow in His steps.
However, Paul’s issue here was motive. Why give to the poor? For the recognition? For the pats on the back?
The next verses make me ill (so why not share them?):
42 But many believed in Jesus, even many of the ·leaders [authorities]. But because of the Pharisees, they did not ·say they believed in him [L confess/proclaim him/it] for fear they would
Banias waterfalls Photo by EdoM
be put out of the synagogue. 43They loved ·praise [glory] from people more than ·praise [glory] from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me is really believing in the One who sent me. 45 Whoever sees me sees the One who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world so that whoever believes in me would not ·stay [remain] in darkness. John 12 EXB
Remember how I started this morning? The section of the song, God of Wonders? Rather than call out for Abba in the darkness, to whom will they call? We know the Light, we love the Light! Let us not give out of necessity, guilt, pats on the back. Let us give to the needy, the dying, the weak because our example gave everything.
A beautiful example of a life touched by Jesus:
Jesus [L entered and] was going through the city of Jericho. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus, who was a ·very important [chief; leading] tax collector [C with oversight over other tax collectors, and so even more hated; see 18:10], and he was wealthy. 3 He ·wanted [was trying] to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because he was too short to see above the crowd. 4 He ran ahead to a place where Jesus ·would come [was about to pass], and he climbed a sycamore tree so he could see him. 5 When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down! [L For; Because] I must stay at your house today.”
6 Zacchaeus came down quickly and welcomed him ·gladly [joyfully]. 7 All the people saw this and began to ·complain[murmur; grumble], “Jesus ·is staying with [has gone in to lodge with/be the guest of] a sinner!”
This is a Sycamore Ficus sycomorus tree on the site of ancient Ashkalon. This Israeli species of Sycamore is different from the tree that goes by the same name in North America and some other places. It is, however, the same species climbed by Zacchaeus in the Gospel of Luke 19:4. Photo by Ian Scott
8 But Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord [C the scene presumably changes here to a meal at Zacchaeus’ home], “[L Look;T Behold] I ·will give [or I am now giving] half of my possessions to the poor. And ·if I have cheated anyone [or to those I have cheated/extorted], I will pay back four times more [C a generous response, since the law required only restitution plus one-fifth; Lev. 6:1–5].”
9 Jesus said to him, “Salvation has come to this house today, because this man also ·belongs to the family [L is a son] of Abraham. 10 [L For; Because] The Son of Man came to ·find [seek out] lost people and save them.” Luke 19 EXB
Are you singing the song yet? About Zaccheus was a wee little man? His life was radically altered, his life was transformed by his life intersecting with Jesus. We don’t know how the conversation played out before Z cried out for freedom. Freedom from the guilt, the pain, the knowledge that the life in front of him was Light itself and he had lived his life shrouded in darkness, lies, cheating. The chains were falling from Z. Jesus proclaimed blessing over this life. And notice, not just Z, his whole family
I may even give my body ·as an offering to be burned [L to be burned].[a] But I gain nothing if I do not have love…
Back to motive. Back to our heart response. [a]Other Greek copies read “hand over my body in order that I may brag.”
David Guzik puts it well:
i. There were some early Christians so arrogant as to think that the blood of martyrdom would wash away any sin. They were so proud about their ability to endure suffering for Jesus, they thought it was the most important thing in the Christian life. It is important, but not the most important. Without love, it profits me nothing. Even if it is done willingly (Poole notes “and not be dragged to the stake, but freely give up myself to that cruel kind of death”), without love, it profits me nothing. BLB
Pause. Think about this, consider your heart. Consider. As I sit and think, I am thinking that I should start each conversation with a pause. Lord, help my words to be with love. Breathe in, remember His Spirit is dwelling, abiding in me. Words filled with His Spirit, especially with my children, in the moments where stress is at its peak, to pause, to hold on to my words and to love.
We gain nothing. Nothing…without love.
My thankfuls today:
Two scrolls from the Dead Sea Scrolls lie at their location in the Qumran Caves before being removed for scholarly examination by archaeologists. Photo by Habermann, Abraham Meir, 1901-
As I think I have shared with you, our family has begun memorizing large chunks of Scripture. We have memorized, the Apostle’s Creed and Psalm 15, this last month. It’s exciting for me, as I seem to have had so much trouble in the past years of AWANA land, to remember, to recall and to now move on to our next challenge. As I listened to the kids working through our next passage, if they could have sang, “watermelon, watermelon”, it would have made less sense. The words at parts are a little fuzzy and I began pausing and asking them questions about what they were able to regurgitate. They didn’t understand.
So, out the white board came, and we began working through the first couple of verses. I will admit that this can be a little frustrating for me as kids move around, touch things and generally appear to not be listening. However, when I asked for a recap, I was pleased by their recollection.
Yet, the blessings were manifold for me. I had never looked at this well known passage by taking it apart as we were doing. At first, I felt a little rocky, but I hit my stride and I think everyone was a little pleased I limited us to two verses. Ahem. (See most of my posts if you don’t know to what I am hinting..)
When I was turning in my mind, praying as to what I was to discuss, this song was the first on Pandora. Okay, Lord, let’s do it. And now this song comes in,
Want to guess what passage we are studying?
I may speak in ·different languages [L tongues; 12:10, 29, 30] of people or even angels. But if I do not have love, I am only a ·noisy [resounding] ·bell [gong] or a ·crashing [clanging] cymbal. 2 I may have the gift of prophecy. I may understand all ·the secret things of God [L mysteries] and have all knowledge, and I may have faith so great I can move mountains. But even with all these things, if I do not have love, then I am nothing.
I may speak in different languages…we know Paul, himself, must have known at least Hebrew, Greek, possibly Aramaic, and possibly Latin. He was an incredibly gifted man. I realize as I try to research these first few verses, not many speak about who is the “I”. Paul was never bashful in sharing the good and the bad (see Romans 7) that was within him. So, he spoke many languages. The word languages (glōssa):
the tongue, a member of the body, an organ of speech
the language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations
You may be able to speak their language. You may EVEN understand the language of the angels. Think of Paul’s life before the road to Emmaus. He was on that road, angry, bitter and revengeful, ready to rout these meddling Christians. Then Paul met Jesus, or rather, Jesus met Paul. Before? Paul was a gong. He was a crashing, clanging cymbal. After? welcome to the New Testament, friends. Love.
Love with Jesus standing before, behind and beside you. Me. That’s love. Otherwise, our feeble attempts alone?
Chain sizzlers in position on cymbals. Photo by Andrew Alde
Just sayin’.
I may have the gift of prophecy… Oooh. The kids and I were amazed at the words here. Easy to speak these words..
prophēteia: the gift of “the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God”
The mind and counsel of God?
33 ·Yes [L O], ·how great are [L the depth of] ·God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge [or the riches of God’s wisdom and knowledge]! ·No one can explain [L How unsearchable are…] ·the things God decides [God’s judgments] ·or understand [L …and untraceable…!] his ·ways [paths]. 34 As the Scripture says,
“[L For] Who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been ·able to give him advice [his counselor; Is. 40:13]?” 35 “·No one [L Or who…?] has ever given God anything
that he must pay back [Job 41:11].”
36 ·Yes, God made all things, and everything continues through him and for him [L Because all things come from him, through him and for him]. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11 EXB
The Center of the Milky Way
Pause and calmly think of that! Rather then utter words on your own, pray His Word back to Him. This is what I am learning. This is why I am becoming such a huge fan of memorizing. We all have our own ways to memorize, thanks be to God, I’ve found a way. You? You need to find the Word in your heart. I need to KEEP His word in my heart. Then when we pray for people, we don’t suppose to understand the mind of God, we speak the word of God.
I may understand all the secret things of God…
I think I’m just going to let Jesus take this one.
10 The ·followers [disciples] came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you ·use stories to teach the people [L speak to them in parables]?”
11 Jesus answered, “·You have been chosen [L It has been granted/given to you] to ·know [understand] the ·secrets[mysteries] about the kingdom of heaven, but ·others cannot know these secrets [L it has not been given/granted to those others]. 12 Those who ·have understanding [L have] will be given more, and they will have ·all they need [an abundance]. But those who do not ·have understanding [L have], even what they have will be taken away from them. 13 This is why I ·use stories to teach the people [L speak in parables]: [L Because] They ·see [look], but they don’t ·really see [perceive]. They hear, but they don’t really hear or understand. 14 ·So they show that the things Isaiah said about them are true [L In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says]:
‘You will ·listen and listen [keep on hearing; or listen intently], but you will not understand.
You will ·look and look [keep on seeing; or look intently], but you will not ·learn [perceive; comprehend]. 15 For the ·minds [hearts] of these people have become ·stubborn [dull; calloused; hardened].
They ·do not [hardly] hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears.
They might really understand ·in their minds [with their hearts]
and ·come back [turn; return] to me and ·be healed [I would heal them; Is. 6:9–10].’
16 But ·you [L your eyes] are blessed, because you see with your eyes and hear with your ears. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and ·good [righteous; just] people ·wanted [longed] to
Warped Galactic Ring
see the things that you now see, but they did not see them. And they ·wanted [longed] to hear the things that you now hear, but they did not hear them. Matthew 13 EXB
And Paul:
25 ·Glory to God [L Now to the one] who can make you strong in faith ·by [or in accord with] ·the Good News that I tell people[L my Gospel] and ·by [or in accord with] the ·message [preaching; proclamation] about Jesus Christ. The message about Christ is the ·secret [mystery; 11:25] that was hidden for long ages past but is now ·made known [revealed; disclosed]. 26 It has been ·made clear [revealed; disclosed] through the writings of the prophets. And by the command of the eternal God it is ·made known [revealed; disclosed] to all ·nations [Gentiles] ·that they might believe and obey [or for the obedience that follows faith; L for the obedience of faith]. Romans 16 EXB
But, if you understand all of this, but have not love? (Oh, I know I’m skipping..) I am, you are nothing. I don’t want to be nothing. If I am allowed into the mysteries of God, yet I don’t share, I don’t live..love…
I may have a faith that moves mountains…
Now I’m going to James have the floor:
16 [L Therefore,] Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. ·When a believing person prays, great things happen [L The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective]. 17 Elijah was a human being just like us. He prayed [earnestly; L with prayer] that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years! 18 Then Elijah prayed again, and ·the rain came down from the sky[or heaven gave rain], and the land produced crops again [1 Kin. 17—18]. James 5 EXB
That is our faith, friends. That is what is available to us. Elijah was just like us?
Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of ·people whose lives tell us what faith means [L witnesses], let us run the race that is before us ·and never give up [with endurance/perseverance]. ·We should [Let us] ·remove from our lives[get rid of; cast aside] anything that ·would get in the way [impedes/hinders us] and the sin that so easily ·holds us back[entangles/clings to us]. 2 Let us ·look only to [keep our eyes on] Jesus, the ·One who began [Pioneer/Founder of; orLeader/Prince of] our faith and who ·makes it perfect [completes it]. He ·suffered death on [L endured] the cross, ·accepting the shame as if it were nothing [L disregarding/despising the shame] because of the joy that ·God put before [lay ahead for]him. And now he is sitting at the right ·side [L hand] of God’s throne [1:3; 13; Ps. 110:1]. 3 Think about Jesus, who endured such ·hostility [opposition] from sinful people, so that you will not ·get tired [grow weary; get discouraged] and ·stop trying[give up]. Hebrews 12 EXB
See what I mean about keeping myself to two verses? Oh, Lord, steal my show.
Hey, just an update about this family. I continued my road with my injections and since they are confident to the parts of my nerves in my neck that are damaged, we went to the next step yesterday. You can read about it here. I had one side of my neck done yesterday. The next side will be next Thursday, your prayers are coveted. Your encouraging notes are blessing. God’s word is so amazing isn’t it? And we are the body…
Heat restoration in my house began in earnest yesterday. We will be fully ensconced in the warm bliss of heat by next Tuesday. Praise God!
Please keep praying for my boy. He is having such a hard time.
This morning found me awake earlier than usual. With coffee in hand, I begin my day with the Lord. I place my day in His hands.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
became the chief cornerstone [Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:7]. 23 ·The Lord did this [L This is from the Lord],
and it is wonderful ·to us [L in our eyes; Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10–11]. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad ·today [L in it]! Psalm 118 EXB
I look over my yesterday and ask Him to teach me. I look to my tomorrow and remember, grace. Grace for yesterday, grace for today, grace for tomorrow, so thankful for His grace. Why is life so calm in the garden? Walking with Him, talking with Him, it’s so peaceful. and then I have to jump into my life. My life feels a little like a snowball at the top of the mountain and by the end of the day, a huge ball. I’ve said things, done things, I regret.
So I truly believe that His Spirit resides in me. So why is it so hard to live out that in front of my family?
I hear myself. I hear the fear. Do you hear it? Do you ever approach a day wondering if, in your time of prayer, what you prayed will bear fruit?
I ·look up [L raise my eyes] to the hills [C the hills surrounding Zion, the location of the Temple],
Sunrise over the Jerusalem hills. Photo by Super Jew
but where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth [Gen. 1].Psalm 121 EXB
He is the One who helps. He is the One who made it all. So as I begin the day, I lift my eyes. I bring my day before my God, my Helper. I am not ever going to attain perfection this side of heaven, but God promises He will help. He will come.
3 He will not let ·you be defeated [L your feet be moved/slip]. He who ·guards [watches] you never sleeps. 4 He who ·guards [watches] Israel never ·rests [sleeps] or ·sleeps [slumbers].
We will not be defeated by the enemy. Our feet will not move or slip. We have the Divine Guardian. He never dozes. He never takes a nap with His favorite afghan. He guards us, He guards Israel always. Promises that we can stand upon.
Western Moon setting over Mountains, High Desert, California by Jessie Eastland aka Robert DeMeo
5 The Lord ·guards [watches] you. The Lord is the shade ·that protects you from the sun [L at your hand, your right hand; 91:1]. 6 The sun cannot ·hurt [L strike] you during the day, and the moon cannot ·hurt [L strike] you at night.
So friends, we live with the promise. The Lord is watching, He is the shade. I’m so thankful that God gives us pictures in His word. He is our shade. He is covering us from the sun. He is at our hand. So, as I begin my day, breathing in, breathing out. I am realizing I think tooooooo much. It is so good to remember. SO good to ponder. And duh, where are my note cards during the day with His Word scribbled? Yes, I stopped doing that, and I am going to work on that as soon as I finish.
What disciplines do you have in place that help YOU to remember? A lit candle? Music in the background? We battle. I battle. When I have these different “triggers”, I can look all over and recall.
7 The Lord will ·protect [guard; watch] you from all ·dangers [trouble; evil]; he will ·guard [watch] your life. 8 The Lord will ·guard [watch] you as you come and go, both now and forever.
We are in His sweet care. We are protected. Five times, in this Psalm, we find the Hebrew word, shamar, to guard, to protect. We know. We can trust. Faith. Faith that He will be there always.
154. My kids’ pictures, writings, drawings…priceless.
155. Staying in touch with friends, near and far.
156. Seeing pictures of family vacations, delight and relaxation. Remembering…
So, friends, we have a choice. We can grab hold of what we know to be true. Place different triggers around the house, verses, candles, songs. As our world gets more complicated as the day goes by, we can stop, take a breath and remember. I’m game, how about you?
