Everyday Life of a Christian

Makeover Complete!

2012-01-30T17:06:00.000-05:00

It's been about a year and a half since we did our own remodel of our home - all except one room. The master bedroom. And I'm so excited to tell you that our "retreat" room is finally finished!!
Here are some "before" pictures...

Before I show you the "after" pictures, I have to tell you a little about the process. Katherine, Abigail and I emptied the room. Katherine scraped the "popcorn" off the ceiling - HATE that stuff! Then we had the ceiling texturing done professionally. We also had painters paint the ceiling and walls. We've done lots of our own painting, but this time it was nice to have the professionals do it!
Then I cleaned, and cleaned, and mopped. I installed the outlet covers, and reinstalled the Roman shades (after my Jeffy put the brackets back up for me).
Jeff and I worked together to assemble our new bed - after 20+ years of having to vault into a really high bed, we decided it was time for a new one. This one is a platform bed with an 11" memory foam mattress. It's so comfy!
Then Jeff purchased, stained, measured for, cut and installed our baseboards (1x6), while I put together our inexpensive TV stand (it looks nice, but it's not wood... those are too expensive).
We chased down a really good deal on a TV/DVD combo at KMart...
And I had already picked out pillows, glass containers, floral, etc.
And I sewed a new cover for my window seat cushion. I'm not sure how it turned out so well, except that I prayed for help and received grace in my time of need ;)
Without further ado - here are the "after" pics...

Please ignore the red stool on that last photo - it kind of ruins the "mood" of the room!
The walls are still a little bare, but I have several pieces here at the house that I can use to complete the look, including a landscape done in pastels that my Grandmomma Wheeler did.

This Day In History

2011-10-30T16:39:00.000-04:00

1735 : The second president of the United States, John Adams, was born in Braintree, Mass.

1945 : Henry "The Fonz" Winkler is born

A Kiss

2011-10-26T23:47:00.000-04:00

The thing about pictures is, one can never capture the bold colors, nor can one capture what the imagination has seen. But here is my attempt.
For the last few days, I've looked out my front window to see a "kiss" in the leaves. I'm not sure you can tell, but the bright yellows, oranges, and reds form "lips" in the picture below.
Let's call this one Autumn Lipstick.

Sweet Citrus

2011-10-20T18:07:00.000-04:00

An interesting fact I found in the 2012 Farmer's Almanac:

One can banish B.O. by rubbing under one's armpits with a slice of lemon or lime.

Let me know if any of you tries this... ;)

New Cabinet Knobs at a Steal!

2011-10-15T16:09:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things to do when shopping is to look through the clearance section.
Jeff and I went to Hobby Lobby today (he's sick, but loves getting out anyway, so he agreed to tag along). I went looking for "ingredients" for a craft project I'll be doing with my friend Anna, but didn't find what I wanted at a price I was willing to pay. Then I got sidetracked looking for the clearance section...

And look what I found!

And here's a close-up..

I've been looking for and wanting new kitchen cabinet knobs for a long time, ever since we did our own remodel at our house. But the knobs I wanted were going to be about $300 just for the kitchen. I just could not pay that. So I've kept my eye out for that crazy deal, and today I found it!
Guess what I paid for these knobs?
$1.02 each!
I'm so proud of my find today!
And I LOVE them in the kitchen (they're not installed yet, just lying on the cabinet getting used to the new space).
They have that handmade, arts and crafts style feel that we've redone our house to resemble. Anything hand-crafted is a large part of why I love the arts and crafts style of decor.
Now to get Jeff to install them...

He's Coming Home!

2011-10-12T09:42:00.001-04:00

Sometimes the Lord blesses us with "extra" children - ones we didn't give birth to, but they are still brought in as part of the family.
The Trentham family has graciously allowed their oldest boy Jonathan to be adopted in as part of the Kear family (and now they are also part of us :)
On October 24th, my husband will be making his first trip to Cambodia with our pastor friend Tim Atchley, and when they return, they will have with them "my boy" who has served there for the past 2 years.
His room is ready, and we can't wait for a season of having him under our roof again!

Waiting at the airport 2 years ago with his little "sisters" Abigail and Katherine (Silly Bean and Roonie)

(Jonathan 1 day ago)

See you soon!

The Test of a True Believer

2011-10-07T13:29:00.002-04:00

The book of James, chapter 2:

¹⁴ What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? ¹⁵ Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, ¹⁶ and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

¹⁷ So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

¹⁸ Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

¹⁹ You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. ²⁰ How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

²¹ Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. ²³ And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. ²⁴ So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

²⁵ Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. ²⁶ Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

Do you ever wonder whether your friends or loved ones are really born again? The above portion of scripture makes it easy to tell "who's who"...

The Oak Tree

2011-10-05T11:56:00.000-04:00

I was reading my Reader's Digest today and found an interesting paragraph about the oak tree that reminded me of some scriptural truth. First the paragraph:
"In some forests oak trees of compatible species graft their roots together and 'become one flesh'. Through their shared root system, the stronger, dominant trees may provide the weaker trees with nutrients. In this way, even the roots of stumps can continue to live and contribute to the forest."
I immediately thought of two verses. The first...
I Thessalonians 5:14 "And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone."
The second...
Isaiah 61:3 "And provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor."
I notice a few things.
First, I notice that there is a community taking place among the oak trees. The strong oaks are helping to encourage the weak oaks. We in the church (the community of the redeemed) ought to encourage one another, helping one another when we are weak.
Second, I notice the shared root system. We are all on the same "team"! We cannot help but be connected - we just ARE in Jesus Christ. The weak can draw strength just by being part of the community of the Saints of God. Guess where that leads me? Yep! Get into a local church body!
Third, do you see what happens when those who are in mourning and despair decide to plant themselves with the other "oaks"? Yes! They become oaks of righteousness, plantings of the LORD and they display His splendor. Those that were "unlovely" become the "lovely" when connected to Jesus Christ.
Beautiful picture, isn't it!

The 2012 Farmer's Almanac

2011-09-29T18:31:00.000-04:00

For the first time, I've ordered The Farmer's Almanac, and I'm having such fun with it!
There are the typical - planting times and seasons, weather predictions (for the mid-south, a mild and dry winter and a cooler than normal spring), articles, ads for silly things.
One article in particular was interesting. It's called Ham on the Lam and it's about the epidemic pig population in the US. It appears that wild boar are taking over! That's the serious part.
The part I'm laughing about is the side bar in the article with some funny "pig" sayings.
Here are a couple:
Do you know what "a pig's whisper" is? It's a short period of time, the length of a pig's grunt.
Do you know what "pigs and whistles" is? It's trifles.
What about "to go to pigs and whistles"? To be ruined.
These are humorous, but the last two in the side bar are my favorite.
Do you know what it means when one says "to drive pigs"? Or what about "to drive your pigs to market"?
This is where I'm cracking up!
Next time your husband (or wife) is snoring, or snoring LOUDLY, poke them and say, "Are you driving pigs??" OR "Are you driving your pigs to market?"
That's what it means - "to drive pigs" is "to snore" and "to drive your pigs to market" is "to snore loudly"!!

HAHA!
I love this little paperback book!

Recycling

2011-09-27T15:15:00.001-04:00

Please don't hate me if I'm not all "green earth" to the extreme (though I do think we should care for the resources around us. That's just good stewardship. It's the worship of the environment that gets us in trouble - care for, not worship. Worship is reserved for God alone.)
Y'all probably already know this, but I'm new to the bunny world. I've never had rabbits, but am finding out they can be expensive to keep.
First of all, they grow from the cute little bunnies they were in April to big ol' rabbits, needing a bigger place to live. There's this neat e-mail group called Freecycle that I'm part of. A lady posted a rabbit hutch and we were fortunate enough to catch it before it was snatched up, so our bunnies now have a larger home, just in time for winter...

I've been doing some reading, and there is some debate for and some against heat lamps in the hutch. The "against" crowd says that rabbits like cooler weather, and that if the rabbits have a good burrowing place with lots of bedding, and if their water can be kept from freezing, they'll be quite happy in the winter.
The reason for this post is the bedding. That stuff is expensive! You mean to tell me I have to buy wood chips or shredded cardboard for them to burrow, poop and pee on?
Uh no...
Enter the relevance for my reference to being "green". I had this brainy thought of shredding our own bedding, as in using those newspapers that were just lying around.
Once I started the shredding, Abigail and Niki thought it looked like fun, so they joined me!

And, no, that is not one of the rabbits. That is our spoiled rotten "brat" of a dog, Niki ;) (see the shredded paper in the bag?)
Now our bunnies... Alanis

and Marley

(they're wiggly and it's hard to get good pics!)
will be warm in the winter.

Easy-cut Watermelon

2011-09-14T17:28:00.000-04:00

For years I've cut both watermelon and cantaloupe with some trepidation. Why does it have to be so time-consuming and irritating?
A while ago, I stumbled upon an easier way to get the job done. The pictures are below to show you my process.

I started by cutting the watermelon in half. I chose to do so long-ways. Then I make slices across...

Then I cut those slices in half...

Now comes the "fun" part - watch this!

I stand the piece up, and cut across ...

then down... done with that piece!

This process is going quickly! But what about those pesky ends? Ah, I have a similar solution...

Yep, you stand "him" up like that, then...

make just one cut and you're DONE!
This took maybe 15 minutes to do what used to take me at least twice that long.
Yes, I'm happy with myself!
If you haven't discovered a quick, painless way to cut melons, why don't you give my way a try?
I have a feeling you may even improve upon it! And if you do - or if you already have a quicker way, will you let me know?

To Make Our Joy Complete

2011-06-10T09:20:00.000-04:00

Back to 1 John 1 again...
Verse 3 - We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Verse 4 - We write this to make our joy complete.

What is making their "joy complete"?
Is it that they know the truth?
Is it that in proclaiming, they will have fellowship with others?
Is it in proclaiming that their fellowship is with the Father and His Son?

I think that they have seen the Word of life, who appeared to them from the Father (this is Jesus Christ), and that in SHARING what they have seen, causing others to hear and believe the truth, their joy is complete.
Our joy is complete when we know the truth and share it with others who believe the message.

I can tell you there is no greater joy than in seeing someone come to faith in Jesus Christ. I am joyful in my relationship with Him, but my joy is "complete" when someone else believes in Him!

There is an anniversary approaching. On Sunday, June 12th, it will be one year since my precious daughter Abigail surrendered her life to Jesus Christ.
In that, my joy is complete!

Happy Anniversary, my girl. I love you very much!!

Solve This Mystery...

2011-06-02T09:09:00.000-04:00

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ,
We write this to make our joy complete.

Who or what is the "Word of life"?

Even though this "mystery" is simple to solve, it is the most important "mystery" that exists.
Do you know the Word of life?
(Verses are from 1 John 1:1-4)

Whisperings

2010-08-23T09:15:00.000-04:00

Already this morning I'm aware of great movement in the Spirit.
The Lord is speaking and I'm hearing.
He's always speaking, but so often we're too busy to hear.
But today, I'm hearing...
And I'm open to encouraging those around me.
Wanna hear God?
Sit and listen.
He is there.
And He is speaking.

Are You a Follower of Jesus Christ?

2010-06-18T11:26:00.000-04:00

As we stand in the middle of a move of the Holy Spirit where people are being pointed to Jesus Christ, and deciding who they will commit their lives to, let us remember this awesome truth -

Romans 6:1-14
What shall we say, then?
Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
By no means!
We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

These verses outline a simple way for us to discern who is living for (and belongs to) Jesus Christ, from those who are living for themselves and our enemy.
The black and white generation... a friend of ours told us about a prophecy 7 or 8 years ago that said this generation would be the "black and white" generation.
We're seeing that. We're seeing some choose life and Jesus Christ, and some choose death and self. There is a great battle for souls. How do we determine who to speak to and encourage in the Lord versus who we speak to about their lack of faith in Jesus Christ?
I sat with a young man two nights ago and shared with him that I didn't want him to consider himself "safe" or saved. I told him that it is only those who do the will of God who belong to Him. Without getting too deep into doctrine - I'm seeing that a person can look like a Christian - a person can even have prayed a prayer of salvation - and not be His.
How can that be? Well, I don't have a clear answer for that question. All I know is my daughter Abigail went from looking like a Christian outwardly (going to church, worshipping, praying, reading her Bible, even telling people about Jesus) to being born again Saturday evening. Something supernatural occurred that did not occur in her heart as a child. Was God drawing her from childhood? Yes. But I believe the "deal" was sealed with her confession of faith and baptism. That's all I know.
I also know that others have openly said that while they know God is real, they are not interested in serving Him. Even the demons know God is real... So I'm asking the Lord for a supernatural transaction for those I love. I'm not going to pretend to fully understand which is which as far as those who belong to Jesus Christ and those who do not. But when I look at these above verses, I'm reminded that if we are true believers in Jesus Christ, we are DEAD to sin and we will CHOOSE to follow the truth.
In a "black and white" sense - those who obey are His - those who do not are not His.
If we are true followers of Jesus Christ, we were baptized into the same death as Jesus Christ - death to sin.
And now we are resurrected to new life in Him - to obedience to His Word.
Our old self was crucified - we are no longer slaves to sin.
If we have truly died (become forgiven followers of Jesus Christ), we are freed from sin!
The death he died, he died to sin (and so did we, if we are His); but the life he lives, he lives to God (and so do we, if we are His)
We are to "count ourselves dead to sin", but "alive to God in Christ Jesus". This is WHO WE ARE in Christ Jesus.
DO NOT LET... this is our part - DO NOT LET SIN reign in your mortal body... we still have a choice, but we will be able to choose to "not let" sin reign when we are His.
DO NOT OFFER... this is also our part - DO NOT OFFER THE PARTS OF YOUR BODY TO SIN.... OFFER yourselves to God.
We are His, yet we must "offer"...
His command - Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Let's be faithful to speak to those around us - encourage those who are His - and speak loving truth to those who are not.
And let everything we do be bathed in prayer.

Amazing Grace - How Sweet the Sound

2010-06-13T17:37:00.000-04:00

Friends, there are only so many truly important events in a person's life.
Births of babies are right up there...
Weddings are precious celebrations...
Even deaths - if the deceased is a follower of Jesus Christ - can be considered a "celebration".
But today - yesterday really - one of those rare, precious, eternal moments visited my family.
I cherish the day I married my husband.
I treasure the day each of my children were born.
But yesterday, June 12, 2010 is certainly one of the most important days in my life...
I'll get to the "why" in just a moment.
I've often said that my life's great Opus is that of being a mom, and raising my children in the ways of the Lord,
There is one thing I've longed for - only one thing that matters to me - that my children will find themselves in the household of faith.
Yesterday, my youngest daughter, Abigail, was wrestling with faith. We've had a long couple of years with what I knew to be several "spiritual skirmishes". The Lord had warned me that the road ahead for Abigail was one of rebellion and sorrow. I pondered that for a couple of weeks, and finally became so grieved that I decided to approach my Lord in a way similar to that of Abraham when he approached God asking for the souls of the men and women in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Only this request was for my precious Abigail - my "Father's Joy". I decided to take a firm stand in the gap for my daughter, and asked the Lord to show us how to avert the destruction that was ahead.
I know that the Lord is good. I know that the Lord is faithful. And I know that He hears His anointed ones.
So I asked the Lord, in faith, to turn this path around for my precious girl.
As we sat talking to Abigail yesterday, I told her that battle lines were being drawn in the Spirit, and that sides were being chosen. I told her that a decision was being required. Was she going to serve and follow Jesus Christ? Or would she serve herself and follow a path that leads to death?
At first, the answer was - I don't care if I'm a rebel - the battle was heated...
But finally, Abigail made a declaration from her mouth - I want to serve Jesus.
So we asked how we could help...
You see, we thought Abigail was already saved, or born again. She had prayed the prayer as a young girl and had appeared to follow Jesus... until the last couple of years when things just didn't seem to be "matching up".
We found out last night that Abigail had been leading a double-life. One of outward church going and doing right, but of inward hypocrisy and game-playing.
Abigail asked us to pray for her. So we gathered around, her dad, sister, and me. Abigail said - I need to rededicate my life to God. So she began to pray. As she prayed, she began to sob and the words out of her mouth were precious - I give my whole life to you, Jesus. I know the road ahead will be hard, but I have counted the cost and I'm choosing to serve You.
Then my daughter looked up at me with those beautiful brown eyes, and gorgeous, teary smile and said - I've just been saved!
Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ made a spiritual and total covenant with my Abigail last night! She and I both laughed and cried for two hours.
My burden for her soul has been lifted, and the joy of the Father is mine. And hers!
Abigail said she needed to be baptized, so today all of Harvest Church celebrated with us as Jeff baptized his youngest daughter.

Lord, thank You for Your goodness and Your faithfulness in the life of the Kear family.
We can never thank You enough. So we give You all of our lives... Use them for Your Kingdom.

True Beauty - A Tribute

2010-06-01T19:30:00.000-04:00

My beautiful daughter Katherine graduated from high school this year. We celebrated her graduation Saturday evening, May 29, 2010 at 6:00 pm with Smoky Mountain Home Education Association.
We were so blessed to have many family members and friends come to share our joy at this wonderful achievement in my daughter's life.
I have home schooled her since Kindergarden (as I did her brother, and will continue to do with her younger sister). Katherine does not necessarily "love" school work. She would much rather be dancing, playing in the mud, playing football, or driving a nail with a hammer. But I'm proud to say that she diligently persevered in her school work. She is an intelligent young lady and did quite well in all subjects. She even conquered her worst subject - spelling. Well done!
When Katherine was younger, we called her a tom-boy, and it fit. She would wrestle any boy brave enough to take her on, and beat many in foot races. She loved being outside, roughing it up, playing with bugs and getting dirty.
I remember a day when I compared the things she loved to do with the name the Lord led us to give her.
Katherine Grace Ann Kear means "pure, and full of grace".
It may have seemed that she was "anti" her name. But I choose to believe that the depths of who she is were (and still are) being explored. I don't think you can neatly fit Katherine into any category. She is so full of "apparent contradictions". But that is what makes her so delightful!
On the graceful side... Katherine is a beautiful, slender young woman who dances with such grace, conviction, and anointing. You should have seen her trying out hip-hop with her dance company this year. They teased her mercilessly (which didn't bother her AT ALL) about how "graceful" she was, saying she'd never make a good hip-hop dancer. She's fine with that. As a matter of fact, she couldn't care less!
She is one of those rare beauties who is content to be "who she is" without any apologies.
When I think of Katherine, I think about grace personified. I also consider her wild giggle fits that exude such joy. I think about how she, her sister, and two favorite friends recently had a paint war where they painted each other, while running through the yard, and jumping on the trampoline. She had such fun!
And I think about what she tells me about the young man she hopes to marry. At this point she wants a "country boy" who drives a truck, works hard, is not afraid to sweat, and won't mind her trying to whip his butt and throw him in a swimming pool!
That's my girl... beauty and grace, along with wild giggly rough-housing.
You know, I wouldn't change a thing.
Katherine is truly one of my very best friends. She and I talk about everything - leaving no topic untouched. I trust her completely.
Why? She has proven herself to be faithful. A faithful daughter who guards the truth, and a faithful follower of Jesus Christ.
As her dad and I release her into this next season in life, I know she will choose to follow God's leading. Where will He lead her?
To work a while? Yes...
To go to a local community college to pursue a degree in photography? Possibly...
To one of a few great missions schools to prepare her for the mission field? Possibly... (she's got a call on her life in missions).
It doesn't matter to me what she does from here on out. That is between her and Jesus.
I just know that I love her and am SO proud of who she is!
To you, Katherine!
My precious daughter.
I couldn't have asked for any better.
I love you!

Marriage

2010-04-30T09:26:00.000-04:00

A precious sister in Christ asked the question - what is marriage? Here is my response under the Lord's direction.
As God designed it -

Marriage is a union between a man and a woman which reflects these truths -
As Christ loved the Church and gave His life for her, so husbands are to love their wives (quite sobering). This is done to make her holy, to cleanse her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present Her to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Wives are to submit to their husbands as unto the Lord Himself (also quite sobering), because the husband is the head of the wife just like Jesus Christ is the head of the Church, His body, of which He is the Savior. As the Church submits to Christ, so a wife is to submit to her husband in everything.
Further on in Ephesians 5 - In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the Church - for we are members of His body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.
Marriage is a union that God oversees, establishes, and seals.
From Ephesians again - This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the Church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself and the wife must respect her husband.
He wants our Christian marriages to be an example to the world of the way He loves His Bride, the Church.
While I hear your question, and it is a good one, we tend to answer questions from a human perspective. I believe we can no longer do that. The "truth" of humanism will not stand until the end and will give no testimony of Jesus Christ to the world - that is evidenced by the rampant divorce of marriages, even in the Church!
We must instead preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ THROUGH marriage as one tool and avenue which God has provided us.
Therefore, I submit to you that, marriage is about Jesus Christ and His image in the earth. Marriage is about the foreshadowing of a greater glory yet to come - the glory of Jesus Christ being united with His Bride - the Bride He paid a dear price for. The reason He paid the price? It was not for us... It was SO THAT HE would receive all glory and honor and power and praise for all of eternity.
I tell you - Marriage is about bringing God maximum glory. That is the mystery of marriage.
Therefore, we dare not, under the fear of the LORD, enter lightly into marriage. And we dare not continue in our marriages flippantly. We must, in the fear of the LORD, seek to honor our husbands just as we honor Jesus Christ, because in doing so we have the awesome privilege of bringing Glory to God through our marriages! This is both sobering and incredibly exciting!

Psalm 126

2010-04-16T15:32:00.000-04:00

When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.

This is the testimony of our family in this season. The first line of this chapter in Psalms has been rolling around in my heart all week. I looked up the rest of it today and found a word in season for my family! And I couldn't be happier. The Lord has told our family that this long, difficult season is over. And as is true of so many spiritual things, the spiritual was "true" before the reality showed up in the natural.
Our son has returned home, and not only to our home, but his heart is opening to the Lord again. I know he'll read this, so I hope he won't mind me sharing this. We are REJOICING in the Lord over Matthew's return. That is my main and greatest joy, but there are so many more!
The Lord has delivered my husband from death.
He is intervening in our finances.
He is expanding our hearts toward Him and toward our family (both natural and spiritual - the Lord has given us spiritual children).
We are sensing the Lord telling us to gather everyone near - both natural and spiritual children. So we are doing what we can to do that.
I sense a greater blessing coming near. There are some in our extended spiritual family who still need a relationship with Jesus. These are our "sheaves" which we will be carrying in with rejoicing very soon.
The Lord has already told me that the work He is doing is both done by and sustained by HIM. HE is going to both save and keep all that concerns my family.
We are standing on the very edge of even greater spiritual blessing, and I'm breathless at the anticipation of seeing His Salvation!
I've always prayed that I would do anything to see His Salvation in my family - it is my greatest treasure.

Thanks be to God!

2010-04-13T23:29:00.005-04:00

How is it that one begins to be good? Upon what fulcrum rests the knife-edge of change? As indistinguishable is the moment in which the turn takes place, equally perplexing to keenest investigation is the part of the being in which the renovation begins. Who shall analyze repentance? You cannot see it coming! Before you know it, there it is, and the man is no more what he was. His life is all at once upon other lines. The wind has blown! We saw not where it came from or where it went, but the new birth is there. It began in the spiritually infinitesimal, where all beginnings are. Then it grew, till one day the outer shell was cracked. (from The Baron's Apprenticeship by George MacDonald)

This has happened in the life of someone I love dearly.
Thank You, Father, for Your great faithfulness!
What You have begun, You will complete!

God's Righteous Judgment

2010-03-30T10:44:00.001-04:00

Romans 2
God’s righteous judgment -
The one who is passing judgment in this chapter is someone who is bound by legalistic law to a certain behavior, who then condemns those who do not follow the same law. Their motives are impure, their hearts are far from God (as spelled out in Chapter 1), yet they set themselves up as a righteous judge of their neighbors. But God’s judgment is righteous – right according to God’s standards. God’s judgment looks at a man either through the person of Jesus Christ (which deflects the judgment of God from that person), or at the man alone. The man alone is subject to God’s wrath and true judgment. May no man be found to be “unclothed” by Jesus Christ when God comes to judge all men!
They show contempt for God’s riches, kindness, tolerance and patience in that they reject the work of Grace in their lives and try to live righteous before God on their own merit, which is no merit at all!
If they only understood that it is the kindness of God that attempts to lead them toward true repentance, which is seen by faith in Jesus Christ alone, and that their attempts lead them nowhere except into death.
Alas, these stubborn-hearted and unrepentant persons are actually storing up God’s wrath toward themselves. And that wrath will be poured out upon them on the day of God’s wrath. On that day, God will reward each person according to what he has done. The basis of this reward will be on whether or not each person has accepted Jesus Christ, leading to life, or rejected the sacrifice of the Son of God, which will certainly lead them to permanent death and separation from God.
If we are doing good, seeking glory, honor and immortality, we will have eternal life. However, for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, their “reward” will be God’s wrath and anger. God promises that there will be trouble for every human being who does evil. Yet there will be glory, honor and peace for anyone who does good.
All who sin apart from the law will perish apart from the law. The law is meant to convict of sin. Those who try to keep the law as a means of righteousness, without allowing the law to do its task of convicting of sin, will be condemned to perish. It is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. To obey the law is to use the law “lawfully”; as a conviction of sin which points to a need for repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
God will judge our secrets through Jesus Christ. If we are seen through Jesus Christ, we will be judged righteous: if we are seen standing alone, we will be condemned.

Our Great God!

2010-02-24T14:04:00.002-05:00

Eternal God, unchanging
Mysterious and unknown
Your boundless love, unfailing
In grace and mercy shown

Bright seraphim in ceaseless flight around Your glorious throne
They raise their voices day and night in praise to You alone

Hallelujah, Glory be to our great God!

Lord, we are weak and frail
Helpless in the storm
Surround us with Your angels
Hold us in Your arms

Our cold and ruthless enemy, his pleasure is our harm
Rise up, O Lord, and he will flee before our sovereign God

Hallelujah, Glory be to our great God!

Let every creature in the sea and every flying bird
Let every mountain, every field and valley of the earth

Let all the moons and all the stars in all the universe
Sing praises to the living God who rules them by His word

In Honor of Matthew's Birthday - this is for you!

2009-11-25T10:06:00.002-05:00

Three in the morning, and I’m still awake
So I picked up a pen and a page
And I started writing just what I’d say
If we were face to face

I’d tell you just what you mean to me
Tell you these simple truths

CHORUS
Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got His hand on You
So don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

Last time we spoke you said you were hurting
And I felt your pain in my heart
I want to tell you that I keep on praying
That love will find you where you are

I know cause I’ve already been there
So please hear these simple truths

CHORUS

Say… from one simple life to another
I will say… come find peace in the Father

Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got His hand on You
So don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here

Take your time and pray
And thank God for each day
His love will find a way
These are the words I would say

The Words I Would Say by Sidewalk Prophets

Great is Your Faithfulness!

2009-11-22T22:41:00.002-05:00

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." the LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust - there may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace.

For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

The Law is Fulfilled

2009-11-09T11:51:00.003-05:00

When Jesus suffered, died, then rose again, He fulfilled every letter of the law.

What that means for us is that we no longer have to try to keep the law.

Jesus "kept" it for us and now He lives in us. Therefore, we have "kept" the law.

In the Old Testament, God was forever telling the Israelites that if they would keep His law,

this and that blessing would be theirs.

Following my logic yet?

Yes! We have ALL the blessings promised, because Jesus fulfilled the law.

We already posses the "land" through Jesus Christ's fulfillment of the law.

We already walk in every blessing promised to the Israelites through Jesus Christ.

As we discussed at our home group Friday night, we are not antinomian (anti-law).

On the contrary, the law has been fulfilled. The law of the Lord is perfect; it converts the soul.

But what we must remember in the New Covenant is that we are no longer bound to follow the laws, traditions, feasts, etc. of the Old Testament, because for us Jesus Christ IS all those things.

Jesus Christ is our "law"

Jesus Christ is our "tradition"

Jesus Christ is our "feast"

We need no longer celebrate exactly as the Hebrews were commanded to.

We now celebrate the New Covenant that was made alive through Jesus Christ.

We now celebrate Jesus Christ Himself.

I will not boast of anything I have done, but I will boast in the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ.

In the Old Covenant, the Israelites had certain things they had to do to maintain righteousness.

When Jesus said, "It is finished," He not only meant that His work was finished, but I believe He was also declaring, "You must live no longer under the law I handed down through Moses. That law is finished. I have provided for you a new "law"."

The new law is the law of love through Jesus Christ.

Our new commandment is this -

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

That's it.

This is our new "law"

Love one another as I have loved you!

We are free to do this, because we are now totally free from sin.

Jesus Christ was our final sin-sacrifice.

We are no longer slaves to sin.

Jesus Christ conquered death, hell, and the grave.

We are now slaves to righteousness -

A beautiful righteousness that was bought with His precious blood.

I am so thankful!

2009-10-12T11:50:00.001-04:00

James 2:17-26

Verse 17: Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Verse 20: There is evidence to prove that faith without deeds is useless.

Verse 21: Abraham was considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.

Verse 22: Abraham’s faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

Verse 24: A person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

Verse 25: Rahab was considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies.

Verse 26: As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead (without force or power, without life, destitute of a life that recognizes and is devoted to God, because given up to trespasses and sins, inactive as respects doing right)

Choose Faith!

2009-10-07T08:39:00.004-04:00

Finding Acceptance

Yes, those are mustard seeds; a representation from scripture of faith.

Justification – all of us were (and are) on an equal standing with God before He rescued us. I remember how we were imprisoned by sin SO THAT he could show His great mercy to us.

Our justification is a gift to us from God. Once again, the “universe” is equalized. We are once again on an equal playing field. Only now this equal field has nothing whatsoever to do with us. It is only because of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice that we are justified before God.

We are justified as a gift by His grace.

1. As a gift

2. By His grace

See? Nothing to do with us.

He is the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. So what is our part? Have faith! (Rom 3:26)

We cannot justify ourselves, so we are wasting our energies to try to perform properly to gain anything from Him.

Either we accept His justification or we are NOT justified (made right with God).

When we try to justify ourselves, we lose our “rest” in Him. We are spinning our wheels with NO result – to no purpose – to no end.

I’d rather rest in His justification just as I have trusted in His grace. And this is done through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Sanctification – we are set apart, set aside. We belong to God as His people.

God is looking for “a people” to call His own – a precious possession.

We are His by His doing, not our own.

Just as we cannot justify ourselves, neither can we set ourselves apart. We would once again be striving and performing if we tried to sanctify ourselves. We must allow ourselves to be sanctified through faith.

Grace through faith.

Justification through faith.

Sanctification through faith.

Notice a theme? We must have faith!

Where do we get faith? That is also given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We have nothing that we have not been given. He gave us a measure of faith with salvation.

We acquire more faith by hearing His Word. Our part is in the hearing of the Word. We must read, and hear His Words to gain a greater measure of faith.

2009-10-05T09:21:00.002-04:00

Deuteronomy 1:21 See the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

The Lord has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness through Jesus Christ. Now we must take possession of it through faith. We are not to be afraid or fearful.

What has He given you (or not given you)? Name it. Then possess it by faith!

2009-09-30T09:36:00.002-04:00

2 Corinthians 5

1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,

3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.

4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.

7 We live by faith, not by sight.

8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.

13 If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.

14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2009-09-14T10:27:00.005-04:00

In regard to rest, Winston Churchill has some wisdom that we can apply to our own lives.

In our entertainment-filled world our minds are always engaged in some activity or thought. Some of us view entertainment as a means toward rest. Entertainment, or amusement (without thinking), seems to be a valid way to rest our minds. Or is it?

Others believe that if one could simply sit still for a while, determined to think upon nothing, they could access rest. However, if one has been worried with something, the moment that one tries to forget the worry, it comes crowding back in if her only diversion is to “think of nothing” – clear the mind. If our minds have been calculating or planning, once we determine to “rest”, we find ourselves again calculating or planning.

Mr. Churchill had a different view of what would constitute rest for both the mind and the body. He believed that we must find a hobby that will engage both our minds and our bodies. He said that we must choose an activity that we enjoy that will take our thoughts away from life. I think the reason he believed that our hands must be included was that then the thought could not be mindless. The thought would have action to keep it on track.

Recently I’ve taken up painting – gouache painting to be more precise. And the exciting thing is that I’ve experienced the type of rest Mr. Churchill is referring to in my pursuit of painting. Both my mind and my hands are made busy with my new endeavor. My creativity is being awakened – joy is deep-settled in my soul – there is an inner peace that comes from that place of creative rest.

I know the Lord led me to begin this “diversion” in this season of my life. I had planned to wait until my children were out of school to paint, but the Lord was specific – “Start now!” And I’m so glad I have. In a season of my life when nothing around me is in my control, I have found a place of quiet rest in painting. I’m grateful to my friend Janice for her time in teaching myself and a few other friends to paint. She has no idea what a ministry she is providing.

I’ll leave you with a quote from Mr. Churchill in regard to having a hobby – “Choose well, choose wisely, choose one.”

Is It Possible That Jesus is Enough?

2009-09-10T13:36:00.002-04:00

Chapter 4 – How I Lost My Devotional Life

Relationship to God has the freedom to be based on a response to Grace. Notice I didn’t say it “must be based”.

We do not have to see our devotional life as a set of “must do’s”. The joy will be robbed.

Our relationship with God is a gift, as are his blessing and direction. We need do nothing to earn what we already HAVE!

Legalism = death. Death to those who propagate legalism, and death to those who are propagated against. We are ministering death to those we love when we try to force them to live by rules and regulations.

The law kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Cor. 3:6

We cannot attain life through death – attain grace through legalism.

Yes, we need disciplines such as faithfulness and self-control. But these qualities are born out of our receipt of grace from the Lord. If we live legalistic lives, we are only self-righteous and are not able to walk in the free gifts that God has given.

Our obedience is a response to the gift of His righteousness to us.

He works – we RESPOND.

He does – we RESPOND.

We still have an action to perform – work to do – but that work earns us nothing. We work out of a response of love. RESPOND to Him and enjoy life!

Chapter 5 – Legalism Arouses Sinful Passions

Is the law only good for one thing? Is the law only useful to point to sin in our lives?

To show us that we are imprisoned by sin so we’ll have a desire for freedom through grace?

There is another use for the law - the law militates (has force or influence, brings about a change) against legalism because it constantly reveals our sin and our need for grace.

There – we NEED the law, but not only for the reason we normally think we do. The law is not meant to condemn alone. The law is meant to point to grace.

We must not stop at conviction of sin – that is an attitude of defeat and death – a hopeless finality.

We must continue from the law to grace – an attitude of victory and life – a hope-filled grace-filled living!!

Chapter 6 – Satisfied With Jesus

If God the Father is satisfied with Jesus’ finished work on the cross, shouldn’t I also be satisfied?

Would I dare put myself above the Father in my knowledge of a situation?

None of us would knowingly do that – put ourselves above the wisdom of the Father.

But we do so unknowingly by thinking there is more to be done beyond the grace God has ALREADY given us through His Son.

Why do we do that? Is it because we are not used to things being simple? Is it because we as Worldlians (my own made-up word for those of us who live in the world) are used to the hurry-scurry lives we live? We are accustomed to much work; much activity.

Activity and work = productivity. Right?

Perhaps that is true according to the standards of this world. But remember that this world is not our home. Our home has a different set of standards. Those standards are mostly in direct opposition to the ones we are ruled by here.

If you want to live – you must die.

If you want to “get ahead” – you must put yourself last and serve others.

So does it make sense that if we want to succeed (there’s that word again!), we must simply accept a gift and not concern ourselves with having to accomplish that which has already been accomplished?

If Jesus did His work (walked willingly to the cross and defeated death, hell and the grave) and then SAT DOWN. Why are we standing up??? Haha!

It’s kind of funny in a way. Jesus is not worried about something being undone. Why are we?

I hear you – you want this message to be balanced out with our responsibility to do good works. We already talked about that in chapter 4.

We will still do works. But the BASIS for those works will be what it ought to be.

Our basis will no longer be in an attempt to earn something from God. Our basis for good works will be love of our Savior. That’s all. We will still lead disciplined, faithful lives. But that discipline and faithfulness will gain us NOTHING (we already have it all J. We are simply RESPONDING in love. We are hugging the Father and telling Him “thank you” for what You have done – for what You have given. It is enough for me. Now I want to show you that it is enough by my actions and my life.

Same things accomplished – same success – but HE gets the glory instead of ME.

Oh, I feel I’m not explaining this clearly enough. But my lack will have to be made up by revelation from the Holy Spirit.

In that light, I stop here…

Grace Plus Nothing

2009-09-03T11:40:00.001-04:00

Chapter 1 – Our Righteousness Can’t Do It

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

How do I move this from my mouth and head to my heart?

This statement says it all – anything other than Jesus’ righteousness is “less”, making it ineffective. I am making no progress if I try to do things in my own righteousness.

All of us are motivated by what we see as success.

In Christianity success is completely opposite of what it is in the world. In the world, success comes from our own accomplishments. All the praise belongs to and goes to us. Perhaps that’s why we love our own successes so much…

But in Jesus Christ our failure means our true success – eternal success. I go back to my post on Why We Fail. We want to know that our lives count – that what we do in life matters to someone.

Without everything being filtered through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ – through His righteousness lived through us – we will have NO SUCCESS.

Our lives only matter to the degree we hide ourselves in Him.

We hide – He shines.

We are unknown – He is known.

We are less – He is more.

Romans 3:21-24 Apart from the law… our righteousness comes by our faith in Jesus Christ… our faith in Jesus Christ is a gift to us from Him…

Romans 5:1 We only have peace with God when we accept His gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ.

Do you lack peace?

Chapter 2 – Imprisoned For Mercy

Our Savior didn’t create this prison of sin out of spite. He created the sin prison so that He could show us mercy. He WANTS to show us mercy!

We are trapped by sin and death, and our only “door” out is to accept the gift of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. That gift is accepted by a faith that He gives us.

We are being hemmed in, boxed in, unable to escape sin and death. Our only “escape” is Jesus Christ. There is no other way to get out of this feeling on guilt and condemnation. If we want freedom of heart and mind, we must allow Jesus Christ ALL credit for what is done in our lives. WE HAVE DONE NOTHING. We can do nothing – EVER! Nothing that we try will ever, ever, ever “work” to free us from this guilty feeling.

If works righteousness is dead, DEAD… we are wasting our time trying to be righteous. We are getting NOWHERE. We are chasing a path that will not matter – a life that will not matter. Again, do you want your life to matter? Then EVERYTHING must come through Jesus Christ. Nothing that I’ve done will remain – only what I do in Him. The things I do are wood, hay, and stubble and will be burned in the end. The things HE does through me are gold and precious metals. Those are the things that will be reward to me – the things HE has done through me.

How can sin still have power over me if Jesus has defeated sin and death? Sin will only have power over me as I try to live in my own righteousness. Righteousness by works cannot eliminate sin, because it is human based. Sin is eliminated only through Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. If I want to walk free from sin, I must walk in His righteousness and not my own. This “works” because He was without sin – sin does not affect Him. Only when I am hidden in Him will I be “unaffected” by sin.

Chapter 3 – Imputed Righteousness

Romans 4:1-5 We do not work to gain righteousness. We must believe in Him to gain righteousness.

This takes all the pressure off us to perform. Again, all we have to do is hide ourselves in Him – hide our lives in Him. That’s it! How hard can that be – to hide under the shadow of the Almighty One! If I will but hide myself in Him, I will have what I need – peace, faith, righteousness – everything.

God made a promise to Abraham, and all Abraham had to “do” was believe. That’s it – just believe.

This must be why doubt and unbelief are so crippling in a believer’s life! Faith is the foundational element to “success” in our lives. That must be why the devil tries so hard to get us to doubt God – to doubt His word – to doubt His finished word – to try to do things on our own. If we doubt and do things on our own – our lives do not matter. We are failing. And we do not want to fail!

“The Lord has promised right standing (righteousness) before him to anyone who will put his faith in the finished work of Christ for forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Therefore, like Abraham, when we simply believe this promise of God, the Lord reckons righteousness to us.”

Faith is key! Belief is key!

Romans 5:17 Much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

SUCCESS! This is the path to my life making a difference. The path is THROUGH Jesus Christ!

Why We Fail

2009-08-31T12:32:00.002-04:00

Everyone is afraid of failure. I mean really afraid. It’s probably one of our biggest fears (along with the fear of being rejected).

I mean, think about it, we live our everyday lives wanting to make a difference. No one wants to walk through life just marking time. Even the lost man wants to know that his life has mattered. We want to be remembered for the things we did to impact society.

But what types of things matter? What types of deeds and actions will make that longed for impact?

From a Christian perspective, only things that are eternal really matter. And what things are those? Those are the “things” that Jesus died for.

Jesus’ life mattered. He knew His call. He knew His mission. He knew that He was called to die so that we in generations following would be able to live; to truly LIVE.

Temporary life?

No, eternal life.

Life here on earth?

No, life with Jesus Christ; both here and after our earthly death.

Jesus’ life mattered.

How can we make our lives matter when comparing them to the life of Jesus?

There is really only one way.

We must, MUST, impact the lives of those around us for the Kingdom of God.

WE MUST.

But we within ourselves can impact no one.

Without the life of Jesus Christ being lived in and through us, our lives will not “matter”. What we do will not “remain”.

My son, My son, why are you striving
You can't add one thing to what's been done for you
I did it all while I was dying
Rest in your faith, my peace will come to you

For when I hear the praises start
I want to rain upon you
Blessings that will fill your heart
I see no stain upon you
Because you are my child and you know me
To Me you're only holy
Nothing that you've done remains
Only what you do for Me

My child, My child, why are you weeping
You will not have to wait forever
That day and that hour is in My keeping
The day I'll bring you into Heaven
For when I hear the praises start
My child, I want to rain upon you
Blessing that will fill your heart
I see no stain upon you
Because you are My child and you know me
To me you're only holy
Nothing that you've done remains
Only what you do in Me

My precious bride, the day is nearing
When I'll take you in My arms and hold you
I know there are so many things that you've been hearing
But you just hold on to what I have told you

For when I hear the praises start
My bride, I want to rain upon you
Blessings that will fill your heart
I see no stain upon you
Because you are My child, and you know Me
To me you're only holy
Nothing that you've done will remain
Only what you do for me

Keith Green, “When I Hear The Praises Start”

Do You Hear the Sound?

2009-08-27T09:29:00.003-04:00

I am hearing a sound in the Spirit

The sound is the sound of faith rising up among the believers

It is the sound of those who know that Jesus Christ is Lord of all

It is a hopeful sound

It is a sound that says a time of great miracles and harvest is coming

There are souls waiting to be born again

I love that term - born again

It is a term that I don't hear as often as I once did

But that is what we hope for in those we love - new birth in Jesus Christ

I've been re-reading a book - No Compromise by Melody Green

It is the life story of her late husband, Keith Green

I have cried, I have longed...

The cry of my heart has been awakened once again

SALVATION

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'

The wind blows wherever it pleases.

You here its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.

So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

Lord, I long to see salvation in this world

Bring life to those who are in darkness...

The Seasons of Our Lives

2009-07-20T17:14:00.002-04:00

Recently, a friend asked me a question. She was wondering why she felt like she was not bearing any fruit in this season of her life. She wants to bear fruit. She longs to bear fruit – the mark of a passionate Christian.

As I asked the Lord what to tell her, I was reminded of the 4 seasons that God ordained to order our years. And in the four seasons, I saw a picture of our lives.

Just like real fruit trees, there is not always fruit on the tree.

In autumn, the old, over-ripe fruit has dropped off, and most gardeners know to prune the tree in preparation for more fruit in the coming harvest.
Then there is winter, when the life inside is there, but dormant and quiet -
in preparation for the fruit that is coming again next summer.
In the spring, flowers bud in preparation for the fruit to come.
Then it's summer again - and if the tree has been properly pruned in autumn and cared
for in winter, it produces even more fruit than it did the previous season!

So it is not that one is slacking or unproductive, it is that there is a
process that our lives go through. Each season is important.
Autumn is like a season of repentance when the old is removed so that the
new can come.
Winter is like a season of renewal in the Word where we are quietly and
faithfully preparing our hearts and rebuilding the things that God had to
remove - rebuilding them according to His Kingdom and not our own flesh.
Spring is like a season of hope of the new fruit to come - of joy, knowing
that the Lord has done a work and is preparing to produce fruit through us.
Summer is our season of fruit-bearing and harvest.

John 15 says it well… Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Daredevils

2009-06-15T22:53:00.003-04:00

I have been noticing something lately.

Honestly, I've noticed it before, but lately it has fascinated me more than usual.

I'll call them daredevil birds.

You've seen them.

They come swooping dangerously into your path as you're driving along, only to suddenly change direction and swoop the other way.

Sometimes when there are two birds - one makes it across and the other does the sudden switch-back - I've wondered...

Did they plan that?

Did bird one say to bird two, "Hey! Betcha can't make it across the road without getting hit!"

Bird two says, "Let's find out!"

And off they go.

In truth, birds cannot reason. God created only man with reasoning capabilities.

But I do have to wonder what it is within those birds that causes them to want to "play".

If it's true that all of creation worships the King - are they worshiping with their play?

Perhaps I'll never know exactly what the birds are "thinking" as they dart dangerously in front of my car. But I plan to continue to enjoy their "game".

What Does the Lord Require?

2009-06-10T09:11:00.015-04:00

God has shown you men and women what is good and excellent; and what does the Lord require of you? He desires you to make just decisions in regard to others; to love goodness, kindness, and faithfulness. And in your going and coming, He wants you to walk in humility with Him. Micah 6:8 – personal interpretation

That is my rendition of this verse.

In times when one is pressed by the Lord to make leadership decisions that involve the lives of others, it is wise to remember humility.

Galatians 6:1-5

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are filled with and governed by the Spirit of God should mend what has been broken in him gently.

But watch yourself, or you also may be tried and tested in your faith, virtue, and character, by enticement to sin.

Carry each other’s heaviness, weight, burden, or trouble, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (This law states that we are to love one another as Christ has loved us.)

These first three thoughts are unified in that we are dealing with one subject – the temptation to sin that we all face, and our responses to that temptation. If we truly love one another, we will pray for and exhort one another because we should have a strong desire not to see a brother or sister caught in sin.
When we are responding in humility to one another; when we are watching one another’s lives in a way that says, “I love you. I don’t want to see you tripped up by sin in your life,” we are being an example to the world of the love of Jesus Christ.

Our purpose here is two-fold. One, out of love for our brothers and sisters, we want to stand with them in times of temptation and trial. And two, we are evangelizing the lost. Have you considered that when we love one another properly, we are actually engaging in evangelism? Jesus made it clear when he told his disciples that the world would know His love by our love for one another.

The second part of this portion of scripture speaks to us keeping watch over our own souls.

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test (to examine to see whether the thing is genuine or not) his own actions.
Then he can take pride in his own work (that which occupies his effort and time), without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load (or be responsible for the work of his own hands.)

We are to be aware of one another – to remember to encourage, exhort, and love our brothers and sisters. We are also to keep watch over our own lives. We need to watch our attitudes, our responses, our actions, our work (the things that we spend our time on). We will give an account to the Lord for all of these. Are we pleasing God in what we commit ourselves to? This thought ties back into the first portion of our scripture when we are told to watch ourselves.
In being aware of our own lives, we should be brought into an attitude of humility.
I believe we will also notice the fear of the Lord governing our lives.

May the Lord allow us to walk humbly and in the fear of the Lord as He brings us into a season of greater grace!

2009-04-20T08:40:00.005-04:00

A Spring Rain by Raymond A. Foss

The world is wet today

luxurious, damp, drenched

drops hug the leaves,

anoint the still budded lilac blossoms

before their blooming

rich purple and plum

made richer by their watery skin

New leaves under the weight

droplets heavy, hanging

bowing the white pine needles

undersides exposed to drink

drink in the morning

hushed in the rain

temperature near the dewpoint

sprouts of just planted flowers

eager from the parched soil

new puddles bloom too

on the ground, the driveway

collect and gather

without the smell of summer rain yet

tears splash and spread

silent shimmers, heralds, messengers

in the spring rain.

Did you know that April is poetry month? I didn't - until this morning.

In celebration of April and of rain - one of my favorite "weathers"...

In Memory of My Brother

2009-03-07T11:44:00.006-05:00

WHEELER, JOHN BARRON

Age 40, of Knoxville, formerly of Greensboro, NC, passed away unexpectedly on March 5, 2009.
John was a graduate of Halls High School in Knoxville, and received a BSN from the University of North Carolina. He worked as a Registered Nurse for many years.
His family is comforted in knowing that John is with the Lord, and is without pain for the first time in his short life.
He is survived by his children: John II, James, Grace, Brody and Emma;
Mother of his children, Angela Wheeler;
Parents, Barron and Linda Wheeler:
Sisters, Maria (Jeff) Kear and Susan (John) Jambor;
7 nieces and nephews whom he adored;
and other extended family members.

From dirty-faced little boy to openly loving man - that was my brother who I loved very much!
I'm sad that he is not with us now, but take such great comfort in knowing he is celebrating with his Savior.

John Barron Wheeler
February 24, 1969 to March 5, 2009
In Loving Memory

Ya Had To Be There

2009-03-02T13:52:00.006-05:00

Acts 2:1 "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place."
As I read this passage today, I realized something. I realized that the believers in Acts did not just "happen" to be all together in one place. They had chosen to be together.
In Acts 1:14 it says, "They all joined together constantly in prayer."
It does not say that because they were together the day of Pentecost came. It says that when the day of Pentecost came, they were together.
It must have been that God had already chosen the day of His visitation.
What if the believers had neglected to meet together? What if they did not have the habit of meeting together? Would they have missed the day of Pentecost?
What if some had neglected to be there that particular day?
They would most definitely have missed the day of Pentecost - the day that Jesus promised His Father would send.
Also, the timing was no accident. There were God-fearing Jews in Jerusalem "from every nation under heaven." God sent the promised Holy Spirit during the Feast of Pentecost, knowing there would be God-fearing men and women from every nation in Jerusalem. He knew they would hear the message that Peter would share after having received the Holy Spirit.
Why was it significant that foreigners were in Jerusalem? God brought them to hear the message (Acts 2:14). The Gospel was shared that day, and it was meant to be heard by those present so they could in turn share the message with their families and with those in "every nation under heaven". (Acts 2:39)
Have you heard the message? Have you been faithful to continue to meet together with other believers so that when God's appointed day arrives, you will not miss His coming?
What if the Lord of Heaven has a message for you?
What if He has a message that you are to share with your family, or with your city?
Do not neglect the regular meeting together with the saints. God has appointed days for His visitation. None of us wants to miss that visitation!

Today

2009-01-24T23:01:00.003-05:00

I heard the birds singing this morning.
They have probably been there all along.
But I did not notice.
Today You made sure I heard them.
You are slowly awakening my soul again.
Thank you.

A Companion Word for 2009

2008-12-29T09:55:00.002-05:00

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
Awake, my glory!
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
Psalm 57:7-11

This is the portion of scripture that the Lord spoke to my heart during the closing prayer in our Sunday service yesterday. I’m calling it a companion word from the Lord, because just like the Lord has given Harvest Church a word for 2009 regarding the harvest – the lost – a promise from Psalm 65 in which God is watering the soil (the hearts of men) in preparation for an ingathering – the Lord also has a word for those in the church – a word pertaining to their own hearts in this season of the Lord’s abundant watering.
For the last two months, I have heard the song in the Spirit over the church. The song of the Lord is “My Love Endures Forever”. And I am still hearing that song!
Now I hear the Lord calling to the church to awaken and begin to sing that song back to Him.
In the scriptures above, the word “steadfast” in regard to our heart means “stable, established, securely determined, to prepare, to be ready”.
Not only is the Lord telling us that He is watering the earth in preparation for a harvest of souls, He is calling us to be prepared, to be ready.
On a personal note… In May of 1999, the Lord spoke a word to my heart from 1 Peter 5:10 “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.”
As I read Psalm 57 this morning, the Lord spoke to me that this season is fulfilled – or come to its fullness. By faith, I am saying that the Lord has completed this word in my life – that I am restored, strong, firm and steadfast.
But this word is not for me only. This word is for those who are reading this message.
I say to you, along with my own soul – AWAKE!
When the psalmist said “Awake, my glory”, do you know what “glory” meant?
It is astonishing considering the word of the Lord to us in this season!
It means “abundance, riches, honor, reputation.”
ABUNDANCE.
That is amazing!
We are to say “Awake, my abundance” – just like Pastor Tim encouraged us to be praying yesterday during his message. Do you see why I believe this is a companion word to us? It goes hand in hand with what the Lord spoke.
What does it mean to “awake”? “To rouse oneself, to stir up, to be excited, triumphant, to act in an aroused (or awakened) manner.”
When the psalmist committed and said, “I will awaken the dawn”, he was saying, “I will awaken at the dawn.” The “dawn” is the beginning of something. I say that in the Spirit, the Lord is calling us to awaken to His word at the beginning. Do not hesitate. Awaken your abundance now. Respond to the word of the Lord immediately.
In many ways, my heart and mind have been in a fog this year. I have wrestled with my own heart before the Lord and I am believing that the fog has lifted and that abundance and victory await me and my family.
My circumstances have not changed. But the word of the Lord is not based on circumstances. The word of the Lord is true IN SPITE OF the circumstances!

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
Awake, my glory!
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
Psalm 57:7-11

Colors

2008-12-16T13:39:00.002-05:00

I love colors - colors of all kinds - especially when they are seen in concert with one another.

Some great places to see colors in this way?

Crayons!

Haha!

I know, it may seem silly for a 46 year old woman to say that (and I don't mind telling you I'm 46 because everyone says I look younger than my age ;).

I have always loved crayons - probably for two reasons.

The first is that I adore the sight of colors - they bring me deep joy.

The second reason I love crayons is that I enjoy coloring. Yes, you heard right - a woman of my age enjoys coloring - and drawing - and painting - all of which I don't take near enough time to do in this season.

And I don't love just any crayons - all crayons are not created equal.

Some come with dulled colors.

Some have dull papers.

Some are waxy and don't produce bright hues.

Some of the papers are waxy, making the crayons difficult to hold.

So if you're considering purchasing crayons for someone you love, you really must get the best.

And from what I've found, that means you must get the original - Crayola.

No, this isn't really a commercial for Crayola - and I will not be compensated by their company. I just happen to have enough experience with crayons to know a good crayon when I see one!

Where else do I find color that brings me joy?

I have a candle holder in my bathroom window. I keep the holder there because it has little plastic prisms hanging from it that create the most beautiful rainbows of color when the sun hits it just right. The whole room can fill with little swatches of color - what JOY!

So if you're looking for something to brighten a dreary, winter day - find color.

Open a box of crayons, shine a light through a prism... anything.

I promise you will instantly be smiling.

2008-12-11T10:32:00.002-05:00

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost (1923)

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

2008-12-08T14:21:00.001-05:00

Eva K. Logue

A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;

It makes no noise at all,

But softly gives itself away;

While quite unselfish, it grows small.

2008-11-28T16:09:00.007-05:00

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?"

For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The Boy is a Man

2008-11-25T09:12:00.006-05:00

When we start having babies, most of us don't look way into the future to realize that they will one day grow up, leave us, become adults...
Somewhere along the road of their growth, we begin to realize just this. We are raising them to become self-sufficient (or in the case of those of us who are Christians - God-sufficient). We raise them to leave home - to make their own mark on society - to fulfill whatever dreams and plans God placed in their hearts even before they were born.
It is a joyful and sad time.
Today is a joyous and proud day for me. My firstborn is 18 today. He is already on his own in most ways - living away at college, paying his own bills (what few he has), doing his own laundry, making his own decisions.
Is he making wise choices?
I pray he is!
And I do pray for him often. I want him to succeed in passionately following God's heart for him.
So, today, on his 18th birthday, I pray this...
Matthew, follow the heart of God toward the destiny He has for you.
That's it.
The Bible tells us in Matthew 6:25-34 in reference to those things we need "But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
That is my heart for you Matthew - that you would seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.
Happy 18th Birthday!

2008-10-21T12:49:00.005-04:00

"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.
For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."
- Edwin Way Teale

This post began with a thought of deep inner sighing - not of sorrowful sighing, but of joyful, filling sighing. The type of sighing one experiences when seeing something beautiful. I love the colors of autumn leaves. They bring deep joy into my soul.
I remember a year when I carefully filled a bag with autumn leaves from my driveway, praying over each one as I did. I gave the bag of leaves as part of a birthday gift to a special friend. What I was giving her that year was a piece of my heart - of my joy - and of my prayers.
I cannot think about beautiful autumn leaves and be sad - just can't do it!
So I ponder...
Then I found the above quote, and my heart leapt within me. A time of sowing and scattering abroad.
The Kingdom of God is like that.
We are always to be sowing and scattering abroad - the love of Jesus - His Word as encouragement or challenge to others.
In a season that seems to point to the coming "death" of winter, I see possibility. I see already the coming of spring with its new life. And I know that just as nature is preparing by sowing and scattering, there is a sowing in the Spirit in these days...
So do not see death - see the possibility of Life.

A Voice in the Desert...

2008-10-18T08:12:00.007-04:00

Psalm 112:1,2
Praise the LORD.
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who finds great delight in His commands.
His children will be mighty in the land;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.

I've done a post on my two oldest children. It's time to introduce everyone to momma's "baby" - my Abigail - "Abigator" as many affectionately call her.
Abigail has always been quiet - until recently. She is blooming and becoming quite a voice in many ways! As a matter of fact, just a few days ago, I had to ask her to please speak more quietly as she was literally hurting my ears.
Abigail is one that didn't talk much until she was more than two years old. But why did she need to? She had these big brown eyes and the sweetest spirit about her that all she had to do was look at someone to melt them. So much was communicated through who she was. I remember the first time we went to Wilmington, NC to visit my Uncle David and Aunt Myra. Our oldest two were invited to spend the night with them, but Abigail was not quite big enough yet. Matthew was probably 10 and Katherine 8. That left us alone in the car with 5 year old Abigail. What happened was magical! At one point, she began to talk and didn't stop. Both Jeff and I turned around to get a good look at this chatter-box that had suddenly appeared in our back seat. WHERE had she come from?! What we discovered was that she was a deep thinker who had lived so long in the shadow of her older siblings that we'd never heard all she had to say.
But the story doesn't really start there. As Christians, we all want to know our purpose on earth - our calling - our gifts. Yes, we are all meant to glorify God in a general sense. But there is a special expression that God has given each of us in bringing Him glory. With Abigail, God pointed out that special calling before she was talking - at about the age of 2.
I vividly remember she and I being in my closet hanging up clothes. Well, I was hanging up clothes while she sat at my feet looking adorable as usual with those big brown eyes. Remember, she was a late talker, and at this stage she rarely said anything at all. As I worked, I heard this quiet voice below me saying, "Power of God. Power of God." She repeated this over and over again, and in that moment the Holy Spirit showed me the call to deep intercession that was upon her life.
More recently, Abigail has been struggling and wanting to know the call on her life. She's been frustrated, but she has persisted in asking God to show her. A few weeks ago, the Lord graciously revealed to her that calling - one of being a voice for her generation - one of intercession for the lost and for those who are not serious about their relationship with God.
And Abigail has found her voice! I am hearing things come from my daughter's spirit that are deeply passionate for the Lord, and as a mom, I could not be more excited or pleased. This is what I long for - that my children will walk with God.
That brings me to introduce you to Abigail's blog. At 13, she is articulate and passionate and that comes through in her writing. Please take the time to visit and read...

http://abigailkear.blogspot.com/

Bring Back the Laughter!

2008-10-15T09:55:00.004-04:00

The last several months have been hard for us in many ways. I had major surgery. Our son moved out to go to college. My husband's business has not been doing well, so money is tighter than it has been since we first got married.
I'm the type that tends to shut down when things are hard. I withdraw into myself. I spend more time being quiet. I hone in more sharply to my relationship with God.
But this time, one thing has been different. I've forgotten to laugh with my best friend - my husband Jeff.
We've spent too many days now in quiet - trying not to say all the things that are troubling our hearts. Therefore, we've not talked as much in this season as we usually do. And I've missed that talking.
If I'm going to tell anyone anything, it's going to be Jeff. He usually hears way more than he'd probably like to! But lately I haven't wanted to put my worries and fears on him, because I know he has enough of his own. So I've kept it all tightly bottled inside.
Last night was different. All of our children were gone. Matthew is home from college, but was out with his guy friends for guys' night. The girls were at dance class. We sat down to eat dinner - a vegetable beef soup made entirely from Sunday's left-overs. And it was really good too!
Just before dinner, Jeff and I were talking about an article I'd started reading in Reader's Digest. It was about a family who decided that for one month they would spend nothing. Yes, they paid the house payment, bought only the bare necessities in groceries - things like that. What they did not spend on was sometimes quite hilarious; sometimes quite practical.
For example, wouldn't you know that their tub blurbled up with this black goo just as they'd vowed not to spend money that month. So what did they do? They looked up home remedies on the internet of what to do in such a case and fixed the goo themselves - pirating the neighbor's internet signal!
The man got up early and read his neighbor's newspaper, returning it before he ever awoke.
Their poor 4 year old son was getting bored - used to outings with Dad to get ice-cream, play games, etc. So the dad excitedly asked if the son wanted to go ride in a silver chariot and eat food and look at neat stuff. The son excitedly yelled - yea! Where did he take him? To the local Costco to ride around in a shopping cart, look at the neat stuff, and eat free samples!
We were totally cracking up at this point! THERE was the laughter I had so missed. It filled me like nothing else can.
Then we pondered - as we've been doing the last few weeks - while this is funny and this family probably makes a nice income and can afford to "play" at this, we have had a need recently to cut back on as much as we can. What could we take away from this article in a practical sense - beyond our laughter :)
Well, you know what? I can "pirate" my parents internet - they're just next door. And I tried it too! It was really slow... I'm so spoiled.
I can borrow their newspapers when they're done with them - and this I know they won't mind at all as my dad puts them in the recycle when he's read them.
I took stock of our cleaners this morning. We're pretty good there, but if it comes time to buy new cleaners and money is still tight, I know I can pirate my parents internet to look up homemade cleaner recipes - HA!
More than any other thing though. I'm so thankful to the Lord for restoring my joy. Today I am excited, joyful, have new and creative ideas for survival in tough economic times. And I have my best friend back - most important of all!

He's Coming Home!

2008-10-10T00:05:00.004-04:00

No, he's not coming home forever - just for a visit.
That's what grown sons do.
We must be especially blessed, because I hear from my other friends with college-aged children that their son or daughter gets only two days off for fall break.
Matthew will be with us for nine whole days!
I'm anxiously awaiting my hug...

2008-10-04T12:26:00.003-04:00

My Favorite Time of Year

Autumn is my favorite time of year for many reasons.
I love that first cool “nip” in the air.
I love the first hint of color while the leaves remain on the trees – especially the red of the dogwood.
I love the possibility of snow, and that certain scent on the breeze.
I love s’mores on the first fire of the season.
I love the renewed energy I get to simplify by removing unused items from our home.
I love the holidays with their special foods and opportunities to gather with friends and family.
But for some reason, and maybe it’s because I was in Cambodia for two weeks, this autumn season sort of sneaked up on me.
I left East Tennessee for our trip to Cambodia and we had warm weather. The weather in Cambodia was unseasonably cool, yet was in the upper 70’s at night and low to mid 80’s during the day.
So imagine my surprise when we landed back in Knoxville and I felt the need for a jacket!
As I said, I somehow missed those tell-tale signs of autumn. Was it because those signs came in those two weeks while I was gone? I’m concerned that it was because I’d been too focused on other things to notice the time of year – the season – that was approaching.
Is my life like that also? Have I failed to notice the season I’m in at different times? I’m sure I have.
During our time of worship this past Sunday, we sang songs about the Lord’s return – about seeing Him – about dancing on golden streets. And while that should be a joyful thought for the Christian, I found myself overwhelmed by thoughts of the lost. I found myself physically grieving for those who do not yet know. I wondered – Would they be ready? What if the Lord came today, or tomorrow? Would my Uncle David and Aunt Myra, for example, be ready to meet the Lord Jesus Christ face to face? I was afraid the answer would be “no”, and my heart was broken. I couldn’t even worship in that moment, but instead found myself in intercession for their souls.
Then I was reminded of how Jesus came to earth the first time as a humble servant. And I was reminded of His return, which would be in a much different manner of His first coming. When he returns to the earth, He will come in judgment. Will He find faith on the earth? When He comes again, it will be too late for repentance. Are we spending time repenting now? Before it’s too late? Oh my heart aches…
In Matthew 25 one finds the parable of the ten virgins. All ten of these young ladies had lamps with oil. But only five of them brought extra oil, signifying to me a true relationship with Jesus Christ – one that cannot be shaken by worldly trials or even by materialism. These five ladies were prepared for the coming of the Lord, and once He did return, there was nothing more that could be done for the other five who were not prepared. They were left outside of the feast.
Then one reads the parable of the talents. All of us have been given gifts or talents from God – even those who do not serve Him have gifts. But what are we who do belong to Him doing with what He has given us? Are we effectually burying them and not using them for fear that we won’t do things quite properly? Or are we living in God’s grace, knowing that He will embolden and bless our efforts to use what we have for His Kingdom? What will our reward be when He returns? Will He say to us – Good and faithful servant? Or will He turn His back on us?
Finally, and most heart-rending to me, is the parable of the sheep and the goats. Both thought they were doing the will of their master. But only the sheep had actually captured the heart of their Master by hearing His voice, loving not their own lives, and doing His will. They did His will for His glory.
The goats? They did good works. They did nice things. But for who’s glory? Their works were for either their own glory or a misguided attempt to earn the Master’s approval. We cannot earn His approval.
The Word of God is clear in that Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father except through Me.”
Lord, draw the hearts of those I love to Yourself. Work in them so that you will find faith there.
And Lord, work in my heart so that You will find faith… I live for nothing else!

Cambodia trip - part Buen

2008-09-30T15:44:00.001-04:00

I went around the house yesterday for a little while without shoes – just to remind myself of Cambodia where it is impolite to wear your shoes inside. My feet got crumbs and water on them and yes, the memories of constantly dirty feet returned. In the hot weather, the cool tile floors felt nice. But here in East TN where the weather is beginning to be cooler, I needed to put my shoes back on.
We spent at least part of each day in prayer for the nation of Cambodia. A few days we took time to split into smaller teams and walk different ways to our favorite restaurant and spend time praying as we walked. Many of us found ourselves praying for the leaders and business owners in Kampot, knowing that they carry great influence and if won to Christ would be a tremendous asset in helping the young church there spread the Gospel.
We went to the market one day and walked through the stalls in an attitude of prayer. Of course, we also had to get in just a little bit of trouble along the way. Sarah, Katherine and I were caught with our shoes on in one of the shops. Evidently one must also remove her shoes when in a tiled store in the market. From then on, we were careful not to step on the tile.
Another day we traveled to a church building that is no longer in use to pray and ask the Lord if this building could be a blessing to the new church Vutha would plant in Kampot (at this writing, the new church had its first meeting last Sunday morning! So they will meet in homes or wherever until the Lord says otherwise). This particular building was somewhat of a contradiction as it had a Christian cross painted above the doorway, while it also had symbols of Buddhism in other decorative places. Were the previous tenants confused? We were unsure.
We took two different days to spend time praying at the schools the children are attending. The first school was for K-8th grade, where most of the children attend. The second school is for 9th – 12th grade (the one mentioned in an earlier post). Both schools are Buddhist. Therefore, all the Heritage House children will face a challenge to their faith each day in that they will be swimming upstream against the religion of their nation. Again, please remember to pray for them as often as possible.
We also found ourselves praying for the children on other prayer walks through the city – and not just Heritage House’s children, but all the children in the city. I don’t know how many times I saw a young person or a young child out alone – riding a bike or in the street and my heart ached for them. Maybe you’re thinking they’re safe enough, but Cambodia is not really a safe place for children as they are often mistreated in ways I’d rather not go into. The Lord must bring justice to the young in Cambodia as they are crying out in their hearts for love and freedom!
I know that freedom will come through the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it spreads in the cities and towns of Cambodia.
As it stands now, there is a missions team consisting of a young couple and their daughter, dorm moms, and several children ages 2 to 18 who will be faithful to cry out for freedom in their city.
Please join them in their cry!

I'm the Boy You Never Had?!

2008-09-29T09:18:00.002-04:00

I'll get back to my Cambodia posts soon...
The above statement was made by my 15 (16 as of November 1st) year old daughter who just Saturday night broke either her hand or the base of her pinky finger.
Keep in mind that I do have a son. But she claims he's the "nerdy" type who works on computers, reads, etc. She's not wrong - although since he's been in college he's been diving into volleyball and swing dancing ;).
Katherine - Roonie - has always been a bit of a tomboy - although I hate that term, because she's a graceful, beautiful young lady! But if there was a boy around who was trying to out-run or out-wrestle her, she'd rise to the challenge. She is VERY competitive physically and will not tolerate being "beat" by anyone.
So when she came home Saturday night from a youth group outreach with a broken limb (yet to fully be determined - we'll know later this afternoon after visiting the orthopedic clinic), that was her comment to my sighing about yet another doctor visit.
I'm the boy you never had, Mom.
Yea.
This is not the first of her injuries (or her sister Abigail's). Both girls dance so there is always the strained this, the sprained that, the sore this, the damaged that.
But Katherine was quick to announce (and too proudly say) - My first break!! She thinks a broken limb is exciting. I'm convinced that's because she doesn't have to pay the unending medical bills...
Oh - and a little bit of a "mom" ramble..
Both doctor's offices hinted at my inability to be a good parent because I had not taken her to the ER Saturday night. "Both", meaning my primary care physician's office and the orthopedic office. You mean you didn't take her to the ER late Saturday night and sit for hours only to pay 4 to 5 times what it will cost you today? Call me a bad parent, then! ;) We do have her hand/finger splinted with the good old-fashioned tongue depresser / medical tape. What do you think they did in the days before hospitals and ER's?

Cambodia trip - part By

2008-09-26T11:26:00.001-04:00

But before we began our physical work. we walked the property and prayed over every inch, both inside and out. We also spent some time worshipping (me on a broken keyboard with no pedal, and Shane (Kristen's brother) on a barely tuned guitar). Thankfully, it was not the lack of proper instruments that the Lord heard, but the voices and hearts lifted in praise to Him.
We were setting the property apart for the work of the Kingdom of God. We were "taking ground" in the Spirit. The Heritage House children and staff are being sent out as evangelists in Kampot and prayer coverage is a must. God's Word is clear in that no man comes to faith unless he is drawn by the Father (yes, that includes women too ;). John 6:44 says this: No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him...
There is no drawing without the prayers of the saints. God has chosen the preaching of the Gospel as the means for salvation, and the preaching of the Gospel (the good news of Jesus Christ) goes hand in hand with prayer.
Therefore, will you please pray for Heritage House's staff and children that they will be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ in Kampot?

Once prayer and worship concluded, we got to work scrubbing bathrooms. Sarah and I tackled the office bathroom, while Heather tackled bathroom #2, and Srey #3. What a "fun" job! But it was honestly a blessing to see the bathrooms clean and ready to be used by our team and all of Heritage House.
Then off to the paint store to pick out colors. I remembered what some experts have said about choosing no more than 3 colors, so went with that in mind. Yes, Lewis allowed me to pick the colors! That was a truly fun part of my job. When we got to the paint store, and please do not imagine your local Lowe's or Home Depot here. No. The paint store was a household type store - very small and jam-packed with everything imaginable. The store employee produced a color chart, which surprised me. I wasn't sure how we'd go about choosing colors. So I chose three colors - one a brick red (although more on the brown side), one a sage green, and one a wheat yellow. They went to the back to get our paint. I naively thought they were going to mix colors, but no. They had premixed paint in 5 gallon containers. They were out of two of the colors I had chosen and there was no ordering the color in. We would have to choose two more colors. So I looked at the one color we did have and tried to pick two that would still coordinate in tone and depth. We finally settled upon 3 colors that were in stock and proceeded to pick out paint brushes, rollers, etc. Oh, how I wish we had brought our own brushes! They had the "stubbiest" brushes that I knew would be difficult for cutting in. But we determined to do the best with what we had.
How were we to know that when we opened the yellow paint, it would look more like sheetrock mud? David Butler, our hardest working man on the team, was very puzzled by the look of the paint. We tried to read the bucket - no luck. Were we supposed to add water? Was this some strange Cambodian paint? We finally decided that we had no choice but to water it down if we wanted it to stay on our brushes and rollers. So someone rigged up a drill with a mixer paddle so that we could have ready-to-use paint.
We started with the office and moved into the common areas as they would be yellow. The ladies' rooms would all be done in the reddish brown, and the boys' rooms would be the green, which ended up more of a dark sea-foam green than a sage. At one point, I had the idea that it would be nice to do some contrasting walls in some of the common rooms. So two walls in the kitchen, and one in the living area are/will be red. I say "will be" because some roof repairs will need to be done before that will be finished by the Heritage House staff. We also contrasted the upper wall vents in red. The home took on a dramatic change in appearance!

At this point, all of our days were running together, so forgive me that I do not remember which day it was when the rest of the staff and children arrived! But oh were the children precious! They were shy at first, but it didn't take long for them to smile and greet the team. Some helped them move in and get their beds set up, while others continued to clean and paint. The home quickly filled with the laughter and chatter of little voices. Everyone was excited!
Sarah and I led worship with everyone one night, but by far it was more precious when we gathered with Heritage House on other nights and two of the teens led prayer and worship. It was a joy to see them stepping into leadership roles and taking ownership of their roles in the body of Christ. Therefore, none of us minded giving up places of leadership in deference to the children.

Cambodia trip - part Bee

2008-09-26T11:25:00.000-04:00

Our trip began at 4:00 Tuesday morning, September 9th.
We left for the airport in Knoxville and arrived at 5:30 only to find out our plane had been delayed by around 2 hours.
Already we were concerned about making connecting flights in Atlanta and Los Angeles.
We checked our luggage through to Bangkok, Thailand and waited for our flight.
Our trip was uneventful until we reached L.A where we literally had to run from the domestic flight area to the international flight area to catch our plane to Seoul, Korea. We made it - just minutes before they were taking off. We even had Asiana Air employees running with us to make sure we would get to the gate.
Since we were so late in getting on board, our previous group seats had been given away and we were scattered throughout the plane sitting by total strangers - mostly Asian.
I ended up beside a Korean lady who spoke no English - we spent lots of time saying "thank you" to each other for various reasons, and smiling :)
On the other side of me - yes, I ended up in a middle seat for the 13 hour flight - was a Vietnamese man who said he was a Christian, but after listening to his conversation and the things that interested him, I doubt he was really a Christian.
I made several trips to the back of the plane (I was near the front) to visit with Katherine and to stretch my legs. I watched two or three movies - there was no sleeping on the plane for me!
What a relief it was to arrive in Seoul, Korea and then to move on to Thailand where we stayed overnight at the Sara Inn - a real bed with some real sleep!
Unfortunately, due to us having to run to catch our flight in LA, our checked luggage didn't make it onto our flight. So we spent the night in Thailand with what each of us had in our carry-on bags, which was not much, but enough to get by on.
We were positive that all of you were praying when we discovered that we would indeed receive our luggage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia the next day and would not have to go without it the entire two weeks.
Two of the men on our team stayed in Phnom Penh to get our luggage while the rest of us got into the back of a pick-up truck to make the 3 hour trip to Kampot. Yes, 3 hours in the back of a pick-up truck... there were bench seats on either side of the truck bed that we sat on - and bounced on. There were times when we literally left our seats with the bumping around on the dirt road. We mostly laughed each time this happened, further evidence of the grace of God with us. We sang songs and prayed and some even slept. Sarah and Katherine were at the very back of the bed and I was afraid they'd both be bounced out when they fell asleep! But we lost no one.
We arrived in Kampot at about 2:00 a.m. Cambodia time - which is 11 hours ahead of Eastern time. We checked into our motel sans luggage and went straight to sleep. The rooms were nice - they had a.c., two double beds, a fan, and a bathroom. The bathroom was unusual. It was a tiled room with a shower head, sink and toilet all combined. There was a drain by the shower head.
Each morning, we were awakened by the Buddhists going to the pagoda next door to make offerings. They chanted as the sun rose.

On our first morning in Kampot, we found a nice restaurant that I mentioned in my previous e-mail - the Coco House. I had pancakes with banana and honey almost every morning. The pancakes were more like thick crepes, but very good.
After breakfast, we headed to Heritage House's new home. The orphanage is housed in the private residence of a widow who agreed to rent to them. When you enter the property by a sliding, decorative, metal gate, you see a beautiful yard with shade trees and flowers. Granted, the yard did require some cleaning up, but was still very nice. The house has a covered front porch, on which we left our shoes as it is impolite to wear shoes in Cambodian homes. The house is huge - and was very dirty. When one first enters, there is a very large living area with two bedrooms off to the left. The first bedroom was prepared as an office, the second was prepared for the head dorm mom. Both bedrooms had their own bathrooms, which were very dirty and had to be scrubbed from top to bottom. After going through the doorway from the living area, one was in a large hall area with a bedroom on either side. The bedroom with bathroom to the left was for another dorm mom. The bedroom to the right was one of the boys' dorm rooms - with no bathroom.
Continuing forward, one came upon the kitchen/dining area, which stretched very wide from left to right. To the right was a door that went out to a tiled area where much of the food prep was done, as well as cleaning of dishes. This was an outdoor area. To the left was plenty of space for the long tables that the children and staff sat at for meals. Straight ahead was another boys' dorm room with bath area.
Continuing left past the dining area were the door to what appeared to be a garage area, and the stairs to the second level. On the second level was a loft area, and two more bedrooms - one with and one without a bathroom. These two rooms were for a dorm mom, and for all the girls. There is also a covered porch area upstairs.
After touring the house, we knew we had lots of work ahead and that we needed to work as quickly as we could to be ready before the children arrived in two days.

Cambodia trip - part Moi

2008-09-26T07:18:00.000-04:00

For anyone wanting to know part of how our trip went, here is a copy of what I sent to our church e-mail groups - we arrived home at about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday.

We're finally home - well, we got home last night at about 11:45 after dropping Jonathan off at his apartment.
We stayed up until almost 1:00 getting a shower, eating something, telling about our trip, etc.
Then I was pretty much falling asleep as Jeff prayed over me before we went to sleep.
As I was in the shower last night, I really got a sense in the Spirit that the enemy was very angry with our team and with the Khmer Christians still in Cambodia, and that he was going to try to interrupt our sleep with nightmares. So I prayed and asked Jeff to also pray.
This morning, I told Katherine about it, and she told me that she had had the same thoughts and had also prayed before going to sleep.
That tells me that contrary to the negativity I was hearing from the enemy in my heart at times on the trip, we were having great effect in Cambodia!
In particular, as we prayed at the high school that three of the Heritage House children will attend (Coy, Marie, and Srey) there was great spiritual darkness that met us. I was hearing in my heart a cry that said our prayers would have no effect there - that we were wasting our time and if anything would only barely scratch the surface of what was needed for that area. As we wrestled on in prayer, Lewis told us that it was very likely that the campus had previously been a concentration/torture camp during the reign of the Khmer Rouge - a place of horrible atrocities in the past. It was evident that the spiritual climate over the school grounds was very dark. So we prayed, prophesied, sang, and spoke prophetically over that area in great measure and I believe we had GREAT effect - contrary to the voice of the enemy.
With that said, please remember to pray for the three who will attend classes there - they will need the Lord's protection and boldness. They may well be the only Christians in the school and they will certainly face difficulty as the whole school is required to make prayers to Buddha as part of their training. Please pray for the wisdom of the Lord for them also.
I feel that our greatest effect was in prayer, though I know that Vutha (pronounced Woota) also told Lewis that our team unity and the way we worked together was a great example for the Khmer children and dorm moms. Vutha said that he has been trying to train the children and moms to work together to accomplish their work, but that they are used to doing only their own work and not helping one another. He said that our working together made an excellent example of what he's been trying to teach.
Our team consisted of those who are used to leading within their own churches. What we found was that each person was willing to submit to one another to accomplish the different tasks. No one fought for leadership; everyone "fought" to simply serve.
The city of Kampot (pronounced as it sounds - Cam-pot) is a great city. It's small - at least in comparison to the very busy and very loud city of Phnom Penh (pronounced P-nom Pen). We walked everywhere we went - except when it was raining and the Heritage House truck was available. It rained a little every day, but was by no means a wash-out. The people are friendly, kind, and gentle. Oh, but their driving! :) They are quite daring in their driving - horns honking - moving in all areas of the road. One sees bicycles, motos, cars, and people walking everywhere. We did see a few wrecks, but no one was seriously injured - thankfully.
We ate most meals at the Coco House - a sweet little restaurant in the city. Three ladies were there to serve us each day - they lived above the restaurant as is common for business owners in the area. They greeted us each morning with beautiful smiles. Srey Moi (meaning Girl One - no kidding!) was our main server and she spoke great English. We were very sad when we had to tell them we would be leaving the next day to begin our trip home. But we were able to buy a Bible for each of the ladies and give them an additional $20 tip each to thank them for their hospitality while we were there. Also Lewis asked Vutha to let them know that if they had any questions about the book or about Christianity, they could talk with Pheakedey (I'm not sure I spelled that correctly, but it is pronounced Peck-a-dye, who is Vutha's wife). Already there is an opportunity for friendship evangelism!
I know I have much more to tell, but honestly, I'm so tired ;)
I slept 12 hours last night and could already head to bed again and it's only 9:00.
So, I will leave you all for now.
I promise to send out more information over the next few days and would love to answer any questions anyone may have.
Thank you to everyone who prayed over our trip - we were effective because your prayers were effective!
With love in the Lord Jesus Christ,
Maria

p.s. please continue to pray for our team as we adjust to being back in an eastern time zone. It's very hard to adjust back! And Katherine is sick with a stuffy nose, cough, stomach upset, 104 fever. Our doctor friend from church will come by to check on her after work today.

Jesus Christ Also "Remains"

2008-08-15T09:02:00.000-04:00

Just as we are told to remain in Christ in John 14, I've discovered that
there is a place where Christ "remains" in our lives.
Our son has been going through a season of establishing his faith in
his Savior for himself. What I mean by that is that every one of us
must come to a place where we decide to serve Jesus Christ not
because our parents do, but because we as individuals have chosen
that we will serve Him all our days.
Matthew said to his dad and I last night that he is glad he's "made
that decision before he goes off to college." That brought a smile to
my face. One because I'm excited for him, and two because I
realize that he'll have to daily make that decision. Do you think he
knows that yet? No matter, God is in control in his life.
As I was pondering the last several months in Matthew's life, the Lord
brought to my heart the fact that he's been after his heart. He has
wanted Matthew's heart and He has been doing what is necessary to
get it.
As I pondered, I had my Bible open in my lap. When I looked down, I
saw this verse -
Proverbs 17:3 "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the
Lord tests the heart."
It was exciting to me that as my heart pondered the work of the Lord
in my son's heart, the Lord confirmed to me that I was thinking His
thoughts. Any time I am assured that I am in tune with God's heart,
it is a precious moment!
As I read more scripture pertaining to God testing and proving our hearts,
I came across a verse that I shared with Matthew to encourage him in
this season.
That verse is Malachi 3:3 - and the point of this entry's title.
"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites
and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who
will bring offerings in righteousness."
That is what God has been doing in Matthew. And that is what God will
do in you and me. He will "sit as a refiner". The word "sit" means that He
will "remain" in a place as our refiner and purifier. I know that means
He will fulfill this special place our entire lives.
How do I know that? Because it will take our entire lives to give ourselves
to Him. It will take our entire lives to be conformed to the image of
Jesus Christ.
Lord, I'm thankful to know that as I remain "in" You, You will "remain" as
a refiner and purifier in my life, making me (a Levite - one who is "joined to"
God) ready to bring offerings in righteousness.

Remain in Me

2008-07-23T10:03:00.000-04:00

How many times I have read these words! But I've never truly
understood them - not fully. But lately, the Holy Spirit is causing
the scripture to be so alive in my heart, that I am eager to search
Jesus' words with these new eyes of mine!
In my ongoing study, the Lord opened up to me one more verse -
John 15:4 "Remain in Me and I will remain in you. No branch can
bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear
fruit unless you remain in Me."
"Remain in me" seems to be the key thought in this verse. What
does it mean to "remain" or "abide" in Jesus Christ? Is it simply a
matter of choosing not to turn my back on my faith? No. It's much
more than that.
"Abide" means "to journey, to be kept continually, in reference to time
- to continue to be, to last, to endure."
The word "endure" caught my attention as I remembered that those
who endure to the end will be saved. And indeed, the word is similar
in the original Greek. For "remain", the word is "meno". For "endure",
the word is "hupomeno". So I'm on the right track.
"Hupomeno" is another fascinating word in meaning. It means, "Under
misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Jesus Christ / to endure
bravely and calmly ill treatments."
And what does "saved" mean as used in Matthew 24:13 (those who endure
until the end, the same shall be saved). "Sozo" (saved) means "to rescue from
danger or destruction - to save from evils which obstruct the reception of the
Messianic deliverance."
Suddenly, "abide" took on new meaning. This picture of the vine and the branch
was a picture of true salvation - of being in Christ and remaining in Christ
until the end. "Abide" has true eternal meaning for the Christian.
Now I know that I must abide, remain, endure to the end. How must I, the
"branch", respond while abiding?
No branch can bear fruit by itself... The "branch" or "klema" is a tender and
flexible branch, a vine sprout. I must be tender and flexible as a branch. I must
be willing for the Lord to bend me when necessary. I must be willing to change,
to repent, to listen to His words and obey them. If I'm flexible, I'm a true branch.
When I considered the word "sprout", I had the thought of the sprout being the
same plant as the vine to which it is attached. It has the same DNA, the same
characteristics, the same purpose, the same physical appearance, bears the
same fruit. If that sprout was somehow detached from the vine, it would quickly
die, because all its life-source would be cut off.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me... Again, without the vine
our source of life is cut off. Life is in us only through the vine - Jesus Christ
(as we discovered in verses 1-3). If we are not attached to "life", "death" is
working within us.
A branch cannot bear fruit... Cannot is "dunamai", signifying the power of
the Holy Spirit in our lives being removed if we do not "abide". If we do not
abide, not only is there death produced in us, but we have no effectiveness,
no anointing as a Christian in this world.
And I will remain in you... When Jesus said this, He meant "in" you as a fixed,
unmoveable position within us. What a wonderful promise! He will never
leave us nor forsake us, as His word says!
My final thought is focused on the fruit we will bear when we remain in Him.
The fruit, or "karpos", means "to gather fruit into life eternal (as into a granary),
is used in figurative discourse of those who by their labors have fitted souls to
obtain eternal life."
I immediately asked the Lord what a "fitted soul" was. Our "souls" refer to our
mind, our will, our emotions - who we are humanly speaking. Our "fitted souls"
refers to the fruit we bear - the outward proof that we are His - the works we do
that prove our salvation - that we are a true branch attached to the Vine.
Our salvation is begun by faith in Jesus Christ. Our faith in Jesus Christ is
then proved to be real by the fruit we bear - our works prove that we are His.
Those who are bearing fruit have "fitted souls" - they "bear fruit".
Are you a true branch? Check to see that you are bearing eternal fruit....

My Time With the Lord

2008-07-21T11:53:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, a precious man that I've known almost all my
life came to impart wisdom to the body of Harvest Church. This
man mentored my dad when he pastored a church, laid hands on me
and prophesied the word of the Lord before I went on my first
mission trip in my early 20's. I trust him and I value what he
says - so much so that I made a conscious decision to heed his
words when he told our body we would do well to study the same
three chapters in scripture that he had spent countless hours
studying for himself. If it's good enough for a man who has
walked with the Lord many years, it is good enough for me!
So I've been reading John 14-16. Well, in all honesty, the Lord
would not allow me to move past John 14 for several days. I had
to first internalize the fact that I am "not to let my heart be
troubled." I don't mean just read it - I mean "get" it deep into
my heart and soul.
Today, he allowed me to go to John chapter 15, but I was only
prompted to study the first 3 verses! But what a wealth I found
in those first 3 verses.
I saw that Jesus is the "true vine", and that it is His Father who
is the gardener. It is the Father who prunes the fruitful branches
so that they will bear even more fruit.
I noticed that in the Greek, the word for "prunes" is also the same
word for "cleanses". As a matter of fact, the Greek word "Kathairo"
means to cleanse of filth and impurity. So when the Father is pruning
us, He is cleansing us from sin. (Interesting personal note - my oldest
daughter's name is Katherine, which means "pure" - wow...)
The Father is cleansing His Church right now. Have you noticed?
What does the Father use to cleanse us? In verse 3, Jesus says, "You
are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you."
It is His Word that cleanses us. How do I know that?
In Psalm 119:9 His Word says, "We keep our way pure by living
according to His Word."
In John 17:17 His Word says, "We are sanctified by the truth."
God's Word is truth - Jesus Christ is truth.
In Ephesians 5:25, 26 His Word says, "...just as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her
by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to
himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other
blemish, but holy and blameless."
He gave Himself up for us, the church, to make us holy - to cleanse
us.
Why are we being purified? Is it simply so that we will be clean
or is there purpose in us being clean?
According to I Peter 1:22 through 2:12 (please read for yourself),
In verse 22 - now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the
truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers... love one
another deeply.
We are being purified "so that we will have sincere love for one
another." But does the purpose end there?
No. It does not. If you read the above mentioned passage, you'll
see in chapter 2, verse 9 that we are being purified so that we
may love one another and so that we "may declare the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
And in verse 12 - we see the ultimate reason for being cleansed.
"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse
you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God
on the day he visits us."
ALL of what the Father is doing in cleansing us is to bring glory
to Himself.
So if you are bearing fruit, be cleansed (or pruned) by obeying
His Word. Then you will love your brother. Then the world will
see the glory of the Father, and some will believe...

College preparation

2008-07-14T12:31:00.000-04:00

August 23rd is so close!
I'm getting excited - yes, I really am. I know I'll miss
Matthew, but this is the direction of the Lord for his life
so I'm very excited to see what God will do with Matthew
both academically and spiritually over the next four years.
Abigail and I went to Walmart today to buy a few things for
Matthew. We bought a twin XL sheet set with comforter -
army tan in color - nothing "girly"! An extra sheet set in
dark teal - looks so nice with the brown. We got a set of
towels in chocolate brown - 2 bath, 2 hand, and 2 washcloths.
And we found this really neat laundry bag - heavy duty with a
strap for carrying and a pocket to tuck detergent and softener
into.
Abigail was joking around that it didn't matter to get him
two laundry bags to separate lights from darks. She's
convinced that he'll come home with all his clothes the same
color. I told her that he knows perfectly well how to do
his own laundry and that I expect his clothes will be just fine.
What I'm more thinking is how often will he wash his clothes,
towels, sheets, etc.... That's part of why I got two sets of
sheets - to remind him that they should be washed! haha!
Abigail is also pricing little things to finish decorating
Matthew's room once she moves in. She's going with a chocolate
brown and sage green color scheme. Katherine will keep the sage
green and deep purple color scheme in the room the girls share
now.
There's still a good size list of other things needed. But we'll
wait until closer to the time - maybe even until the day we move
him. There's a Super Walmart right down the road for anything it
looks like he'll need once we get there.

Have You Heard?

2008-07-11T09:36:00.000-04:00

John 5:25 says, "I tell you the truth, a time is coming
and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of
the Son of God and those who hear will live."
This week, during my quiet time, I came across this
verse and it struck my heart in a strong, prophetic
way. "The dead will hear... and will live."
What an incredible promise of salvation to those who will
believe!
Come, now is the time to worship
Come, now is the time to give your heart
Come, just as you are to worship
Come, just as you are before your God
Come!
One day every tongue will confess, "You are God!"
One day every knee will bow
Still the greatest treasure remains for those
Who gladly choose You now...

It's official!

2008-07-10T12:51:00.001-04:00

Katherine and I are going with a team to Cambodia in September.
We are following what we believe to be the Holy Spirit's
confirmation to "go to the other side of the world", now
that it's been ten years since the prophetic word came.
I'm excited and nervous! I'm already praying, fasting, and
continuing my devotional time so that I'll be more ready to
be a blessing when we get there.
And I'm daily seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit, so that
He will work through us and we won't be guilty of giving to
anyone out of our flesh. How worthless that would be!
We have a verse of encouragement from the Lord as we go...
Proverbs 19:17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward him for what he has done.

Feeling safe to be honest...

2008-07-08T13:42:00.000-04:00

Do I feel safe in being honest because there is probably no one
reading this? Partially :) - ha! But what if someone does
read what I've written? Maybe it will encourage them in their
fears...
A lot has happened since we last "talked". Jeff was praying
a few mornings ago, then mentioned to me that he was asking
the Lord about me going to Cambodia with Katherine. I want to
go, but I know the trip will not be an easy one. Am I "up"
for the trip? Yes, by God's grace, I can do all things.
So now the consideration is for both of us to go. Jeff
talked to our missionary friend to ask if a middle-aged woman
and a 15 year old girl would be of benefit to him in Cambodia.
He said, "Yes!". As a matter of fact, he said they'd been
praying that an older lady would go to help with the younger
girls and their adjustments outside the country - among other
things.
So, am I (are we) going?
We don't know yet.
We just came back from Honduras and will not be sending out
support letters AGAIN. So if we're to go, the Lord will have
to show us from where the money will come.
The last trip was about $6,000 for the four of us that went.
This one will be about $4,000 for just the two of us.
The money doesn't concern me as much as the very long
plane ride does - 20-something hours in the air. I do not
sleep on planes... so I was awake last night for a good while
considering not sleeping on the plane - silly, I know!
Oh well - if it is the Lord's plan that we make this trip, He
will confirm it.
So I wait...
Will you please help us pray?!

2008-07-03T12:34:00.000-04:00

My heart is unsure...
Letting go of your kids is sometimes hard, sometimes a
little easier.
Today I'm faced with something that is harder for me.
Our daughter Katherine came to Jeff and me last night
and asked us to pray about something with her. She
wants to make a trip to Cambodia in September with a
team from our church. She wants to submit to our
authority as parents. It wasn't my 15 year old
daughter that we talked to last night. It was a young
woman who is called of God and passionate for seeing
others serve Jesus Christ.
We've known for years that the call of God was on her
life in the area of evangelism and missions. I'd just
hoped she'd be older before she left the country
without me!
Let me back up a little. At the age of 5, Katherine
came to me. I was reading my Bible, having my daily
devotional time with the Lord. Usually the kids knew
not to interrupt, but truth is that when they're little
they do interrupt. And if we're good parents, we smile
and listen to them, knowing that an interruption is no
big thing to God.
She came into the room with an announcement. "Mom." she
said, "In ten years, I'm going to the other side of the
world as a missionary." She was FIVE, so I started to
dismiss her with a laugh. But the Holy Spirit stopped
me short, telling me to listen to what she was saying
because she was prophesying. So we went to the globe
and looked together to see what was on "the other side
of the world." I saw China. But as I looked at a map
of Cambodia again this morning, guess what I noticed?
Yes, Cambodia is directly south of China. Cambodia is
on the "other side of the world".
Sigh... I'm not sure I'm ready for this. I know and
trust the missionary she would be traveling with, but
she seems so young.
Lord, not my will, but Yours. She is yours after all.

2008-07-01T12:44:00.000-04:00

I am NOT losing my mind... I hope... :)
Most of you know I had surgery April 15th - a hysterectomy.
It took me about 7 weeks plus to begin to feel better physically.
As a matter of fact, I was concerned that my health would not
be at full strength for a recent mission trip to Honduras with a
team from my church. But God, always faithful, saw fit to give
me renewed strength and health just days before our team left.
But what about my mind?
Ha! It's still a little "foggy". Is it premenopause? Is it stress?
Is it a busy life? Probably "yes" to all.
A friend recently pointed out to me that my mental state is
probably also being affected by the fact that my 17 year old son
will be leaving to go to college on August 23rd. Leaving... gone...
I haven't wrapped my mind around that one yet.
I know he's ready. I know he has heard the Lord on where he is
to go to college, and Jeff and I are both confident this is the time
and the place for Matthew's continued physical and spiritual
education. I'm excited for him.
But I think I haven't come to terms yet with the fact that my
first-born is leaving home. He is going away and will become
the young man God has called him to be. And I will miss him.
I'll miss his smile, his hugs, his silly humor, his gentle way, and
yes, even his aggravating arguing...
I'm sure his leaving won't fully hit my heart and mind until we come
home Saturday afternoon after having moved all his possessions into
his dorm room.
I'll stay busy, I'm sure. I have my husband to hang out with. I'm one
step closer to it being just the two of us, which I do look forward to in
many ways.
I have two more children at home who are in a season of very much
needing their mom - my two girls who are almost 13 and 16.
And as we laugh and say often "WE are best friends!"
But the adjustment will be strange. They will miss Matthew.
I will miss him. Jeff will miss him.
I'll get back with all of you along about November to let you know
how the family is adjusting to having one less member living
here - and to let you know how Abigail and Katherine are
enjoying each having their own room for the first time ever!

Rejoice Always?

2008-01-29T15:05:00.000-05:00

Philippians 4:4-9 says this: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it
again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is
near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer
and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if
anything is excellent or praise-worthy - think about such things.
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me
- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

There is deep meaning in the above portion of scripture. There are so
many facets of revelation there. But I'll keep it simple.
My husband is in Florida at a Christian leadership conference with
several men from our church. He hadn't been gone any time at all
when the "fun" began! First of all, our youngest was all stuffy from
a cold. That's minor enough - no problem. She rested all day Monday
and as of this afternoon felt well enough (or at least convinced herself
she was well enough) to go to her afternoon dance classes (nope, no
snow or ice today... ;).
Last night on the way to take Katherine to dance class (remember
that Abigail was at home with a cold), my van started making a
strange noise. By the time I dropped Katherine off, drove to my
sister's house for a visit, then left to pick Katherine up, it was
obvious that there were serious problems with my brakes.
Why do these things happen when our husbands are gone?!
We don't make a deposit until Friday and we have enough for
some groceries and gas - no money there for brake repairs.
As I drove - making sure not to follow too closely - toward home,
I tried to decide what to do. Who could I call? My dad is also in FL,
so that wasn't an option. I decided to call my son Matthew, ask him
to meet me at our auto repair shop, then take us to the grocery store.
I also happened to remember that my mom had an extra car since
my dad isn't home - perfect!
Trying to make a long story short... I was unsettled over the van
repairs. Jeff called right when we got home and told me not to worry.
He said he'd call the repair shop and ask them to fix the van and see
if they'd be willing to wait for payment until he gets home on Friday.
He called back a little while later after having prayed and asked the Lord
for a word for me. Philippians 4:4-9 was the word. And it was right
on target.
I had already been thanking the Lord for His provision - telling Him
that I trusted Him - that I knew He knew our circumstances, etc.
Then I read to REJOICE!! ALWAYS, no less!!
Guess what? My van was fixed by 12:30 today. Someone from the
repair shop drove it home for me. AND they will gladly wait for
payment until Friday. The only sad part is that it will cost 500
whopping dollars! I'll need to tighten up the budget for February.
Whatever is true - truth is what happened was not serious. We're
all safe. We're all fine. We have everything (and more than) we need!

A Star's Death

2008-01-24T15:18:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday night, my girls and I were out to dinner when one of them
asked me who Heath Ledger was. I said that he was an actor, then
asked why they wanted to know. My daughter said, "He's dead."
I said, "No way!" and turned around to look at the TV. Sure enough,
dead. Why would the death of a person I've never met so disturb me?
I mean, I know nothing about his life - nothing about who he really was.
I saw him when he acted in the movie A Knight's Tale.
I chose NOT to see him when he acted in Brokeback Mountain.
Who was this young man?
He was 28 years old, and as of Tuesday afternoon, he entered the rest
of eternity...
I wonder where he's spending the rest of his existence?
That's probably why I was so immediately disturbed.
We have every opportunity to make the choice to accept or reject
Jesus Christ - while on this earth.
Once death has come, no more choices are available to us.
What were his choices?
Where is he today?
I grieve to think...
More often than not, I'm concerned for the eternal destiny of those
around me. Yes, Christians sometimes become unconcerned
with the death of those around them.
Perhaps it's the fact that Jeff and I have been preparing to host
an Alpha course in our home. Alpha is a course designed to offer
a meal, then a "movie" that answers the questions that all of us
ask about life. Alpha presents the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a way
that those who are seeking may find the answers they've been
looking for.
Or maybe it was a cry I heard in my spirit, because the Spirit of God
was grieved at his death.
All I know is, I'm still upset over his death.
And I wonder - is anyone around him asking the same questions
about eternity?
Is there anyone there to comfort his family with true comfort; that
which comes from God?

A Day Off?

2008-01-23T13:23:00.000-05:00

It may appear as if I'm filling up my blog all in one day
with post after post. The truth is I'm playing catch-up. I got the
idea to start a blog on Tuesday, and posted the two previous blogs
on my church's ladies' e-mail cafe.
I dedicate this next story to my friend Elaine, who has been praying
that it would snow so I could have a day off from life. Elaine, the Lord
answered - though not in the way you prayed.
We had icy roads in town yesterday, so I didn't leave the house at 9:00
like I was planning to - like I do every Tuesday.
I'm a mom who home schools her three children. Matthew is 17 - a
senior who is preparing to go away to college in August; Katherine is 15
- a sophomore; Abigail is 12 - 7th grade.
Both my girls dance at a local studio. So on Mondays, Tuesdays and
Thursdays, I'm Mrs. Taxi for them back and forth.
Katherine teaches dance at the studio all morning and early afternoon
on Tuesday. She also teaches two classes at our church on Wednesday
nights before youth meeting.
I lead worship in my church twice a month and have a Thursday night
practice for that.
What that means is I'm running Monday through Thursday with little
time for myself.
So Elaine prayed that we'd get some snow so I'd have a day off. She even
bought a tea-light candle holder for me that has the word "snow" at the back.
I joked with her asking if I should light the candles and pray at the "altar
of snow".
I guess I accidentally prayed at the "altar of ice"! All classes were
canceled yesterday, so the girls and I ate dinner out at Gondolier,
rented two movies and laughed ourselves silly (after my doctor appt.)
One movie, Sydney White, was sappy, silly, stupid, but a total crack-up!
The other one was not such a big hit with us - The Nanny Diaries.
It was a snoozer.

Premenopausal Health

2008-01-23T12:56:00.000-05:00

Since last Friday, I've been experiencing moderate pressure,
discomfort and sometimes pain in my entire pelvic area.
I ran the check list - bladder infection?  No.  Yeast
infection?  Maybe, but this is not normal.  I wonder if
my uterus has finally decided to "flip out" on me?!
Sure enough.  I made an appointment with my ever faithful and
well-beloved Nurse Practitioner, for yesterday at 2:00.
She did a urine culture - no infection.  I was right.
She did an exam...
Maria, your cervix appears to be tilted and it also appears
from my examination that your uterus has flopped on its side
and is lying on top of your bladder.
I had wondered if that was indeed the kind of thing that was
happening.
After the exam, I was in more pain that ever - so I took some
Ibuprofen. I think we made things "angry" in there with the
exam.  My NP will be making an appointment for me at St.
Mary's North to have an ultrasound of the area to confirm what
she thinks is happening.  She has already made an appointment
for me with Dr. M.  The only problem is that the earliest they
could get me in is March 17th.  My first thoughts were -
you're telling me that I will feel this way for the next two
months?!  Lord, I need to get this stuff taken care of sooner,
please!  My NP offered me muscle relaxers - I don't know why
she offers, because she knows me well and even guesses at what
my response will be - "no thank you".
She said she knows there is a surgery where they can create a
sling to hold up the bladder, but she doesn't know if there is
such a thing for the uterus.  She said the only solution she
knows of is a hysterectomy.  I asked her if that
meant I could keep my ovaries and not go on hormones
(she knows how I feel about that too!).  She said that's
exactly what it means.  I expressed to her how nice it would be
to go ahead and end this pre-menopausal stuff if that was the
solution that looked best.
So Jamie, Angel, Mom, Ann - forgive me for not remembering
everyone - I may join you in the "missing parts" department soon.
My plan is to wait to see what appointment they get for me at
St. Mary's, then I'll be calling Dr. M and asking them to put
me on a cancellation list.
Please pray we can take care of this sooner.
If the pressure, discomfort, pain wasn't constant - I mean to
the point of keeping me awake at night - I'd wait.  I can't
imagine waiting 2 months...

The boy becomes a man

2008-01-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was an adventure, wasn't it!
And all of you were there with me.
There in my disappointment.
There in my fears.
There in my reassurance.
Each of you took part in confirming and reassuring
me that the Lord has the heart of my son,
and I'm so thankful that I decided to be vulnerable
and share with you when my heart was hurting.
The Lord confirmed through all of you, as
well as through my devotional time with Him
that He is pruning Matthew's heart.
That is reassuring to his mom!
Liz, I love that you shared about your brother -
about the fact that he was probably secretly glad
that someone "caught" him.  You're right.
When we're doing what we know not to do,
we always feel guilty, hoping that someone will stop us.
But most of the time no person will stop us.  Most of the
time we struggle alone with the Lord over issues.
We want to be free, but we don't always see the way out.
Just so you know, the game Matthew was playing the last
couple of weeks was not an RPG, although he
admitted to us that he would still like to play them.
His dad and I told him last night that our convictions
differ on that.  Jeff, with my agreement, has
lifted the video game ban.  WHAT?!  You may be thinking
we're nuts. Well, the time has come for Matthew to start
being free to make more of his own choices.
There are still some things that are givens in this house.
He will keep his room clean, he will keep up with the
dishwasher, he will go to church (and he assured us that
would be no problem as he really wants to be there!), and
he will be kind to his family.
It's a stretching season for all of us as we let go of a boy
who is becoming a man.  The man will not look the way I think
he should look - not today, maybe not ever.
But will he look the way the Lord wants him to?
That is what I'll be praying for as Matthew learns to wrestle
things out for himself.
Will he go to Bryan College in August?  Yes, he will.
Will he succeed?  I pray he does!  I think he will.
Even with my heart shaking, I believe the Lord has said
this is the time and the season and the place that our
son is to be released to.
Is he totally ready?  Maybe not.
But will the Lord make him ready?  I have to believe He will.
Guess what?!  All of you remember that Matthew's job is
at Freedom in Christ Ministries.  As part of him working for
them, they are going to connect him with a mentor who will take
him through the 7 Steps of Freedom.  If that is not God's
timing, I don't know what is!  We've told him, and he's more
than ready, to initiate that with his boss today.  To let them
know he wants to begin that asap.  Jeff will even call and speak
with the office president if needed to get the proper paperwork
completed.
Since Matthew is not 18, we have to sign permission for
him to be mentored and taken through the counseling.
They have chosen a man in his 60's to mentor Matthew, and
we're SO excited about that!
It's all coming into place.
Will I still freak out from time to time?
Yes, I will.
Will you all calm me down and remind me of God's faithfulness?
Yes, I know you will!
Will Matthew be successful in his walk with God?
Absolutely!
Choosing trust,
Maria