Friday, December 18, 2015

You Have Been in my Dreams

You Have Been in my Dreams
12/18/15


It's Christmas time. This is the last of the year, and we all want it to be perfect and magical, everyone happy and even joyful. We remember the good years, when things worked out pretty much that way, or close to it.

It's hard to dream great things without including other people into our hopes. Especially if they are our children.... I found myself dreaming for one of my children, and I even started getting anxiety because I can see, she is altering her course away from what I want for her. She wants a lot of the same things that I want for her, but where I can see the pitfalls and valleys – all dangerous of course - her inexperience and even naivete do not properly warn her. I worry over all that may befall her.

But God is gently reminding me that she must dream for herself and live each day as SHE chooses. I did the same thing when I was young. God is reminding me of His patience with me, and His discipline when I have veered off course. There were plenty of times that I was the wayward sheep.

Yes, I know that the world is a lot more dangerous now than then. I know that we are like an ant in a hurricane. Evil forces crouch at the door waiting to pounce on our unsuspecting kids. But God has heard our prayers and He loves them. He has listened to our intercession for each one. And He says in a quiet and loving way, “You must not try to force your dreams upon them. I am God. You are not. Trust me to do what I do.

So miraculously I have let my expectations go – like balloons floating up into the sky until the sight of them is gone. I don't know what's best.... but God does. I'm not their Holy Spirit..........but God is. My motives are not always pure.... but God's are. I have decided to trust Him with what was His all along: my precious children.

Oh, I'm not going to sit back and do nothing. I'm giving my time to prayer. I don't know the outcome of specific things, but I know Who does. He tells me to pray without ceasing. Our passionate and heartfelt prayers are perhaps the greatest fear of our powerful enemy. We must travail in prayer, holding these precious ones up constantly to Him, but refraining from trying to conform them to our very small ideas. God's dreams for them are huge and amazing. And He has the power and authority to make them happen.

Give the people around you, room to live. If you want to change them, or find that your help is unwanted, take your concerns to Him in prayer and then don't take pick them up again. If you have PD, then you know the deadly effects that anxiety produces in our bodies.

  1. go to God in prayer
  2. pour out your heart to Him
  3. Trust Him to act
  4. Never stop praying
  5. Trust Him in everything
  6. And did I say.......Trust Him?
  7. Trust Him

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Parkinson's Disease, an Enemy in the Flesh, is not Altogether Unlike my Spiritual Enemy

NOTES FROM WHAT DEMONS CAN DO TO SAINTS by Merill F. Unger
12/5/15


The nature of the times in which we live calls for clarification of the precise role Satan and demons may play in the life and experience of a believer.... In these sinister spirit personalities, humanity, especially redeemed humanity, has an implacable enemy. This foe is dedicated to alienate man from God and to keep him from Christ's saving grace. When men do believe the gospel, Satan exerts every effort to turn them away from God's will. He knows that once they are saved they are beyond his power insofar as their position before God and their eternal destiny are concerned. So he determines to do them as much damage as he can , seeking to ruin their Christian life and testimony for God.

Satan is relentless and pitiless in his hatred for God and the people of God. What makes the devil a fearful foe is the fact of his great power. This is augmented by the assistance of innumerable fallen angels or demons. Satanic forces constitute a mighty evil spiritual reality to be seriously reckoned with by the entire fallen race, both redeemed and unredeemed....

Actually Satan is the most powerful person in the universe after God. Although he is a creature and a vast gap separates him as such from the Creator, he is the first creature and evidently the most glorious of all creatures.....Our Lord plainly intimated that Satan is a king and presides over a kingdom (Matthew 12;26). As a potentate reigning over the realm of spiritual darkness, Satan extends his sway over the evil angels or demons. Through these 'principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and wicked spirits in the heavenlies' (Ephesians 6:12), he exerts dominion over the fallen human race. As men open the door to him by sin and rebellion against God, he enters to dominate and enslave....

The saints must realize that they are the bull's-eye, as it were, against which Satan and his demon helpers aim their most fiery darts. They constitute Satan's deadliest foes and the greatest threat to his authority and powers. This is why saints dare not be oblivious of Satan's malignity nor 'ignorant of his devices' (2 Corinthians 3:11).


Monday, November 23, 2015

An Informed Opinion

Where do you stand?
11/23/15


Have you seriously thought about the veracity of the Bible and whether or not the God of the Bible is real and true? Well do you have an opinion based on feelings and what seems understandable and right to the human mind – in this case yours? Could you defend your position? Either way, the Bible claims and stories contain way more than a quick briefing can afford. It's claims are quite astounding and have the potential to change lives – yes and save lives. If these claims are not true then don't you think you owe it to the rest of the world to be able to give an accounting of why you disagree or simply don't believe?

Is truth something that should be taught to our children and to all people? How can we ever hope for peace or change for the better if we don't know what truth is? Many have claimed that the Bible is the true Word of God. I think we should have an informed opinion about it. If it's false, then it's a pack of lies. But if true............. it is the staple of life.


Going over someone else's opinion is second-hand knowledge, which is unreliable at best. I don't think we do ourselves justice to let someone else do the thinking for us. There is a prevailing attitude in our own country of independence (we like to think we make our own decisions based on our own knowledge and intelligence). How can we justify convicting or exonerating the truth or deception of the Bible without careful deliberation and a study of it's claims? How can I let someone else do my thinking for me on a matter of such reputed importance?

Monday, October 5, 2015

Why?

Several days ago, I prayed for a friend who is suffering with more than one physical problem.  She is in a great deal of pain and has been for months - even years.  Not responding in bitterness or anger, and not complaining to her God and her Maker or the people around her, she prays unceasingly for His help.  In her human flesh, she is overcome, but unwavering in her faith in the Creator.

Romans 12:1 says, "Present your body as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship."  Check.  She has done that...........Isaiah 54:17 says, "No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgement you will condemn.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me, declares the Lord.  In other words, nothing that the enemy torments you (as a Believer)with can last forever.  His accusations will come to nothing.  This is a promise to Believers.  Check.  She has embraced this promise.  Her faith is in He who promises.................  James 5:13 says, "Is anyone among you suffering?  Let him pray."  Check.  She has obeyed.

She has done all she knows to do, and yet still she suffers.  I will give voice to the question we all have:  Why???  Why, Lord???

 Let me offer this explanation:  First there is no pat answer.  I think there are just some things we will never know for sure this side of heaven.  Only God knows His reasons....  This leaves us with a choice:  turn from Him or believe all He promises even though day after day, we do not see the fulfillment or relief.  That is when we employ our faith.  Faith is for those times when we don't know why or how or when, but we see the hoped for end, and it's good.  My father promised me a horse if I saved up enough money to buy one when I was very young.  This was a conditional promise.  I believed him.  So I saved up enough money, though it took years.  Eventually I got my horse. Though it came through unexpected channels, it came neverless. What kept me hanging on all those years, saving every penny?  Faith in my father's word.

Only Believers can hope to receive God's promises to His children.  Faith will connect the Believer to the promised end.  Faith in why or what?  Faith that God is who He says He is (a promise keeper).  We have faith that the Bible - God's Word, does tell us the truth about God's character.  What's going on while we wait?  We are developing patience.  James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing."

Contrary to popular thought (especially in this country) pain is not a bad thing.  We DO NOT like it, but it is not necessarily a bad thing.

But I didn't do anything to deserve this pain!  It doesn't matter.  Matthew 5:45 says, "He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good.  And sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."  He blesses the world with many good things.  Sickness can be brought on by sin, but not necessarily.

Look at John 9:1-3 which says, "...He saw a man blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him saying.' Rabbi, who sinned?  This man or his parents that he should be born blind?  Jesus answered , It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents.  But it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.'"  So God let one man suffer so that many might be blessed by the works of God displayed in this man.

That's not fair, you may say.  Well what about a bone marrow donor?  Or a kidney donor?  These willingly suffer pain so that the wonder of healing can come, and all the world is encouraged.  It's not exactly the same thing, but maybe it helps to get my point across.

We live in a world that has been abused and suffers.  God didn't make it that way.  Man messed it up.  From before time, there has been a war going on between good and evil.  There are casualties in a war.  Bad things happen to good people in a war.  But honestly, I ask you.....  Does the crucifixtion and death of Jesus Christ make sense?  If we cannot understand this, how can we hope to understand why God allows what He allows at a given time.  How can we understand how and why the innocent suffer.  We must lay it to rest with this:  God promises He has purpose in what happens.  And God is the essence of Authority walking in Love.  Have faith in Him and trust Him to do what He says He can do.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Taking A Break

Taking A Break


Lord, I am remembering old requests as I sit here and visit with You. My heart is astir as I wait on Your mercy – on the pouring out of Your grace. I do not doubt for I am standing on a good foundation. When the world around me is shaken, I am not. Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.

I am so grateful that You died for me. Working out and planning just how You were going to save us was so hard that it made creating the universe seem like child's play. You are amazing, God.


You are beautiful beyond my perception. Even if words could truly capture who you are, they would not even come close to naming Your attributes, or describing the infinite depth of love and authority in Your deep and knowing eyes. My whole heart is Yours. I give You all that I am. Please live in this world through me....

Monday, May 25, 2015

Jonah and Parkinson's Disease

Jonah and Parkinson's Disease


Sometimes I am overwhelmed with battle fatigue. Sometimes it seems that for every battle fought and won, there are several new fights to be fought. Sometimes winning consists of nothing more than still being standing when all of the dust settles. And the question that I ask is, “Does it make a difference? Am I wasting my time? Does my life make a difference to those I know and love?”

I am not given to depression, nor do I enjoy feeling sorry for myself (it sucks the life out of me), but at the end of the day, I realize my clothes are in tatters and the smell of the battle sticks to me like smoke from a fire. These days, there doesn't seem to be a place of rest to slip away to from the attackers and invaders that are the enemy's best.

It reminds me of the story of Jonah. This man was running from God and thought to hide in a boat bound for another place. God was giving him a task that he simply could not find the heart to do (like living with PD). So, after he had boarded the boat, and they were on their way, a huge storm came up. It was the worst the crew of the ship had ever encountered. The ship was barely holding together, and being no help at all, Jonah had actually fallen asleep down in the lowest parts of the ship. The crew had thrown all of their cargo overboard to lighten their load. This storm had cost them all that they had, and it was still raging. Everything they tried only made things worse.

It struck me at this point in the story that here I am, and here you are fighting a storm that God has allowed in our lives.... For many of us, it is Hurricane Parkinson. We don't want to fight this typhoon and as silly as it is – we are running from it. And we are trying to outrun God by staying ahead of Him. If it were up to us, there would be no storm, and no loss of cargo. But He is as big as the whole sea and impervious to our best efforts of choosing our own path.

When the crew found out that Jonah was a Hebrew, they were terrified, knowing that he worshiped and belonged to the One True God. So they asked him what they must do to quiet the storm and save their lives. He told them that they must throw him overboard – out into the storm. “So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea and the sea ceased from its raging.” (Jonah 1:15)

In the same way, mankind had been trying to hide from God since the Garden of Eden because of his sin. The predicament we find ourselves in is that we are caught in the storm of sin with only one way of making it through alive: We had to throw Jesus like Jonah out into the raging sea, (upon the cross) and only then would the sea become calm. Only His life thrown into Hell's storm of man's sin – to pay for the sins of the world – would calm this tempest.

Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. - (death held Jesus three days and three nights). Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly. And he said: I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. And You heard my voice. For You cast me into the deep. Into the heart of the seas. And the floods surrounded me. All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight; yes, I will look again toward Your holy temple. The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me. Weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed around me forever. Yet you have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. When my strength fainted within me, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple. Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.”

We live in a sin cursed world at the present time, and we fight battles. But we live by faith, believing that it has all been straightened out – that Messiah has come and fulfilled His purpose (salvation has come through Him), and though we do not see it now, all things will be made perfect, and the corruptible will be done away with and the incorruptable will established.

One of the present day battles we fight is disease. We will live through this disease by faith, knowing for sure that one day (very soon I think) healing comes. Perfection will rule and all things will be subject to He who paid the price and cancelled sin's effect.

Don't fall asleep, like Jonah did on the boat. Look up for your redemption draweth nigh!


And know that Jesus has already calmed the sea and defeated death. We will SEE this on the appointed day! There will be no more disease. We will not just know that this good day is coming, but we will see it.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

It Is the Potter's Choice

It is the Potter's Choice
3-23-15

Anna Knoedl



“But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?” Romans 9:20-21

With Parkinson's Disease, there are some days that are better than others. These days, I don't have the strength I did a few years ago – or even a year ago. It's not just that. My speech is slow and sometimes I don't breathe properly when speaking. I sound clumsy and hesitant, as if I am confused (which I am not). Sometimes people ask if I'm OK, and when I say yes, they politely look away as if they believed me. It's hard dealing with a body which doesn't act right. There is a list of things that at one time I did well – things that I no longer can do. Perhaps the most distressing thing is that I am not as sharp of mind as I used to be. I have talked to God a lot about this, shrinking from the humiliation of feeblemindedness. The best way of dealing with it is to face it head on, without complaining and be grateful for all that I do have.


“You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, "He did not make me"; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, "He has no understanding ?” Isaiah 29:16
**
I am cut to the quick when I read this. Earth's brief period of temporal favor – temporary blessings – are meaningless and though once enjoyed, have been spent and no longer have even momentary value. These “blessings” are but a memory. Trying to hold onto them is rather like an old woman trying to look young. It is futile and heartbreaking to have pride in what I once could do, or to be proud of how I once looked. I used to feel capable of almost anything, but the “list” narrows it down a lot.

Strong and quick of mind, I never doubted my abilities. My voice did not waver or fade away in the middle of a sentence, nor was the sight of me unpleasant and there was no stiffness or muscles pulling the wrong way, making my body crooked. my gate once graceful, now can be labored and without rhythm – out of time and beat; I feel I am ugly............ heard only by those who see beyond all the clutter of once pleasant attributes that make the truth attractive. Like an unfaithful friend, these are all gone – the list of things I cannot do.- they are like a vapor this image I thought was me. Like an abandoned wife, I feel like I am worthless and ill suited for any worldly cause at all. My pride is still clinging to the old garments of self. I have found myself cradling yesterday's rotten clothes desperate to be that ghost.

“The Lord said: Israel, you have no right to argue with your Creator. You are merely a clay pot shaped by a potter. The clay doesn’t ask, “Why did you make me this way? Where are the handles?” Isaiah 45:9
Even time is fleeting. To what end? Once spent, forever gone and even memories fade
If this is all there is, then I am with nothing. Give me something to replace the longing I feel for Egypt.

Creator – Maker – Help me!!!! I am missing Egypt. and feeling sorry for myself. How do I yield to Your right to do with me what You will? How do I surrender completely to You, being willing to lose all things for Your sake? Paul got there. He said, “ But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,… “ Philippians 3:8



Diving into the deep end of the pool of water that You are, it is at first bitter. I know that eventually it will sweeten. But there is no “half in and half out”. I can see clearly that though it feels all wrong and perhaps even hopeless, this is the way that matters. I choose to plunge my whole self into the cold icy truth. I am what You have made me – I have what You have given me – I agree to dream only those dreams that You allow; I give up my own ideas wholeheartedly, holding back nothing, knowing that the only place for me – the only life that I can have is what You choose; what pleases You. I know that You are in authority over me. At my invitation, You will break away what resists. You will decide if I glorify Your name in power or weakness, beautiful or practical, graceful or not, healthy or sick..........You are the potter and I am the clay. With Your hands, You will work truth and beauty into my substance – kneed it til it's ready. Then another process begins. Until I am done. On this earth there will be the burning away of what is impure, useless or unyielding, and I choose not to fight this. It is a daily decision to die to what I wish and what I want. In the end, You are really all that I could want. You are what I need.

“But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?” Romans 9:20-21


I am cut to the quick when I read this. Earth's brief period of temporal favor – temporary blessings – are meaningless and though once enjoyed, have been spent and no longer have even momentary value. These “blessings” are but a memory. Trying to hold onto them is rather like an old woman trying to look young. It is futile and heartbreaking to have pride in what I once could do, or to be proud of how I once looked. I used to feel capable of almost anything, but this “list” narrows it down a lot.

Strong and quick of mind, I never doubted my abilities. My voice did not waver or fade away in the middle of a sentence, nor was the sight of me unpleasant and there was no stiffness or any muscles pulling the wrong way, making my body crooked. my gate once graceful, now can be labored and without rhythm – out of time and beat; I feel I am ugly............ heard only by those who see beyond all the clutter of once pleasant attributes that make the truth attractive. Like an unfaithful friend, these are all gone – the list of things I cannot do.- they are like a vapor this image I thought was me. Like an abandoned wife, I feel like I am worthless and ill suited for any worldly cause at all. My pride is still clinging to the old garments of self. I have found myself cradling yesterday's rotten clothes desperate to be that ghost.

“The Lord said: Israel, you have no right to argue with your Creator. You are merely a clay pot shaped by a potter. The clay doesn’t ask, “Why did you make me this way? Where are the handles?” Isaiah 45:9
Even time is fleeting. To what end? Once spent, forever gone and even memories fade
If this is all there is, then I am with nothing. Give me something to replace the longing I feel for Egypt.

Creator – Maker – Help me!!!! I am missing Egypt. and feeling sorry for myself. How do I yield to Your right to do with me what You will? How do I surrender completely to You, being willing to lose all things for Your sake? Paul got there. He said, “ But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,… “ Philippians 3:8



Diving into the deep end of the pool of water that You are, it is at first bitter. I know that eventually it will sweeten. But there is no “half in and half out”. I can see clearly that though it feels all wrong and perhaps even hopeless, this is the way that matters. I choose to plunge my whole self into the cold icy truth. I am what You have made me – I have what You have given me – I agree to dream only those dreams that You allow; I give up my own ideas wholeheartedly, holding back nothing, knowing that the only place for me – the only life that I can have is what You choose; what pleases You. I know that You are in authority over me. At my invitation, You will break away what resists. You will decide if I glorify Your name in power or weakness, beautiful or practical, graceful or not, healthy or sick..........You are the potter and I am the clay. With Your hands, You will work truth and beauty into my substance – kneed it til it's ready. Then another process begins. Until I am done. On this earth there will be the burning away of what is impure, useless or unyielding, and I choose not to fight this. It is a daily decision to die to what I wish and what I want. In the end, You are really all that I could want. You are what I need.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

O, Sleeper, Wake Up!


My hands and arms are tingling and feeling numb. They are going to sleep. As I was thinking on this, I couldn't help but think about my spiritual body. And as a member of a larger spiritual body – the Church – there is a lesson in here for all of us.

We are in perilous times. It is not a time we would want to be found falling asleep on the job. If any one of us – as a member of Christ's body – is asleep, then we must know that this will cause pain and discomfort for the other members. By falling asleep, I can most certainly open the way for the enemy to come in and attack - to wound -up close. As a Body, our work will be of a poor quality, because some of us are asleep! Some of us can be wounded when other members are asleep. It is being a slacker . It is not believing the signs that God has told us to watch for. He doesn't want anyone to be surprised by the fierce and deadly attacks of the devil and his hordes upon Believers. He gives us many warnings in Scripture. But if anyone is not reading and studying God's Word, he is sleeping.

What does it mean to fall asleep spiritually? It means that when I am supposed to be on the lookout for danger and being prepared for whatever may come so that I can warn encourage and equip other members, I am asleep.

Wake up, Sleeper! The signs of the times are appearing on the horizon and rushing past us as never before. We don't know exactly when we will pass by the markers that are events we are told are coming, but we KNOW they are COMING and where once they were as a tiny dot on an uncluttered horizon, they are upon us now as giants on an anthill. Wake up, Sleeper! Do your job!

It is only in God's strength that we overcome. And when (not if) we see storm clouds approaching, but do not warn, then the resulting breach in the wall is on our heads. God will not be mocked. His judgement is coming and He will not be lenient upon our enemy who seeks to maim, kill and destroy, or the sins that sent Jesus to the cross. Don't think that any sin is so small that it does not need to be confessed and repented of. Don't sleep while there is still time to get out of bed, and be about the business of the Lord.


This is an uncomfortable message, but if you are reading it, it is meant for you – today. It is no accident that His message has come to me – today – and I have brought it to you. Ask God for help where you need it. Call on His name for help. Clean things up and leave no spot or wrinkle unattended to. He is a loving God, and His mercies are new each and every day. O, Sleeper, wake up!

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Worship



Worship is setting aside time..........chores...........things...........and other people so I can lift God up to His rightful place in my life. It's so I can give back to Him the love I have received. Last week – all week – I was more aware of being a pilgrim in this foreign world. I consistently chose God over the TV, the phone, the computer and even house work. I deliberately kept my eyes on Him. I let my imagination kick in as well. Reading the Bible not only renews my mind. It stimulates my thought processes. I don't mean to sound so dry and matter-of-fact, but the really fun stuff comes AFTER the foundation work of good choices.
When I decide I want to start my day with Jesus – there I am, in my mind – pulling the other rocking chair up close so He'll be near.
Throughout the day, I choose to bring my Lord and Savior up close. I remember to admire Him and ponder His ways. Much of our time together is in silence, and I am learning the timber and tone of His voice - it is different from anyone else's. O, and we laugh together – sometimes uproarously, holding our sides. I've learned to expect small tokens of His love all day. And I've learned to give Him the same. Sometimes my gifts are like a child's drawing - simple and colored occassionally out of the lines.
Strangely enough though, it's the scaryness of this unsteady world, the mean people, the disappointments and the pain that pulls me in closest to Him.

With every choice inside of a day, I grow one way or the other - into Him or away from Him. This week I chose to make more of every day just worship, and I found comfort when He was near. When He is the center of my world, and I am not – all's well.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

From the Old Home Bound for the New

From the Old Home, Bound for the New
3/11/15

Today, I am beset with worries, and my thoughts only make me fear. Perhaps today is the same for you. Well, this is nothing new, and many many people who have gone before us faced unsettling issues and problems for which they could find no answers. There have been more heartaches than anyone can count. Without saying more about that.........I will say this: God has things well in hand. He knows our trouble and it has come as no surprise to Him. He has come to put our feet on the right track and walk us through danger, through trouble, through disease, through the camp of giants, and any other thing that may threaten us or hold us back from all the good He has planned for us. He knows the way through to safety. It is not our way. It is not what we wanted or where we went when the road forked. But it is HIS way. It is the ONLY way.

At the beginning of time, when Adam rejected God and because of sin, could not walk with Him in the garden, a rift was created between ourselves and God. A veil was drawn over our eyes so that to us wrong seems right, and right seems wrong. If we will throw away our pride and admit that we are lost and cannot find our way back to Him, we can receive His help. But we must trust Him to help us.

In our case, among other things, this means He will help us through this disease on this day even though we don't have any strength; even though we think we cannot stand another minute of this humiliation; even though we cannot scrape together the remnants of the joy we once had; even though we have bourne the loss of things we thought we could never live without; even though it feels like life is over and we want no part of what's left.

King David was right there. He sang of it. He opened his heart up to God and held back nothing within it from the Lord. Here is some of what he wrote:

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my body has wasted away. Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind. I am like a broken vessel....”

Now we get to the “hope” part.............

I trust in Thee, O Lord. I say, 'Thou art my God.' My times are in Thy hand;” …... “Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; Save me in Thy lovingkindness. Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon Thee;”................”How great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee, before the sons of men! Thou dost hide them in the secret place of Thy presence from the conspiracies of man; Thou dost keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord, for He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a beseiged city....” Or we might say, in a beseiged body........ “ As for me, I said in my alarm, 'I am cut off from before Thine eyes; nevertheless Thou didst hear the voice of my supplications when I cried to Thee, O, love the Lord all you His godly ones! The Lord preserves the faithful.... Be strong, and let your heart take courage all you who hope in the Lord.” taken from Psalm 31 NAS

There is no avoiding trouble in life. But there is a way through. We may make it to the finish line, torn and bruised, weary and hurt, but God has it all under control. He gave us the beautiful gift of life with blessing. Our ancestors brought sin into this perfect world, and we were all lost to His blessings. Then He provided a way – the only way – to get through our once perfect world that was ruined. The way is not easy, and doesn't always make sense. It sometimes hurts – because medicine can be bitter. But He has not cut us off from the way out – the way back to Him.

If you think you can commit to halfway following Him and the other half to doing things your own way, then you'd better think again. He will not be dishonored or disbelieved that way. It would be better to reject Him outright than to pretend to belong to Him and to pretend to love Him.


Don't be afraid. Live this life for Him, and headed for the beautiful home He has made for you. It's almost ready.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Help Us, Lord

The fact that we have awakened to a new day, means that there is hope to be grasped in this day. I pray that we would  all be helped to grab onto it through Jesus the Lord.  Through Him all things were made and FOR Him all things were made.  IN Him all things hold together.  There is no hope or truth outside of Him.

O, Heavenly Father, we present ourselves to You, this morning, for service in Your kingdom.  Lord, we do confess our unworthiness before You to receive anything good.  We do not deserve Your help.  In fact we have sinned against You - our God - and our brothers and sisters in Christ - as well as the world of people who are lost.  We are no better than they, and do not deserve Your mercy or forgiveness.  But in Your kindness, You have made a place for each of us, that is in Your Presence.  In that place, You have provided opportunity to examine ourselves, and allow You to take away from us the sins that we embrace, as well as those we do not even know we have committed.  Keep us today, Lord, in the place of the 23rd Psalm.
Take our hearts and cleanse them and give us clean hands this day.

We pray for our country today, and the men and women who are governing it. Most specifically we lift up to You our president.   Please put Your desires into their hearts and guide them in Your ways.  Just as Abraham asked God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if there were only 10 righteous people in those cities, we also ask that for the sake of Your people that you spare this country and us with our families.

We also pray for leadership in our cities and towns.  Show them the way of salvation today, and give them wisdom to lead us into Truth.

I pray that You will protect families and communities here.  Save the loved ones in our families who are lost.  Preserve us, Lord and protect us.  We will perish in our sinful ways if You do not help us.  Give us Your desires and increase our love for You.  Forgive our selfishness.  Inhabit these temples - these bodies of ours after we are cleansed and consecrated.

In the Name of Jesus Amen

Friday, February 13, 2015

A Warning

This is a warning.  Don't leave yourself open to the enemy.  He is looking for places that will be a foothold for him so he can scale the wall that separates he and you. Don't think that you are without sin.  If that's what you think you are calling God a liar. Don't be lulled by comfort or quiet.........  If we could see into the spirit world right now, I believe we would be dismayed at the huge increase of activity there.  The enemy is working very hard to deceive the world and everyone in it.  And, believe me, there are many who have fallen, or are at risk of losing all.

Believers are called to finish the race; to throw away everything that encumbers, to not hold dear anything of this world; to not fear man or devil; to overcome;  to be strong in His strength; to judge ourselves and confess our sins, though we have already done so (we must never consider ourselves above sin - as pride has shown us it is no respecter of persons).

We must know how to judge a person's words and actions (but never their heart) so that we are not unaware of the enemy around us.  We are to love radically, forgiving all, but not forsaking all we have learned.  Forgive, but don't throw away caution.  And know that forgiveness is not the same as trust.  Only God can be fully trusted.  Man will disappoint, fall short and fail.  It is God who provides what we need and protects us.

The enemy is very sly, and will attack in ways that you do not even know.  You will think that you imagined your fear and that it was a groundless warning  more due to chance than to God's wisdom imparted to you.  He specializes in attacking you while dressed as an angel of light.  He is a wolf among sheep.  Make no mistake.  He comes to kill, maim and destroy.  There is no middle ground.  Pay attention when the red flags wave in your spirit.

The enemy is the voice that says, "God is great - but I am greater;  God is powerful, but I am more so; God makes things better, but I know best; God can feed you, but with me you will feast..........  The grass that always looks greener is not real.  It is a mirage.  And after you have succumbed to the lie, he will shame you and condemn you.  He will not offer redemption or forgiveness like our God does...........

It is not too late, to agree with God.  He is a merciful God.  He does not merely dispense mercy, but He IS mercy.  If we will humble ourselves, confess our sins and admit our need for a saviour who is Jesus Christ - God's own Son - He will hear from His holy habitation and will come and save.

Do not be deceived.  God is not mocked.  We will all reap what we have sown whether that be condemnation and punishment or mercy and the removal of our sins.  Bow down before Him and repent.  God is coming soon and He has warned and warned and warned.  It should come as no surprise, but to many it will.  Today hear His voice as He calls your name.  While it is still today, receive Him.  To all those who are weary and heavey laden, come to the Son whose burden is light.
Shalom (may we destroy the power that fuels chaos).  

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Be Smart

Is there a weariness setting in on you these days?  Does there seem to be more to tend to than you are capable of, and do you ever get to the end of your list?  I think this is a sign of the times we live in.  I believe that we are in the terminal generation.  You may not agree with me, and you may dismiss that idea altogether.  But one thing is for sure.  The world is changing so fast it makes my head spin.  People are redefining good and evil, and they have thrown out the old morality and brought in one to their liking.  Power in the world is shifting.  Relationship is easily replaced with the fascinating electronic play things, and we don't socialize like we once did.  And I think you would agree that there is a certain power that resides in the world and in the heart of man that is evil.  

I want to encourage you to count the minutes you have in each day, and don't waste any of them.  We are running out of time.  Every day brings us closer to the unknown.  All our efforts have only served to complicate things, and leave us bound to what can only be a place of unimagined dangers.  It has become a world where only "useful" people are valued.  The disabled are discarded.  

Here is the good news:  Each one of us has been chosen to live at this time.  We have all been gifted if we are His children.  We have even been given protective gear.  We are called to battle evil.  Whatever time we have left, there is still time to spend it learning to stay alive in this darkness that can be more felt than seen.  

We must learn to discern at a moment's notice what is most important and what is just important.  I believe one of Satan's tactics here at the end, is to get our attention on the wrong things and miss the opportunities that God has given us.  If Satan can keep us from praying about things of God's choosing, and asking for all the wrong things, then he has defeated us.

And don't think that defeat is not a possibility. We must not coddle any sin and we must know how to listen to Him.  Pray! Ask Him to take you where He would have you go, and encounter those people of His choosing, and put the right words on your tongue.  These are the little things that make us victorious and powerful.  Leave no small thing undone, for it is in the small things that you are proved faithful.  

I wish I could write you a book!  There is so much to say..........  But perhaps this will encourage you and help you in your walk.  I hope so.  We must encourage one another! 

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

The Boy in Sam's

I am posting this little story I wrote for two reasons.  The first one being that because I have PD, I do not work outside of the home therefore I have more time than some to engage my gifts (writing).  The 2nd is that I love to laugh, and I believe laughter is healing.  T hat being said, here is my story:

It was refreshing to see that some people still do take boundaries seriously.  We were at Sam's with our grocery basket full of items we had chosen, and waiting in line to be checked out and to pay.  Well, someone else was going to have to pay too.  Not for our groceries....  In fact not for anyone's groceries.

There was a small boy in line next to us with his parents.  He was pleading with his very large and tall mom.  I heard her say without wavering, "I'm done.  I am totally done."  The calm in her demeanor and voice was unnerving.  Like the deadly calm of a glass sea with not a puff of wind in the blue sky above, her even and judicial voice left the impression that the jury had come in and it was decreed that his crime would be punished.  "You're getting a spanking when we get home."  She was firm but not loud or abusive in any way at all.  Her face was set in hard lines.  She was on a mission, which namely was dealing out the promised retribution to her son.  He was vainly trying to change her mind, but it was not to be done.  She looked directly into the boy's eyes and he quaked, putting on an awful face.

"I don't want a spanking", his voice getting higher and definitely strained.  "NO, NO!"

"Well, I warned you this is what would happen if you kept on."  Her grand size and a quality in her voice, made me glance behind and the boy started moving and contorting his body in a language that said, "Retribution is coming.  And I will dread every moment from now until then.  And afterwards, there will be pain....  lots of pain to remind me that no means no.

"But I don't want a spanking!" the boy quietly wailed."

That's too bad.  It's too late, "she said; then hesitating for emphasis said in a measured tone, "You've earned it."  She said this with an awful finality.  "You are getting a spanking when we get home."  She replied.  He continued to beg for reprieve, but it was not to be found.

The boy began pleading with the dad, who clearly was outranked by the mom and said to him, "Well, how many times did she warn you?"  Something in his voice suggested hopelessness to the boy.

There was no mercy that could save him from the unfortunate fruit of his misdoings in all of
Sam's.  Whatever he had done would remain unchanged like a blot of ink on a fresh white paper.  This boy's unfortunate choices had cost him dearly and everyone knew it.  I don't know what he did, but I was sure that if I had been in his place, I would have stopped whatever it was, the very first time she warned.