Perks of being God's Spokesperson

1 Kings 22

v. 6 – Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men…(many who speak what “the people” want to hear. Jeremiah 6:14 …Peace, peace; when there is no peace.)

v. 7 – And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him? (Matthew 22:14, For many are called, but few are chosen.; Matthew 7:14, Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.)

v. 8 - …There is yet one man, Micaiah…but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil…(doesn’t say what I want to hear, so I hate him.)

v. 13 – …the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. (Go with the flow; agree with them; don’t make waves.)

v. 14 – And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak. (It is easy to be God’s mouthpiece when the word you are sharing is patting others on the back, but what about when there is a need for exhortation, for discipline, for confrontation? This is no influencing people, and winning friends.)

The result of being God’s spokesperson:
v. 24 - …Zedekiah…smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?

v. 27 - …Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction…

Who would say, “Sing me up?”

Humm, ewww!

Things that made me go hummm or ewwww!

~~~Free Clinic/County Hospital – people demanding service and being obnoxious and belligerent. People that show up to the wrong clinic. Granted there are a lot of clinics there, but this clinic was in a totally different town. Kids running amuck when there are people in wheelchairs and crutches around them.

~~~At the store – standing in the check-out line, the man paying a couple of people before me liking his fingers to count his money to pay. Am I getting my change from those saliva filled bills? Checker sneezes into her hands and proceeds handling the items without a blink. (I normally don’t get all weird, but I can tell you this time I got into my car and used lots of germ killing stuff on my hands. I still felt yucky until I washed my hands with soap and water.)

~~~At the gas station – How much??? (Need I say more?)

YOU Never Let Go

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back
I know you are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

(Chorus:)
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We'll live to know You here on the earth

(Chorus)

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

(Chorus 2x's)

My Sister - a Servant

Yesterday I had the privilege of being part of a memorial service. As Christians we know that death is just the beginning for those who profess Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior. Indeed it was a celebration of life, the life of my friend’s father-in-law.

When I think of my friend, and dare I say more than a friend, a Sister-in-Christ, I venture to when I met her and how much God has allowed us to go through.

When I met this Sister, I was fully into my journey as a caregiver. She was starting her journey. Many talks, many tears, much laughter (thank God for laughter!).

She began her journey as a caregiver in first taking care of her mother-in-law and after her passing, continuing caring for her father-in-law.

Two Scriptures come to mind:

Proverbs 18:22 – Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor
of the LORD.

Proverbs 19:14b – a prudent wife is from the LORD.

This Sister cared for her in-laws with such love and compassion that I know only came from Jesus Christ. She put her hands to the plow and didn’t look back. My friend, my sister, you have always said that I am an example to you. Let me tell you, YOU, my sister, are an example to me. May Our Jesus give me half the love and compassion that you showed for your in-laws in caring for them until the end. Well done, good and faithful Servant.

Proverbs 31:10-31 – Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far
above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that
he shall have no need of spoil…she works willingly with her
hands.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth
forth her hands to the needy. (I’ve only quoted partially, but I see my sister
all over this Proverb).

What a privilege to have walked this journey with YOU.

Hey, is that a SQUIRL!

Look what came to visit me - a squirl!

There it was all cute in my back porch.

Time to relax...uhhhh:)

No longer cute...it's eating my rose buds...hey=0

Here is that blue bird again.

Never a dull moment around here:)

Today I sat at my kitchen table with God’s Word before me. The pain and fatigue continue, hence I haven’t been up to doing much of anything. But God had a plan – He always does. I’ve had the opportunity to dig into His Precious Word and find precious nuggets to hold onto in this journey of faith.

Earlier I had looked out my window and was saddened by the state of my garden and lawn. I haven’t been able to water them, they look pretty pitiful. I thought, “Maybe I will be able to go out there and do some watering.” Not!

I continued digging, rejoicing, being convicted, being uplifted…I love God’s Word.

One of the cross-references that God gave me was Luke 12:31 – But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

All of the sudden I realized the room was getting dark. I noticed that it was getting cloudy outside…cloudy? Wasn’t it 90 degrees just the other day? Anyhow, I turned on the light and proceeded with my digging.

Then I heard a familiar sound - is that rain? No. Wait, it is rain. Immediately, I got a smile in my face and thanked the LORD for rain. I told Him how incredibly personal He was. “You knew the grass and flowers needed water. And you poured it down from heaven.” How good is that?

Yes, this might sound like “not such a big deal”. But it meant so much to me. My Heavenly Father took care of what concerned me.

He cares for the little things; He cares for the big things, and everything in between.

Mountain Top to Valley

Sunday proved to be an interesting day. Church was incredible. God’s hand was evident all over the place. I thought I was going to jump out of my skin, seeing and beholding the Spirit of the Living God working, ministering, comforting, renewing. In fact, we even had the ultimate miracle – souls were saved! If ever there was a mountain-top experience it was this morning.

Soon plummeted to the valley…

At home I was slapped with one of the issues that I was so confident about at church. It set me back in discouragement and heartache.

Soon thereafter, I was in excruciating pain and ended up in the ER. As you know, I suffer pain all the time, so for me to have made my way to the hospital, well…

Hours passed and all that kept going through my mind was, “from mountain-top to the valley in no time”. The diagnosis: Kidney infection.

Today I read this on “Our Daily Bread”:

“One of God’s purposes in pain is to brand the image of Jesus in our
hearts. Can we weep with those who weep? God may need to stain our
cheeks with out own tears so that we can genuinely empathize with others as
Jesus did. Are we self-sufficient? God may need to strip away our
security to conform us to the God-sufficiency that Christ displayed. Are
we faithless? It may require a tragedy to teach us to trust the Father as
Jesus did.

Next time you feel broken, don’t panic – praise Him! God is at work! – Jose Stowell

Life’s fractures can be mended by faith in Christ the Lord – at first the pain but then the gain and usefulness restored. – Hess”

There is a purpose for everything that comes our way. But the reminder, to me, is to be constant, steadfast, with all perseverance and confidence, in spite of what comes. No, God’s faithfulness and wonders of Sunday morning did not change because of the rest of the day. God was still glorified. God’s strong hand was not diminished because of the darkness that ensued – God is still all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-able. His ways are not mine, nor are my thoughts His thoughts.

Romans 8:18 – For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

…When eternity is brought into our calculation of a problem, future glory overshadows current pain. – Dennis Fisher

Greg Harris, The Cup and the Glory

“You will only walk upon the footprints of Jesus; you never out-walk them. No
matter where you are, or what you will go through, He will have walked
aninfinitely more intense road in your place. You will still find Hisfootprints
ahead of your own.

“But there are so many footprints and paths out there for people to follow. How will I know which ones are His footprints?”

You will recognize the footprints of Jesus; they are the only ones left
when all the others stop. You will recognize His footprints; they are the ones
stained with blood, as He heads for out cross. You will recognize the footprints
of Jesus; they are the ones that have your name written all over them."

God remains faithful. God remains powerful. God is still in control. He will never lead us where He hasn’t already gone before us. And He will supply the grace to carry on.

Congratulations Lulu!!!

Congratulations Lulu!

Yes, it was hard...yes, it was grueling, but I know it was worth it. I am praising God with my joyful niece Lulu (she is more like my sister). Today she found out that she passed her GED exam. This is only the beginning. Dream big! God made you just the way you are. The love and care you show for kids is incredible. So keep shooting for the stars, God has great things in store for you.

Praisealuya!!!

Here are those birds I mentioned on the previous post. Aren't they beautiful. The first is a beautiful shade of blues and the second was a bright yellow and oranges. God is a master at color, don't you think?

Lately, I've been on this hang-up of wanting a little-itty-bird to enjoy and hear its singing. My hubby and Angie just shake their heads and give me all the negatives about having yet another thing for me to care for. And, yes, I have to agree with them. So, I've compromised...

I got a bird bath

a hummingbird feeder

and two bird chimes

The LORD has blessed me with bringing some beautiful birds around for me to enjoy its sight and singing. I don't have to clean up after them and they come and go as they please. God's creation sure is beautiful!

Mother Daughter Luncheon

The Fog has Lifted

Where has this last week gone? The fog and fatigue were so intense, so thick. I simply don't understand. Today is finally a good day, thank you Jesus! One of my friends joked with me, she said she would have to come over with a spatula to scrape me off the floor(not a pretty sight). Yet, in all this, God has shown Himself faithful - as always. Somehow, I managed to do everything that needed to be done for Mom. In fact, a total answer to prayer was that my Mom agreed to go to a Mother/Daughter Luncheon at La Cosecha in Riverside. This is nothing short of a miracle. I believe she had a good time. Through it all God is strong when I am weak.

National Day of Prayer

The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22

...times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD; Acts 3:19

The LORD allowed me to attend a Prayer Breakfast this morning. Wow!!! A few days ago the LORD gave me Acts 3:19 twice. I was ecstatic and rejoiced in God's promise to me, however, I had no idea what form it would be in. Well, yesterday, I good friend of mine called me and profusely apologized for the short notice, but said that she had a ticket "for me" to a Prayer Breakfast. Even though I was in the middle of grocery shopping, God reminded me of His promise and I said, "Yes, I'd love to attend." As I hung up the phone, the doubts and questions began. But how this, but how that...Finally, I managed to get it out of my mind and get on with my day. At night I started again with the, "but I can't..." That's when the LORD gave me Proverbs 10:22 (which, I must say, He gives me often). Needless to say it all went awesome.

To be in a room of 500 people praying and worshipping our Awesome King and LORD. To see policemen, councilmen, business people, etc., lifting their hands to Almighty God and beseeching His grace and mercy upon our land, wow! God's presence was truly evident in that place. It reminded me of when Paul and Silas prayed and sang and the prison was shaken and the doors opened. I can't help but believe that many prison doors were opened, many lives will be set free and most of all that each person in that room was reminded by the LORD that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. At the end we sang this Hymn, it was powerful:

Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe

Mine eyes have seen
the glory of the coming of the LORD, He is trampling out the vintage where the
grapes of wrath are stored, He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible
swift sword. His truth is marching on.

Chorus: Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! (3x's) His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps. They
have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps. I can read His
righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps. His day is marching on.
(Chorus)

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat.
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat. Oh, be swift, my
soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet! Our God is marching on. (Chorus)

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, with a glory
in His bosom that transfigures you and me. As He died to make men holy, let us
die to make men free, while God is marching on. (Chorus)

I encourage you that you too spend some time in prayer for Our Nation. God calls us to be those watchmen and stand in the gap for those perishing. "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14