The Battle is On

Just when you think, “hey, this isn’t too bad.” It seems as if you are on a nice, leisurely walk through this path called life, when WHAMO!!! The air is taken out-of-you and you are on your face with just enough strength to carry on (brings to memory a line in a song, “when my walk, becomes a crawl.” – and I mean, at times this is literally). The LORD put a vivid picture in my mind about this “walk; this path we are on” – there’s this show called Wipeout (which I’ve only seen the previews, but the picture is there), it is like an obstacle course, but with lots and lots of hurdles to conquer before you get to the end. That’s how this walk is. We have to go through a lot of hurdles (trials, conflicts, adversities, difficulties, impossibilities) in order to get to the finish line. Just when we think, “Hey, I’m getting ahead” – WIPEOUT! Something hits you from where you least expect it or from where the enemy knows it’s going to hurt and sting the most; where the enemy knows that it’s going to suck-all-the-life out of you to the point where you contemplate retreating from this path. Another song comes to mind, “Jesus / lover of my soul / Jesus/ I will never let you go / You’ve taken me / from the miry clay / you’ve set my feet, upon the Rock and now I know / I love You / I need You / THOUGH MY WORLD MAY FALL I’LL NEVER LET YOU GO / My Savior / My closest friend / I WILL WORSHIP YOU UNTIL THE VERY END”.

We are in a fierce battle. Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us, See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

1 Peter 5:8-11 – BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

John 10:10(a) – The thief cometh not, but for to STEAL, and to KILL, and to DESTROY…

This is the kind of enemy we are up against. These are not the times to relax and have a nice-leisurely walk. We are called to be SOBER, VIGILANT, WISE. We are to walk in confidence that HE, who began a good work in me, will complete it. We need to walk from victory – the victory of Jesus Christ. We need to be fully armed with the armor of God – no other armor or weapon will do. We need to be renewing our mind, not conforming to this world.

1 John 4:4 – Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 – For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Revelation 12:11 – And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 20:10 – And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Passing Through

Yes, my friends, it is hot in Southern California. To my “great surprise” I ain’t handling it very well. So here’s the scoop, cold makes me shrink-up and hurt all-over (more than usual) and heat is making me itch, get little bubbles/bumps and burn where the sun hits my skin. To top it off, this morning, as I watered my lawn, I almost passed-out from the heat. One of my friends told me to wear a long-sleeve, shear cover-up for my arms and gloves when I drive…hey, anyone have a full-sun-proof-suit, I can wear? I was thinking, maybe I can live in a bubble? And you know what; this living in a bubble could have its perks.

**Have you heard the latest from California? No, I won’t go into it. All I know is that Jesus is coming soon! We should not loose hope (read Romans 1:24-32; 13:1-7). God is still in control and things are right on schedule. However, this does not mean that we stop praying and being pro-active.

**My hubby and I decided to go to a Mexican restaurant to have mariscos (sea-food). Yes, I can make them, but hey, there are those times that I just want to sit – okay. Okay, question: Why do these places have to have scantily dressed waitresses? This doesn’t do anything for my appetite, people! We couldn’t sit there and chat cause the music was blasting (and this was noon, folks!) Men are there drinking and making advances at the waitresses (are we in a restaurant or a bar?). In fact, in came a group of men that we happened to know one of them. He didn’t see us. He is a married man sitting with a friend and his son. And even in the company of his adult-son he didn’t have the self-control stop himself from flirting and making advances with the waitress (people are watching; what are you doing when you think no-one knows you?).

So if I lived in a bubble I would be sheltered from these and other things that just make me…

Yes, I have to remind myself that I am a pilgrim passing through. This is not my home (Praise You Jesus!). I am only here for a moment then I will be no more. I need to keep looking up, not the things of this world.

Even so come quickly LORD Jesus!

After my previous post (regarding limitations) the LORD brought to mind a story I had read some time back. It comes from the book “The Practice of Prayer by G. Campbell Morgan. The LORD once again reminded me through the re-reading of this story that I am only limited by my perception of my situation and/or circumstances.

Morgan says,

There comes to me the thought of one woman who, to my
knowledge, since 1872 in this great babel of London, was in perpetual pain, and
yet in constant prayer. She was a woman twisted and distorted by
suffering, and yet exhaling the calm and strength of the secret of the Most
High. In 1872 she was a bedridden girl in the North of London, praying
that God would send revival to the Church of which she was a member, and yet
into which even then she never came. She had read in the little paper
called Revival, which subsequently became The Christian, the story of a work
being done in Chicago among ragged children by a man called Moody. She had
never seen Moody, but putting that little paper under her pillow, she began to
pray: “O Lord, send this man to our Church.” She had no means of
reaching him or communicating with him. He had already visited the country
in 1867, and in 1872 he started again for a short trip with no intention of
doing any work. Mr. Lessey, however, the pastor of the church of which
this girl was a member, met him and asked him to preach for him. He
consented, and after the evening service he asked those who would decide for
Christ to rise, and hundreds did so. He was surprised, and imagined that
his request had been misunderstood. He repeated it more clearly, and again
the response was the same. Meeting were continued throughout the following
ten days, and four hundred members were taken into the church. In telling
me this story Moody said: “I wanted to know what this meant. I began
making inquiries and never rested until I found a bedridden girl praying that
God would bring me to that Church. He had heard her, and brought me over
four thousand miles of land and sea in answer to her request. This story
is told in the life of D.L. Moody by his son: but now let me continue it.
That girl was a member of my church when I was pastor at New Court. She
has since passed to the rest and joy of Heaven. When in 1901 I was leaving
England for America I went to see her. She said to me: “I want you to
reach that birthday book?” I did so and turning to February 5 I saw in the
handwriting I knew so well: “D.L. Moody, Psalm 91.” Then Marianne Adlard
said to me: “He wrote that for me when he came to see me in 1872, and I
prayed for him every day till he went home to God.” Continuing, she
said: “Now, will you write your name on your birthday page, and let me
pray for you until either you or I go home.” I shall never forget writing
my name in that book. To me the room as full of the Presence. I have
often thought of that hour in the rush of busy life, in the place of toil and
strain, and Marianne Adlard continued to do so until she went home, and it is
for this reason that to her memory in sincere love and admiration I have
dedicated this book. These are the labourers of force in the fields of
God. It is the heroes and heroines who are out of sight, and who labour in
prayer, who make it possible for those who are in sight to do their work and
win. The force of it to such as are called upon to exercise the ministry
can never be measured.

Marianne Adlard was “limited” in the sight of men; and as we read, she was a member of a church “yet into which even then she never came.” Stories like these are left to us as examples, to encourage us, to teach us that “our ways are not God’s ways; nor our thoughts God’s thoughts.” May we seek to do God’s will as He calls, not the way we think it should be. May we be open to His leading, not what we think we should be doing.

Dear LORD, may we fall madly in love with YOU. May we seek YOUR face. May we know YOU more. When YOU say go may we go, but when YOU say wait, may we wait. May we hear YOUR still small voice, that we may KNOW you and the power of YOUR resurrection and the fellowship of YOUR sufferings, being made conformable unto YOUR death. In Jesus Name – Amen.

Limitations (or are they?)

My limitations, either physically or otherwise, serve a greater purpose.

I read the following in ODB:

Julie Ackerman Link writes, “…The Kite; or Pride Must Have a Fall.” (a poem by
John Newton) The kit in Newton’s poem dreamed of being cut free from its
strong: “Were I but free, I’d take a flight, / And pierce the clouds
beyond their sight, / But, ah! Like a poor pris’ner bound, / My string confines
me near the ground.” The kite does finally manage to tug itself free, but
instead of soaring higher in the sky, it crashes into the sea.

The analogy calls me to reconsider some “strings” that make me feel
constrained. Vows. Promises. Commitments. Responsibilities. (my addition: physical ailments) Although such things make me feel tied down, God uses them to hold me up. As James teaches, it is our willingness to be humbled (or held down) that God uses to lift us up (James 4:10).

Before cutting any string, make sure it’s not one that’s holding you up.

So often I wonder, “If only I didn’t have _____________ - to tie me down or slow me down, then I could…” Yet, more and more the LORD shows me and teaches me otherwise. He shows me that these “limitations” are His tools to chisel away at my character in order to conform me into His image. He knows me full well and knows that if I were “free and able” I’d be flapping (see previous post) all over the place, especially the places I have no business flapping.

Because of “my limitations” I can’t and won’t jump on the band-wagon of the next activity just because someone told me, everyone is going, there’s a need (we always feel we need to meet every need, but only God can do that), my friends are going, habit, it’s expected of me, etc. God has shown me and continues to teach me that when HE calls me to “that ctivity/event/ministry” HE absolutely, positively enables me to do it, to the degree that even I am amazed at what was accomplished. And I will be the first to KNOW and acknowledge it was ALL-GOD.

Now let me just add this, “limitations” is only a word I use to make a point. We are never limited in what we can do in and through Christ. He enables us; He equips us; He sets us free. “Limitations” is my human perception or attitude regarding my circumstances or as some would put it “my lot in life”. This thinking is flawed and absolutely not true and can be very depressing.

But praise be to God, who has given us His Word to refute every lie that comes out way.

Isaiah 40:31 – But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run,
and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

John 8:36 – If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free
indeed.

John 10:10(b) – I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly.

Romans 8:37 – Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

My words, my attitude, and my perceptions will all, one day, be gone,
forgotten. But God’s Word is TRUE, LIVING, POWERFUL, ETERNAL

Matthew 24:35 – Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.

Relationships

Lately the LORD has been speaking to me about “isolation”. We so often become buried in our day-to-day routine that we neglect to nurture those friends that God has place in our life. I’ve also heard a saying, “we were not meant to be lone-ranger Christians.”

I’ve been thinking about this for a while, just kind of chewing on it. Then I read this post on Jewels Blog regarding this same thing (check it out). Just yesterday, the LORD once again brought it to mind as I read the devotion from Chuck Swindoll. He said we all need those “Sheltering Trees” in our lives.

Brings to mind Ecclesiastes 4:10(b)…woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. And Proverbs 18:1, A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.

I know there are those times that God moves us on or we relocate, but for the most part we have a tendency of getting so bogged down in our day-to-day life that we do neglect those relationships.

Let us pray and ask the LORD for wisdom in how to juggle life and relationships, so as to do His will not ours.

Dear LORD teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Caregivers Blog

We (fellow caregivers) have begun a Caregivers Blog where we can share with other caregivers and encourage each other - check it out!

I was going to write something there about "encouraging caregivers", but figured that would be like preaching to the choir.

I would like to encourage you to encourage someone in your life that cares for someone. Whether it is a note, a call, a visit. Make them feel like you haven't forgotten their plight. This is a lonely calling and it sure feels good to be appreciated. Don't get me wrong, the reason we do what we do is because God has called us to it, and He absolutely supplies all that we need, but there are those times that we do need a "little something".

Remember, at some point of your life you will either care for someone, know someone that cares for someone, or you will be the one receiving the care - so let us do unto others as we wish done to ourselves.

Girls Out on the Town

We finally managed to get some r&r together. We squeezed in Angie's and Herli's birthday present/celebration. The nail place was packed. We were there for quite a while, however, it was okay by all of us - we enjoyed our relaxed conversation (we always do:)

Here is Herli, finally relaxing in her "spa pedicure"

Here is our beautiful toes..we feel fresh and relaxed
Finally...we get to eat - we were all starving

We had a wonderful meal and a good time of simply sitting and visiting with good friends. There is nothing like fellowship and a good meal together. "Okay, girls we better go home!"

Memories

As I stood over my kitchen sink, I looked out my kitchen window. I always like to gaze out at my garden in hopes of seeing some gift from My LORD (e.g. a butterfly, a hummingbird, that beautiful blue bird, etc.). This time, however, I happened to see a very joyous family decorating their family vehicle. As the writing took place I realized that they were having a graduation. The colors looked familiar and so they were. Orange and Black, Chaffey High School’s colors. My mind raced back to 2003…

This was the day, 5 years ago, that we (my hubby and I) had many emotions going on in our hearts. Much heartache, many doubts, many tears. We didn’t know how to plan for this day. Ours son’s graduation was up in the air – we didn’t know what would happen.

You see, our son, had decided to explore the world. He was kicking against all that we stood for. I can tell you that our hearts broke, then they broke again, then they broke again. One dear friend of mine said, “does your heart ever feel shattered, only to shatter some more?” Yes! Just when we thought our heart could break no more, the little pieces would shatter some more. OUR hope and dreams were being broken one-by-one. I will tell you though, that this was a time when we developed, what some call “camel’s knees”. We were on our faces, continually for our son. The LORD shared with us that, yes, OUR hopes and dreams were shattered, but NOT HIS PLAN for our Son. HIS PLAN will continue in spite of it all – we believe this with all our heart. HIS ways are not ours, nor are HIS thoughts our thoughts. Praise be to God! The darker it gets the more HIS LIGHT shines forth – Hallelujah!!!

By God’s grace our son did graduate – God’s gift and mercy to all of us (thank you Jesus!)

I know that many celebrate this time, while others hurt so deeply. Yet, it all has a purpose. Nothing is wasted in God’s economy – what an incredible God we serve.

Funny how different events trigger so many memories? In fact, my hubby, who stood with me, simply said, “78 to 08, humm – 30 years.” (He graduated in 1978 from the same school our son graduated from).

Great are the mysteries of Our God. Thankfully all we have to think about is TODAY, cause tomorrow ain’t promised to no one.

End of Study Celebration

Yesterday we had our end of Study celebration. This was the first Women's Study for our church. We studied the book of James. All of us came away with so much to apply to our lives. God's Word is alive and powerful, even those of us who have studied this book before, felt overwhelmed by all that we did not know. Yes, indeed, we are all a continual work in progress. We were all thankful that God had allowed us this time of getting alone with the LORD and with other women. We are all praying what will be next - knowing how the LORD works, there will be something better ahead. Just when we think, "wow, that was awesome!" He surprises us with something more. Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness! You alone are worthy of all our praise!

Satan's Five Deadly Ds

By Kay Arthur

Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. I Peter 5:8

Has disappointment ever caused you to go into an emotional tailspin? Have you ever felt you might drown in discouragement? Then, my friend, you have engaged in warfare with the evil one and allowed him to penetrate your line of defense. Let’s take a look at how you can be more than a conqueror over Satan’s Five Deadly Ds: disappointment, discouragement, dejection, despair, and demoralization.


The First Deadly D – Disappointment
But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD, I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand. Psalm 31:14-15

To counter attack disappointment you need to launch the Christian’s Strategic Defense System – faith that in meekness praises God in every situation by seeing it as God’s sovereign appointment.


The Second Deadly D - Discouragement
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

After Moses died, God was careful to admonish Joshua to “be strong and courageous.” Years earlier the Israelites believed the report of the spies who became discouraged by the giants in the land God had given them to occupy. So they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years! What about you? Have you listened to the world’s analysis of your condition rather than courageously believing your God?


The Third Deadly D – Dejection
But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. Psalm 71:14

Have you ever found yourself mired in the mud of Dejection? Instead of the joy of the LORD being your strength (Nehemiah 8:10), you are about to faint (Isaiah 61:3). When dejection pulls you down into its depths, reach up and take hold of His hand with the act of praise.


The Fourth Deadly D - Despair
Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. Psalm 42:5

The fourth deadly D is Despair – to despair is to lose or abandon hope. Despair leaves you apathetic, your mind is numb. O precious child of God, when you are in despair, look for a specific promise of God to counter each cause of despair. Then you will find yourself saying Psalm 42:5 with the psalmist.


The Final Deadly D – Demoralization
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

The finally deadly D is Demoralization. Demoralized people run in circles – if they have the strength to run! They cannot get their act together in any of the disciplines of life. Many times they are simply paralyzed with fear. But God has not given you a spirit of fear, rather a sound mind – a mind under control. God loves you. If you are His child, you have His power. Use it.

Happy Birthday Angie!

Today we are celebrating my daughter, Angie’s, 22nd Birthday – wow, 22 years!!!

Angie, today we celebrate the day that 22 years ago, God decided to bless us with a beautiful, tiny little girl. Yes, even then you confounded “men” and were born not on the day set by man, but the day that God had ordained for you to be born. You have become a beautiful, Godly, young lady. God continues to amaze us THROUGH you. We are blessed by your love and commitment for Jesus.

As we prepare for you to embark on the next journey that God has for you, we stand in awe of God. Continue to love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul. We, your parents, will treasure the time that God allowed us to nurture you and bring you up in His ways. But now, we will step-aside and watch Your Heavenly Father lead and guide you in His path.

We love you Baby Girl – Happy Birthday!

Mom & Dad