Conference

It has been busy, busy, busy around here. I am so thankful for the energy and stamina that My LORD has bestowed upon me. I take nothing for granted, and know that it is His strength flowing through me. In the midst of my busyness, HE swept me away and sat me at a table replete with abundant nourishment. In His love He allowed me to partake of a table that was filled with “SOLID” food for my soul. In fact, this lady I sat with at one of the seminars asked me, “So how do you like the conference?” I, with tears in my eyes, told her that I felt that My Jesus had set this beautiful table and filled it with all kinds of food and pulled up a chair for me and invited me to sit and partake, TO INDULGE.

I and my friend, Laura, got to attend a conference called “WOMEN discipling WOMEN equipping women to minister using God’s Word”. It was held at Grace Community Church and presented by The Master’s College. It was such an overwhelming time (good overwhelming). This Conference was incredible. There was no fluff there; it was all good solid food for the soul. I am still trying to digest all that the LORD taught me there. I am also praying for some stirrings that have been going on in my heart, but were definitely stirred up even more at this Conference.

From the get go this get away was a blessing. My friend Laura and I had an invigorating conversation on our way there. We enjoyed good stirring conversation with nothing to disrupt. Once we got to the Conference and got our materials, we both sat and enjoyed our surroundings and of course going through our wonderful handbook. As we browsed through the handbook I got stuck at the outline for the Seminar entitled “Christian Eldercare: Honor, Hope, and Humility” (look for some of it to be posted on the caregivers blog). I did not pick this seminar, but…when I came to “The privilege of being thought worthy!”…emotions were hard to contain, God was already at work. He had much to teach me this weekend. I gave this example to someone I talked to after the Conference – I had this tool chest fool of tools, however I did not know how to use or appropriate each one of those tools. Now, however, God has shown me and taught me how to use these tools. I am ever thankful for those women that took the time to be students themselves and now are teaching others what they’ve been taught.

God knows the desires of my heart. I am ever so thankful for this awesome opportunity that He allowed me to have. My prayer is that He would continue to lead me and teach me and show me what is next.

Thank you Jesus!!!

I'm Still Here

No I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth. Yes, I am still here. Lots and lots of changes. Lots and lots of activity around here. Most importantly, I find myself falling madly in love with My Savior Jesus Christ all over again. I just love when He pulls me aside for a time of going deeper and spending quality time with Him (you can read a wonderful and challenging post about “diving deep” by going to Lisa’s blog). I’m not saying that I didn’t love Him or that I had walked away or fallen away, simply that life happens and “everything” becomes routine. But, praise be to My LORD, that He beckons me to come away with Him, to spend alone time with Him. Once I heed His call, “o me, o my – the treasures that await!” I also know that He is preparing me for things, situations, life changes that are up ahead. My Jesus knows exactly what is needful for me.

Jesus loves us so much. He is always waiting for us to COME AWAY WITH HIM. This thought never ceases to amaze me. The Creator of heaven and earth desires to spend time with ME! And when I come to Him - O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the LORD? Or who hath been His counselor? Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto Him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)

No Hands Call

As many of you know, California has a new law, it went into effect July 1st - no hands on cell phones. Our fetish to be always connected seems to be out of control and, apparently causing a lot of distractions on the road. However, this is not a post about this law, yes, once again I’ve been thinking…

What if we had this same desire “to always be connected” to the LORD (we won’t need a blue tooth for this connection). God calls us, beckons us to come and fellowship with Him, to talk with Him, to spend time with Him. Yet we are often distracted by all these fabulous technologies. Yet, to be connected to Our Maker we need absolutely nothing except an open and willing heart. With our heart open to receive, we can continually be connected to Our Master and King and o how glorious this is. He is always available. He is never busy. And, you know what, HE can do abundantly, exceedingly more than we ask or pray for – how good is that! He can actually handle all that concerns us. And when we finish talking with Him, we feel refreshed, renewed and ready to take on the world. He assures us that He will never leave us, nor forsake us, that I can do all things through Him, who strengthens me, and that He will give me all that I need to carry on. This is one conversation that is a win-win.

So pray without ceasing, in all things acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. He is longing to spend time with you – the Maker of this Universe desires to hear your voice and spend time with you, will you answer His call?

Six Word Memoir

My friend, Laura, tagged me on her blog to think of a six word memoir to describe my life.

hummm - well, before I accepted the LORD Jesus Christ in my life would have been: "One life - eat, drink, be merry!"

After God's amazing love and grace was bestowed upon me and He came into my heart to make His dwelling place: "To live, Christ; to die, gain".

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.