Old Encouragement

Recently I was cleaning out my email and I came across one titled "meant to encourage but I do go on".  I had sent it to my younger sister.  I don't know what was going on in her life at the time, but the contents make a good post for today ~


When Scott and I were house shopping, we encountered a vicious dog at one of the homes.  I had just taken in the back yard, and glanced up at the blue sky above us when he came trotting over to us - sights set on three year old Hannah while I held the toddler Micah.  I stopped in my tracks and fear gripped my heart. He growled while showing all his teeth in a mouth dripping with foam.
My heart raced - I knew if we ran he would run after us.  We turned and walked calmly back towards the car.  Scott had picked up Hannah, but the dog was not backing down.  All the while his menacing presence made me want to scream out in fear. When we started to put the kids in the car - it started to bark at us.  I wondered if a neighbor would hear the commotion and come to help. As the minutes dragged on, the dog didn't tire - and yet it never lunged at us either. Not once did that dog try to take a bite. Scott had already figured this out -  this barking maniac was menacing, but he didn't seem to put his money where his mouth was. :) Scott decided the only way to deal with him was lunge toward him and see if he would cower in fear.
He puffed himself up - put his arms out and growled back at the dog while taking a huge leap in his direction. This behavior was more than the panicked dog had planned for.  He recoiled, darted and ran away.  All that bravado without any of the bite.

We have an enemy. He seeks to divert us from the course set by God. "A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance."  Our enemy cannot destroy us, but he will work hard to distract us. It seems he most likes to startle us when we have just closed our eyes and turned our chins up to enjoy the "blue sky".  Without warning he jumps around the corner and terrifies us with his rabid barking. We stop in our tracks and fear grips us.  But this enemy is all bravado. No matter how good he is at barking, "he has already been rendered impotent. One full-on victorious leap by the people of God will send him running."

I am studying about the devils attempts to distract us this week and much of my language today comes out of what God is doing in my heart tonight.  Just never let him allow you to think for a moment that God is not faithfully executing His perfect plan.

Thanks be to God Who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him Who loved us.

Thanks be to God Who gives us the victory though our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved [sister], be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

YOU are a victorious overcomer, completely capable by God's Spirit to stand against the attacks of the enemy.  Trust the Lord!!  He will deliver you from this already beaten foe!!

If ever I was waxing eloquent, it was that day!! Oh my!! But isn't it true -  Put on the armor of God that you may be able to stand, (and somewhere, it continues) having done all to stand.

When life is routine

I'm not funny lately.
I'm not deep.
The kids aren't even particularly interesting.
I hoped maybe someone at church would give us some material ~
        but, we're all so normal

maybe someone funny will drop by the house and give me something to talk about

In the meantime, I'll tell you what I have been thinking about - prayer in one accord.  I've been thinking about the first few chapters of Acts and that it says repeatedly: they continued in "one accord" in prayer and supplication.  I've been thinking that I would like to know that unity of the Spirit.
There you have it!

Trust

I washed my last load of laundry today.  I don't have any more detergent and no money to buy any.  I felt a nudge ~ "You don't have have because you don't ask" So I asked right there.  "Lord, will you provide us with detergent to clean my family's clothes.  Either the money to buy some ourselves or with the detergent itself."

I gave the kids the last of the cereal today.  {Sigh} and a little fear for tomorrow.  Again, I felt the nudge ~ "You don't have because you don't ask"  Ok - I take a determined face and say out loud "Lord, you see our need. I know You'll meet it in your time."

This constant place of not really knowing.  not being able to do it myself.  not me.  How do you pick yourself up by your own bootstraps when you don't have any boots? Oh, I've got big plans! We'll have more piano lessons - but it's summer and they keep canceling on me.
We'll have a garage sale.  I'll keep you posted on that.

I am thinking - have I asked in faith? do I believe? Yes, I believe. I believe God can... but I'm not sure that He will. Truthfully, I don't know when that happened.  I've even heard people say that before, and I felt upset with them.  My entire life I trusted God with so much I never even thought something wouldn't happen.  Like a child asking her dad to blow the tire up on her bike or to get her a new pair of tennis shoes.  I have forgotten that I'm cherished to Him.

I'm not strong enough to hold on here.

And I've forgotten to let go.

The way I see it, we all like to think of ourselves as the heroes in the Bible - we fancy ourselves as brave and wise as Joseph or as humble and upstanding as Ruth.  It's a real blow when we realize we're more like the widow of Zarephath.  You know the one - Elijah asks her for a piece of bread, she replies something like "I don't have any bread.  I'm about to bake my last bit of flour so my son and I can eat it and then die."

Elijah must have thought "what?! who did you send me to, God?"

This is what I realized.  The Bible has so many personal stories.  God could have simply told us the generalities.  Here is what happened and when.  But instead He took the time to give us glimpses into many lives - many stories - many families.  You know what that means? that translates like this: God is interested in the individual's life.  God sees the big picture, but He is also looking at the sparrow, the flower, the lamb.  I don't know what will happen tomorrow.  We'll have breakfast in the morning and there are clean clothes in our closets.

God answers prayer
God answers prayer
God answers prayer
He's so good to me

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills

the wealth in every mine

He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills

the sun and stars that shine

Wonderful riches more than tongue can tell

He is my Father so they're mine as well

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills

I know that He will care for me

                      ~ John W. Peterson

Psalm 50:9-15
"I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds.
for every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.
If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fulness are mine.
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High,
And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."

I offer my sacrifice of thanksgiving.  It's meager.  I pray He is pleased with it.  We trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Pure Love

Love is patient and kind

Love does not envy or boast

It is not arrogant or rude

It does not insist on its own way

It is not irritable or resentful

It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth

Love bears all things

believes all things

hopes all things

endures all things

Love never ends.

I had the great privilege of attending a wedding early this summer.  I've known the bride since we were teenagers.  And I've watched her life unfold as we became adults.  She has had many of the joys and sorrows we all have, except one thing. The thing. The dream she's had and desired since she was a girl.  This thing she's wanted her entire life ~ a mate.  Not just any man would do.  She had standards, not the least of which was someone who had a living, abiding relationship with her Lord and Savior.  A man's man.  Her own hero.

This summer she married him.  They were both so happy.  There was pure joy ~ something I haven't witnessed in a long time.  The kind of joy that gives you a glimpse of what every moment will be like when we are in His presence.

I don't know the groom really.  Only what I've been told ~ and what I observed.  He loves her.  Chachi loves Joanie.  You know what I'm saying? It's evident and real.  I am so happy for both of them. For the family they have formed. For the life they have to live.

My friend, the bride - she never lost her faith in God.  In her years, as each of her friends were married.  As her sister and brother married and had children of their own.  She made a choice not to wallow.  She trusted Him fully with her hopes and dreams.  She lived her days - honest with herself, her family and her Lord.  The focus was never really about herself, but always about her God.  If she could honor and serve God with her life ~ if she could bless those around her and further the Kingdom of God ~ she counted it a day well lived.  There's more of that coming for her, for this family.

It's a beautiful thing to have witnessed this union.  May God the Father bless them with years of joy and peace as they continue their abiding relationship with Him and as they honor Him with their lives.