Almost 2011 Prayer

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve.

Another year is almost spent.

Have I done all You've asked of me?

Have I been faithful?

That is one of my fondest dreams,

one of my dearly held goals.

That I would be faithful to You.

Not in part, but in whole.

But, the only one that faithful is

YOU!!!

And You I am not!  

(Like everyone doesn't know THAT!)

But I would like to be as faithful as

possible given my human limitations.

I would like to know that You

are pleased with me and 

satisfied with my progress

on the road of faith.

Thank You for the HUGE grace You extend to me.

Thank You for sustaining me and providing for me.

Thank You for the blessings you have poured out on me and mine.

You are SO beautiful to me!

So wonderful to me!

My prayer is to love You more, serve you better, and be more faithful in 2011 than ever before.

So please help!

Because, without You, I can do NOTHING.

What God Thinks of You

by Donna Otto

It all begins with you---with your answer to God's call on your life.  So it helps to get an idea of what God thinks of you.  He tells you clearly in the words of Scripture.

1. He loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3; John 3:16).
2. He created you in His Image (Genesis 1:27).
3. You are His child (John 1:12; Romans 8:16; Ephesians 1:5).
4. He knows you intimately and by name (Isaiah 43:1; Matthew 10:30; John 10:3).
5. He made you exactly the way He wanted (Psalm 139:13-18).
6. He cared enough to give His only Son to redeem you from your sins (John 3:16).
7. You are a new creation in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 5:8; Colossians 2:13).
8. He wants you to trust Him to take care of you (1 Peter 5:7).
9. If you have children, He has a specific set of responsibilities for you (Proverbs 22:6, 23:13-14; Colossians 3).

(From:  Finding Your Purpose as a Mom)

Mirror, Mirror...

Proverb 31:30  "Charm is deceptive,

and beauty does not last, but..."

I turned 41 this year.  My face is beginning to be lined.  Some hair is turning gray, and my hair is getting thinner.  My hands are getting age spots.  So I am brought to the fleeting nature of physical beauty head on.

In addition to that, the Father recently made me aware of how I was using charm deceptively, acting to get maximum recognition for myself instead of looking for how I can bless others.  Uggh!

Conversely, the second half of verse 30 at work in my life.  "...but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised!"

God's Word:  Truth in ALL things.

The Word is my hand-mirror, showing me my true reflection.  Just as my bathroom mirror shows the physical me, the Word reveals with clarity the inner me.  In both cases, sometimes I like what I'm looking at, and sometimes I don't.  I'm so glad my spiritual mirror has the power to transform me into Christ's ever beautiful image.  It does not leave me the same as I gaze into to it, the way a physical mirror does.  It reveals my character, and then, it works with power in my life to perfect the blemishes therein.

I know the truth of Romans 7:18, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." (NIV)  And along with verses 24-25 of the same chapter, I proclaim, "What a wretched [wo]man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God---through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Thanks be to God that He is daily at work in my spirit, giving me power to overcome my sinful tendencies.

• Philippians 1:6, 2:13  "...being confident of this, that He Who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus....  For it is God Who works in you, to will and to act according to His good purpose."

• Ephesians 1:19-20  "...His incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead..."

• Hebrews 4:12-13  "For the Word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight."

• 1John 1:9  "If we confess our sins, He is faith and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Some day, none of my charm will be deceptive because it will all be reflecting the character of Christ as I continue to place myself before the mirror of transformation, His Word.  I do not want to be like the man in James 1:22-25 who looks at himself and forgets what he looks like.  I want to be like the man who, after staring 'intently into the perfect law that gives freedom', does what he finds there.  I want to be a hearer and DOER of the Word.  I want to conform to its pattern.

Hebrews 12:2  "Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern

of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is---

His good, pleasing, and perfect will."

How do I do this?

Come, look deeply into the mirror, DAILY!

As Nancy Leigh DeMoss states:  "I cannot become the woman God wants me to be if I'm not spending time in His Word each day.  Yesterday's nourishment isn't good enough.  I need a fresh taste today." (A Daily Supply, Today's Seeking Him Journal, Revive our Hearts Ministry)

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways!
Reclothe us in our rightful mind;
In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
Beside the Syrian sea,
The gracious calling of the Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word,
Rise up and follow Thee.

Drop Thy still dews of quietness
Till all our strivings cease.
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.

John Greenleaf Whittier

A Little Place

A Little Place.

Where should I work today, dear Lord, 
and my love flowed warm and free.
He answered and said, “See that little place? 
Tend that place for me.”
I answered and I said, 
“Oh no, not there! No one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done. Not that place for me.”
His voice, when He spoke, was soft and kind. 
He answered me tenderly,
“Little one, search thy heart of thine. 
Are you working for them or me?
Nazareth was a little place and so was Galilee.”



"Aren’t we glad that the King of the universe, the Creator of the world, left Heaven and said, 'I’ll step into that little place. I’ll serve. I’ll lay down My life, so they can have life.'

When you serve in your home, you’re following in the steps of the Savior, and there’s no bigger, grander place you could be!"  ( Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss is an outreach of Life Action Ministries.)

Proverb 31 is

"the description of a virtuous woman, an excellent woman, a woman of moral strength and godly character. The kind of woman that, if you are a [female] child of God, you are going to be someday.

God is committed to making you and me as women into this kind of woman. So how much better to cooperate with Him in the process than to fight and resist and kick and scream or ignore His standard altogether and then one day find that we really did miss the mark. This is God’s commitment to us—to make us into these kinds of women.

So what does this kind of heart look like in everyday life? What does a woman with this kind of heart act like? How does it affect her schedule, her priorities, her activities, her day? How does a woman who is loyal to her husband, as we read about in the last session, how does she spend her time? How does she live out that commitment?"  (Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Proverb 31, A Godly Woman's Work, Feb. 20, 2007).

God is Working!

God moves in a mysterious way  
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea  
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines  
Of never failing skill;  
He treasures up His bright designs  
And works His sovereign will. 

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;  
The clouds ye so much dread  
Are big with mercy and shall break  
In blessings on your head. 

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,  
But trust Him for His grace;  
Behind a frowning providence  
He hides a smiling face. 

His purposes will ripen fast,  
Unfolding every hour;  
The bud may have a bitter taste, 
 But sweet will be the flower. 

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain. 

(William Cowper, "God Moves in a Mysterious Way")

18th-century English poet and hymn writer,

friend to John Newton

"God is always at work in every era, in every circumstance, in every season, in every situation of life. God is doing a work in our day.  God is always at work. Even when it appears that He is silent, that He is passive, that He is absent. Even when we cannot see what He is doing. Even when we do not know what He is doing, God is at work.  Whether you can see it or not, God is at work.  Take heart. Have faith. Be encouraged. God is at work."  Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Habakkuk 1:5  "Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded.  For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." (ESV)

John 5:17  “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”  (ESV)

Isaiah 50:10 "Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of His servant?  Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the Name of the LORD and rely on his God."  (ESV)

"God is saying to His servants—Habakkuk and His other people—“Broaden your perspective. Look among the nations and see.” God is saying, “Your vision is not big enough. You’ve been too centered in on your own specific circumstances and situation. You need to look among the nations. Your view is too narrow.”

You see, so often we can only see our little piece of the whole picture. We see our health, our issues, our family, our church, our country, our circumstances; and we get totally engrossed in what is happening to us. You know why? Because we live as if it’s all about me. That’s our perspective. We have this self-centered, myopic perspective on life. It’s all about what’s happening to me. It’s all about how it affects me.

But God is saying, “Lift your eyes up and see the bigger picture. Don’t be so consumed with your own personal situation.”  (Nancy Leigh DeMoss)

To read more of Nancy's wisdom on this matter, go to her teaching on Habakkuk at www.reviveourhearts.com.  The information above comes specifically from her October 7th teaching.

Recording my Songs

I am happy to report that I have a digital recording device that I borrowed from some friends.  Until I buy one of my own, it is something to practice on.  I hope to be able to record some of the songs I've written.  If it goes well, I hope to post them on here.  We'll see what the Lord works out.  But for now, I am simply happy with the possibilities.

I have written around 20 songs over the past 8 years, primarily the past 5.  They are all near and dear to my heart because they express my feelings about and toward the Lord and His work in my life.  They usually come to me when I am spending time learning about or praying to or praising Him. 

I am under no illusion that they are all Dove Award material (though my husband maintains that some of them should win it (Do you know rose-colored glasses get thicker through the years?)).  However, it is a great blessing to me to have 'new' songs to offer to my Lord, King, Savior, Friend.  I appreciate them and thank Him for the gift of them.  And I try to share them with whomever I feel they may bless.

Who knows, maybe one will bless YOU!  :0)  

Christian Artist - Phil Wickham - Divine Romance

I was introduced to this singer/song-writer by a young lady from our church who used some of his songs in a wonderful concert she gave. I think his lyrics are AMAZING!

ENJOY!!!

2 Chronicles 20

I LOVE THIS CHAPTER!

It's one of my very favorite in all the Bible!  Soooo many good verses for encouragement in the bad spots of life.  

Jehoshaphat and Judah were about to be attacked by a multitude.  And, of course, it was SCARY!  But Jehoshaphat responded in the right way:

v3  "Then Jehoshaphat feared, and SET himself [determinedly, as his vital need] to seek the Lord; he proclaimed a fast in all Judah."

Instead of worrying and fretting for days, he did the best, most effective thing he could---he ran straight to the Father for help and exhorted everyone else in the situation to do the same.

Then he set right to work declaring the truth (2 Cor. 4:13) in the presence of the assembly:

v6  "O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven?  And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations?  In Your Hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You."

He goes on reminding God of His Promises and who he and this people are to Him on through to verse 12 where he says:

"O our God, will You not exercise judgment upon them?  For we have no might to stand against this great company that is coming against us.  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."

Jehoshaphat KNEW that he and the rest of Judah had no power to save themselves from their circumstances.  And he KNEW Who did!

So then...he and Judah just stood there waiting in the Presence of the Lord for their answer.  And God sent it through the Levite prophet Jahaziel (a descendant of Asaph):

v15,17  "Hearken, all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat, The Lord says this to you: 'Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.'...You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord [Who is] with you, O Judah and Jerusalem.  Fear not nor be dismayed.  Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you."

And what was their response?

v18  "And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping Him."

Again, the best response possible!  Followed up by a great response as well:  PRAISE!!!

v19  "And some of the Levites of the Kohathites and Korahites stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice."

Then again after Jehoshaphat exhorts everyone to believe in v20:

v21  "When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy [priestly] garments as they went out before the army, saying, 'Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!'"

PRAISE = STRENGTH

And what was the Father's response?

v22  "And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir..."

He came through for them.  He delivered them.  All they had to do was take up their positions of obedience and praise.  He took care of the rest!  (Not only did the Judahites not get slaughtered and not have to fight, but God gave them many riches as well.  So many riches that they named the field they expected to die on The Valley of Beracah {blessing}.)

And then they went marching home still praising:

vv27,28  "Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat leading them, to Jerusalem with JOY for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.  They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the house of the Lord."

And not only did the Father WOW their socks off, He AMAZED the surrounding nations as well:

v29  "And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel."

And how did they hear?  Hopefully they heard from God's people giving Him the glory.

Now, what should MY response be?

Hopefully, I will remember this passage

and do like King Jehoshaphat did

and run straight to my Father.

And then, hopefully, I will quiet my heart

before Him in trust that He IS my help,

and I will wait expectantly for His Word

on the situation and for what He will do 

on my behalf, since He also promises:

"For from of old no one has heard

nor perceived by the ear,

nor has the eye see a God

besides You,

Who works and shows Himself active

on behalf of him who [earnestly]

waits for Him."

Isaiah 64:4

The Joy of Creating

It's amazing to me how God designs even the littlest critters to fit their environment and to eat the food and do all the tasks they were made for.  The sheer variety of kinds is amazing.  And, with Insects in particular, He even created at least 3 different ways for them to grow into an adult.  God is INCREDIBLE! 

I couldn't even think up all the things to create that one creature, or even part of one creature would need in order to exist and He did it more times and in mores ways than we will ever discover.  He made things that He KNEW no one but Himself would ever know about just for the joy of creating.

Just for the Joy of Creating, hmmm...

That resonates with me.  I love to craft useful or beautiful items, whether it be with yarn or material or words.  It is a joy to make something with your hands and especially if it was your own original thought.  (Though I happen to think all great ideas come from the BRILLIANT mind of my Creator and that He just loans them to me and lets me benefit personally from His genius.  I think of Him as my collaborator on my projects, making them all better than they would be if He didn't lend His skill and own special touch to them on my behalf.)

I'm SO thankful that He shares His creative abilities with me.  It makes life so much RICHER!!!

God's Cologne

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 (Amplified)
          "But thanks be to God, Who in Christ ALWAYS leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ's victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere, for we are the sweet fragrance of Christ unto God, among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."

Thinking of Daddy

Well, on Friday it will be 1 month since my dear Daddy passed from this life into the next. 

He is at home with our Father Who art in Heaven and the Precious Son Who gave him eternal life.

I am missing him whenever I have time to stop and think (which isn't frequent with all my homeschooling and parenting and wifely duties).  I've had a few dreams about him, in which I usually hug him and sit on his lap one more time.

That always makes me feel happy when I recall the dream the next day.

I'm excited to meet up with him again some day On High and for us to sing together in the Heavenly Choir.  Maybe Jesus will let us sing a song I wrote to Him.  Now that would be FUN!!!

Contentment

Hop on over to Smelling Coffee and check out her article on contentment.  So good!

I, personally, am going to re-read that one several times!

More on Real Life

ANITA RENFROE STYLE!


This Momsense to the William Tell Overture is hysterical enough:





But I laughed and cried over this one about Dads!:

There is a sequel to the 1st one over at YouTube, 

if you want to look for it.  Momsense 2.

Give Grace to yourself, Ladies!

This is a hilarious Anita Renfroe video, encouraging realism in our self-images.  I laughed and laughed!



Remember, in the words of the Bob the Tomato on the VeggieTales:  "God made you special, and He loves you very much!"

And here is a link to a post over at At the Well that encourages a realistic outlook on our homes.  Unrealistic expectations bog us all down.  Remember, if you are free in Christ, you are free indeed!!!

God's Beauty on Parade

The Hydrangea Blossom Parade:

The Bare Lady

The Lady Clothed in Splendor

The Lady:  'up close and personal'

The Lady's Offspring

Journeying off from her home to be a blessing elsewhere.

Watch her spin and turn!

Brightening a messy and otherwise boring table!

And now she will journey on from here 

to brighten the day of another,

a dear friend who deserves the best.

John 12:37 Amplified

"Even though He had done so many miracles before them (right before their eyes), yet they still did not trust in Him and failed to believe in Him."

This verse primarily refers to those who have not come to the Lord Jesus and believed Who He is and thus have not been saved.  However, I felt convicted, even as a believer.  Just yesterday I was blogging about this very thing.  Not trusting.  Not really believing.  Succumbing to anxiety due to lack of true and steady faith.  The double-minded man syndrome is a disease from which I have not yet been fully healed.

I have seen Him work many miracles in my life:  my salvation, my rescue from sin, healing from a back injury, major changes in my character, plus His daily sustaining power.  And yet, I still freak out first and come back to faith and peace through a process.  Even though He is the King of Glory, the LORD God Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of all matter, and even though He controls everything, and even though His actions toward me are always grounded in His extravagant love for me, I still waver and wobble.  Argggghhhhh!  He's worth so much more than I am able to be for Him!!!

Knowing I'm an unworthy worm in more than just this way, I can only rest in Him and His saving work in my life.  I am SO glad He loves me and doesn't require perfection.  He is my perfection.  If I could be perfect, I wouldn't need a Savior.  But I can't. 

AND HE LOVES ME!!!  

Yipppeeee!!!

So...

I'm praying to do and be better.

I'm praying He will work change miraculously in me,

just as He always has,

and, I'm trying to rest in Him and in His love for me.

I love these quotes I found on my friends' pages and I am going to borrow them for myself because they encourage and help me to live in His grace, which He extends freely to worms like me.

"I am not what I ought to be.

 I am not what I wish to be. 

 I am not even what I hope to be. 

But by God's grace and Christ's love, 

I am not what I was." 

unknown

"Finish each day and be done with it. 

You have done what you could. 

Some blunders and absurdities 

no doubt crept in; 

forget them as soon as you can. 

Tomorrow is a new day; 

begin it well and serenely 

and with too high a spirit 

to be encumbered 

with your old nonsense." 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Fret not yourself...

Did you know that Psalm 37 says this phrase, "Fret not yourself...," three times in the first eight verses?

Hmmm...Do you think He means it?

Verse 8 states it pretty strongly:  "...fret not yourself---it tends only to evildoing."

I've also read that the Word says to "fear not" 365 times.

One for each day of the year.

Hmmm...Do you think He means it?

And then there is always Philippians 4:6 (NIV)  "Do not be anxious about anything..."

SO...

Here's a conversation I have frequently 

with the LORD, my Rock of Faithfulness:

Me:  "Well, then LORD, what am I supposed to do when things are feeling out of control?"

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)  "...but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

1Peter 5:7a (Amp.)  "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all you concerns, once and for all] on Him..."

Psalm 37:3-7(Amp.)  "Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the LORD and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed.  Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass.  Be still and rest in the LORD; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him..."


Me:  "Well, if I don't fret, LORD, what will I do?"

Psalm 46:10a (NIV)  "Be still and know that I AM God."


Me:  "If I don't fret, LORD, what can I count on You to do for me?"


Philippians 4:7 (NIV)  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."


Psalm 37:3-7(Amp.)  "...so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed.  Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart....He will bring it to pass."


Me:  "And, why should I trust You?"

1Peter 5:7b (Amp.)  "...for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully."

Hmmm...I think He means it.

This is a lesson the LORD has spoken to me about and tried me on 

and led me through over and over again.

I'll just think I've finally gotten it, "once and for all" 

and then something difficult will happen and 

I'll feel my nerves jump and 

my neck will start burning.

Like last night, for instance:

My son was out in the yard, where my husband has stashed old fence pieces while he is putting in the new, and he was climbing on the pieces.  He stepped on a rusty nail and it went through his shoe.  He came to tell us about it.  Before I even knew the full story, anxiety leaped upon me, burning neck and all.  Praise the LORD, upon inspection of his foot, no puncturing had occurred.  Whew!  Crisis averted.

How I would love, however, to get to the place 

where my heart leaps instantly into trustful peace,

instead of into instant fretfulness.  

Because I agree with the LORD, 

fretting does lead only to evildoing, 

AND ulcers!

Back to my constant prayer:  

"Please change me, LORD.  

If You don't help me, I'll NEVER

be any better than I am.  

HELP!!!"

Plus a song for good measure:

Change my heart, O God.  

Make it ever true.  

Change my heart, O God.  

May I be like You.

Intertwined

John 10:30 "I and the Father are One."

The Son and the Father; the Father and the Son, are irrevocably intertwined.  You can't have One without the Other.  People seem to want the Father, the Creator God, or however they view Him.  They want to believe in an image of God they can be happy with; one who doesn't interfere too much in their lives.  They create a God in their own image, breaking the 2nd commandment (Exodus 20:4).

Jesus has hard teachings that our fleshly nature does not like.  But the Father and the Son are inseparable, bound together in love, thought, and deed.  You might not like this concept, but it is the Truth.  God the Father will not allow a person to accept Him without His Son.

John 6:44a "No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him."

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I AM the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 14:7-11 "If you really knew Me, you would know My Father as well.  From now on you do know Him and have seen Him."
       Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
       Jesus answered:  "Don't you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?  Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.  How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?  Don't you believe that I AM in the Father and that the Father is in Me?  The words I say to you are not just my own.  Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, Who is doing His work.  Believe Me when I say that I AM in the Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves."

John said, "We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the Testimony of God, which He has given about His Son.  Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart.  Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son.  And this is the Testimony:  God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.  I write these things to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life."  (1John 5:9-13)  "For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.  Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because He has not believed in the Name of God's One and Only Son."  (John 3:16-18)

Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind.  Does He speak and then not act?  Does He promise and not fulfill?"

1Samuel 15:29 "He Who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man, that He should change His mind."

God, as the LORD God Almighty, gets to say Who He is and how to get to Him.  He, as the Sovereign of all creation has the right.  We, as His creatures, do not have a leg to stand on in telling Him how we will be saved.  We must submit to His Way and His Truth to get His life.

Isaiah 43:10-13  "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I AM He.  Before Me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me.  I, even I, AM the LORD, and apart from Me there is no savior.  I have revealed and saved and proclaimed---I, and not some foreign god among you.  You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I AM God.  Yes, and from ancient days, I AM He.  No one can deliver out of My hand.  When I act, who can reverse it?"

Isaiah 44:6  This is what the LORD says---Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: "I AM the first and I AM the last; apart from Me there is no God."

Isaiah 45:5-6  "I AM the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.  I will strengthen you though you have not acknowledged Me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides Me.  I AM the LORD, and there is no other."

Consider the wonder of Him!

I have so been enjoying God's creation this spring and thinking about the wonderous variety of His creation.  He has made so many things that we can never see them all.  Some of His creation, a human will never see.  He's made it just for His own enjoyment.  He is amazing.

Knowing the scale of His creation makes me wonder anew at His love for me.  The Creator of the Universe is personally concerned with my life.  Woah! Not only that, but He LAVISHES His love on this child of His.  (1John 3:1)

Knowing how amazing He is gives me a lot of comfort.  Surely the God Who holds the planets in place can hold my puny life together.  Surely the God Who sustains the biosphere which holds all life can sustain me.  Surely the God Who created DNA can minister to my innermost being all that it needs.

Pondering His vastness and power and marveling over His gentleness and love builds trust in my heart toward Him.  His character draws me close and makes me want to fall in love with Him.

Some people believe in God as a concept.  Some people even go so far as to believe in Jesus and what He did for us.  Others do the wise thing and fall head-over-heels in love with Him.  That's what I want to do.  And why not?  He's given me every reason.

Tulips are pretty in pink!

God didn't have to make a gazillion kinds of flowers.

But He did.

Why?

To enjoy and to be enjoyed.

Thank You, Father, for Your creativity and Your blessing of nature.

KA-POW!!!

And...

the 'piece de resistance'...

POP!!!

First rose of the season.

Look at her from all her gorgeous angles.

 

 Here she is with her sisters.

 

 The red is really showing up all over today!

Praise the Lord for the glory of His creation.

"Who is a great God like our God?"

Psalm 77:13b

Roses are ready to POP!

The garden is growing great guns!

Color has been exploding everywhere!

And now for the roses:

There are what seem to be a gazillion buds on this bush.

Here's a closer preview of the numbers and the color of them.

And here are close-ups of the buds from yesterday.

Will they be full-fledged flowers today?

Stay-tuned...

Feeling Grateful

I'm just so grateful to the Lord today for leading me in decisions in all aspects of life.  It's so dumbfounding that He even cares about all the details of my life.  Then He also guides and sustains me through each one.

How great is our God!  Blessed be the Name of the Lord for now and forevermore!!!

Sadness turns to Gladness!

Apparently we had hail last night!

After 2 nights of fitful rest, 

I slept hard and did not

even hear the storm.

When I went outside this morning,

2 of my tulips were broken.

I was SO sad because one of them

was my only yellow bud.

It hadn't even had the chance to

open to a flower yet.

SIGH!!!

But...

the Lord reminded me

that broken flowers 

make GREAT table decor!

So...

I brought them in and cut them for water.

When I came back later,

look at what had happened:

Look what the yellow one did!!!

Just another display of God's redeeming work.

From 'bad' to good!!!

Romans 8:28

God is Beautiful and Creative!

Wondrous variety!

Tulips!

Daffodils!

Wild Violets!

Vinca Minor!

I LOVE IT!!!

Thank You, LORD, for creating beauty

for us to enjoy and for helping us

to enjoy YOU!!!