Alone?

I love alone times.

I recharge, just to think and enjoy the quietness. I Suppose that comes from being an  “only” child. Being an only child is not a bad thing, entertainment is easy. I cherish the moments sitting with a good book and the silence is comforting. We just got back from Colorado and I spent most of my days on the deck watching the water rush by, listening to the humming birds dive after each other to reach the feeder first and  sitting under the huge pine tree breathing in the cool, clean mountain air.  Bruce was happy to relax in the cabin or occasionally sit quietly in the shade with me. A healing time.

The Lord takes pleasure in our delight! He provides colorful flowers. Peonies are my new favorite flower! Beauty and sweet perfume together with soft petals that tickle the end of your nose when you inhale their fragrance! I could sit for hours watching the Frying Pan River tumble its’ way down the mountain like a lady in petticoats showing off her lace edges  as she skips around and over the rounded rocks in the riverbed.

But then there are the hard times. Bad news that grabs my heart and squeezes. Then being alone is not so much fun.Those times I look for support, strength, a sharing of grief and fear . . .a hand to hold. I long for an understanding hug and affirmation of togetherness, a solution, a relief of the pain and worry. I thank God for His provision of my precious husband. So easy to run to and be held lovingly and safely in His arms.

How wonderful it is to KNOW my God always has a plan. No matter the circumstance, regardless of the size of the problem, His loving eyes NEVER leave me, His gentle hands are ready to HOLD me safe and secure in His unfailing love. 

Alone? Not really! But given loving space to enjoy His blessings and wide open arms waiting to hold me when the lightening flashes and the thunder rolls!

Be still . . .

Sunday, Dr. Swindol encouraged us to take five minutes each day and sit quietly, without distractions in your Presence.

Eight years ago You put Psalm 46:10 in front of me.

Wherever I went, out to a friend's home for dinner – there was a beautiful hanging on the wall with Your message, to the doctor’s office – a card hold with Your precious words at check out, in devotional time – references specifically to Your direction, even in the Christian novels so wonderfully provided from the church’s extensive library – Your instruction from the 46th Psalm stood out.

Oh, how I fought it. To be still . . .to lay down my concerns about the changes happening around me. To be still . . . and leave the bumpy path of doing, fixing, being in control.

Eight years and I am still having issues with this. 

Today, sitting in the sun with Wendy, You revealed again the reason why this verse, these words – so full of meaning, are the whispers of heaven to our earthly hearts.

“Come quietly and be.”  You whisper, “Wait for Me, I will come gently and lovingly. I will surround and transfuse you with Me. I will not push My way through distractions, but as you lay them aside you will experience Me. I will renew your mind. I will heal your heart. I will strengthen your soul because. . ." He sits with me now and holds me close,

"I am God!"

Go On . . .

I remember a short time after becoming a Christian my precious grandfather wrote me a letter. Quite an exciting thing, “back then”, for a twelve year old. A letter all the way from Scotland! It is somewhere in a box . . .I must find it. The last page was filled with “go on, go on, go on, go on . . . “ . I truly did not fully understand it’s meaning then, but now, what wonderful and encouraging advise!

Similarly, C. S. Lewis was asked the question by a young man after writing “The Screwtape Letters” – conversations of demons as they work for Satan in attacking Children of God. 

“When you wrote the book – did Satan give you trouble – and if so

what did you do about it?”

C. S. Lewis replied to this young man’s letter soon after stating Satan was active with plenty of temptations,

“Perhaps . . .the most important thing is to

KEEP ON

not to be discouraged however often one yields to temptation,

but always to pic yourself up again and ask forgiveness!”

Toddlers, learning to walk, are more on their bottoms than on their feet. But none that I have seen wallow in their failures, despairing and despondent – NO.   Off they go again, gaining strength, becoming more steady on their feet and soon running everywhere!

So, dear ones, let us -

keep  on going

go on

go on

go on

go on

We are forgiven! We are growing! We soon will be running into the Father’s welcoming arms!

Willy and Anne Hislop - My grandparents

Prayer for Today and . . .

Psalm 119:33-40

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

 

³³ Teach me, Adonai, (Lord, Master) the way of your laws;

     keeping them will be its own reward for me.

³⁴Give me understanding; then I will keep your Torah; (instruction)

    I will observe it with all my heart.

³⁵ Guide me on the path of your mitzvot, (commands)

    for I take pleasure in it.

³⁶ Bend my heart toward your instructions

    and not toward selfish gain.

³⁷ Turn my eyes away from worthless things;

     with your ways, give me life.

³⁸ Fulfill your promise, which you made to your servant,

    which you made to those who fear you.

³⁹ Avert the disgrace which I dread,

    for your rulings are good.

⁴⁰ See how I long for your precepts;

     in your righteousness, give me life!

 

Run to Him!

“Life happens” I hear often when things go awry. 

Tragedies, illness, heartbreak, disappointments slam into our day, blindsiding us and leaving us wounded and bleeding. 

This is where we have a choice – to react or act. We can scurry around trying to fix things, right the wrong, find the solution, wring our hands in despair and become totally and completely exhausted and emotionally spent.

Or we can run!

Run to our Creator.

Run to our Sufficiency. 

Run to our Answer. 

Run to our Healer.

Ugly, painful, hurtful times will occur. Jesus, our Lover, Comforter and Protector stands by the throne of grace and mercy with arms outstretched . . .He runs to us as we run to Him! He wipes the tears from our eyes, whispers love and comforting words and fills our hearts with His peace.

Isaiah 26:3  You will keep Him in perfect peace, him that is steadfast, because he trust in you!

EMBRACE the "IS"

The Lord IS with me
He IS providing, this moment, what I need
He IS supplying safety, comfort, food, rest and beauty around me
He IS healing, strengthening, transforming my soul today
He IS leading me in the way I should go to glorify HIM

He IS my shield and protector today
He IS the answer to today’s fear – it is gone
He IS with me – in me and all around me
He IS aware of what I can’t see and already provides what is needed – because He loves me

He IS declaring me precious, loved, special – HIS!
He IS with me – past, present and future
He IS finished with my special place where I will be with Hi forever – the Lover of my soul!!!

Psalm 23

What would I do?

“I just finished training in Jepara and Pati with Sidik. It went well. Praise the Lord. We met with Dukri to prepare training in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. Dukri shared that his team member, Suparno was killed by terrorists in Jepara recently. Dukri was asked to identify the body by the police. Pray for Suparno's wife and kids. The police got Suparno's lap top and the terrorists got his cell phone. This is why our ministries in Pantura on high alert! Thanks for praying our ministry.”

Dodi Sasongko – East/West Ministries

Just received this from one of our missionaries our church class supports.
Places I have never heard of. People with strange names -  brothers and sisters in my Eternal family. 

Words

 killed . . . terrorists . . . high alert . . . body

all foreign to me yet these dear ones are intimately acquainted with them! NOW!

Pray! Indonesia and so many other countries are under the blanket of Islam. Loving Jesus, as we are free to do in this country means death to these dear ones! 

Think! What would I do  . . .

And then there is an example closer to home . . .Dan Snaddon, my precious Dad - a prisoner of war for over three years, constantly in jeopardy while sharing the Good News of Christ in the prison camp; persecution, beatings – answered prayer and God’s incredible protection!

What would I do?

In thinking of the last few sermons, living in the last days before our Savior comes to take us Home . . .

WHAT WILL I DO?

John 15:20
Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (NIV)

 

Dan Snaddon - May 26, 1915- May 16,2009