There is a verse in Chronicles that says, "The workmen did their work building the house of God till it was strong and beautiful again". Not sure where it is, but I remember finding that verse years ago and thinking how wonderful a verse! It was written ages ago, but speaks to me if a future and perpetual hope.
I refuse to hear all the dark talk of today and refuse to let it color my heart. I've suffered through much loss in my life, but again refuse to let it have a negative effect upon my heart. God is bigger than anything I've ever suffered!
I always tell folks when I see a pile of pooh I'm looking for a pony close by! God is the great creator, He gave Adam command to go and REplenish the earth. His job was to multiply and refill the earth. To redo something tells me something was here before and has to be redone. So it continues to be. We are called to take what we are given and invest our gifts in rebuilding the broken places, the broken things and most importantly the broken people.
God manifested His son (starting in Adam) to destroy the works of the adversary. The enemy came to steal, to kill and to Destroy! BUT greater is he (God by His Spirit) that is in us than the god of this earthly world.
I'm a northerner from working folks. My natural heritage and people were never slothful. I'm a workman. I am tempted to be short with lazy or selfish people. I want to see the house of God strong and beautiful again.
If I could do anything to bolster the Body of Christ it would be to let them know that God was fully aware of all that was coming our way in these last days. He hasn't run out of power or resources and He has even said that the wicked lay up treasures for the last days.
I remind myself this when things look bleak! God is great at redoing, second chances and hope in the midst of the worst situations. He is with us in trouble. I think He rather enjoys a good "sticky wicket" as the Brits would say. He delights in seeing us bookended between the Red Sea and pharaoh! Why? Because the deliverance will be without a doubt from Him!
Except the Lord build a house they labor in vain...Psalm 127:1
- love never fails.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Alone On A Hill?
The Lord gave me these words to share with a sister who stands pretty much alone in her stand and calling for Christ. I then realized we all fit that description from time to time and decided to share it with whosoever. That means you. God is no respecter of persons and you can take this as a word for you as well.
Just a word of encouragement. Abba hasn't disconnected from the beacon on the hill. When others can't see your value you must burn all the brighter for the blind are headed for the rocks.
A lighthouse stands alone on the craggy rocks. It never moves from its spot and does its greatest work in the worst of weather and the darkest of nights.
When we are tempted to feel alone realize there is a light keeper that makes sure the light in the lighthouse is burning brightly. He tends the lighthouse with the utmost care.
- love never fails.
Just a word of encouragement. Abba hasn't disconnected from the beacon on the hill. When others can't see your value you must burn all the brighter for the blind are headed for the rocks.
A lighthouse stands alone on the craggy rocks. It never moves from its spot and does its greatest work in the worst of weather and the darkest of nights.
When we are tempted to feel alone realize there is a light keeper that makes sure the light in the lighthouse is burning brightly. He tends the lighthouse with the utmost care.
- love never fails.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Plodding Persistence
It's early Wednesday morning and I'm thinking back to last night's late spring rain storm.
I've been building a barn storage building which will become my art studio when it's done. I hadn't prayed for rain because so much of the material it's made of is pressed fiber board. Rain is not it's friend. I did however know that we needed rain so as soon as the last shingle was on and even before I had built the barn doors I began to pray for rain. That was Monday afternoon and yesterday being Tuesday a rain storm came our way.
I'm quite amazed that the building is up and is sturdy and standing. I've had a different kind of crew helping me build this miracle. A couple visiting from Belarus were my first volunteers. Neither speak much English and my Russian is in its juvenile stage of development at best. With this gracious couple I was able to get the foundation set up on cinder blocks and the four walls constructed.
My next volunteers were a fellow widow and her thirty something son and his wife. We erected the walls, put the roof trusses up and sheathed the roof.
My last and most recent helper was a young Russian American boy. He helped me paper and shingle the roof. Just beginning his summer vacation he rose late in the mornings and discovered the temperature fluctuations on black roofing felt can be drastic. We finished the roof on a day when the temperature outside was 110 and the surface temperature on the felt was a good twenty degrees higher.
Today I've decided to get busy and build the doors for my barn slash art studio slash spare guest room. I don't want another rain storm to come and ruin the interior of my barn.
I was rather overwhelmed when the delivery guy dropped a large plastic covered stack of wood in my yard. I thought to myself, "What have I gotten myself into?".
I have more volunteers waiting in the wings to help with interior projects. I have yet to electrify the building. I have yet to insulate, floor, cover the walls or decorate it. All of these are but items on a long list of "to dos" that will get done in the process of time.
I've said before that if you just do something for fifteen minutes everyday you can finish, or master it. This project didn't follow that exact path, but with plodding persistence I know I shall finish it!
- love never fails.
I've been building a barn storage building which will become my art studio when it's done. I hadn't prayed for rain because so much of the material it's made of is pressed fiber board. Rain is not it's friend. I did however know that we needed rain so as soon as the last shingle was on and even before I had built the barn doors I began to pray for rain. That was Monday afternoon and yesterday being Tuesday a rain storm came our way.
I'm quite amazed that the building is up and is sturdy and standing. I've had a different kind of crew helping me build this miracle. A couple visiting from Belarus were my first volunteers. Neither speak much English and my Russian is in its juvenile stage of development at best. With this gracious couple I was able to get the foundation set up on cinder blocks and the four walls constructed.
My next volunteers were a fellow widow and her thirty something son and his wife. We erected the walls, put the roof trusses up and sheathed the roof.
My last and most recent helper was a young Russian American boy. He helped me paper and shingle the roof. Just beginning his summer vacation he rose late in the mornings and discovered the temperature fluctuations on black roofing felt can be drastic. We finished the roof on a day when the temperature outside was 110 and the surface temperature on the felt was a good twenty degrees higher.
Today I've decided to get busy and build the doors for my barn slash art studio slash spare guest room. I don't want another rain storm to come and ruin the interior of my barn.
I was rather overwhelmed when the delivery guy dropped a large plastic covered stack of wood in my yard. I thought to myself, "What have I gotten myself into?".
I have more volunteers waiting in the wings to help with interior projects. I have yet to electrify the building. I have yet to insulate, floor, cover the walls or decorate it. All of these are but items on a long list of "to dos" that will get done in the process of time.
I've said before that if you just do something for fifteen minutes everyday you can finish, or master it. This project didn't follow that exact path, but with plodding persistence I know I shall finish it!
- love never fails.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Blast From the Past
I'm sitting in Starbucks waiting for a friend I've never met before and find myself back in the 60s and 70s. First the Monkees are filling the air with familiar melodies, then the Beetles! Now Bread is adding to the nostalgiafest!
It seems that the last eight months since my husband bugged out for heaven has been constantly filled with remembering and with trying to forget. I'm sure my soul and mind have been stretched beyond all normal parameters!
I've learned that mourning is a predictably unpredictable course in life. I lost a child early in my married life. At the time it was the hardest thing I'd suffered. It was more than the loss of a child, it was the loss of hopes and dreams. I discovered strengths and weaknesses I never imagined could come from within my heart. I learned to lean on God and on friends. I learned compassion and put it to practice in practical ways for others who were hurting.
Today I'm past a lot of the horrific fear and torment of losing a spouse of 34 years. I know grief will rear its ugly head when I least expect it. I'm not afraid of confrontation so I'll slam dunk it with proactive resolve. I know mourning is normal, but grief is an ugly self preservative spirit I won't suffer.
The latest tune playing is "The Day The Music Died". I'm glad that title is just that, a popular song. The music of life is running in my veins again and I'm looking forward to living once again.
My good friend Susan shared a bible verse with me: Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.
I'm working to leave behind the hardest parts of the past and hold fast to the good. I'm learning to shun self pity and absorption and return to the giving woman I have come to know and love. The process seems slow, but the end result will be good I'm confident!
- love never fails.
It seems that the last eight months since my husband bugged out for heaven has been constantly filled with remembering and with trying to forget. I'm sure my soul and mind have been stretched beyond all normal parameters!
I've learned that mourning is a predictably unpredictable course in life. I lost a child early in my married life. At the time it was the hardest thing I'd suffered. It was more than the loss of a child, it was the loss of hopes and dreams. I discovered strengths and weaknesses I never imagined could come from within my heart. I learned to lean on God and on friends. I learned compassion and put it to practice in practical ways for others who were hurting.
Today I'm past a lot of the horrific fear and torment of losing a spouse of 34 years. I know grief will rear its ugly head when I least expect it. I'm not afraid of confrontation so I'll slam dunk it with proactive resolve. I know mourning is normal, but grief is an ugly self preservative spirit I won't suffer.
The latest tune playing is "The Day The Music Died". I'm glad that title is just that, a popular song. The music of life is running in my veins again and I'm looking forward to living once again.
My good friend Susan shared a bible verse with me: Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.
I'm working to leave behind the hardest parts of the past and hold fast to the good. I'm learning to shun self pity and absorption and return to the giving woman I have come to know and love. The process seems slow, but the end result will be good I'm confident!
- love never fails.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
The Process
I have some very special friends who have seen me through the past eight months of my life. They are gifts from God. My friend Kath is my "I'm in your face and expect excellence" friend. Her daughter Corey is my "Sister Mary Compassionate" friend. My dear friend Nubye is my "I've walked this path before" friend. My friend Susan is my, "We Merry Widows are wacky" friend. My friend Becky is my "I'm here for you and we can do the impossible together" friend. My friend Samantha is my, "Hey let me share my young life with you" friend. My sister and friend Shauna is my "I am sending hugs to get you through this and I would take your place if I could" friend.
I have many more friends, including men, that have walked me through eight long months of sorrow and sadness better known as widowhood. Each person adds something to me and helps me lay things at the altar of my life. God promised me through the prophetic word of a young woman that came to me the second week I visited the church I now attend that, "God will fill all the intimacy you lack". He has and continues to do so through each person He sends my way. He brings new people to me all the time and I'm continually amazed at His provision. I have not been the easiest person to be around these past long months. Mourning is not pleasant work, and I do mean work. Still there are volunteers who join me in my new job. I have no idea how long it will last, but I'm a worker bee, Little Red Hen kind of woman so I do it with all my might.
I send thank yous out in the spirit and pray huge blessings for each person who has helped me do my job. They hold my hands up and act as crutches until I can walk again without their constant help.
Blessings to each one of you wherever you are today. I love you for your sacrificial love.
Cerise
- love never fails.
I have many more friends, including men, that have walked me through eight long months of sorrow and sadness better known as widowhood. Each person adds something to me and helps me lay things at the altar of my life. God promised me through the prophetic word of a young woman that came to me the second week I visited the church I now attend that, "God will fill all the intimacy you lack". He has and continues to do so through each person He sends my way. He brings new people to me all the time and I'm continually amazed at His provision. I have not been the easiest person to be around these past long months. Mourning is not pleasant work, and I do mean work. Still there are volunteers who join me in my new job. I have no idea how long it will last, but I'm a worker bee, Little Red Hen kind of woman so I do it with all my might.
I send thank yous out in the spirit and pray huge blessings for each person who has helped me do my job. They hold my hands up and act as crutches until I can walk again without their constant help.
Blessings to each one of you wherever you are today. I love you for your sacrificial love.
Cerise
- love never fails.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
What's Fat Got To Do With It?
I get a charge out of all the advertisements for losing weight and diets that cost an arm and a let. I can't believe people pay for tasteless planned meals that also cost an arm and a leg. Especially considering the fact we have access to the Internet and can learn all we need to know about healthy eating for free. I learned all on my own that the reason I was overweight was because I over ate and was too sedentary. That means I didn't know when to say "no" and when to say, "yes". I should have said "no" to big portions, fatty foods, fried foods, white rice, white flour, white potatoes and white sugar. I should have said "yes" to parking far from the entrance to the store, to riding my bike, to walking a mile a day, to getting out more and to exercise. I should have said, "yes" to whole wheat flour, more veggies, fewer simple carbohydrates and lean meat.
The body is designed to store fat when we eat too much. This is for the times when we face famine. Problem is that most folks never face famine. In America we have "convenience" foods which are truly inconvenient for healthy living. Fast foods should be fasted! We need to slow down and take time to live rather than survive. We believe we need things we don't need and in all reality should fast things that aren't good for the body.
Too often we wait until we are sick to make changes. We aren't wise enough to start out healthy and maintain good health. We find ourselves obese and sickly and then work to come out of the stupor of unhealthy eating. I have friends who have back problems, knee problems, the onset of diabetes, high blood pressure and a nasty selection of overweight induced illnesses. I too was amongst their ranks, but it took the death of my husband for me to get serious about health. When one is all alone and ill a rude wake-up call comes!
Why write this? I'm hoping it might inspire someone else to join the ranks of those of us who want to live the rest of our lives outside the doors of the hospital or doctor's office waiting room. I must prefer to ride my bike these days. I love working in my garden. I am adjusting to my new diet (one I created and maintain even in restaurants). I eat whole grain breads and choose complex carbohydrates. I use agave nectar instead of sugar in my tea. I drink clear liquids including 100% juices. I do take a pill for high blood pressure, but as I lose the last 30 pounds of fat (I've lost 30+ so far) I am trusting I can do away with the pill as well. I avoid salty processed foods. I'm even having to look at my canned goods more carefully as they seem to have way too much salt in them as well. I eat less and less fat all the time. I try to eat more fish even though I live in the desert southwest and am landlocked. I love albacore and kippers which have Omega 3 fats and I buy frozen tilapia. I'm constantly making adjustments when I learn that something I'm eating isn't good for me. I look for replacements so I don't feel starved or deprived. If I crave sugar I am blessed to have a postmaster who has a basket of candy on the counter. I take one or two pieces and am satisfied with that. I'm still working on soda. I don't buy it in the store, but I occasionally get one when I go to the restaurant. I don't do restaurants nearly as often as my husband and I used to.
Oh, you can eat at restaurants and eat healthy, you just have to know what you can and can NOT eat and find those restaurants that have those items. I go to "Whataburger" to get my hamburger fix. They have wholewheat buns. I also order more salads and always order the dressing on the side.
There are a million options for us in America. We can eat healthy, but we have to choose to eat healthy. We have to want to be healthy and that means do whatever it takes to adjust our lifestyles to make it happen. Laziness is poverty. It will kill you slowly and take away the thing you take for granted in youth, health! I no longer take it for granted. It's time to wake up before it's too late.
Everybody is different. Everyone has personal taste and personal cravings. You know your body better than I do, but you have to listen to it talking and also know that you can only eat so much of any food before it gets stored as fat on your body. Fat can kill you. It looks harmless enough until you learn that it can cause your heart to work harder, your joints to be over worked, you spine to crumble and your pancreas to give up the ghost.
Fat is not beautiful no matter how much you try to tell yourself it is. I know I don't like the 30 pounds left I'm working to get rid of. It's taking more work to get these last pounds off than it took to get the first 30+ off, but I'm determined to take care of the temple that God gave me. I hope you will consider doing the same for yours.
The body is designed to store fat when we eat too much. This is for the times when we face famine. Problem is that most folks never face famine. In America we have "convenience" foods which are truly inconvenient for healthy living. Fast foods should be fasted! We need to slow down and take time to live rather than survive. We believe we need things we don't need and in all reality should fast things that aren't good for the body.
Too often we wait until we are sick to make changes. We aren't wise enough to start out healthy and maintain good health. We find ourselves obese and sickly and then work to come out of the stupor of unhealthy eating. I have friends who have back problems, knee problems, the onset of diabetes, high blood pressure and a nasty selection of overweight induced illnesses. I too was amongst their ranks, but it took the death of my husband for me to get serious about health. When one is all alone and ill a rude wake-up call comes!
Why write this? I'm hoping it might inspire someone else to join the ranks of those of us who want to live the rest of our lives outside the doors of the hospital or doctor's office waiting room. I must prefer to ride my bike these days. I love working in my garden. I am adjusting to my new diet (one I created and maintain even in restaurants). I eat whole grain breads and choose complex carbohydrates. I use agave nectar instead of sugar in my tea. I drink clear liquids including 100% juices. I do take a pill for high blood pressure, but as I lose the last 30 pounds of fat (I've lost 30+ so far) I am trusting I can do away with the pill as well. I avoid salty processed foods. I'm even having to look at my canned goods more carefully as they seem to have way too much salt in them as well. I eat less and less fat all the time. I try to eat more fish even though I live in the desert southwest and am landlocked. I love albacore and kippers which have Omega 3 fats and I buy frozen tilapia. I'm constantly making adjustments when I learn that something I'm eating isn't good for me. I look for replacements so I don't feel starved or deprived. If I crave sugar I am blessed to have a postmaster who has a basket of candy on the counter. I take one or two pieces and am satisfied with that. I'm still working on soda. I don't buy it in the store, but I occasionally get one when I go to the restaurant. I don't do restaurants nearly as often as my husband and I used to.
Oh, you can eat at restaurants and eat healthy, you just have to know what you can and can NOT eat and find those restaurants that have those items. I go to "Whataburger" to get my hamburger fix. They have wholewheat buns. I also order more salads and always order the dressing on the side.
There are a million options for us in America. We can eat healthy, but we have to choose to eat healthy. We have to want to be healthy and that means do whatever it takes to adjust our lifestyles to make it happen. Laziness is poverty. It will kill you slowly and take away the thing you take for granted in youth, health! I no longer take it for granted. It's time to wake up before it's too late.
Everybody is different. Everyone has personal taste and personal cravings. You know your body better than I do, but you have to listen to it talking and also know that you can only eat so much of any food before it gets stored as fat on your body. Fat can kill you. It looks harmless enough until you learn that it can cause your heart to work harder, your joints to be over worked, you spine to crumble and your pancreas to give up the ghost.
Fat is not beautiful no matter how much you try to tell yourself it is. I know I don't like the 30 pounds left I'm working to get rid of. It's taking more work to get these last pounds off than it took to get the first 30+ off, but I'm determined to take care of the temple that God gave me. I hope you will consider doing the same for yours.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Walking By Faith
God is love. Sounds pretty simple, but within those three little words is truth that goes beyond anything we can imagine. In the bible it says, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.." 1 Corinthians 2:9-10
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.." 1 Corinthians 2:9-10
We have a tendency (because we are presently wrapped in temporary flesh) to focus on the here and now of life, but we are spirit. Spirit is eternal. Being eternal means we aren't only involved in this linear timeline we call "the present", but are also part of a realm that exists alongside and occasionally intersects with our "reality". Everything in the spirit realm moves at the speed of light. That's pretty fast. When we intersect (by faith) into the spirit realm God can bring things from that realm to this. It sounds pretty fantastic, but if you read and study the word of God it is much clearer.
John 1:In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Yeshua/Jesus was the light that God spoke when He declared, "Light be". He manifested His Son to destroy the works of the adversary. His Son was with Him in the beginning when He created all we see, smell, taste, feel and hear!
Faith is the divine substance that causes what we hope for to manifest into what we can see. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen". We find what we hope for in the word of God. (There are so many things we can hope for if we dig deep enough.) Then we by faith take them and call them our own. God put His faith in us. Just meditate on that for a little while and you'll be filled with hope. Faith is a fruit of the spirit. It is a faith of our spirits! Some think that it's a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but if that were the case we'd ALL (believers) be walking in the fruits of the Spirit. It is a fruit of our righteousness, the righteousness given us by Christ when we were born again. If we sow to our spirits we will reap the fruits of our spirits. Faith is one of those fruits! As we sow the word in our spirits and act on whatever we've sown we can begin to produce the fruit of faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the word of God. The more word we sow in our hearts and the more word we act upon, the stronger our faith becomes!
The just (those made righteous in Christ that claim that righteousness) shall LIVE by faith. Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. Faith is how we are saved, it how we obtain anything God promises. Most folks work themselves to early graves attempting to get what they need, but it can all be obtained by faith. That isn't to say that we're to sit on our behinds and "live by faith", that couldn't be further from the truth. It takes faith just to live by faith! It takes a great deal of effort to "enter into His rest". It takes a great deal of time in the word to obtain all those great promises.
So today is another opportunity to "live by faith" and so I seek the face of God for yet another day. My life isn't easy, but it sure is getting better. Why? It is getting better because all this time in the presence of God is making my faith grow and bringing to me everything I need or want. God is love and He manifests Himself to those who love Him and trust His word.
Selah
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