A Call To Arms ~ Part One

Why do children have to grow up so fast? And how do little first and second graders know more than I knew as a freshman going into high school in 1972? I think teens in junior high and high school know more than I know now. It is heart breaking and outraging all at the same time. My heart is troubled for children and youth in this world.

It simply mortifies me what many of these kids know ~ what they have already been exposed to at such an early age through filthy TV shows and movies ~ terminology they are familiar with from music they should not be listening to (words that would make an adult blush) ~ communication they engage in on the internet. What in the world has happened?

Do you know where your children are right now? Do you know what they are watching on TV? Do you know what lyrics they are listening to on their Ipods and MP3 players? Do you know what sites they are visiting on the internet? Do you know what photos they have downloaded to their cell phones? Do you know who their friends are at school? Your children are the greatest treasures that you have. Do well by them. Guide them, protect them, guard them ~ please.

This land we live in needs a revival. It needs a healing. In II Chronicles 7:14 God says If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. May we humble ourselves, be in great pray for our homes and our schools, turn from anything wicked, and ask God to forgive us our sins AND THEN HE WILL HEAL OUR LAND (and that includes our children).

When was the last time we spring cleaned the literature, and books, and movies, and music in our homes? Remove that which is ungodly. And do it for the sake of your children and teens. And do it for you! Lord Bless You.

Nothing Is Too Hard

If I can believe that God created the heavens and the earth in just six days or that He provided His only Son to die on the rugged cross for all sin for all time or that He once walked this earth in the form of man healing the sick and saving the lost or that The Holy Bible is His inspired Word ~ if I can believe all of those things and I wasn’t even present for them ~ then why do I have so much trouble believing that God can heal broken hearts and broken dreams?

I have a friend who is struggling with the break up of her family ~ she sees little if any hope that things can be righted. And knowing the circumstances ~ I find myself viewing this situation as pretty hopeless as well. And I’m ashamed of that ~ because I do believe in a God of miracles ~ a God that can do anything at anytime. God inspired Biblical writers to pen the word "faith" 247 times ~ so He was surely trying to make a huge point ~ to have faith.

Webster defines faith as "a firm belief in something for which there is no proof." I have a firm belief that there is a Heaven and a Hell ~ but I can’t see the proof. I believe God tells me He loves me in so many ways but I’ve never "audibly" heard His voice. I know that Jesus Christ walked on water and fed two fishes and five loaves to thousands of people ~ but I wasn’t present for either miracle. James 1:6-7 says Let him ask in faith nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think he shall receive any thing of the Lord. I have to believe with out the proof ~ as does my friend ~ as does everyone. Looking to Christ and not the circumstances ~ trusting and believing ~ and trusting some more. May we all claim how God beautifully sums it up in Jeremiah 32:27 ~ Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

What Grade Are You In Today?

The Pineapple Story 12-tape series has been such a blessing to me over the years. In the second tape entitled "God’s Grade School" Missionary Otto Koning talks about giving up our reputation, surrendering our worldly belongings, and yielding our rights as we progress through God’s grade school. Now that’s a whole lot of "nuggets" in just one tape.

I’m a bad one for worrying about what others think of me. I’ve certainly gotten better with age but I have wasted a whole lot of time in this department over the years. Mr. Koning talks about turning your reputation over to God ~ letting Him handle what others think of you. It is so true that when we try to control or monitor a situation, so folk will see us in the light that we want them to ~ well, we will most often mess it up. But if we hand it over to God and let Him take care of how others see us ~ the outcome is so much the better. And just think how much easier it is ~ think how much less stressful it is. I think, for me, I’ve been the most concerned when someone thought something of me that wasn’t true. It is so hard to just lay that down and let God handle it ~ but if God can’t handle it then no one can. Let God have your reputation in all things. Mr. Koning also talks about surrendering our worldly possessions to him. He says "Not everything we give to God will turn to gold but we must surrender it all and see what He will do with it." Nothing is ours ~ really. Every single thing in this world belongs to Him. Koning believes that if you don’t surrender all of your possessions you will never get out of first grade in this life. He says, "Don’t have a goal to be rich ~ just serve God. Nothing is important ~ only God." Missionary Koning compares our lives to that of being in grade school. Those situations and experiences that we find ourselves in each day ~ and the way in which we handle them ~ progresses or demotes us in the school of life. Doesn’t life seem like one situation or trial after another? It seems we hardly get through one situation and another is just over the horizon. It is these times that grow us ~ that make us the person God wants us to be. Sometimes we travel through these times and fall with a thud and at other times we soar like eagles. Mr. Koning says, "God wants us Christ like so he puts the pressure on until we surrender in that area." Oh that we would see it that way ~ I would much rather progress onto the next grade ~ fully surrendering ~ rather than holding on and holding back and going through fiery trial after trial.Life is a grade school. We will progress from Grade 1 to Grade 2 to Grade 3 and so on as we yield our rights to God ~ as we yield our will ~ as we yield our worldly possession ~ as we bend under His pressure to be like Him. Oh what love ~ that Christ cares that much for us. Oh what love. Always remember ~ God puts on the pressure because He does love us. It is when we are not under His pressure that we need seriously address what kind of relationship we have with Him. We want God to be working in our lives until we meet Him face to face. Lord bless you.

One Of Those Days

It has been one of those days ~ when something happens that you weren't expecting ~ and it kind of broad sides you ~ sends you reeling ~ and when you come to you are wondering "where did that come from." Sounds like a perfect situation that the ole devil set into motion. Yep, one of those days.

But it was more than that. It was a day that brought to mind this verse ~ Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart (Psalm 26:2). I once read something to the affect that when we ride and use the reins to guide a horse we are testing him to see if he will obey. We are trying to figure out if the horse's mind and it's willingness to obey our directions are indeed connected to those reins. I don't know too much about horses (which is saying alot since I do live in the Bluegrass area ~horse capital of the world) but this sounds right.

And isn't that the way it is with our Lord. He communicates with us ~ there is testing involved ~ and we have to decide whether we will listen and obey. Isn't He checking to see if our "reins" are connected to our heart and soul? That is God proving us.

I look back on this morning and what transpired in just a few short minutes and I have to say that I am pretty sure that I failed in obeying the Lord's directions ~ which in my case would have required me not to "react" to the situation. In the end I made a very important decision that I believe I was supposed to make so it wasn't a total bust. Maybe I didn't fail the "proving" test as badly as I had thought. I would like to hope that I didn't.

Dear Blogging Friends Who Use Facebook

Please know that I was in no way casting any stones if you do use this mode of communication. Maybe it is where I've been in my journey and I just wasn't ready for it. I still have Facebook in the house via two of my daughters ~ but I know how to monitor what is going on.

I shall miss uploading pictures and talking to old friends and sharing little snippets of news with other home schoolers (it was an excellent way to get a hold of some folk that I couldn't ever catch at home by phone). These are things I will miss. And yet I won't miss the pesky suggestive ads in the margin or my daughters constantly untagging my pictures because they didn't want a cute little picture of them when they were a baby put out there in cyberspace for all the world to see ~ what is up with that :) And I won't miss some pretty bad stuff I saw within the pages of those who I thought I knew. I reckon at this time it was just too hard to see.

You know, had I known that you all had Facebook my experience would have been so much better. We could have been "friends." So, down the pike, if my perspective changes don't be surprised if you get a request to be my friend ~ but don't hold your breath. :) Bless you all.

P.S. Check out this article a college gal wrote about quitting Facebook and going back to the old fashioned traditional ways of communicating. It is pretty cute ~ even if you do like FB.

Have You Ever Ventured To Try Something Called Facebook?

Lately I became very interested in finding an old high school friend. I hadn’t seen her since we graduated from high school in 1976. So, I decided to try this beast called "Facebook." Low and behold the first person I found was my old friend Carol. The trouble came when I began to search for other folk ~ it was amazing how much time I began to waste doing this. I found myself reading my Bible less, praying less, and even visiting you all in blogland less.

To add insult to injury, I was exposed to the profiles of some people I had not seen for years ~ and it was heart breaking. God’s people are away from Him in rampant proportion. And while I was willing to remain on line and try and be some kind of testimony to them ~ I figure I could spend my time more prudently by praying for them daily and staying in contact by email should they need a shoulder.

I don’t mind using some time to blog with you lovely ladies who have become such sweet friends to me ~ gals who love the Lord and are reading God’s Word and meditating on it. That is edification! If I have spare time to use, I choose this Christian blogging over Facebook hands down.

It Is True ~ The Truth Can Make You Free

In my journey to yield all rights to God, I have been challenged to not hold on to the old ~ old thoughts ~ old pains ~ old mistakes ~ but rather to act on truth. That has been a huge wake up call for me ~ "acting on truth."

Not all truth is easy. Some is really tough to hear ~ and at times even tougher to tell. What I am finding is that it does often hurt at first ~ but then it enables ~ it empowers ~ and it makes us more like the folk that God wants us to be ~ for He himself is true (John 8:26).

In John 8:32 Jesus said And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. God has given a wonderful example in His own Son about the beauty of truth. He is the truth and the way and no one can reach God but through Christ (John 14:6). Truth ~ it can make us free ~ in so many ways.