Have You Ever Spoken Against God And Made Him Angry?

I have been saved for more than half my life and I don't know that I have ever thought too much about whether I had made God mad or not. I know I have saddened him with poor decisions and choices, but I just don't know that I have pondered on Him being "angry" with ~ much less feeling as if I have spoken against Him at any time. I certainly haven't equated myself with the Children of Israel who couldn't seem to be pleased no matter what God did for them.

As I was reading Psalm 78 this morning, I was reminded of some of those great and mighty things that God had done for the Children of Israel. God showed that mightiness ~ from the many plagues He "bestowed" upon Pharoah and his people ~ to the great miracles He performed again and again to provide and protect His chosen as they wandered aimlessly. Verses 19-22 say Yea, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed, can he give bread also? Can he provide flesh for his people? Therefore the Lord heard this and was wroth; so a fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also came up against Israel. Because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation.

At that moment the Holy Spirit began to work upon my heart. With shame I remembered many wonderful blessings that had occurred over the past few months and still unbelief would say "But can God do this over here? Can God do that over there? I know He has moved in such a mighty way but is He gonna keep doing it? Is He going to take care of me and my girls? Is He going to provide for our needs? Indeed, with shame, I began to ponder how all of this doubting had made my Lord and Savior feel.

When we doubt God ~ for any reason ~ it is wrong and it is sin. I supposed that just made Him sad when I did that. And I do think that it saddens Him but the fact that He becomes angry with our unbelief just makes it all the more profound that we must avoid doubting. We must trust that He has His children's best interests at heart ~ no matter how black the storm clouds are ~ He is watching each step, each move, each moment and that is greater and more wonderful than anything any human can do for us here on earth. He has our back. I don't know about you but I don't want to hurt Him simply because the circumstances of life can ~ at times ~ loom pretty big before my eyes. For greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

Oh Mighty and Gracious Heavenly Father,

Forgive me for my unbelief. Forgive me for complaining and doubting that you do have my best interest at heart. Forgive me for not believing that You've had my back the whole time.

Avoid Footholds In Your Life

I love God's Word so much. I am thankful that He left His Words for us so that we could read them again and again and again. I have to admit that some books of the Bible are easier for me to read and understand than others. I Peter is one of my many favorites. Peter was writing to various churches in Asian Minor where Gentiles were experiencing religious persecution. In chapter 2 he writes about our duty in living a holy life.

Often I reiterate to my daughters the importance of living a holy life. We have to be so very careful about what we allow to enter our eyes and our ears as well as what we allow to leave our lips. Verse 11 of this chapter says "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." I've tried to pound this into my daughter's heads that if they allow even the slightest foothold satan will get into their lives and 'war against their soul.'

A foothold can come by watching something ungodly on TV or the internet. The TV has very few wholesome shows ~ unless you are watching old reruns of something. Sexual sin is woven through out many TV offerings ~ even the commercials. As for the internet, I've come to appreciate its abilities, and my "pat answer" to a question that I don't know the answer to is most often "google it". BUT it has tremendous capabilities of being a very dangerous device. I've seen many a man fall prey to the internet ~ more folk than I even care to think about.

Footholds can also come in what we listen to. Sometimes I hear lyrics to some songs I used to listen to back in the 70's and 80's and I'm embarrassed that I had even listened to them. And yet that doesn't compare to much of the music on the market today. Lyrics are laden with sex, filthy wording, and 'fleshly lusts.' I constantly monitor what my daughters are listening to ~ to make sure that they are not allowing a foothold for satan to get in.

Have you ever watched or listened to something that you knew you shouldn't have? I know I certainly have. At one point in my life I was addicted to soap operas for over 12 years. There are things in my mind that will be there for the rest of my life ~ things which warred against my soul when I was viewing them. I'm not proud of it ~ and I have paid a price for that sin ~ but it serves as a constant reminder to me to protect my "eye gates" and strive daily to only let those things enter that glorify God.

Folk, God calls us to be holy BECAUSE He is holy. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, A PECULIAR PEOPLE (I Peter 2:9a). We are simply strangers and pilgrims in this land ~ awaiting our Lord's return. Let's strive every moment to be holy ~ not just for our own sakes ~ but for others who are watching us live our lives. You maybe the only Christian someone knows.

We Stand Tallest and Strongest On Our Knees

In the past ten months my life has changed drastically. I've gone from teaching in the homeschool class room full time to teaching in the Christian school classroom part time. I've returned to my hometown after 31 years ~ leaving a multitude of friendship and support behind. Jobs are slim in this part of the state ~ which contrasts greatly with the area I moved from. Life is certainly simpler here ~ any type of extensive shopping or entertainment is 100 miles away in any direction. :) Yet I suppose the greatest change of all is that I am now a single parent. It isn't a choice that I made but I am coming to accept it ~ knowing that God, my Father, will watch over me and the girls and that in the end all things will work out according to His perfect will.

I stepped away from blogging simply because life became so much more hectic ~ there just didn't seem to be the time to sit down and write what God was laying on my heartS~ much to my shame. School is out and I now have more time to devote to "I Am Redeemed By The Blood of the Lamb." My goal is to keep writing ~ even after school resumes in the fall ~ at least that is my goal. :)

This morning I was under the weather and unable to attend church so I decided to listen to one of my all-time favorite preachers on the internet ~ Dr. Charles Stanley. I am so glad that I didn't go to church today! The blessing that I received through Dr. Stanley is exactly what God wanted me to hear. The sermon was entitled "Standing Tall and Strong Through Prayer." Dr. Stanley said, "When we are willing to seek Him earnestly and bow in reference we can experience God's power for daily living. We stand tallest and strongest on our knees."

I'm a bit arthritic in both knees but I got a couple of pillows and put them on the floor beside my bed and gingerly dropped down to pray to my God. I know that God hears our prayers if we can't get on our knees but this morning it seemed important that I place body into the most humbling position that I could as I cried out to Him. I recommitted my life to Christ ~ surrendering my will ~ and asking Him to show me His perfect will. I appreciate your alls prayers as I am treading through a land of all new territory ~ after being married for 28 years and staying home to keep our children and the home. But I am believing that He is going to show me exactly what He wants me to do. It's good be back blogging again!

It's Been Fifteen Weeks ~ And That's Just Too Long

Fifteen weeks ago I wrote to share how God made provision for the girls and I to live back in my hometown. It was no easy task to pack the items from our three story house into a one story; to pack three bathrooms into one; to pack a two car garage into one; and to move into a kitchen with half the cabinet space and no pantry. It was possible only after donating several items to a good cause, giving away what we could, and storing things at my sister’s home. I learned two very important lessons ~ 1) to my shame I had way too much stuff, and 2) my basement was being used for nothing more than a glorified storage unit ~ for stuff I didn’t even use or that I forgot that I had.

Granted, it has not taken me fifteen weeks to pack up our home, move to the rental property, and unpack it all. I cannot deny that there has been a great deal of adjustment to leaving my home, my friends, my family, and my community. There have been tearful days and nights as I have learned to trust again that God is working everything out for my good. And I reckon it just took me a spell to be ready to finally come back and reunite with you all. Thanks to all who prayed even though I was out of touch for a while. I appreciate it so much.

The small home that I live in now is a diamond-in-the-rough complete with an occasional mouse. Now that has been something to adjust to ~ fourlegged friends. We’ve caught a few and our seven cats have been feasting on the rest. They are fat and sassy and hardly eating the cat food. :) The rental house sits on historical property owned by the Mill Springs Battlefield Association here in Kentucky - complete with a real cannon, a small cemetery in the back field, and a huge rambling home over 175 years old that was used as a hospital and military headquarters during the Civil War. God was very gracious in giving us this place to rent. Each window brings a different and unique view that is simply calming and appealing to my spirit and soul.

Tonight we once again watched a momma and baby deer graze on the lawn of the old home. Every day we can watch two beautiful horses across the road galloping through the field ~ which is a reminder of the thoroughbreds near the home we left. Truly God’s hand is here ~ and He knows that I need that moment by moment. His mercies truly are great. His peace permeates this place and were I able to even return to where I came from I do not believe I would. This is a simpler place with a simpler life in most ways.

I’ve missed you all. And I look forward to catching up on your blogs and becoming reacquainted.

Much love, Cathryn

He Gives Us What We Need Just When We Need It

How many times have you heard someone say that to you ~ God gives us what we need in His timing ~ just when we need it? And it's true you know ~ our Father admonishes us to wait upon Him. That is so hard some times ~ especially if you are needing him to move NOW! But does He ever let us down? No. Every time He pulls through in His own timing and in His own way. And that is what I want to share with you today ~ how my Heavenly Father once again moved so profoundly and definitely that there was no doubt that I knew His will.

Less than one week ago my house sold ~ and it had only been on the market 1 day when we received word that an offer was coming. Within 4 days an acceptable offer was on the table and I have begun the process of saying farewell to the old home place ~ something I had no intentions of doing ~ because I had figured that I would finish out my life here. And that's what I get for "figuring." God doesn't like us "comfortable" and that is exactly what I had become. Very comfortable. It is a home that my husband and I had designed and built together. We had raised our children here. I had home schooled several years here. Many many memories are stored up within these walls. It is the largest home I have ever lived in and yet I do recall many a time thinking that it required entirely too much work to take care of ~ it knocked me out of a church activity or visitation many a time. And while I'm not saying that it is impossible to have a large home and still have time for the Lord ~ I am saying that with the autoimmune disease that I battle it was certainly the case for me. It takes a lot of time and energy to clean a home this size.

Extenuating circumstances have brought me to this place I now find myself in. So while it has been difficult to even think about leaving my home I have also been very nervous about where I would move to. At this time it is needful to consider short-term rental property ~ and those two terms (short-term and rental) don't usually describe too many properties to rent. Folk want at least a one year lease.

So two days ago I set out to check on the rental property in my hometown. The problem is that it is a very small town - and most folk don't rent. I knew that it was not going to be an easy task. At about 4:00 p.m. I decided to hang it up. There was little to choose from and what there was to consider was expensive, required us to live above and beside other families (something I was not used to after living in the country for 13+ years), did not allow pets, and didn't even have a yard to play catch in. The prospects were sobering. And then..... God moved.

My sister had driven a different path than usual to go to town that day and had passed a home that appeared to be empty ~ she said she wasn't even sure why she took that path ~ but we now know it was part of God's plan. This is no ordinary house - it actually sits on the property of the Mill Springs Battlefield Association beside the Brown Lanier Home (which is the home you see pictured above). It's one of those historical Civil War sites that has been preserved. This house sits on its property near by and they rent it out to generate revenue for the association. My sister wasn't even sure if it was empty but I told her I had nothing to lose by looking. Not only was it empty (and it had just become empty less than a week before) ~ no one had rented it yet ~ it was surrounded by countryside where our cats could roam ~ the rent was cheap ~ a garden plot in the back has already been tilled (I surely love to garden and can the vegetables) ~ a location that puts me very close to where my daughter will attend Christian school this fall ~ and there is more than enough yard for my daughter to get out and play her sports. It was and continues to be simply amazing. God gave me what I needed ~ just when I needed it ~ and above and beyond what I expected.

Why do we doubt Him? When we know that He owns the cattle on a thousand hill ~ why do we doubt Him? Thank you Lord for giving me what I needed just when I needed it.

Foggy Days

As I progress through Patsy Clairmont's Dancing Bones I am reminded that God will not give us more than we can handle at any given time. She uses the analogy of fog and and its heavy barrier ~ how it prevents us from seeing beyond a certain point ~ and how life is like that. We cannot see beyond a certain point. Were we able to do so, I believe it would be more than our very brains could handle. Patsy says, We can rest in the confidence that no matter what fog bank we end up in, God will care for us, in time liberate us from it, and use our tragedies for higher purposes than we could ever imagine - that is a greater plan. A plan of provision, of liberation, of redemption."

I had to laugh within myself when she talked about why we ask "why" about things that happen to us. She reminded her readers that we think if we knew "why" something had happened that it would help to end the struggle. And yet we know that this is not the case. And even if we did know the "why" of something we would still object vehemently. She believes our "whys" are ways of ranting because life isn't the way we want it to be. God does have a divine plan ~ He does hold His own in the palm of His hand. It is called trusting.

I know, for me, that the "fog of fear" can often walk with hardships and trials. Clairmont comments on this and says, "I wonder, if the disciple Peter hadn't peered through the fog of fear, would he have walked around on the water with Jesus, enjoying the waves instead of sinking in his insecurities? Perhaps if Peter's vision had been clear of fear after Christ was arrested, he would have defended Christ instead of denying him. What do you think? What fogs your vision? Insecurities? Fears? List them. Use the list to create a new prayer emphasis in your life." She encourages her readers to look up the word "fear" in a concordance and follow that "ribbon of thought" through the Bible. And then memorize the verses that "dance off the page." Let the Word of God be the greatest comfort to you.

More times than not we are in valleys. Clairmont encourages her readers to look at our lives and appreciate what is good ~ trust God to see us through the bad ~ and be thankful for the foggy distance and that we can't quite see what lies ahead. That is God's mercy and love and kindness at work. Have a blessed day!

The Valley of Bones

In Ezekiel 37, the account is given how God supernaturally transported Ezekiel to a valley which lay covered in dry bones. I can only imagine what was running through his mind when that happened. Patsy Clairmont writes in her book, Dancing Bones, "The sight before him made it clear this was no picnic." God then asked him (verse 3) if the bones could live and Ezekiel’s response was priceless when he said "O Lord God, thou knowest." Clairmont says "I wish I could grab hold of the truth in that answer for my life so that when trials come, I don’t immediately assume all is gloom and doom. Instead I could be rest assured that God knows what he is doing, even if it looks like a hopeless, lifeless situation to me." Amen Mrs.Clairmont.

How often do we take our eyes off of God and dwell upon the circumstances. I know I'm guilty.

God then says Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye drybones, hear the word of the Lord. Clairmont says, "What I’ve found most helpful in keeping the rhythm of life oozing within me is the same thing Ezekiel used in his valley of bones to rouse such a great army ~ O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!" If you have lost your enthusiasm for life, if you are thirsty within thevalley you walk, if your faith is waivering are you reading God's Word. Clairmont encourages us to"delve into the life-giving, bone-lubricating truths of scripture." Well said Patsy Clairmont ~ well said.