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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Beauty in the Storm

As I sit here now snow is falling down upon us… It is a beautiful, majestic sight to behold, this winter storm with all its beauty & might. Outside my window is a blanket of white upon the ground and a wall of white in the air … So much symbolism. When you look you can’t see all the flakes just the wall and blanket but in it are individual flakes – all unique and different, Created by God just like you and me. A closer look and inspection would show you the beauty and finger print of God on each one, just like us. Close to my window you can see the flakes blowing and swirling around… it really is beautiful! I wonder and have to think is that how God sees us, His children, as we go about our daily lives… He sees the flakes the individuality and He sees the whole big picture and He thinks we are beautiful.


The Storm also reminds me that it is a display of God’s glory – His beauty – His majesty, power, might… We have such an awesome God! He is even more beautiful and mighty than this… We can only catch a glimpse and it is enough to awe us as we await what our eyes cannot now behold.

I am thankful to be sheltered/shielded from the storm. I am warm and protected in my home. It is another reminder to me of how God is our safe shelter, our shield, our protector and provider. The LORD surrounds us and even when we are surrounded by the storms of this life (our current circumstances, trails, etc.) we can be safe, secure, at peace, shielded under the wings of the Most High God! We can behold the storm and yet we are protected from it… Reminds me of the fiery furnace (Dan. 3) and Elijah in the storm. They were not harmed, though they were in the mist … instead in the middle of these times is when they had a personal encounter with God. Awesome! God is with us, He surrounds us… How amazing is His love… that Christ would come and die for me, cleansing me of my sin and rising to life that we may live with Him forever! I cannot get over His love nor do I ever want to… Cling to Jesus and let Him be the Rock and Shelter for you in all the storms of life and in all the joyous times too.

Two News Stories

I had to share these two news stories with you that I received from Breaking Christian News!  Please click on the titles below and check them out!

Non-Gravitational Fifth Force

Law & Order Episode "Dignity"  (Video clip)

Friday, October 23, 2009

Trust in Him

The LORD is so good to me... I cannot even fully wrap my mind around the vastness of His love, grace and mercy. Even when I am not, He is always faithful! Praise Him!

I sat down today and wrote in my journal before opening up my Esther Workbook and listening to Session 7. I don't know if what I am going to say will touch you as it does me but I feel the need to share this.

As I sat down I thought where has the time gone... I am almost to the end of this study! Not only that but just a brief thought to how quickly my life is flying by. It seems as if it wasn't that long ago I was in college or then a newlywed or even still that my son was just born... I thought Lord where has the time gone?! It goes by so quickly.... and I wrote: ...As I sit here LORD I think of how true Your Word is... Our days are fleeting, we are but dust. Why worry and be anxious, what does it gain us?! Trust in the LORD O my soul - all my being, trust Him and praise His Holy name... for He alone is worthy! LORD forgive me and my earthly (now) focus, help me to remember I am but dust and to live for Your glory.
Amen.

Even now as I sit here and type it brings tears to my eyes... I am so touched by how much the Lord loves me (and you)... by how He knows and works all things out for good... by how He ordained today that after this was upon my heart I would listen to Session 7... the timing, wow - glory to Him!

As I listened to Beth speak at the intro to the Session she reminisced over these same thoughts of how quickly time has flown... and then the lesson began. We had previously learned about reversal of destiny and today looked at how every turn around starts with a step... So as we looked more closely at what this means and at Esther 7-8:2 so many things came to mind... I felt at one part the Spirit opening my heart and mind to thoughts that were triggered by things she was saying but were not what she was discussing. I wrote in the margin: Think of others in terms of all eternity... Love them! Love them to Jesus! (How many times do I try to logic them to Jesus and well if their heart is hardened and their mind closed it isn't going to happen... LOVE THEM!!! Love them as Jesus would - hate the sin but love the person).

Later in the Session Beth is discussing how trust reverses the detours of adversity into the highways of destiny. So here begins the trust part... so key! Trust the Lord O my soul... He is so faithful! She brings up what we had mentioned at the end of last session: It is tough being a woman who feels responsible for the "how". Then she brings up some verses:
(May this bless you!)

"The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment." 2 Peter 2:9, HCSB

"For He knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." Ps. 103:14

Please remember my journal entry! If not most of the session speaking directly to me ... this verse leapt off of the page at me!!! Wow! The chance of me writing that in my journal twice and in conjunction with trust and that verse being in the lesson... It had to be God! I got chills just now thinking about it. Beth went on to say that we should remember that God knows how - Trust Him! Faith is the victory...Trust comes before it happens - it is saying I believe you now (even when you can't see it/how)!!!

She then brought up Isa. 30:18. And talked about how longing and waiting are the same word in the original language and how when you are waiting longing is part of that...just as we wait on the Lord and long... He is waiting and longing too ... If we are waiting there is something we are waiting for - God has a reason, a plan... He knows and we need to trust and wait on Him. She said "Trust turns it all around"... as I even sit here thinking about that statement it occurs to me how true it is... because as we trust and wait on the Lord, He is faithful to not only bring good out of the bad, etc. but He is faithful to turn around/change us, our heart, our minds... that we can even yet praise Him in the storm we are in ... in our current circumstances. Even though nothing has changed yet outwardly - inwardly our faith grows and we are being transformed. We turn from thoughts that lead to a destructive pattern and turn to thoughts that are truth and life and give us peace and joy amid the circumstances we are in!

Wow! I know that it has been true in my life. How about yours? If not will you choose today to say "Lord, I will wait upon You. I will trust You and believe you are at work!"

One more thing, this is my verse of the day that was emailed to me from K-Love:
     Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. ~ Psalm 37:7, NLT

As I said, this may seem like a jumble of random thoughts but I pray the Holy Spirit will pull forth from them a gleaming truth and plant it in your heart and mind for His glory.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Information & Guidance

Thought I would make note of the post today on The Mars Hill blog ... It is about Birth Control.  Check it out and pray about it:

Pastor Mark on Birth Control



Sunday, October 11, 2009

Coins Found in Egypt Bearing the Name and Image of the Biblical Joseph

Coins Found in Egypt Bearing the Name and Image of the Biblical Joseph

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