03.22.10 If my people...

I am still reading "Becoming a Man of Prayer". I was really struck hard today reading the section on praying for our country. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says:

If my people,
who are called by my name,
will 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.

It struck me, we want God to "fix" our leaders, turn their decisions into what we believe is right for our nation, but maybe we are missing the most important thing that GOD says we should be praying. I am first to humble myself, pray, seek the Lord...confess MY sin....THEN will he hear from heaven and forgive and heal!!!! God's people!!!! We must humble ourselves before the Lord!!! If WE do this, he will forgive our sins and heal our land. I think we are looking at things upside down! We want God to fix THEM! He wants to fix HIS people!

The Signs are everywhere

We went to a local transportation museum today and I was struck by the signs that were everywhere. I enjoyed photographing them, but also saw something of what we sometimes wish the Christian life could be like...as in these...

Or one of these might be nice...

But ultimately once again, I'd focus on something other that a relationship with my loving heavenly father...

So, I thank Him for His Word, for loving me and taking care of me...even if I don't always know exactly what His plans are.

3.3.10 Snow vs. Spring

Hang in there babies, spring will be here soon!

Amazing what a little "shelter" can do!









I wish I was this "hearty under pressure"!







Better to be where the sun shines!

3.1.10 Am a child or a grownup in Christ?

I read chapter 3 of Becoming a Man of Prayer today. In reading Galatians 4:1-7, I was at first not sure what the reference to a child heir verses an heir meant. I came to understand that in the first verse, a child heir is (according to the verse) similar to a slave in that they must be protected and managed until they are of age. Verse 7 says that I am, "no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God." 1 Corinthians 13:11 says, "When I was a child, I spoke like child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways."

I realized I have in many ways been living as if I were still an underage child in God's presence. Yes, we know we must come to him initially with the faith of a little child, but when we are saved, we must put away childish things and grow up! I stand today before the Father a grownup daughter. I am called to a life of holiness, suffering, discipline and commitment. These are not for babies...these are for grownups.

Then, I pulled out Love to Eat, Hate to Eat. A CS Lewis quote fit in perfectly with what I feel the Lord was trying to show me.

(from Love to Eat, Hate to Eat by: Elise Fitzpatrick)
C.S. Lewis...believed that we were too easily satisfied with the "lesser joys" of life instead of pressing on to pure, full joy in Christ. He wrote, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition [and food] when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Lonia: A Conversion Story

I found a great little resource for helping kids and teens understand the process of conversion of a believer. It is called Lonia: A Conversion Story. It was written by James Greendyk and put out by Reformation Heritage Books.

Lonia is a young girl orphaned. This is the story of how she comes to understand her sin and her need for a Savior and learns how to give herself over to the work of Christ in her life.

2.24.10 Becoming a Man of Prayer

Ok, here's the laugh for you that I gave my children last night. "I'm on my way to becoming a Man of Prayer!" That was priceless. No really, I was looking for something on our shelves on prayer for me, when I found a Promise Keepers book called Becoming a Man of Prayer. I figured, well, prayer is prayer right? So, I have read the first two chapters and am very excited about it.



I guess part of prayer is developing a habit of taking "it to the Lord in prayer". So, Bob Beltz uses the Model Prayer (often called the Lord's Prayer) as a guide to developing a meaningful prayer life. I like what I've seen so far. He recommends to start by committing to pray for five minutes a day for five days, starting off by reading Luke 11:1-13 and one of Psalms 1-5 and then praying. This is just the start.

This is something I've struggled with for a long time. I know the lack of prayer has great consequences in my life. I am praying that the Lord will use this to open me up to all the many things that He would love for me to lay at His feet!

2.8.10 Working Wonders

Taken from: A Gentle Spirit Devotional Journal, written by: Mrs. Charles E. Cowman (from Streams in the Desert 2)

"God with power and might at His disposal yet works in this wise.
His quiet performances are indirect, deep, serene, and seemingly slow
and have to be explored to be understood and appreciated.
He quietly and confidently moves, working wonders day after day.
In every experience, at work, in church, and in society,
it sometimes appears as though God were being defeated,
and the movements of His grace and providence were failures,
and that all his plans were reversed,
flowing upstream in the opposite direction from the ocean of blessings.One has but to look up
and cast his gaze out from the shore of frustrating encirclements of the present
and consider the ENTIRE STREAM of God's purpose among His people
in order to see that He is continually winning the battle in quiet, circuitous ways.

God works through individuals, conquering some heart,
and through that heart He pours His purpose like a mighty river.
The Lord makes His conquests
by keeping His saints in utter dependence upon Him,
making them live by faith.
There is to be none of self in His program,
but all of Christ instead.