I love birds.....any bird really, but I especially like swallows and mourning doves. Our home in Colorado had a large picture window that faced our front yard, where two very large blue spruces were the home of two mourning doves. Did you know that doves mate for life? And did you further know (that is a line from, Its A Wonderful Life. I have always wanted to be able to "say" it!) that doves will come back each year to the same nesting spot? I so enjoyed watching the doves build their nest in the spring, and then I would notice that the two became three or four! Each year of the eight that we lived there, I would see the doves come back in the spring, and roost in our tree. As we prepared to move to Washington state, I was bummed that I had to say "good-bye" to my feathered friends.
Now we live in a newer housing area, and so there are not any mature trees yet. We do have a maple tree in our front yard, and over the past four years, it has grown quite tall. Last winter, I decided that it was time to "bring on the birds," and so I bought a feeder. Since that day, I have been faithful to fill the feeder with a yummy mix of seeds and nuts, and the birds have been faithful to come and eat of the bounty.
Up till this winter, I hadn't seen any mourning doves yet, and then one particularly cold day in December, there they were. And it was not one pair of doves, but four!! The doves have made our front porch their home......and I have discovered something that I had not known before.......mourning doves are MESSY! They grab a seed or a nut from the feeder and then take it back to the porch to dine on it......then they leave the empty shells, and the other things that come from the back side of their feathered little bodies! Needless to say, the porch is in constant need of a good sweep and clean. But, I don't mind the work because.....I love birds.
The other day as I was sweeping up the mess, I was reminded of how Jesus told us to not worry about our lives, to not worry about what we are to eat, or what we are to wear on our bodies. I am sure that you are familiar with the passage in Luke, where the Lord uses birds and flowers as an example to us about His care of us. Jesus said that the birds of the air don't have to toil for their food, it is provided for them from His hand. He also said that the flowers of the field don't need to worry about their pretty petals, that they are clothed with finer garments than a king is!! All of this to say that we don't need to worry about our lives. If God takes care of the birds and of nature, then He most certainly will take care of us......His most precious creation!
As I finished cleaning the front porch and refilling the bird feeder, here the birds came.....they landed in our maple tree and began to sing their songs.....the doves cooed at me, and waited until I went into the house before they moved to the porch. I came away with the realization that I too am to "sing" at what is provided. I am to "sing" for there is no cause to worry, God has never let me down, and I know He never will. I am to "sing" because of His love for me, and I am to "sing" of how He so often has to clean up my messes.......He doesn't mind the "work" involved in having me around. And just as I love to hear the birds sing and the doves coo, I know that Jesus loves to hear me sing too.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
The Change
This past Wednesday, our senior pastor gave his annual Prophecy Update message. He spoke on world events, and on what is happening in the religious arena, in our world today. I was once again amazed at how true the Bible is! There are many Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled to day, and there will be many more to come. At the end of the message, our pastor gave an alter call, and 15 people were added to the kingdom of God! What has me thinking though, is a passage from 1 Peter that he read at the end of the message; it spoke of being, "sober" and "watchful."
I am not that young anymore, I am in my 50's. These past few years have been ones of major changes in my body, and in my life. For those of you who are "with me" in this, you will totally understand what I am going through......I have experienced a loss of my usual stamina....I tire easily. I don't seem to have the "mental abilities" that I once had, my memory is going! And I am quit cranky at times, what little patient I possessed is gone. Yes, I am going through........The Change. And, on top of the physical symptoms, I have experienced something that I thought I would never "feel." I want to quit ministry, I am ready to retire. I want to move to the beach or to the mountains, and live in solitude.......waiting for Jesus to take me home. Over this past year, as I have been experiencing this, I have been faithful to talk to the Lord about it; and He, has been faithful to hear and answer me. I have to say that I find it quite humorous to find out that there are quite a few verses in the Bible that speak of "old age." There was this one time that I was feeling "dried up," useless to the Lord, and so I prayed, and right away a chapter in Isaiah came to mind. It was talking about how even the eunuch would not be a dry tree in the house of the Lord!! How funny is that??? I believe that the Lord was telling me that I would be full of life and vigor.....in serving in His house, the church. So, no retirement for me just yet!
What follows is what the Lord has been showing me, as I have gone through.......The Change.
I am one of those people who have a lot of energy, and I also love to serve, it is my "love-language. I can accomplish a lot of tasks quickly, and I don't need much instruction. I also, have an excellent memory. I do need to use a daily calendar, because life is very busy, but I do (or I did) have a good memory. So, to have this part of me, in a sense, just go away, has been very difficult to say the least. I think the most important lesson that I have learned is that God is faithful to me , and to His word! He has said that all of His promises are, "Yes, and Amen, in Jesus." Through this time, He has shown me once again, that I can not do ministry apart from Him! There must be a total dependence on His Spirit, not in my abilities. And so, through this trial, He has given me another opportunity to trust in Him......alone.
I have found that God gives a supernatural ability to keep on going. There have been many times over the past few years that I have literally "felt" God infusing me with strength and power. God means what He says, I must stay "attached to the Vine," in order to "bear much fruit."
At the Prophecy Update, I was once again reminded of how important it is to finish my race well. You see, a runner knows that she must pace herself as she runs. For if she doesn't, she won't have enough energy, or strength, to make it over the finish line. Also, she must watch the race track. She must be watchful of anything that might trip her up, and cause her to stumble and fall, while keeping her eyes on the finish line. Through this message of "being sober, and watchful," I am once again reminded that I need to be about the Lord's business, and not mine! I have been awakened to a few things about my personal life, things that have been weighing me down, and tripping me up as I have run my race........They are:
I need to be careful about my driving. No more impatience with other drivers that I am sharing the road with!
I need to be more diligent in my finances. My man and I are hard at work on this one. I even found a $490.00 mistake that was made by an on-line company that they are in the process of refunding to us!
I need to be careful to, as much as possible, to take care of my physical body. And, so I am exercising on a daily basis, and feel wonderful. Also, I am taking natural hormones and feel great!
I need to pray with a greater awareness of what is going on around me. I am asking Jesus to open my eyes to the needs around me. I am praying about each situation and asking what He would like me to do, or if I can be of any help.
I need more of Jesus in my daily duties. So often I just go through my day without speaking to the Lord at all! Yes, I am faithful to start my day with prayer and reading of the Bible, but so often it ends there.
I need.......more of Jesus, every second of each day!
Now I know that most of us greet the New Year with a list of resolutions, things that we would like to change about ourselves, or change about our lives. Maybe there are things that we would like to do over the upcoming year. To be honest, I try not to do this, because I will have a tendency to "follow the list," instead of following the Lord; but, I still believe that there is room for self reflection, and there is room to do inventory on my personal life. This is where I am today. Asking God to, "search my heart, and know me, to see if there is any wicked way in me, and to lead me in the paths.....everlasting."
I have decided that I don't want to quit......just as I am ready to cross the finish line. There are many things that I know need to change about me, and about my life; things that will help me to finish my race well. I can't change the fact that I am in my 50s, but someday soon I will see my Savior face to face. So, until the day that He calls me home, I will keep running my race.......to win!
I am not that young anymore, I am in my 50's. These past few years have been ones of major changes in my body, and in my life. For those of you who are "with me" in this, you will totally understand what I am going through......I have experienced a loss of my usual stamina....I tire easily. I don't seem to have the "mental abilities" that I once had, my memory is going! And I am quit cranky at times, what little patient I possessed is gone. Yes, I am going through........The Change. And, on top of the physical symptoms, I have experienced something that I thought I would never "feel." I want to quit ministry, I am ready to retire. I want to move to the beach or to the mountains, and live in solitude.......waiting for Jesus to take me home. Over this past year, as I have been experiencing this, I have been faithful to talk to the Lord about it; and He, has been faithful to hear and answer me. I have to say that I find it quite humorous to find out that there are quite a few verses in the Bible that speak of "old age." There was this one time that I was feeling "dried up," useless to the Lord, and so I prayed, and right away a chapter in Isaiah came to mind. It was talking about how even the eunuch would not be a dry tree in the house of the Lord!! How funny is that??? I believe that the Lord was telling me that I would be full of life and vigor.....in serving in His house, the church. So, no retirement for me just yet!
What follows is what the Lord has been showing me, as I have gone through.......The Change.
I am one of those people who have a lot of energy, and I also love to serve, it is my "love-language. I can accomplish a lot of tasks quickly, and I don't need much instruction. I also, have an excellent memory. I do need to use a daily calendar, because life is very busy, but I do (or I did) have a good memory. So, to have this part of me, in a sense, just go away, has been very difficult to say the least. I think the most important lesson that I have learned is that God is faithful to me , and to His word! He has said that all of His promises are, "Yes, and Amen, in Jesus." Through this time, He has shown me once again, that I can not do ministry apart from Him! There must be a total dependence on His Spirit, not in my abilities. And so, through this trial, He has given me another opportunity to trust in Him......alone.
I have found that God gives a supernatural ability to keep on going. There have been many times over the past few years that I have literally "felt" God infusing me with strength and power. God means what He says, I must stay "attached to the Vine," in order to "bear much fruit."
At the Prophecy Update, I was once again reminded of how important it is to finish my race well. You see, a runner knows that she must pace herself as she runs. For if she doesn't, she won't have enough energy, or strength, to make it over the finish line. Also, she must watch the race track. She must be watchful of anything that might trip her up, and cause her to stumble and fall, while keeping her eyes on the finish line. Through this message of "being sober, and watchful," I am once again reminded that I need to be about the Lord's business, and not mine! I have been awakened to a few things about my personal life, things that have been weighing me down, and tripping me up as I have run my race........They are:
I need to be careful about my driving. No more impatience with other drivers that I am sharing the road with!
I need to be more diligent in my finances. My man and I are hard at work on this one. I even found a $490.00 mistake that was made by an on-line company that they are in the process of refunding to us!
I need to be careful to, as much as possible, to take care of my physical body. And, so I am exercising on a daily basis, and feel wonderful. Also, I am taking natural hormones and feel great!
I need to pray with a greater awareness of what is going on around me. I am asking Jesus to open my eyes to the needs around me. I am praying about each situation and asking what He would like me to do, or if I can be of any help.
I need more of Jesus in my daily duties. So often I just go through my day without speaking to the Lord at all! Yes, I am faithful to start my day with prayer and reading of the Bible, but so often it ends there.
I need.......more of Jesus, every second of each day!
Now I know that most of us greet the New Year with a list of resolutions, things that we would like to change about ourselves, or change about our lives. Maybe there are things that we would like to do over the upcoming year. To be honest, I try not to do this, because I will have a tendency to "follow the list," instead of following the Lord; but, I still believe that there is room for self reflection, and there is room to do inventory on my personal life. This is where I am today. Asking God to, "search my heart, and know me, to see if there is any wicked way in me, and to lead me in the paths.....everlasting."
I have decided that I don't want to quit......just as I am ready to cross the finish line. There are many things that I know need to change about me, and about my life; things that will help me to finish my race well. I can't change the fact that I am in my 50s, but someday soon I will see my Savior face to face. So, until the day that He calls me home, I will keep running my race.......to win!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
"No Idols Before Me"
This posting is a companion to the post titled.......Iron Sharpens Iron.
The second lesson that I learned in marriage is: God must be EVERYTHING to me!
No man, no matter how awesome and godly he is, will ever be able to love me the way Jesus does. He will never be able to take the place of God; and biblically speaking, God will never allow it to be so. I have a guy who loves Jesus, and he is a wonderful husband, and father. Being blessed with a husband like this is one of the best gifts from the Lord!!
As I write this, I am reminded of Job. God gave Job many blessings, many gifts, and then He allowed them to be taken away. For what reason? For the purpose of refining Job, for the purpose of removing from Job's heart the impurity of pride. Also, Job had an incorrect view of God, and of the blessings that He gives. God wanted the best for Job, and He wants the best for me. God gives me blessings because He loves me, and because He loves me, He can take them away! I must never put the gift above the Gift-Giver!
I have found that God is faithful to His word, He will always give what He has promised. God said that He would not share His rightful place in my life with anyone! No idols at all on the throne of my heart will be tolerated. The beautiful gift of Mitch and my marriage, can be an idol to me; and today, as I write this, I will tell you that I still fight this on a daily basis. Here recently, I allowed this to happen again, and it was not a pretty sight!
I have discovered a curious thing about idolatry. We want so badly for the person we have idolized to love us, and to notice us, to serve us....to do something for us! We have this overwhelming need to be validated by this person; and if this doesn't happen, we wind up despising the one we had so loved before. Please, I don't mean to say that I fall in and out of love with my man. What I am saying is that if I am idolizing my husband, God will make sure to show me the error of my ways, and He does that by showing me my "idol's" feet of clay.
Idolatry is something that we in today's society are not as familiar with as the people of long ago were. I think that I can safely say that most of us haven't gone down to our local shopping mall and purchased a gold or silver figure of some god, and then brought it home and set up a center of worship to it in our home. I do realize that there are many cultures and peoples who do just that, but in America we don't see it as much. But, the practice of idolatry is something all of us can get into to, even Christians.
Idolatry in it's basic form is: Worship of false gods, it is the blind or excessive devotion to something, and reverence for some person or thing. An idolater is a slave to the ideas that the idol represents. Basically an idol is something that replaces the One True God! Idolatry extends beyond the worship of idols and images and false gods. I may not bow physically before a statue, but what I have discovered is that idolatry is a matter of my heart. Idolatry is anything that I become a slave to. It is allowing anything, or anyone the" place" in my life, that belongs to the Lord alone. So, what is this "place" that I am speaking of? First, it is my mind/heart. So often the Bible intertwines these two words, it is easy for us to misunderstand what is being spoken of. May I share with you a very basic explanation of the difference between the two?
The mind is the place where we "think," where we reason, where we make decisions. And the heart is the place where we "feel." It is the emotional part of us. Jesus said that out of the mind/heart come evil thoughts and then come evil actions. Therefore, if my mind and my heart are controlled by my flesh, then it is safe to say that I will be living, acting in my flesh. This to me is idolatry. Why? Because I am being a slave to my flesh, I am letting my flesh tell me what to do, instead of the Lord. The way that I think about things will determine how I act about things.
If I keep my honey in his proper place in my heart, then godly actions in my marriage will follow. Also, because I am keeping God in His rightful place in my heart/life, I have the assurance of His promises. The promises of grace and mercy, and of peace and love.......the promises to meet all of my needs. And truly, no man (no matter how wonderful) can promise that!
The second lesson that I learned in marriage is: God must be EVERYTHING to me!
No man, no matter how awesome and godly he is, will ever be able to love me the way Jesus does. He will never be able to take the place of God; and biblically speaking, God will never allow it to be so. I have a guy who loves Jesus, and he is a wonderful husband, and father. Being blessed with a husband like this is one of the best gifts from the Lord!!
As I write this, I am reminded of Job. God gave Job many blessings, many gifts, and then He allowed them to be taken away. For what reason? For the purpose of refining Job, for the purpose of removing from Job's heart the impurity of pride. Also, Job had an incorrect view of God, and of the blessings that He gives. God wanted the best for Job, and He wants the best for me. God gives me blessings because He loves me, and because He loves me, He can take them away! I must never put the gift above the Gift-Giver!
I have found that God is faithful to His word, He will always give what He has promised. God said that He would not share His rightful place in my life with anyone! No idols at all on the throne of my heart will be tolerated. The beautiful gift of Mitch and my marriage, can be an idol to me; and today, as I write this, I will tell you that I still fight this on a daily basis. Here recently, I allowed this to happen again, and it was not a pretty sight!
I have discovered a curious thing about idolatry. We want so badly for the person we have idolized to love us, and to notice us, to serve us....to do something for us! We have this overwhelming need to be validated by this person; and if this doesn't happen, we wind up despising the one we had so loved before. Please, I don't mean to say that I fall in and out of love with my man. What I am saying is that if I am idolizing my husband, God will make sure to show me the error of my ways, and He does that by showing me my "idol's" feet of clay.
Idolatry is something that we in today's society are not as familiar with as the people of long ago were. I think that I can safely say that most of us haven't gone down to our local shopping mall and purchased a gold or silver figure of some god, and then brought it home and set up a center of worship to it in our home. I do realize that there are many cultures and peoples who do just that, but in America we don't see it as much. But, the practice of idolatry is something all of us can get into to, even Christians.
Idolatry in it's basic form is: Worship of false gods, it is the blind or excessive devotion to something, and reverence for some person or thing. An idolater is a slave to the ideas that the idol represents. Basically an idol is something that replaces the One True God! Idolatry extends beyond the worship of idols and images and false gods. I may not bow physically before a statue, but what I have discovered is that idolatry is a matter of my heart. Idolatry is anything that I become a slave to. It is allowing anything, or anyone the" place" in my life, that belongs to the Lord alone. So, what is this "place" that I am speaking of? First, it is my mind/heart. So often the Bible intertwines these two words, it is easy for us to misunderstand what is being spoken of. May I share with you a very basic explanation of the difference between the two?
The mind is the place where we "think," where we reason, where we make decisions. And the heart is the place where we "feel." It is the emotional part of us. Jesus said that out of the mind/heart come evil thoughts and then come evil actions. Therefore, if my mind and my heart are controlled by my flesh, then it is safe to say that I will be living, acting in my flesh. This to me is idolatry. Why? Because I am being a slave to my flesh, I am letting my flesh tell me what to do, instead of the Lord. The way that I think about things will determine how I act about things.
If I keep my honey in his proper place in my heart, then godly actions in my marriage will follow. Also, because I am keeping God in His rightful place in my heart/life, I have the assurance of His promises. The promises of grace and mercy, and of peace and love.......the promises to meet all of my needs. And truly, no man (no matter how wonderful) can promise that!
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