Make Me Wholly Thine

My husband and I spent some time with some young Christians. As we chatted about how we all came to Christ, the young lady relayed how that although she had never attended church, and she didn't know Christ as Savior, when she and her husband relocated she wanted to make sure they found a good church. It was important to her! She was driven to make this request known to him. Shortly after their move, they both came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. As we were talking, her husband responded with, "I think that is so awesome." We continued to discuss how God woos us to himself.

Every person is precious to God!  He wants a relationship with every one. We are all loved as if we are the only one, and that is possible ALL because of JESUS. It is only through him that we can have a personal relationship with the Holy Father. He created us to be wholly his. He reveals himself to each one of us in his time and then leaves the yielding up to us.

Ephesians 1:18 "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."

This verse says that God owns it all and he is willing to share it all with us. It is also declaring, if we take hold of the hope that is only offered in him, he will open our hearts and lifes to receive blessings beyond belief! He will give us power to be able to love others as he loves, to live with joy in the mist of trails, to be at peace in the mist of tumult.

Ephesians 1:19 "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power."

Do you realize God has chosen you to be set apart so he can extend to you his power? He wants to possess you and own you, so he can bless you in love and grace and peace!

WOW! What a Savior!

He wants you to live in fullness of joy through your relationship with him, knowing that all events are under his control and he is not allowing anything to happen to you that is not part of his wonderful plan for you. He will give you his power to be more than a conqueror!

Ephesians 1:20-23. "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."

Remember, Jesus is God's only begotten Son (John 3:16). He came to suffer, bleed, and die. BUT...

The same power that raised Christ from the died is the same power that God extends to us to live in daily. It is that power that fills everything everywhere with Himself. We have that power! We are the set apart ones, his precious ones.

Thank you Lord for the privilege of being yours. Please help me to be fully yours. Completely surrendered for your use. Yielded to you. Settled in you and on you. Bless your Holy name. Your grace is sufficient. Your mercy endures. I love you, Lord! Help me to serve you with a willing heart, because you loved me first and wooed me to yourself for your service. Help me to be wholly Thine. In the name of my Savior, Christ Jesus. AMEN!

Needy Peep

Have you ever observed a hen settle over her chicks?

Mother hen has a dozen or so peeps scattered several feet from her.  A hawk's shadow is spotted gliding across the ground. Mother hen cackles loudly! Her chicks race to her from all sides. She shakes herself violently, ruffling all her wing, breast and tail feathers, each pinion standing straight out. The peeps run headlong, right into their mother, disappearing from view. She rustles her full frame down over her brood. When all danger is gone, she will quietly cluck the all clear and her peeps reappear one or two at a time, continuing to peck the ground for grubs.

Do you get the picture?

That mother hen will settle in over her chicks several times a day. She will even give her own live with her little ones nestled safely inside her downy feathers.

Not all chickens react to fearful situations like this. Some will run and cackle loudly in a panic. Those hens do not make good mothers. They are too concerned for their own safety to care about the needs of others.

I have seen both kinds of hens in action. You see, when our children were little, we raised several broods of bantam chicks. We ordered our first lot of 25 from a hatchery and the box of peeps were delivered through the U.S. mail. We kept them under a warm lamp and watched them grow into a variety of hens and roosters. (I'll blog about what we learned.)

Those chickens not only provided valuable instruction to our children, God used them to illustrate scripture to me.

Psalm 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of they wings."

Psalm 91:4 "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler."

God SETTLES down over me like that mother hen and SETTLES me!

Webster defines settle as: putting in order, to set in place firmly or comfortably, to free the nerves from disturbance, to decide, to become more stable, to reach an agreement or decision.

As I studied the hen and her chicks, I saw how God has settled over me. Psalms says his word is settled in heaven. It is resolved never to change and his promises are true. Isaiah 12 says God is my salvation, therefore my salvation is settled. Those things are in order, established by an eternal God who will never change.

Running to him, hiding in his word, has labled me a weak, crutch needing, dependent female, to which I say, "AMEN!" It is when I am weak, that his strength is perfect. When I am nestled under his wings, he frees my nerves from disturbance, gives me direction, helps me rely on his stablity. So, just call me a "Needy Peep."

Settle Me!

When our children were small, we lived on a granite mountain on about two acres of land. For the first three years or so, there were no fences in the yard. The house sat far enough back from the road, I could put my little ones in the back yard and watch them from the kitchen window. I had trained our daughter Hannah not to wander passed a certain tree. When I tried to do this same thing with Noah, he didn't take to it. He would amble on adventures beyond the bounds.

One morning I put them both outside and went back inside to start a load of laundry. A few minutes later I returned to find Hannah pretty much where I had left her, but Noah was no where to be found.
I ran frantically around the yard looking, when I spotted him just feet from the road. I wanted to run straight for him, but he loved a good game of chase. I knew if I tried this he would run right into the busy road. As I took my first steps toward him, I prayed for help. He didn't notice me following him. As I closed in on him, he heard the rocks under my feet and turned to look. I took a deep breath. We made eye contact and I reached out my hands for him. He smiled and turned to run away from me. I yelled, "NO!" He was startled and turned back toward me. At that moment I scooped him up and carried him back into the house crying and praising God that he was safe. Just a few days later a six foot tall, chain link fence was put up in our yard.

Scripture says fear hath torment. Watching your children do things you know could hurt them is the most tormenting experience for a mother. There are some lessons that can only be learned through experience. A baby's first steps require many falls. Riding a bicycle will mean dealing with accidents. You can warn your child about the dangers, but you can't keep him from trying something if he truly believes there is no harm in it. So, what is a parent to do with this kind of torment?

I Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you."

You must give it back to the Creator of life himself. You must come to the place were you realize your children are not your own. They are God's and he knows what he will allow to happen to them. That doesn't mean you don't continue to protect and warn. It only means you release the worry.

I can't say this was easy for me to learn. I can say that God did a lot to train me along the way. You see, I have another son. His name is Jonah. Remember that six foot fence I told you about? That fence wasn't tall enough to keep him in. He was always escaping. One morning, when Jonah was almost three, I sent Hannah, Noah, and Jonah outside to play while I worked in the kitchen. About twenty minutes later, I heard screaming coming from the front yard. They were never to play in the front yard without me outside with them. I had told them all to stay in the fenced back yard. I went through the house quickly to see who was screaming and there at the foot of a large maple tree was Hannah. She was circling the tree looking up. She was screaming for Jonah to come down. Noah was circling the tree as well, but he was covering his mouth with his chubby hand laughing. I looked up into the tree and could see by skinny, little boy had made it nearly to the top limb. The branch was swaying with his weight. I threw my hands toward heaven and prayed aloud, "Lord, help me!" Then proceeded to climb the tree. All the while visions of Jonah falling or firefighters coming to get him down were dancing in my head.

I couldn't climb as far as he had. When I had to stop, I reached up and yelled for him to come down to me. He let loose of the limb he was clinging to and fell right onto my frame. Needless to say, I prayed all the way down, while he clung to me like a monkey. When we reached the ground, I wanted to tear into to him like a whirlwind, but I couldn't. I was so relieved we were all safe. It was at that moment God prompted me with this thought:

"I gave you these children, but they are not yours. Keeping them safe is MY job."

Later, I learned this verse from Psalm 4:8: "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety."

I can't tell you I have given up all worry regarding my children. But, I can tell you that God used that experience to teach me how to respond to it in the right way. He settles me when I release myself to him. Let's spend a few more blogs on the words "Settle Me," and see if we can learn something.

I Want to be Just Like You

You know how sometimes you get people on your mind and no matter what you do you can't shake their imagine out of your head? I have been thinking about my great grandmother Daugtery that way since I said I would post about her.

She was about five feet tall. When I knew her, she was wrinkled and slow. Her hands were gnarled with the effects of arthritis, but she still tended a half acre vegetable garden. She also kept a quilt frame up in one room of her home. She baked the best peanut butter cookies in the world, and made sure that everyone in the family got their very own plastic butter bucket full each Christmas.

Before I came alone, Minnie cared for her six children and her husband Ira. Ira had a stroke before age 50.  He was bed bound for seventeen years. Minnie worked all day nursing him, then she worked second shift at Cone Mills. She and Ira were married  fifty years before he passed away. I never meet him.

My grandmother Helen lived behind my great grandmother's house. When my parents would take me to visit my grandparents, I would pop in on Great Gram and sit and chat a while. She was hard of hearing, so I would have to yell  for her to hear me. I remember one conversation we had was about the gypsy wagon she used to see traveling down the road when she was a little girl. She was told not to go outside her yard because the Gypsy's liked to kidnap little girls and sell them to the circus. She never liked the circus. She was afraid of clowns, so she always stayed in her yard. She told me that there were still Gypsy's that took little girls, so I should always stay in the yard, which I did. Her yard was the best. It had a fenced garden that reminded me of Mr. McGregor's from Peter Rabbit. She had an apple tree with the sweetest apples and a plum tree that I stayed away from. You didn't mess with Gram's plums.

For a high school assignment, I interviewed Minnie Daugtery as the most amazing person I knew. I had to ask her about what she believed in most. She told me God in Heaven and his Bible were the most believable things she knew. Then I had to ask what she believed in least. She responded with, "No, man never walked on that moon!" Needless to say, I laughed. She got up from her chair, flapped her hands at me and left the room.

I loved the smell of my Great Gram's house. The best visits were on quilting days. Peanut butter cookies were baked. I would sit and watch her bent fingers thread the needle. She would stop now and then to rub her knuckles with Bengay. Her home smelled of menthol, baked goods and burnt wood. She cooked on a wood burning stove. Oh, she owned an electric oven, one of her son's had bought it for her. But she refused to use it!

Minnie never visited a doctor until she was 85. She had delivered all six of her children at home. When she became ill with stomach pains, she was taken to the hospital and a gall stone the length of her index finger was removed. She carried it home in a mason jar and set it in her kitchen window. She had lived alone in her own home until that surgery. Then, my grandmother Helen and her sister, who lived next door, took turns keeping Minnie in their home's at night. It was on one of those nights, I learned something new about my Great Gram. I was spending the weekend with my grandparents. I was fifteen. Great Gram was getting ready for bed. She said her good nights and stepped into her room. Then she began her bedtime prayers. She prayed aloud. As my grandparents and I sat at the kitchen table, they encouraged me to listen to Minnie pray. She thanked her Heavenly Father for all her daily blessings, each one mentioned in detail. She prayed by name for all her children, grand children and great grand children. I heard her call my name. (Gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes even now.) Grandma Helen told me she did this every night. She prayed for at least 30 minutes, then there was silence. She had gone to sleep.

I have thought many times about hearing my Gram pray for me. Oh, what a joy and comfort that memory brings. When I heard her the first time, I didn't know the Lord, but I knew she did, and I know she is with him now, in no pain, waiting for me to join her. She was the most humble person I have ever known. I can see her little frame in my mind's eye, throwing up her hands, walking out of the room.
I love you Minnie Daugtery. I want to be just like you!

There is no SHAME!

My new memory work is from Isaiah 40 verses 21-31. Today I am focusing on verse 23 because dwelling in God's presence is what I have been pondering these last few blogs. Verse 23 says, "That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity." Just as the countenance of God can bring peace and comfort, it also brings judgment and destruction.

Psalm 80:16 "It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance."

Psalm 90:8 "Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance."

Revelation 1:16 says, "and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength."

The secret sins we want to hide, even from ourselves, can not be concealed in the presence of God.
The reaction to this revelation is what our society has tried to remove with it's except everybody doing anything and everything they want to do any where and any way they want. Don't correct children for wrong behaviors because nothing is wrong. Wear what you want. Do what you want.
There is no SHAME!

Yesterday afternoon, around 3:00, my husband and I stopped to full up with gas. At the pump next to us was a red sports car. Standing by that car was a young lady. School had just let out. I could see her bookbag in the backseat. What she was wearing made me want to jump out of the car and find her mother and shake her. But then, as I sat there, I realized that is the style of the day. It is what all the young ladies in all the public high schools, that do not require uniforms, are wearing. I almost wanted to cry. My grandmother would not have worn that to bed!

That's it! The standards have changed. Grandmother's are wearing shameful clothes and not setting the example. Oh, I can see right now this is going to be a soapbox issue for me. I am not a grandmother yet, but maybe I should go clean out my closet and begin praying that God will raise up some holy women in this land again. We should be more ASHAMED!

Do You Know His Countenance?

Wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, murders, kidnappings, tornadoes, both natural disasters and the acts of  natural man draw my mind to fear.

Psalm 4:4 "Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah"

Praying for the countenance of Jehovah to be upon me quiets my fears. They are replaced with a peace that cannot be understood or explained. I know he is in control and will not allow anything to happen to me that is not part of his divine plan. 

Psalm 4:5-6 "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us."

Having God's countenance upon you is a way of speaking about being in God's presence. Until rapture or death being in the presence of God is not possible without the WORD of God. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer and he uses his word to speak peace to the soul. If you spend too much time reading after others and not reading and memorizing his word you will be filled with fleshly advice and opinions that the Holy Spirit will not use. You may be able to calm yourself for a moment, but the peace will be short lived and not from God.

For nearly half my life I struggled with getting a good night's sleep. It seemed as soon as the lights went out my mind would wonder into all it's dark corners and closets. I would toss and turn most of the night visualizing all the bad events of the day. Even if my day was good, I would pick out an event I heard had happened to someone else and hit the instant replay button.

I decided one night to pray Psalm 4 before going to bed.

Psalm 4:7-8 "Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety."

God's countenance began to be with me. My sleep was not as restless!

Psalm 21:6 "For thou hast made him most blessed for ever; thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.

God's countenance brings peace.

Numbers 6:25-26 "The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

God's countenance brings blessing.

Psalm 89:15 "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance."

The joyful sound mentioned in this verse is the sound of the music and noise that the Jews experienced at their feast. The Jews learned from God in the Old Testament how to worship and celebrate him with the feast. To be as blessed, we Christians are to learn how to worship and celebrate him through his word.

Do you want victory in your Christian life? Do you want victory over your fears? God's countenance will shine upon you when you look into his WORD. Put down the fake swords of self reliances and opinions of men and pick up the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, the Bible. Read it, study it, memorize it and pray it.

Psalm 44:3 "For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them."

If you know Jesus as Savior you can have peace and be blessed by the countenance of God. But, if you do not know him the countenance of God will bring judgement and conviction of sin. Do you know his countenance?

Feel free to Slap me if I Need it

"Do you want your face to freeze that way?"

"If your lip were any lower you would trip over it."

"Whip that scowl off your face."

One's countenance or facial expression can be an indication of mood, emotion, or character.
The eyes are the window of the soul, is a shortened phrase derived from Latin which reads:
"The face is the picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter."

Countenance is first mentioned in scripture in Genesis 4:5.
"But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect, and Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell."

 The idiom "if looks could kill," comes to mind.

In Genesis 4:6 God asked Cain why his countenance had fallen. Cain first looked sad, depressed and dejected. Then his expression changed. A look of jealous rage flashed on his face. It was then he planned to murder his brother. God Almighty could see the thoughts and intents of Cain's heart.
I can see a sadness cross God's face.

How could Cain have washed these feelings from his mind and heart? If he would have expressed godly sorrow, if he had repented and offered a blood sacrifice, God would have excepted his offering. What is the difference in godly sorrow and worldly sorrow?

Proverbs 15:13 says, "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken."

II Cor. 7:10 "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but sorrow of the world worketh death."

Charles Dickens said, "Crying opens the lungs, washes the countenance, exercises the eyes and softens down the temper, so cry away."

Eccles. 7:3 "Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better."

Worldly sorrow draws attention to self. Self wants to be pitted and comforted in it's sorrow.

Godly sorrow releases our hold, therefore it conditions our pride. God allows circumstances that are meant to recondition our countenance toward him. Learning to wash our face in godly sorrow softens our countenance so others see his reflection and not the angry, pouting look of a selfish malcontent.

Godly sorrow should be private. It should be expressed between you and God alone. But if you should find yourself with a friend who feels the need to include you in this show remember Proverbs 27:17.

"Iron sharpenth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."

Offering pity to the pitiful only encourages pride. Christ wants us to show compassion and weep with those who weep, but if the person is weeping just to draw attention to themselves and not because of a real grief, then be a friend and tell them to straighten up and pray about their feelings.
Sometimes a slap from a friend can work wonders.

Pondering a fallen countenance this morning:

After a difficult night's sleep, I got out of bed this morning with vivid images from the dream I had just had.

I was back in college helping a freshman get to class, when I saw a young man I knew standing in a food service line.

"Good morning", Sam. I said, as I approached the boy.

I carried a clipboard with a list of student's names and classes. Looking at that list, I could see Sam was skipping his first class.

"Sam, are you skipping class?" I asked.

"Yes."

As Sam spoke the word, a spot of red color appeared on the white tie he was wearing.

I asked him why he was skipping. He told me he was hungry and more red soaked into his tie.

"But I saw you earlier this morning in the breakfast line."

He walked out of the line mumbling something under his breath. More red color washed onto his tie. I followed him to the door of the class where the professor was sitting with a clip board and pen in his hand. He looked at the young man, spoke his name and asked why he had skipped the class. As Sam began to explain, the professor politely refuted all his excuses. The professor handed the clip board, with it's stack of blank paper clipped to it and the pen from his hand to Sam.

"Now, Sam, since you are new here, I will not leave you in the dark about the requirements for this class. However, since you refused to attend this morning, I will not be giving you the printed syllabus. I will dictate it to you. It is 50 pages long," spoke the professor.

At this point, Sam's tie was completely drenched with red color and his face was as white as the paper on the clip board. He fell to his knees dropping the clip board and his face began to droop. When the professor started listing the requirements for the class, Sam couldn't keep up and his face continued to droop until it puddled on the floor in front of him.

Talk about a fallen countenance. That young man went from simple embarrassment to total dejection in the course of a few events. At first, I felt sorry for Sam. After all, I knew him. I wanted to step forward and defend him. But then it occurred to me, it all could have been prevented.

Events happen in our lives that will make us feel embarrassed, dejected, blue, melancholy or guilty.

Who is orchestrating those events and what is His plan in doing so?

The young man in my dream was being irresponsible and he reaped the consequences. Should his reaction have been embarrassment and guilt or remorse and repentance?

Scripture has a lot to say about a fallen countenance. I will use the next few blogs to discuss those passages and hopefully remind myself how to keep my face off the floor.

Tabernacle with HIM!

As a little girl, one of my favorite games was tent camping. I would take a sheet outside, drape it over the rails of the porch or a branch of a tree and use sticks to stake it up. I would build a pretend fire and play outside at my camp site all day.

One of my favorite activities is camping. I love the sights and sounds of nature. I enjoy the simply pleasures of cooking over an open fire and sleeping outside. I am NOT a "camper" girl. Give me a tent and a sleeping bag. Ahhhhh, come on, let's make it more fun and just sleep outside under the stars. But, a confession is necessary here. Although I can talk about being able to enjoy sleeping on the ground, my body has long since past the ability to do so. Just the thought of the pain that would be mine the next morning keeps me from actually attempting it again. Not to mention, my husband Tony would whine about the bugs, heat and dampness, which would take all the joy out of the adventure. Nevertheless, I can remember back to childhood camping trips on labor day weekend and even a few times when Tony braved the elements with me so we could give our children a few tent camping memories.

This morning I studied a few places in scripture where the word tent or tent like structures are mentioned. I was overtaken with worship for my Lord when I realized his goodness to me in leading me to study this topic.

Isaiah 40:22 "It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in."

The Lord of Creation stretches out the heavens, much like I did with that sheet. He holds them by his unseen forces, allowing me to dwell here. All is safe and warm in the tent with my Lord. Even if the rains come and drench everything inside, he has the plan and will help me dry off and dry out and be ready for the next beautiful adventure with him.

Isaiah 54:2-3 "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cord, and strengthen thy stakes. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited."

It was his will to enlarge his tent of habitation to include the Gentiles. Praise his holy, wonderful and loving name. He included me and wants me to dwell with him for all eternity. Until that day, I can find refuge under the shadow of his wings. There, I am preserved as the apple of his eye, his joy and his delight.

Psalm 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings."

His pavilion gives me a place to rest and rebuild my relationship with him.

Psalm 27:5 "For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock."

I may never be able to enjoy tent camping again, but I can camp out with my heavenly Father. I can tabernacle with him and experience the all same thrills.

If You Only Imagine

As a child, I was often accused of thinking to much. Why was my favorite word. I never used it obnoxiously. I was just curious about how things worked or what things did. If the person I asked couldn't or wouldn't answer my question, I would lie in bed at night and dream up an answer. Along with this vicious cycle of thinking, I have a vivid imagination. I can picture events in my head. I can entertain myself for hours with games and stories in my mind. I have had conversations with historical figures and imaginary friends. And NO, I am NOT CrAzY!

It is imagination that drove Thomas Edison to try and fail over 2000 times to invent the light bulb. It is also imagination that has invented cars, televisions and computers. We have access to some wonderful things that were first invented in the imagination. However, there are some problems with the human imagination. It is not HOLY!

When God created man, he made him in his image. This is not only a reference to the physical characteristics of the man Jesus that our bodies are fashioned after, it is also a reference to patterns of thinking. God then gave Adam one rule to follow in the garden. Satan prompted Eve to ask why and they both give in to the imaginations of the flesh.

It is when imaginations become desires that we must judge them and cast them off or act and suffer the consequences.

Romans 1:21 "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

Learning to judge thoughts and ideas with scripture will strengthen your heart toward God and will keep you from making mistakes that can cost you your testimony.

II Corinthians 10:3-5 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

Do you imagine yourself as unworthy of God's love? What does scripture say?

I John 3:1 "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knowth us not, because it knew him not."

I am God's child. I am a daughter of the King! He loves me!

Do you imagination yourself as an ugly creature? What does scripture say?

Psalm 139:14 "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

Cast down those imaginations. Refuse to allow them to develop roots. Become thankful to God for how God has created you, with all your unique features and abilities. Practice obedience to Christ by developing a daily relationship with him through prayer and Bible reading. You will then be blessed with glorious thoughts of a heavenly home and a future that is far above what your imagination can think.

Psalm 40:11 "Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me."

Making fruit preserves or jam and jellies require different processes. You use all the same ingredients, but cook the fruit down reserving only the juice for jelly. For preserves or jam, you mash the fruit and use it and the juice in the mixture. One is spreadable and sweet. The other is best eaten by the spoonful. We like both with Greek yogurt. Yum!

The prayer issued by David in Psalm 40 verse 11, request God not to withhold his tender mercies. There are times we will go through the fire in order for God to refine us for his use.  Prayer and reviewing the scriptures will firm up our belief that God will sustain us and enable us to endure the process.

At times, his loving kindness, may hinder the fire, but he allows us to be pressed and squeezed so we can be comforted by him. This is how we learn compassion. We then develop the ability to share that sweet flavor with others.

When making jelly or preserves, you must follow the recipe exactly to get the desired results. If the mixture doesn't firm up you have to rework it or throw it out. That is time and money wasted!

The truths in God's word are to firm us up. We must believe God loves us. We must walk by faith and not by sight because without that action it is impossible to please God. We must believe he is the Creator and Sustainer of our lives in order to develop that relaxed spreadable kind of faith.

After my husband and I make strawberry preserves, we always make a pact not to eat any for a month or two. We want to wait, at least, until the fresh fruit is not available. To tell you the truth, we have never been able to keep that promise. The next morning we are in a jar, lifting out a large spoonful, ready to reap the rewards of our labor.

As Christians, God leads us from faith to faith. He wants us to be preserving his word in our hearts in order to have a heaping spoonful on hand when the fires are looming or the pressure is building. Beginning each day in his word helps to sure up his truths in our minds. Then when faced with life's processes we are preserved in his ways, ready for service to him and for him. May we be sweet and well preserved today!

"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John 3:7

I was born again 31 years ago today! Can I just say, this day is more important to me than my physical birthday. Today I celebrate entering into eternal life. Today I revisit in my memory the moment when I yielded myself to the Father, asked Jesus to be my Savior and the Holy Spirit took possession.

John 3:8 "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

As I have shared this experience with people through the years, this verse has become clearer. I have no idea why a Holy God chose me and I have no idea from day to day how he will use me. I just need to remain yielded to him for his use.

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:14-15

I chose to look and live and I continue to choose to look and live for him. I will never be perfect in this flesh, but I have a burning desire to live so close to him and so surrendered to him that when I sin I feel his grief and repent. I love my Lord and don't want to disappoint him in any way.

John 3:18-21 "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds where evil. For every one that doeth evil hatheth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

Happy BORN AGAIN day to me! Happy "Born Again" Day to me. I am 31 years along in this journey. Thank you Lord for the free gift of salvation. His grace IS sufficient and his mercy IS forever!

Standing in the Light!

I am overjoyed to see the sun this morning! You see, we have had several days of dark gray rainy skies. As I awoke this morning, I was already pondering the use of light and the brightness of light. So, when I drew back the curtains and saw the faint blue skies of the morning my soul jumped for joy.

It is Sunday! It is a sunny day! "Oh, what beautiful morning." I began singing. "Oh, what a beautiful day." But I changed the words to match the moment. "I have a beautiful feeling on this splendid Lord's day."

My heart is full of joy that the Light lives inside of me and he allows me to fellowship with him. Praise His Wonderful name!

II Corinthians 4:6: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our heart, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

The God who said, "Let there be light," has shone in my heart the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God as it is manifest in the person of Jesus Christ. My Savior! My Lord! I get to worship him in spirit and in truth today. Not sure if I will shout or sit silently in reverence and awe. I don't know if I will dance or drop to my knees. My flesh will hinder my ability to experience this fully.

II Corinthians 4:7 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."

God allows my frail human frame, which he created and is continuing to mold, to contain this light to beam forth the Light that the greatness of his power may be witnessed.

Makes me want to fall on my face and weep for joy. Worship Him! He is worthy!

I wanted to be HIS!

When I entered middle school my parents decided to divorce. My brother and I didn't understand what had happened between them. We just heard them say they didn't love each other anymore. Dad came to get us every other weekend and tried to be a good father. My mom and I didn't have a good relationship. I know she loved me, but we just couldn't talk like my father and I could.

My life changed. I became a trouble maker. Fighting at school and on the school bus became a release. Our neighbor, Marie Miller became my confident. She loved her Lord and lived out her faith. She prayed with me and for me. I was angry with God and the world. Nothing would be right again.

By the end of middle school both my parents had remarried. I resisted relationships with either step parent and became increasingly involved with activities at school. Cheer leading, drama club, chorus and track kept me busy and made me stay out of enough trouble so I would not have to go home.

In the summer of my eighth grade year, Mrs. Miller or Aunt Rie, as I called her, took me to revival meeting after revival meeting. She played the guitar and had taught me a few songs. She encouraged me to sing at the revivals. At one such revival the Holy Spirit began to prick my heart, but I refused to move.

At the next Sunday service I attended with my mom and step father, I walked down the isle where the pastor took my hand and said, "Let me pray with you, Child." He didn't discuss scripture with me or encourage me to be born again. He just prayed with me and said. "Now, I hope you feel better."

I determined that upon entering high school my life would be different. I would turn over a new leaf. I would stop being a bully. I got my hair cut and started carrying a bible with me everywhere. I even read it daily on the school bus to and from school. I went from being Vonda Butts school bully to Vonda Butts the Holy Roller.

All was fine until one afternoon on the school bus 2 boys began teasing me about my name. My temper flared and there went the self imposed changes.

Time went by. I spent weekends with my father and step mother. They attended church faithfully and my step mother was a wonderful example of a godly woman. They took me to a service at Back to Bethal camp meeting. It was at that meeting I met my SALVATION!

I can still smell the saw dust shavings. I even remember what I was wearing, a bright yellow blouse and navy blue calico skirt. This time when I walked the down the isle, it felt as if I wasn't walking at all. The place was crowded with people, but I felt as if I were the only one present. When I reached the front, I was met by a preacher whose face I recognized. He asked me if I had come to received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. All I could do was nod. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I knelt in the sawdust and was shown God's plan of salvation from the scriptures. I knew it! I didn't need another explanation, but I listened anxiously then was asked to pray for my salvation.

I asked God to forgive me. I wanted Jesus to save me and change me. I wanted the games to stop. I wanted to stop pretending. I wanted what Marie Miller had. I wanted what my father and step mother had. I wanted to be HIS!

"Have ye not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:"

These words are from Isaiah 40:21-22. This is my new memory passage.

Last night, as I rehearsed these verses while trying to go sleep, I rambled into thoughts about Christopher Columbus and the new world discovery. It has been said that a passage in Isaiah is what sparked him to realize the earth was round and not flat.

I began pondering the discoveries we make as human beings. Those flashes of light when the switch is  flipped and we see IT for the first time. Not just learning something new, but assimilating IT into our very fiber as a new part of who we are.

My walk with Jesus began that way. It was on August 27, 1981 at the age of 17 that I realized my need for a savior. Oh, I knew there was a God. I realized that as a small child. I was fascinated by the little things in his creation. My dad was always explaining things like how ants can dig holes, and how grasshoppers can jump.  My father's parents were members of a large Baptist church. When I spent weekends with them, they would take me and my brother to church on Sunday. On those same weekends, we were also privileged to hear our great grandmother Daughtery yell her nightly prayers. Note to self: Blog about Minnie Daughtery sometime. What a character!

My mother kept a family Bible on top of a cedar chest at the foot of her bed. One evening while she was putting some things away in her room, I climbed up on her bed and began looking at the pictures inside. There was a picture of Jesus dying on the cross. I began to cry. I asked my mom what was happening in the picture. She sat on the bed and explained to me the events of the picture. I remember going to church the following Sunday with my parents. We visited a local Baptist church where I met with the pastor and was asked if I wanted to be baptized. I was five or six years old. I was not scared of much, so I said yes!  The old bald headed man with black horn rimmed glasses smiled and escorted me into the sanctuary were my friend, the cafeteria lady from my school, Mrs. Cook, grabbed my hand and began shaking it and smiling down at me saying, "I am so proud of you."

I went through elementary school with my parents attending church. They tried to live right before me. I tried to be good. Life was good! God was good! He is still God and he is in control. But I was still in the dark. The light had flashed, but I had not stepped into yet!

Let it Be

Over the years I have had to train my mind to slow it's racing pace by catching a word and dwelling on it. You see, I am plagued with one of those brains that race with pictures and words 24/7. It never rest! When I want to go to sleep I have to visualize a blank screen being drawn down very slowly. While the screen is descending, I have to talk myself into silence. A few months ago I tried a new method. I decided to choose the Psalm that coincides with my age and memorize it. Now, I say my nightly prayers and quote that Psalm until sleep overtakes me. The Psalm is number 46.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear.......

As I studied and memorized this chapter, I encouraged myself to repeat it's words as animated as a child. During the day I even use hand motions for the mountains and the sea.

"Therefore will NOT we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah."

Sometimes as I am drifting off to sleep, I will catch myself on certain words or phrases and awaken a few hours later with those words still rolling around in my head. One such phrase is in verse 10.

"Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

For someone with the racing mind syndrome, one of the most difficult things to do is to "BE STILL" or let be. I want an answer NOW so I race through thoughts and try, most of the time in vain, to find a solution. I am learning, through my continued focus on this chapter and practicing turning my thoughts to the Creator, that busying the mind is one of the fleshes devices of self preservation. We think we have the answer. We want to figure it out. So, we will do anything and everything to stay busy in thought or action until we think we have the solution. Often we are very wrong!

The second phrase in verse 10 tells us what the results of being still will bring. God will not share his glory with us. He wants to reveal it to us and through us but he can't as long as we think we have any part in it. Sometimes all he needs us to do is to sit down and shut up. Find a place today to sit and turn it off and let's begin learning how to "Let it Be."

Time for Another

    A little over a year ago I began this blog to help me cop with the changes that were taking place in our family. My husband Tony had decided to transfer with his job to a new location. Our destination was Wilmington, NC. The only catch was our three children were not coming with us. Their ages ranged from 17-20. They were in college or finishing high school. I was uprooted  from our home town, my friends and my children and moved 250 miles away. I was not happy about it. I used the postings in this blog to secure my focus and to grow in my relationship with my God so I wouldn't kill my husband.

     I can look back now and see God had a plan in all our lives for our good and His glory. My Hannah is now a college graduate, married, living in Indiana with her husband's family. My Noah finished college, bought a house at 21, married and is working as a mechanic in a family business. My Jonah is working and going to school, readying himself to marry in a year. We all have a wonderful relationship and are loving and living for our Lord. Tony and I have happily relocated in a beautiful home on the Cape Fear River where I tend to him and enjoy early retirement. I have been asked to continue this blog and use it to share our new adventures and to share my joys and frustrations as we walk on the the power of HIS might. I am looking forward to the journey.