Death to Life

2 Corinthians 4:7-12

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

 ⁸ we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 

⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 

¹⁰ always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 

¹¹ For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 

¹² So death works in us, but life in you.

I absolutely LOVE these verses...and when I was taught, back in 2007, that "this treasure in earthen vessel" is actually Jesus...living IN ME...WOW, it rocked and changed my world! He is my Treasure!

Verses 8-10 say "we are..." "YET/BUT NOT". Because of the Treasure in me, Who is the Power of God, I am but I am not!

Frank Viola said, "When the vessel is broken the fragrance of Christ pours forth."

This is a spiritual brokenness. A "coming to the end of your own resources" brokenness. An "I can't!" brokenness. An "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired" brokenness. 

"He implants the life of the Cross in our souls. The method by which God will work it all out is that death will bring forth life."- Warren Litzman

Through us (our physical body and our soul-mind, will and emotions) the life of Jesus is manifested (revealed and expressed). He lives in and through us, as us. 

Don't think of your suffering as something to just get through, think of it as an opportunity for God to be...well...God. To be Himself to you and in you...and through you to others. 

v. 12 So then death (your suffering, circumstances, situations...whatever it may be) is working in "you" but life to others. 

Believer, child of God- YOU ARE AN EXPRESSION of the Life of Christ.

Grand Plan!

Today and tomorrow my Grand Plan is to clean my house!  Do some yard work...some odds and ends work...on my perpetual list of things that need done...and wash my car!

Unfortunately...my dryer is DYING.

Another new appliance this year.....


UGGGGG

I look forward to heaven...where STUFF won't wear out!  : )

Spring

This is what spring does to me:

Something inside me wants to burst forth. Completely open up and spill out everything inside of me. 

I want to quit work. I want to tend an herb garden. I want to walk barefoot on cool soft grass wearing a large floppy hat. 

Spring makes me feel earthy and clean and reborn. 

Alive. 

I JUST RAN!

I ran 3.5 miles this morning.  A slower pace than usual and not as far but I RAN it...there WAS some pain in my right foot.....so....I know that I can't do distance or pacing right now but I am ok with that.  It was nice to get out and run...just cause I wanted to!  : )

Litter!

Growing up in beautiful south-central Kentucky, Casey County, a farming community in the 1980's was a pretty neat thing.  I am so blessed to have grown up there.  I am so blessed to still call it HOME!  But like any community, or county or state...litter became a huge problem.

In the 1980's there was a huge campaign against litter.  Keep America Beautiful.  Have Pride, Don't Litter.  Littering is a Crime.  We all remember the Native American with the tear rolling down his eye looking at all the trash.

So, what happened?  I don't know if it is like this in Kentucky or not but when I run the back roads of South Carolina and it fills me with sadness to see all the trash.  Mainly, beer cans and fast food bags/cups.  (Now, you won't see TOO many beer cans in Casey County because it's a dry county.)  And I think, so if people are throwing out these empty beer cans- then they are drinking and driving- as a person whose mother was killed by a drunk driver, well...that's a whole different blog there...

Anyway...back to LITTER...when did we start littering again?  When did we become LESS proud of our beautiful country?  Do we expect it to disappear or someone else to pick it up?  Is it still a crime?

I don't know the answer to any of these questions.  All I know is that it really makes me sad and a little angry that people are so thoughtless and careless and lazy to just throw trash out when they could carry it in the house when they get home!

America is still beautiful!  Let's keep it that way! Take Pride, Don't Litter!  

Dandelions!

One of my very very favorite HERBS (aka, a weed to some people) is the DANDELION! Here is SC they are starting to pop out of the ground. The WHOLE plant is good for you...leaves, flower and root. I eat the dandelion is some form (usually the root) every day! I am thrilled they are coming out so I can have some fresh, young leaves to eat. 

Dandelion leaves act as a diuretic, increasing the amount of urine 

your body

 makes. The leaves are used to stimulate the appetite and help 

digestion.

 

Dandelion flower has antioxidant properties. Dandelion may also help

improve the immune system.

 

Herbalists use dandelion root to detoxify the liver and gallbladder, 

and

dandelion leaves to help kidney function.

 

Medicinal Uses and Indications

Most scientific studies of dandelion have been in animals, not people.

Traditionally, dandelion has been used a diuretic, to increase the 

amount of

urine in order to get rid of too much fluid.

It has been used for many conditions where a diuretic might help, 

such as liver

 problems and high blood pressure. However, there is no good 

research on

using dandelion as a diuretic in people.

 

Fresh or dried dandelion herb is also used as a mild appetite 

stimulant and to

improve upset stomach. The root of the dandelion plant may act like a 

mild

laxative and has been used to improve digestion. Some very 

preliminary

research suggests dandelion may help improve liver and gallbladder 

function,

but the study was not well designed.

 

Some preliminary animal studies also suggest that dandelion may 

help

normalize blood sugar levels and lower total cholesterol and 

triglycerides

while raising HDL, "good," cholesterol in diabetic mice. But not all the 

animal

studies have found a positive effect on blood sugar, and researchers 

need to

see if dandelion would work in people.

 

A few animal studies also suggest that dandelion might help fight

inflammation.

 

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/dandelion-000236.htm

 

Beautiful and 52 degrees!

Wow, it's a great day in SC!  A bright and sunny 52 degrees.  So...I thought I would go for a run!  My first REAL run since the marathon.

Yesterday Nick and I went to the trails and we "ran" a mile and a half.  I really don't consider it my first run.  But...I didn't have any pain in my foot!

Today...I did.  It would hurt, not hurt.  I ended up running slow but slow and steady kept my foot from too much pain.  I really don't know what to do.  Should I run?  Should I go get xrays (I do not want to spend the money!)?  Steve, my doc, told me yesterday at church to give it a good 6 week break IF it is a stress fracture.

WHAT?????????

I think I am going to play this by ear.  Ice.  Rest.  Wrap.  Slow and Easy.  WIRES.  LOL  Wrap, Ice, Rest, Easy, Slow.  Oh dear...my own acronym.

Well, amen.

Walk in Him!

Colossians 2:6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him.

"If truth can set anyone free for five minutes, then it can set him free for a lifetime.  Truth is absolute and therefore cannot go off and on like a light switch.....Truth is something to be walked in as faith works alongside to bring about experience.  Faith allows us to receive the truth and walk in it.  Those who tell me that focusing on Christ does not work are never focusing on Christ while they are making that statement.  To know the power of truth, one must walk in it, and I have never had anyone that was abiding in Christ tell me that it did not work." -My Weakness for His Strength, Michael Wells

Choosing

Today, I choose to live from Victory. Even  if nobody else does. 

Nicky Baby, 45!

What can I say about this dear man?

I guess what is in my heart right now is how he continues to just- grow- as a husband.  My Nick, he is a nurturer.  Now, if you asked him if he is a nurturer this is what he would say, "What does that even mean?"

 : )

He has NO idea how good a husband he is.  He has NO idea he IS one who nurtures, tends, cultivates, loves easily, loves fully.  Nick is like a gardener that tends the garden of our marriage because it comes naturally to him and from him.  It's just him.  And you know what that does to me?

Nick's tender care just causes me to grow to be the wife, mother and woman that God created me to be.  Without Nick, I wouldn't be who I am today.

Nick, knows how to love and show love.  How I need to be loved.  I don't know how he does it, but he does.

I will tell you something else.  Nick is not the type of man that opens his Bible and reads it every morning.  Or every day.  He is not some "theological" guy.  That used to upset me.  I wanted him to our family's "spiritual" leader or what I thought a "spiritual leader" looked like.  But I what I REALLY wanted was a "theological" leader.  But that is not Nick.  Yet, he IS the spiritual leader in our family.  Nick loves fully. Nick has joy despite the circumstances. Nick lives in peace. Nick is patient.  Nick is kind.  Nick is full of goodness.  Nick is faithful.  Nick is gentle.  Nick can control his tongue, his thoughts and his actions.  Now, if that is not a man full of the Spirit, then tell me what man is?

When I read 1 Corinthians 13, I see Nick all in those verse.  Patient, kind, not jealous, not bragging, not arrogant, doesn't seek his own, not provoked, doesn't take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, Nick rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  His love never fails.

This is the man, through Christ in him, my husband has grown into since the year 2000 when he placed his faith in Jesus.  He is just wonderful and I am so blessed!

Don't get me wrong, he is NOT perfect- my goodness, how could he be?  He is married to a woman that can get in the flesh in a flash!  : ) We have fusses and ups and downs.  Our marriage isn't perfect.  Now, I will say it is better than it's ever been.  We've shared and loved and fought a lot these last 25+ years of marriage.  Times were hard and lean.  Times have been easy and fruitful.  Joy and sorrow.

But that is LIFE and marriage.  But God.  Oh that holy "but" again, but God!  Our Center, our Foundation!  Psalm 31:15a says, "My times are in Your hand"-

No matter what, He goes before us.  He IS with us.  He lives in us.

Ecclesiastes 3

1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

2 A time to give birth and a time to die;

A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

3 A time to kill and a time to heal;

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

4 A time to weep and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn and a time to dance.

5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost;

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;

A time to be silent and a time to speak.

8 A time to love and a time to hate;

A time for war and a time for peace.

We have experienced all of these times.  But...God.  Oh Jesus, thank You, for my dear Nick.  For the man he is because of You.  Bless Him, continually with Your Presence.

John Waller, The Marriage Prayer

Ihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4_sfgjRcfI

February 15th, 2014 Myrtle Beach Marathon

Well I just ran my first and only marathon although it was technically 26.44 miles! It was so hard! I though that with myrtle beach being flat that it would be easier. It was not. My legs didn't get a break (Cody says)- and by mile 20 my thighs had had enough. Mile 23 the stress fracture in my right foot made it hard to run and walk. The wind was hard and relentless. My hands were numb from cold. My socks still wet from the morning rain. My time was 4:24 but that was not my goal of 4:15. My severe leg and foot cramps just wouldn't let me run the last 6.2 as fast as I wanted.

But my sweet and awesome husband! Wow! I can't tell you what a great encourager he is! At mile 12.5 he was waiting with snickers and water. At mile 26.44 he was there to hold me as limped across the line. It was worth it just to see the smile on his face when I finished!

I am posting a pic but I look terrible in it! But it's then only one I have! Lol but hey not too many people look their best after giving it all they got for 4 hours and 24 minutes!

For all my dear and close family and friends who prayed with me through this- I seriously would not have finished without you holding me up! That's a fact! Thank you from my aching feet to my sweatridden head!

And yes, I can barely walk!!!! Lol

I am...

I am a marathoner!

Way back in 2007....

Way back in 2007 our church youth group went to my hometown of Liberty, Ky.  There we spent the weekend with the youth where my cousin was the pastor.

On the last night our youth pastor, Will Gunter, used these verses:

Hebrews 12:1-3

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Now, I don't always remember the main verses used in a sermon.  Only a few times in my life can I recall the sermon and verses.  But these verses have made a huge impact on my life since that night.  

There is so much we could glean from these verses but I am going to cut straight to the POINT of these beautiful words-

FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS!

I need that today.  

With my eyes on Jesus, I will run with endurance the race set before me.  Laying ALL aside, fixing my eyes on Jesus and not the "stuff" of life because if my eyes are on the good and bad...I will certainly lose heart.  

Jesus, my Endurance.  Jesus, with eyes fixed on Him, I will not grow weary and lose heart.  I am His joy! 

Lord willing!

This time tomorrow, Lord-willing, I will be on mile 3 of my first marathon!  Oh my....getting anxious and excited!!!!!

I ran 5 miles this week, then because of snow and ice, I couldn't really run.  So I rode my stationary bike 10 miles.  Cody and I got in a 2 mile run/walk in the heavy snow.  Allison and I got in a 2 mile walk in the snow!

That consists of my training this week.

But, you know, even the Lord had that in His mind for me...

Why?

Because this was SUPPOSED to be my easy training week!  He gave me an easy week, at just the right time.  Through out all of my training...He has been there.

On days when I had a long run planned- the weather cooperated.  Hmmm.....another gift from God.  A couple of days it was really cold but it didn't hinder me like storming or snowing would.

Yes, He has been with me ALL ALONG.

Thank You, Jesus!

GREAT days!

We have had 3 GREAT days during this "snow storm"!  I have LOVED having all of my kids under the roof for the FIRST time since Allison and Ben got married!  607 days since Allison has slept in her room!  She stayed the other night when the youth girls were here but she slept in Johnie's room.

We have ate and played and watched TV!  I am so blessed and I am so thankful for these days!  I am filled to the brim.

Now, Cody as gone back to Upstate and Allison and Ben have returned to their little house.  The snow is melting...and tomorrow

we leave for Myrtle Beach...

and then my first Marathon, 6:30am Saturday morning!!!!

Whoo Hoo!

Praying....

So yesterday, when the roads were clear- my husband decided to stay home from work.

This morning, KNOWING, the roads were going to get bad- he decides to go to work.  Now, the roads are terrible and he is on his way home.

I am sitting here at this computer trying not to let fear overwhelm me.  I am not doing such a good job with it.  I find myself in prayer/beg mode.  "Please Father, please, keep my Nick safe.  Watch over him.  Protect him."  Like if I pray hard enough, he will be safe.

I am angry with Nick.  Why today?  Why not yesterday?  He knew it was going to be bad.   "I will fear no evil, for my God is with me."  Twice this has played on my MP3 in the last little bit.

Now, when fear is overwhelming me, is when I need to rest most.  Trust, rest, abide.  To not let my emotions and fear overwhelm me.  For peace to reign in me.

"Oh no, You never let go.  Lord, you never let go of me"- and Nick.

"Through the calm and through the storm"

I called him and sent him pictures.  "You need to come back home", I said.  "It's getting really bad".  And yesterday, he wouldn't even go out of the house.  I honestly don't understand him.

Why today???

Jesus, hold me now.  I want to trust you.  I want to be at peace.  I do not want fear to overwhelm me.

Please keep my Nick safe.  Amen.

Jesus, Divine Electricity!

With the weather turning to snow and ice here we are scrambling trying to figure out what to do should we lose electricity.

We have gas logs so we can keep our house warm...so that's a blessing and once less thing to prepare.

We are making sure we have water in containers because if we lose electric- we lose water- since we are on a well.

How will we heat food?  Our gas grill works and we have a little firepit with wood in it- we can go "camping" and cook over an open fire!

Of course,I really hope we don't lose power.  A house just seems so warm and homey with the electric on.  I am thankful God chose this time for me to live my life!  Hey, I like indoor plumbing, electricity and a heat pump!

But, I was thinking this morning, how very much like Jesus- electricity is!

Without Jesus, we have no Light in our life- our world is darkness.
John 12:46 (Jesus says)
I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

Without Jesus, we have no Power!  Nothing runs like it should!  My lights won't come on, my stove won't cook, my washer won't wash, my heat pump doesn't work,  my water heater or water pump doesn't work-

NOTHING works without POWER!  Including me!  Without Christ' Power in me, I cannot function like I was created to function!

Jesus, our Light and Power!

Used to-

This is how I "used to" live my life_

"Depression can become an addictive way of consuming so much of life that we would not know how to live without it"- Michael Wells, Heavenly Discipleship

But thanks be to God, who ALWAYS leads us in triumph in Christ, 2 Corinthians 2:14-

"There is nothing the nearness of Jesus cannot heal"- Mike Wells

Used to, but in and through Christ, not any more.

Stationary Bike!

It's here!

Overwhelmed!

Just to know that I STAND IN A RISEN VICTORIOUS CHRIST, overwhelms me. 

I stand in Him. 

I walk in Him. 

I live in Him. 

And He in me. 

Overwhelms my soul!

Floods and fills my spirit!

Thank You,Jesus!  Thank You!

Abiding

Peace

Peace:

     -a state of tranquility or quiet

      -freedom from civil disturbance

      -a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom

      -freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions

      -harmony in personal relationships

      -absence of conflict

For many years I had no idea what peace was, or if it even existed.  I heard of it and I thought I saw it in a few (very few) others.  But I had never experienced it myself.

What I did experience was GREAT conflict inside.  I certainly was having "civil (inner) disturbance", no "security or order within", "disquieting and oppressive thoughts and emotions" controlled me which lead to MUCH disharmony in personal relationships.  

Chaos (utter confusion, disorder) ruled my inner man and I was literally a mess.  I learned to put a mask on in front of most people.  But to some Spirit-filled Christians, they saw the cracks in my mask.  

I knew something was wrong in me.  I had felt this way my whole life.  Even when I became a believer I dealt without this crazy chaoticness in me.  Then I was taught it was because I still had a "sin nature" and it was the conflict of the "sinful nature" I still had and the Holy Spirit in me.  Now, I really really was confused.  But it made sense.  No wonder I was crazy- I was still operating from the sin nature and the Holy Spirit was fighting my sin nature to behave!  That's what I thought was going on inside my mind and heart. 

Didn't the Holy Spirit know I wanted my sin nature to behave?  Didn't He know I wanted to NOT have any conflict inside?  My mind was exhausted.  My inner man was exhausted.  Something had to give.  

And it did.  In the fullness of time.  Like Paul (Galatians 1), in God's time and in His manifold wisdom and grace, He revealed His Son in me.  

And that, my friends, was a game changer (a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way)!.  

He revealed His Son in me AND He began to speak into me the Truth of Himself!  Who He is!

If you asked me to use only TWO words to describe God I would say: Peace, Healer

That is Who He is to me.  

In the fullness of His time, He revealed His Son in me and began to heal me, to anoint me in His truth:

    I am NOT dual natured!, He took my "sin nature" to the cross and put it to death (Galatians 2:20, Romans 6) and now I am a partaker of the Divine nature, 2 Peter 1:4!  I can still walk according to the flesh, but that is not the same as having two natures in me at war.  

     -and that He is my Peace.  And when I am abiding, trusting, resting in Him....then Peace will abide in my inner man and that flows through my outer man- causing harmony in my relationships.  Peace.  Tranquility, quiet, restful and calm- IN my heart, my mind, and my soul.  

Paul says in Philippians 4:7, "and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

"If we will only let God have His way with us, we can come to the same point as Paul, neither the stress and strain of little things nor the great and heavy trials of life will have enough power to move us from "the peace of God which transcends all understanding".  God declares this peace to be the inheritance of those who have learned to rest only in Him.  

'When God is the center of the soul (our mind, will and emotions), although disasters may crowd on all sides and roar like the waves of the sea, there is a constant calm within.  The world can neither take away or give this kind of peace.  What is it that causes people to shake like leaves today at the first hint of danger?  It is simply the lack of God living in their soul, and having the world in their hearts instead.' R. Leighton"- Streams in the Desert

And when I live from Him, who lives in me, I can say:

     Psalm 46:5, "God (my Peace, my Life, my Healer) is in the midst of her, she will not be moved."