Finishing the month...

Finishing the month up with a good run this morning. 

Jesus! The Cross!

Something happened on the cross. Something so real and so true and so DIVINE we can hardly perceive it. Jesus didn't JUST die to pay the penalty for our sin. Now...that in itself is pretty profound but...that's not all that happened on the cross. He took you with Him. Your old sinful inner man was in Christ, on the cross.

When He died, your old sinful inner man died.

When He arose, you received a brand new SINLESS inner man.

Righteous, Holy, Sanctified, Justified.

A new creation, the old is gone.

You WERE formerly, a sinner.

Now, you are a saint.

You are not the same person.

And even better- as if it could get any better!

Christ lives IN YOU!

So- when someone or satan or yourself tries to resurrect your past (um, your old dead sinful man!)- say this, "Oh NO! She is DEAD and buried! I am not that person anymore!"

Simply, simply, simply choose to believe and live from what Jesus has done IN YOU, TO YOU and FOR YOU!

Romans 6, 2 Corinthians 5, Colossians 1:27, Galatians 2:20

Mike Wells!

Abiding Life Ministries International

If we must die, and God knows the exact number of our days, is it really an issue how death comes? For example, look at the thousands who die in persecution;God did not cause the deaths, wicked men did, and wicked men will be judged. However, He works things together for the good. Could it be that the day set for the death of a saint was absolute, yet God permitted the wicked man to be the instrument for the saint to exit, and the wicked man’s judgment to be full? This is merely food for thought, but I believe we make too much of the means of death. We must all exit. Amen! Some live their whole lives in bitterness because a drunk driver killed a loved one, and they perceive this as a life cut short. Was it? Or was God ready to receive the saint, His work in that one’s life complete, and the drunk was the permitted instrument? Our view of death does make a difference. Again, was it a life cut short or can we see that God, in Sovereignty, was using the evil of man as the tool for the death that must come to all men? I believe that there is provision in the years allotted to a man,and that God knows the day of his death. One man said this: “You are invincible until God is finished with you.”

--Mike Wells, My Weakness For His Strength

May 26, 1993

     May 26, 1993 we loaded up the Geo and moved from Liberty, Ky to Spartanburg, SC. 22 years, so hard to believe. Cody was 6 months old and Allison 3 1/2. Nick and I were 24 and 23.

     We had no idea how hard it was going to be to leave all of our family and move away. When all you have is each other- it makes you or breaks you. It almost broke us. But in time- it made us stronger.

     Its still hard to be away from family (and friends who we don't get to spend enough time with!!!). Very hard. I miss them so much. Every day. But with technology the way it is- it's better. And after 22 years of making that 6 hour drive- you kind of get used to it.

     We STILL get asked all the time, "Think you'll move back home?"

     I just say, "We are blessed to have two homes. They just happen to be 300 miles apart."

     I am home in Rheber, Ky and I am home in Pauline, SC.

    For this nature lover this sums it up best for me, "Bloom where you are planted."

Staining the fence....

14 hours later (not all in one day but three) the fence is stained. 

I almost said, "The

heck with it!"  

But I didn't. I persevered. 

Why?  My flower beds are an ever changing- growing- headache/delight. They are hard work. The fence has been there for possibly 15 years. I love the fence. It keeps what I want in- in. And what I want out- out. It adds a border to my flower  beds. 

And...

Someday....

When the grands come I will wander through the flower beds and little pathways- and keep the grands fenced in!  

Mary Geegh

Mary Geegh was a missionary to India for 38 years.  1924-1962.  Her family (she was never married so this was her siblings and their children) put together some of her stories in a book after Mary passed from this life- and those stories became, "God Guides".

In one story Mary had been neglecting her health, she had a "sharp pain in the weak spot of my spine and developing pyorrhea in all my teeth".

So she went to the doctor.  The doctor told her she needed a new body and a new mind.  This offended Mary- and in addition to her physical sickness she began to have resentment in her heart and mind toward the doctor!

One night a thought came to her, "Why not be still?"

"Ah yes!  Why did I not come to You, Lord, in the first place?"

So she was quiet and waited for guidance.

"Give up your resentment against the doctor."

"Oh!  Do you mean I must go back to her?" my heart cried.

Silence.

Mary knew she must start with instructions as they came, "Give up your resentment against her."

"I knelt and said, "Help me, Lord.  Cleanse me of self-pity.  Fill my heart with Your love for her."  I feel asleep on my knees.  His Peace had come to me.  I slipped into bed and slept soundly."

Mary awoke the next morning with the following thoughts:

1.  Brush your teeth with salt, soda and charcoal mixture.
2.  Open your mouth to the sun, let it shine in, ten minutes each day.
3.  Put one teaspoon of magnesium sulphate in each quart of your drinking water.
4.  Eat raw vegetables daily.
5.  Pull weeds in the garden at noon daily.

Just after Mary finished writing these thoughts down in her guidance notebook a friend brought to her some charcoal powder!  She had the salt and the soda but no charcoal!

"Now I know this is truly God's guidance.  I can begin immediately to obey Him."  Then she thanked her friend for her faithfulness to God's guidance by bringing the charcoal to her.

For 3 months daily Mary obeyed every point.  And there began a surge of new health and strength flowing through her body, and indeed her mind!  The pains disappeared and so the did the pyorrhea.

A few years later when she visited America on furlough she had a check-up.  The dentist remarked, "Your mouth is a miracle!  All your teeth show signs of pyorrhea and yet there isn't a speck of it left."

"Great is Your Faithfulness, Lord, unto me;
Morning by morning, new mercies I see."

Stupid stuff

There are so many things- stupid stuff- that I worry about that in the "grand scheme of things" are so- temporary.

My "problems" are so minute that most people wish they had them.

And I worry.

Oh Jesus.  I am thankful that even when I am faithless, You ARE Faith.

Marriage and Parenting- 24/7

Nick and I married when we were barely 18 and 19. Back in the day, when a couple got married- well, with our families anyway- you were on your own.  

We didn't have the support that young families seem to have now.  Not financial support from our families or anyone to help us with our children.

We were married a year and a half when our first child came.  We were 19 and 20.  Then less than 3 year later comes the 2nd.  Then we moved 325 miles away from our family.  Then came baby 3.

No family.

We didn't have "date night" because there was nobody to take care of the kids while we were gone.  And we didn't have the money to pay a sitter.

We didn't go on vacation- we didn't have parents that paid for our vacation.

We didn't have anyone to cook an occasional supper for us.
We didn't have anyone to pick up the kids from school for us.
We didn't have anyone to encourage us.  (Until Connie and Beas, that is!)

It has always been Nick and me.

It wasn't easy.  It was really hard.

So, maybe that's why I don't take to people complaining all the time.

Suck it up, it's part of being a parent and being married.

The monotony.  The lack of funds.  The days the kids drive you crazy.  

But the kids, the bills, the home, the marriage- all of this is OUR RESPONSIBILITY.

Not anyone else's.

I am very grateful for the hard years.  There is something inside of me that wants this to be- us- doing THIS together.  Not us- AND.

I pray my kids will be the same way. Responsible, uncomplaining, independent adults.

And sometimes....

And sometime when you fall...

fall on Jesus.

Beloved of God

The Father of Jesus loves sinners.  He is the only God people have ever heard of who behaves this way.  Unreal gods, the inventions of people (and I would say Satan), despise sinners.  But the Father of Jesus loves all, no matter what they do.

God does not condemn but forgives.  The sinner is accepted even before he/she repents.  Forgiveness is granted to him, he/she need only accept the gift.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the love story of God with us.  It begins with unconditional forgiveness; the sole condition of trusting faith.  Christianity happens when men and women experience the unwavering trust and reckless confidence that come from knowing Jesus.  There is no reason for being wary, scrupulous, cautious or afraid with this God.

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

- Brennan Manning, The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus

Rockin' my world....

My world has been rocked the last few days.  Shaken.

My son Johnie has pilonidal disease and is going to need surgery.  If you don't know what that is...look it up.  It's not pretty.  And it is painful.  It is a long process.  It is common.

But when your child has a health problem- I don't care if they are 2 or 20+ - you want to take away the pain.

But Johnie is in good spirits and I am thankful for that.

And then my Connie, who is my "Momtor"- mom and mentor- has had some health issues related to RA- rheumatoid arthritis.  This is not good.  It has to do with her lungs.  I am very concerned and my heart hurts.  I love her so much.  You know, my mom died when I was 9  but when Connie came into my life in 2003-2004 God used her to fill a mother-void.  One day I'm going to just sit down and write all about that.

So.

Jesus.  Jesus.  Jesus.

The Divine Squeeze

GraceGirls Spartanburg

How often do we allow someone or something to rule our days? Our emotions?

That co-worker, fellow church member, spouse, child, sibling, parent, employer- just hurt my feelings and now my day is ruined. The car (washer, dryer, refrigerator, or whatever) broke down- AGAIN. There isn't enough money coming in to pay the bills. My child is ill and I can't take away the pain.

That's when we begin to question, "Why me, God?"

Sometimes I think God's answer is, "Why NOT you? Do you see Me this? Am I not the Potter and you the clay? All I've allowed in your life are to draw you to rest in Me, trust Me, to surrender to Me, depend on Me- alone. For Me to spilled out of you. When fruit is squeezed what spills out? When I allow you to be squeezed what comes out- you or Me?"

"The parables of Jesus reveal a God who is consistently overgenerous with His forgiveness and grace. God's extravagant love, Jesus is saying, demands a joyous response from us."- Brennan Manning

And yet, our response to the situations, trials and tribulations- aka thorns-in our life is, "Why me?" It's allowing someone or something rule our day and our emotions instead of the intended response God desires from us- joyously trusting Him and Him being the fruit that is squeezed out of us.

What is your response to God's extravagant love? His overly generous forgiveness and grace? Is it resting in His love, forgiveness and grace? Trusting? Surrendering? Depending? Is this what comes out of you from the Divine Squeeze?

These and This

You see these?  

They were fun. They were challenging. But the reality is- they don't mean anything to me. 

But this is a symbol of reality and life to me. 

Just as MUCH!

GraceGirls Spartanburg

It's a beautiful spring morning in sunny South Carolina. Want to know what is better than that?

On the eve of Jesus' death He prayed to the Father, "that You love them as You loved me....so that Your love for Me may live IN them." (John 17:23,26)

God loves YOU just as much as He loves His Son, Jesus Christ.

Father, I pray this truth sinks into the depths of our inner man- grows roots and grows tall and blooms full blown!