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."