tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14124830035304460392023-11-16T09:39:15.227-08:00Daily Reflections for Single ParentsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-20628165358086487012011-11-29T19:32:00.000-08:002011-11-29T21:22:40.520-08:00When Fear Turns to Faith<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWy2uLpMK9bg-4ULhtbbGtQBtfHBc6wAiBf0UQICbuqsVyRtDsbKIMvSqRQPDHhbKtszFSr1i9GAqkUVMN-x_mOs_00w36f8nSiA41aIUnx_mYqojeWJ9EBSnu4s4Ra0bn-xGOrSc-2x8/s1600/P1030158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWy2uLpMK9bg-4ULhtbbGtQBtfHBc6wAiBf0UQICbuqsVyRtDsbKIMvSqRQPDHhbKtszFSr1i9GAqkUVMN-x_mOs_00w36f8nSiA41aIUnx_mYqojeWJ9EBSnu4s4Ra0bn-xGOrSc-2x8/s320/P1030158.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 16px;">After my son’s military funeral, my tears mingled with another Army Ranger’s mom’s tears. One week earlier, I was seated where Joan* now sat, hoping my son would survive multiple deployments to this war on terror.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><h2 style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Every time I talked with another friend Beth, whose son </span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Captain Ian P. Weikel, <span style="color: black;">died in Iraq in 2006, foreboding triggered deep sobs from within. Not wanting to intrude on Beth’s grief, I swallowed hard, blinked back tears, and breathed deeply.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">But here I sat facing Joan, holding hands, crying over the loss of my son and her unspoken terror—her son might die, also. Fear </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">dripped salty down Joan’s face. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">The fear of death departed when my son breathed his last breath. Why? The hope of my son seeing his savior face-to-face became a reality. For, <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”. (2 Corinthians 5:8)</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">My words sharing my faith and the Chaplain’s sermon prompted Joan to blurt out, “I’m <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so over</i>, Jesus.” My heart ached for her—for her Christian religion that wounded her and crushed her faith, for her search and misbelief in a myriad of mythical gods made of gold, silver, wood or stone, for her utter hopelessness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">I worried about this precious mom, <i>If her son was killed, how would she cope?</i></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">The same way I’d struggle if haunted by shattered faith. I’d be distraught—inconsolable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">God Knows My Pain </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Just as my heart suffers pain because my son died for our freedom, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jehovah Elohim’s </i>heart<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>agonized when his Son died for every person’s spiritual freedom. Now my son experiences freedom from death. He's attained his eternal future and hope for those who believe in the death and resurrection of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">I miss my son terribly. My comfort lay in this assurance: My son rejoices in the Almighty God’s presence. I’m relieved that I no longer worry about my son’s safety, because Kristoffer rests in the peace and protection of heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">God, thank you that your <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2015:13&version=NASB">Son laid down his life for his friends</a> to turn darkness into light and our fears into faith.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">My friend, Tiffany Stuart, created these two memorial videos for my son's memorial service to honor Kristoffer and his family and express our family's faith.</span><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Life Celebration Video:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRXpqEvArok"><span style="color: #0000f2; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Find Us Faithful</span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Faith Celebration Video: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0000f2; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvgCRJq3Dqk&feature=related">God and God Alone</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc4AdqBmclv_9uSzlJD4ML3eqxWOrnwLvM0CEhKN1JJWtvZ9lGyKC5-6Y-rhmRZcbpfwQn7ZlOk1N4er9WZuoSEPlK444KOWA08BHUvppgzyvPjC05EAb1EP0xRrLuxvSFfIAptHPhJo/s1600/P1030155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc4AdqBmclv_9uSzlJD4ML3eqxWOrnwLvM0CEhKN1JJWtvZ9lGyKC5-6Y-rhmRZcbpfwQn7ZlOk1N4er9WZuoSEPlK444KOWA08BHUvppgzyvPjC05EAb1EP0xRrLuxvSFfIAptHPhJo/s320/P1030155.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">“Our Home is in Heaven and we know that the earthly tent we live in will be destroyed. But we have a building made by God. It is a house in heaven that lasts forever. Human hands did not build it. During our time on earth we groan. We long to put on our house in heaven as if it were clothing. While we live in this tent of ours, we groan under our heavy load. We want to be dressed with our house in heaven. What must die will be swallowed up by life. So here is what we can always be certain about. As long as we are at home in our bodies, we are away from the Lord. We live by believing, not by seeing. We are certain about that. We would rather be away from our bodies and at home with the Lord. So we try our best to please him. We want to please him whether we are at home in our bodies or away from them.”</span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWdEqvKzAQRUjhEOJ667B8OlCx-W2Ml6VFp7rZ7dRcRHEmAFuAzmylRvRrrgXrfKqdx-CO-OPnvtizFqB9lb_W7FYsfrJzcgkWZddLWQgpLMV0kSQ5Ac5CccpZt_phhpsGH9YQjP1Flo/s1600/Christ+our+redeemer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWdEqvKzAQRUjhEOJ667B8OlCx-W2Ml6VFp7rZ7dRcRHEmAFuAzmylRvRrrgXrfKqdx-CO-OPnvtizFqB9lb_W7FYsfrJzcgkWZddLWQgpLMV0kSQ5Ac5CccpZt_phhpsGH9YQjP1Flo/s320/Christ+our+redeemer.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><i><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">“Brothers and sisters, we want you to know what happens to those who die. We don't want you to be sad, as other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again. So cheer each other up with these words of comfort. Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”— <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%205:%201-10&version=NASB">2 Corinthians 5: 1-10</a>; <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%204:13-18&version=NASB">1 Thessalonians 4:13-18</a>; <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203:20-21&version=NASB">Philippians 3:20-21</a><b> </b></span></span></i></span></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-36092798924798657812011-10-27T18:04:00.000-07:002011-10-27T18:59:28.537-07:00An Ordinary Day About-Faced to Extraordinary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><link href="file://localhost/Users/scotidomeij/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link> <style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfg8j33Wq0Wafymw2vY_G0e6_eUvo312ZGS-QjF2G0g-IIWFIJLyI2P6ZHko4vLn_Wd1tk7vpxD-mqJTsM4y8S0kH-uRqG0MuKsBMtwzDXW4CMdKCEQvGAgF_xkdX6OkBCqVs4Y6ZdJo/s1600/Isaiah+IMG_9597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfg8j33Wq0Wafymw2vY_G0e6_eUvo312ZGS-QjF2G0g-IIWFIJLyI2P6ZHko4vLn_Wd1tk7vpxD-mqJTsM4y8S0kH-uRqG0MuKsBMtwzDXW4CMdKCEQvGAgF_xkdX6OkBCqVs4Y6ZdJo/s320/Isaiah+IMG_9597.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The peace and calm of the ordinary life I enjoyed changed on Friday, October 21 at 11:30 PM.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Who’s knocking on my door?” I spoke out loud, my surprise at the sudden banging on my front door gave way to annoyance. “Probably someone with car trouble. If I ignore the knocking they’ll go away.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Knock. Knock. Knock.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I pulled back a curtain just an inch or two, hoping not to be noticed as I peeked out. A man I didn’t know stood on my front step.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">He saw me.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I closed the curtain and continued to ignore his insistent knocking. I wasn’t going to open my door to a stranger this late at night. If I just ignored him, surely he’d head to a neighbor’s house.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Then I decided to call the police. “Where’s my cell phone?” I felt a twinge of panic because I couldn’t sneak past my front door with its large oval stain glass window to retrieve my phone without being seen.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Feeling trapped, I looked out the window again. Two men stood outside. I spotted a patch on one man’s sleeve. <i>What are the police doing at my house? I haven’t done anything wrong.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I walked down my stairs and opened the door. Two tall men in military uniforms stood on my front steps. Without asking, I knew why they were there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Is my son dead?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“May we come in, ma’am?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I asked again, dreading their answer. “Is my son dead?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“May we come in, ma’am?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">They followed me up the stairs and gave me the news: My son died, killed by an IED – an improvised explosive device – in Afghanistan. I asked where, but quickly forgot the name of the district. The chaplain prayed for me and asked, "Do you have someone you can call?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> "No. I'm single. I've been to hell and back. I'll be fine. You can leave."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">They refused to leave until I called a friend and asked her to come stay with me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">My worst fear had just come true: My firstborn son … dead. Every deployment, from the first until his thirteenth, heightened my stress level. I only breathed without anxiety when he returned home—<i>safe</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">It’s one thing to say, “I trust God.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">It’s another to entrust your child into God’s hands when your government declares wars and repeatedly deploys soldiers to carry out dangerous missions to capture terrorists who annihilate people for whatever reasons motivate their unadulterated mayhem.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">As a lioness, I instinctively yearned to protect my cub, even though he’d grown into a full-fledged lion with impressive skills to take care of himself. The hardest thing for me, the mother of a soldier? Releasing my son to God. It was a constant struggle—seesawing between <i>“I hope he doesn’t die” </i>to <i>“God, I entrust him to your care.”</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">On October 21 at 11:30 PM that struggle ended.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I had relaxed during my son’s fourteenth deployment, for the first time, confident that he would return safely. Instead of going out on dangerous missions, as a commander, he’d stay on the base to oversee the operations. But that fateful night, circumstances changed man’s best laid plans to God’s.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I can’t blame anybody or ask “Why?” because God numbers our days. (Psalm 139:16) This was part of God’s plan. Even so, when I hit the anger stage of grief, I’ll probably engage in some frank, in-your-face conversations with God. I’m not pleased with his timeline.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><i style="color: #660000;">So how do we relate to the extraordinary we dreaded and never desired? </i></b>With an over-arching belief in the presence of an unchanging God and the desire to find meaning in the midst of tragedy. When my son was three years old and my hopes and dreams for our nuclear family shattered, I clung to the verse “what man meant for evil, God meant for good.” (Genesis 50:20)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">But what is “good”?</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Man’s fleeting, self-centered and ultimately unsatisfying definition of “good”—stuff, more stuff, prestige, power, sex, money, winning—means attaining and obtaining earthly idols we crave. Maimonides, a medieval Jewish philosopher, Torah scholar and physician, considered “good” meant “reflecting God's light.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">When the light in this life dims to black, I can’t rely on an anthropomorphized god or theology reducing God to a bigger version of myself or to a magic genie god who gives me idols made of wood, stone, silver, and gold.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I did not want my son, my son’s brother, my precious daughter-in-love’s husband, and my adorable granddaughters’ father to die in a never-ending battle. With anticipation and excitement, I looked forward to enjoying future family times together. I miss him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I want my son back to hug, to touch, for his wife to embrace, and for his daughters to know. The only way I can <span style="color: black;">survive these demolished dreams is to turn to the Man of Sorrow, to <i>Adonai,</i> my Lord, Master, Owner, and my Strong Tower. (Proverbs 18:10, Psalm 9:10, Psalm 20: 1, 7)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Spoilt dreams either drive us to soak in God’s promises and the truth of who God says he is or to ignore or push God away and brine in a bitter marinade of lies and disillusionment. <span style="color: black;">Intimacy with <i>El Emet,</i> The God of Truth (Psalm 31:3-5) entails abandoning my dreams, surrendering my stubborn grip on what I wish for most or think I deserve, and placing my confidence in Someone I can’t manipulate or manage.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">My son’s body lies lifeless in a coffin. There is no more bargaining with <i>El Gadol Gibohr Yare</i>, The Great, Mighty and Awesome God (Deuteronomy 10:17) to protect him and bring him home to family. However, </span><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Jehovah-Sabaoth,</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> The Lord of Hosts, The Lord of Armies, the commander with universal sovereignty over <i>every</i> heavenly and earthly army, <span style="color: black;">deployed my son to Heaven and the safety I so desired for him here on earth.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">In this dramatic stage in my family’s history, just as I could not ignore the insistent knocks on my door, I cannot ignore what happened. I need <i>El Yeshuw’ah, </i>the God of My Salvation (Isaiah 12:2), who is stronger and wiser than I, who will in time provide His story and meaning to this loss. Pain, loss, grief drives us to what really matters in this life—authentic relationship with a sovereign God and to reflect on and to trust <i>who God says He is</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">El Yeshuw’ah</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">, the Light of the World (John 8:12), sacrificed his life to save, deliver and move us to eternal safety. I dread the grief and pain ahead. However, I pray that <i>Jehovah-Shammah,</i> the Lord is Present, plus the memory my son’s courage, character, and sacrifice, and my precious remaining son will spur me on.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I desire to mirror “good” and reflect God’s light. So that <span style="color: black;">one day, when breath leaves my earthly body and my firstborn son embraces me again, I will stand before the Lamb of God to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:21 NKJV)</span><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-17306375605114362962011-10-27T17:42:00.000-07:002011-10-27T19:00:16.383-07:00Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, Job 13:15<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><link href="file://localhost/Users/scotidomeij/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link> <style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwjEAQ74avhrCFv6vO_yrC0sdxUvfeAhgEt3o9QP_9aqW-I3Vm_qOG6CxyHGt-CLaPf936cOqXG8eMMBO45PNlFDsTeHYDgqOwN__mLIEvUWG1Zi7WO8EQHdRXE1UvUUJP3CT20Mre4w/s1600/Isaiah+IMG_9597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwjEAQ74avhrCFv6vO_yrC0sdxUvfeAhgEt3o9QP_9aqW-I3Vm_qOG6CxyHGt-CLaPf936cOqXG8eMMBO45PNlFDsTeHYDgqOwN__mLIEvUWG1Zi7WO8EQHdRXE1UvUUJP3CT20Mre4w/s320/Isaiah+IMG_9597.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"></span><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD.” “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” — </span></i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Jeremiah 29:11-13, Philippians 1:6 (NASB)<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">I flew to Dover Air Force Base to observe my son’s body being “repatriated” after being killed in Afghanistan. It was surreal watching the refrigerated coffin moved from the plane to the transport vehicle. Longing to touch, to hug my son, I could only watch as the truck drove out of my view to deposit my son in the morgue.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">A General from Washington expressed the country’s appreciation for my firstborn’s sacrifice. He flinched when I said, “I’d have preferred you used a drone to drop a bomb to take out the target.” Apparently, those are reserved for “political” targets.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">An Army Ranger accompanied my son’s body home and slept on the cold plane’s floor beside his casket. He’d listened on a headset during the mission. He related what happened, easing the torture of wondering, “Did my son suffer?” The explosion from the victim-activated IED was so powerful that my son felt nothing. I praise <i>El Shamayim</i>, The God Of The Heavens, [Psalms 136:26] who whisked my precious son away into his presence, sparing him from experiencing any pain—and his mother obsessing about until the end of her days.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">The three Army Rangers, who attended the ceremony shared stories about my son and his character that reinforced my faith in <i>Elohim—</i>the father of the fatherless, the husband, provider and protector of the widows and the orphans.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">When propelled into single parenthood, the vile statistics that religious leaders and sociologists spew about children from single-parent homes terrorized my heart. Yet, I clung to Jeremiah 29:11-13 and Philippians 1:6. What do men know? God is far greater than any societal myth, stereotype or statistic.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">For twenty-six years, my daily heart cry to God was for my sons’ futures. Listening to my son’s buddies describe him, I realized God answered my prayers regarding his future beyond my wildest expectations.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">When breath left my son’s body, God completed the good work in my son’s life that God began years ago. My son has attained his future and hope in eternal life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><i style="color: #660000;">Precious single moms and dads, trust God. Call upon Him. Pray to Him. He listens. Seek Him with all your heart you and will find Him and He will find you.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Who Is the God We Can Trust? He is…</span></b></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Our father and husband: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation. Psalm 68:5 <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Our advocate: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry and my wrath will become hot. Exodus 22:22–24<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Our truth-teller: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on. Luke 21:2-4<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="color: #660000;">Our guardian:</span> </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, <i>and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. </i>He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:17–19<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="color: #660000;">Our defender:</span> </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Defend the poor and the fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and the needy. Psalm 82:3 <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';"><span style="color: #660000;">Our protector:</span> </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Isaiah 1:17 <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Our righter of injustice: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style';">Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow. And all the people shall say, “Amen.” Deuteronomy 27:19 <o:p></o:p></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-36644739520277347192011-06-15T22:57:00.001-07:002011-06-15T23:47:39.479-07:00How Did God Wire You to Relate to Him?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><link href="file://localhost/Users/scotidomeij/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link> <style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfKObnJZ4jy308GSxbFetEectURE9tKlKKIR-8uDq7Kd9cQ_WA65Glq0oTIQ7r9tDBZE27XSgDg7WW_yIMZqQArKkPLgXmp821f_Y6Y50uV10cxsnNCbJrxluDDTMQC3od7ELWIIFZ_g/s1600/wired-for-worship-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfKObnJZ4jy308GSxbFetEectURE9tKlKKIR-8uDq7Kd9cQ_WA65Glq0oTIQ7r9tDBZE27XSgDg7WW_yIMZqQArKkPLgXmp821f_Y6Y50uV10cxsnNCbJrxluDDTMQC3od7ELWIIFZ_g/s1600/wired-for-worship-small.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, thus you shall say to your masters, “I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and <b>I will</b> give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight.” —Jeremiah 27:4-6 (NASB)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">After an hours long conversation with an individual, I hung up the phone exhausted. The next morning I woke up and thought,<i> I never care to engage a theological discussion like that again.</i> Why did that exchange about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit leave me feeling down?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I’d been open, vulnerable and passionate about how I relate to God and how God connects with me: But it wasn’t the same way the person on the other end of the line focused on God. I felt pulled to share those same experiences or I would not be deemed "spiritual enough."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">We are both Christians. We both love the Lord. We both agreed on the truths of the theology under discussion. I recognized that person is a godly individual. This individual’s particular spiritual experiences differed from how I worship God, call on him, and focus on his qualities. I felt theologically unequally yoked. After that conversation I experienced an epiphany regarding how God wired me to relate to him and hear from the Holy Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">Wired to Worship<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">How do I relate to God? For me deepening my relationship and trust in the Lord comes from spending hours in His Word, digging into Hebrew and Greek definitions, researching key words, and worshipping by proclaiming what God says he will do. I’m humbled and amazed by who God says He is. For a number of years I’ve collected the Hebrew names of God and how each name reveals another attribute of God. When I’m hurting, struggling or doubting, I review my list of over 150 names and pray, “God, which attribute will minister to my heart?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Then I pray for that particular characteristic to minister to the distraction warring in my soul. When others share a new insight they discover about the Lord, their new “aha” spiritual revelation enriches my understanding, strengthening my faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">While studying <a href="http://store.precept.org/p-797-sermon-on-the-mount-precept-workbook.aspx">Precept Ministries’ Sermon on the Mount</a>, some of verses quoting God caught my eye. God said, “<b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> . . .” sending me on a search throughout the Bible.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">When we draw near to the Lord our God, what does he say he will do for those who love and trust him?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> show you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">And <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> bless you. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> establish My covenant between Me and you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> return to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> tell you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> not leave you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> be with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> prosper you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> teach you what you are to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> deliver you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> redeem you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> take you for my people.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> be your God.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> surely hear your cry.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> speak to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> meet with you. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> dwell among you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> send an angel before you and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> drive out your enemies.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> give you rest. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> show compassion.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> perform miracles.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> confirm My covenant with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> make my dwelling among you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> not reject you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> not fail you or forsake you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> show you what you shall do.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> make you a great name.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> give you rest from all your enemies.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> be a father to him and he will be a son to Me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> heal you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> subdue all your enemies.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> deliver you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> set him securely on high, because he has known My name.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> answer you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> be with you in trouble.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> rescue you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> satisfy you with a long life and let you see My salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> strengthen you, surely <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> help you, surely <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> uphold you with My righteous right hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> help you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> also hold You by the hand and watch over You.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> lead the blind by a way you do not know. In paths you do not know <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> guide you. <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> make darkness into light before you and rugged places into plains. These are the things <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> do, And <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> not leave you undone.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">When you pass through the waters, <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> do something new, now it will spring forth. Will you not be aware of it? <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> not remember your sins.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> pour out My Spirit on your offspring.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> go before you and make the rough places smooth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> gird you, though you have not known Me; that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> make all your ways smooth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> carry you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> bear you and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> deliver you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> act.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> keep you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> not forget you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> contend with the one who contends with you, and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> save your sons.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> have compassion on you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> not be angry with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> lead you and restore comfort to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> act on behalf of you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> answer before you call.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> hear while you are still speaking.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> not look upon you in anger. For I am gracious.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> heal your faithlessness.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> pardon you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> be your God, if you obey My voice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> again have compassion on you; and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> bring you back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> give you lasting peace.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> restore you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> deliver you from the hand of the wicked. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> redeem you from the grasp of the violent.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> announce My words to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> set My eyes on you for good.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> build you up and not overthrow you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> plant you and not pluck you up.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> give you a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and you will be My people, and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> be your God, for you will return to Me with your whole heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> do you no harm.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> bring you back and restore you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> visit you and fulfill My good word to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> listen to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> restore your fortunes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> save you from afar and your offspring from the land of your captivity.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> restore you to health and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> heal you of your wounds, because they have called you an outcast.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> punish all your oppressors.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> be the God of all the families.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> build you and you will be rebuilt.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> lead you; <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> make you walk by streams of waters, on a straight path in which you will not stumble; for I am a father.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> turn your mourning into joy and will comfort you and give you joy for your sorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> fill the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people will be satisfied with My goodness.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> surely have mercy on you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> watch over you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> put My law within you and on your heart <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> write it; and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> be your God, and you shall be My people.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> forgive your iniquity, and your sin <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> remember no more.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> give you one heart and one way, that you may fear Me always, for your own good and for the good of your children after you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> make an everlasting covenant with you that <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> not turn away from you, to do you good; and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> put the fear of Me in your hearts so that you will not turn away from Me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> rejoice over you to do you good.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> answer you, and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know if you call to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> heal you; and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> reveal to you an abundance of peace and truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> cleanse you from all your iniquity by which you have sinned against Me, and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> pardon all your iniquities by which you have sinned against Me and by which you have transgressed against Me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> fulfill the good word which I have spoken.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> restore your fortunes and will have mercy on you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> forgive your iniquity and your sin.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> certainly rescue you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> look after you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Leave your orphans behind, <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> keep you alive. And let your widows trust in Me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> speak to you and listen closely.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> give you one heart, and put a new spirit within you. And <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then you will be My people, and I shall be your God.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> establish an everlasting covenant with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I am the LORD; I have spoken, and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> perform it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> accept you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> deliver My flock, and you will no longer be a prey.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> save you from all your uncleanness.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> place you on your own land. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> tell you the truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> betroth you to Me forever; Yes, <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the LORD.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> also have compassion on you who had not obtained compassion.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> heal your apostasy, <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> love you freely.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> pour out my Spirit on you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> show you miracles.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> tear off your shackles.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> dwell in your midst.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> save you that you may become a blessing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> camp around My house because of an army, because of him who passes by and returns; and no oppressor will pass over you anymore.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> restore double to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> strengthen you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> return to you, if you return to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> make you fishers of men.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> give you rest, all who are weary and heavy-laden.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> go ahead of you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> not leave you as orphans; <b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> come to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">I will</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> send the Helper to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Surprised by everything God says “<b><i><span style="color: maroon;">I will</span></i></b> do?” <i><span style="color: maroon;">“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and <b>I will</b> come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.” — John 14:27-29 (NASB)</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-68239711551287866612011-06-06T08:40:00.000-07:002011-06-15T09:24:23.114-07:00In Pursuit of God’s Comfort, God’s Comfort Pursues Me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2MadvHEuYRNiiyxItfFAIzPEclnrTbtpvrZMJ0CBGqdhI38iSej7DPZVZBmRu2vnr3UOywEEQmv2-g0IjDWEPyBQupo44u9ra1b3HjBZmUCncTHXJTRrhyphenhyphenKfCVl6egEDJYY5tI4659A/s1600/square-peg-round-hole-small-scaled500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2MadvHEuYRNiiyxItfFAIzPEclnrTbtpvrZMJ0CBGqdhI38iSej7DPZVZBmRu2vnr3UOywEEQmv2-g0IjDWEPyBQupo44u9ra1b3HjBZmUCncTHXJTRrhyphenhyphenKfCVl6egEDJYY5tI4659A/s320/square-peg-round-hole-small-scaled500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Look well at My handpicked Servant; I love Him so much, take such delight in Him. I've placed my Spirit on Him; He'll decree justice to the nations. But He won't yell, won't raise His voice; there will be no commotion in the streets. He won't walk over anyone's feelings, won't push you into a corner. Before you know it, His justice will triumph; The mere sound of His name will signal hope, even among far-off unbelievers. </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2012:18-20&version=MSG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Matthew 12:18-20</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2042:1-2&version=NASB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Isaiah 42:1-2</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, The Message</span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">When I’ve given my spiritual and professional best and in return my intentions, offerings and heart receive barbs and misjudgment, I find it interesting how God comforts me. One difficult aspect about being the only adult in your household is not having anyone to process thorny circumstances and difficult people with porcupine personalities.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">I needed perspective and not my own. I called a successful professional who evaluates top management for a search firm to ask for input. My headhunter friend finds people with the right personality and communication skills for the right leadership position. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">All I asked? Could you read an email and give me feedback. After reviewing the opening paragraph of an email that shot my brain into a full-on migraine, this evaluator of interviewing successful candidates affirmed what my body told me was true.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><b>A Headhunter's Impartial Evaluation</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">The tone of communication was not something that reflected maturity or respect. “This person is not open to anything you have to say. Decline the opportunity,” was the advice offered, reinforcing a thought cycling in my mind, “A dog returns to its vomit.”</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">The communiqué felt familiar. Far too often my loyalty and commitment to the Lord, ministry and serving others set me up to accept spiritual abuse by those in a leadership position of power.</span></div><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;"> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">But was God calling me to feel humiliated, demeaned, discouraged, and put down in order to serve man?</span></span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">God calls us to communicate the heart of His message and who He is. We reflect Him by how we talk to and treat others, even to those who rub us wrong or irritate our temperaments. After all, God’s love </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">never</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> stops pursuing those whose actions irritate Him and those who outright reject Him.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Thousands attend my church, so attending a service is an exercise in extreme loneliness and disconnection. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Yea</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, the praise and worship is musical perfection and I’m there to worship. The sermon? Professional. Theologically sound. Top notch. But sometimes concern from a loving community is what you really need and that’s not what a cast of thousands of strangers offers.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Yesterday a kind pastor greeted me with a side hug and “Glad you are here.” Tears issuing from my hurting heart flowed throughout praise and worship. I longed to be understood and comforted. My downtrodden heart listened to the lead pastor speak on </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023&version=NASB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Psalm 23</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> and how in the midst of the dark valley God is with us. A part of me thought, “Yea right. I’m not feeling that right now.” My strafed heart offered God a silent plea, “I need you to show up and be with me. I need to </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">feel</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> your comfort.” Minutes later, walking to the parking lot, I ran into a new ministry partner. Her warmth and our shared ministry passion lifted my down spirit.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">That evening and many tears later, a friend sent a tear-stained devotional she wrote after the sudden, devastating loss of her sister. Her sister’s last words? “Don’t not be who you are.” How often had I been “not who I am” to please those who demand you earn grace they’re not equipped or willing to give?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Don't Not Be Who You Are</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Today I received three emails. One that simply stated the Scriptures written above. Another </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">titled, “</span><a href="http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2011/06/06/you-can-reframe-anything/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">You can reframe anything</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">.” </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Okay, I needed to reframe the upsetting experience. The other comforting and encouraging email was titled: “</span><a href="http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=m7pka8fab&v=001EXWmPNxFGZuVL3c209yyczN6qf1xgEOWONu1mexVQWG-oIZBkHZJP4TWFrFZ7PzJLcpYN1G9QxcP72XBG8JmNiVnFskgu28XzUfxrfsDKYQ%3D"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Why Higher Writing Can Hurt</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Writers make many sacrifices for their art.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Does standing out set you up?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Time, family, money, activities, the life of writing does not guarantee much but deprivation.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Yet choosing the goal of higher writing may ensure some readers will be offended. We humans can't seem to help but resent what we can't control. Having the goal not of providing answers but providing an experience may be freeing and produce a certain glee in the writer, but it can also open you to being a scandal.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Those who stand out may be branded.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">But my encouragement to you is this: be assured of the value of participating in the challenges for higher writing. The journey is worth it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In the search for what's possible through words, what is pain but an opportunity for greater comfort? What is sorrow, but a chance to realize more joy on the other side? If a goal of your story is to show that all works out for good ultimately in the end, you may be called on to prove that conviction with your life. Seeking this way might set you apart, make you a target. A deeper awareness may be your stock and trade, but it could hurt too.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My challenge to you is to accept the sacrifice. When you are in love, is there really any choice? Leave the anxiety behind and seek out the mysteries, come what may. If you've been called to explore heights and valleys, you are never alone in either place. Ever-present help is always right there in the choice to hope, to believe, and to write despite the costs.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Standing with you in your essential difference as a writer of more real, more honest, more challenging words this week....</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Lovingly, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Your Coach</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">After five days of tears and emotional conflict and pain, the coach’s email reminds me again: I am called by God, not man. I am handpicked by God’s servant to serve others through my giftings, passion, personality, and temperament. Deep within my God-designed spiritual DNA, God takes delight in how he created me and affirms, “Don’t not be who you are.”</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;"></span>To offer the sender of the wounding missive mercy, I deleted emails filling in details he lacked leading him to hurtful, false conclusions, and simply replied, “I’m not a fit for this role.”</span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-73688772455103836112011-03-24T08:02:00.000-07:002011-05-27T12:02:37.390-07:00Handcrafted by Jehovah Elohim<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><link href="file://localhost/Users/scotidomeij/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link> <style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuai-DDqATV4kvFeW7EEa2f496lNbOrbbndFmfrjV5zeJxp91vo2IoV3IOps6t2p2bSAEyE4u6A9ex6CGZZxZUcNcXrBDBvDoW5cJkGq6iaCuj8MgTm39WaWsPGHS8gRXPm5K0xzH-8JA/s1600/king+tut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuai-DDqATV4kvFeW7EEa2f496lNbOrbbndFmfrjV5zeJxp91vo2IoV3IOps6t2p2bSAEyE4u6A9ex6CGZZxZUcNcXrBDBvDoW5cJkGq6iaCuj8MgTm39WaWsPGHS8gRXPm5K0xzH-8JA/s1600/king+tut.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">“Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. For You formed my inward parts. You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.” <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139:12-14&version=NASB">Psalm 139:12-14 </a></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">I love items crafted by hand. Whether window shopping for <i>objets d'art</i> at a craft fair or art gallery, a jewelry or quilt show or at outdoor markets overseas or stores selling indigenous art, individual creativity amazes me. Their artistry and creativity? Truly gifts from God. Taking nondescript materials, artisans create items of distinction. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Twice I attended the King Tut exhibition. Both times the amazing artistry of granite-hard stone smoothed into the Pharaohs’ statues and the finely detailed jewelry left me awed. How did ancient jewelers shape tiny semi-precious stone beads and drill holes for stringing without modern equipment? And the patience required? Amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Most often I don’t know the creator whose artistic soul fashioned the <i>objet d'art</i> delighting my eyes and artistic sense. But I do know the Creator of my soul. Not only did God weave me together in my mother’s womb, he handcrafts the darkness of my circumstances into an <i>objet d'art</i> revealing the beauty of His miraculous workmanship in my heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">At the same time the stresses and strains of single parenting to survive squeeze every bit of creativity out of me, I remain the object of God’s love. I want my faith to be more than a decorative object created for outward show. <i>Will my faith reveal God’s creativity to shape the unformed, raw materials of the dark circumstances of my life into his work of heart art? </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Only when I admire and praise the beauty of God’s handiwork in my life in the midst of heartache and hardship.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1631enc3oRoErSJVWa3bPEPbxorac2-XCWGMVeUeo6Jm6xilyTNEFy9dAvSsQKKafpONPn9ZAoX4uccADVmbJOGNFTTGMwY992FTmw4Chqb3i2MjwLVWGZun4-DEvbxu7JZ7b_Jx0STs/s1600/king+tut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Jehovah Elohim</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;"><i>, my Creator, You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah%209:6&version=NIV">Nehemiah 9:6, NIV</a>) I praise you for giving me life and turning my darkness into light and my chaos into beauty. You are, my life, the very life I breathe.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-3598305886531239852010-12-21T12:34:00.003-08:002010-12-21T12:52:42.509-08:00Rekindle the Spirit of Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkd6e56CavjCCGAqo9G2zrrg3XYhPRbItEKfPzwk7_knB1RgqKkE_2Oeg9tUNLeFs4DReDn8l3XZgGGOwDQaOlL6xTJKh11dzIeuHgfD8qqd56N1G_XxDpYSikXo_B3Dkn3skoZ1g9pno/s1600/christmas-star-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkd6e56CavjCCGAqo9G2zrrg3XYhPRbItEKfPzwk7_knB1RgqKkE_2Oeg9tUNLeFs4DReDn8l3XZgGGOwDQaOlL6xTJKh11dzIeuHgfD8qqd56N1G_XxDpYSikXo_B3Dkn3skoZ1g9pno/s200/christmas-star-image.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">“Do not be afraid. The Lord is with you. No word from God will ever fail. </span></i><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">For nothing will be impossible with God.” Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:28, 37.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div></blockquote><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Pain pillaged my first Christmases with my sons without their father. Haunted by the spirit of Christmases past, I mourned the loss of our family’s meaningful rituals making Christmas wondrous. I grieved that my two young sons would not experience the same emotional sensations my mom and dad lavished on me—stability, joy, faith and warm, love-filled holidays.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Celebrating the birth of baby Jesus provided the meaning of the season. However, in years past, emotional pleasure—excitement, anticipation and delight—energized my spirit of Christmas. Now something unfamiliar crowded out my holiday zeal—excruciating heartache. Financial turmoil extinguished any remaining fragments of seasonal cheer. I felt as helpless as that babe in a manger in a cold cave thrust into an inhospitable world. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">What most influences your spirit of Christmas? Alcohol? </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Spending time with those you love? E</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">nduring uneasy truces to avoid family issues and quarrels? Gift giving? </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">The birth of Christ?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia;">The First Christmas</span></b></span><b><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">On “the” first Christmas, Mary and Joseph experienced many circumstances single parents face. They confronted shame and a difficult moral situation—a pregnant bride-to-be. Wagging tongues surely gossiped about their state of affairs. Their social prestige factor? Near zero. The innkeeper rejected Mary and Joseph, forcing them to find shelter wherever they could. A child born into poverty. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">What lone parent has not experienced Mary’s feelings? Astonished, perplexed, afraid, anxious, and incredulous.</span></i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The God of Disguise and Surprise</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">T</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">he God of</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">disguise and surprise came to reside right where solo parents live. As the emptiness of the first of many lonely Christmases engulfed me in depression, words my mom read to me as a child every Christmas morning encouraged me, “Do not be afraid. The Lord is with you. No word from God will ever fail. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">For nothing will be impossible with God.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">The real God, the warm God engaged my cold heart right where I was—needy, helpless, weak, angry and unforgiving. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Emmanuel—God with us—came unScroogelike to my young sons and me, extending tenderness for the past, courage for the present and hope for the future.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<b><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A Christmas Prayer</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Like my Christmas wish list, I often wasted my prayers asking for inconsequential desires. When lost, abandoned and impoverished in spirit, I embraced the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Where there is hatred, let me sow love.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Where there is injury, pardon.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Where there is doubt, faith.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Where there is despair, hope.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Where there is darkness, light.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Where there is sadness, joy.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">For it is in giving that we receive. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<b><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Wrapped in God’s Amazing Gifts</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;">Emmanuel—God with us—wraps us in his amazing gifts of new life, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, love and concern for others. Jesus, the first Christmas gift, summed up the true spirit of Christmas, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Live this season by the spirit of love and keep the spirit of Christmas glowing all year long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-78832973960519006212010-10-07T06:15:00.000-07:002010-11-02T07:11:34.247-07:00Moving Forward, When You’d Rather Go in Reverse<blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbDd9i18pFGBVFeeskSwrEOKZ_KwbVYCaem99wvi6kQv_dEYi7qRyExmmDGciSIOPG9Er1S0fe9eWKwe3mRn449Cik3fx-Avhef-8ZbC-JMv9WOQNxpK_LDlepchtMY4GX_OqP8U8x1A/s1600/forward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbDd9i18pFGBVFeeskSwrEOKZ_KwbVYCaem99wvi6kQv_dEYi7qRyExmmDGciSIOPG9Er1S0fe9eWKwe3mRn449Cik3fx-Avhef-8ZbC-JMv9WOQNxpK_LDlepchtMY4GX_OqP8U8x1A/s200/forward.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="color: #741b47;"><b><i>“I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.” Philippians 3:12-14 (The Message)</i></b></div></blockquote>I came to single parenting as an accomplished adult and professional. Rejection and abandonment slashed my personhood and confidence to negative digits. The daunting challenge that lay before me reduced me to feeling like a child—in need of guidance and support. Where would I obtain the knowledge to successfully navigate life and guide my children?<br />
<br />
Just as everyone begins life as an infant, I lacked solo parenting experience during those first days on my own. From dealing with car troubles to finding a job and childcare to emotionally surviving the day without a major bawl fest, every day offered new challenges to overcome.<br />
<br />
Like children who grow from helpless infants to mature adults, I learned how to survive, cope and grow—one step at a time. Every triumph over an obstacle boosted my confidence. There were times when I took two steps forward, then fell to my knees and crawled until I could regain my footing once again. Too often I was too hard on myself. I only looked at what I didn’t accomplish that day or where I failed. I lost sight of the skills I'd developed and how I’d grown more adept at overcoming frustrations. <br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">A New Look At the Past</span></span></b><br />
When discouraged I looked back, not upon my sorrows and disappointments, but upon the headway I’d gained. I stopped comparing my life to what I'd lost and started asking God give me the courage to face each day and hope for the future. Each time a new crisis reverses my forward momentum, I ask, “Am I better than a week ago, a month ago, a year ago?<br />
<br />
Growing up is never easy. We hold on to the way things were, while fearing, “What’s to come?” Let go of the past. Live the best life you can today. Look ahead to what can be and trust God. Never forget—stress and trials mature us emotionally and spiritually.<br />
<br />
How much progress have you already made from the first day you found yourself a single parent? Each day’s unperceived progress pays it forward towards our future. Faith, wisdom, and maturity start today. Ask God for wisdom to help you move forward—today. <i>Right now.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-51318887726580642552010-08-13T08:15:00.000-07:002010-08-16T12:05:44.715-07:00What's in a Name?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAk2jQ8tAkJsKLHS3j2CcglqIXD2qPYJoZkdo-zEFFwlMFpMUfS84jBotdEh2LD5JnZPnxcCZQJU3MLAZOzOI-sMzAP0z2lEW9nXKVvOzKFd-9GjrpbTAulsHqBC0V6b-YF3xyCureYZw/s1600/separation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAk2jQ8tAkJsKLHS3j2CcglqIXD2qPYJoZkdo-zEFFwlMFpMUfS84jBotdEh2LD5JnZPnxcCZQJU3MLAZOzOI-sMzAP0z2lEW9nXKVvOzKFd-9GjrpbTAulsHqBC0V6b-YF3xyCureYZw/s200/separation.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span">This is what the Lord says: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I created you, formed you. Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. Jeremiah 31:3, Nahum 1:7, Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)</span></b></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I’m not sure how long it took me to grow comfortable with the term “single parent”. It didn’t fit. It felt like someone else’s clothes. Certainly, not mine. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">When stripped of the honor and title of “wife” and every other moniker associated with marriage and acceptance by polite society, I clung to the only descriptor left—single mom. That name made me at least feel somewhat human. “Single” and “mom” described my circumstances, my status, and my daunting responsibilities. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Even though <i>who I was</i> had not changed—<i>how I was viewed</i> and treated by others changed. Without knowing me, religious leaders</span></span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">judged me harshly</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">called what was left of my shattered family uncomplimentary names</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">predicted I’d fail at parenting</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">pronounced curses upon any hope for my children to achieve any success in their futures</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">and accused a terrified single mother and two innocent children of the downfall of society.</span></span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Their dire warnings, prejudices, and forecasts further stripped me of dignity and courage. Where’s the voice of encouragement when you need it most?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">The only person who didn’t treat or view me harshly?</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">El ‘Echad</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span">, The One God. God’s care, affirmations, and support </span><i>never</i><span class="Apple-style-span"> wavered.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I was still his friend, his child, and his beloved. The father of every man, woman and child on the face of the earth cheered me on. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b>Nothing</b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b> and </b></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b>no one</b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b> could separate me from his love.</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">El Echad, I praise you for embracing my precious family. You didn’t slap a negative label on my precious sons or me. When terrified by those who branded my family with treacherous words, I turned to your Word that convinced me that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, can separate me from your love.</span></i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-12963569906194033372010-05-05T22:54:00.003-07:002010-08-13T08:30:04.682-07:00An Encounter with Truth<link href="file://localhost/Users/scotidomeij/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">“For I proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.</span><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">”</span><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"> Deuteronomy 32:3-4 (NASB)<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8NujGAFYnY7BSorQTqE1-_sg2iuIydTAsn71zSE6gYfo0gizl2ohegOFZdjc_383Hf9fzLS656fqO2sUkgaWscyqTjjSTntL2yPK8wAZyn_r3KJWC-sWZLoHgoZLalPtKfNetpKATjM/s1600/balancerock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8NujGAFYnY7BSorQTqE1-_sg2iuIydTAsn71zSE6gYfo0gizl2ohegOFZdjc_383Hf9fzLS656fqO2sUkgaWscyqTjjSTntL2yPK8wAZyn_r3KJWC-sWZLoHgoZLalPtKfNetpKATjM/s320/balancerock.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">“You’re in great financial shape.” </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">I <i>never</i> thought I’d <i>ever</i> hear these words. But that’s what my financial planner said after looking at my budget, lack of debt and compensation in my new job. I’m in far better shape than most. Facing uphill challenges and a shaky budget as a single mom taught me practical and spiritual lessons.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">In a financial crisis, don’t trust in man or credit cards. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Trust God.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">After years of uncertainty, mistreatment, financial struggle, betrayal, and even individuals taking advantage of my vulnerability, <i>El Emunah</i>, The Faithful God, remained true to his character, his commandments and his compassion. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">And all I want to do is praise <i>El Emunah</i>. He’s my rock. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrpuXLR0pMU">“Let us sing for joy to the LORD,</a> Let us shout joyfully to the rock of my salvation,” Psalm 95:1-3 (NASB).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><i>El Emunah</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><i>, you are my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my salvation, my strength, and my redeemer. I can count on your faithfulness. Thank you for being my refuge during my days of trouble. When my heart was faint and I called on you, you heard me and rescued me quickly. I’m amazed that I can continually come to you. Thank you for your abundance.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-21539553069887579672010-04-19T09:41:00.000-07:002010-05-05T21:07:08.351-07:00The Beginning and the End of Unemployment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgBe7rVOo05t8xR1hfE-4oPumFEsODf_mQLi7nKZTbPrAJEMO_Qyz8LDJIllJEi4Yd3OdVvR24V2frkZec2HBRhnkqg12Mq2EGnA8cN4f67xLFyPScp28edIhG_XJtE1NRiMwsvnWIXU/s1600/unemployment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgBe7rVOo05t8xR1hfE-4oPumFEsODf_mQLi7nKZTbPrAJEMO_Qyz8LDJIllJEi4Yd3OdVvR24V2frkZec2HBRhnkqg12Mq2EGnA8cN4f67xLFyPScp28edIhG_XJtE1NRiMwsvnWIXU/s200/unemployment.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><blockquote><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">“Behold, I am making all things new,” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.” Revelation 21:5-7 (NASB)</span></i><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></blockquote><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">“Please don’t make me wait until my last penny is gone,” I begged God last week. A quick peek at my bank statement elicited my desperate plea. Although several agencies want my services, their bureaucratic processes moving forward to employment seem far too slow for my patience level. Would their employment date and first paycheck come <i>after</i> bills exhaust my bank account? Would my house head into foreclosure?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">All I want is emotional and financial relief and all </span><i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">El ‘Aman, The Faithful God, </span></i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">wants is for me to trust him. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Each time a person offered a potential job possibility my encouragement soared. When man failed to come through, my hopes glided on a downward trajectory. Only God knows the alpha (beginning) and omega (end) of this time off without pay. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><b>Behold, I Am Making All Things New</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">This financial downturn proved far different. As an independent contractor, I’m ineligible to receive unemployment benefits. I confess that in the past unemployment sent me into severe terror mode. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<i><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">And now—no benefits? Just trust in God—not the government?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">I desired a new attitude to overcome depression and fear. What would it cost me to drink from the refreshing, free flowing waters of life with God? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">With no job or income, I decided to respond to my “time in-between jobs” in a way far different from my past reactions. I did not want to acquiesce to stress. With cash flowing out and no consistent income flowing in, I wanted to lean into God’s faithfulness to bust my fears. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">A backwards look forward—hindsight revealing that God had always provided—made me realize God’s provision will sustain me during this financial famine. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">To blot out panic, I started a daily blessings journal to record how God provides for me each day. God littered my journal with his faithfulness. From a dime found while cleaning out my garage to a friend giving me twenty dollars to go out to eat with my singles group, I praised God for the dependability of his blessings. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Two days after begging </span><i><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Jehovah-Jireh</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">, The Lord my Provider, </span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">“Please don’t make me wait until my last penny is gone,” I received:<o:p></o:p></span></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">a tiny paycheck for a job performed<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">another check from someone I helped<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">a long-awaited refund from my credit card<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">an unexpected check that arrived in my mailbox<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">an email announcing a promising job possibility.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">In one day, God reminded me of his amazing trustworthiness. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<i><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">El ‘Aman, The Faithful God, you provide for me and keep your promises to those who love you. I’m amazed by your mercy to me. I love you and want to follow the wisdom of your commandments. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">As I look back on all these months of unemployment, thank you for covering my pared-down, budgeted expenses.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-17337072161606790052010-03-26T11:18:00.000-07:002010-03-26T11:35:40.012-07:00Caught in a Sudden Spring Snow Storm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jIbUNo0hECaV7B8L_gCmbNJwgV8U-9wx2wZUH7dCymsBCH25b3CYxt8JMiklz76HfmLu9zj_PswriA3xGFOaSURa1VYhrO6V0YQCC8hskC-RttDnEi8-9pkN99jcuBwB7HXQvnN1euA/s1600/blizzard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jIbUNo0hECaV7B8L_gCmbNJwgV8U-9wx2wZUH7dCymsBCH25b3CYxt8JMiklz76HfmLu9zj_PswriA3xGFOaSURa1VYhrO6V0YQCC8hskC-RttDnEi8-9pkN99jcuBwB7HXQvnN1euA/s320/blizzard.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:9-11 (NASB)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">I left my home at 5 PM and forgot my winter coat to speak at a women’s function. I thought, “Oh well, I’ll be home in a couple of hours, I’ll survive.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">At 8:30 PM I stepped into six inches of snow in my toeless and backless shoes. Wet snow pouring from the skies soaked my hair as I brushed snow and scraped ice off all four sides of my car—coatless. I grabbed a crocheted afghan that I keep in my car, wrapped it snuggly around me, snapped on my seatbelt, and started my car. When it’s cold my car refuses to start, due to a sluggish alternator not in my budget at the moment. My engine turned over and I thanked God.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">As I inched forward on the slippery roads, praise and worship music blasted from my radio. All around me semi-trucks, cars, SUV’s, and police cars with lights flashing sat sideways and backwards in ditches. The heavy snowfall blowing across the road blinded my vision. The whiteout obscured the street sign. I turned left at the road I thought led home. Cars bogged down on the steep hill sat askew, blocking my snowy trek home. I felt trapped as my gas gauge sat dangerously close to empty.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: maroon;">“God, please help me get home,” I prayed.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: maroon;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">I spotted a small opening between the cars littering the incline. Inching my way through the maze of stalled and stuck cars, I broke free. A few SUV’s whizzed past me at dangerous speeds endangering everyone in their icy path. I thought, “Idiots!” and continued my glacial, ten-mile-per-hour, crawl on all four wheels. In the blinding, thick storm, none of the landmarks looked familiar. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: maroon;">I started to panic, “Where am I God? I don’t know where I am. I don’t recognize anything. Where does this road lead? Please let me come to a street I recognize.”</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">My shoulders and chest tightened up and then relaxed when a familiar, large building came into view. I was on the right road home. What a relief.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">The steep hill delineating the street leading to my home immobilizes cars struggling to scale its upward trajectory. To avoid it, I ducked into a parking lot at the bottom of the hill and then exited onto the street above the precipitous slope. As I pulled safely into my driveway, I thanked God for safe passage home, and then waded in ankle-deep snow to the warmth of my home.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">And that pretty much describes my life journey at the moment. As my faith inches along not sure where my life is headed, my emotions slip and slide, sometimes ditching hopes that daily life will return to mostly sunny and mild. So I look to the God of the heavens to lead me out of this blinding whiteout. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">The spiritual snows blanketing my financial winter water my faith and trust in God to provide. I wrap my heart and mind in the warmheartedness of God’s promises. Sprouting from my trepidation is an excitement that God wants to accomplish what he desires for my life, my faith, my trust in him. Right now, I’m stranded by God’s love and I await God to pull me out of my circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">El Jeshurun, there is none like you who, like the snow, rides the heavens and the skies to help me. Your word will not return to me empty. As the snow waters the harvest you bring, I look to you to supply my needs. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-56975797851909546852010-03-18T09:26:00.000-07:002010-03-18T09:48:39.816-07:00When Life Hurtles Towards Your Eyeballs in 3D<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBINU4AWGG-17nhclcHAUYh7c3tzSF-5He9ztv4WORVfkFinUqCF1HwUVjpdyU2cVoC4_NARJBgqaUCOZg4OKrB4NokhLAOV6Iso6_L1TdqLQuFOKnO0YrHnrTtB48S7-YM9sS6AbsbUQ/s1600-h/3D-glasses-anaglyph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBINU4AWGG-17nhclcHAUYh7c3tzSF-5He9ztv4WORVfkFinUqCF1HwUVjpdyU2cVoC4_NARJBgqaUCOZg4OKrB4NokhLAOV6Iso6_L1TdqLQuFOKnO0YrHnrTtB48S7-YM9sS6AbsbUQ/s320/3D-glasses-anaglyph.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ac2f52; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 17px;"><i>"Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin. Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Exodus 20:19-21, Joshua 1:9 NASB</i>)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 17px;">As the reality of life and my dwindling resources hurtle towards me, 3D glasses enhance the illusion of my depth perception.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #ac2f52; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Two lenses—mine and God’s—filter everything I see and feel. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ac2f52; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">The goofy 3D glasses of unemployment perch on my nose, trying to filter two polarizing viewpoints streaming towards my heart. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">One eye fixates on my circumstances. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">The other homes in on God. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #ac2f52; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">The focal point of one lens? Uncertainty, anxiety and fear. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ac2f52; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #ac2f52; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">The other zeros in on who God says he is in my circumstances—<i>Jehovah-Shalom</i>, God is my peace. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ac2f52; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">I desire for this Job moment to pass quickly and my job moment to come to pass, even faster. Everything feels urgent. And here I am stuck in wait mode. The phone fails to ring, ring, draining my patience. When the phone rings, I jump. I hope to hear, “You’re hired,” releasing the lump in my throat, the constriction of my chest and anxiety radiating from my shoulders. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">I need the filter of the light of God’s Word to block the fear streaming into my heart. How long will it take for the depth of my perception to rest in the assurance that God sees what I need and when I need it? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #ac2f52; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">I desire a fearless trust in God.</span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ac2f52; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Each time an emotional downer blurs my hopes for relief, I zoom in on God’s promises. I plead for God’s perspective to move my fears to my peripheral vision—outside the center of my gaze. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">My refuge in this blinding point in time? His Word. God's point of view pinpoints my line of sight on the confidence that <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><i>Jehovah Palet</i>, my Deliverer</span>, is working behind the scenes to resolve my circumstances.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;"><i>Jehovah-shalom focus my heart on your peace. Drown out my fears. Flood my home, my mind, my soul, and my heart with your peace. Set my mind on you, your words, your promises. Let your peace inhabit every cell of my being.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-86678095023901014312010-03-16T12:50:00.000-07:002010-03-16T17:18:41.513-07:00What Happens When a Life Storm Deletes Your To-Do List?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUUv-RoqipOuMWmDMEg-W00_WLeYZOxm5rPpqNHdBA2beNQxEnr678_8xTxBLpbAC9QskWBhz8oSaZav4BbAG2afSijLHTbJ36p38gO-hOmIC2PsrTEcSlVtrYOvr98zQxFutT1UPlrw/s1600-h/storm-team2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUUv-RoqipOuMWmDMEg-W00_WLeYZOxm5rPpqNHdBA2beNQxEnr678_8xTxBLpbAC9QskWBhz8oSaZav4BbAG2afSijLHTbJ36p38gO-hOmIC2PsrTEcSlVtrYOvr98zQxFutT1UPlrw/s200/storm-team2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ac2f52; font-size: 19px;">“Then I cried to the LORD in my trouble, and He brought me out of my distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then I was glad because they were quiet, so He guided me to my desired haven.”— Psalm 107:28-30 (NASB)</span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></span></blockquote></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 17px;">I don’t do limbo well. Especially unemployment. A few weeks ago my daily To-Do list was organized and full. Then a storm swirled through my life, shelving my To-Do list and obliterating my paycheck.</span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Each time I find myself unemployed, I panic. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #ac2f52; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">I feel so alone.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">This time I decided, “I want to respond differently. I called my church and met with a financial planner, which was somewhat hilarious. What single parent’s bank account really has enough resources to plan ahead? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Each time “What if…” fears creep over the barren landscape of my life and checkbook, I rehearse truth, “God is my provider.” In the desert God provided water, meat, manna, <i>and himself </i>for the Israelites—and they wanted not.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Each time stress and impatience influences me to raise the anxious Golden Calf question, “Where are you? I wish you’d show up sooner than at the LAST minute.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Then I rehearse truth, “He’s always provided in the past—in his time. I have everything I need for today.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">I started a daily blessing journal to list how God provides every day. On those days circumstances assault my faith, I review my blessings list. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #ac2f52; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">And today I’m struggling. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">It amazes me how quickly a panic attack erases all memories of God’s provision. I agreed to do an assignment that would pay the house payment. The person I relied upon failed to come through, propelling me into begging mode, “God, please, please, please help me.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">So I here I sit rehearsing truth, “People are not the source of my salvation, God is. He will provide.” God offers the most security we can find in this world. I just wish I could feel it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #ac2f52; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">What’s on my To-Do list today? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Pray.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Trust.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Believe.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 13pt;">Dear Jehovah-Jireh, you are my provider. I want my trust in you to be so strong, that stress cannot affect me. As I take a fresh look at my daily blessing list since beginning this journey of faith, thank you for your marvelous provision. Now I’m watching expectantly for you—the source of my salvation. My God <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">will </span>hear me.</span></i></div><br />
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.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-90189059629139161232009-08-07T08:38:00.001-07:002009-08-07T08:54:30.477-07:00Finding Balance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjW95aCsqAc3VvQBcK-tXb9V5tjghyXwpZAMtPxWsL9erJDGmtxg0ij2syMGEHi9ItOwCS7tI8dCRdcfKawlrZsynNicPoBXlcIreJ22j3XmKRg_Cg_mKGWUK3vAfueaxz0yxuHxvJZw/s1600-h/spinning+plates.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 141px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjW95aCsqAc3VvQBcK-tXb9V5tjghyXwpZAMtPxWsL9erJDGmtxg0ij2syMGEHi9ItOwCS7tI8dCRdcfKawlrZsynNicPoBXlcIreJ22j3XmKRg_Cg_mKGWUK3vAfueaxz0yxuHxvJZw/s200/spinning+plates.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367250823878259954" /></a><span xmlns=''><blockquote><p><span style='color:#c00000; font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><strong><em>"The LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the EL of my life."—Psalms 42:8<br /></em></strong></span></p></blockquote><p><a href='http://michaelhyatt.com/2009/08/priority-management-and-life-balance.html'><span style='color:#c00000; font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Michael Hyatt</span></a><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'> wrote, "Most people believe that somehow, if they can just find the right system, they can get everything done. I think this is a myth bordering on an outright lie. You can't do it all. Time is a limited resource. This is just something you have to understand and accept. You only need to get the right things done and leave the rest with God. You're only human and you can only do so much."<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Balance equals how many plates I can spin on emaciated financial and emotional poles. I work 2-3 jobs and struggle, never getting everything done at home. I eliminate and concentrate. I set my alarm for 3 a.m. so I can study my Bible, but even then, open eyes and Bible equal "kid magnet." I never feel like there is time for me.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Too many responsibilities, demands and unexpected surprises blur time and priorities.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Now that my launched sons are productive adults and I'm an empty nester, I feel guilt looking back and thinking, "I wish I'd prioritized better…done more…spent more time with my precious sons." Today I enjoy "me" time —pursing the passions God embedded in my heart's spiritual DNA.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I can't survive without <em>El Chay</em>, the God of My Life.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><em>El Chay, I long for you in my life. When my tears stream day and night and haunting fears taunt, "Where is your God?" I can tell you everything I feel and think without fear of rejection. Thank you for listening and replacing my despair with hope in you, my helper, the God of my life.</em></span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-40878551094774474942009-08-03T22:13:00.001-07:002009-08-06T14:07:05.887-07:00Pruning Dead Wood from My Life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnIysuA819HC7bS5NkbZyscPQmG1edrdrB0KlODA97F-Jl9N69X_JS1VrOmrf2IIYA_e0QqyoUJcwiHzctfNcmPWWppNZknGeDJcUPr_cKCqLn3IuiNfPFK8wlbzZ5Sl1T-R3creX2Fo/s1600-h/peach+blossom.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnIysuA819HC7bS5NkbZyscPQmG1edrdrB0KlODA97F-Jl9N69X_JS1VrOmrf2IIYA_e0QqyoUJcwiHzctfNcmPWWppNZknGeDJcUPr_cKCqLn3IuiNfPFK8wlbzZ5Sl1T-R3creX2Fo/s200/peach+blossom.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365975836219447298"/></a><br /><span xmlns=''><p><span style='color:#c00000; font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><strong><em>"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. John 15:2; Galatians 5:22. (NASB)<br /></em></strong></span></p><h1><span style='color:#c00000'>Pruning Dead Wood<br /></span></h1><h1><span style='color:#c00000'>from My Life<br /></span></h1><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>A peach tree stands guard in front of my house. The person who planted it set it too close to my home's foundation. My sons and squirrels scramble up its limbs to access the roof.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>The coming of spring does not produce beautiful blossoms. During summer, my peach tree remains barren. It litters my lawn with leaves in the fall. Winter storms bang its limbs against my house. Other than shade, this tree is a nuisance.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>My neighbor, a master gardener, suggested severely pruning the tree to force the sap into more vigorous limbs to produce fruit.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Still no fruit.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Life without love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control reminds me of my peach tree, without fruit and useless.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>The sharp pruning shears of single parenting regularly hack away at my negative character traits. Far too often than I'd like to admit, the stresses of dual parenting force out the worst in me. To bear good fruit in my soul, I've learned to trim away the dead wood—toxic relationships and attitudes that drain my faith.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I don't want to be dead wood in the lives of others. I want to be someone who encourages others to blossom and produce fruit in a manner worthy of the Lord.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><em>Lord, I want the fruit of my life, my actions and my attitudes, to be a visible expression of your inward working in me</em>.</span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-76031536909151576112009-08-01T23:23:00.001-07:002009-08-02T09:55:01.220-07:00Expect Delays<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwvVWIT0yJ4dL88YVdvpRDRufSCjDyyL23llfv1-kBajevyjr85RZ_7j20YbvKbUq4ERvBuCFcfF4tnRXQjx_00RKWvyQDtu24b0ThZ5FmSIFjXg6UpAPFodvJsEvOgDa_IzwPJh5MpM/s1600-h/expect-delays-full-size.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwvVWIT0yJ4dL88YVdvpRDRufSCjDyyL23llfv1-kBajevyjr85RZ_7j20YbvKbUq4ERvBuCFcfF4tnRXQjx_00RKWvyQDtu24b0ThZ5FmSIFjXg6UpAPFodvJsEvOgDa_IzwPJh5MpM/s200/expect-delays-full-size.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365255864633454690" /></a><span xmlns=''><blockquote><p><span style='color:#c00000; font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><strong><em>"The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.—Proverbs 16:9 (NASB)<br /></em></strong></span></p></blockquote><h1><span style='color:#c00000'>Expect Delays<br /></span></h1><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>The lighted yellow dots on the computerized signal spelled, "EXPECT DELAYS."<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>With directions in hand and my foot on the accelerator, I looked forward to meeting Gloria in Castle Rock for a little girlfriend time. As I zipped past the foreshadowing flashes of the signal, my radio blasted, "Be Still and Know that I Am God."<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Suddenly, every lane on the freeway stopped—dead.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>My tires sat stock-still on the fiery pavement. My soul <em>was not still</em>—it was hot and irritated. <em>What? It's Saturday. Why is the freeway backed up?<br /></em></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I love the feel of a 75-mile-per-hour trajectal towards my destination.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Traffic crept and I called my friend to let her know we might miss the start time of our movie. "Not to worry," she said. "We'll regroup when you get here."<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I relaxed.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Traffic again accelerated to full speed ahead. I'd already totaled one car on this never-ending road construction, car crash corridor; so I nervously negotiated my car in my lane between a cement barrier and semi-trucks driving far too close to my door handle for comfort.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Traffic stopped again. <em>Again? Arggg!</em> I spotted a dirt escape route to a road paralleling the interstate. I broke away from the pack and guided my car onto the muddy, dirt trail, pulling onto the old highway. Feeling victorious, I sped alongside the cars stopped on their tire treads. I passed the traffic stopper—an accident—said a prayer for the injured parties and cruised onto an on-ramp, depositing my car back on a near empty expressway.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>One accident, two "Two Men in a Truck®" trucks lounging on the shoulder, a million rubberneckers, and several slow-down-fines-doubled road construction sites stretched the thirty-minute drive into an hour+.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>This drive reminded me of my journey with God. I enjoy setting my cruise control, sitting back, cranking up the praise and worship music, and whizzing along at full speed with no distractions.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>But far too often stress and obstacles punctuate my start, stop, go, slow down, speed-up life. Road construction, accidents, sidetracks, and unexpected delays put the brakes on my progress towards my goals, or so I think.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><em>Life interruptus</em> gets in the way of my dreams and aspirations. And often the reinforced barriers erected to keep me safe make me feel trapped. But the pauses of life drive me to engage in pressing heart matters. The stillness of immobility reminds me that God is at work on my behalf. Even though I make my plans, God directs my path.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><em>Lord, I'm so grateful that even when I'm impatient and driven, you are at work in my life patiently guiding, protecting and perfecting my faith.</em></span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-76352225055424881392009-07-28T21:05:00.001-07:002009-08-29T12:46:28.548-07:00Why Do I Study the Bible?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-uVNlHV8AcNtv8ljWYjTSnPKKKj6rD44VWpnGvyDBDLYltf-DuUtI48YyNzmM-Gx9jZKqP_tJVBgStBO9Ja1g2N7O3hX9nDu1UVyuOGwbPfK8SU6_UO9TssePpEHudh3fVQcKEc5dws/s1600-h/Bible.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 147px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-uVNlHV8AcNtv8ljWYjTSnPKKKj6rD44VWpnGvyDBDLYltf-DuUtI48YyNzmM-Gx9jZKqP_tJVBgStBO9Ja1g2N7O3hX9nDu1UVyuOGwbPfK8SU6_UO9TssePpEHudh3fVQcKEc5dws/s200/Bible.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363731753856361218" /></a><span xmlns=''><blockquote><p><span style='color:#c00000; font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><strong><em>"I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word. We have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. Psalm 119:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 2:3-5; 2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB)<br /></em></strong></span></p></blockquote><h1><span style='color:#c00000'>Why Do I Study the Bible?<br /></span></h1><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Before my sons were born, my father died suddenly. My first look at him lying in the casket prompted this thought. <em>That is not my dad. My dad is with Jesus.<br /></em></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I felt happy for Dad, then panicked. <em>His brain is gone and so is everything he learned about the Bible!<br /></em></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>A soft voice whispered to my heart, <em>"That knowledge has not vanished. It's in your Bible and you can know it for yourself."<br /></em></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>While married, I joined a <a href='http://www.precept.org/site/PageServer'><span style='color:#c00000'>Precept</span></a> Bible study. The inductive study method provided the tools I needed to know how to explore God's Word for myself. Like Daddy, I now found my greatest passion was to search the pages of the Bible discovering exciting spiritual truths.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I love to study God's Word. It provides wisdom, guidance and inspiration. The more I study, the less I know and the more I want to know God.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>People say that the Bible has little application our daily lives, pointing to ritual uncleanness, animal sacrifices, stoning adulterers, not eating shrimp, and Baal and Molech idol worship.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I've seen some use the Bible to debate and prove their pet theologies. I've been disappointed by some who teach God's Word, but don't observe his commandments. <br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Others use science to disprove the Bible. The Bible is more than an <span style='color:#c00000'>"<a href='http://natureniche.tripod.com/ology.html'>ology</a>"</span>—the organized study of science.<br /></span></p><p><span style='color:#c00000; font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><strong><em>It is life.<br /></em></strong></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I study Scripture because I want to know what I believe and why. And it's enjoyable.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>When betrayed by others, I was desperate for comfort and encouragement. I turned to God's Word.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Scripture answers many questions that I pose to God:<br /></span></p><ul><li><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><em>God, who do you say you are?<br /></em></span></li><li><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><em>God, who do you say I am?<br /></em></span></li><li><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><em>God, what do you say you will do?<br /></em></span></li><li><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><em>God, what do you say I am to do?<br /></em></span></li></ul><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I was mentored by a famous author who told me, "I read through the Bible every year." More obvious to me was how the Bible went through her. When I asked her advice, it was the opposite of what I'd normally do. When I did what she said, it worked.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I want to know how the reality and truth of the Bible works in my life. When asked then I can share timeless truths to encourage and comfort others.</span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-49959000758181458592009-07-28T00:10:00.001-07:002009-10-11T12:30:08.964-07:00The Heart (broken) Beat of Scripture<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbMrNf4FNTNUVa1brhUg67HB6NL56vQ-Na3Uikkg6J3hJB6D-VcFLx6zwwGCcJV6SRCko1sGnsh8rEFRBJFWDcAHFH_lv6BfJIxsDC386J8f6kqq7gF6cE9RYdspJ3o_XnMvG54rwBK4/s1600-h/j0438743.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbMrNf4FNTNUVa1brhUg67HB6NL56vQ-Na3Uikkg6J3hJB6D-VcFLx6zwwGCcJV6SRCko1sGnsh8rEFRBJFWDcAHFH_lv6BfJIxsDC386J8f6kqq7gF6cE9RYdspJ3o_XnMvG54rwBK4/s200/j0438743.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363415453835468002" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;color:#c00000;"><strong><em>"I love the LORD, because He hears my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live. The cords of death encompassed me and the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I beseech You, save my life!" Gracious is the LORD and righteous; yes, our God is compassionate. I was brought low, and He saved me." Psalm 116:1-6 (NASB)<br /></em></strong></span></p><h1><span style="color:#c00000;">The Heart(broken) Beat of Scripture<br /></span></h1><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">My husband's unfaithfulness propelled me into single parenthood with a three-year-old son and a nine-month-old son. Terrified and alone, I felt as if I belonged nowhere and to no one.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Abandonment enrolled me in an advanced crash course in life with God. Tsk Tskers brushed off my pain. "Tsk, tsk, God works for good, blah blah blah," disqualifying my feelings, which were <em>normal.</em><br /> </span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Unable to find understanding, I turned to the heart(broken)beat of scripture. The Psalms expressed <em>everything</em> I felt: rejection, anger, despair, depression, sorrow.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Psalms also comforted me with everything I needed to hear. I am not alone. I belong to God who is my refuge, my fortress, my shield, my defender, my rescuer, my deliverer, and my redeemer.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;"><em>God, thank you for letting me vent. You heard my cries, offering your strength during the worst days of my life. I rejoice in your compassion and salvation.</em></span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-76682309876122840662009-07-26T22:49:00.001-07:002009-10-11T12:36:50.415-07:00Living Hard on the Outside—Soft on the Inside<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rHEiZYqmqnGhnd1iZwL8nPaOEiaHufad1B-zpMizPIoSSgwe4RW7bLyJsnv2X2d_ec0PIM-1YAc8SA4Dt2A1V047Gh3nfWR4OY5cnlnBa1gQ1-UBpY62eaOSCp9y9LIrMqIz5hhhfYo/s1600-h/tears5.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 155px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rHEiZYqmqnGhnd1iZwL8nPaOEiaHufad1B-zpMizPIoSSgwe4RW7bLyJsnv2X2d_ec0PIM-1YAc8SA4Dt2A1V047Gh3nfWR4OY5cnlnBa1gQ1-UBpY62eaOSCp9y9LIrMqIz5hhhfYo/s200/tears5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363029572353533042" /></a><span xmlns=""><blockquote><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;color:#c00000;"><strong><em>"Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. 'Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, for You are my praise.'" — 1 Peter 2:24; Psalm 147:3; James 5:16; Jeremiah 17:14 (NASB)<br /></em></strong></span></p></blockquote><h1><span style="color:#c00000;">Living Hard on the Outside—<br /></span></h1><h1><span style="color:#c00000;">Remaining Soft on the Inside<br /></span></h1><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Did you know that the pearl is the only "jewel" not formed from a lifeless rock? Created inside a living organism, a precious, beautiful pearl forms when the oyster's tears repeatedly coat an irritant infiltrating the mollusk's inner core. How ironic that the name "mollusk" comes from a Latin word meaning "soft."<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">The hard knocks of life turned out to be far more painful and tougher than I expected. Even so, I don't want evil or sin or loneliness or the hassles of life to harden my heart. <span style="color:#c00000;"><em>So how can God form pearls from the hurts embedded in the tender regions of my heart?<br /></em></span></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">In Matthew 13:44–46, Jesus' parable uses the imagery of a pearl, formed within a non-kosher environment, to refer to a treasure hunter. This buyer and seller of valuable pearls gets rid of his entire inventory to obtain one costly über pearl.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;"><span style="color:#c00000;"><em>How often do I treasure my string of hurts, clinging to them?</em></span> When the fragile rope binding together life's bitter disappointments breaks, I turn to God to air my frustrations, hurts, stresses, worries, and confess bad attitudes and my hurtful actions. The miracle of his healing balm fills the gaps in my heart left by cavernous wounds.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Just as the oyster's legacy is a pearl, I want the pearls strung on my spiritual necklace to reflect the luster and beauty of the treasure hidden in my heart—God's Word.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;"><em>Thank you, Elohim, for creating me and pouring out your mercy, grace and healing on my life. How could I live without the precious treasure of your Word? Jehovah-Rapha, my healer, restores the broken places of my heart.</em></span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-69093748503528228072009-07-25T10:46:00.001-07:002010-01-15T21:01:09.008-08:00Is My Heart Hard?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9U06J7i1_FIVvLb-elydh3bKvYzjkujTTAWRBg-pN6plCiF00MylxU-cKELRXQVAYmCEOdogps_OQDPPH-gi3blgqCslojpb0y_kzvSFY5BgllFGGhj0IpByinQb0RbgIQZDfZqYNCqo/s1600-h/wheelchair.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 175px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9U06J7i1_FIVvLb-elydh3bKvYzjkujTTAWRBg-pN6plCiF00MylxU-cKELRXQVAYmCEOdogps_OQDPPH-gi3blgqCslojpb0y_kzvSFY5BgllFGGhj0IpByinQb0RbgIQZDfZqYNCqo/s200/wheelchair.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362534038666816818" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;color:#c00000;"><strong><em>"Show no partiality to princes, nor regard the rich above the poor, for they all are the work of His hands. The LORD raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes."—Job 34:19; Psalm 113:7–8 (NASB)<br /></em></strong></span></p><h1><span style="color:#c00000;">Is My Heart Hard?<br /></span></h1><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Sometimes I worry, <em>"Is my heart hard?"<br /></em></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Callous layers shield my heart from some religious leaders who claim to know and speak for God.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">I took some disabled music lovers to a concert at church. We've been made to feel unwelcome by one leader who fears the unusual physical features of my buddy's disability make the better-looking members uncomfortable. Another worries that my friend's quiet Wookiee noises might break the concentration of the able bodied.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">One developmentally-disabled friend does not understand that when he hears praise and worship music that he's supposed to remain quiet. <em>Shhhhhh!</em> Don't disturb those with far more sophistication. His rapt attention, smile, flapping arms, and joyful hoots encourage my heart to leap with joy.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;"><em>Oh, to worship God with such unbridled freedom.<br /></em></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">This particular concert drew attention to a missions project delivering refurbished <a href="http://www.joniandfriends.org/pg_wheelchair.php"><span style="color:#c00000;">wheelchairs</span></a> to the disabled living in other countries where wheelchairs are not affordable. Before the concert began, <a href="http://www.joniandfriends.org/"><span style="color:#c00000;">Joni Earackson Tada</span></a> spoke via video. She quoted Psalms 117:3: <em>"The LORD raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes."<br /></em></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Her words pierced my heart. My tears relieved some of my worries that I am hardhearted.<br /></span></p><h1><span style="color:#c00000;">Who Deserves Honor?<br /></span></h1><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">How does the Hebrew language in Psalms 113:7 describe the "poor"?<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Feeble.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Low.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Powerless.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Weak.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Needy.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Society's discrimination of value stands in stark contrast to those God welcomes into his sanctuary and uplifts.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;"><span style="color:#c00000;"><strong><em>Who deserves honor? </em>Those who honor others—including the feeble, the low, the powerless, the weak, and the needy. <em>Why do some act as if the "poor" are not priceless members of God's family?</em></strong></span><br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Contaminated by the pride of his social stature, superior religious knowledge and great abilities, a religious man noticed an ugly, misshapen person walking towards him. Feeling uncomfortable, the man turned his back.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">Undeterred, Mr. Socially Ugly smiled and warmly greeted him.<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">The religionist's body language communicated, "Wow! Is he ever ugly. I'm so glad I don't look like <em>that</em>. I wonder if his family members are as ugly and misshapen as he is?"<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">To his surprise, Mr. Socially Ugly said, "I don't know, but I suggest you go to my Maker and tell him: 'How ugly and misshapen is this vessel you have made!' "<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">The Hebrew language describes a "prince" as:<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">noble in rank<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">generous in mind and character<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">a member of one's own people<br /></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;">I pray that God roots out the ugliness of my heart towards others who make my insides squirm. I want to be generous and willing to love God's creative handiwork.</span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Bookman Old Style;font-size:12pt;"><em>God, I desire to remain tender to individuals who move your tender compassion. Please help me embrace the "unloveable" and "forgotten" who culture tosses onto the ash heap.</em></span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-14008965342825609582009-07-23T19:52:00.001-07:002009-07-23T20:03:53.134-07:00The Most Trusted Man in America<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBORxvatcvXQ-X7K56DyLEzZXNR_d0t9cAy8Uc27tWbCYSPTbzXaBKL_pYHBGsFlPMgB_1vLXnApBTCPXsF1EbC0h0Q10XPtrZdQda5IBunVFjCvmf2qiE3UUhK5Qk3LbjjrVIfhMCW8/s1600-h/Walter+Cronkite.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBORxvatcvXQ-X7K56DyLEzZXNR_d0t9cAy8Uc27tWbCYSPTbzXaBKL_pYHBGsFlPMgB_1vLXnApBTCPXsF1EbC0h0Q10XPtrZdQda5IBunVFjCvmf2qiE3UUhK5Qk3LbjjrVIfhMCW8/s200/Walter+Cronkite.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361857045334503170" /></a><span xmlns=''><blockquote><p><span style='color:#c00000; font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><strong><em>"The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him."— Psalm 28:7<br /></em></strong></span></p></blockquote><h1><span style='color:#c00000'>The Most Trusted Man <br /></span></h1><h1><span style='color:#c00000'>in America<br /></span></h1><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Legendary news anchor Walter Cronkite died. Accolades poured from around the world through my TV screen for "the most trusted man in America." Mr. Cronkite helped guide viewers nationwide through the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, the moon landing, the Watergate scandal, and other momentous news events.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>At Cronkite's memorial service, the "60 Minutes" commentator, Andy Rooney said, "Walter was such a good friend."<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Cronkite's former executive producer Sanford Socolow said, "He always lived by the wire service adage: 'Get it first, but get it right.' "<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Mike Ashford, a longtime friend, said, "I was often asked, 'What he's really like?' And I would always answer, 'He's just the way you hope he is.' "<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>It makes me wonder why we admire mortal men so much and ignore immortal God. What would happen if our TV screens featured longtime friends of God singing his praises and telling us 24/7 what God is like. Too bad the media fails to "Get it first, but get it right" about my dear friend, the Lord my strength. My heart trusts in Him who guides me through tragedy, scandal and all momentous life events.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>"And that's the way it is."</span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-47702834210723321562009-07-22T19:52:00.001-07:002009-07-22T20:00:46.715-07:00Exit Points<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYw-BFYbqrDFOWY7tiReQv927N9IhNK9Plwm0Pld2CWEqu5OS9MC7fO095FbzlGtB5gKHWW4N3lcZfF65fIH299P7VW8_BRJWJCHyVO2rBmH1mTQBMQ3Y0W0fM6z4oBKj-wkvtdd6D_w/s1600-h/exit.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 175px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYw-BFYbqrDFOWY7tiReQv927N9IhNK9Plwm0Pld2CWEqu5OS9MC7fO095FbzlGtB5gKHWW4N3lcZfF65fIH299P7VW8_BRJWJCHyVO2rBmH1mTQBMQ3Y0W0fM6z4oBKj-wkvtdd6D_w/s200/exit.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361484700277826386" /></a><span xmlns=''><blockquote><p><span style='color:#c00000; font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><strong><em>"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward me; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count." Psalms 139:16-17; 40:5. (NASB)<br /></em></strong></span></p></blockquote><h1><span style='color:#c00000'>Exit Points<br /></span></h1><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>How many times has parenting in the solo-parent fast lane made me want to kick back and take the nearest exit ramp? Probably way too many to count.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>One guy wanted me to take his exit. My workload prevented me from even thinking about dating him. I did not have enough time for myself, much less my sons. At first, his invitations tempted me to step away from my grinding responsibilities.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>But…he kept calling and insisting in a stalky kind of way, then arguing that I go out with him. (That in itself was a good reason not to spend time with him.) No amount of explaining appeased him. <br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Every phone call attempted to convince me that going out with him was a good thing for me: "You deserve a break. You need time to yourself. Blah, blah, blah."<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I quit taking his calls.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>His initial charming allure and offer for a fun break was no different from other tempting exit ramps in life. Exit points offer choices, pleading "Take me. Take me." As a single mom, my sense of priorities directed me to pour my energy, abilities and resources into what was most crucial to my sons' and our survival and my spiritual wellbeing.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I'm so glad that God's pursuit of relationship with me isn't pushy. When I veer off course or snub my heavenly Father's advances, God does not exit in a huff. He faithfully waits. His unconditional love persuades me to connect with him. And he's never too busy or stressed out to meet me where I am.</span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-49422793006016895512009-07-21T19:55:00.001-07:002009-08-29T12:49:13.217-07:00The Balance Sheet Analysis Guide<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOviulZUdRxFkmj8rvMr1d79O4ZfGfB27IJOrLXZ4nwG1302_pFiREjHejUthyKFcPOWieShHJyLj0Y1fm1fBq6JuOPljsx057S5OjN-BRoT1JqJKzGX7kt1-c-JLNSqbSTD4IgrXghk/s1600-h/Balance+Sheet.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOviulZUdRxFkmj8rvMr1d79O4ZfGfB27IJOrLXZ4nwG1302_pFiREjHejUthyKFcPOWieShHJyLj0Y1fm1fBq6JuOPljsx057S5OjN-BRoT1JqJKzGX7kt1-c-JLNSqbSTD4IgrXghk/s200/Balance+Sheet.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361114076278470610" /></a><span xmlns=''><blockquote><p><span style='color:#c00000; font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><strong><em>"For man is born for trouble, As sparks fly upward. 'But as for me, I would seek God, and I would place my cause before God; Who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number." —Job 5:7–9 (NASB)<br /><br /><br /></em></strong></span></p></blockquote><h1><span style='color:#c00000'>The Balance Sheet Analysis Guide<br /></span></h1><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Looking back on all my years of single parenthood, I'm amazed.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I survived.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>When I compare income with outflow, nothing adds up. Because "nothing" provided a good descriptor of my income after bills.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>I lacked $37 to pay my utilities and requested help.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>"Go get another job or two," my pastor advised.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>The power company cut off my utilities.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>No heat.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>No hot food.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>No refrigerator to keep food cold.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>No warm water to bathe my preschool sons.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Even though I did not have good feelings about that pastor, I felt victorious. I bathed my sons under a swimming pool outdoor shower. I used melted ice cubes to brush teeth. We survived for days, until I received my next paycheck.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Many times, I felt trapped. I worked two or three jobs. Even so, I could not improve my circumstances. The only thing I could change was my inner spiritual state. I pled my causes before God. When man does not listen, care or help, God balances inequity. The Loaves and Fishes Phenomenon stretched my faith, multiplying every penny I earned.</span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412483003530446039.post-18952166054731421032009-07-20T21:26:00.001-07:002009-07-21T00:32:35.790-07:00Cinderella at Midnight<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTd8sRVNXFJlDGruaA4EI50bKptrVd2WHRONcKb0opkGhc0G2WOlaEDFY72m8CdOwUTu5FWQhBIunj0h1QlZ50Ri2qR-MJndzDfUNa6Cp4pTe-mtIM6LKEInS4Dt0i7blPoDf2waUH6-E/s1600-h/j0434079.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTd8sRVNXFJlDGruaA4EI50bKptrVd2WHRONcKb0opkGhc0G2WOlaEDFY72m8CdOwUTu5FWQhBIunj0h1QlZ50Ri2qR-MJndzDfUNa6Cp4pTe-mtIM6LKEInS4Dt0i7blPoDf2waUH6-E/s200/j0434079.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360767494026512610" /></a><span xmlns=''><blockquote><p><span style='color:#c00000; font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'><strong><em>"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."— Romans 8:1 (NASB)<br /></em></strong></span></p></blockquote><h1><span style='color:#c00000'>Cinderella at Midnight<br /></span></h1><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Somewhere along the way, I got the idea that if I loved God, I'd live happily after ever.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>After my divorce, I wish my midnight epiphany had produced a pumpkin. But that revelation plunged me into a painful reality that others no longer considered my God-given giftedness useful to honor God—at least in their ministries and organizations. Their attitudes towards my divorce, which was biblical as defined by them, communicated, "You're marriage failed; it's an embarrassment to us. You're <em>persona non grata,</em> no longer useful to God."<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>By contrast, I felt passionately that my plunge into devastation equipped me to better understand, comfort and warn others.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Other than Jesus, I do not recall the people that God used in the Bible as being polished and perfect. Talk about embarrassing, their lives were messy. I love the way the Bible reveals man—unvarnished.<br /></span></p><ul><li><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Adam rejected God's wisdom.<br /></span></li><li><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Abraham lied.<br /></span></li><li><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Moses murdered a man.<br /></span></li><li><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>David committed adultery.<br /></span></li><li><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Solomon's wives turned his heart away from God.<br /></span></li><li><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Peter denied God's son.<br /></span></li><li><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Thomas doubted Jesus.<br /></span></li><li><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Paul incited murderous riots towards those who believed in Christ.<br /></span></li></ul><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Religionists measured me by their success-oriented expectations. Jesus values me far differently. <em>"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted," (Matthew 5:3-4 NASB). </em>The Greek word for poor, <em>ptōchos, </em>means "reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms, destitute of wealth, influence, position, and honor."<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>Hmmm. That definition accurately describes single parenthood to me.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>No longer an honored part of "their" family and without influence, I felt closer to God, relying on him more than before.<br /></span></p><p><span style='font-family:Bookman Old Style; font-size:12pt'>God's ways are not our ways and for that, I'm glad. After we fall, God lifts us up, using our grace-blessed lives in a deeper way to comfort others.</span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15538173852886506658noreply@blogger.com0