"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
A fellow YouTuber sent me a link to such a fresh presentation of the gospel that I wanted to share it here. Even if I'm preaching to the choir, it's still good for all of us who want to tell others about what Jesus has done.
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, ...
I saw a little girl shopping with her dad at Target this week. I wondered if she had dressed herself because she was wearing sparkly purple slip on shoes, a lime green tutu, and over that a Seattle Seahawks football jersey. We girls do like to dress for the men in our lives! Right now my husband is watching his college team play football. He could probably tell me exactly what colors each team is wearing and describe their jerseys, helmets, pants, and footwear. He may even recognize the players by their numbers. I doubt he even knows what I'm wearing. Wait...I just tested him...he doesn't. Sigh. I probably should be wearing his college colors, then slip on a tutu and sparkly shoes for myself. Then again, maybe I should be paying more attention to his football game. Touchdown!
The young man who lives in our house but doesn't want to be blogged has a dog that lives for him. When he's away the dog spends his time waiting for his return. Tonight I watched his delight as his master came through the back door and was rewarded for his patience with love and affection. All is well, his master is home. I think we all need a master, even if we don't think we need one, and Jesus is our Master, even if we don't acknowledge him as such. I know He is mine and I will wait on Him.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
I've been thinking of my dear friend who loved the colors of fall. Was she, like a autumn leaf, her most beautiful just before letting go of this life? I think so. She is now spending this fall in Glory, and I hope Jesus has decorated her mansion in brilliant shades of red and gold.
Our dear friend, as her husband wrote, went safely into the arms of Jesus this morning. So I find myself weeping in this little house under the weeping willow tree. She will be missed and Heaven is ever dearer.
She did get her miracle. A good and faithful servant, she entered into the joy of her Master.
6 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 3 Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” 6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”
10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus. This morning our pastor spoke on this Scripture. This afternoon our dear friend wrote for his wife who is in need of a miracle. She's moved even closer to Heaven this day in the hospital's ICU. It's so very hard for her loved one's to release her into God's hands yet still pray for a miracle. So we continue to pray. Our Lord of the Sabbath hears the cries of our hearts.
Because this photo made me think of a sister, actually all of my sisters, I had to upload it to this blog. We sure did love Grandpa's cows! Grandpa, though, always had jerseys because he thought their milk richer and better. I have an early memory of standing next to a sister as we watched him lock his cows into their stanchions. We were peeking through a crack and a knothole in the barn because we were not allowed in until the cows were secure. Watching him move among the large beasts, I thought he was the bravest man in the world. Maybe, he was. He was certainly the hardest working man I knew. He was funny and loving. He treated his bride like a queen. He was faithful in all that was laid before him, the trials as well as the joys. I can only pray that I will be as faithful. Now as I remember him, Heaven is dearer to me.
"I Wonder What They're Doing In Heaven Today" - The Forbes Family
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
I watched, amused, at the town's pool as the little children arrived for swimming class. The teachers would pull a chain on a poolside shower for each child to pass under, but their little students seemed determined not to get wet, mostly succeeding as they dashed through the shower's spray.
I find myself doing the same thing with Jesus, also my teacher. Sure, I'm dressed for the water. I've learned my Sunday School lessons, about God parting the Red Sea, about Jesus walking on water. I've I also know I could and should trust Him to keep me from drowning. I've even been baptized, dunked in the church's tank. Still, when I come to the water's edge, I hesitate. I want to dash through threatening waters without getting wet. Life isn't like that, at least on this side of eternity. When I'm in troubled waters, my Jesus is right there with me. He understands and still loves me, even when I'm wearing floaties on my arms. He knows that I need Him. I know I can trust Him.
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
My husband told me of a letter to the editor written after the political parties' conventions were over. The writer was struck by all the times "God bless America" was so casually tossed out like one might say "Have a nice day." Did we really expect God to bless America when what was demonstrated was contrary to God's word and contrary to our founding fathers? The writer then suggested that we would be better off praying for God to have mercy on America. We have both a just and merciful God. I fear justice and desire mercy for this country I love. If both come from God's hand, then we are blessed.
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
For the past hour I've been listening to the young man who lives in our house but doesn't want to be blogged about tell me everything he knows about computer operating systems. He really knows computers! Wow! I really had no idea! If he hadn't been interrupted, I'd still be listening. Fortunately, the dogs need walking. I'm on an information overload. I'm the sort of user that likes to know how to turn on a computer and use the sites I'm interested in. I didn't know I gave birth to my own tech specialist, but I'm thankful for him. Again God knows what I need, even if it isn't what I think I need. He is enough. Forgive me, Father, for the things I worry about.
I enjoyed this sweet family singing, "God Will Take Care of You."
I am ever so sleepy and want to be whisked off to bed to sleep like a child. I want a peaceful, healing sleep. In a way I'm thankful to be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis because I'm on medicine to help the pain that kept me awake and crying in the night. I suppose I was sleeping like a baby then so to speak, an unhappy colicky baby. I read that rheumatoid arthritis has shortened my lifetime. (One really shouldn't google their diseases, because scaring yourself to death isn't good either.) I do know my life is in God's hand and He has numbered my days. In the meantime I will follow His path for me. If I ever thought I was following my own path, I was simply foolish. God has always been and always will be leading me.
"All The Way My Savior Leads Me" - Rich Mullins
Now, along with the amazing Dixie Hummingbirds I bid you goodnight.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
I was touched by this painting of the wedding couple but I was amazed by the detail captured in the hands. It may be the most romantic image I've ever seen. Friends of ours, a long married couple, came to mind. The husband has been sending daily updates in a group email of the wife's journey through the shadowlands. I've seen their love in the details of his prayer requests. They truly are one flesh as his wife's sufferings have become his. Urgent prayer is needed yet tonight. In all this the couple has been making a decision to choose joy, trusting in God in all things. He sees the details in our lives as well as the big picture. Such love! Jesus is our Bridegroom.
“I stood in the blue darkness and looked in awe at the Earth from the lunar surface. What I saw was almost too beautiful to grasp.”
Gene Cernan, Astronaut
Psalm 8[a]
For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] A psalm of David.
1 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?[c]
5 You have made them[d] a little lower than the angels[e]
and crowned them[f] with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their[g] feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
My husband and I drove into the National Park tonight for a refreshing outing. On the return drive home, we had to pull the car over, get out and look at the stars, bright in the clear September night. It's truly amazing to behold the works of God's hand, knowing that he knows and has named each star he placed in the sky. In the same way he knows his many children each by name. He knows you. He knows me.
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.a’
This little mouse picture called me out on my fear for tomorrow. It's a challenge to live trusting God each day for my daily bread. I need to accept food from his hand this day. He'll still be here tomorrow, and I'll have the honor of accepting it again. Fret not!
The weather has been beautiful here this month. I need to remember this when the gray days return making this little house under the willow tree feel a bit like a cave. The men in my house are at the local high school football game, the first game of the regular season. I believe I started this blog at the end of their last season. It's a new season in my life. I want to dedicate it to my Lord.
Ecclesiastes 3
New International Version (NIV)
A Time for Everything
3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
I'll never have the faith of patience of Job. I'm a foolish woman who rebels against every bit of trouble that comes my way. I didn't want to lose my home to foreclosure and move to this little house under the weeping willow tree. I didn't want a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, a disease with no known cause or no known cure. I didn't want my sister to have cancer. I even wept when my precious macbook died! (I may have forever lost the goofy picture of the young man who lives in my house but doesn't want to be blogged about, a picture I was hoping to show to my grandchildren.) It's so hard to count gain when I'm subtracting loss, and I'm weary of God's refining fire. Still, I know God is good and his character is unchanging. In his economy nothing is wasted and every loss will be redeemed. If my desperate faith finds me hanging on by the fringe of His garment, maybe that's where I belong, at the feet of Jesus.
He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's
Tomorrow morning I will leave this little house under the weeping willow and head back to work after an extended absence for surgery and sickness. I may now always have rheumatoid arthritis but I will also always have my Jesus. That I can write these words is by the grace of God working through the generosity of my mom, who replaced my beloved macbook. I'm sorry Mom if I ever doubted that you understand me. You know me well. For that matter, I'm sorry God for doubting you! It must be hard to go into battle with an army of doubting soldiers. If I lose ground You still push me forward. Thank you. You are a good God, indeed.
I'm still occupying this little house under the weeping willow tree, as I try to understand what God is doing in my life; but I may have to wait until Heaven before understanding comes. Like an impatient child, I still want to know now. This summer carpal tunnel surgery lead to a diagnosis of aggressive rheumatoid arthritis. I want to shout, "God, What next?". Yesterday my beloved MacBook bit the dust, and today finds me slowly pecking out these word with my IPad. I should be thankful for the IPad, but I'm grieving for my Mac. It's been a difficult summer. For anyone who has followed my YouTube videos, I don't know when or if I'll be able to continue with them. God knows and He remains good. If I yet weep, my Jesus wipes my tears.
