Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Come Walk With Me

December 6, 2011

My reading in Frances Robert's book said this: "If thou form the habit of trusting Me in the easy way thou shalt find it the natural thing to lean upon Me in the difficult situation."

I have found this so true because in a difficulty you don't have the time, emotion or even mental capacity to make decisions. You can only react. So if you are in the habit of leaning on Him, you'll do it automatically.

Today has been a good day even though Simba, our pregnant Chow, woke me twice to take her outside after I had been up until 2:30 a.m. reading and studying. She is due the 13-16th and is becoming nervous.

We have as many of our family as can come every Wednesday night and I usually cook dinner. Today I made 4 pies, two chocolate and two lemon. I had already baked sweet bread and have one loaf left. We're just going to have roast beef sandwiches, cheese dip, salad and the desserts.

We eat, watch Survivor together and chat about everything that's gone on since the last time we were together.

Bill has been ill so he and Melinda have not been with us many times in the last several months. He's supposed to have his final diagnosis this week and they can start treatment. Hopefully they will soon be able to re-join us. Kirby, Bill's son, has missed some because He and Katy are working a hobby, making extra money to take on their cruise that leaves the 24th.

We're getting ready for Ryan's wedding [Lance's son] on the 17th. Renee is making the cakes and I'm making Puppy chow for the groom's table. That is Ryan's favorite thing in all the world, except Britta, of course.

I need to go work with Simba again. I'm trying to get her to lay in the whelping bed and so far she has refused. She may have those puppies in the middle of my living room floor. O Lord, please don't let that happen. You can make the lion lay down with the lamb so please make Simba lay down in her birthing bed.

The walk felt short tonight. I have so many things on my mind I've not been a good traveler. I've been distracted.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Come Walk With Me

December 5, 2011

I read Roberts again today in my quiet time. It was written as if the Holy Spirit was talking to me.

"It is My life I am giving you. It is Myself. Divine grace, heavenly love, infinite mercy, fathomless peace,, all these shall spring forth unbeckoned out of the deep within you because My Spirit has taken residence there."

I thought this was beautiful and wonderful. To think the Holy Spirit has all these things and every other thing we can ever need and when we have a problem they spring forth to meet our needs.

It goes along with my scripture in Psalm 85:10, 11. "Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth and righteousness looks down from heaven." Mercy [or lovingkindness], truth, justice [or righteousness] and peace have joined hands and are working together to give an outflow of righteousness on the earth.

I would like to tell you about a GREAT little book. The name of it is "The Prayer of Jabez." He is mentioned in I Chronicles 4:9-10 in the linage of Judah. "Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." and Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain! So God granted him what he requested. The book is about 4 1/2" x 6" and less than 100 pages. It will bless you and keep on blessing you if you keep praying his prayer.

If you enjoyed our walk, let me know.

Jean

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Come Walk With Me

December 3, 2011

Today I bought some material to make a Christmas present. I liked it so much I bought another color to make me something. It has these little ruffles all over it.

Then I started cutting it out. It was harder than I expected. I think I'll wait to make mine after the holidays.

Tonight we had some family members come and watch a DVD with us. We're having open house on sdaturday nights. Anyone who is wanting to grow in the Lord is welcome to join us. Currently we are studying Robert Morris' series on "The God I Never Knew." I had never thought about this subject before so I'm really learning a lot and growing closer to the Lord.

We hear a lot about God the Father and Jesus the Son, but we Baptists almost ignore the Holy Spirit. After all, we don't want to be called Pentecostal [which means 50] or even worse Charismatic [which means grace gifts]. In the past we've seen the gifts misused and we threw out the baby with the bath water.

I am thrilled to get to know the third part of the Godhead, the One Jesus said He would send in His place, the One who would live inside us. Isn't it thrilling to know we have the Holy Spirit inside us teaching us, healing us, directing us, and ministering through us. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came to indwell us we would do all the miracles He did while here on earth and even more. Just think of all the wonderful things Jesus did. The Holy Spirit can do those same things through us. Isn't that awesome?!

Satan has done a number on us making sure we feared getting involved with the Holy Spirit in case we started doing something weird. For myself, I visited a church as a child where it appeared each person was trying to outdo the others in their 'manifestations.' That 'proved' to me that I didn't want to get baptized by the Holy Spirit.

I have asked the Holy Spirit to forgive me my sin in thinking He was weird.

Friday, December 2, 2011

December 2, 2011

This morning I was reading a section of Frances J. Roberts "Come Away My Beloved" in my quiet time and was blessed by it so I wanted to share it with you.

"I have asked thee to give in order that I may bless thee more. I have challenged thee to pray so that I may respond and help thee. I have asked thee to rejoice in order to keep thee from being swallowed up by anxieties. I have asked thee to be humble to protect thee from calamities that fall on the proud. I have asked thee to forgive so as to make thy heart fit to receive my forgiveness. I have asked thee not to love the world for I would have thee loosed from unnecessary entanglements and free to follow me."

It blessed me and led me into my time with the Lord. I finished my Bible reading and prayers and was almost ready to leave my special place when I asked the Holy Spirit if there was anything else I should do today.

He said, "Water buffalo. Buy a water buffalo."

I was stunned. I knew what He was talking about. We like to support The Heifer Project when we can afford it, but right now we give to our church, provide money for one Jew to move to Israel each month, give monthly offerings to three programs that were my "churches" during my illness, and give a monthly offering to help drill wells for clean water for villages in Africa.

I told Him that He had to prepare Rod to hear this because I didn't think he would be interested.

Then God did a wonderful thing! [Why am I surprised?] A CD we ordered some time ago came in today. Part of the program on it was the blessings of giving and how it pleases God.

I decided this was the perfect time to tell Rod. Cautiously I mentioned it. He said it was fine with him, reached for the checkbook, wrote the check and prepared it for the mail tomorrow.

God is so good! All the time!!

I hope you enjoyed our time together today.

Jean

Thursday, December 1, 2011

December 1,2011

Today has been a lazy day for me so I've spent most of it reading a book on healing by Dr. Hunter and a friend's new book, "The Broken Clock" by Doris Tanner Thompson.

Doris' book reminded me of the scolding God gave me recently concerning my children.

One of the lessons I learned following Dana's death is that trauma and stress, especially when it is over an extended period of time, can cause all kind of changes in our bodies that brings on different diseases and illnesses. We had five years of continual stress plus at least that many more with off and on situations. That made our family vulnerable to all kinds of illnesses such as cancers, heart problems, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, blood disorders, gallstones, tumors, migraines and many more. You get the idea.

My kids are all almost in their fifties, yet I find myself praying for them continually. I'll put them on the altar of God, but the next thing I know I have picked them up again. I understand that there is a tendency for parents who lose a child to hold the others more tightly. Nevertheless, I know I can do nothing to help them so why I pick them back up is a mystery to me.

Recently I was praying about them and the Lord called me "mule-headed." He said they were His children and I was interfering with the work He was doing in their lives. He wants them to come to Him with their problems. He wants me to leave them on the altar.

He reminded me He whispers in pleasure, He speaks in [something] and He shouts in pain. He said He would do whatever was necessary to complete the work He has started in them.

My Bible reading this morning was Psalm 80. It made me think how our country is like Israel. In verses 3, 7, & 19 the writer, probably a descendant of Asaph, asks God to restore their nation.
This is a heart-felt cry from Israel for God to not give up on them. They call themselves a vine He planted, but now has turned His back on. They are perishing and longing for Him to restore them to His good graces and "cause Thy face to shine upon us and we will be saved."

This is one of the Psalms I love to pray. Join me in praying for our country and for Israel.

Jean