12/3/12 Today is Monday and on this blog that means meditation on a passage of scripture. Yet, it's been the words from this, my favorite hymn, that first started me thinking, particularly the last verse.
O to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.
As Romans 7:18-19 bears truth to my struggle for goodness (whichI can't have apart from Him). No matter how hard I try, sometimes I still fail in spite of all my effort. But God.....in His love and
mercy has sealed me for Himself.
I know that good doesn’t live in me—that is, in my body. The desire to do good is insideof me, but I can’t do it. I don’t do the good that I want to do, but I do the evil that I
don't want to do.
These words resonate the truth of my struggles and yet other versesoffer hope from His word. Adopted as His child, I have redemptionthru the blood of His Son. (Ephesians 1: 5)
I am grateful that because of my belief in Him God does "seal" me with His Holy Spirit of promise.
(Ephesians 1:13)
As you think on the significance of God's grace listen to Fernando Ortega ("my" verse is after the instrumental part) as he
12/2/12 Have spent much time in prayer lately for folks who are in hard places. From the end of Psalm 33 and on into Psalm 34, I have found "hope" in the scriptures----because "the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.....
Even book-lovin' folks in Memphis can donate to give hope to a bookstore in Brooklyn NY. that lost its entire inventory in Hurricane Sandy. Thanks to Booksellers for spearheading that effort!
Purple is such a royal color---perfect reminder of the "King" who was born.
Even among the dangling wires that pump those chemo drugs into needy bodies, there was hope---right there in the middle of the clinic for all to see!
A great "decoration of hope"
We waitin hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:20-22)
11/30/12 This blog had a beginning and a verse from a song that had whirred around in my head. I even attempted to scratch out the notes on a bedside pad. It was dark and only about 3 letters made the pad. I don't have a clue what they meant. That's why I had to originally post the date as the title----hoping I would soon retrieve those original thoughts as I trip getting out of bed. But....I never did.
Why would a thought/idea that seemed so important just fade away?
It happens often lately with all those annoying little things like wondering what I came into a room for or where on earth I put my keys, when I try so hard to be diligent and keep up with them. But not this....not a writing idea that seemed to have some "substance to it.
Frankly it un-nerved me so much that I tried to find solace in the scriptures.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; (Lamentations 3:22-23a)
My mind might not be totally gone but it's certainly on a downhill slide. So.....I need to focus on what is permanent----God's mercy, compassion and understanding because so much else seems to be failing.
We all laugh at senior moments but sometimes they are NOT so funny.
11/27/12 "WALK-ALONG-SIDERS" I heard that term from a recent Allen Bible Church's, Buddy Liles sermon. It has resonated in my thoughts ever since. We all need such folks in our Christian walk. We also need to be such a person for others.
The Christian life is NOT to be lived in isolation. Relationships in the faith are vital.
Hebrews 3:13 says it well.
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
11/26/12 A somewhat recent blog comment from Aggie T.(from France) has impacted my thinking for several weeks now. Her comment dealt with living a life of faith and what that looks like to others. She recalls hearing a the comment, "Don't answer questions that people aren't asking you, BUT (emphasis, mine) live in such a way that people will ask you questions (about your faith in, or walk with, God." God's word exhorts us to do that. To live a "worthy" life.
so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls…(I Thessalonians 2:12)
What would such a life look like to you?
Does your life look like that to others?
Does anyone every comment or ask about your faith or the hope that is in you?
The verse and the questions are worthy of consideration.
11/22/12 "Give thanks with a grateful heart......" And what does that look like? According to Marlo Thomas it looks like a donation to St. Jude. I have to agree with her.
Knowing the family of the child (Ingram) whose face graces the billboard in Times Square and in the Martha Stewart magazine along with knowing 5 yr. old Michael B. from Oak Grove, IL, who will return in a month for his quarterly scans, I see St. Jude as an AMAZING place. St. Jude doctors have been diligent in finding just the right meds for these two young men. Their families are ever so grateful for every extra day they have been given. Michael's mom and her sisters helped raise over $360,000 for St. Jude thru their "Dream A Little Dream Fashion Show" & Ingram's two young sisters (elementary age) have raised $200,000 since April in their "Conquer Cancer" campaign.
If you looked around your Thanksgiving table today and were grateful for your kids or grandkids, how about choosing to give thanks by honoring all St. Jude's neuroblastoma patients, like these two, Super hero Michael (Batman) and Ingram the Conquerer with a donation.
Thank God for your blessings and then you can click here to donate and thus give a blessing to others.
Michèle Phoenix, my fellow MAC cancer sister, never "bypasses" a RED bucket. She always puts something in! I learned that last year when I met up with her in the "windy city." There are lots of RED buckets in Chicago. As a single gal starting up a new stateside ministry, after years on foreign soil, I'm sure her pockets aren't the deepest. Possibly not giving out of her abundance but out of her need. What an example!
You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land. (Deuteronomy 15:11)
This year I plan to follow suit. Won't you join me?
Let's allow the Salvation Army RED Bucket to beckon us all.
11/19/12 Returning from the mission trip to India, Hickman E. said that MANY in India worship in spirit but NOT in truth. There are many gods, hundreds, if not thousands, of personal gods in the faiths of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Islam, etc. The sacred cow came to my mind.
Christianity calls one to worship One True God and to worship in "Spirit and in Truth."
For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."(John 4:24)
So how does one find truth. John 14: 6 gives that answer.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
11/18/12 In Genesis 12:8, Abraham built an altar after pitching his tent between Bethel and Ai. Bethel is a symbol for communing with God and Ai is the symbol of the world. That's right where we all live today---between quiet times with God and the clamors of the world. That's why we need a Bethel-type "sanctuary." A place to meet with God.
Inside St. George's sanctuary--seeking to capture His created "light."
Even our soul can become a sanctuary where we fellowship with the Lord, the God and Father of our universe. Sometimes it just takes pulling away to a quiet place---an outside sanctuary to nurture our soul, an inside sanctuary.
Outside sanctuary--seeking "light" from His Word thru prayer and meditation.
A great treatise on prayer and the video makes me "puddle" everytime I see it.
Click for more Dotsy & Michèle pictures
Banana Split after all
Dancing again!
Praises!!! I was able to dance at Halle and Kyle's wedding.
Prayer Requests
Praises for peace that passes understanding throughout the healing process. It was certainly there during ALL the surgeries thanks to the fervent prayers of many. Cancer is always in one's rear-view but so is trust in the Lord--- for all His children!
