MEDITATION: ♪♪ music to His ears ♪♪

7/16/12

PSALM 92:1-4 A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

It is good to praise the Lord
 and make music to your name, O Most High,

proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, 

to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. 

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
 I sing for joy at what your hands have done.

This was the psalm Aggie "prayed all over me" while I was in Ukraine---it means more and more every time I read it. When it was read aloud in church yesterday, I got "glory bumps". 

Today as I pondered it---Chris Tomlin's "Shout to the Lord" began "playing" in my mind.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
Let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King;
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands,
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

My Jesus, My Savior,
Lord, there is none like You;
All of my days
I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter,
Tower of refuge and strength;
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
Let us sing......

Music. Praise. Meditation. More praise. It's all running together for me. It has me singing. May my "joyful noise" be music to His ears!

3-2-1 Kakes for Kids (BTW, adults enjoy as well.)

7/16/12 Preparing more “Olympic Treats” for our upcoming trip has brought in suggestions from everywhere. JoLynn shared a “red white and blue” dessert so simple that the grandkids can make it themselves. Little cake bites topped with…..anything one desires.

3-2-1 Cake Bites Recipe

Mix angel food cake mix (dry) and 1 other cake mix (dry) in a gallon Ziploc bag.

(One cake mix must always be angel food. For our “red” cake we will use a strawberry cake mix as 2nd mix.)

 Child will:

• Scoop 3 Tablespoons of mix into a cup/mug

• Add 2 Tablespoons of Water

• Microwave for 1 minute

Serve with whipped cream (cool whip or reddi-whip will do) Top with fresh blueberries for a “red white and blue” treat. Cheer on the USA team as you enjoy!

 Fun to make in a punch cup so that the colors can be seen. Plus, will smaller than the mug we used.

Options: serve with vanilla ice cream, strawberries and blueberries over white cake bite.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: Mountain Memories

7/15/12 Isaiah 52:7 is the verse that comes to mind when I reflect on our trip last week to the mountains of North Carolina. 

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

All curvy roads lead to the mountains.

Perfect window treatment for the home of 2 "saints."

Aunt Margie and Uncle Larry, Sam and JoLynn’s kin, bring good news all over their mountain and exude good tidings all up and down their road---all 56 curves of it. Time with them is a "taste of heaven" from the beginning welcome to the final hugs. It’s easy to see why she’s one of the dancers in my life and her life partner encourages her (and others) to be all that God intends them to be. How blessed I am to have spent time with them once again and to share it with hubby and dear friends.

FLORAL WELCOME #1

FLORAL WELCOME #2

FLORAL WELCOME #4

Perfect setting and temps for morning cuppa and quiet time....for hubby too.

Mountain stream COLD---what a treat!

My kind of library. New life for the old courthouse in Sylva, NC...& they said it couldn't be done!

This view can distract even the staunchest bibliophile.

FLORAL WELCOME #3---can't manipulate pics

Downward view from the deck----Sweet memory of babbling creek.

Saturday’s Question: ♪♪ a song for the soul ♬ ♬

7/14/12 What makes your soul sing? If you can only answer, "My soul sings when blessings come,” then that’s the wrong answer. Unless, you understand that blessings can "come through raindrops and healing through tears." (Blessings, Laura Story)

How do I know? I’ve experienced it---blessings can come through those hard places, the deepest pain and our greatest struggles. Sometimes that’s just hard to see when we’ve just begun the walk through that battle. In fact sometimes we aren’t even upright at first, just on our face, struggling to breathe and inch forward. But God……in his mercy is there. Sometimes it’s the prayer of a friend or a message from His word or maybe even song lyrics.

Lyrics---I just wish you could hear the melodious singing from our Ukraine leadership meetings-- Lyrics that can help your soul to sing, even in your hard place……

♪♪ I could sing of Your love forever…

Over the mountains and the sea

Your river runs with love for me

and I will open up my heart

and let the healer set me free.  (I could sing of Your love forever, Mercy Me)

♪♪And this is my prayer in the fire

In weakness or trial or pain

There is a faith proved

Of more worth than gold

So refine me Lord through the flames…. I will bring praise…. I will bring praise

…..All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing

I have a reason to worship (The Desert Song, Hillsong)

♪♪The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes (10,000 Reasons, Matt Redman)

….as I listened and prayed for several of you this morning. Know I love you and so does God. He longs for your soul to sing once again.

♪Sing like never before

O my soul ♪(Ibid)

Are you singing?

“Fuel” Stop

 7/12/12 The sign on the old filling station caught my eye as I was in need of “fuel” for my body as well as refueling for my soul. An early appointment way out in the Raleigh area and a “jury” selection date downtown put the quietus on my quiet time intentions. No time for Him this morning.

“Do you like capers?” the waitress, from this mid-town restaurant, asked. I knew I was in the right place. “How about some white truffle Parmesan for those hand cut, double fried potatoes?” Definitely the right place.

I was really excited to come to such a feast and today I was equally excited about the table for one in a quiet corner---make that a “table for two”. He met me there! And what a feast it was! Fuel for my soul.

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS…….

7/11/12….We all know that old adage, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” That’s another way of saying, “make the most of those “bad” situations that life often sends your way.” Mary Poppins also added sweetness to life with “a spoonful of sugar.” That spoonful which helped us benefit from something which, on the surface, was down right stinky.

Often things that appear hard or bad can teach us valuable life lessons when we choose to learn from them. There are so-o-o many old sayings to help us through the “bad” spots. But……what about the good spots? The blessings?

In Cherkassy, Jordon Fichthorn wanted to make cookies to take out to the camp. Someone had blessed us with a chunk of chocolate, so Shirley got busy making chocolate chips, which are obviously a rarity in Ukraine. Chocolate. A good thing. A blessing. So where’s the adage for that?

My thought is…..”When life gives you chocolate, make chocolate chips; put them in cookies and share with others.”

It’s a pay it forward idea. Pass it on. Whatever phrase reminds you, just do it. Bless others as you are so richly blessed. It might come right back attcha in the form of a warm cookie.

Spreading Seeds: Spitting, Dripping or Sowing

7/10/12 Watermelon---a “southern exotic” fruit which I LOVE! Can one pass on a love for such a food in their DNA? Certainly little Lucy seems to have her southern grandmother's propensity for loving to slurp this sweet fruit. A quintessential pleasure of summer in the south or in Lucy’s case, on Long Island.

Her enjoyment, so obvious in this picture, “took me back” to times gone-by of sitting on the back porch step at 2211 with a wedge of “seeded” watermelon, (there was no other kind) slurping, dripping and spitting seeds. No doubt Lucy dropped a few small seeds herself. However, love of watermelon is probably not in one’s DNA any more than one’s spiritual inclination is. We all come to these on our own. But….someone along the way sowed a seed and each of us had our first taste of sweetness, be it of watermelon or the Lord. I hope to continue to provide watermelon for Lucy and all the grands when we meet in Florida in 10 days. But more than that, I hope to be the one to continue to sow seeds of faith in the lives of all 7 of their precious souls.

Having tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord. (Psalm 34:8) I want to share all that sweetness, especially with those whom I love.

Hearkening

7/9/12 Today’s Jesus Calling entry stated that if one wanted to hear God’s voice, one must stop worrying so that His soft voice could be heard in the depths of one’s being. A discussion yesterday, with dear Christian friends, had us sharing about “hearing” from the Lord. One expressed clearly “hearing” God’s voice during a difficult situation. Others of us shared that though we had never heard audibly from the Lord, we sensed His speaking to us through His word, situations and other Christians.

The Jesus Calling entry concluded with a reminder of the importance of quieting our minds so that we could “think My (God’s) thoughts.” For me thinking God’s thoughts comes when I am meditating on scripture. That’s when He clearly speaks to me---through my mind with His own words. And I hearken unto His voice without audibly hearing from Him.

Free On-line Dictionary defines hearken as “To listen attentively; Listening implies hearing. So, have I heard from the Lord? Yes indeed. I prove this everytime I heed His words.

Bless the LORD, you his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening to the voice of his word. (Psalm 103:20)

For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice…….don’t harden your hearts.* (Psalm 95:7) 

 *(as those in the wilderness who would not listen to the Lord, DAL)

Then while it is [still] called Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts….(Hebrews 3:15)

Hear and hearken, today, when you hear from Him---however God chooses to speak to you.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: UKRAINE BEAUTY

7/8/12  Scripture prayer was the focus of my time in Ukraine. It was my “prep” for the Lord’s work. Praying John 10:10 for my devotional times for the leadership, that the ladies could know the fullness of Christ in their lives so that a life of abundance would be theirs. Also, I prayed “my dance” verse for them, that all their hard places/struggles could be seen as blessing as they saw the Lord’s strength and sufficiency. (Psalm 30:11)

My “babies” team and my small group of Ukrainian women especially touched my heart during my week with them at Kompas Park. Several of them had shared their stories with me and I was drawn to pray for them. As with so many women, approval from others keeps us prisoners to what others think so I prayed for all of us to seek only God’s approval. But, I truly wanted the Lord’s words from scripture to become my prayers. I would encourage this method of prayer as one prays for others----whether for a day, a season or a lifetime, as God leads. It’s praying His words---His word according to Isaiah 55:11, that produces “fruit”.

so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Katya (l) and hubby, David, that their Kreativity ministry would continue to be a joint effort and bring glory to the Lord. “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” (Psalms 34:3)

Luba (R) Praising the Lord for her “joyfully expectant” news and that she would see children as a blessing from the Lord. “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.” (Psalm 127: 3)

Tanya---As we share a similar struggle, & I know the value of Christian friends who listen and pray, I pray for such a friend for her……”but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)

Masha (l) my traveling buddy, who gave of herself continuously for to those involved in ministry, especially to the Bute children---freeing Katya and David for the Lord’s work. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Gal. 6: 9-10)

Ira (R) A beautiful wife and mother who gave unselfishly of her time to tend the babies of all the moms at the camp A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. (Proverbs 33:10-11)

Diana---That she will not only continue to sing God’s word (Psalm 119:72) but that she will see her true self as one beloved by Him and be all that He created her to be. “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. “(Psalm 139: 14)

Valya---Strength in ministry for this beautiful one who always had time and energy for kids---even those who cried “Mama” at first. “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (I Corinthians 15:58)

Liza Col. 3:12-15---especially v. 12, that she would continue to daily clothe herself with the godly attributes which were so evident to me. “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;”

Oksana(L)---my translator, who also serves as a pastor’s wife, I Timothy 1:12 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,”

Alena(R)---God’s direction for her, who with her husband is seeking the Lord’s will about a mission assignment in Germany, “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.” (Psalm 33:20)

Inna---Praying God’s best as she raises her son and seeks God’s peace “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.” (Psalm 119:114) May she filter all knowledge thru His Word.

Nastya---Praising the Lord that she seeks God’s priorities for her life, I pray that seeking Him first will give her needed direction. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

Dancing in the Rain: An application

7/5/12 My morning devotionals for the leadership team in Ukraine dealt mainly with living a life of abundance (John 10:10) in the midst of a struggle. A hard place. A storm. Living a life to the fullest was labeled a dance. The dance steps were given that could offer a universal approach to answering those struggles. All humans have similar problems, especially women----they just take on different forms.

One of the quotes I wanted to share “left” me as I was speaking. I see it every day at home but was unable to retrieve it from the recesses of my mind.

So….this picture is for the Ukrainian women who are choosing to dance in the storms of life by choosing to learn the steps and applying them .