DRAWING NEAR

2/11/13 Drawing near to God. 

That’s what Meditation Mondays are all about! It’s the pre-requisite of gaining understanding from passages of scripture. Drawing near prompts praise. That praise is carried into our time of meditation with Him and our hearts seem to open to the truths that he has for us. That prompts prayer. That draws us even nearer. It’s a great cycle. In the midst of all of that, is access to God through our hope in Christ, who ever lives to intercede for us. A perfect cycle! Complete.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse (James 4:8)

Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen... (Ecclesiastes 5:1)

(for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. (Hebrews 7:19)

Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

Yesterdays’ Allen Bible Church message series title, “Let us Draw Near” was so-o-o “spot on” ---a great intro to direct one's meditation on Hebrews, chapter 7, a difficult passage. 

Drawing near---approaching God’s throne of grace in our time of need. A need for understanding His Word and applying it to our lives. 

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS

2/10/13 Temperatures have been fluctuating daily for our family this last week. Our Memphis grandson had rain. In New York, our grandaughter had "freezing" temps and snow while  this weekend in Texas our grandsons had  67° temps today! 

"Coach" Dad and son (0) "sweat" out the free throw attempt. 

Bundled up for Brooklyn snow and c-o-l-d temps.

Lucy and Mommy bundle up to face the chill---and have fun!

Check out MA relatives "blowing" 2 feet of snow!

Lucy's Aunt Maeve

Questions and Answers: Fear & Insecurity

2/7/13 Friends and blog readers, concerned about our home break-in/burglary have inquired, "How are you doing?' One that I loved was, "Are you back to sharpening pencils? 

Yes, is the answer. I returned to pencil sharpening.
Hubby provided me with a "handy-dandy" hand held pencil sharpener to use on the go. No electricity needed. Though I do LOVE my oft-used electric one (I'm surprised it still works), it's not always convenient.

During this go-round of battling anxiety, I even included tidying up my tea cabinet---a helpful mindless activity. Like alphabetizing Claudia's pasta. 

Funny how one wants to "do" or "fix" something when life situations are so "disturbing" and totally out of one's control. Mind-numbing activities like pencil sharpening and tea tidying can work for me.....when I am "haunted by apprehension"....until God gets me back in His grip. Why do I ever pull away?

As Oswald Chambers states (My Utmost for His Highest, 11/13) "fear comes from not nourishing ourselves in our faith."

So...after days of anxious thoughts and nights of not night sleeping well:

• Faith nourishing began.....I'm grateful for time at His feet to read and reflect on His Word. (Jeremiah 15:16)
• I'm grateful also to remember that God is not sleeping so I can rest well. (Psalm 121:3)

Thanks for asking.

Dalton Ghetti has taken pencil sharpening to a new level.

Prayer Help

2/4/13 Scripture teaches much about prayer:

...it's effective (James 5:16)

...needs to be continual (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

...all kinds of prayer (Ephesians 6:18)

...include thanksgiving when you pray (Philippians 4:6)

We're even given examples of prayers from the Bible but.....sometimes words don't seem to come. What then? I've often heard to pray til you feel like praying. Sometimes I've felt like praying but words don't seem to be adequate to express the yearnings of my heart. Then what?

This quote, often ascribed to John Bunyan and sometimes to Gandhi, has helped me.

In prayer, it is better to have a heart without words, than words without a heart.

And in the same way the Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts: for we are not able to make prayer to God in the right way; but the Spirit puts our desires into words which are not in our power to say; (Romans 8:26, BBE--Bible in Basic English) 

A great verse to meditate on for God's answer to "prayer help."

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: Inside & Out

A week of water and sunshine picked up the "pick-me-up."

Even cold outside temps add beauty to our surrounds 

"Elixir of Love" a heartwarming comic opera set in Old West

Great ending for a chilly Saturday night---a hootenanny led by the Side Street Steppers with Vera dancing a NC jig that certainly warmed things up considerably.
Daughter Molly is their photographer.

Quest continues ...emotionally, part 2

2/1/13 The verse I closed with last night, because I was too tired to continue the blog, reminded me that fear is not from Him.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Looking back on the week, (after my home invasion) I saw that fear, which is from the pit,  robbed me of that sound mind that comes from His hand. I had spent a week in limbo---that fear permeated so many of my thoughts that everything seemed to be LARGER than life.

The limbo of waiting exacerbated by fear:

• Waiting for the police to arrive
• Waiting for peace of mind to return
• Waiting for a coherent thought to take shape
• Waiting for "walking" weather so I could walk---not only to clear my head but to continue "training" for upcoming rigorous trip to Disney World
• Waiting for blood work from lab that had to be "redone"
• Waiting in 2 doctor's offices for "scary/unknown" procedures 
• Waiting for physical therapy on leg/hip pain to diminish pain
• Waiting for biopsy report---on a place above my eyebrow I had never even noticed

But God, on the anniversary of THE event.....sent a late afternoon message that face biopsy was negative.

But God.......in His love and mercy sent a blog comment of encouragement from a long ago student, Nancy E.

But God.....in His goodness had me open a email this morning (though sent yesterday from Australia) from Jesus Calling author, Sarah Young, who has also experienced the violation of a break-in. She is praying.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him. (Psalm 40:1-3)

Quest ends where it should have begun...with the Lord.

The Quest continues.....

1/31/13 The physical quest. The spiritual quest. What about those on a quest for emotional healing?

Considering that question one week after THE event.

The Quest

1/30/13 Most of us are on a quest of some kind. 
Recently, I’ve been on a physical quest. I’ve been in pursuit of healing coupled with answers to all kinds of medical questions. In this endeavor, I have discovered that such a pursuit needs to be intentional. Not only is the right equipment required, but it is also crucial to have a guide, close at hand, to help execute the exercises correctly. The PT knows what’s best for each individual. He’s read the text. He understands the best way for me to attain my intended purpose. He knows why I am there!

Equipment for physical health

As I’m studying to teach Ecclesiastes, I am clearly seeing that my spiritual pursuit needs to handled in much the same way as my physical one. No plop and drop method with my Bible---- hoping for the right verse to jump out----but an intentional study of God’s Word. Along with the Bible there’s other material to equip me and to help me better understand the teaching therein. Great strengthening comes from my daily exercise of being in His word. But it is also crucial that I am guided in this pursuit by the One who understands the text. Therefore, I pray for guidance from the One who fully understands the words because that One inspired the text.

Equipment to aid spiritual health

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; (2 Timothy 3:16)

My quest, in both instances, is to lean not to my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) but to trust the ones who truly know to guide me in my pursuits.

"Dancing thru the puddles from recent storms"

1/29/13 Hearing these lyrics recently.....

If I had no voice, If I had no tongue, I would dance for you like the rising sun. And when that day comes and I see your face. I will shout your endless glorious praise.

I searched out the entire song, "You Are". (And downloaded it from iTunes)The words seemed to speak to my heart as I continue to "work" through some "storms" right now! Let me rephrase that---as I try to dance through these storms----just trying to praise God as I dance in the residual rain and puddles of several recent storms. Once again the Lord will turn my mourning (& fear) into dancing & clothe me with gladness----I know He will. (Psalm 30:11) Click the screen and enjoy----and even dance around if you choose!

When I can’t find the words to say how much it hurts You are the healing in my heart When all that I can see are broken memories You are the light that’s in the dark Chorus: You are the song, You are the song I’m singing. You are the air, You are the air I’m breathing You are the hope, You are the hope I needed. You are And when my circumstance leaves me with empty hands. You are the provider of my needs. When all my dirtiness has left me helpless. You are the rain that washes me.

FAITH FOUND

1/28/13 Entering the bathroom (designated crime scene by Memphis police) I saw that my small silk travel jewelry pouch had been dumped on the countertop. Mostly just scattered pieces. My heart stopped because I didn’t see my “FAITH” necklace that daughter, Molly, had given me before my ’08 Mexico mission trip.

Heartsick. “What Faith Can Do” lyrics (Kutless) came to my mind. “Gotta face the clouds to see the silver lining.” Similar to “dancing in the rain when storms come.”

Life is so much more

Than what your eyes are seeing

You will find your way

If you keep believing

Turning, I saw the “sparkle” in the sink---my necklace and a Revlon fingernail file.

A silver faith necklace left behind was my silver lining.

As the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith,” (Luke 17:5) I think the Lord is using this home burglary trial to increase my faith. As James 1:2-4 states it, ”test my faith in a way that produces endurance that such endurance might have its perfect result, that I might be perfect, and complete, lacking in nothing."