SelahV Today

Depression, Drugs and Death

Depression is a disease.  It is as much a disease to the thinking system as cancer is to the cells of the body.  What cancer cells eat, depression steals from the inner peace of a person's ability to think and reason and feel.

I've had depression my entire life.  I know this because, after being treated for years as an adult, and researching the ins and outs of symptoms, I was able to trace it back to my childhood.  Certainly a part of depression is environmental, situational, and is affected by relationships.  But there is a definite connection between the chemicals in ones brain that create havoc with the inner strength of ones thought processes.  And as a man thinketh, so is he.

So much of what we think comes from what we put into our minds. Positive reinforcements.  Joyful occasions.  Goodness.  However, to a deeply depressed person, even joyful occasions have no joy.  All the goodness in the world has no good.  And all the positive input has no influence.  To the person who does not suffer with this disease, it is unfathomable.  It is incomprehensible.  It is a bit foolish, and weak.  At times the healthier person who tries to help, cannot help and cannot fix the weaker and so they transfer their own helplessness and frustration onto the person who deals with enough self-deprecation to kill twenty healthy-minded individuals.

Depressed people cannot undo what is.  They can no more change it than a person with cancer or diabetes can change their ailment.  They can be treated.  They can learn to deal with it.  They can learn what affects them negatively and try to avoid the diet, outside influences, and darkness that draws them into a deeper abyss.  But they cannot fix it.  Cancer can be cut out, burned out, and chemically destroyed.  But not always successfully--sometimes it kills you.  Depression can be aided, but cannot be removed... it can be lessened but will always remain...and sometimes it, too, kills. 

The real problem with the disease is doctors keep throwing more and more drugs at you and it always ends up that the problem is YOU... and your family and friends treat you as if you are a weird wart in their lives... they tolerate your sadness, and only a few people in life actually "get it" that you cannot change what is going on no matter how hard you try.  Depressed folks are trusting God for the very breath they take to make it to the next breath.  But others do not see depressed people in this way.  They tell folks to buck up, to get over it, and to stop thinking the way they think as if a person can unthink cancer of the lung.

God be with the Warrens and all the other parents and friends and families of the Matthew Warrens in life.  I know it will be a very sad sad journey for the Warrens.  But they will find comfort in knowing their son is finally free of all his anguish and pain and struggle.  The hardest part is missing the dear son they love so much.  Life will always have a hole in it which can only be filled by the presence of God.  And even then, it will not seem to be enough to satisfy the hunger in their hearts to see their son, to touch him, to hear his voice and absorb his presence.  selahV

When You Lose Your Zest

for life, do you resign yourself to mediocrity?  to the blah, ho-hum, apathetic attitude of who cares?

of course not.

When we find ourselves sitting in park, we need to rev up our engines, check the rearview, the side mirrors, and adjust our seats.  We need to either back up and start over or put our lives in drive and move!

LiFe lives; it does not sit in neutral.

I find my zeal and enthusiasm wanes when I do nothing.  When I sit around and look at all I have not done, and dwell on what I should have done, then the air goes out of my balloon.  The flowers wilt.  The lights dim.  The shadows get darker.  It's easy to fall into that trap of complacency.  Especially after a month of frivolity, of planning for a big event, of great expectations.  When the day of celebration is over, life has to go on.  It has to get back to normal, or what we consider a typical routine.  And sometimes, after a season of dismissing routine, we find ourselves yearning to live on the edge of expectation, of excitement, of finding something new beneath the tree or around the corner.  We are ready for change and don't even know it.  We want to take down the tree, bring back the familiar things we are comfortable with seeing.  However, that does not satisfy that inner desire for freshness. 

We want that zest, that energy, that anticipation to be restored, to linger, to feed our emotional needs.  Little do we realize that it is our mind and spirit that needs to be energized.  We need new batteries.  Fresh flowers.  Warmer, sunnier weather.  And no, it is not a vacation we need--though one might be in order if we fail to give our bodies any rest.  So, what do we do?

Plan.  Plan the garden.  Plan a pergola.  Plan a day trip to the nursery.  Plan an afternoon in the mountains (easy to do here in Lawton, we have Mt. Scott and Medicine Park just 20 minutes away).  Go sit by a lazy river and watch the barge flow by.  Go visit the zoo or aquarium.  Head for the biggest florist shop in town.  Go breathe life.  Bring home some plants or start some hyacinths in a bowl. Take some pictures. Buy a jigsaw puzzle of flowers and beautiful things. Peel and orange and read a new book.  Paint a picture.  Make something--anything...just don't sit there in neutral.  Go visit some shut-ins with a box of your Christmas photos. If nothing else, go buy a box of "Thinking of You cards" and send them to everyone you think may need a bit more zest in their life today.  ~hariette petersen

Photo provided by Vicky Doran, my new Pinterest Pal. Visit her today HERE at DAY BRIGHTNERS.

I Don't Know Why, But

God will forgive us.  He will forget that which we have done in rebellion against His holiness.  He will have compassion upon us.

Can anyone comprehend such goodness?

We do not deserve the Grace and Mercy of God's love.  But it is His character to love because HE IS LOVE... and He cannot deny who He is anymore than we can deny who we are.  We are sinners.  When we acknowledge our sinfulness, and turn from our wicked ways, and seek His face and ask forgiveness, God is faithful and just to forgive us.  Then He, through Jesus Christ, will somehow make us righteous in the sight of our Creator and Lord.  I don't know why, I don't know how; I cannot comprehend this mercy and grace.  But I do accept it and will live in it all the days of my life.  May Jesus be praised today and every day forward because:

"He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." ~Micah 7:19

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." ~~1 John 1:9 Holman Christian Bible

When Loneliness Invades A Life

emptiness claims our hearts, and sadness seeps into our souls.  And what does our mind cling to?  Our own emptiness, sadness and alone-ness.  Our spirit withers and thirsts after an unquenchable need for companionship, touch, and laughter. 

Ever feel lonely?  No matter how many people who surround you on a Sunday morning?  You feel left out of something--something intangible.  You aren't unhappy with your life; you just feel lonely and alone.  If you try to describe what you are going through, no one understands.  When my husband resigned his church in Kentucky and we moved to Oklahoma, I felt this loneliness.  Even though I was thrilled to be with my family, there was something missing.  I missed the fellowship of friends.  I missed the familiarity of routine, of places I frequented.

I've also had times of extreme loneliness when I am attacked by someone for reasons I cannot understand.  I search my mind for words and conversations I've had.  I retrace my steps and consider everything I've done.  When I come up with no answers, I feel very alone.  I want to reconcile and restore a relationship but do not know where to start.  A slight, an outright betrayal.  There are times in life we all find ourselves suffering, filled with sorrow for a situation we cannot change. God understands this.  Jesus understands it.

"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familar with suffering.  Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Isaiah 53:3

Can you imagine having been fully in the presence of God Himself, without a single person to interrupt your time with Him?  Can you comprehend sitting at your father's feet, sharing joy and dancing in perfect union, with total harmony?  It's hard to grasp, but I can imagine how great it would be.  It's what I long for.  It's during my lonely times I am reminded of how much Jesus gave up to come to earth to provide me an eternal presence with Him.  I am reminded how very lonely He was among men.  Who could He possibly turn to for understanding?  Who on earth could be the friend He needed to share the future that lay ahead?  Who could befriend Him, could listen and empathize?  Who could hear Him, and shoulder His burdens?  Who could relate to the joys of His past--the freedom from flesh, the comfort of perfection?  Who could possibly relate to the relationship He had with His Father in heaven?  Who could endure the ridicule and harassment he endured, and live with it, without a friend on earth to turn to for encouragement?  Who could He trust with His heart?  I dare say, no one.

I believe loneliness is part of the reason Jesus spent so much time with the Father in prayer.  He needed His strength, His empowerment, His companionship.  He sought it early...every morning. Why?  Because there is no other companionship on earth which could ever equal that of the Creator's.  None.  No other relationship gives us enough of what we need to fill the void within us.

Loneliness has no standards or fundamental rules.  When one is lonely, he longs for companionship.  Sometimes I think I need a person to talk to, to email, to call, to have lunch with.  Other times I need more.  Whenever I feel this great loneliness seep into my heart, I am certain of one thing--I need Jesus.  Only He can fill my empty spaces.  Sometimes He brings me a friend to talk to.  Sometimes He gives me extra attention from my husband or a family member.  But I know it is Jesus who fills this void completely.

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2010

Some Days Are Better Than Others

And no one knows this better than Jesus:  Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem to humiliating crucifixion at Golgotha.  Then from Jerusalem's dump-site to Heaven's throne.  Talk about a roller-coaster ride of emotions.  If Jesus were prone to emotional swings, he'd have a lot to complain about.  Yet, we know that the Lord did not react upon emotion.  At times he had compassion upon people and acted in keeping with the mercy and grace of God the Father.  But each time it is to give God glory, not himself.  Often he told people not tell what he'd done.  Instead of listening to Jesus, they were consumed with joy and elation and amazement; so they gave testimony to what Jesus had done for them.

The blind, the deaf, the ill, the lame, the leprous, the demon-possessed:  they had some really good days.  The pig farmer, the money-changers, the rich young ruler, the pharisees:  they would probably attest to much better days.

It's amazing how we get all wadded up in knots some days:  when people fail to meet our expectations, when problems come our way, we tend to moan and groan and think "why me".  Some people let a red-light dictate their day.  Others let traffic jams and whiney children determine their mood.  

Then there are those people who have every reason in the world to complain: the ones who lose their homes, their loved ones, their health and all financial means to support themselves.  Yet, they exhibit a spirit of joy and optimism that supercedes their plight.  They rise above the ashes of heartache, rejection, rebuke and ridicule.  Their attitude encourages me to change mine.  To read of Paul's beatings, shipwreck, imprisonment and the praise he gave Christ through it all, gives me new courage.  To consider the way the disciples traveled everywhere by foot to share the Gospel with the world, gives me inspiration to endure the day to day struggles I have.

I am so humbled in the midst of some pity party when I witness another person who is in a much worse situation and they are celebrating life with joy and patience.  I am so strengthened by people like that, aren't you?  Yes, some days are better than others, and some could be even better, if we'd just count our blessings and praise God in the midst of them.  After all, Jesus has overcome the world, and in Him, so have we.  selahV

When It Rains

When it rains in Oklahoma, it is a beautiful thing.  Our area of the state is often parched for want of moisture.  This Spring we have been blessed with a much greater supply of rain than the past three years.  In fact, the two years prior recorded the worst drought in decades.  Today the rain is steady.  It pummels my steel roof and sounds like the rush of a giant waterfall.  It's soothing.  It makes me sleepy.  But more than anything, it makes me grateful.  I am so grateful for the life-giving water; Oklahoma actually has an abundance of hay for the cattle and horses that dot the countryside, now.

My neighbor, Melanie, will love this outpouring--so will her garden.  She has painstakingly and faithfullly planted corn and beans, and other veggies to can for the coming winter.  Sunday, she excitedly shared how high her corn and greenbeans had grown.  Today's rain will triple their height in a couple of days when the sun returns this afternoon.  I love the childlike excitement Melanie has in her new-found gardening adventures.  I can hardly wait to hear her praise for the rain and share in her joy of God's provision.

As I ponder how good it feels for me to hear her--or any other--praise God for His blessings, I consider how much more our Father in Heaven delights in it.  Our praise is a fragrance to Him.  As we acknowledge the Giver of life, the Provider of rain and sun, our faith is strengthened and filled with endurance to praise Him even in the droughts of life.  After all, we don't always have the rain.  I've never lived in such a dry climate.  While I love the perpetual sunshine, most gardens, lawns and fields often struggle to produce under its constant heat.  Last year the drought was so bad, many farmers had to sell off their cattle and horses because they had no hay to feed them, and the grass was nothing but dried splinters.  Today is a treat.  A refreshing.  A restoration for our land.  When it rains, somehow, God's presence and compassion seems all the more powerful and comforting. 

"¹³ As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
¹⁴ For he knows our frame;
    he remembers that we are dust. ¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass;
    he flourishes like a flower of the field;
¹⁶ for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
    and its place knows it no more.
¹⁷ But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to children's children,
¹⁸ to those who keep his covenant
    and remember to do his commandments." Psalm 102:13-18

When it rains, a visible blessing is apparent.  Especially for those in need of its sustaining benefits.  Yet greater, still, is the blessing of knowing the Creator of the rain.  Greater is the knowledge of God's grace and provision for life everlasting through the attoning work of Christ on the cross.  Greater is His promise of steadfast love to those who fear Him.  Greater is His righteousness to children's children. 

When it rains, are you reminded of the inconveniences, the need for umbrellas, and the parades that must be canceled?  Are you overwhelmed when it overflows a creekbed, or washes out a road?  Or are you reminded of this steadfast love in all situations?  this righteousness that spans decades upon decades? these benefits that are visible, that increase your faith in the invisible?  I pray it is the latter. selahV

Trust the Still Waters

Here at SelahV Today, my readers have come to trust a rather upbeat, potpourri of posts from me.  For nearly 4 months, I have been in a funk that would bore you to tears if I tried to explain the why of it all.  Suffice it to say, the enemy is alive and well on planet earth, my friends.  The Bible warns us that he is "like a roaring lion, traveling to and fro, seeking whom he may devour".  I didn't notice his growl.

We are forewarned to "put on the whole armor of God" to ward off his assaults and stand our ground in Christ's power.  I think I forgot a piece or two of my equipment.  We cannot trust in chariots or horses from some foreign land for our own faith and our own understanding. We can only "trust in the Lord with all our hearts and acknowledge Him" as the one who keeps us in the paths of His righteousness and order.  Not any man.  None.

Sometimes the ones who seem the strongest among us are the weakest.  I've learned this truth in ways I wish I didn't have to confess.  But it's true.  And when that occurs, our trust in man and his fraility is all too apparent in our own walk with the Lord.  We soon find ourselves off the grassy path of peace and onto a well-trod path of war with folks we never dreamed possible.  Kinfolk.  Brethren.  It's a path we think is noble at times.  A path we must walk upon to right a wrong, to challenge a falsehood, to defend a truth, to forge a new pathway.  And...

If we are not vigilant, the tares will wind their vines around our legs and sneak their way up around our necks and choke the life out of us, so that we no longer breathe or see beneath the leaves of discontent, dissent, and controversy.  Our voices become hoarse, our cry is barely heard in the fields white unto harvest.  And, well, the "moth and rust" eventually robs us of our joy, our hope, and our desire to care one way or the other. 

From watching the infiltration of unsavory viewpoints beat down upon what I once considered a band of faithful brethren, I am totally without ideas.  I am empty of solutions.  I am speechless and inept and wisdom fails me.

Therefore, I am going to do what I have always done here at SelahV Today.  I am going to keep writing the thoughts the Lord lays upon my heart and try and make a bit of sense of "today" and see if tiny things I see are as significant to others as they are to me.

I haven't been at peace for several weeks. I wandered upon a knoll on which I had stopped grazing...and began to eat of the fodder. Since then, I have struggled to keep my eyes on Jesus and the purpose He has for me.  I've let the enemy drag me into a woodpile of burning embers of animosity and sin, and found myself digging through the ashes of discord, pride and ego.  It weighed me down, my friends.  It surely did.

God is a merciful God.  His mercies are new every morning.  Have you found yourself in a minefield of frustration?  Have you wondered how in the world you landed where you are?  Have you questioned the ground you stand upon?  Have you allowed the foundation of your faith to be so shaken by the evils of man that you struggle to dwell on that which is pure and good and positive?  Have you lost trust in others and doubt your own worth in the world around you?

May I remind you that in Jesus, you are an heir of all He is?  His riches are unending.  His glory is incomprehensible.  His peace beyond all understanding.  His goodness beyond all measure.  His love unceasing and His power unequaled.  Rise up, my friends.  Walk away from the quagmire of faithlessness.  Set your sights on things above.  Live today as if everything you do is eternal.  Trust only in God-- and let Him lead you by the still Waters of His Word...He will never ever let you down.  selahV

[Daily Devoted ...by hariette petersen]

Sunday Afternoon, Kindle Fire, Facebook, and Friends

Dinner has been consumed.  The dishes are clean and put away.  My granddaughters are laughing and squealing as they hide their colored eggs, over and over again outside.  Oklahoma skies are filled with grey un-threatening clouds.  The sun has taken a vacation day. It's a sleepy afternoon.

Hubby is sitting here reading his new birthday-Kindle Fire... well, not really.  He's trying to figure out how to get on Facebook and read my wonderful blogs....hee hee.  I think his interest was piqued since he discovered someone deleted one of my, uh-hmmmn, brilliant, yet, not so politically correct comments on a blog a week or so back.  Hubs has kinda sat in the shadows of my internet connections and watched me flit from place to place talking about all the people I meet on the world-wide-web.

I think until, a fellow blogger from Fort Worth, Texas stumbled into our church sanctuary today and wanted to see me, my hubby thought all this bloggin' stuff was a figment of my virtual imagination.  Now, he sees that people are real, and, that some real men still wear ties and suits on Easter morning!!  Hey, hey, hey!  I must say I was quite honored to have Ron Phillips, Sr. drop in on our church service to meet me while in town visiting his family.  Quite honored.  We took a photo for posterity.  I hope Ron doesn't get a bad reputation, hangin' out with the likes of me.  We talked about a bunch of things, and touched on, my deleted comment.  I had to laugh.  Much ado about so little.  BUT...

Now, hubby wants to know: "So what does it mean if someone deletes your comment?"  Guess I'll have to educate him on the finer points of SBC bloggin' and the dangers of talking to just anyone who wants to call you "friend" on facebook.  Scary world we live in, ya know?

Anyway, it is Sunday afternoon.  Nascar has no races.  So what else can hubby and I do but read books and play with our gadgets (we don't want to find colored eggs).  I'm having fun watching my Bob trying to figure out how some of this internet stuff works. 

He keeps trying to log on to a Facebook account I set up for him a long long time ago.  It wouldn't let him get on.  One time he can get on the web without problems, the next, they are giving him flack...ha ha.  Now, he's just pecking around, trying to find his way around our virtual world.  He's been searching for answers (he's not one to give up easily).  He keeps getting a message that tells him they've lost him.  I'm so glad God never loses sight of him....nor me.

Even though I may follow all the wrong links at times (or get dumped off a few others), God keeps me linked to Him.  I may click all the wrong buttons one day, and say stuff He would rather I didn't, I may forget all the rules and throw caution to the wind at times, and find myself disconnected from my internet server.  But, God stays connected to me...and I to Him...always.  We may forget my husband's password to connect to Facebook, but it doesn't mean we can't connect to our Lord.  We'll figure out a way to make a new password for him on Facebook.  But we always have our password saved to reach God.  His name is Jesus.  What a glorious Easter afternoon it is.  Amen?  selahV

Do YOU Desire to See GOOD Days?

Do you love life?

Do you want to see days where the sun shines and rainbows form from crystals in the rain-blessed sky?

Do you want to see your seeds sprout, your corn grow, the tares controlled, and reap a bountiful harvest of "good" days?

1 Peter 3:10-12 offers some help:

" For whoever desires to love life
              and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
              and his lips from speaking deceit;
let him turn away from evil and do good;
let him seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

I thought about this passage a lot in the last few days.  I wondered when I shared the heartaches I had, the brokenness I felt, the misunderstandings and false perceptions of others toward me.  Does anyone really know what I desire with the words I use?  Is what my tongue utters "evil"?  I wonder this because, when I feel no animosity, nor anger in my heart, nor any ire, nor wish no ill-will against anyone, how are my words "evil"?

I think if I do my best to be as forthright, forthcoming and honest with my words, not hiding behind flattering phrases or pacifying language, is that "speaking from deceit"?  If not, then what must I do to have better days?  Days empty of angry emails, days where the emails do not notify me of canceled subscriptions to my words, days where people are as friendly as the waitress who hopes to gain a tip for serving me.  Days wherein folks I know who hold a different opinion than I, find I have not changed my heart, simply because I share a thought or two from my mind.  Where are those days if my words are not intent on doing the work of Satan in a faith-based community?

Could it be?  Could it be I am in the midst of evil, and darkness and had not seen the forest for the trees of ego-mania and self-centeredness towering over me?  Could it be I am in a meadow filled with thistles, tares and poison ivy?  Perhaps that is it...perhaps the problem rests in turning away from that attractive meadow of brilliant colors, where stately cactus stand ready to prick the life out of me as I pass through.  Perhaps, another path is where I need to turn.  I need to get out of the briar-laced thickets.  I need to get back on the beaten path, one walked by the saints before me, then "seek peace and pursue it".  At all costs.  No matter what seeds are carried and implanted around me.  Then I will find the "good" at the end of each day.  I will find the peace and joy and love by the still waters.  And my heart will overflow with God's grace and love.  Do you desire "good days", too?  Let's see if we can make a few together...okay?  selahV

Yeah....I Sure Am...

feeling good today.  Are you?

I sense a fresh wind blowing, a glorious dawning of hope. I see unfading glory on the horizon. Exciting expectation is in the air.

It's reminds me of the day I answered the knock at the door of my heart and found Jesus waiting to come into my life--to abide forever.  To dwell with me, and I with Him.  Everything was new.  Everything was brighter--the sky, the flowers, the eyes of my children.  Everything smelled better; honey tasted sweeter.  My husband's love proved invincible. Then, as now, I felt strength in my weakness.

My life was an absolute mess.  My health was not promising.  My marriage was in shambles.  Then came Jesus, and I was feeling good.  Just like today.  I pray you know the joy of the ever-present Savior in your heart and soul today.  I pray you rejoice in His grace, mercy and love.  Won't you join me in singing: 

When You Are On My Mind

I sometimes smile; other times I cry.

Sometimes I think; many times I pray.

I cannot sleep when trouble is at your door.  Like now.  And so I pray for God's grace to meet your every need.  For His angels to encamp about you.  There are so many needs for God to meet.

How does He do that?

Does it not amaze you?

Billions of people with needs, and billions of praying people.  I wonder who's praying for me right now.  I wonder what prayer God is answering for those I have carried to His throne of grace.  I wonder when I can't sleep...when you are on my mind, is God meeting your need this very moment?

What joy to think it so.

Lord, You know the faces, names, indeed the very number of hairs on the heads of those in my mind tonite.  You know who needs Your comfort, strength, wisdom and healing.  You know who needs encouragement, understanding and acceptance.  You know who needs mercy and hope.  I pray you meet the needs of those whose troubles weigh heavily upon my shoulders.  May they sense the presence of Your goodness, power, and sufficiency.  May their burdens be lifted, eased, sustained according to Your will.  As I think of those You love much more than I, embrace my thoughts and make them Yours to tend.  selahV

It Is Worth the Leap

Seriously!

What is our problem?

We have every reason to shout!

We have it all!

Love, peace, hope, joy, goodness, grace, salvation, forgiveness, righteousness, eternal life.

What else do we need?

Yet, all too often we sit silent in the face of praise.  We yawn when worship runs longer than an hour.  We nod off when the preacher begins to share God's Word.  We walk about in the world like we are dead rather than alive in Christ.  What in the world is wrong with us?  Do we buy into Satan's lies?

Perhaps.

But I think there's a simple reason we are so complacent and filled with apathy.  Our focus is on us.  Ourselves.  We worry about the economy. We fret over what name we are affiliated with.  We listen to strife and divisions.  We battle the flesh and ignore the real enemy:  "the prince of this world".  The powers of evil and darkness in realms beyond our sight.  We swat gnats and swallow camels then choke to death on our own efforts and words.

We stare at the temporary lives we have and covet the life we don't have.  We dwell on the things we find uncomfortable and strive for what makes us "feel" good.  We war with our own rather than stand guard over the walls we've conquered together.  We battle with those in our midst and give our enemies weapons to destroy us.

We, my friends, are our own worst enemy, to whom we are daily-devoted.

We wallow in past mistakes.  We won't let go of yesterday's failures.  We stare in awe at the giants in our lives and think we are small, alone, without help. We sit on the edge of the Red Sea and camp out while waiting for the Egyptian pharoah and his soldiers to destroy us.  Rather than remember what God has accomplished for those called by His name, we fall down in fear.

We all need to go back to the altar of God and stay awhile.  We need to sit by the calm waters which swallowed our enemies and give thanks.  Thanks that we are not alone in our struggles. Thanks that we have a Savior who has overcome the world.  Thanks that we have another day to honor His name in all we do and say--with family, friends, and strangers.

We need to bow in humble adoration to our God, our strength, our Redeemer.  Then we need to get up and kick our behinds as we leap for joy and sing praises to the Most High God.  selahV

"The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." Psalm 28:7

Another devotional:  Are you LEAPING to Conclusions?

10 Ways to Encourage Someone Today

1. Leave a larger tip than usual, and then go the extra mile and tell the manager what a great waitress you had.
2. If a clerk is extra friendly, tell them how you appreciate her happy personality.  Then take time to tell the manager of the store how nice she was.
3. Tell your kids how much you appreciate their presence in your life.  Hug them for no reason.
4. Make your husband's favorite dessert and tell him how much you appreciate the hard work he puts in to provide for you.
5. If you see someone do something nice, tell them.  Once I sent a card to some youth I saw doing nice things for others.  I told them if I could see their kindness, God saw much more.
6. Comment on someone's blog and tell them their words helped you.  Tell them how.
7. When you "like" someone's status, click the "Like" button.
8. Send your wife a real card in the mail.  Make it a funny one and tell her how great a mom she is, or how much you appreciate her patience.
9. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and say something good about your community.
10. Drop off a couple of dozen donuts to your local fire station and thank the men for watching over your community.

These ideas are hardly original.  But they are a way to jog your thinking and get me motivated to go and do likewise.  If there is something someone has said or done for you that affirmed you or made you feel significant, please share it in the comment box below.  I'd love to hear it.  It could give us more ideas to do for others.

(You may be interested in the devotional I wrote on AFFIRMATION, too.)

AS MARKETS GO UP AND DOWN

One day they're up.  The next day, they're down.  Last week they dropped 1,600 points, then recovered to only lose a bit over 100 points overall.  Today, on Thursday, 8-18-2011, the DOW plunges 469 points at 9:31 a.m. Central time.  Speculation reigns in the minds of investors and folks who trust the markets for their future retirement.  Businesses shudder and wonder if stability will ever return.  Economists are like gerbels on treadmills, running in place trying to get nowhere faster.  Politicians are spinning the bottle of hope that whatever happens, the blame will land on someone else.  As the markets fall, so does President Obama's favorability polls.  Yet...

the sun is shining in Oklahoma.  And I have great hope.  Do you?

My hope is not in the markets.  And even though we depend on Social Security as our main source of income, I do not depend on it as my provision.  I don't even believe in the pittance we receive from our meager pension investment-- companies have been known to go bankrupt.  When threats of doom assail because of outer circumstances, I open my eyes and "look to the hills from whence cometh my help".  Just as investors rush to buy gold as an anchor during volatile times, I rush to my Father...the Anchor of my soul.

¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
² Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
³ Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,"  Psalm 103:1-4 NKJV

Times are uncertain.  But my LORD is certain.  All that is within me cries out to Him to keep me...to give me strength, diligence, and perseverance so that I might bless His holy name and bring Him glory.

I remember "all His benefits" --beyond the material possession of this world...

beyond my comfort... beyond my pleasure.

As markets go up and down, and gloom and doom hover around us like dark shadows of despair, I take comfort in knowing my sin is forgiven... my diseases are healed, I have a life incorruptible... I have God's loving-kindness and tender mercies.  And I am at peace.  I pray you are, too.  selahV for Today 

It's Hard To Comprehend

Truly.  It's hard to comprehend how one can feel peace in the midst of a storm.  Yet, people do.  It's hard to explain how we can struggle with a decision to follow God's will and once the decision is acted upon by faith, God floods our heart and soul and mind with peace.  Yet, He does.  He removes the turmoil, the confusion, the battle with our own inadequacies.  He assures us He is with us.  He tells us to stand and be courageous.  "To take the land."  He tells us to keep our eyes on Him.  He gives us His Spirit to dwell within us and pours out His fruit in our lives.

A portion of His fruit is peace; it's joy.

Some people act and react with such stoic movements and expression that often they are seen as unfeeling...or that they lack compassion.  Perhaps, unemotional people do not have the same sensitivities within them.  Perhaps because they are the way they are, they find it hard to comprehend how I and others can feel the presence of God and sense His peace when we follow His will despite the impossibilities, the obstacles, the giants in the land.  God's peace releases an inner confidence that cements faith in place.  It's power calms the calamity within an anxious heart just as certain as Jesus calmed the raging seas which terrified His disciples. Think about it.

God controls the wind.  God controls the tides.  He is the Creator of those things.  Just as God calms the whirlwind, His peace calms the whirlwinds in our heart and soul.

I equate peace with Jesus.  My Savior.  My advocate.  My counselor.  My anchor.  My refuge.  My Rock.

I've witnessed absolute peace in the faces of those who face the giants in their lives--the missionaries who yield to God's call and have total peace in selling everything they have to go and tell.  I've seen peace exhibited in men and women who move from their comfort zones and into the slums filled with violence to minister.  They have total peace because they know they are in the center of God's will as they shepherd and evangelize those areas.  They know it's God's will.  But they also feel His peace as a result of following in faith and obedience.

God in His superior, sovereign, unequaled creativity, created man in His own image.  He gives us emotions, just as He has emotions.  He uses those emotions within us to draw us to Him, to allow us to experience His goodness, compassion, comfort, joy, love and peace.  Jesus gives us the greatest commandment:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30

Those are completely different attributes of our being. Is there some reason the Lord put these attributes in the order He did?  I think so.

Our hearts keep us loyal to God.  Our souls keep us at peace with God.  Our minds keep us focused on God.  Our strength directs the resources of our bodies for God.  Just as we use them to be loyal, to obey, to sacrifice, to act upon the love we have for God, God rewards and blesses us with Himself as we do.  In Him we find His grace is sufficient to meet all our needs.  All the time.  It may be hard for some to comprehend the peace of God, to know it, but He gives it--the peace that surpasses all understanding.  It's not manufactured by man; it is delivered by God as we yield to His will and Word.  "Peace, be still."  "Be still and know that I am God."  selahV for Today

Heavy Heart

Ever have a heavy heart?  A burden for someone you cannot get off your mind?  Every verse you read whispers their name.  Words that come to my mind are mercy, grace, peace, consolation, strength, joy, comfort, encouragement, rest, hope.

Yet all these words are so empty to someone who is at their wit's end.  Their physical condition has taken its toll.  Depression has wrapped around them like a warm blanket on a cold dark night.  They cannot take it off for fear of freezing.  They know God.  They know He loves but they feel none because their heart is in the throes of earthly battles beyond their control. The thorns have not been removed.  The pain is persistent. The turmoil returns with the morning sun.  The weight of emptiness is crushing.  Faith is an ember.

I can only pray.  And continue to pray.  May God's mercy be upon my "someone".  In fact, I have a couple of "someones".  My heart may be heavy, but not nearly as heavy as my "someone" so far away.  May light be upon them.  Lift their spirit, oh, LORD.  Return hope from where hope has hidden.

Walking the River

It's not easy.  Some may think it easy to walk the "lazy river" at the waterpark.  Bless their hearts and ability.  To me it is a feat.  It is a marathon.  It is an accomplishment.  Yesterday, I was able to walk around it several times.  Oddly, it is easier for me to walk with the resistance of water than to walk the mall with no resistance.  Less pain.  Though I walk each slowly, the water-walk doesn't hurt my hips as much as the concrete walk does.  Afterwards, I get out of the water and it feels like tons of pressure on my legs.

My granddaughters are patient with me.  I am so grateful.  My joy is watching them float in front of me.  It's counting seconds to see how long they can hold their breath.  It's watching them turn somersaults in the water.  They know that we go to the waterpark to have fun in the sun and water.  But they also know that Grama can only walk in the water.  I cannot get in and out of the huge oversized tubes and float like other people.  I can't go on the slides and giggle gleefully as we slither down slides and slip into the water.  I have to be careful how I bend and move to avoid back injury.  I can't get into the wave-pool because the waves cause me to struggle to stand.  The struggle knocks my back out of whack.  They understand.  Kids are like that.

However, because I can walk, and can get into the water, sometimes they forget how hard it is for me.  I can't pick them up or let them ride on my back like last year.  I can't move as quickly.  I am constantly thinking about how I move as I focus on how far they are from me in the water.  Sometimes they have to stop playing and wait for me to catch up so they are not out of my reach should need help in the water.  They don't complain.

It makes me think how fortunate I am to have a heavenly Father who is always able.  He is not only able to move quickly, but instantly.  He knows which way I am going before I go there.  Unlike me, He is not limited by physical constraints or weakness.  Just as my grandchildren depend upon me to protect them, I depend upon my Father to protect me and aid me in making choices that guide me in physical caution.  My limitations keep me glued to the limitless power and spiritual sufficiency I have in Christ. I am grateful for the grace to write...to laugh...to see my grandchildren enjoy life.  I am grateful for the grace to simply walk the lazy-river.  It is enough.  His grace is sufficient. 

Lord, today, I pray for those who struggle with limitations--be they physical, emotional, mental or spiritual.  I pray you meet their needs and help them recognize it is You Who gives them the strength, the perseverance, the faith, and grace to conquer the river currents of life.  selahV

 

BLINDED TO BLOSSOMS

I noticed the lone surviving lavendar plant from the twelve I had planted (5 years ago). It had wild morning glories twisting its way amongst its purple stems.  I'd seen the daisies clustered behind my pecan trees but their presence did not bring the usual excitement typical for me.  From my kitchen window, I barely gave a glance to the array of giant Foxgloves growing by the fence.  A smile...a nod of praise to the Lord for their perennial presence in my life.  Scripture came to mind..."Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Luke 12:27

Yeah, Lord; I know.  But lilies don't have chronic back pain, I reasoned.  And lilies don't outgrow their attire.  And lilies don't get bronchitis.  And lilies don't have company coming and have a tub to scour and tables to dust. 

Recent weeks of pain had robbed me of enthusiasm.  Oklahoma's sweltering heat discouraged a walk outside.  A messy neglected house simply did not deserve a bouquet to grace the dining-room table cluttered with bills, books and my grandchildren's art renderings. Thoughts of company coming this weekend and the need to clean my home gave little room for musing about the backyard.  All I saw was the need to mow the lawn, the desire to secure my hammock before my friend arrived on Saturday.  Then...

...then my granddaughters came to visit.  They skittered to the patio doors and spotted the giant multi-colored foxgloves.  Maroon, magenta, peach, and pink.  They saw the purple Rose of Sharon.  The oohs and aahs punctuated the air with awe and wonder.

"Grama, did you know you had flowers out there?" Haylee informed me. "Can we pick some?"  Within moments she and Kinsey emptied a basket of its blocks and found their scissors and headed out the door.  Normally, I would grab my camera and follow them.  Yesterday I simply slid the door closed to keep out the flies and bees and headed back to my recliner, grabbed a tissue and waited out my three-minute coughing spasm.  My head hurt.  My chest hurt.  My stuffy nose leaked out of my eyes as tears covered my cheeks.

I sat there thinking how little I cared about flowers.  But how wonderfully warm and soothing it felt to have my granddaughters visiting.  Their mom had kept them at bay because I'd been feeling so lousy.  And now, their enthusiasm and joy touched a need inside me I had not realized was there.  I knew the girls would soon bounce through the doors with their basket of glory, so I got up and went to the kitchen and filled a clear bowl with water.  I went back to my recliner, blew my nose and waited.

Before the afternoon was over we'd had a teaparty, sat cuddled together watching Popeye and Ben Ten, drank hot chocolate and talked about Vacation Bible School coming up next week.  Haylee was particularly excited.

"I can hardly wait.  We are going exploring.  It won't be like when we went to Australia and saw the animals, or the other year when we, uh...I can't remember now, but we are going to some place new."

"I think you are going to New York this year," I informed.

"WHAT!  Wow, that will be fun!  That's where the big buildings are, and...", and on and on she exolled all she knew about New York City.  "But we don't really go there," she reminded me, "we just explore it in pretend."

I thought about that precious moment.  The wonder of a child.  The expectations. Life.  Joy oozed out of every pore.  Kinsey was caught up in the excitement even though she had no idea why.  Joyous memories of past VBS explorations thrilled Haylee and provoked undiluted positive anticipation.  Oklahoma's heat didn't matter.  Insects didn't matter.  And I'm certain if she had a Summer cold, it would not matter.  Life was a bouquet of grandeur and a rainbow of promise.

Oh, to be young again.  Oh, to let my spirit ride the wings of butterflies and bumble bees.  Later, when the chatter, the joy and the busyness of two little girls surrendered to the stillness of the house, I could not help but stop and try to smell the blossoms in the middle of my dining room table. I'd been all but blinded to the array of maroon, magenta, purple and pink blossoms before my granddaughters came to visit.

"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." Psalm 8:2

What a blessing to have the lips of children.  The hope in their hearts.  God knew this day would come when Satan tried to rob me of health, to blind me to the blessings of His glory.  God knew that when each seed from every flower in my backyard died last fall and burst forth in new life this Spring.  God knew the girls would come and marvel at their splendor.  God knew they'd offer praise because of the enemies in my life--weariness, illness, and discontent.  He knew.  And so He prepared for me this day to see the blossoms of His love.

How about you?  Do you see Him today?  I hope so.

PRAYER:  Lord, give those who are weary.  Those who are blinded by the sin of life.  Those who cannot lift their eyes.  Give them a child to come and show them the way...to offer praise for Your goodness...to remind them of Your watchcare and to silence the foe and avenger in their lives.   

 

MONDAY MOURNING MOANS

It's official.  Today is Monday and it is one of the least loved days on the weekly calendar.  For most folks it is the first day of a work week.  For others, it's just another day and is sometimes their "saturday".   Antique shops are notorious for taking Mondays off.  I don't really have any complaints about Monday to speak of.  I have a deadline for my newspaper column on Mondays, so that makes it a rather significant day to remember.  Other than that, I try to take it easy on Mondays and spend a lot of time writing for the week.  For me, it's easy to sense the presence of God and hear Him speak when I read His word on Mondays.  I attribute that to the time I spend focusing on Him in Sunday School, Worship and such.  So Mondays are kinda sweet for me...a day of reflection...a day of planning the week ahead.

Never fails when I go to Facebook, the moans and groans are almost audible.

My blogposts get the most readers on Mondays, too.  So I suppose there is a lot of folks leaning back in their recliners, sipping coffee, sweet tea or energy drinks.  I have it on pretty good authority, if there is any leftover cornbread from Sunday dinner, that a dear friend of mine might even be spooning the soggy stuff out of a glass of buttermilk while he reads Monday-morning bloggers rant, rave, moan, groan, grumble and complain about everything from theology to rain on their parades.

It's odd when you think about it.  We have been given only so many days appointed on earth to breathe, to love, to enjoy, to pursue happiness, yet so often we are found begrudging the existence of the hour at hand.  Wouldn't you think after a Sabbath day of rest, we'd appreciate another day of living with the blessings of God? 

I remember one of the sweetest prayers my elderly daddy ever prayed on a Monday morning.  It was at breakfast as his feet dangled over the edge of his nursing-home bed.  His hair was rumpled, his tee-shirt stained from midnight snacking, and he bowed his head.  In between oxygen-fueled breaths, he says, "Thank you, O Lord for another day of living.  Thank you for Your protection last night.  I especially thank you for this food before me, and pray You use it to nourish my body.  Watch over Shirley and my family and give Hariette a safe trip home.  In Your precious son's name, I pray.  Amen."

Then with his feeble, shaking, Parkinson's-afflicted hand, daddy would lift up the rubbermaid lid to find his usual runny tasteless, scrambled eggs, dried out cold toast, and bowl of grits.  No salt allowed.  No sugar.  No fat.  I'd look at that tray and watch my father's labored breathing, and wonder how in the world he could be so thankful for another day of living.  Yet, he was.  Today, he is fully whole and feasting on the bounty of the Lord.  What a neat thought the LORD just put in my head.  It's enough to make me want to count my blessings for awhile.  How about you?  selahV

How To Soothe A Troubled Heart

I received an email from a friend yesterday.  He sends me little snippets of this-and-that each day.  I laugh at some, shake my head at others and then some, I am pressed to ponder a bit.  Yesterday's was a quote by Warren Wiersbe:

"When there is peace in the heart, there will be praise on the lips."

Sounds sweet, huh?  I thought so, too--at the first read.  Then I looked at it again and recalled a time when the phrase was reversed for me.  When there is praise on the lips, there is peace in the heart.  There was a time so dark and full of sorrow and blackness I thought any second I was going to die.  In fact as much as I feared it, I wanted it.  I saw no light in the abyss.  No comfort to come from mourning.  No filling to come from hungering and thirsting.  No strength to come from weakness.  No hand amid the waves of pain.

Wiersbe says, when there is peace, there is praise.  I don't know if that is always true.

You see, my heart is at peace quite often without an utterance of praise or a thought of adoration toward my Maker.  But when I am troubled, when my heart is broken, when heartache seems to squeeze the life right out of my soul, it's then that peace eludes me.

I have found when I take time to exalt the Lord, to sing a chorus of praise:  "I exalt You.  I exalt You.  I exalt You, Oh, Lord;" it is then my heart is stilled.  It's then my heart relaxes and my weakness turns to strength.  It's then the darkest night becomes day.  Most certainly when a heart is at peace it can praise the Lord for His presence.  But do we?  always?

When a person has a troubled heart, praise on his lips will create the peace his heart cannot produce on its own.  It transforms the heart flooded with itself.  God is the keeper of the secret longings and needs of our hearts.  We can praise Him for the hope we have in Him and then our hearts will give Him room to sit enthroned each moment of our day.

"But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted Thee and Thou didst deliver them." Psalm 22:3-4 KJV

If you have a troubled weary heart today, try singing Jesus Loves Me till you feel He does and know He is your refuge and stay.  I am praying for you, too.  May His peace be the praise you offer to others who find themselves torn and broken today. selahV

RELATED POST:  Lessons of Loss

What the Future Holds

No one really knows.  For some reason, we cannot help but wonder about it, though.  We wonder what our kids will be when they are grown.  We wonder what their kids will do.  Will everyone stay in the same area, or will they move to all parts of the globe?  In these unsettling economic times, we wonder about employment.  Will we have a job next year?  next month?  next week?

I have two friends whose husbands have lost their jobs after a long tenure.  They are in their late fifties.  It's a scary thing.  They are knowledgeable, experienced and dependable.  By and large, those are qualities a prospective employer seeks.  However, financial pressures for corporations limit an employer's ability to hire older men with those qualities.  Younger, unproven and teachable people do not command the same salary commensurate with older rivals.

It's hard for my friends' husbands.  They have mortgages.  They are more apt to need their insurance coverage.  They are closing in on retirement age and every dime they put into a pension or 401-K is vital.  It's only natural for them to wonder about their future.  Will they have to relocate to another city, another state?  Will they lose everything they worked for their entire lives?  Could they really and truly end up homeless?  It's possible.  They do not know what the future holds.  But, fortunately for them, they "know Who holds the future."

When Job lost his entire family, grown children with families of their own, servants, livestock and possessions, he did not know how things could get worse.  When his body was wracked with sores and pain was his constant companion, he wondered what would happen next.  What was left for him to lose?  For Job it boiled down to complete humility and total dependence on his Creator.  He had every reason to listen to his wife and "curse God and die."  But he didn't.  He questioned his condition and circumstances, but he did not curse God.  God restored to Job all he had and more.

In the season of difficult circumstances, we are vulnerable to fear, to worry, and concern.  Yet, as Christians we are assured that when we put our trust in God, He will provide.  He will take care of us.  He will never leave us.  We do not know what tomorrow holds, but the daily trials are sufficient to battle without us borrowing battles beyond the horizon.  When the abundance of "what ifs" come my way, I remember that "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me." Psalm 138:8  I pray He gives my friends the same assurance as they wait upon His provision.

What about you?  Do you need God's sustaining grace to cover your heart and still your worried mind?  If so, I pray He fills you with peace today.  I pray you see Him move in such a way that it could only be Him to whom you give the glory.  selahV

DEVASTATION: EARTH QUAKES, SEAS ROAR

I slept peacefully dreaming of brilliantly colored birds.  Tiny little birds the size of bumble bees flew into my house and perched upon my fingertips.  One bird resembled a cluster of purple, pink, and yellow bubbles.  I went outside and was mesmerized by black swirling clouds that rained down dinner-plate sized cherry blossoms that spiraled round and round with delicate beauty.  I reached out to touch them and they melted at the touch of my hand.  Joy and goodness and comfort and peace enveloped my heart.  Wonder filled my mind.  THEN=>>>...

STRIKES, SPARES AND OTHER BOWLING BLESSINGS

Last weekend, Hubby tried to teach everyone how to bowl with his fine form and precision-like throws.  No one got the bend and release motion. Instead, balls crashed onto the alley with loud pops. I was sure that at any moment the bowling attendants would come throw us all out of the alley.

I felt like I'd bowled twenty games instead of simply watching four little girls and a husband bowl a mere two games.  I wondered if my muscle-pain was due to pain-by-proxy.  Empathy pains?  The contortions they all made to get their heavy balls to roll down the alley and clobber bowling pins reminded me of pretzels making their way down an assembly line.

 

I wanted to bowl, too, but I discovered on my third throw that my neck wouldn't allow me the privilege of bowling with my grandkids.  Fortunately for me, the girls loved taking turns when it was Grama's time to bowl.  Corporately, I had pretty good scores. Yet even with all four girls bowling collectively for me, my score still didn't top my youngest 4-year-old granddaughter, Kinsey's score of 82.  Yeah.  Tiny little Kinsey would grab a 7 or 10-pound ball, lug it over to the alley, drop it on the floor, then give it a shove down the alley.  Then she'd sit down and wait to see what happened.  That ball would take an entire minute to reach the pins and topple 5 to 10 pins with one whack.  It was hilarious.  Of course the bumper helped her when balls ricocheted off the padding.  But everyone used the same lane, so it was all even-stevens. 

Gutter balls and splits abounded.  Spares and strikes were sparce except for Grampa.  Still, every pin that came down was highly celebrated with cheers and high-fives.  Who needs trophies when we have one another to encourage and affirm our efforts?

It kinda reminds me of Hebrews 10:24 "...let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." 

Bowling affords great opportunities to teach addition, cooperation, sharing, patience, perseverance, encouragement and the plain old joy of being with one another...don't ya think?  selahV

RIDING ON A YO-YO

That's what it feels like to deal with insurance companies.

They do not want to "replace" cars that their insurers maim and destroy.  It's just business.  Allstate told me my car was totaled last week and they towed it away from the bodyshop here in town that I wanted to use to repair it.  They said if it is repaired, it is not safe to drive.  Their assessor was going to analyze it and determine what they would offer me.  It was upsetting to say the least to be hit.  But to think I had to go find another car to replace mine with whatever they decided it was worth, was mind-boggling.  All weekend I searched and researched how much it would cost to replace my Malibu and I came to the conclusion that I was going to be very blessed, indeed, if Allstate compensated me enough to purchase another.  I was pretty much resigned to the fact that this accident was going to cost us.

Today the assessor in Oklahoma City called and recanted the total loss.  They now say my car is repairable.  However, they need a revised estimate from my bodyshop based on more detailed Allstate guidelines.  Because of this, they may change their mind again.  Yo-yo ride.

My repairman has been so patient with the insurance company (far more than I.  I think he's related to Job.).  He's taken a lot of time to explain to me every detail of what is going on.  He assures me that the whole reason they said it was totaled was a bottom line figure: will it cost Allstate less to total it, or to fix it?  I don't know all the ins and outs of these things.  I just know that my vehicle, no matter how much magic my repairman works on it, is not going to have the value it had the hour before the man ran the stop-sign and hit me.  It's called diminished value (DV).  The DV is the difference between the trade-in or sales value it had pre-accident and what it has post-accident.

Statistics show that 55% of consumers will not purchase a vehicle that's been in a major accident--no matter how well it's been repaired.  And 81% demand a huge discount on the sale price.  So when a car, like mine suffers over 7,000 dollars in repairs, it's safe to assume many folks won't pay what they might have before it got hit.  I don't blame them.  I don't want a car that needs its frame stretched to repair it either.  But I'm at the mercy of an insurance company.  Yo-yo ride.  Complain, complain.  Wimper, whine.

At least I don't have to shop for a car, now.  My bodyshop man assures me it will be fixed and safe. I believe him.

One would think if I could trust my repairman with my car, I would certainly trust God with the details of it all.  I think I must test His steadfast patience with my frenzied thoughts sometimes.  I truly do.  One minute I rest in His grace, the next I question my circumstance.  Riding this yo-yo may seem human, but God wants me to know He is unwavering, He doesn't budge when the world seems to quake.  When life challenges my peace and faith, the constancy of God's love and watchcare is rock solid.  When the world spins about me, I know He's with me no matter how many ups and downs I experience while riding the yo-yo of life.

How about you? Been riding a yo-yo lately?  What helps keep you from getting queazy?  selahV 

WHEN THE VESSEL CRACKS

The world seems abuzz with the excitement of Christmas.  Lots of festivities scheduled on the calendar.  Cookies to bake, shopping to do, trees to trim, packages to wrap.  Then snap!!  Life gets in the way.  The furnace breaks down, the car needs brakes, new tires, an alignment--didn't anyone tell my house and car it is Christmas? my body is forced to move in short, guarded steps to avoid muscle strain and greater back pain.  So much to do...so little resources to do it with.   Then....a scripture thought is delivered to my inbox from Adrian Rogers.  And I say, "Ah...that's me."

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."  2 Corinthians 4:7

Ever have that happen to you?  The words are exactly what you need to hear.  The frustrations of the world melt a bit.  The energy you're holding onto to face another day, another hour, an unexpected crisis, seems to seep right out of your frazzled mind.  My ideas, my plans take a back seat and I let God prioritize my life.  Again.

All too often the fuel I use to propel me through a day is self-infused.  Thinking a positive thought.  Resisting the negative.  Seeking an answer, then acting on what I deem appropriate for the situation...thinking, thinking, thinking.  God wants me to relax...let go...stop doing, going, thinking, just let go of the tension and rest in His arms.  Let His power carry me where I think I have been taking myself.  Christ in me is the "treasure" in my "earthen vessel".  Christ's power flows through me and so often I let life get in the way of His grace and glory.  I stand in front of His windows of opportunity.  Instead of letting Him shine, I pull the curtains of discontent, irritation, and sheer exhaustion over windows of hope, strength, and power.

Today I rest.  I rest in Him.  I need His filling, His refreshment.  Today the cracks within my soul and mind need His mending.  How about you? 

SOMETIMES LIFE WEARS YOU OUT

This gives new meaning to the phrase: "sleeping like a baby," don't you think?

Sometimes I wish I were this able--when 2 a.m. gives birth to ideas, inspiration...or worry.  It would be so nice to simply bend over my laptop and drop.  Drop the quandries, the fresh new phrase--the heartaches and burdens and just turn off the lights of my mind.

Oh, Lord, let me rest in Thee and release the difficulties, the challenges, the anxiety, the grief...and even the tantalizing excitement this life offers.  Release me from those things which seek to rob me of bodily rest, of spiritual calm, of mental clarity.  For those kindred spirits who share my plight, I pray for deeper sleep, for greater restoration of joy and hope in daily moments of fatigue.  Thank You for the grace to meet this new day with new mercies for what is ahead.  selahV

ONE MAN'S SOLID IS ANOTHER MAN'S HOLLOW

...ONE MAN'S EMPTY IS ANOTHER'S ABUNDANCE

Ever come to a place where you realize that no matter what you say, another person interprets it to mean something it does not?  Ever want to give up trying?  If you do, you give another person control of your thinking, your very life.  People will not all agree with you--even if you base your thoughts on scriptural principles.  There is a lot to be said for the probability that we are living in the last days.  So many scoffers would come and distort the Word of God.  So many try to silence the lambs.  Yet, we know that even if we remain silent, the very stones will cry out and speak for Jesus.

"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." Colossians 2:8

Don't let people intimidate you.  Don't let another's divisive spirit infect your desire to show love to others--to guide others in the way of goodness, kindness, and gentleness.  Do not let another's unseemly actions capture your heart.  Do not let their bitterness poison your attitude.  Don't let their empty words discourage you.  Look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith.  Look to the saints of old and gain insight on how to deal with others.  Search God's Word.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Do not return evil for evil.  Pray for your enemies.  Let God be your shield, your comfort, your hope in the face of those who revile you.  Ignore another's vain and empty words that bring no glory to the Father in heaven.

Lift your eyes unto the hills, and remember your help comes from the Creator of those hills. Let the Spirit remind you that: "...those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings as eagles; they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint."  Wait, my friends...wait upon the Lord. selahV

POKERS, PRODDERS, AND SPURS

A poker is one of those long metal (usually iron) rods which a person uses to poke at coals and logs in a fireplace.  It enables its user to stand safely away from the heat of the flames, as the hooked end catches hold of an errant log--which is not burning as expected.  A poker, put simply, pokes.  It pokes hot coals and nearly charred logs to get the fire going, should it try to die down.  It changes the position of logs in order to get a fire blazing.  Are you a poker?

A prodder can be a shepherd's staff, an elephant trainer's stick, or even a person.  A prodder tries to urge another to move in a specific direction for a specific purpose--sheep which are dumb as dumb can be, are prodded.  A prodder can guide or provoke.  It can nudge or needle--punch or punish.  Are you a prodder?

Spurs are those pointed objects a cowboy wears on the heel of his boots.  They act to poke a horse in its side, to prod it to move in a certain way with measured urgency.  Do you spur others on?

In the world of blogging and beyond, we find pokers, prodders, and sets of spurs.  A question came to me as I have seen my words used to poke and prod others in the last few days.  We need pokers, prodders, and spurs.  We need folks willing to approach the flames and readjust the burning logs.  Some fires need to die out--others need stoking with a poke here, and a breath of fresh air now and then.  We need someone to poke the coals and shuffle them about so the best of their heat is used.  We need folks to spur one another to action.  To move forward.  To run the race as courageously, as boldly, as honorably as possible.

The discerning mind, the yielded spirit, and open heart have the wisdom to see the difference between a prodder of unity and a provoker of divisiveness and animosity.  May you find yourself among the discerning, the yielded, and the open.  May I be counted among those who enrich, create comfort, instill warmth--where others may separate, and inflame to destroy or quench the Spirit of God.  Lord knows I fail so often to tend the fires He calls me to light.  It's not from lack of desire--some things need to burn--and burn like a bonfire.  Other things need to be kept under control--a little shifting here, a bit of prodding there.  When one sees a fire in need of another log, they must be very mindful of offering to add the wood.  It could very well come slamming down on a foot you've left too close to the fire.  selahV 

HAVOC, HARMONY AND HOPE

In the world we have havoc.  In Christ we live in harmony with God and in hope of eternal peace.  Our peace is not in this world.  For the world is ruled by the prince of darkness.  He creates havoc in the lives of every Christian.  His aim is to destroy your peace, to rob you of joy, to impede your progress, your every effort, your every goal.

"Why can't we live the dedicated, sold-out, life of Christ?" the Sunday School teacher asked.  The circle of people looked at one another.  Some looked down.  Others shrugged their shoulders.  Two offered, "Because we are human."

"Is that not just an excuse?"

Perhaps it is an excuse.  Perhaps it is truth.  We are human.  We cannot possibly live the life of Christ in our own strength.  Our dedication needs to be to Him.  We feed our bodies with breakfast, lunch and dinner--a few snacks in between.  We feed our minds with the morning news--the evening news---the late-night news.  In between we snack on thrillers, mysteries, comedy, sit-com and reality shows.  We drink blog-surf instead of Living Water.  Where is the nourishment for our minds?  Stop.  Turn off the television, the radio, the computer screen.  Listen to the stillness.  Listen for the still small voice of God.  Open His word and purge the world from your mind.  Put on the helmet of savation and keep your mind protected from the fiery darts of satan's accusations, lies, and assaults.

You are a saint.  You are separated from this world of darkness.  You are light.  You are salt.  You add flavor to this world.  You are not tasteless--nor are you putrid spew.  You are righteous in Christ--not living unto unrighteousness.  You are a child of the Most High God.  You have favor among men.  Live like a child of the King.  Lift your head and walk tall.  Do not slump, nor stagger.  Lift your eyes unto the hills from whence cometh your help.  Do not cast your eyes down into the dirt.  Look up.  Let the sun shine upon your face--let the shadows fall behind you.  Cast your cares upon the Lord, for He cares for you.  Take His yoke upon you and let Him bear the weight.  God is good--in you He perfects goodness and blessing and righteousness--for His name's sake.  God's Spirit dwells within you.  He makes intercession with your every prayer.  Pray for every person you see and let the Spirit of God lead you to spur others on to good works. 

Havoc is chaos cloaked in opportunity.  God's opportunity to show you how great He is.  Embrace His strength, His power, His wisdom.  Let harmony and peace flood your being.  For you know He is God.  And He has favor upon you.  selahV

"Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour." Proverbs 14:9