SelahV Today by hariette petersen

Beyond My Ability

I have been given certain talents--one of which is writing.  God often uses this talent even when I feel like my words are nothing but garbled rambling.  I do not know how He does that.  But He does.

Lately, my brain has been so overwhelmed with moving into my little 562 square feet of space that all the cells within my head are screaming from the cramped quarters.  It's kinda like someone who has a concussion and the brain swells and wants to go beyond the boundaries of the skull.  There's so little room for thinking about anything else in my life as I focus on pricing items for our living estate sale, and praying that enough people come on Thursday through Saturday to help me get rid of it all, that I haven't written much of anything here or anywhere else.  Indeed, I haven't even been reading blogs.

I can barely whip up a thought for Facebook other than to say, "whooped, exhausted, worn out".  I'm sure folks are just as worn out from their life's stresses and challenges.  However, their stresses and challenges do not affect my ability to write a coherent thought.

So, hopefully, my friends...next week or the next, I will be back in full-swing and recuperated from all the hussle, bustle, and frenzy of selling off 47 years of memorabilia, collections, husbby's Christian books, and virtually thousands of items.  Maybe, I will tell you some of the funny stories that have occurred as a result of it all. Until, then, I pray God uses your ability to share the Gospel with everyone you meet.  And maybe, just maybe, God will use our ability to lead someone to store a few treasures in heaven, instead of on earth where all rusts, decays, or is stolen by thieves.

I almost feel hypocritical selling all this junk when the most important thing is eternal. This whole ordeal is truly beyond my ability and strength.  Only in Christ am I able.  I covet your prayers. God bless you my friends.  selahV 

 

I Know, I Know...

I haven't written anything in quite awhile.  Well...I'm moving and packing and sorting and tearing my hair out.  I've written a few things on Facebook and manage to keep my Common Matters column up-to-date.  But I've sorely neglected you, my friends.

To be honest, my brain is better absorbing than producing right now.  Too many things going on inside my head.  Decisions, decisions.  Mentally my brain is playing both sides of the tennis court.  Emotionally I feel fairly well.  Not having withdrawals from eliminating 47 years of memorabilia and well, stuff.  Am grateful to be under God's grace spiritually.  He is my anchor for sure, right now.  He makes all the little nitty gritty molehills into flattened anthills.  And those are even easier to deal with as all the demonic ants run for cover.

I see where my friend David Brumbelow, (author of Ancient Wine and the Bible, A Case for Abstinence), is having a whale of a time fending off some folks at SBC Voices regarding his view of alchohol use in the Lord's Supper (/link).  If anyone can handle it, David can.  He's a prince of a man.

Looks like a few other friends are tearing it up with controversial subjects on their blogs, too (/link).  Wow!  A preacher and his wife are advocating sodomy in marriage via a sex-book they co-authored!!!  AND....a seminary president endorses it??  I think...

oh...nevermind.  It doesn't mind what I think.  I've gotta go empty another cupboard.  Clear it of yeast and leaven.  Onto new heights.  I'll just pray about all that other debauchery and dwell on that which is pure, positive, holy and good.  Catcha later.  selahV

 

Santorum, Romney and What Iowa Really Says To Me

So, this is just the spin in my own brain folks.  Seventy-five percent of Republicans do not want Mitt Romney as a nominee.

Santorum rips it up in Iowa.  Romney gets crowned king by only 8 votes.  Paul robs real conservatives of votes but grabs a bunch of Romney's independent votes.  And surprise, surprise, the progressive John McCain is set to endorse the moderate Romney--seeking to squelch real conservatives the opportunity of ousting the POTUS.  Newt is steamed because of Romney's negative ads.

Bachman steps aside and will she announce she is getting behind someone else????? Personally, I'm tickled she is going back to the House of Representatives and will lead the charge to undo the idiocy of Obama and others. Huntsman (the self-proclaimed conservative) is still dreaming in New Hampshire.

Perry...oh, Perry...he's gone back to Texas for some Texas barbeque and to consider options, then will head to South Carolina.  Already given up on New Hampshire?  He and Newt are not even allowed on the ballot in Virginia.  Will that make him more of a vote stealer than a vote getter?  Only time tells.  Would suppose the negative ads are about to begin in earnest against Santorum because he is now Romney's nemesis.  Oh, politics...sweet politics.  

Personally, I like what I heard from Santorum last nite...especially his conservative views socially.  However...I really like what he had to say about getting jobs started in America and reconstructing our tax system.  I hope we get to hear more from him on that issue since all the media has done is use his conservatism on social issues to drown out his intelligence and voice about changing the mess we have in our country...due to President Barack Obama.  He's got some real ideas about changing the unemployment issues and turning our country around.  I kinda like him.  And I liked his heart last night.  I really liked that.  I also liked that he didn't use a teleprompter and forced Romney to speak without one he'd planned to use.

I hope that the next debates give Santorum more of an opportunity to speak.  I want to hear more from him.  selahV

What Loss Leaves Behind

We all experience it.  Loss.  Some losses are permanent, some are temporary.  Some small, some large.  Nevertheless, we all have them.  I have come to realize that the little losses are those that prepare us for the larger ones.  And the larger ones are those from which we learn some of life's greatest lessons.  For me, at least.

Sometimes we cling to so much stuff we are like children set loose in a toy store.  We can't make up our minds about what we want.  We just grab and grab and grab.  Before long our arms are so full we can no longer hold onto everything.  We begin to drop things or let go of things we thought important.

Before my son died, I thought anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness were worth holding in my heart for some reason.  I took offense for offenses he received from the world.  When he died, there was no need to feel that way any longer.  He could no longer be offended or hurt.  By anyone or anything.  I stood before his casket and recognized that life was too very short to be wasted on feeling anger, clinging to insults, or holding onto hurt.  It took me a long while, a couple of years as a matter of fact, to come to grips with how to totally relinquish those things which mattered so little in the scheme of things.  That's not to say that things no longer anger me....that I no longer get hurt.  It's just saying that, for me, the pain is so much less in comparison than to that which really hurts in life.  

The worst pain I ever felt in life is losing my son.  All else pales in comparison.  So that loss left behind a shield of sorts to what the world doles out today.  Less penetrates the depth of my heart.  Less pinches my emotional nerves.  Things which use to crush my spirit, spoil my day, annoy me, follow me around for days, no longer have such power.  So, loss enables me to live with less baggage.

My loss left me with greater compassion for those who hurt.  It left behind a deeper desire to pray for those who choose to hurt others unnecessarily.  It taught me to treasure time with those I love.  

Loss also gives me hope.  I look forward to the day when this temporary vessel of mine is no longer needed...to the day when I will be reunited with my son, and have the blessings of his complete presence in my life, rather than the shards of memories.  His loss left behind a greater appreciation for those things which are eternal.  I can't even imagine life on earth without my Saviour's strength, empowerment, and peace.  I cannot comprehend how I existed without knowing His grace and experiencing His mercy. Yet...

I did.

For many years I did not know how merciful He was.  For many years, I was totally unaware of the grace He lavished upon me.  And through loss, I find it all the more amazing that He would be all He is to me when I constantly sit and seek more of all He is...because I cannot get enough of Him.  I want more.  Such irony--to want more when I feel the sufficiency of His grace.  To have my thirst quenched, only to thirst again for Him.  To have my spirit fed, only to hunger more for Him.  I guess as long as we are on this earth we will seek more of Him than we have.  I know one thing.  He gives me more and more...the more I want and the more I need of Him.  He fills me up as soon as I run dry when I seek Him.  When I ask.  Give us this day, our daily bread, oh, Lord.