Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen

"The storm" is over! The lawsuit has ended—there was NO trial! God waited until anything man could do was done. Everything was ready and prepared for the scheduled trial. The legal paperwork was filed; all exhibits were turned in; witnesses were contacted and ready; hours were spent in preparation; the trial was just weeks away; and THEN!—the LORD stepped in. HE secured justice and established our freedom. Permanently!

By HIS Great Power we are free. Seven years after "the storm" began, the very last words I read while on my journey of reading through the Bible—"You are free to go" (God's fulfillment of HIS promise to the Israelites in Jeremiah 33)—is now God's fulfillment of HIS last promise to us. "You are free to go." What we believed by faith has become sight.

THEN They Will Know! It was by HIS Power, HIS might, and HIS hand that we were saved us from the mouth of the lion. Our prayer has always been that ALL would know it was the LORD who saved us. Our prayer has been answered. Only HE gets the Glory for our freedom.

The Proof Came—AFTER! The only way to prove we weren't crazy when for twelve years we stood firm and shared our belief that the lawsuit would never go to trial, is AFTER it doesn't go to trial. HIS promises once again proved true—there was no trial.

Purpose: To Bring Honor and Glory to HIS Name. It's ALL about HIM! The LORD—HE is the One! This is HIS Story. All Honor and Glory belongs to HIM.

 

HIS Story can now be released. 

A New Path—A New Journey! The time has come to take our first steps on HIS new path.   

A Divine Mandate finished. AFTER—HIS Story was completed, THEN—the LORD stepped in, secured justice, granted us our freedom and fulfilled all of HIS promises. 

 

II Chronicles 20:17 - "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you..."

Isaiah 52:2–3 - "...you once were a prisoner. Now shake off the dust and stand up... This is what the LORD says: 'You were not sold for a price, so you will be saved without cost.' " 

ALL praise, honor, glory and power belongs to our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you, LORD, for your unfathomable Grace. Thank you, LORD, for the gift of Salvation, both now and forevermore. Thank you, LORD, for your Holy Spirit who guided our every step while Walking on His Footpath (Following the Master's Lead). Thank you, LORD, for fulfilling every single one of your promises. Every. Single. One. Only YOU are worthy of our Praise. No words will ever be enough, LORD. No words will ever be enough.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Revelation 4:1 – 6:17

July 29, 2013

The visions continued. John looked and there before him was an open door in heaven. The same voice that spoke to him earlier said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this." (Revelation 4:1) Immediately, John was in the Spirit and he was before a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. The person sitting on the throne was The One, God Himself. With beauty, imagery, and details that we cannot fathom and are beyond human comprehension, John begins to describe what he saw—the Majesty of God as He is surrounded by elders, spirits, and creatures.

Day and night the creatures never stop saying:

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty. 
     He was, he is, and he is coming."

"These living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever." (Revelation 4:8,9)

Then the 24 elders bow down before the One on the throne and they worship Him who lives forever and ever.  They lay their crowns down before him and say:

"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
     to receive glory and honor and power,
because you made all things.
     Everything existed and was made,
     because you wanted it."

It brings tears to my eyes to even imagine what it is going to be like to bow down before the presence of my Lord and God and to have the privilege of laying my crown down before Him and to worship The One who is worthy to receive ALL glory, ALL honor, ALL power, and ALL praise. No words will ever be enough to thank HIM for ALL He has done for us.  Oh, to be able to join with the throng saying:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.  He was, He is, and He is coming."

What an honor it will be to bow before King Jesus as He sits on His throne; to lay our crown down before Him unashamed; to know you were obedient to His voice on earth; knowing you sought to honor Him and please Him with your life and actions; and knowing you gave Him your all. Oh, what a day that will be. Memories of singing old hymns flood my mind.  O, That Will be Glory and What A Day That Will Be.

Then John saw a scroll in the right hand of The One sitting on the throne. The scroll had writing on both sides and was kept closed with seven seals. An angel asked, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" (Revelation 5:2) But there was no one (small "o") anywhere that was worthy. No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth who could open it or look in it. John cried—hard— because there was no one who was worthy to open it.

Why would John have been so upset? I believe it was because he keenly felt the shortcomings of "man." We are not worthy—but JESUS is. The only one who is worthy is The One. One of the elders told John not to cry. Revelation 5:5 - "The Lion from the tribe of Judah, David's descendant, has won the victory so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

JESUS IS WORTHY!  He is worthy of ALL honor, ALL glory, ALL power, and ALL praise!


Next Entry: Revelation 4:1 – 6:17 (Continued)

The Book of Revelation

July 23, 2013

Before I begin Revelation, let me make something clear. I am NOT gifted in prophecy or understanding and translating the symbolism found throughout Revelation. That being said, I am sure there will still be much to learn and write about. I am filled with excitement, anticipation, and a little hesitancy. Journaling through the Bible has become a way of life for me. I'm excited to reach the last book, but I am also reluctant to have it over.

LORD, I am so grateful for the journey you put us on. Your love just overwhelms me. Thank you, LORD, for your Son and Your saving Grace. No words will ever be enough to sing to YOU our praises. May my life always bring honor and glory to YOUR NAME.

I'm ready, LORD. Show me what you want me to learn.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ.  

Next Entry: The Beginning of the End

I Peter 2:1–25 (Continued)

July 02, 2013

I Peter 2:20–21 - "But if you suffer for doing good, and you are patient, then God is pleased. This is what you were called to do..." Wow. How do those who support the idea of a "feel good, God just wants you to be happy" religion reconcile that "belief" with what Peter says about suffering? "This is what you were called to do..."

Christ suffered for us and gave us an example of how to suffer and be patient. I Peter 2:21 - "So you should do as he did."

• He was innocent—He had not sinned
• He was truthful—He did not lie
• He was insulted—but He did not seek to strike back at those who accused Him
• He suffered—but He did not threaten

I Peter 2:23 - "He let God, the One who judges rightly, take care of him." He let God. What a powerful statement and a creed we should all live our lives by and be known by.

He let God!

Christ suffered and took our sins so we would:

STOP—living for sin

START—living for what is right 

When we suffer we need to examine our lives.

1. Is there anything I need to stop doing?
2. Is there something I should begin doing?

If you have wandered away—accept God's healing, and return to the Shepherd and Protector of souls. If you are falsely accused and suffering unfairly—hold on, be patient, endure the pain, and LET GOD TAKE CARE OF IT!

As my husband and I were talking about this passage, my husband began to reflect back on what happened to him while we were on a missions trip to El Sembrador boy's school in Honduras. I don't think I've written about it before. I want to make sure it gets written and not lost so I am recounting it here.

We arrived in Honduras on a Saturday. On Sunday we went to their church service in their simple but beautiful chapel. All the boys sat up front. We sat on the hard wooden pews towards the back. The worship songs were in Spanish and the preaching was also in Spanish. We understood little to nothing that was spoken, however the Spirit of the Lord was there and we understood much.

During the service my husband became very emotional. He sat there and wept with tears running down his face. I put my arm around him. I didn't know what was happening. Was he thinking about his brother who had just passed away a few weeks earlier? What was going on? What was causing him to become so emotional?

Later my husband shared with the group what was happening. God was running the events of the last six and one half years of "the storm" through his mind and God was grilling him with questions.

"You wanted to go on mission trips but because of the lawsuit you thought it was impossible. Where are you sitting? You thought there was no way your business could pay for its portion of the expenses caused by the lawsuit. What did I do for your business in 2007? What am I still doing today? You thought because the economy tanked and because of the lawsuit and the loss of revenue for services rendered that your business wouldn't be able to survive. Look at what I have done!! You are now in a specialized field and busier than ever!"  

And the tears rolled as God replayed the events of the last six and one half years through his mind. Jane, our walks, the sky opening up, witnessing the hand of God, and on and on. You thought—verses—the reality of God's power and His plan. God is so good. I Peter 2:19–20 - "A person might have to suffer even when it is unfair, but if he thinks of God and stands the pain, God is pleased... if you suffer for doing good, and you are patient, then God is pleased."

Christ suffered. But He let God, the One who judges rightly, take care of Him. We have chosen to let God, the One who judges rightly, take care of us.

He has proven Himself faithful!!


Next Entry: I Peter 3:1–22

Hebrews 5:11 – 7:28

June 06, 2013

Hebrews 7 explains how Jesus is a priest forever like Melchizedek in the Old Testament. God (through Jesus) has done His part. Hebrews 7:27 - "Christ offered his sacrifice only once and for all time when he offered himself." Forgiveness is available to all mankind because of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Hebrews 6 deals with what we do with the sacrifice Jesus gave. Christ's sacrifice was never intended as just a "get out of hell" free card. While freedom from eternal damnation is one aspect (and certainly an extremely important one), the sacrifice Jesus made was meant for so much more than saving us "from" something. His sacrifice should save us "to" something. Our salvation should be noticeable. It should change our way of thinking, our hearts, and our way of life. We are to be continually growing and maturing in Christ.

The writer of Hebrews talks about how the people "were slow to understand." They were still like babies, understanding very little when they should have learned enough to become teachers. Hebrews 5:14 - "But solid food is for those who are grown up. They have practiced in order to know the difference between good and evil." (See Philippians 1:9–11) To not learn and to not grow is to take God's grace for granted. It is an abuse of His sacrifice and puts you in danger of falling away from His true teachings.   

If you are not turning towards God and learning from Him, you are turning away from God and getting farther away from His will. Our lives should be changing to become more like Him. That is not something that just happens. We need to be intentionally seeking Him and following His teachings. Again, if you are not turning towards, you are turning away. Psalm 78:40–43 - "They turned against God... they grieved him... they did not remember his power... they forgot..."

Hebrews 6:4–6 records what I believe to be some of the most disturbing words in the whole Bible. It makes me incredibly sad to read it because I recognize this happening in people I know. May it never be said about me.

"Some people cannot be brought back again to a changed life. They were once in God's light, and enjoyed heaven's gift, and shared in the Holy Spirit. They found out how good God's word is, and they received the powers of his new world. But they fell away from Christ. It is impossible to bring them back to a changed life again, because they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others."

Wow! What disturbing words to read. They were in God's light; they enjoyed all of God's gift of salvation; but they fell away; they lost it all; and there isn't a thing we can do about it. And because of their stubbornness and refusal to change, "they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others."

Oh, how that brings tears to my eyes. The choices we make MATTER!! Be careful! There are consequences for the choices (both the good and bad) we make! Hebrews 6:7–8 - "Some people are like land that gets plenty of rain. The land produces a good crop for those who work it, and it receives God's blessings. Other people are like land that grows thorns and weeds and is worthless. It is in danger of being cursed by God and will be destroyed by fire." (See Psalm 1)

Be patient. God is fair. He will not forget the things you have done by helping His kingdom. It is through faith and patience that you receive what God has promised. There are two things that God cannot change:

1. God cannot lie when He makes a promise, and
2. He cannot lie when He makes an oath.

CANNOT! It's not that God doesn't lie or that He won't lie, HE CANNOT LIE! Hebrews 6:18–19 - "These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong."

God has promised us His protection and He cannot lie. We are sure of His promise. We do not doubt it in any way. We are especially grateful for the way He gave us the promise because it was not in a way we could have expected, concocted, or manipulated. We didn't look through the Bible to try and find something we could claim as God's promise. We weren't even anxiously looking for or seeking a promise. That is why His promise was even more special. It was totally unexpected. Who (even in their wildest dreams) could ever have imagined that God, in His Sovereignty, would choose to use an elderly woman with dementia in a nursing home as His chosen way to deliver His prayer of blessing, and His messages of Purpose (Psalm 8), Praise (Psalm 150), Protection (Psalm 140), Provision (Isaiah 30), Path (Psalm 1), and Promise (Jeremiah 33) to us? It was humanly impossible. It could have only been the Hand of God, and we are so grateful.

We didn't know we needed a promise, but we sure have appreciated ALL of the promises HE has given us these past six and one half years. It has been an encouragement just like the writer of Hebrews penned. God cannot lie when He makes a promise and He cannot lie when He makes an oath.  Hebrews 6:18 - "These things encourage us who come to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given."

Thank you, Jesus for your sacrifice given once and for all. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Thank you for giving us your blessings and protection. Thank you, LORD, for your promises and for your "rest." For all these things and more—we thank you!


Next Entry: Hebrews 8:1–13

It's All Coming Together

September 16, 2016

It's all coming together.

My "short" break turned into a four month project. It was obvious after the first day that I had totally underestimated the time it was going to take to go through 829 entries. What was I thinking?!? It took a lot longer than I thought, but it was actually a very enjoyable time. I learned many new things along the way and I was blessed by God's faithfulness all over again. Now the review is done and I am ready to begin transcribing my journal entries again.

It's all coming together.

Two weeks ago, as I was editing The New Beginning: We Are Crossing the Jordan, I discovered something interesting. Here is what I wrote as an Addendum on 8/31/16:

"Blogger started a new thing a while back called a "Featured Post" that appears on the right hand side of each page. My "Featured Post" is my very first post. Yesterday the title of that post caught my attention—The Beginning. I'm working on a post about The New Beginning and I see the title of my very first post. Hmm. The Beginning → The New Beginning. I was thinking about that during the night last night. It was a brand new thought. I never connected before that my very first post was titled—The Beginning, and that God pointing us in a new direction and the shift in our thinking was called—The NEW BEGINNING. Hmm." 

The path is literally unfolding before our eyes. I'm excited to discover more of the path as I begin transcribing again.

It's all coming together.

I only have one and one half journals left to transcribe. Wow! How can that be? It took me almost four years to read through the Bible while writing my thoughts. It has taken another three years to get eleven and one half journals (of 13) transcribed. It's hard to imagine, but I'm almost done. It almost feels a little scary to be so close to being done. Are there more unknowns lurking out there? But there is one thing I know—"the end" doesn't mean I'm "done." The end means the start of a NEW BEGINNING. But when? How?

It's all coming together.

It will be interesting to see what is in the last one and one half journals. There has to be a reason why Philippians through Revelations was set aside when the pause button was hit and I went back over all my earlier entries again. I'm looking forward to reading what was written and learning what God wants to show me next.

It's all coming together.

Two weeks ago, as I was editing The New Beginning: We Are Crossing the Jordan, God's faithfulness to us and our responsibility to remain faithful to Him brought me to my knees. Here is the prayer I wrote in an Addendum on 8/31/16:

LORD,

With tears in my eyes I bow before you. You are an amazing and unfathomable God. "What is man that you are mindful of him?"

LORD, I am at a loss for words. Who are we that you would allow us to participate in furthering YOUR kingdom. We are so ordinary LORD, so ordinary. We are thankful and grateful for the Blessed Event you gave to us and for this opportunity to share it with others. LORD, may YOUR will be done. I can't imagine how you are going to use this journal, but it is YOURS to do with whatever YOU please. It is ALL yours. Use it; use our lives; use our story which is YOUR story; use anything we have LORD to bring people to you. I surrender all to YOU.

LORD, I pray for those who will someday, somehow, find this journal. May YOUR Holy Spirit speak to them. May they not get lost in my garbled up words and poor grammar skills. May they see YOU. May they desire YOU. May they surrender ALL to YOU. Oh LORD, may it be so. May it be so.

LORD, I used to say that if I could save just one of my Sunday School girls from making the wrong choices it would be worth it all. But then LORD, I realized one wasn't enough  I want to save them all!! I was going to say that if even just one person found this journal and saved their eternal soul by seeking your forgiveness that all the "junk" of the lawsuit would be worth it. And that would be true Father. But I want more LORD—I want more. There are so many hurting and lost people in this world.

LORD, I ask that you somehow bless these words and use them to draw people to YOU. LORD, may YOU take YOUR story and use it to give hope and salvation to many, many people. All for YOUR honor LORD. All for YOUR glory.

In the precious name of Jesus, may it be so. May it be so.

Amen.

It's all coming together.

Our Praise Shelter is within days of finishing. My husband is putting new topsoil around the construction area and will soon seed the new grass. I need to finish staining the Praise Shelter sign, and tomorrow we are going to start cutting the bricks to fill in the spaces. Other than that—DONE! The Jewish celebration of the Feast of Shelters was during the 7th month of the Jewish calendar. I looked it up to see what month the 7th month in the Jewish calendar is in our calendar. September and October!!! Done just in time!! Someday I will post a picture of the finished Praise Shelter with the path of stones engraved with God's promises.

It's all coming together.

For the past week or so, a phrase and melody has been running through my mind every night and every early morning. Over and over. The words come from A Hallelujah (Christmas Version); A Hallelujah (Easter Version). "With every breath I'm singing Hallelujah"  I only know the melody and don't know the rest of the words, but as I go to sleep and as I awake "Hallelujah" is on my lips. Hallelujah—Praise the LORD!

My heart is just full of praise. I am so grateful. I don't know what lies ahead, but I KNOW God has a plan, and I KNOW His will WILL be done.

It's all coming together.

ALL honor and ALL glory is due HIM.

It's all coming together.

Addendum: 2018 ~ Here is a picture of the finished Praise Shelter and a video of the cobblestone path. To God be the glory!!

Next Entry: Philippians 1:1 – 2:30

Sunday is Coming!

March 30, 2013

Yesterday was Good Friday. Jesus' followers didn't know that Sunday was coming. They had to live through three long and dark days of fear, disappointment, and not knowing what their future was going to hold. We have the benefit of looking back and KNOWING that Sunday is coming. The wait can seem long and there may be anxiety at times, but this one thing we KNOW—Sunday is coming. Jesus did rise from the dead and He is our Savior.

Last night our lawyer called us at 8:00 PM. The judge ruled on two of our motions. He approved our refiling of our response to the Summary Judgment motion and also agreed to hear arguments for a judge—verses—jury trial. The communique said his decision would be sent separately. Our lawyer feels his decision could be soon as in maybe Monday, or it could be a year from now.

My hearts starts pounding when I think about what may lie ahead. I so do not want to immerse myself into all of my sister and brother-in-law's lies and filth again—but I will do it if that is what God is calling me to do. I so do not want to sit across a courtroom from my sister as they spew out false accusation and we try to expose their lies—but I will do it if that is what God is calling me to do. For the last several days, my husband and I have been praying a scripture we used to quote often.

"Lord, rise up, face the enemy and throw them down. Save me from the wicked by your sword. Lord, save my by your power."  Psalm 17:13

We want it to be clear to ALL that it was/is the LORD who saves us. When looking up the reference for that verse, I came across Psalm 7 and 8; my husband's "aha" moment. It was where we were reading on the morning of my sister and brother-in-law's depositions back in January of 2009. The Life Lesson sent us to read Psalm 140:12 - "I KNOW the LORD will get justice for the poor and will defend the needy in court."

Psalm 7

"LORD my God, I trust in you for protection. Save me and rescue me from those who are chasing me. Otherwise, like a lion they will tear me apart. They will rip me to pieces, and no one can save me.

LORD my God, what have I done? Have my hands done something wrong? Have I done wrong to my friend or stolen without reason from my enemy? If I have, let my enemy chase me and capture me. Let him trample me into the dust and bury me in the ground.

LORD, rise up in your anger; stand up against my enemies' anger. Get up and demand fairness. Gather the nations around you and rule them from above. LORD, judge the people. LORD, defend me because I am right, because I have done no wrong, God Most High. God, you do what is right. You know our thoughts and feelings. Stop those wicked actions done by evil people, and help those who do right.

God protects me like a shield; he saves those whose hearts are right. God judges by what is right, and God is always ready to punish the wicked. If they do not change their lives, God will sharpen his sword; he will string his bow and take aim. He has prepared his deadly weapons; he has made his flaming arrows.  

There are people who think up evil and plan trouble and tell lies. They dig a hole to trap others, but they will fall into it themselves. They will get themselves into trouble; the violence they cause will hurt only themselves.

I praise the LORD because he does what is right. I sing praises to the LORD Most High."

Psalm 8

"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider you heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?  You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of you hands, you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the fields, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the path of the seas.  

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth."

Life Lesson for Psalm 7:1 – 8:9  "Depend on God to bring justice. God judges perfectly when you are falsely accused."

"There is not a crisis that goes beyond the bounds of God's creative power... it is the prerogative of God to rearrange, reconstruct, reinterpret, and realign the situation to bring glory and praise to His Name... since God is just all that He permits is consistent with His justice... God's justice guarantees that ultimately all that is unfair will be dealt with... it is only safe to realize that God is just and that in His time and in His own way He will deal with both the injustice and those who have been unjust."~  From The Upside of Down by Joseph Stowell

LORD, Rise up face the enemy and throw them down. Save us by your sword. Save us by your power.

Addendum: 4/13/16 ~  I am just SO thankful this morning. As I was proofing this entry I started to sing the Doxology in my mind. Praise God from Whom ALL Blessings Flow! My heart is just full of gratitude, with no words adequate to express the worship I feel towards the God of ALL creation. Emanuel—GOD WITH US!  


Next Entry: I Corinthians 15:1–58

Romans 15:14–33

February 28, 2013

1. You have all the knowledge you need.
2. You are able to teach others.

Paul told the Romans they were equipped to tell others of the Good News. We are equipped as well. No excuses. We must tell others what God has done. It is not about us. It is only about God, what He has done, and the power of the Holy Spirit guiding and directing us. Not only should we be sharing our story, we also need to be supportive of anyone who is furthering God's gospel. Paul was doing God's work, yet he understood that there would be non-believers who would try to harm him and stop God's work. Romans 15:31 - "Pray that I will be saved from non-believers in Judea and that this help I bring to Jerusalem will please God's people there."

LORD, you have called us to tell your story. Save us from those who would try to prevent your story from being told. Thank you, Lord for what you have already done and the ways you have already protected the ministries which you have given us. Lord, we ask that you bless us, and bless us indeed. Enlarge our sphere of influence. Protect us from evil and from those who wish to cause us harm. Protect us also from any selfish or prideful ways in our own hearts. May we harm no one in our actions, thoughts, or deeds. May our lives be a reflection of yours and may our lives bring honor, glory, and praise to your name. Our hearts are full of gratitude and praise to you, our Lord and Savior. Thank you, Jesus.


Next Entry: Romans 16:1–27

Romans 3:9–31

January 28, 2013

A lot of life (and death) has happened since I've last written. When the right time comes I will write about it. While we are exhausted, we are also grateful for the opportunity to serve and for the healing of hearts that took place. Our faith in who God is has increased, and our sorrow is over-shadowed by the joy in our hearts. My husband's brother has reached his eternal home. Blessed be the name of the LORD.

All people are guilty of sin—ALL! Jane's Scofield KJV Bible lists a summary of the Greek words and their meanings for sin. Sin is:

1. Transgression—an overstepping of the law... the boundary between good and evil
2. Iniquity—an act inherently wrong whether expressly forbidden or not
3. Error—a departure from right
4. Missing the mark—a failure to meet the divine standard
5. Trespass—the intrusion of self-will into the sphere of divine authority
6. Lawlessness—or spiritual anarchy
7. Unbelief—an insult to the divine truth

Sin originated with Satan; entered the world through Adam; incurs the penalty of spiritual and physical death; has no remedy but in the sacrificial death of Christ; and can only be availed by faith. Sin is summarized three ways  An act—the violation of or want of obedience to the revealed will of God; A state—the absence of righteousness; A nature—enmity toward God.

Salvation is a free gift from God.

"Money can't buy it.Man's righteousness can't earn it.  Social prestige can't help you acquire it Morality can't purchase it.  It is, as Isaiah said, "...without money and without price." " ~ From Day to Day with Billy Graham

Romans 3:23–31 - "All have sinned and are not good enough for God's glory, and all need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ. God gave him as a way to forgive sin through the faith in the blood of Jesus' death... God always does what is right and fair... A person is made right with God through faith, not through obeying the law... faith causes us to be what the law truly wants."

"To be" is not a one time act of seeking forgiveness. It is an active and continual state of living for Christ.


Next Entry: In Remembrance of a Brother

Acts 21 – 28 (Continued)

January 05, 2013

So Paul was sent to Caeser. Caeser was the Emperor of Rome and the Roman Empire, which at that time was almost all of the known world. It would be a long journey by ship. Julius was an officer in the Emperor's army and he guarded Paul during the long journey. Julius was very good to Paul and gave Paul much freedom. Paul was still a prisoner—yet he was free.

The journey was slow and they sailed for weeks. The trip had taken so long that it had become a dangerous voyage and was almost impossible to continue. The owner of the ship and the captain were in a very difficult situation because they couldn't harbor for the winter where they were. So, despite Paul's warning about the dangers ahead, they decided to push on. God sent them a warning, but they refused to listen and they eventually ended up losing their cargo and their ship.

As they disregarded God's warning and continued their trip, it first appeared as if they had made a good decision. The wind was blowing in the right direction and they thought all was well. But they thought wrong. THE STORM hit. The ship got caught in the wind and they could not sail or steer against it, so they had no choice but to let the wind take them wherever it was blowing. The storm was relentless. They tied ropes around the boat to try and hold it together; they threw out some of the cargo; they threw out the ship's equipment; and they didn't see the sun or the stars for many days. It was a horrible storm and they lost all hope of ever being saved.

God warned them about pursuing this path, but they ignored the warning and went their own way. The men on the ship had not eaten for days. Paul stood up and told them, "You should have listened to me... you should not have sailed... then you would not have had all this trouble and loss. But now I tell you to cheer up because none of you will die. Only the ship will be lost." (Acts 27:21–22) Paul goes on to tell them that an angel was sent to him from the God he belonged to and worshiped. (I like how Paul said, "...from the God I belong to." It clearly shows he understood and accepted the

God

↓

Man

relationship and that he was surrendered to the authority of God.) This angel told Paul not to be afraid. The angel said, "Paul, do not be afraid. You must stand before Caeser. And God has promised you that he will save the lives of everyone sailing with you. So men, have courage. I trust in God that everything will happen as his angel told me... but we will crash on an island." (Acts 27:24–26)

The storm raged for weeks. At one point the sailors thought they were nearing land, so they checked the depth of the sea. They went a little farther and checked again. Sure enough, it appeared they were getting closer to land. Some of the sailors wanted to get off the ship. They wanted to be in charge of their own destiny. So they lowered the life boat while they were pretending to put down anchors. Paul saw what they were doing and told the officer, "If these men do not stay in the ship, your lives cannot be saved." (Acts 27:31) So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the lifeboat fall into the water.   

That is where God wants us. He wants all of our own safety nets gone. He wants our total dependence on HIM and not on what we can accomplish ourselves. 

As I'm writing this, the word "lifeboat" jumps out at me. The analogy of a lifeboat was given to my husband and I years ago (2007) during our daily walks together while we prayed about "the storm." We were just about ready to leave the wooded part where we were walking and enter the open area. It was dark out. We were walking and praying as we did each day when suddenly the analogy of a lifeboat hit me. We stopped right at the edge of the clearing. The picture I saw in my mind was my husband and I in the lifeboat with Jesus. My sister and brother-in-law were floundering in the water.  Jesus was extending his arms out to them. All they had to do was reach up and take His hand and He would lift them to safety. But instead of taking His hand and accepting salvation, they kept pushing His hand aside and out of the way. They were so focused and intent on grabbing us and pulling us out of the lifeboat that they only saw Jesus' hands as being in the way even though they were in danger of drowning. Jesus wants us in HIS lifeboat and not our own. He will remove from us whatever it is that is keeping us from surrendering ALL to Him.

Just before dawn Paul persuaded all the people to eat something. It had been fourteen days of waiting, watching, and not eating. Acts 27:34 - "Now I beg you to eat something. You need it to stay alive. None of you will lose even one hair off your heads." When we go through trials, or have been taken into deep waters, we still need to live. When the Israelites were being held captive in Babylon they were told to build houses and settle in the land. They were told to plant gardens and eat the food they grew. They were told to get married and have children. They were told to LIVE even though they were in bondage—BECAUSE—God knew the plans he had for them and it was "... good plans for you, not plans to harm you. I will give you hope and a good future..." (Jeremiah 29:4–14) So Paul took bread, thanked God for it, and began to eat. Soon the others began to eat as well. There were 276 people aboard the ship. When they had eaten all they wanted they began to make the ship lighter by throwing all the grain into the sea.  

When daylight came they saw land. They didn't know what land it was but they hoped to be able to sail the boat to the beach. They cut the ropes to the anchors. They didn't haul the anchors back on board. They left them in the sea. They cut the ropes to free the rudders. They raised the front sail and began sailing toward the beach... and then they crashed. The ship hit a sand bank and was stuck. The front of the ship couldn't move. The back of the ship broke apart in the big waves. If they would have made it safely to land using their own efforts and conventional wisdom, they would have thought they saved themselves. God was not going to allow that to happen. He had promised Paul safety for all those on board but it would be done HIS WAY.

The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners so none of them could escape. But Julius wanted to let Paul live so he did not allow the soldiers to kill the prisoners. Julius ordered everyone who could swim to jump in and swim to land. The rest were to follow using wooden boards or pieces of the ship to hold them afloat. They committed themselves to the sea—total surrender. Acts 27:44 - "And this is how all the people made it safely to land."

All 276 of them arrived safely on shore. The land was an island called Malta. The people were very good to them. Because it was raining and cold the people built a fire for them. Paul was helping to gather sticks to put on the fire. A poisonous snake came out of the pile because of the heat and bit Paul on the hand. The people saw the poisonous snake hanging from Paul's hand and they thought, this guy must be guilty and he is getting what he deserves.

I am sure there were plenty of onlookers who looked at us the same way. A lawsuit was filed against us, hmm... I wonder what they did wrong, and we were watched to see what would happen to us. Paul shook the snake that came out of the fire off.  (BTW - snakes are like that. When the situation gets hot they strike to try and take advantage.) The people thought Paul would swell up or fall down dead. They waited, and they watched for a long time, but nothing bad happened to him. So, they changed their minds.

They were welcomed into the home of an important man on the island. This man's father was ill and Paul healed him. Paul healed other people on the island as well. They were there for three months, and were well taken care of. I love how God works the circumstances they were in for good even though the disobedience of others is what put them shipwrecked on an island. After the three months they got on another ship and continued the journey to Rome. God used other believers to encourage Paul along the way, and Paul thanked God for them.

They finally arrived in Rome. Paul was allowed to live alone with the soldier who guarded him. Paul sent for the leaders and told them what had happened—he had done nothing wrong but was arrested and turned over to the Romans. He explained how he was questioned, but they could find nothing wrong. The authorities wanted to let him go, but the evil people argued against it, and that was why he was now in Rome.

Paul was falsely and wrongly accused, yet he sought no revenge against those who were seeking his life. Acts 28:19 - "I have no charge to bring against my own people." (We are not seeking any revenge or damages from my sister and brother-in-law even though we have also been falsely and wrongly accused.) Paul was in prison because of his beliefs, not because of his actions. The people were interested in hearing about Paul's beliefs. A date and time was set to meet. They gathered together and Paul shared with them from the prophet's writings. He explained the kingdom of God, and told them about Jesus. Some believed—and some did not.

Not everyone will believe. It was Paul's responsibility to tell God's Truth. It is ours as well. It was not Paul's responsibility if some chose not to believe. It is not our responsibility either. Paul quoted to them what the Holy Spirit spoke to their ancestors through Isaiah the prophet.

"Go to this people and say: You will listen and listen, but you will not understand. You will look and look, but you will not learn, because these people have become stubborn. They don't hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might really understand what they see with their eyes and hear with their ears. They might really understand in their minds and come back to me to be healed." Isaiah 6:9–10

Acts 28:30–31 - "Paul stayed for two full years in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to visit him. He boldly preached about the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one tried to stop him." Not exactly what his accusers expected to happen to him.

What a journey Paul had. What a journey we are on.

It was six years ago today that I met Jane (Her Name Was Jane) for the first time.What an amazing divine appointment orchestrated by God. There will never be enough human words to adequately express our praise to the Lord of lords and our gratitude for ALL HE HAS DONE!  Psalm 8:1 - "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is YOUR name in ALL the earth..." The best expression of our thanks it not words, it is our actions. We must BE! We must live our lives pleasing and obedient to HIM. Then (and only then), can HE receive all the Honor, Glory and Praise due HIM!

God has provided many insights to us along this journey. One insight he has not provided is how this journey is going to end. We know the end result. God promised us His protection through Jane's lips when she told us to read Psalm 140. That is a done deal. When God says "I will"—He does. What we don't know is the how. Will we go to trial or not?  We don't believe it will go to trial, but it may. Will the lawsuit be dropped? Will my sister and brother-in-law be like the Saul of the Old Testament or become like the Saul/Paul of the New Testament? Will the judge make a ruling? Will it continue in limbo for many more years? How will God make sure that only HE gets the Honor and Glory? I don't know, but it will be interesting to watch and see.

What we do know is this: God is our protector—and that is enough! Paul's years in prison were not wasted years. They were years of earnest seeking, meditation, and quietness. And from that time came the books of Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.

Addendum: 3/16/16 ~  God has a purpose and plan. HIS will—will be done and HIS story—will be told. The Jews were out to kill Paul but God's plan was to get HIS story out, and He did. Paul was able to tell others about Christ because of the circumstances surrounding him, not in spite of his circumstances. Paul was right where God wanted him. It is just amazing to look at all the opportunities Paul had to share the Way of Jesus with the crowds and those around him, many of which he would have never had the opportunity to come into contact with in any other way. No matter what your circumstance, you will ALWAYS have the opportunity to share Christ. Wow!

As I was writing these verses Paul quoted from Isaiah 6:9–10, a brand new thought came to my mind.

 "Go to this people and say: You will listen and listen, but you will not understand. You will look and look, but you will not learn, because these people have become stubborn. They don't hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might really understand what they see with their eyes and hear with their ears. They might really understand in their minds and come back to me to be healed." Isaiah 6:9–10;  

In the past, when I have read these verses (and others like them), I have always thought it meant that because of their refusal to surrender they were blinded and could not hear or see truth. But this time as I was reading them I realized there is another explanation as well. They don't hear, and they don't understand, because they don't want to hear and they don't want to understand. IF—they heard, and IF—they understand, THEN—they would have to make a choice. They would either have to:

• Change their hearts and lives and get a new way of thinking, OR
• They would have to openly defy what God is saying and admit they are shaking their fists in the face of God.

As long as they refuse to hear and refuse to understand, then they can live with their heads buried in the sand and pretend that all is well and pretend they are not really rebelling against God. They can then continue their selfish and stubborn ways and think all is well. Not only are they blinded, they are also deceived.

The only ones they are fooling is themselves. They most certainly are not fooling God. Refusing to see or hear does not change TRUTH. Oh, what a dangerous path to pursue.


Next Entry:  Romans 1:1–32 

Acts 12:1–25 (Continued)

November 29 & 30, 2012

Herod began to mistreat the followers of Christ. This King Herod was the grandson of the King Herod who ordered all the boys killed when Jesus was born. The sins of the father being taught and passed down through the generations. Herod had James killed. Because he saw some of the people liked this he decided to arrest Peter as well. So, Peter was arrested and put into jail where he was guarded by sixteen soldiers. Sixteen! Seems like a little overkill. He was bound by two chains, in a cell, behind an iron gate, and then guarded by sixteen soldiers? Seems to me Herod took this extreme measure because he knew Peter's God was all-powerful and needed to be guarded against. No mere man would need that much restraint. But, the God of the universe couldn't be contained by a few men, chains, and iron gates. It was a futile attempt.

Peter was going to be put on trial after the holy period. Funny how the "holy" periods kept getting in the way of the desires of evil people and the reverse of that as well. Funny that those who were planning evil even bothered to care whether it was Passover or the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

It was the night before the trial. Peter was not pacing back and forth. He was sleeping between two soldiers. Other soldiers were guarding the door. An angel appeared; struck him to get his attention; told him "Hurry! Get up!"; and the chains fell off. Then the angel said, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." So, Peter did. Then he said, "Put on your coat and follow me." Peter obeyed the clear instructions. He didn't know if he was dreaming or if this was reality, but whether it was in his mind or real, he was going to obey. They went past the first guards. They went past the second guards. Then they came to the iron gates that separated them from the city and freedom. The gate opened by itself and they walked through it. After they walked down one street the angel left him as suddenly as he came.

You can try to imprison God's people, but nothing can prevent God's protection and God's plan.  Nothing!! God can rescue His followers from the most complex of situations. Nothing is too difficult for him. No power of hell, no scheme of man, can EVER separate us from God's hand. Can I hear an AMEN!?! Time to start standing up in church and waving a white hankie! 🙂 After the angel left him THEN Peter understood. Acts 12:11 - "Now I know that the Lord really sent his angel to me. He rescued me from Herod and from all the things the people thought would happen." The NIV says from everything the people were anticipating.

We absolutely without-a-doubt believe the promise of God's protection we received for Jane's lips in July of 2007. We are at total peace while we wait on HIS timing and watch HIS hand working in our lives. For my sister and brother-in-law it has to be the opposite. They are "anticipating" our destruction; they are waiting for their plans of deceit to work; they are anxiously waiting for us to get what (in their mind's eye) they think we deserve; and they are eagerly awaiting for what they hope to be the end result—the reward of money. Eager anticipation which causes anxiety and time to drag by—verses—restful peace. We see this time of waiting (for the judge to rule on what can continue) as God's day of grace for my sister and brother-in-law and God's meticulous timing as He continues to change, grow, and prepare us for the future HE desires. You've got to believe that my sister and brother-in-law see these three plus years of waiting as anxious anticipation. As I've said before, until my last breath or until their last breath, I will continue to have hope for them to recognize and accept God's grace for their lives.

Peter went to the house where the other followers were fervently praying for him. They were amazed even though they had been praying. Peter explained to them what happened. He said, "Tell James and the other believers what happened." (Acts 12:17) You cannot keep what God has done to yourself. If you are the recipient of a Blessed Event, you cannot squander it!!

Herod thought he had all the possibilities covered, but Peter was gone. They looked for him but could not find him. So, Herod ordered the guards to be killed. He had just witnessed first hand the power of God but he did not change. Life was still all about him. He loved his royal robes, the throne, and the appearance of power and prestige. People gave him praise. When he accepted that praise for himself instead of giving the glory to the only One who deserves it, an angel of the Lord immediately caused him to be sick, and he died.

Accountability. He had every opportunity. But he never surrendered and acknowledged God as Lord and Savior. He kept pursuing his own selfish desires until the time came when God said enough is enough. But, as sad and disappointing as that is—God's message was not stopped. Acts 12:24- "God's message continued to spread and reach people." Sometimes it is not "in spite of" it is "because of." God's will—WILL be done. Nothing can stop it or prevent it. Praise the Lord!

"God sees our lives from beginning to end. He may lead us through a storm at age thirty so we can endure a hurricane at age sixty." ~ From On the Anvil by Max Lucado

We can attest to that. We have been able to look back and see how God prepared us "for such a time as this."

Jane's notes for Acts 12 in her KJV:

Satan could not prevent the effectiveness of
1) A believer's prayer
2) Inner peace of believer (Peter sleeping in prison) Psalm 127:2
3) Appearance of angels to minister to
4) Frustration of his own purposes (verse 19)
5) His own confusion
6) The purposes of God from being fulfilled

*****

Very grateful! Friday night (11/30/12) my husband left the house to fuel up the pickup in preparation for our trip to Chicago with our grandson the next day. He closed the gate and was waiting for traffic to clear when another pickup pulled in our drive. He could tell the person was confused because he kept braking and trying to decide whether to drive up by the side drive or straight up the drive. The pickup turned around at the gate. My husband got out and asked if he could help him. The guy became very agitated and went absolutely ballistic. He was obviously impaired in some way (most likely high) so my husband called 911 as he walked back to his truck. As my husband was sitting in his truck and talking to the 911 operator, the man came up behind him and held a gun to the back of my husband's head. Somehow—only by the grace of God and HIS protecting hand—my husband was able to quickly drive away and God prevented the gun from firing.

God is good ALL the time. My husband was in our own driveway, minding his own business. Never would you have expected to be in any kind of danger. Especially in our quiet little town!  But God knew and God protected. Blessed be the Name of the LORD!


Next Entry: Acts 13:1–52

John 17:1–26 (Continued)

November 11, 2012

Songs running through my mind early this morning.

Come Thou Fount

Come thou fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise.  

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

I'll praise the mount I'm fixed upon it

Mount of Thy redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer 

Hither by Thy help I come

And I hope by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God

He, to rescue me from danger

Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace, how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to thee

Prone to wander Lord I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

Listen to it here.  Shortly after Come Thou Fount another song began to play in my thoughts.

Blessed Assurance

Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God, 

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

   This is my story, this is my song,

   Praising my Savior all the day long;

   This is my story, this is my song

   Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

Angels descending, bring from above

Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,

I in my Savior am happy and blest,

Watching and waiting, looking above,

Filled with his goodness, lost in His love.  

   This is my story, this is my song.

   Praising my Savior, all the day long.

   This is my story, this is my song,

   Praising my Savior, all the day long.

Listen to Blessed Assurance here.


Next Entry: John 18:1–27

John 17:1–26 (Continued)

November 10, 2012

John 17:9–25 - "I am praying for them. I am not praying for people in the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours... my glory is shown through them... Father, keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they will be one, just as you and I are one... I am not asking you to take them out of the world but to keep them safe from the Evil One... make them ready for your service through your truth; your word is truth... I pray for these followers, but am also praying for all those who will believe in me because of their teaching... I will be in them and you will be in me so that they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as much as you loved me... Father, you are the One who is good."

Wow! Wow! And again WOW! I thought I was done writing about John 17. Last night I was talking to my husband about Jesus praying for them.I was relaxing in our old cast iron bath tub that's in an alcove of our bedroom and my husband was lying on the bed. I was saying—Imagine! Imagine Jesus praying for you! Then my husband said something that absolutely stunned me and made me stop and think about what he said in total silence. He said, "That is what Jesus did for you when Jane (Her Name Was Jane) prayed."

It felt like the world stopped for a moment. What? I've always known that the words Jane prayed were not her own words. They could not have been. And I wrote yesterday that Jesus is praying for us, but I meant in the heavenly realm. Never did I connect that what my husband was saying was true. Jesus was praying for us! Being the recipients of a "Blessed Event" has taken on a new and additional meaning! Jesus was praying for us! In audible words I could hear HIS words of blessing from Jane's lips. There is no other way to explain it! We are truly the recipients of a Blessed Event, and oh my goodness—we will not squander it!

Our hands are open LORD. Use us however you desire to bring glory and honor to YOU!

I've always called the prayer of blessing Jane prayed on my life on 1/5/07, "the most incredible prayer of blessing I've ever received."  Well of course it was!! It was Jesus praying a prayer of blessing over me through His Spirit.

I've always said that the prayer Jane prayed in July of 2007 (just days after receiving the news my sister and brother-in-law had just filed a vile and vicious lawsuit seeking our ruin), was about every relevant thing in our lives.  Well of course it was!! It was Jesus praying for every relevant detail in our lives through His Spirit. 

It was Jesus! John 17 records Jesus' prayer to the Father for His followers. His prayer began and ended with the most important thing Jane/Jesus taught us: Glory and praise to the Father. I stand in awe and amazement at the Sovereignty of our LORD. Blessed be YOUR Name. Jesus himself literally prayed for us and sent his promises and messages to us through an elderly woman of God. I stand amazed.

It is ALL about YOU, LORD! It is ALL about YOU! Thank you, for allowing us to be the recipients. We will not squander it. We need You. Continue to lead us, guide us, and direct us we pray. Blessed be YOUR Name!

Addendum: 9/2/16 ~ Tears are flowing. I am just amazed and grateful to Jesus for His amazing love. I'm heading outside. We are still building the cobblestone path in our Praise Shelter. The path includes the promises God gave us through the lips of Jane E. Wolfe. The promises are literally engraved in stone. I need to get on my knees. I need to carefully, prayerfully, and tearfully place those precious promises and the other stones in the path that memorializes the journey HE has led us on. I want to thank the Lord. I want to praise HIS Holy Name.

I'm heading outside. I need to get on my knees.

 Addendum #2: 8/20/18 ~ Here is a link to a YouTube video of the cobblestone path with God's promises or it can be watched below.

Next Entry: John 17:1–26 (Continued)

John 12:1–50

October 31, 2012

The Pharisees, Priests, and Sadducees were angry. They were so threatened by Jesus and the TRUTH that they were willing to do anything to stop the "noise" of anyone who was speaking and/or believing truth. They plotted (Psalm 140:1 - "Rescue me O Lord from evil men who devise evil plans in their hearts") not only against Jesus but Lazarus also, making plans to kill him because people were leaving their ways and believing in Jesus. When you have encountered the Son of God there is one thing you must do—tell others about Him. And that is what they were doing.

An encounter with Christ brings peace to yourself; a love for others; and the desire to tell others about Him. 

Matthew 7:15–20 - You will know them by their fruit. The Pharisees, Priests, and Sadducees called themselves religious when in actuality they were religious unbelievers. Their actions mirrored that of whom they followed. They sought to steal, kill, and destroy—the very description of what Satan seeks to do—and they did it under the guise of religiosity. Judas acted appalled at the "wasting" of perfume on Jesus feet when that money could have been used for the poor. John 12:6 - "But Judas did not really care about the poor; he said this because he was a thief. He was the one who kept the money box, and he often stole from it." The only reason the leaders wanted Jesus, Lazarus, and the other believers destroyed was to preserve themselves and their selfish desires.

Christ-followers give away. Self-followers take.

In John 12 there is a switch. Up until now Jesus said, "My time has not yet come." (John 2:4; John 7:6; John 7:30; John 8:20) Now it changes to "the time has come..." It was now time.  John 12:23–27 - "The time has come for the Son of Man to receive his glory. I tell you the truth, a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die to make many seeds. But if it never dies, it remains only a single seed. Those who love their lives will lose them, but those who hate their lives in this world will keep true life forever. Whoever serves me must follow me. Then my servant will be with me everywhere I am. My Father will honor anyone who serves me. Now I am very troubled. Should I say, 'Father, save me from this time'? No, I came to this time so I could suffer. Father, bring glory to your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have brought glory to it; and I will do it again. The crowd standing there, who heard the voice, said it was thunder. But others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus said, "that voice was for your sake, not mine."

Now is the time.

We must be willing to do what Jesus did—surrender ALL—and lay our lives down to follow Him. And when we do, our actions and our desires bring Honor and Glory to His Name. When we surrender the Father is pleased and He in turn brings honor to those who serve Him. It is for "your sake" that trials and difficulties come. To see the hand of God and to bring honor and glory to Him is for "your sake."

Oh, how grateful I am for all the "deep water" times in our lives, including these last almost six years of "the storm." It truly has been for "your sake."

Still, through everything, some people still would not believe. They saw the miracles but, "They still did not believe in him." Their eyes were blind. Their minds were closed. (Isaiah 6:10) When you walk in darkness you don't know where you are going. Jesus came to be the light, "but they did not want light. They wanted darkness, because they were doing evil things. All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light, because it will show all the evil things they do. But those who follow the true way come to the light, and it shows that the things they do were done through God." (John 3:19–21)

Again—Jesus came to be the light—but it is our choice whether we receive it or not. John 12:46 - "I have come as light into the world so that whoever believes in me would not stay in darkness." 

You cannot believe and continue to do the things that are of darkness. Light and darkness do not mix. If you choose to believe and obey—you are in the light. If you refuse to believe, do not accept my words, and do not obey (Jesus' own words)—then you are in darkness. It really is that black and white.


Next Entry: John 13:1–38

John 11:1–57

October 29. 2012

The death of Lazarus. I am struck again by the words of Jesus. John 11:15 - "I am glad for your sakes I was not there so that you may believe." What looks disastrous is many times for our good.

Oh, how I can relate! As I look back over our lives I can see how God has used the different "deep water" times in our lives to build us up; grow us; change us; deepen our faith; and use us... ALL for our good. I am grateful—yes, GRATEFUL—for all the deep water times in our lives and "the storm." They are truly Blessed Events and we will not squander them.

Jane (Her Name Was Jane) has written a comparison between Martha and Mary's response to life and Lazarus illness and death in her KJV Bible.

Martha—Self-centered
Mary—Christ-centered

Martha was busy "doing" whether it be preparing the house and food or going to meet Jesus after Lazarus died. Mary on the other hand, was busy "being." Mary was the one who poured perfume on Jesus feet and wiped them with her hair. She didn't go to meet Jesus coming, she "sat still." Jane has written "submission, peace, confidence." When Jesus asked for her "she arose quickly, and came unto him." When she saw him, "she fell down at his feet." Her dependence was not on self or "doing," it was on "being," totally dependent on the Lord.

Our concerns should not be about what "we" want. It should be—Jesus, what do YOU want from me?


Next Entry: John 12:1–50 

God's Amazing Love (Continued)

October 25, 2012

It was 5:15 AM... and I was just starting to awaken. I quoted Psalm 8 several times as I slipped in and out of sleep. Then, all of a sudden, I realized I was "singing" another old hymn in my sub-consciousness. Another song about the love of God.

The Love of God

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell

It goes beyond the highest star

And reaches to the lowest hell

The guilty pair, bowed down with care

God gave His Son to win

His erring child He reconciled

And pardoned from his sin.

Could we with ink the ocean fill

And were the skies of parchment made

Were every stalk on earth a quill

And every man a scribe by trade

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry

Nor could the scroll contain the whole

Though stretched from sky to sky.

O love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure

The saints' and angels' song.

(Listen to it here.) 

For some reason, God has me entirely focused on His love. As I was writing/singing this song I started singing, "O How He Loves You and Me" from yesterday. Then I started singing the chorus from another old hymn. "Such love, such wondrous love, Such love, such wondrous love. That God should love a sinner such as I, How wonderful is love like this."

I don't know what is going on, but something is. I am grateful that no matter what it is there is no fear because God is LOVE. I'm not going to try to determine what it is that God is preparing me for. To do so would create anxiety, fear, worry, etc., all things that are not from God. No. I am instead going to rest in Him KNOWING that God is LOVE—and that is enough.

"Whatever befall me Jesus doeth all things well."


Next Entry: John 8:1–59

God's Amazing Love

October 24, 2012

My heart just overflows with gratitude to God. How grateful I am for His love. I am overwhelmed by His saving sacrifice. Last night whenever I woke up I was quoting Psalm 8 or singing How Great Thou Art or O How He Loves You and Me. Human words just are not enough to adequately express my love or gratitude to God for His unfathomable love  Can you imagine singing "Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength belong to our God forever and ever. Amen!" with the multitudes from every corner of the earth? (Revelations 7:12) And joining the angels in singing, "The Lamb who was killed is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and strength, honor, and glory and praise!" As the song says,

"What a day that will be when my Jesus I will see. When I look upon his face, the one who saved me by his grace. When he takes me by the hand and leads me to the promised land. What a day glorious day that will be."  (Listen to it here.)

"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name is all the earth." (Psalm 8)

"Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder. Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee. How great Thou art. How great Thou art. Then sings my soul my Savior, God to Thee. How great Thou art. How great Thou art. I think of God, His son not sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin. Then sings my soul my Savior, God to Thee... How Great Thou Art!"  (Listen to it here.)

O How He Love You and Me

O how he loves you and me,

O how he loves you and me.

He gave his life,

What more could he give?

O how he loves you,

O how he loves me,

O how he loves you and me.

Jesus to Calv'ry did go

His love for mankind to show

What he did there 

Brought hope from despair,

O how he loves you

O how he loves me

O how he loves you and me.

(Listen to the melody here.) 

I must be going through another spiritual growth spurt. I am just awed by God and His love for us. What little we can fathom is overwhelming. We are grateful LORD—we are grateful.

"When Christ shall come, With shouts of acclamation, And take me home, What joy shall fill my heart. Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, And then proclaim, My God How Great Thou Art."

Next Entry: God's Amazing Love (Continued)

The Hill

August 22, 2011

What a day yesterday. Baptism at The Hill.

This is the third year for the baptismal service to be held at The Hill. 46 people were baptized this year—including our son and daughter-in-law. What a remarkable, special day. I'm thankful other extended family members could all be there to share the special day. It was very moving to see our son and daughter-in-law baptized as a couple.

A week or so ago one of our Pastor's called and asked if we would be willing to record a two minute testimony to be played at the baptism. They saw that our son and daughter-in-law were being baptized and they knew how incredibly special that would be since it was my husband and son who built the amphitheater hill, and it was my husband and I who built the natural grass platform and baptismal backdrop area. They knew about all the time we spent (during the worst time of the lawsuit) building, planting, and working at The Hill.

We of course agreed. But what to say? How do you put into words what it meant to us to build The Hill and then now see our son and daughter-in-law baptized there? We knew one thing for sure. We did not want this to be about us. Very few people in the church knew who designed, built, and planted the entire Pavilion and Hill area. We were fine with that. How do you explain how everything happened without it sounding like "we" did this? How do you explain to everyone about the depth of what was happening in your life without saying "we" were being attacked by a sister and brother-in-law filing a lawsuit? So we prayed. God, thank you for this opportunity. Please give us the words to say. May YOU get the honor and glory for what YOU have done.

Here is what was said:

"Most of you remember when the excess soil left over from the last building project was moved to this site to create The Hill. The amphitheater hill itself was completed, but the front portion was in disarray. Many committee meetings were held. But for years there was no clear direction on how The Hill should be completed. Then literally in a moment, in the middle of a committee meeting, my husband instantly knew how and what could be done to finish The Hill, and everyone agreed. It was God's timing, and it was God's plan. Unfortunately, it was the worst possible timing for us—or so we thought. In our personal lives we were facing a seemingly insurmountable task. We had no physical time, energy, or emotional strength to invest in this project. But we also knew that any equipment or talent we may have is God-given and is available for His use. God in His Sovereignty knew exactly what we needed in our lives. So we began the task, and God gave us the strength. Working on The Hill kept us focused on the things that were important—eternal things. As we worked, we prayed for changed lives and for all those who would someday worship and be baptized on this hill. We prayed for our family and our two adult children who were believers but had not yet been baptized. We prayed for God's will in our own lives. Our personal situation has not yet ended—but God has been faithful beyond words. What was intended for our harm God has used for our good. Our daughter and son-in-law have both since been baptized. And today, on the very hill that our son shaped and created years ago, and in the pond God designed, our son and daughter-in-law are being baptized. To God be the glory. Great things HE has done."

This was played while our son and daughter-in-law and two of our Pastor's were standing in the water. Our testimony about what God has done was heard by 1000+ people. When it finished playing, our Pastor spoke. He said, "_____, not many people knew that it was you and your Mom and Dad who built The Hill...." He went on to say, "Man can build a hill, but it is God that builds a man." Then our son and daughter-in-law were baptized together as a couple. There weren't many dry eyes. God most definitely gave us the words to say.

To God be the glory!  Great things HE has done.

Here is what was written in the Baptism hand-out. "Even though _____ (our son) and _____ (our daughter-in-law) surrendered to Jesus Christ at different times in their lives, they share this step of obedience as an outward sign of the deep work He has done. According to (our son), "He is the reason I love life. Without him I could not deal with everyday problems. I love to see how He leads me in the path I should go." (Our daughter-in-law) shares, "He is my Solid Rock. I need Him more than anything in my life. I strive to follow His ways with my family."

As I was transcribing the words God gave us to say into this blog, I noticed a double meaning with two of the sentences. Something I didn't notice before even though I had read through it many, many times prior to it being recorded and since. I'm not even sure how the people listening to it interpreted what I said.

When I wrote, "He knew exactly what we needed in our lives," I was referring to the work we were doing to build The Hill. We didn't have the physical time, energy, or emotional strength to invest in the project or anything else. We were buried under legal paperwork. I was collecting thousands of documents, answering interrogatories, babysitting, doing office work for our business, etc. I've said many times that we didn't have the time to do the project and we didn't have time not to do the project. On our own there was no way to add designing and building The Hill. But God knew it was exactly what we needed in our lives while we were the busiest defending ourselves against my sister and brother-in-law's vile and vicious accusations. It kept our eyes focused on what was important—outward things, having a servant's heart, kingdom building things—INSTEAD of focusing on ourselves and what was wrongfully happening to us.

When I said, "So we began the task, and God gave us the strength," I was again referring to The Hill. It's hard to comprehend how incredibly hot and humid it was during the time we were working there unless you've experienced it yourself while living in the Midwest during mid July when the temperatures are in the high 80's and 90's and the air is heavy and oppressive. We were working in the direct sun and there was rarely any breeze. It was just totally physically exhausting and draining. For weeks, we worked there every Saturday. We moved five or six white pines that were planted years earlier. The earth was so parched that no dirt clung to the roots. The last thing you should do is move pines in the middle of a hot summer, and especially bare-rooted. I scooped five gallon buckets of water from the nearby drainage ditch and carried multiple bucket loads to each tree. Incredibly, every single one of the transplanted pine trees lived!

I remember a time I was taking a break because my husband was doing some tractor work and didn't need my assistance. I had taken some lawyer paperwork with me and was sitting on the hill working on it when one of those dry summer wind "gust-nadoes" came along and picked up my papers, took them up over the hill and higher than the tree tops before they finally came back down half way to the county road. I'm sure it was quite the sight for people driving by to see my husband and me chasing flying papers across the adjoining field. 🙂 For lunch we would go to the neighborhood grocery store deli even though we were hot, sweaty, dirty, and looked a mess. It felt good to be able to clean up a little and cool off in the air-conditioning. We had to chuckle when an acquaintance we knew stopped us in the store and asked us if we had moved to the area since he saw us eating lunch there every Saturday.

It took us about an hour to drive with the truck and trailer from our small town to the town where our church and The Hill is located, but the driving time gave us uninterrupted moments of prayer to face the "tasks" ahead. It was exhausting work, yet at the same time it felt good to be physically exerting yourself. It balanced the lawsuit emotional and psychological junk we were having to deal with and the personal, vicious, and vindictive attacks that were directed towards us. It cleansed the soul. It was HIS plan.

Driving by our church you would never know what lie on the other side of The Hill. When you come up over the back side of The Hill and the front stage area of the amphitheater comes into view, it almost takes your breath away. No one will ever know the work it took to make it look that way. Everything just looks like it was just naturally there... part of God's creation. Peaceful. Serene. God's amazing handiwork. Our Pastor calls it is the most beautiful hidden spot in the county. We are so grateful that God gave us the "task" and used our hands during the toughest period in our lives to build HIS plan.

So, as I am preparing to write this morning I noticed I used the word "task" in the sentence "so we began the task and God gave us the strength." I was referring to working on The Hill, but today I realized it was also the same word I used earlier when I said, "We were facing a seemingly insurmountable "task," where I was referring to the lawsuit in our personal lives. When I said "God gave us the strength," I was entirely talking about the task/work at The Hill; that God provided the strength we needed to build The Hill; and that "God knew what we needed in our life," meaning working on The Hill. But those same phrases absolutely apply to the lawsuit itself. We began the "task" of gathering a mountain of information for discovery; we had the "task" of answering all kinds of interrogatories; we had the "task" of defending ourselves against false accusations, and God provided the strength. "God knew exactly what we needed in our lives," is so true about "the storm" as well. The lawsuit brought us out of the trap of being self-sufficient people and brought us into the understanding of the importance of being God-reliant people.

I have no idea how the people who were at The Hill yesterday "heard" it and whether they thought we were talking about the insurmountable task in our personal lives or the task of working on building the hill. Either way—both are the truth. God has provided everything we needed in every way. The only reason the "task" (both the lawsuit and The Hill) were not insurmountable is because of God's provision.

LORD,
May our lives reflect yours. May others see Christ in us. Thank you, for the opportunity to build your plan. Thank you, for the opportunity to share our testimony with hundreds of people. Thank you, for our children and their spouses who are all living their lives surrendered to you. Thank you, for all the provisions you have given us. Thank you, for your promises and protection. Thank you, for your love. Thank you, for friends and family who have been an encouragement and support for us. And LORD, we even thank you for what was meant for our harm—this lawsuit—for we have seen your hand working in our lives in ways we have never seen before, and never could have imagined. That is worth more than any pleasure this world could offer. Thank you, for keeping us safe in your waiting room. LORD, we eagerly await whatever it is that you have ahead for us. We trust you. We love you. We surrender ALL to you.

To God be the Glory! Great things HE has done!.

Addendum:  December 2019 ~ I've just realized God gave me another "task" to do during the heat of the battle—my journals and this blog.  It was HIS plan.


Next Entry: Isaiah 44:1 – 46:13