Learning To Wrestle

. . . in prayer.

A number of my post lately have been about learning to rest in Jesus and His Word (which is why I named this blog as I did) . . . learning to "dwell" in Him and trust Him in everything. So what does wrestling have to do with it? . . .

What Does It Mean To Love God?

This last weekend was our girls teen winter camp. We had ten girls and had a great time - LOTS of laughter! But there were some things that made me sad and got me thinking . . . . Don't worry, though, I'm only going to share one of them with you. :0)

One of our memory verses for the winter camps has been Luke 10:27, "...You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind...". Unfortunately we didn't really get to talk about the verse until Sunday morning, but it was an enlightening conversation . . .

Effervescent

I don’t like to read directions, but usually I do when I’m putting something medicinal into my mouth . . .

A couple days ago I stopped by some friends house and mentioned that my brothers were sick with the bug that’s going around. They asked if we had any Airborne and the wife ran to get me some. They mentioned that my sister and I should probably take one so that we don’t catch the “bug”, and sent me home with a whole bottle of it. . . .

Two Years And Counting! :0)

"I thought I'd have to wait until Heaven if I was ever going to enjoy another piece of chocolate..."

That’s what I wrote on my blog two years ago. I went on to say . . .

Precious Thoughts

"You ever try to count the sand?" . . . The kids always laugh at that question (and for good reason!). :0) This verse has always been a special verse, but for 2 years my family went to different Good News Clubs, here in our area, and did interviews with the children. Part of the "interview" included going through Psalm 139 with them and showing them how much God knows, cares, and thinks about them. Their eyes would get so big as they began to think about how much sand there really is in the world, and then realize that God thinks about each one of us more than that sum total. What an AMAZING God!! :0)

Focus

(I was reminded yesterday about how important focus is and thought I'd share this post I wrote last October.)

I've been think about focus a lot lately . . . . and how much it really does matter what we focus on. It's so easy for me to have my focus in the wrong place, and then my thoughts are in the wrong place, and my attitude suffers . . . When I keep my focus on Jesus, I can always have a smile in my heart. :0)  . . .

What Are YOU Obsessed With?

(originally posted Jan. 25th on my other blog)

Considering all my thoughts lately, on being obsessed with Jesus

(loving Him with ALL my heart, mind, soul, and strength),

this caught my eye today while working at the Gleaners . . . .

Oh to be completely obsessed with Christ, and Him alone! :0)

Older, But Not Wiser

The Lord is challenging me, like never before, in the area of faith . . . to walk by faith and not by sight. As a result, verses like Luke 1:37, "For with God nothing shall be impossible", and Mark 10:27, ". . .With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible", are standing out to me. I also felt like this would be a good time to re-read the biography of one of my all-time favorite heroes - Hudson Taylor. :0) As I was reading last night I came across this passage. Hudson had just learned that a pastor in his area had a book about China and so he went to visit him, inquiring if he could borrow it . . .

By The Way Of The Cross

by Dennis Wilson (I think)

Today was Communion Sunday. My Dad preached a really good sermon about Jesus being our substitute, using the story of Adam and Eve. Then a lady sang this song. I don't think I'd ever heard it before and I was really blessed by it . . .



Sometimes words are just not adequate . . . .

He's Everything To Me

by Ralph Carmichael

In the stars His handiwork I see,

On the wind He speaks with majesty,

Though He ruleth over land and sea,

What is that to me?

I will celebrate Nativity,

For it has a place in history,

Sure, He came to set His people free,

What is that to me?

Till by faith I met Him face to face,

And I felt the wonder of His grace,

Then I knew that He was more

Than just a God who didn't care,

That lived a way out there and

Now He walks beside me day by day

Ever watching o'er me lest I stray

Helping me to find that narrow way

He's everything to me.

I wish that I could post Ralph Carmichael's version, but this is a really good recording. :0)

True Beauty

The Lost Art Of True Beauty is Leslie Ludy’s latest book (it came out in January), and just as with all of her other books, it is on my list of favorites. :0) I have to admit, though, that I had a hard time writing this review . . . . there was just too much that I wanted to say. So I have cut back and cut out and . . . . hopefully this is short enough. ;0)

The book starts off by talking about what it means to “deny yourself”, and says that “we are meant to let all thoughts of self become swallowed up in Him”. I really like this quote by Ian Thomas, and if you’ve read much of the Ludy’s books, you’ve seen it before . . .

Free Audio Book . . .

Just wanted to let you know . . .

I just noticed that the free audio book for this month at Christianaudio.com is Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book "The Cost of Discipleship". Bonhoeffer was a theologian and pastor during WWII - quite an amazing story! If you'd like to read a summary of his life you can go here.

Enjoy! :0)

What A Treasure!

I was meditating on God's riches today - What a treasure!! :0)  I thought it was pretty cool that the bulk of His riches can be summed up in His goodness, grace, and glory. :0)

The only verse that mentions the riches of His goodness is Romans 2:4, which tells us that we despise (or think lightly of) the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering when we judge one another.

We find, in Ephesians 1:7, that we have redemption according to the riches of His grace. The kindness that God has shown to us through Christ, is a demonstration of these riches (Ephesians 2:7).

In Romans 9:23, we see that He makes known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy. The riches of His glory provide us with strength in our inner man (Eph. 3:16). The inheritance that we have "in the saints" is according to the riches of His glory (Eph. 1:18). Philippians 4:19 tells us that He will supply all of our need according to His riches in glory - and that Jesus Christ is that supply! Hallelujah!! In Colosians 1:27 we find that the riches of His glory are connected with a mystery - Christ IN you!!!

There were two other verses that I found . . . . Ephesians 3:8 tells us of "the unsearchable riches of Christ" - which is why HE is the supply for our every need. :0) And finally, since I can't say it any better than Paul did, :0) . . . .

"O the depth of the riches

both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

how unsearchable are His judgments,

and His ways past finding out!"

Blessed Are The . . .

Have you ever read the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-11) and come away discouraged? I have. In these verses we are presented with a standard that is humanly impossible to live up to. And yet it seems to say that if I can do these things, then I will be blessed. If I can live this way, then I will be happy. But is this what it is really saying??

A couple of weeks ago I discovered the Greek word Makarios (3107). This word is most often translated “blessed”, and a few times “happy”. There are several different words translated “blessed”, but Zodhiates definition for this word really caught my attention . . .