"Just Look At Me"

Last week, as I was out for my early morning run, I was reminded of a very important truth.


In the early morning, especially a drizzly morning, there seems to be all kinds of drippy noises. My half fogged-up glasses were playing tricks on me too. I glanced into the trees at my side and noticed that fear was creeping in. (It doesn't help, either, that everyone - except my Dad - thinks I'm crazy for going for early morning runs. See my previous post.) Then I heard my Heavenly Prince say "Just look at Me and you have nothing to fear."


I was reminded of a story I'd recently read from Voice Of The Martyrs. A church was being attacked and all of the Christians inside were beginning to be afraid. They were turning around to look behind them at the mob of angry people. The pastor asked them if they wanted to look at the crowd and be scared, or look at him and not be afraid.


What an important truth! Where our eyes are looking makes all the difference in the world!

". . . and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; . . ." Heb. 12:1-2

Resting In Him

Learning to rest in the Lord has been such a beautiful thing. I'm sure I have a long ways to go, but it has been so fun this week to rest in Him and watch Him work out details.


I was given the responsibility of making the phone calls to invite girls to camp this week. I don't really like making phone calls (or having two cell phones to keep track of!) but it was actually kinda fun. :0) Well . . . except for two phone calls, two heart-breaking phone calls . . .


Just a few days before camp, certain details were worked out and I was given the go-ahead to call a certain county. But then other things came up and I completely forgot . . . until the day before. It's a little awkward to be calling girls the day before camp, to invite them to come. But I gave it to the Lord and was amazed out how quickly and easily I had the alloted number of girls. :0)


There are SO many details that go into camp. I couldn't even begin to tell you about them. They have all sort-of swirled together into one big "Thank You, Jesus!". The fact that we were early, instead of late, to the pick-up location, is just one of them. :0) 


The whole weekend was so peaceful. It really was a great group of girls. One of "my" girls brought a girl who had never been to camp before. Last night she told her leader that she was nervous about coming to camp because she thought everyone else would be perfect, come from perfect homes . . . "but everyone is just like me!" :0)


It's such a beautiful thing to share the love of God with these girls, and it's a whole lot easier to do when I am resting in Him. :0)

To Know You

I recently discovered "To Know You" by Casting Crowns. I really like it. I shared it with my Dad the other night, as I am considering singing it at church the next time it's my turn.



When the video was finished I mentioned to my Dad that this song is in the list of "top songs" - according to KLOVE, it's number seven!

"I'm not sure what that means."

I thought about it for a second and replied, "Me either." :0)

If this song is really a favorite song for that many Christians, wouldn't we have turned the world upside down by now?? It seems that there is a dis-connect somewhere. Dad and I talked about it for a while. He proposed that the "missing ingredient" is humility . . . . and I mentioned that maybe people didn't really understand what absolute surrender is. We both had books by Andrew Murray in mind. ;0)

So I'm curious . . . what do you think the missing ingredient is? How can we sing songs about giving up everything in order to know Jesus and go on living the way that we always have?

Fear or Faith

. . . . . or some might like to call it stupidity. :0)

(These pictures belong to my brother . . . please don't take them without permission.)
 

7:31 pm on Sept. 20th.



My family has devotions together every morning from 7:30 to 8. On the days that I would run, I would head out right afterwards, but I needed to make some changes in my schedule. The best solution seemed to be to get up a few minutes earlier and get my run in before family devotions. So that was the plan for this morning. As 6:30 rolled around I noticed that it was still really dark outside (how quickly the days get short!) . . . and I started to get a little concerned. (We live out in the country, and there are wild animals out there . . .) So I googled the sunrise time . . . 7:22!! I started to wonder if I should really go for a run. I mean, we've all heard stories, right? And we've even got these nice pictures, taken right on our property, in these last few weeks. The cougar has been twice!

What Are You "Into"?



"Egg-stremists"

Earlier this summer, we were at a gathering and I was talking with a man who was giving up everything, and, with his wife, headed off to the jungles to be a missionary pilot. It was so fun to see how God had led him and his wife into this new adventure (now that their children were out of the home).

At one point in the conversation he said to me something like, "So I know your brothers are into electronics, (ham) radios, computers . . . . what are you into?" . . .

I almost vacuumed a frog!!!

Yep. You read that right! I was cruzing right along when I noticed a spot I'd missed next to the baseboard. I came back for a second swipe and it moved!! This poor little froggy was only 'bout the size of a nickel. He was pretty cute!

So of course my brain went to thinking if there could be a lesson here . . . . . no, I don't think there's any possibility of me vacuuming up prince charming when he comes along . . . . :0) But as I thought about it, this little froggy was a blessing. He made me smile, and best of all, he made my sister (who wasn't feeling too well) smile. :0)

A Skunked Dog

I have a friend whose dog recently got skunked. We haven't had that problem - though we've had our fair share of skunks. Anyway, she wrote me this note and I thought you might enjoy it. (yes, she gave me permission...) :0)

Ever Feel Like A Pile Of Screws?

I am not much of a puzzle person. I think it's more about who I am with. If my sister walked in and saw me working on a puzzle by myself, well, she'd be shocked (and it'd have to be a pretty amazing puzzle ;0). When it comes to putting stuff together in real life, I love it. But I learned something this week . . . . it's even more fun to tear stuff apart! :0)

How Thirsty Are You?

If you are anything like me, you don't particularly like being thirsty (or hungry!). I take my water bottle everywhere I go, for just that reason - which is why it was so odd that I ended up at one camp this summer . . . . without my water bottle (or my sleeping bag! . . . but that's another story)! Actually I have two water bottles. One is my indestructible, throw-around Nalgene, and the other is my more discreet Camelbak with-a-straw, for places like church. :0)

Abide In Christ

by Andrew Murray. "The joy of being in God's presence".

This is a 31 day devotional book, that I guess I picked up when my Pastor was cleaning out his library. It's perfect for me. I am one who will devour a book, but this way I have to read just a little each day and am able to let it sink in more.

I want to share a quote from day 6. As one who occasionally gets quite discouraged with myself, this was a good reminder . . . (satan will use anything to get our eyes off of Jesus!):

"Of God I am in Christ: created anew, made a branch of the Vine, fitted for fruit-bearing. Would to God that believers would cease looking most at their old nature, and complaining of their weakness, as if God called them to what they were unfitted for! Would that they would believingly and joyfully accept the wondrous revelation of how God, in uniting them to Christ, has made Himself chargeable for their spiritual growth and fruitfulness! How all sickly hesitancy and sloth would disappear, and under the influence of this mighty motive - the faith in the faithfulness of Him of whom they are in Christ - their whole nature would rise to accept and fulfil their glorious destiny!"

All I can say is, "PRAISE GOD!" He is SO good!!

Let us press on with our eyes on HIM alone! :0)

Picture Of A Prophet

In a day when it seems almost anyone can claim to be a prophet, I appreciate this article I recently came across, by Leonard Ravenhill . . .

If My People . . .

There's a verse that I've been hearing a lot lately. I'm sure you've heard it too. Yesterday at church someone pointed out that there seems to be a part of this verse which is overlooked. It is easy to look at the promises of God and forget that so many of them are conditional - we have to do our part first. This particular verse has a number of conditions to it. I have broken it up a little and added some emphasis . . .

Is It Okay To Say "I Can't"?

Yesterday was Day One of four days that we've set aside, as a family, to seek the Lord. There's been a lot of silence among our prayer time and singing, but God is working. After dinner last night we took time to look through a list of 49 character qualities and their definitions, and pick out the three for each person that we thought they would benefit most from. This morning was the revealing, haha. I had a couple of duplicates, so now I have a list of 13 character qualities that I am lacking in. (and no, I'm not going to share them on here, haha.) I'm so glad it's not up to me to change in these areas! I can't do it! But I know Who can!! :0)

Yesterday an advertisement came in the mail for the Christian bookstore. I did a quick glance-through and came across a t-shirt which provoked a double-take. In big letters it said,

Are You Serious??

I try to refrain from ranting . . . just a courtesy to my (few) readers. ;0) But I have to mention of couple of things I've seen lately - two things in two days!

Like A Fish Out Of Water!

I love watching birds soar in the sky. (especially when there is more than one and they seem to be playing tag...) Or chase the waves at the beach. They just look like they are having SO much fun! Like they are, well, doing what God created them to do! :0)

Last month, as I was reading Evan Hopkins book "The Law Of Liberty", I was struck with an illustration that he used to describe what it means to be "in Christ". I don't think I can say it any better than he did . . . ;0) . . .

Stuck On Me

So what happens when you get stuck on yourself?  When the most important things to you are your dreams, your goals? What does it look like?

Well, this stalk of corn on the left here is a good example. It just couldn't get free of itself and frankly, it isn't gonna do us any good.

No Breakfast . . . Forever??

On the way up to camp this last week, a song came on the radio that I haven't heard in a looooong time. The main point of the song is that they don't serve breakfast in hell. It got me thinking . . .

Keswick & Evan Hopkins

After posting my last blog I decided to see what else I could learn about Evan Hopkins and Keswick. I stumbled across this really cool outline of Keswick, showing the founders, the most prominent people associated with it, those influenced by it (like D. L. Moody), and the teachings. But then as I turned to the fourth page I was shocked to see this conclusion: "Keswick Theology's view of sanctification is theologically erronious." It went on to say how we should avoid propigating this theology through books, lectures, sermons, articles, hymns, etc. (haha, yeah right...)

"Follow!"

Liam is pretty much the best dog ever. :0) (Though he makes it very difficult to take his picture as he'd much rather eat the camera!) He loves to play and is very obedient. He loves to sing too! In fact, if you want to torture him, give him his dinner and then start to sing - he doesn't know what to do!!

Anyway, the purpose of this blog is not to brag about our dog, believe it or not. ;0) We've noticed some strange behavior . . .

Such Love

While at a prayer meeting this morning a friend shared a story from Joel Rosenberg's book "Inside The Revolution". God is doing some AMAZING things in the Muslim world, but this story really touched me. Now if I can remember it correctly . . . ;0)