A Question....

MOPS...Mothers of Pre-schoolers...I love this ministry.  I get to hold babies (they call me the baby stealer and a few times the baby whisperer), mentor amazing women and allow them into my life as a wife and mother, teach Bible studies, and listen to amazing speakers.

This past week we had a MAN PANEL!  They were to talk about what men desired in a relationship.  AND I learned that after 38+ years of marriage, I had a lot to learn.  Here are some of the random thoughts stood out in my mind and heart.

1. Men are big boys with fragile egos.  Be aware of how and what you say to them because they may never tell you that you have hurt them but instead will withdraw from the relationship.

Sometimes my pictures have nothing to do with what I am
saying and everything about what makes me happy!

2. When you are trying to get them to understand you...make sure that you are not holding an ideal that they will never attain.  Don't wish 33 years of marriage for another person and miss the one that God has gifted to you.
3. Our husbands need our attention.  They do want to talk but rarely want to compete with children, TV, phones, or other distractions.
4. Ask your husband how can we, as wives support them.  I asked Steve this one and he told me by not going out and buying paint for the laundry room without his input. :-) Then we had a serious discussion.

As I listened and talked to the ladies at our table afterwards (while cuddling with a sleeping sweetheart) I realized that we as moms forget that our day, no matter how chaotic it was or how exhausted we are, need to affirm our husbands in the way that they take care of us.  We need to praise God for the gift that He has chosen for us.

Hallelujah!

 

Revelations 4 paints a beautiful picture of what heaven will be like... 



These pictures were taken at
Lyle's brides 90th birthday.

 Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this."  And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.  The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.  Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads.  From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames.

This is the sevenfold Spirit of God.  In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.  The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.  Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come."   Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever),  the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,  "You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased." 

Today, a dear friend is worshiping the Lord God Almighty singing His praises.  Lyle Calkins is there saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come."  He is whole and healed with the divine touch of the Creator of the Universe and the One who was and is his Savior forever to praise Him.

Class assignment or divine appointment?

 Our church has begun a class called ROOTS.  It is about the basics in our  faith and each week we have an assignment.  A couple of weeks ago the assignment was to make an appointment with someone that you would like to learn more about them and their faith....

I made an appointment with a woman in our church who has gone and is going through some difficult life-situations but seems to keep a sweet, strong faith about her.  I made the appointment.

I went over to talk to Alta Ruth.  I was supposed to have written questions, I didn't.  I wanted her to talk.  What was hard?  Life...Jesus...God's voice...His silence in her live.  That is what I expected to hear.  AND I did hear about the challenges she faced.

 She shared many things and then, with no question to prompt her, she began to speak of memorizing scripture.  She told me it was hard for her...I was so excited because that is what I have thought and had given up on even trying.  Then, she said, "For years I believed the enemy that I could not memorize scripture." WHAT? The enemy would stop someone from memorizing the Word.  She went on to explain that she and her husband began the memory work with Psalm 139:1 - 22!  But I can't memorize my heart screamed...why did you bring this up?  It didn't take long to realize that through her words, Jesus was speaking directly to one of my weaknesses. 

 

Later a friend asked if she could meet with me to fulfill the class' assignment.  I met with her over coffee and she had her questions too.  One of the first...another challenge.  When do you do devotions and how does that look?  I had to confess that my devotional life had been lacking lately.  I explained that I had to have complete silence and so for me, the best time was in the morning before Steve got up.  Then I had to confess that I had been staying in bed instead of getting up.  That became a renewed goal...to find time each day for a quiet time with the creator of the universe and the lover of my soul.

 

 Another call from another friend (and classmate)....could she meet with me.  I knew that I could be a help for her and.....guess what...every question she asked challenged me and spoke directly to my weaknesses or the very thing that I was struggling with.  At this point, I began to see (for I can be very dense which is why it took 3 people to do God's bidding) that the meetings were not merely assignments for the class but God's opportunity to speak directly into my life.

Each day we have amazing opportunity to see and listen to the very thoughts of God.  It is what we do with them that is important.  We can see his handiwork in nature that can cause us to fall before Him and worship His creative handiwork.  It could be from a friend who makes a seemingly insignificant comment or question that could cause us to reevaluate our lives or challenge us.  We just have to be open to what He is telling us.

So what did this do for me?  I am challenged in many ways.  One is to follow the leading of what God was trying to tell me with memory work and intentional quiet times and to realize the goals that I have set for my relationships in my life should be reevaluated.  I learned that there are no questions or answers that should be off limits but should be able to be opened for others to see the struggles that I am going through are not unique to them.  The other is to realize by each of us, what draws others to us is the strengths that they see in us BUT they need to see the leaks in our earthen vessels.  They need to see and hear about the struggles that we have.

What started out as an assignment for my class, turned into a divine appointment!  Does God speak? Oh yes! We just have to listen, not to the earthquake or the violent windstorm or the blazing fire but from the quiet whispers that surround us when we quiet ourselves before Him and allow Him full reign in our lives.



How do I respond with a heavenly nudge?

This week I have had opportunity to listen to several amazing women's testimonies of the struggles that they had gone through.  It made me wonder what I do with the nudges that God has given me.

One woman had had a very difficult day.  She had visited her husband and for the first time, he did not know her.  She was discouraged and stopped on her way home to run an errand.  A car pulled up and motioned to her to come to the car.  When she did, the driver gave her a bouquet of roses.  She said, they are yours.  My friend saw an angel in that gift.  I believe that she did.  Whether it was a celestial being, which I have no doubt that it could have been or someone who was so closely connected to the Spirit, it doesn't really matter.  What matters is what would I do if I were nudged to give a stranger something as "silly" as a bouquet of roses?  Would I respond?  Would I try to rationalize it as craziness?  Would I question?  For the recipient of the roses, it was a gift from God to tell her that she was important.  He loved her.  He knew her pain and would be with her.

 

Another woman talked about the financial struggles that she and her husband were going through. Throughout the year, God met their needs of food, clothing, and many other needs. With each need met, she rejoiced and gave the praise to God.  Christmas came and they didn't have enough money for Christmas presents that year for their 2 small boys.  She "wished" that the boys could have matching Christmas pajamas.  That was all she really wanted.  One night they came home to a patio filled with food, gift cards, and wrapped presents for her little boys.  One was marked: DO NOT OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS EVE.  You know where the story is going...Christmas pajamas for her little boys.  God heard her mother's heart and her "wish" and blessed them beyond.

God sees our needs, hears our hearts and multiplies His blessings to us.  I know that.  My questions were about me.  We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus...when He nudges me...how do I respond to the nudge? 

Like Samuel and Mary and many others in the Bible, I would like my response to be:  here I am Lord, let me help.  Let me give roses to a stranger because I do not know what you want to say to her through me.  Let me buy Christmas pajamas and strengthen a mother's faith in you .  Let me be willing to listen to your whisper and to feel your nudge.  Jesus, keep me sensitive to the needs that I see around me.

Who is next?




Let me trust the foundations laid by Jesus and not fear
what will come before me. 

Yesterday I met with a dear lady whom I have grown to love so much.  Last week we drove another precious couple to Everett.  These and many more of the older members of our church are so amazing to me.  Their faith, their struggles, their love, and their involvement bathed in Christ is so evident.  But spending time with them has caused me to ask some questions: The first one was: Who is next?  In our church and in churches over the nation, who are the individuals that will present Christ in such a powerful way. Who is the next generation?  I posed this questions to a friend of mine and she said...is it us?  Are we next?

I don't know about others but I am not ready.  I have so many questions that I have to answer before I would want to take the baton from these saints.

1.  Do I love enough?  Would I give up what is familiar to minister to the ones who need it because of my love for them in Christ?
2. Am I aware of the needs outside my circle?  Aren't I so self-absorbed that my vision is obstructed?
3. Do I have what it takes to pray?  I know that many of the Circle of Saints pray diligently for others, for missions, for the salvation of others, for MY prayer requests...
4. Am I ready to cry because somewhere my prayers were answered for fresh water?  One of these ladies did.  She was so excited that Haiti was able to get a well and have clean water that she cried.
5. Will I cry for the lost? Will I pray and speak up for the ones who are hurting? Will I seek and find those who need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ?
6. Will my faith be such that others can see and experience it right along side me?  Will I stand firm for Christ no matter what?

So many questions and the answer lies in Jesus.  In a one work answer to all of those questions...NO!  I am not ready.  I am willing to continue to sit at the feet of Jesus and find out all about Him.  I am aware of the inadequacies in me...but then I turn my eyes in the direction of the cross and realize that all I am is in Him.
 Jesus, help me and the others to be next.  Prepare us to stand firmly on the testimony of Christ and never let us forget the lessons of those who have come before us! AMEN 

Eye sore? In whose eyes?

This is what many call an eye sore in Ferndale.  We have been watching it for 8 years now.  It was an older home and then they moved all of their things into white tents at the back of the house and elevated the house and put the lower floor with new windows in.  Then came the widow walk...or whatever the owners call it...big tower with windows all around?  They added the door on every level that go nowhere that I can see.  They put up siding in a few places and the paper around the rest (which they have replaced many times over.)  They started to paint it but didn't finish.  They added a huge white board which made it possible for the owner to put up large political ads (you can still see the 2X4s in the front of the house).  They added movie theater seats outside (which are now removed.)  They had a podium, big screen TV, and numerous other "treasures" that have come and gone.

Here is the thing.  This house is on main street.  We go past it all the time.  I have NEVER seen anyone working on it.  It just is.  The changes are slow and many times because of the unfinished projects...things have to be done over.

I have been intrigued with this building since we moved out here.  I have even called it an eye sore.  We have nicknamed it the JENGA house after the game.  The other day, when I was driving by, it was as if God opened my eyes. 

You see, before I became a believer, I was an eye sore.  My life was a reflection of darkness and filth.  Then with the changing power of Jesus Christ, I began to change.  My first changes were drastic but then the steady building began.  There were times when character changes were not done right and had to be redone OR that my character in Christ would start to change and then stop before the change was completed.

I was an eye sore.  I may even continue to be an eye sore to some people.  But I know that there are changes within me that Jesus wants to make...He desires to complete my mansion for me.  He wants His temple within me to be a beautiful dwelling for Him.  What we see with our finite minds doesn't always reflect what is inside or out.   I am so thankful that Jesus looks past our outside to change us from the inside out.  It really isn't what we see...it is what He sees in us that counts.

Back to the Jenga house...The outside is a mess but I have no clue what the inside looks like.  I have seen beautiful homes on the outside and in the inside, the people live in a mess. Makes the Jenga house go from eye sore to wonder.   I wonder what the owner and builder has in mind for this home? What will it look like when it is completed?  Will it ever BE completed? 

I wonder what the owner of my soul has in mind for me?  I can hardly wait to see what changes He will do in my life.