Peace Revisited

I cannot let this go. God says that there is peace
IN Christ which surpasses the imagination. This
peace guards the mind where the battle rages and
where anxiety is birthed.

I hear God say: "Jane, Jane, you are anxious
and troubled by many things. Choose me as
Mary once did."

Reader, it is so important to become quiet
and to meditate on these things. Your Papa
God leans into you to catch the faintest
word from your lips. Don't let the urgent
rob you of that which is of Eternal value.

Peace Plan

God's peace plan for anxiety.

Peace (Strongs) quietness, rest, set at one again.

'Set at one again.' Anxiety separates us from God.

Have anxiety? Rejoice! Know that the Lord is
near. Snuggle up and tell Him how you feel;
what you want. Be specific. Grow thankfulness.
Live in the moment.

Then, "The peace of God which passes all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:4-7)

In these days of uncertainty we need to believe
that God is in charge and that He has a plan for
us to walk in peace.

Anxiety

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything by prayer and supplication with
Thanksgiving let your requests be known
to God." Phil 4:6

"Do not be anxious about your life...life is
more than food...look at the birds of the air...
your heavenly father feeds them. Are you
not of more value?" Matt 6:25

Papa--I have been struggling with this thing
called anxiety--can't quite place it, certainly
can't fix it, but I can tell You how I feel,
and what I need. I can worm my way into
the down of your feathers and nestle until
the storm passes. I am secure in Christ, safe.
Thanksgiving fills my heart and it makes me
laugh. Oh, glorious, beautiful day!

It Rains

The land is dry, parched
       It rains
We are in the dry season
       It rains
Not small invisible drops,
But large noisy ones,
       It rains

Papa, For two days this week we have enjoyed
unseasonable rain, heavy rain-- with more to
come. May You do in the spiritual what You
are doing in the physical. Send the Life giving
rain of Your Holy Spirit into the church that
we may be,
        Refreshed
             Renewed
                  Restored

Mayday Mayday

Anne Graham Lotts, the daughter of Billy Graham
has put out a prayer call to our nation. It begins
tomorrow and will continue nine days which 
correspond to the nine days between the Ascension
of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost. If you go to the
website to sign up you will receive daily prayer info
to cover each of the nine days: 
www.annegrahamlotz.org/mayday/

The theme is taken from John 17:11 where Jesus
intercedes for us: Holy Father, protect them by 
the power of Your name...each prayer will be
centered on one of God's names.

What I hear, what I see, what I sense in these days
carries a strong call for God to intervene and bring us
a new awakening and revival as He has done for us in
the past. I would encourage you to take the time to
pray for the church and for our nation.

God's Feathers

"The Lord is at hand: do not be anxious about 
anything..."

Anything? Wow! How does one not be anxious
when watching the news? Maybe turn the TV off?
Or, do I sit and let the first sentence soak in. The 
Lord is at hand.
In Ps 91 I read:
"He covers me with his feathers and under his 
wings I find refuge."
I recently read that God "lets down the strong
feathers of His protecting care till they sweep the
ground. I can creep closer and closer into the very
down of his body."

Many years ago I was flying into
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, alone, very late in the
evening. It was a five hour flight from Germany.
Would I be met? What about customs? I slipped
into an anxious sleep. As we began the approach
I awakened and "saw" feathers above me. Angel
wings? No, for it was under His wings that I was
resting. This one glimpse brought such peace.
God was at hand. As soon as I left the terminal a
smiling face greeted me. It was midnight.

Reader, I cannot hang on to peace. It is illusive.
I have to return to the words: "The Lord is at
hand."

Sing the Truth!

"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice."
(Phil 3)

There is a melody that goes with these words and
I hum it as I write.

Rejoice: Strongs 5463 Happy or well off; cheerful,
to be glad, to joyfully rejoice.

ALWAYS? Rejoice cheerfully and be glad? In my
circumstances? No, not in the circumstances but in
the Lord of the circumstances. To rejoice in Him
when things are tough takes humility. It is
declaring that God is in charge and He is trust-
worthy. He defeated death. He declared, "It is
finished!" So, no matter what the circumstances,
God's victory is sure.

Reader, do you find this easier said than done?
I do. When things are going well, it is easy to
rejoice, but when my goals are blocked I tend to
tank. Somehow this rejoicing goes deeper than
my feelings. I can be sad at the surface while my
spirit is singing a song of rejoicing. So, don't
beat yourself up when emotions that go south,
just sing the truth!

A Monday Morning Word

John Darby writes:
The Christian is humble...because he has
given up seeking good in himself to adore
the One in whom there is nothing else.

Hope Deferred

It was graduation time from nursing school and
four of us rented a two bedroom apartment near
the hospital which resided in West Philly. Four
newly minted grads working odd hours, came
home with hilarious stories. We laughed through
dinner and left notes of encouragement, some of
which ended up on the wall. My favorite was:

"Hope deferred makes the 
        heart sick. 
But when the desire comes, 
        it is a tree of life."
(Prov 13:12)

The meaning was clear. One day a certain
prince charming would be found around the
next corner. He would fulfill all our dreams.

Fast forward fifty years and that verse takes
on a whole new dimension, a new flavor.
The desire is a longing for the real thing,
the True Prince, Himself.

Ah, reader, the best is yet to come!

Goatheads

Well, reader, after I uploaded the post yesterday, I
realized that many of you have not a clue as to what a
Goat head is. Spell check certainly doesn't get it! The
official name is Tribulous Terrestris, but it is  also
known as a bullhead, a devils thorn, devil's weed, a
puncture vine. It thrives in dry poor soil, can survive
in arid conditions as it spurns a well watered garden.
The beautiful tiny flowers become a nutlet with four
to five sharp spines within a weeks time. One thorn
can puncture a bicycle tire. Here in Idaho they grow
along roads, on dry paths, and invade unwatered
pastures.

I cannot but help comparing the goathead nutlet with
principle of sin which resides within every believer,
while not being part of the believer. Sin likes to
cause problems in the Christian who has withdrawn
from the Living Water and is content to reside in
a barren wasteland. Letting Sin reign gives rise to
sins.

Paul says this in Romans 6
"We know that our old self was crucified with him
in order that the body of sin might be brought to 
nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved
to sin. For one who has died has been set free from
sin...So you must consider yourselves dead to sin
and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

Goat heads are such an invasive plant straight from
the enemy himself. Don't let goat heads take hold of
your life! Immerse yourselves in Him and in the
water of His Word.

A Walk at Sunset

We set out, Jake and I, just before sunset. As we turn
right onto the path beside the *Galloway Ditch, we
meet some chickens and some young chicks. Just
past the chickens is a grazing horse. On the left just
across the Ditch are half grown lambs with their
Mamas. A little further and we look down on the
soccer field beyond which we can see a herd of
cattle eating one last snack before bed. Jake runs
to and fro on the path, ends up encountering some
Goat Heads and comes to me to pull out the painful
stickers all ready deep into his paw. Ouch! (There
must be some sort of downside to this lovely place!)

The sun is now like a fire in the evening sky and is
reflected in the moving water as we head for home.


*This area is at 2,000 ft above sea level, has a dry
and a wet season. The land is watered by a series
of canals and wells fed by the snow pack. This
was a dry warm winter and there was no snow pack,
but there is water enough for the summer.

Yuk

Jesus kept the whole law so I don't have to
keep any of it. So, why do I strive to be
perfect and to be pleasing to God and man?
So, I can get the glory, that's why! Yuk.

Heart Stopper

Galatians 3:10 is a heart stopper:

"For all who rely on works of the law are

under a curse for it is written 'cursed be

everyone who does not abide by all things

in the law to do them.'"

So, when I rely on keeping the rules and

regulations, I am under a curse because

I can't just keep my favorite one? I have

to keep all of them? A curse? That's a

pretty strong statement. Fortunately I 

have the weekend to think it over. :)

Reader, have a wonderful weekend and

don't try to think too much!