It's Time to Return ...

As we get ready to usher in a New Year and a New Decade - 
                    some changes in my life are in order.

Blogging being part of those changes. I started this blog a long time ago and let it go dorment. Why? - I really don't know - but have felt the urge to write again, and share my heart.  I don't know what that will look like yet -  Weekly, Daily, or Monthly - Long or Short - What Audience?  It will be a work in progress.  Coming soon 2020.

The Moon Eclipse and Me.

This week the world viewed a lunar eclipse.  Lee & I were awake at 4 am for some reason and so we decided to watch as much of the eclipse as we could until our horizon blocked the finished eclipse.
The temperature was cool but not uncomfortable, so I stayed outside and just looked up.  The stars were sparkling and the moon was beginning to be blotted out for a short time.  I had the binoculars so I studied the heavens.  The more I studied the smaller I felt. and the Lord brought to mind,

What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,[a]
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,

All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,

The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea

         That pass through the paths of the seas.   Psalm 8:4-8.

Indeed what is man? What am I? Why would a God that hung everyone of those stars in place and knows them by name, caused the eclipse I was viewing, be mindful of me.  Yet scripture tells me and reassures me that He, the God of the universe, knows me intimately.  He knows my name, he knows the number of hairs on my head.  He loves me completely, from my beginning to my earthly end and into an eternity spent with Him in heaven.  Ok absolutely overwhelmed.

My God is so BIG yet so personal, he knows the needs that Lee has with his heart. He has gifted doctors and nurses to care for him.  He knows that I need my Savior more than I can speak of. He knows the needs of my children as they prepare for this upcoming surgery. He knows it ALL, which means I don't have to know it all.

Trust. I must trust the God who hung those stars, the moon.  The one who knows me better than I know myself.  The One who holds my life, holds the love of my life, Lee, holds my children, holds my grands, holds the world.

What is Debbie that You are mindful of me?

WORSHIP WITH 'OTHER' CHRISTIANS

I recently traveled to Panama City, Florida to house and dog sit for my son and daughter-in-love.  Before I went I had decided that I wanted to go to church while I was there.  In past visits I had seen a church which was not too far from where they lived which meant easy for me to get to. So before I left home I looked up this church and was able to find their very complete web site, with all the information that I needed to know.  So armed with lots of information and my Bible I set out, on Sunday morning.

It is so refreshing to know that there are Christians all over our country and world that worship together, like we do in our home churches. Perhaps not with the same music, bulletins, preaching styles, hymn books (some yes-some no), organ, piano, instruments, choir, worship music, all hymns or blended and the list goes on.  Just knowing that right there in that place we worshiped the same God, same Jesus, same Holy Spirit brought my soul joy.  How wonderful to be a part of a different congregation, to see how other Christians worship each week.  It was refreshing and I loved it.  I loved it so much I returned the next Sunday as well, and know that if I am there in Panama City I will worship with them again.

 

This experience just reinforced what I already knew that as a Christian we have a large family. A family of differing peoples, life styles, ages, education, and ethnic backgrounds all standing equal at the foot of the cross. Heaven is going to be filled with, joy, worship, honoring and praising the Lamb slain for us. It will be humbling for us, for we don’t even deserve to enter the gates, let alone walk on streets of gold, were it not for Christ we deserve death. And just when we think that the worship is ending, it will just be the beginning of worship together with our Lord and Savior that will go on and on forever.

 

The Lord impressed on me this past week that I need to climb down from my lofty perch and get serious about my worship of Him. Serious about my obedience of the things he has told me to do, the things I procrastinate about.  Sometimes I talk a good talk, but more often than not I do not walk worthy. 

My prayer is that wherever I find myself at worship, I will worship with my whole being, not just part of me.  That I will walk worthy of the calling the Lord has given me.

May the Lord encourage you this week, may you know His love, understanding & peace.  Walk worthy of your calling.

Serving Him.

Debbie

Lazarus Saturday

 As I was preparing for Palm Sunday and Holy week, I wondered what Jesus was doing before His triumphal entrance to Jerusalem celebrated as Palm Sunday. My search led  me to the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church commemorates this Saturday as Lazarus Saturday. They remember "the miracle of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when he raised Lazarus from the dead after he had lain in the grave four days." The following is a reading that might be done today:

"O Christ our God, before Your Passion, 

You raised Lazarus from the dead 

to confirm the common Resurrection for all. 

Therefore, we carry the symbols of victory as did the youths, 

and we cry out to you, the victor over death, 

"Hosanna in the highest.

 Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

As this Holy week approaches I pray you find yourself in a place of praise & adoration as we think about our Lord and all that transpires this coming week. But today this Saturday, Jesus was with friends. He restored one to life who had died. He was still about His Father's work.  May we too be about what God the Father has given us to do.

 When he had said this, 

Jesus called in a loud voice, 

"Lazarus, come out!"

John 11:43

FALL & CHANGE ARE HERE!!!

Fall is one of my favorite times of year,
I love the cooler temps and all the color of the changing foliage.
It is a time before nature sleeps. A change from the long hot days of summer to the cool mornings and evenings of fall.  A time of slowing down, harvesting done, leaves falling covering the ground in hues of red, orange, gold and yellow. A time to reflect, to prepare for winter.  And so change is here once again in nature and in my life
.
My mom spent a week in the hospital recently with the exit diagnosis of COPD, chronic bronchitis, and advanced asthma and I almost forgot emphysema too.  She left the hospital on 4 liters of O2 - 24/7. A change - a big change for sure.  She walked into the hospital and was discharged with the knowledge of never being without the O2, never driving again, never doing a lot of simple everyday things she was used to doing. At 80 mom is still good, able to care for herself and do the driving for her and her husband as well as all her paperwork etc...  One trip to the ER and subsequent hospital stay has changed all that.  No more caring for herself, driving, shopping, visiting etc.  She and her husband have been moved in with my daughter and her family for the near future. Until we can find them a assisted facility to live in. We are in the process of packing  up their life and putting it in storage. I am trying to go through and sort what needs to be packed and what needs to go. Mom wants everything packed but I know that she will never be able to be on her own again and so some things must go.
Packing up a life - two life's really. What to save - what to let go of??? So my heart is saddened and heavy.
                                        History put in a box.  
                                                           To be tucked away.
                                                                             It all seems so final.

As I look back and ponder over all this, I know that this process has been happening for generations and generations - what is left of a life??? Is it only the "things" or "possession's" or the memories and influences of that life?  Of course it is far more than the " things" it is the" life imprint" that is left.

This situation has made me look inside, to pause, to ponder, to think, to pray, to listen, to be grateful, to be sad, and to acknowledge the hurt. Many days ahead that I will not know which way is right, I pray that God will guide my every decision during this time of - change -.

     There is a time for everything,
         and a season for every activity under the heavens:
      a time to be born and a time to die,
         a time to plant and a time to uproot,
      a time to kill and a time to heal,
         a time to tear down and a time to build,
       a time to weep and a time to laugh,
         a time to mourn and a time to dance,
       a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
          a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
       a time to search and a time to give up,
           a time to keep and a time to throw away,
        a time to tear and a time to mend,
            a time to be silent and a time to speak,
        a time to love and a time to hate,
             a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

I pray that my 'life imprint' will be more about the memories and influences I have been rather than the "things' that are left.

WHO IS THERE LIKE YOU??????

In choir we have been working on a song which I have just fallen in love with. It has wonderful melody and even better lyrics.  Many of you know that I love music and I believe that music can move us in ways that nothing else can.  I am moved by the lyrics of this song and pray that as I sing them they are really true in my life.

Who is there like You?

Who is there like you, 

and who else would give their life for me,

even suffering in my place? 

And who could repay You?

All of creation looks to You

 and You provide for all You have made.

So I'm lifting up my hands, lifting up my voice,

lifting up You name and in Your grace I rest,

for Your love has come to me and set me free.

And I'm trusting in Your Word, trusting in Your cross,

trusting in Your blood and all Your faithfulness,

for Your pow'r at work in me is changing me.

I always want to be lifting up my voice to lift up His name.  To be resting in His grace basking in His love because it has set me free.  To be trusting in His word, cross, blood & faithfulness always. And to be a continual work in progress.

May His power always be changing me.

Streaming Tree

In Sunday's sermon our pastor used a an example which caused me to start thinking. I had a visual in my mind but an actual picture is even better.  The reference was to being planted by the stream. Are we where we can get spiritual food? Are we self feeders? As I was thinking on this Jeremiah 17:7-8 came to mind.

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him, he will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

I want my spiritual roots to grow strong and deep so that when the heat and drought come to my life - my  leaves will always be green and I will bear fruit. "A Streaming Tree" is what I want to be with my roots deep in my Savior.

Jesus is my Savior, I shall not be moved;
In His love and favor, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

In my Christ abiding, I shall not be moved;
In His love I'm hiding, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

If I trust Him ever, I shall not be moved;
He will fail me never, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved. 

On His word I'm feeding, I shall not be moved;
He's the One that's leading, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved. 

Chorus
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.