Hash-ey La La

Today after church I made a quick lunch for my mom, a friend and myself.  As I placed it on the table I said: "Hash-ey La La"  This came out of no where and I laughed as I remembered my Dad saying it 100 years ago (or so).

"Hash-ey La La" was my dad's way of saying that we were having leftovers made into a hash.  Putting a French flair to the name of the meal was supposed to help make it palatable.  

It was a nice unexpected memory.

Got me thinking....How many times do we try to put a new name to the same old stuff.  We try to pass it off as something not so bad or  acceptable.

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"  we all know this saying.  A sin by any other name is still a sin

Has God been "talking" to you about anything in your life lately?   Friend, please don't ignore Him!.  It will not get better. 
If the Holy Spirit has been whispering, take heed!  It is for your good that the Lord brings correction.  After all that is why we are here ~ to be made into His likeness and image!

So when it comes to sin let's not have any leftovers ~ no matter what they are called!

Blessings!

Fairest Lord Jesus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abgY3pKNJeQ&feature=related

Jesus You're everything to me!

Jesus shines brighter, purer than all the angels heaven can boast

Friends, I will be taking Hudson on a mom/son trip for the next 3 days...Please pray that our time will be profitable, memorable and all that the Lord would have it be!

Would you join me in this "one minute prayer" challenge? I have set my phone alarm for everyday at 9pm

ONE MINUTE EACH NIGHT During WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every  night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the  safety of England, its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. 

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America.  If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central, 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the up-coming  election, and for the revival of Christianity in this great country.  If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along.  Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.  Thank You.  Please pass this on to anyone who you think will want to join us. 

A Hard Thing To Do

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if anyone is born again, the old has gone, the new has come!"    "the old life is gone, a new life has begun!"

So why is it that we so often  "walk" out the faith by always looking over our shoulder as if someone or something may be chasing us?

IF that happens to be your experience, even a little, there is work to be done.  First and foremost we must realize that the Word is the truth.  Period.   Our feelings must be aligned with the Lord.  

While it is true that we may need to "tend" to some things in our past when we come to the Lord ~ we must realize that they do not have power over us anymore....I realize this is often easier said than done.  It is a process and the more we practice the stronger we become.

An orphan, once adopted, pinches himself to see if his new identity is truly real!  But the longer you "sit at the table" and get to know the Father, the more you will be satisfied with this truth.   
"You are not your own any longer you have been bought with a price." 
1 Cor 6:20

OH HOW HE LOVE YOU!!!

You are not running alone.  Look around there are brothers and sisters everywhere running the race.   Keep focused and don't turn back!

Heb 12:1
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.


Blessings!

Let It Begin With Me

"Live in harmony with one another; do not be snobbish but readily adjust yourself to people and situations and give yourselves to humble tasks.  Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits."   Romans 12:16


Live in harmony:   Choose to get along with everyone

Do not be snobbish  Think of others as better than yourself

Adjust yourself   don't wait for others to change...adjust yourself and do what the Word says

Give yourself to humble tasks   just do what needs to be done

Never overestimate yourself       Stay far a way from Pride!

Wow!   Read it again and then think about it in context with your life.  Do any parts of this verse apply?  Ask the Lord what HE thinks.

How would the Church look if we walked this verse out?   How would we affect our world

Change begins with us ~  You ~  Me
Whether it is work, marriage, family etc   if we each do our part things will look different..

His grace is sufficient and HIS strength will be made perfect in your weakness.   Let it begin with me

The Last Word

SO   

What does your "quiet time" look like?  

Is it quiet?  

Is there even a "time"?

Is this time marked by duty or relationship?

Who has the last word?

Friend think about it today.

Consider the time you spend with Him

Are you pleased ~ satisfied

Is He?

He holds the answers 

He is more than enough for whatever you face

He wants more of you!

He wants to be your Lover and Friend, 

your Brother, Husband and Maker

EVERYTHING!

Jesus You're more than a Friend

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18p8OyYgUhU&feature=related

Monday Sept 24  7pm  

11 Pumping Station Rd

Salem, NH 

LEARNING TO HEAR GODS VOICE. 

Graham Jones from the UK will be speaking on this important subject.  He will be challenging people that God wants to speak in clear and direct way to Christians today.  Graham will be touching on some of the following areas.

Does God still speak today?

How can we know the difference between Gods voice, ourselves and the devil?

The place of the prophetic in the church. 

Hearing Gods voice and evangelism. 

A Path thru the Trash

I am reading a book on India, a country where the caste** system locks people in abject poverty.
There are over 250 MILLION Dalits in India alone. (a Dalit is considered the bottom of the bottom.  This group of people are called the "Untouchables".  They are considered subhuman, impure from birth and worthy of nothing but contempt")

Scene after scene shows thousands of people living, walking, sitting in, and pawing thru trash.  Trash IS their ground.  Everywhere they step is garbage.  The ground is not littered but it is feet thick. 

I think that this is a picture of what discouragement looks like.  Our head is down and all we see is the "trash".  We can see only brokeness and waste.  We smell it, touch it and wade thru it day after day.  It is our world.  It is a life void of HOPE.

"May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him ~ SO THAT you may overflow with hope in the power of the Holy Spirit." Rom 15:13

Hope makes a path thru trash.  Hope causes our eyes to lift to the ONE who can send help.  He is our Help in times of trouble.

Father, I pray that you will allow us to be carriers of Your HOPE. 
Send us the needy, the thirsty, the hopeless and give us the Grace to see them.  Teach us Your ways concerning this I pray.  Grace us to be Your hands, Your feet, Your love.  Help us to not shy away or shun those that we don't understand.   Lord give us discernment and a clear Word for this dark, dying world.  Please grace us to love the "least of these" as that is when we are closest to You.

It begins and ends with You Jesus.  Make us willing to be willing. We are called to this ~ equip us Lord

In Jesus Powerful Name


Blessings

** "Your caste not only affects your sense of worth but also the jobs you can hold, what clothes you can wear, where you can worship, who you can marry, where you gather water and what sort of education you can expect"

The Platform

I was talking to a young father on Sunday.  When I asked how he and the family were doing he admitted to me that they had had a rough morning.
I shared with him a situation I had years ago when I told the Lord that I thought there was a demon behind my front door when I came home from church.  The way to church and the way home was not a problem it simply was when I stepped into the house!   Kids were starving, husband disappeared with the newspaper and I was faced with breakfast leftovers, a house in disarray and 13 hungry people!   I  would turn into a _______ (not sure how to describe it) and totally lose it.  

Seeing this week after week, I finally talked to the Lord about it. He simply replied, "would you act the same if I were sitting at the dining room table?"  
ONE SENTENCE.  that was all!  
Of course I would behave myself! 

THUS I SAW IT WAS IN MY CONTROL.

I urged this dad to call a family meeting to discuss Sundays with his wife and kids,  I suggested he ask for forgiveness and and talk the issues out.    I asked him to HUMBLE HIMSELF and the leader in the household.

I believe that Jesus loves to step onto the platform of humility.  When we humble ourselves HE will come and enter into our situation.    He has full sway then and nothing stands in His way

So whatever your situation, whether it be work, play, family, church, etc   take the low road,  humble yourself and get back in focus.   Jesus will be sure to show up with all His majesty, comfort and grace.  He will carry you and give you all that you need for the situation.

Remember you were bought with a price ..you are no longer your own...you belong to God.  Let Him have His way in you.

Blessings!

Knitting Interrupted

Stepping out on a limb...

I had to admit something out loud tonite. 

     

Chatting with a friend,  I had to say that for a long time I was not "against" abortion.....I was not for it either....I just didn't want to think about it.~  I sadly realized that if I had ever had an unwanted pregnancy I might have even considered it.

As years went by I realized my thinking was wrong and that God values life...PERIOD.   Life ~ whether brought about by rape, incest, carelessness, love and desire, etc etc etc....

LIFE is what God is all about!    

I still did not necessarily have the "feelings" that went along with the conviction but knew that I needed to side with God's Word rather than my feelings.  I left my feelings with God and decided to be obedient in my thinking and trust Him for the rest.

Today we have a seated President who does not value life.  I'm not sure why.... over population, inconvenience whatever,  he has made it painfully clear that he will put the "rights of women" over the "rights of the unborn" and the commands of God. 

 Again there was a time that I would have felt that it was his "right", his prerogative to think this way. While that is still true, I firmly believe now that he stands directly contrary to God. And because he is our leader we find ourselves out from underneath the Lord's umbrella of protection.****
As I read and understand the Scripture I see that it is never good to go against God's ways.  He is serious about His commands.....life being a top priority.

Psalm 139:13-18   You formed my innermost parts, You knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, Your works are wonderful, I know them full well.
My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was knit together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are Your thoughts Oh God   How vast is the sum of them  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand ~ when I am awake I am still with You.

There is JUST NO WAY of getting around this passage in Psalms.

A few days ago I was commenting on a thread on Face Book.
A Christian brother was firmly stating his allegiance to Obama vs Romney.  It brought consternation to me in light of the Scripture.  I know full well that it is only God that knows the heart of man BUT would I not vote for the one who most lines up with the Word of God??   This is not about casting judgement...it is about truth.  And the truth is as mentioned above....Our country and individuals will be held accountable for the stance we take.

I only pray that you will seek Gods face and align yourself with HIM and HIM ALONE

Time is short
Blessings
****http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles4/MotherTeresaAbortion.php
Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching the people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.

If we remember that God loves us, and that we can love others as He loves us, then America can become a sign of peace for the world. From here, a sign of care for the weakest of the weak - the unborn child - must go out to the world. If you become a burning light of justice and peace in the world, then really you will be true to what the founders of this country stood for. God bless you!

- Mother Teresa

¹⁸ 

Last Ounce of Courage

Today I worked on a part of the yard that was just filled with brambles.  Years ago I had planted in the space but it is kind of "out of the way"  thus out of mind and eye.  Well 4+ wheelbarrows full and sore muscles later I have "pushed back" and rededicated the land.  Vines, raspberry bushes, weeds, small trees etc etc had all rooted them selves pretty strongly.  

BUT I DID TAKE THE LAND BACK!

Today I went to see the movie "Last Ounce of Courage" with mom and a friend.  It was good and reminded me of my gardening experience.    Our "land" has been taken over ~  our freedoms have been trampled.  We have followed like lambs to the slaughter on many fronts without speaking up.  

If you ever listen to ACLJ (American Council for Law and Justice) you will hear many stories of people that have been TOLD that they cannot bring their Bible to school, pray in public, put up a nativity,  say Merry Christmas,  etc etc etc.  

AND IT NOT TRUE! 

  

Because someone said we can't we just submitted without questioning and finding out the law and or making a call to someone who knows....and the weeds began to grow.  

I, like many, have been passive in some of these areas.   I don't want to make a fuss, be singled out, and often I'm just not sure what my rights are!   Its time we find out!  

Its time that YOU AND I stand up and be counted.  

I will stand and pledge that flag!   

I will pray   

I will carry my Bible  

I will witness  

etc etc etc. 

Stand up friend ~  there's a train on the track and it's coming fast~

Let 's also remember that we must obey God first and foremost!

Blessings!



 

A Centering Prayer

There have been a few times in my life when I was so burdened by a situation that I felt that I could not pray effectively.  Recently with the current political condition of our country I find my self there again.

Last week I spent some time writing what I would call a "Centering Prayer".  This prayer is thought through and I look up Scripture as I go along to "nail it down"

I would like to send it to you .  
When I am burdened again about this situation I will pull this prayer out to read and reread as I remind myself that the Lord is on His throne and in complete control.  Please feel free to use this prayer if it is helpful to you.

Father, I come before You to lay my burdens down 

1Peter 5:7.  I choose to be “anxious for nothing” Phil 4:6 and to believe that YOU are in control Ps 46:1.  The times are heavy that we are living in and many wrangle with the facts and the make believe, BUT YOU are the ONLY ONE who knows the heart of a man Rom 8:27.

The Scripture says that YOU sit on Your throne and laugh Ps 2:4,  that You are able to put a “hook in the jaw of a nation” Ez 38:4, that YOUR arm is NOT too short Is 59:1 and that NOTHING IS TOO DIFFICULT FOR YOU Luke 1:37!

You tell us that You PUT  authorities in place Rom 13:1 and that YOU hold the world in Your hand (or is that a song J) You and You alone know Your plan and You and You alone know what the tomorrows hold  Is 41:10.

I ask Lord that YOU will place on Your people's heart the need to PRAY ~ the need to go into the quiet place and seek YOUR face, the discipline to quiet themselves and walk in faith that YOU will direct their thoughts and paths as they lay their understanding down. Prov 3:5,6 Lord teach us to keep our opinions and words in, so that we will bring no shame or defame our Heritage in any way Ps 34:13.

I CHOOSE TO TRUST YOU IMPLICITLY FOR THE DAYS AHEAD

After all ~  YOU ARE THE LORD!

Blessings!

Shut Up!

This afternoon as I drove home from the market a car pulled out and looked like it was going to go into my lane.  I beeped the horn and the man SCREAMED,  "SHUT UP"!

Bizarre ~ but it affected me!  

His face was in my memory...his words rang in my ears...He took up space in my spirit and I had not invited him in~!

It reminded me of how much power there is in the spoken word.  

THERE'S ALOT

It is very difficult to have words just skim off of you.   My experience was from a stranger so how much worse from an acquaintance or loved one.

Are you careful about what comes out of  your mouth?  Are you a screamer or reactor rather than a responder?   Do you retaliate with words? When you are in a bad mood does everyone around you know it?

The Scripture says that we will be held accountable for every word that comes out of our mouths!  Matt 12:36

YIKES!

Today listen to yourself.  

Ask the Lord to help you be aware.  

If you are really serious ask some of your friends and family how you are....they probably will be hesitant to share but tell them you need to know.

Maybe you are just a negative talker - I know a few who are ALWAYS on the negative side of neutral.... and I kind of doubt that they even hear themselves anymore.

We are the only ones who can take care of our own stuff.  If you are serious the Lord will grace you to succeed.

Try it ~  I bet you'll like it!

Blessings!

Baring All

Mom and I shared a sandwich at the Junction today.  It was lovely out so we sat on the deck.   While I was in ordering she enjoyed the scenery.   I returned to the table to see her trying to zip her jacket up...You see she had forgotten that it was the ONLY layer that she had on.  She unzipped it to cool off and Oh My Goodness she bared all!!

She was laughing and soon I joined in.   My oh My  we were SURE GLAD that no-one seemed to notice!!

Have you ever "bared all"?

We can AND SHOULD bare all to the Lord.  
He knows it all anyhow.   
Why do we have such a hard time admitting things?  
Why do we try to hide from Him like Adam did?  
Have you ever seen yourself in a young child that is trying to hide the obvious?  (My 4 year old came down stairs one day COVERED in lipstick and told me she had not been getting into makeup!)  

Let's remember that Jesus came to set us free~ (Gal 5:1)  and the enemy will spend his time trying to convince us of otherwise.

Remember the Scripture says "Jesus is a Friend of sinners". Matthew 11:19

He waits,  He longs for you to come,  He knows and holds the power that you need!   Don't hide any longer. 

 BARE IT ALL

Lay it all at His feet,  He will guide you, show you what to do next.  He holds the keys and the answers.  Don't be afraid.

HE LOVES YOU

Blessings!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipwEtvWL_3c

Mid-Day Snack

Today after Prayer Meeting, the ladies went for lunch

 to the Bagel Shoppe.  

This is a ritual.

After eating, we sit around chatting and sharing.

 Mom said, "There is nothing like a muffin and a coffee in the middle of the day. Just a little bit of sweetness tastes so good"

The Scripture says: 

"Taste and see that the Lord is good!"

Psalm 34:8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JN_Z3StQlI

So many have their scheduled "quiet time" with the Lord ~  this is all well and good ~ but do you realize that the Lord has something sweet for you all during the day?

As mom said "there's nothing like it"!

Our Pastor once said he was having his watch alarm go off every 15 minutes just to remind him of the Lord in the middle of his busy day

Take a break friend...you cannot afford NOT to!

Blessings!

The Safest Place

Often I have people ask me if I am scared that some of my children are in "dangerous" places.  When Wes sends out an email about her time in the Brazilian brothels and Jordan spends time with the "down and out" on the streets of Boston , friends and relatives often cringe while conjuring up what the dangers might be.

We have a little saying that you too may have heard;

"There is no safer place on earth than the center of HIS will"

"Rejoice always, pray constantly and give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 
1 Thess 5:16

 Truly there is no better place.   In these uncertain times God is the ONLY secure place.  He will never leave or forsake us.   He says Do not fear 365 times in the Scriptures.   What do you think He is trying to tell us?

Take Him at His Word and get in the CENTER of HIS will.    You will find contentment, peace and comfort that the world is unable to offer.

Blessings

just a piece of kindling

I was sharing with mom today that I was praying about joining one of two committees.   As we shared with each other about the pros and cons she said,  "You know the Lord may use you to simply come alongside to encourage"

I immediately saw a piece of "kindling"   (you know that small piece of dry wood that catches flame easily but does not burn long)
Being from a long line of "fire-starters" :)) I know that most often it takes more than one piece of kindling to start a fire blazing ~ but put another one with it ~  VOILA!  You can start a fire!

Friend don't get discouraged.   

First are you sure you are where the Lord would have you?  Too often we place ourselves without even asking HIS direction
If so ~ GREAT!
If not ~   get to your knees, ask forgiveness and do what you have to do.

Second  do you know what the Lord has for you?
Have you asked?  Are you afraid?  Do you think you don't have anything to offer?
If the Lord is prompting you....move ahead.
You may be that second piece of kindling that will get the fire going.

HE has plans for you you know......As long as you have breath the Lord has a purpose for your life.
Why don't you make sure you know what it is and join HIM in it!

Blessings!! 
Its good to be back  thanks for any and all prayers!