ABOUT THE RAPTURE

This was a devotional I read this morning and was so very good I felt I needed to share it here:

"We tell you this directly from the Lord."

I Thessalonians 4:15 NLT

WHEN A BELIEVER DIES

What Paul wrote about death, he got directly from the Lord: "We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died."  The Lord reserves this high privilege exclusively for those who die in Him: they will be the first to experience the resurrection.  Try to imagine that moment.  Arising from their rest like we do after a good night's sleep, now dressed in Christ-like bodies, they awake to the sight of their Lord returning in glory with His angels.  They meet Him-the first believers to witness His return, the initial wing of His airborne vanguard to escort Him back to earth.  This is no pipe dream or mere fantasy Paul got it "directly from the Lord."  Our source is unimpeachable!  He writes: (1)"Together with them, we which are alive..will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (vs17 NLT).  Living believers will rise to join with resurrected brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, spouses, friends, family of God Never-met-before, in a spectacular mid-air reunion with Christ. We'll be together, inseparable, eternal, one international, multicultural, love-based, Christ-centered family! (2)"Then we will be with the Lord forever" (vs17 NLT).  No speculating or imagining what He's really like, "For we will see him as he really is (1Jn 3:2 NLT).  We will see, touch and talk with Jesus as we do each other.  And He will respond to us in real time! (3) "Encourage each other with these word" (1 Thessolonians 4:18 NLT)

Copied fromThe Word For You Today daily devotional

This brings great delight to my heart as I think of our precious Suzette and all our other relatives and friends who left this earth before us.  What a well deserved blessing they have earned.

TOZER - TOZER - TOZER - TOZER - TOZER

On February 21st I posted about purchasing and reading The Mystery of the Holy Spirit by A. W. Tozer.   

After finishing it, I remembered I had read another book by Tozer so I went to my bookshelf and pulled out The Pursuit of God to scan through.  Well, a few underscored items and I knew it was time to re-read this wonderful book.  Which I did. 

That Sunday at small group I mentioned to my co-facilitator, Kent, how moved I was with Tozer's writing.  He stated he had been given some Tozer books by a neighbor that were in a box and would bring me some.  On Tuesday Kent showed up with four of Tozer's books for me!!!  The above book,  and the following 3 pictured.

PLUS, Men Who Talk Back to God, which I passed on to a friend at church before scanning it for a picture here. 

SO I have read (I should truly say "devoured") these additional 5 books in the past 10 days.  

AND I will be obtaining and reading more of A. W. Tozer's wonderful insight and work.

All of these works are wonderful and worth reading but if I had to select one of the above to recommend first it would be I Talk Back to the Devil.  A very powerful book.  I would love to quote some of it here but I have already passed that book forward to another friend to read.

I highly recommend reading A. W. Tozer - but if you are an avid reader, as I am, beware-----you may end up reading MANY and find it hard to put them down once you start.

How many of you are familiar with his work?  Do they speak to you as they speak to me?

What is FREEDOM?

What is true freedom?

A small cross that sits in our front yard.
It was cold that morning and the tiny ice-sickles look like tears!!

A friend recently asked me, what, in my opinion, was true freedom, my response was:

Being REAL and becoming who I was truly meant and designed to be in Christ.

Being COMFORTABLE with who I am and not trying to emulate anyone else.

HAVING ENOUGH to meet my own needs but not trust in the sufficiency of money or things.

HELPING and reaching out to others and sharing physically as I can.

SHARING spiritually, what Christ has and is doing in my life.

NOT HAVING TO HIDE WHILE I DO ANY OF THE ABOVE!

A number of years ago I read a quote by Francis Frangipane that said, "It's not self-confidence, it's God-confidence."  That had a huge impact on me and made me realize that  was the secret to a strong walk in the Lord. It truly is ALL about HIM and nothing about us, except to be clay in His hands and on His potter’s wheel. 

Mickey  & I are both very active in various activities of ministry not because we are trying to win God's love or God's approval but because we HAVE IT.  I received that total love and  approval when I was 18 years old and gave my heart to JESUS.  Mickey received it when he was 26 years old and bowed the knee at the altar and accepted JESUS into his heart.

SO, what is true freedom?

It is being who I am in Christ and letting HIM use me as He sees fit and chooses.

What is "true freedom" in your opinion?

MY KNEE - GOD SPEAKING & MY 7TH BOOK

My seventh book for 2013: 'CHANGE YOUR WORDS - CHANGE YOUR LIFE' by Joyce Meyer.

Joyce Meyer had a VERY big impact on my life in 1991 at  a  time when I was hurting badly: my foundation had taken a bad blow and I was trying to regain my bearings.  I would go out to my car every day during my lunch break at work and listen to her on the radio.  I had never heard of her before and she was not too well known at the time.  I also attended one of her conferences held at the ORU Maby Center when the crowds were small and she still called people down front to be prayed for.    

A couple of the quotes from this book that really jumped out at me are:  "Humility is said to be the chief virtue and more likely the most difficult to grow into.  A humble person is totally dependent on God for all things, and she never thinks more highly of herself than she ought to.  She doesn't consider that she is superior to any other person.  When a person has a humble heart and attitude, it always shows through in how she speaks to and about other people.  It is also evident in how she talks about her own lot in life."

"Humility never has an attitude of entitlement, and it considers every tiny blessing to be undeserved and a gift from God.  Therefore, it doesn't complain and murmur about its life.  It waits patiently for God to change whatever circumstances He desires, and trusts that He will give the needed strength to endure whatever must be endured with good temper."

"Pride is always jealous, because it assumes that it deserves what others have."

"Pride often accuses another of what it is guilty of, but has failed to see.  Prideful people are so busy judging and being critical of others that they are blinded to their own misconduct by their pride."

Our words are truly so important in the life that we live.  I found this to be a very refreshing read and reinforced truths that I know at a time I needed it with standing,believing and trusting for healing of my right knee.

BOOKS #4 & #6 FOR 2013 -BY DR. CAROLINE LEAF

Book #4 - Who Switched Off Your Brain? He said-she said by Dr. Caroline Leaf.


I meant to order the other book by Dr. Leaf and ordered this one by mistake.  I found it a very interesting read and I could  relate to Mickey & I in our marriage with the points she made and the differences in the two of us.  I also realized anew, what I have always known:  Mickey & I have had a very good, long marriage because we have always viewed ourselves as two 1/2's that make 1 terrific whole!!!  I also realized anew, that because we have viewed ourselves in this manner, we have always appreciated our differences and realized that where I am weak, he is strong, and where he is weak, I am strong.  Therefore, we have never gotten into a lot of "power struggles" with each other.  If you are struggling in your marriage, perhaps the main reason is that you get in power struggles with each other, instead of valuing and appreciating that God did make you different and it is the very differences that make us stronger. 

I immediately ordered the other book by Dr. Leaf (which became my 6th for this year) Who Switched Off My Brain?  I must say, I did not like this book nearly as much as the other.   I know the facts she gives are real and correct but the book itself was not as readable and seemed to repeat the same thing over and over under different headings.  It is designed more for doing analytical work on yourself and your problems and issues.  

I am thankful I made the error (in God's plan there are no error's in the lives of His children!!) and ordered the 1st book.  Had I read Who Switched Off My Brain? first I probably would not have ordered Who Switched Off Your Brain? He said - she said. 

My preference is to read more Word and Scripture based books.  I ordered these by Dr. Leaf because they had been  brought up in the Small Group class I co-teach on Sunday mornings and sounded interesting. 

Let me know your opinions if you have read or do read either of these.  I would be interested in your take.  

HAPPY READING!!! 

ROYAL RANGER FLAG

Mickey teaches a 4th grade Royal Ranger group of boys every Wednesday night.  Quite a testing for an 80 year old!!! 

Their Patrol is called Coyote Patrol. 

I wanted to share a project my husband, one of the royal rangers boys & a friend just completed.

Their very own Patrol flag.

(1) The Coyote drawing was created by 4th grader Caleb Cook.

(2) Mickey took the drawing to Kinko's and had another print made and then had the 2 prints laminated, one for each side of the flag. 

(3) Mickey & I went to the fabric store to pick out a fabric and found this yellow flag material we thought looked nice & bright. Mickey measured out the exact size for the flag.

(4) We asked one of my WOW Woman Bible Study woman, Kathy Robinson, to hem all the edges and make the placket at the top for the rod.

(5)  Mickey bought the 3/4" square flag pole at Loews.  He cut the 2 lengths to size and then cut notches in both poles to fit flush and glued them in place.

(6)  Mickey went to Hobby Lobby and bought leather strips to decorate where the poles were joined.

(7) He attached a wild turkey feather at the end of the cross bar for added appeal.

(8) Mickey cut off the excess wood on the flag pole cross bar.

The finished project!

The Coyote patrol in formation as they practice for the first time with the new flag.  There is another patrol in front and one behind.

Saying their pledge to the U.S. Flag, the Oklahoma State Flag & the Christian Flag as Caleb holds their Coyote Patrol flag during their opening service.

A project well done~~~~ Thanks Caleb & Kathy!!