How Big is Our GOD?

I've been thinking a lot lately about two things.  How BIG is our God and how BIG is our Faith?

Within the church body I currently attend, and all I have been exposed to and involved with since Jesus became my SAVIOR in 1958, I hear a lot of TALK about faith.  But, as I look around I observe and witness a lot more FEAR and DOUBT than I do FAITH.

Why do I say this and what do I mean?  I hear "God will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory" (Almost a direct quote of Philippians 4:19 kjv  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.) yet I hear these same people worrying about the cost of this or that; how they are going to afford this or that; making money, or the lack thereof, this or that has broken down or won't work.  One of their primary concerns on all levels seems to be voiced in lack, and doubt coming from their mouths and their actions. 

I hear, "By His stripes I am healed."  (From Isaiah 53:5 kjv But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed)yet I hear how this hurts and that hurts and asking for prayer for the same ache or ailment time and time again, running to this or that Dr. and taking this or that medication or treatment.  We must pray, seek the necessary medical advice and then begin to WALK in healing regardless of how we feel, or what is hurting.  

I believe our problem is multi-fold.  #1 We do not see GOD big enough.  We try and put God into an extension of our image or understanding rather than realizing He is soooo BIG we can never describe or understand him.  The issue is not understanding, it is BELIEVING what His Word says....period.  

#2 is summed up in this quote from Creflo Dollar..."If you're not getting results, the issue is not lack of faith, it's the presence of unbelief".  We "say" we believe but in our hearts and minds we really doubt.  James 1:8(KJV)  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. God is a big God, but sadly our doubt is even bigger. 

#3 is disobedience.  We really want to do what we want to do, when we want to do it, how we want to do it, instead of truly obeying God's commandments and instructions. We want Jesus to be our SAVIOR but not our LORD. 

I don't know about you, but I want to truly learn to walk in the bigness of my God and not in the smallness of myself.

I LOVE WEEDING ~~~

I dislike yard work very much.  Mickey does all the mowing, gardening, etc but I LOVE TO WEED. 

The Lord blessed us with a several very heavy downpours of rain through the night so the ground was super wet and moist.  And, as a bonus, the temperature is very low for July 15th in Oklahoma. I took advantage of these blessings and decided to weed a section of fence line in our back yard that desperately needed it.  

 One of the piles of pulled weeds. (Mickey was dead heading the climbing rose bush so that's what the red roses are.)

This was from the first 6' of bed I pulled.  Then I had to rest my back a minute so went in, sat down, & had a cup of coffee.

 The second big pile of weeds I pulled.

I went out to pull another 6' or so.  I was tired and my back was telling me about it, but I thought "no", I'm going to finish this now, so I finished the other 12' section.

 If you could put the above 3 pictures together you would have the total area I weeded.

The long shot of the entire area.

Ok - now the main point of this blog.  Not to show off my accomplishment, even though I am very pleased with it, but to expand on why I love weeding.

Over the years God ALWAYS speaks to me when I weed.  There is such a lesson and connection between weeds in our yard and sin in our lives.

When weeding you MUST pull-up the root!!!  To just take a hoe or not pull hard enough to get the entire root is self defeating... because that weed will almost immediately begin growing again.

So it is with sin!  If we just "cut out" what can be seen with the visible eye we may be making an impression on those around us, and worse yet, we are deceiving ourselves that we are tackling the issue or sin. But, that ugly root, where it all began, is still there to quickly rear it's ugly head and ensnare us.

God created the world even before He created man on the 6th day. God speaks to us ALL the time through creation: the sun, moon, stars, clouds, mountains, plains, rocks, animals, plants.  All of His creation. 

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead:  so that they are without excuse.  Romans 1:19-20

&

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.  Psalm 19 1-2

I am so thankful that God loves us so much that He speaks to us all the time, IF we will only have eyes to see & ears to hear.

Thank you Father God for speaking to my heart, and my life,  once again, even while doing such a simple task as weeding.  

God's PLACEMENT, God's PLANS, God's PURPOSES

We were "transplants" to Coweta, but from day one we have always felt accepted and loved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several weeks ago a friend of mine, who is shopping for a new home, posted this fb link "Okay, I haven't bought a house in a really long time,  When you walked into "your house" for the first time, did you know it?"  To which I commented "Yes!!)

Then I kept thinking about how we had ended up here in Coweta and ALL that God has done in our lives over the past 15 years.  A few days later I left this comment on her fb link:

"I was thinking further about your question the other day about did we "know" about the house when we first saw it.  It is more important about what God has in store, and in mind, for you AT that new location, and why, than it is about the "house".  I knew this little house here in Coweta was "mine" the minute we walked in the front door but I realize now it wasn't about the structure but about the fact God wanted us in Coweta for this time.  Hope this is clear.  Both of us marvel all the time that God chose to place us in Coweta.  We would have never been looking here, but God orchestrated it where we did, and the little house being "perfect" was not His big plan, at all, but His placement was."

This has lead to even more thinking, praying, and asking God to show me the depth of this and consequently to this blog post.

Mickey & I sold our larger home in Tulsa when he retired in 1997.  We traveled in our 5th wheel for 6 months to Alaska and the Western U.S. States.  We found we loved the atmosphere of the small towns we visited and decided we wanted to buy NEAR Tulsa, to be by our kids, but not in Tulsa proper.  Thus began the hunt for the right smaller home to buy in a small community.

We were looking, looking and just couldn't find the "right" house.  It was daughter Suzette who called one day with the address of a house in Coweta, that was not on the market, but owned by a girl Suzette worked with who was thinking of selling. I'll never forget Suzette's comment, "But it's in Coweta.".  I said that was fine and we would go drive by and see if we thought we might be interested in seeing it. 

We drove by - liked the outside and called to make an appointment.  The minute we walked in the front door, I KNEW this was my house, and we literally bought it on the spot.  Mickey & I have always felt accepted and loved here from day one, ever though we were "transplants" to Coweta which is a community that boasts many families of 3 or 4 generations. 

I have relayed this story to many people over the past 15 years and been aware that yes this was "my house" that God had brought us to.  But, as I was pondering about my friends question and my belated answer I realized this "house" was not what it was all about at all.

What it was about was God placing us here in Coweta, for His plans & for His purposes, which at the time we had not the foggiest idea!!!  In looking back I realize that for the exception of one couple, Don & Barbara who we have known for years, and my forever friend, Joan, in Albuquerque, every other person who fills such an important and intricate part of our lives we did not even know 15 years ago!  That was a sobering realization!!!!

Much LIFE and even some death have taken place over these 15 years but God's molding hands have been, and are, a constant in our lives.  

As I look back over my life of these past 75 years,6 1/2 months I can see how God has truly used EVERY situation, EVERY change, EVERY move, EVERY friendship to bring us to where we are today.  

In a world turning topsy- turvy I can honestly say: I have no fear; I know the God I serve, I know that I am safe in His hands and in His PLACEMENT, PLANS & PURPOSES. I know we are exactly where we are suppose to be, doing exactly what we are suppose to be doing, for this time and this place.  Thank You Triune GOD !!!  

The GOOD is not the BEST

"Learning to say no to what is not a top priority and yes only to the requests that fit my personal mission statement...has been one of the best skills I have learned."  Becky Tirabassi

I read this quote this morning and it resonated with my spirit.  The ability to learn to say "no" is a very difficult ability to learn.  We, especially women, are raised to try and meet everyone's expectations.  At least I was.  So, when I was younger I would say "yes" to almost any and every request made of me by anyone in my church or among my close friends.

I was a young working wife, and mother of 4.  I had many responsibilities in that role, but I would "add on" all these other requests.  I'm not sure how old I was when I finally realized that my first priority was not to fulfill every request made of me.  Learning to just say a simple "no" without guilt or even explanation was a huge, and very freeing accomplishment for me.  

"But let your communcation be, Yea, yea: Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." Matthew 5:37 

As I got older, and my children were leaving the nest, and then as I retired, "responsibilities" in those areas were greatly reduced.  It was at this time I became aware of the 2nd step in this area:  that a good use of my time and attention was not always the best use.

The words in the quote above, "my personal mission statement" just jumped off the page at me.  We each have our personal calling and function as our part in the Body of Christ. That truly is our personal mission statement.  My constant prayer the past 9 years has been to endeavor to fill my life with the best and not just the good each and every day.  Do I always succeed?? NO!! ~~~~ but being conscious of His call upon my life and aiming for His best certainly has helped me truly be active and busy in fulfilling MY PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT.   
  

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?

ENTITLEMENT

"I WANT"  "I NEED"  "I GOTTA HAVE" 

In this age of entitlement(entitle: Webster'S-1)to give a title or name to -2)to give a right or claim to)we have added yet another layer to materialism.

No, I don't want to work for it.  I want "you" to provide it to me because I am ENTITLED. 

I am so thankful that I was raised being taught:

"A penny saved is a penny earned"

"Watch the pennies and the $ will take care of themselves"

&

Pride in a job well done, for the pure joy of accomplishment.

Mickey & I raised our 4 children with these same values.  Sadly, we seem to have found ourselves in a society where about 50% of the population were not being taught these values. Add to this a generation that was, and is, being taught that there are no "absolutes", The Bible and The 10 Commandments are "obsolete", and we are watching as our entire nation is crumbling.

Add to this a large majority of professing Christians who's main focus in life it not winning the lost or showing the love & compassion that The Bible teaches but are busy as bee's

working night & day for the almighty Dollar

building up their IRA

&

 "KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES"

As we watch The Church lose it's effectiveness and our entire nation crumble even more.  

Well, as for me & my house we will:

 serve The Lord 

believe with all our heart & soul

enjoy each day The Lord gives us 

&

someday hear:  Good & faithful servant 

Entitlement????

I am not "entitled" to anything; but by the grace and mercy of God, and the sacrifice of The Son of God, JESUS the Christ, upon that cross I have been GIVEN everything.

&

HE gives me the best title in all the world & creation

A CHILD OF THE LIVING GOD

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."  I Peter 2:9  

a 2 z - I = INSTRUCT-INSTRUCTION

Do you love to be INSTRUCTED and learn?  I do, and I especially love the way God teaches and INSTRUCTS us continually, precept upon precept, if we will but desire that HE do so.

"I will INSTRUCT thee and teach thee in the way which thou shall go:  I will guide thee with mine eye."  Psalm 32:8 KJV

"Let me give you some good advice; I'm looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight."  The Message .

We got some good INSTRUCTION recently and it so altered my way of thinking I wanted to share it here.:  We recently went to a conference to hear Bill Cloud speak and one of the many things we learned was that in Hebrew the word  "good"- Tov = Something, or someone, is where they are suppose to be, doing what they are suppose to do.  Functioning in the purpose it/they was created for.  That was one of those "WOW" moments for me!!!

Bad - Rah = evil.  Something, or someone, who is NOT where they are suppose to be, doing what they are NOT suppose to do.  NOT functioning in the purpose it was created for. Double "WOW"!!!  I am evil if I'm not functioning in the purpose that God my Father, and Christ my Savior who died for me, and The Holy  Spirit who lives in me, created me to function in.

Conversely, I am good if I am functioning in the purpose that God my Father, and Christ my Savior who died for me, and The Holy Spirit who lives in me, created me to function in.

Boy, that really changes the meaning that I'd been applying to those words and shows how incorrect our usage and idea of what they meant has been.  It's so like us to apply the word "evil" to someone committing murder, abusing children, robbing banks, those really bad, in our eyes, things that WE/I would never do.

So then, I have to ask myself:  "Am I WHERE I am suppose to be, DOING what I am suppose to do. functioning in the PURPOSE I was created for?"

I'm seriously asking myself this question and I trust you will ask yourself the same question now that this INSTRUCTION has been passed on to you.

I ask you to leave me a comment with your thoughts on this post.

It is the Lord who has begun the good work within us; it is He who has carried it on; and if he does not finish it, it never will be complete. If there be one stitch in the celestial garment of our righteousness which we are to insert ourselves, then we are lost; but this is our confidence, the Lord who began will perfect. He has done it all, must do it all, and will do it all. Our confidence must not be in what we have done, nor in what we have resolved to do, but entirely in what the Lord will do.  Charles Spurgeon

My life verse is Philippians 1:6 - "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ".  I am ever so thankful that God planted this verse into my life, mind and spirit soon after finding Him as Lord and Savior at the age of 18.


Over these ensuing 56 years I have always been sure and comforted that it truly was the Lords work and my part was to remain in His hands as soft, pliable clay, and He would accomplish His plans and purposes for Susan. 


As I read these words from Charles Spurgeon this morning it brings me great comfort.  I just wanted to share them here, on Penless Writer, for any of you that might be struggling with trying to do it in your own power, might or will.  We cannot!!!  Plain and simple.  Quit trying!!!  Put yourselves totally in His hands and then watch and be amazed as you see your life unfold.   

HE IS SUCH A GOOD GOD 

&

HE LOVES US SO MUCH.

NEGATIVE

Once again, my blog friend Brenda, with her one word post this morning of NEGATIVE  has inspired me to write on the subject.

As a teenager I made a decision that I would CHOOSE, you know we do have a choice, not to spend time, or too much effort, on or with NEGATIVE people.  You know the type all to well.....the sun may be shining and beautiful  today, but they are worried, complaining and anticipating the rain, snow, wind, or excessive heat, tomorrow.  Or, this meal really tastes good, BUT I'll probably pay for it later, because...........(fill in the blanks there can be a 100 reasons) that it will make them sick, or fat, or SOMETHING.

Now, don't get me wrong, as a Christian I am nice and polite and certainly not unkind....BUT I choose to surround myself and my life with POSITIVE people who always see the glass 1/2 full and not 1/2 empty.  Those wonderful -
"IRON SHARPENETH IRON; SO A MAN SHARPENETH THE COUNTENANCE OF HIS FRIEND." Proverbs 27:17
kind of people.  I praise God, because those are the type people I look for and seek out, HE has literally surrounded me with IRON, especially in my Spiritual walk and Christian journey of growth and study.

Yes, there is great power in words, and I realize that even my words here, as I type them, can have great power and impact on those who happen by and choose to read them.  I pray that the power of these words I have chosen to place here will have 3 effects:  (1) If you are one of those very negative people who always see the glass 1/2 empty, begin TODAY to change.  You know, it is never to late and we can all make changes if we really want and desire to do so;  (2) Truly watch who you choose to have as friends and surround yourself with positive, encouraging, challenging and strengthening people; and (3) Determine today, right now this minute, to be begin to have a positive, optimistic, encouraging, hopeful view of your day, your circumstances, your life.  

God has given ALL of us so much and we have so much to be THANKFUL and OPTIMISTIC about so let's bring glory and honor to HIM in all that we not only say, but even our thoughts. 

AND

Let's be a positive piece of IRON that sharpens all who we are blessed to encounter today.   

The Weapons of our Warfare.....

The longer I walk with the Lord the more amazed I am!!! 

We know:  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but migthy through God to the pulling down of strong holds. II Corinthians 10:4 but this was brought home to me yet again this week!!!


Here is the story:  I, through God's help and walking with Him for so many years, been able to build up a fairly good arsenal of these wonderful, not carnal, weapons.  Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Psalm 119:11 - This is the foundation, and the only foundation, for this wonderful arsenal He builds up in us.  But I'm sure you've noticed that God ALWAYS, if we have "eyes to see, and ears to hear", will use various ways of reinforcing just what we are going to need before a situation even comes up. Why should we be surprised!  He knows what is coming and He prepares us.  He loves us so!!!!


My WOW Woman Bible Study group started a new book that was recommended by one of the members.  It is Kerry Kirkwood,  The Power of Blessing.  We had only finished 2 chapters of this book that is teaching no matter what happens we are to speak blessings upon the circumstance and all the people concerned.  Kerry Kirkwood doesn't say this but I also thought about the Beatitudes which teach that we "turn the other cheek" and also it reinforced a strong foundation in my life that I don't have to "defend" myself because The Lord is my defender.


So, on Tuesday afternoon, just about 2 hours before WOW is to gather I got hit by a situation.  I instantly KNEW that it was nothing but an attack of my enemy, satan, and I just stood on The Word, pulled out my "not carnel" weapons and told satan I was on to him and he had met his foe in this Child of the King.  Then I spoke blessings over every piece of it.  By the time we had finished Chapter III, and the last WOW woman left this entire attack had been put to rest - BY GOD!!! 

HE is so faithful.  I love HIM so.

I would love to hear of some of your "learning" experiences of The Goodness of our GOD.

GOD SPEAKING by the Peach Tree

This peach tree in our back yard spoke to me loud and clear this morning and I wanted to share it.

This is a peach tree that we started from a peach seed, from a peach we ate while we were traveling in our 5th wheel some years ago.  We kept the seed and when we returned home we planted it in a pot and set it by our back garage door.  We didn't really water it per say, just what rain water it got and every once in awhile we'd notice it and add some much needed water. 

Low and behold it began to grow and about 6 years ago it had grown enough that Mickey planted the little, about 2 or 3 foot, tree here in the back yard.  Each year it has grown, and each year Mickey has pruned it.  We read where it takes a number of years for a fruit tree to begin to produce.  Two years ago it had it's first blossoms but, as quite often happens here in Oklahoma, we had a later frost and it got the blossoms.  Last year it blossomed and budded and it actually got a few peaches on it, but they were very small and hard and not edible.

Now, here it is this year, just beginning to blossom out and we have high hopes that we might actually get a peach or two this year.

How much we, in our Christian walk, are so like this little peach tree.  Thankfully, God, the patient, never giving up on us, GOD, keeps tenderly tending to us and watching as we grow.  As we wait for our first little peaches, from this tree that Mickey has nurtured and tended these years, God just said loud and clear to me this morning as I was praying, "You're just like that little peach tree and I'm waiting, and tending, and watching and giving you love and care just waiting to see a harvest of my fruit."

Lord, let me bear that fruit for you THIS SEASON in my life.

How Does God Speak To You?

GOD SPEAKING

Of course, we know that God speaks to us: through His Word and through The Holy Ghost.  Sometimes He speaks to us through others who have just the Right Word for us at the right time.  Sometimes He speaks to us just through the beauty that our eyes behold, or the touch of someone in our lives, or the words or melody of a song.  God speaks to us in a myriad of ways.

One of the main ways God seems to speak to me is through "things".  Just mundane, everyday things.

Such was the case in the middle of the night

with these 2 very ordinary things!!!

This little alarm clock sits on my night stand, as does this TV remote.  In the middle of the night when I wake up, which is quite often, I press the little button on the top, which lights up the face of the clock, and I can see what time it is. 

I fell asleep Thursday night with the TV on watching the post debate remarks and commentary on FOX.  When I awoke I, as always, picked up the little clock and pressed the top to see what time it was.  Which at that time was around midnight.  Then I proceeded to turn off the TV.  At least I "tried" to turn off the TV.  I must have hit that button at least 15 or 20 times.  By this time Mickey had woken up and said, half asleep, "use the black one."

Duh!!!!  I had been trying to turn the TV off using the wrong equipment and getting very frustrated at "IT" because "it" wasn't working!!!

God spoke to me loud and clear through this silly, in the middle of the night, incident.......How often Susan, do you keep trying to get a desired result but using the wrong means?  And on top of that mistake, then getting frustrated when it does not work

I just love my God so much because He is constantly speaking to me, even in the smallest ways......if I will but listen!!!!!

What ways do God use to speak to you?

'RECEIVING"

We began a new Bible Study last night at my friend, Sandra's.

I don't know how many of my readers are familiar with Kenneth E. Hagin and his teachings. He established Rhema Bible Teaching Center a number of years ago in Broken Arrow so his simple faith and teaching are well known here. He went to Heaven in 2003. Mickey & I were blessed to hear and see him on several occasions.


The main point of the chapter last night was "receiving" what God has made available to us.

As we were discussing this I brought up about how hard it is for us to receive, even in the natural. Since Mickey began The King's Kitchen and we contacted people, to begin receiving the hot meal we are delivering at noon every Tuesday, we were shocked to hear some comment that they didn't feel like they needed this or deserved it. It was hard for them to just accept, or "receive" this free gift that was being offered.

This morning I began thinking and meditating on our study last night and tying it back with the King's Kitchen and the reluctance of some to not want to "receive".
This truly is a manifestation in the natural of how we are in the spiritual. We all want to be, or at least appear to others to be, Oh so self-sufficient.

The basic core problem, as always, comes back to that "self", that "flesh", that wants to do it ourselves and not have to depend or rely on anyone else.....even GOD!!!!

That "self" that always falls into one of two ditches. The one: "I am so capable and able I don't need anyone or anything - even God". The other: "I'm so unworthy. I'm so nothing, no one can find me attractive or lovable or care about me...not even God."

I realized afresh and anew that we need to learn, and teach others to learn, that it truly is ALL about God. When we can and WILL get our eyes off ourselves and truly just put our eyes on HIM, He has already done it. It truly is "receiving"....whether that is Salvation, the Holy Spirit, Tongues, provision, walking in health, healing, the ability to accomplish and DO what He calls us to do!!!

The more I thought and meditated on this the plainer He made it to me. I just love the fact that our Lord is constantly teaching us, showing us, opening our "eyes" to see truth, and our "ears" to hear truth. I suddenly became consumed with now very much we need to truly learn to just "receive" from God. PERIOD.

I read this quote almost three years ago and I know I've shared it here before. “You are not self assured, you are God assured”. 7/27/07 – Francis Frangipane

When I saw that it had an impact on me and I've never forgotten it.

When our assurance and confidence it totally on God, and on Him alone, we will be able to "receive" everything He has for us.

I don't know about you, but I know I want to walk in the entire fullness that God wants me to have and that my Jesus has purchased, with His precious blood, for me. I don't want to get to the end of my life and hear Him say, "Why didn't you trust me? Why didn't you believe my Word?"

"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Mark 9:24b

A NEW YEAR -2010

I love a new year.

I love knowing that God is giving me 365 blank pages for this New Year. I am keenly aware of the challenge and responsibility that places on me to choose, each and every day, what I write on that page. I am aware that I cannot turn back the hands of time or have "do overs" for that day.

Most of what I write on that page is totally under my control with the choices and decisions I make. Events can and do happen some days, of which I have no control, BUT I have the choice as to how I react to those events; so in the final analysis I do the writing on my page.

I can also do a good job of messing up someone else's clean page, depending on these very choices I make. The privilege of these clean pages do come with responsibility not only for myself but for others. That is something I must be keenly aware of each and every minute for this page.

I have been blessed to have a lot of these blank pages over my long life and some of them I have messed up terribly, but Praise God I have also written good things on a lot of them. Knowing all this, I take very seriously these precious new 365 pages that I am getting for 2010.

TWO TREES

God so often speaks to me through nature and what I see with my eyes.

We have a Japanese Maple tree in our front yard. This fall it has had the most beautiful brilliant RED leaves. The sun would shine on them and it looked almost like it was on fire. I would have taken a picture to post but for the mislaid camera :o(

SUDDENLY we have had a very cold snap, along with winds, and the side of the tree away from the house was being stripped of it's leaves. I mentioned it to Mickey and within another 2 days the tree was TOTALLY bear of it's leaves.

This spoke to me of the Christian life that is ablaze with joy, hope and fulfillment that SUDDENLY, when faced with an unexpected turn of events, begins to lose that joy, hope and fulfillment and within a very short time is totally bereft of all the truth they have once known.

On the other hand, we have 2 large native Oak trees where the leaves very gradually turn into a non-descript yellowish color, then into a unappealing brown, BUT they cling with all they have, regardless of the winds that blow or the sudden cold snaps. These leaves, although not bearing the appearance of beauty, remain on the tree until next spring when the new buds of life push them off to make room for the new green growth.

This speaks to be of the Christian life that weathers the storms and clings to the TRUTH that summer will once again come and all the hope, joy & fulfilment will return anew and the tree will grow even taller and put down even deeper roots.

My prayer and hope is that I will develop to be the sturdy Oak tree that will always cling to TRUTH no matter what assails me.

*No, I am not going through a difficult period in my life!!!! I can just relate to times in my life when I have.

As a matter of fact, I have WONDERFUL news. Mickey just had his medical check-up and was given an excellent report. YEAH!!! They do not even want to see him for a year, although he will go in for blood work in 6 months. Praise God

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY #6 - The Tapestry of our lives

Spiritual Sunday again. Go here and visit the other blogs who are posting on this Sabbath Day.

I love the way, and ways, God chooses to speak to us.

One of the ways I have seen God speak to me is about the Tapestry of our lives. He has given me an insight of the beautiful tapestry that He, and He alone, is working out. That beautiful tapestry is not only my individual life but the bigger picture of other lives as well.

So many times, over the years, when I have looked at my life from my perspective all I have been able to see is the back side of that tapestry. What I see is a bunch of tangled threads, lots of knots, and seemly totally out of place colors and threads that are anything but beautiful. In fact it can be a real messy looking piece of work.

The reason I'm sharing these thoughts today is the realization of this principal brought home to me afresh and anew.

As many of you know, last October 9th my husband had open heart surgery in Oklahoma City. That morning our wonderful Pastor and his wife showed up at the hospital to pray and support me & our kids and to pray with Mickey before he went in for the surgery. That very mid-morning they had an interview with a young couple about a position in our church. That afternoon, the first people to visit Mickey, besides our family and our pastor, was another couple from our church. We were totally surprised with that visit. Four couples involved that day in this story.

Fast forward 10 months to see what God apparently had in mind that we had no idea of!! This young couple is dealing with a situation in their lives and pm Friday, August 21st we gave a helping hand by moving the young man into our 5th wheel as a place to live. Of course our Pastor and his wife are in this picture. On August 27th this couple who visited have offered him a job. 4 couples who on October 9th, 2008 had no idea what would be taking place bringing our lives together in August, 2009.

Where is this tale going with the 4 couples involved? I have no idea. But HE knows.

HE knew us all while we were yet in our mother's womb. HE knows the very hairs on our head. HE knows the number of our days. All we have to do is trust HIM and watch HIM work on our life tapestry. Sometimes, just sometimes, HE gives us a quick view of HIS wonderful work. We exclaim,

WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE!

RAINING STILL

Six days ago I wrote about the abundance of rain we are getting in our area and about connecting that with the Spiritual Rain that is beginning to fall and is so very needed.

Well, we've had more rain the past few days and this morning it was raining really hard on us as we took Aric to school

After lunch Mickey & I went out to our back yard to pull weeds, and dying flowers and plants from the beds. It is so easy to pull them up after a rain because the soil is loose and they pull up easily. We managed to clean up not only the one area we went out to do, but another!!

I always equate weeds and dying plant life to sin in our lives. As we were cleaning these beds I was impressed by the Lord that it is the same as with sin in our lives. When we have been soaked and saturated by the Rains of the Spirit and the Rains of Prayer the sins of our lives are so much easier to uproot. Not just to yank at and pull the tops off, but to dig deep and remove the very root and cause of our sin.

Since I also deal with some lower back issues and a left knee that can act up when I do a lot of bending I was made very mindful of that price, too. Just as sometimes it is painful to get to the root of sin it is a necessary and small price to pay for the removal and extraction.

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though yours sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18

Continue to rain on me Lord!

THE ABUNDANCE OF RAIN

This spring and summer has been wonderful in our Tulsa area!!!

We began the year with a record breaking 20 consecutive days of rain from April 18th to May 14th. This broke the previous 13 consecutive day records set in April, 1957 & May, 1935.

We had a MUCH cooler summer than usual, with the temperature reaching 100 just a couple of times.

The month of August has been the coolest and most pleasant that I can remember in my 45 years of living in this area. And, with more rain than usual. We have had thunderstorms the past two days during the night with more predicted over this Labor Day Week-end.

Usually by this time of the year everything is burned up and very brown and dry looking. This year everything is still beautiful, lush, rich green.

What really thrills me about this weather report is I believe, and I sense, that the physical rain is just a manifestation of the Super-Natural rain that God is pouring out on our area in the Spirit!!!! It truly is exciting how we see God moving super-naturally in our area.

I would love to hear from others of you as to what you feel God is doing in the area of the country, or world, that you live in. Is this broader than just our buckle of the Bible Belt here in Oklahoma?

His word promises us the early and the latter rains, and I am so blessed to see this.

"Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rains."

James 5:7

Addendum: It is now 9:01 and the rain is pelting down on us AGAIN. Come Lord Jesus, COME!!!!

SOAKING IN THE WORD OF GOD

I just want to post today about being so blessed to be able and have the opportunity to soak in God's word and teaching.



Mickey & I have for years had our own devotional time each and every morning. We are reading out of two devotional books, and we read through the Bible (we read completely through various versions and then start another version) We are currently reading The Amplified Bible and are in Amos. Then we have prayer time.



It amazes me how God will so often speak directly to us. Saturday we read: "He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm." I Chronicles 16:21-22 Now even though God was speaking here to the Israelites we know The New Testament Lies Hidden in the Old Testament and we know that we have now been made the kings and priests of God: "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father:" Revelation 1:6a , we know we can claim that verse as our very own. As we are watching all that is going on around us in our world today what a comfort that HE SUFFERED (or permitted) NO MAN TO DO US WRONG. Hallelujah



Of course every Sunday morning and evening and Wednesday evening we get such wonderful and sound teaching from our Pastor. We always leave the services full and blessed with the teaching.



This past Sunday evening we had a Messianic Jew, Douglas Carmel, perform a Jewish Seder for us. This is the third time Mickey & I have been blessed to attend one of these meals. It is so wonderful to know that every part of the Jewish Passover meal represents our Lord Jesus Christ. We had invited our friends, Don & Barbara, to attended with us. There were about 200 of us who participated. I forgot to take my camera :o(



I shared with you that back in January one of the woman at my church started a home Bible study every Monday morning at 11. We have now been meeting for 11 weeks and it just gets better and better. We started out with just 3 of us and now there are 11 of us who attend. We have been listening to a tape series by Per*ry St*one on The Rapture. It is just awesome. Then we always have discussion and a prayer time. It is a wonderful time.



I've also brought 2 of this 4 tape series home and Mickey & I have listened to them together. They are that good. If you ever get a chance to view or buy them be sure to do so.

Then two weeks ago my new friend, Sandra, started a Tuesday evening Bible Study in her home. Sandra lives 26 miles from us and I told her it was too far for me to come on a regular basis but I'd come the first week to support her. Well, after the first meeting I came home and told Mickey, "I don't care if it is 52 miles round trip and at night.....I'm going every week." Sandra is a wonderful teacher. The first week she taught on "The Third Day". Last week she taught about "God speaking the world into existence" and followed that theme through the entire Bible into the New Testament. I have no idea what she'll be teaching on tonight but I know it will be good. I can't wait!!!

Thank you Lord that I am privileged to be saturated by your Word and teaching.

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I posted on Hands & Hearts.....for HIM frugal blog about my clothesline. I hope you'll drop by here and visit.

THERE IS A SEASON

I was recently sharing with a blog friend how very grateful I was that for a number of years now Mickey & I have begun each day spending 1 1/2 hours in Bible study and prayer time together. She then asked me what I did when I had small children. I thought it was a very thought provoking question. One you don't stop to think about until someone asks you!!! So I've been pondering it the last few days and decided to blog on the subject and my walk with God.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

This is my story and how God has been at work in my life these many years.

We were a family that always attended church. I have worked most of my life since I was 19 up until about 8 years ago. I have had some short periods of not working off and on during that time. One of the longest was the 2 years I did not work after our first son was born.

So when asked by this friend what I did about Bible reading and prayer time when my children were young I had to come to the sad realization that as a family we did not do much. We always attended all church services, and we always said grace at the table, still do. We always said the little night time prayers with the children and taught them to pray them. We talked a lot about our beliefs and stressed them to the children. But as far as family devotions we never did that......I am ashamed and sorry to say this....but it's the truth.

I was saved at the age of 18, on September 24, 1956. My Christian growth has been slow, but progressive. Looking back over the years I can see God's hand so clearly. There are several things the Lord has used primarily in this.

First, is the written word, both God's and others. I have always been an avid reader. Right after I was saved a woman at the Church hand me the complete and unabridged edition of THE CHRISTIAN'S SECRET OF A HAPPY LIFE by Hannah Whitall Smith. Hannah was a Quaker and her book was first published in 1870. The simplicity of Hannah's writing as she talks about our LOVING FATHER GOD and the fact I had such a wonderful relationship with my earthly father was used greatly from the beginning for me to grasp and plant deep in my heart how much I was loved and cared for by God. It is a basic truth that has never left me, even in my darkest moments and trials.

Contrary to some people God has seen fit to move us from church to church and from denomination to denomination. In doing so I have been blessed with some wonderful pastors and teaching. I was saved in a small Independent Baptist Church. After Mickey & I met and married in 1958 we continued there and our two closest friends also began attending with us. On Sunday night AFTER church the 8 of us (Pastor Charlie and his wife, Jean, my forever friend Joan and her husband, my newly made friend, who would also become a forever friend, Bev and her husband, and Mickey & I) would gather around our kitchen table and discuss and study the Bible. . Charlie was aware we were 6 young adults who were eager to follow God and learn all we could. He truly discipled us!!!

Being a reader it was easy for me to quickly develop reading the Bible regularly. I was also devouring one religious book after another. I seldom read anything else and quite often had 2 or 3 books going at the same time. This habit has continued all these years. I have learned much and been blessed much in reading.

After moving to Tulsa in 1964 I discovered Christian radio and learned a great deal by listening to various preachers and teachers. One 1/2 hour teaching after another 1/2 hour teaching.

Over the years we have attended the following churches: Independent Baptist, Southern Baptist, Bible, Vineyard, 3 non-denominational, and currently Assembly of God. I was employed at Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, in the accounting department, for 3 years. At that time they had Chapel Services every Friday and that was my first exposure to Pentecostal. We were blessed to attend the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Florida twice in 1999. God has used these various avenues to stretch us, to grow us and to give me a view of the true Body of Christ and Universal Church that I address often.

In 1977 we decided to put our two sons in private christian schools which were connected to a Bible Church. We transferred our church membership there. This was a wonderful move for us. The pastor was a great bible teacher and they promoted Bible Memory Association. I immediately signed up and completed 3 courses of Bible Memory work. So after being a faithful Christian, church goer, Bible reader, and religious book reader the Word of God suddenly became alive to me. I fell in love with the WORD. I have never lost that love and excitement about the Word of God and it has grown consistently throughout these years.

In 1984 our family began to face very serious family problems which ended up affecting our marriage of 25 years. It was the worst period of my life and it was only my strong faith in God and his WORD and truths that helped me stay and fight for my marriage. At this time I discovered TBN and other religious broadcasting which I listened to & absorbed hour after hour. It was also the support of my two close Christian forever friends who helped me stay the course and win the battle.

Although faithful in the Word and "jiding the word in my heart that I might not sin against him" I suddenly realized although I prayed, and prayed a lot, I didn't know the first thing about prayer or how to pray. I began to ask God to show me and teach me about praying as He prayed and wanted us to pray. I began reading every book I could on prayer and seeking His face about it. Slowly the prayer world began to open up to me. Getting to know Jesus on a one-to-one personal level. Not only as Savior, and then Lord, but as Friend!!!

At this same time we started attending a Vineyard church. It was Vineyard that exposed and showed us about true worship of God through song. It was during our years at Vineyard that we participated and learned about Cell Groups. It was at Vineyard that the second most important event in my walk with Jesus occurred when I was filled with the Holy Spirit on July 20, 1986. Valuable experiences that grew me and stretched me yet more.

My prayer life was increasing as God began to answer my prayer. You know "He gives us the desires of our heart." When we "Seek Him with your whole heart you shall find Him."

These last years, since moving to Coweta in 1998, we have attended non-denominational churches and now The Assembly of God. It was in 2000 that the second most important book of my Christian walk came to my hands. ANDREW MURRAY ON PRAYER. If you are a regular reader you know I have mentioned this book over and over again.

In 2004 after fasting for 12 days in the Arizona desert His word to us was Colossians 4: 5 & 6 - "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how we ought to answer every man." We parked the RV in May 2004 and we have been endeavoring to redeem the time as we have been instructed by His WORD.

I've gone into a lot more than just what we did when our children were young, but I felt it was important to share with you how God has worked and is working in my life..

2008 has been another pivotal year for us. On January 1st our Church theme for the year was "I WANT MORE" of God. As we have pressed into that God has moved us into the middle of what He is doing and speaking, on a world-wide level, now to THE CHURCH "Pray without ceasing". So we truly are seeking to "Redeem the time & pray without ceasing."

Please join me in both!