A Thought for Today!

Hmmm!

2011-12-15T19:47:00.003-07:00

Hmmm. The future looks interesting. A little scary, but VERY INTERESTING!! Kind of like a whole new adventure!! Just what I needed to break out of my slump/funk! What do You have in store for me, Lord? Where are You taking me? Please show me and lead me, don't let me misstep.

Stay tuned for updates!!!

I wish you all a VERY, MERRY Christmas!!!!

HOLD ON!!!

2011-12-13T15:16:00.004-07:00

I will never leave you norforsake you

I have engraved you on the palms ofMy hands

You are Mine

Though your mother and father mayreject you, I NEVER will

I have known you for before youwere in your mother’s womb

I HAVE seen your tears

I know your fears and yourfrustrations

I know the rejection you feel

Yet, I AM here! I have NOT abandoned you! Do not abandon Me!!!

Do not give up. Though a thousand fall at your side, still Iwill protect and keep you.

You are the apple of My eye

Do NOT give up, do NOT listen tothe lies and accusations

Do NOT give in to the call of death

I AM here, I love you with aneverlasting love, and I will NEVER forsake you!!!! I CAN never forsake you. I cannot lie and I have promised!!!

Hold on, hold on, keep your peace,be still, do not defend, do not attack, do not argue, do not discuss, keep yourpeace and see what I am going to do.

WAHM Articles - Why You Need A Prayer Journal

2011-09-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

WAHM Articles - Why You Need A Prayer Journal

Expectations!

2011-08-01T11:54:00.002-07:00

Luke 10:38-40

On His journey, Jesus and His disciples entered Bethany, and they were received/welcomed into Martha's house. Notice "Martha's house." Martha received them into her house. Interesting! Did Martha know of Jesus first, or was she the dominant member of the family?

She has a sister, Mary. I am guessing that Martha is the oldest, and that Mary and Lazarus depended on her. By the way, "Martha" and "Mary" are both from the same root meaning "rebellion." Interesting.

When they entered and sat down, it would be all the men. It would be expected that all the women would be involved in preparing the food and serving. However, Mary sits down at Jesus' feet, at the place of a disciple. She is there to listen to His word. Very unusual in that culture, and I think everyone would have been taking note of this culturally unacceptable behavior.

Martha, on the other hand, is totally distracted (the word means "to drag around" or "to draw away"). She is overwhelmed and frazzled, wanting to serve above and beyond what is expected, and I wonder if part of her distraction had to do with her sister's lack of propriety and unwillingness to help. I would guess this isn't the first time Mary was off thinking , dreaming, and exploring while Martha kept things going. I believe Martha's frustration has been building for some time.

It so often happens that two natures so different from one another lead to such frustration. We do not understand why others do not see things as we do. For Martha, this was her great opportunity to pour out her love and respect for Jesus in service, showing Him every honor, and as she runs about fussing over this and that, she finds her sister Mary sitting with the men, listening. Perhaps she believed this would be her chance to have Jesus, One so very respected and obviously adored by Mary, set Mary straight. If He should correct Mary's behavior, it might wake the girl up to her responsibilities.

And, there almost seems to be a hint of rebuke for Jesus. "Don't You care?" "Haven't You noticed how unfair this all is?" How does He sit there and not see my hard work? Doesn't He notice that my sister is being lazy and thoughtless? Doesn't He care that I am working so hard while she sits dreaming at His feet?

But Jesus answers her by speaking to who she is. He says she is worried and she is overwhelmed by many things. This is a woman who takes on responsibility and worries over every detail. She isn't only concerned with her own cares and responsibilities, she takes on everyone else's, and she cannot understand why everyone is not as concerned about all these things as she is. She sees what needs to be done and does it better than anyone else. "The hostess with the mostest!" This is who she has become.

Jesus tells her that only one thing is required, only one thing is her duty. (My yoke is easy, My burden is light.) He goes on to say that Mary has chosen the best part, which would not be taken from her.

Jesus appears to be using the meal as the illustration. She hustles to and fro, providing a feast for her guests, so many dishes, so many choices. It is to be a memorable feast. But Jesus says that only one dish was needed. He didn't ask her for a feast, just a simple meal. Then He says that Mary has chosen the "best part", the best dish at the table, Jesus and His word. And she will not be denied.

It is so often the way, our different temperaments and view points on life come between us. One is so very focused on serving. Their love and life are expressed in their responsible service and busy lives. They may take onto themselves the responsibilities of others when things are not done to their standards, which leads to frustration. They believe in going beyond the expected, and they cannot understand how others do not hare their sense of duty and urgency. By trying to compensate for what they consider to be the failure of others, they often become overwhelmed, a little self-righteous, and sometimes bitter.

On the other hand, you have those who live their lives focused on ideas, thoughts, truths, and revelations. They love and live in the world of communication and information. Often, they fail to recognize the importance of physical order and expectations of those around them. They believe that seeing, understanding, and sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings is what is really important, and they do not understand how others cannot share their sense of wonder and curiosity. They are sometimes mystified by the frustrations and expectations of others, and may begin to feel that there is something wrong with them, that they are somehow flawed.

Can you imagine the household Jesus just walked into? The frustrations and the hurt experienced by these two women as their two very different natures drove them apart? Yet, I believe that His words were meant to heal the woundedness of each of these women. On the one hand, He affirmed Mary's desire for closeness, for understanding, for intimacy. He encouraged her to recognize that her choices in life, though so often misunderstood, were the very best choices for her!

But I think Jesus also ministered to Martha in this by helping her to realize that her sense of expectations and responsibilities had grown all out of proportion. She had taken too much onto her own shoulders. I believe He was helping her to realize that her perfectionism and pride in being "the best," were killing her and destroying her relationships. He reminded her that service doesn't have to be overwhelming. God doesn't call us to overwork and frustration. If that is our experience, we are missing the point. Service should be simple and a joy-filled expression of obedience. When we begin taking on the responsibilities of others and comparing ourselves to one another, we can only run ourselves ragged and lose sight of the love we once served with.

Consider:
How do you believe Martha felt when Jesus came into her home? Where was her focus and what were her motivations?

What do you see as Martha's strengths and weaknesses?

How do you think Mary felt when Jesus came into her home? Where was her focus and what were her motivations?

What do you see as Mary's strengths and weaknesses?

How do you think Jesus handled the situation? What can we learn from His response and His answer?

Do you relate more to Martha or Mary? How do you see the Marthas/Marys in your own home, family, and friends? What do you think Jesus would say to you?

How do you think Mary felt when Martha spoke to Jesus? Do you let the expectations of others shame you or pull you away from what is truly important in your life? Do you take up ministry or service that God has not called you to in order to satisfy the expectations of others?

Did you ever feel that God was not seeing your situation? Did you ever feel that you were overwhelmed and struggling while others had things so easy, and yet God did not seem to know or care about your situation? Has God answered your questions, how? If not, how do you think He might answer your questions?

Have you ever been in such a situation where you felt you were being called out because you didn't live up to someone else's expectations? How did you feel? How would you have felt if Jesus vindicated you in that situation?

How do you think Martha and Mary responded to Jesus' words? Do you believe that this made any difference in their home, or in each of their lives? How can you summarize what each of them may have learned through this?

Do you want a life that is more than ordinary?

2011-06-27T13:36:00.002-07:00

Do you want a life that is more than ordinary?

I have been wanting to post something, but I seem to have trouble finding time, time free of distractions when I can think clearly. I came across a quote by Oswald Chambers a few days ago that really started me thinking:

Why aren't you a saint? It is either that you do not want to be a saint or that you do not believe that God can make you into one.

My initial thought was that I don't believe that God can make me into a "saint". I guess experience has shown me that I fail time after time and fall so far short of what a saint ought to be. What should a saint be? Not necessarily a perfect person, but rather one who is wholeheartedly set on following the Lord, day by day, moment by moment seeking to be obedient and God-centered in all that they do. A person who praises and obeys God in all things.

I am so inconsistent, just like water, first going this way and then that. I believe God is able in the abstract sense, but based on my experience of my failures, faithlessness, and inconsistency, I really struggle to believe that I can be changed. I want God's best for my life, to be molded into the image of Christ. But I am so unwilling to put forth consistent effort. I am so unwilling to be disciplined.

My flesh is so strong and my spirit is so weak and careless. In all honesty, I am struggling to believe that God can do anything with me.

Interestingly, I reread the same quote the following day, and totally went a different direction. Rather than focusing on God's ability to change me in a saint and my belief as to whether He can, I was caught by the phrase "that you do not want to be a saint." And I wondered, do I want to be a saint, truly? I say I do, I pray to be, but as I examined my heart, I wondered whether I truly want that.

A few days before I had thought about the differences between following the flesh and following the Spirit. There is some relationship between the two ideas at least in my mind. To follow the Spirit would be so very different from the life I currently lead, it would be the essence of being a saint.

Do I want to be a saint? Well, initially, the thought of changing my life so completely is scary. Such a change of life is almost like becoming a totally different person. But then there is something more to this than just the fear. It may be related to my mother's claim that she wants to be an "indian" rather than a "chief." The sense that it is somehow more virtuous to be just one of the crowd and to not try to be a leader or to reach for more in life, just being content with a life of mediocrity.

I just want to this by saying that part of this is the sense that I don't want others to think I'm something that I am not, that I'm better than I really am. And, at the same time, I don't want to put any barrier between myself and others, I don't want others to think that I am at all any better than they are or, worse, that I believe I am.

It seems that there is something inside my heart (and maybe in yours) that wants to remain just one of the crowd, to just reach for the "average" existence.

Isn't that strange and sad? While there is this longing in me to be all out for Christ, to be passionate and to encourage others into a passionate relationship with Him, yet I am fighting to fit in and not look as though I "think" I'm better than anyone else. Because of the fear of what others think, I try to remain one of the crowd, to be anonymous and unnoticed.

UGH! It is so contradictory! (Isn't that the nature of man?)

So I believe that I see that this a part of the battle between the spirit and the flesh. It isn't just a battle for physical comfort and desires, there is also a soulish element here in the desires for safety, acceptance, recognition, etc.

Along with cravings and habits, I need to give up my image of who I am and should be. If I accept the idea that I am and should be a nobody, a nothing, that I should be invisible and unnoticed, than my life will be of very little meaning.

The really sad part in all of this is that if we continue to believe these lies, the lies that say it is better to be average, mediocre, to not stick out, to be one of the crowd, we cease to strive for excellence. We sit safely in our commonness and the world loses out on what we could have been, we lose out on who we could have been, God's plan and purpose for our lives is lost. We miss out on a life that is more than ordinary!

We (I) need to overcome the fear, expectations, images, comfort-zones, and lies that keep us hiding and retreating from God's will for us. We need to overcome the fear of being 'a saint.' And there is at least one example in Scripture that I can look to. Moses fought against God's will for his life. Perhaps he even sabotaged himself and his leadership by his reluctance to step out of the crowd to lead.

And, in Christ Jesus, we have an example of One who led others and yet remained open, accepting, and welcoming even with the lowliest child. We can take encouragement that it is possible.

So I encourage each of you even as I try to encourage myself, let's press on for the high-calling of God in Christ Jesus to reach for all that He has for us and for all that He is calling us to be. Let us not be deceived into thinking that we have nothing to give. In Christ Jesus we have so much to give and to do, let's not settle for the mediocrity of the world nor be crippled by the fears of man. Let's reach out for the life that is MORE THAN ORDINARY.

Love,
Ev

RE: The Introverted Leader

2011-05-16T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hi! I recently read an article that I thought was excellent. It is on the subject of being an introvert, specifically a Christian leader who is an introvert. It is such a wonderful article that I wanted to share it with you. The comments after the article are particularly interesting as you hear introverts feeling as though they have been validated.

Isn't funny how we seem to think that the world has only one right sort of person, and either we have something wrong with us or someone else has something wrong with them.

I thought this was an especially good article and thought that it might go a long way to helping us all appreciate our differences. BTW, if you haven't guessed, I am an introvert, and I know that I have had times in the past that others have misread my behavior as proud or disinterested simply because I am an introvert.

Anyway, enjoy:
http://www.thomrainer.com/2011/05/the-introverted-leader.php

Love,
Ev

Kitty Flight - And now for a little humor!

2011-05-06T21:09:00.001-07:00

In the same issue of the newsletter, I had also included the following story, which I think you will enjoy. I don't remember where I got it, but I think that I was careful to only use a non-copyrighted source. I did not write this. Enjoy:

A pastor had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard but then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and drove away so that the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten. He did all this, checking his progress in the car frequently, then figured if he went just a little further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved a little further forward ... the rope broke. The tree went "boing," and the kitten instantly sailed through the air out of sight.

The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten. So he prayed. "Lord, I just commit this kitten to Your keeping," and went on about his business. A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members.

He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. Now this woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?" She replied. "You won't believe this," and told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the mom finally told her little girl, "Well, if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it."

She told the pastor, "I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws spread out, and landed right in front of her."

Have a wonderful weekend.

Love,
Ev

Passionate Peter

2011-05-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

OK, just came across a copy of the newsletter I created for Calvary Chapel in Lockport, IL, seven years ago. There is an article that I wrote and I thought I would share it with you.

In Luke 22:31-34, 55-62, we read the well-known story of Peter and his denial of Christ after he had declared that he would go with Jesus even unto death. I have often thought how rash and how impetuous Peter was. He wanted to walk on the water, he wanted to build the booths for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, and he was ready to drink of the cup that Jesus was to drink.

Nevertheless, I have come to see more to Peter. I believe that he truly did want to stand and to follow Jesus to death, but that his flesh was weak. "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death."

The interesting thing is that Jesus knew how quickly Peter's flesh would take over. He knew that Peter would deny Him and even prepared him by telling him ahead of time.

When I look at Peter, I remember that although he often failed, he also was the one who most often stepped out, the one who wanted to follow, to believe completely! He made mistakes, he was weak, yet he was the one the Lord trusted to rally the others. He was the one who ran to the tomb, who swam to the shore, who was told to "Feed My sheep!"

Somehow Jesus saw something in Peter that we might miss. The problem with this is that we might also miss what it is He sees in us. We can get to the place of wanting to give up (And, oh boy, that is where I am right now) and to go off on our own because we see ourselves falling short where we expected we could stand.

The interesting thing is that Jesus knew Peter would deny Him and yet He still chose him to lead and to minister. When Peter gave up on himself, Jesus stood by him and restored him with love and gentleness.

Jesus knows all about you (and me). He has known since the beginning of time each time you would fall short of your desires to love and to serve Him. He is not disappointed, not surprised. He has chosen you and He will not give up on you.

Can't tell you how much I needed to hear that, to be reminded. I seem to lead such and up and down existence. One day I am on fire for God, so wrapped up in the wonder of Him and in His great love. The next day I am in a mud puddle of self-pity and distraction. UGH!! I hate this roller-coaster existence. But through it all I can remember that Jesus doesn't give up on me, He doesn't turn His back and walk away shaking His head in disappointment. He is still FOR ME.

Praise God for the wonder that He is!!! I hope this blesses you as it did me.

Love,
Ev

Mary

2011-04-06T15:52:00.001-07:00

My mind has been really taken up with the idea of God being our focus and our desire! A few weeks ago I spent some time with the Lord with this on my mind. I guess sometimes I think that we all spend so much time with God focused on our needs, on getting through with our reading or study for the day, or on our thoughts and feelings that we barely recognize God Himself. So, anyway, as I began praying, I asked God if He had anything that He wanted to say to me.

The days are coming and swiftly when there will no longer be a woman who sits alone to seek My face.

Well, this really stopped me, and I didn't know what that meant. I mean, surely as long as God's people remain in the world there will be those who see His face and long to hear His voice.

So few Marys, so many Marthas. They are trading in the glory of the Lord for their own glory.

Of course, with my mind where it had been, seeking God as the focus of our desires, I worried that these words were mere echoes of my own heart and not truly from the Lord. And they may have been. But I am sharing them with you in case they may speak to your heart as they did to mine. As I prayed to recognize the truth, I recommend you do the same.

As I thought on those words, I responded that even though I tend to have more of a Mary-spirit, my desire being to seek Him for Himself, I still get too caught up in other things, even in good, spiritual, godly things. Even when I take the time to see Him, I usually spend most of my time in studying the word and writing my thoughts and insights. In realizing this I felt such conviction for allowing ANYTHING to come before Him. It occurred to me that I let just about everything in my life come before Him.

I confessed my idolatry and my carelessness, asking God to forgive me for allowing everything to push Him out. For even allowing my Bible study to push Him to the side.

But you know, as I thought about it, even if I were to push all of the world out of my life, there would still be so much of the 'good' that I 'ought' to be doing as a Christian. Sometimes it just seems so overwhelming. Just imagine trying to pray daily for all the needs and the situations in your life, your family and friends needs, the crises of the world, the unsaved, etc. Sometimes it seems as though you could spend hours before the Lord interceding for all the needs, and still not cover it all.

One Thing ...

I heard that phrase in my heart and it reminded me that Jesus said to Martha in regards to Mary, "Only one thing is necessary." He continued, "Mary has chosen the best part." So my heart cried out, "Lord, please help me to choose the best part!"

And I cried out to the Lord that there would NEVER be a time when there is no one who will sit at His feet and seek Him for Himself! I asked Him to call forth Marys to seek His face, to set aside the things of this world together with the 'good' things of the faith. That He would draw out those who will pour out their lives in devotion rather than service alone, or rather that they would pour out their lives in service that flows from their devotion and passion for Him and His glory.

It can be so difficult to understand and then to help others to understand the value of the Marys. They seem so self-centered, even as Martha believed, wanting only to enjoy His presence. Churches and pastors do not want Marys. They prefer Marthas, believing there is so much work and ministry to be done. Books have been written, sermons preached, groups formed, all to get God's people busy and involved in ministry.

Oh, I know, and I firmly believe that God has given the church the mandate to "go and make disciples." There is work to be done! There is service to be rendered. And, in truth, there are SO MANY who do not serve and do not seek, many who are content to just show up on Sunday. I long to see those who are just visiting on Sundays desiring Him, hungering for His Word, thirsting for His face, and finding their place in serving Him. I LONG to see the church drinking deeply from His presence and His beauty and then going forth in that passion to fill the world with the knowledge of Him and His glory.

And I felt the Lord saying:

Encourage the Marthas. Bring them to My feet. Bid them to be refreshed and renewed in My presence.

Draw out the Marys. Give them courage to SIT, courage to stand against the pressure to do and to serve. Remind them that they have chosen the best part, they must not let it be taken from them.

And, again, I do not believe that this is a mandate from the Lord for us to be idle. Rather it is His call for us to love Him first and foremost with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. He is calling us to seek Him first, to fill our hearts and lives fully with His presence, and then to go forth from that filling charged and ready to give our lives to bring all glory and honor to His Name! It is service that comes from a heart overflowing with love for Him and His love for the world. It stands in stark contrast to being "cumbered about much serving." It may be an answer to the burnout that many experience as they go about doing so much in their own strength.

Love,
Ev

The One Thing that is our First Love!

Selfish??

2011-04-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is so hard to figure things out. You feel if you go one way, you're selfish. But if you go the other way, you are losing your grip on the most important thing in the world.

Wow, if I didn't know what I was talking about, I would read those words with amazement at my self-centeredness. I guess the way that I have phrased it makes it sound as though I am the most important thing is the world. NOT what I am talking about at all!

The study "God is the Gospel" that I am involved in right now is so on-track with my own personal viewpoint that it just makes my heart want to sing and dance, and yet it keeps calling me in deeper and deeper. It is exactly where I want to go!

So, in my prayer this morning, I was just expressing to God my longing for more of HIM! In our most recent DVD portion of the study, John Piper said that to pleasing God or doing good is ANYTHING that we do as an expression of our love for Him. EVERYTHING that flows from our love and satisfaction in HIM is a good work!

I try to do that, I really do, but boy does life come crashing in as soon as I turn away from that place of prayer. I so quickly forget my heart's desire to love Him in everything I do, and I go back to doing things in my own strength and from my own will. God seems to be no where in the mix.

I have read and tried to follow Brother Lawrence's path of "Practicing the Presence" of God, living every moment of the day in the experience of His presence in every moment, every action do unto Him. But as I said, I am so quickly and easily distracted. I want to "pray without ceasing," but again, I barely get an amen into my days.

Remember, I tell myself, I am not to be molded into anyone else's image, not Brother Lawrence's, not my pastor's, not any one of those saints whose lives are such an example of devotion. I remind myself not to be condemned by the "spirituality" and the discipline of others. But at the same time, I long for God to draw me near so that I might "behold His beauty" as much as possible and hear His voice whenever He wants to speak to me.

This morning, I felt God speak to my heart: "Go to the mountains." And I wondered what that meant. I did remember that Jesus often went up on the mountains to be alone with His Father.

Then I heard Him say, "Go to the mountains, pass through the valleys. I am there! Hold tight to what you have and cry out for more!"

Lord, I am crying out for more of You in me!

But as I said, then I think, perhaps I am being selfish! Is this longing for more of Him in my life selfishness? Should I be more concerned with the needs of others? Should I stop wanting more and be giving more? Yet, is there anything greater than HIM in our lives? NO! And I want more of Him! Yes, I am perhaps selfish, but the alternative seems so bleak.

Love,
Ev

The One Thing that is our First Love!

On my mind this evening ...

2011-04-04T23:15:00.000-07:00

Hi! I really did intend to start writing more often. AND I have had LOTS on my mind that I have wanted to write about. But I have been so stressed with work and just have not found the time to actually get it typed up for you. UGH!! I am so stressed with work. On top of that, because of work I have "trigger thumb"! Akin to "trigger finger", but it is my thumb that is affected. It's basically tendonitis in the thumb. Don't worry, I have an appointment with an orthopaedic doctor to have it looked at. On top of that, because of the extra time sitting at the computer, I am getting stiffer and stiffer. Headaches are becoming a daily aggravation.

All this to say, I am stressed out with work! And to say that I haven't forgotten you, just really being pushed with work. I stayed up to 4:00 am last night trying to get my latest dataset completed. It is still not done. UGH.

One really neat thing that I will share with you. When my son, Eyad, visited us in March, he drove down from Chicago in a car he bought to use while he was visiting. Because he believes that he will be able to visit more often on his new job, he wants to have a car here to use. The car is a silver Ford Mustang convertable!! Leather seats, and lots of extras. Anyway, he returned to Jordan a week or so ago and is letting us drive his car while he's gone. Woo Hoo!! It is the coolest thing driving with the top down! I tell you, it makes me feel 20 years younger!!

I think I told you that I am in a study right now that I absolutely love!! As I said, lots of good stuff to share with you, and I am hoping to get a little breather here soon (keep saying that, but it hasn't happened yet).

Just a little, since I'm sitting here anyway. It is only 11:00 pm.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:8-11

When I read this as part of my study, it made me think of my son, Eyad. Eyad has the scientific and mathmatical sort of mind (I'm all language and history). He loves talking, reading, and thinking about physics. All of it goes right over my head!

When God speaks even to the smartest of us, it is like Einstein discussing quantum physics with a 2-year-old. We are so limited, even the wisest and smartest of us, in what we know and what we can deduce. Our experience is limited to time. God inhabits eternity; He created time. Such a God is so far beyond us in knowledge, wisdom, understanding, justice, righteousness, and truth, that we cannot even fathom the elementary things of His Word. (Yet, with the Holy Spirit, we are able to understand more than we can in our own limited resource.)

I imagine it is something like the times Eyad has tried to talk to me about the concept of time, and trying to imagine an eternity outside of time. Can you wrap your mind around it? How can you say anything like "Tomorrow, I'm going to go to the beach," if there is no time? What is that like? It boggles my mind! Makes me break out in a sweat just to think of it.

But then the rest of that Scripture. God's words are POWERFUL! He SPOKE the universe (including time) into existence! And I think it is so cool to realize that any time we spend in God's Word, any time we spend listening to His voice, it is not wasted time. We may not immediately see the benefit (just as a farmer will not see the harvest with the first rain), but every little drop will have an effect. Every word and syllable that God has ever said is out there, right now bringing forth life, restoration, healing, peace, and joy!

Listen for His voice, read His Word, let the power of His words have His way in your life. Drink them up, soak them up, and those words will satisfy and produce abundance of joy and life!

Love,
Ev

The One Thing that is our First Love!

A Message for Moms

2011-03-27T14:17:00.002-07:00

"A good mother thinks about her children day and night, even when they are grown, A good mother loves her children in a way that they will never understand. A mom will be there for her children when no one else will. A mom would take a bullet, stand in front of a train, and ask god to take her instead of her child. If you have a child or children that you love as much as i love mine, post this" (A recent Facebook posting)

I am a mom whose sons are grown men. I love them so very much, and I confess that I was not always the mom I should have been. Looking back now I see that so many of the things that upset me and set me off were really nothing of any importance. I let my frustrations with work, with situations, and with external relationships barge into my relationship with my family way too often. You know, I loved my sons, but far too often I was so selfish about my own feelings and frustrations that I exploded on them because they were there, and I felt that they should know what I needed without my having to ask for it.

Even though I believe that I have a wonderful, loving relationship with my sons, I regret that so much of my time with them as they were growing up was spent in me meeting my own goals and plans and desires. All those goals and plans and desires mean so little to me now, and I wish so much that I could have the time back to spend loving on them, playing with them, laughing and enjoying life with them. But the time is gone, they are grown and have their own lives now.

All this just to remind all you moms out there that still have children at home, they are the MOST IMPORTANT people in your life (right after God and your husband). Let the dishes go, let studies and groups pass you by, allow the floor to be filled with toys now and then. I promise you, one day you will wish that you could sit on the floor playing cars or legos with those grown sons. You will wish that you could have a tea party with your baby girl.

Don't allow ANYTHING to become more important to you than they are, not even ministry or service for God. Your children and your husband ARE your ministry. Notice I said your children and your husband. I did not say your house. Your house will not feel the sting of being overlooked or ignored. Your house will not take it to heart if you are upset that it isn't always on top of things as it should be.

Please hear me, I am not saying that you should let your house become an unhealthy and unsafe pigsty. Nor am I saying that you should have no time to yourself and no time to enjoy your favorite things. But as a mom who has had to let her sons go onto their own adult lives, I am so encouraging you to relax, enjoy their short time in your life. I am encouraging you to let the dishes wait until you have spent some time tickling and laughing with them.

One other thing I will share from the message at church this morning. Our children learn what they see at home. If you are frustrated and impatient and upset all the time, they will be too. If you have little time for them, they will soon have little interest or time for you. Remember the popular song, "The Cat's in the Cradle?"

Please, relax, take a breath. Really look into the eyes of your children. The thing they long for more than any high-priced gadgets or any theme parks is you. They want your time, they want your attention, they want to know they are more important to you than the clean floor, the new drapes, the chat you are having with your BFF (can't believe I am actually using those letters).

Just saying . . .

Love,
Ev

The One Thing that is our First Love

The Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ!

2011-03-22T20:52:00.004-07:00

If God is not treasured as the ultimate gift of the gospel, none of His gifts will be gospel, good news. And if God is treasured as the supremely valuable gift of the gospel, then all the other lesser gifts will be enjoyed as well.

The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God.

Both of these quotes are from John Piper's book, God is the Gospel, which I mentioned in my previous 'thought.' And this is where I am heading. This is where I am going to take you as I work though these thoughts and ideas. The goal is God, Himself, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. The goal is HIM!

I must tell you that ever since I posted my previous thoughts, I have been fighting a battle in my mind. And I think you probably know how the battle was going just based on my parenthetical statements throughout the post. "Who do you think you are?" "What makes you think anyone cares about your ideas and thoughts?" Anyway, I'm here, and I am going to share my thoughts and feelings with whomever wants to read them.

Today, I just wanted to offer you a few quotes from John Piper's book because it is speaking so powerfully to my heart. My longing is to be a Mary! I know that there is work to be done; I know there is so much to learn. But, O, if my life is filled with one ministry activity after another; if I lead hundreds to Christ Jesus; if I feed and clothe the homeless, and yet I don't hear His voice; I don't see His face; I don't KNOW Him personally and dearly, then what is the point. If it isn't about a love relationship with God, then I really don't have much more than any non-Christian in a secular service organization, and I really don't have much more than they do to offer to the lost and dying world. Anyway, this is my heart tonight.

When God declares the omnipotent word of creation and '(shines) in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,' the curtains are pulled back in the window of our Alpine chalet, and the morning sun, reflected off the Alps of Christ, fills the room with glory.

I want to see that glory more and more clearly! I want to share that glory with you. I want make disciples of Christ Jesus! I want us all to be followers who love Him and will give our all for Him!

Well, it is 9:17 p.m. and I am still sitting at my computer working (I'm waiting for files to be copied, which is why I had a moment to write this.) Please pray for me. My work is often so stressful and I am so overwhelmed that I can find neither the time nor the focus to share my life with you. I truly pray that as God gives me time, that I can be an encouragement to you, and that I may especially encourage you to seek the Lord with ALL your heart and soul and strength and mind. My wish is for you to get a glimpse of His glory that will give you such a longing for His presence that you cannot stop yourself from running hard after HIM. I want that for my life, an unending hunger and thirst for His nearness, for His palpable presence in my life.

All my love,
Ev

The One Thing that is our First Love!

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The One Thing that is our First Love!

2011-03-19T12:46:00.002-07:00

Hi there! Remember me? Wow, it has been some time since I shared my life with . . . you. I may not even know who you are, but here I go again letting you in on who I am and on my relationship with God, Jesus Messiah, and Holy Spirit. Sorry that I have been away so long. The darkness swallowed me up again and left me isolated and isolating. But, I am back!

I really want to share a little bit of what is going on in my heart. And I guess I do it here because it really doesn't matter if you understand or not; this is a safe place. With some of my family and friends, I am afraid to share what is going on in my heart for fear that they will judge me, shake their heads, and become suspicious of me. With others, I just doubt that they will understand or care about this. (“This is just one more of mom’s crazy notions.) Maybe you will fall into one of those two categories, but for some reason that is OK because I cannot read your thoughts on your face. I cannot see the glazing over of your eyes and the look of concern coming over your features. (Have to laugh at myself here because it is probable that I am making way too much out of this and you will all be thinking, "Is she serious? What is the big deal? Boy, does she take herself way too serious or what?" But for me it seems to be a pretty big thing. It is my life after all, and I believe that it is this with which the Lord has burdened me.)

I guess I'll start by giving a little background on where all this is coming from:

Quite some time ago I realized that the way we currently "do church" is a far cry from the descriptions of the New Testament. (Reading the Bible can be a dangerous thing if you want to go along with the traditional "church" ideals of the American culture.) I began to long for a Christian experience of the body that was more informal, participatory, relational, and devotional. I imagined the bonds of love and relationship that such a body would experience both within the body and with the Lord. The standard fare of rousing "worship," entertaining "messages," and programmed "ministry" became less satisfying and more frustrating for me.

Because my relationship with God had long ago been reborn as something more relational, experiential and life-encompassing, I longed to be a part of a church that was more excited about a love-relationship with Christ than it is about discovering our gifts, getting involved in ministry, measuring "church growth," and developing an obvious "community outreach." Please understand that I am all for reaching the lost and ministering to the needs of others! But my longing is to see believers become disciples and lovers of Christ Jesus Himself, to see them following Him and seeking the fullness of His presence in their daily lives. I am not as interested in leading them to join my church, teaching them to fit in, getting them involved in ministry, and breaking them of their bad habits. (Are your eyes glazing over yet? Are you shaking your head wondering what sort of heretic I am or am becoming? Well, hold onto your hats, it may be worse than you can imagine.)

You may be interested to know that my life's verse is: "One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His tabernacle." Psalm 27:4. I chose that verse (or perhaps God gave it to me) because above all things my heart's longing is to see His face, to see His glory, to know HIM personally. My heart also resonates with Christ’s words to the church at Ephesus in Revelation: “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Revelation 2:2-4. “Remember the height from which you have fallen!” I believe our first love for Christ Jesus is the highest blessing of the gospel. So you can see the core desires that drive my heart, desires I had locked in a box in order to do away with the frustration and to fit into the church culture around me.

OK, so getting back to the events that have led me to where I currently find myself Not long ago, I heard that a friend from church was going to start a group called "MORE;" and it sounded as though it might be something along the lines of what I am hungering for, a more New-Testament, body-of-Christ gathering. I went to the first few meetings, and discovered that rather than an experience of the body of Christ, the group's focus was on getting believers off the side lines and into service, which as usual means outreach and activism. All well and good, but not what I was looking for.

Then, my pastor began a 3-session, 3-month group called "Now What," which also peaked my interest as I thought it might be about developing and growing in our walk with Christ, deepening our relationship and commitment to Him. The group was assigned the reading of the book, "Holy Discontent," by Bill Hybels. If you know anything about this book or Bill Hybels' ministry, you probably already know what my response was to the assignment. "Holy Discontent" is Bill Hybels’ call for Christians to look within themselves and to see what it is that drives them crazy. He then sends them out to do something about it, to right the wrongs. What I understood from his book is that God, will be so happy to find someone that shares His discontent in this area that He will join them in restoring that part of the world. Now, believe me, I know what amazing insanity it is for someone like me to disagree with a world-renown minister, but I have some real issues with his ideas on this subject. For me, ministry is so much more about God’s will and God’s leading and God’s calling than it is with my discontent. Needless to say, I dropped out of the group.

These two circumstances did accomplish something in my life; they began to stir the embers in my heart that had been near to extinction. I almost felt as though I was waking up.

Meanwhile, the dear couple who have been such an encouragement to my life began a new group study at church based on a book by John Piper, "God is the Gospel." (BTW, I highly recommend the book. It is a much better book than the other.) After reading the back cover of the book, I realized that I had to be a part of the group even though I was already feeling overwhelmed by the studies I am participating in. The book served to bring my frustration/longing into focus and to reawaken my hearts desire to see the church of Christ return to its "First Love." We’re just on lesson three and I feel alive again! Oh, it isn’t just the study; it is that my relationship with God has been reawakened!

So, anyway, I think I’ll end here with giving you an idea of how I have gotten to this place, and hopefully, I can find time to sit down and continue to share what is in my heart in the next couple of days.

Love for Christ Jesus and for you,
Ev

~~ The One Thing that is our First Love. ~~

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Piper!

2011-01-07T12:49:00.001-07:00

I love my dog, Piper. I am one of the few people who do think well of her. But, I do love her.

Piper is a little and older chihuahua/terrier mix, with more chihuahua than terrier. As such, she tends to be a little hyper and a little skittish. I cannot trust her around my grandchildren, or anyone else for that matter (including myself). She is nippy. Piper also has a very high-pitched bark, and as she is so small, she uses this bark as her constant defense. She also tends to go after your ankles if she is at all intimidated by you.

As way of illustration -- A few years ago, my son adopted two large, old labs from a vet who did not want to euthanize them so was looking for someone to take them. The male is a very easy going, plodding soul, but the female was dominant and moody. When I was not at home, my granddaughter kindly thought to take my Piper out on the leash to give her a break from being alone in my room all day. On her way out the door with Piper on the leash, the female lab came up behind Piper to sniff her, as dogs normally do. Piper, frightened, aggressively growled/barked at her, and she attacked Piper, grabbing her by the back and shaking her. My sons had to literally pry Piper from the dogs mouth.

Piper ended up with 6 broken ribs and months of painful recouperation. Nevertheless, Piper still has no qualms about going after the male lab to keep him in line. It would be funny to see this little rat-sized dog barking and trying to intimidate a huge old lab, funny if I weren't afraid that he might lose his temper and put her in her place. (The vet told me that due to her injuries from the last attack, she will not survive another.)

Anyway, my point is, this is a dog that only a 'mother' could love. And, I do love her. Despite her aggression, her getting into trouble quite often, and the fact that she pays no attention to me whatsoever when I call her or discipline her, I love her. She is my baby and I would probably rush into a burning house to rescue her. Oh, did I mention that she is not an especially affectionate dog. I mean, she will patiently allow me to hold (read 'hug') her, but only for so long. She mostly wants to lay at the foot of the bed ignoring me.

This morning as I was considering all this, I realized that even so, God loves us. We may be ornery, noisy, too big for our own britches, aggressive, smelly, and have very little time for Him. Nevertheless, He loves us. And I can imagine Him longing for us to respond to Him, even as I wish that my dog were more responsive to my expressions of love for her. He does discipline us when we need it, as I do Piper. And, just as with Piper, our actions can land us in painful trouble sometimes. Yet, His love is unmarred by our failures. His love is unconditional. He loves us dispite our loud and obnoxious rantings!

Love,
Ev

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Eve -- A Special Hatred

2010-12-28T12:23:00.003-07:00

Tuesday, December 28, 2010
A Special Hatred

The assault on femininity-its long history, its utter viciousness-cannot be understood apart from the spiritual forces of evil we are warned against in the Scriptures. This is not to say that men (and women, for they, too, assault women) have no accountability in their treatment of women. Not at all. It is simply to say that no explanation for the assault upon Eve and her daughters is sufficient unless it opens our eyes to the Prince of Darkness and his special hatred of femininity.

Turn your attention again to the events that took place in the Garden of Eden. Notice-who does the Evil One go after? Who does Satan single out for his move against the human race? He could have chosen Adam . . . but he didn't. Satan went after Eve. He set his sights on her. Have you ever wondered why? It might have been that he, like any predator, chose what he believed to be the weaker of the two. There is some truth to that. He is utterly ruthless. But we believe there is more. Why does Satan make Eve the focus of his assault on humanity?

Because she is captivating, uniquely glorious, and he cannot be. She is the incarnation of the Beauty of God. More than anything else in all creation, she embodies the glory of God. She allures the world to God. He hates it with a jealousy we can only imagine.

And there is more. The Evil One also hates Eve because she gives life. Women give birth, not men. Women nourish life. And they also bring life into the world soulfully, relationally, spiritually-in everything they touch. Satan is a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). He brings death. His is a kingdom of death. And thus Eve is his greatest human threat, for she brings life. She is a lifesaver and a lifegiver. Eve means "life" or "life-producer."

Put those two things together-that Eve incarnates the Beauty of God and she gives life to the world. His bitter heart cannot bear it. He assaults her with a special hatred. Do you begin to see it?

(Captivating , John and Stasi Eldredge 82-85)

I was reading this email devotional this morning, and it made me once again stop and think "Why would Satan have a particular hatred for women?" I mean, the author does make some pretty good points above, but there is still that within me that thinks, "Ah, here is the world's view of feminism creeping in on our faith." (The funny [or not so funny] thing is that I have taught from this book.) Our 'traditional' Christian roots seem to be so 'male' dominated and Eve has been ridiculed for so long that to think otherwise seems sacriligious.

So, because my mind always looks for the spiritual illustration of truth, I tried to find a reason for Eve to be a particular target. I believe I have my answer, and my answer for Eve's strengths and weaknesses. I thought of Eve as representing the bride for the first Adam, just as the church is the bride for the last Adam, and I immediately saw why she became the target for the evil one.

If we think of it in those terms, by attacking Eve, not only has the evil one indirectly attacked Adam in this move, but he also has hit at the amazing work and purposes of God in the creation. But if you think of it, in attacking Eve, he also has done more to wound the heart of Adam than he would have by attacking Adam himself. (Hope that convuluted reasoning makes sense.)

I guess I can best express it in the spiritual sense. Satan cannot and does not attack God in Christ Jesus directly, rather he sets his sights on the object of His affections, the church. As Satan comes against the church to wound, pervert, and disable her, not only does he interfere in the workings of God's purposes, but he also strikes at the very object of Christ's deep affection!!

When I look at Eve in this light, it is so much easier to see her in the light she is presented in the book 'Captivating.' And it helps me to better appreciate the role I play in this battle. I am both a combatant and a target. Maybe I need to get up, take up my armor, make my stand, and fight back.

Merry Christmas and have a wonderful victorious new year!!!!

Ev

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Who is your life centered on?

2010-10-09T20:26:00.004-07:00

The essence of salvation is denying self instead of affirming self. Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God

In Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby, et al, describes:

God-Centered Life:
- Places confidence in God
- Depends on God and His ability and provision
- Focuses on God and His activity
- Is humble before God
- Denies self
- Seeks first the kingdom of God and His righteousness
- Seeks God's perspective in every circumstance
- Chooses holy and godly living
To know and do God's will, you must deny self and return to a God-centered life.

Self-Centered Life:
- Is focused on self
- Is proud of self and self's accomplishments
- Is self-confident
- Depends on self and abilities
- Affirms self
- Seeks to be acceptable to the world and its ways
- Looks at circumstances from a human perspective
- Chooses selfish and ordinary living

Looking at the latter list and thinking of it from my own experience, I would add:
- Is ashamed of self and self's failures
- Is self-critical
- Degrades self
- Seeks to be acceptable to everyone, especially God and other believers
- Chooses self-pity and isolation

As I went through this week's study for Experiencing God, which we just started this is my 3rd time through), and especially the above section on a self-centered life vs. a God-centered life, I realized that I spend far too much time focused on my feelings and thoughts and abilities. I believe that I need to set my heart and mind on God, His promises, His words, His abilities, His thoughts, and His feelings. Rather than worrying about how I am doing (am I failing or succeeding); or about how others perceive me (am I good or bad), I need to be more focused on God's goodness and His righteousness.

It reminded me of the verse, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." I always struggled with "His righteousness." What does it mean to seek His righteousness?

I realized that it is all about God's goodness, justice, mercy, grace, and love! I can leave the judgment of my life to Him. My focus needs to be on Him, on who He is, what He has promised, what He is doing, and what He wants to do in my life.

How freeing to release my life to God! To not worry about how righteous or obedient I am. To just focus on His will and His leading and instruction. I got this picture in my mind of a servant who walks around all self-centered and self-pitying. How can he do anything for his Master when he is so focused on himself. A servant's job is to be focused on his Master's will, his Master's well-being, his Master's concerns.

And so, my testimony is:

I love Thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress. My Deliverer, my God, my Rock in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Oh, and I'll add a little something from Oswald Chambers.

If you want to know how real you are, test yourself by these words -- 'Come to me....' In every dimension in which you are not real, you will argue or evade the issue altogether rather than come; you will go through sorrow rather than come; and you will do anything rather than come the last lap of the race of seemingly unspeakable foolishness and say, 'Just as I am, I come.' As long as you have even the least bit of spiritual disrespect, it will always reveal itself in the fact that you are expecting God to tell you to do something very big, and yet all He is telling you to do is to 'Come ....'

Don't worry, just come!!!

Love,
Ev

Temptation as a Test of our God-given Possessions

2010-09-20T10:41:00.006-07:00

Through regeneration we are lifted into another realm where there are other temptations to face, namely, the kind of temptation our Lord faced. ... Satan does not tempt us just to make us do wrong things--he tempts us to make us lose what God has put into us through regeneration, namely, the possibility of being of value to God. He does not come to us on the premise of tempting us to sin, but on the premise of shifting our point of view, and only the Spirit of God can detect this as a temptation of the devil.

Temptation means a test of the possessions held within the inner, spiritual part of our being by a power outside us and foreign to us. ... He (Jesus) went through the temptation 'without sin,' and He retained all the possessions of His spiritual nature completely intact. ~~Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

No wonder I feel that I get no where in my usefulness to God! I succumb to the temptation over and over to relinquish what God has given! Time and again, the enemy is able to stop me from growth and usefulness to God. It isn't so much about sinning, but rather laying down all the gifts and possessions and weapons before the enemy in total surrender and agreement with his demands -- "Who do you think you are?" or "Has God really called you?"

The temptation is answered only by faith! Faith in what God is doing in our lives and in His will, promises, and purposes!

Holy Spirit, please help me to stand firm in all that You have given me and in all that Christ Jesus has done for me and in all that the Father has called me to! Amen

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Let the River Flow

2010-09-02T11:53:00.003-07:00

Our Lord's teaching was always anti-self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a person – His purpose is to make a person exactly like Himself, and the Son of God is characterized by self-expenditure. If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain, but what He pours through us that really counts. . . .

Our spiritual life cannot be measured by success as the world measures it but only by what God pours through us – and we cannot measure that at all. . . .

Our Lord is filled with overflowing joy whenever He sees any of us doing what Mary did – not being bound by a particular set of rules, but being totally surrendered to Him. . . .

`He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water' – and hundreds of other lives will be continually refreshed. Now is the time for us to break `the flask' of our lives, to stop seeking our own satisfaction, and to pour out our lives before Him. Our Lord is asking who of us will do it for Him.
Oswald Chambers

Well, you haven't heard from me in a while, and I guess it is because I sank into the `dark abyss' of depression yet again. So, let me just update you by saying that I won't be moving out for the time being, I've postponed it to next year to give us all time to better prepare financially. Although I was very disappointed at the change in plans, I can see God using this time for His purposes.

Last night Dana and I went to Calvary Community Church for their Wednesday night service, and it was wonderful. The worship time was so good – no wailing guitars drowning out the congregation's singing praises to God and the songs were more worshipful than I had heard in a while. When we sang A Mighty Fortress is our God, wow, it just lifted my spirit so much!!

The message was also so good. It was expository preaching rather than taking a topic and applying some verses to it. I LOVED it!! When did we decide that we could do a better job of speaking to hearts than God's Word can do? Anyway, it was an awesome message and spoke very clearly to my heart.

So, it lifted the weight of depression that was pinning me down, and has allowed me to turn to the Lord again. Yay!!

I read the above quote from Oswald Chamber's devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, and it so ministered to my heart. What it says to me is that it is not about who I am or how good a Christian I am. It is about how open my heart is. I don't have to worry about how spiritual, how smart, how compassionate, or how wise I am. All I need to do is be open for God to pour through me what He wants to, when it is needed. I don't have to `be' anything special at all to be a conduit. It is the Source that matters.

Interestingly, I then don't have to worry about having what is needed at a particular time, don't have to worry that I will have the right words for someone's need. That's not my worry; it's up to the Source to send it through as long as I keep the channel open. Wow! So much pressure taken off!

The focus then goes back to my relationship with Him and keeping connected, keeping the channel open and clear, and letting Him direct the flow.

For me, this is big! This is freeing! This is what I needed to hear. I don't have to be `a writer' for God to pour a book through me, I don't have to be `a teacher' for God to instruct others through me, and I don't have to be `a golden vessel' for Him to flow through me. An earthen trough will work just fine so long as it is open and clear.

I don't have to be anyone special at all. I don't have to be a perky, blond polished and perfumed Christian woman dressed to the 9s. I am not the Source, not even a secondary source.

I can relax! I don't have to examine each drop of water as it passes through. If I'm connected to the true Source, I can just let it flow. I don't have to try to force it, or to shape it, or to flavor it. You can't improve on the stuff He provides!

So, for me, I need to keep the channel open, both the inflow and the outflow. Keep the channel clear of self, doubts, fears, bitterness, and lies. Let it go! I'm not in control of it, just let it flow. I'm not responsible for it. No pride. No Shame. Set it free!

Love,

Ev

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Good figs removed for their good

2010-07-07T22:40:00.001-07:00

Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for [their] good. For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull [them] down; and I will plant them, and not pluck [them] up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I [am] the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for [their] hurt, [to be] a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. Jeremiah 24:5 - 10

God says here that those carried away first were sent out of Jerusalem for their good. They would be brought back again to be built and planted in the land again by the Lord. That He would give them a heart to know God, for they would return unto God with their whole heart.

This reminds me that there may be times when what seems to be judgment or punishment from God, may actually be a case of God protecting "the good figs" from a coming judgment. In Noah's day, the flood did not come until Noah's righteous ancestors had died, God took them home in death before His judgment fell. On the other hand, He had Noah prepare an ark for him and his family to carry them safely through the judgment to come. He removes some, while others He carries through the storm safely.

There are times when it is so difficult to understand why God has taken this one or that one home, perhaps leaving behind those who don't deserve His protection. Perhaps it is the mercy of God giving those who don't know Him time to repent. We cannot see what lies ahead, and it is possible that God in His mercy has removed those "good figs" to spare them from what is to come.

I think the one thing that we can always hold on to is the nature of God Himself. He is always good, and He is always just. His love endures forever!! And, I remind myself never to be so quick to interpret a tragedy as God's judgment on those affected.

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Our sufficiency is insufficient!

2010-07-07T15:42:00.002-07:00

Came across this going through my journal:

The disciples responded in each situation as we all would respond. We are all great experts on our own limitations. When dealing with God, He invariably seems to direct us to do that which is beyond the limits of our strength, the capacity of our faith, and the sufficiency of our supply.

When He does, we always turn to Him in amazement -- amazement that all-knowing God doesn't seem to know our limitations -- so we tell Him all about how insufficient we are. Remember Moses' "Who am I?"

I think we should finally get the point -- God chose us specifically for our insufficiency! In fact, if we do feel sufficient, He must first show us we're not, before He can use us.

The disciples felt sufficient to cross the lake without Jesus. He sent them on without Him and not a murmur of protest is uttered. They felt sufficient -- they were fishermen. But their sufficiency was sorely tested and found to be insufficient. Even for that which is familiar and for which we are well-experienced, we must learn to remain in His presence. We must learn to go only in His strength even when we have already traveled that path and it is familiar. When we know the lesson, when we know the choruses, when we're comfortable with the program -- even then, we must not go without Him. We must never go in our own sufficiency.

Visit my other pages:
A Day in the Life: http://ev-dayinthelife.blogspot.com/
Bible Studies: http://ev-study.blogspot.com/

My vacation - Episode 2

2010-06-29T12:29:00.001-07:00

OK, finally getting back to writing about my trip to Jordan. I left off with my preparations to leave.

Leith took me to the airport Saturday morning and I caught the flight to Chicago. The flight was jam-packed, but I had a good seat in the last row on the aisle, so it wasn't too uncomfortable. The flight was delayed into Chicago due to bad weather over Chicago, and I started getting worried about missing my flight to Amman. If you hadn't heard, Eyad was supposed to be on the flight with me, but the airline rescheduled him, so I would be traveling alone from Chicago to Amman.

Our flight to Chicago finally landed at about 7:00 pm, and the flight to Amman was supposed to leave at 9:00 pm. I was really worried about getting my bags and getting over to the international terminal in time. As I got off the plane, I was praying that I would find an abandoned cart to help me move more quickly through the airport. Getting off the plane, I immediately spied a cart off by itself, and I grabbed it! Thank You, God!!! (By the way, if you do any flying, be sure to have a credit card with you. I didn't think I would need it, so I left mine at home for my son to use in emergency. You need it for just about everything!!! Checking your bags and renting a cart! DOH!!!)

I rushed down and finally got my bags, then ran like crazy to take the tram to the international terminal. Luckily, the check-in desk is right inside the terminal, and I made it with a little time to spare. My son, Eyad, was so good to me the entire trip, and he really went out of his way to get me bumped up to first class on the international flight. They even sent me on to the VIP lounge to wait for boarding of my flight. Have you ever been in the VIP lounge?? They have all kinds of snacks available, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, coffee, tea, just about everything! The seats are MUCH more comfortable than the regular seats at the gates! What a treat it was!

First class on the plane was amazing! It has been a long time since I have flown internationally (18 years to be exact), and things have changed so much. We were barely seated on the plane when the flight attendants came around with drinks, hot towels, and a little flight kit (sleep mask, socks, and ear plugs). The chairs are amazing, and recline totally into a bed. And each seat has its own personal screen, so you can watch the movie, or choose from several other channels of programs! It was amazing!

It wasn't long after take off, that they brought our dinner trays. The trays had rolls, salad, desert, and something I didn't recognize. I thought, "great dinner," so much better than I remember coach meals. So I ate it, and it was delicious. However, I was surprised, because they came back with entrees, a choice of lamb, catfish, pasta, or chicken. The chicken was marvelous!

Breakfast in the morning was also superb. We received a tray, and then they came around with a cart of omelets, sausages, mushrooms, potatoes, croissants, and rolls. It was so good.

The other neat thing about the flight was that before and after the movies, they showed our flight progress on the screen. It was really cool to see where we were and what we were flying over. BTW, they showed two movies, the first was Sherlock Holmes and then they showed an Arabic movie.

Going through the airport in Amman was miserable after so many hours of flying. In the terminal, I got in the line for foreigners, which took a half hour or so. When I got up there, the guy told me I was in the wrong line, I needed to get in the line for those without a visa. So, I got in that line, but after waiting a while, noticed a sign that said I needed Jordanian money to pay for the airport taxes. So, I had to get out of line, go to the money changer to exchange some money. By the time I got back into the right line, I had a good hour wait to go through check in.

Thankfully, after going through the lines, I found Eyad waiting with my bags! We were ready to go! The drive into the city was quite a bit different than I remember it. There is so much development going on there, things are so different than they were when I was last there!

But you know, when we got to the house, it was like I was coming home. We are all a little older, but otherwise, it was so good to be back with them, to see them all again! They are the most welcoming and wonderful family!

The building is 5 stories high with a garage under the first floor. When I lived there, my family lived on the first floor, which is now rented out to a pharmaceutical company. My mother-in-law,Sameha; her sister-in-law, Saleema; and my sister-in-law, Fadia, live on the second floor with a live in helper, Selwa. The third floor is occupied by my brother- and sister-in-law, Mohammed and Haiffa, with their two sons, Hamze and Youssef, who have just completed university. I stayed with them while I was there. The fourth floor is currently rented out to a doctor; and my son, Eyad, rents the fifth floor apartment. It is a wonderful way to live, all the family together, and yet, with privacy.

The house hasn't changed much, very beautiful and stylish (they are much better at decorating than I have ever been). However, they have installed air conditioning, mostly in the living room. They are room-type units rather than central units. But I am sure that they make things much more comfortable during the summer. I should mention that the buildings are made from cement block faced with decorative stone outside and plastered within. The neat thing about this building structure is that it does moderate the heat somewhat in the summer.

Well, that's about all I have time for right now. Next message will have more about the actual vacation time, I promise.

Love,
Ev

Treasure . . . In my room!!!

2010-06-29T12:12:00.001-07:00

Wow! Have I told you? I have amazing treasure in my room. Treasure that I am totally unwilling to trust to a bank vault. Treasure that I love to take up and handle and examine! I am so rich beyond anything I could ever have imagined or hoped for!

The treasure, the one thing I would ask God to allow me to take to heaven with me, is my journal. It is the record of my relationship with God. As prized and cherished love letters reflect the relationship between two lovers, my journal contains the very words of God spoken to my heart over the years.

Lord, how precious they are to me! And I truly thank God for speaking and relating to me in this way so that I have the opportunity to return to this treasure chest over and over throughout my life, especially when times get rough. "Hearing" His words to me over and over again is so encouraging and comforting; there is absolutely no-thing in this world of greater value to me.

If I could ever pass on any one piece of advice or encouragement to those I love, it would be to spend time in God's presence and record in a journal those things you have heard and seen and experienced in that time with the Lord. It is a place you can be totally honest with yourself and with God, and a place that He can meet you very personally and powerfully!

Love,
Ev

Something Different!

2010-06-27T15:44:00.001-07:00

OK, I did something very . . . ummmm, different. Last night I went out to a singles' dance. A new acquaintance told me about a group called "Calculated Couples" that they participated in and they thought I might enjoy it. I was pretty excited about it, and even went out an got a couple of new dresses as my wardrobe is bordering on the shabby.

Well, I went last night and, boy, all the memories of past efforts at the singles' scene came rushing back to me. "What was I thinking," went through my mind more than once.

As usual, the group was heavily lopsided with way more women than men. And, maybe it was just my imagination, but there was an atmosphere of anxiety in the room.

I was a little (more than a little) disappointed that no one asked me to dance, although the women around me were approached numerous times. Started feeling, "What is wrong with me?" Well, I know that I am overweight, which I know feeds my insecurities big time. But I am by no means hideous. But I have realized the past few years that I project something that is un-attractive (that does not attract the opposite sex). Not quite sure what it is, but I know that I have it.

Well, actually, I do have a clue. There was one time when I actually did attract the attention of a guy I met at a wedding. And, I believe the reason I did was because when we first met, I was totally uninterested in him and was not trying to attract him. So, I am thinking that the problem is that guys can tell when you are anxious or insecure, and it is a turn off.

You probably know that I have been divorced for about 14 years now. Since that time, I vacillate between "Oh, God, I am so lonely, and I really long to experience true love in my life just once before I die," and "Lord, I guess it is not your will for me to find anyone for companionship and support. Perhaps you want me to rely only on You. I am content with that, Lord."

I guess the truth is, I am somewhat content with my life, and I could finish out my life without a "relationship" if that is God's will. And, I can recognize the benefits of the single-life. When I was married, I struggled so much with being faithful to God and yet also giving my time and attention to my husband. As Paul said,

He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please [his] wife. 1 Cor 7:32-33

But now and again, the longing comes over me for that intimate relationship with whom I have truly become "one flesh," with one who loves and respects and encourages me at the most personal levels, and whom I can respect and support and love. Having been married for 23 years, I never really experienced that. (And I know that many married women never experience that.) Yet, that is the longing.

I guess I need to spend some time with the Lord and find out once and for all what it is He really wants for me. Haven't really asked Him. Could I be avoiding asking Him because I don't want to know, or am afraid of what He will say? Hmmm. I don't think so. But you know, the truth is, it is always so much easier to just go about doing what I want to do rather than taking the time and the risk of sitting down with God to find out what He has to say.

So, I guess that is my answer. And if I remember and if I have the time to write about it, I'll let you know what God has to say.

In my flesh, my idea is to go at least once or twice more, with the idea of discovering that place inside of me that is so un-attractive and to deal with it. To overcome that insecurity and that form of desperation that rears its head every now and then. And, to finally let go of the longing and the indecision.

Confidence, Approval, Understanding, Influence

2010-06-18T16:28:00.003-07:00

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. Hebrews 11:1-4

I've finished my group studies for now (will probably pick something up in the fall), so I've gone back to my long-standing friend, "Search the Scriptures." I am taking up where I left off. I will get back to the Revelations study, but just wanted to share some things that hit my heart this morning.

verse 1

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for." You can "see" it, you can "taste" it. You know the surety of what you are holding onto because of the One who promised. It is not so vague as, "Oh, I hope . . . ." It is a firm belief and trust that even though you cannot see it right now, you have it! You know that God will not fail.

"The evidence of things not seen." Faith is walking through the darkness in confidence! It is letting go of those things we feel we must control or life will spin off into chaos. It is surrender of my will and my way to the will of the One who has promised and who loves me more than I love myself.

So, I ask myself: Have I surrendered control? Have I given up holding onto the things that seem to keep me grounded? Or have I let them go into the hands of the One who truly holds my life together? Do I have faith to walk through the darkness and confusion with confidence?

verse 2

"For by it the elders obtained a good testimony." Men of old, the elders, Old Testament saints, obtained a testimony by their faith. God included them in His narrative not because they were the most successful, the most famous, the strongest, the best looking, or the most talented. He included them because they believed Him and it changed their lives and changed the world. Thousands of years later, we know who Abel, Noah, Abraham, Esther, Rahab, Ruth, Sarah, Moses, Joshua, etc. were because of they were willing to step out in faith in a God whom they could not see. (And they did not have Holy Spirit dwelling within them, as we are so blessed to enjoy because of Christ.) God testifies to their faith in His Word! There may be failing and stumbling, yet God's testimony is of their faith. How much more awesome could it be than to have God himself testify about my life, that I walked by faith.

And, again, I ask myself, if God were to testify of my life, what would it sound like? What would He choose to mention? And where would He be silent? What do I focus on? Am I working for success, for notice, for acceptance? Or, am I seeking for a relationship with God that will give me the confidence to walk where I cannot see and follow when I cannot understand? Do I know Him well enough to trust Him with my life and all that matters to me?

verse 3

"By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." It is by faith that we believe the account of the creation, even as the world tries to explain God away. Faith believes because God told us. We don't demand that God give us with scientific proof to back it up. I know there are differences of opinion as to the reading of Genesis, and that is fine. But it all goes back to the basics. And if we cannot believe that God created the heavens and the earth by speaking it into being, then how can we believe that the death of one Man two thousand years ago affects our eternal condition? God has given us His description of the events. Science is wonderful. It is an opportunity to observe and to learn from the world around us. But when we allow what we "see" to rule, can we be walking by faith? Just my opinion. The Word says that God spoke the universe and time itself into existence.

A commentary I read after I finished my study brought to my attention the concept that faith brings understanding. It is as we step out in faith that we are able to understand. As long as our hearts are coming from the "prove it" or "show me" point of view, my understanding is limited and short sighted. Basing our belief only on what we can see, quantify, and examine, limits our understanding to the physical and ignores the eternal realities and supernatural involvement of God in His creation.

Do I believe by faith in God's account of the creation? How do I balance science and faith? How can I communicate this? Do I believe the Word of God, or do I pick and choose what is "believable"? Am I prone to explaining away the things of Scripture that are beyond my experience and my understanding? How does such faith, or lack of, affect my relationship with God and my relationship to the world around me? Do I allow for the supernatural and the eternal in my exploration of the world?

verse 4

(Now this is where it got good for me this morning!) "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks." Abel's faith was expressed in his offering. By faith, his offering was a "better sacrifice" than Cain's. Cain seemed to have missed the whole point of the offering, perhaps because of his lack of faith. He was going through the motions with no concept of what his offering represented.

Abel brought the "firstborn of his flock", the fat portion, and the Lord looked at it. The word is "shaah", which means a look, a moment, to gaze at or about. This seems more than a glance. Could Abel's offering have blessed God in such a way that He paused and looked intently at it. I think possibly that God was captivated by Abel's offering because it was one of the first representations of His Son. Nothing grabs God's attention more than something to do with His Son. And this sacrifice of the firstborn lambs must have touched God's heart!

There is something in Abel's offering that seems to indicate an understanding of what it is God truly wants, and I believe that can only come from a relationship and personal knowledge of God Himself. I have heard that it is believed that God must have told Adam and his family what type of offerings He required. There is no Scripture to indicate that He did, but it is very possible that He did so. However, I wonder if it isn't just as possible that Abel's relationship with God was such that he understood what type of offering would please Him. That Abel sought the Lord and sought to please Him, and that his desire led him to an offering that would cause God to catch His breath at the sight of it.

It doesn't say whether Cain brought the best of his crops or just his crops. There are first fruits offerings that are detailed in the Law of Moses. So, it wasn't a "wrong" offering. But perhaps his heart was not where it should be. He was offering God what he had, but did not seek to know what it was that God want, what would please Him. And then he was bent out of shape because God "looked at" Abel's offering and not his. It wasn't so much the offering that fell short, God did not indicate that there was anything wrong with it. But Cain recognized the difference in God's reaction to Abel's offering and to his own.

It goes on to say that the testimony Abel received of God was that he was righteous, and God testified of his offerings, his gifts. Because of his faith, even though he is dead (and he was actually the first one to die physically), he still speaks. What does he say? Is it that his life speaks to us of faith, or that by faith he is still living and speaking? Does he still speak as the first righteous one put to death by his brother, again, a picture of Christ. Both in his offering and in his death, Abel pointed to the Son of God who would die at the hands of His brothers due to jealousy.

And so I ask, what of my offerings? Do they reveal faith in God, both in their quality and in their substance? Or, are they given as a mere meeting of a requirement which I do not understand? Are they given based on what others say or what I think will suffice? Or, do I have such a knowledge and relationship with God that I know and understand what He wants? And what does God testify of my offerings?

My life and my death, do they point to my Savior? Do I reveal Christ by my life, my giving, my choices, my actions? Abel knew nothing of Christ, yet his actions pointed so clearly to the Lamb of God, the way I believe he did that was through a life of relationship and seeking God. I believe that relationship led him, God led him to a sacrifice that pointed to Christ. Do I have such a relationship that in the midst of the contradictory voices of what God wants I understand Him and His will. If so, my life must point to Christ. If not, it may be a good life--I may bring my first fruits--but it won't capture God's attention, and I won't obtain God's testimony of my life.

By faith we walk in confidence. God testifies to faith in our lives, not success, strength, or beauty. Faith gives us a foundation for understanding the world around us and the world beyond our senses. By faith we can know what will please God, which is anything and everything to do with Christ, and our lives can speak far beyond ourselves.

Love,
Ev

Preparing for my trip to Jordan

2010-06-14T15:18:00.001-07:00

OK, as I said, it is about time that I tell you about my trip to Jordan. I’ve probably told some of you how awesome it was, but as I wrote a particular journal of my trip, I am going to use it to take you through the trip with me. I’ll also try to add some of the pictures we took.

For me, my vacation actually began about a week earlier. I was so excited because my sweet friends Helen and John invited me over for dinner at their home. Helen and John seem to always express God’s heart to me, and they are so encouraging and loving. When I find myself in the pits, they seem to know just the right things to say and do to draw me out. Don’t you love folks like that in your life!!!

Anyway, I was SO looking forward to a nice dinner with them. I arrived and rang the bell, and Helen appeared at the door, telling me that she had forgotten to tell me . . . that it was a surprise Bon Voyage party!!! I think I was stunned for a good 5 to 10 minutes! A small group of some of my favorite women had gathered to wish me Bon Voyage! How cool is that?

It was exactly the kind of party I love: food, sharing, singing, and prayer! I felt so LOVED! It was just the right size, not too many people, very relaxed and warm. Helen is such a wonderful hostess. She is very creative and the decorations were amazing.

After dinner, PRESENTS!! Each thing was so wonderfully thoughtful, and just what I needed for my trip!! How overwhelming and thoughtful!!! It was the most amazing beginning for my trip!

As I was getting ready to leave, the next week was so bitter-sweet. Leaving one part of my family behind to visit another part is never easy. In the week before, Alex said, “I love you, Grandma.” And I realized how much I am going to miss everyone.

I ordered a couple of books to take with me to read on my vacation. One of the books, Eleventh Guest, by Bodie and Brock Thoene was the selected book for the book club I am a part of. But I also bought a second book by these authors as their books are historical fictions dealing primarily with Jerusalem and Israel. I love the history of Israel and Jerusalem and the Jews, especially as it relates to my Christian heritage. So, I thought the second book would be a good read.

Friday, April 23rd, I packed my suitcases. It was such a crazy day trying to get packed and last minute things done. My head finally hit the pillow probably around midnight, but then I kept waking up all night dreaming that I was late for my flight. But I think, too, that sleeping without my CPAP (breathing apparatus for sleep apnea) was contributed to my poor sleep. Thank God, I woke up on time the next morning to get on the road to the airport. I made my flight in plenty of time.

Well, I didn’t actually get to the trip, but that will be for next time.

Ev

Catching Up!

2010-06-08T17:53:00.001-07:00

OK, so it has been quite some time since I’ve written anything. I am not sure why I am having such a problem with writing. I have had things I’ve wanted to share, but just have not been able to get anything onto paper, so to speak. So, as I am working this morning and waiting for SQL scripts to run, I decided to just start writing, about anything. So, I hope you will excuse me if this is rambling or a little disjointed ‘cause I’m not sure what I am writing about or where I am going with this.

So, what is going on in my life at the moment? Well, to give you fair warning, I am in depression again, which is weird because I have been doing the things I should. I am guessing that a big part of this is due to my return from vacation and the high one always gets when you are away from responsibilities, problems, and work.

But, I know that I have also been affected by my youngest son, Leith, moving out of our house. Leith is a young MAN of 25, and I know it is time for him to step out on his own. He has a great job, with excellent opportunities, and it is time for him to be responsible for himself. I am so happy for him, I really am. But it is hard for me to let him go. As I said, he is the youngest, and he has always lived with me. My oldest son is married, and my second son is living in the middle east, so very far away. Leith was the one I was holding onto for companionship and emotional support. (Selfish, I know.) So, I know that this is also affecting me.

There are some other things that are troublesome right now, but they affect other family members and I don’t feel comfortable sharing them.

And then there is my connection with the body of Christ. We have hit the summer, time when things wind down because so many people are going here and there for vacations and day trips. Our Experiencing God study is over and the I Saw the Lord study is over, so I feel disconnected on that end as well. Hmmmm. Feeling pretty sorry for myself; well, not really. It isn’t so much that I feel sorry for myself as I just feel blahhh.

Anyway, enough about that. Let see, what else can I focus on?????? Hmmmmmm. What are some of the things that are rattling around in the back of my head? Things I am thinking about, but at an unconscious level. (Wow, sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Feel free to move on to something else in your inbox.)

Read some interesting fiction books lately, both by Bodie and Brock Thoene. I read one for a group I am part of, Lit ‘n Lattes, which is part of our women’s ministry. I had seen books by the Thoenes, but never really thought to read them because I am not usually interested in fiction books. However, as I said, Eleventh Guest (A. D. Chronicles), was the book chosen by our book club, so I took it and a second book, Jerusalem Vigil The Zion Legacy: Book One, on vacation with me.

It was so interesting because as I understand it, these writers tend to focus their books around Jerusalem and Israel. And I started the second book just before we went to Jerusalem, which was so cool because the book deals with events in the Old City, which is where we spent most of our time. The book really gave me a good feel for the events of the story.

I also saw a really good movie called O, Jerusalem. This was about two men who met and became friends in the US following WWII, one is Jewish and the other is Arab. Both of them are drawn into the conflict surrounding the creation of the state of Israel. The neat thing is that their friendship endures even as they fight on opposite sides and each one loses loved ones.

That reminds me, I do so need to share an account of my trip. I’ll try to do that tomorrow, or at least start it. By the way, I really do recommend the books and the movie mentioned above. I think that the further we go along, the more important Jerusalem is going to become for all our lives. God has chosen that city out of all the world, out of all the universe, to put His name upon it. There is no place like it!!!

Love,
Ev

New Blog started for Bible Study

2010-04-10T14:45:00.003-07:00

Hi, again! OK, as I just published the introductory study for the Book of Revelation, I realized that I wasn't happy with having it here in my regular blog. I hate the idea of a continuing study thread to be intermixed with the other day to day stuff. Therefore, I copied it and started a new blog that will be specifically for Bible Study. I will start out with my study of Revelation, and if I ever finish it, I will go on from there. But, I did want to let you know that I will not be posting the remainder of the study here. You can find the study at: http://ev-study.blogspot.com/

Sorry if this is confusing.

Anyway,
Ev

Study: The Book of Revelation!

2010-04-10T14:27:00.001-07:00

I have just begun a study of the book of Revelation with my awesome friend, Leanne. And, just for the fun of it, I thought I would share some of my personal study with you. I remind you first that I am NOT a theologian, and I certainly may get some things wrong. But for what it is worth, I will share some of my thoughts on what I am reading.

INTRODUCTION:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:1-6

We usually read Revelation to understand what is coming, to be prepared. It is often portrayed as a doomsday scenario and is likened by the world to the writings of Nostradamus. However, this is first and foremost a revelation from Jesus Christ to the Church, and so I would expect it to be much more about encouraging and strengthening rather than about fear and terror. Certainly, what is written here will reveal the Person of Jesus Christ and what is to come to the world, but mainly what is to come from the viewpoint of His bond-servants. And, I believe that as the reality of this revelation begins to unfold in time, Jesus Christ will also be revealed as Lord to all the world and to the powers of darkness, as well as to His beloved in all His glory!

God the Father is source of this revelation, and He has intended it specifically for the bond-servants of His Son. God, the Father, has given this revelation to His Son for His church, for His body. As much as all Scripture is inspired by Holy Spirit, yet this revelation seems different. It is specifically given from the Father to Jesus and then communicated to John by an angel to be specifically shared with the body of Christ!

This revelation is written in the sense that these things are imminent. We are to be prepared, watching, waiting, and aware. It is so easy to get caught up in the sense that day by day things just go on as they have always done. Yet, we are to be the faithful servants watching and waiting expectantly for our Lord’s return (see Mark 13:34-36).

John presents himself as an eye-witness, faithfully sharing all he has seen and experienced. He is not writing from his heart, teaching doctrine, or sharing his opinions, but rather he is laying out all that was shown him.

I find it so interesting that this book should promise blessing for those who hear it and heed the things which are written in it. Although we are definitely blessed by reading any part of the Bible. Yet, this is the only part of the Bible (that I can remember) that specifically promises such a blessing. Isn't it the Gospels or Romans or the Psalms that we look to first for a blessing? I wonder what there is in this book that holds such promised blessing. What is there here that we would not find elsewhere? What does it have to reveal that should bless us so?

This prophecy is sent to the seven churches in Asia by the grace and peace of God. I do believe that this book was originally sent to the actual seven churches in Asia. However, because the Bible uses the number seven to indicate "fullness" or "completeness," I also believe that it is intended for the whole body of Christ.

Greetings of grace and peace are sent to the churches from Him which is, which was, and which is to come -- I love that title, doesn't it echo the "I AM WHO I AM" of the Old Testament? And yet, the "is to come" pictures the returning of Jesus Christ. So interesting and so very deep. One of the things that I find interesting (as echoed in the Jewish New Commentary) is how much of Revelation is built on Old Testament references and imagery. And I will certainly try to use commentaries and the references in my study Bible to look back to the Old Testament roots for the revelations.

From the "seven spirits" which are before His throne. I have to admit that I find the "seven spirits" a little hard to understand. However, I believe this to be the Holy Spirit Himself. The fact that He is mentioned in this reference between the Father (the "I AM") and the Son (Jesus Christ), confirms it for me. I also did find that The Jewish New Testament Commentary by Daniel H. Stern points out that there are two passages in the Old Testament prophets that suggest the Holy Spirit is related to the number seven. Isaiah 11:2 lists seven attributes of the Spirit, and Zechariah 4:2-10 which associates some of the "seven" imagery of Revelation with the Spirit.

(1)Jesus Christ is referred to as the "faithful witness" (or faithful martyr). He is the One who can be trusted by the church as the One who witnessed the truth of the Father in His life, in His own death, and through His own death. It is through Jesus Christ that we can know the Father and the truth. I am reminded of how deceptive and confusing this life can be. Someone has said that this world is a sort of digital or virtual reality and not the true substance of reality. Jesus Christ, as the Son of the Father, has given us a glimpse of true, substantial reality.

(2)He is also described as the first begotten of the dead, which says that because of His resurrection, we also anticipate our resurrection to eternal life in fellowship with God. No matter what this world gives us, no matter what we face in the here and now, this is not all there is. We know that after this short time of trial and struggle, there is a hope and a future for us that will not end!! Halleluiah!!

(3)The Prince of the kings of the earth, King of kings and Lord of lords, every knee shall bow before Him. Every tyrant and despot will one day have to bow before Him. Even now those who seem to exercise such power and sway over our lives are actually only given such power as our Lord will allow them. Even Jesus told Pilate that any power he had to execute or free Him was only what authority was granted to him for God's purposes. No matter what comes our way, we can trust our lives are firmly in the hands of our Lord and Savior.

(4)He loves us.

(5)He has cleansed us from our sins by His own blood.

(6)He has made us a new Kingdom, a new Nation. We are no longer of this world, we have become a part of His Kingdom in this world.

(7)And He has made us to be priests unto God, His Father. Serving before His Father in the office of priest.

It is for these seven reasons that the glory and the dominion are to Him for ever and ever!!! (Another use of the number seven. No, I do not believe in numerology. However, God has chosen to use numbers within His Word in very specific ways. The book of Revelation uses the number of seven very extensively as we will see.

Well, I hope that you may have gotten something out of this. I am so excited as Leanne and I are going through this study together. I truly believe that God has provided this book to the Church of Jesus Christ for some very specific purposes, and I take very seriously the promise of blessing for studying and obeying what the Lord has given us in this book. As I said, I am no theologian by any stretch of the imagination, but I hope that this will at least give you a taste of what this book has to offer.

Love,
Ev

The "Code" vs Relational Obedience

2010-04-09T18:03:00.003-07:00

Hi!

Still reading through my journal. I am up to 1993. I came across this today, and as I finished the project I was assigned for work, I thought I would forward it on to you. I hope it is not too dense. I am trying not to forget you, but work sometimes gets me to the place that I just don't want to spend another moment on the computer. :-(

I see two characteristics that Jesus condemned in the Pharisees:

They had built up the traditions of men to have equal merit with Scripture, with God's law. In some cases, their tradition overruled Scripture entirely. These traditions had become accepted as law, even when they sometimes contradicted the true Law God had given to Moses.

Their concern was strictly for outward observance of the law; they we were concerned mainly with appearances. Rather than seeking God with their whole hearts, their desire was to be "seen" keeping every law, living every religious principle, and appearing pious to all. And they were sure to hold high the standard of (self) righteousness while taking note of all those who were failing to do likewise.

Yes, it is very easy to fall into this, and "religion" encourages us to do so. First, it seems so much easier to live by a set of standards and principles or rules -- the "code" -- than it is to take the time to draw near to God and allow Him to have His way in our lives. After all, God may have some things to say about our favorite past times that we don't want to hear. We want a chance to look over the list and decide ahead of time whether or not we are willing to live with the rules.

Then, having a list of rules and regulations makes it that much easier to live just up to the minimum standard, believing God is quite pleased with us. Of course, if we slip up, we claim God's mercy and understanding. This makes our lives so much easier in a sense, all we must do is learn "the code." It doesn't matter whether it is a Scriptural mandate or a man-made obligation; in fact, the man-made commandments often take on greater weight than the Scriptural. (Thou shalt not smoke! vs Thou shalt not bear false witness! or Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.)

It is so easy to learn "the code" and so difficult to press into God Himself and to seek Him, His will, and His ways. It is much easier to conform ourselves to Christian "images" (our ideas of what a Christian should look like - right hair, right politics, right clothes, right vocabulary) than it is to live in simple relationship and obedience to God day by day. But the religious "yoke" can become unbearable if we really go after it. In fact, the religious yoke has two edges to it. It comforts and pacifies those who are content to be "good enough," while it drives to distraction those who want to fulfill every appearance of righteousness in the eyes of all their religious friends.

And, you know, while the religious yoke is sure to win admiration and applause, the one who seeks after God Himself and a relationship of obedience to Him may actually find himself misunderstood and judged false because he will not always live up to the man-made standards. He may not look "right," his political viewpoint may be perceived as antagonistic to the "Christian" worldview, and he may not have all the "Christianese" down. A true follower of Christ will not always live up to the religious code, even as Christ was condemned for healing on the Sabbath, eating with tax gatherers and sinners, and pardoning the adulteress.

(taken from my journal entry of 6/20/93)

So, I just want to encourage you. Don't settle for fitting into the Christian mold, for being good enough. Push in to know God! He has made Himself available through Christ at an unimaginable cost to Himself. He loves you and He wants you to know Him. He wants you to walk with Him day by day, learning from His Spirit and following His lead. It may not be as easy as living by a "code," but I can promise you that it will be an amazing adventure and worth the effort!

Love,
Ev

Relationship First!

2010-03-30T20:00:00.004-07:00

I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don't tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. But I have this complaint against you. You don't love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen from your first love! Turn back to me again and work as you did at first. If you don't, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. Rev. 2:2-5

All that God has done, He has done with the primary purpose of relationship! He created us for relationship with Him and has redeemed us at great cost to restore that relationship. egn 6/30/2007

I read an article in Christianity Today regarding Pastor John Piper, who is going to take an eight-month leave of absence from public ministry, and I followed the link to his letter regarding the leave. Please take a moment to read his letter at :

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2010/4555_John_Pipers_Upcoming_Leave/

It is so encouraging to find a minister who is willing to step back from a flourishing public ministry to rebuild his relationships with God, his wife, and his children. Too often all of us find ourselves trying to push through when what we really need to do is to step back into the loving arms of our Lord and rediscover our first love and passion.

Love,
Ev

Just a couple of thoughts for today . . .

2010-03-29T21:30:00.001-07:00

God is personally involved in even the smallest areas of His creation. He is not an impersonal God stamping out His creation with a mold and an automated press; but He is more like a potter whose hands personally mold and form the clay in intimate, loving contact. With a God who is so intimately and lovingly involved in His creation, we cannot believe He is unaware, unconcerned, nor that He has left us on our own.

It is only when we see God that we can truly see ourselves. When Isaiah saw God, he said, "Woe is me for I am a man of unclean lips." Somehow in a revelation of God, we also recognize the truth about ourselves.

Ev

Only a God like You . . .

2010-03-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

Only a God like You would want me to keep bugging You for my needs and longings and fears and hurts (persistence); only a God like You would want me to continually be in Your presence, freely and joyfully sharing with You every moment of my life (unceasing); only a God like You would want me to freely and confidently to enter into Your presence (confidence). Prayer is such an awesome privilege, joy and blessing! Teach me to pray!

Flowers along the way

2010-03-11T10:57:00.002-07:00

The Lord leads those who seek Him into paths of struggle and rest which lead to a cleansing of the life and to righteousness. What we could not, by self-control and self-will overcome in our live, He leads us to drop from our lives as we follow Him. And what joy to follow, to obey, and to find blessings as flowers all along the way. The funny thing is that these flowers may have once appeared to our 'selfish-self' to be thorns or weeds. They have been unveiled! Struggle and 'discipline' from the Lord's hands are recognized as blessings when the veil of 'self' is removed.

Things to Remember!

2010-03-09T21:59:00.002-07:00

Hi! These are just some things that God wants me to remember, and I thought He might just want you to remember some of them as well.

Pray more than I plan and work. I need to learn to let Him work in and through me rather than me trying to work for Him. Spend more time seeking His will and His ways rather than trying to reason everything out for myself and doing it in my own strength.
Listen more! Prayer is more than giving God my "wish list" or crying out to Him for my needs. Prayer is two-way communication. I need to spend more time listening for what God wants to say, rather than just talking His head off. Solitude and silence are so important, look for opportunities to find that place where I can hear that still small voice more clearly.
Time and Focus! I wonder sometimes how God feels as He sees me rushing off to this or that, spending time with this one and that one, while I short-change Him day after day. I need to commit to spending more time drawing apart to meet with Him, to get to know Him through His Word -- where He has chosen to reveal Himself -- to listen to Him, to share my heart with Him. I also need to learn to focus my heart on Him throughout my day. It is so easy to get caught up in the day, but I NEED to remember to keep my focus on Him throughout the day -- to pray without ceasing, carrying on a conversation with Him throughout the day.
Lordship! Oh, how I need to submit EVERY area of my life to His Lordship -- recognizing that He wants to be Lord over even what I eat and drink, what I buy, what I spend my "free" time doing. EVERYTHING!
Obey! Simply, just to obey Him!
Learning to live a God-centered life rather than a self-centered life. Not focusing on "my rights", or "my desires", or "my feelings", but rather learning to look at life from God's perspective. Learning to do things God's way. Learning to love those God loves. Letting go of offenses. Letting go of my agendas. Embracing God's will!
Praying for my family! Looking to God to meet their needs and to fulfill all His will for their lives. For my unsaved family and loved ones, lifting them up to God and asking Him to initiate a move of His Spirit in their lives.
Share! I need to be willing to share God's heart with others without fear. God gives each one of us things to share with the body, but sometimes I find it a little scary to share something. God doesn't want me to be shy about sharing His love and His truth.
Choose faith, hope, and trust! God wants me to learn to put off all the depression and discouragement, and to choose to live by faith, expectant hope, and trust.
Giving. Tithing teaches me to trust God to provide for my needs, to recognize Him as my Provider. It also teaches me to be thankful for all the blessings that He pours out so lavishly.
As I see God at work in my life and all around me, I need to remember to magnify Him. Just simply to put a "spotlight" on what He has done and is doing! Sometimes, again, I can be hesitant to share what I see Him doing, but I NEED to learn to magnify Him and praise Him! It encourages me and encourages those who hear it!!
Rather than trying to "fit in" with those around me, to be acceptable to them, I need to set my heart on shaping myself to the mold of Jesus! Pleasing God should be far and away more important than pleasing those around me.
Church! I need to remember to pray for my church! I need to be seeking God's will for our church and for the body. I need to be listening for what He has to say regarding our church. And I need to be sharing what I am hearing Him say. I also need to be praying for the greater Body of Christ throughout the world, my brothers and sisters in the Lord. Asking Him for insight and leading and strength for His Body and it faces challenges and opposition. What is the Lord wanting to say to His people. How does He want us to live. I need to be praying that our ears and hearts would be open to His direction.

I am sure that there are so many more things that I need to remember! It just seems that it is so difficult to keep one idea in my head longer than 10 minutes. So, I thought writing them down in this way would help. Hope that one or two will encourage you. Perhaps you could come up with your own list of things that God wants you to remember.

Love,
Ev

The god you serve

2010-03-06T20:43:00.002-07:00

Everything in your spiritual life depends on the sort of God you worship. Because the character of the worshipper will always be molded by the character of what he worships. If it is a cruel and revengeful god, the worshipper will be the same, but if it is a loving, tender, forgiving, unselfish God, the worshipper will be transformed slowly, wonderfully, into this likeness. Hannah Whitall Smith

Oh, Lord, that I could more reflect Your likeness! That I could be more as Christ is. And, O what an amazing wonder to know such a God and to serve such a One as You are!! You are so far beyond any god that we could ever imagine or design for ourselves. I love You so much, my Savior, my Lord, my God!!

Major Adjustments

2010-02-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

Amazing!

This morning, as I was preparing for my quiet time, the Lord really spoke to my heart telling me that He "wants to teach me how to follow Him in all the day by day areas of my life. He wants me to start out the day asking Him to lead me in all things: work, eating, drinking, activities - even asking Him when to sleep and what time to set the alarm to get up! Quite a scary thing for me, because I know it will change my life dramatically." If you know me at all, you can guess what an overwhelming thought this is. I can give up a lot of things to God without a second thought, but giving Him lordship of my eating and drinking choices (did you know I am a Pepsi addict?) and my sleeping choices is a really scary thing to do. I love my food, I love my Pepsi, and I love to be just curled up in my bed watching TV or sleeping. But I really felt God impress this on my heart. And He drove this home as I opened my study in Experiencing God and found that it was all about this subject!! Hard to believe that Henry Blackaby would know what God was saying to my heart this morning. (LOL!)

Until you are ready to make any change necessary to follow and obey what God has said, you will be of little use to God.

And that is the agony of it. God is really showing me that I can continue on "obeying and following" Him in the "big things," and He will let me continue playing church. Knowing the right things to say, understanding what the truth is, enjoying glimpses of His face, I will still continue to live a crippled walk, never knowing the full power of a truly surrendered life that is filled with Holy Spirit! How sad a life that is. You can see it (from a distance), you know what a life filled by His Spirit really is, yet you miss it totally because something is of more value to you. Something so worthless and so deadly and so ugly, is something you have convinced yourself that you cannot live without. And so you surrender the most beautiful, most valuable, most wonderful life imaginable in order to hold on to it.

If you think of me, please pray that God will give me the will and the ability to do what He is calling me to. Right now I am shaking and my knees are knocking.

Love,
Ev

Knowing God

2010-02-15T14:05:00.002-07:00

Oh, Wow!! I am currently in the process of copying my "Mini-Me Journal" (I know. It is weird.) over to a new book. So, things that had meant so much to me at the time but were forgotten are hitting me afresh. And, now the dilemma, what to share with you? Hmmmm.

I guess one of the first things to come my way after I wrote my previous Thought, was a quote by Albert Einstein:

"The only source of knowledge is experience."

Amazingly, after reading that quote, I opened Experiencing God to do my study for the evening, and the quote was a perfect introduction for the study. Here are some quotes from the study for that night:

"When people see something happen that only God can do, they come to know God."

"Our world is not seeing God because we are not attempting anything that only God can do."

"Let the world watch God at work, and He will attract people to Himself."

I guess it reinforces for me the thought that the only way to come to know God personally is to see and experience Him at work, to experience Him personally, to hear His voice for one's self. Any other way leads only to a superficial "knowing ABOUT" Him. .

Then, this morning I read an inspirational article that talked about the coming year being an "adventure." An adventure is definitely something that includes surprises and unanticipated twists and turns. There may be unexpected obstacles and forks in the road. If we are going to navigate the year ahead (and those that follow), we MUST recognize the voice of our Shepherd. We MUST KNOW Him!! Reading about Him in the Bible, hearing about Him in a sermon, watching a movie on His life won't be enough. We must KNOW Him personally! We must KNOW Him well enough to trust Him when the way before us is clouded in the mist of suffering and confusion. We must KNOW Him well enough that we will step off the shore when He calls us to walk on the water. We must recognize HIS voice from the midst of the babble of the world and our own confusing thoughts and fears and desires.

Are you ready for the adventure that lies ahead? Can you hear Him calling to you? And, when you reach out to others with the reality of Christ Jesus, are you telling them ABOUT Him, giving them descriptions and quoting Scriptures about Him? Or, are you allowing them to see God doing something in your life that only He can do? Are you letting the world watch God at work in and through you so that they can come to know Him by experience? I'm asking myself the same questions.

Love,
Ev

Experiencing God!

2010-02-11T18:34:00.002-07:00

Last night was our study group. We have been studying the book "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby. I love this study and, by the way, I highly recommend it as a wonderful study on the Christian walk.

The study and discussion we had last night were such a blessing to me. It reminded me of the awe-some gift we have in Christ Jesus. In particular, I was reminded again of the wonder that God, creator and sustainer of the universe, desires a very personal and real relationship with me, with every one of us.

God has not just handed down a basic instruction manual for us to follow in this life; He has not given us a list of commandments, principles, and procedures to follow; nor has He kept His distance by choosing this or that "special" person to be His spokesperson for the rest of us. No, God, in Christ Jesus, has thrown wide the gates of heaven, beckoning us into the throne room, right up to His side. And, you could also say that in Holy Spirit, He has come down to us. He has chosen to enter right into our hearts and our lives, where He is ever-present.

It is amazing and wonderful to understand that God has chosen to have an on-going relationship with each one of us that is as exciting and as personal as we will allow it to be. In particular, it is amazing how God speaks to us and leads us, often in very specific ways. Can you imagine God directing someone to drive off the highway and leading him very specifically to a stranger in a phone booth in order for that stranger and his family to come to Christ? That was a testimony we heard last night!

Such testimonies just make you want to shout "Hallelujah!" But at the same time, they make you want to push in nearer; they give you a restless hunger for more of Him in your life!

So, I ask you, how much of God are you experiencing in your life on a daily basis? How often do you hear His voice or recognize that He has just touched your heart? Are you satisfied with just "living a good life," or just knowing that heaven will someday be your home? Heaven sounds so wonderful, but you can have the most awesome part of heaven right here and now in the very Person and presence of God Himself with you and in you in very tangible and practical ways. The question is, do you want it? Are you hungry for it? Or, are you willing to settle for the outward, shadowy form of the Christian life.

Love,
Ev

2010-02-03T14:46:00.004-07:00

It is amazing, sometimes, the way God works in a life. With all that has been happening, I tend to be so distracted from what really is going on. Sometimes, though, it is not so much that I am distracted as it is that I don't want to see what is happening.

I met with a dear friend last night to chat and catch up with one another; we haven't gotten together since before the holidays. What a nice time we had chatting with one another and catching up. Both of us had burdens to share and help to offer one another.

As we talked, somehow we dredged up an ongoing situation in my life, and my friend offered some godly insight and wisdom that I wasn't expecting and wasn't really wanting to hear. I had all my excuses, arguments, and reasons to dismiss what she had to say, and I left feeling thoughtful and worried that she may be right.

This morning as I did my study, God just seemed to zero in on the subject and gave me a peace about the whole thing, with perhaps even a little sense of anticipation. I am in a Bible Study right now, and we are studying Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby (a really awesome study that I highly recommend). So as I was going over my study this morning, the first things to catch my eye were:

You cannot know the truth of your circumstances until you have heard from God. He is Truth! Truth is present and active in your life!

Do not evaluate your situation until you have heard from Jesus. He is Truth.

Two words in a Christian's language cannot go together: 'No, Lord!' . . . Do not proceed until you can honestly say, 'Whatever You want of me, Lord, I will do it.'

Firstly, I had not really asked God about the situation. I had reasoned in my heart the circumstances and what I should do. Secondly, I did not know whether I wanted to hear what He had to say or that I could answer 'yes'. Nevertheless, as I was meditating on this, God's grace was so good as to melt my heart and bring me to the point of being willing to hear what He had to say.

The study then went on to talk about the times of decision in the history of the Israelites and the altars that they erected to mark those times and to remember God's activity in their lives. Henry Blackaby calls these Spiritual Markers in our lives and says that they provide us with opportunities to share with others about God's activity on behalf of His people. This reminded me of my Thoughts, and how I can share what God is doing in my life with you.

Another thing he mentioned in the study is the way God tends to rehearse His previous activity in our lives so that we can see His perspective on what is happening in the present. That is why I love my journals, they connect me to all the spiritual markers along the path of my life.

When God is ready for you to take a new step or direction in His activity, it will always be in sequence with what He has already been doing in your life. He does not go off on tangents or take meaningless detours. He builds your character in an orderly fashion with a divine purpose in mind.

As I looked back over my life, I could see how this new situation is somewhat related to what God has been doing in my life. And this helped me so much to realize that this is not something new or something I should be afraid of. I have faced similar situations in the past and been blessed through them. I began to look at this situation as a new leg in the journey of my life.

Then, what do you know, when I logged in to my email, I came across an inspirational email that began by quoting my life's verse. It then went on to talk about the "Sacred Journey" God is calling us to. Wow!! Nearly knocked my socks off (except I was barefoot at the time). A second inspirational email finished with the quote: "The adventure is about to begin . . .".

So, I'm not sure what God is doing. I have some ideas and I am asking Him to guide me into His timing for the situation and His ways of walking through this. And I invite you to join me in the sacred journey ahead, whatever that is in your life. The adventure is about to begin and continue for each one of us.

Blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord and the Author and Finisher of our faith,
Ev

Model Christians

2010-01-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Hi! This morning in my quiet time, I started out by reading some of the things I have kept in my "Mini-Me Journal" and it prompted a thought that I would like to share with you:

There is no such thing as a model Christian. Every one of us is unique and meant to be so. Because you see others whom you admire for their faith, love, wisdom, or goodness does not mean God wants you to be like them. God created you as a unique member of the body, and He wants to use you, your life, as He created you. I have many people in my life that I admire so much, and often I can become discouraged because I don't measure up to them as I see them.

I see their wisdom, their ministry, their kindness and love, or their accomplishments and then look at my own life and see myself lacking. Then the really sad part is that I don't see within me the nature nor the motivation to do the things I see them doing. Well, i realized that God did not design me to be a "Helen," a "Sarina," a "Neva," a "Ruth," a "Debbie," a "Monika," or a "Brenda." (Oh, wow!!! I could name a handful more of you that I look at with love and admiration! Sorry, I hope this doesn't become about whose name I did or did not include.)

Of course, that is not to say that I cannot use them as examples and encouragement to grow in certain areas. I long so much to love others as I Monika loved me. But I should not expect nor strive to become all that they are. Nor should I berate myself for not measuring up to them in those areas in which they shine. I need to go to God to learn from Him who He has created me to be, which will be a lifelong journey of discovery. And then I need to walk with Him day by day to find the ways He has wants to include me in the work He is doing.

I hope this blesses you as it did me. Just being inspired from God was such a blessing for me, and I thank God.

As I said, I love you all. Each one of you has blessed my life so richly, and I admire each one of you for the ways that I see God using you to minister to the hearts and minds of those around you!! You are each a beautiful and unique and glorious gift from the Lord for my life.

Love,

Depression - A State of Mind

2010-01-29T19:56:00.003-07:00

Dearest Friends:

I want to apologize to many of you who responded to my previous email. I intended to write back to you thanking you for your concern and letting you know that I am perhaps not as badly off as I may have led you to believe. However, I seem to be having such a difficult time writing or even talking about this place I am in at the moment, so much so that I have been putting off my responses hoping things would improve.

This is so difficult to write or talk about, so forgive me if this comes off disjointed (I keep deleting and rewriting sentences). Again, thank you all so much for your loving concern and your encouragement in response to that email. You bless me more than you will ever know.

So, where am I? I have been asking myself the same question. I am better. The sadness, anxiety, and trouble focusing have lifted. I am able to cope with my day to day life again. But I am not where I would hope to be. It is rather like being dissociated a little from the normal ups and downs of life. I am no longer sad or anxious, but neither am I happy and interested in life. Even the most exciting events seem like a lot of work. The passion of my life has become uninteresting or just too much bother, and curling up with my covers pulled up over my head seems much more appealing.

I am OK though, so you do not have to worry about me.

I wrote the above about 3 days ago and saved it as a draft because I got busy with work AND because it was so hard to write or to even know what I wanted to say.

For the past couple of days I have been feeling a bit better, so I thank God. I read something that I think helped a little, I found it in my "Mini-Me Journal." I had it written down, but I cannot remember if it was a quote or if it was something that God had impressed on me directly at the time.

When it feels as though God has gone or is hiding, think of Him as standing just behind you, just out of sight, ready to catch you, teaching you to trust that He will always be there for you.

I tend to think it is something that I wrote down at some point because it is such a run-on sentence. LOL! It is so easy when you are not hearing God's voice (whether it is that He isn't speaking or that you aren't listening) to feel as though you are on your own. It is NEVER true. When you are His child, He is always right there with you, always ready to catch you and to bless you.

I have also been helped by the study we are doing on Wednesday nights, Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. He gives some good direction for when you are in a time of God's silence:

Pray through a sin checklist (in other words, examine your heart for any unconfessed sin). Confess and repent, making things right.
Continue doing the last thing God told you, as well as the things you know to do. (reading/studying the Bible, prayer, fellowship with other believers, etc.).
Go back to God believing that He will let you know what is happening when and if you need to know. In other words, Ask Him and trust Him.
Put away discouragement, guilt, and self-pity.
Adjust your life to an attitude of hopeful expectation, faith and trust. Expectation that God is doing something deep in your life.

So, as I said, I am feeling a bit better. Again, I am so sorry for not responding sooner to everyone. It is such a difficult place to be, so hard to communicate and reach out to others. So difficult to even get your thoughts straight or to know what you are thinking/feeling. I love you all and thank you all so much for your prayers, your concern, your encouragement, and your love!!

Love,
Ev

Just whatever is on my mind . . .

2009-12-10T21:49:00.002-07:00

Warning! This "Thought" may be inappropriate for some readers...

OK, so I feel like talking but there is no one at hand to listen at the moment. So . . .

Depression is such a difficult thing to deal with. It feels almost like quicksand. You feel yourself sinking down into its enveloping embrace, and you know the danger there. Yet, the solid ground seems to be so far beyond reach, and you have no energy left with which to struggle.

It is so amazing that you can be surrounded by loved ones, yet feel so deserted and alone. You want someone to listen, to care, to comfort. Yet, at the same time, you find yourself pulling away and pushing away any comfort offered. "Everyone is busy. They have more important things to deal with than your self-pity." Besides, what will they think of you if you let them know what is going on inside you? "Weakling. Coward."

They don't have to say it, you've said it to yourself a hundred times or more. "Come on, what's wrong with you? Stop feeling so sorry for yourself and do something. Stop Whining! What have you got to feel bad about? Stop being such a baby!" How long before they will avoid you? Will they walk by pretending they didn't see you?

OK, enough whining!

Sorry, I know that this isn't what you were wanting to read, and I most certainly should not post it. But it is what is on my mind and on my heart. Delete it, forget it, let it go. It is nothing, but it is my thought for today.

Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

How will you respond?

2009-09-22T16:08:00.003-07:00

San Diego County officials shut down home Bible study
County official interrogates pastor and his wife
May 28, 2009

A San Diego pastor and his wife have been told they cannot have a Bible couple says they were interrogated by a San Diego County official, then threatened with ever increasing fines if they refuse to stop the Bible study.

According to the couple's attorney, they were questioned about the Bible study. "'Do you have a regular meeting in your home?" The pastor's wife replied, "Yes." "Do you say 'amen'?" the official asked. "Yes," she replied. "Do you pray?" Again she said, "Yes." "Do you say 'praise the Lord'?" Another "Yes." The official told the pastor and his wife they were in violation of county rules.

The Bible study usually has an average of about 15 people.

A few days later they got a written warning that listed the home Bible study an "unlawful use of land." They were notified to "stop religious assembly or apply for a major use permit," which could cost them thousands of dollars.

Could a small poetry club meet regularly in a home? Apparently, yes. What about a Cub Scout meeting? Evidently, yes. What if they meet regularly to watch Monday Night Football? Obviously, yes.

(Hi, received this in an email some time ago, and I was rather shocked. I began this “Thought” at the time, but was interrupted before posting it. Just came across it and decided the ideas are still valid.)

Wow! Could it be possible that any level of our government would consider interfering with a Bible Study in someone's home? I know it happens overseas. In fact, when I lived in Jordan there was a period of time where the government prohibited all religious gatherings within homes. But here, in America? Interesting!

We have been blessed for so long with religious freedom that I'm not sure we can imagine what it would be like to have that freedom compromised. What if we were facing a time when we could no longer worship or gather together in His name. I'm not trying to frighten you with some doom and gloom scenario. Christians throughout history have faced these challenges; Christians around the world are facing them now. There is no reason to suppose that we will never face such a trial. But I'm wondering what our response will be.

I remember a long time ago hearing a news report of Christians gathered outside of an abortion clinic trying to rescue the unborn. The reporter focused on how difficult it was for the women to walk through those Christians to receive the 'help' they needed. At the time, I remember wondering how many Christians would be willing to walk through the midst of a protesting, angry mob to go to church. Would we be willing even to break the law to gather together? Would Americans be willing to risk their lives to worship together?

What I am asking you to consider is your relationship with the Father, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit, and with the Church? How important is it to you? How important would it be if it were to become difficult, even life-threatening, to live out that relationship? You could say, "Well, I don't have to gather together with other believers to be a Christian or to have a relationship with God. I can pray, read my Bible, and follow Him on my own." The Bible states plainly that we do need to gather together; we need one another in our relationship with Him. Paul uses the body as a picture of the Church, emphasizing how much we need one another. A hand or an eye or a toe cannot remain viable on its own for long, it will die. Even so, a Christian trying to live the Christian life on their own will find that life becoming stale, dry, and dead without the other parts of the body.

Recently, our church held a “Small Groups Fair” to introduce the new small group studies that were starting up for this fall. Our tables were spread out through the sanctuary so that attendees could walk around and gather information on the available groups and choose one that would be their opportunity to become connected within the body to other members. It was interesting to watch as the service ended how many just walked out without even considering becoming involved.

I overheard one of the couples that were visiting the different tables lament that fact that their schedules were so busy that they just did not know how they could possibly fit in one more thing. I totally understand, believe me, I know how crazy life has become for all of us. But I want to ask you, where are your priorities? I understand, you want your children to be involved in sports that will teach them life-skills, you have clubs and activities that add so much to your life, and then there is the very necessary family time. But have you considered how ultimately important fellowship with other believers really is? How important the spiritual growth and development of you and your family are?

Sunday morning service is amazing! It offers us opportunity for corporate worship as a body, we hear messages that encourage and direct our walks in the path of righteousness, and we are given the privilege of presenting our tithes and offerings to the Lord. The one thing Sunday morning lacks is the opportunity for deep and personal connection with other believers, along with the growth and development only such connection provides. This is where small groups come in, providing the personal connection, the encouraging support, and the opportunity for Holy Spirit to manifest Himself to you through the gifts He has given to others (not even to mention the opportunity for you to experience God as His Spirit manifests through your life in the gifts He has given you). As I have already stated, God created His body specifically to draw us to one another, to make us interdependent on one another.

Two [are] better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him [that is] alone when he falleth; for [he hath] not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm [alone]? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecc 4:9-12

We need one another. Along with the priority of our relationship to God, we also need to give priority to our place in the body. Right now we have the freedom to come together. We have the opportunity to be a member of the living body of Christ. If we don’t see the value now, will we see it when/if it becomes a life and death decision?

Just another thought on this article:

When we are faced with an "unfair or illegal" attack on our “freedoms,” how should we respond? An article I read as I checked out this story, said that there were some calls for picketing, for harassing county officials, for jamming local call-in station's phone lines. Another article said that Blogs were running with this story and that one even (supposedly) suggested the best positioning for snipers. I mean, could this be true? Surely the more outrageous of these ideas did not come from the Church of our heavenly Father. Our hearts would NEVER consider snipers or violence. Any response to the world’s attempts to limit our ‘freedom’ should always be expressed with the heart and mind of Christ.

Love,

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

The Bible and the Two Covenants

2009-09-15T23:30:00.006-07:00

I’d like to share with you the first lesson of a study I did quite some time back. The study was on the book of Matthew, but I started off with a quick overview of the Bible, the New Testament, and the Gospels to get things kicked off. When our church began reading through the New Testament, it brought back so much of what I had researched and put together, and I wanted to share it with you.

Purpose

A collection of writings, the Bible was written by at least 40 authors and has been organized into 66 books. Any particular ‘book’ of the Bible may have originally been a history, a collection of songs, a collection of wise sayings, a record of prophetic messages, or a letter to a body of believers. These writings were gathered together over the course of 1400-1800 years.

The Bible is both an account of the redemption of man and the story of God’s effort to reveal Himself to man. As such, it focuses upon the Redeemer (John 1:29, John 10:10-11, John 14:6) and the Revealer, i.e. the Lamb of God and the Word of God – Jesus Christ (John 1:1, John 14:9, John 10:30, and John 1:18). By the way, the Greek in John 1:1 for ‘Word’ is ‘logos’, which conveys an expression of the nature, concept, thought, and spirit, not simply the physical sounds or the written characters.

Because of the nature and purpose of the Bible, we should not expect it to contain an historic account of all of civilization, nor should we look there to find the details of the design of our world and the nature of the universe. The Bible also does not have very much to say about eternity past nor eternity future. Instead, it is focused on the realm of time and space in which God chose to reveal His great glory, mercy, and grace in the redemption of His creation.

Old and New

The 66 ‘books’ of the Bible are divided into what we now refer to as the Old Testament and the New Testament. What these terms are attempting to convey is that the Old Testament (made up of the writings collected as sacred Scripture by the Jews – 39 ‘books’) deals primarily with the covenantal relationship of God to the physical descendents of Abraham through Isaac (the nation of Israel). This covenantal relationship was based upon a system of laws instituted by God and later expanded and developed by religious leaders to include their traditions and legal interpretations; much like any governmental system is expanded and developed over time. And just as our legal system can only govern the outward obedience to the law, so the Old Covenant (Old Testament) is all about maintaining an outward obedience to the law, which proved of little use in changing hearts and minds and of no use whatsoever in transforming sinful man into a holy, new creation. Of course, God realized this from the beginning, we did not. The Old Covenant was to teach us just how incapable we are in our flesh to obey God’s righteous commands.

The New Testament (New Covenant) contains the Christian Scriptures, which relate to the covenantal relationship of God to the Church, through Jesus Christ. This new covenant is based upon the sacrificial death of the Lamb of God, Who redeemed us (paid the penalty for our sin). Because of our faith in His finished work, we are ‘born again’ (born of the spirit) as a new creation in Christ (something totally different from what we were). Our sins have been atoned for by the shed blood of Jesus, so when we believe and receive His saving gift, we stand before God justified (made righteous). This is an amazing concept for which we have many analogies, but sometimes find it hard to grasp, which is why we tend to get all caught up in trying to live under some system laws. (Remember, it didn’t work for the Jews, and it won’t work for us.)

I love Romans 12:1-2, which tells us not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Being conformed is sort of like living under the law, you try to reign yourself in to fit into some sort of model. Transformed is from the Greek word metamorpoo. Can you guess what that means? It is a total change in nature (remember ‘new creation’), and I believe it refers to the change that only the Holy Spirit is able to accomplish in our lives from the inside (where He is) out. Even trying to conform ourselves to the perfect model of Christ is impossible for us to do by our own effort or willpower. The Holy Spirit is able to work in us as we submit to Him, and He is able to work out into our lives the righteousness Jesus died to give us.

These two concepts are contained within the New Covenant: the penalty paid once and for all by the Lamb of God and the ongoing sanctification (or remodeling work) of the Holy Spirit from within us.

OK, that’s all I can get to tonight (it is late and tomorrow is another day). I just want to add that this is a very sketchy overview. Not only is it limited by the time and space available, but also by my limited understanding and experience. (I am trying to remind you that I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination.) Nevertheless, I hope it will bless you!

Let me leave you with one other thought that I gathered in my original research so many years ago. The Old Testament is the account of a nation (Israel), and the New Testament is the account of a Man (Jesus Christ). The nation was nurtured to bring forth the Man!

I will try to continue this tomorrow and to focus in on the New Testament and the Gospels. Love,

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

Pour it Out to the Lord!

2009-09-03T21:22:00.002-07:00

"He would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord." 2 Sam. 23:16

If you have become bitter and sour, it is because when God gave you a blessing you hoarded it. Yet if you had poured it out to Him, you would have been the sweetest person on earth. If you are always keeping blessings to yourself and never learning to pour out anything 'to the Lord,' other people will never have their vision of God expanded through you. Oswald Chambers

For those of you not familiar with the passage of Scripture quoted above, it regards an incident in David's life when he was in hiding from Saul and the Philistines had a garrison in Bethlehem. In a moment of longing, David said, "Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which [is] by the gate!"

Three of his mighty men risked their lives because of their love for David to bring him water from the well. Yet David refused to drink it and poured it out to the Lord, saying, "Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: [is not this] the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it."

When I read this quote and this devotional by Oswald Chambers, I prayed about it because I wasn't sure how it would apply in my life. Somehow the quote touched me deeply. I felt that it applied to a particular area of blessing in my life, but I just could not quite understand how.

Then as I read my Scripture portion for the morning, I came across the incident between Jesus and Peter in which Peter rebuked Him for telling them that the Son of Man would "suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and [of] the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again." Jesus "rebuked Peter, saying, 'Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.'"

Jesus then went on to say to His disciples and to the multitude: "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it."

I really felt that this was an answer to my prayer regarding the pouring out of the blessing in my life. I felt God was trying to tell me that it is about being whole-hearted and holding on to NOTHING. It is being willing to lay it all down and let it all go in faith.

Some years ago, I went through a very difficult situation, and I realize now that I was so distraught because I was trying to save the 'life' I thought was mine. The situation itself developed because I had tried to fit my 'life' into the mold that someone else had set for me and because of my overriding desire to be accepted. In the end, I had to let go of a marvelous blessing God had given me.

My prayer is that the Lord will help me to remember this. I pray that I will remember to hold very loosely the blessings He gives, or rather that I will NOT hold them at all but will pour them out to Him. I want to be willing to pour it all out without reservation and without giving into the fear of man that haunts me, to pour my very life out to Him.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Love,
Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

Remember, The Lord's Lovingkindnesses Never Cease

2009-09-01T17:22:00.001-07:00

So I say, "My strength has perished, and so has my hope from the Lord." Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I have hope in Him." The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. Lam. 3:17-25

In trial and suffering, we become focused on the situation, leading to despair and hopelessness. At these times, we MUST CHOOSE to remember God's goodness, to dwell on His nature not on the circumstances. In God Himself is our hope!

Love,
Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

Firm Until the End

2009-08-31T12:13:00.005-07:00

For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end. Hebrews 3:14

But I have this against you that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place -- unless you repent. Revelation 2:4-5

This reminds me, as I read the passage in Hebrews a few mornings ago, that it isn't all about how you start, it is about continuing, it is about finishing well.

It can be easy in the rush of emotion and joy to start well. Our hearts are so full of love, faith, and joy in our salvation. But we then have a choice. Will we continue on stoking the fire of our passion for Christ, or will we get pulled back into the life of doubt, self, and distraction, where our love and faith begin to die. It is a daily choice.

Hebrews 3:13 tells us to "encourage one another, day after day." We are not only to be concerned with our own heart's condition, but we are to be concerned for one another as well. We need each other; we need to be there for one another. I love God's model for the church. The interdependence He built into the design keeps us together and helps us to stand.

As I run the race of faith, I keep my eye fixed on the goal, and I remain aware of the runners all around me. But unlike the runners in the world's "rat race," who are aware of one another so they can best plan on how to overtake and leave each other in the dust, I consciously choose to watch my brothers and sisters to yell out encouragement, to help one who has fallen, or to get one who is running in the wrong direction reoriented to the finish line. That is my ideal of a race. I love it! Not being solely focused on getting to the finish line first, not being set on outdoing everyone else, not worried about being the best. Rather a race in which every runner runs while helping every other runner along the way. I love the idea of a race in which the goal is not to finish first, but rather to finish well.

(Oops, I got off the subject. LOL!! Which I often do.)

Where are you today? Do you still have that same passion, faith, and joy you started with when you first met Jesus Christ? If not, how can I help you to refocus, refresh, and re-energize your heart with His love and His faithfulness? How can I help you to get back onto the track and into the race? Let's finish this thing strong, together. Let our last lap be as determined and exciting as the first.

Love,
Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

Teachers are Tested!

2009-08-29T15:05:00.001-07:00

OK, so beware! If you are a teacher or if you open your life up to share with others, you need to be prepared to live what you teach. I don't mean that in the sense that you must have everything you teach down pat, that you need to be an expert at it. What I mean is that as soon as you share something, you should be prepared to be tested in that area.

My last message to you was on forgiveness. Well, today my son and I had a knock-down, drag-out, no-holds-barred fight. Oh, it wasn't a nice little argument, it was a fight!!! If you know me and my sons at all, you know that is a VERY rare event. We love one another so much, and we all love peace and quiet enough to avoid conflict at all cost.

But this morning, we absolutely blew up at one another, each saying things we should NEVER have said, each saying things that we don't even mean just because our anger got the best of us. And it hurt so much. It hurt me, it hurt him, it hurt the rest of the family. The pain is overwhelming.

And now, I am facing the issue of forgiving (which I am sure he is also facing). Remember, I said it is not easy. Right now, I don't even want to talk. The feelings are still too raw, the hurt is still too painful, and I am not sure that we can talk without the whole thing blowing up again.

Like I said, it seems to be a given that as soon as you teach or share something, you are going to be tested in that area.

I ask for your prayers.

(Just being honest here.)

Love,
Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

Forgive!

2009-08-28T16:57:00.001-07:00

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them]. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 11:24-26

I love Mark 11:24, don't you? It sounds as though whatever you want, if you pray, believing, you will get it. WooHoo!! So we spend lots and lots of time trying to whip up our faith to get those things we want! I've done it, have you? But that isn't what is on my heart today.

It's the following two verses that I'm thinking about today. And I wonder, are those as dear to your heart as the first? I would have to admit, I probably don't quote them as often. I don't hold on to them in faith, and I sometimes wish I didn't know them. (Like last night, when I was mad at my son.)

Interestingly, it doesn't say that if someone has something against you, go and apologize to them and make it right. That can be relatively easy compared to this. And Jesus does deal with that in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:21-24) But here it says, "If you have something against someone," you are to forgive them.

Boy, I know, it can be so hard to apologize to someone you have mistreated in some way. It can be hard to humble yourself and ask for forgiveness. But sometimes it seems even harder to forgive someone who has hurt or offended you. It is like everything in you rises up to protest! (That is your flesh, by the way.) We want our apology, we want them to humble themselves before us and ask for our forgiveness. We want them to explain what could have possibly led them to hurt us so.

And, it is even worse if they won't apologize, or if they are seemingly unaware that they have hurt us? (How could they not know?) All that is within us wants our feelings to be justified by their apology and an explanation as to why they hurt us.

And God tells us to forgive, even as we are praying, we are to stop and forgive. If we are holding something against someone, we are to forgive them, without an apology, without an explanation, without a confrontation. We are to forgive.

Actually, the last verse is really rather frightening if you think about it. "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." What? If I don't forgive, God won't forgive me? I'm not making this stuff up, it is in the Bible. We can probably try to argue it off theologically or something, but it appears to be a clear statement.

Funny how I expect God to forgive me because Christ died for me and paid the penalty of my sin. But then I feel totally justified in not forgiving the one who has hurt me. Boy, I want them to fix it!

Is it worth it? Is what they have done really worth not forgiving them? Is it worth inhibiting my relationship with God? Is it worth inhibiting my prayers? Last night I could feel my prayer inhibited by my self-righteous anger over such a little thing! (Thank You, God, for allowing me to feel it.)

I'm going to add one more thing, if someone has hurt or offended you, don't carry it around. You need to forgive them. In some cases, you may need to talk to them about it. One of the things I have found is that I am sometimes offended by my PERCEPTION of something said or done. Offenses are often the result a misunderstanding. So, sometimes it is a good idea to ask for clarification! (I know how scary that can be, but it is worth it to restore a friendship that has been damaged by the lies of the enemy whispered into our hearts and minds.) In love and a spirit of reconciliation, go to the person and try to clear up any possible misunderstanding. Of course, as I said, this MUST be done in love. You cannot approach such a situation in a spirit of blame and accusation.

As I said, unforgiveness inhibits your relationship with God (no matter how you try to convince yourself that it doesn't), and it inhibits your prayers. NOTHING in this world is worth that! By the way, I did forgive my son, and looking back on it, it was such a silly thing to be upset about in the first place.

Love,
Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

God Notices!

2009-08-26T09:54:00.002-07:00

Nothing happens either good or bad on this earth that is not in God's sight. It is absolutely critical that we understand how God notices our lives. Henry Blackaby - Created to be God's Friend

That is such an amazing thought, and I think we/I tend to just read over it. Like, "Of course, God notices our lives. La-la-la-la-la."

This means that the God of all there is, the God who is concerned and in control of the movement of the planets and alignment of the stars, is concerned and notices my life! Me, Evelyn Nobody. (Not trying to put myself down here, just recognizing the fact that in the broader scope of things, I am really not that significant.) In the billions of folks all over this world and down through the ages, God notices me.

I remember the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. They were going through all their gyrations trying to get their "god" to answer them. (And can you just imagine what was going on in the spiritual realm? God was preventing Baal from responding! Yay, God! Like had him hog-tied and gagged or something!) To get Baal's attention, they would have to cut themselves and cry out and carry on.

My life is noticed by God! Your life is noticed by God! And I will go beyond that, I will say that your life is precious to God!! Your life is not just a blip on His radar, your life matters to Him, is precious. And God knows all about you, knows all that you are doing and all that you are facing. He knows, He cares, AND He is able to meet your needs!

Love,
Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

2009-08-03T13:34:00.002-07:00

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
Mary Oliver, The Summer Day

I love this quote! It reminds me that my life can matter, I can make a difference. It also reminds me that it is my choice. Will I choose to lead a safe, dull, and self-centered life, or will I choose to follow Christ into the wild, exciting adventure of living to make a difference!

How about you?

Love,
Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

Amazing Quote!

2009-06-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Had to share this with you. Our pastor used it on the hand out for his sermon last weekend:

"What is, therefore, our task today? Shall I answer: 'Faith, hope, and love?' That sounds beautiful. But I would say - courage. No, even that is not challenging enough to be the whole truth. Our task today is - recklessness. For what we Christians lacks is not psychology or literature ... we lack a holy rage - the recklessness which comes from the knowledge of God and humanity. The ability to rage when justice lies prostrate in the streets, and when the lie rages across the face of the earth ... a holy anger about the things that are wrong in the world. To rage against the ravaging of God's earth, and the destruction of God's world. To rage when little children must die of hunger, when the tables of the rich are sagging with food. To rage at the senseless killing of so many, and against the madness of militaries. To rage at the lie that calls the threat of death and the strategy of destruction peace. To rage against complacency. To restlessly seek that recklessness that will challenge and seek to change human history until it conforms to the norms of the Kingdom of God. And remember the signs of the Christian Church have been the lion, the lamb, the dove, and the fish ... but never the chameleon."
by Kaj Munk, a Danish pastor and outspoken priest, uttered these prophetic words before he was killed, with his Bible next to him, by the Gestapo in January 1944.

It seems the world has come back to where we were. And, it is time for the Christians to rouse themselves from their slumber and complacency. We pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done," it is time for us to mean what we pray and to be willing to respond in action as God leads us.

Love,
Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

Just for Tonight!

2009-06-06T20:49:00.001-07:00

A little girl, long hair curling and twirling in the soft breeze, she stands in the very center of a large (seemingly endless) open field. No fences. No sign posts. No agendas.

Freedom! Utter freedom, to explore, to run, to rest, to muse, to wonder. Endless possibilities. No "should's". No plans. No purpose. Just the absolute abandonment to being!

At first glance, she seems to stand alone, but no, there is One with her. One who is there to share her joy and His! One who longs to show her things she has overlooked for so long. One who aches to share Himself with her and to know the joy of her opening all of her heart and her life to Him. One to run with. One to whisper secrets
to or to yell out exuberant joys to! One to share the wonder and the freedom with.

Lord, may I please be this little girl, and will You be the marvellous One to share my life, my freedom, and my joy?

"Come, let us run together!"

My heart or some voice calls out that there are things to do, serious things, life changing things. How can I contemplate playing in this field when there is such necessary stuff to do?

But, then again ...

Here I stand in the middle of this field! No direction, no sign posts. Maybe it is time. Maybe there is time. Time to be a little girl. Time to explore. Time for freedom. Time for just being, and for just being with One! with the One!

Oh!

Maybe there is time for the "One Thing"! Perhaps this field is His temple. All I have to do is behold and explore/inquire.

I think for tonight, I will just lay down beneath the stars and whisper and giggle! Just for tonight!

---

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

God of the Second Chance

2009-06-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Some time ago, I did a study on the arrival of the nation of Israel in the Promised Land and their initial stop at Gilgal (which derives from a root word meaning: to roll, roll away, roll down, or roll together). This was just after they had crossed the Jordan River, entering the Promised Land after 40 years in the desert.

The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years until all the men who were old enough to bear arms when they left Egypt had died. For they had disobeyed the LORD, and the LORD vowed he would not let them enter the land he had sworn to give us--a land flowing with milk and honey. Jos. 5:6

The adults who had walked out of Egypt all had died (except for Joshua and Caleb). Those that entered the Promised Land were a new generation, a generation who had not been circumcised.

And their children, [whom] he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way. Jos. 5:7

Now, notice the next two verses:

And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. Jos. 5:8-9

The Lord said to Joshua, "This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you." As I read this in the study I was doing, I just wanted to shout AMEN. I think at one time we may all experience a time when we have felt as though we were wondering in a desert, even going through a time of doubting the Word, fearing and refusing to obey God in something.

The amazing thing is that God doesn't just drop us where we are and walk away. I thank and praise Him that He hasn't in my life. He still leads us, He still brings us, coaxes, and draws us along. And as we follow, as we begin to obey and to go where He leads, and as we seek Him, He does bring us into the place He promised. Then, when we put off the sin of our fleshly natures (our natural pursuit of our own desires) in repentance (our spiritual circumcision), in recognition of His great love and mercy, and in thankfulness for His grace, He rolls off the reproach of our Egypt, our past. He renews and restores us.

[It is of] the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [They are] new every morning: great [is] thy faithfulness. Lam. 3:22-23

He is the God of the second chance, and when you have returned to Him in repentance, receive His forgiveness. Let go of the reproach. It is His will and His way to roll it off of you. Don't pick it back up and carry on with it. He has freed you to lay claim to the promises He has given you. Let it go, let the past go, in faith, thanking and praising Him for His forgiveness and compassion. Then, go on with Him into the land of victory, peace, and provision that He has given you.

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

Pentecost Sunday!

2009-05-31T13:42:00.002-07:00

Lord, God, we thank you for the gift of Holy Spirit, which we celebrate today. I pray that we will never forget nor take for granted what an awesome and wonderful Gift He is. I thank You for all that Your Gift has meant in my life, for all that He has done in me and for me and through me.

Holy Spirit is so precious to me. He has changed my life so tremendously and blessed me so far beyond anything I could ever have imagined. But so often we as the church seem to overlook Him or take Him to be an afterthought of God. If Jesus told His disciples to wait for the Gift of God, the Gift foretold throughout the Old Testament, how can we take Him so for granted? He is the embodiment of God and all that Christ has done for us dwelling within us. Our Comforter, our Counselor, our Teacher and Guide.

Father God, I love You! Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior and my Righteousness, I love You. Holy Spirit, my Guide and my Hope and my Inspiration, I love You.

On this Pentecost Sunday, I encourage you to recognize the ministry of Holy Spirit in your life. Take this opportunity to thank Him and to praise Him for all that He is and all that He is doing in your life. He is so worthy of our praise and our love!!!!

Love,

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

Uniquely and Wonderfully Made

2009-05-26T13:07:00.003-07:00

I thought I would share something a little more personal with you. Actually, I began writing this over the weekend, but my computer went down and so I had to start it again from scratch. Bummer!

As I was praying Saturday morning, I just felt so thankful to God for so many things. One of the areas of my life that I am particularly thankful for is the realization that I love the person God created me to be. Not that I love everything about myself; there are still so many things that I want to see changed in my life. But I am much more comfortable with the basic nature of who I am than I used to be.

I remember growing up, wanting to be like “everyone else.” I wanted to fit in so badly. I remember my mom comparing me to my brother and sister, and it usually was not complimentary towards me. My sister was (and is) beautiful, graceful, talented, and confident, and my brother was into sports, very “easy going,” and confident as well. They seemed to draw people to themselves.

On the other hand, I was more introverted, and I took things that people said very hard. Although I know now that I was loved and appreciated, I often felt left out and nearly invisible at the time. Because of these feelings, I withdrew even more, feeling that there was something wrong with me, and I went through some very difficult and lonely times. I honestly felt as though I were on the outside of some wonderful society, but could never quite be accepted.

This sense of being unacceptable, led to some very bad choices as I grew into an adult. I married a Muslim man, whom I knew did not love me, because I was afraid that it would be my only chance, and I was so terrified of being alone. I tended to hide and avoid any potentially difficult situations because rejection would be too hard to face. And I tried hard to force my marriage into something it could never be.

After going through some very difficult times, which included my divorce, God began to help me understand the difference I sensed in my life. He explained it in such a way that I could understand how this difference is the very thing that makes me who I am (exactly who He created me to be), and I realized that I love being that person. Although I may not be popular and outgoing, as I looked at my circle of friends, I recognized how near and dear to me each one was and is. I also began to recognized that I NEED time alone to read and write and study, time to dig deeper into ideas and thoughts. Now I LOVE my alone time, and I sometimes have to push myself out of my room to spend time with my family.

The idea that being different means being unacceptable is such a lie from the pit. Every one of us is uniquely and wonderfully made by our Creator to be exactly the one He wants us to be. And, when we are able to let go of the comparisons and the fears, we will find out that the person He created us to be is a glorious gift to the world and to ourselves. I am so thankful to God for who He created me to be, and even more thankful that He helped me to see my life from a different perspective.

Love,

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

The Desires of Your Heart

2009-05-23T09:44:00.004-07:00

Delight thyself also in the Lord
and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the Lord;
trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:4-5

I remember when I first read and memorized these verses. A commentary I read at the time said that "He shall give thee the desires of thine heart" was not to say that God would give you anything and everything you ever wanted, but rather that He would give you the desires to have, He would place within you His desires for you. At the time I appreciated the thought, but didn't really see it in my life.

This morning I was working on my study of Experiencing the Spirit, and I read:

"God has also called you. He has sent you. And He has given you the Holy Spirit because He has a purpose for your life. Remember again: it's the Lord's purpose, not yours. The Holy Spirit was sent to help you achieve God's purposes, not your dreams. and if you aren't willing to do His purposes, the Holy Spirit cannot work in you or through you."

Henry and Melvin Blackaby, Experiencing the Spirit.

At first I was rather put off by this concept. "The Holy Spirit was sent to help you achieve God's purposes, not your dreams." This was what brought the above verses to my mind, "He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." There seemed to be a disconnect somewhere.

As I thought back on my life and where I have been, I realize that at the time I first read these verses from the Psalms, I had no more desire to write or teach than I had to fly. You know, I really don't know whether I had any dreams back then or not. I do remember that for a while I felt like a rudderless ship, with no idea of where I even wanted to go.

As I walked with God since that time, through many changes and even 'upheavals,' God seems to have awakened within me desires or dreams I had never considered. In fact, I remember the exact moment that the dream to teach God's Word came to me. I was sitting in the middle of my bed, surrounded by my Bible, notebook, and other resources (commentaries, Strong's Concordance, etc.). I had just made a startling discovery as I was reading through of all books, Leviticus. I saw how precisely God had planned and foretold the suffering and death of the Messiah, and that Jesus hung on the cross to a specific moment in time in order to fulfill the prophetic picture that God had drawn in the directions for celebrating the Passover. At that moment all I wanted to do was gather some folks together and take them through the wonder and majesty of God's plan and purpose, and share with them the amazing love of Christ that I saw in His willingness to endure such pain and suffering until the precise time God had prescribed for the killing of the Passover lambs.

After God awakened that desire/dream within me, He brought people into my life to confirm that this was His will for me. He drew even closer to me, encouraging me and giving me such joy in His Word. Not long after that, He opened the door for me to begin walking in the dream! In an amazing series of circumstances, God opened doors I would never have dreamed possible. (Now before you get some false notions built up in your mind, I want to say that for many, the doors God opened for me were no big deal. I don't want to give you any inflated ideas. But for me, the opportunities God gave me were beyond what I thought He could ever want for me. Anyway . . . ) The interesting thing is that there were times of struggle and opposition, but God was so gentle and lovingly kind. I have only praises for what He has done in my life.

Later, there came a time when life led me into a wilderness. (I say 'life led me' because I don't know whether it was God's will, my failure, or the insecurity of another. Doesn't matter in the least to me because God works everything out for good.) There were no opportunities, not even fellowship with the body. I went through a time of feeling so alone and rejected. As God led me back out of that time and began to reawaken my heart, He also began to tweak the dream that I had watched die. I don't remember exactly what it was, but one morning God so touched my heart with His Word that I HAD to share it. When I got into work that morning, I sent the passage of Scripture with a short comment and/or praise to my friends. That was the point A Thought for Today! was born together with my dream of writing to encourage and exhort the body of Christ.

I guess that what I am beginning to see is that as we walk with God, His purposes and our dreams become one and the same thing. If we delight in Him, as we are seeking Him (to KNOW Him), He will place within us the very dreams that He will use to fulfill His purposes for us and through us. Now as I look at those verses from Psalms, I am able to appreciate them with a heart that has experienced the truth they profess. God has both given me the desires of my heart, and I believe I see Him bringing them to pass.

When you think about it, how amazing is it that the God of all creation cares about our dreams and our hearts. Of all the religions in the world, all the concepts about 'a higher power' that are out there, could anyone have possibly imagined a God like ours? I am so thankful to know Him. I am so grateful that He ever considered to reveal Himself to us in One such as Jesus Christ. I love Him so much, not only for what He does in and through my life, but for WHO HE IS!! Praise His glorious Name!

Love,
Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

Holy Spirit and MORE!

2009-05-22T11:07:00.002-07:00

(Sorry, it got away from me this morning. I started out wanting to say something nice and interesting, but my heart just took over and ran on ahead of me with something else.)

Hi! I was reading Experiencing the Spirit this morning and came across this:

"And why does He send the Spirit to believers today?
"Simply this. He has a mission. In sending the Spirit, God is at the same time giving an assignment. For unless there's an assignment, there's no need for the gift of Pentecost.
"Because God has a purpose for your life, He has sent you the Holy Spirit to enable you to fulfill the assignment He wants to accomplish through you. God isn't looking for proven leaders; He's looking for those who have hearts that are pure and responsive, and then He equips them by His Spirit to be leaders. So hear this carefully: The Lord is looking not for the talented, but for the obedient. He's looking not for the skilled, but for those who are sensitive to His Spirit." Henry and Melvin Blackaby, Experiencing the Spirit, pages 83-84.

Wow! A powerful chapter, "Shaped for Service." The author(s) also make the point:

"Many want the Spirit's power but not the Spirit's purity. The Holy Spirit does not rent out His attributes. His power is never separated from His glorious Self." (page 92)

"Remember again, your spiritual gifts are for the particular assignment God has for you, and assignments are always based on your character. So don't seek gifts of the Spirit -- seek the Holy Spirit in His fullness, and let Him prepare you for God's purposes." (page 96)

"It costs much to obtain the power of the Spirit: It costs self-surrender and humiliation and yielding up of our most precious things to God; it costs the perseverance of long waiting, and the faith of strong trust. But when we are really in that power, we shall find this difference, that whereas before, it was hard for us to do the easiest things, now it is easy for us to do the hard things." A.J. Gordon (as quoted in Experiencing the Spirit, page 96)

Maybe that is one of the reasons we see so little of Holy Spirit's power in our lives, our unwillingness to set aside distractions, our desires, our priorities, and to embrace the cross of Christ and the will and priorities of God (Are we willing to accept His assignments, or are we caught up in doing what we want to do for Him?). We want the power, if nothing else the power over sin, but the cost is so great.

I believe another reason is that many of us are not even aware that such power is to be expected in our lives. We see the lives of those in the Bible, especially the Apostles, and we believe that the power and purity of their lives was the exception, God's purpose and will in that day was somehow different that His will today. We think that God wants eloquent preachers, large venues, mission boards, media outlets, and internet sites to accomplish His purposes in this day and age, that these are "the greater works" that Christ said we would do. We have come to expect less because we see less. Perhaps we see less BECAUSE we expect less. Shouldn't we be basing our expectations on the Word of God rather than what we are seeing "in the world."

My goal first and foremost is to KNOW God, to draw as close to Him as I can get, to wrap myself up in Him and to be filled with Him like a sponge (the ONE THING of Psalm 27:4, Luke 10:41-42, and Philippians 3:13-14). But my second goal is to know and experience all that God has for me. I don't want to be limited by what the world, the denomination, the well-meaning, or anyone else says. I want to know what God says He has made available in His Word and go for that with all my heart!!! My desire is to know and understand all that God has purposed for me and provided for me and to go for it full steam and straight ahead.

BELIEVE ME!! I am NOT THERE . . . YET! I am still asking, seeking, knocking, as well as longing, desiring, and waiting on Him. I have tasted of it. I have a measure of it. I want MORE! I want MORE of GOD, MORE of CHRIST JESUS, MORE of HOLY SPIRIT, and MORE of the WORD of GOD in my life.

Love,
Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

Where I'm Coming From

2009-05-20T08:41:00.004-07:00

Before I start my blog for today, just wanted to mention again that I got started writing by creating a Yahoo! Group, "A Thought for Today" (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thoughtfortoday/). So if you are interested in taking a look at any of my past posts, you will find them archived there.

I also should mention that my blogs will most often be drawn from my studies, and I am usually involved in multiple studies at any one time. Currently I am involved in:

My life long study through the Bible, using a book called "Study the Scriptures." This book takes you through the Bible in three years (if you are consistent, and do one study every day - which I don't). I began using this study guide back in the early 80's and still find it a great tool. Rather than a devotional, it gives you a portion of Scripture to read and then asks you about 3 questions, which you are encouraged to write out your answers to. I think that after the work of Holy Spirit and the Bible itself, I would credit this as the thing that has most impacted my knowledge and understanding of the Word of God.
Experiencing God is a study I am working through as part of an amazing group of Christians. This is one of those Bible Study groups that everyone longs to be a part of, but is such a rare thing to find.
Experiencing the Spirit. Because of the impact that the Experiencing God study is having on my life, I wanted to get this book by the same author and take the same approach to Holy Spirit. I am doing this study on my own.
Bad Girls of the Bible is a book I am reading for our Women's group. Over the summer, rather than the usual type of Bible Study, we are doing a Book Club, which we will be starting in a couple weeks. As I will be facilitating the group, I have already begun reading through the book to prepare.
My wonderful friend, Leanne, and I are also doing a study. She had read a book and seen a video regarding the Kingdom of God and wanted to dig deeper. Leanne and I are such good friends. And when it comes to studying God's Word, we have the same hunger and the same desire to handle it properly, so we make great study partners.

Anyway, as I blog my way into your life, these are some of the sources that you will see coming up over and over. Of course my blog will also probably include my general and personal ramblings on about my life 'cause that is also something that is very important to me. LOL! But I wanted to let you know this so that as I seem to switch from one topic to another, you will understand where that is coming from.

Love,
Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

My Dilemma

2009-05-17T20:54:00.005-07:00

I desire so much to be an exhorter and an encourager to the body of Christ. I long to call myself and my brothers and sisters into the deep end of the pool, so to speak. Sometimes it seems that we are all so comfortable with our safe concepts of God and what He will and will not ask us to do. And, I feel such a need to say, "Wait a minute! Excuse me! God is NOT safe, but He is GOOD."

When I look at the Bible, I don't really see God calling His people to safe, sane, comfortable actions in His name. I do see Him calling them to step out in faith to part the sea, to heal the lame, to raise the dead, to stop and start the rain. When and why did God stop calling on his people to do these things?

OK, I say that I desire to be that exhorter and encourager. However, when it comes down to it, I want to be accepted. I want to be thought well of. I don't want to "turn people off" by my enthusiasm and my extremism.

Perhaps the faith that God wants me to exercise is the faith to say what I really think and believe without regard for how it will or won't be accepted. And without always being so afraid that I will say things in the wrong way, that I will hurt someone's feelings, or that I might say something a little too strongly and offend someone.

But I don't want to offend anyone, especially those I really love and respect and look up to. Well, maybe it is all just a case of my being overly emotional. I do happen to be a little off balance emotionally right now. Maybe it is better to be quiet and listen.

Ev

One thing have I desired and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His tablernacle. Psalm 27:4

Remember!

2009-05-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? [It is] he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof [are] as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these [things], that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that [he is] strong in power; not one faileth.

Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, [that] the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? [there is] no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to [them that have] no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be
weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint. Isa 40:21-31

I [am] the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, [and] rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, [and] rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. Isa 43:15-20

Please remember Whose you are ! ! ! Remember Who Your God is ! ! ! He is not weak, forgetful, or careless of you need. But have you trusted Him for your situation? Have you turned to Him and given over to Him your need? Have you repented and called on Him, waited on Him for an answer?

It seems so difficult sometimes when we are in the midst of the trial and the anguish to take the time to seek the Lord. The enemy would keep us on the run, on the run from God, on the run from our brothers and sisters, isolated. Stop. Come to the feet of Your God, wait on Him, open your ears, quiet your heart.

Seek Him in the Word, seek Him in prayer, seek Him in the fellowship. Remember Who He is. No matter how big your trial seems, no matter how painful or ugly or "hopeless" it seems, No matter how lifeless and dead your way seems, God is greater!! God is able to provide springs in the midst of the desert ! ! There is nothing and no one and no thing greater. No thing to big for Him. No situation that He can not heal, cleanse, and restore.

Please, turn to Him. Seek His hand. He is gentle and He is powerful and He is waiting to heal and to restore.

Love,
Ev

Welcome to A Thought for Today by Ev!

2009-05-15T08:34:00.002-07:00

Hi, and welcome! My name is Evelyn Noweder (I sign everything "Ev"). I am a 54-year-old grandmother, a Christian, and a lover of God and His Word. I have a rather unique background, especially in that I was married for 23 years to a Muslim and lived for six years in Amman, Jordan, where two of my sons were born. I currently live in the Phoenix, Arizona area, but have not yet acclimated to the 3-digit summers and the desert landscape. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love the mountains, the sunsets, and the amazing skies, I just miss the green grass, refreshing spring rains, the colors of fall, and hot chocolate on a frosty winter morning. (I'm originally from the Chicagoland area.) So, why am I in Arizona you might well ask, and thank you for asking, I moved here two years ago with my oldest son, Amir, his family, and my youngest son, Leith. I guess in my book, family comes before green grass, etc.

Well, let me introduce my family. I have been divorced for the past 13 years or so, although I am still on good terms with my ex-husband and his wonderful family. My three wonderful, amazing sons are:

Amir (pronounced ah-mr, I misspelled his name in English when he was born - DOH!), is my oldest son, and he will be 30 this year. He is a Marine (already discharged from active duty), and what a good looking guy. He is married to a WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL woman, who actually allows me to share a home with them!! God was so good to give me such a gracious and spectacular daughter[-in-law]) such as Dana (Oh, and everyone says we are so much alike. Hmmmm. Does that mean I am spectacular, too? LOL!!) Dana is an outgoing, loving, and very smart teacher. She also works with the youth group at church. Amir and Dana have 3-1/2 super-amazing, stupendous children:

Gabi, the teenager, who is so on fire for God and doesn't care who knows it. She is a leader in her youth group, a writer, an actress, and a singer!! WOW!
AJ, who is in 2nd grade is so full of life and questions and answers and energy and charm!!! He is constantly on the move, full of life.
Alexander, is nearly 2 years old, a little football player in the making, so cute and smart and funny and sweet. He loves music and dancing, and it is so fun watching him learn new words daily!
Olivia Rose (or ??), we're not quite sure at this point as the baby is still in the early stage of production. LOL! Dana is carrying their fourth baby - whom we are praying will be a little "Daddy's Girl," but we will be so thankful and full of praise for the baby God chooses to entrust to us

Eyad is 28-years-old, and hey, girls, he is single and very good looking. He lives in Amman, Jordan, where he works as a pilot for Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ). Because of modern technology, we are able to keep in touch regularly, and his flights include Chicago, New York, and Detroit, so he is in the States quite often.

Leith is 24-years-old, and is also single and quite good looking. He's has a bit of the poet in him, and loves deep discussions. He has killer blue eyes. (Not that I'm matchmaking or anything. LOL!)

I am so very proud of my sons, my daughter(I-L) and my grandbabies. God could not have blessed me any more than He has!! Sometimes I stand in amazement at all that He has done for me and all that He has blessed me with.

Well, anyway, I have had a Yahoo! Group since 2004, through which I have sent out my thoughts and ideas and experiences. But, I think that it is time to move on to the next step, BLOGGING! As this is rather new for me, however, I hope you'll "be gentle."

Yes, I am one of those people who feels the need to write through their lives, AND who feels the need to make those writings available for all and sundry to read. Why you should want to read my life and my mental meanderings, I have no idea. Nevertheless, I have been told many times that my friends have been blessed by something I have written, so just in case there might be something of the Lord for you in all this, I will write.

All that being said, "Welcome to my Blog!" I pray that God will bless you and draw us all closer to Him as we journey this life together.

(Oh, BTW, I tend to post things without too much editing because once I get started, I find it very difficult to stop. I would never get anything posted if I edited it as much as I think it needs. Therefore, I would ask you to overlook the occasional misspelling. I really do know how to spell correctly.)

Love,
Ev