Just whatever is on my mind . . .

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?

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,

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

The Bible and the Two Covenants

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,

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

Pour it Out to the Lord!

"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

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

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!

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!

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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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

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!

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,

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

Uniquely and Wonderfully Made

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,

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

The Desires of Your Heart

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!

(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

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

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!

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!

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