Thank You, Lord!

This morning while I was praying I got to a place in our conversation where I was pouring over all of the things that I was presenting as requests to God. After praying for a few people, I paused, because I felt like the Lord said to pray this way, "Lord, thank you for healing so and so, thank you for providing for so and so, thank you for restoring so and so." None of these miracles have happened yet, but when I was done thanking God for all that He is going to do, I was encouraged and strengthened by all that the Lord and I had been imagining together.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4

I usually attend the evening Ladies' Prayer at our church, but I heard that in this morning's meeting that is exactly how they were led to pray as well. I love how God affirms and weaves His tapestry together.

James 4:14,
Camelot

Our Faith Depends On It

Oswald Chambers in his devotional My Utmost for His Highest today says, "God brings us into particular circumstances to educate our faith, because the nature of faith is to make the object of our faith very real to us."

We all take action based how we see the world, what we believe about people, and especially how we see and what we believe about God. 

The circumstances that we find ourselves in are to sharpen us, spur us on, and draw us closer to God, I believe can either be found in obedience, "just as Jesus came to serve"(Mt 20:28), may I serve intentionally; Jesus showed compassion, may I show compassion; Jesus depended on God the Father, may we realize our dependence. Or we can wait til God orchestrates things for us to be at the end of our rope. "All is for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose."(Romans 8:28)

So we can fix our eyes (Hebrews 12:2) in obedience with no rope of our own or in His grace we will find ourselves facedown at the end of our rope crying out to Him. 

How long is your rope?

James 4:14, 

Camelot

New Mercy

the Lord ’s mercy. We were not completely wiped out. His compassion is never limited. It is new every morning. His faithfulness is great. My soul can say, ‘The Lord is my lot ⌊in life⌋. That is why I find hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to anyone who seeks help from him. (Lamentations 3:22-25 GW)

Sunrise from my home. It's cloudy, but so is my vision sometimes. 

James 4:14,

Camelot

Live by Faith

In Luke 1, Mary the mother of Jesus visits Elizabeth her cousin. Elizabeth's first words to Mary concluded with, "You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said." Elizabeth already knew about Mary's situation. Her assessment was that the "because" of the blessing was not the situation. No, Elizabeth rightly claimed the blessings was in response to Mary's faith. "You are blessed BECAUSE..."

For we live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

We know these things are true by believing, not by seeing. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (TLB)

We live our lives by actions that are based on what we believe and how we see things. A new song I heard on KLOVE gives some insight on how to be proactive in how we see things.

Choose and speak LIFE!

James 4:14,
Camelot

True Fellowship

Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have a life filled with light and will never live in the dark.” (John 8:12 GWT)

These words are written right after the incident with the woman caught in adultery. The audience is spelled out in the passage, the Pharisees. These people wanted to bring the woman's sin out in the open without thought of selk examination or reflection. 

Lord may I ...

Live in the light as He is in the light, then we can have TRUE fellowship one with another. 1 John (my paraphrase)

James 4:14,

Camelot

Awkward and Awesome

Today I am participating in a marraige ceremony that will blend two families together. Part of the vows that the children will respond to say that this blending will be both awkward and awesome.

Yesterday I was contemplating those words while driving Port Republic Road. It was Friday at 5:30 pm. Right in the middle of rush hour traffic a lone squirrel crossed the four lane busy road unscathed. The only words I had were awesome and awkward, in that order. 

Life, especially the connection of lives, grow together in times that we either have a knee jerk response of, "That was awesome!" Or "That was awkward." But in looking back most of those times are BOTH, considering the love and life that grows between us. 

Jesus said that He came so we will have life and so we will have everything we need, or abundant life I some versions. ( John 10:10)

These random thoughts mentioned string together in my mind today. Thank you Jesus for all of the moments that add up to my life so far. No matter my response at the time, I am in awe and grateful.

James 4:14,

Camelot

Water of Life

Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4, "those who drink the water that I will give them will never become thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give them will become in them a spring that gushes up to eternal life.” His Spirit that lives in us as believers is the water that makes this a reality. 

Sometimes I find as Christians we live more in the pond or lake mentality rather than the river mentality. 

The river mentality is described well in Keith Green song Scripture Medley.

 The pond mentality is more like saying I will go to the well and stock up on Jesus, His life, His strength and then I will take that into the world. 

We forget for a time that He said He would never leave us or forsake us. He said that He would be in us. There is no need to have a thought of being at the bottom of the bucket, needing to fill up again, not really. He loves when we get to the end of our rope, it is only then that we can live the way He intended, "by faith"

Water is so stale when it sits, God in You is meant to be lavishly spread everywhere you go. Go and do likewise.

James 4:14,
Camelot

Jesus, There is No One like Him!

Oh the Cross of Christ…It is good thing to go over on a regular basis the sacrifice that was made to us. To remember the depth of Love that was poured out for us. Not out of ritual, obligation or duty, but out of our faith, gratefulness, and love. A few ways to remember is to meditate on songs that recount His journey, or read and read and read through the scriptures that tell of His sacrifice. His Life given for you and then to you. Nothing withheld. There is no one like our God.

“He came from heaven to earth, to show the way. From the earth to the cross, my debt to pay. From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky, Lord we lift Your Name on high.”

Isaiah 53:3-5

He was despised and rejected by people.
    He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering.
    He was despised like one from whom people turn their faces,
        and we didn’t consider him to be worth anything.
⁴ He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering
    and carried our sorrows,
        but we thought that God had wounded him,
            beat him, and punished him.
⁵ He was wounded for our rebellious acts.
    He was crushed for our sins.
        He was punished so that we could have peace,
            and we received healing from his wounds.

1 Corinthians 5:21

 ²¹ God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God’s approval through him.

John 19:16-18

¹⁶ Then Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.So the soldiers took Jesus. ¹⁷ He carried his own cross and went out of the city to a location called The Skull. (In Hebrew this place is called Golgotha.) ¹⁸ The soldiers crucified Jesus and two other men there. Jesus was in the middle

1 Peter 3:18

¹⁸ This is true because Christ suffered for our sins once. He was an innocent person, but he suffered for guilty people so that he could bring you to God. His body was put to death, but he was brought to life through his spirit.

Colossians 1:20

²⁰ God was also pleased to bring everything on earth and in heaven back to himself through Christ. He did this by making peace through Christ’s blood sacrificed on the cross.

Click here for a list of 200 Bible verses to rediscover the depth of His Love for You.

James 4:14,
Camelot

What a Friend!

Proverbs 18:24 in the New King James Version reads, "A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." In other versions of this passage the translation like the God's Word Translation it reads, "Friends can destroy one another..." We always sing about "What a Friend we have in Jesus. This morning I had this question on my heart, "What kind of a friend to Jesus am I?"

Friend can describe all different kinds of relationships, but Jesus describes His hope for us is that we would be He would be IN us and we would be IN Him. As a friend that sticks closer than a brother, He cares. He surrounds us with His Presence. He hears us when we cry. He longs for intimacy with us. He councils. He leads. He receives our countless cares that we give to Him. He is all that we need. 

As a friend of God, do I talk with Him more often than not, do I follow or even consider His desire, do I love what He loves and hate what He hates, is my mind stayed on Him?

Would He call me friend? 

Lord, I present myself to you. Give me the mind of Christ, lead me in Your ways. May I live my life and move and have my being in You. Thank you for being my friend. Amen.

James 4:14,
Camelot

MY ID

 

 Psalm 139:13-15

¹³ You alone created my inner being.
    You knitted me together inside my mother.
¹⁴ I will give thanks to you
    because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made.
        Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this. GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

One of my favorite songs by the late Rich Mullins is "Creed". It is the Apostle's Creed put to music. I am always reminded of the chorus when I read the words from Psalm 39 above.

I believe what I believe,
It makes me who I am
I did not make it,
No, it is making me,
It is the very truth of God,
Not the invention of any man.

I am made in the image of God. My family is made in the image of God. It is not my responsibility to make me, my husband or my daughter, but as we submit to Our Creator, He makes all things beautiful. In His Time.
 Enjoy,

James 4:14,
Camelot

Make Me Ready to Serve

 
John 17:17-19 translated in New King James, God's Word Translation and New Century Version

¹⁷ Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. ¹⁸ As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. NKJ

¹⁷ “Use the truth to make them holy. Your words are truth. ¹⁸ I have sent them into the world the same way you sent me into the world. ¹⁹ I’m dedicating myself to this holy work I’m doing for them so that they, too, will use the truth to be holy. GWT

¹⁷ Make them ready for your service through your truth; your teaching is truth. ¹⁸ I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. ¹⁹ For their sake, I am making myself ready to serve so that they can be ready for their service of the truth. NCV

I know the words "sanctify" and "holy" means to be set apart for a specific purpose, but sometime when I read the definition in place of the word, It helps my brain compute. Jesus prays, "Make them ready for your service" or "Sanctify them"

We always want to Know His truth, but he does not pray that, Jesus asks that His truth make us ready for service. He must really desire this to have prayed it as His last prayer to the Father while on earth. He sandwiched it between "keep them safe from the evil one" and "praying for the lost". Our giving of ourselves(surrendering) is the way that He breaks the hold that the enemy has on us AND it is the way that the next generation will see our love in action and believe. 

Sometimes I live by faith because I know need God. Sometimes I live by faith because I am grateful. Sometimes I live by faith because the faith of others depends on the faith I live. 

James 4:14,
Camelot

Overwhelm or Overflow

As Scripture says, ‘Streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.’” (John 7:38 GWT)

When circumstances are deep or the valleys are extreme. Whether good or bad, emotion runs deep. When emotions run deep, we may not understand but we do run over. Whether we overflow or overwhelm those around us depends on our connection and our Source. 

Lord, I want You to always overwhelm my circumstances with Your goodness. Forgive me when I allow circumstances to tell me how to be. Your response and Your way is always right. Surrendering to You is always the strong answer. Amen.

James 4:14

Camelot

Needier or Curious-er?

Luke 8:7 "Herod said,'I cut off John's head, so who is this man I hear such things about.' And Herod kept trying to see Jesus."

In action Herod was trying to fix his eyes on Jesus, it was out of curiosity, not need.  With curiosity, we can be pretty specific what we want to see or hear or experience, but when it comes to need, it is hard to pinpoint it. 

It is better with need to know Someone who can fulfill your need. I do not know how or what Jesus does when I need, but I know He Is and when He Is in my viewpoint, my focus, my perspective, the need is satisfied. This is the intimacy that He promises, if we will look to Him alone.

Fix your eyes on Jesus...Hebrews 12:2

He will meet all your needs...Philippians 4:19

My grace is sufficient... 2 Corinthians 12:9

James 4:14

Camelot

It's Hereditary...

Someone asked me a question since my dad's recent heart operation. "Is this hereditary?" I really do not know, but it did get me thinking. I then had a conversation with my older brother about his father, who also had some heart problems at one time. We talked a bit about needing to be proactive in knowing if there was anything that ran in the family.

It got me thinking though, as we talked about family life and what is passed down to our daughters. My spiritual health is also somewhat hereditary. How I respond to life, how I love, how I show compassion, how I live.

Philippians 2:14-18 "Do everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be innocent and without any wrong. You will be God's children without fault. But you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the dark world. You offer teaching that gives life. So when Christ comes again, I can be happy because my work was not wasted. I ran the race and won.

"Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. If I have to offer my own blood with your sacrifice, I will be happy and full of joy with all of you. You also should be happy and full of joy with me."

Do you hear the generational sacrifice in this passage. Paul is talking to the believers in Philippi, but I might as well be talking to my daughter. I know that my faith is what makes me serve, but it is the love of God within me for others, especially those closest to me that would cause me to offer blood on top of it.

Am I healthy? Spiritually? Am I doing all that I can to pass along faith and not fear, action and not complacency; hope and not despair, encouragement and not discouragement; love and not apathy, obedience and not idolatry. "And now these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love." I Co. 13

James 4:14,
Camelot

Is God Standing?

In Isaiah, the Lord said He will stand up...

¹⁰ The Lord says, “Now, I will stand up
    and show my greatness.
    Now, I will become important to the people.
¹¹ You people do useless things
    that are like hay and straw.
    A destructive wind will burn you like fire.
¹² People will be burned until their bones become like lime;
    they will burn quickly like dry thornbushes.” Isaiah 33:10-12 

There have been times in my life where things are pulling me left and right. I have so much to do, my family has so much to do (which means I have more to do), those I love have so much to do (which means I have more to do). :) Hopefully you get my drift.

My heart question to those that I love, those closest to me is "How can I help?" Usually I do not like the answer: do my laundry, help me with my paper, organize the papers on the coffee table, etc. But I want them to have room in their lives. Room for what? Room to ask the one question that I desire to be the primary question of my life, "Lord, are You the most important thing in my life, so important that You are my life?"

In Isaiah, His people had filled their lives and the lives of their family with things that were useless. I do not think it is the "thing" that is useless per se, but the motive behind and the goal of the activity that renders it useless. Yet the Lord who knows our hearts says that HE will stand up and become important to us.

Lord, may you increase in my life and the lives of those that I love. May the meditations of our heart and the words of our mouths be acceptable to You. As Colossians 1 says, May we live "the kind of life that honors and pleases You in every way. May we produce fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God. God, strengthen us with Your own great power so that we will not give up when troubles come, but we will be patient."  In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen

 James 4:14,
Camelot

Reverse the Flow

Sometimes you need to reverse the flow of your life. Whatever you want to call it... a mini-vacation, a time-out, a pause, a retreat. Read 1 Kings 19:3-8:

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

I am not claiming to have had the roughest week, because I know that there are others that I could name right now that are on my heart this morning. Those who have certainly suffered more pain, anguish, and fear over the last week than me. But this week has been one of the roughest I have had personally in a long time. On Saturday afternoon, I knew it was time... I had to reverse the flow.

I had a pool growing up and we used to have to backwash the pool. We did this when the filter would become overwhelmed with stuff. We would have to disconnect the filter hose from the pool and reverse the flow of the water.

Sometimes this is the kind of rest I need. Not the rest the God gives me day in and day out in His Presence as He promised. You know the eternal peace and rest that is promised in Hebrews 4 to all of those who live in open, up close, personal relationship to God the Father. No I  am talking about the I am overwhelmed with stuff and I am physically and emotionally tired kind of rest.

So I reversed the flow for a few days. The scripture says that an angel came to Elijah, I have a lot of angels, those that see me, know me and look out for me. They are praying, thinking in advance to cover for me, setting aside time to help me. Wow! Holy Spiritual Community is great! This week I get to go to women's retreat and even though I have a little responsibility, because of the community there it will not be anything but pure joy and encouragement.

As you can read and see, it seems that flow is back in place and I am online again. I guess the one reminder from my pool days is no one is allowed in the pool until the filter is plugged back in. Don't stay reversed, there is no joy in it, the joy comes in giving yourself away in accordance with what God has purposed you for. And besides, I love to swim.

James 4:14,
Camelot

Sticks Closer Than a Brother

Over the last few days, I have spent time at the Greenville Memorial Hospital in SC with my dad who is recovering from his second aortic valve replacement surgery. While I am sad to have to leave a while to take care of things at home in VA, I know that he is getting the best of care not only with some of the best doctors and nurses, but also by the rest of the family. In fact below is a note that my brother wrote right before the last open heart surgery...

Later today, November 29, 2006, at around 9am... My Father's heart... which has been beating since 1949, will be stopped. This will be done to replace his Aortic Valve which has become useless to him.
Despite what good it will bring... it is the scariest thing I have faced in my lifetime. The heart which taught me right from wrong, showed me love and discipline, gave me wisdom and advice... will cease to beat, albeit for a short time. Though a machine will do for him what his heart normally does... nothing can prepare you for the emptiness that comes with the knowledge that the organ that sustains life will be altered... and paused.
Nothing can prepare you for sitting and waiting while complete strangers cut into your Father, stop his heart and work on him all while you sit idle hoping you have trusted him to the right people.
These thoughts and fears would go unanswered, and ultimately lead to hopelessness if not for our Lord Jesus, who controls all things. Through Him, we are prepared for our most desperate hour. We are prepared for when the heart is stopped, for He holds the keys; He made the first heart from dust. He is the one who started my Father's heart while he was still in the womb. We are prepared because if all fails and our greatest fears are realized... He will be there with peace and love and the knowledge that He is still in control.
We have fear, but not panic... Pain, but not sorrow... we are anxious, but we wait for the good news that we know is coming. We prepare ourselves to be aids in the long recovery... and above all we wait with open arms and our own hearts.. full of love... the love my father has always shown us... the love you depend on.. the love you hope you never have to live without... The love of a Father, a husband..a family. With my arm around my mother and my sister, and the love of my fiance beside me... we face our darkest day tomorrow.. but the sun will soon rise.. and our father, husband and friend.. will be right there... with a smile.

Dad, I love you.

This note not only moved me then, but I am more moved this time around if that is possible.  I did not grow up in the house with my dad and step-mom, so while I was " taught right from wrong, shown love and discipline, and given wisdom and advice" It was mostly in another household too. Which in some ways made me doubly blessed. But what occurred to me is that I am extremely blessed to have a brother who is able to tell me a fuller story of who my father is.

We all have spent time away from our Heavenly Father but "but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24 In our lives there are times when we may feel distant from God, whether because of struggles or hurt or sin, we feel separated. But we have a friend, a Savior, a Brother who has been with God from before the beginning. We have the Spirit of Jesus to teach us all about the Father and draw us closer by His grace. While I am not saying my brother is just like Jesus, he looks a lot like Him to me.


James 4:14,
Camelot

God is Able, God is Faithful

Lifted up
He defeated the grave
Raised to life
Our God is able
In His name
We overcome
For the Lord
Our God is able

              ---"God is Able" by Hillsong

God is Great, God is Good is from a prayer I was taught as a child. Two amazing truths that when put together have a power and holy, personal promise of the Character of God in our lives... He is Able, He is Faithful. I can not imagine being told that and it not bringing me right into the throne room of God, or better yet bringing the awareness of His Presence into my reality.  The realizing of His Presence or His Power has everything to do with my vision and perspective.

Father,
I thank You that you are who You are, Able and Faithful. I thank You for answer to prayer. I thank you for all of those in my life that remind me and encourage me to keep my eyes on Jesus. For my church family, who with prayers and messages of encouragement surround me with hope. For my family and friends, who not only put up with me, but support me - Your mercies, O God, are truly new every morning and with every greeting of one of Your saints. Thank You, Thank You, I am so grateful. Amen.

James 4:14,
Camelot