11/26/08
Today I was told by three different people I was beautiful, proving that ‘beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’ because though I’m flattered, I do have a mirror and know that beauty is relative. The background to these statements was for divers reasons. One elderly lady and I had been having a wonderful chat about the goodness of the Lord, when she made the beauty comment, a gentleman was telling me that I had a winning personality and I was very good with people and by the way I was yep, beautiful. Lastly a teenage girl made the statement to me later that night but I know her judgment of beauty was in reference to how she sees herself.
Isaiah 61:3 says He will give beauty for ashes. Beauty is to be embellished, aka beautified, the word for ashes literally means bestrew, to be scattered all about. He beautifies that which had been strewn about like ashes. I know many today who feel as if they’ve been left with ashes in their mouth (Ps. 102:9), their dreams and hopes seem to be scattered at their feet but I know He can and does bring forth beauty for ashes the key is that we recognize what beauty is. Shakespeare said, ‘beauty is bought by judgment of the eye.’ I often find it is how I judge what I’m seeing which affects the beauty of its appearance to me. A child’s drawing might be judged beautiful but if done by an adult it might seem deficient in merit, lacking in appeal. I may judge a snowy landscape and unappealing because I’m cold not because it does not encompass beauty, by the same token a beach scene is beautiful to me though it is all sand, sea and coconut trees because it bring thoughts of relaxation, warmth, vacation… It’s a judgment call not merely of the eye but of the state of mind.
Isaiah 53:2 prophetically speaking of Yeshua, said He had not stately form, or majesty that we would see Him, nor an appearance that we would desire Him. (my paraphrase) Nothing visually would cause Him to stand out, to be seen and certainly nothing to draw people to Him, yet draw the masses He would and still does. Not for certain looks but for His action; in John 12:32 Yeshua says when He is lifted up (on the cross) He would draw all men to Himself. The beauty of the cross can be found in the deed it accomplished the beauty of the One on the cross though beaten and mutilated by torture was that He loved us so much, He was willing to die for us that He might bring us back to the Father. Maybe it is true to say ‘beauty is as beauty does.’
Thank You for giving us beauty for ashes, the beauty of love crucified for others, the beauty of redeemed purpose and the beauty of amazing grace.
k
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Crafty Steps
11/25/08
Hmm, why is it I always seem to get in a craft creative mood when it gets close to the holidays and usually by then it’s too late to do the kind of detailed crafts I would like to do? I enjoy creating things which can be problematic since I’m not particularly talented. What this equates to is, I like to craft something that is wholly my creation but being lacking in artistic abilities, I end up taking a patterned craft and changing it; therefore it is an original in that there is not another one like it but I can’t take credit for it being my original design. Admittedly doing it this way also takes more time because I have to figure out how to tweak, change, and rearrange the original before embarking on the venture. My craft endeavors take form in needlepoint, cross stitch, crochet, knitting, weaving, sewing…. One thing that is inherent in most if not all of my needle work is blood, mine to be exact. Since I do the needle work with a very small needle I usually end up pushing the back of the needle through my fingers and before I realize it a bit of the blood gets on the project. My Grandma Barker (Dad’s Mom) tried (alas in vain) to teach me to use a thimble. A thimble for me was unwieldy; I’m very hands on and need to feel the work. Today pulling out various raw materials for my craft designs causes me to think of Abba; He created aka crafted the world from nothing except the sound of His voice. Speaking things into existence by His breath and then Ruach brooding over the creative mass began to set life in order. The original design was from the heart of Abba and though much of the flora and fauna might be similar each bears some unique trait something to make it an original. I’ve read many Scientist who purport accidental evolution on the basis that a lot of DNA in various animals is similar, just a tiny change here or there to cause a different branch of the process to evolve. I’ve also read other Scientist who have said, why mess with the perfect basic plan. Abba had the perfect formula for life and all He had to do was tweak it here and there to bring forth the diversity of life, unique, purposed for His good pleasure. I think I enjoy crafting various things because it makes me feel creative, a bit like my Abba. Thinking of my own personal DNA that usually gets left on the project causes me to think of the DNA of heaven, the blood of our precious Savior which covers over creation redeeming it from the curse which would skew everything from the original plan; this blood was not accidentally spilled but spilled for purpose, one decided on at the beginning of the plan for creation. I’m so glad that we have an Abba who is creatively crafty and plans for every contingence and it was and is His intention to reconcile all things back to Himself (Col. 1:20). I’m also extremely thankful that He is a hands on Heavenly Father, one who didn’t always keep His distance, One who sent His only Son to lay His hands on the sick, to teach us the pattern. This pattern is not cookie cutter for it allows for free will all the while conforming us into His image.
Thanks, Abba, for the creative, crafty steps You took to ensure our happy holidays.
k
Hmm, why is it I always seem to get in a craft creative mood when it gets close to the holidays and usually by then it’s too late to do the kind of detailed crafts I would like to do? I enjoy creating things which can be problematic since I’m not particularly talented. What this equates to is, I like to craft something that is wholly my creation but being lacking in artistic abilities, I end up taking a patterned craft and changing it; therefore it is an original in that there is not another one like it but I can’t take credit for it being my original design. Admittedly doing it this way also takes more time because I have to figure out how to tweak, change, and rearrange the original before embarking on the venture. My craft endeavors take form in needlepoint, cross stitch, crochet, knitting, weaving, sewing…. One thing that is inherent in most if not all of my needle work is blood, mine to be exact. Since I do the needle work with a very small needle I usually end up pushing the back of the needle through my fingers and before I realize it a bit of the blood gets on the project. My Grandma Barker (Dad’s Mom) tried (alas in vain) to teach me to use a thimble. A thimble for me was unwieldy; I’m very hands on and need to feel the work. Today pulling out various raw materials for my craft designs causes me to think of Abba; He created aka crafted the world from nothing except the sound of His voice. Speaking things into existence by His breath and then Ruach brooding over the creative mass began to set life in order. The original design was from the heart of Abba and though much of the flora and fauna might be similar each bears some unique trait something to make it an original. I’ve read many Scientist who purport accidental evolution on the basis that a lot of DNA in various animals is similar, just a tiny change here or there to cause a different branch of the process to evolve. I’ve also read other Scientist who have said, why mess with the perfect basic plan. Abba had the perfect formula for life and all He had to do was tweak it here and there to bring forth the diversity of life, unique, purposed for His good pleasure. I think I enjoy crafting various things because it makes me feel creative, a bit like my Abba. Thinking of my own personal DNA that usually gets left on the project causes me to think of the DNA of heaven, the blood of our precious Savior which covers over creation redeeming it from the curse which would skew everything from the original plan; this blood was not accidentally spilled but spilled for purpose, one decided on at the beginning of the plan for creation. I’m so glad that we have an Abba who is creatively crafty and plans for every contingence and it was and is His intention to reconcile all things back to Himself (Col. 1:20). I’m also extremely thankful that He is a hands on Heavenly Father, one who didn’t always keep His distance, One who sent His only Son to lay His hands on the sick, to teach us the pattern. This pattern is not cookie cutter for it allows for free will all the while conforming us into His image.
Thanks, Abba, for the creative, crafty steps You took to ensure our happy holidays.
k
Monday, December 1, 2008
Smooth Steps
11/25/08
Today my steps seemed especially easy as if my way had been prepared, smoothed out for me. I’ve done the treadmill for years and enjoy the smooth walking surface, I don’t particularly go for the resistance part that the treadmill has the capability of, just a steady pace to keep the heart rate up is what I’m after. Normally life’s steps aren’t smooth, there are upgrades to pull, bumps to circumvent, curves to take but it sure is nice when things go smoothly in the midst of these obstacles. Therein lies a key, even life’s hurdles can be taken smoothly. The steps I took today had purposes in mind, I understood there were time frames that might impact accomplishing these tasks, yet the places I was going to get them done were familiar places, the task were things I had done before so I knew what to expect. Isn’t it amazing how even the most difficult steps we take are made to seem easy when we know what to expect? Repetition might seem tedious but it can prepare us to walk smoothly through things which might have seemed daunting. I’ve also found that I can enjoy these steps no matter where they take me or how many curves I might be thrown because Abba has prepared the way, making my path smooth. I can enjoy the journey for He has determined to be with me every step of the way.
k
Today my steps seemed especially easy as if my way had been prepared, smoothed out for me. I’ve done the treadmill for years and enjoy the smooth walking surface, I don’t particularly go for the resistance part that the treadmill has the capability of, just a steady pace to keep the heart rate up is what I’m after. Normally life’s steps aren’t smooth, there are upgrades to pull, bumps to circumvent, curves to take but it sure is nice when things go smoothly in the midst of these obstacles. Therein lies a key, even life’s hurdles can be taken smoothly. The steps I took today had purposes in mind, I understood there were time frames that might impact accomplishing these tasks, yet the places I was going to get them done were familiar places, the task were things I had done before so I knew what to expect. Isn’t it amazing how even the most difficult steps we take are made to seem easy when we know what to expect? Repetition might seem tedious but it can prepare us to walk smoothly through things which might have seemed daunting. I’ve also found that I can enjoy these steps no matter where they take me or how many curves I might be thrown because Abba has prepared the way, making my path smooth. I can enjoy the journey for He has determined to be with me every step of the way.
k
CatchUp Steps
11/24/08
Today I was up early today, though I had no real reason to be I woke up and knowing that I was behind in some stuff was unable to shut off the mind and go back to sleep. There was a special blessing to what might have otherwise seemed an aggravating lack of sleep, I looked out the window and saw the most beautiful sunrise I’ve seen n quite awhile. The pink glow seemed to cover the sky with a beautiful radiance, so I stood waiting for the sun to be fully up in order not miss any of the beauty. Then I got busy catching up on emails and other writings that I had neglected due to busyness of the previous few days. Even though I got quite a bit done I wondered do we ever really catch up. Isn’t it a fact that while we are trying to catch up on things not done in their seeming proper time, the things we would otherwise be doing are not getting done. Oy, the eternal conundrum, redeeming the time, can we really buy back the time we’ve not used wisely? Is it possible to stuff enough actions into a time span that we can actually get done everything that could possibly be done? I admit to feeling better getting caught up on what should have already been attended to but I didn’t at that point stop to think about what I would have been doing if I had no need to catch up. Another posit surfaced in my mind, does redeeming the time have anything to do with our actions? Do we not redeem time when we are simply spending it for eternal purposes? The Scripture says to ‘redeem the time for the days are evil.’ On that premise then walking righteously eschewing evil should be redemption of time not some sort of actions. We redeem time by being more fully in the moment (I know sounds New Agey) by being present in the world in which we live as well as with Yeshua being seated with Him in the Heavenly place. This is not accomplished by doing but by being. I suddenly realized that the catching up I needed was not getting things done but being caught up with Him no matter what I’m doing. In that kind of catching up, Abba makes sure I have time to do what needs to be done.
k
Today I was up early today, though I had no real reason to be I woke up and knowing that I was behind in some stuff was unable to shut off the mind and go back to sleep. There was a special blessing to what might have otherwise seemed an aggravating lack of sleep, I looked out the window and saw the most beautiful sunrise I’ve seen n quite awhile. The pink glow seemed to cover the sky with a beautiful radiance, so I stood waiting for the sun to be fully up in order not miss any of the beauty. Then I got busy catching up on emails and other writings that I had neglected due to busyness of the previous few days. Even though I got quite a bit done I wondered do we ever really catch up. Isn’t it a fact that while we are trying to catch up on things not done in their seeming proper time, the things we would otherwise be doing are not getting done. Oy, the eternal conundrum, redeeming the time, can we really buy back the time we’ve not used wisely? Is it possible to stuff enough actions into a time span that we can actually get done everything that could possibly be done? I admit to feeling better getting caught up on what should have already been attended to but I didn’t at that point stop to think about what I would have been doing if I had no need to catch up. Another posit surfaced in my mind, does redeeming the time have anything to do with our actions? Do we not redeem time when we are simply spending it for eternal purposes? The Scripture says to ‘redeem the time for the days are evil.’ On that premise then walking righteously eschewing evil should be redemption of time not some sort of actions. We redeem time by being more fully in the moment (I know sounds New Agey) by being present in the world in which we live as well as with Yeshua being seated with Him in the Heavenly place. This is not accomplished by doing but by being. I suddenly realized that the catching up I needed was not getting things done but being caught up with Him no matter what I’m doing. In that kind of catching up, Abba makes sure I have time to do what needs to be done.
k
Testifying Steps
11/23/08
Today we had Thanksgiving brunch at church. There were pancakes, biscuits and gravy, sausage, banana bread, and other various sweets, top it off with a fruit tray and I’m here to testify that it was a great brunch. What made it even better was not merely the food but the service was of course aimed at Thanksgiving. It is wonderful to hear people looking back over the year with a grateful heart. Recently an old chorus caught my attention, ‘give thanks with a grateful heart…’ I sudden thought of the implications of not merely giving thanks but with a grateful heart. Grateful originally meant agreeable, pleasing. Giving thanks with an agreeable or pleasing heart is different from what could be the lips service of saying, ‘thank you’.. This made me wonder how often we give thanks without really having a heart pleasing to Abba. Are we truly grateful so that we can be thankful? Thank has the same root as think, hence we find so often in the Scripture admonishment to ‘remember’. During Kathy Ruiz’s testimony I opened my Scripture randomly to Ps. 77: as she said two words I glanced down at the same time and read the exact same words, ‘remember this.’ Being thankful has the requirement of thinking, remembering, in order to be thankful our hearts must come into agreement with how Abba sees things. When we master the key to this testifying comes naturally to our lips. Have you ever wondered how it is possible to give thanks in all things like the Scripture says? I know I’ve heard a thousand sermons (no exaggeration) and I’ve thought about it and suddenly today I think I got a glimpse of how I can really do it and mean it, in other words how to ‘give thanks with a grateful heart’ as the song says. It lies in remembering Abba’s past faithfulness and grace, in thinking about what perhaps led to the manifestation of them, not all of the leading up, to was fun or pleasant but looking back and remembering the end result allows me to perhaps get a glimpse of where He is leading me today. After the remembering process it is then necessary to bring my heart into agreement with Abba that what He is doing today is good for He is good no matter the present circumstances; for I’ve seen how He worked in the past. Next I can please Him by extending my faith in the fact that He is good, His intentions for me are good, He knows what I need and what is best for me and I acknowledge this all by giving testimony to what He has done, what he can do and what He will do. This step of testifying can cause others to think about what He has done for them and that allows them to come into agreement with His will and we are all encouraged. Today we didn’t just dine on a great brunch but we dined on a testimony of His goodness to us all.
k
Today we had Thanksgiving brunch at church. There were pancakes, biscuits and gravy, sausage, banana bread, and other various sweets, top it off with a fruit tray and I’m here to testify that it was a great brunch. What made it even better was not merely the food but the service was of course aimed at Thanksgiving. It is wonderful to hear people looking back over the year with a grateful heart. Recently an old chorus caught my attention, ‘give thanks with a grateful heart…’ I sudden thought of the implications of not merely giving thanks but with a grateful heart. Grateful originally meant agreeable, pleasing. Giving thanks with an agreeable or pleasing heart is different from what could be the lips service of saying, ‘thank you’.. This made me wonder how often we give thanks without really having a heart pleasing to Abba. Are we truly grateful so that we can be thankful? Thank has the same root as think, hence we find so often in the Scripture admonishment to ‘remember’. During Kathy Ruiz’s testimony I opened my Scripture randomly to Ps. 77: as she said two words I glanced down at the same time and read the exact same words, ‘remember this.’ Being thankful has the requirement of thinking, remembering, in order to be thankful our hearts must come into agreement with how Abba sees things. When we master the key to this testifying comes naturally to our lips. Have you ever wondered how it is possible to give thanks in all things like the Scripture says? I know I’ve heard a thousand sermons (no exaggeration) and I’ve thought about it and suddenly today I think I got a glimpse of how I can really do it and mean it, in other words how to ‘give thanks with a grateful heart’ as the song says. It lies in remembering Abba’s past faithfulness and grace, in thinking about what perhaps led to the manifestation of them, not all of the leading up, to was fun or pleasant but looking back and remembering the end result allows me to perhaps get a glimpse of where He is leading me today. After the remembering process it is then necessary to bring my heart into agreement with Abba that what He is doing today is good for He is good no matter the present circumstances; for I’ve seen how He worked in the past. Next I can please Him by extending my faith in the fact that He is good, His intentions for me are good, He knows what I need and what is best for me and I acknowledge this all by giving testimony to what He has done, what he can do and what He will do. This step of testifying can cause others to think about what He has done for them and that allows them to come into agreement with His will and we are all encouraged. Today we didn’t just dine on a great brunch but we dined on a testimony of His goodness to us all.
k
Maintenance Steps
11/22/08
Today Jose came by to borrow an extension cord in order to vacuum out his car. Then he headed to the church to wash it up and add a finishing touch, a University of Texas sticker. As with most gifts they come with responsibility with a need for maintenance for no matter how pristine it starts out when given it will need to be; well, maintained. I’m not sure why in the spiritual realm we think that the gifts of the Spirit mean we just allow Him to give the gifts and to monitor them and ultimately be the fall guy if anything goes wrong with our use of them. It is a grave mistake for us to ask for, accept, and then neglect the gifts given to us. The Scripture says to covet the best gifts so it is appropriate for us to ‘want’ the gifts offered by Ruach, however it also says, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? We could of course look at the parable of the talents which is a good lesson in responsibility. How many of us accept a talent/gift and then for fear of using it correctly which means taking responsibility for its maintenance, go out and bury it? Use requires maintenance which when done often keeps the maintenance from becoming onerous. I would even posit that watching my son working on his gift that the maintenance can actually be enjoyable. I can say from experience that using the spiritual gifts which I’ve been given does sometimes seem to be a grave responsibility which could seem to be overwhelming but then I know that the breach or gap left from non-use would be even more untenable. Ruach’s gifts not only bring great joy to the one using them but blessing to the body a blessing which the church can’t afford to do without.
So get out there and do the maintenance necessary to ensure your relationship with Abba is well oiled by Ruach’s direction and do the works of Yeshua.
k
Today Jose came by to borrow an extension cord in order to vacuum out his car. Then he headed to the church to wash it up and add a finishing touch, a University of Texas sticker. As with most gifts they come with responsibility with a need for maintenance for no matter how pristine it starts out when given it will need to be; well, maintained. I’m not sure why in the spiritual realm we think that the gifts of the Spirit mean we just allow Him to give the gifts and to monitor them and ultimately be the fall guy if anything goes wrong with our use of them. It is a grave mistake for us to ask for, accept, and then neglect the gifts given to us. The Scripture says to covet the best gifts so it is appropriate for us to ‘want’ the gifts offered by Ruach, however it also says, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? We could of course look at the parable of the talents which is a good lesson in responsibility. How many of us accept a talent/gift and then for fear of using it correctly which means taking responsibility for its maintenance, go out and bury it? Use requires maintenance which when done often keeps the maintenance from becoming onerous. I would even posit that watching my son working on his gift that the maintenance can actually be enjoyable. I can say from experience that using the spiritual gifts which I’ve been given does sometimes seem to be a grave responsibility which could seem to be overwhelming but then I know that the breach or gap left from non-use would be even more untenable. Ruach’s gifts not only bring great joy to the one using them but blessing to the body a blessing which the church can’t afford to do without.
So get out there and do the maintenance necessary to ensure your relationship with Abba is well oiled by Ruach’s direction and do the works of Yeshua.
k
Past Steps
11/21/08
Today is my oldest niece Carrie’s B’day. Since her birth is a day after Jose’s (two years previous) there are lots of memories connected to this time of year. Looking back over past steps I remember many shared birthday parties when they were both small and we lived in Texas. In fact when Joseph was first born we lived next door to each other. I often say we decided to have Jose when we did because of Carrie. She was a two year old cutie who seemed too enticing for Dave to resist, he would often arrive in the drive way and while I was waiting for him to come in he would have stepped over to see Carrie first. Maybe it was in the back of my mind that if I wanted him to come into the house first thing we should have our own. Nah, not really I was and am secure in his affections and intentions, so I suppose it was seeing the joy of such a cutie at such proximity nudged us into deciding that if Abba willed (and yes we prayed about this step) we would take the step of having our own at this time. We took this past step and have not regretted it one little bit. I look back at past steps and am grateful that Ruach truly did direct our paths. Having Jose at that time allowed me to have family close by to help out. It allowed him to have a ‘big sister’ in Carrie, a tie that lasted. As they grew older I remember them sneaking in Nana’s kitchen and making cookies, rearranging furniture to throw Nana’s house out of balance at Christmas and many other escapades. They were so often together as little ones that many people thought they were brother and sister and if either my sister or myself showed up with only one of them we were asked where the other one was. Looking back at past steps I’m sure that if I sat with them as adults they might have many other stories to tell that I wasn’t even aware of, but for today with sweet memories I smile and am thankful for the steps we took together.
k
Today is my oldest niece Carrie’s B’day. Since her birth is a day after Jose’s (two years previous) there are lots of memories connected to this time of year. Looking back over past steps I remember many shared birthday parties when they were both small and we lived in Texas. In fact when Joseph was first born we lived next door to each other. I often say we decided to have Jose when we did because of Carrie. She was a two year old cutie who seemed too enticing for Dave to resist, he would often arrive in the drive way and while I was waiting for him to come in he would have stepped over to see Carrie first. Maybe it was in the back of my mind that if I wanted him to come into the house first thing we should have our own. Nah, not really I was and am secure in his affections and intentions, so I suppose it was seeing the joy of such a cutie at such proximity nudged us into deciding that if Abba willed (and yes we prayed about this step) we would take the step of having our own at this time. We took this past step and have not regretted it one little bit. I look back at past steps and am grateful that Ruach truly did direct our paths. Having Jose at that time allowed me to have family close by to help out. It allowed him to have a ‘big sister’ in Carrie, a tie that lasted. As they grew older I remember them sneaking in Nana’s kitchen and making cookies, rearranging furniture to throw Nana’s house out of balance at Christmas and many other escapades. They were so often together as little ones that many people thought they were brother and sister and if either my sister or myself showed up with only one of them we were asked where the other one was. Looking back at past steps I’m sure that if I sat with them as adults they might have many other stories to tell that I wasn’t even aware of, but for today with sweet memories I smile and am thankful for the steps we took together.
k
Celebratory Steps
11/20/08
Today is the anniversary of my eldest son’s birth, down to the day. He was born on a Thursday, Nov. 20th in Georgetown, Texas with the same doctor in attendance who was almost in attendance at my birth. I say almost because I apparently was in a hurry and he arrived in the room just after I was born, (Mom did still name me after his daughter). So here we are on a Thursday getting ready to celebrate his arrival into our lives 33 years ago. Many things have come and gone in the years gone by but we are now stepping into a time of new beginnings, many things have changed, and for us there is much to celebrate as we embrace the future that Abba has planned.
Hmm, speaking of planning, I have a wonderfully sneaky planning daughter-in-law (and daughter of heart) in Kat. She let us in on the basic plan, come to Texas Steak House, Thursday, the 20th at 7 P.M., bring the presents with us for Jose to open after the meal. Sounds like a nice simple plan and for us it was. Dave and I left from to go to Staunton a bit early since we still needed a card to go with the present and to do a bit of shopping around. This mission accomplished we almost had something which would have crimped the plan big time and our car as well. Going from the Mall to the Steak House a back winding road we were chatting when sudden seemingly out of nowhere a deer appeared in front of the car. I say appeared because we did not see it approach it just seemed to be there. Thankfully Dave has quick reactions and he slammed on the breaks, I think I closed my eyes because I didn’t see how close we came nor did I see the deer finish crossing the road, I just knew there was no thud, no airbag in my face. (a thanksgiving report, just a couple of days before Dave had my breaks replaced and I would hate to posit if the old ones would have withstood the slam stopping process, praise to Abba’s grace the new ones did!) I noticed something after the near miss, my heart was not pounding, I was not a nervous wreck at the near wreck somehow without even asking Abba had granted perfect peace and we went on our way kinda not giving the incident much more consideration, at least not replaying it over and over as we are sometimes wont to do with near misses. We arrived a few mins before the others but the restaurant noticing the gift asked us if we were part of the party coming in. Acquiescing, we were seated and our drink orders taken. Kat and Jose arrived just a few min. after. Jose and I became concerned about Kat when she needed to retire to the ladies room a few times in a short span of time. I asked him on the QT if she were ill? He said she had seemed fine before, later the mystery of the ladies room would later be solved. Jake and dinks arrived to be joined by Sarah when she got off work. We made our orders, made small talk and I noticed that the manager seemed quite solicitous toward us, unusually so it seemed to me. He took pics and kept coming by and well hovering is the word that comes to mind. Sarah joined us and we all ordered dessert. Jose stared the present opening process and seemed to be finished when we started eating dessert; however, the hovering manager soon appeared with a big box. I thought, ‘ahh, probably the Xbox Kat said she had wanted to get him.’ I was soon disabused with that idea when inside the box was another box and another and another. William whispered to me 15 boxes though I don’t think there were quite that many. I also noticed that all the waiters and waitresses were standing and watching as was the manager. Okay, this is fun but I thought ‘wow, I hope it is something good since they all seem so interested.’ Jose got down to a tiny box which had the Peanuts gang on it, I thought, ‘oh, she got him a Peanuts desk calendar.’ Cute, he loves Snoopy. He was looking at it saying thanks when Kat finally said, ‘open it’’ When he did it contained a key, not just any key because you could tell it was a certain kind of key, a car key. Jose sat there staring, Kat had teary eyes, my mind is processing this stunning revelation, the boys are asking Sarah, what is it? It seemed like a moment frozen in time. I think Jose finally said something like ‘baby, what have you done’. She said, ‘let’s go outside and see.’ I grabbed my coat and purse and we headed to the door. There in front of the door (in a no parking area) was a car with a big red bow and one the windshield it said, Happy Birthday. Stunned began to wane and realization took over. Nearly the entire staff was at the door watching as well. I was told later that the manager was actually crying. Pics were taken and Jose checked out the inside. I had a hundred questions but now was not the time for questions, now was the time for glorious celebration. Finally we went back in and as I was taking the dinks on necessary steps the waitresses grabbed me and asked, ‘what kind of car is it?’ I said I didn’t have a clue it was dark out and I wasn’t even really sure of the color (dark green). They told me to find out and let them know. I asked that question and Kat filled in the answer for me and I relayed it to them. I noticed that all the staff was circulating to tables relaying the story to the other diners. I watched as they did this and as others looked on as we continued to celebrate. Our waitress brought our checks and told Kat that Jose’s meal was on the Manager (hey he had ordered the biggest steak) an extra blessing.
Suddenly all the little ‘tells’ came to my mind and made sense. The trips to the ladies room were making sure things were in order; the manager’s hovering to make sure the timing was right. I had also noticed that when he handed Jose the present he had slipped Kat something which had puzzled me, I know extrapolated that it was the key that they had used to move the car into position.
All this celebration reminded me of Abba’s sneakiness. There are times when we don’t see His hand off of key, times when it seems as if He has left the table and leaves us wondering if something is wrong that we don’t know about. There are definitely times when it seems like we have more questions than answers, when we mistake one of His gifts for something far lesser and have to have Ruach’s prompt to get up and go see. Thanks Abba for the party You are preparing for us which I know at Ruach’s prompting can start right now.
k
Today is the anniversary of my eldest son’s birth, down to the day. He was born on a Thursday, Nov. 20th in Georgetown, Texas with the same doctor in attendance who was almost in attendance at my birth. I say almost because I apparently was in a hurry and he arrived in the room just after I was born, (Mom did still name me after his daughter). So here we are on a Thursday getting ready to celebrate his arrival into our lives 33 years ago. Many things have come and gone in the years gone by but we are now stepping into a time of new beginnings, many things have changed, and for us there is much to celebrate as we embrace the future that Abba has planned.
Hmm, speaking of planning, I have a wonderfully sneaky planning daughter-in-law (and daughter of heart) in Kat. She let us in on the basic plan, come to Texas Steak House, Thursday, the 20th at 7 P.M., bring the presents with us for Jose to open after the meal. Sounds like a nice simple plan and for us it was. Dave and I left from to go to Staunton a bit early since we still needed a card to go with the present and to do a bit of shopping around. This mission accomplished we almost had something which would have crimped the plan big time and our car as well. Going from the Mall to the Steak House a back winding road we were chatting when sudden seemingly out of nowhere a deer appeared in front of the car. I say appeared because we did not see it approach it just seemed to be there. Thankfully Dave has quick reactions and he slammed on the breaks, I think I closed my eyes because I didn’t see how close we came nor did I see the deer finish crossing the road, I just knew there was no thud, no airbag in my face. (a thanksgiving report, just a couple of days before Dave had my breaks replaced and I would hate to posit if the old ones would have withstood the slam stopping process, praise to Abba’s grace the new ones did!) I noticed something after the near miss, my heart was not pounding, I was not a nervous wreck at the near wreck somehow without even asking Abba had granted perfect peace and we went on our way kinda not giving the incident much more consideration, at least not replaying it over and over as we are sometimes wont to do with near misses. We arrived a few mins before the others but the restaurant noticing the gift asked us if we were part of the party coming in. Acquiescing, we were seated and our drink orders taken. Kat and Jose arrived just a few min. after. Jose and I became concerned about Kat when she needed to retire to the ladies room a few times in a short span of time. I asked him on the QT if she were ill? He said she had seemed fine before, later the mystery of the ladies room would later be solved. Jake and dinks arrived to be joined by Sarah when she got off work. We made our orders, made small talk and I noticed that the manager seemed quite solicitous toward us, unusually so it seemed to me. He took pics and kept coming by and well hovering is the word that comes to mind. Sarah joined us and we all ordered dessert. Jose stared the present opening process and seemed to be finished when we started eating dessert; however, the hovering manager soon appeared with a big box. I thought, ‘ahh, probably the Xbox Kat said she had wanted to get him.’ I was soon disabused with that idea when inside the box was another box and another and another. William whispered to me 15 boxes though I don’t think there were quite that many. I also noticed that all the waiters and waitresses were standing and watching as was the manager. Okay, this is fun but I thought ‘wow, I hope it is something good since they all seem so interested.’ Jose got down to a tiny box which had the Peanuts gang on it, I thought, ‘oh, she got him a Peanuts desk calendar.’ Cute, he loves Snoopy. He was looking at it saying thanks when Kat finally said, ‘open it’’ When he did it contained a key, not just any key because you could tell it was a certain kind of key, a car key. Jose sat there staring, Kat had teary eyes, my mind is processing this stunning revelation, the boys are asking Sarah, what is it? It seemed like a moment frozen in time. I think Jose finally said something like ‘baby, what have you done’. She said, ‘let’s go outside and see.’ I grabbed my coat and purse and we headed to the door. There in front of the door (in a no parking area) was a car with a big red bow and one the windshield it said, Happy Birthday. Stunned began to wane and realization took over. Nearly the entire staff was at the door watching as well. I was told later that the manager was actually crying. Pics were taken and Jose checked out the inside. I had a hundred questions but now was not the time for questions, now was the time for glorious celebration. Finally we went back in and as I was taking the dinks on necessary steps the waitresses grabbed me and asked, ‘what kind of car is it?’ I said I didn’t have a clue it was dark out and I wasn’t even really sure of the color (dark green). They told me to find out and let them know. I asked that question and Kat filled in the answer for me and I relayed it to them. I noticed that all the staff was circulating to tables relaying the story to the other diners. I watched as they did this and as others looked on as we continued to celebrate. Our waitress brought our checks and told Kat that Jose’s meal was on the Manager (hey he had ordered the biggest steak) an extra blessing.
Suddenly all the little ‘tells’ came to my mind and made sense. The trips to the ladies room were making sure things were in order; the manager’s hovering to make sure the timing was right. I had also noticed that when he handed Jose the present he had slipped Kat something which had puzzled me, I know extrapolated that it was the key that they had used to move the car into position.
All this celebration reminded me of Abba’s sneakiness. There are times when we don’t see His hand off of key, times when it seems as if He has left the table and leaves us wondering if something is wrong that we don’t know about. There are definitely times when it seems like we have more questions than answers, when we mistake one of His gifts for something far lesser and have to have Ruach’s prompt to get up and go see. Thanks Abba for the party You are preparing for us which I know at Ruach’s prompting can start right now.
k
Monday, November 24, 2008
Decorative Steps
11/19/08
Tonight we are finishing up the church decorating. It has been a process. First we pulled everything out a week ago, and since some of the stuff had definitely seen better days, we did a bit and stopped. Then we gave Kat and Jose free reign to do the tables and voila lovely new decorations graced the tables and the side lights sported new swags instead of the old wreaths. We could have stopped here and said, looks good but when you’re changing out things it’s still nice to have some of the old mixed in with the new as long as they cohesive and don’t detract. This is not a placating anyone by keeping the past but a meeting of the former and the later in unity forming an entirely new look.
Here we are on a Wed. night getting ready to put the final touch on what has been a process in order to achieve a desired effect. First however since our decoration crew is mainly guys it is smart to keep them focused and in order to do that we took steps that always insure happy campers, we ate. The shower of blessing on Monday had purposely had an abundance of preparation so that it would encompass tonight’s festivities. During this time of food and fellowship we had entertaining jokes, stories and some guy humor which the two of us ladies present might have rolled our eyes at but ‘hey we love you guys’. Then the real reason for the meeting began or at least the intended results for the meeting took fruition (hey sounds spiritual in any case), we started the decorating. Tracey took point on the lights stringing them out and checking for bulb malfunctions. Josh was given the ladder to coil the greenery across the sanctuary with Aaron holding it and probably giving him good instructions. Kat was in charge of the tree with Jose putting it together for her to decorate. Bill and Dave did finishing touches. As for me, I mainly cheered everyone on. ‘Woo-hoo, looking good, perfect’ were some of the phrases uttered and meant. Dave buzzed around snapping pics and suddenly it was done. (At least the inside we are going to do some outside stuff later) Cleaning up we ditched some leftovers that we decided didn’t need to be left over and stored the rest away for use perhaps as some later date.
This interior decorating for the season reminded me of the interior decorating that needs to go on in our hearts. Seasons change, so do situations and our hearts must be kept up to date or we find ourselves woefully out of step with Ruach’s moves. There are seasons in our lives when things which didn’t just work in the past but were cutting edge are no longer in that state due to use or for the situation we find ourselves in they would no longer be appropriate. There are other things which still work, still have viable use but perhaps need to be moved to a different venue or placed on a different backdrop in order for them to continue to form a unified whole. It is Ruach who can bring these things together, tweaking this, ditching that, building something different from old materials…and voila, the result is a redecorating of out interior lives to match the season we are in. If I had to make a guess, I would say that Ruach is decorating us to handle more of the Presence, conforming us more into the image of the one whose birth we were decorating in order to celebrate this great gift, Yeshua, our Messiah. Removing certain things which once were good only makes sure that we have room in our hearts for the true reason for the season; it makes room for the present Presence. Together we decorated the sanctuary; together we will become decorations (gems) of His sanctuary.
k
Tonight we are finishing up the church decorating. It has been a process. First we pulled everything out a week ago, and since some of the stuff had definitely seen better days, we did a bit and stopped. Then we gave Kat and Jose free reign to do the tables and voila lovely new decorations graced the tables and the side lights sported new swags instead of the old wreaths. We could have stopped here and said, looks good but when you’re changing out things it’s still nice to have some of the old mixed in with the new as long as they cohesive and don’t detract. This is not a placating anyone by keeping the past but a meeting of the former and the later in unity forming an entirely new look.
Here we are on a Wed. night getting ready to put the final touch on what has been a process in order to achieve a desired effect. First however since our decoration crew is mainly guys it is smart to keep them focused and in order to do that we took steps that always insure happy campers, we ate. The shower of blessing on Monday had purposely had an abundance of preparation so that it would encompass tonight’s festivities. During this time of food and fellowship we had entertaining jokes, stories and some guy humor which the two of us ladies present might have rolled our eyes at but ‘hey we love you guys’. Then the real reason for the meeting began or at least the intended results for the meeting took fruition (hey sounds spiritual in any case), we started the decorating. Tracey took point on the lights stringing them out and checking for bulb malfunctions. Josh was given the ladder to coil the greenery across the sanctuary with Aaron holding it and probably giving him good instructions. Kat was in charge of the tree with Jose putting it together for her to decorate. Bill and Dave did finishing touches. As for me, I mainly cheered everyone on. ‘Woo-hoo, looking good, perfect’ were some of the phrases uttered and meant. Dave buzzed around snapping pics and suddenly it was done. (At least the inside we are going to do some outside stuff later) Cleaning up we ditched some leftovers that we decided didn’t need to be left over and stored the rest away for use perhaps as some later date.
This interior decorating for the season reminded me of the interior decorating that needs to go on in our hearts. Seasons change, so do situations and our hearts must be kept up to date or we find ourselves woefully out of step with Ruach’s moves. There are seasons in our lives when things which didn’t just work in the past but were cutting edge are no longer in that state due to use or for the situation we find ourselves in they would no longer be appropriate. There are other things which still work, still have viable use but perhaps need to be moved to a different venue or placed on a different backdrop in order for them to continue to form a unified whole. It is Ruach who can bring these things together, tweaking this, ditching that, building something different from old materials…and voila, the result is a redecorating of out interior lives to match the season we are in. If I had to make a guess, I would say that Ruach is decorating us to handle more of the Presence, conforming us more into the image of the one whose birth we were decorating in order to celebrate this great gift, Yeshua, our Messiah. Removing certain things which once were good only makes sure that we have room in our hearts for the true reason for the season; it makes room for the present Presence. Together we decorated the sanctuary; together we will become decorations (gems) of His sanctuary.
k
Expedient Steps
11/18/08
Today’s steps were spent with Dave and me running around trying to deal with an old issue which crops every year about this time. Seems we inherited a heating unit for the sanctuary which goes zonk every summer and needs must be fixed every autumn. We were told that it was put in upside down and that was the problem. Pastor hubby getting tired of the ongoing issue decided to go to a head person, the top guy in over the heating firm that we’ve used and lay his case before him hoping to bring this ever present issue to a final closure and not cost us a bunch of money. This gentleman came out made the same pitch, wrong installation and this time the unit couldn’t even be fixed, but he would work with us on getting a new one. Sounds good, new unit put in right, work with us on price, yeah whatever. The price quoted was double what we had expected and this was a deal? So today we are scoping out alternative heat sources which might fix the cold problem though not the unit issue. Stepping back in time for a moment, Dave has lain awake for a bit last night mulling over the situation when Ruach brought the name of an independent heating air guy who he knew so he determined to give him a call and ask for his opinion on the unit. Even with the initial call before any onsite checking out this gentleman said replacing a 9 year old unit didn’t sound right since they should last for 15 or so years (hope, can this unit be saved?). We checked out the alternative heating and then Dave met with J.W. for an onsite look. This young man checked it out and made a call and then came back with the verdict, the unit was not only salvageable but he would cut his installation fee and miracle of grace have it up and running by tomorrow! I suppose after leaving he did some research and when he came back to fix the unit he told Dave that the unit had not been put in wrongly that it was made to install, upside down, on its side or the usual right side up position, the problem we were having was in the fact that the coil had been put in the wrong place. He replaced the circuit board and then put a protective metal piece over the coil which should keep us from having to deal with the same issue next year and hey, his price was nice.
Spiritually we don’t like having to deal with issues which force us into decisions which seem like big steps so we often patch and hope that will take care of the issue until we have to deal with it again. Sometime this happens because we’ve been given false information (the unit was installed wrongly) hence we try to ‘fix’ the results and not the real problem. Sadly we often continue to go to the same source for info thinking they are telling us the reality of the situation. Now with the heating unit I don’t think the first firm was purposely misleading us but apparently didn’t want to take the time to research and find that the seemingly quick look (it’s upside down) lead to a wrong assumption, instead of digging a little deeper. I don’t know how apparent the coil issue was if it was topical or if things had to be moved to be seen but it wasn’t discovered till someone checked out more than the easy answer. Sometimes we blame our past, someone who hurt us, a present situation for ongoing issues in our lives not realizing that if we dug deeper we would find something out of place, something that could be shielded if we were willing to do the interior search of our hearts. Thankfully we have a great example in the Biblical David (not that my hubby David is not Biblical in his walk I use the preceding phrase only as a distinction between Davids) asked for Abba to search his heart, to actually try his thoughts Ps. 139:23, to check out if there is something wrong in the depths. Whew, we have an expert inspector who doesn’t just give us a great deal with cutting His work part, He actually is willing to do it all for love’s sake.
Hmm, Abba, thanks for pushing us into expedient steps which allowed Your guidance and fixed a reoccurring issue. Thanks for the warmth in our hearts and in our sanctuary!
k
Today’s steps were spent with Dave and me running around trying to deal with an old issue which crops every year about this time. Seems we inherited a heating unit for the sanctuary which goes zonk every summer and needs must be fixed every autumn. We were told that it was put in upside down and that was the problem. Pastor hubby getting tired of the ongoing issue decided to go to a head person, the top guy in over the heating firm that we’ve used and lay his case before him hoping to bring this ever present issue to a final closure and not cost us a bunch of money. This gentleman came out made the same pitch, wrong installation and this time the unit couldn’t even be fixed, but he would work with us on getting a new one. Sounds good, new unit put in right, work with us on price, yeah whatever. The price quoted was double what we had expected and this was a deal? So today we are scoping out alternative heat sources which might fix the cold problem though not the unit issue. Stepping back in time for a moment, Dave has lain awake for a bit last night mulling over the situation when Ruach brought the name of an independent heating air guy who he knew so he determined to give him a call and ask for his opinion on the unit. Even with the initial call before any onsite checking out this gentleman said replacing a 9 year old unit didn’t sound right since they should last for 15 or so years (hope, can this unit be saved?). We checked out the alternative heating and then Dave met with J.W. for an onsite look. This young man checked it out and made a call and then came back with the verdict, the unit was not only salvageable but he would cut his installation fee and miracle of grace have it up and running by tomorrow! I suppose after leaving he did some research and when he came back to fix the unit he told Dave that the unit had not been put in wrongly that it was made to install, upside down, on its side or the usual right side up position, the problem we were having was in the fact that the coil had been put in the wrong place. He replaced the circuit board and then put a protective metal piece over the coil which should keep us from having to deal with the same issue next year and hey, his price was nice.
Spiritually we don’t like having to deal with issues which force us into decisions which seem like big steps so we often patch and hope that will take care of the issue until we have to deal with it again. Sometime this happens because we’ve been given false information (the unit was installed wrongly) hence we try to ‘fix’ the results and not the real problem. Sadly we often continue to go to the same source for info thinking they are telling us the reality of the situation. Now with the heating unit I don’t think the first firm was purposely misleading us but apparently didn’t want to take the time to research and find that the seemingly quick look (it’s upside down) lead to a wrong assumption, instead of digging a little deeper. I don’t know how apparent the coil issue was if it was topical or if things had to be moved to be seen but it wasn’t discovered till someone checked out more than the easy answer. Sometimes we blame our past, someone who hurt us, a present situation for ongoing issues in our lives not realizing that if we dug deeper we would find something out of place, something that could be shielded if we were willing to do the interior search of our hearts. Thankfully we have a great example in the Biblical David (not that my hubby David is not Biblical in his walk I use the preceding phrase only as a distinction between Davids) asked for Abba to search his heart, to actually try his thoughts Ps. 139:23, to check out if there is something wrong in the depths. Whew, we have an expert inspector who doesn’t just give us a great deal with cutting His work part, He actually is willing to do it all for love’s sake.
Hmm, Abba, thanks for pushing us into expedient steps which allowed Your guidance and fixed a reoccurring issue. Thanks for the warmth in our hearts and in our sanctuary!
k
Blessed Steps
11/17/08
Today’s steps have me getting ready for a shower, one we are calling a shower of blessing. We are celebrating Abba’s time of renewal for many in our TCC family. The Scripture that Ruach gave me for tonight is in Eccl. 7:8 which speaks to the issue that often the end of things is greater than the beginning. This is a paradox for we are actually beginning a new time in our lives but at the expense of something else ending. Truth be told, new beginning always come when something else is ending. Many of the endings which come our way are not looked for and do not at the time seem to be a blessing but with patience we find that Abba truly does bring all things for the good as we walk the purposeful steps of love with Him. Thing which seem to be bad, tragic can often be turned around aka redeemed to start a new beginning which does indeed lead us to a shower of blessing. Joel 2 speaks of restoring what was stolen, stripped from the nation of Israel, His people; I feel we are in the season when we are beginning to see the restoration of the relationships, the provision, the health which was stripped during the season we are stepping out of. The stripping process, the devastation many experienced, the loss which seemed to suck our life away is being redeemed hence though it is a new beginning it is the ending of the cycle of loss and restoration.
Just as I’ve been busy making provision for the shower of blessing, Abba’s been planning and making provision for the steps ahead of us. He assures me the end will be greater than the beginning. It has been through patience, and perseverance, through His shepherding us through the hard times which brings us to these Showers of blessing.
k
Today’s steps have me getting ready for a shower, one we are calling a shower of blessing. We are celebrating Abba’s time of renewal for many in our TCC family. The Scripture that Ruach gave me for tonight is in Eccl. 7:8 which speaks to the issue that often the end of things is greater than the beginning. This is a paradox for we are actually beginning a new time in our lives but at the expense of something else ending. Truth be told, new beginning always come when something else is ending. Many of the endings which come our way are not looked for and do not at the time seem to be a blessing but with patience we find that Abba truly does bring all things for the good as we walk the purposeful steps of love with Him. Thing which seem to be bad, tragic can often be turned around aka redeemed to start a new beginning which does indeed lead us to a shower of blessing. Joel 2 speaks of restoring what was stolen, stripped from the nation of Israel, His people; I feel we are in the season when we are beginning to see the restoration of the relationships, the provision, the health which was stripped during the season we are stepping out of. The stripping process, the devastation many experienced, the loss which seemed to suck our life away is being redeemed hence though it is a new beginning it is the ending of the cycle of loss and restoration.
Just as I’ve been busy making provision for the shower of blessing, Abba’s been planning and making provision for the steps ahead of us. He assures me the end will be greater than the beginning. It has been through patience, and perseverance, through His shepherding us through the hard times which brings us to these Showers of blessing.
k
Shabbat Steps
11/16/08
There are days when it seems that there’s not much going on but that does not mean that we are resting. Abba took a wonderful step in advancing mankind’s journey toward understanding His grace when He commanded a day of rest which was more a blessing than a command to obedience. The command part of abstaining from work is merely a physical manifestation of a deeper spiritual truth as are much if not all of Abba’s commandments which deal with mankind and relationship. Why do I say relationship? The Shabbat (Sabbath) is a day about relationship, a time set aside for us not merely to abstain from but to be with Him in this time of stoppage. Just not doing work is something that many people accomplish who have no connection with Abba or a church, it’s inactivity without purpose, only a follower of Abba’s offer of relationship can come close to accomplishing the real intent for Abba’s Shabbat rest. The Shabbat is a sanctuary not of location but a sanctuary in time, which can be observed anyplace under any circumstances. It’s a stepping back from not merely external busyness but into an internal space of peace, a place where Abba can relate to us no matter our outer circumstances. I find I often enter this space, some might call it spacing out but for me it’s zoning in to a grace space, a space inhabited by Him who created all things. Just as Abba denied David, a man after His own heart, his request to build a Temple for Him, instead telling Dave that it was His intent to build an everlasting house for him; Abba has built for us a sanctuary in time, a meeting place for us to dwelling with Him. We’ve been offered the great gift of dropping our activity of trying to build His house, our house, or any other type of work in order to step into the house He built for us, an eternal meeting place. It is here that things are put back into perspective, that joy can be made full, where we are refreshed and renewed by spending time with Him who loves us beyond our greatest imaginings. Ahh, I love Shabbat Steps and the cool thing is we don’t have to wait for a special day to step into this sanctuary, the door is open, just knock.
k
There are days when it seems that there’s not much going on but that does not mean that we are resting. Abba took a wonderful step in advancing mankind’s journey toward understanding His grace when He commanded a day of rest which was more a blessing than a command to obedience. The command part of abstaining from work is merely a physical manifestation of a deeper spiritual truth as are much if not all of Abba’s commandments which deal with mankind and relationship. Why do I say relationship? The Shabbat (Sabbath) is a day about relationship, a time set aside for us not merely to abstain from but to be with Him in this time of stoppage. Just not doing work is something that many people accomplish who have no connection with Abba or a church, it’s inactivity without purpose, only a follower of Abba’s offer of relationship can come close to accomplishing the real intent for Abba’s Shabbat rest. The Shabbat is a sanctuary not of location but a sanctuary in time, which can be observed anyplace under any circumstances. It’s a stepping back from not merely external busyness but into an internal space of peace, a place where Abba can relate to us no matter our outer circumstances. I find I often enter this space, some might call it spacing out but for me it’s zoning in to a grace space, a space inhabited by Him who created all things. Just as Abba denied David, a man after His own heart, his request to build a Temple for Him, instead telling Dave that it was His intent to build an everlasting house for him; Abba has built for us a sanctuary in time, a meeting place for us to dwelling with Him. We’ve been offered the great gift of dropping our activity of trying to build His house, our house, or any other type of work in order to step into the house He built for us, an eternal meeting place. It is here that things are put back into perspective, that joy can be made full, where we are refreshed and renewed by spending time with Him who loves us beyond our greatest imaginings. Ahh, I love Shabbat Steps and the cool thing is we don’t have to wait for a special day to step into this sanctuary, the door is open, just knock.
k
Friday, November 21, 2008
Industrious Steps
11/15/08
Today my steps took me to the church to spend some time doing some extra cleaning. It was time to step into the nursery with determination at ridding every nook and cranny of crumbs, dirt and anything else that might have found its way in there. It’s not that we don’t vacuum the nursery every week but we usually don’t have the vacuum which has all the paraphernalia that allows one to do base boards with us. This job would require more than merely dragging a vacuum around or changing heads to reach those hard to get places it would require moving all the furniture and toys out of their normal positions. Thankfully I was not alone, hubby to the rescue, although he was busy doing other jobs a quick ‘yoo-hoo, I need your help’, was enough to bring him into the inner sanctum of kid-dom aka the nursery to lend his strong back and helping hand. No wonder Yeshua sent the disciples out by twos especially in dealing with Abba’s kids there’s usually a mess that need cleaning up which takes more than one person. Sin, doubt, fear and all sorts of other attitudes and darker acts usual hide behind something else. I’ve found after being in the ministry for over 30 years that it does indeed take cooperation a concerted effort of more than one person to deal with such issues. I’ve also found that besides someone to help out with the work part of the ministry the company is more than welcome. I’ve seen too many lone ranger type of ministers who become so isolated from their flocks day to day lives that they become ineffective in helping them out in any way other than to throw sermon bomb into their lives and then walk away till the next Sunday. I’ve also seen many wonderful men and women of God who try to do it all themselves and end up not merely burning out as some say but actually breaking down and many never fully recover. Doctors are said to practice medicine, lawyers to practice law but Yeshua was called to do the works of Him (Abba His Father) who sent Him (Jn 9:4) and we are called to follow after Yeshua’s example, hence to work the works that He did. It is even said that we would do greater works than Yeshua did (Jn 14:12). Whew, it is work to follow the example of Yeshua and it is really great that He knew that we would need someone to work alongside us to expedite the work.
When we were finished with the nursery, I stood back and thought, ‘okay, little dudes and dudettes, crumb free from wall to wall, ready for action.’ Will crumbs and dirt find their way into the nursery again? Yep, but that’s okay we’re ready for them, we’re not just a team, we’re a family. We care enough to work together to help out even when the jobs seem tedious like talking someone out of an irrational fear, or bearing long and hard without someone who seems to continue to fall into the same sinful actions. Our sleeves are rolled up, our hearts open and we are ready to work.
k
Today my steps took me to the church to spend some time doing some extra cleaning. It was time to step into the nursery with determination at ridding every nook and cranny of crumbs, dirt and anything else that might have found its way in there. It’s not that we don’t vacuum the nursery every week but we usually don’t have the vacuum which has all the paraphernalia that allows one to do base boards with us. This job would require more than merely dragging a vacuum around or changing heads to reach those hard to get places it would require moving all the furniture and toys out of their normal positions. Thankfully I was not alone, hubby to the rescue, although he was busy doing other jobs a quick ‘yoo-hoo, I need your help’, was enough to bring him into the inner sanctum of kid-dom aka the nursery to lend his strong back and helping hand. No wonder Yeshua sent the disciples out by twos especially in dealing with Abba’s kids there’s usually a mess that need cleaning up which takes more than one person. Sin, doubt, fear and all sorts of other attitudes and darker acts usual hide behind something else. I’ve found after being in the ministry for over 30 years that it does indeed take cooperation a concerted effort of more than one person to deal with such issues. I’ve also found that besides someone to help out with the work part of the ministry the company is more than welcome. I’ve seen too many lone ranger type of ministers who become so isolated from their flocks day to day lives that they become ineffective in helping them out in any way other than to throw sermon bomb into their lives and then walk away till the next Sunday. I’ve also seen many wonderful men and women of God who try to do it all themselves and end up not merely burning out as some say but actually breaking down and many never fully recover. Doctors are said to practice medicine, lawyers to practice law but Yeshua was called to do the works of Him (Abba His Father) who sent Him (Jn 9:4) and we are called to follow after Yeshua’s example, hence to work the works that He did. It is even said that we would do greater works than Yeshua did (Jn 14:12). Whew, it is work to follow the example of Yeshua and it is really great that He knew that we would need someone to work alongside us to expedite the work.
When we were finished with the nursery, I stood back and thought, ‘okay, little dudes and dudettes, crumb free from wall to wall, ready for action.’ Will crumbs and dirt find their way into the nursery again? Yep, but that’s okay we’re ready for them, we’re not just a team, we’re a family. We care enough to work together to help out even when the jobs seem tedious like talking someone out of an irrational fear, or bearing long and hard without someone who seems to continue to fall into the same sinful actions. Our sleeves are rolled up, our hearts open and we are ready to work.
k
Mundane Steps II
11/14/08
I decided while I was mundanely rolling along I might as well get the complete mundane experience and go shopping for women’s clothes, hence I’m being a well rounded mundaner, taking dominion over every aspect if you will of the mundane experience. Truth be known I was so tired and felt so exhausted that I was nearly brain dead and knew that if I didn’t get out I would hate myself for zombing the day away.
I decided in order for me to make sure that it was a fully mundane (a real woman’s clothing) experience that I would go armed with coupons. Hey don’t laugh, I’m not a coupon person, not that I’m against coupons but I’m just not into being that organized. I went to the new shopping center to one of the stores that I had received a coupon from to begin my steps. I looked in the teen area and found some possibilities; but really I do get tired of being nearly 53 and shopping for my clothes in the pre-mature clothing area and since I’m mundaning it I needs must check out the women’s area. I did a foray across the aisle and found some stuff I liked but not my size. I was thinking about settling but decided to see just what the coupon would entail and would you believe it was one day out of date. I was not upset since it actually saved me from simply settling for the simple fact of getting something cheaper than it was marked but probably in my opinion still paying too much for. I headed for the car having wasted at least 45 min. and feeling a bit more awake. It was a lovely day and as I glanced around I realized I had a coupon from my Texas shopping trip I had with Mom and Dad for a shop at the other end of the shopping center. I smiled and started walking, the car was fine where it was and after all, this trip was mostly about stepping out and waking up. Before entering the store I checked the coupon for dates and found that it was well within the allotted time span for getting the percentage off but had a sneaky addendum, it couldn’t be used for sale priced items. Okay, date, checked, parameters set, I was good to go. I decided however because of not being an oft coupon user to check with the sales lady to make sure that a coupon received in Texas was good for a store here in Va. She checked it out and gave the go ahead.
Now to blunder around and find something worth using the coupon on was the next step. This turned out not to be so easy since it seemed like everything in the store was on sale. One thing I did take note of was though this was the same store chain in which I had shopped in Texas the clothes were of a completely different style. Finally up against the wall I found a stack of turtlenecks which were extremely cheap in any case but the coupon brought the price down even more. I got a (wanna guess what color?) black one. Mission accomplished I could go home now.
Arriving home I decided to divest my new turtleneck of it s ‘made in…’ tag and got a shock. I can’t remember to my knowledge ever buying something made in Jordan (okay at least not women’s clothes though when in Israel I can’t be sure something I bought didn’t have its origins from Jordan). Yeah, not China, not some Latin country but Jordan, that tiny little nation next to Israel, which has the city of Petra in it and a King who I happen to think is an okay guy, actually I think he is a good king for Jordan. Wow, suddenly my mundane shopping trip had all sorts of implication, Jordan a country which came into existence after WWII, one which controlled Jerusalem but lost it in the 6 Day War.
Paraphrasing Zech. 4:10 who despises the day of small beginning? You will yet see this work finished.
My day was begun to pass time instead of merely waste it, Jordan a country begun for political expediency, both yielded unexpected outcomes. Small steps, small countries may have greater impact than we realize at the first. I don’t suppose my turtleneck will have some glorious purpose but getting out and coming across it and its origins did. Mundane steps accumulate from a small beginning to a finished work, hmm, just where will my steps take me before my day is finished?
k
I decided while I was mundanely rolling along I might as well get the complete mundane experience and go shopping for women’s clothes, hence I’m being a well rounded mundaner, taking dominion over every aspect if you will of the mundane experience. Truth be known I was so tired and felt so exhausted that I was nearly brain dead and knew that if I didn’t get out I would hate myself for zombing the day away.
I decided in order for me to make sure that it was a fully mundane (a real woman’s clothing) experience that I would go armed with coupons. Hey don’t laugh, I’m not a coupon person, not that I’m against coupons but I’m just not into being that organized. I went to the new shopping center to one of the stores that I had received a coupon from to begin my steps. I looked in the teen area and found some possibilities; but really I do get tired of being nearly 53 and shopping for my clothes in the pre-mature clothing area and since I’m mundaning it I needs must check out the women’s area. I did a foray across the aisle and found some stuff I liked but not my size. I was thinking about settling but decided to see just what the coupon would entail and would you believe it was one day out of date. I was not upset since it actually saved me from simply settling for the simple fact of getting something cheaper than it was marked but probably in my opinion still paying too much for. I headed for the car having wasted at least 45 min. and feeling a bit more awake. It was a lovely day and as I glanced around I realized I had a coupon from my Texas shopping trip I had with Mom and Dad for a shop at the other end of the shopping center. I smiled and started walking, the car was fine where it was and after all, this trip was mostly about stepping out and waking up. Before entering the store I checked the coupon for dates and found that it was well within the allotted time span for getting the percentage off but had a sneaky addendum, it couldn’t be used for sale priced items. Okay, date, checked, parameters set, I was good to go. I decided however because of not being an oft coupon user to check with the sales lady to make sure that a coupon received in Texas was good for a store here in Va. She checked it out and gave the go ahead.
Now to blunder around and find something worth using the coupon on was the next step. This turned out not to be so easy since it seemed like everything in the store was on sale. One thing I did take note of was though this was the same store chain in which I had shopped in Texas the clothes were of a completely different style. Finally up against the wall I found a stack of turtlenecks which were extremely cheap in any case but the coupon brought the price down even more. I got a (wanna guess what color?) black one. Mission accomplished I could go home now.
Arriving home I decided to divest my new turtleneck of it s ‘made in…’ tag and got a shock. I can’t remember to my knowledge ever buying something made in Jordan (okay at least not women’s clothes though when in Israel I can’t be sure something I bought didn’t have its origins from Jordan). Yeah, not China, not some Latin country but Jordan, that tiny little nation next to Israel, which has the city of Petra in it and a King who I happen to think is an okay guy, actually I think he is a good king for Jordan. Wow, suddenly my mundane shopping trip had all sorts of implication, Jordan a country which came into existence after WWII, one which controlled Jerusalem but lost it in the 6 Day War.
Paraphrasing Zech. 4:10 who despises the day of small beginning? You will yet see this work finished.
My day was begun to pass time instead of merely waste it, Jordan a country begun for political expediency, both yielded unexpected outcomes. Small steps, small countries may have greater impact than we realize at the first. I don’t suppose my turtleneck will have some glorious purpose but getting out and coming across it and its origins did. Mundane steps accumulate from a small beginning to a finished work, hmm, just where will my steps take me before my day is finished?
k
Mundane Steps
11/13/08
Sometimes our steps seem not to illicit any exciting experiences, new insights, amazing wonders so we think of them as ordinary aka mundane. Mundane originally meant to belong to the world as distinct from the church; in other words our life in conjunction with the physical world. I suppose it is because I am a physical being but I thank Abba for mundane steps, for this world that He gave us to walk in. He could have made it much less divers, much more controlled; think about it He could have made it structured to the point that there was no freedom, no choice. Yet I often have to remind myself that mundane steps are good since it seems that there have been times in the organized church that it has been taught that things of this world were bad and we must strive to walk only in churchified ways doing churchy things as opposed to worldly things. Hmm, I seem to remember reading somewhere at the very beginning that Abba told man to be fruitful, fill the earth and take dominion; not despise the mundane and spurn anything to do with it. I find often for me I can feel guilty if I’ve not been ‘spiritual’ or accomplished what I consider to be spiritual work in my day, instead it’s been filled with mundane stuff, however my heart knows that the mundane steps I’m taking can be and many times are in direct obedience to His command to take dominion. I know dusting might not seem to be taking dominion but hey, try not doing it and see what takes over the furniture. Try not dealing with spider webs in the corners of your house, and see if after a bit that you find you are now living in Spiderville where the tiny spider has taken dominion.
The really incredible thing about the way Abba made us spirit and fleshly beings is that we can actually be in the throes of mundane steps and our spirit can be in close contact with Him none-the-less. I can and do in fact have some great spiritual times while ironing. I have had some incredible times while on the treadmill. My steps might be simple, repetitively going over the same small space and physically I might not be getting anywhere but my spirit is in Mozambique or some other far flung province interceding over what Ruach has laid on my heart.
Mundane also has to do with a woman’s clothes or ornaments. Now that’s an entirely different type of mundane one which was not part of this day.
k
Sometimes our steps seem not to illicit any exciting experiences, new insights, amazing wonders so we think of them as ordinary aka mundane. Mundane originally meant to belong to the world as distinct from the church; in other words our life in conjunction with the physical world. I suppose it is because I am a physical being but I thank Abba for mundane steps, for this world that He gave us to walk in. He could have made it much less divers, much more controlled; think about it He could have made it structured to the point that there was no freedom, no choice. Yet I often have to remind myself that mundane steps are good since it seems that there have been times in the organized church that it has been taught that things of this world were bad and we must strive to walk only in churchified ways doing churchy things as opposed to worldly things. Hmm, I seem to remember reading somewhere at the very beginning that Abba told man to be fruitful, fill the earth and take dominion; not despise the mundane and spurn anything to do with it. I find often for me I can feel guilty if I’ve not been ‘spiritual’ or accomplished what I consider to be spiritual work in my day, instead it’s been filled with mundane stuff, however my heart knows that the mundane steps I’m taking can be and many times are in direct obedience to His command to take dominion. I know dusting might not seem to be taking dominion but hey, try not doing it and see what takes over the furniture. Try not dealing with spider webs in the corners of your house, and see if after a bit that you find you are now living in Spiderville where the tiny spider has taken dominion.
The really incredible thing about the way Abba made us spirit and fleshly beings is that we can actually be in the throes of mundane steps and our spirit can be in close contact with Him none-the-less. I can and do in fact have some great spiritual times while ironing. I have had some incredible times while on the treadmill. My steps might be simple, repetitively going over the same small space and physically I might not be getting anywhere but my spirit is in Mozambique or some other far flung province interceding over what Ruach has laid on my heart.
Mundane also has to do with a woman’s clothes or ornaments. Now that’s an entirely different type of mundane one which was not part of this day.
k
Sidesteps
11/12/08
Most of the time when I am trying to be observant I find myself looking ahead or around, I’m not one to look down very often but on my walk today I found myself glancing down for some reason or other and suddenly I had to do a side step, it was that or step on a beetle. It’s amazing how close I came to ending a life I didn’t even know was in close proximity to my foot. So I stopped and observed for a bit. I discovered that black beetles are creepy looking, really! I imagine if you filmed them and blew it up to be as big as say a Semi, you would have the making of a monster straight out of a Sci-fi horror movie. I had not to this point seen a beetle on my walks and wondered what was the dude doing out here all by himself? Are beetles solitaries or do they congregate in families? I am woefully beetle knowledge lacking. So I did what I try not to do for these lighthearted walks; I researched. They can infest flowers for the pollen or nectar, bore tunnels into tree bark, they have big eyes…then I came into shocking news, ladybugs are beetles and so are (dramatic pause) fireflies. Fireflies are beetles? What’s the world coming to? This black freaky looking insect is in the same family as a delicate light delightful firefly? Can you imagine a phylum family reunion? A real daunting thought; maybe you can, based on your own family reunion.
Diversity is something that we often don’t deal too well with. We like similarity mainly because well it’s similar, familiar, non-challenging, diversity is ahh, different, it can seem to be out of order, a hodgepodge, a mess. We might often find ourselves squelching (or in the beetle’s case nearly squashing) it in order to gain what appears to us to be order. Since I broke an unwritten rule and researched let me go deep and throw a psychological question at you- who determines what order is, what is chaos and what is harmonious? If you look at nature which I’m doing and you are a believer that Abba got this business all started then it might just stand to reason that He thinks black beetles, fireflies, and ladybugs are all part of the same family, that they belong to each other in a way that we don’t understand, that there is great grace and symmetry in their appearance diversity.
I know one thing for sure, though I strive to be like Him, I’m sure most observers would have a difficult time not seeing a wide diversity between us. I am ever thankful that though that may be the case, He still calls me His daughter, He claims kinship, I’m part of His family. Can’t wait for the reunion.
k
Most of the time when I am trying to be observant I find myself looking ahead or around, I’m not one to look down very often but on my walk today I found myself glancing down for some reason or other and suddenly I had to do a side step, it was that or step on a beetle. It’s amazing how close I came to ending a life I didn’t even know was in close proximity to my foot. So I stopped and observed for a bit. I discovered that black beetles are creepy looking, really! I imagine if you filmed them and blew it up to be as big as say a Semi, you would have the making of a monster straight out of a Sci-fi horror movie. I had not to this point seen a beetle on my walks and wondered what was the dude doing out here all by himself? Are beetles solitaries or do they congregate in families? I am woefully beetle knowledge lacking. So I did what I try not to do for these lighthearted walks; I researched. They can infest flowers for the pollen or nectar, bore tunnels into tree bark, they have big eyes…then I came into shocking news, ladybugs are beetles and so are (dramatic pause) fireflies. Fireflies are beetles? What’s the world coming to? This black freaky looking insect is in the same family as a delicate light delightful firefly? Can you imagine a phylum family reunion? A real daunting thought; maybe you can, based on your own family reunion.
Diversity is something that we often don’t deal too well with. We like similarity mainly because well it’s similar, familiar, non-challenging, diversity is ahh, different, it can seem to be out of order, a hodgepodge, a mess. We might often find ourselves squelching (or in the beetle’s case nearly squashing) it in order to gain what appears to us to be order. Since I broke an unwritten rule and researched let me go deep and throw a psychological question at you- who determines what order is, what is chaos and what is harmonious? If you look at nature which I’m doing and you are a believer that Abba got this business all started then it might just stand to reason that He thinks black beetles, fireflies, and ladybugs are all part of the same family, that they belong to each other in a way that we don’t understand, that there is great grace and symmetry in their appearance diversity.
I know one thing for sure, though I strive to be like Him, I’m sure most observers would have a difficult time not seeing a wide diversity between us. I am ever thankful that though that may be the case, He still calls me His daughter, He claims kinship, I’m part of His family. Can’t wait for the reunion.
k
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Leafy Steps
11/11/08
There’s a church just down from us which has on their sign, ‘Leaves leave but Jesus doesn’t’. I take exception to that, actually I vehemently don’t agree with it. Not the part about Jesus not leaving but the part about leaves doing it. Leaves may fall of their own violation but they do not leave on their own, nor do they leave easily. Guess what Dave and I did today? If you said we raked leaves you would win the prize. We worked for around 3 solid hours in unison just to get those little bugger to the curb in order for the City to pick them up hence they don’t even cooperate in leaving when you gather them all together with an encouraging push and shove. I am ever thankful that the side yard of the church is at a slant which in my opinion made it a bit easier to get them to the curb. Dave and I even hit them with high tech and low tech apparatus, he had a blower and I had the rake. Last Sunday we had talked about needing to deal with the leaves leaving situation when Kathy Ruiz (don’t you just love that name change?) spoke up and declared that she like top rake, that it brought back memories. Well as most know in Texas where I grew up there was no need to rake so I have absolutely no memories, fond or not of leaf removal hence next year I’m going to hand Kath a rake with a bow on it and give her the magic gift of memories.
Isn’t it something how memories can cause an otherwise onerous job into a stroll down sweeter perhaps happier times? Of course it can do the opposite as well bringing up sad memories but then the pain of those memories is muted due to the fact that we are standing on this side of the removal looking back upon them. I think one of the greatest gifts that age brings is the ability to look back on many experiences in our lives and perhaps have the capacity to see the events in a broader perspective, not defined by the circumstances of then, but with greater understanding of the now and hence many seemingly bad times/void times are redeemed. I can look back over the years of my last illness and though there were times of merely enduring, making it through the days, with no seeming productivity, I can see now that I not only made it through them but that many of the writings I did were only made possible by the void of then, much of the knowledge I’m garnering now benefits from the pain of then. It’s not that my times have becoming sweeter or gentler but I have. I am learning (an ongoing process) not to judge myself so harshly for what seem to me to be times of ineffective wanderings and I am certainly much less apt to judge someone else who seem to be in a dry, time of non-productivity. Actually Abba through Ruach’s ever teaching grace showed me that what often appears as a time of fallowness here and now can be a time when one is actually laying up treasures in heaven, hence the fruits being laid up are not seen. Upon reflection I see that can often be the case when Ruach is working on one’s character, trying our patience, our faith, our hearts toward one another, the fruits of that aren’t seen on this side instantaneously but they are known in heaven.
For me, even the memories of the pain filled times remind me of His faithfulness in never allowing me to feel forsaken or forgotten. Truth be told in fact, there were often things which were nothing short of miraculous, signs, words, manifestations which kept me secure in Him. I may, at this point, vehemently disagree that leaves leave, but I have no doubt that He never does!
k
There’s a church just down from us which has on their sign, ‘Leaves leave but Jesus doesn’t’. I take exception to that, actually I vehemently don’t agree with it. Not the part about Jesus not leaving but the part about leaves doing it. Leaves may fall of their own violation but they do not leave on their own, nor do they leave easily. Guess what Dave and I did today? If you said we raked leaves you would win the prize. We worked for around 3 solid hours in unison just to get those little bugger to the curb in order for the City to pick them up hence they don’t even cooperate in leaving when you gather them all together with an encouraging push and shove. I am ever thankful that the side yard of the church is at a slant which in my opinion made it a bit easier to get them to the curb. Dave and I even hit them with high tech and low tech apparatus, he had a blower and I had the rake. Last Sunday we had talked about needing to deal with the leaves leaving situation when Kathy Ruiz (don’t you just love that name change?) spoke up and declared that she like top rake, that it brought back memories. Well as most know in Texas where I grew up there was no need to rake so I have absolutely no memories, fond or not of leaf removal hence next year I’m going to hand Kath a rake with a bow on it and give her the magic gift of memories.
Isn’t it something how memories can cause an otherwise onerous job into a stroll down sweeter perhaps happier times? Of course it can do the opposite as well bringing up sad memories but then the pain of those memories is muted due to the fact that we are standing on this side of the removal looking back upon them. I think one of the greatest gifts that age brings is the ability to look back on many experiences in our lives and perhaps have the capacity to see the events in a broader perspective, not defined by the circumstances of then, but with greater understanding of the now and hence many seemingly bad times/void times are redeemed. I can look back over the years of my last illness and though there were times of merely enduring, making it through the days, with no seeming productivity, I can see now that I not only made it through them but that many of the writings I did were only made possible by the void of then, much of the knowledge I’m garnering now benefits from the pain of then. It’s not that my times have becoming sweeter or gentler but I have. I am learning (an ongoing process) not to judge myself so harshly for what seem to me to be times of ineffective wanderings and I am certainly much less apt to judge someone else who seem to be in a dry, time of non-productivity. Actually Abba through Ruach’s ever teaching grace showed me that what often appears as a time of fallowness here and now can be a time when one is actually laying up treasures in heaven, hence the fruits being laid up are not seen. Upon reflection I see that can often be the case when Ruach is working on one’s character, trying our patience, our faith, our hearts toward one another, the fruits of that aren’t seen on this side instantaneously but they are known in heaven.
For me, even the memories of the pain filled times remind me of His faithfulness in never allowing me to feel forsaken or forgotten. Truth be told in fact, there were often things which were nothing short of miraculous, signs, words, manifestations which kept me secure in Him. I may, at this point, vehemently disagree that leaves leave, but I have no doubt that He never does!
k
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Energized/Synergized Steps
11/10/08
No, I am not skitzo, at least no more than usual; to come from restful steps to energized steps was easy; because I rested in Him I can then: woo-hoo walk with that extra zing. Actually I’ve found that when I am around certain individuals I tend to be energized. Ever notice that in your own life? There are people who tend to suck all the life from you and then there are people who tend to pull life to the surface from the depth of your heart and you find yourself reveling in life, sharing it easily but in the sharing you find you are being synergized (experiencing an increased flow of energy). Take Bill and Aaron, they synergize me just talking to them, but we haven’t just stopped at the talking; they’ve actually had me trying out dance moves from a kids CD. Know what? I felt really good after the workout I was more than ready to go teach Wednesday’s lesson.
Why does it seem so many times we are trying to conserve energy in our lives by backing away from people or certain situations when in actuality the right people in the right place can cause it to be the right time to gain strength (be synergized). Scripture talks about bearing one another’s burden in order to fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) yet we often run from being a listening ear, or lending a helping hand. I know it might seem that there are more people who drain you instead of synergize you so why not look at it from the other side; you be the synergizer. If you work at being able to suck the life to the surface, to encouraging someone ill they feel they can be equal to the task you might just find that you have actually been synergized yourself’; not by the person you are helping (though it could happen) but by Ruach (the Spirit) for the only way we can truly encourage, to delve into someone’s heart and bring forth the gold is through Ruach’s power. Is. 10:27 says the burden shall be taken away and the yoke destroyed because of the anointing. I know that when I feel overwhelmed, sucked dry by people or life in general, it is because I have allowed myself to feel as if it’s my burden, my responsibility to get things right instead of resting in Him and allowing that to energize my steps for it will be His strength and not mine that it takes to really accomplish anything of eternal significance. I can do a lot with the gifts He’s given me, but it is draining and leaves me feeling depleted, allowing His purposes to flow through me with Him in control, synergizes me and I find all those around me. It literally makes me want to join in the dance, to exert myself more knowing that I will not be wasted at the end but actually be ready to take on the next step.
So take a deep breath, center yourself in His love, let your heart rest in His provision, feel the energy start to flow, now let’s all dance.
k
No, I am not skitzo, at least no more than usual; to come from restful steps to energized steps was easy; because I rested in Him I can then: woo-hoo walk with that extra zing. Actually I’ve found that when I am around certain individuals I tend to be energized. Ever notice that in your own life? There are people who tend to suck all the life from you and then there are people who tend to pull life to the surface from the depth of your heart and you find yourself reveling in life, sharing it easily but in the sharing you find you are being synergized (experiencing an increased flow of energy). Take Bill and Aaron, they synergize me just talking to them, but we haven’t just stopped at the talking; they’ve actually had me trying out dance moves from a kids CD. Know what? I felt really good after the workout I was more than ready to go teach Wednesday’s lesson.
Why does it seem so many times we are trying to conserve energy in our lives by backing away from people or certain situations when in actuality the right people in the right place can cause it to be the right time to gain strength (be synergized). Scripture talks about bearing one another’s burden in order to fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) yet we often run from being a listening ear, or lending a helping hand. I know it might seem that there are more people who drain you instead of synergize you so why not look at it from the other side; you be the synergizer. If you work at being able to suck the life to the surface, to encouraging someone ill they feel they can be equal to the task you might just find that you have actually been synergized yourself’; not by the person you are helping (though it could happen) but by Ruach (the Spirit) for the only way we can truly encourage, to delve into someone’s heart and bring forth the gold is through Ruach’s power. Is. 10:27 says the burden shall be taken away and the yoke destroyed because of the anointing. I know that when I feel overwhelmed, sucked dry by people or life in general, it is because I have allowed myself to feel as if it’s my burden, my responsibility to get things right instead of resting in Him and allowing that to energize my steps for it will be His strength and not mine that it takes to really accomplish anything of eternal significance. I can do a lot with the gifts He’s given me, but it is draining and leaves me feeling depleted, allowing His purposes to flow through me with Him in control, synergizes me and I find all those around me. It literally makes me want to join in the dance, to exert myself more knowing that I will not be wasted at the end but actually be ready to take on the next step.
So take a deep breath, center yourself in His love, let your heart rest in His provision, feel the energy start to flow, now let’s all dance.
k
Restful Steps
11/9/08
After a very busy and tiring Sat. It was nice to walk into church knowing that Kat was taking the lead in worship hence I could spend the time before others arrived waking around and worshipping not scrambling to make sure I had it altogether for practice. I love to walk and worship, to walk and pray and to do so for the sheer love of Abba is truly to walk in peace, resting in His grace. There have been seasons in which I have been able to walk in that restful state of peace and trust despite the turmoil, the circumstances swirling around me; it is in those times that we find ourselves gaining strength for the rest of the journey. Then there are other times where I’ve struggled to find peace, walking in hope but in such a concentrated manner looking, searching for where I need to be that I find I’ve taken a lot of steps which merely drained my strength and I’ve had to stop, to be still and again gain that ‘knowing’. Ps. 46:10 says, ‘be still and know, that I am God. I will be praised among the nations…’ ? Being still is not merely stopping activity but stopping the turmoil of the mind the stress of the body, it’s ceasing to strive and to rest in Him. It is in the restful state of communion that you do really get to ‘know’ Him, to experience Him and what His presence can accomplish in our lives and in the lives of all around us. For you see when you are at rest in Him others see hope, they see His grace on your face and they too will have reason to praise Him.
Restful steps also allow a time for reflection and I’ve been thinking about the former rain, the times in my life when Abba has sent showers of blessing and believe me there are many of those times. When I begin to remember His grace to me in so many situations, so many times when it seemed as if there was no way out and tada, He manifest His love in ways which would and still take my breath away. These reflections allow me to rest in the past goodness while looking to the present and future promises He has made to us. I get the former and the later rain by resting in remembrance and in expectation of His goodness.
Worship was glorious, Pastor Hubby’s message was a pointed reminder, very on target and prayer after was a kiss, a seal of grace. I walked from the church building mind, soul and body at rest.
k
After a very busy and tiring Sat. It was nice to walk into church knowing that Kat was taking the lead in worship hence I could spend the time before others arrived waking around and worshipping not scrambling to make sure I had it altogether for practice. I love to walk and worship, to walk and pray and to do so for the sheer love of Abba is truly to walk in peace, resting in His grace. There have been seasons in which I have been able to walk in that restful state of peace and trust despite the turmoil, the circumstances swirling around me; it is in those times that we find ourselves gaining strength for the rest of the journey. Then there are other times where I’ve struggled to find peace, walking in hope but in such a concentrated manner looking, searching for where I need to be that I find I’ve taken a lot of steps which merely drained my strength and I’ve had to stop, to be still and again gain that ‘knowing’. Ps. 46:10 says, ‘be still and know, that I am God. I will be praised among the nations…’ ? Being still is not merely stopping activity but stopping the turmoil of the mind the stress of the body, it’s ceasing to strive and to rest in Him. It is in the restful state of communion that you do really get to ‘know’ Him, to experience Him and what His presence can accomplish in our lives and in the lives of all around us. For you see when you are at rest in Him others see hope, they see His grace on your face and they too will have reason to praise Him.
Restful steps also allow a time for reflection and I’ve been thinking about the former rain, the times in my life when Abba has sent showers of blessing and believe me there are many of those times. When I begin to remember His grace to me in so many situations, so many times when it seemed as if there was no way out and tada, He manifest His love in ways which would and still take my breath away. These reflections allow me to rest in the past goodness while looking to the present and future promises He has made to us. I get the former and the later rain by resting in remembrance and in expectation of His goodness.
Worship was glorious, Pastor Hubby’s message was a pointed reminder, very on target and prayer after was a kiss, a seal of grace. I walked from the church building mind, soul and body at rest.
k
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Busy Steps
11/8/08
Dave and I were out and about early doing a bit of grocery shopping and then looking for Christmas decorations that we have in mind for the church prayer walk. The grocery shopping was successful but the getting ready for our Christmas prayer walk nada. Hey, that’s why we’ve started the hunt early so we can check out the best things available to see our mini-vision come to pass. I say mini-vision because what we hope to do is a physical representation of a spiritual goal of taking the month of Dec. as a time to walk in prayer for the nations; for the true Christmas seasonal spirit of ‘joy to the world, the Lord is come’ and oh yeah a little peace on Earth would be good as well (actually a lot of peace on Earth would be more than welcomed). We saw many possibilities as we shopped but as of yet have refrained from purchasing accoutrements for our walk.
Kinda sounds like life. We are sometimes so busy trying to add special aids to the walk to make it meaningful that instead we end up loaded down with stuff which actually distracts from the real purpose of the journey. We often think we are walking toward healing but aren’t we really walking toward a closer relationship with Abba which by the proximity of His Spirit will naturally spring forth in healing. We see all kinds of ads for anointing oil, this one Israel, that one from this special kind of Olive tree…isn’t the point that the oil (the generic from the grocery store seems to have worked for us just as well as the other more odiferous ones we’ve purchased) it that it represents the Spirit it’s not really how to get the Spirit into the oil but our hearts into His Spirit. You’ve all heard Yeshua (Jesus) is the reason for the season and that’s true and a catchy little phrase but what does it mean? That a manger scene is more meaningful that a wreath because one has a plastic representation of Messiah in hay trough and the other is just a welcome sign we put on our doors? Let me stop right here and say I’m not a Scrooge, who hum bugs mangers, lights, holly, tinsel (well actually I’m not a proponent of tinsel simply cause to me it looks cheapy), I’m trying to point out how we can strive so hard to get the stuff part right (and yeah stuff it’s tradition and I like it) that it gets in the way of the real reason. Do I know the real reason? Yes, I do! If I can paraphrase Scripture, Abba so loved He gave His Son for whosoever wanted to, to be saved, for the world to experience real joy at the arrival of a Savior who would redeem us from the curse which wrong choice (aka sin) brought on us all, for us to have the ability to have peace on earth because Abba had made peace with the earth in the giving of His Son for our wrong doings, for us to be able to call the Creator not by the designation of God but by the relational name, Abba (Papa),so all the kids could have the chance to come home and live with Him. Okay, I’ve probably missed some very important theological implications of the reason for Messiah but if we could but grasp the above freewheeling paraphrased Scriptures we would be well along on our journey.
Let’s determine right now while it is still early enough in the season to stop take a breath and take account of the reason for the season. Let me throw in another catch phrase, wise men and women do still seek Him but hey, stop seeking Him among the stuff the good news of the gospel is that He came to seek and to save that which was lost, aka humanity, and He knew right where to look, in the back streets, in the sin laden cities, in the poor areas, in the hearts of all mankind. Slow down take a break from all the rushing around and open your heart, I promise He will come in.
k
Dave and I were out and about early doing a bit of grocery shopping and then looking for Christmas decorations that we have in mind for the church prayer walk. The grocery shopping was successful but the getting ready for our Christmas prayer walk nada. Hey, that’s why we’ve started the hunt early so we can check out the best things available to see our mini-vision come to pass. I say mini-vision because what we hope to do is a physical representation of a spiritual goal of taking the month of Dec. as a time to walk in prayer for the nations; for the true Christmas seasonal spirit of ‘joy to the world, the Lord is come’ and oh yeah a little peace on Earth would be good as well (actually a lot of peace on Earth would be more than welcomed). We saw many possibilities as we shopped but as of yet have refrained from purchasing accoutrements for our walk.
Kinda sounds like life. We are sometimes so busy trying to add special aids to the walk to make it meaningful that instead we end up loaded down with stuff which actually distracts from the real purpose of the journey. We often think we are walking toward healing but aren’t we really walking toward a closer relationship with Abba which by the proximity of His Spirit will naturally spring forth in healing. We see all kinds of ads for anointing oil, this one Israel, that one from this special kind of Olive tree…isn’t the point that the oil (the generic from the grocery store seems to have worked for us just as well as the other more odiferous ones we’ve purchased) it that it represents the Spirit it’s not really how to get the Spirit into the oil but our hearts into His Spirit. You’ve all heard Yeshua (Jesus) is the reason for the season and that’s true and a catchy little phrase but what does it mean? That a manger scene is more meaningful that a wreath because one has a plastic representation of Messiah in hay trough and the other is just a welcome sign we put on our doors? Let me stop right here and say I’m not a Scrooge, who hum bugs mangers, lights, holly, tinsel (well actually I’m not a proponent of tinsel simply cause to me it looks cheapy), I’m trying to point out how we can strive so hard to get the stuff part right (and yeah stuff it’s tradition and I like it) that it gets in the way of the real reason. Do I know the real reason? Yes, I do! If I can paraphrase Scripture, Abba so loved He gave His Son for whosoever wanted to, to be saved, for the world to experience real joy at the arrival of a Savior who would redeem us from the curse which wrong choice (aka sin) brought on us all, for us to have the ability to have peace on earth because Abba had made peace with the earth in the giving of His Son for our wrong doings, for us to be able to call the Creator not by the designation of God but by the relational name, Abba (Papa),so all the kids could have the chance to come home and live with Him. Okay, I’ve probably missed some very important theological implications of the reason for Messiah but if we could but grasp the above freewheeling paraphrased Scriptures we would be well along on our journey.
Let’s determine right now while it is still early enough in the season to stop take a breath and take account of the reason for the season. Let me throw in another catch phrase, wise men and women do still seek Him but hey, stop seeking Him among the stuff the good news of the gospel is that He came to seek and to save that which was lost, aka humanity, and He knew right where to look, in the back streets, in the sin laden cities, in the poor areas, in the hearts of all mankind. Slow down take a break from all the rushing around and open your heart, I promise He will come in.
k
Monday, November 10, 2008
Resounding Steps
11/7/08
Walking around the parking lot I was trying to be observant, I did notices new flowers (okay they are weeds that flower), they were purple and fuzzy and I liked seeing them. I’m trying to hold onto signs of summer for as long as possible in this autumnal season. It’s not that I don’t want the season to change (actually if I’m honest I don’t want the leaves to leave, don’t like naked trees, and I don’t like cold) I really just want to hold on to as much life in what seems like a season that things die. Ask me why leaves have to fall and I will tell you why they physically do but why they have to, I haven’t a clue. It seems to me that if Live Oak, Cedar and yeah the commonly found up here, Pines don’t have to lose their foliage then everyone should have the equal opportunity to keep theirs as well. Down seasons, hibernation seems like a waste of valuable time to me. Then it’s probably a good thing I’m not in charge because it’s a personal preference. So I decide today to close my eyes, figuratively since I don’t want to fall on my face, and listen to the sound of fall. I instantly noticed the sound of the leaves clicking across the pavement. If you are a Stargate fan you will be able to identify what it sounded like to me if I say, it sounded like replicators. Those little machines that don’t reproduce but replicate themselves and are usually identified by the characters of Stargate by the clicking sound that precedes actually seeing them. With a vivid imagination I was able to picture little leaf replicators skittering across the parking lot on some insidious plot to cover up my flowers and frustrate people with rakes by replicating over night to spread across their yards ad infinitum. It seems like a never ending cycle (at least in areas not privileged to be southerly enough to escape this plot of nature) to be mowing, weeding, raking, or shoveling with a few respites in between.
I shut out the replicating leaves and I heard birds and insects which aren’t season harbingers except maybe in greater numbers in warmer season and I heard crickets. I was struck by the fact that these sounds had to have been there all the time but I had not noticed them due to my preoccupation with sight and my own thought processes. Kinda reminded me of the ‘he that has ears, listen up’ Scriptures, it seems we can have ears but be so preoccupied that we aren’t listening. How often do I have people telling me Abba isn’t talking to them, they just don’t hear the way I do, they can’t get an answer to something they’ve been praying about? A lot actually. I know there are times when He might be silent for one reason or other but He is not pouty and is willing to speak to us, perhaps the issue is the way we are trying to hear. An audible voice from heaven might be nice once we’ve been resuscitated from the shock, but with this would come great responsibility that most of us really don’t want to take on. He speaks through Scripture but then we have to make sure we are listening with unbiased ears so as to hear what He is actually meaning in a passage. He can speak in that inner voice by Ruach who dwells in us (in my opinion the most common way He speaks) but to really hear that inner voice we must still our own and that is a task that many seem to have problems with. We know the Scripture says we walk by faith, not by sight, what we trust that keeps us moving along (2 Cor. 5:7) and that faith comes by hearing, or belief comes by hearing the spoken Word of God (Rom. 10:17). My simple advice is stop looking around so much, being driven by what you see and feel, still your mind and listen for He promised His sheep would know His voice. Then open your eyes and step out in confidence with His word resounding in your heart and spirit.
k
Walking around the parking lot I was trying to be observant, I did notices new flowers (okay they are weeds that flower), they were purple and fuzzy and I liked seeing them. I’m trying to hold onto signs of summer for as long as possible in this autumnal season. It’s not that I don’t want the season to change (actually if I’m honest I don’t want the leaves to leave, don’t like naked trees, and I don’t like cold) I really just want to hold on to as much life in what seems like a season that things die. Ask me why leaves have to fall and I will tell you why they physically do but why they have to, I haven’t a clue. It seems to me that if Live Oak, Cedar and yeah the commonly found up here, Pines don’t have to lose their foliage then everyone should have the equal opportunity to keep theirs as well. Down seasons, hibernation seems like a waste of valuable time to me. Then it’s probably a good thing I’m not in charge because it’s a personal preference. So I decide today to close my eyes, figuratively since I don’t want to fall on my face, and listen to the sound of fall. I instantly noticed the sound of the leaves clicking across the pavement. If you are a Stargate fan you will be able to identify what it sounded like to me if I say, it sounded like replicators. Those little machines that don’t reproduce but replicate themselves and are usually identified by the characters of Stargate by the clicking sound that precedes actually seeing them. With a vivid imagination I was able to picture little leaf replicators skittering across the parking lot on some insidious plot to cover up my flowers and frustrate people with rakes by replicating over night to spread across their yards ad infinitum. It seems like a never ending cycle (at least in areas not privileged to be southerly enough to escape this plot of nature) to be mowing, weeding, raking, or shoveling with a few respites in between.
I shut out the replicating leaves and I heard birds and insects which aren’t season harbingers except maybe in greater numbers in warmer season and I heard crickets. I was struck by the fact that these sounds had to have been there all the time but I had not noticed them due to my preoccupation with sight and my own thought processes. Kinda reminded me of the ‘he that has ears, listen up’ Scriptures, it seems we can have ears but be so preoccupied that we aren’t listening. How often do I have people telling me Abba isn’t talking to them, they just don’t hear the way I do, they can’t get an answer to something they’ve been praying about? A lot actually. I know there are times when He might be silent for one reason or other but He is not pouty and is willing to speak to us, perhaps the issue is the way we are trying to hear. An audible voice from heaven might be nice once we’ve been resuscitated from the shock, but with this would come great responsibility that most of us really don’t want to take on. He speaks through Scripture but then we have to make sure we are listening with unbiased ears so as to hear what He is actually meaning in a passage. He can speak in that inner voice by Ruach who dwells in us (in my opinion the most common way He speaks) but to really hear that inner voice we must still our own and that is a task that many seem to have problems with. We know the Scripture says we walk by faith, not by sight, what we trust that keeps us moving along (2 Cor. 5:7) and that faith comes by hearing, or belief comes by hearing the spoken Word of God (Rom. 10:17). My simple advice is stop looking around so much, being driven by what you see and feel, still your mind and listen for He promised His sheep would know His voice. Then open your eyes and step out in confidence with His word resounding in your heart and spirit.
k
Divided Steps
11/6/08
Today as Dave and I drove to C’ville, I watched as leaves came toward the car like tiny bombs driven by the wind. They would thunk into the car from time to time and though I’ve never been under a bombing attack Jake and I were in Dominica when a hurricane hurled coconuts at us and on waking (actually I don’t know how much we slept that night) and walking outside it looked like a war had taken place with banana fields flattened and coconut trees downed. So today reminded me of natures bombs, only admittedly the leaves were causing no damage. Sometimes however it does seem as if this world throws bombs of change at us and the crashing of leaves do portend change of season though nothing else may seem to have lined up with that change, yet. Arriving at our destination on Barracks Road (see even barracks sound like a military bunker to take cover from leaf bombs) we stepped over to one of our usual tables beside Panera’s and settled in for a lunch date. As I sat waiting for Dave to return with our meal I realized that the sun was actually quite hot; again a reminder of seasonal overlap, I realized if we sat there for long I could actually start perspiring. Then I began to notice the people. You had some in shorts, some in light jackets (I had actually taken my sweater off) in other words people were divided on how to treat the weather. It is the first week of November and it should be…hmmm just what should it be weather wise? Seems we are divided on that issue according to our modes of dress. During seasons of change in our lives we can be ridged and adhere to what is supposed to be (or what we’ve been told to expect a certain time to be) which can leave us perspiringly over dressed and uncomfortable. Or we can wake every morning and expect that we will be led in the right way so as to be prepared for what the day may bring. We are called to acknowledge Him in all our ways for Him to direct our paths (Prov. 3:6). Looking into the meanings of key words in this Scripture I found that basically it means on all your roads, know Him (word for acknowledge is yada, to know) and He will straighten or cause you to prosper on the well traveled road. Why does it seem prudent to get up and check out the Weather Channel in order to know how to dress for the day’s activities but we can often neglect to check with Him who knows not only the weather but all that the day will bring in order to walk with confidence in the day we are faced with? The Psalmist cried out in 119:133-135 for Abba to order or steady his steps so that evil would not rule over him, he asked to be delivered from the grip of evil people and lastly for Abba to smile (face shine) on him. Ordered, directed steps can save us from a lot of hassle and uncomfortable situations, things that should and could have easily been avoided if we would check in with the Creator of the times and seasons. On the flip side when we know that He is ordering our steps and trouble comes our way (note Paul and Silas in jail after being directed to go to go to Macedonia by a vision Acts 16:9) we can decide to sing instead of question our choice of destination for that season, resting in the fact that our steps were ordered.
k
Today as Dave and I drove to C’ville, I watched as leaves came toward the car like tiny bombs driven by the wind. They would thunk into the car from time to time and though I’ve never been under a bombing attack Jake and I were in Dominica when a hurricane hurled coconuts at us and on waking (actually I don’t know how much we slept that night) and walking outside it looked like a war had taken place with banana fields flattened and coconut trees downed. So today reminded me of natures bombs, only admittedly the leaves were causing no damage. Sometimes however it does seem as if this world throws bombs of change at us and the crashing of leaves do portend change of season though nothing else may seem to have lined up with that change, yet. Arriving at our destination on Barracks Road (see even barracks sound like a military bunker to take cover from leaf bombs) we stepped over to one of our usual tables beside Panera’s and settled in for a lunch date. As I sat waiting for Dave to return with our meal I realized that the sun was actually quite hot; again a reminder of seasonal overlap, I realized if we sat there for long I could actually start perspiring. Then I began to notice the people. You had some in shorts, some in light jackets (I had actually taken my sweater off) in other words people were divided on how to treat the weather. It is the first week of November and it should be…hmmm just what should it be weather wise? Seems we are divided on that issue according to our modes of dress. During seasons of change in our lives we can be ridged and adhere to what is supposed to be (or what we’ve been told to expect a certain time to be) which can leave us perspiringly over dressed and uncomfortable. Or we can wake every morning and expect that we will be led in the right way so as to be prepared for what the day may bring. We are called to acknowledge Him in all our ways for Him to direct our paths (Prov. 3:6). Looking into the meanings of key words in this Scripture I found that basically it means on all your roads, know Him (word for acknowledge is yada, to know) and He will straighten or cause you to prosper on the well traveled road. Why does it seem prudent to get up and check out the Weather Channel in order to know how to dress for the day’s activities but we can often neglect to check with Him who knows not only the weather but all that the day will bring in order to walk with confidence in the day we are faced with? The Psalmist cried out in 119:133-135 for Abba to order or steady his steps so that evil would not rule over him, he asked to be delivered from the grip of evil people and lastly for Abba to smile (face shine) on him. Ordered, directed steps can save us from a lot of hassle and uncomfortable situations, things that should and could have easily been avoided if we would check in with the Creator of the times and seasons. On the flip side when we know that He is ordering our steps and trouble comes our way (note Paul and Silas in jail after being directed to go to go to Macedonia by a vision Acts 16:9) we can decide to sing instead of question our choice of destination for that season, resting in the fact that our steps were ordered.
k
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Delayed Steps
11/5/08
Today I decided to delay stepping out for a walk due to the promise that the now cloud covered sky would clear and the sun would reign supreme. It wasn’t all that cold and I dithered in my decision, ‘would a delay cause me to miss getting to walk outside due to something coming up, or can I afford to wait?’ I waited and it did get sunnier. Since my main reason for waiting was to take advantage of the sunlight and it’s warmth, I decided to only make a couple of laps where I would have to walk in the shade but do the bulk of my walking back and forth where the sun was accessible. My second lap around I was trying to pay attention to my surroundings keeping my thoughts in check from mulling over what could be mulled over inside when I noticed a pinecone stuck about three feet up in a Holly bush. Still no burning bush but a question, ‘how did the pinecone get stuck so high up in a bush that is yards away from the Pine trees?’ I couldn’t imagine the wind having been that strong and I don’t know of any reason logical or illogical which would have caused someone to put it there so I suppose I must credit the wind. The Scripture says the wind blows where it will without our full knowledge or consent though we see the results of its blowing (my paraphrase of Jn 3:8). Yeshua here is really talking about Ruach (the Spirit). Sometimes it seems as if Ruach’s moving is an inexplicable to me as this pinecone stuck in a Holly bush; I see the result without knowing the how or at times the why. Holly bushes and pinecones aren’t earth shaking to my theology but the results of what Ruach is doing can be. Remember I’m in the shade observing the pinecone mystery and it is to be sure in the shadowy side of life that we often have questions of how and why things are. If we are not careful we can allow questions of such shadowy nature to cause a schism in our relationship either by staying in the shadow and becoming embroiled with a question that it’s pretty obvious that Abba does not intend to answer for us now, or running from the hard parts of life refusing to even acknowledge that Abba has His reasons and trusting that He is good and He is for us so we can trust Him to lead us through the valley overshadowed or into the light of His revelatory knowledge.
After my stopping and pondering in the shade I headed for the sunny area. I admit to having to still my mind again in order to allow myself to observe and not merely walk mindless of the world around me which I seem to so often do. I noticed the flowers, some bees and suddenly my attention was drawn to my feet and I almost stepped on it. There boogieing along was a furry caterpillar. It was jet black on the nose and its bottom, for lack of a better way to describe its back parts since I don’t think it has a tail, and a reddish brown in the middle. Now if I were an ole timer I might know what this would portend in conjunction with winter being mild or not. Since I do not know the folklore surrounding wooly worms; winter will have to remain a mystery to me. Oy Vey, now I have a mystery in full daylight to ponder. Sounds like life, if you take many steps outside your door you won’t have nearly the control that you do inside over what or who you meet up with and how the encounter will affect you. The good news to all the mystery of life is we don’t have to do it alone, we can walk with the One who knows and is in control of all things mysterious and seemingly mundane. Personally I find when I acknowledge Him he directs my path in the dark times when my steps could stumble and in the clear times when I step out in confidence.
What did I learn from mysterious steps today? The delay had no effect on the Holly bush/pinecone shadow mystery but it did on my sunny side encounter for I would not have come upon the caterpillar had I come out at a different time. Though I don’t suppose I impacted its life and the winter mystery will solve itself in a few months time no matter my pre-knowledge, there are other encounters in life which would not occur where I might impact someone or they might impact me if I didn’t wait; so those delays which we sometimes chafe at might just be working for a purpose that only the wind (Ruach) knows the reasons but we will see the results.
k
Today I decided to delay stepping out for a walk due to the promise that the now cloud covered sky would clear and the sun would reign supreme. It wasn’t all that cold and I dithered in my decision, ‘would a delay cause me to miss getting to walk outside due to something coming up, or can I afford to wait?’ I waited and it did get sunnier. Since my main reason for waiting was to take advantage of the sunlight and it’s warmth, I decided to only make a couple of laps where I would have to walk in the shade but do the bulk of my walking back and forth where the sun was accessible. My second lap around I was trying to pay attention to my surroundings keeping my thoughts in check from mulling over what could be mulled over inside when I noticed a pinecone stuck about three feet up in a Holly bush. Still no burning bush but a question, ‘how did the pinecone get stuck so high up in a bush that is yards away from the Pine trees?’ I couldn’t imagine the wind having been that strong and I don’t know of any reason logical or illogical which would have caused someone to put it there so I suppose I must credit the wind. The Scripture says the wind blows where it will without our full knowledge or consent though we see the results of its blowing (my paraphrase of Jn 3:8). Yeshua here is really talking about Ruach (the Spirit). Sometimes it seems as if Ruach’s moving is an inexplicable to me as this pinecone stuck in a Holly bush; I see the result without knowing the how or at times the why. Holly bushes and pinecones aren’t earth shaking to my theology but the results of what Ruach is doing can be. Remember I’m in the shade observing the pinecone mystery and it is to be sure in the shadowy side of life that we often have questions of how and why things are. If we are not careful we can allow questions of such shadowy nature to cause a schism in our relationship either by staying in the shadow and becoming embroiled with a question that it’s pretty obvious that Abba does not intend to answer for us now, or running from the hard parts of life refusing to even acknowledge that Abba has His reasons and trusting that He is good and He is for us so we can trust Him to lead us through the valley overshadowed or into the light of His revelatory knowledge.
After my stopping and pondering in the shade I headed for the sunny area. I admit to having to still my mind again in order to allow myself to observe and not merely walk mindless of the world around me which I seem to so often do. I noticed the flowers, some bees and suddenly my attention was drawn to my feet and I almost stepped on it. There boogieing along was a furry caterpillar. It was jet black on the nose and its bottom, for lack of a better way to describe its back parts since I don’t think it has a tail, and a reddish brown in the middle. Now if I were an ole timer I might know what this would portend in conjunction with winter being mild or not. Since I do not know the folklore surrounding wooly worms; winter will have to remain a mystery to me. Oy Vey, now I have a mystery in full daylight to ponder. Sounds like life, if you take many steps outside your door you won’t have nearly the control that you do inside over what or who you meet up with and how the encounter will affect you. The good news to all the mystery of life is we don’t have to do it alone, we can walk with the One who knows and is in control of all things mysterious and seemingly mundane. Personally I find when I acknowledge Him he directs my path in the dark times when my steps could stumble and in the clear times when I step out in confidence.
What did I learn from mysterious steps today? The delay had no effect on the Holly bush/pinecone shadow mystery but it did on my sunny side encounter for I would not have come upon the caterpillar had I come out at a different time. Though I don’t suppose I impacted its life and the winter mystery will solve itself in a few months time no matter my pre-knowledge, there are other encounters in life which would not occur where I might impact someone or they might impact me if I didn’t wait; so those delays which we sometimes chafe at might just be working for a purpose that only the wind (Ruach) knows the reasons but we will see the results.
k
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Elections Steps
Today’s steps would take us to the Library, no, not to check out books, though I did return a couple, but to vote. Dave and I arrived to find our side of the line longer than the other side but since the rain had ceased for the moment and it was not all that cold outside I was okay with it. What do I mean by ‘our side’? They had signs above the door dividing us by initials of our last names. The left hand side was A-J and the right hand side was K-Z. Hmm, does that seem weird to you? A-J represents 10 letters in the Alphabet, whereas K-Z has 16. Actually maybe it’s not so weird since it seems like a lot of bureaucracy is uneven without much reason behind it. At least with only four buttons to push once you were inside it didn’t take long for the line to move forward. Four simple punching of buttons and we were part of the process of deciding who would be responsible for guiding our nation’s government; seems rather anti-climatic, far too simple for such weighty decisions. Now that the election has been decided it doesn’t matter so much what buttons you pushed as it does the prayers you will pray for those who were placed in the positions of decision making for our Country’s near future.
Sometimes it seems as if we try to simplify following Yeshua in the same manner as I’ve just spoken of. We think if we show up and the worship leader hits the right buttons we will be in His presence; and then, if the Pastor hits the right ministry button; we will be fed exactly what Abba has intended for us to receive that day (and for many that meal is supposed to last the rest of the week till we get back for more spoon feeding). Then we think if the right person presses the right prayer buttons we get healed and provision for the coming week. Oy Vey, too easy, no commitment, no building of relationship, it’s a no brainer that way and we are not meant to be incompetent or ignorant or lazy, or…
How much prayer time are you putting in for your Country’s leaders, for your Church leaders, for your own self who should be leading others to Yeshua?
Luke 18 has Yeshua telling the story of the importuning widow and the unjust judge, she through importuning/persistence gets the unjust judge to give her a righteous judgment. We find in vs 7-8 that Yeshua assures us that Abba will avenge His elect who cry to Him day and night and He will do so speedily. Woo-hoo we’ve been elected to be defended by Abba, who always does justly. Oh yeah, we need that perseverance thing going on in our lives; but hey, we should all want to keep up a running conversation with the One who loves us beyond all comprehension. In Roman’s 8 we are told that He is so for us that he didn’t even spare His own Son but together they give us all things. Verse 33 says who can lay charges against Abba’s elect? He is the One who justifies.
Ahh, He elected us to receive such great promises, secured for us by Yeshua when He put His life on the line for us. We rest secure in Him, as we step into the days ahead.
k
Sometimes it seems as if we try to simplify following Yeshua in the same manner as I’ve just spoken of. We think if we show up and the worship leader hits the right buttons we will be in His presence; and then, if the Pastor hits the right ministry button; we will be fed exactly what Abba has intended for us to receive that day (and for many that meal is supposed to last the rest of the week till we get back for more spoon feeding). Then we think if the right person presses the right prayer buttons we get healed and provision for the coming week. Oy Vey, too easy, no commitment, no building of relationship, it’s a no brainer that way and we are not meant to be incompetent or ignorant or lazy, or…
How much prayer time are you putting in for your Country’s leaders, for your Church leaders, for your own self who should be leading others to Yeshua?
Luke 18 has Yeshua telling the story of the importuning widow and the unjust judge, she through importuning/persistence gets the unjust judge to give her a righteous judgment. We find in vs 7-8 that Yeshua assures us that Abba will avenge His elect who cry to Him day and night and He will do so speedily. Woo-hoo we’ve been elected to be defended by Abba, who always does justly. Oh yeah, we need that perseverance thing going on in our lives; but hey, we should all want to keep up a running conversation with the One who loves us beyond all comprehension. In Roman’s 8 we are told that He is so for us that he didn’t even spare His own Son but together they give us all things. Verse 33 says who can lay charges against Abba’s elect? He is the One who justifies.
Ahh, He elected us to receive such great promises, secured for us by Yeshua when He put His life on the line for us. We rest secure in Him, as we step into the days ahead.
k
Fallish Steps
Today I decided to take advantage of the lovely sunny warmth even though there were various task calling out to be done inside. I’ve found that I can let lovely days go by in the Summer without much thought because the next day is expected to be more of the same, how many lovely days have I wasted not being out in Abba’s creation in order to accomplish stuff inside which really could wait for a rainy day or at least till after the sun has gone down? Yet here we are in the first part of Nov. with lovely temps in the high 60’s and I feel impelled to go out and celebrate the day because well tomorrow might bring snow. Yes, I said the dreaded word; actually I got news from friends in Md. that the white stuff had already fallen up there, though thankfully it didn’t last long. Last long, now there’s the rub as Shakespeare put it. We as a human race can endure much if we know that it will not last long. Yet as followers of Messiah, we are called to endure hardship like a soldier (2 Tim 2:3), endure all for the sake of others (2 Tim 2:10) to endure afflictions (2 Tim 4:5), enduring correction shows you are a child of Abba’s (Heb 12:7), and lastly for my list but not leastly, Matt 10:22 to endure to the end and you will be kept safe. Endure in the Scriptural sense of the above verses means to stay under. In other words don’t ditch your journey when it gets rough, don’t stop short of the finish line, don’t’ cop out on your purpose. Another predilection that we humans have is to do what I’ve just done, jump from fall to winter and already start dreading what has not yet happened, skipping over what might prove to be a delightful season which will allow me to ‘endure’ the cold time.
So I went walking. I noticed the trees are turning a bit more, a couple of big ones right across the road are turning yellow and are quite lovely. I noticed little flowers still peaking out through the fallen pine needles. One particularly caught my attention; it was one of those small daisy looking flowers; it was sitting right by a downed pinecone. This was a striking contrast to me. (Let me digress a moment and say I was not raised around Pine trees. Yes, Texas has Pines in that very different part of Texas to the east, but I’m Central Texas born and bred so we don’t have Pines and we really don’t have fall. A few bushes might turn colors but Live Oaks, Mesquites, and Cedars don’t turn colors nor do they normally lose their leaves. And let’s face it if you wait for the weather to tell you it’s not still summer you will find yourself on a rollercoaster of a cold front followed by 80 or even 90 degree temps and you will end up skitzo. Hence my fall experiences are not based on past memories of glorious fall colors so if I say this fall is kinda ugly it’s a comparative analysis of how it has looked here in previous years.) Okay a flower with a downed pinecone struck me as odd a Spring/Fall anomaly or seasonal overlap. I thought ,'woo-hoo hang in there little flower don’t let the pine bombs from above you bring you down, use the fallen pine needles as insulation against the cold, fight to survive as long as you can. Just say ‘no’ to the cold to come.’ In other words I wanted it to endure just like I would like the warmth to endure. Just like I would like the good times to endure, however, from experience I know that tough times come but if I’ve stored up the sweetness, the goodness of Abba’s grace while it seems to flow freely I can then be assured I have enough of Ruach’s umph (spiritually speaking the oil of the Spirit) to get me through the night season, the cold times and not only survive but thrive. I also noted that the flower/pinecone represented seeds fallen to the ground via the empty cone and a flower which is fruition of a seed to me a visual reminder of the great promise of the plowman over taking the reaper (Amos 9:13).
I continued my walk and sudden my eye was caught but something even more incongruous (out of place) than a flower and pinecone; a tiny perhaps inch long green worm/caterpillar hanging from a thread descending from a Pine tree ground ward. Why incongruous? Well, I’ve seen spiders repelling down a microscopic thread but a green caterpillar as slender as a pencil lead, doing it, I don’t’ know that I’ve ever seen such in my life. Okay, it’s not a burning bush but I turned aside any way to check out this sight. I watched as it slow descended and as the wind blew it gently back and forth. I thought, I hope you are just trying to reach the ground and not a specific ground zero since the wind is going to make that difficult. When it was a couple of inches above the ground it seemed to pause in its descent, I could see in my mind’s eye transposed over the real scene, this little green dude staring down making a judgment of just how much further it need to go before it could at least grab onto a pine needle or blade of grass that might be sticking up. Then I was brought back to real time reality when the dude seemed to let go of the thread it was hanging from and dropped to the ground. I know two inches might not seem like much to you but it would have been quite a drop for the green dude. Now I wondered, 'did he come to the end of his string capacity? Was he too tired of hanging out? Did he simply decide the wind was not going to allow him to reach the spot he had eyed from above so he might as well get ready for a long crawl?' Since I don’t speak green worm/caterpillar (still undetermined what exactly to call this dude) I will never know his reasons and in any case how many of us actually can say why we react certain ways under dangling wind tossed circumstances? For me it is enough to admire him for obviously looking down from a great height on the Pine tree and deciding not to take the slow way of inching down the rough trunk but to use his gift of string production and start down exposed for all to see in the belief that he was going to make it to Terra firma. Wow, what courage. Isa. 41:14 calls on Jacob (Israel) not to fear but it also has a precursor to the name Jacob, you got it (maybe you do if you know the verse or if you’re good at positing) He called him, worm. This nom de guerre could have been used due to the fact that Israel felt like a lowly worm or Abba was telling them they would not be like mighty warhorses but as the worm, a lowly seeming creature which can wreak havoc on plant life, conquering literally by their teeth; which seems to be the indication from the verses following vs 14. (An important aside to the worm issue is the phrase nom de guerre; it is French and most would say it means a pseudonym aka fake name. Originally however it meant ‘war name’, a practice adopted by the French Foreign Legion. They adopted new names to protect their families’ identities.) Hence the worm nom de guerre was not an insult but a way of saying this small creature which would seem to lack all conquering ability, could by its inherent nature overcome huge areas.
No burning bush today, no heaven opening up and great vision from above but I did learn a lot from a worm.
k
So I went walking. I noticed the trees are turning a bit more, a couple of big ones right across the road are turning yellow and are quite lovely. I noticed little flowers still peaking out through the fallen pine needles. One particularly caught my attention; it was one of those small daisy looking flowers; it was sitting right by a downed pinecone. This was a striking contrast to me. (Let me digress a moment and say I was not raised around Pine trees. Yes, Texas has Pines in that very different part of Texas to the east, but I’m Central Texas born and bred so we don’t have Pines and we really don’t have fall. A few bushes might turn colors but Live Oaks, Mesquites, and Cedars don’t turn colors nor do they normally lose their leaves. And let’s face it if you wait for the weather to tell you it’s not still summer you will find yourself on a rollercoaster of a cold front followed by 80 or even 90 degree temps and you will end up skitzo. Hence my fall experiences are not based on past memories of glorious fall colors so if I say this fall is kinda ugly it’s a comparative analysis of how it has looked here in previous years.) Okay a flower with a downed pinecone struck me as odd a Spring/Fall anomaly or seasonal overlap. I thought ,'woo-hoo hang in there little flower don’t let the pine bombs from above you bring you down, use the fallen pine needles as insulation against the cold, fight to survive as long as you can. Just say ‘no’ to the cold to come.’ In other words I wanted it to endure just like I would like the warmth to endure. Just like I would like the good times to endure, however, from experience I know that tough times come but if I’ve stored up the sweetness, the goodness of Abba’s grace while it seems to flow freely I can then be assured I have enough of Ruach’s umph (spiritually speaking the oil of the Spirit) to get me through the night season, the cold times and not only survive but thrive. I also noted that the flower/pinecone represented seeds fallen to the ground via the empty cone and a flower which is fruition of a seed to me a visual reminder of the great promise of the plowman over taking the reaper (Amos 9:13).
I continued my walk and sudden my eye was caught but something even more incongruous (out of place) than a flower and pinecone; a tiny perhaps inch long green worm/caterpillar hanging from a thread descending from a Pine tree ground ward. Why incongruous? Well, I’ve seen spiders repelling down a microscopic thread but a green caterpillar as slender as a pencil lead, doing it, I don’t’ know that I’ve ever seen such in my life. Okay, it’s not a burning bush but I turned aside any way to check out this sight. I watched as it slow descended and as the wind blew it gently back and forth. I thought, I hope you are just trying to reach the ground and not a specific ground zero since the wind is going to make that difficult. When it was a couple of inches above the ground it seemed to pause in its descent, I could see in my mind’s eye transposed over the real scene, this little green dude staring down making a judgment of just how much further it need to go before it could at least grab onto a pine needle or blade of grass that might be sticking up. Then I was brought back to real time reality when the dude seemed to let go of the thread it was hanging from and dropped to the ground. I know two inches might not seem like much to you but it would have been quite a drop for the green dude. Now I wondered, 'did he come to the end of his string capacity? Was he too tired of hanging out? Did he simply decide the wind was not going to allow him to reach the spot he had eyed from above so he might as well get ready for a long crawl?' Since I don’t speak green worm/caterpillar (still undetermined what exactly to call this dude) I will never know his reasons and in any case how many of us actually can say why we react certain ways under dangling wind tossed circumstances? For me it is enough to admire him for obviously looking down from a great height on the Pine tree and deciding not to take the slow way of inching down the rough trunk but to use his gift of string production and start down exposed for all to see in the belief that he was going to make it to Terra firma. Wow, what courage. Isa. 41:14 calls on Jacob (Israel) not to fear but it also has a precursor to the name Jacob, you got it (maybe you do if you know the verse or if you’re good at positing) He called him, worm. This nom de guerre could have been used due to the fact that Israel felt like a lowly worm or Abba was telling them they would not be like mighty warhorses but as the worm, a lowly seeming creature which can wreak havoc on plant life, conquering literally by their teeth; which seems to be the indication from the verses following vs 14. (An important aside to the worm issue is the phrase nom de guerre; it is French and most would say it means a pseudonym aka fake name. Originally however it meant ‘war name’, a practice adopted by the French Foreign Legion. They adopted new names to protect their families’ identities.) Hence the worm nom de guerre was not an insult but a way of saying this small creature which would seem to lack all conquering ability, could by its inherent nature overcome huge areas.
No burning bush today, no heaven opening up and great vision from above but I did learn a lot from a worm.
k
Monday, November 3, 2008
Squirrely Steps
Today is a bright sunny day with a brisk wind; we start off toward church a bit early to make sure the heat is going to take the chill off the sanctuary. I suppose it was nice to have a ‘fall back’ day in Daylight Savings time but actually Dave and I were both up at the usual time, which did allow a bit more leisure before setting out . Arriving at the church I opened my door (okay if I am patient Dave opens my door but sometimes I’m in a hurry) and what did I see but a squirrel standing before the church door. It’s not unusual to see squirrels in the church neighborhood but I don’t think I ever had one waiting at the door for us. Instantly my quirky side kicked in and I started singing, ‘the day the squirrel went to church…’ As Dave came around from behind the car the squirrel started dancing around and took off. Ever notice that sometimes Pastors have that effect on people? I’ve noticed that when people feel good about themselves and their actions they welcome a Pastor with open arms; however, any slight niggling feeling of guilt and they will go to contorted measures to avoid this otherwise welcome person. So what possible issues could this particular squirrel have with my gentle shepherd hubby? Perhaps he had been out filching other’s stores of acorns? He could have been playing hooky from his own Sabbath duties to come check out our place. Maybe he is a heathen squirrel who had hoped to slip into the church make a quick dash to the altar without all the complications of interaction with others, or backslidden and not wanting to face his peers and admit he was having second thoughts about the Second Coming? Okay I must make another confession, for me a squirrel is a pesky rodent with a bushy tail that often empties my birdfeeders without my permission and mostly I don’t think they are cute. I don’t want to see them harmed and often yell at them to ‘get moving’ when they are darting across the road because I’m not heartless but I do have less heart toward them than say chip monks. What’s the difference in a chip monk and squirrel? Chubby cheeks for one thing, I admit I have a smile reaction for chubby cheeked creatures. This is quite a revealing revelation about my heart’s condition.
When something/one personally irritates me it can prejudice me against an entire grouping of people or things.(Had this particular squirrel ever filched my seed? No cause I haven’t set a feeder out at the church) When something is appealing to me it can redeem a whole lot of other issues I might have had with others in that group. Personal taste seems to come into play a lot in our attitudes and our attitudes set our mindsets, mindsets drive our actions and reactions which form our personality. Our personality affects our souls, which impact our spirit and all this has eternal implications. You might think a small prejudice is just a quirk of your personality, a slight blip on an otherwise good screen of emotional and spiritual health but I’m here to remind you that that blip is an algorithm that you can’t allow to continue or it will lead you down a path of false answers. (Algorithm: computer lingo for sequences of finite instructions, these instructions are used as a way to complete a task and finally arriving at an end state. A few algorithms can be open ended but I’m trying not to technical you to death here.) Hence squirrels which once ticked me off, started a pattern of me continually being ticked at them, even if they don’t steal my bird seed and even apparently if they show up at church. A squirrelly attitude might not be damaging to my eternal state but it is merely a simple look at much more complicated heart issue that can cause me to form false assumptions about my fellow Terra travelers be they small creatures or the larger talking ones.
It is imperative for this girl as she steps out into the world or through the door of the church, to allow Ruach to rewrite any destructive algorithm that I’ve allowed to run which will push me toward a final conclusion about things that I am not exactly thrilled about less I come short of the outcome that He intends for me to attain. Wouldn’t it just be a gut shocker to stand before the Father and have Him say, ‘you did a good job, you accomplished ….however if you had not allowed that offense, that prejudice, that false algorithm in your life I could have used you to reach the people of Somalia for the kingdom.’
As I sit still I can sense a change in the rhythm of my heart, I hear the faint sounding beat that has been echoing from the dawn of time, the only rhythm that can bring all creation into harmony; His heartbeat calling out to mine,’ get in step, we’re getting ready to fling open the doors to whosoever will.’
k
When something/one personally irritates me it can prejudice me against an entire grouping of people or things.(Had this particular squirrel ever filched my seed? No cause I haven’t set a feeder out at the church) When something is appealing to me it can redeem a whole lot of other issues I might have had with others in that group. Personal taste seems to come into play a lot in our attitudes and our attitudes set our mindsets, mindsets drive our actions and reactions which form our personality. Our personality affects our souls, which impact our spirit and all this has eternal implications. You might think a small prejudice is just a quirk of your personality, a slight blip on an otherwise good screen of emotional and spiritual health but I’m here to remind you that that blip is an algorithm that you can’t allow to continue or it will lead you down a path of false answers. (Algorithm: computer lingo for sequences of finite instructions, these instructions are used as a way to complete a task and finally arriving at an end state. A few algorithms can be open ended but I’m trying not to technical you to death here.) Hence squirrels which once ticked me off, started a pattern of me continually being ticked at them, even if they don’t steal my bird seed and even apparently if they show up at church. A squirrelly attitude might not be damaging to my eternal state but it is merely a simple look at much more complicated heart issue that can cause me to form false assumptions about my fellow Terra travelers be they small creatures or the larger talking ones.
It is imperative for this girl as she steps out into the world or through the door of the church, to allow Ruach to rewrite any destructive algorithm that I’ve allowed to run which will push me toward a final conclusion about things that I am not exactly thrilled about less I come short of the outcome that He intends for me to attain. Wouldn’t it just be a gut shocker to stand before the Father and have Him say, ‘you did a good job, you accomplished ….however if you had not allowed that offense, that prejudice, that false algorithm in your life I could have used you to reach the people of Somalia for the kingdom.’
As I sit still I can sense a change in the rhythm of my heart, I hear the faint sounding beat that has been echoing from the dawn of time, the only rhythm that can bring all creation into harmony; His heartbeat calling out to mine,’ get in step, we’re getting ready to fling open the doors to whosoever will.’
k
New Steps
Recently I felt impelled to pull out my stepchild writings and get them ready for distribution in doing so I was able to remember the good time I had writing them and to ponder why I stopped. I don’t have a definitive answer as to why I stopped, maybe I ran out of things to say, nah that is definitely not the reason because I always have plenty to say. I think looking back maybe I just ran out of physical umph and the emotional ability to deal with an illness that had taken up years of my life so it all just got to be too much for me to contemplate sitting on the steps. I had thought once we moved about starting them up again but life got too complicated it seems and I had no river, no ducks, geese or heron to give me quirky inspiration. I always intended for the stepchild writings to be lighthearted for the most part especially since I was going through a time of severe trial in the keep heart area; and here I am now for some reason deciding to begin writing concerning a new phase of my journey. This phase will not be written sitting on the steps as before but as I go about the daily steps taken in my life, I will attempt to pause and reflect on the steps being taken and see if there inspiration worth the sharing.
Today is the first day of November and it’s a bright sunny day in the 70s. Since I’m working aka manning the funeral home my steps are ordered a bit differently; however since I’m by myself for now I’m outside sweeping pine needles and pinecones off the parking lot and onto the grass. If I were a guy I would be using a blower but I’m a lady, dressed in a skirt, hose and nice shoes preferring to use a broom. Admittedly it will take longer this way but as I said I’m alone and the active part of the manning (ladying) won’t start for a bit. Okay I thought I was alone (and no I’m not talking Abba/Yeshua/Ruach for they are always here) but I was soon to find out there were hidden entities present. I was sweeping away and pondering the world situation and the perilous times many were having when my attention was drawn to a closer peril. A yellow butterfly had inadvertently (I promise for I have no ill intentions toward butterflies) been swiped by my broom. This little dude or dudette was limping or half fluttering if you will around in a crazy manner probably having been dazed and OH HORROR, perhaps even mortally wounded by my sweeping. I was contrite, I was watching for signs of demise, we are at a funeral home you know, but thankfully it finally straightened itself out and seemed to recover. I thought to myself how did I not see a yellow butter fly in the midst of all the brown pine needles? So I’m pondering and sweeping hoping not to bring any other undetected butterfly close to an untimely death when I suddenly noticed little bees in the midst of my pine needles and revelation dawned. These little dudes and dudette, butterflies and bees had been hiding/nesting in the pine needles probably for warmth over night. No wonder I didn’t see the butterfly if it had been burrowed under the needles. (We will not go into the theological issues of butterflies burrowing so don’t get all hyper analytical on me that’s my job, and I’m trying to stay on track which is really no track and if I start researching the burrowing or not burrowing habits of butterflies it will lead, Oy, Abba alone knows where that could lead.) I must pause since confession is good for the soul they say (who is they well, that’s another story) I actually brained a ladybug who was crawling in the doorway before going out on parking lot detail, I did explain to it that I was not trying to kill it but to merely save it from a fate worse than death by it attempting to enter a funeral home unwelcomed. So it seems the broom and I were going for a clean sweep of the insect world intended or unintended. Whew, I feel better. In any case I had discovered the reason for the oversight, the possible damage done when one does not understand the nature of things hidden or revealed but then I found something being revealed about myself. I was prejudice, biased, a bit heart hardened when it came to bees. I had no qualms about sweeping those little buggers with vigorous strokes, I did stop short at actually hunting them down and squishing them though so maybe there’s hope for me. Another confession, I had just watched the bee movie and even with such enlightenment I was still bee hardened. Alas and alack the human heart can be so fickle, butterflies are pretty and to be honest little yellow and black bees aren’t exactly ugly but they just don’t have the same poetic attraction. I suppose it comes down to one’s outlook which if you think about it springs from our inner convictions so maybe I should say our in look. So ask yourself, what is driving your attitudes? Where are your core values coming from? Are they societal (a product of the society that we live in)? Are they because you were raised in a certain family with a certain ethnic background? Perhaps you were raised in church and think you have a Biblical foundation, I ask you to simply allow yourself to re-evaluate the interpretation that you’ve been raised under. How do you do that? Allow Ruach HaKodesh (the Spirit) to put you in situations like my butterfly-bee one and examine how you react and ask yourself, what if you had to give a reason for your choice what would that reason be based on? A simple easy test is it based on love? If the answer is no then it can’t be truly Biblically founded. Don’t get me wrong, love can sweep a ladybug out the door to keep it from getting stepped on which at the time might seem harsh to the ladybug. Love is not wimpy, it’s one of the hardest lessons to learn and sometimes the hardest to apply when it comes to overcoming our prejudices but it can be done.
And hey, remember you are not alone, there may be hidden life just waiting to be exposed. (Hint do your exposing gently!)
k
Today is the first day of November and it’s a bright sunny day in the 70s. Since I’m working aka manning the funeral home my steps are ordered a bit differently; however since I’m by myself for now I’m outside sweeping pine needles and pinecones off the parking lot and onto the grass. If I were a guy I would be using a blower but I’m a lady, dressed in a skirt, hose and nice shoes preferring to use a broom. Admittedly it will take longer this way but as I said I’m alone and the active part of the manning (ladying) won’t start for a bit. Okay I thought I was alone (and no I’m not talking Abba/Yeshua/Ruach for they are always here) but I was soon to find out there were hidden entities present. I was sweeping away and pondering the world situation and the perilous times many were having when my attention was drawn to a closer peril. A yellow butterfly had inadvertently (I promise for I have no ill intentions toward butterflies) been swiped by my broom. This little dude or dudette was limping or half fluttering if you will around in a crazy manner probably having been dazed and OH HORROR, perhaps even mortally wounded by my sweeping. I was contrite, I was watching for signs of demise, we are at a funeral home you know, but thankfully it finally straightened itself out and seemed to recover. I thought to myself how did I not see a yellow butter fly in the midst of all the brown pine needles? So I’m pondering and sweeping hoping not to bring any other undetected butterfly close to an untimely death when I suddenly noticed little bees in the midst of my pine needles and revelation dawned. These little dudes and dudette, butterflies and bees had been hiding/nesting in the pine needles probably for warmth over night. No wonder I didn’t see the butterfly if it had been burrowed under the needles. (We will not go into the theological issues of butterflies burrowing so don’t get all hyper analytical on me that’s my job, and I’m trying to stay on track which is really no track and if I start researching the burrowing or not burrowing habits of butterflies it will lead, Oy, Abba alone knows where that could lead.) I must pause since confession is good for the soul they say (who is they well, that’s another story) I actually brained a ladybug who was crawling in the doorway before going out on parking lot detail, I did explain to it that I was not trying to kill it but to merely save it from a fate worse than death by it attempting to enter a funeral home unwelcomed. So it seems the broom and I were going for a clean sweep of the insect world intended or unintended. Whew, I feel better. In any case I had discovered the reason for the oversight, the possible damage done when one does not understand the nature of things hidden or revealed but then I found something being revealed about myself. I was prejudice, biased, a bit heart hardened when it came to bees. I had no qualms about sweeping those little buggers with vigorous strokes, I did stop short at actually hunting them down and squishing them though so maybe there’s hope for me. Another confession, I had just watched the bee movie and even with such enlightenment I was still bee hardened. Alas and alack the human heart can be so fickle, butterflies are pretty and to be honest little yellow and black bees aren’t exactly ugly but they just don’t have the same poetic attraction. I suppose it comes down to one’s outlook which if you think about it springs from our inner convictions so maybe I should say our in look. So ask yourself, what is driving your attitudes? Where are your core values coming from? Are they societal (a product of the society that we live in)? Are they because you were raised in a certain family with a certain ethnic background? Perhaps you were raised in church and think you have a Biblical foundation, I ask you to simply allow yourself to re-evaluate the interpretation that you’ve been raised under. How do you do that? Allow Ruach HaKodesh (the Spirit) to put you in situations like my butterfly-bee one and examine how you react and ask yourself, what if you had to give a reason for your choice what would that reason be based on? A simple easy test is it based on love? If the answer is no then it can’t be truly Biblically founded. Don’t get me wrong, love can sweep a ladybug out the door to keep it from getting stepped on which at the time might seem harsh to the ladybug. Love is not wimpy, it’s one of the hardest lessons to learn and sometimes the hardest to apply when it comes to overcoming our prejudices but it can be done.
And hey, remember you are not alone, there may be hidden life just waiting to be exposed. (Hint do your exposing gently!)
k
Royally Set Up
Sometimes it’s hard to put ourselves in the shoes or sandals of people who lived in Biblical times. The world has changed a lot since then as far as technology goes but human nature, not so much. This however in my opinion is not the key problem to identifying with the ‘faith of our Scriptural Fathers and Mothers’ so much as we are looking back on them seeing the end of their story hence we miss a lot of drama of the in between. It’s easy to judge the disciples and their lack of faith at times because we know that Yeshua was going to not only die but be resurrected in an eternal body; all they knew was their leader/ hoped for Messiah seemed to hint at something not so great happening to Him and since they couldn’t see beyond the Roman crosses dotting the Judean hills they couldn’t even dream of resurrection, at least not in the way Yeshua seemed to be indicating. Sure they had seen Lazarus raised but they knew he was going to die again so perhaps it seemed to them a mere hyper extension of healing not an eternal life issue. For them life under the Roman shadow was all they could see for their lives on earth, they had hope of life after but then who can really comprehend what all that will entail? How can you hope for much less base your life on something that you can’t even begin to comprehend, something that seems to go beyond your wildest dreams? You may talk about it, even preach it but when it comes to living it well that takes a bit more; that takes knowledge, real heartfelt, mind acquiescent, soul sold out knowledge. In Hoshea 4:6 Abba says His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge that they have actually rejected knowledge. At this point I know many would start a debate on what knowledge should be perpetuated and what rejected, most who know me know that He speaks to me through diverse ways from physics to neuroscience, to movies, books, butterflies, birds, fish, children, (no particular order intended in my very non comprehensive list) and He even speaks to me through my own writings, often writings I’ve done years earlier, that I had forgotten about and couldn’t even fathom what the situation was at the time that I was impelled to write; other times I do remember but I know looking back that I had only a part then and what I have added in knowledge now takes me much further down the road in understand what He was speaking to me then and now.
Sunday I spoke using Moshe’s blessing to Benjamin found in Deut. 33:12. The crux of this message had come from Abba having me revisit a word given to me for Kathy (used to be Boyd now Ruiz, woo-hoo) about Him dwelling between her shoulders two years ago. Ruach (the Spirit) told me to find out the context the promise was set in which I had not done originally or so I thought. (I had actually done a bit of research on it which would become apparent to me when the set up was revealed but as previously posited I had no idea of the impact that it would cause for now at the time of the original promise being given.) The re-visitation first began because it was the Feast of Tabernacles and the Deut. Scriptures would fall under the required reading for this time period. I read it for that reason and went ‘whoa, I had no idea or at least no remembrance of this being part of Moshe’s blessing’ and that made me revisit Jacob’s blessing to his sons, and there is quite a contrast in some of the words, what a difference time makes in prophetic words, what grace Abba has in, man I say morphing the words, as we morph in His grace; promises which seemed applicable when originally given can later be seen to mean something far greater and deeper than we could have known when first they were given to us. In the reexamining this promise to Kathy I saw more than the fact that Abba promised to dwell between her shoulders where the tumor was but that the first glance of who the promise was made to (Benjamin) was comparable. Kathy never had thought much about herself, she would have easily seen herself as a ‘least tribe’. The Benjaminites were the smallest tribe in Israel and again at first glance would seem not to have great significance. Admit it how many sermons do you hear based on Benjamin? We have the ‘send Judah first’,’ that Yeshua was the Lion of the tribe of Judah, we have messages on Joseph and his being a foreshadowing of Messiah, on the Levites and the priesthood… but Ben? Not so much is said. Sounds like most of our lives we know we are part of a bigger picture a grand and glorious plan but our part seems not too much worth listening. We hear others testimonies and think wow, they’ve really lived a faith filled life, or a miraculous life or..it always sounds better than our pea patch life seems to. But what if we were missing? No, I’m not thinking It’s A Wonderful Life but about a time in the life of the tribe of Benjamin when they almost went missing from the ranks of the 12. You will find the story in Judges 20 and 21 (this story does not correlate to my Kathy comparison). Some Benjaminites committed a heinous crime and the other tribes swear vengeance which nearly destroys the entire Benjaminite family, the others have also sworn a pact not to allow their daughters to marry any of the remaining Benjaminites which would have insured the entire tribe’s future demise. However they would realize that this was not a good thing for one to go missing and well they came up with some innovative ways of solving the problem of the oath uttered in anger. How could this tribe which had been given such a wonderful promise of being loved by Abba and being His dwelling place come so near annihilation? It’s part of the messy middle between promise and fulfillment. Mostly the messy middle is where we seem to live. Does this have to be where it seems we dwell the most? Depends, if you are waiting for the Rapture then you will live in the middle cause that comes at the end of this time for the believers. Don’t believe in the Rapture? Then you might be waiting for the Tribulation/antichrist and again that’s at the end so you’re stuck in the middle. If however you are in an intimate relationship with Yeshua and being led by Ruach as He reveals Abba’s will on earth then you just might be able to live going from glory to glory. No, I do not expect everything to seem like glory but you can live in Romans 8:18 reckoning now that any present sufferings are merely a birth pang for the glory being revealed in us. Okay I am strolling along now and need to get back to the main thrust of the thought process driving me, the Royal set up. The tribe of Ben would indeed be the dwelling place of Abba for they would inherit Moriah aka Temple Mount (Joshua 18) before it was Temple mount and when it came time for the dwelling place of Abba to be built tadah, Ben’s place gets the nod. Ben’s inheritance was between Judah’s and Joseph’s not such bad middle ground for the youngest tribe to inherit. They had been royally set up. We have no record of Ben seeking this promise or deserving it for that matter but Abba who sees the end from the beginning and all the in between has plans which prophetic words revealed in season may startle us with His grace and glory. It is also an interesting note that the possessors of Moriah, the Jebusites, weren’t kicked out by Ben’s effort but a stronger big brother, from the tribe of Judah, called David (eventually King David and that’s another really Royal set up), took them on and kicked them out. Way to go big brothers.
Our big Brother, Yeshua, was first spoken of in a prophetic word given to Eve (Gen 3:15), now at that time she really had no conception that a Messiah was being promised who would be Abba’s own Son, she just knew there was hope of defeating this enemy that had caused a breech between Adam, herself and Abba. Some posit when Seth was born she thought he would be the fulfillment of this promise. He was a good start toward that in that it says when his son Enos was born that men began to call on the name of the Lord. It would be a long time coming; this fulfillment of the promise of Messiah, yet Abba did not leave them with merely the promise to Eve but over and over gave whoever cared to understand the royal set up with many prophetic words about Messiah given to many prophets. Our inheritance would be obtained by Him but the people in the pre-birth times did not have to live in constant frustration of in between not if they put to use the prophetic in the context of their times. There would be many foreshadowing, I will call them mini fulfillments of words (the principle of reoccurrence) given by Ruach to the prophets, one could either go ‘rats, it’s not over’ or one could go ‘woo-hoo, look what He’s saying/doing now that is going to come in fullness in the right time’. Is. 49 gives wonderful Messianic prophetic words, that He was called from His mother’s womb. In verse 4 He says it seems as if His labor has been in vain but that He would leave that judgment up to Abba. Yesterday Abba spoke to my heart telling me when it seems like we’re not accomplishing anything, no discernable fruits that it might just be that it is not a fallow time but a time when we are laying up treasures in heaven, that can’t be seen now but do effect our now. Looking back there is no question now that though it might have appeared as if Yeshua’s work was falling short of the Messianic prophecies as verses 5 and 6 show He was being Royally set up. Verse 5 says though Israel was not gathered in at that time He would be glorious because according to verse 6 it was but a little thing to be given the task of bringing back the tribes of Jacob, His plan was for Him to be a light to the nations, a global impact. This did not diminish Israel’s importance but was a surpassing of all expectation with a worldwide vision. How often do we only envision our loved ones saved and healed, our city impacted maybe you even hope for your nation but ahh, lift up your eyes the world is His dream, go ahead reach your family, reach out to your city but always with the global vision of what that can do for the nations.
Was David royally disappointed that he would not get to build the Temple? Somehow I think not, not when Abba told him He was going to build him a house that would endure forever. Dave had been Royally set up.
Let me bring this a little closer to home and bring my beginning thoughts in this writing to full (for now) circle. The prophetic word for Kathy given is not merely a promise concerning the cancer but to a hearts cry that she has had for as long as I’ve known her and I’m sure for much longer than that. She has often quoted certain Scriptures since coming to join us one is Is. 54:2 a prophetic word that we were to be stretched out tents, she has also often spoken of us being pillars in the Temple (Rev. 3:2). Little did she realize when these desires began that she would be stretched so far nor become such a pillar of strength (yeah she would shake her head at me for that but it’s true) to support the work Abba is doing now. Her desires then being unfolded in ways that she couldn’t have understood then; but this did not stop her from proclaiming and looking for the fulfillment in her time then nor has she stopped now.
Are we there yet? Yes and not quite. Yes, we are at the time of mini fulfillments which will lead to a greater one but we are determined to celebrate, to victory dance on the hills we’ve taken now knowing (having knowledge so we do not perish waiting for the ultimate fulfillment) that the ultimate purposes for those hills has not yet unfolded. We are learning to walk in the shadow of perfect fulfillment which actually sheds light on the now we walk in, to be tabernacled with Him not bemoaning the lack of a Temple (which by the way He never asked for anyway). We are beginning to walk in more knowing than in just believing (there is a subtle difference in the two) which brings such peace with it (I can attest to that in personal experience).
During the Feast of Tabernacles Kathy married Henry a mini fulfillment of a greater wedding yet to take place when Yeshua comes for us His bride. Her search for Messiah gave her Henry along the way. Our search for His dwelling place has made us dwelling places for Him to a greater extent than we could have anticipated, our battles have won hills for others, our dance has freed others feet from fetters of doubt, the prophetic words given to us have enlarged our hearts to leave no one behind, to see no tribe demolished but restored, to be open to all of Abba’s revealed word and apply it now and anticipate more.
We have been Royally set up and we are loving Him for it!
k
Sunday I spoke using Moshe’s blessing to Benjamin found in Deut. 33:12. The crux of this message had come from Abba having me revisit a word given to me for Kathy (used to be Boyd now Ruiz, woo-hoo) about Him dwelling between her shoulders two years ago. Ruach (the Spirit) told me to find out the context the promise was set in which I had not done originally or so I thought. (I had actually done a bit of research on it which would become apparent to me when the set up was revealed but as previously posited I had no idea of the impact that it would cause for now at the time of the original promise being given.) The re-visitation first began because it was the Feast of Tabernacles and the Deut. Scriptures would fall under the required reading for this time period. I read it for that reason and went ‘whoa, I had no idea or at least no remembrance of this being part of Moshe’s blessing’ and that made me revisit Jacob’s blessing to his sons, and there is quite a contrast in some of the words, what a difference time makes in prophetic words, what grace Abba has in, man I say morphing the words, as we morph in His grace; promises which seemed applicable when originally given can later be seen to mean something far greater and deeper than we could have known when first they were given to us. In the reexamining this promise to Kathy I saw more than the fact that Abba promised to dwell between her shoulders where the tumor was but that the first glance of who the promise was made to (Benjamin) was comparable. Kathy never had thought much about herself, she would have easily seen herself as a ‘least tribe’. The Benjaminites were the smallest tribe in Israel and again at first glance would seem not to have great significance. Admit it how many sermons do you hear based on Benjamin? We have the ‘send Judah first’,’ that Yeshua was the Lion of the tribe of Judah, we have messages on Joseph and his being a foreshadowing of Messiah, on the Levites and the priesthood… but Ben? Not so much is said. Sounds like most of our lives we know we are part of a bigger picture a grand and glorious plan but our part seems not too much worth listening. We hear others testimonies and think wow, they’ve really lived a faith filled life, or a miraculous life or..it always sounds better than our pea patch life seems to. But what if we were missing? No, I’m not thinking It’s A Wonderful Life but about a time in the life of the tribe of Benjamin when they almost went missing from the ranks of the 12. You will find the story in Judges 20 and 21 (this story does not correlate to my Kathy comparison). Some Benjaminites committed a heinous crime and the other tribes swear vengeance which nearly destroys the entire Benjaminite family, the others have also sworn a pact not to allow their daughters to marry any of the remaining Benjaminites which would have insured the entire tribe’s future demise. However they would realize that this was not a good thing for one to go missing and well they came up with some innovative ways of solving the problem of the oath uttered in anger. How could this tribe which had been given such a wonderful promise of being loved by Abba and being His dwelling place come so near annihilation? It’s part of the messy middle between promise and fulfillment. Mostly the messy middle is where we seem to live. Does this have to be where it seems we dwell the most? Depends, if you are waiting for the Rapture then you will live in the middle cause that comes at the end of this time for the believers. Don’t believe in the Rapture? Then you might be waiting for the Tribulation/antichrist and again that’s at the end so you’re stuck in the middle. If however you are in an intimate relationship with Yeshua and being led by Ruach as He reveals Abba’s will on earth then you just might be able to live going from glory to glory. No, I do not expect everything to seem like glory but you can live in Romans 8:18 reckoning now that any present sufferings are merely a birth pang for the glory being revealed in us. Okay I am strolling along now and need to get back to the main thrust of the thought process driving me, the Royal set up. The tribe of Ben would indeed be the dwelling place of Abba for they would inherit Moriah aka Temple Mount (Joshua 18) before it was Temple mount and when it came time for the dwelling place of Abba to be built tadah, Ben’s place gets the nod. Ben’s inheritance was between Judah’s and Joseph’s not such bad middle ground for the youngest tribe to inherit. They had been royally set up. We have no record of Ben seeking this promise or deserving it for that matter but Abba who sees the end from the beginning and all the in between has plans which prophetic words revealed in season may startle us with His grace and glory. It is also an interesting note that the possessors of Moriah, the Jebusites, weren’t kicked out by Ben’s effort but a stronger big brother, from the tribe of Judah, called David (eventually King David and that’s another really Royal set up), took them on and kicked them out. Way to go big brothers.
Our big Brother, Yeshua, was first spoken of in a prophetic word given to Eve (Gen 3:15), now at that time she really had no conception that a Messiah was being promised who would be Abba’s own Son, she just knew there was hope of defeating this enemy that had caused a breech between Adam, herself and Abba. Some posit when Seth was born she thought he would be the fulfillment of this promise. He was a good start toward that in that it says when his son Enos was born that men began to call on the name of the Lord. It would be a long time coming; this fulfillment of the promise of Messiah, yet Abba did not leave them with merely the promise to Eve but over and over gave whoever cared to understand the royal set up with many prophetic words about Messiah given to many prophets. Our inheritance would be obtained by Him but the people in the pre-birth times did not have to live in constant frustration of in between not if they put to use the prophetic in the context of their times. There would be many foreshadowing, I will call them mini fulfillments of words (the principle of reoccurrence) given by Ruach to the prophets, one could either go ‘rats, it’s not over’ or one could go ‘woo-hoo, look what He’s saying/doing now that is going to come in fullness in the right time’. Is. 49 gives wonderful Messianic prophetic words, that He was called from His mother’s womb. In verse 4 He says it seems as if His labor has been in vain but that He would leave that judgment up to Abba. Yesterday Abba spoke to my heart telling me when it seems like we’re not accomplishing anything, no discernable fruits that it might just be that it is not a fallow time but a time when we are laying up treasures in heaven, that can’t be seen now but do effect our now. Looking back there is no question now that though it might have appeared as if Yeshua’s work was falling short of the Messianic prophecies as verses 5 and 6 show He was being Royally set up. Verse 5 says though Israel was not gathered in at that time He would be glorious because according to verse 6 it was but a little thing to be given the task of bringing back the tribes of Jacob, His plan was for Him to be a light to the nations, a global impact. This did not diminish Israel’s importance but was a surpassing of all expectation with a worldwide vision. How often do we only envision our loved ones saved and healed, our city impacted maybe you even hope for your nation but ahh, lift up your eyes the world is His dream, go ahead reach your family, reach out to your city but always with the global vision of what that can do for the nations.
Was David royally disappointed that he would not get to build the Temple? Somehow I think not, not when Abba told him He was going to build him a house that would endure forever. Dave had been Royally set up.
Let me bring this a little closer to home and bring my beginning thoughts in this writing to full (for now) circle. The prophetic word for Kathy given is not merely a promise concerning the cancer but to a hearts cry that she has had for as long as I’ve known her and I’m sure for much longer than that. She has often quoted certain Scriptures since coming to join us one is Is. 54:2 a prophetic word that we were to be stretched out tents, she has also often spoken of us being pillars in the Temple (Rev. 3:2). Little did she realize when these desires began that she would be stretched so far nor become such a pillar of strength (yeah she would shake her head at me for that but it’s true) to support the work Abba is doing now. Her desires then being unfolded in ways that she couldn’t have understood then; but this did not stop her from proclaiming and looking for the fulfillment in her time then nor has she stopped now.
Are we there yet? Yes and not quite. Yes, we are at the time of mini fulfillments which will lead to a greater one but we are determined to celebrate, to victory dance on the hills we’ve taken now knowing (having knowledge so we do not perish waiting for the ultimate fulfillment) that the ultimate purposes for those hills has not yet unfolded. We are learning to walk in the shadow of perfect fulfillment which actually sheds light on the now we walk in, to be tabernacled with Him not bemoaning the lack of a Temple (which by the way He never asked for anyway). We are beginning to walk in more knowing than in just believing (there is a subtle difference in the two) which brings such peace with it (I can attest to that in personal experience).
During the Feast of Tabernacles Kathy married Henry a mini fulfillment of a greater wedding yet to take place when Yeshua comes for us His bride. Her search for Messiah gave her Henry along the way. Our search for His dwelling place has made us dwelling places for Him to a greater extent than we could have anticipated, our battles have won hills for others, our dance has freed others feet from fetters of doubt, the prophetic words given to us have enlarged our hearts to leave no one behind, to see no tribe demolished but restored, to be open to all of Abba’s revealed word and apply it now and anticipate more.
We have been Royally set up and we are loving Him for it!
k
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