The Post That Almost Wasn't

What a day and a night! I first want to apologize that life got so busy, I missed posting. My youngest daughter is having health issues and we spent the night in an Emergency Room for 14 hours over night into today and I had not reception on my phone to get online. I am so sorry.

The bad news, my girl did not get a lot of relief from her pain. The good news is, that horribly long night is over.

Paul had nights like this. That may have seemed unfruitful. Stuck in a prison cell. Locked in a dungeon. But one thing Paul never did was let his circumstances hold him back from praising the Lord.

At midnight, he sang. His praise shook the very foundations and the chains literally fell away from him, and spiritually and physically fell away from those around him. 

Last night I experienced a small portion of that. A close friend had joined me in my ER vigil and in that desperate, cold, and oppressive waiting room, I began to sing "Revelation Song", and not timidly, but with authority and boldness.

"HOLY HOLY HOLY IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND IS AND IS TO COME. WITH ALL CREATION I SING PRAISE TO THE KING OF KINGS, YOU ARE MY EVERYTHING AND I WILL ADORE YOU."

She said to me later, "The very atmosphere changed." The oppressive desperation began to lift and quiet and calm came into the room. Babies who had been fussy with pain and exhaustion began to settle and I began to feel God's presence in the room.

I am so thankful that He is with us! No matter the circumstances He reminds me that He is there, comforting, protecting, and healing. Changing the very circumstances and atmosphere that surround us, God moves on our behalf.

Another song comes to mind, this one by The Parachute Band and their new album Matins and Vespers.

 "I BELIEVE YOUR PROMISES ARE YES AND AMEN, I BELIEVE YOUR PROMISES ARE YES AND AMEN. I KNOW YOU SAID IT ONCE AND I BELIEVED YOU THEN, SO I STILL BELIEVE IT"

So I may be exhausted, and I may be late on posting today, but nothing can dampen my love for my Father, or His love for me. His love is the reason for my praise. I "promise with my lips" (the meaning of the word praise) that I will always sing until the chains fall off.

Please, continue to pray for my daughter, Connie-Lyn as she journeys to discover answers and forgive any typos, run-ons or fragments, since I have not seen sleep in 30  hours.

Be blessed and be a blessing and know that sleep in both a verb and a noun and I will be comatose for a while! 

Relationship Status Update

Well I don’t know about you but on more than one occasion I have gotten on Facebook and seen a friend or acquaintance’s relationship status updated. Often this causes some excitement and drama: some positive, some not. But there is only one relationship status that really matters and it is not on Facebook, it is your relationship with God. 

God created us in his image. But sin entered the picture in the garden and in that moment a gulf between man and God opened up, and it could not be breached until Jesus. God designed a plan that included a permanent way to bring us back into relationship with Him. 

John 3:16-18 in the Message says: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him." 

So our Relationship Status depends on what we do with what God already gave. 

Do we deny it, say it is a fairy tale, a fantasy, and only weak minded people really need to “believe” in God? Do we say that going to church is enough, that we have enough pressure in our lives that we don’t need to change our behavior to fit in with the goodie-goodies of this world? Do we say, well, my parents were church goers and they baptized me as a baby, so I am okay? 

No. We must turn our heart toward God. We must acknowledge Him, and the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf, and this is the beginning of a relationship. This is the introduction: now comes the love. 

I John 4:7-10 says, “My beloved friends: let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God."

So, as Valentine’s Day approaches and the world is focused on their version of love, remember this: greater love is laying down our lives for one another. Then we are called God’s friend. God made the way; you need to make the effort. Change your relationship status to “involved” with God. Become wrapped in His goodness, his mercy, his love and LOVE HIM and his people back! That is what real love is. 

Be blessed and be a blessing and remember that love is a verb!

Body Check

Today I feel like I should just take a minute and give you a closer glimpse into my life and what has been happening lately.

First I have to say I am so excited by all the wonderful things happening on this blog. I know I don’t get many comments, but just the site visits from the different nations, (which I have written about before) and the exposure happening with other sites picking up my stream, I “geek out”  quite a bit.

Secondly, things here at home have been extremely interesting. I have two wonderful daughters, both teens, and my youngest has given her life to the Lord this week, so now my whole family is serving God! This more than anything has made my year, and it is only February.

Things have been challenging as well. It always seems to be a mixed bag, this thing called life. (Of course it rains on the just and the unjust, right? – Matthew 5:45)  

One of those challenges is the on-going search for a job. As much as I wish writing this blog could be a permanent job for me, I am looking for a way to help the family and increase our household income. On average, I apply to about five jobs a day, but it is tough out there. Recently a local company wanted to fill 18 positions, so they had a job fair; 200 showed up. That gives you a small glimpse into the challenges of unemployment right now….  

Thankfully God is faithful, and He does not leave us without. He is sufficient and He does provide.  (1 Corinthians 1:9, Genesis 22:14) As we continue to trust and rely on Him, please lift us up in your prayers.

One of the other challenges for me is balancing my passions with my day to day life. Do you have that problem?  I get so invested in something that I shut myself away and throw myself into it so much that my family has to come into my room to remember what I look like.

It could be something as simple as a video game, social networking, or  yes, even this blog that I am "passionate" about at any given moment, but no matter the focus I always seem to struggle with balance.  

Luckily, I am reminded of Romans 12:1-2. We are supposed to take our everyday, walking around life and place it before God as an offering. When we do that, balance will follow. Aren't you glad Father knows best?  

So this is what is happening with me in this first month of 2012. 

Are you having any challenges you need to overcome? 

Need prayer about anything?

Finding it hard to balance your passions with the day to day? 

Maybe you have a wonderful testimony of God’s goodness you would like to share?

Leave a comment below and let us know what is going on with you.

We are one body, with many moving parts, (1 Corinthians 12:12) let’s do a body check….

Be blessed and be a blessing, and remember Present is an adjective!