tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2132133251807108612024-03-13T23:34:23.963-07:00WidowLife ~ For His GloryLorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-19745595201340534352015-05-17T15:55:00.000-07:002015-05-17T16:00:57.246-07:0016 years later - Father's Day reflections 2015<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-0QY5KI5EUSZWVoVVpXdTVxNDg/preview" width="640" height="480"></iframe>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-55402686183498789302012-02-04T15:35:00.000-08:002012-02-04T15:43:47.065-08:00The Mailbox Miracle<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things start to tighten up financially in October as the year comes to a close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once-a-year bills are due. The family gathers together more often, stretching the grocery budget. Then Christmas shopping brings on the grand finale, making my list and checking it twice to bless everyone in my world!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At half-nest I am also intentionally putting “memory maker” events on the calendar before everyone is gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took a couple of extra mini-vacations feeling that these extra-budget activities were approved by God! Unexpected expenses followed, bringing me to the point where even Dave Ramsey wouldn’t have been able to make our ends meet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the days in 2011 were marked off of the calendar, I knew we needed a God-sized miracle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before leaving home Monday, December 26<sup>th</sup> I wrote out checks for the bills in hand, marking their due date on the back of the sealed envelopes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My savings had been emptied, and the checkbook balance was at zero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Careful timing of depositing these in the mailbox upon returning from our memory making mini-trip would be crucial!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5G0ZHh2OcJ8/Ty3AHBoTWKI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/myHZ4tBe6Jw/s1600/Mailbox+Miracle+Dec.+31,+2011+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5G0ZHh2OcJ8/Ty3AHBoTWKI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/myHZ4tBe6Jw/s400/Mailbox+Miracle+Dec.+31,+2011+(2).JPG" width="266" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon returning on Wednesday, I noticed the pile of envelopes and MAILED all of the bills <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">before </i>thinking through my “careful timing plan!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By Friday I realized that I was in great trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, no . . . I wasn’t supposed to mail ALL of the bills that day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">An idea of how I could help God out came to mind!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Family and friends had generously joined together to give money towards the purchase of a brand new sewing machine, and my daughter was guarding this gift to keep me from “stealing from Peter to pay Paul!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quick call to my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sewing Machine Bank</i> would solve the problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I would be sure to reimburse this sorely needed withdrawal in January.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Friday afternoon, out of the corner of my eye, I saw my precious daughter and sweet son-in-law come to the front door with a large box…a very large box!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What in the world could this be, and what brings them here so unexpectedly?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I opened the door, they burst in yelling, “SURPRISE!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Oh my!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh no!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You shouldn’t have!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You really, really shouldn’t have!”<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">What a surprise!</span></em></strong> Before I could put in my request for the loan, they had taken the gift funds <u>and</u> the liberty to PURCHASE THE EMBROIDERY SEWING MACHINE!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everyone celebrated with me at the early timing of this great gift. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we unpacked the sewing machine from the box, tears began to roll down my face. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were tears of joy and tears of fear! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I prayed myself to sleep that night asking God for a mailbox miracle! I woke up with the prayer on my heart, “Oh God, ONLY YOU can provide the help we so desperately need at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Please send a mailbox miracle!"<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the time the mailman came on Saturday, I had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">somewhat</i> forgotten my desperate cries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bringing in the stack of mail, I sat it down without looking through it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later in the day, I realized that I still had not opened the mail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I returned to the stash to find a blank envelope nestled in the middle of the advertisements and late Christmas cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Could this be? Is it really . . . the prayed for mailbox miracle!?</span></strong></em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ifDnmAZTozw/Ty3An4vbrEI/AAAAAAAAAUY/uFay3qDwlGU/s1600/Mailbox+Miracle+Dec.+31,+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ifDnmAZTozw/Ty3An4vbrEI/AAAAAAAAAUY/uFay3qDwlGU/s400/Mailbox+Miracle+Dec.+31,+2011.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Quickly, but almost trembling, I peeked into the anonymous plain envelope only to find the answer to my prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gift, a money-order for the exact amount needed in my check book, had been hand-delivered by an anonymous friend I will consider God’s angel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong><span style="font-size: large;">God was faithful to me once again</span>,</strong> and I am thankful for His amazing grace.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-16074805253368820482012-02-01T17:14:00.000-08:002012-02-01T17:23:26.699-08:00Our Inheritance Banks<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Light bulb #2 – <strong>We must make deposits in our inheritance bank<o:p></o:p></strong></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We are commanded to leave an inheritance for our children’s children </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(Proverbs 13:22)<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">While often we think of this command in terms of material possessions; however, our inheritance can include so much more:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“A good man,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> by being good and doing good, by honoring the Lord with his substance and spending it in his service, secures it to his posterity; or, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if he should not leave them much of this world’s goods, his prayers, his instructions, his good example, will be the best entail</i></b>, and the promises of the covenant will be an inheritance to his <i>children’s children.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Matthew Henry Commentary</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kGITwHFieHI/TynlaKUoZ9I/AAAAAAAAAUI/5uf3jmyLGr8/s1600/Bible+reading.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kGITwHFieHI/TynlaKUoZ9I/AAAAAAAAAUI/5uf3jmyLGr8/s400/Bible+reading.png" width="376" /></a></div></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">It’s time to start your own “inheritance bank</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for your children and your children’s children.<u> <o:p></o:p></u></span></b><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">What is ONE THING your eyes have seen?</span></b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give an account of when and where God helped you.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Share a memory of a time when you blew it</span></b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> – you lacked faith and did not believe God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did you learn from that experience?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Deut. 5:32-33 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">“So you shall observe to do just as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: </span></i><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt;">but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons; </span></i></b><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Deuteronomy 4:9<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt;">"When your son asks you in time to come,</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> saying, 'What do the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments mean which the LORD our God commanded you?' 21 then you shall say to your son, 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and <b>the LORD brought us from</b> Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Moreover, <b>the LORD showed great and distressing signs and wonders before our eyes </b>against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household; 23 <b>He brought us out from there in order to bring us in,</b> to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers.' </span></i><span style="color: red; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Deut. 6:20-23<o:p></o:p></span>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-29683822568365158252012-01-31T09:32:00.000-08:002012-01-31T09:34:09.179-08:00Are we cursed by the sins of the fathers?<b>From Deuteronomy we continue to learn many important lessons:<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The boundaries of the land were clearly marked<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They did not lack one thing in the wilderness<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They did not need to fear for GOD was the one fighting for them.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Deuteronomy is not a second giving of the law, but a re-stating of the law . . . </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The 10 Commandments:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Have no other gods</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“You shall have no other gods before me.”</span></i><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Deut. 5:7 </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New “gods” are popping up everywhere in this world and for today’s generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must be very careful to worship only the ONE TRUE GOD.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Have no idols</b> - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, <b>visiting the iniquity of the fathers</b> on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
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Light bulb moments provide insights into God’s Word:<br />
Light bulb on the Sins of the fathers ~ <strong>Are we cursed by the sins of the fathers?</strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Lord does NOT punish the children and grandchildren because of their ancestors’ sins (Ezekiel 18); <b>however, He permits the sad consequences of those sins</b> to affect future generations, physically, mentally, and spiritually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><strong> YES</strong>, the sin of Adam has brought a curse upon all mankind. </span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <strong>NO</strong>, the sin of our physical fathers does not bring a curse upon the children.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="background: yellow; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-highlight: yellow;">Iniquity = <strong><em>consequences</em></strong> of the sin </span><br />
<span style="background: yellow; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-highlight: yellow;">NOT the sin itself<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">God allows each man to sin for himself</span> (and we do!)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our sins will impact our future generations through lasting consequences<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We can turn the tide for one thousand generations by loving God and keeping His commandments<o:p></o:p></span>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-52418986696549168642012-01-21T14:01:00.000-08:002012-01-21T14:04:30.220-08:00How to Move Forward - Deut. 4<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Moses really spells it all out before the Israelites went in to take possession of the land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe these are good reminders for our own lives as well.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Ch. 4 – Direction for Possession . . . </strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>How to move forward:<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Listen to God’s direction<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4:1 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform in order that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Hold fast to God<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4:4 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But you who hold fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you.”</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God is near whenever we call on Him<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4:7 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him?”</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Keep your soul diligent</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> lest you forget what your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your heart<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4:9 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Teach these to your children <o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4:10 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God . . . Assemble the people to Me, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Lord speaks in the midst of fire<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4:12 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Then the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form – only a voice.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God took you out of the iron furnace</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> to be a people for His own possession<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4:20 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Watch yourself</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> lest you forget the covenant of God<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4:23 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Watch yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which He made with you, and make yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the Lord your God has commanded you.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Seek the Lord and you will find Him<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4:29 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.”</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God is a compassionate God<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4:31 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4:35 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4:40 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you and that you may live long on the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We are commanded to leave an inheritance for our children’s children </span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(Proverbs 13:22)<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">While often we think of this command in terms of material possessions; however, our inheritance can include so much more: </span><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;">“A good man,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"> by being good and doing good, by honoring the Lord with his substance and spending it in his service, secures it to his posterity; </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;">or, if he should not leave them much of this world’s goods, <strong><em>his prayers, his instructions, his good example, will be the best entail, and the promises of the covenant will be an inheritance to his children’s children.”</em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;">Matthew Henry Commentary<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s time to start your own “inheritance bank.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What is ONE THING your eyes have seen?</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give an account of when and where God helped you.</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Share a memory of a time when you blew it</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> – you lacked faith and did not <span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">believe God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did you learn from that experience?<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-51431116387291952232012-01-20T07:35:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:36:44.608-08:00Remember God's Help and Do not be Afraid<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #31849b; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">Chapter 2 – Remember God’s help<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2:4<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“You will pass through the territory of your brothers . . . and they will be afraid of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So be very careful; do not provoke them . . .”</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2:7<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“For the Lord your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #31849b; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">God reminded them that HE HAD GIVEN THEM POSSESSION! </span><span style="color: #31849b; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">Again, do you know God’s promises?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you know what you already possess from the hand of God?<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #31849b; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">Chapter 3 – Do not be afraid </span></b><br />
<span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3:2<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand...”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3:5-6<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AND WE UTTERLY DESTROYED THEM . . .”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #31849b; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">God was God – Moses’ made an appeal for God to allow him to enter the Promised Land, but God said no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moses represented the law of God which should ONLY ALWAYS bring us to the grace of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A neat tidbit to know at this point is that Joshua was the one to lead the people into the Promised Land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you know what Joshua’s name means?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>JESUS!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #31849b; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">Only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will allow one to enter into the Promised Land!<o:p></o:p></span>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-48324925327929988922012-01-19T03:50:00.000-08:002012-01-19T03:50:26.245-08:00Promises about the Unknown Lands in our Lives<span style="color: #00cc66; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Deuteronomy 1:30<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as a man carried his son, in all the way which you have walked, until you came to this place.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #00cc66; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <u>Their mistake</u> </o:p></span><span style="color: #00cc66; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">. . . <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“But for all this, you did not trust the Lord your God, who goes before you on your way, to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00cc66; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><span style="color: #00cc66; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Oh God – may I remember and not forget! <o:p></o:p></span></div>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-54479432954925771802012-01-18T03:52:00.000-08:002012-01-18T10:01:26.158-08:00Deuteronomy Ch. 1 – It is a sin NOT to believe God<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1:6-7<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“You have stayed long enough at this mountain . . . turn and set your journey.”<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Wow – great things lie ahead in the land of the widow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn your heart towards the journey God has put before you!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1:8<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the land . . .”</span></i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Even if you don’t want to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Even if it seems scary, and even if it is uncertain!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>God has called you to this new season and He will be with you as you go!<o:p></o:p></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1:13<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Choose wise and discerning and experienced men from your tribes…”</span></i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Okay ladies, it would be better if you chose wise, discerning, and experienced LADIES to assist you as you go!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the greatest things God had Moses do when he was caving under the load, was to ask for help!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember when he pulled together 70 men to offer counsel and help to him in the wilderness?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t have to go it alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are a widow-mom, be intentional about putting mentors in your life to counsel YOU and to help with your children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need each other including the body of Christ in our lives is God’s original idea.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">They remembered Kadesh Barnea.</span></b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What in the world and where in the world is Kadesh Barnea?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is so significant about this pillar point that will help me in my own walk with the Lord?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the place of their huge mistake – they did not believe God!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">WOW!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a big deal NOT to believe God!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In order to believe God, we must know what we believe Him for!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must know and stand on the promises of God ~ He expects us to! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>UNBELIEF IS A SIN</strong> – </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“We have sinned against the Lord.”</span></i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deut. 1:41<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Isn’t it easy to list ten reasons why we should not, could not, and will not believe God for ____________ (you fill in the blank).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Israelites certainly had their reasons:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the land was fortified with walls, it was daunting, had enemies, and it was unknown and unfamiliar territory.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">BUT GOD – had promised to give this land to them and promised to go before them and with them.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Take time to write out some of the promises for the widow today.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ask the Lord to help you in your areas of unbelief.<o:p></o:p></span></b>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-83280125481486800492012-01-17T11:05:00.000-08:002012-01-17T11:05:15.293-08:00Remember and Do Not Forget - Deuteronomy 1-4<span style="font-size: xx-small;">January 16, 2012</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Remember and Do Not Forget<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">I don’t know about you, but I still find it very hard to digest the fact that the time to travel through the wilderness should have only taken eleven days <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ELEVEN DAYS</i> yet, they spent forty years there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This speaks volumes to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><u>This causes me to ponder my own life</u> . . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Are there wilderness patches I am stuck in?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Is there a Promised Land that I have been given I’m not willing to embrace?<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Two admonitions stand out from the book of Deuteronomy</span></b><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Remember<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Do not forget<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">They may seem to be one in the same, but if you are like me <o:p></o:p></span></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">it takes effort to “remember” and then an act of God to “not forget!”</span></b><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Maybe this comes with old age, but it is a skill worth acquiring </span><br />
<span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">and practicing every single day.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Stay tuned for the highlights from the first four chapters of Deuteronomy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Take time to read through Deuteronomy 1-4 this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I know the Lord will bless your time with Him!<o:p></o:p></span></div>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-40666312557405483642012-01-15T13:10:00.000-08:002012-01-15T13:10:17.705-08:00Learning from the book of NumbersIt's been a while since I posted on this blog for widows. I hope to include brief summaries from our lessons each week in God's Word which will never return back void!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There are lessons to be learned from our overview in Numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The greatest impact on me was from Numbers 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God numbered the first (old) generation and <strong>assigned each man by name the load he was to carry.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some carried boards and bars, others the pillars and sockets, while another family lifted the pegs and cords.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>These assignments might have seemed trivial and routine, but they were very important</strong> in order for the tabernacle to move across the wilderness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8500 men had a specific task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God eventually set aside the old generation to set apart the new. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ladies, this still happens today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong><em>What difference are we making our next generation?</em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><strong><em> </em></strong> </span>As we begin another new year, God reminds us of the load we have been assigned to carry as a widow. Personally, I believe it's a calling: </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> "<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Show hospitality to strangers<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Wash the saint's feet<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Assist those in distress<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Devote ourselves to every good work"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I Timothy 5</span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">May the Lord clarify personally His assignment for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you at the beginning of this new year!</span>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-64010221861783308912011-06-17T15:32:00.000-07:002011-06-20T13:12:53.807-07:00Our Pillar Point Day ~ May 17, 1999 A day that will Forever be in our Hearts<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">*May 16th ~<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God lays a foundation for His Apon <em>happily ever after</em> . . . "<strong>I am Husband and a Father to the fatherless."</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">*May 17th ~ 5:30 a.m. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>God continued to prepare with His still small voice, “I will release you today."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A release from the natural to the supernatural.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>His ways are higher than ours.</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>"You scrutinize my path and my lying down, </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>and are intimately acquainted with all my ways."</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Psalm 139:3</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">*May 17th ~ 10:30 a.m.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The last interaction with my husband he called home and almost whispered, “I miss you!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>"You have enclosed me behind and before,</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>And laid Your hand upon me.</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><em>Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;</em></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>It is too high, I cannot attain to it."</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Psalm 139: 5-6</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span class="messagebody2"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Remembering is part of the growth process. </strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span class="messagebody2"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Tears water the soil and </strong></span></span><br />
<span class="messagebody2"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>give strength to keep on walking. </strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span class="messagebody2"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">*May 17th ~ 4:00 p.m. I heard God continue to encourage me through the day, "Take the kids outside and play with them." We jumped on the trampoline, played on the swings, and laughed together." <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">If I could have stopped the remaining course of events I would have ~ but then . . . </b></span></span><br />
<span class="messagebody2"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I would have been God</span></i></b></span><span class="messagebody2"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">*May 17th ~ 5:15 p.m.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eight unsuspecting children lined up on the curb at Chick-Fil-A eating ice cream cones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Life and death intersect in the heavenlies</b>.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><u>He believed two lies</u>:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1. I will never be free</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2. They will be better off without me</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy God comes to give life – abundant!</strong></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>"If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>And the light around me will be night,"</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>Even the darkness is not dark to You,</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>And the night is as bright as the day.</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>Darkness and light are alike to You."</em> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Psalm 13:9,11-12</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">*May 17th ~ 5:30 p.m.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As I rounded the corner of my house and saw that his truck was not there, I wanted to run, perhaps even take off to the grocery store!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God spoke clearly, “Groceries will come into the house”. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <strong> </strong></span><strong>Groceries and more have poured in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>God has provided abundantly.</strong></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>"My frame was not hidden from You,</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>When I was made in secret,</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><em>And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;</em></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>And in Your book were all written</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>The days that were ordained for me,</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>When as yet there was not one of them."</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Psalm 139:15-16</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">*May 17th ~<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>6 p.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>Grace and Peace knock on my door</strong> along with the police officer bringing the news.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>O God!</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>How vast is the sum of them!</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>If I should count them, </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>they would outnumber the sand.</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>When I awake, I am still with You."</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Psalm 139:17-18</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">*May 17th ~ 7 p.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time to announce the news to my children: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">“You have a new daddy!”</span></strong></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>“...the glory of children are their fathers.”</em> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Proverbs 17:6</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">BUT</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>“A father of the fatherless and </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>a judge for the widows,</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>Is God in His holy habitation.</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>God<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>makes a home for the lonely;</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>He leads out the prisoners into prosperity.”</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Psalm 68:5</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>In the natural I still prefer </strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>to be called <em>Mrs. Bobby Apon</em>, </strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>but in the supernatural </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>I LOVE having God as Husband.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">*May 17th ~ 8 p.m.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The body of Christ rushes in. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; </span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.”</em> <span style="font-size: x-small;">2 Corinthians 1:3-5</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Our treasury</u>:</span></strong><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God is Husband</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God is Father</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Grace and Peace</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God still speaks to us in His still small voice</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Letters of memory poured in sharing stories <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>of the one we loved.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God’s provision<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> "</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>The Lord is a sun and shield The Lord gives grace and glory no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly." </em> Psalm 11</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God’s peace ~ a peace that surpasses understanding</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God’s protection and boundaries for the widow and fatherless</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God’s is a promise keeper</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God has enriched our lives with a deeper understanding of His Word</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God has blessed with an enlarged perspective of the body of Christ</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">God has given us a greater understanding of warfare, the battle and the Victor</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Sanctification</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We have walked from <em>strength to strength. </em> Psalm 84</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We have experienced the power of prayer</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Good Shepherd restores our soul</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The dark has created open doors to share the Light</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt;">God entrusted us with this mystery ~ </span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt;">may we continue to trust Him back.</span></i></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xbObXO6vPmk/Tf-piP3vn_I/AAAAAAAAAN8/P7LVCThQ8Ts/s1600/May+17th+blog+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xbObXO6vPmk/Tf-piP3vn_I/AAAAAAAAAN8/P7LVCThQ8Ts/s320/May+17th+blog+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The journey still takes <strong><span style="font-size: large;">T.I.M.E.</span></strong> – </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>T</strong></span>rusting <strong><span style="font-size: large;">I</span></strong>n the <strong><span style="font-size: large;">M</span></strong>ystery of <strong><span style="font-size: large;">E</span></strong>ternity, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">but we believe it is all for </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em><strong><span style="font-size: large;">our good and His glory!</span></strong></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>“For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.”</em> 2 Corinthians 4:15</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span class="messagebody2"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Year after year, May 17th is a pancake and ice cream night as the family gatheres to testify of God’s faithfulness as Father! Pancakes because that was daddy’s specialty, and ice cream <strong><em>because God knew</em></strong> . . . as we slurped those cones on the curb.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
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<span class="messagebody2">The best part of the night is re-watching the end of the memorial service ~ WOW . . . it is almost worth it all just to hear Billy Goodwin and Eddie Middleton gloriously sing Arise My Love!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span class="messagebody2"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">May 18th ~ All better <em>(smile)!</em> <em>"And the God of all grace . . . will Himself restore you and <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>make you strong, firm and steadfast."</em> I Peter 5:10</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>“You called in trouble, and I rescued you; </em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>I answered you in the hiding place of thunder; </em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>I proved you at the waters of Meribah.”</em> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Psalm 81:7</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-19025673563075169312011-04-05T16:46:00.000-07:002011-04-05T16:59:33.787-07:00In the Beginning . . . Obedience<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><div align="left">This journal entry is being posted on my 25th wedding anniversary! It doesn't seem possible that it has already been twenty-five years since I stood at my wedding altar making a covenant vow with the words "I do" . . . I'm so glad I did!</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">The <em>fairytale </em>turned out different than I envisioned it, but we have experienced a <em>happily ever after. </em>I was blessed to marry Bobby Apon and God used that union to bring forth great fruit even in the land of suffering. Throughout, <strong>God has remained the same - so very faithful.</strong> I love Him so much!</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><em>Our Fairytale Romance</em></strong></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Journal Entry - 1985 </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">In February of 1985, God required a big step of faith from me ~ leave my career with Burdines and go full-time into the work of Christian ministry with the Jay Strack Evangelistic Association.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many things led up to this decision, and guidance from the Word gave me direction for me to turn this corner.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">My verse for the year that I claimed and sought to take to heart was Job 22:21-29; telling me that in every decision ahead I must be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“at peace with Him . . . receive instruction from His mouth and establish His words in my heart”</i>; If I obeyed God in these things, He promised to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“hear my prayers, establish my desires and shed light on all my ways.”</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">His prodding to obedience was in Hebrews 10:35-38, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Therefore, do not throw away your confidence which has a great reward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For you have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised . . . My righteous ones must live by faith ~ if you shrink back, My soul has no pleasure in you.”</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
<strong>God challenged me to obedience through the promises in His Word: </strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He would answer my prayers</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Give me the desires of my heart</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shed light on my way</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">As a young single, I want to see these things happen in 1985 and want to take God at His Word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The steps ahead were not easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I experienced endurance and had to say,<strong> “Not my will, but Thine be done.”</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned to forget the past and press on to what God had ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, thank goodness, I did ~ for just when I thought I had taken steps down a road I didn’t want to travel; God’s promises began to become clear and abundant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many prayers have been answered ~ my innermost desires are being fulfilled, and light is being poured out on each step I take.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Let me share with you what happened as a result of my obedience to God and coming to the point where I wanted only God’s will in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“For the vision is yet for the appointed time ~ it hastens towards the goal and it will not fail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though it tarries . . . wait for it for it certainly will come ~ it will not delay.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">You may feel that your vision and heart’s desires will never come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to encourage you to keep your eyes on Jesus and your standards high because in God’s time, He will keep His promises and watch out . . . When He decides to move and bless ~ there are no delays!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just hang on and shout, Hallelujah! That’s what I have been doing since Monday, July 8<sup>th</sup> when God introduced me to “Mr. Wonderful” ~ Bobby Apon, my fiancé and soon to be husband on April 5, 1986.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Bobby sings in the group NewSong. I had listened to their music all summer because they had been with Jay Strack in some crusades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NewSong was scheduled to sing twice in Fort Myers; both times I was out of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was disappointed because I wanted to hear the group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the spur of the moment, NewSong was invited to sing in Immokalee, Florida.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I found this out, I decided to go to their concert changing my plans from going to hear the music group Truth (this was an act of God in itself! – and it shows His sense of humor . . . whoever would dream I’d meet my husband in the great metropolis of Immokalee?!)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Before the concert that night, Diane Strack (Jay’s wife and my matchmaker), interviewed NewSong on our Christian radio station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She cornered Bobby and told him my life story, encouraging him to look me up at the concert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Diane called and did the same with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bobby and I reacted in the same way to this <em>scheme---</em>just another “perfect match” that will be all wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t get excited or really think much about the possibility of meeting each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to the concert only because I knew this group sang for one purpose ---to lift up Jesus.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I enjoyed the concert avoiding watching Bobby too much because I was afraid he would think I had come just to see him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the concert, Bobby was selling records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked back to the record table where he recognized me as being Jay Strack’s secretary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We introduced ourselves and began talking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ended up talking about 45 minutes and by the end of that time…I was “in love” and soaring high!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This guy was not only good looking, but he was sold out to Jesus . . . he was sincere and real! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was my first impression and it has not changed.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Bobby told me he would call the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to believe him, but I had heard that line so many times and didn’t want to be disappointed, but I did have high hopes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was something different about my feelings towards him – could he really be <em>the one?</em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">He did call the next morning and <strong>the first thing he told me was that he prayed after we met for God to let him marry me.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s the one thing I love about Bobby…he is open and honest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This didn’t scare me because I felt the same way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We prayed over the phone for God to guide us in this new relationship believing that this was not a coincidence and that God had something ahead for us if we would center everything around Him and walk / run (in our case) by faith.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The next day, Bobby called to tell me he had cancelled his family vacation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He called his parents and told them that he felt like he had met the girl he was going to marry and he needed to spend his vacation in Florida getting to know her.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Between that time and his vacation, God put a four week time span in between us which allowed us to communicate and grow together through letters and phone calls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wrote every day and talked on the phone on the average of one hour per day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>Our prayer was for all of God’s will, but ONLY God’s will.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before Bobby came down we both wanted to say “we know this is the one”, but we wanted to keep examining and questioning to make sure this was God’s plan and not our own.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Bobby came down to Florida to stay with friends so that we could visit. God had brought us to the point of having the willingness to do whatever He wanted with this relationship, yet we knew that <em>this was it.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>God began to confirm His will in our hearts with an overwhelming peace</strong> along with many answers to specific prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peace is defined as a full-genuine being, harmony, wholeness, and having a sense of rest and contentment – it is unexplainable, but it is there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never experienced this before concerning marriage, but after meeting Bobby, I have experienced a love that is complete and mutual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that we have a love that the Bible talks about . . . the phileo love which is the brotherly love – loving the personality and character of each other; the eros love which is the physical attraction and desire to be together; and then the agape love which is the unconditional love the Bible talks about in Corinthians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God gives us love for many people, but I believe to have all three in such fullness, that love is given to us for only one person and I believe that is for your husband or wife, and that is the love God has given me for Bobby and Bobby for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know the ones of you who are married can identify with me on this, and those of you who are still waiting . . . don’t settle for anything less than God’s best, because it is worth the wait!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Now I understand the peace that people talk about when they say, “You will just know” . . . because I do, <em>just know.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t take us that long to know either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>He proposed to me five weeks after we first met</strong>, right before he went back home after his vacation. We made it official two months later with the ring and date.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">My Mom and Dad became a confirmation because of the way they responded to Bobby and the love God gave them for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also confirmed my move to Atlanta by giving their approval before we asked for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was an answer to prayer and there were many more concerning my move and job here in Atlanta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came to interview for a position in Special Events with Rich’s (same company as Burdines), but after interviewing and receiving a great job offer; I turned Rich’s down and decided to keep walking by faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I prayed for a miracle . . . that God would give me a job before I left to go back to Fort Myers and He did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gives to us exceeding abundantly beyond what we could think or ask!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started working as a Medical Administrator for two doctors – urologists of all things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They told me when I interviewed with them that not only was God answering my prayer, He was answering theirs! They were seeking someone who looked at their job as a ministry, yet had the skills necessary to get the job done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The last and most important confirmation of all is the way in which God has confirmed this union through His Word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We prayed for that confirmation because we needed the Word of God to cling to know that we were walking in His presence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lord first confirmed to me that marrying Bobby was His perfect plan because this marriage will make two single people more effective for Jesus and the ministry He has called us to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>Let me share some of the verses God used to confirm this commitment in my heart:</strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u>My Spirit bore witness with God and with Bobby’s Spirit.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our relationship had become a message to others of God’s power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus Christ revealed Himself to us and now was revealing Himself through us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was our prayer and remains our prayer.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I Corinthians 2:6-15 God has plans for our lives that He created before we were even born and He will slowly reveal those mysteries to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have the Spirit of God (not of the world with its human understanding) to know the things freely given to us by God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that Bobby has been freely given</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">to me by God and only by God’s grace are we united together.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u>I prayed for wisdom concerning my husband even before I met Bobby, asking that I would be able to discern God’s will for me</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wisdom is revealed only by the Holy Spirit and He gave me the peace I mentioned earlier knowing in my heart that God was the one performing this work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I never would have written this story!)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u>God showed me before I met Bobby that He had called me to a ministry</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the last two years, I began to believe that the ministry God was preparing me for was to be the wife of a full-time evangelist or someone in the ministry that caused him to be away from home a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of my independence and having to wait for marriage, I have been made strong and will be able to stand while Bobby is away and will be a support to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bobby was also called to a ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe God has called us, prepared us, and has now chosen us for each other to minister not only to one another, but also to those in the world who do not know Jesus.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Acts 26:16-17 <em>“I have appointed you to minister and to be a witness, not only to what has happened, but what will happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will send you out to open eyes and to help others turn from darkness to light . . . from Satan to God . . . at the right time, I have answered your prayer.”</em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Looking back, I see what God has done in my life and I relate my experience to that of Abraham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When God asked me to leave Burdines, I knew I had no other choice, but to submit and act in obedience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deuteronomy 8:1 <em>“All the commandments I command you, be careful to do so, so you may live, multiply, and possess the land.”</em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Joshua 1:8<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>“Be careful to do all God asks, then your way will be prosperous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must endure, do the will of God so you will receive what is promised</em>…(the desires of your heart).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>Live by faith so that you will please God."</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deuteronomy 8:2<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>“Remember the way God has led you.”</em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I had to go through those six months of transition from one job to another in order for God to humble me, test me, and know that I was willing to put Him first above all else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Abraham, God asked me to give up something I loved very much…my career in Special Events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deuteronomy 8:11-19 <em>“God brought me through a wilderness so that I would know that God is my provider, my El Shaddai, and I must never put anything above Him."</em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I Corinthians 1: 6-9, "<em>I must thank God for the grace He has given to me, in everything I am enriched by Him…God will confirm me to the end because He is faithful.”</em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I do love the Lord and praise Him for working daily. Believe me, He is working whether you realize it or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are trying to do all the work, remember what He asks us to do, <em>“Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden, I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for your soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”</em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This concludes the journal entry of our fairytale romance. Our wedding was quite a “Special Event”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had 7 bridesmaids, 5 junior bridesmaids, 3 flower girls, and 2 girls to follow after my train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bobby had 7 groomsmen, 2 candle lighters, and a ring bearer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We couldn’t get away from that number because there was 13 children we were very attached to and could not exclude them especially since we love children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a lot of music and the wedding was a worship experience. We felt God's presence there!</div><div align="center"></div>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-37716686399347749122011-02-09T15:05:00.000-08:002011-02-09T15:39:46.008-08:00For My Good and His Glory<h1 align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">My Personal testimony</span></h1><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Dear Precious Friends,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This is a very transparent story of one of the biggest pillar points in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God spoke clearly to me just before I traveled into the darkest and most painful season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I share this with you because God showed me a glimpse of heaven when <strong>He let me know that He would use my pain – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for His glory</i>.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing that He was there before the storm was the hope I rested in each day while holding onto His hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That storm has passed and God has been faithful to His promise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">He is good no matter what my perception of <em>“good”</em> is.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If and when another storm blows my way, I will truly say that God desires to use each one for His glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our focus must be on Him and not on circumstances.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">You may be in a time of uncertainty, pain and darkness in your own life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may be desperate for a vision from the Lord as Ezekiel received. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is on the throne – God is Sovereign, and He loves to work in our lives in ways that only He can work.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Greatest Fear Became Reality</span></strong></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">BUT God encourages me </span></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">that it will be used…</span></strong></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>For HIS GLORY!</em></span></strong></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The children had been in bed for some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abigail was almost five, Kayla three, Brandon two and Christie seven months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Four children under the age of five called for a regular bedtime at 7:30 p.m. ~ <i>sharp</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed that was my goal from the time we woke up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The days were fun and full, yet exhausting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband, Bobby, traveled and sang with the contemporary singing group NewSong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had maintained the same grueling schedule with this band since he was part of their foundation (for twelve years); singing eighteen times a month not counting the days involved in traveling to and from their destinations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew this was his life and was prepared to be the wife of a man who was gone often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That never bothered me before marriage or afterwards because of my independent nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But – with daddy gone more than he was home, I was left to care for the children alone – after long days, I was ready for quiet evenings.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On this particular night I had checked out an old movie from the library and chose to stay up watching it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Towards the end of the show the phone rang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was too late to receive a phone call so it startled me as it rang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other end I heard a familiar voice, yet different . . . very different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband announced, <strong><em>“I’m coming home, I’m sick.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></em></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He sounded sad, desperate and . . . <em>sick.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was in Macon that night – about 1-½ hours from home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told me of his plans to leave the concert with our friend who had traveled with the group that weekend; he would drive him home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t imagine – did he have the flu, a stomach virus?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was fine when he left home earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I turned off the movie and went up to the bathroom to freshen up – my practice always before Bobby came home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I was putting on some jeans and staring at my face in the mirror <strong><span style="font-size: large;">the Lord spoke to me clearly.</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Y</span></span><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">es, Bobby is sick – very sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is coming home to confirm to you that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">your greatest fear has become a reality.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has been unfaithful to you in your marriage and is coming home to confess that fact.”</span></i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">OH LORD!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please don’t let that be true….but I knew. . . <em>I just knew</em>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I was the one who was beginning to feel sick.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Bondage to lust is a sickness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It is a cancer that comes in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">and out of remission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><em><strong>It is deadly.</strong></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It seemed like forever as I waited for Bobby to come home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would I say, what would he say – how would life be different?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I had drifted off to sleep when I heard a noise on my front porch – it woke me up and I shook with anticipation of what was to come.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The men quietly came in and our friend called my name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow – Bobby really must be sick if this friend has come inside with him at this late / or rather early hour. It was probably 1:30 a.m.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I went downstairs and sat in the living room – shaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t cold – <strong>I was diving quickly into the kindest, but harshest stage of grief</strong>….I was in shock and numb.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Bobby didn’t look well – he had been crying . . . </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">he was not the same.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Later I realized that the drive home wasn’t an easy one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our friend said Bobby had pulled him off to the side just before the concert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had held in the secret of his sin for two months and reached a point where he couldn’t go another second without confessing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He shared what had happened with this friend who was completely caught off guard with such news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It was clear that Bobby had to confess to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Confession to his friend is the reason Bobby called and the reason Bobby came home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They left the concert during intermission.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I thought he was going to commit suicide right there in front of me as we drove home that night”, our friend said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve never been so scared nor had he ever prayed that much!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When they pulled into our driveway, Bobby went crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reality of his sin and now the consequences were more than he could handle.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Sin takes you farther than </span></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">you ever want to go and </span></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">costs more than you are </span></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">ever willing to pay.</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If his family had flashed into his heart and mind before he committed his sin – would he have made a different choice?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bobby was <i>CRAZY</i> about his kids and <i>LOVED</i> his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the enemy told him a different story – a lie!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You can have your “cake and eat it too.”!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now the enemy was laughing – taunting him….Satan succeeded in pulling Bobby to his side and now left him alone to pick up the pieces.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Bobby couldn’t walk when he got out of the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He fell to the ground as a child would who knew he had to confess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not in rebellion to that call, but in having to take the next steps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He literally crawled up the stairs to the front door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s amazing the neighbors didn’t wake to see what caused the commotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Was this repentance?</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">********</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Face to face Bobby stumbled through his confession.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>He really was a broken man.</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In my numb state, wanting already to fast forward through this life-changing season, I confessed my forgiveness to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time <strong>I thought if I quickly forgave, I could quickly forget.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I forgave real fast then everything would be okay. T</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">he three of us just sat and stared into space – now what??</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Our friend left, and we went to bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I woke up the next morning having to face routine and reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I had some calls to make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first one was to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">her</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to talk to her for two reasons:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">One, I needed to know if she was pregnant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t think I could handle it if Bobby was “daddy” to a child that was not mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 2<sup>nd</sup> purpose for my call was that I needed to voice my forgiveness to <i>her</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again – I wanted to hurry up and get it out and over with before bitterness set in.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Bobby dialed the phone (a bit unsettling that he knew her number by heart…ugh), b</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">ut nevertheless, she answered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told her that <em>I knew</em> and that I was on the phone and wanted to talk to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gently stated my purpose for the call and asked my question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She assured me that there was no way she could be pregnant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then announced my forgiveness towards her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her response to my statement was not surprising, but difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She didn’t say she was sorry, really didn’t say much at all. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The brief conversation ended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No more contact was made except when I bumped into Bobby’s experience with her in my heart – oh how that hurt!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Betrayal is excruciating and suffocating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I pray that every time I bump into the memories, God will take me to the cross where betrayal took Him.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand now more than I could before how jealous God is and how I hurt Him when I put another in His place!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">After that, I called my close friend – shared my new secret and then chose to keep it from the rest of the world . . . my family, his family, other friends and NewSong.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We thought this was the best decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again – maybe if it’s a secret, it will go away!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We could patch it up and pretend it never happened.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I stumbled through the day – literally stumbled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I burned all of the meals, cried through the laundry, and went about in and out of a daze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I collapsed to the floor several times with the weight of our destiny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want this to happen!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong><em>“Oh God!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PLEASE let me wake up from this dream!”</em></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The next morning was Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I LOVED going to church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a rare Sunday for Bobby to join us because NewSong usually sang in other churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When I woke up on this Sunday I didn’t plan to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t think I had the energy to dress everyone and escort them to church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I had an idea - I announced to Bobby that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I</i> was going to church <i>ALONE</i> . . . all by myself!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed to hear from God!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Bobby gladly encouraged me to do just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would care for the children and I could have time to worship by myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Bobby would hurt me deeper than any one else could, then would come along beside me as a friend to help me walk through the pain…as if he was not part of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very strange, yet comforting all at the same time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran to him for safety from the mean man in my life, and yet – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he was that man</i>!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On the short drive to church, <strong>I cried out to God, “I need to hear from you today</strong> – <strong><em>I really, really need to hear from you!”</em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t know what was going to happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was really scared – four children under the age of five and now Bobby’s greatest fear had become a reality….we <i>were</i> a statistic ~ another marriage that fell into the hands of adultery. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">God, I didn’t want this!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could this be happening?!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I arrived at church, <em>late</em>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked in only to notice that we had a guest preacher that day. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I slipped in (or so I thought) and took my place ready to “hear from God”. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I didn’t dream God would make Himself known to me in a way that I would KNOW He had spoken to me . . . He actually heard my cry and chose to answer my prayer!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When the preacher got up to speak – he looked directly at me and announced:</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">You are in transition</span>, but it will be</span></h1><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">“<b>For your good and His glory!</b>”<b></b></span></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Well – the prophet got that right – I was definitely in a time of transition!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did shift gears over that weekend in our marriage!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, I liked the hope given – the confidence God seemed to have – but could I believe Him in this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>Was He really going to use this for good in my life and could He really be glorified through such painful times?</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">*********</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Eighteen years after that pillar point in my life, I can honestly say yes, oh yes . . . I could believe God in this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, He has used pain for good; and yes, I believe He has glorified Himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><strong><span style="font-size: large;">He is faithful – oh, so faithful.</span></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The heavens didn’t roll back, I didn’t see God’s glory as Ezekiel did, but He spoke to me ~ just to me and gave me hope in knowing that He would be glorified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could do anything knowing that God was on the throne of my life, and somehow it was all about His glory.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Because of God’s grace ~ <em>His rainbow over our lives</em> ~ He allows difficult times to come and will use them for His glory!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure Ezekiel often looked back to the glory point of God in His life…..he probably replayed the part where the heavens opened and He saw God on the throne ~ to the point where He saw God’s glory!He never falls off of the throne not for one single moment. AND ~ God will use everything <em>in your</em> life for <em>your </em>good . . . and HIS GLORY.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><h3 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">“For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading </span></em></span></h3><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><em>to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.</em></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying,</span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.</span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory </span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Far beyond all comparison,</span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">While we look not at the things which are seen,</span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But at the things which are not seen; </span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For the things which are seen are temporal,</span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But the things which are not seen are eternal.</span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2 Corinthians 4:15-18</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213213325180710861.post-78339047488687148422011-02-05T15:54:00.000-08:002011-04-20T16:44:12.273-07:00The Widow and Borrowed Jars<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">I love it when God highlights a woman in Scripture that I can relate to ~ a widow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our identity is not in our status whether married, single, divorced, or widowed; however, it is interesting that often when God performs a miracle of faith for or <em>through</em> a widow, He mentions her identity . . . widow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps He does this just so other widows can be encouraged or perhaps because those He has allowed to carry the title <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">widow</i> have a calling and purpose that only God can fill because of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">His title</i> Husband to the widow.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>In order to excel in our role as widow, we must understand our job description ~ to walk by faith.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a clear example of this through the widow in 2 Kings.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">When the curtain opens on Act One, our 2 Kings (2K) widow is distraught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has circumstances and needs similar to ours…a family, bills, and pain. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She faces these hovering beneath the shadow of grief, yet under the umbrella of grace.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Mrs. 2K just experienced the death of her husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a godly man; in fact, he was one of the sons of the prophets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow ~ a very important person to the people and to God!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s take a peek into her situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would God allow pain to knock on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">her </i>door?</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The answer is yes He will and He does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are never exempt from pain in the economy of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that this environment is actually His favorite place to rain His grace upon displaying the rainbow of His great glory.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Creditors have knocked, on this particular day, to summon the precious sons of this new widow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could this be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her wonderful husband just died, and now the city states they have a right to her sons because of insufficient funds to pay her debt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My guess would be that we all have received in the mail that post-card from the bank announcing ISF ~ Insufficient Funds!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That declaration in itself stabs at our stomachs, but to face the removal of a child would be a stab to the heart!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">At this moment of need, she cries out for help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of all people, she goes to the top prophet in the land, Elisha. Was access to this man of God really as easy as Scripture reads? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before Mrs. 2K could pack away the past, God had made away for her present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before she faced judgment for her debt, God sent the Judge to her defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“God is a judge of the widow.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Deuteronomy 10:18</span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Elisha asks, “What shall <em>I</em> do for you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The answer to this first question would be obvious, “Mr. Elisha . . . <em>SAVE MY SONS!”</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe a secret lies within his reply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elisha himself could do nothing for her outside of the amazing grace of God.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The second question, "W<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hat do you have in your house?"</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> b</span>rings us to the place where all miracles begin ~ just where we are.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Her response, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know from past Bible precedence that this is the perfect setting for God to work ~ at the moment of last things and resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When empty best describes the situation, we know that an eternal purpose is in the heart of God.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">She was issued a command, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">So here she is at her end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others now must be included in the story…her neighbors of all people!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder if they had heard the news… <span style="font-size: large;"><strong>“Poor widow <em>(literally)</em> to lose sons because of debt.”</strong></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is certainly able to perform a miracle without the audience of her neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in this crisis, the neighbors were summoned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the jars were collected, the widow gathered her family, shut the door, and poured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><em>Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.</em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The widow had to step out in faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had to <strong><em>GO</em></strong> to her neighbors (uncomfortable), she had to <strong><em>GET</em></strong> a lot (unquestionable), and she was to <strong><em>GAIN</em></strong> provision (un-natural provision that is) not only for her debt, but for the rest of her life. The miracle took place because of her faith, and her provision was measured by her faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQYi-MIpUw8/Ta9rGi8egcI/AAAAAAAAANc/siP51r8oago/s1600/IMG_1407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266px" i8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQYi-MIpUw8/Ta9rGi8egcI/AAAAAAAAANc/siP51r8oago/s400/IMG_1407.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div>The miracle: <em>"And it came about when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, 'Bring me another vessel.' And he said to her, 'There is not one vessel more.' And <strong>the oil stopped</strong>. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and <strong>pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest</strong>."</em> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">2 Kings 4:6-7</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">We are encouraged that a moving mountain faith begins the size of a small mustard seed <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Matthew 17:20</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in light of Mrs. 2K’s testimony, mustard seed faith is just the beginning of what God wants to do in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>To the extent of this widow’s faith </strong></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">was the amount of her provision.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Do we obey in the areas God calls us to?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we willing to include others?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are there regrets over the amount of faith we offer to God?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>EXPERIMENT OF FAITH</strong> –</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">1. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Go to your neighbor (s) and borrow jars for an indefinite period of time</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The empty jar represents a need requiring faith for the answer</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Trust God alone</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">4.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Watch for His answer</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">5.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Return the jar to your neighbor with a testimony of God’s faithfulness!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iZ6PV1Yp7kg/Ta9sHTDikAI/AAAAAAAAANg/T1zNJFmMLKc/s1600/IMG_1410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266px" i8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iZ6PV1Yp7kg/Ta9sHTDikAI/AAAAAAAAANg/T1zNJFmMLKc/s400/IMG_1410.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div>Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273599319228687331noreply@blogger.com0