Good Friends

I am SO grateful for my friends, for YOU gals! Poor Job coulda used some friends like you!

Thank you for being the kind of friends who won't fall under Job's admonition:
"Oh, friends,.... do you have to be hard on me, too? Don't you ever tire of abusing me?" (19:21,22)

Thank you for being the kind of friends who would sit quietly in understanding of the suffering. Or who would lift up weary arms that hang down. Or bring a drink of water or a meal (why didn't Job's friends apparently not extend even those simple courtesies?)

Friends who would pray and beseech God for breakthrough. Who would intercede.

Who are
and Who do.

Thank you!

Man Loses All -- Worships God

Wow, I love how the Bible is SO packed with human examples of faith and lifestyles of worship!

What i was reminded again from Job's, is that one of his first reactions was to worship God. I almost did a double-take on 1:20...

"Job got to his feet, ripped his robe, shaved his head, then fell to the ground and worshiped...."

He what?

Worshiped God. "God gives, God takes, God's name be ever blessed" (v21b).

Throughout these first 2 chapters, Job demonstrated anguish and sorrow. I can only imagine the sadness of losing his children (for whom he made post-party sacrifices just in case they'd sinned).

But he didn't blame God. Didn't sin.

He worshiped.

Hard to blame God while worshiping.

Sorta reminds me of that verse "Be angry but do not sin." What i'm being reminded of in this reading of Job so far is that it's okay to have emotions when things happen -- God made us with emotions; gave us a soul -- but it's not okay to sin with those emotions, not okay to blame God with them.

Instead, let my soul worship God!
(But, wow, that's easier said than done! -- at least for me!)

Change is good!

I got on the blog to post and discovered new templates - so the change. It is refreshing, don't you think?
Everyone's posts have been so good the last few month. Great insights in the Word. God is speaking - all we have to do is listen!
I love the story of Esther. She is kind of like a female Daniel - except she got pampered with a wonderful makeover when she was taken into the King's palace! But standing up for who you are and what you believe is difficult in any situation. She was faithful to do what God asked of her. And God used her not only for her nation but I love how the Lord uses her to honor Mordacai (sp)and to give "just desserts" to Haman. Just know that God fights your battles and you don't have to defend yourself!!!
Have a wonderful day and try to stay dry as we get rain once again.

Recycled Stones (Nehemiah 4-6)

“Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your friends, your family, and your homes!” (4:14b)


Like the stones in the wall around Jerusalem, our society today is . . .

broken down = dysfunctional

charred = abused

rubbish = divorced from one another


Let’s be Nehemiahs!

Lord, let your heart consume us. Let us be so touched by people that we weep and fast and pray and fight . . . for the lost and backslider . . . for our friends . . . for our families . . . for the Body of Christ!

Jerusalems -- Judeas -- Samarias (Acts 1)

“But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you WILL receive power and WILL TELL people about me EVERYWHERE – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (vs. 8)

When we read this verse, we come away with an attitude . . . “YES . . . I can do it!” But where the rubber meets the road is another story.

Here’s an interesting note in my bible about this verse . . .

Jerusalem = the place of their worse experiences and greatest failure

Judea = the place where their neighbors and relatives lived and knew the worst about them

Samaria = the place of their worst prejudices


Each of us have “Jerusalems” in our lives . . . “Judeas” who have the “dirt” on us . . . “Samarias” we have yet to admit to ourselves.

Sharing the gospel where we live – in the face of our failures and with those have the scoop on us – is rarely our first choice. Yet that is exactly where we are commanded to begin.

Jesus has given us power – the Holy Spirit – to communicate the Word of God.

Our desire to see souls saved should be greater than the memories of our failures and the fear of our shortcomings.

Thank you, Lord, for your Holy Spirit who dwells within in us and who empowers us to be laborers in the harvest field, in spite of ourselves!

Thanks, Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32,33)

I learned alot from reading yet another account of King Hezekiah's life in 2 Chronicles 32, 33.

He succeeded in all he did, he was made very wealthy by God, and he was well respected.

God blessed him.
People blessed him.

But what did Hezekiah do before all the success flooded his way? Some things that kept appearing in his life story (and sometimes in an almost cyclical progression):

- repented
- worshiped
- praised
- gave

Wow. Lord help me to have a repentant heart, a worshiping lifestyle, a praising mouth and a giving soul!

Being Found

What a awesome picture is painted in 2 Chronicles 15 of our God Who loves to be found by His people!

v3 - "For a long time Israel didn't have the real God, nor did they have the help of priest or teacher or book. But when they were in trouble and got serious, and decided to seek God, the God of Israel, God let Himself be found."

v15 - "Anticipating the best, they had sought God - and He showed up, ready to be found."

The picture that comes to me is that of playing a game of hide-and-seek with your young child (or grandchild - which i hear is even better, according to an out-of-state shopper at WalMart who was stopped by my 4-year old to chat).

Playing hide-and-seek... finding a great hiding place from my child, but it's taking them a long time to find me. Meanwhile, behind the tree, I'm thinking of how big their smile will be when they find me ... of how joyful their giggly laugh will be when my hiding place is discovered...

And loving the sights and sounds of their little self that is a part of me, I don't want to wait any longer for them to find me.

And hearing them start to call out for me, i can't wait any longer.

So i let myself be found.


How much God loves His children to let Himself be found when they "get serious and seek" Him!

I am SO glad God doesn't hold grudges against my sins, but He holds me in His forgiving arms! I'm so glad He wants to be found! And it's not that He's been hiding Himself from me -- but that my sins, my ways have been blocking my view of Him!

What an awesome, merciful, loving God!


So. I want my response to be like that of the Israelites in v12: "Then they bound themselves in a covenant to seek God, the God of their fathers, wholeheartedly [with all their heart and with all their soul], not holding anything back."