In My Flesh Dwells No Good Thing...

This has been on my heart for years and I just felt inspired to write it down here, as I ponder a recent situation/discussion on the subject.

We have a flesh. I think all of us are keenly aware of it, altho in some religious circles, this seems to be a subject somewhat avoided and ignored, as if it didn't exist at all when one chooses to identify with Jesus or the interpretation of Jesus that the group may have. Somehow it has become a mindset that it's 'embarrassing' to admit that we have a flesh, I think because we are afraid of being misunderstood or dealt with harshly because you know, after you 'accept Jesus', you are supposed to somehow magically never struggle with the flesh again, because if you do struggle with the flesh, or if  you have a 'feeling from the fleshly side of things', then surely that means you are not truly walking with God. (said sarcastically, shaking my head)

We have a flesh. "In me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing." Paul wrote these words to his fellow believers around 2,000 years ago and it is still very true today because there is 'no new thing under the sun'. Mankind is always the same. Ever since the fall, we all have inherited a sinful nature and desperately need to be restored to our Father God through His son, Jesus. Every day that I walk this earth, I am grateful to God that He redeemed my life from destruction and crowned me with lovingkindness and tender mercy. But I am keenly aware of the fact that I have a flesh that I can choose to serve at any time. It takes a moment-by-moment commitment to trust wholly in the capability of the Holy Spirit to guide me into all truth, a complete surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, in order for me to experience the fullness and the abundance of that life He came to give me.

We have a flesh. But please let's not celebrate it. It needs to be crucified and buried with Christ so that we can experience His resurrection power and newness of life. It is not something to celebrate that I am capable of acting in selfishness and godlessness.

That I can feel godless and selfish at times is definitely something true. However, what I like to tell young women that I counsel, and what I've learned in my own journey, is this: FEELINGS are not facts. FEELINGS allow you to decide whether or not to ponder that thought further, allowing it to pass through into an action, or to toss it out and replace it with something full of LIFE from Jesus.

I see people sometimes almost celebrating our flesh. I think this likely is a reactionary measure from being oppressed by a religious community in their youth but I would like to say that this is not really the response that God is looking for. He calls us to lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us. He calls us to become NEW. Nowhere in this 'becoming new' do I see room to glorify the flesh. If I am called to glorify my Father who is in heaven, then I am called to bear my Cross, deny myself and put my fleshly 'feelings' where they belong.

So my encouragement in this blog post is two fold:
1. Don't celebrate the flesh.
2. Don't act like you have no fleshly feelings ever that you need to take to the Cross

There's a ditch on either side. May we follow our Lord Jesus on the narrow way that leads Home, turning neither to the left hand nor to the right.

I am deeply  humbled at the mercy and grace my Father has given me thru the gift of redemption. It is not of my 'works', lest I should boast in my accomplishements. Living a consistently free life is HIS doing. "Here's my heart, Lord. Take and seal it, seal if for Thy courts above."

Inspired by Others...

Walk A Mile In Their Shoes...

For as long as I can remember, my Grandma has

had this quote taped to her fridge door, just at eye level.

Thinking back on life now, I wonder what it was that

caused her to tape it there. Perhaps I'll ask her one day.

I thot of that quote today as I read a post that caused me to go

"Uh, there's more to people's stories than the reason you gave for

them not doing the thing you think eveyrone should be doing for their health, my friend"...

We do that, tho. Put people in boxes. Shaped by our own narrow thinking.

We say things like "It just an excuse that She says she doesn't have time
after taking care of  husband and children to help him with his bills
 by selling products from

home that would swell their bank account in no time"...
or
"She has a problem with her weight because
(fill in the blank) and (this) would fix it,
which may or may not be true in both cases,
and thousands of scenarios just like it. 

I sound a warning, my friends...Is that really fair? Do you even know

why that would look overwhelming to the woman who just turned you

down when you asked her if she wants to join your team
of wonderful salespersons?

Maybe she gave the husband and children as her reasons,

and I would say that perhaps that is "ALL" she can actually get accomplished

in a day's time...

Seriously...being a full time wife and mother is hard, hard work. It takes

real dedication to keep the house relatively clean, the family fed nutritious meals

that either required you to grow and preserve, or get out of the house to shop for...

then there's the homework or homeschooling, and the clothes to wash, sew, or buy...

besides all that, there are eternal souls in your care that will never die.

For many women this is a monumental task. 

Most women would look at the friend I mentioned above and say,

Well, good for you if you can do more than that. I don't wish to.

It would be too much of a distraction for me to run a home business,

besides the work I signed up for when I married and had children.

I do not write this post against women who have home businesses. 

If you can do that and help your husband out, go for it.

Proverbs 31 women do all kinds of things,

including buying and planting vineyards

(I believe culturally that passage means she actually hired

servants to plant and harvest her vineyard, to be brutally honest here).

And about the woman who has the weight issue you would love
to prove your product or way would be her lifesaver...
if you truly care, and found a way to share it, but she
wasn't really into it, let it go. Maybe she doesn't have the
money or the mental capacity just now to think about it.
Do you know that she may have PCOS
(look it up. It's real and it's hard!)
or some medicine that is preventing her weight loss,
no matter how much she wants to.
Perhaps down the road, she'll be ready,
and God will use you in her life,
but be patient and kind and please above all,
let's not be judgemental and holier-than-thou about it.

The point of my post is to say that we should be very careful how we

judge other people. Seriously, they may have a ministry you do not

even know about, including a ministry of prayer that takes TIME,

hiding them away in a prayer closet you do not see...

all the while you are judging them for not getting enough done

with their days.

It is so common for us to jump down someone else's throat
(or gossip about them or judge their situation) 

for something we do not understand...

like why they eat what they eat
(they bring their own food?! how rude! when if you took 

the time to learn about their life, you'd soon understand that

they honestly have a conscience against eating the rich foods

that are often served, or they have a serious food addiction/allergy/disease

they are healing from that rich food aggravates/slows down)

Or perhaps you can't figure out why they would not let their 

child have a sleepover ever. If you learned to know them,

you might find out that they feel it's better to be watchful and extra

cautious than to be as carefree about it as their friends are.

Or maybe you and your friends discuss why a woman doesn't

care to go to women's Bible studies...after all, what does she

do with her day?! Maybe she is busy in a deep time of personal growth,

or maybe she feels truly maxed out with her schedule and 

would rather have some time open instead of having every

spare moment crammed with planned activities, good as they may be.

Or maybe you cannot understand why someone is missing from Bible study

on a Wednesday evening. It's a good thing, and it's important...

but think about it. He's a farmer. Farmer's make hay when the sun shines.

They cannot make hay (or harvest corn!) when it rains.

This is his livelihood, the way he provides food and raiment for his family.

How about blessing him for taking his responsibilities seriously,

instead of idolizing collective Bible study?

What about having an opinion about someone's everyday choices
that have no eternal value? Do those things really need to be said?
Or are you simply a controlling person who cannot stand to leave
things unsaid if you feel your way is the best way?
What is in our hearts spills out. Jesus said as much.

Yes, this subject is a passion of mine.
I think it partly comes from living with
my dear Farmer for 20 years. He is the most
unassuming, gentle, 'benefit of the doubt' person
I have ever seen and I believe that he has
taught me alot about how to live this way...
and Jesus changed my heart, too because I
used to be a very easily critical person.

Let's be kind.

Let's not criticize.

Even if they would be doing something

wrong, it is much better to pray for them

and to appeal directly to them about

the need in their life

rather than despising them,

or criticizing them,

or gossiping about them to your friends.

PS
This in no way means that we never speak truth
into another person's life. I realize it's hard to cover
all the bases in one blog post.
This post is meant to focus on
being quick to respect,
and very slow to judge or criticize
based on our personal opinions.

The Fellowship of the Saints...

This has been on my heart as the Lord has been walking me thru this the past few years...

I guess I'd say my 'enlightenment' started in 2004, when I followed my Farmer East from MO to manage my dad's farm. I was a new Christian, and had been so blessed to have my sister-in-law nearby to disciple me and to share hearts with in the Titus 2 model, and in my new surroundings, I wasn't part of a congregation where the ladies easily talked about the Lord in their conversations that surrounded gardening, tupperware parties, and new dress fabric. I love discussing the everyday things of life, but it always felt lonely that there were many Sundays I would come home from church without having any deep conversations with anyone. I was glad for a very close friend from another church also was used to disciple me and to share hearts as sisters in Christ...for about a year after we moved, until she was called to another state 10 hours away. I was devastated. And lonely. But trusting God with the need of my  heart.

As the years rolled by, and my husband and I were called to go thru some trials and troubles, and to walk alone in many things, God brought to me a deep settled peace and contentment about all that. If He has me wherever He needs me to be, and how can I be unhappy about that, and instead why not simply plug in and minister to whoever He calls me to, while fellowshipping with JESUS?

I was devastated again when a friend shared that she doesn't like to be in conversations where others are speaking Scripture and encouragement into her struggle. She said she already knows what to do, she just wanted a place to vent. Since that time, I've met up with other women who feel the same way, and I wonder why? My heart desires the model for fellowship that God set up, one of them being 'speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs...' I delight in it when someone goes out of their way to share like that with me. I love it when there are good sharing conversations going on in the simplicity that is in Christ (not mixed with other religions).

God's heart is also that we fellowship with believers. The model he set up for fellowshiping (mentioned above), and the example we have from the early church where they 'daily' gathered together for prayer and sharing is an amazing window into what a gift God has given us in encouraging and teaching each other, sharing what God has been doing in our lives and thus, helping each other along the way to find courage, stability and new growth. I wonder why would we not all be jumping for joy if we are given those opportunities?

(could it be that some of us are too proud to let others speak into our lives?

could it be that we have oppressed people so much by the legalism found

in many of our religous backgrounds and we are gun shy?

could it be that we have gossiped about and slandered others and shot our wounded,

thus rendering people fearful and untrusting?)

I had to go thru a season where I walked a wilderness of loneliness, learning to be totally fine with the fellowship I found with JESUS, and the few that I found to share with who had moved away but could still communicate in other ways. I learned to be deeply grateful for fellowship in whatever form it was given to me, and to not insist that it happened in the way I thought it should.

I have been incredibly blessed with fellowship these days from many different places...The wonderful world of technology can be used for the glory of God, folks, if we but let it! I have known the joy of sharing on numerous techie places...the inspirational interaction with my friends on Facebook and Google plus is great!...the group hangouts and voxer chats I've known that centered on the fun, the godly, the serious, the funny, but always because Jesus as our common Denominator, have been quite a blessed encouragement to me... the texts messages and the Pinterest pins I am sent are amazing and delightful, challenging, encouraging, and uplifting. I've loved interacting with young people each year at Youth Bible School, and I've enjoyed hearing my daughters' hearts throughout the weeks God has given us.

We NEED each other and I would say that however you can be an encourager, 

go for it, if it is a godly way. 

In my journey, I have learned that it is not a good idea to push thru and insist that people have conversations that involve sharing hearts in the Lord if they do not want to. But I learned to appreciate community wherever it is found, and to get involved in whatever spiritual discussions land on my doorstep, delighted that God would send that my way. If you know of people that do not want to share with you in this way, then move along, let them be them, respect them and find community for yourself that is similarly minded. If you cannot find that, wait on the Lord. He will send to you who you need and when you need it.

If you have known loneliness, you just might be needing to let GOD be your all in all. He does that with His children who are serious about letting Him grow them and change them. He knows that we need that time of wilderness sometimes to get us to totally depend on Him for everything we need. 

My Father supplies all my needs. Thank you to each of you, my dear friends, for the encouragement  you have been to me...from wherever you are and however you send it to me. I am glad to know fellowship locally in my own geographical location, too...Thanks ladies from my church and surrounding churches. You have all been a blessing to me.

Honest Confessions of a Discipler...

So Jesus tells me in his two-part "Great Commission" in Mt. 28:18-20 that I am to 'teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded.' To do that is to be a discipler (teaching someone to be a follower of Someone).

I never cease to be amazed at how God takes a vessel of clay like me and brings me hard things to break me of myself, then uses that same vessel even during the lifelong process of 'being changed from glory to glory'. That's a mystery.

I know me. I know how many days I feel the waves of the past lapping at my feet, threatening to suck me into a black abyss of unknown depths. I know the trauma from my past and I know the sinfulness that I am capable of outside of Jesus, and every single day, there is an enemy mocking me and trying his very best to pull me back into the horrible pit that God brough me out of when He set my feet on the Solid Rock.

I marvel at how God brings peace and grace in a flood beyond comprehension over my life every day that I choose to tend the broken, despite my own undoneness and my own need of mending. I am constantly amazed at how, even when I feel I have no resources when a need arises that God calls me to tend to, He is there with all the resources and equips me for that which He calls me to do.

I keenly feel the truth of Jesus' words, "The fields are white unto harvest but the laborers are few." All around me are sleeping Christians, or half-sick ones who have never walked honestly through their 'stuff' and found the King of kings to truly be their Lord of all. I encounter Christians who are weak because they are cumbered about with many things of earth and don't seem to realize that heaven is their home. There is a revolving door on my house and often I wish to share the load with others who could be just as capable if they would choose to let God break them of their other loves that take them away from being white hot with His Holy Spirit fire. I weep...in loneliness and longing to put my shoulder against the shoulders of others and together labor in the fields. (Oh, I am so deeply grateful for ALL the wonderful reapers I do encounter, tho. Don't get me wrong. I simply say here that they seem far and few between, and I understand from Scripture that this is reality in anyone's life who is a laborer in God's vineyard)

There are days that I go into my room and weep before God at the staggering needs around me...my children as they ask heart searching questions and walk thru temptations I cannot shield them from...the young man who is lonely and has been rejected by many and needs love and guidance...the young woman who was sexually abused and needs someone to walk with her thru that broken place and find God to be her everything...the young woman whose father is facing a prison sentence who needs help to find the loving God who is over her life and always has been...the wife and mother who say on my porch with me and poured out her burdens and longings...the young people who are disillusioned at the religious pride of their parents and church leaders, who would throw in the towel and say they don't want church when really they do want 'church' (Christ's true body) and are simply rejecting the Jesus they known from the false christ they have been shown...the couple whose marriage is on rocky ground who cry out for some real answers...the needs are great. The hearts are crying for God.


I confess that at times I find myself infuriated with the ones whom God called to be at a certain post but they come up unfaithful in one way or another, causing these little ones to stumble. But I turn my heart toward compassion and grief for those sinners as well, longing to meet with them and restore them to their children, who sit with me in deep heart break over the sins of their 'fathers'. I long to see them reconciled and being witnesses that Jesus lives. You see, I still 'believe that the Christ who was slain on the Cross has the power to change lives today/For He changed me completely, a new life is mine/That is why, by the Cross I will stay...' I believe that and I truly long for all the sinners to come home and be changed by the Savior who changed me. "I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see" is not only true in my life but it can be in anyone's life and I choose to allow God to press that on my heart instead of bitterness and anger.

I confess that I lose sleep at times over this harvesting job. I see in my dreams different people who God brings thru my doors and my life and I toss on my bed at night as their sorrow becomes mine. I sometimes weep for my own broken places, the places I cannot fix and that depend on other people's cooperation to be truly 'fixed'...I lose sleep, but not in worry so much as in prayerful concern. It feels like a great privilege to me to be awakened in order to care and pray and weep over someone's heartache and need.

I am humbled that the God of heaven chose vessels of clay through which to do some of his work. I know who I am outside of Jesus Christ and who He still needs to make me. But I am willing to be his servant and I feel privileged to minister life to others. I can love much because I have been loved much. I can show grace because He has shown me much grace. Much is required of me because I have been given much. I know that I can never repay Him the debt I owe, but I give him my life.

Jesus came to serve, not be served. This I am reminded of over and over again in those days when I feel I'm tending but 'who is tending my heart?' I am made of dust and sometimes the feelings are real and I just want to be the 'tended'. God is amazing. He makes sure every single need of mine is taken care of. Not always in the way I would have thot He should, but whatever He does, He does well. Focusing on surrender and not insisting on being 'tended my way in my timing' helps greatly. And the words of Isaiah 58 are true...when we turn our hearts to God and to tending the broken, we are quickly healed. It amazes me over and over again how the rewards for obedience are many and quick to arrive.

Will you join me? Will you let God break you of all that you would pridefully cling to of yourself so that you can mature and go forth into the fields that are white unto harvest? Will you join me in weeping and praying? Will you love God with your all so that you can love your neighbor as yourself?

Love Hurts...

"Love hurts sometimes..." a friend posted recently and suddenly the thoughts that have been downloading in my heart on this subject the last few years needed a place to go. So here I am...writing them out.

Love hurts. It hurt all the way thru the crowds that pressed around Him needing things from Him but not giving back...just taking, taking, taking. Love hurt all the way thru the mob of people that wanted to kill him on numerous occasions...the people who gossiped about Him, who scorned his words, who argued with Him and who rejected Him. Love hurt all the way to a court room where He was lied about, and where people screamed to crucify Him...where He was beaten and mocked and spit upon. Love hurt thru that long, dark night while He prayed fervently in deep agony to His Father over the events that were coming, while His closest friends sank on the ground in deep sleep, unable to support Him in His sorrow while He sweated great drops of sweat like blood. Love hurt thru the deeply wounding act of a disciple denying his friendship with His Lord, even tho just hours before he had declared that he would never deny Him. Love hurt all the way to an old, rugged Cross where He was hung by huge nails that held him, suffering and bleeding while people walked around looking at him in His shame. Love hurt thru the deep sorrow and thirst that overtook Him while His mother cried at the foot of His cross and His disciples hung in the shadows, afraid to be known of others that they were His friends. Love hurt and then surrendered in death to be a ransom for the sins of the whole world.

Love hurts. It hurts while parents decide that their fervently godly adult children are not of God because they do not choose to live in the same 'administration' (details of practice of the same doctrinal belief as each other too!!!) and choose to ignore them and act like they do not exist or are not worth anything because of this.

Love hurts. It hurts when others falsely accuse you and say evil things about you because they want to control your life and you are following God's plan, which is a different plan than they would choose for you.

Love hurts. It hurts when others speak unkindly to you or treat you like dirt because they won't refuse to acknowledge Jesus in you.


Love hurts. It hurts when families are broken because people are unfaithful at their post and leave the door wide open for the devil to come in and taunt you and try to ruin you through their unfaithfulness.

Love hurts. It hurts when the brokenness of others lives comes into your own in full force as you reach out loving hands to smooth the salve of God's grace over them as He brings them to you.

Love hurts. It hurts as the reality of the narrow road and the few fellow travelers becomes reality the more you walk in the quiet ways of Jesus. While others are seeking fame and fortune, a name and good time, you are doing God's work and feeling the exhaustion of reality hit you as Jesus' words become real: "The fields are white unto harvest but the laborers are few".

Love hurts. It hurts in deep loneliness as many are not willing to share hearts in Christ and refuse to get real in spiritual things. To them, it appears to be all fun, surface stuff and no interest in the things of the heart...and you wonder just where the fellowship of the saints is...

And then we remember Jesus. And that love hurts. And that the servant cannot be greater than His Lord. And gladness comes rushing in like a flood, joy thru the pain. In tears I weep at Jesus' feet and thank Him that I can be like Him in just a small measure.

Take heart. He has overcome the world...thru love that hurts.

*details of 'hurts' listed above are taken from life's experiences that I am privy to, whether in my own life or in the lives of those God has brought to me to minister to. They are not all my own.

This is the Way...

I've been getting ready to leave on a trip that promises to include lots of fun things

in preparation for Marie's wedding which we are helping her to prepare for.

This morning, 'wedding planner and loose end' jitters/anxiety filled me

and I found myself struggling to know how to pull all these pesky loose ends

together and keep my sanity intact!

Then I sat down to have my time with the Lord before I started anything else.

I have learned the importance of this, if at all possible, or to get things

started to where I can sit down and focus on the Lord and hearing from him.

Then it started pulling together. I remembered that last night,

as I pondered the day ahead and the many loose ends I'd need to

be responsible for wrapping up so we can leave early in tomorrow AM,

I had a 'plan' to have my time with God, and felt somehow it was

also important to get up early enough to exericise beforet the

day's activities were tackled.

So this morning, tho I didn't feel like it, I made myself go

get on the treadmill and walk.

I found a wonderful sermon on salvation by

Angus Buchan and walked almost 2 miles.

And you know what? Anxiety gone.

I got to thinking...

You know how very important it is to obey

that still, small voice of the Lord!

I could have made up all kinds of excuses 

why I don't have time/don't feel like exercising

but God knows and I was renewed in the fact

that exercise is good for killing anxious feelings.

I encourage us all to practice being still so that we can

hear the Lord speaking to us and then OBEY,

even tho it may seem odd or silly.

He has His reasons and they make sense to Him and

will often make sense to us after we walk through

obedience.

Love and blessings,

Marcia

PS

Get walking! It really honestly does a body good!

Learning to Labor and to Wait...

What's on my heart these days?

ALOT.

I've been pondering some things deeply,

especially grieved with the

way many of God's people

walk through life controlling others

out of their fear of  the unknown 

or because they don't know how to

accept "differences in administration."

My thots may seem random but trust me,

in true 'spaghetti brain' fashion, they do connect.

I read about not just pretending to love others...

so I think...

I choose by God's grace to love those who are

disrespecting me and my family.

Choosing is not pretending.

It's not putting on a front. 

It's reaching out to receive the life of Christ

and laying down my own fleshly life

that would react out of hurt and anger.

So I can be genuinely loving 

when I CHOOSE Christ.

I read in 1 Peter 3:8-18:

"You should be like one, big, happy family,

full of sympathy toward each other,

loving one another with tender hearts

and humble minds.

Don't repay evil for evil.

Don't snap back at those who say 

unkind things about you.

Instead, pray for God's help for them,

for we are to be kind to others,

and God will bless us for it.

If you want a happy, good life,

keep control of your tongue,

and guard your lips from telling lies.

Turn away from evil and do good.

Try to live in peace even if you

must run after it to catch and hold it!

For the Lord is watching his children,

listening to their prayers;

but the Lord's face is hard 

against those who do evil.

Usually no one will hurt you for wanting

to do good.

But even if they should, you are envied

for God will reward you for it.

Quietly trust yourself to Christ

your Lord

and if anybody asks why you believe

as you do,

be ready to tell him, and do it in a 

gentle and respectful way.

Do what is right; 

then if men speak against you,

calling you evil names,

they will become ashamed of themselves

for falsely accusing you

when you have only done what is good.

Remember,

if God wants you to suffer, it is better

to suffer for doing good than for

doing wrong.

Christ also suffered..."

And my heart is at peace.

I do not even try to understand

the things that happen on this earth.

I have seen and experienced

shocking things in the Christian world

and wonder...

but I am at peace and I embrace

the life He gives me.

I acknowledge that He is good

and that nothing is allowed into my life

without purpose.

I am glad that I serve a God who

knows all things as they truly are.

I am glad that I do not need to figure things out

but that I just need to 'be' in Christ...

no pretending,

no fighting others needed,

no lifting myself up to be known

of others,

no understanding needed

before I obey the simple words

of the Holy Book.

My God supplies all my needs.

I don't need to wend my way through 

life reacting loudly and trying to

demand my rights.

I want to be like Jesus.

I have work to do.

There is not time to waste

freaking out that others

are out of their place

and doing things that are not

in God's plan in the simplicity

that is in Christ...

I have things to be up and doing

'with a heart for any fate'

every single day that He gives me breath.

Life is too precious to waste

on nursing hurts, holding grudges and

feeling sorry for myself that 

my weaker brother/sister cannot

let me live in peace without

being used of the devil to

ruffle my feathers sometimes.

I am 'learning to labor and to wait'

and the key, I'm finding, is to

be in CHRIST alone...

finding hope in Him and not

trying to make people

be who only He can be.

That frees me up to serve and to love,

to have humility and compassion,

and to not get all riled up when

things happen that are

shocking and like cold water

dumped on my  head,

taking my breath away for a second.

May the Lord Jesus be our everything

all the days of our lives.

Those days are a gift from Him.

They are given to us for a purpose:

to know Him and to make Him known.

I do not want to miss that purpose

because I'm distracted by

the nonsense of others.

When someone takes my 'rights' away,

I want to simply go dig another well.

I will speak for the defenseless,

and I will stand in the gap for the oppressed,

but I will quietly go dig another well

like Isaac did and not fight back

when my well is taken.

That's my ramble this morning

after weeks of thinking and praying

and pondering life and it's 

many twists and turns.

These thoughts are born from 

experiences I've walked thru in life

and from listening to others of

God's people sharing the shocking 

things that happen at times

in the circles of people

who claim Christianity.

I know that He has many things to teach me.

These are some of what I've been learning.

Love and blessings,

Marcia

Faith Like Potatoes...

Our family watched the movie, 

Faith Like Potatoes 

the other evening and I must say, 

I was deeply inspired and convicted 

on the matter of prayer. 

I pray but how much do I pray with 

my children? 

This is where I was convicted. 

I have only a few short years and

 then they will be off doing adult things 

in their journey with God.

This morning the Lord woke me early 

and as I moved about my kitchen preparing 

lunch for today, 

I listened to this bit of inspiration:

Inner Strength

by Angus Buchan

This is the real-life Angus Buchan about whom the movie

was filmed. I was deeply inspired and encouraged.

There are giants in my life. They are in all of our lives.

But I am walking by faith.

How about you?

For the praise of God and by His power...

Love and blessings,

Marcia

Imagine If...

Imagine if you lived in a world where there was no...

jealousy
malice
dishonesty
grudges
divisions over non essential subjects
arguments
unrighteous anger
ungracious words
slander
envy
hatred
strife
gossip
selfish focus on hurts or wounds from others
bitterness


What a life we would have!

Did you know that you personally can live free of all of these? If you have been bound by any or all of these, you can be free as soon as you repent and commit your way to the Lord and walking His way.

The way of surrender is the way of peace. Peace comes through the Cross life...denying myself and my selfish ways so that Christ can live in me and through me.

Hallelujah for the power of His resurrection that makes it possible for us to live this life every single day...even while living in a broken world that is cursed by sin and darkened by the ugliness of it. Eternal life...what a blessing and we do not have to wait for our souls to have eternal life even while we walk this earth.

It Is Finished

To Be Teachable...

I wonder...

What would happen

if we all lay down

our foolish pride,

and yielded our hearts

in humility to the Father,

allowing ourselves

to be taught of Him

through diving deep

into the Word,

and through listening

with humility to those

He sends into our lives to 

teach us?

I think what we would have

is alot of people who

find answers they seek

and the Life that they wish for

because they would be

faithfully applying what they

already know as the Lord

and those discipling them

give it.

How about it?

Where are you in the whole

'being teachable' business?

I can personally testify

to the huge benefits and

blessings that come

from being teachable.

Sure, it means I have to

admit that I do not know it 

all, but then again,

why not admit it and live 

with that knowledge?

After all, it is the truth.

On Leaving the Thirties Behind...

Today I stand in the glow of the sunset over the third decade of  my life.

As I stand at the threshold of my forties, I find myself pondering deeply

and raising my heart in gratitude to the Lord, my God.

My thirties were lived primarily and wholeheartedly for God.

I was born again when I was 25 years old, and decided that

I was all in or not at all so I've been up and running full tilt

since the day I found deep and radical new Birth was mine

through repentant faith in the One who died for me.

So by the time my thirties came along, I had sure footing,

settled peace in my soul and a zeal to live for God

above anything else, but He has had many

things to teach me about complete trust in Him

no matter what I face or what is denied me

that would seem like a good thing.

He has had to teach me much about 

being ok for the messiness of life to touch me,

caring deeply about the devastation that touches 

others because of sin and the fall of man...

trusting Him to write His thots on hearts

that seem blind and hard,

reaching into the darkness 

and holding forth the Word of life while

loving them, knowing that His job is

to do the transforming.

My thirties were far from peaceful externally.

Oh my no! I have walked thru the wild wind of

the wilderness, felt the burning desert sand beneath my feet,

and found myself crushed beyond anything I had

ever known. I have lost alot in my thirties...

felt the crushing blows of disappointment,

and known the Knife of the Master Pruner.

I came across a quote recently that really 

describes my thirties better than I can:

But in all that, I came to know the sweetness of

fellowship in Christ, the kind that happens 

when you stand stripped of all self-sufficiency.

I have known peace in my heart that could not be shaken

unless I had strayed away from God myself.

Looking back, I would have to say that

my thirties have been some of the best

years of my life.

I have met many new friends whose hearts

beat high with the same joy mine does,

some of them very much younger than I

but with a passion that encourages me

to keep walking with God.

I have not ever been in want. Not once.

And what I lost, well, I completely

trust God that it was a good thing.

And I choose to walk in quiet surrender,

reaching my hands out to work in the

part of the Vineyard where I am called.

He knows best.
I honestly believe that with every

fiber of my being.

And so, as I stand at the entrance of a

new adventure, a new decade of life,

as God tarries,

I do not fear. I am not scared to see the gray hair

becoming prominent on my head.

I am not afraid of the unknowns that lie ahead.

I have God. I love His ways and I am 

completely safe in His care.

In a testimony shared in church on Sunday,

I soberly recounted how choices are

so very important as I ponder where I

could have been had I not decided to follow Jesus.

I see friends and family who still stumble in

darkness and selfish living and I weep for them

to know the LIFE that I know because of

JESUS.

I can boast of nothing but the Cross of Jesus Christ.

In every single day, I am keenly aware 

of who I am outside of His powerful life

 that flows through me.

I can do nothing on my own.

I only know that I do not want 

to live for me.

I want HIM. Always.

In every single day that

 He gives me breath.

Here's to the 40's for me!

To God be the glory,

GREAT things He has done

so far...he melted my heart of stone

and replaced it with the peace 

that passes all understanding!

Love and blessings,

Marcia

Let Your Light Shine on Us

This song has become the crowning theme

for me as I look back over my thirties

and realize how graciously God has led

me all the way, ever constant in His

light, grace, and love.

He'll be that to anyone who truly

follows Him and allows Him to 

make them wholly His.

I promise.

When Troubles Rise and Storms Appear...

So when the strong winds of January blow across the land,

blowing the cover off the calf barn,

requiring the poor Farmer to go out there with his employees

in said strong freezing winds

to repair the damage, 

The Farmer's wife ponders what she can do to help her poor darling out, and she gets in for walking out in the freezing wind to observe the project,

bringing coffee to the cold men,

and then makes a "comfort food supper" for the Farmer...and I pause to ponder.

 I think that when our hearts are in the right place, it sure helps for us to be able to be 'instant in season and out of season' like Paul admonishes in one of his epistles (Romans?). There was a day that I would have seen yesterday as a huge interruption. I did not appreciate farming (still don't like some kinds of farming but I do appreciate that farmers can impact the world in a good way!)

I am deeply grateful that God

in His mercy and love

reached down from heaven

and changed my heart...

and what a hard heart it was!

Oh my, when I think of

the struggles I went through

as I was being broken.

I am so thankful He stuck to it

and kept working on me to 

bring me to that place of

complete brokenness.

And I am so thankful that

my darling Farmer

stuck it out too and so

kindly allowed me

to struggle...

that was a gift of love

to be sure!

We approach our 20th wedding anniversary,

and I find myself pondering where He's

brought us from and where we could be

if we had not decided to follow

JESUS.

I warn you now...

I'm about to turn 40

and I'm about to have a 

20th wedding anniversary

with the man I love...

You might be subjected to 

more blog posts on

marriage and entering

new seasons of life...

But then again,

I suppose you don't have 

to stop to read them if

you get tired of them 

:-)

Happy winter to all.

(I'm so glad that we got this far

in the Fingerlakes of NY without

much cold and snow!)

Love Does...

I didn't think it would go this long until I would do another "Love Does" post, but life has happened and I simply dust off the title and pick up where I left off in this series.

Love takes care of the eldery mama who reached out and loved her in a vulnerable time of her childhood when a mama was so desperately needed.

Love stoops to care about the little things that make it easier for the elderly...making sure that her shoes fit comfortably and well, that her glasses  fit properly, trying to fulfill that desire to go to a family reunion, sending mail to cheer lonely days, and calling on the phone to be sure her mama is ok.

Love cares about the feelings of the elderly and watches carefully to tend to their needs, remembering with gratitude all the hundreds of things those precious, frail ones did for her over the years. Now the tables are turned and the strong must tend to the weaker ones.

Love does...and in doing, it says thank you, and values life, that great gift from God that only He knows the length thereof.

Let us go forth and love our elders today!

Written with permission from my friend, Rhoda. She is a beautiful example of "Love Does". God bless you, Rhoda!

Guest Post...On Homemaking

Well, I'm trying to get back to my Fridays postings in the homemaking department. Today's post is one of two installments from my good friend, Rachael, who gave me much to work with when I asked her to share tips on efficiency in homemaking that she's gleaned over 20 years (besides being a daughter in her father's house) of keeping the home God gave her to tend. I was blessed to read them and maybe, Rachael, I'll be more efficient in my homemaking now that you have given me such wonderful stuff to think about! :-)

"Marcia....

 

I by all means do not have this all together. And I for sure could have made different choices when my people were little. But usually if I have something in my life that I don't really like, I look for a solution to change it. Okay, don't ask why I still have a weedy barn hill when I could plant phlox there as ground cover. :)

 

Here are some things that I have done or have heard of (I will not differentiate between the two....if it seems really smart it was probably something I heard of after it applied to me :)) that can help make a mother's/wife's day go more smoothly. And sometimes it saves money too. Bonus!

 

~Having a structured routine (a must for home schoolers!) Try to get the children up every morning and down for naps and bedtimes near the same time every day. Children thrive & feel more secure when they know what to expect from their day. Some people even tell their children to stay in their rooms in the mornings until a certain parent-approved time. The parents know that even though the children are awake they will not come out to Mom & Dad and disturb quiet time. Same with evening bedtime......they can go to their rooms before lights-out to read or listen to tapes so that Mom & Dad can have some quiet to discuss their day.

 

~Structure to the weekly jobs/chores that most housewives have on their list. It's amazing what all gets done in a week and usually more 'little' things i.e. cleaning out junk drawers, corners, closets, dresser drawers, book shelves, cupboards, etc. get taken care of if the 'big' things i.e. laundry, cleaning, groceries, baking, ironing, etc. have a regular day.

 

~A certain cup for each family member so that the kitchen counter doesn't get littered with drinks every time someone is thirsty.

 

~Cleaning up toys or games before starting another project. (This is a personal favorite of mine!!) Looking around a room when you leave it and taking any snack bowls or cups out to the kitchen, throwing trash away, picking up books, etc. just makes sense.  

 

~Having a set time (or more than one) to tidy up the house. Some people clean up before naps, before Dad gets home from work, & before bedtime. It is courteous and shows respect to at least have a path for Dad to get to his desk or favorite chair without having to step on any toys. And who likes to come into the family room in the morning and there are dolls & card games & CDs littering the floor because Susie didn't feel like cleaning up last night? Our homes are to be a haven and clutter isn't part of that picture. Okay, so that is a personal pet peeve of mine. But most people will tell you that if a place is reasonably clean they feel at home. However, clutter detracts from the restful atmosphere that most of us wish to portray to those who enter our doors.

 

~Having toy sets in totes and only having a few totes out at a time or bringing out the Legos only on Thursdays or when it rains. That way every time you pick up toys you are not picking up the entire toy box. Some people use this idea for the preschoolers and they are only allowed to play with one tote at a time while the older ones are in school.

 

~Having a set time that an older child watches a preschooler so that Mom can help another sibling with a class.

 

~Buying sneakers that have Velcro or stretch with out having to lace up every time you put them on. A real time-saver when there are a lot of feet to stuff into shoes and you are in a hurry. It might cost a bit more but what you will save on sanity will be worth it!

 

~Using hand-me-downs and buying clothes from thrift stores. 

 

~Assigning even the small fry to help with age-appropriate chores. Even the 3yr old can set the table (with supervision by an older sibling) or dust things that we moms don't normally get.....the kitchen chair legs and heat radiators and the bottom of the fridge where all the fuzzy dust bunnies have their family reunions. Children helping with family chores is a good thing for various reasons. It helps them to learn to work, of course, helps them to see work and do it without being told, and hopefully, if it all goes well, creates a servant's heart. 

 

~Sewing girls' dresses with a pleat or two near the hem to be let down if it needs more length. Instead of sewing a deep hem, letting it out, and sewing it up again. And using simple patterns, especially for little girls.

 

~Motivate less-than-enthused children with 'honey' rather than 'vinegar'. You might need to go pray or take deep breaths before this one if it's been a rough day. But children do better if they are rewarded for good behavior rather than threatened about the bad. However, good behavior should be it's own reward for the majority of the time. But children have bad days too where they just want a listening ear or a caring hug. Sometimes all they need is a tea party with milk & crackers or 15 minutes to look at the new library book or a squeeze on the new baby.   

 

~Having set chores that each child is responsible for the week, preferably written down so that all can see it daily. Taking care of all the trash, keeping the living room tidy, emptying the dishwasher, wiping the table after meals, etc. That way Mom knows that it's getting done and children don't get discouraged (too badly) because they know in a week it will change up and they'll get a new job.

 

~Teach children to put their dirty clothes in the hamper every day and the night before laundry day they should set the hampers where Mom can get them. Or if they are big enough take them to the laundry for Mom. Sort laundry the night before and if you have a timer on the washer set it to go so that the first load is washed by the time you are up. Sometimes people switch a load if they are up in the night to go to the bathroom or feed the baby. Then there are a few loads done till morning and they just need to be hung out. Score.

 

~Try to be careful with clothes so that you are not spending needless time scrubbing them in the laundry. We want our children to have fun but they don't need to wear the program attendant's dress that they wore to their aunt's wedding to play in the sand box.

 

~Have a place for everything and everything in it's place. A little trite but it saves so much time if you know right where to look for something. And it's good stewardship to keep our possessions organized and not neglected.

 

~Make enough supper to have leftovers to feed your family lunch the next day.

 

~Make 2 or 3 of the same casserole when you make supper and put the extras in the freezer so that when something unexpected comes up you are prepared.

 

~Have quiet time (meditation on the Word, etc) as often as you can, preferably daily but God understands our busy mom schedules. Even if all we can manage for a day is the meditation on our perpetual calendar and a prayer while we do the dishes or rock the baby, that little bit of time with God is so important! Singing is also a day brightener and can sometimes set the mood for the whole family when Mom is singing at the stove or when she's scrubbing bathrooms.

 

~Praying for our dear family members also helps days to go better. It's hard to snap at someone you just thanked God for.

 

~Having a regular time in the afternoons for quiet time for Mom to rest/recharge a bit. The younger children are napping and the older ones are doing something quiet in their bedrooms or the family room or whatever room Mom isn't in. :) Just so Mom can make a phone call, read a chapter in a book, prop her feet up and doze for 20 minutes, or do some sewing in peace.

 

~Simple not elaborate meals work best when you have a lot of little people and not much help with meal prep. If you are creative and like to experiment in the kitchen wait till the weekend when your husband can be there to help you or keep an eye on the children while you whip up something more than hot dogs or PB sandwiches.

 

~Clean up the kitchen after supper and try to have the laundry folded, if not put away, by bedtime so that the next morning you can start on that day's work. It can feel hopeless if we are starting our day with yesterday's leftover work."

to be continued...