Hope in exile….

Originally posted last year….

Jeremiah 31:1-6

Jeremiah 31
1 “At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people.”

2 This is what the LORD says:
“The people who survive the sword
will find favor in the desert;
I will come to give rest to Israel.”

3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, [a] saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

4 I will build you up again
and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel.
Again you will take up your tambourines
and go out to dance with the joyful.

5 Again you will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria;
the farmers will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.

6 There will be a day when watchmen cry out
on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the LORD our God.’ ”

When I read Jeremiah 30-33 the compassion of God seemed to leap from the page this morning as I was reading in my “prayer closet” I selected just a portion above….when I think of how many times Israel turned their backs on God and yet, He reached out to them with hope and healing, longing for their restoration.

What are you exiled from today? A child, a church, God, a marriage, a friendship? It seems in life there are many forms of exile we face, but God seeks to restore us; always there is hope. Cling to His word, there is promise there.

I close with this verse, again from Jeremiah, 33:3….”Call to Me, and I will answer you, and i will tell you great and mighty things,which you do not know.”

Traveling….


Once again I am on my way to California to see friends and family….Hopefully I will get some posts up during the next two weeks! Here is a good “flying” verse:
I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let your glory be over all the earth.
Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered. Psalm 108:3-6
I am glad the He will be watching over me up there….I am not crazy about flying!

Gratitude for Grace


A man walked into the doctor’s office and said, “Doctor, I have this awful headache that never leaves me. Could you give me something for it?

“I will,” said the doctor, “but I want to check a few things out first. Tell me, do you drink a lot of liquor?”
“Liquor?” said the man indignantly. “I never touch the filthy stuff.”
“How about smoking?”
“I think smoking is disgusting, I’ve never in my life touched tobacco.”
“I’m a bit embarrassed to ask this, but—you know the way some men are–do you do any running around at night.”
“Of course not. What do you take me for? I’m in bed every night by ten o’clock at the latest.”
“Tell me,” said the doctor, “the pain in the head you speak of, is it a sharp, shooting kind of pain?”
“Yes,” said the man. “That’s it–a sharp shooting kind of pain.”
“Simple, my dear fellow! Your trouble is you have your halo on too tight. All we need to do is loosen it a bit.”

The trouble with our ideals is that if we live up to all of them, we become impossible to live with.
The tilted halo of the saved sinner is worn loosely and with easy grace. We have discovered that the cross accomplished far more than revealing the love of God. The blood of the Lamb points to the truth of grace: what we cannot do for ourselves, God has done for us. Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

Jesus shattered all the carefully constructed societal class structures of His day. He ate with undesirables and sinners; He blessed children who had absolutely no rights whatsoever in first century Palestine, they were almost like non-people; and He readily engaged in open conversations with women, another breaking with tradition. In doing so He recieved much criticism from the religious leaders of the day. By those same actions, He opened the gateway for Grace….

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:15,16

Walking miracles


I was attempting to organize my closet when I found this book written by Hement Mehta, “the ebay atheist” who auctioned off the opportunity for the winning bidder to send him to church. His “host” sent him to several different churches. The results were chronicled in the book. I found his observations interesting because they revealed how the church can sometimes come across to unbelievers. In the final chapter he asks himself the question: “Is there anything that would convince me I’m wrong about God? I can think of one thing, a miracle. If I witnessed a miracle, that would do it.” He defines a miracle as an occurrence that has no other possible natural explanation. In other words, not something he heard people praying about in prayer meetings…..finding a perfect roommate, a husband, an avoided car accident, but something like an amputated limb growing back, and dead being raised back to life.

People in Jesus day saw those miracles happening all the time and some of them still didn’t believe. I think of all the lives I have seen transformed by God’s power…..people literally “born again” into new life in Christ. People walking in the world, miraculously switching direction and beginning to walk toward Jesus. New life…..Changed in an instant from darkness to light, from despair to hope. The miracle of changed lives, years later, still changed! Touched forever with the same blinding light that turned Saul, persecutor of the church, into the Apostle Paul. I see “mini-Pauls” all around me…..miracles!

I think there is hope yet for Hemant Mehta, I don’t think his heart is totally closed, he just needs a healthy dose of the Holy Spirit.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 8-9

I continue counting blessings, miracles of lives transformed, I count these names, precious ones who have been changed forever, in the grip of His matchless grace, once heading toward death, now toward life eternal, and…..hope.

#301 Pat, #302 Elaine, #303 Lori, #304 Vera, #305 Will, #306 Lyle, #307 Ginny, #308 Janet, #309 Coral, #310 Debbie, #311 Diane, #312 Rick, #312 Lenora, #313 Abel, #314 Tristan, 15 lives transformed, fifteen people who I could call at a moment’s notice and know they would pray for me, with me. Fifteen people who have ministered to me in the past or present….at work, at home.

And that’s not even counting the bloggers!….You know who you are, more miracle lives! All of you on the sidebar of my blog, and all of you I follow, and some I stumble upon, each one of you lights up the darkness with your words, faithfully bearing words of hope, His words.
What a blessing……
Keeping the gratitude and the miracles alive, along with Ann and many others….
holy experience

Happy Mother’s Day

Here’s a bouquet for all the Mom’s out there!

“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.” Proverbs 1:8-9

Does anyone do something exactly like their Mom? I counted several things yesterday, I didn’t realize there were so many!

I scrape my fork on my plate just like her….
I make a certain face in the mirror when I am putting makeup on….
I say…..”Well???” when I don’t know what else to say….
I like tragedy to triumph stories….
I dry dishes exactly like her…
I can’t walk a straight line, I always drift one way or the other….

Most valuable things I have learned from her:
Don’t moan when you are sick, you will get more sympathy….
If you sing, it will make you and others feel better….
That having a relationship with the Lord is the most important thing….
Everyone has a story….
Get up and be positive, no matter how tough it is….
Reading the Bible can help you through anything….
And she taught me that prayer changes things….

I love you Mom!

One flower at a time….


“Just as a whole world of beauty can be discovered in one flower, so the great grace of God can be tasted in one small moment. Just as no great travels are necessary to see the beauty of creation, so no great ecstasies are needed to discover the love of God. But you have to be still and wait so that you can realize that God is not in the earthquake, the storm, or the lighting, but in the gentle breeze with which He touches your back.” Henri Nouwen, The Genesee Diary

I tried to fit you into my agenda today, God.
Forgive me. I should have known You would not fit neatly into the little space of time I had designed for You this morning.
You see, I had a day planner going in my head and I knew I needed to fit you in so here I am.
What?
Okay, Lord. I got the lesson.
Now that I am here in the quiet, I can hear you enough to see how foolish I was.
Thank you for allowing me to start over.
Forgive me for trying to make you small again.
Thank you for Your grace and mercy, it washes over me anew.
Make every task Holy today Lord, In Jesus name, Amen.

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

National Day of Prayer

Not just today, but everyday people are praying. You don’t hear about it on the news, but it is happening, all across our land. You don’t hear about churches going out into the community feeding the homeless, finding them shelter, hitting the streets with the Good News, taking care of orphans and widows. They are the hands and feet of Jesus, living in the Spirit following His lead sometimes at great personal sacrifice. There are those of us who enter the daily trenches, praying under our breath all the while, living out our faith to others, being a light in the darkness, doing the best we can. And there are those raising children at home, making hard choices, doing the right thing when nobody sees. There are the persecuted Christians being martyred all over the world for their faith, you don’t hear about them either. Still they pray, still they meet, adding members daily. There are those in the land of shadows, helping people with AIDs die, educating their children so they might have half a chance. Here in America we can still worship without fear, and I pray it will always be so……Join me in prayer for our country today.

He sees you…..


Don’t think I don’t see you,
I feel your pain rolling out of bed in the morning.
I am as close as your breath
“You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.” Psalm 139:3
I see you making your way into the kitchen blindly for that
first cup….
I see you getting ready for work, presenting your best self.
Crisp, clean, ready as you’ll ever be
to face the day….exuding outward confidence,
but I know you are quaking inside.
“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.” Psalm 139:1
Don’t think I don’t know.
I am nearer than your next prayer
I know about that speech, that presentation, that project
that irate caller, I know what you face.
I know you feel unprepared, but remember:
There is nothing that comes up today that I am unprepared for,
that you and I can’t handle together.
So today, when you feel My Presence, know this…..
I am with you, in fact I have already been there!
“You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:5
I see your courage, I see your dedication.
It hasn’t gone unnoticed.
I am with you my child, in every moment of the day.
I love you….

I felt led today to focus on workers outside the home today, (I know there are many working just as hard inside the home.) Since I have been off work, I have had a new appreciation for those who get up and fight the daily commute, since right now I don’t have to. The days are flying by and soon I will be joining them again….

Multitude Mondays


Lifting my Gratitude today for what the Word does in my life!

#291 When I lose my way, it brings me back to the right road: Proverbs 3:6……#292 It gives me clarity of mind, important for someone like me who tends to over-analyze things to death: 2 Timothy 1:7….#293 It draws me close to the Lord because I know those are His living words: Hebrews 4:12….#294 It brings peace when my soul can’t seem to rest: Psalm 119:165….. #295 It gives me strength and assurance that He is with me at all times: Hebrews 13:5…..#296 It causes me to grow and makes me better able to handle stressful situations: Romans 10:13-17….#297 It keeps my eyes focused on eternity and it exposes my inability to do what it says on my own: John 15:26….#298, for without Him it would be impossible: Matthew 19:26 #299 It exposes things in my life that ordinarily I would not see a need to change: 2 Timothy 3:16….#300 I am blessed when I read it! Revelations 1:3

It is set apart from every other book on earth and it does what no other book can do because it is alive, filled with the very breath of God!

When I try to live without it, I sink fast!

Keeping the gratitude alive, along with Ann and many others….
holy experience

God’s Adventure Club


“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,” he used to say. “You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to. J.R.R. Tolkien

The magic of a new day, a trail untried, the magical bend in the curve, the mystery of not knowing where it goes, the hope of new adventure, the challenge of not letting go of the great mystery that is life. Sometimes it is not easy to remember that we are all a part of God’s grand scheme of things.
Greer, Arizona

I pray that we can see a glimmer of eternity in the little everyday moments today, capture them and hold them close for we have no certainty that they will come again. These times are dear, every last one, for each of them takes us nearer and nearer to our future forever home.

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14