10 Years Ago

Greetings dear and precious sisters-in-Christ,

Ten years ago I was preparing myself for the move to Hawaii. In hindsight this is how God prepared me. Our daughter, the youngest of our three children, was getting married and to help her in any way I could she found a beautiful house on a lake to stay. So for approximately three weeks I was able to be alone most evenings and they were spent in making my daughter's floor length veil for her wedding. First was sewing the satin ribbon around the netting, then came the pearl beads sewn into the netting. The house, the lake and the time spent preparing for her wedding was medicine to my soul. With each pearl bead sewn into the netting petitions and praises were being spoken. Yes, the Lord is Gentle and Kind and Good.

Abba Father, how marvelous are Your Ways, thank You for the many Ways You direct our steps. Oh, Lord only You know our hearts and know us so intimately that in the directing You reveal in the most amazing of ways Your Love and Gentleness and Kindness and Goodness. Praise thee. Lord I pray for each dear and precious sister-in-Christ today and in the days ahead that she would be renewed and to see how intricately You prepare her for the day. In Jesus Name, Amen.

I'm still preparing,

A Sense of Normalcy

Greetings dear and precious sisters-in-Christ,

There are times in my life where I need to have a sense of normalcy every now and then. By normal I mean this, "there are no drama queen's living in my brain". Lately at work there have been some phone calls and emails which have prompted me to either "laugh out loud at the complete insanity of the situation" or "begin to weep over the burden the person is bearing".

At the end of the work day I get to come home. Thank you Lord that I am a child of Yours.

Abba Father, how marvelous, how wonderful that You have saved a wretch like me. Oh, most Sovereign Lord that You are our strength, our strong tower where we can run into, that You keep us. I pray for each precious sister-in-Christ today and the days ahead that Your sweet and precious fragrance surround them, that Your Holy Spirit counsel them in each situation they encounter in their day. Whether it be a normal day or an out-of-control day for them, You are directing their steps and lighting their path that they may walk in Your Joy and Hope and Peace. In Jesus Name, Amen.

I'm ever hopeful,

Laughter

Greetings dear and precious sisters-in-Christ,

In conversing with my brother I said a word to him which he clearly misunderstood and upon clarifying what I really said we broke out in stomach aching laughter. You know the kind that starts way down inside and bubbles up like a spring and continues until your stomach hurts so bad. I wonder if that is the kind of laughter that Sarah had when she heard the men telling Abraham about him having a child. The laughter that erupts at the absurdity of it.

I also realized that I had not laughed like that in a very long time and I so needed to just break out in uncontrollable laughter and enjoy the pure pleasure of laughter.

Abba Father, Praise thee for laughter, the kind of laughter which brings Joy into the hearts of your children. Thank You that You alone gives us those precious tender mercies which bring such joy into our lives we can only express it with laughter. Oh Lord I pray for each dear sister-in-Christ today that her life would abound with Your most precious treasures which bring her such Joy that she will be able to express it with such laughter that would be heard up to the heavens and beyond. A laughter which expresses Your pure Joy. In Jesus Name, Amen.

May the laughing begin,

Psalm 86:11 and Psalm 119:105

Greetings dear and precious sisters-in-Christ,

I found a picture the other day of when I was a girl of around 10. This picture had all of us 5 children lined up in a row by size. The picture was taken in our backyard and in the background was the church. We lived right next to a church and Sunday's were days when we could not go outside and play until afternoon because they were having church. We did not go to church at that time ourselves and being only 10 I thought that if I had to be that quiet for all those people then I sure did not need to go to a church. We could look into the basement windows and see children playing and adults talking. We could hear the organ playing and the people singing too. And on some Friday nights the teenagers that went to the church would have "sock hops", so we got to see them having fun. So I knew that you could also have fun at church. I don't know why we did not go to that church at the time but later on realized that it was not the same denomination that my parents were.

I have a little wooden plaque which I have displayed on my kitchen counter which reads, "Teach me thy way, O Lord", Psalm 86:11. The psalm continues on with "that I may walk in your truth, unite my heart to fear your name."

These two paragraphs seem to be random thoughts but actually they are so closely related. The church, the people, and the events all come together. It gave me a picture of what the church was all about. And when I first read this verse, it became a TRUTH to me for that is what I desire, that my Abba Father teach me HIS way, that I may walk in HIS truth.

Abba Father, Praise thee, oh thank You most Sovereign Lord that You delight in Your children. I pray for each precious sister-in-Christ that she lean upon the Word, "for Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). Lord I pray that You would reveal to them Your most infinite and amazing GRACE today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Until Next Week,