Being a Martha AND a Mary

I have been meditating on the story of Martha and Mary today... I am sure you can guess why! Feeling as if my busy serving has totally "encumbered" me. I have many many things that need to be done for my family as well as for the Lord's service.  Yet, in trying to get it all done - I have begun to feel encumbered - just like Martha.  Luke 10:40

Serving the Lord is a good thing  -even serving Him with all you have until you have nothing left...  but we cannot truly serve Him without also having comunion with Him.  Like Spurgeon says, being Martha and Mary takes great grace.  Being busy serving the Lord - and being in constant communion with Him is not an easy task.  In fact, the harder tasks are always the more spiritual tasks.  It is harder to pray an hour than to "serve" in menial tasks for the same amount of time.

God help me today - to first seek You and communion with You... then serve You with all my heart!

To them that believe, He is precious!

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. ~ III Jn 1:4

Today was an extra special day.  My dear crazy twins - born April 5, 2001 - were baptized.   Slater had made a profession of faith over a year ago at our church's annual Camp Meeting in 2009.  He had been under conviction for quite a while, but just couldn't quite get peace. Finally, after months of prayer, God saved him!  Charis was just recently saved, but in our conversation that day she revealed something that really startled me.  She told me that she was waiting to be saved, because she thought she would have a second chance after Jesus came for the rapture of the saints.  She and I have had other similar conversations, where she let me know she doubted if the Bible was true, and Jesus really was REAL.  This idea of a second chance stemmed from that.  She thought if she saw Jesus take us all to heaven, then she would know he was real.  This really scared me. WOW... I didn't realize that a nine year old was capable of that type of thought process.  Since the spring, Charis has really been on my heart. I have been praying that God would make salvation clear to her - to give her understanding.  On September 9th He did just that.  She became a beggar... asking God to save her. What a HUGE blessing it was to see the twins baptized TOGETHER!  God has been so GOOD to me! How could I ever thank Him for HIS abundant blessings on us... for He not only cares for our needs - but gives us our hearts desires as well! I am now praying that He would use them, not just to live an ordinary life in HIM... but to live extraordinary lives FOR HIM!!

It was my birthday on Friday - this was the BEST birthday present EVER!! :)

Thankful for God's Tree Removal Service...

Have you ever had to get a tree removed from your property?  Well, if you have you can really comiserate with this story. We have lived at our current house about 6 years.  When we first bought the property there were two large oaks right on either side of the front walkway - both planted by the family who had lived here almost a century.  We really didn't want to get rid of them, but almost immediately after we moved in one of them started looking sick - so we called a tree doctor.  There's a doctor for everything now adays!  He told us that it had a disease and that before the year was out, the tree would be dead.  Sure enough, the doctor was right - the tree was very dead by the end of the year. The only thing green on it was the ivy that covered the trunk. It was really kinda sad... but what was even more sad - (we are talking real big huge tears and gut wrenching sobs sad) was the estimate that we got to remove the tree.  Unbelievable!  They wanted $1200 . . . for one tree!

Of course, with 6 children we pinch pennies every week just to buy enough laundry soap and milk... so the tree was just going to have to wait. You see our big concern was that the tree overlooked a major street, was only a few feet from the front of our house, and was directly across the street from our little post office.  Well, several years had gone past, and the tree was beginning to fall apart. We really didn't know what to do - so, we just prayed - and asked God to take care of it . . .somehow.  Funny thing - every time it would rain - and that dead wood would soak up the water - another limb would fall.  Somehow, every time a limb would fall it always seemed to land in a safe spot.  Yet, our concern was growing.  What if a strong wind blew it right over on a car - or the post office - or even our house?  But by now there really wasn't much left to the tree as far as limbs go...  but keep in mind - it was still a great big old oak.

Taken in 1950 - see how small the trees are?

Well, to finish up my story - just a while ago in the middle of the night there came up a really big storm - a wind so strong that it was blowing against the wall by our bed so hard I thought it had to be a tornado.  Then we heard a huge sound - and knew a tree had fallen somewhere.  I bet you know where we looked first!  And sure enough, there it was laid out as pretty as you please right between the school buses and the post office. We couldn't believe it! Yet even as we watched some little black sportscar came speeding up the street and ran right into it and then turned around and drove off. People are so weird! Almost immediately a deputy sheriff was there directing trafic and then the county road service came and sawed it up and carried it away. When it was daylight we went out to see what else needed done, and can you believe that it didn't even turn up the ground around the base of the tree? It was like God just took it and laid it over, and sent the county workers to clean it up.  There was nothing left but a few little twigs. Wow - God's tree removal service. We were absolutely amazed.

The tree in question is the one on the right

These days there seems to be a whole lot of things in our lives just like this dead tree.  Things we have no control over - no ability to change - and have to just trust God that He will take care of it.  The tree is gonna help me remember for a long time that God really does care - God will take care of every situation that we are facing.  We don't know how or when He will do it - it may take years - but He has it under control.  If you are facing something that you cannot imagine a way out or even a solution - just step back and give it to God.  He created you - He knows you better than you know yourself - trust Him with it. Lay it at His feet and rest in Him.  You may be suprised at how He handles it for you!

The Well and the Oil...

This post is something that I had studied out and God really brought to life for me over the past few weeks - but I probably won't post again until Monday. I have to take the GACE Early Childhood I and II exam on Saturday.  I don't typically have test anxiety- but I have heard that many people fail it the first time. So, your thoughts and prayers will be greatly appreciated.

I don't know about you all, but I personally have been struggling with many things lately. I know that God is good, He has always been and will always be. Yet, often life is filled with disillusionment and disappointment, and our human hearts are sooooo very........HUMAN. The disapointment will hit and broadside us,or "knock us out" so to speak. Sadly, that is where my heart has been for a few weeks now. But, today God really put it on my heart to write a note to a friend to encourage her. Isn't it just like God to use an act I meant to help someone else - to actually help me?

As I was writing God used the idea of the well and the oil to speak to me. The well I am referring to is the well mentioned in Psalm 84:6. "Who passing through the Valley of Baca make it a well."

A literal rendering of this would be "Passing through the deep or difficult place of weeping, make it a spring." Later it says "the rain also filleth the pools." A. White tells us that on this occasion only the word berakah was translated as "pools" when every other time it is translated "blessing."  White continues by putting these two together, "Happy is the man for whom Baca (pools of weeping) becomes Berakah (blessing)" Literally, for whom weeping becomes blessing. That's is our hope isn't it?

The Valley of Baca is a very different place for each person that travels through it. Yet, the common thread is that it is a hard dry place. A place where digging a well would be a difficult task. Yet, when we are faced with the valley or desert what other option do have? There is no rain and there are often no one else's wells that we can rely on. We must  "make it a well." God has supplied us with all the tools we need for this task; His strength, His WORD, and His Spirit. He has given us the tools, now it is time for us to dig. If you are like me getting started is no easy task - the ground is hard and so digging is a very difficult job. But again, we have no other option - we must "make it a well." So to the task we must commit. Think about it - did He promise His children ease? Is "your best life now" really what the Bible teaches us? II Tim 3:12 says "Yea, and all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Why should we have it easier than Jesus did? No, He didn't promise ease or even happiness, but He did promise something even better  - JOY. Joy is peace, rest, and contentment even when things are tough.So, dig the well - and when you reach "the springs of living water" you will have something better than an "easy" road. You will have Him who is the source of all strength and joy. Remember the old song "one look at His dear face all sorrow will erase?" The trouble and trials in the valley will seem so insignificant after one swallow from His spring. So, dig - dig - dig for all you're worth - - dig until you've reached the precious water that quenches your thirst and makes the valley look attainable.
But the oil.... remember the story of the widow and the son who was to be taken and sold to pay their debts?  Elisha told her to borrow every vessel she could get her hands on - and go to her house and close her door. (I can't help but think that - sometimes part of our problem is that we are not where we need to be. Are we able to be alone with our family so that we can receive a miracle from God? Close our doors - have some quiet time...)
She and her sons got alone inside their house, but only after she believed that God was going to work a miracle for her.She believed by borrowing and begging every vessel possible. She did this in faith.Then went in and closed the door. It was then that God's supply was equal to the demand of her belief. The oil flowed until there were no more jars to fill. She then sold the oil to pay her debts and live. Her need was met through her obedience and faith to God's plan for her. Just enough - right on time...
Yes,at times it is God's design to let us go through the dark, dry, and weeping place known as the valley. But we are given the opportunity to make a well. A Well! A well is not like getting a glass of water and being satisfied for a moment - a well is a place to come back to over and over. A place that you can go to the NEXT time you go through the Valley of Baca (yes, I know who wants to go there again - but that is usually part of life!) And get this one... that well can be a place that others can also go to. Wow! You dig the well to make it while you're in the valley and God can use that well (your experiences) to help others as they travel through the same valley. Amazing! So, today if you are in the hard, dry, bitter weeping place of the Valley of Baca- "make it a well." Be encouraged to dig for all you're worth, find the Spring and let Him give you the strength to make it through the valley. And remember the oil - there will be just enough to meet your needs! God is so good!

"It is those who attempt great things for God who obtain great things from Him." Thomas Champness