A peace that cannot be understood.
It is beyond comprehending.
It guards my mind.
It guards my heart.
In Christ Jesus.
How? By bringing all my issues to Him in prayer. Trusting Him, and not leaning on my own understanding.
I am open to His Spirit
Category Archives: Blog
JOY, PEACE, HOPE!
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is the verse I am working this week to memorize with the kids in AWANA. What a difference a timely verse from the scriptures can make to my heart and thought life. When the Bible says that our minds can be renewed, and at peace, it is a fact.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
Called to Follow
I
Prepare Me a Table
Is God’s Word active and alive as it says in Hebrews 4:12? Yes it is.
When you are going through a major ordeal, and six friends who do not even know each other, all send you the same verse, it is time to pay attention.
I never really had paid attention to Psalm 23, thinking it just for funerals, I shrugged it off. Especially the part about the Lord preparing a table in the presence of my enemies. I didn’t have any enemies like the author of the song, King David. No one was trying to hit me with a Javelin, so I thought that section was only for people who had real wars going on.
Then the Cancer/Rejection season manifested itself here in 2019, and while I dealt with treatments and emotions, I watched in horror as a whole bunch of enemies realized it would be the perfect time to attack. Okay, so they didn’t have javelins, or as one observant said,
Two Faced or Truth Faced
If there is one thing I know about myself, it is that I am an open book. I don’t put on airs, or do any acting, or hide behind a facade of “put together.” I am not two faced. I am just real, with my heart out there transparent and open. I am not bragging. I am not proud of this, it is just how I am wired.
I don’t have a problem with the idea of putting up walls to keep from being hurt, or even being selective on who gets to see the real me. I would like to do more of those things, and I need to.
What I do have a problem with, is the lack of integrity, authenticity, and the fruit of the Spirit, in Christian organizations.
Our culture despises the concept of absolute truth, or that a person can actually know THE truth. We have the Oprah’s of the world telling us we can all have our own truth, the Osteen’s of the “church” telling us we can twist God’s truths to fit our fancy.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a
Hot Glue, Burnt Scrolls, Gold Paint
In my quiet time today, I read in Jeremiah 36 that he called Baruch to write on a scroll the words that the Lord had spoken to him. I imagine Baruch listening closely to Jeremiah as he recited the things God had said, knowing that these prophecies from the Lord were precious, holy and so very important. Baruch must have thought it such a task, such a privilege and honor, to be asked to be the scribe, and I know he was probably striving to do his very best and most precise work.
Are there moments in my life, where I can say I feel commissioned by the Lord to do a certain thing? As an artist, I am often commissioned to paint a dog that passed away, or a loved ones portrait. There is a pressure to please that client, and it sits heavily on me the entire time I am working. I do not feel a freedom to be creative, and I don
A Fair Weathered Friend
Do not give me fair weather friends
When the going gets rough their fellowship ends
Let me know a Good Samaritan, who finds me on the road
When I am battle worn and weary, from carrying life
Cancer in me. Cancer all around me.
Cancer in Me, Cancer All Around Me.
I realize as I grow older, that we are not safe on this planet. I can relate now to the old folks who love to reminisce about the good old days, when life was so much simpler. I’ve been enjoying simple things like swinging on my porch swing, and just petting my dog. I keep remembering as a kid how I loved to lay in the grass with my old dog Troubles, and feeling the breeze and watching the clouds float by. I would tell her all my ideas, and she would would look at me in a sort of
The Big Move
Goodbye Danbury, New Hampshire.
We lived in Danbury for 11 years, from 2007-2018. Craig had been called to Danbury Christian Church, a dear church family that held fast to the Lord, to His Word, and to preserving their church, in a state where less than 2% go to church.
During our time there, we made many beautiful friends in various places all over New England. From the folks at Camp Maranatha, to Rumney Bible Conference, to Hope Community Chapel, there were so many ministries we plugged into and served beside. I believe in about 2016, we changed the church name to Ragged Mountain Bible Church, and moved our services around for a little while. We met at the Grange, and at the parsonage, and finally at the Danbury Community Center.
My favorite was when the Church met in our parsonage home.
In August of this year, Craig accepted the call to Pastor the flock at Boyd’s Corners Bible Church, in Jasper, NY. We tearfully packed up the Uhaul, cleaned out the parsonage that we loved, said our goodbyes to our New Hampshire brothers and sisters in the Lord, and headed down to NY. We didn’t know where we would live (no parsonage available) or what kind of church this would be. But we knew it was bigger, and super friendly, and they seemed to really like Craig’s preaching.
At the installation service, one representative from each family, was asked to come up and pray over us.
We noticed that we could see the sky in Jasper, NY, and that in the middle of rolling farm land, there are beautiful churches.
We also felt the hope that newness can bring. The hope of many new ministry adventures for the Lord.
The Lord is also teaching me that sometimes, in the middle of nowhere, for no reason I can put a finger on, God not only moves on my behalf, and moves me, but He over abundantly blesses me with so much, all at once, that I am actually flaked out. Yes. Me… just shaking my head with my mouth hanging open in awe, as I am stuck on “Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord.”
Which makes me think of the lyrics to a Sara Groves song:
“and I cannot make it
and I cannot fake it
and I can’t afford it
but it’s mine
and I cannot make it
and I cannot fake it
I can’t afford it
but it’s mine
but it’s mine
but it’s mine
oh, thank you Lord
thank you Lord, thank you Lord
leave it like a skin upon the ground
something changed inside me
broke wide open, all spilled out
till I had no doubt
that something changed”
And these verses become an experience I am having…
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
Being Acquainted With Joy
Noel flew away to Japan last week, and I imagine her heart filled with joy. Off she goes to serve the Lord as a missionary, and my heart always knew it was what she was made for. I have watched in amazement as the Lord orchestrated things to send her, equipping her, giving her that burden to go, and even providing for her in a matter of months, through the giving of His people. What a joy to this praying mother
