R U A P.O.W.?

This past week presented me with a choice that actual, wartime prisoners of war don't get.. I got to choose whether or not to remain imprisoned. You see, my prison was fear and anxiety over a matter on my job. I was not at all 'pleased' when I received a certain email, so I had to determine to refuse the agitation resulting from its content or, to yield to it.  All of us human beings have feelings that can imprison us briefly or, for the long-term. Blessedly, our Lord has made it possible for us to rise above them through his powerful Holy Spirit. All we need to do is gratefully receive His strength by admitting our need and our desire to do so. None of us is meant to live in bondage to our mind, emotions, and will because we were created in His image... Body, Soul, and Spirit. So, we can either be spiritually dead in our sin which is alienation from the Lord, or, we CAN choose the wonder-filled life of HIM within us as his Holy Spirit supports, and lifts us above negative, unwanted emotions. Jesus said, "My peace I leave with you.. not as the world gives, give I unto you." We mortals can't come up with true peace, hope, or joy.. But, I personally know the ONE who freely bestows  these upon anyone who refuses to be  a  P.O.W.! (To clarify.. The war is between our carnal, sinful nature, and Spirit-filled living as He offers us freedom from empty, futile, fear-filled living.. Ugh!) OH! I was released from that prison of fear and anxiety so when I acted on the email, all went well..Thank You, JESUS!

R.S.V.P....A.S.A.P!

Hello to you 'out there in cyber-space!' This message is sort of meant to be a 'fun' one..  I have a practice I do whenever we are at a beach.. I love to do 'beach-writing,' as a ministry! Some messages are short.. others are not!  One of the 'best' I have ever done was at our beloved DECEPTION PASS on the north end of Whidbey Island this past August.. I simply wrote,  'JESUS INVITES YOU TO BE LOVED BY HIM.. R.S.V.P.'  Hopefully, the one individual our Lord intended this message for saw it, and gave it some serious consideration... (Maybe there were more people HE was going to lead to read and respond to HIM!) Only our LORD knows, but for me,it  is very fulfilling to know how 'someone out there somewhere,' just might have accepted that invitation by now!  My message to us is.. Do we invite HIM daily..even moment-by-moment, to LOVE us with all He wants us to receive? He wants to carry us through the seemingly impossible circumstances in life, as well as sustain me with the peace, hope and joy He loves to pour out! His children simply need to TURN THEIR EYES UPON JESUS... LOOKING FULL IN HIS WONDERFUL FACE..so the things of Earth can grow strangely dim, in the LIGHT of His GLORY  and GRACE! May each of you who read this be blessed as you accept his invitation to be LOVED BY HIM.. our LORD JESUS CHRIST! 

"INVISIBLE?"-- SO WHAT!?

Most of you reading this have 'no problem' with the reality of the 'invisibility' of our LORD.. We all know there is SO MUCH EVIDENCE of his reality, that we don't even think of HIM as 'invisible!'  WELL-- Recently, I have become truly fascinated by this....  HYDROGEN IS INVISIBLE TO US, as is OXYGEN! So, how can 2  invisible 'gasses,' (that's what my layman's mind consider them to be?) combine to become one of the absolute necessities of human existence? No matter the temperature, H2O is visible as steam, liquid, or ice! How is this possible out of the invisible?  I don't know about you, but I am really having fun as I muse on this..  Most of us have heard the TRI-UNITY of our LORD described as H2O.. 3 'forms' of one molecule. Water, steam, and ice... all the same chemical composition, but definitely 3 visible, tangible manifestations of the combination of HYDROGEN and OXYGEN..(Of course, our LORD is Father God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the promised Holy Spirit.. all ONE!) Now, for me, I have 'taken it one step further,' by realizing how the 'invisibles,' are truly  very visible as they become one of the 'staffs of life..' I won't say any more except to encourage you to 'think on this,' with wonderment..

CARRIED and DELIGHTED!

This past Sunday, I was engaged in another meaningful conversation I'd also like to share with you. This one found the gal and I both realizing, and testifying to, how we KNOW we are CARRIED by our LORD, and how we are DELIGHTED as we receive his care. Whether it's a troubling time, or simply the 'daily doings of life,' He is always there to sustain and empower us! It is truly delightful to relax in his gracious, caring arms so we don't find ourselves bogged down with pending 'doom and gloom.'  Remember the poem FOOTPRINTS as it ends with "It was then I carried you!" (when there was only one set of footprints in the sand!)-It's actually OK to be carried at all times, as I stated above.. We are meant to function in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in our own which often fails us.

I'd also like to share how HE loves to pour out blessing upon blessing. (John 1:16 confirms it!) This truly DELIGHTS me! Recently, I was thrilled as my Lord just 'kept on giving to me' as I approached the end of a wonderful summer and headed back into my school setting where I work. An accessible, giant mass of ripe blackberries was discovered by me.. A gift certificate to an expensive restaurant was won by me, and a wonderful ride on the back of my son's motorcycle was had by me! These are just the three BIGGEST ones I recall at this moment... At any rate.. Take time to be aware of, and DELIGHTED by, the ways our LORD is loving you this day... Afterall, Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will grant you the desires of your heart." My soul/heart desires to bring glory to our Lord as I am carried and delighted by him!

                                           CARRIED

                                                                                                      “ by”

                                            Sheila Dean

         

         A heaviness comes upon me at times,

            causing feelings of being “down and out.”

         When this happens, I find myself wanting to shout,

                                       “Not now, not again--!”

         Blessedly, I have learned to “listen up” as You begin,

                 “Dear one, you may “feel” down, but,

                                       I’m here to lift you up!

                   Not only that, I will fill your cup!

                           I’d noticed it was nearly empty

                                So I’m pouring in me!

                   I’m giving my breath of LIFE to fill to the brim.

                          This way, when you’re ‘bumped,’ others will say,

                                          “She lives for Him!” 

                            It’s a joy to provide Spirit-driven power,

                       as you function throughout your challenging hour. 

               Since my arms are strong, let me carry you along.

                  I’ll hold you closely, as your soul erupts in song!

                  You’ll no longer yield to that heaviness

                           experienced in moments of weakness.

               Discouragement vanishes as I replace despair with

                                           my strength,

                     delightfully carrying you the full length!”                   

           

                                        DELIGHTED

                                                                                                       "by"

                                                                                           Sheila Dean

                                        

     Lord, I’ve often heard it said that those who love you are

                               surprised by your way-                               It’s no wonder it seems that way, as we rely upon You

                                                                    day by day!

    Recently though, it has come to me,

                     that you want us to be delighted as we can be!
            You speak to us saying,

               “Dear ones, there’s no end to my displaying

                of peace, hope, and joy directed towards you!

                Observe and receive all that I so willingly do—

                 I don’t desire to surprise you,        

                 For you know my sole sufficiency in all I am

                                                   and have for you!

                 However, I do delight in causing you to rejoice

                            as I enlighten your way of my choice-

                 It’s my pleasure to care for you in every

                                        detail of your daily living.

                 There’s no end to my resources issued forth

                                        as I exercise divine giving!

                              Abundant grace is meant to delight you!

                                   SO, go ahead and be tickled!—

                                      Even giggle a little-(or a lot!)

                 For, as you do, it’s a gift to me to see

                                   you’re rejoicing in whose you’re not!”  

               Lord, I thank you deeply for the privilege of

                                                  casting my cares upon You-

                For, You do delight  me as I realize all You do!    

                

                                            

LIGHT and, MERCY!!

Just in case anyone is anticipating a post about RABBIT TRAILS, I will write about them at a later time because I met a gal last evening who inspired this post. As I was 'pontificating' on how TRUE peace, hope, and joy can only come from living in a right relationship to the LORD, she simply suggested I add LIGHT to that list! Need I say more? She is very correct to have realized that JESUS is THE LIGHT of the world.. Thus, life apart from HIM is one lived in spiritual darkness... UGH!  A few moments later, she 'lit up,' as she said 'MERCY'.. What a blessing it was to hear the spontaneous sharing of a lady new to me, as she contributed her knowledge of just 2 of the blessed realities our Lord intends for us to know, and experience.. Dear readers, ask yourself today if there have been times you knew you were guilty of something that deserved a 'consequence.' HOW good did it feel if/when you did not receive 'what you deserved?' That is MERCY! I think of a scene early in KARATE KID II where the old man doesn't 'give it to' an offender but instead, exercises mercy.. Later in the movie, the boy does the same in a final competition of sorts, and the recipient of the mercy would 'rather not' receive it.. HOW PATHETIC! We should never be too proud to graciously accept the mercy we all need so often!  At any rate.. May all of you go forth in the LIGHT and MERCIFUL LOVE of our LORD JESUS CHRIST!! As I am enhancing and proofreading this before I hit "Publish," a marvelous song is being sung by STEVE GREEN .. It is simply called, ENTER IN.. I know other songs by the same title, but this particular one is SO powerful as I have written about LIGHT, and MERCY! The next song is the well-known one from the mid-80's.. PEOPLE NEED THE LORD. Need I say more? 

I CAN'T SEE STRAIGHT!

Hello to all 'out there' in cyber-space... I am back from a fabulous 10 nights/days of camping up at 'our' beloved Deception/Reception Pass. I leave again for 11 nights very soon.. So, ..What's on my mind today? Well, it is, CHRISTLESS LIVING =CRISIS LIVING. I just watched a youtube video some folks at our church made after being in UGANDA  this summer. When I finished watching, I truly COULDN'T SEE STRAIGHT due to the river of tears flowing. (I don't often bawl!)  Before I viewed this, I'd also become aware of  a tragedy which 'struck home' with a dear lady in my life.. A lady she's known for decades was burned out of  her house and her home of nearly 50 years, by her  own son when he locked himself in the house and set it on fire. Talk about Christless = Crisis.. My heart aches deeply because it seems like 'someone, somewhere' could/should? have seen this fellow's desparation before he acted. Of course, we all know how JESUS IS THE ANSWER FOR THE WORLD TODAY.. Above Him there is NO other.. JESUS IS THE WAY... I sit here wondering if I miss cues from those around me at times.. Am I alert to the pain of another? If so, am I willing to stop and make myself (our LORD JESUS CHRIST through me) available and shown to this needy one?   Let's go back to the UGANDA video... WHOA! (Of course, we are willing and able to send monthly donations to more than one relief work 'over there in Africa..' but, should we be doing more?)  I was amazed at how deeply impacted I was as I viewed the video.. Here is the link if you have 15 extra  minutes and Kleenex nearby! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7giPO5B9HR8 Blessings to all for now... Sheila   PS- Be 'watching for' a post which I intend to entitle, 'RABBIT TRAILS," or something to thAT effect..

SEEKING EMPLOYMENT..?

Today's thoughts come from over 25 years ago when I realized how the first chapter of Colossians sounds like a recitation of Christ's resume.. Think of it this way... If you were 'in the market' for the LORD of your life, do you think you just might consider JESUS? COLOSSIANS 1:15-20 and 2:9 provide a great list of reasons to do so! 'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created; things in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on Earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.'…'For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity (Godhead) lives in bodily form.'  As an author, I  want to highlight, or otherwise draw attention to certain key words or phrases in these passages ,but I choose to let you readers take a second or third look at each phrase as you consider its levity on our souls! Praise the LORD for all He allows us to 'know,' in spite of the limitations of our human minds.. He speaks 'volumes' to us by the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit as we open the 'eyes of our heart,' to HIM!   OH! Before I forget it.. EPHESIANS 1:18-23 adds to the Colossians, resume-like passage.. We read how, as the eyes of our heart are being enlightened, we are to know 'that incomparable great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him form the dead and seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.' I will close by simply asking all of us, "Do we welcome Him as He desires to so capably 'fill us in every way?' I love to sing, "When I fall down, You pick me up.. When I am dry, You fill my cup.. You ARE my ALL-IN-ALL!"