Sharon Sharing God

TA DA! PHOTO OF ME AND "THE HUB"

2012-01-30T03:03:00.000-08:00

YES!

There we are - in living color!

(Our faces are big because I took this photo - holding the camera out at arm's length!)

I know you've all been wondering what my *cowboy* looks like - well, here he is! I know I'm kinda partial, but isn't he a *keeper*?!

So, in his honor, I am re-posting something I wrote in August, 2010. I hope that you'll enjoy it!

IN HIS FOOTSTEPS

Sometimes following is not an easy thing to do. Some of us are not natural followers. We want to lead, to choose our own way, and trust our own judgment. And more often than not, that is when we really lose our way.

My husband and I love to go camping. Quite often we go hiking. Some of these hikes are more like leisurely strolls that don't wander far from familiar pathways. But sometimes we just strike out and go where our feet take us. We don't go with a map, we don't take a compass or a GPS device…we just walk.

And yet, I can honestly say that I have never been afraid of getting lost.

You know why?

I trust my husband.

Sometimes when we've been hiking for a long time I get really hot and tired, and sometimes I don't think I can take another step. What do I do? I keep my husband in my sights ahead of me, and I just plod on after him.

On one particular hike in Joshua Tree National Park in California, the full realization of what I was doing hit me. We were making our way back to camp after a full day of hiking and exploring. It was starting to get a little dark, I was thirsty, and I was completely tuckered out.

We were going in the general direction of where we had left the car – at least we thought so!!

But the going was tough.

Joshua Tree is beautiful in its own desert way – but for hiking, it's just dirt, scrubby bushes, and endless boulders to scramble over. Each footstep became harder and harder. I was so tired I could barely look up. But as long as I could see the faint traces of my husband's footprints in the dirt, I just placed my feet in line with his…and followed.

God taught me a great lesson that day.

We are to TRUST Him…and follow.

Look for His footprints, place one foot in front of the other in line with His, and go where He leads. Jesus issued this challenging invitation throughout the New Testament…and it's the same thing He calls us to today – "Come, follow Me."

I'd like to encourage all of you to start each day by praying to the Lord, telling Him that you are ready to listen to His voice and to follow where He leads. Be ready. He may lead you through sadness or suffering. He may lead you through pain. He may bring you into a wilderness, or have you climb some boulders.

But always remember this -

He goes with you EACH and EVERY step of the way!

So onward

I plod

planting my feet

in the

firm footholds

He has already made,

trusting Him

completely,

and knowing

I am totally safe –

as long as I follow…

I am

accompanied by

His sense of peace

along the way,

for I know

that

Someone who loves me

is leading me,

and He will

bring me safely

home

if I just trust Him

and follow…

…in His footsteps.

May 23, 2006

Happy Trails, my friends!

Go with God!

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they FOLLOW ME."

(John 10:27 – NLT)

Where is God calling you to let Him lead? Are you willing to follow?

Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY

Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

Laura at BRAG ON GOD FRIDAY

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

BIBLE PICK 'EMS - Hallelujah!

2012-01-29T02:05:00.000-08:00

It's always interesting to me where I land in my "Bible Pick 'Ems."

This week is a great pick!

We have landed in Psalm 111:

"Praise the LORD!

I will thank the LORD with all my heart

as I meet with his godly people.

How amazing are the deeds of the LORD!

All who delight in him should ponder them.

Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.

His righteousness never fails.

He causes us to remember his wonderful works.

How gracious and merciful is our LORD!

…All he does is just and good,

and all his commands are trustworthy.

They are forever true,

to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.

He has paid a full ransom for his people.

He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.

What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom.

All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

Praise him forever!" (Psalm 111:1-4, 7-10)

A little background. Psalms 111-118 are called *hallelujah psalms.* The word hallelujah literally means "praise the LORD" – and it is an expression of great joy. Don't you think that perfectly reflects the uplifting and optimistic tone of these heartfelt songs?!

Psalm 111 is like an ode to our wonderful God, the Almighty LORD, the One that we all worship. It is an affirmation that all that God does is good. It contends that reverence for God is the beginning of wisdom.

It is a beautiful outpouring of love.

And the Bible does not record who wrote it.

There are a total of 50 anonymous psalms, and there is widespread speculation on who the authors might be – including Ezra and Hezekiah. But for some reason, God has chosen to keep these authors anonymous.

And so, I enjoyed reading this psalm as if I wrote it.

These eight verses contain meaty truth!

Here's what came to my mind:

Verse 1 – We should practice being grateful, really and truly grateful, with our whole hearts. And a great place to be thankful is in the community of believers – ("as I meet with his godly people")

Verse 2 – We must cultivate and nurture our sense of awe at what God does. He is amazing. We should delight in Him, and ponder – (one of my favorite pastimes) – really think on, meditate on, contemplate His mighty deeds. (Definition of ponder: To reflect or consider with thoroughness and care)

Verse 3 – Everything He does reveals His glory and majesty. That includes the *bad stuff* of life – the difficulties, the struggles, the suffering – ALL things are good. HIS righteousness is perfect. (In Greek the word for "righteousness" is dikaiosune, which literally means equity of character. Equity of character is to possess all good qualities in perfection and perfect balance)

Verse 4 – It is the work of the Holy Spirit within us that continues to make us aware of God. HE causes us to remember. What a reflection of God's grace and mercy! He does not ask us to do what His Spirit will not enable us to do.

Verse 7 – God is both just and good. (I thought this definition of God's justice was really good – that perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature)

And because God is perfectly good, and perfectly just, then all of His commandments are trustworthy – eminently worthy of trust. We can depend on them.

Verse 8 – God's words are eternal. His Truth stands forever. Our part in it? To obey faithfully (adhering firmly and devotedly) and with integrity (adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty). Faithful integrity reflects the God we serve. It is a necessary character trait that all of God's children (as representatives and ambassadors) should have.

Verse 9 – The ransom here pictures the rescue by God of the Israelites. Ransom means "to free from captivity by paying a price." Of course, we know that the ultimate ransom was paid by Jesus on the cross, forever freeing us from sin. His ransom was indeed FULL – once and for all.

God's covenant – the new covenant sealed by the blood of Christ – is guaranteed. The Holy Spirit is the seal on our souls. And this contract cannot be changed, for it is based on the immutable promises of God.

Yes, what a holy and awe-inspiring name He has!!

Verse 10 – The only way to become truly wise is to fear God. I loved this definition:

the fear of the Lord: an inward attitude of humble reverence toward God, in light of His self-revelation, that results in outward expression of Christlikeness

"According to this definition, the fear of the Lord involves two parts. The first is the inward attitude. This attitude is humble because as the Lord reveals His character, His majesty, His power and holiness, we are humbled before Him. We realize that God alone is worthy of our devotion and reverence. The second part is the outward obedience, which flows from this inward humility. God reveals Himself to us so we will obey Him. The two parts are linked." (Find the link to the whole article here):

The more we know Him, the more we love Him. The more we love Him, the more we obey Him. The more we obey Him, the more we become like Him. And that is the beginning of true wisdom – the secret to life.

No wonder the author of Psalm 111 ended with his resounding coda!

So do I!

PRAISE HIM FOREVER!

A big amen to that.

Won't you join me today in celebrating this psalm, and thanking God for all He is and all He's done?!

Linked today with Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS and Peggy at SOAKING ON SONDAY!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

QUAINT WORDS

2012-01-28T04:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "Quaint Words!"

This post will contain thoughts from an old book that I found in my travels. I love browsing at antique stores, flea markets, and garage sales - (not to mention bookstores!)

I love the rhythm and sound of the older English language, and am blessed by other believers who have gone before me!

"It is good to understand that Christ's service never did secure a man from all the ills that flesh is heir to, and never will. If you are a believer, you must reckon on having your share of sickness and pain, of sorrow and tears, of losses and crosses, of deaths and bereavements, of partings and separations, of vexations and disappointments, so long as you are in the body.

Christ never undertakes that you shall get to heaven without these.

He has undertaken that all who come to Him shall have all things pertaining to life and godliness; but He has never undertaken that He will make them prosperous, or rich, or healthy, and that death and sorrow shall never come to their family...

If you desire to serve Christ...I entreat you to take the Lord on His own terms. Make up your mind to meet with your share of crosses and sorrows, and then you will not be surprised.

...leave to the Lord Jesus to sanctify you in His own way. Rest satisfied that He never makes any mistakes. Be sure that He does all things well.

The winds may howl around you, and waters swell. But fear not, 'He is leading you by the right way, that He may bring you to a city of habitation' (Ps. 107:7)."

(From "Holiness" by J. C. Ryle, c. 1816-1900)

(A listing of books and authors, and also dates of individual postings from those books, will be found on my "QUAINT WORDS" page)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY

2012-01-27T03:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!

Today's word: awe

What does the word awe mean to you?

What is one thing in life (besides God) that inspires awe in you?

What does it mean to hold God in awe?

Let me know what you think!!

"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

DUMBO – THE END?

2012-01-25T03:03:00.000-08:00

Ever believe something your whole life, only to find out you're wrong?

Let me tell you a story about that!

Years and years ago, when I was a very little girl – (OK, you strict blogging buddies – years and years and eons ago…). Where was I? Oh yeah, a long time ago when I was a little girl I watched the Disney movie, "Dumbo."

I loved that movie.

Dumbo was so cute, and so sweet. And I completely identified with his innocent and timid ways. And yes, Timothy almost cured me of my fear of mice – not quite – but he certainly was less *eekish* than real mice!

I loved that movie – but I also didn't like it at all.

Because the scenes between Dumbo and his mother were heartbreaking. When she got captured, I felt sick. And when Dumbo came to see his mom in that cage – and that little scene with them entwining their trunks, and then pulling apart – well, I sobbed for days.

I remember talking to my own mother.

And she tried her best to console me.

Many years later, my oldest son – (who was probably a toddler at the time) – and I went to my mom's house to visit. My sister was there. And we decided to watch a movie. I thought I'd let my *big* boy choose which movie. Of course, he chose Dumbo.

I wasn't sure what to do. I looked at my sister over his head and mouthed, "What do you think?"

Because both she and I knew something about the movie Dumbo – Dumbo's mother dies.

We decided we would let my son watch the movie, and then make up some happy ending for it so he wouldn't be traumatized. We sat right next to him. Crying, waiting for the moment when we’d have to "fake" the happy ending.

Except, it never came.

There actually WAS a happy ending.

After an amazing performance, Dumbo became a media sensation. Timothy became his manager. And lo and behold, in the last scene, there is Dumbo's mom, big as life (literally) – dancing along in a joyous parade. (Turns out, she and Dumbo are given a private car on the circus train).

Hmmm…

My sister and I both turned to my mom, who was in the kitchen.

In unison, "Mom, you told us Dumbo's mother died."

She, rather sheepishly, replied, "Doesn't she?"

We adamantly blurted, "NO!!"

Mom, now rather pink in the cheeks, said, "Oh. Sorry. I guess I never watched the end of the movie."

We all laughed. Now, I never resented my mom for letting me (accidentally) believe all these many years that Mrs. Jumbo died. But tell you what, it always made me avoid that movie, or even thinking about it. It was too sad.

(Now I just have to avoid "Bambi" – that one really IS sad…)

Got to thinking about this the other day.

How sometimes, because we are just so sure of how a story ends, we can make a judgment that's all wrong.

I think about how I always viewed the Garden of Eden story – until just recently. I always thought God was so mean making Adam and Eve leave the garden. It always seemed to me like such a harsh punishment. And then, to place scary, fiery angels at the entrance to chase them off.

Cruel was the word I chose…

But then, years later, I heard it explained – from God's perspective.

It wasn't cruelty – it was love – tough love.

God was preventing Adam and Eve from living eternally in their state of sin. He was pushing them out of the garden, so that someday He could rescue them forever. He knew staying in the garden meant separation – ultimate separation – but leaving meant the chance for reconciliation.

He made them leave so they could die – and only in their dying – and the future dying of His Son – would they ever have a chance at Life!

God, wise and merciful.

The story of the Garden of Eden didn't end like I always thought it did. Not in punishment, but in provision. Not in anger, but in love.

How many other stories is God writing that I just don’t foresee the correct ending?

Or the ending at all, for that matter?

Are there situations that I have already deemed "hopeless"? Are there people I have given up on, written off because I "know" how their story ends?

Are there dreams I've put aside because I know they'll never happen?

Are there things I'll never try to do because I'm sure I'll fail?

Do I sometimes view struggles and suffering as God's punishment, when it just might be (and most probably is) His tough love for me?

What if I waited – just waited – on the Lord…

And just watched for how HE ends the stories.

Even my story.

Because I tell you what – when all is said and done, at the end of my movie, after all, Mrs. Sharon doesn't die!

Is there a story that you've already *pre-determined* how it's going to end? Might you just be wrong?!

Linked today with Joan at the GRACE CAFE

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

LOST IN TRANSLATION

2012-01-23T03:03:00.000-08:00

Sometimes things are just misunderstood.

Sometimes things get a little mixed up between the *telling* and the *hearing.*

I have a cute story.

Many years ago when my youngest was in 1st grade, he and I were walking home one day after school. I was asking him about his day, when all of a sudden he said:

"Oh yeah. Susie was back in school today. She was *on the women* for five days!"

(Note: I changed the name, just in case…)

Thinking I must have heard him wrong, I asked:

"What was wrong with her, honey?"

"She was *on the women.* For like 5 whole days."

I was instantly puzzled. Now I'd done some reading, and had heard that the onset of puberty was getting earlier and earlier because of the hormones in our food. Girls were…ahem…"becoming women" as early as 9 or 10 years old.

But, first grade?? Six??

I immediately flashed on a picture of this poor, dear little girl – all bundled up in bed with a heating pad (and other paraphernalia) – while her poor mother tried to explain the facts of life.

I remember how traumatized I was at the age of 13!

I had to get more information from my son to sort this all out.

"Sweetie, did Susie say she was *on the women*?"

"No."

"So why did you think she was *on the women*?"

"Because when you're getting better, they say you’re *on the men.* So I figured that when she was sick, she was *on the women.*"

Oh, how I chuckled. I had to keep it inside because I didn't want my son to think that I was laughing at him. But it was just so cute.

Six year old boy's logical math:

Getting well = *on the men*

Therefore: Being sick = *on the women*

I didn't have the heart to correct him. Frankly, at least in part because I thought he was a "tad" too young for all the details. Years later, when I re-told him this story, we both had a good chuckle. ("Ohhh...on the mend...")

But this story has a good lesson.

I think about my relationship with the Lord.

How often do I just misunderstand something?

How often is something lost in between the *telling* and the *hearing*?

Quite frankly, I often misunderstand what God is saying because I'm not really listening. Sometimes I just want to hear Him confirm my own thinking, or my own plans. Sometimes I interpret His words to "fit" into what I want them to say.

Sometimes it isn't even a case of misunderstanding.

Sometimes I just plain don't want to hear what He wants to say.

Selective spiritual deafness.

Why am I like this?

Because much of what the Lord has to say is tough. It's gnarly and convoluted. I have to wrestle with it.

Yup, I've had many a *Jacob* moment with God.

Because God's words often rub up against my life – they rub ME the uncomfortable way.

God is a shaper, a molder, a potter.

And quite often, this old clay is a stubborn lump.

I don't want to hear.

Because the hearing of God's words – real, listening hearing – well, that requires action.

Trust and obedience type action.

The tough stuff of faith.

But, frankly, I'm tired of being my old "sick" sinful self. I want to be more and more conformed to Christ. I need the Lord's words, and I need to hear them – more than I want them to make me comfortable.

I want Him – and that means I have to listen. Listen to what He's REALLY saying.

Even when it's tough love.

Yup, I think I'm finally *on the men*!

Is it hard for you to truly listen to God's words? Why?

"My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them...seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:1-5)

Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY

Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

Laura at BRAG ON GOD FRIDAYS

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

BIBLE PICK 'EMS – Whale of a Story

2012-01-22T02:05:00.000-08:00

OK, so I have to start with a small admission – (confession?)

I’ve *cheated* a little on my "Bible Pick 'Ems" this week. I've *hedged my bets* so to speak.

But I've got a good reason.

There are so many great verses in the Bible, so many wonderful people. And God has much to say through the stories of their lives. But, especially when it comes to those pesky minor prophets, it would be *divine luck* indeed if I "happened to land" in their chapters.

And I just don't want to miss out!

So, I sorta fudged – I picked a book, and then I "randomly" opened my Bible.

So, with my *fessin' up* over with, let's get on with the lesson.

We're in Jonah – and I like Jonah.

Jonah is like me.

Stubborn, willful, ornery – (yes, I have that capability within me). Fearful, mistrustful, doubting – (definitely have that within me!) And yet, in the end – lesson learned – trusting and obedient – (with God's help, that is also me).

We're all quite familiar with the story of Jonah, aren't we?

The small, four-chapters-long book of Jonah is packed with great stuff.

But, today I'm pondering these verses:

"I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains…But you, O LORD my God, snatched me from the jaws of death! As my life was slipping away, I remembered the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you…" (Jonah 2:3-7)

Have you ever thought you were going to drown?

When I was younger – (oh, so much younger) – I used to go bodysurfing. I can remember *wiping out* all the time. It was really scary being tossed and turned, chewed and churned, by the mighty waves. The ocean can be a washing machine, for sure.

I remember being frightened, but I don't think I ever thought I was going to drown.

But, there was this other time.

I was on vacation with my parents, my sister, and my brother. We rented a cabin on Bass Lake in Northern California. And we went water-skiing…all the time.

My dad liked to get us up really early in the morning to go out – before all the other people got up – before the water got all choppy.

It was glorious water-skiing on that glassy expanse of clear water.

I remember this one morning, this one very cold morning, and I had just finished my "run." I was freezing. I had myself all bundled up in my jacket and like, two or more towels. I was wrapped like a mummy.

My brother was skiing, and my sister was keeping watch. Dad was steering the boat. Well, my brother got all "fancy" and fell trying to execute some crazy maneuver. My sister cried out to my dad to turn around, and as he leaned on the steering wheel to make a very sharp U-turn, the plastic steering wheel broke.

The boat went crazy.

And I, wrapped up like King Tut, slid erratically to one side of the boat, and then rapidly to the other. My sister tried to grab me, but I slipped out of her hand.

And so, I plunged over the side of the boat.

I was terrified!

The waters were seething around me – I was pretty sure that the outboard motor was going to shred me to bits – and if that didn't kill me, then my swaddling layers would.

Somehow, (and I think it was God), those towels loosened, and I was finally able to claw my way back to the surface – very nearly at the end of my breath.

I gasped, I choked – I floated there numb.

Finally, the boat made its way back to me, I was dragged on board, and that's when I freaked out. I hyperventilated, I sobbed uncontrollably. I had a total panic attack. The shivering was no longer just because of the cold.

But, I lived.

I can only imagine the horror that Jonah felt as he was sinking, entangled in seaweed, running out of breath. I'm thinking that that "random" hungry fish was a very good sight to behold! (I love how the Bible puts it: "Now the LORD had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah" – 1:17)

Here's where my lesson is for today.

Jonah said, "AS MY LIFE WAS SLIPPING AWAY, I remembered the LORD."

This sounds like me.

Why do I so often wait until the last minute to call on God?

Why do I have to be on the edge of panic before I turn to Him?

Why must I be drowning in confusion, or fear, or doubt, or any other emotion, before I finally "remember" the Lord?

Why do I wait?

I don't always, but so very often (too often) I do.

The Lord was there for Jonah, and He's always been there for me, too. I have to think, though, that many times when I finally cry out to Him – His first thought is probably this:

"What took you so long?"

I'm learning to make God my FIRST *go-to* – the One place that I immediately turn to in my times of trial and struggle. I'm practicing making my *earnest prayer* go out to God before I start to drown. I'm asking Him to save me before I start to sink.

He will.

"For my salvation comes from the LORD alone." (Jonah 2:10)

God's mercy is even deeper than those waters that threaten to overtake me. He is stronger than those fearsome waves.

He longs to rescue me, even before I need it.

So, I'm going to practice trusting and obeying in the beginning, turning to Him before I'm overwhelmed – leaning on His faithfulness, relying on His ability to keep me from drowning in this life of woe – sending my prayers out FIRST THING…

…so He doesn't have to *fish me out* after the fact!

Do you turn to God in the beginning of your troubles, or does He sometimes have to "send a fish"?

Linked today with Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS and Peggy at SOAKING ON SONDAY!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

SATURDAY STROLL

2012-01-21T04:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "SATURDAY STROLL!"

In these posts I will be interacting with Scripture – making it a conversational walk of faith.

Sometimes we'll be talking with Jesus, sometimes God will be talking with us.

There might even be *guest appearances* by some of our beloved characters from the Bible!

So put on your walking shoes – you know we can all use the exercise!

A DIALOGUE FOR TIMES OF TESTING

I'm afraid my complaint is rebellion. But it is still a bitter one. Not that I'm bitter, Lord. I'm not resentful (maybe a little) – but life is a bitter pill to swallow – difficult to accept, often unpleasant.

I try hard not to groan aloud. But Your hand is heavy despite my groaning.

Why, Lord?

I just don't get it. It is so hard to understand You when life is difficult – when I have turmoil – when loved ones are suffering – and circumstances are impossible.

Oh, if only I knew where to find You, where You might be. If I knew that, I might come to Your seat! Yes, I would go to Your court.

I would present my case before You, laying it all out. And I would fill my mouth with my arguments.

Then I would listen to Your reply. I would learn the words that You would answer, and perceive and understand what You say to me.

Would You contend with me?

Would You use Your great power to argue with me?

No, surely You would pay attention to me. Surely You would give me a fair hearing…

…wouldn’t You?

So, I search for You.

I go forward, but You are not there. I go east, You are not there. I move backward, but I cannot perceive You. I go west, but I cannot find You.

When You act on the left, I cannot behold You. I do not see You in the north, for You are hidden. When You turn on the right, I cannot see You. I look to the south, but You are concealed.

Where are You, Lord?

Why are You silent when I need You?

Why are You hidden when I need You?

Why do I feel so alone…when I NEED You?

But I am consoled and comforted and strengthened by this one Truth.

You know the way I take. You know where I am going. And when You have tried me, tested me, I will come forth as gold – pure and unblemished.

For I have stayed on Your paths. I have held fast and followed You. I have not turned aside.

I have not departed from the commands of Your lips. I have treasured the words of Your mouth more than my necessary food.

But You are unique.

And You're a little (a lot) scary, Lord.

Once You've made a decision, who can change Your mind? What Your soul desires, whatever You want to do, that is what You do.

I know that you will do to me whatever You have planned. You will perform that which is appointed for me.

You control my destiny.

I guess my heart struggles with Your sovereignty, Lord.

And sometimes I am just so scared, and hurt, and despairing.

Darkness is all around me – thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere. Deep gloom covers me.

But I am not silenced by the darkness.

NOR AM I.

LORD!

I will bring You through the fire and make you pure. I will refine you like silver and purify you like gold. When you call on Me, I will answer. I will say –

"This is My child."

Will you trust Me?

Oh Lord, I had only heard about You before, but now I have seen You with my very own eyes.

You are the LORD, my God.

I AM.

(From Job 23, Zechariah 13, Psalm 139, and Job 42 - NASB and NLT translations)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Lonely

2012-01-20T03:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!

Today's word: lonely

What does it feel like to be lonely?

Can you feel lonely when you're not alone?

How does God fill up the lonely places in one's heart?

Let me know what you think!!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

PUTTING ON MY JESUS SANDALS

2012-01-18T03:05:00.000-08:00

I love shoes.

Does that sound typically female? (Oh, I hope not…)

But I do have more than one pair.

No worries – I'm not even close to beating Imelda Marcos' record (anyone remember her? She had like 2700 pairs of shoes in her many closets. Can you spell OCD??)

I've got shoes for walking, and shoes for lounging. Shoes for the rain, shoes for hot days, shoes for in-between. I've got cute shoes and practical shoes. Dressy shoes, and then even dressier shoes – those would be the high heels. (Question – do shoe manufacturers realize that our feet are not shaped like Barbie's?? Just sayin'…)

Shoes have purpose.

Even if that purpose is just for making my feet look cute. (You're probably wondering – I wear a size 6. Used to be a size 5 until two babies flattened those puppies out…)

My shoes take me all over the place. I accomplish many things in my shoes. I get the *have-to* stuff done in life, the *really-ought-to* duties, the *yeah-OK-I-probably-should* things – but I also spend quite a bit of time in my *just-kicking-back* fun mode, too.

But, the other day I got to thinking.

Is there something more I'm supposed to be doing in my shoes?

And then, I was hit with a profound thought.

Someone else is literally walking in my shoes every day.

Jesus.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:20, NIV)

I immediately had this picture in my mind. A pair of feet, shod in rather shabby, well-worn sandals. Dusty, dirty – maybe calloused and blistered. Sandals that literally walked all over the place.

I read somewhere recently that someone actually calculated the miles between the many towns and places that Jesus visited. It was rather startling. No cars, no mass transportation, not even a bicycle.

Jesus walked.

To reach people with His message – His very Good News.

Am I not to do the same?

After all, one of those wardrobe items from Scripture is the Ephesians *shoes of peace*:

"For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared." (Ephesians 6:15, NLT)

The Shoes of Peace represent our readiness to share the gospel message. We must never leave home without them.

I ponder.

Every day, and in every way, I am carrying Jesus to people.

His hands, His feet, His words – His love, His kindness, His joy, His peace.

People won't literally see His face, no – but are they seeing His face in MINE?

I'd like to think so. And I know they will be better able to see Him if I make a conscious effort to move out of HIS way and let Him do the walking and talking. I'm not going to win any souls to Christ on my own – that is the work of the Holy Spirit.

But I do believe that I make the Gospel more or less attractive by my behavior.

So I ask myself these questions:

Do I resemble the Lord?

Do I act, think, speak like Him?

Do I reach out to the ones that He would reach out to?

Am I willing to walk in His shoes for the sake of others?

Am I willing to walk in their shoes for the sake of Jesus?

The answers will have a profound impact on my priorities. They have the potential to turn my life upside down. I want them to…

So I'm putting on my Jesus sandals.

Lord, where do YOU want to go today?

How can you let Jesus walk in your shoes?

Linked today with Joan at the GRACE CAFE!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

JESUS – MY PREFACE

2012-01-16T03:03:00.001-08:00

I am an avid reader.

I read everything.

I've been this way as long as I can remember. In fact, in second grade my teacher thought I had a problem with reading, because I couldn't read out loud. She spoke to my parents, who promptly told my teacher the books I was reading at home – (evidently "War and Peace" isn't "usual" 2nd grade reading material – NO, I am totally kidding). Turns out it was wasn't so much a "reading" problem as much as it was a *shyness* problem…

I'm also in a neighborhood Book Club that meets once a month. We commit to reading a book each month that the group has voted on. (In case you're interested, we're reading "Fingersmith" by Sarah Waters this month).

There is an unwritten rule that the book must be read. No, if you don't read the book you won't be kicked out of the group automatically. But, you will have to face the disdainfully disappointed faces that stare at you in contempt. (It's not unlike going to the dentist and the hygienist asks if you've been flossing every day – you hang your head and mumble guiltily, "No.")

So, I read.

One month I finished an entire book (well over 500 pages) in one 10-hour marathon. Yes, I fear the faces…

But it's also a lot more fun to participate in the lively discussion that ensues.

I'm also a book purist.

I do not read the last page.

I do not skip pages.

I read any foreword or preface.

I looked up those two words, by the way. Learned something new:

Preface – A preliminary statement or essay introducing a book that explains its scope, intention, or background and is usually written by the author.

Foreword – A preface or an introductory note, as for a book, especially by a person other than the author.

So, a foreword is usually written by someone else – a preface is usually written by the author.

A preface can give you some valuable information. It gives you a *feel* for the author, and for the direction they are going to be sending you. It gives you a *window* into their mindset when they wrote the book – and it often provides a hint of their writing style. They are quite often very entertaining in themselves.

I like reading them.

But today, I'm thinking about the actual word – preface. Being Mrs. English Major, I'm looking at that word, and breaking it down into its parts.

PRE – FACE.

"Pre" is actually a prefix – (yes, some irony in that – pre is a PREfix…). It means:

Earlier than : prior to : before : preparatory or prerequisite to : in advance : beforehand : in front of

"Face" as in "to face something" is defined this way:

To confront with complete awareness : To overcome by confronting boldly or bravely.

Lots of introductory information here, dear readers. Consider it my preface to the blog post!

Here's what I'm thinking.

Jesus is my preface.

And here's all the reasons why.

He literally is the pre-beginning to all that there is. He is the Eternal One – the one who precedes, predates everything.

In the Bible, He is also named the *firstfruits* of all believers.

"But the fact is that Christ (the Messiah) has been raised from the dead, and He became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death]."

(1 Corinthians 15:20, AMP)

Jesus is the first one to be raised from the dead into the new incorruptible body that we are all destined to inherit.

But, He is also something more.

Jesus is the One who PRE-FACES everything that happens in my life.

He is the One who has known every single day of my life since before I was born. There isn't a day on my calendar that surprises Him – (rumor has it that He owns a heavenly Dayplanner – all filled in!).

He's been there before, in advance, in preparation.

He goes into each moment knowing what's coming.

He's the best One to help me – because He will walk in front of me. Like the cloud of smoke by day, the pillar of fire by night.

And He will face it all with me.

He will confront my battles, my sufferings, my temptations, my fears with complete awareness. And it is only by His Spirit that I will be able to overcome these things with brave boldness.

I am daunted by many things – many feelings, many thoughts, many situations – in my life. But, the Lord is not intimidated by any of it. He holds the keys to Life and Death, after all. He has defeated the power of the Grave. He has firmly sealed my soul for eternity.

With Him on my side, what else should I fear?

(Note: The correct answer is pretty much NO ONE, NO THING…nothing)

Jesus is the preface to the story of my life.

He really is the ultimate "Been there, done that" guy.

I am so overwhelmed with gratitude by the fact that I do not walk alone. I am so awed by His omniscient presence in my life. I am trying to be humble in my submission to the One who covers my every step with His loving providence.

I'm not sure how my story is going to end – (remember, even if I could, I don't read the last page of ANY book!)

But Jesus does.

And I know Him.

So He can be my Preface – my PRE-FACE.

He's the Author of my story, after all.

I'll let Him determine the plot outcome!

What are you facing or fearing today that you need Jesus to go before you?

"You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

(Psalms 139:16)

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY

Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

Laura at BRAG ON GOD FRIDAY

(A little disclaimer: I was exaggerating about the Book Club girls - they're really great!!)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

BIBLE PICK 'EMS - Reputation On the Line

2012-01-15T02:05:00.000-08:00

Reputation.

It's an important thing.

The dictionary defines the word this way:

REPUTATION:

1. (a): overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general

(b): recognition by other people of some characteristic or ability

2. a place in public esteem or regard; good name

Have you ever been in a position where people spread rumors about you?

Have you ever had your reputation doubted, attacked, soiled?

A long time ago, I did something that was out of character for me, and it affected my reputation.

I was a senior in high school – (I told you it was a long time ago!) At the time, I was considering a career as a teacher. So, my good friend and I enrolled in a Teacher Observation class. Once a week, we were allowed to leave campus to visit a local elementary classroom.

It was a pretty big deal – for one thing, my high school was a closed campus. That meant that we weren't allowed to leave school grounds until our day was done. No open lunch – no venturing off campus if you happened to have a gap in your schedule.

So, this was a real privilege to be able to leave for a class.

However, after a couple of months, my friend convinced me that we could just tell our teachers that we had an "assembly" at school, and we wouldn't be coming to the classroom that day. Then, we'd go eat and have some fun.

After awhile, my mentor teacher caught on – (I suppose he questioned two or three assemblies a month, always on the same day of the week) – and he reported us.

BUSTED.

Our supervisor called us into her office and read us the riot act.

The worst thing was all the accusations she threw at me about my character. You see, I was a VERY. GOOD. GIRL. A solid citizen, an honor student, a pretty compliant and rule-following person.

And she accused me, among other things, of being a slacker, a cheater, a liar.

It hurt.

I flashed back on this incident when I read today's "Bible Pick 'Ems." It's found in the book of Daniel.

First, a little background information.

It is the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede – (the son of Ahasuerus) – who had become the king of the Babylonian Empire. During this first year, Daniel learned that Jerusalem must lie desolate for 70 years.

I love how Daniel says it, in his very own words:

"…I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the LORD, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting…I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed…"

You know, you gotta love Daniel.

Here he is, trapped in exile, and yet he is faithful to his God, and to the reading of His Word. And, not only does he read the Word, he is responsive and obedient to it – he does NOT stop at reading – he acts in faith.

His prayer is beautiful.

But it's this particular passage that has me pondering:

"'Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary. O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city – the city that bears your name – lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy. O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.'"

(Daniel 9:17-19)

And here's what I'm pondering.

It's the way that Daniel prays. He prays for himself and his people, yes. But it's not what he prays for that is interesting to me – it's how he prays for it.

He calls on God's reputation.

Do you see it?!

Phrases –

For YOUR own sake, Lord, smile again…

See how YOUR city – the city that bears YOUR name…

We make this plea…because of YOUR mercy…

For YOUR own sake, do not delay…

For YOUR people and YOUR city bear YOUR name…

I've read passages like this before in the Bible. Where someone calls upon God's own reputation to move Him to act. I've often wondered about this.

Is it manipulative?

Is it self-serving?

Is it wrong?

It doesn't seem to be. At least if it's done from the proper heart-position. So, what am I missing?

I try to think of a human corollary. For instance, let's say hypothetically my son says something to me like this:

"Hey Mom, you might not want to wear your sweatpants outfit to pick me up, for your own sake."

Is he thinking about me? Or about HIS reputation – and the possible embarrassment from a sweatpants-wearing mom? Or is it somehow a combination of both?

I'm not sure I have the answers on this one, but I'm pondering.

God seems to welcome these kinds of prayers. Sometimes He even honors them.

Why?

I think it's that heart-position thing.

Daniel started his prayer with confession and repentance. He started with a humble heart, and a spirit willing to be obedient. He called on God's reputation, because he held God in such HIGH esteem. He KNEW God – and He didn't want God's reputation to be soiled because of His faulty and flawed people.

That makes sense to me.

Maybe if I begin to align my heart more truly with the God that I so highly admire and esteem – the LORD who inspires awe and reverent fear in me – then I can also ask for answered prayers for the sake of HIS honor – (of course, always yielding to His Sovereign will).

Lord, we bear Your name. Sometimes we don't wear it very well. But, in spite of all our failings, make us better ambassadors for Christ.

And for the sake of YOUR reputation, please show us mercy.

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, FOR MY OWN SAKE, and remembers your sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25, NIV)

What do you think about this? What does it mean to call on God's reputation in prayer?

Linked today with Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS and Peggy at SOAKING ON SONDAY!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

SATURDAY STROLL

2012-01-14T04:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "Saturday Stroll!"

In these posts I will be interacting with Scripture - making it a conversational walk of faith.

Sometimes we'll be talking with Jesus, and sometimes God will be talking with us.

There might even be *guest appearances* by some of our beloved characters from the Bible!

So put on your walking shoes - you know we can all use the exercise!

Sometimes God calls us to leave…

A comfortable emotional place, a complacent attitude in our faith, an easy background role – and sometimes a literal physical location.

And when God calls us to leave, He speaks…

It is time to leave your native country, your relatives, your friends, your comfort zone – and go into the land that I will show you.

But Lord, I am unfamiliar with this territory.

I'm not good with change.

I will make you great.

I will bless you, and you will be a blessing to others.

I want that, Lord.

But I'm scared.

Do not be afraid.

I have defeated your enemies for you.

Really?

Yes, really.

I will protect you and your reward will be great.

So, where do I go from here?

Do as I tell you.

I will be with you and bless you.

Thank You, Lord.

Now, I hereby confirm that I will give all these new lands to you.

And I do not break My promises.

You stand on Your name – the LORD.

I am the LORD, the God of Abraham, and Isaac.

I am giving this new territory to you.

It's still scary.

I know.

But you will not walk a step without Me.

And I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.

Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn't even aware of it.

Where He leads, I will follow.

And when you follow, I will make the way clear.

I trust You, Lord.

What an awesome place this is!

It is none other than the place where God is.

Yes, and I will accompany you into uncharted waters and unfamiliar places.

God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey.

I will present to God everything He gives me.

I am ready, Lord…

I AM.

(Various selections and inspiration from passages in Genesis)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Motive

2012-01-13T03:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!

Today's word: motive

What does the word motive mean?

How do you think a person's motives affect their behavior?

Can a person do a bad thing with good motives? Can a they do a good thing with bad motives?

What sorts of motives should a follower of Jesus have?

Let me know what you think!!

"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

LIFE IS A BOWL OF SPAGHETTI

2012-01-11T03:03:00.000-08:00

Yup.

You heard me right – it is not a bowl of cherries.

Have you ever looked at a bowl of cherries? "The Hub" loves cherries. And so, he often eats an entire bowl at one time. A bowl of cherries is beautiful. All those pretty, deep red, perfectly shaped, deliciously sweet cherries – all piled together – like they're posing for a still-life artist.

Yes, they present a lovely picture.

(Of course, even a bowl of cherries ends up being a huge pile of pits in the end – but I don't want to get too cynical here…)

My life isn't very often a lovely picture. It isn't all uniform, and neat, and colorful.

Nope.

When it comes to my life – pasta prevails.

A tangled, intertwined, snarled pile of noodling problems, struggles, turmoil, and frustration. Sure, there are some good moments along the way – even spaghetti has sauce! But it's often just a confusing mess.

What is the proper way to eat a bowl of spaghetti?

Some aficionados are real pros. They expertly wield a fork and spoon like a surgeon uses a scalpel. Twirl perfectly into one *eatable* wad of noodles. Insert into mouth – no stragglers – and chew to your heart's delight.

I have not mastered this technique.

I slurp and slop my spaghetti like an amateur. I make a saucy mess of myself. I've even taken to chopping up my noodles into bite-size pieces. Seems kinda like cheating to me, though. Evidently, I'm a pasta purist, even if I can't wrestle it into submission.

This is how I seem to deal with my spaghetti life.

Daunted by the twisted and jumbled mess that real-life living is, I muddle my way through.

But truthfully, isn't this the way it is for all of us?

We all struggle with a life that doesn't quite play out the way we would like. We can't control all the events, or people, or relationships, or circumstances. (Disclaimer: You can't – I've tried). As much as we'd like to run the show, we don't.

Why am I so dismayed – and comforted – by that fact?

I am not in control.

There is a part of me that really bucks up against that truth. Some part of me wants to be in control. I'd like to dictate how things happen.

I'd like everyone in my family to be healthy, happy, and financially stable. I'd like my marriage to be the perfect picture of communication and cooperation. What else? Dogs would live to be 100 (in human years), there would never be natural disasters, nothing would ever break or break down, and there would definitely never be death or taxes.

If I ran the world, things would be perfect.

There's just one problem.

I'm not perfect.

(I know – I've shattered your perception of me. But keep it a secret, OK? I've still got some people fooled…)

It's hard to look at a life that's not perfect, isn't it?

I ponder this…

How did God feel after that whole Garden of Eden *apple* debacle?

Because, after all, He had created a perfect bowl-of-cherries world. Without pits. It was all good – very good – by God's standard. Life was pretty, perfectly shaped, deliciously sweet. All according to God's holy standard, His wise design.

And then, it turned into a bowl of spaghetti.

I'm sure it broke His heart.

Does God long for Eden, like I long for a perfect life?

Oh, I'm sure that He does. And I happen to think that's why we long for a perfect life. We have God's image stamped on us – He has placed eternity in our hearts. There is something in our spirits that longs for a return to the beginning – to the way "things were supposed to be."

It's programmed into us.

And that's why life is hard – at least in part. We know that this ISN'T the way it's supposed to be.

God knows it, too.

And He's done, and is still doing, and will do something about it.

He sent His Son, so our relationship to Him can be restored. And through His Son, one day all things will be remade. Everything back to perfect order, all working in perfect unison – no mess, no problems, no worries…

So, in the meantime, what to do?

Well, for me, the thing that makes the most sense is to trust the One who has the original blueprints. The One who invented the recipe of life. The One who masterfully cooks the whole of my life – the good, the bad, and the ugly – into a beautiful sumptuous meal.

Yes, I'm still going to thrash around in the spaghetti. I'm going to make a mess with the sauce. I'm going to slurp and slop in my poor attempts to master life.

But I'm also going to let God teach me.

Teach me how to let go of the past – the things that I can't change.

Teach me how to live in the present – and be satisfied with His daily bread.

Teach me how to hope for the future – when all things will be made right again.

And I will pray for the peace to accept that my longing is proof that there is another day coming – a wonderful forever – when life will be a bowl of cherries.

Just perfect.

No pits.

How does God help you with your *spaghetti life*?

(SIDENOTE: See post below for a short - and sweet - explanation of the new blog look!)

Linked today with Joan at the GRACE CAFE!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

A NEW LOOK

2012-01-11T02:55:00.000-08:00

YES.

I snuck one by you guys!

I've been seeing a lot of people changing their blogs around, and I've been thinking about it myself lately. So, last night when I got yet another case of insomnia, I started experimenting!

I was up half the night...

I love all things western. And this background reminded me of the many weathered structures "The Hub" and I see when we visit old ghost towns - (one of our very favorite things to do).

It was called *barnwood* - and it charmed me with its rustic and earthy look.

I also thought it might be appropriate to go along with my little profile photo. Thinking of billing myself as a "Cowgirl for God!"

One frustrating thing, though. The template automatically chooses certain things and you can't change it. So, whatever text color I picked for the blog post automatically became the text for several of the gadgets - (read "it forced me"). I prefer a lighter background/black text, but the black text disappeared on the sidebar, and couldn't be changed.

This was the best compromise I could come up with - hope it's easy enough to read.

I'm thinking that this new look will symbolize *wide open spaces* to spread the Word, as I venture into the *wild frontiers* that God will lead me to in 2012.

YEE HAW!

(Disclaimer: I'm still not sure if I'm going to stick with this or not...LOL)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

THE SENTINEL

2012-01-09T03:03:00.000-08:00

I go to church in another town.

It's about a 20-minute drive.

It's OK – I like my church. It's where my sons go, and it's nice to worship with them there. The pastor teaches me a lot. I feel at home there.

And the drive is really rather pleasant.

Yes, part of the way involves the 405 freeway – (trust me, if you live in Southern California, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't – well, picture a NASCAR race, add a thousand more cars, and then consider yourself lucky that you don't live near the 405…)

But part of the way I drive by some wide, open spaces. Yes, there are some open spaces in Southern California – OK, maybe not WIDE open – but fields and hills.

And just about every single Sunday I see the most wonderful sight.

On the top of a random streetlight, I see a huge hawk.

Some Sundays I see more than one – like yesterday, I saw one going to church, and one coming home.

First of all, these hawks have got to be pretty big. Because they look big to me, even though they're probably about 30 feet up in the air. The one word that comes to my mind is majestic.

And they don't say that someone has "eyes like a hawk" for nothing. Those hawks are perfectly still, perfectly focused on the ground – always watching, always on alert – nothing escapes their single-minded concentration.

So yes, yesterday morning I saw a hawk.

And I thought about God.

It's almost like He's the hawk – He sees me, faithfully driving to church.

It hasn’t always been like this. Though I've been a believer for many (many) years, and have attended church for most of my life, there was a period of time when I didn't go. A very long period of time – I'm ashamed to admit that, a bit sad to admit that. I didn't realize how much more difficult life was without fellowship and teaching.

But, God grabbed hold of me a few years ago, and He hasn't let go. And part of my faithful return to His side involved regularly attending church again.

So I looked at that hawk – and saw God.

God.

The One who is perfectly still and immovable in my life, perfectly focused on every detail and every moment of it. He is always watching, always on alert. Nothing escapes His single-minded concentration on me.

Is that awesome or what?!

I am reminded of one of my favorite names for God – EL ROI.

It's the name that Hagar used for God.

Hagar had a rather…ahem…"complicated" relationship with her mistress, Sarai (Sarah). At one point she ended up running away. She found herself pregnant, alone, scared. But God found her – and He said some remarkable things to her:

"…where have you come from, and where are you going?"

He knew – but He wanted Hagar to know that He knew…

"…the LORD has heard your cries."

What blessed comfort.

"Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, 'You are the God who sees me.'"

El Roi.

Hagar's wilderness experience brought her face-to-face with God. It taught her that "I AM" is the living God who SEES our plight and HEARS our cries. He is a personal God who cares for those who trust Him.

I am encouraged by this meeting. It helps me remember that even in the most painful trials, I may also have the most intimate and close encounters with God.

He loves me.

I am reminded of that unchangeable fact almost every Sunday when I see those hawks.

You know, yesterday morning on my drive to church, I looked up at that hawk. And I saw God – seeing me. I smiled and said to myself, "I'm on my way to Your house, Lord."

And He said, "I know."

I think the hawk saluted me with his wing.

And then, as an added bonus, on my way home I saw yet another hawk, soaring over the hills. A tear came to my eye as I felt in my heart the presence of El Roi – the One who soars over my life, watching my every step…

The One who sees…

…me.

What does the name "El Roi" mean to you?

Today I am linked with Joan - SHARING HIS BEAUTY with joy!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

BIBLE PICK 'EMS - The Noisemaker

2012-01-08T02:05:00.000-08:00

"Bible Pick 'Ems" is a curious animal.

Sometimes, the place where God puts me in His Word is a *poser*. I have to ponder and pray and wrestle for a lesson out of it.

Sometimes the lesson just jumps out at me.

Today would be one of the "leaping lessons"!

I'm always conscious of context when I do "Bible Pick 'Ems." I don't have any desire to "re-mold" or "reduce" Scripture to *Sharon-size.* There is a world of difference between "The Word According to Sharon – with some support from the Bible" and "The Word of God According to God!"

I want to hear from God.

But, because His Word is alive, I believe that He SPEAKS through it all the time. And therefore, words from the past are intimately and appropriately relative to my day, my mood, my heart, my need.

This is one of those passages.

It's from Jeremiah, one of the great prophets of God, and it speaks to a very particular time in history. So, I'm going to start with the background information – the framework, if you will.

Jeremiah 46 contains messages given to the prophet Jeremiah from the LORD concerning foreign nations. They were given in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, the king of Judah, on the occasion of the battle of Carchemish.

At the battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, Babylon and Egypt, the two major powers after Assyria's fall, clashed. The Babylonians, led by King Nebuchadnezzar, entered Carchemish by surprise and defeated the Egyptians, who were led by Pharaoh Neco.

This battle, which passed the torch of world leadership to Babylon, was Nebuchadnezzar's first victory, and established him in power as the new king.

These words are from God's message about King Nebuchadnezzar's plans to attack Egypt:

"There they will exclaim, 'Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise; he has missed his opportunity.'" (Jeremiah 46:17, NIV)

The Egyptian pharaoh "missed his opportunity" because though he had come to help Jerusalem, he beat a hasty retreat when the Babylonians turned on him.

So, that's the historical background to these hearty words of judgment on Egypt.

But, they resonated deep in my heart because of when I read them, and what they spoke to me at that moment.

I've hinted around on my blog that the last month has been pretty stress-filled. In fact, last year had some challenges that I've never faced before – certainly not *onethingafteranotherafteranother* like they were. This last week was no exception. I am faced with some daunting decisions in 2012 – some situations that require wisdom and discernment – other situations that sorely test my "worry genes."

Last week, it all sorta got to me...

And when I'm overtired, and overwhelmed, I end up listening to the words in my head.

The words in my head are not usually good friends.

I mentioned in a recent post that I think there’s a committee in there. I've given them names. There's Nervous Nellie, the one who begins every sentence with "What if…" – closely followed by the very worst-case scenario. There's Belittling Bill, who always makes me feel like a loser. And his first cousin, Guilty Gail.

Give-Up Gus is a favorite. So is Irritable Irene and her twin sister, Cranky Carolyn. And oh, who could forget Doubting Thomas (c'mon, it was too easy…), who usually leads me down some trail that begins with this thought – "Can you really trust God???"

(DISCLAIMER: If any of my readers have these actual first names, it's a total coincidence!!)

Yup, I listen.

There are other voices, but these are the ones speak the most, and the loudest.

But, you see, the danger is this – I'm usually so busy listening to these blabbermouths, that I forget all about the guy who's running their show.

Yeah.

The enemy.

It's like one of those shadow government situations. You know what I mean. You see a country's leaders – but then there's the REAL leaders. The ones with all the REAL power. The master puppeteers who are pulling the strings.

That's how the enemy works.

He's the real voice behind the others. They are merely the mouths he animates with his words of poison. (Talk about Demon possession…)

So, when I read this one verse last week, it almost shouted its way into my mind. (I think it had to – the other voices were quite noisy). Yes, sometimes God speaks in the still, small whisper – but other times I need the whirlwind.

And instantly, I was greatly fortified by His Words.

They felt like a victorious battle cry. A banner I could stand under. A rallying shout to bring me back to my feet, and charge forward.

Yes, O enemy of mine – You are only a loud noise – You are nothing BUT a loud noise.

And you have missed your opportunity.

Way back at the beginning of my life, you lost my soul to the One who saved me. And though you try, you will ultimately lose every opportunity to defeat me.

HURRAH!

God spoke, I heard, and I stopped listening to the committee. The Holy Spirit quieted their shadow leader.

I claimed these words for my own victory in the Lord (taken from the end of Jeremiah 46):

But do not be afraid, Sharon, my servant.
Do not be dismayed, Sharon.
For I will…return [you] to a life of peace and quiet, and no one will terrorize [you].
Do not be afraid, Sharon, my servant, for I am with you.

Amen.

God gets the last word.

The noisemaker is silenced.

And I am stilled.

What words does God say to you to silence the "loud noise" of our enemy?

Linked today with Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

SATURDAY STROLL

2012-01-07T04:07:00.000-08:00

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Examine

2012-01-06T03:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!

Today's word: examine

What does the word examine mean to you?

How do you examine your life? Are you too hard on yourself, or too easy?

How do you think God wants us to examine ourselves - what conclusions does He want us to make?

Let me know what you think!!

"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

HOW TO WALK IN QUICKSAND

2012-01-04T03:03:00.000-08:00

Muck and mire.

Wanna know the definition of those words? (Please say yes…)

Muck: A moist sticky mixture, especially of mud and filth.

Mire: An area of wet, soggy, muddy ground; a bog.

Mmmm…yummy.

Why am I starting here? Well, because life is messy. It's not very often a straight and even path. More often than not, the road isn't paved. It's a twisty, confusing, mostly uphill trek. The summit of Mt. Everest? Easy peasy. Life? Ouch. Huff and puff.

Life is sometimes made more difficult by one's personality, by their temperament. Me, for instance? Often my own worst enemy.

I am a curious blend of a deep, sensitive, feeling heart – and a very analytical mind. I don't often just live my life – I parse it.

(Parse: To break (a sentence) down into its component parts (of speech) with an explanation of the form, function, and the arrangement of words and phrases, and the relationship of each part to another).

I'm constantly asking myself these questions: What does this mean? How did that happen? Why did they say that? Where will I be in the future? When will this be over? Who am I supposed to be?

Abbott and Costello's comedy routine, "Who's On First?" is delightfully funny – (I know, dating myself here). My own personal journalistic version of the five W’s and one H – (who, what, where, when, why, and how) – not so much.

The worst curse is the compelling need to analyze what I'm feeling and why I'm feeling it.

Now there's another ingredient in this soupy mess that I call me – I have a real problem with anxiety. Yes, I believe that there is a hereditary aspect to it – (I come from a long lineage of Nervous Nellies) – but I don't want to *cop out* on that excuse.

I'm just informing you of the wonderful world of Sharon that exists in my head.

Who needs an entourage? I have a lovely little committee that speaks to me incessantly...

So, here's how it might go:

Something happens – (Step One: Why did this happen? Could I have done something to prevent, change, avoid it happening?)

It gives me feelings – (Step Two: What kind of feelings – are they good or bad feelings?)

Try to analyze the feelings – (Step Three: Why am I feeling this way?)

Trouble occurs at Step Four: If I can't change the situation, or I can't figure out what or why I'm feeling what I'm feeling – ANXIETY ensues.

Are you tired yet?!

You can only imagine how exhausting it is to be like this. I have manufactured a filing cabinet in my head, and I run here and there all the time – filing, attempting to file, re-filing…

Sometimes I'm successful.

I get it figured out, and then I feel good.

Many times, though – no matter how much time and energy I spend thinking – I am unable to understand anything. I find myself on a useless treadmill of unending contemplation and wondering.

I find myself stuck – in the muck and mire of my own thoughts and feelings.

Yup, stuck in personal quicksand.

I did some research on quicksand. It's really rather interesting.

"Quicksand is basically just ordinary sand that has been so saturated with water that the friction between sand particles is reduced. The resulting sand is a mushy mixture of sand and water that can no longer support any weight. If you step into quicksand, it won't suck you down. However, your movements will cause you to dig yourself deeper into it.

With quicksand, the more you struggle in it the faster you will sink. If you just relax, your body will float in it because your body is less dense than the quicksand. If you ever find yourself in a pit of quicksand, don't worry -- it's not going to swallow you whole, and it's not as hard to escape from as you might think. The key is to not panic.

The worst thing to do is to thrash around in the sand and move your arms and legs through the mixture. You will only succeed in forcing yourself farther down into the liquid sandpit. The best thing to do is to make slow movements and bring yourself to the surface, then just lie back. You'll float to a safe level.

As long as you keep a cool head in the situation, the worst result will be a shoe full of wet sand."

Hmmm…

Some good lessons here.

You see, what happens when I fall into the quicksand of my own thoughts and feelings, is that I am often overcome with them. I am paralyzed by them. And when I feel stuck, I panic.

Emotional thrashing and flailing ensues – which usually just wastes a lot of time and energy – and leads me to sink deeper into anxiety.

The treadmill begins – try to figure things out, can't figure them out, panic, thrash around trying to fill the proper filing cabinets, get stuck even deeper – START OVER: try to figure things out, can't figure them out – here we go again. (You know, sometimes I think I can even hear that old treadmill squeak – hamsters in the middle of the night – SQUEAKY, SQUEAKY…)

Yes, I turn to God. Sometimes at the beginning of the dialogue – usually as a last resort. Usually I'm turning to Him because I want an answer – and usually I want an answer because I want a subsiding of my symptoms. Anxiety drives me to some dark corners, after all…

But, the more I move around in my own power, the deeper I sink in my quicksand.

So, here's the dilemma – and here's the rescue.

What is GOD going to do in me and through me IN SPITE of my thoughts and feelings? What is GOD going to accomplish EVEN THOUGH I'm anxious? What is GOD going to make happen DESPITE the fact that I feel paralyzed and stuck?

What can GOD do in quicksand?

He can teach me how to relax in the nearness of His presence.

He can cause my spirit to float above the muck and mire of life.

He can reassure me that I'm not going to drown – I am NOT going to be swallowed whole.

He can keep my thoughts and feelings still – He can calm the thrashing and flailing.

He can show me how to make slow (yet steady) movements of faith that will bring me to the surface again.

GOD can do a lot…

He can pull me off the treadmill and steady my feet on a path.

He can anoint the squeaks with the soothing oil of the Holy Spirit.

He can help me file everything under T for Trust.

As long as I keep a cool head –

How do I do that?

Well, for one thing, I make sure that I bring Jesus to every committee meeting that takes place in my head. I make sure that the Word of God is first on the agenda. I stop listening to the voices, and I only pay attention to what the Chairman of the Board has to say – ("Excuse me, everyone else. What was that YOU were saying, God?")

Life really isn't a threatening bog of mucky, miry quicksand. With God on my side, it really is just a shoe full of wet sand…

BE STILL.

How does God steady you in the midst of the quicksand of life?

"He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams." (Psalms 23:2)

(I'm linked today with Joan for the first "GRACE CAFE" of 2012)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

SURRENDERING THE STRIVING

2012-01-02T03:03:00.000-08:00

Ever have one of those situations that just refuses to go away?

Yup, I'm thinking you have – in fact, you probably have something right now that is troubling you. Maybe it's something in the area of finances, or maybe health, or perhaps a relationship.

Whatever it is, I'll bet you want an answer, you want guidance, you want an outcome – you want the situation to be SOLVED.

It's human nature.

Most of the time, I give myself grace to be human. But then, the "Christian" in me speaks up, and I determine that I shouldn't be feeling what I'm feeling. Now, I don't mean any disrespect by putting quotation marks around the word Christian. I am truly a born-again believer saved by Jesus Christ – and I truly follow Him by faith.

But, I'm talking about the part of me that starts chastising myself for my feelings.

Let's be honest – we know that we have feelings that are not driven by the Spirit. We know that our sinful natures still stir up thoughts and desires that are at odds with the truth.

But, we still have these thoughts and desires and feelings.

So what do we do with them?

Here's when I start feeling confused.

Thankfully, I'm not alone. (Thank you, Paul)…

"The trouble is with me…I don't really understand myself, for I want to do (feel, think) what is right, but I don't… I can't. I want to do (feel, think) what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do (feel, think) what is wrong, but I do it anyway." (From Romans 7 – with a few added words by me)

The confusion lies here – what to do with the thoughts and desires and feelings that are not of the Spirit, but they're there because I'm human?

I know that I am supposed to surrender them to the Lord. And I want to – I truly do. But what exactly does that mean – how does that work out in practical ways?

Because I'll tell you what – when I don't surrender these things to the Lord, I start feeling GUILTY.

Guilty that I'm still confused or hurt or disappointed or afraid. Guilty that I still don't know what to do. Guilty that I have feelings of frustration and impatience (with God, if I'm totally honest). Guilty that I'm still human –

Because my thoughts and desires and feelings haven't disappeared.

THERE. IS. THE. RUB.

I interpret surrender to mean that when I give up, give over these things to the Lord – they magically disappear! I don't think them, or want them, or feel them anymore. And if I still do, then I haven't surrendered them.

It's a sticky wicket –

(STICKY WICKET – a delightful term that originated in England, from the game of cricket. A wicket is the playing surface used in cricket. This phrase is a direct allusion to the difficulty of playing on a wet and sticky pitch. Therefore, it means a difficult situation. Thank you, Sharon, for the word lesson – there WILL be a pop quiz…)

Here's where the enemy perpetrates a subtle attack on me. The lie goes something like this:

"I have these thoughts and desires and feelings. I shouldn't have them as a Christian. Therefore, I must surrender them to the Lord. If I still have them, then I haven't surrendered them. I am a terrible Christian."

Yeah – it's sort of like adding 1 + 1 and getting 3.

Faulty logic. At least in my opinion.

Because here's what I'm learning. Here's what surrender is beginning to mean to me. Surrender isn't the disappearance of the thoughts and desires and feelings. It is the surrendering of the striving – it is letting go of their power…

Take a person who is going to go on a diet. They aren't going to stop eating completely, and they're not going to stop being hungry – but they ARE going to release the power that food has over them.

Or what about a person struggling with addiction? Once in a rare while, God does intervene and completely remove the addiction, and the desire for it. But more often than not, it's a lifetime battle of surrender – of LETTING GO of the power that the drug or drink has over them.

Unless the Lord intervenes in a different way – (and He sure can if He wants to!) – surrender is going to be a process for me. I'm going to still have the thoughts and desires and feelings. Situations are still going to stir these things up inside of me. And I can waste a lot of time and energy trying to make them disappear. Not to mention making myself crazy with guilt when I can't…

God says to me: "Sharon, stop striving…"

Finances, health, relationships – these are going to rouse some strong stuff inside of us. And the thoughts and desires and feelings might not go away. But surrendering the OUTCOME of them, letting go of the POWER of them, giving to God the NEED for a solution – these are the things of faith.

Allowing God to be sovereign – relinquishing to Him the control of it all – this is what it's all about.

Job asked for answers – He got a whirlwind. But he also got God.

Our striving, once yielded, can lead us directly to the face of God – in spite of the thoughts and desires and feelings that come along for the ride.

Oh Lord, let my striving cease – let me be content with situations that have no immediate solution – grant me peace through my humanness.

Be the whirlwind who becomes my Eye in the Storm.

What do you do with situations that won't go away? What does surrender look like to you?

(Starting 2012 with Joan - SHARING HIS BEAUTY)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

BIBLE PICK 'EMS - Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T02:05:00.000-08:00

A new year.

I can hardly believe that it's already 2012.

Remember when everyone was freaked out that the world was going to stop when it turned midnight on December 31, 1999? A new year, a new century, a new millennium was looming. All the computers would blow up, there would be massive black-outs, a technological Armageddon was supposed to occur.

Well, it didn't.

And now it is TWELVE years later.

Sometimes I feel like a modern-day Rip Van Winkle. Did I sleep away the last 20 years? That must be it – there is no other explanation for the fact that I am closing in on 60 years old…(thank goodness for smaller fonts!)

So, as I write these words, I am ending another year in my life. I am reflective. I ponder the last months. I think about the many things that have happened. There has been some wonderful stuff, for sure. But overall, it's been a year of challenge.

Truthfully? I'm entering 2012 a bit frayed around the edges – a little down, a little anxious, a little weary.

I hope I make it to midnight – so I can stick my head out the front door and mumble, "Happy New Year!" (Will "The Hub" make it so I can at least kiss him?? To be determined…)

So, I have done today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" with a desperate need for a word from the Lord. A timely word, an apropos word, a word that speaks to my need. A word that ushers in a new year with hope.

God does not disappoint.

Here are His words:

"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened…how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."

(Luke 11:9-10, 13)

Hmmm.

I ask myself my year-end questions in view of this passage.

What am I asking for?

What am I seeking?

What doors am I knocking on?

It's difficult sometimes to get this straight in my mind. It's harder to get it straight in my heart.

Because there were many things I asked for in 2011 that did NOT happen. Many questions that I was seeking answers for, that were NOT found. Quite a few doors that I knocked on that were NOT opened.

So, what do I do with that?

I will not question the Word of God – especially when the words are written in RED! Jesus speaks – I will listen!

Therefore, I must question my questions, I think.

It's all a matter of perspective.

Am I not receiving things that I ask for because I'm asking for the wrong things? Or am I asking for them in the wrong way?

Are my questions not being answered because I want a certain answer? In a certain way? At a certain time? (Read: my answer, my way, my time)

Are the doors I'm knocking on not being opened because they are doors of my own choosing? Am I leaning on my own understanding for direction and guidance?

Is God really and truly answering my prayers – but I'm just not recognizing it?

Hmmm…

I believe that there is a clue here in these verses.

And it has nothing to do with the end results. It isn't about the things, the answers, the doors.

It's all about the asking, the seeking, and the knocking.

You see, God is making something happen to me in the process. Persistence overcomes MY insensitivity, not God's.

He is changing my heart and mind. I am not changing His.

He is all about my relationship to Him. So my persistent, bold prayers help me understand and express the intensity of my need. They make me focus on the bottom line of my need. My need for Him – alone. For Him – only.

There's another very important element at the end of today's "Bible Pick 'Ems."

What does God want to give us?

Good things – yes. Answers – sometimes. Open doors – often.

But what does He really want to give us?

Actually, He has already given it to us – the Holy Spirit.

The Lord wants us to be more and more filled with Him. He wants us to let Him live through us. He desires a closer relationship with us. He wants disciples that resemble and reflect His Son.

Change the perspective of those verses – and it changes everything.

Ask for more of the Holy Spirit…and you will receive Him.

Seek the Lord with all of your heart, your mind, your soul, and your strength…and you will find Him.

Knock on the door of His presence…and you will find the Kingdom thrown wide open.

Lord, as I enter a new year, may I look at You in a different way. May my asking and my seeking and my knocking be directed to You – alone. You – only.

And as I draw close to You – draw close to me.

Happy New Year, Lord.

Where are you asking, seeking, knocking as you enter the new year?

(SIDENOTE: Please see the post directly below this one - Housekeeping for 2012 - it tells about the new features on my blog! Thanks!)

Linked today with Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

HOUSEKEEPING FOR 2012

2012-01-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I am so excited to begin a new year of Bible reading!

This year I have chosen to read the One Year Chronological Bible. I have not read the Scriptures in this format before. It's going to be exciting to watch God's story unfold in *real time.*

For my devotional study, I have picked "How Great Is Our God, Timeless Readings on the Nature of God." It is a compilation of some of the best writings on the nature of God – gathered by The Navigators, and published by NavPress.

In addition, I will be spending some time each day with three of my favorite all-time Christian authors:

Knowing the Heart of God by John Eldredge.

Grace Notes by Philip Yancey.

A Year with C. S. Lewis, Daily Readings from His Classic Works, Edited by Patricia S. Klein.

I am eager to let the words of these great believers permeate my soul this year. My devotional readings will be a treasured enhancement to the wonderful work that I know God will accomplish through my reading of HIS WORD!

On my sidebar, I will feature these new additions:

My Word for 2012.

My Verses for 2012.

Verse of the Day.

Thought for the Day – I will include something from "How Great Is Our God."

Quotes for the Day – I will include something from each of the three authors.

Daily Prayer – A prompt to focus your prayer for the day, and a Bible verse.

Prayer for the Week.

And, I have added a new page – DEVOTIONAL AUTHORS – that will be a listing of authors and their works from my devotional reading.

What does God have in store for YOU in the new year?

I would encourage you to read God's Word each and every day.

It is a Book that is alive.

It will challenge you, comfort you, convict you, calm you – it will teach you, and guide you – it will strengthen you and humble you.

Won't you join me and let God work in your heart and life through His Word this year?

ENJOY!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

SATURDAY STROLL

2011-12-31T04:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "SATURDAY STROLL!"

In these posts I will be interacting with Scripture – making it a conversational walk of faith.

Sometimes we'll be talking with Jesus, sometimes God will be talking to us.

There might even be *guest appearances* by some of our beloved characters from the Bible!

So put on your walking shoes – you know we can all use the exercise!

A NEW YEAR'S LETTER FROM GOD

It's the end of the year, My dear child. I have much to say to you.

"OK sure, Lord," I say a bit distractedly.

I know this has been a very busy time of year. But now, Sharon, be still and listen to Me, the LORD who created and formed you.

I sit down quietly, ready to really pay attention. "Yes, Lord, speak to me."

I know there are many unresolved situations in your life right now, many fearful things that loom, many unanswered questions.

"Yes, Lord, there are many."

Do not be afraid. You must put all of it into this perspective – I have ransomed you, and I have called you BY NAME – by your very own name. You are MINE.

"I am your redeemed and beloved Child."

Yes.

And because nothing will EVER separate you from My love, these things are true:

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up – the flames will not consume you.

For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One, your Savior.

"Such a wonder-full promise, Lord! I am never alone."

Never. That is why I say, "Do not be afraid" – for I am with you.

"You have promised to never leave me nor forsake me."

I mean that, you know.

And I know your heart. You are My servant. You have chosen to know Me, believe in Me, and you understand that I alone am God. From eternity to eternity I am God.

And you belong to Me. No one can snatch you out of My hand. No one can undo what I have done.

"You are the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent One – the Sovereign Lord above all else."

I AM.

I am your Holy One, the Creator and King – the only God that has been, and ever will be.

I am the LORD who opened a new way through the waters of the Red Sea. I made a dry path where there was none. I can do the same for you.

"I know, Lord. But there are so many unresolved situations in my life – so many fearful things that loom – so many unanswered questions."

I know.

But forget all that – it is nothing compared to what I am going to do!

"What, Lord? What is it You are going to do?"

I might not resolve every situation. I might not prevent fearful things from happening. I might not answer all of your questions.

For I am about to do something new in your life. See, I have already begun? Do you not see it?

"Lord, what am I missing?"

It is the work I will do in your heart, Sharon. The inside stuff.

I will make a pathway of hope through the wilderness of discouragement. I will create new rivers of strength in the dry wasteland of despair.

I will give you Living Water in the desert so you can be refreshed.

"Yes, Lord. That is what I need. Green meadows and peaceful streams."

Yes.

This new year, 2012, is going to be a big year for you and Me.

For I have made you for Myself, and you will honor Me before the whole world.

"I want nothing more, nothing less than that, Lord. I love you – with all my heart, all my mind, all my soul, and all my strength. It really is just You."

You are precious to Me, and I love you.

(Selections from Isaiah 43)

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Resolution

2011-12-30T03:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!

Today's word: resolution

What is a resolution?

What does it take to make - and keep - a resolution?

What is one resolution you have for the new year?

Let me know what you think!!

"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

EVERYDAY EMMANUEL

2011-12-28T03:03:00.000-08:00

Emmanuel.

God with us.

For some reason, this Christmas I was captivated by this name for Jesus. Enthralled. Enraptured.

It stirred some deep feelings inside of me – a longing, a yearning.

The whole concept of God actually becoming one of us – one with us – is really rather staggering. We take for granted the Truth of it – a truth that is mind-boggling, overwhelming, mysterious.

But this Christmas, I was stopped in my tracks thinking about it.

Of course, since God was speaking deeply to my soul, the enemy decided it was the perfect time to assault me.

There was nothing particularly new about this latest round of arrows – nothing uniquely clever, or especially startling. Just a rather steady onslaught of the SAME. OLD. STUFF.

I realized that this is basically how the enemy works. Yes, sometimes he brings out the "big guns" – a job lay-off, a death, an illness, a divorce, etc. But more often than not, he's most effective when he goes after us with the steady *drip-drip* of everyday pokes and prods and pinpricks.

I think it's because he realizes that there's a certain risk in the "big ammo" – the risk that huge blows often drive saints to their knees. But, he's discovered that the incessant "gnats" of common aggravations, frustrations, hurts, disappointments, fears often drive saints to distraction.

"If I can't have their souls, at least I can grab their hearts and minds."

Sigh.

How often I let him win that battle…too often.

So, the last couple of days I've felt oddly wistful and lonely. No particular reason, probably seasonal letdown like I talked about on Monday. And yes, I've got some fearful things on the horizon, some unanswered problems, some unresolved situations. A few relationship issues niggling at my heart.

And I'm grappling – where is God with me in all of this?

Because if God is with us, then He's absolutely with us when life doesn't make sense. He is assuredly with us when waiting is distressing. He most definitely is with us when we are hurting…

More often than not, what I really want from God is not just His presence – what I really want is His intervention. I want Him to swoop in with answers, and resolution, and measurable miracles. I want Him to make the unhappiness, the confusion, the pain, the anxiety JUST. GO. AWAY.

God with me – I often want that to mean "God make things work."

But God is more than a heavenly handyman – He isn't just Grandpa Fix-It.

Yes, sometimes He does fix things – but that happens according to His sovereign will and His good purposes. It does not happen according to my wishes or wants.

This thought occurs to me – why do I want God to be something LESS than He is?

So, Emmanuel has come to me…

Into the dark and lonely "mangers" in my life, into a "land" occupied by enemy thoughts and feelings, into the most unlikely places for a Savior to show up.

He is there.

Even when I'm being "hunted down by Herod" – He offers me solace and escape and peace.

Yes, the Prince of Peace reigns in my heart – Emmanuel.

He has come to answer my deepest cries, and to fulfill my deepest longings – not with answers or resolutions – but with HIS PRESENCE.

Always there, ever near…

He is all I need.

What does the truth of Emmanuel mean to you in your life today?

(Linked with Joan at the GRACE CAFE - come join us as we glorify the King!)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

THE LETDOWN

2011-12-26T03:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day.

The Aftermath.

Do you feel like I do after a rather frantic pre-lim, followed by a full day of family, fun, and food? (Lots and lots of food??)

A little tired, a little worn out – truth be told, a little let down.

There's so much excitement building up to Christmas Day. There's the decorating and gift-getting, the buying of the tree and hanging of ornaments, the marketing and cooking and baking.

And then, before you know it – The Day arrives.

Eating and talking, eating and opening gifts, eating and watching television, eating and napping – and whatever else your family does traditionally!

But, I always feel a little disappointed when it's all over. Did everyone get along and have a good time? Did everyone get enough to eat? Did everybody like the presents I gave? Did everything measure up to my expectations?

Sometimes, things fall flat – I've had years when sickness stole some of the joy, and when family tension cut into the fun. I've had years when someone didn't receive that special gift, and when the Lakers lost…

I'm chagrined to admit this – but the Norman Rockwell picture I have in my mind of the *perfect* Christmas Day sometimes ends up looking like a Picasso.

Sigh.

This year was quiet and enjoyable. And I was grateful to be able to share the day with my boys and "The Hub."

But, after the day is done, I am wistful and a bit sad. It's ALL. OVER. AND. DONE.

I got to pondering about this…(seems that I like to ponder over a lot of stuff, huh?!)

Wasn't the first Christmas Day like this, too?

The prophets had predicted the coming of the Messiah for centuries. The nation of Israel had suffered under slavery, oppression, conquest, and exile. The Jews had groaned forever, it seemed – as they longed and looked for their Deliverer.

The one who would rescue them from it all.

And then, it's time – and God performed a miracle. He became a human.

Except, for most of the world, most of humanity, The Day was more like any other day. It wasn't ushered in with trumpet blasts and angels surrounding the world in a loud chorus. There weren't crazy earthquakes or darkened skies – there wasn't a coronation, or even a christening.

There was just a manger – and a baby wrapped in cloths.

A letdown.

No hoopla, no hero, no high and mighty king.

Jesus didn't measure up to expectations.

People didn't even know about Him – the HIM, with a capital "H" – for years. And even then, when Jesus began His ministry, most people were angered or disappointed or apathetic.

I take a look at my own life.

Does Jesus disappoint me? Does He let me down?

What about when the casks of water stay water, instead of turning into wine?

What about when the storm is not stilled, and the waves just get bigger and stronger?

What about when the healing doesn't come, or the prodigal doesn't return home, or the net doesn't burst with too many fish to count?

What about then?

Does Jesus disappoint me? Does He let me down?

Truth? – Sometimes He does.

He does when I make Him into my own image. When I try to shape Him and mold Him to make Him fit into my life. When I squeeze Him in among all the "important" things that I do. When I look for something from Him, in my way and my timing.

He does when I neglect to know Him as He really is.

The REAL Jesus is the unpredictable, the surprising, the mysterious – the out-of-the-box Savior.

You see, when it comes to Jesus, you have to know Him – really know HIM – underneath the selfish definitions you might come up with. Because He doesn't fit when we compare Him to our expectations.

But when you truly open your heart to JESUS – hold on to your hat!

He's like a heavenly optical illusion.

Look at those swaddling cloths – they're really the robes of a King. The lowly manger was really a throne room. Look closely – baby fingers and toes were one day destined to receive nails for the sins of mankind. Unfocused eyes had once, and would again, behold the glory of the Almighty God the Father face to face.

The promised Messiah had truly arrived. The Deliverer that the world really needed – not just the temporary ruler they were looking for.

Jesus.

You know, the more I think about it, the Aftermath of Christmas Day is what it's all about. Everything that happened AFTER. Like the cross and the resurrection…

And the truth of the matter is this – Jesus really doesn't disappoint. It's me.

Thinking I want more from Him, I settle for less of HIM. Thinking I want to do more for Him, I settle for less of HIM. Thinking I need this and that right now, I settle for less of HIM.

Trying to wrap Jesus up in cloths that I have made to swaddle Him – I end up binding the King.

Oh dear Lord Jesus, how I just want more of You in my heart and life. I do not wish to limit You, I do not wish to fit You into my expectations.

Surprise me, disturb me, challenge me, whittle me.

Make me into something worthy of a King.

How do you handle the aftermath of Christmas Day? Are you letting yourself be disappointed with Jesus?

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

BIBLE PICK 'EMS - Merry CHRISTmas!

2011-12-25T02:05:00.000-08:00

In today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" the Word of God will speak for itself:

THE PREDICTION

Yet a ruler…will come.

And He will stand to lead His flock with the LORD'S strength, in the majesty of the name of His God.

He will be highly honored around the world.

And He will be the source of peace.

(From Micah 5)

For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.

The government will rest on His shoulders.

And He will be called:

Wonderful

Counselor

Mighty God

Everlasting Father

Prince of Peace.

His government and its peace will never end.

(From Isaiah 9)

THE FULFILLMENT

Look!

The virgin will conceive a child!

She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means "God is with us."

(From Matthew 1)

"Don't be afraid, Mary…for you have found favor with God!

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

And He will reign…forever; His Kingdom will never end!"

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.

She gave birth to her first child, a son.

Glory to God in highest heaven,

And peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.

(From Luke 1 and 2)

So the Word became human and made His home among us.

He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.

And we have seen His glory.

(From John 1)

THE ANTICIPATION

Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory.

And He will send out his angels to gather His chosen ones from all over the world – from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

(From Mark 13)

For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.

Then we will be with the Lord forever.

(From 1 Thessalonians 4)

I am coming soon.

Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.

(From Revelation 3)

Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

(From Revelation 22)

THE CULMINATION

Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!

And He who sits on the throne will give them shelter.

They will never again be hungry or thirsty.

For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd.

He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.

And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.

(From Revelation 7)

Praise the name of the Lord!

Praise Him, you who serve the Lord.

Praise the Lord, for He is good.

Your name, O Lord, endures forever!

(From Psalm 135)

AMEN! Come, Lord Jesus!

May the wonder of a starlit night,

The power of our Savior's might,

The glories of His merciful love,

Bring blessings to you from above.

Wishing each of you and yours a very Merry CHRISTmas!

(Linked today with Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, and Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

SATURDAY STROLL

2011-12-24T04:05:00.000-08:00

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary.

Mary is busy tidying up, when the angel speaks to her:

"Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!"

"Oh! You startled me!" Mary says as she turns around.

Then she sees the majestic, glowing creature standing before her. Her eyes grow wide. She begins to tremble. She grows confused and disturbed.

"What on earth does he mean?" she thinks to herself.

Gabriel senses her feelings.

"Don't be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God!"

And then Gabriel begins to outline the plan that God had in mind. A secret plan that had been known to Him since before He created the world. A plan for salvation set into motion before the first sin had even occurred.

And now it is time for it to be revealed.

Mary is perplexed.

"But how can this happen?" (Mary knows that she has not slept with Joseph, and she has no intention of changing that arrangement anytime soon!)

Gabriel smiles.

He's spent his lifetime in the presence of God. He knows the God of "impossibilities."

He chuckles to himself as he remembers Elizabeth and Zechariah's reaction to the news that they were going to become pregnant.

Gabriel thinks to himself, "Oh, if they only knew God the way I do."

He puts his hand on Mary's shoulder, and looks deeply into her eyes.

"Mary, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you."

And when Mary hears this, her fears are calmed – even though all of her questions have not been answered.

When Gabriel leaves, she ponders these things in her heart.

Lord, I feel like Mary.

So often things arrive in my life that confuse and disturb me. I am so often perplexed by my circumstances. Your plans just seem so impossible sometimes.

"Sharon, I have had My plan and purpose for you set in place before you were even born. Won't you believe that it will be accomplished by the Holy Spirit? Won't you let MY power overshadow you?"

Yes, Lord – less of me, more of You.

And even though all of my questions have not been answered, my fears are calmed.

As we approach Christmas Day, let us ponder these things in our hearts.

And let's join Mary in her response:

"I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true."

(From Luke 1:26-38)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Emmanuel

2011-12-23T03:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!

Today's word: Emmanuel

Emmanuel literally means "God with us."

What does it mean to you to have Emmanuel (God with you) in your life?

Where does Emmanuel need to come and rescue you?

What are the strongholds that still hold you captive?

Let me know what you think!!

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel...

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

BIRTH LESSONS

2011-12-21T03:05:00.000-08:00

We know the story about the birth of Jesus.

We know the cast of characters.

Joseph.

Mary.

Jesus (of course!)

Some shepherds.

The wise men.

But there's three other people who played a role in the early, early part of Jesus' life. And I think they each have something to teach us. Who might these souls be?

Simeon.

Anna.

King Herod.

Let's begin with Simeon. Simeon was an old man living in Jerusalem, who was considered righteous and devout. He had been eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon Simeon, and he had been told that he would not die until he had looked upon the face of the Promised One.

One day, probably a day that began like any other day, Simeon was led of the Spirit to go to the Temple. There he came upon Mary and Joseph, who were there to present baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required.

Simeon recognized the Promise, the Deliverer, the Savior in the eyes of an infant.

Which is quite *something* when you think about it. Did Simeon know ahead of time that the Messiah would be born as a human child? Did he know that the Redeemer would come as a baby? I'm thinking not. But, he had faith – and he was ready when faith revealed the Truth.

Listen to his words of praise:

"Sovereign Lord…I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to all the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!" (Luke 2:29-32)

Simeon saw a baby – and he recognized God.

His lesson?

We should anxiously anticipate the coming of the Lord. Yes, the actual coming of the Lord – but also the daily moments when Jesus "just shows up." We must follow close after the Holy Spirit, and be filled with His wisdom, so we will be able to recognize the Lord when He appears.

Because, you see, some of the ways He works in our lives is surprising – unexpected situations, unanticipated timing, unusual people – and we could miss Him if we're not on the lookout!

Next is Anna.

Anna was also very old – (I like that the elderly are involved – makes me excited for old age!). She had lost her husband after only 7 years of marriage, and had lived as a widow until the age of 84! She was a prophet, and she was also at the Temple that day. Actually, Anna was always at the Temple – for she had never left – staying there day and night to worship God with fasting and prayer.

She saw Simeon talking with Mary and Joseph – and she immediately began praising God. She eagerly talked to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

Anna saw a baby – and she recognized God.

Her lesson?

Anna had pursued Truth for years, and had led a disciplined life of faith. We must do the same. Spiritual pursuits – reading the Word, prayer, corporate worship – all are necessary to the life of faith. We must draw close to God in order to be ready when He reveals His purposes, His opportunities, His timing.

Like Simeon, Anna was on the lookout for the Savior. And when He came along, she was ready to spread the word. We should be like that, too – eager to tell everyone we can that the Redeemer of the world has arrived. Rescue is here!

Finally, King Herod.

Herod, the king of the Jews, had heard the rumors, I'm sure. And when the wise men showed up at his doorstep, asking where to find the new-born king of the Jews, he grew furious! Deeply disturbed, he did what many politicians do when there's a crisis – he called a meeting.

It's interesting that Matthew 2:3 says that everyone in Jerusalem was disturbed – the meeting took place with the leading priests and teachers of religious law. Already, Jesus was stirring up controversy.

Herod tried to kill Jesus – sacrificing the lives of many young boys. But, warned by an angel, Joseph fled with his wife and son to Egypt.

There is an interesting parallel between this flight to Egypt and Israel's history. As an infant nation, Israel went to Egypt, just as Jesus did as a young child. God led Israel out through His deliverer, Moses – just as God would lead sinners out from slavery through THE Deliverer, Jesus.

Herod heard about a baby – and he feared God.

His lesson?

Jesus makes the devil very, very angry.

I wonder what he felt the day that he realized that the Son of God wasn't walking around heaven anymore. Did he wonder where Jesus went? What was his reaction when he realized the secret plan of God? I imagine that he was appalled at the audacity of God. Becoming human? How dare He??

And so, his pursuit began. I'm sure he prodded Herod toward his evil plan. It sounds like our enemy – trying to kill a baby. When he was unsuccessful, I can only imagine the overriding strategy of Satan and his minions – STOP JESUS, at any cost!

Friends, when Jesus arrives in our lives – when we invite Him into our hearts – we can be sure that we will make the enemy very, very angry. Because, he sees Jesus in our hearts – his hated foe. And he will do everything in his power to STOP JESUS, at any cost – which means he will do his best to stop us.

Stop us from being productive, or joyful, or strong, or thankful. He’ll try to thwart us from spreading the word. He'll attempt to drive us to doubt, or discouragement, or despair. He'll tempt us and test us and try us and turn us against Jesus...

If he can.

But, we can take these good lessons to heart…

Look for the daily moments when Jesus "just shows up."

Follow the Holy Spirit closely.

Be filled with His wisdom, so we can recognize Jesus in surprising and unexpected ways.

Lead a disciplined life of faith.

Draw close to God.

Be ready for His purposes, His opportunities, and His timing.

Spread the word about Jesus and His Good News.

Expect to make the enemy angry.

But, never ever give up – seek always, with the Lord’s help, to be productive, joyful, strong, and thankful.

Do not give in to doubt, discouragement, or despair.

Stand firm against tempting and testing and trying circumstances.

For, dear friends, we serve a very special baby – a baby who became the King.

A baby who is our Risen King – forever!

What does the birth of Jesus teach you about your life?

(I am linked today with Joan at the GRACE CAFE. Please join us!)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

NO VACANCY

2011-12-19T03:03:00.000-08:00

Weary, hungry, desperate, in pain –

Those words probably sum up how Mary and Joseph were feeling as they searched for a place to stay in Bethlehem.

There was no room.

Except…for one small and dark place, a manger.

I can remember an incident like this in my life. Many years ago, my family took a road trip to Yellowstone National Park. Then we snaked through Idaho and Oregon, and finally returned home, traveling down the length of California. The previous year we had taken a loooonnnggg trek – 5,445 miles in 9 days. This year, trying to find a way to "top" that trip, we decided that we wouldn't book any motels ahead of time.

It was going to be a "fly by the seat of your pants" adventure.

Well, it worked out well for the most part. Except for one very long day. We'd been on the road for hours (not like 4 or 5, more like 10 or 12) – and we just wanted to stop. Finally we arrived in a town in the middle of Idaho.

Driving around street after street, all we saw were neon red "NO VACANCY" signs. It got discouraging – and then despair set in as we contemplated sleeping in the car.

Finally, we found a hotel that still said "VACANCY." It was like 1:30 AM now, and I'm sure the proprietor loved being woken up at that time! Yes, he had only one room available. But, there was a hitch. It was the "Whirlpool Suite" – $$$. However, after some discussion (haggling and bullying), he agreed to give it to us at the price of a regular room.

Let me tell you, at this point I would have settled for the "Toilet Bowl" room – I was exhausted.

So, the four of us piled into that room – with one queen bed – and a whirlpool in the corner. Tired and sore little feet soaked in the tub – and finally one father and two sons shared the bed, while Mom slept in a chaise chair.

It wasn't the most luxurious room I've ever been in – but it may have been the one that I was the most grateful for.

So, Mary and Joseph finally arrive at their pre-ordained destination – and the Savior is born.

I ponder this…

Isn't Jesus still looking for room at the inn?

Isn't He still knocking on the doors to hearts?

How often is He being greeted with the sign, "NO VACANCY"?

How many 5-star hearts – with their wealth, and fancy lifestyles – say to Him, "Oh, sorry, sir – there's no room for you here. And to tell you the truth, you just wouldn't fit in anyway."

What about those AAA-rated 2 or 3 star places? With their frantic career-making, child-raising, middle-class lifestyles. Do they say to Him, "Oh, sorry, buddy – haven't had time to fix up a room for you."

How many times does Jesus come to person after person, only to be rejected by the sad and sorry words, "No room."

To so many He is nothing more than a vagrant – an inconvenience, an embarrassment, a pest. He doesn't belong in the "beautiful surroundings" of many lives. He doesn't fit into busy schedules and self-important goals. He isn't appealing to the plush and poshy people of pretensions.

It occurs to me that Jesus was not meant to come to the comfortable.

He came for those who are like Mary and Joseph – weary, hungry, desperate, in pain.

He comes to the humble places. The dark corners that no one ever thinks about, or that they frantically try to hide – from others and from themselves.

The heart is like a manger.

Secret, secluded, sometimes lonely and dirty.

Jesus wants to come there.

"Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in…" (Revelation 3:20)

We have to hear the knocking, we have to open the door.

This is true of all people.

Some need to open the door to salvation. We believers have to open the door to sanctification.

We have to put ourselves aside for Jesus to arrive and abide in our hearts.

Oh, dear Lord, yes – there is room…

What will you say to Jesus when He comes knocking? Are you open for business?

(I am linked today with Joan - just "SHARING HIS BEAUTY")

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

BIBLE PICK 'EMS - End of Story

2011-12-18T02:05:00.000-08:00

Jesus, the Savior is born.

Though the world did not know it, a new world order had begun. A brand new King had come to usher in God's Kingdom.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

In many ways, this was the beginning of life.

Yes, God created the heavens and the earth, and everything in it. That was the beginning beginning. The very first spark of life. The generation of all that is.

But the word *beginning* goes beyond that.

I love these words – commencement, opening, launch, foundation, establishment, inauguration.

Baby Jesus – the Beginning of Life.

But how does the story end?

Today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" is found in Daniel, and it prophesies the ending:

"I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge.

His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool.

He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence.

Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him.

Then the court began its session, and the books were opened." (Daniel 7:9-10)

The first thing that occurred to me as I read this passage was the vision of all the angels. Those are the very same angels who watched with bated breath as Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was born into humanity.

Can you even imagine the hush that fell over the heavens at that moment?

Especially Gabriel.

The one who had been given the privilege of telling Mary about the secret plan of God.

I'm sure he hovered close by during the entire pregnancy, during the long trip to Bethlehem, during Mary's labor, and during the actual birth. Did he breathe a sigh of relief when Jesus was delivered safely?

And then, did his eyes grow as big as saucers as he looked at the miracle of God Incarnate – a baby with his Master’s eyes?

Glorious.

And yet, it was the moment that the angels were given their marching orders. War had begun on a level never before seen. The enemy was very, very angry. Spiritual conflict took on new meaning. I can see Gabriel turn to the angelic host and cry out, "Brethren, to arms!"

We who believe in the Savior – including the ones that came before us, and the ones who will follow us – have joined them in the fight.

We fight until the day when Daniel's vision comes true.

And it will come true – God has promised.

There is a court date on the calendar for every person, every nation, every authority in heaven and on earth. At the end of all time, there will be judgment.

"Then the court began its session…"

Can you imagine the hush that will fall over the heavens at this moment?

"…and the books were opened."

I'll bet not even a pin dropping would make a noise.

The end of the beginning, and the beginning of the end commences.

Daniel continues, "I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal – it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14)

(I just have to interject a holy WOO HOO here! OK, I feel better now…)

Today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" is like the period at the end of a sentence. A sentence that began this way, "She gave birth to her first child, a son" (Luke 2:7) – and ends with these words, "And the books were opened, including the Book of Life…Nothing evil will be allowed to enter…but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life." (Revelation 20:12; 21:27)

Yes, the beginning of the story began with a hush – and yet, in a nondescript manger war was declared.

But, one day the story will end – and the Son of God will reign.

I can only imagine the thunderous sound of saved souls and the heavenly host joined together in praise, worship, celebration, triumph…

"GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO."

Amen.

What does the birth of Jesus mean to you – both now and in the future?

(Today I am linked with Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

SATURDAY STROLL

2011-12-17T04:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "SATURDAY STROLL!"

In these posts I will be interacting with Scripture – making it a conversational walk of faith.

Sometimes we'll be talking with Jesus, sometimes God will be talking to us.

There might even be *guest appearances* by some of our beloved characters from the Bible!

So put on your walking shoes – you know we can all use the exercise!

Moses has a talk with me:

Sharon, I have told you the commands and regulations that the LORD our God has told me to teach you.

You are about to enter a new year, 2012, and it's important that you obey them.

The LORD has new territory awaiting you – He is opening up new doors of opportunity.

So, listen closely, Sharon, and be careful to obey.

Moses, I sense the LORD moving in new directions. I want nothing more than to hear what His purposes are for me.

Good! The most important thing to remember is the LORD is our God, yours and mine. And He is the only true God.

Yes, so much false teaching out there, Moses. So many people saying that there are many roads to God, many roads to heaven.

Ah, yes. But there is only the road of salvation through Jesus Christ. Only God's way to the Promised Land.

So, how do I obey Him?

First things first.

Love the LORD your God with all of your heart…

All of my loyalty, my feelings, my desires…

And all of your soul…

All of my thoughts, my character, and my innermost being, the core of who I am…

And all of your strength…

All of my patience, endurance, perseverance…

And you must commit yourself wholeheartedly to Him. Repeat His commands and promises again and again.

Talk about them – when you're at home and when you're out and about. When you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

Yes, Moses – at all times, I will remember the words of God.

Fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Be diligent. Do what is right and good in His sight.

Fear the LORD, and He will continue to bless you and preserve you.

I will fear the LORD, for those who fear Him will have all they need.

God has promised the crown of life to those who love Him.

Oh, how I love Him…

(From Deuteronomy 6, Psalms 34, and James 1)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Revolt

2011-12-16T03:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!

Today's word: revolt

What does the word revolt mean to you?

How was the birth of Jesus a revolt against the world's status quo?

How was it a revolt against the devil?

It what ways has the Savior, the Prince of Peace, caused a revolution in your heart?

Let me know what you think!!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

BEAUTIFUL SAVIOR

2011-12-14T03:03:00.000-08:00

I am in love with a renegade.

A maverick.

An outlaw.

Yes, I love "The Hub" dearly – and he would undoubtedly fill those categories. We tease him all the time that he should have been born in 1854. He's a whole lot of Jeremiah Johnson (the consummate mountain man), a touch of Butch Cassidy, with a liberal sprinkling of Virgil Earp in there…

But he's not the one I'm talking about.

I'm talking about Jesus.

I just finished reading a wonderful book (in my humble opinion) called "Beautiful Outlaw" by John Eldredge.

Eldredge talks about the very real Jesus that we encounter in the Gospels. Let me tell you, THAT Jesus is not the Jesus that the world thinks they know. Eldredge subtitles his book, "Experiencing the playful, disruptive, extravagant personality of Jesus."

Doesn't that sound delicious?

You know, to me, if you don't know the true Person of Jesus, then the real meaning of the Incarnation kinda fades. It will become just a nice picture of a cherubic baby who came into the world, meek and mild – only to grow up into a Jesus who was a kind and gentle man, who sweetly taught people "good lessons."

If you don't know the true Person of Jesus, you only know a two-dimensional cardboard imitation of the real thing.

Listen to what Eldredge says:

"Reading the Gospels without knowing the personality of Jesus is like watching television with the sound turned off."

Yeah, Jesus on mute.

This book has me pondering…especially at this time of year.

Exactly WHO was born in that manger??

Not a wimp, that's for sure. Not someone boring. Not someone easy.

If you read the Gospels, Jesus is someone wonderful. He is exciting and unpredictable. He hates the status quo. He angers the "religious" and loves sinners. He is sometimes clever, sometimes sarcastic. He is always intelligent. He doesn't fit into any stereotype.

He is dynamic and charismatic – and quite honestly, a bit unmanageable.

I like that in a Savior, don't you?

Compelling.

I have lately been gripped by a new fervor for the Person of Jesus – it's overtaking me. I have been captured by the Son of God – real, uncontainable, thrilling.

I am reminded of a scene in the book "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" (from C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia). One of the children, Lucy, has never met Aslan (the Lion who is Jesus). Listen to this conversation:

"Is he – quite safe?" [asks Lucy].

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good."

Later, Mr. Beaver also says this: "He's wild, you know. Not like a tame lion."

You know, I love a rodent who speaks the truth!

So, you see, as I think about that baby in the manger, I'm taking a new look at exactly what happened there, and exactly who was born. Yes, it happened quietly, only in the presence of Mary and Joseph, in an obscure and lonely, dirty and dingy place.

But oh! God might as well have hurled a cosmic thunderbolt to earth!

A comet of salvation slammed into earth that moment, and life would never be the same again. The dark and lonely world had been struck with the Lord of Light, and Satan's kingdom had been invaded. Look out – the Almighty Son of God took His first breath, and Life itself began!

I'm sure the heavens shook.

It just gives me goosebumps.

Now, the enemy does his best to keep the real Person of Jesus hidden from us. The enemy tries to convince us that Jesus is weak, uncaring, restrictive – or worse yet, totally irrelevant.

No, no, no.

I will not listen to those particular lies.

The Jesus who was born in the manger came to upend the world's value system. He came to revolutionize the human heart. He came to love mankind in an impossibly sacrificial way.

He came to turn ME inside out – to interrupt MY agenda, to challenge MY goals, to disturb MY comfort – to shape and mold and prune and knead.

He came to give me HIS life.

I don't know about you, but THAT'S the Jesus I love and want to follow.

The Jesus who was born in the manger is a hero…

Do you know the REAL Jesus deep in your heart? Has He lit your life on fire?

(I would also recommend this book, along the same lines: "The Jesus I Never Knew" by Philip Yancey. Of course, there is no better place to meet the real Jesus than in the pages of God's Word.)

It's time for Joan's GRACE CAFE - come on over and join us!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

JESUS WAS A HUMAN BEING

2011-12-12T03:05:00.000-08:00

Yes.

Jesus was a human being.

I remember talking to my boys about the mysterious reality of Jesus being fully God, and fully human. I remember talking to them about how impossibly wonderful it was that Jesus descended to earth - how He willingly gave up His rights as God to become one of us.

How He entered into mortal cells and a dying body.

How He felt everything we feel, went through the same experiences - how He got hungry and had to eat, how He got sad and had to cry, how He felt happy and had to laugh.

I remember those boys letting that sink in.

I'll never forget one time though when one of them asked, "Did Jesus have to go to the bathroom?" (I'm sorry - I had boys...)

My first inclination was to reprimand the question. But then I realized that it wasn't said in sarcasm. My son was sincere - he really wanted to know. Did Jesus really and truly feel EVERYTHING I do?

I remember letting that sink into my thinking.

"Well, yes," I answered. "Jesus went to the bathroom."

I'm pondering that thought anew today. Well, not the *bathroom* part of it - but the real human part of it. The part that I think I've taken for granted - that Jesus really DID feel it all - every aspect of being human.

He was just like you and me.

Well, yes and no.

For one thing, we have never known anything else but corrupted humanity. A humanity that is victimized by sin, and under the curse of death. A body that gets hungry and thirsty, that needs to eat and drink to stay alive. A body that gets sick, feels pain, grows weary, and must sleep.

Jesus entered into that whole mess.

What was it like to be a Person who had always existed to have to suddenly become mortal - subject to all the infirmities of humanity? What was it like to feel pain in a Body that had never before felt anything like it? What was it like to have to do things to stay alive? What did sleeping and eating and being sick feel like?

I've had a lot of physical pain in the last two months, and I am newly appreciating the fact that Jesus felt body pain, too. And it was physical pain - a weary body and aching joints and a headache, a stomachache, sore feet - pain He had never before had to feel. He got cold and hot and shivery and sweaty. Did He have nightmares?

I wonder about these things.

(And for the record, I think about the good stuff too - dancing and running and jumping - petting animals, climbing a tree, giving a hug - stuff like that - what did Jesus think about all that?!).

I guess I've just never really taken the time to really think what it was like for Jesus to come into this world as a human being - to think how much He had to feel for the VERY FIRST TIME.

He could have come as God - (He did, but you know what I mean...) The burning bush seemed pretty effective. And the fireworks on Mt. Sinai got everyone's attention. So, He probably didn't need to take on human form to bring a message to us. But you see, He had to come as a human being because He was the only human being ever born to die.

"Because God's children are human beings - made of flesh and blood - the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying." (Hebrews 2:14-15, emphasis mine)

Boy, let that sink in.

He became a human so He could die.

Awesome.

Now, the other thing that strikes me about Jesus is this - He probably could have just appeared as a human being, all fully grown at about 30 years old. He could have entered humanity as an adult. But He didn't...

In an absolutely incredible act of humility - He became a cell, an embryo, a fetus, a baby who was born. This boggles my mind.

And sometimes I wonder about this - I don't have any memories before the age of about 4. It occurs to me that those early years belong to my mom. They are HER memories of me, apart from the ME that I know. Did Jesus remember His earliest years? Or did those years belong to Mary alone? Perhaps those days were in her thoughts when the Bible says that she pondered things in her heart.

And, being a mother, I wonder this - because no matter how old our children get, they are still our babies, aren't they? Did Mary see her baby up on that cross?

Friends, these are just random ramblings and ponderings that I've been having about the very real humanity of Jesus.

He was born to feel the limitations and pains of being human...for the first time. He had to take care of His body...for the first time. He felt new sensations - some pleasant, some horrible...for the first time.

He was a mother's baby, toddler, child, teenager - someone's older brother, someone's friend.

He was real.

And He can relate to us in every aspect of our humanity because He chose to feel it all. From birth to death. In a strictly human sense, He was also the Alpha and the Omega - He lived from beginning to end.

I am captivated by Jesus.

God Incarnate.

Emmanuel.

The One who became like me to understand me...

...the One who became like me to save me.

"The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us." (From 1 John 1:1-2, MSG)

"[Jesus] had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death..." (From Philippians 2:5-8, MSG)

So, what do you ponder about the humanity of Jesus?

Won't you join me and visit Joan at "SHARING HIS BEAUTY"!!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

BIBLE PICK 'EMS - In the Middle of the Night

2011-12-11T02:05:00.000-08:00

It's dark.

It's 2:00 AM.

I can't sleep.

There are so many thoughts, so many feelings, reeling around in my head right now.

I'm scared – I feel alone.

Oh Lord, I need to feel Your presence. I need Your peace. I need to rest. Please speak to me.

This is how I felt one night last week. Every now and then, I get a night of insomnia. Sometimes I fall asleep OK, but then I wake up later and can't get back to sleep. But, more often than not, I just can't fall asleep in the first place. I can't shut off the turmoil in my mind. I can't calm my nerves, and worries assault me.

I get panicky as I see the minutes, and then the hours, crawl by. It's so easy to feel vulnerable and small at these times.

So, I did an *emergency* "Bible Pick 'Ems."

I opened my Bible, and found myself in the beginning of 1 Kings 5 – (my "Bible Pick 'Ems"policy is to read only the two pages I have turned to, by the way). So, I'm thinking to myself: "OK, Lord, I trust that You have something here for me. But I'm in 1 Kings, Lord. I think You've got your work cut out for you!"

And sure enough, as I started reading, there was a listing of the governors who served under Solomon, and a geographical account of his kingdom's boundaries. Oh, and a rousing shopping list of the daily food requirements for the palace. And a rather glowing report of all of Solomon's great accomplishments.

So, NOW I'm thinking to myself, "OK, Lord, this isn't really helping me much here."

He said, "Keep reading."

And then, all of a sudden, there it was. JUST what I needed to hear:

"But now the LORD my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well." (1 Kings 5:4)

I cried.

Yes, if you want to be technical, Solomon relayed these words in a message to King Hiram of Tyre. It was Solomon's way of letting Hiram know that his father, David's, work of war and conquest was finished. David had been unable to build "until the LORD gave him victory over all his enemies" (verse 3). Solomon is telling Hiram that there is peace in the land – and now it's time to get started on a certain little Temple-building project!

That is the context of today's verse – and I am not diminishing the very real necessity of reading Scripture in context. The Word of God should not be twisted or misconstrued – just because we want to fit a square peg into a round hole that suits us better.

However, it is the WORD of God.

And I fully believe that God can use it to speak to a very real need at a very certain time. And, at 2:00 in the morning, this verse washed over me like a lullaby. I was overcome by the faithfulness and mercy of God – a Father who would lead me to those completely calming words – right smack dab in the middle of 1 Kings.

Instantly soothed, I began to think about them.

Word by word, here's how it spoke to my very weary heart:

BUT – (in spite of the thoughts and feelings reeling around in my head, God had something ELSE to say to me)

NOW – (not tomorrow, but NOW, at 2:00 AM)

THE LORD MY GOD – (the One and Only LORD, who is MY God)

HAS GIVEN ME PEACE – (serenity, calm, stillness, quiet, tranquility)

ON EVERY SIDE – (peace with Himself through His Son Jesus Christ, and peace in every circumstance through the power of His Holy Spirit)

I HAVE NO ENEMIES – (if God is for me, who can ever be against me?)

AND ALL IS WELL – (God is still on His throne, He is still in control – now, and for eternity, it is well with my soul)

Yes, the perfect words, at just the perfect time.

I turned over and fell quickly asleep – for I rested in the shadow of His wings.

He is so good to me.

How I love Him…

"I lay down and slept…for the LORD was watching over me." (Psalms 3:5)

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe." (Psalms 4:8)

"…the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he…never slumbers or sleeps. The LORD himself watches over you!" (Psalms 121:3-5)

How has the Lord spoken to you with just the right words, at just the right time?

"When in doubt, search God out!"

SATURDAY STROLL

2011-12-10T04:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "SATURDAY STROLL!"

In these posts I will be interacting with Scripture – making it a conversational walk of faith.

Sometimes we'll be talking with Jesus, sometimes God will be talking to us.

There might even be *guest appearances* by some of our beloved characters from the Bible!

So put on your walking shoes – you know we can all use the exercise!

SOME TIMELY ADVICE FROM GOD - especially when He's called us to do something:

I urge you to warn those who are lazy.

Oh, Lord, that would be me, Mrs. Queen Procrastinator. I've been stalling on doing something - something You've asked me to do. I feel quite convicted right now.

Encourage those who are timid.

Lord, that is also me. I'm really nervous about this new venture you're calling me to - it really feels out of my comfort zone. I'm scared.

Take tender care of those who are weak.

Really, Lord? It's OK for me be gentle with myself? Because You know how weak I am. And You know how hard I am on myself.

Be patient with everyone.

Oh, Lord - thank You for giving me permission to be patient with myself. It amazes me that You are often more patient with me than I am with myself.

I am calling you to always try to do good to all people.

Yes, Lord. That is the reason for Your call, isn't it? For the benefit of other people - to tell them about Your very Good News. This is why You want me to speak.

Yes, and My Good News gives you reason to always be joyful.

Oh yes, Your Good News is the best news ever. Lord, forgive me for allowing this world to steal my joy. How can I hold on to it?

Never stop praying.

Unceasing prayer - the antidote to the painful struggles and doubts and challenges of this life. Sometimes I just get so overwhelmed by it all.

I know, but be thankful in all circumstances.

All of them, Lord? Because some of them are so very hard.

Yes, for this is My will for you because you belong to Christ Jesus.

Is it Your will for me to be joyful in all circumstances - or are the circumstances Your will?

Both, dear child, both come from My hand.

Oh, it's a hard lesson, Lord. Sometimes I want to give up. I just can't do it on my own.

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.

No, Lord! Don't let me do that. Please let Your Holy Spirit work in me. Let me have His wisdom and guidance. I don't want to take one step out of Your purposes for me.

Then, test everything that is said.

Hold on to what is good.

And stay away from every kind of evil.

Yes, Lord, in Your Spirit's strength, I will go forward in obedience. I will not lean on my own understanding - I will trust in You. I will believe that You will direct my paths.

Now I will make you holy in every way, and keep your whole spirit and body blameless until My Son comes again.

I will make this happen - I, the One who has called you, am faithful.

You are the only One who is faithful, Lord. The only One I can depend on. The only One who can give me the desire and the power to do Your will. Give me the strength to move forward into Your purposes.

Now go get 'em, Sharon! I'm right beside You!

(Selections from 1 Thessalonians 5)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Manger

2011-12-09T03:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!

Today's word: manger

How do you picture the manger in your mind?

Why do you think God chose a manger as the place for His Son to be born?

Let me know what you think!!

"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

(SIDENOTE: For some reason, my blog is taking a VERY LONG TIME to load for me since Sunday. Are any of you having this trouble with my blog? I'm on Safari, by the way. GRRR...)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

POP – THE QUESTION

2011-12-07T03:05:00.000-08:00

POP.

Last week, a great friend (and evidently, a wise little acre) challenged me to write a devotional about something totally random. OK, you're on!

You might remember me talking about a visit with my brother, who lives at the beach. I talked about the kelp that had washed up on the shore. And I talked about the little *bulbs* that are attached to it. (That was the challenge - write something about the bulbs).

I love popping those things.

Evidently, this just might be a genetic trait. Because I can remember popping those things since I was a child.

At one time, my mom's parents lived in Morro Bay. They managed a trailer park that was right next to the ocean. One of my favorite things to do when I visited was to walk along the beach.

There's a difference between Southern California beaches and the beaches that lie further north. I suppose part of that is due to the lack of millions (literally??) of houses and buildings that crowd the shore of the beaches here in the south.

But, the beaches further north are just more…WILD!

The water is colder, and the waves seem stronger. And usually, the beach is strewn with many more things to see and collect.

I can remember times when the shoreline was littered with tiny jellyfish. And times when we collected hundreds of sand dollars. Sand dollars of every size, too. It was always a minor miracle to me how something only about ¼ of an inch in diameter managed to survive the pounding surf.

My family would usually take the 6-mile roundtrip to Cayucos and back. Six uninterrupted, fascinating, glorious miles walking in the sand along the sea.

One of my favorite things to do was to pop those little seaweed bulbs.

POP. POP. POP.

OK, that's fun. But there has to be a purpose for those little bulbs.

Yup, there is:

"Seaweed is made up of a round, hollow bulb, from which ribbon-like blades emerge from the top of the bulb. The bulbous float at the end of the kelp is filled with up to 10% carbon monoxide gas. The gas-filled bulb pulls the kelp up so that the blades float close to the surface and receive adequate sunlight."

Interesting, huh?

So, here's the lesson.

Someone else delights in popping things.

Satan loves to pop the little bulbs of joy and peace and hope in our lives.

Nothing delights him more than to smash his evil foot on all the things that help keep us afloat in life.

He is, after all, a murderer at heart.

"The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy." (John 10:10)

That job you rely on?

POP.

That house you feel secure in?

POP.

That healthy body and mind?

POP.

Those kids you adore?

POP.

That special friendship, relationship, marriage?

POP.

That list of popping could go on and on.

There he is, gleefully jumping and breaking those little bulbs.

Like I said last week, sometimes I think I can hear him cackle…

But you know what? Those little bulbs are only vulnerable because they're no longer attached. They are no longer connected to the thing that anchors them in the sea.

Washed up on shore – detached from their holdfast – floating away from the rocks – they become victims on the shore.

Is that what we let happen when we are tossed by the mighty waves of life?

Do we become detached from The Rock? Do we let go of our connection to the only One who anchors us?

If we do, we will undoubtedly find ourselves churned by the powerful waves and washed up on shore – where we will become hapless victims of the Evil Bulb-Popper.

Yes, we need those *bulbs* – and the Lord understands that. These things help us stay afloat in life.

But I am learning a very important lesson lately…

What's even more important than staying afloat – is the need to stay anchored.

So, yes, I'm still going to enjoy popping seaweed bulbs – (it's in my genes, remember?!). But I'm not going to do it without taking the time to look out to the mighty kelp beds that lie offshore.

The strong and sturdy kelp that is kept alive because it is anchored – held fast – by the rock it clings to.

POP – the question…

Are you more worried about staying afloat than staying anchored to The Rock?

(SIDENOTE: I have been recognized by Denise at Shortybear's Place. I am so blessed to have received this very thoughtful gesture. Thank you, Denise, for thinking of me - your kindness means so much!

Hey everyone, please stop by and visit Denise's blog - it's wonderful!)

(Other note: Having some issues with the Followers gadget, and slow loading. Please hang in there with me!!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

SCARS IN THE DEEP PLACES

2011-12-05T03:05:00.000-08:00

I really like whales.

You'd think that living this close to the Pacific Ocean, that I might have gone whale-watching. I haven't yet. How come? Well, to be honest, I get seasick.

I've tried wearing those little wrist bracelets that are supposed to help. They do, actually. And I've tried medication. That also helps – but usually at the cost of just making me sleep the whole adventure away.

So, I've not had the joy of seeing a whale in real life.

Except for Sea World, which in my opinion doesn't really count.

There's this really interesting video on YouTube that I watched recently. It's taken by a guy out in the ocean on his kayak. He has a *close encounter* with a blue whale. Oh my. It's spectacular viewing! Utterly awe-inspiring.

Whales are so very cool.

But they do not swim alone in the ocean depths.

I remember watching a documentary about giant squids. Legend has often mentioned a terrifying creature from the depths of the ocean that plagued ancient whalers. But, until recently, there have never been any photos of the elusive giant. And so, this enemy has long been doubted to even exist.

This documentary changed all that – these scientists captured it on film.

Fascinating.

The giant squid is the primary enemy of the sperm whale. And during this documentary, they also showed some footage of a swimming sperm whale. Let me tell you – its skin was covered with scars. Some were long slashes, some were short gashes – and in some areas, there were these odd, round-shaped scars.

Tentacles and suction cups.

That's what they were. Scars from undersea battles with the giant squid. An enemy that has been doubted to even exist – until lately.

It got me thinking.

The ocean is a deep and mysterious place.

And somewhere in its eerie and silent depths, the sperm whale has done battle with a fearsome enemy. It has the scars to prove it.

As I pondered this, it occurred to me that it's no different in our own lives. Like battle-weary warriors, we bear the scars of battles that we have fought with our fearsome enemy.

And the worst battles have happened in the deep places – in the depths of our souls. The places that are mysterious to everyone, except for us and God.

Easy battles require spiritual band-aids. Easy battles are nothing more than the little cuts and bruises that regular life seems to bring on a fairly regular basis. We all have those. They don't usually leave scars.

But, oh – the other battles.

The battles with silent despair, or consuming grief, or overwhelming fear – those battles are waged in the deep and mysterious places. Those are battles that no one knows about. Battles that we fight alone…

Battles that we win because we are NOT alone.

I am reminded of that great and majestic sperm whale. Doing what it's supposed to do. Swimming – free and unencumbered – in the beautiful and shining sea.

Yes, it has done battle.

It has been to the deep places – and faced battles that no one will ever see. But it has come out of those confrontations alive! Wearing scars that have been dearly won, it swims as the king of the ocean.

Strong, undeterred, glorious.

Yes, I want to swim like that.

And it's possible – all because of some other scars that were won in the deep places.

Jesus and the ancient foe.

In a battle waged in the deepest place of all – a place separate from the Father – a place that was darker than we will ever know – Jesus fought and won.

He has the scars to prove it.

And because of Him, I can fight alongside Him in my deep places.

I can win my fearsome battles against the enemy.

I can come out eternally alive.

And I can swim, free and unencumbered, in the beautiful and shining sea of His Love.

Strong, undeterred, glorious.

Forever, His scars will cover mine.

Do you have any scars from battle in the deep places?

I am linked today with The Beauty In His Grip - just "SHARING HIS BEAUTY"

(SIDENOTE: I have been recognized by Joan at Reflections of His Grace. It is my tremendous honor to have been given this very thoughtful gesture. Thank you, Joan, for thinking of me - and I am humbled by your kind words.

Won't you please visit Joan's blog - she is a friend who is dear, kind, and the best to me)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

BIBLE PICK 'EMS - Jesus Speaks

2011-12-04T02:05:00.000-08:00

Sometimes "Bible Pick 'Ems" lands me right in the middle of an unfolding scene.

Today, I found myself sandwiched right in between Jesus' arrest and His crucifixion. Our poor Lord, being beaten and taunted – shuffled around to various "authorities" to decide His fate.

Didn't they know? – (rhetorical question…)

His death was a plan put in place before the world began.

But as I looked at the two pages that I turned to in my Bible, what jumped out to me was all the little red letters.

Jesus talking.

So, I put all of them together. Here's what our Savior, on the eve of His crucifixion, had to say to His accusers:

"Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.

If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I'm speaking the truth, why are you beating me?

Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?

My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.

You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.

You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin."

(From John 18 & 19)

Wow.

I am made speechless by the Lord's words.

First of all, as an English major, I am impressed at their cohesiveness. Because, you see, these words were not said at the same time or the same place.

Some were said in front of the high priest, some were said before Pilate (at two different times) – and there was a lot of shuttling around in between.

So, I am amazed at how the Lord's words sound like one paragraph, spoken at one time. He absolutely knew what He was saying at any given moment.

Second of all, I believe those words could be said this very day to any person alive. Those words still have the same impact, the same power, the same authority they did almost 2,000 years ago!

Why? Because they speak truth.

Third, I love that Jesus says He spoke "where the people gather." Yes, His message is meant for the people. Jesus sought out the places where the people were. He met them on their own turf – and gave them His Truth. We ought to do the same. Jesus said, "You want to know about Me? Ask those who heard Me."

Friends, that would be us – we are the ones who have heard.

Fourth, though we can't read the tone of Jesus' voice, sometimes I think I can hear it. So, when He says to Pilate, "Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?" – I think it's more than just a quest for information. There's some irony in there.

I think Jesus is implying that Pilate had already heard His message – perhaps He is implying that Pilate was interested.

"Are you asking your own questions, Pilate? Or have you heard about me from others and you're interested? Hmmm??"

Pilate’s retort sounds defensive to me: "Am I a Jew?"

Jesus always causes a reaction, doesn't He? And it's curious to me how often He makes people defensive and angry, testy and argumentative. Few people are apathetic about His Name.

The rest of Jesus' words hold such power.

My kingdom is not earthly – it is not of this world.

If it was, the world would want to save Me.

The reason I was born? To testify to the Truth.

And those who recognize truth – Absolute Truth – outside of their own logic and understanding?

Those are the ones who will recognize Me.

And the closing words of Jesus are words that are spoken to every ruler or authority on this earth and in the heavenly realms – you have NO POWER over Me.

So, as we approach the coming celebration of the birth of Jesus, I am captivated by what we learn about Him at the approach of His death.

He didn't come into the world as a king – but as a King.

And He was born to die…for us.

Have you ever just gone through the New Testament and read only the red letters?

Take some time and let Him speak to your heart through His words – only His words – in the Word!

"When in doubt, search God out!"

SATURDAY STROLL

2011-12-03T04:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "SATURDAY STROLL!"

In these posts I will be interacting with Scripture – making it a conversational walk of faith.

Sometimes we'll be talking with Jesus, sometimes God will be talking to us.

There might even be *guest appearances* by some of our beloved characters from the Bible!

So put on your walking shoes – you know we can all use the exercise!

It is My privilege to conceal things and My privilege to let you discover them.

O LORD my God, how great You are!

No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of earth, or all that goes on in My mind!

You make the clouds Your chariot - You ride upon the wings of the wind.

I stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens and make the rafters of My home in the rain clouds.

LORD, the earth trembles at Your glance - the mountains smoke at Your touch.

I have placed the world on its foundation so it would never be moved.

LORD, Your faithful love endures forever.

I have set a boundary for the seas, so they will never again cover the earth.

Oh, LORD, thank You for the promise of Your rainbow.

I take care of people and animals and flowers and everything in My creation.

Yes, everything depends on You.

Yes, so here's my request:

Give thanks to Me and proclaim My greatness.

Let the whole world know what I have done.

Sing to me and tell everyone about My wonderful deeds.

Exult in My holy name.

Search for Me and My strength - continually seek Me.

Remember the wonders I have performed.

I will always stand by My covenant.

It is a commitment I made to a thousand generations!

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

I cannot list all of His glorious miracles.

I can never praise Him enough.

Remember me, LORD, when you show favor to Your people.

Come near and rescue me.

I take pleasure in all that I have made - and that includes YOU!

I will love the LORD as long as I live.

I will praise my God to my last breath!

My glory will continue forever!

(Selections from Genesis 8, Psalms 104-106, and Proverbs 25)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Advent

2011-12-02T03:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!

Today's word: advent

What does the word advent mean?

What is the one thing you think we need to remember during this Advent season?

I would LOVE to have you share some of the special things you to do to celebrate Advent.

Let me know what you think!!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

THE HOLY "SO WHAT?"

2011-11-30T03:05:00.000-08:00

Ouch.

Ready for some "California Whining" on such a winter's day? (Thank you "Mamas and Papas"…)

Before any of you bloggers out there look down in disdain at this California girl, let me be the first person to say that yes, we Californians are *winter wienies.* We complain when it gets below 50 degrees, we absolutely cannot drive in the rain, and we have been known to stare in dismay as a select (very) few trees actually turn orange and lose their leaves.

That's my California disclaimer…

But, still – when the weather turns colder and wetter, my body starts to ache. My joints are not jumpin' – they are creaking, grinding, and swollen.

Especially my knees.

Also, I've been a victim of terrible headaches since I was a young girl. Not sure if they're "typical" migraines – I don't get the weird little lights that they call a migraine *aura* – but they definitely send me to a darkened, silent room with an upset stomach. And I seem to get these headaches more during cold weather.

Do you guys have your hankies out yet?!

My point is this – winter sets off all sorts of alarms in my body.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I found myself in church on a very stormy day (actually stormy – not just California "stormy"). I had to run to the sanctuary through pouring rain – it was very cold and windy, too (actually cold – not just California "cold"). I found my sons, and sat down with them. I was wet, freezing cold, and I hurt – my joints were on fire, and my head was pounding in pain. I sat there and tried to re-adjust my attitude. It was, after all, time for worship…

I looked to the front stage of our church – they have this huge wooden cross up there. And it's always lit up in some way. This Sunday, there was a wash of red light across it. I spoke to Jesus…

"You know, Lord, I'm really hurting today. And much of this pain has become sorta chronic. It distracts me, it sidelines me, it's making it difficult to negotiate life sometimes. Am I always going to have to deal with this – for the rest of my entire life? I'm tired, Lord."

There was silence.

At first I was frustrated. Is the Lord just going to ignore me pouring out my heart?

No…He wasn't.

He was just waiting for the quiet moment – soon I felt the still, small presence of Him near.

And then, something inside of me changed. I felt a rush of power and peace. An undergirding of strength. An infusion of encouragement and joy. And a great truth began to wash over me as I stared at that cross.

It doesn't matter.

It really doesn't matter what my body does or what it feels like.

And with a determination that I didn't know was in me, I said this to that cross:

"You know what, Lord?! SO WHAT? So what if my body hurts the rest of my life? So what if I always suffer from these stupid headaches? So what if I struggle with suffering? So what if the enemy plagues me every single day of my life until I die? SO WHAT…

If I have pain the rest of my life, it doesn't matter. If you choose not to remove my particular *thorns in the flesh* – OK, I can deal with that. You had a reason to leave Paul's with him – so I can accept that You have a reason to leave mine.

SO WHAT?!

I can still serve You. I can still speak out. I can still write about You and walk with You and worship You.

And Lord, I will love YOU forever – in spite of anything else that comes up against me. It's all nonsense when compared to the joy of knowing YOU!"

I smiled.

And then my smile just got bigger and bigger.

Because, you see, while I had been talking, Jesus had stepped down from that cross, made His way across the aisles, walked through the crowd, and found His way right next to me. He'd sat down and put His arm around my shoulder.

"Yes, Sharon. You've got it! You and me together, it's all that really matters. As for all the rest of it?"

He paused...

And then we said together, "SO WHAT!"

The holy *SO WHAT* that puts everything else into piercingly clear perspective. The *SO WHAT* that doesn't ignore the tough stuff of life – but subordinates it to the tremendous privilege of walking every step of life with the Lord. The *SO WHAT* that chooses to claim every "thorn" that comes along as a medal.

A sign of battles waged, and wars won by the One.

The only One who matters at all.

Life?

So what?!

"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." (Philippians 3:8)

What are the things that plague your spirit? With the Lord's help, can you say SO WHAT?

It's time for Joan's GRACE CAFE - C'mon over and join us!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"