Isaiah 43 - God is doing a NEW THING!  

So much in this world seems to be wrong; I suppose I could begin a list, but that would take all day and the weight of it would blind me to the NEW THING God has already begun in my own life, in my church, in my city, in my state, in my country, and in the world. 

Instead of thinking on those things let's CHOOSE to look FORWARD, to run the race with CONFIDENCE, to be BOLD, to step out in FAITH, to dare to HOPE, to claim VICTORY!

"I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
²⁰ The wild animals in the fields will thank me,
    the jackals and owls, too, for giving them water in the desert.
Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland
    so my chosen people can be refreshed.
²¹ I have made Israel for myself,
    and they will someday honor me before the whole world."

In 2013, let us walk as sons and daughters of The King of kings.  Let us CHOOSE FREEDOM over bondage, JOY over hopelessness, LOVE over hatred, FAITH over fear.  

Let VICTORY be our heart's cry in 2013!

The king's heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD;

He guides it wherever He pleases.

 Proverbs 21:1      

Have You Forgotten?

The Death of a Vision

We all have some idea or "vision" of what our life is to be like, what career path we're going to take, where we want our kids to grow up...  Many of you have followed that vision to the letter and are exactly where you planned to be at this point and time.  Some of you, however may not be anywhere near where you thought you'd be, yet here you are; we call this

"the death of a vision".  

The death of a vision can leave us with an incredible sense of loss.  Bill Gotthard said, "Sometimes God leaves our vision dead and never revives it; this tells us it was not His will but of our own making.  Sometimes He renews and fulfills our exact vision and sometimes He brings to life something similar, but different."

In John 12:24 Jesus says, "...unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But, if it dies, it produces many seeds."

God has a special purpose for all of us and He equips us for that purpose.  We all have desires, ambitions, and special talents.  When we are able to visualize, by faith, what God would have us do with these ambitions or talents, we see

"the birth of a vision".

Look at the birth of the vision in John 12:24, as it pertains specifically to the grain of wheat.  We see that a grain of wheat has a "vision" of reproducing itself and many more grains of wheat.  The death of the vision comes when the grain falls to the ground and dies.  At that point, it seems impossible that the vision of producing more grains of wheat can ever be fulfilled.  

We can very easily become discouraged when our vision dies; when we see no possibility for coming back, of having our marriages restored, our careers resurrected, etc.  We have to remember that if the vision is God's to begin with, He will be faithful to complete it.  We just have to wait on Him and trust Him.  We have to walk by faith and not by sight.

The loss of anyone or anything that matters to us can trigger the grief process; the closer the relationship or the more we've invested (of ourselves, our time, our money, our hopes, our dreams), the deeper the loss.

Five Stages of Grief

1 - Denial - "this can't be happening"; "there's got to be some other explanation"

2 - Anger - wanting to fight back, place blame, get angry at someone, even yourself for allowing "it" to happen, even God; bitterness.

3 - Bargaining - attempting to make deals with God to stop or change what's happening.

4 - Depression - an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, frustration, unforgiveness, mourning.

5 - Acceptance - finding the good that can come out of loss; finding comfort and healing; finding forgiveness and peace.

"The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; His ears are open to their cries for help...The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those who are crushed in spirit."  Ps. 34:15 & 18

God sees what you're going through right now.  God hears your cries for help.

Psalm 84:6 says that there are "refreshing springs and pools of blessing when we walk through the Valley of the Weeping".

How precious is that?!  My commentary on these verses says, "Growing strong in God's presence is often preceded by a journey through barren places in our lives...The person who loves to spend time with God will see his/her adversity as an opportunity to re-experience God's faithfulness."

It's hard to say how long we might experience any one stage of grief, but the fulfillment of the God-given vision is a promise; He will complete what He began.  The fulfillment of the vision is not dependant on where we are in the grief process.  We may not, however clearly be able to see God's hand until we've completed the acceptance stage.  After all, hindsight is 20/20.

"The fulfillment of the vision"

 in John 12:24 is seen as the harvest springs up out of the very process of what appeared to be the death of the grain that fell to the ground.  In Isaiah, God says (and I love this), "...I am about to do a brand new thing.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home.  I will create rivers for them in the desert!"  (43:19)

God is doing a "new thing"!  He's "already begun!"  God says He's making "a pathway through (what feels very much like) the wilderness" and He's "creating rivers" for us in this dry and weary land.  The word "create" here is the same word used in Genesis 1:1 - bara - it means "out of nothing".  God's not fixing your old vision, He's creating a brand new vision - He's already begun!

But wait...there's more good news...

Not only is God creating a new vision for you by way of a new job, new love for your spouse, new appreciation for life, etc...

God is doing a "brand new thing" inside of you also - in your heart and in your mind!

Charles Stanley said, "What the mind thinks governs everything."  Look back at The Five Stages of Grief...Your loss drug you through denial, anger, bargaining, and depression all of which separate us from God.  Those thoughts/feelings originate in the mind and find it's way to our hearts where bitterness and unforgiveness can easily take root.

Step into the "refreshing springs, and pools of blessing", my friend.

 God's "new thing" has begun!

Time

One more school year under our belt. Next week, Moi will begin his sophomore year.  Where has the time gone? I was looking through some old pictures this morning; I sure miss those baby/toddler years. Fat little cheeks, no wrists or ankles...precious! Now he's as tall as I am; a most handsome young man. While I miss those early years, I am most proud of the man he is becoming. 

Life goes by too quickly. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, and months into...decades. My granddaughter is graduating from kindergarten, my oldest grandson is going to be in the 6th grade, and my baby boy will be 3. 

On my dresser is a photo of myself and my great-grandmother; I must have been about 4 years old at the time. Four...that was 55 years ago, but it seems like just yesterday. 

So, where does the time go? 

It rests in photographs, letters, and in our memories. It lines the walls in beautiful frames, and fills the pages of family albums. Time can be found in boxes filled with 8mm reels, VCR tapes, and DVDs; cards, letters, and journals kept in dresser drawers, desks, or shoe boxes in the closet. It's found in the lines on the faces of those we love, in the old boots that sit next to the fireplace, the worn rocker/recliner, or the handkerchief in my dresser. 

In short, time never really goes anywhere. It sticks around reminding us of where we came from and the road we've traveled.

While antique shopping with Moi this weekend, I saw many photographs of men, women, and children that looked to have been taken in the early 1900's. Looking at them, I realized that even when we are gone and forgotten by those we have loved, time never forgets. 

Time - amazing.

Exhaustion

I am going to do something I don't do too often, I am going to share with you how I really feel today...

I have had a rough 4 weeks.  I have found myself busier than I like to be and I am exhausted - physically, emotionally, and therefore spiritually exhausted.  

How does that happen?  I didn't wake up 4 weeks ago and say, "Let me see how much I can cram into the next 4 weeks.  Let me work myself into such a state of exhaustion that I can't think about anything else but how tired I am."  I didn't say any of those things, but clearly I didn't pace myself or take time for myself and my family somewhere in the midst of all that could not be avoided either.

Admittedly, I am all about the task; a task driven individual who actually works better under pressure.  I often wait till 5 days before my deadline to kick it in gear and, oddly enough, I seem to derive some kind of satisfaction in the midst of the exhaustion I complain about.  How warped is that?!?

Surely you can relate.

I know that I am not unique.  I have talked to countless women over the years who do not pace themselves, do not take care of themselves, and always put others first.  I am curious to know if men are the same.  I know my husband works hard at his job and when he comes home, he changes clothes and heads for the barn.  He does say, however, that working outside is his "therapy".  That doesn't make sense to me since he works so hard outside that he has been on the verge of heat exhaustion too many times.  

Rarely do I go for a mani/pedi, I even hate to stop long enough for a haircut; I spend the entire time thinking about all the things I should be doing.  I have several hobbies, but I don't make time for them.  Did I mention I don't have a job outside the home.  I am a stay-at-home mom!  What would my life be like if I did work outside the home!  OMGoodness...can't go there.

The big question is, do I need to be this busy?  The answer is a resounding NO !  That's the really sad part.  

So, how busy is too busy?  

For me, "too busy" is when I miss a doctor's appointment because I haven't looked at the calendar for the past 2 weeks.   "Too busy" is when Moi doesn't have any clean jeans and my husband has to go to Walmart to buy new underwear and socks because his are buried under 6 loads of dirty laundry.  "Too busy" is when the bill collectors begin calling because the unopened mail is somewhere on the desk I keep dumping stuff on to get it out of my way.  "Too busy" is realizing I only put mascara on one eye and can't remember if I used deodorant.  "Too busy" is forgetting to take my medicine or brush my teeth because I was distracted and wasn't able to follow my usual routine.  "Too busy" is smiling and saying everything's fine when what I really want to do is sleep for the next 24 hours, soak in a hot tub, and have a good cry.

I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who doesn't mind tripping over laundry, eating out, or supplementing his needs from Walmart.  He has always encouraged me to take more time for myself.  Maybe I should listen to him.  Things are slowing down.  Yesterday I was able to (and gave myself permission to) sleep in; thank You, Lord!  I spent some time with "the babies" (my youngest grandchildren) and cooked a beautiful meal for my entire family and a precious friend; it was a wonderful day!  Today the housekeeper is here doing all the things I have not been able to (bless her, Lord, she's so good to me). So today I am just going to relax - at least until it's time to fix dinner.  

This week I was reminded of what I already know full well, our days are numbered; we are not promised tomorrow.  There is no better time for me to start slowing down than now.  Maybe I'll start a new sewing project or go antiquing.  

What about you?

Easter

It's not about Easter bunnies, chocolate or otherwise.  It's not about little ducklings or chicks, cute as they may be.  It's not about hiding plastic eggs filled with candy...


It's about an empty tomb!  


It's about victory over death and the grave!  


It's about hope!


It's about life everlasting!


Obviously, you can celebrate any way you choose, just please "remember the reason for the season"; remember the power of the resurrection.  Don't let the true meaning get lost in baskets of Easter eggs and candy.  Our children should know that Christ gave His life for them, but that death could not hold Him.  

He lives!

Love to all, and may you be filled with the TRUTH of God's Word as you celebrate Resurrection Sunday.