Is Imagination Dying?

When I was a teenager, I dreamed of traveling the world.  I even majored in International Business for a time to be sure this dream came true.  

But, for most of my younger life and then the years following my teenage years, I had a yearning for something simpler.  I thought about becoming a farmer--reading farming and homesteading magazines.  I dreamed of an opportunity to 'live off the land'.  My foray into raising chickens was my first project.  Those fluffy feathered creatures who miraculously provide eggs and enjoy pecking and searching all day provided a nice start to farming.  And I still keep chickens on the property.  In fact, my kids have finally decided they enjoy them and have taken over our latest young flock.

Given the chance, I enjoy long walks in the woods.  After rare events of snow in Mississippi, I have followed the tracks of animals in the woods just to see how far I could go.  I've traipsed through briars, pine thickets, hardwood stands, and meandering paths.  I've waded through streams, creeks, and branches--always fascinated with these small tributaries of water. I enjoy trying to map out the lay of the land in my mind.  Though I admit I am not good at it, it feels like an adventure to me.

Ask any of the children who have spent time with me and they can probably tell you about a woodland adventure or two--maybe one that involved briars they weren't willing to go through.

My imagination has seemed to wane as I grow older.  It was a sad death to me and I yearn for those times when my imagination was sharp and vibrant.  Going outdoors seems to awaken in me that imagination that is often lost in a world of technology.  

I go outside and see things that interest me and spark something deep inside of me.  Today, it was a spider's web across a path where long stems of burnt orange pine straw stuck in the delicate threads.  A warning for me to duck.  There was a dead tree with its trunk gnawed away by bugs or beaver--only a thin piece of trunk tying the tree to the land and preventing it from falling over.  There was the small blue jay feather and a turkey feather--triumphant finds for kids who just studied how feathers work.  The finds allowed for discussing the interesting zipping feature that feathers have and how these birds run their beaks through their feathers to re-zip them.  There was the baby calf ambling behind its mama hoping for a warm drink of milk.  There was the path too filled with briars to traverse, but with a promise made to come back in winter.  Future plans were made for a picnic as the weather cooled.  The kids recalling with fondness picnics of their past and where they had been held.  There were the potato peels from preparing a roast that was fed piece by piece to the goats.  The billy pushing his way to the front to be sure he had more than his share.  

I'm not surprised at my love for nature.  I spent a wonderful childhood in the woods.  My imagination was at times, my only companion.  Both at my parent's home and at the home of my grandparents there was always a spot of land to be explored.  A question to be asked.  An adventure to be had.  It's no wonder that spending a little time outdoors, sparks my imagination again.  

My only regret is that my children aren't as adventurous to go stalking through the woods on their own.  I am often their companion.  However, our homeschool has allowed me to set aside time each day where they are forced outside.  They usually spend this time with their animals.  The other day, I was pleased to see they had fixed a problem with a fence with their own ingenuity.  Maybe imagination isn't dead.  Maybe we all need a little more encouragement to take the time to get outside and explore.  After all, God has given man much knowledge and we can build great things, but the greatest of the things are those that God created in the first six days of creation.

Invest and Save For The Future...Eternity

Through my education, I learned that it was necessary to make good, sound financial decisions.  I learned that you should invest, save money, have a good job, think about your future.  We all know these are supposed no-brainers.

One of the most vivid memories of saving happened to me while I was at college.

I was poor.  I was going to school on God's grace.  I had a minimum wage job and money was tight.  A speaker came to teach one of the student organizations I was involved with and he encouraged us to begin investing as soon as we could.  As part of his speech, he pulled out a $20 bill.  $20!  He looked around the room and said, "I'll give $20 to any student who has a 4.0 GPA."  He grinned as he looked around the room and saw no hands going up. 

In a group like this, I am a total introvert and even though I had a 4.0 GPA, I was hesitant to raise my hand.  One, I felt like it was bragging.  Two, I didn't want to draw attention to myself.  But $20!  So, I raised my hand.  I immediately realized that he was betting no one had the GPA and he'd keep the cool $20, but as promised he handed it over and said, "Be sure you invest this."

I don't specifically know what I did with it, but I'm sure I used it to put gas in my car or buy shampoo.  His words never left me though.  Years and years of working and learning and taking advice always left me with the words that we should plan for our future.  Right now, I could give you a really GOOD talk about planning for your future.  I could wax poetic about investing, saving, working, planning!  I really could.  I'm an accountant, after all.

But, I'll admit to you that I'm in a new place.  I'm looking at planning for the future and seeing that phrase turned on its head.  I'm seeing Jesus and everything He has done for me and I see that planning for the future should be analyzed against the backdrop of eternity.  The hardest thing about planning for the future and NOT doing it under my own power is...trusting God.

Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.  Matthew 7:21

Yesterday, I was waiting on an email answer that was part of my future.  I expected the email answer to be, "No", but I was hoping I was wrong and a big, fat "yes" would come instead--a miracle.  A minute before I started teaching my last class, I saw my phone post the email.  I didn't have to open the email to see the "No."  

Immediately, I felt anxiety grip my soul and I wanted to cry.  I felt defeated.  I wanted to question God and know why things didn't happen easily, without struggle, and with lots of "Yes's".  I went in to that class.  I taught the class with that dejection hanging around my neck.  

After the class, I picked up my phone and made a call that was on my list of to-do's.  Before the conversation ended, Jackie asked me if I had a prayer request.  I don't know Jackie.  Never met her.  Probably never will.  I managed to tell Jackie to pray about my "No", even though another problem I was having cropped into my mind, but I didn't want to share it with Jackie. (P.S. It was probably the reason the "No" devastated me.)  I expected Jackie would take down my prayer request and we'd hang up.  

And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words..." Romans 8:26

All of a sudden, I hear Jackie praying!  My heart literally breaks in two with gratitude and I begin sobbing!  Seriously Sobbing!  Jackie's prayer opened a direct line from the Father to my heart and tears flowed.  I could hardly mumble a "Thank You" after Jackie finished praying.  But, she knew that her prayer touched me.  She said, "Wow!  The Holy Spirit is moving, isn't He?  I stumbled through that prayer because I wasn't sure I was praying right, but He moved."  And, Jackie, my Sister in the Faith was right.  Jackie didn't know, but God did.  He knew I needed to know that He was watching, that He saw me struggling against living a life of planning for the future versus living a life Planning For The Future in His Kingdom.

and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:27

I know this blog may be lengthy today and may be hard to understand, but YOU, you ONE person, God wants YOU to know that He sees you.  All the wisdom from man may sound sweet and may tickle your ears, but KNOW that this wisdom does NOT come from God.  He has a calling on His people and He calls us to trust Him, rely on Him, and reach OUT--not in.  

When I was in college, I was totally relying on God.  I had no money, but I ended up with a college education because He paid for it.  After that, He provided work and I went about the business of planning for the future.  Now, I feel Him asking me to re-evaluate my trust in me and my trust in Him.  These questions come to my mind:

What does planning for the future look like?  If you are invested in the stock market, what companies are you invested in?  Do you know?  What are you supporting with your money?  Do you have savings that could be helping others?  What if you lost it all tomorrow--what will you have to show when you stand before the Lord?  What good will all we have stored up on earth be in heaven?

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence shall my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.  Psalms 121:1-3

I'm Sassy and Then I Get On My Knees

I wish I wasn't sassy, but I am.  I wish that I always spoke words of goodness and never anything negative, judgmental, or harsh.  Sometimes I say things and immediately regret them.  Am I alone in this?

The good news is when I start having a pity party about my own shortcomings, I am reminded that God still uses me--even when I am broken, no good, rotten, sad, terrible, and sassy! 

If there is any good part to being sassy--it's that I am redeemable and usable.  As I was feeling bad about myself today, God reminded me that he used me last week to let one family know that He was thinking about them.  He does use broken things.

I have a special chair that sits just off my living room.  It is literally MY chair.  I'm not kidding!  It's a chair and a half that someone was throwing out years ago and I salvaged it.  It's plaid and I keep telling myself one day I should get it reupholstered, but I love it so I can't part with it.  It's comfy and I usually sit in it sideways because I get the best view outside the big windows of my sunroom.  No dogs are allowed in my chair.  All my favorite things surround my chair.....okay, books--books---books surround my chair.  This is where I go every morning, first thing.  I sip my coffee in this chair and get ready to tackle the day.   And if I can get work done in this chair, that's where I sit any other time of the day, too.  Like right now as I write this blog--I'm in the chair sideways with my throw over me.  I can look to the right and see God's creation - water, grass, and tall, straight pines with a road running between them.  And if I look to my left, I can see my children bent over their books at the dining room table.  Did I say it's perfect?  It is my special place.  Many tears, prayers, journaling, and reading happen in this chair.

And so it was in my favorite chair that I read a message from a Facebook friend of mine who I have never met in person--only via social media. This friend was requesting me to pray for their family, which I immediately did early one morning last week.

As I started to pray, I felt the Lord nudge me, "Pray on your knees." 

I admit it took me a moment to push myself from my super comfy chair and hit the hard floor, but I did.  I got on my knees and prayed over my friend's request.  I then began work, but later the Lord reminded me about that prayer and prompted me to let my friend know that I had felt the need to pray on my knees. 

These are the times when I don't question God because I know He has a reason and I've seen Him work in this way before.  This was one of those times.  I picked up my phone and let her know.  It wasn't long until she messaged me back and explained that I was the third person the family knew of who had felt the need to not only pray but to pray from their knees.  This touched the family deeply.  And we were able to share a grace bumps, praising God kind of moment together!

Why is that important?  Because it lets me know that God spoke to me in a special way--that I am usable.  It let them know that not only did someone pray because they were asked, but they prayed in a specific way because God asked for the prayer in a specific way.  That family knew without any doubt that God was thinking about them and had asked some of His children to be intentional in their prayer--praying subserviently and with fervor. 

God is so good.  I encourage you--the next time you think of someone--ask yourself if God put them on your mind.  Think on it and pray for them.  Then, go a step further.  Let them know that God put them on your mind.  Let them know the Father was thinking about them.  He always is, but it doesn't hurt to let broken people like me and you have the reminder.  We all need to be reminded that we are loved, that we matter, and that God can overcome our weakness--even sassiness. 

If I Kidnapped Jesus

My God is Powerful.  He is a Strong Tower and He is the One who I would like to have a cup of coffee with in the morning.  No---seriously!  Like, I'd like Him to show up and sit beside me in my big chair made for coffee drinking.  We'd talk and I'd ask a lot of questions.  He'd have immeasurable love glowing from His eyes when He looked at me.  He'd tell me some hard things, but He'd answer a lot of hard things, too.  We'd laugh.  We'd cry.  We'd talk and talk and honestly, I'd chain him to my chair and never let him go!  :-)

The truth is as much as I've prayed THAT prayer for Jesus to show up in flesh and speak to me, He never has.  And in my humanness, I think it'd be nice for Him to do that, but I KNOW I'd never want to let Him go and that could be a problem for YOU.  If I kidnapped Jesus in human form, He wouldn't be with you when you needed him.  As Jesus is, He is able to be with me and you and you and you.  He is able to speak with us, too.  No, it's not in the way we would like with him giving us play-by-play instructions like a coach on the sidelines.  But if He did that would we be living our lives? Nope.  If Jesus really forced anything on us, how would we grow?  How would we become the person He needs for us to be to rule in heaven with Him?  

The truth is, we wouldn't.  Go ahead and think about it.  If you told your kids what to do every second of the day, wouldn't they be robots?  Don't you allow them to make decisions--even bad ones--so they can learn.  Sure, you do.  And He does, too.  And He doesn't send us a handwritten note delivered by USPS when we are confused, but He does send us a handwritten note through years and years of His faithful followers--some who martyred themselves to be sure YOU had the Bible sitting in your house today--His handwritten note to you.  Jesus is clear on what we are to do to have a relationship with Him.  "Seek and you shall find.  Knock and it will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7), "For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened (Luke 11:10), and ""But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you (Luke 6:33)."  

Those are words from Jesus!  These are the words He'd tell us if we were sipping coffee with Him.  

This means we are to open His Word and read it.  I believe every day--all day.  We are to read and pray.  You can't seek a friend by never calling on them.  You don't find a new pair of shoes by not actively looking for them.  Think about it--what have YOU done TODAY to actively seek the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?  

The Word is waiting and it has GREAT power beyond these words I am typing to you.  Hebrews 4:12 tells us, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

I can testify that this is true.  When I pick up the Word, I am always amazed at the prick of my Spirit, the opening of my eyes, the admonition I receive, the advice I get, the love I feel.  

Thank you, God, for your handwritten note to me, to her, and to him.

I loved your prayer requests.  Send them to me at elisa1ann2@yahoo.com.  I do love praying for you!  How can I pray for you today?

Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic - Ara-what?

Before I begin this word today, prayer was in order, "Lord, I know You know what You want me to say.  You are bigger than me.  My purpose is bigger than Me.  I'm just a little gal from Mississippi who has struggled, who deals with heartache, and heartbreak.  I am not a Bible scholar, but I know You speak to me through Your Word.  And I know you have something You need to tell someONE right here today.  So, Lord, I am weak, but You are strong.  I am willing, and You will hold my hand." 

Sometimes I sit in church and not much happens.  But, I work to make it a practice to open my eyes and ears and really pay attention and whisper, "Okay, God, what do You have for me today?"

This past Sunday was one of those days that my heart beat a little quicker, my ears perked up, and I listened intently for the Words of my Father because I knew He had something to say.

Last week was a week of proclaiming victory in the desires of my heart and thanking God for answering those prayers BEFORE I could see the answer.  So, it came as no surprise to me that He had something to say to me during worship on Sunday.

From John 5:1-9, the man lying at the pool of Bethesda became me.  When the preacher said, "How long have you been in your condition waiting?", I felt my Spirit answer--too long.  And when the man told Jesus his excuse, "I have no man to do this thing for me (my words)," I felt myself chuckle because I had said this very thing.  And when Jesus said, "Arise, take up your pallet, and walk," I felt that Jesus had said this to me so many times.

Just get it done.  You know what to do.  How long will you keep dreaming about it?  Planning, scheming, and crying?  Unfortunately, longer than I care to admit.  But, I did make a promise to the Lord that this time I would not stop no matter what.  Gulp.  That's scary to tell God.  

Why?

Because, friend, when you plan to take your healing (physical, mental, spiritual, etc.) and push forward in obedience, there is the GREAT possibility that Satan will attack.  He will probably attack where you least expect it and it will probably hurt and you will probably tuck tail and lay back down at the pool of Bethseda, lick your wounds, and start crying out again for someone to put you in the healing waters!  

So, yes, I've done that before, okay, maybe several "befores"--have you?

If you have, the good news is that God is patient and merciful with our fear.  Because He didn't stop with the morning sermon, He went on and preached to me at the evening service, too.  (I know, I know, the preacher will have much fodder with me in the congregation. :-) )

The Word came from Matthew 14:1-12.  Yep, Good ol' Peter stepping out of that boat gung-ho to walk to His Savior....and then, - WAIT - SCREECH - HALT - WHAT WAS I THINKING?  My faith isn't big enough for this after all.  Just kidding, better head back to the boat.  And, yet, THIS was the man that God would use to BUILD HIS CHURCH!  Amen.  

Stand up.  Step out and if you feel like tucking tail and running--just remember, Jesus is right there and He will grab your hand and encourage you.  

Two things you need for this task He has given you:  Faith and Obedience.  Faith and Obedience.  Just like that.  The faith in Him that He can heal you and the Obedience to get up and walk, to step up, step out, and step on!

Satan does NOT have power over you.  When he fires the fiery dart, rebuke him in Jesus' name.  We've got something the Lord needs us to do.  I'm ready, are you?

I believe the man who was healed at Bethesda experienced these fiery darts.  Once healed, he was rebuked by the Jews for carrying his mat.  They fussed at him and told him to put down his mat.  Who do you think you are--you sick person!  Go back and lay down and continue to be sick.  No healing today!  And when Peter stepped out, I believe he faltered because Satan always tempts us with fear -- What?  Look at those waves, Peter.  Listen to that wind!  Are you crazy!  You are going to die!  

Take heart.  Paul tells us, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. (1 Timothy 1:7)"  Eek.  Did you feel it?  There is power in those Words and did you see it?  It takes DISCIPLINE, i.e. obedience to do the things we are called to do.  The world is telling us one thing, but listen to the Word--it is telling us we were born to see miracles and we were born to testify of them!  I'd love to hear about yours. 

Do you have a prayer request today?  I'd like to pray for you.  Feel free to email me at elisa1ann2@yahoo.com.

And, yeah, by the way, I don't know Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic--the languages of the Bible, but I do know the language of the Lord and I can tell you, He will meet you where you are!  No foreign languages, degrees, or special training required. 

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Satisfying Math and Baby Alligator Bites

My favorite thing about my children is their ability to make me laugh and not take myself so seriously.  Since I am their teacher, nurse, bus driver, and principal I often need their dose of humor to keep me in check.

Yesterday as I stood at the whiteboard in my dining room ready to go over their math work, my son announces, "I didn't do number 3."  I sigh and remind him that not doing it isn't an option, to which his sister pipes up, "Me either."

What?  Both of them didn't do the problem and they were so nonchalant, so I launch into my lecture on why it is important to at least try, but they both assured me they didn't understand the problem.  To solve the problem they had to use two formulas.  So, I dutifully stop lecturing and turn to the whiteboard to begin working the problem when I hear the dreaded question,

"So, when are we ever going to use this stuff in the real world?"

And, trust me, I play it just like a true teacher.  I assure them the problem is useful.  But, they press on,

"Have you ever used this formula before?"

These are the times it'd be nice just to be the bus driver.  Because honestly, I've never used either formula before and I honestly don't think I have ever laid eyes on either formula even through 19 years of schooling.  (Hopefully, the kids aren't reading this.)

Just as I am finishing up the problem, which takes up the whole board, husband comes through.  I am now explaining to the kids how SATISFYING it is to get to the end of a problem and feel the atta-boy from a job well done.  You know kind of like watching Dr. Pimple Popper!  I ask husband, "Don't you agree?"

Husband didn't have to say anything, because one look at the math worked on the board made his eyes get round and the kids giggle.  But, he couldn't stop there, "I'm not sure I've ever seen that mess before!"

Sigh.  I may need to hire a new superintendent for this school.

Of course, this was all after I asked the kids to write about their adaptation class at the zoo last week.  I knew I was in trouble when my daughter's paragraph had a title, "The Day I Was Tortured at the Zoo."  Don't worry, it only got worse.  By the end, she was bemoaning the fact that the alligator she petted simply wasn't large enough to make alligator bites out of!

A joyful heart is good medicine, But, a broken spirit dries up the bones.  Proverbs 17:22

David Livingstone - Living a Little Higher

David Livingstone is no longer serving the Lord on this earth.  He was born and died in the 1800s, yet his story reaches out to us even today.  A part of it touched me this week and I want to share it with you, One Reader.

David came from a poor Scottish family and worked to become a physician.  He used his background in medicine to become a missionary to Africa.  Once in Africa, he witnessed to a tribe who did not know the gospel of Jesus.  As he shared his faith with the tribe, they were pleased and asked many questions of David.

The question that broke David's heart came from the chief.  He asked David why it had taken so long for the Word to get to his people? Why had the tribe's forefathers not been told?

As I pondered the chief's questions, I feel like God was asking those questions through the mouth of this chief.  I think David felt the same thing.  He made it his life's work to push further and further into the continent of Africa.  He had a mission--a mission of the Lord.  Because of his great discoveries and exploration for the Queen, he could have come home and retired a wealthy man, but he never stopped working to reach those lost without the light of the Lord.  He would give his life for the Lord and would tell others that he could not consider that he had ever sacrificed anything when he considered Christ's sacrifice for him.

For me, these words resonate today:

Why has it taken so long for you to work for me?  Why has it taken so long for you to put your faith in me?  Why has it taken so long for you to reach out?  Why do you reach out, only to turn back inward? You are full and you hold tight to your fullness.  You have much and you clutch it with both fists.  You speak good words, but your faith lacks; evidenced by your actions.  Where is your faith?  You sit in churches wondering where the people are.  America, I have given you great wealth and it is locked away in retirement, investments, unused clothes, scores of shoes, depreciating vehicles, ruining houses, fleeting entertainment.  You talk a good talk.  You defend yourself with beautiful arguments.  Do you forget my words, "And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more (Luke 12:48b)?"   Do you remember, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:23)?"  Do you think you are not the rich man?   

Pray for me, One Reader. I am praying for you. 

Horses and Obedience and God

My husband has a way with animals.  Of his character, he is good and kind and patient.  He is not quick with his tongue like I am.  He is easy-going and keeps in more than he let's out.  And don't get me wrong, he is a man and like the rest of us, he is imperfect, but I find more good in him than bad.

And just this weekend, I was reminded about patience and giving in and how patient God is with us while I watched my husband work.  I was also reminded that when we choose to allow God to lead us we find safety and peace because He is our Good God.

On Saturday, we needed to load some cows up and re-pasture them.  I enjoy working with the cows, especially with my husband.  He rarely gets upset and we end up laughing if our frustration rises from mule-headed cattle.  I've seen cattle wrangling that looses tempers and tongues, but our cattle wrangling is more calm than chaos.

Because we were moving some cattle, we also brought other cows and our bull back to the home pasture.  This meant our quarter horse, Dollar Bill, would be meeting the red bull for the first time.  Since Dollar Bill has tended to think he is the leader of the cows, we suspected this could cause a problem.  So, when we let the cows out of the trailer in the front pasture, we decided to move Dollar from the front to the back pasture.

Now, I have seen Dollar Bill bring a man to his knees when he tried to load him on a trailer, so I would have definitely just walked him through to the back pasture, but my husband had other plans.  He went up to the horse and took hold of the halter around his face.  Dollar Bill pulled his head up and planted his feet.  My husband spoke kindly to him and Dollar walked with him to the back of the trailer.  Once there, Dollar planted his front feet again and pulled back with his haunches.  My husband spoke kindly to him again and waited.  He pulled the halter gently toward the trailer and Dollar resisted.  My husband patiently waited---gently tugging, gently talking--and waiting.  I stood silently watching because I knew this dance.  There can only be one Master and this was a dance to decide who the Master would be.

A horse weighs over 1,000 pounds--easily 6 times the weight of a man.  He is taller than a man and his front legs can pummel a man.  He has the brute strength to kill man or beast.  He has no reason to obey unless he chooses it or is forced.  Since it isn't my husband's nature to force an animal, he was willing to dance with Dollar and allow him to choose.

It was the moment I saw Dollar give in that both broke my heart and made me rejoice--all at the same time.  I wish I had the most beautiful words to describe it to you, but I only have mine, dear reader, and they are not enough.  But, I will try.

Dollar looked at my husband and bowed his head down.  He pressed his ears forward and in horse language, he said, "You are my Master.  I have fought you, but I find you worthy.  I'll take the steps you want me to take.  I trust you for my good."

My husband turned to look him in the face and ran his hand down the horse's long nose.  He spoke to him kindly and pulled the halter gently.  Dollar stepped forward and loaded in the trailer.  My husband did not leave him, but stayed with him, stepping into the trailer and showing him there was nothing to fear.

And maybe that is what I find so fascinating about our relationship with animals.  We are their masters.  This job was given to us by God.  And just like we are their masters and train them in the way to go, God is our Master.

Today, He gently asks us to follow Him.  He knows the path, even if we are scared of what He is asking us to do.  We have a choice.  We can pull back, set our haunches, dig our heels in, whinny, and buck or we can bow our head to the Master.  We can say, "You are my Master.  I have fought You, but I find You worthy.  I'll take the steps You want me to take.  I trust You for my good."

Ah Lord God!  Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched hand.  Nothing is too difficult for Thee....(Jeremiah 32:17)

God Protects Us

It's hard to imagine all the ways the Lord protects us every day!  I mean we really cannot comprehend it!  I would guess that we only know of a very small amount of the times that the Lord and His angels have intervened on our behalf.  But, I tell you, it is when He allows us to see His protection with our physical eyes that we must rejoice and bring that question to ourself, "Lord, just how many times do you protect me?"

After reading today's blog, I hope you are reminded of this truth.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.  Psalm 28:7

A friend of mine told me a story this week that prompted this blog.  She was in a time in her life when things were not going well.  She was literally afraid for her life and anxious about her future.  It seemed that all her hopes and dreams were being dashed on the jagged rocks of life and Satan stood over her intent on her destruction.  One night as she lay in her bed, her eyes were drawn toward the foot of her bed.  She saw two men standing there.  One was short with a wide nose.  The other man was tall and slender.  She had her gun within arm's reach, but she did not move.  She lay still on the left side of her bed.  As she looked at them she felt they intended to harm her, but she felt peace come over her.  She watched as they walked from the foot of her bed, down the right side of her bed, never taking their eyes from her.  She felt they wanted to reach out and harm her, but that an invisible barrier prevented them from carrying out the harm they intended.  Instead, they kept walking and vanished through the bedroom wall. My friend was left with the knowledge that no matter what was going on in her life, she was being protected.  Her spiritual eyes had been opened and the Lord had allowed her to glimpse at the warfare being fought on her behalf.  She was protected, shielded by the Father! 

While my friend was awake for her spiritual vision, I had a similar vision, but it was in a dream for me. 

I dreamed I was standing in a city at the opening to a dark, cluttered alley.  I knew I had to walk through the alleyway and that I had no choice but to put one foot in front of the other.  I was very scared.  There were two men standing in the alleyway on the right side and they were jeering at me.  There faces revealed their intent to harm me and their eyes lit up as if they had spotted their prey.  As I walked, their faces suddenly changed.  A pinprick of fear dotted their eyes.  They were still looking toward me, but no longer at me.  Their eyes seemed to be looking beside me and higher than me.  I felt a peace wash over me that I did not understand--even in my dream.  I kept walking as if moved by a power other than my own.  I walked until I was right in front of the men and then kept going right on past them.  I could tell they were not happy about the change of planned events, but I could also tell they were going to do nothing about it.  As I passed them and came to the end of the alleyway, it was revealed to me what they could see, that I could not.  A large monstrosity of an angel stood beside me.  He had walked the alley with me as my shield--a shield that no demon of Satan could dare come against.

I encourage you not to be dumb to spiritual warfare.  One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in 2 Kings 6:8-19.  Here the king of Aram is so angry with Elisha.  Elisha was able to tell the king of Israel what the king of Aram had planned for warring with Israel and spoiled the king of Aram's plan.  In fact, the king of Aram's servant told him, "(Elisha) tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom (2 Kings 6:12)."  That's how good the intel was that Elisha gave to the king of Israel.  This stuff was accurate and it was keeping the Arameans from being successful in war. 

The king of Aram decided to take out Elisha and end the power he had.  He sent his army and chariots to the city where Elisha was staying.  The Bible tells us it was a great army.  When the attendant who was with Elisha saw the army surrounding the city, he was afraid!  (Me, too!)  But, Elisha prayed that the Lord would let the attendant see what he could NOT see with his physical eyes.  Elisha knew the Shield was around him and he wanted to show the man with him.  So, the Lord opened the man's spiritual eyes and do you know what he saw?  Praise God!  He saw the mountains around the city were FULL of horses and chariots of FIRE!  The Arameans were fighting more than one man--they were up against the Kingdom of God.  You don't mess with the Lord's people when the Lord's people are doing the Lord's work!  Amen! 

Elisha knew the Lord was with him.  When the servant was afraid, Elisha said, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them (2 King 6:16)." 

I can't help but get excited when I read those words.  The workers of iniquity may think they have you down.  Satan may send his demons to taunt you.  You may even get afraid.  But, when you do, cry out to the Lord, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus."  Remember the demons know who Jesus is and they tremble! 

I don't know who needed this today.  But, one person, don't give up!  Get up!  Cry out to the Shield, your Lord, God.  He is faithful. 

What Happens When We Put First Things First?

So what happens when you put First Things First and obey the commands of the Lord? A week ago, I shared that the Lord was telling me to do just that.  Now, I was super busy and work was piling up and I felt like how could I possibly write and study when I had so much to do, but I have walked with the Lord long enough to know that when He speaks, I need to listen.

So, I did.  

I like to wake up thirty minutes before I teach my first class.  I usually drink my coffee and scroll through Facebook, maybe read a devotional, but really mostly scroll through Facebook.

On my schedule is to later take time with the Lord and read my devotion, go through my prayer list and write and exercise.

The problem with that is usually only a few of these things get done--definitely not all of those things.  So, when the Lord whispered, "First things first," I knew what He wanted.

He was asking me to put my phone down and open my Bible--not later, but First.  Then, He was asking me not to write later or if I had time, but First, before I did anything else.

So, I did.  And what happened?  The work I had been trying to bulldoze through, all of a sudden got finished.  The accounts balanced.  The number I was diligently searching for in a reconciliation jumped out at me on a page of black-and-white and BAM--beautiful reconciliation!

And, I thanked Him because I knew that when I put things in their proper order, chaos does not ensue, but growth and prosperity order my days.

And that order is all around us.  Currently, we are studying a lot of science in our home school.  I love reading about science and how the Lord made the world and how He fashioned man to question and ponder and think and discover!  And do you know what has happened as scientists have done those things?  They've come across amazing discoveries--that the world is not haphazardly thrown together, that all things have a proper order.  If they didn't, life would not exist on Earth.

That's right, think of it--of the 8 planets we know, only 1 sustains life.  Only 1 has water in a usable form.  The other planets are a mixture of gaseous balls, so hot you would melt, so cold you would freeze, surrounded by violent, hurricane-force winds, infested with lightning, wastelands, the atmosphere so thin water would boil away!  Yet, there is one planet the perfect distance from the sun with water, oxygen, a protective atmosphere, and just the right amount of gravity.  There is one where the elements are just right for creating things.  The atoms line up just so that when scientists were first discovering elements they realized that there was an order to them.  They could be lined up in such a way that any "hole" could be left as an "undiscovered" element and years later that element would be discovered and placed in its spot based on its atomic number (i.e. the number of protons found in the nucleus).  Order.  And there is so much more.  Rivers in the seas that cool the earth and an undiscovered way the earth seems to heal itself.  The tilt of the earth that is just right so we have climates, days, nights, and seasons.  Winters that only last long enough for rebirth, but not too long to kill and destroy.  Summer that only lasts long enough for life, but not too long so there is no rest.  Water cycles, oxygen cycles, carbon dioxide cycles, life cycles!  A moon that creates tides on earth, that moves the water because without moving water, you have DEATH and stagnation.  Just think of it!  It is amazing how perfectly He ordered our world and OUR worlds!  Yours, too!

I'm not claiming to know all things about God's order, but I do know that it isn't easy to do First Things First for me.  I tend to get lazy or busy or nonchalant.  I have to remind myself and He has to remind me more than I'd like to admit, but I do know that He still loves me even when I fail.

He still shows me order and reminds me of His order and rewards me when I get it right.

Genesis 2:4  God made the earth and the heavens.