Noonday Sun

What is this, like four in one week? Just wanted to quote Psalm 37:3-7, 23-25, mostly for myself. :)

"Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
"Commit everything you do to the Lord.
"Trust him, and he will help you.
"He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.
"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
"Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
"Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread."

Answered Prayer

I think it's important to share answered prayers when they are so obvious.

Sunday was a hard day. Our small group study on Sunday nights, though, was about "honest expression" and truly opening up to God. That night, I truly poured out my heart to God and got "raw" as our leader said, maybe for the first time truly INTENDING to do that. My main prayer was for peace and joy in the circumstances.

I realized when I went to bed last night and wrote in my prayer journal that I had a better day yesterday than I can remember in a long time, despite the fact that my people are somewhat shutting me out right now (emotionally and otherwise). I realized I had been unusually peppy on Monday and that the word JOY was written really big in my journal from the day before.

Bear in mind this is NOT a pat on my back as much as it is NOT a blog for sympathy. Only a blog to share God's blessings and showcase his glory. (Remember that blog awhile back with my face under the covers?!)

Another book question

Has anyone read Reversed Thunder, by Eugene Peterson? Publisher's note: "Peterson's eloquent meditation on the Revelation of St. John engages the imagination and awakens the intellect to the vitality and relevance of the last words on scripture, Christ, church, worship, evil, prayer, witness, politics, judgment, salvation, and heaven."

We are having a sermon series right now and a lot of the info comes from this book. IT IS A WHOLE NEW APPROACH TO REVELATION FOR ME and I find it FASCINATING. No offense but Kenny Barfield's class on Revelation IT IS NOT!

Check out some notes from this morning's sermon from Rev 6 & 7.

• First, chapters 4 & 5 are full of praise...
• Chapter 6 starts out with the four horsement of the apocalypse - destroying peace, civil war, upsetting balance and prosperity, disease, decay, etc. In verse 10, the martyrs cry out, "How long until you avenge our blood?" That is quoted in Psalm and Habakkuk, as well. How many times have we asked God, "How long will this last?"
• Chapter 7 shows a shift. The 144,000 are sealed. Power and victory of believers, etc. All believers will be persecuted. People go through horrible things. Psalm 137, "How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?" God never said he would take away our troubles and those who are faithful may ask, "How long," but will still KNOW who's in control and who is taking care of them. In Rev. 7:9-14 - praise, adoration, robes washed white in blood because they came through struggles and trials and can sing the song of protection in verses 15-17.
• Chapters 4/5 and chapter 7 (three chapters of praise), "bracket" chapter 6 (chapter about evil). Rev 7:12, "Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever." Evil cannot stand up during praise.
• Praising God helps us see our center with the sense that there's something so powerful that EVERYTHING ELSE is weak before that power and that praise.
• Evil cannot last when bracketed between prayer and praise.

Phenomenal approach to Revelation.

New Book Recommendation: John Ortberg

I haven't read it YET but our Sunday school class has been studying it and the points thus far are outstanding. If you've read it, let me know what you think.

Too Close To Home

The first is my dream from last night. The second is Scott's.

Facing the Giants

I don't recommend movies often but go see this. Go see it today. Bear in mind that there are NO professional actors in it. It takes a few minutes to get used to that but it's worth it. We all laughed and cried. Even Reagan loved it. Go see it. Support it and tell Hollywood we want more like it. God bless Sherwood Baptist Church for the effort.

If You Want Me To

If You Want Me To
The pathway is broken
The signs are unclear
I can't find the reason why You led me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I will go through the valley
If You want me to
Now I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise
You're not through with me yet
And if all of these trials can make me like You
I will go through the fire
If You want me to
It may not be the way I would have chosen
'Cause it leads me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
Only that I'll never go alone
When the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley
If You want me to

What is happening?

"Joe Beam, as he introduces to the reader his motivation for conducting the above in-depth study, has specified that many within, and even outside of, our fellowship in Churches of Christ are 'struggling to understand the dynamics that are causing increasing isolation between brethren and churches. This is indeed a huge concern with many of us who are witnessing this 'movement (motion) within a movement.' There is an observable drifting apart; a polarization of God's people; a fragmentation of the family of God. In the fascinating field of psychological research and analysis, such a phenomenon would generate a quest among experts to determine the dynamics of such a drift. Bro. Beam correctly stated, 'We need a clear picture and common vocabulary so that we can understand the current dynamics of our brotherhood tension.' It was his belief that 'there may be a model for understanding the uneasiness plaguing our fellowship. Thus, he set about preparing such a model, and the fruit of his labor," complete with detailed explanations can be found at this link. A VERY interesting article. Check it out and let me know what you think!!
http://www.gracecentered.com/what_is_happening_to_churches_of_Christ.htm

Weekend to Remember?

I HOPE I'll remember it. To help with that, here are some of the main points I brought home.

1. Women think of home as a place they GET to communicate. Men think of it as a place they do NOT HAVE to communicate.
2. A quote from the Incredibles. Mr. Incredible says, "I'm not strong enough." Elastigirl replies, "If we're together, you don't have to be."
3. Marriage reflects God's image on Earth.
4. Marriage is designed for a husband and wife to mutually complete each other.
5. Marriage is designed to multiply a godly legacy.
6. Marriage is taking place on a spiritual battlefield.
7. Our spouse is NOT our enemy.
8. Satan wants to sink the ship.
9. God chose to build a unique need into Adam that was not met by God's personal presence alone (Gen. 2:19-20). Adam's perception of Even was based on the way he viewed GOD, not on Eve's performance. Adam enthusiastically received Eve because he knew and trusted God, not because of Eve's performance. He had to believe that she was God's perfect provision for him and had to receive her based on who gave him the gift. Receiving spouse as God's gift leads to a oneness with spouse.
10. A result of leaving, cleaving and becoming one flesh is transparency with one another or oneness (naked and not ashamed).
11. Expressing oneself involves the risk of being emotionally intimate and begins by entrusting yourself to God, because He understands...opening yourself to your spouse for his/her understanding. God's power is available to us when we are risking vulnerability with another person.
12. God designated the husband as the head of the relationship. This is God's "divine placement as servant leader." God gave the wife to the man as his helper. "Helper" is a title of worth. God refers to HIMSELF in Scripture as our helper (Ps 54:4). Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as another helper (Jn 14:16-17).
13. The wife's "role" is not to submit but her role is to be a helper. The response to the husband's leadership is submission.
14. The perfect wife is one who doesn't expect a perfect husband.
15. Eph. 5:33b, from the Amplified Bible says, "...let the wife see that she respects and reverence her husband-- that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly." Wow. Any sore toes out there? Mine sure are.
16. Jane Hill said, "Wherever we are together, we are rich."
17. "Cleaning house is like stringing beads on a thread that has no knot in the end." :)
18. A child's security and self-worth are formed, and his/her future is shaped in the home. Children need to be a valued priority in a mother's heart.
19. Children need love the most when they deserve it the least.
20. If we do not seek to understand and accept each other's feelings and opinions, communication will be gridlocked. It doesn't mean we must agree.
21. The [conflict] discussion itself is not nearly as important as is the effect the discussion has on the relationship.
22. Unresolved conflict can multiply the intensity of future conflict. Unresolved anger can/will lead to depression.
23. When confronted, be open, not defensive, and remember the spouse is not the enemy. (Otherwise, it just seems like nagging.) Ask questions to get the truth out. You need not agree. Just make the spouse feel cared for.
24. When confronting, speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:29). Be sincerely honest about needs, feelings and wants in a way not intended to hurt.
25. Forgiveness is an obligation of the forgiven. Forgiveness is not about justice, fairness or blame. The offender needs to seek forgiveness (Mt. 5:23-24), and the offended needs to grant it.

The main point I needed to hear was, "Is God big enough to make the best out of our worst situations?"

Sorry for so much stuff - this was over a two-and-a-half day time period. It just did me good to read through it all again.