Disappointment....

   

   To have and not to have. I am unaccustomed to emotional roller coasters and the mental and emotional stress that accompanies the "ride". I believed when Mike and I decided on retiring and moving to Sedona that  finding and purchasing  a home would be the easy part and the actual move would overcome me.  Not so. After more than a month, two trips to Sedona, two houses with deals, lots of money and effort, and two deals gone bad, I find myself mentally drained and darkly depressed. I had "moved" into 70 Johnny Guitar Circle. The rooms were decorated with our furnishings, filled with our art, dog beds placed, daily walk route mapped, new purchases made, construction of a deck done and I was enjoying our Sedona dream.

   Dream is the key word, followed by depressed. I have been apprehensive of moving. So much money, so many variables, so far away. Tons of prayer. After looking at dozens of homes by our self and with the Realtor, we came up with only 3 places that met our criteria. One sold the day after viewing it leaving the other two to consider.   The Calle del Norte property was being sold "as is" with many problems yet at full price. Our negotiations fell through with the sellers who are in the midst of a divorce and unable to come to terms with each other or us. Now, left with the third property, our last choice, 70 Johnny Guitar Circle.  A beautiful home, but not without issues. Lots of stairs for one, since the garage is beneath the house and a huge decaying deck that would need immediate replacement. We determined to proceed, agreed on a price with the seller and journeyed out to Sedona to finish up the details; home inspection, bank loan, insurance, and other paper work stuff.  I was excited, it was a done deal in my mind and a dream come true. I had my new Sedona home!

    The home inspection burst my bubble to put it mildly. It felt like it crushed my skull. The home, though beautiful on the surface, having many areas newly updated, was filled with rats and termites, had a badly installed roof, and an air conditioning and heating system that was over 40 years old. The rats had infiltrated the  duct work through out the structure, which meant it would ALL need to be torn out and replaced in order to make it safe/healthy to live in. YUK. That problem alone almost made Mike and I turn away from the deal. But we decided to get estimates for these major  problems and ask the seller to make allowances for the repairs.

The short answer is she said NO.

   I was shocked at this response. Who would buy a rat/termite infested home, a home with an unsafe deck, an antiquated heating system, faulty roof?   But it is her home, not mine. That is the hard part. Not being able to talk to the seller.  Not being able to negotiate reasonably....not being able to move into the house in "real time" and make it mine.

    I can't believe how hard this is for me to accept and move on. I feel deflated, depressed and REALLY tired. I feel a sense of hopelessness, a sense of needing to just "let it go"  and not able to. After all it is only a house, not like loosing a loved one, or my health, or my job, or any of the millions of really significant things in life.

   I know the answer is in the Lord. I have been relying on my own strength, intellect, planning, etc.  these past weeks. Thinking I am in charge when He is. I have not spent time with Him. Not immersed myself in His truth, asking for His wisdom and guidance and strength. I have avoided church today because I can't handle discussing my disappointment with others. Pitiful I know.

I ask the Lord for help now. To renew a right spirit within me. His Spirit that can comfort and counsel me.

     

 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."  Proverb 3:5 

To have and not to have. I don't have the home in Sedona, but I do have eternal life with Christ, the creator of all things.  I need to treasure that priceless truth. 

Giving Thanks....

Thankful for the beauty of color.....

Today, Thanksgiving, reminds me of the abundance of blessings in my life that I am grateful for. Family, friends, laughter, beautiful home, health, employment, freedom, the ability to recognize and enjoy the amazing creation of this earth  the Lord has placed me in.


                                                  For the beauty of the earth,
                                                  for the glory of the skies,
                                                  for the love which from our birth,
                                                 over and around us lies.....

Thankful for sweet moment with friends...human and "other"...

Days pass so quickly, and I forget to stop and enjoy the "moment". To simply be still and bask in 

being alive....

                                                  For the beauty of each hour

                                                 of the day and of the night,

                                                 hill and vale, and tree and flower,

                                                  sun and moon, and stars of light.....

Thankful for laughable moments....

I love the things that make me smile,laugh. Those moments, that when times are difficult, I can bring to mind and the hardship seems to melt away....

   For the joy of ear and eye,

 for the heart and mind's delight,
 for the mystic harmony,

  linking sense to sound and sight....

Thankful for the beauty of nature.....

I am always overwhelmed with the incredible extravagance of the earth. Its complexity and beauty never cease to stop me in my tracks as I look up and give thanks to the Lord .

                                                    For the joy of human love,

                                                   brother, sister, parent, child,

                                                   friends on earth and friends above,

                                                   for all gentle thoughts and mild.....

Thankful for delicious abundance of life! 

We all want to "have our cake, and eat it too",   and every once in a while I get that privilege. Those times when all things seem to come together...love, laughter, beauty, family, friends...and food....like today...Thanksgiving. 

                                                              For thyself, best Gift Divine,

                                                              the world so freely given,

                                                              for that great, great love of thine,

                                                              peace on earth, and joy in heaven:

Lord of all, to thee I raise

this my hymn of grateful praise! 

Handsome, Happy, and Smiling. Biskit.

Biskit makes me smile. Always. Even when he is a bad boy. Now over 12 years together, Biskit and I share a ton of memories. The Lord has  used him plenty of times and in multitudes of  ways to teach me life lessons. Obedience, self-control, unconditional love, discipline for misbehaving. the joy of fun and exercise, restful nap times, enduring hard things without whining. Like Facebook, he provides me with social connections...the neighborhood knows me as "Biskit's mom". Most importantly he brings laughter and smiles into my life. Just look at him....can you NOT grin ????

Off-Guard - Lazy, Numb, Blind. Easy Targets

Often, as believers in Jesus, we find ourselves anesthetized,  numb to the facts of life and death, truth and error, God and Satan, heaven and hell. There are multitudes of  other things that crowd into our life and the big issues are set aside, forgotten. It may be our work,-caught up in long hours, projects, reports, administration, personal issues.Or it may be leisure,- including legitimate hobbies, enjoying the peace and beauty of vacations, sports,  retirement, travel, fun with friends. Or it could be boredom, -not knowing what to do, wasting time watching TV playing video/ computer games, talking on the phone, shopping, sleeping. Or the daily grind of life-cleaning house, yard work, caring for children, bill paying, chores, appointments...on and on.  Yet all of these things- good, bad, necessary or not can conspire to lull us into a false sense of security. We forget the Lord who holds all things together by His power. We ignore our relationship with the maker of the universe who has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, and everything pertaining to life and godliness by the TRUE KNOWLEDGE of Him, 

Beware. We Christians live in enemy territory surrounded by evil powers and forces that are against us. Wanting and waiting for  us to stumble. We are to be "On  Guard" against false words from false teachers! 

2 Peter 2 digs into this issue. False teaches from within the church will introduce destructive heresies. These are opinions inconsistent with the revealed truth of God's Word. Often these teachings have truth mixed with lies...maybe not blatant, but  enough to make us doubt. Truth + lies= FALSEHOOD. Always.  Just as the serpent in the garden deceived Eve suggesting, "Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Gen. 3:1  These false teachers are deliberate, setting out to capture those      "Off Guard" individuals. They have a hidden agenda at work and  falsehood and lies are  introduced secretly, deceptively, rather than openly or properly. They are like spiders weaving a cunning and beautiful web out of silk; lovely to look at, but  deadly for the unsuspecting victim entangled in its grip.

The effect of false teachers within the  church can be devastating. Their inspirer Satan, the devil, ‘prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’ (1 Peter 5:8). When we do not have the true knowledge of God as our weapon, we, like sheep, can be led astray easily. New interesting books, films, sermons, that get rave reviews, have huge followings yet contradict  Biblical teaching may "capture" our attention causing us to doubt the foundations of our faith, and perhaps for some never truly be born again. Tragic. Sometimes we get bogged down in irrelevancies. Therefore,we must know and take the Lord and His Holy Word seriously, because listening to the opinions of men, however clever and persuasive, means that we will listen less to Him  speaking to us. All Scripture is God-breathed, useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that believers  may be thoroughly equipped for every good work- living for Him. 

God's judgment is certain and complete. He is victorious and those who deny Him, teach false doctrine, follow after idols, and lead others astray will be cast into eternal darkness eventually. Our distractions, the wide road, the sandy foundation, secret sin, our depravity apart from God may give us momentary pleasure- but those things make us easy target practice for Satan. Critical injury for some, certain death for others.. 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace

Divine Nature, Kingdom Character

God's Word continues to amaze, convict, teach, and grow me. Who am I in Christ, what should my life look like as a citizen of His Kingdom, how am I to live?  After studying the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew Chapter 5,  I  find myself  reviewing   the  discussion Jesus had concerning  Kingdom dwellers' characteristics with the apostles and nearby listeners:
3." Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5  “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

6  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10  “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

WOW. 

 Seems impossible and so different from my culture, its values and ways of thinking. So many today seem to be "full of themselves", offering their opinions with harsh, sarcastic words, living lives full of greed and condemnation. Now, I am studying 2 Peter, and in the first chapter Peter tell us that believers in Christ have precious and magnificent promises that grant us to become partakers of His DIVINE NATURE !  More Kingdom qualities. 

5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,

7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

9  The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

WOW again. 

So many believers remark they don't know the will of God, don't know how the Lord expects them to live....well, just these few  verses supply  plenty of guidelines to keep me busy for a lifetime. We have no legitimate excuse.

Paul, in Philippians 4 adds;

8 "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Each one of these characteristics needs to be defined, studied, pondered over and over. When the Lord tells me He will transform me through the power of the Holy Spirit that He has given me....I realize without His power there is NO way of truly changing myself. These qualities are huge, and deep, and change comes slowly. 

 BUT, the journey is exciting though difficult and often painful. The reward, the mind of Christ, eternal life, INCOMPREHENSIBLE! 

In His Image....

As I study and  ponder the purposes God has for man, God’s character, mans’ nature, I continue to be amazed and thankful to the Lord who created all things. Me.

Gruden writes:   Our Great Dignity as Bearers of God’s Image.

“It would be good for us to reflect on our likeness to God more often. It will probably amaze us to realize that when the Creator of the universe wanted to create something “in his image,” something more like Himself than all the rest of creation, He made us. This realization will give us a profound sense of dignity and significance as we reflect on the excellence of all the rest of God’s creation: the starry universe, the abundant earth, the world of plants and animals, and the angelic kingdoms are remarkable, even magnificent. But we are more like our Creator than any of these things. We are the culmination of God’s infinitely wise and skillful work of creation. Even though sin has greatly marred that likeness, we nonetheless now reflect much of it and shall even more as we grow in likeness to Christ.

Yet we must remember that even fallen, sinful man has the status of being in God’s image.  Every single human being, no matter how much the image of God is marred by sin, or illness, or weakness, or age, or any other disability, still has the status of being in God’s image and therefore must be treated with the dignity and respect that is due to God’s image-bearer. This has profound implications for our conduct toward others. It means that people of every race deserve equal dignity and rights. It means that elderly people, those seriously ill, the mentally retarded, and children yet unborn, deserve full protection and honor as human beings. If we ever deny our unique status in creation as God’s only image-bearers, we will soon begin to depreciate the value of human life, will tend to see humans as merely a higher form of animal, and will begin to treat others as such. We will also lose much of our sense of meaning in life.”

How far we have fallen in this great America that was  founded on so many Biblical precepts that were  believed and lived out by Godly men and women.  Now we have the darkness of Islam and other cults as a cloud over our country, rejection of God and atheism finding root in our thinking, becoming a nation of people who call evil, good and revel in our deceptions. We are in more danger from our  homegrown “terrorists” than outside “Taliban”. Shootings in elementary schools, neighborhood theaters  college campuses, medical clinics, neighborhood parks,  and churches. No sacred ground. Why we ask?  Because our mind-set as a nation (full of individuals)  is set on Self Glorification, Selfish Ambition,and Vain Conceit, rather than glorifying the Lord who holds all things together by the power of His Word. The Lord  reminds us of times past stating:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight! Isaiah 5:21

How we need to gaze  into a new mirror cleaned off with God’s Truth, view ourselves as we  truly are, and cry out for the transforming and saving power of God. We must bend our knee in surrender to Him who can make all things new.

Pragmatism- "Danger Ahead"

Pragmatism- Thoughts from John MacArthur

Pragmatism is the notion that meaning or worth is determined by practical consequences. To a pragmatist if a technique or course of action has the desired effect, it is good. If it doesn’t seem to work, it must be wrong.Pragmatism has roots in Darwinism and secular humanism and is  inherently relativistic, rejecting the notion of absolute right and wrong. It ultimately defines truth as that which is useful, meaningful, and helpful. Ideas that don’t seem workable or relevant are rejected as false. What’s wrong with pragmatism? After all, common sense involves a measure of legitimate pragmatism, doesn't it? If a dripping faucet works fine after you replace the washers, for example, it is reasonable to assume that bad washers were the problem. If the medicine your doctor prescribes produces harmful side effects or has no effect at all, you need to ask if there’s a remedy that works. Such simple pragmatic realities are generally self-evident.

   But when pragmatism is used to make judgments about right and wrong, or when it becomes a guiding philosophy of life, theology, and ministry, inevitably it clashes with Scripture. Spiritual and biblical truth is not determined by testing what “works” and what doesn't. We know from Scripture, for example, that the gospel often does not produce a positive response (1 Cor. 1:22, 23; 2:14). On the other hand, satanic lies and deception can be quite effective (Matt. 24:23, 24; 2 Cor. 4:3, 4). Majority reaction is no test of validity (cf Matt. 7:13, 14), and prosperity is no measure of truthfulness (cf Job 12:6). Pragmatism as a guiding philosophy of ministry is inherently flawed. Pragmatism as a test of truth is nothing short of satanic.
   Perhaps the most visible signs of pragmatism are seen in the convulsive changes that have revolutionized the church worship service. Sunday services are now designed purposely to be more rollicking than reverent and theology  takes a back seat to methodology. Plainly declaring the truth of God’s Word is regarded as unsophisticated, offensive, and utterly ineffective. We’re now told we can get better results by first amusing people or giving them success tips and pop-psychology, thus wooing them into the fold.
    Living in an unstable age, the church cannot afford to be vacillating. Just doing things that "work". We minister to people desperate for answers, and we cannot soft-pedal the truth or extenuate the gospel. If we make friends with the world, we set ourselves at enmity with God. If we trust worldly devices, we automatically relinquish the power of the Holy Spirit.
   These truths are repeatedly affirmed in Scripture: “Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (Jas. 4:4). “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

    Doth that man love his Lord who would be willing to see Jesus wearing a crown of thorns, while for himself he craves a chaplet of laurel? Shall Jesus ascend to his throne by the cross, and do we expect to be carried there on the shoulders of applauding crowds? Be not so vain in your imagination. Count you the cost, and if you are not willing to bear Christ’s cross, go away to your farm and to your merchandise, and make the most of them; only let me whisper this in your ear, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”

CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

Matthew presents- "King Jesus"

Kidron Valley, Israel

After completing an incredible eight month journey through the Gospel of Matthew, I have worked on a summary that I hope continues to impact my relationship with Jesus. This whole book is wrapped around the concept and reality of Jesus as King. From beginning to end He is confronted with people who embrace Him as "King"  as well as those adversaries who reject Him wanting Him dead. It is tragic that this second group is composed primarily of the religious leaders; those that knew God's Word, His prophecies, His promises.

 Matthew presents -“King Jesus”

1. Jesus comes as King   

2. Teaches of His Kingdom and Kingdom Character  

3. Demonstrates His Divine Kingly Power and Authority

3. Chooses teachers to carry on Kingdom work

4.  Deals with adversaries to His Kingdom

5. Sheds His innocent blood to pay the penalty for the sins of His Kingdom dwellers.

6. Conquers death thru His resurrection

7. Promises to come a second time to reign as Divine Eternal King over His Kingdom populated with His children who have endured to the end, believers in Christ.

The Danger of a Sinful Mind

The Danger of a Sinful Mind

A Prayer on this Independence Day

The Valley of Vision 

Lord, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly,

Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
  hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox
  that the way down is the way up,
  that to be low is to be high,
  that the broken heart is the healed heart,
  that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
  that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
  that to have nothing is to possess all,
  that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
  that to give is to receive,
  that the valley is the place of vision,

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
  and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
  thy life in my death,
  thy joy in my sorrow,
  thy grace in my sin,
  thy riches in my poverty
  thy glory in my valley.

(from Valley of Vision -prayer of the puritans)