Moving

Hi All,

For the sake of a cleaner blog and making it easier to share, I will be moving here:

www.gracedfollower.com

It's never advisable to move as you will lose your regulars, I it's worth the risk to have a cleaner blog.  Hope you will till follow.  :)

If you are a subscriber or would like to be, you will have to subscribe again on the new site.

Patience

We don't like to wait because waiting is an act of being out of control.  The root of patience is trust in God.

The Poem and the Prayer

This year has been ROUGH.  I felt like I mounted a wild bull on Jan, 1 2016 and it's been bucking like a mad cow ever since.  It's actually been a rough several years.  For that reason that other day I was thinking to myself, 'it would be so nice if 2017 was a good or even great year.'   There's almost nothing (outside of a great vacation), that I would want to repeat of this past year.  But I got to thinking also, that the things I've gained and the fruit from hardship I would not want to lose. And I was reminded of this poem by Amy Carmichael:

From pray’r that asks that I may be
Sheltered from winds that beat on Thee,
From fearing when I should aspire,
From falt’ring when I should climb high’r,
From silken self, O Captain, free
Thy soldier who would follow Thee.

	From subtle love of softening things, From easy choices, weakenings, (Not thus are spirits fortified, Not this way went the Crucified), From all that dims Thy Calvary, O Lamb of God, deliver me.

5 Things Christians Say (That I Wish They Wouldn't)

1)  "Everything happens for a reason."
Explain that one to a young teen who was molested by her uncle.  God hates incest.  Abhors it.  It didn't happen for a reason.  Rom 8:28 isn't about his causing things to happen but to redeem things that do happen ("He causes all things to work for the good for those who love Him--8:28).  He brings good out of good things and brings good out of bad things.


2)  "Everything in Moderation"
 Everything?  Not at all.   There is no moderation for sin--a little lust, a little greed, a little adultery, a little murder, a little porn.  There is no moderation in righteousness either--A little love, a little joy, a little peace, a little generosity, a little kindness.

When someone says all things in moderation, they are usually referring to sin in excess.  But sin is sin.   And yes, there are some things permissible in moderation--alcohol consumption, food cosumption, etc...

But all things?  Not.  At.  All.

3)  "It doesn't matter what you believe as long as you're sincere." 
Then Jesus' death meant nothing.

4)  "All religions are the same, it's about doing good."
Almost.  Almost all religions are the same.  A whopping 99.99% of religions are about earning God's favor.  Except Jesus.  Jesus says you can't earn the Father's favor.  But he'll die and pay the price/ consequences of your conduct.  Therefore you now live not for his favor, but from it.


5)  "As long as you're a good person, that's what matters."
Jesus didn't die for good people.  He died for sinners.  If the above is true, again, Jesus did not need to die.

Heal us, O Lord

Many think that with the right leader over this country, that we can be at peace. But in a democratic society, a leader is represented by the state of the people. A good leader is massively important, but a nation stands or falls on more than just the person at the helm.

The Holiness

Sacred Brokenness.

Fall-ing

How beautiful the world in fall even as it falls apart.

The Banana Miracle

God's kindness come oftentimes in common packages.  I make a lot of fruit smoothies in order to help my health.  But with a recent grocery store closing, our supplier of discounted speckled bananas went away and we haven't been able to find another one.  But I needed bananas so I decided to go into a local chain store.  Would you believe they had speckled bananas on half price?  I asked the person next to me stocking avocadoes for a box.  I filled it and was going to go on when she asked if I wanted another box.  Sure.  As I was filling that one the produce manager came out (she had heard someone was stocking up on bananas) and told me she would give me another box also for a half off.  She brought them out.  They were perfectly ripe--no brown spots.  She explained to me that the store had strangely received an extra shipment of bananas and they didn't know what to do as they were going to lose them all.   Serious? By the time I was done I walked out with 120#'s of bananas to put in the freezer for about $20. 

It makes me wonder sometimes why we get so many miracles like this.  It happens so regularly.  I believe it is God's favor.  But when I ask for testimonies like  this church we don't receive any.  I sometimes wonder why.  Are we just getting the favor right now?  Are eyes just not open to see?  I don't know.  But I'm glad for how God is blessing us.  It's been a season of fire.  But it's also been a season of grace.

Prayer Jealous

It seems like this younger generation walks in great favor with prayer.  I know so many who pray and see the sick healed.  I've gone one confirmed, but that's it.  So I'm not giving up.  God's resources are for everyone.

This week I prayed for a woman in Dillons.  Broke her leg bad and the muscles shortened to great deformity.  No healing.  But it was good to share anyway.

Good Things

I went fishing the other night at 2am.  I lost a special lighted bobber going to the lake.  I used the flashlight and looked all over.  Could NOT find it.  Really wanted to use it and expressed that to the Lord.  Would you believe after I turned the flashlight off and started walking I stepped on it?  Didn't break it.  Just stepped on it and the batteries were nearby in the grass.  Woohoo!  The Lord is good.

Also at church today we had a decision to make about who was to speak.  I felt I was to speak but didn't say anything.  This morning I had been reading about Matthias and how they cast lots after praying to make a decision.  So got the elders together and we said a quick prayer then played rock, paper, scissors.  Another elder won so I thought to myself that the Lord must've wanted him.  I still felt I was to speak though.  Then all of a sudden he said, "wait."  He went and checked with his wife and they had a commitment that weekend.  Back to the remaining elder.  Rock, paper, scissors.  Rock.  I win!  I was to be the speaker.  Woohoo!  Urim and Thummim revised.  :)

Joy

I have come to learn two things in recent weeks:

1)  Joy is the billboard of the Christian

and

2)  The path there is through trusted truth of Jesus

End Prayer Poverty

End Bible Poverty Now is a campaign that I am in full support.  The mission is to place a Bible or Jesus film into the area where there is literally no access to Scriptures--no Bibles, Bible excerpts or even a Jesus film.

For me I've read and studied the Bible a lot in my life.   Certainly have a great room to grow but it's something I enjoy.  But what I feel is lacking is focused, quality and quantity prayer time.  I pray mostly throughout the day, in the car and turning my thoughts to prayer.   This is good.  But I feel I also need the dedicated time of prayer.  For me I think I need a move of End Prayer Poverty.  What would it look like if we literally all found more Knee Time instead of Facebook Time?

The How of Forgiveness

"She's just having a rough time."

"He grew up on a tough family."

"He doesn't know better."

"Look to the good."

I hate it when people tell me these are they reasons why I need to forgive someone when they have done harm or wrong to me.  It's as if their sin is to be excused because they're having a rough time.  Yes, we all need mercy and compassion.  But A)  It doesn't excuse their sin.  And B)  It's a faulty foundation of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is founded not on the basis of "excusable behavior."  Have you ever tried that one on a young girl who is raped by her uncle?  'You need to forgive him because he grew up in a rough home.'  Yeah, not going to work.  If this were so Jesus would never, ever had to die. 

What is the basis of our ability to forgive others?   Because Christ has forgiven me.  That's it and that's enough.

The Quiet

The intimacy of romance is oftentimes wordless.  So also with brokenness.

Love

"You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving."

Amy Carmichael

"What can we learn from this situation?"

It is not necessary to have learned something through every difficult situation.  It's more necessary that I've trusted Him. 

The True Test

God's Leadership, Covering and Authority are attractive.  Women, children, poor and disenfranchised were drawn to Jesus.  Even the rebuke of Jesus to those he loves was and is inviting.  When women, children, poor and disenfranchised are attracted to your leadership, it's a good sign.  If they're not, perhaps your leadership is not in the spirit of Jesus.

A Father's Smile

The whole earth is made for our pleasure because in our pleasure is the Lord's pleasure. 
All the sights, sounds, shapes, colors, variety, life, etc..  His beauty is everywhere.

Life is Relationships

Sometimes I desperately want God to come down and arbitrate between who is right and who is wrong.  But on the contrary I believe God wants to come down and seek bridges to restore relationships.

The Unseen

People feel what you are thinking.  Think kindly.