Oh What a Beautiful Day

I ended my blog abruptly this morning 'cause it was time to leave with Rich to head to our conference in IL. Went to one of Rich's kids home where he fixed a bathroom sink and a clothes dryer in like, 15 minutes. May have taken me 15 days to do that. Then we went to his home in Wood River where we loaded some more of their stuff on a trailer and set other stuff out for a yard sale tomorrow. It wasn't what I had planned but I really didn't have a plan other than being with Rich and his family until we got to the hotel. I helped put stuff in the back of his truck and in the trailer. It was a 2 hour ordeal. It wasn't that big a deal for me because it was a beautiful day. Some time after 6 Rich asked if I wanted to eat dinner with some of their friends or go to the hotel. I choose the hotel. Although I am very comfortable with Rich and his family, really didn't want to be a fifth wheel. So we headed to Litchfield. I thought it'd take 30 mins or so and Rich could make it back for dinner. The drive was very beautiful. There were rolling hills and farm land. One part of the road was canopied with trees. Wow. The ride took longer than I expected. Didn't get to the hotel until after 7. Rich decided not to go back and got permission from his wife to do so. We went out to eat at a local steak house. It was very good. I am loving getting to know my new pastor. He has great stories and a unique sense of humor. We are definitely working toward an 'as iron sharpens iron' kind of relationship. He's the main sharpener at this time and I am the sharpenee. Overall it has been a very good day. I don't know all I'm in store for tomorrow as I go to this Relational Discipleship Conference. I am doing my best to be open. Going back to this morning's blog...I am thankful to be an American. It is not a right, it is a blessing. I had no part in choosing where I would be born. One of the things MyPraiseFM is promoting is a mission trip to Ethiopia this September. They've been talking about the sanitary conditions there which added to my ponderings of living without shoes. Jeromy can run around the yard and into the road barefoot. I am amazed and again very thankful. Thank you God is not spoken lightly today. Good night all and be thankful...you can pick what you're thankful for but be thankful and then give thanks to Jehovah Jireh, our Provider!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning

If you follow my blog, you know I've started walking...on week 5 now. There are a couple of things I'm enjoying as I walk. One...is the beautiful country scenery around me. Today was I walked outside I looked up and noticed a perfectly blue sky with absolutely no clouds. I did a quick 360 and there were no clouds anywhere. What a sight. A couple of days ago as I walked to the east it was cloudy with the sun peeking through what looked like 2 eyeballs and to the west blue skies with wispy clouds. Just B-U-T-full. The number B thing...I love is the time to pray for my family and friends. Today there were 2 or 3 people on my mind in particular and I was thankful to have the opportunity to intercede on their behalf. Letter 3...I listen to music as I walk. Within the first week of walking I rediscover MyPraiseFM in Oklahoma. (Google it, it's good...mellow but good) The week of Easter they played songs all about Holy Week, the cross and resurrection. They played some classics from Steve Green, Sandi Patty and others. It was very inspiring to hear the Greatest Story Ever Told through songs. Their Morning Show with Andy and Jenn. is fun to listen to and quite inspiring at times. Most mornings I hear a great song that stays with me throughout the day. The fourth thing...I enjoy about walking is it has given me time to think. Not that my life is so hectic that I can't think but this is uninterrupted think time. So, as I was walking and praying and looking and listening and thinking, (Guys can multitask) down our dirt and gravel road, this thought crossed my mind...I wonder what it's like in many countries around the world who have to walk their streets, roads, beaten paths without shoes. I know I would have a hard time with that because my feet, like most of me, aren't very tough. We seen mission videos over the years emphasizing the importance of foot care in less fortunate places on this globe. Today those were brought back to my memory. I am so grateful for shoes. God help those who don't. 

Going Back in Time

Sunday night we were transported back in time for a moment. The HLGU Chamber Choir led us in worship. One of the songs they sang was 'It Is Well with My Soul'. Nathan shared Horatio Spafford's tragic story that led to the writing of this beloved hymn. Oh, forgot to tell you something about the Choir...they are an a cappella choir. After the story, Nathan began singing...'when peace like a river...' When he got to the chorus, the choir, who were sitting on the front row, joined in. That's when the transportation began. It ushered us back to that Sunday night in February '08 when the Couture family broke out in song, again a cappella, in the back of the sanctuary at FBC, Paris. It was a heavenly sound once again. I cried...Bonnie cried...Jeromy cried, which is kind of a mystery because he wasn't there that night in '08, but he's heard us tell that part of our story. We've sung that hymn several times since that fateful night but I'm pretty sure it was always accompanied by piano. So Sunday night when the harmonies of the chorus bounced off the walls, it hit us like a crashing wave on the ocean. Thanks guys and gals in the Chamber Choir for singing from your hearts in a way that pierced our hearts as well. 

'And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.'

Through

Before you read this, grab your Bible and take a moment to review the third chapter of Daniel. This is the great story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – men who chose to stand for their faith, absolutely believing in God’s faithfulness and His plan for their lives. They had refused to bow to the king’s idols. And the king, in his rage, ordered them to be thrown into a furnace that had been heated 7 times hotter than usual. Before being thrown into the fire (and actually, they were pushed into the fire because the soldiers who were in charge of getting them into the furnace were killed by the flames outside the furnace!), Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us . . . but even if He does not, we will not serve your gods, O King.” (Daniel 3:17-18). Wow, that is faith. Now here’s a question. In that moment, could God have just rescued them and saved them from even being thrown into this oven? Of course! But to show His awesome power, He allowed them to walk THROUGH the fire.

Here’s a dictionary definition of “through” – from beginning to end; completely.

Isaiah 43 says this:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you.  I have summoned you by name. You are mine.  When you pass THROUGH the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass THROUGH the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk THROUGH the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God; the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:1b-3a)

This passage begins with a powerful statement: “Fear not, I have redeemed you.” Before we walk THROUGH waters, rivers, and fire, we have to remember this fact: the big problem has already been solved! You had the worst imaginable problem that required the greatest imaginable sacrifice, and God took care of it when Jesus gave His life for you on the cross! You have been chosen, called by name, and redeemed from the pit! Remembering this helps us to have perspective on the difficulties that we are faced with day to day. James MacDonald said it this way, “You put your kid through college, you pay for all the textbooks, supplies, room and board, tuition and everything else involved for 4 years. Now, it’s all about to be celebrated with a diploma, signifying the next season in your child’s life. So, your son or daughter comes to you panicked and says, ‘I just found out I won’t get to graduate! I owe $20 more to the bookstore and they say I can’t graduate!’  Big problem or small problem? Will that be taken care of? After everything we’ve already done, won’t that be an easy one to handle?” And that’s what God says, “Look, I’ve redeemed you!  The worst possible problem has been solved!”

When you pass THROUGH the waters, I will be with you.
When you pass THROUGH the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk THROUGH the fire, you will not be burned.

Sometimes, we try to go around the problem. Let’s find the easy way out and avoid this altogether. But our trials have purpose in our lives. And going around the problem is a very bad plan. God desires for you to go THROUGH. That’s when He has promised to be present.

God was present with Moses and the children of Israel as they passed THROUGH the Red Sea.

David was delivered by the hand of the Lord as he fought THROUGH battle after battle against God’s enemies.

Jesus protected the disciples in the boat THROUGH the storm.

“Even though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me . . . “ (Psalm 23:4)

Back to Daniel 3 . . . God was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they walked THROUGH the fire. He even physically joined them in the midst of it. Yes, the king and his men visibly saw a fourth man who looked like a “son of the gods.” And here’s one more amazing detail about this story. Notice verses 20 and 23 that spoke of the men being tied tightly by the strongest of soldiers before they were cast into the furnace. In verse 25, we see that when they were walking around in the fire, unhurt, unburned, and later, not even smelling of smoke, the 3 men were “unbound.” In the midst of the fire, God removed their chains! Wow! As we are going THROUGH our deepest circumstances, God is not only with us, He is releasing shackles that have held us!  “Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.  Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.” (James 1:2-3, amplified). We don’t always embrace going THROUGH painful times. But oh, how sweet it is on the other side, when we have truly experienced God’s presence and known His faithful ways. - copied

 

Walking

Be patient...long story coming...this is what happens when you go for long periods without blogging.


I started walking 2 1/2 weeks ago. We live out in the country at a crossroads. The road going north is the least traveled so that's the one I walk. The road is lined with power poles.  The first day I walked a little over a mile. When I got home I thought I might die. The next day I decided to go one more power pole further and the next one more pole. My shins were hurting badly that week but I continued walking. 


Week 2 - I decided to walk to the end of the road which runs into a black top. That is approximately 1 mile, one way. My shins had stopped hurting by now, but the muscles or tendons or ligaments, whatever they are, right behind both knees started hurting as badly as my shins had the previous week. By last Wednesday, that pain had let up though. On Thursday, it was raining. I decided not to walk and just got ready for a normal day. Thursday is trash day, so I took the trash out to the end of our driveway. As I did, I noticed it wasn't raining and thought I could at least get in a mile before I leave for church.  All the roads around our home are dirt/gravel. The rain had made them muddy too. I was trying to find the driest wet parts of the road. As I did I left footprints and my shoes were quite muddy when I got home. 


Thursday night I got sick and was miserable throughout the weekend, so I didn't walk. 


This Monday I began my routine again (not sure if 2 weeks=routine though... :-] ). We had a couple of days without rain, but because the road isn't traveled much, it had dried pretty much as it was on the previous Thursday. I didn't notice at first but as I continued to walk I realized that my footprints which I had made four days before were still very visible. 


This made me think about the kind of impressions we leave behind in our lives. In my life. I didn't realize I was leaving a lasting impression on that Thursday, but it was very evident where I had been on Monday. Because we haven't gotten rain yet, the footprints were still visible Tuesday and again today. I look back over my life and wonder, "What kind of impressions have I left on life's path?" Because of my character flaws, I want to think that I have left a good impression everywhere I've been because I don't want anyone to think badly of me. I know that's a pipe dream and slowly, s..l..o..w..l..y, I am learning it not about me. 


I've been reading through the Psalms recently. David is one of my favorite Bible characters. But as I read some of the Psalms I think David is pretty arrogant. Time and again, he says he is blameless before God or in, what appears to me to be, an almost perfect relationship with God. Part of me wonders how that could be. I am jealous because I don't have, have never had, that kind of relationship with God. I've been reminded that it's because he walked with God and was honest with God. He cried out in desperation for God not to forsake him or begged for Him to listen and answer Him or wondered how long God would seem so distant from Him and usually before the psalm would end he was worshiping God for all He is.


I love David because he is known as a man after God's own heart. That is encouraging for me because that is the impression I want to leave behind, too. It's encouraging because we know that David wasn't perfect. He screwed up big time. I know there are no degrees of sin but I haven't screwed up as badly as David did. And if David can, after all we know about him, be known as a man after God's own heart, then there is still some hope for me. 


These past 4 years or more I feel like I've been plodding through life on auto-pilot. Now, I am seeing that, as unintentionally as it may be, I have neglected people in my life, I've neglected God, I've neglected things that I said were important to me. I want to be...I don't know the right word to plug in here. I know and have stated in the past that I don't change well. Today, I want to do 'it' differently...one step at a time.   

Saturday/Sunday

     After Jesus' burial the Bible is silent on what happened in between Good Friday and Easter. We know that the disciples scattered from the garden at Jesus' arrest. Peter did show back up for a while during Jesus' trial before he denied Him three times. John was at the cross with Jesus' mother. Did they all meet up again Saturday or did they just go to their homes? They had been with Jesus for three plus years. They heard all His teachings and saw all His miracles. They were even able to do miracles themselves through Jesus' power. We wonder how they could just move on with their lives, but we have the advantage of knowing the whole story. Although they had just days before seen Lazarus raised from the dead after being in the grave for 4 days. No one had ever done that. Yes, Jesus stopped funerals and even raised the dead before the funeral, but people dead for 4 days stay dead. People dead for 1 day stay dead. And although we know the story, we would have been just as scared and skeptical. Jesus had even told them He would have to go to the cross and be raised from the dead.  But they didn't get it. Saturday, I wonder if they tried to imagine life before Jesus had called them and if they could ever return to their fishing boats, their tax collector's table and their families. Their rabbi, who had invested His life into theirs, was gone. Now what, now where, now how, now why would they, could they, continue on with their lives. Scripture tells us that the day went dark during Jesus' crucifixion and that the sun rose as normal on Easter morning but on Saturday did creation continue to mourn the Creator's death with a dreary, miserable day? Even if the day was normal it would have seemed dark and dank to any of Jesus' followers. 
     Even when they heard the news from Mary that Jesus was alive, they couldn't believe it. Even when Jesus "appeared" in the upper room, they were astonished that He was alive. Thomas wasn't there apparently the first time and got a bad rep as a doubter when he responded as any of us would have. 
     'A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have 
not seen and yet have believed.”' John 20:26-29. 
     Good Friday would mean nothing without Easter. All other religious leaders have died or will die but only one changed history, changed time, and changes lives forever by being raised from the dead. 

April 3rd Prayer

i thank you, Jesus, for becoming a human being

So i don't have to pretend or try to be God

i thank you, Jesus, for becoming finite and limited

So i don't have to pretend that i am infinite and limitless

i thank you, Jesus, for becoming mortal

So i don't have to try to make myself immortal

i thank you, Jesus, for becoming inferior

So i don't have to pretend that I am superior to anyone

i thank you, Jesus, for being crucified outside the walls

For being expelled and excluded like sinners and outcasts

So you can meet me where i feel i am

Outside the walls of worthiness

i thank you, Jesus, for forgiving my sins

So i don't have to try to forgive myself

i thank you, Jesus, for rising from the dead

So i can have hope beyond the grave

i thank you, Jesus, for all that you are

So that i can be all you have created me to be