The Secret Garden Chronicles-Day 8-A Great Cloud of Witnesses

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded 

by so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside every weight, 

and the sin that so easily ensnares us,

and let us run with endurance the race

that is set before us...

Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith,

Who for the joy that was set before Him 

endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:1-2

"Here I am to worship,

Here I am to bow down,

Here I am to say that You're my God.

You're altogether lovely,

Altogether worthy,

Altogether wonderful to me."

(Michael W. Smith - "Here I Am To Worship")

I read in my devotions this morning the passage from Hebrews 12:1-2 shared above with the pictures of the two doves in the tree.  Just as I was looking up into the sky to see if there were any clouds to photograph to go along with this passage, (there wasn't a cloud in the sky!) , these two doves flew in and landed on the tree above me...which was absolutely perfect in so many ways...they signify not only the "cloud of witnesses", but also doves are the symbol of peace as well as the sign of the Holy Spirit!  Could there be any greater sign to me that the Lord is in this place?

"Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place;

I can feel His mighty power and His grace.

I can hear the brush of angels' wings,

I see glory on each face;

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place."

(Surely the Presence of the Lord by Lanny Wolfe)

Who is this "great cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews 12:1?  These verses follow the Great Hall of Faith found in chapter eleven...an anthology of so many of the saints of old who had gone on well before this was ever written, and it tells about their great faith, many who died as martyrs for their faith, and who remained faithful to God even though they never saw the fulfillment of the promises they had hoped for...and yet they are now in heaven...watching and cheering us on in our earthly race of faith.

And as I sit here in this beautiful place, surrounded by God's marvelous creation, I stop and realize that I am not alone.  Not only is God Almighty present here with me, but so are these saints of old...and those whom I've known and loved here on earth who have already passed on to glory...and they are rejoicing to see this day, cheering me on in my pursuit of holiness and peace.  

Then I also realize that because God has led me to share what He is teaching me here with you out there in "blogland"...also known as "The Cloud" in cyberspace terms, you are also a part of that "great CLOUD of WITNESSES".  Many of you have been cheering me on in the creation of the Secret Garden and in the writing of these Chronicles each day.  

It is amazing, as I sit here, I can sense your presence as well, and it's as though we are sharing in this communion with the Lord together...and the "Secret Garden" isn't really very "secret" at all, is it?

It's actually a lovely big open sanctuary, where we can all gather in Spirit and rejoice together, encourage one another, share our burdens...

How?  Because God's Holy Spirit transcends time and space.  He unites the hearts of those who are of the same mind and spirit.  And when these words are shared with you, whether you are in Florida, Ohio, Idaho, Iowa, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, New York, or California...to name a few...wherever you are, and no matter what time of day or night it is, when you enter "The Secret Garden" with me, something almost "magical" happens.  No, I don't really mean magical in the worldly, mystical sense, but in the realm of God's Holy Spirit, there is an invisible bond that binds us together in love...that bond is shared only by believers in Jesus Christ, and it is just as real as any material object you may old in your hands, and yet it is not visible to the human eye.

We are a beautiful fellowship of saints, brought together by Christ, and He inhabits our praises. 

"But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel."

Psalm 22:3, KJV

So, today I want to give thanks to the Lord for His kindness and grace, and for allowing us to share in this ministry of encouraging one another in our own "race" of faith.  That is what this is all about.

It's not about me and this lovely Secret Garden.  It is about all of us, as we are all on this journey of faith together...seeking the Lord's Face in our own secret places...and recognizing that we are not alone in our personal struggles...We have God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit to guide us...AND we have the fellowship of this "Great Cloud of Witnesses", cheering us onward and upward in our great race toward the prize of heaven.  Thank you, dear friends in the "cloud", for being a part of this journey with me!!!

Now here a few other witnesses from in and around the Secret Garden today...Just thought you'd enjoy seeing who else might be watching!

I pray that you have a marvelous day...and remember,

there is a whole great big cloud of witnesses out there

cheering you on to victory!!!

So, how can we lose?

The Secret Garden Chronicles-Day 7- Some Good News

I really need this today...

Just as I was preparing to sit down at my computer tonight to "transcribe" my notes from this afternoon's journal writing in the Secret Garden, the power went off!  We weren't having any kind of storm, so it must have been some kind of accident or a transformer blowing somewhere.  Anyway, we enjoyed about an hour of candlelight and peace and quiet with no television or other noise.  We actually sat in the softly lit living room and started telling stories and having real conversation instead of talking back to the TV. (Does anyone else do that?)  I was almost sorry to see the lights come back on, except for the fact that it is rather chilly here, going down in the 30's tonight, so I am thankful that we will have heat and lights and our pump can pump our water again!  And, I can now sit here and write to you!

Now, back to The Secret Garden Chronicles, written this afternoon...

As I sit down in the garden today, I feel a deep sense of relief.  

Here's my hubby with his mother, taken last week when we visited
while she was playing BINGO!

It's been a busy morning, going to visit my mother in law in the nursing home,
and then also meeting some of my husband's relatives for lunch prior to their going to  visit at the nursing home as well.  

It was very refreshing to spend time with them...strong Christians with very similar interests and feelings as we have on many topics concerning the current political climate in our country...and the constant barrage of negative news on the air waves.  It is so comforting to be with people who are like-minded and Spirit led.

Thank You, Lord, for putting Your people together at the right time and place!

Here's my mother in law on the bottom right, with her cousin on the left, and her nephew and lovely wife on the back row. She was very pleasantly surprised to see them!

By the way, my mother in law told us today that she loves this place and doesn't want to leave!  That was a great bit of news...and a real comfort to us to know that she is adjusting so well to her "new home".  She is making new friends and loves all the activities, as much as she is able to do.  God has truly answered our prayers.

Now, back to the Secret Garden...again...

As I come before Your throne, O Lord, quiet my heart, mind, and spirit so that I can focus my thoughts toward You.

"Father, I adore You;

Lay my life before You;

How I love You.

Jesus, I adore You;

Lay my life before You,

How I love You.

Spirit, I adore You;

Lay my life before You,

How I love You."

I can almost hear the echo of this "round" in my head as I sing...other voices join in unison, and then in a three part round.  So melodic, touching the very chords of my heart.  I may be here in this garden alone, but with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit all present...we are ONE!

Dear Friends, Won't you sing along with me? I hope you know this worship song...

"Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, Holy,

Lord God Almighty.

And we lift our hearts before You 

as a token of our love,

Holy, Holy. Holy, Holy.

Gracious Father, Gracious Father,

We're so blest to be Your children

Gracious Father.

And we lift our heads before You 

as a token of our love,

Gracious Father, Gracious Father.

Precious Jesus, Precious Jesus,

We're so glad that You've redeemed us,

Precious Jesus.

And we lift our hands before You

as a token of our love,

Precious Jesus, Precious Jesus.

Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit,

Come and fill our hearts anew,

Holy Spirit.

And we lift our voice before You 

as a token of our love.

Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

And we lift our hearts before You 

as a token of our love.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah."

While I was sitting here singing, my sweet son came and put this sign up in the Secret Garden...in a location where I will see it as I sit down to worship and pray and write.  I wanted it there before me to remind me each day that as I enter this sacred place, I am to stop what I am doing, BE STILL, and  KNOW that God is present...He is here, and He asks me to acknowledge His Presence.

Maybe it will help the chickadees to be still as well...

It's so easy to become distracted by the things of the world, even here inside this beautiful place, which is set apart expressly for communion with God.  If I don't leave my worries and frustrations at the gate when I enter, it will be difficult to open my heart and mind to what God is wanting to say to me.

Today I was directed to read Psalm 45:1-7

(My Bible notes state that "This great Psalm of the King, with Psalms 46-47, obviously looks forward to His advent in glory."  (The New Scofield Study Bible, NKJV)

I really love this first verse...I felt like it was written just for me:

1> "My heart is overflowing with a good theme.

I recite my composition concerning The King;

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer."

2> "You are fairer than the sons of men.

Grace is poured upon Your lips;

Therefore, God has blessed You forever.

3> Gird Your sword upon Your thigh,

O Mighty One,

with Your glory and Your majesty.

4> And in Your majesty ride prosperously

because of TRUTH, humility, 

and righteousness.

And Your right hand shall teach You 

awesome things.

5> Your arrows are sharp in the heart

of the King's enemies.

The peoples fall under You.

6> Your throne, O God, is FOREVER and EVER!

A scepter of righteousness is

the scepter of Your Kingdom.

7> You love righteousness and hate wickedness;

Therefore God, Your God,

has anointed You with the oil of gladness

more than Your companions."

I really became excited while reading this passage about our Lord, Jesus Christ, The Mighty One, The King. I can envision our Lord, the King of kings, riding in glory and majesty, and His throne is FOREVER!  A scepter of righteousness...and He is riding on the clouds, coming to gather His Bride, The Church and all the saints of old, and take us into heaven...where we will reign with Him -FOREVER!  What a glorious day that will be...

In Revelation 22:12-13  Jesus says:

"And behold, I am coming quickly,

and My reward is with Me,

to give to everyone one 

according to his work...

I AM the ALPHA AND THE OMEGA,

THE BEGINNING AND THE END,

THE FIRST AND THE LAST!

Verse 17:

"And the Spirit and the Bride say, "COME!"

And let him who hears say, "COME!"

And let him who thirsts come...

Whoever desires, let him take

the water of life freely..."

Verse 20:

"He who testifies to these things says,

"Surely I Am coming quickly."

Amen, even so,

COME, LORD JESUS!"

After a difficult week, with a lot of contention in the news and our world, these thoughts of Christ returning for His Bride are very comforting to me.  It is my prayer that this will be a comfort to you as well, my friends.  When we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior and Coming King, we have nothing to fear about the future.  And that is GOOD NEWS!!!

The Secret Garden Chronicles-Day 6-He Hideth My Soul

Today it was a little rainy, cold and dreary, so it wasn't a good day to sit in the Secret Garden...

Looking out the window toward the Secret Garden

But  God had already prepared another place for me to sit under the cover of our back porch, and still be in a quiet, peaceful place, sheltered by His loving hands.

This is also a very special place , set apart as a memorial garden in loving memory of our precious son Matthew, who was called away to heaven much too soon for us, but right on time in God's perfect plan for his life.

And so I ventured out, and entered the garden and prepared my heart for worship.  The first thing I noticed before sitting down was how the birds were being sheltered within the trees and the birdfeeder, as they waited out the drizzly rain.

And immediately my heart started to sing and praise the Lord , yes, I actually sang silently so as not to disturb the birds, but my heart was singing out loud, and I know God heard me...

"A wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Lord,

A wonderful Savior to me..

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

where rivers of pleasure I see.

Chorus:

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

that shadows a dry thirsty land,

He hideth my life in the depths of His love,

and covers me there with His hand...

And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Lord;

He taketh my burden away..

He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved;

He giveth me strength as my day...

(chorus)

With numberless blessings 

each moment He crowns,

and, filled with His fullness divine,

I sing in my rapture,

Oh! Glory to God!

For such a Redeemer as mine!

(chorus)

When clothed in His brightness,

transported I rise

to meet Him in clouds of the sky;

His perfect salvation,

His wonderful love,

I'll SHOUT with the millions on high!!

(Chorus)

(He Hideth My Soul, by Fanny Crosby)

Then God directed me to Isaiah 51:15-16:

"But I Am the Lord your God,

Who divided the sea whose waves roared--

The Lord of hosts is His name.

And I have put MY words in your mouth,

I have covered you with the shadow of MY hand..."

And I responded with Psalm 32:7-8:

"You are my hiding place;

You shall preserve me from trouble;

You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.

I (God) will instruct you and teach you

in the way you should go;

I will guide you with my eye."

Then God brought me to Psalm 31 as follows:

14> "But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;

I say, 'You are my God,

15>  My times are in Your hand...'"

19> "Oh how great is Your goodness,

which You have laid up for those who fear You...

which You have prepared for those who trust in You

in the presence of the sons of men!

20>  You (GOD) shall hide them in the 

"secret place" of Your Presence 

from the plots of man;

You shall keep them "secretly"

in a pavilion from the strife of tongues."

I couldn't help but notice how God was showing me how He is covering me (us) with His loving hands...and hiding us in the "secret place"...away from the plots of men and those who would seek to harm us.  In this current day and age, many of us have concerns about the "plots of men and those who would seek to harm us"...terrorists and other enemies of our nation, as well as the enemies of our faith.  But God is sheltering, protecting, and keeping us safe in the secret place of His love. We need not fear what man may do to us.

My heart broke out in song again:  singing the praise chorus that says...

"How Great is our God... (click HERE for video "world" version with Chris Tomlin)

"How Great Is Our God"

The splendor of a king
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice

He wraps Himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice

How great is our God
Sing with me
How great is our God
And all will see
How great, how great is our God

Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end

The Godhead Three in One
Father, Spirit and Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb

How great is our God
Sing with me
How great is our God
And all will see
How great, how great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God

Name above all names
You are worthy of all praise
And my heart will sing
How great is our God

[3x]
How great is our God
Sing with me
How great is our God
And all will see
How great, how great is our God

And then I sang the more familiar chorus to "How Great Thou Art"

"Then sings my soul,

my Savior God, to Thee;

How great Thou art,

How great Thou art...

Then I looked across the page in my Bible Psalm 30, and I see some of the verses that I've underlined as they've become precious to me since the passing of our son almost three years ago...

Psalm 30:4-5

"Sing praise to the Lord,

you saints of His,

and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name...

For His anger is but for a moment,

His favor is for LIFE;

Weeping may endure for a night,

but JOY comes in the morning!"

Verse 11:

"You have turned for my my mourning into dancing;

You have put off my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

 12:

To the end that my glory may sing praise to You

and not be silent...

O Lord my God,

I will give thanks to YOU forever..."

"Then sings my soul,

My Savior God, to Thee...

How great Thou art,

How Great Thou art!"

No, I'm not so calloused that I no longer mourn or grieve the loss of our son, 

But...I KNOW where he is!!  He's with God Our Father, Jesus the Son, Our Savior, and the Holy Spirit...All there together...in heaven for eternity!  And we will see him again one day,

so how can I be sad?  He's safe at home, eternally!  Praise God for that peace and assurance!  

"Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation,

purchase of God,

born of His Spirit,

washed in His blood.

This is my story,

this is my song,

Praising my Savior

all the day long.

This is my story,

this is my song;

Praising my Savior all the day long!!"

Amen

(Blessed Assurance, by Fanny Crosby)

Note: I sure look forward to meeting 

Fanny Crosby someday in heaven!

What a blessing she has been to me and 

countless millions of people who have sung 

the hymns she wrote out of her heart and love for

Jesus Christ our Savior!

I pray that your Sunday worship is a time of great joy, knowing that the Lord hides our soul in the cleft of the rock...and that He is keeping us safe within the shelter of His loving hands.  

"How Great is OUR God!!!"  

Amen!!

The Secret Garden Chronicles-Day 4 "Keep Silence Before Him"

"The Lord is in His holy temple.

Let all the earth keep silence before Him."

Habakkuk 2:20

"Truly my soul silently waits for God.

From Him comes my salvation.

My soul, wait silently for God alone,

for my expectation is from Him."

Psalm 62: 1, 5

Some thoughts on entering "The Secret Place" (Garden)...an excerpt from the book I've been reading entitled "Live Free, The Inner Journey to Healing" by Gayle Belanger, shared with permission of the author. (pages 27-28)

"As you enter the secret place, picture a communion table set just for you and your Lord.  Allow your table to be a joyful place; a place you feel comfortable and safe; a place set up just for you to share your heart and be transparent with Jesus.  This is a time to give Him ALL of you.  Let Him have complete access and recall..."not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42b NIV).

As I opened my heart and mind and soul and ears to what the Lord would say to me today...as I sat silently waiting for Him, I could sense His Presence surrounding me.  I could hear His voice singing in the cooing of the doves in the background, and I could feel His warmth enveloping me as the light of the sun filtered through the cool breeze and shade of the trees over me.  As I sat silently waiting for Him to lead me, I was somewhat distracted by the chattering of a little chickadee...who obviously wasn't sure he wanted me invading his space.

But as I focused on the Lord, and His Presence, and the sweet communion we would share, He directed me to Psalm 37:3-7.... a familiar Psalm for sure, but perhaps He wanted me to see something differently today.

3.  "TRUST in the Lord, and DO GOOD,

DWELL in the land, 

and FEED on His faithfulness.

4.  DELIGHT yourself also in the Lord,

and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

5.  COMMIT your way to the Lord,

TRUST also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

6.  He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light

and your justice as the noon day.

7.  REST in the Lord, and WAIT PATIENTLY for Him.

DO NOT FRET because of him who prospers in his way.

As I read through these verses I noticed that there were 10 commands from the Lord...action words for me to perform.  I wrote those "commands" in all caps above.   Then I was directed down to verse 23-24, which is where I understood that God meant the above to be the STEPS of a good man (or woman)

23.  The STEPS of a good man (woman) 

are ordered by the Lord,

and He (God) delights in his way.

24. Though he (she) fall, he shall not be utterly cast down,

for the LORD UPHOLDS him WITH HIS HAND!!

As we learn to walk with the Lord, these will be our STEPS, and God will DELIGHT in the way we are walking with Him!  And even if we should fail, He will uphold us with His very own hand! Now that's a comforting thought.

Then I went on to read verses 25-26:

25.  I have been young, and now am old;

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.

26.  He is ever merciful and lends;

and his descendants are blessed."

I always had misinterpreted the "He" in verse 26 to mean GOD, but as I read it today I realized that it was talking about "the righteous" man ...is ever merciful and lends.  We, God's people, (me) are to be merciful and "lend"--be generous and kind, show mercy to others...and our own descendants will be blessed.  In other words, don't be selfish with what we have been given, even though we may not feel that we have much...but be kind and merciful and our own descendants will be blessed.  

Verse 37 says:

"Mark the blameless man,

and observe the upright;

for the future of that man is PEACE."

Who doesn't long for PEACE?  Follow the STEPS of a good man/woman, and you will find PEACE.

Thank You, Lord, for shedding a new light on these passages today.  Today I want my steps to be ordered by YOU...I want to:

1. TRUST in the Lord
2. DO GOOD
3. DWELL in the land
4. FEED on His faithfulness
5. DELIGHT myself in Him
6. COMMIT my way to Him
7. TRUST in Him again!!!  (He mentions the TRUST word twice! Must be important!)
8. REST in the Lord, (which literally means to "be silent to the Lord)*
9. WAIT PATIENTLY for Him
10. DO NOT FRET

* Reference to Psalm 62:1 "Truly my soul silently waits for God..."

"Truly my soul silently waits for God.

From Him comes my salvation.

My soul, wait silently for God alone,
for my expectation is from Him."
Psalm 62: 1, 5

Amen

Here are a few pictures from in and around the Secret Garden today that I think will bless you as we delight ourselves in the Lord....spring is coming!  Have a blessed day in the Lord, my friends.