"I Will Call Upon The Lord" -Reposted

This was originally posted on 10/26/2014, just 5 months after the passing of our precious son. Two years later, we are still learning to call upon the Lord during times of distress and heartache...and He has never let us down.  This message encouraged my own heart even as I wrote it at that time. I pray there may be someone (or many) who will be blessed and encouraged by this same message yet today.

Original Post from 10/26/2014:

"I will love You, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

My God, my strength, in Whom I will trust;

My shield and the horn of my salvation,

my stronghold.

I will call upon the Lord,

Who is worthy to be praised;

So shall I be saved from my enemies."

Psalm 18: 1-3

"The Lord Lives!

Blessed be my Rock!

Let the God of my salvation be exalted."

Psalm 18:46

Mt. Washington, NH, picture taken October, 2013

Those of you who are familiar with scripture choruses may recognize one in the verses above.  I love it when I start reading from God's Word, and the words of the chosen passage jump out at me and cause me to start singing! Such was the case this morning as I read these powerful verses from Psalm 18.   Sing along with me if you know this little song:

"The Lord liveth,

and blessed be my Rock!

Let the God of my salvation be exalted!

The Lord liveth,

and blessed be my Rock!

And may the God of my salvation be exalted!

I will call upon the Lord,

Who is worthy to be praised...

So shall I be saved from my enemies;

I will call upon the Lord!"

What I really loved about reading these verses today were the several references to the word "Strength".   This past year I chose for my "One Word" for 2014 the word Strengthen.  Click HERE for more about that.   As we are drawing closer to the end of the year, I've been thinking about all the ways that God has indeed "strengthened" me throughout these months. It hasn't been easy.  The exercises (click on link) have been excruciating in most cases. I had no idea just how much I was going to have to endure to grow in strength.   (Click on the links for previous stories that will give you the background for this story).   But I have never been alone in that quest. 

The first few verses printed at the beginning of this post will tell you WHO has been with me, 

and WHO has actually been my strength, 

my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer...

Yes, it has been my GOD, My Saviour,

who has been my Strength...and in HIM I will trust. 

He has been my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!

So, since I've endured so much this past year, am I now some amazing strong woman, full of wonderful powers and strength beyond belief?  Well, no, I'd hardly say that.  It seems like when we get through one "feat of strengthening", it is oftentimes the building block upon which new challenges will be sent our way. We are never intended in this life to rest upon our laurels of great accomplishments of strength. We are strengthened for a purpose. It could be that God wants us to use our experiences to help others when they face the calamities and heartaches of their lives. It may be that we are strengthened so that we can learn just how dependent upon God we really are... so that we will know beyond a shadow of doubt exactly WHO it was who lifted us up when we were so weak we could not stand on our own.

"In my distress I called upon the Lord,

and cried out to my God;

He heard my voice from His temple,

And my cry came before Him,

even to His ears."

Psalm 18:6

My dear friend, I don't know what challenges you are currently facing, or will face in the upcoming months.  But I do know One Who stands ready to be your "strength...your rock, your fortress and deliverer".  If you do not already know this wonderful God and Savior, I pray that you will take the time to get to know Him now, while things are good...don't wait until the hard times come to call out to Him in your distress...seek His face now...call upon the Lord "Who is worthy to be praised..." and I can assure you He will answer you. He wants to be there for you in the good times as well as the difficult days.  Then you will be able to sing this little song along with me:

"The Lord liveth,

and blessed be my Rock!

Let the God of my salvation be exalted!

The Lord liveth,

and blessed be my Rock!

And may the God of my salvation be exalted!

I will call upon the Lord,

Who is worthy to be praised...

So shall I be saved from my enemies;

I will call upon the Lord!"

"It Is No Secret!" - Reposted

This is a repost of a blog that I wrote about this same time last year.  Somehow, it seems good to repeat it again this year.


Original Post written 10/24/2015:
I'm not alluding to the song, "It Is No Secret What God can do..."  even though that is a wonderful old song and certainly true.  But what has been impressed on my mind lately has to do with darkness and light...hidden and revealed. Read on~

Luke 12:2-3

"For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops."

Luke 8:16-17

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light."

Proverbs 28:13

 "He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."

Photo via Internet

I started this post a couple of weeks ago, and then just let it sit on the back burner and simmer a while. Not sure if I am ready to tackle it again or not.  It is a deep subject. Maybe I should just let God's Word speak for itself. I certainly cannot do it any better than that.  God's Word encourages me to press on:

Isaiah 58:1

"Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."

Isaiah 55:6-7:

"Seek the Lord while He may be found,

Call upon Him while He is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

Let him return to the Lord,

And He will have mercy on him;

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon." 

Isaiah 58:6-9

"Is this not the fast that I have chosen:

To loose the bonds of wickedness,

to undo the heavy burdens,

to let the oppressed go free,

And that you break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;

When you see the naked, that you cover him,

and not hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then your light shall break forth like the morning,

Your healing shall spring forth speedily,

And your righteousness shall go before you;  

The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard, 

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; 

You shall cry, 

and He will say, 'Here I am.'" 

Isaiah 55:10-11

"For as the rain comes down,

and the snow from heaven,

and do not return there,

but water the earth,

and make it bring forth and bud,

that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I please,

and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

Isaiah 55:12~

"For you shall go out with joy,

And be led out with peace;

The mountains and the hills

Shall break forth into singing before you..."

So be it, Lord, I pray, even as You have spoken.

Amen.

The Bend in the Road

Tonight as I headed down our road for my evening walk I was captivated by the sight before me: 

The further I walked, the more brilliantly the light shone around the bend in the road. I was drawn toward this light and mesmerized by its glowing entreaty.

The refrain kept coming into my mind,

"When you come to the bend in the road",

and so many thoughts persisted as if God were giving me a special message...for me, perhaps...

but also possibly for you.

I am not a poet, so I won't even attempt to write in rhyme or verse.  

And actually, I discovered that Helen Steiner Rice has already written such a lovely poem about this very subject...so I will include that for you at the end of this.

Have you ever come to a place in your life where you felt like you had come to a roadblock...a dead end...a point of no return?  Perhaps a loss of job, financial security, home, marriage, spouse, parent, child, or friendship has left you feeling alone, empty and uncertain about your future...and all you can see is darkness and sorrow ahead.  

Believe it or not, we've all been there at different times in our lives. I've been there...perhaps more often than I'd like to admit or remember. We may each be affected differently by whatever our circumstance may be.  Some may respond with extreme fear and anxiety while others may react in anger and be unable to forgive or reconcile themselves to their changed position in life. There may even be those who respond with an attitude of accelerated activity and charge ahead recklessly without appearing to care at all about themselves or others around them. Others may be so caught up in grief that they cannot even begin to overcome the deep sorrow that engulfs their very souls. 

Regardless of how you appear to respond to the disappointments and challenges that life throws in your pathway, we can all agree that these kinds of events change our lives drastically from the outside in...and from the inside out.  Nothing will ever be the same again.  In some cases that is a bad thing...and perhaps in other cases, it could actually be a good thing. Obviously, that depends upon the severity of the situation as well as the condition of the heart and soul of the one traversing this journey.

What was impressing me about this vision of the bend in the road tonight was the divine light shining forth, beckoning me to continue on in my journey.  Not to give up or give in to defeat, fear, anxiety, sorrow, or even complacency, but to persevere and stay strong in my faith in the One Who was already walking before me, just around the bend,  shining His love-light toward me, guiding my pathway and keeping me headed in the right direction.

"Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel;

Who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters...

'Do not remember the former things,

nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it?

I will even make a road in the wilderness

and rivers in the desert.'"

Isaiah 43:14, 16, 18-19

"And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. 

He will be with you,

He will not leave you nor forsake you;

do not fear nor be dismayed."

Deuteronomy 31:8

Needless to say, this little walk tonight had a profound effect on my heart and mind. I couldn't wait to get back home and start putting these thoughts down on "paper" before they drowned in the sea of too many distractions and pressures waiting to overcome me when I got back home. It is my hope that anyone reading this will stop and realize that you are not alone in your present "bend in the road" of life.  That is all that it is...a bend...not an end.  Read what Helen Steiner Rice wrote and be encouraged and blessed...

The End Of The Road Is But A Bend In The Road

by Helen Steiner Rice

When we feel we have nothing left to give
And we are sure that the "song has ended"--
When our day seems over and the shadows fall
And the darkness of night has descended,

Where can we go to find the strength
To valiantly keep on trying,
Where can we find the hand that will dry
The tears that the heart is crying--

There's but one place to go and that is to God
And, dropping all pretense and pride,
We can pour out our problem without restraint
And gain strength with Him at our side--

And together we stand at life's crossroads
And view what we think is the end,
But God has a much bigger vision
And he tells us it's only a bend--

For the road goes on and is smoother,
And the "pause in the song" is a "rest,"
And the part that's unsung and unfinished
Is the sweetest and richest and best--

So rest and relax and grow stronger,
Let go and let God share your load,
Your work is not finished or ended,
You've just come to "a bend in the road."

There really isn't anything else for me to say, except keep moving forward, my friend. God is with you...He's already waiting for you, just around the bend.

Sunday Meditations

"The statutes of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

The fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether,

More to be desired are they than gold,

Yea, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb,

Moreover by them Your servant is warned,

and in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 19:8-11

"Let the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."

Psalm 19:14

Amen

May you rejoice in God's Word and His enduring promises today.

Have a blessed Sunday, my friends!

Friday Foto Friends - Lazy Bones Sleepin' in the Sun

Lazy Bones Sleepin' In the Sun

Lazybones, sleepin' in the sun....how you spect to get your day's work done?
You can't get your day's work done......sleepin' in the noon day sun.

Lazybones, layin' in the shade....how you gonna get your cornmeal made?
You can't get no cornmeal made....sleepin' in that evening shade

When taters need sprayin', I bet you keep prayin'
The bugs'll fall off of the vine
And when you go fishin' I bet you keep wishin'
Them fish don't grab your line

Lazybones, loafin' all the day.....how you spect to make a dime that way?
You won't make no dime that way.....loafin' in the shade all day

Songwriters: CARMICHAEL, HOAGY / MERCER, JOHNNY  Lazybones lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Howdy Friends! I feel like it's been a long time since we last communicated...but it's really only been a week...It's just that last weekend was such a "wash-out", with Hurricane Matthew passing by and the loss of power, and absolutely no communication with the outside world for 36 hours.   But then I look at what the poor people up in the Carolina's are still suffering...with flooded homes, towns, roads, and many unable to go back to their homes, and I feel a little bit guilty that we were spared so much...but so very, very humbled and thankful. 

Yesterday we met with our family at a restaurant for lunch up on the St. John's River.  It's one of my favorite places to go because we can sit out on the deck overlooking the river while we eat. These "lazybones" baby alligators were totally unaware of the world around them as they snoozed in the noon-day sun.  I say they were unaware, but I am certain they would have sprung to action if someone had jumped in the water nearby...something I was not about to do even if I could have...because you can be assured where there are baby gators, mama gator is probably not far away.

While we enjoyed our lunch on the deck, we couldn't help but notice this houseboat floating by on the river.   I imagine the people on that houseboat are a lot like the baby gators...just "sleepin' in the noon-day sun"...not a care in the world it would seem...enjoying a day on the river...which is a wonderful way to spend a beautiful fall day after the stresses of last weekend's storm.

It has occurred to me that "sleepin' in the noon-day sun" is probably not a bad idea...perhaps not literally in the noon-day sun, but the idea of resting after a week of unusual stress is actually a very good thing.  When we go through the trauma of a bad storm and all the extra work that goes along with the preparation and clean-up afterwards, our bodies suffer more than we realize. Add to that other unexpected issues, whether they be physical, financial, or the environmental stresses and strains...or how about the current political assaults being assailed constantly by the media wherever you look...these are all issues that are overloading and affecting our minds, bodies and spirits.

The Lord gave us a beautiful picture of the rest that He provides for us when we are overwhelmed by the cares of this world. Read along with me:

"The Lord is my shepherd,

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness 

for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the 

valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, 

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever."

Psalm 23:1-6 NKJV

This tells me that it is okay to take some time out to rest from the stresses of this old world...it's okay to spend some time just "sleepin' in the noon-day sun" when our bodies, minds and spirits are worn out, overwhelmed, or just plain tired.   Jesus told His disciples (including you and me):

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

So, if you are feeling guilty about taking that extra nap, or you find that you feel like just sitting somewhere peaceful and doing absolutely nothing for a spell...DON'T! (Feel guilty, that is).  This is God's way of bringing healing to your soul.  He knows what you need...and He gives you permission to do just that.   

Thank you, Lord!

Linking up with Deb and friends at Friday Foto Friends today.  Hop on over there and see what others are sharing today.

Who Calmed the Storm?

Hurricane Matthew was predicted to hit our state as a category four major hurricane this past weekend.  All of the weather forecasters were predicting an extremely vicious storm, threatening us with severe high winds and rain that would cause major damage to those of us living within sixty miles or more of the Atlantic Coast of Florida.  Our home was right on the borderline of being in the highest hurricane force winds, and it was even recommended that people living in our part of the county should evacuate.  It wasn't mandatory, but highly recommended especially for people living in mobile/manufactured homes.

Thankfully, our house is a solid concrete block home,

so we were not fearful so much for it to be a high risk...but we live in the middle of the Ocala National Forest, and are surrounded by many tall sandpines...which have a very shallow root system and are easily uprooted or snapped in two by any high winds.  So my concern was mainly for what could happen if any of those trees fell on our house.

My other anxiety was the inevitable loss of electricity, because those trees would most likely be falling on power lines throughout the area, disrupting power...and who knows how long it would be before the power company would be able to get around and repair all of the damage and restore our power. Since we also have a well with an electric pump, loss of electricity means loss of water...which creates other interesting complications for living in a house full of people.

So, Thursday night before the storm started I walked around our home and prayed and implored God to build His hedges high around and to give His angels charge over our home and our family, our friends, neighbors, and loved ones, wherever they may be in the path of the storm.  I also boldly prayed that God would blow the storm a little ways to the east, out to sea, away from the coastline, and thus lessen the impact upon our state.  I mean, what is wrong with asking God to move the storm over a few miles, possibly saving hundreds of lives and protecting our homes, property and coastline from severe damage? After all, Who created the wind and the rain to begin with? Was it not God?  And Who commands the stormy winds and seas, and also has the power to still the raging storm at just a word spoken from His mouth?

Psalm 107:23-31 says:

"Those who go down to the sea in ships,

who do business on great waters,

They see the works of the Lord,

and His wonders in the deep.

For He (the Lord) commands and raises the stormy wind,

which lifts up the waves of the sea.  

They mount up to the heavens,

they go down again to the depths;

Their soul melts because of trouble.

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,

and are at their wits' end.

Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble,

And He brings them out of their distresses.

He calms the storm,

so that its waves are still.

Then they are glad because they are quiet;

So He guides them to their desired haven.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,

and for His wonderful works to the children of men!"

And so I prayed...and then after filling the bathtub and various buckets, pots and pans with water, and stuffing extra bags of ice in the refrigerator/freezer, I went to bed and waited to see what the Lord would do.  

When we woke up Friday morning the winds and rains were just barely getting started. The very first event that happened, even before I could get the hot water boiling for my morning cup of tea, the power went off...at 6:30 a.m., just like that! Snap! No power! No lights, no water, no air conditioning, no stove, nada, nothing, zap! I thought to myself, "Lord, that wasn't funny!  I hope you plan to restore the power right away, because I really need my cup of tea, and breakfast, and a shower, and the phone and the computer and the TV so we can watch the weather reports, and, and..."  But apparently He wasn't listening to my plea.  The power did not come back on. Not even a little blink. It was totally O.U.T.!  

So after a cold breakfast of peanut butter and banana sandwiches, (eaten on the front porch before the rain got too bad to sit there)

we settled in for the day of watching the rain and wind and figuring out what all we needed to do to survive the storm.

My hubby and adult sons discovered that not being able to watch the TV or use the computer left them with a whole lot of time to do....?? Well, whatever they could do in the pouring down rain inside a dark house. 

 One son taking a nap on the couch

Another son eating homemade cookies...

Our house tends to be a little dark when there is no sunshine, so the brightest area was our sun-porch, which I claimed so I could sit and read.
 Hubby joined me for a while, but not being such an avid reader as I, he soon resorted to other activities...counting coins by candlelight? He was bored!  Ha!











Throughout the day we heard many trees snapping and popping around us in the woods, and we continued to pray that no harm would come upon our home or anyone we knew.

By supper time it seemed that the storm was abating somewhat, but there was still no sign of electricity being restored, so we dodged the raindrops and cooked hotdogs, beans, and fried potatoes outside on the grill, and ate dinner by candlelight and an oil lamp. I felt much like the Ingalls' family in "Little House on the Prairie". Kind of fun...but thankful it hopefully wasn't going to be a permanent way of life...

Throughout the day we kept expecting the storm to get worse, because the weather predictions had been so dire.  Since we had no means of communication, there was no way for us to know what was really happening with the intensity of or direction the storm was heading. We just continued to pray and watch and wait.

After supper the rain and wind had actually stopped enough for us to go outside and look around. As we walked out onto our road, we saw many trees felled by the wind, blocking the path for vehicles to get through.  So the guys got busy and started cutting up the trees enough so that people could get by.

As we realized that the storm was indeed passing by, and that we had not suffered any serious damage to our property, home, or persons, we truly began to rejoice and give thanks for God's mercy and goodness.  We checked on our immediate neighbors and found that they were also safe and sound, and like us, very thankful to be alive.  Of course, we still didn't have any electricity or water, but we were safe, our homes were intact,  and it was apparent that God had done something special...because this storm was not as bad as it was supposed to have been!

The next morning we still didn't have any power, and hubby and I were both in need of some hot coffee (hubby) and tea (me), and also having a bit of cabin fever, we decided to take a ride and see if there was any place open that had power and coffee!  We noticed the power trucks and tree cutters out doing their jobs...and prayed they would soon have our power restored as well.

Happy Me with my Hot Tea!

Hubby with his paper.

Thankfully, we found a gas station open about 10 miles away and got our hot drinks and headed back home to start the clean up process. We also bought a newspaper, and settled on the sunny front porch to enjoy a cool morning breeze and some fresh air for a few minutes before digging into the work for the day.

As we started reading the paper, my son held up the headlines for me to see:

It said that our county "dodged the bullet"...that the storm was not as bad as it was predicted to be... and, well, read it for yourself:

Do you see what I see? 

 "A simple jog to the east late Thursday, as well as a slight weakening early Friday, was enough to keep the worst of the dangerous Matthew out of Marion County..."

Hmmm..."A simple jog to the EAST late Thursday..."    Yes, that is exactly when I was praying for exactly that to happen...and I found out later that many others were praying for the exact same thing...and well...

"Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble,

and He brings them out of their distresses.

He calms the storm,

So that it's waves are still."

Can God do this? Does He really hear our cries and answer our prayers??? Does He really have this kind of power over the wind and the sea?  Well, let's see if there is another story that you might recall.  Read Mark 4:35-41 for the whole story, but the most important verses are when Jesus is awakened by His disciples as they feared the boat was going to sink in the great windstorm, 

(verses 39-41)

"Then He arose and rebuked the wind, 

and said to the sea,

'PEACE, BE STILL!'

And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

But He said to them,

'Why are you so fearful? 

How is it that you have no faith?'

And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another,

'Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!'"

In Matthew's gospel version of this same story, chapter 8:26, Jesus asks the disciples, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?".   Interesting...this was in Matthew's gospel...and this event we had was Hurricane Matthew.

Anyway, I believe Jesus is still asking us today this same question...even after we prayed and prayed and asked Him to calm the storm...to drive it further away...we still doubted that it would really happen...and then when it DID happen just as we prayed, I've heard some people say that the weathermen just didn't know what they were talking about when they made all those predictions...their scientific instruments weren't all that accurate if they couldn't even predict where this storm was going...and how soon do we forget that God did exactly what we asked Him to do...and we try to explain it to faulty equipment or false predictions?

I go back to Psalm 107, verse 1-2, which says:

"Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy."

Yes, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!"

Praise God! He calmed the storm!

He drove the storm further out to sea and spared many lives.

I know this storm has been very dangerous in other places, and we don't want to forget Haiti, Cuba, The Bahamas, and other parts of the United States eastern seaboard who are still reeling from the ravages of this same storm. I don't understand why they have had such a difficult time and we have been spared.

 But, I do want to go on record as recognizing God's great mercy shown toward us here, and I believe we need to say so.

  

We do need to pray for those who are still suffering and hurting, and do whatever we are able to do to help.

Oh, and by the way, our power was finally restored 36 hours after it was lost.  We spent 36 hours living off the grid...and survived!  We survived in more ways than just an inconvenience to our comfort.  We survived because God indeed drove the storm further out to sea and changed it's course and intensity as a direct response to many prayers. I firmly believe that...and will continue to give Him the praise and honor He so deserves for hearing and responding to our prayers in such a miraculous way. Yes, our Heavenly Father calmed the storm for us literally.  And He can do that and so much more for you as well...just ask Him!