Promise of Peace

Photo attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eviltomthai/3962329548/

Though the mountains be shaken
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
    nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 54:10

 Sometimes it just helps to remember God's promises to those who love Him.

Ready?

Photo from Personal Files

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.  The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.  The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.

Matthew 25:1-4

My daughter called last night:  "Do you have your flashlights ready?   Do you know where your candles are?  Do you have oil in your lamps?"

 It had been raining all day and my lessons were cancelled due to the threat of an ice storm.  All day I enjoyed watching the ice collect on the branches outside my back door, however, I was not ready for the storm.  I didn't have my flashlights, candles or lamps.  I actually knew where they were and that is amazing having moved in our house just 2 1/2 months ago and not all of the boxes have been emptied.  We went to work gathering and filling.   We were ready!  The storm came and went and we didn't have to use them (and I'm grateful) but we were ready just in case.

Have we done all we've been called to do?  Are we ready to meet the Master (Bridegroom) when He comes again?  I think I have more gathering to do.

Treasures

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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21

I, Sally Smith, am a hoarder.  It became increasingly apparent a few years ago when I quit having people over because it meant a whole day trying to find a place for the things that crowded my kitchen table.  It really struck me when I had to sort through all my belongings, touching each and deciding whether to keep it or not.  I struggled letting things go to Goodwill or auction.  There was a cathartic feeling, however, once it was gone...a knowledge in the fact that I really hadn't needed that item and someone else had it and would use it.  Why did I collect things?  I thought I would either use them myself or resell them and I did neither.  They stayed in boxes or on shelves...waiting.  My heart became addicted to collecting things.

Here's the rest of the passage:¹⁹ Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
(Mice had actually broken into a box of toys and destroyed many of them.)
The first paragraph of the Matthew 6 (NIV) starts with the heading, "Give to the Needy."  I think back at the amount of money I wasted on things that sat idly in my house and recall the many ways I could have used that money, a blessing from God, to build His kingdom's work.  I'm hoping I learned a lesson from my past hoarding experiences.
  There are more important things than "Things."

Personal Prayer

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationallibrarynz_commons/5344531754/

The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Psalm 147:11

The one who truly prays to the mighty God trusts that He will listen and answer.  They know His love in all circumstances and realize that God is the reason for their hope.  They "fear" Him--other words might be "respect or revere."  They are humbled in His presence, convicted of their own inadequacies and know they can do nothing without Him.  They are the ones in whom the Lord delights.  I want to be one of those precious few.  And now...to pray.

The Great Instructor

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He will instruct them [who fear the Lord] in the ways they should choose.
Psalm 25:12b

Our choices are not always the best, but because we revere Him, He will instruct us when we don't know what we're supposed to do.  I've been in this situation so many times saying, "Why did I get myself into this?"  I cry out to Him and He leads me out or through.  Praise His glorious name!

Wailing Into Dancing

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You turned my wailing into dancing,

 you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy

 that my heart may sing your praises 

and not be silent, Lord, my God. 

I will praise you forever.

Psalm 30:11-12

The first part of November I decided to encourage some of the voice students I was accompanying with some scripture.  These verses inspired me to place my life in God's hands and praise Him for everything that happened because it was for a reason.  Sometimes I just had to find the reason.  This is one of my favorites.

Defend the Oppressed

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Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 1:16-17

Seeing these little dirty faces grabbed me.  Living on a farm is dirty and everyone is expected to work...even the little ones.  My husband was on a tractor at the age of 5 and he had to stand up to work the clutch.  When the baby came, he had to baby sit while his mom and dad milked the cows.  He was 5.  The next year another baby came...now, there were two under the age of two.  Later in the day he was on the tractor.  All he knew was work.  There are no child labor laws on a farm.  He says he had a good life because he worked hard and he was proud of himself that he was able to help his family.  His parents were also proud of him and depended on his help.  Today he has a tremendous work ethic and a healthy self esteem.  There are those, however, who are exploited by cruel people...ones who use them and abuse them.  These are the ones we need to defend and God commands that we do so.  We have prerequisites, though...wash and make ourselves clean, take our evil deeds away, stop doing wrong, learn to do right, and seek justice.  Maybe when we're not so fixed on ourselves, we will be able to focus on others.

A Prosperous and Successful New Year

Page from the Gutenberg Bible

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Joshua 1:8

Here's hoping your New Year is prosperous and successful.  Following the words above is how to accomplish that feat.  However, be ready to accept divine interpretations of the words "prosperous and successful."

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Holding Hands

(photo credit goes to http://rruffner.blogspot.com/2011/04/holding-hands-love.html)

I am the Lord your God. I am holding your hand, so don't be afraid.  I am here to help you.

Isaiah 41:13

Thank you, friends, for you comments on yesterday's post, on Facebook and here.  This is one of the verses I found to strengthen me last semester and I'm sure others remember this, too, when faced with the world's difficulties.  Fear can be debilitating.  Now, I need to remember that the 365 mentions of "fear not" in the Bible are not there on a whim.

Tears in a Bottle

I feel so limited sometimes.  As I age I'm confronted with inabilities I've never had before.  Last semester it was music--not being able to learn as quickly as I needed to learn and corrected by a professor over and over.  I'm accompanying voice students and it takes more than sight reading to learn a piece of music.  Unfortunately, I've had to learn pieces very quickly and I don't have them securely in my fingers.  It's been a lot of stress and I've shed many tears.  I've turned to the Lord on many occasions these past few months for many reasons and he's brought me through.  Even the professor eased up a bit and we actually became friends.  God is so good and cares so much for us.  Now, if only I'd remember this the next bump in the road and call on him immediately instead of waiting for the tears to come.

"You keep track of all my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle.  You have recorded each one in your book."

Psalm 56:8
(photo from personal files)

Walk In Love

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2

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As Long As The Earth Remains

As long as the earth remains,
there will be planting
    and harvest,
    cold and heat;
winter and summer,
    day and night.

Genesis 8:22

(Photo:  Crater Lake in Winter, no know copyright.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/osucommons/3680174516/

Walking Humbly

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Happy New Year

(Photo: No know copyright restrictions on Flickr--http://www.flickr.com/photos/swedish_heritage_board/8252524688/

This is just a taste of the beauty from our temporary home on the farm this summer.  Though the little house left something to be desired, we felt grateful to have a comfortable place to stay while we worked on our home across town.  We resided a stone's throw from a large cotton field.  The first shot is in July and the last is in October.  You can see the growth of cotton.  Every morning we had spectacular sunsets, even more beautiful than the ones we've experienced in our permanent home.  Sometimes God allows us to share in His majesty, especially in trying or troubling situations, and that is enough to get us through them.  We certainly felt His presence during our interim on Johnson Grove Road.  It was an experience we will not forget.

BUSY is the word

Our house almost looks like a home.  We have most of the kitchen cabinets and appliances, the walls painted, most of the trim up and the flooring and carpeting down.  Now, just more coats of paint on the doors and door frames--which has been my sole job for a month now--buy a new refrigerator (the one we purchased last year that has been at my daughter's waiting for us is way too big---boo-hoo), hook up the dishwasher (yeah!), wait on the counter top and another cabinet that had been mismeasured.  My poor husband has done plumbing, trim work, ceiling and wall painting and electrical work--plus numerous other odd jobs that have to be done.  He's really been busy.  In the meantime I have a job as staff accompanists at Union U and have been substituting at FBC as organist during a leave due to ill health.  Both are paying jobs but due to the mileage necessary to get to the school, I make diddly-squat.  The only thing worthwhile is the contact and the foot-in-the-door possibilities that the job at the school may bring.  My husband is hoping to sell some of his bows as soon as we have room in the storage shed for his shop.  No other steady income is in the offing.  We wait.  The Lord provides.  All is worth it when I get to see the faces of all my 14 sweet grandchildren.  Pictures of all the above are pending.