Victory!

I'm almost finished with writing about the name change of this blog but in the meantime ...I thought I would share this thought from a book I recently started to read.

"But the High Places of victory and union with Christ cannot be reached by any mental reckoning of self to be dead to sin, or by seeking to devise some way or discipline by which the will can be crucified. The only way is by learning to accept, day by day, the actual conditions and tests permitted by God, by a continually repeated laying down of our own will and acceptance of His as it is presented to us in the form of the people with whom we have to live and work, and in the things which happen to us. Every acceptance of His will becomes an altar of sacrifice, and every such surrender and abandonment of ourselves to His will is a means of furthering us on the way to the High Places to which He desires to bring every child of His while they are still living on earth." 

     ~Hannah Hurnard, "Hinds' Feet on High Places" 

The wording "High Places" in the passage and in the title of her book are in reference to the following couple of scriptures.

Psalm 18:33 "He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places." -NASB

Habakkuk 3:19 "The Lord God is my strength;  and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instrument." -NASB

It may help to know, as it did me, that "hinds' feet" are the feet of a deer, which represents surefooting, stability, agility and grace and "high places" are in reference to places of safety or refuge.  I also had the following other scriptures in mind that tie together the thoughts of this post.

Colossians 3:15-16 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called to one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

Romans 12:1 "Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

What I noticed when I read the excerpt and the scripture passages was the part we have in the process of experiencing the victory He has for us. We have to let, allow, accept, surrender and present ourselves to Him for Him to accomplish His perfect work in us.
How do we do this? First, we can only have victory through the process of  being "born again". Yeshua (Jesus) told Nicodemus, a Jewish teacher, that unless a person is born again they can not see the kingdom of God. Once we are born again, His Spirit will then write His laws upon the heart (Jeremiah 31, Heb. 10) that we may walk as He walked and walk obediently as He did. That is our Victory!

I, too, echo the words of the apostle Paul.. "Not that I have obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Yeshua (Christ Jesus)." Philippians 3:12.

As I run this race, may my own feet be as hinds' feet and all praise and glory be to Him for what He accomplishes!

An only child with siblings!

I'm very excited! In two weeks I will be going to Florida with three very dear girlfriends that God has placed in my life. They are well considered my spiritual sisters. That thought has lead me to write the following....

First, Here's a little background for those who don't know me. I am an only child, but I have been blessed with some of the greatest friends a person could ask for. They are the siblings that I never had...and ohh how MANY they are! It's amazing what God can do when we allow our hearts to be opened by Him. I now desire that I had more time to devote in knowing each of them more. I like to think that's another thing eternity offers to us...ALL the time we need to know each other. I sure do look forward to it, because this earthly life does not afford all that I would do with them if I could!

Second, It's been an interesting adjustment for me at times. The lessons I may have learned sooner in life from being in a family with siblings were a bit delayed, but I am thankful for them, none-the-less, because they have taught me many things about myself that I lacked, desired, and just flat out needed to repent of. Like how to be a true friend..and that through the good times and the bad..there really are people committed to being there....and as for the repenting part...well...I can be selfish and envious and other such immaturities (lol). However, during the course of life's lessons I've been learning a lot about what not to be and what to be! I'm still learning and growing and desiring to be continually molded and shaped into the person that pleases God!

Finally, I must include a few random things that have happened recently that remind me of just how special they are and how their presence blesses me!

~At work today I received a call on my cell phone from Rob [thinking he's calling me for a haircut ;.)] when in reality he's calling to tell me he's driving by my house in his new work truck and wanted to give me heads up so I could see it. The happiness and joy I felt for him as we rejoiced together over a much awaited and prayerfully sought after job! Ohhh..how I wish I could've seen him driving by!
~A text from Casie that surprised me and came shortly after I had just thought to myself how nice it would be to go out an do something with friends after such a long week of working! Believe me when I say it didn't take me long to get out the door!!! Wahooo!
~Getting to see Laura's apartment and hearing her tell the shovel story and how she carries the blue light around. She has such a good sense of humor and is good at making the best of things.
~Spending time listening to Casie and Naomi,during a Mexican meal, as they talk about our trip to Florida and all the plans they've come up with. I believe the road trip is going to be a bigger part of our memories more than we think.
~The idea of meeting up with Ron and Vicki in Florida and how we will be there in the same week as them is pretty cool, since I was unable to catch the trip down to Florida with her, and yet still get to see them.
~Doing Amy's hair and having a discussion on vanity. Anything wrong with that picture? jk
~Talking with another friend that's pretty down right now and remembering how much my friends were there for me when I was having a low time in life.

Yep! That's what I'm talking about...not enough time to do all that I would like too and definitely not enough time to write about all of it! I guess that's what happens when you have so many siblings as an only child!

Hearing and Seeing!

I came across this poem and as I read it, I could not help but wonder a couple of things.... what does one hear when they read this? Does it open the ears to hear the still small voice of our Maker through His creation? Does it open the eyes to see what can be learned of the Creator through His creation! He speaks such beautiful words without words! He shows such beauty through what may seem so lowly 'to us'.



"The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." Psalm 19:1-4 


 "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Romans 1:20




CONSIDER THE LILIES OF THE FIELD

by: Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

LOWERS preach to us if we will hear:--

The rose saith in the dewy morn:

I am most fair;

Yet all my loveliness is born

Upon a thorn.

The poppy saith amid the corn:

Let but my scarlet head appear

And I am held in scorn;

Yet juice of subtle virtue lies

Within my cup of curious dyes.

The lilies say: Behold how we

Preach without words of purity.

The violets whisper from the shade

Which their own leaves have made:

Men scent our fragrance on the air,

Yet take no heed

Of humble lessons we would read.

But not alone the fairest flowers:

The merest grass

Along the roadside where we pass,

Lichen and moss and sturdy weed,

Tell of His love who sends the dew,

The rain and sunshine too,

To nourish one small seed.

Think on these things!

Decisions! Decisions! Always decisions to be made. I've been trying to decide on a new blogspot name because I didn't realize there is another with this same name too! I believe that as I move forward with it the name will come to me. I've also been trying to decide where to go with this and what to do with it? I started off thinking I knew the direction I was going with it and then it quickly began to elude me. I began thinking and asking..."What am I doing with this?". =) As I prayerfully consider the above thoughts...I wanted to at least take note of my following intentions. 

 I'm inspired by other blogs, which share information that challenge my thoughts, ideas and practices, and by ones that expose me to new places and interesting facts of  places I would like to visit. I believe in one form or another I would like to do a bit of both. There is soo much beauty around us that seems to go unnoticed and at the same time we are so distracted by the cares of this life, that at times, we fail to see what's right in front of us. It's my hope for it to "not" be a place where I have something to say to the world, but a place to have something to say when it has real value and is worth being shared. 

We are instructed by God to think on certain things....

 "Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." Phillipians 4:8 

May all future blogs be founded on this principle! 

Beginnings!

Alright! Here I go! The beginning of something I've contemplated for a long time.
At times (even moments) I'm apprehensive to share my thoughts with the world outside of myself. More often than not I've concerned myself  with what others might think of me. Rejection, fear and abandonment have all played a part in that! Experience, time, and age have been changing me and  I'm beginning to be less and less concerned with that. Those who know me understand me and those who don't..well..I guess they don't! =)

Anyway, I decided to name this blog..."Time in a Bottle" because when I think of all the memories I have that I wish I could capture and freeze for an eternity it always makes me think of the song by Jim Croce.

Memories....good or bad have an effect on us that can last us a lifetime. I cherish the good ones because they help me through the bad ones, and the bad ones...welll... they have their place too! Call them bad or call them challenges...they are what have shaped me into the person that I am. I don't always like them, but I know my Father in heaven loves me and I will thank Him in ALL that I must journey through! I venture to say that time is in a bottle to Him also... compared to His eternity!

Challenges or Cherished times...I'm thankful for it all! I'm thankful most of all for His love and the love of those He has placed into my life. Memories are such a precious gift for this "Time in a Bottle"