Empty Me

Blessings One and All.  I pray your day has been filled with the joy of the Lord.

In recent times, much has been happening at home...quiet times seem to be at a minimum, and drama at the maximum.  So many are in true need of  the love of family at present. As the days have passed within the last week, we have been called to prayer many, many times.  Hubby and I have been challenged, harried and hurried, and it has been a trial...yet, a blessing, too!  Isn't it amazing how the enemy brings drama, but what he has meant for evil, God will turm to good? 

Having faced significant battles with my health the last few days has made it very difficult at times, to be a help to others, and though I am loathe to admit it, my attitude has been less than chairtable in some of these moments.  How then, do I rectify, and rationalize beahavior that I know is less than Christ-like? Truth be told, I can not.  What I can, and must do, is go to God in my prayer closet, and ask Him to empty me of my selfish wants, and let myself be used by Him, as He has called me to be.  Not because of who I am, but, because of who He is!

Have you ever stood before a mirror and simply looked at yourself?  Not the reflection you see, but who you are? I have...and I am not happy with what I have seen.  Never ask God to show the "truth of who I am,"  if you are not prepared to see it. It seems there is still so much work left within me that needs doing...and I am not the One who can do it.  God can, though, if I will but surrender to Him.  There is hope for me, yet, in His time, and mercy.

I once heard someone say that our time upon this Earth is but a fleeting shadow...a "proving ground" for who we will become in Eternity.  If that is so, then, there is much that I need to surrender to Him. So, as I sit here tonight, that is my plea...Father, more of You, and less of me!

Quietly, in this small room, He ministers to my heart, words of love and comfort, and promises that one day, all will be revealed, and His plan and purpose for my life will come to fruition. And, what He will do for me, He will do for you, as well. His love for us is without reservation. 

It is not in the large things that we do for Him that we make such a difference.  Many are called to preach, to teach, to evangilize...but, it is in the simplest of things that the biggest changes are manifested...if you do not believe this, simply remember the person who prays for you, and the one who stands beside you when no one else would do so...if a person can choose to do this, then how much more so will your Heavenly Father? No it is not who we are, or what we can do, that speaks of how God moves within us, and lets us be of help to others. I t is in the solitude of a Momma's prayer, the simplicity of a child at worship, and our yearning for His presence so deeply, that we ache for it, that it becomes clear...to us He has given His all, and to Him, we owe our all.


Father, help me to remember in those times when I grow weary, that my purpose upon this Earth is to bring honor and glory to Your name.  Help me to spread gentle and loving kindeness where there has been hurt.  Show me Your ways, Lord, that I might not sin against you.  Open the eyes of my heart, and the depths of my soul to Your goodness, that I might be an instrument of love and peace in You. Most of all, Dear Abba, let me love others as You have loved me...without reservation.  In Jesus name, amen

A Day of Rememberance...Daddy's Gift

Father's Day will soon be here..a day to remember, to celebrate, and to give thanks for our Dads.

I never knew my biological dad...he and my biological mom were divorced when I was a baby, and I was taken by the state and placed in foster care.  It is a hard life for a child...you are never sure exactly where you will lay your head at night, and you long for love...beg for it, cry for it, and dream of it. When you finally receive it, it is the sweetest gift you will ever know.  Sometimes, you are so afraid it will vanish, you just don't believe it is real...and you keep testing it to the limits. I was a grown woman before I really understood what real love means...and that is what this story is about.

My adoptive Dad...the one who chose me from all other little girls, the one who loved me, nurtured me, and cared for me, has been passed on for many years now.  He was not perfect.  At times, he was hard and unfeeling, and others, he was so kind, it would bring tears to your eyes.  What he was, however, was a human being who did the best he could with what he had...and today, that is a precious memory.

He had huge hands...he was a giant of a man...both in stature, and in deeds...he gave so much to so many in our community, serving the public, and doing all that he could to try and bring industry to our tiny little town.  There are many people who live here who would not have work today, were it not for his tireless efforts. Upon the wall in my living room, there is a "Resolution" from our SC State Senate which honors him for the work he did for this state. I am proud of the things he accomplished. But, I want to tell you about the proudest moment of my life for my Dad...the one moment that changed our family forever.

Dad was a workaholic. He was always on the go to some meeting, or running for some office. He was a hard worker, a hard player, and a hard drinker, too.  I hated that part of what he did. It made him unbearable when he had alcohol in his system, and all of us knew to give him plenty of space during those times. Most of my childhood, I remember him with a drink in his hand, or on the table beside where he sat at night, when he was home.  My Momma had such a hard life with him...and, she sheltered us from his anger, his pain, and his bitterness.  She prayed for him...every day. For 42 years, she prayed. My brother and I would pray, too...but I think Momma was the one who really believed God could work a miracle for my daddy.  I had sort of given up hope, I guess you could say.

One day, after all those years of praying, Dad became very ill. He almost died from a diabetic crisis.  Of course, we were all with him, and we did everything we could do for him. But, this was a battle he had to fight...all we could do was trust God.  Finally, he began to mend.

I don't remember Dad calling on God when he was sick. I am sure he did. Maybe he even promised the Lord he would change, if He spared his life. I don't know the answer to that.  But what I do know is that he DID change.

He spoke to my mom one Saturday afternoon, telling her he wanted to go to church the next day.  Momma just smiled, and told him that would be wonderful. She never questioned him, never said anything to him negative, or asked him why now...I wanted to, but I was afraid to ask anything. 

The next day dawned bright and beautiful. The sun shone in a way that seemed to light this old Earth with something particularly illuminating. Dad got up, ate his breakfast, dressed in a nice suit, and drove to church. Momma was radiant in her Sunday best, simply glowing...she KNEW something special was about to happen.

The service began with the usual hymns and preaching...but something was different about Daddy.  He sat so quietly, not moving, listening so intently, you could almost feel it. The preacher began to talk about God's plan of salvation...His offer for forgiveness for ALL who would receive it...a gift freely given...the pianist began to play the chosen music...Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling...calling for you and for me...the first stanza finished, and then the second.  Daddy sat there...then something began to happen...slowly, ever so slowly, he rose from our pew, and took a step into aisle...my Momma grabbed my hand...there was a shuffling in many of the pews when he began that walk down to the Preacher.  I saw my Daddy walk down to him, and e seemed to fold in upon himself...this giant of a man,  He knelt down, and he spoke no words...but he began to weep...then, after a moment, another daddy got up, and walked forward...then, another, and another, and another...the music was still playing, but, no one could speak...Momma was crying. I was crying. The whole Church seemed to be weeping...every pew was silent, except for the sounds of weeping...God was moving, and my daddy, my precious daddy, was giving his life to the Lord.

I am crying as I write this..I can't help myself...you see, on that day, my Daddy gave me the greatest of all gifts he had, or would ever give to me. He gave me the chance to spend Eternity with him in Heaven. I give thanks to God for that above all else...

If I could talk to my Dad today, I would say this: "Daddy, I miss you, but I know I am going to see you again.  I know how hard it was for you to humble yourself before man and God, but, the day that you did changed the pattern of my life forever...it was the day I first believed in miracles. Thank you, Dad, for showing me that even a man as strong as you needed Jesus..."

Today is the 42nd celebration of my adoption.  And it is day of thankfulness to God for my Daddy.

Until we meet again, may the Lord bless you GOOD!
simploldgurl

The Life of Love..as One Servent Sees It

Good evening, or, rather, Blessed early morning, Bloggy Friends! I pray all is well with you and your family.


I am unable to sleep at the moment, and I needed a few moments to just sit, and worship the Lord. As so often is the case, it is in those times when we are not really thinking of anything in particular, that He ministers to our hearts so profoundly. If you have been reading my blog posts, then you know where my heart stands with God...it is a personal relationship with Him that I crave, and need to foster in all things. That is my heart's plea. Tonight, as I pray for many with whom I have spoken, it is also my heart's cry for them. That there be, for them, a personal, joyful, abiding relationship with God , and that His assurance and peace would overwhelm them with His perfect Joy in all things. That love would fill their lives with Hope.

I never give away a confidence. I also never keep within myself what I am told...how is that possible? Because when I am in my prayer closet, I open up my spirit to the Father, and let my concern, and my love for my brothers and sisters in Christ spill over from my incapable hands, to His perfectly able ones. It is just what I do.

I have often asked the Lord to use me...to just let me, somehow, even in the smallest way, give back to others the love He has always shown me. Being one who prays gives me that blessed opportunity. It is not who I am, or what I can do that makes any difference at all. It is Him, His mercy, His grace, that flows like a river to cleanse, and renew, and invigorate with the wonder of His New Life that makes all things different.

I have shared before that one of my favorite verses in the Word is "Let brotherly love continue." It is a small verse, only four words...yet, it speaks volumes of how we should be toward each other, doesn't it? That is the thing about walking in Love with another person...if you are, you can only want what is the very best for them...and, you will lift them up, and ask the Father to bless them. You simply have to, because it is a mighty force that calls you to seek happiness for them...this "brotherly love."

In the name of love, many things have been accomplished. Huge memorials have been built to speak of the love that a man has for a wife, like the Taj Mahal. Legacies of hospitals, parks, even something so grand as the Lincon Memorial, and the Viet Nam Wall in Washington D.C....yet, the greatest testimony of love ever written were these words:

"For God so loved the World that He gave his only begotton Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

So, how can we give anything of ourselves that is worthy to be called "love?" It is so simple, really...all we need to do is this one thing, which the Father has told us:

                                                   "Love thy neighbor as thyself."


That is the true life of Love, as this servent sees it...just love others, as you wish the Father to love you...
As the song "Friends" says:

With the faith and love God's given,
Springing from the hope we know,
and we will pray the Joy you'll live in,
is the strength that now you show,
we'll keep you close as always,
it won't even seem you've gone,
cause our hearts in big and small ways,
will keep the love that keeps us strong.

Friends are friends forever, if the Lord is the Lord of them,
And friend will not say "never,"
cause the the Welcome will not end.
Though it's hard to let you go,
in the Father's hands we know,
that a lifetime is not too long,
to live as friends."

Whether near or far, here, or gone on, if we love another as He has shown us, that love will cover the miles, the world, if it has to, but it will be known...this is why we are called to "let brotherly love continue." because we all need true love...His love.  Nothing can destroy love. if it is true in Him...even death can not make it void.  May we be examples of this, and until we meet again, may the Lord bless you GOOD!

simpleoldgurl

Intimacy With God

Blessings dear Friends!

Today has been a good day, despite the battles in my body. I will be going in the A.M. for some tests, and a Dr visit. I know the Father has the best for me, so though I dread the preliminaries, I fear not the results, for God is my Healer, and I stand in His promises.

A friend of mine wrote to me this morning of seeking the Lord deeply, and, as He so often does with Sisters in Him, He has me much in the same place at the moment. I, too, am seeking His will in my life, with renewed vigor. I need Him as I need air, and I crave His presence, as I crave life, and that lived more abundantly. More of Him, and less of me...

I have a book by Joyce Meyer, entitled, "Knowing God Intimately." In this book, she speaks of how she has had to stand on faith in many areas of her life...for finances, for healing, her ministry, and for miracles for others. She also talks of those things we can do as Christians to envelope ourselves in a close, personal relationship with God. Her life is a testimony to her faith...I want mine to be like that, don't you? She uses many analogies to show how the Lord oepns us to new experiences in Him, because we SEEK Him. I love hers, but the following are what the Lord has given me to share today. May they bless, and minister to you, as He has to me!

Growing in Faith in God, is, to me, is a bit like exercising. When we are working out, we

s-t-r-e-t-c-h

to warm up, and we

s--t-r-e-t-c-h

to cool down. Our bodies must have time to adjust to the changes that will happen before, and have taken place after, we do our routines, amen? So, too, must our spirits have "time with God". We must delve deeply into His Word, and prayer, and push ourselves beyond what we think of as attainable. Nothing is impossible with God, and "those who seek Me shall find me." We must be willing to let our spirit be stretched in the ways of the Lord.

The Word tells us that we are to ask, to knock, and to seek. If we neglect even one of these areas in our spiritual lives, something goes lacking, just as when we neglect our muscles, they grow flabby and out of shape. If we want true intimacy with the Lord, we must:

ASK for it!

KNOCK obstacles out of the way!

SEEK Him with all of our hearts, mind, body and spirit!

To "seek" means to be diligently looking for, and forward to, to work without restraint towards a goal, and to push beyond obstacles to reach what we want. Intimacy with the Father, that "one on one," deep and abiding love, loyalty, and devotion that we need in our daily lives can only be accomplished by seeking Him with our all. He is reminding me of that of late, and I am grateful for it.

Like Joyce says:

"When you sit in the presence of God, even if you don't feel like you are learning anything new, you are still sowing good seed into your life that will produce a good harvest. With persistence, you will get to the point where you understand more of God's Word, where you are having great fellowship with God, where you are talking to Him, AND he is talking to you. You will sense His presence in your life that will amaze you. Don't spend your time chasing blessings. Spend you time chasing God, and the blessings will chase you!"

I love that! His blessings will be chasing US, as we seek Him!

I encourage you today, take time to worship, make moments to simply "abide" with the Lord. The rewards are far more precious than my limited vocabulary can express. Do not go by "feelings," but focus on His truth...

ASK!

KNOCK!

SEEK!

and then...

RECIEVE!

May the Lord bless you GOOD!

In Him,
Simpleoldgurl

Wow! Am I LATE tonight! :)

Hi Y'all! I surely late posting today, aren't I? We have had a very busy day, working on the new counter for the kitchen. I am SO excited about it! It will give me a lot more space for preps, and it will hide my washer and dryer. Yep, our washer and dryer are in the kitchen...this house is 63 years old, built nail by nail and board by board by the Hubby's dad, and the kitchen is the only space available with a 220 amp breaker, and since we "make do," not redo, it stays, LOL! I have gotten used to it, but it will be a thrill to have them hidden away! And more space to work, whoo hoo! YIPPEEEE!! :)




I spent a goodly portion of the afternoon in prayer and praise today. That old enemy is attacking my body,but I am standing fast in my healing! I am trying to use wisdom in my daily tasks, but, sometimes, I want to "just get on with it!" Yet, I know, if I over-do, I will pay for it later. So, I am going at a turtle's pace...a wee bit faster than a snail, and less slimey, too, LOL!



Dropped by to "visit" a lot of my friends in blog land on HSB in the last two days, and sent messages to a few who haven't been on lately. It seems that many are fighting battles, other than just me...so, I am praying a lot lately. You know, I think it helps me focus on the goodness of the Lord to pray for others, and in turn, it helps me to stand fast in what I am asking for, as well. Because each time I see His move for the others, I remember what He said:  "Every Good and perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights, in whom there is no shifting shadow of turning."  James 1:17

Isn't that an awesome thing to know? God has no shadow of turning! What He has done for others, He can do for US!




Well, I am off for a bit, maybe dropping in to visit a few more friends, but I leave you with this:



May the Lord bless you GOOD!

Simpleoldgurl

Monday's Musing

Blessings Friends! I pray this afternoon finds you in the best of spirit, celebrating the goodness of the Father with your family.

A few mornings ago, I walked outside and saw a profusion of butterflies, and damselflies stopping in for a bit of nectar here and there, and I thought I would share a few of those pictures:

The two above show the sweet  winged creatures enjoying a bit of the dew on my Lantana and Snow Ball bush. The one below is of a damselfly that happened to be still only long enough for me to capture a quick photo.

                                            

But this is my favorite of them all...two Monarchs feasting together:

                                        

The beauty of the simple blessings God gives us daily are all around us...if we will but take that moment to enjoy them. May His peace be with you today, and may you be surrounded by His beauty.

Psalms 29: 2 "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."

Until we meet again, may the Lord bless you GOOD!

Simpleoldgurl

Amazing Grace ( My Chains are Gone)