I can’t believe it’s been two years since my sweet Danni died. She was only 19 when brain cancer consumed her body, you can see her story at www.dannifrain.blogspot.com if you like, it’s a blog that I did during that time and made into a book. It’s there as an eternal memorial to her. Since then, we’ve moved to Florida in effort to start a new chapter in our lives.
I’ve heard that her grave was covered in flowers and gifts as our community of family and friends remembered her life. That blessed me greatly, but then Danni was unforgettable.
Currently, we’ve been meeting with a wonderful couple here and Thanksgiving day was a tragic one for them as well. She lost her daughter. As I spoke with her on the phone a few days later, I was encouraged by what she had to say. I thought about how the grace of God had been so real to us as Grace (her name) spoke words of praise for the Father.
It was amazing to me that just the week before as we met for Sunday worship in our home, we discussed God’s love for us and how he makes us get into the boat like his disciples and go to the other side. (See Matthew 14:22, Matthew 8:23, Matthew 9:1 these are just a few)
As I was looking for scriptures, I was totally amazed by the number of times Jesus got into a boat and crossed to the other side with his disciples following or in other cases, he made them go on their own and joined them later.
It’s so very hard to think that God has a plan and purpose with all this crossing of many waters, some seas are so difficult to traverse, but he does. He wants us to grow and mature. He wants us to see him for who he really is in circumstances so dire that only he can rescue us. He wants to get us to a place that we can see his glory.
Grace, my friend, is in a boat once again crossing to the other side and we are with her. The waves are crashing furiously but she has shown me God’s glory within her shining brightly.
Yesterday morning as we sat on the beach near the ocean we discussed that in times of deepest distress, God will give us what we need to endure and that is so true. It’s at those times in life that he comes walking to us across the sea or he stands in the boat and calms the waves.
“Do not fear, it is I,” he says to us for he is always in control or “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” for he is always with us. Nothing happens to us without his knowledge or consent and it is always for our good though we may not see it though the storm.
“He loves us, oh, how he loves us, oh, how he loves us, oh, how he loves us…” is the song rolling through my heart, may these words comfort you in your crossing today. He’s there…he knows…he cares…he’s preparing you for others to see his glory through you and you will make it safely to the other side.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Battle...Breakthrough!
Last Sunday was a battle for us. We were fighting discouragement because it’s been a hard process for my hubby to gain employment. Don’t get me wrong, we knew it would be quite a test to move to Florida and we were prepared for the challenge. We have no regrets and would take the plunge again, however, it’s easy to let financial circumstances rule and overrule your every thought.
We were encouraged by our friend Kent that Ephesians 6 says that our fight is not against “flesh and blood” but that it is a heavenly struggle against wickedness. I had never before linked our fight with wickedness to other scriptures that spoke of “the wicked” or “evildoers”.
To be quite honest, I often thought of wicked people I knew when I would read those scriptures or I would think of where God brought me from. Right or wrong those were my thoughts but in light of Ephesians 6, I realized this week that there is a whole other dimension to “wickedness” beyond people.
That night, I was asking the Lord, “Lord, what is the truth about our situation? What is the truth that is buckled around my waist?” (Eph. 6:14) and he encouraged me to read my journal. As I read, I found Psalm 27 scribbled several times amongst my notes and I decide to check it out.
There in black and white was the answer to our circumstances. As I sat pondering the words “enemies, foes, attack, army, besiege, and war” I began to realize that there was a spiritual battle going on, enemies from the evil one had surrounded us cutting off all supply, but God would come to the rescue!
It was as if my eyes had been opened. Minutes later, as I sat in front of the fan in our room the pages were blown to Psalm 37 where I was strengthened again by it’s words. What an amazing surge of power came from the page to our spirits as Matt and I began to pray in agreement that God could be trusted and that he would intervene on our behalf.
I am blessed to report that the very next day, Matt got a call and was given a job!!
Somehow, I never put it together that our battle is against wickedness and that those forces are represented in scripture as, “wicked men, evildoers and the wicked” but it is the enemy of our souls working behind the scenes and through people to accomplish his evil schemes. (Ephesians 6:10-12)
To those of us who have been made righteous through accepting Christ as our Savior, we are the blameless and righteous ones in the scriptures. Let me make it clear that it is only through Christ that we are blameless and righteous because he took our sin upon himself on the cross.
All this to say, what an exercise and we are strengthened! I share this to encourage you if you are being besieged by the enemy and it seems that you’ve hit a brick wall in your circumstances.
I leave you with these words from Psalm 37:34, “Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.”
Praise the Lord … we have seen it!
We were encouraged by our friend Kent that Ephesians 6 says that our fight is not against “flesh and blood” but that it is a heavenly struggle against wickedness. I had never before linked our fight with wickedness to other scriptures that spoke of “the wicked” or “evildoers”.
To be quite honest, I often thought of wicked people I knew when I would read those scriptures or I would think of where God brought me from. Right or wrong those were my thoughts but in light of Ephesians 6, I realized this week that there is a whole other dimension to “wickedness” beyond people.
That night, I was asking the Lord, “Lord, what is the truth about our situation? What is the truth that is buckled around my waist?” (Eph. 6:14) and he encouraged me to read my journal. As I read, I found Psalm 27 scribbled several times amongst my notes and I decide to check it out.
There in black and white was the answer to our circumstances. As I sat pondering the words “enemies, foes, attack, army, besiege, and war” I began to realize that there was a spiritual battle going on, enemies from the evil one had surrounded us cutting off all supply, but God would come to the rescue!
It was as if my eyes had been opened. Minutes later, as I sat in front of the fan in our room the pages were blown to Psalm 37 where I was strengthened again by it’s words. What an amazing surge of power came from the page to our spirits as Matt and I began to pray in agreement that God could be trusted and that he would intervene on our behalf.
I am blessed to report that the very next day, Matt got a call and was given a job!!
Somehow, I never put it together that our battle is against wickedness and that those forces are represented in scripture as, “wicked men, evildoers and the wicked” but it is the enemy of our souls working behind the scenes and through people to accomplish his evil schemes. (Ephesians 6:10-12)
To those of us who have been made righteous through accepting Christ as our Savior, we are the blameless and righteous ones in the scriptures. Let me make it clear that it is only through Christ that we are blameless and righteous because he took our sin upon himself on the cross.
All this to say, what an exercise and we are strengthened! I share this to encourage you if you are being besieged by the enemy and it seems that you’ve hit a brick wall in your circumstances.
I leave you with these words from Psalm 37:34, “Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.”
Praise the Lord … we have seen it!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
We're Grandparents!!
Nevaeh T'nes (Na veh ya) (Heaven Sent backwards) was given to our daughter Kirsten today and we are so thankful everyone's safe! She was born this morning at 7:11 A.M. and we're very excited :)
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