Changes

I'm a first born.  I've always loved being alone.  I used to love when my parents & siblings would go for an evening and I would get to stay home all by myself.  And I'm a Mary -- a women who loves to sit at the feet of Jesus.  These two combined could keep my in my prayer chair for hours.  And the last 2 - 3 years, God has taught me that I am a prayer warrior and an intercessor.  I love praying for others and sending prayers, His word, and devotions to those He has connected me with. But in April of this year I was praying for changes.  The Lord sent me to Idaho to Real Life Church to a discipleship training and then the nudges and kicks to get up and get out of my comfort zone starting coming.

As I was questioning not living closer to my church where I felt a longing to be more involved the Lord reminded me I do not live there (I'm 50 miles away).  I prayed "Show me what else I should change and do to serve you Lord.  Sometimes I think I"m wasting time.  Let nothing hinder my cooperation with You."

After that prayer, I picked up a devotional that said, "we have no right to decide where we should be placed... God engineers everything wherever He places us & we should POUR OUT our lives in wholehearted devotion."

The next day I went into town to help my friend pack up her house.  I was prompted to call two friends... (I did). 

My hubby goes into town for breakfast & coffee every morning.  I never did.  So the Lord kicked me (it seemed like it) and told me to go to town 2 mornings a week.  I did and I do.  I'm forming new relationships.  I prayed to love others unconditionally and that if I was judging others, it would be turned into crazy love for Jesus.

Since then - it's been a wild & crazy summer.  It's been challenging and stretching.

• My son graduated from college.  We had a grad party with too much food but we ate together.
• We evaculated our friends and family from their houses - twice.
• We watched as their houses were flooded.  We cried, we prayed. 
• My niece & nephew came to stay for a few days We washed clothes and ate together.
• My cousin & hubby came to stay for a few days. They stayed for 2 months & they washed their clothes & we ate together.
• My aunt & uncle came to stay for a new days. They washed their clothes & we ate together.
• We hosted a family & friends picnic.  We ate together.
• Met the parents of my Indian daughter who were visiting from India.
• Went to a beautiful lake home for a ministry retreat.  Refreshing, reviving.... we were served and we prayed and praised and ate together.
• We reunited with cousins at at family reunion.  We ate together.
• My cousin from Florida stayed with us.  He baked up a storm. We ate it!
• My cousin from California stayed with us for a week.  We laughed, ate, and washed clothes.
• Grandchild #10 was born.  Went to meet him.
• My daughter, son-in-law and 5 grandkids came to stay for a week .  The house was full and wonderful.  And yes, we  ate, and washed clothes.
• My daughter & 3 grandkids came to stay - moving day was postponed and my son-in-law started a new job.  The house was full and wonderful.  And we ate and washed clothes.
• I went to stay with the daughter above on moving day.  I washed clothes & played hard with the kids as she unpacked.
• Grandchild #11 was born and I went to stay for a week.  I washed clothes, played hard, made meals & held a week old baby in my arms. 

Intertwined into each day is God's presence and power. God has shown me intercession does not have to be done with my alone in my prayer chair. It is way of life.  Praying for each one in the midst of them, when I'm living life, when I'm working, when I"m playing, when I"m serving. 

Chocolate Truffles & Life

The Chocolate Diaries  by Karen Scalf Linamen

Reading this book is like visiting a good friend.  When you arrive she is happy to see you .  She knows you really well and you do not talk about the weather or gossip about a neighbor.  She listens and you know she loves you.  You can be goofy and kick your shoes off and let your hair down and just laugh and she laughs with you.  She knows when to just sit and let you vent, and then gently leads you to words that give life from the Word of God.  You can cry and not feel ashamed and you know that even if she doesn’t completely understand, she will still be your friend.  And if that’s not enough, she brings out the dark chocolate truffles and lets you indulge.
 

This book just got better and better.  At first I wasn’t sure if I was relating to the author but then a friend would visit and I would read a chapter to her and she could  thoroughly relate.  Other times I was promoted to send a quote from the book to a friend that encouraged them.  I’m sure I’ll use this book time and time again to share with women (and men) who are going through the rocky roads of life like depression, divorce, sickness, children rebelling, or appliances breaking.  The stories shared are real yet shared with a passion for life that is more of need.  My favorite quote in the book is “when you’re flat on your back, keep looking up.  You’re looking in the right direction”. This book will encourage you and challenge you to do just that.

 

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Words that seem to jump...

Encouraging Quotes:

"We rarely have any idea how significant the seemingly insignificant things we do end up being."   ("Finding Glory in the Thorns" by Lisa & Larry Jamieson

God "works in ways we can't predict.  He can use even our inconveniences to bring honor to His name".  ("Our Daily Bread" by Dave Branon)"


Words that touched my Heart:

"Everyone cries at the Christ Hike" by Emma B. (referring to a live hike showing the persecution & death of Christ on the Cross)

"This morning I feel so blessed. I am so thankful for my family! And God is a great, great God."  (Text message, Ashley T.)

"I love you, and Jesus loves you."  (Pastor Tim, with tears in his eyes, in his final sermon in Butte)

Beauty versus destruction

The lake in northern Minnesota was clear and calm. I stood on the dock watching the sun go down praising God for the beauty around me. It was an act of God that I was at this place, in awe of His creation. I had been swimming earlier enjoying the water with small fish swimming all around me. I had been boating and aahed at the landscapes and homes along the shore. Leaving wasn't even a thought except that I had a real life to get back too.

Two days later I stood on the edge of my friend's backyard that was still filled flood waters. We had many memories of this yard of campfires, picnics, a wedding reception and just plain good times. Now dirty, contaminated water filled the once green grass. This water was not beautiful. The house that once held many friends for games and prayer, laughter and tears had been filled with this ugly water, the basement still is. We gutted it, removing everything. I would not touch this water. I stared at it in disgust wishing it would go away. I wanted to leave.

Beauty versus destruction.

My friends at the lake praise our great and mighty God.
My friends in the flood praise our great and mighty God.

Would you?


Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breathe praise the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:7-10
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

Hope against all odds

Out of a Far Country by Christopher Yuan & Angela Yuan

I talk to so many women who are looking for hope in their marriages and for their wayward children, so I was drawn to Angela Yuan’s story immediately.  She opens the door to her heart and let's us in to see her emptiness, pain, and hopelessness.  

Christopher’s honesty shocks and saddens me and opens my eyes to how so many young people are deceived and looking for happiness in all the wrong places.  He is raw and real as he tells about sex and drugs.   It is shocking just how good destruction can look.

This was not an easy book to read and yet from hopelessness comes hope, from death comes life, from the darkness comes light.  The Yuan’s show that a life turned to God, filled with prayer & patience, will always find Him faithful.  God can and still does the impossible.  An amazing story of one families life restored and revived will give great hope to others.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.