John Eldredge just posted a blog entry titled "Finding Church". Click here to read it. Wonderful insight.
The Fear of the LORD
4 weeks ago
Thursday, February 5, 2009
God is AMAZING! He is working & moving!
I am amazed at how God gets my attention, how He speaks, how He works and moves, how He times things perfectly. He truly blows my mind. My God (the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... The "I AM THAT I AM") is truly amazing! HE IS REAL!
He is up to some huge things in my heart right now. Messy, painful, hard things. But He is with me. He is near.
I heard a song last night on the radio sung by someone I've never heard of (Kristy Starling)... "I NEED YOU"
Here are some of the lyrics...
"I NEED YOU like water, like breath, like rain... You're the HOPE that moves me to COURAGE again... You're the LOVE that rescues me when the cold winter rages... I can't turn back now! You've brought me too far!"
Let me tell you...
I have felt like turning back & just going into HIDING!
My God has brought me way too far to do that.
I NEED GOD MORE THAN I KNOW!
HE is Love & I praise Him that He does rescue me...
HE IS MY HOPE!!!
HE will move me to COURAGE again.
I started the ESTHER study by Beth Moore last week. And Beth said something in the introductory session that I believe. God has something strategically planned during this journey of studying Esther the next 9 weeks that will do with MY destiny. There is something He is calling me to, and it is going to take COURAGE & PERSEVERANCE!
One thing I learned in the introductory session is that the book of Esther "offers tremendous HOPE", and "it extends a vital perspective on the PROVIDENCE OF GOD."
Romans 15:4 - "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
Jeremiah 29:11 - " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' "
I also learned last night during the Week 1 video session that Esther means "star".
Today I am seeing the word "star" everywhere... literally.
Actually it started last night on the way home with the artist's name Kristy STARling :-)
I was writing in my journal this morning, and the quote at the top of the page...
"To us also, through every STAR, through every blade of grass, is not God made visible if we will open our minds and our eyes?" - Thomas Carlyle
As of right this minute, I also don't think it's a coincidence that Tim and I have been staring at the night sky and the stars more often than we ever have. (It really started this past fall.)
As I was watching Life Today... the TIMING of the message today was unbelievable!... With the things going on in my heart and my mind.... I really couldn't believe it! The verse Beth was sharing has been before me all week long... (Isaiah 26:3 - "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You." I have to share verse 4 too - "Trust in the LORD forever, For in God the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.")
He was meeting me right where I was at.
He was exposing some areas where I don't trust Him... the areas where I have vain imaginations, fears, anxiety, and insecurity.... the areas where "my mind spews"...
Right after, I read this verse...
"He heals the heartbroken and binds up their wounds. He counts the STARS and assigns each a name. Our LORD is great, with limitless strength; we'll never comprehend what He knows and does." - Psalm 147:3-5
I know this post is all over the place, and it's probably not going to make a whole lot of sense to anyone reading it, but I was just too amazed to not at least try to document some of this stuff God is stirring up in me and putting before me. It's impossible to explain or put into words, so I didn't expound or put a lot of detail here. All I know is He is up to something. I know it's going to be good. I know that HE is God and I am not. His understanding is infinite. I LOVE HIM!
He is up to some huge things in my heart right now. Messy, painful, hard things. But He is with me. He is near.
I heard a song last night on the radio sung by someone I've never heard of (Kristy Starling)... "I NEED YOU"
Here are some of the lyrics...
"I NEED YOU like water, like breath, like rain... You're the HOPE that moves me to COURAGE again... You're the LOVE that rescues me when the cold winter rages... I can't turn back now! You've brought me too far!"
Let me tell you...
I have felt like turning back & just going into HIDING!
My God has brought me way too far to do that.
I NEED GOD MORE THAN I KNOW!
HE is Love & I praise Him that He does rescue me...
HE IS MY HOPE!!!
HE will move me to COURAGE again.
I started the ESTHER study by Beth Moore last week. And Beth said something in the introductory session that I believe. God has something strategically planned during this journey of studying Esther the next 9 weeks that will do with MY destiny. There is something He is calling me to, and it is going to take COURAGE & PERSEVERANCE!
One thing I learned in the introductory session is that the book of Esther "offers tremendous HOPE", and "it extends a vital perspective on the PROVIDENCE OF GOD."
Romans 15:4 - "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
Jeremiah 29:11 - " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' "
I also learned last night during the Week 1 video session that Esther means "star".
Today I am seeing the word "star" everywhere... literally.
Actually it started last night on the way home with the artist's name Kristy STARling :-)
I was writing in my journal this morning, and the quote at the top of the page...
"To us also, through every STAR, through every blade of grass, is not God made visible if we will open our minds and our eyes?" - Thomas Carlyle
As of right this minute, I also don't think it's a coincidence that Tim and I have been staring at the night sky and the stars more often than we ever have. (It really started this past fall.)
As I was watching Life Today... the TIMING of the message today was unbelievable!... With the things going on in my heart and my mind.... I really couldn't believe it! The verse Beth was sharing has been before me all week long... (Isaiah 26:3 - "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You." I have to share verse 4 too - "Trust in the LORD forever, For in God the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.")
He was meeting me right where I was at.
He was exposing some areas where I don't trust Him... the areas where I have vain imaginations, fears, anxiety, and insecurity.... the areas where "my mind spews"...
Right after, I read this verse...
"He heals the heartbroken and binds up their wounds. He counts the STARS and assigns each a name. Our LORD is great, with limitless strength; we'll never comprehend what He knows and does." - Psalm 147:3-5
I know this post is all over the place, and it's probably not going to make a whole lot of sense to anyone reading it, but I was just too amazed to not at least try to document some of this stuff God is stirring up in me and putting before me. It's impossible to explain or put into words, so I didn't expound or put a lot of detail here. All I know is He is up to something. I know it's going to be good. I know that HE is God and I am not. His understanding is infinite. I LOVE HIM!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
MY NEW BOOKCASES!!! :-)
Timmy has built me the most wonderful bookcases in the whole world!!! Talk about the most memorable, wonderful Christmas present ever! He had started them in early December with the goal to finish them way before Christmas, but his work schedule had made that impossible. So our basement has been a construction zone since then, but I was too excited about the reason it was a construction zone to care :-) They are ALMOST finished now! The only thing that has not been done is the mantle / top piece. But praise the Lord, that does not affect me being able to stock them with books!!! So in my book, they are finished :-) Stocking the shelves and going through my books has been thrilling, exciting, tiring, nostalgic, rewarding, and SO much fun! What a trip down memory lane as I unloaded TOTE AFTER TOTE of books I had not laid my hands on since middle school (& before). What a relief to see all my books finally at home on display where I can get to them & use them. I know they are relieved to be at home finally ;-) It has also been nice to take some pressure off my overloaded bookcases upstairs. They are breathing a sigh of relief as well & look SO much better! I would love to post a picture right now, but our camera is broken. As soon as I can get a picture, I will post it!
A big THANK YOU to my wonderful husband who now has a new name... "Master CraftsTim"
A big THANK YOU to my wonderful husband who now has a new name... "Master CraftsTim"
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