Hold Your Peace

photo courtesy of http://www.heirloomroses.com

Recently I read Exodus 14:14. “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (NKJV) The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) says, “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest.”

These verses come on the heels (hot and heavy!) when  Moses told the people, “Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again.” (AMPC Exodus 14:13)

The Egyptians had to wait and be still while God Almighty parted the Red Sea! If they went into the sea too soon, they would have drowned. Too late, and the Egyptian army might have attacked them and killed them. There had to be a space between God’s people and the Egyptian enemy. God is creating space for you and your struggles. Give Him room to work His miracles and plans out for you! Ask Him to help you to be at peace and give you a sound mind from the wiles of the enemy. Remain at rest. Take deep breaths, breathe in Jesus, and then exhale your anxieties. Psalm 27:14 wisely encourages us to “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Recently, I bought a yellow rose bush with delicate light pink edges for our new front yard. I have never bought a yellow rose bush as normally, I would buy red, pink, lavender, or even white. Somehow, I was drawn to this rose plant. It was an older, mature plant with thick branches and dark green leaves. There were several large buds, but I could not see the color of the blossoms …yet. It’s a mature plant and older like me; I laughed to myself. And, really sturdy like me! Probably been through many stormy seasons…yes, like me. I noticed the rose bush had strong, protective thorns developed over time…like me.

You see, my hubby and I have gone through many transitional times in the last year since we were prompted by Holy Spirit to sell our home of 22 years and move from the small town I had lived in all of my life. We sold our home three times and bought our current home two times! That was certainly nerve-wracking! God knew exactly what He was doing and worked the situation out to our favor and the buyers, too! Praise Him!

I know there has been uprooting and a reset orchestrated by the Lord, and many of you have changed jobs, careers, and your physical location just as we have during the past three years of living in a Covid world. Jesus whispers in your uncertainities, “Hold your peace. I will fight for you!“

Exodus 14:14 is so precious to me because the Lord does indeed fight for us! Everyday.in.every. way.and. every.moment! Even when we do not realize it! The second portion of this scripture reads, “You shall hold your peace!” We can hold our peace by not complaining on and on about the reality of our situation, but instead rise up in faith and worship Jesus! We can hold our peace in the One who holds our hands and our hearts! You and I are loved so dealy that we are engraved upon God’s palms!

We can hold our peace as we pray to the One who provides all…even abundantly more than we can think, ask or imagine! We can hold our peace when life is careening out of control, and our heart and head are dizzied from its effect! You and I can hold our peace in Jesus, our Prince of Peace! He is our ever-present help in any battle!

Do you know the name of this beautiful rose bush is Peace? Every time I look at this plant, water it, or cut its lovely blooms, I will remember how you, God prompted me to purchase this particular plant as a reminder of your loving eyes, and presence upon me and in me! You truly are my Abba who sees me and He sees you, too!

Here are some fun facts about the rose Peace, according to Wikipedia. And, I might add that with this particular rose, Peace would have never existed in the face of war if God did not intervene and protect it.

The Peace rose, formally Rosa ‘Madame A. Meilland’, is a well-known and successful garden rose. By 1992, over one hundred million plants of this hybrid tea had been sold. The cultivar has large flowers of a light yellow to cream color, slightly flushed at the petal edges with crimson-pink. It is hardy and vigorous, and relatively resistant to disease, making it popular in gardens as well as in the floral trade.

It was developed by French horticulturist Francis Meilland in the years 1935 to 1939. When Meilland foresaw the German invasion of France, he sent cuttings to friends in Italy, Turkey, Germany, and the United States to protect the new rose. It is said that it was sent to the US on the last plane available before the German invasion, where it was safely propagated by the Conard Pyle Co. during the war.

Because Meilland had sent out his cuttings just before the war, communication between the cultivators was not possible, which is why the rose received different names. In France, Francis and Alain Meilland decided to call the cultivar ‘Madame A. Meilland’ in honor of Francis’ deceased mother, Antoine Meilland’s wife, Claudia. This is the formal cultivar name. Other names are considered by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants as trade or selling names. In Italy, it was called Gioia (Italian for “joy”), in Germany Gloria Dei (Latin for “glory of God”), and in the US, Sweden, and Norway “Peace.”

Well, what do you know! The Lord knew exactly (once again!) what He was doing when He encouraged me to buy this rose plant! What an object lesson for me! I can have joy, and peace when the enemy tries to invade my heart with fear by remembering Exodus 14:14! The Lord does indeed fight for us and helps us to hold our peace in Him and His unfailing love for us!

Let us pray:

You are our heavenly Father who fights and protects us in the battles of this life. I will hold my peace in you, Lord! You have never lost a battle! Thank you that this is our inheritance as a follower of Jesus Christ! Hallelujah! What joy you give us when we hold our peace and trust in you! Thank you that my peace is developing daily. It’s a choice that I am finally choosing to make! I thank you, Abba, for this beautiful reminder that you have given us in the Peace rose! Gloria Dei or all glory to you, God! In Jesus’ powerful Name I pray, Amen.

Love, peace, and joy!

Holly 🙂

Please share this Blog with someone who needs a dose of encouragement today!

Grace at 5:55 am!

As I looked out my dark office window this early morning, I spied the silhouette of the sliver crescent-shaped moon with a round outline! The crescent part of the moon is sitting down yonder of the circle of the moon. It is beautiful and reminds me of Abba God, holding me up with His loving, unending grace! And, what a beautiful Creator HE IS!

Psalms 18:1-3 (The Passion Translation) is so comforting to me, and I pray it will be to you as well!

“I love you, Yahweh, and I’m bonded to you, my strength!

2 Yahweh, you’re the bedrock beneath my feet,

    my faith-fortress, my wonderful deliverer,

    my God, my rock of rescue where none can reach me.

    You’re the shield around me,

    the mighty power that saves me,

    and my high place.

3 All I need to do is to call on you,

    Yahweh, the praiseworthy God.

    When I do, I’m safe and sound in you—

    delivered from my foes!”

Are you going through a really hard season or even a challenging couple of years? Is it wrenchingly difficult? Have you gone through betrayal by a friend, a co-worker, or a family member? I do think and have experienced the past few years have been exceedingly hard for most of us! I believe it is only in Jesus’ love and strength that many of us are still standing! I am sure you can make a long list of prayer concerns and worries. I know I can, too! But Jesus! We can call upon Jesus to be our strength! We can choose to call upon Jesus to help us! Sometimes, all we can do is breathe out His precious Name: Jesus!

Psalms 18:19 (TPT) says, “His love broke open the way and He brought me into a beautiful broad place. He rescued me because His delight is in me.” Hallelujah! Jesus rescues you and me in the only way possible. In Him. For Him. By Him! I love that His ways are so much higher and greater than mine! I praise Him! And as I do, He opens my heart and mind to His ways, moving me with faith to see Him and His will!

You know, Psalms 18:19 could be referring to the throne room of heaven. So, when you pray your prayers are ascending into the very heart of Abba, Daddy God seated in His throne room of great grace and mercy! Also, in Ps. 18: 19 you can see the glorious resurrection of Christ (from death on the cross) as the Father reached down and kissed the Son with life and love. Read it again and think of Christ in the tomb being raised lovingly, in great power and majesty by Abba God, our heavenly Father! (The Passion Translation footnotes) I love this so much! Abba Daddy reaches down for His beloved Son, Jesus Christ! And He reaches down for you and I as we put our feet solidly on Him. He is our bedrock peace! He is our fortress. He is our wrap-around shield! He is the mighty power to save you no matter what you are staring at today!

Call upon Him today, even at this moment! Praise Him passionately out loud! Give Him all your love! He IS so worthy of all our praise! He will help you! He is so good!

Have you received Jesus as your Savior? It’s time. He has been knocking on your heart. He has been seeking you as His beloved child.  He loves you so much! It’s a simple prayer you can pray right now, from wherever you are reading this.

Dear Jesus,

I need you. I cannot do this hard life without you. Jesus, I have done things my way and I am ready for you to be my Lord, my Savior. Please forgive me of my sins. I acknowledge that you died on the cross…FOR ME. Jesus, I believe you rose again from the grave after three days in the tomb. Jesus, come live in me. Be my loving Counselor, my guide, my Lord. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus’ precious Name I pray. Amen.

Welcome to the family of God! All of heaven is celebrating with you! Your Name was just written in the Book of Life! When Jesus comes back for His beloved people, He will take you with Him to our eternal, heavenly home. Please tell someone you trust about your decision and do get a bible. I suggest starting reading through the Psalms, as they are such a comfort in a world gone crazy! The gospels also are a great place to begin, like John, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Please leave a note about your decision to encourage others! 🙂

God bless you greatly as you trust in Him!

Holly

Joy or Junk-Filled Focus? {Part 2}

  (photo credit) liljorochtulpaner.blogspot.com

Matthew 3:17 God and Jesus receive great joy in their relationship!

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” God and Jesus delight in each other and value their relationship so much!

Do we truly value our relationship with the Trinity?

Romans 15:13 “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Col. 1:11 “We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy!”

Do any of you ever worry? Do you remember what you worried about last year at this time?! What about today? Think about your current worries. Did you know ONLY 8% of what we worry about comes true? That leaves 92% of what we worry about, thankfully NEVER comes to fruition!! Praise God! “What IF…we decided that we would wait to worry!” Fred Smith the mentor to the wonderful late Zig Ziglar said, “I decided that I’d wait until I actually had a reason to worry—something that was happening, not just something that might happen—before I worried.”

The great theologian, Charles Spurgeon said it best. “Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength.” Anxiety is a joy stealer!

That Friday (after the Boston Marathon and the Texas Fertilizer Plant explosions) I was having such a hard time, and my joy was gone because I was looking at the world and not my Savior! He gave me a dose of His JOY when I read about Zacchaeus  in my quiet time, reading through the bible in a Year program:

  Zacchaeus story in Luke 19:1-7:

19 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.

4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” What was it about Jesus that made Zacchaeus respond right away!  I think it was that Jesus noticed Zacchaeus and He knew His name! Do you realize God notices you, loves you, even adores and delights in you?! He calls you by your name!

 6 Scriptures says, Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 

Do we invite Jesus into our house ( which is our heart) with great excitement and joy, desiring to spend quiet time with Him, first thing in the morning or evening? Are you delighting in Him, eager to feast on His Word? Are you journaling what He shares with you as you study His life? Are you loving the Lord Your God, with all of your heart, mind and spirit? Have you fully devoted yourself to Him!

The joy stealers abounded in Zacchaeus day just like in our day!

In Vs. 7  we see, “the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

They were not happy for Zacchaeus! They did not see the benefit of Zacchaeus coming to Jesus and receiving Salvation! Maybe in your household, in your family, in your friends, people do not see the reason for your relationship in Jesus! That’s okay, because God is the God who sees YOU. He will help you in your love relationship in Him, and He will be the JOY of your strength!

He will Restore your Joy! Lamentations 5:21 “Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had!”  Remember this J.O.Y. acronym: Joy happens because Jesus is Omnipresent in You!

I love Psalm 119:143! It says, “As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.” Do you have any pressure or stress today?

Find hope and joy in His Word. Let the timeless treasures help you!

  Are you passionate and thankful for all Jesus is doing in your life? If not, ask Jesus to renew your hope and joy in Him! Ask Him for a fresh touch, a fresh revelation! Do you agree with me, that there is NOTHING like the fresh fire of the Holy Spirit falling freshly upon you! What I mean by this is, He gives you a special word, a thought, a promise in the Bible, that is divinely apportioned for you, TO YOU! And you know in your heart it is JUST FOR YOU! It’s like a divine HUG of joy and love!  Because at that moment, you are experiencing “fullness of Joy in His presence!”

I have found a sense of peace and blessedness is ours, when we realize God’s supernatural work is creating fruit in my life. Knowing I belong to my Maker and my identity is rooted in His love for me, gives me this deep peace and a deep sense of joy. That joy is the joy of Jesus Himself, residing deep within us, through the Holy Spirit. His joy, because Jesus, is the Man of Joy, within your spirit, is one of the most amazing results of being at peace with God!  Joy and peace are a result of spending time with Him and abiding deeply and regularly! In my Thursday morning bible study, we have been studying John and Jesus’ time with the disciples at the Last Supper. We have discovered, Intimacy with God is like the closeness a husband and wife experience in truly “knowing” each other. Being joyful is a state of our soul and spirit intermingled with Christ’s.

Joy comes from a secret intimacy with our Savior, through the Holy Spirit living within.

Joy or Junk-Filled Focus? {Part 1}

(photo credit:  http://www.gardenbuddies.com)

 What gives you Joy? What takes away your joy? You might wake up joyful, thankful for a good’s night rest, (because I sure am, when I sleep the entire night! Because…it seems to happen less and less at my age!) We know don’t we, it doesn’t take much to steal our joy away! Just turn on the news, right?   Or, you receive a diagnosis from out of nowhere, or you receive a call from your child’s principle, or most likely, you or someone dear to you, receives a layoff notice. There are just a 1,000 different things that can happen daily, that can dampen our mood and take our good, positive God attitude down several notches! How do you draw a line in the proverbial garden soil, (I love to garden!) and allow God the reigns of our lives, so we can go back to our default position of Joy in ALL circumstances? You see, I can focus on the “junk” in my life instead of His joy. I can focus on what’s wrong versus looking at what is right in my life. I can focus on being grateful for my relationships and the love I have received and given to those around me.

I have to admit, I am not ALWAYS joyful! Imagine that! I tend to keep myself really busy, so I can have delayed grief when something goes wrong. Are any of you like this? We can “numb out” to the pain! So, after the Boston Marathon bombing, initially I think I was in shock. By Friday, I was a hot mess! I was so upset and in despair. I prayed and prayed to the Lord. I went for a walk with a friend and verbalized my feelings as best as I could. I am a lay Counselor at a non-profit counseling center. We tell our clients, “if you can name your feelings, then you can help tame them!” But, you need to verbalize them and get them outside of your head! At the end of my prayers, talking and walking, I had surrendered these circumstances up to God, realizing there was nothing I could do but pray, donate some money and run a race on Sunday, in remembrance of the victims. Whew! I really think it’s knowing and believing Jesus is still on His Throne, He is in control and I can go right back to Him, knowing He, through the Holy Spirit is in me. He’s my Center and I can stay grounded in Him! There is a huge tug-o-war going to steal your joy! The enemy’s biggest tool is fear, doubt and discouragement! If he can lead you down this path, then he can render you ineffective as a believer, with a tarnished witness, that is joyless, and jaded. God can DO anything! Certainly, He can get you out of a bad mood, out of despair and into His precious light where healing can begin!

Do not agree with the doubt, discouragement or fear! It is not of the Lord! It comes from the enemy of your soul.

Heb. 1:9 Jesus was anointed with the “oil of joy!” Jesus is a joyous Savior and He shares His joy with us through the Miracle within, the Holy Spirit! As a result, we have a claim to the consistent experience of  HIS undiluted joy!

There are some great Promises of Joy to focus on. These are what I have found out in my life as I journey in the Lord:

1.       Joy is a choice! It’s a decision of the will. It’s always the right choice! (If I am not experiencing His joy, I have to stop ask myself and God, what is going on in my heart?)

2. I pray Ps. 139:2 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” I ask myself, Do I have any unconfessed sin that is resulting in shame or guilt? Our sins can be gone in a moment, once we confess it and admit my need for Jesus to take it away. Then, I need to receive and accept His forgiveness and grace. His grace frees me from holding onto the shame and guilt of my sins.

3.       I may try to numb out the pain of my sins by: trying to create success, staying busy, materialism, addictions, hobbies, exercise… wouldn’t it just be easier to come clean before the Lord so He can restore our joy? Yes! I think so!

4.       Jesus’ true and constant joy is found deep within our Spirit. It does not ride the roller coaster of life even though we do!

5.       His joy is a superabundant supply, ready for our every need. (LOL! Supply & demand!)

6.       God’s consistent and solid joy flows strong and consistent in our good times as well as in our bad times.

7.       Peace is the ally (and friend) of joy!

Phil. 4: 7 “ And the peace of God, which transcends ( or surpasses) all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I have found as I seek Him, Ps. 27: 4  “God will delight you with His presence.”

Flowers of Joy! (excerpt from my Flowers of Grace book)

Do you  wake up joyful, thankful for a good’s night rest, (because I sure am, when I sleep the entire night! Because…it seems to happen less and less at my age!) or do you wake up, dreading the day?  We know don’t we, it doesn’t take much to steal our joy away! Just turn on the news, right?! Or, a diagnosis from out of nowhere, you receive a call from your child’s principle, you or someone dear to you, receives a layoff notice. There are just a 1,000 different things that can happen daily, that can dampen our mood and take our good/positive God attitude down several notches!

I love to garden! My Spring time just been beautiful so far!  Isa. 5:7 says, “We are the garden of His delight!” I love that! Gardens are walked in, looked at, admired, spent time in, refreshing, aromatic, soothing and delightful. That is how God views you. He likes you and loves to be with you! If you are sad, then He will turn “your tears into shouts of joy, praise and thanksgiving.” (Ps. 42:3-4) Your heart will rejoice and praise Him as He is your Rock, your Strength, your Deliver and your Joy! 

Gardens have such an enticing fragrance to them. The flowers beckon us to come to the garden, to enjoy, rest and stay awhile. I think God created flowers to have such lovely fragrances on purpose, so we would pause and remember Him. Our minds are linked to the sense of smell, as it is the most powerful sense we have. Memories are stirred when we smell certain flowers. Let the flowers in your garden be a physical reminder for you of God’s lavish love, joy and extravagant promises.

So, how do we draw a line in the proverbial garden soil, and allow God the reigns of our lives, so we can go back to our default position of Joy in ALL circumstances?

 

I have to admit, I am not ALWAYS joyful! Imagine that! I tend to keep myself really busy, so I can have delayed grief when something goes wrong. Are you like this? We can “numb out” to the pain! I am a volunteer lay Counselor at a non-profit Christian counseling center. We tell our clients, “if you can name your feelings, then you can help tame them!” But, you need to verbalize them and get them outside of your head!

At the end of a really hard day recently, in my prayers, I had to surrender the circumstances up to God, realizing there was nothing I  really do but RELY ON HIM and the LOVE He has for me! I think it’s knowing and believing Jesus is still on His Throne, He is in control and I can go right back to Him, knowing He, through the Holy Spirit is in me. He’s my Center and I can stay grounded in Him! There is a huge tug-o-war going on to steal your joy! The enemy’s biggest tool is fear, doubt and discouragement! If he can lead you down this path, then he can render you ineffective as a believer, with a tarnished witness, that is joyless, and jaded. God can DO anything! Certainly, He can get you out of a bad mood, out of despair and into His precious light where healing can begin!

 

Do not agree with the doubt, discouragement or fear! It is not of the Lord! It comes from the enemy of your soul.

Heb. 1:9 Jesus was anointed with the “oil of joy!” Jesus is a joyous Savior and He shares His joy with us through the Miracle within, the Holy Spirit! As a result, we have a claim to the consistent experience of HIS undiluted joy and passion for us!

“ And the peace of God, which transcends(surpasses) all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:7

God will delight you with His presence. Psalm 27:4

In Matthew 3:16-17, we see God and Jesus receive great joy in their relationship! These verses say: “  After His baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.  And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” Isn’t this fantastic!? God let everyone know how much He loved His boy!

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 5:13) Joy and peace are friends! Isn’t it great, they walk side by side each other when we trust God?!

“Everywhere He leads us in triumphant processional, in the fragrance and knowledge of Him.” (2 Cor. 2:14) Breathe in His joy and smell the flowers blooming. This is a sign of God’s favor and love for you. This is His wellness in you. This is His blessedness to you!

Let your spirit of joy soar within you and outside of you, so you may touch others with Jesus’ magnificent and extravagant love. You are the best testament to our dying world of God’s grace and loving-kindness. Like the beautiful shades of pink, red, lavendar and peach roses in my garden, you will refresh and remind someone else of God’s lavish love because you have been filled and touched by Him.

Peace & Joy!

Peace: in Greek the word  is “shalom.” It means peace, completeness, welfare and health. That about covers it, our lives in full, I think! In the Old Testament, the word peace is used 237 times! It is a pretty important concept! It’s a state of being at ease,with harmony in your soul  and mind, so it’s externally and internally. We know don’t we, if our insides are calm or crazy, our outsides are going to reflect what is going on! It’s pretty hard to conceal our discomfort, pain or dissatisfaction. Isaiah prophesied our Prince of Peace~ Jesus in Isaiah 9:6. And in 9:7 he said, “His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies  will make this happen!”

Peace in Greek as a noun is: “eirene”

As a verb, peace is: “eireneuo”. It means to keep peace or be at peace.

As an adjective, “eirenikos” denotes peaceful and is used as the fruit of righteousness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking at each of these pictures,  you can choose one that can help you feel relaxed and produce a sense of peace right now. See Jesus there with you, comforting you, holding your heart and casting away your fears. Thank Him for a peace that surpasses all understanding. Carry that visual, that picture with you today as you go through your day facing your fear or uncertainties.

Isn’t true also, when we are resenting something or somebody,  it causes us fear, unrest, discontent? So, we start to distant ourselves from the problem, the challenge, the bump in the road…instead of praying and going to Jesus first! It always seems to me, my peace is interrupted when  my comfort level is at stake, our kids are making wrong decisions, and someone in charge is doing something crazy! Holding a grudge, harboring bitterness and unforgiveness not only steals our peace but also our joy! And, it can sneak up on us and can happen oh so quickly!

What if our mindset the moment we wake up was: “Be my first thought, God!” Lord, help me to Seek first your Kingdom! This helps us  to set the tone of our day, so we can start out with a peaceful attitude!

Phil. 4: 4 “Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy.” Does anyone want more JOY in their lives? I know I sure do!  The Greek word for JOY is rendered “chairo”.

Have you ever stopped to think how God allows crazy, hard situations in your life, so you can still practice being joyful in the midst of the trial?! Hmmm…We have to come to a place in our lives where we can rejoice for  what is taking place. Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say, REJOICE! God has to become the point of our joy! This is the mark of spiritual maturity in us. “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”, Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. Learn that all that comes into your life, even those irritating comments,  is allowed by the Lord either to reveal something in your own heart that you haven’t seen or to give you an opportunity to manifest the “sweet reasonableness” (gentleness) of Jesus.

Years ago, when my daughter was eight years old, she asked me if I would go to camp with her and be her Camp counselor. I was super excited because I had never gone to “overnight camp” as she called it, before.  There was a rivalry building between the boys and girls. Rumor had it, it was pay back time because the girls had gotten the boys pretty good with water balloons at the last year’s camp. Well, from  the earliest moment possible, on the second day of camp,  the water balloon war was on! ! The girls in my cabin and I were  chased onto a tall wooden deck by the boys with water balloons. We of course, had already tossed our water balloons and a few broke  on the the boys! As we were running away from the boys and their triple stacked arm filled water balloons, the deck broke! My leg went through the decaying wooden deck! I could see a hole in the deck, just about 15 feet below me! I was pretty stunned and torpedo water balloons were splashing and landing all around us! All the girls helped me up as the camp officials came running to help! I am sure the Camp’s officials thought I was going to sue! But, Jesus’  “sweet reasonableness” abounded that day and over the next few days! Today, my wedding ring is not completely round, my middle finger is no longer straight and I have a nice scar that looks like the continent of Africa on my knee!

As I look at my somewhat misshaped  circular wedding ring, I am reminded Jesus’ unfailing love never stops. His love just continuously circles around my heart and it never runs out!

His unfailing peace is always mine as my mind stays rooted in Him.  His unending joy is mine when I stop to thank Him and have gratitude, knowing He is always near to me.

I also have peace and joy in my memories, spending that precious camp experience with my daughter!

Holy Smokes! (an excerpt from my Book “Reigning Fire: Discovering Holy Spirit Grace & Hope in Your Fiery Trials”

In the Israelites’ exile from Egypt into the wilderness, God showed Himself to Moses in the burning bush on Mt. Horeb. “The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, ‘I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up’” (Exod. 3:2, 3 nasb). I’m sure Moses must have mused to himself, “This is so weird, even absurd. What does it mean?” God sometimes shows us oddities to get our attention. What is God doing in our lives that we must turn aside to see? Does it take a dramatic fire to get your attention? A burning bush had never appeared to Moses before. This was a truly unexpected event, in which God was communicating directly with Moses. Moses stopped what he was doing and took a step toward God. God sometimes uses unexpected events, people, and experiences to guide us to do His will. Primarily though, He uses His Word, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit’s direction to lead us into the fullness He has for us.

Just as God called Moses by name, He will call your name and speak gently to you, in the quietness of your heart and spirit, and help you discern His will for you. We must be intentional, though, once we’ve prayed to be mindful of what He is doing and where He is working and leading in our lives. Once God shows you what He is up to, you will have to make a decision. Will you join Him in His work? Will you immediately obey? Will you surrender to His perfect love? God knew us before we were born. He knows you now, today. He knows your future path. We can rest in His absolute, perfect love for us. Once you have this fact firmly planted in your heart, you will trust Him and even get excited that He has a plan that includes you! God wants to partner with you in life and ministry! God is looking for obedient followers who love to do His will and serve others.

The hardest part for me is to relax once I have surrendered. I have to remember that if it is indeed God’s plan for me, then He is going to make it (the event, the activity, the work, or the ministry) happen. He will make a way, make the timing work, and create the relationships all in His perfect timetable. I do not have to perform. I have to pray, show up, and be prepared. I have to relax in the Holy Spirit, knowing He will make my paths straight, as I trust Him with all of my heart. He will do the same for you, too!

Have a great day, surrendered and relaxed in His joyous love!

I am now taking  Christmas pre-orders for my book “Reigning Fire: Discovering Holy Spirit Grace and Hope in Your Fiery Trials” (My book is due out in early December 2012 and on Kindle very soon!)

go on over to: http://www.HeartForTheCross.com to place a book order. Orders placed by October 30, 2012 receive the “12 Good Purposes Of Going Through Your Pain” email. It’s helpful and hopeful information and oh so relevant for today’s struggles! God bless you!