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Warm Spot, 12AUG

Thousands of trees… Christmas trees… not one snowflake in sight… it’s August…

These are living, growing trees which need life-giving sunshine and warm growing time… me too… we all do, we need warm growth, from our roots to our shoots, we need to grow…

Maybe these mountains cool the jet streams just enough to keep the trees from frying, it’s in the 70s not 90s… maybe it’s going to take 10 years to mature a tree, 20, 30, 100 for the biggest, maybe it’s worth waiting for huge growth,  maybe for minimal growth, maybe the tree will still grow even if no one waits…

Like a tree firmly planted, our faith will grow – not because of the cold world, but in the warmth of God’s intricate LOVE. Maybe the world isn’t so cold because God’s plan is for re-vining the garden is working, of course it is… God is filling His world with His souls to prosper and grow, and we pray to find a warm-spot, like in a chilly lake, to anchor and breathe… pause and ponder our next move to the next warm spot… we are in this world but not of this world… we are all in this together…

The warm sunshine keeps these trees growing, it’s the law and pattern of the universe which helps the trees keep growing, if we give them enough space to grow… Albeit much slower, the trees will also persevere thru the cold harsh winter. It’s not that a tree itself would feel the warmth of people coming for Christmas – but we can imagine the scene – the people are going to come for this warm breathing tree at Christmas so they can fill a house with life – they meditate, with song and tinsel, that Christ Himself was born, nurtured, and sacrificed for our eternal warmth in God’s amazing puzzle…

Our collective Christmas souls also need the rest of the year to be nurtured and grow… let our souls soak up God’s warmth, let our souls stay green and not wither, let us try to catch the Holy Spirit jet stream… warm spots move, we should also sway to move thru God’s plan. If we are anchored, like a tree, we will move more freely, with less fear…

We do all fit in God’s plan… God has a warm spot waiting for us… soak up the Sun and soak up His Son… to know, feel and grow eternally grateful…

BE BLESSED…

BE WISE…

FIND GOD’S WARM SPOT…

 

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Psalm 1

Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

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Psalm 2…

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling.
12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

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Late night ramblings at camp, re-edited this morning… ramblings but it’s good (post-vbs) to unclog the writing spigots. I enjoyed the people I was with last night,  but when writing pulls me away, I have to listen – must be a spirit pull people like me need to connect with… God only knows… I feel so blessed to see Him at work… I had another writing spin out of this, it was worth spinning for a while… while camping I climb into a pocket and zipper it up for warmth… but soon I’m going to get out of my comfort zone and return to the Christmas tree farm next door to see the sunrise… (and a hot shower)

Pockets of PEOPLE, 11Aug

A new friend joked at the levels of multiple families I have… I am very very BLESSED to have found welcoming family within so many pockets of people … I just like PEOPLE… I love being placed into pockets of people like me, friendly and grateful…

Of course, I’m always still looking FORWARD – towards new people to connect with – NOT because I don’t appreciate the people I already know – it’s just that there are SO many interesting people with interesting stories – that’s my normal…. My family always chats with whomever is around – the grocery store, the airport line, anytime anyone, that’s just the way I was raised…

Not all people like to chat back, not all are ready to chat when I am – (and I retreat too, and I’m not always in a chatting mood)… I also notice a geographical difference, back home, people look for people, simply saying hi to everyone – I’m not weird, I’m just one of those people…

Here at tonight’s precious campground time there are SO MANY people – all different nationalities – all noisy hustling bustling – thousands it seems… PEOPLE

I have been pensive thinking about the PEOPLE – I pause here – worrying wondering and look across the multitudes – if anything I notice great levels of LOVE exuding from them towards their families – that’s when I hear God’s love… pockets of people…

Families are formed by God for LOVE… God has one big family, we should too…

How many people know that ALL love comes from the Lord? Some pockets of people do! How many know the Lord? Many don’t hop into those deep pockets of peace – I wish they did… That bugs me, it’s impossible to tell where people are… I think about that now and then, I worry about these people, I know many children of God who don’t know Him.  Actually, maybe they know Him, but some don’t know that He’s as active as He is… and do they know Jesus?

Do they connect “the Word” (thru bible knowledge) with the “Word made flesh” Jesus Himself – it’s so individual a transition, one wouldn’t know what they know… (and we are to teach wherever and however we can teach – teach and even when we can’t reach, Jesus says keep moving “shake the sand off your sandals”, and keep moving to welcoming pockets)…

I can witness love but for sure I cannot always see everything that’s going on in God’s plan at the same time, even so I am blessed I get to see pockets.  One by one…

I took a walk to retreat not away from the people but towards a moment of God focus – I crossed into the Christmas tree farm next door – it was blissful and reminded me of my summers on the family farm as a kid… one sweet buttercup showed up into my view – nice reminder of home – one…

The milkweed are like those at home but there are now very few butterflies in nature compared to 30 years ago, I looked anyway for caterpillars, none – but then – one butterfly flew by… one…

I sat quiet back up at camp, loud neighbors playing soccer, then all of a sudden they gathered for dinner, and were drawn quiet – the Dad started saying Grace – not in my native language but in my ear shot, in my eyesight – in my appreciation of being in one pocket of prayer people… one…

A few minutes later a prayer request from a friend – “if you could ask your prayer people for…” – yes, one BIG pocket of prayer people I can call on… one…

See, I may look for more pockets of people – look and look for my people – like the buttercup, like the monarch, like the grace moment, like the prayer moment… one by one God shows us pockets…

One by one God will turn hearts towards Him, God keeps His hands warm, He keeps extra pockets for all…

There are pockets of people, my people, God’s people – even though much in this world fades away, it’s because God wants our ultimate focus…

So –

I’ll keep looking –

I’ll keep loving –

I’ll keep praising…

Thank You Lord, for taking the time to show me – one warm pocket at a time…

Amen

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Find PEACE, Move Thru Your Mountain, 04Aug

I’m in a more peaceful spot, I’m back to reading my Michael Card “Imagination series” on the gospels – Mark 11 – that classic scripture of “Have faith in God – I assure you if anyone says to this mountain: ‘be lifted up and thrown into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen it will be done for him… therefore I tell you all things you pray and ask for – BELIEVE that you have received them and you will have them… and whenever you stand praying if you have anything against anyone forgive him so that your father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing…. But if you don’t forgive neither will your father in heaven forgive your wrongdoing.”

Michael Card reminds us that it’s a lesson on believing in personal prayer and focusing on forgiveness… Jesus said forgive. We can’t go anywhere or get over any mountain if first we don’t forgive others.

It’s summer, its variable August weather, I know it’s going to be cold again way too soon… so I need to enjoy today before it goes away… my prayer today includes some healing of my hustle and bustle life – ask the Lord to forgive my preoccupation with myself – my prayer is to pause in prayer…

I long for the feeling of camping… Yet what am I longing for that I don’t already have? The freedom of not worrying, of leaving it all behind? Don’t I have that in Christ, ALREADY? I do but I forget that ALL THE TIME!… I pray for the freedom of being back in a place of nature and harmony with the world, of sitting quietly. Don’t I have that now? I do if I actually stop blocking my own PEACE… So will I achieve it? Christ says that I can.

It is quiet in my house at 6am, and I can open windows,  I have a window of opportunity for knowing peace… I can be quiet and listen to the morning birds, I can “Be Still” and hear the rustling of life moving… it’s just started raining, now pouring, the birds even hush…  my house can be considered a big tent… If I think in peace, then can I find peace and harmony inside my own tent? Can I move my mountains blocking my own peace?

Yes, I can move myself into PEACE.

Yes. I can Be Still and pray to not miss witnessing the peace that’s already here… I can pray to God to forgive my own mountain that blocks His peace… I have obstacles, yet I know they are nothing that God can’t handle… He already knows that He can handle them, and He is, so can I remember to rely on Him?

Christ assured us that we can move mountains, He was standing on a mountain when He said that, and then He moved – moved forward on foot – moved forward in the plan… So, in our prayers we are to believe that we have already obtained what we are praying for… then we have to move thru that plan too.

We can overcome obstacles by prayer, we can let God handle the obstacles for us.  We can believe in what God has ALREADY done… we can pray for God to forgive our doubtfulness in His plan… then get over ourselves, and move forward… we still have to walk over and thru the plan…

Do I believe in God? I do.

I believe I ALREADY have seen His faithfulness in me.

Do I believe in Christ? I do. I can learn His ways and I do believe in His power…

Can I move a mountain? Not without Him. Has He already moved mountains for me? Oh yeah….

Will He move the next one? Believe in His power and watch what happens…

Will we be required to work thru our mountains? Of course.

Is there peace to be found? I believe in His PEACE, do you?

I believe that you believe too. Thank you for believing too.

 

Amen

575

Unhindered Spirit Flow, Let the World Fade Away 26JUL

It’s been a spirit filled Vacation Bible School week…  I knew it would be…  It is important to know that directive of scripture to give up both the bad and the good to God, yes for sure…, It is important to let the world fade away and to LISTEN to the spirit,  watch for God,  and don’t block the flow… Let the children come unhindered. When we pay attention to the little ones, when we pay attention to the spirit, the whole world fades away…

Yesterday I sat down in front by the pew to watch one soulful slow song video, and just decompress for a second, a gratefulness moment and yet a stressful moment too because of a text message I had just received that I could not do anything about… I sat in decompression and then a little 5yr old girl came right over and sat on my lap, wow, God knew I needed that… with my 2 babies now big kids,  I’ve been gifted hundreds of kids now to enjoy… I’ve been gifted the opportunity to feel the spirit flow from the children, unhindered, and that helps me discern and tap into the existence of more spirit flow…  We can feel the healing flow of the love of children for God in an unhindered way…. it’s the spirit in each of us that want to re-connect, it is an emotional re-vining of the garden that God is working so hard to achieve…. This is why we befriend each other, because the Word of God changes people, and Jesus, the vine, is the Word, so as a branch connector, Jesus connects people… When we pay attention to the spirit, the whole world fades away…

I was present for a child getting sick. The supervisory duty transferred to me and I comforted best I could, then I called His mom, and I comforted some more… I had no choice but to be present. We chatted and he was so calm and yet so sad. When we pay attention to the spirit, whether it is in happy times or in sad, the whole world fades away…

Later that same day, another spirit flow moment – a friend asked me about a personal issue and I started to chat about it and very soon a little girl came over and spontaneously hugged me. I realized at that moment (and said to my friend) that God wants us to be present with these kids and not have me complaining Martha-style… Forgive me Lord. Yes the spirit flow of Grace came and sought me out… I had nothing more important to do than to hug back. When we pay attention to the little ones, the whole world fades away…

When we pay attention to the spirit, the whole world fades away…

I thank you for your VBS prayers… We are blessed to be scattering seeds thousands at a time at VBS… we don’t know what seeds will sprout, we scatter anyway… the littlest seed can grow into a plant that makes thousands of more seeds…. if we choose to stop seeding the garden,  God will find someone else to do it.  If we listen and learn from the CHILDREN,  if we follow the spirit, who knows where our faith will take us…. I urge you all: keep seeding the garden…

“Jesus told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

“His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

“He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,…

“…blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.  But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.  The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Matthew)

574B – revised

Today is the funeral service for my friend…

I love a certain photo of both of us because you can see both her and I are processing,  thinking seriously about God while our friend was teaching in a confirmation class…  He held up his cell phone and asked the teenagers and us to put his phone number in ours and said we could text for prayer anytime (i did)… that’s a great way to work for God,  simply be available for comforting your friends.  2Corinthians 1:3-5

With my cell phone I both had been able to remain in contact with my dear friend then also just about  a hundred friends before and when she passed… there’s a process to peace… and processing with friends has been a huge blessing for me to start healing…

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There is Peace in the Process, There is a Process to Peace

The gift of time to make peace is for each of us to achieve a little more peace – it is a time to pause and pray and place yourself where you mentally should be – Why? for God’s sake – ultimately it is ALL for God’s sake because He loves us, comforts us, and His ultimate goal is PEACE.

Those baptisms, weddings, and funerals – time to achieve some joy and some peace – time to witness that God pulls people closer in both their greatest joy and their greatest sorrow…  Often at a wedding people remember their own – often at a baptism people remember their little children – often at a funeral people look to comfort and be comforted – they look for that piece of peace that God is so eager to hand out – they look at their own lives and their own relationships while sitting in a funeral – they work out (or don’t) their own pain of loss – they nevertheless experience an opportunity to work for a peace that God wants them to have… peace in loss and peace in gain – God is all these things… that’s the truth.

See, God wants us to work out peace for us and others… We should ask to be found. Now is a good time to process our lost-ness, and our found-ness…

How much time did Mary and Martha need to process the death of their brother Lazarus? How much time after did they need to ALSO process that Lazarus then was raised from the dead? Wow… How many people witnessed that and then told their story for them so they could just sit there and take the new time with their brother??? God made time for them, and for Lazarus. He makes time for us too…

How many people were also moved to share repeatedly the tidbit of info that  “Jesus wept” – Jesus Himself wept. How did Jesus process this all? – He was as human as we are, so He weeps for peace too… How does He process knowing all those lost souls? And how much JOY tears are in His processing of the found souls? Can we feel His tears in ours? Will we feel His tears thru us? If we take time to process these deep truths of life, then we will. A piece of truth… A peace in truth…

So today, everyday, take time to process life death peace – there is no set time allotment – take all the time you need – God will make time for you… it’s a process…

… and look for Jesus to find you during that process… Jesus is the connection – gifted from our Father to us – to teach us how to live – to forgive our sins – and to bring us home.  no one goes to the father unless thru the Son…  well that takes time for each person to realize that…  it takes time to process that too…  Now is a good time to process the process that peace will come…

Lord, thank you for time to process – and heal – and for the peace…

There is Peace in the Process. There is a Process for Peace.

Amen

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Thunderous Truth, 06JUL

Knowing God is like being a mom in a thunderstorm… Knowing how intensely powerful the storms around you are – yet it’s you comforting your kids with closeness and calmness – that’s your truth… it will be OK!

God calms His children – especially when they seek Him.

Massive storms in the sky and life bring massive fear… but knowing God is in control is even MORE massive a power – a believer’s brain is preoccupied in prayer.

Having life experiences in storms brings calmness and perspectives. “It will be alright” we can tell our children because it will and because we believe it. thunderstorms pass…

“It will be alright” God says – we will be alright – we can believe it because it’s the Truth…

God is good.

10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listento you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Jeremiah 29

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EVERYTHING, 05JUL

So much these days I pray for focus,  so much I pray that I finish something so that I can focus on other things – I pray to finish then remove other distracting tasks… of course I pray to focus to use what God has put together within my skill set…,  Yes in EVERYTHING, I ALWAYS wonder if I’m being efficient,  useful, and focused…

If I am (if we are) made in God’s image (of course we are), then I wonder if maybe I need to focus on EVERYTHING at the same time, because isn’t that what God is doing? WOW that’s too much… probably doing EVERYTHING is not supposed to be my focus, maybe only a few things are supposed to be in focus right now – and other things will move closer or farther away and be in focus later – or never…

I don’t have an answer here…

Sometimes I look at poison ivy and say “why is that in God’s plan?” Is it because sometimes we aren’t supposed to go into certain spaces? Is poison ivy  – or mosquitoes – from unbalance in the world after Adam and Eve left the garden? Either way poison ivy blocks us, it makes us think… Life things that are not in focus should make us think – EVERYTHING should make us think about God’s plan.

If I can’t get everywhere, then I should not worry about doing everything at the same time.

If I should NOT worry, then I should be able to take more thinking time thinking about God’s plan. Don’t worry – just think – Don’t worry just Be Still – and focus on stillness too…

Ecclesiastes 3 scriptures remind us that there is a time and a season for everything, it is not supposed to happen or be done at the same time…

God has God focus, God has a plan, God has His Own timing – and even He is not doing everything for everyone at the same time – He is doing what needs to be done at the one time it needed to be done for each and every person – a very very personalization of the plan by God Himself – and that’s EVERYTHING I need to know…

God makes it personal – God makes His plan…

That’s my focus – God’s plan…

Focus