"My sheep hear my voice..." - God

WOW - I just love when I KNOW my God is speaking to me.

Think about it...
THE creator of the universe,

The One who has laid the foundation of the earth and determined its measurements,

The One who prescribes the limits of the sea, saying "thus far shall you come, and no farther",

The One who caused the dawn to know its place;

The One who has entered the storehouses of the snow and hail and has birthed ice and the frost of heaven,

The One who sets the stars in order and guides their movements in the heavens,

The One of whom every lightning bold first asks where it should go;

The One who created the sun...that object which is 146 million km from us, He created and I cannot even go outside without sunblock on!!!

The One who is intricately interested in all living creatures, knowing when they give birth, setting them free in their own habitat - giving them the very nature of their being.

THE One who can do all things and whose purposes cannot be thwarted!

...this...ONE...has spoken to ME?!?

Yesterday He drew me out of bed early speaking the language that I understand (and you would think crazy), directing my reading and day.

This morning it was 0550hr - He ever so gently opened my eyes with His love - calling me to come meet with Him. How could I not? WHY would I not? What a delight!

He delights to thrill my heart with the simplest of things, those things with which I recognize His presence, His alluring. Simple "things". This morning it was as "simple" (as if ANYTHING Sovereign God does could EVER be called "simple"!) as turning the page of my wee devotional calendar.

It was a gift to me 6 years ago from a dear friend. It blessed me every day for the next year. It then sat silent in a box for the next 5 years.

Until 2 days ago.

It spoke to me 2 days ago - "If your devotional life is sleepy and tired - God is probably as tired of it as you are." - Frank Laubach.
Ouch!!!

Yesterday it started "Instead of forcing yourself to have devotions in the morning, try..." "Forcing" myself to meet with Creator God?!??

OUCH!!!

Today, as I turned the page and began to read the words

"For Christians, the beginning of the day should be burdened and haunted by various kinds of concerns they face..."

I was flooded with the knowledge that Creator God was, indeed, ordering my day. You see...I KNEW these words! How do I know? On June 17, 2011 I read these very words for the first time. They impacted me such that I scanned the page into the computer then printed it off. It hung on my computer and wall for the next 5 years...it still does!

My entire mind, body and soul settled into a sweet spot...knowing that Father God was "speaking" to me.

It IS sort of comforting when you KNOW that the creator of the universe, the One who holds ALL things in His hands, is with you.

Cares about you.

LOVES you.

And will move heaven and earth to have His will done in your life; to conform you into the same image His Son, Jesus .

And..."if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (Romans 8:25)

That which I cannot see is me being in the image of my precious Jesus. But He has promised.

And what God promises He CAN do.

And He WILL do.

He has promised my sanctification. And, although it can wreck me at times, that is exactly what I desire - to be like Jesus. Pleasing to the Father, serving Him, loving Him, glorifying Him in each thought, word and deed. Just because of who He is!

THIS is the reason I have been praising Him lately for His holiness.

He WILL NOT let me get away with anything! But, in total love and compassion, He is directing my entire life so that I WILL be conformed into the image of Jesus. One day...

...one day.

One day, I will perfectly please Him to whom I owe my every breath and heartbeat.

Thank you, Father!

We are told to love -
- each other
- all the time
- sacrificially

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." - Galatians 5:14

"All-in love for God produces all-in love for others." Strong message by Pastor Todd this morning. Made me think of my post from November.

Is the Holy Spirit bored waiting for me?

One of my favourite authors, Randy Alcorn, wrote on his Facebook page (June 11, 2016) -

Christians may assume Heaven is boring because their lives are boring. That’s not God’s fault; it’s their own. God calls us to follow Him in an adventure that should put us on life’s edge. He’s infinite in creativity, goodness, beauty, and power. When we experience the invigorating stirrings of God’s Spirit, trust Him to fill our lives with divine appointments, and experience the childlike delights of His gracious daily kindnesses, we’ll know that God is exciting and Heaven is exhilarating. “Happy is the man who fears the LORD, taking great delight in His commands” (Psalm 112:1, HCSB).

This made me think of something my daughter said at a women's conference two weeks ago. She wondered if the Holy Spirit got bored waiting for us to step up our prayers.

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20)

Do I pray believing this? If I did I would never be bored and neither would the Holy Spirit within me.
Oh may it be thus.

And they're gone...again.

And they're gone...again.

That one...on the left. She is the one who kidnaps my heart. Every summer.

Each summer for I don't remember how many years, my daughter and her ministry partner head off for the summer. Traveling from their home just north of Toronto, Ontario to California via the Grand Canyon. They take along "interns" with them. College aged girls who desire to serve alongside them and get messy in ministry. They go to various camps throughout North America, ministering in music, counseling and message. Sharing Christ with young people all summer. Including California, Washington state, Tennessee, New Hampshire, New York and all over Ontario - gone for about 8 weeks.

One of the main things I used to pray for was safety. Oh...I still do. For sure! But years ago I heard a message by Irwin McManus. He said the center of God's will is not always "safe". He explained that the apostle Paul was in the center of God's will...but not safe by our standards. He was beaten 5 times by rods or stones, shipwrecked 3 times, spent a night and a day on the open sea, was in danger from rivers and bandits. He was in danger...but always in God's will.

So, now I pray for them to be in God's will...knowing that is where He would have them. And where they want to be.

Oh...I do throw in the request that He may be pleased to have His will include their safety and return home in one piece, body, mind and spirit. Hey, I am a mom!

You would think it would be easy for me now after so many years...what it is? Maybe 12? Or more?

But it is not.

No...each a year a part of my heart drives away with them. Traveling all over North America.
I know they are serving our wonderful God...He has provided all they have needed - physically, emotionally and spiritually. From sunrises and sunsets to double rainbows at just the right moment.

They have seen Him demonstrate His majesty in nature...and in the saving of a young child at camp. I know THIS. But...it does not make it easier on my heart.

I am so thankful over the past several years for social media - I can trace their locations, see the pictures and read the comments that have stirred their hearts.

As they leave...my heart hurts.

While they are away...my knees hurt.

When they return...my arms are full and my heart is whole.

So...off they go this year.

And...I would want it no other way. Really!

I love full moons...just saying!

I was on my way to bed last night and looked outside. I saw this in the sky - right in front of me. These heavenly objects never cease to amaze me and cause me to think of my Creator. And His word:

"In the New Jerusalem, "the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb."

What a day THAT will be!

The Veil is torn - not put on a shelf!

Doing some reading this morning for a question that stumped me in the Bible Study I'm doing with the sweetest group of ladies in Bradford :). I LOVE this section of a message by Charles Spurgeon speaking on the torn veil in Hebrews 10:20 -

""Who shall separate us from the love of God?" Only one veil was made, and as that is rent, the one and only separator is destroyed. I delight to think of this. The devil himself can never divide me from God now. He may and will attempt to shut me out from God; but the worst he could do would be to hang up a rent veil. What would that avail but to exhibit his impotence? God has rent the veil, and the devil cannot mend it. There is access between a believer and his God; and there must be such free access forever, since the veil is not rolled up, and put on one side to be hung up again in days to come; but it is rent, and rendered useless."

Daughters & Mother's Day

So...this happened!

My daughter's words blessed my heart and made it swell.

The picture she used...well. I'll not speak to that.