Tempted to Complain…

Yesterday’s event went very well, thank you very much. The kids sang great, R played the guitar beautifully, and I didn’t faint. Many of the homeschool moms came up and told us how we had blessed them and it was a great feeling.

Which brings us to today. I am beset with untrue feelings and grumblings. It is so easy to suddenly notice the things I wish were different. I am discontent, grumbling and worried.

Oh Lord, teach me faith and trust. I know that you have blessed me and all good things come from the Lord. Help me to wait. You are my God and my King. I can hope in no other. Thank you Lord Jesus. Amen

I’ll Fly Away

This morning I am so nervous and excited about what the Lord has planned for me today. We are going to be giving the morning’s devotional at our homeschool co-op and this will be such a new experience for us all.

 

About two months ago I felt that the Lord was telling me it is time to start doing things for Him that are not comfortable. If that means speaking or singing in front of a group of people, then that is what He wants me to do. It is time to get over myself!

Our homeschool co-op leader was asking all of the families to fill in for her while she was gone. That meant doing the morning devotionals. She came up to me and asked if I would like to do it. My first reaction was to say, emphatically, NO! But then I remembered what the Lord had put on my heart just that morning, and I said, Yes! I was slightly amused by the Mrs. W’s brief pause, but she smiled and put us down for March 25th. That’s today.

 

So, after praying about what we were supposed to be sharing, the song I’ll Fly Away popped up in my mind. The kids and I, along with another family had just begun learning this song together. While we were going through this song for the first time and after singing it, one of the kids from the other family said, “Wait a minute, this song is about dying.”

If you have ever heard this hymn, you can chuckle along with me because it certainly is about dying, and it certainly sounds like a joyful song. Why is this song, a song about dying, so joyful and happy?

So, after reciting the words, we will sing the song and talk about how all believers can sing that song. If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you too can say Hallelujah, I’ll fly away.

 

Thank you Lord for this opportunity to step out and put our faith in You. I know that you have put this in place tell someone about the joy of being with You in heaven. That this place is only temporary, and we will be able to fly like a bird to a land where joy shall never end.

Amen.

 
Some glad morning when this life is o’er,
I’ll fly away;
To a home on God’s celestial shore,
I’ll fly away (I’ll fly away).

Chorus
I’ll fly away, Oh Glory
I’ll fly away; (in the morning)
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I’ll fly away (I’ll fly away).

When the shadows of this life have gone,
I’ll fly away;
Like a bird from prison bars has flown,
I’ll fly away (I’ll fly away)

Chorus

Just a few more weary days and then,
I’ll fly away;
To a land where joy shall never end,
I’ll fly away (I’ll fly away)

Numbers 21

This morning I continued in my reading of the book of Numbers with chapter 21. This is a very familiar story to me and one that I recently discussed with the kids during their history. We are studying Ancient History and following along with the bible, so we get a lesson in bible as well.

If you remember in the last chapter, the people were complaining about not having water, God provided water and they were satisfied. Well, at the same time, Israel was unable to travel through Edom because the Edomites refused to let them travel through their land. Thus the people of Israel were led by a different route by the Red Sea to go around Edom. It wasn’t long before the whole congregation of Israel was complaining against God and Moses. (They can’t blame Aaron any longer,.)

God sent fiery serpents into their camp and the serpents bit them and they died. So many died that the people of Israel went to Moses and actually admitted that they were wrong and that they had sinned. They asked Moses to intercede on their behalf and ask God to deliver them from the serpents. I don’t know about you, but Moses has been through this so many times before, I have to wonder if he felt at all like they deserved it. But then I remember that Moses was a very humble man and he probably didn’t feel that way at all. So, Moses went to the Lord and asked Him to deliver the people from the snakes.

God told Moses to make a fiery serpent out of bronze and place it on a standard. He told Moses to hold it up and whenever someone was bitten by a serpent, they were to look upon the bronze serpent on the standard and they would be saved.

Pause for a second and let that sink in.

Okay, that is such a powerful picture of what Christ did for us on the cross at Calvary. He was held up on the cross, and if we but look to Him and believe in Him, we will be saved.

God in His majesty, saved the Israelites with this symbol that points to the cross and they were able to move on from that place.

After this Israel is challenged by king Sihon of the Amorites, and king Og of Bashan. God delivers a great victory for Israel and they settle in the land of the Amorites. God tells them not to be afraid. And they listen to Him this time. I think the lesson with the bronze serpent on the standard really sunk in. They did as God told them and did not waver.

Reading through the old testament has provided me with a clearer picture of my walk with God. I can point fingers and say they were stubborn, but, am I so different? When I complain, am I not behaving the same way toward God? Yes, I am.

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray for forgiveness for my stubbornness and the complaints that I lay against You. I am amazed by Your grace and mercy in my life and I know that all things come from You. Help me not to be afraid when I am called into battle, for You are with me. Thank You Lord. Amen.

Numbers 20

This morning I was reading Numbers chapter 20 for my morning devotion time. You know, the time where you read and pray quietly in the wee hours of the morning before any one else is up? Well, in chapter 20 the sons of Israel are again complaining to Moses and Aaron that they have brought them out into the wilderness to die. They have no water. So Moses and Aaron fall on their faces before the tent of meeting. The Lord tells Moses to get his rod and go to speak to the rock (vs.8) and water would come forth for them and their animals.

Well, this is where I was surprised. In my memory, God told Moses to tap the rock once, and I thought that is why God punished Moses. Moses struck the rock twice and he yelled at the people. He called them rebels and said,”must we bring water out of this rock?” That sounds a little sarcastic to me. But God told him to speak to the rock and water would come out.

Then God tells Moses and Aaron that they didn’t believe Him and so now they would not be entering the Promised Land. Wow, that struck me right in the heart. Either you believe Him, or you don’t. Moses and Aaron were delivered an absolute.

This is a powerful lesson to be learned by Christians today.

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11 : 6)

Do you believe God’s word?

Feeble, Lacking In Resonance

The other day I came to my desk and found a 3×5 index card. Written in childish handwriting was an interesting word with its definition.

Thin:

1. Not well fleshed

2. Lacking substance of strength

3. Flimsy and unconvincing

4. Something feeble, shrill and lacking in resonance.

I didn’t quite know what to make of this word and it’s definition, but it sure does describe how I feel sometimes as a Christian. I feel flimsy and unconvincing. I feel feeble, lacking substance or resonance. I later found out that one of the kids was trying to help another kid understand what the word thin means and had taken the trouble to look it up and write it down for them.

The good news though is that I am weak and lacking in substance. But in Christ my King, I am strong. I do not lack for anything through Christ Jesus. I don’t have to convince any body of anything. And if my voice is shrill, feeble or lacking in resonance, the Lord is still there to help me walk the path He has chosen for me.

Do you feel thin? In Christ you are complete, and whole. Being well fleshed is the last thing you want to be. Wont you call upon the One that created you to fill you up?

Love ya,

Karen

In the beginning, God…

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

Such a simple verse, but packed full of promise, wonder, and amazing love.

 

I grew up in a non-Christian home, had non-Christian friends and went to a non-Christian school. Oh, that’s right, all government schools are non-Christian…

Since I grew up with all of this non-Christian influence, you can imagine what kinds of things filled my head. The schools did their best to make me believe that I descended from apes, and that everything was created millions of years ago. I didn’t challenge this thought or even really think about it too much. In every science class there were posters plastered to the walls showing me how evolution brought us to modern man. You don’t believe in a literal 6 day creation, do you?

 

Even all these years later, I didn’t really think about how to teach creation to my kids, until recently. We homeschool our four kids and when it came time to purchase books for science, I was at a loss. Every resource I found had pictures of the big bang theory and the millions of years theory. It wasn’t until last year that I discovered for myself through the Bible, how to teach Creationism to our kids. Crazy, right?

 

I have been doing an inductive bible study by Kay Arthur for the last year, and I love the simple approach to it. I discovered that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Well, that gave me such a big relief, that is where you start! In the beginning. Do I believe that God created everything, or not? Yes, I do believe that God created everything in 6 days. And on the 7th day He rested.

Thank you Lord for showing me that I need to know what I believe, and trust your Word. I do believe that You created everything under the sun and over the sun and around the sun.. You get the picture.

 

 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth

 

 

She Speaks Conference

God has made some changes in my life since the last time I wrote. It has been so long since I blogged about what He has been doing in my life. I know that trying to win a contest is hardly the reason to start-up again. I am going to do it anyway.

She Speaks

We moved to a small rural town in Iowa last October and we have truly been blessed. The Lord brought us to a place where most people would never choose to live. There is nothing wrong with our little town. But it is little. That is the only reason other people would never choose to live here on purpose.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

“Narrow is the gate and few there be that find it.”

Do any of these verses sound familiar to you? The last one is in the movie Facing the Giants. I love thinking about the assistant coach telling the young man how to kick the ball through the goal post. It really makes me smile. But it also rings true in my ears when I wonder about the path that we have been on. What is God’s plan for us here?

There is a small group of hungry believers here. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we as a family could be useful to God in these few lives? Every life is precious and even if we only were to reach one new believer, God would be delighted.

Since we have moved here, we have been attending a wonderful country church. There is an amazing sense of love for each other that I have never felt anywhere. Our kids love going there and cry if we have to miss because some one is sick. Truly, God has brought us to a place where we really feel like we can be a part of the church family. He has also laid down before us the opportunity to start a small church in the town we live in. There are even a few people who have expressed interest in attending and this would be wonderful. So which one do we choose? Do we go where it is all ready done and we can just cruise in and enjoy all of the blessings that are there? Or do we choose the narrow path and pick up the challenge that has been laid before us?

My husband has heard the call to be a pastor for years now, I know that he will be a gifted teacher and come along side to share in joys and burdens. What am I going to do? I am the shy introverted girl who just wants to quietly serve in the background. I know what is expected of a pastor’s wife. This is a place in my heart that I know I am being attacked. The Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. I will rest in Him.

If the Lord is going to use me in ministry, then I really need some education! I would love the opportunity to go to the She Speaks Conference in North Carolina to explore all three of the ways that a woman speaks. Thank you for giving me something to write about and I hope that the Lord will speak to me in a way that would give me strength to share with you.  God bless.

Karen