Listening to David Barton speak on Focus on the Family
Thanksgiving started because of the Pilgrims settled in Plymouth, Ma. It was a very cold winter and they lost about half of their colony. The Indians gave them food and supplies. They wanted to always remember a Day of Thanksgiving to God specifically because of providing and bringing them this far. They refer to multiple scripture passages on how they want to be like the Israelites before entering the land of Canaan. Moses warned them to always remember what God has done for them so that they would not live unfruitful lives.
Listening to the story of the Pilgrims settling, the forming of our Nation, Congress, Letters that John Adams wrote to his Abigail, and the careful thought of establishing Independence from Britain. America started with leaders revering and crediting God for His protection and blessing on America.
We are the most blessed nation in the World (I am truly convinced) and I believe that our Founding Fathers are the reason for all that God has given us today.
I am Thankful for:
1.Free country: worship and learn of God where i choose, have a job in the career path I choose, Go to the doctor and dentist I choose
2. Family
3. Church
4. My Salvation: Christ died for me to have a relationship with me, saved me, loves me. (I realize I did not list this first but I will leave it in this sequence to remind me that I take Him for granted and that I don't know enough what Christ saved me from and did for me and that I more than likely I need to spend time reminding myself about that in comparison of owning anything else in life or its treasures)
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
A white porch swing
There is something wonderful about a white porch swing. You never know what memories may be built with your friend on a bench that swings back and forth.
I have looked high and low for a great bargain on a swing. I found a man selling swings on Craig's list. So I went to Spartenburg to pick it up for $75.00. I painted it white and hired my friend to hang the swing.
I swung on it tonight and thought about all the friends I will get to spend time sharing thoughts, talking, laughing, and spend quality time fellow shipping. I thought about how wonderful to be outside on a summer night talking to a friend, I thought about maybe one day I will sit beside my husband sharing hours of thoughts dreams, and enjoying the hours of life together. I thought about the crickets at night that will chime as I sit and unwind on my swing.
I am thankful for my white porch swing. :)
I have looked high and low for a great bargain on a swing. I found a man selling swings on Craig's list. So I went to Spartenburg to pick it up for $75.00. I painted it white and hired my friend to hang the swing.
I swung on it tonight and thought about all the friends I will get to spend time sharing thoughts, talking, laughing, and spend quality time fellow shipping. I thought about how wonderful to be outside on a summer night talking to a friend, I thought about maybe one day I will sit beside my husband sharing hours of thoughts dreams, and enjoying the hours of life together. I thought about the crickets at night that will chime as I sit and unwind on my swing.
I am thankful for my white porch swing. :)
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Philippians 3
It is 1049 at night.
I am thirsting for HIM, the all sufficient loving Father and Saviour of the world, can ONLY satisfy my life. It is the unending, deepest ocean of Christ's love that is a depth without bottom and without shores(thought from a J.Piper quote).
I think about Paul in prison. He did not lose vision of the Truth of Christ and promised future. He was tenacious in mind (by his yielding to the Spirits work in his life) keeping his mind on Christ. One goal, strain, bend. He wanted "to KNOW Christ and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death." Christ took hold of him and he reminds me, Christ took hold of me. There is a call for all believers. Leave ALL BEHIND: reputation, anxieties, worldliness, in morality, unforgiveness, dark pasts, anything the "weighs" us down. Leave it all behind and say to Satan what God promises. It is true..."may I be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ,...that I may know Him, and the power of His Resurrection from the dead."
Paul was in a cold prison, dirt layered on his body, prison guards surrounding him, and never stops to "fume" or have a "pity party" or complain to anyone. He is more focused on the church. He calls himself the "bond servant of Jesus Christ to all the saints of Christ Jesus".
I want my love "to abound more and more in real knowledge and all discernment and approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ Jesus."
Prayer to you Father:
Will you help me to be all surrendered to you my Father-passionate on this earth for you? I realize now that I may have some radical breaking ties to rid sin in my life (knowing sin comes in the shape of more than just one). Lord I ask you will search my heart. I want to yield in every area. Not just what I choose.
I am your child and I can be confident and bold because I am in You: My Rock, Saviour of the World, Emmanuel, Stronghold, Lover of my soul, my Abba Father. There is nothing more truer than you. There is no exchange in life better than YOU.
So father instruct my heart to be conformed to the image of your Son Jesus Christ. I want to leave the opinions of man behind every minute of my day and be of one mind and focus on You. I need your discernment in speech and actions, will you help me with your Power. I want to point this lost world to you. Father I feel like I don't do well representing you in my life now. Will you help me to be genuine, focused as I "run this race".
I am thirsting for HIM, the all sufficient loving Father and Saviour of the world, can ONLY satisfy my life. It is the unending, deepest ocean of Christ's love that is a depth without bottom and without shores(thought from a J.Piper quote).
I think about Paul in prison. He did not lose vision of the Truth of Christ and promised future. He was tenacious in mind (by his yielding to the Spirits work in his life) keeping his mind on Christ. One goal, strain, bend. He wanted "to KNOW Christ and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death." Christ took hold of him and he reminds me, Christ took hold of me. There is a call for all believers. Leave ALL BEHIND: reputation, anxieties, worldliness, in morality, unforgiveness, dark pasts, anything the "weighs" us down. Leave it all behind and say to Satan what God promises. It is true..."may I be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ,...that I may know Him, and the power of His Resurrection from the dead."
Paul was in a cold prison, dirt layered on his body, prison guards surrounding him, and never stops to "fume" or have a "pity party" or complain to anyone. He is more focused on the church. He calls himself the "bond servant of Jesus Christ to all the saints of Christ Jesus".
I want my love "to abound more and more in real knowledge and all discernment and approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ Jesus."
Prayer to you Father:
Will you help me to be all surrendered to you my Father-passionate on this earth for you? I realize now that I may have some radical breaking ties to rid sin in my life (knowing sin comes in the shape of more than just one). Lord I ask you will search my heart. I want to yield in every area. Not just what I choose.
I am your child and I can be confident and bold because I am in You: My Rock, Saviour of the World, Emmanuel, Stronghold, Lover of my soul, my Abba Father. There is nothing more truer than you. There is no exchange in life better than YOU.
So father instruct my heart to be conformed to the image of your Son Jesus Christ. I want to leave the opinions of man behind every minute of my day and be of one mind and focus on You. I need your discernment in speech and actions, will you help me with your Power. I want to point this lost world to you. Father I feel like I don't do well representing you in my life now. Will you help me to be genuine, focused as I "run this race".
Saturday, July 18, 2009
The sky is so Blue
....it is morning and I wake to think about what my caregroup talked about last night. I made it at the end. What are joy robbers in our life? being selfish, letting our minds wander into ungodly thinking, letting our emotions rule our thinking,....
We talked about heaven and keeping the eternal perspective...
I wake up today with the fight for joy and pondering what heaven will be like....
the sky is so blue, reminding me to look up...what this life will not offer and what Christ gives is greater....
We talked about heaven and keeping the eternal perspective...
I wake up today with the fight for joy and pondering what heaven will be like....
the sky is so blue, reminding me to look up...what this life will not offer and what Christ gives is greater....
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Shelter in the Storm
Words and Music by Steve & Vikki Cook and Bob Kauflin
Verse 1 I have a shelter in the storm
When troubles pour upon me
Though fears are rising like a flood
My soul can rest securely
O Jesus, I will hide in You
My place of peace and solace
No trial is deeper than Your love
That comforts all my sorrows
Verse 2 I have a shelter in the storm
When all my sins accuse me
Though justice charges me with guilt
Your grace will not refuse me
O Jesus, I will hide in You
Who bore my condemnation
I find my refuge in Your wounds
For there I find salvation
Verse 3 I have a shelter in the storm
When constant winds would break me
For in my weakness, I have learned
Your strength will not forsake me
O Jesus, I will hide in You
The One who bears my burdens
With faithful hands that cannot fail
You’ll bring me home to heaven
Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Ministries.
From Come Weary Saints. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
North American administration by Integrity Music. International administration by CopyCare International.
Follow the Come Weary Saints link it will take you to a page where you can download this song for free.
Verse 1 I have a shelter in the storm
When troubles pour upon me
Though fears are rising like a flood
My soul can rest securely
O Jesus, I will hide in You
My place of peace and solace
No trial is deeper than Your love
That comforts all my sorrows
Verse 2 I have a shelter in the storm
When all my sins accuse me
Though justice charges me with guilt
Your grace will not refuse me
O Jesus, I will hide in You
Who bore my condemnation
I find my refuge in Your wounds
For there I find salvation
Verse 3 I have a shelter in the storm
When constant winds would break me
For in my weakness, I have learned
Your strength will not forsake me
O Jesus, I will hide in You
The One who bears my burdens
With faithful hands that cannot fail
You’ll bring me home to heaven
Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Ministries.
From Come Weary Saints. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
North American administration by Integrity Music. International administration by CopyCare International.
Follow the Come Weary Saints link it will take you to a page where you can download this song for free.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
for the cause of Christ-true sacrifice
This is from Adoniram Judson's letter to his proposed father-in-law.
"I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean, to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death? Can you consent to all of this, for the sake of him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righeousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to here Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?"
"I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean, to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death? Can you consent to all of this, for the sake of him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righeousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to here Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?"
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Leveling of Self
My heart longs for a reality of depth and radicalism. Unashamed proclamation of Jesus, "the filler" who is capable to breath life into the corner of every Believing and Disbelieving soul. However He will use me, a very flawed tool, to be an extension or display one glimpse of His rays. I would gladly be a little reflection of God if that is the only ray of light that penetrates so far as to reach beyond myself and miraculously into the dark corners of captive souls. Maybe one has never seen a directness, a trueness such as this in all their lives, satiates our thirst, a riveting of the soul. Let it be the first or hundredth time to come back and say, "that Christ would give Himself unconditionally for me?".
I want to speak the Truth that awakens the eyes (exalting and directing man to the "I am" , "the Way", "the Life". Oh what great relief of all burdens to delight and to face "the Truth"). I call all to put away mine (yours) anything that gets in the way of self, blindness, and allow ourselves to be completely surrendered of everything in our lives; a complete "leveling" of ourselves to the ground. It is just you and God, it is not an "act" before Him.
I love the word "crap" lately so I will use it now to express so clearly what I feel. "Acting" is such "crap". Crap is building up a beautiful painted picture of ourselves that is not really who Iam, to others around you-"blessed are the humble for they shall see God" (I would like to add and they will see the crap load of falsehood in their own lives because they are examining themselves in the "mirror of God" and not self). Crap is not calling what you know to be Sin and rationalizing it away to be profitable or almost biblically "excellent" when it actually causes you to slightly or completely fall-"flee every tempation". Crap is wasting your life on laziness-"redeem the time,for the days are evil", crap is aloofness to the people that God has placed in your life-"as you do unto them, you do unto me", crap is not forgiving and letting go of wrongs done to you-"love your neighbor as yourself", "let not the sun go down on your wrath".
I have sinned in all these areas of crap. Or thought about sinning in these areas that comes from pride and self-righteous thinking. The bottom line is that I want to face my sin, repent and turn to God to help me change. His Truth is powerful for change to get rid of the crap more and more. Picture of Sanctification. I Need friends to speak Truth to me and objectively speak into my life besides my own view (which I hear is vital importance but often not demonstrated among Christians-easier to gossip). Yes, I have very high opinion of me and I don't want to face seeing my flaws, the hard work to change, the actual Obedience God calls me to devote my life to and that I actually have to Obey rather than live in my own fading pleasures of the easy life but unfulfilling.
It is too late to live life over again.
I pray that God will let the fire of refinement take away my dross(crap).
Read to my Aunt yesterday.
Samuel Francis Hymn
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Vast unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current
Of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to
Thy glorious rest above!
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth
never, nevermore!
How He watches o'er His loved ones,
died to call them all His own
how for them He intercedeth, watcheth
o'er them from the throne!
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus,
'Tis a heav'n of heav'ns to me
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!
I want to speak the Truth that awakens the eyes (exalting and directing man to the "I am" , "the Way", "the Life". Oh what great relief of all burdens to delight and to face "the Truth"). I call all to put away mine (yours) anything that gets in the way of self, blindness, and allow ourselves to be completely surrendered of everything in our lives; a complete "leveling" of ourselves to the ground. It is just you and God, it is not an "act" before Him.
I love the word "crap" lately so I will use it now to express so clearly what I feel. "Acting" is such "crap". Crap is building up a beautiful painted picture of ourselves that is not really who Iam, to others around you-"blessed are the humble for they shall see God" (I would like to add and they will see the crap load of falsehood in their own lives because they are examining themselves in the "mirror of God" and not self). Crap is not calling what you know to be Sin and rationalizing it away to be profitable or almost biblically "excellent" when it actually causes you to slightly or completely fall-"flee every tempation". Crap is wasting your life on laziness-"redeem the time,for the days are evil", crap is aloofness to the people that God has placed in your life-"as you do unto them, you do unto me", crap is not forgiving and letting go of wrongs done to you-"love your neighbor as yourself", "let not the sun go down on your wrath".
I have sinned in all these areas of crap. Or thought about sinning in these areas that comes from pride and self-righteous thinking. The bottom line is that I want to face my sin, repent and turn to God to help me change. His Truth is powerful for change to get rid of the crap more and more. Picture of Sanctification. I Need friends to speak Truth to me and objectively speak into my life besides my own view (which I hear is vital importance but often not demonstrated among Christians-easier to gossip). Yes, I have very high opinion of me and I don't want to face seeing my flaws, the hard work to change, the actual Obedience God calls me to devote my life to and that I actually have to Obey rather than live in my own fading pleasures of the easy life but unfulfilling.
It is too late to live life over again.
I pray that God will let the fire of refinement take away my dross(crap).
Read to my Aunt yesterday.
Samuel Francis Hymn
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Vast unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current
Of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to
Thy glorious rest above!
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth
never, nevermore!
How He watches o'er His loved ones,
died to call them all His own
how for them He intercedeth, watcheth
o'er them from the throne!
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus,
'Tis a heav'n of heav'ns to me
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
By Your Side
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J95rAr0gOFU&feature=related
Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away
Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run
And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life
Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go
By Your Side
Tenth Avenue South
Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away
Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run
And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life
Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go
By Your Side
Tenth Avenue South
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
My Aunt Marrianne
My Aunt Marrianne was diagnosed with Pancreatic and Liver cancer yesterday.
My dad left a message for me to call him ASAP when I get off of work. There are only now a couple of reasons I can think of this combination of emotion relayed by my father of urgency and somberness. Now his sister is dying. Prognosis is poor, a double hit from two sides, Pancreatic, one of the fastest growing cancers and invasion of two different organs.
Life is passing quickly. I can see it vividly. I am not at the age of my parents, but it is not just fleeting thought these days like before. It is a steady and fast progression("a breath") towards Heaven and seeing my heavenly Father one day beyond this fading earth.
I will try to visit her this Friday.
What will I do? She loves drinking tea, a small biscuit (my dad suggested), old book, talk of rich hymns, read a piece of her mother's diary, knit, look at old pictures, or just sit and enjoy being together. She is a home body more than any person I know in the Cassidy family. She enjoys comforts and warm lights in a cool quiet place. She welcomes me gladly to sit and talk anytime like one of her own and impart her years of wisdom. I love you Aunt Marrianne.
My dad left a message for me to call him ASAP when I get off of work. There are only now a couple of reasons I can think of this combination of emotion relayed by my father of urgency and somberness. Now his sister is dying. Prognosis is poor, a double hit from two sides, Pancreatic, one of the fastest growing cancers and invasion of two different organs.
Life is passing quickly. I can see it vividly. I am not at the age of my parents, but it is not just fleeting thought these days like before. It is a steady and fast progression("a breath") towards Heaven and seeing my heavenly Father one day beyond this fading earth.
I will try to visit her this Friday.
What will I do? She loves drinking tea, a small biscuit (my dad suggested), old book, talk of rich hymns, read a piece of her mother's diary, knit, look at old pictures, or just sit and enjoy being together. She is a home body more than any person I know in the Cassidy family. She enjoys comforts and warm lights in a cool quiet place. She welcomes me gladly to sit and talk anytime like one of her own and impart her years of wisdom. I love you Aunt Marrianne.
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