THE LORD'S PRAYER

CHALLENGING THE LORD'S PRAYER

I cannot say Our if I live only for myself.

I cannot say FATHER if I do not endeavor each day to act like His child.

I cannot say WHO ART IN HEAVEN if I am laying up no treasure there.

I cannot say HALLOWED BE THY NAME if I am not striving for holiness.

I cannot say THY KINGDOM COME if I am not doing all in my power to hasten that wonderful event.

I cannot say THY WILL BE DONE if I am disobedient to His word.

I cannot say ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN if I will not serve Him here and now.

I cannot say GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD if I am dishonest or seeking things by subterfuge.

I cannot say FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US if I harbor a grudge against anyone.

I cannot say LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION if I deliberately place myself in its path.

I cannot say DELIVER US FROM EVIL if I do not put on the whole armor of God.

I cannot say  FORTHINE IS THE KINGDOM if I do not give the King the loyalty due him from a faithful subject.

I cannot say AND THE POWER if I fear what others may do.

I cannot say AND THE GLORY if I am seeking honor only for myself.

I cannot say NOW AND FOREVER if the horizon of my life is bounded by the things of today.

~Author Unknown~

The Tea Cup

~ THE TEA CUP ~

A couple vacationing in Europe went strolling down a little street and saw a quaint little gift shop with a beautiful teacup in the window. The lady collected teacups and she wanted this one for her collection, so she went inside to buy the teacup, and as the story goes the teacup spoke and said: 

"I want you to know that I have not always looked like this. It took the process of pain to bring me to this point. You see, there was a time when I was just clay and the Master came and he pounded me and he! squeeze d me and he kneaded me and I screamed: "STOP THAT!". But he just smiled and said, "Not yet". 

Then he took me and put me on the shelf and I went round and round and round and round ... and while I was spinning and getting dizzier and dizzier, I screamed again and I said, "Please get me off this thing... please get me off!!!" And the Master was looking at me and he was smiling, as he said, "Not yet". 

Then he took me and walked toward the oven and shut the door and turned up the heat and I could see him through the window of the oven and it was getting hotter and hotter and I thought, "He's going to burn me to death!". 

And I started pounding on the inside of the oven and I said, "Master, let me out, let me out, let me out!", and I could see that he was smiling, as he said "Not yet". Then he opened the door and I was fresh and free and he took me out of the oven and he put me on the table and then he got some paint and a paintbrush. 

He started dabbing me and making swirls all over me and I started to gag and I said: "Master, stop it... stop it... stop it please... you're making me gag". He just smiled as he said "not yet". 

Then very gently he picked me up again and he started walking toward the oven and I said, "Master, NO!! Not again, pleeeease!!". He opened the oven door and he slipped me inside and he shut the door and this time he turned the heat up twice as hot as before and I thought, "He's going to kill me!!", and I looked through the window of the oven and I started to pound on it, saying, "Master ... Master, please let me out ... please let me out ... let me out!". 

I could see that he was smiling but I also noticed a tear trickle down his cheek as I watched him mouth the words, "Not yet!" 

Just as I thought I was about to die, the door opened and he reached in ever so gently and took me out, fresh and free and he went and placed me on a high shelf and he said: "There, I have created what I intended. Woul! d you li ke to see yourself?" I said, "Yes". He handed me a mirror and I looked and I looked again and I said, "That's not me, I'm just a lump of clay". 

He said, "Yes, that IS you, but it took the process of pain to bring you to this place. You see, had I not worked you when you were clay, then you would have dried up. 

If I had not subjected you to the stress of the wheel you would have crumbled. If I had not put you into the heat of the oven you would have cracked. If I had not painted you, there would be no color in your life. But, it was the second oven that gave you the strength to endure. Now you are everything I intended you to be - from the beginning." And I, the teacup, heard myself saying something I never thought I would hear myself saying, "Master, forgive me, I did not trust you. I thought you were going to harm me, I did not know you had a glorious future and a hope for me. I was too shortsighted, but I want to thank you. 

I want to thank you for the suffering. I want to thank you for the process of pain. Here I am! I give you myself - fill me; pour from me, use me as you see fit. I really want to be a vessel that brings you glory within my life."

The Reality of Suffering on the Cross

What was a crucifixion? Let us try to realize it, and understand its misery. The person crucified was laid on his back on a piece of timber, with a cross-piece nailed to it near one end – or on the trunk of a tree with branching arms, which answered the same purpose. His hands were spread out on the cross-piece, and nails driven through each of them, fastening them to the wood. His feet in like manner were nailed to the upright part of the cross. And then, the body having been securely fastened, the cross was raised up, and fixed firmly in the ground. And there hung the unhappy sufferer until pain and exhaustion brought him to his end – not dying suddenly, for no vital part of him was injured – but enduring the most excruciating agony from his hands and feet, and unable to move.

Such was the death of the cross. Such was the death that Jesus died for us! For six long hours He hung there before a gazing crowd, naked, and bleeding from head to foot – His head pierced with thorns – His back lacerated with scourging –His hands and feet torn with nails – and mocked and reviled by His cruel enemies to the very last.

Let us meditate frequently on these things. Let us often read over the story of Christ’s cross and passion. Let us remember, not least, that all these horrible sufferings were born without a murmur. No word of impatience crossed our Lord’s lips. In His death, no less than in His life, He was perfect. To the very last, Satan found nothing in Him. (John 14:30.)

~ J.C. Ryle

Giveaway from Francine Rivers!!!

Just wanted to let you all know about this....

Francine Rivers is giving away

First Place Prize (1)—1 copy each of Her Mother’s Hope/Her Daughter’s Dream

Second Place Prize (2)—1 Mark of the Lion boxed set

Third Place Prize (3)—1 copy of A Lineage of Grace

Fourth Place Prize (4)—1 copy of Sons of Encouragement

go here

Good luck all...she is one of my favorite Christian authors......

Been quiet for too long here...

Good Morning dear blog readers

Yes, it is really an update.  A lot has happened since I last posted.  First of all time just gets away from me.  It is already the middle of March.  Didn't we just enter the new year?

Amy was sick off and on since January and now the latest bout with bronchitis has finally ended, I hope. My MIL came for a visit.  She is from Minnesota so she wanted to leave the frozen tundra for a few weeks.  I really enjoy her visits.  Paul is who he is because of such a wonderful Christian mom.

It is getting warmer here.  I just took the dogs out for their long walk of the day, and people were already around the pool.  It is heated by wow... time is flying by here.  The apt has a ton of sidewalks that go around the whole complex here and it is a pleasure walking.  I feel safe here.

This move has been the best thing for all of us.  I for one have learned to lean more on Jesus than ever before.  The apt is still a work in progress.  It is still hard to sort things out to what I really need here.  Thank goodness we have a small storage room here that we rent out.  I think we will use it for a lot longer than I had imagined.

I just have a few things out.  We have not gotten a new apt sized couch yet.  We have 3 rockers that we use and thank God we have those.  My kitchen is done.  Just need a few things on the wall there.  The dinning room needs things on the wall.  The biggest thing left is Paul needs to sort out his books.  We could have a room devoted to all his books he has so many.  I know he really doesn't want to get rid of many, but he will have to think of something soon.  Our dresser top has 8 or more boxes of books to look thru.  Daunting task for him.

But all in all it suits me fine living here.  If anything breaks, they fix it.  I really love that part.  They keep the grounds well and new flowers are popping up.  We do have a patio we some of our furniture from before out there to sit and relax on.  We need to get some sort of a wire fence to attach all around the wood border so the dogs can be out with us.  There is a gap big enough for them to sneak out. Can't have that.

Funny how we see people walking huge dogs here.  The rules are small dogs only and people don't obey the rules.  But then isn't that the sin nature in all of us.  What we can get away with we can...I do....you do if you are honest.

It is Lent season here.  I don't "give up" anything like I did as a child.  I was reading one of my favorite authors Lysa TerKeurst on her blog about how she is "giving more".  It is an very enlightening blog post.  Go read it and tell me what you think.

Blessings on your Thursday..

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

We love because He first loved us. 1Jn4:19

Within the Shadow of the Almighty

Wow~~it has been a long time.  So many things on my plate and I need more hours in my day as do most of you too.  I need to get ready for church but I was reading my email and found a wonderful devo from one of my favorites Psalms...91.  

Psalm 91:1 

We live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods.

(If I want to be sheltered by the God who is above all gods, I need to LIVE within His shadow -- I need to LIVE in HIM, not running to other things that can so easily become a functional god for me.)

91:2 This I declare, that He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I am trusting Him.

(I need to focus on Him being a refuge for me and remember what safety there is in dwelling in Him.  I need to remind myself that HE is my God, and I WILL trust in Him, instead of focusing on my problems.)

91:4  His faithful promises are your armor.

(There is no armor like the armor of God.  I need to be meditating on His promises because they are the armor that will deliver me from the fears that assail me.)

91:9 For Jehovah is my refuge!  I choose the God above all gods to shelter me. 

(The word "choose" really stood out to me in this verse.  It is MY choice how I am going to respond to the daily frustrations and fears.  Am I going to run to the refrigerator and gorge on junk food?  Am I going to escape through watching TV?  Am I going to play on the Wii for hours just so I can focus on something besides my problems?  It is MY choice.)

91:12 They (the angels) will steady you with their hands to keep you from stumbling against the rocks on the trail. 

(When I'm on a "rocky trail," those angels are there to help me and keep me from stumbling and losing my way.)

91:16 I will satisfy him with a full life and give him my salvation.

(Nothing on this earth has the ability to satisfy me and give me a full life like the Lord.)

When we tend to go to other things to satisfy our needs and desires, they do indeed become a god to us...an idol.  I don't want that.  So reading the Word first thing in the morning with my coffee....of course...before anything else.

Blessings to all~~