January 30th 1988

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An audio tape of a sermon entitled “But God” by Jon Coursen was recently given to me. His theme throughout the tape was “I don’t know the answers to your problem, but I do know who does- God.” It may sound simplistic, but as I have listened over and over to this tape, I am convinced he is right.

Let me share with you some of his thoughts about how God intervened in the problems of people recorded in the Bible:

  • Abraham (the patriarch) tried to pass off his wife, Sarah, as his sister- “But God” intervened and saved her. (Genesis 20:3)
  • Jacob struggled with the negative and changing attitude of his father-in-law- “However God” intervened and did not allow him to harm Jacob. (Genesis 31:7)
  • Jacob on his death bed assured Joseph that he (Jacob) would die- “But God” would be with him. (Genesis 48:21)
  • Joseph realized that his brothers had intended harm for him- “But God” had intended it for good. (Genesis 50:19-20)
  • Samson, after a difficult battle was feeling tired and discoursed, in need of refreshment. He felt as though he would die of thirst- “Then God” brought forth water to refresh him. (Judges 15:15-20)
  • David was being hunted like a criminal by King Saul- “but God” intervened to protect him. (I Samuel 23:13-14)

Time after time in scripture, we see evidence of difficult circumstances, problems and dilemmas. Yet with each of these, we see men and women of faith who said “but God” was there. Maybe you, like me, are in one of those situations in life where you cannot figure out what good can come of it. I don’t know what the answer to your problem is, but I know who has the answer! In the midst of trails and difficulties, there is hope. The advice that people give may have some merit, but listening to God, waiting for the unfolding of His plan, is always of value. In your rush to fix problems, don’t do what I often do…..forget to listen to God.

“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.” Jeremiah 29:11

The Blessing

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Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

When my children were young someone told me about laying my hands on their heads when they left in the morning and giving them the Numbers 6:24-26 blessing. They said they did this and it was a blessing to their children and to them. So I decided to try it. I know Pollyann was about four, so the others were probably somewhere between four and thirteen. I cant remember how many years this went on but I remember they were in Jr. High and High School and I was still doing it. I would lay my hands on their heads when they left for school and give them the blessings from Numbers. I remember Pollyann was about four or at least before kindergarten, because I can still remember the day so clearly when she and several friends went out the front door to play. And she opened the door again and popped her head in and said, “Mama you forget to give me your blessing”. So I laid my hands on her head and gave her the blessing to the wide eyes wonderment of the friends standing with her. She didn’t want the older children to get something she didn’t have.

I can also remember as they got to Jr. High days thinking maybe they were getting too old and didn’t want me to do this any more… only to have them remind me that I had forgotten. I really think it did help give them a sense of peace going out and that the Lord would be with them. I encourage you to try it. Be doers of the word. It is scary to send our children out into the world and to a day at school (or work) not knowing what they may face. Not only does it give them something, it gives us an extra assurance that yes the Lord will be with them.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

This entry was posted in Family.

Behold His Glory

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Is it possible for us to “Behold His Glory”?

God says, “Yes” and He has a plan and a path for us to follow. The desire of my heart for today, is for you to ponder this thought. To allow the Lord to speak to you regarding how you can do this and also if you are doing something which blocks this from happening. I know it’s hard to put on the brakes, and quiet our hearts and mind. But I pray you will be willing to make time today. I hope you will try not to talk during your quiet time and really focus your thoughts on the Lord. Looking up scripture in your own Bible, and asking the Lord to reveal to you personally the truth of these verses.

II Corinthians 3:18 tells us that it is possible for all of us to “Behold His Glory”.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Really think about this wonderful verse and what each part of it says to you.

John 16:13a “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”

In Isaiah 58:8 we find a wonderful promise and then directions as to how to claim that promise.

“Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily, your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.”

The wonderful promise in the first part of this verse is that our light shall break forth. ( I like to think of it as breaking thru to glory). Then the second part shows us how we are able to do this and with whose help. Our righteousness will go before us. Who is your righteousness?

Jeremiah 26:6b “The Lord is our righteousness.”

So He is going before leading and directing us into this wonderful promise. The song just came to me, “I’ve got a home in Glory Land that outshines the sun”. I know we have a place reserved in Heaven which is the ultimate Glory Land, but many verses seem to show that we can experience His glory on earth also. Not only are we striving to reach Glory- but the glory of the Lord is our rear guard, and prodding us along and protecting us along the way also. We are on a path heading towards glory.

Proverbs 4:18 “But the path of the righteousness is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until the full day.”

(Oh Lord, may the path you are putting us on today shine brighter and brighter and reveal wondrous things to us along the way.)

Consider this wonderful promise in Isaiah 40:5 “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Here are some thoughts about Moses seeing “The Glory” and then some thoughts from the Living Study Bible regarding those verses.

Exodus 24:16-18 “The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. And Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.”

From the Life Application Bible page 1772: “The glory that the Spirit imparts to the believer is greater both in quality and longevity than that which Moses experienced. The glory gradually transforms the believer into Chistlikeness. Becoming Christlike is a progressive experience. The more closely we relate to him, the more we will be like him.”

(Lord, show me today the “hidden” things that are in the verses I am looking at)

Matthew 11:25 “At that time Jesus declared, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes.”

Some verses to ponder on your way to breaking through to Glory:

  • I Pater 4:13
  • Isaiah 28:5a
  • II Thessalonians 2:14
  • Isaiah 60:1
  • Psalms 104:31
  • Daniel 2:20-23
    • “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He change times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and mysterious things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for thou hast given me wisdom and strength, and hast now made known to me what we asked of thee.”

What is holding me back from breaking through to “His Glory” and becoming all he would have you be? If you are feeling that these verses and thoughts are great but you have had a hard time really experiencing what they are talking about, the Bible also has some help in that area.

Romans 3:23 “Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

That is the basis for asking God to be our Savior and forgive us all our wins and accept us as his child. Therefore one of the reasons we are not experiencing all that is possible would be that we have not totally surrendered our lives to Jesus. Before doing that, we all fall short of his glory.

There are other reasons why Christians also fall short of experiencing this glory. Let us ponder these two verses, one from the Old Testament and one from the New.

Psalm 106:20 “They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.”

Romans 1:22,23 “Claiming to be wise, they become fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles.”

Have you come close to receiving God’s glory but before you open the package you make an exchange. Those mentioned in the above verses exchanged the glory for images. What kind of image or mirage could you possibly be exchanging his glory for. Something that looks real but is not the real thing God would have us have. Ask God to reveal to you anything in your life that would be a block in receiving his glory.

Also, let us look at II Corinthians 3:18 “And we all with UNVEILED FACE, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

(Lord, is there a veil of some kind over my face, keeping me from seeing your glory fully. Please reveal that to me and show me what I can do to be changed into your likeness, little by little, degree by degree.)

What needs changing first? My attitude? My busyness? My not putting God first in my life?

I would like to close with some comments from Oswald Chambers from April 22nd of My Utmost for His Highest:

“We must build our faith not on fading lights but on the Light that never fails. When important individuals go away we are sad, until we see that they are meant to go, so that only one thing is left for us to do– to look into the face of God for ourselves……A Christian servant is one who perpetually looks into the face of God and then goes forth to talk to others. The ministry of Christ is characterized by an abiding glory of which the servant is totally unaware. Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.”

Exodus 34:29 “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with two tables of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.”

Look to Him and be RADIANT!!!!!

Mali’s addition:

These finals words in this post really resonated with me because Grandma Rosy has been the faithful Christian servant who has perpetually looked into the face of God, and as a result shines God’s light into each of our lives. Grandma Rosy’s skin is shining with God’s light because she continues to talk with God daily. She doesn’t need her voice or strength to exude God’s brilliant and radiant light! What an amazing example for us all!

Thread of Gold

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(*From “God at Eventide” August 28th)

Thread of Gold

Let my spirit of calm enter your being, and direct you, filling you with Peace and Power. Find in each day that THREAD OF GOLD that runs through all, and that links up all the simple tasks and words and interests and feelings into one whole.

Consciously hand the day back to Me at its close, leaving with Me all that is incomplete. It is Heaven’s work to complete man’s imperfect or unfinished task, when it has been of Heaven’s ordering.

See the Joy of Life, and you by that very act increase it. Joy grows by man’s consciousness of Joy.

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Comforting Words

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Romans 8:28 “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or faine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ….. NO, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things presents (love this- that the things of our everyday life are included with the life and death, but still they cannot separate us from the love of God. Even if you are not making varsity, not getting the promotion, and not getting the highest mark in school) not things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 142:3 “When my spirit is faint (overwhelmed), thou knowest my way.”

Isaiah 61:1-3 “The spirit of the Lord is upon me,…. he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,….. to comfort all who mourn…..to give them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.”

Revelation 7:17 “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; AND GOD WILL WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR FROM THEIR EYES.”

Luke 6:21b “Blessed are you that week now, for you shall laugh.”

Psalms 30:5b “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

Matthew 23:12 “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Proverbs 29:23 “A man’s pride will bring him low but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.”

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Photo taken while sailing to the San Juan Islands during Summer 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This entry was posted in Verses.

In the Rock I’ll Hide

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In the Rock I’ll hide,

In His shadow abide,

And when the storms of life come sweeping over me,

In the Rock I’ll hide.

Jesus is the Rock

Psalm 92:15b “….He is my rock….”

1 Samuel 2:2b “…there is no rock like our God.”

Isaiah 32:2b “…like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.”

1 Corinthians 10:4b “…and the Rock was Christ.”

Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge…”

Psalm 31:2b “…Be thou a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.”

Psalm 71:3 “Be though to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for thou art my rock and my fortress.”

Isaiah 26:3,4 “Thou dost keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an EVERLASTING ROCK.”

(*If you look closely at the picture, there is a small flower in the shadow of the Rock).

This entry was posted in Verses.

Summer at Wollochet- 1963

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The summer of 1963 was a special summer for us. We took our children and spent the summer at a little cabin belonging to Dick’s folks, located on Wollochet Bay. It was the same place Dick had spent summers when he was a child. Our children were ages: Becky 8, Cindy 6, Jane 4, Bart 2, and I was expecting a baby in November.

It was the first summer of many but took a little courage to do it the first time. We took them away from their nice house in University Place, their friends, and to a little place, with no TV, no telephone, and they were not involved in any summer sports activities. It was a very small cabin with one little bedroom that Dick and I used. The girls slept up in the attic and Bart in a little closet. It had a window and a sliding door but it was the size of a closet and just fit the crib.

It took two weeks for the children to settle into the relaxed easy life style that we wanted, and before they stopped saying, “What is there to do?” I felt sorry for people who only had two week vacation and then had to get back “into the pace”. We really had a wonderful time and below is a memory I wrote during that summer…..

September 7, 1963- It’s hard to believe it is moving day already and we have stayed a week longer than that. We have been so glad we stayed this extra week as the weather has been the nicest we’ve had all summer. It is just gorgeous today and it will be hard to leave later on in such nice weather. We have been packing and hauling all morning. Now the little ones are sleeping and Becky and Dick are walking on the breach. I thought this would be a good quiet time to do this writing and start scrubbing the cabin out when I am through. I am sitting on the cabin porch writing, look down Hales passage and it’s beautiful. Blue skies, sunshine, little breeze up here, seagulls calling, small waves lapping the beach and the sound of a motor boat once in a while.

It’s hard to find the right words to describe what the summer has meant to all of us. I know it has been the most wonderful summer I have had in my whole life. Even though the weather wasn’t too good we had such a wonderful, relaxed, restful and fun summer. Each day seemed like a precious experience that you just wanted to grasp and not let go. I had felt so close to God, to Dick, and to the children. I think we all sensed this closeness and enjoyment together of simple pleasures.

Becky’s swimming really improved this summer. She can swim about 10 strokes to the raft and swim on her back awhile. What fun they had playing in that cold water. Then when the tide came high in front of George’s house, they had so much fun playing in the sand. Digging swimming pools and letting the tide fill them up. It was so cute to see all those little bottoms sticking up in the air while they were digging so industriously. What a change in Cindy over the summer as well. At the beginning of the summer she was thin and sick from getting her tonsils removed, but now she is has gained some weight, has color on her skin, and is looking healthy. Jane had such fun too, still trying to keep up with the others but thinking of plenty of things to do on her own too.

Little Barty was such a joy to us all this summer. Running around much of the time in his short ragged jeans and now he is as brown as a berry. He has kept us amused with his singing, which he picked up from listening to us. His favorites are, “Holy, Holy, Holy”, The Bible, He lives, and Now I Belong to Jesus. We’ll always remember the fun we had on the hayride and the fun working on and presenting the Indian Pageant.

I think one of the happiest memories for all of us will be the wonderful times we had together in the evening for our family devotions. We either had these by the bulkhead fire or fireplace in the living room. Before we started devotionas I would read a chapter from the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. We are now on the 4th book. Dick and I enjoyed theses stories as much as the children. Then Dick would read a chapter from the devotional book, “Happy Acres”. We finished it this summer too. Then we would ask questions and each person would offer a prayer. It was so sweet to hear the dear prayers of these little children. Then often we would sing together all the songs the children knew, especially when we were on the bulkhead. Many times Dick sang, “The Stranger of Galilee”, for us from the Haven us Rest songbook. It was so beautiful to hear him singing in the dark, by firelight with the waves lapping on the beach. 

The kids really enjoyed the rope swing Dick made for them up in back. Not only our kids but all the neighborhood kids as well. Walking together on the beach, hiking on the country roads, swinging in the hammock, sitting on the porch just looking, going to Gig Harbor to do our shopping, are all things we have enjoyed. The kids have enjoyed riding bikes or walking to Ed’s for a little candy, playing in the attic on rainy days, playing with the Dahl girls and just goofing around in general. 

We hope we have impressed on the children too, the face that we have been so terribly happy here in this little cabin, and that if we should sometime not have our pretty house in town, we could be just as happy together in a little house…. that a home isn’t a big house, but all of us together with Christ in the center, doing His will. 

I think we all feel an overflowing of thankfulness to God for allowing us to be out here this summer and keeping the children safe from harm. It is all our prayers that we will be able to spend many more summers out here- just as wonderful as this one has been. 

Malachi 4:2

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Malachi 4:2

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. “

 

This entry was posted in Verses.

Raising Your Children For the Lord

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In the early 80’s I presented a similar lesson to this one about raising godly children. After presenting this lesson one Sunday, I had all five of my children come the next Sunday, hoping they would back up what I had presented. But I remember Bart had rather shot down what I thought was important. One of the points was making Jesus real in our home. Bart said that to him it really didn’t matter that we went to church, and what it was that made Christ real to him was that he was made alive and real in our home.

So that has given me the thought to look into a little different area of this subject.

1 Peter 3:6b  “…and you are now her children if you do right and let nothing terrify you.”

Deut 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be in dread of them; for it is the Lord who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you or forsake you; do not fear to be dismayed.”

These verses are so true for mothers. It is an awesome job. Awesome for you with young children and all that is ahead of you. Awesome for me as a grandmother and walking beside my grown children. Let those verses give us courage.

Thinking of this lesson a sentence came to mind in a paper we received from the Browns in London regarding their vision for the United Kingdom. It said, “History in this country has shown that when a few committed young men and women embrace and live out the principles of Jesus Christ, the nation had not only moved, but changed for the better.” I think that is so true as we consider bringing our children up for Jesus and leading them to follow him. We first have to embrace and live out the principles of Jesus Christ in our own lives and in our home. Our first priority is to be attached to Christ ourselves, embracing him and living out his principles. As we lift Him up in our homes and in our daily life, He will draw those children to himself.

Matthew 19:13-14 “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; but Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder him, for such belongs the kingdom of heaven'”.

John 12:32  “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”

How can we lift up Jesus in our homes for our children to see? For one thing, by having Jesus live in us and through us and by knowing what Jesus would have us to do…. and then do it. I think a key thought in the Matthew 19 reference is “not to hinder the children from coming to Jesus”. What do we do as parents that ends up being a hindrance to our children seeing Jesus? Perhaps…. arguing with their dad in front of them? Gossiping? Being sarcastic, bitter or revengeful? What can we do to help them see Jesus in our actions and decisions?

We can either claim James 1:5 for wisdom in the little decisions, and perhaps help build the fence at the top of the cliff. Or wait until disaster strikes and pray for ambulance service at the bottom of the cliff. Time with the Lord is so important in raising our children and asking the Lords wisdom on decisions we need to make. If we don’t do this, we will use our human wisdom and what seems good and right to us, not necessarily what the Lord would have us do.

Isaiah 55:8,9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.”

Example: When Jane didn’t want to be confirmed and instead wanted to be baptized in the water off Fox Island

Don’t let pride enter into your decisions with your children. What will the church think? What will my friends think? It is important to not only pray for our children, but with them for their personal needs.

Example: Praying for Pollyann with sports and praying for tests with Bart

Dick one time shared in a couples class about living on the edge financially, and how he felt he invested in his kids lives, not financially in their future. He didn’t save for college for them and didn’t have large insurance plans. He felt by being a part of Sitzmark Ski Lodge at Crystal and skiing and playing with them, he was investing in their lives and our life as a family. He felt boats, jet skis and waterskiing were also investments in our family, keeping the kids close to home and out of trouble.

There was a couple in the class we were teaching, who we had hoped to get to know better and who after this class asked us to have coffee. We did, anticipating they wanted to talk about the Lord or parenting. But no, he was an insurance agent and he really confronted Dick for telling people, in his opinion, to not buy insurance but rather to spend money on activities to do with your children. So, not everyone agrees with our theories.

In the 80’s when Dick lost his business and we went through some very hard times financially, some people would ask, “Do you now wish you had done things differently and had been more careful with your money?” He always said, “No, I wouldn’t change a thing.” He felt he had his children and they were close to him and that was more valuable than all the money in the world. The Lord did provide a way for them all to do to college for as much as they wanted or needed.

If we can lift up Jesus in purity and truth, not hindering our children in anyway, they will see Him and He will draw them to himself and they will follow Him.

Oh, Lord give us grace to allow Jesus full reign in our lives, to live and shine, so that He will be lifted up.

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