Little Revelations Day 8

More then often we gain little revelations from the words of others.  Sharing these words from Jan Kemp that stood out to me... 

“It is an insult to God to waste his creation (YOU)  in self-conscious silence.  You were made to worship, to witness, to enjoy, and to teach.  Your voice, that inner identification that whispers to you what your gifts and passions are, is precious and unique.  Speak up, and keep speaking until you are heard. The first person who needs to listen to your voice with respect is YOU. 

Today I pray that you will do just that.  Don't waste time being a people pleaser...some people are just not pleasable.  

And God has only ever made one of you.  Do you know how valuable you are?”

 

Counting joys and getting so close…

#270  gift prayed for…the younger generation in this world who need Jesus more than ever these days.

#271  homemade soup on a cold, drizzly autumn night

Little Revelations Day 7

It was absolutely pouring this morning as we were all getting ourselves ready to go to church. 

Yesterday day it was warm and sunny and I got sun-burned.

Today was a different story.  It was one of those very yucky, cold and rainy days.  We were wearing our winter coats and gloves.

Every day is a different story.

We are the authors of our stories.  The decisions we make become the plot and setting and characters in our story.

At the same time, we can also be an unexpected character whom God  (being that He is the Author) can literally plop us into someone else’s story or sneak us in as undercover…each day.

Hearing the message today from our pastor ironically was based on the Scripture I’ve been studying the past few weeks…of all things…the book of Judges that I’ve mentioned not too long ago.

Judges 2:10  “When that whole generation had passed away, another generation came after them who didn’t know the LORD or the things that he had done for Israel.” 

They didn’t know the LORD because the generation before them didn’t teach and instill and love on them like God instructed them to do.

That didn’t apply just to the people who lived 3500 years ago.  It’s vitally important now to live by and learn from that Truth.

It’s so easy to become complacent to the corrupt world’s normalcy, or to criticize the choices the younger generation makes and just sit on your comfy chair with your arms crossed in front of you.

The younger generation won’t know the LORD if our generation isn’t teaching and instilling and loving on them like God instructs us to do.

I think back in my story and I’m sure there’s been times I’ve lived with my arms crossed and folded in front of me…

I’ve probably told myself, “I’m thankful that God has blessed me with the gift of loving to love on the older generation…” and therefore I haven’t made as much an effort to form relationships with the younger generation like I could’ve.  Both are so very valuable and essential. 

Why not take from the wisdom I hear from the older generation and instead of bottling it up and keeping it to myself, give it to the younger generation…not only my children but their friends as well.

Those with more age have so much wisdom from their story and needs to pass it on to the younger people who need SOMEONE to give it to them.  LORD, please use me to be a bridge in between that gap!

I realize and admit I’ve been slack on my job (or gift) and been moving slow in the direction You were leading me to a few years ago, lately, LORD.  I’m realizing and seeing more and more each day how our children and their generation desperately need Jesus in this world now more than ever.

 

31 Little Revelations Day 6

 

Fog was lifting off the fields.

The sun was waking up.

As the sun climbed it was reflecting off the dew…almost blinding.

Water was splashing off the balls and every rapid foot hitting the grass.

My husband reminds our daughter of the dew and manna in the grass before Noah made the ark…

Coolness in the air.

I look up and there’s an orange monarch butterfly floating over the soccer field riding along a breeze hardly fluttering its wings.

So graceful.

That butterfly kept flying right in front of me, all around the field, over my head and even when we were leaving the parking lot, one flew right in front of us on our way out of the park.

And then after lunch we went to the hardware store to get some grass seed for our lawn before the predicted rain and big cool down starts tomorrow. 

And wouldn’t you know it… 

In the outside section of the store under the canopy…was that same orange monarch butterfly fluttering around…I think smiling at me.

Still so graceful.

Grace-full.  God is so full of grace.

Like the butterfly fluttering and gliding around me wherever I seemed to look today…that’s the same grace that surrounds me.   The grace that I couldn’t truly live without.  The grace full of love.  God full of grace.

My little revelation today is that I AM is wherever I am…even as small and grace-full as that butterfly.

 

Joy Count

#966   Fog was lifting off the fields

#967    My husband reminds our daughter of the dew and manna in the grass before Noah made the ark…

#968   the sun reflecting off the dew…almost blinding

#969  The butterfly that reminded me of God’s grace.

31 Little Revelations Day 5

I welcome fall.

Welcoming cooler temperatures, apple cider, keeping the windows open during the day and even more during the night so when it gets really chilly we get to pull the warm, thick covers over. 

Welcoming brilliant colors of leaves with sun rays haloing them.  Welcoming pulling the rakes out of shed and raking piles of leaves for the kids to jump in. 

Welcoming being able to bring out the recipes of those fall and winter comfort foods like chicken pie, shrimp chowder, mashed potatoes, vegetable soup. 

Welcoming getting darker earlier so we’ll settled down earlier and rest more in the evening.  Welcoming the need to wear slippers and cuddling under blankets on the sofas.

Realizing how much we have to be thankful for this season…

 

linking up with Lisa-Jo Baker’s blog and

31 Little Revelations Day 4

Lord,

I am the lover of words…and the words in Your Word. I love how some specific words speak to the soul to each person uniquely and just. right. Words in your Book that call or speak out like redemption, awake, delight, anew, forgiveness, peace, love…grace have deep meaning to me…to us as believers…and that only scratches the surface in every tongue and every nation. And then there are words that can’t even be created to truly describe how we feel or what we want to express to You, Abba. Only You know those words. Thank You for the Holy Spirit who knows our hearts intimately and can intercede to tell You for us.

Thank you for the promise of the glory that will be revealed  IN us…not TO us. That you see us as you see Jesus. That you will redeem both my physical and spiritual being in heaven one day. That is so hard for me to fathom sometimes. Thank goodness for the word and feeling of HOPE which saves me.

(my prayer based on Romans 8: 14-25)

 

Joys Revealed

#963  reaping in the promises in His Word

#964  In 2 Corinthians 9:6, " Sow sparingly, reap sparingly; sow bountifully, reap bountifully.   Sow bountifully!  We are bounty – full through Christ!

#965  Libby jumping rope on a nice fall afternoon

31 Little Revelations Day 3

There’s many good reasons to journal…

And some are to be able to go back and read over them as reminders and to see how God has used that situation since then, or even to point out…have I held up my responsibility…have I obeyed?

Today I went back and read what I wrote March 11, 2011 while studying on Revelation chapter 1…

“ ‘I need to be more aware of a fresh start. I need to take to heart what the Lord is going to teach me. I need to strive to have Jesus be the All in All in my life. When I do, I trust God will show and tell me where to serve and how I’ll be able to see Jesus in my daily life.

I need to take more time journaling and writing the times when I hear the Lord speaking to me. Listen for His voice…pay attention.  God is serious about His Word and almighty power and judgment. I need to be aware of the times when I’m on holy ground in His presence.

Lord, reveal to me when I’m on holy ground today.’

I’m listening and waiting.

Well, after I wrote those responses, I began to pray and it was like the sound and feeling of rushing waters (“His Voice was like the sound of rushing waters.”  Revelation 1:15)…answering my request to reveal to me when I’m on holy ground.  Well I didn’t mean specifically ‘today’, but...

Then I felt I clearly heard God say, ‘Trust Me…keep writing…trust Me and I’ll tell you the words to write…pay attention…listen for my voice…Trust me.” Over and over. It was almost scary.  I saw the connection with all the responses I had just written over the past couple of days in this study of Revelations.  Take God and His Word seriously. Trust. Write. Trust. God’s teaching me as I start this fresh vision.

I don’t want to get off that mountain. There’s a song I like called “The High Country” and it’s actually based on the book The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. Part of the chorus goes, ‘We fall to pieces…in the high country” Well that’s where I was and that’s what I did.”

It was a fresh vision then, and a “keep it going” now. (even though it took a year to get started and this revelation had already been forgotten).  So thankful and humbled for reminders.  

 

Joys

#961  past journals that remind

#962  mountain top experiences

(photos from Pilot Mountain, NC)

Day 2 “Little Revelations”

So this 31 days challenge.  I’ve sat down to write for Day 2 last night and I was already at a writer’s block.  It’s only day 2 and I’m second guessing myself already.  

Little revelations…

Yesterday afternoon after having been at school all day at the Book Fair, I plopped in the chair for the 10 minutes I had, and tried to think, “What little revelation did I gleam today?”

I had no idea. 

I start to read other writers posts.  So beautiful, so creative, so unique. 

Boy, I wish I…

And then while I’m chopping broccoli for dinner, I have my little revelation –  I’m not doing the right thing.  I’m coveting and comparing.  I’m not writing for my One Audience.  I need to stop comparing my writing to others… I know I’m pretty hard on myself. 

I’m trying to think too hard.  I have high expectations of myself and yet I still know I can’t meet them. 

I’m not just laying it all at the feet of the best Author. 

Which I have to.  I know if I don’t I might as well shut the lid to this laptop.

And that’s what I did last night.  I just shut the lid ready to give up and take my name off the list.

Then, small me, this morning opened the Word to study, of all people, Ehud, a left-handed (back then was considered a loser) and very unexpected leader, in the book of Judges, third chapter.  Tim Keller, who wrote this study I’m doing, put what I was trying to think to say last night into the words I needed to read this morning…

“It is natural to want the world’s respect and acclaim.  But ultimately, it is a trap to hope that we, the gospel messengers, will be accepted and admired by the world.  How will the messengers of the gospel ever be impressive and acclaimed by the world when it's very message is a suffering, defeated Messiah who chooses losers to make his point?

We must not hope to make ourselves something that the world finds polished, attractive and acceptable.

I’m now even smaller. 

Wow…God often orchestrates me to read just the perfect words…like He did this morning of Day #2.

What a revelation… I still hold onto, even if it’s just with my little pinky finger, a selfish desire of acceptance and admiration.  (I’m not proud to have to type, or confess, those words) 

Oh Jesus…I’ll be a big loser and give You the glory… 

….as I straighten out my pinky finger.

 

Still counting thankfulness…

#956  making apple crisp with family…fixing my crave

#957  apple peelers

#958  Granny apples

#959  raindrops on the spider web after the rain

#960  Family Night at Book Fair is over! (but it was fun for all)