What a friend we have in Jesus!

Today so far has been a great day. It's beautifully sunshiny outside and not too hot yet here in the desert. But it's getting there! I have a great furry friend here on earth. His name is " Sparky". I should have named him Slowpoke or something milder , because he is a real trip. He was born in the land of Schnauzers, and lately during the colder months I just let his coat grow. Well it grew, and grew and grew. Their coat is real peculiar...you can brush and brush, but two minutes later its all krinkly and twisty looking. But I love his krinkly look a lot better that the Schnauzer cut. He looks more soft and cuddly....just more friendly and cozy somehow. Well, this morning I took him to the groomer and she, having raised Schnauzers, advised me just to shave him all over for the warmer weather. I really didn't want anything so severe, but figured it will grow out eventually. At any rate I went to my meeting at church with the ladies and my daughter picked Sparky up for me and took him home. When I got home I was absolutely shocked,after having this ball of fur for months before. My heart sank, I felt like crying really, where was my cozy, furry , friend. Ok...so he looks messy that way, but I like it! The thing that touched me more that anything was his demeanor when I got home. He's always there jumping and barking to greet me, but this morning I really believe he was letting me have a piece of his dog mind. I didn't think he'd ever stop for awhile. I can't explain it, but the barking was different than when he is excited, and his expressions from his eyes....don't know about you but I really believe they're a whole lot smarter that we give them credit for. At any rate I began reflecting on how like Sparky I have felt before in my life. When I had been going along doing my own thing and being tolerated we might say and then one day the Lord says " OK that's enough of that judgemental attitude, or lack of compassion, or getting a little too friendly with the world etc. And somehow through His Word,He gives me "A DO" as they say these days. Right down to the bare bones cutting away all that mental wool that I've let accumulate spiritually in my life. When I'm getting reconciled with what He's doing, I'm certain that my demeanor reflects my shame and embarrasement at the attitude I had exhibited. Sparky kept looking straight at me and I felt I could read his mind saying..." Isn't this awful....are you still going to love me.....will you still cook me those great meals you do....I know I'm awful to look at right now....but please ....PLEASE....love me. Unlike me, Sparky really didn't do one thing to merit the embarrasement and shaving he went through, but somehow I think he sensed my disappointment and sadness over his new look...and who knows...maybe realizes that he looks a lot different as well. I sat down and he jumped up into my lap and with those gorgeous questioning eyes of his...I could hear his question...are we ok after this...still pals, you're still going to take care of me right??? I said Oh, Sparky, I love you,you are so precious to me...and I think I saw alight come into those eyes. And I am so thinkful that my Lord assures me as well in those "shaving" times...Pat, I love you, you are precious to me. Aren't we the lucky ducks to have such a friend in Jesus?!

What would it take?????

This morning I got into the book of Ezekiel. A book full of prophecy and examples of how God's people ignore His instruction. Ezekiel was captive in Babylon when this book was written and he had a vision that would have caused me to drop dead. I tried to invision what the vision looked like and thought that some Hollywood producer could make a killing on a movie with these creatures Ezekiel encountered. If you have time it would behoove you to read the first couple of chapters.....at any rate God's instructions to Ezekiel would have made me lay the whole experience on to my most vivid overactive imagination. Actually , putting it in a"WHAT IF" example in my life it would sound something like this. Pat, I want you to get some unperishable food together... like wheat,nuts,raisins...some water and I want you to make a wooden model of your town...purchase the biggest castiron skillet you can find....then I want you to go to the main street in your town.....set up the model....put the iron pan in front of the model....lay down on your side on the street every day for 24 hours a day etc.etc.etc. Of course in our day and time I would be arrested, put under psychological examination, put into therapy and be labeled a kook for the rest of my life. What amazes me most about this situation in Ezekiels life is his unquestioned, yielded obedience. Of course he didn't drop dead at the vision and I'm certain it was sufficient evidence of God's power to encourage him to obey.

Awestruck???yes but never doubting or disputing God's directions.

So....my question this morning was..."Father, what would it take for me....right now in this comfort zone...to be moved into unquestioned, yielded obedience to what ever sort of unimagenable assignment You would want to send me on?" I don't even like to think about it

for I'm not at all certain I wouldn't expire considering it.....but worse yet....refuse to obey.

It's an awesome thing to fall into the hands of God.

Father please help me to have that heart that will be totally , unquestionably, trustingly committed to whatever You desire for me to be and to do. Drive any thought of embarrassement or inabililty to accomplish from my mind and replace it with the strongest gratitude and unswerving confidence in Your power to accomplish the work You begin. Forgive my pride when I want to protect what I think of as my "image" and cause me to find my strength and joy in nothing else but being a willing vessel for Your kingdom. My heart truly desires this, however my flesh trembles at the contemplation of what may be "just around the corner."

That hymn , that I'm not certain of all the words, but goes something like..."Encamped along the hills of night, Ye Christian soldiers rise, and bear the battle ere the night etc.....Faith is the victory,Faith is the Victory...oh glorious Victory that overcomes the world. Father, You've give each of us a measure of faith....now in these day....I'm asking for TONS. We are the light of the world....don't hide it under a bushel....we are the salt of the world......There's a job to do, a fight to fight, a faith to share.....may we all , like Ezekiel, be pliable in the potter's Hands and do like we tell our children so many times as they are growing up....JUST DO IT!

Almost 4 months into 2010

It's been ten days since I blogged....what a word. Blogged....almost sounds like clogged to me and there are too many days when I feel CLOGGED....just plain stopped up mentally and spiritually with all the crud that's going on in this world today. I need some spiritual Drano.....I was thinking about how years ago when my children were small, the house we had purchased was on an acre and a bit outside of town proper. It was old and a bit unique....the bathroom was just off the kitchen, which I didn't like too much and after about 15 years we opened it up from a small porch off the kitchen and closed it to the kitchen area. But it was still next to the kitchen of course....and one day my kitchen sink was stopped up. For two days I poured Drano and every other thing I could think of trying to get it unstopped. I plunged it, got a water hose and tried to force water down it....you name it I tried it. With five children and my husband overseas with the military, I couldn't afford to call a plumber. On about the third day I just gave up.....sat down at the kitchen table and talked to the Lord....saying something like....Lord you know our situation, I need that sink to work....I can't do anything else about it so would you please send someone who might be able to help me with this problem. I was so down mentally about the whole situation and sat at the table for a while, probably with my head in my hands and my heart on my sleeve. As I sat there lamenting my situation ....alone with 5 children...no family around....no one at all to ever give me some relief or help. Oh...by the way....thinking back I think I could have called my pastor or something,....but then of course.....I could never ask for help. I can't say for certain how long my pity party lasted, but I was abruptly stirred from it when I heard....BLUB BLUB BLUB BLUB BLUB BLUB... I went to the sink and the sound was not coming from there but from the bathroom....I went in there and the bathtub ,that backed up to the kitchen sink wall ,was collecting some of the nastiest, black, smelly crud I ever have seen. The problem was now in the bathtub...but wait...it's going down....YEA...and the sound of the mess gushing down the drain was a sound for sore ears and a sight for sore eyes. You know my husband used to tell me that I could make something spiritual out of going to the bathroom. Well this time he was right.....later as I pondered the occurances of the day I thought how I get clogged up sometimes with self pity, feeling things will never change etc. but when I get into the Word..it really is like spiritual Drano....it begins to unplug all the messy stuff that wants to steal my joy and make me fear the future. So , even tho' sharing this crazy happening is a bit nutty...maybe it will stir you to take some spiritual Drano when the world, the devil and the flesh are trying to discourage you and steal your joy. Listen for the BLUB BLUB BLUB in your spirit....it's a wonderful sound.

Here it is April 6....Boy does it ever fly lately....time....you know!!!! This morning as I was in one of my favorite books of the Bible, Peter....I decided to pick up my English Standard Version of the Bible and just read Peter from there. 1 and 2nd Peter are wonderful instructions for us as believers and I've never tired of reading it . While reading 2nd Peter Chapter 1, I saw something new and pretty liberating for me. In my KJV the 10th verse of the 1st Chapter says, ...."give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if ye DO these things, ye shall never fall." Seems like I've always been saying to the Lord in one way or another.Lord I really do want to DO what You desire for me to DO. It seems like I'm always falling short in one way or another. Never feeling like I'm DOING what I should be DOING! Well when I read that verse this am from my ESV that same verse reads" Therefore brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you PRACTICE these qualities you will never fall. " Now that may not seem like a big deal at first, but when you think about it, there's a big difference between DOING and PRACTICING! I need to go to the 3rd verse in the 1st Chapter for a minute and quote" His divine power has GRANTED to us all the things that pertain to life an godliness,THROUGH the KNOWLEDGE of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence."There again,....there's a big difference between GRANTED AND GIVEN ! GRANTED suggests an opportunity, permission to use,allow etc. But we still have to USE IT,BELIEVE IT, TRUST IT. How many millions, possibly trillions of dollars are spent on pursuits in our lives that we want to master??? We will spend countless hours PRACTICING something that we want to get really good at.....more than hours .....Years......a Lifetime!!!! Practicing , practicing, practicing aiming at that HOLE IN ONE in golf, that concert at Carnegie Hall on the piano, that Master Painting that might hang in a prestigious gallery someday....on an on....whatever it is that we really want to succeed at....we PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. When I was about 7 years old, my grandmother started trying to teach me to play the piano......day after day it was ..." Patricia....you must PRACTICE your scales."...well I didn't enjoy practicing the scales,.....I wanted to play a song or two.....and guess what.....I NEVER LEARNED TO PLAY THE PIANO!!!
Just thinking about this really encouraged me in a way and took a load off my shoulders. I think I'll do better at PRACTICING the instructions in the Word, (because there is in the PRACTICING to do something and realizing imperfections)than the feeling of utter failureabout having not DONE it successfully.. There's something about the word DONE and DO that seems to me to expect ACCURACY AND COMPLETION. Yep, I am feeling much better about PRACTICING!!! There's an old saying PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!!! Kind of makes me look at Ephesians 4:13 with a lot more hope and positive expectation......" Till we all come in the unity of the faith , and of theknowledge of the Son of God, unto a PERFECT man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."