Open and Release to Him Who is Able

I look up, straight up, toward that bright globe in the sky.  I try and shield it with my hand, I block it with my camera, and the rays continue to stream down on me.  Too bright to look at, I ponder the fact at how much brighter the Son of God will be to look upon.  If we cannot dare look into the sun of the earth, how will we be able to even take a glance at the Son of God! 

Focus, my word for this year.  I wear this word on a bracelet.  I keep fiddling with it, keep turning it so I can see, so I can focus and be reminded of what is important.  And, when I sit in the doctors offices, and listen, I touch that word and remember to focus on Christ, because He is the One we must lean on, turn to, pray to, trust in, and rely on with all we have.   

So, we bow, bow before the throne of the Holy One.  We come into His presence on bended knee, lying prostrate before Him, for only He is worthy of the worship we so desire to give.  

When those hard eucharisteos come into our lives, we lay low, and open our hands wide, to give, and to receive what He desires for us to have.  What will make us strong for Him, what will give Him all glory and praise.  If we grip too tight, we may not receive the blessing He has in store for us, and we open and release all to Him, to Him who is able, to cleanse, to heal, to turn, and to bless those He calls His own.  

"Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Heb. 4:16

"God, no matter when or where, Your Word is our sword against the pain of this world.  And as I go out in the power of Your name, comfort me today with Your reassuring whisper that I am always safe in the strong protection of Your shielding grace."
(One Thousand Gifts Devotional -Ann Voskamp)

Always Experiencing Him,
Jody

Endless Grace

The last few days have been icy, cold, and snowy.  We have been some of the fortunate ones. Our power was only off in the early morning hours, so far...  We poured extra drinking water, closed doors so the fire can heat the main space better, and brought out the trusty camping stove.  Haven't had to use it yet. 

I don't mind the power being off for a bit, but yes, a few days makes things a bit more difficult.  I'm not quite sure we could have survived in our grandparents or great-grandparents days.  They were amazing.  

The oil lamps have been pulled out as well.   We are as prepared as one can be in this day.  Laundry, dishes, cleaning caught up.  Just keeping animals fed, watered, and closing chickens up every evening.  Jamin and my dad had to cut a few trees off of fences or pull them out of the road just so he could get home.

       

Our major drawback is the Dad has to be at work since he works for the utilities company.  So, over the 3 days so far, he came in for 2 hours sleep yesterday, and 4 hours sleep today, and went right back to work.  All of those men should be praised greatly!  They are not only working around the clock, but working out in this cold!                     Thank you all utility workers!  We are grateful for your dedication!   

Are we grateful enough?  In all things?  I forget to write, as I keep counting, and I see my new bracelet with my one word, focus, and it reminds me to continue seeking what is important.  I'm coming up on 4000 gifts!  4000 written, counted gifts!  Oh, how many I have missed to write!  Focus...Focus...Focus...How distracted I become, even as I sit down to type.  

As we stay in the comfort of our warm homes, those men all out working and all into and through the night, yes, we are grateful again, and again.  We thank their families, because they are sacrificing too, husbands gone, daddies unavailable for a time.
               Thank you, and again, thank you.

What beauty is displayed in God's glory.  How amazed I continue to be with the artistry of our heavenly Father. 

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God,

And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Day to day pours forth speech, 

And night to night reveals knowledge.

Psalm 19:1-2

Endless Grace

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,

continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him,

strengthened in the faith as you were taught,

and overflowing with thankfulness...

and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.

Col. 2:6-7, 10

Remember, I'm always looking forward to hearing from you!

Always Experiencing Him,
Jody

Are We Willing to Stand?

How do we focus on the good, on what is good, when there is so much evil in this world?  I wish I had the answer.  I wish it was easy.  

With ISIS, the lion seeking who it may devour, on the prowl, and the beheadings, the burning alive.  My heart just aches.  To see the names of the 21 marched down to the edge of the ocean, the Christians, the ones who chose Christ, to follow Him, just tears my heart apart.  

The tears want to come, the sadness burns, and our prayers turn toward their families, that God has a plan, He always has a plan.  Bless them, somehow, bless them Lord.  Help their focus to be on You, to remain on You, and strengthen their resolve.  

Strengthen our resolve to remain focused on all You.  

Preparing ahead for this cold we are now enduring.  The wood is piled high, we have water, and a camp stove if needed, I believe we can survive.  Layers, Jamin says just wear more layers!  Love his way of thinking.  

We stay in the Word, in the One Word that matters, the Dad reads, so much wisdom in listening, in hearing the Word read.  So much wisdom from a man who has listened, who imparts wisdom to us.  We read Romans this month.  January we read the Proverbs, and oh, the wisdom to garner!  This February we chose to learn from Paul, and he tells us, 
                       "the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."  Rom. 8:26  

and, "we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."  Rom. 8:28

So, we just try to stay warm, keep the fire going, do what we do, and while my mother-in-law recovers with rehab in the nursing home, and the ice breaks trees and Steve has to be out all night and a couple hours of sleep and out again, we keep on, with the trusting, with the faith, with knowing God is good, through.it.all.

He is good.  That is faith.  That is to trust.  We know He holds us, even when all seems to be falling apart all over the world, we know and trust and believe that what He says is true.  We go on.  Even with snow, and cold, and ice, Jamin goes to school and work, Jenny goes on to coach swim, and the Dad continues to take calls and send out guys to fix power lines, to cut fallen trees that had way too much weight on them to be able to stand, and that's what we must do.  

Continue to stand, to not bend under the weight.  To not break.  Those 21 Egyptian Christians did not break, they paid the ultimate price of not bending or bowing to evil, they stood to the end, an end we pray we will not see on the soil of our great America, our once great America.  

Will we cease to be great?  To fall?  To bend to those who want a power over us that is not God's?  Or, is God ready to allow a judgement on us for leaving Him?

We have overcome.  We, who trust in His goodness, in His Word, in His way, we have already overcome.  We are the overcomers.  

                                  "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death."  
         Rev. 12:11  

As we focus on Who has made us overcomers, trust Him, love Him, give and surrender all to Him.  And as you are trying to stay warm in this season of winter, read His Words, listen to one another as you gather around the One Word that matters, around the Bread of Life, the life-giving Bread.

I would love to hear from you, as an encourager or as a friend.  

Oh, and tell me what you have done to stay warm or if your power has been off, what you are doing to make the best of it.  It can be a fun time as you gather together.  

Candles?  Stories?  Games?  Reading?  Resting?  I'd love to hear!

Always Experiencing Him,
Jody