JOY UNFOLDING

"You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning and

clothed me with joy,

that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:11-12

The greatest Joy I have had as a beleiver is watching God's joy unfolding. Even when it seems He is far away and nothing is happening like I wish it would, I know that He is working out the best for me. Through trials and even suffering, I know that God will never leave me. When I cry out in despair and when I sing praises of Joy, God is there. When I feel forgotten and alone, I know that God is there.

When I look back I see his presence. When I look around I feel him near. When I look ahead I hear him calling. I unfold the wings He gave me and I wait upon my Lord. I feel his breath touch my spirit and soon I know His power is coming and I will soar upon His wind.

USA - Forever His

"Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people. ... Pretend you are being sent into exile for they will be driven into exile as captives. ... The time has come.
Evil prophets deceive my people by saying "ALL IS PEACEFUL" when there is NO PEACE at all. It's as if the people have built a filmsey wall and these people are trying to reinforce it with whitewash.
You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, but I did not want them to be sad.
You have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins.
False prophets and those who seek their guideance will be punished for their sins.
But you will be my people and I will be your God.
You have taken your vows lightly by breaking your covenant,
Yet, I will remember the convenant with you when you were young and I will establish an everlasting convenant with you." Ezkiel 12:1-16:60

I found this post 2008 Elections bible reading suggestive of the signs of the times. The excerpts above just struck me as significant to the Christians in this country today-- living among those who refuse to see or listen, who mislead others, who are discouraged by the direction the country is taking, and Yet put their trust in God for all their hope and strength. Their peace comes from Christ not the promises of men or governments. I believe this country was built upon a convenant with God and though we might not be able to keep it -- with God all things are possible. Sometimes it may seem that the country has drifted very far from the faith of our founding fathers, I think last Tuesday night God showed us enough to encourage us that He has not forgotten the convenant he made with them when this country was young and He has not forgotten us. He is still our God and we are still His people.

Quiet Voice Heard Loudly

When you hear the quiet, still voice of the Holy Spirit screaming in your ear, the peace of God envelops you. Game on.

The moment you hear from God it seems Satan attacks. He wants to steal that peace, veer you off the course God laid out for you, and seperate you from the Joy God has given you.

At the beginning of the week, I was struggling with the fact that a friend of mine's daughter was going to college, something I had always wanted my children to do. But the dream had waned as I struggled just to get my kids through High School. The older kids went off and made other choices and so did I. I bought the ranch. Now I was no longer in a position to fully fund their college.

With rising fuel expenses and numerous repair bills piling up at the ranch, I was feeling great heartache over not being able to pay for my son's tech school. He is a gifted mechanic and impressive welder. Tuesday morning my soul was overwhelmed with grief about not being able to pay for his school and then compounded by the "what ifs" if my other children would have decided to go to college, and a little self-indulgence about how much traveling and financial freedom I would have without the ranch. Before I got into too much turmoil over it, I stopped to pray about it. So glad I did!

In the quiet, still voice the Holy Spirit started unfolding God's answer to my prayer. The first thing I found was a career webpage about welding and a mechanic's career path and how very few of them go to college. The path of choice is an apprentice program where they learn on the job. When I got home, my son told me about a program he had found for a certificate at a lube shop he was interested in. He is also checking into other programs offered at body shops that would allow him to use the welding skills he learned in High School. Okay-- Thank you, Lord, for that reassurance.

Soon I had an opportunity to be reminded about the acheivements my other children were making. Amanda was explaining to a friend about her career path in Law Enforcement and how excited she was about it. She doesn't know this but I had turn away and wipe away the tears because I knew over hearing that was God saying-- hey I promised to take care of your kids. Lennon is enjoying traveling and touring the world (I do mean the world: Hawaii, Japan, Pennsylvania, Germany, and the not so popular one, Iraq). He is enjoying his travels and his job will open up many opportunities for him if he chooses to get out of the service.
So having been reassured that my kids were doing fine without a college fund, God in his quiet, still voice continued to yell at me. We had an excellent week at the ranch. Shafina's owners have been out working with her and training her to show this fall at the American Royal. Carol's been practicing her Parelli levels and I actually posted on Jazz (this means a lot of things happened I won't go into detail at this point). We have had several open ranch days at the ranch this month and it has been such a blessing to see everyone coming out and enjoying the horses and the retreat. The ranch has blessed so many people this spring; fishing, camping, and horsing around.

On Monday Night I let Satan take a stab at my soul, but . . .

On Tuesday, On Wednesday,

On Thursday, On Friday,








On Saturday, and On Sunday









. . . God continued to show me glimpses of his plans for the ranch and blessings that he will pour out on those who are drawn here. I am so grateful to be a part of it and for everyone who has and are making this dream come true. Sunday, as we cooled off in the shade from an afternoon of fun in the sun, we had an opportunity to talk about more spiritual things. We shared stories of when God spoke clearly to us and witnessed how quickly Satan tries to take those moments from us. When God speaks to you write it on your heart, remind yourself of it often, share it with others boldly, do not let Satan take from you the Holy Spirit's Quiet, Still Voice You Once Heard Loudly - - - think on those great moments often.


"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.(Philipians 4:4-9)"

Circle the Wagons

Time to circle the wagons. In pioneer days, the wagon trains would circle their wagons to form a defensive boundary around their base camp. Children would be allowed to play inside in safety. No matter what direction an attack came from the barrier would protect them.

Ever play "Red Rover?" A game where your team members clasp arms and yell, "Red Rover, Red Rover send Becky right over," and Becky then runs over and tries to decide the weakest link to break through your teams' arms. A weak player is strengthened by their bond to a strong one.

Circling the wagons provides the same type of protection. The team forming what they hope will be a protective perimeter to keep threats away from their precious ones inside: their children. You can not circle the wagons with one wagon. You can not circle the wagons with two wagons and maybe not even three. You need a team, a wagon train.

The wagon train is like a fellowship. A community that comes together to journey down the same path, caravanning together toward the same destination. When there is a threat, they circle the wagons to help protect each other from an attack. We live in a time of spiritual attack, we need to join with other believers and circle the wagons.

It's Just a Tree

We were lucky, we only lost a few trees during the storms last week and having 77 acres we have lots of trees to spare. Many people lost a lot more, entire houses completely destroyed. Although even they were lucky enough to escape with their lives. I am really glad all we lost were a few trees but I am sad about the loss of one tree in particular.

When my husband died in 2002, his family planted a tree in our front yard. An ash tree that grew in that spot for three years. When we decided move to a new home we told ourselves, "It's just a tree," but when the person who bought our house said she was going to cut it down we were very sad. We asked if they could remove it in a way that we could move it and replant it. Since it was only three years old at the time with care there was a chance it could survive the move. In order for it to survive, the tree removal service was asked to cut out around its root ball which is usually the same size underground as the tree growth above the ground. They agreed to try to save the rootball and were to call us and let us know when they would be removing the tree so we could pick it up. We planned to wrap it in burlap to keep the soil around the roots damp.

The day they called it was over 100 degrees. They called us at 3:30pm to let us know the tree had been cut down that morning around 8 o'clock in the morning. Cut in the cool but left sitting out in the heat with no water and very little of the root ball in tact and no original dirt left on the roots, discouraged we piled it into the back of the truck and hauled it about thirty miles. In the sweltering heat we dug a few holes trying to find a place bury this whithering tree.

As I watched the last leaf fall from its branches a few weeks later, I tried to convince myself, "It's just a tree." I reminded myself it was not my husband, if the tree survived I would still be living life without him but watching this tree die was very emotional. It reminded me of the last months and the last hours watching my husband's life fade away. The first summer we lived at the new house I avoided spending two much time dwelling on the stick that stuck out of the ground without a single leaf on it. However, I followed the advice of a friend and kept watering it but had no expectations of it coming back. Either it would or it wouldn't and either way, it won't change the fact that my husband died and this stick was just a dying tree.

I managed to ignore the stick in the ground all winter. In the spring, even when the other trees all around it were budding and growing thick shawls of green the stick that stuck in the ground without a bud on never bothered me. To me, "It was just a tree." It was just a tree until the day I noticed something on it's branch, what was that I wondered, "A bud?" It was a bud. The tree was budding, it survived. Within a few weeks it was more than a stick, it was a tree with green leaves on it. Within a few weeks it was more than a tree, it was the center of a wonderful memorial garden for my husband.

For the last three years, the tree has bloomed with a larger and larger bouquet of green leaves. Although always the last tree to bud in the spring, sort of like my husband, always late. The tree has become the center of celebrating how much his life meant to us. Last Christmas the kids decorated the tree with special ornaments they bought for him, each with its special significance to one of his children. It has been filled with chimes they have collected in his memory. The tree is now the center of the prime memorial grounds for beloved pets buried in the garden. As special as the tree has become, when I heard the news that the storm had taken out the tree, I told myself, "It's just a tree." It is not like my husband was taken out by the storm, "It's just a tree."

The kids and I tried to detach our emotions for our beloved husband and father, from this tree. Although we were sad to hear and see the tree snapped in half about a foot off the ground, we knew in our hearts it wasn't another loss of a person but just a tree. With or without the tree, we still miss him. I think even my father-in-law was sad to hear about the tree. I think he was happy when he learned that the tree got moved to the new property and survived. There was something about that tree that touched everyones' hearts. He said we should check the tree and see if had grown any saplings around it.

So I quickly ran out to check,

and there around the base of the tree

was abundant new life.

After I told everyone at least twice about the saplings growing from the rootball of the tree, I realized, "It was more than tree." It was a tree that had touched my heart. Until my husband and I meet again, it is the little things, like this tree, that keep our hearts connected.

Within hours of finding the saplings, a new garden began to appear around the fallen tree.

These words from an Oakridge Boys song ring out, "You are always in our hearts, and often on our minds, we will never let that die, just as long as we're alive"

Campfire Worship Ring Awaits You, Come.

We have our first fire ring! When I got home last night my brother-in-law, Mike, showed me a picture of an awesome fire ring. Thinking he was going to ask me if that was what I had in mind I asked, "Where is that located?" He said, "Right where you wanted it!" Cool, huh! Thanks, Mike.


'Come, Now is the time for Worship!' --- the campfire worship ring awaits you and your acoustic instruments and singing voices. Bring your camp chairs, bring your coolers, bring your flashlights (for trekking back up the hill at night), bring your Backwoods Cutter, along with your hotdogs and marshmellows!

Have you seen Maxwell?

LOST: MAXWELL -- LAST SEEN ON
225th Street, North of Tonganoxie

PLEASE HELP US FIND MAXWELL

It is hard to tell about animals. God gifted each of us with unique personalities and kitties are no exception. We thought if we just got Maxwell to the barn he would enjoy the refuge there. Little boy loves to play on the hay bales and visit with the other cats, not Maxwell. Scooby learned that if he doesn't run it is okay to kiss a dog on the mouth, not Maxwell. Maxwell's story is much different. Even though he had a pet dog at his old home, he freaked out when he met the dogs and they responded reactively making things worse. We did manage to get him to the barn and saw him a few days later under the hay bales. But no one has seen him for several days. There was a report of a cat that looked very similiar to Maxwell on 225th street but he ran away when called. If you have seen Maxwell, please let us know. We miss him!

Quest

Sundays at the ranch are designed to be laid back. Impromptu is the word of the day. Not like a Saturday where we have a list of tasks we have planned to try to get accomplished, Sundays are spontaneous. Lunch, after morning worship, leads us into the arms of our creator for whatever it is we need.

Today I had decided to call my horse up to the barn and doctor her wound. Reminded me of our Sunday teaching about Jesus healing on the Sabbath. I had to grin that I too would be helping heal on a Sunday, tending to the healing of the horse. Okay, it is a different magnitude but I still got to join in on God's healing process by applying the wound Kote. I called but Jazz didn't even look up from her munching of green grass to acknowledge my presence on the top of the ridge. However, my call did spark the interest of one of the white arabians and I assumed it was Chantol. She loves to visit with her humans and follows us around the pastures. About half way up the hill I realized it wasn't Chantol after all, it was Quest.

Quest came to the ranch a little over a year ago because he was pasture buddies with Mystic. He got on the trailer with her and so his owners gave him to us as a bonus. His riding history is unknown but he would not let us near him to put on a halter. I spent the better part of last summer playing the friendly game with him in a small square pen and getting him to accept the halter. He has been out to pasture with the herd since last fall and is not one of the horses that comes readily up to greet us when we walk among the herd.

Today he ran up, accepted a treat and when I opened the gate and walked away he ventured inside. With a little work and lots of friendly game that included treats, I was able to halter him. We just played on the lead line and the horse on his left side seemed very happy to be with me but the horse on the right side was more into rearing and calling out to the herd. Ever feel like you have two people inside. One is okay with your situation, the other side is over reacting to it. Horses don't communicate well between brain hemispheres but I have never seen anything like this extreme in Quest today. If I stood on his left, he was calm and okay with me but when I stood on the right he was reactive to the extreme. He kept trying to put me back on the left side and even reared up a few times.

It was still a treat to have such a God given opportunity to play with Quest. It got me really fired up about working the horses this year. Galahad and Zippi's first rides are planned for this summer. I look forward to seeing them all undersaddle this summer-- I guess we have our hands full-- Quest, Mystic, Apache, Galahad, Zippi, and Taffy. Each of them have their own story, their own personalities, their own challenges. I have often dreamed of riding on Quest-- isn't he beautiful? Just as the photo illustrates, he is a beautiful mover and as we build up his confidence this spring his Quest is just beginning.

While all this dreaming was happening at the barn the boys were out fishing. Rosco caught his fish again-- rumor has it he has made a deal with a couple fish that if they allow him and only him to catch them he'll throw them back. It must be Wilbur's family-- right Tiger?

What are your ranch stories? Let us know about your adventures at the ranch. Are you on a Quest?

Too muddy, Two pockets of sunshine

It was too muddy to take the paddle boat down to the pond today. At least it was too muddy to drive the truck in the boggy parts of the Back 40. Rosco says we didn't get the truck stuck because if the truck was stuck it would still be out there. "I didn't mean to farm the pasture, mom." Oh I am the mom.
It was too muddy to take the paddle boat down to the pond today. However, we took the paddle boat down to the pond today. Connor took her out on her maiden voyage of "Big Cat Lake." He put her to work chopping up algae so we can spray the pond when the water warms up to 60 degrees.
We woke up this morning and it was only 37 degrees. No one thought we would have the wonderful warm afternoon that we did. We were able to get the yard cleaned up and mowed and get the paddle boat down to "Big Cat Lake" without getting the truck stuck. Although the truck did stop moving forward and appeared to be moving in a downward direction, technically it was not stuck or it would still be out there sinking.
Our pocket of sunshine disappeared shortly after we soaked up a few sunrays at the pond but returned for an early evening of horsing around. Ali and Jazz agreed to let us catch them for their spring grooming. Our new friend, Dena, even got to show off her horseriding skills on Ali. Very impressive!
We squeezed all this into the last pocket of sunshine before it started raining as the last hot dog came off the grill for a late night meal.
We squeezed a lot into two pockets of sunshine today even though it was too muddy.

Spring is here!

Spring is here I am just sure of it! As slow as God seems to fully declare it, remembering the weekly ice and snow of winter is evidence enough that spring is really here. Although, walking out in the wind and chilling mist this morning may have made me question it. I may have been a little dramatic in declaring it was a blizzard and thankful there would be no need to bundle up and pull anyone out of a ditch -- again. How many times did we do that this winter?
Spring is here I am just sure of it! The trees have green leaves emerging from their winter slumber. The pastures are displaying a light green blanket pleasantly not quite long enough to mow. The crack of lightning and roar of thunder this week made me wonder if we had the right month turned over on the calendar. Wasn't it March that came in like a lion and out like a lamb? Is it really the end of April?
Whatever the date, we are looking forward to a pocket of sunshine at the ranch tomorrow and plan to bring up a couple more horses for Spring grooming. We'll be putting final plans on the locations of the campfire rings and hopefully, if it dries up enough to transport, we will get the paddle boat down to the pond.
It is true that "April showers bring May flowers," even if it rains ice pellets. This is what muck boots and stiff (aka favorite) socks are for!!

Dream it!

"Build it, they'll come," My sister said. "Dream it, they'll build it," God said.
God is doing great things at R4C Ranch and with only a couple of decent outdoor days so far I feel like we have accomplished so much. And so many people are calling and asking about the ranch, we are just so excited about getting to share this wonderful refuge with you. If we didn't get a chance to call you back come on out on Sunday for 'Open Ranch Day,' we would love to meet you and show you around.
We had an awesome day playing horsey Sunday. Wasn't it gorgeous weather? The horses were great and we spent the afternoon grooming a few of them and getting a few of them trimmed up and ready to go to work. I was so glad to get to stretch and take a short hike down to the retreat. We planned the locations of our fire rings (a small ring for boggy days and a large ring for the days when the bog dries up a little). We are going to put the campfire cafe in the small ring. Now that is what I am talking about! And if we get enough strong men out here one Sunday we might get to move a few logs to create our campfire worship ring. I am so excited about that. We found plenty of wood to burn so campfires shouldn't be scarce this summer.
I will put a list on the website but don't forget to bring your water bottles, deep woods off or backwoods cutter (for ticks-- sorry we are still in a fallen world), and camp chairs.
Keep checking back to the blog for more ranch stories. Check in with your comments and let us know about your adventures.
Thanks to everyone for helping this dream come true, to the kids for letting me drag them along on my wild adventures (more on that later), to Mike and Leland for shoring up those fences after the big storm and helping me round up the horses (more on that later, too), to Carol for dreaming with me, to Mom and Dad (who dream in green and yellow) for encouraging and supporting our dreams, and to our heavenly Father for His wisdom, mercy, and grace through Christ.

About Adults

A Connorism:
As I tucked my 10 year-old into bed last night, he asked me a question for which I gave him a thoughtful answer. He then announced, "You know, I have discovered there is more to adults than just being old. They are a fountain of knowledge. I guess they just soak that up along the way."

Lost Passion

After passionately getting into a mud fight with my oldest son at the gas station (I'll explain later), I realized something about the state of Christian evangelism in this country (from my humble observations). The story began when I met my son at the gas station to fill up my truck with gas. He had borrowed the truck and I specifically told him to keep it on the road. However, as I walked past the truck I noticed it was extremely dirty. It had mud covering the sides and windows and even some on the hood and roof. When I asked him about it, he said, "It rained and the dirt roads were muddy."
"But that is a lot of mud" I said then looked at the front and noticed strands of hay stuck in the mud and hanging from the bumper and mirrors. "Ummm... was there hay on the road."
His explanation seemed lame at the time and infuriated me. I let him know how I felt explaining my disappointment in a fit of passion that culminated in us throwing chunks of mud at each other.
The point of this story is not that I was right and he was wrong or even how I let this object be the source of a heated battle in front of his friends that may have jeapordized our relationship. Although I am saddened by both of our behavior. But what really amazed me is when I thought about the passion I put into that exchange in my desire for his respect, his honestly, and his obedience to such an extent that I have never gone to in the pursuit to save his soul.
As I thought about that, I thought about all the robust debates and arguments and passion in this country and realized I have never witnessed any such level of energy when it comes to Christians reaching out to the lost souls. I have heard many stories about how much peace one has about knowing they are saved and going to heaven but never any agony about how the lost are lost and going to hell. If we truly believe in our heavenly bliss, then do we not truly believe in the weeping and gnashing of teeth that the lost, some of our dearest loved ones included, will endure for eternity. Isn't that more important than a dirty truck and torn up hayfield?Yet, it grieves me that I have never got as passionate as that battle at the gas station in the pursuit to save my own son's soul.

Saving Maxwell

I learned something new about myself yesterday. I will sacrifice a foot but not a hand. I wonder why. Certainly, walking is better than handling things but under pressure I was willing to sacrifice the foot and not the hand. The decision came under great diress. We were introducing a new cat to the mix of too many farm animals that live on the property. On the way to the barn the dogs came up to introduce themselves and Maxwell, the cat, freaked out. Luckily, I was not the one holding him. After the cat handler was able to dig the cat out from underneath his skin, literally, Maxwell ran away from the barn and up to the house to hide in one of the window wells. While the original cat handler was in receiving first aid treatment, I proceeded to find Maxwell and see if I could persuade him to hide in the barn away from the dogs. However, the dogs figured out what I was up to and they obviously wanted to repay Maxwell's initial greeting of hisses and growls and scratches with equal impact of barks, growls, and fur-flying.
So back to the story of the foot instead of the hand enlightenment. During the attack of three dogs against one cat, I decided to go in and save Maxwell. In pulling the dogs off I refrained from intruding with any of my limbs. But as fur was flying, urgency was of upmost importance so I went into the middle of the pack with my foot. I attempted to push the dogs away from the cat without exposing too much leg. When that didn't work I stepped back and punted. Score! Dogs and fur flying, I covered Maxwell with a rubber tub for which he seemed grateful and would not come out of.
In the whole process, I discovered something about myself. I would sacrifice my foot but not my hands. Why is that? Do I prefer handling things, touching things, over walking? Have you ever played that game where you try to decided which of your five senses you would be willing to lose if you had to lose just one? Which limb would you be willing lose if you had to give one up?
Unfortunately, many of our troops that are returning home from battle with missing limbs or senses didn't get to choose. They didn't get to choose which limb or which sense or how many limbs or senses they would prefer to lose. All they knew is in the heat of the battle, they had to save Maxwell. They went for it without really thinking, some more willing than I, jumped in with their whole bodies giving their all. Some sacrificing much, some sacrificing all, and all sacrificing something. In the end, they all will learn something about themselves and much more: They will learn that they are braver than they thought they were, that their team is more important than any member acting alone, and that God is bigger than most people say He is.
Who is Maxwell anyway? What are you willing to sacrifice for the Maxwells in your life?

A Sister's Love

When my daughter was old enough, she begged me to have another girl because she wanted a sister. My sister and I were not really very close at the time. We had lived in other states since I was 16 and had gotten busy in our own little worlds. Remembering our sibling rivalries, I advised my daughter against having a sister. But every once in awhile, my sister and I would seem to be "in sync" with each other even if it only lasted a short time. She approved my "For List" when I got married, took a Sacred Path journey with me, and we even took our daughters to horseback riding lessons where we enjoyed riding as much as they did. And in between these adventures we both wondered how we could actually have been born into the same family, we felt we were so different. We would drift away from each other and get sucked back into our little worlds.
You have probably heard about friendships, that there are three types: the one that lasts a lifetime, the one that lasts a season, and the one that is only there for a reason. The great thing about a sister's love is that it is a friendship that has the opportunity to be all three. Even if you try to emancipate yourself, a sisters' love binds you together. And when family stuff always brings you back together even for a brief encounter like in a hospital waiting room, it's all you need to sync up again.
When I was in junior high, I had a good friend who was best friends with her little sister. I wanted that so much but every time I tried to bring my big teenage sister around it didn't work out. Either her friends talked her out of it or my friends talked me out of it and we went back to our sibling rivalry. Eventually, my friend from junior high school had drifted apart from her sister. Fortunately, for us my sister and I came to a point as mature women where we both realized we had become each others' best friend. A sister's love is like that-- it ebbs and flows but like an ocean wave it always come back in to wash over you. And I know that my friends from Junior High will always have opportunities to sync up again and if they are lucky, they will reignite their friendship. Sadly, my daughter will not have the chance to do this since she was the only girl in a family of four boys. But I imagine that will have its perks, too, as family stuff brings them back together over a lifetime.
In the meantime, I will treasure my sister's love for the reasons we are there for each other, for the seasons we came in and out of each other's bond, and for a lifetime of friendship.

Discernment & Hope

Friday night I got to see Joel Osteen live at Kemper Arena, and it was great. Joel and his family preached about Hope and living through the eyes of faith. I had been praying about how to be an encouragement to someone dear to me and I really connected with the Victoria's talk about "abounding love." Saturday I was able to share this with my loved one. I learned that Friday night while I was praying for wisdom on how to encourage my loved one's troubled relationship, God was already at work patching it up. What I shared was a confirmation of that for both of us. I knew what I heard during this "Night of Hope" was annointed and I even got the Holy Goosebumps to go with it. Praise God!
What was a shock was Sunday morning at my own bible-based church listening to one of the teaching pastors criticize (although he did not name names) Joel's message of Hope and Victorious Life In Christ. Aware of the criticisms of Joel's ministry, I prayed for discernment. Who is right?
As always, if there is a conflict in teaching we must revert to the source and so I picked up my bible and prayed for discernment. Lord, who is right? Whose teaching do I follow, Joel's or my teaching pastor?
I began to read Philipians 1 and was amazed to find the very scripture that Victoria had preached on that gave me guidance to encourage my loved one:
"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight," and following that with a comma not a period was the answer to my prayer for discernment, "so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
Okay, so that quickly confirmed that I should trust the peace the Spirit was giving me about Friday night's teachings. Does this then mean I should dismiss my pastor's comments or even more drastically find a new bible based church? Probably not. My answer became clear as I continued to read Philipians 1:
"It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice."
This just reiterates the importance that each one of us remain in God's word. Why do you think the bible is the world's bestselling book of all times? So we can each have our own copy. We each need to be reading it so that we can become discerning and wise and be filled with the Hope that is God's word. And God's word walked among us when Christ was on earth and Christ walks among us now in God's word. We are not sponges meant to sit on pews and soak up preaching after preaching without considering it or evaluating it. We are to grow in the knowledge and depth of insight so that we will be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
I believe that many of Joel's critics are missing the point-- Jesus is Good News! The slam on the doctrine of "positive Christianity" is an oxymoron. Christ is good news-- that is positive!! Christ came to bring Hope into the world, He embodies Hope, He came to set us free from our sin, to give us life in the Full. This is the message--- this is the good news.
But I am not upset with my pastor for criticizing Joel's message, as Paul says, "What does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice."

Winter Wisdom

Winter does this to me, makes me feel lost. I become reclusive and dream of Spring. I don't know if it is the cold or lack of vitamin D or less contact with people or less activity at the ranch or the ache in my joints. I feel farther from God and start questioning everything. I think drastic thoughts about change-- moving, taking a new job, doing something different... it's almost like a desparate attempt to elude the winter desolation. I do this every year so this year I decided to remember the years past, what can I learn from them, how can I get through this winter by the Wisdom those years have shown me. The conclusion: Don't make any rational decision until Spring!! Spring changes everything.

So I turned back to God's word-- which by the way I had been avoiding along with everything else. Not because of intentional avoidance just neglect as I recoiled into my winter fetal position awaiting Spring's strike out to face the world again.

I love reading God's word so I don't understand what keeps me from reading it everyday. Today's gem was no disappointment, it reminded me that Christ did not come to the earth to make us all best friends but to draw a clear line between his followers and his enemies. Amazing how that is becoming so clear in the headlines as well as in our own homes. Jesus says, "God blesses those who do not turn away because of me."

God's word brings Wisdom to desparate hearts even in the desolation of winter, in the midst of this battle we wage toward peace and harmony for heaven's sake. In a perpetual seperation that can not be stopped, can not be reasoned, can not be persuaded, we cling to our Prince of Peace for Winter's Wisdom.

"Wisdom offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly." Proverbs 3:16-18. She is found in the Word of Our God, the God of Abraham and the fearsome God of Isaac.