Happy One-Month birthday, Maisy!

Happy One Month Birthday, Maisy!! 

Obbie and Pops love you so much. We will be over-the-moon happy when we can be with you.

I have learned to lean heavily on what the Bible says.  These days,  I find my faith in God being anchored deeper all the more as our world is sick and crying out for healing.  I pray we will soon be together, Little One.

Sweet Maisy, when we first learned that you were coming into the world, I began verse-mapping passages from God's Word about conception, birth and children....God's promises about you.  Verse-Mapping is a method of studying the historical context, transliteration, translation, connotation, and theological framework of a verse in the Bible.. It is researching everything one can in a verse to learn more about Who God is, and how He wants to speak to us through His Word.  Over time I have developed my own style of verse-mapping and it has been a reassuring discipline. I continually marvel to see what God inspired men to write so long ago, knowing those ancient words apply to life today. I am especially comforted with His words since your birth as our family strives to be safe and healthy which means we remain apart. While God speaks to all mankind in sacred scriptures, I devote Psalm 139:14 to you, tiny babe being knit together as this is written: 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  -Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it.   - Psalm 139:14 (NLT)                          

                                                                                                                                                             

I confess Thee, because that with wonders I have been distinguished. Wonderful are Thy works, and my soul is knowing it well.   - Psalm 139:14 (Young's Literal Translation) 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ( July 2019)                                                                                                                                  

I  praise You, thank you, I confess Thee = I thank and confess to God my gratitude for you, Maisy 

I am fearfully and wonderfully made, making me so wonderfully complex, with wonders I have been distinguished = (Heb) with awe and astonishment I am inspired and reverenced that you are distinctly set apart and made with difficulty 

Your works are wonderful,  Your workmanship is marvelous, wonderful are Thy works = (Heb)  God's pursuit of you and the labor He has undertaken to make you is marvelous and wonderful 

I know that full well, how well I know it, my soul is knowing it well =  the marvel of you  has been revealed to my deep, innermost part - my soul. I admit it with mighty force and exceeding perception

                                                      (July 2019, continued)

• God's wonderful works must overflow to my praise 
• Fearfully means God's full knowledge of human body workings would probably be so terrifying to me that I would be unable to move 
• I cannot fully comprehend the magnificence of human design and what little I do know leaves me astounded
• My praise cannot find adequate words for God's work and master design  in creating humans My honor, love and gratitude translates as my total surrender to His sovereignty. Surrender is  all I have to offer such handiwork. I find surrender to be a daily, often minute-to-minute demonstration of my thanks, praise and belief in Jesus as my Lord and Savior 
• Humans are distinguished - separated from all other creation, animated and in-animated - humans are wholly distinct.  
• God made us to be awed by His handiwork and fully convinced of how great and mighty He truly is. Am I convinced? YES! Am I awed? TRULY! Do I praise Him? ABSOLUTELY! 
• The uniquely rare and curious structure of the human body fills me with complete wonder (wonderful you, our unborn grandchild) and marvel (marvelous you, newly conceived and beloved one) 
• We don't know nor care if you are male or female, precious child, for you are fully being made in the image of God. You are breathing in the breath of life He blows into your tiny respiratory system and soon you will move, quickened with spiritual life from the Lord Almighty....every bit of you made by the one, true living God. 

Happy One-Month Birthday, Maisy! 

See you soon 

   

The Hand of Prayer

I often pray with my eyes open and fixed on a single object so as to eliminate possible surrounding distractions. After all, there is no hard, fast rule that we must close our eyes to converse with God. We can pray standing, seated, kneeling or in motion. Most of us practice a particular hand position when we pray.  There is no right or wrong body or hand stance for prayer, is there? Regardless of how you hold your hands in meeting the Lord, try gazing on your hands . He specifically designed human hands for multiple purposes including as instruments to draw you closer to Him.  Hands connect, hold, reach, yield, beg or demonstrate submission or expectation.  Think on your hands as you pray. Years ago I came across the following simple exercise that keeps me mindful of the powerful privilege I have to meet the Lord in prayer.   

1.The thumb – Your thumb is nearest the body so begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you.  Your nearest and dearests are easy to remember and probably foremost in your thoughts. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis said, “a sweet duty.”

2.The Index Finger or “Pointer” – Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal.  This includes doctors, teachers and our church leaders. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. 

3.The Long Finger or “Tall Finger” – Remember our leaders in your prayers;  those who stand tall among us. Pray for our President and leaders of our nation and those who lead countries around the world. Pray for state leaders and local government administrators. Pray for leaders in business and industry; those who shape our world, nation and guide public opinion. Pray for public servants, medical professionals, and first responders. Leaders are sorely in need of God’s direction. 

4.The Fourth Finger or “Ring Finger” – Surprisingly, this finger is the weakest on our hand. This finger reminds us to pray for those who are weak, in poor health, in trouble, in pain or in need. Obviously, the weakest need more prayer than any others so extra time spent on the weaker, unhealthy members of our world is time well spent. 

5.The Small Finger or “Pinkie” – We are to place ourselves as small in relation to God and others. We also need to remember it is good to pray for ourselves. Praying first for others then ourselves means  our needs are in proper perspective.

6. The Palm – While somewhat cupped and  concave, the palm reminds us to wait for God to speak to us and fill us. We can anticipate all our prayers to be answered “in His time.”  The palm is what connects all the fingers and enables them to function.   

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”     

   - Phiippians 4:6-7 

Thank You, God, for the gift of prayer. Help me to remember that my hands are Your hands and I am to use them in obedience, love and service in Your name. 

In the sweet name of Your son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

  

Generosity

"Heal the sick, raise the dead,  cleanse those who have leprosy (disease), drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."  -  Matthew 10:8

"Now this I say, he who sows sparingly and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart , not  grudgingly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver."                      - 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 

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Jesus and Paul speak clearly about being generous. We are to be liberal in our giving with family, with friends, with those in need;  with our time, our possessions, with our love and with our church. 

“Freely you have received, freely give” Jesus says.  The freeness that Christ has demonstrated in giving to us is returned by our giving to others. Christ loves His church as a bridegroom adores his bride,  I am to give in anyway I can in the name of Jesus and His church. I am to remain committed to giving freely directly to His church,too.   

In the II Corinthians text, Paul reminds us that when we sow the seeds of generosity, we reap bountiful rewards in accordance with God’s plan for our lives. This is the principle of rowing and reaping. The Apostle  Paul offers a word of caution, too: we are commanded to be cheerful givers – not to give “grudgingly or under compulsion.”  

Today, let's take God’s words to heart and make a pledge to be a cheerful, generous, courageous givers. The world needs our help and we need the spiritual rewards that are ours when we give  I will be mindful of what I do not give, as well. I will not give my negative or cynical opinions. I will not be close-fisted to requests that come my way.  I will not hold back smiles, courtesies or grace, particularly when they are lest deserved.  I will be honest with myself about my natural bend to be selfish or withhold good. 

“What is your focus today? Joy comes when it is Jesus first, others second….then you.”   - Kay Arthur 

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“Selfishness is as far from Christianity as darkness is from light"​-C. H. Spurgeon 

“It is the duty of every Christian to be Christ to his neighbor.”   ​-Martin Luther 

In the state of our sick, diseased and needy world, where can I show my generosity? Where can you show yours? 

Lord, You have been incredibly generous with me; let me be generous with You and to others. Help me to give generously of my possessions,  time and talents. Make me a humble giver like Jesus, Lord, so that all the glory and praise will be Yours. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen

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We are Joshuas

The Lord's charge to Joshua is stated in Joshua 1:9,  Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord, your God will be with you wherever you go.  Today, I take the same words to heart with application to the current status of our world.

               Be strong and courageous ..... and wear a face mask
               Be strong and courageous ......and remember to use rubber gloves
               Be strong and courageous.......and repeatedly wash your hands
               Be strong and courageous ....  at least six feet from another person
               Be strong and courageous ..... and only go to places of necessity
               Be strong and courageous .....in all things FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU!

As an integral part of the great exodus and Israelite deliverance from bondage in Egypt, we read of Joshua being prepared for ministry and key leadership.  Joshua had been an attendant of Moses since his youth. In fact, Moses changed Joshua's name from Hoshea ("salvation" in Hebrew) to Joshua ("the Lord saves") to further equip Joshua to lead.  Joshua was one of the recon twelve sent out to spy on Canaan, the Promise Land.  He and Caleb urged Israel to move forward and possess the Promise Land, while the other ten feared failure and defeat in doing so.  Joshua was filled with the Holy Spirit and fully followed the Lord. In Deuteronomy, Josh was commissioned to replace Moses and he is filled with wisdom.  Taking the helm of leadership into God's Promised territory, God provides Joshua with details about moving forward to Canaan and claiming the Divine Promise.  Over and over, the Lord reminds Joshua that to accomplish all that is set before him, he must steadfastly remain strong and courageous. 

We are now into a month+ of 'staying in place'. Most of us are growing weary of staying home. We long for an improved state of health for our nation and our citizens.  We hope that safeguard restrictions will soon be lifted.  Reports of improvements on all fronts are encouraging, but it is still not safe enough to resume life as it formerly was.  We wonder if life will ever be the same again. In many ways, we are like the Israelites traveling through a wilderness in hopes to arrive at a safe place where we can rest and resume a new normalcy that is good.

It is time for us to accept the Lord's charge to Joshua: be strong and courageous.  It is time to remember God's faithfulness to our nation and to each of us, individually. It is time to resurrect the assurance of God's staying power to His own.  From Abraham through the centuries our God is faithful and He identifies Promised Lands and the travel routes to guarantee an arrival.   GOD IS WITH US!  He was - He is - He always will be.  We are called to be Joshuas,  Friends. Our job is to be strong and courageous and watch the Glory of our God revealed in the midst of this travail.

Easter Prayer

Gracious God, Christ is the Lord of life raised up on this blessed morn. Alleluia!  Jesus, the light of the world shines in the darkness leading men, women and children into the life that knows no end. Blessed be the name of the Lord!!  This is Your day to tell the world that Christ alone conquers death.  Christ alone is eternal.  Christ alone reigns forever and ever.  Christ alone is worthy of all glory, honor and praise. For You, Jesus, having walked the way of suffering and crucifixion,  call us to suffer and  die to self. Almighty God, because of The Cross and Your ultimate sacrifice for us, we may rise again to new life.  Through Jesus, our Master, Good shepherd & our Brother, we are a kingdom of priests offering our unending praise to the King of Glory, the one true, Living God! We call upon the amazing  Resurrection power that dwells in those who claim You as Lord and Savior to grant us the ability to love deeply, live richly and share the Good News of our Risen Savior.  Heal our land! Heal our world! Bless You, Praise You. Thank You, Living Redeemer, Deliverer, Forever Friend.   In  Jesus' incomparable name we pray, Amen. 

Maundy Thursday Meditation

Heavenly Father,  Lord of All,  We worship in response to your holiness.  Thank you that prayer and praise are vehicles to express our love and adoration for The Great I AM -  the One, True, Living God.  Sweet Savior, we confess that we often fail to practice genuine love for others, especially in sharing personal warmth and in meeting needs.  Many of us admit to having a very low mercy factor. Help us to  remember that Jesus’ plans changed constantly to accommodate someone else. He taught us humility and the ministry of interruption.  Forgive us when we attempt to justify ourselves to You and others for falling short in Christian character. 

You ask us to love You with everything we have - heart, mind, soul, strength -  and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. You know that the moment we start stapling exceptions to Your second great commandment,  we are not committed to obeying it. Thus, we quench the Holy Spirit. Forgive us, Mighty God, for diminishing the power Your Spirit gives to any and all who claim You as Lord and Savior. Teach us to love as You love.   Your love is the spontaneous overflow of a heart that forgets itself in the face of human need. Your love stirs us up to respond with grace for we have experienced the forgiveness and  compassion of God through the Cross of Jesus Christ. How blessed we are to gaze now upon Your beautiful cross, the symbol of our hope & salvation.  

When I survey the wondrous Cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain, I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

See from His head, His hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet?
Or thorns compose, so rich a crown

Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross
All who gather here by grace, draw near and bless Your name

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross
All who gather here by grace, draw near and bless Your name. 

(Chris Tomlin) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylihJUH0gP4

Heal this land, O Mighty God. Heal our world. 

In Jesus' name, Amen

Signs of Suffering

Today I am totally distracted by tragic news regarding a dear, longtime friend. As I think of my loved one hanging by a thread to this earthly life after a massive stroke and brain bleed,  my thoughts turn to the multitudes of loved ones around the world struggling to survive and overcome the brutal CoronaVirus along with a myriad of health complications.  I think of the separation from loved ones and sufferings of both. We know suffering has countless aspects. This is Holy Week and believers in Jesus Christ are mindful of His sufferings - inevitable persecution, pain, trauma and death by crucifixion. Jesus knew His mission was to redeem the world.  Jesus was committed to carrying out the plan of salvation that was formed before the foundations of the earth. He knew He would suffer for The Plan. 

In  The Radical Cross , A. W. Tozer  writes, "God will cover the eyes of all Christians when the time comes – they will never see death. The Christian stops breathing and there is a burial, but he does not see death for he already died in Christ when Christ died and he arose with Christ when Christ arose!"

What deep comfort it is to think of Tozer's words in that God will cover one's eyes when death of the earthly body approaches. There is further comfort to think that after we draw our last breath, He will uncover our eyes and we will see Him,  face-to-face. As far as I can find,  there is no scriptural basis for Tozer's words and it is  not a peek-a-boo with God kinda thing either.  It's a beautiful thought, isn't it?  Because of what Jesus Christ did for the world two thousand years ago,  we know death is swallowed up in victory - then, now and always. 

Thus, we know what is scripturally sound truth is Christ's blessed assurance of Eternity.  There are many passages of God's  promises about our sureness to not experience death when we are in Him. The Apostle John wrote of Jesus' promises repeatedly. 

John 10:28-29   ...and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

1 John 5:13.   These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

John 3:16.    For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 10:28     ...and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

John 10:29.   My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

John 6:39

              This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

Those are just John's writings. There are many more scriptures of the same security written by David, Paul, Peter and the unknown author of Hebrews. 

My friend is a cradle-Christian having believed in Jesus from early childhood and raised by loving parents in a Christian home.  She is very sure of her eternal security, even in her present state. I am sure of it, too. I am praying for a miracle from God in her recovery for I'd love to see her alive and well with us for many more years.  I also know if God chooses to take her home, I trust Him for the ultimate healing and perfect peace that is in Christ alone. 

Let us stand on the promises of  Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5:8   We are confident, yes, well-pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.  

What more could I want for her?! What more could we want for someone we love or  for others suffering - for whatever reason - in this sick and broken world?! 

    Lord, Uncover Donna's eyes.  

  You have much more in store 

  for her, be it with us or with You. 

  We trust that either way, it is good! 

In Jesus' Name, Amen.   

Tending the Garden of My Heart

A few years ago, it was an honor to host Christian author Paula Reinhart as keynote speaker at an annual women's event.  Paula is a seasoned writer, speaker, and counselor who focuses on helping women live fully in all God has for them.  I love her book, Strong-Women-Soft-Hearts and have shared it with many study groups and book clubs. In the book, Paula describes the heart as a garden: "The heart is something of a garden that requires tending. Many things might have occasion to grow there. A root of bitterness is so potent it will invade other people’s gardens and worst of all, it will choke the grace of God in my life. I will miss what I want most."

I don't have a green thumb, brown thumb nor the gift of gardening. For years, I have repeatedly planted,  watered and fertilized in attempts to grow plants, vegetables, shrubs, seedlings and trees with little success.  My sweet hubby has labored and salvaged my half-done gardening efforts for years. He is good with dirt!  I can report one rare and winning horticultural attempt in Kentucky with mint. Shortly after being planted, mint will flourish and propagate. It seems to thrive in any type of soil. In fact, our mint patch was so successful, Bob and I invited neighbors to cut as much as they wanted. There was plenty to share and the word spread quickly that the Battoe mint patch was open to the public.  In our native Kentucky, early May is the wonderful Derby season and that's when mint is a precious commodity! Southerners enjoy any number of mint garnished beverages, hot or cold. In fact, Kentucky is well-known worldwide for one particular mint drink!

Through experience, I learned that a fruitful, yielding mint garden can quickly evolve into an unruly, leggy, unsightly, invasive plot when left unattended.  Mint quickly spreads and can choke out and interfere with the growth and development of nearby healthy plants.  As with many plants, without pruning and attention,  mint often goes from lovely, enjoyable and useful to ugly, disruptive and undesirable.At the point of becoming a nuisance, one knows when it is clearly time to pull up the mint plant, roots and all. What is so amazing is that when a mint bed looks to be totally cleared, the aromatic, green sprouts will magically reappear the next spring!  It seems it is never totally eradicated. Thus, the whole mint life cycle begins again: sprouts-to-good-to-great-to excessive-to disgusting-to-rooted out. Mint needs ongoing attention to flourish as it begins as a blessing to enjoy and share then, left to its own means, evolves to a cursed, overbearing presence in the garden.  

My 💗 heart issues are much the same as mint in my garden. Seedling thoughts and motives that appear to be harmless -  even healthy  - sprout in my 💗 heart and quickly begin to grow. Desirable, benign traits can readily evolve into more serious, unacceptable behaviors that take root and spread. I know when it is time to weed my  💗 heart bed and  tend to unacceptable growth before such tendencies take over and choke out the goodness and grace of God.  I must be diligent, too, and regularly cut back, weed and uproot whatever tendency may separate me from Christ. Otherwise, the same issues sprout up again and again! 

For me, effective, productive  💗 heart gardening practices include worship, prayer and meditation, Bible study,  journaling (which includes blogging),  engaging in Christian community, fellowship and service Maybe I don't implement all these practices at the same time, albeit that would be wonderful. In truth, there are seasons when I focus on one or two habits more than others. I may pray more for a few weeks or journal daily for a time then lean into deep Bible study.  Time devoted to serving others may take precedence over study for a while. This regenerated blog is a perfect example of my waxing and waning spiritual disciplines. Oh, to balance an array of spiritual disciplines simultaneously. That would be holy all over, but I fear that is  a goal that may not be achieved until Glory Days!! So, I continue to do my best, give my best and all the while,  'tend' my  💗 heart garden.

I thank God for Bob who not only salvages and saves my feeble efforts of working with dirt, he also enhances my prayer life /our prayer life by our commitment to pray together everyday.   Early on in our marriage, we began a daily prayer time and I cherish the time spent in uniting our  💕💗💕 hearts in thought, word and need to the Lord.  This one consistent practice is now cherished, set apart, shared communion with each other and the central presence of God.  Praying together softens, refreshes and renews perspectives while sustaining our oneness with each other and oneness in Christ. Praying together permits us to taste the salt of one another's tears. Maybe we need to discuss how we will maintain a shared prayer time when Jesus takes one of us home to live with Him?! 
Ah, we need to pray about that!

John 15:2 says, "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. " (ESV)  

Heavenly Father, There is none like You! You are the God who works miraculously & makes known Your strength among the peoples. Your power redeems us.  Praise You, Sovereign Lord.  In view of what you have done through Jesus Christ for us, we respond with attitudes & behaviors that say we belong to You. Your undeserved favor deems us the objects of an incomprehensible love that leaves us forever changed.  In the midst of this quiet, stay in place time, it is perfect timing to yield to Your pruning. Master Gardener, tend the gardens of our  💗💗💗 hearts and minds so that we are fruitful,  beautiful and useful in Your world. We are a  marked people with a remarkable God whose supernatural, all-powerful Spirit is poured over us & into us to create fruitful agents to make us one in the bond of Your love and grace.  Thank you for oneness in You and oneness with one another. Lord God, heal our land and heal our world. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.