Following His Footprints

What was to be our 25^thanniversary trip turned into a 26^thanniversary trip…with our girls. A couple of months before we were to head out in 2004, I was diagnosed with cancer. As you guessed, the doctor said I would not be up for the trip once I started chemo…even though I tried to convince him otherwise…of course, he was right. So, in 2005, our family was excited and ready to go on a Caribbean cruise. Our passports were in place, swimsuits & sunscreen packed. We were ready to go have some fun! We were tired of doctor appointments, surgery, meds, and general “cancer crud”. We had a lot to celebrate! Now just to give you a full appreciation of this cruise, this was the year of Hurricane Katrina…THE YEAR that had a record-breaking hurricane season for the Atlantic. No, we didn’t get into Katrina, but when it was time for us to go, Hurricane Dennis had just slammed a couple of the ports of call we were to see. We knew that it was possible for other hurricanes to come through, but we felt LUCKY. Surely there would not be another one right after Dennis. That seemed logical to us…logic does not mean wise or correct. Big mistake…big mistake. (By the way, I know that is not a cruise ship picture, but it looks like the waves that hit our boat….I think that would be bad advertising….thinking out loud.)

I’m not one to complain. I’m not one that usually gets sick on a cruise ship. BUT friends, soon after we were sailing out, Hurricane Emily came to visit! Yes, yes, we were…we were on the  Caribbean Sea, on a cruise ship, when Emily debuted her ugly head. Now in all fairness, our ship’s captain did an excellent job of keeping us away from the main part of the storm. But the ocean was still churning from Dennis when we started and now Emily decided to add her wave action to the mix. Each one in our family took Bonine for motion sickness. It was not enough. We would start to feel better, head out of our cabin, and just like that, we would feel rough again, go lay down until our stomach stopped churning, and then attempt to go out again. One night, waters seemed to be smoothing out, so we managed to go to dinner and go to the floor show.  It was a group that imitated The Beatles! They were great! The entire auditorium was rocking, and then…we were REALLY rocking…literally back and forth. The band was trying to keep from falling down. As the boat rocked one way, the band members started staggering that direction holding tight to their instruments, trying to keep their footing, and still perform. And as you figured out by now, when the boat rocked the other direction, their feet started moving that way too…a bit clumsy looking…but hey, they didn’t fall! The waves that night were big! I mean really big!

Let’s switch gears a minute and read Mark 4:35-40 (The Message).  Late that day he said to them, “let’s go across to the other side.” They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”

 Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet, Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith at all?” They were in absolute awe, staggered. “Who is this, anyway?” they asked. “Wind and seas at his beck and call!”

That’s the question. The question every one of us has to answer…WHO IS THIS ANYWAY? Our life is a lot like that cruise ship we were on in 2005. Hurricanes come at us and toss us around. Sometimes we still try to put on a show that we are ok, but we stumble. We lose our footing, maybe even fall. We think we can go out in the world again on our own, but then the next waves come, and we aren’t able to go forward. We have to retreat. Return back to the beginning and start over again.

I want to take a little of your time and look at the question, WHO IS THIS ANYWAY? Without an answer to who our God is, who Jesus is, we will always be tossed around in life storms. Although we face many storms in life, there are some common storms that most of us face. Let’s look at them and see who God is when we are in the midst of those storms. Knowing Him helps us navigate our storm. Just like a cruise ship has an Electronic Chart Display & Information System (ECDIS) to navigate the stormy seas, our God will navigate us through the stormy seas of our life.  The names of God act as our ECDIS. Just like cruise ships have sensors that give detailed insight to the direction of the ship, the names of God give us insight to who God is and how He can help us in our daily walk.

THE STORM OF FEAR

When was the last time that the Storm of Fear, the “what ifs” storm, took over your life? You know the “what if” that takes over you when you hear your spouse has a serious illness? The “what if” when you lose your job? The “what if” when your child takes a walk down the wrong path of life? The “what if” when your marriage is falling apart? That is the time of your life that you need God to give you courage to face your storm.  The first two names of God are found in 2 Samuel 22:33 & 47: God of My Strength (ELHEI MA’UZZI) and God, My Rock (EL SALI). David called God by those names after God delivered him from Saul. By calling on those names of God, David knew that God would help him stand strong in the storm. Calling on these names during the waves of fear will remind you who is with you and what He does for you.

THE STORM OF BEING ALONE

In my limited research of this subject, I found that anywhere from 33% to 46% of people fear being alone.  In today’s world of technology, it is something that blows my mind with all of the “social interactions” that we have. With that said, this is a real storm of life, and quite honestly, it is one that can wash over me and cause me to lose my footing. It can send me back “to my room” until I feel that the waves are down and it’s smooth sailing. In Genesis 16, Hagar faced the storm of being alone. Hagar was pregnant, and Sarai mistreated her. She fled her home, her job, and the father of her child. She was pregnant, alone, and fearful. While she was near a spring in the desert, the LORD found her. In Genesis 16:13, Hagar calls on God that Sees Me (EL RAI).  We have times like that today. By Hagar understanding that God saw her and the situation she was in, she gained courage and realized she was not alone during a dark time of her life.

THE STORM OF ILLNESS

Many have had this storm hit them head on, unexpected. When it does, nothing can prepare you for the waves that rock your world. There was a time when the Israelites were struggling and without water. You can read this story in Exodus 15:22-27. It took place right after they crossed the Red Sea.  God tells them in verse 26, that if they will follow Him, he will not bring the diseases on them as He did the Egyptians. The end of the verse says, “for I am the LORD, who heals you.”, JEHOVAH ROPHE. Personally, this is a name that has stuck with me after my cancer battle 15 years ago. When I am asked to pray for someone that needs healing, I call on JEHOVAH ROPHE for healing. Using the names of God when I pray help me to focus on all of the many blessings He gives, all of His character traits, and just how incredibly big HE is. Knowing this, the waves become smaller that are crashing around me.

THE STORM OF BATTLE

Most of us have not gone to war in a foreign country. (For those that have, thank you for your service. Your very sacrifice allows me to write freely about my Father.) BUT most of us have done battle at some time in our life.  These storms can knock you down, cause you extreme pain, and leave deep scars. Have you been walking along with a friend and a squall storm hits and knocks you over? Have you been at work when a tidal wave hit? God ‘s names can help you walk through this storm and keep your footing. There are two names I want to give you for the storm of battle. Deuteronomy 33:29, The Lord Our Sword, JEHOVAH CHEREB, and The Lord My Shield, JEHOVAH MAGEN.Chapter 33 was written at the end of Moses life. This verse is at the end of a blessing that he gives to the Israelites. Moses is describing what God did to defeat Israel’s enemies. If God did it for those, He loved in Moses time, wouldn’t He do battle for you now? Of course, He will, and He does. That is who our God is.

It is not IF a storm rocks our ship, but WHEN a storm will rock it. Jesus said in John 16:33, “I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” (THE MESSAGE)  We know in Him, we have victory. Take heart. Make a decision to know who this is that has the wind and seas at His beck and call, your storms at His beck and call. Call on His name during your storm.

Blessings – Cherie

If you want more information on names of God, click here. It is a long list of the names of God, their meanings, scriptures where they are found, and pronunciations. This information is by Tony Evans. It was a good reference for me.

 I can’t tell you my exact age when the subject of a bicycle for my birthday came up. It had to be early elementary school, guessing first grade.  My father, sister and I were up early one Saturday morning watching weekly cartoons. (For those of you younger than 40, you will be surprised to know you could not watch cartoons every day. There was no Disney channel or Nickelodeon channel, and there was certainly no such thing as cable or satellite dish networks.) That was our routine. Mom got to rest and sleep in, and dad, Renee and I had Saturday morning time. Dad said “Cherie, mom and I are thinking about a bicycle for your birthday, what color do you want it to be?” After the squeals stopped, I started thinking about colors. Now mind you, I am not the creative type, but I didn’t want it to look like everyone else’s bikes. I wanted to stand out. There was a cartoon on TV that morning that had an octopus that lived at a zoo.  His home was a pretty copper color.  I announced copper was the color that I wanted. My father confirmed it because I’m pretty sure at the time, no one had a copper colored bike. The decision was made, my birthday came around, and POOF! A copper painted bicycle appeared! I was excited. All the older kids on our block loved to ride bikes. I was now going to be able to join them. BUT…I first had to learn how to ride the bike. Because money was very tight at our house, my bike was second hand (that’s how I got to have a copper colored bike, dad and mom needed to paint it). Since it was second hand, it was too big for me. I could not sit on the seat and put my feet on the ground. I had some learning to do. I needed courage.

Courage, you ask? Yes, I needed the courage to have my father let go of the seat and let me peddle on my own. I needed to figure out a way to balance that bicycle without training wheels and keep it moving forward without falling and getting hurt. Courage was needed so I could be a part of the fun…the “big kids” would ride down the slope of the ditch and “jump” their bike to other side. It looked a little scary, I needed courage. I wanted to do that too. One of our favorite games was cops and robbers.  I needed courage to race as fast as I could, be confident in staying upright, and able to get out of the reach of the “cop”. I sure didn’t want to get caught!  I needed courage to take risks without being afraid to tackle all that was required to become a “great” cyclist. There was one thing going for me, I could look back to the times I had seen my friends ride their bikes. That simple act let me look forward to the possibilities of me joining them in the fun. Courage. Plain, simple, courage. The last blog I wrote about the courage Esther and Mordecai had when they faced King Xerxes and Haman, the nobleman. If you have not had a chance to read that, you may want to do it, so you can see there are a few ways God helps us find courage. This blog focuses on Elijah.

If you have time, read 1 Kings 16:29-18:45. The very first thing you read in 1 King 16:29 is that Ahab is the king over Israel for 22 years. LOOK at verse 30-33. “Ahab, son of Omri, did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him….he began to serve Baal and worship him…Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the ANGER OF THE LORD, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.”That is a very significant description. That is the man that Elijah was going to face. This is the world that Elijah grew up in.  There is really no mention in scripture of Elijah before we read about him in 1 Kings 17. It is fascinating that a man, even though he is a prophet, would have the courage to face someone as evil as Ahab. But Elijah did. He faced King Ahab and announced, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor raini n the next few years except at my word.”How did he do that? The only hint I found is that his faith was so strong, his name meant My God is Yahweh. (There goes the excuse that I can’t follow God because of all the evil that surrounds me…you know the one, everyone else is doing it, so it must be okay.)

Back to the pronouncement of drought. God knew how angry King Ahab would be. He told Elijah to go and hide in Kerith Ravine. God provided for Elijah by having ravens feed him, and he had water from the brook in the ravine for a period of time.  It eventually dried up. Water became scarce. The LORD came to Elijah and told him to go at once to Zarephath and stay with a widow there.  She would supply him with food (1 Kings 17:7-9). When Elijah sees this widow, he tells her to go and fix him something to eat. This widow was down to her last meal, literally. She only had enough to feed both her son and her one more meal. She considered it their last meal before they starved. That did not deter the man named MY GOD IS YAHWEH. No, he told her God would provide for them. She believed him and made bread for all three of them. This poor lady still had more to overcome. Her son became ill and one day stopped breathing. Her faith in Elijah’s God was shaken. She accused Elijah of causing the death of her son and she could not understand why his God had done this to her…she had done what Elijah had asked her to do after all.  Elijah was visibly shaken too, but not about who God was, but that this would happen to someone who had listened to God and cared for him. Elijah cried out to God and begged him to bring this boy back to life. God restored the boy’s life. This widow who had been shaken, declared Elijah a man of the true God.

Three and a half years passed when God told Elijah to go back and see King Ahab. Elijah challenged Ahab to a dual between God and Baal. Elijah’s goal was for all to see who the One True God was. You know the story, two altars built, two bulls killed to sacrifice, and the prophets of Baal called out to Baal to consume the bull.  The Baal prophets could not make it happen.  Elijah taunted them. He made fun of their God. After a full day of rituals, rituals that included slashing themselves with swords. Nothing happened. No response from Baal. It was time for Elijah to take the stage, front and center of the humiliated prophets of Baal and the Israelites who had turned to Baal worship. He built the altar, placed the bull on it, and had people pour so much water on it that it ran over the trenches that were dug around the altar. 1 Kings 18:36-37“At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”A great fire fell from heaven. So great that it consumed the bull, the wood, the stones, the soil AND the water… it consumed it ALL. As soon as that happened all the people fell on their face and cried, “The LORD, He is God!”(1 Kings 18:39).

Although this is a simplified analogy, Elijah had a bicycle that was too large for him. He could not “ride it” on his own. He needed to be able to peddle without falling, but to do that, he had to trust his Father to catch him, and eventually let his Father release the seat of the bike so he could go forward. When I was learning to ride my bike, I looked around and saw all of my friends riding bicycles. I knew that what seemed impossible to me, was possible because they were riding their bicycles and not falling down.  Elijah had a similar experience. When he asked the widow to feed him, he remembered he had seen God provide at Kerith Ravine. When he needed God to appear in a big way and consume the sacrifice, he remembered God had brought the widows son back from the dead (1 Kings 18:17-24).I propose to you that Elijah’s courage came from him looking around and seeing what all God had done in his life. Elijah had a keen understanding of where his help came from.

I have been reading through the book of Psalms. I have found so much encouragement there. Look at Psalms 77. David is looking at all the trouble he is surrounded with. This entire chapter suggests that he needed to look back in order to have the courage to look forward. That is exactly what Elijah did. His courage to stand before his enemy was only possible because he looked back at where he had been, and what God had done. It was then he had the courage to look to the future.

Where do you get your courage from? Are you looking back at all God has done for you or are you still begging to use training wheels? Do you feel you are about to ride down “the big slope at the ditch and need to jump out on the other side”? There are times that circumstances in life feel like that. We can’t imagine how we will get through them.  Stop. Look at what the Lord God has done. It is the same God that consumed the sacrifice of Elijah that is with you as you are on this scary ride of life. Just as my father was there watching me and helping me when I rode down the ditch the first time, your Father is with you right now as you are about to head down that big slope on the ditch of your life. Look at those around you that He has held and helped. Take courage that He is there beside you. Boldly name all you have seen God do in prayer and ask Him to give you the courage to face your bicycle ride of life.

Blessings – Cherie

I have a vivid memory of my early teen years. It was a moment of courage…or so I thought, my mom and sister might tell this differently. I lived in Arizona at the time. Four of us were hanging out in the backyard of a friend’s house, Kathy, Stephanie, Renee and me.  Renee is my sister. The street Kathy lived on was a hill, so her yard was quite a bit higher than the street below. While we were goofing off, a rock came hurling over the top of her cinderblock fence. It almost hit my sister. I remember jumping up and grabbing the top of the fence only to see a guy from school laughing at what he did.  I yelled he better stop what he was doing, or I would come and make him stop. You guessed it, another rock came hurling over the fence. Again, I yelled stop, or he was going to get it from me. Another rock came. I opened the back gate and started running toward him and he ran toward me yelling for me to make him stop. Yep, I hit him…now I said courageous not smart. He threw the next punch. And we got at it. When it was over, my friends declared me the winner. Yes, I went home proudly and told mom I beat up a boy. I remember feeling pretty proud that even though I hurt, had a big black eye, and some scrapes, I stepped up to the challenge and defended my sister, friends and me.

Are you facing a challenge right now? Are rocks coming across the fence, maybe dangerously close? Do you desperately need to battle, but fear has you stuck…you can’t move forward and face your reality? Is the risk of the battle scarier than the rocks that are thrown at you?  Maybe the rock coming at you is divorce. Maybe a wayward child. Is it a newly diagnosed disease? Trouble at the office? Finances? What is satan throwing at you to try to get you to turn away from God?

The story of Queen Esther is where I want attention to go to today. She gets pulled into a rock fight. It’s a fight for her very life. The NIV Study Bible has this to say about Esther. “Esther displays God using ordinary people to do extraordinary things for Him. It shows that He can take ordinary people and place them in a place of significance, to carry out His plan”. Let’s start in Esther 1. This chapter sets the stage of the story. King Xerxes arranges a feast to buy friends. He is flaunting his wealth and having them indulge in all he has to offer.  At the same time, his queen, Vashti has a feast. Evidently, King Xerxes’ feast was quite a drunken occasion.  If you look at Esther 1:10, you see that when King Xerxes was in high spirits, he wanted to show off his BEAUTIFUL queen. Now I can’t speak for other women, but it’s one thing for my husband to think I’m beautiful, but I never wanted to be the subject of cat calls or wandering eyes.  Neither did Queen Vashti. She refused to follow the king’s command. She would not indulge him or his guests.  By refusing the king, she could have lost her life. No one refused the king. Queen Vashti paid a price, a big one.  It cost here everything. She lost her crown, her husband, her home, everything she knew.

Four years passed. Esther 2:1 says, “After Xerxes’ anger had subsided he began thinking about Vashti and what she had done and the decree he had made.”His attendants suggested he start a search for a new queen. Young, beautiful, virgins were “invited” to come audition for the king… they would have beauty treatments, learn court customs and be taught how to please King Xerxes. From these ladies, a new queen would be named. Enter Esther. She is described as a young, beautiful, Jewess. She was one of the ladies chosen to go and live in the King’s Harem. If she pleased King Xerxes, she would leave his harem and become his wife, the new queen. If not, Esther would return to the life of the harem, essentially, she would live like a widow. Hegai, the man in charge of the king’s harem, took special interest in Esther.  It seems he had insight to the king’s preferences. Hegai gave Esther advice on how to win the king.  Soon after Esther’s night with King Xerxes, she was named queen. He arranged another great banquet, a holiday was declared in her honor, and King Xerxes gave gifts to everyone. From what I could find, Esther was a young teen when this happened…13-15 years old.  What a stroke of luck! What a dream come true for a teenager! Wait until everyone learned what an awesome life she would have! After all, she was queen and she was going to live happily ever after with no worries. Right? Not hardly.

Now hold this information in the back of your mind and let’s turn and look at Esther’s upbringing. She was an orphan that was raised by her uncle, Mordecai. Uncle Mordecai plays a prominent role in this story. Although he was a Jew, he was an official of the Persian government. Jewish people had lived in Persia during the time of Exile. Although many Jews returned to Judah, Mordecai and Esther along with other Jews stayed behind, and continued to live in Persia. Those that chose to live in Persia did not assimilate into the Persian culture. This caused friction between Jews and Persians.  Mordecai was in tune to the world around him. Scripture does not say why Mordecai asked Esther to keep her heritage quiet, but this background information makes me think he understood she was at risk. Esther was wise to follow his instruction.

Mordecai had duties at the kings gate every day. While at work one day, he overheard two men plot to kill King Xerxes. Mordecai immediately got word to Esther. Because she had won favor with the king, she warned King Xerxes of the plot to assassinate him. An investigation was done, and the plot was proven.  Although the plot was foiled, nothing was done to honor Mordecai at the time. King Xerxes just had it listed in his chronicles and Mordecai was named.

Keep your thoughts together on Mordecai and Esther… now we need to add Haman to the mix of people in this story. Haman was an official of the royal court, scripture says he was the most powerful man in the royal court. King Xerxes ordered all nobles to bow down before Haman to show him respect. Mordecai refused. When Haman realized that Mordecai would not honor him, he became enraged. Haman learned Mordecai was a Jew. He was so angry with Mordecai, he decided to not only punish Mordecai, but all Jews. The battle lines were drawn…rocks were coming. Decisions had to be made.

Haman went to the king and reported how awful he thought the Jews were. He considered them trouble because they did not assimilate into the Persian kingdom.  Haman offered King Xerxes a large sum of money for his royal treasury if he would sign off for all Jewsto be destroyed, annihilated. Since King Xerxes did not personally know any Jews (cough, cough), he was happy to get rid of that group of people. They never really fit into his kingdom. They were trouble. The king had a decree issued that on March 7^th of the following year all Jews would be destroyed. He sealed it with his ring. It could not be undone. Talk about a rock fight. This was huge stones being catapulted right into the middle of Mordecai’s world, and ALL JEWS. 

If you can, stop and read Esther 4. The first 3 verses show Mordecai’s immediate reaction. Mourning, wailing, and fasting. He displayed his pain, but he went straight to God with fasting. Other Jewish people joined him. As soon as Esther learned about Mordecai, she sent her attendant, Hathach, to go to him and find out what was troubling him. Mordecai gave a copy of the decree to Hathach. Mordecai also told Hathach, that he needed to direct Esther to go and plead to the king on behalf of the Jews. INCOMING…OVER THE FENCE…ROCKS FLYING EVERYWHERE! Our of the blue Queen Esther was thrown into the middle of the biggest battle of her life. She had rocks hurling at her. She had to decide to “climb the fence” and go and face the bully or take her chances with the rocks. Face the bully or take a chance that a rock would not hit her. Face the bully or pretend she was not one of “them”, the Jews. Face the bully or ignore what was going on around her. Queen Esther needed courage. She needed strength to get through this tough time. She knew she needed to face the bully, the one hurling rocks her way, and take a stand. But if the March 7th decree was not a big enough rock,  King Xerxes had not called for Esther in over 30 days. If she approached him without being summoned, she could die. She tried the “easy way” first. Hathach went back to Mordecai and told him the king had not called for the queen.  Mordecai would not let Queen Esther live in denial. Sometimes denial seems to help me get through the problem…well not really.  It just delays the final answer. (Does anyone else struggle with this?) Mordecai sent word back to Esther in Esther 4:13-14 “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed.  If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

Esther understood that she had a big decision to make. She had to live courageously. She would have to face the bully. She could not just dodge the rocks and hope for no injuries. This particular decision could cost her life. She could not see a way to win…don’t approach the king and she would die because she was a Jew, and by the way, so would all other Jews that still lived in Persia. Approach the king and she could die because he had not called for her. Have you been there?  Have you looked at your choices and not seen a way out? Have the rocks been coming so hard and fast that you can’t think about a solution? What do you do? Where do you go for strength? Where do you go for wisdom? Stop. Stop and think. Where do you find the courage to face your impossible?

I propose that Esther found her courage in her roots.  She was able to avoid the incoming rocks and face the bully because of the way she was raised by Mordecai to be deeply rooted in a relationship with God. Look at Esther 4:15-17. ¹⁵ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” ¹⁷ So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

Esther knew that Jewish people fasted to be sure they totally depended on God. They denied physical needs to proclaim that God was in control. Like today, it showed their repentance and a hope for restoration with their Father. By having the Jewish people and those that surrounded Esther fast, Esther found the courage to go before the king. By returning to her roots, she found courage. She was able to go do battle with the bully that was throwing rocks at her and her people. Her time of fasting gave her time to trust God to go before her.  She knew that God would be with her and guide her. Next she surrounded herself with others that fasted, those in her court. This has me ask a couple more questions. What are your roots? Who are your peers that help you walk through hard times? What resources do you turn to when satan is hurling rocks at you? What gives you the courage to climb the fence and confront the bully in your life?

People were blessed because Esther had the courage to turn to God and let Him give her courage to face the bully throwing the rocks. Because of her willingness to battle the bully, God did extraordinary things through her. What will God do with your life because you face the bully? Who will be blessed because they watch you trust God and fight? Abraham faced offering his son. Noah faced a flood and neighbor’s scorn. Joshua faced an army on the wall waiting to kill him and the Israelites. Gideon faced an army much bigger than his. David faced Goliath. Queen Esther faced Haman’s decree that her husband signed off on. Daniel faced lions. They were all ordinary people. Ordinary people that had very big rocks thrown at them. Ordinary people that faced daily challenges, challenges that seemed impossible to overcome. Ordinary people that were blessed because they chose to be courageous and take on the battle that was before them. Will you?

Blessings – Cherie

This is part 2 of a 2-part blog. If you missed part 1, look back at Following His Footprints 

HOW DO WE PREPARE FOR EARTHQUAKES?  In 2004 when our family was shaken and tossed around with the “cancer” earthquake, we were able to withstand it. Going back and looking at it with 20/20 vision, it is obvious that it was not of our own power. It was a lifetime of building on God and His promises. It was seeking God at every turn. It was the teaching that we had received as children and teachings that we had taught to our children. It was brothers and sisters in Christ rallying around us in prayer and encouragement. This whole analogy had me do a little research.  How do buildings stand when shaken by earthquakes? After all, we are a temple…a building that God lives in.  There must be something we can learn from physical structures.

LEARN FROM TREMORS  Peter is such a good example of this.  Both Matthew 26 and Luke 22 tell of Peter’s betrayal of our Lord. Here is a man who watched Jesus perform miracles…even his walking on water was a miracle. He obeyed Jesus when instructions seemed odd. Peter professed he would follow Jesus to death. He cut off a man’s ear in the garden of Gethsemane to prove it. This man, a man that wrote books in the Bible, had to learn from the tremors of the earthquake that shook the world. Turn to Luke 22:54-62. Peter denied Jesus. Openly. Close enough to Jesus that Jesus heard his denial. OUCH! The rooster crowd and Peter immediately knew that he did just as Jesus predicted. When Jesus was arrested the earth around him shook. Instead of Peter stabilizing himself on God, he reached out and grabbed a lie. A lie that crumbled in front of him.

Thank God that Peter found stable ground and reinforced his temple, his building. Seven weeks after Peter denied Christ, he boldly spoke to a great crowd on the day of Pentecost. How was he able to do that?

• He repented and was sorrowful for what he had done. Luke 22:62
• He stayed with other believers. Yes, they were all shaken but they knew what they had experienced and seen. Peter leaned on that. When he heard of the resurrection of Jesus, he ran back to the tomb to see for himself. I can only imagine his thoughts while running to the tomb. “Is this what Jesus was discussing when he said, in three days the temple would be built again?” (my version of his thoughts) Luke 24:12
• He sought time with Jesus. It was during this time that Jesus opened the apostles mind and helped them to understand the things he had been teaching them during the last 3 years. Luke 24:44-59

Let’s take the analogy of preparing our “building (temple)” a little bit deeper in preparing for the earthquakes. The first thing my quick search told me is that buildings have to be reinforced with concrete and steel. Buildings that are built with base isolation withstand earthquakes better than those that do not have it.

BUILDINGS WITH BASE ISOLATION  Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, the foundation of our faith (Isa 28:16, 1 Cor 3:11). There is a vivid description of how strong this cornerstone is in Matthew 7:24-27. To withstand an earthquake (or a storm as in Matthew 7 states), you must have a belief in Jesus Christ for your foundation.

Once the foundation is laid, you need to add base isolation. If I understand correctly, base isolation on a building works very similar to a car suspension. Just as with a car going over a rough road and the occupants are not tossed violently, base isolation “absorbs” the harsh movement of the earth below the building. What does that look like in my daily walk? I think it is the work of the Spirit.  It is the Spirit that guides us, intercedes for us, and will make known God’s plan for us. (Romans 8:26-27, John 16:13-15). It is through Him that we are able to navigate the unknown of the earthquake.  Back to my story, it is through The Spirit’s guidance that we found the oncologist I needed and my surgeon…both were doing “cutting edge” medicine. Both doctors were brought to us in “extraordinary ways.  It was through The Spirit that I groaned and cried when I was uncertain, and He took my pain and worry straight to God when I could not find the words.  It was The Spirit that brought people into my life to encourage me, help me defeat fear and face each new step of treatment. Yes, the foundation of Jesus Christ is strong and secure, but we cannot discount the work of The Holy Spirit. He is who absorbs the shock and pain of our earthquake.

BUILDINGS HAVE CONCRETE W/ STEEL  Just as important as having a building that can “absorb” the shocks of the earthquake, the walls of the building must be strong.  These walls are made of concrete and steel. If the builders understand that walls need to be reinforced to withstand the shocks of an earthquake, what do we need to do to reinforce our walls so that we can withstand spiritual earthquakes?

We need time with God. We need to put His word on your heart.

• Psalms 119:33-35, “Lord, teach me your demands,and I will keep them until the end. Help me understand, so I can keep your teachings,
  obeying them with all my heart.  Lead me in the path of your commands, because that makes me happy.”

We need to put what we learn into practice. I love the way the message words these scriptures.

• Luke 6:46-49“Why are you so polite with me, always saying ‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘That’s right, sir,’ but never doing a thing I tell you? These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on.If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss.”

We need to pray for wisdom and guidance. I love the way the message encourages us in this:

• Matthew 6:6 “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to since his grace.
• In Matthew 14:23 Jesus gives us an example of time alone with our Father. “With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.”

We need to be obedient. If we are obedient when there is no earthquake, we can be obedient in the midst of the earthquake around us. The Experiencing God Workbook by Blackaby, Blackaby and King, page 191.I “In scripture when God did something through obedient people, they came to know Him in new and more intimate ways.” Think about it. How was Abraham able to go and “sacrifice Isaac”? How did Noah build the ark in the midst of ridicule and hardship? How was Gideon able to trust God that just a few men could defeat a large army? It was because they were obedient in their daily walk so they knew God would get them through the earthquake they were facing. They knew that He had been faithful and would continue to be if they obeyed Him in the tough time. God told Joshua in Joshua 1:7 to be strong, courageous and OBEDIENT. It was because Joshua chose to be obedient that he could march around the walls of Jericho in imminent danger and be confident in God’s deliverance.

In 1989, San Francisco was rocked by an earthquake. People got up that day thinking they would continue on in their life routine. But they were are at the epicenter of a life changing event. Sixty-three people lost their lives. Three thousand five hundred people were injured. Homes, businesses, bridges, and highways were destroyed or badly damaged. We never know when our earthquake of life will hit. We need to prepare today to be able to withstand the earthquake of tomorrow. Think about where you are building your temple/house? Consider what you are doing to reinforce the walls of your life to strengthen them.  Make sure your temple is built on a solid foundation, one that will absorb the shock of the quake. As the words of a children’s songs say, “So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

 Be blessed – Cherie

April 22, 2004 was a day I will never forget.  I had been to the doctor a few weeks before for my annual steroid shot to get me through my “spring allergy season”.  While I was there, Dr. Willingham said, “anything else I can help you with?” Casually I said, “you should probably know that I think there is blood in my stool.” Dr. W, “it’s probably nothing to worry about, but let’s get you in for a test and make sure all is good.” April 22 was my “test”, my colonoscopy. I remember waking up during it and seeing Dr. Patel snipping away at something. My first thought was, oh no…I have cancer. I fell back asleep and, in a bit, Dr. P woke me up and said he needed to talk to Terry and I together before I left the room. I was right. The BIG C word was the next thing that we heard. The earth gave out from underneath us both. We were at the epicenter of the cancer earthquake, but the tremors were traveling fast to our daughters, our parents, our sisters, and our friends. Earthquakes never affect only one person. They shake the ground of anyone around the epicenter. This earthquake was no exception. Our family could have crumbled, our faith could have fallen, our friends could have abandoned the ruins of our lives.  Instead during the next year, God put pieces back together and built us stronger. He used satan’s powerful earthquake to show His healing power. He took the torn down walls of our lives and reinforced them with His strength. Our damaged faith walk was repaired and used to show others the path to Jesus.  I’ve wondered many times how we got through it. How did He take our broken lives and make the repairs we needed? How did we see Him through all the destruction that seemed to surround us? How did we survive these hard times.

We all go through our personal earthquakes. You too may have had news of a disease. Maybe you have lost a spouse or a child. Divorce or news of an affair could have devasted your world. How do we get through these times of pain, suffering and shock? Looking back on my life, I think there were things that were in place that helped my family and I survive our earthquake. I want to spend some time looking at scripture, people that lived through earthquakes, and foundations we can build on that withstand the strongest earthquake in our lives. Hang on, there is a lot to cover on this subject….

EARTHQUAKES BECAUSE OF OTHER’S SIN  Paul had been a Christian for 22 years when we find him in Acts 21.  He had always been on fire for God, but before he chose to follow Christ, he had caused a lot of trouble for early Christians (Acts 7:58, Acts 9:13-14). Here was a man that had spent his life trying to undo “false religion” only to find out that what he had been clinging to was false. When he chose to follow Christ, he was all in. He immediately began to teach others (Acts 9:19-22). I find it incredible that 22 years later Paul finds himself facing people that were like him, people clinging to false religion (Acts 21). These people caused such a stir that a mob was formed. Paul was nabbed, and accusations were hurled at him. Things got so dicey that the Roman commander for that area “rescued” Paul and took him into the barracks. This rescue was not really a rescue. They planned to flog and interrogate Paul … thanks for nothing, right? (As you read on, you will see that he claimed his Roman Citizenship and was spared the flogging. He did lose his freedom though.)

Was Paul at the epicenter of an earthquake? Yes! False charges were brought against him.  False charges that caused him to be a prisoner for about 6 years. Six years of Paul’s life taken from him.

EARTHQUAKES CAUSED BECAUSE OF OUR SIN Moses caused his world to crumble.  Think back. Moses should have been murdered at birth. Midwives were told to kill all newborn boys. When they refused to, the king of Egypt ordered that all baby boys were to be thrown into the Nile River and drown (Exodus 1 & 2). God had a purpose for Moses from birth (just as He does us today). He needed Moses to become the leader of the Israelite nation. Jump forward in scripture to Exodus 33. Moses heard the voice of God (literally) at Mount Sinai a couple of times before chapter 33. In Exodus 33 God cranks it up a notch.  He has Moses not only physically hear Him, but He allows Moses to physically see Him. How many times in our lives do we want to have that experience. “If only I could see God and have Him confirm what I am about to do….”, does that sound familiar? Think about it. If anyone had a reason to completely obey God and never falter in his beliefs, it was Moses.

Turn to Numbers 20 now. Moses had been leading the people of Israel for a very long time at this point.  They had rejected the report that they could take the land of Canaan, so they were experiencing the first “wilderness trek”…a 40 year trek. The Israelites had been cared for during this time, but water was scarce. God told Moses to speak to a rock and He would have water pour out. Moses, the man who had seen God face to face, decided he had a better way. Speaking did not seem like enough. He needed a little more drama to show his power and leadership. (I’ll go out on a limb here, but this seems like a sin of pride…”I got this God, let ME show them who you are.) So, Moses in his wisdom struck the rock for the water to pour out. His sin was the epicenter of his earthquake. Moses’ whole life was built around leading the Israelites. God had given him everything he needed to be an incredible leader, but Moses wanted to do things his way. This sin caused him the very thing that he had worked and planned a lifetime for. He would not enter the Promised Land because of his sin.

Sometimes our sin earthquake can be pinpointed to a single event like it was with Moses.  Other times sin sneaks in gradually.  With each “house we build”, we move closer and closer to a known fault line. We become numb to the warnings around us.  After all, we have never seen an earthquake during our lifetime. The “fault line” is probably some exaggerated science that someone fabricated because they want that beautiful piece of property for their selves. Does that sound familiar? The Israelites found themselves in just that situation. Look at the book of Micah.

BUILDING ON A FAULTLINE  Reading a book like Micah is always a little tough for me.  Sometimes I get lost in the analogies that are written. One thing that comes through loud and clear though is that Israel had become so accustomed to the pagan lives around them that they no longer looked or acted different from them. They participated in idol worship (Micah 1). They coveted what others had and took it from them, they believed false prophets, and turned on each other (all in Micah 2). They trusted their wealth (Micah 6). They searched for satisfaction in gifts, bribes and power, but did not find it (Micah 7). Do you recognize any of this? In today’s world we struggle with the same things. Idol worship– new clothes, sports, car? Coveting– wishing for the house you see when you drive by and putting yourself on a path to get one better than that? Believed false prophets– Is it easier to listen to “what makes us feel good” or “what makes us grow spiritually”? Do we spend time seeking God and a relationship with Him, so we can discern what is false? Turning on each other– division in churches and families, speaking bad of others to make yourself look better? Trusting their wealth– wait, now you are getting personal…. I’m not like Scrooge. Stop and ask yourself, do I turn to God in my time of crisis or do I try to find a way I can manage it? Do I use my money to influence people and outcomes to my advantage? Is my money something that is used to intimidate others? (Why do I live the lifestyle that I live? Is it to glorify God?) Last they searched for satisfaction in wealth, bribes and power– where do I find my satisfaction? Is it in God alone? Can we echo what Paul said,“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.  I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”(Philippians 4:11-13)

It is so easy to build on a fault line.  Everything around us is pagan. Don’t think for a minute that satan is sitting idly by and letting you just be. No! He is active. If there is not a frontal attack, he is attacking within. Is it a coincidence that we are more comfortable all the time with the sin we see in our media? Is it a coincidence that we accept more and more sin as “that’s just the way it is?” Look at an incident in the life of Abraham. In Genesis 12 hardship in the form a famine came on Abraham. He and his beautiful wife, Sarah went to Egypt. A place of pagan worship and lifestyles. When they arrived, Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife. They told everyone that she was his sister. The short version – God inflicted disease on Pharaoh, Abraham and Sarah were sent on their way with lots of gifts, which included sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels…and oh by the way, servants.

You may be thinking wow! It turned out great for Abraham and Sarah. I don’t see how the Faultline affected them at all. I disagree. Because Abraham built on the Faultline, he had trouble with his nephew, Lot. His wealth of animals caused division between them and their families. Don’t forget this little tidbit. Abraham later took one of Sarah’s servants and got her pregnant. That very child, Ishmael, not only caused problems for Abraham and his family, but Ishmael’s descendants have caused problems for every generation that has followed. Abraham and Sarah going to Egypt seemed like a simple act to avoid the famine. BUT in doing so, they became accustomed to “ways of life” that affected their spiritual walk. There was no frontal attack from satan. He attacked them from within. Have you gotten comfortable with things around you? Is your life (your temple – 1 Corinthians 3:16) built close to the fault line? Are you making decisions that will cause your faith to crumble?

Earthquakes are a part of our lives. The decisions that we make each day determine how we live through the earthquake that crumbled everything around us. We can start avoiding the epicenter of them by avoiding sin and removing ourselves from the Faultline of life. Pay attention to what you have become comfortable with. Ask God to show you where you need to change your focus from so you can become more in tuned to Him.

Blessings – Cherie

 This is part 1 of a 2-part blog. Stay tuned for the next one coming soon.

It’s a Girl! That’s the words that this lady was thrilled to hear on November 27^, 1984.  No, we did not do ultrasounds beforehand, so we had generic nurseries. We had no idea of the gender of our baby so there were two name options. Doctors did not help you “pick” your due date.  All we knew is there was a baby on the way, and we wanted “it”! As I was reading through the account of Mary being told she was pregnant today, I tried to put myself back in time and look at her reaction and all she experienced. Her culture was very different. Her medical options were pretty much non-existent. Child birth could be hazardous, many times deadly. What was it like for her? Let’s explore a bit together.

Mary was engaged to Joseph. It was an arranged marriage. Mary was a teen. This was a legal contract between two families. Let’s try to place ourselves in Mary’s shoes for just a bit. Indulge me as I try to “write” a play.

Open scene with Mary working around the house. Angel, Gabriel, “appears” in front of her.

 Gabriel: Mary! It’s so good to see you today.  I have great news for you.

 Mary: Who are you? How did you get into my house? How did you know my name?

 Gabriel: I’m Gabriel, God sent me to give you good news. You’re going to become pregnant soon, but it won’t be after you are married to Joseph. No, this is going to be difficult for you to believe, but the Holy Spirit will cause you to be pregnant.  Your baby will be God. You will call him Jesus, which means THE LORD WHO SAVES.

 Mary: WAIT! What????? I believe in my LORD, but wait…what?? I need to sit down.  What will my parents say? Oh no, what will Joseph think? He’s a good man. He’s a descendant of King David you know. I don’t want to bring shame on him.

 Gabriel: Take a breath Mary. Don’t be afraid. God has got this.

Let’s pause for just a minute in the play. I want to look at some of Mary’s realities here. First, where are her parents? What did they have to say in the matter? I see no mention of them anywhere, so were they embarrassed or ashamed? Were they worried about the contract with the other family? They would have wasted a substantial dowry payment to them if Joseph decided not to marry her. All the money and livestock given for NOTHING.

Next, Mary had the real issue of being stoned to death.  Read Deuteronomy 22:20-21 ²⁰ … no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, ²¹ she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.This “good news” could get her killed. I’m pretty sure that by now my heart would have been pounding and the anxiety level would have pushed my blood pressure to the heart attack point. My NIV says in Luke 1:29 that Mary was confused and disturbed. This may be the understatement of the century. Back to the play.

(Mary sits on stool and takes deep breaths, so she doesn’t hyperventilate.)

 Gabriel: You, Mary. You have found favor with God. Out of all the women in the world, God chose you. You will give birth to our LORD. “He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:32-33)

 Mary: My parents have taught me about this prophecy. I have heard it my entire life. It’s one of the stories that I have been told when we travel, and when we sit around the fire at night in our home. This prophecy said that through the line of King David, the ONE TRUE KING would be born. I have always wondered how this would happen. Gabriel, I’m trying to put this all together right now, but are you telling me that I’m giving birth to the Messiah? Is that what you just said? I’m having trouble taking this in.

 Gabriel:  Yes Mary. That is exactly what I’m saying. But Mary, there’s more news. Your older cousin, Elizabeth, is pregnant now. I know she is very old, and is “too old” to have children, but she is pregnant. Her son will be very important in spreading the good news of the Messiah, the Messiah that you will conceive.

Back to narrative….recently I was given a book called “Giddy Up, Eunice” by Sophie Hudson. It’s a good read for women.  The books premise is the importance of older women teaching younger women and being there for them. One of the sections is devoted to Elizabeth and Mary.  Part of the premise of this section is how much they both needed each other during this time of their life.  Mary needed someone to confirm what she had heard. She needed someone to help her work through all she was told by Gabriel. Mary went to spend time with Elizabeth soon after she heard from the angel and stayed  3 months.

There are two things that Luke uses to show the significance of Mary’s pregnancy. Luke 1:41 ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.I have read these scriptures my entire life, and it was not until today, that I noticed that not only did “Baby John” jump in Elizabeth’s womb, but Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. First, how cool is it that “Baby John” started fulfilling his purpose in life by announcing the Messiah to his mother, Elizabeth. Secondly, I have skipped over the part about Elizabeth being filled with the Holy Spirit every time I have read this verse. How did I miss that? It was her prophetic claim that confirmed what the angel had told Mary. Mary had not had time to tell Elizabeth what had happened to her with the angel.  BUT Elizabeth knew that Mary was carrying the Messiah. With that confirmation Mary broke out in song and praise. Take a minute to read this beautiful song before I wrap this blog up. I copied it from THE MESSAGE because I think many times we are so familiar with verses we just gloss over them.  I hope you take a second to meditate on what she says.

^46-55 And Mary said,

I’m bursting with God-news;
I’m dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It’s exactly what he promised,
beginning with Abraham and right up to now.

A couple of things to take with you today:

1. When you are faced with things that are hard and you don’t understand, you need to stop and remember Mary. No, you probably did not have an angel come and give you news, but Mary’s world was shaken just like yours can be at times. Just like Mary, you need to realize that God has got it.  You do not need to be afraid.  God has a plan for you. He is all knowing.  He knew that you would go through this time. He will get you through to the other side. It doesn’t mean you won’t be fearful, it means you will trust Him to work in your life and use you for His purposes.
2. As soon as you can catch your breath, you need to stop and praise God for who He is and what He has done. Mary didn’t understand all that was about to happen in her life. She knew that there could be extreme consequences for her pregnancy. Her song showed she looked forward to God’s promise and looked behind to the history of God’s care for Israel. She knew God. She knew He took care of those He loved. She grew strength for her journey from that knowledge.

Thanks for letting me explore this part of the Christmas story with you.  Mary amazes me. I confess when my world is shaken, praise is not at the top of my list. Maybe it should be….

Blessings – Cherie

If you live in Midland, Texas, you know about Miss Cayce’s Christmas Store.  For those that love Christmas like I do, it is the ULTIMATE Christmas decorating store.  My four year old granddaughter, Emma Rose, was shopping with my daughter, Kristin, and I one day.  She put things into perspective for me as I was walking through the store with her and looking at all of the things “I had to have” this year to decorate my house. Emma Rose said, “Why don’t we have more things in our home that show the birth of Jesus?” (Full Disclosure… Kristin has a beautiful nativity scene, and both Emma Rose and her brother Preston, have a nativity in their rooms to interact with so they can tell the story of the birth. Kristin has also made sure that Emma Rose and Preston have several books about the birth of Jesus.) What I’m trying to put into perspective though is the focus at Christmas, yes, even for those of us that are believers, our focus is not always on The Christ. Who is part of The Trinity, who came to earth, lived, suffered, and died so that we can go to heaven one day with Him.

Take a moment to read these song lyrics written by Chris Tomlin and sang by Lauren Daigle on his album ADORE.  The phrase in the chorus that says, “Come and see what God has done” really speaks to me.

Blessings – Cherie

I can’t read road maps. I mean, I REALLY CAN’T READ THEM. I DON’T UNDERSTAND THEM.  It’s like I have a mental block. They do not make any sense to me. I want to turn them to where I see the road in front of me, so I can follow it. The problem: I may not be on the right road…so there you go… I start out lost on my journey. The better term is confused. Not sure of my direction. Knowing where I want to go but can’t figure out how to get there. You might say that I’m directionally challenged.

Kristin, my oldest daughter, was about eighth grade and my youngest, Katelyn, was about 4 years old when the three of us took off to Dallas (about 530 Kilometers for my Kenya friends) by ourselves. I had not traveled much on my own without my husband until this time. It was too easy for me to get lost. Remember, I could not read a road map. There was a new gadget out that gave me confidence to travel. It was a GPS (Global Positioning System). This wonderful little gadget plugged into a power source in my car and the suction-cup attached to the GPS stuck to my windshield. It carried “magical powers” (not really but for me it felt like it).  I could put in the exact address where I wanted to go, and BOOM! It gave turn by turn, road by road, directions to my final destination. It even showed me which lane to be in when I was in a big city. Because of my new device, my confidence was off the charts! I knew I could get there because EVERYTHING was PERFECTLY laid out before me. Each road, each lane, each exit right there showing me exactly what to do. It was all in a little box attached to my windshield. It not only showed me, but it also spoke the precise directions. All my fear of traveling by myself was gone. I knew I could get the three of us to Dallas, Six Flags Over Texas, and our hotel. Life was perfect! We were off.

When we arrived in Dallas that evening, we had one small set back. I could not find the hotel I booked. I followed all the directions that my GPS told me to do.  Turn by turn. Lane by lane.   Next thing I knew, I drove up to a gate that took me in to Dallas International Airport (DFW). That just couldn’t be right. Why would this GPS send me through a gate that would take me inside an international airport?  So, I turned around, drove back on the road about 5 miles. The entire time the GPS yelled “RECALCULATING THE ROUTE”. (Of course, it wasn’t really yelling, but by this time I was afraid that I was lost, so it seemed like it was yelling at me.) Again, I followed the GPS lane by lane, turn by turn, and WOSH! I was back at the same gate. That gate just couldn’t be right.  Why would I go through this gate to get to my destination? It just didn’t make sense. Once again, I turned around, went back about 5 miles, and the GPS sent me the same way. AGAIN, I turned the car around and retraced my steps, hoping for a different outcome. AGAIN, I followed the directions, and AGAIN I got back to the same gate. ONCE AGAIN, I rechecked my address. Yes. I had typed it in correctly. There was only one thing to do. I MUST take things into my own hands and find a different hotel.  One that did not go through this gate by the airport. Yes, I had prepaid for the hotel but that didn’t matter. Me taking things into my own hands, being able to be in control of my destination, a destination that did not include a gate into an airport……that was what was important. (Did I really just say that even with my fear of getting lost, I was willing to risk that and take things into my own hands to find my destination? Yes. Yes, I did. Insanity???)

My life right now feels a bit like being lost with a GPS showing me my direction.  It’s right in front of me, but I’m not sure if the turn through the gate is the right turn or not.  I feel a strong need to take things into my own hands and take control of where I think things should go next. Can you relate? Thank goodness scripture pulls me right back to truth. The Israelites and I have a lot in common. Even though they had God as their GPS, they decided to take things into their own hands and find their hotel (the promised land) their own way. Let’s pick up the story In Exodus 13. It is time for the Israelites to leave Egypt.  Before they do anything, anything at all, they are to consecrate their firstborn, firstborn of any womb, both human and animal. Side Note: This law of Moses continued through the birth of Jesus. (See Luke 2:23) Two times in Exodus 13, verses 9 and 16, God tells the Israelites why they are to consecrate the firstborns. It is to remind them.  Remind them of the time that they left Egypt and He took care of them. He refers to it as a “sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead”. Deuteronomy 6:4-8 Israel is told to Pay Attention! You are to love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul and strength. They are to tie symbols on their hands and bind them on their foreheads. Why would God tell Israelites to be so focused on things that had happened in the past? He wanted them to remember who He is and what He had done for them. If I would take this piece of wisdom as I look at my future, confidence and peace would replace fear and uncertainty. God wants me to look back, so I can look forward. He has ABSOLUTELY taken care of me and my family in every step of our life.  When I look back at the map of life that I have traveled, God took care of me. He guided me through some roads that needed 4-wheel drive, and He guided me on smooth highways that a sports car could go down. It is important to look back, look back to where I’ve been so I know that my GPS (God) will take me where He wants me to go in the future.

Next God promised that He would guide them every step of the way (Exodus 13:22). Israelites leave Egypt and start following the pillar of cloud and fire that God placed in the sky. They were heading to the promised land. The Egyptians realized the mistake they made releasing all of their slave workforce and started after them ready to take them captive again.  Then God give the Israelites the strangest command. “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. ³ Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.”  Wait! What? God wanted the Egyptians to come after them? Why would He lead them into the desert to die? Why didn’t he let them just die while they were enslaved? There are two reasons God wanted the Egyptians to pursue the Israelites:

1. He used the defeat of the Egyptians to show He was (and is) THE LORD and He would be glorified. As hard as it is for me to get through my thick skull, this life is not about me. God created me to glorify Him.  My life is to be lived so that He is glorified. Yes, even when everything around me looks hopeless and I feel lost, He has a plan that will GLORIFY HIM.
2. As usual, I will refer to the NIV study Bible notes on 13:17-18. (my paraphrase) The Israelites left Egypt ready for battle. BUT, they had not experienced the LORD fighting for them. When they saw the Egyptians swallowed up by the wall of water that had been held back for them as they crossed the sea, they saw the power and glory of God Almighty.  This miraculous act of their safe crossing, and the Egyptians drowning, gave the Israelites confidence that the God they were following, was the God that had a plan for them, a direction for them. He would guide them to safety and fight for them every step of the way.

So right about now, your wheels in your brain are turning. You are just about ready to come back to me with this, “How can you say they had not seen the power of God yet? They just witnessed the 10 plagues that God threw at the Egyptians to convince Pharaoh to let them go.” You are exactly right. But let me ask you a question. Have you ever witnessed the power of God and then soon after that felt defeated by something that happened in your life? Hey friend, I’m so there. I am a cancer survivor. My husband is a cancer survivor. God has held our hands and walked us through infertility, loss of family, illness, and job loss. He has shown us His power and glory over and over again. But there are still times that I question His plan, His road map, His turn by turn, lane by lane directions. That very thing is what has put me on this journey to study how God lead His people in the past, so I can be sure and see where He is leading me now.

Back to my Dallas trip. The morning after I paid for a second hotel, the girls and I got up and headed out.  I decided to look for the hotel we had booked for the weekend in the day light.  Things always look better in the morning, right? So, we were off, lane by lane, turn by turn. We went through the gate. There was the hotel. Right where it was supposed to be. And yes, yes it was much nicer than the one I booked in a panic when I took things into my own hands.  It was a Hyatt Regency and we stayed in a Holiday Inn (which was clean, but not as fancy). The crazy thing was the Hyatt Regency was cheaper than the Holiday Inn. (I had booked it on one of those discount websites.) Isn’t that the way it goes when we ask God to guide us and lead us and take us where He wants us to go, but we decide we know what is best?

Recently I have been very confused. Terry and I were walking in God’s will.  We were confident in that.  We had prayed and fasted asking God to lay out His plan for us.  The plan that came to be was in accordance to scripture, so we knew it lined up with God.  Unsolicited other Christians confirmed this plan. We took steps to follow God. BUT disobedience derailed His plan. My question: Will God still lead us where He wants us to go? He did with the Israelites. Take time to read Numbers 13 & 14. God had promised the Israelites a wonderful new land.  It was lush and beautiful.  It was what He wanted them to have.  There would be challenges on the way, but He would take care of those for them, if they just obeyed.  You know the story, the 12 spies went to check it out, and 10 said no way. Joshua and Caleb said YAHWEH! Joshua and Caleb knew God would deliver them to this promised land.  The Israelites did not put their faith in God and decided to take things into their own hands. Look at God’s response in Numbers 14:11 The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?Gut check time:

• Do I grumble in spite of all that God has done for me?
• Do I doubt His power in accomplishing things?
• Do I expect God’s work to depend on me? Do I realize he does not need me to accomplish what He wants done?

The Israelites tried to set things right on their own. It was a disaster because God was not with them.  They were defeated when they went to battle. They were no longer following God’s plan. It had become their plan.

Because of their disobedience, all adults but Joshua and Caleb died in the wilderness.  Their children inherited the promised land. What does this mean to me and the circumstance I’m in now? I must give up control and learn my lesson from the Israelites. Even though disobedience humanly derailed the plans that I was sure that God laid out, it did not derail God. God has a plan, a map. He will give me lane by lane and turn by turn directions. He asks me to OBEY HIM and TRUST HIM. Trust Him to guide us into His plan and path. Obey Him even though I may feel like He has lead me to a gate that I don’t think I need to go through. I may not understand all that God is doing now that the path in my life has changed. I may struggle with impatience, but I need to stay focused on God and listen to His turn by turn instructions. I need to continue to pray and fast for His clear direction. When things seem uncertain, I need to read Romans 8:31, What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? I need to learn from Joshua and Caleb, when others say No Way, I must say YAHWEH.

Blessings – Cherie

Our granddaughter is 4. She loves art! Many times, when we see her she brings us a picture that she drew for us.  For special occasions, her gift she gives is a picture or card she made for us.  They are beautiful! Of course, not in the Van Gogh way, but in a-4-year-old-granddaughter-that-loves-us-so-much-and-wants-to-express-her-love-to-us-way. (Read that fast and you can actually hear me talking.) We keep and display most of her artwork. She shows us her love through her gifts. It’s her heart for us that make her artwork so beautiful! This picture is one she drew of her Punkin (yes that’s my husband’s grandfather name) and her at the ranch. We had just bought a disc swing to hang off a tree and the picture shows them deciding where to place it. We cherish it because she had picked out THE tree the swing was to go on, and she had both of them ready to play. This gift of the picture showed her Punkin that she loved him. My love language is gifts. These sweet cards and pictures she creates to give to my husband and me go right to my heart.

King Hezekiah gave gifts to His God. Let’s take a few minutes and look at all he did to show God how much he loved Him. 2 Chronicles 28-30 is the base for this blog. It is the story of King Hezekiah.  This section of scripture takes place during the time of Isaiah.  It is now the divided kingdom.  Israel is the northern kingdom and Judah is southern kingdom. In chapter 28 Ahaz was the king of Judah.  Before King Ahaz his father, King Jotham, followed God.  2 Chronicles 27:6 describes Jotham this way.  “He walked steadfastly before the LORD his God.”Ahaz did not follow in Jotham’s footsteps.  Ahaz had other plans.  Ahaz became king when was 20 years old.  2 Chronicles 28:1, 6, and 19 give a great picture of Ahaz. “He did not do what was right in the sight of God.” “…Had forsaken the LORD…” “…promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD.”  This was King Hezekiah’s father. This was the kingdom he inherited. This was the legacy that King Hezekiah, Judah’s new king was left with.

Hezekiah is an interesting king. In many ways he was like our granddaughter.  He gave the best gifts he could possibly give to God. His heart belonged only to God, so all he gave may have looked like these precious pictures my husband and I receive. God was important to Hezekiah. God was his priority. He honored God and showed others how to give their hearts to God. God loved him and blessed him because of his heart. Let’s look at the gifts he gave God.

“Now I intend to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. My sons do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.”In Hezekiah’s first month of reign he repaired the temple doors. This visual was for his kingdom to see he was leading them back to God.  That one act was not enough though. The desire to seek God had to be followed up with action. Hezekiah turned to the priests and Levites and told them to “clean up their acts” and “clean the place of worship” (my translation).  “When they had assembled their fellow Levites and consecrated themselves, they went in to purify the temple of the LORD, as the king had ordered, following the word of the LORD”  (verse 15).

Go to the next verse, 16. “They brought out to the courtyard of the LORD’S temple everything unclean that they found in the temple of the LORD.”  Step away from the story of Hezekiah and chase this rabbit trail for just a second. In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 we read that we are God’s temple, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” Pause a minute. Think. When was the last time I purified my temple? Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, destroyed the Temple of God. God’s anger burned against him and Judah for the way he turned a sacred place into a place that honored other gods. It makes me ask, who lives in my temple? Do I live an unclean lifestyle that tarnishes and destroys where God lives? Or do I live a lifestyle that keeps God’s temple holy and sacred?

You may be thinking, but I’M A GOOD PERSON. I don’t break laws. I don’t murder, steal, lie or cheat (you know the big sins). How do I defile my temple? Can I ask you a question? Is it important to have the right clothes so you fit in with everyone? Is it important to drive the right car? What about be in the right social group….have the right friends, the one’s socially acceptable? Do you put out a “false” look of who you are to others? Do you tear others down and put them in their place so you look better than they do? Do you push others out of the way, their ideas and their plans, so you can do things the way you want? Pride destroys the temple of your heart where God lives. When pride takes over my life, my heart belongs to me and my wants, not God. I defile His temple when I allow my wants, rights, and things come before Him. So do you.

The rededication of the temple to the LORD was King Hezekiah’s next gift. He had the priests start with a sin offering to God. (Leviticus 4 describes sin offerings if you want to look further into that.) Hezekiah had 7 bulls, 7rams, 7male lambs, and 7male goats given as a sin offering. The number 7 is very significant. Seven means completeness or perfection in the Bible. It seems to me that Hezekiah was bringing before God all the sins that had been committed against Him. Hezekiah’s personal sins, the sins committed in the Temple of God, the sins committed by the priests and Levites, and sins by those in his kingdom.  He wanted complete atonement for all that had been done against Jehovah. Is there a better gift than having a relationship restored?  Being at odds with someone not only hurts, but creates a huge distance between those fighting. Having repentance and reconciliation with the one you are at odds with is a beautiful gift. Imagine how pleased God was when Hezekiah and the people of Judah asked to reconcile with Him through their sin offering.

It was during this time of sacrifice that Hezekiah had the Levites start their worship with music and song. 1 Chronicles 23:1-5 shows when King David instituted this. When I think back threw my life, some of my best times of worshipping was during times I was finding my way back to God.  I knew that it was He alone that I desired. It was only Him that could satisfy. God alone could forgive me. He alone would fill the hole that sin had left in my heart. The interesting part of this gift to me is that as much as King Hezekiah was physically showing God his love for Him, I think Hezekiah is the one that may have received the gift. The people of Judah worshipped God with total abandon. In 2 Chronicles 29:34 you read that there were so many animals brought to sacrifice that there were not enough priests to do the sacrifices. God had prepared the hearts of the people of Judah. During this time of worship and sacrifice they threw themselves at the feet of His throne and asked to be restored to Him. Worshipping with total abandon restores my soul. Hezekiah had to fill restored. He had to fill satisfied with all he saw in his kingdom, his people following God and living in covenant with Him. This had to have blessed Hezekiah (maybe it is “blessed to give than receive Acts 20:35).

As beautiful as these gifts were to God, there was another set of gifts that Hezekiah gave God. Let me digress a moment and tell you about a scene in an episode of the old TV show Eight Is Enough. The father, Tom Bradford, was sitting at the family kitchen table. He was troubled. His adult daughter, Jonie, walked in to the kitchen and saw him sitting there. In trying to help him, she offered to make him his FAVORITE sandwich. Tom’s response, “Please just fix me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I hate peanut butter and sardine sandwiches.” Jonie was shocked, “But dad you always said that was your favorite!” Tom, “Jonie, I hated the sandwich, but I loved the heart of my 7-year-old daughter the first time she made it for me, and I was so grateful for what she did. I loved your heart each time you made it for me after that. BUT I hate the taste of peanut butter and sardines!” I think that some of the next gifts Hezekiah gave may have been more like peanut butter and sardine sandwiches. See what you think.

Look at 2 Chronicles 30. King Hezekiah is now ready to celebrate the Passover. His timing was off, by a month. The timing of the Passover (Numbers 9:1-14) could not be met because his priests had not been consecrated yet and he had not reached out to tribes in the Northern Kingdom. (30:1-5). Looks a bit like peanut butter and sardines to me. This could be
“hard for our Father to swallow”.  Hezekiah didn’t get it right! God rejected many in scripture for not honoring His law. After all the celebration was at the wrong time and many had not been consecrated. This next scripture though sets King Hezekiah’s actions apart from others that failed to follow God’s law. “…But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone who sets their heart on seeking God – the LORD, the God of their ancestors– even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary. And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.” 2 Chronicles 30:18-20.  It’s a HEART issue.

Confession time.  Most of my life I have focused on the wrong thing when I worshipped God. I focused on how and when communion was taken, if the prayer was right, if the right man was preaching, if the songs in worship sounded pleasing to me. When I look at scripture, I’m much more like the Pharisees that did not have their heart right. The Pharisees that focused on getting the letter of the law right and at the same time persecuted Jesus. How is it I see so plainly what the Pharisees did in their lives, and not my own?  God wants MY HEART.  2 Chronicles 31:21, “In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.” 2 Kings 18:3 describes King Hezekiah this way: He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.”Wholeheartedly. God had his WHOLE HEART. Selfish preferences or desires did not get included in the package King Hezekiah gave God.

So what gift does my God want from me? He wants me to be dedicated to Him. He wants me to be in relationship with Him. He wants me to worship Him with all I have. He wants me to give Him my heart, my WHOLE HEART. These are gifts all of us can give. They don’t require a lot of money. They don’t require extra time. They don’t require extra work. The require me to give all of me to Him.

Be blessed – Cherie

My daughter, Kristin, wrote these great thoughts.  She allowed me to share them with you.  I hope you are as challenged by them as I was. – Cherie

Recently, our daughter has began learning the Lord’s prayer and she is reciting it around the house. She’s been learning the King James Version from Matthew 6:9-13, which states: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Every now and then she needs help and will ask what something means. I can recall countless sermons and studies on the salutation to the Father, the daily bread, the forgiveness, the deliverance from temptation, even the last bit of the verse 13 which is a footnote in some English translations of the Bible. What I don’t recall is much study of the very first of the prayer, the section Jesus starts with after the salutation: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Which has me recently pondering: What does it mean for “Thy kingdom to come, Thy will to be done in earth, as it is in heaven” for someone who professes to be a Christian?

As I began to mediate on this, I find myself remembering Ephesians 6:10-18: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Other than the fact I learned both of these sections of scriptures as a young child, it is strange to me that this is the scripture containing the armor of God is what came to mind while mediating on the beginning of the Lord’s prayer. Why would my spirit place these two passages from my childhood together in this stage of my life? I honestly “put a pin in it” and went about my life as a wife and mother, not really mediating on it much more than that for a bit.

A week or so goes by and I am re-connecting with an Army friend. For those who don’t know me, my husband is an Army veteran who served three tours in OEF during the first seven years of our marriage. My view on life dramatically altered as a result of this. Words such honor, respect, sacrifice, the true meaning of family and the phrase “call day or night,” changed with this period of my life. Some of my closest friends are all over the world and we will talk or text randomly and connect in an instant way I cannot explain. I was talking to one of my closest friends and chatting with her about the mediating of these things and she suggested praying about the connection and journaling about it. But one thing she said was very interesting to me: Christ is our King and we are his soldiers. Then it struck me: A King will not enter an area unless the soldiers have secured the battlefield. I remember reading Decision Pointswhere President Bush writes of going to Afghanistan but he goes to a secure military base. I remember my husband telling me of celebrities who would tour the secured bases, but they did not go to the front lines. The soldiers, they are the ones on the front lines. They are the ones fighting for their King. The King only enters the battlefield which the soldiers have already secured.

This struck me hard for several days. Then some more questions came to mind: What is my mission for my King? A solider always has a mission directive that he/she is to carry out. What is mine as a Christian? And since Christ has died and I have received his grace and mercy with his ultimate sacrifice on the cross, am I therefore drafted into battle? And do I have any battle buddies?

Again, I began to mediate on this. Praying about it. Then another scripture from childhood hit me, this time it was Matthew 28:18-20, which I learned as the Great Commission: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” If Christ is my King, and I am a solider standing in the armor of God, then my mission directive is the last thing my King instructed me to do before he left me. His instructions, his training, everything he has taught me and done for me are very important and significant and will guide me and save me through any and all circumstances to come. But my mission, what I am command to do for him for his kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, is what he commanded of me before he left.

Again, I come at life from the eyes of a veteran’s wife. Something that is not acknowledged much in the United States is that since September 11, 2001, there have been two wars fought simultaneously without a draft or a need for a draft. How is that possible? Simple: The USA military is made up of volunteers. As a Christian serving my King, is there any passage of scripture which speaks of volunteering for my God? Isaiah 6: 1-8 “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.  And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” Isaiah, this simple man who trembles before the throne, sees the glory of his King; and when his King asks who will go for him, Isaiah simply volunteers. He willingly steps forward for his King.

I recently heard an amazing sermon where Acts 4:29 was highlighted, which states: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” These early Christians are praying for boldness for Christ, knowing the earthly consequences of their actions. Yet they know someone must go forward for Christ if his mission directive is to be carried out. Isaiah is bold. Isaiah is willing to go. Peter and John are bold, and they along with other Christians pray for their boldness.

Being a solider, or a member of a soldier’s family, is not easy. It takes away your comforts and peace of mind. The training and preparations as a solider are relentless, and the seminars you go through as a wife are hard. There are many sleepless nights when the solider is called to battle. Watching the news will turn your stomach. But the friends you make when in the fire of war for the solider and his/her family will be the ones you cherish the rest of your life. You can come from different backgrounds, races, geographical locations, even religions, but none of that matters when on the battlefield. There, you are simply carrying out your commander’s mission. And you learn the true meaning of love as described in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Will being a solider for Christ be hard? Yes. That’s why Christians have Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Will be getting out of bed be difficult spiritually and physically some days as a soldier for Christ? Yes. Lamentations 3:22-24: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’” Will there be times when I am not on the battlefield but rather waiting for my next assignment in the scope of the greater mission? Yes. Psalms 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” The reason these scriptures come so quickly to my mind is because for the three deployments my husband did, I had a scripture that was on my heart each deployment. And while mediating on this scope of what it truly means to be a solider for Christ, these scriptures that  sustained me each deployment, come to the forefront of my mind again.

What is my conclusion from this, something so simple as my daughter learning the Lord’s prayer and reciting it to her brother, dolls, father and myself? For me, after a month of prayer of mediation on it, it is simple: For Thy kingdom to come and thy will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-13), then I, having seen the glory of my King and knowing the ultimate sacrifice has been made and the war has been won (Luke 23&24), must volunteer (Isaiah 6:1-8) and to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and go and follow the mission directive of my King (Matthew 28:18-20) in the truest sense of love (John 15:13). Maybe this is all a bit farfetched. But I will be very honest: Pulling all these scriptures together in this manner brings a peace to my spirit which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). In addition, it also gives me a purpose and a way to train and proceed in life as a Christian who is wanting to win souls for my King. Also, waking with this mentality and the acknowledgement of the spiritual warfare which surrounds me changes the outlook of my day. I am no longer simply raising children, but rather training future warriors for Christ. I am no longer a housewife going thru the motions, but a partner to another warrior who is fighting for our family’s well being in both earthly and heavenly kingdoms. Finally, I am then praying for a boldness to assist my fellow soldiers as we secure the battlefield for our King’s entrance; for Thy kingdom to come, Thy will to be done on EARTHas it is in heaven.

A huge thanks to my mother for encouraging to share my thoughts.

Be bold. – Kristin