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Journey to Walled Garden: Part Two

11/18/2019

Grapevine at Walled Garden

This is the grapevine that brought me to tears. I still can't explain it. The moment I saw it, the resignation that had crept into my heart began to dissipate. Perhaps the Lord had heard my cry! Perhaps our time in this beautiful 'wilderness' was coming to an end. I sent Henry the link to Walled Garden. God's timing was perfect...he would be driving down to Kiltarlity for our grandson Paxton's birthday in just a few days. Maybe he and Kate could take a look at "Walled Garden!"

"Mom, I can see you and Dad living there!" Kate was enthused. Henry agreed. We would need to make another trip south when I arrived home from the States.

Soon after I visited Walled Garden I was assailed with doubt. It exceeded my expectations, but I could not explain the sudden, sharp conflict in my heart. Was it a warning from the Lord? Had I hoped in vain? We returned to Orkney and made the decision to put Little Halley on the market anyway. It seemed an irrational decision with nowhere to go! It must have been a step of faith the Lord needed us to take...we needed to walk by faith, and not by sight. The conflict I felt about Walled Garden disappeared when I released Little Halley. Autumn is not a particularly desirable time to list a home, so we expected a window of several months (or more) to prepare for the move. We had two viewings on Tuesday...and two offers by Friday the same week!

"Who told thee that night would never end in day? Who told thee that the winter of thy discontent would proceed from frost to frost, from snow and ice and hail to deeper snow, and yet more heavy tempest of despair? Knowest thou not that day follows night,
that flood comes after ebb, that spring and summer succeed winter?
Hope thou then! Hope thou ever! For God fails thee not!

"He was better to me than all my hopes;
He was better than all my fears;
He made a bridge of my broken works
And a rainbow of my tears."

These words from Streams in the Desert sprang to life for me! First, the name of 'Walled Garden,' which did not seem a coincidence in relation to my book...and now the word 'BRIDGE.' In my book, The King's Garden, Papa builds a bridge to bring His children home. In researching the name of Drumnadrochit, the village we are moving to, I discovered it is Scottish Gaelic, meaning 'The Ridge of the Bridge.'

The Lord has taken my broken works here in Orkney, and shined His light upon them. He has made a rainbow of my tears and is leading us to 'The Ridge of the Bridge' and to "Walled Garden".

I have repeatedly asked the Lord's forgiveness for my lack of faith these past few years in Orkney...and for the horrible witness I have given. I fell prey to the enemy's oldest lies: "God is not good. Just look at what He has allowed to happen to you! You have been abandoned...and will rot in uselessness for the rest of your days."

THE DEVIL IS A LIAR!

I am relearning to trust the Lord and His unfailing promises. Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God! Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God:

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
You who seek the Lord:
Look to the Rock from which you were hewn,
And to the quarry from which you were dug.
Look to Abraham your father (who believed God)
And to Sarah who bore you...
For the Lord comforts Zion;
He comforts all her waste places
AND MAKES HER WILDERNESS LIKE EDEN,
Her deserts like the (Walled) Garden of the Lord;
Joy and gladness will be found in her;
Thanksgiving and the voice of song."
(from Isaiah 51)

He is GOOD, and His mercies endure forever.
Soli Deo Gloria!

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Journey to Walled Garden: Part One

11/16/2019

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Five years ago this month I embarked on the wildest adventure of my life! Following the Lord's leading, Henry and I packed up and moved 5,000 miles, from western Washington State to the Orkney Islands (off the north coast of Scotland). Many of you will be aware that the past five years have stretched me...

After a final week of memory making at Little Halley, we said 'goodbye' as a family. Tears flowed freely as Kate, Richard and the grandchildren drove down the drive for the last time. Our son Drew left two days later. When I got home from the airport, I found myself embracing the ancient stone wall in the sitting room. I pressed my face against it and sobbed. Life in Orkney has not been easy, but Little Halley has been our God-given refuge on many a dark day these past five years.

A year ago we thought our time in Orkney was coming to a close. We had a valuation done and all the photos ready to put Little Halley on the market. Not wanting to step outside of the Lord's will, we prayed "Lord, if this is NOT your will, please make it clear." The following day a neighbor asked if we would consider hosting a Bible study. He had approached the pastor of a local church with the same request and was denied. We realized the Lord's work for us in Deerness was not finished.

I am so thankful for God's wisdom and perfect timing. Having experienced continued, bewildering loss of relationship here, the Lord knew we needed the fellowship of a small group we have grown to love. God gave us the opportunity to finish strong, granting us the privilege of watching the seeds we planted begin to germinate and grow. I know the Lord will finish the work He has begun.

In late August I flew back to Washington to stay with my Mom while my sister and her husband were away. I looked forward to enjoying the warmth of late summer and was not disappointed. It was HOT, and the heat meant LOTS of watering...a great excuse to soak up the sunshine. As I watered the hydrangeas, I reflected on the nature of our life in Orkney. I am ashamed to admit that I began to covet my sisters plants.

"Lord," I began to pray. "Please forgive me for coveting these plants! It's just that our life in Orkney has been characterized by barrenness these past few years! It feels as though the barrenness has crept into every aspect of our lives...social, spiritual, even botanical! Lord, you know my heart."

I finished watering and decided to indulge myself by having a quick look at homes for sale on the Mainland (where gardens flourish, untouched by the fierce, salt-laden gales that characterize Orkney). A property near the shores of Loch Ness immediately caught my eye. Just next to the entrance stood a towering DOUGLAS FIR TREE...a sentinel and a reminder of "home." Extensive gardens included a greenhouse, inside which grew a grapevine. A cluster of green grapes hung from the vine. I suddenly, shockingly burst into tears!

"What a peculiar reaction," I asked myself, "who bursts into tears at the sight of a grapevine?"

The following day, after watering Lisa's plants, once again I succumbed to the temptation. This time I noticed the name of the home/property with the greenhouse: "Walled Garden." My heart skipped a beat!

The week prior to travelling to the States I signed a contract with a publisher in England to publish my first children's book: "The King's Garden: Parable of the Impossible Tree." It is the story of a King who lives with his children in the safety of a vast and glorious Garden. All is well until the children disobey Papa and find themselves outside the protection of the Garden wall...Great sacrifice is made to build a bridge, making a way for the children to find their way Home.

I began to wonder if the Lord was about to "give back the years that the locusts have eaten."

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NOT FOR SALE!

4/10/2019

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"BEHOLD, I AM SENDING YOU OUT AS SHEEP IN THE MIDST OF WOLVES, SO BE AS WISE AS SERPENTS
AND AS INNOCENT AS DOVES."
Matthew 10:16

"There is nothing new under the sun..." The words of Solomon ring truer than ever this morning as I write. I have continued reading through Daniel this week. Prideful Nebuchadnezzar has learned to honor the Most High King of Heaven after being stripped of his reason and forced to live like an animal for a time.  Below are his last words recorded in Scripture:

                             "All His works are right and His ways are just;
                         and those who walk in pride He is able to humble."

In chapter five Nebuchadnezzar's son Belshazzar now reigns in his father's place. Unfortunately Belshazzar has not learned from his father's mistakes. He hosts a feast for thousands of his lords and subjects.   We might assume he has had one too many glasses of wine when he orders his servants to fetch the gold and silver vessels (Holy to the Lord) which had been taken from the Temple in Jerusalem.  Belshazzar and his concubines drink wine from the holy vessels and 'praise the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.'

Suddenly a hand appears, writing a cryptic message on the plastered wall. The king pales, knees knocking. He cries out for someone to interpret the 'handwriting on the wall.' Only Daniel can deliver. He is brought before the king, who promises wealth, power and prestige in exchange for the interpretation.

Daniel's response caught my immediate attention:

                                               "Let your gifts be for yourself,
                                          and give your rewards to another."

Daniel made it perfectly clear that...

    THE GIFTS AND SERVICES OF GOD ARE NOT FOR SALE!

Let's take a look at a few more passages. In 1 Kings 5, Naaman, the commander of Syria's army has contracted leprosy. He seeks Elisha the prophet, desperate for a cure. The prescription is not as sensational as Naaman has hoped. He is merely told to go and wash himself in the Jordan river seven times. After throwing a tantrum he relents and dips himself in the river as instructed. His flesh is restored to that of a little child. Understandably grateful, he gives glory to God and offers Elisha a gift for his services. In the words of Elisha:

                "As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none."

In Acts chapter eight Peter and John have been sent from Jerusalem to Samaria to pray for new believers there. As Peter and John lay hands on their new brothers and sisters the Holy Spirit descends on them. There happens to be a well known magician standing nearby. His name is Simon. He offers to pay for the gift of the Spirit:

                                                 "Give me this power also,
                                      so that anyone on whom I lay hands
                                              may receive the Holy Spirit!"

Peter's retort echoes for us today and we would be wise to take heed!

"May your silver perish with you,
because you thought you could
obtain the gift of God with money!"

As the Apostle Paul is on his way to Jerusalem (Acts 20), he calls for the Ephesian elders to meet with him in Miletus. He has serious words of warning for them:

"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with His own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, AND FROM AMONG YOUR OWN SELVES will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away disciples after them..." (Acts 20:28-30)

Brothers and sisters, there are countless 'ministries' today that are peddling what they claim to be the power of God for HUGE profit! I will not name names or draw conclusions for you, but beg you to evaluate these 'ministries' through the lens of God's Word!
Yesterday I did a bit of research on a 'supernatural' ministry/school located on the West Coast of the U.S. whose influence is spreading far and wide. According to their website their aim is to teach students to:

          1) EMBRACE THEIR ROYAL IDENTITY
          2) LEARN THE 'VALUES' OF THE KINGDOM
          3) WALK IN THE AUTHORITY AND POWER OF THE KING

This school typically enrolls 1,300 first year students and 650 second year student each year. Tuition per student, per year (which does NOT include room and board) is $5,250.00 per year. I did the math.

The total amount of tuition collected each year, just from first and second year students is...ARE YOU READY FOR THIS???

$10,237,500.00

Read it aloud:
TEN MILLION-TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED
(dollars per year)

One cannot help but ask whose 'KINGDOM VALUES' they are peddling! I suspect the craving for the sensational is rather an indictment on this generation:

"An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign,
but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah..."
Matthew 16:4

"BEHOLD, I AM SENDING YOU OUT AS SHEEP
IN THE MIDST OF WOLVES,
SO BE AS WISE AS SERPENTS
AND AS INNOCENT AS DOVES."
Matthew 10:16

P.S. For clarification I AM NOT saying that those who serve the Lord are not worth their wages! We must not muzzle the ox that treads the grain. My grave concern is for naïve and unsuspecting sheep who may not recognize a wolf then they see one.

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Image Bearers

4/7/2019

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Spring in Orkney is a fickle creature. One moment the sky is blue and the sun hints at warmer days to come. Then, without much warning, the wind kicks up, the clouds roll in and it feels like winter again. The Rosa Rugosa is bravely putting forth her brand new chartreuse leaves. I decided she needed a bit of encouragement, and tucked a cluster of mini-daffs and a purple primrose in the moss beneath. I can see them from my desk and they make me smile.

I love the lengthening of days this time of year! The first light arrives around 5:30 am, making it so much easier to get up early and spend time with the Lord (after putting the kettle on and quickly checking F-book). This past week I have been reading through Daniel.

Several things caught my attention in chapter two.   Nebuchadnezzar demands of his magicians and sorcerers something that is humanly impossible. He commands them to tell him what he has dreamed, as well as the interpretation. He threatens to tear them 'limb from limb' and leave their homes in ruins if they do not comply! Thankfully for them, Daniel intervenes. The God of Heaven grants him wisdom to tell Nebuchadnezzar both the dream and the interpretation. God is glorified!

The subject of Nebuchadnezzar's dream is an idolatrous figure representing the kingdoms of men. Daniel assures the King that he and his kingdom are represented by the illustrious head of gold. Nebuchadnezzar appears to be initially humbled, falling on his face before Daniel and declaring: "Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of Kings, and a revealer of mysteries."

As I reflected on Nebuchadnezzar's dream, I couldn't help but wonder if the descending value of the materials in the image (top to bottom) reflects the degeneration of the human race through the ages. Gold > Silver > Bronze > Iron > Iron mixed with clay. These will all be shattered at the end of the age, when God  establishes His Kingdom, which will never be destroyed. It would appear that man has gradually abandoned that part of himself which is made in God's image, replacing it with a self-aggrandizing, increasingly worthless man-made image.

As I continued reading in Daniel 3, I realized that Nebuchadnezzar's initial display of humility before God was shockingly short-lived. We soon find him commissioning the creation of an image of gold (his image, of course). It is ninety feet tall! He orders it set up on the plain of Dura. Every person in his kingdom is now required to bow down and worship this image whenever they hear his music playing.

We don't really know what this giant statue looked like, so I did an image search. I imagine the picture on the right to be a fair representation. I was astonished when it called to mind for me another golden image, shown below. An image more contemporary, but perhaps equally as idolatrous! Modern man has perfected the art of self-worship.

Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created man IN HIS OWN IMAGE! Man was not long content to remain an 'image bearer' though. By Genesis 3 the Lord's original, perfect intentions for the human race were derailed. Adam and Eve succumbed to the enemy's lying temptation:
"YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD!"

We in the church have been quick to judge the worship of 'idols'. We scoff at the impatient Israelites who stooped to create for themselves a golden calf to worship in the wilderness. We laugh at the seemingly silly (and sometimes suggestive) objects of worship found in archaeological excavations. We may quietly dismiss those from different cultural background who have altars in their homes for the worship of Buddha and/or their ancestors. I am NOT condoning these activities, but suggesting that we take a much closer look at our own practices.

Years ago, when I was a fairly new believer, I had a strikingly vivid dream. I knew it was prophetic, but am only now realizing how frighteningly relevant it is. In my dream I was walking, alone in a dusty old town that appeared to be deserted. My heart was heavy and I was desperate for guidance and encouragement. I looked ahead and saw an old stone church on the corner. "I'll go there," I thought.

I walked to the church and realized, upon arriving, that it had no door. I stood in the open doorway of the vestibule and noticed there were five or six clergymen standing around a table in the middle of the church. They were clothed in white robes. The church was completely empty otherwise. Bare beams supported the roof. The walls were of undressed stone. There was no floor, only dirt. As I watched, the church leaders busied themselves with their task. I looked intently at them until they finally looked up and acknowledged me. I communicated my need without speaking (such a peculiar thing, dreams!). They hesitated for a moment, then clearly decided to ignore me completely and resume their activity. After watching for several minutes I realized they were helping each other make plaster masks of their own faces.
THEY WERE FAR TOO BUSY PRESERVING THEIR OWN IMAGES
TO TEND TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS!

We in the church have allowed ourselves to be 'conformed' to the ways of the world, rather than being 'transformed,'  and 'changed from glory to glory.' When did we begin abdicating our own responsibilities as members of the Body? We often look to mere men (rather than God) to meet our needs and  we elevate our pastors and other leaders in the church to an unhealthy degree.   In this culture of celebrity I fear we are feeding egos and creating stumbling blocks for those tempted by power and prestige.

No wonder the  Church in the West is increasingly powerless! Mimicking the world, she is slowly devolving into a cheap, man-made substitute that caters to fleshly needs for experience and excitement, signs and wonders. Is she worshiping her own image, rather than the Lord who bought Her?

         Perhaps it's time for a bit of individual and collective soul searching!

"I am the Lord;
that is my name!
I will not yield
my glory to another
or my praise to idols."
(Isaiah 42:8)

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Starving in a Land of Plenty

2/22/2019

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Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away I was a Mom of school-age children. I have a confession to make. I dreaded packing their lunches! The only thing that kept me going week after week and year after year was the memory of the school lunches at Spanaway Elementary. My mother had four children, of whom I was the oldest. She rarely had time to pack my lunch, so most days it was 'hot lunch' for me. I only wish I had one of those green-faced, nauseated-looking emoji to insert here!

Occasionally the school kitchen managed to serve something tasty. Thanksgiving was always a favorite time, as we had turkey gravy and mashed potatoes. This is where my positive memories cease. Far too often my lunch tray was heaped with the likes of tasteless, rubbery macaroni and cheese, served with a side of slimy canned spinach. I vowed at a very young age that I would never force my children to eat school lunch.

Fast forward to parenting days...In the midst of the drudgery of lunch-making I sometimes regretted my resolve. Most days I managed to pack healthy lunches. They were nothing fancy, but normally included a sandwich, fruit and homemade cookies.

Drew and Kate in their younger years

Look at these two angels! One might expect that they appreciated their mother's commitment to packing healthy lunches. Alas, the allure of their friends' lunches, overflowing with 'Lunchables," "Twinkies and "Squeeze-its" was simply irresistible.

"Mom, why can't we have lunches like all the other kids?" they complained. At the end of one school year I relented (partially due to lunch-packing fatigue). On the last day of school I heaped those bags with every manner of refined, sugary junk I could find. By the end of the day they were miserable. It was a lesson for us all.

The Lord awakened me this morning with the title of this post:
"Starving in a Land of Plenty"
In my half-waking state, the words of Amos 8:11 came to mind...

"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord God, "when I will send
a famine on the land--not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord."

I feel the effects of this famine in Deerness. Though it is said there was revival here in the mid 19th century, not one active church remains in the parish. Henry and I often find ourselves searching for sermons online to feed our hungry souls. While there are a few churches that we can count on to provide nourishment, much of what passes for Bible teaching these days is nothing more that spiritual junk food, long on entertainment value and woefully devoid of Biblical substance. Once a devoted student of the Word, discouragement and isolation have lately shrouded me in a cloud of complacency. The discipline of meeting with the Lord first thing has given way to the habit of scrolling through Facebook, checking my email and looking at the news. By the time I find my way to my desk, the morning is half-gone and my attention span has evaporated.

THIS MESSAGE IS FOR ME!
My famine is largely self-imposed. The Lord has shown me that I have been 'Starving in a Land of Plenty.' Forgive me, Lord! The great Scottish Bible expositor Alexander MacLaren once wrote:

"We may have as much of God as we will.
Christ puts the key of the treasure-chamber into our hand,
and bids us take all that we want.
If a man is admitted into bullion vault of a bank and told to help himself,
and comes out with one cent, whose fault is it that he is poor?"

Medieval Bread Baking

          Why Does it Matter?
            It is a matter of life and death!
Without physical nourishment I will eventually die. The same is true spiritually. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3
        "Man shall not live by bread alone,
            but by every word that comes
                  from the mouth of God."
Jesus is the Bread of Life. Without a steady diet of His Word I  will grow weak, putting my faith in grave danger!   Remember, "FAITH COMES BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD! " No wonder my faith has faltered! The enemy of my soul knows it is far easier for me to settle for a diet of mindless frivolity. His offerings are endless. If I resist him He will flee!

                                            It is also a matter of witness!
Paul warns me NOT to be conformed to the world, but to be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of my mind. My calling is to be CONFORMED to the image of Christ! Time spent in the Word is time spent beholding JESUS! He IS the Living Word:

              "...and we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,
                            are BEING TRANSFORMED into the same image
                                      from one degree of glory to another."
                                                               (2 Corinthians 3:18)
                                     I want people to see JESUS when they see me!

It is my Protection!

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need
to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of truth."
(2 Timothy 2:15)

The enemy knows his time is short. He is RAGING against the people of God, flooding the Church with false prophets and counterfeit doctrines. My only defense against his attack is the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit:

           "The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword,
                  piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow,
                          and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
                                                                 (Hebrews 4:12)
Jeremiah 17:9 tells me that 'the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick.'
I dare not trust my own thoughts, but must test them against the truth of God's Word.

An image of Moses

Moses, having received the Ten Commandments straight from the hand of God, knew the importance of the Word! On the last day of his life he sang to the people of Israel, recounting God's mighty works and faithfulness. When he had finished he said to them:

             "Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today,
                            that you may command them to your children,
                    that they may be careful to do all the words of this law.
                                           For it is no empty word for you
                                                   BUT YOUR VERY LIFE!"
                                                 (Deuteronomy 32:46-47)

L'Chaim!

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O Come, Let us Adorn Him!

12/31/2018

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Whew! The bustle of Christmas 2018 is fading and we begin to breathe again. Here at Little Halley, Henry and I are missing family, but determined to enjoy a restful afternoon and quiet New Year's Eve. It is just past 3:00 pm, nearly twilight, and a pale peach sunset floats above the steely blue sea.

I haven't had the heart to dismantle this year's decorations. The tree is still soft and fresh, needles clinging to the ornamented branches. Tea-light candles scattered around the house lend a little extra light on these short days. My heart drinks in every last drop of the season...

Sunlit cheer at Little Halley

Have you ever wondered why we love to decorate? Borrowing inspiration from Pinterest, we trim trees and bedeck our homes with signs of the seasons. We plant flowers and landscape our yards. We paint our faces and even embellish our finger and toenails! Where does this pervasive impulse come from???

Ecclesiastes 3:11 declares that God "has made everything beautiful in its time." Even the bare, windswept branches of these wild, thorny roses are lovely, silhouetted against the glory of sunrise! Our appreciation of beauty and penchant for making things pretty is proof that we are "image-bearers." We bear a close resemblance to our Creator!

I rediscovered a bit of  decorating advice recently, when I re-read Paul's letter to Titus. Paul had left Titus in Crete to help build a solid foundation for the fledgling church there. This brief letter was written around 65 AD and underlines the vital importance of teaching sound doctrine. Here are a few of his instructions:
Teach them to be:
      SOBER MINDED...
            DIGNIFIED...
                 SELF CONTROLLED...
                      SOUND IN FAITH, LOVE AND STEADFASTNESS...
                            REVERENT IN BEHAVIOR...
                                  NOT SLANDERERS...
                                        NOT SLAVES TO MUCH WINE...
                                              PURE...

                  "...so that in everything
                        they may ADORN
            the doctrine of God our Savior."
                                                           (Titus 2:10)

Did you catch that? Our mandate, as true followers of Jesus is to ADORN the truth of the Gospel by the way we live. In essence, we are perpetual human Christmas trees!
Check out the Greek for 'adorn':

      'kosmeo' - to put in proper order, adorn, garnish, trim
                          (This is the root of our English word, 'cosmetics'!)

I don't know about you, but I often failed to make the Truth beautiful this past year. Adversity and uncertainty exhausted me, and I found myself grumbling in doubt and fear, rather than expressing confident faith. The ornamental fruit hanging on my tree was frequently dull, shriveled...sometimes bitter and lifeless. I am embarrassed, even ashamed. I know my witness suffered! Where did I go wrong? In the midst of it all, I forgot to hold my leafless, thorny branches up to the glory of the Lord. I simply lost all perspective!

So this year, my 'resolution' is to TRUST Him, regardless of circumstances...to practice daily thanksgiving and to remember that:

                   "...this light and momentary affliction
            is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory
                                beyond all comparison."
                                                     (2 Corinthians 4:17)

            OH COME, LET US ADORN HIM!
                                     Will you join me?

We decorate because we are created in the image of the Master Decorator! We simply can't help ourselves. Without constant attention however, our carefully landscaped gardens grow wild. Paint fades and chips. Christmas trees wither. Seasons change. Our sweetest and most beautiful efforts provide only fleeting joy and satisfaction.

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Let Down the Anchor! (An Exercise in Hope)

10/21/2018

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I took this photo when we were in Crete last month. It seems an idyllic scene, the calm, cerulean sea and empty boat beckon. Judging by this snapshot, one would never imagine the tempest that raged just two days earlier! Perilous waves pounded the shore, driven by gale-force winds. Our 'day at the beach' with Kate and family was cut sadly short for the sake of safety.

It is so easy to paint the picture we want the world to see, rather than present ourselves and our experiences sincerely. I love the word 'sincere.' It comes from the old English word meaning 'without wax.' Dishonest potters sometimes used wax to disguise cracks in the crockery they peddled. I fear, with the help of social media, we have learned the craft of covering our own cracks.

Six or seven years ago, when I was still teaching at the Sunrise Chapel, the Spirit of the Lord spoke to me early one Sunday morning:

"You are to wear no make-up when you teach today."

Perhaps for some this would not be too difficult, but for me it was intimidating to present myself in an unvarnished state! I prefer to even out my skin tone with foundation, enhance my shrinking eyelashes, and add color to my fading lips! The silly thing is, I don't even remember the subject of my message, BUT I WILL NEVER FORGET THE LORD'S LESSON FOR ME THAT DAY!

Though I did put on a little 'varnish' today, my intention is to set aside pretense, in hopes of bringing encouragement to any who may find themselves in the midst of an unexpected storm.

Four years ago this week all of our worldly belongings were carefully packed up and loaded into a container. I stood in the doorway and said goodbye to beds and bedding, kitchen utensils, all my herbs and spices, Grandma's depression glass...even my precious piano. I tried to imagine their long journey through the Panama Canal, across the Atlantic Ocean, all the way to Edinburgh. My heart was torn between grief and anticipation of the coming adventure.

Our experience here in Orkney has been much like the weather. We have been blessed by glorious sunny days! However we have also weathered some pretty fierce storms. Our goal has been to 'be a blessing.' With the Lord's help, I trust He has used us here...but we sense that our time in Orkney may be coming to a close.

Honestly, the thought of packing up and starting over again is daunting. I find it ironic that Henry wrote a book called "Seasons with Sojourners," during our first years here. Of course we never dreamed we were still 'sojourning,' but thought we were here to stay! In my attempt to come to grips with the reality of my life, I looked back through my journal entries from 5 years ago...

"Our Almighty God is like a parent who delights in leading the tender children in His care to the very edge of a precipice and then shoving them off the cliff into nothing but air. He does this so they may learn that they already possess an 'as yet unrealized' power of flight that can forever add to the pleasure and comfort of their lives...

Do you understand that God may take away your comforts and privileges
in order to make you a stronger Christian?"
(Streams in the Desert/Spurgeon)

Islands along the coast of Crete

Yesterday I read the account of Paul's shipwreck in Acts 27. He was a prisoner, being transported to Rome. After encountering some rough weather in Cyprus, they sailed along the coast of Crete, hoping to reach the harbor at Phoenix and spend the winter there. A gentle wind blew and the captain made the foolish decision to sail on toward Rome. Soon 'a tempestuous wind' struck, driving the ship along, out of control.

I can imagine how the 276 sailors and passengers felt. They were helpless captives, their lives endangered by the foolish decision of the man at the helm. The ship was violently tossed about by the storm. After three days they threw all the cargo overboard in hopes of lightening the load and saving themselves. They didn't see the sun or stars for many days. Whether from seasickness or fear, I am not sure, but they stopped eating altogether. Luke records: "...all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned."

Have you ever experienced something like this? Have you found yourself caught up in stormy circumstances beyond your control? You feel isolated, abandoned. You cannot see your way ahead, so you lose hope? I must admit that I have been quite close to abandoning hope several times during the past two years. It is difficult to trust God's sovereignty in the midst of turmoil, pain and confusion!

Going back to Paul...On the fourteenth night of the storm, around midnight, the sailors suspected they were nearing land...fearing they might run aground on the rocks,
THEY LET DOWN FOUR ANCHORS
AND PRAYED FOR DAY TO COME!

There are lessons here for me:
1) LET DOWN THE ANCHOR!
In times of deep darkness it is far too easy to forget that
We have a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul!
Jesus has promised NEVER to leave or forsake us! Isaiah 49 tells us that He has 'engraved' us on the palm of His hands. We don't need to hold on for dear life...He holds ALL things together. He will never let go! We need to rest in His promises and BELIEVE!

As people of faith we are children of Abraham. He BELIEVED GOD and his faith was counted to him as righteousness. Abraham fixed his eyes, not on his circumstances, but on the AUTHOR AND PERFECTOR of his faith!

Abraham believed in 'God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist...'

"In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations...he did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (he was almost 100!)...or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb."
Abraham believed God for the impossible because God is God of the impossible!

2) Pray for day to come!
I have been so guilty of resignation and discouragement! In my life discouragement often results in prayerlessness. I sometimes wonder if I have extended my time in the wilderness by my lack of prayer. However long the night, dawn is coming! Pray for day to come!

3) Be Warned: Dropping the Anchor Does not always prevent shipwreck!
For those who know 'the rest of the story,' Paul's ship wrecked anyway...BUT NO LIVES WERE LOST! We were never promised a life free from trial and suffering, but we are guaranteed safe passage Home. Christ's path to glory involved agonizing crucifixion...He was 'made perfect' through suffering. I suspect God's method for perfecting us is the same, but by faith we can join Job in his claim to victory:

"But He knows the way that I take;
when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold."
(Job 23:10)

Where to from here? Only God knows. One thing I do know...
                        "I know that my Redeemer lives,
                  and that He shall stand at the latter day
                                        upon the earth."

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

6 Comments

Hold On!

7/19/2018

1 Comment

"I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have,
so that no one will seize your crown!"
Revelation 3:11

"For false christs and false prophets will appear...
so as to deceive, if possible, the elect."
Mark 13:22

Can you see it? I noticed this delicate, white-flowered weed growing on the stone above the window several weeks ago. I have no idea how it seeded itself...or how it manages to survive! So far it has endured 'Hector,' the windstorm that decimated my protected flower garden, and has clung to life in the midst of the driest summer anyone in Orkney can remember. I stand in awe of its ability to 'hold on.'

Recent interactions on Facebook with professing Christians have left me unsettled. I fear we are witnessing the day the apostle Paul warned of in 2 Timothy. Rather than clinging to sound doctrine, many are seeking those who would 'tickle their ears' with the words they want to hear.

Jesus warns us to "HOLD FAST WHAT YOU HAVE." The Greek here is 'krateo.' It means to use ones strength to retain, to hold on with all your might.

The enemy knows his time is short. He is quietly working to deceive and destroy as many as he can before his inevitable demise. He is diabolically clever and will even use our best intentions to ensnare us!

Any coach or military commander carefully studies the tactics of the opposition. I recently read a chapter in a collection of Tozer's work, called "The Set of the Sail." Though lengthy, I found it extraordinarily relevant and timely...I pray it will inspire you to HOLD ON with all your might, so that no one may seize your crown!

"To capture a city an enemy must first weaken or destroy its resistance, and so it is with the evangelical forces at any given time or place. It is impossible for Satan to storm the citadel of God as long as faithful watchmen stand on the church walls to rouse her soldiers to action. The church will never fall as long as she resists. This the devil knows; consequently he uses any stragagem to neutralize her resistance.

Many times in history the Christians in various towns, cities and even whole countries have given up their defense for reasons wholly evil. Worldliness, sinful pleasures and personal ungodliness have often been the cause of the church's disgraceful surrender to the enemy.

Today, however, Satan's strategy is different. though he still uses the old methods where he can do so with success, his more effective method is to paralyze our resistance by appealing to our virtues, especially the virtue of charity (love).

He first creates a maudlin and wholly inaccurate concept of Christ as soft, smiling and tolerant. He reminds us that Christ was "brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth," and suggests that we go and do likewise. If we notice his foot in the door and rise to oppose him, he appeals to our desire to be Christ-like:

"You must not practice negative thinking," he tells us. "Jesus said, 'He that is not against Me is for Me.' Also, He said 'Judge not,' and how can you be a good Christian and pass adverse judgment on any religious talk or activity? Controversy divides the Body of Christ. Love is of God, little children, so love everybody and all will be well."

Thus speaks the devil, using Holy Scripture falsely for his evil purpose; and it is nothing short of tragic how many of God's people are taken in by his sweet talk! The shepherd becomes afraid to use his club and the wolf gets the sheep. The watchman is charmed into believing that there is no danger, and the city falls to the enemy without a shot. SO SATAN DESTROYS US BY APPEALING TO OUR VIRTUES!

...And so it is in religion, especially among the Protestants. Let a man (or woman) rise to declare the unique Lordship of Jesus Christ and the absolute necessity of obedience to Him and he is at once branded as a hate-monger and a divider of men. The devil has brainwashed large numbers of religious leaders so successfully that they are now too timid to resist him. And he, being the kind of devil he is, takes swift advantage of their cowardice to erect altars to Baal everywhere.

The Bible is a book of controversy. The Old Testament prophets were men of contention. Our Lord Jesus while on earth was in deadly conflict with the devil. The Apostles, the Church Fathers and the Reformers were men of controversy. They fought the devil to the death and kept the torch of truth burning for all succeeding generations."

"Is our contribution to history to be the ignoble one of letting the torch go out?"

(From 'Controversy May Have its Holy Uses,' The Set of the Sail. AW Tozer)

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Imperishable

5/11/2018

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Rosa Rugosa

Just imagine a world in which the grass never withers and the color and fragrance of a rose never fade. In this world my skin would be as soft and smooth and unblemished as a baby's. Food would never spoil and pets would never grow old and die...

This, of course, was God's intention for His Creation...and a far cry from our experience of modern life! Out of curiosity I did a little research tonight. Both the consequences and the cost of sin and death are staggering!

By 2009 Americans were spending $282,000,000.00 PER HOUR on health care. The following year $106 BILLION dollars were spent at the dentist. Last year the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S.A. was $328,000,000.00 (Yes, that's BILLION!) We even spent $88 BILLION on WRINKLE CREAM!

What is most disturbing is (and we tend to forget this), in spite of our most valiant efforts, flowers will wilt, food spoils and we all get old (if we are blessed with a long life) and die.

Even those materials we cherish as symbols of permanence, like gold and diamonds, have the potential for decay. Diamonds are occasionally reduced to graphite, and gold will dissolve (if exposed to a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids).

As a child and in my younger years I often had dreams of flying. I still occasionally  dream of running swiftly and tirelessly. Oh the joy and freedom of those dreams! Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God 'has put eternity into man's heart.' If we are honest with ourselves, we know this in the fiber of our beings. It's in our DNA!

In my reading of 1 Corinthians 15 this morning I was sweetly reminded of this VERY Good News!  God has given us victory over death through our Lord Jesus Christ!   One day this mortal will become immortal and this perishable body will  put on the IMPERISHABLE!

                           IMPERISHABLE

This is a POWERFUL, ENCOURAGING word! In the Greek it literally means:

          "a genuine, unending, incorruptible existence."

     No more wrinkles. No more cavities. No more cancer.  LIFE as is was meant to be!    Oh death, where is your sting? Oh grave, where is your victory? What love the Father has lavished on us!  This love CASTS OUT FEAR!

"Therefore, my beloved brothers (and sisters),
be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that in the Lord
your labor is NOT in vain!"
(1 Corinthians 15:58)

"And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness
of the sky above;
and those who turn many to righteousness,
like the stars forever and ever."
(Daniel 12:3)

NOW GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES!

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Bloom Where You're Planted!

5/8/2018

5 Comments

"The road is long, with many a winding turn
that leads us to who knows where,
who knows where..."
(He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, the Hollies)

I have been wandering in the wilderness. My incomplete, Americanized concept of faith and obedience has been repeatedly cast down and trampled. Obedience begets blessing, right??? On 26 April I cried out to the Lord in my journal:

"Please forgive me...I seem to be so downcast. I WANT to be grateful and joyful, but You know I am struggling mightily with sadness as persistent as the winds of Orkney. I KNOW all the right answers...but they are lodged in my head. Why can't my heart embrace what I KNOW to be true?

You are good.
You are faithful.
You are sovereign.
Your plans are good.
You are always with me.
You will NEVER leave or forsake me.

Please allow me to ask some questions.

Why am I here?
Have erred in moving to Orkney?
How can I survive having so few true relationships here?
Do you still have work for me to do?
Will I be separated from my children for the rest of my life?
Are You angry with me?
Have I somehow failed you?
WILL YOU PLEASE TOUCH ME? SPEAK TO ME???

Father, I want to come forth as gold! With Job I want to be able to say, 'Lord, my ears have heard of You, but now my eyes have seen!' Romans 3:3 promises that my faithlessness does not nullify Your faithfulness. I beg you for your mercy and comfort while I wait."

How gracious is our God? Within hours of my heart-felt prayer the Lord brought to my attention the following quote, posted by John and Lisa Bevere:

"The greater the call
the greater the preparation needed."

They posted a short, encouraging video about the 'wilderness' experience. Here are the highlights:

'Wilderness' is a time of preparation.
It is NOT forever! (though it may feel that way)
It is God's way of building character.
He has NOT abandoned you.
There IS a purpose for it.
(Warning: Stubborn ignorance may prolong the 'wilderness' experience)

For the first time in MONTHS my heart found rest, the sweet peace that defies understanding restored in an instant. There is a PURPOSE for the struggle.

Speaking of 'wilderness,' this morning I finished reading the book of Ruth. It is such a bittersweet, familiar story. It is the story of a grieving widow who has also lost her two sons, and her faithful daughter-in-law who refuses to abandon her:

                             "Where you go I will go...
                      your people shall be my people,
                              and your God my God..."

I appreciate Ruth afresh today. She is a woman of the wilderness! Imagine her plight. She is young, childless, and her husband is dead. Her brother-in-law (her rightful kinsman-redeemer) is also dead, as is her father-in-law. Her affectionate loyalty to Naomi leads her away from her homeland, away from her mother and father and everything else that is familiar.

She is a stranger in a foreign land. It is harvest time and she must glean  in order to eat and provide for her mother-in-law.

We can only imagine her homesick heartache! Thankfully, Boaz comes to the rescue, redeeming her and making her his bride. The story has a happy ending after all!

That, however, is NOT the end of the story:

                 This stranger from Moab, this sojourner
                    will become the mother of Obed,
                             the grandmother of Jesse,
                  and great-grandmother to King David...
                           from whose line will come
            Jesus, the long awaited Messiah!

The moral of the story?

Remember, God IS in control.
He sees the whole picture.
He is trustworthy!
Don't prolong the wandering through stubbornness.
Trust His plan,
and
BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED!
(I thank God for the reminder of brave little posies
blooming in the gravel of our drive :)