I Believe, but Help My Unbelief

The night my Mother died suddenly a year and a half ago, our Pastor came to us in the hospital. He is well acquainted with grief from the death of his eldest son. 

One of the things I can remember is his advice: Remember what you know is true about God. I responded with a verse I had memorized while he had preached through Psalm 119 years ago. Verse 68 says the God is good and He does good.  

That precious moment and in particular , that verse has kept me from utter despair. While the Lord has brought me, no, carried me, through an intense time of darkness, grief, and doubt, this video excerpt from a Paul Washer sermon adds another layer of fortification to my faith. 

May it encourage anyone who is struggling with doubt, grief, sorrow, or fear to press in closer to the God of all comfort for rest and healing. 

 

Trust God Even When You Have No Feelings

April Chronicles

No idea why this was stuck in my drafts. Posting anyway because these are memories of the last full month I had with my grandkids before they moved . 

New Book Table

So, I've opened a little "store."

It's an Amazon Store. Truthfully, I'm not quite sure how it works.

Anyway!

It's called LFBC Women's Spring Conference Book Table.

I opened it to list all the suggested books for 2016 LFBC Women's Spring Conference with guest speaker Ashlee Johnson.

Ashlee is the wife of a pastor, mom of two busy little ones, and a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Seminary. She is passionate about communicating the truths of Scripture to women and magnifying Jesus as the All-Satisfying Treasure and Almighty Redeemer. She has lived in North Carolina for most of her life and loves making the most of the sidewalks and parks in her 1940s neighborhood.

Ashlee will be sharing from God's Word "Jonah: A Picture of God's Relentless Pursuit"
I hope you'll take a look around the store!

I hope you'll purchase some books!

Happy Reading!

All Ye Refugees

{Just Thinking Out Loud}

{I, too was once a refugee. }

{By God's grace, I prayed:}

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,

for in you my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,

till the storms of destruction pass by.~Psalm 57:1

{In his mercy, God heard my prayer and answered:}

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14

ALL YE REFUGEES

I am the One,
The earth is my handmade work
The skies I laid them wide, beauty unfurled

                                                                                           Horizon to horizon
                                                                          Creation to creation, sings you home

Welcome home, gather round
all ye refugees, come in
Welcome home, gather round
all ye refugees, come in

Oh refugee, 
I did not cast you out
In death and broken ground, Salvation springs
My body and my blood, 
The healing that you need come and receive 

Welcome home, gather round
all ye refugees, come in
Welcome home, gather round
all ye refugees, come in

Watch and wait and see, 
What is yet to be
Watch and wait and see, 
For the morning

Go out in joy and join the great procession
The mountains and the heav’ns all will rejoice
horizon to horizon, creation to creation
horizon to horizon, creation to creation
With one voice 

Welcome home, gather round
all ye refugees, come in
Welcome home, gather round
all ye refugees, come in

By Sandra McCrakern, Psalms

{This entire album has been an ongoing prayer from my heart this year in various circumstances.  I cannot recommend it highly enough!}

My Soul Waits for God Alone

To the choirmaster: according to xJeduthun. A Psalm of David.

62  For God alone my soul waits in silence;

from him comes my salvation.

  He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

  How long will all of you attack a man

to batter him,

like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?

  They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.

They take pleasure in falsehood.

They bless with their mouths,

but inwardly they curse. Selah

 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,

for my hope is from him.

 He only is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

 On God rests my salvation and my glory;

my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

 Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah

 Those of low estate are but a breath;

those of high estate are a delusion;

in the balances they go up;

they are together lighter than a breath.

 Put no trust in extortion;

set no vain hopes on robbery;

if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God,  and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.

For you will render to a man according to his work.

{The Victory is already won:}

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 ESV)

{What Does Kingdom of Light living look like?}

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:3-16 ESV)

 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

{Read the passage in full}~Matthew 25:31-46

Home Health Care

Staying home today. As the keeper of my home, much of my time goes toward serving my family and friends, which is a joy and privilege, but sometimes, you just need to focus on yourself.

An early autumn cold has taken up residence in my  head and chest. So to honor the rhythms of life, I'm taking time to nurse myself. Besides my remedy and essential oils, my prescription includes, a detox bath, resting quietly in a darkened room, listening to some audiobooks and catching up on podcasts, sipping Stinging Nettle tea and this delicious soup.

Chock full of comforting goodness and potent immune boosters. Smell and Taste are not working properly at this time, but my daughter confirmed it smelled delicious. The warmth and aromatics seem to be just what the doctor my body ordered.

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. ~Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.)

~Nourishing Health Soup~

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Homemade Organic Chicken Broth
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Ginger, grated
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon dried Stinging Nettles
• ! Tablespoon Jensen's Gelatin
• 1 teaspoon Real Sea Salt
• Fresh cracked pepper
• 2 Baby Bella Mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Organic Coconut Oil

Method:

Add ingredients one by one to medium-sized pot. Heat over medium heat to a simmer. Enjoy!

Back to resting!