December's Blog Prompt

"Looking for Emmanuel".....I wonder where all the sisters will find Him this season.

Thanking God For The Hard Stuff

I feel the need to share this with all of you:

It's no secret that I have been worried about Jessica and her choice to be in a relationship with Faizel. I have felt many things: ANGER (because she is so easily influenced by him or any other man she has been involved with. I have felt REJECTED and BETRAYED (as if all of the love, energy and prayers have been so easily discarded because she is not active in her faith.) WORRY (over my grand-daughter not being raised with a spiritual foundation.) I have GRIEVED because it's in essence a loss of how I expected things would be. So much of these emotions have been directed towards Faizel because it's easier to blame him than my own flesh and blood.In a nutshell, I have had a horrible attitude towards him, sadly very UN Christlike. I've never said anything to him but he knows...

I have been tormented in the depths of my spirit over this. I have anguished over it and yet somehow Dave has been able to turn it over to God while I have hung on to all of the ugliness and anxiety!

But God...

As if a switch has been flipped, the Holy Spirit has overwhelmed me in regards to this subject. I have been convicted over my attitude and yet it's not been difficult to be obedient to His leading. Sometimes when I am called to be obedient it's through gritted teeth but not this time.I have already taken the first step in restoration. I know that Satan will try and pull me back into my former bondage but I also know that this is done and dealt with, no going back, I am going to plead the blood of Jesus...

Through it all I have felt an amazing peace and freedom that can only come from Him. I almost have to wonder if He intends to use my repentance as a possible witness?

One month ago if you had asked me if I could let this go, I would have said impossible... It's just too hard!

But God specializes in the unlikely and the impossible! He knows that this hard thing is something that will make me a better Christian. He also knows that to hang on to this will cripple me; my impact certainly but more importantly, my spirit. There is indeed freedom in surrender....

Scarf Sister Blog Challenge

Hello Sisters!
Some chat has been going on over on the Scarf Sisters Facebook page and we've hit upon a way to possibly revitalize our blogging...at least for a time.  Here's the idea:  Each sister who is interested will let me know and I will compile a list, assigning a month for each participant.  For that month, you will provide one prompt. (Thought, question, idea etc. for the rest of us to springboard from)  We will list it here and on the Facebook page then every sister who wishes to participate will write from that prompt on her own blog.  You may write once or every day on this topic...totally up to you. 










SO...start your Blog engines, sisters...:)


The November Blog Prompt is: "Learning to Thank God for/in the Hard Stuff"

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephesians 5:20 ~

GO!

Blessings

As I hand over The Tidbits to the next sister I would like to say thank you for the Blessing and Privilege of joining the Sisters on this journey. How wonderful it is to be able to share words of encouragement, words of inspiration and to share blessings that God has showered us with.

How thankful I am to be a child of God and to be able to serve a Merciful, Forgiving, Gracious and Loving Heavenly Father.  How He has blessed me, forgiven me and is always with me day or might.

Lord let me be an encouragement to others daily.  Help me to bear their burdens and to be the person you want me to be. Let my light shine and help me to bring others to you Lord .  Thank you Lord for your rich blessings. Thank you for all you have done for me and will do. Let me live a life of gratitude. Thank you Lord.

Trust In The Lord

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Linda's Tidbit Number 2

 
                                                         Proverbs 3:5-6

What does it mean to trust the Lord? It means that in everything you do look to Him for guidance and provision. He enables and he sustains. We can count on Him for every single thing in our earthly walk.

 Proverbs is a book in the Bible that I love. Proverbs 3: :5-6 are two of my favourite verses. These verses have for me become life verses that I cling to during times of adversity.

Proverbs 3 informs us of the blessings we can receive if we walk in the ways of the Lord and keep His word.

My mind wanders back to a time of chastening for my good by the Lord.


"My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord: neither be weary of His correction."
                                   Proverbs 3:11


I am sure most of us can recall these times when the Lord has let you know you have wandered and strayed from His path.This happened to me at a time that led up to major GYN surgery. For the longest time I had tried to work out everything by myself and prayed sporadically and the Lord was not the entire centre of my life. Oh how He brought me back to totally relying on Him and trusting Him completely and acknowledging that He is control not me! How I soon found out and painfully, that if you lean on your understanding you will soon be in deep trouble! If we acknowledge Him in all our ways God will do what He has promised to do.

How wonderful it is to start my day with prayer and talking to the Lord and telling Him that I am going to listen and that I am going to lean on Him. No longer do I trust in my own ability but rather I trust in Him. So easy sometimes isn't it to put trust in things we can see but harder in the things we do not see. Trusting in the Lord takes a weight off our shoulders. The pressure is off and He can handle it all. 

God's timing is never coincidental or random. His timing is impeccable and perfect. I have learnt that when I am doubting God's timing in my life to thank Him for His faithfulness, to take Him at His word and trust Him for direction. We often do not see the tapestry of His perfect providence weaved into our lives. When I look back I can see that God has intricately weaved Himself into the fabric of my life.

And we know that all things work together for good to to them that love God, to  them who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Lord please help me to trust in you in every area of my life. Help me to put all my trust in you in good times and bad. Help me not to question or try to understand your plans. Just help me always not to lean on my own understanding but to let you direct my paths. Help me Lord to trust that you are working in every situation in my life.

Amen.

Be Still And Know That I Am God

                Linda's Tidbits.
                 

                                              Psalm 46:10

How I have been comforted by this verse so many times in my life. Times when storms have hit, valley times invaded and when my foundations have been shaken!

So what does it mean to be "still?" A definition in the English dictionary states it can mean "not moving" or being "quiet." From a Biblical perspective it means we can all take comfort in letting go and letting God.

For me it has been during those times when all has tumbled and crumbled around me I have done my best to keep my faith and stand still remembering God's promises.

I am reminded of these busy times when there never seems to be enough hours in a day and I rush and rush trying to fit everything in. If I am rushing around how can I hear God's voice and the guidance He has for me? So many times I have held onto anxiety and fear. I still have those moments when I falter and I struggle to  hold  onto my faith and to just be still. Just as Jesus calmed the sea and spoke to His disciples asking them "why are you afraid, where is your faith?  I am sure it is the same for most of us at times when our faith wavers during turbulent and stormy times in our lives.

I am seeking to be still, surrendering, and standing on God's promises when storms rock.

God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

For those who are ill, troubled and in danger, Marie Monsen, my heroine

I've noticed here are space for a post I've been reminded to write for a long, long time. I have been bedridden since I fought my prayer war for Serina. God answered miraculously, but I got a lung inflammation, penicillin allergy and wasn't able to do anything. What did I turn to in my need. The inspirational books written by China missionary Maria Monsen. I first met her writings as a nurse student, while having practice among physical disabled. An elderly man bound to his wheel chair asked me to reed from Maria Monsen's books. We were both blessed while doing so. I told my dad about this miraculously and brave woman, and he said, "My mother always talked about her. She so admired her wholehearted devotion and work." My dad's mother died in 1934...
Her Norwegian books were printed in the 1960-ies, and are hard to come buy. I'm always scouting for them at flea markets and second hand shops. I buy all the copies I come over, there's always someone who need some fire and inspiration in their lives. I have read four books these last days.
I can also add that Billy Graham quoted Maria Monsen in one of his books. She's even been of help for one of our strongest.
Now, prepare for some biographical reading.

xcerpt from China in Revival by Gustav Carlberg [highlighting the work of Marie Monsen]

Posted on July 20, 2013 by Eric Jonas Swensson

CHAPTER THREE: REVIVAL MARIE MONSEN One of the outstanding instruments God has used for the  reviving of the churches in northern China is Miss Marie Monsen. One of her own coworkers describes her coming to Chenping, one of the stations of the Norwegian Lutheran Mission in Honan, in effect as follows: How God Prepared Special Instruments for Use in “The second of November of 1931 we were in Beginning and Carrying Forward the Work of the pressibly gladdened by the news that Miss Marie Revival. Monsen had returned to our field and was then at Nanyang. The early summer of 1927 God had sent her from Shanghai to Manchuria and  later to Chili, Shantung, and Shansi. In these various places God had  used her in a marvelous way for the reviving of the churches. “It seemed  strange that she should thus be taken away from us to be used in the  reviving of the churches elsewhere while we were longing and praying for a revival on our own field. “Our older missionaries had quietly but tearfully striven with God in view of the deadness of the churches. But with the news of God’s visitation of the other churches our prayers took on new life. With every letter from Miss Monsen our prayers received a new impetus and became more intense as the time went on, until finally they were in the nature of distress calls. God, who is no respecter of persons, can not but send Miss Monsen back to us and make use of her among us as He has used her in the northern provinces. “Then the news reached us that she would be with us at our annual conference at Chenping from November 13 to 15. There was a general feeling of expectancy as we journeyed to this meeting, and we were not disappointed in our expectations. It was a never-to-be-forgotten experience to have her again in our midst. “Already at this meeting it became clear to us that God had fashioned Miss Monsen into a seasoned soul winner through the experiences she had  gone through in the north, and that she was in possession of a power from  God that was well nigh irresistible. “The first text she used was from the third chapter of the Gospel of John, `Ye must be born anew.’ The greater part of this address consisted in short questions, cast forth with holy, penetrating seriousness: `Why are you a Christian? Is it not that you wish to enter heaven? What does Jesus say here? “Except ye be born anew, ye can not enter the kingdom of God.” Ye can not, ye can not.’ These words sank like lead into the hearts of the listeners. “The next text was from Rev. 20. 12, about the sins that were written in the books with such clear ness. `Also in Jer. 17. 1 we see that your sins are  written “with a pen of iron” on the tablets of flesh in your hearts so that no one can erase them.’ “Other texts were, Mark 14. 3-11, about Judas. `He was a preacher of the  gospel; he was a member of the church; he was a disciple. But he was false; he was a thief. Are you a preacher of the gospel, or are you a thief.’ “She aimed in the first place at our leaders and the workers in our congregations. She spoke from Prov. 28. 13, about covering one’s transgressions. All are born with an inclination to cover their sins. Other texts used were, Is. 59. 1-4, `Your iniquities have separated between you and your  God’: Is. 64. 6, `Our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment’; 1 Cor. 6. 9, with the question, `Is this a catalog of your sins? Read and find out if your sins are there.’ Also Mark 7. 21-23, with the same question and the same admonition. “Then came John 1. 14, `He is “full of grace and truth,” He will not permit you to  remain full of falsehood and  deceit.’ And Is. 1. 18, `If you will only acknowledge your sins before  God they “shall be white as snow.”‘ Finally there was an address to believers about being in the will of God. `The unsaved have God’s will behind them. The saved  have God’s will before them. Some are in God’s will; others are outside of it. They try to stretch God’s will so as to make it conform to theirs.’ “At the end of each service she took her place near the door, and few were those who managed to get by without having the question asked them, `Are you saved? ‘It felt like the thrust of a sword,’ they explained afterwards. After the next meeting they received another sword-thrust, `Are you still on the  road to destruction.“Many came to see her and to confess their sin but she sent  them away, some as often as three to four times. They were not in a condition of  real need. `Pray that God’s Spirit  may enlighten you concerning your sins,’ was  the admonition they received to take away with them. She never tired of admonishing us, `Do not gather unripe fruit.’ “After the annual meeting there was a  special meeting for workers and leaders. Those  who were present told of the powerful working of the Holy Spirit manifest at these meetings. During the course of the meetings Miss Monsen spent one night in prayer  before she could find courage to step up to Pastor Han Liu Ging and tell him she was afraid he did not have life in God. He came under deep conviction and after two days  found release.“He said afterwards that there was something that melted  within him when she took him aside. He felt the love of God was impelling her and that he must give in. Later on he  became Miss Monsen’s helper during a series of meetings, and is one  among those God has used to  further the revival. “Pastor Liu Dao Sheng was another leader who had been used of God with much blessing. At these meetings he also experienced a renewal and em-powering. His eyes were opened to the need  of bringing people to the point of being saved and re-leased from the power of sin.  Together with others who had experienced renewal, he began  immediately  to enter the work as a definite soul-winner. Liu Dao Sheng became Miss Monsen’s chief helper as long as she remained on the field of the Norwegian Lutheran Mission, and he is perhaps the one God has used the most since her departure. “Miss Monsen’s  plan was first to destroy the false security of the church members. She spoke of the various kinds of patches the unsaved used to hide behind when they tried to persuade  themselves they were saved. Then she spoke of sin, one sin at a time. It had cost her several days of prayerful struggle before she became willing, as she expressed it, to `descend into the miry cesspool of sin’ in connection with the sixth commandment, against adultery. But it turned out that one of Satan’s well-nigh impregnable strongholds  was at last broken into when this particular sin was brought out into the open. “Another text that was laid heavily on her consciousness was, `It is a fearful thing to fall  into the hands of the living God.’ People by means of this text were placed face to face with God. “Finally, the words of gracious promise  from the Scriptures came as balm on open sores. `Unless He, who was  without sin, had been made sin for us, God could never have said to  the sinner, Come, when you are in earnest about your sins, God, who can  not away with sin, will speak words of comfort to your heart.“At each series of meetings there was no pronounced movement or great visible result.  She was ever alert to hinder strong emotional outbursts, or public confession. Everything was done quietly. After she was gone it became evident that God’s Spirit had plowed deep furrows. We could begin to gather in the harvest of souls.”As we ponder this gripping narrative by one of Miss Monsen’s co-workers we are bound to ask ourselves, what is the secret of the power this worker of God possesses? Is there anything in her nature or bringing up  that would give a clue to the effectiveness of her service? What means did God use to bring about such marvelous results in her own life, and through her in the lives of others? We are indebted to another of Miss Monsen’s  coworkers, Mrs. Karoline Samset, of Laohokow, for some intimate touches  regarding her youth and early training and first impressions on meeting her before she was sent out to China as a missionary under the N. L. K. Board. “Miss Monsen was confirmed in the church of Sandviken in the outskirts of Bergen, Norway, under the charge of Rev. Grimnes, the pastor of the church, who was of great spiritual help to her during these formative years. Elder Tormod Retterdal of the China  Society was of especially great help to her in a spiritual way. According to her own testimony she never tired of  listening to him as he always had so much to offer.”It appears that from early childhood Miss Monsen loved to wander about among the mountains and hills of her native land, and when school vacation arrived she always set her gaze towards the high mountains. The majestic Jotunheimen and other tall peaks were familiar places loved by her. The year she was to take her examination  for teacher’s certificate she was too young by one year, and it was just at this  time that she came to clarity regarding her call to the mission field. It was in 1898 in the Laksevag church in Bergen that Mrs. Samset first learned to know of Miss Mon-sen, who was later destined to become her close friend  and co-worker. The Rev. Prydz was occupying the pulpit and the text was, “Thy kingdom come.” During the course of the sermon the preacher mentioned the name of a young woman who had sought for acceptance by the China Society to be sent to China. The Board had asked her to testify as to her spiritual life and outlook. During their conversation, the Rev. Prydz and Miss Monsen had  both agreed that it was impossible to explain just how they had become heirs of the kingdom. The main emphasis in his sermon at this time was on the kingdom of God within us. The following year we find Miss Monsen at Lovisenberg Hospital and Training School in Oslo as the choice of the China Society’s Board  for work in China. Through a friend whom Miss  Monsen had nursed, Mrs. Samset came for the first time into direct contact with her. She relates:  “It was evident from the first moment of contact with her that Miss Monsen was an unusually  gifted woman. She possessed considerable originality of mind,  and, as a rule, was never  found treading the beaten paths. In contact with the deaconesses at   Lovisenberg she was never afraid of expressing her opinion  freely. In those days such behavior was not always well received, so she  had  many heavy burdens to carry at that time, but she was always ready to take  the part of those who were weak. “She wrote to Brandtzeg, then General Secretary of the Board from Lovisenberg, `Verily, you have sent me to the North Pole.’  He replied, `Yes, but I know that you have both pick and axe so you can dig  yourself out  again.’ She made it, and when she was the hardest pressed, the head physician came to her assistance.“From that time on her life was unus rich in experiences. She grew up in a home where she was supplied with only  the necessaries of life. Money has never appealed to her as of any worth. She has always been willing to extend help to such as were in need.  `Prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven.’ She has done this and the Lord has never permitted her to come to grief.“She has gone to the steamships without money to buy a ticket; she has traveled by rail across the United States without provisions; she has made a journey to the Northland without a  steamer berth. `Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of.’ This verse came to her at one time when she was suffering from hunger. She was led to a loaded table without the payment of money, and afterwards  was in a position to help a fellow traveler who was on his way to tell his mother that there is no God. She has stuck to the promises, and God has never failed her. But to surrender everything  unconditionally  into the hand of God is not a lesson that is learned  in one day. She has had to go through the deep waters to come to the place of utter dependence on God. “When she came to China in the fall of 1901, her health failed her. She fell down a stairway in Shanghai and sustained a concussion of the brain, and when she arrived on the field she was taken down with a bad attack of malaria, so that even her life was  despaired of. “She was very much handicapped in her language studies the first few  years. She struggled  against  the malaria, and her head gave her  constant pain. During the summer of 1906 she was healed through  prayer. Since that time the Lord has been her Great Physician,  and she has needed His help on more than one occasion. “Something that has always stood out before me as remarkable is  her prayer life. She has always been an early riser, and the first two  or three hours of the day have been holy to the Lord. The precious  dewdrops from the Lord’s altar have sustained her step by step  on the way of sanctification. “As a co-worker she was always sympathetic and considerate, and,  on the whole, easy to get along with. Her aim was to go the way of  the Lord and do His errands, so that also out here it was never a  question with her of following the beaten paths. Consequently  there were times when some stood  wondering and questioning. But  that it has paid her to follow the way of the Lord and to be in His  will, that has been amply shown by her  life during recent years.” This sketch of the life and work of Miss Monsen would be entirely   inadequate if we left out all reference to an experience she had in  the spring of 1929 when she was marvelously kept during  twenty-three days of captivity at the hands of a band of sea rovers  who had captured the ship she was traveling on from Tientsin, to  meet an appointment to hold meetings at Hwanghsien in  Shantung.  The story of this adventure in faith and dependence  upon the Lord was told by Miss Monsen in her own characteristic  way in an address before the Peitaiho Conference in North China,  July 29, 1929, and recorded in a booklet, “We Are Escaped,”  published by the China Inland Mission in 1931. In reading this wonderful testimony to God’s faithfulness and  power to help those who trust fully in Him, we are impressed by  the place and value of prayer in the scheme of God’s government  of the world, as well as by the wonderful provision of God for our  every need, if we are only willing to trust Him to undertake for us.  There is no doubt but that Miss Monsen’s experiences during those   twenty-three days on that bandit-ridden ship were a means in God’s  hand to prepare her for greater work for Him during the years that  followed. The narrative is full of interest from be-ginning to end. In the providence of God she was led to take a boat that sailed one  day earlier than she had planned. She was also led apparently without  any reason to purchase several pounds  of apples to take along on the  journey. Likewise she was led to keep four boxes of chocolate that had   been sent her by friends. “Never before in my life,” she relates,  “had I carried about with me four boxes of chocolate. From the last part  of February I began to get those packages of chocolate, and every time  I got one, I heard the words, `Keep it for an  emergency.’ I had a few   biscuits, dry biscuits, fourteen or fifteen of them. Many, many  times I had been wanting to leave them behind and not carry them  along, but I always heard, `Keep them for an emergency.’ For nine days she had those apples, that chocolate, and those biscuits,   and during those nine days she could not get any one of the crew  near enough to tell them she wanted anything. The ship left Tientsin on the 19th about noon. The next morning, as  they were nearing the Shantung coast, she heard shots all over the ship.   About twenty robbers had come along with the ship as ordinary  passengers and now they took possession of the ship. The words came  to her, “This is the trial of your faith,” and a thrill of joy went through  her at the thought of it. “I was immediately reminded,” she says, “of the word that I had been   using much in  years gone by, in Isaiah 41. 10, and I will read it to you   as I had been reading it on the Honan plains, `Fear not, Marie, for  I am with thee, be not dismayed, Marie, for  I am thy God. I will   strengthen thee, Marie, with the right hand of my righteousness.  Fear not, Marie.’ Suddenly the doors were opened and the passengers were commanded   to go outside on deck. Miss Monsen did not move. She knew she was  on that ship that left Tientsin on the 19th because the Lord  wanted  her to be there, and that she had that cabin as an answer to prayer,  so she did not leave it. A line from a Danish hymn came to her:  “My door-posts have been marked by the blood of the Lamb.” She kept singing this over and over, and firmly believed it was so. A young robber came into her cabin and demanded to see her watch.  He told her to  put it away, thinking that later he would come and get it.   In the meantime another  robber came and asked that she make him a   present of her watch. This she refused, whereupon he threatened to  shoot her. She replied: “Oh, no, you can not shoot me. You can not shoot  me whenever you like.” She quoted the promise and told him what  it meant.   “My God says that no weapon that has been formed against me shall   prosper. You can not use your pistol whenever you like on me and shoot   me. You must have  special  permission from the Living God to do  that.” He jumped up again and pointed the pistol at her. “You can  not,” she said, “you can not.  It has been promised to me, no weapon  that  has been  formed against me  shall prosper.” She repeated that to  him four or five times. Later during the twenty three days they were.  together on that ship, she heard that young  man repeating those words  to himself almost every day. They just stuck. Another promise that she claimed was from the third chapter of Malachi:   “And I will spare  them as a  man spareth his own son that serveth him.   Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked,   between him that serveth God, and him that  serveth him not.” She  asked God that there might be such  a difference between her, a child  of God, and the others, that those two hundred passengers on that ship  might see that she had a living God, that her God was God, and was to  be praised. In this respect also her prayers were answered. Miss Monsen  tells about the advent of another visitor: “I saw two  robbers standing  outside, looking into my cabin. I have seen quite a few robbers down in  Honan, but I have never seen more vile looking  men than those two.  One pushed the other into my cabin and shut the door and tried to lock  it, but the  key had been broken. There was that man in that little cabin,  I felt the devil himself was there. His  face and neck and hands were all  covered with hideous sores, open sores. He sat down on my suitcase, almost  breathing in my face. I repeated the promise that had been very precious to  me many times down in our robber province: `The angel of the Lord  encampeth around them that fear Him and  delivereth them.’ And there  was another promise I went over that moment,  `The Lord is like a wall of  fire round about His people.’ Round about me. Once when I had to travel  through a robber district, the night before, the Lord allowed me to see it.  I suddenly awoke and it seemed to me the roof was lifted off the house  and I saw a wall of fire higher than the house, round about me, and I  heard a voice saying, `The Lord is like  a wall of fire round about His  people.’ I could see the arrows coming from the out-side, arrows without  number, and I could see the flames consuming them and not a single one  of them passed that wall of fire round about me. I had known those words  for years and years, but I had not known what they meant before that time.  So I claimed the promise that He would be like a wall of fire round about  me then, and that vile man sitting there was up against the wall before  he could touch me. “I started the conversation. Is your mother still living? `Yes,’ he said.  How old is she? He told me. Well, she is about my age. I asked him about  his father and the rest of the family, and we had a good long talk together.  I had asked him to open the door and he obeyed me. It could not be locked.  I found out that he knew a missionary, and he said about him, `Truly he  is a good man, there is no better man  in this world.’ He knew some real  Christians  too. I believe we talked together for an hour, and when he went  he had tears in his eyes, and he went out very quietly indeed. I never saw him again near my door.” For five days and nights the robbers looted every junk they came across   and sent the loot ashore. On the second day a junk had arrived with guns   and ammunition and the number of bandits had been increased to fifty or   sixty men. The passengers were fed, but Miss Monsen consistently refused to  eat any of the stolen food. The apples and chocolate and biscuits lasted her  nine days. On the tenth day the second officer came to her door. Up to that  time not one of the crew had dared to come near her cabin. He asked if she  had anything to eat, and on learning she had nothing, said, “Well, I have a  box of eggs in this cabin, which I bought in Tientsin with my own money,  clean money; you needn’t fear. I have a  box of Chinese cakes too.  You can have it all.” “From the tenth day till the end of the twenty-three days,” she says, “I had  for breakfast one egg, for the noon meal, one egg, sometimes two; and for  the evening meal, one egg. I prayed that the Lord would make that egg  into a real meal and that He would make it good for vegetables and fruit  and all that I needed; and He did. I had no trouble what-ever on account  of the food, and when I had eaten one egg I seemed so satisfied  I don’t think I could have eaten more if I had had it.” Every day as they were having their meals, Miss Monsen handed out  tracts to them. One would read aloud, and the others would explain the   meaning. She relates: “Many and many a time I saw tears in the eyes of  those men. They said, `We can not  but be bad,’ and the one they wante  me to look upon as chief and to deal with came  every night as I was   standing outside the cabin door to get fresh air. “We talked for hours together. Even that last night before we left the   ship-I didn’t know  it was the last night-we talked together for two hours  on what I wanted to talk about. I told him what was coming, the Lord’s  return and the Lord taking His own people unto Himself, and the   tribulation that was to come upon the earth. I must confess  it, the day  I saw those robbers leave the ship, I sighed be-cause my work among them   had come to an end. By that time I had been made perfectly willing to go   with them, to be carried off, with them, although I could not see how they  could carry me off as long as r had this Book and all the promises in it.” During all this time she was perfectly delivered  from impatience. Some of  them remarked: “Can you understand the peace she has got? You can see  it on her face. Look at the passengers; they look yellow and worn and  impatient every day.” She knew it was so and thanked God that they  could see the difference.The last  five days the one question was how to  carry her off the ship. At three different times they  had planned  everything to carry her off, but each time something turned up to frustrate  their plans. They had commandeered forty or fifty junks which they  carried alongside. They pointed out to her the junk  she was to be in;  bedding had been taken into the junks. They were just on the point of  leaving and  taking her with them when a sudden storm arose, so the junks  had to go near the shore for cover. So they didn’t leave the ship that time. The twenty third day was Sunday. At three in the afternoon suddenly a   shot was heard.  A gunboat was in pursuit. Most of the robbers   immediately left the ship. Ten were left behind. The captain was ordered   out of his cabin, and there was a lively race for the space of two hours.  The pirates planned to leave the ship and take Miss Monsen with  them.  “We must have the foreigner with us;” they said, “we can not go  without that  foreign face; they won’t shoot us if we have that foreign face with us.”  At last they had  to go into the junks, and she heard one voice saying,  “What is the use of carrying the foreigner with us? She has not been eating  anything for twenty-three days; she won’t be able to  run; she won’t be  able to walk. You see the circumstances we are in; leave her behind!”  And I was left behind: of course I was. `Even the captives of the mighty  shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered.’ “ Miss Monsen says the only difficulty she had on board ship was  about how her old parents would take the news of her captivity.  She was given grace not to be anxious for her parents, and God under  took for her also in this respect. Seven days before her deliverance,  word came to Norway that she had been released, so that during the  last and most difficult days on board ship they were having praise  meetings in the home land. She testifies as to what prayer did for her  during the days of her  captivity. “The first four or five days, people did not know we were missing,  so no one prayed for the missing ones, of course. Those five days  I felt like one swimming against the current, but I felt that strength  was given to me and that I would be able to make it. After people got  to know we were missing and started praying for me, there was a  marked difference. I felt like one floating on the waters, just   floating, resting on the  promises. And those seven days that they  were having praise meetings at  home, the hardest part of the time  really, because there was this terrible struggle between the powers  of darkness and the powers of light, during those days I was so filled  with joy that I felt  like bursting out with joy more than once.” After the pirates had left the ship, the passengers swarmed around  her asking for tracts. They said: “We have seen that your God is God,  and we want to believe Him too.”  She concludes: “Friends, I thank  God for the Book of promises, and I do thank Him that He is faithful to  His promise, and that  I was allowed to see His faithfulness.” I have been searching and I found a book translated into English on Amazon: your faith in the God of the impossible need reviving? Do you think  that stories of walls of fire and hosts of guardian angels protecting God’s children are only for Bible times? Then you should read the amazing accounts in this book of how God and His unseen armies protected  and guided Marie Monsen, a Norwegian missionary to China, as she traveled through bandit-ridden territory spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and standing on the promises of God. You will be amazed as she tells of an invading army of looters who ravaged a whole city, yet were not allowed to come near her mission compound because of angels standing sentry over it. Your heart will thrill as she tells of being held captive on a ship for twenty-three days by pirates whom God did not allow to harm her, but instead were compelled to listen to her message  of a loving Savior who died for their sin. As you read the many stories in this small volume your faith will be strengthened by the realization that our God  is a living God who can  still bring protection and peace in the midst of the storms of distress, confusion and terror— a very present help in trouble. There may also be other books. My best wishes for all my Scarf Sisters. Felisol

Lidia's Tidbits, Part 2: Gentleness - Life with Margins

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Of all the character traits mentioned in the nine-faceted fruit of the Spirit, gentleness is the one that catches my attention.

I have often shared in my writings how my father was the most important influence in my life. He was a gentleman... a gentle person with a tender touch.

We never heard him speak a harsh word in his life. To his dying breath, he was a picture of contentment and gentleness.

There is a Hebrew word for that, yafeh nefesh.  Literally,  "beautiful soul" or "bleeding heart."

When I was a little girl, while Mama prepared breakfast and packed our lunch boxes for school, Papa would fix my hair. It was a bit long, and he would take time to fix it a different style each morning. Sometimes he would loosely braid it, and put a ribbon at the end. Then he would say, "Look at yourself in the mirror, you're beautiful..." and I would see his eyes beaming with pride.

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Many years later, I met a man like that - more rugged, I should say. But still, a "beautiful soul." So kind, so caring. He was my husband.

Gentleness.

It also means meekness. "Living life with margins."

I first heard that from Craig Hill, the founder and senior leader of Family Foundations International.

I've never forgotten it.

Living life with margins means we do not live life to the max. We leave margins.

We do not use up all our energy in pursuit of something. 

Meekness can apply to almost everything we do.

We do not always have to state our opinion. It's okay to keep it to yourself.

Giving the other person the benefit of the doubt.

Saving some money for the rainy day.

Using time wisely by having margins on your day, so there is enough of it to share with others.

Spending time in quiet meditation at sundown, to welcome the new day... 

Reading or listening to soft music at bedtime, to wind down after a long day...

Greeting the morning at daybreak...

Being willing to be misunderstood, or not appreciated.

Giving part of my lunch to a beggar, standing by the restaurant door. Quietly, without anyone noticing it.

Gentleness is one of the character traits of Jesus - He said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle..."

Eugene Peterson translates it so beautifully, Learn the unforced rhythms of life.

I really love the idea of gentleness... 

We all know how it feels to be in the presence of a complainer and a grumbler.

One who doesn't easily see what is beautiful in difficult or painful situations. One who walks into a situation and sees only the wrong things.

There was a time in my life when I was that kind of person. In my quest for excellence and perfection as a young wife, I was a fault-finder. And I was self-righteous.

Towards the end of the 1980s, and up to 2000, my husband and I went through a difficult season in our life.

I call it my pruning season, my season of hiddenness and obscurity, like stew simmering in a back burner, unseen, unnoticed. 

It was at that time that I learned to embrace adversity as my friend.

The start of my journey toward becoming a gentle soul.

Gradually the spiritual equation in my life changed... thank God!

Now, in the autumn season of my life, I am finally learning what it means to be gentle.

The wise woman builds her house, 

but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. 

Proverbs 14:1

It is okay to be good enough.

I don't always have to be right.

There is always room for the other person to change. Give hope.

Tomorrow is another day.

Quote from Max Lucado

And, here's a tender quote, about the touch of kindness and gentleness coming from a yafeh nefesh kind of friend:

But oh! the blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearlessly on any subject: with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely. Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weight thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."

- Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, in A Life for a Life

May I be this kind of friend in the life of another.

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Lidia's Tidbits, Part 1: When Less is More

Lidia's Tidbits, Part 1: When Less is More

Widow gives all she has

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Felisol sent me the email version of the Tidbit box last week of June, but I didn't get to read it until two weeks later. By then, I was about to leave for a ten day ministry trip to Davao City, and Cathy advised me that I may begin doing my tidbit posts when I return home.

When it comes to tidbit sharing, there are a thousand and one such precious morsels on my heart.

So here I am, dear sisters, with my first of two tidbits.

This may be a little bit more than one tiny bite size piece of my life, but anyway I share it with you wholeheartedly.

When Less is More.

I grew up in a home where love was abundant. My parents were both government employees, and we lived in the city. For the first 11 years of my life, we lived in a duplex -- twin houses that were joined in the middle by one wall. It was owned by my maternal grandfather, and my mother's brother and his family lived next to us. Very happy memorable years of close bonding with my four cousins.

When I was 12 years old, we moved to a brand new house, our very own. It was in another city, with rolling hills and wide open spaces, compared to the noisy and congested neighborhood where the duplex bungalow was located.

I remember the excitement of having a huge and beautiful home to finally call our own. My dad had hired an architect to draw up the plan, and it was built in about four months or so.

The beauty of this home was in its simple elegance. My parents had bought many brand new furniture, but we had also taken with us most of our old things. With his innate creativity, artistic flair, and touch of class, my dad was able to blend the old with the new. The house soon became a warm home, and the garden around it tended by my father also blossomed through the years.

I know now that we were not among the very rich in Philippine society. But as young girls, my sister and I didn't know that. I found out only much later that the school my sister and I attended was a very expensive exclusive school for girls in Manila. My classmates were children of ambassadors, and top politicians in our country. I never thought we were any different from them.

What was the secret? It was the joy of contentment. Papa and Mama made us feel that we always had more than enough, and there was no lack. We didn't have an abundance of things, like toys, dresses, and things around the house. But everything we had was what we needed, and maybe just a little bit more.

Mama bought us only three new dresses a year - for our birthdays, for Easter, and for Christmas. Sometimes more, when there was extra. She also bought us brand new school books and beautiful things to use in the classroom. Therefore, school was something we were always excited about. I found out only later how Mama and Papa endeavored to save from their monthly salary to be able to give us the life we had.

To be honest, it was not a perfect childhood. But there was lots of love. And laughter. And song. That's what I remember the most.

Papa believed in beauty. Beauty that was not ornate or excessive, but simple, and elegant. 

I have no doubt that for me, everything was beautiful because there was contentment. 

Another secret was this: we were not over-indulged. Mama and Papa taught us the value of delayed gratification at an early age. If we wanted something, we knew that we could always save up for it, and eventually we could have it. There was joy in the waiting, joy in the eager expectation, and joy in finally receiving what we wanted.

Some financial principles our parents taught us:

Buy only what you need.

Spend less than what you earn.

Live a debt-free life.

Save for the rainy day.

Be generous to those in need.

Charles Ringma writes that 

the Christian experience is not simply one of green pastures and flowing streams,

it is also the place of emptiness.

We live today in a world that tells us we need so much to be happy, but actually the opposite is true.

A lot of times, it is in experiencing emptiness that true joy comes. There is joy in having, but there is also joy in not having.

Because in the end, it is when our cups are empty, when we are not too full of ourselves, that God can fill our hearts to overflowing.

I end this day's post by a quote from Henri Nouwen, one of my favorite authors.

Less is more when there is contentment and joy.

Less is more when there is a willingness to let go.

As I look back at the legacy my parents left behind, I thank God for what they have taught us. May I, like them, pass these principles on to the generations after me.

Wisdom

The Tidbit box has arrived at my door – filled with fun trinkets and all things “Canada” from dear Terry. Terry was so very thoughtful to include something for Miss O as well. And you may be sure Miss O is quite appreciative of the sparkly, light-up necklace which she plans to wear to our upcoming 4th of July celebration! Thank you sweet Terry, for all the love and gifts!

Truth be known, the Tidbit box arrived several days ago. But honestly, I have not had any time at all to sit and blog. It seems as if some of the things of life have been all-consuming lately.

This afternoon, Brillo Man and Miss O have taken off to waterholes unknown to do some serious fishing. They hope to reel in quite the catch to be enjoyed for a late dinner. Therefore, I thought it a great time to sit and do some serious blogging, (and have taken some chicken out of the freezer to thaw...just in case!)

With all the things that have been going on in my life over the past few months, I have definitely been reminded, time and time again, to take everything to the Lord in prayer. Frankly – things have been completely out of my control – even when I thought I could control them, I soon learned my efforts were futile and the situation was always best left in the Lord’s hands.

I remember my grandmother always told me to be diligent in praying for wisdom. She taught me that God will always grant wisdom if we only ask – and reminded me often when trying to tackle life’s circumstances, we should never do so without a healthy dose of divinely-inspired wisdom.

Therefore, when the times get tough in my life, I have found it best to spend some time on my knees doing nothing but seeking wisdom from the Lord. He is always faithful to grant it – whether it be by divine revelation, wonderful advice from a friend, an article I just happen to come across in the wanderings of my day, or wisdom may even be found in a pile of “junk mail”....such as the piece I read today which claims I will be able to stop our dog’s incessant barking simply with string and Campbell’s beef broth. (wink)...at the moment I’m typing this, Bentley is barking because he heard the ice drop from the automatic ice maker into the bin. Just ten minutes prior, he was barking at the UPS driver who dropped a package near our front door.

...wherever did I put that ball of string, anyway? ...I will let you know how it all turns out....oy vey!

"Wisdom is supreme; therefore, get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have,
get understanding."< br>– Proverbs 4:7 (NIV)

"Call to Me and I will answer you.
I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things
that you could never figure out on your own."
- Jeremiah 33:3 (MSG)

Lidia ..Crown of Beauty..Beautiful Light

while the tidbit package flies to the next sister, i thought i had better post about a few sisters who i have just yesterday noticed that i have neglected...i got a comment from our dear sister from the philippines and suddenly i wondered, "i can't remember what i said about crown of beauty!...alas though! time is so short and so i just thought "i will steal a post from canadian blog and just copy and paste it here"...it goes along very well with what felisol has been posting about..salvation the FREE gift of god...no good works required!

crown of beauty has graciously allowed me to put the story of how she was saved in a post and i will not say anything more, other than that this dear christian lady from philippines is a dear friend to many. her name is lidia and it means, "beautiful light".


 "I was 12 years old, and on the threshold of my thirteenth year in the mid 1960's. I was about to go to bed one night and I heard myself asking God a few questions. These were some of the specific things I asked Him: God, if you really are the God I believe in, I want to know You more. I want You to show me if the things I believe in are true. I ask You to show me the truth. Please, God, somehow I feel that there is something lacking in my understanding, but I don't know where to get the answers...or if there is even someone who knows the answers to my questions. Before I go any further, I have to make some things clear. I was not a heretic, and I certainly was not about to turn my back on my religious upbringing. But even as a young girl, I was hungry for God, and would even go to bed with my Missal, my Book of Prayers, my precious collection of stampitas - lovely gilt edged picture cards of Jesus, Mama Mary, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Peter, St. Christopher, and many other saints - under my pillow. I would often pray, asking Jesus to help me be a good girl, and help me keep my heart pur My frustration was that it always seemed so easy to fall into sin. Nothing major - a cross look, a lie, an unkind thought... nevertheless, I knew it was sin. It seemed like I was never good enough, that my actions were always being weighed, and somehow, they always fell short. If someone asked me what my idea of God was back then, here's my reply: to me He was like a tally-keeper up in heaven...some kind of a heavenly policeman. However, those thoughts did not really bother me so much. As I progressed into my teen years, those questions got pushed underneath. After all I was just so busy with more exciting things, like school, friends, weekend parties and going out on dates... I was enjoying life... the way any normal teenager would enjoy life. And my growing up years were memorable, happy ones. I came from a small family where our parents faithfully looked after me and my sister's well-being; we were loved, we were nurtured, we were valued, and appreciated. Our needs were met. We celebrated birthdays, and anniversaries, graduation days, Christmas, New Year, Easter. I felt secure and confident in my parents' love. It was only when I was a freshman at the University of the Philippines that those questions re-surfaced, and the answers came...in a miraculous way. To be honest, I had actually forgotten those questions. But God did honor my desire, after all, and revealed Himself to me, when I least expected Him to. One day in 1972, when I was a second year university student, a classmate gave a speech to convince in our speech class. It was entitled "The Man You Cannot Ignore." Though she only spoke for a few minutes, her words had a deep impact on me. Much of what she said were answers to many questions in my heart, some dating back to when I was still a child. The next week, I joined a small group that met weekly to study what the Bible had to say. It was a year later, in December 1973 that I came to know Jesus as my true Lord. After taking this step of faith, one of the things that really changed in my life was how I regarded the Bible. From just being another book it became, The Book... and began to hold a very special place not just on my desk, but most importantly, in my heart. There was a growing spiritual hunger to read it; each morning I couldn't wait to discover the gold between its lines and pages. There were days when I'd wake up before dawn, sit at my desk and begin reading. And that was the best thing that ever happened to me - when I began to understand that my going to heaven was not something that I had to work for, or earn. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9 Thus began a long journey of soul searching... studying the Bible, knowing that this Book was written by men under the inspiration of the God the Holy Spirit, and could therefore be trusted. After a long period of evaluating and carefully looking at the evidences of the Scripture, accompanied by much prayer for enlightenment, the day came when I could hold back no longer. I couldn't be a fence sitter, wavering between two opinions. I knew I had to turn the reins of my life over to the One who created me, my God, my King, my Redeemer. As soon as that decision was made, it felt like a heavy burden was lifted off my back. It was the beginning of my spiritual journey, an exciting journey of knowing what God my Father was really like, and a brand new life of freedom and grace! There may have been many rough roads on this journey, but the light of a million mornings has dawned in me... Definitely, there is no turning back!"




and then we travelling sisters had the great hounour to welcome crown of beauty to the sisterhood..."the 24 plus one" group that love each other equally and pray without ceasing for each one! crown of beauty travelled all the way to the united states to meet her new family of sisters and even for the sisters that couldn't attend, she is as close as a tapping of the keyboard to talk to her!

oh my!...now as you know crown of beauty is known for her long posts and here i am with the longest post with the help of our beautiful sister!

God bless you always lydia,- crown of beauty-beautiful light...love terry