Not Of This World

Since receiving our Bible, I have searched my heart...wanting some deep bit of wisdom to leave here.  But, I realize that in myself there is NO wisdom.  I am nothing.  I seek the leading of the sweet Holy Spirit...there I find all wisdom, grace, long suffering and peace.
I need to stand for righteousness in a world that is becoming seeker friendly, afraid to offend, to stand for Jesus. Where Altar calls don't exist in some Churches.  Where the Gospel is not always the Full Gospel but a milk toast, watered down version at best.   While this world becomes more and more offensive and less and less Godly!    Oh, I thank the Lord,  that I was not made for this world...but for Eternity.
My life but a vapor...but a glorious life because of the One that I serve...Jesus!
So, dear Sisters my time with our Bible is done...I leave you with this...
For I  am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it has the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.  Romans 1:16
Maranatha!

The Good Shepherd

Please  come  over   to  my  blog   and  read  the  story of  a  young  widow  named   Rakhi.
Pray  to  the  Good  Shepherd  to  bring  this  sheep  home.

Rakhi 's  Story

Click  on the above  link

A Robber called Fear

Dear  Sisters, I  am  sorry  I  could  not  tell  my  Bible  story  thus  far . The  email version  was  sent  to  me  by  Mrs  Mac. But  I  will  in  time   to  come,  i f you  bear  with  me. Its  just  too  hot  here ,  hitting  115  and  above  everyday, and  I  don 't  have  much  energy.I  want to  share my  story  with  photos  and  I  have  not  been able to organize that,  my  PC  has  also  busted  and  I  ausing  my  laptop with a  super  slow   connec tion

I  would  like  to   post   articles  which  encourage  me ,  as  this  one  taken  from
http://www.theresurgence.com/

10 WAYS  FEAR  ROBS  ME
I’m afraid of you.
No, really.
I believe that people have power over me. Power to wound, expose, shame, injure, and expect something I’ll never be able to deliver. The thought of disappointing you all makes me want to run and hide. I am caught between the rock of their approval and the hard place of their rejection.

I’ve sought refuge under the radar. My fear robs me daily. Here are 10 ways it does so.

1. Fear Robs Me of Experiencing God’s Favor
I’m way more concerned about what people think of me. Pleasing people is my goal and although it’s an ever-moving target, I keep trying to hit the bull’s-eye of their approval. If people compliment me, I exhaust myself making sure I never disappoint people—or I give up entirely. I must know what they think.

2. Fear Robs Me of Hearing God’s Voice
When things go well, when I receive accolades, I miss God’s kind and tender, “Well done,” believing that it simply can’t be true. My ears are tuned to their thoughts and opinions—they’ve become my standard. When God lovingly rebukes me, I run back to their latest compliments and feed on them for a while.

3. Fear Robs Me of Honoring and Obeying God’s Leading
When I receive direction in prayer or conviction through a sermon or sense the Holy Spirit while reading my Bible, I feel a momentary call, a renewed vision, a rush of freedom that encourages me to step out in faith. But if I do that, people will judge me, so I wait, rethink, and conclude that what I heard was probably just my own thoughts and ideas anyway.

4. Fear Robs My Trust in God
I take great measures to ensure that I am safe from what people can do to me. My family’s health and behavior, my job, daily inconveniences, schedules, unpredictable relationships, even my pain—these must all be managed. It is all within my power to control. I am risk-averse. Circumstances are better determined by a spin doctor than the great physician, Jesus.

5. Fear Robs Me of Pursuing Conflict Resolution
Relationships wither as I refuse to address sin and allow its consequences to flourish. Prickly sinful patterns go unchallenged and I only hang out with those who “get” me. I’m certain that people won’t respond lovingly so I avoid building intimacy.

6. Fear Robs Me of Receiving Correction
I don’t trust people because I’m sure their words will hurt me. I miss the comfort of familiar lies. I internalize the worst interpretation possible and focus on my perception of reality. I prefer my own exaggerated version of events. What will they think of me if I’m wrong? Admitting I don’t know or saying I’m sorry just looks weak.

7. Fear Robs Me of Being Fully Known in Community
Exposure threatens my carefully crafted exterior. If I let people get close to me they’ll hurt me. Self-protection ensures my identity stays intact. Intimacy and deeper relationships are for other people. Opportunities to serve people should leave them in my debt. Isolation is my friend.

8. Fear Robs Me of Gratitude and Joy
If I focus on resentment, I can remain entitled. If I’m too grateful for something it will be taken away. Childlike joy isn’t very dignified and my dignity is fragile.

9. Fear Robs Me of My Voice
I doubt that God could speak through the Holy Spirit in me. I cease to encourage or exhort others in case it’s not well received. I neglect opportunities to speak out in faith because I fear their evaluation, their disagreement, or their mockery.

10. Fear Robs Me of Rest and Peace
I’m so consumed with self-recrimination that my daytimes and my dreams are filled with mental tossing. I re-evaluate and reassess my words and actions. I’m defensive and irritable, under pressure to succeed.

I am convicted of how often I have found comfort in their commendation instead of the Holy Spirit’s conviction and I wonder, How can God stand to know that I have chosen to worship you instead of him? How can I be in his presence and confess that I’ve loved your approval more than his? That your words are louder than his voice? Oh Lord, forgive me for my unfaithfulness.

How Has Fear Robbed You?
You may feel exposed just talking about it. We hate to admit our idolatry, but our fear has cost us, and the wages of our sin is death. We chose slavery and condemnation when we chose to please man—all the while God offers the free gift of life in Christ (Rom. 6:23). As Paul says to the Galatians, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Those who fear man are described in Jeremiah 17 as parched wasteland, a picture of spiritual poverty and in John 12 the fearful authorities loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. We are glory thieves, and the struggle to escape this deception is not new.

Here Is Mercy
But here is mercy: “the fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” True comfort is found in the kind discipline of my heavenly Father, who I can trust completely. I worship him because, like David, I would rather fall into the hands of the living God than into the hands of man (2 Sam. 24:14). I love his correction, his approval, his guidance, and his voice. In learning to worship him, I have found freedom from the demands of man. He takes all my sin and fear and replaces it with holy fear of him. People, whom my flesh fears, exert power over me no longer.

Joyfully, the gospel tells us that for those who are in Christ, there is no condemnation—we’ve been set free in Jesus from the law of sin and death. All who are led by the Spirit of God are no longer slaves but sons. As it says in Romans, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry ‘Abba! Father!’”

No longer in bondage to each other, we are liberated to serve a kind Father who has made it possible in Jesus for us to do so: fearlessly.

Everlasting God

Was praying for baby Ro today and I started singing "I will remain confident in this, I will see the goodness of the Lord"

Our Bible

Well Ladies, it seems that our Bible's journey has finally come to an end.   I am the last Sister to read from it's pages.   To tell of it's power and what power it has!
This morning as I sit over coffee...and yes, it is Tim Horton's Coffee.   I read from the "Second Epistle Of Paul the Apostle to Timothy."   Somehow I find myself drawn here often...in it are words that I spoke to my girls when growing up and fears came.  For God has not given the Spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  II Timothy 1:7.  (I now repeat them with my Grandbabies.)
You know the Word of God never changes!  I can endure all things...Verses 9 & 10  assure me of this, no matter the troubles I suffer.
So, on this cool morning as I sit in the Lord's presence...I am reminded of my Daddy's words "To always be kind."  Maybe, that's why this Book calls to me.  II Timothy 2:24 ( reminds me of him)  And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to ALL, able to teach, patient.  Oh,  how blessed to have such an example in  my Daddy!   It is forever stamped on my heart.  And Mama, caring for 8 children and making sure that we were in Church.  I still follow her example.  Church attendance is as important as the air that I breathe.  Thank you Lord.
Now, dear Sisters I will paraphrase just a bit.
II Timothy 3:14  I will continue in the things which I have learned and am assured of, knowing from whom I have learned them.  15. and that from childhood I have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make me wise for Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
I close with this...
II Timothy 4:7   I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Thank you Mama & Daddy....Glory!

Wisdom from a child...............

Allyson Ann

As the Sisters know, my nephew recently married.  He has two daughters from a relationship with a young woman with whom he could never make a relationship work.  The young woman he married is a wonderfully quiet and caring woman who has brought out some of the qualities we always knew he possessed, but he managed to keep well hidden most of the time.

Allyson is his oldest child and just turned 5.  She is precious to all of us, but I know we are quite prejudiced! 

In preparation for the wedding, my sister and I were shopping for clothing for the children (he has two girls and she has three girls and a boy!).  We had found things that both the bride and the children loved for all except Allyson.  We were down to the last weekend prior to the wedding when we found a little dress for her.

As we gathered at the church for the rehearsal, I asked Allyson to come with me and try on her dress.  She was so excited by it and loved it the minute she saw it!  As we put her in the dress and checked it out to make sure it fit right, she began to talk to me. 

Now, Allyson talking is somewhat like Aunt Di talking, if she's awake, she's talking!  Did I mention that I love this little girl?!

She was chattering and I was trying to be interested, you know how that can be when you have a million things to do and a child just needs your time and attention to say nothing.  Suddenly, I realized she was talking about something very important to her.  I stopped all I was doing and listened to what she was saying.

She came to sit on my lap and said "Aunt Di, do you know what?"  I said "No, what?"  She continued "Do you know that most little boys and girls only have one Momma and one Daddy?  But, I have a Momma and Miss Vivian is going to be my step-Momma and I have a Daddy and David is going to be my step-Daddy.  I'm a pretty lucky girl, don't you think?"

I sat there holding her close to me as tears rolled down my face.  I prayed silently and thanked the Lord for Allyson and for the wisdom of a child.  I'm not sure who had been talking to her, but someone had been giving her a wonderfully positive understanding of her situation and how lucky she was going to be to have two Mommas and two Daddys.

I looked at Allyson and said "Yep, I think you are a very blessed little girl!"  She said "You know what Aunt Di?  I told my Momma the same thing.  I said 'Momma, I'm not lucky; I'm blessed'!" 

Out of the mouths of babes....................

One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.

Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”              

                                            Luke 18: 15 - 17   (NLT)

Homesick For Heaven

they aren't homesick anymore...jesse dixon and dottie rambo are at "the house"! but WE are all still homesick.....love terry