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A Message in the Mailbox

     On our first official weekend away from the rest of the world, I noticed my husband favoring his left knee.  It was early fall, the leaves were just beginning to turn, the sun was shining and it was warm.  He’s a basketball fanatic, and so early in our relationship, I was more than willing to play along.  So was our dog.

     We had discovered a quiet outdoor basketball court near a lake and we were just shooting some hoops.  Each time he would run toward the basket, I saw him give a little to the left, before he went up for the shot.  He told me it wasn’t a big deal, just an old basketball injury and that he was fine.

     Over the next 17 years, it became progressively worse.  The first surgeon we saw said a knee replacement would only last him ten years.  We walked out.  The second surgeon said he should start thinking about living the life of a much older man.  We walked out.  The third surgeon, a young, healthy, active, energetic, top-of-his-field kind of guy, said he saw no reason my husband wouldn’t be able to play basketball again with our teenage son.  He da man!

     So we went forward to schedule the surgery.  A problem with insurance put it on hold.  A new policy with a larger deductible made us hesitant.  Time off work was a fear factor.  And another two years went by.  The favoring of his left knee became a noticeable limp, and then an obvious limp and finally strangers were walking up to ask about it.  We ganged up on him…his family, and friends…then his co-workers, and finally his boss.  If he wasn’t already convinced, the pain became so intense, money and time no longer mattered.

      But my husband’s knee surgery is not what this is about, not really.

      As I write this post, it is March 2012.  In September 2011 my husband attended a men’s retreat organized by our church.  It’s not the sort of thing that is in his comfort zone, but he felt like he should be there.  During the weekend, the men were asked to write letters about what God had impressed upon their hearts.   They were told the letter would be mailed to them later as a reminder and a means of encouragement.  (I can sort of see my husband rolling his eyes at the very idea, but he complied.)

      The knee was replaced on Monday morning March 5th and he was walking Monday afternoon.  We came home from the hospital two days later and stopped at the mailbox.

      The letter had arrived. 

      As I opened the letter and prepared to read it, I asked him what he had written. 

      He didn’t remember. 

      But God did.

“It’s time to stay on my knees more than I complain about them.  I feel physically spent…painful to walk…and I must dig deeper into my faith as well as my resolve for recovery…leaving fear of knee surgery and it’s cost behind me.

     Call it coincidence, good timing or just a chance occurrence.  But what are the odds of that letter being delivered on the very day he returned home from doing what he was so afraid to do for 17 years?

     Prayers answered.  Fears gone.  Bills paid.  And in the mailbox, a reminder, a means of encouragement, a simple little message.

 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6


 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10

 

 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12

 

God knows your needs.

He hears your prayers.

Trust Him.

Lay it down.

Let it go.

And wait!

(I know, easy to say, hard to do.  But try it.  It’s not your only option.  But it’s your best!)

© Copyright 2012, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

Category:

Faith, Hope, Inspirational, Obedience, Truth

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When Less is More

           There were advertisements, segments on talk shows, news stories, even live shots on opening day.  When the only bookstore in our city’s most prestigious shopping mall closed, a new exciting store quickly took its place.

           What would wealthy, educated Americans want more than access to the latest in literary arts?

           Containers, of course!

          The opening of The Container Store was about as big as the day the doors were unlocked at the new Nordstrom.  

          But then it makes perfect sense.  After a stop and shop at Nords, a person needs somewhere to put all the new purchases.

           I’m not knocking the new container store; it’s a pretty clever concept, I am however, making fun of our inherent need for such specialized nooks.  We’ve got a bunch of stuff and now we need more places to put it.  How many of those storage facilities have cropped up across the country?  They’re everywhere!  You can even get a look at what’s in some of them on “Storage Wars”, yet another reality show, this time allowing us to be voyeurs into the secret stash of a recently repossessed storage unit.  When you lose your stuff, because you had so much stuff you could no longer afford your stuff, that just might be…too much stuff. 

           Maybe I’m a little sensitive to the subject since I’m currently studying the New Testament book of James, and today’s lesson was on hoarding and self-indulgence.  I guess it could be a touch of Spring Fever since the daffodils are poking their little yellow heads up way ahead of schedule.  Or maybe it’s because we’ve accumulated so much stuff in the square footage God has given us, that we don’t have room for it all. 

          Clutter makes me crazy!

           What ever is causing this feeling; I wonder if The Container Store has a place for me to put it? 

          “In part, hoarding means withholding what we don’t even use from others who’d treasure it. All of us are accustomed to the saying “use it or lose it” but, the fact is, we’re going to lose it anyway.  We’re not taking one ounce of this stuff with us when we die.”

 ~Beth Moore

James: Mercy Triumphs/LifeWay Press*

 “Even if I pay all my bills and rightly pay every laborer I employ, is not my superfluous spending on myself when others need the basics for survival a contradiction of loving my neighbor as myself?”

 ~Melissa Moore Fitzpatrick

(Beth’s daughter)

James: Mercy Triumphs/LifeWay Press*

 Beth’s Advice: When we get something new, something has to go. 

 I’m WAY behind on that one.

 How about you? 🙂

© Copyright 2012, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Entertainment, Home, Inspirational, Truth, Women

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Who Needs Love?

300 Maple Street, USA.

Late summer.

Exactly 6:43 PM.

A roaring sound followed by a flash of light.

All communication cut off.

It’s an old episode of

The Twilight Zone.

At first, neighbors congregate, wanting to be close to each other, and looking for answers.  But fear and suspicion soon lead to accusations and before the show is over, they turn and attack each other.

 “The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” (Galatians 5:14-15)

We woke up one morning, several years ago; to find my husband being bashed on the front page of the paper and morning radio talk shows.  He hadn’t committed a crime, but he had said some things that didn’t sit well with people in power.

Co-workers and friends scattered, and a lynch mob mentality took over, as people called for his firing.

This past week a prominent person in our community was accused of doing something, that in an instant, took his freedom, cost him his job, and threatened the stability of his family.

In my husband’s situation, only one man had the courage to speak up and put things back in perspective.  He is a man who loves God more than he loves himself.  He is a man who knows what it means to love his neighbor as himself.  His support helped save my husband’s reputation.  My husband kept his job and has lived to give God the glory many times.

In this more recent case, when the man’s actions were reported to the public, some of the very people he had hurt were asking for prayer and compassion…not for themselves…but for him and his family.

          Who Needs Love?

Jesus showed us by example.

He loved the people who were broken, the people who had sinned, the people who had been slow to listen but quick to speak, the people who had made complete messes out of their lives, the people who were shamed, humiliated and ostracized.

When someone else’s sin seems worse than our own we tend to distance ourselves…shake our heads…point our fingers…and offer up our opinions.

But on this Valentine’s Day, if we live by the command that sums up the entire law, we may find those who need love the most, are the ones we think don’t deserve it.

In The Twilight Zone people from another planet caused the conflict between neighbors on Maple Street.

But in the real world, all it takes is someone who is different from us, to breed fear, suspicion and hate.

Jesus’s instructions were clear, love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Who Needs Love?

We all do!

Happy Valentine’s Day

© Copyright 2012, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Home, Inspirational, Love, Obedience, Truth

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Around the Web in 365 Days

“Sugar and spice and all things nice, that’s what little girls are made of.”

          Those  were the first words that came to my mind when I looked up the meaning of Keziah and was reminded the Hebrew name is synonymous with sweet-scented spice.

    “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ…” 

     The name Carrie, coincidentally, means joy.

     “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart…”

     As I prepared to step out on faith and start writing for this website last year, I absolutely knew February 2nd would be the day!  So, I hopped out of bed, fired up the old desktop and prepared to publish. HOURS later and many mistakes behind me, frustrated to no end, and rapidly running out of time, the first post finally popped up around noon.  I felt I had surely earned the right to sit back and chill out.

     But…

     I was  late for an appointment.  And then before I could even make it a mile down the road, my cell phone rang with news that was… let’s say… NOT GOOD!

     Romans 7:21 says when you would do good, evil is present.

     But thank God…

     Isaiah 54:17 says no weapon formed against me will prosper.

     And so today, KeziahCarrie is a year old.

     My hope, one year ago, and my hope now is that I can inspire you, make you laugh, make you cry and help you realize living a Christian life is hard for all of us. It’s why Matthew 7:14 says, the gate is small and the way is narrow. I have often thought if the world really wants Reality TV, watch someone walking with God!  The blessings are big but the tests are tough!  And I don’t know about you, but just when I think I’m about to walk on the water, I divert my eyes for a second and down I go.

    I tell my children that sin is often a whole lot of fun;  that being bad is easy, and temptations come our way almost every day. But the reward we get from a relationship with our Messiah (reminder to self) is SO MUCH MORE!

     I pray I never write one word He has not approved; and I pray KC never has a reader who cannot benefit from what God allows to be written. I’m not always anxious to share my faults, even though I do keep finding them.  I figure, if God can use something I’ve experienced, failed at, made a mess of, or succeeded in, then the glory is all His.

          I thank Him for the opportunity to write and do not take the privilege for granted. It’s not about money, so you don’t have to weed your way through any advertisements to see what God might want to say to us. It’s not about numbers, although it is nice to see subscribers.  And, it’s not about awards, although I’m grateful that other writers have nominated KC for the Kreative Blogger, The Versatile Blogger
and The Candle Lighter Awards.

     If you haven’t already subscribed, we would love for you to join us. Nothing changes except an email telling you there’s a new story. I have little KC cards if you would like me to send you some of those. It’s fun to leave them in places where women go and hope they will log on to the web address and find  “A Place for All Women.” If you feel led, please tell your friends, family and co-workers about KeziahCarrie. I promise I’ll try my best to never write anything that might embarrass you or make you regret sharing the website. If you want to know more about the “why” click on the About KC link at the top of the page.

     Many blessings on your life this day, I look forward to our next year together as women.

     And for the few guys who have come along for the ride…

“Snips and snails and puppy dog tails, that’s what little boys are made of.”

     Until we meet again, Shalom!

     (Google it :-)) 

References: 2 Corinthians 2:15 & Proverbs 27:9

© Copyright 2012, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Faith, Hope, Inspirational, Truth, Women

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Who Does He Favor?

There is a man with three children.

The outrageously rebellious daughter,

The loving and loyal middle son,

The carefree, on the run, gotta go, catch ya later youngest boy.

Who does he favor?

Who does he love?

He tries to talk with his daughter but she tuned him out a long time ago.

His middle son spends a lot of time with his dad and hangs on his every word.

His youngest is just too busy.  He has his friends and all his activities.

Who does he favor?

Who does he love?

There is a man who remembers the moment his baby girl came into this world.

He never knew he could love so deep.

He was pleased when his family grew and he loved his second child.

The third child was a surprise but much-loved.

Who does he favor?

There is a man who gave his daughter many gifts and opportunities.

She thought him old-fashioned and out of touch.

He gave his son many gifts and opportunities.

He thought his dad wise and strong.

The man had even more to give, so the third son received the most.

He just felt entitled.

Who does he favor?

He loves them all!

There is a man whose heart is drawn toward the son who spends time with him.

He talks to the son who listens.

He walks with the son who is by his side.

When his son asks him for something he takes great joy in blessing him.

There is a man who never quits trying to reach his daughter.

But there are other men in her life now and she’s not interested.

He tries to get his youngest son’s attention but there are just so many things distracting the boy.

His eyes turn back to the young man who wants to be just like him.

And he blesses him.

This same man ridicules people who tell him that God has blessed them.

He says it doesn’t make sense that God would bless one person over another.

And yet his own life is like a parable.

He loves all of his children.

He doesn’t love the middle son more.


If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

                                                                              Matthew 7:11 NIV

The middle son has no fear of asking his father for a favor.

He spends time with his dad.

He listens to his dad.

He walks with him and talks with him.

He honors and obeys him.

And when his Father calls, he knows the sound of his voice.

There is a man with three children.

The outrageously rebellious daughter,

The loving and loyal middle son,

The carefree, on the run, gotta go, catch ya later youngest boy.

If you were one of his three children,

which one would you be?

“The King of the universe wants a real, live relationship with us.

He’s not interested in just being a mind reader.  He’s not even interested in just being a provider.  He’s both of those things, but

the role He relishes most is Father.  He wants us-frail mortal creatures-to connect with Him and communicate with Him as the

dearest relationship in human existence.  He rejoices to hear our voices.  He delights to be our sole and holy source

for all things in life.”

~Beth Moore from the study of James Mercy Triumphs

© Copyright 2012, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Top Ten List minus Letterman

 KeziahCarrie has been blessed with a nomination for a Kreativ Blogger Award. It was created by bloggers to promote other bloggers and comes to us from the author of the blog “Did Jesus Have a Facebook Page?”  We are grateful.  I must admit I don’t really like the word BLOG and prefer to think of KC as a Website for Women; but we’ll take all the promotion God will give us. 🙂

In order to accept this award I need to nominate six others and fess up to ten things you may not know.  As a habitual rule breaker, I’ll expose ten things I use to not know and tip you to six other writers you may or may not like.  How’s that? That cool?  Okay, here we go…

1)    When I was little I didn’t think rich people could go to Heaven.  The pulpit preachers pretty much just used the part about how it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.  I don’t really remember ever hearing the rest of the story:

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  

(In the event of a windfall, this is good to know!)

2)    I thought if you died on the way to be baptized, your eternal future was pretty much a coin toss.   Then, I found out about the thief on the cross. 

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 

(Helpful note: This is an example of grace, not an excuse to avoid the water.)

 3)    Jesus was a Horse Whisperer!!  Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here…” When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.  (How cool is that? I love that story!)

4)    Since there were so many religious rules growing up, I thought there would be a point upon which I broke one too many.  Apparently the Apostle Paul knew there would be a few of us living in chronic fear of failure:  “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (I once heard a pastor say, even if the gates of heaven slam shut on your backside, YOU’RE IN! 🙂

5)    God is not keeping score.  Although I do believe He loves a good basketball game every now and then (Go Indiana), I no longer see Him holding a long list of everything I’ve ever done wrong.  “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

6)    He’s not taking attendance.  Here and there and on occasion, I’ve missed a Sunday or two.  I must not be the only one.  Television preachers haven’t risen in the ratings because everyone’s at church when their shows come on.  And God doesn’t need to check our names off a list for His own heavenly happiness.  Getting together is for our benefit.  “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” 

7)  Since I was taught at an early age that women should keep silent in the church, I thought Jesus didn’t trust us.  But check this out.  When he needed dependable messengers, whom did he send? “So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

 8) Jesus knew how to cook and didn’t need the disciples to deliver groceries.  I wasn’t aware of this, but it’s another cool story like the horse thing.  Read it for yourself (John 21) and pay close attention to the fact that he’s already got breakfast made before the guys get back with the fish.

 9)    I didn’t know as a child that gossiping was a bad thing since people did it at church.  But I knew (and still know) it never feels good when it’s over. “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.”

 10) And, these are not my words, but I will borrow them to explain that as a child, I often thought “God is in heaven, mad as hell.”  My little mind was certain He was looking for any reason to ZAP me like a bug.  But heck, that’s not what the Bible says at all: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

 I would love to hear some of the things you thought, or were taught, and now know not to be the case.

Until then, I nominate the next six blogs for a Kreative Blogger Award.

http://modernmiracleme.wordpress.com/

http://journeytoepiphany.wordpress.com/

http://memorybearsbybonnie.wordpress.com/

http://inlovewiththelord.wordpress.com/

http://twoweekworship.org/

http://intotheeddy.wordpress.com/

 

Matthew 19:26, Luke 23:43, Mark 11: 1-2, 7, Romans : 7:15, Psalm 103:11-12,

Hebrews 10:24-25,

James 3:5, 2 Peter 3:9, Matthew 28:8-10

© Copyright 2012, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Inspirational, Love, Obedience, Truth, Women

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A New Beginning

And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

          He does that, you know, He makes all things new.  He gives us endless second chances.  He gives us new weeks, new months, new moons, new years.  He removes our sins, “As far as the east is from the west.”  He is patient and kind, “not willing that any should perish.”  He is our Shepherd.  And when we get loaded down, messed up and stressed out, He “makes” us “lie down in green pastures.”

         
          All around us are the expectations of a New Year peppered with promises to do better, live healthier, and try harder.  But we’ll fail, not at all of it, but probably at some of it.  We’ll find a good excuse to gossip… a logical reason to overreact…another celebration that will invite us to overeat…and then we’ll wake up one day feeling less motivated than we thought we would feel back on January 1.

          He will still be there making all things new.

          Some of us will venture into new opportunities. There will be new relationships, new houses, new cars, new furniture and new families. 

          He’ll bless us and favor us and wait patiently for us to see Him.  That’s who He is.  It’s what He does.  He provides for us “out of his glorious riches.”

          And even though our New Year will eventually be old, He’ll not change.  He’ll be there to see us through, “a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

 Jehovah-jireh, our Provider.

 (Bible references: Revelation 21: 5, Psalm 103:12 NAS, 2 Peter 3:9 NKJ, Psalm 23 NIV, Ephesians 3:16 NIV, Proverbs 18:24 NIV)

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Faith, Hope, Inspirational, Truth, Women

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Three White Horses

          My Mamaw never had much money.  In fact, she and my Papaw
lived most of their lives without any modern conveniences.  But she loved to give.  She gave out of what she had, or she sacrificed even further, saving just enough, to make a difference in our lives.

          It’s interesting in a way to look back on all the gifts I’ve received over my lifetime.   I can only name a few of the expensive ones.  I can’t recall any of those given out of obligation.  But the ones I really remember are the ones that took some thought.

          It would have been easy for my Mamaw to explain to the family how she couldn’t afford Christmas gift giving.  We would have all understood.  And many times I’m sure we tried to convince her, in advance, not to get us anything.  We all had plenty.

          But it is the thought that counts.

          She was thinking of us, she loved us; she wanted to give to us.  So many times, “It’s the thought that counts” gets used as an excuse for why someone bought you a gift you didn’t want, didn’t need or couldn’t use.  Sometimes it’s an excuse for not giving a gift at all.  “Hey, sorry I didn’t get you anything, but isn’t it the thought that counts?”  Clearly not much thought goes into how that might make the other person feel.

          But it wasn’t that way for my Mamaw.

          One of the last Christmas gifts she gave me, before she died, was a set of three little white horses wrapped in tissue paper.  She knew me.

          I love horses.

          She also knew someone, somewhere, who was willing to give up the horses because my Mamaw didn’t buy them at an expensive store.  She bought them at a yard sale.  She didn’t have much money and they didn’t cost much.  But as she stood there looking at those three little white horses, she was thinking of me.

          I see them every day… and you know what?

          I always think of her.

  Who are you thinking of this Christmas?

Who will say, “She really knew me”?

 Who will look at a gift you have given and think of you?

 God is always thinking of us and He is the giver of all good things.

 Isaiah 49:16

 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands

 I’m the first to admit I often buy gifts out of obligation. But every now and then, I stop and take the time to really think it through…and every now and then, I get it right and God allows the gift to be a blessing.

May God bless each of you this Christmas.  

Enjoy the snow and I’ll see you next year as KeziahCarrie approaches her 1st birthday

February 2, 2012.

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved


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Taking the Time

          Time is money.  We know this.  We have heard it most of our lives.  
We have seen it in action.  A doctor who has to see dozens of patients in a day to pay high insurance premiums, a lawyer offering legal advice to as many defendants as the court system can handle or a single mom working two jobs to feed four kids will all tell you that time is money.

          So the idea of stopping long enough to spend time with God, when we can’t see Him, often can’t hear Him and who doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we would like, is sometimes asking more than we are willing to give.  After all, time is money, and if we have enough money, everything else will run smoothly in our lives. Right?

          How much is enough?  For one of the wealthiest men in history, John D. Rockefeller Sr., it was “Just a little bit more.” 

          But we’re not really talking about money here; we’re talking about time.

          Where do we spend most of our time, our quality time?  Is it possible to invest in time and reap the dividends like a savings account or stock portfolio?  I bring this up now because I’ve been spending a lot of my time lately fighting the clock.

          There are people in my life, people I love, who need my help, people who want things, projects on deadline, a house to clean, laundry in piles, dogs to feed, horses covered in cockleburs, holidays coming quickly and I can’t seem to stop long enough to do the one thing that would actually save me some time, if I would just take the time.

          The go-to quote, in times when I need more time, comes from a friend’s grandmother.  I’ve shared it before.

“Now you come on and get up out of that bed.

You know any time you give to God, he will give it back to you”

~Myrtle Alexander, 83

                It’s so true!  But it still didn’t get me out of bed any earlier.  I was already getting up before the sun.  However, a couple of days ago, I forced myself to try and re-focus on what God wants.  I prayed every time I realized I wasn’t praying, or hadn’t prayed, or really didn’t want to pray.  It didn’t get any easier.  I still didn’t feel His presence, or see any signs of the stress lifting from the load I chose to carry.  One of the biggest projects I’ve ever encountered was coming up on its first deadline.  I needed time a lot more than I needed money, although, money was sort of the reason I needed time.  So, I kept going before God.  I kept waiting for a breakthrough.  And still nothing was happening.   I did notice my husband taking extra care to keep the kitchen clean. 
Like a tiny little ray of hope darting out from behind a clump of ominous clouds, things seemed different.

          The project made deadline, the dogs were fed, the horses brushed, there was extra time to spend a couple of days with my Dad, and a significant holiday gift just popped up while I was out doing routine shopping; and it was a fraction of the price I would have expected to pay at Christmas.  When I quit running around chasing the clock, God reminded me of all that had been done, and then, He just gave me this post.

          What about you?  How are you spending your time?  Who is getting the most time?  Does God get any time?  Or is time just money?

Hebrews 4:16

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

 

I have often heard the story of Rockefeller’s money comment and just assumed it was associated with greed.  But when I read about his life, I discovered he was a believer, tithed from the very beginning… and the more money he got, the more he gave away.  In that case, how much would be enough?  A little bit more!

 © Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Faith, Hope, Inspirational, Truth, Women

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What a friend

          The Sunday morning worship team’s rendition of “What a friend we have in Jesus” was all it took for the tears to start falling.  I just couldn’t help but remember the days when I stood next to my Mamaw, singing that same song in a little white wooden country church.  As we held hands, and I looked up at her, my heart was full of Jesus and I was happy. 

            A tap on my shoulder brought me back to my balcony seat in our large red brick church building where I now stand, feeling all alone, despite the capacity crowd. 

            I don’t know if a “walk in the wilderness” is ever something you really expect, but ours was most certainly a summer surprise.  We were grateful for God’s providential provision, yet caught off guard by how easily our regular routines could be uprooted when I returned to an all-consuming work schedule.  My freedom to be flexible for our family was temporarily placed on hold, and it was harder on all of us than we ever imagined. 

          I quickly confess that I began to stray away from God like the sheep we are described in the Bible to be.  I was headed for greener pastures… one bite at a time…both eyes open.  There didn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to eat right, exercise or get a good night’s sleep; and that added to the rising level of stress I brought back into our home.  But we knew it was a necessary season of sacrifice, so we all moved through the motions.

            In two shorts months, the morning quiet time I covet with God went from an hour to 20 minutes to five minutes to none at all.  Our family prayer time became a quick drop of the knees to recite The Lord’s Prayer, and pop back up in order to get on with the days demands.  Even as it was happening, I knew better, and I knew what the end result would be.  It was like grasping the hand of someone trying to save me as I was falling away all on my own.

             As the tears fill my eyes, I fasten my gaze on the trees outside the big sanctuary windows so no one can see me.  I know I can regain my composure quickly, but at the moment, I just feel empty.     

           I turn to respond to the tap on my shoulder, and there stands our pastor’s wife, like an angel of light, letting me know that God has sent her to the balcony, that He is near…that He sees me…that He knows what has happened…that He is still my refuge and strength.  And, although I have felt alone out in the dry dusty desert where I chose to walk, the rains are on their way, and I will once again be able to stand before Him and soak up His living water. 

“Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” 

          It was only a few weeks later when I was blessed to be able to attend a women’s retreat where we were encouraged to stop for a time in order to immerse ourselves in God’s goodness.  I have to admit, I still walked through most of the weekend telling myself,  “Been here, done this, made the necklace.”  Despite my desire to feel God’s presence and hear His word, I was much more in the mood to hang out with my roommate, walk in the woods and soak up what remained of the autumn sunshine.  The “mountain-top” experience I have come to know and love at these retreats just wasn’t happening for me. So, I turned my attention to some of the other women.  First timers were finding they could leave this retreat with stronger convictions to stand confidently at their crossroads.  Tears were flowing as some women realized they had just come through a season of testing but had stood firm and would return home with even more determination.  Women, who knew no one when they arrived, were exchanging email addresses and cell phone numbers with their new friends. 

            I sat in the front row wishing I knew exactly why I was here.  It was almost over, and like a much-needed vacation, it had gone way too fast.  Then a young woman stepped forward with these words: 

My soul is a dry parched land

and my mind is a shattered piece of glass

I cough out the dust

and kick the broken shards to the sky 

Oh Lord, Gather me up

Oh Lord, fill my spirit

Oh Lord, Gather me up

Oh Lord, Quench my thirsty soul 

My feet won’t move toward you

and my hands are fists swinging wide

I scream out your name in pain

and cry out for healing rains 

Oh Lord, Gather me up

Oh Lord, quench my thirsty soul

Oh Lord, Gather me up! 

          She was like another angel of light delivering the message again.  He is near… He sees us…He knows what has happened…and He is still our refuge and strength.  Although we often feel alone, out in the dry dusty desert where we choose to walk, the rains are on their way, and we will once again be able to stand before Him and soak up His living water. 

What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and grief to bear! What a privilege to carry
 Everything to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer! 

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged—Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer. 

Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge— Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there. 

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised, Thou wilt all our burdens bear; May we ever, Lord, be bringing All to Thee in earnest prayer. Soon in glory bright, unclouded, There will be no need for prayer— Rapture, praise, and endless worship Will be our sweet portion there. 

            No matter where you are, no matter how worn out, weary and spent you must feel, God is faithful to deliver you.  We are the ones who get out on a limb, stand at the edge of a cliff and allow ourselves to empty out into the lives of others and the demands of our days. 

But Jesus is always there waiting for our return.

          It seems the more I write about Him, the more I return to thoughts of my childhood.  I wonder if it has anything to do with the way God wants us to come to Him.  

I pass on to you the words our pastor’s wife left me with that Sunday morning.  

“Stand in the rain, sister, stand in the rain!” 

 

(Gather Me Up/2011-Melissa Duckworth)

(What a Friend We Have in Jesus/1855-Joseph M. Scriven)

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

Category:

Faith, Hope, Inspirational, Truth, Women

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