Monday, October 21, 2013

Kenya Mission trip/ 2013, Machakos people

     I was looking at my blog today and realized I did not finish blogging about my Kenya trip!
From my journal:   (Date: September 17, 2013)

     I want to tell you about a new group of people that we went to teach. The "Machakos" people, are a warm, and friendly group of women. They are quick with a smile and I found them to have a good sense of humor. They are eager to learn. The conference was held in the Kiima Kimwe Baptist church.

     I taught on The Shunamite woman and Jochebed and Miriam. I also taught on Psalm 91, "Under His Wings". The women who interpreted for us did an excellent job.  That is such an important thing! If the women can't understand us, then God's instruction to them through us can be hindered.

     I enjoyed dancing with a woman whom I just felt a strong connection with. She had such a warm way about her. She could speak a little English and we talked about her daughter who had been having health problems. She mentioned she would not be in attendance for tomorrow's sessions. How happy I was however  to see her attending the very next day though. In speaking with her, her daughter's problem was resolved easier than once thought by a simple Doctor's visit. Praise the Lord for that! Also, PTL that I could fellowship with her again.  I also enjoyed all the chubby-cheeked babies! I had to restrain myself from pinching their cheeks. But I managed to control myself.

     One of the things that was so sweet, the Machakos people presented us with gifts on the last day that we were there. They gave me a straw tote bag and the other women of our team, straw purses. They gave all of the men exquisitely carved wooden canes. I enjoyed watching them during the presentation time. The joy that they received from giving to us was really a blessing to see and to experience. I will never forget this...

How special they are...

to us...

and to God!

 My interpreter, Susan

Precious children




Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Yield: 2 Servings

1 cup water
1 cup milk
1 cup old- fashioned oats
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2-1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 Tbsp, brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
cinnamon (optional)
Pecans (optional)
Additional milk (optional)
Maple syrup (optional)

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, oats, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the brown sugar and vanilla. If desired, sprinkle with cinnamon and pecans. Serve if desired, with additional milk and maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Saturday, September 28, 2013

First Day of Kenya Mission trip, 2013- I Can Fly school

     The first official day of the Kenya Mission trip for me was at the I Can Fly school in Machakos, Kenya,  on September 16, 2013. We were greeted by a lovely young black American woman named Sha' Givens. Sha' was so excited and proud to show us the school and especially the Butterfly Project dormitory and new beds.
     Let me tell you a little about Sha'. She is from Los Angeles, Ca. The Lord spoke to her and told her that she needed to go to Kenya and help the young girls in East Africa who are to be child brides. She helps them cope with unimaginable things they have endured physically, or could possibly be facing the prospect of enduring physically.
     I recently blogged about "Here's to the Shero's the Unsung Hero's". I have to tell you I was so impressed with this young lady, I have to add her to my shero list! This young woman left home and family to pursue the call of God. I am sure that many people, maybe even some in her own family, don't understand this.
     My experience at the school was wonderful. I was so privileged to teach the 9th through the 12th grade the subject "Decision Making". Each and every child was attentive and polite. What a joy it was to be with them. When I was given the topic to teach I wondered what God was going to do. I was able to get Stuart Burgess' book, "Hallmarks of Design" from our recent Creation Ministries conference. So I was able to tie-in about how God designed our brains in an amazing way. The fact that God designed us to be intelligent enough to make decisions at all is a wonderful thing! Another "God thing" involved the fact that Linda, another member of our mission team, had brought with her a poster showing the inside of the brain. Neither one of us knew ahead of time what we would be doing, but God did! How awesome is that?
     I would love to go back to the I Can Fly school and teach again. Sha' and the children at the school were such a blessing to me. I will keep up with Sha' and what God is doing through her at the school. I will be praying for her and the students in the school. I will pray also that God keeps all the young girls in the Butterfly Project safe and under the care of His wings.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Here's to the Shero, the unsung Hero

    Yesterday, I saw the performance by Miley Cyrus. This was a vulgar and sad display of what our debased modern culture has to offer . I began to think of all the young girls that look up to Miley Cyrus. In thinking on that, I thought about some women that I look up to. So I began to write:

      Here's to the "shero", the unsung hero... Katie Davis, who sometime this year will be 25. So very close in age to Miley Cyrus. Katie left her Tennessee home at the age of 18 to go to Uganda. It was there that she fell in love with the children of Uganda. She has adopted 12 Ugandan girls. She started Amazima ministry which distributes food and health care to more than 1,600 children in Masese, a nearby slum. Although Katie is near in age to Miley, she is a very different young lady. Katie will never hear the applause of adoring fans. Instead, she hears the clapping of many little brown hands who adore her. Katie doesn't sing for a crowd. Rather she hears the sing-song happy voices of children who call her Momma Katie.

     Here's to the shero, the unsung hero.... Elizabeth Elliot. Who sent her husband Jim Elliott off to an unreached people group and  he came back to her in a coffin. I don't understand a young woman like Miley Cyrus, but neither do I understand a woman who would go to the group of people that killed her husband, (Auca Indians of Ecuador) and live with them for two years. Instead of a stage, or runway of fame, she looked to go "Through Gates of Spendor". She helped to translate the Bible in their language. I can begin to catch a glimmer of understanding by finding out that Elizabeth's shero was Amy Carmichael, who said, " Missionary life is simply a chance to die." Another great quote attributed to her, "One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving."

     How can we explain them? It is only through Christ's love. Elizabeth Elliott would open up her radio program with these words: " You are loved with an everlasting love... and underneath are the everlasting arms." I feel for Miley Cyrus. I believe that deep down, she just wants love and acceptance. She is crying out for people to talk about her and pay attention to her even if it's bad and negative. At least then she is staying popular, current, even relevant. These women know that it is Christ that gives them relevance, not our shallow culture.

     What these two women that are my sheroes have is common (one is 25, one is 86), is love. They also have in common that they "died to self". Matthew 16:25 says, "... Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." These two women made up their minds long before they went to a foreign country that they were dead. Dead to themselves. But I am sure that they have learned that it is in the giving of oneself, the pouring out of oneself into others, is when you really live!

     Instead of buying the red-bottom shoes that celebrities wear, they trade it for what it says in Isaiah 58:10, they " spend themselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness..." A quote from Katie that so exemplifies this verse, " My candle is lit; I am on fire for God, for this place, for these people. My purpose here is to spread light. One candle can light up my entire room. Jesus can light up this entire nation, and my flame can be a part of it." They are examples of two lights in a dark world rather than a spotlight shining on them. They are a light, a shining example of what a real woman is and should be. They are worthy heroes that our young girls can look up to.

     If they kick off whatever humble shoes they are wearing, I want to see if my feet would fit into the imprint their feet make in the earth beneath. I want to follow in their footsteps.

     Here's to the shero, the unsung hero. May I be like these women. May all of us be... because they are like Christ.

(If you would like to know more about Katie Davis and her ministry, you can read her book: "Kisses from Katie: A story of Relentless Love and Redemption". She also has a blog, Amazima Ministries.


grace notes: Here's to the Shero, the unsung hero

grace notes: Here's to the Shero, the unsung hero:     Yesterday, I saw the performance by Miley Cyrus. This was a vulgar and sad display of what our debased modern culture has to offer . I b...

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Here's to the Shero, the unsung hero

    Yesterday, I saw the performance by Miley Cyrus. This was a vulgar and sad display of what our debased modern culture has to offer . I began to think of all the young girls that look up to Miley Cyrus. In thinking on that, I thought about some women that I look up to. So I began to write:

      Here's to the "shero", the unsung hero... Katie Davis, who sometime this year will be 25. So very close in age to Miley Cyrus. Katie left her Tennessee home at the age of 18 to go to Uganda. It was there that she fell in love with the children of Uganda. She has adopted 12 Ugandan girls. She started Amazima ministry which distributes food and health care to more than 1,600 children in Masese, a nearby slum. Although Katie is near in age to Miley, she is a very different young lady. Katie will never hear the applause of adoring fans. Instead, she hears the clapping of many little brown hands who adore her. Katie doesn't sing for a crowd. Rather she hears the sing-song happy voices of children who call her Momma Katie.

     Here's to the shero, the unsung hero.... Elizabeth Elliot. Who sent her husband Jim Elliott off to an unreached people group and  he came back to her in a coffin. I don't understand a young woman like Miley Cyrus, but neither do I understand a woman who would go to the group of people that killed her husband, (Auca Indians of Ecuador) and live with them for two years. Instead of a stage, or runway of fame, she looked to go "Through Gates of Spendor". She helped to translate the Bible in their language. I can begin to catch a glimmer of understanding by finding out that Elizabeth's shero was Amy Carmichael, who said, " Missionary life is simply a chance to die." Another great quote attributed to her, "One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving."

     How can we explain them? It is only through Christ's love. Elizabeth Elliott would open up her radio program with these words: " You are loved with an everlasting love... and underneath are the everlasting arms." I feel for Miley Cyrus. I believe that deep down, she just wants love and acceptance. She is crying out for people to talk about her and pay attention to her even if it's bad and negative. At least then she is staying popular, current, even relevant. These women know that it is Christ that gives them relevance, not our shallow culture.

     What these two women that are my sheroes have is common (one is 25, one is 86), is love. They also have in common that they "died to self". Matthew 16:25 says, "... Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." These two women made up their minds long before they went to a foreign country that they were dead. Dead to themselves. But I am sure that they have learned that it is in the giving of oneself, the pouring out of oneself into others, is when you really live!

     Instead of buying the red-bottom shoes that celebrities wear, they trade it for what it says in Isaiah 58:10, they " spend themselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness..." A quote from Katie that so exemplifies this verse, " My candle is lit; I am on fire for God, for this place, for these people. My purpose here is to spread light. One candle can light up my entire room. Jesus can light up this entire nation, and my flame can be a part of it." They are examples of two lights in a dark world rather than a spotlight shining on them. They are a light, a shining example of what a real woman is and should be. They are worthy heroes that our young girls can look up to.

     If they kick off whatever humble shoes they are wearing, I want to see if my feet would fit into the imprint their feet make in the earth beneath. I want to follow in their footsteps.

     Here's to the shero, the unsung hero. May I be like these women. May all of us be... because they are like Christ.

(If you would like to know more about Katie Davis and her ministry, you can read her book: "Kisses from Katie: A story of Relentless Love and Redemption". She also has a blog, Amazima Ministries.


Monday, August 19, 2013

"Twirl around with joy"

     Today is my daughter Ashley's 26th Birthday. I am so full with thoughts and emotions today, thinking back on those years and how quickly they have flown by. My mind is thinking back on a  particular Easter Sunday, in 1990. A dear lady in our church had made Ashley a dress. The dress was very special, pink with a slip under it that had many layers. It had a beautiful hat to match. What a special weekend it was. Not just because we would be celebrating our Savior, but also because my Mother and my Granny had come for a visit.

     Ashley looked like a little princess that day in her dress. As soon as I put it on her she began to twirl around and around. My Mom and Grandmother saw her and I can still hear my Granny saying, "Twirl around sweetie. Twirl around for Granny." I have a video of that day and pictures that are priceless to help me remember. Well, I can't go back in time and relive that day no matter how much I may want to!

     Fast forward to my daughter's wedding day. I watch her again with a beautiful dress on. One that is flowing at the bottom, just right for twirling! My mind goes back to the little pink dress she wore so many years ago. This time she is twirling around, dancing with her Daddy. I can almost hear the voice of my Granny again saying, "Twirl around, twirl around for Granny." It was a very special day.

     Today I was remembering a Scripture that I found.  Isaiah 61:10 says, " I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation. He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Looking in my Bible, I had made a note that the word "exult" in this passage means " to spin around". I just love that!

     So, reading it this way: " I will rejoice in God... and be filled with so much joy, that it makes me want to "twirl around" with joy in the Lord! This is what I want for a Birthday gift for you Ashley, that you exult in your God so much, that you "twirl around for your Daddy", you "twirl around for your heavenly Father".

     I think my Granny is peeking over the heavenly realm saying, "Twirl around for Granny, and twirl around for your Father." How special is that? And what a special day
it will be when we can all "twirl around together in heaven... you, Ashley, your earthly Daddy, and me. Your Granny, and our Heavenly Father.

     I can imagine God is saying, "Twirl around for me daughter" for I have clothed you in beautiful garments of salvation.


Ashley twirling around on the dance floor with her Daddy on her wedding day
Ashley, age 2 & 1/2 wearing her pink "twirl around" Easter dress

Friday, July 12, 2013

Special heart-shaped memories... a keepsake

     I have been given permission to share this with you by my daughter Ashley. I thought I should ask her since it is about her.
When she was a little girl, she loved to write little notes to me. Sometimes the note would say, "I"m sorry I was a brat today. Please forgive me! Love, Ashley. Others would be a get-well note.

     One I am looking at right now says, "Dear Mom, I hope you feel REAL better soon! I mean it. Love, Ashley. (Most of the notes included the words "I mean it.") Anyway, most of these precious little notes I have kept in a large hat box I call my "Joy Box". Because when I look at all of these little notes and cards from my children and my husband they bring me so much joy!

     About a month or so before Ashley's wedding, I was looking through my joy box. I noticed that on several of these little notes from her she would tape a penny. Bless her, she thought that if she included a penny in her notes that magically all would be well. She would be forgiven...I would feel better.  All would be right with the world! (I love the simple logic of a child's mind) 

     Well, I noticed on the note that I quoted to you, that the penny had a heart cut out of the middle of it. So it looked special. A penny with a heart. I know it must have meant a lot for her to give me that special penny.   So I decided to do something with it that would mean a lot to me, and hopefully to her.

     I took this penny with such a special meaning behind it to the jewelry store. I instructed them to put a hole in it and hang it on a bracelet for me. I then would wear this special piece of jewelry on her wedding day. That is just what I did!

     I got to share the bracelet and the story with my daughter Ashley before her wedding. It was a special time, and of course, this Momma cried!

     When you are a Mom, you feel like you are wearing your heart outside of your body most days. Sometimes on your sleeve... that special day my own heart was so full...

The occasion of my daughter, so happy. Marrying the man she loves on her wedding day.

I was wearing my heart on the outside again... this time it was dangling beautifully from my wrist.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

The Groom rejoices over his Bride

     It has been awhile since I blogged. I have been so busy with the planning of my daughter's wedding. But, weddings and brides and grooms are still on my mind. I read these Scriptures this morning.

" "...The LORD will take delight in you,... as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." Isaiah 62: 4b-5a

     My daughter just got married on June 23rd.. Her new husband Mike, told her that he was staring at her as she was coming down the hill. All the way down until she got to where he was, he was focused on her like a laser. Never taking his eyes off of her. He was filled with emotion and love.

      My own wedding day was many years ago, I remember how my sweet husband looked at me as I was coming down the aisle. He was so filled with joy and emotion. I could tell that he took great delight in me. Even though we had around four hundred people in attendance that day, his eyes were only on me. He told me he was thinking..."This woman is mine, she belongs me me alone." "I chose her, and she chose me."

     Pondering these verses, this is just how Jesus feels and thinks toward us, His bride. Jesus loved us as His bride so much, that He laid down His life for us.  He wants us to love Him with our whole hearts. To have no other gods before Him.

     It is hard for us to understand this kind of love. But this side of eternity we can see just a little glimmer of it by thinking on the bride and groom. That heart full of love, that single devotion. God chose you, you are His treasure... His beloved bride.

     As you go through this journey called life, remember that your Savior is delighting in you...He is rejoicing over you! Until that glorious day when we see Him face to face in heaven!

Delight in your groom today!


(Mike's face as he sees his bride)

Saturday, May 11, 2013

A Mother's Day reflection of an empty nest

Recently I was pulling weeds in my flower bed and I saw an empty nest in the tree. I have been thinking about that little empty nest a lot. In light of Mother's day, and the fact that I am a Mother, I was thinking about my own nest.

Last Mother's day I still had a bird in my nest. Daniel was still living at home then. So this is the first Mother's day that I have had an empty nest.

At first it was very hard. I know we hear the phrase..."Give your children roots and wings", but it's easier said than done. Until that time comes you think it's all going to be fine. I mean, you have been preparing them their whole life for this right?

But then you wonder....

What if their wings aren't strong enough?
What if they're not ready?

Well ready or not, that day finally comes.

He moved out last July to get his own place and to get ready to make his own nest. Which he did last November. I felt at first like he took a piece of my heart with him.

As I reflect on that today...

That's okay. There's still so much of my heart here in my nest... So much I have learned. So much left to learn. Yes, some of my heart is gone... but most of it remains. Remains with which to continue to build on my nest with my sweet husband.

So I can continue to give some more of my heart away.


Saturday, February 23, 2013

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages...
I am in a ship tossed about.
My cargo is ...
Grief... unbearable
Questions... unanswered
I see you...
From a distance.
Oh God my rock,
My grief is so great...
I may drown in it.
The water is overflowing...
Spilling over the ship.
I'm coming closer.
I can see you are near but...
I'm afraid I will crash.
Crash onto you, The Rock.
Dear God I'm crashing...
I crash my ship of grief
Onto The Rock of ages.
My ship breaks open.
Spilling its contents...
All over the rock
But...
I do not drown.
I am saved...
Delivered.
I find refuge...
Shelter.
I climb on.
I hang on.
I gain strength.
Oh Rock who bore me..
Rock who formed me.
I will live upon the rock.
The Rock of Ages.



Written for a grieving family, dear friends. May God be your Rock during this difficult time.

Based on Psalm 18:2:
"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."



Saturday, February 9, 2013

Wait, Who wants to do that?

Wait... who wants to do that? Waiting is hard isn't it?

One reason it's hard is we live in an impatient world. We want it, and we want it now!

We want things fast... slim-fast, instagram, quicken loans, etc. This is the society we live in. The microwave doesn't even seem fast enough!

 Micah 7:7 says, " But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me."

" Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14

" I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1

1. Wait. ( for the Lord). In all of these Scriptures above, it doesn't say wait ON the Lord, it says wait FOR the Lord!

2. When you're waiting, God waits with you.

" Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him."  Isaiah 39:18 (ESV)

So He waits that He may be gracious. You will be blessed if you wait for Him.

Wait... for His timing... wait for His purpose.. He is working even if you don't see it!

3. God still hears you.

Wait.... and in your waiting know that He still hears you. In two of the verses above it says that God hears your cry and your prayer.

" ... Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words." Daniel 10:12

Don't lose heart dear Christian, He hears you...

4. God will give you strength to wait.

" Those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." Isaiah 41:10

Don't lose hope. God will give you strength to wait. A renewed strength for the journey ahead. Who knows but what in this journey of waiting, when you can't seem to put one foot in front of the other.....

He may give you wings!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

We are all Farmers

If you watched the Super Bowl last Sunday night you may have seen a great commercial.  I'm not much into football, so I mainly watch the commercials. My favorite commercial was "God Made a Farmer". I think that commercial touched the hearts and struck a chord with many people all over this country.

But why?

Why did it sink so deep into our psyche?

I cannot speak for everyone, but I have some thoughts...

I believe we love and miss Paul Harvey. It was so great to hear his voice again. The first thing you saw and heard was an old rustic looking church, then Paul Harvey's clear voice ringing out the words..." God created and then He needed a caretaker...a farmer to tend it." I believe that even if people don't go to church, they loved to see an old church; the nostalgia of it. I wonder sometimes if people aren't just a little tired of all the glitz and glamor in some of our churches? The slick Madison Avenue kind of church.

We long for the little church in the wild wood.
That makes us think of our childhood.

Then, we saw the slightly smiling face of a farmer... looking like he had a secret. The rugged and wrinkled face of this man was a welcome sight to many people who have grown tired of the "pulled tight" look of the Hollywood face. Just the realness and friendliness of his face was so welcoming.

We long for people who are friendly and real when we are surrounded by phonies.
We would love it if he was our neighbor.

Then, we saw the rugged hands of a hard working farmer. The faceless image spoke volumes of someone who has worked hard from sun-up to sun-down. It was refreshing to see someone who in this society of the "entitlement mentality" didn't mind to work hard for his livelihood. We as a nation wanted to see that! I would go so far as to say, we NEEDED to see that!

Then, at the end, he said we are all farmers. Many of us are...

The Mother who works with her child, teaching that child right from wrong.

The Father who gets up early and goes off to work, day in and day out.

They are both planting a seed into that child.

The teacher that teaches lessons in school and lessons in character, waters the seed.

The Pastor, the Sunday School teacher, who teaches the lessons each week and preaches the sermons, they are also planting a seed.

The Christian friend who speaks a word into the heart where the seed has been planted; he or she waters the seed. Someone may come behind and harvest.

Oh yes...

We are all farmers of some sort.

God give us more farmers!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

It's time to cancel your daily rehearsal!

Recently I posted a verse on facebook that says:

"Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night." Revelation 12:10

This verse made me think of how Satan is tireless to accuse us. To bring our sins up to God. He does the same thing to us. He whispers in our ear ugly reminders of our past sins. "You'll never be good enough." Or, "How could God love you after everything that you have done?"

Sound familiar?

This causes us to have rehearsals... You don't have to be a singer... a instrumentalist. or an actor to hold regular rehearsals.

You can also hold regular rehearsals as a Christian who doesn't forgive and forget... yourself!

If you have come to Christ and repented, confessed your sins to God, why are you holding this regular rehearsal? Will this change anything? Will mulling this over again and again change the past or it's circumstances?

More importantly, are you God?  Who are you to not forgive yourself when God has forgiven you? God has said in I John 1:9, " If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Not just some unrighteousness depending on if it's not too bad, but ALL unrighteousness!

Planning on rehearsing today?

I believe I would cancel that!


Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Be Still

Still carrying over my thoughts from yesterday about being still before God.
I love Steven Curtis Chapman's song, " Be Still and Know"
Here is the song of Steven singing it along with the lyrics.
Listen... Be Still and Worship.


 
Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is holy
Be still, O restless soul of mine
Bow before the Prince of peace
Let the noise and clamor cease
Be still

Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is faithful
Consider all that he has done
Stand in awe and be amazed
And know that He will never change
Be still

Be still and know that he is God
Be still and know he is our Father
Come rest your head upon his breast
Listen to the rhythm of his unfailing heart of love
Beating for His little ones
Calling each of us to come
Be still

Monday, January 7, 2013

Shhhh, Be Still, and Be Very, Very Quiet

I have not made any New Years resolutions this year other than to read God's Word and try to do what it says! But...

I am being drawn to two words I believe by God's Spirit.
They are "Quiet" and "Still"

I believe that the Lord is trying to tell me that I need to be quiet and still before Him.

We all live in a harried,hectic world. I especially found myself very busy during the holiday's. The Lord got my attention when my feet were knocked out from under me with sickness. I was having fever and chills and I had to be still. I also had to be quiet because frankly I couldn't talk!

During this down time is when I began thinking and listening to the Spirit's still small voice. I had been to busy to listen before.

So, during this time of the New year, a time of reflection, I want to focus on really doing these two things...
Being still before the Lord.
Being quiet before the Lord.

I am not finding this to be an easy thing for me. I don't have a very long attention span. In fact, the Lord is really going to have to help me with this! I have found several verses to help me focus my attention.

"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
 "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength..." Isaiah 30:15

"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever." Isaiah 32:17

"But let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." I Peter 3:4

I believe that this last verse will be the result of the sitting still and being quiet.

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

The verse in I Peter says that a quiet spirit is precious in God's sight. I want to be precious in God's sight and please the Lord. So, I will be trying to sit still... and Shhhhh... be very, very quiet.