A Touch From God

I've been getting The Spirit of Prophecy Bulletin by Bill and Marsha Burns for a couple of years now, at least, directly to my email. "Small Straws in a Soft Wind" by Marsha Burns is wonderful, and so are the words from Bill Burns.   I can't count how many times those messages from the Spirit of God have been exactly what I needed at the moment.  Here's a link so you can check them out.

Faith Tabernacle Website

Everybody Needs Friends

Today I am feeling very grateful for my friends, old and new.  Friends who are willing to help me out of a ditch.  Or tell me what I need to hear, not just what I want to hear.  They don't expect me to be perfect, but they want me to be an overcomer.  Thank you, friends, for being truthful, real,  and encouraging.

You may birth something and be all excited about it.  I've experienced that, and it's great.  It's hard work, but it is worth it.  But the work isn't over when a baby is born.  I'm having to defend my babies-- things the Lord has birthed-- from a mean and deceitful enemy who certainly doesn't want anything to exist that glorifies God. 

When I am being assaulted by the devil day after day, I need my friends.  Sure, I need the Lord, I always need the Lord.  But I can't be an island,  because nobody survives that way.  I need people who will pray for me, and people who will encourage me.  Otherwise, I can get confused with thoughts that try to make me think I am a failure before I've really begun.  Some of those thoughts come from my natural temperament that is filled with weaknesses.  I need to be reminded that God is strong in my weakness.  Some thoughts come from the devil as he hurls lies at my mind to get me to quit.  I need to hear the truth of God. 

If you have ever been under emotional and spiritual assault, you will know what I mean.  I am part of the Body of Christ, and so are you-- and Jesus is the Head.  Please be willing to speak His Words to me when I need them.  I thank all my friends who are willing to do that.  For although I put out a lot, and hear from the Lord, that doesn't make me a hero.  I am still a vulnerable human being.  I need friends, faithful spiritual friends, just like everybody else.

New Life for a New Year

It has certainly been a while since I've posted anything here!  "Life happens" as they say.  The things we've dealt with in the last year haven't much felt like life, though!  Grieving the passing of a dear friend and pastor, fighting through weeks and weeks of snotty viruses, and watching my faithful husband struggle to maintain and grow a business in a changing economy-- all of these have felt more like death than life.  But one thing I know, and that is that "all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes."  That includes me, and you too, I hope!

We all get pruned now and again, by the Gardener!  It hurts, of course, but afterward we can see the growth and reap the fruit.  I hope my time away from blogging will prove to be just that, and that what I post in all my different pages this year will touch people where they need it, how they need it.  I pray that all those touches will have the grace of God in them.

Be blessed this year!  Make close fellowship with the Lord the highest priority.  Maybe this will be the decade that will see the return of Christ to reign.  Let's pray fervently "Thy Kingdom Come"!

What To Do At Low Tide

I'm at a low ebb right now, after a long period of high creativity. It happens, I think, to everyone. I'm sure you've experienced it, and if you're like me, it's a very uncomfortable place to be. Maybe you've felt drained, empty, or even burnt out. Sometimes it feels like depression. Whatever the causes and accompanying sensations and thoughts, the outcome is the same: low creative output.

Here, I simply enjoy the long walks on the beach, so to speak, listen for the distant voice of inspiration, pick up a few shells, rest, and know that, inevitably, the power to create will return like the tide of the ocean. And just about as suddenly as it went out.

Since I draw my life and inspiration from one Source, Jesus Christ, I take the opportunity to get extra rest in Him, let Him do whatever work He needs to do in me, and do the ordinary daily things in life that have to be done. I enjoy my family and close friends, I get some healthy creative input, I spend extra time in the Word and in prayer, and I wait for His life to well up in me in a greater way. And I resist the temptation to fall into sadness and disappointment, or shame and condemnation, because I'm unable to do everything I think I need to do.

So, I just want you to know I haven't quit on my blogs or anything, I'm just in that low tide place, enjoying the quietness and refreshment of a spiritual getaway.