Returning to Center

This past year has been difficult, at best. As the one-year anniversary of John's death approached I found myself becoming quite anxiety-ridden. I was dreading it so badly! 

In fact, with much help from the enemy of my soul, I almost talked myself out of the trip to Arkansas.  We (my oldest daughter and her family and I) would be returning home on the actual day of. I had no idea how I would be on the days leading up to it, but God is good and faithful, and His leading is sure. He arranged things to ease my way and gave me the strength to do it...and it was THE BEST thing that could have happened. God met me there on that mountaintop in Northwest Arkansas. I got some rest, had a great time, and got a reset from the Lord Himself. 

John and I had been friends since childhood, but we didn't marry until 1988. By then, both of us, with children from previous relationships and much baggage, even as messed up as we were, had started moving towards the things of the Lord. 

We belonged to the Blue Springs Free Will Baptist Church and, it was there, that we, and our children, received a good foundation built on solid Biblical teaching. For the eight years that we attended there, we were taught the fundamental basics of Christian living and were challenged to pursue Biblical manhood and womanhood. We started homeschooling, as well, as we continued to seek God and pursue Him, His Word, and His ways as a family. 

With a solid foundation under our belt, we moved into deeper water than ever before when, at the Lord's leading in 1996, we moved to Liberal, Missouri, into ministry, and the greatest adventure of living by faith that we had ever experienced. 

We did great for the first several years. Then, at some point, we got sidetracked and off into a deep ditch of reformed theology that was not good, and it did much damage to us and our family. 

From there, in an attempt to get away from where we had been, we hopped as far as possible over on to the other side of the road, all the while doing everything we could do, to avoid going off into the deep ditch on that side.

And, please, don't misunderstand what I am trying so say. I'm not saying anything bad about people on either side. There are elements on both sides that are good, right, and Biblical, and there are many real-deal, born-again Christians on both sides, but there are also tares among wheat and misuses of fundamental beliefs on both sides and THAT is what we were always fighting to avoid.

Anyway, at this time, after an extremely difficult year of trying to find my way and place in life, I find myself emerging into a new season. At the family camp in Arkansas, I could, literally, feel myself returning to center. I realized that, not only as a widow, but as an aged woman (Titus 2), God still has a plan for me. I can choose to ignore God's plan and stay messed up like I have been, or I can choose to embrace God's plan and live it out on a daily basis.

Am I frighted? A little. Do I know what I'm doing? Not even a little bit! Do I still miss my husband? Of course, I do, but all the crying, fretting, and missing him in the world is not going to bring him back. So, what do I do now? I get center of the road, bide my time, and carry out John and I's original vision in a way that would be pleasing and honoring to him. I embrace Biblical womanhood, pour myself into my children and grandchildren, do what I can with what resources I have, and stay committed to God's Word and the teachings therein. 

That's my plan. What that looks like, at this point, I cannot say, but, day by day, I will rebuild on the basic principles that John and I learned long, long ago and will keep moving forward as long as the Lord allows. 

Where are you in your walk with the Lord? Is there anything that I can pray with you about? If so, please, do not hesitate to contact me. 

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Master To-Do List and Menu Plan Monday - July 11, 2022

Master To-Do List and Menu Plan Monday - July 4, 2022

Hens, Hot Weather, and a Homemade Electrolyte Recipe

Praise Report

Greetings, Dear Ones!

I want to thank those of you who has been standing in faith with John and I and lifting us up in their prayers. After a rather intense week of waiting, the results of his scans are in and everything is completely NORMAL!!! Praise the Lord! Having COVID is suspected of being behind some of his issues and probably some of mine, too. John sees the doctor again in May and, after seeing the doctor yesterday, I in August. Both of us remain medication-free and will work on the issues that we do have dietarily.

In the meantime, we have weathered the storm physically and emerged stronger and more determined than ever to keep moving forward in the things of God. He is so good to us and we praise Him for good health and His magnificent healing power! Praise the name of the Lord!

A couple of scripture verses that we've been standing on lately and will continue to stand on in the days ahead...

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3 John 1:2)

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Thessalonians 5:23)

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - February 22, 2021

An Unexpected Purple Blessing

More Snow

Prayer and Praise

Five Minute Friday - Need

Photo Credit

Five Minute Friday - a free write, which means, as our hostess, Kate Motaung, says, "...no editing, no over thinking no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write."

This week's prompt is: NEED

Go!

Needs. We all have them. 

As human beings, our needs include food, water, and shelter, yet there are millions of people around the world right this moment that aren't getting the most basic of human needs met...and it's heart- and gut-wrenching.

As human beings, there are other needs that we have...the need to be loved, cared for, protected, to feel safe and secure in our own space. Yet millions more around the globe feel anything but! They feel lost, unloved, unprotected, vulnerable, afraid, and that no one cares about them. And, sadly, for some that may very well be the case...in an earthly sense. 

Some, whether deliberately or unintentionally, have put themselves in that position; others have been thrust into that position through no fault of their own. It's just how circumstances have worked out for them. But nobody has to stay in that position. 

You see...no matter who you are...no matter where life has taken you...no matter how bad things are for you right this very minute...as long as there is breath, there is hope!

No matter who you are...or where you are...or what you are...there is One Who loves you soooooo much that He gave His very life for you. 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only 

begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 

should not perish, but have everlasting life"

(John 3:16)

Do you realize? Even if you had been the only person ever born, God still would have sacrificed His Son to die for you. And Jesus would have laid His life down willingly just for YOU!

God loves you so much! And He cares about you! And, no matter how bad things may look in the natural, He is there!

Yes, we all have needs, but the thing that we need the most is life in Christ Jesus...eternal life! Abundant life! The kind of life that comes only through a personal relationship with the One Who, when invited, comes to live inside of us. The kind of life and love that is not dependent on external circumstances. 

Needs. Yes, we all have them. 

"But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her"

(Luke 10:42)

May each of us choose "that good part, which shall not be taken away" and that is life in Christ Jesus.

Stop!

Until next time... 

~Rebecca

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus"

(Philippians 4:19)

Recent posts that you might enjoy reading...

The Beauty of Jesus Revealed in the Feasts by Daniel Krebs and Darlene Schacht - A Review and Book Study Announcement

Welcome November!

Happy Homemaker Monday - October 30, 2017

Consider The Ant - Part 2

For those that are interested in a follow-up to Consider The Ant posted on July 2, 2017, here it is. To read Consider The Ant - Part 1 click here.

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways,and be wise: 

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in 

the summer, and gatherereth her food in the harvest" 
(Proverbs 6:6-8).

I had e-mailed the company that I ordered the ants from on that Friday night (June 23rd) when they hadn't arrived after being mailed on Monday (June 19th). The company responded to my e-mail on Wednesday, July 5th. They said that they were sorry that the ants had been lost and that, if I still hadn't received them, they'd be happy to send me a replacement vile. 

I emailed them back and told them that the ants had arrived and in what condition. I also sent them the link to my blog post about the ants. 😉

They seemed delighted with the link and said that they were anxious to read the post. They also said that they were sending me a replacement vile of ants to make up for all that had happened to the first batch. 

I had to think about that for a bit. Did I really want to go through all this again? I mean...the whole reason I did it in the first place was for a program at work and that program was over and done with a long time ago. Buuuttttt...it would be interesting to enjoy the full experience of a working ant farm...so...yes, I told them that I would accept the ants. I just hoped that the second batch of ants would arrive faster and in better condition the first batch did! 

(By the way...we ended up referring to the first colony of ants as the "Roanoke Colony"...somehow it seemed fitting.)

By this time (July 5th) I was down to two ants and one of them wasn't doing very well at all. It had died by the next morning.

On Thursday, July 6th, careful to consider, and handle with care, the last remaining ant, I took the farm apart, cleaned it, and put it back together with fresh sand. By the next day (Friday, July 7th), sadly, the last ant had succumbed to the same fate as all her little companions. I nearly cried. 

On Monday, July 10th, the new vial of ants arrived and they were healthy and active! As soon as they got here I transferred them into their new habitat. One escaped and when I picked it up to put it back into the farm it promptly bit me. In fact, as I type this my finger is still hurting, burning, and swollen. Yowie! BUT...I'm so thankful that they are alive and well that I shall happily endure it! 😄

Fast forward to early morning on Tuesday, July 11th...

Less than 24 hours after arriving, here's where we are...

We are now the proud owners of a thriving, working ant farm that we can enjoy for weeks to come. During that time it is my goal to observe and to continue to log lessons learned as we, with joy, "consider the ant" and, hopefully, be wiser for doing so. 

Until next time...
~Rebecca

Related post:

Consider The Ant

Other recent posts that you might enjoy...

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ July 10, 2017

My Weekly "Home Blessing"

Hearth and Home Newsletter - July 2017

Consider The Ant - Part 1

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways,and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gatherereth her food in the harvest" 
(Proverbs 6:6-8).

Ever since I was a child I have wanted an ant farm. In preparation for a preschool program at work I ordered one. 

The ant farm arrived several weeks before the program was to be given; the ants did not. In fact, they weren't even shipped until about three weeks after the program was over. Then, they were delayed even further.

I got an email from the company that I had ordered the ants from saying that the ants had been shipped on Monday, the 19th of June. When they hadn't arrived by Friday the 23rd, I was becoming quite concerned. 

Using the tracking number that had been given to me through the email, I discovered that the ants had been delayed in shipping and were, at that moment, sitting in a post office in Kansas City, Kansas. I was really upset. How long could the ants live without food and water?

The ants finally arrived in our mailbox on Monday, the 26th of June...a full week after being shipped!

I quickly opened the package and removed the vile of ants that it contained. From all appearances the ants were dead. I went ahead and quickly emptied the vile of ants into the ant farm. There was a huge, icky mass of decaying ants. I felt so bad for them. Small as they might be, they are still part of God's creation.

Okay...so after watching anxiously for a few moments, I observed that there was some movement among the mass of deceased ants. I went ahead and fed and watered per instructions and put the farm in a dark room to see what would happen.

The first time I looked I didn't see but two ants moving around; by the end of the first day there were five, but only two looked healthy and somewhat energetic. By morning I could clearly see seven ants working through the mass of decaying bodies that littered their new home. I wished I could help them, but I didn't know how I could without destroying the ones that were left alive. I decided to keep watching. 

By the end of the second day, I could clearly see twelve living ants; the vial was supposed to have contained 30 ants when shipped, so less than half of the ants had survived. 

The ants that were able, had maneuvered around the carnage and were making a place at one end of the farm to dispose of their dead. It was amazing! They had dropped the dead ants down into a shaft that had been made at the far end. Not all of the bodies had been moved, but the majority of them had. The ants were still working steadily. At one point I saw two ants lifting one dead ant and, working together, they moved it to the far end to dispose of it. 

After the ants moved all the dead ants to one end of the farm, they proceeded to move them all up and out of the bottom part of the farm, and into the top chamber where they completely buried them in sand.

Even though the ants seemed to be doing fairly well at that point, apparently they weren't. Within a few days half of the surviving ants had died. There are currently six living ants in the farm. 

After considering the ants, here are some of the things that I have learned from them:

#1 - Ants are amazingly resilient! To go through the U.S. Postal Service...trapped in a tiny vial...in transit for a full week...no food...and no water??? The fact that any of the ants survived is incredible!  

#2 - Ants are clean. The first thing they did after regaining some strength was set to work cleaning and organizing their new home.

#3 - Ants are not easily detoured. It didn't matter that they had been booted out of one home, shipped halfway across the country, delayed en route, held over a couple of extra days in a Kansas City, Kansas post office, were desperately thirsty and hungry, witnessed the deaths of the majority of their traveling companions, and were dumped out into a place they had never been before. They simply set to work and did what they had to do to make things work with what they had where they were. 

(There's definitely a lesson in that alone that might be worth considering!!! Perhaps more than one! Bloom where you are planted? "In whatsoever state you find yourself be therewith content" Philippians 4:11?) 

#4 - Ants take care of their people. I use the word people here because in Proverbs 30:25 the Bible says, "The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." So...again...they take care of their people. As soon as the ants got their bearings, the ones that had survived, set to work taking care of the remains of those that didn't...and they worked together to do it.

(There's another lesson...working together to achieve a common goal. I should have listed that one separately.)

#5 - Ants aren't procrastinators. And these ants have greatly inspired me! I have a really big task that I have put off for far too long. If these ants could get at it and do all that they did in such a short time, then, what the heck is my problem??? It's time to get at it!!!

#6 - Life is short.  I'm sure that the majority of these ants would have lived much longer had they been delivered within a reasonable time after being mailed, but even, at that, according to the information that came with them, I could only expect the ants to live three to four months, at best.

#7 - Ants don't try to be something that they're not. They are content to be what God created them to be, doing what God created them to do. Even when everything went wrong and they found themselves in a situation that was far from ideal, they didn't let it get them down. They just kept on keepin' on! 

I tell you...I so admire these ants and I truly appreciate the fine qualities that they exhibit...strength, ingenuity, a good work ethic, fortitude and ability in the face of an impossible situation. I'm telling you...these ants are rock stars!!!

Well...that's my experience with the ant farm thus far. If anything extraordinary happens from this point on, I will be sure to update you. In the meantime, I will never again see an ant and not consider this experience and all the lessons learned from it.  

Until next time...
~Rebecca

Related post:

Consider The Ant - Part 2

Recent posts that you might enjoy:

Celebrating America's Birthday

Hearth and Home Newsletter - July 2017

Dollar-S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g, Cabinet-Cleaning, Clean-Up-The-Food Project Kick-off

Five Minute Friday - WORTH

Five Minute Friday - a free write, which means, as our hostess, Kate Motaung, says, "...no editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write."

This week's prompt is: WORTH.

Go!

Self-worth. It's something I've struggled with my entire life. In fact, I've often described myself as "not feeling real", but, you know what? We cannot go by feelings. There is only one source of Truth in this world and that is the Word of God...the Holy Bible...and what it has to say about us is all that matters.

You see, God loved each and every one of us so much, that, even if you or I had been the only person ever born, He still would have sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (John 3:16; 1 John 1:9). Can you imagine? Even if you or I had been the only one!

In Luke 12:6-7 Jesus says, "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows."

For those of us who struggle with knowing our worth...our value...let us stop seeing ourselves through the eyes of others and listening to the lies of the enemy. Instead, let us dig deep into the Word of God and find out what He has to say about us. 

If you are struggling with self-worth today...if you don't know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and you just don't know where to begin, or if you'd just like someone to pray with you, or for you, don't hesitate to contact me via e-mail at proverbs31heart@yahoo.com. I would be honored to join you in prayer as you seek the Lord and discover your worth in Him. 

Stop! 

Until next time.
~Rebecca

My Wedding Ring

My Wedding Ring

My wedding ring is simple, but it's got a complicated story.

We bought our rings back in 1988 from my husband's cousin who is a jeweler in Kansas City. (We actually picked them out at my husband's uncle's kitchen table.) John's ring was a plain gold band; mine a gold band with three small diamonds across the top. At the time we bought them, my husband promised that for our 5th-year wedding anniversary he would buy me a "real" set of rings. At our 5th-year wedding anniversary, he said he'd shoot for the 10th, at the 10th he said he'd shoot for the 20th, at the 20th he said he'd shoot for the 25th. When the 25th came and went...I gave up. I knew it wasn't going to happen.

What I didn't realize was that, because of all that, for years, I had been allowing an underlying bitterness to develop within myself towards my husband and it was not pretty. I loved him, but I always felt angry towards him...aggitated...irritated...and I was always hoping against hope that those long-awaited wedding rings would materialize. I was so busy thinking about the rings that I had lost focus about the marriage.

Around year 7 I lost one of the diamonds in my ring. At that point I put it away in my jewelry box and didn't think much more about it. Over the years, every now and again when I'd be in the box to look for something else, I'd pull it out and try it on. After the first or second time of trying it on, it no longer fit. After that I never tried it on again.

Fast forward...

July 4, 2015 - I had gone to my jewelry box to find my patriotic earrings. I wanted to wear them to our daughter and son-in-law's where we had been invited for lunch. When I opened the lid to my jewelry box, there was the ring...ugly gaping hole where the diamond had been missing for years..and all. I immediately thought, "I wish I had a wedding ring."

In my spirit I heard, "You do have a wedding ring."

I paused and thought, "But it's broken."

I heard, "Fix it!"

"But...it doesn't fit!"

"Try it on!"

So I did! And it fit!!!

All of a sudden my heart was overflowing! All the anger and bitterness melted away and I realized what a ninny I been all those years. It wasn't about the ring! It was about what the ring represented! It was about the marriage! OUR marriage and all that we've been through during the past 27+ years that we've been married. As I thought about all of this, I had an idea! And then I became very, VERY excited!

I wore the ring for a couple of days...missing diamond and all...but my husband didn't notice it. I contacted his cousin...the one that we had purchased the ring from back in 1988...and asked him how much he would charge to repair it. He said that there was no way that he could give me an estimate without taking a look at the ring and told me to mail it to him...which I did...but I didn't tell my husband any of this.

Instead, I wrote him a 5 or 6-page letter telling him of all I had gone through over those silly, non-exisitant wedding rings, apologizing for the underlying bitterness and anger, and offering him forgiveness and freedom of having to come up with the long ago, promised set of wedding rings. I didn't even want them anymore!

As I told him...THIS is the ring that represents US. THIS is the ring that we picked out at his uncle's table, THIS is the ring that we picked up in a place that was very near and dear to our hearts in the early days, and THIS is THE ring that he put on my finger on our wedding day! THIS is the ring that I want and, even if he did get me another set at this point, I wouldn't wear them!

Long story short, John's cousin did a beautiful job of fixing the ring and, I don't know if I should say this or not, but he didn't even charge me to do it. The only thing he asked was that I pick the ring up in person...which I did...without John knowing about it until later. And the cousin has no idea how much this meant to me and what a huge part he has played in a, nearly, 30-year-old story!

When John noticed the ring on my finger, I gave him the letter that I had written. Needless to say, he was TOTALLY overwhelmed. We both cried and rejoiced in all that the Lord has done, and IS doing, in our marriage.

The point is...it wasn't about the ring. In reality, it never was! It was about broken promises and unforgiveness. And now it's ALL about the marriage, the power of forgiveness, and being content with what you've got! I'm so thankful for the ring that I've got! And I'm even more thankful for all that it represents!

Until Next Time...
~Rebecca

Peaceful Sleep

When I was a child I was desperately afraid of the dark and nighttime. I struggled with it well into my early 40's...not always, but sometimes. But then I discovered this verse of scripture in the Bible and, after memorizing it and speaking it out loud when the spirit of fear assailed me in the night hours, I've never been afraid of the night since. In fact, I welcome it! 

Someone posted this picture on Facebook this morning and I wanted to share it with those of you, who, like me, have struggled in this area of fear....and, I want to tell you...fear not! God made the night and all that is in it. In reality, there is nothing there at night that isn't there in the daytime. 

I pray that the Lord would bless those who fear the night and that He would commune with them in the wee hours of the late night/early morning and help them to discover the beauty and wonder of all His creation, and, when they lay down at night to sleep, I pray that they would take this verse as their own, and that their sleep would be peaceful...In Jesus' name! 

"When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet" (Proverbs 3:24). 

Have a blessed day!

All My Love,
~Rebecca heart emoti

Amazing Grace

Photo Credit

Amazing Grace has been one of my favorite hymns since I was a little girl, but, in life, grace has always been one of those elusive things that I've sought after, but could never seem to find in full. I didn't receive a lot of grace growing up, so, as an adult, I really didn't even know what grace was. I didn't know how to receive it, and I, certainly, didn't know how to give it. And I'm still not very good at either, but I'm learning.

This is what I've learned about grace so far...

Grace is free. It can't be earned, bought, or sold. It must be given, and given freely with no strings attached. Our salvation comes as a gift of God's grace and is appropriated by the response of faith.
Faith in Jesus Christ is God's requirement for receiving His free gift of salvation.

I think for most of my fifty-two years, I've not understood the definition of words like faith, grace, justice, and mercy. Even now I find myself struggling, having to go back, look them up, and study them out as I slip back into old habits and patterns that I detest. It's very frustrating, but, little by little, day-by-day, here's what is slowly sinking down below surface level...

Faith is what we believe about Jesus and our heart's response to Him. Faith means believing and trusting in Jesus, yielding our wills to Him, and totally committing ourselves to Him. It requires repentance, and obedience, to Jesus and His Word as a way of life. It involves a heartfelt personal devotion and an attachment to Jesus. It is being loyal to Him.

Justice is getting what we deserve.

Mercy is being spared what we deserve

Grace is being given what we do not deserve.

Grace is God giving His only begotten Son on behalf of undeserving sinners...imperfect, very flawed people...like me. Grace is multiplied to believers by the Holy Spirit, imparting forgiveness, acceptance, and the power to do God's will.

While given freely to those who will accept it, God's grace must be diligently desired and sought after. It is received when we humble ourselves before the Lord, hear, study, and obey His Word, and pray. On the other hand, God's grace can be resisted, set aside, or even abandoned, by a believer.

No one can be saved by works or good deeds. Nor can anyone be saved through strenuous self-effort to keep God's commandments. One can only be saved by the grace of God. And oh! What an amazing grace it truly is!

May all who call upon Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior learn to accept God's grace for themselves, and may they (we...I) learn to pass it along, and give it freely, to others.  

"For as by one man's [Adam's] disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Jesus] shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:19-21). 

AMAZING GRACE

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall profess, within the vail,
A life of joy and peace.

The following stanza was written by an an anonymous author, often replacing the sixth stanza, or inserted as the fourth.

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Chorus:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

(If you'd like to know more about the amazing history behind the song Amazing Grace, then I recommend that you acquire a copy of Amazing Grace the movie and watch it. It is very good!) 

Until Next Time...

All My Love,
~Rebecca

Do You Find His Sayings To Be Hard?

"Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is a hard [difficult to understand] saying; who can hear [understand] it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured [grumbled] at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth [gives life]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." (John 6:60-66)

I find this passage of scripture to be very interesting. Here Jesus was. He had been teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. When many of the people who were following Him heard what He was saying, they could not understand it. The Bible tells us that it was too hard for them.

Jesus knew within Himself that they were grumbling about it and He asked them, "Does this offend you?" (He knew that it did!)

He went on to explain what the problem was. They were trying to understand what He was saying in the flesh, but what He was saying could only be understood in the spirit. He acknowledged that some of them did not believe, and further explained that no man can come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ except that the Father Himself had placed that down in them. As a result, many of His disciples turned away from Him and made a conscious decision not to follow Him anymore. Can you imagine?

This passage makes me wonder. How many of Jesus' teachings do we find hard, or uncomfortable, to deal with today? How many of us gripe and grumble about the sermon that the preacher preached on Sunday because we didn't like what he had to say? (And, keep in mind, if you're in a Bible-believing church where scripture is the foundation upon which the sermon was based, then, the preacher was only repeating what God has already said in His Word. And God's Word is His will.)

Don't you think that if Jesus knew what was going on in the hearts of those present with Him back then, that He most certainly knows what's going on in our hearts today? Don't you think that He knows who truly believes and who doesn't? And when we are offended by His words?

How many of us, like the people who walked with Him then, continue to make the choice to try to understand what God's Word is saying in the flesh, or with our intellect?

How many of us truly welcome God's Word, and accept it's truths and challenges, even when it hurts? Even when it convicts us down in our spirit?

And how many of us, when Jesus' words become too hard for us, choose to walk away from Him?

How many of us, due to stubbornness and rebellion, will eventually make the choice to walk away from Him permanently? For eternity?

In light of the fact that yesterday was Resurrection Sunday, which is the perfect time to celebrate new beginnings, I'd like to encourage you today, to, if you've had any doubts at all about where you stand in your relationship with Jesus Christ, to commit yourself afresh to Him and His ways.

If you've found His sayings too hard in the past, or if you've recently (or not so recently) found yourself drifting away from Him, there's no time like the present to ask Him for forgiveness and move on. Ask Jesus to help you to put aside your flesh, and to learn His words and His ways in the realm of the spirit.

Pray for a rock solid faith. A faith so strong that, when His sayings become hard, instead of walking, or drifting away, you dig your heels in, press in  hard, and cling to Christ's sayings all the tighter, by faith, if necessary, so as not be counted among those that deliberately chose to walk away.

Have a blessed day!

In Christ Jesus and With All My Love,

~Rebecca

Trusting God Through The Hard Times

Over the past several years my husband and I have lost multiple friends and family members to death, grandchildren have been born, some have gone to heaven before we even had a chance to meet them, we have had ups and downs, gains and losses, joys and sorrows. Through it all God has been there. During the times of sorrow His love has sustained us. During the times of joy His presence has moved us to even greater depths of love and appreciation for those He has put in our lives, and bound us to, in His infinite wisdom.

So often, especially in times of trial and testing, we question the Lord. We ask, "Why, Lord? Why is this happening to me?" "Why is this happening to our family?" Over and over again we question the Lord, doubting His promises and even His very presence in our lives.

But, you know, it is in, and through, these hard times that we grow. It is in the face of hard times that we go running into the arms of our Heavenly Father, and they move us ever closer to Him. It is in these hard times that we seek Him out and commune deeply with Him, because it is in these hard times that no one else can ever truly know and understand what we are going through deep down within our hearts and spirits. God can because He is our Creator. God, and God alone, knows us better than anybody on the face of this earth. He knows us better than anyone else ever could, or will.

If you are going through hard times right now...physically, financially, spiritually...if your marriage is in trouble, or if you have suffered loss and are having a hard time healing...stand strong and keep this in mind...

God knows who you are. He knows where you're at, and what you are going through. He knows your heart. You are not alone, because God is ever with you. He will never leave you, nor forsake you, because God cares for you.

"For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end" (Jeremiah 29:11). 

In Him and With All My Love,
~Rebecca

Book Review: Mother's Faith by Mrs. Sharon White

Mother's Faith by Mrs. Sharon White
Essays, Lamentations, and Encouragement
From a Christian Mother of Waywards

I ordered Mrs. Sharon White's book, Mother's Faith, quite some time ago, read a few entries, then laid it aside in my 'books to read' pile.

The past year and a half has been extremely difficult for our family in many ways, but dealing with a wayward child has been the most difficult and painful of all experiences thus far for me as a mother to deal with. We didn't go through 98% of the stuff with our older children that we have gone through with our youngest. I now know, in part, what I must have put my own mother through and I am sorry. I wish I could tell her so.

In many ways I blame myself for many of the things that have happened. I have fallen so terribly short of all that God has created me to do and be, and have fallen into all sorts of attitudes and actions that are 100% diametrically opposed to all that I want, and am created, to be. There have been bad days, terrible days, unbearable days, and days that I honestly thought that it would be better to for me to leave than subject my family to the woman that has surfaced in the face of adversity.

BUT...the other evening I was going through some things and there was Mother's Faith. I picked it up and thought, "How timely!" I flipped through the pages and, even though I remembered reading a couple of the first entries before, I began that very moment at the beginning and ended up reading half the book that evening and the other half last night. There was more help packed into that little book than in all the things that I've read in the last year put together!

First of all, I realized that, as a mother, I am not alone in what I've been going through with my child. Mrs. White touched on the very things that I struggle with on a daily basis...a heart that is constantly breaking, weeping more and more, being paralyzed by sorrow, carrying a burden that is too heavy for a mother to bear alone, and encouraged me to take it to, and leave it, with God.

Mrs. White reminded me of what I, way too often forget and that is...no matter what our troubles are...no matter what Goliaths we face...or trials that our children face..."...the battle is the Lord's..." (1 Samuel 17:47).

And, painful as it may be, Mrs. White made me fully aware of something that, as a mother, I'm sure none of us want to acknowledge, but must, especially if we are going to get to a place of true intercession on their behalf. My child is a sinner. Every person born is born with a sin nature and my child, like myself, will battle against that sin nature each and every day for the rest of his life. It will cause him a great deal of pain and suffering and, as his mother, it will hurt me, too.

Yet, in the midst of it all, through the pages of her book, Mrs. White offered me good, sound, and practical ways to deal with all of it in a godly manner. Not only as to how to deal with the wayward child, but how to deal with myself as his mother.

If you are the mother of an older child or children, I would highly recommend reading this wonderful little book by Mrs. Sharon White.

The back cover of the book says...

"A little book of hope for the difficult years of Mothering older children.

A collection of essays from a homeschooling mother of five, who has suffered through heartbreak and worry over her teenagers and young adults.

Here you will find encouragement, hope, and support in your efforts at raising a godly generation in this difficult world.

From "Sitting Alone at the Kitchen Table," to "How a Godly Mother May Guide an Imperfect Family" in 13 steps, you will read about real life and the source of real happiness while waiting for your children to grow in the Lord.

This small book will inspire courage for the weary mother.

Forget about harsh ideas when dealing with teenagers. We need mothers who will guide their children with holy love and patience."

For more information about this book and more from Mrs. White, visit her blog, The Legacy of Home, by clicking...HERE.