To God

Job 12:13 To God belong wisdom and power, counsel and understanding are his.

God is incredibly wise - he is wisdom; he created wisdom.

His wisdom is true and trustworthy because it has always been here because he has always been here.

God is incredibly powerful - there is nothing he cannot do.

He can move mountains
He can part seas.
He can rain manna from heaven.
He raised Jesus from the dead.
He can change a person's heart.

God counsels with his wisdom and understanding through his Holy Spirit.

He guides and leads those who ask him to do so.

He directs our days, our paths.

He provided his word that we may seek his ways.

Everything belongs to God.

All of creation is his since he is the creator.

Nothing I have is from my own doing.

It is all from him, directed by him.

To God be the glory and the honor for the great things he has done

and for his knowledge, power and wisdom.

He is to be trusted and to be feared, held in the highest esteem.

May I do so Lord all the days of my life.

All

John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

Love this - so full of hope and comfort.

Jesus trusted completely in his Father - he took him at his word.

He believed his Father's promises.

He knew his Father knew what was best and would meet all his needs.

And he knew everything came from his Father.

ALL - everything that my Father gives me will come to me

He did not doubt.

He was assured of his Father's word - promise - provision - presence

And this

Whoever comes to me - whoever seeks me - whoever believes in me - whoever trusts in me

I will never drive away

You are mine
You belong to me
I'm not going to abandon you
I won't walk away
I am with you
I won't ask you to go
I won't tire of you
I won't stop loving you

This is just rich in promise and hope if we let these words sink into our hearts and penetrate our hearts with this truth

God gives. God keeps his word.

God is to be trusted.

Jesus didn't doubt but trusted his Father in all things.

Jesus is always with me

Nothing will drive him away from me.

I need to live every day of my life remembering this.

I love you Lord.

The River - a book review

For BookSneeze, I chose to read The River, a Novel by Michael Neale. As part of agreeing to read the book in its entirety and posting a review of it on my blog as well as a consumer site, I received a complimentary copy of the book to keep.

Mr. Neale is a talented songwriter, but The River is his first book he wrote. I would imagine it won't be his last as he has an excellent way of writing to weave a story that keeps one's attention and interest, a book that was hard to put down.

The story revolves around Gabrielle Clark starting from when he was a young boy and culminating with finally coming to terms with a horrific event that happened in his young life that changed the course of it for many a year and left him afraid of life, afraid of trying new things, and at times very saddened about that event of so many years before. Twenty years old, feeling that his life wasn't really going anywhere, working a low end job, not having money to have gone to school, he goes on a trip to Colorado with his best friend through school and experiences a wonderful several day trip on the River, white water rafting, camping by the side of it, several other healing experiences in addition to meeting a very special young woman. She invites him to come back and work the river at their white water rafting company and the new season about to begin. He ponders this as he goes back to Kansas, but does realize he needs to take this adventure so he returns to Colorado and starts working at the white white rafting company.  Through a series of events, that I don't want to spoil the story about, he comes to find healing from what happened so many years ago and is finally free of the burden of sad memories he carried for so many years.

Truly, my take on this book. I absolutely loved it. It caught my attention from page one and held it through until the end. It is one of those books that you are sad about when it ends, you just want to have it keep going. It is one that will stay with you in the days ahead and you will want to read it again, knowing you'll get something more from it with each subsequent reading.

Mr. Neale writes in a style that is easy to follow, the words flow together very well and you feel like you are sitting with a master storyteller as he weaves out this tale.

I would highly recommend it.

meaningless

Ecceliastes 12:13  Now all has been heard, here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Solomon, known as the wisest man on earth, given wisdom by God in addition to riches and peace in the land during his reign.

Yet despite that, he looked back at the end of his life and saw so much of it was meaningless; lacking any apparent purpose.

He had it "all" but it still wasn't enough.

He had
money
possessions
relationships (700 wives/300 concubines)
wisdom
knowledge
peace in his country
prosperity

but he wasn't content - still was not fulfilled

still questioned his purpose, the meaning of life

saw it all

good people suffering
wicked people prospering

saw death come - the finality of it

realized we are born naked, we die without taking what we toiled so hard for, leaving it behind to someone who might not even appreciate it, but surely didn't earn it

he sums it up - to eat, to drink, to be satisfied with one's work, to be glad, then joy will accompany him in the days God has given him

to simply be content with what God has given him and to be grateful for it

and his final conclusion that I believe one must burn into their mind, heart and soul

Fear God (honor him, revere him, respect him, glorify him)

keep his commandments (his laws, precepts, word)

for this is the whole duty (purpose) of man (me)

Without doing so

one's life is meaningless (lacking any apparent purpose, empty, worthless, futile)

no matter what we achieve in fame, fortune, possession or the good we may even do for others

because all of that will be forgotten after we die, subsequent generations will not know us or remember us

but where we stand with God

what we think of him

whether we accept Jesus as our Savior

that has eternal worth, that has meanting, that has purpose and that is how we should live

loving Jesus and making Jesus known

in our days under the sun, of which there really are so few of them

no matter how many years we live.

May I live a meaningful life Lord, for your glory.

fear of the Lord

Psalm 103:13  As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

What does it look like to fear the Lord?

How does one live, act, think, speak who fears the Lord?

Fear of the Lord - not afraid of you Lord, cowering around you

But holding you in the highest esteem

respecting you
revering you
holding you in awe

One who fears you like this

glorifies you with how they live

lives with knowing what their purpose is - to glorify you  - to make you known to others

who obeys your precepts, laws, commands

who praises you in the storm, when things don't make sense

who trusts in you explicitly, completely, always

who is grateful for what one has, not reaching for something else

who is content just in the fact that you are God, great, awesome, eternal, everlasting, and nothing more is needed

to want to know more about you

spend time with you
in your word
through prayer
at church

to thank you for everything and anything because it all came from you.

I think this is what it looks like to fear the Lord and to live my life in fear of you, Lord

Because you are mighty, glorious, powerful, righteous, everlasting, holy, radiant, awesome, fantastic

You are to be held in the highest esteem.

Help me Lord to truly fear you and to live like I do fear you!

exchanged

Psalm 106:20-21 They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull which eats grass.  They forgot the God who saved them who had done great things in Egypt.

The author of the psalm is talking about the Israelites after they were freed from slavery in Egypt by God.  They had seen wonder after wonder, miracle after miracle performed By God.

Plaques against Egypt

Firstborn of Egypt killed, theirs spared.

Parting of Red Sea

Water from rocks

Manna from heaven

Victories against enemies

and so much more

Yet what did they do? They started worshipping a bull - an animal - something beneath them - a beast of burden - something that could not talk, something that cannot provide them will all their needs.

We look back and think of their "silliness" with it all but aren't we the same way?  An idol is anything that takes the place of God in one's life.

We are all guilty of it - it doesn't have to be a bull, cow, statue, pole.  It could be a job,  hobby, car, boat, person, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, shopping, possessions, etc.

Don't exchange the Glory of God for anything else.  Remember what he has done, remember who he is.

And Worship him and only him.

complaining

Psalm 142:2  I pour out my complaint before him, before him I tell my trouble.

This is so true, Lord. I have to almost chuckle because I do complain a lot Lord, forgive me for doing so. 

I should be sending up

words of praise
words of gratitude and thankfulness

yet often I send up

words of complaint
words of self pity
words of despair
words of anxiety and fear

forgive me Lord

fact is

You know me better than myself

You know my needs and you provide

You know my concerns

You have my hairs counted, tears stored

You are totally in control 24/7

I need to get that rooted into my head

and be more thankful

more grateful

praise you more

and stop complaining so much

because I really have it so good

You  have blessed me so abundantly

Thank you Lord!

Inescapable, a book review

For the Bethany House Blogging for Books program, I reviewed Inescapable by Nancy Mehl. I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for agreeing to read the book in its entirety and publish a review of it on my blog as well as a consumer site. 

This is the first book I have read from Ms. Mehl, even though she has written over 13 books, but it won't be my last book.

Inescapable chronicles the life of Lizzie Engel, who at the age of 18 left her hometown of Kingdom, Kansas, a Mennonite community, because she felt unaccepted there, having a baby out of wedlock.  She escaped to Kansas City with her young daughter and made a life there for five years, but circumstances occurred there that prevented her from staying in Kansas City and the only solution she thought would be safe for her and her young daughter would be to return to Kingdom, not sure what her welcome would be or if she would be chased out of town.

Over the course of the story, she comes to find out that she was not shunned, but much loved and had a lot of support from other town members except they feared her overbearing father. She comes back to a town that is split in their beliefs of how they should practice their religion, some, like her father, do not embrace forgiveness, newer members embrace forgiveness and grace like Jesus extends to all people. 

Lizzie's mother gladly welcomes her back to the community, but her father refuses to have her and her young daughter live at their house. She connects with Cora, who runs the town restaurant, and is able to live above the restaurant and work for her.

In the meantime, she connects with a childhood friend who always vowed to  protect her, Noah, as well as has an encounter with the father of her baby, five years later, who had not seen her since he and his family had moved away shortly after she announced her pregnancy.

There is a lot of mystery in the story as she is being stalked and haunted by an event that happened in Kansas City that made her return to Kingdom. In the end, all is resolved and she finally finds happiness and love and decides to put down roots in Kingdom for her and her daughter.

The story happens over just a few weeks although does reference past events. It is predictable at times, but does have a few unexpected twists and turns.

My thoughts about the book? I liked it. I started it a week ago and found myself not able to put it down, reading pages here and there during my busy work schedule, etc. It caught my interest from the first few pages and held it through the whole book, always wondering who was behind the stalking she was experiencing and wondering what the final outcome of the story would be.

It was an easy book to read and flowed easily. A very enjoyable book to read. Included in it were study questions in case one read it as part of a book club, as well as a brief look into the next book of the series which is due out in 2013. I know I'm looking forward to reading that book when it comes out.

I would highly recommend this book.

parched

On a rainy day I stop and look
at the drops touching the ground
the land eager for a drink
parched, but being filled up

I am parched, I am thirsty
hungry for your word, your touch
I'm tired, weary, lost, alone
reveal yourself to me anew today

Fill me up, consume me with your love
give me my heart's desire
more of you and less of me
use me for your glory

Quench my thirst Lord
you are the only one that can do so.

Psalm 68:9 You give abundant showers O God, you refreshed your weary inheritance.

How awesome Lord that I wrote those words of being parched and then to read this!

It is so refreshing to know we are on the same page.

You do give abundant showers
You do refresh the weary
You have and you will refresh me

Thank you Lord.

precious

Psalm 72:14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence for precious is their blood in his sight.

My blood is precious to Jesus. 

Jesus shed his blood for me.  He poured himself, his blood out for me so I could spend eternity with him.

My tears are stored

My hairs are numbered

My blood is precious

Blood courses through my body, bringing vital oxygen, nutrients to my body

That is precious to you, Jesus

Thank you

I am precious to you.

I need to remember that.

days

Days go by so fast
time seems to drift away
we look at the calendar
and ask ourselves "wasn't it just May?"

We have so much on our minds
working, shopping, bills to pay
laundry, cleaning, yard work
who has time to pray

Yet we must all stop and pause
and do it every day
to be still before God
and listen to what he has to say

He guides us and leads us
if we will take time today
to spend time talking to him
try it this day, don't delay

Our lives would be so much different
we would chase worry away
if we took the time daily
to stop and pray.