Up Close and Personal

How our lives all differ from one another. Sometimes, do you ever wish you could be a fly in someones life and be able to see what they are really like? Someone you admire or respect. Someone who is maybe just the opposite; whatever the person may be, we like being "up close and personal" with people, maybe not to the point of being that fly on their wall but, we all like knowing people better. Someone who doesn't, is quite self centered, because Christ was, and is, a relational person and asks us to be also.
I couldn't help but notice something specific about God's desire to be intimate with us: in Ezekiel chapter 43.
Ezekiel 43:5 says, "So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house."
I don't know all the details about the inner court but what I know is that around the outer court was a "fence", an enclosure and within that, there was a structure which was called the inner court. In the Outer Court, brought the sacrifice to the priests to "pay" for their specific sin. The priest would clean their hands, and prepare themselves for the process of cleansing. Only the Levite priests could enter the inner court, just like us, only the children of God are heard by God. The bible says that God hears the prayers of the righteous and we are only made righteous through Jesus Christ our Lord. The inner was an intimate place where fellowship was experienced with God. It is where we confess our sins, get right with God. This is where we get our direction from God His individual will for our life. This is where we learn about God. I guess that's why I like having my personal time with the Lord in my bedroom with the door closed. My children are old enough now that I can do that and they know not to interrupt my sweet time with the Lord. I'm alone with Him, reading His word, getting to know Him better, getting to know myself better by looking to the image of His Son and seeing where I need to confess and where I need to change. I get my direction as to child rearing and how to be a better wife/mom and Christian.
When we are just superficial with God, by casually reading His word saying, "There! That's done." like it was a daily chore or task. When we pray by just quickly naming off a list of names, talking TO God like we were the automated operator listing off the different departments that are available to the hearer. We close our bible in a thump and open our eyes yet still see the same darkness in our souls, feel the same weights and experience the same dreadful days of life. No purpose.
We are missing out on blessed fellowship with Him for, it is in the "Inner Court" our most inner being that God fills with His glory. We hear Him speak to us in the place of inner court. This is the place where God shows us our sin and where we should be, emotionally, spiritually and even physically. Repentance and sacrifice happen here and the "inner court" is where fellowship with God happens.
I have experienced days where I did not spend time with God. I mean, a period of time set aside to just spend time with Him, in His word and in prayer, just having His presence. I can never go long doing this; a day or two and I become weak in every aspect. I crave His presence and fellowship, His teaching and guidance. I love going to the inner court and have God fill His house, my body, with His glory.
I'll be honest, I know it is easy to grow cold towards the Lord and just get into the "habit" of doing things, being religious in our going abouts but, I can't understand how someone can live their life this way. That would be a lonely, boring, empty and without purpose life. I can't imagine my life as just being saved, not that being saved is mediocre, or bottom of the line. I just can't imagine my life not having my God in it. Walking with Him, being carried by Him, loved by Him, nurtured by Him, encouraged, taught and ministered by Him. My life would be empty and without purpose. I love Him so much, although sometimes my flesh and carnal desires sometime restrict me to show Him how much.
I can't wait to get to Heaven to praise Him continually and hear the elders and the angels leading us in praise and worship to God. Seeing and hearing the saints of old glorifying God. Eternally being in the Inner Court fellowshipping with God and bowed at His feet casting my crowns (hopefully many) at His feet. Ohhhhhh! What a day it will be!
Up Close and Personal.

The story of the teacup

This is a story that was given to a group of women at the "Ladies Jubilee" in Bathurst, last Saturday. I liked it so much I wanted to share it with you.

There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. This was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful teacup.They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful."

As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke. "You don't understand," it said. "I haven't always been a teacup.

There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, "let me alone", but he only smiled, "Not yet."

"Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around.Stop it! I'm getting dizzy! I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet.'

Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as He shook his head, 'Not yet.'

Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. 'There, that's better,' I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it, stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'Not yet.'

Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head saying, 'Not yet.'

Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself.And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.'

'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up.

I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked.

I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven,you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you.

MORAL:

God knows what He's doing (for all of us). He is the Potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us, so that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

1 Corinthians 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]."

Purpose in the Valley

When people ask what my "life verse" is, I have such a difficult time to choose but one. I would have to say, one scripture that covers all those that continually change me. It would have to be Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
It is so true, when you read God's word, it will pierce your heart like a sword and bring to want to make change in your life.
As I read Ezekiel 37, the Lord showed me wonderful things. I noted them down and will share them with you. I would suggest that you take the time to read it either before or after and allow the Lord to minister His truth to you.

Vs.1 Sometimes, the Lord just picks you up from where you are in life and plumps you into the valley. Sometimes, it's not a gradual walk from the mountain top, sometimes it's just when you least expect it.
Vs. 2 We want to avoid the scary and intimidating things in life but we need to allow God to pass us through it.
Vs. 3 God will sometimes ask us if we think "these bones" in the valley (the trial in our life) can be changed. Some and in maybe most cases, as our faith gets stronger, we would say, "Yes" but bones????? Really now! Isn't there certain things that even God cant reverse? In our life too.
Vs. 4 Use scripture while in your trial. God wants to show Himself strong, powerful and worthy to us.
As we see God working and creating His miracle, it might be scary but continue on.
Vs. 7 "bone to his bone" God creates things and puts things in order. We can rest in that. Knowing that God will not leave us in a mess, in time, builds our faith.
Vs. 11 & 12 God uses our valleys to tell others what God has done for us, to encourage, to build up and to give hope to those who's faith is weaker or tired.

As you read the specific verses and then the notes that the Lord laid on my heart, you will understand why I found such encouragement in this chapter. I have been in the valley many times since accepting Christ as my Saviour and only way to heaven. I have experienced the truth of everything He laid on my heart while I read this chapter but to see it written in His word and have Him confirm it in my heart reminded me that next time, while in the valley, I can rest in his plan and allow Him the opportunity to do the work that is necessary in my life and use me and my life for His glory.
Hope it was an encouragement to you; for I know of some who are going through some very deep valleys.

In the eye of the beholder

Matthew 6:28-29 "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
I admired the sunshine reflecting light color of green in my backyard flower garden. I looked upon what doesn't seem like much to the naked eye but for me, the one who weeded, broke the hardened ground, carefully watered and treated each plant, the small show of growth excites me to no end.
I rushed outside to take photographs, after we finish the school day, I had lunch and did a wash. I wanted to show the "world" what my effort has brought through. Now... you and I both know two things... the "world" is not reading MY blog... lol but also that I am not the only factor in these plants doing anything that looks like life. I am very aware the God is the one who is allowing me this blessing of seeing the fruit of my labor. I chose to describe my experience in the way I was to bring a relevance between the joy we find in growth of our investment and the joy of God our Father when He sees the growth in us after His much investment in us.
As I walked through my garden this afternoon, taking these photographs, the Holy Spirit revealed to me the joy the Father as He watches me grow and how the opposite is true that when I am making no effort to grow, how He so desires to see His investment in me flourish.
Food for thought...
Here are those photographs I took.

Ahhhh... the smell of spring!
I usually don't like spring much because it's wet and dirty. What can I say, I'm a full fletch girl, I don't like muck! lol Although, this spring has been different; it seems like the snow melted and presto, the ground was dry. We still had snow when I saw my tulips coming up and that got me excited for spring. I couldn't wait to see the backyard gardent begin to flourish. The snow melted, and melted and the ground where my flowers are was covered with... water. I searched for my rubber boots and found them in the basement. I dumped out what I thought would be dust and some dirt but instead, I dumped out spiders and earwigs... needless to say, I found my duckies instead (rubber shoes), and went to checkout what was peaking out. I swished, swooshed my way from one end to the other and already there was green piercing through. Yesterday, Sunday, the whole family worked together to clean the yard and once that was done, I spent time weeding the backyard flower garden. How exciting that was. Ya... I'm crazy... what can I say...lol.
Here are some before and after shots, the one with snow and the next is two days later.


I will be adding more photos as my little friends show themselves.