Wednesday, August 06, 2008 1:53 PM

Stay with the Word

Colossians 1:23 - continue to stay with and in the faith in Christ, well-grounded, settled, stedfast, not shifting, moving away from the hope which rests on and is inspired by the glad tidings which I've heard and which has been preached and lavished on me
 
 I'll not be moved away from the hope of the gospel.  It is the only power there is for operating as an ambassador of light in this kingdom.  My faith may have gotten shaken but I'm a palm tree and my roots go deep in the Word.  Some of the nuts have fallen off the top of the tree and left me with more thoughts of the compassion of God.
 
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Wednesday, August 06, 2008 1:49 PM

A quickening Word

Keith Moore was talking about how we need more than ever to have a quickening Word from Him every moment of the day.  A word from God about each step to take and not presume we know what to do even though we've done it before. David prayed each time he went to battle asking God if he should go.  One time, God said "no".  My goal is to never presume I know how to pray for someone using the Word if I haven't asked Him first.  Now I'm going to practice!
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Wednesday, August 06, 2008 1:12 PM

Shaken Faith?

1 Peter 5:7 (TLB)  These trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure."
 
I'm writing my thoughts here because it helps me to think "outloud".  It's been a couple weeks since my friend's husband died and I'm ready to write down my thoughts.  I called my father to ask him "What do you do when there is no more hope?"  We had prayed in faith for this man; he was in agreement with us and so were his words; he was listening to healing tapes; we prayed using the healing scriptures; we did everything we knew to do; and he still died.  Too young at 67.  My faith was very shaken.  My dad had no answers and is wondering the same thing.  My thoughts going through this were:
 
  • all the praying and believing were for nothing
  • the Word didn't work
  • we prayed wrong
  • didn't pray enough
  • didn't truly believe
  • even though we were truly expecting and seeing a miracle in our imaginations, it wasn't enough
  • I didn't care enough or have enough compassion (pride)
  • why should I pray if they are all going to die anyway? (compassion)
  • my faith........what faith
  • cancer is too strong for us (not God)
  • God doesn't always heal on earth (goes against everything I've been taught and really believe)
  • I'm ashamed, embarrased, hurt (pride)
  • I let my friend and the others who were praying down by giving them hope (pride)
  • I have no power to be like Jesus (woe is me)
  • How can I ever again pray in faith using the Word?
  • My faith has been attack (yes, duh, gonna happen)
  • I feel like a wounded soldier (pity party)
  • This is all my fault.  God is not to blame. His Word is still true. I missed it. (pride)
I'm writing these down because I don't think I'm the only one who's ever thought these things.  Now on to how I'm growing out of this into something better:
 
We need to know what the will of the Lord is in all situations.  Yes, it is always God's will to heal.  But, I feel we were presumptuous in the way we went about it.  We just immediately started quoted the scriptures and commanding the devil to leave.  Good stuff but maybe not what God wanted for us to be doing at that moment.  There are other issues that are more important and need to be taken care of first.  In this case, we never asked God how to pray for our friend. We never applied the blood of Jesus over him or the hospital room.  Presumption is what got the Israelites in trouble in Numbers 14. Verse 44 says they presumed to go up but God had already said don't go, I'm not with you in verse 42. 
 
Jesus told us to ask the Father in John 15 two times: verse 7 and 16.  Sometimes we feel like we don't need to ask.  "It's okay God, I've got this one covered.  I know enough to handle this on my own."  Presumption. 
 
Yes, God is sovereign.  Sometimes I think that statement is used as a "copout" so we don't have to take responsibility for missing it and not asking Him first.
 
I know the devil would like to destroy my hope; he already stole my friend's husband and murdered him with cancer.  He will NOT destroy my faith.  I may have fallen down, but I will get up seven times more than I fall and be stronger than before; totally convinced that God's Word never fails; and I need more than ever to have a quickening Word from Him every moment of the day.  Nor will he defeat my friend's faith.  We stepped out, used our faith, and failed. But we will get back up and learn how to operate in the kingdom with the Holy Spirit's help.  She is an amazing lady, full of grace. 
 
Which brings me to my thoughts of compassion.  Did I love her enough? No. I had no compassion.  She is a very strong lady and a role model to me of grace and mercy.  Compassion is being touched with others feelings and doing something about them to make it better.  Jesus!  If we were more compassionate like He is, we'd see more miracles. 
 
Yes, our friend is healed now in heaven. But hope deferred makes the heart sick.  What good is healing in heaven when we need it here and now?  If Jesus' sacrifice didn't cover life on earth, then why are we still here?  That's mean.  There are too many scriptures that say He sent Jesus and healed them all and delivered them from their destructions and bodily pains and whatever is needed.
 
I've also noted that those thoughts above were very prideful; all about me, and how I failed.  IT's NOT ABOUT ME.  Thoughts are definitely the battleground here.
 
I'll not be moved away from the hope of the gospel.  Time is helping and staying in the Word ,even though I had these thoughts, and praying in tongues and worshipping all helped me to get myself picked up and back to trusting Him. (Jude 20).
 
I hope this helps someone else too.
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Saturday, August 02, 2008 5:48 PM

Mediums vs. Witches and piano student

Sooo, a student at the end of her lesson says, "I went to Lily Dale this weekend.  The ladies there are really nice. They worship God just like we do."   I asked do you mean the witches/mediums?  She said, "They're not witches." I asked her if they told her what would happen in her life and she said they did. 
This child is one that I led to a knowledge of Jesus.  I told her that they do not worship God and to believe what God says about them, not what I say or your Pastor, or the mediums.  She was very upset with me because I didn't approve of her going and wouldn't let her tell me about it.  
 
Now I've got to apologize to her and say she was right...witches and mediums are not the same thing. I was wrong.  Witches practice magic.  Mediums talk to spirits.  Both are still not pleasing to God. 
 
I should have listened first and then responded at a later time.  I was caught off guard (my fault) and it was at the end of her lesson.  She left upset with me.  Not good for the last lesson before Fall.  I want to lead her to look up what God says on her own, but I really don't think she will.  She needs to see this for herself and understand what God says about it.  First of all, she needs to care what God says and then believe Him.  I don't know if her parents took her or if she went with someone else. They are not professing Christians.  One is Catholic and the other Agnostic/Aetheist (sp?)
 
Interesting how this keeps coming up in my piano studio.  In Toledo, I had a student whose mom was a practicing witch with wicca and drawing circles in the sand.  She grew up in a Christian home.  Now I'm in Western NY near the world's largest spirit center, Lily Dale, and once again having to be compassionate and non-judging and full of wisdom in how I speak about and to these issues.  I've read a book about wicca by a Christian author, don't remember the title and gave it away.  I remember it saying that witchcraft is more than just black magic and spells; it is also believing you are a god, and "new age" stuff.  There was more, but that's all I remember at the moment. 
 
So many Christians are taken in by mediums and fortune telling and horoscope and think that God approves or doesn't care.  He does.  He depises it.  Why would anyone go to anyone other than the Creator to find out about their life?  He has a wonderfully, unique plan for each of us that He's put together for us to discover and live out.  All we have to do is ask Him what it is and then listen to Him talk to us about it through His Word, His Spirit, and other believers.  I guess that takes too much work and we want a quick, easy answer rather than spend time with Father getting to know Him and His voice.
 
Interesting week...
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Saturday, August 02, 2008 5:18 PM

God in the Opera!

A friend and I went to the opera at Chautauqua Institute last night.  La Traviata by Verdi.  It was very well done; however, the seats were hard and it was hot and I was wondering what was I doing here and could God talk to me through this.  Yup!  During the 2nd Act the words were "God led me here".  And, of course, being opera, they were sung over and over and over.  Okay, I got the point, God led me here.  So what do You want to say to me here at the opera?  Last Act, once again, over and over and over "All is well".  If the last dieing scene of the opera hadn't been enough to make me cry, this sure pushed the button!  ALL IS WELL.  No matter how shaken my faith may get, "all is well". No matter what causes me to question if this faith stuff really works, "all is well".  No matter if I question what I've believed for so long, "all is well".  God is building me back up and will use the opera to do it if that's where I'll listen.
 
All is well.
 
 
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008 7:29 PM

Dog thoughts

Here's my cuties!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Zack, the wide awake one, makes us laugh a lot.  He loves to sing with Keith as he's playing his trumpet.  He even matches pitch.  How cool is God to give us a musical dog!
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Friday, July 18, 2008 3:04 PM

The beauty of summer

 
I took these pictures yesterday of our flowers.  God's creations are so beautiful and unique.
 
 
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Tuesday, July 01, 2008 12:09 PM

2 Thessalonians 3:16 NASB

2 Thessalonians 3:16 May the Lord of Peace continually grant you peace in every circumstance.  (NASB)  Peace - besides meaning nothing missing, nothing broken, means rest, quietness, oneness.  May the Lord of rest grant you rest in every circumstance.  May the Lord of quietness grant you quietness in every circumstance.  Quietness in the middle of a house full of children?  I don't have children but I do have two Shelties.  They are the NOISIEST, LOUD dogs I know.  Everytime someone walks by or comes to the door, it is soooo loud that I can't hear a thing.  I need the Lord of quietness to muzzle my dogs!  Actually, I'm going to try putting a muzzle on the older one today when I know people are coming.  I hate to to it but I can't hear when he barks.  I'm praying for my friend, Art, that the God of rest would grant him rest today in the middle of his treatments in Cleveland.  Lung cancer can't stay in his body as he is filled with the Spirit of the God of wholeness.
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Friday, June 27, 2008 11:16 AM

You are stronger than you think

Someone else in this community blog said...

"You're stronger than you think. He's (devil) telling you that you can't help it or that you can't do it God's way. That's not true. Your will is the strongest thing you have. Satan does not control your will. You control your will. But, God will not supersede your will because he gave you a choice, so whatever is happening in your life, you're allowing it.

We allow it in simple ways. Maybe by not saying what God said about the situation. Instead we're busy saying what the world says. The thought first starts in your head. Then once you say it, you call it into existence. Then the problem gets stronger. "
I totally agree with this.  We have authority over our own lives and what we will say, or not say that will happen.
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008 9:34 PM

Healing on earth versus waiting until we get to heaven

Why do some people want to put healing for their bodies off until they go to heaven?  Some people say that we shouldn't tell people to believe God will heal them now because it gives them unrealistic hope. As if cancer is too hard for God to heal on earth. They say that there are no promises in the Bible for healing on earth.  Jesus must have been confused then.  He taught His disciples to pray that God's will be done on earth as it was in heaven.  There is no sickness in heaven.  He also never told anyone who came to Him, "no, I'm not going to heal you now. You'll have to wait until you die." He healed everyone who came to Him with any kind of disease. He hasn't changed.  He told us to lay hands on the sick and they would recover (James 5).  He said those who believe on His name would lay hands on the sick thand they would recover. (Mk. 16)
 
Telling someone that God will heal them when they die does not giving hope to someone who wants to live.  Proverbs 13:12 says hope deferred makes the heart sick.  Deferred means prolonged, delayed.  Sick means worn, weak, afflicted, grieved, diseased, put to pain.  Telling someone they have to wait to get to heaven to be healed means a delayed hope and makes the person weary and weak; not strong in the love of God.  Jesus also promised that nothing would harm us.  He has already destroyed the works of the devil.  He came that we might live an abundant life, to the full, til it overflows Jn. 10:10 AMP. It's easier to not take responsibility for our own faith and blame God than to realize that we have to wake up, stand, and resist the work of the devil.
 
What do you think?
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008 9:03 PM

Spider Lesson

There was a small spider on the ceiling of my guest bathroom right above the toilet.  It was too high for me to reach and too late to care about getting something to stand on; so I went to bed thinking I'll use our master bath at night if I need to.  Rather than deal with the problem right away, I put it off until tomorrow.  Tomorrow came and the spider was still there in the same place.  It must have died in place and stuck.  I was cleaning the bathroom and thought, "I'll get it later"; but then I thought "what am I waiting for?"  I'm just being lazy because I don't want to be bothered with getting the vacuum out, unwrapping the cord, putting the attachment on, and sucking up the thing.  I thought about putting it off again and it seemed stupid.  So I got out the vacuum, unwrapped the cord, put on the attachment, and in less than a minute the thing was in the belly of the vacuum and out of my life.  Amazing how we let little things go in our spiritual lives too...
  • "I'll deal with it later"  God might be prompting us to deal with that little thing but it's soooo small we think it can wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and it's still there taking our thoughts away from praise and thanks towards, "am I going to obey today?"
  • "I'm too tired to deal with it"  It takes less effort to get rid of little things that is clogging up our spiritual pipes than a bunch of little things that have had babies? If I had left the spider and it was still alive, it could have built a web there, had babies, and fallen on me when I sat on the toilet!
  • "It's too much work"  Yes, getting all the equipment out was a little bit of work.  I made it seem like it would be a huge task.  Our minds like to exaggerate the work and justify it by thinking "it's sooo small" it can wait.  When the spider was sucked up in the vacuum, it was very easy and a relief to have it gone.  Same with our spiritual issues; they are usually not as big as we make them out to be IF they are handled when God prompts.  And what He tells us to do is not too difficult or beyond our reach according to Deut. 30:11 (I think).  Then the joy comes because we've obeyed and taken care of something that displeased Him.
  • "It will take too long"  The small things usually go quickly.  It's the things that we have not taken care of when prompted that tend to hang on, make webs in our minds, create other "babies" problems, and then drop on us "out of the blue".  Where did that come from?  Probably from ignoring it for so long that it became "normal" or just an irritation.
Made me think.  I want to deal with the things God talks to me about right now so it's easier and takes less time to get rid of.  What do you think?
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Tuesday, June 03, 2008 8:04 PM

Baby Deer

Had a neat experience with seeing a baby deer in our back woods today. When I looked up, it appeared small as a dog. It was running like a puppy and having fun. It really was cute. Then I saw the mom and the baby fed from her. The last time I saw the mom, I didn't know she was one. She was tipping the hummingbird feeder and having a small drink of sugar water. There is plenty of fresh water around so she must have a sweet tooth. It was a very sweet moment too.  I tried to get a picture but they were too far into the woods by the time I got the camera.  Tomorrow I'll have it ready! Go God!
 
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Sunday, May 25, 2008 8:34 PM

The hand of God

Today as I was playing keyboard and helping to lead worship, the leader came over as we were singing and touched my hand.  It was like God reaching down and touching me and saying keep playing.  The anointing was very strong and people were blessed.  I asked the leader after service what that was all about and she said God told her to connect with me by touching my hand and that she had a word for me but didn't want to disrupt me as I was worshipping.  She said she felt peace coming from me.  That is awesome because this week God has been teaching me about resting in Him and joy. 
 
The joy of the Lord is my strength means to me that the Word that I understand and have a revelation of will bring me joy.
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Friday, August 31, 2007 9:43 AM

My Birthday

It's August 31st, my birthday.  I started it by reading an article by Cathy Duplantis on "It's not hidden from you but for you".  Whatever I need today is waiting for me, shielded from others.  I call it to me today.  Angels are going to get my customers and students.  I'm calling in five more piano students this year and all my lamps are sold in Jesus' name.  Lamps, someone is impressed with you and you will be a blessing to someone.  I will be known as the fun, up-to-date piano teacher and students will seek me out.  I'll be on the radio tomorrow, on the Breakfast Club, promoting the benefits of piano study with five other teachers.  Should be fun.  I've been on TV but not radio.
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Wednesday, July 18, 2007 7:41 PM

Christians at the top of their professions

Having fun tonight.  We just learned how to record using a microphone connected to my laptop.  Now I can record my student's favorite pieces during piano lessons.  And I can get my website up and running so my student's family who live far away can see and hear them play their pieces too. God is sooo good to me.  I don't know too many piano teachers who have the equipment I have.  He not only provides students and equipment but the wisdom and insight to be the best teacher I can be for each student.  Awesome.  I believe we as Christians should be at the forefront of our professions in all areas. I'm the head, not the tail!
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