HIS CHARACTER

This morning I woke up as Todd said good-bye and I was glad because today was his 35th birthday. I sleepily wished him happy birthday and asked him what time his conference call started this morning. I then rolled over and went back to sleep. The kids and I were headed to the museum, so we were busy getting ready when the phone rang at 8:30 a.m. It was the sales guy from Todd’s store wondering if he was still home. Immediately, panic set in. I hoped he was kidding. He said he wondered if Todd had a meeting or a class this morning that he forgot to tell them about. I said, “No!” I’m going to call the hospitals. The guy said, “You’re going straight to that?” I said, “Yes, this is not like Todd.” He said, “I’m going to try to find out if he was on the conference call this morning, but I don’t want to get him in trouble.” I said, “He’s already in trouble if he’s not at work.” The guy chuckled as if he thought I was being a controlling wife, but I didn’t mean he was in trouble with me, I meant if he wasn’t already at work something had happened. He was trying to reassure me, but I insisted that I knew my husband and this was not like him.

I called Kennestone and Grady Hospitals and tried to catch the traffic report. I loaded up the three kids, two dressed and one still in his pajamas and headed out to follow Todd’s route to work. As I neared the bottom of the driveway Todd called. He had been in an accident at 6:00 a.m. and the police arrived at 7:30, which is why he didn’t get to work till after 8:30. He was fine, the car was minimally damaged and no one was hurt. There had been no way to get a hold of him because he doesn’t carry a cell phone (which I’m hoping will change after today). I knew something had happened to him because not showing up for work was out of character for him.

After a busy morning at the museum I headed home and as I drove the Lord reminded me of His character - loving, steady, secure and faithful. Knowing His character produces trust because I have knowledge and experience of who He is. That is how I felt this morning when I found out Todd wasn’t at work; I knew something had happened because I know his character. That’s an exciting place to be in my marriage because it hasn’t always been this way. There was a time I didn’t know who Todd was let alone his character. God wants us to be that sure of who He is. When someone tries to convince us He’s something other than who we know Him to be we can automatically say, “NO, that is out of character for Him.”

It was a tense morning, but tonight I feel reassured - God’s character can be trusted and so can my husband’s.

Printed with Todd's blessing!

R.F. & K.F. You're the best cheerleaders, we've got a touchdown! VICTORY!!!

VICTORY IN JESUS

As the enemy attempts to take me back in the trenches God’s voice reaches into the depths of my heart and in the midst of chaos I find hope. He is a light penetrating the darkness that tries to torment my soul. Erupting undetected, old behaviors and thought patterns are now my enemies. Desperation cries out from deep in my soul and God replies, “I want this area too!” The accuser casts doubt, brings fear and causes pain, but God so rich in His mercy says, “NO, this too will be healed and made whole.”

"When you announce a goal you give every friend a chance to express their level of loyalty and you give adversaries a chance to expose themselves." - Mike Murdock

PEACE

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Then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace.

Luke 1:79 The Message

FREUDIAN SLIP

Todd was just telling me he needed to go to bed because he went to bed too late last night. I said, "I don't even remember last night, I'm in a BLOG." Of course I meant to say "fog".

This from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

As a common pun goes, "A Freudian slip is like saying one thing, but meaning your mother." It can extend to our word perception where we might read a word incorrectly because of our fixations.

Does that mean I'm fixated on blogging? Can someone say Bloggers Anonymous?

PEACE - GO AFTER IT!

ATTENTION: To all the writers and closet writers (I know who you are), this one’s for you. I’m soliciting your insightful, creative and mind-blowing comments.

Doing a quick word search on "pursue peace" at http://www.biblegateway.com turned up three verses in the Amplified version:

Psalm 34:14 Depart from evil and do good; seek, inquire for, and crave peace and pursue (go after) it!”

2 Timothy 2:22 Shun youthful lusts and flee from them, and aim at and pursue righteousness (all that is virtuous and good, right living, conformity to the will of God in thought, word, and deed); [and aim at and pursue] faith, love, [and] peace (harmony and concord with others) in fellowship with all [Christians], who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 Peter 3:11 Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!]

What does “pursue peace” mean to you? How do you do that? Explain.

MY DRESSER THREW UP IN THE BATHROOM

I am a stickler against dirty clothes lying around. My kids sort their own laundry every night because I don’t like clothes all over their room, I get after my husband for leaving clothes on the floor, but look at this bathroom (notice the huge shadow cast by the mound of clothes on the counter). Guess who’s clothes these are? You got it…mine! I have been so busy this past week I haven’t even had time to pick up my clothes and the truth is I’m so tired I don’t even care. Last night when I saw the mess I thought to myself, now this isn’t fair I’m the one always going on and on about clothes on the floor, so to acknowledge my mess I screamed, “My dresser threw up in the bathroom.” It lightened the mood and we laughed for an hour. I hope it makes you laugh too.

A FRIEND WHO WILL GO ANYWHERE WITH YOU

A couple of weeks ago my friend Malorie and I went out to dinner with our husbands. She lives in Delaware, so I only get to see her once a year…not nearly enough for two writers and talkers like us. After dinner we excused ourselves to the restroom and were deep in conversation. We kept right on talking all the way into the men’s restroom, yes that’s right we went in the men’s restroom and were greeted by a gentleman at the stand up potty (why do they always put those at the entrance?). He looked at us (made eye contact - weird) and said you’re in the wrong bathroom. We burst into hysterics! I laughed through my whole restroom visit.

It made me think how blessed I am to have a friend that I can make a mistake with and we can laugh about it together (we’re still laughing). She’s also the friend that will stand for me when I can’t. She has praised God for me, when I couldn’t utter the words. She has battled the enemy for me, when I didn’t see what he was doing. She has taught me truth and grace by example and action rather than preaching. I am BLESSED!

I’ve made visits to the men’s restroom by myself before, but it wasn’t nearly as much fun alone. Kind of like life…we can make mistakes and be isolated and try to hide them, but there is no value in that. Making mistakes surrounded by people who love the Lord and love us are opportunities for personal growth and strengthening of the friendship.

One great thing about Malorie is that if I told her the Lord said we should go into the men’s restroom she would have gone as easily as she did by mistake and that is PRICELESS. My pastor says to surround yourself with “crazy” people and by that he means people who are not afraid to appear crazy to the world to do as the Holy Spirit leads. Malorie is my CRAZY friend! If you have a friend like that I’m sure you already know how blessed you are and if you don’t pray, and ask the Lord to send you one and He will. Be open it may not be what you are expecting.

The picture in this post is an actual photo of the door of the men’s restroom we visited. In my blogging mind I knew there was a story in that.

Colossians 3:13-17 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

ANSWERED PRAYER

During our Face Down service at church I prayed earnestly that the Lord would give me His vision and give me glimpses of things. About a half hour later people were walking around during worship giving prophetic words and someone came up to me and said, "God wants to give you His vision and you will begin to see things from His heart." Now that's an answer to prayer. Praise God for His faithfulness!

WILL I BE A SUPERHERO OR LUNCH?

The enemy has been busy this week attacking my thoughts. I have felt very much like this woman on the left, except that I am armed with TRUTH. It's been hard to focus on truth because the attack has been ferocious, ugly and quick. He's attacked from every angle! My thoughts have been vastly different from what they were even a few days ago. When the enemy does this I believe he is trying to get me to doubt what God has told me to do, doubt that God told me to do it or doubt God altogether. Knowing that I go into battle! When I can't battle God has blessed me with those who will battle on my behalf in prayer. They will remind me of His truth in the matter.

It was so bad last night I cried as I laid down to go to sleep and woke up several times with anxious thoughts and woke up crying and anxious. I know my God and that's not from Him. He said my sleep will be sweet and it wasn't so I was mad (not at Him). I cried out to Him and told Him how desperately I needed Him today. I needed something, anything! As always He provides! It wasn't anything significant it was a series of small events. Things He had me do, questions He answered and faith He stirred.

Now I feel like this...all stretched out in my faith. My faith had to rise today to meet the attack that I was under. The only way that could happen was to keep believing God. I want to be stretched...I want to always believe Him for more!

I WILL be a superhero because my Daddy's one and I was created in His image!

Psalm 118:5-15 In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off. They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off. They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off. I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!

SPIRITUAL SIGHT

Christmas Eve-Eve as I dressed for church I felt the need to confess. What could be so pressing that I would wake up during one of the best times of the year burdened with the need to confess? Judgment! I heard the Lord clearly say to me that morning as I woke up, “Do not judge what I am doing by what you see!” Wow, that’s a loaded statement, one that I am guilty of. So, on my knees at the altar I prayed and asked the Lord for forgiveness not only for myself, but for the body of Christ as a whole.

Let’s enhance our spiritual sight this year by NOT judging what He is doing by what we see and seeking to gain His perspective before coming up with one of our own. After all we are no longer blinded by the god of this world. May He open the eyes of our understanding in 2008 – the Year of New Beginnings!

Read more about 2008 – Year of New Beginnings
http://gloryofzion.org/newsletters_0.htm