BEING KNOWN

Can there be any greater gift?

I discovered, through a prayer time with 2 friends, that one of the things I treasure most about GOD is being known. As I often pray for others, He does for me--blessing me in such personal ways that I KNOW it's Him, because no one else knows that depth of my heart.

RAY gives me until 9:00  each morning (non-work days) to have introverted or cleaning time. He also encourages coffee out for Bible study and writing. He listens until you'd think his ears would cry tears. He knows my heart and needs. He's generous in every way.

 RAY wouldn't consider seeing a hawk, eagle, deer, or hedge hog without pointing it out to me -- maybe even driving back to give me a better look.

Our son, MAT cooks asparagus for me, and "designs" a plate of food for special occasions. 

HE invited us to share the north shore with he and his girlfriend. He knows my love of nature, water--especially waves. My heart nearly exploded with excitement to see 6 foot waves, yes--but to enjoy them with family? Can it get better?

JODI made dried beef gravy and brought a favorite candy ( burnt peanuts). 
Really? Even she "knows" me?

MAT AND JODI send postcards from travels far or near.  They know I love Real Mail.

Our daughter, APRIL, is always on the lookout for food I will enjoy. She warms lotion in her hands, then massages it into my feet. She plays games, teaching me "better moves" so that I have a chance to enjoy further games instead of dreading another failure.

APRIL makes me laugh . . . hard.

My brother, TOM, gifts we with Caribou cards, knowing my love of coffee and coffee shops. He does so without expectation of anything in return. He often buys me licorice--and I enjoy every last piece! HE AND TAMMY welcome us to family gatherings . . . So long as I bring scalloped corn.  8-) TAMMY works hard at trying to keep family connected . . . NOT an easy task.

KIMBERLY, hmmmm . . . You too? Homemade caramel rolls WITH NUTS. KIMBERLY doesn't like to bake. Circus peanuts? Oh, and she went store to store squeezing them so she could find stale ones (my preference). Picture it. I'm smiling. And a sheep mug--come on. Seriously? She knows me.

SUSAN--she knows I eat halves. If there's half a doughnut or half of anything, yup. It's me. She knows what makes me smile and what makes me cry; and she lets me do both. She gives me the gifts of prayers and hugs . . . when I need them most. She calls me ornery. That's okay. Most don't see that cherished remnant of my mom.

LISA, no one knows me as deeply besides Ray. She has shared her life with me. She applies God's Word to my challenges. She asks tough questions that I don't invite/allow others to ask. She makes me laugh. She prays with incredible love and discernment. She's beautiful. She moved . . . Too far away. I miss her.

God, thank you for all these people and so many more.

I Am Rich And Blessed!
Lonnie

DON'T LOOK AT THAT FILTH

"His mother rushed in behind him, tucked her hand over his eyes, and said, 'Don't look at that filth . . .' Then I felt her shoe. She broke two ribs with that kick."

Brennan Manning
the furious longing of God  p.35


Brennan Manning might have agreed with this mother's assessment. At the time of this incident, he was in a drunken stupor. Her shielding her son's eyes may have been appropriate. Her words and actions certainly weren't. We can be thankful, along with Manning, that God responds differently.

"And the God I've come to know . . . His love is never, never, never based on our performance, never conditional by our moods . . . The furious love of God . . . is reliable. And always tender."
p.35


"For God so loved ____________(insert your name), that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."   John 3:16

A Recipient of His Love and Everlasting Life,
Lonnie

SUCK AN EGG

I hated it when our son used to say this . . . decades ago, when sarcasm and insults seemed to be backward compliments between friends.

But this morning, there were no better words. I'd had it!

Condemnation, critisizm, ridicule . . . all the names a bully calls you, topping the list with Stupid.

I stood tall, and with the utmost of sincerity, said.

"SATAN, GO SUCK AN EGG!"

                                                                              LIES

" . . . when he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."

John 8:44b  
New King James Version



                                                                         TRUTH

". . . He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17    
New King James Version

VALUED--LOVED--ENJOYED

Choosing Truth,
Lonnie

ALMOST

"Almost is apt to be a sad word under the best of circumstances."

Frederick Bruechner
Beyond Words  p.32 Nook


Losing a basketball game by one point can hurt worse than an obvious skill difference. Missing our flight by only 2 minutes is still missing. The person just ahead of us gets the last concert ticket, or the last Black Friday deal. "Almost" stinks.

Worse than all that a mother, after one or more miscarriages, goes almost full term.

ALMOST HURTS.

But there can be no more serious or painful "almost" than Agrippas'.

"After Paul finished, Agrippa came out with the only remark he had ever made that has gone down in history. "Almost persuaded me to become a Christian,' he said (Acts 26:28)." (emphasis mine.)

Frederick Bruechner




Lonnie

KINDNESS WITH A TOUCH OF SNARKY

To celebrate her 30th birthday, Lisa Barrickman challenged herself to do an act of kindness, every day, for 30 days.

My life covers a few more years/days; likewise, my challenge.

Yesterday was CHALLENGE 62.

I was patient with the new bank teller . . . even when she said she couldn't cash my paycheck. Problem solved, I thanked her and told her to have a nice day.

I was patient when the grocery worker charged me twice for one bag of coffee. I acted more patient than I felt when she told me to walk down a few lanes to tag a coworker on the shoulder and ask him to help her.

He told me I'd need to go to customer service.

"Oh, that's easy!" she said.

Snarky snuck in, though I'm sure she didn't hear me say, "For you, it is."

The service line was shorter than usual. Good thing--I visited it twice. BECAUSE, with refunded money in hand and on my way back to the car, I realized I'd NOT been charged for my flour.

I was TEMPTED to save the money and the hassle. BUT that would be neither kind nor righteous.

God Smiled.

Me too,
Lonnie

BEST OF TIMES -- WORST OF TIMES

"There were only three disciples allowed to see the Transfiguation, and the same three also experienced the darkness of Gethsemane."

L. B. Cowman
Streams In The Desert: Morning And Evening p.724
Zondervan 2016


As For Me

If I had to experience both or none, would I choose both?

I think we face similar choices today. Miracles are miracles only because we have incredible needs, with no resources of our own to meet them.

God, in the worst of times (see me tremble), help me trust for the best of times, even
 if . . .

Lonnie

SAFE PLACE

"What is your 'safe place'? Wherever we seek safety, it is God's presence with us in that place that provides the strength and protection we really need."


Elisa Morgan
Our Daily Bread   Volume 62 #7

"The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."
Proverbs 18:10



As For Me

My safe place is God's Word, especially when I feel rejected or defective. I shut out the lies of the world, or of Satan, by speaking God's truths to my heart.

Nothing can separate me from His love . . .
He will never leave me . . .
He uses the weak to confound the strong and the simple to confound the wise . . .
Jesus has been tempted in all ways that I am . . .
He sings over me with joy-- He doesn't just love me. He enjoys me!

You Too!


Lonnie

GUMBO

"Growing up in south Louisiana, whenever a hurricane was coming, somebody would take out the cast-iron kettle, make a big pot of gumbo, and after battening down the hatches, invite the neighbors over to eat, tell stories, make merry, and ride out the storm together." (emphasis mine)


Rod Dreher
The Benedictine Option
Sentinel  2017


As For Me

This is, so much, the heart of my son and his girlfriend; and something I need to learn.  Can you feel the warmth? Fun? The un-aloneness? Survival?

It feels, to me, like something our society has let slip away. It feels like something our churches have let slip away.

What A Loss!

Give Me Such A Heart, God,
Lonnie

GOD'S SILENCE

"Think not that God's silence is coldness or indifference. When birds are on the nest preparing to bring forth life, they never sing.


                                     . . . . .

"When the Lord is to lead a soul to great faith, He for a time leaves his prayer unanswered."


L. B. Cowan
Streams In The Desert: Morning And Evening   p.704


As For Me

Excitement smiled in my heart when I visualized the nesting bird; and thought of God, in like manner, bringing forth life--working miracles in the silence.

Preparing Myself To Trust,
Lonnie

WHAT PRAYER IS NOT

"We will not deliver ourselves of our prayers as boys repeating their lessons, as a mere matter of rote. 

Much less will we speak as if we were rabbis instructing our pupils

 or, as I have heard some do, with the coarseness of a robber stopping a person on the road and demanding his money.

No, we will be humble yet bold petitioners, humbly asking mercy through the Savior's blood."

Charles Spurgeon
Spurgeon On Prayer And Spiritual Warfare  p. 45
Whitaker House

As For Me

I'm guilty and growing.

God has me in a season of prayer and extra time in His Word; 30 days or so.

He has kept me faithful, as it means less reading of other books. Yet, this recently purchased book, in bite-size portions, is helping to restore my confidence in prayer.

To GOD be all glory, honor, and praise!

Lonnie

HOW MUCH BIBLE SHOULD I READ?

"Often we regiment ourselves to a daily Bible reading schedule and hurry on in our reading to keep up.

"The importance of reading the Bible is not reading but fellowship with the Author."

A.W. Tozer
The Essential Tozer Collection/The Purpose of Man   p. 180-181
Bethany House  2013



As For Me

I think the original intent for Bible reading plans was to get us to read books we'd never touch otherwise like, say, Numbers or Leviticus.

 Tozer is right. I do hurry through. I do struggle to keep up.  Through the struggle though, I find such faith builders and such assurance of God's love, power, and promises.

                                                                  AND YET . . .

Church of the Open Door has taught me, as Tozer suggests, to read smaller portions and then just sit with them. Fellowship with God has been lifechanging and sweet.

I DO have a plan. It's to read  s l o w e r.

Lonnie

PS:  I almost didn't finish Tozer's book. At times it was like pushing my legs through snow drifts. But the last chapter was worth the rest.

NO END

"It doesn't matter what we've done (or haven't done), we are forgiven because of what He's done."

Alyson Kieda
Our Daily Bread   Volume 62  #7



As For Me

Recently, a vacation took us to Lake Superior. In places, you can't see an opposite shore. You can't see the end of water.

So it is with God's forgiveness. We can't see the end.

 The scope of Jesus' love and of God's forgiveness is nothing short of amazing.


Enough To Save Us All,
Lonnie

NO --- NO FAULT FOUND

But not for the lack of looking!


"During His earthly life and ministry, His enemies spied on Him, sending people to search into His life to trip Him into something. Can you imagine if Jesus had made a mistake anywhere or lost His temper even once? All the sharp beady eyes of hell were following Him, trying to catch something out of His mouth. 

"When the end of His days had come, He turned on them and said, 'Which one of you convicts me of sin?'

NOBODY ANSWERED."  (all emphasis mine)


High Five!
Thumb Up!
Yes!!

My Savior,
Lonnie

DEPENDS WHAT YOU'RE LISTENING FOR

"If it were not for the bad news on the radio, the airwaves would be gloriously silent."




A.W. Tozer
The Essential Tozer/The Purpose Of Man   p.160
Bethany House  2013/ Edited by James L. Snyder




As For Me

Depends . . .

Bad news sells, so there is never a shortage of it, but . . .

With all the hassle of no prayer here, or here . . .

Or no nativity there . . .

I am amazed at the times prayer, faith, and trusting God are mentioned by people interviewed on the TV/radio. I get SO excited. I don't know how long this freedom will last so I'm determined, while I can, to enjoy honor given to God.

Thanking God for the courage of people who don't hide their faith,
Lonnie

WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?

" . . . a blind man, Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside begging. 

" When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'

"Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet but he shouted all the more . . .

" . . . 'What do you want me to do for you?' Jesus asked him."

Mark 10:46-51 NIV



As For Me

Jesus knows I'm timid and worry about what people think. And now, I cannot read this Bible passage without hearing the words He spoke to my heart:

"Is there anything you want badly enough that you'd ignore the crowds? The ones shouting for you to be quiet?"

I'll pass the question on to you: Is there . . .?


Lonnie

HALFPENNY OPPORTUNITIES

"John Newton wrote, 'If, as I go home, a child has dropped a halfpenny, and if, by giving it another, I can wipe away its tears, I feel I have done something. I should be glad to do greater things; but I will not neglect this.'"

Quoted by David Roper
Our Daily Bread   August 28, 2017




As For Me

Little actions can prove to be huge blessings . . . Especially when someone feels invisible. God, help me see and take advantage of many "halfpenny" opportunities, today.

Expectant,
Lonnie

VANDALISM?

"In a single class, Dr. Fortin persuaded us that what we once thought of as vandslism--writing in books--was an indispensable tool of learning."

Roy Peter Clark
How To Write Short   p.48
Little, Brown And Company  2013


As For Me

Man, I wish they'd known that when I was in school. I wonder if I'd have retained longer.

Shoot! Doesn't matter. I love reading, learning, and writing now--because I can vandalize books.

Smiling,
Lonnie