Sony - The Grand Canyon of Texas

A BEATITUDE MOMENT

In May when things were winding down with the Women’s Bible Studies (including CBS) I felt I was overdue for a break, a well needed one. 4 bible studies is a lot especially with me teaching 3 of them, but as Women’s Ministry Director at Hope Church I feel that is where God wants me. Needless to say I was going to take the summer off and rest in Him. But some of the Ladies from Tuesday night wanted me to continue with something, even if it was light. So I came up with a name for our Tuesday Night Summer study called devo-lite. Needless to say what transpired soon after was truly a God Thing and totally God inspired.

What I figured was that I needed to rest and work on 1 John and Habakkuk so for the summer study I was just going read a devotional from a devotional and we were going to discuss it. Then it happened, some how I was led by the Holy Spirit’s prompting to reading the Beatitudes. It is amazing what this adventure brought me to. So I began my journey searching out little devotionals about the Beatitude on all 8. After I found the ones that would lead into a nice discussion, I was going to stop. But Holy Spirit prompted me to define words in Greek and low in behold I found myself stuck on blessed is the poor in spirit. And I wanted to know really what that meant. And it led me to a trip on Brokenness. Recognizing that I am spiritually bankrupt with out Him. And it also led me to the discovery of brokenness and total dependence on God. It also led me to the discovery with out that total surrendering to God that all the other Beatitudes can't happen in our lives without this one. (for the purpose of what I want to share, Ill stop here on the 1st beatitude, but I could go on about what he taught me here.)……..

……..Then it was I believe the 4th Tuesday night of our light study over at Anne K. house and I was teaching on Matt 5:7. “Blessed is the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." And I was going to do both 5:7 and 5:8. I did my studying and Anne brought out her bible dictionary and we looked up mercy. And we got on the subject of forgiveness. And it was a great discussion. I spoke about how this mercy is talking about not feeling sorry for people or forgiving someone in general way. But to extend mercy to those who really have hurt me. Wow. It’s easy to forgive when it really doesn't directly affect you. And I was giving examples of how people in the Bible forgave and were forgiven such as Joseph, Peter and I had the group give other examples from the Bible. I shared the Corey Teneboom story about how she was able to extend her hand to a prison guard who treated her badly. Then it got more personal. I shared about a family situation and that my brother has been estranged from the family for a long time. Although he didn't really hurt me as much as my parents, there was a separation. I recalled that just in Dec. 2005 when my grandmother passed he had exchanged harsh words at me over the phone, when I broke the news to him. And I knew I was not at peace about our last encounter over the phone. My father on the other hand was bitter and angry still mad at my brother and I was sharing how it has not been healthy for our family……

Needless to say this is not the end. On the 3rd weekend in August Bill & I went to Texas to spend some time with some friends and then help my daughter Kristine move into her dorm. Needless to say the whole weekend was full of beatitude moments. Things like my friend Lisa telling me that she taught an adult SS class on the Beatitudes this year and we got into this discussion on brokenness. Then I went to a concert and the guy giving a concert talked about being poor in the spirit. And all weekend things like that happened.

Then we came back home on that Tuesday I went to get the mail and there was a letter addressed to me from my brother and I opened it and he wrote to me asking me for forgiveness. And if I could forgive him could I please call him. So I called him right away and then before I could even tell him I forgave him, he verbally asked me for forgiveness. And Yes I forgave him. What a relief what a healing moment. Then he asked me if I thought that daddy would forgive him and I said that I couldn't answer that, but you do your part in and let God do the rest. (This is just like God to say to me Lori, your teaching it, but do you believe it. And yes I can believe Him, Yesterday, today and Tomorrow)

On October 1st, a day in which I was very sick, my brother went to my fathers’ house and asked for my fathers’ forgiveness and my dad forgave him and said let’s put the past behind us. (In that gap, I was praying that God would soften my dads’ heart and he did)

So that’s the end of almost a 26 year saga with lots of drama. I wanted to share this with you because I felt led to, and this is such a God thing, but also I think it not only was lesson on mercy and forgiveness for me but it was a lesson on that I've read the word, I've studied it and taught and now what am I going to do with it. I believe it was God showing me a lot. What's really neat about the whole thing is He showed me in such a tangible way how much he really does care about relationships.

Nikon - Stonington

Boats and water again

My thoughts for today is life is tough and the storms are many but Id go through all of them in a New York minute again if it brought me closer to the Lord. As I encounter some adventures and bumps on the road I want to be on that boat not afraid of the storms, but embracing them knowing I will get through them with the Lord carrying me. And eventually, even now I want to walk on water. Status quo just wont do it for me. Status quo is staying on the shore picking up sea shells. My quote for today is by Van Gogh.
"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reasons for remaining ashore."
Vincent Van Gogh
I'd venture today say that many of us are still ashore. Get on the boat and ride the waves. Get on the boat and live. No more status quo.

HOLD ME NOW

the words to a Jennifer Knapp song

From glass alabaster she poured out the depths of her soul
O foot of Christ would you wait if her harlotries known?
Falls a tear to darken the dirt
Of humblest offerings to forgive the hurt
She is strong enough to stand in Your love
I can hear her say....

I'm weak, I'm poor
I'm broken, Lord
But I'm yours
Hold me now, hold me now

Let he without sin cast the first stone if you will
To say that my bride isn't worth
Half the blood that I've spilled
Point your finger and laugh if you choose
To say my beloved is borrowed and used
She is strong enough to stand in My love
I can hear her say....

I'm weak, I'm poor
I'm broken, Lord
But I'm yours
Hold me now, hold me now

Tim McGraw lyrics

Live Like You Were Dying

He said I was in my early forties with a lot of life before me when a moment came that stopped me on a dime and I spent most of the next dayslooking at the x-rays

Talking bout the options and talking bout sweet timeI asked him when it sank in that this might really be the real end hows it hit you when you get that kinda news man whatd you do and

he said I went sky diving

I went Rocky Mountain climbing

I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named fumanchu

and I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter

and I gave forgiveness Id been denying

and he said someday I hope you get the chance

to live like you were dying.

He said I was finally the husband that most the time I wasnt and I became a friend a friend would like to have and all the sudden going fishin wasnt such an imposition and I went three times that year I lost my dad well I finally read the good book and I took a good long hard look at what Id do if I could do it all again and then I went sky diving I went Rocky Mountain climbing I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named fumanchu and I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter and I gave forgiveness Id been denying and he said someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.Like tomorrow was a gift and you got eternity to think about whatd you do with it what did you do with it what did I do with it what would I do with it?

Sky diving I went

Rocky Mountain climbing

I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named fumanchu

and then I loved deeper

and I spoke sweeter

and I watched an eagle as it was flying

and he said someday I hope you get the chance

to live like you were dying.To live like you were dying

To live like you were dyingTo live like you were dying

To live like you were dying

Nikon Picture by taken by Lori

A friend said to me yesterday, (paraphrased). "We can be eating breakfast one day and the Next......................

Its funny how in a second your life changes drastically. But it's cool that I can carry it to Jesus. And he has the answers.

Thank goodness for that.

I received this quote today. Im not sure I would of ever tried to cross the ocean if I knew I couldn't have got off in the storm.

Life doesn't give you those options at all you can't get out if it's not your ocean to cross or your storm.

"No one would ever have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in the storm." Charles Kettering

Happy New Year!
To Jesus

FOR ALL THAT HAS BEEN – THANKS
TO ALL THAT SHALL BE – YES
HALLOWED BE THY NAME –NOT MINE
THY KINGDOM COME –NOT MINE
THY WILL BE DONE –NOT MINE