Whisper ~ 5 Minute Friday

Help me to hear Your whisper
Make it loud in my heart and mind
Drown out all the other noises
No replacement do I want to find

Help me to know Your whisper
May it be the only voice I hear
Whisper Your love in my heart
Whisper Your presence is near

Make Your whisper distinct
Make Your whisper clear
Whisper Your strength to my soul
Whisper "do not fear"

When my world crashes around me
When my world crashes within
Whisper that You will never leave me
Whisper courage when my faith is thin

Help me to hear Your whisper
I need You to guide my day
Whisper Your light all through me
Whisper through my mouth what to say

Getting Ready... RMC Women's Retreat

I have been waiting for tomorrow's Women's Retreat since the end of last year's. I have always enjoyed my time away, in the mountains of Buena Vista Colorado.

God Has always done a work in my heart while on retreat. He draws me nearer and deeper, and sometimes addresses some hard things that need to be dealt with.

I really don't have time to do this today... write.. but I wanted to just post some realness of the day before my time away. Pictures and 3 words (sometimes more) of what my day today looks like today.

Being real:

7th grade assignment

scarf needs pressing

clean.. must put away

What to pack?

should I redo?

Dinner... something Mexican

Walking from school

Little League Game

helping with homework

reading to the boys

Well..
Now it is time for bed.
It was a full day.
It was a good day.
I never did put the laundry away.
I am packed and my heart is content.
I talked with each of my boys today and know how their days went.
If I have time tomorrow I will redo my nails as I don't like them this way.
I go to sleep with a smile on my face.
Only 10 moments of my day were posted here.
Only 10 out of 100's
Yes...
It was a very good day.

Reach - 5 minute Friday

Reach ~
I just started reading a great book a friend of mine wrote. "Silver Threads - Weaving Godly Wisdom into the Lives of Younger Women" by Kate Megill. This book is about mentoring women.
Reach out to the younger women.
In this book Kate asks where all the older women are. She makes a point that many are too busy.
I can't reach out if I'm focused inward.
Reach
Stretching out toward something... someone
This is what comes to mind
Also that scene from "Hook".
The scene where Peter Panning was too gripped by fear to reach out and save his children.
All he had to do was reach out and touch them.
I don't want to stop reaching.
I don't want to be too busy to reach out to others.
I don't want to be too afraid to reach out.
But..
To reach takes effort.
To reach takes risk.
To reach takes stretching.
If I reach out I am more vulnerable.
No...
To reach means helping others.
To reach means growth.
To reach means exercising my heart and its ability to love.
To reach is what Jesus did.
Lord, open my eyes today.
Help me stretch out the love You have given me and reach out to others.

Change ~ 5 Minute Friday

Change-
Is hard
If it happens to you
you must adjust quickly or it can really set you back
If you need to make a change
...depending on your motivation
It can sometimes take forever
I don't do change well.
But if change happens to me
I can eventually get my head around it
Get my attitude in check and keep going
Not fighting it and trying to flow works best.
But there are things in my life that I have wanted to change
for years
decades
I always come up with a plan
then I get lazy, forget, or just lose motivation
why is is so hard for me to change?
Even those things I know I need to change
Those many things that I have countless ideas
formulas, books, plans...
I don't lack the knowledge
They aren't impossible
Many have made these changes
I just don't practice
I want to change

Tell -- 5 Minute Friday

The word is "Tell"
The first thing I thought of when I saw this word was tell people who God is.
Who He really is.
There is so much fear out there today,
A thick fear that I can feel in the air.
I can sense that believers... Christ followers... are letting fear overwhelm them.
God has not given us a spirit of fear.. but of sound mind.
So let me tell you who my God is:
My God is Master of the universe.
My God is completely wise.
My God is completely sovereign.
My God is good.
There is nothing that escapes Him.
His ways are not our ways.
He is a God of justice.
And His love is unending...
He says, "do not fear".

Fill - Five Minute Friday

So... I'm going to start something new. Something a little challenging for me. Five Minute Friday. It is supposed to be an unedited rough draft on a given topic. (If you’re interested in learning more check out, Kate Motaung’s site.)

Fill - that is the word.

I smile as I think, do I really need to "fill" my time with anything else.
Just this morning I was a bit overwhelmed as my calendar is quickly filling up with appointments, activities and work.
School hasn't even started yet.
What will my calendar look like when I get announcements from the classes of my three boys.
Baseball also starts soon and this season we will have three different teams again.
For some reason, I want this challenge.
Maybe because it is something for just me.
A way to express my thoughts.
I am not a writer.
I think of this word and imagine little holes in people.
Holes that are made by sorrow, frustration, discouragement, loneliness, or anger.
What joy if I could be used to fill even just a little hole by bringing encouragement to someone.
Just by listening
Or a smile

Celebrating St Nicholas and many others

As far as not celebrating Santa, it feels like my little family is in the minority.  We have never given our kids gifts from Santa and it really hasn't bothered them, except that they get fewer gifts than many of their friends.  A few years ago I started adding St. Nicholas to our Advent because "Santa" is everywhere.  Rather than pretending he doesn't dominate Christmas, we celebrate who he was on one of the Advent days.  Usually December 6, on St. Nicholas Day.  The kids put out their shoes by the door the night before and they find a chocolate Santa or some treat in the morning.

This year we are doing something a little different.  Instead of just talking about St.  Nicholas we will be talking about other men of God past and present. The following are interesting facts of just a few.

St.  Nicholas

His parents died when he was a young man, leaving him well off and he determined to devote his inheritance to works of charity. An opportunity soon arose. This came to the ears of Nicholas, who thereupon took a bag of gold and, under cover of darkness threw it in at the open window of the man's house. Later St. Nicholas was indicated to be the new bishop. This was at the time of the persecutions at the beginning of the fourth century. Nicholas was seized by the magistrates, tortured, then chained and thrown into prison with many other Christians. (http://www.catholic.org/saints)

St. Patrick

St. Patrick was born around 385 in Scotland. When he was 14 he was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave.  During his captivity, he turned to God in prayer.  Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God. He reunited with his family. He had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him. Later, Patrick was ordained a bishop, and was sent to take the Gospel to Ireland.  Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God.  After years of living in poverty, and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461. (http://www.catholic.org/saints)

St. Valentine
Valentinus was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius the Goth [Claudius II]. Since he was caught marrying Christian couples and aiding any Christians who were being persecuted under Emperor Claudius in Rome [when helping them was considered a crime], Valentinus was arrested and imprisoned. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus made a strategic error: he tried to Sconvert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't do it, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate [circa 269]. (http://www.catholic.org/saints)

St. Francis of Assise

Francis enjoyed a very rich easy life. Francis became the leader of a crowd of young people who spent their nights in wild parties. Francis wanted to be a noble, a knight. Battle was the best place to win the glory and prestige he longed for. He got his first chance when Assisi declared war on their long time enemy. Most of the troops from Assisi were butchered in the fight. Only those wealthy enough to expect to be ransomed were taken prisoner. After a year in the dungeon, he was ransomed. Strangely, the experience didn't seem to change him. He gave himself to partying with as much joy and abandon as he had before the battle. Finally a call for knights for the Fourth Crusade gave him a chance for his dream of glory. But Francis never got farther than one day's ride from Assisi. There he had a dream in which God told him he had it all wrong and told him to return home. Francis started to spend more time in prayer. He went off to a cave and wept for his sins. His search for conversion led him to the ancient church at San Damiano. While he was praying there, he heard Christ on the crucifix speak to him, "Francis, repair my church."   Wearing nothing but castoff rags, he went off into the freezing woods -- singing. And when robbers beat him later and took his clothes, he climbed out of the ditch and went off singing again. From then on Francis had nothing... and everything. He was going to do what no one thought possible any more -- live by the Gospel. Francis did not try to abolish poverty, he tried to make it holy. Francis' final years were filled with suffering as well as humiliation. Years of poverty and wandering had made Francis ill. Francis never recovered from this illness. He died on October 4, 1226 at the age of 45. (http://www.catholic.org/saints)

Stephen –“Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.  Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue..who began to argue with Stephen.. So they stirred up  the people and the elders and the teachers of the law.  They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.  They produced false witnesses who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against the holy place and against the law."  All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel (Stephen preached Jesus to them) When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.  But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."  At this they covered their ears and yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."  Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." (Acts 6).  

John the Baptist -  John was beheaded at the request of Salome, daughter of Herodias, who asked for his head at the instigation of her mother.  John inspired many of his followers to follow Christ when he designated Him "the Lamb of God," among them Andrew and John, who came to know Christ Christ through John's preaching. (Matt 14)

Peter - Peter is said to have been crucified under Emperor Nero. It is traditionally held that he was crucified upside down at his own request, since he saw himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus Christ.  (http://www.catholic.org/saints)

Paul - was beheaded.

Heb 11 Heros of faith

“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.  Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.  These were all commended for their faith. 

Philip James Elliot (1956) was an evangelical Christian who was one of five missionaries killed while participating in Operation Auca, an attempt to evangelize the Waodani people of Ecuador. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Elliot)

Current from Voice of the Martrs http://www.persecution.com/:

Farshid Fathi was arrested on Dec. 26, 2010 in a wave of arrests of believers in Tehran and other areas. Of the 22 believers arrested by security forces in Tehran, 10 were released after intense questioning and after they signed agreements to refrain from Christian activities. Eleven others were also later released. By the end of April, 2010, only Farshid remained in prison, though his family had paid an enormous bail sum. He spent nearly a year in solitary confinement.  According to Elam Ministries, Farshid is a shining beacon for Christ in Evin. Farshid is married to Leila, and has two children, Rosana and Bardia. Pray that they will be comforted during this time. Pray for steadfast endurance, deep Godly peace and for protection for Farshid in prison. Pray he will remain a shining light in prison and pray for his release. He has been held 712 days.

Alireza Seyyedian is a 37-year-old former Muslim who has been a Christian since 2006. Last year, security forces confiscated his computer during a raid on his apartment. Authorities then discovered video of Alireza’s baptism in Turkey on the computer. In December 2011 he was sentenced to six years in prison, for crimes against national security and propaganda against the regime. He was arrested and transported back to Tehran where he was imprisoned in Evin prison. According to one report, the conditions of this section of the prison are unsanitary, and each cell is overcrowded with around 30 political prisoners. Alireza has been held 268 days.

Eva Abdallah, 17, welcomed Christ into her life three years ago, though she grew up Muslim. After her conversion, her parents disowned her. Her father is a district Islamic leader. She lived with a Christian pastor until she was arrested. A group of radicals in her hometown of Bagamoyo on Tanzania’s coast sought to convince her to give up her new Christian faith. When she refused, they falsely accused her of urinating on a Quran, Islam’s holy book. Eva was arrested and put in prison. At her trial on July 23, the judge, who was allegedly bribed by the Islamic militants who accused her, sentenced Eva to two years imprisonment. A Voice Of the Martrs contact visited Eva in October. He wrote that he was greeted by two Christian female guards who are caring for Eva. They both promised to help keep her safe. She has been held 338 days.

For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. (Psalm 37:28)

Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints. (Psalm 116:15)

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord  and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.  They are like trees planted along a riverbank,  with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8