To Be…A Remnant

June 21
These three little diamonds are a remnant of a diamond bracelet that belonged to my mother.  I took the bracelet to be resized to fit my wrist and this part had been clipped off and put aside in a small envelop.  To me they were precious and I thought could have great purpose, so I asked the jeweler to make them into a necklace. I wear the necklace much more often than the bracelet.

While studying Romans this year it was exciting and inspiring to recognize how God purposely has chosen a remnant of people over the years for his purpose.
"So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace."  Romans 11:5

Just as God can do a lot with a faith the size of a mustard seed, He can do a whole lot with a remnant of His faithful believers!  So we must never, never, never give up!

"And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,  that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord.." Acts 15:15-17

To Be...Fearful

Summer wild flowers remind me of God's majesty!

June 20
One thing leads to another. I was up enjoying some middle of the night time with the Lord in the silence of his sanctuary.  My mind reflected back to the "A" actions suggested by Peter Lord (seen on the  June 12 entry).
"Appreciation, acceptance, approval, affection, attention, affirmation, and admiration."
The challenge had been to offer these actions to others, but then it hit me, as I was entering a time of worship, to offer those up to the Lord.
Appreciation-for the gift of life, of creation and the gift of salvation
Acceptance-of His Son, Jesus Christ
Approval-of God's sovereignty
Affection-for God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and my fellow man.
Attention-to what the Holy Spirit is doing in my life
Affirmation-of my faith
Admiration for all God is!

That time of worship led me to ponder our charge to fear the Lord.

"Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him." Psalm 33:8

"But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose  hope is in his unfailing love."
Psalm 33:28

I thought about situations where we have a fear/reverence for someone.
A boss
Law enforcement
A DMV worker...:-)
A pilot, ship captain
A parent
A surgeon

People in authority over us tend to evoke fear/reverence/respect.  God is definitely an authority figure. He made the decision to create us and decides which breath is our last.  He keeps the earth on its axis and the sun shining.  In Him will I trust and pray to obey!

To Be...Passionate

These two are passionate about the outdoors and the Lord!

June 19

“Nothing pleases God more than when we ask for what He wants to give.  When we spend time with Him and allow His priorities, passions and purposes to motivate us, we will ask for the things that are closest to His Heart.”  Bruce Wilkinson

"As you seek to hear God's voice and discover His plan, rest in His sovereignty.  Relax in His omniscient, preordained plan and journey for your life. He's a good architect. He has sketched a design with detailed attention to the nuts and bolts of your existence.  Your individual interests and passions can be expressed within His purposes for you, as part of His purposes for you.  Sticking to the framework of what He has created will ensure an outcome that will be beyond anything you can fathom." Priscilla Shirer

Everything we have and experience is owned by God.  Offering all we have to the Lord is only possible because He already gave everything to us in the person of Jesus!

God alone can more in our hearts and prompt our spirits to bring what we have an an offering to Him.  Have you been sitting in church, at a retreat/conference or worshiping on the mountain top and felt that prompting. It's exhilarating! It's God!  

What stirs your heart and makes your affections passionate for the Lord?  For the church. 

"All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord." Exodus 35:21

To Be...Protected

Shaded and in a sun protective shirt.

First pontoon ride, bless his heart.

June 18

We are working on ways to keep this little one shaded from the sun.  All of us are covered in sun screen trying to stay protected.  Then when we hit the water, we are life jacketed!  Such effort to protect ourselves and to obey the law.

How do we apply spiritual protection?  Do we obey God's laws and recognize they are for our good?

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.  For he will rescue you from every trap and protect your from deadly disease.  He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection."   Psalm 91: 1-4

To Be...Behaving Properly

“Let us behave properly.”

Romans 13:13

June 16-17

Nuf Said

To Be...Purposeful

Seeking the Lord and his purpose with these women this summer!

June 15

Right in line with our prayers to know God’s purpose in our lives is this passage in Billy Graham’s book Nearing Home.

“My prayer is that you will sense God encouraging you to impact those around you, regardless of age.  Look for the Lord’s purpose in every circumstance and in every face or voice you encounter daily, for the time He has given you is not without purpose.  Prepare for each day by asking the Lord to open your eyes to what is going on around you.  You may feel lonely, but perhaps the Lord will use your smile to draw someone else close to you.  You may experience pain, but the Lord may use your resolve to strengthen another who doesn’t have he will to go on.  We can reject the opportunity to be used of God, or we can seize opportunities to impact others as a testimony to Him.”  Billy Graham

Thank You Lord for the ability to record wisdom and pass it along!

To Be...Nearing Home

This gorgeous photo is courtesy of my friend, Julie Phelps.

It's her farm!

June 14
I recently read Billy Graham's book, Nearing Home.  In this book Graham said, "I'm nearing home with triumphant expectations."  Can you say that today in regards to heaven?

He also said, "Growing old has been the biggest surprise of my life, the greatest triumph is yet to come; experiencing victory over death that will usher me into the eternal presence of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."

Three other quotes in the book worth contemplating were:

“Don’t resent growing old. Many are denied the privilege.” Unknown

Bumper Sticker..”Enjoy life…it has an expiration date.”

“The measure of a life is not in its duration, but in it’s donation.” Corrie Ten Boom

So let's enter today with jubilation! God is with us and He's up to good!  While the best is yet to come, there is purpose in today.  As we put our heads down tonight may we look back and see part of the day's purpose.  May we know there was importance in our prayers, our smiles, our words of good cheer!

“They shall still bear fruit in old age.  They shall be fresh and flourishing.” Psalm 92:14