godly risk?

risk (v): 1. to expose to danger or loss; hazard 2. to act in spite of the possibility of (injury or loss)

I'm contemplating how to take risks. I'm pretty practical. I'm not sure I take risks unless I feel somewhat secure about them--is that still considered a risk? I suppose it is still a risk, but I think it's acted out in faith of my my security in my own feeling/ability/experiences rather than my security in God. Hmm...

This was part of a friend's prayer for me recently which brought me to these thoughts:

"I'm asking that God would let your heart fill up with knowledge of His heart for you and that you would embrace the depth of His grace. I pray He'd move you to risk even more in days to come because your security is in Him and you still have breath. He is faithful."

When I read that, it makes me want to take risks that He moves me toward and not waste the life He has given me here to live on earth for Him. Like people like Corrie ten Boom! I sure don't feel like I'm in a place where I'm living to the fullest for Him. There is so much that works against that--the unseen battle, the battle that I forget is there half the time. When you're not aware a battle's going on, you're more likely to lose because you're not on your guard and you're obviously not fighting. It's one of those things that I have been very aware of, but somewhere got overwhelmed and weighed down and then numb to it and suddenly I'm on cruise control. Just getting by day to day. What got me there? Trying to do it on my own? Doesn't that equal pride? Maybe taking a risk [aka step of faith] will push me off the floor escalator. And somewhere in there some humility needs to be added into the mix.

Then there's the question...what's the risk that needs to be taken? Humble me Lord!

Another spurt of creativity

Before











After












The side didn't turn out right, so I just keep that part hidden! If ever 'antiquing' furniture, let the gravity-affected areas dry longer before applying the 2nd paint color! Lesson learned.

Excerpt from 'The Valley of Vision'

The Divine Will

O Lord,
I hang on thee; I see, believe, live, when thy will, not mine, is done;
I can plead nothing in myself in regard of any worthiness and grace, in regard of thy providence and promises, but only thy good pleasure.
If thy mercy make me poor and vile, blessed be thou!
Prayers arising from my needs are preparations for future mercies;
Help me to honour thee by believing before I feel, for great is the sin if I make feeling a cause of faith.
Show me what sins hide thee from me and eclipse thy love;
Help me to humble myself for past evils, to be resolved to walk with more care,
For if I do not walk holily before thee, how can I be assured of my salvation?
It is the meek and humble who are shown thy covenant, know thy will, are pardoned and healed, who by faith depend and rest upon grace, who are sanctified and quickened, who by evidence thy love.
Help me to pray in faith and so find thy will, by leaning hard on thy rich free mercy, by believing thou wilt give what thou hast promised;
Strengthen me to pray with the conviction that whatever I receive is thy gift, so that I may pray until prayer be granted;
Teach me to believe that all degrees of mercy arise from several degrees of prayer, that when faith is begun it is imperfect and must grow, as chapped ground opens wider and wider until rain comes.
So shall I wait thy will, pray for it to be done, and by thy grace become fully obedient.

[Reminds me of Psalm 143, which I read recently and was a blessing to me]

A New Friend

Hmm, something to write...
I met Maritza on Monday. I met her when she asked if I spoke Spanish while at a clothing thrift store. She wanted to know which colored tags were on discount that day. She was a black woman and spoke Spanish, so I had to ask where she was from. I wasn't surprised when she told me Cuba. We talked for about thirty minutes, a mix of Spanish and English. I found out she was a believer. Her immediate family is here, but the rest is still in her country. She is working to save money to bring them over as well. She feels like every Cuban needs to see the US and see what can be. I attempted to encourage her that although things for Cuba seem bleak and that change will take a long time, God is in control. He has a plan. That we can be thankful that in times of great difficulty hearts are more open to receive Him.
I will look for her again, as we both frequent this thrift store regularly :)

I'm sitting here at Thai Cottage, waiting for my to-go order. A Jewish couple just walked in wearing crisp, fully white outfits which is customary on Rosh Hashana. As I was making that connection, I was thinking about the fact that because of Christ, that is how we look to God. Crisp, white, pure. Thank You Lord for that visual reminder!
They wear that in belief that God will forgive them, and He will--He has, they need only believe in the Messiah who came to earth as a man and conquered sin/evil through a different means than was expected (by death on a cross and resurrection to life 3 days later). Isn't that how He works? His ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts.

I found an old journal entry (well, 7 months old...)

Feb 18, 2009

I'm standing here alone
Maybe not quite standing
Maybe not alone
My nature makes things foggy
Would You release me
Get me out of this pit
Break these chains
That I know so well
Deceptively desirable
Deceptively stronger
Honestly overwhelming
Easier to just ignore
Bringing joy to the deceiver
And shame to my Redeemer
This is not what I want
Cut my heart open
Pour the Light of Truth in
Clearing up all confusion
Making gray black or white
Rise up inside me
Shine forth with blinding light
Let not one miss
This testimony to who You are
My refuge
I will continually come
For when I am weak
You say that You are strong

Could it be possible that God allows times to be foggy so that we can enjoy the smaller picture and notice and appreciate things we otherwise would not...

Choose this day whom YOU will serve...I am choosing (and struggling at it) to serve the Lord and not my flesh aka satan. I am reminded of the unseen battle going on in the spiritual realm. I am unable in and of myself to fight against it, but thank You Lord that You in me gives me hope for glory!

Wake up!

Friday is trash day.

The trash can is put on the edge of the driveway.

This morning I backed into the trash can.

This was after throwing a bag of trash into it.

That bag of trash fell out.

Creatures of habit.

And sleepy in the early morning.

Let it be a reminder to...wake up!!

1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.

StaIN

I have a patient who gets stain on his teeth extremely easily. We're talking extrinsic stain (the kind that hasn't "soaked" into the tooth structure). It is always quite a job to clean his teeth, especially since the surfaces are not all smooth. He came in today and as I was cleaning his teeth, no matter how hard I tried or how many different utensils, pastes, techniques, etc I used, I could not get all the stain off. This is nothing new. I'm never able to get every speck of stain off. Each time he comes in I have hope that something new I try will work. Alas, it hasn't. Today being failed attempt number 10? It makes me frustrated, I get a little angry at myself, at the patient (who can't help it). Today was different though. Not the anger part, but there was a hidden lesson in there just for me. God showed me that no matter how hard I try, I can't be perfect. My life is like his teeth. There are many rough surfaces that attract sin. I can try everything to get the sin off, to smooth the surfaces so that it is harder for sin to stick, but I will always fail to be completely clean. The same goes for "fixing" other people. Only He sees all the hidden nooks and crannies of who we are and where sin hides. He is the only One who can make us completely clean. If we try, it will only lead to anger and frustration at our failed attempts. We MUST trust Him to do it. The good news: He will do it. He has done it. Sin may be there, but it is NOT master over us as Christians-- our emotions, our future, our actions, nothing! Christ has died once and for all to cleanse us of all sin, clothe us in righteousness, and give us hope for an eternal home with Him in heaven.

Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us"
1 Peter 2:24 "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."
Rev 3:20 "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."
Romans 10:13 "For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Romans 6:11-14 says to Christians, "Consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies so that you obey its lusts and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you for you are not under law but under grace."

Here I Am

I've taken a break, but after being encouraged to continue, here I am. As an update, my Muslim friend DID accept Christ about 5 months after my last post on here (July 31, 2007)! He had a vision like we were praying for and there were also other things that happened to confirm it in his heart. The Lord hears and answers, be encouraged!

I hope to continue writing about what the Lord is doing in and through me so that we can look back and remember His faithfulness. He is good. Let that be our theme.

On another note...

I felt crafty today, so I went to Joanne's and Hobby Lobby and picked up some fabric and ribbon. I made these taggie blankets to give as gifts. 5 people who are very dear to me are pregnant right now which is why I was motivated to make these adorable blankets! My niece Emily has one and LOVES it...it's called her "snugglie."