Obedience...

I have been thinking a lot lately about our sin nature and how our obedience or disobedience to the Lord impacts not just our lives and the lives around us, but it also impacts the world. What? You don't think so...

A couple of years back I read a book on the life of Francis & Edith Schaeffer. "The Schaeffers intended to obey God always, but that did not make the decision to go to Europe easy. In 1948, on the last Sunday Francis Schaeffer preached as the pastor of the Bible Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Edith Schaeffer prayed and wept over his decision to leave the pastorate and become a missionary overseas." Edith struggled and didn't feel called to go to Europe. Her husband on the other hand felt the Lord leading them to there. In the end Edith went only because she was called to be her husband's helpmate. Think about the lives they touched while they were in Europe. Those lives would have never been touched without Francis and Edith Schaeffer's obedience to follow the Lord at all costs.

On 8/22/98, I was in Vermont with some strong Christian friends while reading the biography of the Schaeffer's. We were up late one night, and I shared with my friend Blake the struggle Edith had to follow her husband to Europe. Blake was surprised and told me the Schaeffer's impact on his family's life. The home we were stayed at in Vermont and the group of people that were gathered were a direct result of Fran & Edith's obedience to God. Blake's mother was saved in Switzerland under the Schaeffers home bible studies. As a result, Mrs Silver shared her desire of in-depth bible study with her son. Later in life, Blake started the YAF fellowship/Bible study that I attended. Blake was saved as a result of Edith's obedience and hundreds of lives were changed thru YAF as a result of Blake's teaching - lives Edith never met...

Let me guess... you are thinking "but God could use someone in my place." Hmmm, that may be true but think about it in the opposite light. Our sin does not just impact ourselves but impacts our family and friends and believe it or not impacts lives we may never even meet or even think it would impact. God even says in His word that our obedience and disobedience effects our generations to come.

People make real choices, and these choices make a real difference in history. We each write our own autobiography by the choices we make and the things we do. A Christian life it is not about being happy, but it is about being faithful, loyal and true to the Lord. We need to obey Christ in everything, from a real heartfelt love for Him. Obedience to Christ will cease to be a burden and becomes a joy when one's life is surrender to Christ.

Just food for thought...

E-mail from Living Proof - Beth Moore!

I won't go into too much detail but a few weeks back I went to a New England Nights Conference by Beth Moore with my bible study, and I received a direct message from the Lord. Just a moment before, I asked the Lord for a direct answer in regard to something in my life. Even before I finished my prayer Beth stopped her sermon and said "I feel the need to say something. This is totally off the subject, but I feel someone needs to hear this from the Lord." She proceeded to share something that was a direct answer to my prayer. All my "gals" knew what was going on and gasped realizing Beth was speaking directly to me. It was a powerful moment!

The following day I wrote a note on Living Proof's website not thinking I would get a response back but guess what... I did!!!! Here is just a piece of what I got back. I believe most of the e-mail is a 'set' response except for the following.

"Thank you so much for the overwhelming encouragement and support you sent to Beth in your email. Your kind words of testimony uplift and strengthen Beth in her work, and she appreciates it so much. We pray you continue to hear the voice of God as you joyfully serve Him. God knew in advance the kinds of needs that people would share with us, and graciously equipped this ministry with a fervent circle of prayer warriors. Beth wants you to know that you have been passionately prayed for by this ministry. We pray that God will continually show you the visible prints of His invisible hands as He cares for you and yours. He is faithful and He loves you with an unfailing love. (Isaiah 54:10) Continue to seek Him in His Word. May He lavish you with His love as you pursue Him."

UPDATING THIS POST

Time has passed and now I feel free to share the details of that night.  

An audience with the King… It was October 2008, and I went to a New England Nights Conference by Beth Moore with the ladies from my bible study. On the drive up to the conference, I told the ladies I was struggling because I felt like I was supposed to end a relationship I was in but didn’t know if I could honestly do it. He was a good man... but I felt the Lord say he wasn’t right for me. Honestly, I didn’t think I could walk away… I was 40 yrs old. Walking away would mean walking away from a lifelong dream of being married and having a family. I was honest with my friends and said I really didn’t think I could do it, so I verbally asked the Lord for clarity. Halfway through the night, Beth stopped her sermon and paced the platform for a few minutes. Hesitantly she said "I feel the need to say something. This is totally off the subject, but I feel someone needs to hear this from the Lord.” She paused and paced the stage again for what seemed like forever. I leaned forward in my seat ready to listen. She then said, “I am not talking to you married women or women with children... (paused and paced some more) and the said, “Someone here needs to know you can live without him." I gasped! Instantly all my friends gasped out loud.  They started to say, "You're talking to her!  You're talking to her!" pointing to me. We all realizing God was using Beth to speak directly to me. It was a crazy, very powerful moment in my life! As we stood up to worship, I said to my friend, "I don't know that I can do it."  Before I completed the sentence, I felt a burning sensation on my back.  I lifted my shirt and saw a red rash like stripe - I had shingles.   Needless to say, the very next day I obeyed the Lord and ended the relationship. Boy am I thankful I did! Far more importantly, I am thankful I never fail to get an “audience with the King.”  When you ask the Lord, please be ready for His response AND obey Him immediately.

Autum

Nothing Gold Can Stay
Robert Frost (1923)

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

http://gigglesgiggling.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html

What God says about pride & humility... Part 1

What God says about pride…

The way we respond when we are confronted with our sin reveals the condition of our heart.

“If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud… If you think you’re not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed!” C.S. Lewis

Proud people…
- Focus on the failures of others
- Have a critical, fault-finding spirit (makes fun of others weaknesses)
- Look at other’s faults with a microscope but their own with a telescope
- Are self-righteous
- Are independent, self sufficient spirit
- Have to prove they are right
- Claim rights, have a demanding spirit
- Are self-protective of their time, their rights, their reputation, (and their needs)
- Desire to be served – desire to come first
- Desire to make a name for themselves
- Desire self-advancement
- Have a drive to be recognized & appreciated
- Are wounded when others are promoted
- Feels confident in how much they know
- Are quick to blame others
- Are unapproachable or defensive
- Find it difficult to share their needs (spiritual and physical)
- Wants to make sure no one finds out when they have sinned
- Have a hard time saying they were wrong
- Tend to deal in generalities when confessing sin
- Are concerned about the consequences of their sin
- Are remorseful over their sins only after they have been caught
- Wait for others to come and resolve a conflict
- Are blind to their true heart condition
- Don’t think they have anything to repent
- Often thinks someone else needs to hear the sermon rather than themselves
(Taken from Seeking Him Study)

Proverbs 16: 18 – 19 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
Proverbs 28:25 “He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered.”
Hab 2:4 “"Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.”
Psalm 10:4 “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”
Proverb 8:14 “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.”
Proverb 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
Proverb 29:23 “A man's pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.”
James 4:6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

What God says about pride & humility... Part 2

What God says about humility…

“Humility is a virtue more often praised than sought.”

“They that know God will be humble; they that know themselves cannot be proud.” John Flavel

“I am persuaded that love and humility are the highest attainments in the school of Christ and the brightest evidences that He is indeed our Master.” John Newton

“Humility is the displacement of self and the enthronement of Christ. Humiltiy means Christ is all and self is nothing.” T.A. Hegre

Humble people…
- Are overwhelmed with a sense of their own spiritual need
- Are compassionate; can forgive much because they know how much they have been forgiven
- Esteem others better than themselves
- Have a dependent spirit; recognize their need for others
- Are not argumentative
- Yield their rights; have a meek spirit
- Are self-denying – put others needs before their own
- Are motivated to serve others
- Are motivated to be faithful and make others a success
- Have a sense of their own unworthiness; are thrilled that God would use them at all
- Are humbled by how much they have to learn
- Are not concerned with self at all
- Are willing to risk getting close to others and to take risks of loving intimately
- Accept personal responsibility and can see where they are wrong in a situation
- Receive criticism with a humble, open spirit
- Are concerned with being real; what matters to them is not what others think but what God knows – are willing to risk their reputation
- Are willing to be open and transparent
- Once broken, don’t care who knows or who will find out – are willing to be exposed because they have nothing to lose
- Are quick to admit failure and seek forgiveness
- Are able to acknowledge specifics when confessing their sin
- Take the initiative to be reconciled when there is a misunderstanding or a conflict in relationships, no matter how wrong the other may have been
- Compare themselves to the holiness of God and feel desperate need for His mercy
- Walk in the light of truth
(Taken from Seeking Him Study)

“For everone who exalts himself will be humbled and he would humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11

“Do nothing from selfishness (contentiousness) or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in (among) yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped (utilized/asserted), but emptied (laid aside His privileges) Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on (of) a cross.” Phil 2:3-8

Cheri Fuller & Focus on the Family

I am going to be printed in a book published by

Focus on the Family!!!

Don’t believe me… Here is the proof! The contract with Focus on the family.

The tentative title of the book is “Connect With Your Grandkids:

Fun Ways to Bridge the Miles” by Cheri Fuller.

The release date is scheduled for March, 2009.

I shared two stories with Cheri - one on my parents and

the other was one on my grandmother.

Pretty cool!

Update: The printed quotes are below.

Don’t worry Marie – you are still by favorite author

and one of my dearest friends!
Check Marie’s website at http://www.mariebostwick.com/

She has mentioned me in some of her books and blog too!

My Trip to Ireland

Since Donna took me and my friends to Maui for my 40th - I took Donna to Ireland. It was Donna's first time out of the country! I have to say that it wasn't as much fun as Maui (it was a business trip for me) and the weather wasn't as nice (rained every day), we still had a great time together! Enjoy the photos!

We landed in Dublin on Wednesday and took the train down to Cork.

Donna after only 2 hours of sleep! Here is Donna's first experience abroad... After having the ticket agent, train conductor and two ticket master all look at our tickets and say "Are you sure you want to get off there? No one gets off at that stop." I called the hotel 4 times asking were our taxi was - we stood in the rain for at least 5o min. Not fun when you are dropped off in the middle of no where with no one in sight for miles... She was a trooper!

We stayed at the Sheraton on Fota Island outside of Cork. It was beautiful! This was the view from our window.



Once we checked into the hotel, we took a taxi to the Blarney Castle - Donna kissed the Blarney stone but it was raining so they were hurring us thru the process - everything happen so quickly I didn't get a photo and of course we had to have fish and chips!

On Thursday I had to work but had about 2 hours off in the afternoon before my customer dinner so Donna and I took a taxi to Cobh. Cobh was the last stop the Titanic made before it went down and it is also the town were the Irish left for America during the famine.

On Friday night, we had a sales dinner at a Castle - it was amazing!

On Saturday we were scheduled to take a train back to Dublin but the train had derailed that morning so instead we took a tour of Cork and then got a bus back North. It ended up being a great way to see the country side.

On to Dublin...

The Doors of Dublin...

Trinity College

We stayed the the Westin Dublin and this was our view - HONESTLY!!!!