Oh to be Hot or Cold

" I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold not hot I will vomit you out of my mouth.

Revelations 3:15-16

These words have taken on a deeper more personal meaning to me, recently. I was standing in a gloriously hot shower after not having hot water for 2 days, I was praising the Lord for His blessing, which are new everyday. When it hit me , the beauty of hot or cold water.

When I am cold and or dirty,only a hot shower will do. A cleansing, warming, renewing hot shower. Hot tea, hot coffee, hot chocolate, there is a theme here , HOT!

On the flipside is the beauty of cold. On a hot summer day, a clear cool drink of water is what refreshesses. A dip in a cool pool of water is WONDERFUL. Iced Tea or a glass of ice cold lemonaide.

The Lord teaches me so many of the lessons He wants me to learn with illistrations. I just learn better that way. He tells me to Cold or Hot and then He lovingly shows me the beauty and glory of what he means in terms my feeble mind can understand. He shows me that not only does He want me Cold or Hot ans His word says, but He wants me to what He wants, WHEN He wants. Once again I am to trust Him to show me His will and to Obey.

Trust and Obey.

This sounds so simple, yet somehow it seems to be something I struggle with constantly. Do I trust Him? The answer is found in the question, Do I obey Him?

Lukewarm is neither refreshing of renewing. Many times I have dumped out lukewarm drinks. No one wants a lukewarm drink. The Lord says that if I am lukewarm, He will vomit me out of His mouth.

So today I pray to be Cold or Hot in His perfect time, and to follow the One Who loves me and chose me . I so desire to be His handmaiden and to follow my Lord and Master, wherever He may lead.

Merry Christmas!

I say Merry Christmas with a joy and awe I have never known before. I am so where I need to be at this time in my life. I am stuck in awe of the Awesomeness of God. For the first time in my life I have joy at this time of year. I know that sounds strange, but it is true, at age 48 I for the first time have joy.Growing up from about Oct 29,(mom's birthday- Valentines Day) our home was a virtual battle zone. Oh we looked good from the outside but inside was a totally different picture. As an adult it wasn't any better. December 12,(many years ago) my beloved went home to the Lord. Pain and suffering are the things I always associated with this time of year.
This year is so different, the Lord has put joy, real joy in my heart. I'm not talking giddy schoolgirl silly, that passes just as quickly as it comes, but joy. The kind that is with you all the time. It is there when you wake up and when you go to sleep, it is there when you are doing something for someone else or just washing dishes. This is the joy that passes all understanding and just leaves you in awe of God's righteousness and goodness. It is the joy that comes when you know you are loved ,loved by God who loves you because it pleases Him to do so.
I am in the best place I have ever been in in my life and I pray that I stay right here in the arms of THE ONE Who truly loves me.

Warmth

As I sit here in my nice warm home, I am so very grateful. This time last night was such a different story. We returned home last night, after a glorious day spent in worship and fellowship with the Lord and the Lord's children, ( I love the Lord's day), anxious to get in out of the cold. The outside temp was -19, imagine our surprise when it was as cold inside as it was outside. The pilot light on the furnace had gone out sometime during the day. We tried to light the pilot light, this was not to be. Okay now what? For the first time I am so grateful I am a renter and not a home owner. I called after hours maintenance. If I owned that would mean a service call after hours fee, +. after I woke the poor guy up and made him come into the cold and my cold home, he tried to light the pilot light. Not happening for him either. A switch had gone out, he had the part in his truck, he had to work on it and change it in the cold with no way to warm his hands, I felt bad for him , but not bad enough to send him to his nice warm home, until he had fixed my furnace. ;-) Finally, after about an hour and a half, the pilot light was lit. So Kev and I grabbed all the blankets and comforters, and brought them to the living room, turned on the Christmas lights, put in the Christmas cd's we have, put the fireplace tape and made some hot coffee. We sat bundled up with our poor half frozen kitty and thanked the Lord for shelter, food and the coming warmth. At about 4 in the morning my dear son and I were able to take off our gloves and coats, but we stayed snuggled under every blanket and comforter we owned. By 8:30 the house was starting to feel closer to normal,we are experiencing one of the coldest Arctic fronts we have experienced in years.
As I sit here writing this I can laugh, yet at the same time I am sobered to think, I am so very blessed. Not for one moment did I doubt we would have heat,we always had shelter for the winds and blowing snow and we had food. We had an electric microwave and a gas stove and oven and we could cook and prepare something hot. We had hope. TO my thoughts and heart came all those out there without any of these luxuries. How truly blessed we are. Just a few short hours earlier Sunday evening we had been with other Christians, preparing letters and constructing little parachutes for the persecuted saints in other countries. So safe and warm and well fed. In my selfish sinful mind, I was thinking with pride, what a good thing I am doing. I was not really thinking about their sacrifices. Cut off my comforts and it is amazing just how quickly, I am humbled. I thank the Almighty Lord for humbling me, I also thank Him for heat. I still don't have hot water, But I can tell you , I am sure thankful for it. Tomorrow maintenance will be out to thaw pipes, and then I will be able to enjoy the joys of a nice hot shower again. The trial of the last 24 hours seem so minuscule in retrospect, when I really stop and think on the saints and their trials and persecutions. I thank the Lord for the one cold uncomfortable night we spent last night, and I thank Him that it was only one night.Once again I see I really am Loved beyond measure. And I am so sorry I have taken my blessings for granted.

Hannah's Prayer

My heart is overwhelmed at the awesomeness of God and I believe that I truly now can share in the joy and wonder of Hannah as she prayed in I Samuel 2:1-10
And Hannah prayed and said, My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you;there is no rock like our God.
Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth;for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by Him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength.
those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.
The Lord kills and brings to life; He brings down the Sheol and raises up.
The Lord make poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ashe heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's and on them he has set the world.
He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked will be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail.
The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven.The Lord will judge to the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the power of his anointed.
I have and am seeing the Glory of the Lord at work. This past year He has taken us through the dark valleys and to the sun filled meadows. He is God and we are not. False accusations and trials have besieged us , yet God is still God and He chooses when and how He will be exalted. I have seen my son turn to the Lord and his heart soften, I have become more submissive to the will of the Lord and softer myself. He has brought us closer to each other and closer to Him.He has been steady and consistent. I have seen unbelievable obstacles and I am seeing God's hand on them all. the best I could dare hope for is not even close to the best God is providing. He is shining the light of truth in the darkness of lies and deception as only He can. I have seen the power of prayer, break down high strong walls. I am seeing hard hearts soften. I am in awe of the Awesomeness of the Lord. My words are not sufficient so I must repeat and rely on the words of Hannah and David in
Psalm 113
Praise the Lord! Praise , O servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the name of the Lord from this time forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting. The name of the Lord is to be praised!
The Lord is high above all nations and his glory is in the heavens!
Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high,
who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.
to make them sit with princes, and the prices of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.
PRAISE the LORD!
All I can say is that the Lord is still at work, the trial is not over yet, but I know that is at hand in God's perfect time. Please continue to pray and to praise Him.
Humbly,