Go To The Next Pitch

For several years, my son was a baseball coach. During that time, I attended many games - both as mother of the coach and grandma of the (world's greatest) second baseman. One of the cliches I heard the coaches use so often was "just go to the next pitch." Which meant, do not let your mistake slow you down, move on with the game and do what you know to do. I thought that was good advice for a sporting event but today I found a spiritual application for it.

Psalms 23 talks about when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

Isaiah 43:2 says, "when you pass through the waters I will be with you. And through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

Isaiah 43:16  "Thus says the Lord, who makes a way through the seas and a path through the mighty waters."

Are you seeing what I see? The key word is through.

God fights our battles as we keep walking.

In Isa 43:8 it says, "Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past."

Keep moving forward. God is with you. He will help you.

Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you always. Even to the end of the earth."

That's all I got - sorry it isn't more eloquently written. But, the point is, God never intended for us to settle down in one season. He wants us to always keep moving.  Life is painful, sometimes even debilitating. We have good times and times that are not so good and God is with us every step of the way.

Sometimes moving forward is like walking through wet cement. It sticks to our feet and pulls us downward as we squish our way along. There are days when we really want to crawl back in bed and cover our head -- some days I do -- but there is the still small voice which says, "this is the way, walk ye in it."

And so we walk.... walk...  the next pitch is waiting for you.

Love y'all!

The Portal

So, yesterday, I passed through that "Old Age Portal," called 70. It was stressful, intimating and wonderful, all at the same time. But, this morning, I really cannot remember too much about it, so glass half full, right? Lately, people aren't saying, "You are NOT old." Instead, I hear more of  "You look good for your age." What does that even mean?

True, in the last decade, I have experienced a slight decline in my physical being which moves a little slower - perhaps because it has more to carry these days. I have also noticed that  my mental clarity seems to float in and out at will. But, that's another post for another day. Today I am pondering on this large opening over my head. It loomed in the distance for a while and frankly I was a bit surprised to find it right on top of me.

Since the name of my blog is Seasons and Memories, I think it is appropriate before I pass through, to take a moment and look back over the seasons and recall some of the memories of my first seven decades on this earth. Standing here in the portal door, I can turn and look back and see the terrain of my life. Mountains and valleys are interspersed with deserts and fields of golden grain. There are highways where life zooms by in a blur, and soft green meadows where the days laze by softly. Torrential rains and gentle showers combine with hurricane winds and delicate breezes. The turns and curves are obvious, also the dead ends. I notice barriers that are broken and road blocks torn down by my speeding car, but also winding roads where slight slopes were taken with grace.

Life has taught me lessons and shown me things I never dreamed possible. Some I received with an open heart, some I wished had been torched and thrown out before I ever saw them. But, that is the thing with life, we rarely get to choose what we experience. There have been times of almost poverty and times of over abundance of money. Personally, I prefer the latter, but the truth is, I was just as well provided for in both extremes.

There were times of heaviness and loneliness that I thought would be my undoing. Times when I wanted to close the garage door, crank the car and forget it all. But, those times did not last. Before I plummeted into a place of complete hopelessness, God always pulled me out, wrapped his big arms around me, set my feet and mind straight and started me on the right path again.

And, of course, there were times of such happiness that I thought my heart would burst right out of my chest. There were parents who loved and protected me, marriages - yep, plural - children, grandchildren, cousins by the dozens and friends too many to count.  I have been loved. Some folks would even say I have been spoiled, but that doesn't bother me. I kinda like being spoiled.

There has been pain, both emotional and physical. There has been healing and restoration. There has been salvation, rescuing and relationship. You know, as I write this and think back, I do not want to change one thing that happened. Even the sadness, the want and the rejection had a place in creating the person I am today. "Thank you, God, for everything you have done, everything you have been to me and everything you have in store for the next decade."

Several years back our cousin, Troy Miller, was pastor of the Church of God in Wildwood, FL. We visited whenever we were in town because God normally showed up and also because he was an awesome preacher. There was a lady who sang a song that has stuck with me through the years. No, I can't remember the name of the song. I am seventy, remember? But the lines went something like,

Hasn't He always come through for you?  You may not know how, you may not know when, but He'll do it again.

I have no idea where she is today, and I am also certain she had no clue how many times that song helped my heart. (I hope I told her) Being reminded of His track record and His commitment to keep on doing the same thing, warmed my heart and set my feet to dancing.

Today I have things that are hurting my heart. Personal burdens that threaten to take me under, but I know that I know, He has always come through for me and He will do it again. I also have great joy and happiness in some areas. I am still loved - imagine that??? I am covered, protected and provided for - even in the midst of the storms that hover. And so, I walk in a place of contentment, peaceful with where I am in life and yet expectant. Seventy is going to be an awesome year of revelation and understanding, a time of learning and growing in Him. Why? Because He'll do it again!

Thank you all for loving me - I love you back. And who knows, perhaps we will get to dance together in the wildflowers this year?

BAM! There He Is!

As usual, I am writing this more to myself than anyone else, but I hope you will join in and read along with me. We all know the principle of praising and worshiping the Lord during rough times. We have been taught and know it is important to God. We also know it can be difficult to say the least, and at times almost impossible, to lift up a sincere praise when our world is falling apart. I have experienced some dark times over the years and have found this principle to be true, but I have never tied it to the scripture in Genesis 22:14.

So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. (NIV)

BAM! There it is. Abraham had taken his son up to the mountain in an act of obedience and worship. He was in the act of sacrificing his son when the Lord stopped him. Yes. But also, in that moment of supreme surrender, the Lord provided.

Over in the thicket was a Lamb - on the mountain top of worship and surrender, Abraham found the Lamb. He named that place Jehovah-jireh which means 'the Lord my provider.' OK - is anyone else as excited as I am right now?

Psalms 34:7 (Amplified Bible) 7 [a]The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe] and each of them He delivers.

Want deliverance - for yourself or for someone else? Want provision in the middle of your pain? Want an answer that only the Lamb can bring? Worship Him. Not out of a selfish desire to have your way, but out of a heart that is in love with the Lamb. Worship Him and Him alone. Surrender your will and your way to His perfect will. Come up high on the mountain top of worship and lay it all down. It is there, in that place of true worship that the Lamb will not only appear but He will be your answer.

John 4:24 God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. When we worship in truth, all thoughts of ourselves are laid aside. Only the object of our worship is important.

Trust me, I understand it is not an easy walk up that mountain. You and I have both walked it at times. We all know the path is steep and rugged. For Abraham it was a three day trip just to reach the top. For me it has often been longer than that, but when we reach the top it is all worth it. There in the thicket we find the Lamb.

So, those are my Saturday morning thoughts as I look forward to Mother's day weekend. As moms and dads we understand the pain Abraham must have felt when God asked him to sacrifice his son. But, as children of God we understand the Lord's heart and the fact that He was truly working all things together for Abraham's good. He is the same today. His love for us is unconditional and never changes, but when we obey and worship we see his hand at work in mighty ways.

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Our Mighty Warrior

The Lord has surrounded us with his holy angels to keep and protect and watch over us. At times, in heavy battle He will even send Micheal, the Warrior Angel to fight for his child.

I believe, though, there are times when we cry unto the Lord over a battle so heavy and so long that Jesus Christ Himself will show up as the God of angel armies and do it Himself! He is "The" Warrior!

II Sam. 22:8 "Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth."

I love this verse. It gives me a mental picture of Jesus angry over something the enemy is attempting to bring on one of his children. A little like the mama bear that comes out when someone messes with my child - or yours. Only bigger....much, much, bigger and infinitely stronger. 

Verse 10 - 11 "He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind."

There have only been a few times in my life that I sensed this type of anger from the Lord. It has never been against me or any of his children, but  I believe the enemy sometimes crosses a line where Jesus comes down and takes care of business. And no one ... ever ... anywhere ... can stand against Him. He is the God of angel armies! 

Verse 18: "He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me."

There is no one like Him and there is no one that can stand against Him. There is no battle He can't win and no foe too great. He is our Mighty Warrior! He knows how to deliver those who are His and no one can snatch them out of his hand. 

Sing unto the Lord a new song, for He has come to deliver!

Fried Cornbread & Jesus

My husband has long been convinced that fried cornbread is spiritual. He read something in the Old Testament about using the finest meal to fry cakes in a pan. That is all it took to satisfy him that God actually likes fried cornbread. Because I am of course a loving, submissive wife, I agree and eat it with him.  It’s my job you know.

In Hosea 7:8, the Lord calls Ephraim a cake not turned. Spurgeon compares this to a Christian who is mature and sanctified in some areas of their lives but still raw in others. Since I have cooked a few skillets of fried cornbread over the years, I understand what it means to leave one side down in the oil too long. The bottom gets black and the top is still gooey. So, does this mean that when we refuse to allow the Lord to turn us towards his Holy Fire we are showing our gooey side to the world? And even worse, one side of us is so drenched with religion we become burned and distasteful?

God works in each of our lives teaching, healing past wounds and bringing revelation about different aspects of His nature while changing different aspects of our nature. It is important for Him to work maturity, character and integrity into our being if He is going to be able to use us as He desires. And so comes the cooking.  (I am laughing as I type this – what a horrible way to describe God’s faithfulness and sanctification….but we are going with Hosea here.)

I believe the Lord allows (ordains?) circumstances in our lives that will turn our gooey side to His holy flame so He can ‘cook’ that part of our person. Could it be that perhaps there are times when God steps back and allows this life to bring situations to us that He can use to cook our goo?

Thinking back on my own past, I can remember times when life threw me a curve and turned me in a direction that caused me to scream like the little girl I am.  Let’s face it, no one likes the fire. When I hear someone say they just love the fire of God, I wonder if they have really experienced the fire of God. Don’t get me wrong, I love and cherish the results of His fire, but walking through it … nope, not an enjoyable thing for me. However, once the Lord has proven Himself to me in that area, the next trial doesn't scare me … at least not so much.

Fortunately, when God allows life to flip our gooey side down, He walks with us through the trial. The truth that it is His fire means that He is in it with us. (deep sigh here)

We are individual and unique before God. Because of that He works on a special timetable for each of us, according to His purposes and our ability to trust Him. No matter the situation, I believe he will use it to draw us closer to Him. It will increase our faith and give us deeper revelation of His person. Whatever the problem, whether its pain, sorrow, loss, grief  –  if we can bring ourselves to embrace it and trust God through it, we will be not only healed but made stronger in Him.  

Isiah 45:3 is one of my favorite verses. There are treasures in the darkness and the greatest treasure is Him.  Even in the fire of His holiness we stand complete in Him and come out of that season leaning on Him and moving forward in maturity and love. The greatest sorrows of this life will work together for our good if we love Him and are called according to His purposes. God promises that.

Turn me Lord and make sure I am fully cooked. 

God's Economy - Treasures of the Darkness

Surrender. Just the sound of the word conjures up an unhappy feeling. It involves a white flag, an admittance of failure. The most common picture is of one general facing another either on a battlefield or in a meeting room, surrounded by the enemy and laying his sword down in shame. His surrender puts him under the other's authority. Any way you look at it, surrender is an ugly thing. It is painful, embarrassing and leaves me feeling empty inside.

And yet, that is exactly what Jesus did when he allowed them to nail Him to the cross. He surrendered to people that he could easily have annihilated. His surrender bought peace for you and for me. That is the amazingly good news. The rest of the story is not always so amazing. That's the part when He asks us to do the same. To follow his lead in surrender is painful, often embarrassing and just plain scary.

This past week, the Lord brought me to a place of surrender in an area very close to my heart. It was painful and frightening. I resisted for quite a while. I 'discussed' it, argued with the Lord, made my claim to rights - all very legit claims in the natural. But the time came when the Lord brought me to that still small voice that asked if I really wanted to hold onto what I was claiming rights to. If so, He would let me keep it and that wold be the end of the trial. No more bartering, no more whining, He would still love me and I could keep it.

About the time I drew a deep breath and started to relax, He mentioned that if I would surrender and trust Him, the peace coming out of the surrender would be so much more wonderful.  Of course when He put it like that, there really wasn't a decision. I wanted His peace more than anything.

I'm sorry I cannot go into detail, but I can tell you this - the freedom that came out of surrender has been amazing. In surrendering something I thought was so important to me, I found deliverance in an area I had prayed about for years. The two were not connected in any way, except in obedience and surrender. God's economy continues to mystify me. He alone is God.

So, my friends, surrender can be a wonderful thing. In many ways, the word has been given a bad rep. There is freedom and peace in surrender ... when the Lord brings it about.

Jesus answered, "It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Mat 4:4

Pursue!

Pursue: you shall recover all.

Pursue: to follow in order to overtake, capture, kill, etc.;

David had just returned to Ziklag to find the village burned and every woman and child taken captive, including his two wives. He inquired of the Lord whether he should go after them. God's answer was:

Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.  I Sam. 30:8(b)

David pursued and recovered everything, just as the Lord had spoken. Sometimes in our lives it is necessary to pursue, to fight, to overtake, to recover what has been taken from us. It is wrong to fight when we are told to hold our peace, it is also wrong to sit calmly when the Lord instructs us to pursue. We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but we do wrestle.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:12

Today I am battling an enemy - perhaps you are as well. Let's join forces and overcome in the power of the Spirit and the Blood of the Lamb. He that dwells in us is greater than he that is in the world. Come, Holy Spirit and teach us wrestle and when we've done all we can, help us to stand in the power of your name and your authority. Let your presence rule and reign in every area of our lives.

In my limited experience, I have seen that God never sends us into a battle unless He has prepared a way for victory. His love and grace constantly cover us, even when it appears we are drowning - still, He is there. Look up and see Him standing calmly, in complete control over His children.

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Co. 1:20