Word-Filled Wednesday ~#155~ Treasure

"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." ~John 21:25

I am a pushover for a good book. Oh, my goodness, how I can get sucked right into a captivating plot line or even researching something that I am passionate about.

It's hard to put the book down when your main character is accused of a wrong that they didn't do and are coming perilously close to being caught by the bad guys . . . 

Or a courtship or a suitor pursuing his love . . . 

Or some sort of miraculous escape from what looked like certain death . . . 

Or the return of the Hero to save the day!

Do you realize that ALL of that happens in the Bible?

The Bible is NOT some somber book. It's not just FULL of knowledge and truth, but it's FULL of adventure . . . and they are ALL TRUE!

Proverbs is a book of wisdom and godly knowledge.

Are you excited by stories of adventure?  Read about Moses and the Children of Israel and their dealings with Pharaoh. How God confounded Pharaoh and miraculously saved the Israelites. (~Exodus 2-14)

Do you think that there is no romance in the Bible? You obviously have never read the Song of Solomon. Not only is this a love story of a human level, but it parallels God's great wooing and love for us ~ The Bride of Christ. 

Do great escapes and miraculous interventions pique your interest? Be sure to read about how an angel of the Lord miraculously rescued Peter from prison. (~Acts 12:1-19)

And there's nothing like the return of a long-awaited defeat of a great enemy with the return of a great King to His kingdom. If that is what you are looking for, then be sure to read the last 4 chapters of Revelation. The ULTIMATE Return of the King! (~Rev. 18-22)

But the very best part of all of these stories in the Bible is that THEY ARE ALL TRUE . . . OR WILL BE.

If you do not read your Bible regularly, or if you have never read it, try it. You have been given a great gift ~ a treasure ~ the Word of God ~ a Book written in your own language that tells you things that THE ONE TRUE GOD wants YOU to know. He will use this precious Book to help you to get to know Him, to draw you closer to Himself, to show you His love for you and the sacrifice He has made so that YOU may spend eternity with Him.

He loves you. You are His treasure. 

Don't believe me? Read it for yourself.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#154~ Precious in the Sight of the Lord

Precious in the sight of the LORD

is the death of His saints.

O LORD, truly I am your servant;

I am your servant, the son [daughter] of Your 

maidservant;

You have freed me from my

chains."

~Psalm 116:11

". . . All the days ordained for me 

were written in Your book

before one of them came to be."

~Psalm 139:16

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." ~Rev. 21:4 

It seems that the last couple of months has seen much loss and many setbacks for our loved ones . . . 

 Safely Home

Ron DiCianni

A few weeks ago, a long-time friend passed away from a rare lung cancer. She had never smoked and was very self-aware about her body. It was simply amazing how it all crept up on her. She was diagnosed on April 7th and passed on June 7th. Her family is still reeling from the swiftness of it all, although they find much comfort that she is with the Lord.

  ~ Terri ~
such a sweet soul

Last week, a very dear friend lost her earthly battle with breast cancer and is now dancing through heaven. Her 5 girls and our 2 girls grew up together in our local homeschool community and played on our homeschool volleyball team. How much fun I had serving with and enjoying this sweet soul over the years ~ the daughter of missionaries, she grew up all over the world, spoke 8 languages with no accent and I OFTEN told her that I could sit and talk with her for hours at a time. Truly, one of the most interesting and entertaining people I've ever met. I will miss her smile and chuckle as she would shake her head at me and say, "You're so funny" or "You're a nut." lol. 

Two nights ago, a dear aunt lost her husband as he came to the end of a long, courageous fight with cancer. Sadly, he is the 2nd husband that she has had to bury. 

A few months ago, another dear aunt lost one of our family's favorite uncles. She is strong and courageous and even though she will surely waves of heartbreak, she too is rejoicing that he wonderful husband is with the Lord.

And on July 7th, a dear great-nephew of ours was in an ATV accident while on vacation with his dad and uncle (our nephews), 2 of his brothers (one who plays football at West Point) and a couple of friends. While he was driving, the road gave out from under them and he, one of this brothers and their friends went over a cliff!!! This nephew was the only one seriously hurt, he broke his back and partially severed his spinal chord. He cannot feel his entire left leg or his right leg from the knee down. He was about to start his Freshman year playing football at a KY college. He is now in a spinal injury facility in GA. Please keep him in your prayers.

Yes, this is a fallen ol' world, BUT . . . GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE! And He has a reason for all of this and it will all work out for His glory. No matter what we go through, or whether ~ in our opinion ~ we lose loved ones to an "untimely death," all of our days are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. NONE of these things are a surprise to God. He IS good and He sustains us through it all. Unless the Lord comes back soon, none of us are getting out of this alive. Why are we so stunned when He takes us home? I suppose it's the price we pay for love.

So . . . as we are not promised tomorrow, love each other today, preach the gospel with your life and rejoice when heaven gains one of our loved ones. 

Someday, someone will be rejoicing at our homecoming, as well.

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~Phil. 1:21

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#153~ Men After God's Own Heart

"....The LORD has sought out a man after His own heart..." ~Samuel 13:14

These last few days, my prayers keep returning to those godly men ~ young dads, middle-aged dads, grandpas ~ who ARE STRIVING to actually BE godly men in this fallen world; even if they have to fight an ungodly system or culture to do it. So many obstacles in the way of our men.

MEN . . . 

PLEASE KNOW that we are praying for YOU. 

According to some of my seminary notes, the way it's worded in the Greek, the "great cloud of witnesses" standing and applauding you! So, your families are not only praying for you, but we are standing and applauding YOU along with that great cloud of witnesses! We are praying for YOUR endurance and for YOU to succeed with your family!

Ladies, let us love, respect and help our men.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#152~ God ~ Color Coordinator Extraordinaire

"And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth." ~Gen. 9:12-13

If you have read this Marmee's Pantry blog long enough, or maybe searched through some older entries, you may know that I modeled from the time I was 9 years old until I was 25 and was also a make-up artist for 17 years. So, even though I've technically been out of "the business" for years, I still love to play with new colors and now make some of my own make-up.

So, since the make-up and fashion world involves so much color, it's sometimes hard for me not to notice certain color combinations and how they just naturally go together . . . or . . . don't. :-/ lol

And if you will pay close attention, you will notice that God ~ as ALWAYS ~ is THE Color Coordinator Extraordinaire. His natural combinations are the ones that catch our eye and are often copied in color palettes. 

If you have seen The Devil Wears Prada, you've gotten a small, but true, glimpse at how self-important high fashion icons think that they are in world events. Amazing, but true. But these people, in their tight little high fashion worlds, do not realize that all they can do is merely imitate the Master Designer ~ God has already put all of those incredible fashion colors together . . .  

The bright and cheery yellow and black of bees and black-eyed Susans~

The striking red and black of a Scarlet Tanager~

The sweet, restful greens and pastels of Spring wildflowers~

The bold blacks and browns of a Bay horse~

The happy combination of a blue sky dotted with white clouds~

And who isn't made a little happier by a bouquet of white and yellow daisies?~

And even our favorite seasons have their own color pallets ~ the bold, crisp natural tartans of fall ~

And the merry reds and greens of winter and the Christmas season ~ 

And lest we forget, God's ultimate color palette, the rainbow ~ the source of every color imaginable encompassed as the sign of His great promise. (Gen. 9:12-13)

Oh, don't we think we're so smart?

God is so good to give us such beauty. Enjoy it.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#151~ Effective in Prayer

1)"O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, Who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying . . . 2) I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against You . . . 3) Remember the instruction You gave Your servant Moses . . . 'if you return to me and obey My commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My Name' . . . 4) O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering Your Name. Give Your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.' I was a cupbearer to the king." ~selected verses from Nehemiah 1:5-11 (*see below)

"This, then is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be Your Name,

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts,

as we also forgive our

debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil;

for Yours is the kingdom and the power

and the glory forever. Amen.

~Matthew 6:9-13 [Jesus speaking]

"He does not ask much of us, merely a thought of Him from time to time, a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, at other times to thank Him for the graces, past and present, He has bestowed on you, in the midst of your troubles to take solace in Him as often as you can. Lift up your heart to Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think." ~Brother Lawrence; The Practice of the Presence of God

Let me start off by saying that I DO NOT believe that there is some "magic" way to pray that will somehow make God into a genie who is compelled to answer our prayers. I'm not that ignorant, nor am I that bold. 

I have prayed very meaningful prayers that have been immediately answered, often-times not knowing what to pray for or what to say quickly enough. They usually go something like this:

"GOD, PLEASE HELP ME!" 

"LORD, PLEASE HELP THEM!"

Simple and direct. Both of these prayers are highly effective and I recommend them in times of emergency. :-)

However, we DO NOT have to expound the most eloquent, King James prayers. God just wants His children to pray ~ to talk to Him as often as possible. Like any parent, He loves us and wants to talk . . . and REALLY appreciates it when we listen.

But . . . God's Word, the Bible, does give us "models," if you will, of how we might pray from both Jesus and Nehemiah. For this devotion, however, we will look at Nehemiah's prayer.

1) PRAISE

It should be the most natural thing in the world for those of us who are born again Christians, to call upon the Name of the Lord and offer Him praise. Praise for how utterly, incomprehensively amazing and HOLY that He is. That THE ONE AND ONLY GOD should know who we are, should have sent His One and Only Son, Jesus, to shed His blood as a ransom and eternal payment for our sins. That the Creator of all knows and loves us. That every good thing we have ~ whether material or talents ~ has come from His loving hand. A world that is over-all beautiful, repeats it's seasons, day and night, plants that grow, animals to enjoy as pets and for work have ALL come from His hand. Health and the ability to work, it's ALL from Him. How can we NOT praise Him?

2) CONFESS OUR SINS

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." ~1 John 1:9

This "exercise" isn't for God, but for us. Just as in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, God asked Adam, "Where are you?" God most certainly knew where Adam and Eve were, He wanted THEM to know where THEY were: lost in their sin. 

As are we.

There are days when I feel like I sin in some way ~ whether in thought or deed ~ with every breath I take. I am, by nature of this fallen world, a sinful creature. But praise be to our wonderful God, that through His Son, Jesus Christ, we can have forgiveness in His Name. We have a way out.

3) REMIND GOD OF HIS PROMISES

Once again, this "exercise" isn't for God, but for us. God knows what He has promised us, could it be that He wants us to know and understand His promises? Repetition and remembrance helps us to be aware, thankful and remember what God has promised. WE are the ones who need to remember that when God makes a promise in His Word, that "He Who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion . . . " (Phil. 1:6)

4) BE SPECIFIC IN PRAYER

Nehemiah needed favor from the king and he asked God specifically for it. Elijah asked specifically for God to open his servant's eyes so that "he may see . . . the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." (2 Kings 6:17) Solomon realized his great need to wisely rule his people and humbly asked specifically for wisdom and discernment and it was given to him. (1 Kings 3:7-9) 

Make no doubt that God knows what we need before and even more completely than we do. I think He wants us to asked specifically so that WE will understand the depths of our requests.

And something else that strikes me about this passage of Scripture ~ "I was cupbearer to the king."

Nehemiah knew his humble estate both before God and before the king he was about to petition. When we go before our God, even though He is a Friend of sinners (Matt. 11:19), HE IS STILL GOD and not your Buddy, He deserves our reverence and humility. 

Once again, there is no "magic" formula when it comes to prayer ~ pray the way God has led you ~ but we do have some mighty impressive examples of how to pray more effectively.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#150~ Godly Women Let Men Be Godly Men

**WARNING** Very frank conversation below**

"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior . . . Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy . . . For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. ~Eph. 5:22, 25-26(a), 31

"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so the nothing will hinder your prayers." ~1 Peter 3:7

"A good part - and definitely the most fun part - of being a feminist is about frightening men." -Julie Burchill

The very first two customers through the door of the store Monday morning were a man and a woman. The man, a regular at the store ~ a friendly, polite, Christian man ~ stopped to open the door for the woman who was quickly coming up behind him toward the door. Once she got through the door, she very rudely commented about how she didn't need an man to open the door for her! This, as it often seems to go with the more militant women I have encountered, just set the pace for her shopping experience. When she comes to the store she is never happy, never kind and usually ends up chewing out an employee who is "simply there to help" her ~ as I told her that day, myself, after I got a tongue lashing by her. 

And I know I'm not alone in noticing how the last 40-50 years of "feminism" have nearly ruined man-woman and even many marital relationships. If "feminism" were simply about equal pay for an equal job, equality before the law, etc., that would be one thing, but it's NOT. It's leaders ADMITTEDLY condone the emasculating of men. And that deadly spirit also makes it's way into the church and into Christian marriages.

And in so doing, SOME (thankfully, not all) of our men begin to believe one of two things ~ and both are lies: 1) men being the head of the home, a woman's protector and covering under God, is a thing of the past or 2) "I'm going to MAKE my wife submit to me whether she wants to or not. She WILL do everything I demand of her!"

Both are lies and perversions of the truth.

The first is a lie ~ flat out ~ because Jesus Christ and God's Word "is the same yesterday, today and forever" and "will never pass away" or change (Hebrews 13:8, Matt. 24:35). Man, from the beginning, was made to be his woman's protector, her covering under God, shelter in life's storms, her confidant, her lover, her priest of the home, her trust, her heart's desire. 

The second is a lie ~ flat out ~ because BIBLICAL SUBMISSION is what a woman WANTS to do when men fulfill their godly role as being the man in the previous paragraph. Biblical submission IS NOT a master-slave relationship. Biblical submission IS a high honor for BOTH the man and the woman . . . 

BUT . . . 

The woman has to stop following our fallen culture and LET the man be the godly man he is created to be. 

Once we women "let" our men be the godly, Biblical leader of our home, we get more of the man we have always wanted, more the man we have been praying for! Frankly, I get SO TIRED of women ~ who PROFESS to be Christians, who PROFESS to be regular readers and students of their Bibles ~ who stop reading at "Wives, submit to your husbands." They seem to be deaf, dumb and blind at the next several words: ". . . AS TO THE LORD" and "Husbands, love your wives, JUST AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR HER . . ." 

Our men are REQUIRED to DIE for us, ladies!! 

Why are we making their jobs ~ under God ~ more difficult for them? Why are we exasperating our men into post-Biblical whimps? Our husbands NEED our love and respect (Eph. 5:33). Our attitude and our "help meeting" build up or destroy our men. Why do we want to make their responsibilities before God and in this world harder than they may already be? 

LET your man be the godly husband he was meant to be. Do you catch yourself always trying to get your own way? Stop it . . . just stop it. If you want a godly marriage it takes TWO to work toward it and we both have our roles. Have you ever thought that while you might be wishing your husband were a more godly man that he may be wishing you were a more godly woman? "What?! . . . Me?!" Yep. It works both ways.

So I issue this call ~ for our families, for our country, for our churches, for the kingdom of God ~ 

GODLY WOMEN, LET YOUR MEN BE GODLY MEN!

Our men WANT to show us how much they love and value us.
 
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#149~ Are You Blaming the Lord?

"A man's own folly ruins his life,

yet his heart rages against the LORD."

~Proverbs 19:3

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made, His said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden"? . . . When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it . . . And [God] said, 'Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?'

"The man said, 'The woman You put here with me - she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.'

"The the LORD God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?'

"The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate.'

~Genesis 3:1, 6, 11-13

We can be so willingly blind. We can be so self-aggrandizing. Nothing is EVER our own fault, is it?

What pride, what arrogance.

In so many things ~ shifting the blame can become almost an art form ~ it's not my fault I loose my temper, my father was like this and I'm just like him, it's the way I am and I can't change (truth: I won't change because I don't want to); I didn't mean to steal, it was just there and it was so easy to take (truth: and I wanted it, plant and simple; I'm not sorry I did it, I'm just sorry I got caught); I didn't want to do it, but they dared me (truth: and I didn't want to be the nerd who didn't do it); everyone else is doing it (truth: and it looked like A LOT of fun)!

Our culture has taught many to be people of lies and excuses. So, I suppose my message for this devotion is 1) DON'T DO IT when you KNOW it's wrong. 2) If you fall short of God's will, suck it up, admit it, ask for forgiveness and, if necessary, take the punishment. 3) Stop blaming others for your own bad decisions.

You will gain back your credibility much sooner for your honesty and humility.

 ". . . for ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God . . . " ~Romans 3:23

So, if you are going to follow the crowd, follow the ones who are following Jesus.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#148~ Some Days . . .

Some days, THIS is all you need to know . . . 

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#147~ Do You See It?

"I sought the LORD, and He answered me;

He delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to Him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with 

shame . . . 

The eyes of the LORD are on the 

righteous

and His ears are attentive to their

cry . . . "

~Psalm 34:4-5, 15

". . . And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" ~Esther 4:14(b)

Vision: 1) the ability to see; sight or eyesight. 2) something that you imagine; a picture you see in your mind.

Purpose. Vision.

Can you see it?

Do you have a goal or dream? Have you brought it before the LORD? Is it something new or something that has been on the back burner of your mind and heart for quite a while?

I have a dream . . . a goal. Life and all of it's twists and turns have gotten in the way of achieving it. I suppose that the LORD has used those twists and turns to keep me from jumping ahead of His timing. 

But I have NOT given up. I know that I know that my dream is the LORD's will and He IS making a way for me. There have been signs and encouragements all along the way. 

I just wanted to encourage you, today, to NOT give up on a dream that you know has the LORD's handprints all over it. Keep preparing, stay ready, be watchful of opportunity laid in your path and keep praying. And we will celebrate each other's prayers answered and dreams coming true. 

The LORD knows your heart, the talents and abilities He has given you and when you will be ready. He knows exactly what He has prepared you to do.

"The longings of your heart are not incidental, they are critical messages. The desires of your heart are not the be ignored, they are to be consulted. As the wind turns the weather vane, so God uses you passions to turn your life. God is too gracious to ask you to do something you hate." ~Max Lucado [Just Like Jesus]

Purpose. Vision.

Can you see it?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#146~ America, God Shed His Grace on Thee

"These are the word of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Ruler of God's creation . . . You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked . . . Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here i am! I stand at the door and knock. I f anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.

"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
~Rev. 3:14, 17, 19-22

"Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a preganant women, and they will not excape.

"But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day . . . But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For god did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."

~1 Thess. 5:1-5, 8-9

 

I watch the news, I listen to and partake of conversations about our culture and society, I watch the mannerisms and listen to the foul language of our culture and I grieve greatly for our once great nation. We slipped so far during the 1990's and now ~ now ~ we have fallen So far, SO quickly in the last 6 years, in particular. 

Everyone is so self-absorbed. Our culture's speech has become so rude, so foul. Values have completely flip-flopped ~ what for all time has been considered good, is bad; what for all time has been considered sacred, is considered hateful; what for all time has been written in man's soul as right and wrong, has been seared from the unsaved soul, ridiculed and maligned. 

"Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who put darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet 

and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their

own eyes

and clever in their own sight."

~Isaiah 5:20-21

They ". . . do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." 

We, as Christians, are so different. KEEP YOUR HEAD UP! As this world gets darker and darker, our lights will shine brighter and brighter. THIS time is when we are to let our lights shine (Matt. 5:16). And as we shine brighter and brighter in this dark, sinful world, we will attract both the seeking and the wicked. Our light is tempored with faith, hope, love and self-control. 

Those who are seeking will be drawn to us because they want Who we have, they recognize that they need forgiveness for their sins and want to spend eternity with the Lord. While those who are wicked seek our distruction ~ it's already started in the Middle-East ~ just as the Lord warned us: 

"They will put you out of the synagague; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service of God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or Me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you." ~John 16:2-4(a)

These last days bring such conflicts of emotions: such happiness because the Lord is coming back soon. Such sorrow because so many we love will not go with us. Such fear because no one wants to be tortured or lose a loved one. Such certainty that our faith will be rewarded, that it will soon become sight! (Hebrews 1:1)

Stay vigilant, be strong, speak God's truth. People are dying to hear it.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><