You Were Scourged!

You Were Scourged! Jesus, You were scourged! Not “merely” whipped, But severely beaten. Not with a single strand, But nine, each imbedded, Designed to inflict the most pain, To tear off the flesh --Your flesh-- Strip by strip by bit by bit. It was there Your royal blood flowed. There, in the courtyard, At that whipping post, With others nearby, eating, And smiling Or ignoring Your agony. And all for me! O Lord, forgive me! And You reply, “Father, Forgive.” And through Your pain --You smile at me.

What Was It Like?

What Was It Like? What was it like To be one of the crowd Following Jesus -- A “Groupie”; Hearing the words, “Repent! Be forgiven!” And “Blessed be those Who believe.” What was it like On the outskirts of town When Jesus rode past On that colt? Shouting, “Hosanna!” And “Blessed art Thou!” Throwing our garments Before Him. Then, days later, Being one of the crowd, Shouting with others, “Crucify!” Scourged and beaten, Jesus carried that cross; Hung, bled, and died there. Forgiving.

I Am YOURS!

                                              LORD,

                                                     I  am  YOURS!

                                             I yield myself - entirely - to Your will.

                                      Work in me all the good pleasure of Your will,

                                                 and I will trust YOU --

                                                        Completely!

I found words to this effect during my Quiet Time this morning (by Hannah Whithall Smith). It was suggested one say them daily, many times a day, until you are living them.  I have since printed this on cards to place in areas of the home where I will often see them. I put one in my purse, one in my "work-bag," others in my area for Quiet Time, by my computer, where I read for pleasure, in the kitchen, etc. Just thought you might like to give yourself as well.

I Will Not Be Silent

 

I Will Not Be Silent, Praying the Psalms

 

I still love this cover!  That brave single bloom, coming out into the grass of the world, announcing to all that I Will NOT Be Silent!   I WILL bloom where I am.

That's what I hope & pray that I am doing. I have been planted here, and I will announce to the world my love for God! He is the One who planted me. He is the One who has nurtured me. He is the One who developed my love of words. He is the One who pours out His blessings on me, day after day after day!

During my morning Quiet Time, while reading my Bible, meditating, and praying, He shows me "interesting snippets." Then it is His Spirit that will take those snippets and develop them into full-blown devotional poetry. Nothing that I do is my own. He who created me also created my abilities. He opens my heart and mind, and pours the words through my pen. I can but thank and praise Him for all He has allowed me to do!


I Will Not Be Silent, Praying the Psalms  By Sharon D. Dexter
Available at: http://www.barnesandnoble.com, and
http://www.amazon.com

Another Chance

Another Chance

Today You presented me
With another chance to witness.
The man sat at a nearby table.
“I’ll be coming back to church. Soon,” he said.
I smiled. But, I was busy at the time.

I hadn’t recognized him before he spoke,
But then I remembered his chattiness.
As I said,
I was too busy at the time.

Tomorrow, when I say, “Lord, Lord,”
Will You be too busy at the time?
Will you smile, but say,
“I do not know you?”

Give me another chance, Lord.
Help me to take the time.

Twenty-Third Psalm

23^rd. Psalm

When betrayed, or afraid,

Heartbroken and crumbling,

Hunted, and haunted…

My Lord comforts me.

Not all that I wish for,

Nor all I could covet,

But all that I need

To be satisfied.

The Lord is my Shepherd,

My Rock, my salvation.

He’s all I could want,

And He IS my all!

All Things New

New Year's Day is just around the corner. We are often led to believe that with the new year comes new beginnings. Time for new diets, new ways of behaving, new higher thoughts.

May I suggest we keep the old ...

God is, as a friend would put it, "Older than dirt." ... I definitely need to keep Him in my thoughts.
Jesus was born over 2000 years ago ... I want to keep Him in my heart.
Several years ago, I began a scheduled Quiet Time of reading the Bible, praying, journaling, going through motivational (Christian) readings. In doing so, I have grown a more personal relationship with God ... I plan to keep this as well!

Perhaps in keeping the old, I will at least contemplate the new:
New diet of mediations; newer, refreshing of my prayer life; renewed thoughts of praise, and delving further in how I intend to please Him.

And another old thought:  May I wish you a most blessed New Year!!

What Is It About?

What is it about this babe in the hay

That we should love Him so?

I ask, “Is He just an innocent Child,

Or does He mean so much more?”


What is it about this man on the road,

That others should flock to Him?

I ask, “Is it just the healing He does,

Or is it the words He speaks?”


What is it about that man on the cross,

That others despise Him so?

I ask, “Is He just the King of the Jews,

Or is He the Son of God?”

Psalm of Gratitude

Hear, O God of all nations,

Hear as we sing of your glory.

We praise you, O Lord.

Your river of grace overflows our banks.

In gratitude we sing to you.

In gratitude we praise you, O Lord.          Selah!

 



Though all life is not peaceful

Still we thank you for pockets of peace.

Though anxious thoughts press upon us

Still we know you are in ultimate control.

Though beset with problems at every turn

Still we praise you, our Rock, and our Redeemer.

Because of you we live,

We breathe,

We have our being.

Because of you our souls rejoice.       Selah!


Blessed are those

Who acknowledge their dependence

On the God of all nations.

May our gratitude rise to you

On the incense of our actions.

Are You the One

      (to the tune of Finlandia)
Are You the One, or shall we seek another?
Are You the One, or just a holy man?
How will we know, how we can love each other?
How can we now prepare ourselves for Thee?
O Lord, our God, the nations, ever warring,
Refuse to know what we, ourselves, can’t see,
How can we help the nations see their weakness
When all they think is “self“, and never Thee?


When You return, O Lord, in pow’r and Glory,
There’ll be no time to ask it then of Thee.
Are You the One, the One we’ve been expecting?
And how shall we prepare ourselves for Thee?
If you’re the One, we seek Thy tender mercies.
But, dare we ask, when we refuse to see,
When yet we know how sinful we are being;
When all we think is “self” and never Thee!

Prepare

A favorite song of this Advent season goes:

 

A Voice cries out,

prepare the way of the Lord.

Make straight the highway of our God."

 

 

John the Baptist cried out, "Repent! He is near!"

Two thousand years ago, most Jews believed His coming would transform the political situation by overthrowing oppression.  But, Christ arrived, desiring to transform US!  He came to free the prisoner ... not from jail, but from sin. He came to heal the brokenness ... not of bones, but of spirit. He came to change lives ... from self-centeredness to a focus on helping others. He cam to overthrow the oppression of the soul!

 

Does His advent still speak to today's world?  A resounding, YES!

Again, not politically, but as release from anything that binds us, keeping us from fullness of life.

 

We are called to "make straight all the crooked places." The nearness of God's reign still brings healing to broken lives. We are called to repent, and to stop waiting. Be God's transforming agent of healing in the world. The word "follow" is an active verb.

 

As Wm. Barclay wrote: "Keep us from everything that would make us difficult to live with today."

 

Prepare! He is coming! Watch for Him!

Surrender to the Silence

It's Ready!  It's available!!!
Check it out on
http://www.electiopublishing.com/index.php/bookstore#!/~/product/category=4758361&id=30408274

Windmills of Hope

          I love this landscape of the windmills along the sand dunes of California. The dunes look bleak, but the rail along the edge of the highway, and the windmills, speak of human habitation.
          I took the photo the week of my sister Bea's funeral. The bleak scene definitely fit my mood that day, yet the windmills reminded me to keep moving along. Those puffs of white in that great blue sky told me, God is indeed still evident, and is always watching over us.
          We are never so far from God's love that He will forget about us. And isn't that amazing? The God of the Universe is "there" ... in whatever situation we find ourselves. Not only is He present, but He also CARES!
          May you find joy and peace in His watchful love!

It's Coming!

Surrender to the Silence, the new book (of devotional poetry), will be here soon. I received word that the publishing date has been set: November 15th.


Surrender to the silence.

Listen to the pulse of wonder.

Diffuse the shadows of the darkness.

Life is more than merely living.

Yep, that says it! 

Hopefully what I write brings a "pulse of wonder," and "diffuses shadows" from your life.

Finding God's Presence

Waking Up in Heaven is a “true story of brokenness, heaven, and life again” by Crystal McVea and Alex Tresniowski. Crystal’s life was, as she thought, “beyond the reach of God.” That was before her 9 minutes of death, when she experienced God’s Presence.

Upon her “return”, Crystal was led by God to “Tell everything you remember,” which led to telling everything she remembers … her abuse, self-destructive moments, her doubts, and her hopelessness.

Crystal’s firm belief is that one does not have to die in order to find God’s presence. “All you have to do to be in God’s presence is choose Him.” Her description of the overwhelming LOVE of God deeply moved me.

I choose to believe!

Windmills

I love this photo I took in California ... from the car. I use it as my computer's background cover.
For one thing, the hills of shifting sand. Peaceful, able to be moved by the wind of God. There are times I can relate to that.

Other times I can relate to the barren look. Mostly that happens when I turn away from God. Those times, I feel like the windmills, turning restlessly with whatever comes along.

The overarching blue, with clouds, remind me God is always over me; His Spirit walks with me. I am never out of His sight or His ability to change my circumstances.

Even as a windmill, I am rooted, rock deep, in His love! The guardrail, my Protector, keeps me on my road.

Surrender to the Silence

Praises! After about a half-hour phone call this morning, I have decided to sign with a Publishing Company for my new book, Surrender to the Silence. It is expected to be out early in November.

Scoffers

I am TIRED of those who belittle Christians! Seems that is a new national pastime.
Christ said Christians would be scoffed at, thought little of, downright persecuted.
(Though I really can't say I've been persecuted!)
All the Christians I know attempt to do RIGHT in the world.
(Too bad there are so few Christians working on that.)



Those too busy being idle

Point their fingers in derision,

Laughing at the efforts

Of Christians.

Use Me

 reprinted from  Devo’Zine N/D ‘04


Here am I, use me.

I am not as I should be,

and I don’t always show the world I am Yours.

I shy away from witnessing.

Yet, here am I, use me.

Do I love you enough?

Never enough!

I fall from Your path,

Yet, here am I, use me.

Lord, I am not the best instrument you could use.

Nevertheless … here am I, use me.

Use me anyway, in any way.

 

I Was Walking

                                              (tune of “Come Thou Font of Every Blessing.)


　

I was walking with my Savior

In the garden through the blooms

He was telling of His mansion …

That’s the one with many rooms.

He invited me to live there

With the Father from Above.

I’m excited! I accepted.

I will follow Him in love.


I will follow Christ, my Bridegroom.

With the Spirit I will sing,

I will dance, and I will praise Him

As He fits me with His ring:

Ring of substance, ring of promise,

Ring of hope eternally.

For His blessing and His honor,

I submit on bended knee.


I’m convinced that there is nothing,

Here on earth or Heaven above,

Nothing that can separate me

From my Savior’s holy love.

So I’ll bow down, and I’ll worship

‘Til my life on earth is done.

Then I’ll go to meet my Savior

When my Crown of Life is won.