Debi’s New

By Debi Chaves

Today I got a new calendar by Neale Donald Walsch that Sara spotted in a store and thought it was just what I needed. Generously, MG purchased it and gave it to me. It’s titled, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”. Does that make you a little nervous? I know it did me because my comfort zone is just that…comfortable. But the calendar title is also encouraging and challenging and I’d like to share the quote for August. “Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground.” Wilfred Peterson.

Walk with me in the new!
debplant1@gmail.com

How does one pray

“How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days.” Matthew 24:19-21 NIV

As I listen to world news today of tensions, threats of war and especially the women and children held in Iraq on a mountain with no food and water, I can’t stop the picture thrashing in my mind of the words spoken by Jesus and recorded in the Book of Matthew. The deepest compassion of Jesus shows in this passage. How my heartfelt cries go out for these woman, men and children that are being told leave your Christian faith or die!

Heavenly Father, give world leaders wisdom, courage and faith to act to help Christians around the world. Give your church grace, mercy and a knee bending desire to pray. Minds to speak and support our brothers and sisters that are being deeply persecuted for their faith. Hands to serve and hearts to love. May we rightly discern your word with understand.

“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.…”

Thought Provoking

Some months ago I read the following words of truth: Since then it has been power words that jog my memory on my daily walking path. My wife, Sara, and I so often review and remind each other of this truth over our dinner conversations and our times of sharing and prayer. Maybe you will find a nugget of truth in these words that might become applied application to your life.

“When we no longer see ourselves standing before God as our judge, we become perverted. Our ego is inflated. Flattery replaces truth. Our minds are grasped by wickedness and we deceive others. The path that we walk is evil. The result is a self- centered and self- consumed person who has no authentic relationship with God, himself, or others. Flattery, illusion, and deception determine his life. Only the Word of God and the Holy Spirit’s conviction can reveal to us such depths of human sin,”

Sunflowers

If I were a flower.. …My son, Christopher and his wife, Tammy, went farming
in northern Virginia for sunflowers! Look what they surprised me with! Aren’t they beautiful? Happy flowers that smile and makes me happy! If I were a flower I think I would choose to be a sunflower because they seem to always follow the sun!
What flower would you like to be and why?

Psalm 23:1

“The Lord is my Shepherd!” “The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 “Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay…” Daniel 9:19

Did you ever Wonder?

The late great George Beverly Shea did. He penned the words, “The Wonder of it All” and sang them with great gusto over and over again! His wonderment was to think about how God loved Him. Have you ever gazed in wonderment about God’s love like this?

I hate to admit that all to often I find myself on the flip side of Bev’s coin. Not wondering about the miraculous offering of Jesus. Or, a sunset, a river, a tree but always wondering why someone did this or that. Or, said this or that? I start to doubt and then I win the jackpot of unbelief. Bev’ antidote for the cure of doubt was to formulate words of encouragement and beauty. He writes:

“There’s the wonder of spring time and harvest
The sky, the stars, the sun
But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul
Is the wonder that’s only begun
The wonder of it all
The wonder of it all
Just to think that God loves me…”

What thrills my soul? Many things really. But, one wonderment is when I see the hand of God as He connects little pieces of a wonder that I have into a beautiful work of art thought the hands of a number of people to send me my answer. It’s like a love letter. It surely thrills my soul and I sing along with George Beverley Shea, just to think that God loves me. What thrills your soul?

Excuse Makers

The Cost of Following Jesus

“Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9: 61, 62 NIV

And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you , go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”

I will follow you, Lord, wherever you go.”  Luke 9:57 Will I? 

Have I ever made an excuse as to why I could not go and proclaim the Kingdom of God everywhere? When I grow up? When I win the lottery?  When my kids grow up? Now college bills? Now grands? Now retirement? Now? Now? I wonder if the first excuse was all it took to hear “not fit.”  I have heard it said in business, they don’t have the tools for the job. “A skill set….”  Yet, many without skill set lands the best job because of attitude.  Many times a skilled set of tools come with being on the job and learning. Nothing to it with a wiliness. Jesus sure understood people with attitudinize.  And, replied, “not fit”….someone else landed the job! Now, you go and take care of yourself and your things  and spend your money for a summer fling. Make sure you look as good as you can and buy yourself some new clothes. I don’t know any excuse makers, do you?  Would someone tell me what was and is wrong with Jesus’ way of thinking? Or, have I  misunderstood?