Click on the 6

When I clicked on the picture of my 6 grandsons there was a suprise. Try it. I don't know if it works only on mine or not.

Need a little Thanksgiving help?

I am feeling a little guilty about telling you ladies thank you for all your holiday work without really committing to doing anything really significant…and since I know Dee will read this I will not commit to anything in writing here. She has already informed me that I will have to help with the turkey. It is to heavy for her. I’m ok with that. I am actually cooking myself today. I am preparing to smoke some of the salmon I caught last week to share at a party tomorrow. I did a test batch and it was really beautiful and tasted great. So I guess I’m on the “hook” for smoked salmon, turkey and toting whatever needs to be toted. I feel a little better even though I know it is very little help, but I can only give a little part of me anyway. Only God can give all of Himself. As a matter of fact, I can give you a little help, but with God it is all or nothing! To paraphrase Andrew Murray in his book Absolute Surrender, whenever I seek the assistance of God on any matter, it is all or nothing with Him. There is no way to split omnipotence. You cannot have a fraction of his power, love or any other part of his nature without having it all. It is all or nothing. God does not loan or share his power with me. As I walk in unity and fellowship with Him, HE does it, providing the power form his omnipotence. Paul picks up on this in Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Since He indwells us He can do it through us. It may be our body, but that too is in him. It works something like this. Tomorrow morning Dee is going to ask me to “Help” her put the turkey in the oven and then take it out again. That is not a job we can share without getting burned! I will “help” by doing it myself, as if I were to step into her physical frame and give her my physical strength. I will do what she cannot do. Get it? When you are walking in fellowship with God, EVERTHING He can do, you can do as HE does it through you.

Hey another opportunity to rid myself of guilt…As she was walking out the doorto go shopping, Dee called out that my clothes were ready to put into the dryer. I also washed them. 2 points! (Ok they were the fishing clothes from last week that HAD to be washed, but I still did it). I’m feeling guilty again. They will be dry before she gets home and I don’t want to fold them and put them away. If I don’t hear the dryer shut off maybe I can honestly forget and not have to do it. Yes, I can shut off the alarm, close the three doors between me and the dryer….that just might work. Did I say that out loud?

Thanks Mom

Today I am tempted to pray the old Jewish prayer that begins “thank God I was not born a slave, a gentile or a woman”. I’m glad I’m not a woman this time a year. From here it looks like being a slave might be easier, or may be just the same thing, I’ve never been either so I really couldn’t say. From where I literally sit, being a woman/mom/wife/daughter/sister/grandmother/aunt, looks like a lot of work. So much to do, so many to do it for. I just don’t see how you do it. Whoever said women were the weaker sex was not looking at the big picture. Sure, I can carry in the table, but the real effort is what goes on top! My mom was a tireless and great holiday maker right up to the end when cancer took her from us. I especialy miss her this time of year. In her memory Ladies, today I honor each of you for your super human efforts to make the holidays the joy that it is. May Abba bless you richly. THANK YOU for who you are and all the added things you do this time of year. I know your family appreciates it more than they will or even can say. All your hard work and preparations will not be in vain anymore than the preparations Jesus is making for us in Heaven right now.
1PE 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

As you can see, I have not been in Arizona thus, no blogging for a while. I went to Oregon to fish and discuss The Shack with some friends. We fished more than we discussed, but it was all great fellowship.

I haven't been blogging a lot lately becasue quite honestly, I am not sure what to say these days. Some background may help. At the end of the 80's I did a life plan...all the typical stuff. The world situation being what it was I calculated that if the rapture had not occured by 2005, He may not come back during my lifetime. Recent events strongly suggest I may not have been off by too much. It appears to me theat we are in the season Jesus told us about...the one where we should know his comming is soon. This brings me to my delimma. Certain things MUST take place and indeed a ton already have. We are being set up for a one world leader, one world money system and the whole nine yards. I don't like it, but it must be. But yet I should really like it becasue it is shouting ready or not, here I come! I am not sure how I feel about how I feel...if that makes sense. Maybe you can relate. It is something like I feel about Christmas in 30 days. Christmas is comming and that is exciting to be with all the family and the festivities that go with it. There is also a certain level of anxiety with all the added expenses and pressures. And i really scarred I am going to get roped into Christmas shopping! I want Christmas to come, I really do. I couldn't stop it anyway. I want Jesus to come too, right now if possible, but I don't want everything that must come with it...If my dad were here, he would be smiling and saying "see you here, there or in the air". Grandpa would be so excited he couldn't sit still. I'm gonna get excited here shortly, it is jsut taking me a minuite to get ready. Jesus is coming back, so it really doesn't matter to much what else is going on around me. Maranatha!

Possessors or Professors

Conservative, Jewish talk show host Dennis Prager made and observation that I fear is to true. In commenting to a Jewish woman’s complaint that her Rabi did not properly alert the Jewish community to candidates who held anti Jewish positions, Prager noted that preachers, priests, and Rabbis of this generation tend to help people feel good as opposed to declaring the tenants of their faith. That my friends is definitely not a good thing…but I fear it is true. Sure truth is spoken, but disguised in such a way that it is not recognized. Here is an pretend verse by verse example from the P translation where Jesus gave his strongest warning to us from Matthew 7. Can you hear the warning?

15 Protect perceptions provided by pillow pounding pulpit preverters pretending to be prophets of power. Pretence promises pretend protection from possible problems to persons placed in proximity, while privately poisoned pups plan potential pain. 16 Preview of production produces probable personal potential. Do People pick pretend produce from parent plants purposefully? 17 Proper plants procure proper produce. Poser plants provide putrid product. 18 Proper planting prevents putrid products, Putrid plants provide paltry produce. 19 Unprofitable potential producers are pruned and perish in pyrotechnic punishment. 20 Plentiful production of pure proper produce provides positive proof of parenting. 21 The Pearly Path of Paradise is protected from Prophet professing pretending pew perchers while preparations for Paradise are possible primarily for persons participating in the primary purpose of the Parent of the Perfect. 22 Plethoras portend proclamations of prophecy, projection of profligate poltergeists and production of powerful phenomenon. 23 Perfection’s possession of Paradise plainly precludes the purloin possibility of the poverty of passion, plenty of possession pubescent pupils plan to possess paradise in perpetuity.

Clear as mud right? Here is what Jesus said in the NIV version:

MT 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. MT 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Is that plain enough? It seems people like to hear preachers say things like:

Personally purposing to prevent pillow pushing proclamations putting pabulum preferring, poor performing prodigals or pompous profligate parties in position to procure perpetual punishment I purpose proving and providing proven principles for paradise protection planning by personally preferring, preforming and publicly proclaiming powerful principles of prolific purposeful personal productivity and purity. This person and pulpit promises prayer and proven processes procuring pew percher’s paradise.

What it means is preachers like me need to tell it like it really is to prevent the people from falsely thinking they are going to heaven when they are really going to hell. Heaven has standards and requirements and our lifestyle is shouting loudly if we REALLY are possessors or professors.

Today I am grateful not many read this blog because most would have no clue as to what I am sensing or saying here. I share and feel the pain and despair of the handful of God’s children who view the results of the elections and the struggles of sin in the lives of believing loved ones around them as failure and futility. Add to that our own feelings of failure and frailty, can the enivetable discouragement, despair and depression be not far off? Me too. To be honest, I am disappointed in a lot of things right now. My biggest disappointment is for those….you ...who read this. I know you have been trying, struggling, praying, crying, working for a deeper walk with the Lord, for more of Him and less of you. I know and share your frustration and feelings of failure. I ask the same questions. Why are we not seeing the results of revival we have prayed for? Why have I not been able to eradicate sin in my life completely? Why so many lingering losses and so few and fleeting victories? Andrew Murray put some perspective on things for me this morning in his book, Absolute Surrender. He reminded me that when God Called Abraham saying “I am God Almighty, walk before me and be thou perfect.”, Abraham was immediately obedient.. and then took the next 35 years mixing failure and faith before the great test and prefect victory of faith with Isaac on the alter. I have my own "Isaac" approaching the alter and I dont know if there is a ram in the bush. Abrahams victory encouraged me. Murray encouraged me about you too with:
It is not for nothing that there are in thousands of hearts yearnings after holiness and consecration: it is a forerunner of God’s power.
We will make it, it just takes a little more time. God is working both to will and to do scripture tells us. We have the will, the rest is on the way.

The Good and the Glory

My phone calls the last couple of days tell me that some people are really upset and scarred with the results of our election. Some really silly things are being said. The worst by far is "could Obama be the Antichrist?" The first time I heard that was when John Kennedy was elected and then killed and all the stories that circulated after that. I have books suggesting it was Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler, any number of popes and others. President Obama may not have been your personal choice and you may disagree with his politics, policies and a whole more. I would have to admit to falling into that camp myself BUT I have been here before. I have voted for presidents since 1968 and have not won all that often. I have tons of opinions that are just that, opinions. What history tells me is that things change slowly and unpredictibly so who knows for sure what will happen? I don't but I do want to tell you what I DO KNOW and what I am supposed to do now.


1PE 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

TIT 3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
RO 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

If your candidate lost, don't get to distressed. God is working HIS PLAN. Persoanlly, I hope it includes his final Glory soon, but in any event, He is in charge ultimately and I don't have to understand. Paul lived under one of the worst emporors in history and he said that God will cause all things to work together for our GOOD and HIS Glory. AMEN!

Look for the Good and the Glory.