'Thou Shalt Not Facebook'

I don't agree with everything in this article (i.e. female ministers), but I think it has a very good point and is something to think about.

_______________________________________________________

Pastor Tells Church 'Thou Shalt Not Facebook'

Nov 17, 2010 1:58 PM EST

Thou shalt not commit adultery. And thou also shalt not use Facebook.

That's the edict from a New Jersey pastor who feels the two often go together.

The Rev. Cedric Miller said 20 couples among the 1,100 members of his Living Word Christian Fellowship Church have run into marital trouble over the last six months after a spouse connected with an ex-flame over Facebook.

Because of the problems, he is ordering about 50 married church officials to delete their accounts with the social networking site or resign from their leadership positions. He had previously asked married congregants to share their login information with their spouses and now plans to suggest that they give up Facebook altogether.

"I've been in extended counseling with couples with marital problems because of Facebook for the last year and a half," he said. "What happens is someone from yesterday surfaces, it leads to conversations and there have been physical meet-ups. The temptation is just too great."

Miller is married and has a Facebook account that he uses to keep in touch with six children, but he will heed his own advice and cancel his account this weekend.

On Sunday, he plans to "strongly suggest" that all married people to stop using Facebook, lest they endanger their marriage.

"The advice will go to the entire church," he said. "They'll hear what I'm asking of my church leadership. I won't mandate it for the entire congregation, but I hope people will follow my advice."

Miller said he has spoken from the pulpit before about the dangers of Facebook, asking married couples to give each other their passwords to the site.

"Some did. Others got scared and deleted their accounts right away. And some felt it was none of my business and continued on," he said.

Miller said he has gotten a mostly positive response so far among the leaders subject to his edict, which was first reported by the Asbury Park Press.

Pat Dawson, a minister at the church, uses her Facebook account to see photos of her relatives. She is unmarried and therefore not required to delete her account, but she agrees with Miller about the dangers such sites can create.

"I know he feels very strongly about this," she said. "It can be a useful tool, but it also can cause great problems in a relationship. If your spouse won't give you his or her password, you've got a problem."

The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers says 81 percent of its members have used or been faced with evidence plucked from Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking sites in divorce cases over the last five years.

About one in five adults uses Facebook for flirting, according to a 2008 report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. And a do-it-yourself divorce site in the United Kingdom, Divorce-Online, reported late last year that the word "Facebook" was appearing in about one in five of the petitions it was handling.

Miller says there are legitimate uses for Facebook, which is why he started an account a few years ago.

"People use it as an opportunity to invite others to social gatherings, to share Scripture or talk about what went on at church," he said. "Those are all positive, worthwhile things. But the downside is just too great."

Duty

Dad often reads to us in the evenings before bed. Family devotions and this time of family reading are my two favorite times of the day. We are presently reading a series co-authored by Janette Oke called The Acadian series. Dad is now reading the 3rd book to us, which is called, The Birthright. Josiah isn’t particularly thrilled with it, which I can understand for him. However, it is astounding to me how often the book has related to the situation I am in and how perfectly it describes the feelings and emotions I could not begin to put into words. It must be the Lord. I guess it is because so many partings take place as two families are torn apart and scattered in three places on the planet (just as in my case) that I can so perfectly relate to the longing, the sorrow, the fear, the questioning of the future and where God will lead. I find it a sort of healing balm for my heart, and the lessons learned are a guide for my future.

Let me briefly explain our book. Nicole was born to English parents, and Anne was born to a French family. Both baby girls were switched at birth during a war which separated them from infanthood until their late teens. English Nicole grew up French, and French Anne grew up English. In our book both girls have met their true parents and are getting familiar with them and the language and culture differences. Anne gets married, has a baby, and remains with her English family. Nicole, who was born in Acadia to English parents but grew up in Louisiana with the French, has recently discovered that she is to become the heiress of her uncle’s vast estate in England. Despite the fact that she has just begun to realize her past and who she really is, she leaves for the uncertainties of England and yet another way of living. She feels torn between longing for those she loves and her duty to her uncle. She is lonely, unhappy, and feels useless in a foreign place with foreign people. Yet, she knows it is her obligation to be where she is.

I like to compare my situation to Nicole’s. Though the situations are different, in some ways they are similar. Nicole feels torn between Louisiana (where she grew up), Acadia (her newly “adopted” homeland where she was born), and her duties in foreign England. I feel torn between New York (my homeland and birthplace), Holland (my adopted homeland), and my “duties” in foreign Florida. We both have loved ones scattered in three places of the world. Nicole is out of her comfort zone, and so am I. I can relate to her loneliness in a foreign country among strangers and her longing for those she loves so far away. Very soon I am going to make my home in a foreign land with people who I hardly know, being separated yet a 2nd time in my short lifetime from those I dearly love. And, yet, while Nicole feels bound by God’s call and a sense of duty, so do I.

In our most recent book, Anne, Nicole’s half sister who is grieving over the death of her young husband, has arrived in England to visit. In chapter 22 a conversation between Anne and Nicole takes place about the call of duty. It was in this chapter that we read the other night. The following are a few quoted paragraphs that truly struck me, and I want to remember them as I face my own future:

At some level, I think I’ve always assumed that when I found my place in the world, then I should be happy. Yet in all my searching of the Scriptures, I haven’t found a single instance where God promises this. In fact, nowhere is such a thing even request by His servants.

It has made me realize that all my life I’ve measured how well I was suited to a place by how happy it made me. Only now, as I learn my way through English society, I have come to see that, although happiness is a fine thing, it comes and it goes. So long as I base my happiness upon what I have or how life suits me, it will always remain fleeting. For as soon as something changes, as soon as a cold wind blows through my life, as soon as life takes an unpleasant turn, my happiness would be gone. But is this what I want to base my life upon? No. But to just say this, that I don’t want my life centered on what comes and then quickly passes, is far easier than making this actually the way I live or the way I manage my days.

My studies have shown me that I need to find my happiness in God, and in Him alone. By placing my life in His hands and seeking to live as He wants me to, I now have a peace that’s greater then whatever struggle I might face. My frustration and my difficulties, all these will pass. But He remains always. And it’s in His eternal promises that I must abide.

With each gift there comes a responsibility.

These words are so right and so simple, yet so deep! I’ve been thinking about duty. Duty--That simple word covers a vast plain and hardly touches the unreachable depths of its meaning for each individual person. Ecclesiastes 12:13 speaks of the general duties of each human being: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” On a more personal level, what is my duty? In many ways, at least now, I feel that it is my duty to marry Russell. Fortunately, my “duties” are far more pleasurable than Nicole’s could ever be. =) Nevertheless, at this point in time, while I am frantically preparing to move my belongings and prepare for a wedding and a whole new life, I see my marriage as a duty. God told me to marry Russell and I must obey. It is my duty to leave everything. It is my duty to face a future full of uncertainties and the unknown in a foreign land with strangers. This is my duty. There are times I feel very glad to fulfill this duty, and then there are other times when I feel dread and anxiety. I compare my situation to that of other girls about to be married and I find myself dissatisfied with the results. While I observe the complete happiness of other girls, I think it strange that I should have feelings that are sometimes just the opposite. I think I should feel very glad, but then maybe not…

Who but Rebekah might understand? She left everything to marry a man she had never met. I have an advantage over her, for I have seen Russell 9 weeks and have had a 6-week preview of the place that will soon be my home. I wonder…when Abraham’s servant arrived with news that Rebekah was to be Isaac’s wife, what must she have felt? As far as I can see, the Bible gives no indication of her reaction. The servant wished to depart with Rebekah right away and return to his master, however Rebekah’s mother and brother wished for her to stay on with them longer. When summoned to answer if she would go immediately, she responded, “I will go.” The Bible does not indicate if she was excited, though, knowing the end of the story, we tend to imagine she was. But think again! How would you feel if suddenly a servant appeared on your doorstep to tell you you were chosen by God to marry a man whom you never met and to live in a far away country? Rebekah faced the most astounding and uncertain circumstances probably ever recorded in history, and yet, she replied, “I will go.” What do you hear in that response? I hear an answer that reflects one thing---duty. She knew what was God’s will, for the evidence was irrefutable, and she answered the call of obligation with obedience. What is so very sweet is the last verse of that chapter. Genesis 24:67 says, “And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” God used an arranged marriage---what must have felt like a mere duty to fulfill on Rebekah’s part---and transformed it into true love.

Often it is easier to discern the future by looking to the past. My duty has always been to follow my parents. Doing so led me to Holland. Would I have chosen to be a missionary’s daughter? Never! Yet, in obediently fulfilling my duties, the Lord has truly made me content to dwell here, in a place where I never would have chosen to settle down. Isn’t it interesting how God honors those who fulfill what at first seem like grim duties and obligations and gives a lasting sense of fulfillment, satisfaction, and enjoyment in the end? Rebekah’s love story is an inspiration to me, for very soon I will be leaving everything, as she did, to meet my own “Isaac.” Thus, I conclude that I will fulfill my duties with honor and leave the rest to God.

May we all be able to give account for our lives with this simple answer, “We have done that which was our duty to do.”

A Deep Satisfaction In God

Several years ago I read a book by Joshua Harris called Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship. This excerpt made a big impression on me and has been in my Bible for a very long time. I was just thinking on it the other day, so I thought I'd share it...

_____________________________________________

A couple committed to God’s glory places their ultimate hope in God, not in each other. Before two people can please God as a couple, they must first be individuals who want God more than anything else and who know that only He can satisfy the deepest longings of their souls.
One of my favorite authors, John Piper, has made his life message this simple but profound truth: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” What does this mean? It means that we can exalt God by trusting in Him and desiring Him above anything else in life--more than companionship, more than romance, more than marriage. When we do, our lives say louder than words that He is more fulfilling than all these things.
Unlike all the fleeting pleasures of this world, when we make God the object of our soul’s longing, He truly satisfies us--we find the lasting peace and joy we long for. Only then can we have a healthy, happy relationship, because instead of the relationship being our reason for living, it becomes an expression of the fact that we’re living for Someone greater.

Written by Joshua Harris

Happy New Year!

It's January 1st, 2010. Wow! Several times today I have said that to myself just to get it in my head. I can hardly believe we have entered a new year once again. My grandma has always told me that time only goes faster as you get older. She was not kidding! I'm only 21 and time is already flying by. I'm looking back over the past few years and I can hardly believe how filled they have been with blessing. It seems like just yesterday...in 2008 Russell and I met, in 2009 we courted and became engaged, and this year, 2010, we will be getting married. Wow! In less than 4 months I'm going to be a bride! This year is going to be like no other in that it holds a new start. My whole world as I know it is going to change very soon. 2010 will be filled with many, many joys. I look forward to experiencing them as Russell's and my individual lives are melted into one. But I know I would be a fool if I let myself get so caught up in this fairytale that I didn't also realize their will be sorrows ahead. Soon I won't be close to the people who are close to me in the home I love. Soon I'll be travelling to a distant land far from the home I love to be with the man I love. What conflicting emotions! How can I feel such sweet joy and bitter sorrow at one time? I know 2010 holds a wedding...my wedding, but besides that much of the future is a blur of uncertainties. I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds my future. I can be confident that the Lord will be with me, for He has already walked the path ahead and knows every inch of the way. "...He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness..." Thank God for that assurance! Please pray for Russell & me and our future. We've never done this before and we want to do it right! Like the picture says...2010 = Hannah + Russell's year. Mom did that. Cute, huh?

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Dearest family and friends,

Thank God for this season! I love Christmas! What do you think about when you hear that word: Christmas? A tall pine tree, dazzling lights, pretty ornaments, snowflakes, snowmen, poinsettias, ice skating, sledding, lots of presents…? Yes, but these are merely the decorations we use (like streamers for a birthday) and fun events we are privileged to have for the celebration of a very special event in history. There is a hint in the word “Christmas” that tells us what Christmas is about…rather, who Christmas is about.

Christmas is about a virgin giving birth. Christmas is about the Creator entering His creation to take the lowliest position imaginable--that of helpless infancy. Christmas is about a baby…the Christ child…God made into flesh. “And she [Mary] shall bring forth a son, and…shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) He was born in a cradle to die on a cross. There was no personal gain for Him who left the glorious splendors of Heaven to dirty the sole of His foot and walk with sinful mankind. There was no gain…except the redemption of our souls from Hell. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) He came to earth to seek us out; to save us He offered His own body in our place. Whipped, beaten beyond recognition, His beard ripped out of His face, led like a dog through the streets, a crown of thorns pressed into his skull, and then nail through with rusty spikes to an old rugged cross…to bleed and suffer unutterable agony… “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6) Jesus Christ became our substitute. The face of every person ever born and to ever be born passed before Him as the sin of the entire human race was placed in His body and crucified to that cross. And as He hung between Heaven and earth, His agonizing cry was, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” What love! What love is this! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17) Jesus humbled Himself to enter His creation. Jesus came…that is why we celebrate Christmas. He is Emmanuel…God with us.

May His radiant light saturate your soul and the warmth of His love fill your heart.

Merry Christmas!

With a singing heart,

Hannah

Special Memories

I miss making him breakfast in the morning.

I miss listening to his voice as he read the Bible and prayed with me.

I miss sitting on the couch and messing around on our laptops, sharing pictures, talking, or just looking at each other.

I miss walking around the property and the good conversations we had regarding our family and future.

I miss cheering him on.

I miss his cute attempts to show off--watching him throw a basket and miss, which only gave me another chance to tell him that it doesn't matter...cause I'm already very impressed.

I miss running errands with him. (And having folks refer to us and our chaperone/s as a family. (chuckle)

I miss having him insist on opening and closing my car door every time we made a stop.

I miss him joining my family for dinner every night and seeing the faces of my dearest ones around one table.

I miss watching him "reload" a little boy's cap gun and turn a baby's cry to gurgling laughter.

I miss the long drive to my doctor appointments...when I would wake up from a short nap and find him smiling at me as he drove.

I miss shopping together at Target for our house supplies...having him teasingly "scan" me with the registry "gun" and tell me I'm priceless when no amount of $ showed on the screen.

I miss the time he tickled my face with a cluster of artificial flowers as we bought things for our wedding.

I miss texting him during the times we were apart.

I miss hearing his heavy footsteps on the front porch as he came to say goodnight to me after he got off work.

I miss him handing me his "cool shades" when the bright Florida sunshine was hurting my eyes.

I miss play fighting about the temperature in the car, because he likes it cold and I like it warm and we both want it set to please the other.

I miss him suddenly stopping during our walk to write "Russell Y Hannah" in the soft white sand.

I miss having him ask me if I need a cold drink during the hot, humid camp meeting week and fanning his flushed, moisture-covered face during the hours of singing and preaching.

I miss sitting by his side in church and hearing him "amen" and emphatically shout "Sure!" in agreement during the preaching.

I miss dishing out the last scoop of peanut butter fudge ice cream for him and having him feed me a big chunk of chocolate off his spoon just cause he knows I love it.

I miss walking on the beach and gazing off into a brilliant sunset with him standing by my side.

I miss the times he gave me his jacket because I was cold.

I miss a lot of things...but I'm glad that I had them to miss, because some people never get a chance to miss what I had.

If I never did have those special moments with Russell I wouldn't know what I am now missing out on...but I also wouldn't have the precious memories we made together!

I'd rather hurt from missing than miss the hurting because I never had anything to miss in the first place.

God is good!

A Soft Answer...

Hello, everyone!

Having reread my post about Facebook, I realize that I probably sound harsh and perhaps even angry. For that I do wish to apologize.

In the last several weeks we have received invitations to Facebook and Twitter from family and friends. A simple “No, thank you!” was apparently insufficient, since the subject was not dropped as we wished it to be. I began to ask myself questions. Why don’t I believe in using Facebook? The 4-point list in the post below was the result of this self examination…not a personal attack on anyone who may have taken it that way. These are my personal beliefs regarding Facebook and other programs alike. I read an astonishing article (the link is now working properly) and that was the icing on the cake, only confirming my reservations about using Facebook.

In case I have never mentioned this before, I bring all controversial blog posts to my dad to read and analyze. As my final authority, I am accountable to him. My blog is dad-approved.

Do you know why I have a blog? For me. If nobody else ever read it again, I would still have a blog. Most of the hard “preaching” posts I write are not to my readers at all. They are for me! They are an encouragement and challenge to me. Every time I write “you” I am seeing a hand pointing back at me. “You…Hannah.” By sharing with my readers the things God has dealt with me about and the personal decisions I have chosen to take a stand on, I make myself accountable to you all. I am publicly testifying to what I believe. This “laying down of the law” is a safeguard against anyone who would try to dissuade me from my course. I am letting them know that I have set boundaries for myself and the protection of relationships I treasure. In doing so, I am setting a high standard which I personally am required to uphold. I have to keep my word, not only to God, but to those of you who know where I stand.

My blog is open to the public, like a website, which anyone is free to read. I have no control over who reads my posts--whether male or female. I never put pressure on anybody to read what I have to say. That is a personal choice made by my readers. Nobody is required to read.

I do not live in the States. I am not a part of the Christian circles there. This being the case, it is sometimes easier to discern those issues that appear controversial and solely based on personal opinion. So many people, Christians alike, are being sucked into these programs like Facebook…and all I can see are bright red lights flashing DANGER! For this reason, my blog post was strong and factual and may have come across in a way that I did not mean it. This is my zeal for the Lord. What may come across as being angry at people is, in truth, my anger with the devil, his manipulations, and the rampant sin I see all around. My heart is grieved because of the strongholds of Satan.

These social networking programs are what destroyed my dad's deacon. He got in contact with numerous girls and they eventually stole his heart away from what he knew was right. This same man is the one who, in a round about way, corrupted our people with gossip and lies and caused 1/3 of our church to leave this summer. Do you understand why this is such a serious matter to me? And this is only one example of many I could give.

As I said, I apologize for sounding harsh or even angry. Having read facts that point to the abominable practices being promoted by Facebook, I have come to the personal decision that Facebook is not Christian-friendly nor is it family-friendly. I cannot in good conscience use it and feel it was my duty to alert people I dearly love to the dangers I have only recently been made aware of. What my readers choose to do is between them and the Lord.

God bless!

Something to Contemplate...

Feelings stem from a thought or idea, and fears are generally the root of some small fragment of truth that is exaggerated as the mind is tormented by personal anxieties. Emotions and feelings are similar to pain. Both are born inwardly and are invisible to the human eye, yet they eventually work their way to the surface, affecting a person outwardly. When someone I know is experiencing pain, I cannot personally feel it, yet that pain is real to them, therefore, it should be real to me. Whether a feeling or fear is grounded by fact or not, if it is real to someone, then it is a reality! It must be dealt with, just as physical pain might be acknowledged and then tenderly tended to.
This is called compassion.

What Does LOVE Mean?

Yesterday I came across a cute forward I had printed off several years ago that was sent to me by a friend. It made me laugh and cry at the same time. It's no wonder why kids are so precious to the Lord. "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." ~ Psalm 8:2

~ * ~

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of four through eight year olds: "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think...

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca ~ age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy ~ age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl ~ age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy ~ age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri ~ age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny ~ age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss."
Emily ~ age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby ~ age 7

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate."
Nikka ~ age 6

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle ~ age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy ~ age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
Cindy ~ age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."

Clare ~ age 6

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine ~ age 5

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris ~ age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

Mary Ann ~ age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren ~ age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."
Karen ~ age 7

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica ~ age 8

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."

And these are a few extras I found without the names and ages of the kids:

"Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings."

"I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her."

"Love is when you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised, because not only do they still love you, they love you even more."

"There are two kinds of love: Our love and God's love. But God makes both kinds of them."

"God could have said magic words to make the nails fall off the cross, but He didn’t. That's love."

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." ~ John 3:16-18

I would say that many of these little kids came to a conclusion that most adults do not even grasp. Love is sacrificial; love is selfless. This is true love!

I Am Not Satisfied

I am not satisfied. Perhaps you are thinking, That is a strange thing for a Christian to be saying! Aren’t Christians supposed to be content? After all, 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 

Nevertheless, I am not satisfied. I am not content with my Christian life as it is. I am not at ease with my level of love for God and my devotion to Him. The closer I draw to Christ, the more I find that I am lacking. And how great is my deficiency! I am not satisfied.   

The water streams that once gurgled and flowed have emptied into a stagnate swamp. I want to move on, but I find no outlet. As I trod a pilgrim’s pathway, sometimes the road is easy. The Lord is so close, and I hear His voice continually. Like a spring flower under the warm rays of sunshine and gentle rain showers, I am thriving spiritually. And then at other times I feel that I have come to a brick wall that is blocking me from proceeding any further in my Christian walk. My enemy would wish me to be content with the progress I have already made and accept this as the end of my long journey. But I must press beyond this point! I must strive to attain higher things for the glory and honor of my Lord! I am not satisfied.

Are you satisfied? Have you reached that brick wall, that stagnating swamp? At different times in our lives I believe we all come to such a place. We all come upon those obstacles in the road. Basically, anything that keeps us from going on in our Christian life, anything that hinders us from attaining victory and then pressing on, is a road block. You and I know when we have reached our brick wall. We are well aware of what has caused our once- flowing stream to stagnate. It is different for each one of us. But it is always the point of decision. We have two options. We can stop and be content with the progress we have made and the victories we have already won, or we can look at the obstacle before us and see it as a challenge to overcome. Will I crush my own carnal desires and ideas and battle my way past this point to triumph, or will I follow my lazy, wicked flesh and quit here? Will I be satisfied?

In the ministry I have seen many folks come through our church. These people had great potential for God. It was a wonderful thing to see them growing and getting the victory over the strongholds of sin. But they each came to a brick wall--the place where they had to choose between Self and God. For one family it was the road block of child discipline, for another it was the area of modest clothing. Others reached the stumbling stone of a counterfeit woman. I have watched as they came to these points of deciding between Biblical principles or personal, pride-driven ideas. The families who have left our church reached these decision points and decided not to attempt to conquer them. They chose to take the easy way and glory in past victories while stopping at a brick wall in their Christian lives. They were satisfied. 

I see other thriving families and singles in our church who, one by one, have reached the road block of fasting, or clothing, or tithing, and they decided to take the challenge and press on in their spiritual journey. They decided that their relationship with Christ was worth fighting for. They would not be content to love Him a little. They would give Him all that was in their power to give. They would not be satisfied, and the fact that they are in church and trying to do right proves that they still are not satisfied. 

I am not satisfied. I am not content to be a stagnating, lazy, good-for-nothing Christian. A calm sea may seem nice for a short while, but if I wish to reach my desired haven, the winds must blow and waters must toss me to and fro. The beauty of a clear gurgling stream will be forgotten if I allow the small, seemingly harmless sticks and leaves of sin to settle in my flowing waters. They will soon make my waters slow and murky with the gathering debris, and eventually everything I worked so hard to achieve will die as I stagnate in sin and self. By refusing to be satisfied, I will create an outlet for my once-flowing stream by removing all that I know to be sin. 

Traveling the pilgrim’s path, I am not contented to dwell on this plain of sleepy bliss. I see a mountain looming before me, and I know that just beyond that peak is where victory lies. I wish to attain greater heights of faith and success for my Lord. If I stop here, I will never amount to anything. Oh, that I might press past this point! I refuse to be content with my Christian life as it is now. I want to go beyond the things I’ve always known, the victories of the past I’ve already won. I need more love for God, for others. I want more of my Christ! I desire a fresh filling of His power. I am not satisfied!  

Cookie Crazy and Contemplations

Yesterday afternoon Mom and I worked on my dress. I’ve got to post some pictures on the progress we’ve made. I’ll get around to it one of these days. =) Anyway, we worked on it together for a while. The bodice is complete, except for the sleeves, which we are working on now.

It was getting late, so I started dinner. I made enchiladas. That recipe is so yummy! Mom was humming away on the sewing machine at the kitchen table, Lyd was on her laptop sitting up to the table, and I was at the stove cooking. I hope one day I’ll have a large kitchen of my own. When we’re all in there doing our own thing, the kitchen becomes so crowded that I can hardly move. It’s difficult to find space to work. Oh well. At least it’s cozy. Even as I was about to complain, I thought about a day in the future when I’ll wish I could be with my family working in a crowded kitchen. It really was cozy as darkness settled outside, and Mom and I chatted as we worked.

Soon the enchiladas were about to come out of the oven, and the salad was made. Mom and Lyd removed themselves and their projects. Everyone said the meal was delicious, and we had a nice conversation as we ate. Dad picked up dinner by himself. (chuckle) I’m not sure exactly how that happened. Mom was looking at the progress she’d made on my one sleeve, I was at the piano playing, and I’m not sure what my siblings were doing. In any case, after dinner we watched a movie together.

Then I suggested that we play Pit. I love that game. I’d rather play a game than anything else. It’s nice to interact with each other, and it was a heap of fun! Lyd was looking all over the kitchen for the oatmeal cookies I made the day before. After playing one game, Josiah took the container of cookies out from under the table where he had been hiding them. Bad boy! =D Then everyone wanted one…and then a second one. Everybody wonders why they are gone so fast, and then I am told that I didn’t make enough. When I mentioned that fact, Josiah volunteered, “That’s okay, we can just make more.” I teased him, “Yeah, just like we can upload the message (onto the church website).” Joe picked up on that, looking at Dad, who was opening a cupboard door, he joked, “And we can do the preaching!” We all laughed. It’s a family joke. When Dad wants something done he says that “we” can do it, and that usually means that he assigns the task to somebody else. (chuckle) Then the guys proceeded to put me on a guilt trip, opening the container of oatmeal cookies and breathing in the delicious aroma. I was laughing so hard. That called for a picture.

My family going crazy about my oatmeal cookies.

Then as soon as I was finished, they took out a second cookie each. In the middle of our next game Lydia found a cookie crumb on the table. I think she was going to eat it until Mom put it on her napkin to be thrown away. Lydia pretended to pout. Then Mom took a bite out of Dad’s cookie as he was eating it. He concluded that he had been gypped and deserved a third cookie. (chuckle) Then Lydia, to my left, pointed out that Dad had cookie crumbs on the table from his cookie and he shouldn’t let them go to waste. To my right, Josiah offered that anybody could take a bite out of his cookie so he could be justified in getting a third one. You would think my family was never fed! (chuckle) And that was after just eating a very filling, very rich meal! What is it about oatmeal cookies that makes a whole family go nuts? Ha, ha! It really was fun though! I won the game of Pit. Woo hoo!

After our game we watched another movie, and Mom finished sewing on the sleeve of my dress. She wanted me to try it on. It’s SO PRETTY! I love it! I’ll have to post pictures SOON! Then Dad read to us from the book we are reading as a family, called Hidden Rainbow. I just love that book! I still have the same pictures in my mind as when I first read the story. It’s so beautiful! Oh, to be a woman of courage and faith like Anna! This book has really been a blessing to me, especially right now. It has increased my faith in the Lord.

After we all went to bed and the lights had been turned out, Lydia and I whispered in the darkness to each other. I love these sister-to-sister talks we have. I love my sister! I hate to think of a day when we won’t be together. Often it seems like our late-night conversations are about our futures…about what God has for us. Usually we talk about the future, looking at it with excitement and anticipation, but not last night. I guess when you get to be my age, thinking about marriage and leaving home is a normal thing. I think about it more often lately. I guess in some ways I’ve been searching my heart…preparing myself for the day when I will be leaving home to get married. It’s made me more aware of things that I take for granted. This introspection has opened my eyes to the precious family the Lord has given me. I need to take more pictures; I need to spend more time with my family and make special memories. I need to be nicer to them. Instead of holding back, I need to be more quick to hug them, to tell them that I love them. As I talked quietly with Lydia about these things, she mentioned some regrets she has...some sisterly disputes we’ve had needlessly in the past. Looking back, I also see things that should have been different. A few weeks ago I was sitting at the kitchen table, eating my breakfast pancakes and practically choking because of the terrible lump in my throat. With tears in my eyes, I thought about the day when I will drive away from this house. In my mind’s eye I pictured myself in the van, looking back…for the last time. When I get married, I will be leaving everything behind. My family…our house…our church…our ministry…this country. I will be leaving everything that is familiar to me...everything I hold dear. I’ll never be just a girl in my father’s house again. I will be closing a chapter of my life…forever. Even when I’m married, it won’t be like I can stop by the house and visit, because my parent’s house will most likely be all the way across the ocean. It’s almost incomprehensible to think that I won’t always live here…that life could change so drastically. I had a really hard time with that… Tears trickled down my cheeks as I whispered these sobering thoughts to Lydia. I know I think too far ahead, but it does cause me to reflect on how things are now. I need to learn to treasure the time I have left with my family. By the time Lyd and I were finished talking, we were both crying a little; I think we are both beginning to realize that we will probably always be missing somebody. That’s just the hard facts of life. But I’m glad we had that conversation. I think too many girls enter marriage with fairytale ideas and then go into shock afterwards and have major regrets, realizing that they shut the door behind them a little too hastily. And then it’s time to grow up and face the truth…the truth that things will never be the same. I guess I’m saying all this to encourage young people, such as myself, to cherish their families and not rush life. It goes too quickly without doing that. One day the young man or young lady you’ve always been waiting for will arrive, but in the meantime, make sure you enjoy your family and let them know how dear they are to you…while you still have the ability to do so.

Laboring for the Lord

“Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.” Isaiah 49:4

Several days ago I read this encouraging verse. Then, later that same day, my sister and I were having a conversation with our friends about the ministry. It got me thinking about things.

I honestly couldn’t have said it better than Isaiah. “I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain.” How often have I felt this way? I feel frustration about our ministry and its seeming staleness. People come to church, but people don’t stay in church. Will it always be this way? Will people always be leaving? “Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.” (Psalm 123:3-4) I am filled with the scorn of those that are at ease! At ease in Zion! (Amos 6:1) Those lazy, slop-along Christians who think they can do whatever they want and get away with it! How long will they continue in their paths of wickedness before they feel the chastening rod of God???

Then there are others who were once growing strong in the Lord who are now cold towards the things of God. You see the spiritual regression--the slow decay of all that was once godly and righteous. I see dear folks who have endured enormous hardships, but when they had every reason in the world to quit, they pressed on. They faithfully served the Lord anyway, and they laid up for themselves great treasures in Heaven. But then, as time went on and the fight that drew them to the Lord in their helplessness became less intense, they allowed themselves to be led astray by the flesh. And all the treasure they reserved for themselves in the great storehouses of Heaven were slowly diminished until everything they once had to their name was depleted. What a terrible shame and loss!!! I’m reminded of John’s warning in 2 John 1:8, “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” The scary thing is that we can lose everything we have gained by not being faithful to the Lord, by falling away. If we have laid up treasure in Heaven, we should strive to retain that which we have earned!!! We want to receive a FULL reward!!!

Then there are others with their bad attitudes and contentious spirits. This is not pleasing to the Lord, and it restrains the Spirit from doing the work that needs to be done. One person’s bad spirit affects other people’s spirits. The one who sows discord among the brethren is an abomination to the Lord, according to Proverbs 6:19.

There are lots of things going on in church right now, and many of our families are going through really hard times. Sometimes it seems like we aren’t making any headway. All these things drive me to cry out in dismay, “I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain.”

I am presently reading a book called The Embrace of Grace, by Caleb Thompson, and he not only talks about his prison sentence as a reason for his need of God’s grace, but he compares sickness, joblessness, and so many other things to a “prison” outside of prison. Often in life we are faced with things that affect us in such personal ways that nobody else could even begin to understand. Anything of this nature could be seen as a type of prison. It is your problem, and nobody else can really do anything about it. You are held captive behind the bars of seeming hopelessness.

My family and I went out for a while yesterday afternoon. We got lunch at McDonald’s and then sat in the van looking out over a landing strip near the Schiphol airport. Over lunch, we had a great in-depth conversation about spiritual things. Let me tell you, it was a blessing! I love these precious moments with my family! My parents and I are all reading this book, The Embrace of Grace, and it has impressed many things on our hearts. Dad compared our mission field to a prison. No, we aren’t behind bars; we are blessed indeed by the Lord. There is nothing that we lack. Still, it is not our choice to be in this country. In many ways, Holland is our “prison.” God “sentenced” us to serve indefinitely on this spiritually barren plain called The Netherlands. Dad was born and raised here until he was 12, and after going to the States he never wanted to return. But God called him back to Holland, to his own people, to be a missionary. If it were up to our family, we would not be living here. And then Mom mentioned this: though we have not chosen to live here, and we would rather live anywhere else, she cannot imagine being in any other place. We all quietly agreed. Living in Holland is not our desire, yet, we feel perfect peace about our circumstances. You know what? That is GOD! Only GOD can put you somewhere, where you don’t even want to be, and then make you happy there, though it goes against your will!!! Isn’t that amazing??? As I stared out over the field, past the airport, up, up, up, into the clouds and watched their beautiful formations as the wind blew them into various shapes, I wondered at it all in amazement. What a great God we serve! I praise God that His “prison sentence” was so kind and gentle. I know God won’t give us anything more than we can bear, because 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

And then I thought about Isaiah 49:4. Though at times I groan, “I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain…yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.” God knows this “prison” I am in! He knows how I long to see some results to this work we have going--this work that often appears to be for naught. I know that “my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.” See that? God knows! He knows my work. He knows your work! And His rewards are with Him! Just keep being faithful! Keep trusting God and waiting patiently for Him!

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” Isaiah 64:4

I Believe to See

Abigail Miller

This world is a place where we believe what we can see.
The tangible, the visible is what must really be.
But, He who would be wise must see with different eyes,
We live by faith, where miracles should come as no surprise.

Chorus:
I believe to see the goodness of the Lord.
I believe the promises He gave us in His Word.
I don't need to know the outcome of His plan.
I will trust His ways, though I can't see His hand.

We're looking for a city that's not made by human hands.
We're living for a purpose that so far exceeds our plans.
When trials take their toll beyond what we control,
We rest upon the Faithful One, the Keeper of our souls.

Chorus:
I believe to see the goodness of the Lord.
I believe the promises He gave us in His Word.
I don't need to know the outcome of His plan.
I will trust His ways, though I can't see His hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the van on the way to church last night I read some verses the Lord has recently given me, and on the way home I silently thought about things as I looked out the window…about the preaching, and I pondered the sweet promises and assurance the Lord has given me. Since it’s winter, it is dark outside by the time we’re driving home. A thick mist fell as we drove closer to home. The lights from the highway and the car lights ahead lit our way, but other than that it was very hard to see what was ahead. Off to my right, beyond the yellowish lighting of the highway, the fields were shrouded in a dense fog. It felt slightly eerie, but inside my heart, I felt the joy of the Lord and His warming comfort as I meditated on Him and His wonderful works.

And then I thought about how often life is just like that. All around me are unknown and frightening circumstances looming ahead in the darkness. I don’t know the way that lies before me. It is just as dark, misted over, and foreboding as the Dutch countryside we were passing by. But, even though the future might look a little scary with its uncertainties, I believe to see the goodness of the Lord. His soothing assurance fills my soul.

A few words of the song above ran through my mind. I sat in the van wracking my brain trying to piece the words together. Then, as if the Lord knew my thoughts (I believe He did), I suddenly heard the song, and caught the words I was trying to think of. Josiah was sitting behind me, listening to “I Believe to See” on his itouch. For just a second I heard it, and then he must have turned the volume down…or something. But it didn’t matter, because suddenly I knew the song I was thinking of. The words began filling my mind. I quickly turned on my own mp3 player and listened to the song. (It’s the one I got for my birthday. I used my mp3 player for the first time on Sunday morning. I really like it! I’ve already learned something new in my 21st year!!! And without Josiah having to guide me step-by-step. I’m proud of myself! (chuckle)

I believe to see the goodness of the Lord.
I believe to see… What do I believe to see? I don’t know what my future holds. It is dark and unknown, but by faith, which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of unseen things, I believe to see the goodness of the Lord. You know where that line comes from? Psalm 27:13, which happens to be my favorite Psalm. “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” I can’t see what lies ahead, but I can trust that my Father has everything under control. He knows the way that leads to the “exceeding abundantly”--the things He longs to give me, the things that surpass my grandest hopes and wildest dreams. I need only to follow…and then I will see the goodness of the Lord.

I believe the promises He gave us in His Word.
And the very next verse after Psalm 27:13 says, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” That’s a promise! Wait and be of good courage, and the Lord will strengthen your heart. That is a promise! I wish I could share all the beautiful things God has been telling me in His Word lately. Sometimes I feel like I could burst with joy. God is speaking to me! His promises strengthen me, and the sweet assurance of His leading hand cheer my heart. I believe the promises He’s given me in His Word! They are more precious than gold!

I don't need to know the outcome of His plan.
Sometimes when my faith fails, I become impatient, and long to know what lies ahead. I want to get a peek into the future. But this is wrong. I don't need to know the outcome of His plan. I trust that God is doing things that I know nothing of. He is accomplishing His perfect will, in His own way, in His own timing. If I knew what was ahead, I would only get in the way. I would ruin God’s perfect plan. I don’t need to know the outcome. I just need to trust.

I will trust His ways, though I can't see His hand.
It is my duty not to worry and fret about tomorrow, but simply to trust God’s ways, though they are foreign and strange to me. Though I walk in present darkness, unable to see the Lord’s guiding hand, I can trust that the way on which He leads me is a safe and happy one. Why? Because God is with me. I have been assured that He will never leave me or forsake me. Whatever lies before me, though I cannot see His hand, I can trust the loving heart of my Father.

I believe to see the goodness of the Lord!!!

God Leads Us Along

I can hardly believe we are on the brink of entering a new year. 2009. It seems like I just got used to writing “2008” in my journal, and now I’m going to have to change it…again. Time flies, and my Grandma tells me it only goes faster as you get older. Hmm… That’s a scary thought…but in other ways I’m sorta glad it’s going fast. I guess James knew what he was talking about when he wrote, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” As I grow up, I’m realizing this more and more. Our lives are so short, and only what’s done for Christ is going to last. Dad talked about that briefly on Sunday. He preached from Malachi 3:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 3:12-17.

Well, this morning I was praying about some things, and then I began contemplating the events of this year--2008. And I thought back on years gone by. Major events of those years stick out in my mind.

2003 was a year of sorrow and mourning. Oma died of cancer in January. We were in the process of keeping two churches going. And other things were playing in the background. The devil was on us like white on rice, trying to tear our family apart. There were honestly times when I didn’t think our family was going to pull through. One thing I know; Satan hates the family and will do anything to destroy it. Only by God’s grace did we survive those months.

2004 was a year of slow healing.

2005 was a year that has personal significance to me. My dad’s right-hand man, who I loved and respected, succumbed to the world, the flesh, and the devil. It was a heart- breaking time for me. I never saw somebody so close to me run so far from God. On March 16th of that year I vowed to God that I would never do that. I would rather be laid up in a hospital bed than be out having “fun” in the world. (Psalm 84:10) I surrendered to God’s will for my life…to be whatever He wanted, wherever He wanted, whenever He wanted. Then on May 12th, God gave me a wonderful promise from Psalm 84. I would hold God to His Word. He could provide the need I couldn’t imagine ever being fulfilled. 2005, the year of surrender and promise. Then came the test…

2006 was a year of great testing for me. I turned 18 in January, and it seemed like the God’s “promise” had arrived. I thought I had met and was being courted by my future husband. Everything seemed perfect. Little did I realize he was a counterfeit. He was the opposite of everything my parents and I thought he was. We were caught in a spiritual blizzard, unable to see the grave dangers that lay ahead. But then God calmed the storm, and His glorious light shone through our darkness. The Lord spared me from a life of misery. Now, looking back, my heart is filled with gratitude to God for His great grace. Those were difficult months that followed. At first I accepted it. After a short time of rebellion in my heart, God gave me deliverance on October 10th, and I could be glad. Glad that I had learned a hard lesson. Glad that He had pulled me from the miry clay and set my feet on solid ground. I’m reminded of Jesus. After His baptism, He endured great temptation in the wilderness. After my surrender to God, I had to be tested to see what I was made of. Did I really mean what I had promised the Lord? Would I quit when it seemed like God had dangled my long-awaited “best friend” in front of me only to take him away? Would I become bitter or pick up the broke pieces of my heart and press on? I wish all that hadn’t happened. It would have been easier to skip over that time. But God worked a bad situation together for good (Romans 8:28) and grew me emotionally and spiritually.

It was also in the beginning of the year 2006 that my health began deteriorating (Candida). A girl who knew no lack of energy was suddenly realizing what it was like to have none. God was teaching me to lean hard on Him. He was my strength. Would I give up? It seemed that just as I surrendered to God, He was steadily removing everything that was important to me. I didn’t understand it then, but God is giving me glimpses of all those unanswered “why’s.” Why He does the things He does. There are many things I don’t understand. There are things I won’t fully comprehend until I reach Heaven. Though I sometimes droop with exhaustion (today is one such day), I know in my heart why God lets me feel this way. He is teaching a girl who is naturally an uncompassionate person to have compassion on others. If I ever hope to be effective in the fulltime Christian ministry, I have to have compassion, and how else can I learn compassion than by suffering myself so I can understand those who are suffering? Now I can cry as I pray for those who are dealing with pain, because I know that pain myself. Perhaps if I wasn’t such a stubborn person God wouldn’t have to deal with me in such severe ways. But I’m glad He does. He is a good father…and He’s training me to be a good daughter.

2007 was a year of recuperation for me. On March 1st we got home from our 5-and-a-half-month stay in the States, and I plunged into our ministry in Holland. Earlier I had been resisting God as He gently nudged me to start playing the piano for our church fulltime. Now I was ready to comply. I was ready to give everything I had. The Lord taught me many things about the ministry in 2007 as we saw multitudes of people come and go through the church, including a girl I counted as one of my best friends, and as we dealt with hard blows from the enemy, which would continue on into 2008...

2008 How can I describe 2008? This has been a year of losses and gains we could have never imagined. As far as the church…In the beginning of the year we saw yet another crowd of people leave. I was sad to see them go for them, not for the church. Anybody in the ministry knows that “housecleaning” is a good thing. If people aren’t willing to follow God, then they shouldn’t be polluting the church with their bad spirits. I don’t mean to sound calloused or bitter; that’s just the way it is. It’s one of the unpleasant realizations of the ministry. In August we lost one of our deacons, my dad’s right-hand man, who was also my dad’s fill-in preacher when we went to the States. We saw it coming, but it was still a shock. But I can still say that God knew what He was doing. He has replaced those who left with faithful, obedient, tithing people who are growing in the Lord. It’s a blessing to see!

Those were the losses and gains in our ministry. As far as our personal lives, this year has been…wonderful!!! In April we had Bro. Buddy Maynard come visit us for a few days. My parents have known Bro. Buddy for years. Their church supports us, and we support their boys’ home. As I grew up we always listened to their music, the “Superman” song that Bro. Buddy sings being one of my favorites. We had a blessed time with Bro. Buddy, and he went right home and made plans to bring his family over to meet us. We had regular contact for several months, and then the whole Maynard family came to visit in the middle of October. We got a glimpse of Heaven as we fellowshipped and talked about the Lord. The visit was wonderful. I think the mutual feeling between our families is “where have you been all this time?” God knows the reason; we’re just glad we know each other now. Looking back over this year I would have to say that having the Maynards come into our lives has been that unimaginable gain…the “exceeding abundantly” of Ephesians 3:20. After 13 long years of loneliness, I can say it was worth the wait to find friends as dear as the Maynards.

How could I describe this year? After great hardship, the Lord gave us hope. We experienced the loving caresses of God’s hand. Medicine for the soul. Cool water for weary feet and the upholding of heavy hands that hang down. What word can I find to describe this year? It was a year of conflict and sweet comfort.

What can I say? Bless God! “I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.” Psalm 145:1

This afternoon I was relaxing in the rocking chair in our living room after having cleaned the house. Upstairs I heard my brother playing music. The sweet voice of Susan McGill came drifting down to greet my ears. “Some through the waters, some through the flood, Some through the fire, but all through the blood; Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song, In the night season and all the day long.” I sat there wracking my brain trying to figure out the title of the song. “God Leads Us Along.” I got on cyber hymnal and read the verses of that song. It was soothing to my soul.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God Leads Us Along

In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet,

God leads His dear children along;

Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet,

God leads His dear children along.

Refrain:
Some through the waters, some through the flood,

Some through the fire, but all through the blood;

Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,

In the night season and all the day long.

Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright,

God leads His dear children along;

Sometimes in the valley, in darkest of night,

God leads His dear children along.

Though sorrows befall us and evils oppose,

God leads His dear children along;

Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,

God leads His dear children along.

Away from the mire, and away from the clay,

God leads His dear children along;

Away up in glory, eternity’s day,

God leads His dear children along.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2009? Though each year has held unexpected joys and sorrows, one thing has always been the same. God has led us along. He never deserted us. I don’t know what awaits us in 2009, but we can be sure God will lead us along. Over the mountains and through the valleys. In the sunshine and through the blackness of night. God will lead us along.

Happy New Year!

May God bless in 2009!

Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart:
for consider how great things he hath done for you.

1 Samuel 12:24