Glory to God

It's been quite some time since I've sat down to write on this blog. It's not that there hasn't been plenty to blog about. There has been too much going on. Most has been of a private nature and I don't feel free to go into details, BUT I do want to share that God has been doing great things. Of course, that's His nature~doing great things. He does great things in the small things and great things in the bigger things, and great things in the huge things. We've been experiencing a little of all of it.

Regardless of the circumstances, it is always amazing to stand back a moment and realize all He's been doing not only in the circumstances, but in the people involved, and in myself. I don't believe that God causes all the bad things in our lives, or that they are His ultimate will, but I do believe God will use whatever we're experiencing, wherever we've failed, whatever has been done to us, whatever is painful for our ultimate good and for His glory. There are choices involved though. We must choose to submit to Him, yield to the working of the Holy Spirit and actively choose to allow Him to work all things out for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. (Romans 8:28) Most of that involves nailing "self" to the cross and choosing to let Him be Lord over us and Lord over ALL. "Self" has a tendency to get in the way of God. One or the other is on the throne and as long as self is on the throne, life will be chaotic. The throne is not a two-seater. It's not a throne built for two. Just One!

During this season God has been teaching me so much about Believing Him and trusting Him no matter what the physical realm circumstances may be screaming around me. He is always at work and there is much activity going on in the spiritual realm that we are not as aware of. Oh, we may get glimpses, but I've never seen with my eyes, even my spiritual eyes, all that is taking place. His Word tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, things yet unseen. (Hebrew 11:1) I have been on a journey to have faith in what God has spoken to me and faith in the God who spoke them, regardless of circumstances. This is an area I've grown in over the years, but God and I are going to an all new and deeper level than ever before. The faith journey can be at times wearisome, but the faith journey is exciting!

I've been praying for God to move some mountains. Last week I prayed for Him to shake the ground. The night I prayed this, one of the situations I was praying over came to a new level of conflict. I cried out to God and ask Him what was going on? He spoke to me in my spirit saying that He was indeed shaking the ground, that things hidden where coming to the surface as preparation and as a part of moving the mountains. My tears dried up immediately and I praised my God for shaking the ground and the movement that was taking place to move the mountains.

I hope I haven't rambled and confused anyone, but there really has been so much going on. The details may be personal, but His workings and manifestations are to be proclaimed from the rooftops. Glory to God in the Highest!!!

YOU MUSTN'T QUIT - UNKNOWN AUTHOR

I'm a listener and intercessor, and so many have been sharing with me of great struggles, discouragement and hard trials they are facing. I came across this poem today and even though I'm not a boxing fan (reference to last paragraph), I felt this poem and the accompaning footnote, had a lot to say. Most times in life when you're tired of the battles, the struggles, the pain, and you're at your weariest is when you need to fight the hardest, pray the hardest, do all it takes because your victory may just be over the horizon. There are things in life worth fighting for especially when it's hard: your marriage, your family, the pregnancy that doesn't happen, the hope of a job that hasn't arrived yet, and so on. Scripture tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, things yet unseen. I like the word "yet", it implies that it hasn't happened "yet", but it will.

YOU MUSTN'T QUIT - Unknown Author

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sign,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest! if you must-but never quit.

Life is queer, with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won if he'd stuck it out;
Stick to your task, though the pace seems slow-
You may succeed with one more blow.

Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt-
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

From Poems that Touch the Heart, compiled by A. L. Alexander

It was James J. Corbett, former heavyweight champion of the world who said: "Fight one more round." When your feet are so tired you have to shuffle back to the center of the ring, fight one more round! When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round! When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you're so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep-DON'T QUIT, FIGHT ONE MORE ROUND!

Snippet, Holiness Is What I Long For

Trina's Snippets
Holiness
Nancy Leigh DeMoss

“The message of repentance and holiness needs to be proclaimed, heard, and heeded among God’s people in every generation. It must become more than a theological tenet that we politely nod agreement to; it needs to transform the way we think and the way we live.”

“True holiness is the pathway to fullness of life and joy. To be holy is to be wholly satisfied with Christ. Above all, it is to reflect the beauty and the splendor of our holy Lord in this dark world. In pursuing holiness, you will fulfill and experience all that God had in mind when He created you.”

“A commitment to be holy is a commitment to be clean through and through--to have no unholy part. True holiness starts on the inside—with our thoughts, attitudes, values, and motives—those innermost parts of our hearts that only God can see. It also affects our outward and visible behavior: ‘Be holy in all your conduct.’ 1 Peter 1:15

“This passage for purity [1 Peter 1:15-previous paragraph] is what I saw in my dad’s example that made holiness so compelling to me as a young person. Of course, he often failed (and was willing to admit it when he did); but he sought to live a life that was morally upright and completely above reproach; in the way he ran his business,
used his time,
conducted himself with members of the opposite sex,
treated family members and employees,
talked about other people – [including his life mate and children,]
responded to critics,
spent his money,
and honored the Lord’s Day;
in his work habits,
leisure activities,
and entertainment choices—what he read and listened to and watched.
He so loved God that he wanted holiness to characterize every area of his life.”

“Holiness and joy are inseparable companions.”

*"Snippets"--clips, morsels, fragments from something I've read recently...something that has ministered to me or someone else.
They are meant to encourage, challenge, or cause us to ponder.
They may even cause you to run to the nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of the book they are snipped from.

If you forward "Snippets" to anyone, please send it in its entirety, not deleting the original source or author.

If you are on the "Snippet" email list and wish to be removed, please email me. If you would like to be added to the Snippet list, just email me at the below address.
krodgers5@suddenlink.net
Snippets birthed May 10, 2003

Scripture for Memory and Mediation #18 AUTUMN

Isaiah 55:12 NIV

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field with clap their hands."

Okay, this may seem trivial, but I turn 50 this month. One day I'm at peace with this changing season or my life and the next I want to hold it at bay. As the earth season is now changing from summer to fall, I feel in a sense that my life is going from summer to fall. I have never worried about a birthday before this one and I have been determined for the past 350 plus days (since turning 49) that I would not succumb to being blue over this one. I don't fear death or anything like that, I'm just seeing this birthday as a real change of season for me and I've had a few bouts of the blues. Praise God though, He is faithful to lift me out of this place quickly.

I've always loved this scripture, Isaiah 55:12, because it speaks of joy and hope in change. God first laid this Word on my heart when I left my hometown to move with my husband's job promotion. I looked at it as a God adventure.

Even as I'm writing this and thoughts of this becoming the autumn of my life, I am reminded that every day for the past two weeks with cooler weather I've exclaimed that I love the fall and I love the change of season. I think God may be trying to tell me something. (Big smile)

Maybe this autumn season is going to be my most favorite of all since it is my most favorite season in the earth cycle. Today, I go outside and stand in the fall weather and lift up my head to the heavens and exclaim, I will go out, from the spring and summer seasons of my life, with joy and in the presence of my loving Father, I am being led forth in peace. This will be a most joyful season and the mountains and hills will burst into song before me and the trees of the field will clap their hands.

I love autumn!

A Call to Anguish: David Wilkerson via The Bravehearted Gospel

http://braveheartedgospel.com/Home.html

Scripture for Memory and Mediation #17

Psalm 62:5-6 NIV

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Fortress, I will not be shaken."

In a world full of turmoil, in our lives full of turmoil we often try to find solace, direction, counsel, or guidance from those around us and they may or may not be able to give us some comfort, some guidance, some encouragement. Ultimately though, they will not be able to meet the deepest needs within us.

I and my family have had to walk through many journeys over the years that have been trying and at times devastating; probably no more than anyone else has had to endure. Individually and as a family we have been immensely blessed to have the love, support, encouragement, and counsel of godly friends. But when push comes to shove and our back is against the wall, there is no other like the Lord, my Rock, my Salvation, my Fortress.

When I used the word “endure” in a preceding paragraph, it short changes the experiences. Yes, we do endure, but we also have the opportunity to grow in our own faith and trust in God. We go beyond leaning on the faith of our faith-strong friends and family to a place of leaning on our Father in a very personal and intimate way. If we press into Him and His Word, we will find He is faithful, loving, and sovereign. In fact, He is the epitome of faithfulness, love, and sovereignty. I have found Him to be these and in this I have found I can trust Him and His work in and through life’s circumstances. He has never left me nor forsaken me. Through the trials of life, He has taken the situation, the issues, the pain, the brokenness and transformed me to the very core of my person and character. He has comforted me in His love, He has weeded out things that needed weeding out of my life and character, He has grown more of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in me, He has been my guide through the turbulent waters, He is my God and my Friend.

I have found my rest in Him, my hope in Him. He is my Rock, my Salvation, my fortress and in Him I will not be shaken. Glory to God!

If you are traveling in rough waters presently, run to Him as if running into a fortress from your enemy. Lean into Him as John leaned upon His chest at the last supper. Rest in Him as Elijah did after His confrontation with the priests of Baal. You will find His agape love, His endless faithfulness, and His royal sovereignty!

Scripture for Memory and Mediation #16

1 John 3:1 NIV

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

I just love this verse. It has always made me feel so precious when I read it, almost like a princess. I'm honestly not the princess type, but this verse makes me feel that way.

Our Father, Heavenly Father, loves each one of us so much that His desire is to lavish His love on us. Lavish meaning, abundant, profuse, generous, excessive. Synonyms: extravagant, liberal, shower, heap on, unsparing, magnanimous. Are you starting to feel it? He wants to shower His love on us excessively, extravagantly.

I used the phrase above indicating that this was His desire, but in fact this scripture says, "He HAS lavished His love on us." He has already and continues to lavish His love on us. Sometimes we just get so wrapped up in our world, our problems (and granted many of the problems people experience are tragic and heart-breaking), our busyness, and even ourselves, that we tragically miss seeing this lavish love. Our pain has calloused our hearts, our busyness has swept right passed it, ourselves have been all-consuming and didn't allow room for Him.

I'm encouraging you today to stop where you are and focus on His love that He is lavishing on you...His love in the gift of salvation, in the spiritually abundant life He wants to give you, in those relationships of those close to you, in nature, in your needs being met, in the precious gift of the indwelling presence of Holy Spirit. I could go on and on and on...but I hope you get the point.

He has and is lavishly pouring His love on you and on me. Sometimes, we just have to take the time to refocus-stop focusing on the negatives and even legitimate pain, and focus on Him. I speak/write from experience.

I hope you begin to feel like a princess (or prince, if any guys are reading this) today as you recognize the extravagant love that has been lavished on you.

He is our true Treasure

Trina's Snippets

My friend, Lisa Shaw, has prompted me to read a book I’ve long had, but have never read until now. This will be one of my life-time favorites

The Pursuit of God
A. W. Tozer

“The man who has
God for his treasure has all things in One.
Many ordinary treasures may be
denied him,
or if he is allowed to have them,
the enjoyment of them will
be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness.
Or if he
must see them go,
one after one,
he will scarcely feel a sense of loss,
for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction,
all
pleasure,
all delight.
Whatever he may lose he has actually lost
nothing,
For he now has it all in One,
and he has it purely,
legitimately, and forever.”

“…in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing.”

*"Snippets"--clips, morsels, fragments from something I've read recently...something that has ministered to me or someone else.
They are meant to encourage, challenge, or cause us to ponder.
They may even cause you to run to the nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of the book they are snipped from.

If you forward "Snippets" to anyone, please send it in its entirety, not deleting the original source or author.

If you are on the "Snippet" email list and wish to be removed, please email me.
If you would like to be added to the Snippet list, just email me at the below address.
krodgers5@suddenlink.net
Snippets birthed May 10, 2003

Scripture for Memory and Mediation #15

Psalm 57:2 NIV

“I cry out to God Most High,

to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.”

Just the Word I needed.

I've been going through somewhat of a funk lately.

Hate to admit it, but it's true.

I needed to be reminded, as God does most every day, that He does, indeed, have His purposes for my life and
He will fulfill them.

Speak, Lord, in Your perfect timing for Your servant listens with great anticipation. I surrender All to Jesus, I surrender ALL.

Summer 2009...Trip to Colorado

A few photo's from our recent trip to Colorado.

If you know me well, you know selecting a few photo's is an accomplishment because I literally can take a thousand pictures on a trip...or of grandbabies. That's why I have to store my photo's on an external hard drive =)

This is of one of numerous hummingbirds at an archeological site outside Pagosa Springs. I loved it because I have to wait at my house for the one little hummingbird to come by to visit my flowers.

Indian Cliff Dwellings at Mesa Verde

Kerry at petroglyphs at Albuquerque New Mexico on the way to Colorado

I don't know why I took this because I REALLY don't care for lizard like creatures, but his coloring was so pretty.

The sun taking shelter behind the clouds.

This was actually taken in Texas as we traveled along the way.

Between Durango Colorado and Ouray. Beautiful drive all the way.