Tuesday, February 24, 2009

In The Secret Place With God

Trina's Snippets
Daily in His Presence
Andrew Murray

Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

“Christ longed for His disciples to know God as their Father and have fellowship with Him within the secret place. In His own life, Jesus considered such communion with His Father to be indispensable and found in it great happiness. Thus he longs that we should understand that we cannot be dedicated disciples without daily communion with the Father who eagerly waits for us in secret.

God desires to draw us away from the world and our self-absorption. He offers us the wonder of an intimate relationship with Him. If only God’s children would take the privilege to heart!

Believers of the Old Testament enjoyed this experience. David often wrote poetry and sang of the Lord being a secret place of refuge for him. How much more should Christians in the New Covenant value this intimate relationship with their Father. We need to commune with our heavenly Father regularly, day by day, that our spiritual life might be restored and renewed.

We have died with Christ and are made one with Him in His resurrection-one plant, one tree. As the roots of a tree are hidden underground, so the roots of our daily lives are hidden deep in God. Take time, therefore, to ponder these words of David: ‘How great is your goodness…in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You’ (Psalm 31:19).”

“Thank you, Lord, for those times I spend with You in the secret place of prayer, where I can recover, be renewed, and be encouraged.”
"Snippets"--clips, morsels, fragments from something I've
read recently...something that has ministered to me or
someone else. They may simply be something God has
impressed upon my heart to send. They are meant to
encourage, challenge, and cause us to ponder. They may
even cause you to run to the nearest Christian 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.

Il Divo Amazing Grace

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrnB4FZ-yc

Monday, February 23, 2009

Scripture for Memory and Meditation #4

Today's Scripture:
"Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I Am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up;
do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland."


This little daffodil in my yard today was a first sign of the coming spring.
It brings to mind His "new thing springing up" in our lives. Seeing the first bulbs peeking up through the soil each year makes me all excited to get to work in my flowerbeds. I start dreaming about what I'll plant and how beautiful they will look with all the colors and smells of the different flowers. This is only a hint of the feelings I should have when I think about God doing a new thing in my life, something that will be unlike what's He's done in my past. I love the way He says, "Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it?" It's almost as if He's so excited about what He's doing that He wants us to perceive it, get excited about it, anticipate it.

Have you ever had the joy of buying the most wonderful, absolutely perfect gift for someone you love at Christmas. You're so excited you don't think you can wait until Christmas Day for them to open it. You can't wait to see their pleasure. You're about to burst with anticipation. That's how I see God when He says, "Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it?"

Father, give us Your vision and Your dreams for our lives. We want to get onboard with You and feel Your anticipation and pleasure over what You are about to do in our lives. Where there has been desert, You are making a way. Where they have seemed to be wasteland, You are making a stream.

They will soar on wings like eagles

(Photo taken at Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada)

Isaiah 40: 28-31

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everylasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

"Even the strongest people get tired at times,
but God's power and strength never diminish.
He is never too tired or too busy to help and listen.
His strength is our source of strength.
When you feel all of life crushing you and cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength."
Life Application Study Bible footnote

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Grandma Clara

Trina's Snippets

Crazy Love
Francis Chan

“Have you ever met someone who was utterly and desperately in love with Jesus? I have. My wife’s grandma Clara.

“Every morning Clara would kneel by her bed and spend precious hours with her Savior and Lover; later in the day, just the sight of that corner of her bed would bring joy-filled tears and a deep anticipation of the next morning spent kneeling in His presence.”

“In his book, God Is the Gospel, John Piper essentially asks whether we are in love with God:
‘The critical question for our generation-and for every generation-is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disaster, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?’”

From Trina: When I read the above from Francis Chan’s book, my first thought when reading about Grandma Clara, was “Oh, to have that kind of passion and intimacy with my Lord." And I wrote, “I can’t imagine the depth of that joy. Father, for this to describe my life would be my greatest joy. I do cherish my time in prayer and meditation and study with You and when I’m not in my prayer room, I am filled with emptiness and longing.” As I read the second paragraph, the quote from John Piper’s book, I wrote in my journal. “Lord, as I read this a hole swelled up from inside me as an appalled unfiltered, “NO” jumped from my lips. It was a shocking question. Heaven would not be heaven without Jesus.”

And even to feel as I do, it is still so much less than He deserves. I pray where ever each of us are in our walk with God, that we will never be completely satisfied, but pursue a greater intimacy with Him every single day of our lives.

*"Snippets"--clips, morsels, fragments from something
I've read recently...something that has ministered to me
or someone else. They may simply be something God has
impressed upon my heart to send. They are meant
to encourage, challenge, and cause us to ponder.
They may even cause you to run to the nearest
Christian 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.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

How Great Thou Art



A Few Photo's from Yellowstone ~ June 2008
HOW GREAT THOU ART

(Sing along with me as you scroll down)


O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.



Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art,
How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art,
How great Thou art!

When through the woods,
and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.


Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art,
How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art,
How great Thou art!


And when I think,
that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross,
my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.



Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art,
How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art,
How great Thou art!


When Christ shall come,
with shout of acclamation,
And take me home,
what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow,
in humble adoration,
And then proclaim:
"My God, how great Thou art!"


Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art,
How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art,
How great Thou art!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Scripture for Memory and Meditation #3 (#1 and #2)

Scripture for Memory and Meditation #3
Song of Solomon 2:14 NIV
"Show me Your face,
Let me hear Your voice;
for Your voice is sweet,
and Your face is lovely."

I don't know how many of you have been blessed to be in a Beth Moore study, but I know I have been over and over! Beth has a blog that she and her two young married/mom daughters write on. I found it last week. I've been blessed, challenged, and entertained already. I'm sending you the link that begins in January, 2009. They are even doing a scripture memory "thingy". I think she posts those on the 1st and 15th. I'm starting with January 1 and trying to catch up to date on the blog so I can follow what's going on. It may take me a couple of weeks to get up-to-date, but it's been fun. Thought some of you might enjoy their short blogs during spare minutes of your day. http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html

I'm playing catch-up so here are my first two scriptures to memorize so I can memorize 24 scriptures from God's Word by the end of the year.


Scripture for Memory and Meditation #1
"Isaiah 33:6 NET
"He is your constant source of stability;
He abundantly provides safety and great wisdom;
He gives all this to those who fear Him."

Scripture for Memory and Meditation #2
Psalm 63:6 NIV
"On my bed I remember You. I think of You through the watches of the night."




ABOUT SNIPPETS

I send out an email about once a week (no regular schedule) called "Trina's Snippets". It began in 2003 when I was reading and thought of all the insights I've received from reading Christian writers. I've always highlighted and underlined things that stood out to me so I decided to send a short quote to friends every so often. That list of recipients has grown and many, if not most, of the people I've never met. Some of those have since emailed me and we've become friends through email. It's been a real blessing to me. I'm inserting into this post one of the recent Snippets. It is a prayer by A.W. Tozer from "The Pursuit of God". I think it is a beautiful expression from a hungry heart.

Trina's Snippets
The Pursuit of God
A. W. Tozer

“O God, I have tasted Your goodness,
and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.
O God, the Triune God, I want to want You;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me Your glory, I pray, that so I may know You indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me.
Say to my soul, `Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.'
Then give me grace to rise and follow You up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long.
In Jesus' name, Amen.”
*"Snippets"--clips, morsels, fragments from something
I've read recently...something that has ministered to me
or someone else. They may simply be something God has
impressed upon my heart to send. They are meant
to encourage, challenge, and cause us to ponder.
They may even cause you to run to the nearest
Christian 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.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Learning about blogging and so much more...

Today's Scripture: Isaiah 33:6 NET

"He is your constant source of stability; He abundantly provides safety and great wisdom;He gives all this to those who fear Him."


I've been sitting at my computer off and on trying to get this page set up and discover what I can do as far as settings and layout. I've found from the past couple of months that I can spend a lot of time reading blogs and today I learned that I can spend a lot of time working on a blog. All that to say, I will have to find a place of balance and discipline in the blog world. =)

I did have an amazing time with my Lord today. After 30 something years of stresses and demands from a career, I have semi-retired and am loving being home and having time to do and be things I've wanted for so long. I have the most amazing times with God is prayer, study, and meditation each day. I'm also trying very hard to get better physically fit through lifestyle changes and exercise. I finally did some of my Holy Yoga DVD today. It felt good. http://www.holyyoga.net/home

Two things God has been trying to teach me this year have been 1) To stop trying to do everything on my own and instead reach in and tap the source of the Holy Spirit that is within me. It's all my choice. He's available and just waiting for me to submit to Him and seek His help. 2) To be more thankful. Actually to overflow with gratitude and thanksgiving. In reading R. T. Kendall's book, "Just Say Thanks", I am remind of how I've neglected a gushing heart of thanks and am embarassed before God for my lack of awareness and then the expression of great thanksgiving. He deserves better. And speaking of things to be thankful for...The photograph on this post is one I took last summer when we visited The Tetons and Yellowstone. Now isn't God amazing!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Just getting started...

I've been reading several blogs and have finally decided to join in. I've been an avid prayer journaler for many years and don't want this process to take away from that. It is a precious thing to me. But I'm up to see where this goes...