Reflections from Exodus 15...

The Lord is

my Strength

my song

my salvation

my God

a Man of War

THE LORD is His name

He is

glorious in power

He

shatters the enemy

He is

great in majesty

He is 

glorious in holiness

awesome in splendor

He

does wonders

He

leads us with mercy and lovingkindness

He 

redeems us

He 

guides us in His strength

He 

reigns forever and ever!

Reflections on the song of Moses that the Israelites sang after their crossing of the Red Sea on dry land and the drowning of Pharaoh's army.  Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, led the women in playing the timbral and dancing. In the very next verse, it says that three days later the people murmured and complained because of their lack of fresh water.  I've wondered how they could see God part the sea and deliver them then three days later doubt His goodness and faithfulness.  Yet, I can recall times I've praised and worshiped God on Sunday, then doubted His faithfulness on Monday.  God forgive me!  I want my mind to be focused on who He is and my heart to be fixed on that truth.  I want to be unshakeable and immovable in trusting Him.

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Ash Wednesday reflections...

Adam's image is readily seen in his offspring.  This man made from dust passed on to us his

Sin, selfishness and stubborn rebellion, and we all too readily slog along in his footsteps. Were it not for

His intervention on our behalf, this Radical Redeemer of the human race,

We would be lost forever, forced to pay the wages of our forefather's sin, saddled with a death sentence,

Eternally lost. If not for His intervention, the One Who paid our 

Debt so that we could have eternal life and an inheritance of hope that we 

Neither earned or deserved.  It boggles the mind and stretches our understanding to the limit that the

Everlasting, Eternal One would give it all just to

Save wretches like you and I, the sons and daughters of 

Disobedient Adam, who chose his own way instead of God's, just like you and I do all too often.  Now, we who are

Adopted as His own, long to bear His image, long for His beauty to be seen in us as as it was before that long ago

Yesterday in the garden when satan thought he'd doomed Adam's offspring forever.  Thank God he was wrong.

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A prayer...

I am like a tree stripped bare in Your presence.

I lift my arms to you.

Nothing that I used to trust in covers my bare boned nakedness.

All of my false armor has been stripped away.

The carnal weapons that I've used to fight against flesh and blood have proven too heavy and completely futile.

All of my self efforts to keep my life neat, tidy, controlled, predictable, safe, protected,

have done nothing but produce all consuming weariness.

Gently, patiently, tenderly You've uncurled my tightly gripped fingers off of it all.

The control, the armor of my own making, the futile efforts of self protection.

I know that when it all shakes down, the truth is that all I have is You and all I need is you.

You have my wholehearted yes.

In thousands of little ways, You've patiently shown me your very personal care for me.

You've shown me that You love me, (ME!), intimately, personally.

You've proven time and again that I can trust you.

I want to live life your way, to battle Your way, with Your weapons, against the real foe.

Teach this old dog new tricks, time tested realities of living life as more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus.

Wrap my nakedness in Yourself, keep my life hidden with Christ in God.

Help me to live my life fully consecrated to You.

My heart's desire is for the rest of my life to be the best of my life.

You're the only source of that kind of wholeness, of that kind of fullness, 

of that kind of abundance.

Strengthen me in the hidden depths of my inner being.

Let the life giving sap of Your Spirit flow, causing tender green shoots of new life to spring forth.

Let the new thing You are doing in this old, naked tree bring You praise and glory.

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Random Acts of Poetry day...

It's Random Acts of Poetry day!

In honor of this occasion and because today we had some long overdue rain here in the Portland/Vancouver area,

I'm reposting this poem by yours truly.

Ode to A Soup Pot

In summer it sits upon the shelf and rarely sees the light of day

Come fall and winter out it comes on gloomy days with skies of gray

Its color red it is my favorite, no plain jane pot will do for me

It makes me happy just to see it, filling heart and home with glee

A pinch of this, a dash of that, who knows what wonders it contains?

I want to eat its lovely contents, with bread to sop up last remains

A spicy chili?  Marinara?  A Sendak style soup with rice?

The smells they waft, they woo, they linger, they oh so shamelessly entice

Oh lovely soup pot, ‘tis your season, these Northwest rains they beckon me

To bring you out from hidden pantry, this year’s debut, what shall it be?

Boeuf Bourguignon?  It was a highlight, on autumn day some months gone by

A hearty stew? A roasted chicken? A flakey crusted chicken pie?

Whatever it is, it’s sure to gladden, sure to cheer and to sustain

Oh lovely soup pot how I’ve missed you, it ALMOST makes me glad for rain!

Here's the recipe!

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His voice...

His is the voice that spoke all of creation into existence 

His is the voice that decreed that His creation was good

His is the voice that conversed daily with Adam and Eve as they walked with Him in the garden

 His is the voice, that cried out, "Where are you?", the cry of a heartbroken Father

 His is the voice that called out to Abram and told him to leave everything he knew to go to a strange land

His is the voice that spoke to Moses from the burning bush, from the mercy seat, 

that thundered from the top of Mt. Sinai

His is the voice of the Good Shepherd, Who called to a shepherd boy and made him a great king

His is the voice of the Lover of Israel grieving over her unfaithfulness

His is the voice of the prophets ever calling, calling, calling for His people to return to Him

His is the voice of the Father saying, "This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"

His is the voice that His Son listened to, only saying, only doing, what He instructed

His is the voice that the Son submitted to, when He said, "Not My will Father, but Thine be done."

His is the voice of resurrection power that spoke the word, "Arise!" and it was so

His is the voice that guided the apostles and that birthed and guides His church

His is the voice that calls His children, one by one by one, to His great heart, to join His family

His is the voice, that one day, called my name

His is the voice of the Spirit, ever calling, calling, calling for His people to return to Him

His is the voice that joins with the voice of His Bride crying , "Even so Lord Jesus, Come!"

His is the voice that will one day say to the Son, "Now is The Day!"

His is the Voice that whispers words of love, yet thunders with majesty

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Also happily linking up with the lovely Lisha Epperson 

and Cheryl McCain Photography.

No one else...

I'm often struck with the significance of our uniqueness to God,

of how much He loves us as individuals.

With that in mind, I did a little research and found that even in identical twins 

there are no two exact copies.

One has a freckle where one doesn't, or one's face is a wee bit fuller than the other's.

Their fingerprints are not identical, and while it is said that their DNA is the same,

from what I read, their DNA eventually develops slight mutations 

caused by their individual and unique experiences and environment.

So, with all of the above tumbling around in my heart and mind, I wrote this little poem.

It's dedicated to my five uniquely special, wonderful grandchildren.

In this whole big wide world, in the whole human race

there is no one else like you, no one else with your face.

No one else with your fingerprints, no one else with your hands,

no one else with your God-designed purpose and plan.

No one else writes your words, no one else makes your art,

no one else fills your place in your Father God's heart.

No one else has your voice, no one else sings your tune,

though we all share the same sun, the same stars, the same moon.

No one else feels your feelings, knows the thoughts in your mind,

you're unique as can be, you are one of a kind.

No one else dreams your dreams, no one else cries your tears,

no one else hopes your hopes, no one else feels your fears.

No one else walks your walk, no one else lives your days,

but there's One who walks with you every step of the way.

No one else laughs just like you, sees the world through your eyes,

no one else is just like you, even if they should try.

There is only one you, you are special you see,

you are special to God, and you're special to me.

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at 3-D Lessons for Life

Passion for Jesus…

Purify my heart from all that hinders whole-hearted love for You

All I am and have abandoned to You, for You

Save me from sin and selfishness

Sick of compromise and lukewarmness

I want to live a wholly yielded, holy life

Only You really satisfy

No one else, nothing else, but you

 

Forgive me for yielding to self rather than Spirit

One Lord, One Master, You alone

Rule my mind, my heart, me

 

Jesus, help me to be the lover You deserve

Equally yoked with You, my Bridegroom

Set apart as Yours alone

Unhindered in devotion to You

Solely, wholly, holy Yours

 

Still following,

Elizabeth

3 spring haikus…

Gray and rainy day

Warm spring sun please hurry up

Winter has been long

 

Flowers brought indoors

Reminding me of the hope

Spring will surely come

This spring I will plant

Lavender and rosemary

I hope they will grow

 

Just having a little haiku fun today,

Elizabeth