Doubt in the rocky places

 Lessons from the seed falling on rocky ground

 "...the soil was so shallow and held so little nourishment and moisture, the heat of the sun soon withered the sprouting seed so that it died. It is always easier to begin a thing than it is to finish it." Barclay commentary on Mark 4:5-6  1  
Such it is with writing, including blogs, discipling new believers in fact anything of importance started.

What is the key that keeps us from finishing? ( I have many unfinished, unpublished blogs this year)

"Others, like the seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root they last only a short time and when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away." Mark 4:16-17 NIV 
Why does "joy fall away?"

 “If for any cause whatsoever we doubt His (unconditional) love, then our joy be darkened….” 2

The "rocky place", where "trouble and persecution come", has to do with doubt and doubt takes away joy.
"Don't doubt that love, know that He loves us unconditional. You just need to bring worries, sins, inabilities, anxiety and guilt to Him"  The Lord Prays for His Own, p. 242

 Do you believe:

1. That  God is sovereign in dark, troubled and persecuted places.
2. That God has a plan to bring you and I through any difficulty.
3. That He can give us the ability to meet His calling.
4. That God might not abandon us when we most need Him. 

In what circumstances of your life do you need to have Jesus turn doubt into joy?

Listen to what he has to say to you, let Him heal you and set you free.

 

1. William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series, The Gospel of Mark, (Philadelphia: The
Westminster Press) p.92
2   Marcus Rainsford, The Lord Prays for His Own, (Chicago: Moody Bible Institute, 1978), p.240-241

  

Lessons on Joy

Autumn Crocus

Along the path to the cottage, traveled every day is a seasonal bed of lupines and oriental poppies in the spring, shastas and lemon balm in the summer and in the fall anemone blanda. We clear a space of all but the anemones and soon, always seemingly by surprise the autumn crocus pushes through the ground for its glorious display.

In the blank spaces of life, joy appears, hardly noticeable at first, pushing it's way through the bare soil.  It waits underground often in my life until this time in autumn to make its display.

I have been praying for over a year for joy. "O Lord, open my eyes to see your path of life, the sovereign sight that in your presence is fullness of joy and at your right hand are pleasures forever more." taken from Psalm 16:12.  Joy began to appear when a friend asked us if we could house Kitty from Shepherd's House last week for 5 days. I was invited to attend one of her talks and when she started to talk about joy, I took notice. I asked it she could see me, so she showed me ways to increase joy through specific cooperative practice.

• 
  
  Meet left eye to left eye with people who are glad to see you, (brain research discovered this goes to a joy center).
• 
  
  Look at circumstances in a different way - not "positive thinking" nor "Polyanna" but looking back or beyond the present with the help of Jesus.
• 
  
  Forming deep relationships with other believers.
• 
  
  Being grateful every day, speaking out loud.

I was skeptical because I have always wanted to be myself, neither having a facade or pretending to be someone else,  nor drumming up joy from my own strength, bucking up. When the prayed-for-joy didn't come, I prayed for wisdom regarding joy  and this week  when Kitty came, the Lord said, "Here are my answers to your prayer for joy."

"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full." John 15:11  (ESV)

Now I have a way to "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.." James 1:2 (ESV)
Thank you LORD for your unfailing love.

Christmas wishes

We're leaving the island for Christmas

Watching from the ferry, leaving cormorants and gull behind on piling

All creatures on this earth who dwell,

(birds as well)

Sing praise to Him (God with us) Emanuel

May your Christmas be filled with wonder and joy!

Joy by letting Jesus, enter fully your heart today

Make a prime space room for Him which means getting out of the way

and leaving the old me behind.

(God help us and remind )

Where does your joy come from?

On the Road to commitment

Don't look back

(Lincoln Brewster singing )

Following my husband's advice to have more music and joy in my life, I stepped away from the garden writing and hit the road with our praise and worship team (I'm one of the vocalists) to CMS 2009 (Christian Music Summit) at Overlake Church in Redmond WA. . For two full days we heard top name performers, song writers, artists on stage and in workshops: Brentan Brown, Brian Doerksen, Paul Baloche, Lincoln Brewster and many more. I admired incredibly skilled Laura Story, Andy Leftwich and groups like Newworldson and secretly wished that I had decided to spend more time perfecting the music I loved to perform when I was younger. Off and on throughout the weekend, this background video of the road stripes as seen by someone looking out the back car window became the background for the song lyrics and for what God was saying to me this weekend.

Over and over I saw and heard the importance of dedication, - time each day, one day at a time, for practise, exercises, writing, doing what you are called to do. The message was loud and clear "commit." I decided If I look back too much instead of forward, by tomorrow, today will be backwards and I will have lost the chance for today. Does this make sense? For this week and each day I am looking forward, committing to writing the proposal and continuing the blog, (with time out for music) Pray I will rejoice in each day. I'll do the same for you.


Thank you to those who encouraged me.


Philippians 3:12-14 Press on to the high calling
Psalm 118:24 "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Proverbs 16:3 'Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

More music in my life

Void of music - (Piano parts taken, hammers reshaped)

Last week I decided that it was time to become serious about wanting more music in my life. With so many deaths in our family this year along with moving, I have neglected to find joy. I have always loved music and surrounded myself with instruments and opportunities to play but never taken the time to really practise and get better. So last week when I saw an ad on the kiosk from a music teacher willing to teach mandolin, I called and had the first lesson. She put a few songs in my head and hand and sent me off to practise. At the same time last week the piano tuner called, said he was going to be on the island, showed up and took the insides out of the piano home with him to reshape the hammers. They had become dull from the previous owner's playing(not mine). He came again this week to put them back and tuned the piano and I've been sitting everyday playing

I know that joy cannot be hammered up but is a gift from God. It occurred to me that only when I am doing what God has ordained and in the place I have been designed to be, will there be joy. Music is a start. It has always been in my life yet I have never given it the time it deserves. With all the households finally combined and the funeral services over. It is time to do what I love. I'll get piano lessons too.

This round plays in my mind. I don't think it is theologically correct, but if it helps me to practice I'll sing it.

"All things shall perish under the sky

Music alone shall live, music alone shall live, music alone shall live

Never to die."

Piano delivered June 2008