Category: Faith

Posted on in Faith, Spiritual growth

Diving in Honor © 1999 Molly Lin Dutina

Summer is winding down with schools getting ready to try reopening here in Ohio. Sadly, there were not any summer swim meets at the local swim clubs this year. Our family always enjoyed those. Thought you might enjoy this vignette.


ISA 43:4a NRSV   “You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you,”
[says the Lord your God.]
 
 
The journaling question was:
 ‘When I think about God loving me unconditionally as I am, I …’
 
Well, I get bashful, knowing Your Word and Your love are true
– but hardly daring to believe You, Lord.
In Your sight I am honored? Why?
I believe, as a servant,
I have only done what You asked me to do –
so, why honored?
 
And I remember reading Rick Joyner’s book,
the multitudes worshiping the Lord in the heavenlies
– and they – and I – are honored for obedience to the Lamb.
 
Again I argue,
but whom have I in heaven, but You, my Lord?
To obey is the source of my life –
the Source of all my joy –
honor seems too high a reward.
Perhaps my next obedient step
should be to read Isaiah and
write down Your words of comfort, love and honor?
You say You sing over Your people,
that Your faithfulness is a shield about us.
 
Oh Jesus, as I come to know You more deeply
there is so much more to learn.
I will never come to the end of your love.
A boundary wall will never appear to stop me from
entering Your unfailing love.
So help me, Jesus.
Finally, I want to learn to dive!

Help me jack-knife into Your love
            Triple somersaults of joy into
                        Your endless bounty of love and mercy.
Back flips – with no fear of knocking my brain out-
            empowered by Your Holy Spirit.
I tirelessly race up the ladder
            to make another grace-filled, magnificent dive.
 
Slicing into Your bounty of love and honor
            and before Your sight Precious
                        barely making a splash.
 
Diving deeper, deeper,
            never able to reach the bottom of Your kindness
but surely drenched, washed, renewed in Your water of Life.

 
And You, on the side
            watching with Your cronies alongside my enemies
            flashing high scores for me
            pleased by my obedience.
You are delighted by my yielded heart.
 
More of You, Lord
            more than my next gulp of air
 I want more of Your drenching,
Your overshadowing.
Come upon me, power of the Most High
soak me, enfold me, permeate my very cells.
Then guide me forth
to do Your will upon this earth.
 
But wait!!  I must clamber up that ladder
            one more time in joy and glee
            and as Your child
do a tremendous cannonball –
sending Your love splashing out
on all those around.
I’ve even gotten the grouchy old lady
who never wants to get wet!
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Nature, Spiritual growth

Miss Muffett

From my post July 25th remember about how the fear had no power unless she gave it to him by swatting at it in fear? Been trying ever since then to get a good spider web photo. This time of year the spiders seem to spin the largest webs. How’s this? See the body about center of the center tree?

How much power are you giving to your fears? Are you able to sit still in their presence and know that fear is a choice? There is a debate now how many times the Bible says ‘Fear not.” For me, whether it is 100 times or 365, reworded as be not afraid, we are instructed how to cope. We are also told not to entertain thoughts that draw us away from the Living God. (2 Corinthians 10:5) We are told to LET NOT our hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:1) The choice is ours. Whether reading Genesis 15:1 or Revelation 2:10 fear is not our best choice.

“Molly Lin, the spider is fear. It has very little power on its own. But you give it your energy by flailing and struggling and assuming it is more powerful than it is. Think through this same scene and SEE that had you chosen to sit still and watch that spider, it would have dangled from strings and been as impotent to harm you as the one holding its frames. He has no power over you unless you give it to him. Fear is a choice!”

Taken from Miss Muffett © 1982 Molly Lin Dutina

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Covid 19, Faith, Nature

Look What I Found!

Out walking Lucky on August 11, 2020, last week. With the cooler temperatures for a few nights at our house this week, the leaf was a welcome reminder that even summer swelter does not last forever.

During Covid it seems as if the days last forever, and then suddenly we are repeating the task of yesterday. It is all so ‘daily.’ We often ask “How did we get towards mid-August already?” Seems like a time warp that circles and twists in upon itself. How many months have we been doing this?

Yikes.

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.  He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.  He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.”

Daniel 2:20-22 (NIV2011)

Posted on in Faith, Music, Spiritual growth

I Looked All Over For This

I wanted to post this on Sunday, but I had not yet found what I was seeking. I have heard this Scripture set to music. The melody and part of the words were floating about in my mind and spirit. I could not find the song or the reference for it!

I had opportunity to listen to the book of Romans while sewing on Saturday. And POW! there was the verse! Just like that!

 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

Romans 11:33 (NRSV)

And Monday I finally found the song again! This is what I am referring to when I say the Holy Spirit haunts me at times, leading me to Scripture and Scripture songs or hymns. All glory to You, Lord Christ!

Posted on in Book quotes, Faith, Humor

Quotes

Sometimes I find quotes that stop and make me think. How do these hit you?

“Keep life moving forward, looking backward is only for time travelers. “ -Rachel O.Washington (Dove chocolate wrapper) An especially fine saying is this time of our lives! Especially as the chocolate melts in your mouth while you ponder the meaning 🙂

“What can’t be cured, must be endured.” Yikes.

From Charles Miller Chasing Fireflies: a novel of discovery “His question pressed me against the railing. Men spend their lives asking Who am I when the real question is Whose am I? I don’t think you can answer the first until you’ve settled the second. First horse, then cart. Identity does not grow out of action until it has taken root in belonging.”

So whose are you? I am the Lord Jesus Christ’s sister, my Father’s daughter, child and sheep. I could go on and on.

From a very strange novel called iQ84 “And it was the kind of thing that loses the most important nuances when reduced to words. Everybody feels safe belonging not to the excluded minority but to the excluding majority. You think, Oh, I’m glad that’s not me. It’s basically the same in all periods in all societies. If you belong to the majority, you can avoid thinking about lots of troubling things.” “And those troubling things are all you can think about when you’re one of the few.” “That’s about the size of it,” she said mournfully. “But maybe, if you’re in a situation like that, you learn to think for yourself.” “Yes, but maybe what you end up thinking for yourself about is all those troubling things.”

Sadly, our society has become so polarizing that exclusion of others is more the norm rather than acceptance and inclusion. America has years of recovery ahead. I am beginning to think we are rotting from the inside out. Lord, deliver us, I pray.

Johnny Bench, famous Cincinnati Reds catcher – “You can’t hold your happiness in the hands of other people.” SO TRUE SO TRUE!

One friend quoted her Grandad as saying “Now let’s return thanks.” Isn’t that a neat way to think about prayer?

The ubiquitous Teenager prayer, “Rub-a-dub-dub. Thanks for the grub. Yeah God!”

Just sending out things that strike me!

Posted on in Book quotes, Faith, Just do it

Amy Carmichael “Edges of His Ways”

I just love this devotional collected from the writings of Amy Carmichael (1867-1951). The other day I was thinking of this one and having trouble remembering the 3 – and then it showed up again.

The Three Sieves
“Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
All of us who have tried to remember these three sieves, and have used them, know what a help they are. We are sorry when we ever forget them, and we are very grateful when we are reminded of them in time to keep us from saying something untrue, unkind, or unnecessary.

“Perhaps these three sieves will help to keep some words from being spoken that would grieve the Spirit of love and hurt someone whom our Lord loves.
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?“

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8 NIV

Posted on in Covid 19, Faith, medical treatment, Spiritual growth

Faced With ….

“Faced with demoralization, gratitude has the power to energize. Faced with brokenness, gratitude has the power to heal. Faced with despair, gratitude has the power to bring hope.” -ROBERT EMMONS

Demoralization: The pharmacy workers where I get my prescriptions are exasperated by the rudeness of the public. The pharmacist cannot figure out if it is this prolonged pandemic or the way society has given up on being polite? Some of the techs have even quit. Some of the workers that are most experienced have had to leave to provide child care for their children. The new employees are green and new. They need time to find their way through the insurance mazes and medicare technicalities.

So we took them three balloons and a dozen donuts. On the balloon shaped like a gold star I wrote “Be kind.” Really, kindness does not cost us anything. Hopefully our gratitude towards them with energize them in their work.

Brokenness: Well I have a friend whose daughter is terribly ill. For several weeks they did tests and scans and more tests. Finally the surgeon said okay. He is very experienced and did the “Whipple” procedure. She had a tumor wrapped around several organs. The first few hours of the surgery went well and were done robotically. Then he found the tumor had almost completely blocked an artery and some veins around her liver. When they called in the vascular surgeon he had to open her belly. When it was all over, she had endured something like 14 hours of surgery. She remains in ICU. They had to remove part of her stomach, part of her intestines and part of her pancreas. There is great concern over the length of time her organs were exposed. She and her husband always like to watch Monty Python and have memorized many of the lines. When her mother finally got to speak to her on the phone the patient quoted the movie where they were loading bodies during the plague. One man being carried out lifted his head and said, “I’m not dead yet!” Both mother and daughter had a good laugh. This family has been broken and ground into a dust that now completely depends upon the Lord and His servant the surgeon. Surgeon said this was the worst tumor he had ever dealt with. Praise God, there is NO sign of cancer. The two teenage daughters are struggling with not seeing mom at all. Only husband can go in her room due to pandemic. She continues to get units of blood. This photo was taken the first time PT had her stand up. Still struggling with lots of pain. Father, help their gratitude heal their weary hearts, I pray. Heal her and strengthen her I pray.

Despair: In this prolonged isolation and rapidly spreading pandemic we each need more gratitude to help us combat despair. To me, it seems this despair is being poured over the earth like hot tar. Robert Emmons says gratitude has the power to being hope. Are you familiar with the lyrics to “Great is Thy Faithfulness”?

His faithfulness will see us each through this weird year of 2020 and beyond. Gratitude can heal and restore us, energize us and give us hope. Find three things each day to give thanks for. Be kind. Give thanks.

Posted on in Aging, Covid 19, Faith, Humor, Marriage and Memories, Memories

Bob’s Sense of Humor

Robert 1975 Smoky Mountain National Park

I have often called this man my knight in shining armor. Journaling March 31 of this year I wrote.

“I had an emotional break through of sorts. This morning I noticed my scene out the bedroom window that I have looked at for years. Clearly I saw split rails that were missing or had fallen from the neighbors fence. I thought “fences are broken down.” And in this weird thing we are living through fences are down! During my meditation time I saw the photo of me the day of my dad’s funeral when I was eleven years old. Remembered the grief and fear of being left alone (especially with my mother and sister because I am so much like my dad). As the meditation continued I realized that Bob is the one who for most all of my life has kept me from the alone-ness of that grief and fear. And THAT is why I have been feeling I cannot bear the possibility of ever losing him. Jesus touch me in that place, I pray.

“Later John Eldredge confirmed all that pointing out that places in us from childhood may be calling out during this stay at home season. We need to have mercy and grace for ourselves and others.”

So he is my knight, but also my husband of soon-to-be fifty years. Yep, 50! Here is a cartoon he handed me recently. Did I mention he is the oldest of five and a terrible tease? Click the link below to see what I mean!

https://www.newyorker.com/cartoon/a23696

Posted on in Aging, Book quotes, Faith, Humor, Just do it, Memories, Spiritual growth

When Did You Last Act Like A Kid?

During a recent rain shower I saw a child playing in a water-filled ditch. As a mom I first checked, and no, there had not been thunder or lightning that day. My second thought was how delighted I was to see her and how she reminded me of myself at that age. Once I found a crawfish in a puddle and brought it home as a pet. It was about 3/4″ long. I put it in the bathroom sink with a little water while I tried to find a container for its home. My sister unstopped the drain, not noticing my pet and all was lost. I was sad and mad. Fast forward to today!

“Maybe what God really wants are grown-up kids who dance in the puddles, who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, who dare to ask why a whole lot. Maybe we are far too proper. Maybe it’s time to take a page from Dainty doodlebug’s story and give in to the way we’re created to live—for our sake and for the gospel. Little else is as compelling and glorious as a giddy child, mud-covered and grinning, because they know how loved and safe they are even while thunder sounds in the distance.”

Embraced by Lysa TerKeurst

Giddy child of God, relax and enjoy creation again! Don’t those boots just remind one of Mike Powell?

“You were made from dust and to dust you shall return.”

Genesis 3:19

“Dance in the puddles, get your hands dirty, ask why a whole lot more.” Recently I had the opportunity twice in one week to counsel two different women on the fact that we are allowed to get angry with God. He can take it! He would much prefer we be genuine with Him than pretend some sort of proper piety. After all, He reads our hearts and knows our thoughts and our words before they cross our lips.

 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.

Psalm 139:104 NIV 2011

Why not make an effort this week to get real with God? And if you have the opportunity, try jumping in a puddle, just for fun!!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Nature, Spiritual growth

Compare and Contrast

I took this photo on June 27, 2020.

Local cornfield.

And these photos on July 31, 2020. Same corn field!

Tried to get same tree perspective for your comparison!
What a grass!

Other things have been growing, too. I have never tried to grow a Hibiscus, but some around here do. One person had a ditch full of pink, white and red ones! This is one Lucky and I found while walking the street.

And another

I think the red is my favorite!

Remember this photo of the milkweed from May 14th?

Look at it today! The tall ones in the back are about 5’8″!

Big guys in the back!

Has your spirit grown and prospered so far this year? Are you feeding upon the Word of God?

“All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,  but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.

1 Peter 1:24-25 (NIV2011)