Category: Faith

Posted on in Aging, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Yield

His Power

Have you pondered the Power of our God?

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

Psalm 68:19-20 NIV

Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the heavens. You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

Psalm 68:34-35 NIV

All of that in four verses of one Psalm. Have you thanked Him for pouring out this power on your behalf? In your darkest hour do you know His light? He bears our burdens. He keeps us from dying in our heart, our innermost being. He gives power and strength to His people. When we feel most vulnerable and acutely know the very weakness of ourselves, He gives us power and strength. Who couldn’t use more strength?

Repeatedly I come back to

 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

Romans 8:11 NRSV

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. I have found that the power that raised Jesus goes dormant when I choose to live by my flesh, pushing the Spirit of Christ aside in preference to my will and my ways. My thinking becomes corrupted with thoughts such as, “Why shouldn’t I be thanked?” or “What am I, chopped okra?”

The only way I know to begin again starts with seeing my sin and confessing it to my Lord.

If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9 RSV

I cannot cleanse myself. I can recognize and confess though. Just as an addict cannot stop using until they want to, until they are ready, I cannot even see my sin until I am miserable and recognize how far removed I am from walking in righteousness with my Lord.

He daily bears our burdens and provides us an escape from death. He gives us life and strength and power. He indwells us with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. He knows we have the ability to shut off that power source by stubbornly returning to our ways of flesh. When the ‘Hound of Heaven’ shows us we are way off, He can also disarm us with His love and lead us to repentance.

I fled Him down the nights and down the days
I fled Him down the arches of the years
I fled Him down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind, and in the midst of tears
I hid from him . . .

The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson

We serve an amazing God who never leaves us or forsakes us. Even when we are stinky brats, He stays close by. Come to Him, all who are weary and heavy laden. He will give you rest and life and love unmerited.

The Father will not make us obey. He waits for us to turn to Him and ask forgiveness. We give access to Him by confessing our shortcomings. We then turn towards Him and walk away from the sin habits. I would love to say we never return there. Sadly we are like dogs in Proverbs 26:11:

As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.

Lord, help us to follow You with joyful, peaceful, constant, yielded obedience. Thank you for pardoning us when we step off Your path and choose our own way. Please continue to lead us always in Your paths of righteousness. We will be ever so careful to give You the glory. Amen.

Posted on in Aging, Challenge, Faith, Family, Memories, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks

My Collected Photos

I recently realized that the photo files on my computer contain many photos of folks who are no longer living on this earth. Guess that means I am getting old. In case you have an empty chair at your table this year I want to remind you that others are missing loved ones, too. None of us are getting out of here without experiencing death of ones we love or our own. If you are following Christ there are promises for a better life with Him after we shed this ‘meat bag’ body and live on in the spirit. You are a spirit, inhabiting a body. Either Dallas Willard or C. S. Lewis made that point. Regardless, it is so true.

Aunt Patty Miles
Sister Mary Elizabeth
Betty Miles
Grandma Sally
Joy Cavalier
My Parents
Sister Stephanie

My In-laws, Betty and Drag
In all white, my crochet buddy, Karen.
Grandma Pat
My mother, day of my wedding

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 

1 Peter 1:3-5

If you are missing loved ones, I pray that you are able to celebrate their life by adopting their best attributes and making those your own. Try to list wonderful things you remember about each person. Prayerfully thank God the Father for their positive influence upon your life. Ask for guidance from the Lord as to how you can best honor each one with the days you have remaining. May God bless and keep you this holiday season and always.

Posted on in Book quotes, Faith, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Yield

Gift from My Friend, Dan

In the summer of 2021 my friend Dan sent me the book The Valley of Vision A collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, edited by Arthur Bennett. I do not read it daily, but I was prompted to open it last week. Here is where I read:

Grace Active
Lord Jesus, Great High Priest,
Thou hast opened a new and living way
by which a fallen creature can approach thee with acceptance.
Help me to contemplate
the dignity of thy Person,
the perfectness of thy sacrifice,
the effectiveness of thy intercession.
O what blessedness accompanies devotion,
when under all the trials that weary me, 
eh cares that corrode me,
the fears that disturb me,
the infirmities that oppress me,
I can come to thee in my need
and feel peace beyond understanding!
The grace that restores is necessary to  preserve,
lead, guard, supply, help me.

And here thy saints encourage my hope;
they were once poor and are now rich,
bound and are now free,
tried and now are victorious.

Every new duty calls for more grace than I now possess,
but bit more than is found in thee,
the divine Treasury in whom all fullness dwells.
To thee I repair for grace upon grace
until every void made by sin be replenished
and I am filled with all thy fullness.
May my desires be enlarged and my hopes emboldened,
that I may honour thee by my entire dependency
and the greatness of my expectation.
Do thou be with me, and prepare me for all
the smiles of prosperity, the frowns of adversity,
the losses of substance, the death of friends,
the days of darkness, the changes of life,
and the last great change of all.
May I find thy grace sufficient
for all my needs.

Certainly said it all for me!

Posted on in Faith, Nature, Poetry, Prayer

Sun Poetry

We have had so much sun lately since the weather has been ruled by these mostly drought conditions. I made a note to myself to “finish the sun blog.” Now I wonder what that meant!

Late October ©Molly Lin Dutina 22-10-29 
This morning the sun graces remaining leaves 
Barren trees now have a glow on their trunk
Knowing there are gloomy days ahead 
I want to store up this sunshine in my heart 
Perhaps like manna, that is not possible? 

The gardeners think they have repaired 
Water pooling in our yard 
Unless the drought breaks 
We will not know 
If drainage is corrected

And earlier than that on October 13, 2022 I wrote ….

Grandeur of Sun ©Molly Lin Dutina 22-10-13 

The black cloud perfect backdrop
As sun clears the trees in east
Lighting up treetop to west
Blazing red, swirling gold
Under layer of green
A momentary glimpse of autumn
Grandeur rarely seen 
Marvel of God’s handiwork
How was that even possible
That I looked up
Just then to see it?
Camera could not catch it properly
Totally gone now
Just gray rainy day
Orang-ish maple
No big deal
A few chirping birds
Patter of drops on fallen leaves
Applause of the crowd fading
“Camera could not catch it properly” see blaze of gold above the roof
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Humor, Nature, Poetry, Thanks

Perhaps First Drops After the Drought?

We have had some surprising weather recently. We went from the 70s to the 30s. Here is a poetic reflection upon those changes.

Rain At Last © 2022 Molly Lin Dutina
Steady pouring rain this morning
Delight to our drought ears
Stunning to the parched ground
Cannot pour too much for me

Landscape errors highlighted
By pools of water
They misjudged water flow
“One more thing” husband declares

Yet the trees declare, “Bring it on”
Long ago fallen leaves
Ground up by machines of men
No longer have a voice

Next years foliage will have to be
Voice enough for them
As flower beds gulp and sigh
A desperate cry of “Finally.”

We volunteered for a food distribution at church one morning a few days later. At least we knew about weather change a few hours in advance and could dress appropriately! Surprise!

The snow collected upon the canopies and had to be cleaned off lest the canopies collapse under the weight! So the folk lore begs the question, since it snowed on November 12 will we have 12 snowfalls this season?

Praise him, you highest heavens
    and you waters above the skies.

lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
And he has raised up for his people a horn
    the praise of all his faithful servants,
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 148:4, 8,13-14
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Memories, Nature

Photo Bombs

I thought I kept a copy of the first time Bob did at photo bomb on me. I was trying to do one of my first selfies and he popped up between two trees. I can’t find that photo, (of course, since I want it). So here is the next photo when I made him get in the picture. We were at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

There was a report on the news recently of this photo bomb.

Jordan Anast captures Surfer with Shark at the annual San Onofre Surf Club contest near San Diego.
Professional surfer Tyler Warren

I thought it was a whale but it is actually a shark. Lucky surfer, I’d say! He wanted a copy of the photo to show his mom.

You can hear the story at https://www.today.com/news/great-white-shark-surfer-photo-rcna55642

Posted on in Aging, Book quotes, Faith, Humor, Illness and Health, Listen, Spiritual growth, Thanks

Here is a good thing!

The Global Joy Summit – Homepage

I am so excited to do this! It seems like just the thing I need after the distress of the past week. Hoping you can join me and others worldwide to celebrate joy! The book by Bishop Tutu and the Dali Lama was tremendous. This summit ought to be on your To-Do list big time!! https://www.globaljoysummit.org

Feeling the pain of the world and recognizing how many are struggling with isolation and despair, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu met one last time before Arch’s passing to create a final gift for us all – poignant, practical, and often humorous teachings on how we can live with more Joy, even during deeply troubled times.

I loved and shared the book with many!

How could you resist this sort of joy?

There is evidently a video which I intend to watch very soon!

From what I can gather the video is presented by YouTube in short sections. Still, these guys are some of the greatest teachers on earth.

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Prayer, Spiritual growth

In My E-Mail Box

You know something is up when all the messages around you harmonize!

And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.

Meister Eckhart

How about you? Is there anything new popping up in your life?

Conner Bowie on Unspalsh

Wouldn’t it be great to have some place like this to go for a retreat! Away from ‘the maddening crowds.” Asking for guidance and wisdom and able to hear His will.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:1-2 NIV

Posted on in Faith, Just do it, Nature, Poetry, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks

Seeking Restoration After Wounding

Still, glassy pond, photo by me

Walking along pond hoping for reset and restoration, invisible frogs jump from the bank and glassy surface of pond begins to ripple. I remember this poetry truth.

Prayer © 1979  Molly Lin Dutina
A prayer 
Prayed in truth and faith
Through the Blood of Jesus,
Is as a drop of water
Upon the river of life;
Sending out endless
Ripples and waves
Throughout creation.

As the prayer is said
The answer begins movement.
Free internet image – “drop of water upon river of life – answer begins movement”

Trying to release that person to the Lord and get my focus back on Christ. I was told that if we have difficulty forgiving someone, we should pray for that person for 30 days, asking everything be given to them that we would like for ourselves. I began to pray that.

Continuing to walk about the pond with Lucky we saw three deer standing still looking at us. OH! Father, Son and Holy Spirit, dwell with us I prayed. One deer was intensely curious and began to approach us. Lucky just sat down to watch as she usually does with White-tailed deer. I suppose this was the mama and her twins that we have seen from time to time all summer. Now they are BIG deer.

Standing in awe of their majesty and the fact that the Lord would let me see them this morning, I noticed for the first time a bright white chin strap they wore! Guess I usually note other things about them when I come upon them.

From internet
Must have been the angle! My photo of Trinity of deer.

I was glad Lucky was calm. They are SO big I wondered what I would do if they approached us at a run? Did not happen. They browsed their way into the shrubbery.

Recalling the poetry about prayer, being blessed by the wonders the Lord let me experience, walking with this little beagle, I found I was restored and refreshed. All glory to God for His wonders and blessings.

Posted on in Aging, Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth

Insult, Injury, Seeking release

Those who instruct writers tell that the best readership is when the writer connects from a personal place. So here is a recent telling of a personal relationship gone bad and how I am coping with that. My time is divided between writing two mornings a week, attending a crochet group one morning per week and participating in a church small group every other week. I have not joined any of church women’s Bible studies as my time is stretched as is.

I have been part of this crochet and knit group for many years. We meet weekly to construct our own projects. Sometimes a bunch of us decide to try the same pattern. Recently our leader was absent and no one knew where she was. Many reiterated, “She always tells one of us if she is not going to attend.” She had not told anyone. I called and there was no answer. Left her a message. Stopped at her house on the way home to drop a donation of hats and mittens someone had made. Lights were out but both cars were there. I assumed she was resting. I did not ring the bell. Placed the donation on top of her car in the open garage. Left a message that we were concerned by her absence. Later in the week I tried to get hold of her. Her phone mailbox was full.

When I attended group the next week she lit into me with fury. “I and my family are really pissed at you!” I was curious and it was humorous to me at first, “Why?!?” In anger she replied, “You called me three times! Even my cousin did not call that many times.” She accused me of butting my nose into other people’s business. I was told to just butt out. Wow. I thought I was showing concern for her well being. She had recently been hospitalized with lung issues. With the children’s virus going around that can affect seniors I was truly concerned. I still had no idea where she had been the previous meeting. I was wounded by her words. There had to be at least 15 other ways she could have handled that besides yelling at me in front of the group that was assembling.

I went out of the room to sign in at the Senior Center desk and realized I could not stay for that meeting. I was angry and distressed. I had brought a cake to share with the group for my birthday, and could not in good conscious act as if all was well. I got my cake, crochet supplies and purse out of the meeting room as she was explaining to the group what happened to her and where she had been the previous week. I did not wait to listen.

I admit, I have had a hard time shaking this one off. I have prayed. I have asked trusted friends to listen to my heart. Tried not to ruminate, just find out what the Lord requires of me in this.

This week the same Scripture came to me through more than one source.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Psalm 40:2 NIV
Photo by Molly Dutina

Our church has repeatedly been teaching about the fact that we cannot, should not, try to walk alone in our Christian journey. The preacher asks us almost weekly to examine our circle of friends and influence. I have been doing just that and find my circle too limited and me often suffering from loneliness.

So having just passed my 72nd birthday I wondered what I am going to do about this? My Dad died when I was 11 years old. I was left with my mom and sister who were like two peas in a pod. I was the odd girl out. After that I grew up with a steady diet of criticism of them. It all left me with a tendency to not trust women in relationships. Mind you, I have some close female friends, but I also have a long line of women who shamed, falsely accused or betrayed me. Last Sunday a guest speaker came and challenged us to tell our story to a small group of fellow Christians. I am reading his book and asking my church if we are holding groups like he suggests.

Okay, there is no Christian focus at crochet group. There are Christians who attend, many go to the same church I do! I do not want to discuss this with them as I fear getting into gossip about her. That is not my goal. How do I get in relationship with other women who want to share life in a trusting, safe environment? Our speaker, Dr. Alan Ahlgrim, pointed out repeatedly that we cannot be heart healthy alone. (He was not speaking of diet.) He means a place where we do not only share from our heads, but our hearts, too.

I have come to believe that perhaps the Lord released me from the crochet group with this woman’s foot upon my bottom pushing me out the door. He knew I would not leave of my own accord. Her rude manner and unkind ways just put me over the top to see the opportunities to participate in my church’s activities with newly freed up time.

From Joshua Hoehne at Unsplash Images

Please pray that I can find a way to share my heart as well as my mind with others. Pray I will find or help create a group where we can each be genuine without shame or contempt.

Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NIV
From Bonnie Kittle at Unsplash