Category: Surrender

Posted on in Faith, Listen, Music, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Yield

Another Hymn at 12:53 AM

I have not heard this in a church in many decades. It arose out of my soul and confirmed where my feet find solid ground. 

Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all;
He is my strength from day to day,
Without Him I would fall.
When I am sad, to Him I go,
No other one can cheer me so;
When I am sad, He makes me glad,
He’s my Friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
My Friend in trials sore;
I go to Him for blessings, and
He gives them o’er and o’er.
He sends the sunshine and the rain,
He sends the harvest’s golden grain;
Sunshine and rain, harvest of grain,
He’s my Friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
And true to Him I’ll be;
Oh, how could I this Friend deny,
When He’s so true to me?
Following Him I know I’m right,
He watches o’er me day and night;
Following Him by day and night,
He’s my Friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
I want no better Friend;
I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when
Life’s fleeting days shall end.
Beautiful life with such a Friend,
Beautiful life that has no end;
Eternal life, eternal joy,
He’s my Friend.

If you have not made Jesus your life, your joy, your all I encourage you to explore that option today.

Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end.  Hebrews 3: 12-14 NRSUE

Posted on in Art, Faith, Just do it, Surrender, Thanks, Trust, Writing Life, Yield

Treasures in Plain Sight, Volume 1

Growing Closer to Jesus in Prayer.

I have been working with a professional editor through Crown Publishing to get my first book ready for distribution. I gasped last week when I open my email and there was the cover design and first draft.

photo by Jackie Palazzolo

Wow! I have gone over this material so many times I feel as if I almost do not see the words anymore. Proof reading is very difficult when it comes to your own work!! Bob, Kathy and Dana have joined me in the effort.

I vacillate between excitement and then wanting to go puke from tension. I do know the Lord has called me to this, so that calms me immensely! I just sent off 5 pages of notes with photos, etc. to the editor. She told me last week we are very close to publishing.

I still sit in amazement that this is truly happening! Please pray this book will reach the ones who need it. Pray the Lord will use it to his glory and honor. I ask that people be drawn to God through the words and photos.

Just pray for everything having to do with it. The work will be available through Kindle Direct Publishing. They will set the price. I am hoping it will be affordable to the ones who want it. The editor told me with the color photos it would cost more, but most of the photos would not work if Bob changed them to black and white.

I continue to place this project in God’s mighty hands. And I enter his rest, knowing he gave me the ideas to write about and the skill to write. Many years ago I was called to be his servant. May I represent him well.

See, the editor even has me using the proper non-capitalized pronouns for God. Old dog getting updated here. Old dog feeling older.

Here is the poem that goes with cover photo. Prayer©Molly Lin Dutina 1979

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.
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Music, Nature, Praise, Prayer, Rest, Surrender, Trust

Silhouette Delight

Remember the old song about silhouettes on the shade? You can click below to hear the song.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=_h5YJZS7x_Q&si=fAAckGck4Ybj3-P7

It recently came to mind as spring leaf sprouts became true leaves. God is near at all times. The Almighty goes to incredible lengths to abide near us! David danced before God. Miriam danced before God. How about you?

Neighbors leave their porch lights on
Every night of the year
The maple leaves are finally large enough
To cast shadows on the window shade

The spring wind blowing all night
Showed fancy patterns at my side 
Each time I awoke the dance steps
Lulled me back to sleep

Mystery of nature
Here again you comfort me
If I observe or not the dance continues
Were the moves a fox trot or rumba

Another night the breeze
Was gentle as a caress
The dance was more like box step
Slow waltz of lovers unaware of other dancers

One night the storms rolled through
Tearing leaves from tender shoots
The yard was littered next morning
Debris of tango or jitterbug

					


			

							
			

		




			
				


	


		
	

		
		 		
	


	
		

					
	
			

				Posted on  in Amazing Creations, Art, Challenge, Faith, Focus, Listen, Nature, Praise, Prayer, Rest, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Thanks, Trust			


							
Sleepless and Then Blessed
					


		

			

My mind was racing and I was sleepless. I asked the Lord to help me through it and these verses came to me. I looked them up using key words or phrases on the iPad mini, saved them to the i Cloud Notes and was able to get back to sleep after reading a few pages on the novel I had been reading earlier. I thought the verses might be a good reminder to some of you, so here goes. The trouble starts when I think I need to have the answers to the questions that trouble me.







And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,  singing,





“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
 and thanksgiving and honor 
and power and might 
be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Rev 7:11-12







Ponder that for a moment. Angels around the throne, around the elders, and the four living creatures – I wonder how many angels it takes to surround that great company of beings? And the words they sing! BLESSING and GLORY and WISDOM and THANKSGIVING and HONOR and POWER and MIGHT be to our GOD. I do not think we can declare this too many times! I need not fret. Wisdom belongs to God first.





I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.





Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    else it will not stay near you. Psalm 32:8-9





Do these sound familiar? Yes, I have posted these before, but I need to be reminded of them often. I am learning to trust that the Lord will instruct me, teach me, and counsel me. That also means the Lord thinks of me as instruct-able, teachable, and able to receive counsel. He has great faith in me. Do we have great faith in the Almighty One?









And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, 
your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 
“This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21





Have I waited? Have I listened? Am I willing to follow the instruction I am given? 









Years ago, when I was first beginning to tell relatives that I was writing Peggy, the wife of my Cousin Art, told me these verses. I was reminded in the night.


2  Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write the vision;
    make it plain on tablets,
    so that a runner may read it.
3 
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
    it speaks of the end and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay.
4 
Look at the proud!
    Their spirit is not right in them,
    but the righteous live by their faithfulness. Habakkuk 2:2-4





So when it comes time to give away the printed copies of the poetry, I am trusting that those who do not get a printed copy will be able to use the electronic copy I can send to any email address. As long as they open it in Microsoft Word, it should appear just like the printed copy. The tablets of Habakkuk have taken on a new form! 





And this picture also popped up that night seemingly out of no where.






Veteran in a New Field by Winslow Homer






The image shows a man cutting the harvest. One of the first art images the Lord used to speak to me was by Vincent van Gogh, entitled the Sower. There was more than one of these paintings. Here is the first I knew about. 










From the sower to the harvest. Wow. Such blessings for us all.

					


			

							
			

		




			
				


	


		
	

		
		 		
	


	
		

					
	
			

				Posted on  in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Obedience, Poetry, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Writing Life, Yield			


							
Rilke Was Onto Something
					


		

			

Ben Palpant in his book Letters From the Mountain quotes Rainer Maria Rilke from the book  Letters to a Young Poet saying,





Things aren’t all so tangible and sayable as people would usually have us believe; most experiences are unsayable, they happen in a space that no word has ever entered, and more unsayable than all other things are works of art, those mysterious existences, whose life endures beside our own small, transitory life.





In a recent group Bible study at church the term ineffable came up. God is often considered ineffable. The word means too great or intense to be expressed in words, unutterable. Too sacred to be uttered. Indescribable; indefinable. 












My life challenge has been for me to try to put into words my relationship with the Almighty. My goal is to speak about and express the unsayable, the things not readily spoken or expressed in regards to my faith. Oh Lord, I can only do this with Your help!





I agree with Rilke that “most experiences are unsayable.” So how does this happen to be my calling? My first response is, “Truly, I do not know!” Maybe something was handed down in the genes from Grandpa Snapp the Preacher or Grandma Snapp the teacher at God’s Bible School? I just know that from an early age I wanted to write about God.  I have papers from 1966 and a few years prior to that when I started to want words around my experiences. 





“Most experiences are unsayable,” wrote Rilke. My friend, Dana, is about to print my book of poems with over 100 selections. Perhaps someone will discover this God I adore through reading these poems? I pray the efforts to express my love and relationship with God will pull others into the space where words rarely enter. The space of mysterious existence. Christ in me, Christ in us, the hope of Glory.







25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:25-27 NIV








					


			

							
			

		




			
				


	


		
	

		
		 		
	


	
		

					
	
			

				Posted on  in Amazing Creations, Faith, Listen, Nature, Prayer, Surrender, Yield			


							
Drumming© Molly Lin Dutina
					


		

			

He began before 6:45 AM
Drumming and drumming
In the distance there was an answering drumming
But the first drumming was insistent
“Not you,” it seemed to say
“How about you?” it called
“How about you?”

The call went out for five minutes
Ten minutes
Nonstop drumming
Not tapping 
Think kettle drum
Occasional distant answer

I decided to try to capture
What I was hearing into words
Relentless love call
Or territorial boundary fencing?

Open the iPad
Set up the document
Typing I began to form the words
Around what I was hearing
And it stopped

Just like that a full stop
Not petering out
Not fading
Not a few measures of rest
Full
End
Stop

Human will never understand 
That avian love call
Drummed fence of feathered ones or
Sonnet of spring

I never saw the maestro
But the love drum beats on
In my heart of hearts

Come to me my Lord
Spirit of God set fire within me
Beat out Your ballad of love
Your boundary of protection
Declaration of Your indwelling

Conquering Christ take me captive
I am Your bride
abide in me

					


			

							
			

		




			
				


	


		
	

		
		 		
	


	
		

					
	
			

				Posted on  in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Focus, Obedience, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Surrender, Yield			


							
March 25 Amy
					


		

			

Amy Carmichael quote again.





Proverbs 10:29: The way of the Lord is strength to the upright.





If by the grace of God my heart is set on uprightness, then I may count on the fulfillment of this word.  It holds, however one turns it. Is my way beset by temptation? God is faithful, who will not suffer me to be tempted above that I am able to bear, that way of the Lord, therefore, is strength, not weakness or defeat. Do things happen that are shattering to the human in me? “He shall be the stability of thy times.”





5 The Lord is exalted; he dwells on high;
    he filled Zion with justice and righteousness;
6 he will be the stability of your times,
    abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
    the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure Isa 33:5-6 





This verse was given to me a few days ago, and I pass it on with joy. There is then no need for us to be shaken and unstable. Is my way clouded? “The Lord shall be a light unto me,” so that I can go on in strength.
Never once in Scripture do we find weakness expected in the Christian. There is provision for strength: “the way of the Lord is strength.” He who is our Way is Strength, the joy of the Lord is our strength. May God give it to us to hate the “I can’t help it” of the weakling. May He make us strong.
1 Cor. 10:13, Isa. 33:6 Darby, Mic. 7:8, Nehemiah 8:10





I read this while praying for my friends Betty and Kathy. One needs strength and joy as she deals with unrelenting, recurring pain. The other has a serious illness and also a husband who needs much care. Amy wrote, “the way of the Lord is strength.” Oh, Lord, we each need Your strength in so very many ways. Give us that strength always, we pray.












If I am falling into lack of strength I often have to reset my attitude, re-frame my experience in line with God’s way. The way of the Lord is strength. Help me find the best attitude and vision for my walk through You, Christ Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit, I need You now.













					


			

							
			

		




			
				


	


		
	

		
		 		
	


	
		

					
	
			

				Posted on  in Challenge, Faith, Focus, Illness and Health, Obedience, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Trust, Worship, Yield			


							
Quicken
					


		

			

Recently an entry by Amy Carmichael in her book, Edges of His Ways, brought my attention to this word. It is not used much in today’s English. I was feeling worn out and weary by all the medical hoopla. I certainly need the Lord to quicken me as only God can.





The word quicken is used in the King James Version of the Bible, and it means “revive or make alive.” If something is living, it is “quick”; to “quicken” something is to bring it to life or restore it to a former flourishing condition. I seriously needed restoration and the promise in Psalm 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.”





For many years I read 5 Psalms each morning. Because it is so bloomin’ long, I broke up Psalm 119 into 22 selections for days 1-22 of each month. Some Bibles show Hebrew letters at the beginning of each stanza. Those correspond to the Hebrew alphabet, (which I do not read).





It can be depicted this way.












Back to the main topic here! Quicken lead me to do a study of the passages in Psalm 119. Psalm 119 has so many references for this word. 





Revive me, give me life, be gracious, enliven me. I imagine most of us if not all of us could use more of this from God. Perhaps the best way to present this to you is simply to list the passages with the references? That way you can read it for yourselves and apply them prayerfully to your life.





Psalm 119:25  KJV reads My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.      NIV reads My soul clings to the dust, revive me according to your word.












Psalm 119:107 KJV I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word. NRSVUE I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word.





Clinging to dust. Severely afflicted. Yep, just done worn out. God can handle this even when we cannot in our own strength.





Psalm 119: 40 KJV Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. NRSVUE See, I have longed for your precepts;  in your righteousness be gracious to me.





As we long for His precepts {divine principles, guidelines, statutes, and instructions that God has set forth for righteous living} … as we long for these guidelines and instructions from God, God is gracious to us through righteousness. We long, God fulfills. Do you truly long for these?





This might sound all too simple, but this is the Word of God. There are promises here. We will be restored as we cling to the Word and walk in the ways God shows us to walk. 





Psalm 119:50 KJV This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.   NRSVUE This is my comfort in my distress, that your promise gives me life.





If you have not chosen an activity for this Lenten season to draw you closer to the Father, perhaps studying these verses might do the trick? 





Psalm 119:88 KJV Quicken me after thy loving kindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth NRSVUE  In your steadfast love spare my life, so that I may keep the decrees of your mouth.





Psalm 119:93 I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.       NRSVUE I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.





Psalm 119:37 KJV Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way. NRSVUE Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; be gracious to me {give me life} according to your word.





Psalm 119: 149 KJV Hear my voice according unto thy loving kindness: O Lord, quicken me according to thy judgment. NRSVUE In your steadfast love hear my voice;  O Lord, in your justice preserve my life.





Psalm: 159 KJV Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O Lord, according to thy loving kindness. NRSVUE Consider how I love your precepts: be gracious to me {give me life} according to your steadfast love.





Psalm 119:156 KJV Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: quicken me according to thy judgments.NRSVUE Great is your mercy, O Lord; be gracious to me {give me life} according to your justice.





That might seem like a lot of digest. I hope you did not just blow through the verses. I think if you will ponder them you will find them a source for better understanding what the Psalmist knew about God and how you can draw closer for a better understanding for yourself.








					


			

							
			

		




			
				


	


		
	

		
		 		
	


	
		

					
	
			

				Posted on  in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Journal, Listen, Nature, Obedience, Poetry, politics, Praise, Prayer, Rest, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Thanks, Yield			


							
Still at a Center Point
					


		

			

Before dawn today there was a four bird chorus raising praise to the Lord for His goodness and holiness. The northern Cardinal, Carolina wren, American robin and tufted Titmouse were raising a continuous singing of triumph and might. I know, because I asked the Merlin Bird app from Cornell University to identify them for me. 





























How have you lifted your voice today? What time did you begin? Did you lie in bed bemoaning the day or the rough night of pain? 





Perhaps we would benefit more by taking a fresh look at the goodness of God to bring us through the night and unrolling before us another day of living and loving?





Amy Carmichael  wrote in Edges of His Ways:







Psalm 19:10, R.V. margin: The droppings of the honeycomb.
This morning I found this marginal reading which was just the word I wanted at the moment. There are times when we cannot read much or even think much. But if we are quiet we shall hear little sweet words dropping into our hearts, “sweeter also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb.” I need not write them; they will be different perhaps to each one of us, but they will be comforting and strengthening too; and we shall go on our way for another day, fed and refreshed.







If we are willing to get still at the center point of our souls I believe we will hear “little sweet words dropping into our hearts.” Perhaps not every single time we get still, but the incidences will increase as we employ the practice.







“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalms 46:10





T. S. Elliott said:





“At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.”






I pray you will get still enough to hear those little sweet words dropping into your heart. 





In this present moment, have stillness.   Breathe.



					


			

							
			

		




			
				


	


		
	

		
		 		
	


	
		

					
	
			

				Posted on  in Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Listen, Obedience, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Yield			


							
Lenten Season
					


		

			

The season in the church calendar called Lent is here! It does not have to be all prune-faced dislike. In an effort to draw closer to God, we can forsake (give up) something for this 40 days. I prefer to embrace something I have neglected. Confession of my sin can be one thing I tend to neglect.





Why should we have a time of self examination in the Christian church? This is one way to safeguard against delusion. A serious safeguard against just going through the motions of religion, “playing church.” Are we transparent in wanting to change our ways from self and flesh to God and the plan Christ laid out for His indwelling us? The powers of self examination and confession, forgiveness and redemption should not be underestimated.





The Book of Common Prayer has us confess “we have sinned against God in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.” We then go on to acknowledge that “we have not loved God with our whole heart; and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.” And I also add I have not loved myself as God would want me to do.





It is important to stop there and ponder in what ways are these statements true? It is far too easy to memorize a prayer and blow past the significance of how these sentiments apply to us personally.





Stop. Ponder. Confess. Pray for forgiveness. There is not a single one of us who does not need this. We all fall short of God’s highest and best for us.







Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my thoughts. Psalm 139:23 NRSVUE







God asks us to search and know our own hearts, test and know our thoughts along with Him. This is our work as well as His. We are so easily deceived. We fool ourselves more often than we might think we do!







Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. 2 Corinthians 13:5a NRSVUE







As realization dawns upon you, write down what you see as your shortcoming, and acknowledge that you are out of line with God’s ways. Then tell God you are sorry and ask for help in changing your ways.










God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us. Yes, Lord! Perhaps you will embrace self examination and confession this Lent. One of our priests says her dad who was a priest used to tell people , “Have a miserable Lent!”  I, too, hope that yours would be miserably holy. As we seek to draw closer to God we see how far we fall short of His likeness. Let God help you move closer to that goal of living holiness this season.