Wisdom's Words: Claiming the Promises

If you have a divine promise, you need not plead it with an "if"; you may urge it with certainty. The Lord meant to fulfill the promise or He would not have given it. God does not give His words merely to keep us quiet and to keep us hopeful for a while with the intention of putting us off in the end; but when He speaks, it is because He means to do as He has said. - Charles Spurgeon

Wisdom's Words: Perfection

"Perfection does not consist in understanding God's designs 

but in submitting to them..."

-Elisabeth Elliot

Life in the Wilderness

This week, God has brought to mind this verse from Habakkuk, and it has been both comforting and instructive at the same time.  I love what this image depicts:  life in the wilderness.

Yes, life in the wilderness.  

But logic questions, "How can there be life in the wilderness?"

The Answer

This verse from Habakkuk reveals the secret, and it is what I have been contemplating the last couple of days.

There's life in joy.  But the joy of which Habakkuk is speaking is independent of circumstances.  It is not an emotional response to the thrills of life and having everything go my way.  This joy is rooted in Someone Else and is entirely dependent upon the Giver.

True joy, the kind that remains through life's ups and downs and is constant and unwavering, has everything to do with Christ and what He has done for His people.   It is the by-product of a thriving relationship with Him.

The Choice

Habakkuk chose to rejoice in His God.

At my disposal is a lifetime full of joy, peace, and happiness no matter what happens.  It's there because God has promised it, and He never goes back on His word.  Will I avail myself of this richness and receive from His hand what He so abundantly will give me?

The trials we face, the sufferings we experience, the wildernesses into which God leads us - all these things are designed to draw us closer to God so that we experience in a fuller and deeper way who He is and grow to trust more and more His wisdom and power.  

This is the source of true joy.  This is the joy of which Habakkuk spoke:  joy in the Lord, joy in the God of my salvation. 

This is where God has me at the moment.  As God takes me through a wilderness and continues to strip away everything I'm used to and what I think I need, I realize He's leaving me with only one thing: Himself.  And I'm growing to see that's all I really need.

My joy rests in Him - and in Him alone.

Wisdom's Words: God's Work

"He does not need to transplant us into a different field...He transforms the very things that were before our greatest hindrances, into the chiefest and most blessed means of our growth.  No difficulties in your case can baffle Him...Put yourself absolutely into His hands, and let Him have His own way with you."  

-Hannah Whitall Smith

This and That

With the arrival of spring has come another wave of a flurry of activity.  In times like these I am so thankful for God's faithfulness and grace for each new day.

Rachael took her last two finals last week, and we all breathed a huge sigh relief!!!  One more semester down, and only three more to go.  With her new job at St. Vincents Hospital beginning next Monday, a trip to Scrubs and Beyond for the appropriate apparel was in order.  And now she looks really cute. :)

In between a lot of activity and rainy weather (not mention being plagued with a virus that lasted an entire week), I managed to squeeze in some gardening.  The spring flowers with the backdrop of lush, green grass is so pretty!

I love our lilacs!  We have three bushes, and their smell is so wonderful!

It was entirely unintentional, but I see a common color theme going here:  purple and white.  Since those are the Gardener's favorite colors, you can understand the flower selections.  

But not to worry!  Some pink ended up in the backyard:

Oh the loveliness of spring!  God certainly does give us a wonderful gift with the changing of the seasons!

Our primary project for the spring and summer is preparing Kathy for her move to Charlotte, North Carolina in mid-July.  The last several weeks have been spent making lists of to-dos, going through clothes, looking for apartments online, and going through the house and attic to find items to furnish her new home.  At the moment this is what our front room looks like:

It's been amazing to already see God's provision for her in so many ways, and this gives confidence for the future as we take these next steps.

Wisdom's Words: Faith

"Faith is not inferred from the happy way things always work.  It is an act of the will, a choice, based on the unbreakable Word of God who cannot lie and who showed us what love and obedience and sacrifice mean, in the person of Jesus Christ.

For most of us, it will not mean lions' dens or Auca spears or imprisonment, but it will mean a daily, faithful, humble, glad obedience to the same Lord who has held steady all those who commit themselves to Him."

~Elisabeth Elliot

Little Blessings

This past week held several special blessings that made the days that much more sweet.  I love how the Lord does that for His people!  God always knows when to send little encouragements along the way, and that just proves how much He does indeed love His children.

This past Thursday was the National Day of Prayer.  I was honored to once more prepare the programs for the service at the Statehouse.  I was delighted to receive some beautiful flowers for my efforts.  I enjoyed them for several days in my office before taking them home last night for everyone in the family to see.

On Thursday night, Dad and I attended the Life Centers banquet where Eric Metaxas gave the keynote address.  We thoroughly enjoyed the program that evening.  An added blessing for me was that my special friend, Miriam, was assigned to our table.  We had so much fun visiting with one another throughout the evening!  Here we are together at the conclusion of the banquet:

And then, last but not least, a group of us girls spent Friday night together in honor of Nirmala's 30th birthday.  Although it was overcast and a bit chilly, we so enjoyed walking around the Art Museum gardens and chatting along the way.  As long as as we kept moving, we weren't too cold!

All the spring flowers were beautiful!!!

If you ever need help in trying to find the ultimate activity to celebrate a 30th birthday, just ask us.  We stumbled upon it last night and had a blast.  You might find it a bit surprising, but it's cheap and safe...

Swinging!  Yes, swinging!  Oh, it was so fun!  And due to the dreariness of the evening, we had the whole place to ourselves!!!

I guess you could say this simple activity caused us to momentarily shed a few years and revive our playful, youthful spirits. :)

Upon the conclusion of our excursions at the gardens, we took off for Cracker Barrel to enjoy a late-night dessert.  It was the perfect ending to a wonderful evening together.  These friendships will last a lifetime - another of God's little blessings.