Flashback Friday - Forgetting

This week Jo gave us this prompt:

"Let's just run with the theme of FORGETFULNESS. Write about a time when you forgot something or someone. Or write about an experience or person that was UNFORGETTABLE."

I have to take a deep breath, dive in, and trust you won't laugh so hard and so long that I'll never be able to show my face again. But since I know that God despises the proud I submit my tale in humility.

We had recently moved from Rick's home town to a much smaller town about 30 minutes away. He was settling in at his new job and I had quit my work as a cashier at Safeway Foods to work as a cook/waitress at a local diner. Rick would leave to walk to work at 7:30 and I would usually find things to do around the house until it was late enough that I'd have to drive the few short blocks to make it in on time before the breakfast customers started arriving.

On one particularly clear day I decided I would walk, so I made sure I gave myself lots of time. I was enjoying the feel of the warm air and the opportunity to observe the state of everyone else's vegetable gardens as I passed by. Much nicer than driving, I thought, and made a mental note to do this more often.

I actually arrived with much time to spare, so the owner suggested we sit and chat over a cup of coffee or two. I poured us each a cup and brought them to the table. I sat and lifted the cup to my mouth... and... by the grace of God alone, before I parted my lips I realized that I had left home without wearing my false teeth. Now I'm not talking about a tooth or two here and there.. but a full denture on the top and a partial bottom plate that filled in for all but 3 remaining real teeth.

My hand went to my mouth immediately and turning my head I muttered about having to run back home for a minute, promising to be back before my shift was due to start. Instead of a leisurely cup of coffee, I power walked back to the house, mouth shut, fixed my teeth in place and drove back. Not quite the best way to start what had seemed to be a good day.

Now, when you stop chuckling, go visit Jo at Mylestones and add your own Flashback Friday

Time Warp Tuesday - More

I'm joining Victoria at Let The Son Shine for the first Time Warp Tuesday.

Victoria says:
"Join me on the first Tuesday of each month as we own our writing, old and new, alike! No more apologies over sharing old news--we're making what's old, news again. As we revisit our intended re-posts, we're going to add to them any new lessons and insights we've gained in the time since the original publishing."

I'm going back to a post from July of 2008 called More Than Meets the Eye.

On July 1st we took off alone to some less visited areas of Riding Mountain National Park, avoiding the crowds that were gathered at Clear Lake for all of the usual Canada Day festivities. In the beauty of His creation we both feel God’s presence more acutely.

Rick, as always, stayed busy snapping pictures with his still relatively new digital camera, purchased before our Uganda journey. We are both quite taken with the native wildflowers and many shots were captured.

Once home again, we plugged the media card into the computer and took a quick look at the pictures. Some very nice flowers indeed, we thought. A few days later, with more time available, we decided to take a better look.

Here was a nice shot of some sort of daisy type flower with strange pink balls on the edge.

We decided to enlarge the view to get a better look at them. Now we could see the pink balls better, but we also noticed something on the white part of the flower that looked like it might be an insect.

We enlarged it yet again to find a wonderful shot of an odd green bug.

This encouraged us to look closer at more of the photos.

This is a picture of a dried reed. When enlarged we found a damsel fly.

Enlarged again there is also a lady bug near the upper left corner.

It seemed that every picture we looked at began to show us more than we expected, and certainly things that Rick didn’t know were there when he took the shots.

I believe this was God teaching us to look closer. He was showing us that there is always much more than we can see with our natural eyes. He desires to enlarge our spiritual senses in the same way our computer enlarged the digital photos.

Forgive me Lord God for so often being content with my natural abilities and not asking for Your divine revelations. Help me to open the eyes and ears of my spirit, to be in tune with what You hear and what You see.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13 NIV

Today, in April of 2010 I realize that God indeed has been answering the prayer I prayed that day in July, and I have felt my spirit soaring to new heights that have enabled me to begin to see a little more of what He must see. At times that brings me great joy and other times it calls me to my knees. He does call us to be in step with His Spirit, so I shall continue to ask for His vision and His heartbeat.

May it all be for His glory!

I miss being here

I am resurfacing from a time of fever and illness that had me in a fog, unable to read, write, think...

While I am trying to get my thoughts sorted I'll share a few photos from the days prior to the "yuck bug" hitting me.

Here's our beautiful Aurora Rae enjoying Easter Sunday afternoon here at our place - now also known as Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Easter Monday we were blessed to spend the day with Aurora and her parents, driving through the National Park (where we found many deer grazing along the road) en route to Brandon for a day of shopping and walking in the warm air at the Discovery Centre seeing the ducks and geese that have returned. We enjoyed spicy chinese food, ice cream and the fun of time spent getting to know each other better and the opportunity to speak life, encouragement and wisdom into those we so dearly love.

Only take heed, and guard your life diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your [mind and] heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your children's children-- Deuteronomy 4:9 Amplified

Easter Blessings

Image via Wikipedia

In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Luke 24:5-7 NIV

May joy, peace and His resurrection power flow through every fibre of your being.

Happy Easter.

Our Lord reigns!

There was a cost

Image by A.Currell via Flickr

It is a dark Saturday, this time between the suffering of Christ for our sins and His glorious rising.

I have tried to position my mind in that place of hopelessness, of not knowing that He would return.

I see Him bruised and broken, His love on display, drop by drop by precious drop.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 NIV

Lord Jesus,
let me not forget
the cross was such a brutal fee
the pain You suffered purchased me

The pain You suffered purchased me
as You hung on Calvary's tree
holy and blameless without one spot
paying the price
when I could not

The pain You suffered purchased me
a sinner cold and lost
now I can only worship You
and not forget the cost

Let my every breath bring honor
to the One Who had no sin
My Lord, The Lamb, The Great I Am,
My Jesus who lives within

Ephesians 6:18 Saturdays - Confession

Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people). Ephesians 6:18 Amplified

This week, let's look at prayers of confession.

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened Psalm 66:18 NLT

The psalmist knew that if he had hidden what was in his heart, the Lord would not have given ears to his prayers. The same is true for all of us. When we come into God's presence we must be willing to allow the light of His holiness to shine upon all of our imperfections.

All of the sin and darkness within us separates us from true communion with our Lord, but He has given us confession as a key that can cleanse us.

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. 1 John 1:9 Amplified

When we confess something to God we are merely telling Him what He already knows. This is a time for us to see what He sees, and as our hearts break, to allow that truth to change us.

Next week, we'll take this a step further and look at the truly life changing prayer of repentance. Until then, my prayer is that you allow the Lord to search your hearts and shine His light upon those things you may be trying to hide from yourself.

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

Dayenu - Enough

Image by PlaysWithFood via Flickr

Tomorrow, after our Good Friday worship service, although a bit out of order time wise, a group of us are gathering to celebrate a Passover seder and meal.

One of my favourite parts of the ceremony is the reciting of Dayenu.

The word “Dayenu” means “It would have been enough.” Reciting the “Dayenu” reminds us that we owe unending praise to God. Just as the Lord continually provides for us we should continually give praise to Him. All too often followers of God fail to receive our Lord’s blessings. We become satisfied with “enough,” though our Heavenly Father desires to give us exceedingly more.

Jesus said, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10b NIV

Had God brought us out of Egypt and not supported us in the wilderness - Dayenu!
Had God given us the Sabbath and not the Torah - Dayenu!
Had God given us the Torah and not brought us to the land of Israel - Dayenu!
Had God only sent Messiah to die for our sins and rise, but not sent the Spirit to show us God’s will - Dayenu!
Had God only sent his Spirit, but not promised Messiah’s return- Dayenu!
Had God only promised Messiah’s return and not established His eternal Kingdom - Dayenu!

I pray that His richest blessings fill your homes as the revelation of Who He Was, Is, and will Be fills your hearts this Easter.

I sense that our Lord wants you to know that if He had to go to the cross for you alone and no one else - Dayenu - you would have been enough!