Author: pamela

what the devil intends for evil, God uses for good…

Truly, the devil does only seek destruction.
God is only good. All the time.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:10

O will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever… He has once again – in a remarkable, amazing, loving and merciful way – that He alone is Lord and He alone (Romans 8.28-29) works all things together for good to them that love Him and are the called according to His purpose. (29) For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son.

Though sometimes painful and seemingly hopeless, things the LORD allows us to experience are for our good and His great Glory. We do praise Him and Him alone for the great love wherewith He has loved us and for His watchcare over our little lamb. We can only take that sweet cup of salvation and say: Thank You.

When a prodigal returns, walking back down the lane, sees the lights of Home and is welcomed into the arms of her father & mother, sisters & brothers, there is much joy and rejoicing — the kind known only following much travail, heartache, pain and sorrow. Sorrow endures for a night, but truly, truly, Joy does come in the morning!  Praise only the Lord.

more later.

What a difference a day makes…

I thought I’d write a bit tonight — perhaps an update of sorts or maybe just an “I’m checking in” sort of post. Whatever it might end up being, suffice it to say, I’ve missed blogging, I’ve missed this sort of portal to the world and I’ve missed looking for things that might encourage, inspire or give some help or hope to someone else.

I could not have known as I wrote my last blog entry that that night my life or, rather, life for our family would take such a dramatic turn or that we would face something for which we were absolutely and completely unprepared. Not lost on me is the irony of the timing of the content and, thus, the subject of my last post – “Rejoice with me.” As a matter of fact, I’m in awe of the marvelous presence of the Lord.

I had been reading emails from readers, thinking of events in the past and current trials friends were experiencing. I could not have known a storm was brewing and about to break over our home. As I was reading emails, I decided to look into Luke 15 — which was, incidentally, near to where I was reading in my personal study [in a series of events I now marvel were quite obviously of the Lord].

So, these have been 94 of the most arduous and sorrowful days I have ever faced or experienced in my whole life. Perhaps I’ll write about them sometime, but for now, I just wanted to communicate that we’re experiencing joy in the Lord like we’ve never known and, at the same time, a sorrow we cannot fully articulate and some days feel we cannot bear. It is in those times we know the Love of the Saviour afresh and His loving kindness and presence is our All in all.

I pray my next post will not be a quote from the Scripture, though it would be, but an enthusiastic request: rejoice with me. In the meantime, I would ask that if it comes to your mind, I’d appreciate prayer for a precious lost little lamb.

God bless you all.

“It will be worth it all when we see Jesus… life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ – one glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase, so bravely run the race, till we see Christ.”

—pamela

“Rejoice with me”

teacuppamela.pngEnthusiasm’s contagious!  Isn’t it interesting how quickly our mood or emotions can change by being around someone who’s enthused about something? Or, someone who’s elated over accomplishing some great thing? It’s kind of like the bible verses in Luke 15:

8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

I just got off the phone with my brother… he didn’t need to say: Rejoice with me!  It was in his voice, though, and the words couldn’t come tumbling out fast enough when he was telling me of his new job — every sentence as if to say: Rejoice with me!

I think of this sort of rejoicing from time to time.  I think of this sort rejoicing when talking with a loved one a long distance away.  I think of it when I pray for my family… when I pray for friends… when I pray for people who’ve lost their way — or never knew.

Another few verses (Again, Luke 15):
4  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6  And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Think of the enthusiasm in heaven!  Because I have a page on our website dedicated to Prodigals and Waywards, I receive mail from mothers and dads who are grieving the lostness of their children.  I marvel that there’s not more grief in the church over the lost sheep — it is grievous, really.  But it seems our politically correct society even infiltrates the church and no one seems to want to offend anyone.  Imagine: hell will surely be filled with unoffended souls — for we already see the church is filled with presently unoffended, unaffected and ineffective souls. Is it because we haven’t told the Truth?  Is it that we’re too ashamed to speak the Truth plainly?  Hell will be filled with the souls we were too afraid to touch… too afraid to offend… too afraid to talk to… too afraid to say, Rejoice with me!

Be enthusiastic about the Lord!  Tell others what you’ve seen!  You’ll be a true and faithful witness!  Try it: Stand up for Jesus: Say, Come and See!  I know I was blind but now I see!  Rejoice with me!

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“Off the Face of the Earth”

teacuppamela.pngMy husband reads to us at night. He has done this for many, many years. The things he reads don’t always sound like they’re going to be the most interesting and certainly not necessarily ‘entertaining.’ I’m always glad for what he reads, though. It’s never a waste of time — far from it.

Last night he read us a story — the incredible story of survival of a group of Holocaust Survivors… who escaped certain death by hiding in one of the world’s largest caves. You can read this story for yourself here.

God has been so very, very merciful to us all. I kept thinking of the times we’ve fretted life… considering our small. small. inconveniences and trials. I shall never forget this story. Ever.
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The 2010 State of the Union Address

In light of yesterday’s post regarding the real state of the union… here you go: The State of the Union Address – part one. Listen. if. you. can.

BO: “Our most urgent task upon taking office, was to shore up the same banks that caused this crisis [Wow.]. It was not. easy. to. do. And if there’s one thing that’s unified Democrats and Republicans and everybody in between – is that we all hated the bank bailout! I hated it. (applause) I hated it (chuckle – applause). I hated it (more applause). You hated it. It was about as popular as a root canal.”

O wow. Think how many…

New Year’s Resolutions

It happens every year. I resolve to do this or that thing – more or less or better or not at all. In addition to those resolves, I always think there’s something unique or particularly inspiring about the New Year. New Year. New calendar. New date book. New pages for the notebook — yes, as antiquated as it is and it remains, my palm pilot, my blackberry, my iphone, my lapbook, etc., etc is, simply: a spiral bound notebook of lined paper in which I write notes, message, recipes, web addresses, grocery lists, quotes, Scripture verses. And doodles.

Another thing coincidentally happens. I sort of secretly resolve to not resolve to do anything new/better/different/again.   Well, except to lose weight, read through my Bible, spend more time in prayer, spend more time with my family, exercise, read more, write a book, blog more regularly…

It’s like I attempt to trick myself into complying with new (actually, old – but recycled) resolutions. I do this by saying I’m not going to make any *written* resolutions.  I say:  I’m just going to do a few things better.

Two days into the New Year’s Resolutions new year I’ve already had some recalibrating (I got that one from President Obama).  I’m recalibrating several things.  My time schedule, bedtime schedule, weightloss, exercise routines and Bible reading.  My-o-my is it ever easy to set lofty goals on December 30th.  You know, when the resolve to not eat any more Christmas goodies is strongly in place — you know, bcz you’re sort of full & tired of them — that, and the New Year looks far off!!  And doable.

It’s easy to sort of smugly think you’ll do so much better with the new year on the horizon — that, and a new decade, too!

So, if you’ve already had to readjust or recalibrate the expectations/resolves you put on your self or things you wrote down on a scrap of paper.  Know that you’re not alone.  Studies show that something like 10-12% of “resolvers” ever keep those resolutions anyway.  That’s not saying that you shouldn’t strive for bettering yourself or that you shouldn’t regroup and get back up and keep on keeping on… it just means that you’re not alone.  There are a bunch of other people who’re commiserating with you on this one.

So, my solution?  My advice to you (and to myself)?  What does the LORD require of thee?  Ask Him… He is ready to answer you.  His  Word says that He has shown you what is good and what He requires of you (Micah 6.8):

“…But to do justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God.”

May He richly bless you, keep you, direct you and joy over you with singing in this new year!

with love, pamela

Happy Christmas

May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His Face to shine upon you and give you peace. I pray you have received the gift of Christ… the gift of salvation through faith in the Only One who can save, the only perfect atonement for mankind. His life for yours, His peace for your pain, His forgiveness for your sin, His payment in full, His presence in your life.

Christmas is about His presents. His presence.

God bless you this Christmastime with the Joy of the Greatest Gift ever Given.

with love, pamela