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| Wednesday, August 31, 2005 | |
This morning, the Louisiana governor, Kathleen Blanco, called for a Day of Prayer in the state of Louisiana. To quote governor Blanco,
"As we
face the devastation wrought by Katrina, as we search for those in
need, as we comfort those in pain and as we begin the long task of
rebuilding, we turn to God for strength, hope and comfort.
I have
declared August 31, 2005, a Day of Prayer in the State of Louisiana. I
am asking that all of Louisiana take some time Wednesday to pray. Pray
for the victims and the rescuers. Please pray that God give us all the
physical and spiritual strength to work through this crisis and
rebuild.
Please pray for patience for those anxiously waiting
to hear from family members or to get word about their homes. Pray for
the safety of our hard-working rescuers and those they are bringing to
safety.
I know, by praying together on Wednesday, that we can
pull together and draw strength we need; strength, that only God can
give us.
In my prayers, I will also thank
God for the strong and resilient people of this state and how they are
working to meet this challenge."
Whether you are in Louisiana or not, I would like to see you join in this day of prayer for every single person who was affected by Hurricane Katrina and continues to be affected by the hurricane itself and its massive after effects.
Dei gratia,
Dee
We've made it! The blogathon is officially over...and we made it through the 24 hours! Do you remember yesterday morning when I said that it would be a miracle if I made it the entire 24 hours since I was operating on no sleep?
Guess what.
You just witnessed a miracle.
Only through the grace of God did I make it this far....and I am so very thankful....praising His name!!
I didn't ever get a "third wind", however, Heifer International is such a worthy cause - I'm happy that the Lord carried me through the last 12 hours.
And, I want to thank you, my readers, for reading and sticking with me.
Finally, sending a special thank you to all the sponsors participating in Blogathon 2005, and the sponsors of In the Spirit of Grace in particular. Thank you so much for giving!
Remember, you can still sponsor In the Spirit of Grace's campaign for Heifer International through/to August 9th! If you've enjoyed any of the posts - and hopefully the majority of them, I would really appreciate you becoming a sponsor - even if it's just $1.00! Simply click on the link on the right side of this page that says "In the Spirit of Grace/Heifer International" under the Blogathon banner.
As an aside, my regular writing/posting will resume tomorrow, Monday, August 8 for In the Spirit of Grace.
Dei gratia,
Dee
Te just went out....Fia is stirring, and the house is beginning to show signs of life (well, not the house...but, you know what I mean!). My brain is sleeping, but, the rest of me is still here....counting down the minutes.
30 minutes left!
Stay tuned...because you are about to witness a miracle!
Dei gratia,
Dee
There is still time to sponsor our campaign for Heifer International. On the right hand side of this page, simply click on the "In the Spirit of Grace / Heifer International" link below the blogathon banner. Sponsors may donate through August 9th.
Do you remember that violent, vicious storm that came up one night, while Christ and the disciples were out on the ship? As the disciples freaked out and ran around fretting....Christ slept.
I'd bet they were thinking - why won't He get up and SAVE us?? Look, He's sleeping like a baby!!
But, I say, He was just showing us the way. Sometimes, life with become a violent, vicious storm that suddenly comes up and threatens to swallow us, sweeping us out to sea.
What we must do, when that storm comes, is sleep. Alright, I'm not advocating going back to bed and pulling the covers up over your head when things are rough. In this sense, our sleep is rest. When that storm comes, we must rest on the Lord....knowing that He will take care of us - and fully trusting that He only wants the best for us. He always acts for good and not evil.
Then and only then will we be able to fully rest in the Lord during the violent, vicious storms of life crash into us. Then and only then will we be given the peace to sleep through every storm.
See you in 30.
Dei gratia,
Dee
There is still time to sponsor our campaign for Heifer International. On the right hand side of this page, simply click on the "In the Spirit of Grace / Heifer International" link below the blogathon banner. Sponsors may donate through August 9th.
Having some problems putting a sentence - or even a string of words together at this point. So, in an effort to keep momentum right up to the end, I am giving the floor to our brother and "famed" writer....Saint Paul with a blessing from 1 Thessalonians.
"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calles you is faithful, who also will do it."~1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NKJV)
See you in 30....hopefully, I will get a "third wind" and be able to actually put a few intelligent words together by then.
Dei gratia,
Dee
There is still time to sponsor our campaign for Heifer International. On the right hand side of this page, simply click on the "In the Spirit of Grace / Heifer International" link below the blogathon banner. Sponsors may donate through August 9th.
There is this pretty hymn that we sing every so often at church that goes something like:
Morning has broken, like a sweet morning....dah da da da dah, dah da da dah.
Ok, I can't remember all the words. But, as I hear the morning sounds outside, and morning breaks, that hymn comes to my mind, and I quietly hum that hymn.
After the long dark night of blogging every half hour for Heifer International, we are almost to the goal! Morning has broken, and we have persevered through the long dark night.
See you in 30!
Dei gratia,
Dee
There is still time to sponsor our campaign for Heifer International. On the right hand side of this page, simply click on the "In the Spirit of Grace / Heifer International" link below the blogathon banner. Sponsors may donate through August 9th.
"And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its details and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it. But Solomon took thirteen years to build his own house; so he finish all his house."
~1 Kings 6:37-7:1
Solomon had his moments. He was a man after God's heart - but, he had his moments when he turned away and did things he knew was wrong.
But, one demonstration of his commitment and reverence for God was when he built the temple. Solomon had a great deal of wealth at his fingertips. He was "heavy" with the precious metal plated items and large, custom cut stone when building.
He probably could have hired enough workers to have his house finished without it interfering with the completion of the temple.
Yet, he didn't.
He made sure that the temple was completely done - perfectly - just as the plans laid out. And, then....and ONLY then, did he go about finishing the building of his own house.
Sometimes in our need-it-now society, we forget who should be given due before us. We just want what we want and we want it now. Or we need what we need...and that is our highest priority.
Yet, Solomon, a man of means, was able to understand that the Lord's house must be completely before his own house. He must serve God before he served himself.
At least in this example, his priorities were in order. What a great example to keep in the fore of our minds when making decisions now and in the future.
Dei gratia,
Dee
"When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible."
~anonymous
I would like to add to this. When you are in line with God's will, working towards His purpose here, committed to Him. He will give you the pleasure, and deep well of passion so that you may continue your good work.
Dei gratia,
Dee
I'm continually shocked and amazed at how much of a hidden fortune I must have when I check my email each day. I didn't know one person could have so many bank accounts at so many different banks. And, I didn't even know that I had them. I must be wealthy and not even know it.
Truth be told, it's just more spam mail - trying to see if they can get someone to fall for their tricks, give important account information, and unwittingly provide the thieves with all the information they need to know to commit fraud.
I don't open the emails. I just click the delete key, and go on with my day. but, I really don't understand how someone can participate in that sort of activity without any apparent guilt or achknowledgement that what they are doing is wrong.
Deep down, I believe they know it's wrong - maybe it's not so deep down. But, I suspect, they justify it to themselves this way or that, and thereby alleviate any guilt they may feel for stealing and defrauding innocent, unsuspecting people.
But, I think this justification (not the good kind) is one that is pretty common for us as humans. We may break this commandment or that - and we simply shrug it off, justifying it to ourselves.
This is where grace comes in. We need to resist that urge to get into the flesh and justify our wrong doing. We need to humble ourselves enough to accept that we must ask forgiveness when we do wrong...and try not to do wrong again. We need to get out of our flesh, and invite the Spirit to dwell within us, cheerfully accepting His correction.
And, when we get those SPAM emails, asking us for our account information, wouldn't it be wonderful it we could just say a little prayer for the fraudster, that they correct their ways and get right with God as we delete their email from our system?
Dei gratia,
Dee
There is still time to sponsor In the Spirit of Grace's campaign for Heifer International! Simply click on the link that says "In the Spirit of Grace / Heifer international" over on the right hand side of this page, under the blogathon banner! Sponsors can pledge until August 9.
There are so many people in the world who are desperately lonely. I mean, beyond "lonely"...or maybe more than lonely.
You've seen these people, I'm sure...maybe you are one of them (I know that I used to be). You try to satisfy this gaping hole deep inside you with money, success, fame, importance, family, etc....but, it doesn't seem to ever be filled. The more you have, the more you seem to need - it's like a black hole.
This sort of lonely desperation oft times is first recognized by others when the person suffering is so frustrated by the lack of meaning in their life - the inability to fill the black hole - that they make the fateful decision to steal their own life, and are found dead....desperately seeking answers and fulfillment.
The awesome news is, those important questions that all of us seek answers to:
What am I doing here?
What is the point of life?
Where am I heading?
are all available to us through Christ Jesus. Check this out:
"I am the way and the truth and the life." ~ John 14:6
In other words, if you are dissatisifed with materialism, turn to Him - He is the way. If you are look for a value system, turn to Him - he is the truth. If you are searching for what you are doing here, what the point of life is - what your purpose is - He is the life.
Dei gratia,
Dee
You know, when I first heard about Blogathon 2005, I thought - well, that sounds simple....just post every half hour for 24 hours? no problem! Not to mention that I thought it would give me a day where I had to stay near the computer, and I would get *so much* done!
Wrong!
I want to send HUGE kudos out to all the bloggers who have done this before and are doing it this year! Now that I have experienced it, I definitely understand that it's not a snap.
And, to all the bloggers who, like Kim & I, are doing this for the first time - and are still up posting now - kudos to you too!
I will admit, about 8 last night, I was ready to throw in the towel. Being mom to 3 kids all day, getting orders ready this morning, and running a business PLUS participating in the Blogathon (and running on no sleep) was, well, almost more than what I could handle. I really think if bedtime for my youngest would have been even a half hour later, I would have been done.
But, something happened once she went to bed, and it was quiet in the house. I felt ready to persevere...to keep moving forward, to keep working on raising money for Heifer International!
Then, I attempted the power nap. I thought, when I woke up, that I was a goner for sure. Yet, here I am....posting again. Now that there is less than 5 hours left, I'm hunkered down to see this to the end!
I would love to know how many bloggers are still active at this time of night. Jenny do you happen to have that info??
OH, and I'm so happy to announce...Blogathon has surpassed the goal of raising over $50,000 for charity in this 24 hour period! I haven't checked recently, but, the last time I was at the blogathon site, it was over $54,000 - that is so awesome! Let's keep it up! I don't feel like I've done as much as I could have, but, I am happy to have kept going - even in the face of utter exhaustion and frustration at the "easy" task of posting every half hour not being so easy.
Dei gratia,
Dee
There is still time to sponsor In the Spirit of Grace's campaign for Heifer International! Simply click on the link that says "In the Spirit of Grace / Heifer international" over on the right hand side of this page, under the blogathon banner! Sponsors can pledge until August 9.
I really thought it was going to be too short....but, I did manage to get the papasan over here, at my desk, and positioned so that I could still reach the keyboard & mouse and still see what I was typing.
I'll tell you what, I may trade in my regular desk chair for this - it's sooooo comfy! Not that I could really get any work done sitting in this, but, it's really much better for Blogathon purposes!!
I'm thinking about putting a CD in. Honestly, there simply isn't much on TV right now - and certainly nothing that is interesting enough for me to want to stay awake!
Just finished my 4 Starbucks cold mocha in a bottle. LOL Don't want to give them a plug or anything, but, I bought a 4 pack yesterday (I usually don't have any extra caffeine...but, suspected it would be necessary to keep myself up all night!). They were yummy, but, I probably won't buy them again until next year!
I noticed, while surfing the web ring, that there were several people (no, I didn't count how many!) that were numbering their posts. That is cool. I've wondered, off and on, how many posts I've done since this started this morning...but, every time I start counting, I get distracted. It is a little weird trying to figure out if people are still "with us" or not with all the different time zones involved.
And, I have to tell you, as I wrap up this post. Te (my border collie) is going to be kicked out of my room soon. She's all curled up on the bed, snuggled into the covers, and she is making me T-I-R-E-D. of course, she's had a really hard day - I mean, she had to learn about a doggie door and *everything*!
C ya in 30!
Dei gratia,
Dee
I'll tell you what...if I didn't believe in Heifer International so much, I definitely wouldn't still be here tonight or this morning? I'm not really sure where 2:30 fits in to the night/morning verbiage.
I went blog visiting. It's pretty lonely this time of night. I'm sleepy and there is not much on television! I could slip a DVD in, but, the surround sound would probably wake up Fiona - and while I'm lonely, I'm not lonely ENOUGH to want my 3 year old up keeping me company at this time of night/morning.
So, to sweeten the sponsor pot....I'm going to offer a free 6 x 9 (in) personalized leather journal. But, this isn't just any journal....check this out, I'm offering the sponsor with the largest pledge a completely customizeable leather journal - the covers, the pages - it's all customized just for you!!
Now, since I know that alot of us who are still up are participating in the blogathon....I want to throw this out there....I would happily print all your entries from your blog (up to 247 pages), design a leather cover for you, and bind your blog entries directly into a customized leather journal just for you - as long as you are the sponsor with the largest pledge. : )
I also rebind journals...and have reprinted them and bound those new pages into a beautiful leather journal. Again, if you have old journals you would like transferred to a new journal that is 100% customized & personalized for you, and are the sponsor with the highest pledge, I will bind up to 247 pages of old journals for you in this journal!
The value on this gift is, depending on the design $80 or more. So, this is a pretty substantial thing. Keep those pledges coming in for Heifer International!
Dei gratia,
Dee
Ok, I went surfing a little bit on the web ring.
It looks like I'm not the only one suffering. I still can't decide if I actually slept or if I just started to doze and then was woke up. maybe that's the secret to a power nap - you have to actually *sleep* for 20 minutes!
Anyway.....Teresa, over at Little breakdowns posted, several hours ago, that she needs a timer. Honestly? I've been trying to figure out what I could use as a timer for the last few hours.
Not to post in advance. I've been writing in spurts since my midnight post - and just saving them as drafts - still posting them "live". What I've been doing is sitting here and staring at the clock. When I get to the minute before I'm supposed to post, I open the draft, and then open the clock thingy on my computer....wait until the seconds hit 59 on the minute before, and then hit "submit editted item" - which will actually post it!
It's given me something different to do, anyway. Kind of a challenge. But, a timer that would go off and remind me would be great! Not a timer to cheat - just a reminder timer....
Hey....a *talking* timer - now that would be cool....
"Dee, it's time to post again!!"
I tried setting it as a recurring appointment in Outlook, but, Outlook apparently doesn't like appointment to recur in the same day.
Then, about 4 hours in, I tried setting "post to the blog" as a task, and just snoozing it every time it popped up for another 30 minutes. Eeek, that didn't quite work either!
So, once everyone went to bed, I started the little "make it post on the exact minute challenge."
Gotta do something to keep myself going, huh?
Dei gratia,
Dee
Alright, I'm not sure about this idea. A friend of mine told me much earlier today about "power naps". She told me that a 20 minute power nap would do wonders for me to feel refreshed and revitalized.
I tried it after my last post. And, you know what? I'm feeling more tired now than I did before.
I heard about power napping in college, but, I couldn't figure it out then. I think it depends on the person.
When I'm up, it's almost better for me to stay up than to try to take a quick nap. Maybe I'm just not the napping kind.
Now, to try to figure out how to find that second wind that I had, now that I had a nap (not sure there was much power in it!)
Dei gratia
Dee
Alright...here's another good inspiration - this time from World magazine's Mail Bag (yup, same issue). M. Freiberg, Sr., quotes Mr. Veith's column in the July 2/9 issue of World, and adds....
"There is not cost, no danger in being a member of a church" in the United States (so far). American Christians can learn from Chinese Christians what it can mean to confess the name of Jesus before men."
This is so true. As American's we really can not comprehend the full consequences, and the extreme courage and conviction it takes to confess the name of Christ Jesus before men. After all, we live in a country that does not actively persecute Christians. Unlike several countries around the world.
Of course, this also makes me wonder....do we value our salvation less somehow because of it? I dare say that maybe we do. We proclaim our faith - because we can....but, back to what I just wrote about Dr. Livingstone & that train of thought....we don't necessarily live out our beliefs. Those beliefs don't necessarily turn into convictions. And, I can't help but wonder....if suddenly, Christians were being actively persecuted here, in America (I know this won't happen....this is a thing that should make you go hmmmmm), would we take our faith so lightly as to be part time Christians? Or, because the decision to be a Christian could actually be life threatening, would we actually value it because of the deep conviction we hold?
Kind of makes you think, now doesn't it?
Dei gratia,
Dee
I've been reading my copy of World magazine for the week of August 6 to keep myself busy, and possibly give me some inspiration.
Towards the end of the magazine, there is the letter from the editor regarding his recent story on the career of the missionary David Livingstone. In his letter, he gives some great info about Dr. Livingstone that I would like to share with you....it's pretty cool & appropriate - what Dr. Livingstone said in 1866 still applies today.
According to the editor of World (Marvin Olasky), Dr. Livingstone wrote of his own theology in 1866, speaking of good works (some of you will remember that we had a discussion here at In the Spirit of Grace around the time Pope John Paul II died and someone started ranting about the Pope, and then wandered off into the works vs. grace argument and how the Catholic church teaches works. - not going into that again...but, I'll tell you what...Dr. Livingstone really sums this up pretty well. I don't know if he was a Catholic or not, it really doesn't matter. Works are important - but not in the same way as grace.
"Though there is antipathy in the human heart to the gospel of Christ, yet when Christians make their good work shine all admire them. It is when great disparity exists between profession and practice that we secure the scorn of mankind."
When I read this, not only did I think of the reader who vehemently attacked works v. grace, but, I also thought about my dear sister, Kim Bloomer. You know, the person who verbally attacked Kim last week was saying that she shouldn't bring her faith into her business. I happen to agree with Kim - it's her choice. And, frankly, I will take it another bold step (I am almost positive Kim agrees, although I won't put the words in her mouth!)...As Christians, we MUST bring our faith into every aspect of our lives.
Just as Dr. Livingstone suggested in 1866, "It is when great disparity exists between profession and practice that we secure the scorn of mankind." In other words....when we claim we are Christians and live of the world - accepting worldly views and worldly values, we bring the scorn of mankind onto ourselves.
Way to go, Kim, for your bold step out in faith!
Finally, I will leave you with this (for now)....According to Marvin Olasky, Dr. Livingstone once prayed that:
"The time would come when rich men and great men would think it an honor to support whole stations of missionaries, instead of spending their money on hounds and horses."
Honestly, I think this his prayer is quite appropo, considering this post is for Blogathon 2005. Think about it.
Dei gratia,
Dee
There is still time to support Heifer International through In the Spirit of Grace's campaign for Blogathon 2005! Simply click on the "In the Spirit of Grace/Heifer International" link, under the Blogathon 2005 banner on the right hand side of this page. You can sponsor the campaign with a donation as small as a dollar.
Almost There!!! We are at another big threshold....it's midnight in Iowa (1 AM eastern)....16 hours down....only 8 left to go!!! Earlier, I honestly didn't know if I was going to make it this far....And, I think I have my second wind (this makes my awake time around 42 hours...I suspect I will collapse, unconcious, after church for at least a few hours.)
I'm going to go back to reading for a little bit...then I may have to go "wandering" through the web ring and see what's up everywhere else!!Dei gratia,
Dee
| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
I've always wondered something. Actually, I've asked many people, but, they've never been able to explain it to me in a way that makes sense.
If there is no God....how do we know the difference between right and wrong? How is it that even a child knows not to kill someone? If there is no God, how does the child know this from such an early age? My older kids knew this before we were Christians - and, yet, I never sat down and explained it to them. So, if there isn't anything greater than us...how would we all know this?
I say that even though it's not philosophical proof - it is proof that there is a God - The God.
Dei gratia,
Dee
| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." ~ C.S. Lewis
It sounds ludicrous, doesn't it? Imagine writing the word "darkness" all over the walls of a prison cell....can you imagine a state of mind that you must be in to actually believe that the mere act of writing "darkness" all over the walls would put out the sun?
Think about it....God's glory is surrounding us all the time. From first light in the morning (His glory), to the last chirp of a cricket every evening...we are absolutely surrounded with His never ending glory - in nature, in our own lives - everywhere.
So, thinking back to the prisoner in the cell who is frantically writing "darkness" all over the cell walls....what state of mind must one be in to convince themselves that the mere act of *not* worshipping the one, true, living God would deny His very glory?
Dei gratia,
Dee
| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
"If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself."
~ Saint Augustine
Have you ever wondered how people decide what to believe in the bible and what not to believe? Sometimes, it seems so random.
Earlier this week, someone really (verbally) beat up on my sister, Kim, over at Bark N Blog. And, other than being a very angry, power hungry, domineering person, it was hard to get a feel whether the person believed in anything or not.
Apparently, this person's theory is that you can't believe everything in scripture. My question is....if you can't believe everything (either in the spirit of the story or the story itself), how do you, as a human, a *child* of God, know what you should really believe about the Living God? Which of His inspired words do you throw away like yesterday's news? Which do you keep? Who decides?
I have to agree with Saint Augustine on this one....If you are believing what you want to believe, and rejecting what you don't like/believe...you really must take a good hard look within and see who you truly believe in/as the ultimate authority.Dei gratia,
Dee
| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
Last week, I heard the most interesting thing on the news. Not interesting as in "I-can't-pull-myself-away", but, interesting as in "why-are-they-worrying-about-this".
I heard that the ACLU is bringing suit because having people swear in (in court) on a Holy Bible is directly conflicting with the idea of freedom of religion.
As I got thinking about it (I tuned out part of the report, because my mind got going with the train of thought) - I thought, you know....why would it matter to people who aren't Jewish or Christian what they are swearing in on? I mean, really....they shouldn't care if they are swearing to the Living God if they don't even believe in Him right?
And, if the ACLU wins....what about aetheists? Won't they be left out? I mean, what would they swear on? And, not only that, but, what would a jury think of their testimony? After all, they don't believe there is a higher power in the universe - they don't have a higher authority to answer to....so, wouldn't they be *less credible* in the mind of a juror - whether the juror is Christian, Jewish, or Muslim - or, really, ANY religious affiliation?
I'm not sure this suit was thought clear through. And, I can't help but wonder who prompted it. Were those people thinking it clear through?
Kind of makes you wonder if some people have way too much time on their hands.Dei gratia,
Dee
| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
For some reason, it seems like my kids like to intrude on my "personal space" - you know, that invisible wall around each of us that acts as a comfort barrier between us and everyone else. It's a psychological fact that everyone has a certain amount of space that is their comfort barrier. And, most people have around the same amount of space.
But, either my kids don't have that space OR I need more space than I used to. Or maybe, just maybe, it's the arrangement of my studio. My desk (as you saw earlier) is a corner desk. For some reason, my kids really like to stand *right next to* my chair - between my chair and the other side of the desk. That seems so crowded to me, I feel like they are right on top of me.
How are you about your own personal space? Do you feel like it's *expanding* or do you wonder if you even have one? (If you are wondering, think about a time in the past when the person behind you in line was in a hurry and getting real close to you, to try to hurry you out of their way...that will give you a good indication!)
I thought, earlier today, that maybe I should rearrange furniture while this was going on - after all, what better way to keep myself awake than to have a really big project like that going on. And, it would take care of this personal space issue - at least by my work area.
But, I didn't. Once I got onto a schedule (of sorts), I realized that there were certain things on my to-do list today that I just wasn't going to get done...simply because I would either get too involved and lose track of time (and not get in my half-hour-ly posts) OR it required more than 10 or 15 minutes to do each step in the process. Either way, I decided it wasn't a wise idea.
And, that brings me back to my earlier to-do....working on the new website. I dropped that for now. I know that it's something I really need to focus on - all by itself - instead of trying to multi-task something so important in such a fatigued state.
So, I think I will watch the rest of 48 hours mystery, and then I will be back to post again. I'm trying to figure out how to get my papasan close enough to the big computer that I can see the print on the screen...that will help ALOT...but, until then, I have my trusty desk chair keeping me company...in this beautiful stillness.
Dei gratia,
Dee
| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
It's just after 9 pm (in Iowa), and everyone is going to bed (except me!). After a day full of noise and hustle and bustle, finally - peace & stillness. Time where there is no other noise beside nightime nature, and whispering breaths of children sleeping.
In the still of the night
Peace
Peace, be still....and listen for God.
This has typically been the time of day when I'm most able to really be a conduit of the Spirit. Actually, at the two sides of the day - first thing in the morning - at sunrise - and last thing at night, in darkness, with the faint sounds of the insects and night time creatures rustling outside my window.
It's not that I haven't acted on the Spirit's leading during other times of the day - but, for whatever reason....when it's still and quiet, I feel most receptive, most available to the Spirit.
Of course, tonight, going on 40 hours without sleep, I'm tired and not feeling very "conduit-like". However, I know that, if the Spirit nudges me, I will act on that, and be His conduit, He dictates the story, I just hold the pen.
I am reminded of when Christ slept through the storm, and finally, once the Apostle's were totally freaking out because of it, He simply got up to the top deck and simply said to the winds:
"Peace, Be Still."
I hope you are enjoying those be still moments tonight as well!
Dei gratia,
Dee
There's still time to sponsor In the Spirit of Grace in our campaign for Heifer International. Sponsoring is easy - simply click on the "In the Spirit of Grace/Heifer International" link on the right side of the page (under the Blogathon 2005 banner). Sponsors can pledge as little as $1. And, brethren, that is less than a cup of Starbuck's coffee or most large fountain drinks....and that little donation will mean so much for the people that Heifer International helps!
| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
Earlier, I was thinking about when I was in boot camp. It was about 16 years ago, but, I will never forget standing for inspection on a very hot, exceptionally humid day.
This was nothing new, but, I had not been eating real well, I suspect (getting used to eating in a few minutes was *interesting* to say the least.) Or maybe I hadn't had enough fluids....but, either way, I was apparently looking pretty bad physically (although, I must have been squared away uniform wise, because I passed the inspection).
As our company commander walked down the aisle toward me, I remember feeling a little light headed. Then she came to stand in front of me, did the inspection, and then told me "Pull yourself together, Phipps." It wasn't long after that, mayber a few minutes, when I passed out. I wasn't sweating - even in the terrible heat, and right away, they knew that I was suffering from heat stroke.
I will never forget her saying "Pull yourself together" - as if I could prevent myself from the impending loss of consciousness.
But, as I look back on the past 16 years, I think about all the times I told myself to pull myself together.
And, every time I tell myself that, my CC's voice rings in my head...."Pull yourself together, Phipps."
I think one of the things that has make such a big impact on me since becoming a Christian is knowing that it's not about me pulling myself together. It's about me surrendering my sinful ways - surrendering my flesh - and allowing the Lord to work through me. Essentially, I know that I need to let the Lord pull "myself" together.
Of course, I also know that I can prevent that from happening. The Spirit will not force himself upon any of us....we must consent to His presence, and allow him to do His work. But, it's such a relief to know that it's not all up to me any longer.
I still have times when I hear myself saying "Pull yourself together, Phipps", however, instead of bristling when I hear it, instead, I smile and know that all I have to do is surrender, and allow the Spirit to do His good work...I'm not alone any longer....and my relationship with Jesus Christ has given me the hope that comes from knowing that I don't have to worry about "pulling myself together" ever again.
Dei gratia,
Dee
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| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
Did you ever feel like you were under such intense attack, you weren't going to be able to go further?
Guess where I am right now!
I should have expected it, but, for some strange reason, I really didn't.
I'm going to pray for a little while, and then I will be back...maybe, by the my "Pull yourself Together" post will be regurgitated by my laptop, and I will be able to post it!
C ya in 30!
Dei gratia,
Dee
| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
Alright, I've spent the last 20 minutes trying to get the laptop to work. First, it didn't want to open the browser, then, it didn't like it when I rebooted.....so, now, I'm back on the big computer.
Starting to wonder if I could bring my papasan over to my desk and sit so that I could hold my keyboard and still watch the movie that's on (although, I may need to turn it - I've seen this *so* many times)
See ya in 30 (hopefully from the laptop!)
Dei gratia,
Dee
| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
I'm offering up this prayer for all of you - my friends, my benefactors, and those kindred spirits.....This is excerpted from Jeremy Taylors "Holy Living" - a public commons book.
O God, merciful and gracious, who hast made (my parents) my friends and my benefactors ministers of thy mercy, and instruments of Providence to thy servant, I humbly beg a blessing to descend upon the heads of (name the persons or the relations). Depute thy holy angels to guard their persons,
thy Holy Spirit to guide their souls, thy providence to minister to their necessities; and let thy grace and mercy preserve them from the bitter pains of eternal death, and bring them to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ. Amen.Dei gratia,
Dee
| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
Dinner is ready, and I'm going to be moving over to the laptop....praying it will go okay this time with it....last time it was awful!
I also wanted to issue an apology. In one of the business groups that I'm in (that I couldn't be without, truly - there is a great group of women there!!), I said I wanted to podcast for all 24 hours of Blogathon 2005.
Tested last night, and realized that I couldn't possibly do that because I'm so slow editting, and couldn't bring myself to release raw audio.
Of course, after slicing my palm last night with the leather cutter (not terrible serious, mind you - just enough to annoy me when I move my hand), and burning myself while cooking dinner (lol, get the feeling I'm a walking disaster when I'm exhausted?), I don't know how much longer my hands will tolerate typing.
So, we may be moving to raw audio in the next few hours. No promises - and I do apologize for saying that I wanted to podcast the full 24 and not being able to.
See ya in 30!Dei gratia,
Dee
| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
Back from the store....had a great idea for something to write about while I was on my way, but, it's gone for now. LOL I think I will do better once I have dinner. : )
For now, I will leave you with one of my favorite psalms.....
"The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hands."
~Psalm 138:8
Dei gratia,
Dee
| Saturday, August 06, 2005 | |
Well, I've solved the dinner issue. I'm cooking taco salads (well, technically, I'm cooking ground beef, putting taco seasoning in it, and cooking some flour tortilla salad bowls).
Think I will run to the store really quick - I've went through 128 ounces of water so far today (plus a Starbucks iced mocha in a bottle), and I think something fizzy would hit the spot!
I've decided that my fatigue is more the time of the day rather than the amount of time I've been awake. It's usually about this time of day that I just need some time to sit in quiet for a little while and "chill".
Oh, and, I told my son I would mention this - this morning when I thought he wasn't home yet - he was. He didn't check in with me when he got home - but, his sister saw him, and since they would rather get each other in trouble (seemingly) than agree, I took her word for it.
See you in 30!
Dei gratia,
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