Psalm 121

 

In reading many of your blogs and reflections this past week, I find that every one of you have been going through some rough patches in your lives as of late.  When I'm feeling overwhelmed with sadness, worry or uncertainty, I often rely on the Psalms for comfort and peace.  I thought that a selection of Danny's photos from our various trips to the mountains over the years paired with Psalm 121 might boost your spirits and bring you closer to God as you marvel at and revel in His majestic handiwork.

I will lift my eyes to the hills - From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved, He who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, He who keeps Israel  Shall never slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil, He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Amen!

Praise the Lord!

 

Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. ~Psalm 28:6

Thanks to all of your prayers and love sent Danny's way and mine, his heart ablation was a resounding success!  Yes, Dr. G. was authorized to use the yet-to-be FDA approved device for up to 60 seconds, but only needed it for 30 seconds.  Danny's heart is free of the "dead" matter and his VT is miraculously under control.  Dr. G. tried for four minutes to stimulate a VT reaction, but could not.  Hallelujah and praise be to God!  Danny will be coming home this afternoon.

May the Lord continue to bless all of you, dear friends.  Never forget the power of prayer.

Amen!

Lord, Hear Our Prayer

 

 

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. ~Psalm 17:6

On Thursday of this week, my husband, Danny, will undergo a third ablation on his heart.  The reason?  There is a spot his heart that his surgeon was unable to treat previously due to the length of time it would take and the location of this troublesome area.  This why Danny is on the medication, Amiodarone, for so long.  That works fine.  Until it doesn't.  The accumulated side effects land Danny in the hospital with pneumonia-type symptoms for eight days in July of this year.

Dr. G., his cardio surgeon and specialist, wants to have a go at another ablation instead of putting Danny on yet another drug treatment.  This requires approval for use of an advanced device from the FDA as it is used at this time only on candidates for whom other options have proved ineffective.  Think President Trump's "right to try" policy.

Needless to say, Dr. G. gets the approval he requests and, as residual effectiveness of the Amiodarone wanes, it is imperative that he schedules this procedure for Danny without delay.  He even reschedules less pressing surgical procedures in order to bump Danny up to the front of the line.

I can attest, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God has been walking steadfastly and faithfully through all the health issues and trials Danny and I have been facing together.  We know His grace is always sufficient for us and because of it, we have the hope and peace which pass all understanding.

Yes, we are praying that it's God's will to allow Danny to successfully go through this surgery and to mend as swiftly as possible.  I know that so many of my readers are valiant prayer warriors, and we are most certainly in need of your prayers at this juncture.  Please feel free to share our situation with your church families and your friends both in person and online.  Prayers are one of the best gifts we can ever give to one another, if not the very best, because we can rest assured that God always hears them.  I plan to post an update on this blog about Danny and the results on Friday.

Thank you, dear friends, for all your caring, loving hearts that carry the light of Jesus to shine into the lives of others.  May our good Lord bless and keep you!

Amen!

Courage For His Faith

 

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. ~John 8:32

I would like to be remembered for having courage for my faith. ~Charlie Kirk

This past week, our nation and the world are rocked to our very core.  Turning Point USA founder, Charlie Kirk, is brutally assassinated at Utah Valley University while engaging students in his signature "Prove Me Wrong" discussions.  In these sessions, Charlie invited anyone to question him and his conservative outlook on life, helping young people to think for themselves in logical, moral and fundamental ways while encouraging healthy, constructive debate.  He fostered civil, respectful and compassionate dialogue, showing that everyone, no matter what their political or religious persuasion deserves to be heard and treated with dignity.

In an eerie parallel to the Butler, Pennsylvania attempt to assassinate now President Trump, this shooter accessed a rooftop on the campus where crowds had gathered to hear Charlie speak and for some, to wait patiently in line to pose their questions to this unique man wise beyond his 31 years.  The perpetrator fires only one shot, but it takes only one to end a life so boldly and unabashedly lived for Jesus, and for the freedoms of speech and religion espoused the our Constitution.

But if the killer thought that his heinous act to silence Charlie would work, he was delusional.  Instead, the exact opposite, and I would add miraculous, effect resurrected beauty from ashes.  On Sunday, as I'm drafting this post, over 36,000 requests for campus chapters of Turning Point USA have poured into their headquarters.  Charlies authenticity and grace-filled love for Jesus, some have posited, has sparked a spiritual revival among Gen-Z-ers who are returning to the church in unprecedented numbers.  And more than ever, young people aren't afraid to question, speak out and speak up with the same authority, conviction and love that Charlie showed to them.

This powerful movement which Charlie began in life will only magnify and multiply in the wake of his untimely death.  And all because he knew his Lord and Savior, spoke the truth in love, and set the minds of millions free from fear and subjugation to a secular culture that is oppressive and intolerant of anyone professing faith in God.

As a physical man, Charlie literally stood head and shoulders higher than most, but his spiritual body will be a towering touchstone for not just this generation, but for countless generations to come.

I will close this post with one of Charlie's quotes about Jesus:  Let's mirror His heart, speaking truth firmly yet tenderly, trusting that only God can open spiritual eyes.

Amen, and again I say, amen!

Harbor of Rest

 

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.  The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"  He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet!  Be still!"  Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?" ~Mark 4:38-40

This past Saturday, I indulge in something I haven't felt the need to do in quite some time: Taking a nap after lunch.  Life has simply been too crazy and demanding as of late, so quiet moments when I have no looming obligations to meet are few and far between.  I'm settled in comfortably on the couch, dozing blissfully, when the unexpected happens.

>BOOM<!!!  Thunder rudely jolts me to unwanted wakefulness.  How has a peaceful, overcast afternoon morphed into a gully washer?  Rain and even pea-sized hail drum against the windows and ping off the skylights.  The wind, too, joins the percussion section, pounding our swept decks with all types of forest debris.  Who (but Jesus) could possibly sleep through this?

I certainly can't, so reluctantly, I rouse myself up, my hopes for a longer nap dashed by nature's sudden show of force.  The storm is short-lived, but the damage is done.

~

All of us will encounter storms at one point or another as we live out our days.  These storms can be literal or metaphorical, but they can feel threatening to our feelings of safety and security all the same.  It is in these times of trouble that I recall our former minister, Pastor Wallace's wise words:  "Sometimes, Jesus tells me He will keep me out of the storm, and at other times, He says, 'This looks like a good one, Wallace.  Let's ride this out together.'"

And that's precisely what Jesus is telling His disciples in Mark 4:38-40, and it's what He's still telling us today.  We need not be afraid of the storms when we walk with Him.  He will see us through them all when we place our faith and trust in His sure and saving grace.

Jesus is our anchor of stability and calm in times of chaos and confusion.  May we all know the protective harbor of rest only our Lord and Savior can give to our weary souls.

Amen!

And the winner of Cheryl Smith's Homespun Devotions - Volume Three is Glynn Young, who blogs at Faith, Fiction, Friends.  Congratulations, Glynn!  Your autographed copy will arrive soon.

Book Launch and Give-Away

 

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" ~Matthew 4:4

When Cheryl Smith, a long-time blogging friend, contacts me and asks if I'll help to promote her latest book, Homespun Devotions - Volume Three, I am thrilled!  I've read and enjoyed her previous devotional books, and I can't recommend them enough to those of your searching for a down-to-earth, home-grown collection of stories that are sure to enhance your daily walk with God.

Cheryl's unpretentious writing style reveals her beautiful heart.  She puts the reader at ease right away with her honesty, transparency and hope in the Lord's love for her and for all of us.  She is an expert at finding the miraculous in the mundane (as my blog's subtitle states) and can turn everyday occasions into unique opportunities to encounter God's presence in entirely new ways.

Here's how Cheryl describes her labor of love:

Homespun Devotions - Volume Three continues a series of books that record the piecing together of many of the stories of my life and the rich spiritual truths that God has imparted along the way.  As you read these homespun narratives of faith, family, love, marriage, motherhood, friendship, and the music that is such a part of my heritage, you will discover glimpses into moments of the soul-searching and intense struggles I have experienced while journeying to a place of complete surrender to the One who bled and died for me.

Beautifully said!

While we all need spiritual nourishment, the Lord knows we also need our daily bread.  Cheryl has included as a bonus in this volume 50 tried and true family recipes that reflect her Southern roots.  They are sure to delight all of you who love to cook.

And here comes the fun part:  Leave a comment below to be automatically entered in a chance to win a free copy of Homespun Devotions - Volume Three.  Your name will be placed in a hat, my husband, Danny, will do the drawing, and the winner will be announced on next Tuesday's blog.  I'd love to include my out-of-country followers in this drawing, but the high cost of shipping overseas is prohibitive.  I know you will graciously understand.

Should you not win, you can order any of Cheryl's devotionals from Amazon.  

May her latest collection of devotions touch your heart as deeply as it has touched mine!

Amen!

About the author:

Cheryl E. Smith is the author of the books "Biblical Minimalism:  Following Jesus from a Life of Abundance to a More Abundant Life," "Homespun Devotions - Volume One," and Homespun Devotions - Volume Two."  She blogs at www.biblicalminimalism.com, where she writes about minimalism from a Biblical perspective, and www.homespundevotions.com, where she writes devotions and conducts "Inner Views."  She loves to spend time with her husband and

son in the mountains, sing, play her guitar, and write.  You can hear her original songs on YouTube@mountainhopeband.