Celebrating With Palms

Palm Sunday was yesterday and now the calendar would tell us it is time to move on from Palm Sunday kinds of thoughts.  But even today, on this next morning when there are so many things to be done, Palm Sunday thoughts continue.

 On that first day of Palms, the crowd shouted.  They celebrated.  They proclaimed Him King.

And then they turned their backs on Him.
When the crises came days later, they no longer shouted Hosanna.   They turned to Barabbas.  They turned to the easy route, the direction of the crowd.  They ran scared, afraid to speak up.  They gave up on hope.

We celebrate Palm Sunday year after year knowing all the while the end of the story.  We know the cross is coming.  We know the victory of the resurrection is coming.   And so we celebrate Palm Sunday with Easter eyes all the while wondering at the shallow perspective of the crowd when Jesus rode that humble donkey through the waving of palm branches.

We think less of them, with pious assurance that we would not have acted as they did.

Yesterday morning singing "Hosanna, hosanna, You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises     Hosanna, hosanna,  Come have Your way among us.  We welcome You here, Lord Jesus", I had to wonder at the glory of having been there that day.  Then I realized the people in that crowd with palm branches in hand, had pre-Easter minds.   Would I have realized the glory of the Lord in that moment?  Would I have had the depth of character and faith to stand on who I knew Him to be -- even in the danger of the events of the next week?

What about this week in 2013 and this day?  Will I have the alertness to recognize God and His Spirit at work and will I have the strength and courage to stand and act even when I cannot see the hope of next week?

Oh Lord, that I would... that I will.




*Words to Hosanna by Paul Baloche
 

Stopping the Goliath in Our Life

 

I Samuel 17 tells the famous story of David and the giant Goliath.  While the part of the story where David wallops Goliath with but a single rock is quite well known, the other details are not.

Did you know that David was about half Goliath's height?  Goliath was thought to be about 9'7".  The average height at the time was about 5' and David was considered to be shorter than average.  Yikes!

Goliath and the Philistines were walking around shouting insults and other things that were quite unkind at the Israelite army for 40 days!  Talk about bullying!

David wasn't even a soldier.  He was only there because he had left his flock of sheep to take some goodies from the kitchen to his brothers.  He showed up and upon seeing and hearing what was going on, he started asking questions.  What in the world is this?  Who is this guy?  Why are you putting up with him?  And What is going to be done about it?

Finally David told King Saul that he would get rid of this guy and his foul mouth.  How absurd this must have looked to Saul and the other soldiers.  David was young, he was small, and he was not trained as a soldier.

But David did have experience in fighting lions and bears who wanted to attack his sheep.  And he had faith.  He had a lot of faith.  In his time alone in the field with his beloved sheep, he found time to know his God deeper.

So when the moment came for David to put an end to the stand off between the Israelites and the Philistines, scripture tells us the David ran quickly toward the battle line.

What unusual task is God calling you to?   Is someone throwing verbal doubts your way?  Do you feel you are not properly prepared?  Take another look.  Perhaps God has used unusual avenues to prepare you for just this task.  I challenge you to run to the battle line.  You will not be going alone.  The Lord will be with you.

Merry Christmas

 

May we seek Him in this new year with the determination of the wise men so long ago.

I pray that you are blessed this Christmas with the joy and peace that comes from knowing the One for whom we celebrate.

Merry Christmas!

Elizabeth

 

Glimpses of Mary

Have you ever taken time to think about Mary and what that first Christmas was like for her?  She was young.  I mean, she was v-e-r-y young, probably 12 - 15 years old.  I didn't even let my daughter date at that age, much less get married and give birth to the Savior of the world!  What a brave and unusually wise young woman she was.

Scripture tells us in Luke chapter 2 that as all the wondrous events happened, she kept them in her heart as treasures and pondered them.  Now, how many teen age girls do you know that keep things to themselves?  For that matter, how many women do you know that can keep from telling magnificent news to at least somebody.   

I think we can learn something from Mary.   There is wisdom in her actions.  Be quiet, wait, and watch to see what God is doing.  I have to wonder how many things I've botched by opening my mouth too soon.   Perhaps if I drink more tea it will keep my mouth busy long enough for God to work in spite of me. 
----learning to speak less and wait expectantly more.

"Wait for the Lord,  be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord."  Psalm 27:14

~Elizabeth

Learning to Focus

I apologize for my long absence.  Life has been rolling along rather quickly.  I've thought of you often but the thoughts didn't reach my keyboard.

Journal entry during this study

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Over the summer I've been participating in a study of Proverbs 31.  As the book has moved chapter by chapter into every area of our lives, the continual theme has been to be more focused.  Focused in schedule, focused in possessions, focused in choices, focused in nutrition, and focused in the direction of our days, weeks, and even years. 


This study prompted a lot of thought about how we have a tendency to just run through our weeks doing what we've always done and doing what everyone else is doing.  We live in such a fast paced culture and it is easy to get so busy we fail to even realize we aren't focused.   Well, at least I do.   Do I really even look to see what is around me, to see how my days are filled, to see the others around me and how they are feeling?

Being more focused means taking time for small things that are enriching

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I am determined to become more focused and less cluttered in my environment as well as my thoughts.  This will take some effort and some time but I believe the benefits will be worth the time.   How about you?  Won't you join me?

 Psalm 90:12  "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Kenya working on his Daytimer list for today

Rivers of Grace

Have you ever tried journaling your prayers?  What about doodling your prayers?  Well, that's kind of what it means to art journal your prayers.  Its kind of an artsy form of doodling that incorporates the wordy part of journaling.  Sound like fun?  Or does it sound like nonsense?  Well, it actually is very therapeutic and meditative.  The art part of the journaling process allows for time to pray and even think through what you may have studied that day.  

Here is an art journal page I did using notes I took from one of my husband's sermons.  (See, I really do listen)  

This is not a quick process.  It takes time -if done during your daily prayer time, it can take several days.  Hurrying would ruin the whole process.  I find it to be an enriching experience to my prayer and Bible study.    

 

Doors and Gates of Opportunity

"When one door of happiness closes another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened before us."   -Helen Keller

This quote always reminds me of a saying left over from the Poet's days growing up on a farm.  When someone looks surprised and unsure of what to think or say, the phrase is "They looked like a calf looking at a new gate".

What gates or doors are you so surprised to see or what closed doors are you so distracted by that you are missing some great opportunities right in front of you?