Musing the Muddles

[MelodyB]

[SippinTea]

The stuff I'm learning/re-learning lately...

- The questions about some things may always be there. He never promised to give us all the answers we wanted. But He DID promise He'd never leave us or forsake us, and He DID promise to always give us what we needed. And I can trust Him, even if I never get the answers I want.

- The mountain(s) may be so high I can't even see the top of them, BUT... right now, at this moment, I have a pretty clear vision of The Mountain Mover. And I'm seeing Him begin to move my mountains. So I'm not really worried about them. (That's not to say I won't hit another patch of doubt, of not seeing Him so clearly, but for right now I'm thankful for the view I have of Him.)

- I'm not alone. Sometimes it has felt that way. But I'm not. God is ALWAYS with me. And He has given me friends and a wonderful family that genuinely love me, and pray for me, and care very much about my life. I think I lost sight of that for a little while.

[sunlight]

[SippinTea]

I had a God-moment today in the form of a children's book. I highly recommend you buy yourself a copy of this book. Or pretend it's for your kids or grandkids. Either way. *wink*

It's called A Parable About the King, by Beth Moore.

It's the story of a princess who didn't want to clean her room. So she dressed in old clothes and ran away. Soon she was playing with the common children, getting all muddy, and pretending her father wasn't the King.

I'm sure you can guess how this goes. Through a series of events she realizes just how far she is from who and what she truly is, and goes back to the castle, crying and ashamed of how she had behaved while she was away from home.

The King is right there to welcome her back, and it was this scene that caught me:

"Come here, my child, my princess," he said.

"But I'm not a princess anymore... I'm just like them," she sobbed.

"Ah, my child," he said. "You may have acted like them, but you are not one of them. You are mine, and you will never be happy until you accept both the privilege and responsibility that goes with belonging to me."

That night, after he had dressed her wounds, he tucked her into her soft bed and kissed her goodnight. He had even helped her to clean the mess she had left in her room. As she settled into the soft quilts, she thought about how much she liked being a princess, the daughter of a King.

As the King walked out of her room, the dim night light softly illuminated his royal robe, which was now smudged with dirt. Tears filled the princess' eyes, "Look what I've done to the Kind's robe. Never again," she whispered, apologizing to the King.

Sensing her broken heart, the King turned and spoke softly, "Yes, my child, there will be other times, but I will open the door every time you knock and I will always love you... ever, again."

And this story has no end.

Some things are just so simplistic when you view them through the eyes of a child.

I'm thinking that's the way it should be more often.

[Amelia Bedelia]

 

[almondjoy]

 

[RainbowJingles]

I started writing a children's book a few years ago along those same lines.  I need to find it and dig it out.  I had written it in rhyme and used it as a basis for a children's sermon.

[SippinTea]

When you find it, I'd love to see it.

[SippinTea]

I've been thinking lately on what it means to draw near to Jesus, what it means to be held by Him. And then in my Bible study notebook this week, the question was posed "When you come near to God and He comes near to you, what difference does it make in your life?" What a difference indeed! It makes the difference between peace and chaos, between pain and healing, between upset and calm, between confusion and a solid knowing, between feeling alone and being held.

[SippinTea]

I've been doing an in-depth study of Hebrews for a few months now, and it's been quite a journey.

My latest discovery has to do with Jesus as my High Priest.

In the O.T. a high priest was called by God - not the people. His task was to offer sacrifices as an atonement for the people's sins. He stood in the gap, where the people were separated from God because of their sin, and he dealt gently with them when they were ignorant and going astray.

In the N.T. Jesus was called by God to be our High Priest. His task was to offer a sacrifice for the people's sins. He was to stand in the gap, where the people were separated from God because of their sin, and he dealt gently with them when they were ignorant and going astray.

BUT...

Our High Priest did not just offer 'a' sacrifice for our sins. He offered Himself. Willingly. The High Priest Himself became the sacrifice. He stood in the gap, in a very literal sense. It was his body hanging on the cross, hanging between heaven and earth. And in every story of His contact with those who were ignorant and going astray, He was so very gentle and loving.

The sacrifice of the High Priest Himself was the ultimate sacrifice. The complete sacrifice. This sacrifice did not just roll the sins of the people ahead. This sacrifice did not just stay the hand of God in judgment. This sacrifice was sinless. This sacrifice was perfect. This sacrifice was the payment in full, the fulfillment for all our debt.

No longer do we have to work to pay off our debt. A debt so horrific that our lifetime of work would never even scratch the surface of paying it off.

The debt has been payed.

Because He thought we were worth it.

Because He thought you were worth it.

Because He thought I was worth it.

And how, HOW, can I ever thank Him for a gift so magnificent, so amazing, so awesome, so outrageously beyond my comprehension?

I'm speechless at the view I've had.

[EricShane]

I'm speechless at the view I've had.

last Sunday I had went to a Charismatic church to sing, and while I was there I seen some different things, people that once knew better, and lived in a good way.. were there, the women were wearing Low Cut Tank Tops showing their whole dairy farm, and wearing pants.. and they were Speaking in Tongues, one lady w.big earings and pants went over and was prophesying to someone in the spirit.. - The People were SUPER nice people, some of them I believe were actually Good People, and they all treated me so well, and I really appreciate that.. but one woman, was praying in front of me, and when she stood up, she showed the church everything had.. LOL - maybe I shouldnt laugh.. but I couldnt help it.. then another lady had a huge caboos and of course she had to be wearing skin tight stretchy pants, and she was up dancing and shaking her booty!!! it was all my family and I could do to keep a serious face.. - but anyway, when I went back to home church that night, I was telling about How Grateful I am to serve a Living God, and how greatful I am to be raised in Holiness, and to know whats right and wrong.. I take it for Granted, because I could have been raised in some other total different religion to believe anything is okay, and it would make living this way so much more difficult..

[SippinTea]

when I went back to home church that night, I was telling about How Grateful I am to serve a Living God, and how greatful I am to be raised in Holiness, and to know whats right and wrong.. I take it for Granted, because I could have been raised in some other total different religion to believe anything is okay, and it would make living this way so much more difficult..

Ya know... you're right. It's far too easy to take those things for granted. And yes, sometimes it's amusing the things that bring perspective back.

[EricShane]

yay! I love to be reassured that im right! lol

[SippinTea]

I've got a few questions for you peoples that have read some of my writing/rambling over the last couple years...

I don't know if I've got what it takes as a writer or not, but I've been wondering lately if I should attempt submitting a few of my things somewhere. *shrug* We shall see. Anyhow, several of you have at different times said you appreciated certain bits of what I've written, and my questions are:

Which pieces do you remember as being particularly thought-provoking or encouraging?
Which do you think were well-written, or could be with some editing?
Which pieces would you have perhaps liked to see me expand a bit more?

Any thoughts?

[RainbowJingles]

Start with a Word Aflame devotional.  That'll boost your confidence (not your pocketbook, but you've gotta start SOMEWHERE, right?).  I'm sure they would take some of your stuff almost as is.

Check their submission guidelines and see what they are looking for, and then find something that you have written that would come close to fitting the bill.  Edit a bit if necessary and submit.

Yes, you're good enough for publication.

Trying to put my finger on what in particular has inspired me of late...

[titushome]

All I've read of your writing is what's here on GP, and these pieces tend to be rather short and focused - which would rather lend themselves to a devotional, as RJ suggested.

Also, if you look through these shorter writings and see a common theme or thread linking some of them, you could try to organize them into longer works.  You might see a collection of essays emerge - pieces longer than what you've posted here, but still not book-length - or who knows, maybe a whole book will emerge as you begin to piece the shorter works together into a cohesive whole.  If you write like I do, these short pieces are probably parts of a larger whole that already exists in your mind, anyway.

I've you've written longer pieces, I'd love to read those as well, and would be glad to offer whatever thoughts I have on them.

[iridiscente]

* iridiscente is thinking...

[SippinTea]

God, you alone see my past, my present, and my future. You see my fear, you see my hope, you see my beginning and my end, and all that is in between. Please guide me, keep my feet steady on the path you want me on, and don't let me stray or waver. Please give me your peace when I'm on the right track, and give me an unsettledness when I am not. Let me find you even in the uncertainty, and be sure of your leading when it's time to follow you into the unknown.

[sunlight]

Amen.

[MelodyB]

I let Ann read that from my phone right after you posted that, Ruby, and she read it and then handed it back to me and said "See, I told ya so" and she smiled. (that was the next day after I left that phone message for you from her )

[SippinTea]

*smile*

*Hugs* Chel and Mel and Ann

[MelodyB]

She was right, right? I have been hoping and praying she was right!

*HUGS*

[SippinTea]

Umm... yes and no? We both were right I guess.

[iridiscente]

me too.

God, you alone see my past, my present, and my future. You see my fear, you see my hope, you see my beginning and my end, and all that is in between. Please guide me, keep my feet steady on the path you want me on, and don't let me stray or waver. Please give me your peace when I'm on the right track, and give me an unsettledness when I am not. Let me find you even in the uncertainty, and be sure of your leading when it's time to follow you into the unknown.

[SippinTea]

I can't lose!

"So how am I to respond? I've decided that I really don't care about their motives, whether mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time one of them opens his mouth, Christ is proclaimed, so I just cheer them on!

And I'm going to keep that celebration going because I know how it's going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. I can hardly wait to continue on my course. I don't expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn't shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dea.d, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose. "

Philippians 1:18-21 (The Message)

I can't change others' actions. I can't change their motives.

I can only change my own.

And as long as I'm holding my course, as long as I make sure my own motives are right, I CAN'T LOSE.

Nothing we do for Christ is ever wasted. Oh, it may seem to be in the moment. But it's not. And our surroundings have not one thing to do with our effectiveness for Him. It matters not whether we are free or imprisoned, whether we are in a functional or dysfunctional family - or even church. What matters is how WE live... and how WE die.

I want my life to count. Regardless of whether my life is successful in the eyes of men or not. Regardless of walls around me. Regardless of the opinions of others. Regardless of where I live, where I work, where I reach out.

I want my dea.th to count. Regardless of how I die. Regardless of when. Regardless of the opinions of others. Regardless of the walls that have held me against my will.

Sometimes those walls that I have fought against have proved to be the salvation of me in this life, and I suspect they may prove to be that in dea.th as well. Even the walls that other people have put around me have been allowed there by my God. And sometimes those very walls give me a chance to grow. A chance to be heard for Christ. A chance to make a difference for Him.

I want my life and my dea.th to count. For Him. And when that is my focus, I can't lose!

"Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dea.d, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose."