Too Much!

I am thankful for modern medicine. Having a camera stuck down your airways without some sedation would be well,....not a pretty picture.

Apparently though, I am not cut out for the red carpet, and didn't want to cooperate with this photo shoot.

Because of that, they had to give me ALOT of sedation.

Sedation for invasive procedures like this bronchoscopy and biopsy- a good thing. 

But too much of that good thing resulted in me losing a day to a horribly pounding headache, nausea and the result of nausea. (I’ll spare you the details.)

The Bible addresses this concept of too much of a good thing becoming a bad thing.

Prov. 25:16 says:

“Have you found honey?

Eat only as much as you need,

Lest you be filled with it and vomit.” ( I know. Graphic, right?)

Now, most of us probably won’t go and pig out on honey to excess. 

I think the term “honey” here is an analogy of the “sweet” things  that God has so graciously provided for us.

Substitute the word “honey” with money, things or even relationships and the principle applies:

Taking more than the prescribed amount of something good, takes away it’s goodness.

Enjoyment then becomes engorgement, and we become spiritually nauseous. 

Timothy gives us some insight into how to manage the gifts God has given us.

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” 

1 Timothy 6:17

The way to keep from having a spiritual stomachache is to trust in the Living God.

Things will break, get lost or decay. You will have more money at some times than others. Relationships ebb and flow, and we can’t control another person’s life or response to us.

This morning after a day and night of “post too much sedation”, I got up around 5:00 a.m. and stumbled to the couch that looks out into our backyard. I just sat there in silence for a little over an hour and watched as the darkness became light.

Two things came to mind as I sat there: 

1.The things of God are constant. The sun He placed in the sky rises and sets every day. He and His ways will never change or fade away. He is faithful through the darkness and the light. He is there. We can trust Him. 

2. “But the path of the just is like the shining sun,

That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. Prov. 4:18 

He’s promised that as you and I walk with Him, things will not get darker and darker for us. Rather, as we trust in Him, our path will get brighter and brighter because The Light of the World is leading us into a deeper knowledge of Himself.

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Cor 4:6

So picture this! God is the “Too Much” that you can never have enough of! 

Today may you take freely of His limitless love.

And be filled with the fullness of His grace.

Indulge!

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints 

what is the width and length and depth and height— 

to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; 

that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Eph. 3:14-21

**A kind of last minute change had them just perform the one procedure this time. I am grateful for God's intervention as I don't think I could have handled both!  He is so good to answer according to His will. Praying I don't have to have the other one next week and they have all they need to test and diagnose.

Your prayers are such an encouragement. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!!

The Best News!

I have good news. I have a beautiful brain. It is cancer free!

A huge “Thank you” goes out to all those who faithfully prayed with us for this outcome.

I literally felt a “great cloud of witnesses” around me in that MRI chamber and experienced such peace..

God so graciously replied to your requests and to Him be the glory, saints!

May He use this to encourage us all to keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking as we engage in the powerful privilege of prayer, on behalf of our own lives and the lives of others.

He cares and He hears. Those two factors make a win-win situation.

 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14

Now, while that  is good news, The greatest news is the message of the Gospel.

Charles Spurgeon, expressed that the Gospel could be understood in this one verse:

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15.

Listen to his exposition on this text:

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” One of the most important questions that can be asked by any man is this, For whom is salvation meant? The answer we have is given by the Holy Spirit in the Inspired Word of God—“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”

Jesus Christ came to save sinners of all sorts. So long as you can come under the general description, “sinners,” it matters not what shape your sin has taken. All men have, alike, sinned, and yet all have not sinned in the same way. They have all wandered the downward road and yet each one has gone a different way from all the rest. Christ Jesus came into the world to save respectable sinners and disreputable sinners! He came into the world to save proud sinners and despair- ing sinners! He came into the world to save drunks, thieves, liars, whoremongers, adulterers, murderers and such! What- ever sort of sin there is, this Word of God is wonderfully comprehensive and sweeping—“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”

Now THAT is great news! Jesus’ life death and resurrection obtained salvation for every single one of us. 

But the BEST news is when someone receives this truth. When a heart responds in simple faith that Jesus died for them, personally. The results?

~A New Life

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17

~A New Purpose

“And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.” 1 John 3:23

~New Hope for eternity

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 

Today may we all tell the good news -things God has done for us personally, to anyone who will listen.

Let’s pray that proclaiming those things opens up opportunities, for the greatest news - the Gospel, to be shared-resulting in the best news - someone receiving God’s great love, forgiveness and  salvation! 

Tomorrow I will undergo an endoscopy and a bronchoscopy (Both are happening on the same morning. This is another specific answer to a prayer request I posted on Sept 20th. Thank you and Praise God!)

They will be gathering tissue from lymph nodes to determine any cancer presence, to stage it ( 1, 2, 3 or 4) or 0 would be awesome!!

And to send off samples to look for specific genetic markers. 

Please pray that there would be no complications from these procedures

and that these discoveries would be clear and precise.

Also, that they would be glorifying to His name and for the furthering of His purposes.

Sing to the LORD, all the earth;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised;

He is also to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the LORD made the heavens.

Honor and majesty are before Him;

Strength and gladness are in His place. 1 Chron. 16:23-27

Rest

What do you think of when you think of “rest”?

A vacation on the beach? A peaceful cabin in the mountains? Or just plain ole’ sleep..and lots of it. (zzzzzzzzz..:)

It’s true our bodies desperately need to take time off from our hectic paces to be refreshed and recharged.

One of the reasons God instituted a Sabbath day in the Old Testament, was for that very purpose. He commanded His people to take a day off to “chill” from work. (and you thought we created the weekend)..:)

But, there is more to this idea of Sabbath-rest.

When we go to Israel, we experience their Sabbath tradition. EVERYTHING shuts down from sunset Friday evening until sunset Saturday evening. Woe to those who have forgotten to prepare by visiting the local grocery store or market! 

If you stay in a high rise hotel, you’ll want to be careful not to get on the “Sabbath elevator.”  It stops at EVERY floor without prompting. This is so you don’t have to “work”, by pressing a button.

God wants to meet our need forrest but this is missing the point.

Listen to this conversation between and the religious ones and Jesus in Mark 2:23-28:

“Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”

And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

To me, the last line Jesus says here is key.

“The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Resting is not always an absence of any activity....

It is drawing near, walking with, listening to- the Lord of the Sabbath.

The religious were focused on the work. The disciples were focused on the Lord.

Herein lies true rest.

Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Physical rest is great. But it’s possible sleep 10 hours, or lay on a beach for an entire day and still have a troubled, burdened  soul.

Jesus’ solution for refreshment is to Come. to. Him.

Come-turn your focus away from the things of this world and actively turn your attention towards the Lover of your soul.

to-purpose in your heart to receive rest in His presence

Him- Who is Jesus? Surely, as John proclaimed, the world could not contain all the books that could be written about HIm. He is the I AM! He is the Name above all names!

But in this passage, we learn that He is gentle, and humble.

He is tender towards you, His weary child.

Today, may we all find a quiet heart, and receive REST in the knowledge that He loves us and is in control.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Be still and know that He is God

Be still and know He is our Father

Come rest your head upon his breast

Listen to the rhythm of His unfailing heart of love

Beating for His little ones

Calling each of us to come

Be still, Be still 

                                                                        Steven Curtis Chapman -”Be Still”

Songs of Deliverance

In Psalm 3, David is crying out to God over a messy family situation. After years of building alliances and strategizing, his son, Absalom launches a full scale, deceitful plot to overthrow David's kingdom and take control of the throne.

Verses 1 and 2 say:

O LORD, how my adversaries have increased!

Many are rising up against me.

Many are saying of my soul,

"There is no deliverance for him in God." 

Forces are coming against the king, maliciously snarling...”God will not help you, David”!

But, David knows where his help comes from.

                                                                                        

In the very next verse, he says:                                                             

But You, O LORD, are a shield for me,

My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

At another low spot in David’s life, he declared to the Lord:

You are my hiding place;

You shall preserve me from trouble;

You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7

Yesterday, just as I was writing about how music is an awesome gift, I received an email

that said: 

“Yesterday you kept popping in my head and every time I thought of you that song 

"Our God is Greater" was coming to mind.”

Water You turned into wine

Open the eyes of the blind

There’s no one like You

None like You

Into the darkness You shine

Out of the ashes we rise

There’s no one like You

None like You

Our God is greater, our God is stronger

God You are higher than any other

Our God is Healer, awesome in power

Our God, Our God… 

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us

And if our God is with us, then what can stand against? 

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us

And if our God is with us, then what can stand against? 

What can stand against?

~“Our God”-Chris Tomlin

This is a song of deliverance! A declaration of God’s mighty power and His ability to protect, defend and heal us. A Christian anthem of victory! Victory which is now ours, because of what Jesus accomplished at the cross.

It has been said that music is language of the soul.

When we listen to His truths in song, they penetrate deep into our hearts, bypassing our logic.

Logic can get in the way of faith.

Since my previous post (the word is out- I’m a lyric-girl) 

I have received a few more songs via email.

The connection became clear....I am being surrounded by “songs of deliverance.”

 I want you to be surrounded, also.

If a song comes to mind that has helped you through a difficult time, and you want to do this,  post the link in the comment box,  so we can all be surrounded by songs of deliverance! You never know how the Lord might use it to lift someones’s head to trust in Him. And maybe you’ll even find yourself singing along...;)

I’ll start us off, with one of my favorites by Evan Wickham called "Our Deliverer"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsqDq61GZqk&feature=related

The LORD your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Hold On! Let go.

If you ask those I know best to name two quirky things about me, among the things on their list would probably be:

She has way too many black shirts. (True)

And she is a little bit like a human jukebox

I just have a lot of music filed away in my brain.

Oftentimes when someone will say something, that comment will bring to mind a song lyric with the same words and, there it goes, ...spilling out of my mouth.

Music is a such an amazing gift to us- (but that could be a whole other blog)!

Anyway, I have been thinking about how this new experience is causing me to consider things I need to let go of.

So, when I woke up yesterday morning, this line from a Steven Curtis Chapman song called Miracle of the Moment, was in my head ...“It’s time for letting go..”

It continue to roll around in there throughout the morning and, being largely unfamiliar with the rest of the lyrics, I decided to look them up.

Here’s how it goes:

It's time for letting go

of all of our "if onlies"

Cause we don't have a time machine

And even if we did

Would we really want to use it?

Would we really want to go change everything?

Cause we are who and where and what we are for now

And this is the only moment we can do anything about

So breathe it in and breathe it out

And listen to your heartbeat

There's a wonder in the here and now

It's right there in front of you

And I don't want you to miss the miracle of the moment

There's only One who knows

What's really out there waiting

And all the moments yet to be

And all we need to know

Is He's out there waiting

To Him the future's history

And He has given us a treasure called “right now”

And this is the only moment we can do anything about

So breathe it in and breathe it out

And listen to your heartbeat

There's a wonder in the here and now

It's right there in front of you

And I don't want you to miss the miracle of the moment

And if it brings you tears

Then taste them as they fall

Let them soften your heart

And if it brings you laughter

Then throw your head back

And let it go

Let it go, yeah

You gotta let it go

Phew! Lots of truth there.

Later on in the day, I was listening to the radio and Toby Mac’s song “Hold on” began to play, reminding me:

If you can hold on, to the One that's holding you

there is nothing that can

stop this crazy love

from breaking through

Two different messages-”Let go!” and “hold on!”

Two opposite actions. But are they really?

Letting go of things that are a distraction, hindrance or simply unimportant in the big picture; actually helps us to hold onto those things that are of true value and aid us in our lifelong quest of Christlikeness.

Let’s take a look at some of the things that God in His love letter tells us to let go of
1.An Unforgiving Heart

Ephesians 4:31 says, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.” These are attitudes and behaviors that exist when we want to hurt another person; usually because they have hurt us. God wants us to be free and unhindered from these spiritual artery cloggers, so HE can flow through us. Release the wrongs you have received into Jesus’ mighty, nail-scarred hands. 

2.Fear and Anxiety

The grip of fear does nothing but paralyze us and keep us from seeing His truth, ability and beauty. Many times throughout scripture, God tells His servants to “fear not”. He knows we’re prone to fear, but prying our fingers off of that choke collar of fear allows us to experience His provision and His presence. Freedom from fear unleashes the reality of His promises into our “here and now”.

“For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand,

Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13

3. Guilt and Regret 

We all have things that we wish we would or wouldn't have done. You can’t change the past, but you can begin to sow seeds right now that will change your future. 

Carrying around the burden of past mistakes, (even if they were just a few minutes ago) is extra weight that crushes our joy, often driving us away from the very One who can and desires to lighten that load. Let’s turn to Him and let Him remove it, so we can run swiftly towards Jesus, our goal!

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” 

Phil.3:13-14

 What should we hold on to?

1.God’s Love. Hold on to the knowledge that Your Father loves you deeply. Let it penetrate your thoughts. Let it empower you to walk through difficulty. Let it bring clarity and definition to what’s really important in your life. Allow it to gently open your clenched fists, causing all that is holding you in it’s grip, fall to the ground.


2.Love for one another

It has been noted that the only things in our present world that will reman for eternity are God, His Word and people. Hold onto the relationships you have been blessed with. They are the treasure we can enjoy here and now in the miracle of the moment.

Yesterday I went to get my hair cut (letting go). One of the stylist that I have been acquainted with for a few years that works there asked me how I was doing. I had an unexpected burst of tears. I told her the basic bottom line info of my diagnosis and she told me that her family had been going through a lot lately too ( her husband was in a serious motor accident a few months back).

Then, she looked at me and said “you know, nothing really matters, material things, nothing. I just want to be healthy and hold my husband’s hand till I die.”

Me too.

Tonight is my brain MRI..

Please pray for smooooth gray matter and no more discoveries! Unless they find a song of praise or His wonderful Word engrained there!

Love you!

The Spirit of Discovery

Discovery is a good thing. If it weren’t for those pilgrims who had the spirit of adventure, we would still be sitting somewhere in Europe sipping tea and eating crumpets. (What are crumpets?) 

I have a friend who LOVES the Discovery Channel...

She often enriches us by sharing many valuable pieces of information she has learned from watching it. Gleaning from what others have done through their adventures in various areas of exploration is a blessing indeed.

The definition of discovery is: to find (something or someone) unexpectedly or in the course of a search.

Some discoveries lead to thrilling outcomes, others can be disappointing.

August 29th, as mentioned on my first blog, revealed a disappointing discovery for me. 

Since then, we have been on an expedition to discover God’s will in treatment.

Firstly, by seeing two different doctors and praying for God to reveal which direction He would have us to go in 

Having done that this week, we feel the Lord has clearly led us to The U of A Cancer Center.

Our doctor there is an explorer! And, she needs to make more discoveries to chart her course.

Please pray that the procedures she is ordering will be physically possible and then, that they would yield just the right information she needs.To get specific for all you science buffs, there are specific genetics marker that greatly determine what direction to go. Getting that material is of upmost importance. But, it is in an awkward place in my lung.

However, I am fearfully and wonderfully made by an awesome Creator! ( Psalm 139)

And please pray for our doctor in general. 

Discovering God’s will is a daily adventure.

What are some ways we can have confidence we are heading in the right direction?

1.God is a God of hope.

If someone serves you a plate of hopelessness with a dash of grim despair, don’t eat it! Turn to the One who lifts your head. No matter the circumstance, He will lead you by giving your hope. The enemy is the one who tries to steal that away. Don’t let him.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13


2.God is a God of peace

One of the specific ways that God leads His children is through a sense of His peace. Not a temporary rush of emotion, but an abiding sense of certainty and confidence. 

If you are committed to seeking then following God’s will, and you have anxiety and restlessness when considering a decision option, that is not the way to go

Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts..”

The word “rule” here means “umpire” or referee”. God’s peace will be a factor that will lead you to call the right shot in any plans.


3.God is a God of love

1 John 4:8 tells us that ” ...God is love”.  

Where He is leading, you will have assurance of His good and loving intentions towards you. 

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

                                  Romans 8:35-39

Today, may we all seek and discover Him in an even greater way then ever before. Finding Him is a discovery that will never disappoint!

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, 

and show you great and mighty things,

 which you do not know.” Jeremiah. 33:3

Hero, Anyone?

Not the sandwich ok? I’m referring to a real live person that we can look to for inspiration, encouragement,  and strength!

Now, of course, Jesus is THE Ultimate Superhero!

Looking unto Him, the author and finisher of our faith, Who, while fully God, became fully man, walked in our shoes, overcame sin and conquered death, is fully uplifting. Keeping our focus on Him who lives to intercede for us and is soon coming back to get us, provides loads of faith-boosting fire in the belly!

But, He gave us even more heroic examples to relate to. People who, just like you and I overcame enormous obstacles and endured immense suffering all because of their unwillingness to yield to doubt, fear and lies.

In Hebrews 11, there is a list of fellow followers of God and their stories:

Here are a few:

11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child  when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.

12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”  19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, 

24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in  Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. 

33 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy.

Ok, seriously. Doesn’t that just get your heart pounding??

None of us really want to be nominal Christians do we? Slithering back from the battle lines? No. I believe inside each of God’s children lies the heart of a warrior.

When I shared with my closest friend’s the discovery of this new intruder in my body,

they asked me what they could do. They were pretty distraught ( I think they might really like me..:) I said, “Fight with me....We are not of those who shrink back. We are warrior princesses!”

The next day I got this picture from one of them and it made me laugh...a lot. 

( A merry heart does good like medicine. Prov. 17:22).

Then ....it made me want to me brave.

I know that on my own I am a weak wavering and wandering soul and that I can do NOTHING with out Him (John 15:5).

But I want to fight for His glory, by His power and for His purposes!

Like David asked his mocking discouraging brother, before he faced the giant Goliath, “Is there not a cause?’ 

The answer is a resounding “yes!” There is a purpose to all you and I encounter. We may not fully understand it. We may get mad, ...even really mad. But, when we let our faith be our compass, we find direction and a few modern day heroes along the way!

(In fact, I saw a couple of familiar heroes at the Cancer Center....:)

So, no matter what you are facing today, and I know you are facing stuff, 

remember.we have our swords up with you!

The Word of God, that two edged Sword of the Spirit, that will not fail or falter. 

And HE is our shield!

United in Him, with you.

*To update you all. Yesterday, the doctor ordered more tests before she could determine the best treatment course for me.

A brain MRI ( scheduled for Friday) a bronchoscopy with biopsy and an endoscopy with biopsy. There is a suspicious lymph node at the base of my esophagus where the bronchial tubes branch out. I would LOVE to have both those scopes and biopsies done at the same time..(I would already be knocked out and the doctors perform them in same suite). When I asked about that happening, they kinda thought that would be at the very least difficult, if not impossible due to coordinating doctors. I will submit, of course to God’s will and wisdom. But. will you stand with me in asking for this impossibility from our God with whom all things are possible?  I really want to get things rolling.....:) 

“Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me;

Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler,

And stand up for my help. Also draw out the spear,

And stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul,

“I am your salvation.” Psalm 35:1-3

Fellow warriors: If you want to, Post a scripture about God being our shield, fighting for us or encouraging us to be brave! Thanks!

Under His Wings

Several months ago on a particular day, three different people sent me Psalm 91 via text and email. When you get a message three times, it is wise to pay attention!

Reading this familiar Psalm over and over that day, brought me such comfort, as I was facing a small trial the next day.

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2  I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust.”

3  Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler [fn1]

And from the perilous pestilence.

4  He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

5  You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

6  Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,

Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7  A thousand may fall at your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand;

But it shall not come near you.

8  Only with your eyes shall you look,

And see the reward of the wicked.

9  Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

10  No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

11  For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways.

12  In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13  You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,

The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14  “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

15  He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him and honor him.

16  With long life I will satisfy him,

And show him My salvation.”

What really stuck out to me that day, was the metaphor of God as a bird in verse 4.

 4  He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

At that time, we had a dove who had made her nest in one of our windowsills, and I used to occasionally watch from inside the house, as she faithfully sat on her eggs through sun and even a night of beating rain, waiting for them to hatch. 

Once they did, she became fiercely protective. Any slight noise would cause her eyes to dart about and she would move defensively around the nest, covering her babies with her wings to shield them from any perceived harm.

You see the connection. How passionate is our Father's care for us.

Knowing I can take refuge “under His wings” makes me feel secure, loved, protected and close enough to his chest to feel His heartbeat.

Often I want to run and hide from pain and distress, but the image of the beautiful grand wings of God surrounding me and those I love, cause me to retreat, sure enough.....but into HIm

A friend sent me this picture a couple of days ago....Another holy nudge to remember He is hiding me in His secret place, no matter where I go. 

His wings are big enough for all of us. Come! Take shelter.

"How priceless is Your unfailing love! Both high and low among men finding refuge in the shadow of Your wings…" Psalm 36:7

***Today and tomorrow we have appointments at two different oncologists. If you feel led, please pray for God's will and direction to be crystal clear to us as we "fly about" from place to place! 
Prov. 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."