Sunsets remind me of an ending - a grand finale of sorts! God gives us such a sweet glance of Heaven during the last few minutes of the day. It is a time to pause and reflect on GOD's glory and His presence. Each night the sunset is different and never quite looks the same. The desert has extremely colorful sunsets - such color in the sky amongst the barren land. I love the desert sunsets, they are some of the most beautiful sunsets ever! I think that is part of God's design to have a bit of beauty amongst the brownness and deadness of the desert. I also love the tropical sunsets- they are different from the desert. I really like the sun reflecting on the ocean. It gives such a sense of serenity.

I hope you guys don't mind my OFF topic from the Streams book. I just couldn't help myself.

November 28 - Morning/Evening Rejoice

Here is my Hawaii Sunrise...

EBug...I want to see yours up by the end of the day :)

Now, on to today's devotion...
Sometimes, when I read...I am moved to write down a prayer. This was today's


"God create in me a new heart. How I want to do Your will. How I desire to speak truth. Let me only be Christ-like. Train me up in the way I should go--for I am Your child and I want to grow old and not depart from You. Cradle me in Your loving and safe arms. Soothe my fears with Your promises.

God's will be done--use me
to build up Your kingdom, as a child builds with blocks, trying over and over again; be patient with my failures and sins; forgive me and let me start again."

Of course, as I read the passage I knew I was going to have to research this special little flower and see what it looks like...it is also called the Alpine Snowbell...you can see why from the photo.

I loved the imagery of today's passage. I love the idea of storing up water within the roots to draw on the nourishment later in drought. That is what we are to do. Those who do it well, year round, find a peace in the midst of toil. A peace that others marvel at and disbelieve. They say, "I could not deal with that kind of trouble" or "I would not be able to handle trials that well." And, they accept that. But why should we stop there? Shouldn't we take the example as a call to change. Should we not change our lives so that we could say, "yes, that is exactly how I would repsond." May we never be content to be less than Christ like. May we always strive to improve our actions, thoughts and words. "Cast away every shadow of hope on the human side as an absolute hindrance to the divine, heap up all the difficulties together recklessly, and pile as many more on as you can find; you cannot get beyond the blessed climax of impossibility. Let faith swing out to Him. He is the God of the impossible."

November 25 - Don't Stop Believing!

This passage in 2 Kings 13:18-19 is new to me. Here is Elisha on his death bed, ready and willing (through God) to deliver Syria into the kings hands, and the king demonstrates his faith for what it is...small faith. How embarrasing.

How often do I become proud in my faith? I think i am doing well--praying, reading the Bible, serving God, etc. How humbling to think that I am not even accomplishing half of what He could have me do. My faith is limited by my own doubt. I have faith that can move mountains...but I don't even attempt to climb the mountain, much less move it.

God, increase my faith! Use me and sharpen me as a tool wielded by Your hand. Do not let me stand in my way--Get me out of myself to believe and act in the fullness of faith. Use me exceedingly; use me abundantly, use me above all that I would impose as my "so called" ability. You are able to do!

November 23 - Hard Things

Rock flowers...flowers that grow on rocks where you can see no soil. The Psalmist says that some things are hard...some are confusing/staggering. In these "hard times" do we stand up and shine? I loved the comment Margaret Bottome made saying, "He may have a peculiar tenderness for His 'rock flowers' that He may not have for His lilies and roses."
I also paused to ponder this statement: "The blow at the outward man may be the greatest blessing to the inner man...the real peril, the real trouble, is what we shall lose if we flinch or rebel." -Maltbie D. Babcock
I like the word flinch because we have good intentions to stand up and glorify God in our trials but we flinch in our flesh...we buckle and fail...and try again. We flinch.

Patience

I read a lot about patience today in my devotion. James 5 says to be patient until the coming of the Lord. He talks about the farmer waiting for the precious fruit to ripen (that is us) and how the fruit needs the early rain and the latter rain. Verse 10 says that the prophets were an example of suffering and patience. This being the last chapter of James, I will move on to reading a book by a prophet so as to learn from the example. I want to hear from YOU, our blog watchers, Which prophet do you recommend and why?

Seriously? Waiting? Today's passage is about waiting! "I HhhhhhATE waiting!"in the words of Indigo Montoya/Princess Bride. I am always quick to say, "Never pray for patience!" It's a struggle for me. I am a 'man of action.' I like to DO, work, serve...but wait? It is hard for me. Does anyone else struggle with this?

The passage says it is a posture that the Christian soldier learns only from years of teaching. Marching and quick marching are easier for a soldier than standing still. But there are hours of perplexity, when we don't know what part to take and we must wait. Do not vex in despair (yep, I've done that); fly back in cowardice (nod, yes); turn in fear (sometimes); rush forward in presumption (what do you plead? GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY).

So, what do I do? Wait in prayer - plead His promise of aid. Wait in faith - Believe. Wait in quiet patience - without any self will.

Wait, patiently wait,

God never is late;

thy budding plans are in Thy Father's holding,

And only wait His grand divine unfolding.

Then wait, wait

Patiently wait.

Trust, hopefully trust,

That God will adjust

Thy tangled life; and from its dark concealings,

Will bring his will, in all its bright revealings.

Then trust, trust,

Hopefully trust.

Rest, peacefully rest

On they Saviour's breast;

Breathe in His ear thy sacred high ambition,

And He will bring it forth in blest fruition,

Then rest, rest,

Peacefully rest!

November 19 - Your Labor Is Not In Vain

God's plan is so strategic. I have always marvelled at those who play chess; those who can plan their moves so far in advance. It does not come easy to me. I react spontaneously...not with time and forethought. But GOD has planned out every move here on earth.

When I am downcast God knows exactly when He will bring me up from the depths. God knows and has planned what I am to learn from the dark hour(s). God never leaves my side even though my doubt and introspection (also known as weakness) can cause me forget this. God gently pulls and draws me back to remembering that "my labor is not in vain."

Just as Luther said, "The devil is God's devil," this world is God's world. He will see His will done.

November 17 - Persevereing Prayer

Prayer - such a powerful and misunderstood tool. I think of times in my life that have been without prayer, times in my life that have had "obligatory" prayers (such as those said before a meal, etc.), and times of fervent prayer. Sometimes prayer is a talk with God...to grow the relationship. Other times, it is a petition (asking for needs pertaining to one's self) and other times an intercession (praying on behalf of others). There are prayers of thanksgiving and praise. There are prayers of repentance and forgivness. With so many different ways to pray...how is it that I spent so little time praying in my lifetime?

But, this is not the case anymore. I have made a committment to pray without ceasing. I choose to live each day in a constant awareness of the needs and blessings around me. Because of this, I appreciated today's devotion regarding the perseverance of prayer. How important it is to continue to work at it. We ask in faith and we keep asking until we are answered. We ask and keep asking irregardless of how long delayed the answer is in coming. We pray with hope. God does not leave prayer unanswered.

The first paragraph says "He will reveal Himself to our seeking hearts, but not just when and where we have settled in our own expectations." This reminded me of an exercise Rob and I did for a homework assignment in a pre-adoption course. We were to wright down our expectations for the adoption, about the child, appearances, behaviors, difficulties, etc. The purpose was to evaluate how we would respond if our expectations were not met. For instance, if I expected a healthy child and was handed a sick, lethargic baby...how would I react. If we were expecting a baby/infant and were assigned a toddler...what then? This exercise was in many ways easier for Rob and I than the others in the class because of our faith and understanding of God's providence.

We must pray with God's expectations in mind and not our own. We must recognize His will and not our own. He must increase, we must decrease.

"Remember the former things of old, for I AM God, and there is no other; I AM God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, "My council shall stand, and I will do my pleasure." --Is. 46:9-10

November 16 - Difficult Paths

"Are we willing to compete for God's best, with the knowledge that the best things are always achieved by the most difficult paths?" This is a hard question to ask yourself - but I think it will show you right where your heart is spiritually. I know that before tragedy struck me, I wasn't quite so sure that I would be willing to go down that path - however, God doesn't always listen to my groanings. He took me down a path I had never wanted to trod - BUT I know Him more, trust Him more, and seen grace like no other time MORE. I have found Him to be so real on this path. Unfortunately for us - GROWTH doesn't come when things are going just the way we had planned - it comes when the situations are extreme and we don't know where else to turn but to HIM!

I choose God each and every time - no matter what path God chooses to take me down! He is my Comfort, my Grace, my Saviour and my GOD!

November 14 - Leaving Fruit Behind

It is true that some saints are taken from this world at such a young age and others at ripe ages. What is important to note is the effect that the saint left behind in this world. Sometimes, the impact of a long, aged life is no different than a saint who left this world early on. This is sad. We must always stive to leave our mark each day. Live today as if tomorow is not an option. My grandma had a plaque on her wall when I was a child. It was right above the table where each meal was eaten. I read it at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I would always ponder it and try and make sense of it. It read:

"Today is the first day of the rest of your life."

It means that we start fresh each day. A new opportunity to glorify Him. I like the thought but I believe it would be more potent if it read:

"LIVE today as if it is the last day of your life."

Click HERE to go to a page about David Brainerd, the missionary to the American Indians mentioned in today's devotion.

Click HERE to go to a page about Henry Martyn.

November 11 - Rain on mown grass

"O Soul, thou hast been mown!"

I like how Meyer compares our growth to cutting grass. It is a very visual passage and I could really see the picture of what he was talking about. I could almost smell the freshly cut grass...the rawness of it all.

In the poem, the stanza that stood out to me was:

"Who shall hush the weary spirit's chiding?

Who the aching void within shall fill?

Who shall whisper of a peace abiding,

and each surging biillow calmly still?"

I pondered the passage "who sall hush the weary spirit's chiding?" and thought of how easily I give in to ruminating; dwelling; obsessing. When I get weary...I ruminate. But then there is the contrast in the "whisper of a peace." I beleive that peace is often much more attainable than I ever grasp. If only I would listen more closely and hear the whisper more often.

Today, I told my daughter, "When I say, 'It's time to go,' you need to hurry." But why is that!? I wait until I must be hurried. I am training my child to hurry and not listen for the whisper either. If I do not change, she will carry on this bad habit and I will have failed to teach her how to BE STILL and know that HE IS GOD.

p.s. I am current in my reading but I am behind in posting...what's your excuse ? :)

Turns out I can't limit God

I'm totally with M. There really is nothing too hard for the Lord, including my unbelief. When I had almost decided that He just didn't exist, God held onto me. I was (and still am sometimes) the "double-minded" person that James is so hard on in James 1:5-8. James says I'm supposed to ask God for wisdom "in faith, without any doubting," and that the person who doubts ought not to expect anything from the Lord. This passage pretty much terrified me. But God is generous in my weakness. From my perspective, as a doubter I had no right to expect that God would bless me with wisdom or faith. But it wasn't about what I had a right to expect, it was about the power and love and tenacity of God. My serious leaning toward the idea that God didn't exist at all looked like a huge barrier from my side, but to God it was just a pebble on the sidewalk. He kicked it away. Sometimes I rebuild that unbelief-barrier like an idiot, and He kicks it away again. I believe now that He'll always hold onto me. I've tried, and I can't limit God.

Nov 5 UGH!

This is the first time in Streams that I have disagreed. So I had to say something...

I hate the word "let" when it comes to God. As if we have such pwer to "let God" ----Good Grief Charlie Brown, we really are 'block heads' if we believe this.

We cannot thwart His plans -- not even with our disbelief; after all, He uses even the acts of EVIL ment to do HIS glory. Think of it...
The most evil act of man is the same as the most Glorious act of GOD.

"Thwart Him" "Let Him" AS IF!

that said the first paragraph I loved. How many desires have we had or do we have that have gone so long unfullfilled that we have looked upon them as lost desires. I think of Lonny, Edie's brother-in-law, and I know that she has so long desired for him to walk again with God, casting away his bitterness. I think of my brother who for so long was the same way, but how now come back again to the Lord. I think of my lost cause of a relationship with my dad. I think of my deepest desire for the pain and suffering of my beloved friend and her children...how i long for it to subside. And to those I ask "Is anything too hard for the Lord?

October 31 The Spirit Helps Our Infirmities

Perfect Fellowship is such a beautiful concept. To have theheightened awareness that He is with me and He knows my every actionbefore it happens. Can you see the Father watching the moments andknowing that in 5 minutes you are going to break down and sob...andHe is looking forward to wrapping His love around you like a parka;He is going to use both hands to smooth your hair and wipe yourtears; He is waiting patiently to pick you back up and send you backon through your day, encouraged and loved. As you do this, he lovingpicks up the burdens that you left strewn at His feet (like crumpledtissues), and He casts them into outer darkness. Again, He thinksforward and knows our soul and how long it will be before it fills upand tips over, unable to bear more and the scene is repeated. He isour true Soul Mate.This is the true definition of Soul Mate. The Spirit that dwells inour soul and bears all that is there, both the prayers and thepraise; the thankfulness and the want. He presents it to Christ(minus the ignorance) and Christ wraps this package with His blood ofatonement. The package is then laid at the throne of God the Father,who is pleased to do His will. So many still seek a soul mate - Ohthat they would find and know the one and only True Soul Mate.

October 30 Running with Patience

Impatience is to worry as patience is to peace.Running with patience - it is a new concept to me to be busy withpatience. However, I look at Edie...I see her get out of bed and bebusy with her duites. She is active in her service; she is busythinking of how she can properly care for her children. The "joy ofothers (can) cure a heartache" ...can this be so? Can someone else'sjoy actually cure my heartache? Not just ease but actually CURE?There is a lot to ponder in today's devotion...suffice to say that Edieis a rainbow and has shone bright to many in the past three weeks. Shehas shone so brightly on her children that even they themselves havebecome rainbows in their own ways.