tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291526898992688372024-02-20T22:20:49.850-05:00Growing in GraceGrowing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.comBlogger342125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-24256835203937540282021-04-26T11:42:00.002-04:002021-04-26T11:42:57.992-04:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnQur9mBG_4GLyDvg4uGitP7yqQ95OOUTHqW36tRBOFcrrk8tWJ42nJOivwwNYoeC69cXeqsHbvlM4fbgMUfg3AW4eYqHYQofS8AAWJdD0HRjlRYKxukFEGXWuaUKl9eUOuRjp6H1CyE/s1080/53CA94B3-5CA1-4FA4-B0B1-F7C37FAD836A.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnQur9mBG_4GLyDvg4uGitP7yqQ95OOUTHqW36tRBOFcrrk8tWJ42nJOivwwNYoeC69cXeqsHbvlM4fbgMUfg3AW4eYqHYQofS8AAWJdD0HRjlRYKxukFEGXWuaUKl9eUOuRjp6H1CyE/s320/53CA94B3-5CA1-4FA4-B0B1-F7C37FAD836A.png" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-28059095916846161542021-04-12T22:52:00.003-04:002021-04-12T23:03:40.288-04:00How Does An Adult Child Honor Their Parents?<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-i-k4gm1PJnmbCKviCLi6LuwYuzsAZgzGlfnebXCuHALHR8W0NZIuAR3hs9ctA0MLEYB5MVjWkJ-j-xaZXBo5b_Nv8LUl5hlImvLWVx63AeJmzV5USJqX9rPpdQhSONeof6QMNzBtEo/s1920/logan-weaver-TtmCQskf6xs-unsplash.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-i-k4gm1PJnmbCKviCLi6LuwYuzsAZgzGlfnebXCuHALHR8W0NZIuAR3hs9ctA0MLEYB5MVjWkJ-j-xaZXBo5b_Nv8LUl5hlImvLWVx63AeJmzV5USJqX9rPpdQhSONeof6QMNzBtEo/s320/logan-weaver-TtmCQskf6xs-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a>
</div><p>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The bible teaches us how children are to respond to their parents: to obey and
to honor. As children, we are to obey. I like The Remedy’s translation of
Ephesians 6:1, “Children obey the Christlike leadership of your parents”.
Ideally, parents would train their children in godly wisdom, and it is right for
children to obey instruction that comes from healthy, godly mothers and fathers
who are doing their best to parent their children as God leads them. However,
this is not every family’s experience. Some children are raised by parents who
do not love and serve God. They live in service to themselves and make decisions
according to the flesh. In such cases, what if there is no “Christlike
leadership” to follow? The letter of the law would say to obey all instruction
from parents, even if it’s unhealthy and sinful. The spirit of the law would say
there are limits to obedience that would cause physical, emotional, or spiritual
injury to a child. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>As adult children, we are to honor our parents. This is
different from obedience. Honoring our mother and father once we are grown looks
more like managing differences with grace. For many families, any disagreement
between the two generations’ values, lifestyles, and decisions results in a
severance of the relationship. Such families have not learned how to navigate
differences and still maintain connection. In my own family, my mother so
rejected my decision to quit my job to stay at home with my firstborn child that
she did not speak to me for a year. Do you have a similar story of rejection or
judgement? </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In other families, grown children yearn for their parents’ approval,
and arrange their lives in ways that strive to meet parental expectations rather
than following the plan God has for them. This yearning and striving often
continues even after a parent’s death. Dr. Henry Wright theorizes that chronic
fatigue syndrome is a performance disorder, resulting from drivenness to meet
the expectation of a parent in order to receive love and acceptance. God can
fill the void left from parents who missed the mark (Psalm 27:10). A shift from
getting a parent to love us to receiving God’s unconditional love brings
healing. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A healthy balance between the two extremes of rejection and
overconnection would be to live our own lives while respecting our parents and
allowing them to be how they are going to be. While this may not be what we
want, giving something permission creates more tolerance for what we cannot
change. You cannot make another person be different than they are, but you can
control how to respond to them. We can celebrate the truth that in His love, God
gives every person the freedom to choose Him and His ways or not. Every mother
and father is free to accept Christ or reject Him. Shifting our focus upward may
lessen the pain of the natural experience. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>What expectations, losses,
disappointments, or downright sinful behavior needs to be grieved so that you
can heal from mother or father issues? The older generation of Israel had to die
off so the younger generation could rise up in faith and take the land God
promised them (Numbers 14). As New Covenant believers, we do not have to wait
for a anyone’s absence in order to believe and follow God for ourselves. Instead
of asking “what would my mother/father want me to do?”, how about asking, “God,
what do YOU want me to do?”. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Break soul ties of guilt, shame, control, and
disappointment if you are stuck in the wilderness of old cycles with your
parents that inhibit your ability to honor them from a place of wisdom and grace
versus a place of manipulation or dependency. Have a funeral over what needs to
be grieved so that you can love, honor, or remember your parents while having
the freedom to live your own life. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>-April Chapel, MA, ALC <br /></b></span></p>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-354082258829185342021-04-02T09:21:00.001-04:002021-04-02T09:21:27.410-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiqq2OzRU4lJ6pzjNZIGD3g1HWc6tpBM6kLpOoxHDF_nOqlBdvFBi6MUxBA6fbnLHKv2eoHLURHnZvZZ48Qg1ZMlBCnU2HomvIAGOPsolgI9rlwzIB6KQ3QMJ-dg-dR4VJO6q3GYtSs8/s1080/2837CB71-436E-45BF-83AD-3C5558DDABA0.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiqq2OzRU4lJ6pzjNZIGD3g1HWc6tpBM6kLpOoxHDF_nOqlBdvFBi6MUxBA6fbnLHKv2eoHLURHnZvZZ48Qg1ZMlBCnU2HomvIAGOPsolgI9rlwzIB6KQ3QMJ-dg-dR4VJO6q3GYtSs8/s400/2837CB71-436E-45BF-83AD-3C5558DDABA0.png"/></a></div>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-6411369920924262702021-02-01T17:52:00.003-05:002021-02-01T17:52:44.720-05:00Spiritual Warfare, step one <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIudYHq-CydJ-xXJJDWL4RgByfOdNkGpbRYizo-iKZyivs0TZHea-hzhbkk1bXP6lo0ilHFYPUc-s4mazHlHxeUOWT04l5pQuRwR7r5dHeRUM7I3kC_8ZqPVf2fIKeWIt6BWslt0jlZY/s640/willing+hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIudYHq-CydJ-xXJJDWL4RgByfOdNkGpbRYizo-iKZyivs0TZHea-hzhbkk1bXP6lo0ilHFYPUc-s4mazHlHxeUOWT04l5pQuRwR7r5dHeRUM7I3kC_8ZqPVf2fIKeWIt6BWslt0jlZY/s320/willing+hands.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SPIRITUAL WARFARE, step one</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">April Chapel, MA, ALC</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 6.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you." James 4:7</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 6.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is the formula for spiritual
warfare. If satan is eating your lunch, then there is a problem with either
step 1, submitting to God, or step 2, resisting the devil. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What has not been surrendered to God?
Pain? Offense? Relationships? Trust? Fear? The past? Control? Trauma? Guilt?
Unrealized expectations?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whatever emotion or experience you have
little tolerance for, most likely is rooted in woundedness. Sin and trauma
wound the soul. If we refuse to submit those wounds to God for healing, we
allow the enemy of our souls a legal right to traffic in our thinking, our
emotions, and our lives. We come OUT of agreement with the slimy snake who uses
our pain as a weapon against us by surrendering our wounds to the authority of
the Lord Jesus Christ and the healing work of his Holy Spirit. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Father God, right now I
come to you in the midst of my pain and brokenness. I submit __________________ to you
and invite you into my thoughts and feelings. This is an opportunity to more
fully surrender my emotions to You, therefore, I will respond to this trigger with
hope. I open myself up to Your love and grace. By faith, I take captive every
memory and every fear that is causing me distress and submit them to the
authority of the Holy Spirit. Reveal, Lord, every way of thinking that is in
opposition to Your truth. I trust Your Spirit to guide me into truth. I will
not allow the enemy of my soul to use my trauma as a weapon against me. Expose
any lies related to my trauma that I have come into agreement with. Show me,
Jesus, how You protect and defend me. Let me feel Your presence and Your love
now, God. Your love conquers all fear. You give perfect peace to those whose
minds are set on You, so I now shift my thinking from what has triggered me to
how much You love me. You are my Refuge and my Hiding Place. Restore my sense
of safety, Lord. I echo the prayer of Jabez, that “Your hand would be on me”,
healing and protecting me from evil. I trust you to redeem my traumatic
experience for a purpose You call good. I receive Your healing and comfort from
this present moment all the way back to my original trauma. In the mighty name
of Jesus, AMEN.”</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-53262499859374231412014-02-04T16:29:00.001-05:002014-02-05T16:11:31.183-05:00Mediterranean villa or bomb shelter?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">God has been speaking to me about where we live. Not geographically.... not physically.... but spiritually. Where does He want us abiding spiritually and what does it look like? This is what I think.....</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJI3y8c333Ykmu0hSpmsR5igp82TFc8iiBP-eZx-1u24giZQiHErcJNJ8Ffp0hZXlhbF8NvFhTqg5Fp4jDpt9D0Btq869WyIEtTsAHEIWgdB0AP46XntsAPMY3m9yKZJtkJrJZfW37uKU/s1600/villa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJI3y8c333Ykmu0hSpmsR5igp82TFc8iiBP-eZx-1u24giZQiHErcJNJ8Ffp0hZXlhbF8NvFhTqg5Fp4jDpt9D0Btq869WyIEtTsAHEIWgdB0AP46XntsAPMY3m9yKZJtkJrJZfW37uKU/s1600/villa.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVKQIupI1xkH-mo79nEvqBOy2n2L6puvxBzUSfku3LvoNs5757SyrTqpzj7Ko19SWbzsepX1BauqGftyMuKvButXiqhJqt7NENozJ_IrFxOgpY3P0YNZmhUE4E9wNB9mE640ynkr6Zp0/s1600/malimbu-cliff-villa-at-dusk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVKQIupI1xkH-mo79nEvqBOy2n2L6puvxBzUSfku3LvoNs5757SyrTqpzj7Ko19SWbzsepX1BauqGftyMuKvButXiqhJqt7NENozJ_IrFxOgpY3P0YNZmhUE4E9wNB9mE640ynkr6Zp0/s1600/malimbu-cliff-villa-at-dusk.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Heck yeah. I think this is what our life in Christ is supposed to look like. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i> All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are
united with Christ.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i>Ephesians 1:3</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i> </i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Jesus came to give us abundant life, full of freedom, beauty, and provision that can only be found in Him. A place where we live with Him. A beautiful Grecian villa, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Full of beauty and peace and plenty of space. </span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span id="goog_2097608029">I believe that at the very moment of our salvation, this beauty becomes reality in our lives. Jesus comes into our spirits, and brings along with Him all the blessings and provision of the cross and of heaven. Sins forgiven. Eternity secured. But also, a life in union with Christ to be realized and explored. This life is a gorgeous mansion built for two, divinely crafted by the Master Carpenter who desires to share that glorious habitation with us. But, do we live there? Do we share 777 Glory Lane with Him? What keeps us from our villa? </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span id="goog_2097608029">Not realizing we have it is my first thought. It is on us all to become students of the Word, willing pupils who study and learn and receive knowledge and revelation about what happened at the cross and what it means to us and our life here on earth. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i><span id="goog_2097608029">Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ </span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i><span id="goog_2097608029">to be holy </span><span id="goog_2097608029">and without fault in his eyes. </span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i><span id="goog_2097608029">God
decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by </span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i><span id="goog_2097608029">bringing us to
himself through Jesus Christ. </span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i><span id="goog_2097608029">This is what he wanted to do, </span><span id="goog_2097608029">and it gave
him g</span><span id="goog_2097608029">reat pleasure. </span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i><span id="goog_2097608029">So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us </span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i><span id="goog_2097608029">who belong to his dear Son.<span class="nltfootnote"> </span> </span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i><span id="goog_2097608029">He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom </span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i><span id="goog_2097608029">with the blood of his </span><span id="goog_2097608029">Son and forgave our sins. </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i><span id="goog_2097608029">He has showered his kindness on us, along with </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><span id="goog_2097608029"><i>all wisdom and understanding</i></span><span id="goog_2097608029"><i>.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><span id="goog_2097608029"><i>Ephesians 1:4-8 </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span id="goog_2097608029">Not knowing about this beautiful inheritance can keep us from ever moving in to our villa to begin with. </span>A life lived unto ourselves can prevent us from discovering the riches of His grace and all the provisions that come with it. Self-focus and self-effort can result in living conditions that look more like this....</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiix7NVGhPeA7zlavJx_OqtK4EQF1s5xiiquRHjBiem4lXnebuZ7fasPQCFyqw1eFV7udEyNqbbqvB1waDA0X9wXfc0rLu3kluL2YLjDZ5jmBSm3kNHMAEXs1fV_xeb4O2Vuonrgd0ZMUs/s1600/fall-out-shelter519x501.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiix7NVGhPeA7zlavJx_OqtK4EQF1s5xiiquRHjBiem4lXnebuZ7fasPQCFyqw1eFV7udEyNqbbqvB1waDA0X9wXfc0rLu3kluL2YLjDZ5jmBSm3kNHMAEXs1fV_xeb4O2Vuonrgd0ZMUs/s1600/fall-out-shelter519x501.gif" height="616" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Yikes. The beautiful villa is at the top of the cliff but hidden at the bottom is a bomb shelter. This is what I think it looks like spiritually when we live outside the union in Christ that we were meant to enjoy. The reason I see a bomb shelter as an alternate home is because of the safety it represents. You see, for many years I fought against things that weren't of God. I had to be strong, I had to fight, I had to endure. My days were spent resisting evil, fighting against darkness, protecting my family. It was a lengthy season that required much strength but the problem came when I stayed in that strength too long. While a warfare mentality was necessary at the time, being strong and impenetrable became normal and familiar. I found comfort in the walls I'd built to protect myself. Keeping people out helped me make it through but I was keeping God out too. It was like living in the bomb shelter long after the threat of danger had passed. A bomb shelter wasn't designed to be a long-term residence. But self-protection became the new norm for me because it provided security that I wasn't trusting my Defender to provide. That would require me being vulnerable enough to trust, and I didn't have the time or space for vulnerability. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Tenderness would try to visit, knocking on my armored door, and I'd say..... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><i>"Don't have time for you now. Trying to survive here."</i></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Can you understand this? Can you relate? Has life thrown stuff at you that made you send off for your own do-it-yourself homemade bomb shelter kit? Even what starts off as good can keep us confined in a small space. Any strength taken to the extreme becomes a weakness. A friend of mine shared that she lived in hope too long, while her deceptive husband steered their marriage into destruction. As wonderful as hope is, truth was waiting its turn to be heard. I understand that. Making the transition from one mindset to another isn't easy. But seasons change and and we are meant to change too. Jesus calls up to pack up and come on, He has new places for us to explore.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Another example is how we cope with death. It's healthy and normal to grieve the loss when someone we love dies, but hanging out in the camp of grief for the rest of our lives limits us from the abundant life God wants us to enjoy in the villa. Perhaps we are angry and God and blame him for our loss. That can cause us to turn away from Him and try to find comfort apart from Him. There is a difference between crying tears and crying tears <i>to Him</i>, to the One who collects our tears in a bottle. Not releasing pain to the only One who truly knows how to comfort us is like keeping the bomb shelter door slammed in His face.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">These are just two examples that perhaps you can relate to. But, it could be anything. Fear. Unforgiveness. Rejection. Unbelief. Pain. Illness. Divorce. Trauma. Addiction. Abuse. Anger.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">God is willing and able to lead us out of everything that tries to keep us from Him. But because of the generous gift of free will He endowed humanity with, He will not force us into union with Him. It's our decision. The villa. The bomb shelter. We get to choose. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">As one who is learning to leave the walls of self-protection behind and make the exciting trek up the cliff to the villa, I hope your heart is stirred to join me. The more I trust God with my life, my heart and my safety, the more I realize that living life in an tiny enclosure built for one is not so great. I can't move, I can't dance. And dang it, all this battle gear I wear is heavy. I want room to breathe, room to grow, space to dance. My life is way too small when I keep myself safely locked away. I don't want to reach the end of my days and have only measly excuses to offer God when he asks me how I spent my life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">What did you do with the villa I gave you?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><i>"I don't know, God, I never really saw it. It was at the top of the cliff and I was busy at the bottom, staying safe in my shelter."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">What did you do with My Son?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><i>"Ahh... uh.... er.... well.... He came by all the time and I waved to Him through the little window of my bomb shelter door but I didn't let Him in."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">No. I don't want that. There is too much of God's goodness for me to enjoy in the villa up the cliff. I am willing to open the door and follow My King up the hill. I can trust Him. I will still be safe. The walls of protection have become a Shield about me behind which I am safe. Jesus promises to "contend with those that contend with me" (Isaiah 49:25) so I'll let him do the fighting now. Besides, my gun gets in the way when the King pulls me close. I can lay down my weapon. He is my weapon. He fights for me, confronts evil on my behalf. The battle gear that helped me survive served its purpose and I am thankful, but I can take it off because God has other things to teach me now. And it's easier to move and climb and hike up the cliff in the linen garment He gives me to wear....</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">What a joy to find that Jesus has already provided what I need! The safety my heart required was there all along, just on the other side of the door. There is so much provision at the cross that we need only to realize. Jesus' sacrifice took care of everything that would keep us in the shelter. It's already been done. He has done it. It is all waiting for us. If you have received Christ as Savior and Lord, your villa has already been built. Can you see it? Does your spirit draw you to it? The journey is in realizing where our souls are in the shelter, being willing to open the door, and then making the climb up the hill to the palace. Even then we are not alone. The strong hands of our loving Shepherd-King guide us along. And He knows what to do with wolves that attack and sheep that bite.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i>My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in
the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i>Galatians 2:20</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">It feels so good and light and free to lay down my defensive measures and just let Jesus do it His way. He now calls the shots as I hold His arm and smile at Him and say "okay, Lord, You lead". Now my spirit "lives" in a beautiful villa and my soul is calm and at rest, relaxing on the terrace while He reveals more love and truth to my heart, or playing on the beach because yes, He is there too. It's a sweet familiar feeling actually, like returning to my first love before the pain of life suggested that battle gear and a concrete cave might be the way to go. I'd forgotten how good a tender heart felt. Years and years and layers and layers of self-protection caused me to forget that I really do love to kiss more than fight. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i> We know how much God loves us, </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i>and we have put our trust in his love. </i><i> </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i> God is love, and all who live in love live in God, </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i>and God lives in
them.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><i><span style="color: #073763;">1 John 4:16 </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">This learning to trust thing ain't so bad after all! It kinda feels like.....<i> </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">I meet with Him here.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">I eat what He gives me to eat, here.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUABJPSUgALFS5VP7HZVKlRcrT6EHz5SVTqn0Jwy20jUiRkRljijYeeYb1Vk8BuljaIPV892IoFRDxFNvHVUl88DRO6_se6x5FRsp73JKwkP5R0OtXEkemwBMSAvIlyYaoRs_ezSwgB8/s1600/Outdoor-lounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUABJPSUgALFS5VP7HZVKlRcrT6EHz5SVTqn0Jwy20jUiRkRljijYeeYb1Vk8BuljaIPV892IoFRDxFNvHVUl88DRO6_se6x5FRsp73JKwkP5R0OtXEkemwBMSAvIlyYaoRs_ezSwgB8/s1600/Outdoor-lounge.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">I rest in Him, with Him, here.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i>And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i>so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i>1 Corinthians 2:12</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Please join me, my darlings, in this journey of laying down the old, dead self and all it's craziness for the joy of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Jesus waits patiently outside the door. He's not mad at you; He loves you. All you need to do is punch in the code. He will take it from there, and you'll never want to live in the shelter again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i>For we died and were buried with Christ by
baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious
power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #073763;"><i>Romans 6: 4-5</i></span></span></div>
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Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-1106379277479914042013-12-12T10:45:00.001-05:002013-12-12T11:50:46.597-05:00Settler Theology and Pioneer Theology<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>There are two visions of life, two kinds of people. The first see
life as a possession to be carefully guarded. They are called settlers.
The second see life as a wild, fantastic, explosive gift. They are
called pioneers.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>These two types give rise to two kinds of theology: Settler Theology
and Pioneer Theology. According to Wes Seeliger in his book, Western
Theology, the first kind, Settler Theology, is an attempt to answer all
the questions, define and housebreak some sort of Supreme Being,
establish the status quo on golden tablets in cinemascope. Pioneer
Theology is an attempt to talk about what it means to receive the
strange gift of life. The Wild West is the setting for both theologies.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Settler Theology, the <i>church</i> is the courthouse. It is the center
of town life. The old stone structure dominates the town square. Its
windows are small and this makes things dark inside. Within the
courthouse walls, records are kept, taxes collected, trials held for bad
guys. The courthouse is the settler’s symbol of law, order, stability,
and—most importantly—security. The mayor’s office is on the top floor.
His eagle eye ferrets out the smallest details of town life.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Pioneer Theology, the <i>church</i> is the covered wagon. It’s a house on
wheels, always on the move. The covered wagon is where the pioneers
eat, sleep, fight, love and die. It bears the marks of life and
movement—it creaks, is scarred with arrows, bandaged with baling wire.
The covered wagon is always where the action is. It moves toward the
future and doesn’t bother to glorify its own ruts. The old wagon isn’t
comfortable, but the pioneers don’t mind. They are more into adventure
than comfort.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Settler Theology, <i>God</i> is the mayor. He is a sight to behold.
Dressed like a dude from back East, he lounges in an over-stuffed chair
in his courthouse office. He keeps the blinds drawn. No one sees him or
knows him directly, but since there is order in town, who can deny that
he is there? The mayor is predictable and always on schedule. The
settlers fear the mayor, but look to him to clear the payroll and keep
things going. Peace and quiet are the mayor’s main concerns. That’s why
he sends the sheriff to check on the pioneers who ride into town.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Pioneer Theology, <i>God</i> is the trail boss. He is rough and rugged,
full of life. He chews tobacco, drinks straight whiskey. The trail boss
lives, eats, sleeps, fights with his people. Their well-being is his
concern. Without him the wagon wouldn’t move; living as a free man would
be impossible. The trail boss often gets down in the mud with the
pioneers to help push the wagon, which often gets stuck. He prods the
pioneers when they get soft and want to turn back. His fist is an
expression of his concern.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Settler Theology, <i>Jesus</i> is the sheriff. He’s the guy who is sent
by the mayor to enforce the rules. He wears a white hat, drinks milk,
outdraws the bad guys. The sheriff decides who is thrown into jail.
There is a saying in town that goes: those who believe the mayor sent
the sheriff, and follow the rules, they won’t stay in Boothill when it
comes their time.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Pioneer Theology, <i>Jesus</i> is the scout. He rides out ahead to find
our which way the pioneers should go. He lives all the dangers of the
trail. The scout suffers every hardship, is attacked by the Indians.
Through his words and actions he reveals the true intentions of the
trail boss. By looking at the scout, those on the trail learn what it
means to be a pioneer.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Settler Theology, the <i>Holy Spirit</i> is the saloon girl. Her job is
to comfort the settlers. They come to her when they feel lonely, or when
life gets dull or dangerous. She tickles them under the chin and makes
everything okay again. The saloon girl squeals to the sheriff when
someone starts disturbing the peace.</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Pioneer Theology, the<i> Holy Spirit</i> is the buffalo hunter. He rides
along with the covered wagon and furnishes fresh meat for the pioneers.
Without it they would die. The buffalo hunter is a strange
character—sort of a wild man. The pioneers can never tell what he will
do next. He scares the hell out of the settlers. He has a big black gun that
goes off like a cannon. He rides into town on Sunday to shake up the
settlers. You see, every Sunday morning, the settlers have a little ice
cream party in the courthouse. With his gun in hand the buffalo hunter
sneaks up to one of the courthouse windows. He fires a tremendous blast
that rattles the whole courthouse. Men jump out of their skin, women
scream, dogs bark. Chuckling to himself, the buffalo hunter rides back
to the wagon train shooting up the town as he goes. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Settler Theology, the <i>Christian</i> is the settler. He fears the open,
unknown frontier. His concern is to stay on good terms with the mayor
and keep out of the sheriff’s way. “Safety first” is his motto. To him
the courthouse is a symbol of security, peace, order, and happiness. He
keeps his money in the bank. The banker is his best friend. The settler
never misses an ice cream party.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Pioneer Theology, the <i>Christian</i> is the pioneer. He is a man of
daring, hungry for a new life. He rides hard, knows how to use a gun
when necessary. The pioneer feels sorry for the settlers and tries to
tell them of the joy and fulfillment of life on the trail. He dies with
his boots on.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Settler Theology, the <i>clergyman</i> is the banker. Within his vault
are locked the values of the town. He is a highly respected man. He has a
gun, but keeps it hidden in his desk. He feels that he and the sheriff
have a lot in common. After all, they both protect the bank.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Pioneer Theology, the <i>clergyman</i> is the cook. He doesn’t furnish
the meat. He just dishes up what the buffalo hunter provides. This is
how he supports the movement of the wagon. He never confuses his job
with that of the trail boss, scout, or the buffalo hunter. He sees
himself as just another pioneer who has learned how to cook. The cook’s
job is to help the pioneers pioneer.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Settler Theology, <i>faith</i> is trusting in the safety of the town:
obeying the laws, keeping your nose clean, believing the mayor is in the
courthouse.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Pioneer Theology, <i>faith</i> is the spirit of adventure: the readiness
to move out, to risk everything on the trail. Faith is obedience to the
restless voice of the trail boss.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Settler Theology, <i>sin</i> is breaking one of the town’s ordinances.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Pioneer Theology, <i>sin</i> is wanting to turn back.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Settler Theology, <i>salvation</i> is living close to home and hanging around the courthouse.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Pioneer Theology, <i>salvation</i> is being more afraid of sterile town
life than death on the trail. Salvation is joy at the thought of another
day to push on into the unknown. It is trusting the trail boss and
following his scout while living on the meat furnished by the buffalo
hunter.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>–<i>Lion and Lamb: the Relentless Tenderness of Jesus</i>, Brennan Manning, Chapter 3, Fleming H. Revell Company, Old Tappan, NJ, 1986.3</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span><img alt="http://www.wallsave.com/wallpapers/1024x768/garena/135137/garena-cowboy-up-135137.jpg" class="decoded" height="300" src="http://www.wallsave.com/wallpapers/1024x768/garena/135137/garena-cowboy-up-135137.jpg" width="400" /></div>
Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-69101231005983170232012-01-22T23:38:00.002-05:002012-01-30T12:28:05.055-05:00Rejection without Reason<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: #0c343d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Rejection</b></i>. Ouch, it hurts just reading the word. It's a common issue, something we all experience. Some of us are just learning the sting of it, others of us have endured more than our fair share. It's painful. It sucks. It hits us out of the blue, bringing confusion and heartache. But Jesus says....it's normal.</span></div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: large;">I would have to put myself in the category of those who have endured more than our fair share of rejection. I've experienced it in my closest relationships from people who were supposed to love me. Parents. Siblings. Husband. Pastors. Friends. The most painful and difficult rejection was when I was rejected for no apparent reason. Literally, I did nothing wrong. Which means I did everything right. So, when rejection hit, there was no way for me to fix it. There was nothing for me to fix because I hadn't done anything to break it. My hands were tied. The relationship was hijacked by the other person and all I could do was grieve and find a way to accept it. If there had been an obvious problem that could be addressed, maybe I'd stand a chance at attempting reconciliation. But with no reason or communication, I had no choice but to deal with "I no longer want you". </span></div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you know and understand how this feels let me assure you that you are not alone. I can relate to your frustration. I know the feeling of injustice when we are forced to deal with consequences that result from someone else's actions. Better than me, however, you are in Good Company. Jesus himself was rejected by the very people He came to save. Was He rejected by His generation because He did something wrong? NO. Was He somehow at fault? NO. Was His love returned to him with a "no, thanks" for no valid reason? YES. If it can happen to the Son of God, my darlings, it is gonna happen to us.</span></div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: large;">If someone rejects my love, my default reaction is to think it's me. That I did something wrong. My heart immediately searches for guilt. There are times though that there is simply no explanation. My forty-two years on this earth have taught me that people can be catty and weird and insecure and selfish and mean and unfair. I have to force myself to consider this when I am standing alone watching someone walk out of my life when I really want them to stay. </span></div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: large;">The next time you find yourself in this painful place, and you know that you have clean hands and a pure heart, let me encourage you to celebrate the fact that you are being made a little more like Christ. He understands. He knows the sting. He has comfort for you. Don't doubt yourself. Stand strong. Keep your head up. Turn it to God and ask Him to validate you. Don't let your confidence walk out the door with whoever is rejecting you. These things happen and there can be nothing wrong with your heart. A treasure that can be found in a dark place like this is that in spite of the pain of rejection without reason, you can still forgive and keep loving. Keep doing right. Just because someone does the wrong thing does not mean you have to stop doing right thing. Throw a party for yourself and celebrate your tender heart. Turn the broken relationship over to the Healer. Ask God to restore. He can fill voids of rejection in such awesome, creative ways. Try to consider that there can be all kinds of reasons that people reject us, that have nothing to do with us. Like maybe they don't understand us or don't know what to do with us. Or maybe they are just rejecting God in us. Perhaps immaturity is reigning. Or maybe the timing was just wrong.</span></div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: large;">You are never ever alone. Humans may leave but God never will. If you feel like you have been deserted for carrying the banner of righteousness, lean back into the strong arms of the cornerstone that was rejected. Feel His hand on yours, lending you strength, holding that banner with you, knowing just how you feel.</span></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me." </i></span></div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>John 5:43 </i></span></div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="woj">"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."</span></i></span></div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="woj">John 16:33 </span></i></span></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div></div>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-8653869177717817332012-01-01T22:01:00.017-05:002012-01-01T22:13:24.638-05:00Happy New Year!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">My prayer for you (and me, both!) is that 2012 would bring....</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">* increased strength and wisdom to face whatever challenges the year holds</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">* more assurance of God's unfailing love</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">* every disappointment or heartbreak would cause us to turn to Him for the stability and comfort we need</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">* blessing, forgiveness and grace would flow through us to every person we encounter</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">* many wonderful blessings and....</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">* a year full of LOVE.</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #660000;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #660000;"></span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZawz6nkbUvJHxH4GsT31R3GF82XJ3ULVaBg9BBSAS7wVNATw5V5wHffOjGEo4yijtETSNn5O3NkFcIrwAthm2AkAQMYmiOX6h4Lrj4vdd0WeaQ2P0tA7UQFxW2pLl-sCey2wA5Jwu48A/s1600/april+football+game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: #660000;"><img border="0" height="320px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZawz6nkbUvJHxH4GsT31R3GF82XJ3ULVaBg9BBSAS7wVNATw5V5wHffOjGEo4yijtETSNn5O3NkFcIrwAthm2AkAQMYmiOX6h4Lrj4vdd0WeaQ2P0tA7UQFxW2pLl-sCey2wA5Jwu48A/s320/april+football+game.jpg" width="271px" /></span></strong></a></div></div>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-52227723998441448522011-09-01T22:35:00.001-04:002011-09-01T23:00:57.907-04:00finding God in vegetables....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="color: #660000;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
This morning, I was driving Isaac to preschool, chatting
with him about the Yanni music we were listening to, while mentally planning my
day. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
“Let’s see….I’ve got about an hour before I go see my friend Ginny and her
new baby…need to make dentist appointments…literature homework…farmer’s market,
I need peaches… field peas… corn….”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
I felt the Holy Spirit interrupt my grocery list….<br />
"The corn,
April".</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
“Huh?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
“You are focused on the husk, not the corn.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
“Okay.” Corn. Husk.
Hmmm…a little confused. I pull into the parking lot of Isaac’s preschool. <br />
“Can we talk about this later?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
I get Isaac settled at school and come back to my car to
have a divine conversation with the Holy One about corn. Throughout the morning
God continued to speak. He showed me that sometimes the blessings in our lives
(the corn) come wrapped up in experiences that really don’t feel like that much
of a blessing (the husk). If God just
dropped shucked corn cobs in our lives, it would be wonderful! Joy! Peace!
Forgiveness! Prosperity! Faith! But when our harvest is embedded in something
else, it can be confusing and complicated to separate the two. It makes sense,
though, knowing that God is more interested in our character than he is our
comfort. What lesson is learned if we are not required to peel away the husk
and pull out the silky hairs?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
Understanding that God’s treasures can come through a little
darkness, sometimes we encounter two elements, the husk and the corn. The baby
and the bathwater. The fish and the bones. The rose and the thorns. We
sometimes get overfocused on the husk and underfocused on the corn.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
Here’s a personal example. I birthed Isaac naturally after a
fourteen hour labor. I endured a lot of pain to reap my seven pound harvest.
What if, after that last push, I heard that sweet tender cry and then said,
“Get that kid away from me. He caused me a lot of pain. Parenting is for the
birds. Enough of this. Take him to the nursery, I just want to lay down and
sleep. Ouch, ouch, ouch. ” Of course not! The pain wasn’t his fault, it was
just part of the process to get him here. The difficult experience that led me
to my permanent blessing was temporary. The whole point of labor and delivery
is the baby! The blessing! The corn. “Give my baby to me”, was my reply after
that last push, as I reached down and took my beautiful boy from the doctor’s hands.
I lifted him up to my chest as Bo touched his head and together we thanked God
for bringing him to us. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
Sometimes the husk is a little more challenging though, like
when a friend hurts us or when we are disrespected, rejected, or ashamed. These lessons come with tough husks that can prevent
us from even getting to the corn. We can become so distracted by anger,
resentment, failure, pride, shame, etc., that we end up serving our wide-eyed family a plate
full of husks after chunking the nutritious cobs in the trash. Don’t get it backwards!
Give the husk the attention it requires, then throw those temporary coverings
away. Or stuff them down the disposal. Or dump them on your mulch pile. But,
don’t confuse the husk with your corn!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
A dear friend of mine and I recently had a misunderstanding.
I was hurt. She was hurt. Communication was strained. It was the kind of
conflict that could have destroyed our relationship. My inaccurate perceptions of her
behavior catered right to my insecurities, as did hers. But in our love for
each other, we refused to sacrifice our seventeen-year-old friendship. We met
at a coffee house to hash it out. Words and actions were clarified, forgiveness
was asked and extended, hugs and kisses were given. We left the husks with our
empty coffee cups and celebrated the corn.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
I hope that as you have read this, the Holy Spirit is
bringing up some “husky” areas of your own life. I encourage you my darlings, as I am doing,
to ask God to help you clearly recognize what to keep and what to throw
away. Let go of any part of a life experience that you know in your spirit is not to hang around. Re-direct your thoughts and your energies. Celebrate with me that God brings
bountiful blessings into our lives, and in His wisdom, sometimes wraps them in a
temporary covering created to serve its’ purpose before fading away into
distant memories. If imbalance tries to creep back in, identify it. “That’s a husk, I
will focus on the corn.” Being thankful for the gifts God gives us helps to keep the
main thing the main thing. Celebrating pain, anger, and pride saps us of energy
that is better spent praising God for his love, mercy, provision, and grace.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #660000;">
I will never look at a cob of corn the same way again.<br />
</div>
</div>
Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-3613201102211218132011-07-14T08:38:00.001-04:002011-07-14T08:39:40.187-04:00<div align="center"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Praise the Lord, O my soul;</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">all my inmost being, praise his holy name.</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Praise the Lord, O my soul,</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">and forget not all his benefits-</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">who forgives all your sins</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">and heals all your diseases,</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">who redeems your life from the pit</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">and crowns you with love and compassion,</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">who satisfies your desires with good things</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.</span></strong></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Psalm 103:1-5</span></strong></div>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-69020878988125930432011-07-01T09:46:00.000-04:002011-07-01T09:46:31.903-04:00sweet surrender<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Remember the medievel movies that show valiant knights on regal horses, riding into battle, with one appointed warrior carrying the troop's flag? That flag identified the kingdom. It represented the people, their authority, and their purpose. While we no longer travel on horses, we still carry a banner. If we bear the one God gives us, then we are identified as His, surrendered to His will and purpose for our lives. But, even for those of us who love and serve Him, we can sometimes lay down His flag and wave our own. I see it in my spirit..... We sketch and draw and paint our own designs and colors, personalizing our own flags to represent our own agendas. It's a pride flag, fashioned out of the fears, insecurities, and selfish motives that drive us to want to forge ahead our own way. Because we create them ourselves, these puny little flags do not identify us with the King or His authority and protection. We are a troop of one. <br />
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God has a white flag for us. Waving a white flag in the midst of battle typically means defeat. It symbolizes that the troops are no longer posting their own colors, but a neutral color as a sign of defeat. However, when we wave the white flag in surrender to pain, pride, fear, rejection, and sin, this is a spiritual victory. We win spiritual battles when we let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts (Col. 3:15). White represents purity. The purity that comes from heaven is peaceful. Who wants to fight when we can enjoy peace and rest? Further, the white flag of victory connects us with a larger body. I wonder how it makes God feel to look upon His creation and instead of a hodge podge of abstract colors and designs, see white flags of beauty and peace gently waving in unity and love.<br />
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Usually we know what God wants us to do, we just don't do it. We continue to bear our own flag, while He patiently waits, arm extended, white flag in hand, ready to share victory and peace to our weary hearts and lives. Join me, my darlings, in surrender. In doing so, we exchange one authority for another. Ours for his. Struggle for rest. War for peace. Anger for forgiveness. Hate for love. This kind of surrender is a powerful act of spiritual warfare. It takes courage. It takes trust. It takes strength.<br />
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But, enjoying the benefits of peace and fulfillment<em> </em>make it worth it. <br />
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<div align="center"><em>"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure: then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full or mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." James 3:17-18</em></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>"They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy." Rev. 3:4</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>"All who are victorious are clothed in white." Rev. 3:5</em></div><div align="center"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div></div>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-27862435432305152372011-06-23T09:27:00.000-04:002011-06-23T09:27:40.228-04:00Hillsong LIVE - Forever Reign<iframe height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wZ3KIXadMoY?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="480" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-31647123227255640882011-05-24T09:38:00.005-04:002021-02-01T18:13:09.293-05:00go against the flow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #660000; font-size: small;">Psychologist David Lieberman says....</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #660000; font-size: small;">"When your mind has nothing to focus on it divides against itself and creates a breeding ground for worries and anxieties. Yet, once you get a clearly defined outside goal that you are passionate about these divisions cease. When you have a clear-cut objective, you're in a better mood and your attention is clear and focused. Suddenly the "little things" don't seem as important to you anymore. You have perspective on what really matters. A mind with nothing to occupy it will turn against itself. When we have nothing to focus our attention on our mind creates its own unrest and fears begin to take root."</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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</div><div align="center"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #660000; font-size: small;">We can back this teaching up with scripture....</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: small;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color: #0c343d;"> <i>Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. </i></span></span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #0c343d;">Romans 8:5-6</span></i></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #0c343d;">And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. </span></i></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #0c343d;">Philippians 4:8</span></i></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #660000; font-size: small;">Is your life full of good, interesting, wholesome, passionate things that attract your time and focus? Sometimes we get stuck in a cycle of doing the same thing, over and over, day in and day out. With no new outside "threat" to this cycle, our minds are denied the stimulation that expands our thinking and gives us new perspective. If you feel like your life is really small, ask God to open it up with new activities, hobbies, work, projects, relationships, etc., that would keep you positively focused and balanced. Our sin nature will always have a downward pull toward negativity. Like a salmon fighting the current, we can swim upstream into new, exciting waters. Don't be afraid to go against the flow. Step outside of your comfort zone. Try something new. Yes, it may take some effort and courage, but the results are far more beneficial than stifling away in a stagnant pond with smelly dead fish.</span></div></div>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-89365720952772173422011-05-12T09:50:00.000-04:002011-05-13T16:52:32.059-04:00seasons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Isaac and I were having a conversation in the car. A school bus passed us and he said he wanted to ride the bus.</strong></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Me: "You can ride the school bus when you are a little older. You have to be five years old to ride the bus. Right now you are too little."</strong></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Isaac: "I want to be five!"</strong></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Me: "Baby, you are three. You can't be five yet. You have to turn four first."</strong></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Isaac: "I don't want to be four!"</strong></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>As soon as he said that, something inside me responded. <em>Child, I know how that feels!</em> There have been plenty of times in my life when I was in one season and "done" with it, ready to move on, frustrated, tired, wanting change that the next anticipated season would surely hold. I was three, and wanted to be five, but first had to be four!</strong></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>God has this thing about growth. He is a Master Gardener, you know. He wants us to grow and learn and blossom and bear fruit in the season He has us in, before we move on to the next level in the garden of our lives. He wants us to hang out in the dirt, soaking up the sun and the rain, while our little leaves start to bud. And He is none too keen on checking with us about timetables either. I gave Him a watch but He won't wear it :) So, as much as we might like our circumstances to be different, God sees the whole picture of where we are and what needs to happen while we are there. He has things for us to learn and experience in this season that will prepare us for the next.</strong></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Learning our ABCs in preschool makes it possible to read and write in kindergarden. A college education won't fly without the skills acquired in high school. We have to tag 1st, 2nd, and 3rd before it counts when we run home. Nine long months have to pass before we get to see that little one moving and squirming around inside. Bus drivers don't let three year olds on until they've turned four and five.</strong></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Are you here? In transition? Tired of being three and ready to jump to five? Not really thrilled about having to be four? I understand. What I've learned during times like these is that it's helpful to accept it. Stop fighting it. Don't resist the season you are in. <em>God's goodness is everywhere.</em> Grumbling and complaining can hinder our ability to see that. Finding a way to be content where we are really helps to get through a difficult time and I think maybe even speeds up the process. Sometimes we resist the very things that will bless us. Be teachable. Flexible. Pliable. Welcome the lessons that come in hard times. You will probably need them! The things of God that David learned in the caves and the wilderness while fleeing Saul prepared Him to reign as king when the seasons in his life shifted. Jacob's stone pillow became a memorial and the hard ground where he slept became Bethel, the "house of God", after God spoke to him there in the dirt (Gen 28). It's those treasures that make dark seasons beautiful and add glorious meaning to tough times in our lives. If you feel like you are "stuck", try asking God to show you what He wants you to learn in the place where you are. Open your heart to His hand. Ask Him to reveal His purpose for that season in your life, so you can yield and cooperate and let Him do His thing.</strong></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I like what Paul has to say....</strong></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<em><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. Phil 1:6 </strong></span></em><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<em><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. Phil 4:12</strong></span></em><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's like he's saying...."Chill, baby, it's all good." Before you know it, you will be standing there at the bus stop with your little backpack and an apple for the teacher, in all your five year old glory, done with preschool and ready for kindergarden. Which would not have happened...<em>if you hadn't been four. </em></span></strong></span></div>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-38123035548933882892011-05-02T21:36:00.001-04:002011-05-02T21:38:05.156-04:00Christ is Risen - Matt Maher<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">"The glory of God....defeated the night!"<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N-EzVteRq1k?fs=1" width="480"></iframe></div>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-18076526603199464732011-04-21T08:03:00.000-04:002011-04-21T08:03:56.965-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIc_ojbwaPcO9XrrQ1nUYZUNUTgRXVuS4kv8R1oOaIUdARpOsoRKL3-OHuyToiw_r8PDWabdsrLJoX8cCnChtryJePN2OLD_Pqb1-rLS8MbsOCygcaxv5RMJLSxkULMQqLRCJ9DZGf7MI/s1600/afghan+sunset+mtn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIc_ojbwaPcO9XrrQ1nUYZUNUTgRXVuS4kv8R1oOaIUdARpOsoRKL3-OHuyToiw_r8PDWabdsrLJoX8cCnChtryJePN2OLD_Pqb1-rLS8MbsOCygcaxv5RMJLSxkULMQqLRCJ9DZGf7MI/s320/afghan+sunset+mtn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKdCQTyNCSIoKr-_XaG6wiu4bm_2FTpBpyKlvSBnO96CjYSYtA27raKNbYfhHd31_TDv66T_jP3lq0FqU_0CTmv4tjh9MJW5DRKcJhP4CF8ARp4X-PmMwdGgjQou3UWJvav6YNQSq9ss/s1600/afghan+hold+hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKdCQTyNCSIoKr-_XaG6wiu4bm_2FTpBpyKlvSBnO96CjYSYtA27raKNbYfhHd31_TDv66T_jP3lq0FqU_0CTmv4tjh9MJW5DRKcJhP4CF8ARp4X-PmMwdGgjQou3UWJvav6YNQSq9ss/s320/afghan+hold+hands.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78s2CatpROCMT6igyyc-2e0A1FOUBhuqxsDeFjBmd_PZjLN5QTnyd4BbEbhBNqe3Ww7YS5U_s_4bTUqnO-GCX73RZuLJ2lNkUK7kBaNdXq7wpZ7j-yS7Zmao3iNcheCKDYSVmaTG_m3Q/s1600/afghan+heli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78s2CatpROCMT6igyyc-2e0A1FOUBhuqxsDeFjBmd_PZjLN5QTnyd4BbEbhBNqe3Ww7YS5U_s_4bTUqnO-GCX73RZuLJ2lNkUK7kBaNdXq7wpZ7j-yS7Zmao3iNcheCKDYSVmaTG_m3Q/s320/afghan+heli.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-19183081717671872792011-01-29T23:38:00.002-05:002021-03-19T11:36:23.413-04:00have fun<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I love to laugh and joke and cut up and tease people. I appreciate Caleb's sarcasm, miss my dad's dry humor, and think news bloopers are hilarious. I love people who don't take themselves or life too seriously. I've been bungee jumping with my friend Laura, parasailing with the hubs, ridden a camel with my pastor, and had the driver intentionally throw me and my girl friends off the banana boat. And don't get me started about roller coasters. I love roller coasters. I once rode one a dozen times in a row. Put me in the front seat and let me scream in terror and delight. My favorites are the wooden ones that go 60 mph and make the creaky, clangy sound that convinces you that the whole thing is about to break apart. <br />
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I don't think there is enough fun being had in our modern day stressed-to-the-limit days. There is plenty of stuff that brings us down. Are we making room for what lifts us up?<br />
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<div align="center"><em>And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, </em></div><div align="center"><em>because the soul of all the people was grieved, </em></div><div align="center"><em>every man for his sons and for his daughters: </em></div><div align="center"><em>but <strong>David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.</strong></em></div><div align="center"><em>1 Samuel 30:6</em></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left">Modern versions say David <strong><em>strengthened himself</em></strong> in the Lord. This tells me two things. One, God puts some stuff on us to do. We have a part to play in getting the encouragement and strength we need. And two, how do we get strength?</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="center"><em>.....the joy of the Lord is our strength.</em></div><div align="center"><em>Nehemiah 8:10</em></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left">How many times has a good laugh brought some relief during a crisis? The bible says a cheerful heart is good medicine (Ps. 17). Is your life full of tough things? Are your days consumed with responsibility? Then make sure you leave room for fun. It will help. Joy will strengthen you. Have an arsenal of coping skills that lift you up when you are down. If you take the time to enjoy yourself today, you will be refreshed and stronger for tomorrow. Do you have a strained relationship? Find a way to create some light-hearted moments together and see if that helps. Rent a comedy, hang out with friends, play Twister, ride your motorcycle, borrow your brother's convertible and take a ride on a sunny day. Go camping, swimming, boating, skiing, dancing, hiking. Ride the roller coaster. Lighten up. Have fun. Live life!</div><br />
Here are a few funny videos if you need some laughter <strong><em>right now. This instant. I need some joy, April.</em></strong> Okay my darlings, I got 'cha......<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qBay1HrK8WU" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LrOqxFgp_J4" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="480"></iframe></div>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-4472175464657939822011-01-25T12:04:00.000-05:002011-01-25T12:04:47.153-05:00"Tonight" by Rush of Fools<iframe height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/R20mUeezvmM?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="425" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-55566583814066842882011-01-19T09:19:00.002-05:002021-03-19T11:38:17.594-04:00where are you?<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Some precious soul is heavy on my heart today. Whoever it is, I have a prophetic word for you......</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;">God wants to meet you, <em>right where you are</em>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Sometimes, in the midst of sin, anger, disappointment, despair, etc. we find ourselves in a lonely place. We think we cannot get to God. We think the barrier between us and Him is too big. That we've been too bad. Gone too long. Not spiritual enough. Unreachable. Unlovable. Unworthy. All of that, my darling, is a lie from the slimy snake. There is <em>nothing </em>you can do that would prevent God from wanting you. There is <em>nowhere</em> you can go where His love cannot find you. There is <em>no sin </em>that He is not willing to forgive. There is <em>no one </em>that can change how God feels about you.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Where are you? Spiritually? Physically? Emotionally? That is where God wants to meet you. In the bar. In your frustration of yet another surrender to addiction. Outside some place you shouldn't be. In the doctor's office. On an airplane. Inside the cell. In the throws of depression. On the bathroom floor. The hospital waiting room. Funeral home. In the midst of a bad decision. College dorm. Court room.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">You don't have to be inside a church. You don't have to clean yourself up first (let God do that, He does a better job and it's much much easier). God loves you. He is not mad at You. He is calling somebody. Answer Him......right where you are.Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-50451148133132653192011-01-17T20:48:00.000-05:002011-01-17T20:48:58.626-05:00Never Alone Martin<iframe height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/49a65xU8xkA?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="425"></iframe>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-37345485730309049272011-01-06T19:31:00.001-05:002011-01-06T19:31:50.776-05:00let God do the math<strong></strong><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">I get very pensive every January. I have trained my spirit to fast and pray at the beginning of every new year. The church that groomed me for ministry always provided women's retreats the first week of the new year. I miss those days. I found it easy to hear God speak to me when I was sequestered away like that. While I don't always get a yearly retreat, I still petition the Almighty for fresh wisdom and direction for me and my family as we begin another year.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">I don't know if you do this too, but if you don't, let me make a suggestion. Take a good hard look at your life. Take inventory. Perform an evaluation. Is there anything from 2010 that you don't want to carry into 2011? It could be anything, spiritual or natural. Is something nagging at you, disturbing your peace, weighing you down? Then maybe you need to <em>subtract </em>some stuff. Lay something down. Let something go. Leave something behind.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Or, is there something new that you feel like God is calling you toward? Maybe you need to <em>add </em>something to your life this year. If it's something that you feel completely unfamiliar with, I assure you, I can relate. When I was sixteen years old, I knew God was calling me to worship dance ministry. This was back in the 1980s, when dance in the church was not a common form of worship. In fact, I had never heard of it before. Since I'd never seen it before, with my eyes, I could not figure out how in the world this was going to happen. I felt like Noah, building an ark because God said to, but having never seen rain. However, my spirit could see it happening and I trusted God to do His thing. I took the first step (pun intended). I signed up for dance classes. That was all it took. God took over from there. Within four months, I had mastered the basics of ballet. Within six months, I was dancing in pointe shoes. Within nine months, I was a student in a bible college that welcomed me into their dance ministry (oh, they do exist!). Within one year, I was dancing on a team. After fifteen months of that original calling, I was ministering worship dances and introducing a new form of worship to churches in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. After an eight-year hiatus to get married and birth children, I was directing my own dance teams. Two years after that I was teaching dance conferences. Another year later, I was teaching Christ-centered ballet classes in the community and holding recitals where people got saved. All it took was me being willing to say "yes" and let God add something beautiful and powerful to my life.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">I hope that encourages somebody. As you have been reading, has something popped into your mind? Talk to God about it. Take the steps to make it happen. Whether it's overcoming an addiction, mending a relationship, or serving God in a new, unfamiliar way, let me encourage you to go for it! Do the math. Finish the equations that God is writing on your heart. Add or subtract as needed. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">And may the end of your 2011 feel amazing.</span></strong>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-33001668200680436692011-01-02T17:35:00.001-05:002011-01-02T17:38:35.352-05:00new year's blessing<span style="color: #20124d;">My prayer for you, my blogging darlings, is that the new year will bring you peace, prosperity and good health, but also......</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d;">That you will come to trust God in new ways. Find treasures in darkness and riches in secret places. Experience new dimensions of love. Bless everyone around you. Turn things over to God that you cannot change. Find freedom and healing in painful places. Grow stronger in faith as you believe even when you don't see. Let go of the past. See the hand of God make rough places smooth. Have your desires satisfied by Him with good things. Become stronger physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Offer forgiveness when people don't treat you quite right. Enjoy new and exciting experiences. Speak the truth. Refuse to give up.</span><br />
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<em><span style="color: #351c75;"><strong>Happy 2011. I love you.</strong></span></em>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-81762293039650880152010-12-25T21:32:00.000-05:002010-12-25T21:32:29.428-05:00merry christmas<iframe height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/45wmyMgyZuY?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="425"></iframe>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-38031476667359635222010-12-16T16:28:00.001-05:002010-12-16T16:29:58.078-05:00American Red Cross Winter Weather and Driving Safety Tips<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>It is likely during the winter and holiday season that most of us will be driving somewhere at some time. This information will help you plan for and handle adverse situations. The information in this article is excerpted from several sources; all are linked at the end. The American Red Cross does not specifically endorse AAA.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>The No. 1 cause of winter driving accidents is driving too fast. Motor Vehicle Accidents are the No. 1 cause of death in winter storms. Severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous for automobile travel. Motorists should know the safety rules for dealing with winter road emergencies. AAA reminds motorists to be cautious while driving in adverse weather. If you find yourself hitting the road during adverse conditions, consider these tips to stay safe on your journey.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>1. Prepare Your Vehicle for the Winter. Winterize your car by checking antifreeze, defroster, emergency signals, heater, lights, oil, tires, windshield washer fluid, and wiper blades. Always make sure your vehicle is in peak operating condition by having it inspected by a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility. Have emergency supplies in your car, including a cell phone, an ice scraper and brush, a small shovel, a tow rope, cat litter/sand/gravel (for use as a traction aid), blankets, jumper cables, first aid kit, a good flashlight, gloves, hats, food, water and any needed medication, a candle, matches, a good book, a portable weather radio and a can of lock de-icer. (Never use hot water on glass or locks — it will refreeze and create a bigger problem.) Here’s a more detailed list of road trip supplies.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>2. Keep your tires in good condition and properly inflated. Cold weather reduces tire pressure, so check and adjust frequently. Tire tread depth should be at least 1/8-inch, and good snow tires with lugs will outperform just about any allweather tire on the market. Never mix radial tires with other tire types. Carry (and be able to install) traction-control devices like snow chains whenever you know you’ll be in a snowy area. Sometimes such devices are required, and if you don’t have a set, you’ll be forced to pay a premium to acquire them on the spot.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>3. Know your route and keep abreast of weather conditions. Watch weather reports prior to a long-distance drive or before driving in isolated areas. Delay trips when especially bad weather is expected. If you must leave, let others know your route, destination and estimated time of arrival. The Web can be great source of current weather information. Make a list of Department of Transportation road-condition hotlines and consult them every few hours while you’re on the road. Pay special attention to avalanche conditions along your route, because temporary road closures are common in mountain areas.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>4. Drink plenty of water. When the weather is chilly, dehydration might seem unlikely, but according to a study by the Mayo Clinic, as little as a 1-2 percent loss of body weight can lead to fatigue and reduced alertness — both of which can be deadly when you are driving in icy conditions. Carry (and drink) five to six 16-ounce bottles of water per day. Keep them with you in the passenger compartment, as they might freeze in the trunk.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>5. Eat enough food. Your body needs more nourishment in cold weather than it does on a balmy summer day. Avoid candy bars and other quick-sugar-release snacks. Sandwiches, fruit or a Thermos of hearty stew are much better choices. Carry a day’s worth of high-energy food and water in a warm area of your vehicle in case you are stranded for a few hours.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>6. Slow down. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, turning – nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly. A good rule of thumb is to reduce speed by 50 percent in snowy conditions. The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop. Blasting through snowdrifts may look cool in TV advertisements, but it’s way too hard on your vehicle to be worth it. Equally important: Don’t go too slow. Your car needs momentum to keep moving through snow on grades.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>7. Keep a light touch on the controls. Smooth operation is the key to keeping control in slippery situations. Nervousness can lead to a hard clench of the steering wheel, which can result in loss of control. Consciously loosen your grasp or stretch out your fingers from time to time to help prevent that white-knuckled grip. Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, the best way to stop is threshold breaking. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>8. Know how to recover from skids. When braking on a slippery road, it’s all too easy to “lock up” your wheels by stepping on the brakes a little too hard. If you start to skid, steer the vehicle gently in the direction you want the front of your vehicle to go and don’t touch your brakes. This used to be called “turning into the skid,” but tests have shown that drivers often misinterpret these words in real-life situations. Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don't try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>9. Make frequent rest stops. Avoid driving while you're fatigued. Getting the proper amount of rest before taking on winter weather tasks reduces driving risks. Winter travel is much more fatiguing than summer cruising, so stop every hour or so. Get out, stretch — maybe even make a few snow angels! It takes only five minutes to significantly improve your level of alertness.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>10. If you get stuck, stay in your vehicle. It provides temporary shelter and makes it easier for rescuers to locate you. Don't try to walk in a severe storm. It's easy to lose sight of your vehicle in blowing snow and become lost. Stay warm and wait for assistance. Don't over exert yourself if you try to push or dig your vehicle out of the snow. Tie a brightly colored cloth to the antenna or place a cloth at the top of a rolled up window to signal distress. At night, keep the dome light on if possible. It only uses a small amount of electricity and will make it easier for rescuers to find you. Make sure the exhaust pipe isn't clogged with snow, ice or mud. A blocked exhaust could cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to leak into the passenger compartment with the engine running. Use whatever is available to insulate your body from the cold. This could include floor mats, newspapers or paper maps. If possible run the engine and heater just long enough to remove the chill and to conserve gasoline.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>Some additional general automobile safety tips:</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>• Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>• Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze-up.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>• If possible, avoid using your parking brake in cold, rainy and snowy weather.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>• Do not use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface (wet, ice, sand).</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>• Use your seat belt every time you get into your vehicle.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>• Avoid distractions while driving. Do not use your cell phone; go hands-free. Don’t text or email.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>A final word of advice: Stay home. If you really don't have to go out, don't. Even if you can drive well in the snow, noteveryone else can. Don't tempt fate: If you don't have somewhere you have to be, watch the snow from indoors. Whether you’re hitting the road in winter for work or for pleasure, preparation and knowledge can help keep you whistling “Let it Snow” instead of fighting frostbite in a snowdrift.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>Sources for the previous article include:</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>• Mark Sedenquist is the publisher of RoadTrip America, a Web site providing expert planning, advice and suggested itineraries for road trips. He's spent 30 years and a half-million miles on the road in North America. Also, visit Tripso's forums! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10839538/ns/travel-travel_tips/#</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>• American Automobile Association: For more information on winter driving, the association offers the How to Go on Ice and Snow brochure, available through most AAA offices. Contact your local AAA</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>representative for more information. http://www.aaaexchange.com/main/default.asp?categoryid=3&subcategoryid=55</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>• American Red Cross: For more information, visit www.redcross.org; then click on the “Preparedness</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>Fast Facts” link under the “Preparing and Getting Trained” tab on the upper left.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>• http://www.redcross.org/www-files/Documents/pdf/Preparedness/WinterStorms.pdf</strong></span>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29152689899268837.post-65517565212884570312010-12-13T10:23:00.000-05:002010-12-13T10:23:35.059-05:00I am by Eddie James<iframe height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ooD24chr2O8?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="425"></iframe>Growing In Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850646686245574727noreply@blogger.com0