"Though HE slay me, yet will I trust in HIM." Job 13:15
9 But HE said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for MY power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." II Cor. 12:9-10
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
I realize i used II Cor. 12:9-10 last week, but this is the passage the LORD has laid on my heart as I began to write, and this is what i am writing about. I am going to go with it, HE always does a better job than me at writing this blog. Last week, when i started the blog at 10:15 p.m. on Friday i got more responses than if i had spent hours writing it...so i am depending on HIS strength in my weaknesses once again.
My two brothers, Joe and Ralph are on their way to Sugar land, Texas, (they're actually there now, i wrote that yesterday) where my brother Ralph and my brother Tracy are going to ride their bicycles to Austin in a fund raiser for MS this weekend...it's like 175 miles. My brother Joe will be hanging out with my sis in law, Cheryl and then they will pick up my other two brothers at the end of the ride. I think two of my nephews, Drew and Lee, are riding in it too. Sure would appreciate you saying a prayer for them as they head out on Sat. morning for the ride. I sure do appreciate you remembering my Mom too in your prayers...she's continue to struggle with her health. Yesterday, i went by to see Mom and Dad for a few minutes, and Daddy, 84, wanted me to help him cut down a branch out of his pecan tree. Daddy got a long hook to pull the branch down, and afterwards was pulling on it with both hands so i could reach up and clip it with the clippers. Before i had the chance to reach up, the tree branch broke off much further down the limb and the whole heavy limb came tumbling to the ground, missing Daddy, Mother and me by inches. We were all so very thankful...later Daddy said, "If I had thought i would have got the step ladder so you (me) could have stood on it to cut the branch." I said, "I'm glad you didn't think, the branch would have gotten me sure enough!" It was funny then, but for the grace of GOD it could have hit all three of us, and really hurt us or even killed us. I'm so thankful the LORD was merciful and spared my Mom and Dad especially from getting hurt.
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of GOD in CHRIST JESUS for you." I Thess. 5:16-18
"In HIS inscrutable wisdom and love, GOD is able to use even the most agonizing circumstances in your life to refine and purify you, to make you fruitful, and to magnify HIS grace and glory through your life."
-Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Earlier this week, Johnny and I had the privilege of visiting with our friend Arthur, who is the husband of Darlene, the friend with breast cancer I asked you to pray for last weekend who was struggling for her life from a transfusion of platelets she received earlier in the week that was contaminated with staph infection.
Arthur and Darlene's friendship during our earlier homeschooling years was GOD's special grace to our family, and I am so grateful for GOD loving our family through them. I called Arthur Monday afternoon to see if Johnny and I might could come up to the hospital to visit him. I knew that Darlene was not up to visitor's but we still wanted to visit with Arthur if we could. Arthur was so gracious and kind, and sounded like he really wanted us to come. Johnny wondered if he would like anything from the restaurant after i hung up the phone, and i said, i doubt he's hungry at a time like this. In a little bit, Arthur called back to see if we had left yet, and i told him that Johnny had decided to take a short nap, but we'd be leaving shortly. I said by the way, Johnny was wondering if you might be hungry...and Arthur, just like we hadn't missed a beat through the years, said, "From ya'lls restaurant?" I finally got him to tell me what he wanted, so we went by the restaurant to take Arthur some barbecue chicken, dark meat, like he always used to eat when our paths were walking together going to the same church, homeschooling our kids together, etc. It was such a blessing to us that Arthur wanted to see us, and he let us bring him some food...it was the least we could do for this dear man who has been through so much in recent years since our paths went separate ways.
"GOD is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even thought the earth be removed
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling."
Psalm 46:1-3
Arthur met us downstairs in the lobby of the hospital when we got there, and we went upstairs to a large waiting room and visited with our dear old friend. Arthur sat there with this big old box on his lap, eating parts of a whole chicken, talking with such humility, honesty, and with the dry humor that i remembered so well. As he ate, he shared with us the very rough weekend that Darlene had had after she contracted staph infection through some contaminated platelets she had received. Sunday night, the doctor's also diagnosed her with pneumonia, in addition to the staph infection, and the cancer she was originally being treated for. Arthur was so very gracious, so very peaceful about HIS GOD, and that his dear wife was in the LORD's hands. It was hard to hear in the waiting area, there were so many people in there, and Johnny and I sat across the aisle from Arthur, but Arthur related to us some of the other trials he has been through in the past few years with his work. We really had no idea that he and Darlene had had such a difficult time, and it makes me mad at myself for allowing our friendship to just drop when we had shared so much together for several years. As Arthur relayed these things to us, there was never any evidence of grumbling or complaining against the LORD, or the doctor's...or even his bosses. He was just relaying the facts of what had happened, and the grace of GOD was upon this man, in a way that is only on those who have suffered greatly. He wasn't wringing his hands in anxiety or worry, he was just doing the next thing, and trusting the LORD with the outcome, which didn't look too promising Monday night as we visited as for as Darlene recovering from the weekend. When we were leaving, Arthur said, "Mitz, you were the sickest person i knew before Darlene got sick," and had a grin on his face. Johnny and I just laughed, and walked away with such a blessing in our hearts from this friend we had come to "minister" to. GOD's grace was upon Arthur and GOD had just blessed the socks off of us with the peace and trust HE has given Arthur in the midst of a very difficult trial. He was such a picture or vessel of GOD's grace.
"The great thing about faith in GOD is that it keeps a man undisturbed in the midst of disturbance."
-Oswald Chambers
"Perfect love expels all fear." I John 4:18
And...it was true...i was very sick when we were bosom buddies with Arthur and Darlene and they just loved me and accepted me, and made me feel "almost normal." I remember one of the first times we were eating together and I was eating out of a can of garbanzo beans because that was one of the few things that stabilized my blood sugar. Instead of making me feel worse than i already did, Arthur and Darlene commented how much they loved garbanzo beans and that made me feel so much better. I was more than happy to share my garbanzo beans with them! I had no idea the blessings that GOD had in store for our dear family bringing this dear family into our lives to walk a close path with us for the next 5 years or so.
"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield not meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the GOD of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:17,18
Arthur was our Sunday School teacher, and I will never forget him walking up our sidewalk one afternoon after he got off work to come and visit us. We had never met Arthur or been to his class at that point, but we both were so touched that he took time to come and visit us. We visited his and Darlene's class the next Sunday and were really blessed through their love, and the love of the class, and Arthur's sound biblical teaching. I don't think we visited any other classes after that. Some of those former Sunday School members have been calling or emailing this week, along with members of the Hispanic mission where our family and Arthur's family served together for a couple years, to ask about Darlene, and see if there is anything they can do for Arthur and Darlene. My heart has really been touched by the body of CHRIST as I am getting to see so many so their love and concern for Arthur and Darlene even though our lives and their lives haven't touched in a while. The love of CHRIST is so evident and so very strong. I can't imagine what it would be like to go through something like this without my brother's and sister's in CHRIST. I am so thankful for Arthur's Sunday School class ministering to me and our family when i was out in Texas for six and a half weeks...they sent cards, prayed for us, brought meals, and i'm sure helped out with the kids some. Darlene helped with Hannah Beth's birthday party once when i was away in Texas, and I missed John Mac's Bible Drill the first year i was out there...i'm sure Darlene was helping with them then, as Jeremy and John Mac were in Bible Drill together....so many memories we share with this family.
"For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory (2 Cor. 4:17).
One of the funniest memories was a camping trip our families went on together up to Davy Crockett State Park. We left on Easter Sunday after church...i told myself i would NEVER do that again. It took away from concentrating on CHRIST and HIS death and resurrection to get ready to go camping! My extended family always ate together on Easter together, and the whole way up there, i'm seeing these families eating outside together, and I am thinking I'm not doing this again...going camping Easter weekend. We got up there, and we were tent camping, so we each set up our tents, and got the campsite set up. Well, we brought enough food for an army literally, and probably could have stayed a month on the supply we brought. We had bought some big, cast iron pots to use just for camping and were excited about trying them out. From the moment we got there, it seems, we cooked, and we washed big, cast iron heavy pots, and ate...that's all we did, it seems, except we did take one nice long hike, and Arthur and the kids climbed a really steep embankment together, and Johnny went to Walmart! We never let Johnny live that down...seems like every time we camped, he ended up "hiking" to Walmart...probably to get some more food! No, i remember he came back with more camping supplies actually...That night, while we were all in our tents, it came up a big storm and the wind blew hard, and it rained, and our tent got wet inside and it was COLD! The next morning, after freezing to death...we decided to forgo cooking breakfast, and went to the local Shoney's and ate. I think after that we packed up and came home! That was the extent of our camping trip on Easter Sunday...we have laughed about it through the years, but man we sure did work hard cooking and washing those heavy cast iron skillets and cookware!
Well, i didn't mean to tell about the camping trip, but that is just one of the many fond memories that we share with the Anderson family. GOD has brought back many, many sweet memories together with them this week. I hope the LORD has used this to remind me not to forget how precious friendships are, and not let them go so easily. Thank you for praying for my friend Darlene, and Arthur and their precious family...they are just like you and me, and what an encouragement to my faith to see my brother and sister standing in the fire, and relying on GOD's grace to get them through this...please continue to pray for them and for their extended family who is here helping to care for the kids and for Darlene.
I read this devo this morning from "Streams," and it sure did remind me of Arthur, a man trusting in HIS GOD and resting in HIS WORD in the midst of great trial.
Author: Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
Source: Streams in the Desert
Scripture Reference: Psalm 119:42
Rest on the Word of God
"I trust in thy word" (Ps. 119:42).
Just in proportion in which we believe that God will do just what He has said, is our faith strong or weak. Faith has nothing to do with feelings, or with impressions, with improbabilities, or with outward appearances. If we desire to couple them with faith, then we are no longer resting on the Word of God because faith needs nothing of the kind. Faith rests on the naked Word of God. When we take Him at His Word, the heart is at peace.
God delights to exercise faith, first for blessing in our own souls, then for blessing in the Church at large, and also for those without. But this exercise we shrink from instead of welcoming. When trials come, we should say: "My Heavenly Father puts this cup of trial into my hands, that I may have something sweet afterwards."
Trials are the food of faith. Oh, let us leave ourselves in the hands of our Heavenly Father! It is the joy of His heart to do good to all His children.
But trials and difficulties are not the only means by which faith is exercised and thereby increased. There is the reading of the Scriptures, that we may by them acquaint ourselves with God as He has revealed Himself in His Word.
Are you able to say, from the acquaintance you have made with God, that He is a lovely Being? If not, let me affectionately entreat you to ask God to bring you to this, that you may admire His gentleness and kindness, that you may be able to say how good He is, and what a delight it is to the heart of God to do good to His children.
Now the nearer we come to this in our inmost souls, the more ready we are to leave ourselves in His hands, satisfied with all His dealings with us. And when trial comes, we shall say:
"I will wait and see what good God will do to me by it, assured He will do it." Thus we shall bear an honorable testimony before the world, and thus we shall strengthen the hands of others. --George Mueller.
Source: Streams in the Desert
Scripture Reference: Psalm 119:42
Rest on the Word of God
"I trust in thy word" (Ps. 119:42).
Just in proportion in which we believe that God will do just what He has said, is our faith strong or weak. Faith has nothing to do with feelings, or with impressions, with improbabilities, or with outward appearances. If we desire to couple them with faith, then we are no longer resting on the Word of God because faith needs nothing of the kind. Faith rests on the naked Word of God. When we take Him at His Word, the heart is at peace.
God delights to exercise faith, first for blessing in our own souls, then for blessing in the Church at large, and also for those without. But this exercise we shrink from instead of welcoming. When trials come, we should say: "My Heavenly Father puts this cup of trial into my hands, that I may have something sweet afterwards."
Trials are the food of faith. Oh, let us leave ourselves in the hands of our Heavenly Father! It is the joy of His heart to do good to all His children.
But trials and difficulties are not the only means by which faith is exercised and thereby increased. There is the reading of the Scriptures, that we may by them acquaint ourselves with God as He has revealed Himself in His Word.
Are you able to say, from the acquaintance you have made with God, that He is a lovely Being? If not, let me affectionately entreat you to ask God to bring you to this, that you may admire His gentleness and kindness, that you may be able to say how good He is, and what a delight it is to the heart of God to do good to His children.
Now the nearer we come to this in our inmost souls, the more ready we are to leave ourselves in His hands, satisfied with all His dealings with us. And when trial comes, we shall say:
"I will wait and see what good God will do to me by it, assured He will do it." Thus we shall bear an honorable testimony before the world, and thus we shall strengthen the hands of others. --George Mueller.
As i was thinking about what song to use this week, the LORD brought another sweet memory to my mind with Arthur and Darlene...our families used to sit close to the front together on the same pew when we were at First Baptist, except for when Arthur and Darlene joined the choir, and then Jeremy and Natalie sat with us, while their Mom and Dad sang. One Sunday we sang the hymn "Like A River Glorious, " by Francis Havergal- http://www.youtube.
"Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Trac'd upon our dial By the Sun of LOVE;
We may trust HIM fully All for us to do;
They who trust HIM wholly Find HIM wholly true."
Chorus:
"Stayed upon Jehovah, Hearts are fully blessed;
Finding as HE promised perfect peace and rest."
GOD used that verse to bring such comfort and peace to my heart...that every joy or trial comes from above, and is traced upon our dial by the SON of LOVE, i could trust HIM fully all for me to do...and now 12 years later, I can say, "They who trust HIM wholly Find HIM wholly true." The HOLY SPIRIT spoke to my heart that Sunday morning, that although I didn't understand why GOD had allowed me to suffer so, HE knew, and HE would continue providing all i needed HIM to do for me and my family.
"There is a river whose streams shall
make glad the city of GOD,
the holy place of the tabernacle of the MOST HIGH.
GOD is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
GOD shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
HE uttered HIS voice, the earth melted."
Psalm 46:4-6
It wasn't long after that, when GOD led me to Texas, after HE prompted me to humble myself and put my name on the prayer list at First Baptist....what a journey, 12 years later, my kids have managed to graduate from homeschooling through GOD's grace, and go on to do well in college, and more importantly, i pray they are growing in the grace and knowledge of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. I know HE has grown me much through this journey, and I can say with all my heart I have found HIM to be wholly true...
HE is the Rock, HIS works are perfect, and all HIS ways are just. A faithful GOD who does no wrong, upright and just is HE." Deut. 32:4
I even went and signed up for my PreCalculus class for this summer at Calhoun before I went to visit Mom and Dad earlier this week. I never dreamed I would be able to return to school, and believe me i am relying on HIS grace to be sufficient...to supply my needs in many areas. I feel like the LORD is leading me to further my education in nursing so that I can have a broader platform to share some of the knowledge that HE has used to bring healing to me, and equip me to do that more adequately. More importantly, i want to share my dear SAVIOR with those HE leads me to down this path, and magnify HIM in all that I am and do. Please pray for me, pray for my husband...with HB in school and John Mac plans to go to med school...me returning to school was not in his plans or budget:). GOD will have to provide if this is what HE wants me to do.
I just talked with Darlene's sis, and Darlene may get to come home this weekend! Wow...GOD is answering a lot of folks prayers for them...thank you so much for your continued prayers for them, for us. I just talked to Arthur, and GOD's grace just continues to overflow out of him...we shared of the "fellowship of the sufferings of CHRIST," and that sweet intimacy you have with CHRIST when you go through the dark nights of the soul. We shared how much it means to be loved by the body of CHRIST, and how he felt like he was being held up by the prayers of his brothers and sisters in CHRIST like Moses arm was held up by Aaron and Hur as Israel fought. I asked Arthur for permission to share with you what i have above, and he said as long as it magnifies the LORD and brings glory to HIM. I had just read about magnifying the LORD on my Elisabeth Elliot calendar that morning, and it being the grand purpose of our lives, not to make money, not to have a successful career, or our kids be "successful" in the eyes of the world, but to magnify CHRIST to bear HIS life to the rest of the world... believe me, Arthur and Darlene are vessels of HIS grace, and magnifying HIM in all they are going through:
"The primary and shining grand purpose of our lives is that CHRIST might be magnified in us, that we might be the bearers of the life of CHRIST to the rest of the world."
-Elisabeth Elliot, www.elisabethelliot.org
CHRIST will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death." Phil. 1:20
Update: I just got a text from Arthur this Friday morning...and Darlene is coming home today! Wow...thank you for your prayers, and please continue! Thank you LORD for answering the cries of your children on Darlene's behalf...
Thank you for your love for JESUS, and for praying for these friends you may not have met yet, but you will spend eternity with them, if you know JESUS CHRIST as your LORD and SAVIOR. Have you trusted in HIM and what HE did for you on the Cross to show HIS love to you and forgive you for your sins? HE loves us so much that HE poured out HIS life, even unto death, that we might be cleansed from our sins and restored in a right relationship with HIM that we might magnify HIM and be the bearers of CHRIST's life to the rest of the world."
"For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON that whosoever believeth in HIM shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
How sweet it is that the LORD has brought not only our paths back together with Arthur and Darlene, but those we used to fellowship with when we were all laboring together in the LORD....how sweet the love of CHRIST is...and truly HIS grace is sufficient and HIS power is "dynamite," perfected in our weaknesses," even my weakness to let a wonderful friendship go unattended for way too long.
I read these words this morning, and thought they sure were appropriate for what my friends are going through, and for what CHRIST has done so in my life through my sickness. I praise HIM for HIS loving ways and giving me my thorn to bless me with HIS sweet intimacy in so many ways that I would not have otherwise experienced:
 | God's Intention Through Sickness |
Sickness, in the very nature of things, can never be anything but trying to our flesh. Our bodies and souls are strangely linked together, and that which vexes and weakens the body can hardly fail to vex the mind and soul. But sickness, we must always remember, is no sign that God is displeased with us; no, more, it is generally sent for the good of our souls. It tends to draw our affections away from this world, and to direct them to things above. It sends us to our Bibles, and teaches us to pray better. It helps to prove our faith and patience, and shows us the real value of our hope in Christ. It reminds us that we are not to live always, and tunes and trains our hearts for our great change. Then let us be patient and cheerful when we are laid aside by illness. Let us believe that the Lord Jesus loves us when we are sick no less than when we are well.
~ J.C. Ryle
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John, volume 2, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1987], 257-258. {John 11:1-6}
"Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces. GOD hath many sharp cutting instruments, and rough files for the polishing of HIS jewels: and those HE especially loves, and means to make the most resplendent, HE hath oftenest HIS tools upon."
-Archbishop Leighton
" Who shall separate us from the love of CHRIST?...for I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of GOD in CHRIST JESUS our LORD." Romans 8:35,38,39
"I bear my willing witness that I owe more to the fire, and the hammer, and the file, than to anything else in my LORD's workshop. I sometimes question whether I have ever learned anything except through the rod. When my schoolroom is darkened, I see most."
-Charles H. Spurgeon
Your emails are such a dear blessing to me...thank you for sharing your "GOD stories" with me, and your prayer requests as the LORD leads you to do that. It is an honor for me to pray for you, and it increases my faith in our loving heavenly FATHER, to hear of HIS faithfulness in your life. Thank you for listening to my GOD stories...and letting me share my heart with you week after week.
With all HIS love,
mitzi
"The Cross does stand at the very heart and center of the CHRISTian life-the cross of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, by which HE achieved our deliverance from the bondage of sin and self-love and opens to us the means of sharing HIS own life." -Hannah Hurnard
"May I never boast except in the cross of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14
"Embrace the Cross"
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