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Abigail and Dolley readers years ago, I had a powerful prayer ministry. It was in the infancy of e-mail and before the media became such a task master. I took prayer requests throughout the day, chose a Scripture that I would write on and then passed the requests to about 50 folks who promised to pray. That Season in my life was richly blessed by a communion with God that was special to both of us. It was fostered by the availability of time, which is something I have not had much of since then.
I find myself once again with that very precious resource, time. Never one to squander a gift, I have decided to make use of it. I will dedicate a set time everyday to pray and will be willing to take your prayer requests before the Lord. Please email them to me at abigailanddolley@gmail.com or comment on this post and I will be faithful to pray for you.
Bless you all,
Dolley
Mar 25, 2011
Mar 23, 2011
The Garbage Truck
Abigail and Dolley readers I have to admit to you that this season in my life has been difficult. I've tried to keep busy but at times, I am so restless I could jump right out of my skin. So I walk, far and long. I talk to God and hash out all that has happened until it makes sense and I can file it away.
Today, my husband joined me on my walk. It was a glorious Spring day in the Carolinas. The trees were blooming, the breeze was gentle, and the tulips, pansies, and azaleas made it look like an Easter basket. The sky was perfectly blue and the morning air was brisk but warm. The exercise was nice, not too vigorous but enough to get my heart pumping. We kept up a running dialogue, speaking of nothing in particular. We enjoyed each others company and the beautiful day.
About halfway through the walk, our peace was interrupted. It was garbage day and up behind us came the garbage truck. It moved about as fast as we did and pulled along beside us. It was loud and its breaks squealed with every stop. It stunk of garbage and exhaust fumes. We could no longer talk, we no longer enjoyed the day, our whole world had been overwhelmed by this intrusion. We looked at each other and said, if the truck is going straight we are turning left up here to get away from it and we did.
Afterward, it occurred to me that the garbage truck was much like the enemy of our soul. He plops right down in the middle of God's creation. He ruins our lovely talk with our spouse and we loose sight of everything else. The screeching and the stench are overwhelming. We can not see the beauty around us, we can not carry on a conversation that doesn't involve or become influenced by the garbage truck, our lives have been invaded. What we often fail to realize is that if the garbage truck is removed we can regain our peace. It was still pretty outside and I was still with the love of my life, I just couldn't concentrate on those things with the garbage truck beside me.
We have to learn to turn away from the garbage truck, to back track, to run ahead, to veer to the right. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we hold spiritual authority over the garbage trucks in our lives and we need to remember that. We need to remember that there is a spiritual element in our lives and some of those things are garbage trucks. Not everything spiritual is good. The Word says the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. Do not be naive for we struggle against wickedness in high places.
If you are struggling, then do something about it. Fast and pray, put on the whole armor of God. Pray to the Lord that He removes the garbage truck from your life and He will. He bought victory at Calvary through His blood, He has already won, you have to ask. It probably won't fix everything, it isn't a magic bullet but without the garbage truck you can once again see God's beautiful creation and appreciate all the wonderful things in your life that you have been missing out on. Remember, there are still flowers.
Today, my husband joined me on my walk. It was a glorious Spring day in the Carolinas. The trees were blooming, the breeze was gentle, and the tulips, pansies, and azaleas made it look like an Easter basket. The sky was perfectly blue and the morning air was brisk but warm. The exercise was nice, not too vigorous but enough to get my heart pumping. We kept up a running dialogue, speaking of nothing in particular. We enjoyed each others company and the beautiful day.
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| My Front Bed |
Afterward, it occurred to me that the garbage truck was much like the enemy of our soul. He plops right down in the middle of God's creation. He ruins our lovely talk with our spouse and we loose sight of everything else. The screeching and the stench are overwhelming. We can not see the beauty around us, we can not carry on a conversation that doesn't involve or become influenced by the garbage truck, our lives have been invaded. What we often fail to realize is that if the garbage truck is removed we can regain our peace. It was still pretty outside and I was still with the love of my life, I just couldn't concentrate on those things with the garbage truck beside me.
We have to learn to turn away from the garbage truck, to back track, to run ahead, to veer to the right. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we hold spiritual authority over the garbage trucks in our lives and we need to remember that. We need to remember that there is a spiritual element in our lives and some of those things are garbage trucks. Not everything spiritual is good. The Word says the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. Do not be naive for we struggle against wickedness in high places.
If you are struggling, then do something about it. Fast and pray, put on the whole armor of God. Pray to the Lord that He removes the garbage truck from your life and He will. He bought victory at Calvary through His blood, He has already won, you have to ask. It probably won't fix everything, it isn't a magic bullet but without the garbage truck you can once again see God's beautiful creation and appreciate all the wonderful things in your life that you have been missing out on. Remember, there are still flowers.
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| Pink Azaleas |
Mar 21, 2011
Presuming Upon God
Abigail and Dolley readers yesterday I was in the Word, reading with my son and teaching him. We chose Joshua 14:6-15. It's an amazing passage of Scripture about Caleb. One of only two adults that left Egypt as a slave and entered into the Promised Land. Caleb is an extraordinary man of God, faithful and of stalwart heart. The passage relays his story and tells of the promise of land that he received from God through Moses for his faithfulness. He is 85 years old, the Lord has kept him as strong as he was as a 40 year old man. The land is Hebron - hill country with large walled cities full of giants - not exactly a retirement condo. The Israelites have fought for 5 years. It is time to divide up the land and the tribe of Judah is first. Caleb goes to Joshua and says you were there, you heard the promise, please give me this land and I will go and take it IF the Lord is with me.
The little word IF struck me like a thunderbolt. This is one of the mightiest men in the Old Testament. God's hand of blessing has been on him for 45 years. He is a walking miracle, he has seen God, he has seen the miracles of Exodus, Jericho, and countless others. He has been promised this land by Moses himself, yet he says IF the Lord Almighty is with me.
This is deep wisdom from an elder that we need to pay attention to - never presume upon the Lord. For His ways are higher than ours, his thoughts are higher than ours. Caleb is not having a faith crisis, he just knows the Lord has to fight the battle and he will not go if the Lord's timing is not his own. As confident as Caleb is in the Power and provision of God he still recognizes that he could be jumping the gun.
The lesson - don't presume upon God.
The little word IF struck me like a thunderbolt. This is one of the mightiest men in the Old Testament. God's hand of blessing has been on him for 45 years. He is a walking miracle, he has seen God, he has seen the miracles of Exodus, Jericho, and countless others. He has been promised this land by Moses himself, yet he says IF the Lord Almighty is with me.
This is deep wisdom from an elder that we need to pay attention to - never presume upon the Lord. For His ways are higher than ours, his thoughts are higher than ours. Caleb is not having a faith crisis, he just knows the Lord has to fight the battle and he will not go if the Lord's timing is not his own. As confident as Caleb is in the Power and provision of God he still recognizes that he could be jumping the gun.
The lesson - don't presume upon God.
Mar 16, 2011
Class Warfare
Abigail and Dolley readers I must admit to being somewhat removed from the trials and tragedies of this world. Frankly, I have my own troubles and taking on more is foolish and unhealthy. I did venture out today, I was running errands and caught a magazine headline that made me angry. The magazine was Mother Jones and the headline was "The Vampire Economy - How the ultra-rich are sucking America dry and can Obama survive their attack". The cover had a vampire holding a swooning woman with a red white and blue hat on. It was sickening and maddening at the same time.
I wanted to take a big sharpie and write "Liberal Propaganda!" on the cover, but alas I was in their territory, Earth Fare. I don't normally shop there. I always feel like I have walked into a temple or a shrine and I am disconcerted the whole time I am in there, rubbing shoulder with the patchouli smelling patrons. (Incidentally, they have the nastiest bathrooms around. The seats are always covered in urine and there is toilet paper and paper towel trash all over the floor - so much for the libs taking care of the environment... but I digress.)
The fact that someone would have the unmitigated gall to blame the rich for the collapsed economy is simply class warfare. To blame them for the continued depression is ridiculous. To paint Obama as a victim is even more ludicrous. It is not based in any economic theory. It is not based on any economic truth. It is straight forward, in your face, class warfare and we buy into this at our peril. For it is the ultra-rich who are holding their money until such time as it is safe to invest again. Then the economy will grow and the prosperity will gradually return. This will happen somewhere around the time when the White House is no longer held by the biggest purveyor of class warfare, which by last count is somewhere in the neighborhood of 693 days.
As for me and mine, we'll keep holding on.
I wanted to take a big sharpie and write "Liberal Propaganda!" on the cover, but alas I was in their territory, Earth Fare. I don't normally shop there. I always feel like I have walked into a temple or a shrine and I am disconcerted the whole time I am in there, rubbing shoulder with the patchouli smelling patrons. (Incidentally, they have the nastiest bathrooms around. The seats are always covered in urine and there is toilet paper and paper towel trash all over the floor - so much for the libs taking care of the environment... but I digress.)
The fact that someone would have the unmitigated gall to blame the rich for the collapsed economy is simply class warfare. To blame them for the continued depression is ridiculous. To paint Obama as a victim is even more ludicrous. It is not based in any economic theory. It is not based on any economic truth. It is straight forward, in your face, class warfare and we buy into this at our peril. For it is the ultra-rich who are holding their money until such time as it is safe to invest again. Then the economy will grow and the prosperity will gradually return. This will happen somewhere around the time when the White House is no longer held by the biggest purveyor of class warfare, which by last count is somewhere in the neighborhood of 693 days.
As for me and mine, we'll keep holding on.
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