Clutching a Word from My Lord

"For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 30:17)

I came across this verse last night several times in several different places. I felt the Lord speaking that particular Word to me - for Melissa.

I quickly grabbed hold of it and clutched it tightly to my heart - almost willing it to penetrate deeply and permanently in my soul.

Craving a Word from my Savior, I received this one and ran like the wind with it. Almost afraid it would get away. Wanting to keep it in my grip. Wanting to tuck it away safe and secure. My Word from My Lord.

These last few days have found me waiting, watching and wondering.

Yet they have found God working.

I've been fearful..

He's been faithful.

As I've been seeking comfort and searching His Word...

I've found Him.

Or maybe He found me.

When I am afraid, I need to trust. When I am uncertain, I need to believe. When I am doubting, I need to repent. When I can't, I need to remember He can.

I clutch the promise of His Word firmly and bury it deep in the confines of my heart.  Holding it close. Resting in it's deep assurance. Relaxing in His presence.

Taking hold of the glorious gift he offers. Jesus. I just keep hanging on to Jesus. Ready for the restoration and healing that I know is coming.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Update: Melissa was sick through the night and began running fever. It rose above 101 around 5 AM and they packed her in ice. It hasn't gone down much, but it hasn't gotten any higher. Praise Him for that! Her color is much better! Her eyes are losing that beautiful golden tint - Ha!

Ready for the good news???? Her platelets went from 11,000 to 22,000!!! Oh, praise God!! He is so good!!! We are still about 100,000 short, but we are headed in the right direction. I know that He gave me that Word last night about her healing. I cried out yesterday and said, "Lord, I just need to see her numbers rise - just a little!" He granted me this glimpse of His splendor. He granted me this glimpse of His glory and His might. I give Him all praise and glory and honor! He is SO good.

She gets her last dose of Artesunate tonight at 8 PM. Then she will start oral meds tomorrow. Hopefully if her platelets keep rising, she will move out of ICU to a regular room! The nurses told her she has the sweetest spirit and I told them it was just the Lord in her. May He be glorified in her life.

Thank you for your prayers. We can feel each and every one. You just can't imagine how it lifts my spirits to see you praying and to read all the scriptures you send me. I am writing each one down!

In His Grip and

Melissa - a miracle in the making.

"But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show my power in you and that My name may be declared in all the earth" (Exodus 9:16)
 

Surely, the Lord has a purpose for my precious daughter. I know that He didn't call her to the mission field so the enemy could strike her down. He called her so that His name could be exalted above all names. He called her so that He could show Himself mighty in her life. He called her that she might be strengthened in His love and made a purposeful and passionate woman of God.

He is taking her through the fire, but walking beside her. He is taking her through the rivers that won't overflow her. He is holding her, guiding her, carrying her and comforting her. She will emerge from this trial stronger and more passionate. She will emerge more confident and more caring. She will emerge renewed and restored.

Thank you precious Father, for the miracles you have performed in her life so far. Thank you for what you are doing in her life right now. Thank you for what You will do in her precious life in the future. You will raise her up and You will receive all the glory that You so richly deserve.

Melissa got her first dose of Artesunate last night around 8 PM. She had no adverse reaction. This was the first of 4 doses she will receive of this IV push medicine and then she will start on an oral medication for 3 days (not sure of the name yet). They got the results of her blood work from last night back and her platelets are down to 11,000. Of course, I had a look of pure panic on my face, but Dr. P assured me that he wasn't worried. He told me NOT to worry. He told me if he was worried, that he would tell me. He said that she would not begin to make more platelets until her liver begins to heal. He did say her billirubin was down to a 10, so that is a GOOD thing. Melissa also says that she doesn't feel as much pressure under her ribcage so maybe that is an indicator that the swelling in her liver and spleen is down.

The nurse came to the ICU waiting room to get me at 6:30 this morning. Melissa had quickly spiked a fever of 105 and they were putting her on the electric water cooling blanket. It took an hour to bring her fever down to 104.5. Another hour and a half to get it to 103.3. It finally came down to 101.2 about 10:45 am and they turned it off. Within 5 minutes, it was back up to 101.5 and they had to turn it back on. It was several hours before it came down to under 100 and so far it hasn't gone back up. She had her first temperature under 99 around 8 PM! Praise the Lord! He is mighty and awesome.

God has shown me so many times these last few days just how wonderful He is. He has shown me just how mighty and powerful He is. He has shown me that He will never leave me. Never forsake me. Never take His hand of love off of me.

He has carried me. He has covered me. He has shown me that Melissa is His baby. Melissa is His creation. As much love and care He showed when He formed her, He shows just as much love and care now as He takes care of her.

We are still just playing the waiting game. The doctors aren't sure when we can expect to begin seeing improvement in her numbers. This is uncharted territory for all involved. If I stop and think about it too much, I can really get myself worked up and then the tears just come. I have to remind myself that God is in control. He already knows the outcome. He already knows what tomorrow holds. I don't have to worry about any of it, because He has it taken care of. All I have to do is trust Him.

She received dose #3 around 8 PM tonight and will get the 4th and final dose of Artesunate at  8PM tomorrow night. They are drawing blood every 6 hours checking her levels. I am just anxiously awaiting the good news of her increased platelets and her decreased billirubin. I am believing God that it will happen soon. I am holding on to His Word. I am holding on to Him.

 Please continue to pray! I appreciate each one of you more than you can ever imagine. Melissa says thank you for praying! We love you all so much.

In His Grip, Beth

(Her temperature was 104 at 8:30 am)

Ashlie came to visit and brought Bryton....

And little Sawyer...

Melissa.. Malaria... My God the Healer.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21)


Where Melissa is at right now, is certainly not listed in her plans. She is currently settling into a hospital bed in ICU. Since returning from Africa 10 days ago, she was feeling OK for about 6 days and then has had several days of running fever and having some intestinal issues and just getting weaker and feeling worse. So, yesterday I took her to the ER in our small town.

After 5 hours and lots of blood work and consults, the doctor in Oak Grove was 99% sure that she had ‘complicated or severe Malaria’. The doctor on call is from the Philippines and is familiar with Malaria, which is a good thing. By looking at the blood smear, she was pretty certain that’s what she had. That along with the enlarged liver, high billirubin, enlarged spleen and a very low platelet count (25,000 at that time) helped her to confirm the diagnosis. Our little small town hospital couldn’t keep her because of the platelet issue, so they transferred her by ambulance to a hospital in Monroe (60 miles from our town).

We arrived about 7:00 PM last night and spent all night in the trauma room waiting for a bed in ICU. We were in the ER trauma room until about 3 PM today, when we finally got word that a bed was available. She got no rest last night. WE got no rest last night. Her fever kept spiking - at times to 104. They are having a hard time with fever reduction due to these facts. The Motrin can cause bleeding, which with her low platelet count (now 19,000), would NOT be good. The Tylenol is hard on her liver so that isn’t an option either.

They have definitely diagnosed the malaria and I think have correctly identified the strain. They have been unable to find Quinidine which is an old medicine - they have looked all around this area. There is another medication available, but it is not as effective and since she has the extreme complications, they don’t want to go that route. They have started her on Doxicycline for the time being, just to help while they are waiting for the good stuff to come.

She has an extremely bad headache. She has severe aching all over. She is nauseated. She can't eat. She has a hard time resting. She feels terrible. I feel terrible. There is nothing I can do but hold her hand and brush her hair and talk to her. Pray with her. Try and make her laugh. Try and keep her from crying. Try and keep ME from crying.

They have been in touch with CDC hoping to secure the medicine from them. We just got word that the medicine they found, Artesunate, is on the way now. It is in the air on a Delta flight from Atlanta and will land in a few minutes at the Monroe airport. The pharmacist will pick it up and she will get her first dose in about an hour. Everyone at the hospital is very intrigued by her case. Several nurses have gone down to look at the slides of the parasites on the blood smear. She is the talk of the hospital. I can hear people talking about it all night and all day…. Not sure that is a good thing.. Everyone that comes in asks, "are you the girl with Malaria?"

The medicine they found has not been used in the US. It has been used in India, Africa and other parts of the world. It is not yet approved by the FDA for use here, but Melissa agreed to be part of a clinical trial. She had NO other recourse. They couldn't find enough of the Quinidine to even administer 1 dose. It is a little scary. The side effects aren't so great. The alternative isn't so great either. There are no guarantees. But I do know that we prayed about it and left it in the Lord's hands and this is what He ordered. We are OK with it. God is in control. He is on the Throne and her daddy and I fully trust that He knows best for Melissa. As much as we love her, we know that He loves her even more..

I wish she was anywhere but here. I wish that I could make this all go away. I hate watching her hurt and be afraid. I hate seeing the fear in her eyes. I hate seeing the pain on her face.

I am leaning heavily on my sweet Lord. He is upholding me and sustaining me. He is the one whom I put my trust. He is the one whom I find my rest. I am so thankful for a God who loves and who protects. Who lifts up and strengthens. Who covers and carries.

I know that regardless of the circumstances, He is here with me. He is here with Melissa. I feel His presence. I feel His touch. I feel His love. Without Him, I would be a total basket case. Instead I am just a little basket case... Just kidding... Sorta...

We covet your prayers, and I will keep you updated. Please pray for the medicine to be effective. For her platelets to rise. For her liver and spleen to heal. For there to be no serious side effects.

Love you all SO much,

Beth

Do we Reverence the Sanctuary?

"You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence My Sanctuary: I am the Lord"

(Leviticus 26:2)

reverence (def.) - a feeling of profound awe and respect.

Do we reverence the Sanctuary?

When we approach the sanctuary, are we filled with an overwhelming sense of awe? Are we humbled beyond belief with a deep respect for the House of God?

Or do we approach it without much of a thought at all. We just pull open the doors and walk in and begin talking with everyone we meet and then just saunter off to Sunday School in a totally irreverent state of mind. Chatting with friends along the way. Just boppin' along without a care or thought. Not really fully aware of what we are doing. Just walking by habit to the same room. Same people. Same routine...

Has church become just another routine? Something we just DO and we forget to stop and think about why we do it?

When we enter into the House of God. When we walk in the doors, we are entering into a place that is designated for the worship of our almighty Lord. We are entering the blessed and holy sanctuary of God. We are entering a place where we will meet with God.

As we walk through the doors, a HUGE sense of awe and respect should overpower us. A sense of abundant thankfulness. A sense of honor and humility. We should sense His presence and be blown away.

In reality, the first place that ought to draw us is the altar. The altar of God. Where we give thanks. Seek direction. Search our hearts. Cry out. Draw in. Praise. Worship. The altar of our Lord.

Once we have prepared our heart, then we would be fully ready and available for the Holy Spirit to move mightily. We would be soaked in the realization that we are in the Holy Sanctuary of God. We are truly in His presence. We have come to meet with Him and He is here!

What a privilege to be in the House of the Lord.

What an honor to be able to worship freely.

What a blessing to have a church house to gather in.

Precious Father, help me to never again take the awesome privilege of worship for granted. Help me to approach the church and sanctuary with a new respect and a new sense of awe. Help me to fully comprehend that when I walk through those doors, I am walking into Holy Ground. Your House. Your Sanctuary. Your Holy temple.

Thank you, Lord for the ability and freedom to worship. Thank you for your church. You are awesome and amazing. You are mighty and powerful. You fill me with wonder and delight. I love you sweet Lord. I honor and adore you. May I always reverence Your Sanctuary. In the sweet name of your precious Son, Jesus. Amen.

Happy 7th Birthday, Mikaela!!

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above...." (James 1:17)

Happy 7th Birthday, Mikaela!!

How can it be that 7 years has passed since we welcomed you into this world? It seems like only yesterday, we were eagerly awaiting your arrival.  Anticipating nervously and excitedly. Not knowing how I could actually be watching my first baby have her first baby. Not really knowing what it would be like to become a grandparent. Not fully understanding how I would feel once you were born.

And then there you were. You emerged and I was in love. Instantly...Fully... Wonderously in love with a 7 pound 10 ounce little bundle of sweetness. An angelic, precious, beautiful baby girl. I could barely comprehend what had taken place.

You had just initiated me into the awesome world of being a grandparent. A world that I never dreamed would be so amazing and rewarding. I was thrust into "Nanahood" and never has there been a more perfect fit. I think I was born to be a grandmother! Thank you, Mikaela for that.

You have grown from a tiny little baby into an amazing young girl. You have the sweetest little spirit. You love people. You are a giver, even at such a young age. You have a heart that just shines for Jesus! You gave Him your heart 5 months ago. I give God all the Glory for that!

Your smile lights up the room. Your giggle is like music to my ears. I love to hear you sing for the Lord. I love to see you care for your little brother and sister. I love how you help your mommy because you love her so. I love to hear you tell your daddy you love him. I love your hugs and kisses. I love you.

Mikaela - You have brightened up my very existence. You have made me and your Papa so proud! We love you. We cherish you.  We are proud to have you call us Nana and Papa.

Happy 7th Birthday, my little Ladybug!

Her proud and very blessed parents - Megan and Rod.

Little brother Eli and baby sister Mercie

Her cousins Bryton and Sawyer were surprise guests. They arrived from Colorado without telling anyone they were coming! This Nana was overjoyed!

God has certainly blessed me. I give Him all the praise and honor due Him.

Self-sufficient or God-dependent?

"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot" (Revelation 3:15)

The sin of self-sufficiency can reek havoc in the lives of Christians. We can allow ourselves to become so comfortable in our own selves and circumstances that we can forget how much we need Jesus.

We can become so accustomed to our own 'affluency' that we tend to convince ourselves that we accomplished these things on our own. Too many times it takes a God-ordained crisis in our life to jerk our focus off of ourselves and back on to Jesus.

Sinful pride can rear its ugly head in the blink of an eye. "Look what I did" can be part of our daily vocabulary instead of "look what the Lord has done".

It is so easy to cloak ourselves with a false sense of security. We wrap it around us like a cozy blanket and snuggle up in the warmth and comfort it provides. We snuggle in the security of our jobs. Our family. Our health. We snuggle ourselves right into the lukewarm lifestyle that prevents us from passionately pursuing God and righteousness.

We can become content in what WE have accomplished instead of seeking what HE wants to accomplish through us.

Our consuming fire for Christ becomes a smoldering ember at best.

The Laodicean believers had become lukewarm. They had become comfortable in their own wealth and blinded to the actual state of their wretchedness. God told them to open their eyes that they might see. He called them to repentance.

He is doing the same for us. Our security doesn't lie with our jobs, family, friends, church or our health. Our security is solely in the hands of God. He is our sufficiency. We are affluent with the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior. He is calling us to be a consuming fire for Him.

He is calling us to get out of the lukewarmness of our lives and be hot. Put our total trust in Him. Give Him control over our lives. Turn our self-sufficiency into God-dependency and allow Him to work His way in us.

Melissa is Home!

Melissa's last few days in Africa. Time spent at the hospital and at the clinic.

Arriving at the airport. Her plane was supposed to be on time. Showing on time. NOT on time. She was almost an hour late. At 5:00 I was getting anxious. Made for a little bit of a nervous wait. I was getting quite restless. But finally at 5:25, they landed.

I was so glad to see Melissa get off the plane. She was wearing the typical muslim dress that she had to wear while in Cameroon. I thought she looked adorable. We loaded up and she was soon sleeping peacefully for the 3 1/2 hour ride home.

Thank you, Jesus that my sweet girl is home. Thank you, Jesus for covering her. For protecting her. For growing her. For loving her. Thank you for everything you do for me. My girl is home.

Echoes and Whispers of His Presence

Coming into God's presence.

Pouring out my heart. Searching the scriptures. Seeking direction for our prayer time.

Interceding on behalf of those in need of healing, restoration, a touch.

Listening to God speak to us individually and collectively. Being a unified body of Christ.

Seeing where we have been and where we are going.

Deep calls unto deep.

The more I learn, the more knowledge I desire.

The more I seek, the deeper I want to go.

The more I find, the more I want to search.

The closer I get to Jesus, the closer I desire to be.

Oh, to be in His Presence.

Where there is peaceful exhilaration, comfort and joy.

Where the quiet speaks. Where the deep beckons. Where I feel His touch and sense His Spirit.

God, You have enlightened my understanding and opened my eyes to such awesome Truths.

You have revealed my chains of bondage and caused my soul to tremble.

Shame threatens to blanket my being with an overwhelming sense of failure.

Yet... the Sanctuary resounds with echoes of Mercy and whispers of Grace.

From my inner depths there emerges the victorious shout of an overcomer. Joy bubbles forth. Humility bows low.

I feast on His Word. I savor it's sweetness. I know He is good.

I come into His Presence.

And we are changed...

The purpose of God's discipline is changed behavior.

Ouch.. that truth hurts. There have been many times when God has chastened and disciplined my sweet little self and guess what?

My behavior did NOT change. You know why? Because I didn't really heed the discipline. I didn't really take to heart what the Lord was teaching me. Sad, but oh, so true.

There have been times that I knew without a shadow of a doubt, that God was speaking to me about a needed change on my part. A change of behavior.

I even whole heartedly agreed with Him that I need to make a change. It was something that I had been wrestling with myself about already. I had recognized that when it came to this particular emotion I was feeling - I was wrong. Plain and simple.

I knew I was wrong. I knew I needed to do something about it. I even went so far as to confess it and ask God to forgive me for it.

But that's right where it stopped. I didn't carry it one step further. I failed to get to the root of the problem and dig it up. I dealt with it at the surface level and left the roots in the ground, ready to spring up at the slightest watering. My behavior hadn't changed at all. Not one bit.

I wasn't willing to totally relinquish control of that problem to God. I was more consumed with my desire than I was with the Lord's. I was steadily convincing myself that I was justified in my thinking. I was at an impasse with God. Therefore, I would never truly experience true spiritual transformation until I gave Him complete control over that area.

I had failed to recognize the encounter I had with God. The encounter where He was gently guiding me to do what was right. To do what He was leading. To do His will.

I was just allowing myself to continue in that wrong attitude - allowing the chains of bondage to suck a little tighter around me!

It wasn't until I allowed the truth to penetrate deeply in my soul that I faced it squarely and honestly. I had to give it over and let go of it completely. Be submissive to God.

I am not really sure why I chose to hang on to that which threatened to keep me from going forward with God. Perhaps pride. Rebellion. No matter what the reason - it was plain 'ole disobedience.

I am thankful that God is patient and loving. He extended mercy to me. He ever so gently led me to the foot of the cross where I laid that behavior at His Feet.  And I left it there. Never to pick it up again. Praise you, Jesus.

"Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established" (Proverbs 16:3)

Melissa will soon be Home!

My daughter Melissa, who is 23, has been in Meskine, Cameroon, Africa since September 11th. That is almost 9 weeks. It has been a hard 9 weeks. Hard on Melissa. Hard on her parents and sisters. Hard on my knees...

Melissa is at a mission hospital compound that is basically in the bush. Things are very primitive there. The hospital (and I use that term loosely) is so far behind in medical equipment and supplies, that she has seen things there that have utterly astounded and amazed her.  The type of anesthesia they use there is not the kind we are accustomed to here in the United States. The people that they operate on are basically put in a very sleepy state, but they aren't completely out of it. I just can't even imagine.

Melissa told me about a little 6 year old boy who had a serious bone infection in his leg and they were operating on it to remove the infection. She said, "Mama, as I looked up at the little boy during the procedure, there were tears pouring down his face. He was clearly in pain and clearly not asleep" It just broke her heart and all she could do was go to him and talk gently and pray. I cried as she was telling me about it. It just got to my heart! The doctors assured her that the little boy would not remember the pain, but it was still heart wrenching for her to see. She has seen babies die that probably shouldn't have died. She has been exposed to a side of life that isn't pretty.

Melissa has been very sick since she has been there. She has probably been sick at least 6 weeks out of the 9. Some of those weeks she was VERY ill. There is nothing worse than getting a phone call and when you pick up the receiver, all you hear is crying and the words "mama". Especially when the child on the other end is in Africa. And you're not. Hard.

It has been great to be able to talk with her through 'skype'. Sometimes I can hear her well, sometimes I can't. But at least she CAN call me when she needs me. There are good phone calls and there are not so good phone calls. There are conversations we have that are uplifting and then there have been some that have been depressing. But through it all, God has been so good. He has carried and covered her. He has ministered to her heart and soul. He has been merciful. He has been God.

Melissa has grown in the Lord through this experience. She has been forced to see that she can make it when she thinks she can't. She has learned to lean on God in all things. She has learned that she can survive without her mommy.  She has learned to trust completely in Jesus. She has learned that when nothing else is... He is...

There have been times, that she has questioned why the Lord took her all the way to Africa to keep her sick! She sees that Africa is NOT the place that she is to be. But she wondered why it would take 9 weeks for her to be shown that. Through it all, the Lord has whispered to her heart about being content. She said He speaks to her alot about the life of Paul. About doing the thing that God calls you to do without question.

The verse that she is holding tight to is this:

"But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:" (Philippians 4:10,11)

I am looking so forward to being able to really talk with her and hear all the details about what she has seen and experienced. I know that everything the Lord is teaching her is not being learned right now. I know that some of what He is teaching her will be gleaned later. He still has much to show her. He still has much work to do. But his servant, Melissa, I think is now listening.

I am proud of my daughter. I am proud of the work that the Lord has done, is doing and will do through her. I am ready for her to come home. I am ready for the next part of her awesome journey in the Lord to begin. But all I know right now is that November 17th at 4:34 PM, my sweet baby will step off that plane in Baton Rouge, and her mama will breathe a HUGE sigh of relief. My baby is coming home.

Thank you, Jesus.

Face-to-face with Jesus!

"And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth

and under the earth and such as are in the sea,

and all that are in them, I heard saying:

Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne,

And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"

(Revelation 5:13)

Face-to-face fellowship with our Lord.

As I thought about that concept the other day, the Spirit of God just fell like a mighty wind on my soul and blew me away! That, my friends, is what we as Christians have to look forward to. We will see our precious Savior, our God, our King, face-to-face. Oh, can someone say Glory!

I can't even begin to comprehend how absolutely wonderful that will be. How unbelievably amazing it will be. We will actually stand before the throne of the Almighty God and see Him in ALL of His glory! Hallelujah! What a day that will be!

"They shall see His Face..." (Revelation 22:4)

I love my prayer time at my church in the late evening. There is just something so intimate about coming into the sanctuary in the peaceful darkness and then laying prostrate at the altar. Just laid out before God in total abandon. Total surrender. On my face, worshipping at His Feet.

A few weeks ago, after we had finished praying, my friend and I just sat there in silence for awhile. I couldn't take my eyes of the cross above the baptistry. We sat there talking and I said, "Can you just imagine that as good as this feels, what it will be like to be doing that for all of eternity?"

As awesome as it is here on earth, to worship our God, I can't even begin to fathom the magnitude of the awesomeness we will experience at the very throne of Grace.

We will be at His Feet in praise and worship and we will see our Lord face-to-face. We will look upon His face and see Him for who He is! We will be in the indescribable, undeniable, inexpressible Presence of our Holy God forever and ever.

No more sorrow, pain, sickness or shame. No tears, no fears, no loneliness or burdens. No feelings of inadequacies or uncertainty. No confusion or chaos. All we will experience is the pure, holy, glorious presence of God.

Pure love. Pure worship. Pure Jesus!

We will stand before Him faultless and forgiven. We will see Him in all His Glory. With exceeding joy we will fall facedown and we will worship Him forever and ever.

Face-to-face fellowship with the King of kings. The Lord of lords. The healer of our hearts. The maker of the stars. The savior of this world. The keeper of eternity.

Face-to-face with Jesus.

++++++++

Thanks, Joanne for Growing up Mondays!

The cleft of the Rock - Mercie update

"So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by." (Exodus 33:22)

Oh, praise God for the cleft of the Rock! A place where He hides our soul. Covers us with His Hand. Protects us from the enemy. A place of solitude. Rest. Rejuvenation.

A place where His glory passes by and we are tucked safe in the cleft, yet still feel His presence in a mighty way.

The cleft of the Rock is a place of safety. A place of glorious refuge.

Sometimes God has us nestled in the cleft to teach us. To enlighten us. To grow us.

Sometimes we are hidden in the cleft for protection. Protection from others. Protection from ourselves.

Sometimes we are in the cleft of the Rock so God can show us His glory. Remind us of who He is. Remind us of what He can do. Remind us of who we are. Refresh our memory as to who is in control.

There is peace in the cleft. There is rest in the cleft. There is sweet mercy in the cleft.

Oh, Father, when you tuck me away in the cleft of Your Rock, help me to see what you have for me there. Help me to be mindful of your purpose and your will. May I be content in the cleft. May I always seek you with all of my heart and desire nothing less than your will for my life. Oh, Lord, show me your glory! Do awesome things through me and with me.

"For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you" (Exodus 34:10)

++++++++++++++++++++++

Thank you for your prayers for Mercie. Her fever came down from 103.9 to 100. They ran 2 bags of Rocephin through her and her white count was better this morning. She is home and feeling much better! I am so thankful for the power of prayer. He worked a miracle in her little life last night and I am praising His name! He kept sweet Mercie in the cleft of the Rock!

Please pray for Mercie!

Please lift up my sweet granddaughter Mercie (21 months) in your prayers tonight. She is in the hospital with fever of 103.9 and a very high white count of 17.4.  We aren't sure what is going on, but they are giving her IV Rocephin and fluids. They have done x-rays, bloodwork and other tests. They said her ear and throat infection wasn't bad enough to cause such a high white count, so they have her in to see what is causing it.

I have Mikaela and Eli with me so Megan and Rod can both be with her in the hospital tonight. Please remember them all in your prayers. I would appreciate it so very much!

In Him,

Yes, Jesus loves me

"We love Him because He first loved us"

(1 John 4:19)

Simple truths are sometimes the most powerful messages.

There can be such great impact on our hearts during the most basic and elementary divine moments.  It is sometimes the small things that create great impressions on the inner recesses of our hearts.

A month ago, my precious granddaughter was baptized and before the baptism service began, the church sang a little song that we all know. "Jesus loves me".

As the congregation started singing this simple melody, I was so overcome with emotion. As our unified voices rang out loud and clear, it was if we were singing from the deepest parts of our souls and the sound was angelic. The tears just started rolling down my face and I had the biggest lump in my throat.

The awesome Truth of these precious words just washed all over me like a flood! I was literally so overwhelmed by the words that I could hardly sing.

"Jesus loves me this I know..."

Profound. Simple. Mind-blowing.

"For the bible tells me so..."

The promise of His Word. The Truth.

"Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong."

What wonderful assurance of His presence. What awesome comfort in the pledge of His protection.

"Yes, Jesus loves me...."

When nothing else is going right.

"Yes, Jesus loves me...."

When no one else does.

"Yes, Jesus loves me...."

When all else around you is failing. When the world seems to be crashing down.

"The bible tells me so."

Oh, Abba Father, thank you for the Truth of your mighty and powerful word. Simple words that span an eternity. You love me. You love us. Even in our unworthy, unlovely, undeserving selves, you bestowed sweet mercy and grace upon us. You fill us with your awesome truth, your amazing promises, and your absolute joy. Yes....Jesus loves me.