Mamana

Filled

Filled with the fulness of Jesus today—

That is the longing for which I now pray.

Oh to be filled up my Savior with Thee,

Come Holy Spirit, and please fill up me!

Fill me with wisdom, with patience, and love,

Bless me I pray, with all gifts from above!

Make me a blessing to those at my side,

In all I do Father, please be my Guide.

Guard me from harming or hurting a soul,

Rather to help and give hope is my goal.

Use me or not as Your purpose shall be,

Only my God, with Your Spirit fill me!

Butterflies and Psalm 46:10

      03:17. It’s dark out, I muse as I cocoon myself in the covers. Wait! I’m awake! ...thank You Father. You are so faithful. My only alarm clock since the nursing retreat has been a still, small voice calling me to commune with Him, but this black morning was no time to be late. My doubts of the previous evening take on their proper appearance. With 163 minutes till our first clinical, the first lesson is hitting home. God is faithful. There are no qualifiers, no footnotes, and no fine print in the matter. Even “if we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13.
      Scissors, keys, stethoscope, name tag... Butterflies. Oh the minutia of which to be mindful! How will I remember it all? Again, the calming balm of Gilead settles upon the restless waters of my heart. Trust Me. If I care enough to wake you up for extra time with Me on this particular morning, do you think I will care enough to see you through this particular day?
      He cares enough- enough for the sapling of faith in this heart to sink down her roots. He cares enough to tenderly stretch me far enough, but not to breaking. Surprisingly the butterflies seemed to get lost between Weimar and Westview. Perhaps it was too early for them, but I knew that I knew that our God would see me through.
      ...and He did too. 

•  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  

My mind saunters back through the scenes of the past year. A year ago, this was a thought- an impression. One to which I was not altogether open. Yet, the thought would not go away. At every roadblock the signpost read go forward. The more impossible things got, the stronger came the call. What started out looking like a "light thing" quickly changed shape into one of the loftiest, most challenging summits I have yet to meet. It became quite clear that if God wanted me in the program this fall, He would have to do something extraordinary. Or rather, some things extraordinary. 
      ...and He did too.

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      So I wonder if someone might be facing such a paradoxical situation. Maybe everything is piling up on the "no" column, except for that essential vote. Impossible situations are precious opportunities for God to make perfectly clear what is His will in the matter. That is what we want, is it not? To know that God is in this thing?
      Difficulties always come, but when you know that your power did not get you to those challenges, you can also rest that His power will get you through those challenges. It is then that we can be still and know.

RD//On the Road//Picture Post//Day 6-Headed Home

    Somehow the verses in my journal seem to so appropriately correspond to the day. 

Clouds are either darkness or light depending on whether you or they are closer to the source of light. 

At times the call is to go. At times to stay. But always, always, comes the call to work. 

           Sunrise over the Sierras

RD//On the Road//Picture Post//Day 5

             Raw Apple Crisp

            Dining out in RD style 

      Tried out waitressing today...

Or if your not in the mood for rice, you could try Pizza, Pasta, Mexican, and Fast Food. Anyone hungry?

         Final lecture- Choice and the Will

               Elated and exhausted

RD//On the Road//Picture Post//Day 4

Daniel 10:19 says, ...O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened...

  Early morning before the hustle & bustle

     Second cooking school underway

          Cooking school demo: vanilla cream and berries. 

• Easy 

• Healthy

• Yummy

 Mid afternoon exercise in the habitat of wildflowers

              "Lettuce" relish salad

          Hydro in a hospital hallway

                     Happy clean up 

RD//On the Road//Picture Post//Day 3

Often our Heavenly Father places something in our path. A smile, a need, a friend, a verse, a call, a flower. Today, all of the above, but foremost a verse.

05:38 a.m. 

_Daniel 9:22 ...I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. 

No perplexity burdens Him

No trouble worries Him

No question stumps Him

No problem stymies Him

No delay keeps Him behind

And no work surpasses His ability. 

He has skill and is understanding. Though we have neither, as long as we have Him, what will we lack?

           My view from registration

                 Fresh start

   New home- cooking school prep

           Salad bar at lunch

               Diabetic ed

  Animated cooking school co-presenter

We have seen the Lord's blessing this day, but covet still your prayers. Two more days of program to go. 

RD//On the Road//Picture Post//Day 2

        Printed: before Sabbath. Amen. 

       Pre-hike. Friendship. Fellowship

                Cape Lookout Trail

      Could we with ink the ocean fill...

Unexpected Enoch time. God is so good. 

      Blessed. Refreshed. Eager. 

RD//On the Road//Picture Post//Day 1

         On the wings of the morning. 

                         Arrival

                  The new mascot

    Room arranging...then rearranging...

     

                  The hospital lobby

Happy. Tired. Blessed. Weary. Thankful. 

Kneeling and Healing

It’s a rare privilege, but here it’s everyday. Throughout the round and routine of patients and treatments, it is an oasis in time. Stresses soften. Burdens lighten. 

Private prayer is powerful. No question. 

Praying for people is as well. We call it intercession.

But then there is that gem of praying with a patient.  

When sickness of body often follows sickness of soul, when pain in the home-life often brings on pain in the physical life, when mental burdens often load the human frame with disease, people need more than a massage therapist. 

Human touch is woefully inadequate for a hurt that runs so deep.

And so we pray. 

Healing comes alone from heaven. A higher hand than mine is needed.

And so we pray.

Day by day, this I see, that oh, there must be less of me.

For in kneeling comes a healing that no other way could be.

It is a miracle.