Obstacles

It's obstacles that make you strong,
And not that helping hand
It's difficulties all along,
That give you strength to stand

Those hard responsibilities,
That conflict or rebuff,
Those things that take from life it's ease,
It's these that make you tough

So challenges are not that bad—
They're blessings in disguise
So when you face them don't be sad,
For they will make you wise!

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 

Simple Song - Unfathomable God// Part llll 7 Minute Layover

My God is so great, so strong and so mighty,

There’s nothing my God cannot do.

It could end there, but it doesn’t. 

The mountains are His,

The valleys are His,

The skies are His handiwork too.

Ding! 

“Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated with your seat belts securely fastened. We are still in active transit to our gate. Thank you.”

My flying companions ruefully settled back into their seats for the few remaining moments of our “active transit.” We were all in the same boat, or rather, we were all on the same plane. Wintertime travel + plane de-icing = —time. It is impossible to roll toward takeoff exactly an hour after schedule, and not make for subsequently tight connections. 

We jerk to a stop. I had been tracking our tardiness beside the schedule. By that word, our arrival would be 5 minutes after the door of probation would shut. I look at my phone: 12:48. This left room to hope. 7 minutes of it.That’s 7 minutes for our door to open, everyone in front of me to wrestle their bags out of the overhead bins, and me to get to the other end of the opposite terminal. This is impossible. …But… 

The mountains belong to God. Those things that tower over us in massive defiance, threatening to topple upon us any moment. Those things that we cannot conquer, though we try. Those things, belong to God. In the face of sure defeat, we are to put our trust in Him who owns the mountains. 

Though He is well able to, God does not give us eagle’s wings to soar away from our difficulties in blissful flight. What He gives us is strength as our days. Strength to climb the mountains. Every ounce of our will power may be taxed, but the strength of God is as sure as the mountain. So we must run. 

And run I did. The whole way. My best efforts alone could not guarantee that flight, but neglecting the little humanity could do would guarantee failure. I have half a mind to leave the story there. The rest doesn’t matter. God has a plan for your life, and for mine. If He sees best that we miss a flight, that our plans get messed up, or that our hopes must find their rest deeper in Him, what difference is it? God’s plan is better. 

But I won't do that. :) Catching my breath in seat 31F, 7 minutes later, I marveled at the greatness of my God. 

The mountains.really.are.His.

Simple Song - Unfathomable God // Part lll Prerequisite to Power

My God is so great, so strong and so mighty,

There’s nothing my God cannot do.

Nothing. This defies defeat. Reason, sight, gravity, all come to a crashing halt before the God of the impossible. He makes beautiful the things which are not. He finishes what He began. He is not limited by our limited comprehension of Him. 

He moved the sun backward…

…and made it stand still

He made water pile up on itself… 

... and an axe to float

He made people to walk on a lake... 

...and He fed thousands with one person’s lunch

The sun may appear to have set in your life, but God can make it move backward.

Life may seem to be drowning you in it's tide, but God made dry land in the middle of a sea, and iron to swim in the Jordan river.

If your heart is a gaping hole and you cannot satisfy it’s hunger, remember that God who fed thousands with one lad’s lunch, can feed one with the resources of all heaven.

There’s nothing my God cannot do...

This is hope enough for me. 

But He waits. Hungering as only a Father can for His child's heart, He waits. With longing, knowing that He has the satisfaction for every heart cry of humanity, He waits. For an invitation. A choice. A decision cast in the solitude of the soul. A surrender laid deep and whole. A simple word in answer to a simple question.      Will you let Me be your God?

In one word.

Yes.

Simple Song - Unfathomable God // Part ll Of Strength and Mountains

My God is so great…

Really now! Mental image pops up: wide-eyed, awestruck youngster, stretching his arms wide for all he’s worth. My daddee's bigger dan dat! The words ring with finality, perfect confidence, perfect trust. 

Yup! Buddy, you’re right. Far more right than many who are rich in years. For that simple, that child-like faith knows: My Father’s bigger than that.

MmmHmm. And it doesn’t end there.

…so strong… Yes?

When my thoughts take to flight like an army of horses, I need a strong God. When selfishness rises up as an unconquerable mountain, I need a strong God. When love must come out of my most unlovely heart, I need a strong God. 

You do too. I don’t know your mountains, but I know your need.  

Courage my friend: A horse -even an army of them- is a vain thing for safety, but God is our refuge and strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary when climbing high mountains, but they that wait upon the Lord… shall mount up with wings as eagles. Even the strongest in this life cannot conquer the grave, but love is strong as death.*

And God.is.love.

For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death. Psalm 48:14

Simple song...

Unfathomable God...

...to be continued...

* Ps 33:17, Ps 46:1, Is 40:30-31,Ecc 8:8, Song of Solomon 8:6

Remember

Let distractions, delusions, deceptive delights, and disarming duplicity be forgotten. Despite the cost, there is but one Desire worth desiring. That "one thing" the psalmist sought. A closeness with the Man of Sorrows, the Master, the Redeemer, the Conquering King.  

"...Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great." Revelation 19:5.

•  •  •  •  •  •  • 

When afflicted for My sake

Remember Me.

When oppressed and soon to break

Remember Me.

When rejected on this earth,

Don't forget to Me you're worth

Every cross I bore from birth.

Remember Me.

When your duties seem severe

Remember Me.

When like mountains they appear

Remember Me.

When your burdens are too great,

When they have a dreadful weight,

Then My own cross contemplate.

Remember Me.

When you'd shrink from the ordeal

Remember Me.

When too great the pain you feel 

Remember Me.

For I live to intercede,

I, who answers human need,

I, who also in this lead.

Remember Me.*

*See the book, Desire of Ages page 659.2

Thank You, Father

Father, thank You for this day,

For the privilege to pray

For communion with the King,

And a song of praise to sing

Thank You Father for the way,

You lead Your children day by day

Though all things to You are known,

To us, just what we need is shown

Thank You that Your grace is high,

Above, beyond the reach of sky

Yet it grasps the lowest soul,

That yields itself to Your control

Thank You that Your strength is there,

When all our own is weak as air

That You lend to us Your arm,

To lift us from the waves of harm

Thank You for the gift of hope,

That is to us a telescope

Bringing near what's far away,

And making clear a better day

Thank You Lord for Your commands,

That each enables its demands

Though impossible alone,

With You to fail is never known

Thank You- O how weak the word,

But it so graciously is heard

By our Father and our Friend,

From whom all good gifts do descend!

Snapshots

      Quietness. Yes, the highway roars. Let it. It’s quiet here. The miracle of acquiescence is more beautiful with every encounter. I see why Christ lived between the mountain and the multitude. Quietness. True quietness. Not merely a change of decibels, but stillness in the soul.

      Quiet is natural for some of us. In the flurry of work and school and home life and ministry,  we're quiet. We wonder that the more verbal in our midst do not run out of words. But there's a quiet that is deeper than lips. It knows the tone of the Still Small Voice when the soul is silent.  

      It’s the stillness that stood when mobs screamed, when demons raged, when all the powers of darkness bent their bows against Him. And He opened not His mouth. Usually the calm comes post storm. But He had stillness in it. 

      Life now is merely full. Mobs don't surround most of us on our way to work. But in the multitude, where's the quiet? We can't carry the stillness of a mountaintop in a bottle.

      …In returning and rest shall you be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength… Isaiah 30:15. Returning...  repentance...  surrender...  acquiescence.

Oneness...  communion…  strength…  rest… 

* * * * *

Here are a few snapshots of quiet times from recent life. ;) 

Morning walk

Spring

Lessons of unity in a square foot

Family memories

Empire Mine

Scheming up a sunny surprise with my sister... :)

A Sabbath picnic...

NEWSTART supplies for Yosemite—good thing we had the bus!

Like water to thirsty eyes... 

Back to the multitude

The cherry stand

As thy days...

      I lay in the darkness. My heart is wrapped in a warm glow of thankfulness, joyfulness, relief. But something nags at my reverie. What if it hadn’t turned out wonderfully? Would I still be here rejoicing in the Lord’s goodness?

      Tuesday. Treadmill day. Stress-test day. For me too. Hydro-massages have definitely been my preferred arena, but treadmill day finds me in the clinic. Running the machine or setting patients up for their test are both interesting, and both have their own challenges. This time, set-up.

      No way to rearrange staff or shadow someone again. The previous night saw less sleep, but it saw prayer. A heart thirsting for trust. For me, that’s when the stress-test began.

      “Grace be unto you, and peace from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come… and from the seven spirits which are before His throne” Revelation 1:4. See Isaiah 11:2.

      The One who has seen treadmill day way before I got here says “Grace and peace.” The One who knows my limited experience and knowledge says, “Favor you don’t deserve and calmness to the sea of your soul… right now.” The One who has the spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, the fear of the Lord; the One who is one with the Spirit of God says, “It’s true, you’re not a perfect offering. You don’t deserve my gift, but I give it for my love. Believe Me. You can know My peace when looking on that which is to come.”

      Worship. The words hit home: 

...Strength I find to meet my trails here

Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, 

I’ve no cause for worry or for fear

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure, 

Gives unto each day what He deems best

As thy days… So. Shall. Thy. Strength. Be.

      God proved His faithfulness. Again. His mercy. Again. His love… again. But would I lay at night praising the Lord if things had not run smoothly at the clinic? Would I say, “The Lord hath done great things for me”, if all I could see was blackness? 

      Gentle whisper: As thy days… So. Shall. Thy. Strength. Be. If your day sees blackness, you can be assured, I will give you strength for blackness. If light, strength for light. 

As thy days… So. Shall. Thy. Strength. Be. 

Thank You, Lord. Thank You.

Prayer

When burdens press and weigh the soul,
And none can share its load
We can commit to God the whole,
To bear upon this road

In prayer, our Brother hears the cry,
Of one whose strength is gone
And says, "My child, on Me rely",
"And cease ye not with dawn"

If wisdom is your greatest need,
Our Father knows it well
Then ask of Him who gives indeed,
To those who on earth dwell

In prayer my friends there is release
From burdens that oppress
For Jesus offers us His peace
In trade for our distress