Faith

Faith is to believe what God says is true.

Faith is to trust what God does is right.

Faith is to be confident that what God allows in my life is for my good.

Faith is to live in hope; what God has promised for today will also be true for tomorrow.

Faith always has an object and that object must always be GOD.

 

~Taken from a bookmark sent to us by a friend

Promises

Are you keeping your eye out for promises in Scripture? My list is building up nicely!! Thought I'd just ask and remind y'all. :-)

Um... Okay... You Tell Me! :-)

An excerpt from Warlock o' Glenwarlock, the original version of The Laird's Inheritance:


"Cosmo, as sune's ye're hame, ye'll sen' yer manstrauchtawa'upo'the horse to lat my lady's fowk ken. She better write them a bit letter, an' tell them she's fa'en in wi' an auld acquaintance, a lass ca'd Agnes Gracie, a dacent yoong wuman, an' haein' lost her ro'd an' bein' unco tired, she's gaein' hame wi' her to sleep; an' the laird o' Glenwarlock was sae kin' 's to sen' his man upo' his horse to cairry the letter. That w'y there'll be nae lees tellt, an' no ower muckle o' the trowth."


That's why I read the edited versions! ;-) (Thanks, Michael Phillips!!)

Desired Europe Trip--First Stop: Scottish Highlands! :-D

The Laird's Inheritance

Everyone who knows me well knows that I love George MacDonald. MacDonald, the Beloved Storyteller of Scotland, has been, for many years, a model for me in my writing and an encouragement and challenge in my walk with God. However, it had been some time since I had read one of his novels, and when I picked one up again last summer, I made little headway and put it down for over half a year! Last week, however, I picked it up again and found, as usual, a gem.

The Laird's Inheritance, written by George MacDonald, was originally entitled Warlock o' Glenwarlock, and soon after changed to Castle Warlock. It was first published in 1881, and was one of MacDonald's longest novels, at 714 pages! In the 1987, it was edited by Michael Phillips and reprinted by Bethany House Publishers.

The description on the back of the book reads:

-------------------------------

A MYSTERIOUS DEATH IN THE FAMILY,

LEGENDS SURROUND THE CASTLE, A

MYSTERIOUS OLD POEM, AND UNEXPECTED

ROMANCE--WELL-CRAFTED FICTION

COMBINED WITH SPIRITUAL TRUTH TO

MAKE AN UNFORGETTABLE STORY!

Beautifully set in the proud culture of the Scottish Highlands, The Laird's Inheritance introduced the readers to a young boy, Cosmo Warlock, the last in a long line of landowning "lairds" of the Castle Warlock. His family once wealthy, Cosmo now grows up in poverty as piece after piece of the Laird's land is sold or mortgaged away to keep the creditors at bay.

This moving account of the loss of an earthly inheritance has become a vivid word portrait from the pen of Scotland's master storyteller to display the eternal inheritance of a heavenly kingdom.

-------------------------------

As is the case with all MacDonald's books, The Laird's Inheritance served as more than mere entertainment for me, though the story is indeed compelling and enjoyable. More than that, however, it etched its way deep into my heart, shining light upon the areas of my life that needed to change, and encouraging me on to a deeper walk with the Lord. It challenged me, in particular, to not allow any earthly thing to come in between me and God, but to allow Him to be the most important treasure in my life. The laird's conversations with his son were especially convicting and challenging, as he encourages Cosmo to set his heart upon God and his mind on things above, to "do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with his God."

I had a very few quibbles with the book. Cosmo's character at the beginning was, to me, a little bit annoying, as it was very much like several of George MacDonald's other heroes, and as the story went on and he grew older, his personality began to grow on me and I liked him a lot better. The storywriter in me also could see ways that the story might have come together a little better so that the storylines ran more parallel and built on each other more. This is just a petty little opinion of mine though. :-) The Scottish dialogue has been slightly "toned down" to make it easier to read, though in some places I had to slow down and glance back at the introduction a couple times to get the right sense of what was being said.

Overall, it was a wonderful book, though. The story was engaging, the spiritual message was convicting, and I was reminded of why I love George MacDonald so much! I highly encourage you to get a copy of this book from your library or from Amazon.com. You can also read the original, unabridged version at Gutenberg.org.

"Sometimes a thunderbolt will shoot from a clear sky; and sometimes into the life of a peaceful individual, without warning of gathered storm, something terrible will fall. And from that moment everything is changed. That life is no more what it was. Better it ought to be, worse it may be. The result depends on the life itself and it's response to the invading storm of trouble. Forever after, it's spiritual weather is altered. But for the one who believes in God, such rending and frightful catastrophies never come but where they are turned around for good in his own life and in other lives he touches."

-George MacDonald, The Curate's Awakening

Promise Hunt

Did you read the song I copied in this post? If not, go read it and then come back here.

Did you read it? Okay.

From Sunday, April 4th, to Sunday, April 11th, I am inviting all who wish to participate to a week-long treasure hunt. :-)

What I am going to do, and what you can do, is: Every time you find a promise of God to believers in Scripture, copy down the reference. On April 12th, when you are done with your "treasure hunt" ;-), copy all the Scripture references you found in the post that I'll make available there. If you want, you can share your thoughts on the different promises. (You don't have to flip through your Bible looking for every promise you can find, but just as you go about your daily Bible reading, or get a letter from a friend containing a Promise verse, just copy those.)

I want to do this because it is so important for us to meditate on God's Word and to know His will for us and His promises to us. He is faithful and always keeps His promises. We need to remember that. When we allow ourselves to forget, we can easily become discouraged, and that's not healthy for our spiritual lives!

So... will you join me?

If you have any questions, if I didn't make myself clear, just comment. :-)

Tag

 I got this on Jason's blog.

What's Your FavoriteColor? green or purple... but my favorite color combo is green and pink, followed by blue and yellow :-D
Candy? I'm not much of a candy person, but I like M'n'Ms!! :-D
Main dish? hm.... Chicken Divan, stromboli, spaghetti.... I dunno!!
Dessert? ice cream :-)
Drink? coffee, chai tea, real lemonade (not the powdered stuff)
Veggie? mm.... carrots?

Do You
Go to Starbucks Coffee Shop? Y-EAH!!!!  Of course I do!  But I don't usually get one, because it's usually Mommy and Amanda who get one, and then it's usually a plain coffee, which Starbucks plain coffee always gives me problems-- from the jitters to spilling it all over me! But I love flavored drinks from there. :-)
Go to the mall a lot? No, I don't like the mall.
Talk on the phone everyday to someone who is not family? No, I don't talk on the phone much at all. :-)
Read your Bible everyday? Yes.
Do lots of reading? Not as much as I should.  Sometimes I can go a couple days without READING-reading anything but my Bible.  Internet's fault. :-D
See your grandparents everyday? No, maybe once a week or once every two weeks I see my dad's parents.
Bake a lot? Almost never.
Clean your room everyday? Haha... you come in here and you tell me!! :-P  NO!
Have to say your sorry to someone everyday? I probably should... :-S

A Certain Thing You Dislike Of Each CategoryVeggie? turnips ("I hate turnips!") ;-)
Color? 70's orangey-yellow.
Drink? most kinds of pop
Animal? monkeys :-)

Do You Have A
Pet? Ohhhhh yeah!!!! :-D
Gift card at the moment? Yes.  I still have to finish off my JoAnn's gift card but I am waiting for the right fabric to go on sale. :-D
Sewing machine? YES! :-D
Big mess under your bed? You bet! :-D
Pack of gum in your bag or purse? Yeppers!  Two packs!  One is berry-flavored, the other is spearmint.
Computer in your room? On my lap this very moment! :-)

Have You EverBeen on a plane? of course
Been out of state? I go out of state all the time! :-P
Been out of the country? Yeah... to Canada! :-S
Been in a eight-teen wheeler? I don't know if I have....
Been in a car accident? a minor, itsy-bitsy one
Read about a hundred and fifty page book in about an hour? Probably...

Your Favorite Place ToGo shopping? JoAnn's!
Eat out? Cracker Barrell, and I just discovered last night that Shake 'n' Steak is really good too! :-D
Go visit? Indiana!  and Georgia. :-D
Read a good book at? The swing outside

RandomWhat color is your room? pink and green
How old are you? eighteen :-D
What year were you born? you do the math :-)
Are you related to anyone important or famous? it is said that we are related to Robert E. Lee, who was related to Helen Keller, who was related to George Washington, so if we are indeed  related to Robert E. Lee, then, yeah! :-D ;-)  And our cousin Patrick O'Conner was pretty well known in London.
Have you ever met a vice president? No, but I've seen a president before :-)
Are you getting bored yet? no, I love these things.
What are you thinking? that this summery weather is lovely! Oh and Mommy is going to heat up our last rhubarb pie!!! :-D

Who You Will TagTHANK YOU FOR NOT SAYING HOW MANY PEOPLE I NEED TO TAG!!!!!   This is open to all who wish to do it. :-)

Thrill

"God....God, please...please give me a glimpse of You. I need to see a glimpse of You-- I feel so far away."

This was my prayer last night as we were driving home from Bible class, listening to our new Getty CD with the windows down. In the West, the sun had already dipped below the horizon, and shades of pink peeked over the trees, rising into purple, and finally blending into a dark, nighttime blue. Around me I saw God's glory, in the music I heard His truth, and yet my heart was lonely. It had been several weeks, and though spring had come to the earth, I was still struggling through a very discouraging winter in my soul. Here and there I was noticing new things in God's Word, and I was reading His Word and praying and singing to Him, but for a couple weeks my heart had been feeling so empty, like I couldn't connect to God. I longed for that feeling of thrill, not in any circumstance, but just that thrill of knowing Him, really knowing Him. That thrill of realizing as I never had before some aspect of His character, and knowing His presence with me. To go without that even for a couple days, much more two weeks, is to be very, very discouraged.

We got home; I did my normal evening routine of getting dressed for bed, checking blogs and Facebook, and even chatted with a friend on Windows Live. After that, I turned off my overhead light, turned on my small "nighttime" lights, scooted my feet under my covers, and pulled out my Bible. My heart was still empty. "Lord, I want so much to be close to You," I prayed. "But I feel so far away, in a way You can't even im--" I was about to say "imagine", but I stopped myself. That was no way to talk to God; besides, the verse about Jesus being the merciful and faithful high priest who is able to identify with our sufferings and temptations echoed in the back of my head and silenced me in mid-sentence. In that moment, God answered my prayer.

For suddenly, my mind went back to that dark day, and saw Jesus hanging between earth and heaven, that moment the Father turned His face away... and Jesus cried in agony, "My God, my God,why hast Thou forsaken me?" In that one moment, Jesus called His Father "my God", instead of "my Father", for in that moment He bore the sins of all the world, and the Father could not look upon His Son.

It was just for a minute, and yet in that minute Jesus tasted what it was like to feel so far away from God the Father, and yet it was so much worse, because for all eternity, the Father had never turned His face away from His Son.

Tears welled in my eyes, and that thrill I had longed for filled my soul. Instantly, the feeling of loneliness and distance from God was dismissed and replaced with a very real sense of God's presence. For I realized that Jesus did know how I was feeling, and more, in such a way that I couldn't even imagine. In that one moment, Jesus tasted the bitterest extent of separation from the Father, so that I might enjoy close communion with my King for all eternity.

Words cannot express that joy that filled my heart as I realized anew the amazing love and grace my God showed to me. Yes, sometimes darkness obscures my view, and I cannot see God, but it is promised: through Jesus I have been brought indeed unto the Father's side, never to be separated from Him again. This the power of the Cross!! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

~~~~~~~~~~~

This song on our new CD really spoke to my heart as well, last evening. I am grateful that God works in others' lives to write and sing words that are such a blessing to us. May they be a blessing to you as well.

Every Promise

"Every Promise of Your Word"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

From the breaking of the dawn to the setting of the sun,
I will stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.
Words of power, strong to save, that will never pass away,
I will stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.
For Your covenant is sure,
And on this I am secure—
I can stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

When I stumble and I sin, condemnation pressing in,
I will stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.
You are faithful to forgive that in freedom I might live,
So I stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.
Guilt to innocence restored,
You remember sins no more—
So I'll stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

When I'm faced with anguished choice, I will listen for Your voice,
And I'll stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.
Through this dark and troubled land
You will guide me with Your hand
As I stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.
And You've promised to complete
Ev'ry work begun in me—
So I'll stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

Hope that lifts me from despair, love that casts out ev'ry fear,
As I stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.
Not forsaken, not alone, for the Comforter has come,
And I stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.
Grace sufficient, grace for me,
Grace for all who will believe—
We will stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

May this "Good Friday" be one in which you see the grace of God in a fresh and new way that leaves you so in awe of and in love with Him!

Spring is Here!

"For behold,
the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land."
(Song of Solomon 2:11-12)

Probably the Most Accurate Facebook Quiz I've Ever Taken...

What is your Temperament?

Melanie took the "What is your Temperament?" quiz and the result is Sanguine.

 

You sparkle. There is something about you that is lovable and fun. You are a people-person and people are drawn to you. You are lighthearted and carefree. You are a born storyteller, everyone knows that when you start a conversation with "You'll never guess what happened..." they are in for a good story. You have a good sense of humour and a memory for colour. You feel things passionately and you are very demonstrative of your feelings. You have a natural curiosity and a wide-eyed innocence that is charming. You have a changeable disposition but a sincere heart. Whatever is happening now is the most important thing and whoever is in the room is your favourite person - and you are theirs. Extrovert: The People Person.

 

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

So that was what I came up as in the "What is Your Temperament" quiz. :-)  I thought most of the things were pretty close to the real me. 

Please forgive me for not posting sooner.  I have been doing a lot of thinking, and a lot of writing, but have not gotten much of it onto my blog here! :-J   I am still planning on writing the second part of the series I started on Faith, Hope, and Love.  Also, I might post the article about Malaysia that I'm working on, tell about my new writing diary, and share some other things the Lord is teaching me.  Right now, I am going to make a cup of chai tea (which kept me up until 3:00 AM last night...) and read a book.  Then hopefully I will get to writing Airborne and possibly working on my childrens' books series.  I hope all my dear readers are doing well.  Let us keep our eyes on Jesus and put Him first in everything, that He may receive all the glory. 

Something to pray about: In my studying to write an article on Malaysia for the Tuckleberry Times, I have learned a lot about the persecution Christians receive there from the Muslims (which make up 60.4% of the population.)   In the last few months, they have been suffering from angered Muslims making attacks on some of their churches.  Please keep the Malaysian Christians in prayer.  Pray that they would be strong in their faith, that converts to Christianity would hold to Jesus no matter what the earthly cost, and that Christians would be bold to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even with the Muslims (which is illegal).  I can't wait to share with you what I have been learning about Malaysia!