I am just thanking God....the sweet little bird at my window singing its heart out reminds me that yesterday I heard,  then saw a beautiful cardinal undisguised in the gray trees while watching the kids outside for recess.   Then, on my way to work I saw a Great Blue Heron near Crookston!  Joy!

Freedom

Freedom
Hello people!
I am getting excited for the retreat coming up in May.
I always think of Freedom about this time of year, too and am thankful not only just for the soliders that died for my freedom,  but for all the many Christians that died to advance the gospel  (so they died for my freedom, too)  and of course,  the King of Glory,  Jesus Christ,  who laid His majesty's life down for paupers! 
So thankful....
I am just beginning to get the tip of the iceberg about the parable about the talents and why the servant who hid them was so wicked.  Look what He did to purchase our freedom!  And then we go and hide,  like He didn't even die for this very thing....for us to have life!
God is so good.
More to come.........hope you all can make it to the retreat! 

SPiDer MaN and GOD

The age old question....that haunts believers and unbelievers alike in a continual torment of sorts....Why?   I have had my monumental struggles with this question and a lot of them have surfaced in the last year.  What am I going to believe?   I guess I have been in the 5th step of Experiencing God.  Believe me,  it is not really a fun step -  "You will face a crisis of belief that requires faith and action."  It is especially not fun,  if you have chosen the not-faith route.  Believe me.  If believing in God is life.....(Believe in Me and you will have Life.........Jesus says),  then unbelief is death.   Okay,  so what does Spiderman have to do with this all?
I happen to love Spiderman.        I don't think very many mothers of young boys can escape becoming acquainted with Spiderman and/or many other heroes and villians, ruffians of the worst sort.  And they (young boys)  Love it!   My son's child-like enthusiasm opened up a whole new interesting world of heroes and villians for me.  Drag me back, yes,  my mind is like a far-flung discus or boomerang.  I like to explore everything before I actually get to the point!
So I have been argueing with God a lot lately (not recommendable;  you never win).
But my question is nothing new;  it is a centuries old question.  Here it is:
If you are God,  how could you let that happen?  If you are all-knowing,  all powerful,  all- above it all,  how could you let this happen?
There are things that are so dark,  so ugly,  so unloving, unkind,  unsitely, hideous, sinister (you get the point)!  that happen,  that well,  one has to sit in stark astonishment and rage and wonder,  how could something like this even happen?
There is a scene in Spidemarn that I believe helps illustrate God's love.  Because there is another question/belief that springs from God letting evil happen; that is that God doesn't even love us or care about us.  There is a scene in Spiderman where the Villian,  in his efforts to get to Spiderman,  causes a train, full of people, to race out of control.   They are heading toward certain death.
As the viewer,  you know that the Devil-Villian is using the people to get at Spiderman-God.  Now,  we know Spiderman isn't God, and in fact,  God, of course, is much more in control,  (supreme, all-knowing and powerful)  than Spiderman,  but I think this is a good illustration of perhaps why evil happens.  Sin, which includes every form of evil, is never, has never been and never will be in 'God's will.'....But I think the reason that sometimes it isn't stopped is simply for the salvation of more lives. If destoying the Villian is also going to destroy all the people that the Villian has trapped and is holding in front of himself (for his own safety), then a loving God would save the people and let the Villian go free.  But to be sure,  there will be another appointment with the Devil....Then the Devil, who betrayed them, was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet.  There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  Revelation 20:10, the Holy Bible.   There is also another death that relieves us,  it is ..And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:14...THE DEATH OF DEATH! .........And there is one final warning in that glorious chapter to heed;
......Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. 
Make sure
doubly sure
that you are on the winning team!  
---with love to all the people that follow my blog.....Love you, Lace!  :)  Go Cherrie Blossom Paperie!   

Vitality

I love writing.  ...even if no one reads it I guess!  :)

I was thinking about how vital we are in our ministries, relationships, etc.  And I know that we are not as vital as we often think we are,  but at the same time we are vital!  Complex,  but everything with God is in perfect balance.  He certainly can raise up someone else to do the exact same job we are doing....but will he do it in this generation?  So then,  I thought the ministry we do is vital for us,  our rewards and happiness...but I do believe we can affect the eternal destination of people we meet. 
Maybe God would not raise up another person for many more generations to a certain people group??
So my conclusion is that we are vital for this generation,  this time, NOW.   .....but then again He can certainly "raise up the stones to cry out,  can't He?"  :)  smile.......He keeps us in check. 
Love, all.

The Antidote to Loneliness

God can always fill up the hole in our hearts.

This particular day,  I was feeling lonely.  I read some scripture out of Praying God's Word and I was filled!  God's word is AMAZING!
It has calmed the storm in me so many, many times!

Sweet Sunrise Surprise

As the rosy pink colors were coming up this morning,  God's Sweet Spirit was infusing the room.  The Worship Music opened the door for Him.
There's nothing like His presence.
The Taste of Him was made even sweeter to me because of the bitter cuds I had been chewing on.  Yes,  my own fault!  I was having a diet of intrepidation and bitter 'why me?' weeds.
So,  God spoke to me about my Arch Enemy to kind of slap me out of my mudgy reverie.
Our conversation went something like this:
God  "What do you think Satan wants for you?"
Startled,  I think and slowly reply,
"Well,  I think he wants me to live in fear."
God:   "And?"
Me:  "He wants me to be defeated, depressed and useless to You."....And gaining steam,  I thought of some other things my Enemy wants for me,  "Especially,  he wants me to quit." 
My thoughts returned to the grinding I've been going through...."But how I am going to get through this, Lord?"
"Be willing to bleed for Me."
"Oh,"...I think of Jesus and it still seems impossible, but I think of Him and His life....of how He knew the cross that He must bear,  but He was still "annointed with the oil of joy above His companions."
Then all this weak, wounded, and half defeated servant can say is.  "Ok."
But that is enough for Him.

miracle on candice st

Psalm 27:10  When my Mother and Father forsake me,  then the Lord will take care of me.
I have this friend who has a heart of compassion for children.
She often feeds all the neighborhood kids,  sometimes when her family barely has enough
for themselves.
She will often take in children and take care of them,  even though like I said,  she really doesn't
even have enough for her own family. 

So,  she has taken in a little baby, who is about one year of age.  She has been struggling to provide for her.  I have been helping her on and off with needs for the child, as I know the child has no one to care for it but my friend.  My friend called and needed some diapers and wipes for the baby.  She was coming to visit me later that day. 
I hung up the phone and knew that I couldn't provide much for her.  I prayed and asked the Lord what I should do.  In His still small voice,  He said to me,  I will provide....so I put it in God's hands and forgot about it. 

Later that day,  I had a friend stop by.  She had a new car that she wanted to show off to me.
  I said, "Shall we go for a cruise?"  and she said  "Sure."
As I got in, I moved a package from the passenger seat and my friend mumbled something about keeping diapers and things on hand for when she transports new mothers in the line of her work.  My eyes got kind of big and I asked her, before I could think to restrain myself,
"What size of diapers are they?"
"Size 4,  why?"  she asked me.
And then I explained about my friend needing the diapers.  She said,  "Go ahead, take them." 
....So this is how my God provided.
He always does, you know.