Monthly Archives: November 2010

Sunshine and Rain

Sunshine and rain, blue skies and gray, Our God reigns, each and every day!

Ps 147:7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

:8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

This weekend, with our full range of sky experiences, has been glorious.

We arrived in the dark, and when you are near the gulf, and away from all lights, it is DARK! As we drove, the sky was cloudy, so there were not any stars or moon as well. We walked out to the dunes to look at the waves, and as we walked, the clouds parted. Standing on the dune, looking at the waves come in, and looking up at stars I have never seen was amazing! God’s starry show welcomed us to our beach side weekend.

Job 22:12 [Is] not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

Everyone comes to God in the dark.

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

We slept, with a window open to enjoy the sounds of the waves crashing, and the smell that only exists on a salt water beach area. The morning was gray…clouds covering the sky, and wind cutting through the clothing. Is this really Houston Texas? It was going to rain…we could see that. But the beach beckoned to us. And yet, we had to wait.

We sat and watched the rain as it hit the windows. The beauty of the water dripping down the glass, the splashes of water when the rain picked up, and the sparkle as light hit the various parts of rain were a delight to watch, from the inside of the RV. The percussion symphony of the drops was a song of the glory and majesty of Our God. We were protected from the rain! We were in the midst of a storm, but totally secure, warm, dry, and able to delight in the nourishing nature of the rain outside our stronghold.

Everyone has storms. Everyone has overwhelming times that just pound and beat against them, threatening to tear them down, or drown them in the emotions. But the one that trusts in God has a special protection, a special place in the midst of the storms.

Is 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Is 26:3 Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee.

Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

:2 I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Prov 18:10 The name of the LORD [is] a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Mark 4:37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

:41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Sometimes there are dark times that just seem to go on and on and on. These are the valleys where we are tested. In Kelly Willard’s song “Hidden Valley’s”, she says :

“Hidden valleys produce a life song

Hidden valleys will make a heart strong

Desperation can cause you to sing

Hidden valleys turn shepherds to kings”

Elijah endured the storms on the mountain. Isaiah endured the storms laying on his side playing with toy soldiers. Daniel endured the storms in the Lion’s Den, and his three friends in the fiery furnace.

David was so used to going through valleys, he wrote the 23^rd Psalm. The key is with whom you walk, and what happens on the other side of the storm.

The rain ceased, and the sky changed a bit, but going out onto the beach was possible. The clouds rolled in, with light from above shining through, giving us the hope that the sun was coming. We walked along the beach, enjoying watching the surf as it rises and falls, ebs and flows, fluctuating and crashing in an unearthly rhythm that only the creator understood. Mist rose above the waves, and the wind blew it in from the gulf, stinging my cheeks as I looked out upon the water. The sand was uneven, unstable, and shifting back and forth as I walked on the beach. I had to keep my focus, and I had to choose my path carefully, or I could fall, damage my ankle(again) and have a tremendous set back.

In this day of mass confusion for mankind, with crashing sound all around, wars and rumors of wars…we have a path in which to walk.

Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

:8 All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.

Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

We must stay the course, and hold on to our path. These are part of God’s plan, though it His allowing men to have their own way, turning them over to their own devices and desires. But the believers in Christ have a path.

Psalm 37 is such a comfort in times such as these:

Verse 23 says The steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth [him with] his hand.

Ps 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

BUT THE SON IS COMING!!! Breaking through the clouds!

Daniel 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.

Matt 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

We are to comfort one another with THESE WORDS!

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

:17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Ah – the sun shining upon the waves. They were beautiful before, with the various shades of gray, but as the sun peaked out of the clouds, the water ignited with diamonds, and deep aquamarines, and blue topazes floating up and down with the undulation of the finest dancer. The water was alive!

When the Son touches our lives, even though the waves are the same, the sand is the same, and even we are the same, we come alive! He takes the unholy and makes us holy. He takes the imperfect and starts shining on the perfections. He takes the crashing of our waves and turns it into a dance of love and joy and peace and purpose.

For examples of this, read the gospels…the woman at the well, the woman with the issue of blood, the man who couldn’t walk, the man who couldn’t see, the people that could not be part of society because of their leprosy. When Jesus touches a life, well….

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Our sins are covered by the blood of the Lamb – and it’s now our job to walk in the deliverance HE has purchased for us.

We can look at the waves, and the clouds, or we can look at the creator of the waves and the clouds. In Matthew 14:28-32, Peter did fall, BUT HE DID WALK ON WATER! He first was looking at Jesus, trusting in His word. THEN he saw the wind and was afraid. HE TOOK HIS EYES OFF OF JESUS.

I don’t expect to walk on water anytime soon, but we have this concept that walking on water is only for someone like Jesus. Peter is a man like you and me. Peter had yet to deny Christ. Peter walked on water! Don’t despise small beginnings!

There is a saying that has hung in my mother in law’s house as long as I’ve been in the family. It says: “I believe in the sun even when it rains.” Do we believe in the Son, even when it rains?

This seems to be a redundant theme for me, but it fits here as well. The way to be strong in the storms is to be strong in the Lord. Here’s a few verses:

Be strong in the Lord: Deut 31:6-7; Josh 1:9; 1Chron 28:20
Fear Not – the Lord will strengthen you: Is 40:27-31; Is 41:10-13
The Joy of the Lord is Your strength: Neh 8:10
HE will give us a song: Is 51:11
We must come into His presence with praises of thanksgiving, and joyful noises: Ps 95:1-6; Psalm 100
And Jesus came so that our joy(the strength from the Lord) would be full: John 15:11; 16:24

Jesus purchased our ability to have joy…the way to obtain that joy is to be filled with the Lord’s joy, which comes from being in His presence, which is only done by entering with praises and thanksgiving. And the only way we can enter His presence with praises is to make a choice about how we look at the clouds in our lives.

James 1:2-8

We must CHOOSE joy. Sometimes it’s a sacrifice.

Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name.

But the blessings are great.

Jer 33:11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD [is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever: [and] of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.

And, when we dwell in the presence of the most High, we are sheltered by the shadow of His wings…(Ps 91).

The SON cometh!

Psa 96:10 Say among the heathen [that] the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

:11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

:12 Let the field be joyful, and all that [is] therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

In the midst of the storms, comfort one another with these words!

And this is my song, my choice to sing in any time of darkness:

Psa 104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

104:2 Who coverest [thyself] with light as [with] a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

104:3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

Ps 27:6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

In His hand and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Follow me at http:www.thewildberrypatch.com

I spent a weekend in Narnia

My dog, Gabriel and I left Kay Tee, Tech Sass and headed towards a meeting place for the 2010 Workshop and Retreat at Camp Allen. As we left the bright lights of Whose Ton, things began to change. We turned down FM362, and we felt as if we were entering another world. It became so dark along our path that the only lights were the moon and our headlights. As the darkness surrounded us, we were embraced with the scent of a pine woods. The aroma permeated even our air conditioner, and filled my heart with the joy and anticipation one feels for Christmas morning. We continued further up the road and further in to the piney wood, in hopes that we would find that place called Camp Allen.

We turned at the sign, and saw the lamp posts! We had arrived. We were given the keys to our room and a plan for the weekend. The room was quaint, with a homespun, rustic feel. A chair, a table, a bed and lamps. Everything that was needful for a quiet weekend basking in the presence of the KING of KINGS. We rested that night, before meeting other travelers on this journey.

The morning broke with crisp clear air that filled my lungs with wonder and excitement. I walked about the grounds with my faithful companion, Gabriel my service dog. I felt as if he would speak to me at any moment. The peacefulness of this place was palpable, and our hearts were content. At the appointed time, I went to the main building to register for the events, and I met the Mrs. Beaver that was arranging all of this, Nan Rinella. I saw the professor, Mr. Stan Mattson, as he quietly endued his joyous presence, and calm assurance. I had the sense that he knew something special about what was going to happen. While he looked “professorial”, his eyes contained something lovely that only those that have been to Narnia can see, and his laugh was warm, like a soft blanket on a cold and rainy day.

Then, the magic happened! The meals with people of like mind, sharing their hearts and minds about Aslan/Christ, was food for the soul! The speakers, such as High Kings Randy Alcorn, Louis Markos and Andrew Lazo shared their knowledge of Aslan in Narnia and Christ in our world. They gave me glimpses of heaven, and the great kindness of Christ as well as the benefit of reading to remind me. A creative force of life stirred deep within me.

Frank Ball and Lael reminded me that truth and creativity could co-exist. As she walked around, I could see the bodily pain, and yet it was as if she was transcended above it, like a star waiting to return to the sky. I was so sorry to have to leave before hearing her session on GodSight.
My time was cut short, but God had another place for me to be. I spent a weekend in Narnia. Once you have been to Narnia, Narnia will always live in your heart. God willing, I will never miss a meeting of the Narnians here on earth.

How much is an education worth?

Well – depending on your degree, you could determine it’s worth by how much it cost….

or you could subtract the cost of the education from the average potential wages over the planned future 40 years, and determine that as the worth.

Or you could sit in a very intellectual conference, where every session talks about ‘credibility’ and ‘what” and “where’ your degrees – plural – are from.

Let’s not discuss that C S Lewis is NOT the place to discuss non-fiction, life story Bible studies.

In the CS Lewis world, there is fiction, and then highly intellectual non-fiction. The authors speaking about CS Lewis can quote him almost book, chapter and verse. What happens when these people that carry on intelligent conversations with me find out that I am only a high school graduate?

Whenever I talk to someone that oozes degrees, I tend to point out that I had a full ride to OSU for art and music, but refused it for lack of self-esteem. In an attempt to let them know that I was acceptable for college intelligentsia, I sort of make myself out to be a total fool! On the other hand, when I carry on a graduate level conversation, I often feel like I am hiding something, and I wonder what will they think when they find out. Well, from experience, I know what they will think when they find out. I don’t hear from them, or at least, I am spoken to with condescension, like a doctor speaks to a mother that is certain the child’s sick and needs attention. The mother KNOWS her child, but often acquiesces to the doctor’s medical degrees.

I KNOW I don’t need a degree to preach the word of God.
I KNOW I don’t need a degree to have compassion on widows, fatherless, abused, downtrodden and poor.
I KNOW I don’t need a degree to experience God in everyday life.
I KNOW I don’t need a degree to move mountains with prayer.

What I don’t know is that I can get published without a degree,

…that I could be taken seriously without a degree,

…that my story would be able to get to those who need it, without a degree.

I don’t even know if anyone would read something I wrote, if I do not have degrees behind my name on the cover of the book.

The CS Lewis foundation has just announced the opening of the college. I think it was created so more people can study the Word through the great books of CS Lewis and those types. But I am having enough of a time studying the Word of God! Yes, I know, I need to read more books, and the right books. If this ministry is for those that probably would never read some of those very intellectual books is that where my focus should be? Should I be looking at obtaining a doctorate degree so that I can say I am taught in these areas, so that I can tell my story, that I have NOW, without all the college stuff mixed in?

Why do I feel that I have to hide something about me? Why do I feel that I need to let people know that at one time, I was thought good enough to attend college? Why can’t my yes be yes, and my no be no?

Why can’t I be judged by the character of my life’s wisdom, and not by the years gathering useless information? Why do we each have the need to describe ourselves by something, or someone to make us better than we sound?

1 Cor 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I [am] of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

Paul is talking to folks like me that are trying to make themselves than what they are. The theme for this ministry is Engrafted into the Vine to produce Eternal Fruit, as applied through John 15.

Paul goes on to say:

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; bug God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 1 Cor 3:5-7

Some have talents, some have education, some have great voices, some have great ears.

I am thrown into 1 Cor 12 – when Paul is talking about giftings…right before he preaches about LOVE!

1 Cor 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

What is that more excellent way? Faith, Hope and Love…no clanging brass or tinkling cymbal.

Knowledge puffeth up, but wisdom is to be sought, in the light of the Lord. We all are workers in God’s vineyard. (1 Cor 3:9)

This weekend, it was a joy to meet those with high degrees of education, but even higher degrees of love, compassion, hope and faith. For when the foundation of all is Christ Jesus, we all stand level at the foot of the cross, and we all rejoice in His coming again.

I am who God created me to be. He is not surprised by my lack of education. And still, He calls me. And while I have self doubts, the challenge is to let go of those doubts and trust in the one that promises to give anyone wisdom, if I just ask.

James 1: 5-7 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

Isn’t that the gist of it? I have been driven by the wave of the sea, tossed to and fro with the wind, because I have not settled this, and planted my feet solidly on the foundation of who I am in Christ.

Again – another journey away from the effects of my past, and into the Kingdom of His dear son.

Thanks for joining me!

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I will sing in the shadow of your wings.

Bible references were taken from http://www.blueletterbible.org

The Authorized Version or King James Version (KJV) 1611, 1769

Public domain