THE Light at the End of the Tunnel

Habakkuk 3:16-19 NLT

I trembled inside when I heard this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us. Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.

Those of you who have been following me on my journey through this life for any length of time know of the many struggles that I and my household, as well as our extended family, have been dealing with since the passing of my Grandmother last November, so I will not re-count it at this time. But I do want to share with you what the Lord has been showing me during this time.

We have had, and still have, serious financial difficulties. The loss of 80% of my income and a lot of unexpected expenses on top of that loss have made managing our budget impossible. But our daily struggles are nothing to be compared with the suffering of the Children of Israel under their oppressors. Yet the promises that the Lord gave to them are to us also. While we may not have physical armies encamped around our cities, we do have the minions of the enemy of our souls camped round about our hearts and minds, ever trying to distract us from His promises.

But as I read through the Prophet Habakkuk’s vision this morning, and noticed this prayer quoted above, I realized that I have nothing to fear and a lot to give thanks and praise over.

Israel had been conquered by Assyria. This raging army had destroyed all of their crops; in the fields and in their store houses. They had captured and transported most of the Israelites to foreign cities and re-inhabited their towns with peoples, slaves rather, from other gentile nations throughout their empire. Israel had no hope of returning home … no vision of God and His promises to save them. They were defeated!

And yet, Habakkuk had a vision! He saw what the rest of his people had lost sight of … so singing, he prayed. Here I quote the text from the Message Bible:

God, is it River you’re mad at? Angry at Old River? Were you raging at Sea when you rode horse and chariot through to salvation? You unfurled your bow and let loose a volley of arrows. You split Earth with rivers. Mountains saw what was coming. They twisted in pain. Flood Waters poured in. Ocean roared and reared huge waves. Sun and Moon stopped in their tracks. Your flashing arrows stopped them, your lightning-strike spears impaled them. Angry, you stomped through Earth. Furious, you crushed the godless nations. You were out to save your people, to save your specially chosen people. You beat the stuffing out of King Wicked, Stripped him naked from head to toe, Set his severed head on his own spear and blew away his army. Scattered they were to the four winds— and ended up food for the sharks! You galloped through the Sea on your horses, racing on the crest of the waves. When I heard it, my stomach did flips. I stammered and stuttered. My bones turned to water. I staggered and stumbled. I sit back and wait for Doomsday to descend on our attackers. Though the cherry trees don’t blossom and the strawberries don’t ripen, though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty, I’m singing joyful praise to God. I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. Counting on God’s Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I’m king of the mountain!

Habakkuk remembered the promises of the Lord, and so should we! For the Lord is our strength and deliverer. And if we remember that, He will become our song in the night seasons, too!

Then we can say with the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:17-21, MSG:

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!

That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.

Remember: There is The Light at the end of your tunnel of hardships, too … His Name is Jesus!

What to Do When You Feel Like God Isn’t There

As believers we know that God is always there with us … in us. But we all experience times He seems far away. I call them ‘dry times’ in the spirit. We must learn how best to deal with these times. I use music. And not just any music, God’s … the Psalms. These songs tell of God’s wondrous love, care and protection.

Psalm 139:7-12, tells us how close God really is … Always!

So I would counsel you to read/sing through the Psalms, focusing on the words. And find one that strikes a chord within your heart to repeat when things seem especially tough going.

I would also encourage you to memorize some Bible verses that lift your countenance and inspire you. Being able to do battle with God’s word is our Key to Victory against Satan. It is the only defensive weapon in the Christian’s armory. God gave us our Armor in Ephesians 6:10-18. When you read through this list you will see that it covers us very well, except for our backs … He expects us to stand in battle with our back against that of a fellow Warrior of Christ. That Christian at you back is your Battle Buddy, and you are his/hers. If you have ever heard the saying; “I’ve got your back,” this is exactly what it means.

As Christians we have each other’s backs. Our prayers for one another give you the strength and courage you need to battle on. And your prayers for others give them what they lack for their battle, too.

So, to wrap this up: Sing unto the Lord (or just make a JOYFUL noise), recite scripture and pray for others in need and God will see you, and others, through the tough times.

Fear Not!

Saturday morning, 7/23/16, as I was spending time with the Lord and reading His word, I was in Isaiah 43:1-4; which reads:

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
    O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
    I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Others were given in exchange for you.
    I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
    You are honored, and I love you.

And I was reminded that our God is a promise keeper – unlike us humans, which give a promise and break it all in the same breath … or so it seems.

But the God we serve today is the same God that brought Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the Promised Land. Our God is the same God who showed Moses His glory in the midst of the storm, and all while hiding him in the cleft of a rock wall on a high, steep cliff. Our God is the same God that gave us His son as our savior; sent Him to earth to live among us, heal the sick and afflicted among us, die on the cross in our place to rise from the dead so that we could live with Him forever in His Glorious Kingdom of Love and Light.

This is the God I serve …. Not some idol of wood, clay, silver or gold, but a Truly Holy Spirit who tells us to FEAR NOT. HE gives us this command not once, not even two or three time, but 170 times throughout the Old and New testaments. So why do we allow Satan to put fear into our hearts and minds?

We know it is the Enemy of our souls who brings these fears, for the Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7:

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

And again in John 10:9-11 Jesus says:

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

So Fear Not! 

But, as Proverbs 3:5-12, The Message Bible, says:

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
    your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
    give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
    your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
    don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
    a father’s delight is behind all this.

Lydia and Joy Stealer

Intro:

As sometimes is the case with our plans, it looks like my trip this week isn't going to happen at this time. But Satan can't succeed in his attacks against us UNLESS we GIVE him a foothold in our hearts and minds. He can only do what WE ALLOW him to do. On this note, I want to share a story I wrote for my church family a few years ago. It's called Lydia and Joy Stealer.

Lydia and Joy Stealer

Lydia is a servant of the Most High.  She is very conscious of being open to His leading her into various ministry opportunities.  Even her job in the working world allows her to come into contact with many people in person in her work place, as well as on the phones, helping them with their find solutions for many for their daily problems in the words of the Book.

Most people who had met Lydia would say that she was a very happy person.  So full of laughter and good cheer that she almost always wore a smile on her face and sang songs of the Most High wherever she went. 

Living in the city of the Most High was a criminal named Joy Stealer.  Now the Joy Stealer was a loyal servant of the Enemy of the Most High.  His crime was to take away the happiness and good cheer of all the servants of the Most High, thus getting them to leave His service and wander aimlessly among the Wastelands of Despair.  In this way he added to the followers of the Enemy.

For many years Joy Stealer had followed the servants of the Most High weakening their defenses and throwing stumbling blocks into their paths, and he was very good at his job.  But he try as he might Joy Stealer could find no way to break down the defenses of Lydia and take away the happiness she had flowing forth through her life.  So Joy Stealer sought the help of other servants of the Enemy.  He sent minor slaves to spy on her day and night to learn what could be used against her to make her falter in her service to the Most High.

Darkness and Depression each found places of rest among the folds of Lydia’s robes.  They rode along with her for many days making notes to take back to Joy Stealer.  After about two weeks of this research to find a chink in Lydia’s armor Darkness and Depression reported back to Joy Stealer their findings.

“Master,” Darkness started, “We have found no failing in her that you may exploit.”

“What!” yells Joy Stealer, “Than why have you returned?”

“Well, Great One,” Depression continued, “She has no weakness, however we did notice that she ALWAYS wears an MP3 player with stereo headset over her ears.”

“That’s right,” Darkness agreed, “she listens to the music of the Most High both day and night continuously.  She never removes the speakers from her ears.”

Now Joy Stealer had an idea.  “I will plug her ears so she cannot hear the music of the Most High.  She will think that her MP3 player has quit functioning and look for another.  While she is seeking I will fill her life with so many of these people she is so willing to be of assistance to that she will be totally overwhelmed and exhausted and her loyalty will slowly begin to falter.     

After getting a good nights rest, Joy Stealer began this new tactic to attack Lydia and turn her from the service of the Most High.  He began it very slowly, blocking her hearing for just an hour or two at a time until by the end of the first week he had totally blocked the music from her ears altogether.  In the second week he started adding more and more responsibilities and people with needs in her path that she had to take care of.

The smile was now starting to fade from Lydia’s face and the songs of joy had all but vanished from her heart.  By the end of the third week exhaustion was taking a toll on her physical well-being.  She wasn’t sleeping well at night, as the toils of the day wouldn’t leave her mind.  She wasn’t eating properly either, as the constant turmoil was keeping her stomach rolling and nothing tasted good in her mouth any more.  Joy Stealer had done his job very well thanks to the research of Darkness and Depression.  So well even that he had brought them back to Lydia to place her in such a state of gloom that she would forever forsake her job of service to the Most High.

But the Most High was not one to accept the loss of even one of His subjects without a fight.  He sent His Son, Peace Giver, to personally sing in the ears of Lydia His most precious songs of comfort and joy.  To Peace Giver the Most High gave the gift of invisibility so that Joy Stealer could not see or detect His presence.  This allowed Him to stand right behind Lydia and sing right in her ears.  Joy Stealer couldn’t hear Peace Giver’s singing either for he had no peace in his being.  Only those who chose service to the Most High and had made a place for peace to live in their hearts could hear the music of the Most High.  This gave Peace Giver the clear advantage in the battle for Lydia’s mind, and He made full use of this advantage.

Peace Giver sang his songs of comfort and joy loudly and constantly in Lydia’s ears.  He had no need for rest or food as he was sustained totally by the love of the Most High.   During this battle for her mind, Lydia didn’t realize that the music of the Most High had disappeared from her hearing.  She had thought that the MP3 player had malfunctioned, so she thought to replace it.  But no MP3 player seemed to play the songs of the Most High that she had long cherished, so she gave up on trying to replace her player and gradually dismissed the lack of it’s music.  It wasn’t that any of the equipment was faulty; it was the plugs put in place by Joy Stealer that filtered out the music.  But Peace Giver was there singing all the while. 

Lydia finally got so sick and tired that she began to call out to the Most High for health and strength.  This prayer started cracking the plugs placed in her ears by Joy Stealer.  Now Lydia began hearing strains of the songs sung in her ears by Peace Giver.  Her body was very weakened from the many weeks it had been deprived of its music.  Her mind was tense from it’s over working to meet the needs of those she had thought placed in her path by the Most High – yet which were in truth the trap of Joy Stealer.  But hope was beginning to return with the renewed connection to the missing sounds of the songs she had long been accustomed to hearing both night and day for all the years of her service to the Most High. 

Although she had been sharing her trials with her mentor, Mrs. Calming Comforter, Lydia had found no peace in Calming’s words with out her music. 

Today as she left her office for a weekend retreat at the Sea Shore, the plugs that had blocked the music fell from Lydia’s ears and she could clearly hear the beautiful voice of Peace Giver singing to her the precious songs of the Most High.  Joy Stealer had lost the battle for Lydia’s mind – and ultimately for her service.  She has now recommitted herself to the job given her by the Most High in which she worked serving those of His kingdom in the solving their problems, whatever they may be.  And she has again in place the headset of her MP3 player so that she can hear, night and day, the songs of the Most High; especially those she had heard sung personally by Peace Giver as He sang in her ears during the battle fought for her mind and her service.

Joy Stealer has been sent out of the city of the Most High to wander with his cohorts Darkness and Depression in the Wastelands of Despair until the end of all time when they three would join the Enemy in the pits of Hell for Eternity.

~*~

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  John 10:10

And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you.  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.  John 16:22-24

And Always Remember: 

 Do Not ALLOW Satan to Steal Your Joy!

Under Attack!

The Enemy of our souls is working over time to keep me from this trip .... God MUST be going to do Marvelous Things while I am away. Keep Praying that He take his hands off ALL of our vehicles and our finances .... AND THAT MEANS NOW, Satan!

Thanks for all of your love and support in this upcoming adventure and REMEMBER,  dwell on, Psalms 136, which reads:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords:

His love endures forever.

to him who alone does great wonders,

His love endures forever.

who by his understanding made the heavens,

His love endures forever.

who spread out the earth upon the waters,

His love endures forever.

who made the great lights—

His love endures forever.

the sun to govern the day,

His love endures forever.

the moon and stars to govern the night;

His love endures forever.

to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt

His love endures forever.

and brought Israel out from among them

His love endures forever.

with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;

His love endures forever.

to him who divided the Red Sea asunder

His love endures forever.

and brought Israel through the midst of it,

His love endures forever.

but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;

His love endures forever.

to him who led his people through the wilderness;

His love endures forever.

to him who struck down great kings,

His love endures forever.

and killed mighty kings—

His love endures forever.

Sihon king of the Amorites

His love endures forever.

and Og king of Bashan—

His love endures forever.

and gave their land as an inheritance,

His love endures forever.

an inheritance to his servant Israel.

His love endures forever.

He remembered us in our low estate

His love endures forever.

and freed us from our enemies.

His love endures forever.

He gives food to every creature.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.

His love endures forever.

And as the Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

AMEN!

Storytelling Festival and Camping Vacation as my Writing Retreat

Dear Family, Friends and Followers,

I am pleased to announce that the reason for this page is finally coming to fruition, so I welcome you to be a part of the new adventures that are coming and the tales that I will publish here to share with you about their events, pictures and the ministry opportunities I will have along the way.

That said, I invite you all to travel with me next month to the California Gold Fields and the Sierra Storyteller’s Festival at the North Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center. It promises to be an exciting learning experience and networking adventure. The Festival itself is Friday, July 22 – Sunday, July 24 2016. But as I am working on a historical novel set in the region, I am going to travel throughout to gather information and pictures for this project as well.

Brandy City California Site

So come along for the journey and …. Stay tuned for all of my upcoming adventures, complete with pictures and anecdotes of time well spent and a vacation well deserved.

And if you live in this part of Northern Cali and know of a small Pentecostal church I might like to visit, please post their contact info on this page.

And welcome to Grammy’s New Adventures! Hang on tight and go with the flow!

You can follow the adventures here and at Grammy's GEMS.

Come Visit me at Bullards Bar Schoolhouse Campground, space 52 from Friday 7/22-Wednesday 7/27

And Checkout their FaceBook Page.

Legend of The Storyteller

Down through the ages, before there was paper, pen and ink, men wanted their families and other members of the community to remember important dates and events from the past; so they shared their history verbally. Each father would gather their family and recount family tales of important events. In like manner the leader of the community would gather everyone together several times a year to recite their history.

This sharing of historic events and tales of mighty men of valor began with Adam’s family and continued until quite recently when technology brought us the radio, TV and other items of entertainment. Even King David in Psalm 73:28, NIV said, “… I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds.” Thus the world’s history was passed down from one generation to the next in days gone by.

So today I will share with you a poem written about the Storyteller:

The Storyteller

 

In days of old stories were told

To keep history fresh in the mind

The family would sit ‘round the storyteller’s feet

With patience, loving and kind

Night by night the ‘teller would recite

Family tales of ages long past

Stories of Indians and war and heroes gone before

To the wonder of each laddie and lass

The storyteller would recount the Sermon on the Mount

And other tales of biblical days

Teaching lessons of God and how the disciples trod

So the family would learn Jesus’ ways.

Today storytellers are rare, but do not despair

God is raising up wordsmiths anew

 So practice word use, and never a story refuse

 For the Storyteller may even be YOU!

~*~

2/11/2015