Pressure Washin'

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:26, 27

As I look back over the year that recently passed, I can see how the Lord has led me, and been working in every circumstance. When He led me to start the blog last February, I had no idea how He would bring such special people (you) into my life to share life's lessons. :)

I remember a particular week during last February that was difficult, but the lesson that He taught me is worth contemplating again. Since He hadn't led anyone to the blog during those "early days," I think I'll share the following post with you, in case you missed it~~Especially if you're Under Pressure right now! My prayer is for the Lord to use this to encourage your heart.

Okay...here's what the post was, dated February 26, 2010:

Ever had one of those days when you just wonder "what else in the world could go wrong?" Pressure here, pressure there, pressure everywhere... except where it needs to be (like a tire!?!?) LOL  Yes, we've all had those days when it just seems as if we can't take it any longer. Just when you feel the walls closing in, He's got His eyes on you.  He knows how much pressure you can take.

Well, this week has been "loads" of fun, and I do mean LOADS. . .of laundry! For some reason my washer is putting out so much water during its drain cycles that the old pipes just can't handle the outflow.  So in order to get a load done, I have to stand there, and "patiently" watch and listen for the washer to drain. As it's draining, I can hear the water quickly rising in the drain pipe. When I DO finally see the water begin to peak, I immediately push the "STOP" button. I have to press STOP on the washer to allow the pipe time to drain . . then I pull "start" and let the tub drain, then stop & repeat that process again. You get the picture.  It takes a long time.  And it's not really fun either.  However, if I don't do this, the garage would end up flooded!

"So what is it that You are trying to teach me in THIS situation, Father?"  Well~~"Ask and ye shall receive..." LOL  He showed me something pretty neat:

The Lord reminded me of how He is watching us during our trials and storms. He can HEAR and SEE when we've just about "reached our limit." And before we "about LOSE IT completely," HE WILL PRESS STOP, letting some of that "water pressure" go down a bit. Then He'll pull out the tab and let the water drain some more. . . and keep on pressing STOP and START til the tub is empty.

"Oh Father, I am seeing where You're taking this one now!" Do y'all? He is trying to empty us of ourselves.

 Let that one sink in.

Compare my ridiculously inconvenient washer situation to our lives being drained of ourselves (*our selfish desires, sinful nature). . . that's the first cycle...then it fills back up again~~this time to rinse. Then. . . He washes us (with His cleansing blood) and rinses us off completely in His Living Water~~only to drain us again, little by little! This time, what's draining out (or pouring out) is . . . (drum roll) HIM!  His love, His power, His mercy, His compassion, His forgiveness is pouring out from us to others.   Selah.

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said,
streams of living water will flow from within him."  John 7:38

Thank You Father for revealing this truth while I'm in the midst of an inconvenience. This was so worth the loads of laundry! And by the way, thank You that we have clothes to wear! Please help us to look, S E A R C H for the special N U G G E T of wisdom that You have carefully hidden in the middle of our circumstances...none of these inconveniences are meant to be obstacles, but a SpRiNg board to higher places. Thanks Father! Wash us, drain us of ourselves today, then fill us back up with Your Living Water... when we've reached the "max line," drain us out---for others to see the cleansed life You've given and the refreshing waters You offer. Thank You, and P.S.--now that I've learned the lesson, can we get the plumbing fixed?? Thanks :) In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Breaking News!

EXTRA!! EXTRA!! We interrupt your day to give you an important update: Local plumber and son, B & C Yates, just released a statement: Main pipe line under house was so clogged they are just suh-prized ANYTHING could get through! To provide proof of this statement, they brought a piece of pipe line which further revealed a line almost entirely clogged by dirt and just overall G U N K! To add further to this development, the joints throughout the entire plumbing system were found to be in similar condition: CLOGGED! Local "Plumber and Son, Co." left with a final statement: "It's just a shock that anything could GO DOWN!" Son added, "Yeah, when my dad said it was clogged with junk, he was NOT KIDDING! Just look at my hands!"

This report brought to you by local reporter, Tammi
Stay tuned for tomorrow's continuing coverage of this story.

The Divine Stabilizer

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. 

Mark 4:39

Saturday night, when everyone else in the Yates' household was sound asleep, I was awake...Talking to the Lord.  Having an honest conversation.  Realizing the importance of going to our Heavenly Father through our Advocate or Representative, Jesus Christ, I pretty much "stated the facts of this case" I find myself grappling.   "Dear Jesus, here are the facts, as plainly as I can state them..." 

Have you ever felt like "Maybe if He'd just calm the stormy seas, His reflection in my life could be seen more clearly?"    I have!  In fact, remembering how He rebuked the wind and calmed the sea, I begged for Him to "do it again, Lord....for Your image to be clearly seen in my life...for Your glory."

Oh....how quickly I received a response to my "9-1-1 call to heaven!"  The very next morning, in my devotional, "Unto the Hills," by Billy Graham, he spoke of a ship's stabilizer, a gyroscope.  That is a device that is used for measuring or maintaining orientation.  Now I will not even attempt to explain the mechanics behind this instrument.  Basically, it remains stable no matter what direction force (or motion) is coming from.  The key is.....STABILITY.  Keeping the ship stable, even if the vessel is being tossed about violently. 

For Christians, our stabilizer is the Holy Spirit.  He enables us to keep going in the right direction, no matter the amount of force "our vessels" are experiencing.  So here I was "suggesting" that the Lord just speak PEACE to these storms, "calm the storms, so that Your image can be reflected even clearer," and He quickly responds, "Dearest, I've equipped you with a Divine Stabilizer....You empty your vessel of your fleshly nature, and allow My Holy Spirit to fill you up from 'bow to stern,' and you shall remain stable from the inside-out, able to reflect My image, even ON stormy seas."

So...maybe He will speak Peace and a great calm will come to the raging seas of life.  Maybe not.  Either way, God expects us to reflect the image of His Son by allowing the "Eternal Son" to rise in our hearts.  No matter what, He's there in the midst of us, able to speak peace, or to bring (and KEEP) peace from within the very depths of our hearts. 

Dear Jesus, we humbly and readily admit that You ARE the Master of the wind, the Creator of the universe, and You will do what is best in order to bring us closer to You.  You reflect the Heavenly Father to us, and You then enable us to reflect Your image right back to Him, so others will see and be drawn to YOU.  Have Your way within our hearts, no matter the stormy seas that may be raging around us.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

A big thank you to Michel Mayerle for granting permission

to use his beautiful picture of the sunrise!

http://michelmayerle.blogspot.com/

(To find more detailed info about the gyroscope, click here.)

Tired or Tried?

But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 
Job 23:10

Earlier tonight I was writing an email to a friend, but I was so tired, and typing probably way too fast for my brain to keep up, that instead of typing "tired" I typed "tried."   Then I thought, "Mmmm.  How odd...Just a simple switch-a-roo of two letters, and we've got two words that are related."  

Related?  Yes...because whenever we're being "tried" (as being purged of the dross, purified) we usually become "tired" right?  Just like I mentioned in the last blog, "Are You Fed Up (or TIRED) of the Delivery?" we can grow weary from these "brown-paper-bag" circumstances we find ourselves facing on the "front door of life." 

Maybe it will help for us to remember this simple hint:  The two letters that are being switched are the letters "I" and "R."   Notice if the "i" comes first, we have the word tIred.  Isn't that the way it goes whenever we put the "I" ("me") first in viewing life's trials---we become tIred. ???  Yep.  Wondering how this will affect "me," or "why does this always happen to me?"  "when will I ever learn?" --- Worrying about "me" makes "me" TIRED! ;o)

Maybe one thing God is trying to teach us is to put the "R" first.   Rest.  Rely.  Be Reassured.  Relax.  Run to Him.  Roll over your burden on Him.   Everything changes!  We go from being tIred, to being tRied.  And what does Job say?  "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."  Job 23:10 (KJV) 

This is just a simple Reminder to myself to put a lot MORE "R" in my tRials and a lot LESS "I."   

Can you think of other things He's tRying to teach us to do?  It doesn't even have to start with the letter "R."   :)  

Oh Father, Thank You for a simple "typo" this evening...and for pausing me by Your Holy Spirit's nudging, to look at that once more and THINK about the truth in the simple typo.  When we look at the storms and trials in our lives from a new perspective, one that doesn't pull us into the hopelessness of  putting "self" first, but ROLL our burdens onto You, we find REST..and we also find that when we are TRIED, we shall come forth as GODL , I mean goLd.  But yes, even in that typo, I am reminded that we shall come forth as "more in the Likeness of God's image!"   Which is to be desired more than gold!  Thank You, Father!  Even in our mistakes You teach us lessons! Strengthen us Father, as we rest in Your arms tonight.  In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.  

Live! And Let HIM Live!!!

"This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses." Acts 2:32

When I was writing yesterday's entry, a phrase jumped out at me, right off the computer screen, back into my heart! Rang true! And I knew! This is the entry for Easter Sunday's blog! "Live! And LET HIM LIVE!"

Oh! Where to begin? He is RISEN! That means HE IS ALIVE! He was once dead, but NOW IS ALIVE! And RISEN! He was once crucified, not because of anything He did or deserved, but because He willingly gave His life for us, as payment for OUR sin. (The payment for sin is DEATH!) But NOW, HE IS ALIVE! Forever more! Praise His Holy Name!

But...what are WE, as His children, DOING about it? Are WE living!?!? Truly LIVING! And furthermore, are we LETTING HIM LIVE through us!??! Ahh. This is definitely a good question.

How Much Do You Weigh?

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9:23

I'm pretty sure you're familiar with the TV reality program "The Biggest Loser." It's where people who are struggling with their weight become part of a reality program, and subsequently the entire nation can begin to cheer them on in their journey of weight loss, right in the privacy of our homes. Who will be the Biggest Loser?

Today's entry has nothing to do with weight loss. But it has everything to do with losing our heavy burdens. "Winning by Losing."  What a concept!  I wondered today, "Has it ever occurred to you and me that the Biggest Loser can also be the Biggest Winner, spiritually speaking?" Just like on the reality program.

So many times I've referred back to Matthew 11:28-30--- "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Who wouldn't want to come to Him to unload our heavy burdens and trade them in for a lighter load?

Pressure Washin'

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:26, 27

Ever had one of those days when you just wonder "what else in the world could go wrong?" Pressure here, pressure there, pressure everywhere... except where it needs to be---like a tire!?!? LOL Anyway, yes, we've all had those days when it just seems as if we can't take it any longer. Just when you feel the walls closing in, He's got His eyes on you..He knows how much pressure you can take.

Remember from an earlier post I had written about our dark times are always a time to listen ? ?   Sometimes, trials and tests will come --->from every direction<---  and it does seem like it's just too much. But remember, He's going to teach us a lesson in this storm if we'll only be quiet and listen patiently for His voice.

Well, this week has been "loads" of fun. . .and I do mean LOADS. . .of laundry! For some reason my washer is putting out so much water during its drain cycles that the old slow pipes just can't handle the outflow. So in order to get a load done, I have to stand there, and "patiently" watch and listen for the washer to drain. As it's draining, I can hear the water quickly rising in that pipe. When I DO finally see the water begin to peak I immediately push the "STOP" button. I have to press STOP on the washer--just to give the pipe time to drain . . then I pull "start" and let the tub drain, then stop. You get the picture. It takes a long time. And it's not really fun either. If I don't do this, the garage will be flooded!

So what is it that You are trying to teach me in THIS situation, Lord? Well..."ask and ye shall receive..." LOL He showed me something pretty neat: