The Case of the Lost Zebra

A pic of my daughter all dressed up with her
special lil zebra that she's had since she was 2,
all dressed up too.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was on him; and with his stripes we are healed.  Isaiah 55:3

Well, my last blog was talking about spring cleaning, and donating things.   Have you ever accidentally donated something that was NOT intended to be donated?   Even worse---it was something special to your child?   (GULP)      Well....tis with a sigh, a HUGE sigh that I write tonight's post. 

Over the weekend, my husband and I were in the process of switching the kids' rooms. . . just giving everyone a fresh start.  They were so excited. . . and we were too, because we were able to get rid of things, donate things, vacuuming the entire floor at once...spring cleaning at it's "best."   Anyway, moving furniture between two rooms was quite a mess at first. . .so to keep things "as organized as possible" I put my daughter's special stuffed animals (each have a special story of how they came to be a part of her life) in one spot...a bag.   And of course, somehow in the process of moving furniture, unbeknownst to me, the bag got mixed in with the "to be donated" bags. . ..and the rest is history.      

(Probably not the best page in our history books tonight.)  :o( 

Sunday afternoon, the to-be-donated bags were taken, (INCLUDING that special bag) to the thrift store.  I had no idea that my husband had taken it too. . .and oh how badly we both felt when we realized it tonight, make that~when SHE realized it!   The tears, the drama....the grief. . . the helplessness I felt for her tonight.  . a few of those lil animals had been a part of her life ever since she was two years old.   Even I felt a sense of loss.   What's a mom to do?  I couldn't even console her.     Well, while dear dad tried to console his lil girl ("I'll buy you some more"), her brother and I were in the other room, just praying for wisdom, calmness and comfort. . . .trusting that the Lord would work this out somehow for our good and His glory.   As the prayers are going UP, I hear her asking if I can go to the thrift store tomorrow morning to just see if any are still there.    Hmmm...

She asks a question, the Lord begins to teach a lesson. . .

That's when the Lord began to remind me that He understands what it feels like to lose something special.  We were made by Him, for His pleasure, to have fellowship and a loving relationship with Him.  When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, and their natures were jelled in the sinful condition that we all find ourselves born with,  mankind's fellowship with God was broken.   Can you imagine the pain and sorrow of losing such a dear relationship?!   God used to come and walk with them in the cool of the evening.  How He must have looked forward to talking with them!  We are more precious to our Heavenly Father than any amount of treasured keepsakes we can ever possess on earth.   Just as I will go to the thrift store tomorrow morning, in search of the little lost zebra, I'm even willing to buy it back, I will remember our Creator, and how He willingly offered Himself as payment for our sin---to redeem us, to buy us back, and rescue us from an eternal life apart from Him...so we can once again be treasured and bring pleasure to God, our Creator.  

What about the feeling of separation and grief when our Heavenly Father had to turn His back on His dear Son, while He was taking our punishment, paying OUR penalty for our sin??   



Isn't it ironic that her special stuffed animal is a ZEBRA---
and by our Savior's STRIPES we are healed?? 
What a way to always REMEMBER this lesson.

As far as the grief my daughter feels (and we too feel for her) I can thank God for understanding how we feel, and I can trust that as HER Heavenly Father, He will work this all out for her good...may He draw her closer to Himself, and reveal to her the very anguish He feels when He searches the world over for a heart that's willing to trust Him.  "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost."  Luke 19:10  May this cause her (and all of us) to appreciate what He has done for all of mankind, right down to the personal level~ for you and for me!   

He's reaching out to you. 
Won't you accept God's priceless gift of eternal life through Jesus? "God, have mercy on me, I'm a sinner. 
Save me!"

I'm not sure what I'll find at the thrift store tomorrow....but the lesson that has already been found through this is much more valuable than any lost bag of treasured keepsakes---and this is coming from a "sentimental mom of two dear children."   

Dear Father, we can thank You, even in the disappointments, and heartaches of life, for we know that You are working in the midst of these circumstances to reveal something beautiful about Yourself to our hearts.  Please wipe away the "Temporary Tears" and give us a clearer vision of deeper truths here.   The truth about the Almighty power of Your Redeeming Love and mercy. . . the truth that You understand our grief, You understand our losses, and You care.  One day You can throw out these bottles of Temporary Tears, but for now, we know that You bottle each tear drop up . . .how gentle and loving You are!!   You love children, Father, so I KNOW without a doubt that You are not going to leave our daughter brokenhearted for long.  You will bind up her heart, and make it stronger.  You will show Yourself strong to her, and to me---to ALL of us, Father, for our hearts are perfect (quiet) towards You. .  .we rest in the knowledge that You do all things well, even when You allow us to make mistakes.  You allow this for a reason.  We look to You to receive glory, much glory, from this.  Thank You for coming down to this sin-cursed-earth and paying the Ultimate Price for our redemption!  Thank You for drawing us to You, Father, by Your Holy Spirit.  We pray for Your Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His power to tell others about Your redeeming grace and mercy!!  Please open our eyes to valuable lessons, even in times like this.  Every "vexation" or "heartbreak" is a wonderful opportunity to grow, to experience Your power, to die to self, and allow Your Son to live gloriously through us!  Enable us to take full advantage of these situations! For Your Glory, and in Jesus' powerful name we pray, Amen.  

  



"With God as my Guide, the unknown becomes a challenge. . .

  There is nothing He cannot redeem and turn to lasting good." 

                               Author Unknown

Just Look at My Hands

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.   I Peter 2:24

Well, as I sit here waiting for yet another load of clothes to wash, I am extremely thankful for the fact that our washer/pipe problem has been fixed! Yee-HAW! (can you believe I'm actually EXCITED to be able to do laundry again? Me neither! But, as they say, "this (happy-to-do-laundry-feeling) TOO shall pass!") LOL

If you haven't read yesterday's blog, ("Pressure Washin'") you may want to read it, or at least the "Breaking News" Part at the very end. Today's blog picks up from that.   What did you think when you read the part that said: 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!" As soon as I read that the Holy Spirit opened my eyes! "LOOK, Tammi!  The SON added.....'LOOK AT MY HANDS!' Did you catch that?" I thought of Jesus, God's only uniquely born Son. I could imagine, our home's clogged main pipeline as a spiritual lesson.

When we're born, our hearts are totally clogged. Not with cholesterol. (or at least I HOPE they aren't.) But our SPIRITUAL hearts are clogged by sin. Of course water could not flow through our clogged pipes. Same with us---if we are clogged up by sin---the Living Water can not flow through us. So, what did our Father have to do? Before the foundation of time, He decided, along with the Son, to "fix" our problem.

God chose him as your ransom long before the world began,
but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.

I Peter 1:20 (NLT)

"Yes, Son, they have a problem. We are the only One Who can fix this." Now, in my home's plumbing situation, my husband directed our son in what needed to be done, what tools to get, etc.  The planner was the dad.  The son followed through.  But isn't it amazing that my little boy would say "Mom! Dad was NOT KIDDING when he said the pipe was clogged up with junk! JUST LOOK AT MY HANDS!" ?  Oh my word. 

P R I C E L E S S!



Clogged Pipes~~a few $ Measly Dollars $
Spiritual Lesson to appreciate the redemptive work of the Son of God~~
P R I C E L E S S!



Our Lord and Savior, the Holy Son of God, came to earth and did the work for us.  He made a way for His Living Water to flow through us. Now~~today, did I turn on the water in my house and let it flow????????????? You better believe it! In fact, laundry's going, even as we "speak." But what good would all that work have been IF I had not chosen to take FULL ADVANTAGE OF IT!?!?!? I mean, after all, the Son has said, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.."And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet." (Luke 24: 39, 40)

Are the pipes in your heart completely clogged by sin?    Do you need to call a "Spiritual Plumber" to remove the gunk and filth of sin from the pipes in your heart so that His Living Water can freely flow within?  Behold the Hands and Feet of our Savior. He's reaching out to Y O U.  What can He do for you? He's already done the major work ... all you have to do is "pick up the phone" and call Him (pray) and accept what He has done, by believing in HIM, receiving Him as your Savior, and repenting of your sin.

Note: That word is Repenting, not Repeating of your sin. In order to keep from REPEATING your sin: Let His Living Water flow FREELY through you, so that you can in turn, be a blessing to someone else by recommending the Best Spiritual Father/Son "Heart-Plumber" around! And THE BEST PART IS-- (drum roll). . .

He's already paid for it! IN FULL, with a 100% satisfaction guarantee!

Need Proof??  All you have to do is

"Just look at His hands."

Thank You Father for seeing a desperate need in our lives. . . for reaching out and coming down to us to get all dirty and grimy, completely covered by our nasty, yucky sin! Thank You, dear sweet Son of God, Jesus, for being my Savior.  I pray if there is anyone out there suffering from clogged arteries in their spiritual heart, please cause a big back up somewhere, so they'll know they need to seek help. I can personally guarantee that You are the best! Why should they settle for less? Dear Holy Spirit, flow freely through me....and if ever there's a small build-up, help me remember to call on my Heavenly Father to do a follow-up exam! Thank You for letting a sweet little boy speak those five simple words, 'Just look at my hands' today. And Thank You for reminding me of the nasty but necessary work you did for me and for all the world around me!

I know You depend on the word of mouth recommendations---so give me courage to spread the Word of Your Wonderful Cleansing, Heart Opening, Eye Opening, Life Changing,

Eternal-Life-Giving Work!    In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

And the Father replied....."This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17

Going Deeper, "In Deed"

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Romans 5;8,9

Today's blog entry is picking up from yesterdays, in which I was discussing the fact that it was Good Friday, and it was a Good Friday, in deed!  In DEED, meaning by the "something" that took place on that very day many many years ago, we can honestly say that it is a GOOD day, indeed and in deed-- Christ's deed---His sacrificial death on the cruel cross of Calvary for all mankind.

When looking up the word "deed," I found two different meanings. Yesterday's entry referred to deed meaning "something that is done." And boy! Was something EVER DONE!?! Done, completed, FINISHED! The work of our redemption by Christ's shed blood on the cross---Definitely DONE! He declared it when He said, "It is finished!" (It's DONE!)

But let's look into the other meaning of deed: "a signed and usually sealed legal instrument in writing used to grant a right." Well, I couldn't help but think of the song "Written in Red." It talks about God's love being written for us in "red"---by the shed blood of the Lamb of God. This of course is just a song depicting God's love for us being written in the precious blood of the Lamb. Just imagine the words "I Love You" written in red---by the blood of the Lamb. What a love letter!

Just Look at My Hands

Who his own
self bare our
 sins in his own body on the tree,

that we, being
dead to sins,
should live unto
righteousness:

by whose stripes
ye were healed.

I Peter 2:24

Well, as I sit here waiting for yet another load of clothes to wash, I am extremely thankful for the fact that our washer/pipe problem has been fixed!  Yee-HAW!  (can you believe I'm actually EXCITED to be able to do laundry again?  Me neither!  But, as they say, "this (happy-to-do-laundry-feeling) TOO shall pass!")  LOL

If you haven't read yesterday's blog, you may want to read it, or at least the "Breaking News" Part at the very end.  Today's blog picks up from that.  

What do you think when you read the part that said:  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!"   As soon as I read that the Holy Spirit opened my eyes!   "LOOK, Tammi!~~~'the SON added.....'LOOK AT MY HANDS!'  Did you catch that?"   I thought of Jesus, God's only uniquely born Son.    I could imagine, our clogged main pipeline as a spiritual lesson. 

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:

"No Good"

With the Super Bowl being just a week ago, and a son who finished playing his first season of football, it comes as no suprise to me that terms like "Touchdown," "Fourth and Ten," and "No Good!" are still fresh in my mind.  But what in the world do these terms have to do with being a Christian? 

Of course, we all know we're running a race....Hebrews 12:1 reminds us of that---Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.   The object of football is to make as many touchdowns as your team can...Get the most points on the scoreboard.  Play to WIN, not just FINISH.  Everyone finishes...but only one team WINS.