Resurrection Sunday!

The Lord is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Hallelujah!
Oh the triumphal cry that rings through my soul!

Here are some favorite Resurrection verses. Notice how they apply to us mere mortals who believe!


2 Corinthians 4:13-14 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the One who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to Himself. 

Ephesians 1:19-20 ... His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, 

Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you. 

Romans 8:34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 

If only I was a

MASOCHIST! (i. e., someone who obtains pleasure from receiving punishment) Then ripping off bandages in tender biopsy areas would be something I could look forward to. In contrast, my bathroom has become a place of dread and loathing. "Skreap: Etymology: A mixture of 'scream' and 'rip' with a portion of 'scrape', which to me, is a pretty painful sounding word."

 

 

The biopsys are healing, but the progress is slow. The drug tamps down the itching, but also smothers my brain. I am beginning to have more empathy with those who suffer from mental illness but do not WANT to take their meds! I get it! But the itching begins to drive me mad and I take the pill and apply the ointment and try NOT to complain.

This is my brain on mud:

 

 

Perhaps even more painful is the sense that my purposes and activities have pretty much come to a halt while I wade through the itching

(Hebrews 12:1b let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,)

and try to find Christ in my midst

(Hebrews 12:2-3 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.)

 

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep her in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:

because she trusteth in thee.

 

John G. Whittier wrote:

Love which outlives

All sin and wrong, Compassion which forgives

To the uttermost, and Justice whose clear eyes

Through lapse and failure look to the intent,

And judge our frailty by the life we meant.

 

Oh, Lord, how I pray his poem is correct! There are times my intention is vasty different than my actual performance.

 

 

 

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Prayer 3.27.13

It is well, not in a sense of 'lull us to sleep', but

It is well as a battle declaration, a shout of trust.

It is well for we trust the Creator to keep us.

It is well because He not only leads us,

But tunes our ears to hear His instruction,

Moves our hearts to obey,

Holds us as His clay,

Shapes us according to His plan.

 

It is well - the battle shout against fear

Against doubt and disbelief.

Yes, it is well

as the ancient Saint said

"All manner of things shall be well."

Not because we do things right

For we are not wise in our own eyes.

It is well owing to His sovereignty

The power of His might assures all manner of things shall be well.

 

We have only to quiet ourselves.

Yes, we do His bidding and

Due to His omnipotence we can rest.

Rest in His will and His ways,

Higher than ours, but not beyond comprehension.

As we listen, He will speak.

As recorded in Jeremiah 33:3

We call to You, Lord, knowing You will answer.

You tell us great and unsearchable things,

Things we do not know in our own strength.

 

He has promised that in the last days He will shake all things.

When our hearts are fixed upon Him

He renders them unshakeable.

Though we hear a fearsome noise far off,

Even if it seems to move with warp speed towards us,

We are not moved for we have His assurance

That all manner of things shall be well.

 

The crucifixion and death of Jesus seemed the worst thing.

Those who loved Him were bewildered and mourning.

And He arose.

Blessed were those He walked with

for "He explained to them what was said

in all the Scriptures concerning Himself."

 

Come, our Risen Lord,

Quiet our hearts we pray.

As a person of great influence can quiet a crowd,

Quiet us.

Teach us how to trust You more.

Waiting and watching in silence

Our hearts are stilled before You.

And You return to us, again saying,

"Peace be with you."

Lord, forgive us for fretting.

We choose to trust Your peace.

 

Macrina Wiederkehr wrote "Sacred Song."

 

"In this sacred darkness I sit in silence.

Open in this moment, I trust in the darkness

Waiting in trust, growing in trust.

Waiting and trusting the sacred darkness.

I surrender.

I surrender.

I surrender."

 

 

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Book We Bought our Children

In 1981 I saw this book on Captain Kangaroo and immediately bought it for our daughter, Emily. A Special Trade is about a neighbor "Old Bartholomew" who takes Nelly for a walk in her stroller.

 

"When Nelly was very small, he would take her every day for a walk down the block to Mrs. Pringle's vegetable garden. Bartholomew never pushed too fast. He always warned Nelly about Mr. Oliver's bumpy driveway: "Hang on, Nell! Here's a bump!" And she'd shout "BUMP!" as she rode over it.

If they met a nice dog along the way, they'd stop and pet it. But if it was nasty, Bartholomew would shoo it away. When Mrs. Pringle's sprinkler was on, he would say, "Get ready, get set, CHAAARRRRRRRRGE!" Nelly would squeal "Wheeee!" as he pushed her through it."

 

So the book follows their relationship through the seasons and through Nelly growing up and Bartholomew growing older. One day Bartholomew went out alone and fell down the stairs. He was hospitalized 'for a long time.'

"When Bartholomew came home, he was in a wheelchair. The smile was gone from his eyes. When he declared their walks were over, Nelly said, "No they aren't! I can take you for walks now." She knew just how to do it, too. Nice and easy, not too fast. Just before Mr. Oliver's driveway, she would call, "Get ready for the bump!" And Batholomew would wave his hat like a cowboy as he rode over it."

She knew how to handle dogs they met, and how to run his wheelchair through the overspray of the sprinkler. Mrs. Prinkle leaned over the fence. "Seems just like yesterday Bartholomew was pushing you in the stroller."

"That was when I was little," said Nelly. "Now it's my turn to push and Batholomew's turn to sit ... kind of like a trade."

 

I could not find this in print now. Amazon only had a very expensive copy of it. Ours is in tattered, well used, and I still like it!

Hopefully the investment we make in our grandchildren will become a Special Trade one day, as they grow up and we grow older.

 

 

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Soft Nurseries?

Why do we think once we become Christians our life will be easy and idyllic? We are deluded even about our faith.

 

We are not "born again" into soft nurseries, but in the open country where we suck strength from the very terror of the tempest." Dr. J. H. Jowett

 

Dr. Jowett did not mince words! " Suck strength from the very terror the tempest!"

 

 

Lord, can I learn to suck strength from this itching? Hard to imagine!

 

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"Begin the Day with God"

I was taught this while in confirmation class at 15 and also while being discipled as an adult. In 1979 I told the Lord I would gladly give Him the first hour of the day if He would just help me to know when my day ended and when it began. I had a newborn who wanted to nurse every 3 hours around the clock and I was getting weary.

 

 

March 2 Streams in The Desert reads

Exodus 34:2-3

'Be ready in the morning, and come up ...

present yourself there to Me in the top of the mount.

And no man shall come up with you.'

 

"The morning watch is essential. You must not face the day until you have faced God, not look into the face of others until you have looked into His.

"You cannot expect to be victorious, if the day begins only in your own strength. Face the work of every day with the influence of a few thoughtful, quiet moments with your heart and God. Do not meet other people, even those of your own home, until you have first met the great Guest and honored Companion of your life - Jesus Christ.

"Meet Him, alone. Meet Him regularly. Meet Him with His open Book of counsel before you; and face the regular and the irregular duties of each day with the influence of His personality definitely controlling your every act."

So I do try to make this my practice, though some mornings it just doesn't happen.

 

March 2 Joy & Strength has a selection by Thomas Erskine. (I have updated the language only.)

 

"I believe that love reigns, and that love will prevail. I believe that He says to me every morning,

"Begin again your journey and your life; your sins, which are many, are not only forgiven,

but they shall be made, by the wisdom of God, the basis on which He will build blessings."

What? He will use even our sins as the basis on which He will build blessings?

How will He do this? Often, I only understand things about God in hind sight. But it truly an amazing concept to ponder. Think about your own past and the sins you committed. Are there ways that the rubble from the event has been used as a basis on which He builds blessings? I know that my gratitude for the sacrifice of Jesus on my behalf and forgiveness that comes from Him have build solid foundations for my faith and my future. Think that might be what the quotation means?

You might be wondering what response I heard from The Lord in 1979 about when my day began and ended? His response was very clear.

"I do not want the first hour of everyday. I want every hour of every day with you."

 

My life has been changing in the direction ever since.

 

And that time spent is mysteriously used, I might even say miraculously. Somehow when I spend more time with God alone, particularly in the morning, I have more time throughout the day. I am better organized and have more purpose and focus. Try this experiment for yourself. I think you will find I am no one special, just found one of those Kingdom keys that works!

 

Now if I could just get rid of the focus on skin and itching, etc. I might be able to get ON with my life!

 

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The Skin Thing

Well I saw a dermatologist and she did biopsy three places. I keep going back to the injection. "Prescribing Literature" inserted in the box reads:

"In a large clinical trial of over 7800 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis, epidermal and dermal adverse events such as dermatitis, eczema, and rashes occurred at a significantly higher rate in the Prolia group compared to the placebo group, Most these events were not specific to the injection site. Consider discontinuing Prolia if severe symptoms develop."

She has the right idea!

I knew I was trouble when every time I was in the kitchen and picked up a sharp instrument to cook with I wondered how far down my back or leg that would reach!

 Might have to get one of these, too!

 Leave it to the Native Americans to get it done right!


My most frequent conversations with Bob lately ...

Ya think??! Yes, I have considered discontinuing Prolia, and reconsidered ad nauseum. If I knew some way to get it out of my system, I might pursue that, too.

Meanwhile, I await biopsy results, swallow anti-itch drug that makes me dizzy, stay off the roads while drugged and try not to scratch. My cousin mentioned once that she would like a bamboo back scratcher with the "finger nail area" sharpened into points. Maybe I will pursue that project!

Or just cut off all my fingernails and try to rub on occasion. Nah, the metal one looks like a better idea.