Rock Solid

One of my favorite church hymns growing up was The Solid Rock.

On Christ, the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand...

(Page 202 in the Old School Hymnal we used in the Primitive Baptist Church I grew up in back in Roselle, Missouri.)

I mentioned in earlier posts that when I hear the word rock or phrases using that word these days - I immediately think of Jesus.

Because recently (2013), He proved Himself to me so powerfully that He skyrocketed to the highest place of worship, honor, respect, trust and deep love that I never imagined even possible in my relationship with Him.  He is the Solid Rock in my life just as the song says - no doubt!

So, when I considered how we sometimes say something is rock solid, I wanted to write a post about Jesus being rock solid.Sort of a play on the old hymn The Solid Rock.

But as I pondered the post I wanted to write, God gently brought to my attention the fact that its ME, not Him, who needs to be ROCK solid.

He does NOT change and He has ALWAYS been the solid ROCK.

But Christians do change as we grow up in Christ. The more we mature - the more Rock solid we should be because we are becoming like Jesus. Hopefully!

So when we find ourselves facing a temptation or situation that we've already been through and wonder, "Am I going to be tested again in this way?"

This is the time to be ROCK SOLID and our answer should be, "I will NOT be tempted in this way again."

Stand firm on the solid ROCK and do not stand on anything else.

Praise be to the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. Psalm 144:1

Between a Rock and a hard place

The other day at work, I was talking with a young man and in the midst of the conversation, he mentioned the common phrase of being between a rock and a hard place. 

Now, I've heard this phrase my entire life, I'm sure, but it never struck me the way it did when it came out of his mouth that day. Because lately, when I hear the word rock, I always think of Jesus. So, as soon as he said it, I pondered it in a new way.

It is certainly a difficult situation to be in when it seems that no matter what you do, it's going to be hard and someone is probably going to get hurt.

Maybe even you.

There's no getting around it in life, whether it is a relationship problem, death or some other issue we must deal with. It is going to happen eventually - we will find ourselves between a rock and a hard place.

Some people think that when you become a Christian, your problems mysteriously vanish and everything is perfect from that moment on. Or at least, some may lead others to believe this. But that's completely FALSE.

The truth is we will still have the same problems. We just have a better way of handling them than we did before we became Christians.

This is why when you are between a rock and a hard place in life (and you are a Christian) the reality is that the rock is between you and a hard place. Not the other way around.

But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the Rock in whom I take refuge. Psalms 94:22.

*According to Webster's dictionary - words in parenthesis.

The LORD has become my fortress (place that is protected against attack: a fortified place), and my God the Rock in whom I take refuge (shelter or protection from danger or trouble).

When we take shelter in the Rock, He's our fortress. He is between us and our hard places in life.

Will there be problems?

Oh yeah...unfortunately.

But how much better is it to know that we can take refuge in the Rock!

He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He. Deuteronomy 32: 4

A light for my path

We recently got a little black cat.  She was the cutest thing when we first got her and the story of how she ended up in our family is sweet.

My husband went to get a haircut late one evening and the ladies who worked there had found the stray kitten in the ditch and were feeding it Cheetos. They were trying to find her a home before closing time.

My husband called me and asked me if I'd like a kitten. I'm not sure why I said yes because my oldest son, who was living in our basement at the time, is allergic. But I said yes and he brought the kitten home.

It didn't take long for all of us to fall in love with her. She was absolutely adorable. Plus, I think we needed her just as much as she needed us. We bottle fed her until she grew a little.

Now, she is about seven months old and very playful! She climbs the curtains and the brick on the fireplace. She has figured out how to get onto the counter tops and kitchen table.

So, this is a bit of a problem. Not only because we don't want her on the counters and table but we also have a flat top electric stove in the house that we currently rent and I'm afraid she is going to jump right on top of the stove when the burners are still hot.

How do we teach her that something she is doing is dangerous?

Well, we've tried several things and it's getting better but it's not something I considered when we brought her home. lol

What got me to thinking about my cat and her antics is my youngest son, Joseph, and his laser pointer.  The other night he got it out and the cat was going nuts chasing the red light. She wore herself completely out! 

Everyone thought it was hilarious but I couldn't help but think that she was chasing something that wasn't really there. It was just a stream of light and she would NEVER catch it. Yet, she spent all of her energy chasing something that was unattainable and really a trick.

It reminded me of the many things in life that Satan shines a light on to try and get us off course and lead us to a dangerous place. 

Sometimes, we are completely captivated by it and chase it in our own way. He has an arsenal of deceit and trickery he uses to lure God's children to places they should not be. It causes them so much trouble yet I'm sure Satan delights in it and finds it entertaining and hilarious! 

For Christians, we have the answer. God gave us His word. The thing is, to stay on course, we have to read it and use it in our lives daily. 

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalms 119:105

He will not lead us astray.  ♡♡♡

Tag...you're not it

When I was young, one of my favorite games to play was tag.  It was mostly a summer game played in the evening before dark with the neighborhood kids.  Our family was large enough that we really didn’t need any neighborhood kids to play but it was more fun when lots of people joined in.

It was an unfortunate thing in tag if you were “it”.  Then it was your job to chase everyone else trying to tag someone so then it would become their job to be “it”.  So, the goal of tag was NOT to get tagged. 

I’m not really sure kids even play tag these days.  It seems like a lot has changed since I was young.  We didn’t have cell phones and social media sites to entertain us.  We were bored a lot, I will admit.  Lol

I got tag in my thoughts because now when you “tag” someone…it’s usually on Facebook or Instagram.  It really doesn’t mean the same thing as it used to. 

Now, I guess the goal is to GET tagged.  If you’re out with a group of people (or with someone at a particular place) and a photo gets posted on Facebook and you aren’t tagged, it can have a negative effect.  We might wonder, why didn’t I get tagged?  Did they forget to tag me or just didn’t want to tag me?  Lol

I’m sure that mostly it happens due to thoughtlessness and nothing else.  However, it can leave us feeling left out and hurt.  If it happens more than once, you can’t help but take it personally even if you shouldn’t.  The issue is that we want acknowledgement by being tagged.

As I searched the scriptures for the word acknowledgement, thinking I wanted to go in the direction of God acknowledging us, I discovered that the word acknowledge popped up in my search more times than I imagined and the scriptures I found were more about God wanting acknowledgment instead of what I thought I was looking for. 

Really, it makes perfect sense.  We were created in God’s image and we want to feel acknowledged.  So does He.

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him for he acknowledges my name.”  Psalm 91:14

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:6

“But I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me.”  Hosea 13:4

You who are far away, hear what I have done; you who are near, acknowledge my power!  Isaiah 33:13

Wow…not what I had in mind when I started searching but I’m glad that God brought this to my attention.  These are only a few of many scriptures. 

It's our nature to make it all about us trying to gain acceptance and acknowledgement from others but it's not about us at all and we are not "it".  

Do not be thoughtless as we often are but remember who should truly be acknowledged for all the incredible things He has done in our lives.   

  

Lost and ... FOUND

I lost my white gold earring the other evening as I was out walking in our driveway.  I knew I was going to lose it sometime or other because it seemed to unlatch easily when I didn’t intend for it to.  So, when I looked in the mirror and noticed it was missing, I wasn’t surprised but very disappointed that it finally happened.

By the time I noticed, it was already getting dark outside and I knew I'd never find it until daylight.  So, the next morning, before church, I walked the path I'd walked the night before very slowly, searching desperately for the earring my husband had bought me for Christmas.  But I didn't see it.

I told my husband and he also went outside and searched but to no avail.  

We went to church and I figured it was long gone.  At a minimum, I thought one of us would run over it with a vehicle.  I tried not to be upset but felt disturbed that I'd lost the earring that my husband had taken such care in picking out for me.  (I'd noted my Christmas list two years in a row...finally, I got them.  I couldn't believe now I lost one of them.) 

Plus, this was not the first time I'd lost a nice piece of jewelry that he'd bought me.  I also lost an engagement ring set he bought me for our five year anniversary.  I was sick over that, as well.  Luckily, two weeks later, I saw something glinting from the drawer where I kept my hair clipper thingies and there was my ring!  So, I was determined I would find this earring, as well! 

That night, when I went for my walk again on the driveway that goes in a big circle around our house, I had a small amount of hope that I might possibly find it.  But my husband had cut the grass and there were grass clippings everywhere which lowered my expectations.  I walked and thought and kept my eyes peeled.  

After a few circles around the house, I walked by where my husband was standing and saw a negative image of a circle in my mind.  I stopped.  Took a few steps back, pulled the earphones from my ears and looked.  My husband said, "What is it?"  I said, "I thought I saw something."  

I looked more closely at the area I'd just scanned and there was the white gold hoop earring laying in the grassy area where the car wheels didn't destroy it.  I picked it up and handed it to him with a big grin on my face.  He couldn't believe I found it and neither could I!  But I was extraordinarily happy with myself!! 

I don't know if you've ever lost something that you love before but it is a terrible feeling.  Then, if you are lucky enough to find it, how wonderful it feels!  

It reminds me of the parable in the Bible of the lost sheep. 

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.  Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.  Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

Luke 15:4-7

There is rejoicing in heaven over one person who turns away from their sin.  Just one.  

I know how wonderful it feels to find something I love that I've lost but we have NO idea what kind of party breaks out in heaven when one of us says NO to the world and YES to God.  We have no clue how happy it makes Him when we choose His way over our way.

So, say YES and get this party started!!  :) 

Think

  Sometimes bad things happen.  

 

 
Our world might seem to be completely falling apart.  Whether it is the death of a loved one, divorce or illness.  It is probably something different for everyone.

2013 was just a bad year for me.  It’s now two years later and I still think about that year.  There wasn’t just one terrible thing.  Two of the most traumatic things that ever happened to me in my adult Christian life, happened in the same year.  Which is kind of ironic, because I started off the year planning on doing whatever necessary to make it a better year than 2012. 

If I could turn back time, I’d definitely do some things differently.  But hindsight is 20/20 and when you are in the midst of whatever you’re going through, it’s hard to see the right thing to do and unclear what you’re looking at or dealing with.

At the time, I did my best do make wise decisions.  I prayed constantly seeking God's guidance in each situation.  I went to see my parents to seek their counsel.  I spoke with a dear friend.  But I seemed to have no control over anything but my own behavior and I trusted God to get me through the difficulties.  

Now, it's all behind me but what I struggle with is my thinking.  I do pretty well when I’m working or around a lot of other people.  It’s when I’m alone that is the problem.  My thoughts turn back the clock and I dredge up everything from 2013 and go over it.  It’s NOT like I can change any of it.  It’s NOT like my thinking will make any difference to anyone involved in the situations or resolve any problems.  It’s over and done with.  So, I need to NOT think on these negative types of things but to focus on the big picture and what God has done through these trials.  He took terrible things and made beautiful things.

In case you are wondering, this is a picture that I took in 1997 and has been hanging on my wall everywhere I’ve lived since then.  It has faded a bit but I still have the negative.  (Yes, this was before we had a digital camera or even a cell phone with a camera!)  

When I took the picture, I just thought it was a beautiful sunset.  When I got it developed, I thought the same thing.  I hung it on the refrigerator and a few days later, my husband and I both noticed a face in the picture.  Then we were astounded by it and showed it to everyone.  I blew it up to an 8X10 and hung it on the wall.  I noticed more faces in it and even an image of what seems to be Jesus hanging on the cross with His arms outstretched and His head bowed down.  This is my favorite Jesus picture. :)

So, I use this to make a point.  When we are too close (or in the midst) of a bad situation, it’s difficult to see what we should be focused on.  But as we step back a bit from it, slowly things become more focused and we can see more clearly.  

There will be TRIALS in our Christan lives.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  James 1:2-3

As far as my thinking…I try to do this :) 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.  Philippians 4:8