Hey, my beloved sisters!
Though I won’t publish this post until Tuesday, the first day of October, I am writing to you on Sunday. I have the house all to myself today – not even a dog in sight – and I am sitting on my back porch as a generous rain soaks the ground, polishing the wide leaves of sweet gums on its way down. Our trees this far south are still plump and green and, right this minute, I don’t mind because the leaves have such a sheen on them in the rain that they look like vinyl. The temperatures will drop one slow degree at a time over the next month but we usually don’t have what people call “Autumn” here until as late as November. And it’s almost unrecognizable even then. Suddenly you just look up and the trees don’t have leaves and it hits you that you probably missed Fall on your way to work that morning when you ran into Starbucks for a dry cappuccino.
An Arkansas girl by heritage, I am on the hunt for Red October by mid September but I can’t think of a time since I’ve lived on the Gulf Coast that I’ve ever found it. Well, except when I close my eyes and look. And it is beautiful there. I do love Houston though, despite how season-challenged it is. Good people. Many, many who earnestly love Jesus and crave the sense of His presence and serve Him with both life and heart. Its diversity kicks up a rich climate for faith and a prime place to meet people very different from you who seek Jesus feverishly. It’s not as easy to keep your stereotypes tidy here.
In the early years of speaking, God purposed that I’d accrue copious hours of experience serving at various churches, women’s breakfasts and luncheons right here in our city limits and still get home to greet my children after their school day. I often pulled out of the driveway when they hopped on the school bus and squealed my tires back on the concrete just minutes before they pulled up at 3:15. My kids loved riding the school bus and, as it turns out (I write this with a smile), it was a grace to me. On paper, our lives shouldn’t have worked but somehow it worked (apply the term loosely) in practice. That’s the beautiful oddity of the will of God. What should easily work doesn’t work when He’s not in it and what should never work does work when He is. It’s crazy to think about in retrospect. He has been so faithful, just as He will be to you as you try to balance it all and seek His mercy through the insanity.
I wish I could somehow add the soundtrack of what I’m presently hearing to this post. I wish you could listen to the comfort of the rainfall, especially if you are feeling chaotic or anxious right now or frantic about how something’s going to work out. The water is falling steadily, not a soft shower or a downpour. Constant and consoling, almost like one of those sleep-settings on your iPad. And I wish you could hear 4 male hummingbirds competing over the feeder that is hanging about 8 feet from where I’m sitting. It mesmerizes me to watch them and I think you might like it, too, once you adjusted to the pace out here in these woods.
Sometimes we really do just need everything and everybody else to shut up for a minute and let us listen to the sound of God being God around us. These moments are brief for all of us. Just five days ago I was fit to be tied over something. I do mean fit to be tied and, over the weekend, greatly concerned about a situation even while I served. But I am going to sit here for the next few minutes and pour myself a cup of coffee while God pours these woods a cup of rain.
Well, I guess you can tell that I’m in a musing mood so perhaps I should wrap this post up before I work my way over to subjects like world peace and dark nights of the soul and existential crises and the beauty of aging and the delights of youth. Honestly, I can feel a poem trying to write itself in my head. This post must end with perfect timing before, indeed, my words start rhyming. Run for your life. It’s almost too late.
Here’s my Scripture for this October 1st!
Beth Moore, O God, You cause abundant showers to fall on Your chosen people. When they are tired, You sustain them, for You live among them. Psalm 68:9-10a The NET Bible
Amen, You do, gracious, merciful God.
I love you, Sisters. You are a joy to me. The next post will be registration for our SSMT celebration so we can get an idea how many to prepare for. Wooohoooo! It’s almost time to kick up our heels!
Tags: Scripture Memory 2013
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6 NASB)
BECKY PEURIFOY – LONGVIEW TX – PHILIPPIANS 4:8 NIV “FINALLY BROTHERS & SISTERS, WHATEVER IS TRUE, WHATEVER IS NOBLE, WHATEVER IS NOBLE, WHATEVER IS RIGHT, WHATEVER IS PURE, WHATEVER IS LOVELY, WHATEVER IS ADIMIRABLE – IF ANYTHNG IS EXCELLENT OR PRAISEWORTHY – THINK ABOUT SUCH THINGS.”
Be Strong and brave . Don’t be afraid of them. Don’t be terrified of them. The Lord your God will go with you he will never leave you He’ll never desert you. Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIRV)
Heather W, Nederland, TX
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17 NIV)
Jamie in Mason, OH
to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.
Psalm 92:2 (ESV)
Julene from Cowiche, WA
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 NIV
Olathe, KS
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:18-19
Whitney from Russellville, TN
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5. TNIV
krystal ward
teague, tx
in everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus himself said: “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”
acts 20:35 NIV
Nesha, Mechanicsville, VA
‘As for me, I will always have hope, I will praise you more and more.’
Psalm 71:14. NIV
Waylene, Bellevue, WA
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. IICor 10:5 KJV
Psalm 126:1 KJV
When the LORD brought back the captivity of ZIon, we were like those who dream.
Gail
Decatur TX
Allison Ashton
KJV
Psalm 139:19
“Surely, thou wilt slay the wicked, oh God; depart from me therefore ye bloody men.”
Dawn Kornelson- Airdrie, Alberta, Canada
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
Sherry Youngblood Jay, OK
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalm 143:8 (NIV)
Dutchess of Winterville,
I wait for the Lord,my whole being waits,and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5NIV
Tricia
Conroe, TX
“O God, You cause abundant showers to fall on Your chosen people. When they are tired, You sustain them, for You live among them.”
Psalm 68:9-10a
The Net Bible
Scarlett
Round Rock, TX
“You, LORD, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked, who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race.” (Psalm 12:7-8, NIV)
Bev, Austin.
“For this I toil, struggling with all His Energy that He powerfully works within me.”
Rita Brown
Midland, TX
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of His calling,
and that by His power He may bring to fruition
your every desire for goodness
and your every deed prompted by faith.
We pray this so that the Name of our Lord Jesus
may be glorified in you and you in Him,
according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 NIV
Sherry
Oklahoma
Psalms 91:9 NLT
“If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter,”
Laura, Katy, TX
Psalm 16:11 you have made known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in Your Presence, with Eternal pleasure at your right hand. NIV
stephanie, houston
If only you would slay the wicked, O God!Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
Psalm 139:19 NIV
Carol Wilson
Chictaw, OK
Luke1:37. – for nothing will be impossible with God. Holman
Inez Barnes
Hamburg, AR
1 Peter 2:1 NIV
So get rid of all evil behavior
Be done with all deceit hypocrisy jealousy and unkind speech
All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
Psalm 25:10 NIV
Billie, Greenville, KY “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2 ESV
Jill Sayles, Puyallup, WA
Psalm 30:11, NLT
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.”
Gina, Tulsa
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. Matthew 10:42 NIV
Bev from Austin, Texas
“For this I toil, struggling with all His Energy that He powerfully works within me…” Colossians 1:29 ESV
“See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
Hebrews 12:15 (NIV84)
Alicia, Gulfport, MS
If only you would slay the wicked O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! Psalm 139:19
(Just continuing Psalm 139 hehe)
Romans 6:23 KJV
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Matia, Fort Worth, TX
“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 HCSB
Angela, Greenville Oh
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV
Lisa Auten, Rogers, AR: “that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.” Psalm 92:7 NIV
Julie Huffman, Springdale, AR: “that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.” Psalm 92:7 NIV
Joan, Redkey, IN
Sing praises to God, sing praises, sing praises, sing praises unto our King sing praises.
Psalm 47:6 (KJV)
Nancy, Redkey, IN
My heart, O God is steadfast: I will sing and make music with all my soul.
Psalm 108:1 (NIV)
Karina A.
Baton Rouge, La.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
Psalm 23:1
NASB
Mandy
Waco, TX
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 NIV
“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ESV Martha from Van Buren, AR
And they sang a new song saying,”Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open it’s seals, for you were slain. and by your blood you have ransomed men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
Rev 5:9 ESV
And they sang a new song saying,”Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open it’s seals, for you were slain. and by your blood you have ransomed men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
Rev 5:9 ESV
Melissa Eaton
Anna, TX
ESV Psalm 1:6
“For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
Psalm 118:13 “I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.”