My Border Collie, Queen Esther, is just about as handy as a GPS if she’s been to the destination at least once. The closer we get to where we’re going, the more hyper she becomes. The backseat of my car may as well be a treadmill. In fact, if I’m on the phone, I usually have to hang up because the person on the other line becomes too distracted to talk.
What is that?
My dog. Sorry. She’s a little over excited.
Is she hurt?
No. She’s happy.
What does she want?
Out!
She jumps from window to window and commences – not to bark exactly – but to yelp. I constantly insist to Keith that I have the gift of interpretation for the tongue Queen Esther speaks and, when we’re coming up on our destination, I am absolutely sure of what she’s saying: Let me out of this car so I can run the rest of the way!
Right about now, you’re the Queen – the real kind and not the canine variety – and it’s the perfect time to start your happiest yelping. You can see from the view out of your window that we are almost to our destination and, after a whole lot of hard work, I hope everything in you is hyping up and hollering, Let me out so I can run the rest of the way!
Good grief, you’ve been fantastic. I cannot recall ever having a higher percentage finish out the year. I’d have to check past years to confirm that but I don’t remember ever having a more active group from start to finish. I wish you were sitting right here with me in my chilly den in front of this fire and we could talk face to face instead of line to line.
Our heater is out and it is just about as cold in Houston as it gets most winters. We’ve already had the repairman out for hours but he’s been unable to fix it and advised us to call our builder. He thinks it’s a malfunction in the unit. You have to write an email request to the builder for a repair and we haven’t heard back from them yet so it could be a frosty few days. I just worked out on my elliptical with a jacket on if that tells you anything. I don’t mind so much though, as long as it’s fixed pretty soon. It’s gorgeous outside and I love sitting by a fire anyway. The part I don’t like is that Jackson and Annabeth’s room at my house is like ice and they really can’t even play in it right now when they come over. No worries, though. I expect it to be repaired surely by the first few days of this week.
If you were here, I’d also serve you up some cinnamon rolls in about an hour. I made homemade rolls for our Thanksgiving feast and I almost always roll out cinnamon rolls with the leftover dough several days later. They’re rising right now under some lights in the only warm end of my house.
Some of you are observant enough to ask me if I pulled two of them off the one pan and ate them raw because of those 2 circles of flour. No, I didn’t – though I was tempted – but I did peel them off and put them on the second cookie sheet because the 3 rolls that wouldn’t fit on the first pan looked so lonely over there. My cold house is going to smell like heaven in a little while. Sometimes I make a thick butter icing but, really, I prefer a thinner glaze made of powdered sugar, vanilla and a tiny bit of half and half. Too much icing takes away from the homemade flavor of the rolls in my opinion.
The inevitable question I get at a time like this is, “Do you always eat like that?”
Lord have mercy, no. But, Girlfriend, it’s a holiday.
I could make you hot tea or coffee to go with yours, depending upon your preference, and we’d chat a while and then we’d trade our 23rd verses.
My selection came up in my devotional this morning and catapulted me into prayer. I’m actually memorizing the 2nd chapter of Colossians right now but sometimes the section I’m working on next is too awkward out of context to post as an SSMT verse. For instance, if Colossians 2:21 were next, imagine this as my SSMT selection: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” See? Awkward. So, if I’m in the middle of a long portion, I usually go off road for SSMT and select a verse that is more user friendly so that women who are drawing a blank on their choices can go with me on mine if they wish. Here goes:
Beth, Houston. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 ESV
The second half of it drew me into intercession. It does not say that the reason the Son of God appeared was to deny the works of the devil. It does not say that the Son of God appeared to downplay the works of the devil. It does not say that the Son of God appeared to decrease the works of the devil. It says He appeared to DESTROY the works of the devil.
So I started pinpointing some areas around my life and the lives of my family members and loved ones where the enemy is rearing up his ugly head. And with great joy and a sense of victory in my chest, I thanked Jesus for coming to destroy his works and asked Him to demonstrate that destruction right before our eyes in those areas. We know that “the ancient serpent, who is the devil” will not be completely bound until the Kingdom of the living Christ comes in its fullness and His throne is established right here on earth. At that time, the prayer we’ve prayed more than any other will finally be fulfilled: Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
But, until then, we are meant to experience stunning victories where we see living, breathing evidences that the enemy has been overcome. We’re meant to give the devil a taste of what he will experience in the Kingdom when he is bound for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:2)
Let’s not let him off the hook. Let’s remind our enemy every single day that he is not only defeated. His works are destroyed in Jesus’ great Name.
You, my dear sister, are a great privilege to serve. Walk strong with your God, young lady. Ask for a fiery faith to believe Him and for eyes to see His works manifested right here on this ailing planet. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Let’s toast to that.
Tags: Scripture Memory 2013
Ps. 103:19-22 NAS
The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, His sovereignty rules over all. Bless the Lord, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will. Bless the Lord, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion; bless the Lord, O my soul!
Ashley from Bean Station, Tn: We love because He first loved us. 1John 4:19 NIV
Mary, Lilburn, GA. How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity. Ps 133:1 NIV
Lisa, Greensburg, PA
“Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men..”
Colossians 3:23 (RSV)
Debbie, Ringgold, GA. – “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us… HE redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles trough Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of The Spirit.”
Galatians 3: 13a / 14, NIV
Colossians 4:2 NIV
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Jodell, Frankfort “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” Isaiah 9:2a NIV
Wendy, Fort Walton Beach, Fl
1 Peter 4:8 NIV
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Cindy, St. Louis MO – “who is wise & understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” James 3:13. NIV
Elaine
McVeytown
2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV
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;
Bombey Bellaire, TX 2 Cor 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; NIV
Linda, BARTELSO, IL. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. Romans 6:12 HCSB
Sandy, Rock Hill, SC
In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:16-17 NIV
Brianna from Huntsville, AL
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26 (ESV)
1 John 4:4 HCSB
You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Tammy,
Lusby, MD
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6 (NKJV)
Cindy Sisters Or Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning since the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8 ESV
Whitney from Cape Girardeau, MO
But the angel said to them “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
Luke 2:10-11, NIV
Candy, st Louis Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 ESV
Romans 15:4 NIV
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance
And the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Paulette P. Mays
Elmer, La
Elaine, New Orleans, LA
“The Lord bless you and keep you, The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)
Shelley from San Angelo
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
Lamentations 3:25 NIV
Sarah ~ Appleton, WI
Psalm 118:13-15a
I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous.
NIV
We love, because He first loved us.
1John 4:19
New American Standard
Desiree in Carlsbad
“I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life.
His baptism – a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit – will change you from the inside out.”
Mark 1:8 (msg)
Jo, Columbia, Missouri
Psalm 34:8-9 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. Psalm 34:8, 9 NIV
Paula from Denver, Co
2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish
strongholds.
Gina from Ruston, LA
3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3 NIV)
Give thanks to the Lord for HE is good, His love endures forever.
Psalm 118:1 NIV
MaryJo, Chandler, AZ
Give thanks to the Lord for HE is good, His love endures forever.
Psalm 118:1 NIV
Danyelle
Dayton, OH
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Hannah from Mt. Holly, NC:
(Colossians 2:7 NLT) “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot –
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him –
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 11:1-2 NLT
Carol
Jena, LA
Teresa, Chadron, NE.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 NIV
Belinda Blacklick, OH
Acts 17:11
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (ESV)
Kari, Frisco, TX
“Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” John 13:16
Sarah, San Diego.
“For with God, nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37
Johannah, Alexandria, LA
“It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us.” 2 Corinthians 1:21 NLT
Becky, Vicksburg, MS
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. I Peter 1:15 NIV
Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes. I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. (Psalm 44:5-8 NIV)
Connie Windham
Trout, LA
1 John 3:8 NASB
The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
Rachel D., Meridian, “Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.” (Isaiah 50:7 NLT)
Sharon, Florien, LA I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress & my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield & the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:1-2 (NIV)
Pam; Campbellsburg,In Psalm 34:2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord, The humble shall hear of it and be glad. NSFL NKJV
Mindy Seekford Shreveport,La.
He that commiteth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8 KJV
Lacie| Seattle
Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 ESV
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)
Mary, Atlanta (This is the latest I have ever posted my scripture verse!)
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, . . . ” Romans 8:38 ( NIV)
Heather from Hayden, AL: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 NIV
Becca, Camp Pendleton, CA.
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.” ~Psalm 62:1 NIV