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)Â
Let’s toast to that.
Tags: Scripture Memory 2013
Margaret Ann, Pacific Junction, IA:
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person–though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die– but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6-8 ESV
Sally, Columbus, OH
“If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.”
Psalm 91:9-10 NIV
CHRISTIE – Graham, WA
“And God said,’Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Gen. 1:26-27 NASB
Kristin Cho: Northville, Michigan
Ephesians 4:7 NIV
“But to each one of us, grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”
Amen
Jeanne San Antonio,TX
Psalm 69:32 NLT
The humble will see their GOD at work and be glad. Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged.
Pamela New Bern NC
12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart; and I will glorify thy name for evermore 13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell
Psalm 86 12-13 KJV
“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes, that ruin the vineyards–for our vineyard is in bloom.” Song of Songs 2:15 (NET)
Hanna Wahlbrink. Lexington, Ky.
They will be called the Holy People,
the Redeemed of the Lord;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted.
Isaiah 62:12 (niv)
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
“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.” Psalm 143:8 (NIV)
Shawn in AZ
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
Psalm 19:9 NKJV
I Samuel 16: 7b NASB
…for God sees not as a man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
Kristi, Pensacola, FL
I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free.
Psalm 119:32, NIV
Ruth, Shawnee, KS
Romans 15:13 (NIV)– May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Heather from Atlanta, GA:
Luke 1:32-33 (NIV)
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
And do not be conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the runewing of your mind, that ye may approve what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 KJV
Mary Nelle Jones, Youngstown, OH
God shows His love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 Jennifer Jones Mosher in Canfield, OH
Kathryn, Oceanside, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6 NIV
Psalm 143:5 NKJV
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all your works; I muse on the work of your hands.
Debbie, Calgary AB.
“The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!”
(Psalm 18:46 NIV’84)
(I want to put that in all caps. and shout Hallelujah!!!!!)
Julie from Granbury, TX
Psalm 139:14 (NIV84) “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Wendy Smith, Plano, TX – Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thess 5:16-18
Tanya, from Lorton, Va
Luke 2:8-10(NIV)
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9-An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10-But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people.”
Sally from Baton Rouge
Matthew 2:10 (NIV)
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
Abbie, Omaha, NE
Romans 15:13 (NIV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
Becky, Stromsburg, NE
Psalm 16:5
Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
Jenn, Frederick, CO
Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Cindy, Chandler, OK
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5 NIV
Carolyn, Austin, TX:
He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. Isaiah 40:23
Obey the Lord your God
Deu.27.10 NIV
Maria, Katy TX
“But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.”
Psalm 39:7 (NIV)
Janet Long Clinton, MO
Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
Jennifer, Dallas Texas, “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:14 NASB
“My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you,
Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding ;”. Proverbs 2:1-2
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
Psalm 31:24 NIV
Dana
Boerne, TX
Adrienne, Valdosta, GA
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Eph 2:10 NLT
1 John 4:9 NIV
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
Jana, Brenham, TX
1 Thessalonians 5:24
“The One who called you is faithful, and He will do it.”
“I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”
Matthew 10:16 NKJV
Cathy, Russellville, AR
Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money;
it robs them of life. Proverbs 1:19 NLT
Beth R
Liberty Lake, WAJ
James 1:23 NIV
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what is says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror.
Sue, Standish, ME
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)
Proverbs 18:19 HCSB– “An offended brother is harder to reach than a fortified city, and quarrels are like the bars of a fortress”
Kristy from Cedar Park, Texas: My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26 NASB
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’
Galatians 6:9 NIV
Arlington, TX
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the suffereings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
Kim
NewPortRichey, FL
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
Psalm 139:14 NKJV
Ouida in Trenton, TX
O fear the Lord, you His saints; for those who fear Him there is no want.
Psalm 34:9 (NASB)
“Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” Jeremiah 32:17, NASB
Andrea, Pottstown
Philippians 3:9 NLT
…and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.