9-11 - Remembering...

This picture is probably listed in the group of "Most Famous" photographs of America's history, along with images like the the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima, the sailor kissing his girl at the end of World War II, and others.

I remember exactly what was going on in my life on that September 11. I was practing the piano, I'm pretty sure it was a Saturday, and when my Mom came into the living room with a stricken look on her face saying, "[Grandmother] called and said a plane hit the World Trade Center!", it was the first time I'd ever heard of those buildings.

We turned on the TV, and there followed a living nightmare, playing out on the screen before our eyes. All I could think about was, "The people! There must be people in there! Some must have died. Dear God help us!!"The other plane crashing the second tower (which had happened just before we turned the TV on), the newsreporter woman saying, "I'm seeing smoke coming from the direction of the Pentagon. We'll have details about what's going on over there shortly.", the plane crashing in Pennsylvania, and the absolute unbelievable horror as, one by one, the two towers just sunk in on themselves, and the feeling of utter desperate helplessness as I watched. People were dying! People were dying and going into eternity, many of them without Christ, and there was nothing I could do about it!

Have we learned anything from this? For a while after 9-11, America was on a 'religious kick' - everyone turning to God, because there was no one else to turn to! We, America, the strongest nation on earth, had taken a vicious blow in the stomach, and we were crippling under the impact. God was our only hope! But, within just a couple of years, we got over our need for God, and moved on with our greatness. What a mistake. What a tragic mistake we are making. If we can't get the message with a blow that took us to our knees, what will get our attention?

God help America! She is not the same land that prayed "God bless America ... Stand beside her and guide her ... with a Light from above.""We will never forget!" This slogan passed around the country in the months following September, 2001. We may not have forgotten, but our dull minds have shoved the memory to the back of the closet, and refused to learn. God help us!

People Will Let You Down

This is so strange. My last post was about a blessing. This post is about a discouragement.

That's how life is, isn't it? Peaks and valleys, ups and downs, laughter and tears, Light and Darkness.

Everyone is human; everyone has faults. No matter how wonderful, spiritual, consecrated, or wise they are, they are still flawed in some area. I have always known that people will let you down (God won't). Sometimes it seems like I don't know it though.

Saturday I got a good hard shock that thoroughly proved the accuracy of this post's title. At an event that day (for time's sake, and to avoid finger-pointing, I won't name names or go into all the details), a group of people who I have respected, trusted, and looked up to, behaved in a manner completely foreign to the people I thought they were. I respected, trusted, and looked up to them, because of their character, integrity, spiritual-mindedness, purity, and set-apartness (I don't know if that's even a word, but it serves my purpose). Witnessing their behavior, I was completely dumb-founded. Disgusted. Embarassed. And heart-broken. I turned to Mom and told her, "These aren't the [people] I know!" This was so unlike them! It was like living a nightmare, where strange and shady-minded characters take the bodies and voices of people you love, then behave like the fiends they are.

Oh how I have prayed that the Lord would pierce their consciences! Shame them to their core; wake them up, startled, to the realization of the message they were sending.

I also have the impression that I should try to speak to them. They knew I was there; they know I saw. I cannot conscientiously stand by, silent, and act like everything is OK. It's NOT okay! I must, as a loving friend, approach them and give an account of what their actions spoke to an outsider. But I am so afraid. Afraid I will not have the right words. That I will not time it right. Afraid for their testimonies. Afraid to lose them as friends.

The sovereignty of God is a great comfort!

Sparrows that fall...

Sometimes I wonder, is it okay to pray for animals?
For the past couple of weeks or so, I've been putting my little crippled chicken out in the yard for a few hours, to give him/it more outside air (he's been staying in a box in our garage), and I've also hoped that the grass would provide a little stability for him to learn to walk in. I put a plastic basket with large holes over him, so that he can still see out and feel the breezes, but we won't accidentally step on him (plus it prevents cruelty from the other chickens roaming the yard).
Well, today I put him out as usual. I check on him periodically, to give him water, make sure he's not in the sun (HOT), and just make sure everything's ok. I went out today after he'd been out a while, and he was just laying sortof listless in the grass. I picked him up, and saw he was covered in ants! Now, down here in the South (maybe in the north too, I don't know), we have a particular kind of ant that's very small, but when it bites you, it is very painful. They're called "fire ants". And that is what was attacking my little bird. They had never bothered him before! Mom said that it was probably since we have not had much rain for the past few days. I ran over to the eaves of the house where Dad has some five-gallon buckets to collect run-off, and sunk him up to his neck in the warm water, trying to wash the ants off. He hardly protested at all. Trissy heard my lamentations and stuck her head out the door, and when she saw, she hurried back to the kitchen and made some vinegar-water to bathe him in when I got the ants all off. So we did that, and then put him back in his box under the fold of an old towel, 'cause they say if a person goes into shock that they should be kept warm even if it's hot already. We didn't know if he was in shock or not, but he seemed pretty done in. He perked up a tiny bit after a little while of rest and no ants. After lunch I put some Neosporin (that we keep specifically for our animals) on his bites, and I've been giving him water regularly. But when I went out just now, he seemed to have wilted a little more. He's not a very big body, to absorb the poison, and he's swollen from all the bites; I'm just wondering if, after all this time and hard work nursing him through all those other odds against him, if now he's going to up and die because I left him out to the ants!
Is it ok to pray for animals? I think, answering my own question, that yes, God sees the little sparrows that fall to the ground, so He surely doesn't mind if we care about them too! Nothing is too small to bring before the Lord - we've just got to be willing to accept His outcome.
Surely the Lord's got a lesson for me out of this one too.

"...Thou Hast Made Me Glad..."

Thank you to anyone who prayed for my friend's mother and baby brother - he is here, and everything appears to be fine! PRAISE THE LORD! Trissy and I were at the church working on VBS decorations, and Mom called and told me the postcard had come. Praise God! My friend and her little sisters (not to mention her parents) have been wanting a little brother for a long time, but some medical quirk (I don't know the name of it) caused her mother not to be able to have sons for some reason. I've been praying about it for several years, and in 2007, it looked like the Lord was going to allow it to happen, but they lost him. So when my friend wrote and told me in October (best birthday present!) that she was going to have another brother or sister, I knew (you know, as sure as human 'sure' can be) that it would be a boy, and that the Lord would keep him safe, and I've been praying so hard for the past seven months. Yesterday, when I hadn't heard yet, I was beginning to get so afraid, so I went out into our little orchard and sat down in the grass, and just poured out my heart before the Lord. Finally, a peace came, I just let the Lord have it, and the thought came to me, "Maybe I'll get word in the mail today." Well, I didn't, but I'd given it to Him, and though I was still sad, it was just kindof like, "Well, okay."

Then I got the postcard today.

It was as if the Lord took just long enough for me to let it go. Isn't He good?

This is the main verse that has been repeating itself through my mind throughout the afternoon:

"For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands."

Ps. 92:4

There have been others as well, all praising God for His wonderful works to the children of men! Oh He is Good! Praise His Name! My words fail, trying to express the thankfulness of my heart, but I know He understands my gratitude, and I wanted to share this little story in the hopes of encouraging someone who may read it.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

What's Been Happening...

Hello! Just thought I'd try to fill you in a little on what's happening with me! :)

Well, last Thursday morning, my four-member family left on a two-day-one-night camping trip - something we haven't done in AGES! We had an extremely enjoyable time, sitting and reading, swimming, hiking, playing UNO, and just visiting, knowing there was nothing 'pressing' that was demanding our time, and nowhere we had to go. We took our new tent (we've only slept in it twice before, and both of those times were in our backyard, which doesn't count ;) ), and Dad made hamburgers and hotdogs on the little grill provided at the camp site (yea, I know, we cheated) and we roasted marshmallows over a campfire. All in all, we really enjoyed the two days.

Next week (beginning Monday) is Vacation Bible School at church, and Trissy and I have been over there every day this week (except today) helping Lindy and her mom decorate Oliver's classroom. Yes, Oliver is one of the teachers - he's got the kindergarten age group. He's had to work most of the week though, and couldn't work on the room himself, so he was really grateful for the help. We've had alot of fun, but we're about ready for it to be finished! We are really praying for the Lord to get glory out of this VBS. We've been praying for the kids that will attend, and even for adults that might be affected as well.

I made tacos for lunch today, and they turned out pretty good, even if I do say so myself ;). I'm not much of a cook, so that's always 'iffy' - how the meal will turn out, that is. :)

I'm supposed to start a summer class Monday. It's online though, so that is a REAL blessing! I won't have to drive to the college that way, and I might still have a chance at some of the summer trips going on around here. There is a camp in June (I might have mentioned it before) run by some people who go way back with my folks. They used to be missionaries together, and now some of the kids are great friends with Trissy and me. I am so praying I can go to that camp! The Bible teaching is so good, and it's a great challenge - plus I get to see friends (family, almost) who I only get to fellowship with once or twice a year.
Speaking of these friends-who-are-almost-like-family, one of these friends' mother is expecting a baby any day now. Her parents have been wanting more children for years now (she has two sisters), and they've lost about five. This one was supposed to come Tuesday, and she promised to send me a postcard as soon as he got here. I should have gotten it by now, and I'm getting afraid something went wrong. Please pray for this!

Well, I've got to run - So long for now! :)

Spring And School

Well, they say that Spring is finally here. And while the sun shines, the days warm to a comfortable in-between temperature, I'm reminded of God's mercy that is new every morning. He is so good to give us just what we need, when we need it. How kind He is!



{Photo property of Image Nature (images of nature). May only be used with permission.}


Please pray for me this week in school. It's kindof tough right now. But I'm encouraged, for my instructor is seeming to become slowly more open when I talk about my faith. Please, please pray that I would be the kind of witness I need to be so that she would see Christ in my life and want Him. What an honor it would be if I could be privaleged to be the one to lead her to Jesus!

Have a wonderful day everyone

-Kyrie<><

What God Hath Joined Together...

Sunday was a wonderful day! Somehow everything seemed to glow almost. I can't really describe it, but it was as if the whole day just had this sort of other-worldly type vividness of color and experience - I know, it sounds kind of strange, but that's the only way I know how to describe it. It was really a 'lift' to my spirit though, so I'm posting about it ;)

Part of it (well, at least one thing that happened that I can pin my finger on that wasn't just a 'sensation') was looking over at Bro. and Mrs. A and seeing ... Well, let me say this first:
Because you all don't know these people (I've changed names anyway), then I feel like I can tell this. Bro. and Mrs. A are a couple in the church who I have secretly been worried about for quite some time. They are both very active in the church, they stay busy "doing things for God" as the expression is, and they both 'talk the talk'. But, I've been concerned about them. The two of them. Their relationship as husband and wife. Now, outwardly, everything is fine. But I like to observe people - I always have. I like to study those I love, and try to find out what makes them 'tick'. So, over the past few months I've noticed little things about them... it has greatly concerned me, and I've prayed for them earnestly - that the Lord would give them an unquenchable Love for Him and for each other. One that would only grow stronger as time wears on. One that lasts forever.
Ok, so Sunday morning at one point during the sermon, I happened to look over at them. And Bro. A had his arm around Mrs. A (propped on the back of the pew), and his thumb was just brushing back and forth against her shoulder in this sortof comforting little jesture! Maybe all this sounds silly, but that one little thing just made me sooooo happy! It was just such a cute and protective little action, the type of which I had rarely seen him do. Now, he is always kind, but he has seemed sort of distant to her, and a wife needs to feel safe in her husband. Sunday night was the same thing, only now his whole hand would squeeze or rub her shoulder gently every now and then.
(And yes, I did hear the sermon :)!)

I wanted to include the notes I jotted down in my bulletin about it. One thing that grieves me more than anything is to see marriages break up, and this little incident was just such an encouraging thing - I have cried so many tears for them! So even though (and I know this is true) I can't express my thoughts and feelings very well or successfully, just believe me when I say that the Lord is working, and it is greatly encouraging me.
Here are my notes. I am very happy.

~

Sun. Morn. March 14, 2010

"Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" -Ps. 107:8

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

There is none like our God.
No one is worthy to look on Him -
to look to Him
yet, He looks to us;
He deigns to see to our comfort -
to answer our prayers - to dry our tears,
and make us to laugh again...

~

Sun. Night March 14, 2010

God is the God of Love -
He is the God Who answers
prayers, Who banishes heartache.
Glory to His Name

"There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid."
-Prov. 30:18 & 19

Oh my dear friends! God bless you!

~

If you would, please pray with me for the strengthening of this marriage, and the glory of God in this couple's life.

Confess Your Faults, One To Another...

Well, if you read all I have to say about my day yesterday, you would not go away uplifted, I am sure. Lets just say I had a "Jonah Day", and if you don't know the story behind what that means, it just means I had a really, really bad day. It seems that the devil lets me get to the end of one of Jenna's monthly challenges, and then lets me have it! *Sigh* It was just one of those days where everyone and everything seems against you. The day starts off at the bottom, and goes down from there. And many times I did not react in a Godly way. The Bible says to confess your faults to one another, and to pray for one another, so here I am confessing my faults, and hoping you will pray for me and my temper when the Lord brings it to your mind.
Hopefully I learned from the situation though - I know the Lord can take the crumbiest situation and use it to teach us something valuable. Sometimes it's just hard to find the diamonds in the dirt. :]

Well, enough griping - I did get to accomplish a couple of things that were enjoyable, one of which needed to be done soon if it was going to happen this year:

I love growing things, and last year Dad gave me a little section of the "big garden" for my own, to grow any flowers, vegetables, and herbs I wanted! The only dissapointment was: nothing came up! I'm not sure what the problem was, but I thought I may have started my flower seeds a little too late. So this spring, I'm going to try starting them indoors in pots, and then moving them outside when it's warmer. I got Shasta Daisies, Forget-Me-Nots, California Poppies, and Carpet of Snow, and (when I get them outside) I want to plant those in rows next to each other. Because of the stair-step heights they are supposed to grow to, and the amazing color contrasts, I thought I'd like to see how that looks! I also got Lavendar (I love herbs), and Asters, and a perinial mix. I put the Lavendar by itself, but mixed the Asters and the mix. Hopefully they'll all grow and provide us with some beautiful color and cheer! :) I took pictures of the pots once I'd gotten the seeds planted, but they didn't turn out, so I'm just posting a picture of the packages before I'd planted them. :)

I'll try to keep you informed with how this "expirament" (that spelling doesn't look right, but I can't remember for sure how it is LOL) turns out!

I also started on a knitted dishrag! Recently I've been on a dishrag crocheting frenzy, and have made about ten. Knitted projects don't take as much yarn as crocheted ones do though, so I'm changing to knitting for a little while. :)

Aren't the colors in this yarn just wonderful!?! I love combinations of bright contrasting colors :) ! I'll post a picture when I finish it. Bye for now!

"Call Unto Me, and I Will Answer Thee..."

I got a message from a church friend just a little bit ago, and Bro. Earl and all them are alright! Praise the Lord!
Austin's computer crashed, and that was their means of communication, so that's why they hadn't gotten in touch with anyone.
Thank you so much everyone who prayed!

Will I Still Love Him?

Sunday Jan. 17 ~

In the movie "Facing the Giants", Grant Taylor asks his childless wife, "If the Lord never gives us children, will you still love him?" At the time, she is unable to answer this question. But after numerous trips to the doctor in one year, all with negative results, she is forced to face the question, but this time is able to say, "I will still love You, Lord. I will still love You."

Those of you that followed my old blog may have read of my desire and prayer for children for my beloved Sunday School teacher and his dear wife. You may have read of the struggle I had, and how I thought I had finally 'let go' of that dream, trusting it to the Lord and His decision.

I hadn't.

In my last post, I told how we've been studying the topic of 'suffering' in Sunday School and Thursday night Bible study, and some of the points we've discussed. Well, there was another one on Thursday besides the ones I mentioned. It was that:

"God has the right, as our Creator, to put us through whatever 'trial' He chooses, and is in no way obligated to give us His reasons (though sometimes in His great kindness, He will)."

During the discussion of this point, Bro. Dennis told of when he and Mrs. Carrie lost their first child. How excited he had been, and then how hard it had been when they had to give it up. All the while he talked he used the same mannerisms and earnestness that he always has whenever he's illustrating some important point he wants us to 'get'. Yet as he looked at each one around the table, including us all in the conversation, there was pain in his eyes, and when they met mine as he went around the table, I could not keep my gaze steady - I could not face those eyes. And I hated myself for it, but I just couldn't; it seemed so... almost heartless to just stare back. He told how the Lord had used that though, and showed him that that baby was really His - He could take it back whenever He wanted; even before they got to see it.
And when they lost the second one, he realized that, though he and Mrs. Carrie suffered, really in a way it was a blessing - for the children. They would never have to suffer pain - they would never know the effects of sin!
Another person made a comment, and the discussion moved on. I glanced back at Bro. Dennis, and then - selfishly - almost wished I hadn't. He was looking down, studying something in his hand, and I'd never seen him look as tired as he did right then. He's become one of my 'Heroes of the Faith', and for a moment I shrank from my own pain of seeing him hurt. I closed my eyes and wished that I could just get up, go outside, and stand and cry with only the stars looking. But I couldn't, and the questions, answers, Bible verses, and discussion was of course still going on around me. I forced my brain back into it's flow, even as my mind rebuked me quietly: "What are all these lessons on suffering accomplishing if you're totally missing the point?! Here the Biblical answers are being presented all around you, and you're stuck back on the subject: suffering! Aren't you paying attention?"
So the Lord helped me to force the whole thought and it's pain aside for a while, and enjoy the rest of the evening.
But tonight I wondered if the subject was still on Bro. Dennis's mind, because in his sermon he brought in alot of the points we had discussed.

Trissy and I went a little early tonight (we hope to do a trio with Lindy, and needed to practice) so I had my car to drive back to our house in. And as I drove, I cried. Because I felt like the Lord had put that question in my mind. All along I'd thought it was just a matter of His timing - He would give them children, but when He got ready. So I was able to 'give it up'. And that was hard enough, but I could do it - after all, they were still coming right?
But what if they're not? What if they don't? Will I still love Him? And I cry because I can't answer that question.

If the Lord chooses to never give Bro. Dennis and Mrs. Carrie children; if He doesn't send Bro. Earl and Mrs. Shannen and Austin back to me, will I be able to stand the spiritual shock? Will I still love Him?

That's scary. Lord help me!

Please Pray For My Pastor's Family

Sunday Jan. 17 ~

Bro. Earl and Mrs. Shannen have gone to visit their younger son Austin, who is a short-term missionary in a very dangerous part of the world. Bro. Jeremiah (Bro. Earl's brother) preached in the morning, and Bro. Dennis (who is Bro. Earl and Mrs. Shannen's older son, for those of you who don't know) preached in the evening.

Morn.~

We heard from 'the travelers' when they got there safely, but no one has heard from them since and it's been several days. They were going to try to make contact back to us as often as possible during their visit... Danger is a very real thing where they are.

Eve. ~

Still no word from them. Alot of us are very concerned.

To Be A Light

A new year, and a new semester to start at college.
Once again, I'm taking two classes online, and two at the college. Last year after enduring being surrounded by the trashy language and unashamed immorality in those two classes, I decided I was not going through that again! I would take all classes online - except for any (hopefully just one) web-related classes I had to follow up with from the first semester. Weeell, wouldn't you know it, half fell under that category, and I am again finding myself at the college for approximately 10 hours each week. I got to thinking though - why shouldn't I go through that stuff?! (If I've learned anything from having Bro. Dennis as a Sunday School teacher, it's to ask 'why am I blessed?' rather than, 'why am I suffering?') Many, many believers have gone through MUCH worse, and were staunch witnesses through it all. Surely I am no better than them, that I should be spared meerly to be in the presence of sin. It is everywhere. Sometime, each person faces it, if they are living here, and where else is there to live? Mars?!
The Lord has truly blessed so far though. Seemingly the students in my classes are (for the most part) hard-working and civil, if not sensible. My prayer over and over is that I may be a bright and Godly witness - that they may have no doubt of where I stand, but that they know Who gives me the convictions, the peace, and the witness I have!
Please pray for me, that I would be given the privalege of leading some of them (including my instructor) to the Lord. That I would be a LIGHT in this dark world.