Month: June 2014

Dancing with the Lord

Last night at our Bible study we were studying Elijah and how he moved so powerfully in the Lord. It was as if he and the Lord were in total unison.

After the study was over, I sat for a while thinking back to the days when I stood for our marriage. At first I had been in shock and so wounded that most of my prayers were just to help me survive and get through the day. Little by little I moved into “shotgun” prayers where I prayed about anything and everything I could. I hoped that something would hit the target.

As time passed, though, and my own healing progressed, I began to hear the voice of the Lord more clearly. No longer did I shoot prayers out hoping that something would work. I learned to hear His voice, to move as He directed me to move, and to speak as He directed me to speak.

I reached that place in my life because I was desperate.

Back then I could see nothing good in that desperation, but now I know it was the most powerful impetus in my entire life. That desperation brought me to a place of craving God in a way I had never known before. I wanted to know Him intimately, to know His very thoughts and feelings. I wanted to move in unison with Him as two dance partners glide across the floor together.

Today, too often, I take that intimacy for granted. Although I still long to know Him more, it is harder to find time to dance with Him. Even now as I write this, I can sense that longing within me. There is nothing that can compare with that powerful oneness with Him.

Is there desperation in your life now? Let it be the force that propels you into intimacy with Him. Lose yourself in Him. Let Him become the very air you breathe. Let everything else around you, all the cares and the crisis, melt away in His presence. Surrender to His peace.

In that stillness, listen for His voice. To be sure, there will be times when His words bring direction or insight to you as you stand, but first learn to hear His words of love. Too often we come to Him with our list of needs. Let this be a time for relationship, for conversation, and for love. He knows your needs and while you may think they should be met one way, He may desire to bless you in an entirely different way. Let go of all expectations and just let Him love you.

He is a lover you can trust. He will never leave you or forsake you. Let Him help you pick up the pieces and show you what true love is. There is a time for warfare and a time for miracles, but first we must learn how to dance! Love, Marilyn

“A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:4

What Do We Value?

In 2013 Americans spent $55.7 billion dollars on their pets. That is $10 billion more than Germany’s entire defense budget. It is estimated that number will increase to $60 billion this year.

In 2011, the average parent spent $271 per child on Christmas gifts. One in ten parents said they planned to spend $500 per child. The average American spends $1,200 each year on electronic gadgets. Adults with teenagers in the home spend on average $500 more than that.

The average couple spends $27,000 on their wedding. Marriage and family counseling costs between $75 and $200 per hour. The average divorce costs between $15,000 to $20,000, almost as much as a wedding.

Yet with all these costs, we’re still not even close to what people spend on their pets each year. What do we really value? What is the value of a relationship, a child’s life, a family? Many would say–priceless!

An enduring relationship cannot be purchased. You cannot put a monetary value on a strong marriage and an intact family. No, these take investment of love, of time, of energy. Far too many times people are more willing to spend money on things they want than to spend time on far more important things.

You have come to a realization of the preciousness of marriage and family. And you have decided you are willing to pay the cost to redeem the priceless! You are one of the few who recognizes what really matters in this life.

Generational blessings come through the faithful! Far too many families suffer because they fail to recognize what really matters and instead invest in what, at best, is temporary.

This is, no doubt, a difficult time in which you see others, perhaps even your spouse, enjoying what this world has to offer. When that starts to get to you, remember what God values and what you value. When you invest in what is precious to Him, the harvest is great!

Don’t compare your life to someone else’s. Allow the Lord to minister to your heart and bring you peace in the midst of the storm. You are precious to Him. Your spouse is precious to Him. Your family is precious to Him. He paid the greatest price, His own life, for you and for your family.

Begin to walk more and more in His economy. Get your eyes off the world and its economic system and keep them on Him, the Author and Finisher of your faith. Before long you will see how priceless His harvest truly is. Love, Marilyn

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:19-20