How I Strengthen Myself in the Lord by Jenna Vick Silliman

When I find myself in times of turmoil, trial, or testing, I don't give way to them, but PRESS into the Lord more than ever. He is the Prince of Peace for peace to be restored in my life. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter when I need comfort. When things look dark, I go to Jesus for He is the light of the world. His light illuminates my path. I run to my strong Tower, my Fortress and my Rock, as David wrote about in the Psalms. God has all wisdom, knowledge and understanding, so if I have questions He has the answers. I belong to Him and He knows me and loves me better than anyone else; so He is the Person to go to when I need help. When storms hit, I know the One who calms the sea! I am hidden in Christ, a little bird in the cleft of the Rock, in the secret place with my almighty God. I can do everything through Christ Who strengthens me. In the Amplified this verse says Jesus infuses inner strength into me! (See Phil. 4:13.) 

Many times the battle is in our minds. We need to take every single thought captive. The enemy wants to distract us and get our focus off the Lord and onto the trial. When I am down-hearted, depressed, discouraged or any of those awful ‘d’ words, I like to go to be alone in my closet—my prayer closet that is. I turn my thoughts heavenward and tell God all the things I am thankful for. The Message Bible says “Thank you is the password to His presence.” See Psalm 100. When we dwell upon whatever is positive, lovely, beautiful, noble, of good reputation, and worthy of praise and let our minds dwell on all the good gifts and all the awe-inspiring things of the Lord, it lifts our spirits. (See Phil. 4:8.)

A friend told me whenever she is feeling down she will call ten people and give them encouraging words and it lifts her right out of the dumps and she feels encouraged herself. A guy I knew about twenty years ago shared that whenever he felt lonely he went and found someone more lonely and needy than himself and befriended him and then he wasn’t lonely anymore.

I know I need to constantly turn my eyes, my heart, and my thoughts to God and steadfastly fix them upon Him. There are many Scriptures on looking to the Lord and trusting in Him. God is first love, He said to seek His kingdom first, and He said to love Him with all we’ve got. I like how Isaiah says it, “I set my face like a flint.” Jesus tells us to abide in Him, live in Him, and stay with Him. (See John 15.) He cries out in prayer that we would be one—inseparable. (See John 17.) God is my BFF! I want to be habitually walking in intimate fellowship with the LORD of my life 24/7. (We are even right with Him when we sleep, for the Bible says He gives to His beloved in sleep.) This is how Enoch lived and also his grandson, Noah. (See Genesis 5:24 and 6:9 in Amplified Version of the Bible.) This is the life that pleases God. If we live this way as a lifestyle, and not just in times of crisis, we will be ready and right close to God, when stormy times hit.

Three practical things I do when I am struggling. First I put on praise music and start singing my heart out. (Usually I dance too and dancing ALWAYS makes me feel better. Hahaha! A brisk prayer walk with praise music on my ipod/headphones works the same way.) The enemy hates it when we worship the Lord because He knows God inhabits the praises of His people. (See Psalm 22:3.) When we draw near to God, God draws near to us (See James 4:8.) AND that means the enemy exits in a hurry. Yay! Usually while I am worshiping with dance and singing I experience a shift in my thinking and the Lord gives me a new perspective on my life.
 

The second thing to do is to pray in tongues. In the book of Jude verse 20 it says that we build ourselves up in our faith when we pray in the Spirit. The enemy comes against praying in tongues because he hates it when we start praying in our heavenly language those sweet, spirit-filled prayers! Our prayer language is a powerful weapon we have ready to use at any time.

Thirdly, I read and meditate on the Bible—when I’m struggling I read it more. When we think and meditate and mull over the Word, it washes us and renews our minds to be thinking truth and living in faith and trust and hope—the ways of the Lord. Ephesian 6:17, “Take and use the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.” We are His children of light and it is His will that we have the Word so much a part of us that we are literally “brainwashed.”  Sometimes a thought creeps in that is ugly, suspicious, negative, or downgrading in some way. I try to ask myself, “Is this from my beautiful, loving Papa God?” If it is not something HE would say, then who is saying it? Ah ha! I smell a rat! The enemy is a sneaky, lying, scheming, and accusing snake that tries to steal, kill, and destroy. (See John 10:10.) Let’s never give him any room in our thoughts and be sure to extinguish his little darts. We crush his head under our heel and quickly raise our faces to the beauty and splendor of the glorious, love-filled eyes of Papa God once again.

Romans chapter eight in my Amplified Bible is a favorite to read when I need to strengthen myself in the Lord. Verse 6 says to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Verse 15 talks about what bliss we enjoy as His adopted sons and daughters, chosen to belong to Him. Verse 31 says, “When God is for us, who can be against us? Verse 35 says, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” Verse 37 says, “We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us!”

I also like to dwell on how we are dead to sin and instead we get to enjoy eternal unbroken fellowship with Papa 24/7. (See Romans 6:11 Amp.) Eternity is now! Heaven is on earth right here with us! Whooohoo! The Kingdom of Jesus is right here and now and we can reach out and touch it (Jesus said it is “at hand” right?) and we can enter right in, if we haven’t already.

In Acts we read how God’s people seemed to be drunk. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is right here for you and I to tank up on and enjoy. Don’t let the enemy tell you any different. Papa has everlasting joy for each one of us, no exceptions! My favorite verse of the Bible is in two places. “You show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (See Psalm 16:11 and Acts 2:28.)




 

Heavenly Father, we come to You and praise You for power and dominion over darkness and for Your joyful presence that makes the enemy flee. We thank You for the privilege of being Your sons and daughters. We love You, Papa! Thank You Papa for giving us victory in the battles of life!

Peace Everlasting, a Testimony of Salvation by Cliff Silliman

The world was a different place in the late 1960’s, especially in Berkeley, California. There were demonstrations and riots over the war in Vietnam, the student uprising in France, and a decision that the University of Berkeley made that students did not like--any excuse would do—that led to “The People’s Park Riots.” Berkeley was the gathering place for about 100,000 hippies—most of whom were using drugs. On any given Friday night 25 to 30 thousand young people would descend onto Telegraph Avenue looking to buy drugs. LSD was the drug of choice. In 1969, at age 20, it was here that I saw myself as king, for I was the main connection for LSD.  

Cliff Silliman, July 2012

It was on Telegraph Avenue, the main street in Berkeley, that I encountered Holy Hubert, a bold street preacher for Jesus. He told me daily, as I passed by, that I was going to hell and that I was not only destroying my life but others lives as well, and that God was going to hold me accountable. I laughed. I was raised as far away from church as possible. Holy Hubert quoted any passage of the Bible from memory—he actually had the whole Bible memorized. It seemed like a complete waste of time to me.

My organization consisted of me, two body guards, a driver, a courier, and a woman named Linda, who had flipped out on an LSD high and thought she was a frog for about seven months. We drove around in a VW van painted with red and white stripes down the sides, and a blue top with white stars. I wore a leather fringed jacket, a purple shirt, and bell-bottom jeans. In June of ‘69 our house was raided by a newly formed federal drug task force. During the raid an undercover police officer was shot by “friendly fire” while he was shooting at me. When the dust cleared, my two bodyguards and I were in jail awaiting trial, and Linda was loose on the streets.

No one knows how Linda ended up at the Baptist Student Union, a fraternity house a few blocks from the University of California, Berkeley campus.  The fraternity brothers came home from a Bible study and found Linda squatting like a frog on top of the kitchen table trying to figure out what to do by throwing I-Ching cards, an old Chinese fortune telling trick. The fraternity president said, “I rebuke you in Jesus’ name.” The result was that Linda got instantly healed, no longer thought she was a frog, and came into her right mind. A month later, when I was finally able to get out of jail on bail, Linda’s story was circulating on streets, but I did not see Linda for another nine months.

As soon as I got out on bail, I went straight back to dealing drugs, adding cocaine to my inventory. My daily drug use increased to at least five tablets of LSD and up to three grams of coke a day to stay high all the time. Sometimes I’d take more to party in the evenings. We mixed the powdered LSD or “acid” with Kool-Aid and drank it—never knowing how strong it was. These parties were called Electric Kool-Aid Acid Parties. Once I tripped out on 21 tablets of LSD and three glasses of Kool-Aid acid, and went to a Terry Reed, Ike and Tina Turner, B.B. King and Rolling Stones Concert at the Oakland Coliseum.

I was arrested three times, but I always got released. The police had made errors in their strategy every time. Finally we made a deal where I would plead to lessor charge and could possibly get up to two years in jail. When I went to court the judge scolded me about how I was a menace to society, but then he suddenly switched and put me on probation to the dismay of everyone in courtroom. (I now know this was the hand of God!) I got out of there before he could change his mind. When my mom found out she was shocked. My old friend Jimmy, that first turned me on to drugs, had just come back from Vietnam. We celebrated my release and Jimmy’s homecoming with sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Purple Earthquake was the live band at the party—they were also our LSD connection.

In December of 1970, fed up with hypocrisy and dishonest dealings, I decided to retire from drug dealing and move to the backwoods of Oregon. I had found out my connections were stealing from me, so I wanted to do one final deal and get back at those guys and rip them off in a big way. I got one group to front me a literal ton of marijuana (100 pressed bricks each weighing a kilo) and another group to front me the money to pay for it, but instead of doing the transfer I took the money and the pot and took off.

As I drove north up Highway 101 in Northern California, in my brand new tan V.W. bug, I happened to stop in Petaluma to get gas. I had heard Linda became a Christian and moved into Zion’s Inn, a Christian discipleship house for women. She had converted my friend, Jimmy and he moved into a guy’s house called Berachah House. As I waited at the gas station, I realized Linda and Jimmy lived in Petaluma somewhere with some Jesus People. I asked the guy at the gas station if he had ever heard of Berachah House. He just happened to live next door and gave me directions.

I showed up at dinner time and was invited to stay. Jimmy and Linda announced they were getting married on Saturday. They asked for my help so I delayed my move to Oregon. I was in turmoil because of the light in them and the darkness in me. No one witnessed to me about their new-found faith, probably because they were afraid of me. Restless, I decided to drive around the San Francisco Bay Area for a day and a half not staying in any place long, since the drug dealers I ripped off would be looking for me.

I stopped for gas in Martinez. An off-duty policeman I knew came over to say hello to me. I told him I was retiring and moving to Oregon. He said, “I probably will not see you again, so I need to tell you something. God told me that I was to protect you since He had plans for you. This is why I applied to be the lone beat cop on Telegraph Avenue.” I was dumbfounded. The inner turmoil in me could not cope with the information that God had plans for me! After driving back to Petaluma on Friday morning, I had finally calmed down enough to deal with being around these Jesus freaks. I did not know that when I left they began praying around the clock and for 36 hours they had prayed for my salvation.

While eating breakfast at Beracha House, I saw a newspaper on the coffee table called “Right On” put out by Christian World Liberation Front. Down in the left hand corner on the cover was this highlighted box that said, “If you are not sure if Jesus is real and died for your sins, ask Him. If He does not answer you, go on your way. If He answers, give Him your whole life.” I noticed that uncomfortable feeling again. During the course of the day as I helped Jimmy and Linda move their stuff into an apartment, I continued to feel this weird stirring inside. While Jimmy and I drove up Highway 101, on December 11, 1970, I decided to pray and do what the newspaper suggested. I decided if Jesus showed up, I would want to get to know Him better. So I prayed quietly in my head, “If you are real, Jesus, be real to me.”

Immediately, my heart was flooded with a peace that passes all understanding, quite different than any drug high I had ever experienced. I knew that Jesus was real for nothing could duplicate what I was experiencing. I quietly said to Jesus, “I am Yours.”

About ten minutes later, still driving north on Highway 101, Jimmy realized that this would be our last time together before I left for Oregon. He shared with me about his faith and “the Four Spiritual Laws” (a pamphlet he had memorized). Jimmy asked me if I wanted to pray to receive Christ.

I said, “I already did that about five miles back.” God’s peaceful presence has been my constant companion these 41 years. Jesus has always been there for me, in good times and bad. The turmoil was replaced by peace—peace everlasting.

Jenna and Cliff Silliman, July 2012

Peace Amidst Problems

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Jesus does not mince words. He is truthful, but not harsh. He is loving, but not sentimental. Clear-eyed, he tells his disciples that tough things are coming for them after he leaves them. They will even face death at the hands of those “who think they are offering a service to God.”

Maintaining a peaceful heart in the face of tribulation seems to be a bit much to expect of this fledgling group of disciples 2,000 years ago. Having a peaceful heart in today’s world seems improbable as well: we are inundated daily with distressing news from around the globe. The pace of life is rapid and change seems constant. The economy has created anxiety for people losing jobs, homes, good credit ratings. Many have had to take jobs far from familiar ground and family. Millions of Americans--nearly one in five adults--now take some form of anti-depressant or anti-anxiety drug. For some, coping with anxiety or stress is a daily, life-threatening battle.* How do we obtain the peace Jesus promises we can have?

He promises to provide the peace himself.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

The peace of God is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and it is a fruit of the spirit that witnesses to the world about the truth of Jesus Christ and the Gospel message.

In our family, two years of my being under-employed has created some stress and some difficult decisions of late. I am sure I have not exuded the peace of Christ to others as well as I should--I know for sure that experiencing daily low-level anxiety is not a comfortable state of being. But the Holy Spirit reminds me of Jesus’ words to his disciples, and reminds me that as His child, His promises apply to me as well.

“Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:24)

“Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

If you are struggling to produce peace, know that it can’t be  “worked up.” It is a gift that comes to those who place their trust in the One person who can never fail you. He tells you the truth about yourself, the world, and may even reveal that tougher times are coming. But our God is generous with His grace and His love. Ask Him for the “peace that surpasses all understanding.”

Here is the process the Apostle Paul laid out for the believers in Philippi: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-8).

At every turn, turn to God. Pray. In the prayer, give thanks. Ask. Trust. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. 

*If you are struggling with daily anxiety, or are currently taking anti-anxiety drugs, this article is not a suggestion to avoid seeking professional help or to cease use of medications. Under proper care, with the guidance of your doctor and along with counseling, medications can be helpful and may be necessary for anxiety disorders.  

Jenna's Dance of Life by Jenna Vick Silliman

Jenna’s Dance of Life

by Jenna Vick Silliman

I turn to You, Daddy, at the break of dawn.

We talk things over as the day goes on.

Your love is sweet, my God, my King,

I love You more than anything.

I read Your Word till You speak to my heart.

You give me grace and a brand new start.

I give You my burdens, so I live carefree.

You show me favor; I dance with glee.

You stay right with me, I stay right with You.

I give You thanks the whole day through.

I keep the music going and praising Your name.

Ever since I met You, I’ve not been the same.

I dream about the future and to You I pray.

Now I have hope and I live life Your way.

I leap for joy and dance and twirl.

I’m glad I am Your little girl.

www.TheDanceofLifewithJenna.blogspot.com

I Have Decided It's A Wonderful Life by Jenna Vick Silliman

An attitude of gratitude colors how you see your life and how you feel about it. It has been said that a majority of our emotions are determined by how we interpret events to ourselves. As the famous Proverb says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (See Proverbs 23:7.)

            My favorite movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” This movie changed my life. I learned right along with George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) how much I have to be grateful for. Sometimes we have to go through hard times or experience deprivation to realize how good we’ve got it. I think we all need an angel like Clarence assigned to us for a while, for however long it takes, to be trained to look at our lives differently. Some of us would really make our angel work hard to earn those wings.

            Many of us have that “IF ONLY” hanging over our heads. If only I had more income. If only I had a spouse. If only I had a better place to live. If only I didn’t have this problem. If only I had a better job, or better clothes, or better health, or a better car. The “American Dream” is more like the “American Epidemic”. We always want something better or something more!

            My son, Joshua, had a short mission trip to the Dominican Republic a couple of years ago. What my son observed was a life lesson well worth the price of the trip. He told me they have next to nothing—no nice clothes, no decent houses, no cars, no shoes. They have dirt floors and barely any food and the kids run around half naked and filthy, but they are happy! They smile and they sing and they dance. For church on Sunday they danced for hours and Joshua said they danced with them and all had so much fun. Here we have so much and we all want more and we are not grateful for what we have. Wow, I’m getting convicted all over again.

            “Rejoice always…in everything give thanks.” Isn’t this what we are supposed to be doing? “Do all things without complaining… [whining, griping etc.].” Isn’t this what we are not supposed to be doing? Yet, I must admit I dream about going to Hawaii some day. I am also dreaming about a royal blue Honda Odyssey Van right now. I can’t help it! I want, or no, actually I NEED a better vehicle. My old ’88 Chevy, a little blue wagon, is a great little car that has served me well. However, I need to visit my elderly father in Northern California (who has been fighting cancer and had a stroke) and my car just doesn’t have enough power to drive down Highway 5 over Grants Pass at 75 miles an hour. Also, I drive six or seven teenagers to go Folk Dancing in Port Angeles (a half hour away) on Sunday nights. I only have five seatbelts, so several kids cram in the far back. I need a bigger car! So I’m praying about this and thinking about how to earn some extra money to earn my dream van. I’m still grateful for my little Chevy wagon though—me and my teenager friends probably couldn’t go to Folk Dance without it!

            I heard a great quote yesterday by Kris Vallotton, one of the Pastors at Bethel Church in Redding, California. He said something about how those who are positive thinkers try to focus on the half full part of the proverbial glass. However, when we know Jesus we have hope of the eternal filling of our cup. Is your cup being filled, or being emptied? When we know who we are in Christ and have our trust in Him, we will not only have a positive outlook on life we will have supernatural vision and a peace that surpasses understanding and bright hopes for tomorrow!

There is nothing wrong with dreaming and working towards things and praying and waiting on God for better things in our lives. However, let’s be grateful and appreciative and enjoy what we do have already. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE!

I know my Daddy...and I love Him completely.

I'm going to ask you to suspend, for just a moment, our current cultural climate where gender equality is the norm. That was no where close to the cultural circumstances in biblical times. As a matter of fact, gender equality in certain societal aspects is a relatively new concepts on the timeline scale of history.

Now before my brilliant and lovely female Kingdom Blogger co-writers cut me off at the knees, please hear me out. I'm not saying the patriarchal dominant ways of the past are completely right or even a preference... that's just the way they were. God established the system, and in typical fashion, man has abused that system.

I say all that (reluctantly) to get to my answer on this week's topic of the title I use when addressing God on a personal level from the many names He carries.

"'Abba, Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.'" (Mark 14:36)

When Jesus was conversing with the Father in Gethsemane, He used the Aramaic term 'Abba' that expresses best the relationship between a small child and father.  A term of endearment akin to our word daddy. Why? Wasn't Jesus in fact God too?

Of course, the answer to that is absolutely Jesus was both man and God. We see His example of prayer throughout the New Testament as a demonstrative measure of how we should picture our own relationship with God. Also keep in mind, this was completely a foreign concept to the Jews. To refer to God in such an intimate fashion would have been considered blasphemous and disrespectful for a culture that didn't even mutter His name at all out of deep respect...and religious tradition naturally.

When Jesus provides the instruction in Matthew (Lord's Prayer) and then follows up with numerous examples from His own prayers with the Father, He is given us the true picture of how God wants our relationship to be with Him. He is our provider, protector and comforter...just as our earthly father should be when we are but children. Fact of the matter is even if our relationship with our biological father goes south, we always have our Abba Father. He promises to never leave or forsake us.

I can think of no better role model to exemplify in my own role as a father. I call out to my Abba Father quite frequently...He is and always will be my Daddy.

My Beloved Jesus by Jenna Vick Silliman

One morning right at dawn, I prayed about a money matter. The Lord Jesus spoke to my heart, “I will provide for you, my beloved.” I was stunned. Could this be God talking to me in such an intimate way? Yes! He did provide for that need and He has continued to speak to me in this sweet, endearing way. Now I answer back, “My Beloved Jesus.”

‘My Beloved’ reveals the intimacy and close, personal, love relationship that the Lord Jesus wants us to have with Him. He desires us to be so close that we are one with Him in the perfect bond of unity—His awesome love. In John 17 we read about Jesus praying that we would be one.

Jesus also said, This IS eternal life, to KNOW ME. (See John 17:3) This word ‘know’ means to intimately know—as Adam knew Eve. Knowing Him, loving Him, and living the abundant life He freely gives us, is what LIFE is all about.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:13 and Psalm 127:2, as well as the beautiful Song of Solomon, we learn we are also the beloved of the Lord. His love for us is beyond our wildest dreams and is so tenderhearted and full of grace and mercy and lovingkindness. He longs for us to return His love. When we turn to Him with love filled hearts we are right where we are supposed to be. This is the love relationship we were created for and nothing, absolutely nothing, is sweeter!

“My Beloved” is found throughout the Song of Solomon. See Song of Solomon 2:10-12, “My beloved spoke, and said to me: ‘Rise up, my love, my fair one and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come…Come away!’” See also Song of Solomon 3:6, “I am my beloved’s and He is mine and His banner (or flag) over me is love.”

A sense of belonging is one of the strongest human needs. To be awakened to this deep, personal, love relationship with Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and to belong to Him, is the greatest gift I’ve ever been given. He is not just a person I know about—I know Him and commune with Him in an intimate love relationship. To me Jesus is not just THE Beloved, He is MY Beloved. I am not just A beloved, I am HIS beloved!

Your beloved is someone you want to always be with and you can’t live without. Your beloved is always taken into consideration and is your confidant, your soul mate, your favorite, and your lives are intertwined to the point you couldn’t imagine separation. The Lord is so much who I am and has become my everything. My life would be nothing without Him.

There is a false idea that another person can fill this place inside us, the deepest longing of the human heart. Only the Lord’s Holy Spirit can satisfy this desire. Humans turn to materialism or addictions, such as food and drink, drugs and alcohol to satisfy them. Nothing and no one truly satisfies except the presence of the Lord!

The truth is found in God’s Word. Luke 6:21, “Blessed are you who seek Him, for you shall be satisfied.” Psalm 107:9, “He satisfies the longing soul.” Psalm 24:14, “The secret of the sweet satisfying companionship of the Lord have they who revere and worship Him.” Psalm 36:8, “We are satisfied and we relish and feast on the abundance You provide us.” Isaiah 58:11 “The Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you…you shall be like a well-watered garden and like a spring of water.” Jer. 31:14 “My people will be satisfied with My goodness says the Lord.” Is.55:2,3 “Why do you spend your money on that which is not satisfying? …Let your soul delight in My abundance…then you’ll be satisfied.” Phil.4:11 “I have learned how to be content [satisfied]…”

When we live in day to day and minute by minute intimacy with our Beloved Jesus, our lives become an overflow of His love, kindness, grace, peace, and joy. His Presence affects all of our relationships in a powerful way. When we engage in fellowship, seek a mate, or minister side by side, we will find kindred spirits with His Presence evident in their lives. A husband and wife in love with Jesus first and overflowing with His Holy Spirit, is the way God created marriage to be!

St. Francis of Assisi was known for having a life-changing love affair with Christ. He was called “the second Christ” because his life was so totally given over to the Lord Jesus. What can we learn from this man so devoted to the Lord? Love the Lord as your beloved, as your one and only, as your first love. Chesterton wrote: “He [St. Francis] did not love Christianity but Christ.” A personal, intimate love relationship with Christ is what Christianity is all about.

I love You with all my heart and soul, Lord Jesus, my Beloved. You are my 24/7 love affair! In Your presence, my Beloved, is joy everlasting. A day in Your courts, in Your presence, is better than a thousand outside. Thank You for the gift of Your sweet, satisfying presence. Thank You for loving me, My Beloved Lord Jesus.

Lifetime Pots and Pans and a Working Garbage Disposal

Call to Me and I will answer you. I’ll show you marvelous

and wonderful things that you know nothing about

Jeremiah 33:3 

This week's subject of praying for something and the answer being better than expected seemed pretty straightforward to me. My answered prayer has a name and he is Marcel. my husband.
Initially, this prayer was a weak one. Probably no more than a whisper…a mustard seed proportion.
At the time, I had not expected to meet a decent man. Actually because of previous circumstances, I was leery and almost lost hope.
My mother, ever the one who held out hope for me, encouraged me to buy a set of Lifetime Pots and Pans. At first I thought it was a silly purchase, but she owned a set. Acting like a saleswoman herself, she talked me into signing a contract to pay so much a week. I mean how could you go wrong with a set that had a Lifetime Guarantee?
Isn’t it like a mom to hope for the best for her child? I am not sure I appreciated it as much as I do now.
Soon after, my Knight in Shining Armor galloped into my path…or should I say, at our first encounter, he gently coaxed me to the side .He did so, so that he could balance my teller window at the bank we worked at. He was no less a hero than a Knight though, as he quickly resolved the problem I was having. Thus the rest of the staff could finally leave to go home, albeit with loud sighs.
Marcel came from a small town in CT. It is called West Wauregan and is in the town of Brooklyn. His friend Bob, who also worked with us, glossed over the West Wauregan part and said that they were from Brooklyn. He was kind of embarrassed, coming from a town that no one had ever heard of.
When I heard this I said “Brooklyn! My brother went to Law School there! You know Saint John’s University?
Marcel groaned “Whoa...wrong Brooklyn…we live in CT, not New York.
The things that stood out for me about Marcel were instantly noticed. He was kind and polite. He did not have a big ego and He was considerate. He seemed genuinely interested in me. He was easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor. He even brought an umbrella when it rained. He had a blanket on the cold leather car seats. On those last two, it took time to see the positives about those, as I thought I was much too sophisticated to worry about getting wet or cold.

I kept having these “It’s too good to be true" thoughts about him. I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. This never happened.
Of course he wasn't a saint but he was the best thing, after Jesus that ever appeared on my doorstep. He was a decent guy who was not afraid to show love to me. He respected me as a woman and as a person. He was eager to impress me. I mean how many girls can say that, on the day they met their future in-laws that they and their beau took a ride on the Town's Fire truck, with him driving. Now that was a BIG happening in West Wauregan. Did I mention...small town???"
We are so different in many ways and yet we complement each other.
I like how he has made our life together worth every minute.
Have we wondered if we would last? Yes. Have we ever had times when it was just plain ole' hard? Yes.
Isn't there a Gaither song titled “Through It All?"...but Through It All, he and I have remained commited to the Lord first and foremost and to one another thus far.
So, my Lifetime Pots and Pans lived up to their guarentee.
Sometimes our prayers come from promptings of someone who loves us and can see our future better than we can. That someone was my mom.  What was her Hope became my Hope. And then Hope became a prayer.
You might be curious as to how Garbage Disposals got into my Title. Well, I was considering the following scripture this evening.
“I will answer them even before they call me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers” Isaiah 65:24
Our garbage disposal has been broken for a while. I thought “We don’t have the money to buy a new one. Wouldn’t it be great if it miraculously started again?” (I could report on Kingdom Bloggers another answer to prayer that was better than expected.*smile*)
Before you roll your eyes, years ago our washer stopped working. It was a goner. Money was tight. I had heard somewhere about a woman praying for her washer. What did I have to lose?
You’ve guessed the conclusion. The washer started working and lasted a couple of more years.
Now, if I can just get that garbage disposal to cooperate and be open to my prayers.

Marvel for a Minute by Jenna Vick Silliman

The bright colors of the rainbow are all around us reminding us of God’s amazing promises. In addition to the life we are now experiencing, there is MORE! Let’s marvel for a minute on this relationship with God. Is there any end to it? Jesus said He came to bring us LIFE and life abundantly--life beyond all our imagination or expectations. What an amazing answer to a little prayer of conversion to Christianity!

When I first prayed and asked Jesus to be my Savior, I had no concept of His Lordship, His awesome presence, or His greatness. The answer to this simple little prayer far surpassed any thought I had in my head. In fact, it turned out to be a revolutionary transformation—the proverbial worm into a butterfly! Think about His love for us? Can we fathom it?

Heaven is not a destination I’m headed for like I thought it was. It is now the place I am living from. The kingdom of heaven is at hand—within. We pray the Lord’s prayer about His kingdom on earth and this is our orientation now. All heaven is now backing us. Wow! I don’t know about you, but I didn’t bargain on that when I said the sinner’s prayer. I had no idea legions of angels would be surrounding me.  I had no concept of Jesus interceding for me at the right hand of the Father. I definitely did not know about Holy Spirit empowerment. I never thought about becoming royalty as the bride of King Jesus!Just think of the exchange rate of the Kingdom of God. We exchange darkness for light, evil for good, weakness for power, mourning for joy, and captivity for freedom.  We are no longer under the law or under judgment; now we are under grace and we are favored by God. As it says in Romans, sin no longer has dominion over us because we are under His amazing grace. We also exchange our life of aloneness and exclusion from the life of God, to one of belonging and being loved unconditionally and blessed with His sweet companionship 24/7. Who am I that the God of the universe would consider me? He listens to my desires, my hopes, and my dreams. He has new mercy and lovingkindness for me every day and steadfast love that is never ending.

God created each of us with gifts and talents and abilities to accomplish great and marvelous things. He also empowers us to do what He calls us to do. We are each given the power of His resurrection, it says in Scripture. Wow! How’s that for gasoline in your engine to go after your destiny? We are turbo-charged!

There is no question in my mind that of all the prayers I have prayed, my very first prayer of asking Jesus to be my savior, has been answered far beyond what I could have asked for or even dreamed! Thank You, Lord Jesus, for loving me.

Jenna's House Story by Jenna Vick Silliman

I married for love, not money, and after twenty years of marriage Cliff and I were as happy as a couple of clams at high tide. However, one thing we lacked—a home of our own. We’d never been able to save the money for a down payment.

Our first rental was a tiny mobile home, like a cabin, nestled in pine trees of a town in northern California, Petaluma. I planted flowers, made curtains, and settled in just like it was forever. Our budget was like a shoestring frayed at both ends, but I learned to “make do or do without.” I kept singing a line from “Danny’s Song”, “Even though we ain’t got money, I’m so in love with ya Honey!”

After having three children, we moved to a larger rental, a tract house in Rohnert Park. It was shabby, but Cliff boasted, “Jenna can make ANY house a home.”

On Sunday drives, Cliff pointed out houses with a level driveway to play basketball. I liked the homes with lots of windows and flowers around them. I’d comment, “Doesn’t that blue one with white trim look nice?” At Christmas, with a longing too deep to describe, I admired the homes with a lighted tree in a big picture glass window in the front room. Cliff and I dreamed together—after all, dreams are free! Our conversations often began, “If only we could buy our own home…”

Our landlord remarked, “You guys have my house looking so nice, I’ve decided to sell it.” So we moved to another rental. In 1997 we were renting another place, and the owners decided to move back in. We had six children then, so it was difficult to find a place we could afford to rent that was big enough for all of us. Often owners would not want to rent to a big family.

Once I had a vivid dream of a house with a white porch that seemed so real I was ready to serve lemonade. When we drove around and looked at rentals, my kids teased, “There’s no white porch, Mama, so that can’t be it!”

We finally found a huge, mouse-infested old rental way up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains north of Bakersfield, California. The place had been vacant and up for sale for years. I took on the challenge of making it homey, and after a year we had it looking quite nice. July 1, 1999 the phone rang. The realtor informed me the house had sold. We had 30 days to move. I was six months pregnant with our seventh child and it was 98 degrees. I couldn’t believe it. I paced and cried and prayed—mad at God. I yelled, “God, I can’t do this! I just can’t move again and again!”

We had no money and nowhere to go.

We ended up temporarily moving into a room addition our friends had built onto their home in Sequim, Washington. It took us six weeks, but we finally found another house to rent in Sequim. Then another hit, after less than a year, the owners wanted to move back in—so we had to move again.

The situation seemed impossible. We had seven children and could not find another rental. We’d sunk thousands of dollars into renting, investing in nothing, with nothing to show for it. Our three-year-old son had already lived in five houses! Every day we checked the papers and found nothing. I locked myself in the bathroom and turned on the bath to drown out the sound of my sobbing from my children. The words of Jesus came to my mind: “Come to Me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” In despair I cried out to Him, “Help me, Jesus! I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

The next day I visited a wise older woman, Marian Trebon, and asked her to pray for us. She peered into my eyes and asked, “Do you and Cliff pray together?”

I mumbled, “Well…yes, of course we pray…um…sometimes. We pray together before we eat.”

She shared how she and her husband daily prayed aloud together and gave every concern to God. She raved about time after time they experienced amazing answers to their prayers and how there is incredible power in prayer when a husband and wife pray in unity. She also shared how we as God’s children should go to Him with child-like faith, full of trust and ask Him for whatever is our heart’s desire because He delights in giving His children good gifts. She read in the Bible the words of Jesus, “You have not, because you ask not.” She concluded, “You and Cliff pray your hearts out!”

My dear friend infused me with faith. I rushed home and told Cliff all about it. We made a prayer date for early the next morning. We held hands and prayed about every specific detail of what we wanted in a home.

“Dear Heavenly Father, our family needs a home. We’d like a big, solid house with an acre of land. We’d like four bedrooms, an office, and a mother-in-law cottage. We want to live some place rural, yet still close enough to town so that Cliff’s mom will come and live with us.”

Then I thought, why not ask for everything we’d really like? I quickly added, “And we’d like a blue house with a white porch, a level driveway to play basketball, a big kitchen with a window that looks out on the back yard so I can watch my children play, lots of windows, a water view, and a view of the mountains, too. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

About a week later, I read this ad in the local paper, “4 bed, 3 bath. Quality older home in good condition. Over 3,000 sq.ft. Close to town on one acre.” I dialed the number with shaky hands and made an appointment for first thing that morning. I wrote down the address and realized it was only half a mile from the main street in Sequim, but in a rural area! As we pulled in front of a big gray house with a mother-in-law cottage next door, I said, “This is it.”

We piled out of the car and walked around the house to the back yard—which the owner said we could feel free to do. In the center of the back lawn, the kids scrambled up into a huge cherry tree. I had a cherry tree in the yard of my childhood home! Then I saw the kitchen window facing the back yard. I smiled and whispered, “Home sweet home!”

The owner arrived and said, “Hi, my name is Chuck Little. You can call me Grandpa Chuck. I’m a retired realtor. For fifty years I’ve helped folks find homes. I like your family and you need a home.” He explained how we could do a lease option. He’d reserve a third of the rent each month and give it back in two years for a down payment to buy the house.

Choking back tears I asked, “Are you making it easy for us to buy your house?”

He said, “Look, I’m 74 years old, and once in a while, I feel like doing something nice. Some things you just know God meant to be.”

Our home is the answer, down to the last detail, to our specific prayer—with an acre of land near town, yet in a rural area. There’s even a little water view of Sequim Bay, and on a clear day, we can see the Cascade Mountains and Mt. Baker. Yes, there are lots of windows, an office, AND a level driveway for basketball!

Cliff pointed out, “The place needs a paint job. If we do the work, will you supply the paint?” I took a deep breath and added, “And may we paint it blue with white trim and a white porch?”

He responded, “Sure!”

We’ve now lived in our blue house with a white porch for almost twelve years—longer than I have lived anywhere. In the summer, you might see us eating cherries on our porch swing or playing basketball in our driveway. At Christmas time, you might admire our beautiful lighted tree in the big picture glass window in our front room. Dreams do come true. What is your heart’s desire? Find a prayer partner and pray your hearts out!

His Love Endures Forever

Naming my favorite psalm is like being asked to name my favorite food--I like so many different things, even Brussels sprouts. The psalms are the first place I go to in the Bible for comfort food. The psalms of David are especially good stews to chew on, because of the richness his thoughts toward God and his honesty about the complexities of life and faith. David and the other psalmists keep it real.

Psalm 118, since I must pick one for this blog, is like a good Shepherd’s Pie or an Irish boiled dinner (I have to throw at least one St. Patrick’s Day reference in here!). This psalm covers a lot of the ground in my walk with God, and starts with the very thing I am more and more reminded that I lack in my daily life: thankfulness. Then, the comforting and awesome knowledge that God is good, and His love goes to “infinity and beyond!”

Psalm 118 reminds me of the first day I asked for forgiveness and that “he answered me by setting me free” (v. 5). It reminds me that I am not alone--ever! “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid...he is my helper” (v. 6). If my priorities are messed up, I receive a quick jolt of reality with verses 8 and 9. When I am tempted to stray or placed in a difficult situation, verses 13-14 encourage me with God’s strength and care. I am again reminded, “He is my salvation” (v. 14).

I don’t have to doubt my future, according to verse 17: “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.” Psalm 118 prophesies about Jesus, the author of salvation: “ The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (v. 23).

Verse 24 contains the little ditty we sing in church, say to one another, and preach to ourselves: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Verse 25 is a short prayer that reveals the tension we live in: “O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success.” I need saving from my own version of success. But, I am blessed whenever I go out “in the name of the Lord” (v. 26).

Psalm 118 closes with the tasty morsels (or Irish pint, depending on your preference) from its beginning: who the Lord is (God), His creation and power, His being worthy of thanks and glory, His forever love, and His goodness (v.28-29).

I was reminded by a friend yesterday by a prayer traditionally attributed to St. Patrick (but probably not written until 300 years after he ministered in Ireland), and this portion of his beautiful words sums up Psalm 118’s message:

“I arise today 〜 Through God’s strength to pilot me, God’s might to uphold me, 
God’s wisdom to guide me, 
God’s eye to look before me, 
God’s ear to hear me, 
God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s hosts to save me 
〜 From snares of the devil, from temptations of vices, from every one who desires me ill, Afar and near 〜 Alone or in a multitude."

Man your battle stations!

You’ve heard the alarm – some for real and many just in a movie. A long siren blares and then a voice declares…

“GENERAL QUARTERS. GENERAL QUARTERS. ALL HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS.”

Adrenalin flows and everyone knows. It’s time to drop what you’re doing. Grab your gear. And sprint to your battle station.

We’ve all felt the adrenalin rush of life sounding the alarm – The phone call in the middle of the night; The doctors report, blunt but piecing; The notice in the mail…at work. Smooth sailing is about to turn to stormy seas. The siren is a warning the tornado is about to hit. Blood runs cold. Face turns red.

We all have this one thing in common – in this world we have tribulation. We’ve been talking all week about it. I have battle scars – I’m pretty sure you do, too. Some we talk about – others we’d just as soon forget.

The truth is – there are more battles ahead.  But that doesn’t mean we should live in fear or dread. Whatever the battle – loneliness from the loss of a loved one; the hollow hurt from a wayward child; the haunts of regret; the ache of a relationship gone wrong; the gnawing of hunger; the clawing of creditors… it may be hard – but we can win.

And in my humble opinion, here is how we can do it.

Preparation is the key to success they say. I agree. With a slight modification I call it: “Preprayeration;”(Pre-prayer-ation.)  

“Man your battle stations…” The operative word being “your.”  We have been created unique. We’re customized to best operate, under stress and in battle, in a certain way. Knowing ahead of time what gear to grab and to what station to run, BEFORE the battle starts, is key.

“Pray that you enter not into temptation,” Jesus told His disciples just before they were about to enter the biggest battle of their lives. Battles are won before the fight by those who pray.

And that is how Jesus could say on the same night in which he was betrayed;  "My peace I give to you… Let not your hearts be troubled.”

Holy Man! Wow. He was fixin’ to get beat up, ripped up and nailed up on a cross and He said – "My peace I give to you…let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Think about that. It must be some powerful peace to calm that tornado of trouble about to blow.

He cues us in on how to obtain that kind of peace as He preprayers..."Not My will but Yours be done." Surrender is key to victory in Spiritual warfare.

 Victory is in the eye of the beholder. For example:  When I play a game, many times, I win by losing. The object isn’t to win the game, but to win the heart, and be champion of time well spent.  The goal is to be able to say; I have fought a good fight. The prize is to hear The Father say: “Well done.”

When we pray we are actually talking to The Champion of All. He knows what lies before.  And what we consider loss – He may see as gain. That’s why we must pray.

And then say, “OK. Father, if you can fix this mess, I’d like it. But I trust You more than myself, so, not my will but Yours be done. Amen.” 

And then even if all hell breaks loose – like it did when Jesus prayed that prayer we can say:

When peace like a river, attendenth my way,

When sorrows like sea billow roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is wll, with my soul.

~