In order to simplify my blogging life, I’m going to need to change this blog address slightly.  Change your links to www.levelpath.wordpress.com if you are currently linked.  (No “S”.)   There, you’ll find an identical-looking blog by author “Maggie”, short for my primary blog www.5purposedriven.wordpress.com  called Magnanimity .  You are welcome there also! 

See you THERE!

Oh, Kim…this did my heart good tonight!

“But I know you’ll want to see my Father hold me through these trials”

were the words you were looking for at the moment this frame was inserted.  Oh, yes, we do!!!

Fast forward exactly one week past this heart felt moment (me, just below these outstretched arms, double over in stomach pain with a virus–she was having a MUCH better time than I was at that moment!) and…a cancer diagnosis.

And fast forward just three days still more, and what do you find?  A worshipper.  Same posture, leading hundreds herself as a vocalist in worship, with a newfound cancer diagnosis.  Glory to Jesus!

Oh, how good He is!!!

View video in it’s entirety at this link. (Yes, it’s worth it!)  This frame comes up 1:19-1:26 minutes into the slideshow on The Deeper Still blog.

Yup, Kim…certainly worth autographing! (A white, or pink gel pen? Hmmm…), and I want one!

Hang in there, sister!   We love you!

Photos: Deeper Still blog

Of Joseph, it was said–

Moreovere [God] called for a famine in the lan;

He destroyed all the provision of bread.

He sent a man before them–

Joseph–who was sold as a salve.

They hurt his feet with fetters,

He was laid in irons 

Until the time that his word came to pass,

The word of the LORD tested him.  (Psalm 105: 16-19)

Joseph’s father, on his death-bed, said of Joseph:

Joseph is a fruitful bough,

A fruitful bough by a well;

His branches run over the wall.

The archers have bitterly grieved him,

Shot at him and hated him.

But his bow remained in strength,

And the arms of his hands were made strong

By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob.  (Gen. 29:22-24)

Zechariah 2

A Man With a Measuring Line

 1 Then I looked up—and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand!

2 I asked, “Where are you going?”
      He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”

 3 Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him

(4) and said to him: “Run, tell that young man,

‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. 

(5) And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will be its glory within.’
Zephaniah 3:16-20

16) On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
       “Do not fear, O Zion;
       do not let your hands hang limp.

 17) The LORD your God is with you,
       he is mighty to save.
       He will take great delight in you,
       he will quiet you with his love,
       he will rejoice over you with singing.”

 18) “The sorrows for the appointed feasts
       I will remove from you;
       they are a burden and a reproach to you. ^[a]

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior!

He will exult over you with joy,

He will be quiet in His love,

He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

—————————————–* 

Finally, a bit of humor in this ecard for today. 

Lord,

Right now I am devastated.  I feel.

A friend has breast cancer, and I am floored.

But, I remember your word, “we grieve, but not as those who have no hope.” (I Thes. 4:13)

I will hang onto your word with all that is in me, even as I cry and pray and feel.

~Joan

   Psalm 119: 83

  ”Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke,   
              I do not forget your decrees.” 

Anyone know what this scripture means from our 119 reading? 

WELL, I “Google-ed” it and found a commentary at this link!  Check it out!  (click the colored type)

For me, it means that sometimes we feel all used up, washed up, and wrinkled up, dried up, smoked up, and have taken in “all the bad stuff”. 

Isn’t it great to know…God still has purposes for us?  And we can still “sing our Psalms for sure!

I love the thoughts!  I pray God “re-conditions” all “smoked wineskins” this weekend!

Image source: www.fictionwise.com/knight/wineskin.jpg

This morning, I turned off the alarm. I didn’t want to get up to walk the dog.

But, the dog barked. Loudly.

And I got up.

Same walk as last night, in the dark.

Same walk.

Same path.

Same pitter patter, hers double time.

Same as the morning before…

Hands stuffed in pockets, Kleenex handy for cool weather sniffles.

Shuffling along, trying to will myself awake, or stay asleep, I couldn’t decide which.

I was suddenly aware of things brighter. Lighter.

I looked up…and, “WOW! Would you LOOK at that!”

Daisy Dog was still content with her tennis ball, not “getting it”.

I ran back inside for the camera, anxious to try to capture something,

anything of it,

to share with anyone…

later.

“For it is light that makes everything visible.

This is why it is said:

“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

Eph. 5:14

Changing, moment by moment…

Watercolor, by Creator God.

And I almost missed it, fearing redundancy. Wake me up, Lord! You make “all things new!”

You have heard these things;

look at them all…

From now on I will tell you of new things,

of hidden things unknown to you.”

Isaiah 48:6

I have never taken time to read Psalm 119 straight through seriously.  It just seemed so long!  It’s like a blog post that goes on forever!  You can’t help but suspect that someone, somewhere, has surely say it more concisely.   You give up.

Well, not today, my friend.  Not today!  Diggin’ in!

I’ve divided it up into quadrants, and have been making personal notes on each section.  It’s been good.  I have one fourth left to go.  The emotion, vacillation between hope and helplessness, plea-ing, worship — so typical of my day.   Hubby laughed at that aspect.  I said, “Hon, that is most of my days.  Seriously.”  My mind really does have highs and lows like that a lot. 

For non-artisticly built people, this writer appears bi-polar (Did David write this one?  Anyone know?) .  In any case, he just feels emotions deeply, and can articulate them so quickly that they run over one another.  It’s almost funny at times to read.  Yet, it rings true for all of us — on many levels.  You can’t read it without thinking…”Man!  I’ve been there!”

Bro. Ray’s notes on prayer today were interesting.  I realized I need to re-evaluate some things in my prayer life as a result.  I hope you’ve been challenged as well.  I’m sure enjoying everyone’s comments.  Fun stuff through the week, “peoples”. 

Joan

Day One: The First Thing

Challenges:

• Be committed to God’s word as the primary element in my day (not TV, radio, music, or other peripheral reading.
• Read 119.
• Journal my thoughts–personally find an effective way for me to read and journal this week.

Click below to read Psalm 119 if you would like to read on the computer (I sometime copy and paste it to a Word doc., then “attack it” with online tools and dictionaries. It is nice to have a lot of text typed rather than trying to hand copy notes at times).

Psalm 119 NIV

Psalm 119 AMP

Psalm 119 NASB

source: BibleGateway.com

I was going to post the entirely here, but it’s very long. I decided to give you links, then “attack it” using a page tab at the top of this page. Click that tab if you want my commentary, also the comments from Day One are excellent! Check them out! (Click the colored text).

“It is the great moment of our lives

when we decide that sin

must die right out,

not be curbed

or suppressed

or counter-acted,

but crucified.”

–Oswald Chambers