Lessons From a Robin

I love to learn and have spiritual lessons reinforced by a Word from God. I feel like this has happened to me this week through the actions of a robin.

As you may know, I have a prayer segment to this blog and really it has become my most serious focus. I have always prayed for my children, my seed, and many times written my prayers or recorded scriptures that I am claiming for them.

However, the enemy has a way of bringing doubts to our minds if what we are doing is right, biblical or really needed. From time to time, I second guess myself about my daily prayers for my children with thoughts such as "Well, if you trusted God like you should, you wouldn't always be praying for them. You would pray a prayer and keep believing that it would be answered."

I keep going back to this:

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. Matt. 7:7 NLT

On Monday of this week, I noticed there was a robin preparing to build a nest in a small tree right outside our kitchen window. She or he (don't know if it is the dad or mom) was looking for the perfect place--the tree is perfect--really thick leaves at the top and branches that cascade downward--lots of protection from weather and also camouflaged from danger.

The robin saw the glass of the kitchen window and I guess thought there was another bird close by who might present trouble. It has come back every day since Monday, five days in a row, hundreds of times during the day, pecked on that window and tried to fight the bird it sees. It has not given up on protecting its seed.

The very first day it came, after an hour or so of it coming back again and again to fight this "other" bird, I started to get the message from God.

In my spirit I felt that God was saying to me, "Yes, I want you to knock, I want you to seek, I want you to care about your seed and their spiritual legacy so much that you will come back to me, day after day, hour after hour. If the robin is this faithful to protect her seed, how much more have I given you the love and capacity to care for yours?"

Oh God, thank you for sending this robin to teach me about faithfulness. Help me always to be faithful to the greatest privilege and responsibility I have for the care of my children, my grandchildren, my seed, Prayer--

A Cross of Ashes

Being that I am not Catholic, I have only received the cross of ashes one time in my life----when I was teaching at Immaculate Conception in Tulsa, OK. I will never forget how I felt that day--

I knew that everyone else would know that I was a follower of Christ and I so wanted to bring glory to His Name, and not bring any reproach upon the Savior of the world--I watched every step I took, every word I said--like I should do every day anyway.

I spent much of the day in tears because I could not think about anything but Jesus and His suffering on the cross for me.

However, and this is a big however, my friend, Sheila, over at Becoming Women of Peace wrote a post today that I want you to read so much. And please read to the very last line...........it is truly priceless.

Beautiful Fruit!

What do you think of when you see beautiful fruit? Do you stop to think about the someone somewhere who cultivated this crop, planted the seed, pulled the weeds, turned over the sod, covered it when the high winds and bitter temperatures came, provided nourishment in the form of sunshine and rain?  This kind of beautiful fruit doesn't just happen but I am one of the guilty ones for taking so much for granted at times.

Well, do I ever have some fruit to share with you today?

These are some of our awesome men who are in the process of letting God restore their lives at Renewal Ranch.

This is Michael, our cook.  Michael gets up at the crack of dawn to start preparing for the day.  Every time I am there, he is working the whole time.  He truly has the heart of a servant.  Michael, we are so glad to have you at Renewal Ranch.  Michael is a deep thinker and a seeker.  He gave me a list of over one hundred searching, probing spiritual questions.   He who seeks will find.

This is Charles.  He moved to Arkansas after Hurricane Katrina--he was one of those housed in the Superdome in the aftermath of that horrible tragedy.  Charles is very friendly but a good portion of the time when I am there, you will see him sitting and studying his Bible while all of the rest of us are laughing, talking, visiting.

He has memorized twenty scriptures and I couldn't be more proud of him.  He wants me to meet "Mama Lucy" one day and I truly hope to.  She is probably the earthly reason that Charles is with us--a true prayer warrior and his heroine.

How Charles came to be with us--Charles was riding a bicycle and one of our board members hit him accidentally.  He stopped, took him to the hospital and checked on him in the days afterward.  Thank God he was not seriously hurt.

One of the other guys at the ranch said to me, "Charles is giving 150%.

Atlas is a very gentle and sincere man.  I haven't gotten to know him as well as I want to but it is evident that he is serious about getting his life restored and being the man that God created him to be.  He has given his testimony on several occasions and what I am struck with is his gratitude to God for Renewal Ranch and those who are investing in his life.

This is Michael (in blue shirt) and his beautiful family from Tulsa, OK.  How ironic that they are really good friends with the family of my oldest's sons best friend when we lived there.  They and their church, South Lakewood Baptist, are hosting the men and workers from Renewal Ranch on Sunday, May 8.  Please come and worship with us if you are in the vicinity and would like to know more about RR.

We have five more men in this class who I will be featuring in the days to come.

When I named this year, 2011, the Year of Beyond, I really had no clue what was in store.  The blessings these men have brought to our lives is beyond any human reasonings or imaginings my mind could have ever entertained.

It has been my privilege to volunteer some but I deserve no credit.  There are people though, who have made deep sacrificial givings of their time and money to make this ministry a reality.   We are totally and utterly dependent upon God to keep this ministry running.  Jesus paid the price and continues to pay it.

So to those who have tilled, planted, protected this precious fruit so that "restoring broken lives through Christ" could become a reality, I am in awe--mostly to You, Lord Jesus, at how much You care for each one of us so individually.  You are awesome and to You be all the glory in this age and the ages to come.

These men are inundated in the Bible from 7 to 4 every weekday except Friday when they do service projects in the community.  On Monday nights they also attend Bible Study Fellowship, church on Wednesday nights, Saturday worship service every week at the ranch and church on Sunday.  For a detailed listing of their course descriptions, please go here or here for a more general look at RR.

If you would like to become an active part of this ministry, would you please join me in daily prayer for these men by going to "Pray With Me" in the sidebar.  I would love for you to join me in prayer each day for the RR men and for our seed also.

Always loving you,
Dianne
2011-the Year of Beyond

Photo-taken with my IPhone at Kroger yesterday morning.  I kinda like the tag left on the apple.

Weekend Worship

Photo:  Crossing the Arkansas River, Pinnacle Mountain in the background, picture taken with IPhone

A Mighty Horse

Prayer for March 3, 2011

No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:16-19

I had a dream one night several years ago that I was riding a mighty horse--We were flying through the forest at an incredible speed, the horse's hooves barely landing on the ground before accelerating into mid air again--the feeling of exhileration was like being on some kind of an endorphine high and I felt as though the horse and I together were one and could accomplish anything. It is really hard to describe how I felt especially since I have always been uncomfortable around horses--not actually afraid of them, just not comfortable.

After a time the horse pulled up short and I knew something was terribly wrong. I jumped off to examine the horse and where the breast of the horse joins the legs, the horse was bleeding terribly and all the skin was torn back exposing bone and raw flesh.

I didn't have a clue as to the meaning of the dream until after waking I read the verse I have included at the bottom of this post. Was I or am I trusting in something besides God? Anything I trust in apart from Him will never bring true security. God is my refuge and my strength--a very present help in time of trouble.

This morning during my devotional time I read this verse again and was reminded of that dream. May we only place our trust in the One true and Living God!

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.  Psalm 20:77

Good morning, Lord, here I am again asking, seeking, knocking for my descendants. 

Lord, if my children and those others for whom I am praying this morning, are trusting anything in their lives more than You, I pray that they will come to the realization through your Holy Spirit that anything or anyone, apart from You, is a vain hope for deliverance.

May they all learn a deep reverence and awe of You, and to trust totally in You and Your statutes.

I pray that this will become more and more real to me as well.  Show us what our "other gods" are, convict us and help us turn to You and Your mighty hand.

For all you are, for all you have blessed me with in this life, I give You humble and grateful thanks.  I love You, Lord, with all my heart.

There is one, especially for whom I am praying today.  Lord, You see the angst, the agony, the seeming hopelessness of what they are going through.  Where healing is needed, please restore, where Your calm and peace are needed, let Your sweet breath bring refreshing breezes, where understanding is needed, give acceptance of Your loving care and provision each day.

I ask in Jesus' Name.  Amen