Author: Carolyn

I am a Christian, a sinner saved by God's amazing grace. Much like my life, my blog is a work in progress. The main objective I have for this blog is to "proclaim the praises" of the One who called me out of darkness and into His marvelous light! (1 Peter 2:9)

Just Checking In

Carolyn

We spent a wonderful 10 days in Memphis over spring break and Easter. My sister was in town visiting with her children, as well, which made it fun for the cousins to be together. Here they are swinging in the back yard together in their Memphis Zoo shirts.

Here is my mom with my son on Easter in her backyard.


We were blessed by the Easter service at church, hearing the pastor speak on “Why the Cross?” We were also able to be there for Palm Sunday and hear the beautiful Easter music that the church there does each year at that time. That used to be my all time favorite Sunday growing up hearing the music, so it was nice to be there again with my family.

I’m so thankful to have a Risen Lord, full of power and strength, who has saved me from my sins!

My husband has a new book coming out on April 30th, and we have received the early copies. It’s been fun to read blogger reviews and see the website. It’s exciting to see the full project reach completion, though there are 2 books left to come in this trilogy.


I am looking forward now to a day to get organized from returning from our trip! Have a good weekend!

Mother-Daughter Tea

Carolyn


Today, my daughter and I attended a Mother-Daughter Tea at our church. It was a sweet time, and she loved it. She seemed so grown up today, in a new dress from her grandmother, sporting a new haircut. I love time spent with each of my children individually.

God keeps driving home to me the point I made in my last post — that He is strong, and I am weak, that I live this life by the power of His Spirit providing me the strength I need, not through my own self effort.

I had the opportunity to go out of town last weekend and visit friends we knew when we lived in Virginia. We had a nice day and a half of visiting before I got sick with a stomach bug! It is not fun to be sick away from home, and I was praying I wouldn’t infect this sweet family. (My friend is pregnant and has a young child, and her husband has a busy job… the last thing I wanted to leave them would be this “gift”!)

I have to say though that the Lord used this time to give me a great deal of sleep and rest and time to read and study for longer periods than I normally have. He continued to speak to me about the topic of my last post and some things He is helping me understand right to my core.

I had the time to read a great book by Andrew Murray entitled Absolute Surrender that my friend had. It was exactly on this topic of living in surrender to God, allowing His Spirit to fill and lead me, and how He is strong when we are weak. I was absolutely weak, recognizing that in this sickness I was experiencing my weakness in a very physical way, but that this is just a picture of how I really always am, whether I feel it or not! I so need God and His power and strength, and I need to trust Him!

Murray described more about this surrender to God:

  • God expects my surrender,
  • God accomplishes my surrender,
  • God accepts my surrender,
  • God maintains my surrender
  • God blesses when I surrender.

Murray says, “I come to you with a message, fearful and anxious one. God does not ask you to give the perfect surrender in your strength, or by the power of your will; God is willing to work it in you.” (Philippians 2:13) “Look away from ourselves and look up to God.”

Here are some quotes from Andrew Murray’s book that I loved:

“The Spirit of God has come to make our daily life an exhibition of divine power and a revelation of what God can do for His children.”

“May God grant that the Word may enter into the very depths of our being to search us, and if we discover that we have not come out from the world entirely, if God discovers to us that the self-life, self-will, and self exaltation are there, let us humble ourselves before Him.”

“Why is there not more blessing? We have not honored the Holy Ghost as we should have done. Is there one who can say that that is not true? Is not every thoughtful heart ready to cry: ‘God forgive me that I have not honored the Holy Spirit as I should have done, that I have grieved Him, that I have allowed self and the flesh and my own will to work where the Holy Ghost should have been honored! May God forgive me that I have allowed self and the flesh and the will actually to have the place that God wanted the Holy Ghost to have.'”

“Religious self effort always ends in sinful flesh.”

Murray states that we must:

  • Humble yourself in His sight.
  • Acknowledge that you have grieved the Holy Spirit by your self will, self confidence and self effort.
  • Bow humbly before Him in confession of that.
  • Ask Him to bring you into the dust before Him.
  • Then as you bow, accept God’s teaching that in your flesh there dwelleth no good thing (Romans 7:18) and that nothing will help you except another Life come in.
  • Denying self must every moment be the power of your life, and then Christ will come in and take possession of you.”

So the sickness, though at first glance could have been a temptation to feel disappointment, instead was meant for good, to give me rest, to give me time to think and pray, for God to continue to teach me what He’s been showing me, to give me more opportunity to trust Him. He is so faithful, and I am thankful.

Lifesong

Carolyn

I wondered tonight what I should write on, reflect upon. I thought that as I did my Bible study, the Lord would reveal it. I first read through some old journals as I was looking for something else, but I was struck as I read those journals about how much the Lord had used Isaiah 40:28-31 in my life. These verses tell me to trust in Him, to wait upon Him, to hope in Him. He gives strength to the weary, power to those that trust in Him!

I then proceeded to do my very last lesson in Breaking Free, a 10-week Bible study by Beth Moore that some friends and I started months ago (we stretched it out)! What (among other things) did she talk about in this last lesson? Isaiah 40:28-31!

Beth asks the reader to offer feedback concerning the relationship between weariness and self-effort or renewed strength and the presence of God. Doesn’t it seem that it is often the weariness in self effort that ultimately brings us to the end of ourselves and to God? A few years ago, God very vividly showed me that I lacked strength, but that His strength was perfected in my weakness. (II Corinthians 12:9-11). I often think of this concept of His strength in my weakness as my “lifesong.”

As literally everything I do and am is under Him and His authority, I am dependent on Him and accountable to Him for everything, from the breath I breathe, to the thoughts I think, to the actions I take. His Word provides me with everything I need for life and godliness. His Spirit guides me into truth. I am filled with hope because He has given me all I need and truly gives me the strength to be and do what I cannot in my own strength.

These truths have changed my life, and I want others to know these truths, too, and to not miss the exciting walk of faith God has for us as we trust in Him and allow Him to be our strength. I hope to share a story of one way He has shown me this in my next blog entry this week.

Isaiah 40:28-31:
“Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”

Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord

Carolyn

I love this song:

“If we could see how much You’re worth; Your power, Your might, Your endless love, Then surely we would never cease to praise You!”

Psalm 150:6: “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.”

To Him Alone belongs the highest praise!

Seeing the Sunshine

Carolyn

I was excited tonight to sit down and watch the Olympic men’s ice skating competition. I watched an American named Jeremy, then thought I would just close my eyes during the commercials. The next time I opened my eyes, they were giving out the medals. So much for a nice evening watching the competition! I guess I needed the rest!

Before the day ends, I just wanted to thank the Lord for the sunshine today. Even yesterday, I was realizing what a long winter it is where we live and wondering how long it has been since we’ve seen the sun for longer than just a few moments. I’ve been in a little bit of a rut with just the monotony of a long winter, feeling like I am on the go constantly, racing from one thing to the next, and just weary, then frustrated that I should be discouraged for really no reason, save perhaps my own lack of discipline. It’s my own fault for not better planning my day, taking time to sit and read or be still, spending more time with my children that is focused, meeting the family’s needs for things like… say, dinner! So after just feeling out of sorts yesterday, it was a real blessing to have a warmer day and see the sun all day! I am thankful.

My friend said today what we really need and should pray for is to be like Paul who says in Philippians 4 that he had learned the secret of being content in all things. That hit home for me. I don’t want my joy to be dependent on my circumstances. And Paul ends that passage by saying he can do all things through Christ who gives him the strength to do it! That was an encouragement both to hear and ponder.