Billy Graham's devotional for today

This is SO TRUE!  

"Christians are to enjoy life and enjoy one another. When children see no joy in their home, no joy in your Christianity, they will not be attracted by it. When they see you excited about going to a ball game, or watching television, and then dragging around to do spiritual things, they will soon get the idea that Christianity does not mean much to you. Your attitude will rub off. My wife says that the best way to get a child to eat his food is to see his parents enjoying theirs. Our children will not be attracted to Christ if we make Him seem dull.

Daily Prayer

May I live so close to You, Jesus, that those around me will see Your joy."

Suffering, Failing, and Success

“Suffering and success go together. If you are succeeding without suffering, it is because others before you have suffered; if you are suffering without succeeding, it is that others after you may succeed.” -- from Edward Judson, Adoniram's father 

We've often felt like failures, suffering our own mistakes , and seeing our children suffer for our own sins....but "Thanks be to God who always leads  us in triumph through our Lord Jesus Christ!" And His power is perfected in our weakness, as we fall upon Him for help and mercy.

If we had no suffering, we wouldn't need God, and we wouldn't see how He can do abundantly above all that we ask or think. He delights in showing His mercy by doing the impossible for His children. I read this morning, Oswald Chambers' idea on prayer- 

"If our Father knows what we need before we ask, why ask? The point of prayer is not in order to get answers from God; prayer is perfect and complete oneness with God. If we pray because we want answers, we will get huffed with God. The answers come every time, but not always in the way we expect, and our spiritual huff shows a refusal to identify ourselves with our Lord in prayer. 
Children of God never pray to be conscious that God answers prayer, because they are so restfully certain that God always does answer prayer."

So, if we're suffering, can we become one with Him, who cried out to His Father, "not my will but Thine be done, Father?" If He doesn't answer our prayer the way we want, will we get disappointed or "huffed" with Him? He knows what is best for us and understands all our circumstances. He knows the end from the beginning and He will bring glory to Himself if we can say with all our hearts, 'Your way is BEST, Father.' He will make our way successful by our acceptance of the suffering He has allowed, and if that perfect will is to conform us to the image of Christ, must we not gladly be perfected in Him?

Am I willing to be sanctified by many little deaths, many "chances to die," so that His life may be seen in me? I recommend my mother's book A Chance to Die, a biography of Amy Carmichael.

Family-June 14-22, 2014

God gathers us in and we often scatter. I'm so thankful to have most of our family visiting this week! From 2 yr old Jennifer, a grandchild, to our oldest son, Walter. He brings about the gathering and I pray we can always encourage being together!

On Jim Elliot, by his wife, Elisabeth

I just started rereading Shadow of the Almighty, the biography of my Dad, and I'd like to put this paragraph in as a challenge to those of us who call ourselves Christians:

"When Jim was twenty years old he prayed, "Lord make my way prosperous, not that I achieve high station, but that my life may be an exhibit to the value of knowing God." His life was that to me, who shared it more intimately than any other.  Was it extraordinary?  I offer these pages so that the reader may decide for himself.  If his answer is yes- if he finds herein the "stamp of Christ," and decides that this is extraordinary-- what shall we say of the state of Christendom?"
                                                                    from the end of the preface

From the first page of the preface:

"Some who pick up this book may make  no claim to know God. Others may make the claim but be victims of the self-delusion that John ("the disciple whom Jesus loved" from one of his  letters in the Bible) observes. Yet others may know Him, and obey Him, but wonder sometimes at the value of this knowledge and this obedience.  I think that this book will have something to say to all three.  If those in the first category want to know God, they may perhaps learn how.  Those in the second group may find that they are missing a great deal by not backing their claims with action.  And those in the third category may be encouraged to pursue their course. "

There are many times when I am overwhelmed and humbled by the fact of being the daughter of these two extraordinary Christians.  There are other times when I am "proud" in the simplest sense of the word, that I was born of them, and that I have some of their characteristics- sense of adventure and fun, a desire to do what's right, a sense of humor. But as I have often felt, when comparing myself to them( I know that is not wise!) and their accomplishments, I am struck with the lack of consistency and diligence, the lack of the will of steel in my own personality, that has kept me from accomplishing what I thought I "ought" to accomplish.  God made me who I am, and did  He not want to teach me what obedience to His will is, throughout my life, and have I not taken steps of self-discipline, in "fits and starts", later to castigate and berate myself, because I've "not done those things that I ought to have done?"  Yes, it takes a whole life time to do those things He wants us to do, and it takes daily repentance from our dead works, in order that His work of life may transform us. May He conform each of us to the image of Christ, and may we imitate those saints that we read about, or from, as Paul told his churches to imitate him, as he imitated Christ.  May the chastisement of the Spirit comfort us, as we know He is at work, "reshuffling our categories" as my mother used to say, and working in us that which is pleasing in our Father's sight.  May we be mold-able and pliable in His hands, willing to be convicted by the Spirit of Truth, as well as convinced of His help in changing our bad habits and tendencies.  He equips those who want to do His will with His powerful enabling....our lives becoming exhibits to the value of knowing Him....Praise be to Him! Romans 15:13

"The Garden of Sparkling Delight"

I have just finished reading an ebook on my Ipad, that was disturbing, and unfortunately is about a very real problem in today's world.  It is written by my daughter's mother in law in England and her pen name is Deborah Varen. I would recommend this book-"The Garden of Sparkling Delight" to anyone above the age of 16 because of its excellent story line, and its realistic look at the horrendous sex trafficking business. Though most of the book centers on 2 girls who are sold into a brothel in Brazil, the redemptive feature, is that a couple go to Brazil to do a year's work at a hospital, and discover one of the girls, and in the end help both of them. The couple is blessed by being able to help them, and the girls are brought to an understanding that there are people in the world who want to help them, and are committed to fighting the problem.  I pray that this will not only raise awareness, but it will bring more support to the foundations that are fighting this issue around the world.  I have a young friend who worked several years in India with the International Justice system to get the crime rings stopped, and I was so impressed that she went there as a single woman, because of her commitment to God and His righteousness. May God be glorified through this work, and may thousands of girls be rescued from sex trafficking. In turn, may they help others who have been caught in the same trap that they were. 
The author's blogsite is http://debvaren.blogspot.co.uk.Amazon kindle books

Gateway to Joy being aired again!

My mother's radio program which was a weekday 15 minute program for 12 years on Back to the Bible networks, is now going to be aired again on Bible Broadcasting Networks, starting April 14, 2014.

It will. Be on at 11:15 Monday through Fridays.  

So many people have told me they miss it, so I'm glad it will be aired again, and am hoping that new people will here her too. 

Matthew 13:15-17

"Heart" has the word HEAR in it....so if I truly Love my Lord, I will hear Him with love and a desire to obey. My heart will not be dull , and I will understand what He wants of me. 
I would also LISTEN to those I love with carefulness and attention to everything about their words, seeing their heart as they speak. O Lord teach my ears and eyes sharpness, openness, and understanding. Verse 16 says my eyes are blessed and my ears do hear! But Lord, why do I often not see or listen to the voices of my loved ones with sharpness or understanding? It's because of my own sin which blinds my heart, and dulls my hearing. My ideas and thoughts get in the way of truly hearing. Purge me of my own thoughts, and give me clear eyes and ears that truly want to understand, obey You, and help those around me.

His Word is dependable and lays us open!

God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what. (Hebrews 4:12, 13 MSG)

Don't you want to know the reality of your own heart? I mean I know I'm a sinner, but sometimes I don't see exactly what that means! So, reading His Word will "lay us open" to see our hearts as HE sees them, and His rebuke is loving and so good, because of His Grace through Christ. Praise Him that we still have His Word to look into, and if we sincerely ask His Spirit to teach us and show us our hearts He is faithful to answer! And He gave us His Spirit to lead us into righteousness....may I not allow my heart to be hardened so that I become impervious to His Word. But if I stray, He is the Good Shepherd and will draw me back to Himself.

Help for today

I hope you like this as much as I do! How we need His continual help in being patient with others and not being annoyed.

Woolies and Soweto Gospel Choir: Madiba Tribute

Live Life to the Hilt