Leaving Lilies

“There is a light! Surely I see a light upon the path! One has walked here before us, and has left a light in every footprint for those that follow him.”

Now this seemed to be but a dream of the old man, but if it were a dream it cheered his heart. So from that moment he walked more strongly himself, and led Sir Constant with better spirit. Anon he said joyfully that the light remained in the path, though he could see no man: and truly it seemed to be so, for soon they found a beaten way, and saw before them a light at a castle gate, a gate ancient and moss-grown, with frowning battlements above. It was the fortress of the Forest, where the burden must be delivered. It was about this time that Constant noticed a strange, sweet odour as of flowers, and called to mind the odour of the Flowers Immortal, those fragrant blossoms which he had seen in the gardens of the Great King.

“Dost thou see flowers at our feet?” he asked; and the peasant answered again:

“The footprints before us leave a light, but this is a thing almost as marvellous. Wherever thy foot has marked the earth there springs up a lily like a star, white as snow and rich with perfume.”

Sir Knight of the Splendid Way ~ by W. E. Clue (Chapter X. The Adventure of the Forest of Burdens pg. 168 – 170)

I am beginning to see more and more why God allows the devil to attack in our lives.. He wishes to show us the light he left behind so we can plant lilies for those who follow. We have a choice to make. We can be the tree that died to made the rivers of Mara sweet, or we can choose to live with the bitterness and allow our roots to sink in it. I for one choose to die than to let the bitter circumstances of life take over me!

“Living for Jesus by Faith does not Isolate us from harm and trouble, but it does Insulate us through it!” ~ Pastor B. Sanders

Sadly, I know, that in these past few days I have not shown the faith and patience I should have possessed. I have not Insulated myself with the Word of God!!

Our first two attempts to leave Arizona for our first stop in New Mexico failed miserably. The third time on Tues. evening, we were able to leave and keep on going. God’s Way is perfect ♥ Our trip was not free of trouble by any means… The Rv was overheating causing us to keep pulling over to let it cool down enough to press on, the tires on the trailer began smoking and had to be changed and fixed, and just before making it to Jeff and Laura’s in Rainsville, NM, the tire on the trailer blew. This does not mean that we have a right to sink our roots into the bitter waters. In all of this I know, God takes care of His own and has always known what tomorrow holds ♥ In all of this the burden for souls should never be lost! Throughout the trip, I have been blessed with the opportunity to hand out my testimony to some very opened souls, including the police officer who assisted us when our trailer first started having tire trouble! God’s Way is perfect ♥

“O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!” Job 16:21

I praise the Lord for His goodness to me and my family! He showed me where to place my trust Tuesday morning in Ps 121 ♥

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” Ps 121

“This life is but a vapor, I have no depth in it; my roots will sink no further than the ground I’m standing on. My treasure’s laid in heaven; the rest burns up in flame. It’s when I lift mine eyes up that I shall trust His name. But if I look away Lord, and cast my view from Thee, the clouds will gather overhead and rain will pour on me. For though the storms may come, and take my things away, none but Thee can touch my soul, if with Thee I stay!” ~ Joycelin Marie

There’s a flower that grows wild here in Rainsville. Every time I see them, I think of that part in Sir Knight of the Splendid Way that you read in the beginning of this post. They are a beautiful small white flower that resemble a lily and can make the roughest terrain look pleasant. I n the end of my life, I wish for this… that those who follow behind my footsteps will find a lily in its place. The path right now may seem hard and bitter, but if I die for Christ each step, the sweet aroma will fill the air and change the path as well. ♥

H♥me

There are many places I have been which I can call by such a name. It's a place where I'm at rest, A place where I know I am welcome, A place that draws me to it, A place that I always think of, A place full of friendly faces.. But there is one place I call home far different from the rest… For when I go there, something inside of me awakens. Suddenly people hold more value and time is preciously spent. My heart beats faster and a smile graces my lips. It's almost hard to describe… A sense of awareness overtakes me and I begin to see great needs.

When I stepped through the doors of Fairhaven Baptist Church shortly after arriving in Coolidge, that feeling swept over me. It flooded my soul and warmed my heart. I imagined those double doors wide open and all those seats full. I felt the cover of the hymnal and heard the precious singing. It is much stronger than magic, else I would use the word magical, but that doesn't do it justice. This place captivates me. Though it is further from all my other homes, I never feel alone when I stand in this place. Perhaps, it is because I've watched this church grow from that first time I walked through that old cafeteria door and saw the small group of broad smiling faces to the larger group of 40 odd people with even deeper warmth in their hearts and love in their eyes than the first time I met them. And I know why… They've been changed by the power resting in this place and in these people. You see, it is not magic at all, but a power strong enough to move mountains.

It is the same power Paul spoke of in I Corinthians 1:18.

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the Power of God."

It is the same Power of faith in God that Peter spoke of in I Peter 1:5.

"Who are kept by the Power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

This is not some fairytale like the devil wants you to believe. It's real and it resides in the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I am so blessed to be a small part of God's ministry here at Fairhaven Baptist Church! This is what I call my temporary home. It is the closest I can get to home until I get to my final Home where I will always be with my Lord. ♥

II Peter 1:16

"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

The Sweetness of Surrender

Hebrews 3:12 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."
Five years ago today..
I was as black as filthy rags and coldhearted toward God. I wanted one thing only: To be the most beautiful, the best, and loved by all. I was my number one priority. Basically you could say, I was consumed with myself...

But God

In His love and mercy, needing nothing from me, stooped down and purged my rotten Heart.. Saving my soul and awakening His Spirit inside of me. My life has Never been the same.

What will the next Five years hold for me? I don't really know. But I can tell you this, those years will be sweet, regardless of the outcome. I was saved For a Reason; A reason beyond myself, and I pray that I will not fail my Lord!
Below is a song I wrote called “The Sweetness of Surrender” I wrote this song while in Bible college. Not long after I wrote it, I stumbled upon these words by Cary Schmidt -

“There is sweetness in surrender that touches the deepest reaches of our beings. There is deep, incomparable Joy in letting God have control.” ~ Discover your Destiny by Cary Schmidt (pg.171)

Bro. Schmidt has recently been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma and I am thrilled to say that the sweetness of surrender has not left him. He wrote this not long after the diagnosis -

”Life is hard. But God is good. Don’t confuse the two. I will not question God. I am clay. (Isaiah 29:16) And it occurred to me today, clay doesn’t get angry. Clay doesn’t have a will. Clay doesn’t expect, presume, or worry. Clay has two jobs—sit still and stay soft. And by God’s grace, I want to be clay—I want to sit still and be soft in God’s hands. I pray you will too... Don’t live your life clinging to probable outcomes. If you do, you are assuring yourself eventual disappointment. Live your life standing solely upon the assurance of God’s promises, and the security of His presence. Live knowing that you are His child. Nothing but the presence of God can offer genuine security. Anything less is an illusion—a false assumption.”

“The Sweetness of Surrender”

When you give your life to Jesus,

There’s a price in letting go,

And a sweetness of surrender

That this world will never know

Jesus Christ is all you ever need

You’ll find there’s Joy in giving and letting go!

Because it’s when you’re down to nothing

That God is up to something

And the Sweetness of Surrender

Is, Oh! So much better

Than the unsurety of standing on your own

When you let go of your ambitions

You’ll find that all is lost in Him

Throw away these vain traditions

As your life before grows dim

Live by faith and by faith you’ll be set free

You’ll find there’s Joy in giving and letting go!

Because it’s when you’re down to nothing

That God is up to something

And the Sweetness of Surrender

Is, Oh! So much better

Than the unsurety of standing on your own

Have you knelt before your Abba?

And laid your life down at His feet?

Have you come to your Ahava?

To find in Him life is complete?

Life is sweet when wholly lost in Him.

You’ll find there’s Joy in giving and letting go!

Because it’s when you’re down to nothing

That God is up to something

And the Sweetness of Surrender

Is, Oh! So much better

Than the unsurety of standing on your own

"Too many people live life with two goals—have as many heartbeats as possible, and have as much fun as possible while my heart is beating. This is not wise. The only significant life is found in fulfilling God’s will, and frankly, I would rather be sick on God’s agenda than well on my own agenda. It’s that simple." - Cary Schmidt

Hebrews 3:14 "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our Confidence stedfast unto the end."