The Heart God Revives

When I was cleaning, I found a bookmark behind the furniture.  

What timing.
He who formed my soul calls me back to Him, draws me to Himself,

loving me enough to show me how sinful I really am, 

in my heart, where only He sees.

On the bookmark, Nancy Leigh DeMoss has contrasted characteristics of proud, unbroken people who are resistant to the call of God on their lives 

with the qualities of broken, humble people

who have experienced God’s revival.

I encourage you to read each item on the list as you ask God to reveal 

which characteristics of a proud spirit He finds in your life. 

Confess these to Him, then ask Him to restore the corresponding quality

of a broken, humble spirit in you.

Proud People:                                                                 

1. Focus on the failures of others                                          
2. A critical spirit , fault finding                                              
3. Self-righteous                                                                  
4. Independent, self sufficient spirit                                       
5. Have to prove they are right                                            
6. Claims rights; have a demanding spirit                              
7. Self protective of their time, rights, and reputation             
8. Desire to be served                                                        
9. Desire to be a success                                                        
10. Desire self advancement                                                 
11. Have a drive to be recognized and appreciated               
12. Wounded when they are overlooked                              
13. Think of what they can do for God                                 
14. Feel confident in how much they know                           
15. Self conscious                                                               
16. Keep other’s at arms length                                           
17. Quick to blame others                                                  
18. Defensive when criticized                                              
19. Work to protect their own image and reputation             
20. Do not want others to find out about their sin                  
21. Have a hard time saying, “I was wrong, please forgive me.”    
22. Tend to deal in generalities when confessing sin               
23. Concerned about the consequences of their sin               
24. Sorry they got caught in their sin                                           
25. Wait for other to ask forgiveness when there is a misunderstanding      
26. Compare themselves to others and feel worthy of honor                        
27. Blind to their true heart condition                                   
28. Don’t think they have anything to repent of                      
29. Don’t think they need revival, but everyone else does.   

Broken People:

1. Sense their spiritual need
2. Compassionate
3. Can forgive much
4. Esteem others better than self
5. Recognize their need for others
6. Yield the right to be right, Meek in spirit
7. Self-denying
8. Motivated to serve others
9. Makes others a success  
10. Desires to promote others
11. Thrilled God would use them at all 
12. Rejoice when others get lifted up
13. Know they have nothing to offer God
14. Humbled by how much they have to learn
15. Not concerned with self at all
16. Takes the risk to love
17. Accept personal responsibility when wrong
18. Open and humble
19. What matters is what God knows
20. Willing to be exposed
21. Quick to seek forgiveness and admit failure
22. Acknowledges specific sin
23. Grieved over the root of their sin
24. Genuinely repentant  
25. Takes initiative to reconcile
26. Compare themselves to the holiness  of  God and feel desperate for His mercy
27. Walk in the light
28. Have a heart attitude of repentance  
29. Sense their need for a fresh encounter with God.

I confess that I identify far too much with the proud person. 

I want to change, be changed. 

Lord help me become one whose heart is truly revived!

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart,

O God, thou wilt not despise.” 

Psalm 51:17

Grace for Today

I awoke this morning, slowly,

after a night full of wheezing, 

to snow falling thickly against the pines that stand resolute

outside my bedroom window. 

A full foot of fresh snow erased the mud and lingering ice patches,

leaving a glistening winter wonderland. 

After the usual prayers and supplications to our Heavenly Father

to guide and protect us this day, 

to infuse me with His strength,

to be fully praised on our lives, 

I wrapped Olivia up in soft pink blanket 

and set out in search of my husband’s wonderful coffee.

 Although I am not yet well,

I am, “just right” as a friend used to say.

  Sometimes it is good to spend a day mourning over a friend, 

or contemplating how that sermon Sunday should affect your life. 

Or, perhaps, both. 

It was a day for thinking, crying, processing, and finally, moving on. 

A spiritual birthing day, really,

where you labor through the difficult issues at hand,

and  fresh faith emerges, 

leaving you tired but content.

The snowstorm continues, silencing the woods that surround our home.
As darkness falls, dinner is cooking with tantalizing aromas, 

husband is plowing the driveway…again,

children and parents gather once more at the table. 

The table that draws us all together,

holding hands and singing, 

with smiles and laughter over the attempts of the two year old,

with rounds of what we are thankful for, 

and good food aplenty.

This life that God gives, the pain that he allows, the gifts He bestows,

all a blessing in different ways. 

Some hard,

some glad,

but all…..good.

Anniversary

It is hard to believe it has already been a year. 

It seems to have gone quickly,

and yet, much has happened,

we have changed,

grown, 

discovered.

A year ago we moved into our dream home, 

our miracle of miracles,

the house that God provided.

How did it happen, you may wonder. 

How does the pastor of a small rural church

have a large log home of his own?

  He has a big, thoughtful, gracious God,

who loves to give his children good gifts, that's how.

Seven years ago, oh my, seven! 

Yes, seven years ago we were outgrowing our parsonage.

(chuckle) We thought. 

The church board desired to do something to provide more space for us. 

But we were land locked.

Then a member stepped forward and said,

my wife and I want to 

GIVE

you 10 acres of land 2 miles from town 

where you can build your own home.

Then a friend said, I know a way to build a cheap log home

that might work for you. 

And we said, Really, we always wanted a log home! 

Could we really do it?

So we began, knowing nothing, having nothing.

  We built it together,

by hand,

with lots of sweat and volunteer help from loving folks all over.

For six years we spent every available minute building. 

Nailing, Nailing, nailing. 

Sanding, chinking, peeling logs.  

Babies came, and we added another to the parsonage,

and another, 

and another.

Friends continued to bless us with their help,

the Lord continued to bless us with materials,

incredible deals, workers, 

and faith that one day, 

before Jesus returns,

it would be done.

We moved in without hot water or an oven, without many things done, 

but it has been pure joy to live here, 

in this spacious home that our children helped build,

that our Heavenly Father provided, 

this log lodge that is our haven.

It has been a year.

I thank the Lord for all He has done,

given, all the many ways he has taught us, 

and blessed us, 

and continually provided all that we need.

Glory be to God.

Father Teaches Mother

I LOVE BEING A MOTHER

I especially love being a mother when

the 2 year old makes a request with head tilted sideways and a charming look on his chubby little face as he says, “PEEEEEAS, Mommy?”

Or the sweet little baby has fallen asleep with her tiny fingers

wrapped around my one.

When the boys enthusiastically quote their Bible verses to me.

Or Ben spends the day, or week, dressed up in cowboy gear being Tel Sackett.

As Bethany sits near me trying out her reading.

In late night visits with the older children, 

or shared smiles at one of the little one’s antics.

And of course, when any one of them instantly reply to my request

by obediently saying, “yes mama” with a happy heart.

God lovingly sanctifies us through our parenting.
Just as I desire my children to be obedient,
my Heavenly Father asks me to respond in obedience to him.
Cheerfully,
immediately,
yieldingly.
Sometimes I may not understand why he asks something of me,
but I must trust Him, because he is ultimately ALL loving
and has my best interests in mind.
Likewise, I need to mother my children in a loving way,
with THEIR best interests in mind,
so they will trust me when they don’t understand the why.

This winter has been one full of illness for our family,

we are, once again, passing around bugs and under the weather. 

This time it is a pneumonia.

  It has kept us from much activity, or much talking, 

since the ability to take in full breaths is compromised. 

Instead, we are slower, quiet, reading, or just resting. 

There has much time to just observe, think, and pray. 

Our dear daddy was sick first, and is now on the mend,

then Anna and myself have become ill this week. 

Thus, I have had much time for pondering.

I have become aware of how the things that I am naturally good at

are often times issues of pride.  

Once bitten by the pride bug, 

it is hard to shake off, and can,

often does,

nestle in for a good long visit, causing one to look down their nose

at others who don’t measure up to our own little standard of goodness.

I have had to confess to dear friends and family 

of being critical instead of gracious.  

Then, my husband, who has been preaching through Romans,

  got right to my heart this week in Romans 15:1-7. 

I know it was God’s perfect timing,

but I tease my husband for preaching at ME, 

when he could just talk to me about it at home instead of address my sin…

at church!! 

I know he is just working through the book exegetically. 

Really, it is amazing how God speaks to our hearts.  

At just such a time as sickness strikes the house,

the Lord brings to light things I really need to turn over to him, in repentance.

  Usually, my days are full,

and while I am a thinker,

daily life can get in the way of  deep analytical thought. 

But, while I am ill, there is plenty of time.

  Isn’t He good? 

So loving and thoughtful, gently leading and teaching. 

I can just hear Him saying, “Look here, sweetheart, this is a mess,

and you need some time to deal with it, so I am going to give you some time off and we can take care of it, you and me, together.”

It is here that I can see that His work in me is not only for this particular issue, but is also an example of His parenting, that I am to follow.

  Our Heavenly Father gently takes his child aside 

and  lovingly shows them the way that restores them to rightness. 

This is good discipline!  

In fact, I doubt God ever hollers from the recliner....

STOP THAT RIGHT NOW, 

DON'T MAKE ME GET UP AND COME IN THERE!!!! 

He takes time to amend a relationship. 

It is his first priority.

I am inspired.

  I can’t yell anyway, I have lost my voice.  

Must be providence!! 

I bet He is smiling right now at my epiphany. LOL!

 I’ve got time to think,

and my Heavenly Father has things to teach me, 

the mother, His child.

To sum up, I am thankful to be sick.