Help! I'm in over my head!

Psalms 61:2-4 "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (3) For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. (4) I will abide in thy tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah."

When Peter stepped out on faith into the middle of the Sea of Galilee during a raging storm, he quickly began to feel his own inadequacies as a person in control of what he was doing. I believe every Christian comes to a point some time, if they've been obedient, when they realize they are in over their head, out of their depth, in the middle of a raging storm. In other words, without outside intervention-powerful intervention `-the situation is hopeless.

While God promises to provide a way of escape so that our temptation to sin in trials will not be greater than we can bear, He doesn't say that we won't face situations that are greater than we are, greater than our strength can handle. Instead of relying on our own strength though, He wants us to rest in Him, and bear us up over those mighty waves in the power and control of Christ, so that when we are on the other side of the trial, we can say, "Wow! See what God has done!"

Jesus did not have to carry Peter back to the boat. Peter, in his moment of weakness (Don't we all have 'em?) knew exactly what to do, and he cried, "Lord, help!" Jesus was right there, just as He always is when we start to sink in our temptation or trial. Peter got to walk with Jesus on the water back to the ship. What an experience that must have been!

Sometimes when I am tempted, I do get scared because I see my own personal strength is no match for my situation. Isn't that silly? I could never do it on my own in the first place! And even if I could find some success in my own power, I would steal all the glory for it. It's so much better when Jesus can do it through me, and when He can be glorified at the end of it!

Something else I never expected to say...

You know, David, your hamburger does not belong in my shoe.

Conversation

Me: Would you like more toast, Elisabeth?

Elisabeth: No, thank you. Just some syrup, please.

Me: Would you like your syrup in a glass?

Elisabeth:Yes! (Note of excitement creeping into her voice)

Me: I'm sorry, but I'm not serving syrup that way today. Would you like anything else?

Elisabeth: May I have some candy?

Me: No candy for breakfast; would you like something else?

Elisabeth: I would like some toast!

Hey it was worth a try!

Oh, Beautiful Motherous Queen! (blink blink)

Oh, I don't know for sure, but I have a feeling that someone is trying to butter me up.

Hey, I like butter!

Gethsemane

This poem was in the Baptist Voice, a newspaper put out by WCBC. I cut it out and put it next to my desk.

Gethsemane
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox


In golden youth when seems the earth
a summer-land of singing mirth,
When souls are glad and hearts are light,
And not a shadow lurks in sight,
We do not know it, but there lies
Somewhere veiled under evening skies
A garden which we all must see--
The garden of Gethsemane.

With joyous steps we go our ways.
Love lends a halo to our days;
Light sorrows sail like clouds afar.
We laugh, and say how strong we are.
We hurry on; and hurrying, go
Close to the border-land of woe,
That waits for you, and waits for me--
Forever waits Gethsemane.

Down shadowy lanes, across strange streams
Bridged over by our broken dreams;
Beyond the misty caps of years,
Beyond the great salt fount of tears,
The garden lies. Strive as you may,
You cannot miss it in your way.
All paths that have been, or shall be,
Pass somewhere through Gethsemane.

All those who journey, soon or late,
Must pass within the garden's gate;
Must kneel alone in darkness there,
And battle with some fierce despair.
God pity those who cannot say,
"Not mine but Thine," who only pray,
"Let this cup pass," and cannot see
The purpose of Gethsemane.

Couple's Retreat!

We went to a couple's retreat out in Rosarito a few weeks ago. True to my usual way of doing things (or not doing things) I have only just now gotten around to posting pictures. However, we throughly enjoyed it! The place was beautiful, the food was delicious, the preaching was fabulous, and I had the best companion. Here are some pictures.

Mommy and Daddy's bed is magic.

Spiritual truths are beginning to sink in!

You never know when your little ones can make practical application of spiritual principals.

I was standing at the sink, washing dishes (It's amazing how many of my stories start with me washing dishes.) and teaching a lesson on temptation. It went something like this.

"The Bible says we need to resist temptation, and the God gives us a way to escape it. Think about temptation this way; Let's say Mommy made up a plate of cookies, left it on the counter, and said, 'don't touch the cookies' on my way out. Then you were standing in the kitchen thinking, 'MMMMM! Those look good! I want one! I want to take one!'

That's temptation, and you should resist it. Say, "I'm not going to disobey!" Tell yourself a Bible verse that can help you like 'Children obey your parents...' and then go find something else to do. Pray and sing a song, and that temptation will stop."

As I was finishing up the last of the dishes, David came up to Ruth, who was standing on a stool helping me. He began making a general pest of himself, pulling at her socks and her dress and whining. Suddenly Ruth shouted, "MOMMY! IS THIS TEMPTATION?"

"Why, what do you want to do?"

"I want to kick him in the face!"

"YES! That's temptation! DON'T DO IT!"

Ruth jumped off the stool and said firmly to David, "I'm NOT going to kick you!" Away she flounced whistling a tune.

Nice to know the lesson made a difference!

Joy In Heaven!

A young lady came to me several weeks ago, concerned about the state of her soul. She was young, but you don't need to have a college degree to understand the gospel of Christ. That she was under conviction was no doubt. She told me that her sins were going to take her to a place called hell. She wanted to know what she needed to do in order to be saved. I had been dealing with her for a while, helping her to understand these things, and now I could see that the Lord was opening her eyes. I felt a strong check not to tell her to pray. Instead, I showed her from the Bible how she needed to call upon the name of the Lord, confess the Lord with her mouth. She asked me what she should say, so I asked her what she wanted Jesus to do for her. She said, "I want him to take away my sins so I can go to heaven!" I asked, "Do you believe He will do this?" She looked uncertain. I said, "That's what it means when it says 'whosoever believeth on him shall have everlasting life'. You believe Jesus saves you, and you repent, or turn away from your sins." After a moment of thought, she asked, "Didn't you tell me Jesus hears my thinking?" I perceived that the one thing that was holding her back was being embarrassed to pray out loud. I said the first thing that came into my mind, which was from Matthew 10:32, "You know, one day Jesus is going to confess my name to the Father when it's time to judge my sins, and He's going to say, 'That's Sarah! I saved her and paid for her sin to be removed with my blood!' Why wouldn't I speak His name with my mouth when I asked Him to save me?"

I waited and she did something extraordinary. She laid down flat on her face and clasped her hands in front of her nose and began to pray loudly and earnestly. The only problem was, I couldn't understand what she was saying because her face was pressed so close to the ground. But Someone did hear her, and He understood her perfectly! She got up after about thirty seconds of prayer, and her face was shining. I asked her what happened. She said delightedly, "Jesus saved me!"

There is joy in Heaven over one sinner that repents, and there is much joy in our house at the salvation of this soul, because we are called to win our own children to Christ every bit as much as we are to reach the souls of Mexico for Him. I'm so thankful my Ruth has found peace with Christ. Our Lord is good, is He not?