Something wicked this way comes

We're in for another round of stormy weather. Hopefully this one will pass without much damage. During the last round, on Tuesday, we were blessed to have only strong winds, heavy rain, and lots of thunder and lightning. 

This area is in the center of tornado alley and since we've lived here, we've only had a few come fairly close to our home. Two were minor storms. One was an EF4. Every time bad weather is expected, we pray asking God for a hedge of protection around our home. Some may think it silly to pray that way, but we know God cares about all things that pertain to us. We've seen over and over again His hand of protection shield us from danger. 

The beautiful Sea of Galilee

It seems the weather has grown more erratic over the past few years with more intense storms and temperature fluctuations. These are signs of the last days as spoken of in the Bible. But aren't we thankful, even in the midst of storms, God is present? He controls the wind and the waves. 

Sometimes I wonder how I would have reacted if I'd been in the boat with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee when the winds began to whip and the rain began to pour. Would I have freaked out as the disciples did as Jesus rested peacefully in the back of the boat? In my flesh, I imagine I would have. I'm sure as the boated rocked back and forth, the disciples were afraid the boat would fill with water or capsize. Naturally, they wondered how Jesus could sleep through all that, but He did! And He did because He had nothing to worry about. 

At times, I think Jesus allowed the storm to test the disciples' faith. Could He have purposefully planned it? I believe He could have. 

When Jesus was awakened by the disciples, as they exhibited their fear, He chides them on their lack of faith before speaking to the wind and telling it to be still. Instantly, as the storm stopped raging, the disciples were in awe. "Who is this, that the wind and the waves obey Him?" they asked each other. While they new Him as their friend, their rabbi, and their mentor, I wonder if they truly understood He was God in the flesh. That day, they probably got a huge wake up call. 

This was the type boat we sailed in on the sea. 

In 2018, when we were in Israel, our group was scheduled to spend a day on the Sea of Galilee. We'd booked a tour boat and were looking forward to the day our time on the sea came. We'd driven by the Sea of Galilee several times that week, before our scheduled boat ride. Each time we'd passed, the sea (which is actually a very large lake surrounded by mountainous terrain) was peaceful and calm. But one day, as we drove past on our way to our scheduled touring agenda, the sea was tumultuous. Our guide explained that storms in that area could be quite powerful and whip up suddenly. We were surprised to see whitecaps on the normally calm sea, but we were also thankful because it helped us understand the Scripture that talked about the disciples being in the boat with Jesus on that stormy day. 

Our boat ride had to be rescheduled as that storm raged. While we were sad that happened, we knew it was for the best. Thankfully, a few days later, we enjoyed the most peaceful and awe-inspiring trip across the sea. It was a highlight of our trip and one I'll never forget. 

Standing in the bow of the boat, I thought about Jesus. 

Sometimes, Jesus allows storms in our lives as teaching tools. I've faced many of those myself. Other times, He uses them to draw people closer to Himself. Today, as the storms move in, let's pray that those around us would be safe and also that they'd know God is always in control. Nothing ever takes Him by surprise. That should bring us great peace. 

I took this photo from the boat looking toward the mountains. 

Israel is a beautiful place. If you've never been, I hope one day you'll have the opportunity to go. I promise, it will change your life forever. Seeing the Bible come to life in front of your eyes is amazing. And, while there, you'll definitely have some Jesus encounters like I did. There were several places I could feel His presence so strongly I had to look around to make sure He wasn't standing right next to me. One of those places was on the Sea of Galilee, another was on the Gospel Trail. 

Jesus has promised never to leave or forsake us, so even if we can't feel Him near, He's there. Don't forget that! And as the stormy weather nears, know He's in complete control. Don't fear. Let your heart trust In Him. 

 

The Snow is gone

We had a lovely snow yesterday. Although we didn't get as much as we expected, it was nice to see the soft, powdery flakes fall. Watching the snow come down was so peaceful. At times it was slow and steady. other times, there was barely any. As I watched it, I was reminded of verses from the Bible that speak about snow. (Those who know me well know I relate everything in life to Scripture. I can't help it. The Bible is my textbook and Jesus is my life.) 

A favorite verse about snow is found in the book of Psalms, chapter 51. If you're familiar with that chapter, you know it's about David feeling remorseful for his recent indiscretion with Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite's wife. When David sinned, he knew what he was doing wrong, but did it anyway. After the dastardly deed was done, David, a man after God's own heart, knew He needed to make things right. His relationship with God had been broken so He asked God to purify him. In verse 7 he says, "Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." 

In Biblical times, hyssop, an herb similar to species of marjoram, grew in rocky crevices or stone walls. (I had a chance to see it while in Israel as I stood in front of the retaining wall of the Temple. I've attached some photos for your perusal.) The short, brushy stems were gathered into bunches and used in purification rituals. 

Hyssop is mentioned eleven times in the Bible, nine times in the Old Testament and twice in the New Testament. The most memorable reference can be found in John 19:29, when Jesus was given vinegar in a sponge attached to a branch of hyssop. It was also used to spread blood on the lintels and doorposts as the death angel passed. (The Israelites were told to stay in their homes and the sacrificial blood would protect them.) The biblical use of hyssop gives us a clear picture of the washing, cleansing, and saving that can only come from eternal God and this is the kind of cleansing David requested.

The snow David mentions would have been pure and bright, symbolic of an untouched snowfall. His desire was to be completely and utterly clean. 

In verse 10, the psalmist says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me." Not only did David want to be completely purified and washed clean, but he also wanted it to stick. He wanted a life changing cleanliness. 

We all want that don't we? Just like the lovely snow we had yesterday, I can completely understand David's desire. We all fight our flesh on a daily basis and when we're walking in our flesh, that ugliness of it is unChristlike. 

I'm thankful God is in the business of restoration! I think He takes great delight in cleaning up our messes when we make them. The power of sin is strong and that's why we must put on our armor every single day. Never forget to guard your heart, guard your mind and guard your eyes, that way, you'll be doing what you can to maintain your purity. And in the event you slip, know that your Heavenly Father is faithful! He's always ready to forgive our sin if we'll ask with a repentant heart. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Time for Thankfulness

It's been a good while since I've written. Honestly, I can't remember the date of my last post without looking it up and that's a good thing. That means I've been busy living my life and although this year has been full of challenges, it's been a good year.

In October, I crossed another item off my bucket list. For over 45 years, I've dreamed of going to Israel and finally, it happened. My husband and I joined a group of other Christians for a 10 day pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It was exciting, exhausting, and very memorable. I could write a book about the things I saw and experienced but for the sake of keeping this post fairly short, I will only touch on a couple of things.

Israel is a crazy, busy place! I never dreamed it would be so full of people, buildings, and traffic. Along with all that, there are, of course, the historical, biblical sites and we visited most of them while there. Every single day of our trip was packed with places to go and things to do. We'd have our 5:00 a.m. wakeup call, get dressed, eat breakfast, and be on the tour bus ready to go by 7:00 a.m. We'd return each day around 6 or 7pm, grab a quick dinner, and fall into bed exhausted.

Speaking of falling, on the second day of our trip, I fell and hard. We were in the City of David and had just completed a tour through some archaeological ruins. I was taking photographs of the city and walking as I maneuvered around others in our group to the perfect shot without bodies in it. As I walked toward an overlook of the city, I completely missed a step and went flying through the air. I landed yards from my original location and managed to fall with all my weight on my right knee. Before being helped up, I noticed how close I was to the edge of the platform. A few more feet and I would have been over the cliff. I took time to offer a prayer of thanks and then felt two strong arms helping me up.

Immediately, upon rising, my knee began to swell and throb. I was almost sure I'd broken my kneecap. My husband helped me find a place to sit and I pulled up my pants to see the damage. Already my knee was turning purple and the swelling was growing. From that point on I knew this was not going to be a good day.

But while in Israel, I did get to ride a camel (another thing to scratch off my bucket list) and I did get to walk on the Gospel Trail, a trail used by Jesus and his disciples to travel from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee.

The Temple Mount, Dome of the Rock

Getting kissed by my camel friend, Sam

 After several weeks, my knee has finally healed and I've been able to put the walker away. Now I'm focusing on preparations for Thanksgiving and finding myself entering a season of thanksgiving.

This year has been full of things for which to be thankful. My brother survived major heart surgery, our family was blessed with the addition of two little ones, I celebrated my 4th cancerversary, Phil and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, my youngest grandson, Garrett, celebrated his 1st birthday (which is a miracle since he was born prematurely and had major health challenges), we enjoyed a vacation to Mexico Beach before Hurricane Michael devastated that area, enjoyed our first international trip, and are now planning a mountain retreat.

The year has also been filled with sadness. We lost 2 uncles this year and a cousin had a major stroke. But through it all, God has been good. We are so very grateful for all of His wonderful blessings and especially thankful for sweet memories that will carry us through the end of the year.

Christmas will be hard with both of our sets of parents no longer with us, but we'll celebrate with those able to join us.

I've still been writing for the cancer magazine but will leave that behind at the end of the year and focus on completing my book. I've put it on hold for some time now and feel God prompting me to get busy writing it.

In February, I'll see the oncologist again and hopefully get good news. It's hard to believe 2019 will be the year I finally reach my 5 year mark. When that rolls around, on July 9th, I'm hoping to have a big celebration. That 5 year milestone is an important one. Doctors say that most breast cancer patients who'll have a recurrence usually have it within the first 5 years post diagnosis. I hope to prove them wrong.

And that's where things lie today. Early next week, I'll begin my holiday baking and I can't wait for that. Christmas decorations are already going up and yes, I've been enjoying many Hallmark holiday movies :)

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with God's best blessings. I'll try to post more often but in the event I don't, know that life is good and I'm busy living it. Spread love, Bonnie