Quarantined, not Quarantined.

Who would have thought at the beginning of April we would still be under quarantine.
Some of us are under mandatory quarantine. Some of us choose to quarantine. Either way, we all are in the midst of this global crisis.
However, we all have the same choices. We can choose to listen to those in authority and hope we can soon return to the normalcy we all desire. Or we can choose to rebel and not listen to those who have much more wisdom than we do in regards to this crisis.
Whatever you choose, I think I can be assured we are all feeling a bit cramped and tied down at this time.
I am at a level of quarantine that is more detailed than most of you. I have had to cancel appointments, cancel any social time with others, and absolutely stay out of public places.  I must wear a face mask when I am out of my home. This has been all winter for me. The regular flu can be just as dangerous for me.  So trust me, I know how frustrated you all feel.
With those points being made, let's take a look at how we can make the most out of this time.
My first thought is we have no excuse to keep us from reading God's Word and praying to Him. This should be top priority for us. This war we are in, this unseen enemy, is fierce. The enemy wants to wipe us off the face of this earth. But it cannot! Jesus already won that war. He is in charge, not the devil. The devil has no authority, but Jesus has ALL authority.
With that being known, it doesn't excuse us from spending time with Him. Now more than ever, we must be on our knees in prayer. We must pray for protection that our Lord Jesus has for us. We must pray for our families, our jobs, our country, our President and leadership. We must pray for those who have lost loved ones from this virus. Pray the Lord comforts them.
We all are familiar with this verse:
2 Chronicles 7:14:
... and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
We are not exempt from this. Take advantage of this time together as a family. Teach your children this verse. Say this verse several times a day. Write it down. Have it sealed in your hearts.
Here we are just a week from Easter week. And we cannot attend Easter services. We cannot worship with the church on this very special day. As Christians, it is our most important holiday.
But why can't we? We can, from our own homes.
Every church these days has the ability to post their service on line, or through a live feed. If by chance your church cannot do that, there are plenty of others you can worship with. You may be thinking it's not the same. Why isn't it? Jesus says "where two or more are gathered, He is there also.
Matthew 18:20:
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.”
Jesus is still there amongst you, in your living rooms. There is no need for us to be discouraged. We can still worship with the Body of Christ. We can still receive from the spoken word on Easter Sunday. Jesus will meet you wherever you are.
Faithful readers I pray for you all, that you remain encouraged. I pray that the Lord gives you something special during your time with Him. Our Lord Jesus will take what is meant to destroy us and turn it around for His glory. I totally believe that. Hang on to those promises the Lord gives you. Write them down. Go back and read them over again. Pray those words out loud.
I am excited to sit back and watch what our Lord God is going to do. I cannot imagine the greatness He has planned. In the midst of the devastation, in the midst of this storm, I fully believe we will see God's glory.
I pray for you all, hold on to your faith, hold on to Jesus, He is in charge.

Waymaker in the Midst of a Crisis

The world as we have always known has drastically changed with the spread of a deadly virus. You can call it a pandemic, a plague, a drastic situation. There are feelings of panic, hysteria, fear. And then there are feelings of hope, faith, peace. How can this be? The same exact situation, yet totally different mindsets. This is the world we live in.
 Many do have faith and hope because of our belief and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. Others are hysterical and panic stricken because they have no hope or faith. And then we still see those walking is disbelief that anything is wrong. To me that's just plain ridiculous.
 And one more mindset, those thinking it doesn't matter if someone gets it, they will probably live, if not, oh well. Let me tell you, I am one of those who would probably not survive the virus because of no immune system because of Chronic Leukemia.
This is when I have to check my own attitude. I could very easily get very angry at those people and the lack of concern for the safety of others. I do not want to be swallowed up in anger. Instead I want my faith, hope, and trust in my Lord Jesus to define who I am.
I have a family member who is in ICU fighting for his life, not from Corona virus, but other reasons. He is in a battle for his life. A fierce battle. The concern is the hospitals will get flooded with very ill patients. Will there be enough room for those patients. Or will my family member be rushed out before it is time and risk a relapse because of this pandemic. We do not know those answers. But one thing I know for sure, we cannot let our guard down. We must continue to pray and believe for all who are struggling to survive. Whether it is this virus, or another acute illness, or a chronic illness, we must be on our knees and praying to our Father in heaven. He is in charge.
The Bible is full of stories of plagues, disasters, etc. It tells us the enemy(the devil) wants to kill us and destroy this world. I have news for you, the devil can try all it wants, but our Lord Jesus reigns. He holds the victory in His hands. He is in control and He will have His way. If you do not believe, just go on the internet and look up the Bible and start reading it. It is the Word of God, it is truth, and full of hope for all of us.
I believe the Lord Jesus will cover us. This doesn't mean people will not die. That is what happens. But we can have an attitude of hope.
I encourage you faithful readers, please listen to the guidelines given to us by our leaders, and please-please-please pray for protection, pray for those affected and suffering, pray for our leaders and officials to have wisdom and knowledge of how to handle this crisis, and pray for our world to see the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
As you listen to the song below, put your name in there, or the name of your loved ones, let the power of the Holy Spirit flood over you and minister to you.
Psalm 91
The Protection of the Most High
1 The one who lives under the protection of the Most High
dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 He Himself will deliver you from the hunter’s net,
from the destructive plague.
4 He will cover you with His feathers;
you will take refuge under His wings.
His faithfulness will be a protective shield.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
the arrow that flies by day,
6 the plague that stalks in darkness,
or the pestilence that ravages at noon.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side
and ten thousand at your right hand,
the pestilence will not reach you.
8 You will only see it with your eyes
and witness the punishment of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord—my refuge,
the Most High—your dwelling place,
10 no harm will come to you;
no plague will come near your tent.
11 For He will give His angels orders concerning you,
to protect you in all your ways.
12 They will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the young lion and the serpent.
14 Because he is lovingly devoted to Me,
I will deliver him;
I will protect him because he knows My name.
15 When he calls out to Me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble.
I will rescue him and give him honor.
16 I will satisfy him with a long life
and show him My salvation.

Are You Ready?

Springtime is coming. The birds are busy. The snow is melting. Soon we will see flowers popping up out of the ground, and buds on the trees. We will feel the warmth of the sunshine. It brings anticipation of new birth and new growth. I happen to love springtime. My Grandma used to say she needed the sunshine to warm her bones. I think I know what she meant. With every passing year I seem to be less tolerant of the cold winters.
When spring comes it usually turns our thoughts to Easter. The Lenten season has begun. Everyone has their particular way of observing lent. For me, I see it as a time of preparing myself to be ready.
Ready for what? Ready for what the Lord would have me do this season, or what He desires of me.
As we recall, God has a plan for each of us. Sometimes that means we need to gather our thoughts and spend some quiet time with the Lord, preparing ourselves to do what He asks of us.
In Matthew 4 and Mark 1 we read that Jesus approached Simon and Andrew, and James and John. He told them to "follow Him, put their nets down and follow Him". And they did. That tells me they were looking for something more. They were "ready" to go.
As I think about this, could I just drop everything and go? Or if Jesus asks me to do a specific task for Him, am I ready? Have I prepared myself to do what Jesus desires of me? I hope so.
Actually that is how this blog came to be. For several months I was feeling the urge to write something, like a blog. I had never considered myself "capable" of doing something like this. But the urge became stronger over the months. Finally I talked this over with a precious sister in the Lord who is in leadership at my church. She encouraged me and helped me set up this site. I was nervous.
But I knew this was to come to fruition. And so it began.
I write what the Lord places on my heart. It usually comes from something out of my devotions. And I seek confirmation in the Scriptures. Then I ask my husband to read it over for me.
I do not pretend to know all, because I do not. But I had to be obedient to the Lord Jesus.
Was I ready? Yes, I was. I was ready and willing. Those disciples were ready and willing.
Are you ready? Has the Lord placed something on your heart? It doesn't have to be big, or far away in a different country, or in a blog or book. It just has to be between you and God, and what He has asked of you. You do not have to compete with someone else. You do not have to "win". Jesus has the victory.  You may be thinking how do I get ready. By reading the Word consistently, studying the Word, listening to the Holy Spirit, and obeying Him. Sometimes we have to sit back and wait. For weeks, months, or longer before we see the opportunity, or even to see the fruit. But this I know, Jesus will nurture what has been sewn.  He will produce the fruit when the time is right.
I encourage you faithful readers, seek the Lord's will in His word, in prayer. Talk to Jesus, listen to Him. If you need encouraging, talk with a trusted friend, preferably in leadership (it is good to have that covering). It is okay to seek council. It does not mean you are any less capable of doing the Lord's will.
I pray you find your "to do orders" this season. And I pray you are encouraged as you walk through life with Jesus. It is the best ever!
Matthew 4:18-22  (HCSB)
The First Disciples
18 As He was walking along the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. 19 “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for[a] people!” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.