A Dry and Dusty Land

A Dry and Dusty Land 

Have you ever been in a place and not known how you got there? I just realized that I was in a dry and dusty land, and I didn’t like it. I used to share everything with my Father- my hopes and praises, my worries and petitions. Bit by bit I had forgotten to come to Him. How I got there is rather odd to me as I was not angry with the Lord nor stepped away consciously. It started when I would have a problem or idea I would call a friend and see what they thought of it rather than come to Him(they would have Godly advice I could count on). Oh, I still prayed- just more “here’s what I want, thanks, I’m busy.. so bye.” While I was at church listening to a sermon, I didn’t want to cry in front of people- so I would distract myself from what was being said either by playing with the baby, reading somewhere else in my Bible, or by thinking of what I needed to do that day. I was still reading my Bible- but I think just as something to check off my list, and His Word was speaking to me less and less because I didn’t have the time to let it soak in. I am a busy women with many who depend on me so I write lists. I was adhering to my list and not asking God what my priorities needed to be. I was checking off down through my prerecorded activities with such satisfaction until I realized- I am stressed, I am empty, I need refilled. 

I went to a women’s conference put on by a speaker from “Revive our Hearts” ministry. I just knew that I would be refilled there. I couldn’t wait to feel that closeness with Him where I would cry and I would be cleansed and full again. Only that didn’t happen.. When the conference was almost over I still hadn’t cried or been refilled. The conference was good- it was about us feeling defeated and how we needed His Word to saturate our being and not listen to the enemy’s lies because Jesus was already victorious. I told the Lord that I was disappointed. The whole reason that I was there was to be refilled- for Him to meet me there and refill me so that I could continue to lead my busy life. At the moment that I told Him I was disappointed I knew that it was MY FAULT that I wasn’t close to Him. I realized just how far I had gotten from Him- when I thought that my focus was on Him all along. Wasn’t my life centered on doing things for Him, wasn’t I reading my Bible and praying for others? Where was the relationship though? Where was the love, the zeal.. Was I seeking the Lover of my Soul?
I knew then that rather than just refilling me at a conference He was going to teach me how to stay filled- pouring myself out daily and refilling through Him. We have all heard the saying “Give a man a fish; feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish; feed him for a lifetime”. I knew that the Lord would teach me to fish to stay full for a lifetime.

Repent- The first thing I cried out in repentance. I did not hold Him dear- I had taken my eyes off of Him. Matthew 22:37 “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,’” 
Reorganize- I got rid of my lists- I stopped doing the Bible reading that I was doing and am now reading where He leads me. What I was reading before was like a flat page before me and now the words come alive and speak to me. I want my heart to steep in His Word. My lists consisted of things that I thought needed to be done in order to be a successful wife, mother, and friend. Certain schedules need not be followed exactly to be successful- I want to be successful in His eyes, not that of man. I want what He has for me. Luke 10:41-42“’Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” 
Revive- Ask the Lord for revival in your heart- As an independent person, it is hard to ask for anything; but I want to feel alive and full of energy for Him- living out my days holding His Hand and in the direction that He wants me to go- so I will ask Him! Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” As a busy person- either as a mama, working person, or someone that takes care of a parent or loved one- it is really hard to find a quiet time to spend with Him. Ask the Lord for that time. Petition Him for a time each day that you can spend with just Him.. The best thing that you can do for yourself and for your family is to spend time with the Lord.

I tell you this to reevaluate where you are. Are you still focused on Him or have you focused on what you think you need to do for Him? Are you really praying or is it just lip service? Are you a list maker and He is just a line on your list, something to finish quickly so that you can cross that off and finish out your day- or are you spending quality time with Him? I am excited about what He is going to do in our lives, aren’t you?

Isaiah 55:1-3 “ Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.”

The Still Small Voice

The Still Small Voice

1 Kings 19:11-13 So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Life- sometimes it can be chaos; so many things going on with everything screaming for your attention all at once. We try to prioritize and get everything done that needs done for today- but the world dictates that certain other things need done today as well to be a good parent, wife, friend, daughter, employee, church attendant; for your house to be spotless, your garden to be weed-free, your children to be happy and disciplined well, be able to cook a 4 star meal and be on a diet at the same time, be the best hostess, have the newest hair style and fashion sense, master several hobbies, and the list could go on and on. These items in our life could be shouting at us constantly. I know that especially as a young mother the list was exhausting- just trying to do all that you can in everything that you are involved in and then God is somewhere lost in the shuffle.

How is it that we can hear His still small voice when we have everything around us screaming at us for our attention?

It takes an effort. I think that one of the reasons that it is a small voice is so that we do put an effort into listening to Him- He isn’t going to force Himself on you- we have a free will. We need to turn down that background noise- after all everything is just background noise compared to the voice of our Father- and spend some time with Him. We need to be still and know that He is God.(Psalm 46:10) Find some quiet time- whether it be in the morning, afternoon, night- during a child’s naptime, wake up earlier than usual and just make a habit of being with only Him. Pencil in your appointment with Him- journal it for accountability or have a buddy or prayer partner ask you each week how your time with Him has been.

But how can we find a quiet time when we have so many other things that are vying for our attention- things that are “good and for Him” such as ministries and taking care of others. Yesterday I spent most of the day hacking out some of the wild rose bushes here. Now- wild rose bushes are certainly good and beneficial- they are very beautiful as well as provide nesting space for small birds, hiding places for rabbits and small animals, produce rose hips for medicinal use, and smell wonderful- but just like a ministry or “good thing” when it is given the space to grow wildly and where it wants, it can choke out other things, as this one was. I had planted a rhododendron bush on this little rise behind my house and couldn’t even see it anymore because I had been so busy and hadn’t had time to trim back the roses. Pare back and trim the obligations that get in the way- there is NOTHING more important than spending time with your Father. Alot of times there are things that we are involved in that ARE good, but they can take over the bulk of our time, mind, and heart. We need to be conscious about our commitments and be realistic about what we can handle and what we can’t. This picture is my swath that I cleared to my rhododendron.

Read His Word and what I have to do so that my mind doesn’t wander before listening to Him or reading from His Word is to pray that He opens my ears and my heart so that I may learn from Him. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Revelation 3:22
We hear Him in our Bible, we hear Him in our thoughts, and we hear His counsel through good Christian friends but go to Him yourself rather than only listening to advice from friends. Friends are great- getting counsel from Christian friends is so encouraging and comforting, but make sure you get His Word on any situation as well(we don’t want to be put in Job’s situation where well meaning friends don’t speak for Him). Search the Scriptures and make sure that advice is from Him. Our pastor says that he thinks that the reason that there isn’t a book in the Bible admonishing the Bereans is because they were a group that searched and studied the Bible daily. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11

I want to encourage you ladies to spend time with our First Love- the one who gives us life and to listen as He speaks to us. I dare say that the more time that we spend with Him, the more we will love Him.

Lord, I thank You for all that You have done in our lives. I pray that You will give us an overwhelming desire to spend time with You and in Your Word and that You will open our eyes, ears, and our hearts to what You want us to learn and to hear. Provide us with a time each day that we can just sit and give our full attention to You. We love and praise You.

I’m leaving you with a few pictures of wild roses- the flower and a nest that I found in mine. I believe it is a gold finch.

Routinous Interruptus

Routinous Interruptus

Routinous Interruptus(Routine Interupted) is a boat that my husband and my brother in law bought from my dad last year. We haven’t taken it out yet- just mowed around it. I was raised fishing several times a month in all seasons, so the water is something that I love. The interruption that this boat would cause in my routine would be greatly appreciated :)
But what about those interruptions that aren’t so greatly appreciated? Such as sitting down to your quiet time and being attacked by hungry toddlers- or clingy spouse that wants to spend every moment of his time off from work with you- or an elderly parent that needs attention.

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” 
32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 
35By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 
37But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” 
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wagese ! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” 
38“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” 
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” 
39Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42They all ate and were satisfied, 43and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

These people that interrupted the disciples solitude ruined their routine of resting and refilling before serving others again. To the selfish part of me, this would make me very upset- however it was turned into a great blessing and miracle and five thousand people were fed. They were able after the five thousand were fed to withdraw and to get their rest- God did provide that to them and He will provide you with rest too; but what sort of blessing are we missing out on because we are angry because our routine is interrupted by others?
We could use that time with hungry toddlers showing them about how Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of stew or some other food related conversation about our Lord; we could be having a couple’s Bible study with that clingy spouse, having a sword drill competition with our teens, and having our elderly reminisce about the miracles that they have seen in their lives. Ask the Lord to bless the time that you are interrupted and to feed you and the others that are involved. Notice the joy and delight on your loved ones’ faces as you spend time with them and teach them or learn with them about our Lord and you will be fed as well. You will get your quiet time back again someday- enjoy the interruption.

John 21:17
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” 
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” 
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

Radiance

Radiance is a free 6 inch crochet square pattern and devotional about shining our light. I love the radiance that you can visibly see on a person’s face that loves the Lord with their whole being. I want that radiance- and so I wanted to study radiance and where it comes from.

Ecc. 11:7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.

A huge thank you to my fabulous testers and sisters in Christ; Linda Nelson, Kelly Youngblood, Joanne Jones, Bekah Doughty, and Carmen Carpenter.

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft

Hook: I

Abbreviations:

beg- beginning

ch-chain

dc-double crochet

hk-hook

hdc-half double crochet

lp or lps-loop or loops

rnd- round

sc-single crochet

sl st- slip stitch

sp or sps- space or spaces

st or sts- stitch or stitches

tr- triple/treble crochet

yo- yarn over

Special stitches:

Dtr- Is a double triple/treble.  Working as a tr, wrap your hook with yarn 3 times rather than just 2, and pull through 2 loops 4 times rather than just 3.

Begin ♥

Rnd 1-Starting with Color A,  ch 4, sl st to first st to create ring.  Ch 3, (hdc, ch 1) 7 times and join with sl st to 2^nd ch from beginning ch3. (8 hdc, 8 ch1 sp)

Rnd 2- Sl st into first ch1 sp.  (Ch3, 2 dc) in same sp.  (Sk next hdc, 3 dc in each ch1 sp) 7 times and join with sl st to top of beginning ch3. (24 dc)

Rnd 3-  (Ch3, sk1, sl st to next st) 12 times. (12 ch3 sp)

Rnd 4- Sl st into ch3 sp. (Sc, dtr, sc) in each ch3 sp.(When doing the dtr- push the stitch which will project outward into a loop to the front before making the sc after it) Join with a sl st to first sc. (24 sc, 12 dtr) Finish off with color A if using more than one color.

Rnd 5- Change to Color B if desired and make 2 sc in between the 2 sc stitches from the previous row, and 2 sc in the st that you see behind the dtr (this is actually the top of the dtr- but is behind because the sc pushes the stitch down into a nupp) shown in photo below, continue around, and join to beg sc with sl st. (48 sc)

Rnd 6- Ch 3 and dc in same st.*  Dc in next st, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 4 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, dc in next st, 2 dc in next sts, ch 3,** 2 dc in next st. * Repeat(from *)  3 more times ending at the ** on the final rnd.  Join with a sl st to top of beg ch3. (24 dc, 4 ch3, 16 hdc, 16 sc)

Rnd 7- Dc in each st and (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in each corner ch2 sp. Join with a sl st to beg sc. (72 dc and 4 ch2sp)

© Copyright February 2013 by Cynthia Boylan, all rights reserved. This pattern, in whole or part, may not be reproduced – mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying -- without the written permission of Cynthia Boylan. Projects made from this pattern may be gifted, swapped or sold. If you use this pattern to sell items on the internet, kindly credit Cynthia Boylan as the designer.

Psalm 34:5 Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

Radiance

Have you ever had a solar garden light that you put along a pathway either to the garden- or to the house? I had a set of them leading from front porch to the driveway so that our path would be lit when we had to either leave or return home in the evenings. The solar light charges from the sunlight in order to glow that night- giving off a radiance of light.  When not charged that day, or if the day is overcast and the solar panel cannot be in the sunlight then the light wanes if it shines at all. It needs to be recharged each and every day to be at peak brightness when darkness comes. It is hard to walk in the darkness without our path lit- we end up fumbling around and tripping, bumping into things that are in the way; but when the light shines, we can easily see obstacles, go around them, and be a help to others.

John 8:12b “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

We too have that same radiance- when we spend time with our Light Source, God.  Every time that Moses spent time with the Lord in Exodus, his face shone visibly. We have all seen people who have a glow about them no matter the circumstances.  Their faces light up when they talk of their First Love, their Light Source; their King - undeniably they spend time with the Lord on a regular basis. This is something that we can experience- we charge up by spending time with God, and then shine in the darkness of all that is in the world.  We must continue to charge ourselves up or become a dim bulb and blend into the darkness.  We cannot shine on our own.  We need to be refilled each day with His light, or we won’t have the light to see things clearly and will be fumbling around in the darkness and may even stray from our path.

Charge up! Spend some time with Him today. Start a habit on spending time with Him daily- and you and others will notice a difference not only on your face but in your life.

 2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Lord, we just love You so very much- and want to seek You.  Charge us each day so that we can live our lives for Your glory.  We know that “Thy Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path”, and we want this light to see our pathway to You.  We thank You for what You are doing in our lives and for Your love, in Jesus Name we pray.

Is 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

Some ideas of spending time with Him are reading and studying His Word, praying, and listening to or singing praise songs.  Share some ways that you spend time with Him.

Numbers 6:25  The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee.

For those that would like to download the pdf- here is the link to my ravelry page.

Stars in His Eyes

Stars in His Eyes is a free 6 inch crochet square pattern with devotion about the unconditional love that the Lord has for us.

Tested and edited by  Carmen Carpenter and Bekah Doughty.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Hook: H or I depending on how tightly you crochet

Abbreviations:

beg- beginning

BPTR- backpost treble crochet

BPDC- backpost double crochet

BPHDC- backpost half double crochet

BPSC- backpost single crochet

ch-chain

dc-double crochet

hk-hook

lp or lps-loop or loops

sc-single crochet

sl st- slip stitch

sp or sps- space or spaces

st or sts- stitch or stitches

tr- treble crochet

yo- yarn over

 

Stitch Definitions Beginning Pinwheel Stitch- ch2 (yo, put hk into first ch-2 sp, yo, pull up lp, yo, pull through 2 lps on hk) twice in the same ch-2 sp, yo, put hk into next sc, yo, pull up lp, (yo, pull through 2 lps on hk) four times. Pinwheel Stitch- yo, put hk into last st used (sc), yo, pull lp through, yo, pull through 2 lps on hk, (yo, put hk into first ch-2 sp, yo, pull up lp, yo, pull through 2 lps on hk) twice in the same ch-2 sp, yo, put hk into next sc, yo, pull up lp, (yo, pull through 2 lps on hk) five times. These two stitches create what looks like a pinwheel or a cluster that leans to the left.   Making a BackPost stitch whether it is treble, double, halfdouble, or single is done by putting your hook from behind the stitch around the post and through the back instead of the standard putting the hook into a said stitch.

Begin Here

With Color A, ch 4, sl st to beg ch to form ring.

Rnd 1- 8 sc in ring and sl st to beg sc. (8 sc)

Rnd 2- *Sc, ch 2* Repeat 7 more times and sl st to beg sc. (8 sc, 8 ch-2 sp)

Rnd 3- Beginning Pinwheel stitch, ch 6 (Pinwheel stitch, ch 6) seven times and sl st to the top of the beg pinwheel st.  Fasten off Color A. (8 pinwheel sts, 8 ch-6 sps)

Rnd 4- Using Color B sl st into any ch-6 sp. (2 sc, 2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc, 2 sc) in each ch-6 sp. Sl st to beg sc. Fasten off Color B. (32 sc, 32 hdc, 8 ch-2 sps)

Rnd 5- Using either Color A or Color C if desired- (Sl st around the back of the post around any third hdc from Rnd 4, ch 4- and BPTR around the same post) *BPTR around the next 3 sts, BPDC, BPHDC around the next 2 sts, BPSC, ch 1, BPSC, BPHDC around the next 2 sts, BPDC, BPTR around the next 3 sts, (2 BPTR around the next st), ch 2 **(2 BPTR around the next st)* Repeat three more times, ending at ** on the final time.  Sl st to top of beg ch 4. (40 BPTR, 8 BPDC, 16 BPHDC, 8 BPSC,4 ch-1 sps,  4 ch-2 sps)

Rnd 6- Sc in each st with (2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in all four corner sps.

 

© Copyright September 2012 by Cynthia Boylan, all rights reserved. This pattern, in whole or part, may not be reproduced – mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying -- without the written permission of Cynthia Boylan. Projects made from this pattern may be gifted, swapped or sold. If you use this pattern to sell items on the internet, kindly credit Cynthia Boylan as the designer.

Stars In His Eyes

Psalm 37:23-24 The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.(New Living Translation)

Whether it’s when you fall in love with your spouse or when you birth or adopt a child- the power of love is so strong that it seems that your heart speeds up and you get stars in your eyes just thinking of your love interest.  Even after several years of being married or during your child’s adolescence- throughout the troubles and joys that you have had together, if you take the time to think- you still have that feeling and appreciation that that person is in your life. Oh, we know that our spouse/child has failed us at times- but we are still devoted to them, and would do about anything for them.

I remember after having my first child being in absolute wonder, I didn’t know that I could love anyone as much as I did my child- it was as though God put a second heart in my chest; and it was the same with the next two children as well.  When I met my husband, it was like love at first sight looking into his beautiful blue eyes.  I still get weak kneed when I look into his eyes even after all the things that we have gone through in our marriage -things that have made us weep and laugh, things that have torn us down and built us back up- these things have helped us grow.  When I look at my children even though they have not been perfect (who is?), I know that I would sacrifice my own life for their lives. I would do anything for those that I love, as most of you would also.

Is it so crazy to believe that God would do the same for each of us?  That He wouldn’t give His life to save ours? To believe that He would still love us even when we haven’t been perfect? To believe that He doesn’t get stars in His eyes when He thinks about us?

 1 Samuel 13:14 “But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” Samuel, the last judge tells Saul, the reigning king of the Lord’s plans to replace him with someone that loves and obeys Him, and will do His will. He calls the next king- a man after His own heart. The Lord sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons that the Lord has chosen to be king. Jesse had seven sons that he had come before Samuel.  Samuel looked over each one and asked the Lord if they were the ones to be king. None of them were His chosen, 1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord told Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” Samuel was then directed to the last son, who was young, small, and tending the sheep at the time. 1 Samuel 16:12-13 “So he sent and had him brought in.  He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features.  Then the Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; he is the one.’  So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.  Samuel then went to Ramah.” David obeyed and trusted in the Lord as he fought Goliath, dealt with Saul, and in everyday life. David became king over Israel (2 Samuel 5:4). David honored God and obeyed Him. In 2 Samuel 6:6-12, David became angry and afraid of the Lord and didn’t want to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the City of David, but quickly changed his mind and obeyed the Lord. Even after David had been angry and afraid, (2 Samuel 7:4-17)the Lord loved him and promised him rest from his enemies and to establish his kingdom through his descendants- but what we all want to hear is that He promised to never take away His love.  2 Samuel 7:15 “But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.”  

And then there was David’s greatest spot on his white robe; Bathsheba.

2 Samuel 11:2-5 “One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace.  From the roof he saw a woman bathing.  The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her.  The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers to get her.  She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home.  The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”  David slept with another man’s wife, and when she found out that she was pregnant, he tried to get the husband to spend time with her so that all would think it was the husband’s child and David’s sin would not be found out.  When the husband, Uriah would not spend time with his wife, David had him put on the front line of war. 2 Samuel 11:14-15 “In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.  In it he wrote, ‘Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest.  Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.’” Could you imagine carrying the instructions for your own murder?  The instructions were carried out and Uriah was killed.  2 Samuel 11:27 “After the time of mourning was over, David had her (Bathsheba) brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son.  But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.”

Some say that in this situation with Bathsheba, David broke all ten commandments.  We would think that surely God would not love someone that broke all ten commandments, but God cannot lie.  He had told David that He would never take His love from him, and so He kept His promise. 

Even though David sinned, God still loved him.  He still delighted in him.  One only needs to look through the Psalms, most were written by David to see David’s heart and the devotion he had for God and that God had for him.  He was human- a sinner- and not worthy, but God loved him anyway.  As we all are- we are human- sinners- and definitely not worthy, but God loves us; so much so that He gave His one and only Son to save us from our iniquities so that we can be with Him forever. (John 3:16)  We may think in this life that we have blown it, that He surely will turn His face away from us because of the poor choices that we have made, but He hasn’t.   He is constantly calling out to us.  He wants to take those burdens and restore you.

 Song of Solomon is a book in the Bible that not only demonstrates the love that Solomon has for his beloved, but that of Christ for His bride- us. Read this and think of the love He has for you, His beloved.

We are the stars in His eyes.

Joel 2:12-12 “’Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments.  Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.”

Romans 8:35,37-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Pdf file can be downloaded from this link :)

Intersection

Intersection is a free 6 inch crochet square pattern with devotion about our intersection in life.

 

Tested and edited by two super special ladies J Bekah Doughty and Carmen Carpenter.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Hook: H or I depending on how tightly you crochet

Abbreviations:

beg- beginning

ch-chain

dc-double crochet

hk-hook

lp or lps-loop or loops

sc-single crochet

sl st- slip stitch

sp or sps- space or spaces

st or sts- stitch or stitches

tr- treble crochet

yo- yarn over

Pattern Notes - This may be a difficult pattern to follow as we are going from one rnd to the next in different stitches- so I put in the colors that I used with this one- green and white and put pics in to help J Please make sure that you use the same weight yarn with both of your colors- or it may turn out a little wonky. While doing the rnds, push the last rnd that you did to the back, as with most rnds you will be working not in the rnd before, but two rnds before- color on color in most cases; white on white and green on green, don't worry- it will all tie in at the end.

 

Begin J

With Color A(green), Ch 4. Sl st to beg ch to make ring. I would not recommend a magic loop for this.

Rnd 1- Ch 3, 3 dc in ring, *ch 3, 4 dc in ring* repeat this 2 more times, ch 3, sl st to top of beg ch 3. Fasten off Color A.(16 dc, 4 ch-3 sps)

Rnd 2- With Color B(white) sl st into the same spot that you fastened off Color A, Ch 3, dc in next 3 sts(first corner made), *ch 3, tr around the ch-3 sp from rnd 1 and into the center ring(pic 1)pulling the stitch tight, ch 3, **dc in next 4 sts* repeat from * to * 3 more times ending at the ** on the final time sl st to top of beg ch-3. Fasten off Color B.(16 dc, 8 ch-3 sps, 4 tr)

Picture 1 for Rnd 2                                                                            Finished Rnd 2

Rnd 3- With Color A(green), sl st to any fourth dc from rnd 1(which is green) (pic 2), ch 4 * 2 tr in Ch-3 sp from rnd 1 (directly to the left of the st you just made, but to the right of the tr from rnd 2. Ch 1, 2 tr in the same ch-3 sp but on the left of the tr from rnd 2. Tr in the next st from rnd 1. Ch 1, dc in the next 2 sts of rnd 2 (which are the first two dcs of the corner) ch 2, dc in next 2 sts, Ch 1, ** Tr in fourth dc of the corner of Rnd 1,* repeat from * to * 3 more times ending at ** the final time,  sl st to top of beg ch-4. Fasten off Color A. (24 tr, 16 dc, 12 ch-1 sps, 4 ch-2 sps)

Picture 2 for Rnd 3- sl st to corner                                              Finished Rnd 3

Rnd 4- With Color B(white), Sl st into the second dc of corner of Rnd 2, ch 3(which is also white).* Ch 2, dc in next dc from rnd 2, ch 2, 2 dc into the ch-3 sp of rnd 2, ch 3, dc into tr from rnd 2, ch 3, 2 dc into the ch-3 sp of rnd 2, ch 2,** dc into second dc of corner from rnd 2, *  repeat 3 times ending at the ** on the final time. Sl st to top of beg ch 3. Fasten off Color B. (28 dc, 12 ch-2 sps, 8 ch-3 sps)

Rnd 5- With Color A(green)* sc in any corner ch-2 sp, dc into the next 2 dc from rnd 3(which are green), ch 2, dc into the next 3 dc from rnd 3, ch 1, dc into the next 3 dc from rnd 3, ch 2, dc into the next 2 dc from rnd 3, *repeat from * to * 3 more times, then sl st to beg sc. Fasten off Color A. ( 4 sc, 40 dc, 16 ch-2 sps, 4 ch-1 sps)         

Rnd 6- With Color B(white) Sl st in any corner from Rnd 4 enclosing the sc from rnd 5(you will not see the sc from rnd 5 when finished)ch 3, 4 dc in same corner sp,* sc in next 2 sts of rnd 5, dc into the next 2 dc of rnd 4, sc in the next 3 sts from rnd 5, dc into dc from rnd 4, sc in the next 3 sts from rnd 5, dc into the next 2 dc of rnd 4, sc in next 2 sts from rnd 5, **5 dc into the corner sp from rnd 4 * repeat from * to * 3 more times and end at ** the final time.  Sl st to top of beg ch 3. (50 dc, 40 sc)

Rnd 7- Depending on your hook size, yarn, and/or tightness of your crochet- you may choose to do a row of Color B(white) hdc or sc in each st with a (hdc, ch 2, hdc) or (3 hdc) in each corner.

                                                                          Finished square J

Hope that you have fun with this square- if you have any problems or questions with this square, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

© Copyright August 2012 by Cynthia Boylan, all rights reserved. This pattern, in whole or part, may not be reproduced – mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying -- without the written permission of Cynthia Boylan. Projects made from this pattern may be gifted, swapped or sold. If you use this pattern to sell items on the internet, kindly credit Cynthia Boylan as the designer.

Intersection

Let me tell you a little bit of my story- my intersection or the crossroads in my life. 

I was not raised a Christian, not really.  My mother had tried to take us to church- but we and my father were pretty apathetic about it all, and so she gave up trying. We were a “good” family, just not really Christian.  My father used to be a police chief so we all obeyed the laws but I grew up pretty ignorant of God’s Ways or of the Bible. We were a very happy family that had quality family time camping and fishing- but there was always something missing for me.

After a family crisis in my teens- I became wild and did what I wanted.  I drank and spent time with boys. I was still responsible in some ways- I held down a few jobs and paid all of my own bills.  I spoke to my parents with respect- and still loved to spend time with family- but I was still searching for something. A few times when friends would talk about church, I would ask them to take me along with them.  They would always decline to, as I would have been an embarrassment I assumed for them to bring me to such an ordered house of worship.

I finally ended up meeting someone that was willing to bring me to church.  I knew immediately once I was in the presence of God that I had come to an intersection in my life.  I could either go down the “Path of Promiscuity” or the “Path of His Promise”.  I had been traveling the “Path of Promiscuity” and it was only a path of regrets and pain, so I decided to travel with Him on the “Path of His Promise” and believe in Jesus.  It was amazing what His love did to me.  He filled every void, every nook and cranny that I had been seeking to fill.  I marveled at all of the Bible stories that I had never heard- Jonah and Daniel, Moses and Esther.  Acts 2:28 “You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence.”

You may ask me what “Promise” that I speak of.  His Word is His Promise and is full of things dear to every one of us- why we were created, the history of mighty things that the Lord has done, classic instruction, as well as the promises that He makes to us;  Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Oh- I still have gone through pain, but now I have a Shoulder to cry on, and a Hand to hold; Someone that I can tell my deepest and darkest fears to and be comforted by His Words of love and devotion- my Lord.

If you feel you are at a Crossroads or Intersection in your life, that you are tired of traveling on a road that seems to lead to nowhere, make the choice today to change your path and accept Him as your Savior and walk hand in Hand with Him on “His Path of Promise”.

This website(http://contenderministries.org/romanroad.php) contains what is called the “Roman’s Road” or a chain of Scriptures to change your path and start walking with Him. Included Scriptures are Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 10:13 “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

Revelations 3:20a “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. ..” Is He knocking on the door of your heart?

Here is what is called the “Chain of Forgiveness” that will help you to knowing true forgiveness. (I have these references written in the front of my Bible). Although I had regrets and pain plenty before- I no longer feel ugly or ashamed for the things that I have done.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace”

Psalm 130:4 “But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.”

Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.”

Micah 7:19 “You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

I would SO love to hear from you.  All of the comments come to me before being published, so drop me a note that either you want to be seen by others- or you can tell me not to share it- but would love to know if this has helped you J

Download the pdf here.

Control Issues

Control Issues is a versatile free 6 inch pattern where you can make either center, a steering wheel or closed sunflower type, and either edging either lacey towards the center or towards the outside, and includes a devotion on the control issues in our lives. Use any sort of color combination you choose.

Tested and Edited by Carmen Carpenter, Bekah Doughty, and Kelly Youngblood

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft

Hook: H/8 -5.0mm (for other WW use a G/6 4mm)

Abbreviations:

sp or sps- space or spaces

st or sts- stitch or stitches

sl st- slip stitch

ch-chain

beg- beginning

sc-single crochet

dc-double crochet

tr-treble crochet

lp or lps-loop or loops

hk-hook

Special stitches:

Dc3tog—( Yo, insert hook in next st, yo, pull loop through st, yo, pull through 2 loops) 3 times,  yo, pull through all 4 loops on the hook, ch 1 to lock st.

Dc4tog—( Yo, insert hook in next st, yo, pull loop through st, yo, pull through 2 loops) 4 times, yo, pull through all 4 loops on the hook, ch 1 to lock st.

Begin J

Ch 4, sl st as ring or use a magic loop.

Rnd 1- Ch 1, 8 sc in the ring, sl st to beg sc. (8 sc)

For the Steering Wheel Center-

Rnd 2- Ch 3 (as beginning dc), ch 2,* dc in next st, ch 2,* repeat from * to * 6 more times, sl st to top of beg ch-3. (8 dc, 8 ch-2 sps)

Rnd 3- Ch 1, 4 sc in each ch-2 sp around the circle, sl st to beg sc. (32 sc)

For the Solid Sunflower Center-

Rnd 2- Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around circle, sl st to top of beg ch-3. (16 dc)

Rnd 3- Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around circle, sl st to beg sc. (32 sc)

Continue for All Options-

Rnd 4- Ch 2, dc3tog, ch 4, *dc4tog, ch 4,* repeat from * to * 6 more times, sl st to top of the first dc3tog. (8 dc4tog, 8 ch-4 sps)

Rnd 5- Ch 1, 6 sc in each ch-4 sp around the circle, sl st to beg sc. (48 sc)

For the Lace closer to the center-

Rnd 6- Ch 4, *sk st, sc in next st, ch 3,* repeat from * to * around the circle, sl st to first ch of beg ch-4. (24 ch-3 sps)

Rnd 7- Ch 1, 3 sc in each ch-3 sp around the circle, sl st to beg sc. (72 sc)

Rnd 8- Ch 4 (counts as tr), *dc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 5 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 2 sts, tr in next st, (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) in next st,** tr in next st,* repeat from * to * 3 more times ending at ** the final time, sl st to top of beg ch-4. (24 tr, 4 ch-2 sps, 16 dc, 24 hdc, 20 sc)

For the Lace closer to the outside-

Rnd 6- Ch 4 (counts as tr),* dc in next st, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, dc in next st, tr in next st, (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) in next st,** tr in next st,* repeat from * to * another 3 times ending at ** the final time, sl st first ch of beg ch-4. (24 tr, 4 ch-2 sps, 8 dc, 16 hdc, 12 sc)

Rnd 7- Ch 1, sc in same st, (ch 3, sk 1 st, sc in next st) 6 times, *ch 3, sc in corner ch-2 sp, ch 3, sc in first st,** (ch 3, sk 1 st, sc in next st) 7 times,* repeat from * to * 2 more times ending at ** the final time, ch 3, sl st to beg sc. (36 ch-3 sps)

Rnd 8- Ch 1, 3 sc in each of the next 7 ch-3 sps, *ch 2, 3 sc in each of the next 9 ch-3 sps,* repeat from * to *2 more times, ch 2, 3 sc in each of the next 2 ch-3 sps, sl st to beg sc. (108 sc, 4 ch-2 sps)

© Copyright July 2012 by Cynthia Boylan, all rights reserved. This pattern, in whole or part, may not be reproduced – mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying -- without the written permission of Cynthia Boylan. Projects made from this pattern may be gifted, swapped or sold. If you use this pattern to sell items on the internet, kindly credit Cynthia Boylan as the designer.

Control Issues

You feel like you need to be in control of every part of your life- or maybe you can give over MOST of your life to God, but there is still a part that you need to hold on to, need to control.

From the beginning- God was in control of creation.  One of my favorite verses in creation is this.. Genesis 1:14 “And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.”  And it was so.  God made two great lights- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night.  He also made the stars.  God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness.  And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening, and there was morning- the fourth day." To me- this puts a picture in my head.  He SET the stars- putting them each in their own specific spot.  It makes me think of setting a picture in just the right spot.  How we hang it and then walk a few steps back and look at it, wondering if it is in the best place and then tweaking a corner here or there to make sure that it hangs straight.  It also states that God saw that it was good. How many times do I do something to just finish the task, not caring if it is good or not- just wanting to check it off of my list.  With each and every day of creation, God made sure it was good- He had to make everything last the test of time.  Everything that we make wears out or rots, or is thrown away in our disposable society.  Nothing that He makes is thrown away.  Nothing that He makes is junk- everything is good.

In the book of Job- he has suffered some severe trials in his life.  His friends and wife are giving him counsel, trying to reason out his sufferings and offer solutions.  I love the Lord’s response- all of chapters 38-41.  Job 38:12-13 “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn it’s place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?” God shows His power and His knowledge of His creation because He made it that way. Job 39:13-18 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork.  She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them.  She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain, for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense.  Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.” He knows and cares about it all from calling the morning into being to the characteristics of one of the many birds that He created- to the very number of hairs on our heads! Luke 12:7 “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Most of us don’t even have a clue how many hairs are on our heads(there are a few exceptions)- but God knows about each and every one.  He knows us intimately- more intimately than we know ourselves.  In Job 40:9-14 “ Do you have an arm like God’s, and can your voice thunder like His?  Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.  Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low, look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand.  Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave.  Then I Myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you.” We ourselves can do none of those things- in our own power, so how is it that we think that we can save ourselves by trying to control a situation?

In Luke 22:42 Jesus gives control to the Father over His life and purpose, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”  He has given Himself to the purpose the Father had for Him- aren’t you glad that He became an example of giving God control and died for our sins? Jesus knew that He could trust His Father and that He only had His people’s best interests in mind- because of the unity between the Father and Son.

But HOW do we give up control?  I know many times that we think that we give Him control and lay something on the altar- only to pick it back up again.  I think that the answer lays in the word TRUST. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Trust may be hard in the world that we live in, however if anyone is worthy of our trust- it would be the One who fashioned every part of our being. Knowing and remembering that He is worthy of trust- He knows the most intimate details about us and of all His creation- knowing more of any situation than we do ourselves will make it easier to trust in Him.  Continue to pray and give it to Him every time that the situation enters your mind. Seek the Lord about fasting and dig into His Word about trust.

Psalm 107:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

Here is the link to download the pdf from Ravelry :)