Excerpts from Elisabeth Elliot

I was just reading Elisabeth Elliot's blog and thought I would share some great nuggets from today's devoetional.


Thirty years ago I was standing beside a shortwave radio in a house on the Atun Yacu, one of the principal headwaters of the Amazon, when I learned that my husband, Jim Elliot, was one of the five missionaries missing. They had gone into the territory of the Auca Indians, a people who had never heard even the name of Jesus Christ. What did I do? I suppose I said out loud, "O Lord!"
And he answered me. Not with an audible voice (I've never heard him speak that way in my life). But God brought to mind an ancient promise from the Book of Isaiah: "I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned....For I am the Lord your God" (Isaiah 43:1, 2).
l am the Lord your God. Think of it! The One who engineered this incredible universe with such exquisite precision that astronomers can predict exactly where and when Halley's comet will appear--this God is my Lord.
Evelyn Underhill said, "If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshiped."

Does God love us? Karl Barth, the great theologian, was once asked if he could condense all the theology he had ever written into one simple sentence.
"Yes," he said. "I can. 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'"

Whatever dark tunnel we may be called upon to travel through, God has been there. Whatever deep waters seem about to drown us, he has traversed. Faith is not merely "feeling good about God" but a conscious choice, even in the utter absence of feelings or external encouragements, to obey his Word when he says, "Trust Me." This choice has nothing to do with mood but is a deliberate act of laying hold on the character of God whom circumstances never change.

Does he love us? No, no, no is what our circumstances seem to say. We cannot deduce the fact of his unchanging love from the evidence we see around us. Things are a mess. Yet to turn our eyes back to the Cross of Calvary is to see the irrefutable proof that has stood all the tests of the ages: "It is by this that we know what love is: that Christ laid down his life for us" (John 3:16 NEB).


I hope that this is as much of a blessing to you as it was to me!

Another thing conquered

I can check off yet another thing that I have conquered since being on my own. I used the big snow blower all by myself today!!!! New England is digging out of yet another snowstorm (my ruler measured 9 inches in the driveway.) We are also on winter break this week, so many people are gone- including much of my help for the winter. I had to get out of the drive for a couple of appts. so I had no option but to face the big beast and overcome it! An hour later and some very tired arms, I am proud to say I have conquered!!!! I did only just enough to get out, but praise God, I CAN DO IT! I will certainly still be relying on others for help as that took just about all my physical strength, but I now know that I am not powerless. Of course, I could be out shoveling.... I would still be out there!!

We are going away tomorrow morning to northern Maine. Our church is having a family retreat and we are all so excited to go. The kids are calling it the "winter camp out." I will have to post pics next week. I am especially excited because I have paid vacation from work this weekend. So, even though we will be back from the retreat Sat. afternoon, I still do not have to work Sat. or Sun.!!! It will be a much needed rest!!

Smarter... answers

Hats off to the Schoonover family!!! You are smarter than me, for sure!! The answer to "when is it ok to fly the flag upside down" is when you are in distress. You also raise the flag quickly and lower it slowly. Well done if you knew the answers, and hey, I did not know them.... Kristen has had much fun over the last few days asking all the adults she sees these questions. Most did not know them!! She took great pride that she is soooo smart!!

Are you smarter than a second grader?

While quizzing Kristen tonight on her history homework, I was struck with the horrible realization- I did not know some of the answers! Do you? I will post the answers Monday.

"When should our flag be flown upside down?"

"We raise the flag at what speed and lower it at what speed?"

Glorious passing

I just spoke with my sister, and she shared with me the news that our beloved piano teacher from many years ago, Mrs. Dorothy Kemp, passed away over the weekend. I looked up her obit. and it is so beautiful I had to share it with all of you. I only hope if I reach the age of 86 or beyond, I will have done so much for my Lord!
http://www.legacy.com/rrstar/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=103717760

Refiner's Fire

I had not really planned to write today because I have been challenged of late by several little "this is just for free" blurps that our pastor has thrown into his messages. He challenged us about how much time we spend emailing, blogging, on Facebook, etc. as opposed to how much time we spend in the Word. Ouch. Big conviction. So, as a very busy mom, I have resolved to waste less time "plugged in" to the electronic world and more time "soaking" up God's precious words!

But as I was doing a quick check on my favorite blogs today, my friend Ann-Marie had some very honest and challenging words. She got me to thinking about the Refiner's Fire. My baby turned a year old this weekend, and the other big "one year mark" is just a few weeks away. It has been quite a year. I had a friend call on Valentine's Day to see how I was doing. I am so happy to say it didn't even phase me that it was a day to celebrate love. That is the beauty of the Refiner's Fire. God has so wonderfully melted all the anger and hurt away and left peace in its place!!! I can honestly say I am a better person because of this life-changing trial I have been through. God has a reason for every trial that we go through. He has a purpose for our lives. The fire hurts so much, but the beauty that comes forth is so worth it!

Job 23:10
But He knows the way that I take, when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

I also wanted to pass on a link to a daily devotional site that I have found on Tina's blog. It is from Elizabeth Elliot. I can honestly say I did not realize this woman was still alive. Her blog is light but also very thought-provoaking.

I will apologize for any misspellings. For some reason my spell checker is not working.

Even Mitt Romney agrees...

I have not had the greatest of days dealing with New Hampshire being hit by yet another snowfall overnight. (Remember how I said I have to depend so much on others?) The snow and ice keep piling up and when my neighbor's big plow takes care of the bottom of the drive, it does not quite ever get all the way down to pavement. This is normal and many are having trouble. A week ago, we got a storm that gave us more rain and ice than snow. That created an "ice hole" at the bottom of my drive. I know where it is and have just been avoiding it. After quite a long ordeal of getting the kids off to school this morning, I arrived at my home to find two city plows blocking my drive. I stopped on the street and asked if I could help them. They proceeded to tell me quite groughly that I have a large ice hole that they got stuck in and that I need to do something about the hole. Now, mind you, I have already been crying all the way home. Choking back more tears, I simply said, "I am a single mom and this is my first winter on my own. I don't know how to fix the hole." The guy just said, "Yeah, well, just get the hole fixed." They got the truck out by submerging a cement block in it- yeah, it is that deep! If a city plow can get stuck in it, imagine what it would do to my van!! So, I went inside and had another long cry. These are the days when it hurts so much to be alone. I called trusty Grandpa and he told me to fill it with sand and place a five gal. bucket in the hole to at least mark where it is. So, for now, the hole is not fixed, but marked!

My title mentions Mitt Romney. Ironic that I would come across his consession speech today while looking for a weather update. He was speaking to a conservatives convention and the beginning of his speech was aimed for that. I tuned in just in time to hear him say (I am paraphrasing) how births to unwed parents are at an all time high. He gave several stats but for whites that rate is 25% of births are to single moms. The next statement made my hairs stand up. "A nation founded upon the principles that our forefathers set up can not continue to stand when fathers are not present in the home."

You may be a Mormon, Mitt, but you are right on. And people wonder why I want to be married again... :)