Saturday, July 23, 2011

How My Grandchildren Saved My Life. A Spiritual Lesson.


I noticed the current was a bit stronger from heavy rain-fall.



I was familiar with the lay-out of the rocks and current..(So I thought.)




Dearest Mothers,

Have you ever had an opportunity to swim with water falls near you, or even play in the falls? Well where we live in Wisconsin there is a beautiful National Park that has a flowing river with several types of water falls.
We have lived near this area for many years now and have played in the flowing river under the larger and smaller water falls many times. It is a marvelous place to swim!
This past week, on Monday, July 18, I took two of my grandchildren, 12 and almost 11 years old, to this park for a swim. We made our way to the favorite swimming spot. There are three layers of falls there, we like the last and second layers... the last layer has small falls that are so fun to splash and swim in... then there is the second layer, you have to climb up and over the rocks to get to it. The day we were there I noticed the currant was a bit stronger due to heavier rain fall recently. Yet, I had been there many times over, I was very familiar with the rock lay-out and the current, (At least so I thought.). My 12 year old grandson jumped over a current to a rock and encouraged his sister and I to follow his example. I thought it wasn't needful to jump over since I had been through the current there before... so I just stepped into it. Ops! What happened next I will never forget, it makes me feel weak even as I tell you about it... The current was Much Stronger then I had anticipated, I began to be swept away by it into some very large rocks and the smaller falls! I reached for the rock my grandson was on only it was slippery, but he very quickly reached out and grabbed my arm! My granddaughter on the other side reached her leg out and supported my leg from moving out under me. I have never felt so helpless and weak, the currant was much stronger than I and it was pulling me backwards. I made a weak "help" when it seems my grandson came to life, with strength beyond his years he began to pull me up onto the rock, I did my best to help the effort until somehow I found myself safe on the rock! We went on to the second layer of falls from there, crossing only where there was not a current and had a fabulous time playing there.
On our way home I mentioned to them both how God gave them strength to help me, and thanked them many times. I told their Mother, Uncle, friends and neighbors... the look in my grandsons eyes was priceless when I would conclude," They saved my life."

It was really my fault for getting into that situation. I was not careful enough knowing the currents were stronger, I should have been more cautious. My mistake was that I leaned on the familiar, I had been there before with the current strong, not realizing it was much stronger than I had ever experienced.


I have been thinking about the spiritual lessons to learn from this experience. I'm still feeling shaky inside from it realizing how quickly our lives can be snuffed out from a foolish and silly decision to lean on the familiar.

There are many spiritual lessons I can apply to this. Perhaps you can think of some too, if so please feel free to share them with us in a comment...
One lesson that stands out to me the most is that in my spiritual walk, I need to live soberly, and in godly fear...

You Mothers who love the Lord Jesus, please be careful. Keep close to Jesus Christ. Is there any familiar thing you are leaning on that many not be pleasing to God... These things can lead to a deadly current.. Yes Jesus our Lord can pull you out at your cry of help... but it is better to walk in fear and trembling making sure you are doing what God leads you to do by His Spirit through prayer and His Word. Do you not know troublesome times are coming? Ask God to prepare you for what is ahead. Seek Jesus, seek Him to teach you His way... You are safe in Him as you let Him lead you. Seek the Lord Jesus Christ, dear Mothers.

God bless you as you strive to know our Lord Jesus Christ better... thus doing we become more careful, sweeter and gentler as a wife and mother!

Let's keep praising Jesus! Let us walk carefully looking to Him for direction!
In His love,
Sarah



Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
(Psalms 2:11)

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
(Philippians 2:12)

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
(Proverbs 3:5-8)


Listen to this sermon by Paul Washer: "The Crushing Of Christ" It may be a sermon you are not familiar with.... Take the time and listen!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Mothers, Are We Losing The Rich Old Hymns To Sing Songs?

Dearest Mothers,

Oh I have been praying and thinking of so many things to share with you! I find as I'm busy with my prayer walks very often something will come to mind and I'd like to run to the computer and type it out immediately. However, it so often happens during my prayer walks and I don't want to leave that sweet time I'm having with my Lord Jesus, it's just too wonderful of a time! Remember the song: " I Come to The Garden Alone?" Well the last verse says; "I'd stay in the garden with Him though the night around me be falling, But He bides me go; through the voice of woe, His voice to me is calling"... the great chorus continues; " And He walks with me and HE talks with me and He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share and we tarry there, none other has ever known."

Actually, dear mothers, I am so blessed to have had a mother that taught me old Hymns as I was growing up. Where ever I am, (or go) Hymns pop up into my mind and I can sing many of the verses. Oh what a comfort they are to me!

When the Lord Jesus saved me 21 years ago and began to teach me much needed lessons, He brought those old Hymns to my memory. I began to teach them to my youngest children as my mother had taught them to me. Now that they are grown they know about as many as I do which may be a comfort to them someday.

My mother left me a legacy of old hymn knowledge, I love old hymns.

Much can be said about hymns that glorify God... The words of most of the old hymns are DEEP. The words of most of the old hymns have great substance!
The music put to them are usually pleasant and easily sung. When singing them one can express great depths of praise to God.


I know that there are many newer songs that Christians really enjoy and delight to sing. But there is a problem that is very evident and happening to many, many Christian families and their children... they are losing the meaningful and deep hymns.
I don't know if that bothers you, but it does me. The new songs can be glorifying to God and allot of fun to sing.. they can stir feelings of excitement and emotion to a person but what about the words? If you will take a truthful look at the words of those songs you will discover repetition, repetition, repetition and honestly, why?

In the old Hymns often times there is repetition of the chorus, but the verses are deep and obviously given by God through His Spirit...

See the words of this beautiful Hymn:

Jesus Thy Blood and Righteousness
By: Nicolaus Von Zinzidorf 1739

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.


Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.


The holy, meek, unspotted Lamb,
Who from the Father’s bosom came,
Who died for me, e’en me to atone,
Now for my Lord and God I own.


Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.


When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
Ev’n then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.


Jesus, the endless praise to Thee,
Whose boundless mercy hath for me—
For me a full atonement made,
An everlasting ransom paid.


O let the dead now hear Thy voice;
Now bid Thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this, their glorious dress,
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness.


To hear the song go here and play the midi file:
http://www.biblestudycharts.com/SH_Jesus_Thy_Blood.html


Dear sweet mothers, here is a challenge for you.. teach your children the old hymns!

Start with this one, learn it and teach it! you will be doing your children a great kindness. This hymns is deep and involved, but not too hard to learn. Your children will really love it in days ahead.

Just one more thing... the hymns just might not appeal to you nor your family. If you feed your children candy and sweets all the time they won't feel like eating the good nutritional foods. The newer praise songs are more like the sweets.. the Hymns nutritional! Take the time, feed on some good soul rich food!

I hope to post more Hymns for a challenge for you to learn...
Let me know how you are doing!

In our Saviors love,

Sarah