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I know I am going to do my best for the Lord when I most feel the need to lean on Him.  I serve as church pianist, and sometimes even after I have practiced and practiced a difficult piece, I still am not sure that I will not make a mistake.  Do I ever pray while at that keyboard!  And what joy fills my heart when I have finished with reasonable skill!

With red face, however, I can recall times when I felt so sure of myself in playing the piano or in singing while playing my accordian that I forgot to lean upon God.  I quickly learned that without Him I am nothing.

Shortly after Bea was saved, she told me one day, "They asked me to teach vacation Bible school.  Muriel, I can't do that.  You know that before I was saved all I knew how to do was lean on a bar and drink."

"Bea," I said, "let me ask you a question.  Could Jesus do it?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Well, cant He do it then through you?"

The light dawned.  Bea agreed to help.  Later she held Bible clubs at home and led many children to Christ.  Eventually she became a VBS superintendent as well as junior church director.  She was well known for her joy in the Lord.

Have you experienced the joy of doing things in God's power?
~Muriel Larson

My heart is aching tonight when I think of Terry  and her family.  I just can't even imagine this happening.  But it could happen right here in Canada or anywhere in the world.  How we should be on our knees praying for those in power ruling over us in our various countries.

Thanks, Janet, for this devotional. 

March 19   

Pastoral Ministry: Where Are the Prophets?

O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You;
my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no
water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power
and Your glory. 
--Psalm 63:1-2

But it is within our hearts and our beings that God searches and
looks. It is our spiritual heart life that is to be simple. It is in
our hearts that we are to meditate and be silent. It is deep within
our beings that we must be courageous and open to God's leadings.

If there ever was an hour in which the church needed courageous men
of prophetic vision, it is now. Preachers and pastors? They can be
turned out in our schools like automobiles off the assembly line.

But prophets? Where are they?

The simple, humble, and courageous men who are willing to serve and
wait on God in the long silences, who wait to hear what God says
before they go to tell the world--these do not come along too often.
When they do, they seek only to glorify their God, and His Christ! 
Christ the Eternal Son, 134-135.

"Oh Lord, I long to be one of those 'courageous men of prophetic
vision.' I've been around long enough to see the futility of the
assembly line product. I quiet my heart today; I will 'wait on God
in the long silences;' and then I'll go with only the word that I
receive from You--only for Your glory. Amen."

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Thanks, Chris, for once again bringing us Dr. Tozer's devotional once again.  Good reading and meditation for me today.

We have a freezing rain warning here today so I have to do some errands before it comes.

Hope you all have a good day.

Quote from: Janet on March 18, 2005, 11:35:47 PM

An oil painting....WOW that makes it even better.  God has really given you a great talent.....and you are making good use of it.

My oldest daughter has an artisitic flare...but she is busy raising a family.  I keep encouraging her to develop it and have offered to set her up with whatever it takes.....

Good Morning;  I feel much the same today as I did yesterday although I did sleep a little bit better.

Janet wonderful devotional. How many times I have thought that I am not qualified, I can not tell you. I think I may have passed up some wonderful opportunities by having those thoughts.

Praying for Terri Schiavo here.

TTYL

Just stopping into to say HELLO & to ask that you continue to keep my oldest in prayer as he is coming in around midnight on FRIDAY this week.    that my son made me choose between him & his finacee or having Etta come up so ... Etta & I have plans to meet each other the week my daughter is on spring break.  So, it will be a little longer wait for us ... but I will be able to see my son & pray that I have some time w/ him since it has been 3 years since we seen one another !!  So, I gotta go and take care & I will be back again soon !!

Janet, thank you for sharing the painting with us. To me, it depicts that our Lord is so sad because the premises our country was founded upon are being distorted.

Marilyn, get well, please. I agree, Larry. I hate to get ill, and it's very important you continue to do well. God has a plan for you, I believe.

Tbear, my empathy is with you - I've been put in similar situations.

My heart breaks over the entire situation with the Terry Schiavo disaster. Further, I am so sad that once again, evil wins out in this world and yet another little girl is a victim.

If we can't trust in our faith and a pure, wonderful place to live and die for, then what have we left? I think of the poet who said, "The world is too much with us."

My hips are suffering a bit from the long walk to the printer from my new office. However, the exercise will most likely be good for me if I can get through the pain of the transition.

Y'all have a good day.

Ruth Ann

Thank God it isn't as cold here today as where that little kitty is.

Awesome painting, Janet.  Gave me goose bumps! 

I hadn't heard about the Terri case...haven't watched or heard the news for a few days.  The little girl in Florida was missing while we were there.  So sad.  Missed that on the news, also.  Has she been found?  Dead or alive?

Larry and all...the US Army Field Band and Soldier's Chorus was terrific.  We were on the first row of the first balcony so we could look down on the band and also not have to look between heads.  There was one song...II Convegno, op.76, for those who know their music.  There were a man and a lady playing clarinets.  Awesome playing.  I didn't know clarinets could be played so fast with no squeeks!!!  During intermission a man next to one of the ladies with me was shouting below to a band member.  I didn't hear what he said but the band member turned and waved.  Then the man asked us if this was our first time to hear the band.  Yes.  I asked him if the band members had other jobs in the Army.  He said...No, their job is to promote the US Army through music but some of them do have second jobs teaching.  Seems they go in at 9 am and practice and are home again by 2 pm.  He then said he knows one of the band members.  The male clarinetist is is son.  He and his wife flew to Indy from Maryland to hear their son and the band.  How cool!  Talking to him made the concert that much more enjoyable.  The evening was a wonderful variety of music and singing.  Such shiny shoes and instruments!  I think every instrument imaginable was on that stage and was played.  Great!

I am going to see Jerry today.  I am praying that I have great update news.  God Bless Jerry.  It is raining but a nice 42°F.

So sad about little Jessica.  Yes, Etta Sue...  the fellow picked up in Georgia had confessed.  What a sad, sad case.  That poor father.

There may be something new in the Terri S. case.  I thought I heard on the radio that the tube was reinserted until another decision could be made.  What a horror for her to have this going on...tube in and out.

I pray that Pat, Marilyn and Jerry are better.  Also, Larry's wife.  So much sickness going around and the weather is so unpredictable.  Glad to see Ruth Ann getting better....and TBear. 

God is still here and I want to just praise His holy name.!!!! 

Hi everyone.  This morning was our final practice before singing Handel's " Messiah" at our worship service in the morning.  We have some awesome soloists and a 9 piece chamber orchestra.  Our choir director is also a very good conductor.  About 4 of our sopranos missed this final rehearsal and I know our choir director was less than pleased.  However, I think three of them will be back tomorrow. 

My wife is still very uncomfortable and generally miserable with this cold.  I don't remember her being so sick for a long time.  This is the third day that she really doesn't feel like being out of bed.  She is having to tolerate my cooking.  Of course, I don't really cook anything as we had chicken strips from the store last night that were already prepared.  I did just make up some cold slaw and think we will have some polish sausage this evening, along with some potato salad.

We had a very good pc user group meeting yesterday afternoon with 74 people signing in.  We had an excellent program on Internet Security, Malware/Spyware, Anti-Virus Scanners and related items.  Following the meeting my friend and I went to Fry's but I resisted temptation and didn't buy anything. 

Marilyn, sorry to read that you are still fighting that cold. 

Tbear, know you are counting the hours.  You are not alone in having a child who doesn't see eye to eye with you.  However, I long ago decided that it wasn't worth severing a relationship as they know where we stand and sometimes we just have to agree to disagree.  I hope this will be the beginning of many visits he will be making in the future.  Three years is a very long time, as you well know from experiencing it.

Etta Sue, I will be awaiting your report on your visit to Jerry.  Sure hope you find him improved today.

Janet, what an awesome painting.  It says so much about our country now.  Hope the play last night was very enjoyable for you and Darrell.

Ruth Ann, there are laws about accommodating the needs of employees.  Perhaps you could request that a local printer be put in your workspace if that is something you must use a lot.

Pat, hope you got your errands run before the freezing rain reaches you and that you are feeling better today.

It is good to see the postings from Kathy, Fast Eddie, Chris, and Ryan today and those that posted yesterday after my last posting.

Hello Friends ... I am sending this e mail in honor of Kreative4Jesus the reason is that she is taking a trip this week & has asked for prayer for her travels. She will be gone all this week & hopes to get back here soon.  Also she has started a new web page ( http://kreative4jesus.proboards43.com/index.cgi ) which I am sure she would be HAPPY to have you all check it out while she is gone. As I am part of her board so ... if you have questions do ask me.  So, I gotta go and get things done around the house so take care & I will be back when I can this week. Once again do keep CYNDI in prayer as she travels !!

See you all soon !! Oh yes ... I spoke with Etta via the phone today & she hopes to get back on & post today about Jerry so stay tune !! Also BIG HUGS & THANK YOU to LARRY for his note about my son ... yes it's been hard & I do pray that he will come home more often then he does.

This is the first time I have turned on my computer today.  This morning, I went to help with Heartland Shares, brought ours and Beth's home; then went to town and spent the rest of the day until now working on scrapbooking.  I have Mark's pretty well caught up; Abby's started, and also worked on the Family Reunion one.  Now I'm tired and sleepy.  A nap is really appealing just now, but...........we'll see.

Thanks for all your comments on the painting.  Several of you saw or felt what I was attempting to convey in it.  Jesus, praying for and grieving over our country, and how far we have moved away from our biblical foundations.  The events of this week are more proof of that.

I was really dismayed this morning while waiting for the Share truck to arrive; one lady commented that they FINALLY got that woman in Florida disconnected.  I spoke up and said I think it is horrible!  It is nothing but legalized murder!  And it seemed I was the only one there who thought that Terri should be allowed to live!    I could hardly believe it!  One woman who was so adamant that Terri should die, is on oxygen.  I thought, I wonder how you would feel if someone decided you couldn't have oxygen any more?  No mercy!  God, forgive us!

It is so sad that known, registered child molesters are allowed to go free to rape and kill innocent little girls like little Jessica in Florida.  Her body was found only yards from her home.

Kathy, good to see your smiling face!  And we do need to look for the good in this world, else how could we bear it?

I'm going to see if Etta has posted yet about Jerry today.  That music program is something I would REALLY enjoy!  Maybe someday..............

Oh, Larry---yes, I enjoyed the play.  Darrel didn't go.  It was three short plays by Neil Simon, all in the same hotel suite.  Small cast, and they did a good job.  Not my choice of material, but still enjoyable, except for some foul launguage.  Why do they think that is necessary, anyway?  Yuck.

So many feel as this woman feels, Janet.  I'm astounded.  I don't understand why her husband doesn't just go off and continue living the way he's been living and let the care of Terry fall into the parent's hands.  Terrible.  It's murder, plain and simple.

Well, I'm finally back online.  This morning the power went out for our town, the town next to it, and the little communities north of us as well.  It was the most wide-spread outage we've experienced since we moved here.  We had the laundry half done, but, inasmuch as that wasn't acceptable, we tried to find a laundromat.  Of course they were all out of power in McKinlieyville, so we drove over to Arcata.  Out of power there also.  So we drove to Eureka and finally found a laundromat there, finished the laundry and drying, and drove back.  On the way we could see Arcata had theirs back, but when we got home we found out we didn't have it yet.  But, about five minutes ago, it finally came back on.  The house is much warmer now.  What a blessing it is to have electric power!  Thank You, Lord!

I am just now back online we were without power until just a few minutes ago.
I am feeling better now, I went to the drugstore and got a couple of things. Oh and I also got my package for Drugstore.com with the Airborne it it. I just ordered  it 2 days ago and got it already. I didn't even ask for priority mail. So I am all set with all kinds of stuff to knock out this cold. Did  tell you it's not the flu after all?

I've posted a pic for you all to see.

Terri Schiavo Case.

Thanks Marilyn for that link.

My heart breaks for this woman.

I heard on Janet Parschell's AMERICA a couple days ago that the reason Schaivo wants Terri dead, and never allowed her to have any rehab is that he abused her, they believe he struck her so hard it caused the condition she is in.  He knows that if she regains her ability to talk, the truth will come out, and he sure doesn't want that to happen!  It isn't particularly that he wants to marry the current mistress; it hasn't bothered them to live in sin for years already.  He just doesn't want the truth to be known.  He wants Terri DEAD.

Just before her family and friends were forced to leave her room, one of them said to her "Terri, if you would just say 'I want to live', this whole thing would be over with!"  And she said "I waaant.....I waaant!!"  so loudly that the police outside heard her.  Then the family was forced to leave and the tube was removed.  AARRRGGHHHH!!!

I need to go see if I have a clean bed ready.  Jeff just called to tell me that Curtis is coming to spend the night with us!    He's going to play his bass guitar at our church in the morning!  Yippee!!

http://www.terrisfight.org/

Another link that will help you to fight this ever happening again.

QuoteShortly after Bea was saved, she told me one day, "They asked me to teach vacation Bible school.  Muriel, I can't do that.  You know that before I was saved all I knew how to do was lean on a bar and drink."

I thought gee, now as a Christian she can come to the cross and drink living waters, and cling to the vine and bear spiritual fruit.

More on the Terri Schiavo Case

Thanks so much for these links on the 'Terry case.  It's so sad.

I've opened a new topic for tomorrow...  CLICK HERE