When I was planning this trip we’re taking I had one big event in mind and it was to see The Miracle of Christmas at the Sight and Sound theatre in Branson. Today is that day. We will be there at 3:30 pm for the show. Now that we are near the end of the trip and we get to see it today, I am overwhelmed with how many times during the trip I’ve been grateful for it. Seeing our sis in Indiana was something I thought would be “thoughtful” and hopefully fun. However, it was a touching and rewarding time for all of us to be together. Our time in Nashville was a growing time for the 6 of us who are traveling together along with just experiencing new things together. Today, being our show day, I am just grateful for the entire trip and that this will likely be the capstone for this time.
God is never done growing you and me. I am so grateful to be a child of this King of ours. What a Magnificent King He Is!
About 4-5 years ago I was working with a man who was struggling with his marriage. I had met his wife and had drawn my own conclusion about her. I had taken this couple’s concern to my prayer warrior. She asked me to talk to her about the two of them. In so doing I said that the wife was evil. When I said this I was immediately corrected firmly. She told me that my words were powerful and I needed to confess this sin and ask for forgiveness. My words would influence this wife and I needed to change my way of thinking about her. I did all of this and now these few years later I can understand much more clearly what she was saying.
My devotional message this morning was all about my prayer warrior’s message a few years ago. The author’s writing told how faithful David’s men were to him. Even though his warriors would do anything for him, David knew that he needed to transfer their faithfulness to God through his own words to them and not try to keep it for himself. David used his words to show his followers that their faithfulness to him was a step towards faithfulness to God. David was a conduit for them to God.
My words about this wife didn’t lead anyone anywhere except to cast stones joining me. Today as I write this I feel guilty all over again. I sure need to always remember how powerful our words are when we speak them. Even when someone does something wrong our words need to first be taken to Jesus asking Him to help us understand the story behind a person’s actions rather than to cast stones.
“Take my heart oh God, make it ever true. Take my heart oh God, may I be like You.” These words from the chorus, “Take my heart oh God” are the words which come to me as I begin this entry. My devotional message and my scripture reading all focus me away from the actions of man to the Actions of God. God will use all things to His Honor, but it just has to be so much better when our actions don’t have to be turned around from “hurt to benefit” because of our selfishness.
Yesterday a man I meet with in sessions sent me a lengthy text describing the sadness and shame he carries due to his past actions. He is working to turn these behaviors around, but his wife is struggling to believe his efforts and for good reason. However, this is a perfect case for one of the times when God can and will use all of the past to His Glory if we will stay tender and obedient to His continuous voice within us from His Holy Spirit. I have known this sadness and regret, but today I also know the joy of God using the past as a tool in His Hands. How Good our God is!
I am not a person who speaks out very much regarding politics. Today I am going to simply express my thanks for the election results. I wrote in my journal this morning that it is odd to vote for someone who supports the morality of scripture but hasn’t necessarily lived it out in his personal life. It just shows how strong our flesh is when we let it govern our daily lives.
God is never done working in our lives personally and He is never done working in the collective lives of our nation. We have slipped so far from our Bible’s prescription for moral living. I know this is true. I am just glad to have a pause put in place for the aggressive steps away from our biblical guide.
OK, this is all I’m writing about politics! God, please lead our nation and use our nation to guide our world to YOU!
We made it to Nashville, TN as our trip continues and all is good here with us. Our airbnb is a nice house very comfortable for 3 old grandpas and grandmas.
After I had gone to bed last night I got a text message from a young mom I counsel requesting help while I’m gone. She wondered if I could have someone reach out to her. This morning I text back to see just what the issue is? Her response said she’d been robbed and her rent money was gone. Secondly, last night after I’d been asleep a couple hours, my phone rang and a message was left. An older couple knowing I have plumbing brothers called to request my advice on a water issue they’re having. Well, I can’t send my brother to them from Nashville and so I’ll call a little later and have them contact a plumbing business in town. The young mom, on the other hand, is something I’ve got to see just what God is wanting done.
Our country has a huge decision to make today from the people. I’ve lived a long time and I’ve never been anymore concerned about the outcome. We have lost such anchoring in scriptural morality and with that, we are showing just what happens when man is governing man without God as our moral compass. Lets pray fervently for the outcome. No matter the outcome, our God will still be the One I turn to.
God is truly the Great Healer! I, just this morning, sent a text to my oldest daughter to see how her weekend went? She and her sister had spent the weekend with their mom. It was arranged by the younger daughter with the hope of healing. The response to my asking was just what I had hoped to hear. GOD BEGAN TO BREAK DOWN THE WALLS which have existed for well over 50 years. I’m so glad!
Our time here with our little sis was such a blessing. We were looking forward to getting better acquainted with her family that live here. What was unexpected was how much we loved meeting her church family. They were SO welcoming and so love our sis and her family. What a blessing to be with them and worship with them. They put together a meal for us following the church service which was just as overwhelming as their expressed love. As we drove back to our airbnb following the time with them yesterday, we all said this fellowship with our sis and family was worth this entire trip.
Today is the Lord’s Day and I will rejoice and be glad in it! That little chorus line resonates in my spirit this morning. Our day with our little sis Polly and her family yesterday was such a blessed time. They live close to their youngest son and his family so we were all together for the day. Polly’s daughter had flown in from where she lives near Dallas, TX so that is also a great treat. She said she didn’t want to miss all of this excitement! We are headed back there this morning to go to church with them and eat lunch with them. Her family is very social and just plain fun! All of them love Jesus which makes the time even richer.
My two older daughters are with their mom and I just pray all of this is going as God would ordain. Shedding God’s Light into the darkness of Satan’s bondage is a major thing and how I pray this is taking place. Only God Himself knows the timing for this and I simply pray this weekend has been the start of HIs Healing Light penetrating a darkness which has been rooted in the bondage of sin for generations. How I love God’s Healing Light which on it can penetrate this bondage breaking every chain!
Today we go to see our little sis Polly who lives just into Indiana from Ohio. It will be fun to see her and her family who live here. My own two older daughters happen to be driving from Oklahoma City to Nashville last night to spend the weekend with their mom. The oldest one wants to do this and hopefully find some peace in being around her. Their mom has her own story which she has never felt free to share with them even though the kids have heard it from others. It has been a wall between them from the start of their lives. I pray God’s timing this weekend will “tear down the walls of Jericho” for them and this relationship. I know this wall for it was present all of the years of my marriage to their mom. I also have learned the power of God’s Grace and Love which is tied to our obedience to God’s nudges. God’s Grace will bring peace someday for this and today I pray will be the start of this.
Our day yesterday was so enjoyable. Spending time with the Amish community is a shot in the arm. All that they build and do is done with such quality and pride. Their cooking is nothing less than the best. We brought back to our home 3 chicken pot pies which were the best we have ever eaten. Today we go see the ark and the creation museum in Kentucky which is only an hour to the south of us. It will be a lot of walking which most of us like.
Yesterday one of the guys who has recently begun attending Celebrate Recovery reached out to me hugely discouraged. He is attending the new Step Study I started a few weeks ago. He has his own story of childhood abuse which he has kept hidden until most recently. His wife is ready to call their marriage quits and he desperately wants to work this out but he needs to face the consequences of his past for it has hugely impacted his present behaviors. He is now awake to all of this but is very discouraged not knowing how to improve. I reminded him that the Hope lesson was our third one in the step study and it is only the beginning step.
This morning’s devotional message for me I know God wanted this man to see. I took a picture of it and sent it to him. Its title is Resurrection Power. The message was reminding us how God is the Master of bringing new life to the dead. This message wasn’t just one for the Old Testament and Christ’s Work in the New Testament. It is a message for today! I know this personally for God changed me from someone who lived to die to now be someone who lives to live. Our God is starting the process of doing this for this man too.
We are in Cincinnati, OH. We even found our Airbnb without a hitch. I guess that is pretty good considering there are all of these old people traveling together!
We are going to go see the ark while we are here and the creation museum. We thought we would see them today but after arriving last night we decided we would do them tomorrow when we were more rested. Today we are going to go to the Amish area and enjoy their customs and lifestyle.
God is so good. We are enjoying one another and all is good!
Earnie Lewis 