Giving Thanks

I have so much to be thankful for this year at Thanksgiving!!  God has done incredible things in the Dietz family in 2013.  But I won't lie...it's also been a rough year.  One thing I've learned along the way is to give thanks no matter what.   

If I were to wrap up all of my grateful thoughts about 2013, it would be that I am so overwhelmed to be included in God's kingdom plan.  If I'd been God, I would never have left it to a bunch of misfits that keep making mistakes and willfully working against me and my plan.  I honestly just can't wrap my mind around the fact that God has considered me and agreed to include me.  I find it hard to understand that kind of grace.

I recently heard a pastor say that the angels in heaven can't believe that humans are so complacent and dispassionate about the God of the universe allowing them to be a part of His plan.

This year...I'm thankful.  I've seen it.  I've learned.  It's amazing...a miracle that God would allow me even a small part.

Thank You, God.  I love you.

Can we talk about holiday expectations?

The holidays are upon us!  Can you believe it?  And with the holidays come holiday expectations.  Have you entered this season expecting it to look a certain way?  Have you expected your children to come home?  Do you expect your son, daughter, their spouses, your grandchildren, your parents to act a certain way or do certain things?

Expectations are killers.  It's Satan setting us up for failure and death.  He wants to crush our hopes, our vision, and bring death to relationships.  That's what expectations do...they strangle those in whom you place your expectations.

Bring your expectations to the altar.  Offer Him thanks for what you have....whether it's all of your family coming together or no one coming home.  If it's not what you'd hoped, you can offer him a sacrifice of praise.  You may never have another opportunity to praise Him in this way again.  Thank Him for health.  Thank Him for those children and grandchildren.  Thank Him that your parents are still living.  Thank Him for food, for clothes, for a warm house.  Thank Him that He's in control...and you're not.  Thank Him that He's promised to never leave you nor forsake you.  Praise Him for being the King of kings and yet caring about every detail of your life.

As you thank and praise Him, you'll find those expectations falling off.  And you won't have to expect anything from anyone other than Him.  We can say with the Psalmist that our hope and expectation are in the Lord!

I've reached the age I can say whatever I want to say....

People my age start saying that.  "I've reached the age I can say whatever I want to say.  I don't care what people think anymore!"  I can't tell you the number of times I've heard people say that.  And it's so tempting.  It's tempting to let go of all inhibitions and just zap the world with my thoughts and feelings.  The older we get, we get comfortable.  Comfortable with ourselves...comfortable with wanting what we want...and not caring the heck what others think.

But I have to ask....is that what the fruit of the Spirit produces?  Galatians 5:22-23 says, " But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]."

I especially like the Amplified version of this verse and the amplification of self-control:  self-restraint, continence.  Dictionary.com describes continence as the ability to voluntarily control urinary and fecal discharge.  Maybe the Holy Spirit wants to control the discharge of our mouths!  

And of course...the love chapter exhorts us to be kind and bear up under anything and to not be rude or insist on its own way.

I'd like to encourage people my age.  Instead of getting way too comfortable and letting our tongues fly loose, let's cinch up those thoughts instead and let the Holy Spirit produce some good fruit.  Let's walk in life, encouragement, and love!

Life Changes

Andy & I are in the middle of life changes.  It's been exciting!  I never dreamed we'd be here, but God has gotten us out of our comfort zone and apparently is sending us in a new direction.  Here's what I'm amazed by.  (I knew some of this theoretically, but seeing it in action is a completely different thing.)  I'm amazed at how God has a perfect plan for His kingdom and wants to include us in it.  (AMAZING!) I'm amazed that when we don't know which direction He's taking us, our minds are completely transformed and awakened to include His new plan.  I'm amazed that He plants His thoughts, His ideas, His direction into our minds and hearts and that suddenly I'm excited over something I might never have considered!!  (I mean, seriously...this is exactly how it's been!)  I'm amazed that with one word from God, a plan unfolds and our worlds are righted and become much broader.
I can't wait to share the details as God's plan for us unfolds...but it's still unfolding.  And God's plan and timing are perfect.  I hope you'll be encouraged if you're in God's waiting room.

Husband/Wife Communication

Or go here if the video doesn't come up:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4EDhdAHrOg

Pastor Dwight showed this Sunday morning and I thought it was really, really good!!  Enjoy!

LIFE!!

I feel like someone out there needs this word tonight.  In the midst of your confusion, fear, lost hope, and death...there is victory!  God wants you to see the victory, the conquering King, our HOPE!

Easter Sunday.  The day it finally all made sense to the disciples.  Hope was reborn.  Disillusionment became a righted paradigm.  Amazement and wonder filled their hearts and minds.  The messiah was victorious and had conquered death, satan, and the world.  Jesus was ALIVE!  

And He's offering you that same hope, that same wonder, that same life.  He wants you to know that all is not lost.  What you've thought was the end is only the beginning.

The Spirit of God has made me,

And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Job 33:4

Church in heaven?

When I was a kid, my mom taught Good News Clubs (Child Evangelism Fellowship)--and still does, I might add.  I remember at the end of a Bible lesson, she would sometimes talk about heaven--what was in heaven and what wasn't in heaven.  We'd all cheer when she'd tell us there was no school in heaven.  And there was a secret satisfaction when she'd tell us there was no church in heaven.  (But I was also the kid who, at the end of my first year in public school, was shocked to learn that we still had to go to Sunday School during the summer!)  

Now...I know what my mom meant about there being no church in heaven.  But we are the church, right?  And the tabernacle Moses built was patterned after the one in heaven.  (Hebrews 8:5)  Of course there will be worship in heaven.  

But...thinking on all of this this morning, it made me question:  Will anything we're doing in church today survive the heaven test?  Of course, some things are needed on earth that aren't in heaven.  For instance, evangelism.  We're told to take the good news to the world.  But I just wonder if some of the things we consider important in our churches today would survive in heaven? Just a thought.

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

Prayer

Some day I hope to sit down and put thought to the blog about what I'm learning.  I feel as if God has put in His thumb drive and downloaded tabernacle truth into my heart and mind.  I'm almost on overload.  But oh it's been good...so good!

Last night, we heard about the altar of incense.  This is a picture of prayer.  Think about it.  Only the priests were allowed in the holy place and for most priests, this was as far as they could go--to the altar of incense.  This was the closest they could get to the presence of God.  Only the high priest could go into the holy of holies.

I've recognized the importance of prayer throughout my life...but in hindsight I see how desperately the evil one hates it.  Years ago, a group of us wanted to learn how to pray.  We were seeking God.  We wanted more of Him.  Now I realize He wanted more of me.  But our hearts were after Him.  We began meeting once a week in our homes to pray together.  It was incredible.  We saw a child healed of seizures.  We saw God provide.  We became an intimate group of believers.  We heard God.  But it was something as little as "do we serve a meal?" which stopped our meeting together.  We tried coporate prayer at the church. And we saw God move in.  But it was something as simple as a few people who could never move beyond praying for Aunt Pearl's ingrown toenail which stopped us from meeting together. It's always the little foxes which spoil the vine.  And I'm realizing satan wants to stop us at each station of the tabernacle--in our relationship with God.  In fact, he never wants us to enter.

I don't know where God is moving me now in my prayer life.  But my insight into it is so different.  I'm so grateful for people like Gary Miller who focus their whole ministry on prayer.  We need to understand prayer--it's one of the most intimate steps into relationship with God.  I hope to grasp the intimate nature of prayer and how the incense of my prayers waft into the presence of God.

The Billboards, Banners & Flags of Facebook

Billboard

I've grown weary of the billboards, banners and flags of Facebook.  It used to be that we got on Facebook to communicate with one another.  I was able to catch up with friends from my past and stay in touch with my family and know what they were up to.  Of course, my favorite thing was to see adorable photos of my grandkids which my kids posted.  But out of 7 kids, I only have 2.5 surviving Facebookers.

But now...now I have to wade through mountains of billboards, banners and flags.  I got caught up in it myself...until one day I realized I was clicking "like" on one banner after another.  It's hard to find anyone putting original thought out there.  One day this week, I realized I was having to wade through so much junk to find anything my friends were actually doing.  And heaven forbid if a ball game or popular TV program is on--that's the only updates you see.

Banner

And then there are the banners of political persuasion that people wave.  For the most part, I already know how my friends/family fall on the political lines.  I'm all about being informed of what is going on politically.  We live in a country where we have the right/privilege to speak up, vote, and inform our authorities of our persuasions.  Just give me a way to make a difference--a way to make my voice heard where it matters!  Otherwise, it's just banners flying in my face.

Flag

I love Pinterest.  I'm all for Pinterest.  I belong to Pinterest.  But when/why did Pinterest invade Facebook?  I've already seen the recipes, DIY projects, home decor...on Pinterest.  Pinterest is clogging my Facebook highway.

I encourage you to go and take a look at your Facebook page.  I have more billboards, banners & flags than original thoughts, photos or stories on my Facebook page.  I have some friends that that's all they do---post billboards!

Here's my solemn promise to you.  I'm going to do my part to clean up the Facebook highway.  No more billboards, banners or flags from me.  I'll only post original thoughts, photos or stories on Facebook--things which will share who I am and which will hopefully interest you.  We're quickly forgetting to communicate--we're just regurgitating what someone else posts.  And if we're not careful, we're all going to get disinterested and lose contact again...or become zombies who can't think for ourselves!

Whew!  I feel better.

Strait of Hormuz by Davis Bunn

This is the third book in the Marc Royce series by Davis Bunn.  The first two you'll want to read are Lion of Babylon and Rare Earth.  But this one just happens to be my favorite of all three.  If you want to skip to my favorite, you won't be lost by missing the first two books.  It could totally be a stand-alone book.

Marc Royce is a former operative of the U.S. State Department but was fired by his mentor, Ambassador Walton.  But this same man has called Marc and sent him into a situation in Switzerland where art was being duplicated and money was being laundered.  Kitra Korban was asked by a man she didn't know but her Israeli father had told her to trust to go to Switzerland and protect Marc Royce.  Kitra wanted to see Marc one more time--since he'd disappeared from her life after his rescue of her brother during the rare earth discovery.  She'd fallen in love with him and asked him to move to her kibbutz all while knowing it wasn't fair to ask him to give up the life he loved.  

A small group of people from Persia, Israel, Iran and America end up together working with Marc Royce to find a shipment which has gone missing from North Korea.  The U.S. is fearful it will end up going through the Strait of Hormuz and cause an international incident...which Marc's small group intends to prevent.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.  It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat!

Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255