Psalm 18:2 (King David) The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength in whom I will trust.
Psalm 39: 7-8 And now Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in Thee. Deliver me from all my transgressions
Romans 9: 32-33 (To Israel) Wherefore? Because you sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the Law. For they stumbled at thy stumbling stone. As it is written: Behold I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offence and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.
First of all, I need to make it clear that my story of The Lesson of the Rocks is in no way meant to equate with what scripture refers to as The Rock, The Stumbling Stone, or any other symbolic or figuratively speaking of God and Christ. The scripture references at the forefront of this story are what we should focus on as true and from divine revelation to the authors of these scriptures. That being said, I can now move on with my story knowing I have not tried to equate my experiences with those of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But, if anyone does receive any saving knowledge from these scriptures then praise be to God.
Being a rock hound is in my blood passed down from my mother and passed down from her mother. We joke here on our mountain that our rocks reproduce during the night much like rabbits do. There seems to be no end to the rocks. But being a rock hound this brings me pleasure and not irritation as to some who would like their land to be free of these rocks. This abundance of rocks lets me build upon my rock wall and use these rocks in conjunction with the tire garden I am building. The lesson I learn each time I have pickaxe in hand, swinging it to break up the soil in the old fashioned way, is that I equate the rocks to my sins and transgressions against God. Yes, I know I am forgiven and I am not spouting blasphemy here. I am just sharing what my thoughts are as I dig, and dig, and dig.
Likened figuratively to a penance for my sins committed in the past and hidden beneath the soil in darkness, these rocks remind me as I throw them on the ever growing pile of rocks (sins) that I can compare those sins as forgiven and they are now ‘as far as the east is from the west’. These sins may have lain ‘covered up’ from my eyes and hidden from my heart in darkness but nothing is ever hidden from Him. I may choose to take up one of those sins again causing Him grief that the lesson has to be learned once more. But there are also times I may remove a rock from that pile in order to use it for good such as to build a strong wall after my lessons have been learned about what I should not do again. Or may be taken up to build upon something good in my life, figuratively speaking, using those past sins/rocks to possibly teach another not to tread down that same wrong pathway.
In no way am I trying to insult the Catholic Church but my first husband was raised as a Catholic and his family wanted to see our son christened even though he had already been blessed in the Baptist Church I was attending. Also, I cannot and am not suggesting that the ‘penance’ I am referring to has anything to do with the Catholic Church method of dealing with sin by confessing it to a priest who then passes along the penance due from the ‘confessional’. The penance referring to these rocks being unearthed again is a symbolic gesture of how I feel God deals with us at times we might not be listening quite too closely to what He would have us do/not do with our lives.
God is my mighty fortress, my refuge, my high tower, Jehovah Jireh, my provider. The scripture listed from Romans at the start of this my lesson of the rocks reads the stumbling stone and rock of offence and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. This is also a lesson I can equate to all the falling down that I do due to tripping over these rocks on my mountain. I do a lot of stumbling and thank Him when that does not result in a fall on this rocky ground. There is also a thorny bush we must contend with here that will grab at your pants leg or boot straps causing you to trip and fall. I compare those thorny bushes to the story in the Bible of the sower of the seeds and the seeds that fall on the thorny ground. But spiritually speaking, if I keep my eyes on Him and not on what is below, He will keep me from my sinful nature/getting tripped up by these ‘rocks’ we learn our ‘lessons’ from here on our mountain. God, as my Rock and my Fortress, I ask for help in keeping my eye on the prize that you offer all who will learn from what You teach in Your Word about believing on You. My prayer would also be that I would not become a stumbling stone to others who may be looking to/at us for guidance.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The Art of Listening
Hebrews 2:1 We must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.
How carefully do we listen to what God reveals? And note I said we, not you, because this applies to everyone. How intent are we on earnestly keeping things private that we should not let slip? God gives all the wisdom, insight, and counsel we need for living. But in the hectic activities, stress and pressures of life or even when things are going well (that in particular is when we do not spend as much time with Him as we should, thinking we have everything under control), it is easy to totally miss His message or misunderstand what He was trying to reveal to us if we had truly listened to Him.
This art of listening closely applies to other relationships as well and to the people we meet during the day. How many of us have been sharing something we deem really important only to get that blank stare or the repeated uh, huhs, that tell us this person does not care what I am sharing from my heart and they are not listening to me? Even worse is telling someone something in private, requesting that it be kept between you only to hear it somewhere in the office later, or even in church. A good listener can be hard to find. It is an art that has to be developed over time. Showing respect for the person entrusting you with a private matter reveals to them that you are an artful listener.
We should ask for His help to listen with sensitivity, faithfulness, and remembrance as He speaks. We also need help to listen carefully so that the things He says will not be distorted or discarded. In 2nd Timothy we are admonished to show ourselves approved unto God by the study of His word and if we do study His word, we have a wonderful tool. A tool with which to learn not only what God has for us but also how to be concerned enough about the people who depend on you for guidance. A person may also be outside any faith and is watching you to see how you represent your faith.
Being that good listener may open doors to improve relationships because if you care enough to listen to someone’s needs, you may then become an encourager. How can you listen to someone sharing what they might be going through and not wonder if there is some instruction from God to share or think? Is there a scripture that might help them? Or what is really, really important is to keep your mouth shut and truly listen to what is being shared with you. A lot of people want to interject their opinion while this person is trying to get a message across to you. They do not want your input while they are opening up to you. It can get them off track altogether about what they need to talk about.
This blog is not meant to condone idle conversation that the office busybody might go on and on about or the one who gossips in the office. Gossip is usually cruel and you should do your best to stifle it. Do not practice listening to either of these vain babblings. This blog is meant to encourage all of us to learn how to be the listener God would have us be, if this is something you do not do. This blog is meant to encourage those who already have the gift of being an artful listener so you would know that you are blessed. You are also an encourager because this may be the only help this person cries out for--so how disheartening to them if you are giving that blank stare or just agreeing at moments while they cry their heart out for help.
You can always depend on God to give you inspiration to improve on an area of your life if you take the time to listen to the One who listens to all of our cries for help in times of need or praises in times of joy. God always listens to us no matter what we talk to Him about. He wants to listen to us and we should want to listen to our brothers and sisters in Christ or the people we come by who might need someone like you to listen, really listen to what they have to say.
Posted by SarahBeth at 10:59 AM
Labels: God speaks, listening, religion, relationships
How carefully do we listen to what God reveals? And note I said we, not you, because this applies to everyone. How intent are we on earnestly keeping things private that we should not let slip? God gives all the wisdom, insight, and counsel we need for living. But in the hectic activities, stress and pressures of life or even when things are going well (that in particular is when we do not spend as much time with Him as we should, thinking we have everything under control), it is easy to totally miss His message or misunderstand what He was trying to reveal to us if we had truly listened to Him.
This art of listening closely applies to other relationships as well and to the people we meet during the day. How many of us have been sharing something we deem really important only to get that blank stare or the repeated uh, huhs, that tell us this person does not care what I am sharing from my heart and they are not listening to me? Even worse is telling someone something in private, requesting that it be kept between you only to hear it somewhere in the office later, or even in church. A good listener can be hard to find. It is an art that has to be developed over time. Showing respect for the person entrusting you with a private matter reveals to them that you are an artful listener.
We should ask for His help to listen with sensitivity, faithfulness, and remembrance as He speaks. We also need help to listen carefully so that the things He says will not be distorted or discarded. In 2nd Timothy we are admonished to show ourselves approved unto God by the study of His word and if we do study His word, we have a wonderful tool. A tool with which to learn not only what God has for us but also how to be concerned enough about the people who depend on you for guidance. A person may also be outside any faith and is watching you to see how you represent your faith.
Being that good listener may open doors to improve relationships because if you care enough to listen to someone’s needs, you may then become an encourager. How can you listen to someone sharing what they might be going through and not wonder if there is some instruction from God to share or think? Is there a scripture that might help them? Or what is really, really important is to keep your mouth shut and truly listen to what is being shared with you. A lot of people want to interject their opinion while this person is trying to get a message across to you. They do not want your input while they are opening up to you. It can get them off track altogether about what they need to talk about.
This blog is not meant to condone idle conversation that the office busybody might go on and on about or the one who gossips in the office. Gossip is usually cruel and you should do your best to stifle it. Do not practice listening to either of these vain babblings. This blog is meant to encourage all of us to learn how to be the listener God would have us be, if this is something you do not do. This blog is meant to encourage those who already have the gift of being an artful listener so you would know that you are blessed. You are also an encourager because this may be the only help this person cries out for--so how disheartening to them if you are giving that blank stare or just agreeing at moments while they cry their heart out for help.
You can always depend on God to give you inspiration to improve on an area of your life if you take the time to listen to the One who listens to all of our cries for help in times of need or praises in times of joy. God always listens to us no matter what we talk to Him about. He wants to listen to us and we should want to listen to our brothers and sisters in Christ or the people we come by who might need someone like you to listen, really listen to what they have to say.
Posted by SarahBeth at 10:59 AM
Labels: God speaks, listening, religion, relationships
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Ignore Some Earlier Content
You may notice from the dates on my blogs that I dropped off the radar in 2010 and ceased adding posts. There are some very good devotional posts on my blogsite that I would consider timeless but other posts were intended to come in line with the internet marketing business I so miserably failed at or should I say, I got tired of sinking more money into than I was reaping for my efforts. Even so those blogs are still good reading if you ignore the push for your business because I am no longer with that company so any leads to a link for it will not go through as far as I know.
My hope is that you will read my blogs and make comments about the quality of them. I am not afraid of constructive criticism but welcome it because I will become a better writer if you share what you might consider poor writing, missed needs for proofing, boring or repetitive writing or anything else you might find a need to add to your critique of my writing.
So this is kind of a weird post to my blog but because of the instructions I received from the company I was trying to have success with, there was a funneling process at the end of some of my blogs intended for you to follow through and go to my website (no longer in existence). I am sure though if you were to check the company out, you may want to give it a try.
Until I find out how to edit my posts and I think I am close to doing so, please disregard those that would push the business repeatedly in my blogs.
In closing, I repeat that I would appreciate your ideas about what I have to say especially in the devotional posts I made. I need your input to know if I have correctly composed what scripture is true and for edification. God forbid I incorrectly wrote anything that might lead anyone astray.
My hope is that you will read my blogs and make comments about the quality of them. I am not afraid of constructive criticism but welcome it because I will become a better writer if you share what you might consider poor writing, missed needs for proofing, boring or repetitive writing or anything else you might find a need to add to your critique of my writing.
So this is kind of a weird post to my blog but because of the instructions I received from the company I was trying to have success with, there was a funneling process at the end of some of my blogs intended for you to follow through and go to my website (no longer in existence). I am sure though if you were to check the company out, you may want to give it a try.
Until I find out how to edit my posts and I think I am close to doing so, please disregard those that would push the business repeatedly in my blogs.
In closing, I repeat that I would appreciate your ideas about what I have to say especially in the devotional posts I made. I need your input to know if I have correctly composed what scripture is true and for edification. God forbid I incorrectly wrote anything that might lead anyone astray.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
An Extra Pair of Hands
Deciding to move to my mountain caused friends to question my sanity and my ability to survive as a mountain woman. As it stands so far I have been able to handle most situations by myself, independently, and with self-sufficiency. There have been offers of help but my response has been to be thankful for the offer but I want to see what I can do for myself before I accept any help. The only problem I cannot provide an answer for is the need of an extra pair of hands at times.
For example this is an extremely rocky area which suits me as I have this strange love of rocks. What looks like a small stone on the surface can turn into a boulder as you continue to dig and work to remove it from the ground. What takes me quite some time to dig enough around this stone resembling the ice berg that sunk the Titanic, plus the strength to remove it from the ground would be completed much more quickly with an extra pair of hands to shovel then lift this monster of a rock. But on this occasion I persisted and eventually removed the boulder by myself. It took a lot of imagination as to how I might remove it while digging to completely free this rock from its earthly constraints.
It is a good feeling to accomplish tasks on my own but that in a good marriage or partnership might be completed together with that extra pair of hands to help hold, lift, move and many other tasks that for one person will take much more time to complete—more time than you really have to spend on one project like removing this monstrous stone, as the example given above. Then there is also the shared satisfaction that the two have completed a chore together and the feeling of accomplishment that two have worked side by side.
This is not a pity party or woe is me because I have no one in my life like that to stand beside me, be the strong one (I am so tired of always being the strong one.), and keep momentum up in order to achieve the desired results. It is just that I have not had success in marriage that many of my friends have and that my friends share life’s difficulties mutually with their spouses or mates. I have continued on in those relationships of mine but even when there was an extra pair of hands in my life, those hands were rarely there to help me or comfort me.
It may be possible on our mountain to find a friend, a female friend, to provide that extra pair of hands I so badly need at times. But most of us keep to ourselves on our mountain so finding another single woman here is not a prospect I have. There are single men living here but no single women as far as I know other than myself. Because of my bleak failures at two marriages, I would rather avoid being around a man working at close quarters. So at those times in which I need help, I have persisted on my own and when finished, always like the: I did it! That satisfaction of accomplishment gets me a step closer to NOT needing an extra pair of hands.
After I posted this blog, I came across verses in Philippians, Chapter 4 that really hit the nail on the head with my desire for an extra pair of hands. Please read: Philippians 4:11 and 12 Mind you this is Paul speaking and I in no way equate my life or faith as equal to that of the apostle Paul~ "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." And of course following that is the verse in Philippians 4 that we all rely on in time of need: verse 13 ~ "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
For example this is an extremely rocky area which suits me as I have this strange love of rocks. What looks like a small stone on the surface can turn into a boulder as you continue to dig and work to remove it from the ground. What takes me quite some time to dig enough around this stone resembling the ice berg that sunk the Titanic, plus the strength to remove it from the ground would be completed much more quickly with an extra pair of hands to shovel then lift this monster of a rock. But on this occasion I persisted and eventually removed the boulder by myself. It took a lot of imagination as to how I might remove it while digging to completely free this rock from its earthly constraints.
It is a good feeling to accomplish tasks on my own but that in a good marriage or partnership might be completed together with that extra pair of hands to help hold, lift, move and many other tasks that for one person will take much more time to complete—more time than you really have to spend on one project like removing this monstrous stone, as the example given above. Then there is also the shared satisfaction that the two have completed a chore together and the feeling of accomplishment that two have worked side by side.
This is not a pity party or woe is me because I have no one in my life like that to stand beside me, be the strong one (I am so tired of always being the strong one.), and keep momentum up in order to achieve the desired results. It is just that I have not had success in marriage that many of my friends have and that my friends share life’s difficulties mutually with their spouses or mates. I have continued on in those relationships of mine but even when there was an extra pair of hands in my life, those hands were rarely there to help me or comfort me.
It may be possible on our mountain to find a friend, a female friend, to provide that extra pair of hands I so badly need at times. But most of us keep to ourselves on our mountain so finding another single woman here is not a prospect I have. There are single men living here but no single women as far as I know other than myself. Because of my bleak failures at two marriages, I would rather avoid being around a man working at close quarters. So at those times in which I need help, I have persisted on my own and when finished, always like the: I did it! That satisfaction of accomplishment gets me a step closer to NOT needing an extra pair of hands.
After I posted this blog, I came across verses in Philippians, Chapter 4 that really hit the nail on the head with my desire for an extra pair of hands. Please read: Philippians 4:11 and 12 Mind you this is Paul speaking and I in no way equate my life or faith as equal to that of the apostle Paul~ "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." And of course following that is the verse in Philippians 4 that we all rely on in time of need: verse 13 ~ "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
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