THURSDAY April 29, 2010

THE CROSS (Crabb Family)

To some it's just an emblem a formality.
It's a symbol that's been used so frequently.
Many blaspheme and despise.
Though it's ancient, it abides.
A shrine to death that stands for life to me.:

There was a cross made for the Son of God at Calvary.
Two pieces of rough timber on a hill.
Through His hands and through His feet,
He took the nails for you and me.
Angels watched as He died for the lost.
Though He could have walked away He chose the cross.
You see why this old emblem is so dear to me.
It stood for suffering, yet it brought us peace.
It bridged the gap for me.
Offered cleansing for our sins.
An icon that reminds us that we're free.
God forbid that I should ever let my memory fade.
But forever keep the cross in view for that's where I was saved.

I was with my mother and my granddaughter yesterday and today I am still exhausted.  Both of them are precious to me and I enjoy them soooo much….but….today my body “feels” more than I can even express in words.  Sometimes words aren’t adequate to express my thoughts and I think today is one of those days.  This song and listening to it is healing to my existence.  I will cling to “The Old Rugged Cross”………….And……again I think….God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, why do you continue to pursue me?  And the Lord would say to me…….because I know how much you need me.  Yes, indeed Lord, I need you so much.  The Cross…..though you could have walked away, you chose the Cross.  You took the nails for you and me.

“I want Christ in my life. I want to be set free from all flesh. So I’m going to move forward, into his presence and claim my possession. I want Jesus to be my all, my only source of satisfaction.” David Wilkerson…..I could not have expressed my “feelings” better than David Wilkerson, a brother in the Lord that I admire and respect.  Sometimes the thought that I am the only human I know that struggles with the flesh comes into my head.  One time a pastor that I loved and appreciated said, “there’s only about five cents worth of difference in all of us.  When I see those who have conquered some of the flesh that I struggle with, I think, “no way”….They have arrived, they are more “spiritual” than me.  Even as I write my journals and let you hear my cry, I begin to allow the Holy Spirit to renew my mind and remind me that I am free.  Because of the Cross, I am what I am.  I become open and let you see my wounds.  No matter what I “feel”, the fact is Jesus passionately loves me.  His love for me is not contingent on my behavior or my own opinion of my behavior.

Jesus, I ask You to quicken my body, this earthly suit that you have given me.  I agree with one of the sisters that you have put in my life.  I believe that you are healing the diabetes and strengthening my heart.  I will cherish that Old Rugged Cross, till my trophies at last I lay down, I will cling to the Old Rugged Cross and exchange it someday for a crown.  If you are reading this journal, will you agree with me that I will be healed?  I’m not too proud to admit that “I want Christ in my life. I want to be set free from all flesh. I want Jesus to be my all, my only source of satisfaction.” Today I am

Being pursued,

Mary Ann

WEDNESDAY April 28, 2010

UNTIL THE DAY (Darlene Zschech)

When I walk through suffering, let it be an offering

Like a fragrance rising

In the valley of shadow, not to waste my sorrows

But to trust in Father

Until the day when you wipe away every tear

You will hold me,  carry me

Until the day when you take away every fear

No more suffering

Who can imagine?

So I’ll trade my sorrows for the joy of knowing

You, sharing You to my world

With your comfort comforting

Bringing hope for the hope You bring

My whole life for an offering

Who can imagine the day

Who can imagine

Who can imagine

No more suffering, no more crying, no more failure

I can imagine.  “Live with the wonder of a child, pray with your arms swung open wide, love with a love that has no end”.  My mind is centered on You this morning, Lord.  I could sense Your Precious Holy Spirit speaking to me as I had my first “awake” moment this morning.  Thank You that You never leave me and You watch over me as I sleep.  To think that You are everywhere all the time is more than my small mind can comprehend.  I don’t understand that now but according to the Scripture that You put in my mind this morning, it is true.

“ We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us”! Message Bible 1 Corinthians 13:12  The first thing I do when I move out of bed in the morning is put on my glasses.  The thought came to me of this scripture as I reached for my glasses.  Roger and I are making some life changing decisions right now.  We think, we listen, we plan, we are squinting in a fog so to speak.  We walk this way thinking it is the right way and then we are repositioned by the Lord in another direction.  We seek counsel and “sometimes”???? listen and then turn another way.  Sometimes as we walk we even hit a brick wall that we weren’t even aware was in front of us.  But…the good news is that God isn’t walking through a fog.  He sees and knows everything, He has perfect vision.  He can see all the way from the beginning to the end.

He is unfailing, His love is unending and His Word is eternal, firm in the heavens it stands.  His Word assures me that He is always with me, He never leaves me or forsakes me.  My eyes are dim, I can’t see Him, but I know He is near.  I trust Him and walk confidently beside Him as He knows the direction (plan) He has for my life.  The promises that He has made in His Word never changes.  This earth and the way His creation lives life has changed, but He never changes.  He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  The things of this life are changing, they are becoming dimmer and dimmer.  I sometimes say that when I was a younger person I thought I knew all the answers to life and now that I am a “little” older, I’m not even sure what the questions are.  I am so grateful for this wonderful, exciting day that I have.  I can see through the perfect eyes of the Holy Spirit as He leads and guides me into His truth this day.  I can know that yes, I am peering through a mist, but I am holding onto the Hand of the One that knows the way, because He is the Way.  I am

Looking through His eyes,

Mary Ann

TUESDAY April 27, 2010

WITH ALL I AM (Crossroads)

Into Your hands, I commit again

With all I am

For You, Lord

You hold my world in the palm of Your hand

And I am Yours, forever

Jesus, I believe in You

Jesus, I belong to You

You’re the reason that I live

The reason that I sing with all I am

I’ll walk with You, wherever You go

Through tears and joys, I’ll trust in you

And I will live in all of Your ways and Your promises, forever

I will worship, I will worship You

I will worship, I will worship You

I will worship, I will worship You

Yes, I will, I will worship You.  Today is an exciting, intriguing, unknown, day.  This is my opportunity to throw my head back and worship, my Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is the reason that I live.  He gives me gladly every breath that I breathe.  He has a purpose, reason and season for all of my time of this earth.  Sometimes, I forget about His love and affection for me.  It’s in these early morning hours that I hear His sweet, gentle voice.  At the end of the day, I have heard so many other things that my connection with Him is sometimes broken and crowded out with life…..but….here in these early mornings, He is so close and I am so humbled.  Through tears and joy, I trust in Him.  I will live in all His ways and His promises forever.  Jesus, I believe in You, I belong to You, You’re the reason that I live, the reason that I sing. 

“He looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Abraham could see the true significance of the land blessing and he realized, “This place isn’t the real possession. It’s just an illustrated sermon of the great blessing to come.” Abraham grasped the true meaning of the Promised Land; he knew Canaan represented the coming Messiah. Jesus himself tells us, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56). (David Wilkerson) Jesus is the real possession.  I just finished a “real estate” deal that went south.  We were disappointed, the outcome was out of our control.  That piece of real estate wasn’t important when you consider that the city that has foundations (our Canaan) is Jesus.  He is the rock on which we live.  One day we will inherit our “forever” home….all the homes on this earthly piece of dirt will one day turn to just what it is, a piece of dirt.

Our true Home is described as a city where the streets are paved with gold.  Can you just imagine the appraised value of something like that?  A beautiful, wonderful “forever” home.  I know I am going there and the heart that Jesus has given me wants to take others with me.  My desire is to snatch others out of the grips of hell and show them the love of Jesus.  I want to get out of my “rocking chair” and be about my Father’s business.  I can’t continue to rock, Jesus needs me to be His hands, His feet, His voice, His heart on this earth.  He is preparing my “forever” home and one day we will all face our “eternal” home.  Will we hear Him say, “well done”?  Today I am

Amazed and Packing,

Mary Ann

MONDAY April 26, 2010

ORPHANS OF GOD (Avalon) Who here among us has not been broken Who here among us is without guilt or pain So oft’ abandoned by our transgressions If such a thing as grace exists Then grace was made for lives like this There are no strangers There are no outcasts There are no orphans of God So many fallen, but hallelujah There are no orphans of God Come ye unwanted and find affection Come all ye weary, come and lay down your head Come ye unworthy, you are my brother If such a thing as grace exists Then grace was made for lives like this O blessed Father, look down upon us We are Your children, we need Your love We run before Your throne of mercy And seek Your face to rise above We are not orphans.  If such a thing as grace exists, then grace was made for lives like this.  Grace does exist.  (G etting R ight A t C hrist’s E xpense)  Good news.  God’s News.  There are no orphans, once we are bought, we belong to God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  A great price was paid for ALL our sins.  The Bible says that God sees us through the righteousness of Jesus.  We are not abandoned by our transgression.  We are a called people, set apart for His Pleasure.  Then if we are never orphans and Grace covers our sins….what is bad about sin?  This is what sin causes in our lives.  It keeps us away from God, it keeps us away from the full, abundant life that He has for us.  It causes us to hurt, it causes the ones that we love to hurt, it breaks the heart of God to see us suffer and living outside His blessings.  God cannot lie, He loves us unconditionally.  It affects our confidence.  His opinion of us does not change….but we change our opinion of ourselves.  We hide from the Lord, we turn Him off in our minds.  We run from Him. There are no strangers, there are no outcasts.  Very simply, Thank You Lord Jesus for the Price that You paid for me.  Today I am Reflecting on Your Grace, Mary Ann

FRIDAY April 23, 2010

HEALING IS IN YOUR HANDS (Christy Nockels)

No mountain, no valley

No gain or loss we know 

Could keep us from your love

No sickness, no secret

No chain is strong enough

To keep us from Your love,

To keep us from Your love

How high, how wide

No matter where I am,

Healing is in your hands

How deep, how strong

Now by Your grace, I stand

Healing is in Your hand

How present, our future

Our past is in Your hands

We’re covered by Your blood

We’re covered by Your blood

In all things, we know that

We are more than conquerors

You keep us by Your love

Hallelujah!!!  Healing is in Your hands.  What a great encouragement to me this morning.  I trust You.  I love You.  You are the source of life for me and I am grateful that You chose me for Your Own.  Maybe it is better for the “busy” people that read this devotional for me to shorten this part of the devotional.  I just can’t.  Out of my heart comes more “feelings” than I can even express to You, O Lord.  This is my time to leap within my heart at Your goodness that I don’t deserve, that You give to me.  This is my time with You and I allow others to listen in.  My place is with You.  My time with You.  In fact I want to stop and “feel” Your presence beside me.  I have finally found the truth and my place is with You.

"Blessed and happy and to be envied are those…whose sins are covered up and completely buried. Blessed and happy and to be envied is the person of whose sin the Lord will take no account nor reckon it against him” (Romans 4:7-8 Amp.).  I am happy that my sins are covered up and completely buried.  Buried, no one can look at them, not me, not you, NO ONE.  You take no account of the sins, You don’t hold it against me.  That says it all.

Today, Lord Jesus, I am believing for my healing.  I am by faith, walking away from diabetes and everything that goes with it.  I won’t accept guilt any longer.  I won’t hold onto diabetes according to my performance.  By faith, In all things we know that we are more than conquerors, You keep us by your love.  You keep no account or reckon our sins against us.  No matter where I am or what I do, healing is in Your hands.  As a precious Sister of mine is praying, the Lord will regulate my blood sugars and strengthen my heart, I am in total agreement with her.   Today, as every Friday, I am

Riding the Golf Cart with a “certain” little lady,

Mary Ann

THURSDAY April 22, 2010

PRAISE THE FATHER, PRAISE THE SON (Chris Tomlin)

Oh Sovereign God, O matchless King

The saints adore, the angels sing

And far before the throne of Grace

To You belongs the highest praise

These sufferings, this passing tide,

Under Your wings I will abide

And every enemy shall flee,

You are my hope in victory

Praise the Father, praise the Son,

Praise the Spirit three in one

Clothed in power and in grace

The Name above all other names

To the valley  for my soul,

the great descent has made me whole

Your word my heart has welcomed home

Now peace like water ever flows

Yours is the kingdom, Yours is the power

Yours is the glory, forever

Yours is the Kingdome, Yours is the power

Yours is the glory, forever

You are the rock on which I stand.  I praise You Father, I praise You Son, I praise You, Holy Spirit.  These sufferings, this passing tide, under Your wings I will abide.  Good Morning, Lord Jesus.  You are my hope in victory.  I praise You, I worship You.  I am grateful that You are my Lord and Savior.  This passing tide.  That phrase resonates in my soul.  Tides go in and out.  They don’t stay in one position…so I have to reconcile that this tide that we are riding on right now won’t last forever.  It is passing.  Under Your wings I will abide.  You are my hope and victory.  I will Praise You, I will worship You, I will sit at Your feet, turn off all other distractions and learn Your truths. 

I am going to put a story that I read yesterday into a condensed version.  Jeremiah 5:22 says…”I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.  The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.”  The ocean would say to the sand, Little sand, do you really think you can stop me?  The sand would say to the sea, “listen here big, bad, ocean it doesn’t matter how little I am, it matters that God Almighty has decreed me as a boundary that you cannot cross.  The sea roars, it creates a huge storm and the waves roll past the sand.  It says to the sand, see, I have crossed, I have shown you the power that I have, the storm has created havoc over you.  All the grains of the sand begin to sing in unison, in peace, Guess what Mr. Sea, You’ve got to go back now.  The wind will calm down, the waves will retreat.  Did that happen because the sand is more powerful, did it happen because the sand is bigger?  No.  It happened because God decreed it.  He said this is what will happen.  It had the authority of the Words of God Almighty.

The more I seek You, the more I find You.  The more I find You, the more I love You.  God has decreed certain things over my life.  They will happen because God Almighty has said it will happen.  My circumstances, my flesh will not determine the direction of my life.  I will seek You, today, Lord Jesus.  I will turn off the computer, I will walk outside and breathe in the fresh breath of Your Spirit as It directs my steps.  Your love and concern for me is overwhelming.  I will not listen to the negative, give up kind of talking.  I will apply the Words of God Almighty in my actions and attitudes.  If God can cause a grain of sand to have the authority to stop a huge, powerful ocean to stop, I can stop the actions of the powerful storm against little old me to “go back now”.  With the Words of God over me and in me, I can tell the storms “to go back NOW”.  Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, Holy, Holy is He.  I will sing a new song to Him.  I will declare that I am a bully against the storm.  As soon as the storm is over, as soon as the wind quits blowing, the ocean retreats to its normal boundaries.  The sand has declared its boundaries.  This passing tide has subsided.  Today I am

Holding back the raging tide,

Mary Ann

WEDNESDAY April 21, 2010

YOU HAVE BEEN GOOD (Twila Paris)

Oh Lord, You have been good

You have been faithful to all generations

Oh Lord, Your steadfast love and tender mercy

Have been our salvation

For by Your hand, we have been fed

And by Your Spirit, we have been led

O Lord.

For by Your hand, we have been fed

And by Your Spirit, we have been led

O Lord, Almighty God

Father unchanging, upright and holy.

O Lord, You have been good

You have been faithful, You have been good.

You have been good, You have been  faithful,

You have been good

Your loving kindness is everlasting

Your loving kindness is everlasting

Your loving kindness is everlasting

Your loving kindness is everlasting

You have been good.

Father, I don’t “feel” like writing this, I stayed up way too late last night.  But…as I hear this song, I am reminded You have been good.  You are like talking to a really close, familiar friend.  Even as I write these words, my heart is moved with compassion as I think of the years that I have had with You.  I think of all the many, many times that it’s been just You and me.  I am reminded of Your faithfulness and kindness.  You have never changed, You have never, not one time, been too busy for me.  When I need You, You are always there.  I know You watch over me constantly.  I know that You are steadfast and perfect.  You have been good, You have been faithful.  I know that Your love for me is wider than the ocean, stronger than any force I have ever seen or heard of on this earth.  I know that all I have to do is whisper Your name and You hear me.  I know that when I am weak and frail, You hold me.  I know that when I am strong and running, You run beside me.  I know there isn’t anywhere here on this decaying earth I can go that You aren’t there.  Your Holy Spirit is hovering over this planet that You have made.  You have been good.

Has God been good only when things are looking good for us?  Has He been good when our prayers aren’t answered as we think they should be?  Has He been good on a Wednesday when we get up really wanting to go back to bed?  Has He been good when everyone around us is doing exactly what we think they should be doing?  I am trying to buy a new house and out of the clear blue sky yesterday, we ran into a problem with our lender.  Everything looked fine and then…..a new regulation made the underwriter question our integrity.  She was wrong, things are exactly as we told her.  But now, the only way she will change her mind is a change of heart from God.  Knowing the real estate business and working with things like this, I immediately went into “fix” it mode.  The other solutions didn’t seem to work, I felt checked, I have to stop “fixing” it and wait on the Lord.  That is humbling to me, but necessary.  Oh Lord, You have and are good to us and I know that You work out all things for our good.

I am a child and You are my Father.  I trust You, You have been good.  You have never, ever failed the Seman Family.  I love You, Father.  I am secure that our lives are in Your hand.  I am steady because You hold me.  Faith is not understanding, but accepting anyways.  Nothing is impossible for You.  My plans are in Your hands.  A woman makes a plan in her heart, but the Lord directs her path.  Prayer is the connection that I have.  It is the power source between You and I.  I plug into You today, Lord.  My batteries will only carry me so far, the real lasting, persevering ability comes from the electricity that I acquire from You.  You are larger than all the power generated from the Hoover Dam.  You shake the nations, Your voice is heard through all generations and You have been good, You have been faithful to Your “little” girl down here in St Marys, Ga.  I trust You.  You turn the heart of a king, so I know You can turn the heart of a “little” lady in an underwriting office.  By Your Hand, I trust You.  You direct our path.  I know whatever You have for us is good and perfect.  Thank You, Lord.

This warrior is a child,

Mary Ann