My Mom's Here

We all need to be rescued from something.  I need to be rescued from gluttonous eating and checking my phone while I'm with someone else. Last month I was not able to swallow or talk well, so I needed to be rescued from being malnourished and the limitations of myasthenia gravis. My children need to be rescued from the agony of defeat when playing a family game.    My friend needs to be rescued from the fear of her son possibly having a bad infection.  I have many, many friends who need to be rescued from anxiety, self-consciousness, and fear.  The list can go on, I'm sure you can relate to something you need to be rescued from.  We have a Rescuer.  This sermon by Jared Mellinger is my initial source for our Lord being our rescuer. Jared highlights the excerpt from Acts 12 where Peter was rescued from prison; "and the chains fell off his hands" while he was basically sleepwalking. So, I'm not literally in prison, but as I go

Ambush.  Dread.  They’re coming. Are you waiting for the refuge? Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Psalm 64:1 My prayers are usually: preserve me, preserve my family, preserve my friends. It is a rare occasion that I pray: preserve me from dread. Preserve me from the enemy? P reserve me from dread of the enemy finding me.  Preserve me from my to-do list? Preserve me from dreading my to-do list. Preserve me through my upcoming surgery? P reserve me from dreading my upcoming surgery. Preserve me from failing this exam. Preserve me from dreading failing this exam. So often our minds and emotions can be led by dread,  and it is exciting to know that the Lord is able to preserve us from dreading something.  He is able to preserve us from fear. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers,  who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,   shooting from ambush

I’m feeling compelled to identify a name of Jesus for each day until Christmas. Hopefully, this will give me more insight to the reality of Jesus as a person, taking on roles just as any of us would. So here it goes. When the same Psalm comes to you multiple times in a few days span,  it’s time to pay attention. Psalm 23 had this repetitive effect on me throughout the month of November. My friends would start texting me a song or tell me excerpts from Psalm 23, and my vivid recollections of being a short little woolly sheep, not able to see over a fence and trusting in a watchful Shepherd came flooding back. My favorite messenge about Psalm 23 was when one of my sweet aunts wrote it out, to me. Joanne, The Lord, your Papa, is your Shepherd, you shall not be in want! Your Papa makes you lie down in green pastures, your Papa leads you beside quiet waters. He WILL restore your soul!! Joanne, Your papa guides you in paths of righteousness for His name sake! Even thou