The Path Less Followed

     As a christian I am to attend to my own moral path, not that of the world. I am to share the truth of my path, why I seek this "moral path" and that my God is love, He is full of loving kindness, He is sympathetic and paid a great sacrifice for us and has a narrow path that leads to the life He desires for me and you. However I am not to try to force others onto the path.
     God's moral path does have requirements for me and others, but I can't put my requirements on other people, that's between them and God. God will complete the work He has begun in each of us if we yield to Him. I don't want to be "that" child in school that is always telling the other children "but the teacher said to do this..", the teacher is quite capable of making themselves understood, they don't need me tattling! God is quite capable of dealing with His followers, He doesn't need me fixing them! I know I am to "love the Lord your God", to "love others as myself", then there are a lot of shall nots about things I should avoid~ shall not murder, shall not covet...judge not... of course there are a lot more in each group of "do and do not", but you get the idea right? These are things to apply to myself, not to others!
     God does have enemies-Satan and his followers, but we end up creating enemies of our Father when we don't walk as we should. We cause people to despise us and worse yet to despise our Father because of the things we do and say when we're not following His leading!  Jesus said that He did not come to judge, so let's not put ourselves in the place of judge either...just see to the log in our own eye and trust God to see the to splinter in our brother's eye!(Matthew 7:1-5)
     If we seek to walk in God's authority, doing His will, hearing and following His voice, doing His work then people will be drawn to us and to our heavenly Father. Then we will be the salt and light that He created us to be. We will draw people to our Father, not repulse them!
     The path is narrow that leads to eternal life- unfortunately many who claim to be Christians are not on the narrow path (this is according to God's word, not my judgement! Matt 7:13-14) and there are some "tares" that have been planted by the enemy in with the wheat, the wheat are God's followers, (For non-farmers the tares are weeds that look like wheat, but aren't.). The Tares cannot be separated until harvest and the tares lead many people astray and repulse others away from our Father with their pretense of being Christians.
     When I think about it I have to wonder "How does God tolerate us?". Many come to Him and fall away, back to their own desires or to their ways in the world and some never come -- and yet He is patient and long suffering, even knowing that few would find the way He sent His own Son to die as a sacrifice for our sins!
     Thinking of these things I encourage you beloved, choose the narrow path, walk uprightly, set your standard to His standard, look to be pleasing to Him, seek Him as your "True North" ~ seek for His will ~ try to get to know Him!  

Matthew 7-13 & 14 Amplified Bible
Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it. But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.

 

or same verses in the everyday language of The Message~

 

“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.

     Or, choose the path less followed and don't be surprised that there are few on it with you~

Life Goes On~

Just an observation~
     Life goes on, things we expected to happen never do and things we didn't expect are what we're living with today. No wonder God says to not worry about tomorrow...we can not possibly see what tomorrow brings with it.
     Yes, there are some things that we can prepare for, like buying groceries for tomorrow because we know we'll want to eat, but to worry or plan for much more than clothes to wear, food to eat, what more can we really know will happen?    

Why Do So Many Marriages End in Divorce? IMHO

     Just a thought about marriage. With so many marriages ending in divorce a person has to wonder what has happened to cause this?  A lot of time while I'm doing things like washing dishes, making the bed or cooking, my mind wanders to various subjects like, "why would our leaders want to give amnesty to a large group of law breakers?" or "why would our president and his advisers give orders to ""make life difficult"" for the citizens during the budget squabble?" or "why do homosexuals want the right to be married when so many marriages end in divorce?" or "why do so many marriages end in divorce?"
     Today my answer for the divorce question was that so many people are not prepared for the reality of marriage. Women think it will be a great romantic adventure and don't consider that they will be picking up this man's dirty socks for the rest of their lives, and not only picking them up, but washing them, matching them and putting them back in his drawer to start the cycle all over again! Yikes! And the woman is probably not prepared for the fact that she will need to feed this man that she is promising to "love, honor and cherish" "until death do you part"! And surprise, he will want to eat everyday! and in order to do this daily feeding, and another surprise, it's usually 3 times a day that he will want to eat...but in order to do this, she will need to go to the grocery store to buy something to cook, bring it home, put it up and at the appropriate time pull it off of the shelf to prepare and serve, then clean up the mess that she made preparing it. This may not sound too challenging, but if she does do the cooking for every meal in the first month of wedded bliss she will have been responsible for 90 meals and all of the planning, fixing and cleaning up that is included with that. Multiply that out and it is 1,080 the first year. Yes they will go out to eat, so if you want you can divide it by half and she's only had to take care of 540 meals in the first year, while at the same time picking up the dirty socks and washing them, matching them and putting them back up. I guess the point is that there is a lot of drudgery that people are not expecting in the married life. If the husband is not extremely loving, appreciative and supportive the wife can easily turn bitter about her chores and blame someone or everyone and most likely it will be the wearer of the dirty socks!
     I know a lot of people think we're supposed to be in a "new age" where the man takes care of his own socks, but realistically the woman needs to face the fact that in marriage she is the dedicated nurturer, and that includes feeding and caring for the family that she has, even if that's just a husband in the beginning. To fight this stereo type is a quick trip to divorce. If you want to argue this idea there's really no point in it, I'm only stating my opinion and you are free to have your own.
     There is another side for the men too. You may think you're marrying a playmate, but you'll be surprised that she will go through cycles where playing is the last thing on her mind. After taking care of your laundry and cooking, sometimes she might want some "conversation". Your life may not be the same free agent life you used to live, your friends may have to take a backseat to your new life with your wife. Or you may have to turn the video game off. With a wife the usual progression is that you add a pet to your twosome, then along comes a baby and you need a house for the growing family. You have stepped into the world of a responsible man but many of you are not ready to be a responsible man. Many of you have married someone thinking they will make your life easier or they'll take care of you, but surprise! You are the one that is supposed to be responsible and support your wife and they are to fall under the umbrella of your care! That's a shockeroonie isn't it?! You are the one to shelter and support your wife not the other way around.
     When all of the truths of real life hit these couples that have not been taught or prepared in any way by parents or grandparents to meet them, they are overwhelmed, they blame each other and then start looking for the next person that can live up to their expectations and make their fantasy world come true. They are not going to face the fact that real life is not a fantasy and if they don't want to deal with the drudgery part of marriage then they need to stay single and just take care of themselves. I keep thinking that until a woman is willing to take care of herself, she is in no way prepared to take care of a spouse. And until a man is willing to accept responsibility for caring for his wife, he is not ready either.
     It always comes back to taking two to make marriage work, so consider before you marry and choose carefully. First choice, are you mature enough for marriage? Second choice, is your intended really someone that will go the extra mile with you?

Season For Harvest

     Unfortunately I'm a philosophical person (a person involved in the rational investigation of the nature and structure of reality), always have been, always will be~ so with the approaching season of Autumn I have been contemplating the pattern of seasons to many things~ days, years, lives~ sometimes philosophy can be depressing! 
     With that said consider this verse "So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom." ~ Psalm 90:12  ~~
     Which season are you in? Are you living wisely? Are you making use of  your season?  (I'm also a "question" person!)  Are you recognizing that life does not exist on Earth for us forever?  Use your time wisely a "little folding of the hands" and ruin comes upon you (Psalm 6:9-11)  Or are you planting, watering and reaping?  Just saying, be aware, man's days are short, use them wisely~

  Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.
  Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  
  Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
  Matthew 9:36-38

He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.
  Proverbs 10:5

~LK Mercer

Breadmaker Recipes

     We recently moved and I have had a hard time finding some of my recipes! In order to try to keep this from being a problem in the future I decided to put some of my recipes here! These are recipes that I have gathered over time, they are not my own creation and I am not even sure where they came from~  =}

Breadmaker Recipes

Honey Oatmeal Bread

1 c water                     1 t salt
3 T honey                   1 1/2 t yeast
2 1/2 flour                   1 1/2 T butter
1/2 c oats(instant)

Honey White

1 c milk               3/4 t ginger
2 T honey            3 T butter
3 c flour               1 1/2 yeast
3/4 t salt

Honey Wheat Bread

1 1/4 c water                         1 1/2 t salt
3 T honey                              1 t yeast
1 1/2 c flour                           1 1/2 T butter
1 1/2 c wholewheat flour

Farmhouse White

1 c milk                    3 c flour
1 egg                         1 1/2 T sugar
2 T butter                  1 1/2 t yeast
1/2 t salt                    opt-  2 T sesame seeds

Happy Birthday Big Guy!

 

 

Happy Birthday Big Guy!

Revere The Lord

This is from my study this morning, I think even when we revere the Lord, we're still a long ways from where we need to be~

 

 

The Newest Project

Hola!
     For the latest news now, Lane is preparing to start a YouTube Ministry!
     We are in the labor pains of it now, first is the twinkle in the eye of the first inspirations. Then the planning and preparing...now to the last pains and pushing to get it into the world~
     Because I am the behind the scenes person(in charge of motivation and publicity), I'm not even able to tell you exactly what Lane will speak about except it will be motivating, it will be what God puts in his heart, and knowing Lane, I am sure that you won't want to miss it!
     We had set a date for the beginning, but due to a few unforeseen hindrances we've had to reset the date. We'll post the date as soon as possible!

Hurt=Rejection=Self-Centered=Easily Offended (Part 1)

     I'm not looking forward to this blog entry, but it is still on my heart to write and share. God, Abba, my father has given me this assignment of study, understanding and writing to help me come to terms with my feelings of rejection, both real and imagined, so this is a cathartic writing. I have been feeling conviction that my "sensitive nature" or another way of saying it "easily offended" nature, needs to be dealt with! With the help of a man of God, and his ministry, that is willing to be instruments of God I have been shown the root problem is not so much my sensitive nature, but is  "hurt" that I've received. I have been hurt in life and I need to deal with it in order to not focus on my own feelings and needs. Properly healed I will be able to focus on others, their needs and not just my own feelings! I am looking forward to the new freedom and wholeness that will come with this healing!
     When I was born I had an issue with my eyes, they were crossed. I had not realized how much this was an issue to me in acceptance of myself until recently. Everyone has things about themselves that they want to change or don't like, but to have what we consider a "birth defect" is a whole different issue. If we have gained too much weight we can choose to lose it, but if we were born with something that is ours for a lifetime barring doctor intervention then it is a whole different level of self acceptance or self rejection.
     At the age of two I had several surgeries to "free" my eyes from over active muscles, to be able to see ahead, the surgery coupled with eyeglasses allowed me to almost see like other people do. Recently my mother told me that when I was a baby in her arms she was not even able to tell if I was looking at her or not. That is not just a little crossed, that is a major issue!
     I believe that even when we think that our "soul self" isn't aware of a problem, our "spirit self" is very aware. I'm sure there were many comments and a lot of conversations about my eyes and how wrong or unacceptable they were, both from family and friends to doctors and nurses. Now as an adult I don't remember all that I went through with doctor appointments, diagnostics, surgeries, hospital stays or words spoken by family and friends when I was two years old, but my spirit does.
     That is when self rejection started, from there comments, insults and emotional injuries just confirmed what my spirit had already come to believe. I had branded myself as a reject and many events in my life showed me what a reject I was. When starting with this type of life foundation of who I was, or how I perceived myself,  I found everything to say "you don't measure up", "you're not as good as everyone else", "you are different", "you are defective".
     What many people experience as a natural part of life's bumps and bruises was magnified through the lens of self rejection and the thick lenses of the glasses that I wore. A simple criticism from a parent or teacher was magnified in my spirit as rejection. Normal childhood conflicts emphasized to my spirit that I was an outsider, a reject from the other kids.
     Even though I was never called "four eyes" I applied this name to myself after hearing it used for people who wore glasses (that was the rejection spirit planting itself yet deeper!). The name "four eyes" is a small issue compared to all of the jokes or stigmas of people with crossed eyes. Even as an adult now, I see many people who refuse to simply wear glasses, they resist being seen as a person that has to have the dreaded "glasses"! Why do we let ourselves see glasses as acceptable or unacceptable? Why aren't they just what they are, an aid for a better life? There are much worse things in life than having to wear glasses, but our society is very vain and we focus a great deal on our appearances!
     (And let me say here that yes, I know there are different levels of things that people have to go through in their lives, some of those much, much worse than being born with "crossed-eyes", but I can only speak from my experiences and let others speak from theirs.)
     To go on with my writing and healing assignment, let me add that as all people experience in life there were people that I encountered that made me feel my shortcomings even more so. I could go through sharing many things and times that made deep scars on my spirit and added to the foundation of rejection that I had started my life with, but the main point of this writing is not to share all of the pain, but to see that sometimes when you think you are dealing with one issue you may just be dealing with the symptoms of the "issue".
     Yes, I never satisfied my parent's expectations,...yes, other children didn't accept a girl wearing glasses(and sadly even in adults this is an issue!), yes,..I developed scoliosis and had to wear a back brace(that really multiplied the rejection issue!),.. yes, I wasn't a straight A student,..yes, I was socially challenged(and still am for that matter!),...yes, I adopted a rebellious attitude towards life,... yes I became very strong willed and independent, and smilingly I have to admit that I have had a lot of things that God has been dealing with in my spirit.
     I smile because He is such a loving Father, and He has worked on each of my "issues" in a loving and patient way. His Holy Spirit has brought each item out of my "closet" and shown them to me in a loving way. He started with smaller things, working His way to the bigger more complex problems. I'm sure He will bring out more for me to face, but rejection is a big, big problem, not just for me, but for many. How many careless words have started a spirit of rejection in a small child or baby? Just a suggestion here, please be careful of your words, they can build up or tear down, purpose to only build up!

For this to be the cleansing, healing exercise that it is supposed to be, I want to say that even though I was born cross-eyed I was not an accident or mistake, I have been wonderfully and fearfully made. I am made in the image of my Father, Yahweh, by His very hands! Knit together in my mother's womb by Him!

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—You’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
You know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, You watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before You,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.

Psalm 139:14-15

The Message

  

      Even though there are many people that like to make fun of people that they deem to be physically less perfect than themselves, they are wrong! God is not a respecter of persons and I am just as loved and carefully molded as them or any model strutting her stuff down the fashion runway, and just as blessed as any financially well off person that gets in their high dollar car and goes for an unrestrained shopping trip through an exclusive shopping mall, or their personal jet to head for some exclusive five star resort! My Father is a King! I am His precious daughter of joy! And if you belong to Him you can claim this royal standing also! Not just for now, but through eternity! Do you know how long eternity is? It's way more than the 80 years or so that most people can expect to live on Earth! Accept God's view of you, not man's~

Faith And Obedience

From a devotional that I'm enjoying Seize the Day with Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I have come to understand this in a whole new way~ =}  (shared by Lorna)

"Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes." ~ The Cost of Discipleship

      God calls us to embrace His words and His ways. This is the first call to obedience. It also remains the last call, for the Christian life is nothing more or less than a continual response to God's Word and Spirit in faith and obedience. Faith is not simply accepting that the things that God has revealed are true, but it involves the challenge that we order the whole of our lives accordingly. Walking this journey will always involve risks and requires the beneficent grace of God.

Meditation

Christian belief leads to a relationship and intimacy with God, and this intimacy expresses itself in deeds of faith and acts of love.

Winter :-(

  I tend to struggle with winter..I thought this year that I was ready for it, I even psyched myself up for it! I got snow boots! I told myself that it would be cozy! It would be nice, I would hibernate!   I would stay in, study, crochet, write, bake, create… but psyching up has NOT worked! The cold temperatures feel like a personal attack! I just long to escape! There  are people that actually enjoy this stuff! cold temperatures, snow...but I have to ask WHY!?!  I really think I belong in a tropical paradise! Here' s a picture of Lane in the good ol' days....at the nice,sunny, warm beach!!  ps This is written by Lorna...Lane is '' okay'' with winter...

Revival!

Lord! Loving Father! Redeeming Brother! Comforting Counselor! You are the Great I Am, the Alpha and Omega, the Amazing Creator - You know all things from the beginning to the end (but there is no end!). You hold the universe in the palm of Your hand! and yet You are mindful of us...even to know the number of hairs on our heads!
      When we grasp the truth of this, how can we let any fear take root in our hearts?!
      You are our Shepherd, You protect us, guide us and provide for us. Over and over You have told us "Fear Not!".
      Lord, I know I previously lived my life in my own power, what a foolish thing! I did what "I" thought was right. I prayed and asked for direction but I have only recently learned how to listen to the answer. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit living in me being Your Communicator, Guide and Teacher to my spirit. I have been "saved" for a long time, but I didn't know Your power. I had not learned how to walk, live, breathe and rest in You. Even now I'm still learning to grasp the authority You have provided for us! "Us" as Your children, but also "Us" as Your body on Earth!
      Thank You Lord! You have provided all we need to walk in victory, please help us find our way to the path of victory, please remove the scales from our eyes! Remove our apathetic hearts! I hear Your call Lord and I ask that Your whole body wake up and "hear" it as well!
      If this election had gone to the candidate that I supported would people have backed off on their drive to bring our nation into Your will? ...Probably...Even now we have shown ourselves too weak to support a man that wanted to stand with Israel and to protect unborn babies! We need You Lord! We need the strength of Your Holy Spirit poured out upon our Nation! We need revival that can only be brought through an outpouring of Your Spirit! Lord we pray now, Let it be! Pour Your Spirit over our Nation, One Nation under You! In Jesus' powerful name and through His precious blood we pray, Amen!
-Lorna Mercer

Looking Forward by Looking Back

     It is amazing how fast time really is. Yes, I know it is about this time last year that it was this date. So, in that regard, time has not sped up nor slowed down. What I mean is, in looking back it is hard to believe a calendar year has come and gone.
     I think back to just a year ago I was finishing up the Christmas break and about to head back to a school of ministry in Kansas City, MO. Here I sit in central Wisconsin at our son's place - school no where on my mind nor even on the radar. In this past year we have traveled to different parts of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Wisconsin and a small bit into Illinois.

• We have lost a vehicle - gained one (lost as in not working and needing a new motor, so not likely to work!)
• We have had two offers to buy our house in Oklahoma - two offers withdrawn (one by us and one by them)
• We have been prayed for by different ones and have prayed for different ones
• We have been blessed financially and have been a blessing financially
• We have become more comfortable and excited with the leading of the Lord in our lives
• We have been to two professional sports games (one together and one each individually)
• We have gone to our first symphony, loved it and want to go again
• We have gone from having one job to having two jobs and then back to one
• We have seen prophetic words spoken over us and to us starting to take shape and happening
• One of them being a voice to the nations - being on radio that broadcast (at last count) to 24 nations and over 30 states in the USA
• Another one is becoming the hand that wields the sword - having a knowing when to leave the second job - which opened the door for the radio (one among many other examples)

     We started the year with a "chance" encounter with a datebook belonging to a Canadian and the sword was wielded to contact him about it - thus a journey with many links was created. Some highlights of the journey are:

• The Canadian man having a place to stay in Kansas City for a week, with us, resulting in us having a second vehicle for a few months while he was away to Africa on a mission trip
• The Canadian man becoming connected with a church in Kansas City where the pastor operates strongly in a deliverance and restorative ministry and thus this Canadian gaining more freedom and restoration
• The Canadian man, during a spiritual leadership forum (The Master's Word Shop) upon his return from Africa shares his experiences of what God was and is doing in Africa. During this time, a member of the audience was directed by the Lord to speak to the pastor from Kansas City that the Canadian had met and share that they want to personally finance bringing over a pastor from Africa that the Candian's testimony mentioned

  Only my King knows what else will come from that encounter with a datebook!

     I am quite sure I have left out many events, situations, circumstances, encounters, spoken words and so forth as I look back over 2012 - the goal here was not to list them all, it is to highlight that You, God are on the move in a mighty way! This is just a snapshot of You working in our lives - now take that and multiply that out to all of the followers of You, Jesus! Your word declares You are not a respecter of persons - if You do this with one, then it can and will be done for through all of Your children, thank You Lord!

     I am looking forward to what you have in store for us and Your body for 2013. I don't even pretend to know - looking back, how would I have ever put it together that You would do all of that through a lost and found datebook - even taking that out of the picture, what we have had happen and what we experienced, who could do that but you Lord - no one, that is who!

     I love You and I welcome You into my life, my family, my job, my finances, my housing, my transportation - everything and every area, come and have Your way, God! Come and have Your way, Jesus! Come and have Your way, Holy Spirit!

- Posted by Lane Mercer