Above All Else

     I've read that no two people see the same rainbow. That was really interesting to me at the time, but this morning it expanded in my thinking that no two people see the same "anything". First consider the rainbow, it is made of different little bits of moisture that reflects light. The light reflected is what we see and because no two people are standing in exactly the same place or are the same exact height we are not seeing the same exact reflection, it has changed from location to location, even if it's just a teeny tiny distance separating us.
     So when we are considering or "looking" at a situation and trying to understand someone else's point of view we are never able to completely comprehend. Our own consideration of situations will even change from moment to moment!
     This morning an example broke into my understanding that for me to try to see something from Lane's point of view is impossible! We may be physically standing at the same point of existence now, but we will never see things exactly the same and actually even our point of existence will never be the same. My life experiences change or "color" where I am now, not to mention my thinking process is so very different from his.
     Explaining feelings or ideas is a hopeless contrivance unless the person receiving them is able to attempt to receive. Even in their attempt to receive we need to be patient and understand that we are attempting something that is truly impossible and allow space for the differences.
     With all of this said it brings us back to our only hope, our only hope is not "understanding"  but of  love~

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

1 Corinthians 13:3-7

 (The Message)

 

     Yes, we do need to communicate, share, talk, strive to understand each other, but above all of this we have to stand, live and speak on a foundation of love~

 

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 (NASB)

 

~Lorna Mercer

Hated and Haters

**You may want to read the first few paragraphs at a fast pace, otherwise you may get bogged down in all of the weirdness! It is written somewhat "tongue in cheek"**


“The real reason people hate others is because it makes them feel better about themselves. If you can put down an entire group of people in your mind then it raises your own level of self esteem.”
      After a recent discussion about "hating" and "haters", I found this quote and if we lived in a world that was just physical and mental this statement would most likely resonate true. But we are “spirits” that live with physical bodies, therefore we need to realize that nothing is done just on a "physical" level.
     In the United States recently it has become popular to point fingers at people that have different standards than the ones we want to promote, and say they are "haters". We even have laws against "hate crimes". It is interesting that our leaders believe that making a law against something does away with the problem! However from what I see it only creates a group of people that claim the protection of being “hated” and another group that is the accused “hating” lawbreaker. Actually this does nothing to resolve the problem or to alleviate the emotions that are raised in these situations.
     It is interesting that people that aren't even involved in the "hated or hating" are quick to jump into the fray causing more “hatred” when all “hating” is supposed to be illegal?! Now we end up with 3 groups in a crime that is supposed to have been made illegal! We have “haters”, the “hated” and the new “haters” that “hate” the "original haters"!
      What a complicated mess! But add to that the group that is being accused of “hating” is a religious group that has been commanded to “love” and they have now become the second "hated" victim! What is interesting is that there are other religious groups, that are much less tolerant and do truly “hate”, than the selected new "hated" group in their views of the first "hated" victim, yet they are not even mentioned by the new second group of “haters”? There is a lot of “hate” happening, some true, some just by accusation, but do you think maybe there is an ulterior motive here? The plot thickens!
     Another interesting point is that even though in the masses of confused Americans I know many people in the first accused “hater” group that are accused of being the first suspected “haters”, yet I don't know of any people that have perpetrated the actual accused crime of "hating"! The fact that there isn't evidence of who really is “hating” and/or who they are “hating” seems to have little effect whether the accusation is true or not, but it is simply accepted as fact.
     Much to my surprise simply believing in my Savior, Jesus Christ and attempting to live my life in the manner that He has prescribed has put me in a class of "hated" and accused as a “hater”! I have now become part of a group that is "hated", because others that claim the same affiliation with my religious beliefs are accused of "hating". But wait, isn't “hating” illegal?! =)
     Recently I wrote about the parallel lives of spiritual and flesh, I see this portrayed in this whole previously described situation of “hating and hated” quite literally! Consider this on a spiritual level, we do have an enemy that walks about like a "roaring lion" seeking whom he may "devour". Our enemy loves to stir up hatred, to kill, steal and destroy, and in doing so he is able to throw hindrances in the Christian's walk(battle) by either causing us to be accused "haters" or the "hated" thus distracting us from our real battle. As he is able to distract us, or have us sidetracked from the spiritual battle, our real purpose of being Jesus to the world gets lost in the shuffle! (I have to smile here because our enemy has not yet learned through all of the years since the Garden of Eden, that God's people turn to God even more so when they are under attack and become even stronger as they are persecuted by the hatred of the world.)
     Christians are commanded to love their enemies, and yes, that is not always an easy thing to do (As a Christian, I can tell you that my spirit is in a continual battle to bring my flesh under the obedience of following my Savior’s instructions to love even an enemy! Sometimes it's even a challenge to love “loveable” people!), and because Christians are not yet completely evolved to the level that we are supposed to eventually reach, we as an unfinished group are "hated" and misunderstood.
      Let me encourage you, beloved, do not let yourself be caught in the group of “haters”! If there are fellow christians out there that "hate" anyone, I encourage you, examine your heart! Jesus has commanded "love your neighbor", this is not always easy to do, but Jesus also said to pick up your cross and follow Him(another challenge, but instruction for our lives, nonetheless). He doesn't just give easy assignments, He gives assignments that lead you in growing spiritually, and in your "spiritual" life. As you learn to bring your physical life captive to Him you have "life" and you begin to reflect His love and nature. That is what the world is looking for and needing to see!
     Consider there are many levels of Christians, just as children in elementary school are not expected to have the same knowledge, education and maturity as a high school student we can not expect all Christians to have the same level of spiritual walk either. Alas the world does not understand this(and neither do many Christians as they judge each other), to them there is no difference between one Christian and another. We need to reach out to our less mature believers and encourage them in the understanding and growth, for our own sake and for the sake of Jesus who they are supposed to learn to reflect. We need to strive on in our own growth, encourage our brothers and love the world, be a light to it!
     Beloved, do not be discouraged, Jesus' own words were “If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.” John 15:18-19 (HCSB) Even though He was hated by the world, He came because He loved and to be love, be the love that our Saviour would have us to be, let your light shine to the world that may not understand you and may even hate you. Remember we are to reflect Him.

~Lorna Mercer






**Interesting side note ~We are currently preparing to celebrate Jesus' birth. The time of year set aside to celebrate His entrance into the world as He did the most loving thing possible, He came to Earth to be born and then die for us, and now the world is busy trying to remove Him from the season and even change the wording from Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays to eliminate Him from the politically correct "non-hating" vocabulary of Americans, and He and His followers are still at the center of controversy over 2000 years after His death and Resurrection because some of His followers are accused of “hating”!Kind of boggles the mind, doesn't it?**  

The Winning Edge - Be The Best You Can Be!

     I had a dream/vision that I don't want to go into too deeply, but to share the substance of. I saw a battlefield in the aftermaths of a great battle, I was wearing armor myself so I knew I had been in the battle myself.  I saw one of the casualties and knew immediately who the person was and went to them. (This person had been someone in my life that had brought a lot of hurt to me and I was often in a position of needing to forgive them. Even though I had forgiven them, their actions and words had caused wounds and scars that I was still dealing with. However in the dream I only felt love and concern.)
     As I bent over them, I knew their wounds were fatal and I told them "don't speak" because I wanted them to live long enough to hear my assurances. Then I told them "I love you and I will see you in heaven". Then they were gone.
     (As I awoke from this dream I received a very valuable understanding. I was given a great deal of healing in this lesson and I've been able to apply it in my daily life and have felt pressure and leading from the Holy Spirit to share it here. Actually I had hesitated due to the personal nature of the dream, but the Spirit told me this morning that if I want to learn more I need to share what I have already received. Of course I want to learn more...so here goes!)
     I recognized the spiritual battle this person is living daily as they pour their life out in sacrifice for others - paying a higher price in their life service than mere man(including me!) can see with earthly eyes.
     In seeing this I have been able to let go of hurts they have brought, I was able to completely forgive them and lift them in prayer for strength, peace and comfort for the battle that they are living daily. I was given a new compassion for them through being able to see the condition of the battle they were striving through and the wounds their spirit was suffering! 
     I have seen that our life seems to run almost as if we are living parallel lives - physical and spiritual, at the same time and somehow God integrates it together for us. While we see the physical, the spirit is either busy growing or floundering, depending on our physical actions - do we study God's word? do we praise? do we pray? or do we go our own way pleasing ourselves?
     If we want to win the battle that our spirit is facing daily we have to take steps to give it the winning edge! We need to put on our armor, give our spirit good nourishment and train it! Would we send a soldier into battle wearing Tshirt, shorts and flip flops with a soda in hand, or do we want him geared in bulletproof armor and carrying powerful weapons?  Would we expect our soldier to be strong if we give him only junk food to survive on? We might be foolish enough to believe that would work, but it doesn't even require an expert to tell us that it won't work! Even an average mother/wife knows the family she cares for needs to be well fed and rested to perform at their best! How much more should we try to do for our spirits who are daily facing a battle against a "roaring lion" that is "looking to devour them"? Remember too that soldiers are more powerful in higher numbers, so take time for fellowship, not to mention that it is included as a directive from Jesus!
    
To "Recap":
     The First Lesson I learned from the dream/vision is to See to others,
     They are facing battles daily themselves that you don't see (some are even "life threatening" battles), when others cause offense or hurts to you, Forgive them! Support them in their struggles through prayers for their protection, strength, peace and health, after all their victories are your victories as their losses are ours also!(John 17:11) And, give the hurts and offenses to God (yes, repeatedly if you need to!), He will handle them for you if you give them to Him.
     The Second Lesson is to See to Yourself,  We are in a battle daily!
     So Daily :

•      Put on Your armor
•      Feed your spirit healthily and nutritiously(Study the Word)
•      Keep your heart, ears and eyes always on your Commander(Prayer)
•      Praise and Worship Him!
•      Fellowship (maybe not daily, but at least weekly) (encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on Hebrews 10:25) Remember the larger the army the better the chance for victory, if one falls down the other can pick him up!

Ok Team! Let's go out and win each day's battle for our Lord and Saviour!

~Lorna Mercer

Today's Woman, Proverbs 31 Woman (Description of a Worthy Woman

     Well, I just set one of my handmaidens to work making bread for supper. I know you're wondering who I am and how I can have a handmaiden in these days and times, and maybe even what country I live in, right?! Well, every time I set my breadmaker working I think of it as my handmaiden taking care of bread for my household, you know like the Proverbs 31 woman that sets her handmaidens to work.
     I've heard women complain about the comparison of the Proverbs 31 woman to our lives and demands and they say "Sure, if I had handmaidens I could get a lot done too!". But ladies, we do have handmaidens. As I already mentioned we have breadmakers, add to that dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, crockpots, microwaves, timed coffee pots! Every gadget to make your life easier is available! Even electricity and running water are luxuries that the Proverbs 31 woman didn't have available! Not to mention hot running water, and toilets?! Shew! I bet she would have loved to have flushable toilets!
     So when we think it would be impossible to be like the woman in Proverbs 31 don't fall for that lie! We can be like that woman or God wouldn't of put it in scripture. Be encouraged, maybe it's just a change of priorities that needs to be made? Are you perhaps spending your time and energy in ways that really isn't beneficial?
     This is a wandering thought and not meant in any way to criticize my mother because I think she is as close to the Proverbs 31 woman as any that I have know, her and my early care babysitter! I know I grew up with 2 sisters, so my mother had 3 helpers available to train and put to work in the things our family needed taken care of, but as I said my mother was a very busy woman. Before all of the convenience foods available now my mother was a working woman, with 4 children that she kept well fed, clean and in bed on time! My father was a very real support in our family, but he was always busy outside with "men's work" like cutting firewood, hauling hay, building fences, handling cattle(branding, immunizing, culling, checking to make sure they were still there!) and of course there was hunting and fishing!
     Anyway, between my mother's 40 hour a week job, and cooking, cleaning, gardening, sewing, canning and mothering, she didn't have a lot of time left over for teaching and training. Often it was easier to send her daughters to play or go outside or whatever would help to get them out from "under foot".  It might have behooved her to train her daughters to do some of the chores that demanded so much of her time and energy? While it might seem like it's doing the children a favor to let them go play while you take care of the chores is not necessarily true. The children will not learn the responsibility of the things that keep life running on a level balance and it will stress you more trying to do the things that they could handle. If you have a family that doesn't have outdoor "men's work" like cutting wood, hauling hay...etc you may even consider that your sons will need to know how to care for themselves also! (I hope you heard the facetious tone in that sentence, of course sons should be helping!)
     These are just some thoughts I've had about the Proverbs 31 woman and some of the excuses that women today can't possibly live up to that! I am going to make it a point to read these scriptures daily for awhile(maybe a month?) and see what things I can start incorporating into my life instead of wasting so much time on things that are of no value.

Proverbs 31:10-31

Description of a Worthy Woman

¹⁰ An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
¹² She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
¹³ She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
¹⁴ She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
¹⁵ She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
¹⁸ She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
²⁰ She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
²¹ She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
²⁵ Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
²⁶ She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
²⁷ She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
²⁹ “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
³¹ Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

Claim Your Heritage!

Are you a believer?
     We are children of the King....we aren't orphans, and we're not castoffs.We are God's children! He is living in us! and we are seated with Jesus at God's right hand~ in heaven even now! The enemy does his best to keep us ignorant of who we are. Wake up and claim your heritage!

Colossians 3:1-4
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

~L K Mercer~

Praise

Lord, I used to try to find You and prayed for a word from You. Now every time I open Your word there You are! Your word opens and expands to me in such an amazing panorama!
     This morning to start my time with You I read in the Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts devotional. I thank You, Lord for the blessings that those writings are in my life.
     Today I read about praise and how when we praise You that Your power is opened into our life and we will walk in Your power and glory. That we will bring Your love and joy to the people we meet daily! Lord I want to be the blessing that You intend for me to be to a hurting world and an encouragement to those who are bowed under the weights of their lives.
     Even as I was reading in the devotional You stirred my mind to the verses that You inhabit the praise of Your people!
Psalm 22:3 ~  You sit as the Holy One. The praises of Israel are your throne.

With this being stirred in my spirit the next step was that I always want to be praising You!

Psalm 34~
 I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
² My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
³ O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

⁴ I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
⁶ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

⁸ O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
⁹ O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
¹⁰ The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.
¹¹ Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
¹² Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?
¹³ Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
¹⁴ Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.
¹⁶ The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷ The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
²⁰ He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
²¹ Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
²² The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. 

 

Thank You Lord! I praise You, I love You and I will follow You always!

~L K Mercer~

Memories

     My mother is 85 years young, and she has some health issues but she still sounded peppy when I talked to her this morning on the telephone. While we were talking we touched on the subject of memories and how music can stir them. We touch memories very lightly and briefly so we don't both end up in a puddle of tears.
      I was sharing with my mother that it is surprising how a song out can stir memories that can not be avoided!
     She agreed and shared that just recently she heard another resident in her elderly housing situation singing, it was a man in another room and he started singing "You are my sunshine....my only sunshine..." as she heard the words she said she could see my father standing in front of her singing. They used to sing that song to each other and hearing the song instantly brought those memories back. This is such a sweet memory and I enjoyed hearing about it, so I'm sharing it here with you.

~L K Mercer~