Today I asked my daughter what she would like to do on a special outing she and I are planning in a few weeks. She told me that she’d like to go out to lunch with her Nana, get her hair cut and have her pictures taken
… at Wal-mart.
The kids are in the other room, playing a game with Daddy. A moment ago, I heard the following conversation:
Daddy to Bunchkin: “Who are you being?”
Bunchkin: “I’m Mary!”
Daddy to Bundle: “And who are you?”
Bundle: “I’m Senora!”
Daddy to Bitty: “And who are you?”
Bitty: “I’m the light of the world!!!”
Posted in Daybook, Humor, Parenting, Raising Godly Children | 1 Comment »
Outside my window… (and down the road a bit)….
The fair came into town not long ago, and the kids had a blast! Here are a few of my favorite pictures:
They must have gone down this slide 60 times over the course of the night… I couldn’t believe their legs didn’t give out on them!
This is the “big boat” ride that made us all sick (and scared the kids!) last year. I tried to talk them out of riding it this year, but they were convinced they could handle it. I think they were mistaken. Check out these faces!
If that’s not a face filled with regret, I don’t know what is! When she got off the ride, she said to me “Mommy, I am NOT riding that next year!” I seem to remember hearing a similar statement last year. We’ll see.
Between the kids allowance money, and the money Daddy pitched in when they ran out, we spent over $50 at the bunny booth where the kids had to throw a ping pong ball into one of the very shallow clear bowls (if they threw one into a blue bowl, they’d just win a stuffed bunny) that were circling around in a pool of water. Needless to say, the chances weren’t in their favor (which was just fine with Daddy.) It would have been cheaper to have just bought a bunny there (they had them for sale, as well) but, in my husband’s words: “we spent fifty dollars trying NOT to win a bunny!”
Unfortunately for him, it didn’t quite work out that way…
I’d easily give another $50 to have caught a picture of my daughters face when, at the VERY end of the night, RIGHT before the fair closed, she finally won her bunny. Words just can’t express the look on her face. She was so excited her whole body was shaking! On a side note, can you believe we have yet ANOTHER animal in this house?! My poor, poor husband!
I am thankful… that our new pet took to litter-box training quickly and easily… notwithstanding the times she’s peed on me while we were supposed to be cuddling on the couch. 
From the kitchen… This week we’re celebrating the feast of tabernacles (Lev 23:34, Deu 16:13, Zec 14:16-19, Joh 7:2) so we’ll be eating a lot of nutritious outdoor foods like hot dogs and marshmallows.
A few plans for the rest of the week… Sleeping in tents, campfires, visits with friends and family.
Related Posts:
Daybook entries from other “Simple Women“
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Posted in Daybook, Photography | 10 Comments »
I just want to apologize to those who visit here each day (or every few days) and haven’t seen anything new in a while, and to those whose blogs I normally follow who haven’t heard from me in weeks. I’ve been tired a lot and I feel mentally exhausted. I keep trying to catch up on my blog reading, but I’m spending most of my spare moments lately in bed! And although I have lots of things I want to write about, when I sit down to try I have a hard time putting my thoughts together. Some of that is because of how busy I’ve been lately, and a lot of it is pregnancy. It always seems that my brain functions on about half it’s normal level when I’m pregnant. But I’ll try to write a few lines here every week or so, even if they’re not of any great theological importance, just to let you know I’m still around and hopefully as things progress past the first trimester my mind will start to clear up a bit. I appreciate those of you who visit and post comments and I’m thankful for your friendship.
Posted in Daybook | 7 Comments »
I know that I can be a little scatterbrained on occasion. I know that I don’t have the best memory in the world. But of all the embarrassing, humiliating situations my absent-mindedness has ever gotten me into, I can’t think of anything that tops this:
I drove two hours away from home yesterday to do a photo shoot with a complete stranger on the wrong day.
Seriously. Seriously?! WHO DOES THAT???
I showed up on my clients doorstep without a care in the world, greeted her with an enthusiastic “Hi! You look just like your pictures!” and waited for her to smile and say “come on in!” Instead, I was greeted with a puzzled expression and the question: “are you Rina?” Um… yes? Who else were you expecting? As it turns out, she wasn’t expecting ANYBODY because I wasn’t supposed to get there until TODAY.
Really a shining moment in my career.
My would-be client was SO INCREDIBLY nice about it all, though. She decided to put away any plans she might have had for that afternoon and drove me around to all the locations that she wanted to photograph and we had such a nice time. She even took me to dinner afterward! And if I was ever nervous about the shoot before (I always tend to get a little nervous before-hand) I can honestly say that I’m not the least bit nervous anymore. We’re old friends by now!
But can someone PLEASE tell me that they’ve done something equally embarrassing? Please?!
Misery (or in this case, mortification) really loves company.
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No doubt some parents believe they aren’t good teachers because some outsider has already told them, “You aren’t qualified.” This objection finds a foothold only because we yet hold on to the world’s goals. What are we aiming for? When someone says, “You’re not qualified,” ask him or her this “Not qualified for what?” There are, after all, many things I’m not qualified to do….I am, however, equipped to raise servants of the King. I know that because the King keeps giving me servants to raise. What does it take to raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? The Bible, and the Holy Spirit to illumine the Bible. I have a Bible. I have several, in fact. And the Bible tells me that it equips me for every good work. It is a good work to raise my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Therefore, it equips me to raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord….
When you Rise Up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling – R.C. Sproul Jr.
Posted in Homeschooling, Parenting, Thursday's Thought | 4 Comments »
Outside my window... The kids decided to plant pumpkins this year and we put about eight vines in the ground last week. We were careful to fence them off, to keep the chickens away, but unfortunately the fence did nothing to keep our Clifford dog out. Did you know that pumpkins are irresistible to certain members of the Great Pyrenees family? Particularly those members who are already facing the threat of re-homing due to their penchant for eating eggs from the coop and digging through the trash. 
Here our some pictures from our pumpkin planting day. I haven’t taken any recent pictures of the three pumpkins that still remain. It’s just too depressing.
This is our guard-owl, who keeps the chickens safe from hawks.
Unfortunately, he does nothing to protect pumpkins from marauding dogs.
I am thankful … That God has decided to place another precious child into our care. I’m thankful that our children are so excited about the new baby, and I’m thankful to be back in touch with an old friend.
From the learning rooms… We’re going to be getting our first curriculum soon! Up until now, we’ve been making up our own but we’ve decided to go with Our Fathers World for this year. I’m really excited about that.
From the kitchen… I think this lead-in is meant to assume that us “simple women” know something about cooking and are always whipping up something delicious in the kitchen. Well, I just learned how to bake squash, yall. I’ve cooked it in a skillet and I’ve steamed it, but I’d never baked it before. As it turns out, baked squash is delicious and the only kind of squash my children will eat. I’m glad I have friends who can cook and share all these marvelous little secrets like: Squash can be baked.
I am reading… The Shack, by William Young. I’d heard so much about it that I finally decided to read it for myself and have been completely disappointed. I won’t go into the theology behind the book – everyone has an opinion and I don’t feel the need to add mine, but what I was surprised by is how irritating and incredibly tedious I’ve found it. It’s taken me forever to get through this book. I find myself doing just about anything – even laundry! – just to have an excuse not to sit down and read it. I keep slugging through it, figuring it HAS to get better at some point, but now I’m at the last few pages and I doubt I’ll even finish it. If you want a GOOD book to read that is similar, I would suggest The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis, or The Screwtape Letters. Much, MUCH better books.
Here is picture I am sharing…
Long overdue, here is a picture of our two remaining kittens. I’m sorry to say that the others didn’t make it.
Kitten 1 aka: “the play kitty”
Kitten 2 with her mother. Aka: “the big eye kitty” and “momma cat” (my kids aren’t very original with names)
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Have a great week, everyone!
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Posted in Daybook | 11 Comments »
Our oldest daughter has an announcement to make:
“Pretty soon, when we go eat Chinese and they ask us how many children we have, we’re gonna say six instead of five!”
Posted in Daybook, Humor, Parenting, Victory Journal | 14 Comments »
I found this quote on a wonderful blog I like to visit, and it just leapt off the page at me. As you know if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, works based righteousness is something I often struggle with. When things go wrong, or when something bad happens, I often begin to wonder what I did to cause it. Baucham’s words on this are truly inspiring…
“Every last one of us has a natural propensity toward works righteousness. All of us desire to save ourselves. We love Jesus, and we’re grateful to Jesus for dying on the cross for us… and that was real cool… thank you, Jesus. However, what we really want to do is; we want to find some things that the bible tells us to do and we want to do it either out of fear or pride. If it’s out of fear, we’re going: “see God, I did this… did you see that? I really hope it’s good enough for you… I really do.” That’s the kind of person where every negative thing in life that happens to you, you’re sure it’s because you weren’t good enough. Let me just put a footnote here… something goes wrong in your life and you immediately start going and looking for what you did wrong to deserve it? Here’s the problem with that kind of thinking: that means that you actually think that you were worthy of the goodness that you received before. Help you if you think that! So if it’s not out of fear then it’s out of pride, and here’s the pride part: pride says: “I went to the bible, I found what I needed to do, and I did it.” So you can come into heaven, walk through the gates and say “I am pleased that Christ died on the cross for me. Here are the works that I have added to make His sacrifice sufficient.”
- Voddie Baucham, Gospel Healing for Hurting Marriages
To read more wonderful quotes from this message, click Here.
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I love apologetics. I love to argue “the case for God.” But sometimes, there are questions that I don’t have the answers to. There have been times in my life when my intellect wants to run one way, and my faith another and I simply can’t reconcile the two. There have been times when my experiences force me to choose between that which I understand to be true, and that which I believe to be true. There are times when faith must become an act of the will, rather than an understanding of the intellect.
A story is related about Billy Graham which took place just before the breakthrough crusade in Los Angeles that catapulted him into a national ministry. At that time, Graham was on the brink of a faith crisis. A good friend of his had recently left the faith and was trying to turn Billy away as well. The name of the friend was Charles Templeton, a former pulpit partner and close friend of Graham, whom many had thought would some day eclipse Graham as an evangelist. Doubts had chipped away at his faith, however, and questions about God had hardened him into a bitter opponent of Christianity. And so Billy found himself wrestling with doubt. His friend’s arguments were chipping away at his own belief in the Bible, and Graham knew that if he couldn’t trust the Bible, then he couldn’t go on. He searched the scriptures for answers, praying and meditating and trying to understand. Finally one night, during a heavy-hearted walk in the SanBernardino Mountains, everything came to a climax:
Gripping a Bible, Graham dropped to his knees and confessed that he couldn’t answer some of the philosophical and psychological questions that Templeton and others were raising. “I was trying to be on the level with God, but something remained unspoken,” he wrote. “At last the Holy Spirit freed me to say it: ‘Father, I am going to accept this as thy word — by faith! I’m going to allow faith to go beyond my intellectual questions and doubts, and I will believe this to be Your inspired Word.’” Rising from his knees, tears in his eyes, Graham said he sensed the power of God as he hadn’t felt it for months. “Not all my questions were answered, but a major bridge had been crossed,” he said. “In my heart and mind I knew a spiritual battle in my soul had been fought and won” (1).
Graham went on to become the most persuasive and effective evangelist of modern times.
The story doesn’t end there, however. For while one man would go on to become one of the most admired men in the world, bringing millions to a saving faith in Christ, the other would spend a lifetime writing books and preaching sermons that systematically attacked the existence of God and the Christian faith. Charles Templeton became “the Apostle to the Agnostics.”
Toward the end of his life, Templeton was interviewed by apologist Lee Strobel, who asked him his opinion of Jesus. In the book The Case for Christ, Strobel recounts Templeton’s response:
“Everything good I know, everything decent I know, everything pure I know, I learned from Jesus,” [Templeton said] … “He cared for the oppressed and exploited. There’s no question that he had the highest moral standard, the least duplicity, the greatest compassion of any human being in history. There have been many other wonderful people. But Jesus is Jesus… in my view he is the most important human being who ever existed.”
Abruptly, Templeton cut short his thoughts. There was a brief pause, almost as if he was uncertain whether he should continue.
“Uh… but… no,” he said slowly. “he’s the most…” He stopped, and then started again. “In my view,” he declared, “he is the most important human being who has ever existed.”
That’s when Templeton uttered the words I never expected to hear from him. “And if I may put it this way,” he said as his voice began to crack, “I… miss… him!”
With that, tears flooded his eyes. He turned his head and looked downward, raising his left hand to shield his face from me. His shoulders bobbed as he wept (2).
Charles Templeton died a short time later.
Sometimes we don’t have all the answers. Sometimes we must choose to walk by faith in that which we do not understand. But it is my belief that no amount of intellectual surety can give us the kind of peace and joy as a life lived willfully and purposefully in the tension of not knowing all the answers – and choosing to believe, regardless.
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1.) Strobel, Lee; The Case for Faith; Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2000; pg 9
2.) Ibid, pg 18
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Posted in Faith, Healing, Holiness | Tagged Billy Graham, Charles Templeton, Doubts about God, Faith, the Apostle to the Agnostics | 1 Comment »
Recently, a reader wrote to ask for more information on fasting. There is SO much that can be said about fasting, entire books have been written on this subject. Here is a brief overview, written by my husband, on this subject and how it effects the life of a Christian:
“I will not sacrifice anything to the Lord that cost me nothing.” 1 Sam 24:24
The Biblical sacrificial system demanded that only the best animals were to be sacrificed. It was designed to cost the worshipper, set up to put the worshipper in a position of dependency upon God. When one considers a fast, it should be done prayerfully and it should cost the worshipper. Sacrifice demands faith and faith is the currency that releases the Kingdom.
“The Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.” (Luke 4:14)
If sin is the willful taking of that which is unlawful; then fasting is the willful sacrifice of that which is lawful. Jesus learned obedience by willfully sacrificing that which was lawful when He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, the beginning of His 40 day fast. The Bible says that Jesus was filled with the Spirit when He went into the wilderness, but something happened upon His return. “He returned in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). The willful sacrifice of fasting, led to an increase in “power.” Jesus illustrates this point with the disciples.
“Assuredly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “move from here, to there” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.’” (Matthew 17:19-21)
The willful sacrifice of fasting (obedience and sacrifice), leads to a faith that can move mountains. “Faith needs fasting for it’s full growth … In nothing is man more closely connected with the world of sense than in his need for, and enjoyment of, food. It was the fruit with which man was tempted and fell in Paradise. It was with bread that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. But He triumphed in fasting … The first thought suggested by Jesus’ words in regard to fasting and prayer is that only in a life of moderation and self-denial will there be sufficient heart and strength to pray much … Without such voluntary separation, even from what is lawful, no one will attain power in prayer. Such power comes only through fasting and prayer” (1).
“Blessed are those who hunger … for they shall be filled” (Mat 5:6).
There is a certain humility that comes with hunger. It’s a good thing to know what it means to be hungry. “Hunger is a mighty good thing. It’s the greatest persuader I know if. It’s a marvelous mover. I wish we all had it spiritually. I wish to God we were desperately hungry. Wouldn’t it be glorious? Somebody would get filled before this meeting was over” (2). The hungry get fed. The exercise of fasting is birthed from a spiritual hunger for more of God and His world. It is a sacrifice of lawful things, a physical hunger. This hunger impacts the soul with desperation for feeding. Heidi Baker, a missionary in Africa, speaks of the power of the desperation of hunger: “The people there are so hungry that when it comes time to eat, they literally stomp on each other. They are so desperate that they push and shove each other out of the way in order to get to the food first. It does not sound nice, I know, but the ones who scream the loudest and push the hardest get fed first. The ones who press in always get the bread. I have witnessed this happen time and again, so I asked God, ‘what is this, God?’ He said: ‘the ones who are hungry get fed. The ones who are thirsty get to drink. It is as simple as that’” (3). When we get desperate for an increase of God, and that desperation leads to sacrifice and we will not be disappointed in God’s response. We will be filled.
1.) Murray, Andrew, With Christ in the School of Prayer; Whitaker House, New Kensington, PA; 1981; pp 100-103
2.) Liardon, Roberts, John G. Lake, The Complete Collection of His Life Teachings; Albury Publishing; Tulsa, OK; 1999; p 452
3.) Baker, Roland and Heidi, Expecting Miracles; Chosen Books; Grand Rapids, MI; 2007; p 48
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Posted in Consecration, Faith, Fasting, Holiness, Prayer | Tagged Andrew Murray, Fasting, John G. Lake | 4 Comments »
As I go through the first stages of my “career” as a photographer, I am navigating through some difficult choices and being forced to make some difficult decisions. Photographers are often put in the unique situation of creating artwork that is based, not on the artist’s vision, but that of the subject. It’s a difficult path to tread and I’ve made some mistakes. I’m certain they wont be my last.
Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that I am a Christian. You know that I keep the Old Testament Commandments. What you may not know is that I have what many might say is an “extreme” practice of modest in my own personal life. I wear head coverings. I don’t wear pants. I keep the hem of my skirts below the ankle, and the sleeves of my shirts below the elbow. These are practices I have adopted in my own life, something I have felt led to do.
Why am I mentioning this? Because, as I said before, photography is an art form where the artist is not creating work according to his/her own vision, but that of the client. Family photographs are much different than wedding photographs, which are much different than “glamour shots.”
Lately, I am asking myself the question: How do I adopt the vision of my client without compromising my own convictions? I’m not saying that I shouldn’t photograph a woman in a tee-shirt and jeans, but could I shoot an ad for Victoria’s Secret? Obviously not.
As a dear friend wrote to me: “Photographers have a lot of power to direct the eyes and the mind. I think fundamentally, that we shouldn’t distribute pictures we wouldn’t hang up in our own home for our husbands and sons to see. A Christian shouldn’t distribute images that encourage men to lust.”
I apologize to all of you who have seen pictures of this type in my portfolio. I apologize for putting them out there for your husbands and sons to see. Above all, I apologize to my clients. *I* am the one who had responsibility for setting up the shots. *I* am the one who posed them in ways which were not wholesome. I have no excuse and I’m truly sorry to those of you who have been effected by my transgressions.
As I navigate this new territory, please forgive me if I make mistakes. Please forgive me if you look (or have looked) at my portfolio and have seen something inappropriate (and if this happens again in the future, I would appreciate you bringing your thoughts to me.) I will be praying as I muddle through this new experience and ask that your prayers be with me, too.
Posted in Photography | 5 Comments »
The kids have been picking flowers they think are pretty from the yard. For those of you who know my children…
Three guesses as to whom the mushrooms are from.
Posted in Humor, Parenting | 4 Comments »
Yesterday, our refrigerator started leaking water. My first reaction was to worry about it, because we don’t have the money right this moment to replace it. But then I remembered the lesson I recently learned, took the situation to God in prayer, and determined to trust Him in the matter. Last night, a friend of ours told us he could probably fix it. A few hours later, another friend told us he had a used one sitting in his garage. I stand in awe!
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Posted in Victory Journal | 3 Comments »
God has been teaching me something…
If Satan can keep me irritated at someone, he can keep me from effectively praying for them.
Sometimes the things that frustrate us the most are the very areas in which God is calling us to intercede.
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I believe God does, can and WILL heal. Would those of you who also believe this, join me in prayer for the life of this little girl?
Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Outside my window…
I’m happy to say that our dog has NOT killed any chickens, which was my main concern when we got her. Thankfully, as you can see, they get along just fine and have worked out a comfortable arrangement between themselves… the dog provides the chickens with fresh kibble, and the chickens provide the dog with fresh eggs.
I am thinking… Of the amazing post I read last night, and my resolve to be a better mother.
I am thankful for… people like Mrs. Parunak and so many others who inspire me in so many ways. For the way God is helping my brother through some hard times. For my husband who continues to support me in everything I do. For my step mom who has prayed me through every photo shoot, and been my “agent” in so many ways. For my mother-in-law, for always being there for me. For our friend Alan, who has been with us through everything, offering Godly council, support, and encouragement every step of the way. And for so many other friends and family members, too numerous to name!
From the kitchen… About a month ago, I made a resolution. Often times, toward the end of the day, I would be tired and not feel like cleaning. So I would leave a sink full of dirty dishes and toys in the living room floor (and other messes that I’m not going to talk about) for the morning, and the mess would be waiting for me first thing when I woke up. I’m not a morning person, and waking up to a messy house just made it that much worse. So, having heard before that it takes 15 days to start a new habit, I resolved, for one month, to keep the kitchen and living room clean at all times. Well, I have to tell you, it’s been amazing!!! I don’t feel overwhelmed first thing in the morning, I don’t worry about company coming over unexpectedly anymore, and I can actually FIND things in the house again! At this point, it truly has become a habit, and I can’t imagine NOT cleaning things up before bed any longer. I thought I would share this because I’m sure there are other messy moms out there like me, and this has really been helpful for me. I didn’t overwhelm myself with some new commitment, in fact, for the first few weeks the back of the house (bedrooms, bathroom, hallway) was a major disaster, all of the time. I was committed only to keeping the kitchen and living room clean. That, of course, has been seeping into other areas and the entire house has been much nicer to live in. My next step is to make a new resolution: bathrooms and hallway must be picked up each night as well as kitchen and living room. Baby steps, ‘yall. Baby steps.
I am hearing… the laughter of my 1 year old, who is throwing cherrios at his sister. I try not to sweat the small stuff.
Around the house… The dishes are done and the living room is clean! 
One of my favorite things… when the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning is a huge grin on my baby’s face. That’s the BEST.
A few plans for the rest of the week… Nothing much, finishing up on some more pictures, and hoping to have another photo shoot next week – my first maternity shoot!
Here is picture thought I am sharing…
The girls love to rock the baby to sleep, and sometimes they put him down in funny places. The other night, they made his bed in an empty laundry basket:
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Posted in Daybook | 6 Comments »
My husband and I have been praying for revival in our state, along with other close friends. He recently wrote this to send in an email to those who are praying with us, and I thought I would share it here:
I have been impressed by God to continue in prayer and fasting for revival. A recent study I have done of past revival demonstrates that great moves of God have been birthed through prayer.
The Welsh revival in the early 1900’s was birthed out of prayer and intercession. Evan Roberts was the individual whom God used to bring about this movement. “Evan gave himself to frequent prayer and intercession” (1). His early meetings were characterized by prayer and intercession. Those meetings are described as follows: “strong moves of intercession flooded the room during each service and many times the services would go past midnight. Once, Evan prayed all night with a congregation and didn’t return home until the next morning. This small group of intercessors led by the young evangelist transformed the entire community. Some meetings lasted until 4am with crowds gathered outside for 6am prayer” (2).
Similarly, the Azusa street revival was birthed out of prayer. The revival was led by William Seymour, but Frank Bartlemann and others birthed it through prayer and intercession. He writes: “the Spirit is breathing prayer through us for a mighty, general outpouring. Great things are coming. We are asking largely that our joy may be full. God is moving. We are praying for the churches and the pastors. The Lord will visit those willing to yield to Him” (3).
The Red River revival was likewise birthed through prayer and fasting. Three years before the revival broke out, James MacGready, (the pastor of the Red River congregation), enlisted the help of interceding Christians who would sign a covenant of prayer. Once they agreed, they covenanted to pray every Saturday evening and Sunday morning for revival in Logan county. Additionally, they agreed to spend the third Saturday of the month fasting for revival. Things in Logan County didn’t improve immediately, actually they got worse, but MacGready encouraged them to continue in prayer. He wrote on the covenantal agreement: “when we consider the Word and the promises of a compassionate God to the poor lost family of Adam, we find the strongest encouragement for Christians to pray in faith — to ask in the name of Jesus for the conversion of their fellow men … with these promises before us, we feel encouraged to unite our supplications to a prayer hearing God, for the outpouring of His Spirit, that His people may be quickened and comforted, and that our children, and sinners generally, may be converted” (4).
Hence, let us continue steadfast in prayer that God will open the spiritual door at Red River. Let us pray for a revival in our state that will shake the nation, and eventually the world, standing on the promise of God which says: “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession” (Psalm 2:8).
1.) Liardon, Roberts; God’s Generals; Whittaker House, New Kinsington, PA; 1996 (pg. 81)
2.) Ibid, pg 85
3.) Bartlemann, Frank; Azusa Street; Whittaker House, New Kinsington, PA, 1982; (pg 9, 14,15)
4.) Marshall, Peter; Manuel, David; From Sea to Shining Sea; Revell Company, Old Tappan, NJ, 1986; (p 60-61)
Posted in Holiness, Prayer, Revival | Tagged Azusa Street, Prayer and Revival, Red River Revival, Welsh Revival | 8 Comments »
“The very act of praise releases the power of God into a set of circumstances and enables God to change them if that is His design. Very often it is our attitudes that hinder the solution of a problem…
… I have come to believe that the prayer of praise is the highest form of communion with God, and one that always releases a great deal of power into our lives. Praising Him is not something we do because we feel good; rather it is an act of obedience. Often the prayer of praise is done in sheer teeth-gritting willpower; yet when we persist in it, somehow the power of God is released into us and into the situation.”
Merlin Carothers, From Prison to Praise
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Posted in Anxiety, Thankfulness, Thursday's Thought | Tagged in everything give thanks, merlin carothers, praising God | 5 Comments »
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