Psalms Devo...

Been working on a Psalms devotional guide/book. In December, God seemed to be prompting me to rework it and look at some publishing possibilities. I have always loved writing and dreamed of writing books one day. Feel like that may happen at some point...who knows. Chris Roe (our partner in ministry) and I have talked about putting resources in people's hands...like podcasts and written materials. We feel called to fuel this movement called Encounter. It is not based on a personality or organization. It is fluid and much more driven by dependency on the Spirit. As this movement spreads, we want to resource people and empower them to multiply the efforts.

So, here is a sample of the Psalm stuff. it is basically a way to look at the psalms in a personal, devotional way. Gives a few "nuggets" to take through your day...

Psalm 23

1The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters,
3He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness For his name's sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and love will follow me All the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
(NIV)

Valley Moments
“Even though I walk through the valley…”

They come at the oddest times of the day. What seems to be an ordinary moment at work or at home can be quickly transformed into a valley moment. It creeps up on you like a snake in the grass. The hum-drum of a day gets turned upside down. Maybe it is a phone call or a letter. It could show up in a personality or human quirk. Maybe the boss or a co-worker. An ordinary word or a normal look takes on the flesh of a valley moment. Valley moments will not be found on your day-timer or to-do list for the day. They arrive without permission. They typically use the back door instead of the front. They are not announced guests but forced visitors. They are valley moments.

Basically, these valley moments bombard us with feelings of loneliness, isolation, hurt, and guilt. They force our paths into the valley where we taste of death and evil. Take courage, though, because there is a Great Shepherd present in these valley moments. Walk close to Him and He will lead you to pastures of protection. He will guide you to refreshing waters of grace. He restores bones that have been broken from smashing words and cutting personalities. He clears the path of righteousness and makes a way for you to walk with integrity. He is the Good Shepherd.

Today, though they come unexpectantly, embrace the valley moments. More importantly, embrace the Good Shepherd.

this is my resolve...

so, it's been a while since i did the blog thing. we have had a challenging january. the enemy has been turning up the heat in the hemphill home. we all had a stomach bug that lasted almost 2 weeks. brennan got bronchitis this week. caleb is coughing this week. the last month has been non-stop sickness.

now, i don't believe that every sickness is necessarily an attack. sometimes, it is just a reality to walking in these human bodies and being broken. most of my life, though...that was all that i ever believed. i rarely, if ever, traced the enemy's hand to any sickness. well, when you look at this month and the hearts that we are fighting for...it does add up. it has satan's handwriting allover it.

this weekend, we have a living room encounter with 3 couples. the same encounter was planned for last fall...and the week prior, sickness hit. the encounter was moved to january. so, here we are in january and what hits again...sickness. now, i am no rocket scientist here...but CONNECT THE DOTS with me.

we do have an enemy and he is a sorry, defeated &*%^$#!*& . he hates this movement of bringing freedom and healing to people and marriages. he hates it.

this week, though, i hit a point of resolve. he had been wearing us down for the last 3 weeks. and i had enough. last night, i said "satan, maybe i need to be more clear with you. you have no place here. you are defeated and you are bound. i come against you in the name of jesus and by the blood of the lamb. maybe you have selective memory pal...but your past reveals something very true...you are defeated. i oppose you and i bind you, only by the power and authority of jesus christ."

so, i choose today to be a warrior shepherd for my family. i choose to fight for their hearts and do battle against the enemy who wants to take us out. This is my resolve...

reminder to trust

Today, I was reading in Genesis and reminded of something God had spoken about last year. In a blog i posted, God had stirred some truths on "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" So, I needed to revisit and remember these truths...

Genesis 18 vs. 12-14 "So she laughed silently to herself and said, "How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master - my husband - is also so old?" Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, 'Can an old woman like me have a baby?' IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

God loves to work in the realm of the impossible. He loves to break through at the final hour. Satan, the enemy, enjoys working in the realm of what seems possible...what seems realistic. Faith, which connects us to God, is activated in the impossible. To have nothing that is defined by impossible in my life is to have no need for faith. The enemy's desire is to keep everything in my life within the realm of possibilities. To keep me within what I can figure out. To keep me in what I can arrange and manipulate.

In our Western culture of planning ahead, cushioning against hardship, creating safety and security - we have arranged for life to be "possible". So we have planned ourselves out of needing God. Faith has been sidelined. There is no real need for it.Then God steps in and calls us to do something impossible. It rattles us. It shakes us. It throws our plans and life into a tailspin. Suddenly, our plans and possibilities are thwarted. Securities are taken away. This doesn't feel right. This is not what I had planned. And we laugh - just like Sarah laughed. The laughter is a mix of fear and unbelief. You know, the dry laughter that seems disconnected and distorted.

And God shows up with a question: Is anything too hard for the Lord? My laughter turns to mourning over my own distrust and disbelief. So, today, how will I answer this question. My life will answer this question with a resounding "yes" or "no". Can a 90 year old woman have a baby? Is anything too hard for the Lord? So, I choose today to walk in faith, to embrace the impossible. Instead of finding comfort in my self-made possibilities, I choose the life of faith. God, breakthrough in my life today.

"Moore" Marriage Truths

God has used Beth Moore to minister to Melody (and me) over the years. She is a bible teacher and a passionately humble follower of Christ. Recently, this appeared on her blog...powerful words as she celebrated 29 years of marriage...

[begin quote]
"Some of the things God has taught Keith and me are not for public consumption. Others are meant to be shared. These are a handful of things God has helped us practice along the way that led up to this particular day:
*We try more often to live by the law of kindness. In the old days, we'd figure out one another's weakness then aim that direction with arrows of harsh words on purpose. Most of the time these days, we avoid the targets that we know good and well are the other's Achilles' heel. We just don't like to be mean much anymore.

*We snuggle a lot. We have a big, long couch in our den but a whole lot of times we sit in the leather chair that's almost not big enough for one hind end. Let alone two. Or three when Beanie gets jealous.

*We still talk a lot - over coffee, walking dogs, or bubble baths - and try to be interested in the other one's world even when we don't get it one iota. When you have a mix like Beth the Librarian and Keith the Barbarian, you have to try extra hard.

*We've had to choose to put stuff behind us. We have had no few problems, no few differences, and no few conflicts and, if we wanted to keep a record of wrongs, we could have a list long enough to trip over for the rest of our lives. Neither one of us thinks highly of letting the other run all over us nor is either of us likely to keep an opinion to ourselves. We still fight. But then we get on with living and make a choice not keep punishing each other with yesterday's stuff. Life's too short and a house too small. You have to forgive - and be forgiven - a ton.

*We just keep going. This isn't going to sound profound but it's actually one of the biggest things God has used to turn a rocky start into twenty-nine years. We just kept getting through the night till the sun would come up and we'd made it another day. Before we knew it, the next anniversary rolled around. And we'd be so glad. And little by little, we just got happier and happier. Hard times have always come calling but so have good times. God just gave us the wherewithal not to quit before the next sweet season came. Oh, that He'd continue to.

I am so tender to those of you who have endured the pain of divorce and I plead with you not to let this entry invite you to destructive feelings of condemnation or failure. I know how hard marriage can be. I know what a miracle it takes at times and how willing both parties have to be to receive it. But, with your blessing and your security in Christ, I also need to be able to say to those who may be on the edge of giving up, please, I beg you, don't. Just make it through the night and see the sun come up tomorrow morning from your knees. Fight your battles ferociously with your face to the floor. Give God time and room. Wives, quit being the husband. Fire yourself. Let God take it over. Get counseling if you need it - even if your man won't - but don't quit. Even if you don't love him...or like him. Even if you hate him. God can soften a heart of granite if you'll let Him. Wait it out a little longer. Laugh a little harder. Snuggle a little tighter. Love by faith. Not just by sight. As the Apostle Paul says, all that matters is faith expressing itself through love." [end quote]