July | 2015 | Real Life on Rocky Top

What Are You Laughing At?

Jul 23 2015

I’ve been told pictures are worth a thousand words. I took the above picture on our vacation. Preacher and I were blessed to take time off to refresh our minds, bodies and souls! Laying in a beach chair I snapped this picture. I wasn’t sure what the Lord was saying to me. I knew He was speaking through this picture, but the meaning eluded me until I returned home and opened His word to continue my slow study through Genesis.

So as I sat on the back porch this morning with His word opened I read in Genesis 18 about the Lord coming to Abraham and making the announcement that Sarah, his wife, would have a son in her old age.

When Sarah overheard this proclamation, she laughed! She laughed at the Lord’s promise. She was old and barren…..way past childbearing age. In her limited understanding, having a son through her own body was impossible…….not logical and certainly not probable. So Sarah did the human thing…….she laughed!

The Lord immediately said to me, “Donna, what are you laughing at?” There are some situations in my life that seem impossible……….people I am praying for and circumstances that seem totally unrealistic!

Even the state of our nation…..well, it seems impossible for spiritual renewal and revival in our nation.

Am I laughing? Do I doubt the power of my God?

Genesis 18:14 gives God’s response to Sarah’s laughter, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?”

The Hebrew word “too hard” is “Pala”. It is the first time this word is used in the entire Bible. Zodhiates in the Complete Word Study of the Old Testament says “He does things beyond the bounds of human powers or expectations. It is not merely the unusual act or even the degree of astonishment but the clear-cut exhibition of God’s capable care of Israel.” WOW!

Do I believe this? Or am I laughing? If I am laughing, it is called disbelief or doubt!

If I am believing God is totally capable and nothing is too difficult for Him, that my great and mighty God is totally capable of taking care of me, my family, my church and this crazy world, it is called FAITH!!!

So back to the picture, Donna, walk through the rope out onto the sand and into the mighty ocean of life. I, your Adonai (name for God meaning Master/Lord, same name that Abraham called God in Genesis 18:3) am totally capable of parting the waters when they need to be parted. Nothing is too difficult for me when you call me Adonai………Master/Lord.

So………what are you laughing at today? Does anything seem totally impossible, illogical, and improbable?

Call HIM Master and Lord……Live as if He is your Master and Lord!!! And watch Him part the waters!

“He divided the sea and led them through…”Psalm 78:13

The Bat Attack: 3 Ways to Conquer Fear

Jul 13 2015

I’m reposting by request and because it compliments Preacher’s sermon Sunday on fear!

It had been raining for days on Rocky Top so my brown rocker outside had been eluding me. The forecast last night had given me hope of sunshine for the coming day.

I woke up suddenly to thuds against my windows. I sat up and said loud enough for the Preacher to wake up…..What is that noise?? He did wake up, stumbled out of bed and peered through the wooden blinds….It’s just some birds hitting the window. He then plopped back into the bed to sleep until his alarm went off in 15 minutes!

His explanation didn’t satisfy me…..especially when the thuds grew more frequent.

I walked over to the window and looked for myself. Oh my word….Preacher…this isn’t birds….those are bats…..hundreds of bats were flying on my precious back porch, encircling my brown rocking chair…..NO it was not raining but Bats were attacking my home!!!

I went and looked outside the rest of the windows…..bats everywhere!!! They were flying on the front porch, the side porch, the basement porch. We were officially under bat attack!!!

Ok…..think Donna…..you must get rid of these hideous creatures. Not totally sure why they have chosen my house to attack…..but they are’t welcome here. And I refuse to allow them to rob me of my back porch and rocking chair today. I will not live in fear of BATS!

1. I walked around the house and turned on every outside light we had. The sun had risen but due to the clouds and mist, it really was’t that light outside. I remembered from basic science that bats don’t like light…… FEAR doesn’t like light either. When I am fearful, just saying HIs word out loud, declaring His truth drives fear out!

2. I also turned on all the outside ceiling fans. Those bats will have a hard time flying into air that is blowing in the opposite direction. FEAR can’t exist when the wind of the Spirit is blowing. Fear envelopes us when the Holy Spirit is being quenched in our lives.

3. Then I waited patiently. I trusted that the sun would eventually come out and shine brighter. FEAR is no match for faith……a faith that waits patiently for the promises of the Lord.

By the time the Preacher opened the garage door to head off to work, the bats were almost gone! There were a few casualties lying dead on the downstairs back porch……but the rest flew off to find some other home…..a dark cave to sleep in until the sun went down.

When my mind is a dark cave…..void of His truths, His wind of the Spirit and faith…fear will reign. But fear, like bats can’t tolerate the light of His word, the wind of His spirit and a steadfast faith.

Choose to know His Word and speak it out loud on a regular basis…..and watch fear dissipate.
Feed His Spirit within you…..sing His praises out loud, serve others with joy and watch the wind of His spirit blow through your fears! And choose faith….even when it seems dark and dreary in your life…..trust Him, wait upon Him! He is faithful and true!

Bat attack: Fear attack…Conquered! John 8:12; John 1:1-5; I John 4:18; James 1:22-25; II Timothy 1:7; and II Samuel 22:29

It’s raining……..again!

Jul 04 2015

It’s raining outside…..again! The clouds and pouring rain reflect my mood as well as the mood of many in our nation.

From a Supreme Court decision, to burning churches, to more murders of innocent children by ISIS, to shark attacks and just dealing with everyday life stuff like leaking pipes………. I am overwhelmed with making decisions and getting things done.

We all have stuff to deal with and sometimes the “to do” list can be rather ominous especially when the world around us seems to be spinning out of control.

Years ago as a young pastor’s wife I was introduced to the writing of Elisabeth Elliot, wife to Jim Elliot, martyr for the sake of the gospel. Her books have influenced me more than any other author. She recently went home to her Heavenly Father.

So today as the rain and bad news come pouring down, I will remember the lessons Elisabeth Elliot taught me through this anonymous poem published in her book, Be Still My Soul.

Do The Next Thing

From an old English parsonage, Down by the sea,

There came in the twilight, A message to me;

Its quaint Saxon legend, Deeply engraven,

Hath, as it seems to me, Teaching from Heaven.

And on through the hours The quiet words ring Like a low inspiration-

DO THE NEXT THING

Many a questioning, many a fear,

Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.

Moment by moment, Let down from Heaven,

Time, opportunity, Guidance, are given.

Fear not tomorrows, Child of the King, Trust them with Jesus,

DO THE NEXT THING

Do it immediately; Do it with prayer;

Do it reliantly, casting all care;

Do it with reverence, Tracing His Hand,

Who placed it before thee with Earnest command.

Stayed on Omnipotence, Safe ‘neath His wing, Leave all resultings,

DO THE NEXT THING

Looking to Jesus, ever serener,

(Working or suffering) Be thy demeanor,

In His dear presence, The rest of His calm,

The light of His countenance Be thy psalm,

Strong in His faithfulness, Praise and sing,

Then, as He beckons thee, DO THE NEXT THING

-Author unknown

Sometimes the next thing is just calling the repairman for the leaking pipes or sweeping the floor of the kitchen or changing a dirty diaper. Other times doing the next thing is hitting my knees and calling out to the Lord for my family, my church family and our nation. And always the next thing is being thankful for His faithfulness, His goodness, and His sovereignty even when my world is spinning out of control.

So as it pours rain on the 4th of July, when I wanted my next thing to be swimming in the pool with the kids, I will do the next thing by choosing joy in the rain!

What is your next thing??

Archive - July 2015