Hi Vicki, hoping and praying you get better soon.

As for your reflections, I found out something yesterday, when we are
physically weak when our fleshly minds are fighting our spiritual mind and
when we clal out to God our Father, even though I felt like when I read the
word it went out of my mind apparently it did not, I heard it in my mind
yesterday, my verse for the day yesterday was I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me.  I'm fine by the way, I just wantd to share that
when people sing God your my rock and my strength my refuge I know what they
mean FINALLY!!!!

Lelia

P. S.  Your right when we rest in the Lord we can think and listen and
learn.


----- Original Message -----
From: "j.ireland" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2003 9:42 AM
Subject: Reflections


> Reflections
> You might think the next few sentences are old news; like hitting the cue
> and review button on the cassette recorder.  Well, you're not exactly
right,
> so please read on.
>
> This week I came down with about the worse case of flu I can ever remember
> having had.  When I finally got to the doctor on Wednesday, after camping
> out on the couch solid for two days, he said,   "Did you get the license
> plate of the truck that hit you?"  As much as I hurt already, I managed a
> good laugh.  I told him no but I wished I had, discovered I didn't have
> pneumonia and was probably going to live at least a few more days, got
some
> meds for my misery, and promptly returned to my vegetative state on the
> couch.
>
> It is a good thing we have the Dish Satellite Network for entertainment.
> The package includes only seven Discovery Channels and five home shopping
> channels, plus all the CNN, sports (yes, including golf) and ShowTime
> offerings available for one's viewing pleasure.  However, I found it a
> challenge to keep up with more than one or two shows at once.  Expert
> channel surfer that I'm not, I did see some good shows ones, though I
don't
> remember them now.  The question that soon arose was, how much TV can one
do
> round the clock, especially if not normally a block tv watcher.  There's
> always reading and listening to the radio, those were good things too.
They
> worked to fill some of the time.  As the hours crept slowly by, I turned
to
> my own thoughts. I wondered why this flu hit me so hard and was so
> debilitating.  Most people who have gotten this were hit hard with it,
> first.  But second, I felt the still small voice of the Lord making
himself
> known in a very loud way.  No, he didn't cause me to become sick, but he
did
> take the opportunity to call me aside for some prayer, personal
reflection,
> and to have a simple lesson on listening.  Sometimes we listen best when
the
> frailty of our human body, this box we live in, is placed in sharp
contrast
> with the Lord's power and might  and his abilities and purposes for us and
> in us.
>
> Phil 2:13
> "For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the
power
> to do
> what pleases him."
>
> 1 Cor. 619-20
> "Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who
> lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,
> for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your
body."
>
> I have some to go before I'm well, though I was certainly not as sick as
> some people we know on this list that shall remain nameless, but I'm
> thankful God drew me aside.  Reminds me of a Keith Green song "Draw Me."
In
> part, the words are:
> "Draw me, oh, draw me, please draw me, my Jesus.
> Into your presence, where I cannot lie.
> My soul is so thirsty, I cannot endure it.
> And if I can`t get closer, I surely will die."  Obviously a figurative
> representation of the artists intense longing for a closer relationship
with
> Christ.
>
> Thankful for the time of reflection, you'll probably be hearing more about
> that from me. Psalm 63:1-2
> "O GOD, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts
for
> You,
> my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no
water
> is.
> So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your
>  glory."
> ©
> Thankful for the time of prayer.  Again, thinking of the words to a song:
> "In the secret in the quiet place
> In the stillness You are there
> In the secret in the quiet hour
> I wait only for You
> 'Cause I want to know You more
> I want to know You
> I want to hear Your voice
> I want to know You more
> I want to touch You
> I want to see Your face
> I want to know You more
> I am reaching for the highest goal
> That I might receive the prize
> Pressing onward pushing every
> Hindrance aside
> Out of my way
> 'Cause I want to know You more
> More and more"
>
> Thankful for the lesson on listening. Is. 55:2-3.
> "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what
does
> not satisfy?
>         Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul
> delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me.      Hear,
> and your soul shall live;
>         And I will make an everlasting covenant with you--   The sure
> mercies of David"
>
> Thankful for the challenge to walk boldly, soar to higher heights and
press
> my system roots toward the water source once again.
>
> And thankful for a faithful prayer answering God.
> 1 Thes. 5:24
> "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it."
> Phil 1:6 ( a little modified)
> There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who
started
> this
> great work in you (includes me too) would keep at it and bring it to a
> flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.
>