Yep, Rhonda, I sure do!  Oh, and don't they want to come up and bang you 
down again just when you're not expecting it!  Last week I had a very 
familiar situation at church rear its head once again.  I was asked to take 
part in a "fun day", but just to sit in the coffee lounge with Mike and 
welcome any visitors that came our way . . ..  Well, two totally blind 
people sitting around in a corner, probably alone most of the time, hoping 
they'd know if visitors walked in . . . wasn't quite my idea of how to do 
things!  Well, the result was wonderful!  We all dug ourselves a little out 
of that one (with God) and I found myself, on the spur of the moment, taking 
over someone's piano they were using to lead the singers outside and I sang 
for most of two hours.  Mike's guitar was well used too in various areas 
throughout the church buildings, both to help the youngsters and to aid our 
singing group.  I think people had long forgotten I once used to sing and 
play here, though that's probably not their fault in view of the fact that 
I've been unable to sing solo now for 9-10 years.  I am now able to sing in 
a group and keep going for quite a while so have to learn to live in this 
new situation.

No, that wasn't really what came out of it all last week but only a part. 
The main thrust had to do with God's changing me and teaching me how to get 
my anger dealt with without sinning.  (That could be quite a good subject 
for discussion!)

Love to you all:


--
Carol
[log in to unmask]



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rhonda Partain" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 3:31 PM
Subject: Re: Ponderment


> It is a funny thing to say, and I never thought I'd ever say it-but I am
> glad I have went through hard times! It was during those hard times in the
> past, and even now-when I  am awake way past midnight my mind full of all
> the "what if this happens, and then what will I do" fears threaten to take
> away my peace of mind that I come to know just who God really is.  All the
> hurt I hae known, since I was a child, all the angry words spoken, words
> such as "We don't have to keep you here with us, we could send you away"
> these have made me who I am today.  If I had all I needed, would I have 
> ever
> sought to know God, would I have ever wondered what it means to call God
> Father,
> I don't really think so.  Though I would have never chosen them, the hard
> times, the times I am awake at three in the morning, these are the times I
> come to know God in a deeper way! Yall know what I mean?
>
> Rhonda
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Electronic Church [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Carol Pearson
> Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 10:25 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Ponderment
>
> Yeah, amen Kathy.
>
> Problem is, Rhonda, that we all think of harm as being those things that
> hurt us now, whether they're accidents or words from others, or whatever.
> In fact, as we know, man has power to kill the flesh but the one thing 
> that
> nobody can harm is God's Spirit in us, that new life that He has planted
> within us and will keep safe (preserve) no matter what the calamities here
> on earth.
>
> I sometimes wish as a Christian that perhaps I could have a special 
> passport
>
> that keeps me from such harm, but God didn't say we could have that but He
> did promise us grace and peace and help from above!
>
> It's not the way the world will see these things, but the way we can and
> should see them in the light of his grace and His truth shown to us each
> day!
>
> Well, do we feel secure?  That's what God wants us to feel!  Do we feel
> afraid!  Yes, if we're honest, we probably do when we stop to think of 
> some
> of the awful things that are happening all around us, but He wants us (me,
> me, me!) to learn to trust Him in these areas.
>
> Having said all the above:  God is indeed gracious to us and loves us so
> very much that there are times when He does intervene and rescue us from
> physical death itself.  Some of us have known this and have known His 
> angels
>
> taking care of us too!  Sometimes we don't even know He's reached out a 
> hand
>
> to rescue us because we're totally unaware of the danger that He sees.
> That's how much He takes care of us!  He never sleeps or slumbers - just
> looks on us and out for us and, oh, loves us so very much!
>
> Sorry, didn't mean to get quite so carried away in this post . . . and God
> spoke as much, if not more, to me as I wrote than He may want to speak to
> others.  I'm encouraged anyway and trust you are!
>
> In Him:
>
>
> --
> Carol
> [log in to unmask]
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Kathy Du Bois" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 1:20 PM
> Subject: Re: Ponderment
>
>
>> Rhonda,
>> When you are in God's hand, no matter what calamity befalls you, you are
>> in the safest place you can be.
>> Kathy
>>
>>
>> At 10:00 PM 5/2/2006, you wrote:
>>>What do you think "live in safety" means?  Is it  "safe from harm" or
>>>"safe,
>>>from thinking you know all the answers and don't need God or any of his
>>>wisdom, safe,  if it means safe from harm, that would bring up a lot of
>>>questions...what exactly must our relationship be to ensure  we are 
>>>"safe"
>>>for many go through things that can be seen as harm, cancer, accidents,
>>>many
>>>who love God and who fololow im and seek to do His will...interesting
>>>thoughts!
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: The Electronic Church [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
>>>Behalf Of BD
>>>Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 9:25 PM
>>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>>Subject: Re: Ponderment
>>>
>>>Rhonda,
>>>
>>>Hmm. Maybe not, perfectly faithful no, but not faithful at all? I don't
>>>think that is it either. I think Proverbs  seen below shows were we ought
>>>to be. I wonder if we can faithfully believe in the promise given at the
>>>end of the text constantly. It does however say that we will have no need
>>>to "fear" and doesn't say we are absolved of trials, yet he does say
>>>earlier that he'll keep us safe. See below... interesting... I never
>>>really seen it that strongly before.
>>>Proverbs 1:20-33
>>>20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street,she raises her voice in the public
>>>squares; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out,in the 
>>>gateways
>>>of the city she makes her speech:
>>>22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?How long will
>>>mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you had
>>>responded to my rebuke,I would have poured out my heart to you and made 
>>>my
>>>thoughts known to you. 24 But since you rejected me when I called and no
>>>one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, 25 since you ignored all my
>>>advice and would not accept my rebuke, 26 I in turn will laugh at your
>>>disaster;I will mock when calamity overtakes you-- 27 when calamity
>>>overtakes you like a storm,when disaster sweeps over you like a
>>>whirlwind,when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
>>>28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer;they will look for me
>>>but will not find me. 29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to
>>>fear the LORD, 30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my
>>>rebuke, 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the
>>>fruit of their schemes. 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill
>>>them,and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever
>>>listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
>>
>>
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>
>
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