His Ways

The address for Paula is His Ways.....Are Not Our Ways.

Enjoy!

Cheri

Tagged!

I have been tagged by Swallowing A Moose 's Heather. Heather is a new friend that I met at She Speaks 2008. She has one of the most amazing testimonies I have ever heard. Check out her blog for a sure blessing. I absolutely love this girl and hope to see more of her this side of heaven. She has tagged me and now I have to tell six random things about myself.

1) I love to dance! I am not a dancer nor am I graceful at all. But I love to dance with my husband.......and I love to dance in worship. I think I was born to dance. When I get to my heavenly destination I hope there will a time set aside every day for dancing.

2)My husband just bought me a new car! It is a Nissan 350Z. A two-seater convertible. I always said when my five children were small and I drove a full size conversion van, that when I was a grandma I was going to drive a two-seater car! I am not a grandma yet.......just old enough to be one. My husband surprised me and got me this car. We are having soooo much fun! I am loving this mid-life stage.

3)I love missions. I have been to India twice. This year I went to India and Sri Lanka. I took my sixteen year old son and his best friend. We were gone for three weeks. I left part of my heart on the other side of the world. I hope to go back to both places someday. My husband and I would love to travel and do missions together in the future.

4)I love to lead Bible studies. I have led every Beth Moore study, plus several others. Presently I am teaching a Bible study from the book of John. We are covering chapter 11 tomorrow. I will cover three areas; believing, waiting on the Lord, and resurrection. I am putting it together this morning. There is some really good stuff in there! I have been unearthing treasures! I can hardly wait to share them!

5)I have a dream to go on a Mediterranean Cruise with my husband. One of these days!!!!

6)I look forward to the day when I see my Lord Jesus face to face! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

1)Corrie @ How Fair the Realm is one of my very dearest friends. She writes about homeschooling, her family, and Jesus! She writes so well. I tell her that I will say "I knew her when" someday when she becomes famous for her talents. You will love her wit and wisdom. 

She is amazing.

2)Joy @ Ponderings  is amazing! Her blog is a wealth of beauty, wisdom, encouragement and love. She has a passion for the Lord and His ways. I wish every Christian woman in the world could read her blog. They would reach higher, breathe deeper, and long for more of Jesus! Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy! Joy!

3)Laura @ The Well Blog will bless your heart. She is a delight. Laura has one of the most beautiful spirits of anyone I have ever met. She just published her first book. She is an artist with words. You are in for quite a blessing when you visit her blog.

4)Cheryl @ Tugsaxiom is deep with rich wisdom. I met her at She Speaks 2008 and I knew that we were kindred spirits immediately. How refreshing to spend every bit of time that we could together at the conference. She lives in Michigan. I live in Kansas. Jesus keeps and the internet keeps us close at heart. Let her bless you, too!

5) Paula @ His Ways....Are Not Our Ways is a new bloggy friend. She has blessed me greatly. I think you will find her wisdom rich. She is going through some amazing things with dignity and grace. Be blessed by His Ways in her testimony! 

I hope you will be richly blessed by my dear friends.

Love ya,

Cheri

Running For the Prize

James tells us to persevere for the crown. Paul says to run so as to win the prize. Oh that prize! 

Shouldn't we keep our pace just so we can see the Lord's face? To hear His voice? To hear Him sing over us, not just know that He does, but hear Him? Maybe His embrace should be our prize? To hear Him say, "Well, done" . Just knowing that we are eternally safe........That is a benefit!

Why run as if to gain something more? Haven't we gained already? Having Him in our lives.....isn't that the greatest joy? Genesis 15:1 the Lord says to Abraham: "I am your portion your very great reward." (NKJV)

Way back in my day there was a popular song by Andre' Crouch called, "If Heaven Wasn't Promised To Me". The words of that song are still with me.......well, some of them.....

"If heaven wasn't promised to me, neither life's promise to live eternally, Its' been worth just having the Lord in my life, walking in the darkness, He brought me the light........" 

It has been worth it.  I run because I know that He is with me. I run because of all the reasons I listed before. I run because I can't imagine life without Him. 

And, like James and Paul, I do run for the prize.........for the crown! I run for it so that I will have something to lay at His feet! 

His grace will help me win the crown. His faithfulness will carry me when I am having leg cramps or cannot breathe. His joy will empower me until I get a second wind.  He will help me make it.........until I reach the finish line.........and then He will give me the prize.

And I............... I will lay it at His feet.........

Until He Shouts!

Cheri~

Beautiful Things

When I was in high school there was an advertisement that often ran in magazines that really left an image stamped on me. It was a picture of a blue violet blooming through a crack in sidewalk. Beneath the picture was the caption, "Beautiful things are seldom easy". 

Isn't that the truth! That is why it is so important to persevere......We are pressing toward   something beautiful. 

The things we must endure to arrive at our beautiful destination are worth the struggle. There should be  joy in the endurance period.  We should always be looking forward to what lies ahead for us!  James 1:12 NLT "God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."

Can you imagine with me what that will be like? We have never seen anything like it! Think of the most beautiful thing you have ever seen! It will be more glorious than that!

Another truth is that the Lord will bring beauty from .............Well...........Everything! Yes, everything.  The Lord loves to take a void and make a masterpiece! He is not intimidated by a flawed canvas either. No, I believe He is thinking, "Just wait and see what I can do with this one!"

Nothing is impossible with Him.  And He doesn't feel obligated to make it all look beautiful in the end,  it is His delight. His name is Redeemer. He loves to restore all things.  Renew all things.  "He makes all things beautiful in it's time." Ecclesiastes 3:11 NKJV

He is believing beautiful things for our lives. We cannot even imagine the wonders that will soon be unveiled for us. When looking back upon our past, the beauty we were blinded to while traveling through will be delightfully obvious.

It is not always easy! Neither is winning an Olympic medal. Or running a marathon. Or raising a child.  How about nurturing a marriage or being a Christian in a fallen world. Not easy! Not at all!

Beautiful things are seldom easy!

But don't you love beautiful things?

I pray you will have a glimpse of His beauty today and it will empower you to keep on running toward the prize!

Blessings,

Cheri

Capture His Heart

In 2007 I attended a She Speaks Conference in Charlotte, NC. This was my third time to attend. Before I left for NC, I made a decision that I would not come home with a miniature library this time. All those books sure make for heavy luggage!

Of course when I arrived and began to see all of the wonderful books they had displayed on the book table, I had to tweak my decision a bit!

I attended a class by Lysa Terkeurst called "The Power of a Story" (which is a fantastic class). It is a very entertaining class and full of information. I really enjoyed it. She read an expert from a little book she had written titled "Capture Her Heart". That chapter is a beautiful work of fiction that did capture my heart. I had already passed my quota of books, however another trip to the book table was necessary. I purchased both of Lysa's books "Capture Her Heart" and "Capture His Heart".

"Capture Her Heart" is written for husbands to help them in their marriage relationship. "Capture His Heart" is written for wives to help them in their marriage relationship.

I had a plan. I put both of the little books in our bathroom and I thought I would just wait and see if Scotty would pick the one up for men "Capture Her Heart" and read it. Well, girls, I just have to tell you, it didn't take him long. I was soooo happy. I know that my cheeks flushed and my heart raced at the thought of what we was reading. I was sure that Lysa would educate him with the best information that would build our relationship into quite the romance.

Scotty read that book about halfway through and then it just laid open and upside down marking his place for the next time he reached for it. I was watching and I was so thrilled that he was reading this book. I just new it was going to bring about some home improvement!!!!

Let me bring you up to date. Yesterday I decided to wash the sheets on our bed. When I went to put the sheets back on the bed there was the book "Capture Her Heart". My husband was sick with the flu yesterday. He stayed home from church. While he was resting, he picked up that little book again and was reading it!!!!!!

When I first picked up the book, my heart did it's little dance! He was reading about ways to capture my heart. Can you believe it? I was delighted all over again. And He didn't even feel good!!!

All of a sudden my heart stopped dancing. I stood holding that little book that is becoming worn and realized with shame that I had not even cracked open the little book titled "Capture His Heart". Do you believe that? I couldn't! I was so ashamed of myself! I had planted those little books there. Both of them. The one for me to read still looked brand new. I was not participating in the home improvement plan. Conviction took over!

I could not get to the bathroom fast enough to pick up the little book that I should be reading. I began to read. Wow! I read the first chapter! And then the second! And the next........! I wished that I had begun to read it sooner. There is such a wealth of wisdom on those little pages! Wisdom that will make a struggling marriage better. Wisdom that will take a good marriage over the top!

May I recommend these little books to you? I know you will be very blessed by the wit and wisdom that Lysa has painted on those pages. I think it has the power to spark something special in every marriage.

Those books are available through Proverbs 31 Ministries. I hope that you will purchase them. I know that you will be blessed!!!!


Cheri

New Girl In Bloggy Town

I am the new girl on the block in this bloggy town! Every day I learn something new!

I really love all of my new friends. It is a fun way to connect with my forever friends as well. You know the ones who have been around forever!

But, oh my, it is humbling to learn something new while so many are watching me!

For instance, I was not happy with my title yesterday! Not at all! So I changed it. But I went back in to edit another place in my post it did not save my post with the changed title.

I really liked my title after I changed it, but I didn't want to go back in because I was not saving my changes and I was losing everything I had edited previously. So I left it as it was !!!!

Could I just share with you that title? It was How To/Want To/The Way I Ought To.

The reason for that title is the Lord revealed to me a new way to pray for my marriage........How To........
Then He changed my attitude from "I don't even want to" to "I Want To"........
Then He helped me do what I Ought To...........the way He wanted me to........

I have to praise Him for doing those three things! I have a feeling that my marriage might have been destroyed if He had not stepped in to help me.

The Psalmist wrote: "In return for my love they are my accusers, but I give myself to prayer."

The power is in prayer. When I give myself to prayer, my deliverer comes! He comes to restore my soul. He gives me strength to stand. He comes to be my helper and my advocate. He comes to be my friend.

"What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer."

I am preparing my soul to be attentive today because my Lord might whisper something in my ear and I don't want to miss it! Shhh! Did you hear something?

Blessings,
Cheri

How To/Want To

My husband and I have reached the most incredible place in our marriage! It is like we have found our first love all over again. What an adventure! We did not arrive at this plateau over night. We have been on this journey for nearly thirty years! I will spare you the grief of all the ups and downs along the way.

What I would like to share is that there was a time when the season we are in now seemed unattainable. Discouragement met me at almost every turn. We didn't have a horrible marriage, but it wasn't fun! It was tough! We weren't really very happy.

I remember at one point being in complete despair. Hopelessness overwhelmed my heart and I truly did not know if our marriage would survive.

I know what you are thinking. The problems were all his fault! Of course!!!!! NOT!!! I might have said that at the time, but not now.

Even though I was at fault, I can tell you for sure that his faults were a lot easier for me to discern than my own.

One day I began to change my focus when I prayed for our relationship. I began to pray for my husband. I didn't pray that the Lord would make him into someone else. Someone I liked! I began to pray that the Lord would show me ways that I could bless him. I would lay across our bed and cry out to God, "Lord, how can I bless this man today? Please show me ways that will touch his heart."

Whatever the Lord would show me, I would do. Well, almost every time.

Did I say that I didn't feel like praying that way? The words hurt my ears at first! Like fingers on a chalk board! However, my prayers became sincere after a very short time.

The Lord was so faithful! He began to show me various ways to bless my husband. My focus began to change. I wasn't thinking about myself so much. I was thinking about Scotty and how I could meet his needs. One of my biggest desires was to become his favorite blessing.

I have changed! Scotty has changed! Our marriage has changed! We have become the very best of friends. We are having the time of our lives! I don't ever want this season to end. Scotty is constantly blessing me! I couldn't begin to list all of the ways he finds to bless me!

Long ago, I had a very difficult time imagining my marriage being a great marriage. Now I can't imagine it getting any better! But it will. It will!

If you are married, I hope that it is a time of bliss for you! There is nothing like a great marriage!

If this is a time of frustration in your relationship, I hope that you will hang on with prayer. It is worth it to fight in prayer for the one you love and a marriage you can enjoy. I know that you will find blessings on the other side of your prayer time!!!!

Because He Lives!!!!

Love you,
Cheri