Battles

Battles are intense. Your life, your eternal life is on the line. I’ve never been in a battle for my life like soldiers, battered women, victims of violent crimes have been. But I have fought on the battlefield of my mind and heart many times. When I was younger it seemed I breezed through battles with hardly a scratch. Now that I am older it seems there are scars left and some wounds that have yet to heal.I find myself wanting the war to be over so I can go home... be done with fighting. But just as soldiers have to continue on, just as police officers get up and fight crime...I cannot give up. A warrior gets tired and needs refreshing, nourishing, encouragement...and in some seasons so do I, and I am sure you do as well. I wonder what difference I have made if any. I wonder if I am useful at all to God. I ache in body and spirit each morning . The battle seems long and hard, and yet I can pray along with David,the psalmist, like this: ““May the Lord, my rock, be praised, who trains my hands for battle and my fingers for warfare. He is my faithful love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in Him; He subdues my people under me. Lord, what is man, that You care for him, the son of man, that You think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭144:1-4‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ I must persevere. I must not give up. I must prepare and do battle every day against the enemy. Who is my enemy? I will tell you for he is yours as well. It is the devil, the liar of all liars. “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:10-13‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ People are not the enemy...although it seems like it at times. The enemy is evil itself. And who am I to fight against evil? I am no superhero...I am a tired, battle worn old woman. How can I expect to fight much less win the battle? The answer is I can’t. But I serve the One who can. “You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for Yahweh is with you.’ ”” ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭20:17‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ So when I am weary...or when you are weary... remember the victory is already won and the battles that we face we are not expected to win on our own power. We have the Lord fighting for us. I am preaching to myself...reminding myself of these facts. “A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ “Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:12-13‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ There is a song that reminds me of how much I need the Almighty God to fight for me. It is called “Fight For Me”.

Deserving

I wrote this song a few months ago .  With a circle of friends we have been going through the book of Revelation and chapter five just resonated with me.  It speaks of how deserving Jesus is of our praise and worship.  So this song is one of praise to the One who saved me from a life of sin and death and walks with me each day, renewing my mind and creating a new heart in me.  Only God can do that work!!

"Deserving" by Pammy Martin copyright 2019

Preparing for Fifth Grade!

As the school year is about to begin, I relish the time spent in preparation.  I have all the books in order on my bookshelves.  Notebooks and pencils are ready.  Teacher's guides and textbooks are ready.  The only things I have to do is to order two sets of activity sheets...one for Science and one for Eastern Hemisphere.

We are so looking forward to our Sonlight 5th grade year!  Our first year was last year and it was the first year of homeschooling that my son actually was excited about math, and by the end of the year really ENJOYED reading!  He actually pleaded to do Sonlight again this year!  I love the time saving lesson plans, which gives me more time to actually teach and do hands on activities.

This year we plan on adding a cooking curriculum since he wants to be a chef which will involve learning the chemistry of cooking, trying new recipes, and interviewing local chefs and restaurateurs. Also, we will be working on learning to read music and using the voice as an instrument.

Sonlight Curriculum is the best! With prayer, enthusiasm, and coffee as well as support from our local homeschool group ....I have a really good feeling about this year !!

Mandolin Pruning

This afternoon my friend Bill did a little “pruning” on my mandolin.  The sound of the mandolin is really good.  It is in tune.  It plays well.  Until you get to this certain spot.  At one particular fret the two strings which are supposed to be perfectly in tune with each other were not.  He agreed to check it out and see if he could fix it.  He has the tools needed to do that kind of precision work.  So off came the saddle, off came the strings, off came the bridge.  I didn’t know how to fix that issue even though it is my instrument.  There was some cutting done and filing.  The notches in the bridge were changed with a cutting file.  Then the actual metal frets themselves received some sanding and friction and were changed to be lower than they were originally.  After that the frets were a little flat, not rounded and shaped the way they needed to be, so more sculpting was done with a special tool for shaping.  Soon the frets were back to a shape that would be easy for the strings lay on at the perfect angle.  All of this was done in tiny increments, a little at a time.  Finally the fretboard was polished and cleaned as was the body of the mandolin, new strings were installed.  The problem was checked and it was fixed but there was one more little spot that needed attention.  Once again two strings were moved into a different position and the bridge notch was filed a bit and strings put back in place.  Pressure was applied by changing the bridge height a little.  And …voila!  Now the mandolin sounds really pretty and plays like it is supposed to….and once I learn to play it well, the music will hopefully be beautiful!  😊

As I was watching this process, this Scripture kept coming to mind and I was made aware that God has to “make adjustments” that can be “cutting” and “rough” to His children too.   But what struck me the most was why He does it.  Just like that mandolin needed to be worked on to continue to produce pretty music, we as Christians need to be worked on my our Maker to continue to bear fruit.  And just like the joy that comes from hearing the mandolin being played and the sounds it is able to produce, Jesus wants our joy to be complete by having us abide in Him.  It was such a beautiful picture to me of how God works in our lives to bring us joy in ways we may not really understand all the time.

So this is the Scripture on my heart tonight...Jesus said "I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that DOES bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."

Sometimes I think I have had the idea that when I am going through difficult seasons of life, or troubles, or temptations, or worries, or hardships....I have had the idea that it is punishment...And sometimes God does use consequences of actions as a disciplinary action ...because He loves me. I have experienced His discipline in the past, I assure you.

But just going through difficult times emotionally or struggling with things in life does not always mean that you are being disciplined. No, these words of Jesus say that the branches (that's us who love and follow Jesus) that ARE bearing fruit (meaning being productive for the Lord, spiritually productive, doing what it is He asks of us, not being rebellious)...we can receive things in our daily life that are pruning.

And pruning is not a punishment...it is a help.

But pruning can be painful because there is a cutting away ...and anytime there is a cut, there is pain.

The pruning though is because God sees that we ARE being fruitful, and He wants us to continue to be fruitful. He wants us to turn into His arms even more and grow in the way He shapes us to grow. Why? So we can grow more fruitful and show that we are His disciples....because by this God is glorified!

" Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."

The pruning is done not out of meanness or hate or disappointment, but just because it is necessary to grow...and it is done out of love. LOVE. LOVE.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love."

And Jesus wants us to know this so that we do not get discouraged when pruning comes...He wants us to understand and receive joy...His joy!!!! What a difference that makes in how I see struggles and trials in my life!

"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. " John 15 : 1-12

Music Together - Forever Like That by Ben Rector (cover P&J)

Love having my son here to help me learn songs! This one I heard last week and just loved it! I dedicate it to my husband of over 13 years! :)

Bird

Isn't this amazing? This is a little wild bird in the mountains of Pigeon Forge in Cades Cove. We stopped at a rest stop before entering the loop. Donnie was standing by his truck and these birds kept swooping closely to him. I thought he must be too near their nest. As I watched, he simply lifted his hand up and one of the birds landed on him! We were all amazed!
"Did you get a photo of that?" he asked. 
"No! I wonder if it will land on you again?" I replied.
I got my camera ready, and sure enough, the bird landed again on him. 
"I wonder if it will land on me," I said.
I lifted my hand into the air and a bird came close to my fingertips, fluttered so that I could feel a breeze going across my hand, but flew back up to the tree. 
"Lift your hand up again," Donnie said.
So I did...and waited. Then the miracle happened. This little bird came and landed on my hand. I felt it's little skinny scratchy feet curl around the ends of my fingers as it perched there, staring at me and me staring at it for about 5 seconds before it flew off into the tree. 
For about a month, we had been having some concerns regarding costs of our son's treatments due to some insurance changes. We were placed in a predicament of making hard choices financially and were struggling to understand it all.
When this little bird landed on my hand, Scriptures flooded my mind and peace flooded my heart.
Jesus told the people, "Don't collect for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money. This is why I tell you: Don't worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: They don't sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they?" (This comes from Matthew chapter 6)
I was reminded that God is the One who created this bird, who knew this bird would be there in this place when I was there, who spoke to this bird and had it land on my hand. This bird trusted me enough to land on me...I am still in amazement! I should trust my Heavenly Father even more!! 
And Jesus' words spoke to my heart that no matter what the situation, I can trust my Father in heaven. He is worthy!!
God knew that I needed to have something like this happen at this particular time in my life, and He coordinated it. 
I am thankful to serve the God of the universe, the One True God, who came to this earth as Jesus Christ and gave His blood to cover our sins so we can have eternal life with Him!
He is amazing!!
( a funny aside: another family came out of the bathhouse while all of this was happening and were amazed as well. The lady said to her husband,"Look!! A bird Whisperer! A whole family of bird whisperers!!" )
We were not the ones who whispered to the bird to come and sit on our hands. God was the One who whispered this to His creation. :) 
Today I heard God in the whisper of a wild bird on my fingers. :)

Being Confident in the Lord

Another reminder from the Lord tonight in my time with Him...This is from a wonderful book that I read with Jamie as he entered his teenage years and am reading with Eli now called Created To Work by Bob Schultz. It isn't just for boys though...I learn (and relearn) things as I read through it.
Here is the excerpt from tonight...
"I learned some things about confidence while playing high school baseball. I got plenty of hits but they always went to right field. My coach blamed it on my slow swing. But when we played against McKenzie High School, the reason for my trouble became clear.
"Tim, McKenzie's pitcher, was the fastest in our league. He could throw a fastball past most of our best hitters, strike after strike.
"The first time at the plate, I hit the ball so hard it knocked down the shortstop. My next hit went out into left field for a single. My third swing sent the ball all the way to the left center fence! How could this slow right-field hitter blast Tim's fastball almost out of the park? My shocked coach asked, "What happened to you?"
"The answer was simple, "Confidence." Tim was the only pitcher in the league that could control the baseball. I had complete assurance he wouldn't hit me. With other pitchers, I feared being hit. The wilder the pitcher, the more I thought about the ball hitting me, rather than me hitting the ball. However, with Tim it was different. When he started winding up, I started swinging. I trusted his control, kept my eye on the ball and hit away.
"At the root of Christianity is the belief that the God Who created the universe controls it. Every life event thrown to you and me comes from the most controlled Pitcher in the world.
"When a Christian begins to lose confidence, it's often because he's lost sight of God's control. False, fearful ideas creep into his mind where thoughts of safety and courage belong. He starts to think that events happen by chance instead of under the watchful eye of God.
" The first step back to confidence is telling God the details of your life--what's happening and what you think about it. Instead of struggling, running, crying, or hiding, stop; quietly open your heart to God. There is a tendency in all of us to run when we get scared. Running only increases our trouble.
"Isaiah 30:15,16 described me, 'For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; in returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee; and We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.'
" Returning to the simple belief that God is in control, telling Him every detail of my trouble and resting in His care is the greatest source of my confidence."
Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."

We can keep our confidence in God because He knows us totally. And He loves us always. He loved me at my worst and still loved me now. It is an amazing love, a trustworthy love.
Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Christ didn't wait until I "got it all together". He doesn't withhold His gift of salvation and forgiveness until I can "get my act together". When Jesus Christ sees a broken and repentant heart, one who sees the truth about herself and comes to Him with that truth, He says, "I already know who you are. I love you anyway. You are one I have died for. Come...enjoy eternal life with me under my righteousness."

It does not matter if you are 20 or 80 ...Jesus is ready to tell you the same thing. You are the one that He thought of when He gave His life to save your life from sin's penalty. You are the one He loves. You are the one He rejoices to see return to Him like a prodigal son returns to his parents.
His love is amazing.