I Love This Tree!

I love this tree--especially at this time of year.

       It is a sweetbay magnolia and it is in full bloom.  Right now the hot humid air is filled with the most heavenly fragrance as the blossoms open.  I wish I could attach a sample to this blog post so you could smell it!  To me it smells similar to roses but much stronger.
     What makes this tree so attractive and desirable is that it will continue to have blooms periodically for 6 or more weeks after it begins flowering, and then the flowers turn to bright red fruits that are attractive to birds and squirrels.  The leaves are a shiny green with a gray tint underneath.  The tree is semi-evergreen, meaning that if our winters aren't too severe some of the leaves will remain throughout the winter.
     A landscaper recommended it to me when we first moved here and were planning the landscape for the front of our house.  I had never seen one before--or at least not noticed--until he brought it to my attention.  He suggested planting it near the edge of the house and said it would only get about 15 feet tall.  On that he was mistaken.  It is already about 20 feet high so I wish we had planted it a little farther away from the house.  I recently discovered that in Florida, where these trees are called swamp magnolias, because they prefer moist acid soil, they can grow to 90 feet.  Since I took the landscaper's advice and let him plant it near the house, I was relieved to see in a description I was reading that they rarely get above 30 feet in the north.  That's still larger than I wanted in the space where it is planted, but it is so beautiful I don't think I could ever cut it down.
     If you are looking for a new tree to add to your landscaping, I highly recommend sweetbay magnolia.

Periodical Cicadas--or what we call "locusts"

        This is a familiar site right now around our place.  The 13 year locusts have emerged from the ground!  Their shells are attached to tree trunks and branches and especially to the undersides of leaves.

       Every morning they begin their mating sounds until by late afternoon the sound reaches a crescendo that can be almost deafening.  One article I read said a group producing sound in unison can reach sound levels of 100 decibels!  Once the sun sets they become quiet until sunrise.  What a relief!

If you startle a bunch of them while walking near the leaves they're in, they may fly into your hair and onto your clothes.  Fortunately, they are harmless.

      For those of you who would like a little more information here is a short excerpt from an article on Wikipedia about them:  "Nearly all cicadas spend multiple years growing underground as juveniles, before emerging above ground for a short adult stage of several weeks to a few months. The seven periodical cicada species are so named because, in any one location, all of the members of the population are developmentally synchronized—they emerge as adults all at once in the same year. This periodicity is especially amazing because their life cycles are so extremely long—13 or 17 years. Cicadas of all other species (perhaps 3000 worldwide) are not synchronized, so some adults mature each summer and emerge while the rest of the population continues to develop underground. Many people refer to these non-periodical species as annual cicadas since some are seen every summer. The life cycles of most annual species range from two to ten years, although some could be longer.

       Periodical cicadas are average-sized for cicadas, but they are slightly smaller than the annual cicada species found in the same regions of the United States.   Imagos (or adults) have a size of 2.5 to 3 cm (1.0 to 1.2 in).    Periodical cicadas are black, with red eyes and yellow or orange stripes on the underside. The wings are translucent and have orange veins.

      They are harmless insects; they neither bite nor sting. They are not venomous, and there is no evidence that they transmit diseases. They generally do not pose a threat to vegetation, but young plants may be damaged by excessive feeding or egg laying. It is thus advised not to plant new trees or shrubs just before an emergence of the periodical cicadas. Mature plants usually do not suffer lasting damage even from a mass emergence."

      One of the articles I read said they will be gone by mid-July.  That will be a relief because the sound can get quite annoying if you don't ignore it.

      I am so impressed by God's creativity!  Who could imagine creating something so unique--that only gets above ground a few weeks every 13 or 17 years?

Be anxious for nothing

      This is one of my favorite verses!  I repeat it to myself often when I begin to get anxious.  It is the truth!  Since Joseph Prince does such a good job encouraging us with the verse through his devotional today, and because I know several of us are going through things that can cause anxiety, I'm posting it as a reminder of what God says about our situation.  He will help us through.  He wants to give us His peace and guard our hearts as we turn to Him in prayer with thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is big, I think.

Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" today.  6-4-11

Be Anxious For Nothing     Philippians 4:6–7 6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. When faced with a challenge or crisis, our tendency is to get all anxious about it. But God does not want us to react this way. He does not want us to be anxious about anything. Instead, whatever the problem is, He wants us to go to Him in prayer and supplication, telling Him what we need and thanking Him for the answer. When we do that, His peace, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds from all worries, anxieties and fears. “Pastor Prince, it is easy for you to say, ‘Be anxious for nothing.’ Try living with my husband for one day. Try disciplining that wayward teenager of mine. Look at the balance in my bank account! How can I not be anxious?” Hold it! I am not the one who said, “Be anxious for nothing.” The apostle Paul said it. Yet, it was not him — he was prompted by the Holy Spirit. And when Paul wrote that, he was a prisoner under house arrest in Rome. He had been sent to Rome because he had appealed to Caesar regarding his death sentence. The Jews in Jerusalem wanted him to be put to death. (Acts 28:16–20) Yet, under those trying conditions, he wrote these words: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” My friend, if you are anxious or worried about something, remember those words. Let’s say that you are anxious about a huge debt. Go to the Lord and pray, “Lord Jesus, I no longer want to be anxious about this problem. I hand it over to You and ask for supernatural cancellation of this debt. It is in Your care now. You are in charge. I thank You for taking care of it.” God is true to His Word. As you pray this prayer and cast your care to Him, you will find His peace setting your heart and mind at rest. So be anxious for nothing — let the One with whom nothing is impossible take care of it for you!

Israel Today Online

     Karen, a friend of ours who has lived in Israel for the past 10 years, introduced me to a helpful and insightful Israeli magazine entitled Israel Today.   It can be read online here.  Since our news is so slanted, I find it a good source in helping me discover different perspectives and to hear "the other side of the story."

     I am a strong supporter of Israel and feel that the destiny of the U.S. (and the rest of the world) is linked to our treatment of her.  God specifically tells us that in the Bible.

"On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves," says Zechariah 12:3. 

Obadiah 1:15  says, “The day of the LORD is near for all nations. As you have done (to Israel), it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” 

In Joel 3:2 God says, "I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.  There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land."

     Israel Today helps me to understand how the Israelis see what is happening in the world in relation to their future--and that helps me to see what our future may look like.  As the Bible says, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem."  It also promises that if we bless Israel we will be blessed, and warns that if we don't we will be cursed.  I believe we need to take God seriously when He gives warnings, and that we also can trust Him when He gives promises.  I choose to follow Him into the promise of blessings by blessing Israel, don't you?

A funny picture to illustrate a helpful tip

      Country Guy couldn't resist taking this picture this weekend when I ran into the kitchen to get a drink after working outside.  He thinks it's funny and jokingly said I should add it to my blog.  After thinking about it a little bit, I decided he was right.  

      These plastic bags are a great tip I read about a few years ago.  I keep several in the garage near the backdoor so that when I need to run into the house for something but don't want to waste time taking off my shoes, I can slip them over my muddy shoes, tie the handles together and "voila," clean shoes for walking in the house.  Even if it does look funny it certainly has saved me a lot of time, so I'm passing on the tip in case you haven't tried it.

Attitude Adjustment

      Today in my journaling, I thought I heard the Lord say He wanted to talk to me about my attitude.  I almost didn't begin writing because I thought my attitude was fine.  As I wrote, though, thoughts began to come about things I do because I know they are the right things to do and need to be done, or even because I want to bless someone, but then I begin to get resentful and to dread doing them because it takes so much time.  Sometimes I realize I'm looking for response and I don't see it, or I am selfishly wanting the time to myself.  Sometimes I am overextending my ability to do everything that needs to be done.  As I began to think along these lines, I realized I really do need an attitude adjustment.
      The realization came (was that the Lord helping me to see?) that I usually start things with the right motivation, but often end up with the wrong attitude about doing them.  I know in my head that everything I do can be an opportunity to show God's love to others, but I wonder if doing those things, or helping others with a resentful, selfish attitude even though I start out with the attitude of blessing the person, is actually furthering God's kingdom.  He says He looks on the heart.  Could it be that doing good things with a wrong attitude in my heart is even less productive for the Kingdom than not doing them at all?  Selfishness, resentment, irritation, moodiness, criticism, etc. are not attributes of God's Kingdom, but of Satan's.  Am I furthering the devil's agenda by allowing bad thoughts to control my attitude as I try to go about doing good?
     Forgive me, Jesus, for not seeing this.  Thank you for showing me that I truly have been needing an attitude adjustment.  Help me to see that every little thing I do in love can be an offering to You to help further your kingdom--ironing clothes for Country Guy, pulling weeds and mulching my garden to make it more beautiful for all who visit to enjoy, baking cookies for the grandchildren, taking someone to lunch--all can be used for your honor and glory if I don't allow negative thoughts to spoil the offering.   Thank you for allowing me to participate with You in spreading Your love to others.  Help me to reject the negative, selfish thoughts and to replace them with Your thoughts.  Let Philippians 4:8 be my testimony:  "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
    Thank you, Lord, for not letting me continue on my merry way thinking my bad attitude was all right because my intentions were to do good.

Doing the seemingly impossible

     As you may have noticed I have been rather busy and have not had time to post on my blog.  A friend sent me the link to this wonderful video, so I thought I would add it here as a little inspiration until I have time to sit down and write.  I pray you are having a blessed Memorial Day weekend.
     Click on this link to see and hear an inspiring performance:  http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=9CC1M1NU

Sanctus Real - The Redeemer live on 94.9 KLTY

      Watch this video to see and hear Sanctus Real talking about--and performing--their new song, "The Redeemer."

      Don't miss them at Elevate 2011 on June 25th at the Martinsville (IL) fairgrounds.   See http://www.elevatemartinsville.com/ for more information and schedules.

Prayer Changes Everything

      One of my favorite verses has always been Jeremiah 33:3, ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’  I guess you might even say it is my life verse because I return to it often and believe it as a promise for me. (I even have a cross stitched picture with this verse hanging on one of my walls to remind myself.)  Many times when I am alone with God in my quiet time, He will show me great and mighty things I didn't know.  These things may come from an impression as I pray, or something I write in my journal as I am waiting on Him, or a scripture that seems to stand out with meaning for the situation I am praying about, and always I have a sense of joy that He is fulfilling the promise of Jeremiah 33:3.
     I love to see answers to specific prayers such as we have seen in the past few days with our daughter-in-law, who is alive and home after a terrible automobile accident with only the loss of a finger!  My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude!  But what really gives me great joy is when God shows me the greater picture--not just the answer, but how He sees the situation--sometimes even how it all fits together in His plans and purposes, and how He will use it for good.  I see these as "the great and mighty things" that I didn't know.      
       Even though prayer has always been a major focus in my life--I have read many books on prayer, gone to conferences and camps with a focus on prayer, and been in many prayer groups--I seem to continue to need encouragement and reminders of how important it is to pray.  That's why I'm posting John Paul Jackson's monthly email newsletter.  I thought you might find it as encouraging as I do.

Prayer Changes Everything

May 2011
by John Paul Jackson

      My relationship with God changed dramatically in 1978. That was the year I started praying every day. I did so because my marriage was in trouble, my little business was in trouble, my job at a major corporation was in trouble and everything was going downhill. 

      You know what? I thought. If I'm going to get fired, I might as well get fired because I'm a raving Christian and not because I’m being a bum, like they think I am. So I started praying — not because I was passionate about prayer but because I really, really wanted to keep my head above water!

It is time to pray
      Prayer is so important. If you have read my partner letters or heard me speak recently, you know that I am concerned for the well-being of the United States. For three years, I have prophesied a “perfect storm” of dramatic events that will affect every nation on Earth. We have already seen many of these events take place, and unfortunately, this storm is far from over.

      Some of you have felt the effects of this storm, and others of you, by God’s grace, have not. But no matter the current state of your circumstances, I urge you to pray. Don’t wait until you have to pray, as I did. Don’t put off strengthening your dependency on God until your life is going downhill and you are desperate. Now is the time.

God the All-Sufficient One
       Something substantial happens in the spiritual realm when we acknowledge God as the All-Sufficient One who is capable of taking care of our every need. When we pray, we promote the spirit and make the mind subservient to the spirit. In other words, prayer helps us come into proper alignment.

       God is Spirit, and He is our Father. We can’t take a single breath without Him (Psalm 104:29), and everything we have comes from Him (1 Chronicles 29:14). As we begin to truly understand this, our prayer lives will transform radically because we will realize our dependence on Him. We pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests (Ephesians 6:18). We cast our cares upon Him, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

      Most of us have a head knowledge of these truths, but we are still caught off guard when we realize that our Father genuinely does intend us to live care-free lives. He is the All-Sufficient One, and we are the ones He is all sufficient for.

God our Father
       As God’s children, we have the full, legitimate right to speak to Him as our Father, to make “all kinds” of requests. If we don't personalize prayer, we won’t get very far. After a while, we will just give up because we won't have the passion for it. It is very difficult to delight in something we don't long for. It is very difficult to desire something that doesn’t seem splendorous to us. We have to personalize prayer in order to have the passion.

       When we call upon His name and we understand the position that He has in our lives, our faith will increase, as well as our understanding that whatever we ask of Him, He will do. We can be confident of that: “This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).

       However, the reverse of that is also true. We will not see God answering prayer if we do not pray.

      So I want to urge each of you to pray. It is time to pull out the stops and become passionate about prayer. Speak to God on behalf of your people. Speak to God on behalf of the world. What burden has He put on your heart? Take it seriously, and pour it out in prayer before Him, remembering always that He is your Father and your words do not fall on deaf ears.

Home

      Amy came home from the hospital about 6:00 tonight.  We are grateful!
      Right now we are awaiting the severe storms that are forecast for most of the midwest tonight.  Pray for the safety of so many people who may be affected.

A Word from Chuck Pierce

This word seems to be speaking to me directly and is encouraging me much, so I thought I would post it because it might speak to some of you, too.

Dear Triumphing Saints:

Sunday's services were not "easy" services, but were filled with revelation. This seemed to be"the Day of the Plumbline!" Before we reach Pentecost, this is a key time to allow the Lord to cleanse us of anything that should not come into our next season. As I shared Sunday, I am giving each of us an assignment to: find a time of communion with the Lord each day this week. Make it a point to get quiet and listen to what He will reveal the "more" that is required of you. Choose to agree with His voice and submit to His plans. Also make a point to call or fellowship with someone else and encourage them to align with God's best.

Angels Are in Our Midst

Most likely, we would not think of "stillness" as one of the greatest warfare weapons available. Stillness occurs when we become one with the King who rules us. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and you become perfectly aligned. At that point, no weapon formed against you can prosper!

Psalm 46:7-11 says, "Adonai-Tzva'ot is with us, our fortress, the God of Ya'akov. (Selah) Come and see the works of Adonai, the astounding deeds He has done on the earth. To the ends of the earth He makes wars cease - He breaks the bow, snaps the spear, burns the shields in the fire. 'Be still! Desist, and learn that I am God, supreme over the nations, supreme over the earth. Adonai-Tzva'ot is with us, our fortress, the God of Ya'akov. (Selah)'" (CJB)

In this season where the Angelic Highway is becoming so prevalent between Heaven and earth, the Lord is calling us to get still and know that angels are in our midst, working on our behalf! If we get our spirit still and in one with the Lord, we can recognize His help around us!

This is a time where the Jericho which stands in front of you and seems invincible must fall. Once you quiet your soul over the next seven days, you will move into the next level of strength to unlock the best that God has for you. The time is now for you to go into your next war but the enemy would love to hold you in the warfare that has created conflict in your soul in the last season.

Tell My People to Be Still

The Lord says, "Be still and watch Me seat you in a place to laugh at the enemies that have been in your path. I am preparing a release of joy for My people. They will laugh at their last failures and blockages. This release of joy from you becoming still in your spirit will get you across and to the other side of your storm. I will give you a strength to overtake the enemies that you have been battling.

"My people are filled with dangerous emotions. I want to settle their emotions so that their minds will think the same way that I think. Unless they allow Me to deal with their dangerous emotions, they will miss many blessings that I have for the future. Many will end up striking the rock as Moses did out of a dangerous emotion instead of speaking to the rock, causing them to miss their door of entry for this season.

"Tell My people to be still. I am calling for a Jericho stillness. This warfare call is important for the future of My people. If they will come before Me for seven straight days and allow Me to still their hearts and quiet their spirits, that which has been invincible in their past and has kept them from moving into their future will fall before them. Tell My people to still their hearts before Me."

I want to encourage you to find a daily place of communion over these next 7 days. We each must find a new personal communion with the Lord. Pulling aside to commune with the Lord over the next 7 days will be a sanctification process like was described in the service yesterday morning. This is very key for moving forward.

Blessings,

Chuck Pierce
Glory of Zion International Ministries
Email: chuckp@glory-of-zion.org

Coming Home

    It sounds as if they are going to release our daughter-in-law to come home from the hospital tomorrow.  We so appreciate all your prayers!  If she comes to mind, please continue to pray for her and the whole family.

God's War On Terror

    I am currently reading, God's War On Terror:  Islam, Prophecy and the Bible, by Walid Shoebat with Joel Richardson.  I have been surprised at how interesting and compelling I have found this book because Islam and prophecy are not topics to which I am usually attracted.  It is a book I believe everybody should read because it shines a bright light on the very evil Islamic religion.  Before you get upset with me and brand me a racist, Islamaphobe, or whatever other name is currently politically correct when someone points out the truth, I recommend you read this book.  It will open your eyes to a very great deception that is being perpetrated on the world and particularly on the West.  If you need more convincing, read these reviews of the book on Amazon.
    Walid Shoebat was born and raised in Bethlehem, Israel.  His mother, an American Christian, was held captive by his father, an Arab, who never allowed her to return home.  She spent 35 years in a Muslim society trying to escape to America.  Walid grew up a terrorist, but when he married a Christian he began to read the Bible and the Koran side by side in an attempt to convert his wife to Islam.  Instead, he was converted to Christianity.  He said he began to see that the Muslim's "good guys" were the Bible's "bad guys", and the Bible's "good guys" were Islam's "bad guys".
    The cover of the book says that Walid's "life mission and driving passion is to bring the truth about the Bible, and the persecution of Israel and Christianity by Islam."
     When I googled his name, as I expected, there were some negative things said about him.  With a book like this, I'm surprised he doesn't have a bounty on his life--maybe he does.  I recently saw an article on World Net Daily in support of him which refuted some of the rumors that have been circulated.  Here is the article if you want to read it.
       I must say this book is the most convincing expose of Islam I have seen, but what is even more interesting is that it has an entirely different perspective on Bible prophecy than I have ever heard.
      If you decide to read it--and I hope you will--let me know what you think.  I would love to discuss your thoughts and opinions.

Please Pray

      Please pray for our daughter-in-law who was involved in a head-on collision yesterday evening.  She was sent to Union Hospital in Terre Haute and then helicoptered to Methodist in Indianapolis, where they performed surgery on her hand.  She lost the index finger of her left hand, and has a large cut on her neck, probably from the seat belt.
    She is doing well, but the doctors are still concerned about infection.  She was moved from critical care to a private room this morning.
    Please pray for our son and their children, and everything involved with the accident--her healing, the insurance and any other issues that present themselves.
   We are all grateful for your prayers!  Thanks so much!

Friends

     I love meeting new people from all walks of life and I also love making new friends.  It is so interesting to learn about different cultures and traditions and to taste new foods--some I had never heard of.  That is one reason I enjoy traveling so much!
      When our children were younger I wanted to invite foreign exchange students to live with us, but because we travelled much between Illinois and Nebraska to visit family and for business, it didn't seem possible.  Now that we live in Illinois my dream of meeting people from all over the world is being realized.  As I was looking at our guest book the other day I was amazed at the number of places our guests have come from.  We have had the opportunity to host new (and old) friends from many different cities and states in the U.S., plus Australia, Hungary, Kenya, Belgium, the U.K, Norway, Uganda, and the Caribbean.  What a blessing to now have friends all over the world!  I guess I'm never satisfied though, because I am always eager to meet someone new.
     Several people have visited this blog which not only makes me curious to know who they are, but where they live and also how they discovered the blog.  If you are reading this, but don't know me personally, I would love to get to know you, too.  I feel almost as if we are friends already because you know much about me, but I want to know you, too.  I would love to hear from you, either from comments left on the blog, or through email.  I would find it so interesting to know what your life is like, how you found this blog, and what you enjoy reading on it.  (Of course, I'm always eager to hear from old friends, too.)     
      I guess I am just a naturally curious person, but you must be, also, to have found this blog.  That means we already have one thing in common that I know about.
      I'm looking forward to hearing from you.