A mother Arose

Judges 5:7 b

Until I, Deborah, arose,
Arose a mother in Israel.


This is the verse the Lord brought to me this morning. It resounded in my heart. A mother of Israel arose. Where are the mothers arising today? Am I rising up? Am I standing up and shouting No to the enemy? Deborah was a warrior. She went into battle. Most of us, though we are sure we can't even achieve it prefer the Proverbs 31 Woman. We can at least be safe at home. Or maybe the Titus 2 woman. Teaching seems so gentile and pleasant.

But here is Deborah. A Warrior! For crying out loud! A Warrior? Me? Lord you must be talking to someone else. No? You are talking to me.

Deborah was a judge, a prophetess, a mother and a leader. Things were going terribly wrong and she talked to Barak asked him, Didn't God tell you to go deploy troops? to fight the battle? She was in essence saying to him. Hey Buddy aren't you supposed to be obeying God and fighting the battle and winning? He answered her and said If you will go with me I will go but if you won't I won't. She pointed out that if she went than the glory would go to a woman. Being a smart man he didn't care. So up she went with him. And long story short: they won the battle. And have you even heard his name? I have but had forgotten it. But anyone that knows much about the Bible has heard Deborah's name. She got the glory. And in their song of victory she sings the verse above. She was a Mother in the land where she lived. A woman in the area she occupied. She had a job... or two. She was a very busy woman. But she saw that there was danger and she pointed out to someone what THEY should be doing. But when he wouldn't do it alone She arose and fought the battle along with the others. And they won.

I don't know about you but I lift my eyes and all around me are battles. Good and evil. Pain, suffering, sorrow assails many. Prodigals, people that are blinded and have never seen the truth of God. Fruitless Christians, struggling and ineffective, defeated. And this message, this statement, this strong song that Deborah sings out UNTIL I, DEBORAH, AROSE, AROSE A MOTHER IN ISRAEL. This calls out to me. There was
trouble and a mother arose. I hear the clear challenge. The ringing question. Will I arise? Will you arise? Will a mother in the body of Christ Arise? Sisters, will we arise and do what the Lord is calling us to do? Will you be a warrior? Will you pray? Will you teach? Will you serve? Will you role model? Will you arise and do whatever the Lord is asking you to do? There is a Keith Green song below are part of the lyrics:

Who you gonna throw in the lake of fire,
Oh God our Lord?
Who you gonna throw when the flames get higher,
Oh God our Lord?
The Devil and the man with the dark desire,
Oh God our Lord.
The Devil and the man with the dark desire,
Oh God our Lord.

Oh God our Lord, Oh God our Lord.
Who you gonna throw in the lake of fire,
Oh God our Lord, Oh God our Lord.

Will my name be there when the books are opened,
Oh God our Lord.
Will my name be there when the books are opened,
Oh God our Lord.

You better know now, don't just be hoping,
Oh God our Lord.
You better know now, don't just be hoping,
Oh God our Lord.
Oh God our Lord, Oh God our Lord.
Will my name be there when the books are opened,
Oh God our Lord, Oh God our Lord.

Who's outside of the Holy City,
Oh God our Lord.
Tell me, who's left out of the Holy City,
Oh God our Lord.
The liar and the thief and the ones half ready,
Oh God our Lord.
The liar and the thief and the ones half ready,
Oh God our Lord.

Oh God our Lord, Oh God our Lord.
Tell me who's left out of the Holy City,
Oh God our Lord, Oh God our Lord.


This song haunts me. Who will be fooled? Who will be half ready? Who won't know God when they die? We have to tell them. We hold the truth in our hands. We know the truth in our hearts. We have to be Women of God, Mighty Warriors. So some day we can say with Deborah: I AROSE, A MOTHER AROSE! Don't be mistaken. We are in a war. In a war for people's souls.

Pencils

I must admit. I buy notebooks though none of my children or my grand baby is in school. I love a blank book with lovely pages ready to record any fancy my mind wishes to expound upon. So I buy new notebooks. I mean they are such a good price. A down right steal. Right? Than sometimes I share them with a daughter here and there because she also loves a blank page full of promise of a beautiful thought or a delightful story or a beckoning list. It’s like I gave her a piece of the finest chocolate. And don’t even get me started on pencils. Lovely, lovely pencils.

Well, okay since you got me started. One of the best presents ever was pencils already sharpened from my friend Ellen. Delightful! You get them at Walmart they are a natural wood color and they come SHARPENED! Already! I know, you are scratching your head. But I'm a little challenged when it comes to being organized and I can never find a pencil sharpener. So pre-sharpened pencils rule. And even if you have a sharpener they don't have the same kind of point. I'm getting off on a tangent. Let's leave it that I love pencils and sharpened wood colored pencils especially. Though I may branch out and dally with pencils of other colors. As I have occasionally taken a stroll on the wild side and tried to draw with colored pencils. Alas, the only pictures I can paint are with words. But I'm good with that. But my heart for now, belongs to the natural, pre-sharpened pencils that record my thoughts, dreams and lists.

Give Them Opportunity

I have up on my wall some of that blank paper they wrap around your breakables from Hobby Lobby. Yes, two sheets. One taped to the wall and one to the door. They are there for when my sweet grandbaby, Bekki, who is 3 visits again. She had totally covered the last one we had up and I came across two more and replaced the other one. You see in our house we let them "write on the wall". Okay, not literally on the wall but when Mandi was little some 30 odd years ago. I heard someone say they were going to write on the wall why not cover it with paper and let them go at it. Trying to encourage them to stay on the paper. We had access to reams of used computer paper back when it came in long held together sheets that went on for miles. I tore some apart and taped them on the wall. Voila, the beginning of creativity in my children. I love their creativity. They will try so many things. Sewing, drawing, painting, crocheting, whatever hits their fancy. I WAS always so afraid but they inspire me. I remember one time one of the girls was going to decorate their flags for the flag group. One of her friends was like well I will have to go to town and get stuff to do that. But my daughter didn't. We had glitter, glue, paint, etc The other girl was so surprised. But if you want your children to be creative you have to have the supplies. Even if you pick them up a little at a time. Let them paint, cook, write, draw, put glitter on anything, every thing. I love glitter, don't you? And I love creating. And giving my girls creative license is something I'm so proud I was able to do.

Taking Back

I have been hanging out at my friend's blog lately. She is so very creative. It is very inspiring. She oozes creativity. I think that if I hadn't been so full of fear I could have been more like her in my own way. I am very creative too but I let fear of other's opinions, fear of failure, fear of sinning, fear of who knows what stifle me through the years. Recently she wrote about being dammed up in an area. This struck a note with me. I have lived a life dammed up with fear and all his associates. I lived for over 20 years with low grade depression that would flair up into real heavy depression from time to time. But I have been free almost 8 or 9 years now and I think it is time to take back that that was stolen from me. I have also been dwelling in verse 7 of Isaiah 61. The NIV version and the Amplified version. I wrote this prayer/declaration from it:

"Instead of my former shame, I shall have a two-fold recompense, a double portion. Instead of dishonour, disgrace and reproach. I will rejoice in my portion, my inheritance. Therefore in my land (home, life) I will inherit, possess double what I have forfeited. And everlasting joy & peace will be mine! I receive double honour."

I especially like the part of, "what I have forfeited". I have forfeited my inheritance in these areas. My parents were creative when younger. My mom made a lot of my clothes when I was a child and clothes for my dolls. Besides being a seemstress she was a gardner and a quilter. Dad did some projects with wood and restored the insides of vintage cars. My Grandmothers both canned, sewed and quilted. They grew flowers. And Dad's side of the family had a way with stories. They told exciting stories, exagerated stories. When I read Mark Twain I felt like I was reading a family member's story. My uncles and aunts also had this kind of creative streak. So I have a great inheritance in creativity.
I am taking back my honour, my portion in this area. I'm looking to flourish and for my gifts to make room for me. Can't wait for the joy and peace that is coming to me.
I invite you to join me. What have you forfeited? What has been stolen from you by the enemy? It is never ever too late. Pray this prayer with me and take back what is gone. Let your gifts make room for you. Start enjoying what God has placed in you.

p.s. A. special thank you to Jeannie for inspiration

My thing is prayer. Ever since I was a little girl I have felt a pull toward prayer. Our church once had someone praying 24 hours a day for an upcoming revival. Much to their credit they let the young people be a part. I must have been around 12 to 14years old. They let me sign up for 2 15 minute spots. I was so proud to be part of something big like that. I was faithful and did my best.
Jump forward to now. I would call myself a prayer warrior, an intercessor. But my confession is that I didn't really have an exact prayer time each day. OH NO! I'm sort of a laid back kind of person. Not into time or structure. Time challenged might be the word I'm looking for. So, no morning devotion at the same time each day or night. Now don't get me wrong. I pray. I pray in the shower, as I'm falling to sleep, in the middle of the night, on my school bus (don't tell big brother), in my car, while people are talking to me, at the store (no I'm not talking to myself), while I'm waiting, and at church on Friday mornings with my prayer partner Janie. Oh yes, on Sundays during the service too. But it is random, as needed. No set time. I used to feel guilty after years of trying and failing at having a daily set time. But a few years ago I let go of the guilt and just kept praying without beating myself up for not doing it the perfect way. But recently something has happened and
it has been amazing.
A man came to our church and preached. Bob Rogers. He challenged us to have
structure and set aside a specific time to pray with a pattern. The Lord's Prayer. This wasn't a new concept to me. Larry Lea preached this a few years ago. But I could not "tary one hour" back than. Though I gave it my best shot.
But for some reason, maybe a God reason, this time this minister's preahing on this concept captivated me. He took me in. I even thought how I wished our church would pray 24/7 like when I was a kid. Before I knew what happened I was down front with Paul next to me, my mom and Mandi some where in the crowd all down at the altar pledging to pray at a specific time with a specific pattern for the month of March. And I don't know how exactly it happened but they wanted to cover all the hours of the day and asked for us to commit to a time as he went through the hours of the day. And there I was with my hand up for the 3-4 A.M. time slot. Wait a minute! Who pushed my arm up? Oh, that was me, I guess. Well, I'm a little OCD and if I make a commitment I do my best to follow through. So the next day my adventure began. And for 23 days now I have been getting up and meeting with the Lord. I really thought Wow this is going to be great. God is going to change people. WooHoo. I had no idea the person He was going to change would be me. You see Bob Rogers said to expect a breakthrough on the 3rd day and the 7th and the 10th and I spaced out about that time but Paul reassured me there were more breakthrough days mentioned. Guess what happened at the first breakthrough? God healed my wounded heart. I had a relationship in my life that was broken and it is hard to describe but when I was around that person I was in pain and angry and it was a person I love. On the third day God touched me. Yep just like that wonderful old hymn "He
Touched Me, Something happened and now I know, He touched me and made me whole". I am again enjoying a sweet fellowship with this person. No anger, no hurt. I don't know if you believe in miracles but I sure do. It is a miracle. The other person hasn't changed at all. But my reactions and feelings have. When they are unreasonable or annoying it doesn't bother me. We even laugh and have fun together again. Hooray! God is awesome. So I am very excited about this adventure I'm on. This act of obedience is taking me into new uncharted waters. I will share more with you later. Hope I whet your appetite for more.