Weakness in prayer-sometimes the perfect place to be

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:26,27

The above Scripture has been going through my mind the past few days. It is such a comfort to know that during the times that I am unable to pray, where no words will come, when all I can do is cry, "LORD!", He is in fact petitioning the Father in my stead. His prayers are perfect and He prays "in accordance with God's will." How many times have I said "Your will be done" and still struggled to maintain my will! How patient and faithful He is to bear with my folly and continue to groan on my behalf in spite of my own impatience and unfaithfulness!

My Father and my God, I thank You for the way You have made a way for the longings of my heart will be filled! And I thank You for the intercession not just for my imperfect prayers, but for the way Jesus interceded in the course of my merry and miserable journey to Hell. You bring Life to dead places. You know the dead heart of Man, and in Your people You bring these dead hearts to Life! You have taken this heart that was once a cold piece of stone and transformed it into a temple in which the Spirit now resides. Apart from You I cannot be.

Amish tragedy

Words cannot express the sadness that came to my heart when I saw the breaking news on TV Monday. I have for many years had a deep respect and admiration for the Amish people, a people of peace and simplicity, who never get caught up in the world's drama, who's way of life has perservered while the culture at large grows more "progressive", i.e. more pagan.

I have at times thought of what it would be like to forsake my current station and live as the Amish and I must admit, I find a great number of things about that lifestyle that could be much more rewarding.

Daily I pray for this community, these brothers and sisters in Christ, and have wept several times for their loss. I have sensed a leading in my soul to write a letter of sympathy and encouragement and through the Lancaster Co. Sheriff's office have obtained an address to send cards and letters. I thought I'd pass it along in case anyone reading this feels the same.

Amish Families
c/o Bart Fire Company
Box 72
Bart, PA 17503

Forefathers John Calvin, Robert E. Lee and my Heavenly Father

But although our mind cannot conceive of God, without rendering some worship to him, it will not, however, be sufficient simply to hold that he is the only being whom all ought to worship and adore, unless we are also persuaded that he is the fountain of all goodness, and that we must seek everything in him, and in none but him. My meaning is: we must be persuaded not only that as he once formed the world, so he sustains it by his boundless power, governs it by his wisdom, preserves it by his goodness, in particular, rules the human race with justice and judgement, bears with them in mercy, shields them by his protection; but also that not a particle of light, or wisdom, or justice, or power, or rectitude, or genuine truth, will anywhere be found, which does not flow from him, and of which he is not the cause; in this way we must learn to expect and ask all things from him, and thankfully ascribe to him whatever we receive. For this sense of the divine perfections is the proper master to teach us piety, out of which religion springs. By piety I mean that union of reverence and love to God which the knowledge of his benefits inspires. For, until men feel that they owe everything to God, that they are cherished by his paternal care, and that he is the author of all their blessings, so that nought is to be looked for away from him, they will never submit to him in voluntary obedience; nay, unless they place their entire happiness in him, they will never yield up their whole selves to him in truth and sincerity.

From "Institutes of the Christian Religion" by John Calvin

Are you a Southerner or a Yankee?

Take this here little test-it will do either one of two things: it will confirm what you already knew to begin with, or it will suprise you at the way our beautiful Southern dialect is being polluted by the harsh Yankee tongue.

This was posted on one of my favourite forums

The Dixie War Room

I Am The South

by Louise Nettles Allen

I was born on April 12, 1861, in the Harbor of Charleston, South Carolina and the Constitution of the Confederate States of America is my Birth Certificate.

The blood lines of the South run through my veins, for I offer freedom that each State should regulate her own affairs, according to its best interest. I am many things and many people.

I Am The South.

I am millions of living souls, and ghosts of thousands who died for me. I am the Farmer-made soldier who did not turn his back during Pickett's Charge. I am the Rebel Yell that was heard across many of my rolling fields, protecting our homeland.

I am Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson: I stood at Fort Sumter and fired the shot heard through our young nation. I am Longstreet, Hood and Patrick R. Cleburne. I am General's Johnson, Beaugard and President Jefferson Davis.

I remember how we fought in Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Vicksburg, and Atlanta. When duty called I answered and stayed until it was over. I left my heroic dead in Chickamauga, in the fields of Shiloh, on the bloody hills of Mannassas and the mountains of Kennesaw.

I Am The South.

I am the Mississippi River, and the cotton fields of Alabama and the piney woods of the Carolinas. I am the coal fields of Virginia and Kentucky, the Florida coast and the Louisiana bayou. I am Richmond, the Capitol of the Confederacy. I am the forest, field, mountain, and rivers. I am the quiet villages and the cities that never sleep.

I am the Heritage that's been forgotten, the dying memory of a way of life that is being still. You see me in the twilight and hear me in Dixie, as the past continues to fade away each year.

Yes, I Am The South, and these are the things I represent.

I was conceived by force, and God willing, I'll spend the rest of my days remembering my birth. May I always possess the integrity and the courage, and the strength to keep my Heritage alive, to remain a Loyal Southerner and stand tall and proud to the rest of the world.

Do not forget who we are, what we are and where we came from.... This is my goal, my hope, my prayer.
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Oh, I found out yesterday my sister is having another girl...Yea!!! Aunt Dessie x 2!

A sad day is looming

In a way I look forward to tomorrow, and in a way I dread it. Our usual Thursday afternoon "Lunch and Pray" group will meet to break bread, fellowship, and pray together. The focus of our prayers for the last 5 1/2 months have been for our church, as we are in the process of searching for a new pastor. This Sunday will be the final message we hear from our pastor, Don Watkins. So, as he joins us in prayer tomorrow, it will be bittersweet.

Joyfully in the Lord, he is going (and we are sending) him to Paducah, Kentucky to plant a church. This area is in real need of Reformed teaching. It is an exciting thing to see, when the Lord takes His people to places they never thought they would go. In that same vein, our congregation is looking forward to see just who the Lord brings our way, not only to fill the pulpit temporarily, but to take over as "Resident Shepherd."

Tomorrow I will make something special for dessert and make sure I have plenty of tissues in my bag. And though we are prepared to let Don and his family go, Sunday will probably be one of the most difficult days of our lives.

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On a brighter note, I found an article link through LOS...rather uplifting, I think.

http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=75646

Vacation Details

Been a while...I realize this. OK, I am going to try to keep this more updated.

I just got back from a "vacation." I don't get many of those, and this one was especially enjoyable and relaxing.

I went to the annual Highlands Study Center conference in Abingdon, Va. and afterwards stopped by my sister's in Raleigh, NC for a couple of days.

I have been wanting to visit the Study center for a few years but it never worked out that I could get away. Well, I decided this year I was going, even if I had to walk. Well, thankfully, I didn't have to walk; in fact I bought a new (well, "new-to-me" anyway) car, so I drove. Thirteen hours in the car up there was splendid, just the Lord and me, singing and praying to Him as I drove. But by mile 600, I was so ready to be there and out of the car!

Abingdon turned out to be one of the most charming places I have ever seen. I love history and there was no short of it there. I spent some time at the Martha Washington Inn and Barter Theatre. I got to stroll along Main Street for a while, just taking in the sights and breathing the cool mountain air.

The conference began Friday evening. Of course RC Sproul Jr. spoke, along with his guests-RC Sr., Doug Phillips and his father Howard. The overall theme was "Honor", but Doug's messages really moved me, sometimes to the point of tears. I came away so convicted about the attitude of my heart at times, especially in regard to honoring my parents. Although I may honor them on the surface, many times my heart does not.

As a kid, I remember rolling my eyes and giving a big dramatic sigh, as if they just had no clue. I may not roll my eyes or heave a huge sigh outwardly, but I most certainly do inwardly. Heavenly Father, please forgive me and give me a spirit of honoring not only my parents, but all other authority, especially Yours.

OK, back to Friday. I had been praying for a few weeks prior to meet people who I could connect with and possibly get to know while I was there, since I would be going solo. While I was sitting there in my seat in between breaks, a lady behind me tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was by myself. She introduced herself as Valerie and invited me to join her and some other folks for some game playing later on that night. Well, the Lord sure did answer those prayers!

I met a few other ladies, their husbands and children and we played games until about 1am. We talked about a wide variety of things, laughed and had fun. I dragged myself back to my hotel just to get back up in a few short hours.

Saturday's messages were just as awesome as Friday's; however, the one that I loved the most was RC Jr's "Delivering the Kingdom to the Father." The Wedding Feast of the Lamb. The New Jerusalem. Heaven. Events and times that many times I fail to look towards. Things and places as we know them now will oneday be destroyed. All of our material possessions, our silver and gold will perish, things that we hold on to dearly will rot. So, why then do I have a hard time relinquishing? On that day-the beautiful, glorious, awe strickening, unfathomable day of the Lord, all things will be forgotten except seeing my Lord and my God as He truely is, seeing Him through a new, unblemished set of eyes, beholding the likeness of His face and placing my fingers over His scars. In a place where "Jesus feeds me" (thank you RC Jr for that phrase that I can never forget.)