Reflections on the Good Shepherd and a Big Blessing!

 
This is a picture of how I've felt over the past year, Gail-Friends.  I hope you laugh -- I did when I saw it.  It's a perfect depiction of how confused and helpless I was.

 

This photo is a picture of my spirit right now.  The "Son" is coming up over a beautiful field of flowers.  That's how I feel  Haleluyah!  

 

 

 

The year 2020 and the last six months have been extremely difficult. Grief and loss have visited me  over and over.  Thankfully, the Good Shepherd has held my hand as we walked through the valley of the shadow of death together.  Thank you, dear Gail-Friends, for your prayers, kind words, and support you've shown.  

 

I confess to you, dear Gail-Friends, that I have failed to be vigilant in battle against the evil one.  There were times I grew weary.  I wanted to just stay at home and not go out.  I could not write.  But praise God, when I stumbled, He helped me up.  Psalm 23 has been my consistent meditation when tears flowed through the night. 

With God's help, I have reached the place that Psalm 23 speaks of:

•   He has prepared a table for me in the presence of my enemies.  Even though the evil one has   been attacking me steadily, I am experiencing God's joy again.
•   He has anointed my head with oil.  I once again feel His presence and comfort.  I know His favor is upon me, even though at times I felt like a female Job.  
•   My cup is running over.  Once again, God has taught me lessons as I walked through the dark valley  -- truths that no one can take away from me. 

One thing I learned is that I have to be extremely vigilant about my thought life.  The evil one was roaring and roaming like a lion.  I can't just complain that there's a lion in the street.  I have to get up and destroy him. (Proverbs 22:13).  

 

Here's what the Word says about that:  

 

  Stay sober, stay alert! Your enemy, the Adversary, stalks about like a roaring lion

 looking for someone to devour. (I Peter 5:8 CJB)

 

 and

 

 Therefore, submit to God. Moreover, take a stand against the Adversary, 

and he will flee from you.(James 4:7 CJB)

I hope hope to share more about this lesson as well as some of other things I experienced and learned in the days and weeks ahead.  

 

And now for the BIG BLESSING!!

God has answered my prayers -- we have a new grandson!  

And here he is - Elijah Love.  Don't you love his name?  

 

Can you tell I am over the moon with JOY!!!?

 

 Have a great week, Gail-Friends, and a Good Shabbos.

Lord willing, I will post again next week.

P.S. - and very important:

Recently, the Feedburner team released a system update, that the email subscription service (up top on the right of this blog) will be discontinued in July 2021. After July 2021, the automated emails to my subscribers will no longer be supported. If you’d like to continue getting updates on my blog, please consider switching to Feedly, Blog Lovin, or some other system. In the meantime, I will see what options I can offer on my end. Thank you for understanding and subscribing! Love, Gail

 

Leaning on My Beloved

 

 

I need your prayers, friends. Please don't ask for details - just pray and believe. This has been one of the hardest years of my life . . . so much death and sorrow.  I've never known such grief . . .

I know that God works everything together for my good because I am called to His purpose.

 I am being drawn closer to My Beloved through every pain and sorrow. I'm leaning on Him and clinging to this promise from His Word: 

 What the righteous hope for will end in JOY.

Proverbs 10:28a  (CJB) 

This beautiful poem is a message that has soothed my soul as I cling to Him.  

Songs of the Beloved poetry by Maria Egilsson

(from the author's Facebook page and used with her permission.)

 

 

The broken way

Is where we often walk

With grief and weight

That rest heavy

With confusion

And lances the

Heart with pain

Yet it is there

That we find Him

The One who has

Walked this road

Who offers His hand

To take us through

This thin place

Where we feel

Brittle and a bit lost

Until sacredness

Overwhelms and

We find ourselves

On holy ground

Lost in His love

 

Shabbat Music - Sweet Beulah Land

 

 

My dear friend and sister, Carlleen, passed away last week.  The pain of her loss is great, so I know it must be very, very hard on her husband and other loved ones.  Please pray for them.

In just over a year, I have lost four friends and one dear uncle.  Yes, praise God, I have the blessed hope of seeing them again in Heaven one day,  but it still hurts.  I'm holding to the Good Shepherd's strong hand  and I know His comfort will see me through to the other side of this long, dark valley.  

The wonderful women, who were like sisters I never had, were a special gift from God to me.  For each one I am so grateful.  Their loss, and that of my uncle, press home to me that every day is precious.  

Express your love to your friends and family.  Tell them and show them that love while you can.

None of us is promised tomorrow. 

This song has been on my heart all week.  It's always made me cry, but it's a good cry.  Tears are part of God's healing.  I never knew I had so many in me.  Shabbat shalom to you all.  May your rest be worship-full and sweet.

Sweet Beulah Land by Squire Parsons

This Is The Year of The Lord's Favor

 

This is the song Adonai brought to me today.  This is the Year by Deborah Kline-Iantorno & Vince Iantorno His comfort is such a blessing in my life.  Like I've said in previous posts, I've been grieving.  Being still, reading His Word, talking to Him, listening to His voice -- all of these are healing and restore my soul.  I am so thankful.  I receive His ministry to me today, and I pray it is also for my country.  This week is important to the future of America.  On January 6, the electors will vote in D.C.  I praise Adonai for I know He is in control.

The song is based on Isaiah 61 and it is titled "Besorah for the Brokenhearted."  Besorah is the Hebrew word for "Good News."  I hope the Scripture and the song will minister to you today.   

Besorah for the Brokenhearted

61 The Ruach of Adonai Elohim is on me,
because Adonai has anointed me
    to proclaim Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,
² to proclaim the year of Adonai’s favor
    and the day of our God’s vengeance,
to comfort all who mourn
³ to console those who mourn in Zion,
to give them beauty for ashes,
    the oil of joy for mourning,
    the garment of praise
        for the spirit of heaviness,
    that they might be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of Adonai,
    that He may be glorified.

⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins.
They will restore former desolations.
They will repair the ruined cities,
the desolations of many generations.
⁵ Strangers will stand and shepherd your flocks,
children of foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers.
⁶ But you will be called the kohanim of Adonai,
They will speak of you as the ministers of our God.
You will eat the wealth of nations
    and boast in their abundance.

⁷ Instead of your shame, double portion.
instead of disgrace they will sing for joy.
Therefore in their land they will inherit a double portion;
    they will have everlasting joy.
⁸ For I, Adonai, love justice.
I hate robbery in the burnt offering.
In faithfulness I will reward My people
and cut an eternal covenant with them.
⁹ Then their offspring will be known among the nations,
their descendants among the peoples.
All who see them will recognize them,
    for they are the seed that Adonai has blessed.

¹⁰ I will rejoice greatly in Adonai.
My soul will be joyful in my God.
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me in a robe of righteousness—
like a bridegroom wearing a priestly turban,
like a bride adorning herself with her jewels.

¹¹ For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes things sown to spring up,
so Adonai Elohim will cause justice and praise
    to spring up before all the nations.

(Tree of Life Version)

In His Presence

 

 
Sunrises and sunsets overwhelm me with the glory of Adonai.  My heart overflows with love and worship.  How can any person not believe in Him when all creation declares His presence ?

I've lost two loved ones in the past two weeks -- my dear friend and sister, Linda, and my sweet Uncle Cecil who passed away on Sunday.  I miss them both so much.  Yes, I know I have the blessed hope of seeing them again one day, but I still feel such an emptiness in my heart.  Praising God always helps me get through times like these.  

My dear uncle was the only remaining sibling on my father's side of the family.  He was so much like Daddy -- it was almost like being with him again.  I treasure the phone conversations and visits we had over the last few years. Please pray for his family, and me, as we go through this dark valley, holding tight to the Good Shepherd's loving hand.

I'm continuing my series of music to praise Adonai, to do battle in the spirit -- and to lift the heaviness I feel.  I pray this song will bless you as it does me.  In Your Presence by Paul Wilbur with lyrics

I've shared this song before, but it perfectly describes the joys of His presence.  I pray you will be still, look around you at the beauty of His creations -- the skies, birds, flowers -- and praise Him.  Your heart will lift, and you will find sweet rest in His presence.