Utah Miners

Since August 6th, there have been six miners trapped in a mine in Utah. They may never be able to get to them, and it's such a sad situation. I cannot imagine what their families are going through.

It's caused me to appreciate my husband more than ever. He is an electrician, and I take for granted that he will come home safely at the end of the day. He works commercial rather than residential, and the reality is that his line of work is dangerous. I appreciate all of his hard work, and he is a hard worker. He rarely gets sick, but when he does, he goes to work, and works hard. The reality though is that no matter what a person's job is, or their age, death is no respecter of persons.

I've been following the Utah miner situation since the beginning, and it has caused me to do a lot of thinking. It just reinforces to me that none of us are guaranteed another day of life, or that we will take another breath. We assume our loved ones are always going to be there, that they will come home at the end of the day, but that doesn't always happen. I'm sure those miners believed they would work their scheduled hours and go home to their families. They didn't know they wouldn't come out alive. It's sobering to think about.

As a Christian, I trust God that whatever comes my way each day, He will see me through it. I have that hope because I am saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and through Christ alone, all to the glory of God. I was a lost sinner, dead in my trespasses sins with no hope in this world.

Ephesians 2:1-10

Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

Ephesians 2:2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

Ephesians 2:3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Ephesians 2:6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 2:7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Ephesians 2:9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and the wages for sin is death.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As a Christian, I believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,

1 Corinthians 15:2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

1 Corinthians 15:4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

1 Corinthians 15:5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

1 Corinthians 15:6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

1 Corinthians 15:8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

1 Corinthians 15:11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

To those who are lost, I pray that God will open your eyes to the truth and grant you the faith to believe and trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life. The only hope for sinners is Jesus Christ, and trusting in Him for eternal life, trusting in His death, burial, and resurrection. Trusting that He alone can save you from your sins through His shed blood, which was shed for sinners.

Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

Colossians 1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Romans 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us never take our loved ones for granted. Let's not forget to tell them how much we love and appreciate them.

My prayers are with the families of the miners.

12 Week Challenge is Almost Over

This summer I took the challenge from Christa to "Seize the Summer." The twelve weeks will end on September 1st. For me, it's been a very challenging twelve weeks, but a good one. There was some confusion on my part on an issue regarding my role as a wife, but I believe that's been cleared up.

I wish I could say that I have it all down pat, I submit perfectly, and that I always respect my husband, but I can't. I'm still a work in progress, and the Lord continues to work in me both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Philippians 2:12 "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

Philippians 2:13 "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

We've been married for almost 18 years, and it's only been within the past few years that I have begun to understand exactly what my role is. With me being 49 years old, you would think that I would be further along in this than I am, but alas, I am not. One book that helped me tremendously in understanding what marriage is to be is Martha Peace's book, The Excellent Wife. Until I read that book, I had not understood that marriage is to be a reflection of Christ and the Church. That seems to have made a big impact on me, and these past few months have caused me to be more focused as to how I can truly be a help meet to my husband. Go over to Christa's blog, she is reviewing Martha's book on Wednesdays.

I have so far to go, yet I thank the Lord that He is still working in me. I thank Him that He is changing the desires of my heart, especially as a wife.

With each passing day I see more and more how dependent upon the Lord I am. He shows me the areas I need to grow in, and along with that, He gives me the desire to grow in that same area. As the mother of two daughters, and one of them a teen, I see the huge responsibility I have to teach them how to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands.

Titus 2:3 "Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,

Titus 2:4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,

Titus 2:5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled."

The King James Version uses a much stronger word than reviled. This is what verse 5 says in the KJV:

Titus 2: 5 "To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

"That the word of God be not blasphemed." That's pretty strong language to me.

My prayer is that the Lord would draw me closer to Himself, and that He would develop within me a meek and quiet spirit.

1 Peter 3: 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

soaringcardinal/John and Eleanor Skrensky

This post is going to be an unusual one. The other night, out of sheer boredom, I decided to do a Google search on my maternal grandfather's name. Much to my surprise, I came a cross a post on a forum from someone that was written way back in April, 2000 who was looking for the family of John and Eleanor Skrensky. She posted for her grandmother, who is trying to find her family. She said it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Her grandmother is the youngest daughter of one of my grandfather's brothers, or sisters.

The person who posted is no longer on that forum, and I am praying she will one day do another search, and my blog will come up. I was shocked to see her post, and excited at the same time.

So, if you're out there somewhere, leave a comment so I can get in touch with you!

Streams in the Desert - August 2, 2007

I hope the below is as much of an encouragement to someone as it was to me.

Classic Streams in the Desert

Make a Way by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

"I will make all my mountains a way" (Isa.49:11).

God will make obstacles serve His purpose. We all have mountains in our lives. There are people and things that threaten to bar our progress in the Divine life. Those heavy claims, that uncongenial occupation, that thorn in the flesh, that daily cross--we think that if only these were removed we might live purer, tenderer, holier lives; and often we pray for their removal.

"Oh, fools, and slow of heart!" These are the very conditions of achievement; they have been put into our lives as the means to the very graces and virtues for which we have been praying so long. Thou hast prayed for patience through long years, but there is something that tries thee beyond endurance; thou hast fled from it, evaded it, accounted it an unsurmountable obstacle to the desired attainment, and supposed that its removal would secure thy immediate deliverance and victory.

Not so! Thou wouldest gain only the cessation of temptations to impatience. But this would not be patience. Patience can be acquired only through just such trials as now seem unbearable.

Go back; submit thyself. Claim to be a partaker in the patience of Jesus. Meet thy trials in Him. There is nothing in life which harasses and annoys that may not become subservient to the highest ends. They are His mountains. He puts them there. We know that God will not fail to keep His promise. "God understandeth the way thereof and knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven"; and when we come to the foot of the mountains, we shall find the way.--Christ in Isaiah, by Meyer

"The meaning of trial is not only to test worthiness, but to increase it; as the oak is not only tested by the storm, but toughened by them."