Evil

Evil: "Profound immorality, wickedness, and depravity, esp. when regarded as a supernatural force."

We saw evil's awful power on display long before our world began. It reared its ugly head and angels fell from heaven. It has been with us ever since.

It slithered into Paradise and set a chain of events into motion that would ultimately cost the Son of God His very life. It flexed its muscles when one brother murdered another and then boldly walked into every phase of human history.

It has taken mankind to unimaginable depths. We read of its dark journey on the pages of scripture. History is replete with its malicious deeds. It thumbs its haughty nose and walks into our homes in a myriad of seemingly innocent ways - seeking to satisfy an insatiable appetite for power.

Evil has had its victories, but when that One came to redeem what it sought to destroy, the war was over. His death and resurrection sealed evil's fate, but it battles, in its death throes, to take all the territory it can.

We have a Savior who has not only won the victory for us, but He gives us everything we need to fight the battle with evil we all face. Most of us don't see it in its vilest form, but it is there just below the surface of our neat and tidy lives.

I have been doing some writing for an organization that confronts some of the very worst of evil's handiwork. It is called Freedom Youth Project and is an anti human trafficking organization. You can read about their work here at their website. The enormity of this evil is overwhelming. They are working to help the victims of this horrific crime.

My part is a small one. They are developing a website to inform both youth and parents about the dangers. I am given one of the true stories of a rescued victim of human trafficking. I then rewrite that story in the first person - giving them a voice that serves to warn others. The stories are not easy to read. Evil is never pretty when exposed to the light, but it doesn't thrive when it is.

They are looking for writers. Might you pray about it and see if it is something the Lord would have you do? You will find a form on their website where you can volunteer (just click the volunteer button at the top of the page). Please pray for this organization and others who are doing this good work. Especially pray for those who have been and still are victims of this horrific crime.

Thank you so much.

"Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good."
Romans 12:21

Linking to Emily's imperfect prose today.





With love,
Linda

Memorial Day

Yesterday we decided to drive the country roads not too far from home and search for some things for the new house. We began the hunt in Comfort - a small town filled with lovely shops. The streets were nearly empty, and we strolled and looked to our hearts' content.

 We enjoyed the looking but couldn't find anything that quite fit the size of our pocketbook (Old things are really expensive!). So we traveled a bit further to Fredricksburg. It looked as though everyone else had the same idea! We could hardly find a place to park.

Same story here, but we did buy a couple of chocolate chip ice cream cones. Then we slowly made our way home.

It was a perfectly lovely day.

 Blessings, Linda

P.S. I am becoming increasingly disenchanted with blogger. Why can't I get some decent space between the pictures? I've redone it three times, and it insists on setting itself up this way. Yikes!!

Sabbath Rest

"Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you shall find rest find for your souls."

Matt. 11: 28, 29

Joining in community with Deidra:



Blessings,
Linda

Our Shepherd

"God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
   You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
      you find me quiet pools to drink from.
   True to your word,
      you let me catch my breath
      and send me in the right direction. "
Psalm 23: 1-3

May you find rest in the One who cares so deeply for you.

Joining Sandy for Still Saturday:



Blessings,
Linda

Opportunity

Fridays roll around so quickly - don't they? It's time for Five-Minute Friday and today's word is:

Opportunity

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How many times have I walked away from a conversation wishing I had taken the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus? What is it that makes me so timid? I don't have to look too deeply for the answer. It has been just below the surface all my life - this fear of offending, of being thought less of.

I type those words and feel the same sense of shame wrap itself around me. But I'm learning; I'm making baby steps toward doing what seems to be so difficult for this inward looking heart. I find myself praying for words - for openings that will lend themselves easily to giving a word of encouragement hemmed by faith.

When I am faithful to do it, it is always the same. This sense that it is not so difficult after all, and although the words may seem weak and inadequate there is the sure knowledge that He will use them in ways quite apart from anything I can conjure up on my own.

He places people and opportunities gently into my life. He is all sufficient to be all that I know I cannot be in my own strength.

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Please come join the community at Lisa-Jo's. You will be encouraged and blessed.




Blessings,
Linda

The Enemy

"I'm watching you."  The words sent in an email to our precious daughter when she was a freshman in college quite literally sent a chill down my spine. There were other words, more email. We went to the Campus Police and were pleasantly surprised at their professionalism and concern. They listened, gave council, and promised to do all they could to find the one - this evil one - who was watching our dearest girl.

The awful notes were written on a computer in the college library. It would be next to impossible to find the person responsible. We bought pepper spray, told her to never walk around campus alone and prayed.

I was filled with such anger at this unknown person who would dare to harm my daughter in this way. I asked my Bible Study group to pray for justice. I wanted him found and punished.

My dear, wise friend Mary gently reminded me of Jesus' admonition that we pray for those who persecute us. He tells us to love our enemies and to pray for them. I sat there weighted down by bitterness wishing the words away.

His gentle, persistent whisper can't be silenced by anger even when it screams at the top of its lungs. It takes up residence in the heart and woes us with unrelenting love. It reminds us of sin forgiven, grace unmeasured and a sacrifice so undeserved.

So we prayed blessing on the one who had invaded our lives with such darkness. Asked the Father to send  someone  into his life who would point him to Jesus.

They never found him. The letters simply stopped.  It wasn't what I had originally hoped for, but something happened in my heart over the course of those weeks that is unexplainable apart from the grace of God.

As I prayed for this one whom I thought of as my enemy, I began to experience the unexpected. I felt myself drawn closer to the One who holds all things in His hands. Fear took flight and peace moved into my heart like a gentle balm - a peace that truly passes all understanding.

How is it that I am always surprised by grace - always surprised when the very thing He has promised comes true? He is so good. His word is true. His promises never fail.


"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty."
Matthew 5:43-45

Joining my sweet friend Emily at imperfect prose:





Blessings,
Linda

Happily Ever After

I have never outgrown "happily ever after." Fairy tales live in my head and heart and to this day I want the story to end well. No angst ridden endings with issues left unresolved for this girl. I confess, if it looks like the story is heading in that direction I go straight to the back of the book. I'm not reading it if my favorite character isn't riding off into the sunset with Prince Charming on his perfect white horse.

Life has put a bit of a tarnish on my bright shiny idea of "happily ever after". I've been knocked around by circumstances that fly in the face of all my best laid plans.

I've been reading slowly through the Old Testament - stepping inside the old stories and trying to put myself in the place of some of the people who populated them. Joseph is one of my favorites. He had great dreams of what his life would look like, but sharing them with his older brothers proved to be his undoing. Circumstances beyond his control took his life in a direction he never anticipated. It all worked out in the end, but oh the heartache in the meantime.

I am captivated by the truth that the great Author wrote the story of my life long before I was ever born. He has a way with words, and surely hasn't made any errors in the writing. I was delighted with the early pages, but as I have gone deeper into my life story the chapters have gotten weighty.

Like a bossy little editor, I want to make some changes because things are not going according to plan. There are whole chunks that I want to delete and so much I want to add. I stand with my critical feet planted in my "happily ever after" and beg for change.

What parts would Joseph have edited in his story? When he came to the end of his life and read the final chapter he looked back and saw the way it all fit together. Had he crossed out the part about being sold into slavery, or the one about being falsely accused and thrown into prison,  he, his family, and a whole nation would have perished in the devastating famine. His story was perfectly written just as it was.

As is mine - and yours. We can't skip to the end of the book and see how it all ends, but we can lean into the One who has written it all and know it will be good. And do you know another wonderful thing - some day the Prince really will come. He will be riding a perfect white horse - and we who are His will all live with Him ....."Happily ever after."


"Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them."
Psalm 139:16 

Blessings,
Linda