CLASS TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am praising the Lord this morning with every ounce of my being!!! I have been so swamped here lately that there has been no time for reading. Well ok, I've been reading my TEACHING REIKI book, whenever I have a few seconds, but nothing other than that!

This morning on this busiest day of all, as I prepare for the Access class this afternoon, I felt the Lord almost begging me to read the message in MORNING AND EVENING. When I did, I was powerfully moved with these encouraging words. The text is 1 Chronicles 5:22: THERE FELL DOWN MANY SLAIN, BECAUSE THE WAR WAS OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just HAD to share this with you all.

Warrior, fighting under the banner of the Lord Jesus, observe this verse with holy joy, for as it was in the days of old so is it now, if the war be of God, the victory is sure! The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh could barely muster five and forth thousand fighting men, and yet in their war with the Hagarites, they slew "Men--an hundred thousand" "For they cried to God in the battle, and He was entreated of them because they put their trust in Him."

The Lord saveth not by many nor by few, it is ours to go forth in Jehovah's name if we be but a handful of men (or women) for the Lord of Hosts is with us for our Captain. They did not neglect buckler, and sword, and bow, neither did they place their trust in these weapons; we must use ALL fitting means, but our confidence must rest in the Lord alone, for He is the sword and the shield of His people.

The great reason of their extraordinary success lay in the fact that "The war was of God." Beloved, in fighting with sin without and within, with error doctrinal or practical, with devils and devil's allies, you are waging Jehovah's war, and unless He himself can be worsted, you need nor fear defeat.

Quail not before superior numbers, shrink not from difficulties or impossibilities, flinch not at wounds or death, smite with the two-edged sword of the Spirit, and the slain shall lie in heaps. The battle is the Lords and He will deliver His enemies into our hands. With steadfast foot, strong hand, dauntless heart, and flaming zeal, rush to the conflict, and the hosts of evil shall fly like chaff before the gale.

STAND UP! STAND UP FOR JESUS!

THE STRIFE WILL NOT BE LONG;

THIS DAY THE NOISE OF BATTLE,

THE NEXT THE VICTOR'S SONG:

TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH,

A CROWN OF LIFE SHALL BE,

HE WITH THE KING OF GLORY

SHALL REIGN ETERNALLY.

I have had to overcome GREAT difficulties to get to this day. Many days I'd rather have died than keep on living with the pain of burnt nerve endings in my neck and head. BUT THE LORD WOULDN'T LET ME DIE!!!!!!!

Now, today, I have the immense joy of bringing BodyTalk to the people of Napoleon. Of course I want the whole town to take the class!!!! I want EVERYONE to know the peace that comes from laying old traumas to rest once and for all. But, as the Lord so wonderfully reminded me, this battle is NOT mine. The battle for my life/health WAS/IS mine. The struggles that others have to conquer, though, are NOT mine. BUT these dear ones are NOT alone. The Lord has blessed them with the same opportunity that He gave to me 3 years ago to take Elizabeth's access class.

I rejoice anew, to shout with David of old, "THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S!!!!!!!!!!" Humbly, I share my prayer with you all this morning, "Please, dear God, bring everyone that YOU want to come to take the Access class these next 2 days in Napoleon."

I'm off with a long list to do before class, for I'm the coordinator this time, but I just wanted you all to know that I am doing well and I rejoice in the goodness of the Lord in the land of the LIVING! YEAH!

Two homes

I don't know how many of you bloggers love your spot in cyberspace, but here lately I have become aware that I have a real fondness for A RAY OF HOPE. I suppose it's like what they say about babies--the more time that you give to your baby the more that you love it. It's just that it's the one place that I can go to that nobody messes with. You may not know this but, when you're the mom, you're forever picking things up after everybody? Well, I don't have to do that here and it is soooooooooo nice. :) So, I guess you could say that I have 2 homes. One is shown in the picture above and the other I created from the computer in this house--both are indispensable to my joy. :)

I've been busy preparing for my test to become a certified BodyTalk practitioner. Elizabeth, my BT practitioner called today and we set the date. It's to be on November 18th at 10:00 AM. Now that the date is settled, I feel so much better. I'm glad that it's almost a week later than I was anticipating so that's all the much longer to study and do sessions. So what that means is, in about 2 weeks I could be a CERTIFIED BodyTalk practitioner. I wish I could explain how much information is necessary to be mastered before one can wear that title. It's just overwhelming at times to think that I'll be able to recall it all under a moment of stress. PLEASE KEEP ME IN YOUR PRAYERS!!!

Well it's late and, although I have more to say about my business, I'm going to just share the MORNING AND EVENING excerpt for this morning and say, "Good night. " This was such a blessing to me this morning and I trust that it will bless you too. Mr. Spurgeon had such a way of painting a word picture that is unforgettable!! The Scripture is Acts 9:11 "Behold, he prayeth."

Prayers are instantly noticed in Heaven. The moment Saul began to pray, the Lord heard him. Here is comfort for the distressed but praying soul. Oftentimes a poor broken-hearted one bends his knee, but can only utter his wailing in the language of sighs and tears; yet that groan has made all the harps of Heaven thrill with music; that tear has been caught by God and treasured in the lacnrymatory of heaven. "Thou puttest my tears into thy bottle,' implies that they are caught as they flow. The suppliant, whose fears prevent his words, will be well understood by the Most High. He may only look up with misty eyes; but prayer is the falling of a tear. Tears are the diamonds of heaven; sighs are a part of the music of Jehovah's courts, and are numbered with the "Sublimest strains that reach the majesty on high." Think not that your prayer, however weak or trembling, will be unregarded. Jacob's ladder is lofty, but our prayers shall lean upon the Angel of the covenant and so climb it's starry rounds. Our God not only HEARD prayer but also LOVES to hear it. "He forgetteth not the cry of the humble." True, He regards not high looks and lofty words; He cares not for the pomp and pageantry of kings; He listens not to the swell of martial music; He regards not the triumph and pride of man; but wherever there is a heart big with sorrow, or a lip quivering with agony, or a deep groan,or a penitential sigh, the heart of Jehovah is open; He marks it down in the registry of His memory; He puts our prayers, like rose leaves, between the pages of His book of remembrance, and when the volume is opened at last, there shall be a precious fragrance springing up therefrom.

'Faith asks no signal from the skies,

To show that prayers accepted rise,

Our Priest is in His holy place,

And answers from the throne of Grace."

I just spoke with a mother whose oldest child is moving out of their home tonight. Her tears were flowing and it was for her that I most wanted to share these thoughts. GOD DOES CARE ABOUT OUR BROKEN HEARTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here's a hug for you, sweet lady.

Blessings,

Dawn

Wait on the Lord

I know that I have said this many times before, but I just keep getting blessed over and over, so I'll say it again. The book MORNING AND EVENING is a must-read of you are REALLY serious about your walk with the Lord. I thank the Dagley family for blessing my life immensely with this gift! The daily writings are always a blessing, but some days it's like they were written just for me. I would like to share this morning's reading. Put it in the context of someone waiting for the day when the cancer will again be encapsulated and peace restored to my body. The Scripture verse which it is based on is Psalm 27:14: Wait on the Lord.

It may seem an easy thing to WAIT, but it is one of the postures which a Christian soldier learns not without years of teaching. Marching and quick-marching are much easier to God's warriors than standing still. There are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously desirous to serve the Lord, knows not what part to take. Then what shall it do? Vex itself by fear, or rush forward in presumption? NO, but simply wait.

Wait in prayer, however. Call upon God, and spread the case before Him; tell Him your difficulty, and plead His promise of aid. In dilemmas between one duty and another, it is sweet to be humble as a child, and wait with simplicity of soul upon the Lord. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know our own folly, and are heartily willing to be guided by the will of God.

But wait in FAITH. Express your unstaggering confidence in Him, for unfaithful, untrusting waiting, is but an insult to the Lord. Believe that if He keep you tarrying till midnight, yet He will come at the right time; the vision shall come and shall not tarry.

Wait in quiet patience, not rebelling because you are under the affliction, but blessing your God for it. Never murmur against the second cause, as the children of Israel did against Moses; never wish you could go back to the world again, but accept the case as it is, and put it as it stands, simply and with your whole heart, without any self-will, into the hand of your covenant God, saying, "Now, Lord, not my will, but Thine be done. I know not what to do; I am brought to extremities, but I will wait until Thou shalt cleave the floods, or drive back my foes. I WILL WAIT, if Thou keep me many a day, for my heart is fixed upon Thee alone, O God, and my spirit waiteth for Thee in the full conviction that Thou wilt yet be my joy and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower.

PRAISE GOD THAT HE IS ALWAYS MY STRONG TOWER NO MATTER WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH--EVEN CANCER!!!!!!!!!!! And, "Oh Lord, teach me to wait."

Exasperated

Right now I am so exasperated!!! This is the 3rd straight day that our cows have gotten into the neighbor's sunflower field. Yesterday morning, when he called me, HE was exasperated. Robert and Andrew went up right away then and chased the cattle back in; fixed the fence; and talked to the neighbor about our frustration. The cattle are standing belly deep in grass but they insist on going into this field--if it was corn I could maybe understand. Our guys then hot-wired (strung electric fence) around the edge of our pasture which borders this field. Usually this is enough but not with these hard-to-please critters. UGH!!!!!!!!!! So now, being Robert is baling trying to beat the rain, the children went up to chase them in.

Andrew said that they'll have to hot-wire the west end of that cell too if we are to have any peace tomorrow. This means that Jacob will drive the Ram Charger; Cora will push in the electric fence posts about every 20 feet; and Andrew will string the wire. The distance is about a mile so it's going to take them some time. Then they have to unplug the charger; hook the new wire to the one the men strung yesterday; and turn it on again. If any grass or weeds are touching the wire, it won't spark and they'll have to cover the whole distance again looking for what is touching the fence. So do you see why we're all exasperated? This is on top of my dad's situation. Here's the news on that.

Sharel called this morning and said that dad had another acute attack of pain a few minutes earlier. The doctor had just been there and told my dad that this is very serious!!! He is very concerned about doing the surgery without a heart specialist's approval. My dad is "Old"; he smokes; has high blood pressure; and is a diabetic. Basically, then, they won't do the surgery
until a cardiologist approves of it. This means more testing today and they probably won't get "Around to it" today at all.

I had a good talk with Sharel as she was concerned about leaving dad when he is so sick, but she needs to get home for a wedding tomorrow. She said that she just couldn't imagine leaving her dad alone if he were that sick. She was hinting that it would be good if one of us would come to Sioux Falls (about 7 hours away) to stay with him. This was when I told her of the facts of my life. I told her that I lay on my deathbed for 18 days and neither dad (nor mom) called me; visited me; or even sent a card during those 18 days. Her mind was just reeling and she gasped, "I'm trying to wrap my mind around this." She said, "I've been trying to figure out your family dynamics for over 25 years and it just baffles me." So I helped her out a little.

I told her that my dad's cruelty is nothing new. When I was a newlywed, I had pneumonia and was hospitalized for 5 days right there in Eureka--blocks from his home. Not once during that time did my dad send his concern for me in any way. My mom said that she told him to come and see me but he was "Too busy farming". I told Sharel that my dad has been "Too busy farming" all of my life and that now he is reaping what he has sown.

I encouraged her to leave the hospital but she felt that somebody should come and stay with him. I said, "Once a year our family has a big treat and that is on the 4th of July. We already have our tickets and we ARE going to the rodeo in Mandan tomorrow night. If he dies tomorrow, then I guess that he will die alone as he has lived--WHICH WAS HIS CHOICE!!!!!

I encouraged Sharel to keep her family her priority and leave my dad to the Lord's will. She said that Duard had just told her the same thing but it REALLY helped her to hear ME saying so too. I encouraged her to head for home ASAP and she sighed a deep sigh of relief and said, "Thank you".

She told me that it was so strange that on her trip down yesterday, NONE of my dad's children called her to see how my dad was doing. Her brother called her to see how she was handling it all. Her mom called her AND her dad called her to see how the trip was going for her and my dad (she drove dad down to Sioux Falls). I told her that I had been praying for HER all afternoon and she said, "Well, he did sleep most of the way so I'm glad about that." YEAH GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So Sharel is leaving my dad's hospital bedside and nobody is filling her spot there because we are all "Too busy"--just like he was for us all of our lives. Now Rick just called cussing a blue streak because Dad isn't in the Bismarck hospital where dad's sister and Rick live--plus it's a lot closer for our family. I said that I guess we should have thought of that yesterday but Dad was seen by a visiting doctor from Aberdeen in the ER in Eureka. This doctor thought that the surgery could be done in Aberdeen which is about a 2 1/2 hour drive for us. When they couldn't deal with the stone, because of it's massive size, they sent him to Sioux Falls where we know absolutely nobody. The Lord always has a reason, though, and I trust him to see us through this mess. Already last night, our friend Ellen Johnson wrote that they have a friend who visits the hospitals in Sioux Falls so dad may get one Godly visitor yet. What a mess!!!!!

Always I am blessed when I read from the book MORNING AND EVENING. This morning was no different. I share the passage first and then Mr. Spurgeon's thoughts. Genesis 41:4 THE ILLFAVORED AND LEANFLESHED KINE DID EAT UP THE SEVEN WELLFAVORED AND FAT KINE.

Pharaoh's dream has too often been my waking experience. My days of sloth have ruinously destroyed all that I had achieved in times of zealous industry; my seasons of coldness have frozen all the genial glow of my periods of fervency and enthusiasm; and my fits of worldliness have thrown me back from my advances in the divine life. I had need to beware of lean prayers, lean praises, lean duties, and lean experiences, for these will eat up the fat of my comfort and peace. If I neglect prayer for never so short a time, I lose all the spirituality to which I had attained. If I draw no fresh supplies from heaven, the old corn in my granary is soon consumed by famine which rages in my soul. When the caterpillars of indifference; the canker worms of worldliness; and the Palmer worms of self-indulgence lay my heart completely desolate, and make my soul to languish, all my former fruitfulness and growth in grace avails me nothing whatever. How anxious should I be to have no lean-fleshed days, no ill-favored hours! If every day I journeyed towards the goal of my desires I should soon reach it, but backsliding leaves me still far off from the prize of my high calling, and robs me of the advances which I had so laboriously made. The only way in which all my days can be as the "Fat kine," is to feed them in the right meadow, to spend them with the Lord, in His service, in His company, in His fear, and in His way. Why should not every year be richer than the past, in love, and usefulness, and joy? I am nearer the celestial hills, I have had more experience of my Lord, and should be MORE like Him. O Lord, keep far from the cures of leanness of soul; let me not have to cry, "My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me?" but may I be well-fed and nourished in Thy house, that I may continually praise THY name!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't that incredible? You know, even though my earthly father was one of the worst examples of what a dad should be, ALWAYS I HAVE HAD MY HEAVENLY FATHER SHOWING ME THE WAY TO PEACE. HE continually reminds me to take a look at MY responsibilities. He says, "What good does it do to look at your parents failures, because then you will make them your pattern. No, keep your eyes on ME and stive to be like ME!" Thank you, Lord, for seeing me through all that has come before this day, for I know that you will see me through this day too!!!!! I love you, my God and my King!!!! Thanks for being a perfect father to me all the days of my life!!!

Morning and Evening

Dear friends,
So many times I wish that I had the time to share with you the day's devotional from the book MORNING AND EVENING by Charles Spurgeon. Well, tonight the vet is here with Cora's heifer who has had nothing but troubles. Robert and Cora are out with him in the maternity ward; the boys are in bed; and I was blessed AGAIN by what I read so I will share the evening reading for today. The Scripture passage is Psalm 25:18 which reads: Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

It is well for us when prayers about our sorrows are linked with pleas concerning our sins--when, being under God's hand, we are not wholly taken up with our pain, but remember our offenses against God. It is well, also, to take both sorrow and sin to the same place. It was to God that David carried his sorrow: it was to God that David confessed his sin. Observe, then, we must take our sorrows to God. Even your little sorrows you may roll upon God, for He counteth the hairs of your head; and your great sorrows you may commit to Him, for He holdeth the ocean in the hollow of His hand. Go to Him, whatever your present trouble may be, and you shall find Him able and willing to receive you. We must take our sins to God too! We must carry them to the cross; that the blood may fall upon them; to purge away their guilt; and to destroy their defiling power.
The special lesson of the text is this--that we are to go to the Lord with sorrows and with sins in the right spirit. Note that all David asks concerning his sorrow is, "Look upon mine affliction and my pain," but the next petition is vastly more expressed, definite, decided, plain. "Forgive all my sins." Many sufferers would have put it, "Remove my affliction and my pain and look at my sins." But David does not say so: he cries, "Lord, as for my affliction and my pain, I will not dictate to thy wisdom. Lord, look at them, I will leave them to thee. I should be glad to have my pain removed, but do as thou wilt; but as for my sins, Lord, I know what I want with them: I MUST HAVE THEM FORGIVEN. I cannot endure to lie under their curse for a moment."
A Christian should count sorrow lighter in the scale than sin; he can bear that his troubles shall continue, but he cannot support the burden of his transgressions.

Isn't that great? So many times I go to God and beg for relief from the pain that the world causes me. How about the pain that my sin causes to God? Oh God, please forgive me for all of the times I weigh my pain above yours. Help me to more carefully ponder every thought, word, and deed with the knowledge that it will cause you either joy or sorrow. Oh that every moment of my life would be a sweet savor to you dear God, who made me and sustains me.

I'll close with the words of a special praise chorus that I'm singing to my wonderful Heavenly father right now. Maybe I can think of a way to put my songs on here for you to listen to? I know, I'll ask Andrew. :)

I love you Lord and I lift my voice,
To worship you, oh my soul rejoice,
Take joy my King in what you hear,
Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.