The Colley House is getting excited about the new study to be announced in late August. Target start date for this study is September 1st. Mark it on your calendar. Invite a friend to study along. Make it a group or a class. Remember there will be a printed study guide or defer to the free downloadable one. But make plans now. So often, a sister contacts me in November and says, “I wish I’d known about this last summer.” It’s okay to jump in anywhere at any time. But it’s more fun to jump in on September 1st with your new book, pen and highlighters in hand and get ready for the first dig-a-bits and podcast. It’s fun to do it in sync. Here’s the blurb from DD 2024-25:
In the conversation at the wedding feast, once again, Mary was in the moment. It was, to her, important to do something about the embarrassing shortage of wine. Somehow Mary had something to do with the host and the party and she was concerned about a hostesses nightmare. Jesus, in His “Woman, what do I have to do with you?” answer was, again, pointing to a bigger mission for which the time was approaching, but had not yet come. The miracle, itself, was a kind gesture, and it began a process that would take Him to the cross, but Jesus seemed to be gently saying, “Mother, there are bigger fish to fry. I have some problems to overcome, but wine at a wedding is not part of the big picture, here.” Yet he went on and made his mother happy, in her moment.
I think it had to be this way. How could Mary have had any semblance of normalcy or happiness if her life had always been about the cross. How could the relationship between mother and son have been the full experience of humanity and trials as we know them, if Christ had not shielded his mother from some of the burden that no human could fully understand, anyway? And doesn’t that make the whole life of Jesus, from the standpoint of His humanity, so much—so much of a sacrifice— when relationships that were precious were also lost and in need of the darkest moment in human history that was his piercing?
And I do think it is a little like that in our “talks” with heaven. If I am praying for the bone not to break before I can get the baby to the ER, or if I am praying for the decision we are making about a home purchase, or if I am praying about the choice of curriculum for my child, must it seem to Jesus, my advocate in heaven, that I am in the moment? Must He smile and say, “Cindy Colley is doing the best she can, but she cannot think fully in “redemption mode“ yet? I will hear her pleas and heaven will answer her, because she is in me. I have paid her price. One day she will see me face to face and the trials and challenges of the road will seem nothing.” It seems that this must be something like reality when I think about my finite self in prayer.
Recently, those in the Digging Deep for Encouragement group have been praying for our sister, Tammie. She’s been through a very dark and difficult time in several key areas of her life. There was a loss of her home to a fire, a prolonged illness, a very traumatic situation in her extended family and one in her husband’s family, as well. She recently had five days alone in her house and I encouraged her to spend that time in prayer and the Word. I told her that I knew God could use those days for her healing, if she would use them for His glory. She writes this today, and wanted me to share with you. She is so very thankful for your prayers and covets them in the future days of restoration to what she wants to be for Him.She shares this. I know you will praise with me.
The five sweetest people in our family are completely and utterly “un-messed-up” by sin. It’s a wonderful thing to watch young grandchildren live their lives so voraciously–just hungering for life’s next adventure while having zero enemies and zero concerns about the state of the Union, much less the world. It’s the most refreshing thing to try and back out of the reality in which Satan has placed us all, and look at today through their eyes. This day is just the next opportunity to live and laugh and love God.
Ezra added those—“Thank you for Eliza’s teacher in her class. Help Eliza to obey.”) Help us to all be good. Thank you for our nice, soft beds we get to sleep in. In Jesus” name, Amen.
God is amazing. May I remember today that the child’s perspective is the real one. He loves us and He has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
This last month in Digging Deep has been an exercise in deep prayer rooted in scripture. I hope you have benefitted from it. It did my heart a lot of good this past weekend to travel to a relatively remote area of Missouri and meet some representatives of a little pod of diggers who are meeting together weekly for three hours each Tuesday and spending that time in the Words of the Holy Spirit. You cannot look at the message ion the Holy Spirit for three hours with other believers without becoming more like the Spirit…more holy.
Well, I really try not to talk, write, focus ALL the time on the fact that this is the most difficult and perplexing time of my sojourn on the planet. I try to sharpen my heart with the sword of His Holy Spirit, to dwell on the things that are abundant and obvious blessings directly from His hand and to keep trusting that the the One who sees the sparrow is watching, knowing and rescuing His children. I know He is.
Today I take great comfort in