Browsing Tag

Perseverance

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

This I Know, that God is for Me.

Sometimes there are days when I’m all out of sorts

When enemies emerge from former cohorts. 

When I am so weary at setting of sun

I can’t process knowing my work’s just begun.

Sometimes my heart’s breaking over somebody’s sin,

But each time I turn, there’s a crisis again. 

No time to grieve over today’s mournful losses 

Just picking up pieces and heavy new crosses. 

But one thing is certain, and really that thing

Is the one thing that matters and makes my heart sing.

God’s still on the throne, and around every bend

There may be His answer, for He knows the end.

He knows the reason for burdens I bear.

He knows inequities, when life seems unfair. 

He knows the consequence for all of my steps

He knows, He cares. He pities and helps. 

He is the refuge. I am the hidden.

He’s the commander. I am the bidden.

He is the rest-giver. I am the weary.

He has the tear-bottle. My eyes are teary. 

He is the strength. I am the weak.

He offers comfort. It’s comfort I seek.

He is the Prophet. I need to know.

He is the way. In Him I can go.

He is the truth. I was lost till I knew it.

He is the life. I am just walking though it.

He is my portion. I am the filled.

He is the Spirit. I am the sealed.

He is the Father. I am the child. 

He is the Christ. I’m reconciled.

He is the hope. I am the clinging.

He’s the Redeemer about which I’m singing. 

He is my only. I am just one.

He is the end. I’ve just begun.

He is the buckler. My arm is weak.

He’s the revealer. I’m but to seek. 

He is the door. I am the guest.

He is the answer to every request.

He is the treasure. I’m on the search.

He is the Founder. I’m in the church.

He is the succorer. I am the babe.

He’s the Provider, come to my aid.

He is the beauty from ashes to make.

My all-in-all. I will never forsake!

 

You have kept count of my tossings;

put my tears in your bottle.

Are they not in your book?

Then my enemies will turn back

in the day when I call.

This I know, that God is for me.

In God, whose word I praise,

in the Lord, whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

from David in Psalm 56

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Shipping “The Ten” (Important things to know)…

...my dining room

…my dining room

As you might imagine, without the PTP convention that annually brings hundreds of us together at Digging Deep kick-off time, the shipping this year is a mammoth operation. Lots of hours are going into sorting, boxing, enveloping, loading and mailing. Here are a few things you need to know, if you’ve ordered DD materials this year:

  1. Although we are working just about every spare minute to get them to you and shipping large quantities each day, we hope you will be patient with any errors and delays. You’re some of the meekest women on the planet, for which we are very grateful. (You must have been in the Word!)
  2. You may get a box of books that does not include the shirts/hoodies that you ordered. Hoodies were extremely popular and we’re already having to reorder. Shirts are now in short supply, as well, so be especially patient with the shirt orders. They are coming. We did not want to hold up the study materials you are needing to wait on your shirts. We will send them separately.
  3. The ONLY hoodie/shirt reorder will happen on September 4th; so if you want a t-shirt or hoodie, your final orders must be placed by midnight on September 3rd. The turn around is quick, so you should then have them in your hands by around the middle of September.
  4. I’m sending out the free tote bags today, Lord willing, to those who claimed them from the August podcast/video. I’ll post a list on the DD wall to those who claimed them first and are receiving them, so you can watch for them in your mail. I’m sorry that there are not enough for everyone to have one this year.  If you claimed one, try to remember to send the actual shipping cost on the box to the return address on your package. OR you can PayPal the shipping cost to colley@westhuntsville.org. Thanks.

    …the kitchen floor…they’re everywhere!

  5. Several have asked about the differences between the free download and the study books this year. They are basically the same, but without limited design graphics (artwork) and spaces for writing answers and notes. You do not miss any real content; just convenience and writing room.

So, there you go. I could not be more excited about this journey together. I think we’ll grow and I have to believe, at the end of this study, we are going to look back and reminisce about the pandemic and chaos during which this study was born. I think we are going to REMEMBER it (yes, like a thing of the distant past) as a somewhat dark and defining time for us. Those of us who are searching His Will and His commandments this year are going to feel like we persevered and became stronger in spite of the distance between us at times, the sadness of not getting together in large numbers, the wretched cultural and  political scene that is unfolding daily, and the abnormality of many of our routines. I believe, when you have finished this dig, you will be spiritually enabled to better fight the devil and his troops here on earth. I believe you will find great motivation in the law that is holy, just and good (Romans 7:12) Seven teen girls have already told me that they are determined to complete the study this year. That little team alone is a powerhouse prospect for the future of the church.  Praise God!

May I somewhat parenthetically say here that making huge decisions for your futures during this uncertain time is, in my judgment, not a good idea. I know I cannot speak in accuracy about every situation and I know my judgment doesn’t matter at all in the grand scheme of things. But ending marriages, switching congregations, moving across the country, and switching careers unnecessarily are all things I’m witnessing some doing.  I believe when the masks are off and the hugs are happening, many life-changing decisions will leave us with regrets. Love your family in Him. Support and respect your local elderships. (They are probably in earnest about your souls and making decisions to the very best of their mortal abilities) Strive for the unity for which our Lord prayed. Persevere. Look for ways to serve and let’s all be bold before His throne.

Thank you. Thank you for being stellar examples of patience and perseverance. Thank you for encouraging me. But most of all, thank you for caring about the Word of our God enough to spend the time to ingest it–in big groups in classrooms and pavilions, and singularly from your kitchen tables and porches.

You will begin with “having no other gods before Him.” Study that one with all your might. If we embrace this first one for our lives, shutting out all worldly competition for our hearts’ first allegiance, we cannot help but to keep every other commandment He’s given for our ultimate benefit.

Remember: When He says “Thou shalt,” He is really saying “Help yourself to happiness!” When He says “Thou shalt not,” He is really saying “Prevent disaster!”

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Obedience: Finishing the Climb

 

When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb. Mt. 27:59-61

The progression to the foot of the cross had been a grueling and sorrow-filled climb. Mary had followed the Lord from the halls of Pilate to the hill of Golgotha. She watched the agony of the cross from a distance. She felt the earth move under her and witnessed the tearing of the rocks (Matthew 27:50-56). She was present when the centurion at the foot of the cross made the good confession: “Truly this was the Son of God.” She and the other Mary followed the rich man, Joseph of Arimathea, as he laid the body of the Lord, wrapped in clean linen in his freshly hewn tomb. She watched as Joseph rolled the stone over the opening of the sepulcher (Matthew 27:56-61).

I once had a study with a woman who was contemplating becoming a member of the body of Christ. She was unashamed in asking me just what would be required of her family. “Would we need to be there at every service? My kids have a lot of practices and games and our youngest really has a strict bedtime. The older two have loads of homework. Wednesday nights would be really difficult for us. I just need to know what kind of commitment we would be needing to make.”

I recall an elder in the church in one of the places we lived. Through every sermon, he constantly looked at his watch. He became visibly upset if the service exceeded the hour. I have observed, in some congregations, an exodus of a large number of people after the communion is served, but before the final song and/or prayer.

Somehow, I don’t think Mary was looking at the sundial. I don’t think she was wondering if the commitment from here on out would require more time and money. I don’t think she was thinking about how nice it would be to get home and wash her tired and dirty feet that had climbed the hill to Golgotha. I don’t imagine her thinking about what was for supper or whether there would be time before the Sabbath to go shopping at the market. In short, this woman, who had originally been demon-possessed, was now committed to the Conqueror of demons, of the grave…of sin.  She was the kind of disciple that willingly stayed till the end. Are you?