Penny J. Johnson's Blog, page 132

One Good Thing Every Day: February 1, 2013

“When you believe that nothing significant can happen through you, you have said that God is not capable of doing anything significant through you. The truth is He is able to do anything He pleases with one ordinary person fully dedicated to Him.” from Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God

One Good Thing Every Day: January 31, 2013

“You cannot stay the way you are and go with God.” from Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God

Books of the Month: January 2013

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton: This book is part mystery, part saga, part romance, part fairy tale, and all-in-all an unforgettable story. 5 stars

Ten Poems to Change Your Life by Roger Housden: The ten poem selections are excellent. But, I felt the poems spoke for themselves and found Housden’s commentary distracting. 3 stars

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: Even during my second read, I became absorbed in the drama and enamored with Dickens’ use of words. 5 stars

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli: The depth of this children’s novel makes it worthwhile for adults to read as well. It inspires hope that in any situation there is a door in the wall. 5 stars

Dangerous Journey: The Story of Pilgrim’s Progress by Oliver Hunkin, John Bunyan, Alan Parry: The illustrations and story-book format of this beloved Christian classic are exquisite. It is an excellent book to read as a family. 5 stars

One Good Thing Every Day: January 30, 2013

“Whatever occupies your mind most of the time becomes your god.” from Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young

1 Kings 18:16-39

So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”

Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” So they took the bull given them and prepared it.

Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time.The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

As I once again read a quotation from one study and a scripture from another, I see myself in the story of Elijah. How often am I standing on an altar of my own making, trying to make something happen, instead of believing in God to do what I cannot? How often are my tears of frustration like those jars of water dousing my offerings, making them as useless as striking a match in the rain? How often does God hear my requests for Him to reveal Himself and turns my heart back to Him with His unquenchable fire? May the occupation of my mind by on the One True God!

One Good Thing Every Day: January 29, 2013

“…remember honoring our parents is not just about how we treat them; it is a glimpse of how we respect God.” from A Jane Austen Devotional

John 5:17, 19-20 NIV

“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working…Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.”

This week I started the Bible study Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby along with my oldest son. I am blessed that the quotation from A Jane Austen Devotional  coincided with Blackaby’s analysis of John 5:17, 19-20.

The fifth commandment is epitomized in Jesus Christ’s relationship with God the Father. His obedience to the will of the Father models the honor God commands and deserves from me. My mind boggles when I think of Jesus, God Incarnate, coming to earth to show humanity how to follow His own command. It deepens the meaning of the quotation for me. As I think about my relationship with my own parents and my relationship with my children, I pray others glimpse my respect for God as well.

One Good Thing Every Day: January 28, 2013

“Next time a harsh criticism comes to your mind, defuse it in this way: by recalling the grace you have been shown–and that you have been spared through Christ.” from A Jane Austen Devotional

One Good Thing Every Day: January 27, 2013

“When things seem all wrong, trust Me anyway. I am much less interested in right circumstances than in the right responses to whatever comes your way.” from Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young

One Good Thing Every Day: January 26, 2013

I spent two rare, precious hours alone in the house. All week I have longed for just a moment to take a deep breath before jumping into the next task or rushing to the next appointment. This morning the moment presented itself, and I spent it revelling in God’s presence. Of course, He had prepared for this time in advance. Here are a few of the treasures from my readings. May they bless you as they did me.

From A Jane Austen Devotional

“If you sense that your purpose for doing something has gotten off track, ask the Lord for discernment. Take time to evaluate your heart motive in how you allocate your time. Remember, sometimes doing for others is not as important as simply being present with the Savior.”

From Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young

“Sit still in the Light of My Presence, and receive My peace. These quiet moments with Me transcend time, accomplishing far more than you can imagine. Bring me the sacrifice of your time, and watch to see how abundantly I bless you and your loved ones”

“Enjoy the tempo of a God-breathed life by letting Me set the pace. Hold my hand in childlike trust, and the way before you will open up step by step.”

 

One Good Thing Every Day: January 25, 2013

In my previous post, I mentioned an unwelcome guest. My husband’s olfactory and my auditory suspicions were confirmed with a snapped trap yesterday morning. The shrew was tamed!

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Then today, near the cluttered toy area–a desirable den for any heat-seeking vermin–I heard a distinct sound, similar to the first. Stifling my fear of skittering creatures–or worse, of dead skittering creatures–I followed the noise to one of the toy bins. The more I listened, the more I recognized my sought-for-culprit. I found him at the bottom of the bin, chattering away.  Grasping him firmly, I headed upstairs.

“I discovered another visitor,” I said to my husband.

“Really?”

“Yes, a chipmunk.”

“Where!?”

“In one of the toy bins. See?”

Horror froze on his face as I opened my cupped hand, revealing…

Theodore the Chipmunk, whose dying batteries had caused his intermittent chattering.

I hope that truly debunks the toy trunk’s mystery!

One Good Thing Every Day: January 24, 2013

I knew I married the right man. He is my shrew-trapping, toilet-leak-fixing, computer-space-finding hero!