My Favorite Thing About Autumn...

A Tree stained in crimson.

The Gospel really IS everywhere.

Pan meli, aisthanomai Grlik!

I know! What the heck does that mean? Well, I'm sure it's grammatically incorrect somewhere. But what is means is part of a new chapter that the Lord has called me to in my life.

In this time of stepping back, trying to figure what God wants me to do next, or where God wants me to go, one thing He has made clear...

"Pamela, learn Greek!"

So, I'm going to start with making myself familiar with the beautiful Greek alphbet (have you ever realized that the word "alphabet" is the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, Alpha and Beta?). I will go over it and over it until I dream about the letters and it's so familiar that I don't have to think about it. Then, I will start with Biblical Greek, followed by Modern Greek.

Greek is not an easy language! But if I'm called to it, I trust that I will have a knack for it. I'm sure there still will be times of frustration, and a desire to quit, but I pray that I will press on in obedience.

I don't know what it means for the future....but I will wait with anticipation on the Lord,..."like they who wait for the morning" Psalm 130:5,6.

I'm excited, but still need your many prayers. Thanks!

Where's My Sword? Part II

Here is something you might find interesting...

This morning I was gathering all my stuff together for church. I had my purse, my water bottle and my Bible.

Somehow, it the hurriedness of leaving, locking the house and telling my dog to stay.....I didn't grab my Bible.

I FELT LOST ALL MORNING!!!

Hallelujah!! It's working!!

The Word is becoming my prize possession, the ONE object that I can't live without, I feel lost without,...I am imcomplete without!!

Write Your Word on my heart, Lord. May Your Word become flesh in ME.

Where's My Sword?

This week, I've been spending significant time with The Word. Yes, I have been reading it all the time, but that's not exactly what I meant.

I went on a walk this past Monday, and had a push on my heart to take my Bible. Which isn't unusual when you're someone who loves to sit outside in nature when reading and studying your Bible. But the experience was more unique then even this...

I walked for a full hour and a half. I didn't stop to read my Bible. Not because I didn't want to, but because I felt as though I wasn't suppose to stop. So, I walked, and walked and walked. My iPod in ears, my Bible strapped to my back. I wasn't understanding why God wanted me to take my Bible if He wasn't calling me to stop and read it somewhere! But I still keep walking....

Then it hit.

One of the songs I was listening to was by Steven Curtis Chapman called "Bring It On". Suddenly I had this picture in my mind of me being a soldier. Walking through life with my Sword strapped to my back, everywhere I go, everything I do, my Word, my SWORD is present with me. Then this thought came to me: If I am suppose to be obedient according to what is written in I Peter 3:15, then shouldn't I have my Word with me ALL THE TIME?

How many times are we without our Word? Do we take it to school? Do we take it to work? Do we take it on a walk? Do we take it with us to do the dishes?

Sounds a little obsessive, I know. But think about it this way: If you were in the heat of battle, would you carelessly leave your sword somewhere? Would you say to your comrade, "I need to go talk to someone about how they can fight better, but I'm going to leave my sword right here. You watch it, ok? I don't want to lose it." What kind of fighter are they going to be if they haven't had proper training in how to use their sword? We tell fellow believers all the time that we're in a battle and need to be PREPARED. But while we're telling them that they should to do this, WE are unprepared to train them. Why? Because the tool we're suppose to teach them to use is sitting on our nightstand! It's not strapped to our backs, ready at any given moment for battle. And we go through life everyday wondering why we feel so defeated...

So, hearing this from the Lord, I put a challenge out to myself. Everywhere I go, my Bible goes to....no exceptions. Yes, even the bathroom! I know you don't need your Bible in the bathroom, but isn't it good to be a habit of having your sword with you at times when you are most valnerable? Would a soldier in battle put his sword down in the middle of the battlefield so he can go have some "private time"? NO! If anything, the exact opposite!! We can't EVER let our guard down.

I have to be honest though, it's so hard! I have easily forgotten it. But what's amazing about it is now I'm conscious of it. Now I'm more likely to carry it everywhere I go,....more and more everyday.

Are you up for this challenge? Where is your Sword right now? Strap it to your backs, my friends. The battle is on, and the opposition is getting more aggressive. Don't be without your Sword....be prepared to give an answer to those who ask.

Fight the good fight....keep your Sword at striking distance.

What's next?

Even though my last blog was a few months ago, I'm finding that I'm now experiencing what I was writing about: change.

Change is so hard when you have NO idea what direction God is leading you next. All you can do is wait, trust, and walk in obedience!

More to come....stay close.