I’m a bit out of commission today so I’m going to make this short and sweet.

You may have noticed that I’ve done a little bit of tweaking on my sidebars. The first thing I wanted to point out was my little Lijit Search widget(top of my right sidebar). In addition to a good search function for 12sc.com, I really like the “surprise me” function which will bring back a random page of this blog. Pretty cool, if you ask me. But even cooler is the “explore” link which will show you a graphical representation of my “network” here in the blogosphere.  Go ahead try it. Then check out some of the other blogs I’m connected to.

The Explore link will really gain a lot of power now that I’ve joined the High Callings blog network. I like the idea of having a resource that will help me connect with other like minded bloggers out there. I think High Callings is awesome for that. I’ve spent a great deal of time exploring the site and especially the other blogs in the network. If you want to see what that’s all about, click the link to them in my left sidebar.

And finally, a quick prayer request. I seem to have caught a stomach virus of some sort. I won’t go into any details but I really do not want to miss any work seeing as how this is the month I will be climbing out of my negative leave balance hole. (From the surgery earlier this year, long story short: I was REALLY DEEP in the negative.) If I wake up tomorrow morning feeling the way I do now, there is no way I can even attempt working. Please pray for healing and wellness by tomorrow morning. I know my God is able to remove this as quickly as it settled in, but it always helps to know that others are in agreement with me in prayer.

Eirene,

Jen

Remember the movie, Babe?

Remember the scene after Babe ran away and Farmer Hoggett found him sick and muddy? Hoggett takes him home and cleans him up and tries to get him to eat, feeding him from a bottle like a little baby. When Babe doesn’t quite respond to this tenderness, Hoggett begins to sing over his pig. Eventually, the old man gets up and dances for the pigs pleasure. What is so wonderful about that scene is that the singing-dancing Hoggett seems so completely out of character to the stoic “almighty boss” Hoggett in the rest of the film. The idea is that the old farmer gets caught up in the moment of loving this pig and wanting the animal to be healthy and strong again. He can’t help but dance. (And the final shot of the scene, all the other farm animals peeking in the window completely astounded at Hoggetts behavior! Love that shot!)

How often to we think of God as that Stoic Bossman? We look to Him to provide everything we need (green pastures and roofs over our head) but we kind of think of Him as a peripheral provider. God of the arms-length relationship. He sleeps in the house, while we get the barn (if we are lucky). He eats the good food while we survive on the scraps. He calls the orders from the sidelines of our lives, while we are running circles in the fields trying to obey them. And the best that we can hope for (we imagine with our itty bitty imaginations) is a non-emotional “That’ll do, pig” at the end of our lives.

Today I am thanking God for dancing and singing over me. I am deliberately replacing the image of my Father as a stoic-sideline-farmer and replacing them with up-close-and-cuddling-me-singing-dancing-farmer. Like Babe, I’ve run away at times in my life. And like Babe, I’ve ended up freezing and hungry and coated in mud. And God always comes after me.

He washed off years of abandonment and wrapped me in a blanket of His warm acceptance and love.

He’s fed my starving spirit with the goodness of His Word.

He sings new songs over me all of the time.

Whenever I am not feeling so hot, when situations or experiences have put me in a funk, He has always been there willing to dance all over them to lift my head.

He danced over a broken home all those years ago. He’s danced over the needs of my children that I could NOT ever even HOPE to meet (as a single parent, yes, but He continues). He’s danced over my loneliness. He’s danced over my finances. He’s danced over my health and the health of those I love. He’s danced over my work to give me satisfaction there. He’s danced over my ministry to give me deep joy there. He’s danced to awaken the creative spirit He planted in me when He knit me in my mother’s womb.

Each song that He sings over me and each step that He takes in celebration with me LIFTS MY HEAD. It renews my strength. It increases my faith and sets me back in a right mind. I have learned that there is no situation that God’s song and celebration cannot touch. And after experiencing them…the songs and the dances…I am made well enough to continue obeying His commands. Well enough to feast on His Word, His promises, the blessings of obeying Him.

What has God danced over in your life? What situation is He moving in time for now?

Folks, I couldn’t make this stuff up. Seriously.

One day last week, a friend of mine from work (one I don’t really do business with that often) dropped by my desk with a post it that had “Isaiah 43″ written on it. Later that same day, as most of you probably guessed from the Haiku and Firstborn’s comment, we took what we thought was a tremendous financial hit. Hubby, who has been on short term disability for most of this year, was told in no uncertain terms that if his renewal paperwork did not make it to the benefits office by 5 days after the old paperwork expired, he would be terminated. This is something that was POLICY, written in tablets of stone. But that renewal paperwork had to be signed by the Doctor. ALL year long, we’ve relied on the doctor’s office to sign and fax that paperwork over. ALL year long, that system has worked flawlessly. (Until the day after I begin contemplating the request that I teach a Financial Peace University course next year at VHM, but that’s a whole ‘nuther post!). On that day, we discover that the well oiled machine had broken down. It was fourteen days past the expiration date.

“Your terminated.” They said. “Or at least, you should be. I don’t have the power to determine that, or make that call…phone Whatshername to find out if they have started termination.”

So as Hubby was doing this, I was (admittedly) FREAKING OUT A BIT. I took a walk. I was reminded during that walk that I have never wanted for anything. My children, even during the poorest of my poverty days, never went hungry or without a roof over their head, clothes on their back. I was reminded of how “spoiled” we’d all become since our financial situation has improved so greatly. I was reminded that we’d followed the commands of God related to money (tithing, giving, owing nothing etc). And our faithfulness in that was only a mere fraction of His faithfulness to us.

I got back to my desk, and looked up Isaiah 43. More confirmation that we would be taken good care of no matter how this turned out. The haiku was born. But there were no answers for Hubby. We assumed that the policy would be enforced.

Late the NEXT day, Hubby receives a follow up phone call. He was not terminated. Benefits will continue. The funds we’d expected but haven’t received will all be forwarded. I don’t know how that came to be the answer, but I do know WHY.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
Psalm 91:1-3

I am eternally grateful for the shelter of the Most High.

I am forever thankful that there is a shadow in which I can rest.

That His faithfulness to us far exceeds and outshines our faithfulness to Him.

I am forever indebted to Him for this concrete example of His care for us, and the knowledge that this is just ONE AREA of our lives and relationships in Him.

I am in awe as once again, the principles of living according to God’s Word have proven true, effective and powerful.

This week I’m going to celebrate Thanksgiving here on 12sc.com. You know the tradition of going around the table and saying what you are most thankful for? Consider this your turn, and post a comment. Today’s focus is on God’s provision… and I’ve already told you my story.

Now, you tell me yours. What has God provided for you?

Eirene,

Jen

(PS to the Lurkers: This table is open to EVERYONE. I’m very hospitable that way. Come on out and say Hi, don’t be shy.)

If I am fortunate, I get to paint. If I am even more than fortunate, I can paint more than one…

Dunamis (acrylic on canvas)

Dunamis Hosts (acrylic on canvas board)

Both of these are for sale. Contact me via email if you are interested.

I’m here declaring
The praise of my Lord Jesus
In the midst of floods.

When we pass through the
waters, He is here with us.
We will not drown here.

When we walk through the
fire, NO, we will not be burned.
I’m not set ablaze.

One way God has been
providing for us is done.
That money is gone.

“See, I am doing
a new thing,” says the Lord God.
“Do you not perceive?”

A way in deserts
Streams in the wastelands of life–
He provides them all.

He provides them all
that I might proclaim His praise.
I’M DECLARING IT.