Out with the OLD and IN with the NEW

Happy New Year 2011!! No I am not on my front porch:( Oh how I wish I were. It is my favorite place to be. I have to get through a few more months of winter. Yawn!!

 I have been thinking backwards for the past few days...recapping the past year. I will have to say it was one of the best for us. Thanking God for His many blessings to Michael and I and our family.

Let me share something near and dear to my heart. Here's how I start out each new year. I purpose to spend time looking to God as I go back through my journal for the year. I love to recapture His activity in what I pray for. My faith is always increased as I witness His faithfulness to His Word.
     This year I had a burden for our family to draw closer to God, to know Him in a very personal way, and to love Him and desire to serve Him. I asked God to lead me in prayer for each one. In His tender mercy and grace He began to stir my heart and give me Scripture to lay hold of by faith...and believe Him.
     We have had many challenges, but, we are seeing God move in hearts and lives are changing to His glory. Michael and I have spent more valuable time with family this year and to say the least it has been to our joy.  Our Grandchildren are growing up so fast I can hardly believe we have two graduated and attending college. 10 more to go") We want to be a strong influence in their lives and be a witness to faith in Christ. It is really what we live for.
      My desire is to live the life that can pray down heaven, God's kingdom come and His will be done. So, that means He is first daily and His Word is final authority always for all things. I journal most days and that helps me stay in close contact with His heart as well as His wisdom for my life. At the end of each year it is amazing to go back through and see just what He has been up to....teaching me, leading me, answering prayers, providing my needs and loving me even when I'm unlovable. (Selah)
     I have been looking at Matthew 6:19-21 and I am taking it as His lead for this new year. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven in 2011. This will keep me looking to Him for promptings as to where my treasure is. For that is where my heart will be")

May the new year bring you closer encounters with the One Who loves you best, that your life will be forever changed to glorify Him.

"Trust your past to God's mercy, trust your present to God's love and your future to God's providence."
Augustine of Hippo

Happy New Year!!

Simply His,
Alta

Blessed Beyond Measure

Greetings from my front porch. I have been enjoying the last of just what may be the best fall on record here in Indiana. It's time for some cider and hot homemade donuts. Just thinking about what fall brings to mind. Loved when my Gramma would make those wonderful homemade donuts and we kids would roll them in cinnamon and sugar, then eat as many as we could stand...that was just the best.

It is so interesting to me how we are such creatures of habit. When the cool nights come with the change of seasons we start thinking about soups and stews and chili with homemade breads and biscuits. OMGosh!!! I am making myself so hungry, I will be back soon...going to make something tasty for this evening.

Okay, I'm back...now where was I??? Oh, what fall brings to mind...did that...food for fall evenings. Soups are the balm for sure. What I want to share with you is what these last 6 weeks have meant to me in the grand scheme of things.

This summer as I was enjoying my front porch most mornings, I was prompted by the Lord to think about what I would teach if I had the opportunity to pour out my heart in a classroom. Well, I love spurring women on in their faith and giving instruction from God's Word. Several years have went by since God dropped in my spirit the words of the Apostle Paul as he wrote to the Philippians. "Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that you my become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life...." 2:14-16a

My thoughts went straight to holding out the word of life. I believe it is my mandate, my call, whatever we might want to name it. You see the Word of God is the word of life. I have come to know God's amazing grace.... upon grace, and I love sharing what He has done in my life as well as what He is doing in my life on a consistent basis. So, I began putting together some thoughts and experiences,and coordinating Scripture He has used to transform my life. It has brought me the greatest joy ever. It is just like God to want to delight us by giving us the desires of our hearts.

I titled the class Running to Win. My heart is to share what that means to me in this season of my journey with God. "Run in such a way as to get the Prize!" 1. Cor.9:24 It is my foundational Scripture. I have been blessed with the most amazing women in this class. We have anywhere from 25 to 30 in class most weeks. Women of all ages joining together to learn what God is up to") Lessons have included such titles as Brokenby Sin/Forgiven by Him, Its All About Love, Faith Tested/Only Believe and this weeks title is Christ in You the Hope of Glory. It has been my experience that if we are willing to look for where God is working and join Him we will most likely find our ministry to others filled with amazing grace and love that blesses us beyond measure.

I believe there is no greater joy than serving God while serving others. My passion is teaching young women how to find that out for themselves. Most Mommies have their ministry at home. For a season they are called to give their full attention to ministering to their families. What a high calling!!!

It never ceases to amaze me when they say things like, "I feel I need to be doing more to serve God. I am sure I am not doing enough to serve God." I love to see the light bulbs go on when I share the truth about what an amazing ministry they have to their loved ones and the home that they make a safe haven of peace and rest for their families.

Life comes at you fast...and we really need to believe God has a very good plan for each of us in serving Him while serving others.
Real JOY is:
Jesus
Others
You

Live each day on purpose!! Whatever season of life you are in...God is with you sweet one.
Keep Jesus first, be quick to serve Others, and be sure to spend time letting Him fill You up to be poured out")

Meet you at the finish line!!!

Simply His,
Alta

Faithful God

Greetings from my front porch. So glad you stopped by.
 It has been awhile. Since I am nursing a cold...or allergies??? whatever has me by the throat, I thought I would just write today and see where God would lead.

This week, I was blessed beyond what my wildest mind could even imagine.


Several months ago...in early spring, the Lord began to stir my heart about a fall class. I had really laid down alot of things this year to take up a prayer watch for my family, and seek God on how to pray effectively for them to know Him more and love Him better. As I pondered on the thought of a class, I knew that He wanted to bring to full circle what He had been teaching me for several years. I approached with fear and trembling what He may want me to do. I ask Him, "are You saying teach from my experiences?" His answer was...YES! I was afraid of that to be honest with you. However, I surrendered to His will and became subject to the Holy Spirit's leading. Months have passed and this week on Wednesday evening we launched the fall semester with the first class of 8 weeks of Running to WIN!!! Lessons on Faith, Hope Love, and Joy for the Journey.

We greeted a room full of beautiful women of all ages and the race was on. What I want to share with you today is...well, just how faithful God is. My journey on this path to His heart and to a life lived for Him has had many bumps in the road...or path. Though God always remains the same I have zigged when I should've zagged and jumped up when I should've set a spell....longer. Fell down skinned knees and elbows. Life comes at you fast sometimes. Amazingly...I never lost Him. What that says to me is He is faithful even when we are not. He is the pursuer of our souls and He loves for us to know that....I mean really know that!
1Cor. 8:3"But, the man who loves God is known by God." 

We may miss the mark of God's divine standard, which is sin. But, He never misses loving those who love Him. His love for us is not based on our doing everything right...we are not perfect, but we are forgiven...so His love for us is based only on the blood of Christ, His Son. It is God's goodness that brings us to repentance that leads to salvation. Mercy over judgment is His heart toward us.   

It is faith that pleases our faithful God. Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." I just believe God honors faith and I have seen Him work in the many facets of my life and every account that comes to my mind has a common thread...faith. Then there is faithfulness...what He loves is faithfulness...staying the course....walking it out....pressing on...trusting and obeying Him...leaving no room for being disqualified for the PRIZE...or rewards laid up for us.

My word of encouragement to you today is...trust Him with your life.  He can manage and do so much more with it then we can. Make it your one aspiration...your determined purpose... to KNOW Him and be fully KNOWN by Him. Paul says it like this in Phil3:8-9 "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ---the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

Stay faithful and full of faith!!! Meet you at the finish line!!!!!!!!!!

Simply His,
Alta

Call Back

From the Front Porch

"Life is a steep climb, and it does the heart good to have somebody
"call back" and cheerily beckon us on up the high hill. We are all climbers together, and we must help one another. This mountain climbing is serious business, but glorious. It takes strength and steady step to find the summits. The outlook widens with altitude. If anyone amoung us has found anything worthwhile, we ought to "call back."

If you have gone a little way ahead of me, call back---'Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track; And, if perchance, Faith's light is dim, beacuse the oil is low, Your call will guide my lagging course as wearily I go.

Call back, and tell me that He went with you into the storm; Call back, and say He kept you when the forest's roots were torn;That, when the heavens thunder and the earth quake shook the hill, He bore you up and held you where the very air was still.

Oh, friend, call back, and tell me for I cannot see your face; they say it glows with triumph, and your feet bound in the race; but there are the mists between us and my spirit eyes are dim, And I cannot see the glory, though I long for word from Him.

But if you'll say He heard you when your prayer was but a cry.  And if you'll say he saw you through the night's sin-darkened sky---If you have gone a little way ahead, oh, friend, call back--'Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track."
Mrs. Charles E. Cowman /Streams in the Desert

Can you hear this sweet voice speaking to your heart? I was setting on my front porch reading and came across this and had to share it. I love the whole idea of "going up the mountain of the Lord." And this reminds me we are in this journey together and how we are to love one another as we go. I dearly love the women God has put in my path to spur on and encourage in the faith. they bless my heart. 

If you look up all the " love one another's" in the Bible you will find many of them. God had a good plan of action when He expressed His heart that we should count on one another to make the journey together. That requires love.... my friends.

• Jn 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another."
• 1Peter 1:22 "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love
• for your brothers/sisters, love one another deeply, from the heart."
• 1Jn 4:11 "Dear Friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
• Eph. 1:2 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

My hope is that this will be a fresh word for you today. Remember to "call back" and lend a hand to help to pull someone up, it will make the journey sweeter. May God bless you as you pursue a more intimate relationship with the One Who loves you best") Jesus Christ.

Simply His,
Alta Lynn

Inspired

So glad you stopped by the front porch for a visit. It is Sunday evening and for the third day in a row it has clouded up...rolling thunder and  a light show, and with that comes the rain. Last night we were ready to walk out the door when it blew in with such a force we thought it better to just wait for it to pass and pass it did. I looked on the western sky and there was the sun. It was still raining..you know what that means. Yep! A rainbow...very small...but beautiful. The sun was on the horizon setting so it lasted but a minute or two and then as quick as it appeared it was gone.

About 9:15 we ventured out and jumped in the truck and headed to Crossroads. This weekend was the Awakening and there was about 75 teens attending and some great friends serving on the teams. In case you haven't attended the Kokomo Great Banquet I don't want to spoil anything for you. But last night was a very special part of the Awakening or the KGB. The Awakening is the teen version of the Great Banquet. An amazing transformation can happen on one of these weekends. Tender young hearts find their need for a Savior. Young ladies and young men...our next generation are finding their way home. By home, I mean... eternal destination. Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for us and where He is we will be also.
 John 14:1-3

Heaven is as real as our earthly home here. God's Word says so much about it, but, if we are not careful we can just live for today and miss something wonderful to look forward to for our eternity. All this earthly living will pale in the light of our eternal home in heaven with our Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So how now do we live?

• "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we MUST be saved." Acts 4:17
• "Jesus Christ...the same yesterday, today and forever." Hebrews 13:8
• "Live in such a way as to get the PRIZE!!! 1 Corinthains 9:24
• "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish my race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me---the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." Acts 20:24
• "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Hebrews 11: 6

Something to think about:Live by faith in Jesus Christ, live each day to glorify the name of Jesus, run your race marked out for you with perseverence, complete the task of making Christ known, cross the finish line...right into heaven...into His arms outstretched waiting for you.

In heaven many are leaning over the balcony cheering us on. Having trouble wrapping your mind around that one? Check out Hebrews 12:1-3. You just may want to read the whole chapter, it will be worth the trip I promise.

Meet you at the finish line my friends...lets take someone with us")

 

Simply His,
Alta Lynn

Making a Difference

Last week just blew by me and although I spent lots of time on the front porch I missed sharing with you on my blog spot. So here I am Sunday evening, the sun is setting, it's cooling down, and I am thinking about what to

write about.

 Life is flying by at breakneck speed these days. I don't know if it is just me or this season of my life, or I am just so busy packing in each day that they just roll into each other until it is Sunday again.

Whew!!!!!! What boggles my mind is that I used to work 40 or more hours a week and I think...how did I do that and get anything else done...but some how I did. Now, retired, I get to do 168 hours a week what I want to do...there is a big difference. Need I say I am grateful...smile. Well, these days I do get to choose how I spend my time. I try to make each day count don't you? Life is really meant to make a difference...what I mean by that is, when we find out that life is more than just about us...we will want to make a difference...and leave this world a better place.

What I am witnessing lately is a generation that is taking responsiblity for raising up their children to make a difference in the world they live in. I believe praying has made that difference. Many have purposed to ask God for this next generation. First of all, that their hearts be turned to Him. So He can bless them who will choose to obey and follow His Word, and choose His Son Jesus Christ. To live up to the highest calling of knowing Him and making Him known. That is a generation after God's own heart for sure. A generation full of passion and fire with intention of making a difference.

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for You; Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. Isaiah 26: 8

Living on purpose... to pray daily for the next generation to make a difference for God's glory and honor. Won't you join me???

Simply His,

Alta Lynn

Live simply, live well... is a good definition for simplify.

 This is a special word for me. A few years ago the Lord put it in my heart to get my life back in balance and on the path He had purposed for me. I was exhausted and feeling very shaken over a illness that blindsided me just before Christmas 2007. It left me very weak due to an attack on my Mylen sheath which is the covering of our spinal cord. It was a terrifying experience and took better than a year to regain my strength back and energy I was so used to.

Simplify!! I didn't take it lightly... knowing the Lord was with me through the entire season I purposed to pay attention. I began to pray about what God would want me to lay aside, step aside, and put away. We can become so busy doing, that we aren't fully in line with His will for our lives. I have a heart for women and a passion to see them fulfill the purpose God has intended for their lives. Through encouraging them and spurring them on in their faith in Christ. I was leading Women's Ministry, teaching a discipleship class and organizing Bible Studies, leading small groups, and on intercessory prayer team and meeting my family's needs as well as speaking where ever God opened doors. It was a whirlwind of activity. As I laid it all before the Lord, He would lead and guide me to simplify.

It took about a year to fully get it in balance. I knew peace and joy...had lived it...but lost it. A servants heart is what I had prayed for. I wanted to love and serve God and His people.What I didn't know was when to say no. God knows best !! We must stay close enough to Him to hear His voice speaking to our hearts..."that's it!" "enough!"

I still love ministering to women and loving them to a deeper intimacy with God through encouraging them and sharing the Word of God when I have opportunity. I love prayer and praying for others. I also love paying closer attention to the Spirit's leading. This blog spot is birthed out of His leading and His green light")

This word spoke volumes to me:

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21

Are you living life in peace and joy while serving the Lord? Maybe you need to simplify...
Ask the ONE who knows you best")

Simply His,
Alta Lynn