Tag Archives: Faith

Musings From A Princess Bed

6 Jul

I was awakened by a bright light coming through the curtains. It was the moon, brighter than I had ever seen before. 4:00 AM!

“Good Morning Lord! Speak to me, why have you awakened me with the moon?”

“It’s time to write My daughter,” He said.

We shared a sweet time of prayer and reflection. I walked outside, the scripture echoed inside of me, “To him that made great lights: for His mercy endureth forever. The sun to rule by day: for His mercy endureth forever: The moon and stars to rule by night: for His mercy endureth forever:” Psalm 136:7-9

His Mercy Endureth Forever!! Selah!!

 We all begin new journeys. Some journeys are amazing. Some journeys are enlightening. Some journeys are very difficult. All journeys help us grow, in one way or another. We can grow spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and (ahem!) physically!! And some journeys are . . . well . . . adventures in disguise!!

I have been on so many journeys in my lifetime. I like to believe that we all begin a new journey every year on our birthday, those are the journeys of home and growth, entwined with dreams and planning for the future. But then there are those journeys that sort of begin without warning and take you to places that test you to the very core. I started one of those journeys several months ago; walk with me for a while!

The Journey Begins

I sold my home in Snowflake, AZ in March of 2021. I felt that I had received a fair price for my home, I had taken very good care of it and it was on a nice piece of land. I had to rehome some of my farm animals; I won’t kid you, that was very hard. I had all of the possessions at my home moved to Chino Valley, AZ where I planned to purchase another home and settle into the last home I will purchase (Note: I told myself that on the last 2 purchases too). What I didn’t understand was that the homes in Snowflake were much less expensive than the homes in Chino Valley and surrounding cities, and to purchase a home here of the quality I had there would be $100,000 more than I received for my home there. 

I hadn’t found a home to purchase before I left Snowflake and there weren’t any meeting my needs up for sale. My time was fast approaching to leave my home in Snowflake and go . . . where??  I posted on Facebook and asked everyone in the area to keep their eyes open for me as I was soon going to be in quite a predicament with 4 dogs and a 20 pound cat and only my van to stay in.  All my possessions were in 2 storage lockers, one in Chino Valley and one in Snowflake. 

A dear friend contacted me and said that I could stay with her. I kept reminding her of my fur family and she said it was okay. As the days approached I would text her every day and ask again if it was ok, the answer was always yes. I really don’t think she understood exactly what she was getting into. All of my animals are rescues and very nervous with change and new people. They sleep as close as they can get to me and never leave my side during the day.  Thankfully, since they have all been in shelters and around a lot of other animals they were good with the new environment and the additional cats and dogs when I arrived. What a blessing that was. 

My new temporary home was a 10’ x 10’ bedroom, minus a door. There was plenty of room for the floor blankets and suitcases and 2 pet carriers. The interesting part of the room was that the only bed was a princess bed. Yep, hand built by the lady of the house for her young daughter. This princess bed was to be my place of rest for the next several months. 

I learned a lot while sleeping in that bed! Let me share some of those “Musings” with you. Place yourself in that setting and smile with me on this journey.

The Unique Qualities of Sleeping in a Princess Bed!!

There is a definite stacking order when getting fitted into the princess bed. Largest participant should be first (that’s me), then the next sized participant (that’s my 20 lb cat), and then the smallest – my little 4 pound dog, Joseph Moses! He often gets moved around until we all fit like puzzle pieces, and once installed NO ONE MOVES;mostly because we don’t want to squish Joseph Moses. There are railings all the way around the Princess bed and there isn’t any chance of anyone falling out! I guess that’s good – right?? Poor Joe.  **sigh**

When you have dogs they always want to be right next to you – when you eat, when you watch a movie, when you write and especially when you sleep. It is complicated enough to get out of a princess bed at my age, let alone have the only exit blocked by 3-4 dogs at any given time! **sigh**  All Princess Beds should come with servants to help you get in and out!

I think I need a big Princess hat (the pointy one with tulle dangling) and Princess shoes (the ones with the curled up toes)! Wait! Uummm, maybe not – Scratch that!!

When you climb into a princess bed you can feel every bruise, scratch and “ouchie” on your hands, wrists and knees. Being the graceful grandma that I am, face-planting is not unusual! I have lots of experience in yipping “ouch” with every inch across the bed to the top. **sigh**  I think I need to consider a bubble-wrap suit.

Pain is still pain in a Princess bed. It isn’t better, it isn’t worse, it just is. Physical, emotional or psychological pain doesn’t give way to how fancy your bed is, it just doesn’t. I guess that’s just for the fairytales!

I have discovered that trying to sleep with all those pillows in the corner of the Princess bed is not as easy as it seems it might be. I start out on top of all the pillows and end up underneath them all. Not sure what happens in the middle of the night to end up with that result. I generally wake up early in the morning (blame the dogs dancing around) with a Trump hairdo!! Yay! Actually, he wears it much better than I do. **sigh**

I went to get my haircut so it would actually look nice and found out that all hair cutting personnel are not created equal!! In this area of the world it took 2 different hair stylists and 3 tries, to attempt to make something of my mop. The first one did such a bad job that the second one threw up her hands after a half hour and said “That’s the best I can do!” Note to self, may be time to look into wigs for such a time as this!!  **sigh**  I am definitely not princess material!!

Dreams don’t change in a Princess bed. You don’t dream of Knights or castles or dragons, or even of a handsome prince. You still have the crazy dreams you always had that rarely made sense. But, if you blame it on the bed others will likely nod in agreement, because, most likely, they don’t have anything to compare it to. I guess that can be good! Right?

There’s a silver cherub face glued to the wall opposite the wall with the Princess bed. It appears to be blowing silver stars across the wall. If you shine a flashlight on it in the dark it reflects up and the stars glow on the ceiling. That makes me smile every time. Why do I have a flashlight in bed? Because the light switch is on the same side of the room as the cherub face. **sigh**

If you think changing sheets on a regular bed is a pain, try changing sheets on a Princess bed where the mattress is wedged in so tight that you have to really manipulate the sheet to get it to go between the rails and the mattress. Consequently most of the sheet and covers lay on top of the mattress and on those “toss and turn” nights (everyone must turn in unison) all the covers end up in a big pile in the middle of the bed. Poor Joe – he’s usually at the bottom of the pile somewhere.

Must I even bring up the issues of drinking too much water before bed and having to get up and visit the “facility” in the middle of the night?!?!?! **sigh**  I didn’t think so.

One nice thing about sleeping in a Princess bed is that you actually have 2 roofs over your head! So in the event that we ever get rain (it is Arizona after all) and it leaks through the first roof, I have a little more protection! Maybe. HHHmmmm????

Getting in and out of a Princess bed is the biggest challenge of sleeping in one. There are 2 possible methods: Crawling across on your hands and knees and scooting across on your behind. Crawling can be hard at this age, but scooting can be quite embarrassing if you aren’t careful (literally). I generally crawl. Enough said!

Shiloh, my biggest dog (130 pounds) has always awakened me by licking my toes, which generally stick out at the end of the covers. One morning was quite cold and I had pulled up into a ball to stay warm under the covers. Shiloh “had to go!” What’s a dog to do??? In she hopped and started digging in the covers to find my toes! Nothing like slimy toes at 4 in the morning. UUGGHH!! Plus a quick retreat to the yard to solve the original issue. Really looking forward to a yard with a fence and a gate! **sigh**

Sleeping in a Princess bed doesn’t automatically make you a Princess. If it did I would have control of the Mariachi music playing at 2am almost every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If it did I wouldn’t have to do a daily pooper scoop of the dog doo!! If it did I wouldn’t have to do any chores. No, sleeping in a Princess bed definitely doesn’t make you a Princess. I still think it should come servants. 

What do I love about sleeping in a Princess bed? I get to be close to my dear friends. I get to look for my new home in person instead of online. I have a place to live and have all of my dogs and Cat (that’s his name – Cat) with me. And most of all, I get to attend a church that I have missed so much for 10 years and it is still so on fire for Jesus that you can almost see the flames on top of the church building. And that makes sleeping in a Princess bed all worthwhile.

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MARCH FORTH

18 May

By Tim Farmer

 “Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”  Zechariah 2:13

                        March 4th?                  March 4th!!                  March Forth???

I sat down in my usual spot on the sofa in the light of the morning sunrise thanking God for another glorious day. I was sitting still, pausing to let the sunlight warm my face before opening my daily devotional.  I remembered that Mario Murillo sent out an online invitation to the pastors of California to attend a lunch he was hosting in Manteca, California on March 4th. Today. The event was to pray, heal and encourage the pastors to reopen all of the churches in the state. The response to his invitation was amazing. Instead of a hundred or so, as Mario had anticipated, over a thousand pastors had responded.  I prayed that God would provide all that they would need to make the lunch a success. I thought about how interesting it was that the event was happening on March 4th.  Was that intentional?   There are no accidents.

Many of us have been praying, in hopeful expectation, that today would be a day of a great event in Washington, DC involving our Presidential leaders.  We shall see.  I finished my prayer for the pastors lunch and sat in silence again in the bright sunlight.  This is my daily quiet time with God. Silence. Today’s date was repeated in my mind.  Once. “March 4th.” Silence. I waited. I am learning patience. Then the thought struck me, it wasn’t the date I was hearing, that still small voice was saying “March forth.”

Recently I have been wrestling with my being a disciple. How could I best share my faith and help others to know Jesus?  It was easier 30 years ago when Janet and I were newlyweds and active members of the local Presbyterian Church.  Still energetic in our early 40’s we were involved with several popular ministries at the church.  Janet’s servant heart and smile could light up a room. She was my great encourager, advocate and nudger. She quickly taught me to be courageous with my faith.  

Janet was fearless.  Everyone loved her.  Sadly, Janet went home to be with Jesus early in 2018.  The last few years of Janet’s life were very difficult. Chronic pain in many areas of her body made it difficult to sit in church.  She stopped attending.  After a while I attended less as her condition became worse, then I became a “sometimer.” To say I miss her is an understatement. Now, I believe she shines brighter in Heaven than she did on earth.  

While making plans for her memorial with our senior pastor,  I made a promise to return to Sunday worship.  Even though I aimed the promise at my pastor, it was really to my Lord and Savior. 

Fast forward to 2020 and Covid-19.  Just before the quarantine began, I had started weekly sessions with a Christian counselor in Pasadena to help me in coping with depression and Janet’s  passing.  Before the second session the quarantine went into effect, so our sessions were on Zoom.  Attending church and bible study were also conducted on Zoom.  Better than nothing, however the fellowship is not the same. 

The tender greetings and the hugs of encouragement were gone.  But God found a way.   Not being able to go to work actually became a blessing. A huge blessing. This alone time gave me the desire to be in the Word, study the Bible, connect with old friends on social media, and fellowship with Believers.

My mid-week Bible study was helping boost my confidence, as was my alone time with the Lord in the mornings. During the days I couldn’t get motivated.  Tired and frustrated with myself I became lazy and watched too much TV. 

November of last year I turned 70.  I have had a very active lifestyle during my adult years but being static during the lockdown has added to new physical issues. My motor skills were declining. What had been easy was now difficult. Alone, without Janet, I have become less confident in my actions. I am too worried about making mistakes.  I feel ill equipped for the many tasks that used to be second nature to me. The idea and responsibility of discipleship seems daunting, overwhelming, and unreachable.  It has been hard enough trying to get through each day. I needed motivation, accountability, a task, a project to build, something! Then a friend called.  She needed a special box built, something small that could hold a Laptop, and a way for it to adjust to different heights.

After the call ended I thought it would be a fun little project. I knew the materials I needed were at work.  All I had to do was start; and I did. Less than a week went by, still incomplete but usable. I took it to my friend’s apartment, so that she could try it out and see if there were any improvements that I might need to add. She ended up keeping the box for two weeks, it was working great! I went over to pick it up and brought it back to the shop.  All I had to do was add some handles and put a clear finish on it, then return it.  She was very happy.  So was I.    

Those few hours working on that little box gave me a purpose. I prayed about that purpose for days. Several other projects popped up that I was able to complete. The old juices were flowing.  My  friend Ken would say, “Tim, you’re in the flow.”  But I recognized something different about this; Jesus was in it.  He was always there but my eyes were now open to see it.  And, this morning my ears had opened to hear Him again -“March forth.”

My devotional book belonged to Janet. I use it every morning and treasure the little notes that she had written along the edges of the pages. Today’s devotion had two scripture references, the first was Luke 12:25-26.  In my rush to get to the passage in my bible I started reading at Luke 11:5, then realizing my mistake I decided to read both chapters in sequence.  The teaching of Jesus in these chapters had greater significance for me than ever before.  After reading it again I believe that “March forth” was my special encouragement from God. It was for me to step out in faith; to stop being fearful of making a mistake or looking the fool.  It might even be a trumpet call to the masses.  I don’t know for sure, but I am certain it is mine.  

Perhaps I am to join with those better equipped than I as they “March forth.”  There may never be a more important time in history to do exactly that. It is time for me to step up, join the battle line and become a soldier for Christ.

I treasure the time Janet and I spent together.  Our meeting was a miracle unto itself,  but that is another story.  I know we will be together again. Love lasts forever. Today I will March Forth for both of us.

MARCH FORTH and ALL GLORY BE TO GOD.

March Forth!  How Great Thou Art Lord!

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WHICH SIDE

17 Sep

He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Matthew 12:30 KJV

✝

When tempests boil and turn,

This way and that,

Uprooting all you find sacred,

All you find worthy –

On which side of the cross do you rest?

✝

When your thoughts are so strained,

Facts threaten your hope,

Doubts threaten your faith –

On which side of the cross do you rest?

✝

When your family and friends,

Dwell on sorrows and pain,

Straining joy,

Stretching joy,

Quenching joy –

On which side of the cross do you rest?

✝

When you’ve let promise down,

To the ones that you love,

To yourself,

To your dreams –

On which side of the cross do you rest?

✝

Do you curse and cry out,

Blaming God in the dusk,

Screaming “why” in self-pity,

In pride?

✝

Or do you lay yourself down,

At the foot of the cross,

And rest in His promise,

His love?

✝

Written 6-20-1998

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STAND BACK

16 Sep

“And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord‘s, and he will give you into our hands.”  1 Samuel 17:47 KJV

✝

I say stand back, stand back in the Lord.

I say stand back, stand back in the Lord.

✝

Egypt’s Red Sea seemed a mighty foe.

With Pharaoh close there seemed no place to go.

The people stood and cried aloud with fear.

Forgetting all along their Lord was there.

✝

I say stand back, stand back in the Lord.

✝

His mighty hand can move the sea from shore to shore.

✝

I say stand back, stand back in the Lord.

✝

Shielded by Armor of Faith we’ll stand.

Jericho was girded all around,

A mighty fortress set on solid ground.

If rushed the army within would abound,

By marching feet and trumpets it went down.

✝

I say stand back, stand back in the Lord.

✝

Gideon was sent to take the land,

With only three hundred men he had to stand.

With pitchers, lanterns, horns, he did God’s will,

Though all the enemy died, he did not kill.

✝

I say stand back, stand back in the Lord.

✝

Deborah sent her army off to war,

The army would not go without her near,

The chariots of iron saved not the foe,

For God provided the rain, they moved no more.

✝

I say stand back, stand back in the Lord.

✝

Joshua was sent to take Ai,

To win this one he must be very sly.

Place armies front and back, came God’s reply,

And hold your spear up high, high in the sky.

✝

I say stand back, stand back in the Lord.

✝

Do you have an enemy today,

Take your troubles to God, get down and pray,

There is nothing He can’t rise above,

He’s there to raise you up in perfect love.

✝

I say stand back, stand back in the Lord.

 

 

 

✝ Written in 1992 as a song

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REVOLUTION

16 Sep

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)   2 Corinthians 10:3-4 KJV

✝

Firmly we stand,

with pure hearts,

and cleansed souls,

fire coursing through our veins,

exuding the power,

of the anointing within.

✝

Are you ready for a Revolution?

✝

At battle status,

with sword and shield,

we take our positions,

as warring spirits,

in the battle ground,

for man’s soul.

✝

The army of God,

is cleansing a path,

for the graceful steps,

of the Bride of Christ.

✝

No enemy can draw near,

no dart can reach its mark,

for the strength of David,

the wisdom of Deborah,

and the faith of John,

take authority,

over all principalities,

and powers of darkness.

✝

Stand up, child of God,

renew your mind,

take your place,

as a Christian heir,

in the righteous army,

called to demand peace,

at all costs.

✝

REVOLUTION!!

Written 10/23/1999

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RELEASE

14 Sep

 

“And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:47 KJV

✝

Rise up my bride, soil not your gown.

Release the sword from your delicate fingers.

Rest in peace as I stand guard.

✝

Your war is finished, the battle finally won.

Now the chamber waits with sweet fragrances

Of sanctioned prayers,

Washed clean with bottled tears.

✝

Step up with me,

Safe within my arms,

In the place you never doubted would come.

✝

Today we stand as one,

Faith upon Faith,

Truth within Truth,

Life into Eternity.

✝

 

Written 2-6-2002

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Forsaking the Call

5 Apr

But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.   Matthew 18:6

…

There are times in every person’s life when difficult decisions have to be made, knowing that those decisions will affect the lives of many others. When we are called to the faith we are to prefer others above ourselves and accommodate others, knowing that God will accommodate us.

…

Most recently I have observed brothers of the faith making decisions that were intended to destroy the character of another strong Christian. False truths and innuendo have been stated and spread to cover the true reason behind the attack – financial gain and career advancement.

…

I was contemplating a way to expose the ploy and show the true colors of those involved, but I hear the voice of God very clearly . . . “vengeance is mine.”

…

It is bad enough that friendships have been destroyed and jobs have been lost for others to gain power and finance. It’s terrible that integrity has been tarnished and respect destroyed. Now, when they least expect it, God’s anger and punishment will fall. What sacrifice this? Will there be restoration? Will trust ever be regained? Will opportunities be lost forever?

…

As believers, we are called to a higher standard of integrity, a higher obligation NOT to walk in worldly ways. When taking on the mantle of Pastor, that obligation massively multiplies. People are watching. Christians are disdained in general for the faults of a few. Shame falls on the family of God.

…

Lord, let me always be aware of the people and circumstances around me that I might not make a choice what would push others farther away from You. I never want to experience your vengeance; only your grace and love.

 

 

Written 10/26/2010

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KNEEL WITH US

22 Dec

“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” Psalm 95:6

—

As we come to You,

We seek the truth,

Our open hearts we give.

—

We lift our hands,

And take a stand,

in righteousness to live.

—

Help us speak for You,

In all we do,

Your words of peace we share.

—

Please hold us near,

And calm our fears,

And kneel with us in prayer.

—

Lord, we teach Your word,

Your truths are heard,

We walk in love and faith.

—

We share Your ways,

For strength we pray,

We’ve learned to kneel and wait.

—

Keep us in Your will,

Our own thoughts stilled,

Our old ways changed to new.

—

Please keep us close,

At any cost,

Our mind on only You.

—

 Lord, we lift our hands,

In love we stand,

A shout of faith we raise.

—

We reach to You,

Your touch renews,

Our words are songs of praise.

—

Seeking to be filled,

To know Your will,

Fills every waking hour.

—

Please touch our souls,

And let us know,

Your mercy, strength and power.

—

—

Written in 1991 as a song

 

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Only By Faith

24 Nov

And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. Luke 7:50

—

By faith stood Abraham,

in the promise of Isaac.

—

By grace it came to pass.

overcoming natural life,

birthing a child,

in a lonely golden year.

—

Faith took the promise,

and blew life into lifelessness.

—

Faith saw Isaac as the sown seed,

laughter come at last,

then grace matured it,

multiplying it.

—

Fourteen generations flowed,

from Abraham to David,

through Jacob and Obed,

and Jesse.

—

Fourteen generations flowed from David,

until the carrying away into Babylon,

through Solomon,

through Manasses,

through Josias.

—

Then fourteen more flowed,

from Babylon to Christ,

the Word manifest in flesh,

the Keeper of eternity.

Through Achim,

Eleazar to Jacob,

the father of Joseph,

the husband of Mary,

the mother of Christ.

—

By faith did Mary accept the promise,

that grew within her womb.

—

By faith did Joseph accept Mary,

heavy with child,

not of his loins,

not of his love.

—

By grace they stood as one,

on a destined night,

the sky brightened,

by the Glory of God,

in the shape of a star,

pointing down to the Son.

—

By faith Joseph took Jesus,

adopted now,

into the lineage of Abraham,

adopted now,

as a child of promise.

—

By grace Joseph watched,

as He grew to a man,

well before His years.

—

Our perfect pattern,

our Shepherd and King.

—

Now, by faith, we trust in His Word,

our heritage blessed by driven saints,

and tarnished by those who did evil,

in the sight of the Lord.

—

By faith are we accepted,

are we adopted,

into His kingdom,

joint-heirs with Christ,

children of promise,

just as He did,

so long ago.

—

By grace will we walk,

in His footsteps,

as best as we are able,

crying out for strength,

for peace, for love.

—

By faith we receive all,

grace has promised,

and more,

for only by our limited faith,

can we see into,

God’s limitless plan.

 

—

Written 11/8/98

 

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STEPPING FORWARD

14 Sep

The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled. The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook. Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.    

Psalm 77:16-20 (KJV)

 

I stand in the path of troubled waters,

urged by a deep stirring in my soul.

My promise awaits me on the other side,

distant, dangerous, seemingly unattainable.

 

The waters are rising and churning,

lapping the ground at my feet,

teasing, testing, tantalizing.

 

Dare I step into troubled water,

tempting Satan, testing God?

Is the vision but a dream

or God’s perfect will?

 

There is no Moses to lead me in,

no Aaron to encourage me forth.

The angels hide, wait, watch.

Dare I take a chance

and step into the churning depths?

 

Do I trust God to part the sea,

dry the ground my feet must travel upon,

and hide my footsteps beneath the returning waters?

Or do I remain in my sheltered life,

no risks taken, nothing lost, nothing gained.

 

Do I reach out to the will of God,

the high calling I have been predestined to take,

or rest behind,

allowing another to receive the rich blessing

and sense of victory.

 

The sea of troubled water is frightening,

yet enchanting.

There is so much to gain,

so little to lose.

The waters surge and ebb,

surge and ebb.

Call me forward, Father,

as I strive to please you.

 

I close my eyes to self,

to doubt, to acceptable mediocrity.

One step at a time I move forward,

one step at a time.

 

As the waters part and rise up around me

I see the truth of my adversary,

like a motion picture through a looking glass,

larger than life, magnified,

yet fragile and easily destroyed.

Why did I fear?

 

Will those troubles disappear?

No!

They will always rest in the troubled waters.

It is my choice to view them,

or place my eyes on God,

and take a step forward,

knowing that each step will part the waters

and find solid ground.

 

Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep;

that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? 

Isaiah 51:10  (KJV)

 

 

Written 9-11-00

 

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