Beautiful Scenery Instrumental Video

Enjoy this little unprofessional slideshow of pictures from near our home here in Bolivia, along with my sisters and I playing I'm just a Wayfaring Stranger on Flute, Violin and Piano.

To Borrow or Not to Borrow -- The Freedom of Living Without Debt

To me...the teaching of God's Word was unmistakably clear: "Owe no man anything." To borrow money implied...a contradiction of Scripture -- a confession that God had withheld some good thing, and a determination to get for ourselves what He had not given...

Could any amount of precedents make a wrong course justifiable? If the Word taught me anything, it taught me to have no connection with debt. I could not think that God was poor, that He was short of resources, or unwilling to supply any want of whatever work was really His. It seemed to me that if there were lack of funds to carry on work, then to that degree, in that special development, or at that time, it could not be the work of God.

~Hudson Taylor 

The subject of whether or whether not to borrow is, granted, not a popular one. I do not seek to judge anyone here, or to heap on someone's shoulders a burden that is not from God. Rather, I would like to share what we believe, what our family's experience has been, and how much of a blessing it can be to cast aside the burden of debt completely, and be free from monetary bondage -- to "owe no man anything." 

Soon after my parents were married in 1992 they made a very radical commitment to God that they would never borrow money for anything. They were given this advice by a very wise great-uncle, and were told that if they did not make a firm commitment, that at some point in life they were sure to make an exception and give in to pressure. Over the years there have been countless times when my parents would have been sorely tempted to borrow "just this once" if they had not made that commitment. 

As a family we have seen God provide again and again, in His timing, and looking back we realize that God's timing has always been the best, and if we had given in and borrowed along the way we would almost certainly not be where we are now. God directed us through some large decisions, like the adoptions and purchase of property, by providing in His way and His timing, and His alone. Several examples come immediately to mind of instances where giving in to pressure and borrowing would have caused us absolute disaster later. If we would have pushed ahead and done our own thing, who knows what regrets and repercussions we would still be experiencing; who knows how drastically different our lives would be now. We are so blessed! 

Just some food for thought. ☺ I'd enjoy hearing others' experiences or thoughts on the issue. 

The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your delights."   - Psalm 36:7-8

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him...Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil."  -Psalm 37

The Foolishness of God is Wiser than men; The Weakness of God is Stronger than men

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: 

That no flesh should glory in His presence. 

But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.    

-I Cor. 1: 27-31

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. -vs. 26

Do You Struggle with Knowing God's Will?

“The essential prerequisite to knowing the Will of God is our disposition toward it…If we are predisposed to question or reject the Will of God, we will never know what it is.” 

-Walking Thru the Darkness by Neil Anderson  

So many people, striving to serve the Lord, have a wrong view/belief of God because of being programmed by past pain or trauma. They might see Him as condemning them, standing over them with a big stick, or never being satisfied with their performance – feeling like they can just never succeed at the Christian life, will never be able to measure up to the standard. 

They might think of God as judgmental, harsh, condescending, critical, aloof, or a task-master. 

Maybe they don’t even realize that they view Him in this way, subconsciously, in their heart of hearts. 

Our perception of God, our belief in God and Who He is and who we are in Him lies at the very bottom of our ability to know the Will of God.

How, pray tell, can you put your complete trust and faith in a distant Someone who doesn’t love you unconditionally, who is watching to punish you if you make a mistake, or who is never pleased with you, never satisfied with your performance?  

Your ability to connect with God, to know His perfect Will, and obey it, to possess that faith that it is impossible to please Him without, is hinged completely on your very core belief about Who He is and what He thinks of YOU.

“Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth will make you free!” Your heart must know the truth; not just your head. Cry out to the Lord Jesus to show Himself to you, as He really is; to reveal the heart of the Father to your innermost soul. Claim His promises for YOU, yourself, holding nothing back. 

Romans 5:1

“Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God thru our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Romans 8:1 (ESV)

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death (Indescribably wonderful!).” 

Colossians 1:12-14 (ESV)

“Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Isn't that awesome!?). He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of His Beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Hallelujah!).”

2 Peter 1:4 (NAS)

“…He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that thru them you may become partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” 

2 Peter 2:4&9 (NAS)

“And coming to Him as a living stone, rejected by men but choice and precious in the sight of God…You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (What a blessed truth).”

And don’t think you’re not being humble, if you claim all these promises for yourself. You must! 

"Humility is confidence properly placed." - Neil Anderson

"In His Presence" Flute & Violin Quartet

Kristin and I so enjoyed having another floutist and violinist to play with while Kara and Nathan (Horst) were visiting for three weeks. Here is our [not-so-perfect] rendition of a beautiful medley arranged by Tracey Ann Collins which we prepared and played for our Hymn Sing (hosted at our house bi-weekly).

Please excuse the bad video quality, the barking dog throughout the whole song, and the cute videographer in the foreground. 😊

But...Brokenness?? The Cross??

"Preach Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."

The message of the Cross. How stark and cold and cruel. How marvelous, how wonderful, how rich the Love, the Sacrifice poured our for me. How real it is, in contrast with the fakeness, the frivolity, the emptiness which the World has to offer. 

"Take up your cross and Follow Me. [Not Billy Graham. Not your parents. Not Oswald Chambers. Not Bill Gothard. Not Neil Anderson. Not Ken Ham. Not your friends. Not your pastor.]"

Oh, the misery, the pain, the heartache? 

No! 

The Joy. The perfect Love, that permeates and flows and casts out fear. The Freedom. Complete. 

The brokenness? Yes. But rushing in between and encircling round those broken pieces is flowing the Love and Light of Jesus Christ, Filling, Restoring, Healing, making all things new. It is now His Story, bringing only Him Glory. 

Restoration...

Reconciliation...

Renewal.

All thru and because of those broken pieces. 

"I have loved you even as the Father has loved Me. Live within My Love. When you obey Me you are living in My love..."

WAIT

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait."
"Wait? You say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
hangs in the balance, and you tell me to Wait?
I'm needing a 'yes' and a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!"

Then quietly, softly, I learned my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled  to God, "So I'm waiting for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want --- but you wouldn't know Me.

You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You'd not know the job of resting in ME
when darkness and silence were all you could see.
You'd never experience the fullness of love
As peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save (for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I gave when you walk without sight
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.
You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'
Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,
But oh, the loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!
So be silent, My child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late.
My most precious answer of all is still, WAIT."

-Unknown