God's Temple

I Corinthians 3:16,17 Don't you realize that all of you together are the house of God, and that the Spirit of God lives among you in his house? If anyone defiles and spoils God's home, God will destroy him. For God's home is holy and clean, and you are that home.

The past year, my blogging has been about Who I Am in Christ. I have learned I am accepted and secure, now I am learning about how significant we all are in Christ.
Down by the falls, pond, stream and in the safety of the cleft of the rock there have been many lessons to drink from. I pray that each time we come to the Father for a drink of water and comfort, he would seal these precious nuggets in our spirits, that we may share with others. That we would be used satisfy their longing in pointing the way to a loving patient Father.

This week I had the privilege of praying for a precious sister in my family of Christians. She was being obedient and laying down a dream for a time of rest and waiting on the Lord for the next job. I placed her in the cleft after she stepped from the roaring falls so she could do just that. Sometimes, in being called away for rest, I like to think of this process of a "lone dove place". It's where we can look quietly from above and observe things below,basking in His peace and listening for his voice and direction. My friend was spent, it was time to re-group and spend time at her Father's feet. She yearns for a closer walk and to be able to produce more fruit in her life. Sometimes we get so busy doing the Lord's work that we forget to stop and go another direction, especially when we are successful at what we have been working so diligently on. But...God, in his amazing knowledge knows what we need and sometimes, that is rest and taking another direction for a season.

Taking care of our physical body isn't the only thing, we need to be willing to stop and care for our precious Church body too. That doesn't always mean we need to run out and take them dinner or give them a quick hug, although those things are important, we need to be willing to stop for a moment and listen to the Lord as he calls their name to our mind. An intercessory prayer is important as well for their well-being. I sense a word of urgency here as I lift her up to the Father. As He brings your name, I will do the same for you. Even if your name is only "Reader" right now. He surely knows who you are and what you need. Take care of your bodies dear ones, they are the only ones you have to use for the Lord's work. They need rest, food and comfort. Your physical body and your church body.

Paul says in I Corinthians 23 All are yours, and you belong to Christ, and Christ is God's.

Have a blessed day my friends in Christ.

Happy New Year 2009 Significant

Finally today, I feel that I can catch up. It has been a rough but joyous time here at the Harris house since my last post.

John 15:16 reminds us...You didn't choose me! I chose you! I appointed you to go and produce lovely fruit always, so that no matter what you ask for from the Father, using my name, he will give it to you. I am going to take one more step and that is the next two scriptures which say, I demand that you love each other,for you get enough hate from the world! But then, it hated me before it hated you.

What a lesson because I feel like I failed but God is so faithful, he picked me up and challenged me to keep going.

It started with my mini-job and a new computer and a new Word 2007...two dangerous things to use on a mind that is computer compromised. Excited, we set up the new computer, loaded, etc. etc, you know all the terms. The next day, my new one blew up too. I lost a lot of information, emails, some submissions, some pieces of my writing and was struggling big-time with a simple 15 hour a week job. I wasn't producing very much fruit. On top of that, I had awful flu almost all of Nov. and then after a week of rest, I got it again. Two days ago it was better and I have come from the land of the dead. Jim is coming out of the woods with it tonight. Poor thing. The first week in the New Year, sob! I was let go. I felt terrible, my pride and everything else exploded but still....I was at total peace and as I felt led to finally go back to my blog site, there was a post from Rose, it was so sweet and I knew that I was still loved and forgiven despite myself.

There were quite of few tests from fellow believers who left me in a cloud of dust and this lesson seemed quite appropriate as I pick up pieces, lick my wounds and start again. It doesn't matter where or how I have been misunderstood, I have my marching orders and that is to keep on loving and producing fruit, especially members of my body in Christ. I can do this on the strength of my Lord and Savior, that is why in John 15:26 he sent me the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. I need them and they need me despite ourselves!

But wait! I forgot to tell you the best part of all...God is faithful to the call on our lives! Yep! I got work published for payment in 2008. What a wonderful gift from Jesus. Friends, I have written and published for years, but this was awesome because one story made it in Faith Deployed and one in Cup of Soup for the Catholic Soul. A story that I wrote three years ago and also a story that I did not send to them for consideration. Jesus took care of that! I don't know how, another wonderful miracle in our lives. Years ago he promised if I would do my part, he would take care of the rest.

May each of you have a Blessed and Happy New Year. I am praying in the cleft of the rock and seeking ways in which to bless you.

Love,
Paulette