A Call to Persevere in Faith
Taken from Hebrews 10
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence
to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and
living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,
21
and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
22 let us
draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance
that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a
guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised
is faithful.
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on
toward love and good deeds,
25 not giving up meeting together, as
some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all
the more as you see the Day approaching.
I love the passage above from Hebrews, and is so timely for the days are evil..... and if it does not end this year, as the prediction and movies are announcing, I and most of my group-mates are, on the path towards our sunset . It is the surest thing in this world. Only God knows when He would recall me to that promised mansion, set on one golden crossroad, in His Kingdom. The sun will soon rest and usher me to the darkness which will lead me to a place where there's no more (darkness).
...... and thus, circle of "sharing-praying friends," here it is ....... let us not grow weary of meeting together here at our special cyber-table over at WWW. Let us pray for one another, encourage each other, push if we might, each other's bottom, and all to the end...... not letting up, to build, to edify, to teach and reproach to His glory.
Our "circle of sharing/circle of praying friends," have come together on-line. I met them, one after the other, when I began following Pam Depoyan's Writing ..... Apples of Gold blog.
Every time Pam publishes a post, I immediately would go to her blog and read. I became so attracted at the way she writes encouragements. Her writings paint and weave beautiful pictures of God's love, goodness and mercy. Even if she does not insert photos, one could easily get a clear picture of a heart so after Jesus.
It wasn't for long that I noticed, I had a classmate, faithfully reading and commenting on Pam's post. I would visit her blog and read, still on tiptoe, as anyone attempting to enter into another's life. I was in awe of course, she writes from the heart of Jesus and is so generous in her love for her family and her mother-in-law. It was there written in her special pages she called "my memoirs."
One day soon, I made myself known to her. I knocked softly at Diane's cyber home and left a message in one of her power posts. (Pardon, for I forgot the date and which post it was). I am one, who would tread quietly on fresh grounds, never wanting to push myself. Oh my, how she welcomed me with her extravagant love. We hit like opposite poles of a magnet. Of course, we are oceans apart, in terms of residence. But it did not bother us. Boundaries are unknown to friendship (sinful things excluded). We are now sharing our parlors, kitchens and dining tables regularly. Sometimes she would take me to see her chiropractor, other times, on errand to the grocer....... all in cyber-space. She became a beautiful source of strength and inspiration, all in the name of faith, hope and love with her AEW.
Came the day when we visited Martha in time for the early rain in Hill Country, Texas. Again, I was so amazed at this gracious lady, telling us of her chronic pain with all dignity and grace, and yet humor is her apple pie. She strongly insists to us, saying, "Pain Won't Beat Me," and she goes on in-faith, baking her share of cookies, to put upon our "circle of friends'" table. And all of us partake, insights, truths to reflect, pain to share and great unbeaten humor to roll on the floor with glee.
""Oh--I did forget one very important "Martha News" point for you:
"Good
Afternoon-This is Martha-Woman with Pain in Butt informing you that
More RAIN is on the way to the Hill Country in Texas! The trusty
BUTT-RO-METER-accurately tested by Martha tells us, the BURN level is running wild."
To
compare, imagine that common question asked by a doctor "Now what level
would you list your Pain at? On the scale of 1-10, where would you say
the Pain is at?" Does anybody have a Cast Iron Skillet I could borrow?
Blessings to all of you and my love is flowing out to every person who suffers with Pain. Martha ""
From Texas, we went off to meet Ms. Veronica Shticks Anderson in the city called TheShticks.com. I was introduced to the Shticks family. I'd like to say, it was a day we Shtuck on each other like glue. Finding myself in the characters that Veronica made out of her family, friends and situations, was something I will never forget. She made Lolita Shticks and granted my wish to see autumn in America and on to Grandfather Mountains with my red umbrella. There is a whole unique world in her Photoshop brushes, templates and tubes...... a story would emerge from her clipboards, so alive with emotions, gestures and lessons. In fact, they really hit at you to the core. Her brand of humor is so subtle, you just sit right in front of your monitor, in awe-a silent kind of awe. Oh how she pulls it off? I know, it is a gift and something she shares so generously.
Then we took a trip, on wagon trail to Betty's new camp site. She and her missionary husband had just moved to California fresh from Papua, New Guinea. We wanted to see her construction site and how she is settling over at their new grounds. We found her befriending mother's in need and some undergoing critical illnesses. She has a heart so wise and so courageous she feels so much on what is going on around her. And she also finds time to sit with us, around our cyber table, offering her batches of cookies and dining with us, praying for each other, upholding one another, laying each one upon Jesus' loving lap (as Diane nicely put). She has given us permission to impress our footprints on her wet concrete and our palm prints upon her wet walls.
So there you are, folks..... my "circle of friends."
We are persevering in Faith. Ain't it lovely, it's free, it is open, it is for sharing your life and journey with.
Come on in, sit with us! Get to know each other, sip from our favorite cups, eat cookies baked by our circle and let us carry each other's cares.... lift them up at Jesus' feet in prayer.
