Exciting NEWS

 

Exciting news.

Things are going to change around here.

Here is what happened to me.

Thirty two and a half years ago I became a Christian. When I was so very, very, very new to the faith I had a VERY powerful answer to prayer. I will detail that for you hopefully tomorrow. The Lord was very gracious to show me so early on that He was listening. He was also gracious to place me in a church where they just happened to being studying praying from the Bible.

These detailed answers to prayer have continued. (I am sure that about 100% of you know exactly what I mean and have had the same experiences. I am not claiming to be special.)

So I decided that when I was about 80 years old that I'd write a book about this and the writing style would be to  take 1 verse on prayer from the Bible (at a time) and after providing that verse I would show how I applied it. Give you a simple story of truth. I prayed this way due to this scripture and this was the mind-blowing result. That kind of thing.

There are about 300 mentions of prayer in the Bible and about 100 of them "teach" something about prayer versus just saying the word prayer. If it takes all 100 then I will use all 100 because that's how you get balanced and trustworthy teaching.  You get ALL of the Lord's counsel that way.

Well, I began to realize that waiting until I was 80 was probably not very intelligent. I currently have 4 published (and available) books on the market so I know how difficult the process is to go from idea, to hard work, through editing and then printing and/or publishing. I have one other completed book that is unpublished. So this prayer book was to be my 6th and final book. (My first book came out 20 years ago this year.)

One reason I wanted to wait until I was 80 is that the devil is not going to like it at all. The Bible is truth and my prayer requests and answers are true. The devil doesn't want you to pray so the attack on me might be gigantic. I know I've had attack just for helping homeschooling moms enjoy the process more (and their children too) so imagine the attack for writing about prayer....or better yet don't imagine it....just pray *Preventively" for me to be spared. Our Lord is more powerful.

I've started this book already so just about now you might be thinking I'm going to announce my newest book and start the fanfare, don't you??

Well, no, that's not the case. My smart husband had an idea today. Just write one bit at a time and publish it here with you (and my Yahoo groups) and it will be free of charge. No money changing hands at all.

There are a lot of bloggers out there but I'm not starting from scratch here. For whatever reason my blog(s) get a lot of hits even if I don't touch them for over a year. I know that blogs are not the newest thing either. Facebook somewhat killed the blogs and the Yahoo type groups but I don't care. I have a FB for my 4th book and it is already so saturated that getting anyone to notice your FB is very difficult or very expensive. I've been paying $10.00 a day to try to get my 4th book noticed.

I wrote that 4th book for the unbelievers hoping  to get them interested in believing that they are going to die someday and that there might be an afterlife and I tried to make it super interesting and fun for them to read and then at the end of the book I reveal my Christianity to them. It's a good book for believers too because they can learn how to evangelize by getting into the heads of the 42 people featured in the book. These are real people and their thinking is kind of loopy sometimes and it shows how easy it would be to speak the truth to them because they don't have it. We don't go to heaven because we recycle our garbage.

But this post is not a commercial for that book either.

It is an announcement that as often as possible I will write a post and  basically just write the book here right in front of you. If you see a boo-boo, great but I'm not treating this as a writing group or to get your help. I'm not trying to use you all as free editors or proofreaders. I'm doing it to help you because anything that is faith building is a GOOD thing and these posts will be faith building.

I'll put them on here and on my blog too. So far my blog has mainly been dedicated to one topic but I've said all I have to say about that so I will just change gears and post my book chapter by chapter.

And, it will probably never become an actual book. Like I said I know the agony all to well of publishing. I think my husband is smart and he has watched me start and finish 5 books and prayer book is just kind of languishing there and he doesn't care about the money at all. Neither do I. You don't know this but I have taken a vow of poverty. I don't care for plagiarism however and every word I write is already copyrighted. Did you know that? Your grocery list is copyrighted.  That's the law. So be a good person and don't steal my posts/chapters as they come out please.

And, if you don't like what I'm writing then ignore it. That is so easy to do. If you think, "Oh here's another Clevsea post about how she applied some verse from Nehemiah and prayed and it was answered......" if you don't like that then look the other way.

Friends of mine: Honestly the devil is going to hate this. I will need prayer for this.

Those I don't know as well: I think you're going to like it generally speaking. I think you're are going to want to chime in with your own answers to prayer which I'm sure are as fantastic as mine have been.

 

Everybody, THANK YOU. Thank you for praying, for reading and for supporting in advance.

If nothing else it will give us something to talk about, right?

Love you all,

Clevsea

Bible Reading

Hi Everyone,

Those who have been on here a while know that I come on here every January and make every effort to HELP you to read the Bible.

Over the last 8 years (or so) I've tried lots of different things.

I've done weekly (encouragement) reminders.

I've broken it down for you before too...If you want to read the whole Bible in:

1 year then read 3 chapters a day

6 months, then read 6 chapters a day

3 months then read 12 chapters a day

Don't just speed read as if this is a completion, please.

I've done other things like asking you to read the Sermon On the Mount every day for a month.

I remember one time we read all the Psalms and another where we read the Proverbs together.

I've had a lot of ideas over the years and here is a new one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But before I reveal it I would like to say that I believe in MANY different styles of Bible reading. Slow, Quicker, Short Study, Tid-bits, Hard studies like the Precept upon Precept ... any kind of study/reading is okay with me. I've also been told that some of you, "don't have the time" because you're moms. I am the mother of 5 myself and a long time ago they were little. My advice is to read it standing up at the kitchen counter because children understand that mommy is busy when she does that. But when Mommy is in the recliner they think that Mommy ought to be playing with me, not reading.

I've heard from some of you that you read the Bible through with your church, GOOD, that's a great thing.

I've heard that some of have a plan already that you follow, GOOD, that's a great thing too.

Here is what happens most years, At the end of it about 3 of you get back to me in private mail and gush about the fact you DID get through your whole Bible that year, that it was great, it was NOT a burden and you enjoyed it.....AND.........you plan to do it again!!!

And that's why I do this..............for the 3 of you who will make it through your whole Bible in 2015.

Okay, the new idea. I heard from a reputable person that some man (don't know who) reads his Bible every 15 minutes.

Think about that.

You're on the phone and you say, "Just a sec I'll be right back" and do a bit of quick reading. (Or I have another tip that I do sometimes, I just keep an open Bible on my lap during phone calls. It keeps your mouth clean and "better" advice will flow from you.)

Or you're waiting for the bus and every 15 minutes your timer goes off (or you get used to knowing) and you read from your Bible.

I've been kicking this idea around for many years now and I think this is the year I try it. I may find that 30 mins.. is more doable....or 45 minutes.

There can still be "long" reading sessions too, don't get me wrong.

It took me years of considering this before I decided to take the plunge so I don't imagine all of you doing that. There is really something very nice about sitting with a Bible, (small or large). It just feels good.

 

The Rainbow Carpet

 

 

 

When I awoke today I found my whole world light and white. I have seen a lot of mist because I live in a valley on top of a steep hill. I have walked in beautiful misty meadows many times but I have never seen such a white mist.

 

The brightness was remarkable and all I could think about was heaven. I felt that the Lord wanted me outside right away without delay.

 

The bright, white mist was so the opposite of the dank, humid mist; I walked around praising Jesus and taking it in.

 

He had created all this mystical beauty and someone needed to enjoy it.

 

I watched as heavy white mist formed upward clouds and as these heaps of beautiful white left the ground they looked like snow angels. They were about the size of 3 men put together and as they rose upward they disappeared into the air.

 

I walked up the hill to see the rolling hills of light green grass contrasting with the dark green Douglas fir trees. The sky was very blue just in the horizon and I knew that it wouldn’t be long until the mist was no more and the powerful blue sky and bright sunshine would dominate, until next time.

I walked along the creek on my way back and the grass was covered in dew drops each a rainbow prism of color.

Because I’m nearsighted I can see this beautiful phenomenon two ways. With or without my glasses. With my glasses the rainbow dew drops are spectacular and you can’t take your eyes away. Without my glasses I’m standing in the midst of larger colored lights. Pure color. Dazzling bright and clear color. Golds, the brightest gold you’ve ever seen. Clear beautiful reds, blues, greens, and if you wait and focus on one dew drop only you will see something so remarkable. It will change color even if you do not move. It will go from that bright yet deep gold to yellowish green. Continue watching and it will turn blue and then red. It will slowly rotate through all those colors right before your eyes.

Who doesn’t want to walk on a rainbow carpet? Who doesn’t want to thank Jesus our Lord for this beauty so detailed that it’s difficult to describe.

Rainbow carpet and diamond rain. Who needs chemicals when the Lord’s creation is generously giving us all that we need and then so much more that nothing can be more fulfilling. Beauty, peace, wonderfully refreshing sleep, quiet and prayer. I don’t know why anyone would pursue any other path. The Lord said it was a narrow way and He didn’t have to make it so beautiful but He did for our enjoyment and I hope for His too.

 

When others reject our faith

Paul gives a detailed account of his conversion in Acts 22:17 and he teaches us something very interesting in the middle of this.

 “Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance  and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’”

The “Him” Paul saw was Jesus.

Has this ever happened to you?

You were talking to someone or a group of people and they did NOT receive your testimony about Jesus? Aren’t we always just a little bewildered as to why?

Whether we lean toward Predestination or not, as we are share our faith with someone, we are sharing something we know to be the absolute truth. It’s difficult to comprehend how they can reject that. It’s true, we know it is. Why don’t they?

I’m sharing this to remind myself and you that sometimes it’s not in our hands and it doesn’t matter how eloquent we are or how many perfect Scriptures we can pull up at just the right time. God is bigger and He is seeing all of this in advance. If it breaks our hearts it certainly “can” break His too but we rest in His will and His foreknowledge like an infant that does not need to concern herself with matters that are far beyond her comprehension.

Rest in the Lord’s will, it’s easier to do than you may aware.

Q & A How do we become a gentle spirit toward our husbands?

The Question: How do we become the gentle and quiet spirit in our homes?

Clevsea's answer: I think we've all had to learn this at some point.

It doesn't come naturally to yield the "right of way" in any situation and it's esp. difficult if it's a emotional topic.

What helped me was memorizing the Scriptures on the topic and mentally reciting them to myself.

Old habits take time to break so you can expect to "goof up" a few times. But, with time it does become a habit and it gets easier.

Even more important is the help that the Holy Spirit can/will give you. We want to walk in the Spirit of the Lord.

Here is the passage from Galatians 5: "16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."

Here is the gentle and quiet spirit passage from I Pet 3:

"Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror."

Because there are FEW verses directed toward women specifically I keep them handy. Look these up in your Bible:
Women's Verses
#1 -- I Tim 5:9-10 the widow's list, includes proper behavior
#2 -- I Tim 2:9-15 dressing modestly, don't teach/be in silence
#3 -- I Peter 3:1-6 submit, apparel, gentle & quiet spirit
#4 -- Prov 31:10-30 virtuous wife
#5 -- Titus 2:3-5 behavior, teaching younger women to love their husband & children
#6 -- I Cor 14:34-35 do not speak in Church
#7 -- Eph 5:22-23 Marriage submission
#8 -- Col 3:18 Marriage submission
#9 -- I Cor 11:2-16 women's headship, covering, long hair
#10 Eve's curse is different than Adam's curse

I hope I didn't overwhelm you.

As you step back from leading, your husband will begin to lead more. It may take time and sometimes you'll want to revert back to leading. Just be patient and know your Bible passages.

Fear Not

I think this time of year brings anxiety for some. I wrote this to be of help. Some Christians do confess all fear as sin. Not all of them though. On that topic it's amazing to me that when angels appear to people in the Bible they always say, "fear not" because the person is seeing something not of this earth and they go into a fear of some sort. A verse to focus on is: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." II Tim 1:7 another helpful and well-known one is: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" Phil 4:6 Jesus put it this way: "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind." Luke 12:29 Having said all that people do have fear of certain things. I think the key is relinquishing our rights to have things go our way and to be safe all the time. That is not ours to possess and as soon as we realize that God possesses that, not us, then it helps a lot. Fear of flying for example. I used to have that until I realized that the Lord could take me any time, anywhere He chooses to. I can't control that. That doesn't mean I'm going to go lay down on the railroad tracks but it helps me to know what is my concern and what is not. If I die in a plane, so what? Really. It's okay because I don't believe that could even begin to surprise the Lord God. Why? Because He already knows all of the details of my life. You might be comforted (and that is a good word) by choosing a verse or too to repeat to yourself. The list of what to think about is a GREAT one: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." Phil 4:8 This is good too: For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body" Phil 3:20-21 So one more time the list is: Whatever is: true noble just pure whatever things are: lovely of good report of virtue praiseworthy That could help anyone suffering with any kind of mental turmoil whether it's seeing unsavory relatives this season or other things like getting it all done!

Clevsea has FREE books!

Hi Everyone, I have a "Free Book Giveaway" of "No One Ever Asked Me That; Conversations on the Afterlife." This is a book that took me 12 years to write. The baby of the family was in kindergarten when I started and now he is at the University! The giveaway starts on: 12-12-12 12-13-12 12-14-12 It lasts 3 days only. It is the Kindle version only. No codes are needed. Just go to Amazon and order a Kindle version and you'll get it 100% free of charge. Do you want to let others know? You could email some of your friends, if any of them have a Kindle. You could announce it anywhere you want, blogs, etc. I don't profit from it. Thanks! Clevsea aka, Catherine Levison