~To truly abide and adore my Lord means I can press on until He returns, praising Him wholeheartedly! Annie Hawks said,
"I remember well the circumstances under which I wrote the hymn 'Abide with me'. It was a bright June day, and I became so filled with the sense of the nearness of my Master that I began to wonder how anyone could live without Him, in either joy or pain. Suddenly, the words I need Thee every hour, flashed into my mind, and very quickly the thought had full possession of me."
Will you please consider joining with us on Wednesday, November 8 as we remember Samuel on his 13th Birthday!? He loved celebrations and we would love to honor his memory ALL DAY by doing Acts of Kindness! There is a list of lots of ideas below...
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I love this list and hope that everyone will join us!
*Print this below and leave it behind too, if you want! :)
We would love to hear about your RAOK...email to cutliffcrew6@gmail.com or post in the comments :) Thank you so much for remembering our sweet boy and spreading the joy his life gave to so many!
~
Psalm 100
"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful songs,
Know that the Lord is God,
It is He who made us, and we are His;
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise!
Give thanks to Him and praise His name!
For the Lord is God and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations."
I'm pressed to begin sharing again what God is teaching me and about life. He is filling my heart and soul with His presence and care, even though I struggle daily! I have been recovering from surgery and so I have been dependent on the Lord and my loved ones to care for me. The Lord uses every circumstance in our lives to teach and strengthen us... if we listen and respond. It is so hard to constantly be shaped and molded, but if we had no struggles then would we need Him?
I used to think that if I worked really hard to reach the goal of something (like being patient) that the trial to strengthen me would be over. Well...that's not how it works. I will never be perfectly patient or perfect in anything, hence my need for constant care from the Father to teach me.
I just read some of my favorite biographies. Elisabeth Elliot, is one of my heroines. Her husband went to the Auca Indians in Ecuador as a missionary and friend and they murdered him and several of his dear missionary friends. She forgave them and later took their daughter and lived among these same people to continue her husbands work of spreading the gospel! Can you imagine?? Forgiving and then going back with your little girl and living among the people who murdered your precious husband.
Then I read about Susanna Wesley and how she birthed 19 children, but 9 of her precious babies did not live past infancy. She then struggled with a difficult marriage, her home burning twice, persecution from the town, imprisonment in her older age (for her deceased husbands unpaid debts), much hardships with her adult children's lives and other constant struggles. BUT, she continued to be faithful to her Lord, teaching her children diligently and leading others to Christ her entire life. Her legacy lives on in her sons work. Charles wrote many hymns that we love and sing still like,"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and Christ the Lord is Risen today" and 6,000 other hymns! Her son John is the is credited with the foundation of Methodism.
I finished today re-reading about Corrie Ten Boom. She was angry and did not want to forgive the persecutors from WW2, the years and years of persecution they endured and the loss of her dear sister and father through it all. But in her old age she was face to face with one of the officers who had persecute her in the concentration camp. He asked for her forgiveness and it took all of her strength as she remembered that "forgiveness is an act of will- not an emotion". As she reached out her hand to shake his, she said an incredible thing took place. "The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. 'I forgive you brother!, I cried. 'With all my heart!'" "I had never known God's love so intensely as I did them. But even so, I realized it was not my love. I had tried, and did not have the power. It was the power of the Holy Spirit!"
If these precious saints can press on well,
then so can you and I.
The Lord was faithful and now they are all in eternal glory!
I'm clinging to Him and His promise that His love will never let me go. I John 4:12-13, "If we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us because He has given us of His Spirit."
Isn't it Amazing that He has given us His Spirit and helps us! If we constantly remember that and seek to glorify Him,
then we will have the strength to persevere!
Life is truly difficult...some days are easier than others full of grief, depression, anger, insecurities, pain and the list goes on.
Let's press on to Abide in Him and to Adore Him when life is heavy and when life is sweet.
“O my Lord, in Thine arms I am safe; keep me,
and I have nothing to fear; give me up, and I have
nothing to hope for. I know nothing about the
future, but I rely upon Thee. I pray Thee to give
me what is good for me; I pray Thee to take from
me whatever may imperil my salvation. I leave it
all to Thee, because Thou knowest and I do not. If
Thou bringest pain or sorrow on me, give me grace
to bear it well, keep me from fretfulness and selfishness.
If Thou givest me health and strength and
success in this world, keep me ever on my guard
lest these great gifts carry me away from Thee.
Give me to know thee, to believe on Thee, to love
Thee, to serve Thee, to live to and for Thee. Give
me to die just at that time and in that way which
is most for Thy glory. Amen."
John Henry Newman
Here is a beautiful song to encourage you in your walk!
Today is the 3rd anniversary of Samuel's heaven going. Losing your child is the most incredible pain, but I would never make it a day without knowing that he is in heaven with the Father and has no more sadness, sickness or pain. What a gift to know that he is healed and whole and enjoying life far more than we can even comprehend. If you ever wonder about heaven, you should read Heaven by Randy Alcorn. What a wonderful picture and incredible comfort it provided for me. How can I imagine not having my beautiful, precious child with me ...ever again? Only through God's grace and the comfort that knowing I will see my boy again allows me to continue and to live my life to the best of my ability and pray I can minister to others of His love and salvation. What a gift to know that we will be together again, one day!
It still doesn't mean that I don't miss him terribly! That my heart literally is in pain because I miss him and can't believe the things we have been through...like trying everything to help him and nothing works, not even oxygen. Like holding him and singing over his little body while our tears bathed him while Tim and I watched him take his last breaths. Or having to tell our precious children and family and friends that he took his last breaths. Or carrying his frail body to the car that came to take him to the funeral home and watching it leave, thinking, "what am I doing putting him in a car with a stranger and not helping and holding him?" Or feeling so empty and the house was being terribly quiet.
3 Years later, I can say that the pain isn't as fresh daily, but it is there. Losing your child is losing part of you. It is not comprehendible Only through the salvation and comfort from the Lord can we go on. Psalm 23 is special to us because we said it every night with Samuel. It brought him and us comfort and we said it to him as he left us and entered glory. As I have been reflecting, I was inspired to write how Psalm 23 I working in my life. Lord You are my Shepherd, my guide and Father. I pray that I will not be in want, but find complete satisfaction in You. You take me through green pasture~ beauty that you have created and supplied for my every need. You give me rest and give me comfort through your grace. You lead me beside the still waters~ peace for my soul. You guide me. You restore my soul. You lead me in the path of righteousness~ Your Word has supplied me with the guide on pleasing and honoring You. In Your Name. Even though I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death with precious Samuel, I will fear no evil, only brokenness and longing for heaven and healing. Thank You for being with me. Your rod and staff, they comfort me~ when the perils of life are overtaking me, You recue me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies ~ because I need no enemies or fear with You on my side. You anoint my head with oil~ this is the honor that You have chosen overflows~ I am full in You. You provide, protect and fill me. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life because I can rest in You. And I will, one day, dwell in Your house and be in my eternal home FOREVER! ~Amen
Ever Since Samuel went to heaven, I look at the clouds with new wonder and amazement. Each day as I look up, I am given new designs and colors. Some days seem the same, but each has its own beauty. The Lord gives us this gift each day and His Glory shines through! The sky also gives such comfort as we look forward to heaven! When I stop and look up I am given a small glimpse of the beauty awaiting us in heaven and I can only imagine how wonderful it is for Samuel and those who are already there. Thank you Lord for the beauty of each day. I love this article below and I wonder if you will take the time to stop and drink in His glory.
"The heavens declare the Glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. " Psalm 19:1
This year the Lord put it on my heart to start a children and youth choir for Palm Sunday and Easter! It was a sweet time of worship each week and brought me so much joy! We had 2 choirs, the "cherub choir" and the children/youth choir. What a celebration it was as they sang to the Lord on these 2 special Sunday's!!! I am thankful to have video links below.
Psalm Sunday:
Uploads from Dance74Him: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UU2Fg8PlNj-MNwV5SUq9koqg
On this day a year and a half ago, on the 10th (also on a Monday), my Samuel went to heaven. The sky was beautiful and the clouds were full, just like today. As I try to think of what it was like on that day for Samuel, leaving such pain and weakness and suddenly being healed and in Glory, I am comforted. This last year and a half without him has been unfathomable. To always feel that something is missing, the empty chair, the hole in our hearts is constant. I'm thankful that with time the pain isn't as sharp, but it will forever be there.
I wanted a new arrangement for him as spring is coming and this day and Gracie wanted to make it this time. I was so proud of the beautiful arrangement she made.
How can I fathom living without my little boy? How can we go on?
Only through God's grace!
Some days are good, some are terrible, most have pain..
but the Lord has continued to fill us with His comfort and peace.
He has continued through His word to bring us messages of hope.
Why must we go through this pain and suffering?
The answers are not all known, but I do know that God has taught much through Samuel's sweet life and death and I pray He will continue to mold our hearts to bring Him glory.
"When facing grief Christians must learn to direct their minds and hearts to the various forms of comfort and hope that their faith offers them. Paul directs a group of bereaved believers to not 'grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.' (I Thess. 4:13) and 'We do not lose heart...for our light and momentary troubles are achieving an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen'. (2 Cor. 2:16-18)". Timothy Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering
I am thankful that God gives us great hope and comfort even though we are in great pain and suffering.
I had the privilege of helping to lead worship at church today and as we were singing this beautiful song I was, again moved to amazement and tears. I love to worship and sing and am renewed daily by the Lord through His Word, His creation and worshipping Him with a full heart.
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