A Braided rope

Recently I earned my first commission payment for my second book. It was a small beginning but I was delighted. It was in the same week I received the shocking news I had breast cancer. As if 2020 wasn’t challenging enough.

The hospital didn’t muck around after my diagnosis. I’ve had my operation and now I’m waiting to hear how much chemo I’ll need.

Despite it all, I’m in good spirits. I’m healing well, and I’m not in any pain, thanks to the skills of the surgeon and medical staff, and all the prayer that has gone on on my behalf.

There’s a proverb that states a person’s spirit will sustain them in sickness. Proverbs 18:14. It’s a broken spirit that can’t be borne.

2020 has left me feeling a bit frayed.

I remember the saying, “when you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on to it.”

The Hebrew word for ‘wait’ is ‘qavah,’ which means ‘to bind together by twisting.‘ It means entwining our spirits with God’s so two separate entities become one – we in the Father and the Father in us. If we abide in Him and He abides in us, then the Word says we may ask what we will. John 15:7

It’s during this plaiting of our spirits that the exchange takes place. And the advantage of a braided rope is strength.

http://momsense.co.za/waiting-on-the-lord/

I probably look idle right now, but I’m looking up and gathering strength.  I will rise up on eagle’s wings. I’m not going to be a sick person, I’m going to be a full-time writer.

Come fly with me.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

My hope for you, for 2015

Hope is a powerful thing, and if God gives it the world can’t take it away.

I once heard a good acronym for HOPE;

Honest Optimism Practically Expressed.

Hope opens up the power flow for the Holy Spirit to move in your life.  Doubt closes it.  The Lord would tell me off when I expressed any doubts about His promises.

Hang in there and don’t stop believing.

Here’s Psalm 25 put to music by Third day.  It’s called “My hope is in you.”  We played this at our wedding at the conclusion of the service.  It meant a lot to us, as we’d put our hope in the Lord – and he did more for us than we ever expected or imagined.

I hope you have some en-JOY-able times this year, even in the midst of challenges.

Sign of the Almond tree

Have you ever been given a dream by God that is significant?  At a time when I needed some hope for my future, I had a wonderful dream.

I really needed it.  I was walking out of depression after a “relationship” with a narcissist, and other abusive people.  I had such a wound to the heart.  There’s this song that really describes it.  “I’m not alright, I’m broken inside“.

I felt like my treasures had been taken, and rubbish strewn on the ground of my soul.  The Lord got me busy with the rebuild of my life – which I’ve described in my previous posts.  Hopefully I haven’t bored everyone to tears sharing the details of my recovery.

I kept going, for my children.  I kept going, because of what the Lord promised, I looked for a better day.  I asked the Lord questions like “Will it be like this forever?” and “When does it stop hurting?”

The Lord answered me with a dream.

In my dream, I walked in a strange land, on a road I had not traveled before.  It led to a grove where trees were in bloom.  Some of the trees formed an avenue which I wandered dreamily through, admiring the beauty of the place.

I consulted my dream dictionary, and it said that trees or shrubs in bloom meant a time of great prosperity and ease, both of body and of mind.  That was fine, but I felt there was something more to it than that.

I asked the Lord for the meaning of the dream, and He told me they were Almond trees.

The word of the Lord came to me: ‘what do you see, Jeremiah?’
‘I see the branch of an almond tree’ I replied.
The Lord said to me, “you have seen correctly,
for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled”  Jeremiah 1:11-12

Again I consulted my dream dictionary.  Almond Trees in bloom meant to look forward with certainty to happiness in the married state.

The dream awoke hope in me.  Winter was going to end.

The King will say “Arise, my darling,
    my beautiful one, come with me.
See! The winter is past;
    the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
    the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
    is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
    the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
    my beautiful one, come with me.”  Song of Songs 2:10-13

If you have been following my blog, the rebuilding chapters are over.  From here on in, the Princess carries on with her journey.

I hope you liked hearing about my dream.

If you have had a vision or dream given by God, I would love to hear it.

♥♥♥

Significance of the almond tree

Sign of the almond tree

In Hebrew, the word Almond is very similar to the word “watch”.

The almond tree is the first among the first trees to “awaken” from its winter sleep.

The blooming branch of an almond tree is breathtakingly beautiful – so much so that the LORD decorated the Menorah with oil cups in the shape of almond blossoms.  Exodus 25:31

He Colored My World — I Wrote Some Blues

Here is a great little poem by Gloryteller;

He Colored My World — I Wrote Some Blues.