 The other morning I watered my hanging basket of petunias only to find that a house finch had decided to make its nest and lay some eggs! I had been watching her and her mate visit my basket many mornings! My fear...that they would build a nest - and many mornings I would shoo them away hoping they would seek another location. Then, as quickly as overnight, they did not heed my warnings and they built a nest anyway! I didn't realize it until I had already handled the basket and began to flood it with water. My petunias needed a drink! Not all was totally lost! One little birdie survived.  Spiritual Application: How many times do we not heed the warnings of the Holy Spirit and do what we want - what we think is best or easy?! The the flood waters of life come and drench us. We built our "nest' where we had no business and then chastisement appears! Sometimes God takes those choices we have made and turns them for what seems okay, and other times, the outcome doesn't look so good - or so we think! Perhaps the "best" was sacrificed for "good!" (One little egg floated out of the nest and the baby bird never hatched.) At the end of our decision making, there is much benefit to be gained - good fruit or a lesson well learned. What could or would it have looked like if I had paid attention to the warnings of the Holy Spirit? What would His best have looked like? Why didn't I seek your will...first?! The moral: Take heed! Don't dwell where you have been warned! I had not realized it until much later that one of the eggs had floated out of the nest. It never got the attention and care that its mommy and daddy bird could provide. I knew I couldn't remove it for fear of ruining everything for the one egg that remained. I couldn't help but think, "If they had only paid attention and heeded my warning, the best for them would have taken place." In my imagination, I have seen myself as those anxious birds. In a hurry to make something happen. Finding something that seemed safe (the basket). Already prepared, not much work would need to take place (since the petunias appeared as a nice bed for my task). After the "flood," everyday I saw that lone egg, tossed aside, the remains of what could have been. I had taken matters into my own hands and had placed my trust in something that wasn't designed for that particular purpose. If I only would have paid attention to the warning signs! 
This is true as children of God. We must learn to obey the voice of the Father if we want things to go well for us. But first we must learn to listen! These two words seem to go hand in hand throughout the scripture: Listen and Obey I encourage you to do a word study or search throughout this week on listening and obeying. "Listen to and Obey my voice, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you that it may go well with you." Jeremiah 7: 23 If today were my last day on earth, my words to you would be this:
I'd like to leave you with a few scriptures to ponder. It is rare that we hear sermons that admonish us. It's wonderful to be a child of God, but it is painful when He chastises us in love! 6 "For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”[a] 7 If[b] you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:6-11  Numbers 32:23 "...Be sure your sin will find you out! "Moses is speaking of one particular sin, that being a stubborn refusal to wholly follow the Lord!" ~ David Wilkerson Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." God Disciplines His Sons Hebrews 12: 5,6 5And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to children, My son, despise not you the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of him: 6For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and whips every son whom he receives. … Psalm 94:12 Blessed is the one you discipline, LORD, the one you teach from your law; Seeking to obey His every command and not jump ahead, Sherry
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 A river view on the Cinnamon Pass I have had the privilege this summer of visiting the ocean and the mountains - two of my favorite places. I wrote earlier in the summer about our trip to the beach. A few weeks ago after moving our daughter to Oklahoma City, some dear friends offered to pick us up there and drive us to their mountain cabin in Lake City, Colorado for a week of rest and enjoying special friends. I’m back in the valley now - or more accurately the “swamplands of Louisiana”, but my mind keeps going back to those mountains. The Lord has always ministered to my heart in powerful ways in the majesty of His mountains. I found myself throughout the week “still in His presence” and in awe of the wonder of this incredible God we serve.  View from the cabin deck Here is the view from the deck of the cabin the first night after we arrived! The Lord blessed us with a rainbow that night just as some more friends arrived to share the week with us in the mountains. How can it be that the same God whose love carved out the mountain peaks and paints rainbows in the sky loves me and calls me by name? Great are the works of the LORD; they are studied by all who delight in them. Splendid and majestic is His work, and His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. Psalm 111: 2-4 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13 ESV I’m so very grateful for the lessons I’ve learned since childhood about God’s character revealed in His creation. My Words are few today. The visions He gave me during our vacation week filled my mind with His Words. I am still pondering the glory of my Creator even as I wrestle with the mire of returning to the “real world.” So I thought that this week I’d share some of the marvels I saw and the Scriptures that came to mind as my eyes and heart were renewed with new perspective on the greatness of our God. I pray that it will bless you, be a feast for your eyes and encourage you to “Be Still in His presence” wherever He has placed you today and worship our Savior and King who reigns in the heavens.  The Alpine Loop - elevation 13,800 feet When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:3-9  For the LORD is a great God and a great King above all gods, in whose hand are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. Psalm 95:3-6  On top of Engineer Pass with our dear friends. So grateful that the Father chose to weave our lives together for a lifetime of treasured memories!  On our last night as we drove into town for dinner, God blessed us again with three deer grazing on the side of the road. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. Psalm 18:33  As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1-2 NIV  And then He blessed the end of our trip with this most beautiful gift painted across the heavens! This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh” (NKJV). Genesis 9:12-15 We learn from Revelation and Ezekial that the Rainbow is also a symbol of Christ, His grace and truth, reconciliation with man, and peace. How like the Father to remind me of His covenant promise and faithfulness as we prepared to return home! For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10  Once again, Jesus has been the Living Water for my thirsty soul and brought me to a deeper understanding of His great love for us. Ask the Savior to open your eyes today with a new perspective on His character. Behold the wonders of your Creator. How great is our God! Be still....... and worship the majesty and glory of His name! He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 Blessed, grateful, humbled and in awe of the power of His majesty and the depth of His love and grace, Kathy  If you would like to receive the "Monday Musings" RESTORE blog each week via email, please sign up and enter your email address in the upper right hand corner.
The above pictures are only a few of the beautiful places where God has meet with the ladies from our last retreat to refresh, renew, and restore their soul from the busyness at hand and for that which always lies ahead. Please don't miss an opportunity to deepen your relationship with the Father, hear from the Holy Spirit, and experience the forgiving touch of Jesus as he ministers to your heart and mind. Pulling away is often something that seems difficult, complicated, or a luxury that we feel we can't afford or deserve! It is a necessity! Pulling away from everyone, every thing, and familiar surroundings will help turn your eyes, ears, and focus on your Savior. He longs to spend time with you. Won't you meet with Him, ...alone, ...uninterrupted? He has much to say. He is inviting you to... Arise, my beautiful one, and come away with me. The flowers are appearing and the season of singing has come - Come away with me. You are my masterpiece, I delight in you and long to spend time with you. Let me bring you into a spacious place ~ I long to rescue you and restore the joy of your salvation because I delight in you. Delight yourself also in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. My eyes search to and fro throughout the earth seeking hearts that are fully committed to me. It is you, whose heart I will strengthen. Come and see my works. Be still and know that I am God. See what I have done and am doing! Do not cast me aside, your first love, precious one. Seek me and you will find me ~ I am able to do immeasurably more than you ask or even imagine! Come to me...I will give you rest. Song of Solomon 2:10-12, Ps. 18:19, 37:4, 2 Chron. 16:9, Ps. 46:8,10 Eph. 2:10, 3:20, Is. 51:12, Matt. 11:28-30 Here are just a few quotes that have been shared with us about the importance of "getting away" and investing time seeking and hearing from the Lord. It is better to hear it straight from the heart of those past participants! "The Lord gave me a word about going away...I had get out away from the clutter of my home, my life, my relationships, in order to get the clutter out!" I didn't need so much fellowship, though the weekend provided that sweetly, but you were very accommodating to provide for my need NOT to fellowship ." ~ Jennifer Zimmerman "With the pressures at work, and going 90 to nothing, I'm honestly very selfish with my weekends. I don't give them away lightly! I had to fight a lot of selfishness of my own, but it was such a blessing to be there and to be away." ~ Phyllis Young "I thought I couldn't go because I was just too busy with a big event coming up and the Lord said, You can't afford NOT to go! He always knows a whole lot better than I do!" ~ Jeanenne Kogler R E S T Observe the wonder of God R E “My eyes are fixed on You the Sovereign Lord.” Psalm 141:8 "As I review my notes from last spring’s Restore Retreat, my eyes are “fixed” on a note I made during the Praise and Worship Walk. I wrote, “Fix my eyes on the Lord and my eyes (sight) will be ‘fixed’.” It is often easy to “fix” my eyes on the Lord in the solitude and beauty of His creation. The challenge, however, is to observe the wonder of God in my everyday life. To rest in His sovereignty no matter the situation at hand. One of the many benefits of the Restore Retreat is the time of reflection and worship, allowing YOU to fix your eyes on the Lord and allowing HIM to refresh and restore your soul. The fellowship and creativity sessions will lift and encourage your heart. The teaching and mini-concert are superb. I encourage you to not miss this very special and unique retreat." ~ Monica Wood "This was an amazing time of fellowship, worship and intimacy with God. It is one of the best retreats I have ever been on and really does minister to your soul as you pull away from the cares and concerns of this world and spend a weekend with God and several of his wonderful daughters." ~ Michelle Durant  As verse 7 of 1 Peter chapter 5 states, "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." Come, spend time in His word! Enrich your prayer life. Worship with us during times of teaching, singing songs, and observing God's wonderful creation. Sit. Be still. Think. Reflect. Listen. Be restored!  The table is set! Come and feast! "Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him." Psalm 34:8 Come Away....  Sherry Barron & Kathy Drake Our desire is to help lead you into a time that will impact your life significantly. Allow yourself to be drawn into a deeper and intimate relationship with the Father. We want to serve you and personally invite you to join us: Friday evening, September 13, 2013 at 6:00 pm through Sunday morning, September 15, 2013 until 11:00 am Return to the home page for more information and click the registration button!  If you would like to receive the "Monday Musings" RESTORE blog each week via email, please sign up and enter your email address in the upper right hand corner.
 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:6  This mornings blog is very simple yet profound. God revealed something very special to me the other morning as I rushed out of the house to run an errand. A stepping- stone is designed to lead you in a direction, one step at a time! The stepping-stones that lead to and from my house have always made me angry. The previous owners placed them there, and they do not fit my stride! As a “free-spirit,” I like to walk freely about taking steps when and where I want to go. Unhindered! I often find myself loading and unloading my car for special events and frequently use a dolly to help carry my load. Have you ever tried to pull a cart or wheel a dolly over round stones like this? It does not work well! As so I grumble and complain! Then, I choose to walk around the stones creating my own path and rushing at my own pace.
 As soon as I opened the door the other morning, God hit me with a ton of bricks concerning this path. Wow! For a couple of weeks, I have been praying over a direction in my career. I’ve prayed, “Lord, please just lay out the stepping - stones one at a time so that I will know which step to take.” It seemed to me like a noble prayer…asking for guidance. When I saw that path of stepping stones, my heart melted. Why do I find myself always asking God to lay the path only when something seems urgent in my life?
And so I'm faced again with taking things at His pace, His direction, even when the steps seem to be just out of my reach!  So where will my path lead? I have NO idea. But I do know this: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you (me) will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil. 1:6 Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil. Ps. 119:133 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Gal. 5:25 God does lay out the path. It is often difficult and hard. It's called the narrow gate! (Matt. 7: 13, 14) Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14"For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Many times we have no certain idea where the stepping-stones may lead. These are the things that keep us trusting and trusting in His faithfulness. Take His hand and let me guide you one step at a time. Remember that He will lead you ALL the way and never abandon you on your journey! I hope the words to this old hymn bless you as it has me.
Blessings, Sherry  If you would like to receive the "Monday Musings" RESTORE blog each week via email, please sign up and enter your email address in the upper right hand corner.
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