Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Not a whole lot going on......thus not a whole lot to say

Well, as you can tell from the lack of blogging I haven't had a lot to say lately.
Not that things have been bad.....just don't have anything to say.
I will let you guys know so that you can pray that we will be making a trip to N.C this weekend to see if that is where God wants us. We are praying for Him to open or shut doors. We will return late Tuesday evening.
The pictures below are of my son Michael and the fruit of his overnight labor.
He loves to fish like his Mom....only when he goes he actually catches something. :)
Michael is 5'11 and the beast he is holding is 5'9. Micheal says it weighs about 70 pounds.
It is called an alligator gar. From the pictures below when you look at its teeth you can understand why. Not a pleasant looking fish.
NO......I will not be cleaning it or cooking it. He will pass this pleasure on to one of his friends.
They did catch some nice red fish but I passed those on too.










The following was taken from a Bible Study I am doing on line. It is a little long but if you have time to read it I think you will find it very interesting. And then if you have time let me know what you think.

We desire that you might come to experience Him as did Finney—that great American evangelist and theologian, who wrote these words:

After dinner we [referring to Squire Wright and himself] were engaged in removing our books and furniture to another office. We were very busy in this, and had but little conversation all the afternoon. My mind, however, remained in that profoundly tranquil state. There was a great sweetness and tenderness in my thoughts and feelings. Everything appeared to be going right, and nothing seemed to ruffle or disturb me in the least.

Just before evening the thought took possession of my mind, that as soon as I was left alone in the new office, I would try to pray again—that I was not going to abandon the subject of religion and give it up, at any rate; and therefore, although I no longer had any concern about my soul, still I would continue to pray.

By evening we got the books and furniture adjusted; and I made up, in an open fireplace, a good fire, hoping to spend the evening alone. Just at dark Squire W, seeing that everything was adjusted, bade me goodnight and went to his home. I had accompanied him to the door; and as I closed the door and turned around, my heart seemed to be liquid within me. All my feelings seemed to rise and flow out; and the utterance of my heart was, "I want to pour my whole soul out to God." The rising of my soul was so great that I rushed into the room back of the front office, to pray.

There was no fire, and no light, in the room; nevertheless it appeared to me as if it were perfectly light. As I went in and shut the door after me, it seemed as if I met the Lord Jesus Christ face to face. It did not occur to me then, nor did it for some time afterward, that it was wholly a mental state. On the contrary it seemed to me that I saw Him as I would see any other man. He said nothing, but looked at me in such a manner as to break me right down at his feet. I have always since regarded this as a most remarkable state of mind; for it seemed to me a reality, that He stood before me, and I fell down at his feet and poured out my soul to Him. I wept aloud like a child, and made such confessions as I could with my choked utterance. It seemed to me that I bathed His feet with my tears; and yet I had no distinct impression that I touched Him, that I recollect.

I must have continued in this state for a good while; but my mind was too much absorbed with the interview to recollect anything that I said. But I know, as soon as my mind became calm enough to break off from the interview, I returned to the front office, and found that the fire that I had made of large wood was nearly burned out. But as I turned and was about to take a seat by the fire, I received a mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost. Without any expectation of it, without ever having the thought in my mind that there was any such thing for me, without any recollection that I had ever heard the thing mentioned by any person in the world, the Holy Spirit descended upon me in a manner that seemed to go through me, body and soul. I could feel the impression, like a wave of electricity, going through and through me. Indeed it seemed to come in waves and waves of liquid love, for I could not express it in any other way. It seemed like the very breath of God. I can recollect distinctly that it seemed to fan me, like immense wings.

No words can express the wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy and love; and I do not know but I should say, I literally bellowed out the unutterable gushings of my heart. These waves came over me, and over me, and over me, one after the other, until I recollect I cried out, "I shall die if these waves continue to pass over me." I said, "Lord, I cannot bear any more;" yet I had no fear of death. (Finney)

The experience in his own words, of Finney, that great American evangelist.

If you made it this far......what do you think?
I have had some great times with the Holy Spirit that I did not want to end.....but not like this.
I have been so filled with such a tranquil peace and almost timelessness that I did not want to move least I cause the situation to change. It was almost numbing.......but in a good way.
I will say that those times came after time of preparation.
Times of fasting and cleansing.
Kind of like in Exodus when God told the people to wash themselves and get ready because He was coming down to speak to them.

That is it for today.
Going to do my next lesson.



12 comments:

luvmy4sons said...

Wow! Wow! That's all I can say! I can't wait for heaven! Have a safe trip! Oh and that is some fish!

Anonymous said...

I'm being selfish in hoping you end up here aren't I? Oh well! C'est live! I am, you know!

Denise said...

Awesome, great study sis. Praying for you to have a safe trip, love you.

Sandi said...

I can't say I've been that far or felt the Holy Sprit in the same way but I too have had times where I felt comsumed by his present that it was a disapointment that I had to leave. Maybe if I didn't commit to earthly things and time and continued to stay put I too could have felt that way.

She Rose Up said...

Wow! Big changes, while you are at it, how about St Augustine, Florida? :)

And while I HAVE experienced the Holy Spirit and do so regularly, I haven't had THAT experience either, but I don't stop hoping while I keep on pluggin'!

Very inspiring!

xoxo,
maria

Rebecca said...

Hey there! Thanks for the email checking up on me.

Melanie said...

Wow- that is a huge fish! Praying for as you try to figure out where God wants you.

Denise said...

I am loving the bible study and will email you today or tomorrow.. I will pray about your trip to NC and that God will direct your path........

and I have NEVER seen a fish like that NEVER........ can you eat that? I love fish but I would not like to clean that one.........

hugs

Halfmoon Girl said...

wow to the fish. Interesting study Sharon- we can't expect great communion with God if we are not willing to sit at His feet. I am always so rushy, rushy in my quiet times- I need to SLOW DOWN.

ThreeGirlyGirls said...

NC??? as in North Carolina???? Do I have this right???!!!

Anonymous said...

oH MY GOODNESS. What a fish to have to pull up. Was it on a line or a net?

WOW as to Finney. Yes, I have experienced a time of 4 hours with the Holy Spirit that I cried out for Him to stop because my physical body could stand no more, but yet I didn't want it to stop, because God's presence is so awesome. I am looking forward to having a glorified body that be longer in the intense presence of God.

Anonymous said...

Wow -- amazing fish!

Praying for God's will in your life. ((( hugs ))) D