"For skillful and godly Wisdom is better than rubies or pearls,
and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared with it." Proverbs 8:11 Amplified

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Valley of Dry Bones


Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.

The Lord led Ezekiel to a valley filled with bones, bones that had been there a long time, they were dry, really, really dry.

Those bones had been there a while but Ezekiel didn’t know they were there until the Lord took him to the valley and showed him. God wanted Ezekiel to do something about the dry bones. He wanted Ezekiel to talk to the situation.

Is God trying to take you to a valley in your life to show you dry bones, ones that you are not aware are there? If He is, it is because he wants you to speak to those dry bones, to those situations in your life that you believe are hopeless.

With God on your side nothing is hopeless. Your words will determine your outcome.

God asked Ezekiel a question, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
Ezekiel saw an impossible situation but he didn’t speak out what he saw. His answer was, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know the answer to that.”

Ezekiel started out by recognizing who God was; then he acknowledged that God was the one who had the answer. God told Ezekiel to speak to the bones. That must have clued Ezekiel into the miracle that was about to take place.

God commanded him to speak what was necessary for the bones to become living people, the bones needed tendons on them and flesh to come upon them and to be covered with skin. Ezekiel spoke to those dry bones and told them what needed to happen.

When you speak to your situation, your dry bones, be specific, not general. If you are in need of finances be specific about the amount you need. If you pray and say, “God, I need some money.” God can prompt someone to give you $5.00. He has answered your prayer. But you had in your mind that you really needed $200.00 so your electricity doesn’t get turned off. Yes, God does know that you need $200.00 and he could give it to you but he wants you to be specific in your spoken words. If I go to Starbucks (where I am writing this, I gave myself a treat) and I say I want a grande coffee, and that is what they give me, I certainly can’t complain that I didn’t get the cinnamon dolce latte that I really wanted – I got what I SPOKE.

When Ezekiel spoke to those dry bones he got what he spoke. The bones now had tendons, flesh and skin. God told him he had one more thing to do. He had to speak again for it to be completed. If he would have stopped at this point all he would have had was a bunch of bodies. They had no life yet.

When speaking to your situation don’t stop before it is complete. When Ezekiel spoke to those dry bones we don’t know how long it took for the tendons, flesh and skin to appear. Did it happen instantly, did it take a day, a week, a year? We don’t know. Ezekiel spoke the last step as God commanded, he stayed to completion.

Ezekiel 37:10 “So I spoke as He commanded me, and the wind entered the bodies, and they began to breathe. They came to life and stood up on their feet-a great army of them.”

What dry bones situation is going on in your life? Speak what God would say to that situation. You will have what you say, so say what you want.

Thank you to Coleen Shaw Voeks for the picture

Friday, July 17, 2009

What Goes Around Comes Around



My 31 month old granddaughter Callie drinking out of a cup her daddy drank out of when he was her age…a long time ago…

Friday, July 10, 2009

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

July 10th, already. Have you done the things you planned? Have you even planned anything?

Don’t let this more laid back time get away from you. Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.




I’d hate for you to be facing the Labor Day weekend and wondering where the time went. I’d hate for that to happen to me, yet it seems to happen to me every year. How about you, do you have regrets at the end of the season of summer? Make it different this year. I am going to try.

On the other hand you may be one of those who packs so much into each day that you are wiped out, wrung out, and dried out, and giving everyone who comes near you the evil eye.

There is a balance here. Make a plan. Find out what is happening in your area this summer. Check your newspapers, check online. Make a list, or lists.

First list: events/activities planned just for kids. Don’t have any children? Borrow one, or more, it will give you an excuse to act childish and it will give a worn out mom a break.

Second list: events/activities you want to do, adult things, concerts in the park (you can bring the kids to these but why???), rides on your motorcycle (can’t take the kids on this one unless you have a sidecar, again why would you???), you get the idea.

Third list: Things to do as a family: beach, pool, amusement park, vacation, drives in the mountains, picnics, even just a walk in your neighborhood can be fun. You get exercise and you meet all your neighbors.
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I am sure you can think of a lot more things to do. Write them down, put them on your calendar. I hate when I realize something I wanted to attend was last weekend; that is why you shouldn’t trust your memory.

If you are married to someone who thinks adventure is sitting in front of the TV or a computer, then find a friend to go with you, or go by yourself. Sometimes your own company is good for you.

Gathering others to join you on your excursions adds to the fun. Don’t forget your camera.

Allow time to just laze around, find a good book, the library has lots.

Right now my hammock is calling me. Have a wonderful summer.





Thank you to the Nancy Lee Ould family for the youtube video.