It's Not Too Late.

Earlier tonight, March 22, 2013, I delivered my first official sermon in front of my home church  and received my ministerial license. Below is the text of my message.

  Habakkuk 2 vs 2 - 3

2 Then the Lord replied,

“Write down the revelation
    and make it plain on tablets
    so that a herald may run with it.
³ For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
    it speaks of the end
    and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;   
it will certainly come
  and will not delay.”

We all have dreams in our lives. We all have a vision of the way our purpose in life will play out. We also all have times in our lives where we feel that we’re past our time or it’s taking too long to get where we’re going.  After a certain point we  can become discouraged and even give up on our dream. But God tells us in  His own words, that it’s not too late for that which he told us to do. There is a time and a season for our vision to come to life and we have to wait on it because it will come at the appointed time. Let’s take a look at one of those times in the Bible where the dream lingered or tarried.  We’re looking at Abraham and Sarah in Genesis chapter 18.

The dream of Sarah’s heart was to be able to have a child for Abraham. This is a good and godly desire but time and her body worked against her dream. Every year that she grew older, a little bit more of Sarah’s dream died. Then when she least expected it, God showed up to rekindle a dying dream.  Three visitors came Sarah and Abraham in the heat of the day:

Gen 18, Vs 9-14:

⁹ “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said.
¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. ¹² So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Reading farther down in the chapter we see that the promise God had given came at the ‘appointed time and Issac was born through Sarah. At the time when she had long past given up hope, God rekindled Sarah’s dream and made her a promise that she would have which she desired above all else. It was so fantastic of an idea that Sarah scoffed at it as being ridiculous. But at the appointed time, Sarah gave birth to a son and through him all the nations of the earth were blessed. Her vision  came to past, later than she expected after she had given up all hope, but at the appointed time and not a day before. So you see, it doesn’t matter what age we’re at or how young or how old we are, this passage shows us that there is an appointed season for all God has promised us. An appointed time. We need to wait on it.

So what do we do while we wait? The passage from Habakkuk  tells us two things:

1. Write down the vision

Take a piece of paper (or your computer) and write out the vision or the God-given            dream in your life. Very simple. Write down as much of the details as you know them. Review it from time to time to clarify what the vision actually is and which leads us to the second point.

2. Make it plain.

This where you take the dream and do the work. You clarify it.  If God calls you to be a teacher, a doctor or a preacher this waiting period is the time to research what actually a teacher, doctor or a  minister really is. There is training to be done, qualifications to be met. What  are they? It’s important to find that out and it takes time. Finding these things out is what ‘making it plain’ is all about. It may take a lengthy time of preparation before you can actually step into the vision God has placed in your heart. It’s never too late to do what God calls you to do. It may seem like it’s taking forever, and we might feel it’s too late, or it’s past time for our God - given vision to come to past.

I am a witness that God will do what he says he will do at the appointed time. At fifty-seven years old, I am just stepping into the fullness of what God has for me to do.  On January I stepped into the staff position of Pastor of Women at my church. I can do this with a confidence that waiting on the Lord's timing brings.  So I encourage you to wait on the vision. While you wait, write it down, clarify it or make it plain. As the word says, it will certainly come and not delay. It’s not too late. There is an appointed time so wait for it and prepare while you wait. It’s never too late for God to do what he says he will do.

What vision do you have in your heart that seems it's taking a long time coming? 

Have you written it down and done the research to 'make it plain?

Let us know so we can pray with you and offer encouragement as you wait.

It's A Pajama Party!!!

There is an event being held today which is one of the reason why I love being on the internet. Today is the day for Claudia's Flannel Pajama /PJ Party being held over at her blog Mockingbird Hill Cottage . Those of us who know and love Claudia know of her love for flannel pajamas which is undying! Every so often (at least once a year) she throws a PJ party and encourages us to post a picture of ourselves in our favorites on the web.(Our PJ's, not our lingerie. Just want to be clear before anyone is shocked.) I decided to join the brave ladies this year as I had just received a very cool iPod on my birthday (from my youngest son) which has a forward facing camera so I could take a picture of myself.  Soooo....

Here I am in my little breakfast nook/office/morning room in my PJs with no make up and barely combed hair. It's not flannel but a long sleeved Jennifer Moore knit top (JC Penny's) which I wear along with fleece sweat pants for maximum warmth. I have a number of them which I switch around. I go for warmth, not cuteness when it comes to the serious business of cold weather sleeping. (I can't sleep when I'm cold.) The picture is kinda blurry but there's only me in the house to take it so here we are. Also( just for you, Claudia) over my shoulder you can see one of my beloved pieces of McCoy pottery, my grandmother's Aunt Jamima cookie jar. I grew up with that cookie jar and stole it from my parents house when I moved out into my own home. When my Mom first visited my new place she said, "I have a cookie jar just - wait a minute!" She threatened to do a body cavity search on me the next time I came to visit but the cookie jar was allowed to stay so she could make memories for my own children as long as I promised to keep her safe. She'll probably go to one of the granddaughters or nieces but that is another story.

Rounding out the ensemble is a pair of suede slippers which aren't pretty but are warm as all get out. I love these things. My feet don't hit the floor in the mornings, they hit these slippers 365 days of the year and if I'm not going out, they stay in them all day. On a really cold winter's day, I have a fleece long sleeve zippered fleece jacket that keeps me nice and toasty without turning the heat all the way up as I travel from room to room in my 1920's historical home. No central heating for almost 100 years. That's another story as well.

So that's me, in my PJs/sweats  joining the ladies around the world (there are a couple of international posts) at Claudia's PJ Party! Come join us!!!

(Click to join the party!)