Those were the days

Childhood memories… maybe they will bring back some of your own…

God’s joy, my strength

Ten years ago…

Esther's Petition

The article below about Joy was originally posted on December 28, 2011.

2011 was a hard year for me. In January 2011 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Most of that year was then spent undergoing chemotherapy, mastectomy, and radiation therapy.

I had serious side effects to all of those, including pretty bad radiation burns that cut short the number of those sessions. I published a personal diary of those adventures at the time, and some since then. (www.BettesJournal.wordpress.com)

The Lord told me clearly at the beginning of these adventures to “put the unbelievers out of the room.” He meant, for me not to talk about the diagnosis to everyone, only to Christians who truly believed God’s word – who truly  believed what Jesus said in John 10:10. I have an enemy out to kill me, who wants to steal my health and destroy my faith. But Jesus…

View original post 925 more words

Making the dark, darker

Talking with the Lord on Saturday, December 3, 2021, as usual I asked him the question:

“What is going on right now, Lord? What are you doing?”

And he began telling me, as he nearly always does.

“Making the dark, darker,” he said.

“There are still a few slivers of gray and white among the dark places, and I am closing those gaps and making it all dark. Very dark.”

I knew that wasn’t all there was to it, and it wasn’t. He continued.

“I’m also making the light, lighter. Brighter. The contrast will become ever more evident around the globe, as those who have preferred the dark are beginning to long for the light.” For Jesus, the Light of the World.

I knew that Father God is not responsible for the darkness and so I waited for more discussion. He went on to explain.

Making dark places darker is making them much more obvious, much more evident. Far more repugnant to those who have loved the darkness… up until now. That love is turning.

A spiritual revival has sprung up in various places around the planet in recent years, growing more widespread; gaining more attention.

It is a precursor of a soon-coming global outpouring of the Holy Spirit with tremendous worship and joy, miraculous signs and wonders, miracle healings, salvations and deliverances. Years-long prayers and intercessions are coming into fruition; patience is paying off.

At the same time persecution and murder of believers is worsening. The battle for the Faith — the faith of believers — is certainly not new. It started with the apostles.

But Christians worldwide, and particularly prayer warriors, have been under many deadly and increasingly vicious attacks in recent days, some insidious or temporary irritations, but some long-lasting disasters.

All are designed to distract from the Word of Truth and from the work of the intercessor. The enemy assumes (rightly so in many cases) that it’s hard to minister to other people when you’re in real distress yourself, physical, mental, emotional, financial, family, or community.

Never mind!

The increasing supernatural darkness can never stop the Light from coming, the overwhelming, engulfing glory of God.

2022 will be a year of contrasts, challenges, conflicts, and confusion. And a year of confirmations and celebrations.

 

Who doesn’t like Christmas?

Esther's Petition

This is a re-post from November 2010… still appropriate for many people, I think.

That rhetorical question from a movie blurb has played over and over in the last week – Christmas movies have arrived on cable TV. But it’s not rhetorical for me. The answer is, “Me.”

Christmas used to be a happy time of year, before the 1968 one where my severely depressed mother took an overdose of pills and washed it down with vodka. I found her unconscious in her bed, after she didn’t show up for work one morning.

The family took turns Christmas day sitting with her at the hospital, then after she was stabilized, my husband and I drove her to MUSC. Still clad in a hospital gown and robe with thin foam slippers on her feet, she huddled up in a hospital “blanket” (folded bedspread) on what seemed to be the coldest day…

View original post 210 more words

Merry Christmas 2021

Exciting. Adventurous. Fascinating. Wonderful. Interesting.

Do those sound like your 2021? Maybe, maybe not.

For me there have been a few exciting times, others a bit interesting; not so much fascinating or wonderful, though, if looked at in the purely natural. (Which I don’t do as much as I used to — the supernatural is much more fun!)

What ARE fascinating and wonderful are Father God, His son Jesus, and my constant companion Holy Spirit. All have an extraordinarily fascinating way of looking at things. A totally different viewpoint from our merely human ones. Like current events. Holy Spirit can take us behind the scenes, let us look at what’s really going on. Major news media never really do that.

Or what I used to think of as “familiar” verses of scripture. Take up my cross and follow Jesus? Where, to be crucified? No, no. That was Jesus’s previous assignment on earth. He has a new assignment these days, and so do I. So do you.

Follow him wherever he is going, or wants to go — or wants us to take him, rather. Like Harris Teeter for groceries this week? On a Tuesday? At 10:00 AM? That may be my assignment. Maybe not the most interesting, but who knows? I may just run into somebody I’m supposed to talk to, or pray for. That happens a lot.

The Trinity have a fascinating viewpoint of space. And oceans. And mountains. Why so big? So deep? So tall? And interesting stuff too – the purpose of conversion, for instance. There is a very real purpose! A real change from the inside out, a real reason for it.

Have you ever considered the edges of leaves? Holy Spirit asked me one day. I wrote about that.  https://estherspetition.wordpress.com/2015/01/21/have-you-ever-considered-the-edges-of-leaves/  And so I did! They are so interesting! The tremendous variety! Sizes, shapes, shades, thickness and texture… and colors! So many shades of green.

Until the Holy Spirit pointed all that out to me one day, I had NEVER looked at the color green or the edges of leaves like that. “They’re part of my delicate design and engineering,” he explained. “Made for the eyes of those who care enough to see the wonder of my creation.” Wow! He wanted me to see that wonder and to appreciate it, and Him, the designer of it all.

He has a unique insight into the background of news stories, too, or bits of recent or ancient history, Bible characters named or unnamed. Spiritual discernment. Revelation knowledge. Wisdom. All shareable with us for the asking! Now that’s REALLY wonderful.

And he has a sense of humor, too, one you can’t duplicate! I was reading a devotional one morning and one sentence declared “Jesus is always by our side, no matter what.” Holy Spirit whispered, “And IN your side, too!” with a chuckle.

This year of dreadful news, fears and isolation, has been different. Difficult. Some friends died, others were very sick, some are struggling with slow recovery from health attacks – and I believe attacks is exactly what they are. John 10:10 was true when Jesus spoke it and it’s still true today. Remember, “You’re not paranoid if somebody really IS out to get you!” And somebody is.

But Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. (I John 4:4) I’m so very glad of that.

At our house, Shelby, kids and I are doing well this Christmas Season, and so are Millie (puppy), Friday, Baby, Smokie and Twila (cats), plus Fred and Rainbow (fish). I’ve done some Esther’s Petition blog writing this year (although not as much as in past years), and basically keep up with friends and family around the nation and world online. There’s been a lot to pray about this year, that’s for sure!

May we all have a wonderful Christmas celebrating the One who is the Reason for the Season, and a truly blessed New Year ahead!

Love, Bette