Books I Am Reading

When my Mom died last October (I can't believe that it will be a year on the 18th), I got many of her books. She has always collected missionary books. I grew up in a very missionary minded home and church. I have always loved listening to, and reading about missionaries. The above 2 books are really old. You can see the price on one is 75 cents brand new. =) I have already finished One Vision Only and am almost done with the other. I had always heard about Isobel Kuhn and have even read one of her books recently Stones of Fire (another of my Mom's). She endured lots of hardships and separation from her husband and family to follow the path the Lord layed out for her. She kept her eyes and focus on the Lord. Even in the end when she died a long drawn out death, she reached out to others in the Name of the One whom she loved and served with all her heart. Many of the places she had to stay or things she had to endure and get used to, were all OK as long as it pleased her Lord. I am actually seeing some of those same traits in the lives of John and Betty Stam in the other book.

My husband and I have also been doing a Bible study with another couple. It is a study of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. I was reading in 2 Timothy the following 2Timothy 2:3-5 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. How often do we allow ourself to get all tangled up in the affairs of this world. What our house looks like, what kind of flooring we have, what kind of clothes we are able to purchase, what team is ahead in the play offs, etc. I have heard many people say how hard it is for them to spend time alone with the Lord because of many different reasons... their children, their job, their hours, etc. Yet, they have time to read the newspaper, be on the computer, read other books, talk on the phone with friends, go to ball games, etc. Reading these books and then looking at the Word of God has truly convicted my heart about what things are really important in this life. Someone recently told me this saying... "You can tell a father's idol as his children will sacrifice to it." That doesn't just have to be father. It can also be mother. We MAKE TIME for what is important to US. Our lives show what we value. Looking at my own life that is pretty pathetic. May the Lord continue to hone me and refine me in His fire. I don't like the fire. It's hot, it burns, it's hard. Yet, I still have lots of dross that needs to be gotten rid of.

I heard the story of how they used to refine gold. They would put the gold over the fire and turn up the heat. Dross and impurities would be skimmed off the top and then the fire would be made hotter. Then more impurities would rise. They would be skimmed off. Then the refiner would look down into the pot. He was looking for his own reflection, for when he saw that, the gold was pure. Until then he just kept heating up the fire to get rid of the bad stuff. How like Jesus that is. He refines us. He turns up the heat to bring more impurities out of us. He is looking for His reflection in our lives. Praise the Lord He is faithful and will never give us more than we can handle.