Summer Brings Fullness

 

SILENT SEASONS OF THE SOUL

Summer Brings Fullness

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

I was on my nature walk and looking around, I thought, Wow! Such FULLNESS! All the trees have blossomed. More flowers are in bloom. Babies are born: A cute kitten joins the family at breakfast. Hungry baby birds chirping from the corner roof of our home. Garden plants are flourishing! And with it all comes all the pesky critters as well that serve their purpose.

I think of summer time as a real fun sunshiny time in our lives. There are so many things to do and enjoy in the summer months. Weekends at the lake, backyard barbecues, pool parties but yet there are also those times when the Lord has nursed my broken heart more than once through the years with gifts of sunshine and ice cream. Because even though summer brings lots of sunshine, there may come extremely hot periods of spiritual challenges. There will be trails of beautiful and bittersweet moments. Some summers have overflowed with joy and some filled with deep sadness and pain. Each summer is unique and has it's own story to tell. But as we get deep into summer, there comes a time where it can get pretty hot and dry.

With summer being a cultivating and fruit bearing season, in our walk with God, we get into enjoying this mountain top experience and get so busy, we can neglect some things we should be doing for our spiritual life, and all of a sudden, our life becomes dry and barren and we may find ourselves in a 'desert experience'. This is where we long for the things of God once again. We develop a “thirsting” in our soul. And of course, Jesus Christ is that Living Water that we need to quench that thirst.

As the deer panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? (Psalm 42:1-2)

It is so important that during this fruit bearing season, the fruits of the spirit must be cultivated and the way to do that is to always remember who the Gardener is and remain in Him. Embrace the abundant life that surrounds us. Seize the joy of the season, relax, have fun, celebrate, abide in gratitude for the blessings. Yes, Fall & Winter will soon come but do not let thoughts of the unknown rob you of the joy of the moment. There is so much of God during this time but then will soon come … the change.

Connie J Schmoll

Spring Brings New Life

SILENT SEASONS OF THE SOUL

Spring Brings New Life

As I peered out the front window and seeing the rain pour down, just as with the cold Winter season, I had to remind myself that the rainy Spring season has its purpose as well. Our outdoor plans would have to wait.

After a cold and harsh winter, we always eagerly anticipate Spring. What do I like about Spring? Springtime makes me think of new beginnings. Spring brings New Life!

During the Spring season, we can experience many rainy days. Rain is a necessity to all life. When rain falls after a long dry spell, all nature undergoes a refreshing or a revival. Little or no rain results in barren land. The ground is parched – desperate for the rainfall to quench its thirst. Rain is much needed to bring growth. Flowers popping out of a hard seed, pushing their way up through the dirt, a deep dark place is opened, eventually tasting the bright rays of sunshine and finally blooming in all their glorious color. Trees budding. The sound of birds singing. New life of beauty springs forth.

Rainfall or the storms of life, as we may refer to our life's trials are never fun, yet they are needed. Just as God brings rain to wash the impurities from the atmosphere, for the same reason, the storms of life come to purify our hearts. We receive a lot of rainfall in our lives at times, but we must realize that trials in our life helps us to grow in the Lord.

Hebrews 6:7 "For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God."

In the end, Springtime brings us our biggest hope when we celebrate Easter. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, He did a complete work for us. He said, “It is Finished.” He took our sins, our struggles, our inadequacies, and all our fears to the cross with Him. Just like the world may think it has victory over us, Satan thought he had victory finally over Jesus. But the story didn’t end there. Jesus not only took our punishment on the cross, He conquered death and rose again on the 3rd day.

We not only serve a God who creates amazing beauty, but we serve a God who loves us so very much that He sent His son to die on a cross for us and defeated death by rising again. I can't think of a better time than on beautiful Spring days to reflect on the love the Father has for us. The troubles of this world will fade away, but the love of God, the work on the cross and his victory will last forever.

In longing for some future good, we forget that every day—regardless of the weather or our circumstances—is a gift from God to be used for His glory. We must stay the course because the things we experience today will lead us to where He needs us to be tomorrow.

Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Connie J. Schmoll

Rushing Wind

 

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. -- John 3:5

I remember the day that I was born of the Spirit. What an awesome experience! The inside of me was changed! I remember standing at the window of the little house I lived in, just staring out the window and wondering how I could explain this awesome experience to others. I was so excited about my new life and longed to tell others, but to find the words was not easy.

While staring out the window, I noticed it was a windy day. As I looked up, I watched the branches of the trees sway back and forth. And in that moment is when "a thought" came to me. I knew it was the wind causing the branches to move yet the actual wind could not be seen; only the effects. I had never thought of it this way before, that we cannot actually see wind. Then it came to me! This was a brilliant way to explain about my experience of when the Spirit of God rushed into me, leaving such an effect of change soon to be seen on the outside as well. Wow! I got really excited!

Being a new Christian, I had not read much of the Bible, so little did I know that this "thought" that came to me, was also in the Word of God. When I did read it later in John 3:5, it was another great time of excitement that came upon me. I realized then, that God had communicated with me, something that came from Him before I had even seen it in His Word.

In Acts 2:3-4 Luke mentions the Spirit, with the same description of a mighty rushing wind, that came and filled all the house where they were sitting. What an awesome sight it must have been then and what spiritual power that was manifested there.

I heard a song that reminded me of this, called "Rushing Wind" by Keith Green. My husband, Don sang it once in Church. I had heard this song before but until he sang it that day, I had not really heard the words like I did on that day. Here are a few lyrics from the song:

Rushing wind blow through this temple, Blowing out the dust within
Come and breathe your breath upon me, I've been born again

Holy Spirit, I surrender; Take me where you want to go
Plant me by your living water; Plant me deep so I can grow

You see, in just the past few weeks, God, once again, has done a miraculous work within me. Although this time, it wasn't the born again experience but still it came like a rushing wind. It was this song that helped me to be able to see and explain what had taken place inside of me.

As some may  know, my husband services computers for many local friends and businesses in our area. There are times when he goes to check out people's computers and he will always take along a can of compressed air. Most PC users never get inside their computers for anything unless they know what they are doing, so when my husband is the first to open them up, he sees a great accumulation of dirt and dust inside. He uses this compressed air to blow all this dust out of the computer. This helps the computer to stay cool and not overheat.

I began to think about my experience with God and realized that this was the exact picture of what God has done in me. His Spirit as a rushing wind, blew out the dust and dirt of the past, cleansing me within, bringing restoration and healing to me. Oh how refreshing!

Allowing a great amount of dirt to stay inside your computer for along time can cause problems in the computer. It is just the same in our life. There is so much dirt that we can accumulate from past hurts and if we allow them to lie dormant inside of us, we start to have major problems in our lives.

I have made this "Rushing Wind" song a prayer unto the Lord, daily asking Him to blow through this temple, blowing out the dust within. Surrender to Him now and allow Him to cleanse you of all your past hurts and pain, and bring restoration and healing to your spirit.

Connie J. Schmoll 

RUSHING WIND by Keith Green

Winter Brings Clarity

 

 

 

SILENT SEASONS OF THE SOUL

Winter Brings Clarity

I used to dread the Winter season until God began to speak to me about the Silent Seasons of the Soul and just as with the seasons of life having its purpose, so does the seasons of our soul.

Many people will resort to relocating to a warmer climate because they despise the cold or think it would be better for their health. I used to think the same thing until I read about how even the cold season has its health benefits.

The other day, I was standing on our back porch and I looked out across our back yard and noticed how clearly I could see the old empty, beat up mobile home across the alley. It has sat empty for years and is now uninhabitable and torn up, and is basically just an eye sore.

Before all the leaves had fallen from the trees, this mobile home was not even visible. Then I looked around and realized just how much more visible things were now. Step outside. Look around. Look at how much more you can actually see now.

This reminded me of a video I watched of Melissa Helser sharing about the “Necessity of Seasons”. (I've included the video below for your viewing). A great lesson of encouragement.

When the winter season comes after the leaves have fallen from the trees, you are able to see things beyond what you could before. The “winter” seasons of our lives can be the greatest opportunities to see what is to come, for us. Our winter season's process does not have to be in vain. Even though the winter of our soul can bring forth a cold, pressed, dry and lifeless life, it has its purpose and God can reveal the most --- giving much clarity of situations.

What clarity is winter trying to show you? What is it that you may need to let die in order for God to bring about life? Never wish away winter and end up missing out on its true purpose because Winter Brings Clarity. And clarity exposes purpose by unveiling expectations.

When I looked up the root word of clarity and its meaning? I saw words like, brightness, radiance, glory, splendor, clearness, make clear.

It's also important that you need to be rooted and grounded in Christ and His Word and commit to spending each day meditating on Scripture. You'll need clarity in order to move forward in life into your next season. Clarity brings more energy and focus to your day.

Remember, your soul will not stay dark forever. You have the confidence in knowing that just like the trees, you WILL bloom again, because the next season is coming, and with it....NEW LIFE.

“Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” Ephesians 1:17-18

Other Scriptures to meditate on: Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 4:5, James 1:5, Ephesians 3:16-17, Philippians 4:7, Psalm 119:130

 

 

Necessity of Seasons

https://youtu.be/VP7y0hw4GrY

 

 

The Empty House

In our little village, there are numerous buildings and even houses that sit empty. There is a pretty house located on main street and for years, the owner had intentions of turning it into a Bed & Breakfast but it never happened. Instead, this home sits empty. It is not good for houses to sit empty for years, not being maintained. They become run down, sometimes broken into and vandalized and can even become hangouts for druggies. It saddens me to see this place just sit empty, when it could become a home for a family to fill with good things!

This reminded me of the “Empty House” parable that Jesus shared in Matthew 12:43-45:

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”

OUR HEART IS LIKE A HOME. When we come to Christ, our heart is cleansed. If we do not make the effort to fill our home with good things, then evil things are likely to return and with a vengeance and then there is the danger of our heart becoming hardened.

God’s presence should be an ongoing experience in our lives. If his presence is missing from our lives something else will take his place.

When a person empties himself of sin, yet remains empty, not filling himself of Godly things, then the evil spirits return and find it empty, and brings 7 other spirits with it, making the state of that person worse than before.

Using demon possession, Jesus warned that it is not enough to go through an initial period of repentance and removal of sin, unless reformation continues and something positive is put in place. Otherwise, the end might prove worse than the beginning.

If you have found yourself slipping back into your old ways, begin asking yourself:

-- Have I been filling myself with Godly things?

-- Have I started missing Church? Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God (Rom 10:17)
-- Do I feed myself on God's Word? Read Bible Daily. Fill heart with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. (Eph 5:19)

-- What kind of people am I keeping company with? Choose your friends carefully (1 Cor 15:33) They will either help or hinder (Prov 13:20)

It does no good for us to “clean up our act” while avoiding a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ. All those things of the world that you choose to partake of, attempting to fill that void in your heart, will not bring you fulfillment. It is just temporary, and will bring harm and destruction.

Keep in mind.....

You cannot have communion with darkness and expect the Light of God to dwell in you. (2 Cor 6:14-7:1)

Connie J. Schmoll

How Long O Lord?

As I revisited Psalm 13, I wanted to reshare this. It was freeing to me to see how David speaks honestly to God on how he is feeling, knowing that God is big enough to take care of his doubts and frustrations.

“How long O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?”

We’ve all felt this way one time or another. I mean…think about it. God’s plan for our life is not laid out in a nice little blue print. It gets hard at times to get through those rough roads that we encounter along life’s way.

This got me thinking about how many times we try to hide from God how we really feel. It’s kind of silly of us really because God knows our true thoughts and feelings. He knows our hearts better than we do. He already knows all about our situation but he wants to hear it from us. He desires that relationship with us, no matter what we may end up coming to Him with: praise, grumbling, anger, hurt, problems, etc. He just wants our honesty. Why is it so hard to be honest with God?

Are we afraid He won’t love us? Are we afraid He’ll reject us or strike us down? Do we try to act so super spiritual when we go through some hard times but deep inside we feel angry with God? Be honest with Him. Believe me, He’ll honor your honesty. And just like Missionary Ken Oliver said, “God can do more with honest anger than dishonest praise”. I personally believe that being honest with God about how you are feeling about your situation can actually get the situation taken care of a lot sooner.

Look at this again how Psalm 13 ends: “I have trusted in Your loving kindness and my heart will rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord for He has dealt bountifully with me.”

David does not end with his feelings. He began with how he feels but he ended with what he knows! Have you ever done that? Personally, I never really gave much thought on this but after reading this, I can remember many times when I poured out my heart in frustration, anguish and perhaps even saying things I didn’t really mean…to others and to God. But deep inside “WHAT I KNOW” was so much greater than “WHAT I FELT” and I ended up always overcoming those feelings.

When I feel God is not there, well…I KNOW He is. When I feel He doesn’t really care, deep inside, I KNOW HE REALLY DOES. When I feel I’m not loved, of course I KNOW HE LOVES ME!

How do I KNOW all these things? HIS WORD. This is why it is important to Hide the Word of God in our heart. When you have so much of His Word in your heart, you will always come out victorious over your feelings. God’s Word IS my WINDOW OF HOPE!

Remember, when you’re overwhelmed with life’s trials, JUST BE HONEST with God. Our faith cannot be based upon what we see or feel, and the circumstances cannot change what our hearts know to be real. SO KEEP BELIEVING IN WHAT YOU KNOW IS TRUE!!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=23&v=P_0h5CpNkoQ

God Wants To Wreck Your Life!

It's not everyday that you hear such a message as this one that I heard on Sunday, July21st, that ...

"God wants to wreck your life! So that He might give you His life to be your own!" -- Father Christopher at Kearney St. George Orthodox Christian Church.

There's a popular message always being preached today that GOD wants to prosper you. BUT what does that prosperous life look like to you? Is it the same as what GOD sees for you?

I am totally convinced that our lives have to fall apart in order for His purpose to prevail.

Proverbs 19:21 ~ Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.