First Verse, a journey through the Psalms: Psalm 63

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Jill English Johnston

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1, NLT

dry and thirsty land

dry and thirsty land

Here in Texas, we know dry.

When I moved here with my husband in 2011, the state experienced major drought conditions. The National Weather service said the year was the driest on record, and the second hottest.(http://www.cbsnews.com/news/2011-was-texas-driest-year-on-record/ AP January 7, 2012, 9:34 AM)

It felt like the entire land was in a slow broil. We were definitely thirsting and longing for rain.

When David compares this kind of desperation to his desire for God, I have to ask myself, have I desired God in the same way?

David wrote the Psalm during a period of time in the wilderness. And it wasn’t a vacation. He was running for his life. Persecuted. Hunted. Hated. Denied the promises God had made him. At least, for a season.

This life presents many wilderness experiences. When it does, how do we respond? With a closed, shaking fist? With crossed arms and a scowl? Or maybe throwing up our hands and walking away?

David responds a different way. He declares his faithfulness to God alone and cries out with the words search, thirst, and long. Because he knows in the midst of the most difficult trial, the lowest moment, the hardest struggle, God is his fountain of living water (Jeremiah 2:13), the One who gives living water (John 4:10), the one who quenches his thirst. When he experiences this living water, he will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within him, giving him eternal life (John 4:14).

But this living water is not just for David. Jesus tells us, it is for anyone who is thirsty. Anyone may come to him; anyone who believes in him may come and drink (John 7:37-38). Are you thirsty?

Bloom

satisfied land

It is amazing the difference a little water can make.  When the rain comes at the right time, flowers bloom in the wilderness, deserts become as green as the mountains, and land is transformed into beauty and splendor.

Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. (Isaiah 35:6-7)

 Prayer

Heavenly Father, May my only thirst be for you. Because when I thirst for you, you fill me with living water, refreshing my soul,  renewing my spirit, reviving me, like nothing else can. 

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Building Oak Haven – Plumbing

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Jill English Johnston

Brrrrr.

An arctic front pushed its way into Central Texas, dropping temperatures from the 70s to the 30s.  But progress continues. The forms and fill have been finished and we also have a construction driveway. The cold weather, however, did not deter our plumbers. When we stopped by the job site, they were out diligently laying the plumbing pipes in the cold. We had a quick, shivering chat to discuss a few details and ask about the placement of hose bibs on the back side of the house. I’m glad we did, because we were able to request that they be plumbed closer to ground level rather than the top of the foundation (otherwise I couldn’t reach them!).

This week, we had appointments with ProSource to finalize our flooring and tile selections and with 84 lumber to finalize our windows and doors. We love working with Amaris and Craig. They’ve been so helpful in listening to our desires and understanding the look we want to achieve, working within our budget and navigating the overwhelming number of selections (As Amaris says, “we have pretty at every price point). They rock! We also met with our cabinet guy, Ron at Bill’s Cabinet shop and sat down with him at his computer to visualize/finalize our cabinets in both 2D and 3D.  Very cool. We asked a lot of questions because we will be staining and installing the cabinets ourselves. Ron had lots of great tips and resources. Staining cabinets will be a new endeavor for us, but we gained experience in installing them during our repairs after Hurricane Katrina.

We’ve made most of our selections for indoor/outdoor lights, our appliances and our tubs/sinks/plumbing fixtures, however we still need to shop for the less exciting but very important items such as water heaters, water softeners, and of course toilets.

I’ve been trying to keep up with the paperwork with several binders, folders and notebooks. The husband and I agreed we needed to have Monday morning “business” meetings to discuss what will be done during the week.  I knew we’d be busy, but I didn’t realize how busy during the early stages.

Hopefully next week, we’ll have the plumbing finished, the rebar set, the electric laid and the concrete poured.

Hard to believe that this summer there will be a house setting on top of this foundation.

Aerial shot of Oak Haven, courtesy of Mark Langford Photography.

Aerial shot of Oak Haven, courtesy of Mark Langford Photography.

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First Verse, a journey through the Psalms: Psalm 62

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Jill English Johnston

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.
Psalm 62:1, NIV

Rest.

After a busy holiday season, rest sounds good. My daughter recently commented having kids of your own definitely makes you appreciate all the work your parents put into making Christmas special. Shopping, baking, cleaning, decorating, assembling, addressing, and wrapping. Not to mention Christmas programs at church and at school and a plethora of Christmas parties. Maybe throw in some packing and traveling, if relatives don’t live close by or if you’ve planned that awesome Christmas vacation. Then, after it’s all over, everything has to be cleaned up, packed up, and stored away until next year.

No wonder we’re tired.

Isn’t it a joy to know our Heavenly Father calls us to rest.

The Lord established the precedent right from the start.
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
Genesis 2:2

When the Lord established his people, he incorporated a rhythm of rest into their lives. The Sabbath was addressed sixteen times in Exodus.
“For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the Lord.”
Exodus 35:2

I once heard a speaker comment on how good our God is to tell us to take naps, referring to the Sabbath as a day to rest and recharge. I love that. Naps suddenly become holy. Spiritual. Blessed.
And don’t we feel blessed after we wake up? Recharged. Rejuvinated. Refreshed.
Whatever day we choose, for whatever reason we choose it, we need a day each week to slow down, pause, and relax.

For Christians and Jews, its a command, one of the Ten Commandments. For everyone, it is not only important, it can be paramount to our overall spiritual, emotional, mental and physical health.

The second part of Exodus 35:2 says “Whoever does any work on it (the sabbath) is to be put to death.”

And Exodus 31:14 says “Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.”

Thankfully, we no longer live under the law. The whole death thing seems kind of harsh. It makes me appreciate living under grace all the more. But, I think there are some spiritual truths to be considered in these passages.

According to WebMD, lack of proper rest can lead to increased stress levels, decreased mental capacity (including slowed reaction times and impaired judgment), depression, illness and chronic pain, to name a few. It can put us at risk for heart disease, heart attacks, heart failure, high blood pressure, strokes, and diabetes. I would also surmise that all work and no rest impedes and interferes with maintaining healthy relationships. Sounds a lot like a recipe for death and being cutoff from our friends and family.

Maybe God knew a little something about the people he created. Maybe, just maybe, he knew what we needed in order to thrive.

Jesus knew the importance of the Sabbath. He was always quick to distinguish between legalism and the heart of the law.
“Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:27
And he recognized the need to rest for himself and his disciples.
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Mark 6:31

And one day, we will enter the ultimate rest.
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.”
Hebrews 4:9-10

But, until then, let’s consider the benefits and blessings of being well rested.A day to rest

I encourage you to make one more New Year’s resolution. Resolve to observe the Sabbath, to take a day of rest, to take a break from the rat race, to build in some downtime into your busy schedule.

Go ahead, take that nap. It does a body good.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, Thank you that you are the Lord of the Sabbath. What joy to dwell in the shelter of the Most High, to rest in the shadow of the Almighty. In your tender mercy, Good Shepherd, you have us lie down in green pastures, you lead us beside quiet waters, and you restore our souls. 

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Remembering 2016

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Jill English Johnston

christmas-2016Another year of changes, challenges, and celebrations.
But isn’t that how life is?

The Lord has filled our hearts with more joy (Psalm 4:8, NLT)

A quick recap of our amazing year:

* Throughout the year, we enjoyed many visits with family and friends, including our granddaughter, Scarlette (and Heather and Jarred, of course)
* In June, we were delighted to have Daniel join us from Hawaii for a couple of graduations and a wedding
* We celebrated Heather’s graduation from AG-C Forecasting school at Keesler AFB and Jonny’s graduation from Clemens High School (he also earned his International Baccalaureate Diploma)
~ Heather received orders to UWDC/NOAD Norfolk, VA
~ Jonny was accepted into the engineering program at Baylor University
* Heather, Jarred, and Scarlette then transferred to Norfolk, VA, to Heather’s new duty station. Jarred started a new job with a car dealership
* Jonny kept busy over the summer with Baylor orientation and line camp, as well as a trip to Canada to visit his friend Avery
* We were blessed to attend three weddings for three amazing couples:
Micayla & Hayden, Matthew & Lori, and Kayle & Patrick
* We took two trips to Pennsylvania to visit Jill’s parents and family and although it coincided with two life-threatening visits to the hospital for Jill’s mom, we are thankful she is home and doing well
* After a lot of work, some negotiation, and crazy travel arrangements to get to the closing, we finally sold our house in Mississippi
* We enjoyed a fun-filled Thanksgiving with Jon’s family
* We look forward with expectation to what the Lord has for us in the coming year.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation.
The Lord be with you all, this Christmas,and always.
(2 Thessalonians 3:16, NLT, Christmas added)

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Building Oak Haven – laying a foundation

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Jill English Johnston

After an initial freakout as to how high our foundation will actually be in the back of the house (we thought the front of our property was a lot more level than it really is), the husband and I concluded we will have an awesome view from the patio.

height-of-back-foundation

Standing at the back corner, where my study will be.

view-from-future-patio

View from the back patio

 

It’s the first of what I know will be many “Yikes, this is different than we expected, now what?”

It’s interesting to watch what goes into building the foundation of a house  We watched loads of gravel and dirt being delivered to fill in the forms defining the perimeter of the house. Workers are now filling bags with dirt and stacking them up to make the foundation level from front to back. Then the plumber and electrician will lay their pipes. After that, rebar will be set to ensure a strong, solid foundation.  Then concrete will be poured.

I can’t help myself. I love seeing spiritual applications in life.

When we selected this particular piece of property, one of the things we considered was the cost of building the house. Some of the lots in our neighborhood have really steep drop offs or challenging terrain that would require higher costs to build than we could afford. Jesus tells his disciples ““But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?  Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you.” Luke 14:28-29, NLT 

When I begin every endeavor, do I consider the cost involved (often not just a financial cost)? Do I think it through to the end and whether I have the means and ability to see it to completion? Do I ask my heavenly Father whether or not it is what He has for me to do (for He will provide, where I am lacking).

We are also pleased to build on ground with both a layer of dirt and and solid rock.  We had engineered plans drawn up to ensure the foundation was reinforced where it needed to be.  Jesus tells us a wise man builds his house upon a rock. He compares it to living a life following his teaching. “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.  Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” Matthew 7:24-25,NLT

Have I made Christ the foundation for my life (1 Corinthians 3:11)?  Not just my initial commitment, but do I every day let Christ provide my security, my reinforcement? Do I allow God’s word to instruct me, guide me, correct me?  Am I searching it each day, meditating on His truths?

My husband and I spend a lot of time researching and planning our house and visiting the construction site to see how thing are progressing. This convicts me to assess my heart and ask myself, am I spending as much time and energy investing in my spiritual foundation and my relationship with the Lord.

 

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