Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Visit to Elisabeth Elliot's & Wednesday's Prayer Girls & LinkUp Party!


Hello everyone! We returned from three glorious days visiting Elisabeth Elliot and her husband, Lars. For those of you that don't know her, you must look her up! She is one of the spiritual giants of our day, and Elisabeth has been a spiritual mother to countless women in the spirit of Titus 2 where the older women are commanded to teach the younger women. She has endured much in her life, including the death of her first husband, Jim Elliot, and then her second husband, Addison Leitch. You can read about her, and her many wonderful writings (she has written numerous books) at www.elisabethelliot.org.

It was such an honor to not only be invited to their home, but to stay in their lovely bedroom overlooking the sea! (Elisabeth was diagnosed with dementia nearly a decade ago, and can no longer walk upstairs, where this lovely room overlooks the sea, as does the adjoining bath.) Downstairs in the living room, they had Psalm 95:5 on a large plaque above a huge picture window which showed the same vast, breathtaking seaside view:



Oh, there is so much more to say, but I need to get this blog out since tomorrow is Wednesday, and each Wednesday I host a Link-Up Party for Christian bloggers! 

I hope to be back to tell you about reading scripture to Elisabeth from the devotional she introduced me to, walking to church with them (Elisabeth in a wheelchair with her two godly, wonderful, young caregivers, Kea and Carrie) and later singing "It is Well with My Soul," watching my daughter, Mary, sing to Elisabeth and tell her how much she loved her (Elisabeth rarely speaks now, but when Mary asked her if she (Elisabeth) knew how much she loved her, she replied with a long, "Yeeeeeeeees!," eating Lar's wonderful Norwegian salmon (which I tried to copy last night for my family, along with making Kea's baked oatmeal yesterday for my family for breakfast), waking up in Elisabeth's room to the vast ocean, sitting in Elisabeth's seat overlooking the sea in her office and looking at all her books (most old authors like Samuel Rutherford and St. Augustine), meeting her sister, Ginny and going to her home, seeing Elisabeth's books on the shelf in her office with her handwritten notes in them, seeing her notes on her typewriter, scriptures and sayings around her home, and her photo album of the time with the Auca Indians. Lars, being such a gentlemen, took us all the way to the gate when we departed! 

And photos, I have so many photos, but I am overwhelmed, but want to share here on my blog and on my Instagram at JuanaMikels, as well as on FB on JuanaMikels (My blog automatically posts on my Google plus which is also JuanaMikels.) Many may have seen the instagram I sent out on the note she typed to herself on her typewriter:



I have so many dear ones! It was bittersweet as you can imagine with Elisabeth's affliction, but she is such a living model of "in acceptance lieth peace," no matter what her circumstances are. To God be the glory! 

I came back spiritually refreshed and ready to enthusiastically serve my family, which I learned from Elisabeth. 

Thank you to the bloggers who joined us by posting at our special two-week party on our last Wednesday's Link-Up Party while I was away! Now we are back to our once a week Wednesday Link-Up!

❧  ❧  ❧  ❧ ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧ ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧

It's time for 
Wednesday's Prayer Girls & Link-Up Party!
                             
Each Wednesday I like to offer to pray for your non-confidential prayer request or praise in the comment section below. Please enter a prayer if you would like me to pray for you (and pray for one another!) and I will be reading your prayer and lifting up your request as I read it, or if you just have a comment (click the word "COMMENT" located below my signature below, under the colorful social media sharing squares:-)
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If you're a Christian blogger, we all would love to see what you've been writing! Enter your blog link below to join the party! For readers, enjoy the blog party below! This weeks special party is open for 2 weeks!
♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

I'd love to connect with you on your favorite spot:

You may follow my blog here or on Bloglovin'. 

It is my delight to pray for you! 
Remember, God desires us not only to be a believers, but to be wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ! May we listen to Him daily through His word, and obey Him!





Walk by faith,

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Seeing the Cross in Old People & Wednesday's Prayer Girls & LinkUp Party!


Last week, many wrote and said they were so helped at just the right time with a simple word from my previous blog about when someone speaks something against you. Because of that I want to continue with the idea of taking up our cross but today, I want you to think of the old people that are in your life. 



I pray before every blog for God to guide me to just the topic for the day of His choosing. Then I believe what I write about is His will. Isn't it neat how God is in control, not us? What a life simplifier! Whatever that comes into our lives each day, whether it be grocery shopping, attending a board meeting, or changing diapers is His will for us, isn't it? "Whatever happens in your life is, in itself, His will." (Michael Molinos) So let's get to today's topic of thinking of the old people in our lives: it could be your grandparents, your parents, or a friend.

I know that when someone you love shows signs of even deeper aging, we often may try to fight against it—to try to hang on to the person we have known and loved for so long. But reading more from Fenelon this week, I discovered that by accepting the old people in our lives just as they come to us without trying to continue with the same expectations you had when they were younger, may be a way of taking up our cross. Listen to the words of Fenelon written nearly 300 years ago on the taking up of the cross and resting in the Lord:
You are bearing the burden of some old ones who can no longer bear their own. Reason weakens at so old an age. Goodness, unless deeply rooted, lessens. All the strength seems to go to the temper! Accept and welcome this burden as the cross.
It is a blessing that you have some free hours to rest in peace in the bosom of the Lord. This is where you will refresh yourself and gain strength to go on. Take care of your health and try to take some time to rest and enjoy yourself. As others grow older you should expect less and less of them. Don't expect too much of yourself, either.
I hope that Fenelon's wise words ministered to you like they did to me. I keep remembering, "as others grow older you should expect less and less of them." By the way, my daughter Mary, and I have some exciting news, we are going to go visit Elisabeth Elliot and her husband later this month for a few days. We are so excited, and I'll tell you more about it next time. Elisabeth (beloved spiritual mentor to countless women of whom I am just one) is 87 now, and was diagnosed a decade ago with dementia. 

Pray that we will be able to minister to her and to her husband, Lars, while we are staying with them. Lars wants Mary to sing for Elisabeth and her sister, and we're looking forward to meeting her sister, too! Be sure to let me know what I can pray for you in the comments! 
❧  ❧  ❧  ❧ ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧ ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧  ❧

It's time for 
Wednesday's Prayer Girls & Link-Up Party!
                             
Each Wednesday I like to offer to pray for your non-confidential prayer request or praise in the comment section below. Please enter a prayer if you would like me to pray for you (and pray for one another!) and I will be reading your prayer and lifting up your request as I read it, or if you just have a comment (click the word "COMMENT" located below my signature below, under the colorful social media sharing squares:-)
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If you're a Christian blogger, we all would love to see what you've been writing! Enter your blog link below to join the party! For readers, enjoy the blog party below!
♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

I'd love to connect with you on your favorite spot:

You may follow my blog here or on Bloglovin'. 

It is my delight to pray for you! 
Remember, God desires us not only to be a believers, but to be wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ! May we listen to Him daily through His word, and obey Him!

Walk by faith,