White Wicker Love Seats – Feb. 27, 2007

IDOK DEVOTION FOR FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2008

Thirteen of Twenty Five – A Great Recipe:
13- Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
Well, it’s been another day of deviating from what I told myself I would do but when the iron is hot, use it! My beloved was a source of encouragement so I clicked the little book icon in my menu bar for Blurb (on line book publishing) and added a few more pages of transcript and a few more pictures to my book, Pictures and Words. Lord willing, one of these days I will actually finish it.
I handled some correspondence, both snail mail and e-mail, a little – very little – home keeping chores, posted the mail with the P.O., gobbled down brunch, and; I guess that’s it so far. No supper preparations necessary, as we are due at a banquet in 20 minutes; glad church is only 5 minutes away. Enough rambling!
We’re baaack! The food was delicious and the fellowship was great!
And so while searching for IDOKs to add to the book I came across one that so far has not made it to the book but I want to re-share it with you all today.

Since I was a youngster I have enjoyed and could spend hours and hours sketching floor plans for houses. I could walk around in them, decorate them – just live in these houses in my mind. And I have in that regard not changed much other than I don’t usually spend hours and hours doing that anymore. But I did this weekend. And this latest sketch I like so much. In fact it would just tickle me all over to see that sketch developed into a ‘blueprint’, clear some land, pour a slab, erect the walls, attach the roof, flesh out the interior, move in and live happily ever after. Great dream, huh? And so as I was thinking this morning about that blueprint, I thought of another blueprint and another Creator of Plans. Let me give you some of my thoughts.
There is a Creator and He has many, many blueprints, one for each and every soul born. (Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.) I thought about how much pleasure comes to me as I sketch a design; as I work with the walls and windows and doors. And how I continue in that pleasure as I dream of the receiving room with three windows from ceiling to floor and a white cushioned wicker love seat placed just so (centered) in front of those windows on a scored floor and on and on I go with these plans — Plans that may never come to be. And that’s when it hit me … hard!
How must our Creator feel when He has created, crafted, designed, poured His Very Blood into an elaborate, beautiful, intricate, exquisite, meticulous, synchronized, harmonized, personalized, customized, perfect for me life plan and I blow it off with a ‘thanks, but no thanks’. We cannot even imagine such emotion can we? But maybe we should try. Maybe we should sketch a house plan, pour over it, virtually put our heart and soul in it, present it to someone we love so much, someone who has asked us to prepare it and then feel that one barely look at it and then say, ‘no, that’s not what I want’. Do we really want to bring that much and far, far more grief to our Creator? But is that not what humans do when they reject His Plan of Salvation? Wonder if it is even worse for Him when we who are His Children who have accepted His Salvation Plan and have even asked Him to show us the ‘rooms’ of His Life Plan for us and when He does, we say, ‘Now, Father, don’t You think that window would look better on this wall and that door be better over here?’ And we might say, ‘wait a minute. Don’t I have a right to decide where I want the doors and windows in my own house?’ Well, yeah you would, if it where YOUR House, BUT since we are HIS HOUSE. Just maybe it would behoove us to bow to HIS PLAN. Whatcha think???
19 Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, 20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body. (1 Corinthians 6)
22 For he who as a slave was summoned in [to union with] the Lord is a freedman of the Lord, just so he who was free when he was called is a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah). 23 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for by Christ]; then do not yield yourselves up to become [in your own estimation] slaves to men [but consider yourselves slaves to Christ]. 24 So, brethren, in whatever station or state or condition of life each one was when he was called, there let him continue with and close to God. (1 Corinthians 7)
Yes, I would love to execute that floor plan and move right into that house that I sketched this weekend and live there happily ever after but there is another Plan far, far more important and with it we CAN all live happily ever after with our ‘white wicker love seats’!
Father God, forgive me for denying You the pleasure of seeing the Perfect Plan You sketched for me before the foundation of the world. Forgive me for the bad choices, the sins that have distorted and even made impossible now Your Perfect Plan for me and thank You too that You knew and You made a Plan B for me and in that Plan You took into account all my mess ups and today I can give You pleasure by embracing Your Plan for me today. Help me do that Father. And thank You, thank You for Your Love for me that makes this true. And thank You for Your Love for every one of our IDOKS that makes it true for them too. Not one of us has messed up so bad that we cannot this very moment begin fresh and new with You and we can see that blueprint come together and see those walls go up and just maybe even have the Pleasure of Your Company seated on that white, brightly colored cushioned wicker love seat, gazing at the lovely garden that You and we have diligently worked together to bring to beauty. Father, thank You that this, this beautiful, comforting word picture is in spirit achievable with You. Thank You. Lord, I bring all the ‘white wicker love seats’ in the lives of our IDOKs to You and I pray — Thy will be done!
Ephesians 1: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
And ABBA for folks that are grieving, we ask for the restoration of emotional health. Lord, You know and we pray that You will heal them too and we pray for young ones who are suffering that You will rid their little bodies of those cells that are making them sick. Father, here on this page are names representing many and various conditions and needs and we are joining our hearts here now and asking You to bring changes for Your glory and their good. And we bring our IDOK Troops’ families and friends, asking You to provide for these. We pray for their strength that they will not fail to look to You for each day’s provision and we pray they will be encouraged and they will receive good news and good words today. And for our IDOK Troops we ask that You comfort them and let them know in their spirits they are loved and appreciated, we ask You to encourage them today in their thoughts and we pray You will protect them in mind and body and spirit. We ask You for an honorable end to this war and we ask You to bring them home to us safe and sound and more in love with You than when they deployed. We pray for the peace of Israel to be perfected; we pray for a Christian Awakening in America; for sold out, on fire Bible Believers with zeal enough to storm the gates of hell to rescue the perishing. And we pray for a President that will not hinder us in this Great Commission. Amen and amen. Economic conditions, especially the effects it has upon the minds and hearts of people. Unspoken Requests – situations so close you can only speak to Father about. Jodi H. David T. Kimberly. Shay and Emma’s Kids (orphanage in Zambia) Ministry. Susan D. Jason A and his mother. Melinda H. Trisha. Patti’s Family. George. Brennan and his family. Joshua. Branson. The O’Brien family. Brooklyn. Families and communities hit by Gustav and Ike. Jacqueline and her boys, River and Jackson. Kim and her Fiancee. Jonathan. Mabel’s Aunt Lou. Heather and Brandon. Bernie. Darlene and Torkel. Edie G. Rachel. W C and family. Maggie and Family. Dylan. Joseph Toomey and Family. DeLois. Terri. Kim T. Kevin and the children. Katelyn (B). Janie B. Vickie. J Lloyd and family. Janet and Steve. Cathy. Caleb and family. Bay and family. Jennifer B. John and Carolyn and Family. Larry and Claudia and family. Taylor & family. David & Allison. Jeanette and Earl and family. Callie. Madie. Ruth. Cynthia. Martha F and Bob. Allyson and Glyn and family. Brittney and Kersten and family. Sheila and Andy. Carrie and Rachel and Jacob and family. Billy and Gina and boys. Lance and family. Grace and family. Tressa. Brad, Lindsay, Karah and Haley. Chuck. Windy and Jared and families. Helen and Dan and family. Jen and Larry and family. Chad and Brittany and family. Mollie and family. Julia. Bobbie. Tj. Zack. Phillip. Jessica. Larry. Kayla. Trey. Jacob. Ashely. Lance. Candance and Family. Laura and family. John and Sandy. Bill and Judy. Andrew and Daughters. Lee. Sharron and family, Linda and family, Bev and Family, Mollie B. Public and Private School Teachers.
Every IDOK and every IDOK son and daughter and grandchild.
Every IDOK Pastor and Family. Every IDOK church.
IDOKs Military Families.
IDOKs Troops (foreign soil) – Ethan. Christopher. Raul. Robert. Billy. Josh. Buddy. Mark. Josh W. James. Bryan. Nick. Brant W. Christopher R. Joshua M. Brent. Drew. Justin G. Kyle N. Michael K. Sgt. Bozicevich. Bay N. T. Palin.
IDOK Troops leaving shortly for foreign soil: Richard M. Brandon B.
Serving Stateside: Jonathan. Jasmine B. Tommy T. Shaun. Bay. Danny. Lee. George.Travis N. Hawk.
Injured and brought State side: Anthony.
Hospitalized: Captain Tran
Military at home adjusting – Tim. Mack. The 226. Troy. Brad. Tommy. Desi. Edward J. Lyndon A. Jason G.
Still praying but no recent update: Hector. Corpl. Light. Bradley T. Albert R III.
Justin G.on his way home end of the month!!
The Peace of Israel.
Revival in America.
November’s Election.
As I post this it is 64°F and haze in Balad, IQ & the time there is 6:29 AM AST – on October 10, 2008

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