tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post7703478933323687429..comments2015-05-03T15:29:01.946-04:00Comments on Mary Schieferstein - Stories of Rain and Rivers: StrugglesMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982915577379777268noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-68816455394669823132012-06-20T15:53:09.848-04:002012-06-20T15:53:09.848-04:00Oh, Sylvia, thank you so, so much! You have absol...Oh, Sylvia, thank you so, so much! You have absolutely no idea how much I needed to hear this today, especially with what I got on here to post. God must've told you exactly what to say, whether you knew it or not, because I've been struggling so, so much lately. (I may quote this in the post I'm about to write, if you don't mind. I think you just gave me the ending I was looking for.)<br /><br />You are right, it's a fight, and it's so worth fighting, but it just gets so hard sometimes. And, no, our feelings don't tell everything, but that doesn't mean they aren't important. I don't think it's possible to truly be a Christian and <i>never</i> feel <i>anything</i>, but there is definitely truth in what you said, as we shouldn't expect to feel something all the time. Thank you so much for that reminder.<br /><br />Oh, I haven't been doing so well lately, either. I've been ignoring some of my normal disciplines because I've been so busy working on my CD. I need to work on my priorities.<br /><br />I would love to see more of your reasons! It's so encouraging to read them from books I haven't gotten to yet! (Of course, don't feel like you're required to post them, just post them when you <i>want</i> to.) It's a little easier for me to post them on my blog as, unlike my gifts list, I keep my Reasons in a computer file. Then I just change the numbering, copy, and paste. It works a little easier for me. I would have a hard time getting them all on there if I had to write them on paper <i>then</i> type them out into my computer all the time.<br /><br />Thank you, Sylvia. I'm glad you can see something in me I can't. It's so encouraging. And thank you for your friendship. It truly means a lot to me.<br /><br />Oh, yes, He <i>is</i>! So good. So, so good.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12982915577379777268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-24130660626500731002012-06-19T20:37:41.552-04:002012-06-19T20:37:41.552-04:00The Holy Spirit's working, or you wouldn't...The Holy Spirit's working, or you wouldn't be struggling with the intensity you have! The Holy Spirit's working, or you simply wouldn't care. There'd be no up and down, just nothing. This is the name of the game... well, it's not a game, but you know what I mean. It is a fight, and one well worth fighting. Our feelings don't tell everything. <br /><br />Your faithfulness in posting your "Reasons" is rebuking me! Doing this whether you feel any particular thing is keeping true and steady. I'm shifting my blog to lower priority because of busyness and not wanting to rob my time with God, but I do want to post more of my REasons, more often. I'm up to 888 in my journal, way behind that on my blog. So, you're setting such an example for me to follow!<br /><br />So happy to see you growing and blessing others on the path of growth, too.<br /><br />Hallelujah! God is so good!Sylvia Rhttp://sylvrpen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-63518806724712375402012-06-05T11:24:16.446-04:002012-06-05T11:24:16.446-04:00Oh, you're so very welcome, Melody! It's ...Oh, you're so very welcome, Melody! It's my pleasure to do whatever I can to encourage you and pray for you. And you don't need to be ashamed. We're all equally forgetful. There have been so many times in my life that I have forgotten to pray for people as I ought (hence the notebook).<br /><br />Oh, I'm so glad they were helpful! They seemed really good (I especially liked the John Piper one)! I'm so glad God led me to what you needed - it couldn't have been me at all, because He's the only one who truly knows what you need right now. And, oh, it was my pleasure to find them for you! It didn't take too long (thanks to search boxes), and they encouraged me as well!<br /><br />Still praying for you, friend. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12982915577379777268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-81993931149345611072012-06-03T07:27:22.321-04:002012-06-03T07:27:22.321-04:00These links were more than a little helpful. I'...These links were more than a little helpful. I've read them through once but I'm sure I'll be going back to them again. God led you to what I needed. Both articles had elements of what I'm going through. Thank you so much for taking the time to find those for me.Melody ________________________________https://www.blogger.com/profile/08502411269858441207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-91873027981763604392012-06-02T21:15:51.438-04:002012-06-02T21:15:51.438-04:00Thank you. I will try to look at these tomorrow. T...Thank you. I will try to look at these tomorrow. Thank you for praying for me. I feel ashamed for how little I have remembered to pray for you. Praying for you now. I think I need to pull out the notebook tomorrow and figure out how to use it. I want to better lift you before the throne of grace.Melody ________________________________https://www.blogger.com/profile/08502411269858441207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-75637737951512263602012-06-02T20:55:47.768-04:002012-06-02T20:55:47.768-04:00Oh, you're very, very welcome, Melody. I'...Oh, you're very, very welcome, Melody. I'm not perfect, but I'm so glad to try.<br /><br />Yes, they are such comfort, aren't they? Good to know we're not the only ones struggling. I especially like the one that calls this time an "important spiritual discipline" - a much better way to look at it than the way I had been.<br /><br />I'd been meaning to look up some resources on doubt for you, since, though I don't understand what precisely you're going through, I do know a bit about doubt. I know that, when I experience it, I never like it (at all), but I also know that doubt is an important part of faith, so I was looking for something that would address both sides of the issue. I found an article by John Piper at http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/john-the-baptists-doubt which I found encouraging, and there was a pretty good one at the Resurgence (http://theresurgence.com/2012/04/17/dealing-with-doubt). Hopefully those will be at least a little helpful.<br /><br />Still praying for you, friend. You are in my thoughts often. I hope that this season won't last too much longer, pray that God will help you out of it, or, at least, continue to help you in the midst of it. God bless you and be with you, dear friend, especially now. Especially now.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12982915577379777268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-82981270464102701182012-06-02T19:41:21.675-04:002012-06-02T19:41:21.675-04:00Thank you for your words. Thank you for your praye...Thank you for your words. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for being such a good friend. <br /><br />I read the articles you linked to. Such comfort! I hope I can get the John Piper book in print form soon. If I can't, I'll probably read it on the computer. Thank you. I know I've said that a lot, but I mean it.Melody ________________________________https://www.blogger.com/profile/08502411269858441207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-4384397717230688312012-06-02T17:18:43.816-04:002012-06-02T17:18:43.816-04:00Hi, Hanna! So good to "see" you again!
...Hi, Hanna! So good to "see" you again!<br /><br />Oh, thank you. I try to be honest and transparent, though it isn't usually difficult for me to do so. It's just how I write. Thank you so much for your encouragement!<br /><br />Oh, yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! He <i>is</i>. He <i>is</i>!<br /><br />Pressing on . . . yes. Not letting go. Not letting go.<br /><br />Thank you! I'll try to visit yours more often now. I didn't realize you'd been posting!<br /><br />Waiting. Yes, waiting.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12982915577379777268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-61210961091173444272012-06-02T17:08:01.271-04:002012-06-02T17:08:01.271-04:00Oh, thank you, Bernadette. It's good to know ...Oh, thank you, Bernadette. It's good to know I'm not alone, and that, somehow, God uses these words to bless others.<br /><br />Oh, yes, so much lighter in sharing! I'm so glad you feel that way, too.<br /><br /><i>I'm</i> grateful for <i>your</i> words, Bernadette - both here <i>and</i> on your blog. Your poetry is so beautiful and so true and it always makes me think. I truly enjoy reading it.<br /><br />Yes. Yes. One step of a time. Oh, He'll take care of you, too, friend. Yes, hugs for you, too, prayers for all of us here.<br /><br />You look good, too, friend. Thank <i>you</i> that <i>I'm</i> not alone. <i>Thank you.</i>Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12982915577379777268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-12177160908045700032012-06-01T22:48:30.613-04:002012-06-01T22:48:30.613-04:00Mary I just love reading your blog. I love how hon...Mary I just love reading your blog. I love how honest and real you are. Thank you for sharing all of this. It is such a blessing. I would be lying if I said that I never experience any of these thoughts/feelings and praise the Lord that recently He has been so close. He never leaves us. The same God who was with us when we feel Him is there when we don't feel Him. He is always there. His Spirit dwells within us. Just keep pressing on. Our God is faithful. It's also so good so see that even though you go through struggles you can still see that God is so good and worthy to be praised. How encouraging. Keep pressing on sister. And imma keep reading your blog haha. <br /><br />"Wait for the LORD. Be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."<br />Psalm 27:14Hannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16664159587824525156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-40733602117343112882012-06-01T22:25:05.314-04:002012-06-01T22:25:05.314-04:00Mary....Oh, who are you girl, and what are you doi...Mary....Oh, who are you girl, and what are you doing writing the thoughts of my heart? Know this...you are not alone. In sharing the dusty road with fellow travelers, our burdens are much lightened. That's how I feel after reading this post, and I'm so grateful for your words over there on mine. One step in front of the other. Breathe in. Breathe out. Take His hand and just walk on. He'll take care of your heart, I promise. :)<br />Sending a hug?<br />You look good in desert clothes...thanks that I'm not alone. So encouraging.<br />BernadetteBernadettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05332663226765227179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-35370784267586661992012-06-01T22:04:13.651-04:002012-06-01T22:04:13.651-04:00Cynthia! Thank you for stopping by!
Oh, the idea...Cynthia! Thank you for stopping by!<br /><br />Oh, the idea's all His, and He has blessed me so much with it. It's such a wonder to see Him as He <i>is</i>, as the Bible <i>says</i> He is. You're more than welcome to join in! The official challenge is here (http://maryschieferstein.blogspot.com/2012/03/10000-reasons-challenge.html), and if you post reasons on your blog you can join in the link-up. No pressure, of course. Just wanted you to know it's open to anyone! (The Bible links are through RefTagger - very helpful tool I ran into at Desiring God. Saves me a lot of time, not having to add a hundred links a week by hand.)<br /><br />I'm glad you appreciate my honesty. I try, though it isn't really hard for me - it's just kind of how I write. Sometimes I worry what people will think. Not usually, though, and I post what I've written regardless.<br /><br />I'm glad you find my blog so rich in His Word. I think that's one of the greatest compliments I've ever gotten! It's all Him, though. All His work in me, teaching me just how important that really is. I'm sure there's still a lot of room for improvement, though. I'm definitely nowhere near perfect.<br /><br />Thank you so much - again - for stopping by! God bless you!Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12982915577379777268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-13738404680232477792012-06-01T21:51:28.152-04:002012-06-01T21:51:28.152-04:00Oh, Melody. I don't even know what to say. T...Oh, Melody. I don't even know what to say. Thank you. Thank you more than you can ever know. I say sometimes that it's a blessing to know you've blessed. It's really a blessing to know that you've blessed when you're not feeling particularly blessed (spiritually) yourself. Oh, it's all Him. <i>All Him.</i><br /><br /><i>Praying these are God's words and not mine . . .</i><br /><br />All that transparency - it's more out of necessity than anything else. I write best from where I am, and I guess I usually figure that someone else just might be there, too. I do the same thing with my music. I'm glad that, somehow, God used my ramblings to touch you. And thank you so much for <i>your</i> transparency. I don't want to say that I know exactly what you're going through. In fact, I'm sure I don't. All I can say is that I've been having some very similar thoughts over the last month and a half. That heart going up and down, those wandering emotions, those doubts, that begging. To some degree, I've been all of those places recently - in the last week even! And, yes, it's awful and frustrating - mentally, if the heart's not quite feeling it. I'm afraid I can't give much advice right now, being in the same place myself. Just keep doing what you're doing - hold on. Keep praying, keep crying out to Him for as long as it takes, keep reading your Bible, keep memorizing Scripture (which is a very good thing to fight with, by the way). Chase Him down until you find Him, and I believe you will. You will find Him, even if it takes awhile.<br /><br />God has blessed me recently by giving me some wonderful resources that deal specifically with this issue. I'm afraid they don't offer much practical advice, but they're very encouraging. The first is a blog post I ran into (http://everydayawe.com/2012/05/24/how-long-will-you-hide-your-face-lord/), the second is an article at Christianity Today's Leadership Journal (http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2011/fall/historydarkness.html). Another resource I would recommend (which includes more practical advice) is John Piper's book "When I Don't Desire God". I can't say I've finished reading it yet, but it's been good so far, and is available for free in .pdf form at http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/books/when-i-dont-desire-god.<br /><br />Thank you, Melody, for your trust. I'm sure I'm not as trustworthy as I ought to be, but I do try, by His grace. Yes. Yes, it does show the truth of Him - how people can be miles and miles apart and feel as close as next-door neighbors. I think that says a lot about who He is, in and of itself. And these words - they show who we are, just as <i>His</i> words show who <i>He</i> is. Just as we can know each other, we can know Him - more so, as He is with us always, present everywhere. No one can know us as He can, the Omniscient God.<br /><br />Oh, Melody, I haven't stopped praying for you. I can't say I always know what to pray for, but I always pray for you. And now I will pray for this, these struggles you're going through. He's listening. I know He is.<br /><br />Thank <i>you</i>, Melody. Thank <i>you</i> for being <i>my</i> friend. Such a blessing. Such grace.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12982915577379777268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-22304302519393265712012-06-01T21:24:58.610-04:002012-06-01T21:24:58.610-04:00Oh, Christina, thank you for stopping by! Yes, cl...Oh, Christina, thank you for stopping by! Yes, clinging to the fact that He's always working, even when we don't feel it. I think I'm starting to, though - just a little. He's definitely showing me more and more just how desperately I need Him, coaxing me away from everyday busyness to just be alone with Him in prayer and reading His Word. It's good. Hard, with all this apathy, but good. Very good.<br /><br />Mmm, completely emptied before He can fill us. Such truth in that. I don't know that I'm there yet, but there have been a lot of times lately that I've felt very close.<br /><br />Thank you so much for your words, your encouragement. Blessings to you, too, friend.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12982915577379777268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-8980698336085856612012-06-01T09:58:35.488-04:002012-06-01T09:58:35.488-04:00Mary, Your 10,000 reasons to praise God is an awes...Mary, Your 10,000 reasons to praise God is an awesome idea. I love the Bible links.Your honest testimony is so refreshing to me. I could spend hours studying here as your blog is so rich with God's Word. Keep pressing on! Love & prayers, in Jesus, CynthiaCynthiaJSwensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02677435502134218703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-22160699054147144792012-05-31T08:28:46.228-04:002012-05-31T08:28:46.228-04:00"Don't know why it's been happening s..."Don't know why it's been happening so much lately." Partly because there's a girl in North Carolina who's struggling too and God uses your words to show His love to her.<br /><br />Thank you so much for your transparency. You have no idea how much it means. Really, it does mean more than you know. I myself have been so up and down for the last few months that I sometimes don't feel that my heart will ever straighten out. My head hurts with the wandering emotions of my heart.<br /><br />And now the devil, on top of everything else, is trying to raise doubts in my mind as to whether the God I worship is the right One or whether I've been blind all this time. I hate these doubts and I try to fight with reason and the Word, but they still nag. Last night, I laid on my bed and sobbed, just telling Him that I trusted Him, begging Him to give me the ability to believe in Him. I don't want some other "god" to be my God. I want my Father. Struggling so hard to hold on to this Truth that He really is.<br /><br />I have no clue why I'm typing all this out into a comment box on the Internet, but I felt that you were one of the most trustworthy people that I could share this with. Doesn't that in itself kind of show the truth of God? I've never seen you face to face, but I've read your words. I know you because of your words and I trust you. I know my Father because of His Word and I can trust Him.<br /><br />I would ask that you would pray for me. Some time there in your day today, would you just say a word for me and bring me before the Father? Thanks for being my friend.Melody ________________________________https://www.blogger.com/profile/08502411269858441207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52882048944895389.post-58667636815073671342012-05-31T06:50:11.010-04:002012-05-31T06:50:11.010-04:00My pastor once told me to cling to the fact that t...My pastor once told me to cling to the fact that the Holy Spurit was always working, even when we don't feel it. And He is at work in you right now, refining and transforming you. We often have to be completely emptied before He can fill us. Blessings to you!Christinahttp://www.toshowthemjesus.comnoreply@blogger.com