HE IS EXALTED...THROUGH TRANSFORMED DADS...

I am so thankful for Bible Heroes of faith. Noah was an incredible man who was a reflection of his Heavenly Father to his family. Not only did his three sons work beside him, but they and their wives were considered righteous and were therefore saved during the worldwide flood along with Noah and his wife. If Noah lived today, I would call him a "transformed dad". Noah lived his life to exalt THE MOST HIGH GOD.

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Today, I have on my mind a few of the many "transformed dads" who I know. This morning, a group of "transformed moms" will meet for Bible study. Those "transformed moms" who are married to husbands who have been transformed by Christ are so blessed. Yet, being "in Christ" certainly does not mean that life is trouble free.

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My brother, Steve, a gospel preacher in Alabama, posted the above picture on FB this week. I love it! It is so applicable to my GRATITUDE LIST today.

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• I am thankful to my brother, Steve Klein, for how he cares for our mother who lives in their home. Mom has Alzheimer's and some days for Steve and Sandi are "36 hour days". They have a baby monitor in mom's adjoining apartment. All she has to do is call during the night and Steve comes running. Steve lives his life to exalt THE MOST HIGH GOD.
• I am thankful for Scott McEndree who models Christ in how he interacts with his wife and four small children although he is experiencing a very serious bout with cancer at the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Philadelphia. I love his daily blog! Amazing! You can link to it over on the right sidebar by clicking their family picture. Scott lives his life to exalt THE MOST HIGH GOD.


• I am thankful for Tim Schwamb who is continual light and salt to my life (and even with a little levity) as he keeps the home fires blazing while Cristi and Lauren wait in the hospital for Lauren's heart transplant. I told him last night on FB that I think their's would be an incredible reality show for all of us to watch. I have made a link to Tim's blog over on the right under Cristi's blog link. Tim lives his life to exalt THE MOST HIGH GOD.


• I am thankful for our nephew, Josh Marcum, and his strong walk with the LORD. If you have followed this blog for any amount of time, you may have visited his and Julie's blog that they post from Bolivia - where they are missionaries. Last week Josh was in a tragic bus crash with his youth group. Josh has 3 broken ribs. Many have more severe injuries. Three girls lost their lives. Julie has given some very detailed posts this last week ... heart wrenching. You can link up on the right sidebar under "SIKES FAMILY LINKS". Josh lives his life to exalt THE MOST HIGH GOD.

• I am thankful for the husband of our niece, Vanessa. Brad Leonard works more than extremely long hours at the Pentagon and comes home to be an amazing "transformed dad". All you have to do is read some of Vanessa's posts to get a picture of this servant hearted man. You can also link to their blog under "SIKES FAMILY LINKS". Brad lives his life to exalt THE MOST HIGH GOD.

• I am thankful for our son, Jordan Sikes, who I have seen transform repeatedly through his young life to become more and more Christlike. It's been an incredibly tough four years of going to medical school, becoming a father while finishing up, buying a house, making the move in the last month. His wife, Jacqueline, wrote a post about him the other day, as he began his three year residency (they say residency can be harder than med. school). Her post made this mom cry! You can also link to their blog under "SIKES' FAMILY LINKS". Jordan lives his life to exalt THE MOST HIGH GOD.

Yes, I am thankful for many more "transformed dads", especially my husband, Steve. What an incredible model of what a "transformed dad" looks like, a reflection of our Heavenly Father. You can link to his blog over at SIKES' FAMILY LINKS as well. Steve lives his life to exalt THE MOST HIGH GOD.

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I have one more to include. He's not a Dad! He's our other son, Caleb. Caleb married Krista on 7-7-07. Today is their 2nd year anniversary! Bless you both! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! And thank you for living your lives to exalt THE MOST HIGH GOD.

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HE IS EXALTED...GOD MOST HIGH...

MEDITATION MONDAY

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When I was in elementary school, I learned that there can be different degrees of words, such as

• high
• higher
• highest
  

It was an easy concept to learn for two reasons:

1. My dad was in the military and rank is something that is understood by even a soldier's child. Since my dad had started out as a lowly private and worked his way up, I was in awe, in middle school, of my best friend's dad who just happened to be Admiral of the 7th fleet. Although we lived in Okinawa, I understood that except for maybe the Secretary of Defense or the President of the United States, the buck stopped with him.


2. For years, we were stationed in Utah, west of the Wasatch mountain range and in Colorado on the eastern slopes of the Rockies. Mountains were catagorized by their height. When I was in high school, we could sit in our living room and look out our "picture window" at Pikes Peak - known by many as "America's Peak". It is the most visited mountain in the United States of America. Pikes Peak is the first mountain seen in the horizon as you travel west through the plains states. Sometimes it can be seen up to 130 miles away. The song that we know as "America the Beautiful" was penned from the top of Pikes Peak as the author looked back out toward Kansas and the east. Conversations about the mountain range, just west of Colorado Springs, include comparisons of the heights of the mountains. "Of the three highest mountains... which is the most high?" Of, course, "Pikes Peak" is always the answer.

For years, I thought that Pikes Peak was the "most high" mountain in the continental United States, only to be out heighted by Mt. McKinley in Alaska. I loved the fact that I had lived in such an "exclusive" place. Boy, was I shocked to find out that there are almost 60 other mountains in the USA that are higher than "my mountain".

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Isn't the same thing true when it comes to God? Millions of people believe that their god is the highest. Their god might give them "feel good feelings" but their god is not the MOST HIGH GOD! When will they be shocked into that realization?

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So, in the Old Testament, why did the children of Israel whine and complain? After all, The Most High had...

• sent 10 amazing plagues to save them from the Egyptians
• led them toward the Red Sea by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night
• had opened up the Red Sea for them to cross through
• had gone behind them in the pillar to separate them from those in pursuit
• closed the Red Sea to swallow up the Egyptians
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Exodus 14:31 says,

"And when the Israelites saw

the great power the LORD displayed

against the Egyptians,

the people feared the LORD

and put their trust in Him

and in Moses his servant."

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In the wilderness, God provided food, clothing and all necessities for His people. Yet, they murmured and complained. We are told that the children of Israel even had this visual, via the tabernacle, of how important holiness was to God. There was a holy place. Then, there was a Most Holy Place. They knew the Most High God, who could forgive their sins, came to the Most Holy Place. Yet, they continued to sin. Steve shared this diagram with us yesterday in his wonderful adult Bible class.

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This week, our theme song is He Is Exalted. I looked up the definition of the word and sure enough...it means what I thought it meant:

• EXALTED = elevated in rank, character, and/or status
  

God has shown to His people over and over again that He is God Most High. Yet, we, along with the Israelites, seem to be short rememberers. In the workbook, for our Tuesday ladies' class entitled, The Virtuous Woman, Shattering the Superwan Myth, Vicki Courtney says this,

• "Again and again, God forgave the Israelites' rebellion at the prompting of His servant Moses. As a result, Moses declared that God is slow to anger, abounding in love, and forgiving of sin and rebellion. However, the Israelites sin was not without consequences."

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As the Bible tells the story, the people did not fear the LORD, and because of this all of the men 20 years or older (except Caleb and Joshua who responded in faith) would die in the desert. Their children would enter the promised land.

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In Numbers 14:24,

God says,

"But because my servant Caleb

has a different spirit

and follows me wholeheartedly,

I will bring him into the land he went to,

and his descendants will inherit it."

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What amazing praise for a child of God to hear from his Heavenly Father! We named one of our sons Caleb after this "different spirited" man. A man who had a holy reverent "fear" for who God was and faithfully obeyed God without grumbling or complaining.

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It seems that when people "get the picture" of God and understand that He is truly THE MOST HIGH GOD, that it forever changes them deep in their spirits. Joshua and Caleb "got the picture". I believe in Proverbs 31 that is what God says about the virtuous woman, "A woman who fears the LORD shall be praised." A virtuous woman knows deep in her heart what her Heavenly Father's rank is. Like Caleb, she learns to follow the LORD wholeheartedly.

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As we finish up today's post, join me in meditating on the lives of these faithful people who knew God's place in their lives and actually referred to God as THE MOST HIGH:

• Melchizedek - In Genesis 14, he said to Abram, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand."


• Moses - In Deuteronomy, he spoke to Israel the words of a song, that included this: "Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all generations.Ask your father, and he will inform you,your elders, and they will tell you. When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,when He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples..."


• David - He spoke the words of this song to the LORD, in 2 Samuel 22, "In my distress I called upon the LORD, Yes, I cried to my God; And from His temple He heard my voice,And my cry for help came into His ears....The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice....He delivered me from my strong enemy."


• Satan - We're told in Isaiah 14 that even Satan knew God's place and wanted it, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. "


• King Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel 3 came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire."


• Daniel - In chapter 5, Daniel was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind, and that He sets over it whomever He wishes."


• The Angel Gabriel to Mary - In Luke 1, the angel told Mary to not be afraid of the son that would come from her womb, "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end. "


• Jesus - After Jesus grew up as Mary's son, He said, "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men."


• Demon-possessed man - In Luke 8, Jesus "was met by a certain man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. And seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me. For He had been commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man."


• Stephen - In Acts 7, Stephen said, " The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: 'Heaven is My throne, And earth is the footstool of My feet..."

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HE IS EXALTED

SUNDAY

IN THE

SON

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Last night, as it got dark, Steve and I crossed over the Delaware River into Philadelphia on the Walt Whitman bridge.

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Off to the right, was downtown Philadelphia, "birthplace" of this amazing nation called the United States of America. Although Philly appears much farther away in this cell phone shot than it really is, we were actually not very far away from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. We were going to circle the city and drive closer. Fireworks were just beginning to light up the night sky in a celebration of the FREEDOM that was birthed in this city.


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Traveling from the southwest to the northwest side, we got closer to the downtown area. Several of the tallest buildings displayed red, white, and blue messages. This one flashed the word FREEDOM as we came around the bend.


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On the northside, we headed back east and then southeast. The sign directed us to turn right to Independence Hall or straight to go back across the Delaware on the Ben Franklin bridge. Just after I took this picture there was an enormous display of fireworks right off the bridge. I wondered if Cristi and Lauren Schwamb could see any of this from their room in Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. I looked back to the north at where Scott, Bonita, and Stacy McEndree and children planned to sit and watch the displays.
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As we crossed the Delaware River again, this time on the Ben Franklin bridge, we could watch the FREEDOM fireworks all around us in the night sky...downtown Philly...further south by the airport...to the west...to the north...and ahead of us in the South Jersey sky. I thought about places all over this nation celebrating simultaneously. My mind went to some of the locations that I'd experienced Fourth of July celebrations throughout my lifetime: U.S. Army posts in Europe and Okinawa, Pikes Peak (Colorado), Ranger Stadium (Arlington, TX), various fairgrounds in TX and NE, Hoosier Stadium (Bloomington, IN)......... Yet, last night, none compared with knowing that Steve and I chose to circle the birthplace of our nation on it's 233rd birthday.
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I thought of the different times over the last few years that I'd stood in line at the Liberty Bell, watching people from many nations so excited to get a look at and have their picture taken with this symbol of precious FREEDOM. How long had they planned and prepared for this trip to the USA? I pondered the situations of different people across this planet who have no concept of freedom from tyranny or an evil king. Fighting for their FREEDOMS and defending ours, our soldiers serve across this globe.
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Steve and I got on the Atlantic City expressway and as I looked out at the sights other people came to my mind. What about those people who experience difficult circumstances at the hand of evil leadership, yet still experience true FREEDOM? How can that happen? It's what I wrote about on my post yesterday - FREEDOM IN CHRIST! Freedom isn't free... someone has to pay the price... someone has to sacrifice for our liberty...
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My mind has been racing as I've thought a lot about those soldiers who have died over the years in wars/conflicts for our FREEDOMS: Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and currently Iraq/Afghanistan. I read a post yesterday, by Pat Boone, that got me to thinking in many different directions about this. Stop! Focus, Patti! Bottom line?

• No matter, who my king or president or governor or senator is... no matter what my difficult circumstances... I can be confident and rejoice in the knowledge that I have a KING who is my friend! He chose to die for my FREEDOM! A KING who is exalted above all others... He is good to the bone... He is sinless... He is love... He is KING of kings and LORD of lords... and with Him I can experience a FREEDOM beyond the comprehension of any FREEDOM set forth in Philadelphia (the city of LOVE)... this perfect and eternal LIBERTY was offered one Sunday morning over 2,000 years ago by THE MAN who is a personal friend of mine...MY KING...
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His friends, all over this globe, celebrate this KING together every Sunday. How do I know? I've been a part of these celebrations in Europe, Asia, and across this great nation of ours. This morning, as I sit with my Pitman church of Christ family, I will see the fireworks celebration in my mind exalting this KING above all others... I will praise and bless His name!

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1. Please join me in communion...in His memory...in His honor...
   
2. Please watch this video and thank Him!


3. Please join us back here everyday this week as we continue our study on The Virtuous Woman.
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BLESSED BE YOUR NAME...WAKE UP AMERICA!!!

What an honor and privilege to be part of a country that was founded on the concept of FREEDOM. What a blessing to know that many of our founding fathers believed and fleshed out the statement, "IN GOD WE TRUST.'
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Since this day began, the 4th of July 2009, I have heard / seen God's name used in vain multiple times by fellow citizens of this great land of ours. It has become the norm to curse instead of bless God.



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I have made a decision to be quiet no more! Yesterday evening at Walmart the cashier blamed Jesus when she had to void my order and re-ring everything up. I shared with her that it really wasn't Jesus' fault. She said that she prayed to God everyday and it just didn't work! God is not a personal genie folks! Sorry, God!
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Last night I viewed someone's comment on FB. As she tried to be funny, she used the GD word. Do people really understand what they are saying when they do that? I commented with one word, "Inappropriate!" Sorry, GOD!

.This morning as I was at the "send off" for our teen mission group to Maine, I heard a visitor use the LORD"s name in vain. Excuse me! Think before you speak! Sorry, GOD!


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What a FREEDOM we have just to send a group of teens anywhere we choose to teach others about Jesus! This group of teens, the Davis' family, Andrew Coooper, and our daughter Crystal have made a choice to BLESS THE NAME OF THE LORD. As they left, I told Crystal what I have often told my children as they head out into the world, "Be a blessing!"

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Blessing God starts with each individual heart! Blessing God starts with learning to control the tongue! Blessing God begins in the home! Blessing God begins in the church! Blessing God begins where you are planted! It's time that the U.S.A. wakes up and understands that it is time for THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO BLESS GOD.

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Our forefathers chose to bless God.
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Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
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• Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died..
• Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned..
• Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;
• another had two sons captured..
• Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War..
• They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor...

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What kind of men were they?
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• Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
• Eleven were merchants.
• Nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated...
  
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They signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

• Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
• Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
• Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
• At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters.. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
• Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
• John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

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So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank God for these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid..

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Remember: FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE! SOMEONE HAD TO PAY THE PRICE... HAD TO SACRIFICE... FOR OUR LIBERTY....It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July really is more than beer, picnics, and baseball games.

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LET FREEDOM RING!!
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And while we're speaking of FREEDOM and BLESSING/TRUSTING GOD...here is the most important message of freedom...right here:.
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• "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 .
  
• "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:36.


• "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."


• Galatians 5:1."For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, " You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:13-14.

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Remember: FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE! SOMEONE HAD TO PAY THE PRICE... HAD TO SACRIFICE... FOR OUR LIBERTY....

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It's time we get the WORD out that sin separates us from God and we're all sinners. Solution?

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FREEDOM IN JESUS CHRIST!

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LET FREEDOM RING!!
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BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD!!!!!

P.S.
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I just returned from the Pitman fourth of July parade. Many of our church family gathered on the front lawn of Dan and Katherine Cooper to watch the event. As the parade began I took this shot of our own Maggie sitting with the McEndree children.




We watched a wonderful small town America celebration of FREEDOM. We even witnessed several groups / floats singing christian music! I never saw that when I lived in the south!


Little Miss McEndree showed me her red, white, and blue fingernails in honor of the celebration.

And then, as the parade neared it's end, a truck passed by that summed it all up!

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD...THOUGH THE DARKNESS CLOSES IN...

Today,
I ask you to

begin reading this

post with the

lyrics of the first

song on

our playlist as the

song plays. The

lyrics are below.

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Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

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Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

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Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

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Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

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Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

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Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

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You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

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Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name.

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You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name

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Steve and I have two sons named, Jordan and Caleb. If you're familiar with the Bible at all, you know the story. The Jordan River is the "river of life" that flows south through the "promised land". Caleb and his friend, Joshua, were the only two of twelve spies who believed that with God nothing was impossible. They led the children of Israel across the Jordan, into the Promised Land.

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So, why didn't we name one of our children Joshua? Well, if Crystal would have been a boy, that would have been his name. We would then have had our own Joshua and Caleb crossing the Jordan.

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It still worked though... because our kids have a cousin named Joshua (son of Steve's sister, Sharla). Each one has a distinct faith journey story: Jordan Sikes, Caleb Sikes, and Joshua Marcum. They each have been on very unique spiritual journeys that have been dotted with difficult circumstances along the way. I've shared with you about both of our sons on previous posts.

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Today, I want you to get to know Joshua a little better. Like Timothy, he has had deeply spiritual, virtuous women who have helped to mold and guide him: his mother Sharla and his grandmother Robbie. Joshua chose Julie (who was a virtuous woman from a very early age) as his bride and together they have three little girls. As missionaries in Bolivia, they have experienced a magnitude of tragedy this past week. A bus load of their youth crashed, killed three, and many were injured. They need your support, your prayers, your encouragement. Please click here to read Julie's words of the last few days describing what they have gone through... http://jjmarcum22.blogspot.com/

Much like the Joshua of scripture, Joshua Marcum has chosen to stand tall during a very dark time and say, "BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD..."

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You can also read more updates at www.christianchronicle.org . You can also connect with The Marcum's blog at any time by going to the right sidebar of this blog under the section entitled SIKES' FAMILY LINKS.

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BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD...HE'S TRANSFORMING...

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY



This past Tuesday morning in our ladies Bible class, we broke into groups of two to come up with one statement per woman describing what part of Proverbs 31 each would want in her obituary after she died. The choices shared were as diverse as the women within the groups.
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Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." The women in our class have chosen Jesus to be their treasure. Each has it in her heart to please Him. We want to stand firm on this life journey so that we will finish strong.
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As I rode in my car yesterday, a song was being played on christian radio, summarizing what had taken place in our ladies class. Some of it's lines were:

• purify my heart, LORD
• refiner's fire
• I choose to be holy, set apart for You, my master
• ready to do Your will

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We had written statements of faith, saying "God, this is one way that I want to be described at the end of my life - help me to live my life so that will happen." Here is my paraphrasing of some of their statements:
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• "Brenda raised her children to love the LORD."
• "Jo-Anne was known for her perseverance to keep her priorities in order: she feared the LORD... the heart of her husband trusted in her... her children rose and called her blessed...she ministered to the needs of others..."
• "Denise spoke with wisdom and faithful instruction was always on her tongue."
• "Carla lived her life with the understanding that charm is deceptive and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD will be praised."
• "Casey's husband's heart deeply trusted this woman of strength and honor as she steadfastly gave her family roots and wings."
• "Robin feared the Lord and was known for her words of wisdom and faithful instruction as she extended her hand to the needy and brought much good to her husband and children who called her blessed."
• "Kat surpassed many women who have done noble things by the way she feared the LORD."
• "Tina received much praise throughout her life for the way she stretched out her hand to the poor and the needy."
• "Althea's candle did not go out by night as her light shone for her family and friends to see and to follow."
• "Beth watched over the affairs of her household and had a strong work ethic."
• "Harriet's life showed how she believed God, trusted God, and obeyed God by the kindnesses that she extended to others as she lived her life for Him."
• "Sheri was well known for the ways that she extended her hand to the poor and the needy."
• "Karelle was deeply trusted and loved by her husband and children as they called her 'Blessed'."
• "Janet was a woman of virtue, strength, and honor who loved and feared the LORD."
• "Christina perceived that her merchandise was good and her candle did not go out at night."
• "Dottie did good for many many people all of her life and it was evident that she loved and obeyed God."
• "Linda was a woman of strength because she leaned on God... many were blessed by her wisdom and kindness."
• "Brenda, when all is said and done, was a virtuous woman."

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Thank you God for your transforming power that can make the above statements into realities. Blessed be Your name...You are the true TRANSFORMER!
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NOTE: Many of you have heard of the tragic bus crash in Bolivia that killed three and injured many. "Transformed Mom" Julie Stephens Marcum has given a very in depth update on her blog today. Julie is married to Josh Marcum (son of Steve's sister, Sharla). Josh is the one who planned the bus trip... You can access their blog daily on the right sidebar of this blog under SIKES' FAMILY BLOGS... her post today is sobering and inspiring... please pray for this young family with three little girls, their missionary team, and their entire church family over the next days, weeks, and months to come...
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BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD...FEAR HIM...

Over the years, I have taken an array of classes in Literature. One thing that was brought home to me was to look at the "bookends" of a book or essay. Look for the ideas at the first and last to see how they mirror each other. Then, the pages or lines or verses in between should be the connecting dots between the beginning and the end. I see that in the Proverbs 31 section of scripture about the virtuous woman:
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• BEGINNING: "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies..."

• ENDING: "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."

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The beginning of the section is looking for a virtuous woman...she is priceless... a rare treasure...
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The ending lets us know that she is out there and gives a descriptive summary of how to identify this treasure!
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Yesterday morning in our ladies class, we spent some time discussing the part in the ending about the concept of "fears the LORD"... Why would it say that when there are many scriptures that say "Do not be afraid"? Aren't these contradicting statements? No!
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Please read the definitions given by New Unger's Bible Dictionary of the phrase "fear of the LORD":
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• desires God's favor
• reveres God's holiness
• submits cheerfully to God's will
• is grateful for God's benefits
• sincerely worships God
• dreads God's displeasure
• conscientiously obeys God's commandments

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So, today practice replacing the words "fear the LORD" in the ending of Proverbs 31 with some of these definitions. It may help you more clearly answer the question at the beginning.

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• BEGINNING: "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies..."

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• ENDING: "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that ________________ ________________________, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."