How I can relate, feeling aas though I was the only one witing on this forum and that the rest of you had disappeared. I never was sure whether I was encouraging or discouraging by the lack of response. And I have never felt that God wanted me in the forefront, though perhaps that is more my thinking than His, because I certainly seem to get there more often than wanted.<P>But as I was going through the recent posts and seeing how hard dear Karenna was trying to get you to respond to something, even resorting to cutting and pasting my early journey and lessons from the Lord, I thought about how many of us get caught up in the emotion of our situations and how Satan ties our hands in a way, from writing either here or in our own home journals.<P>I thought of Asaph in psalm 77<P> PS 77:1 I cried out to God for help;<BR> I cried out to God to hear me.<P> PS 77:2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;<BR> at night I stretched out untiring hands<BR> and my soul refused to be comforted.<P> PS 77:3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;<BR> I mused, and my spirit grew faint.<BR> Selah<P> PS 77:4 You kept my eyes from closing;<BR> I was too troubled to speak.<P> PS 77:5 I thought about the former days,<BR> the years of long ago;<P> PS 77:6 I remembered my songs in the night.<BR> My heart mused and my spirit inquired:<P> PS 77:7 "Will the Lord reject forever?<BR> Will he never show his favor again?<P> PS 77:8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?<BR> Has his promise failed for all time?<P> PS 77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?<BR> Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"<BR> Selah<P>How discouraged we all have been at one time or another, feeling overwhelmed, abandoned by loved ones and God, how we can relate to Asaph. And yet.....<P>God calls us to renew our minds and in psalm 77 Asaph does the switcheroo...<P>PS 77:10 Then I thought, "To this I will appeal:<BR> the years of the right hand of the Most High."<P> PS 77:11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;<BR> yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.<P> PS 77:12 I will meditate on all your works<BR> and consider all your mighty deeds.<P> PS 77:13 Your ways, O God, are holy.<BR> What god is so great as our God?<P> PS 77:14 You are the God who performs miracles;<BR> you display your power among the peoples.<P> PS 77:15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,<BR> the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.<BR> Selah<P> PS 77:16 The waters saw you, O God,<BR> the waters saw you and writhed;<BR> the very depths were convulsed.<P> PS 77:17 The clouds poured down water,<BR> the skies resounded with thunder;<BR> your arrows flashed back and forth.<P> PS 77:18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,<BR> your lightning lit up the world;<BR> the earth trembled and quaked.<P> PS 77:19 Your path led through the sea,<BR> your way through the mighty waters,<BR> though your footprints were not seen.<P> PS 77:20 You led your people like a flock<BR> by the hand of Moses and Aaron.<P><BR>Again in Deut. the sense of feeling overwhelmed by our situations is put in perspective of who God is.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> DT 7:17 You may say to yourselves, "These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?" [18] But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. [19] You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear. [20] Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. [21] Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. [22] The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. [23] But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. [24] He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them. [25] The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God. [26] Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>This chapter continues to recount those things that the Lord has done for his children. Are we any less important? Not! Where are our eyes this day on the journey He is allowing us to take? Even in my own short 50 years, I can recount how God's hand was upon me, drawing me to Himself, before I even knew of my need for a savior. <P>I think often of the writer who described the tangled jumbled mess of the underside of a weaving, colored threads sticking out here and there, perhaps some knots along the way, the pattern appears broken and jumbled at times and at other times, very monotonous. And Yet! If we were to look from the top side, we could see the pattern and creative design, the intricasies used in creating such a piece of artwork. We have seen multiple examples of where people want to be their own god and control their world and the shambles made of it. Look at the prodigal son. How often have I myself thought, boy, if I could be in control of this......<P>Anyway, came across this and it seemed to fit because the line begins and ends with Him.<P> What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?<BR> (Answer - Psalms 117)<P> What is the longest chapter in the Bible?<BR> (Answer - Psalms 119)<P> Which chapter is in the center of the Bible<BR> (Answer - Psalms 118)<P> Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118<P> Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118<P> Add these numbers up and you get 1188<P> What is the center verse in the Bible? (Answer<BR> - Psalms 118:8)<P> Does this verse say something significant about<BR> God's perfect will for our lives? The next time someone says they would like to find God's perfect will for their lives and that they want to be in the center of His will, just send them to the center of His Word!<P> Psalms 118:8 (NKJV) "It is better to trust in<BR> the LORD than to put confidence in man."<P> Now isn't that odd how this worked out (or was<BR> God in the center of it)?<P><BR>Hugs to you ladies! Let us know how He is holding you up, tell us what He is teaching you about Himself today. You are wonderfully and fearfully made, he nows the number of hairs on your head. He put us in community to support one another and to challenge us to keep on the straight and narrow. I want to know how you are doing. And hello to so many new ladies? Do you have the POPW book? Are you ready to be challenged to grow as God would have you grow? What is God teaching you through your pain and trial?

(former name "IT THE SOUTH")<P>By reading your post, my faith has be renewed. PS 118:8 has help me to remeber that GOD is the only one I need to put my trust in. <P>I have put my H before GOD, GOD is an awesome GOD. The book of pslams is awesome.<P>THANK YOU AND PRAY FOR THE RENEWING OF MY AND MY H SPIRIT. Because I know that one day we shall overcome.

Thanks so much, SueB! I know things are emotional and raw right now. And how it is impossible to post an update until you find SOME degree of resolution. <P>Sometimes we just have to keep looking at the little things and giving gratitude where we can. Then it magnifies miraculously.<P>I am grateful for my H trying so hard. He is learning to separate out his anxiety in other areas from his feelings towards me. After an outburst, that is. I am trying to be more thoughtful and appreciative of his efforts too. I am trying to pray for him better. <P>Last year when I prayed for Christian men to come into his life and cross his path as an example for him he got all tangled up in inter-denominational squabbles, arguments and strife about whose Bible version, and anti-Catholic, anti-Jehovah's Witness, anti-Mormon and this and that! So he still hates all religions. <P>I don't care how, I just want him to accept Jesus as his Savior. He can join me or not, but it sure wasn't fun having him attack God for sending the plagues on the Egyptians! Good grief.<P>Please help me pray for my husband that he can find God's love, grace and mercy for himself.

SueB,<BR>I e-mailed you, did you get it? I hope we can always stay in touch sister, even if it isn't on this forum.<BR>Blessings, Taj<BR>camorine@hotmail.com

Sue,<P>You have always been encouraging and your insights have realloy been helpful to me. I have had to back off a bit because it was my last semester and I have been so busy. <P>I have to make some heavy decisions. i am thinking seriously about moving about an hour and 30 minutes away, to be nearer to where my oldest daughter goes to boarding school. That way she can be a day student and myself and two daughters can forge our own family. She is 17 and I have two more years with her before college. I think since I have been so busy at school these last two years, and all the stuff with my h, it is necessary. H is not thrilled because it means he will have to work at seeing the girls.<P> For several reasons I think it is good. He still has a foot in both places, although he would deny this. When he comes over he has keys, helps himself to something to eat and even sits on our bed to read when my youngest is busy. If someone says anything he says he pays for it. <P>Although this is true, he has left by his own choice.<P>He said, "He has a right to be happy and an emotional life for once." So when he voiced some protest about me moving I said you have a right, well the kids and I have a right to be a family. There wasn't much he could say.<P>I feel bad, but maybe some reality will wake him up or at least help him to realize what he is missing, but perhaps not. Even though i still stand for my marriage and am not looking for other relationships, I need to move out from under his shadow and begin to live. I have prayed and asked God, that if restoration for our marriage is not to be for now, than please bring me some great Christian women friends. <P>I have a soecific request for tomorrow, but I think I will post it alone.<P>Sue, do not be discouraged. You are in my prayers and I am still hoping you will come to NY again and we can have a cup of tea together or something. Thanks for all your support and scriptures!!!!!!<P><BR>hw

Hi Ladies. I apologize profusely for not being here very much in the last two weeks. My mom is here visiting (Dad died in Feb.) and I have been trying to keep her busy. <P>A verse for encouragement: Psalm 91:11,12<BR><B>11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12 In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.</B><P>It has now been 18 months since my dh moved back home and we began the journey of restoration. H still drinks a LOT; the Lord taught me that his drinking is not my problem to handle; nor is it my fault. <P>Every once in a while I get a glimpse of what the Lord is doing in my dh's life. An example..... Every day I ask the Lord to place born-again Christians in my dh's path. You all my remember that last winter my h was working out of town. Recently he mentioned to me that the man he worked for when out of town (and that he really liked and struck up a friendship with) goes to church and his wife is "real religious". PTL! <P>We had another couple over for dinner one night recently. My dh actually said the prayer, it was HIS idea to pray, and it was a nice one! There have been times in the past where he would make a crude joke of a prayer at dinner when others were over. <P>It's been a rough road at times, and I have been tempted (thoughts planted by Satan) to throw in the towel during those times we are in the low spot. Whenever I get those thoughts, I open my email and there is ALWAYS a message or verse about not giving up, and waiting upon the Lord. I believe that my dh's day of salvation and deliverance is soon. <P>SueB, thank you for starting this thread. You are right, He is an AWESOME GOD.<BR>Glory&Praise, I will be praying for you, and yes dear sister, "one day we shall overcome."<BR>hw, praying for you.... so glad to hear from you!!! <P>Love to you all,<P>AW<BR>'But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." - Job 23:10<BR><p>[This message has been edited by Alcoholic's Wife (edited April 24, 2001).]