No, not the type of backpacking you do when your hiking, or climbing a mountain, or on a high adventure. Nothing like that at all.

I thought I would just be a little humerous today and talk about my handy dandy backpack as one of my blogging friends, Weebie calls it.

It all started when on one of the blogs, they were talking about purses and what they carry in them and of course, not being a woman, (they were even talking about purses that have a built in light, so when you open it up you can see what is in it, for a writer, that is a novel idea [pun intended]) I don’t carry a purse, it just would not be big enough for me :-)

My backpack and I travel together, everywhere. To Isaack's or Sunshine Cafe when I go for breakfast and spend time at my favorite booth reading, writing into my journal or my article and then typing it into my electronic notebook. I take it to Church, to Sunday School, anywhere and everywhere. Wherever I go, it goeth!

Now what do I carry in my backpack? Let’s see, I have everything that I need for writing, taking notes. You need a pen, I got it, a stapler, yep, have that too, oh, you need some paper to take notes, yep. You prefer a pencil to a pen, got those. Clip board, yep, several of those. You know, you got to have something solid to write on. You say you need some 3X5 index cards, hey, I got it. Highlighters, a number of those also. I am beginning to think that I have a mini office supply in my backpack.

Also carry my AphaSmart 3000 electronic notebook in it. Hmm, paper clips, clips for holding things open. Oh yeah, a couple of books that I am reading and lets not forget my daily journal, my to do list, calendar and that is about it I think.

Munchies, hey, I put a small pack of carrots in one of those pockets and I am seriously thinking about adding a small thermos for coffee, or water, or tea. Wow, I could survive for a couple of days if I fill those extra pockets up with health food type snacks. Got to keep my youngest daughter happy, as well as the rest of the family. Would you believe I have gone a whole week, I mean a whole week with no bread, that I have been eating salads and veggies, ok, I did cheat a little, I had a medium size order of fries and gravy with my coffee today. But don’t tell my daughter :-)

Hmm, I feel like I am forgetting something, Ah, I know what I forgot, my cell phone is clipped to the outside of the backpack. I could add a extra set of car keys just in case I lock the others in the car.

Hmm, now I wonder where I sat that backpack down?

Sometimes, the Lord just wants us to sit back and smile and enjoy the day, friends and those around us and be just a little silly once in awhile. It is ok. Laughter is like a medicine and today has been one of those days, that I just sense the Lord saying, Paul lighten up, relax and enjoy the day that I have given you.

So I rejoice in the Lord, have a smile on my face, and I took the challenge of my friend Weebie, to write about my handy dandy backpack. We give cars and other things names. Do you think I ought to give my backpack a name?

Till later,

Paul

It is a little after 03:00 AM in the morning when I woke up and came and sat on the front porch. You know what I heard? Nothing, absolutely nothing!

Not even the sound of the crickets. It was as if everything was at peace, resting in the morning hours.

Then I realized, that earlier I had laid down for a few minutes to rest for awhile and that my thoughts were on the Lord and when I woke, I woke to a calmness and peacefulness of heart and soul.

I became aware that the Lord had given me a taste of what it means to rest in Him. To know His presence in the midst of all that is going on in my life. I have a peace, rest and assurance that the Lord is well aware of what I have need of and that He wants me to rest, to simply rest in Him!

He wants us to know that we can truly rest in Him. That in Him we will find the strength for the day. That He has not given us a spirit of fear but of a sound mind. That He has given us an assurance that He will walk with us day by day as we rest in Him.

We were talking in bible study the other day, that the Lord is bringing us back to the basics, to the foundational truths of simply believing Him, trusting Him and walking in His ways and learning to rest in that which He has done and is doing in our lives.

I think that often times, we make it more complicated than it should be. The word of God says: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy-burden and I will cause you to rest [I will ease and release your souls]” Matthew 11:28 Amplified Bible.

He wants us to come to a place of rest, not to be in spiritual anxiety, but to be at ease, at rest. That He wants to give us that peace that passes all understanding. He wants us to be refreshed in Him.

That we take comfort in His Word, in His Presence!

Rest in the Lord my friends, Rest in the Lord!!

Till later,

Paul

Note: This is Monday's Post

:D

I am beginning to see more and more how important worship and praise is for the beginning of the day and the ending of the night.

As I awoke this morning I was feeling a little blah, not particularly happy nor sad just blah and I was beginning to allow it to effect my day and then I started listening to some music, not worship or praise, though I listen to it often, but lately I have been just listening the instrumental background of various types of music.

I found myself beginning to worship and praise the Lord, to just begin to sing the words that came to my heart to the Lord and I began to soar in the Spirit and my heart began to rejoice in the Lord and I felt like I was just dancing in the spirit, making melody with my heart, that I was in the presence of my Lord.

I was thinking Lord, this is really awesome, that we can take music, any of it and began to focus on you and it brings us into your presence and you rejoice with us as we worship you, that it fills your heart to over flowing when your children sing to you and it delights you to bless them with your presence.

When you are feeling kind of down, a little stressed, worried, in the pits, so far down that you wonder why try, then I challenge you this day, to just begin to worship the Lord with your voice.

Oh, it doesn’t matter how it sounds, because your singing it to your father and He thinks you are one of the greatest singers that He has had the pleasure of listening too.

He hears the song from your heart and Oh, it does please Him. It brings a smile to His face and I can hear Him saying to the angels, these are my sons and daughters, these are my children, don’t they sing beautifully?

Our father takes pride in us when we give of ourselves to Him, when we abandon ourselves to Him and trust Him each and everyday, to lead us a fresh in the paths that He has sit before us.

So my friends, rejoice this day in the Lord, sing praises to the Most High, and sense and know the presence of His Spirit in a new way.

Delight yourselves in the Lord!!

Till later,

Paul

Note: This is Sunday's post :wink:

I woke up at around 03:30 this morning so I thought I would go and sit on the front porch for awhile. As I sat down and lit the oil lamp, the thought came to me how when it was lit, the darkness around me disappeared.

Though there was darkness, the porch was lit up from the soft glow of the oil lamp and I was able to see everything. It was all brought into the light so that I would not stumble or fall or trip over anything in my path.

That is what it is like when we come to the Lord, a light is lit within and it begins to expose those things that need to be dealt with in our lives so that the Lord can bring the changes that are so necessary.

But the light does more than expose things, it illuminates the way before us. The Word of the Lord is a lamp unto our feet, showing us the way to walk and guiding us in the paths of the Lord.

Light is an important aspect in our life. The light keeps us from falling into the traps that the enemy sets before us. Keeps us aware of his tactics.
Light also shows us the beauty of things around us, that we can see the Lord reflected in so many things.

It is up to us as to how much light we want to shine forth. As I adjusted the wick, I could get the flame so small that you could barely tell there was any light at all, but as I adjusted the wick it got brighter and brighter and eventually the whole porch and surrounding area was covered with the radiance of the light, of its glow.

So what do you want to do with the light of Christ? Do we hide it under a bushel? Keep it for ourselves, not to share it or do we set it on the table and let it shine forth and adjust it to get the maximum light, not so low you barely see it.

Let us adjust the light for its maximum effectiveness, to allow the Lord to adjust the light within, that we will give off a light that will make it easier for others to see that in the midst of a world full of darkness, there is hope, there is a way.

To give hope to those around us and to shine forth and truly reflect the light of the Lord. To reflect the reality of who He.

Till later,

Paul

Note: This is Saturdays Post :)

How is your walk with the Lord?

How have you and Him been getting along lately? How much time have you given Him? How much do you show your love for Him?

I think if there is one thing that I have learned over the last couple of years is how unpassionate I had become. That I lacked passion for the Lord, for those He gave me to love, I didn’t stop loving them, I just did not have anymore passion.

I just let each day roll by and not aware that I had begun to take things for granted. I lost touch with the Lord. He did not lose touch with me. I lost touch with those that were the most precious to me.

If there is anything that the Lord wants in our lives, it is for us to be passionate. I mean sold out, your all I want, I am madly in love with you Lord type passion.

For only then can we have a passion that pours out to our families, to our friends, to those in our life that mean the most to us.

The Lord is calling us back to that first love relationship with Him. Where our desire is to intimately know Him, to know His word that He might write it upon our hearts, to know His presence, and to know His voice, that still small voice that speaks to our hearts, to our spirit and leads us in His ways.

We need to be passionate about the things of God, to share the reality of who He is. Not only in the words that we speak, but in the life that we live.

As we do this, then we will learn to be passionate for the things that the Lord is passionate about. We will learn to be passionate in our relationship with those who are important in our lives.

That they will begin to see the reality of the Christ within. That they will see the life changing power of Christ, and the Spirit of the Lord working in our life.

Take time this day to let the Lord know how much you love Him and ask Him to rekindle that flame within, that flame of passion that has been reduced to an ember that is almost ready to go out.

Let the Lord by His Spirit begin to breathe upon that ember, that the breath of His presence will cause that ember to break forth into an all consuming fire that will cause you to fall passionately in love with your Lord and Savior as He woo’s you back to know Him in an even greater way, learning to fall in love all over again with the one who gave Himself for you!

Till later, 

Paul

Sitting here this morning just enjoying the breaking forth of a new day. Watching as the sun rises over the hill's of the Hill Country of Texas and it is so breath taking to behold. I find it hard to believe that anyone could ever think this was all an accident, that is beyond comprehension to me.

The birds are singing this morning, making melody in their hearts as they sing and bring in the new day. They sit a good example for us, to bring in the day, with a song in our heart, even when our heart's feel broken, we can begin to offer the Lord the sacrifice of praise, of worship and allow Him to draw us into His presence.

Having my youngest daughter, Elise, here for a couple of weeks is good for this dad’s heart and for her mom. To hear the excitement in her heart, the plans that she has, the dreams and the hopes. I am so thankful to the Lord for opening a wide door of communication in my life with her. Also with my oldest daughter, Gloria and my son Joshua.

I want to encourage mom's and dad's, grandparent's, single mom's and dad's to never be so busy with anything that you can’t stop and listen to the hearts of your children because one day you might wake up and they are gone and so are the moments and times that you could have had with them. Begin today to gain back those moments and let them be the center of your attention at that moment and time.

Our children are a trust given to us, they are a treasure to our hearts. Yes there are times that it is heart breaking when you watch them go through things in their lives and the only tool that you have is prayer, lots of prayer and faith in God, that He will watch over them and keep them in the hollow of His hand.

Lift your children, your grandchildren to the Lord each day. Cover them in prayer and pray a hedge of covering over them and pray that the Word of God would be written upon their hearts and become part of who they are. Lift them up, encourage them and let them know how precious they are.

As grandparents, it is a double blessing, when our grandchildren come and talk to us and share their child like faith and we have the honor of being there for them. To encourage them in the Lord.

When my grand daughter Rebekah came up to me and said, “You know what grandpa?” and I said, “What?”, she said, “I really do love Jesus!” That melted my heart!

Oh, the faith of a child, how we need that in this day and time! To simply believe and know that God’s word is true.

Till later,

Paul

Sometimes the hardest time to write is while your heart feels so overwhelmed and breaking! That tears flow from your eyes like a uncontrollable flood that cannot be stopped. That everything within you wants to try and fix everything, to heal wounds, to restore time lost and yet you know that in yourself you cannot.

Then the Lord reminds you that you have laid it all on the altar. That you have given it to Him. That His purposes and will, will be done. That you have to come to a place of total trust in Him, to not try and pickup again what you have laid on the altar and given to Him to carry.

I think I can identify with the Psalmist David somewhat when he cries out that his heart is burst asunder with anguish, with the warfare that takes place within and yet David comes to a place where He says, “Why art thou cast down Oh My soul?” and he speaks to himself and encourages himself in God. He lifts himself up in the Lord and begins to rejoice in the Lord, to rejoice in the presence of the creator of heaven and earth.

Likewise it is during these dark times of the soul when all around us seems to be closing in, that we have to make that sacrifice of praise. Even when everything within you says you can’t. The Spirit of the Lord says you can and He opens the door of hope, of rest and peace and once again we worship Him with our whole being, with all that is within. That we give Him that sacrifice of Praise.

If you are cast down this day, if your heart is overwhelmed, look to the Lord. Look to Him that loves you and gave Himself for you and now watches over you even in the darkest hour. He is there watching over you, waiting for you to call out to Him!!

Till later,

Paul

That is what I told the Lord when this began, Hill Country Thoughts, back in April. I thought it was funny that the Lord would speak to me those three words, Hill Country Thoughts. They kept repeating over and over in my mind.

Great! Now Lord, what does that mean? These words just seem to flow and of course I live in the Hill Country of Texas in the big city of Junction and also several times in the old testament we hear the term hill country, of course not Texas .

I shared with my pastor, Scott, those words, Hill Country Thoughts and like me, it clicked with him, which gave me more confirmation that maybe the Lord was trying to tell me something because up to this point I had done little writing, other than a daily journal, taking tons of notes when I would go to church, meetings and so forth.

I think there was a rumor going around, that if I didn’t have a pen in my hand, then something was wrong. I must be sick or something .

Anyway, I got online and bought the domain name for Hill Country Thoughts and someday I will move everything there.

In the mean time I began Hill Country Thoughts here and in another place to have a back up in case either one of them where having technical difficulties and thus began Hill Country Thoughts and it has been such an adventure and such an opportunity to be able to encourage, exhort and lift up others and hopefully encourage them in their walk with the Lord.

I think it was sometime in June when I got e-mail from Crossmap asking me if I would consider being one of the columnist and my natural reaction was right, someone is pulling my leg. But after several e-mails I realized that they were serious and it was not a joke and the rest of it is history. I would have never thought that four months ago I would have a blog called Hill Country Thoughts much less posting my writings to Crossmap.

I am sharing all of this to say that God has a way of bringing His purpose for us into being, as I shared in a previous post, and by simply saying yes to the Lord, He has open new doors, open new paths and it keeps growing.

So if you hear a still small voice speaking to you, take time to stop and listen and listen again, then talk to the Lord and ask Him to reveal to you what He is saying and ask that He confirm what He is speaking to you. Who knows what doors He will open when you say Yes Lord!

Till later,

Paul
This was Sundays Post

As many of you know who have been reading Hill Country Thoughts that I promised the Lord that I would be real in the things that I write and share as I walk this path that I am on with Him.

It has not been easy. Someday's it is so hard to pick up a pen and sit here on the front porch and write when everything within me screams and says: “Why write? Why share? What makes you think what you have to say will help anyone?”

Right then and there I realize that it is not the voice of the Lord speaking to me, but the voice of the accuser, the enemy of my soul that wants to do all that he can to stop me from expressing my heart, my thoughts and the things that the Lord has given me to share.

So instead of getting up and fleeing, I pick up the pen and I begin to write, to express what I feel the Lord put on my heart.

I leave the results to the Lord. I want to be a pen in His hand and my hearts desire is to share the reality of who He is, what he has become in me and let others know that in the Lord Jesus Christ we find strength and we find hope as He leads us in His paths.

Even when everything seems to be falling apart. When all that which you counted on, those who were part of your heart and you are cut off and severed from all that you knew, it creates a desperation within that causes you to cry out to God, “Why God? Why This? Why Now?”

Do you want to know what I heard the Lord say to me? He said: “Because I loved you, I have allowed you to go through this because I knew even from the beginning, from the time that you were born, that this is what it would take to get you to the place I wanted you and that you would respond to my voice and to my call on your life. I know every step that you have taken, every fall, every mistake and I was there. Even when you did not realize it, you were being held in the hollow of my hand. Held by the nail scarred hand of my son!”

I began to cry when I realized how much He loved me, the price that He paid for my freedom and because of that price that was paid, I am able to walk this path that I am on with the Lord and I am able to find strength in Him, in His presence and in His word.

As I shared many times, is this a path I would have chosen. No! Would I change it if I could? No, because the Lord has been with me each and every step of the way. It is He that has given me the strength and heart to follow Him. That He has given me the heart of a ready writer.

I want to be that pen He picks up each day. To write His heart thoughts. That He will allow me to encourage my brothers and sisters, my friends and let them know that we can walk as Christians in the real world and that we can be real with the things we share. Again, we are a people with hope in a world that seems to be without hope and indeed without Christ, it would be hopeless.

So how real is real? It is as real as our heavenly Father and Our Lord Jesus Christ, that is how real. The God I serve and the Lord that saved me are real within and hopefully that is reflected in my life, in my heart and in the things that I write.

Till later,

Paul
This Post Was For Saturday 8-21-04

I was really wondering today, “Lord what do you want me to share? What thoughts are on your heart?"

I kept looking at the word blessing, I looked again, and again. I looked at blessing, bles sing. I know I might be stretching it a little but that is what I saw in my mind.

I saw it as two words made to be one. In blessing, bless and sing, in worshiping the Lord, in singing, in praising the Lord, in lifting Him up this day with our whole heart, with our whole being, with all that is within us to bless the Lord this day, to speak praises to our Lord of Lords and King.

There is such a blessing when we come into the presence of the Lord, even when we don’t “feel anything”, it then becomes a sacrifice of praise and as you begin to make that sacrifice, then the blessings of the Lord, the presence of His Spirit begins to fall a fresh on you. Bringing restoration, healing, of lifting you up out of the place of bondage or captivity, freeing you from the bonds of the enemy.

When we begin to bless the Lord, it not only sets us free, it sets others free, like the water of the word, the praises and the worship brings a cleansing, a refreshing to our whole being and it pours out to others around us, wether in church, in a prayer group or even as bloggers, we worship and we praise the Lord with the keyboard, with the thoughts that the Lord allows us or gives us to share with others, that we might build them up and lift them up in the faith.

Is it not amazing how our God can take the simple things, the simple thoughts, that He brings to our heart, to our mind and then reveal Himself to us in it?

It is a blessing to sing, it is a blessing to be able to share, to write, to lift up, to exhort, to encourage and to stand with others in the Lord.

We are a people of hope, of expectation. We are a people who are learning to live in the reality of who the Lord is now. That the life changing power of the Lord applies to us now, not down the road, in the future.

Today we can walk in the blessings of the Lord. We can walk in the new life, in the strength of the Spirit and we can be an encourager to others with the things we speak, the things we write and the things we do.

Let us be a blessing to those around us and let them see in the blessings of the Lord, the fruit of the spirit working in our lives.

Be blessed my friends!

Till later,

Paul

This was Friday's Post - Had to shut computer down because of Storms!!

Last night was a beautiful night, I guess morning is what it really was as I woke up at around 01:00 AM.

There was such a freshness in the air. It was raining, the parched land was being quenched, absorbing the rain, letting it go deep to the roots, drinking in every bit of water.

And that is what got me to begin to think about how the presence of the Lord, as we open our hearts to Him and allow His Spirit to begin to touch us deep within, allowing the Lord to water our spirit with His word, with His presence, that the seed that He planted within, that new life that we have in Christ begins to come forth, begins to grow and begins to flourish.

Then comes along the gardner, the Holy Spirit and He begins to cut, to prune and begin to remove those things that hinder the growth that we need.

So he lovingly begins to prune, to cut and remove those roots of bitterness, of anger, of strife so that we might begin to grow to be strong in the power and might of His Spirit.

We will always go through the pruning process. There will always be those things that from time to time that will need to be trimmed away but oh the results is that we will come forth to be more and more like our Lord.

So allow the Spirit of the Lord to work in you. To prune and remove all that is not of Him, knowing that the pain is but for a season and that we can be like that sunflower that follows the sun all day and rest’s at night, to wake again and follow the sun.

Let us wake each day to the Son and allow Him to be reflected in us as we become a sweet fragrance to those around us, that it will draw others to want to know Him, as we know Him, as Lord and Savior!

Till later,

Paul

Paul!

Yes Lord!

Why are you not writing today?

I just don’t feel like it!!

You don’t feel like it?

Yes! That’s right! I just don’t feel like it. I am just not in the mood to write and besides I am angry, I am really angry, as a matter of fact I am so angry I could chew nails!!

Oh!! Why are you so angry?

Because of some things that were said to me months ago and I began thinking about them today and how much hurt, pain and suffering it made me feel and I am mad, I'am really mad!!

You mean that anger you ask me to help you deal with, to help you get rid of and remove from you, you mean those hurts, those wounds that you thought you got rid of?

Yes, I thought I really got rid of those things and they just came to the surface and they hurt, they really hurt, it feels like a knife twisting in my heart. I didn’t know that I was still hurting inside and I thought I had dealt with it, that it was gone and Lord it breaks my heart because I thought I was doing so good and I feel like I failed you! Did I fail you Lord?

No, you didn’t fail me, that is why I brought all those pains, those hurts, that anger to the surface. That is why I exposed them to you, those things were buried so deep, I brought them to the surface so that you could give them to me.

To put them on the altar and to be able to forgive those that hurt you. So you could put it in my hands and allow me to touch your heart and spirit today.

Lord!

Yes Paul!

Thank you for your love, for your forgiveness. For putting your healing hands on me and removing those hurts, those wounds and Lord help me to forgive others even as you forgave me!

I love you Lord!

I love you too Paul!

Till later,

Paul
Note: This post is for Wednesday

Sitting on the porch contemplating what to write, what to share, pondering on a whole lot of things.

Right now I am in a place in my life that the only thing I can do is look up and know that the Lord is my provider, that He is my all and that I have to be utterly dependent upon Him.

It is one thing to talk about faith but another to have it, to truly believe that the Lord is totally in charge, that there is nothing that He doesn’t know. That He knows were we are in out faith.

I knew as sure as I shared about the awesome presence of the Lord that I experienced the other day, that the enemy of my soul would try to come and rob me of it but he will not succeed because I know that my God reigns, that He is in total and complete control of all that is going on!

The Lord gives us faith to believe, to trust, to see His mighty hand at work, that we in faith must center our heart and our trust on the Lord.

Without faith we can do nothing. Through faith we can do all things through Christ Jesus our Lord.

So stand fast in faith. Be strong in the Lord and know that He is our provider, our redeemer and our Lord.

Till later,

Paul

What a day yesterday was. A day of sensing the presence of the Lord.

The Lord showing me how my attitude effected everything that I did and it was utterly amazing to have that sense of His presence in my heart and in my spirit, that the Lord and I were walking together in unison.

As I was roaming through blogland, reading the various posts, I came away with an awareness of those sharing, a hunger and a desire, that they might know the Lord even more, to know the Lord in a new degree of intimacy in our relationship with Him.

I was visiting my friend Nancze's journal, NHisGarden and I clicked on one of her friends links, “Verena’s Sea Dream Diary” and the music playing there just captured my heart.

I could have listened to it over and over and I found myself singing, just allowing the words to flow forth from my mouth in praise and adoration to the Lord.

It was a God thing for sure, because this is not something I would normally do, but as I continued singing it caused me to focus on the Lord even more.

It was as if I was singing a love song to the Lord, to the Creator of Heaven and Earth. I felt as I praised and worshiped Him that I was being brought into His presence. Even as Ester was invited in the presence of the King, so my Lord was inviting me into His presence so that He could speak to my heart.

It was one of the most awesome experiences in my life, to realize, sitting here in my home, at my desk, that the Lord was drawing me towards Him, bringing me into His presence, so that I would learn to know Him.

That is what the Lord wants to do today. That as you begin to lift your heart and voice to the Lord, no matter where you are, the Lord will draw you into His presence and woo you and reveal Himself to you.

He will walk with you through the day and watch over you through the night and be with you when you wake with the morning sun.

Is that not awesome?

Till later,

Paul

It has been a real good day. A real peace and presence of the Lord.  I had the opportunity this morning to minister in London,Texas, at the London United Methodist Church and also at First United Methodist Church in Junction.

It is always a blessing to have the opportunity to share and of course, I shared this morning about the Lord being in our midst and about harmony and today was a very good day for that theme.

We have a gathering once or twice a month called From His House To Yours, where we gather Sunday evenings at one of the member's home for a time of fellowship, singing and just enjoying the company of others. It is always awesome because we see in this an example of the Lord being in our midst and also being in harmony, like a symphony, flowing together in genuine fellowship.

We often sing without instruments and sometimes I will stop singing and just listen and it amazes me how beautiful it sounds, that there is a flow and a harmony and a sense of the presence of the Lord dwelling there with us and I would imagine, that is the way the early church felt when they gathered together in His name, breaking bread, sharing, laughing and just fellowshipping together. They encouraged one another in the faith.

The Lord observes that we are in harmony, in tune with each other, like a symphony, flowing together, showing others what it means to be one with Him and one with each other.  That we are given the opportunity and the honor of building each other up in the faith, encouraging our brothers and sisters in their walk. Learning to walk together in unison, walking in rank, side by side, pressing into the things of the Lord.

Let us rejoice in the Lord and give thanks for that which He is doing in our  lives.  That He is building us together in the faith, at church, at home and even here online, on the net, the Lord is building up His people, bringing us together and bringing us into harmony. 

Till later,

Paul

"Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name.” (Mal 3:16 AMP)

Is that not an awesome verse, that those who feared the Lord, they talked often, they carried on a conversation one with another concerning the things of the Lord, of their Father.

They talked of His mighty acts, His life changing power. They praised Him and gave reverence to Him. They had a holy fear, not a fear that made them cower in a corner but a fear that made them realize the awesomeness of the God they served.

And it says the Lord listened and not only that, He heard, and it was put in a book of remembrance . They honored God with their thoughts and their words.

That is so utterly amazing, that the creator of heaven and earth, our Heavenly Father takes time to listen and in listening, writing a record of those words that He heard.

It pleases the Father, to hear His children talk about Him. That it ministers to His heart and likewise I think it is also awesome, that we, as bloggers, as writers, as brothers and sisters in the Lord are doing the same thing.

We are writing and sharing and encouraging and lifting up others, and talking about the things that are on our heart and I know the Lord is reading

Again, is that not awesome, to know that when we come together in His name, that He is in our midst. The creator of heaven and earth, literally dwells in our midst, dwelling with us, speaking to us, guiding us as we yield to Him and allow Him to direct us. Knowing that He will give us wise counsel. That He will guide us as we look to Him.

I am finding that even as I write, share and post the thoughts that the Lord gives me for Hill Country Thoughts, that the Lord is in the midst of it.

Often times, others who are posting, who are writing and sharing their insights and their encouragements, will often confirm things to me that the Lord has been showing me.

That others are sharing similar thoughts, having no idea of what others are going to write or share and then to see a theme run through the posts, shows me that even on the net, the Lord is in our midst.

He is ever present in all that we do. As we come together, when we pray, when we talk or share, or write or make a call, He is in our midst. If we allow Him, He will use us to minister to others through the gifts and talents that He has given us!!

We need to realize that the Lord Our God in the midst of us His mighty. That He is pulling down the strongholds of the enemy in our lives, that He is removing those things that are not of Him.

That He is reshaping us and making us into a new creation to be used for His glory and honor and that He delights in being in our midst, listening, for it is a sweet fragrance to Him.

Till later,

Paul

There are days when it seems like everything is closing in on you and you wonder what you're going to do. You feel the pressures and the onslaught of the day and you say, “Lord, no more, no way.”

You then realize then that the pressures of the day are pushing you in and making you more dependent on Him.

It is during this time that we rise up and draw strength from Him. We rise above the battle of the day and begin to focus on God and see the smile on His face when we come into the presence of His amazing grace.

In this time He gives us strength to stand and walk with Him hand and hand.

We begin to rise up with a song in our heart, a sacrifice of praise from within. He makes us to know we are one as we walk in the power of His son.

Even when your heart is broken, rise up and know He is there to carry you through. Rise up this day and draw strength from the Son and let Him carry you through with His love.

Rise up and follow Him this day and you will see, the hurts of life will begin to fade away!

Till later,

Paul

Thoughts from yesterday, Wednesday, as I am heading back to Junction, Texas from San Antonio, after spending most of the day at Audie Murphy VA Medical Center for my post-op appointments.

It is good to be heading back to the house. All the reports from the doctors, ostomy nurse and lab were all normal. I still remain cancer free so I have much to be thankful for and I give thanks to God.

On our way back we stopped to visit and have lunch with a dear friend, Diana. Diana and her husband Bob, have been such super friends over these last several years. They would often check on me at the hospital during the times that I was going through the surgeries and other treatments.

They were always praying for us and lifting us to the Lord and we often times stopped and visited them on our way back from San Antonio or at least called them on the cell phone to give an update as we were passing by. They gave real meaning to being friends.

For those of you who have the gift of encouragement or exhortation or prayer, I want to say thank you. That word you share with someone who is sick, in the hospital or who is lonely is very important and is also a key to helping them on the road to recovery.

So if the Lord puts it on your heart to call, write, pray or visit someone, remember, it is a ministry and it is a blessing to others and it is the Lord that put it on your heart.

It is always a beautiful ride back to Junction. To be able to observe the rolling hills of the Hill Country is absolutely beautiful, an example of God’s creation. To admire all that the Lord has created for us and to be able to see Him in it and know that it is His handiwork.

Have you taken time to look at yourself and realize that you too are His handiwork. I know, there are some things I would change but then I am not God .

Each of you are unique, that there will never be another you and that the Lord has made you for a purpose and part of that purpose is to be a light in the world, to allow the Christ within to shine forth.

That what others see in you will draw them to want to know more about that peace, that rest, that comfort you have even in the midst of the storms of life, they want to know how you can have that peace.

Of course we know that the answer, it is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit which brings comfort, peace and rest to our whole being, even when in the natural, it would seem that we would react the opposite, that it is that peace within, that is beyond the understanding of our natural mind.

In the midst of the turmoil of life, with all that is going on, the Lord wants us to have that peace. He wants us to know what it is like to wake up each morning to be able to sense His presence and to know that He goes before us.

Preparing the path before us as we come into His presence with a heart of thanksgiving, of rejoicing and knowing that He already knows what we have need of that day and we can turn to Him and walk in total dependency upon Him.

The Lord has a purpose for each and everyday. Each one of us has a calling in our lives, with different talents and gifts that the Lord has given us and as we press into the Lord, He will begin to show us how to use those gifts that He has given us.

The Lord will give us opportunities to be His hand extended to others in so many ways. A letter, a song, a word of encouragement, a listening ear, an e-mail, a comment.

There are so many different ways that the Lord can use us if we will but simply come to Him and ask that He lead us in this day, help us to walk this path and to realize that each day is a new day, new opportunities to see God at work.

We have been given the gift of life, the gift of a new day and we have been given the awesome opportunity to use it for the glory of our Father.

Till later,

Paul

When is the last time you have been intimate?

With the Lord, I mean!!

Do you ever wonder why we make things so complicated as far as our relationship with the Lord? Why don't we simply take the Lord at His word.

To simply come into His presence with a heart of expectation. Knowing that He is the one who is calling us into this intimacy. Into a place of knowing Him in Spirit and Truth.

One of the things that the Lord has been speaking to me for a long time was that of coming back to that place of simply loving Him, seeking Him, spending time in His word and applying it one day at a time. That each day is a new day, that we are to walk day by day, to walk afresh with Him.

When was the last time that you have just sat down and had a talk with your heavenly Father and shared your heart with Him? To just talk and let things go, to tell Him how you feel and not hold anything back.

Begin to realize that you really are able to talk with Him and you know what! He listens and that is awesome. It may not always be what you want to hear but He will reveal Himself to us through His word, a thought shared from someone or something someone said, that has no ideal of your talk with God and that what they share confirms what God has spoken to you. Is that not awesome?

The Lord is calling us to a place of intimacy. Into a place of knowing Him, not just about Him but knowing Him, learning to hear His voice and allowing Him to reveal His heart, His will and His purpose for us.

Let us have ears to hear what He is saying, let us answer the call when He speaks to our heart with that still small voice, wooing us back to Him!!

Till later,

Paul

This is something that I shared recently on another blog in a comment. I felt impressed of the Lord to share it tonight, it was not easy!

I feel like there is someone reading this who needs to know that in spite of the way everything appears, God is still in control and He has not left you nor has He forsaken you. Just lean on Him!

It has been hard for me several times to post to the various Blogs when the subject of marriage and husband and wife relationships come up, especially since my wife of 29 years, decided she just did not want to be married anymore.

We are both Christians, but she just did not want to be married. The children, the grandchildren are all gone. She said she wanted time to find herself, to be alone.

I have given all this to the Lord, put it on the altar and backed away. I daily lift her before the Lord, to ask that He minister to her, comfort her, strengthen her, give her guidance, to bless her and watch over her. As for myself, I will press on into the things that the Lord has set before me to do.

The main thing that the enemy tries to do to me now, is to try and convince me, that I really do not have anything to offer in this area, the enemy will say look at you and what has happen.

I know that it is a lie. I see that because of what has happen over the last two years, and especially the last three months in my life, that I am now in the center of God's will for my life, in writing, sharing, encouraging and exhorting others.

I have been given the privilege and honor of praying for so many different people and because of that which I have gone through, I can share out of reality and not mere theory.

It is because we share out of reality, that we are able to reach others, because we are sharing out of that which has been made real in our lives, that in the midst of all that is going on, that we can have the peace, rest and comfort of the Lord to carry us through these times.

We are a generation were marriages are under attack, and Christian marriages are suffering a greater hit then ever before.

It drives me to pray for the family, for marriages, for those that are under attack. I pray that God will indeed work in the families.

That He will deal with fathers and husbands, to wake up and to be what God has called them to be. To be an example of Christ and to give themselves for the Lord, for their wives and for their children, that the hearts of families will be restored.

I have done all that I know to do in the Lord, as far as my former wife, and covered all the areas showed me that I needed to deal with and repent of. I do know that we serve an awesome God and that He does hear our prayers.

May you all be blessed and continue to keep me in your prayers in this area, that I will continue to stay focused on the Lord and see Him move on behalf of my family.

I know that my former wife has a heart after God! She is a gem and a treasure to Him and I know in the end the Lord will be lifted up in all of this and that He will not lose the battle.

Till later,

Paul

Sitting here on the front porch just enjoying the late afternoon and way off in the distance I hear a slight rumbling. A scent of freshness in the air, the smell of rain approaching. Can it be, can it really be rain?

It has been so hot and dry in this part of the Hill Country of Texas. The land is parched and dry. The plants and flowers are welted from the heat and bairly surviving.

So many times lately we have heard this sound, smelled the rain to only have it pass us by and leave us in discouragement and we cry out to God, “Lord send rain, we need rain Lord, we need relief in this land.”

I began to think about this and how it applies to our lives. How we often get into a place of dryness, of parchness in our heart, spirit and soul. We get to a place of desperation that compels us to call out to God, to our Father, to send rain, the rain of His presence of His spirit, to quench this thirst and hunger in our soul.

We cry out restore me, renew me, give me life, pour out your Spirit anew on me and let me know you afresh, reveal yourself to me by your word and your presence.

Then I begin to visit my various friends throughout blogland and see that they too are crying out to know the Lord anew and then to see how as they write and share you sense a freshness in that which they write, in what they share and in the encouragement that they bring to others as they read.

Let us give thanks for the time of rain that is given to us, the rain, the outpouring of the presence of the Lord, that quenches our whole being and helps us to know the Lord intimately as He reveals Himself to us through His word, through those who have taken time to write and put forth that which the Lord has planted in their hearts to share.

May the rain of the Lord fall afresh on you this day!

Till later,

Paul

I want to share with you some thoughts from a tract by the title of “The Creative Word” by Wade E. Taylor, Founder and President Emeritus of Pinecrest Bible Training Center. Bro. Taylor is a true servant of God. He is a friend, a brother and my spiritual father.

“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” I Cor 2:4

Bro. Taylor says: “The words I speak for the Lord must be anointed and contain spiritual value and purpose that is beyond mere intellectual comprehension. These words should have the “ring” of spiritual quality, and convey life, healing and deliverance."

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ... neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” I Cor 2:14

Bro. Taylor says: “That the Lord is looking for those who are willing to exchange their reliance or intellectual ability for a complete dependence on the operation of the Holy Spirit through them. To witness for the Lord is to speak the right word at the right time — a penetrating, anointed word that will accomplish the purpose for which is was sent."

In Isa 50:4 it says: “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.”

Bro. Taylor goes on to say: “This ability to speak with “the tongue of the learned” is a gift (The Lord God hath Given). We will have this ability to speak the right word (that I should know how), at the right time (a word in season), to the right person (to him that is weary.)"

Bro. Taylor says: “We must spend time in His presence each day (He wakeneth me morning by morning) in order to cultivate this prophetic quality in our life."

Is this not an awesome insight into the things of the Lord, about the words that we speak, the effect that they will have on others, that again, as I shared often, the words that we shared, give life or they give death, the build up or tear down. Jesus said that He came to give life and that more abundantly. Can we do any less?

The only way that we will learn how to give forth the right word, at the right time, for the right person, is based on our relationship with the Lord, the word and the Spirit.

No, it won’t be easy because the minute you decide that this is what you want to do, then the enemy will do everything he can to distract you, discourage you, make you feel unworthy. But we are a new creation, we are in Christ, and we have daily access to the throne of God. To come and learn and be still and practice the presence of God in our life.

This will not happen over night but as we are faithful, as we cultivate our relationship with our Father, we will realize that we can live in the Lord in the here and now and as we are good stewarts of the gifts that the Lord gives us, in talking, in writing, in exhorting, that we will find that the Lord is giving us the right word, at the right time for the right person, though we ourselves may not see it, again it is the theory on one person planting a seed, another watering and another reaping the harvest. Is that not awesome?

Let us be those that who share the heart of God, yes, we may stumble at times, but we get up, we press on and give forth of that which He has given us. Let us have faith to believe that the Lord will use us, that He has chosen us for a time such as this to lift up, exhort and encourage one another in the things of the Lord.

Each day as I read the articles at Cross Map by my fellow columnists and the various Blogs, I always come away bless, thinking and pondering and seeing how amazing our God is and the greatest thing about it all, is that we get to be part of what He is doing!

Till later,

Paul

There is really something very special when we get together with friends. To spend time together, to share, to talk and expound on the events of the day.

We have a men’s group that meets every Wednesday night in the fellowship hall of our church and the awesome thing about this is that we come together from various churches in the community to share the word.To encourage one another in our walk with the Lord. The Lord is always given us new insights and thoughts. He is teaching us to walk in simplicity.

It is really good to see a group of men take time out during the week to come together to learn, to exhort and to encourage one another. It is the manly thing to do :-)

God is wanting to raise up Godly men, Godly husbands, Godly brothers, who will walk in the ways of the Lord and be an example to their family and to their friends and those that they work with.

The Lord is truly wooing us back and I guess for a man that is kind of a hard concept to understand but that is what our Father is doing. He is wooing us back as His children, bringing us back to take us forward in His purposes for our lives and that is an awesome thing.

To be brought back to a place of fellowship with each other and especially to be brought back into fellowship with our Heavenly Father. That our Lord Jesus Christ has made a way for us to fellowship with our Father through Him.

Let us take advantage of that and cultivate some time with our Father and with each other.

Till later,

Paul

It is the first Tuesday of the month and I am at our Emmaus Community gathering in the worship and praise service and it is so totally awesome to see so many brothers and sisters, young and old,  in the Lord, gathered together from the various churches in the community with the sole purpose of worshiping the Lord and lifting up His name.

Because the Lord inhabits the worship and praise of His people it breaks down the walls and allows the flow of the Spirit.  There is such healing in the midst of praise, there is the lifting of burdens, the release of pain, the setting free from bondage that takes place in the praise and worship.

Is so pleases our Father when we come into His presence, when we rejoice in Him and He rejoices in us. There is such a flow of His Spirit that brings a peace that is beyond words.

That is what this night is like, basking in His presence and ministering to Him. The Lord loves for us to minister to Him with our heart, with our voice, with our praises.

He wants us to take time to just let ourselves go and to just come into His presence and worship Him and allow Him to touch us deep within and bring the healing of the hurts, allowing Him to apply the healing power of His presence.

Let it be a sacrifice of praise, an offering to the Lord, a sweet fragrance to Him. Come into His presence with a thankful heart and rejoice in Him and give thanks for all that He is doing and will be doing in your life.

When you come into His presence and you allow Him to work within, you will never be the same!

Till later,

Paul