Mercy So Great....

For all of the seeking

Through valleys and hills

Shepherds and wise men

For glory revealed

Seems like the greatest 

Journey of all

Was heaven now searching

For the hearts of the lost

Gloria

Our Savior found us

Gloria

Oh love divine

Through the darkness

He won’t relent

Mercy so great

Will find a way

Gloria*

These are the lyrics to a song we sang at Christmas. It touched my heart in a particularly piercing way because I have a family member who is lost. So many times I lose hope. Because this precious loved one is not seeking God in any way. They aren't interested in a God who loves them. They don't want to have anything to do with Him. And yet, God has come to their rescue time and time and time again.

The part of this song that first caught my attention  was "Heaven now searching for the hearts of the lost."

Wow!  Heaven is searching for those hearts that are lost.

God is seeking those who are lost.
He hasn't given up.
He isn't blind to their location.
He isn't deaf to our prayers.
His light pierces through the darkness in which they are surrounded.

But the next part of the song gave me hope again.
It was a promise.
Through the darkness....He won't relent!

God is relentless in His love for us.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son! (John 3:16).

If you, like me, are
waiting...
hoping...
praying...
Don't give up! Remember hope!

Mercy so great...
WILL find a way!!
Gloria!

*Gloria (Our Savior Found Us)

Written by Krissy Nordhoff, Michael Farren, Travis Ryan

A Thousand Generations...

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Deuteronomy 7:9

I have often told people that I have no imagination. I'm not good at "visualizing"; I need to actually see the picture to "get" the picture. Usually when the Lord speaks to me I get what I call a word picture; in other words, I get a description of a picture, not an actual vision or picture. And if I try to imagine something, I have to use objects that I have actually seen before. For instance if someone were to say to me, "Imagine a red couch along this wall" I would have to imagine MY red couch because I have that as a form of reference. Make sense? (Can you imagine that?)

This past Sunday morning our church choir sang what was to me, a new song. It's a song by Bethel music called Be Enthroned and it is powerful!

Be enthroned upon the praises
Of a thousand generations
You are worthy. Lord of all

Unto You, the slain and risen King
We lift our voices with heaven singing
Worthy, Lord of all

 As the choir sang, and then as we joined in, I began to try to imagine... 

A thousand generations

The King of Kings enthroned

 All of heaven singing

"Worthy, Lord of all!"

First of all, what does the throne look like? Now, remember, I have to go by what I have seen and I have never seen a royal throne. The closest thing I could come up with was the Lincoln Memorial (go with me here).


I was raised in Washington, DC and remember going to the Lincoln Memorial, standing at the base of his seat and looking up. It was huge, and it represented power and authority. And when you stand at the base and look up all you have in your vision are his feet and fingertips. But from out across the Washington Mall it is lit up and bright and can be seen from most anywhere in DC.



Then I tried to imagine a thousand generations; what does a thousand generations look like? Can you imagine it? All the generations before us, for thousands of years; all of the generations to come after us for however much longer the people of God remain on earth.....millions upon millions of people surrounding the Throne.

There is a scene in The Lord of the Rings that shows thousands upon thousands of people, warriors really (but aren't we warriors?). However, the picture depicts what I expect a thousand generations could look like ... people as far as the eye can see.

Now, we add all of the Hosts of Heaven: the angels, cherubim, seraphim. This one I cannot even begin to imagine. I have no form of reference. Isaiah wrote,

"I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; 

and the train of his robe filled the temple. 

Above him stood the seraphim.

  And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; 

the whole earth is full of his glory!^"

So I'm envisioning this huge marble seat, thousands upon thousands upon tens of thousands of people surrounding it, with all of the host of heaven intertwined among them, singing,

"You are worthy, Lord of all!"

By this point in my imagination I am overwhelmed....undone. Even in my limited imagination, I am lost in the awesomeness of the God we serve. The wonder of who He is, how He loves me and the unfathomable knowledge that in that crowd of a thousand generations, He looks out among them and

He sees.......me. 
He sees ...you.

And all I've been able to sing for two days is:

Be enthroned upon the praises
Of a thousand generations
You are worthy. Lord of all

Unto You, the slain and risen King
We lift our voices with heaven singing
Worthy, Lord of all

Highest praises
Lord of all

Here is the link to the song:Be Enthroned
Prepare to be undone..... 

'Lena
©2016

"I Want to Change the World"

"Go into all the world 

and preach the Good News to all creation." 

(Mark 16:15)

That is what Jesus told his disciples and it is known in Church circles as the Great Commission. And if you have grown up in the Church, as I have, then you have seen countless people follow that Commission and travel the world to preach the Good News. We, as the Church, have encouraged our young people to listen for the call of Jesus, follow the call of their heart, and step out in both courage and faith to spread the Good News throughout all the world.

We spend hours and hours teaching them and training them. Making sure they are informed about the dangers, the things for which they should be aware of, how different cultures behave and perceive actions and words. We anoint them with oil and pray blessings over then and we send them out.

Unfortunately, we tend to forget one thing.....it costs a lot of money to travel the world and preach the Gospel.

I had a gentlemen ask me the other day, "You know, we hire pastors to come and work at our church, but why do we make our missionaries raise their own money?" I didn't have an answer for him.

Jesus also said in Mark, to "take nothing with you, no bread, no bag, no money" (Mark 6:8). But we do live in a different world now; a much larger world than the disciples even knew existed. And while our missionaries usually take very little with them, it does cost money to actually get to the place they are going.

Why am I telling you all of this? I know five young people between the ages of 20 and 24 who are leaving in a few weeks for missions trips. Two young ladies are going to a Youth With a Mission (YWAM) base in Hawaii for training before going out on an outreach trip and three young men are leaving in ten days for a YWAM base in Germany, then on to an outreach in the 10/40 Window for three months before spending three months with our missionaries in Uruguay. Between them all, they have had to raise close to $35,000 to "go into all the world."

Unfortunately, all of them are still needing a great deal of money to make this happen. They have sent out sponsor letters, worked all summer and saved every penny, created GoFundMe accounts, and still the means to reach the "world" are not there.

We, as the Church of Jesus Christ, have encouraged these young people to find their passion, their purpose, their calling, and go. But we aren't giving them the means to do so.

Ultimately, God is our provider; He is THEIR provider. But God uses people; He uses the Church.

So, I'm asking that you consider how you can support these young people as they follow the call of Jesus and go into a dark and hurting world to spread the Gospel.

And I'm asking that you pray for each one of them by name:

Teigan Barlow

Emily Horner

Bracken Hibbard, Sam DeVos, Mitchell Ehlert

As you can see, my son is one of them; He's the one that said, "I want to change the world." Maybe that makes me somewhat prejudice and this post somewhat self-serving, but he, like these other young people, has finally found his passion and his purpose. And I want to see him and these other students follow Jesus and “go into all the world.”

There is a new generation of missionaries being raised up by the call of the Holy Spirit. Will you help them follow the call? Each one of them has a GoFundMe account. Or you can send donations directly to them. If you are interested in giving, send me a message and I will give you their information.

Let us be the Church that makes a way to reach out and "change the world."

Blessings,

'Lena

bestillandknow.lena@gmail.com

Say Something....

"That He may grant you to be strengthened with power 

through His Spirit in your inner being so that Christ 

may dwell in your hearts through faith."

Ephesians 3:16-17

I was sitting here this morning running through my Facebook before I begin my day. I don't spend a lot of time there any more, because the political posts annoy me. But this morning, several posts caught my eye.

I have a classmate from high school who is in surgery as we speak having tumors removed. She and her family have kept us updated via Facebook, so I was looking to hear from them. Debbie's daughter had posted that she was in surgery and they had been given an update from the doctor...things were going well, but it would take longer than they had expected.

I scrolled on down and found a post my sister had shared. It was a quote from Christine Caine that said, 

"In the midst of what may seem like the toughest storm, if we will simply trust Him and listen for His instruction, we'll undoubtedly hear Him whisper to our heart: "Yes, right now it all seems impossible. But just stick with Me because when you have Me in you - surrounding you, ahead of you, and behind you - nothing is impossible."

She included Psalm 91:2

"He is my refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I trust."

I shared that with Debbie's daughter hoping to bring encouragement to her and the family.

Then I continued to scroll down the page. Another friend had posted a song; it was a Christian version of the song, Say Something. I was concerned as I first began to listen, because the words are:

Say something, I'm giving up on You.

I'm sorry that I couldn't get to You.

Anywhere I would have followed You.

Say something, I'm giving up on You.

It disturbed me a bit because it was as if they were saying, "God, You're not doing anything, so I'm outta here." (And, yes, I know there are those who feel that way...). But as I listened, it changed...in the middle of the song, they began reading Scriptures - promises from the Father.

Be strong and courageous...

Come to Me if you are weary and heavy burdened - I will give you rest.

You are not slaves, but My children!

And I am your Father!

Then they began to read the portion of Scripture where the prodigal son returns home (Luke 15:22-24 Message); and the Father, who has never given up on His son, embraces him and throws a massive celebration....and I wept!

You see, I have a son who is not walking with the Lord. In fact, he has given up on God...believing God has given up on him. And it breaks my heart. If only...if only...he could hear, truly hear these Promises of God.

God hasn't given up on him!!

We've all been there at some time in our lives. Wondering if God is there, is He listening... does He even care. But His Word is FULL of promises and all He asks of us is to believe Him; take Him at His Word. Rest in Him.

You're probably wondering what these two stories have to do with each other. Well, the same theme ran through both stories.....

We need to Say Something...

We all know someone who is battling something....sometimes it's ourselves. Health issues, finances, relationship issues, employment issues, or spiritual issues. None of us are exempt from the battles. 

We need to encourage one another with the Promises God has given us. "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of HIS might" (Ephesians 6:10). We don't have to do anything in our own strength.  As Christine Caine reminded us, God says, "right now it all seems impossible. But...when you have Me in you - nothing is impossible!"

And, if you are feeling abandoned or bereft, and feel like giving up, remember...Your Father is saying something to you. He's not giving up on you! "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion..." (Philippians 1:6).

This morning, not only was I encouraged by others, I was reminded to pray for those who are in need. And may I encourage you, as you read posts from your friends if someone says, "Please pray for me..." truly pray. It's so easy to type "praying"; I know, because I've done it myself. But after doing so, stop for a moment and lift that person up in prayer. It really only takes a moment. And they are asking because the need the love and support, encouragement and strength that we can give each other. 

Finally, I know many of us use Facebook way too much; it's easy to get lost as we scroll down the page and through the posts. But, it really is a great tool to stay in touch with one another, share one another's burdens, and bring encouragement to one another. Sometimes, that verse you read this morning, or that song you heard is exactly what someone else needs to hear. I have been challenged by God lately to make the things I post on Facebook....matter.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father

from whom every family in heaven and on earth is names,

that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you

to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your

inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through 

faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love,may have 

strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth

and length and height and depth, and to know the love of

Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled

with all the fullness of God."

Ephesians 3:14-19

 'Lena

© 2016

Wash, Rinse, Repeat...

I had lunch with a friend the other day and she mentioned a blog she had started a few years ago, but never wrote now. I told her that I had been thinking lately that I wanted to start writing again. I have written two blogs and two books, but life has been so busy and varied lately that I have stepped away from it. So I came home and sat for two hours trying to come up with a name for a new blog.

I began this blog in 2009 when the Lord told me to "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10). Interestingly, in the past few weeks, He has been speaking the same thing too me. So as I sat here trying to come up with a "new" name for a "new" blog, I realized I was hearing the same thing.

A long time ago, the shampoo bottles had instructions on them that said, "Wash, rinse, repeat." I kind of felt like that was what the Holy Spirit was saying that to me. "You have been washed by the Word; the cares and activities of life have left their residue on you. It's time to repeat."

I love that the Word of God is alive and active. I love that no matter how many times you read Scripture, it always applies to your situation at the time.

Now, once again He whispers to me, "Be still....I am God." And though my life and my circumstances are much different than they were in 2009, the words still apply; they still calm my soul, and soothe my spirit.

So, rather than start a new blog, I'm continuing the old. And if I repeat myself from years gone by, it's because God is speaking the old things and making them new.

I hope you come along with me.

'Lena

©2016

These Bones Will Sing...

The hand of the Lord was on me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of dry bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

Ezekiel 37:1-3

This is one of my favorite passages in Scripture and I've written about it here before. But Sunday during worship, we began singing a song which brought it all back to me in a new light.

You give life, You are love

You bring light to the darkness

You give hope,You restore

Every heart that is broken

Great are You, Lord!

For the last few years, my family has been in a situation with a loved one that has, at times, seemed hopeless. As we sang this song,the words "You give hope...You restore" resounded in my heart as the promise God has given us to hold onto. But then we sang the final refrain:

All the earth will shout Your praise

Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing

"Great are You, Lord!"
(Great are You, Lord)

My mind immediately went to Ezekiel 37. Scripture says the bones were "very dry"; I picture them bleached white by the sun. They had laid there, perhaps for years. Death had come and gone; hope of life was not even a vague thought  or memory. But the word of the Lord brought the bones back together, putting muscle, tissue and flesh back on them; His breath, His Spirit gave them life!

For years now, I have held a mental picture in my mind of standing on the platform in worship and seeing my loved one walk through the center sanctuary doors. During the latest New Heart Place graduation service, I had a mental picture of my loved one standing on that platform, having completed the program and receiving their certificate. But lately...the pictures have been fading; the hope has abated...the bones have been bleached white by the hot desert sun.

But today, once again, I am hanging onto the promise. I am holding onto those mental pictures in my heart and mind and I am raising them up to the face of God, reminding Him of His promise:

"Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 37:4-6)

All the earth will shout Your praise

Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing,

"Great are You, Lord!"

©Be Still and Know

'Lena Ehlert, 2015

He Holds it All Together...

"...and in him all things hold together."

Colossians 1:17b 

It's been a while.

Life has been busy.

Sometimes, life has not been fun.

But this one thing I know:

God is faithful!

There is hope!

There is grace!

There is mercy!

And nothing....nothing... 

is impossible for God!!

(Ok... that's more than one thing...)

This I am holding onto...

nothing is impossible for God!

When I am weak, He makes me strong.

When I am discouraged, He gives me hope.

When I am frightened and anxious, He gives me...surrounds me with His peace.

When all of life seems to be falling apart...

"in Him... all things hold together!"

'Lena Ehlert

© Be Still and Know 

Lord, I Need You

He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

Psalm 18:19 (ESV)

Have you ever had one of those days…? 

One of those weeks…

One of those years?? 

It just seems everywhere you look, there's a trial or a situation;

 a question that has no answer.

No matter how hard you try, it appears you fail. 

No matter how much you search, you just can't find an answer.

And no matter how much you try to silence the voices, 

you still hear the accusations.

Today, this song resounds in my heart:

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness

Oh God, how I need You¹

 How I need Him...He is:

My victory in the trials

My answer to the questions

My strength in the effort

My peace to rest in Him 

My patience waiting for the answers

My defender against the accuser

My courage in the place of fear

Psalm 18 begins,

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.”

My one defense, my righteousness

Oh God, how I need You¹

‘Lena Ehlert

©2015

¹Matt Maher

Be Still and Know...One Thing is Necessary!

It's that time of the year again. The craziness of the holidays - Oh my goodness! The hustle and bustle: traffic gets worse; the weather is unpredictable. We've had rain, really cold temps for this time of the year, rain, wind, it snowed, and did I mention the rain? And sometimes our lives, my life gets so hectic and in such disarray I just want to hide under the covers! Here is just a small description of the last two weeks.....

The weekend before Thanksgiving we discovered a small drip in our bathroom. After a phone call to the landlord, a plumber came out to take a look. The next day this is what our bathroom looked like:

Really? They decided to replace the entire cabinetry and sink, but the one they purchased and delivered was broken and had to be replaced. Now I had no plumbing in the bathroom, and family coming for the Thanksgiving holiday. So all of us were using MY bathroom! On the Saturday following Thanksgiving, the new cabinet was delivered and a counter-top brought in...only the counter-top didn't fit! So we had to wait again for a new counter-top. Oh, did I mention they delivered the cabinet and put it in my living room right where my Christmas tree was going? Yeah.... that wasn't going to work! So now all the bathroom things (towels, toilet paper, soaps, shampoos, etc...) are in the office. Where the Christmas decorations are.....

Finally got the tree put up, but the boxes the decorations were in can't go back in the office because that's where all the bathroom stuff is being stored....





In the meantime, I had sold the behemoth 65" television someone had given us in order to clear out my living room; my children bought us a new television on Black Friday which we were waiting to have delivered. I began to clear out the family room and make room for the new television. So now it's in disarray as I clear out clutter and rearrange the room.

The television was delivered yesterday and it was beautiful! And broken . . . Seriously?! Did I mention this is the first NEW television we have had since we got married in 1983?? Fortunately, they had purchased it online from Costco, so I packed it up and headed to my local Costco to exchange it and, while they didn't have the same television the kids purchased, I did find one comparable to it. So I now I have it installed and ALMOST have the family room in order.



Finally, yesterday, the cabinet, counter-top and sink were put into place. But still no plumbing..... I don't know when the plumber will be showing up! Now we have this:





We did have a really great Thanksgiving Day and I had all five of my kids together...in the same state, in the same city, in the same house! I even got ONE good picture! However, a nasty case of the stomach flu began the rounds of our family beginning on Thanksgiving night. Of the ten of us, I think five of them ended getting hit with it over the next six days. My son was to fly home to Tennessee on Tuesday, but he became sick and missed his flight. So we had to purchase him a new ticket to get home when he recuperated...his one way ticket was almost the same price as his original round trip ticket!  Don't you just hate money??

While I missed out on the stomach flu, I did get a nasty sinus infection that took me out for four or five days.Then add to all of this the rehearsals for Christmas events, pre-school programs for my granddaughter, trying to decorate for the holidays and just getting through the day-to-day stuff: laundry, dinner, groceries, vacuuming, etc. and missing loved ones who are no longer here to celebrate with us.

In the midst of it all, I forgot the most important thing, the one thing God specifically spoke to me over four years ago...

Be still and know that I am God!

This is the one time of the year that I so often dread. We've lived away from our family for 25 years now and one would think that we would have adjusted to that by now. But this is the time of the year that we miss gathering with them the most. It was also around the holiday season that my mother, aunt and my sister left us and moved to Heaven. We miss them so much, especially at the holidays. The weather affects me a lot - I need sunshine and here in the Pacific Northwest the winters tend to be so wet and dreary; shorter days mean a lot less sunshine anyway. And then there are always the financial concerns...will we be able to buy Christmas presents for the kids?

But when I stop long enough to listen, I hear the Voice that reminds me...Be still! Much like Jesus said to Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary" (Luke 10:41,42) . . .

I have been anxious about many things; 

and I have felt guilty for feeling anxious!

And I have forgotten the One thing necessary...

One day many years ago an angel appeared to a young teenage girl with a message . “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).

And again to the shepherds a while later: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).

This simple message brought so much hope to a nation of people who had not heard from God in nearly 400 years. And this same message brings hope to us today. In the midst of all of my worries and frustrations I can find answers in the message of the angel - a Savior has been born and He brings with Him hope, greatness, and sovereignty over all. 

In my frustrations, there is peace; 

in my fears and anxieties, there is hope; 

and in my uncertainty, there is faith.

As I look back over the last six months, I can see God's hand in so many events - miracles, really. Huge things that no man could have accomplished. And then I look at my worries and concerns and realize they are nothing compared to what my God has already done. This morning a friend of mine posted on Facebook, "Everyday, even when I have to encourage myself, I CAN DO THIS. I CAN DO THIS...Nothing is impossible...I CAN DO THIS." She reminded me that even when we doubt we can do what we are facing, with God nothing is impossible! Even Mary wondered how this could possibly come to be as the angel gave her his message; and he answered her by saying,  

"For nothing will be impossible with God" 

(Luke 1:37).

So, much like Martha as she complained about all she had to do, I have found myself discouraged and complaining about the things going on around me and my own inability to change things. But as Jesus told Martha, "Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42), I will choose the good portion . . . Jesus. 

The psalmist wrote,

"My flesh and my heart may fail, 

 but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Psalm 73:26

Jesus, my portion . . . all that I need. The One necessary thing!

'Lena Ehlert
© 2014