PART IV FINDING THE HEART OF GOD IN LIFE'S GREATEST STORMS

Photo provided by Jana Long

Taken by Mike Mezuel II

Finding the heart of God during our deepest darkest

storms is not always easy to do but when

we do, the rewards are great.

 I found in the midst of those deepest
darkest storms to run to my Father
for my needs.

I could have run to my earthly father for my
needs, but instead I ran to my Heavenly Father. 

If I had chosen to run elsewhere, that healing would

have only been momentary relief of the

pain in my heart.  My father could have given me
money to help along the way, he could have given
me a hug and made me temporarily feel better.  He
could have gone and annihilated the person who
brought my pain, but it takes the hand

of the Almighty Father to heal the wounds of

the brokenness and devastation that I had experienced. 

Only the hand of the Almighty Father could give 

me the assurance and the peace I needed. 

I found family and friends can't always

be there, yet the Heavenly Father was there every

single time I cried out to him, never abandoning me,

never rejecting me,   He never once left me without
hope when I turned to him

One of the things that I probably should have
written about in my book, "Digging A Well," but
at that time my heart was not ready to share this
part of my life and therefore I touched
on the subject very briefly, but didn't go into detail.
One of the things we see that happens in a great
storm or an earthquake is many times the
earth or the water flow is forced to
take a new path.  In 1812 the Mississippi
river actually flowed backwards for
a few hours after the fault line shifted. And a
few of you can totally relate to this happening
in your life. I think my earthquake/storm
caused so much trauma that everything turned
around backwards in my life for a period of time.

Many of you were on the right path and the
moment the earthquake/storm hit, your
path was redirected and you had
to make a decision.  At this very point
your choice was to let your life damn up, let it
flow with bitterness or let it flow with better-ness.
I can't tell you how many times I have watch
these storms hit the lives of families and
I have watched as some of the family members
just stop living.  Yes,  they still breath in air but
they shut themselves off from everyone and
never move forward and they never move backwards.
You will see them twenty years later and they
are still the same, just breathing in air.
The very same family will have a person
in it that starts spewing our bitterness, drinking
or doing drugs or just start getting into
trouble.  Then there are the few and far between
who turn their bitterness around and determine
to help others survive the storms of their life.  I can
tell you from experience that not one these paths
are the easy path.  You might be saying "But I have
experienced pain and I have the right to take this path."
Yes, this is true, you have the right but if each
of these path bring hardship, why not take the path
that will be hard but will help others to
stand.  Why be selfish and lay in your sorrow
and hurt others because of your pain.

 Each one of the paths have pain, but
I can tell you that the person who will choose to
help others because they have been through the
storm is by far better off emotionally, physically and
blessed by the fruits they will see.  There is nothing
more rewarding than to share your testimony and
share that you feel some one there is in the midst
of one of these storms and then to get to connect
with then, watch them come out of the storm, and
watch them set their feet on solid ground and start
"Digging A Well" so others will also be able to be
set free, some where else down the line.  I know
I have been helped by speakers who have taken
their pain and used it for my gain.

There is nothing more devastating to live through
the horrors of the person who chose to become bitter
and to let the river of bitterness flow out of their being.
Bitter people hurt themselves, bitter people hurt people
Bitter people corrupt the waters in other peoples lives.
For you see the person who victimized me, shared with
me the night he had decided to bring me harm and
bury me under the rock, that he didn't want
 to be who he was, I truly agree that he doesn't want to be
who he is, but I do believe that he allowed the bitterness
he had experienced in his life to flow out
upon my life and bring destruction,
Many years prior he had walked into the room
soon after his father had taken a shot gun and
killed himself.  He had to live with the pain
every single day of his life and the pain
became so great that he thought somehow I could
ease that pain and make it better.  There is not a human
alive that can give someone else that sort of  relief from their
pain.  Earthquakes of that magnitude take total relying
on God Almighty every day and every moment
from that time and going forth.  It takes going and talking with
professionals and learning how to direct the flow
of the flood of anger and defeat that has overtaken them.

It takes walking and walking slowly learning ever so
intently how to live in the peace of God and not
allowing defeat and anger to take control.
You will notice I focus on walking.  I truly
believe we live in the day and age that we
have forgotten that part of life.  Walking, ever
so slowly and allowing our lives to be changed
by the walk that we have with our God.  This
is something I forget from time to time and
the Lord has to remind me that it is my
walk that keeps me flowing in the right direction.


My earthquake changed the flow of my well.  In
my earlier years I was so involved in the children's
ministry of the churches I attended.  I kept the nursery,
taught the children, taught Summer Bible Clubs and
Vacation Bible School and assisted in every area
of the children's ministry.  As my earthquake hit I found
this is an area that seems to be shut off due to some of
trauma I had experienced, yet the Lord started some
rivers flowing in new area's of my life.  True to what
the Texas Ranger told me, I found myself speaking
to women about pains and suffering, I found myself
playing the piano and writing songs and I found myself
spending more time writing blogs and posting
scriptures that might help someone through their pain.
Not ever sharing my deepest pain like I am now, but
sitting up a lighthouse so that others may
see a ray of hope as they passed by.

I could have actually became angry that the Lord had
changed the flow of my well but I must trust that in
His power and sovereignty that he understands and
knows what is best for me and if this is what he deems
best, then it would be far wiser for me to follow this
new path that He has lined out for me instead
of picking up the shovel and shaking it towards
heaven and declaring that the path I was on was the
one I loved and nothing under the sun is going
to change it.  For you see, by the time I dug my '
path back over to where it was previously, I would
be so worn out that I wouldn't be able to accomplish
either of the two paths.  So for now, I have chosen to
rest in what the Lord has allowed to flow in and
through my life.  After all I am just the canal
that allows the water to flow.  He is the river and
as He flows and decides to move and travel in
whatever direction He wants to.
It is up to me to rest, move and expand, in what
He has laid out before me and will continue
to lay out for my life and to rest in the
peace and beauty of that stream I now call
my river of life.  The place of refuge that
I can breath in His beauty and the calmness
of His greatness.

PSALMS 46 1-6
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear,
though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains
be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar and be
troubled, though the mountains shake with the
swelling thereof. Selah.  There is a river, the streams
whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place
of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

PART III FINDING THE HEART OF GOD IN LIFE'S GREATEST STORMS

Photo provided by Jana Long

Taken by Mike Mezuel II

As time passed and my body, soul and mind

began to find healing, I found myself listening

to a sermon at Calvary Baptist Church in Andrews

where my I visited often with my sister.

As Pastor Bill Melton began to preach I

listened and took notes.  I can't tell you the topic

that he spoke on or anything else about

the sermon but as he spoke these words

resounded in my heart to the point that

I turned from taking notes to writing

these words in the front of my bible,

"Digging a Well".

I didn't have a clue why I wrote those

words there but for some reason I knew

those words were important.  There were

many days I as I prayed I would question

why those words were important.  I even

expressed to the Lord that they didn't make

since because as I was so traumatized by my

situation there were many times I could

actually smell in my senses the mucky smell of an

old well. that stale water had stood in.  The smell

in my mind was so vivid that it would almost make

me sick at times.  There were many times I expressed

to the Lord when I would see those words in the front

of my bible that I was inside of the well, how am I

supposed to dig a well when I am locked inside of a old

abandoned well. 

I remember the first day I laughed after this event

took place in my life.  It wasn't the day after, it wasn't

 the week after, and it was not the month after.  It took

a very long time before I would laugh out loud,

for you see my attacker had told me it was my

laugh that caused him to choose me out from among

others and to lock me down into an unescapable situation.

When I laughed out loud I instantly became fearful. 

I could fell myself literally pocking my head from

outside this well I was in and seeing a ray of light and

instantly the ray of light caused deep fear to run

through my body.  I could see the light but I chose

to run and hide back inside the wet moldy smell of my

well because even though it was a dark horrible smell,

I found safety there. 

After this event I began to pull away and the Lord

prodded my heart to come out, to laugh, and to

breath in the fresh air. I would try each day to

find something to laugh about but instantly

I would run and hide back inside the well so

I could feel secure.  I know this sounds very

foreign to many of you but to the person

experiencing the things that I have explained

I went through, your heart is connecting and

understanding and the sound is vibrating in our

soul.  I am praying this will give you hope

to step outside of your well or your shell that
you have so covered yourself in.

Months past as daily I came out of my shell for

moments and would run  back inside and hide. 

The day came and I so remember that day. 

I can't tell you the event or what was happening

but I do remember the time I laughed, I really

laughed and I didn't run back inside the deep well. 

I decided today I will stay outside.  I would glance back

at my well and I would tell myself to stay outside

a little longer.  I repeatedly glanced back thinking

of retrieving into my well and decide to not return just yet. 

I stayed outside the entire day and later that evening

decided it was time to visit the place I felt most secure,

my dark musky well.  The next day I determined in my

heart that I would once again experience the light and

as I walked out into the light I decided I would keep moving

out of the well for longer periods of time so that I could slowly

adjust to the light, until the day came that I decided I loved

the light more than I loved the deep musky smell of the

old well I had found so much security inside of. I took a deep

breath that day and told my self that it was the last

time I would ever visit the well and that from this point on,

I was determined to stay in the light.

This was a hard decision for me to make.   There were

days I would look back and long to visit the well.  

I would even cry and wish I had not made the

commitment to stay out in the light but I knew if I

was to ever move forward, I could never return to

my well.  Therefore, no matter the pain,

I was determined to stay in the light. 

As the topic in my bible made no since to me I

questioned it often and it was not until I made the trip

to the mountains where I started writing my

first book called, Digging A Well," that I understood

why the Lord had me write those few words in the

front of my bible.  The Lord has used those words in my

heart and life repeatedly as I can now see that I

experienced all the stages of a well down to

an old abandoned one.  I can tell you from experience

it is so much more blessed to "Dig A Well" than to live inside

the old abandoned well in fear and despair.

John 8:36

 If the Son therefore shall make you free,

ye shall be free indeed.



PART II FINDING THE HEART OF GOD IN LIFE'S GREATEST STORMS

Photo provided by Jana Long

Taken by Mike Mezuel II

The days following my escape, the greatest storm 

in my life, were far from easy. Although I learned 

some very valuable lessons during those days. 

I share these stages with you 

only so you can see that the choices that we make

will define who we are in the future, as you 

can plainly see that the Lord has blessed

my musical talents for his glory. Music

is something I always struggled with as 

I was told in junior high by our choir director

that I just didn't have what it took, unlike 

my sisters who were musically inclined. 

Up to this time I dressed up and my hair had to be

to perfection, my nails painted as I would

never leave the house without my make-up and

jewelry. I spent much time making sure the outer 

appearance was just right. I don't feel this was wrong 

but I do feel that when we are given the time to choose 

wealth over the goodness and riches of God, than making that 

right decision is vital and will change your life forever. 

As this person was scheduled to check on me every

forty-five minutes to an hour that day. I knew I had little

time and I must act smart and I must act fast.

Living directly across from the school my children 

attended. I packed all their clothing into the trunk of my 

car and into the back seat. I called the school and told 

them there was a family situation and I needed my two 

children to leave the school immediately and come home. 

As they were coming to the house I realized I had not packed 

one single item for myself. I ran into the house and 

looked at my jewelry, my make-up and all of my clothes, my 

keyboard and my bible. I had to make a choice. I would choose 

having my favorite outfits and make-up and jewelry 

or I could take my keyboard and bible. Instantly I 

realized that I could live without the clothing and

jewelry but I wasn't sure I could live without my keyboard

and I knew I could never live without the Word of God. 

Instantly I grabbed those two items, there was barley room for 

them to fit and without one ounce of space left to fit another item 

I placed my bible into the trunk. This person had told me if I didn't 

answer my phone each time he called he would be on the hunt 

for me and that I could never escape him no matter what 

direction I ran. He had spun a great web around my life 

and there were people even saying that I had lost my mind

and that I could be like the woman that killed her children

by drowning them in the lake. I was seriously locked into

a situation I couldn't escape as this person also had family

on the police force and he assured me that I had no

hope of getting away. As I drove away from the town, 

it was only fifteen minutes and my phone began to ring. 

There were messages left reminding me that he was out 

looking for me and that I must call him immediately. 

I knew I had to keep running in order to escape. I had to 

take the chance that he was wrong and that I could 

find safety out of his grip. 

As I arrived at my sisters house the calls kept coming but 

I could not explain to anyone what all had taken place in 

my life. I couldn't let anyone know that I had gotten mixed up

in a bad situation and assaulted repeatedly. I would just 

try to get my life back together and move forward. 

Forward, what was that? I could not process anything in order 

to move forward. I was locked into a dungeon. even though 

I was actually free. I was in a shell and I didn't want anyone 

to crack the shell open lest the air would cause me 

to dry up and die. 

Over the next few weeks my sister was 

persistent enough to get the story out of me and then took 

me to the local authorities and got me connected with a group

that helped me in recovery counseling. All the time petrified that

contacting the local authorities would only unlock the 

door for his family members helping him locate me. We did 

find that someone had so cleaned his records that he 

never even showed receiving a speeding ticket or any 

violation on his record which only caused deeper fear

to set in that I would never really be freed from the horrors 

of this man and that what he had told me were indeed true. 

As I lived my life over the next few months I 

watched the Hand of God move and cloth me with his

love and compassion and yes with actual clothing also. 

As I attended church wearing my daughters clothes, which nobody

knew, a lady walked up to me and said, "You know my daughter is 

your size and she has some of the cutest clothes she is getting ride of, 

I was wondering if it would hurt your feeling if I gave them to you." 

Seriously, by this time I was so numb I didn't know what 

my feelings were. True to her word, they were some of the most 

beautiful items I had ever owned. 

It was months later that I had a job and had been to 

the counselor weekly and learned to talk without curling 

up into a ball, that the church I attended, ask if I would consider 

playing the piano for them. I could play the old hymns and my 

style was alright but needed a lot of help. I had six hundred dollars 

in my bank account by this time as I had just gotten paid and 

as I walked into the counselors office she asked, 

"Sherry, what is your greatest need for today" She had never 

asked this question before. I thought a moment and 

told her she would possibly think I was crazy but 

my greatest need was to not own a small keyboard 

but to own a piano so I could practice it and become a 

better pianist for my church. 

Amazing how the Lord knows what we need before we ask. 

Amazing how he decides to bless us during our greatest mistakes

in life. My counselor looked at me and said, "I am truly shocked 

by your request and I must say that the Lord must be with you 

because the lady that just walked out of my office as you walked in, 

has to sell her piano today. The piano is worth $3,000.00 but she 

has to be out of her home and told me she was going to sell if for 

$600.00 if she could find someone who could pick it up today. 

You see there were so many times I could have gotten drunk 

to drown my sorrows out but I feel that in doing so I would 

have missed out on how much my Heavenly Father

loves me and cares for me. 

Making the decision of leaving my clothing, jewelry and 

make-up behind has never been missed once and my heart has

been filled with a constant melodic sound of God's redeeming grace, 

this is a sound and a joy that temporal things can't ever supply. 

As I write this I realize just how far the Lord has brought me 

since that time and how the brokenness, bitterness and anger has been 

replaced with His love, His patience and His peace that 

passeth all understanding. 

I pray that in the future I will always make these kind of 

decisions but honestly there have been times since then 

that I made the selfish choice instead. Life gets so 

complicated and we get so filled with "us" and 

"our belongings" that we look right past the Face of God 

and miss all the blessings that He is begging to 

pour out on us. May hearts desire is to seek him more 

and more daily and to never live one day without Him in 

my life, guiding and directing my path.

As for the crazy woman people believed me to be, 

you were correct. I was nearly out of my mind trying to cope 

with being assaulted regularly and not being able to find a way 

out of my situation and every choice I made lead me 

deeper into despair.

These thirteen years of living a life protected by the 

Heavenly Father and basking in His love and healing grace, 

have been far better than living thirteen years being abused and

pushed around, rejected and lonely. 

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: 

not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your 

heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

PART I FINDING THE HEART OF GOD IN LIFE'S GREATEST STORMS

Photo submitted by Jana Long

Taken by Mike Mezuel II

 

Have you ever noticed that there are people who

literally chase after these super cells?  You might ask yourself

this question, "Have they lost their ever loving minds?" 

Your answer may be yes, but the truth still remains;

these people become extremely excited when they hear

a storm is coming.  They pack all their gear and run

toward the storm.

 

Living through one of these super cells gives these people

the energy and drive to chase larger storms.   Because of their

excitement and drive to watch, explore, and show you what

these storms are really like, we are able to get a better picture

of how the storms form, what pattern they make, and areas to

be or not be when one of these super cells form.

 

Many times we don't have forewarning the storm is headed

our way.  We suddenly wake up and find ourselves in it's path.

You can be assured that being in the center of the will of

God is where I want to be when I find I am in the path

of a great storm.  These storms carry such force that you

could be crushed and destroyed instantly.  Although if

you find yourself in the eye of the storm you will find a

calmness that you never thought possible. 

 

I am not a storm chaser but a storm survivor and that

is why I write this today. This is something I have struggled

with for years as it exposes my stupidity and makes me

vulnerable in allowing you to see I have made some terrible

mistakes in my life, but I am praying that in sharing this someone

will find what they need to survive a storm they have found

themselves caught in.

 

There was a time in my life that I had found peace in all my trials

and struggles except for one certain situation.  I was angry

because of my storm.  I had asked the Lord to remove the storm

from my thoughts, to heal my mind from the scars, to give

me relief.  He pressed on my heart that he wanted to give me

peace in the midst of my storm.  I didn't want peace because that

meant I would still be inside of the storm and I wanted the storm

to be ended. wiped away from my life and my memory. 

 

You see, my storm was the memory of the night

I found myself being taken to a dry barren countryside,

lead to a spot with a man who carried a knife, a shovel

and gloves.  He explained exactly what he would do

with my body and where when he finished his job

he would place my body.  In the dry and barren spot there

flowed a stream and there was an extremely huge rock that 

protruded over the stream. Under the rock there was lots of

moss by the flowing stream. He explained that after he completed

chopping my body into small fragments he would then 

bury it under the large rock that protruded over the stream. 

He gave me one option which I took.  The next day

I would go and file for divorce with my husband and

I would marry him and live with him and meet

all his needs. I took that option and the next day I had about

a forty - five minute frame that I could escape of which I did.

I lived past this storm only by the grace of God

but it scared me deeply.

 

Months later my pastor spoke of being broken and  I found myself

being angry. I couldn't for the life of me understand why God

wanted me broken.  Could he not plainly see that I was better to

him in my wholeness?  Could he not see the trauma and fear

that caused me to shake all over my body uncontrollably? 

Was the Texas Ranger who assisted me, not just totally

insane to say that God could use this great storm

in my life?  What is wrong with all of these people? 

Can they not see that I am useless and good for nothing?

Can they not see that I can't hardly process two plus

two much less know how to process how to live

and help my children and carry on with life? 

 

Yet all the while the Lord was asking me to find peace. 

It was hard for me to find this peace that the Lord

wanted me to have because I was meeting with

people who was training and preparing me

to protect myself and kill if need be.  I went for

training and received my license to carry a gun

and was told that if this person was ever seen by me

that I had the right to kill him.  No questions would

be asked, just pull the trigger repeatedly and then

call the police who already had on record what this

person had done to me.  They trained me how to

shoot up close, how to shoot from a distance,

how to fall down and shoot, how to shoot and keep

shooting until the last round was gone.  I was told I was

not shooting to kill but I would be shooting to live.

 

One day as I was ironing my pants I burned my finger badly.

Immediately I felt the Lord say to my heart.  I can heal

your finger.  I spoke out loud to the Lord, "Go ahead and heal

my finger, if you can."  Later I noticed the burn was completely gone.

There was no redness, no blister and no pain.  I was

shocked because I knew how badly it was burnt,  but

the Lord once again spoke to my heart and said, "I can heal your

heart!"  " No, that pain is far to deep for you to heal."  The Lord

said, "You trusted me with your finger why will you not trust

me with your heart"?   I remember surrendering the pain of my

stupidity that got me into the situation and surrendering to the

Lord my heart for healing.  Immediately a song came

into my mind that caused me to weep beyond control,

but the song brought forth the healing that my heart

was longing for.  I am probably the only person

on this earth that understands the words to this song

interpreted the way I do but that's all right because

each time I hear the song it brings peace to my inner being

it washes all the pain away.  I learned to sleep without shaking

profusely from the trauma and I learned to allow

God to heal my heart ,so it  doesn't matter if anyone

else understands the depth of this song, but I must say, I do! 

For you see prior to this song I could only see the storm and

never once seen where God's hand was during the storm.

 

 

 He Hideth My Soul in the Cleft of the Rock

 

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

A wonderful Savior to me

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,

Were rivers of pleasure I see

 

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

that shadows a dry thirsty land;

He hideth my life in the depths of His love,

And covers me there with His hand,

And covers me there with His hand. 

 

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

He taketh my burden away,

He holdeth me up and I shall not be moved

He giveth me strength as my day.

 

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,

and filled with His fullness divine,

I sing in my rapture, Oh glory to God!

For such a redeemer is mine

 

When clothed with His brightness transported I rise

To meet Him in clouds of the sky,

His perfect salvation, His wonderful love,

I'll shout with the millions on high

 

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

that shadows a dry thirsty land;

He hideth my life in the depths of His love,

And covers e there with His hand,

 

And covers me there with His hand.

 

You see each time I hear this song being sung I weep
not from the memory of the great rock that

I feared so deeply that sat out in the dry barren land. 

I weep because it was upon that great rock that

the savior seen my soul and covered my body

with the hand of God, the hand of protection.  I no longer

shiver at the thought of that moment but praise God

that at the moment he covered me with his almighty hand

for a reason.  He covered me so that I could help others

see that in the midst of the deepest darkest storms of life

there is a calm peace that can set over your spirit and set

you free. 

 

You will be free to move past the storm and to

set you eyes on what God has truly designed for your

life instead of what satan's destructive hand would desired

for your life. 

 

God is bigger than the storm.  He is mightier

than your scar, he loves deeper than you can imagine

and he calls you his child. 

 

In your trial if you move to the heart of God,

the eye of the storm, he will give you a song, or the words

you need to find that healing. 

 

If you stay in the storm with your guns loaded

and ready to fire back at those who harm you,

it might be that you never find this healing. 

You will never know real peace until you let

go of the pain and let God smooth it over with

His words and hide your soul in the cleft of the rock.

 

 

 

 

 

ECHOES IN THE WIND

This morning as I was having my morning coffee the
song Steve Green wrote many years ago crossed 

my mind.  As I sat and pondered on it, I realized we 

Americans are laying down the wrong things.

We are being bombarded from every direction to

accept people who are doing wrong,

to have more tolerance for their language, their actions, 

and their denial of Jesus Christ.

It started ever so slowly, yet now that thirty years 

has passed we are seeing the earth quakes, 

the tornado's, rumors of war, churches 

being attacked, people losing their freedom. 

We are seeing exactly what the bible said the

end times would look and sound like.

We as Christians are called to lay 

down certain things.  We are called to lay down our

burdens.  We are called to push aside our difference.

We are called to give up our selfishness.  We have been 

asked to give up our pride.  We are to push aside

every weight that so easily causes us to stumble.

There are some things we are not asked to give up.  

I am afraid that the bath water became so dirty that 

we threw out the baby with the bath water.  We 

never even knew when it happened because everything

became gray.  We learned to question everything that
is right and accept things that are wrong.  

We were rocked to sleep and now it seems 

impossible for us to wake back up.

Here is the chorus to Keith Green's Song

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

May the fire of our devotion light their way

May the footprints that we leave

Lead them to believe

And the lives we live inspire them to obey

What sort of things will our children discover when 

they sort through our belongings?  Will they find 

that we laid down our flags and our bibles so we could 

spend more time watching television, posting on Facebook, 

getting cute tattoos, shopping of our favorite shoes 

or clothing articles, or buying a vehicle, just one up from what 

our neighbors have?  Or, will they find the foundation of our

deep devotion and freedom lies nailed down deep within
the bloody truth that men gave their lives for our America,

for our freedom and for the Word of God?  These men gave
their blood so that we would have the freedom to tattoo
our hearts with the Word of God and yet we have laid that
freedom aside.

These men didn't choose the best of everything,
they chose the truth. They chose you were far more than the
dirt you stand on. They chose to shed their very blood
for people they would never meet.  We are so sleepy headed
that we find ourselves wondering if we would even shed
our blood for the people we love most dearly,
for our children and grandchildren.

When our children pick up our bibles will they 

find the pages almost like new?  Will they find that beautiful 

book in perfect condition because we reverenced it so 

deeply that we never touched it, or applied its words 

to our hearts?  I pray the people who come behind us find 

our bibles filled with marks, with notes and as they read the 

pages they can see where we wept for the souls of our children 

and our grandchildren.  May the pages have ridges, 

may they be worn and almost falling from the book 

and echo our devotion to our God.
  

I pray they see that even though our bodies are no longer 

with them, they can hear the echoes in the wind, "May all

who go behind me find me faithful.  May the fire

of my devotion light their way.  May the footsteps that I 

leave, cause them to believe.  And the life I lived 

cause they them to obey.  May all who go

behind me find me faithful."


Hebrews 12:1

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about 
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay 
aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, 
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; 
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, 
despising the shame, and is set down at the right 
hand of the throne of God.



WHO'S HOUSE IS THIS?

A few days ago our granddaughter, Emma asked to come
over for the afternoon.  She invited her friend Ella to come see
her new bunny rabbit that we had gotten a few weeks ago.
Emma and Ella are besties and I have always loved
seeing them play together.

After playing with the baby chicken and baby rabbit they ventured
off into the bedroom to play with the toys.  After a few moments they
proudly entered the room and announced that they had completed
their project.  Emma explained that they had designed the bedroom
wall to their perfection.  As I questioned her about the incident I
asked her what she had used to design the wall like
they wanted it to look.  She said, "well it was some crayons
that were in the box."

I decided it was time to look at the new
design that had been created.  It was very minor but I realized
I needed to talk to the girls about writing on the wall.  When I asked
them why they picked the wall to display their design, Emma
informed me that she had picked it, because it belonged to her!
I asked her if she purchased the wall with money. Her reply was,
"well not really, but it is my wall MeeMee."  I explained to her
that yes we do say this is her bedroom but it really doesn't
give her the right to write on the wall without permission.
I also explained that we had to spend money to purchase
the house and that it would be best not to write on the wall unless
we have money to paint the walls in case we mess up.  Even though the
drawing was so minor and didn't hurt anything, I wanted them to
understand why we shouldn't draw on the wall, just in case next time
they decide to use markers and enlarge the territory.

Later as I was laughing about it and telling Lisa and Steve what
had taken place I realized that we, in fact, do the very same
thing and here we are grown adults.

I Corinthians 6:20

For ye are bought with a price;
therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit,
which are God's.

We think that we have the right to do to our body as we please.
The same is true with our bodies, as is true with that wall.
Our heavenly father has graciously given you the privilege of
dwelling in your body, and he has even let you claim it.  Although when
it comes to doing as you please with that body, then yes you can do it,
but there will be consequences. When the heavenly father decides to let you
know that your body is his and he convicts you of that then it's time
to listen and not shake our fist at him and proclaim it belongs
to us to do as we please.  We need to listen because even if we feel
we own it, we truly do not.  Your body is a vessel
given from God, just the same as that wall actually belongs
to me, but I allow Emma to claim it as hers.

The Heavenly Father loves us with a greater love than I could possibly '
love my grandchildren and he desires for you to display your
creativity by reflecting him to others.  Go ahead, be creative, but in
doing so be sure to Glorify the Father in Heaven, since
your body does belong to Him.

BEAUTY IN OUR TRIALS

Photo provided by Jana Long 

Have you ever experienced something in your life 

that you thought would surely destroy you?

 I have and during that storm I couldn't 

see any beauty inside of it.  There 

were several people that assured me that 

if would keep my eyes on Christ and not my problem 

then one day I would be able to see the beauty 

in the situation.   After twelve years,

I can truly say there is beauty in what happened 

to my life.  Not that what happened was 

beautiful at all, but what the Lord did in and 

through my trials brought forth beauty.  

I am sure that all the storms I go 

through doesn't display beauty but it is in 

the real storms of life that we become a 

display for the world to see the destruction or 

see the light of this world.  

How is your storm affecting you?  

Are you allowing the trials you are facing today to cause 

destruction such as a tornado or are you allowing 

others to see the beauty of Jesus Christ radiating 

in and through you? 

James 1:12

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation;
for when he is tried, he shall receive 
the crown of life,
which the Lord hath promised
to them that love Him. 

WHAT STOPS YOUR WELL?

This part of my book is being posted today for those of you who have recently lost your mother or someone dear to your heart.  I remember the year my mother took her own life and the devastation that it brought to my family.  I remember having every emotion a person could possibly experience from anger, hate, compassion, denial, fear, rejection, and loneliness.  

Later in my life as another great tragedy took place I once again experienced all those emotions and almost turned my back on God and the Church out of my earthquake.  Instead I allowed this earthquake to draw me into His presence and I am thankful that I did, because out of that experience I learned to write songs, poems, and play the piano as never before.  I gained a deeper meaning of the Love of God and what a true relationship with Him is.

Does that mean I don't experience pain any longer? No, I do wish that were true as I constantly experience pain in my life.  What it does mean is, I give that pain to my Heavenly Father to handle and I find comfort during these trials.  I write songs about my pain so that it will hopefully help others, I speak about my pain so it will help others, and I write devotions and post blogs about brokenness as to help others.  Bottling up the pain causes greater earthquakes and would only hurt myself and my family deeper.  Giving that pain to the Lord causes Rivers of Living Water to flow from other peoples lives.  I know this is true, because my river flows due to watching others have earthquakes and choosing to live, really live, and because of them instead of drawing up and dying inside I can live too.  This is what Digging a Well is all about. 

WHAT STOPS YOUR WELL?

What causes your well to stop flowing? Earthquakes can.  What earthquakes have you experienced lately that have changed or stopped the flow of your well?

We see how that cutting the water source can be part of destroying a city.  This is true in our lives.  We are in constant need of the Living Water.   Too many times we are not willing to drink from the Word of God.  Therefore, our lives are like the well that when the water stops, we become stagnant.

Have you experienced failure or pain in your life?  If you are alive and old enough to read this blog, then your answer is probably yes. Failure and pain is a part of each of our lives. It’s the part of our lives that we don’t enjoy but it’s also a part of our lives that makes us stronger.

After a few years of being out of the well of despair and on my way to recovery, I was able to sit down and write a song called, “The Path.” I had experienced things in my life that I didn't think I could live through.  I felt my pain and grief was too great for me to handle. 

I didn’t write it while I was in the well of despair or even six months later.  It took years before I was able to write songs of what I experienced.

You may never write a song, paint a picture, or write a book that represents the depth of your pain.  Whatever the Lord leads you to do, do it with all your might. 

THE PATH

When you are afraid and feel so alone

I will be your Comforter.

When I walked upon the earth

I saw just how it felt to be left all alone.

Kneeling in the garden there

I was left alone to deal with all the pain,

Knowing I was born to die

There upon the cross in just a few short days.

So I turned to God and He gave me peace.

I lifted up my eyes.

I turned my face to God.

He lifted me up

and gave me strength to trod

That path.

When you are lost, cannot find your way,

I will be your Counselor.

When you walk upon the earth,

Know within your heart

You will not be left alone.

Kneeling in your sorrow there,

You are not alone to deal with all the pain.

Know that I was born to die

There upon the cross to suffer in your place.

So turn to God; He will give you peace

So lift up your eyes

And turn your face to God.

He will lift you up

And give you strength to trod.

So lift up your eyes

And turn your face to God.

He will lift you up

And give you strength to trod

Your path.

(Written by Sherry Long)

 The Lord is the only one who can know your sorrow, understand your pain, and touch your soul.  Allow him to walk with you and carry you through this  massive earthquakes in your life.