Cherith Brook Update

It’s been a strange winter! Snow melts then more comes in small amounts of one or two inches. We didn’t get more than six inches at one time, which normally we get at least two feet!

Granted I’m not complaining – it’s just different and when we think the last of the snow has gone, more arrives.

My husband’s book Grace in Plain Sight; The Power of Agape has been making the rounds and we have been asked to come speak in California. We leave April 1st and will be gone for over three weeks. He will be speaking at two different churches and doing a three day seminar on Grace also.

https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Plain-Sight-Power-Agape/dp/1720939101/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.v_f_3nCVezOm-NEA6J0BlA.vttpu_2QUIih3zQ0eT9FkpQxP6R8qOym3BGAzxqTmFA&dib_tag=se&keywords=grace+in+plain+sight+mark+landis&qid=1710357809&sr=8-1

We went over to the coast for five days to get some appliances and countertop for the new cabin. Craigslist is our go-to. The saying “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure” is so true. In our trendy society remodels abound and we found a really nice propane oven!

It was also a great time of reconnecting with some of our long time friends on Whidbey Island. Although many have moved away, we were able to see some of those who remain.

Mark was asked to speak at a home fellowship and it was so awesome to share the message of Grace with some new faces.

We were able to see my dad and his new wife and have a great time with them. I had a short visit with my sister, who is recovering from a knee replacement. We didn’t want to overwhelm her because she had just had the surgery a few days before, so we stayed for only an hour. It wasn’t near enough time with her as we miss each other’s company so much.

We also got to witness a woman coming to Christ at the church we visited that Sunday. What a fantastic story that is! It’s long, but I’ll try to keep it brief. Many years ago, I was in a Bible study with a desperate mom who asked for prayer for her struggling daughter. She wanted the daughter to come to Christ as she had been doing drugs and drinking alcohol. This daughter also had a brain tumor.

All the ladies gathered around her and prayed that she would come home (she lived in a southern state) and that she would give her life over to Jesus.

A short time later, that’s exactly what happened. She moved home and came to know Christ!

Now fast forward to last Sunday…I was talking with the lady who had just accepted Christ and her friend was sitting beside her. Her friend had given her life to the Lord a few weeks before. As we were chatting, her friend mentioned how the testimony of a certain woman touched her so much and she knew what she had to do. Which was turn her life around and give her life to Christ. (This lady had been homeless, drinking, drugging, and drifting.)

When she mentioned the name of the woman who gave the testimony, I got goosebumps. The woman who’s testimony she heard was the very daughter we had prayed for years before! As a result of those prayers three lives have been transformed! (And many more I’m sure.)

I then explained how I knew the woman whose testimony she heard because we had been informed that her family had started attending that church and was asked to share how she came to Christ. What were the odds that we would be there on the very Sunday this woman would accept Jesus and talk to her friend about how she had turned to Christ?

There are no odds. It was a God-ordained moment. It encouraged my husband and I so much and we walked away full of joy in the knowledge that God hears our prayers!

If there’s someone you’ve been praying for keep asking, seeking, and knocking! It may seem hopeless, but in God we have unshakable hope!

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much.” James 5:16

Some fun soap I made! I call it “Just Beachy“. I used dried orange peels to look like the sand.

Saying Goodbye

This week has been difficult as we say goodbye to our family and friends. We leave in a couple of days to go live in Mexico. Many tears have been shed. An old song from Michael W. Smith comes to mind:

And friends are friends forever
If the Lord’s the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
‘Cause the welcome will not end
Though it’s hard to let you go
In the Father’s hands we know
That a lifetime’s not too long
To live as friends

To all of our ‘friends’ some old, some new. We love you all and we know that this is not ‘goodbye’. It is ‘see you later!”

Candle of Peace?

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22

My husband and I were shopping at a big department store when something interesting caught my eye. Right in front of me was a candle display. Now it being Christmas time, the manufacturer was trying to speak to the masses so that people would buy their candles with catchy candle names. One candle was named, “Peace.” Another candle, “Joy,” another one named, “Comfort.”

The more I thought about these candles, the more saddened I became. The world is trying to seek peace, joy, and comfort; but it won’t come in the form of a candle. Or for that matter, a car, or even a house.

The Bible says in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.” Our peace only comes from the Father, who gives it to us. This world cannot offer peace. Actually, it offers the exact opposite – turmoil and chaos.

The more we abide in Christ, the more we take on the fruit of the spirit and people recognize Christ in us. The candle manufacturer got a portion of their marketing ploy correct. It is a light, but not from a candle. It is Christ’s light living in us that changes us, thus causing the fruit of the spirit to pour out of us for all to see. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father, who is in heaven.”

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me, will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) While this world looks to find peace, joy, and comfort, a Savior was born in a lowly manger whose purpose was to come and take away the sin of the world and offer love. Out of love flows peace, joy, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Isaiah 9:6 proclaims, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince. of Peace.

Thank you Lord for giving Your one and only Son for us. Help me to remember that when strife comes in my life, I can be still and know that your gentle arms are surrounding me, holding me, comforting me and giving me peace that only comes from You. Amen.

Inward Beauty…

What does it mean to be beautiful?

“Don’t let your adornment be merely outward – arranging of the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”     1 Peter 3:3,4

This verse was spoken to me from a dear child of God. The day it was given, I was driving down a country road and was listening to a christian radio station. A song came on that was talking about how beautiful Jesus was. It got me to thinking that the world looked at Jesus and just saw an ordinary man. The Bible says that Jesus was a man of no reputation (Philippians 2:7); that there was nothing to attract him. Then as He hung on the cross, He didn’t even resemble a man. Most had to look away because He had been so badly beaten. When you realize what He went through for us, how can anyone but look and say, “How beautiful.” This thought brought me to myself and wondering if people see me as beautiful. Not beautiful as a vain beauty – but do they see the beauty of Jesus in my life? If I were to take off all of my make-up and have my hair left in its natural state – what would people say of me? Would they recognize Jesus and say, “Wow, how beautiful!”

After the day went on I didn’t think about this thought any longer. That evening I went to our Bible study and that’s when one of our shepherds at church had a verse for me. It was the above verse. I was overwhelmed with it all. God had actually answered my thought. There in black and white the verse speaks of letting your adornment be the hidden person of the heart, the incorruptible beauty of a beauty and quiet spirit, Which is what? Precious in the sight of God!

In the Greek incorruptible is aphthartos, which means not liable to corruption or decay, imperishable of things or immortal of the risen dead. What an awesome thing! Beauty that is incorruptible – it can’t and won’t decay. That kind of beauty will not go by the wayside because of age. It will withstand to the end.

The word precious is not in the concordance, however, great price is and it is the word poluteles, meaning requiring very great outlay, very costly, excellent, or of surpassing value. That means I am of surpassing value! I felt like God reached down in all of His wisdom and showed me a truth that I can hang on to when I start to believe the lies of the evil one. When the blows come and the whispers say, “See, what value do you have? You aren’t worth anything!” I will be able to quote this verse and say, “I do have value – I have surpassing value. I have the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.”

Lord, thank you for revealing yourself to me through others. Give me the grace to never doubt your Word. When thoughts come that are not Godly, or when I think I don’t have any value, help me to remember that I am precious in the sight of YOU!

 

Beautiful Dependence

Have you ever wanted to learn to fly with Jesus? Have you ever wanted to go deeper with Christ? Have you ever wanted to tear down your walls and taste freedom?

Well, I am happy to say, my book Beautiful Dependence is now published as an Ebook and is FREE on amazon.com for Kindle Unlimited customers or $2.99 for regular customers! It is my personal story of moving to the mountains of eastern Washington and living off-grid (no power). It is the story of surrendering to Jesus, and letting Him tear down my walls, and set me free, and teaching me to fly higher each day! It is also about the affect that this freedom had on my marriage and the raising and homeschooling of three beautiful kids.

It is finally finished!

We have been hearing from so many of you who have read the book and how it has touched your lives, and left you with a desire to go deeper with Christ. Two of the most common reactions are, “I couldn’t put it down!” and “I’m reading it again, because there was just so much there.”

Email, and text your friends.

In a world that tells you Independence  is  beautiful, our hope is to get the message out of just how Beautiful Dependence is! We long for every one to surrender to Jesus and let Him have His way with them.

Beautiful Dependence is Christine’s story of  Surrender;  of falling into the arms of God and learning to Fly – daily!