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NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY - September 9, 2001

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil for you are with me."  Psalm 23.
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TOPIC:  THE  ROAD  BACK

I'm sure most of you have noticed the words from the 23rd Psalm in the
header of each edition of Notes from the Valley.  That Psalm is the
foundation scripture of this ministry.  Like the Psalm says, this life is a
great deal like a journey on foot through a shadowy valley.  Because we are
on foot, we are vulnerable. And the magnitude of the sinfulness around us
and within us is so immense, that it towers over us and casts a giant shadow
across the entire valley.   Alone and on foot, it's easy for us to be
overcome by that darkness; to become confused and lost; to be overwhelmed by
fear.  But we were never meant to make this journey alone.  I used to forget
that quite often.  Then a friend of ours got into some trouble that turned
his life upside down.  He asked for our help from jail. Mail became our
primary means of communications and Psalm 23 was the primary focus of the
notes we sent to him and his family.  I'm not sure who learned more, them or
us, but there was never any doubt that it was our Father doing the teaching.
Each year, around the time our ministry began, I like to go back and revisit
the lessons we learned through those first "Notes" to a hurting friend.

I think most of us like to dream about a better life filled with bigger,
better, nicer things.  That's not a bad thing.  But sometimes, we become so
focused on achieving those dreams that we fail to appreciate and be thankful
for what we already have.  And we fail to take advantage of or respond to
the opportunities that God places before of us.   Instead of focusing on
Him, we get wrapped up in ourselves, what we want, and what we must do to
get it.  We believe that if we can only possess that bigger house, that
nicer car, that perfect mate, we'll be happy and fulfilled.  But when our
desire is achieved, we find neither.  So we pick a new target and strike out
to possess it.  Like some rebellious child, we become either too proud or
too scared to admit we're lost.  So we refuse to stop and ask for
directions.  We blindly press forward, often stepping on, over, or going
around the people that God places in our path.  People meant to be a
blessing to us or sent to give us the opportunity to be a blessing to
others.  Likewise, we fail to see the beauty God has created all around us.
Natural wonders ranging from the microscopic to the majestic. Monuments to
His love for us.  Reminders of His closeness to us.  But we're just too busy
to see.  We have no time for Him.  We have no time for each other.  We
strive, but we fail.  We journey, but we get nowhere.

The Book of Genesis says that God created us in His image and likeness.
Ever wonder why?  Well, the Bible also tells us that God is love.  And it's
my belief that the very nature of love requires that it be shared - given to
and accepted by someone within the same species.  That last point is
important.  Loving a pet is one thing.  But loving a family member is
something else entirely.  God created us like Himself so we could share a
family love relationship with Him.  And only in that relationship is there
the fulfillment of who He is - the Father - and who we were created to be -
His children. We see that loving relationship in the Bible's account of the
evening walks God shared with Adam and Eve through the Garden of Eden.  The
garden He so lovingly created for them.  He sent His son Jesus to the cross
so He could share those walks (that kind of relationship) with us again.
He's been waiting for you in that garden ever since.

So, how do we find our way out of this dark valley and back to the garden?
We have to take the time to see the wonders of God's handiwork as evidenced
in nature and in each other.  We have to recognize them as expressions of
His love for us and His longing to be with us.  We need to stop focusing on
tomorrow and where we think we need to be long enough to discover all the
joy and fulfillment God has lovingly provided for us in today.  If you want
to find the road back to Eden, just ask your Father to share a walk with you
each day.  Talk.  Listen.  Love.  Invite others to join you.  And enjoy the
journey as He leads us home.

We remain His grateful children and your brother and sister in Christ,

Steve & Cathy Hall


A  SPIDER'S  WEB
(Received from DailyEncouragers - Author Thomas A. Bennett)

A young soldier found himself in a terrible battle during the Scottish
Reformation. The enemy was soundly defeating this young man's army. He and
his comrades found themselves hastily retreating from the battle field in
defeat, running away in fear of their very lives. The enemy gave chase. This
young man ran hard and fast, full of fear and desperation, soon found
himself cut off from his comrades in arms.

He eventually came upon a rocky ledge containing a cave. Knowing the enemy
was close behind, and that he was exhausted from the chase, he chose to hide
there. After he crawled in, he fell to his face in the darkness, desperately
crying to God to save him and protect him from his enemies.  He also made a
bargain with God, one which I (and perhaps you too?) have made before. He
promised that if God saved him, he would serve Him for the remainder of his
days.

When he looked up from his despairing plea for help, he saw a spider
beginning to weave its web at the entrance to the cave. As he watched the
delicate threads being slowly drawn across the mouth of the cave, the young
soldier pondered its irony. He thought, "I asked God for protection and
deliverance, and he sent me a spider instead. How can a spider save me?" His
heart was hardened, knowing the enemy would soon discover his hiding place
and kill him.

Soon he did hear the sound of his enemies, who were now scouring the area
looking for those in hiding. One soldier with a gun slowly walked up to the
cave's entrance. As the young man crouched in the darkness, hoping to
surprise the enemy in a last-minute desperate attempt to save his own life,
he felt his heart pounding wildly out of control. As the enemy cautiously
moved forward to enter the cave, he came upon the spider's web, which by now
was completely strung across the opening. He
backed away and called out to a comrade, "There can't be anyone in here.
They would have had to break this spider's web to enter the cave. Let's move
on."

Years later, this young man, who made good his promise by becoming a
preacher and evangelist, wrote about that ordeal. What he observed has stood
by me in times of trouble, especially during those times when everything
seemed impossible.  He wrote: "Where God is, a spider's web is as a stone
wall. Where God is not, a stone wall is as a spider's web."

Is something going on in your life right now that is really bothering you?
Perhaps it seems so bad that you are paralyzed by fear. You don't know what
to do. Do you ever feel you are in the darkness, facing what seems
impossible, wondering (or maybe not) if God even cares?  If you are, I am
here to tell you that God does care . . . more than you can imagine right
now. And God is most definitely in control.  He specializes in the
impossible.  Cry out to Him. He hears you and desires to give you the very
best He has to offer.



CHANGE  ME !
(Contributed by Sari Cobb - Author Unknown)

Dear Lord change not Thy will in my life,
or trial and sorrows to be;
Renew my faith and make me strong,
Change not Thy will, change me.

Though teardrops fall when trouble comes,
like storms on a rolling sea;
Let Thy beacon guide my ship to port,
Change not the storm, change me.

When Thy holy Word I don't understand
and Thy glory I cannot see;
Teach my eyes, give me sight and wisdom,
Change not Thy Word , change me.

If the fruit Thou hast given me to eat,
taste bitter and sour, I plea;
Let not my will but Thine be done,
Change not the fruit, change me.

If sometime I murmur and grumble, Dear Lord,
about the cross I carry for Thee;
Keep it firm on my shoulders, but hold my hand,
Change not the cross, change me.

If You change Thy ways to please me, Dear Lord,
I would soon grow cold and turn from Thee;
That You may hear my prayers, Dear Lord,
Change not Thy ways, change me.

There's a valley that I must cross,
someday Thy face to see;
Lest I forget what power is Thine,
Change not the valley, change me.



LIVING  BETWEEN  STEPS
(Barbara Brown Taylor in Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching)

A university professor tells of being invited to speak at a military base
one December and there meeting an unforgettable soldier named Ralph. Ralph
had been sent to meet him at the airport. After they had introduced
themselves, they headed toward the baggage claim.  As they walked down the
concourse, Ralph kept disappearing. Once to help an older woman whose
suitcase had fallen open. Once to lift two toddlers up to where they could
see Santa Claus, again to give directions to someone who was lost.  Each
time he came back with a smile on his face.   "Where did you learn to be
like that?" the professor asked.

"Oh," Ralph said, "during the war, I guess."  He then told the professor
about his tour of duty in Vietnam, how it was his job to clear mine fields,
how he watched his friends blow up before his eyes, one after another.   "I
learned to live between steps," he said.  "I never knew whether the next one
would be my last, so I learned to get everything I could out of the moment
between when I picked up my foot and when I put it down again.  Every step I
took was a whole new world, and I guess I've been that way ever since."

The abundance of our lives is not determined by how long we live, but by how
well we live.

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Copyright © 1998-2001 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Weekly letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless otherwise
indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley are meant to
brighten your day and encourage you along the way.  Most of "Notes" and
"Humor" are a collection of items provided to me by subscribers and friends.
Credit is given to both the contributor and to the true author, where known.
If you are blessed by them, please feel free to make copies and pass them
along to others.  If you have something you'd like to contribute to a future
edition or would like to ask us a question or make a comment, please contact
us at:

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Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it!  I'm forever telling everyone
how faithful you are.  I'll never quit telling the story of your love - how
you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it.  Your love has always
been our lives foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world.
(Psalm 89:1-3 The Message)