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NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY - July 14, 2000

"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.

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

Steve & Cathy Hall



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.




IF  I  HAD  MY  LIFE  TO  LIVE  OVER
(Author Erma Bombeck)

I would have talked less and listened more.  I would have invited friends
over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.  I would
have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about
the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.  I would have
taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.  I would
never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my
hair had just been teased and sprayed.  I would have burned the pink candle
sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.  I would have sat on the
lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.  I would have
cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching
life.  I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth
would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.  I would
never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil
or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every
moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only
chance in life to assist God in a miracle.  When my kids kissed me
impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for
dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's".. more "I'm sorry's"... but
mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it
and really see it... live it...and never give it back.




START  OVER
(Received from Jim's Gems - Author Unknown)

When you've trusted Jesus and walked His way
When you've felt His hand lead you day by day
But your steps now take you another way, start over.

When you've made your plans and they've gone awry
When you've tried your best and there's no more try
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why, start over.

When you've told your friends what you plan to do
When you've trusted them and they didn't come through
And now you're all alone and it's up to you, start over.

When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone
When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong
And now your grandchildren have come along, start over.

When you've prayed to God so you'll know His will
When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still
When you want to stop cause you've had your fill, start over.

When you think you're finished and want to quit
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit
When you've tried and tried to get out of it, start over.

When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you're feeling blue
God gives a January just for you, start over.

Starting over means "Victories Won"
Starting over means "A Race Well Run"
Starting over means "The Lords' Will Done"
Don't just sit there....... START OVER.



GUIDANCE
(Received from Nellie Hicks - Author Unknown)

When I meditated on the word guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of
the word.  I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.  The movement doesn't flow
with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.  When one
person relaxes and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the
music.  One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by
pressing lightly in one direction or another.  It's as if two become one
body, moving beautifully.  The dance takes surrender, willingness, and
attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word guidance. When I saw "G," I thought of God,
followed by "u" and "i." God, "u" and "i" dance.  God, you, and I dance.
This statement is what guidance means to me.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance
about my life.  Once again, I became willing to let God lead.



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, chose to hide
there. After he crawled in, he feel 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. Don't try to fight your own battles. It's a hopelessly
lost cause without Him.




IF  YOU  WANT  ME  TO
(Author Ginny Owens)

The pathway is broken
And the signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason
Why you brought me here
But just because you love me
The way that you do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If you want me to

No, I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise
You're not through with me yet
So if all of these trials
Bring me closer to you
Then I will walk through the fire
If you want me to

And it may not be the way
I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world
That's not my home
But you never said
It would be easy
You only said
I'd never go alone

So when the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear you answer
My cries for help
I'll remember the suffering
That your love put you through
And I will walk through the darkness
If you want me to

'Cause when I cross over Jordan
I'm gonna sing, gonna shout
Gonna look into your eyes and see
You never let me down
So take me on the pathway
That leads me home to you
And I will walk through the valley
If you want me to

Yes, I will walk through the valley
If you want me to

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Copyright © 1998-2000 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 never
intended to offend anyone.  They're meant only 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:

sossteve@...
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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)