~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY - July 8, 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TOPIC:  WHY  TALK  ABOUT  TROUBLES?

"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with
suffering."
Isaiah 53:3

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we
are - yet was without sin.   Let us then approach the throne of grace with
confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our
time of need."
Hebrews 4:15-16

Recently, someone I dearly love asked me why Notes are always about Cathy,
me and our family and the troubles we've been through.  The person making
the inquiry thought Notes should focus more on the positive aspects of God
and our faith.  I'm certain, if this dear person felt that way, there are
others among our readers who are asking the same question.  This week's
edition seemed like an opportune time to answer that question.

Let me begin by saying that God has blessed Cathy and I beyond measure.
Nothing we've written in Notes has ever been meant to indicate any
dissatisfaction with the way He has dealt with us.  Quite the contrary.  We
are constantly amazed by His love, grace and generosity towards us.  But
that wasn't always the case.  In the beginning, we knew God only as the
omnipotent, omnipresent, creator of the universe, giver of the commandments
and final judge of us all.  We read about Him and listened to what others
had to say about Him and came to know Him in our heads.  We were in awe of
Him, maybe even somewhat afraid of Him, but I don't think you could say we
were in love with Him.  He was God the Almighty of the Old Testament:
strict, stern and distant.  The King of Kings and we were His subjects.

Then, like little babies, we began taking our first tentative steps of
faith.  And, like little babies, we fell often.  But with each failure, came
a startling revelation about God.  He was always there.  With our first tear
or frustrated cry for help, His hand would extend.  And if we reached for
that hand, the judge of the universe would shed His black robe, step down
from His high throne, and take us in His arms.  He would pick us up and
comfort us.  And through that experience, head knowledge became heart
knowledge; the stern judge of the universe became our loving "Abba" Father;
and fearful subjects became trusting and adoring children.

When God led us to begin doing Notes from the Valley roughly three years
ago, it was with the revelation that troubled times and failures had
provided the impetus for the growth in our relationship with Him.  Not
because that's how He likes to work, but because that's when we were finally
open enough to let Him work in our lives.  Cathy and I don't live in the
troubles of our past.  But we do draw on the lessons of that past.  They
remind us of the need to stay open to God's leading in good times and bad.
They encourage us with their evidence of God's unfailing faithfulness to us
in every situation throughout the years.  God wanted us to share those
lessons with you.  To remind you and encourage you that, whatever your
situation, His hand is always there - reaching out to you.

We chose an excerpt from the 23rd Psalm as the header for each edition of
Notes from the Valley because we believe it describes life in this world the
best.  It's a valley filled with sin and overshadowed by the wages of that
sin - death.  Not exactly a vacation spot for Christians.  But fortunately
we are just passing through and don't have to call this place our home.  And
we don't have to face our journey alone.  God has prepared the way.  The
Holy Spirit illuminates the path.  And Christ is our companion.   A
companion who knows the road, having traveled every troubled inch of it's
length before.  A companion who is prepared to travel every troubled inch of
that road again - to be with you.

In Hebrews, Chapter 12 (the Message translation) we read:  "Keep your eyes
on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in.  Study how he did
it.  Because he never lost sight of where he was headed - that exhilarating
finish in and with God - he could put up with anything along the way: cross,
shame, whatever.  And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside
God.  When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story
again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through.  That
will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"

One thing there is plenty of in this world is trouble.  There's also plenty
of advise on how to deal with it.  But the best and simplest advise comes
straight from the words of our Heavenly Father,  "Keep your eyes on Jesus."
No matter where you are or what troubles are confronting you, He's been
there.  He knows the way.  He'll show it to you.  Just take His hand.  Each
day with Him is one day closer to home.  That's the message we try to share.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this
world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33

We remain your brother and sister in Christ,
sheltered under His wing, and overwhelmed by His love.

Steve & Cathy Hall
A  MATTER  OF  FOCUS
(Catherine Marshall in "Touching the Heart of God")

My friend Marge had an experience] aboard a plane bound for Cleveland,
waiting for takeoff.  As she settled into her seat, Marge noticed a strange
phenomenon.  On one side of the airplane a sunset suffused the entire sky
with glorious color.  But out of the window next to her seat, all Marge
could see was a dark and threatening sky, with no sign of the sunset.

As the plane's engines began to roar, a gentle Voice spoke within her.  "You
have noticed the windows," He murmured beneath the roar and thrust of the
takeoff.  "Your life, too, will contain some happy, beautiful times, but
also some dark shadows.  Here's a lesson I want to teach you to save you
much heartache and allow you to "abide in Me" with continual peace and joy.
You see, it doesn't matter which window you look through; this plane is
still going to Cleveland.  So it is in your life.  You have a choice.  You
can dwell on the gloomy picture.  Or you can focus on the bright things and
leave the dark, ominous situations to Me.  I alone can handle them anyway.
And the final destination is not influenced by what you see or feel along
the way.  Learn this, act on it and you will be released, able to experience
the "peace that passes understanding."



THE  ROAD  OF  LIFE
(Received from Fathers Table - Author Unknown)

At first, I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I
did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die.  He
was out there sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw
it, but I really didn't know Him.  But later on when I met Christ, it seemed
as though life were rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike and I
noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal.  I don't know just
when it was that He suggested we change places, but
life has not been the same since.

When I had control, I knew the way.  It was rather boring, but predictable .
. . It was the shortest distance between two points.  But when He took the
lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places
at breakneck speeds, it was all I could do to hang on!  Even though it
looked like madness, He said, "Pedal!"

I worried and was anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed
and didn't answer, and I started to trust.  I forgot my boring life and
entered into the adventure.  And when I'd say, "I'm scared, " He'd lean back
and touch my hand.  He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of
healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey, my
Lord's and mine.  And we were off again. He said, "Give the gifts away;
they're extra baggage, too much weight."  So I did, to the people we met,
and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck
it; but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp
corners, how to jump to clear high rocks, how to fly to shorten scary
passages.  And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places,
and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my
delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ.

And when I'm sure that I just can't do any more, He just smiles and says . .
. "Pedal."



A  PERFECT  MISTAKE
(Cheryl Walterman Stewart from Live)

Mothers father worked as a carpenter.  On this particular day, he was
building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to some
orphanage in China.  On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to
find his glasses, but they were gone.  When he mentally replayed his earlier
actions, he realized what happened; the glasses had slipped out of his
pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed
shut.  His brand new glasses were heading for China!

The Great Depression was at it's height and Grandpa had six children.  He
had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning.  He was upset by the
thought of having to buy another pair.  "It's not fair," he told God as he
drove home in frustration.  "I've been very faithful in giving of my time
and money to your work, and now this."

Several months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the
United States.  He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in
China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather's small church in
Chicago.

The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in
supporting the orphanage.  "But most of all," he said, "I must thank you for
the glasses you sent last year.  You see, the Communists had just swept
through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses.  I was
desperate.  Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing
those glasses.  Along with not being able to see well, I experienced
headaches every day, so my coworkers and I were much in prayer about this.
Then your crates arrived.  When my staff removed the covers, they found a
pair of glasses lying on top."  The missionary paused long enough to let his
words sink in.  Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued:
"Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been
custom-made just for me!  I want to thank you for being a part of that."

The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses.  But the missionary
surely must have confused their church with another, they thought.  There
were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.  But sitting
quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary
carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary
way.

________________________________________________

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:

sossteve@...

________________________________________________

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)