Comments on: Lift Up Ye Gates http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593 Wisdom, Wit and Wonder from Marjorie Ainsborough Decker Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:32:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: gmack http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593&cpage=1#comment-1568 gmack Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:14:38 +0000 http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593#comment-1568 What a chuckle I got from your blog. I very rarely throw out any food, but once I do I am amazed at how fast the crows know it. What sensory antennea they must have. God's way of feeding the birds, and using us to help. If we get credit for a cup of cold water, you may get credit for a tortilla. Chuckle!!! What a chuckle I got from your blog. I very rarely throw out any food, but once I do I am amazed at how fast the crows know it. What sensory antennea they must have. God’s way of feeding the birds, and using us to help. If we get credit for a cup of cold water, you may get credit for a tortilla. Chuckle!!!

]]> By: Carolyn http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593&cpage=1#comment-1551 Carolyn Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:50:27 +0000 http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593#comment-1551 I'm so glad that you leave each blog up for a little while now. It gives time to ruminate a bit and for new thoughts to form. For years, I've wondered about why the Lord chose a pearl for heaven's twelve gates. This morning I was listening to a radio minister who mentioned the pearly gate. I thought of my question and wondered again. Aha! What probably has been obvious to many finally came to me! When David Jeremiah commented, "that must have been one big oyster!," I thought of how pearls are formed ... over time in response to even a small but very hard and very irritating, very painful and hurtful grain. The Lord gives the oyster a way out of the pain by surrounding the grain with a comforting secretion that not only enfolds the painful thing that came into its life but transforms it into something unimaginably beautiful, rare, and valuable! Aren’t His secretions for us faith/trust in Him, His Word, and Holy Spirit?! As with Joseph, ‘God’s delay is not (necessarily) God’s denial‘. God has a plan! Everyone of us has terribly painful things from time to time in life. It's the painful things that He uses to transform us as well as the difficult thing itself into such a great blessing as we can not imagine at the time. But this usually isn’t a quick process. Eventually, we find that the painful thing may become the very gate He uses to bring us into a new place where we experience His Presence, love, joy, provision, God Himself in a deeper way! Surely, the road to heaven is narrow and the gate small but made of one big single pearl! Jesus is the Gate, Who died to make the way for us to join Him in heaven, and Who calls us to take up our own cross to follow Him (what is a cross but a matter of trust in His sovereignty and goodness?) I think that as we follow Him, we enter the gate of heaven through many trials and tests only to find that the tests are really our way to see Him face to face, to share in His sufferings and to know Him as He has known us. But we always have a choice … to become bitter or better. I’m still pondering this. Yes, Jesus is the gate, and He is an “irritant” to those who would try to storm the gates of heaven on their own merits rather than accepting His gifts of faith and grace. Oh, we see the 12 gates being the apostles, but possibly the gate of heaven may also be those very tests and trials the Lord uses to bring us closer to Himself, that are transformed into something precious, that transform us, and through which we enter into Him. Here’s are a couple of great URLs from UTube about perseverance I think you‘ll like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx796zSg5gs&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a6DX_m87y0 This is a bit of a different angle on your cheery blog but in keeping with January’s “Winter’s Gate” holding the hope of Springtime just under the surface, let’s always remember His many Promises to hold us fast and provide our every need! If you’re a whopping oyster with a whopping grain or multiple grains of sand in your gullet, hang in there! Something precious is forming within! Sorry to take up so much space here! :) Hope you’re cozy by the fire in the snow there! Carolyn I’m so glad that you leave each blog up for a little while now. It gives time to ruminate a bit and for new thoughts to form. For years, I’ve wondered about why the Lord chose a pearl for heaven’s twelve gates. This morning I was listening to a radio minister who mentioned the pearly gate. I thought of my question and wondered again. Aha! What probably has been obvious to many finally came to me! When David Jeremiah commented, “that must have been one big oyster!,” I thought of how pearls are formed … over time in response to even a small but very hard and very irritating, very painful and hurtful grain. The Lord gives the oyster a way out of the pain by surrounding the grain with a comforting secretion that not only enfolds the painful thing that came into its life but transforms it into something unimaginably beautiful, rare, and valuable! Aren’t His secretions for us faith/trust in Him, His Word, and Holy Spirit?! As with Joseph, ‘God’s delay is not (necessarily) God’s denial‘. God has a plan!

Everyone of us has terribly painful things from time to time in life. It’s the painful things that He uses to transform us as well as the difficult thing itself into such a great blessing as we can not imagine at the time. But this usually isn’t a quick process. Eventually, we find that the painful thing may become the very gate He uses to bring us into a new place where we experience His Presence, love, joy, provision, God Himself in a deeper way!

Surely, the road to heaven is narrow and the gate small but made of one big single pearl! Jesus is the Gate, Who died to make the way for us to join Him in heaven, and Who calls us to take up our own cross to follow Him (what is a cross but a matter of trust in His sovereignty and goodness?) I think that as we follow Him, we enter the gate of heaven through many trials and tests only to find that the tests are really our way to see Him face to face, to share in His sufferings and to know Him as He has known us. But we always have a choice … to become bitter or better.

I’m still pondering this. Yes, Jesus is the gate, and He is an “irritant” to those who would try to storm the gates of heaven on their own merits rather than accepting His gifts of faith and grace. Oh, we see the 12 gates being the apostles, but possibly the gate of heaven may also be those very tests and trials the Lord uses to bring us closer to Himself, that are transformed into something precious, that transform us, and through which we enter into Him.

Here’s are a couple of great URLs from UTube about perseverance I think you‘ll like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx796zSg5gs&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a6DX_m87y0

This is a bit of a different angle on your cheery blog but in keeping with January’s “Winter’s Gate” holding the hope of Springtime just under the surface, let’s always remember His many Promises to hold us fast and provide our every need! If you’re a whopping oyster with a whopping grain or multiple grains of sand in your gullet, hang in there! Something precious is forming within!

Sorry to take up so much space here! :) Hope you’re cozy by the fire in the snow there! Carolyn

]]> By: Linda Berenson http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593&cpage=1#comment-1542 Linda Berenson Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:53:57 +0000 http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593#comment-1542 This is a very interesting blog. Seems to me that the eyes and ears are the gates into a person's mind and heart and the mouth is the gate that lets out a person's thoughts and feelings to the world. This is a very interesting blog. Seems to me that the eyes and ears are the gates into a person’s mind and heart and the mouth is the gate that lets out a person’s thoughts and feelings to the world.

]]> By: sarahgrace http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593&cpage=1#comment-1502 sarahgrace Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:10:33 +0000 http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593#comment-1502 How funny that you chose to write about "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" as I happen to be rereading that whole series currently! It is interesting to read them with an adult mind and discover all the parallels. Hope you all are well, and we sure do miss you! Much love, Sarah How funny that you chose to write about “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” as I happen to be rereading that whole series currently! It is interesting to read them with an adult mind and discover all the parallels.
Hope you all are well, and we sure do miss you!
Much love,
Sarah

]]> By: gmack http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593&cpage=1#comment-1501 gmack Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:36:20 +0000 http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593#comment-1501 How facinating. You always bless me with your blog. I look forward to every one, and check often to see if there is a new one. A long life has many good aspects and sharing of memories is just one of them. I wish I had recorded my father's memories. One I remember is advice from his father. "Son, don't ever smoke, unless you can buy your own, do not bum from others." As a result he never smoked and was a very independent man. How facinating. You always bless me with your blog. I look forward to every one, and check often to see if there is a new one. A long life has many good aspects and sharing of memories is just one of them. I wish I had recorded my father’s memories. One I remember is advice from his father. “Son, don’t ever smoke, unless you can buy your own, do not bum from others.” As a result he never smoked and was a very independent man.

]]> By: Timothy http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593&cpage=1#comment-1497 Timothy Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:24:28 +0000 http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593#comment-1497 Hello Mrs. Decker, very interesting and entertaining blog on gates. I never had a gate to go through or a fence to climb over until I was an adult. I remember feeling a bit less free when I first lived in a house with a fence and gate, like it was a symbol that said I had to keep certain things out. Seems like there are gates that open up to good things and gates that open up to bad things. Prayer and faith are important tools to help a person know which are which. Timothy Hello Mrs. Decker, very interesting and entertaining blog on gates. I never had a gate to go through or a fence to climb over until I was an adult. I remember feeling a bit less free when I first lived in a house with a fence and gate, like it was a symbol that said I had to keep certain things out. Seems like there are gates that open up to good things and gates that open up to bad things. Prayer and faith are important tools to help a person know which are which. Timothy

]]> By: Carolyn http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593&cpage=1#comment-1468 Carolyn Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:20:45 +0000 http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593#comment-1468 Miriam - what a wonderful reflection on gates you shared - thank you ... so beautifully stated! I was thinking that as the Good Shepherd is the door/gate through which we go out and come in as we find pasture, solace, protection, and refreshment, there are indeed many gates in life that the Lord Jesus may leave open through which we may go in, out, back in, depending on the need at the time and even our own readiness. Discerning His timing is the important matter, yet even if we are off a degree or a few, He causes it all to work together for our good - for He loves us so! Marjorie - did I write to you once that Psalm 24 was one of the first (entire) Psalms of two (also Ps 46) that I was instructed to memorize in one two week Vacation Bible School the summer after second grade? Who could say that children can't hide larger portions of scripture in their hearts when encouraged/challenged to do so? From then, it's forever there ready to aid in guidance through many paths and gates throughout life. Thank the LORD for His gracious Word ... and thank you for this sweet meditation. Lewis is probably my favorite author so reminders of his life and work are always fun and rich! Hoping your hearts are continually warmed throughout this winter and new year with Christmas there every day! Love, Carolyn Miriam – what a wonderful reflection on gates you shared – thank you … so beautifully stated! I was thinking that as the Good Shepherd is the door/gate through which we go out and come in as we find pasture, solace, protection, and refreshment, there are indeed many gates in life that the Lord Jesus may leave open through which we may go in, out, back in, depending on the need at the time and even our own readiness. Discerning His timing is the important matter, yet even if we are off a degree or a few, He causes it all to work together for our good – for He loves us so!

Marjorie – did I write to you once that Psalm 24 was one of the first (entire) Psalms of two (also Ps 46) that I was instructed to memorize in one two week Vacation Bible School the summer after second grade? Who could say that children can’t hide larger portions of scripture in their hearts when encouraged/challenged to do so? From then, it’s forever there ready to aid in guidance through many paths and gates throughout life. Thank the LORD for His gracious Word … and thank you for this sweet meditation. Lewis is probably my favorite author so reminders of his life and work are always fun and rich!

Hoping your hearts are continually warmed throughout this winter and new year with Christmas there every day!

Love,
Carolyn

]]> By: Miriam Hesmitt http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593&cpage=1#comment-1443 Miriam Hesmitt Sun, 17 Jan 2010 07:12:21 +0000 http://www.marjorieainsboroughdecker.com/?p=2593#comment-1443 I really enjoyed finding your blog recently. There is always something you say that makes me think - exercise for the brain. This blog about gates reminds me that we all go through so many gates in life, otherwise known as decisions we must make. Some gates are harder to go through than others. Some gates we close after we get through them and some we leave open in case we want to go back through them later. Heaven is certainly the final and most important gate we all want to get through. Thanks, Miriam I really enjoyed finding your blog recently. There is always something you say that makes me think – exercise for the brain. This blog about gates reminds me that we all go through so many gates in life, otherwise known as decisions we must make. Some gates are harder to go through than others. Some gates we close after we get through them and some we leave open in case we want to go back through them later. Heaven is certainly the final and most important gate we all want to get through. Thanks, Miriam

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