ann kiemel

"...You are magnificent!
You alone are Holy.
no one else as glorious as You.
magnificent! Jesus, You are worthy.
magnificent! You are so magnificent...
You're lighting up our lives..."
jonas morin and matt redman

my friend, raymond berry, called.
i always am changed every time he does.
he and sally are some of my dearest friends.
and raymond is always standing in the thick of
battle, helping to clarify the war for me.

he asked me to intercede re: something, and
then started talking about 1st samuel.
"the Lord who delivered me from the paw of the
lion and the bear will deliver me from this philistine."

that there was a long war between saul and david.
david grew stronger and stronger, and
saul grew weaker and weaker. that we are in
a war between the flesh and the spirit.

raymond feels the battle. he is in the middle
of it. and it is not fun or easy. and there are so
many unsolved problems and questions flying around
about where God is when we are trying to slug
it out, and fight the darkness. our money is gone.
our children are struggling. our youth has faded,
and with it, our strength to fight as vigorously as
we once could.

raymond then switched to phillipians.
"count it all joy."
all of it. the tigers and lions and sharks and snakes.

"be thankful in all circumstances..."
the accidents and debt collectors and broken health.

"rejoice always...."
back to praise. this is what our
journey is all about. not the war. never the battle.
it is always about gratitude and thankfulness and joy.
for the One Who always stands by us. Who does the
fighting for us if we will let Him. Who carries us when
we lose our jobs. Who comforts us when we lose what
we treasure. standing by. always standing by. as we
praise Him.