July 2005
Monthly Archive
Changes Are Coming!!
Posted by Paul on 28 Jul 2005 | Tagged as: General
Howdy Everyone!
Changes are coming to Hill Country Thoughts over the next week. Changes that I think you will like as Hill Country Thoughts goes through an extreme makeover and moved over to its new domain, by some awesome friends who I will share about when the new site is revealed.
I have a sense of excitement and anticipation as this process begins. It is another blessing and a fullfillment of the Lord’s word. To say I am excited, is an understatement. I will be able to export my comments from Halsoscan to a file, so I won’t lose them and I know that it is possible to import them, but if not then I will start fresh!
It is exciting to be able to write and share and to exhort and lift up others and to have what I call a Coffee Cup Ministry.
Ask that you pray for those that are working on it!
So stay tuned and join the celebration when Hill Country Thoughts is revealed anew!
Till later,
Paul
He Cries, When We Cry!!
Posted by Paul on 26 Jul 2005 | Tagged as: General
“Sometimes, the hardest time to write or talk is when your going through an inner conflict of the heart, of the mind, of the spirit. When everything within you cries out no more, no more!! Yet it is through those tears, through that pain that healing is brought forth and yes grown men do cry!
There is nothing wrong in letting go of all that is lock within. To release all that is within and cry out to God, ” I am at the end, I have no other hope but you Lord!”
Through the tears, though blurry for awhile, we begin to see clearly and a fresh and to see with hope, that God is still there, still with us to carry us through and bring us into a place of rest and trust!
So cry out, let go and allow the Lord to release you from the hurts, the wounds, the pains. Allow the tears of the heart to be release this day! Real men do cry!”
Till later,
Paul
Orginally Posted
May 2004
Life Out Of Death
Posted by Paul on 22 Jul 2005 | Tagged as: General
My daughter Elise and her husband, Hunter just recently got back from Texas.
One of the things that they brought back was a plant. It looked familiar, like I had seen it before. Actually I have. Nearly thirty-three years ago.
This particular plant began as one leaf in a glass of water in upstate New York where I was in Bible School and over the years it grew into a very large plant. It was my pride and joy, as it survived Bible School, a long trip to Texas and nearly thirty years of Texas weather.
But in the last three years it was neglected, left to fend for itself and when I left Texas in December I thought it was gone.
So when I saw this plant, I was amazed. Even though the original plant was dying, appeared beyond hope, Hunter, was able to take a part of the plant that still showed life, transplanted it and now there are four or five leaves as you can see.
So the plant lives on. Out of death comes life and it is the same with us, when it appears that the enemy has won, out of the battle of life, comes hope, that is focused on the Lord.
He takes that little bit of hope and waters it with His Spirit and draws us to Him and as we soak in His presence, as we absorb the word, as we stir up the gifts, He molds us, shapes us and makes us vessels that can be used for His glory!
Till later,
Paul
His Plans, Are Good Plans!
Posted by Paul on 20 Jul 2005 | Tagged as: General
“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.”
“The you will call upon me, and you will come and pray to me, and I will hear and heed you.”
“Then you will seek me, inquire for, and require me [as vital necessity] and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13 Amplified Bible)
Everywhere that I have gone this week online and those that I have talked to, the above scriptures where brought into the conversation . You think the Lord is trying to tell me something?
Through the night, I have been looking back at the last three years. Seeing where I was to where I am right now in my walk with the Lord.
I remembered the dark nights of the soul, the feeling of loneliness as all was strip from me till there was nothing left but the Lord. I was brought to a place of total dependency upon the Lord.
Over the last three years, even now, I see the Lord’s plans, I understand the vision that He has given me for Hill Country Thoughts and as the above verse states, God’s plans are good plans, not to destroy me but to restore me to His purpose in my life.
To give me hope, vision to see that He is building Hill Country Thoughts, that it is His gift to me and He is allowing me to be a steward of it.
Indeed He has given me hope. To see Him reach out and touch others, to bring healing, of using the Internet to share with others the hope that is within!
To know that when we call upon Him, when we seek Him with our whole being, He says He will hear and He will answer.
That when we knock on the door of His heart, He will open that door and we will begin to hear His heartbeat and learn to know Him, to be brought into an intimate relationship with Him.
In verse 14, the Lord says, I will be found by you and I will release you from captivity and I can honestly say, He has set me free from the bondage of the past and replacing it with hope and allowing me to be a pen in His hand and I hope a source of encouragement to those who blog by or are just surfing the net.
I want you to know my friends, that God’s plans are good plans for you and when you seek Him with your whole heart, He will be found.
His plans are good plans and His plan is to give us Hope!!
Till later,
Paul
Gods Gals
Posted by Paul on 19 Jul 2005 | Tagged as: General
Just thought I would share this awesome site with you all!
It is one that I believe will touch the lives of many Christian Women!
Take Time to Check It out!!
Till Later,
Paul
You Are Unique, You Really Are!
Posted by Paul on 16 Jul 2005 | Tagged as: General
Sometimes it is just nice to do nothing, to just enjoy everything around you!
That is what today has been about for me. A time of relaxing, of blog hopping and catching up with my friends and fellow bloggers, to see how things are going.
I am so blessed by the many friends that the Lord has given me through Hill Country Thoughts.
I never know what I will experience as I visit each one. I am always touched as I visit, as different ones share their thoughts, their ideas, their hopes, their dreams, their hurts and wounds, often vulnerable but yet sharing from the heart. I may leave with tears in my eyes, or a rejoicing heart.
We have been given such an awesome tool in the Internet, to be used, a chance to be real and honest, vulnerable at times. It is the honesty and the openness that draws others, because what is being shared is being shared from the heart, out of what they have experienced in their lives.
One of the things that really amazes me is that a number of times, is the way that various bloggers will post their thoughts and often times , it goes along with what I am sharing, or with what they are sharing and the amazing thing again, is none of us had read what they other had posted prior to posting.
One of the main themes I always talked about is the fact, that often times we may think why share this, it won’t mean a thing, when it is the very thing someone who is blogging or surfing by needs to read, to hear in their hearts and when they do, it gives them hope, it plants a seed that someone else might water and another harvest.
That is why I encourage you my friends, don’t be weary in blogging, maybe not every day, but know, that even when you don’t “get comments” you may be touching lives that you will never know about this side of heaven.
I just really felt to post this today, to let you know, that what you write, what you share is very important, it touches the hearts of others.
Allow the Lord to use you, even when you “don’t see results” for our purpose is to encourage, exhort, lift up one another. To listen, to be there as we blog by those that are on our hearts.
Each one of you my friends are unique, one of a kind and only you can share what you share because you are sharing from your heart. Allow the Lord, allow others to be encouraged by sharing what He has written upon your heart. Stir up the gifts He has given you, use them to bless others.
Be blessed my blogging friends, my fellow surfers. May you find in what you read, here in the Hill Country or elsewhere, that which will draw you closer to the Lord and give you hope as you walk this pathway, called life.
Till later,
Paul
