Hi John and all the Doves....Each day I live I discover even more how totally wonderful our God is!  I never know what my "work" will be from one day to the next.  And today was no different.  We are in the last days, and God is bringing more and more truths to the light so that we might see the truth that He is showing to us.  We learn by words because Jesus Christ IS "The Word"...see John 1:1.  He wrote 66 "books" of words for us to read....all of them!  Some of them are beautiful beyond belief, and some of them are ugliness beyond comprehension....but He wrote them all for us.

My favorite Psalms verse is in Psalms 42..."As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."  These words hit my soul deeply while I was reading the works of A.W.Tozer many years ago when I was a new "child" in Christ.  I think God meant this verse for my life because that's the year ! in which I was born.  It put into me a need to learn anything and everything that His Word(s) would and could give me....and it did not matter how far-fetched, or how "dark" that search got....I needed to know all He would allow.  And, in my particular life, I've gone through some pretty dark times, but it was all for the purpose of bringing me exactly where I am today.  That's the meaning of Romans 8:28.  ALL things....the good, the bad, the ugly, the dark, the terrible, the unsightly, the wonderful, the joy......EVERYTHING!!

And that's for those who think a "Christian" should only think on things that are easy to handle and give peace to the soul.  We should be so well-equiped in our knowledge of that "Book," that nothing should surprise us in what He tells us.  We should understand the Book of Revelation and Daniel as well as we understand Philippians and Galatians.  It's ALL good stuff!!

So, today, my curiosity was arouse! d by all the comments on Paul's "thorn in the flesh"....and I've thought about it.  Sure, it might be his eyesight because he had "scales" over his eyes in the beginning (Acts 9:18), and he had to write in LARGE letters (Gal.6:11), and he had many of his epistles written for him by others, according to the salutations and conclusions.  However, with God, it's never that simple.  And that's WHY God makes us ask these questions.....He wants us to "search the scriptures" and find an answer!!!  In doing so, most of the time we get rewarded with much more than we ask.  This time was no different.  I found a wonderful article by Tony Warren that says it all....

http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/bible/thorn.html

Our purpose during this lifetime is to "shine our light" on dark places.  When we say no! thing, we "hide our light" under bushels...Matthew 5:15-16.  But a! t least we have done what we are led to do as described in Ezekiel 3:17-19.  I believe we should not ignore anything that others in the "Body" are sincerely telling us in truth and love.  We all have our different callings for a reason....and that's why God made us all so totally different, but we all have one purpose....in Him!

Again, I apologize for being so "wordy," but I was a mother, teacher(of cardiac anatomy and physiology for the American Heart Association), and a nurse for many years.  I have not learned in my lifetime to keep quiet about anything....yet!  It's who I am and what I do.  I, too, have many "thorns."

Yours in agape love,

Arlene