OWLS IN DESERT PLACES

Psalm 102:6 (NKJV)

I am like a pelican

of the wilderness;

I am like an owl

of the desert.

Owls are drawn to desolate places. They haunt ruins, and waste lands, and desert places. A long, long time ago, I used to collect owls. Figurines and pictures were in every room, and on every wall of my apartment.

The prayer of the psalmist that wrote Psalm 102 was a prayer of affliction. He said in verse 6 that he was like the owl of the desert. That was me back in the day, collecting so many owls that I didn't even have enough wall space to hang them all. I lived in my own desert place, with the soul of a true introvert.

Yesterday, I happened to come across Isaiah 51:3 that says, "He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in it."

Now that's what I'm talking about! God took my desolate soul and turned it into the garden of Eden. You want to know why I post so many florals to my Faithbook page? He turned my desert into the garden of the Lord (the place of His divine presence).

THE GARDEN OF THE LORD

So, there you have it. The link to my Faithbook page:

https://www.facebook.com/share/16Ki9c4N5q/

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

PROVERBS 18:10

Proverbs 18:10 (NIrV) The name of the LORD is like a strong tower. Godly people run to it and are safe.

The phrase, name of the LORD, is used only once in the book of Proverbs. The name represents the Lord Himself... His presence, and His power.

Praying in Jesus’ name means praying with His authority, and petitioning God the Father to act upon those prayers because we come in the name of His Son. Jesus is the mediator between us and God. He is God, and He was also a man.

1 Timothy 2:5 (NKJV) For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

If we remember that the ultimate victory has already been won by Christ Himself, we can claim the peace of Christ in the most troublesome times. He alone is a strong tower in whom we find true security.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

The fruit of the Spirit are the by-products of the Holy Spirit's presence within us.

• LOVE: charity - unselfish concern and affection for others

• JOY: gladness - happiness - exuberance about life - calm delight

• PEACE: serenity - tranquility - rest

• PATIENCE: longsuffering - willingness to stick with something - forbearance - endurance - fortitude - steadfastness

• KINDNESS: gentleness - a sense of compassion

• GOODNESS: benevolence - generosity - virtue - uprightness of heart and life

• FAITHFULNESS: loyal commitment - moral conviction

• GENTLENESS: meekness - humility - not forcing our way

• SELF-CONTROL: temperance - continence - restraint - ability to direct energies wisely - spiritual strength

John 15:4-5 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides on the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

EXPRESSING LOVE FOR GOD

You shall have no other gods before Me. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

(Exodus 20:3 & Mark 12:30 NKJV)

Three Ways to Express Love for God

1. Walk in His ways and care about the things He cares about.
2. Stay close to Him -- learn to discern His voice and leading.
3. Serve Him with devotion to your calling and trust Him with all your heart.

My dear heavenly Father,

I pray that You will grant me the grace to be able to love You with all my heart. Help me to love You above all things including money, wealth, and status. Let me be able to give You my all with true heart integrity. I want my heart to seek You first in all things. Put in my heart the desire to obey Your commandments. Fill my mind with thoughts of You and let my actions reflect how much I love You. Help me to meditate on Your words so that I may know You and love You in return. Teach me how to stay in Your presence, for in Your presence is fullness of joy. In Jesus' name I ask and pray. Amen.

He loves us, we should love Him in return.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

BE STILL AND KNOW

What joy is brought to our soul when we are confronted with a problem which seemingly had no solution, and yet God worked it out for our good and His glory. When we have a testimony of God's miraculous victories, we are motivated to just stand still and watch His mighty hand do it once again. If He did it before, He will do it again.

Psalm 46:10

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

ISAIAH 41:10

There's a Scripture that the Lord hooked me up with back in 2021. And since then, He has inundated me many times with this encouraging verse. I used to keep track of the dates that I would have this encounter until it got to be so many that I stopped keeping track. It would pop up in a video, or in social media feeds, and a number of places. I call these my God Wink moments. 😉

Of course, the world will test our strength and resilience. There will be days when life gets weary, but I've noticed in those moments this Scripture will pop up somewhere throughout the day as a reminder that my God is still with me.

Go in peace.

The Lord is with you too.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

The official says, "Upon further review,
the ruling on the field  is overturned."

Jairus was a ruler of one of the synagogues near Capernaum, and his daughter was very sick at the point of death. Coming to Jesus was questionable for Jairus, because the chief officials had agreed that if anyone supported Jesus' ministry, they would be put out of the synagogue. He could lose his position, but when he heard that Jesus was in town, he came to Him concerning his daughter.

He fell at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come and lay hands on his daughter and heal her. As they were on the way to Jairus' home, a messenger came and told Jairus that there was no need to trouble Jesus any longer, his daughter had died.

Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid, only believe." They continued to Jairus' home and found the mourners weeping and wailing. Jesus said, "Why make all this commotion? The child is not dead, but sleeping." He put them out and went to where the little girl was, and took her by the hand and said, "Little girl, I say to you arise." Immediately she got up and started walking around.

Even when the facts say there is no reason to hope, and it's pointless to continue believing for something that's done for, facts are not final. Facts don't set us free, truth sets us free, and Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

Upon further review, Jairus' daughter was only asleep because Jesus raised her back to life. Death was not the final answer that day, because at His command, the girl got up.

Instant replay gives the officials another chance to look at circumstances that were thought to be fact, but was actually different. What we may consider to be a hopeless and pointless situation is not over. Nothing can stop God from finishing what He said He would do. The official says, "Upon further review, the ruling on the field  is overturned." We need to stop putting more faith in facts, than we do in God. We walk by faith, not by sight.

The messenger told Jairus that he need not trouble Jesus any further because his child was dead. But that was not the end of the story. Jesus told Jairus, "Only believe."

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH

If patience doesn’t have its perfect work in us, we will not become the person of resilience God is developing. As we go through, we become tender in places where we were hardened before. We become bold where we were timid. We gain perspective where we are ignorant. We develop commitment in place of negligence, and a backbone for cowardice.

We can look back at the journey and see God has changed our entire identity. God sets us on a divine mission to prosper us, not to harm us… to develop us, not to destroy us. Let patience have its perfect work that we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:4).

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

SATISFACTION IN LIFE

When I graduated from secretarial school in 1983, I wanted to be the next best Della Street that I could ever be. In every episode, there she was by Perry Mason's side being the Secretary of the century. I served in that capacity for about 20 years but never fully reached that kind of awesomeness. I finally moved on to other things as the digital age progressed in the office, and the Secretary's role became a lot different than they taught me in secretarial school.

Then in 1999, I met the Holy Spirit. He began to circumvent what I imagined I wanted to be in life. I would be getting dressed for work in the morning, and then find myself doing a Bible study before I went running out the door so I wouldn't be late for work. He then slammed the door to corporate America, and I became a stay-at-home-housewife for a long time. Della Street became a distant memory. Although I still use those administrative skills to this very day, I see a whole new destiny being finished before my life here is complete.

Spiritual gifts are fulfilling, and all come through the Holy Spirit for the purpose of building up the church. Part of the exciting adventure of following Christ involves discovering your spiritual gifts, and making them available for God's use, and watching Him use them to accomplish more for His kingdom work than you ever thought imaginable. Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those that love Him.

The Holy Spirit puts it into our hearts to fulfill God's purpose, and nothing will make you more fulfilled and satisfied in this life than to be doing the will of God on your life. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

GOD'S YOKE IS NOT HEAVY

When I first came to Christ in 1999, I thought I had to fill up my week working for Jesus.  I joined several church auxiliaries and boards. I started a church newsletter (which most did not even read). I taught Sunday School. I was wearing myself out. I began to feel distant from the Lord, and that bothered me. I was tired all the time. I remember one Saturday night I literally stayed awake all night preparing for church the next day. I had so much to do, that I shrugged off sleep.

Finally, I made a list of all the projects that I was involved in and posted it on my bulletin board. It was about 16 different operations that I was involved in. I told the Lord to close the door on the ones that He had not appointed, and leave the ones He wanted me to continue. As He began closing the doors one by one, I crossed those items off the list and it gradually dwindled down from 16 to 4 things that He wanted me to do. My relationship with Him was restored, and I got my sleep back.

Joyce Meyer said, "Let me encourage you today to think seriously about how you spend your time. As God leads you, cut activities and commitments out of your life until you no longer go through every day at a frantic pace and end up feeling stressed. As you evaluate how you’re spending your time, use this simple rule: If you have peace about it, keep doing it. If you don’t have peace about it, stop. Feeling resentful or hearing yourself complain about it frequently indicates the need to make an adjustment."

Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV) Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

GOD IS ALL THAT AND THEN SOME

Confidence in God — A Reflection of Psalm 62

The Bible is full of victory stories where God came through, and worked great miracles for many people. The psalmist David is one of them. David’s faith in God had advanced to an unshakable steadfastness, to the point that David said, “Only God is my rock, my salvation, and my defense. I will never be greatly shaken by attackers. My soul silently waits for God.” Every single time… God proved Himself faithful on David’s behalf. Trusting anything else was proven a vain hope. David goes on to encourage us to trust in God.

People, always put your trust in God! Tell Him all your problems. God is our place of safety. (Psalm 62:8 ERV)

Don’t be moved by oppression, and do not trust in riches, because God is the ultimate power and source. He renders to everyone what has been sown. Our refuge is in God alone. Even when they’re not trying, sometimes people will let you down. We need to learn to make God our source, for our help comes from Him.

I must calm down and turn to God; only He can rescue me. (Psalm 62:1 ERV)

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood,

From Thy riven side which flowed,

Be of sin, the double cure,

Save me from its guilt and power.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

GOD'S OMNISCIENT PERSPECTIVE

A lot of frustration in life comes from trying to figure out only what God can understand. Through our limited mindset, we will not understand everything God does, and everything He allows. We need to cultivate a trust in God so strong, that even when circumstances seem completely jacked up, our confidence in God is unshaken, no matter what we’re seeing and experiencing.

The goal is not to always understand what God’s doing, and why He allows things to get all jacked up, but the goal is to continue trusting Him in spite of it, even when our human logic and emotions are going tilt, tilt, tilt. "God? Hello? Are You there?"

Romans 11:33-34 (NKJV) Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV) "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

1 Corinthians 1:25 (NKJV) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV) For we walk by faith, not by sight.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

MIRACULOUS STAIRCASE AT LORETTO CHAPEL

Many years ago, I went to visit a friend that lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She took me to see the fabulous staircase at the Loretto Chapel. Back in 1878, a French architect designed the chapel but died before he had finished the plan for the staircase to the choir loft 22 feet above the floor. He hadn’t told anyone how he had planned to fit this into his design. No other architects could figure it out because of how narrow the chapel was. To build regular stairs would have taken away valuable seating space.

The nuns went on a prayer vigil — on the last day, there was a knock at the door. It was a carpenter, looking for work. He showed them his idea for the spiral staircase and they agreed to let him build it. He always worked alone in the quiet. No one even knew his name. Three to six months later, the anonymous carpenter had completed the miraculous staircase.

The physics of the construction cannot be explained, even by professional engineers. It has no central column or support beams. All the weight is self-supporting at the base. The carpenter didn’t use any nails, glue, or screws. He only used wooden pegs to secure the steps.

The type of wood he used to build the staircase is not native to the Santa Fe area, and he did not obtain it from the local lumber yard. The lumber yard had no records that he had purchased any material or supplies while he was building the staircase. It is believed that the closest possible source for wood of this type would’ve been somewhere in Alaska. He had no way of getting it to the chapel without anyone noticing.

When he completed the staircase, the mysterious carpenter simply went on his way without being paid. No one knew his name, and because the carpenter wanted no recognition for himself, people through the years have given glory to God for the wondrous spiral staircase in Loretto Chapel. God had answered the nuns prayers by sending this man to build the miraculous staircase without nails, glue, or screws, and with wood no one knew where it actually came from. One hundred and forty-seven years later, engineers are still baffled about the physics of this construction. That’s why they call it the miraculous staircase.

The railings were added later because the nuns continued to have anxiety about falling as they ascended and descended the choir loft.

I am pleased that I was able to see it and touch it myself. I am deeply thankful that my dear friend took me to see it. God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. God’s ways are far beyond what our limited human mind can understand. Human logic will do no good to understand the ways of God, it must be discerned with an open heart. The prophet Isaiah says that the ways of God are as high as heaven is from the earth.

He can and does turn any situation from impossible to miraculous, if we believe. Those nuns prayed about an impossible situation and on the final day of the prayer vigil, their miracle knocked on the door.

#lorettochapel

(37 seconds)

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

PREP TO RECEIVE THE WORD

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please help me enter every sermon with a prayerful spirit, ready to receive what You have to convey to me. Give me a discerning heart to know what is for me, and what is not. Make me like those Ninevites that received Jonah's rebuke and repented before You in sack cloth and ashes. Cause the preacher to do as the apostle Paul told young Timothy... to willingly preach God's message, even if it isn't the popular thing to do. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. Correct people and point out their sins with patience, but also cheer them up with good and effective teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man (or woman) of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

I'M CHANGED BY LOVE

Here's a prayer I wrote on 7/15/2022...

"I remember a time when I went to church, and every Sunday the pastor brought a fiery sermon. I became so discouraged that all I could do was drag myself away from the building feeling pitiful. I wanted to please You Lord, but all I got in return were Your scathing rebukes. There has to be a balance between scolding and nurturing. Far be it from me, to tell You how to parent Your children. But I will ask You if You'll have mercy on us. Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from me; nevertheless, not my will, but Your will be done."

The goal and purpose of fiery preaching is to inspire people to repent of their sins. I think because of the environment we grew up in, I almost always find myself uninspired by fiery preachers that make me feel like God is angry and upset with me. If I leave church traumatized every Sunday, how does that inspire me to be close to God who keeps yelling at me through His preachers? I have struggled with this dilemma for a long, long time.

This morning, I heard a sermon about sin, but it was delivered in a way that literally made me well up with tears.😢 It inspired me to confess my sin and ask God to transform my heart by the renewing of my mind and make me acceptable to Him. I want to be a good daughter -- quick to repent and live everyday of my life in a godly fashion.

Ezekiel 11:19 (NIrV) I will give My people hearts that are completely committed to Me. I will give them a new spirit that is faithful to Me. I will remove their stubborn hearts from them. And I will give them hearts that obey Me.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove