Rolinger Reflections

You are invited to our women’s conference at Oak Ridge Bible Chapel. It’s going to be a great year! Hope you can come and bring friends! If you questions, we have answers!

Click on the image below for the pdf invitation.

Craig is  at Whitewater Camp this week in Ohio. He’s giving morning devotions and speaking morning and evening to about 70 campers. Pray for continued strength as he is on his third week of the summer and it’s tiring even for a young person! (and we ain’t young anymore!)

Last week was an amazing week in TN. Amazing!

All’s quiet on the home front. Mumsy is trying to use her new teeth… that is a bit of a trial. We had a busy weekend and Monday celebrating my birthday, so today will probably be a quiet day here.

Every summer as we see kids coming to know the Lord Jesus as their Savior,  I gain a deeper appreciation for the work of Christ! Only God can change a life! Only Christ’s blood can cleanse a sinner. I’ve been singing this song…

I’m forgiven because You were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
Amazing love, I know it’s true
It’s my joy to honor You
In all I do, I honor You

Do you personally know this amazing love?

Lots of things have happened this week at the Rolingers. Those things will wait for another blog.

It’s the Lord’s Day today.

In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross.
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone.

In Christ alone do I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed.
For only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need.
And now I seek no greater honor
in just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses
to the glory of my Lord.

He by Himself has sworn; I on His oath depend,
I shall, on eagle wings upborne, to Heav’n ascend.
I shall behold His face; I shall His power adore,
And sing the wonders of His grace forevermore.
Thomas Olivers

Yesterday was the beautiful day I was awaiting to take mom outside for some pictures. I had already scouted the area for mom’s adventure with us. The ground level was a little tricky, but with Craig on one side and me on the other we thought we could walk her up "the hill" to the metal sculpture in which we would sit. It’s a good thing mom is a trooper and an adventurer at 90!

We arrived at the scene and had her sit in the car while we set up. The sky was grey which is important for her eyes. We climbed the mountain (it is a tiny hill but when you are 90, it is a mountain!) and we perched her in her spot and Craig and I moved around in different positions on the sculpture. We had so much fun.

I was reminded of this poem…

"’The road is too rough,’ I said; ‘It is uphill all the way;
No flowers, but thorns instead;
And the skies over head are grey.’
But One took my hand at the entrance dim,
And sweet is the road that I walk with Him.

"The cross is too great,’ I cried–
‘More than the back can bear,
So rough and heavy and wide,
And nobody by to care.’
And One stooped softly and touched my hand:
‘I know. I care. And I understand.’

"Then why do we fret and sigh;
Cross-bearers all we go:
But the road ends by-and-by
In the dearest place we know,
And every step in the journey we
May take in the Lord’s own company."

What fun we had!

I’m wondering, do you look at our flickr link on the right? My most recent addition to the photo sight is a sunset last week that was so beautiful I must post it here too.

Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 143:10 

So many things are happening here that I haven’t had time to write! Highlights:

Women’s Bible study begins tomorrow at the chapel (whoo hoo! I always enjoy this time. If you are near, please come!)

Mom (Laura Routley) turns 90 and the big party is this coming Saturday, the 17th! Again, you are invited!

The chapel is being sided.

Baptisms, People, people, people… it’s a great life!

Someone reminded me of this old Gaither song and I’ve been singing it for days:

I’m so glad I’m a part of the Family of God,
I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His Blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I’m part of the family,
The Family of God.

You will notice we say "brother and sister" ’round here,
It’s because we’re a family and these are so near;
When one has a heartache, we all share the tears,
And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear.

From the door of an orphanage to the house of the King,
No longer an outcast, a new song I sing;
From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong,
I’m not worthy to be here, but PRAISE GOD! I belong!

I’m so glad I’m a part of the Family of God,
I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His Blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I’m part of the family,
The Family of God.

Give me a sight, O Savior,
Of Thy wondrous love to me,
Of the love that brought Thee down to earth,
To die on Calvary.

            Oh, make me understand it,
            Help me to take it in,
            What it meant to Thee, the Holy One,
            To bear away my sin.

Was it the nails, O Savior,
That bound Thee to the tree?
Nay, ’twas Thine everlasting love,
Thy love for me, for me.

Oh, wonder of all wonders,
That through Thy death for me,
My open sins, my secret sins,
Can all forgiven be.

Then melt my heart, O Savior,
Bend me, yea, break me down,
Until I own Thee Conqueror,
And Lord and Sov’reign crown.

We had a great time over the weekend at Lake Geneva Youth Camp. It was such a busy time for me I took very few pictures! I enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new friends. I just wish I took more pictures! Craig was above in the booth and this was the group from his perspective.

Craig’s thought this morning (which he posts on facebook) was such a good thought and related to my weekend messages, I am posting it here…

1 Samuel 22:1; "So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam…"

While David’s bedroll may have been in the bowels of the earth, his heart was in a palace in the heavenly places. When God forces you from the heights to the depths do you absorb the nature of the pit, or do you make your face radiant? It was in the cave that the loveliness of David appeared and the needy found rest in his company. David became attractive in his distress when he sought God, and Psalm 142 is the record of the exercise that transformed David’s pit into a palace, a better palace. Read David’s prayer.

Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.
I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD;
I make supplication with my voice to the LORD.
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my trouble before Him.
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk They have hidden a trap for me.
Look to the right and see;
For there is no one who regards me;
There is no escape for me;
No one cares for my soul.
I cried out to You, O LORD;
I said, "You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
Give heed to my cry, For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are too strong for me.
Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will deal bountifully with me."
Psalms 142:1-7

"I cry aloud, I supplicate, I pour out complaint, I declare trouble TO THE LORD." In the pit at the throne is where David received the assurance that God would deal bountifully with him. It was in the pit at the throne that his change came and his loveliness appeared to all.

Option B is is be a Saul. At the very same time that David was making his pit into a palace. Saul had transformed his palace into a pit. Saul’s palace was a pit because SELF was King not Jehovah." Read Saul’s lament to people that was happening while David was making his lament to God.

"Me…Me…My…and there is none of you who is sorry for me." 1 Samuel 22:8

What will you do in the cave? Will you be a Saul or a David. It is a choice we make about SELF. If SELF is king life is a pit. If the Lord is king our life is hidden in the palace.

sunset

Originally uploaded by The Rolingers

After trying to set up a good photo gallery on our own web site and never being satisfied we went back to Flickr. Eventually I will delete the photo gallery at rolinger.org. Currently all or most of our pictures are Flickr. Click on the Flickr link on the right sidebar.

Buying Nancy her own camera was the best thing we ever did. She is getting some fantastic river pictures.