Author: Meridel Rawlings

Pieni hiljainen ääni – Heinäkuun 23. päivä 2022

Shalom ystävät! ”En minä enää sano teitä palvelijoiksi, sillä palvelija ei tiedä, mitä hänen herransa tekee; vaan ystäviksi minä sanon teitä, sillä minä olen ilmoittanut teille kaikki, mitä minä olen kuullut Isältäni.” Johanneksen evankeliumi 15:15 Uskon, että suurimmalla osalla lukijoistani on aikuisia lapsia ja lastenlapsia. Tiedätte, miten sydän rentoutuu laajentuen monien vuosien hoitamisen, neuvomisen ja elättämisen jälkeen, kun oma lapsi tai lapsenlapsi ylittää tuon näkymättömän rajan ja astuu sydämeen ystävänä. En ole löytänyt elämässä toista ihmissuhdetta, joka vetäisi vertaa tälle ilolle. Tänään oli lopulta jäähyväisten aika. Aamupäivän puoli yhdeksään mennessä kolme kaunista lastenlastamme olivat pakanneet ja valmiita suuntaamaan lentokentälle palatakseen kotiin ja astuakseen jälleen takaisin elämänarkeensa. Yhteinen välisoittomme oli kovin lyhyt, kuin muutaman suloisen sävelen muistuma suosikkirakkauslaulusta. Nykypäivän nuoriso Nuoret naiset ovat nykyään hyvin päättäväisiä kovin monen asian suhteen. Opinnot ovat ymmärtääkseni ykkössijalla. ”Tulla joksikin” on erittäin tärkeää. Iäntuoma, viisas neuvoni oli [minkä arvoinen se olikaan]: ”Ole aulis auttamaan toisia ihmisiä, ja sinulla tulee aina olemaan työtä.” Se otettiin vastaan vaieten. Nykyän nuoret kohtaavat haasteita, joita emme olisi mitenkään voineet kuvitella samassa iässä. Tytöt siirsivät …

Still Small Voice – July 23, 2022

Published by Meridel Rawlings

Shalom Friends: “I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you [My] friends because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father.” John 15:15 I believe the majority of my readership has grown children and grandchildren. You know how your heart expands when, finally after so many years of caring, instructing and providing, your child or grandchild crosses over that invisible line into your heart as a friend. I have found no other relationship in life to equal this joy. Today the time for ‘goodbyes’ finally arrived. By 8:30 a.m. three of our beautiful granddaughters were all packed and ready to head to the airport, return home and step back into their lives once again. Our interlude together was so short; almost like a few sweet notes of a favourite love song running through your thoughts. Today’s Youth: Young women today are very determined about so much. Studies rank number one I think. ‘Becoming’ is …

Still Small Voice – July 16th 2022

Published by Meridel Rawlings

Kalimera dear Friends … this is Greek for Good Morning! Three of our granddaughters are visiting. They are ages 22, 18 and 16. We are having a ‘blast’ together, catching up after a year. “What is it with the people here? Are they always this friendly?” One asked. “What you see is what you get.” Jay assured them. Coming out of big cities, one is not used to encountering the milk of human kindness so liberally shared as here. Welcome to Greece! Our conversations and laughter are the most exiting times of all for me personally. Over coffee, one of the girls offered: “Fear has to be the biggest enemy ever!” “Fear is like an ever-present shadow that follows us. It sneaks its way into our thinking.” I said, in agreement. “YES, exactly.” She said excitedly. I continued; “I was your age when I came to realize: the hateful, fearful thoughts that sprang into my thinking were NOT me! I saw they were lies. I separated myself from the hurtful insinuations and learned to fight …

Still Small Voice – 10 Juli, 2022

Published by Meridel Rawlings

Schalom liebe Freunde von Jay und Meridel Wie David haben Jay und ich es gewagt, “durch eine Truppe zu laufen und über eine Mauer zu springen!” Jesus nahm den himmlischen Schlüssel, welchen er von seinem irdischen Vorfahr erhielt, König David, durch den Propheten Jesaja, und versprach ihn denjenigen von uns, welche sich entscheiden, in seine Fußstapfen zu treten. Ich werde euch die Schlüssel (Vollmacht) des Königreichs des Himmels geben; und alles, was ihr auf Erden bindet [verbietet, für unzulässig erklärt, ungesetzlich) das ist im Himmel schon gebunden, und was immer du auf der Erde löst [erlaubst, legal erklärst] wird [schon] im Himmel gelöst [erlaubt] sein. Jesaja 22:22, Matthäus 18:18 Ich danke Euch für Eure Hilfe für uns als Familie. Ich habe alles in die Familienkasse investiert, um die Dinge am Laufen zu halten. Seht, Jay hat all die Jahre über kein Gehalt von Vistas erhalten, sondern hat 100% seiner Zeit und Kraft ehrenamtlich zur Verfügung gestellt. Unsere Vorstandsmitglieder (angeführt von einem Anwalt) weigerten sich, uns eine Rente von Vistas zu gewähren, egal wie gering sie …

Pieni Hiljainen Ääni – 10. Heinäkuuta 2022

Published by Meridel Rawlings

Shalom, kallisarvoiset Jayn ja Meridelin ystävät! Daavidin tavoin Jay ja minä uskalsimme paeta ”läpi rosvojoukon ja hypätä ylitse muurin.” Jeesus otti maalliselle esi-isälleen, kuningas Daavidille profeetta Jesajan kautta luvatun avaimen.Jeesus lupasi sen niille, jotka valitsevat seurata Hänen jalanjäljissään. Minä annan teille taivasten valtakunnan avaimet (auktoriteetin); ja mitä ikinä te sidotte (kiellätte, julistatte sopimattomaksi tai laittomaksi) maan päällä on (jo) sidottu taivaassa, ja mitä ikinä te päästätte (sallitte, julistatte lailliseksi) maan päällä on (jo) päästettyä (sallittua) taivaassa. Vrt. Jesaja 22:22 ja Matteus 18:18 Kiitos avustanne meille perheenä. Siirrän kaiken [lahjoitetun] perheen yhteisiin varoihin, jotka auttavat asioiden pitämistä ”rullaamassa”. Jay ei nimittäin nostanut palkkaa Vistasilta moneen vuoteen, vaan toimi 100 %:sesti vapaaehtoisena aikaansa ja voimiaan antaen. Hallituksemme – jota johtaa juristi – jäsenet epäsivät meiltä vähäisenkin eläkkeen saamisen Vistalta. Tuo päätös teki meille todella helpoksi ”katsoa palvelijoiden tavoin Isännän käden suuntaan kaiken tarvitsemamme suhteen”. Tiedämme, ettemme ole vain ystäviä, vaan kaikkein ihmeellisimmän ja ihanimman Mestari Jeesuksen perhettä! Toimimme anteeksiannosta käsin; tämä on todellisuutta. Kiertueemme halki Kanadan on erityisesti suunniteltu keräämään 100 000 dollaria, jotka ovat tarpeen saadaksemme …

Still Small Voice – July 10th 2022

Published by Meridel Rawlings

Shalom Dear Friends of Jay and Meridel: Like David, Jay and I have dared to run “through a troop and leap over a wall!” Jesus took the heavenly Key given by his earthly forefather, King David through the prophet Isaiah, and promised it to those of us who choose to follow in His footsteps. I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you lose, [permit declare lawful] one earth will have [already] been loosed [permitted] in heaven. Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 18:18 Thank you for your help to us as a family. I put everything into the family funds to help keep things running. You see, Jay has taken no salary from Vistas for years, but has volunteered 100% of his time and strength. Our Board Members (led by a lawyer) refused to allow us to have a pension from Vistas, no matter how small. This decision made it real easy for …

Still Small Voice – July 3rd 2022

Published by Meridel Rawlings

My dear friends: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” Philippians 3:1-5. Yes, a mighty thank you for helping us this past month to climb over many walls. Because of your kindness, we are able to pay something down on our plane tickets to Canada. We also hope to have our latest book, ‘Miracles Among the Nations’ available by September also. We are thankful for the effectual doors that have opened in Canada. Hebrew Words Matter: For believers, “Let there be Light!” are the Divine words which created our world. “Tzedakah – Charity is words of truth and conveys values, culture, and tradition. False words tear at the fabric of life and have the power to kill. They can create a chaotic biblical Tower of Babel. Every word in Hebrew has a 3 letter shoresh or root, which reveals the true meaning and impacts culture. Take, ‘tzedakah’, the word listed above. English describes it as ’charity’ from ‘caritas, love and philanthropy’ from philo, also love. Giving to the needy is an act of …

Still Small Voice – June 25th 2022

Published by Meridel Rawlings

From Meridel’s desk Dear reader, By God’s grace, this will be my last letter to you from Israel this year. Our children Daniel and Shelly are living in our home for the next year, and we are going to our cottage in Greece. The sale of our home in Canada helped us buy an old house in Greece AND Josh designed and oversaw the construction of a place to go to rest and write. Our address: P O Box 47554, 21051 Ermioni, Greece. Your SNAIL mail will be safe here. It is not in Israel, I am very sad to say. We cannot receive checks as no bank will cash them. You can use this account in Germany. Jay Rawlings. T Frankfurter Sparkasse Nordend branch – Bergstrasse 29 D 60316, Frankfurt am Main, GERMANY tel 49 69 24 182224 fax 49 69 264 15101, BANK MANAGER 49 69 26415562 Mirjana’S DIRECT LINE ACCOUNT NUMBER: # 162008 IBAN: DE23 5005 0201 0000 1620 08 BIC/SWIFT: HELADEF1822 The angels bring your prayers and …

Still Small Voice – June 19th 2022

Published by Meridel Rawlings

Dear Friends: I feel the following life-giving words belong to those suffering from the ongoing effects of the vaccine. Mind you, the doctors call it ‘long COVID’. Having not had COVID but after taking the 2nd vaccine in early February 2021, I had an immediate negative reaction. Fluid poured out of my nostrils after 15 minutes and continued for some time. Seven months later, I was stricken with debilitating weakness. imbalance and exhaustion. 8 months later to the day, I woke up with weakness in my right hand. I couldn’t turn on my electric toothbrush or open a cupboard door. I was hospitalized for a week in Neurology, and given daily tests, and 3 MRIs. Nothing! But one of my Drs. came to me privately and said, “We’ve had many such cases.” I am allowed my personal experience. I have a brother who died of a massive heart attack a month after the 3rd dose. I had never heard him complain of heart trouble or needing heart meds. Yes, this is my experience and opinion. …

Still Small Voice – June 13th, 2022

Published by Meridel Rawlings

Dear Friends: I begin with this encouraging quote: “The presence of the LORD comes when reading the Still Small Voice and with it a mixture of joy and tears. I love to support your work, you are good ground, and I pray for you and your family daily.” J. M., USA “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great …” Genesis 6:5 To quote Jesus: “What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.” Matthew 15:18 What does My Future Hold? Today, citizens in every nation are grappling with this question. Will slavery continue? I can hear the Spirit of the LORD calling ‘listen’! Those who desire to hear the invisible voice will obey. “Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek and inquire of the LORD: Look to the rock you were cut from and to the quarry from which you were dug.” Isaiah 51:1 Sometimes we need to backtrack to see how far we have gotten off the beaten track. No matter the challenges; …