S-S-S-Seventy, the new Seventy...who da thought. Part 1

"S-S-S-Seventy, the new Seventy...who da thought - Part 1

"Lord, Can You Use Me?"
(the answer is "YES")

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
You have made my lot secure
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Surely I have a delightful inheritance.
Psalm 16:5-6

Hello...it's me.
A week after turning seventy, I was asked to speak to over a hundred ladies at Red Bank Baptist Church on the theme, "Lord, Can You Use Me?" Afterwards, I asked the Lord, "did you use me?"

Why is it that after we study and pray and do everything possible to share what the Lord has given us, our insecurities try to steal our joy?  I should be used to that by now.  After all, I am seventy.  I'm sure some of you have experienced this, so that's why I'm going to share--in a nutshell--two reasons that keep me from saying yes to God when he has a great--and sometimes scary--plan for me.
(taken from my somewhat organized notes).

The #1 reason is FEAR.  There are several kinds of fear. One is the fear of stepping into the unknown.  Oftentimes Jesus has asked me to come out of my comfort zone in order for me to totally rely on him.  Now, I know there are several of you who are saying, "I don't need God's help; I can do it myself."  That's nice, but I assure you that there will come a time when you will hit a brick wall, throw up your hands, and humbly admit, "God, I think I need your help on this one."

Fear of man will paralyze you.  When I was in eleventh grade I took a speech class because I loved to write and wanted to learn how to write formal speeches.  What I didn't know was that I had to give a speech from what I wrote.  The thought of speaking in front of a room filled with varsity football players made my head spin and my stomach churn.  My sixteen-year-old body was experiencing fear in the first degree.

After giving a successful speech, still standing in front of al of those cute football players,  I fainted and woke up underneath a table with Toby-the-darling-quarterback holding my hand.  Embarrassed is putting it mildly.  At that moment I resolved never speak in public again.

Well, God had different plans.  Throughout my life I have been asked to speak, share--whatever you want to call it--to various groups...Singles Ministry, Bible school classes, women's groups (USA and international), garden clubs, assisted living, where several dozed off within 5 minutes (great for the ego), book clubs, book conferences, and book signings.  Each time I speak I recall one of my favorite verses to overcome my fear of man: 

He gives power to the faint and 

to them that have no might he increases strength.  

Isaiah 40:29

MS Restoration sailing over the Pond (Atlantic) from Seattle, WA to our first port, Stockholm, Sweden

Personal fears cause stress, anxiety, and illness.  After spending a week working on a WWII ship in Seattle, WA, I knew God was asking my husband and I to volunteer for a 14-month term to be part of her maiden voyage.  After saying yes to God, I suddenly remembered, "Eeek!  I can't swim!"  Fear hit me like a mighty wave.  I began plotting how I could get out of this situation until the Lord gave me two comfort verses:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you... Isaiah 43:2

Thus saith the Lord, which taketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters...Isaiah 43:16

MS Restoration's maiden voyage '95.
Arriving in Sochi, Russia after my heart attack in Athens, Greece

FEAR struck me in Athens, Greece 
when I was experiencing what I later discovered was a heart attack.  
After living on board this old ship that was ready to sail to the Black Sea to 
transport Russian Jews to Israel, this old gal was determined to sail to Sochi, Russia. 
I would not fly home.  
Why? Because God's Word says:

My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart,

and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

I will share the #2 reason for not saying yes to God in my next blog.  Can you guess what it might be?  I will share some personal examples on this hot topic.

Until then, wherever your feet may take you,
I wish you oceans of blessings

Read my book for details of my travels
www.sharonleaf.com

To Sochi, With Love ~ Part 2

The Sea of Marmara, Istanbul, Turkey,
Near the entrance to the Black Sea on our way to Sochi, Russia

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia begins this week.  Anticipation is in the air for many reasons and I plan to be watching in the comfort of my living room.  But there was an event  in 1995 that transported me out of my living-room-comfort-zone, to a place I had never heard of before: Sochi, Russia.

Rob and I in crew uniforms on deck ofWWII ship MS Restoration
 Athens, Greece, last port before arriving in Sochi, Russia
June 1995

As I mentioned in my last blog, I am including an excerpt from my book, Lady and the Sea, that tells of my own personal moments of anticipation when the WWII ship, MS Restoration, arrives in the Sochi Harbor.  It is the moment the crew has been anticipating for fourteen months.  Now, one morning before the break of dawn, we are finally at the Sochi dock, picking up the Chosen Eight, as we endearingly named our beloved passengers. I truly believe these eight Russian Jews were hand-picked by God to make the five-day Breakthrough Journey from the Black Sea to Israel.  Now, for a few moments, travel back in time ...

Excerpt from Chapter 46:

... The crew held out their hands to greet the Chosen Eight as they walked carefully up the gangway.  The captain's wife shook the hands of each man, and wrapped her arms around each woman as if she were welcoming an old friend to her home.

     "Welcome to the Restoration," Tina said.

      They smiled and shyly answered, "Spasibo."

     Tina took the stewards aside and gave them specific instructions, as if she had done this many times.  

    "We cannot imagine what our passengers are thinking and feeling as they leave the port.  We must allow them personal time and space.  They are leaving their homeland and are wondering about this Promised Land they have heard so much about."

     The Restoration pulled away from the dock as the new day broke.  Silently, a mother held her daughter as they watched the shoreline fade from sight.  A family of four stood together, holding onto the ship rail and to each other.  An older couple, with arms wrapped around each other and tears streaming down their faces, made small conversation in their native tongue.

     Rosie and Tina watched from the balcony.  "Now I see with my eyes what this ship is all about," Rosie said as her own tears fell to the deck.  "It's about these eight brave souls."

     "Yes, the Chosen Eight.  But this is only the beginning.  Many more will follow.  As the Bible predicts, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will guide them out of the darkness, into the light. and to a life they have only dreamed about until now."

     Rosie put her arm around Tina.  "And this is what your dream is all about."

     "Yes, this is my dream come true.  And what is your dream, Rosie?"

     "When I was a young girl, my dream was to travel the world with Jesus, and with the man I love.  Now, as I am participating in this prophesy on this ship, my dream is coming true."

     Together, the two dreamers cried tears of joy.

Our tiny one-room cabin
WWII ship MS Restoration May 1994 to July 1995
Notice fan & stereo at foot of our bed; shortwave radio next to Rob's pillow;
Reading lights hooked on metal headboard
The good life.

We all have our moments of anticipation, especially when we are right smack dab in the middle of that moment.  Have no fear; know that God has placed you there for a purpose.  Then when you look back, you too might want to write about it.  If not a book, how about a short story to give to your family--so they won't forget.  Or at least a note to yourself in your journal--so you won't forget.  Believe me, time has a way of filling the brain with so much stuff that it sometimes pushes the important events out.

Remember,

~ You cannot discover new oceans until 

you are willing to lose sight of the shore ~

Until next time, I wish you oceans of blessings!

www.sharonleaf.com

To Sochi, With Love ~ Part 1

Me and nurse Liv Kersti in Sochi Harbor 1995
on WWII ship MS Restoration
Behind us is the seaside town of Sochi
directly behind are the mountains where the skiing events will take place

He protected us on our entire journey 

and among all nations through which we traveled.  

Joshua 24:17

We don't know how the 2014 Winter Olympics will turn out next month, but I know of a very successful event that took place in Sochi that is written down in God's history book.  I was a small part of this prophetic journey.  That is why I was compelled to write Lady and the Sea, a novel based on my true story.

The photo above was taken on the deck of the MS Restoration June 23 1995 in the Sochi harbor.  The day was clear, warm and full of electricity.  After fourteen months on board the WWII ship, we had finally arrived in Sochi, Russia where we would pick up and transport eight Russian Jews to Haifa Israel.  A small group, yes, but it was our 'breakthrough' trip for the thousands of Russian Jews that would follow, free of charge.
Note: You never know when your own 'breakthrough' moment will take place, so stay alert.

For security reasons, the crew was told to stay on board except for the captains and those who loaded the large crates that were filled with the Russian Jews' personal belongings.  And Rob.  How he got permission to set foot on Sochi soil, I'll never know.  Neither will he.  Only God.

Next week I will write an excerpt from Lady and the Sea that tells one of the more emotional moments of my journey.

As we each travel our own journey, 

Who knows where their paths will lead?  

We take one step at a time and trust God.  

God is great.  God is good.

Knowing this will give us peace to take the next step.

www.sharonleaf.com

From Israel to the Interstate, I love to Travel

Sailing from Sochi, Russia to Haifa, Israel on the MS Restoration ('95)

As I watched the The Bible series on the History channel the other night, I was taken back to the days when Rob and I traveled through Israel.  The Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee, Masada, and ahh, the Holy City, Jerusalem, surfaced from my memory bank.  David's citadel, the Upper Room, the old city, and my favorite place, the Western Wall where I placed my small, white piece of paper between the stones.

Rob and I at the Western Wall

Rob and I have traveled to many countries and found each one unique.  But no matter where we travel, or live, what makes up the places where we are?  The people.  It's the people who add flavor, zest, and wonder to that particular corner of the world.  Cultures are different, so the people are in so many ways.  In my travels, I took the time to get to know the Swedes, Norwegians, Finnish, Russians, Estonians, Latvians, Turks, Greeks, Israelis.  And of course I have to add that their delicious food and delicacies was icing on my cake! (note: I write about my travels in my novel, Lady and the Sea)

When we moved from sunny Southern California to sultry South Carolina, it was a big adjustment.  More for Rob than me.  I was born here so I was returning to my southern roots.  But Rob is a beach boy at heart.  Thankfully, we are only a few hours from the east coast shores, and we can visit our hometown of Huntington Beach periodically, but this is our home now.  We are surrounded by big-hearted folks who have taken us in like their own children.  Pretty nice since we're in our mid-sixties.

Driving down the Interstate

So remember, wherever you travel, near or far ... wherever you live, on the west coast or in the heartland, get to know the people around you.  Those are the ones that God has placed in your lives, whether for a small season or for years and years and years to come.

I wish you smooth driving and highways of blessings!

And remember ... there's NO PLACE like HOME

At the end of the journey we'll surely rest with God.  

So let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest  

Hebrews 4:9-10

www.sharonleaf.com
www.sharonleaf.blogspot.com