About Me

Van Walton

Fun Facts about Van Walton

My favorite smell: The way the earth smells after it rains.

My favorite sound: The first notes of a grand symphony.

My favorite way to relax: Sitting anywhere outside - on my front porch, on my deck, or by the lake, early in the morning with my first cup of coffee.

My favorite birthday dessert: a Peach cobbler baked by my husband. He’s my fave chef!

I will not eat: Avocado. They turn my stomach into a volcano that never erupts.

Technology I couldn't live without and why: My laptop - it takes me anywhere I want to go.

One thing that makes me smile: My sons' faces!

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My book, From the Pound to the Palace, is available for $10
from Proverbs 31 Ministries.


Pound to Palace


My book, Little Halos, is available for $5.99 from Proverbs
31 Ministries.


Little Halos


Proverbs 31 Ministries












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Monday, August 11, 2008

MOVIN' ON AFTER MOVIN' IN MONDAY

Everything I know about moving I learned from Moses and the Israelites who followed him through the desert. The entire Egypt experience is really all about me, forget the plagues, pharoah, and "let my people go!"

When I look at my life, I see one long journey from a place where I have been held captive - by one circumstance or another, to freedom and liberty. I cross deserts all the time. Sometimes my crossing is swift. Other times it takes me forever to conquer my life's challenges. I have often reached the 'promised land' only to walk away because of unbelief, sin, misunderstanding, impatience, disobedience, or refusal to follow God's plan for my life.

I return to the desert and there I learn more lessons.

I am reminded of my dad's too-many-times admonitions: "Why don't you go to your room until you figure it out? When you think you understand and can act rationally, come back. Then we will discuss your options."

This is the phrase I heard too many times. Either I had thrown a tantrum becuase I wanted something and he didn't think I should have it. Maybe I wanted to stay out late. "Why don't you go to your room...?"

Maybe my grades were unacceptable and I had become defensive. "Why don't you go to your room...?"

I remember getting into trouble and not wanitng to admit my disobedience. "Why don't you go to your room...?"

In my teenage years, "your room" was my desert.

Today- confusion, misunderstanding, disobedience, impatience... continue to take me to the desert! My dad isn't around to send me to my room. Life! Everyday life is often my desert.

One of my favorite books about life in the Sinai - the piece of land between Egypt and Israel, is A WAY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS. Jamie Buckingham teaches his readers a lot about life of the desert wanderer. His knowledge of life in the place where Moses and the former slaves wandered is fascinating.

In the desert there are three types of citizens:

The hermit who moves into the cave, stays there, meditates, communes, goes nowhere, touches no one.

The nomad who follows his flocks and, season after season, moves from one location to another, actually traveling around in a circle year after year- never moving forward or changing location.

The pilgrim who sets out on a journey with a certain goal in mind, a fixed destination.

Which kind of desert dweller are you?

Often I want to run and hide, just ignore the world, turn my back to others, do my own thing. Afterall wouldn't life be easy that way? Just me, no one else.

Too often I find myself just going round and round in circles, never accomplishing much of anything! Chasing after dreams, following others' ideas instead of my own, aimlessly wandering, season after season...

Really I long to be a pilgrim, focused on a set goal-walking on a straight path, traveling toward Jesus and the promise He has set before me. Waking each day with my eyes set on one destination, falling asleep every night, confident I have made progress and come a little bit closer to the place where God would have me abide.

Which kind of desert dweller are you? Are you content where you are? What are you going to do to become a pilgrim like our spirtitual and national forfathers?

5 comments:

Stonefox said...

Van, this is beautiful. Something the Lord brought home to me this week is that we can be in bondage in our Promised Land. This happens when we don't intentionally drive out the enemy and let them take us captive instead.

I know this is a different thought, but reading your entry reminded me that we can't be hermits or nomads. We must be intentional about living in the fullness of our promises.

I am so glad we found each other. I love your posts.

debrah said...

Hi Van:
Yes I have spent much time going in circles and hiding in caves...
but the one thing that keeps creeping in my mind lately is...being on the path that the Lord has placed you on...looking over to the other path and seeing many from the same body walking on that path...seeing no else on your path - you eventually join the others...then as you glance over at the original path you were on...you see someone else continuing where you left off...they arrive at the goal...blessed, free and have something of a blessing to share with those whose path you have joined...neither path was wrong in itself...but God placed you on one and them on another...sometimes you need to recognize that it is just you and the Lord walking that path...and that God will bring it all together in His time...I guess jumping paths is my issue...
In His Love,
Debrah

Laura said...

Hello, my friend! I must say, I think I have fit all these cave dweller types at one time or another in my life. Unfortunately, the Pilgrim less than I wish! Must work on that.
I hope the wedding was a beautiful blessing.
luv to you,
Laura

Shanda said...

I for sure feel like I've been "sent to my room!" Just trying to remember that there's lessons here to be learned. So far appreciating what I had, growing closer to my husband and little girl, and trying to find more relationship than duty.
Tough lessons. One at time, I guess.

shanda

MrsProverbs31 said...

Van, I love this post. It resonates with me. I am a nomad. I don't want to be. But, I am. Now that I know who I am, I hope I move forward to pilgrim.

Thanks for this post.