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All About Dinah

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The Name of my blog: “Deeper In and Higher Up” (C.S. Lewis)
 
Focus of my blog: to know God, which involves devotional and theology
 
Looking back, I seem to have been a Christian all my life. My father loved the Lord and he always told us bible stories, and other Christian stories, poems and songs.
 
But generally, I just had the usual dramas, joys and pains of growing up. My parents were migrants, coming to Australia after WW2, (I am of Latvian descent), and we lived on a farm in an out of the way place, so I used to get picked up and taken to Sunday School. (Thank God for all those faithful Christians who care about wild children). Because we were relatively isolated, I turned more and more to books and lived a great deal in my imagination. When I became a teenager, nothing much changed except I discovered a passionate love of horses (as many young girls do - my mother hoped I would grow out of it - but I never did).
 
Then when I was about 16, God intervened. I was overwhelmed by an experience of God’s presence … suddenly I was in His arms and His love and joy exploded through my being in a way I cannot describe. Everything changed - nothing changed - the world was still the same but I was a new creation.
 
Then the “everyday” of living crept up on me again; I fell in love and married a wonderful man (God is good) …. we have now been married 42 years. And then when I was 21 years old, I was involved in a serious car accident involving a drunk driver, and it was only by the grace of God I lived. 
 
It was during this time I learned about physical pain – and learned a raw appreciation of Jesus’ physical suffering on the cross. I remember thinking at the time, if more Christians experienced intense physical pain they would not speak of the Cross so glibly. It cost, it hurt – I found it unbearable and I had access to morphine!   I also learned about emotional pain. I was 21 years old … I wanted to die and I was very angry with God.     
 
Of course I turned even more to my books, and read and read and read to escape.   All through these years my fascination with Jesus never left me, and then one Easter …   the love and joy of Christ again fell upon my thirsting soul, like a flash–flood in the desert, sweeping away my self-pity, my depression, my anger. But, even though I prayed fervently, not my disability, nor my physical pain. Emotionally I experienced healing, physically nothing changed.
 
Looking back I can see God’s mercy and His grace in the years that followed.   Much to my apprehension and delight I became pregnant … God was right of course, having children taught me more about God’s love and grace than anything else could.
 
So all through my life, I have not been exempted from suffering, pain, trouble, hardship, or any of what must be considered a normal part of living in our world. The last five years have been the most emotionally painful of my life, with the deaths of both sets of parents, and our kids growing up and leaving home (the story of the prodigal son took on a whole new meaning).   …   I have been in the place where we cry to God, and there are no words, and there is no light, only darkness and pain. But even then, He is there. … God is so good,   and God Himself is the main thing, the one thing.
 
I want to be able to help other Christians long to go deeper in and higher up, because I know what is there, but people grow at their own pace, and in their own way - and God orders all things …   But to know Him is indescribable joy.
 
In His love - Dinah
 
Favorite Authors: C.S.Lewis, D.A.Carson, Leon Morris, A.W.Tozer, John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Bruce Milne, Dallas Willard, Amy Carmichael, Gordon Fee, Eugene Peterson, Tolkein … oh, etc.etc.etc.
 
Music:  love it all from Third Day, to Michael Smith, to Handel’s Messiah!
 
Movies:  “The Passion of the Christ”, “Lord of the Rings”, “John”, “Matthew”, “Lion , Witch and the Wardrobe” etc … .
 
Hobbies: Gardening, Oil Painting …. Reading!
 
Pets : two Burmese cats …. But also love dogs, and of course, horses!  (I hope there are horses in heaven so I can ride again.)
 
Preferred Habitat: I’m a country girl, love the city for a quick visit, but I need space and silence.… give me mountains, trees, rivers, the sea, birds, animals, sea creatures (not too keen on snakes and spiders though!)