Shapes of Angels

Always There

2012-02-01T08:41:00.000-05:00

Look to the Lord

and His strength;

seek His face always.

Psalm 105:4

•

As I look around,

ahead,

back,

it can all just crash over me.

I feel a little lost

in the whirlwind.

I can't keep up.

I need peace.

I want clarity.

I've been so serious,

uptight.

I want to lighten up,

relax,

enjoy.

Even as I speak

what is on my heart,

You respond.

•

What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax,

to not be so preoccupied with getting,

so you can respond to God's giving.

Steep your life in God-reality,

God-initiative, God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

You'll find all your everyday

human concerns will be met.

Give your entire attention

to what God is doing right now,

and don't get worked up

about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

God will help you deal with whatever

hard things come up when the time comes.

Matthew 6:31, 33-34

Thank You, Father!

Once again You show me

that You are Sovereign —

that You go before me,

that you know what is in my heart

even before I do.

Thank You Jesus

for being my

Strength and my Shield,

my Rock!

My Vital Need

2012-01-19T08:28:00.001-05:00

You have said, Seek My face

[inquire for and require My presence as your vital need].

My heart says to You,

Your face (Your presence), Lord,

will I seek, inquire for, and require

[of necessity and on the authority of Your Word].

Psalm 27:8

Your Presence is my vital need.

How quickly I forget

and get distracted

or start thinking some

thing

is my vital need.

Inquire for --

ask.

Require --

need.

My heart knows

Who it needs.

My heart cries out to You.

My mind takes a while to catch up.

[What, what would have become of me]

had I not believed that I would see

the Lord's goodness in the land of the living!

Wait and hope for and

expect the Lord;

be brave and of good courage

and let your heart be stout and enduring.

Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.

Psalm 27:13-14

He is here.

Because He is here

and because I can expect Him

I can be brave

and courageous

my heart can be strong

and I can endure.

I will wait.

I will hope.

I will expect.

I will inquire.

I will require.

For He is my Vital Need.

Choosing Joy

2012-01-13T09:23:00.002-05:00

Always be joyful.

Never stop praying.

Be thankful in all circumstances,

for this is God’s will for you

who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Always joy?

Always pray?

Thankful always?

How is that possible?

Christ in me.

Pure and simple.

He alone is adequate

to face every situation.

He is alive in me.

My joy comes when I remember that.

As I rely on Him

and seek to be available to Him

I am talking to Him more.

Praying more.

He is enough.

That's where the thankfulness comes from.

Thankful that He is able.

I don't have to be.

Lord, please help me walk in this truth,

because this is where

joy, prayer and thanksgiving come from -

faith in You.

•

"God is limited only by the measure of our

availability to all that He makes available

to us for in Him dwells

all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

and you are complete in Him

(Colossians 2:9-10)."

-- The Indwelling Life of Christ

by Major W. Ian Thomas

Let Be and Be Still

2012-01-11T17:34:00.002-05:00

Let be and be still,

and know (recognize and understand)

that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations!

I will be exalted in the earth!

The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our Refuge

(our High Tower and Stronghold).

Selah

[pause, and calmly think of that]!

Psalm 46:10-11

This is what the Sovereign LORD,

the Holy One of Israel, says:

“Only in returning to me

and resting in me will you be saved.

In quietness and confidence is your strength.

But you would have none of it.

Isaiah 30:15

Shhhh, be still.

I know that it is hard.

I know you don't understand.

Quiet now.

Remember what I have told you.

I have not left you on your own.

I am right here with you.

I will never leave you.

Come to Me.

Tell Me what is on your heart.

Lay your burden down at My feet.

I hear you when you call to Me.

I am at work.

Remember to thank Me.

Your thanks shows Me that you trust Me.

Thanksgiving keeps your focus on Me,

on what I am doing,

what I am going to do.

I hold your future.

I know the plans I have for you.

You only need to be still

and know

that I am God.

Moving out of the shadows.

2012-01-06T08:43:00.000-05:00

So letting your sinful nature

control your mind

leads to death.

But letting the Spirit

control your mind

leads to life and peace.

Romans 8:6

I can get so bogged down in my thoughts.

I can see only my inadequacies,

how unable I am.

I start comparing myself to others,

believing that if I try harder,

I can be like them.

•

"Instead of letting difficulties draw you into worrying,

(or fretting or comparing or feeling inadequate)*

try to view them as setting the scene

for My glorious intervention.

Keep your eyes and your mind open

to all that I am doing in your life."

-- from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

*my addition

•

Listening to my sinful nature,

the thoughts that come that are not from You,

drags me down, holds me under,

leads to death.

Your voice is Truth.

Your voice is Light.

Your voice is Life and Peace.

You are my strength.

You are all I need.

It is not about me and what I cannot do.

It is all about You and what You can do.

•

Now all glory to God,

Who is able, through His mighty power

at work within us,

to accomplish infinitely more

than we might ask or think.

Ephesians 3:20

Dependence

2012-01-05T08:33:00.003-05:00

The Cross by prozac1

Dependence

Victory can only come

when I lay down control

when I stop striving and trying

when I see my neediness

when I lean hard and deep into You.

Weakness, struggle, failure

clear the air of the mists of self-reliance.

Through the lens of my neediness

I see how unable I am.

I whisper Your name

You are with me

warming me with Your smile

lifting me up onto Your shoulder.

You fight for me

when I come to You.

You don't want me

to do this on my own.

•

The Lord hears His people

when they call to Him for help.

He rescues them from all their troubles.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;

He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Psalm 34:17-18

Trust

2012-01-04T08:37:00.001-05:00

Trust

Think about Who I am

Recall My Power and Glory

Ponder My deep and wide love for you.

I am always with you —

always in control of all things.

Remember Who I am —

let go of fear's grip.

Trusting Me draws you close to Me.

So I have looked upon You

in the sanctuary to see

Your power and Your glory.

Psalm 63:2

Where could I go from Your Spirit?

Or where could I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, You are there;

if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead),

behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the morning or

dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there shall Your hand lead me,

and Your right hand shall hold me.

Psalm 139:7-10

Remember

2011-12-30T10:12:00.002-05:00

Image Credit

Remember.

Take steps,

the way I show you,

to set up a touch stone

a visible reminder

of what I have done for you.

A memorial forever.

•

Joshua called out the twelve men

whom he selected from the People of Israel,

one man from each tribe.

Joshua directed them,

"Cross to the middle of the Jordan

and take your place in front of the Chest of God, your God.

Each of you heft a stone to your shoulder,

a stone for each of the tribes of the People of Israel,

so you'll have something later to mark the occasion.

When your children ask you,

'What are these stones to you?'

you'll say, 'The flow of the Jordan was stopped

in front of the Chest of the Covenant of God as it crossed the Jordan—

stopped in its tracks.

These stones are a permanent memorial for the People of Israel.

Joshua 4:4-7 msg

Available

2011-12-29T10:37:00.001-05:00

"Consistently trusting in Me is vital to flourishing in My Presence."

-- from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

There is no peace apart from You.

I know this so well

because I wander so often.

Why I think I can do better,

why I think that You expect me

to do it all on my own,

I have no idea.

I know that it is only by Your

precious Grace

that I am

saved,

forgiven,

restored,

redeemed,

justified....

Why I think I can

do anything apart from you,

I have no idea.

I try to be like You

but I can't.

Only You can be You

in me.

Teach me

how to be available,

available

to You

for You are all I need.

"The only limitation

on what God can do

in you and me

is our

availability.

Be available to Christ,

and His divine dynamic

will be released."

"The Christian life is not about

our own capacity and ability,

but about God's;

not about who we are,

but who He is;

not about what we have to offer,

but what He offers,

which is all of Himself,

if only we are as available to Christ

as Christ was available to His Father."

-- from The Indwelling Life of Christ by Major W. Ian Thomas

Blessed are you

who give yourselves over to God,

turn your backs on the world's "sure thing",

ignore what the world worships;

Psalm 40:4 msg

My help and glory are in God

—granite-strength and safe-harbor-God —

So trust Him absolutely, people;

lay your lives on the line for HIm.

God is a safe place to be.

Psalm 62:7-8 msg

Words to Live By

2011-10-17T11:51:00.000-04:00

BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable)

is the man who walks and lives not

in the counsel of the ungodly

[following their advice, their plans and purposes],

nor stands [submissive and inactive]

in the path where sinners walk,

nor sits down [to relax and rest]

where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.

But his delight and desire are in the law

of the Lord, and on His law

(the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God)

he habitually meditates (ponders and studies)

by day and by night.

And he shall be like a tree firmly planted

[and tended] by the streams of water,

ready to bring forth its fruit in its season;

its leaf also shall not fade or wither;

and everything he does shall prosper

[and come to maturity].

Psalm 1:1-3

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ?

Any comfort from his love?

Any fellowship together in the Spirit?

Are your hearts tender and compassionate?

Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other,

loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others.

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Don’t look out only for your own interests,

but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Philippians 2:1-5

And so, dear brothers and sisters,

I plead with you to give your bodies to God

because of all he has done for you.

Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—

the kind he will find acceptable.

This is truly the way to worship him.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,

but let God transform you into a new person

by changing the way you think.

Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,

which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2

Deciding in my Heart

2011-09-19T08:15:00.000-04:00

I have become so dry.

So closed in and holding tight to the little I have.

I have felt a distance between me and God,

all the while knowing that it was not Him that had moved.

He never leaves, never forsakes.

He gave me these verses this morning

as I came to Him and

simply confessed the distance in my heart.

I asked Him to show me,

to search me and show me

what had come between us.

Repent, all of you who forget me,

or I will tear you apart,

and no one will help you.

But giving thanks is a sacrifice

that truly honors me.

If you keep to my path,

I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”

Psalm 50:22, 23

I had stopped being purposelly thankful

and offering Him praise willingly and often.

I had been focused on all that I have to do

instead of Who He is.

But thanksgiving throws open the doors to God.

We are to enter His courts with praise.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Psalm 100:4

As I read 2 Corinthians 9 this morning

after God showed me my need

to return to giving Him thanks,

verse 7 jumped off the page at me.

God doesn't want me to give because I have to,

He wants me to be joyful

as I come to Him with my thanks.

And, I have determined to do just that....

To regularly give Him thanks, with a joyful heart.

"You must each decide in your heart how much to give.

And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. '

For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.'"

2 Corinthians 9:7

As I was typing this out,

this next verse just popped in my head.

So, I share it now as I close.

What, then, shall we say in response to this?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

Brand New

2011-09-12T09:07:00.001-04:00

I have been made for a purpose!

"...to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,

so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose

and has given us the Spirit as a deposit,

guaranteeing what is to come."

2 Corinthians 5:4-5 niv

Sometimes this mortal tent

can seem so heavy,

so constant,

never ending.

But there is more to come!

This is not the extent of it all.

Therefore, I can have joy

as I cling to the promise of what is to come.

We live by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 niv

So we make it our goal to please him,

whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

For we must all appear

before the judgment seat of Christ,

that each one may receive what is due him

for the things done while in the body,

whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 niv

Because of what is to come,

I have a goal.

Pleasing the Lord

should be the goal of my life.

I am His

and one day I will stand before Him.

What will He say?

And he died for all,

that those who live

should no longer live for themselves

but for him who died for them

and was raised again.

2 Corinthians 5:15 niv

To live for Him,

Who died for me,

is the least that I can do.

He paid the price

and gave His all

for you and me.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creation;

the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17 niv

I am a new creation!

Through Jesus

the old has gone

the new is here to stay.

We implore you on Christ’s behalf:

Be reconciled to God.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us,

so that in him

we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:20b-21 niv

"Jesus paid it all,

all to Him I owe!

Sin had left its crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow!"

Filling my Vessel of Earth with Light

2011-09-08T08:35:00.002-04:00

For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness,

has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth]

the Light for the illumination of the knowledge

of the majesty and glory of God

[as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed]

in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

However, we possess this precious treasure

[the divine Light of the Gospel]

in [frail, human] vessels of earth,

that the grandeur and exceeding greatness

of the power may be shown to be from God

and not from ourselves.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7 amp

•

It comes so slowly,

the realization that dullness has come.

How dry life has become,

void of the crackle of life,

so heavy, and hard.

Looking down,

focusing on the vessel of earth,

dims the Light.

All I can see is the cracks,

the powdery residue drifting all around.

Where is hope?

I'm just a clay pot.

And a broken one at that.

And all around me are broken jars,

bumping into me,

bruising and jostling.

The hunger for Light is there.

I know where the Source is.

I just have to lift my eyes.

•

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?

Why are you crying the blues?

Fix my eyes on God—

soon I'll be praising again.

He puts a smile on my face.

He's my God.

Psalm 42:5 msg

•

I may be a broken jar,

a vessel of earth.

But I am filled with the fullness of Life and Light.

Looking up, He floods my face

with the Light of His Glory and Grace.

Filled.

Life abundant.

•

For our light, momentary affliction

(this slight distress of the passing hour)

is ever more and more abundantly

preparing and producing and achieving

for us an everlasting weight of glory

[beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all

comparisons and all calculations,

a vast and transcendent glory

and blessedness never to cease!],

Since we consider and look

not to the things that are seen

but to the things that are unseen;

for the things that are visible are temporal

(brief and fleeting),

but the things that are invisible

are deathless and everlasting.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 amp

•

My brokenness is temporal.

He is Eternal, Deathless and Everlasting.

Oh downcast soul,

look up!

He will fill with Light.

He lifts us up.

Fix your eyes on Him.

He is the Source

2011-08-26T08:58:00.000-04:00

For our knowledge is fragmentary

(incomplete and imperfect),

and our prophecy (our teaching)

is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).

But when the complete and perfect (total) comes,

the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away

(become antiquated, void, and superseded).

For now we are looking in a mirror

that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection

[of reality as in a riddle or enigma],

but then [when perfection comes]

we shall see in reality and face to face!

Now I know in part (imperfectly),

but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly,

even in the same manner as I have been fully

and clearly known and understood [by God].

And so faith, hope, love abide

[faith--conviction and belief respecting

man's relation to God and divine things;

hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation;

love--true affection for God and man,

growing out of God's love for and in us],

these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:9-10, 11-12, 13

•

In the past when I have read 1 Cor. 13 I have always sighed

and stepped away feeling discouraged.

In fact, even this morning, when I realized we were reading

this chapter I felt heaviness and just sighed.

I could only see what I was not and what I did not have.

Through a few different sources,

(including vs. 13 in the Amplified Version)

the Lord reminded me that He is the source of this love.

I do not have the ability to conjure up true love.

He alone is the source of real, Godly love.

Thus, another reason that I need to put my whole trust

in Him and rely on Him solely and completely.

Only as I keep my eyes on Him do I become more like Him.

•

“And we all, with unveiled face,

beholding the glory of the Lord,

are being transformed into the same image

from one degree of glory to another.

For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

-- 1 Corinthians 3:18

“And everyone who thus hopes in Him

purifies himself as he is pure”

-- 1 John 3:3

Returning

2011-08-17T07:20:00.000-04:00

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength,

but you would have none of it.

Isaiah 30:15 niv84

•

It doesn't take much, really.

And in the midst of learning new things

and starting back up in others,

it comes so easy.

Discomfort.

Unease.

Creeping up from the pit of

my stomach.

Straight to my head

where it rolls around

enlarging with each circle.

Simple worlds shared by another

sent me reeling.

Why?

Is there something wrong with me?

What should I do?

Then Your words come.

Spoken so clearly and direct.

Straight to my heart.

Quietness.

Trust.

Return.

Yes, Lord.

Oh, Yes!

•

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;

he rises to show you compassion.

For the LORD is a God of justice.

Blessed are all who wait for him!

Isaiah 30:18 niv84

Getting to Where I'm Going

2011-08-12T08:06:00.000-04:00

"In the same way I was with Moses, I'll be with you.

I won't give up on you; I won't leave you.

Strength! Courage!

You are going to lead this people to inherit the land

that I promised to give their ancestors.

Give it everything you have, heart and soul.

Make sure you carry out The Revelation

that Moses commanded you, every bit of it.

Don't get off track, either left or right,

so as to make sure you get to where you're going.

And don't for a minute let this Book

of The Revelation be out of mind.

Ponder and meditate on it day and night,

making sure you practice everything written in it.

Then you'll get where you're going;

then you'll succeed.

Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage!

Don't be timid; don't get discouraged.

God, your God, is with you every step you take."

-- Joshua 1:3-9 MSG

God is with me!

He is not ever going to leave or turn His back on me,

and He's not going to give up on me.

But how many times do I give up on Him?

How quickly to I turn and give up?

He guarantees my success,

promises to be with me always and gives me His Word

to guide me and show me how to live.

But I have even more!

I have the Holy Spirit to lead and counsel and guide me,

and to pray words for me when I have none.

I have a part in this too.

I have to follow and give it all that I got

and stay in HIs Word and fill my mind and heart

with all that His Word says.

But most important, I have to do what His Word says.

Then I will "get to where I am going. Then I will succeed."

As I read back over the verses in Joshua again,

these words jumped out at me:

"You are going to lead this people to inherit the land

that I promised to give their ancestors.

Give it everything you have, heart and soul. "

As a mom, I have a "people" that I am leading.

At times I feel like we are out in the wilderness,

and the way can get so rocky and scary.

And I can lose heart.

I can become half-hearted and lazy.

But as I read these words today,

I felt like the Lord was speaking directly to me

and specifically about my mothering.

"Give it everything you have, heart and soul!"

"Don't be afraid or discouraged! I am with you!"

"I have given you everything you need to succeed,

you just need to fill up with my Word and do what it says."

Father, Thank You for always being with me.

Only then can I be strong and courageous.

Thank you for giving me all that I need to succeed.

I have Your presence, Your Word and Your Holy Spirit.

And as it says in 1 Corinthians, I have every spiritual gift that I need

and You will keep me strong to the end.

Forgive me for the many times that I have turned away,

that I have not trusted in You,

that I have been full of fear and empty of Your Word.

Help me today to choose to stick close to You.

Thank you for showing me my half-heartedness, please forgive me.

Thank you that You have given me all I need to lead my flock.

Please help me to give it all I have as I fill up on Your Word

and as I trust in You.

Living by God's Power

2011-08-11T09:21:00.001-04:00

So don’t make judgments about anyone

ahead of time—before the Lord returns.

For he will bring our darkest secrets to light

and will reveal our private motives.

Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.

-- 1 Corinthians 4:5 NLT

•

For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk;

it is living by God’s power.

-- 1 Corinthians 4:20 NLT

~•~

Oh man! I do this way too often!

Jumping to conclusions about someone,

for good or bad, and then holding them to that assessment

(which is completely my own) in all my dealings with them.

This affects the way I think of the person

and the way that I talk about them.

As it says in verse 20,

I can talk night and day about not judging people,

but if I don't, by God's power, stop judging,

my talk is just idle chatter.

A clanging cymbal.

(Hmmmm, sounds like another passage

that is coming up in 1 Corinthians....)

As I sit here, all the various analogies

of what our relationship with God

is supposed to be come flooding into my mind...

He is the Potter and I am the clay,

He is the True Vine and I am the branch,

I am the cracked pot and He is the Life and Light that fills me.

He is my Shepherd and I am His little lamb.

He is God, I am not.

He knows all things, I see as through a dark glass.

I see in part, He sees it all.

He is the Judge and He is Love.

As I look at people around me,

I have no way of knowing the whole story of their lives.

I have no way of seeing all that led up to someone

making the choices they have made, right or wrong.

Only God sees and can judge the motivation of the heart.

And He does so with Everlasting Love and Mercy.

Father, I choose to live by Your power.

Help me to come to you with all things and allow

You to speak to me and show me how I should live.

Fill me up with You today.

Fill me with Your love. Amen.

2011-08-09T07:48:00.000-04:00

For I resolved to know nothing

(to be acquainted with nothing,

to make a display of the knowledge of nothing,

and to be conscious of nothing)

among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah)

and Him crucified.

And I was in (passed into a state of) weakness

and fear (dread) and great trembling

[after I had come] among you.

And my language and my message

were not set forth in persuasive

(enticing and plausible) words of wisdom,

but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power

[a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me

and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions

and thus persuading them],

So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men

(human philosophy), but in the power of God.

-- 1 Corinthians 2:2-5 amp

~•~

Where is my focus most of the time?

What I am determined to do or say or give out in my life?

As I read Paul's words, I knew that I could not

join him in his declaration of firm resolve

in only Jesus.

Even though he had resolved to present only Jesus

to the Corinthians, he still was filled with fear

and his words were not eloquent or persuasive.

He came in weakness

but he was focused on Eternal Strength.

I confess that I focus so often on my weakness

forgetting about my Eternal Strength.

I pray that God's Holy Spirit is evident in me

as I daily walk among my children

cloaked so heavily in my weakness.

I choose to fix my eyes on Jesus.

Fill me, use me, be glorified in me today.

Reflections from 1 Corinthians 1

2011-08-08T11:59:00.000-04:00

This is what I hear the Lord whisper to my heart

as I contemplate 1 Corinthians 1:

As you face this coming day,

and all that you feel you need to accomplish and prepare for,

I want you to consider and remember these truths.

You have been summoned by the will and purpose of God

to be a wife and mother, friend and daughter.

You have been consecrated, purified and made holy in Christ Jesus.

You have been selected and called to be a saint -- one of God's people.

From Jesus you have received the grace (favor and spiritual favor) of God.

He enriches you, fills you with His power,

gives you readiness of speech with complete knowledge and illumination.

He will establish you to the end, keeping you steadfast and giving you strength.

Jesus guarantees your vindication,

He will be your warrant against ALL accusation or indictment

so that you will be guiltless and irreproachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The message of the cross is foolishness to this world,

but to you who are being saved, it is the power of God!

God uses the foolish things and the weak things to put the world to shame.

You have no place to boast in yourself.

It all comes from Him.

Your life is from and in Christ.

So boast loudly and rejoice fully in Me.

Amen.

Just Breathe

2011-07-07T14:38:00.000-04:00

Diving down

Submerging

Pulling in

Closing doors

Shutting blinds

Snuggling down into the covers

Holding on, holding tight

Shhh, hush now there will be time for all that.... Later.

For now, just be

Just wait

Just trust

Just breathe.

Trust, Delight, Commit, Be Still and Rest

2011-06-05T09:42:00.000-04:00

Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident)

in the Lord and do good;

so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely

on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed.

Delight yourself also in the Lord,

and He will give you the desires and

secret petitions of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord

[roll and repose each care of your load on Him];

trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident)

also in Him and He will bring it to pass.

And He will make your uprightness and

right standing with God go forth as the light,

and your justice and right as [the shining sun of] the noonday.

Be still and rest in the Lord;

wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him;

fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way,

because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.

Psalm 37:3-7 amp

I am so thankful for His faithfulness.

He is so good.

Over and over

I forget to remember

Who He is

and who I am.

Ever so patiently

He is teaching me

to come to Him,

to trust,

to delight,

to commit,

to be still

and to rest.

Thank You, Father.

Thank You.

Learning to Stay Close

2011-06-04T18:14:00.000-04:00

"Welcome challenging times as opportunities to trust Me.

You have Me beside you and My Spirit within you,

so no set of circumstances is too much for you to handle.

When the path before you is dotted with difficulties,

beware of measuring your strength against those challenges.

That calculating is certain to riddle you with anxiety.

With Me, you wouldn't make it past the first hurdle!

The way to walk through demanding days is to

grip My hand tightly and stay in close communication with Me.

Let your thoughts and spoken words be richly flavored

with trust and thankfulness.

Regardless of the day's problems,

I can keep you in perfect Peace as you stay close to Me."

-- Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way,

consider it an opportunity for great joy.

James 1:2 nlt

•

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me

[I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him

Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].

Philippians 4:13 amp

•

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace

whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You,

because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

Isaiah 26:3 amp

Light Breaks Through

2011-05-26T09:18:00.000-04:00

I have told you these things, so that in Me

you may have [perfect] peace and confidence.

In the world you have tribulation and trials

and distress and frustration;

but be of good cheer

[take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]!

For I have overcome the world.

[I have deprived it of power to harm you

and have conquered it for you.].

John 16:33 amp

•

Jesus paid it all!

All to Him I owe.

Sin had left its crimson stain —

He washed it white as snow.

My vision can be so clouded so often.

So much gets in the way

so that I can't see You.

Within, without,

lies, cares, worries, things

block my view

weigh me down

keep me from

truth

peace

joy

freedom.

I keep forgetting to look.

My gaze rests everywhere

but on You.

I forget You are there.

I think I have to do this

on my own.

Once again I remember.

I lift my eyes.

Light breaks through.

Abundant Life!

2011-05-02T19:47:00.000-04:00

From Jesus Calling — May 2

"Living in dependence on Me is the way to enjoy abundant life.

You are learning to appreciate tough times,

because they amplify your awareness of My Presence.

Tasks that you used to dread are becoming

rich opportunities to enjoy My closeness.

When you feel tired, you remember that I am your Strength;

you take pleasure in leaning on Me.

I am pleased by your tendency to turn to Me

more and more frequently,

especially when you are alone.

When you are with other people,

you often lose sight of My Presence.

Your fear of displeasing people puts you in bondage to them,

and they become your primary focus.

When you realize this has happened,

whisper My Name; this tiny act of trust brings Me

to the forefront of your consciousness,

where I belong.

As you bask in the blessing of My nearness,

My life can flow through you to others.

This is abundant life!"

So often, I start my day so close to You.

So full of peace

and trust

and joy.

And then the day starts rolling.

The noise starts.

Activity gets jumping.

And I forget.

How many days to I

go to bed feeling the distance,

realizing that I left You behind

sitting at the kitchen table.

But, thankfully,

the truth is, You have never left me.

You have never forgotten me,

and all I have to do is whisper Your name

and turn my thoughts to You.

•

The fear of human opinion disables;

trusting in God protects you from that.

Proverbs 29:25 msg

He is Good!

2011-04-28T07:41:00.000-04:00

Open your mouth and taste,

open your eyes and see —

how good God is.

Blessed are you who run to Him.

Psalm 34:8 niv

"Call to Me and I will

answer you and tell you

great and unsearchable things

you do not know."

Jeremiah 33:3 niv

I am blessed when I run to God

and I am answered when I call to Him.

He is good!

He is so good that

He even looks good and tastes good!

He tells me to open my eyes

and see that He is good.

All around me must be evidence of His goodness.

Thank you, Father!

You are good!

Help me to see Your goodness

all around me today and to call to You

as I go through this day.

Confessing the Word

2011-04-27T08:59:00.000-04:00

"Ah, Sovereign Lord,

You made the heavens and the earth

by Your great power and outstretched arm.

Nothing is too hard for You."

Jeremiah 32:17 niv

This week a passage from a fiction book I am reading

really jumped off the page at me.

It made me take in a breath and say, "Oh!"

The truth of this passage

really spoke to me

and showed me something that

I want to apply in my life.

The book I am reading is

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down

by Neta Jackson.

Within the story, several of the main characters

experienced a very traumatic event together.

This section comes a couple of weeks

after the event, but is the first time

the prayer group has gathered since it happened.

•

Avis quickly discouraged simply rehashing the details.

"We need to help each other move

beyond the trauma to a place of faith."

"Uh-huh." Ruth considered that.

"So spiritual, I'm not.

Exactly how do you do that?"

Stu snickered. "You sound like Yo-Yo."

Yo-Yo, sitting crossed-legged on the floor

and cleaning her fingernails with a pocketknife,

just grinned.

Avis took the question seriously.

"By confessing the Word —"

"Avis! Plain English!"

This time Yo-Yo did speak up.

"All right, plain English.

But it's an important concept, so I'm going to break it down.

Confessing — it literally means 'to tell, to make known.'

The Word, of course, is what God says in the Bible.

So, we can either go around confessing,

'Oh, wasn't that awful' or, 'I'm so scared' or,

'I'm so angry about what happened.'

Or we can confess the Word:

'I'm created in the image of God.'

'God knows and cares when even a sparrow falls

to the ground; how much more He cares about me!'

'All things work together for good for those who love Him

and are called according His purpose' —

to name just a few.

That's what I call 'confessing the Word.'"

I knew I needed that kind of encouragement to actually

speak the Word. Say it out loud.

Remind myself what God said about stuff

that happens when my feelings

are flying off in every direction.

...

"Stu, I don't mean to deny anyone's feelings.

We all have natural feelings including me.

Yes, I felt angry. Yes, I was upset.

I don't think one day has gone by that I haven't cried

about Hoshi's pain, and I don't know how pretty bad.

But I do know that if I stay there in the natural,

focusing on all my feelings, Satan gets a foothold in my heart.

I begin to doubt God's love. My trust slips —

is God really in control?

All I'm saying is, what I need to do is confess

the promises of God, and I need to do it right away.

'Satan, you're a liar!'

'God, Your ways are above my ways, so I trust You!" —

even if I don't feel like it.

Because that's the only way I can keep my feet

on solid ground and my heart from

giving in to fear."

•

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down

by Neta Jackson

pg. 192-193, 194

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,

set your hearts on things above,

where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:1-3 niv

He Never....

2011-04-21T09:24:00.000-04:00

God's mercies are truly new every morning!

I am praising and thanking Him today for that truth!

I am so thankful that He NEVER changes,

He NEVER fails,

He NEVER leaves us nor forsakes us.

He NEVER gets bored with us,

He NEVER turns His back on us.

He keeps no records of our wrongs.

He ALWAYS loves us.

I had been feeling so dull and dry again.

It covered every part of my life.

Nothing bad or unusual was happening.

But I was just feeling blah.

My times with the Lord were fine,

but that's just it...

they were FINE,

not refreshing, full, overflowing,

exciting, convicting, renewing...

just Fine.

This morning, for some reason, the veil was lifted again.

I felt the connection.

I felt Him.

His love surrounded me and came trickling out of my eyes.

Joy bounced in my chest as I felt again.

My desire for the Lord had returned.

The mind governed by the flesh is death,

but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 8:6 niv

This is from my reading in Jesus Calling this morning:

"Let Me control your mind.

The mind is the most restless, unruly part of mankind.

Long after you have learned the discipline

of holding your tongue, your thoughts defy your will

and set themselves up against Me.

Man is the pinnacle of My creation,

and the human mind is wondrously complex.

I risked all by granting you freedom to think for yourself.

This is god-like privilege,

forever setting you apart from animals and robots.

I made you in My image, precariously close to deity."

"Though My blood has fully redeemed you,

your mind is the last bastion of rebellion.

Open yourself to My radiant Presence,

letting My Light permeate your thinking.

When My Spirit is controlling your mind,

you are filled with Life and Peace."

I am so thankful that even when I am not "feeling it",

when I am dry and just existing,

He is still with me.

He doesn't leave.

He still holds my future,

and He still holds my life in His hands.

Even In the Midst of Mundane

2011-04-14T13:39:00.001-04:00

Look closely, you can see the yogurt smears on the table and bench...

When your words came, I ate them;

they were my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty.

Jeremiah 15:16 niv

•

Life is good.

Nothing "bad" is happening.

No emergencies.

It is just rollin' along.

But when my focus gets off,

it can seem so bad.... so very, very bad.

The scene after the FULL pitcher of lemonade fell out of the fridge....

Messes happen all day long.

I live with imperfect people

(Shhhh... don't tell them I said that....)

I'm far from perfect myself.

(Ahem, again, don't tell them that, but,

I'm sure they have come to realize that along the way.)

I focus on the mess,

the imperfections,

the less-thans.

And then I start thinking life is bad,

really bad.

When it is good,

really good.

Ruthie is finding her style... who needs pants, right? :-)

Once again, I have been feeling

dry,

disconnected,

lost.

He has showed me what He wants me to focus on.

Choosing thankfulness,

trusting Him,

talking to Him, instead of myself.

I am realizing that I thought

that just because I wanted these things

to be a part of my life,

they would just happen --

like God would just wave a wand

and zap! I'd be grateful!

It just doesn't happen that way.

I have to practice gratefulness.

I have to learn to trust Him.

I have to remember to talk to Him.

I have to repent.

I have to practice.

•

Teach me your decrees, O Lord;
      I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions;
      I will put them into practice with all my heart.
Make me walk along the path of your commands,
      for that is where my happiness is found.

Psalm 119:33-35 nlt

•

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine

and puts them into practice

is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."

Matthew 7:24 niv

•

But he who merely hears and does not practice doing

My words is like a man who built a house

on the ground without a foundation,

against which the torrent burst,

and immediately it collapsed and fell,

and the breaking and ruin of that house was great.

Luke 6:39 amp

•

Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties;

throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry],

so that your progress may be evident to everybody. Look well to yourself [to your own personality]
and to [your] teaching; persevere in these things [hold to them],
for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

1 Timothy 4:14-16 amp

Life on the Cluttered Plane

2011-04-01T13:01:00.000-04:00

"I am calling you to a life of constant

communion with Me.

Basic training includes learning

to live about your circumstances,

even while interacting on that

cluttered plane of life.

You yearn for a simplified lifestyle,

so that your communication with Me

can be uninterrupted.

But I challenge you to

relinquish the fantasy

of an uncluttered world.

Accept each day just as it comes,

and find Me in the midst of it all.

from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

I can get so distracted

by the clutter

and chaos

that fills my days.

I can easily blame

the circumstances for

the distance

that I allow to come

between us.

I long for

quiet,

room,

space,

calm.

I think that there

and only there can I find

peace,

rest,

You.

But You are here.

Always.

In the midst.

Communion with You

is possible.

How much do I seek it?

Then you will call upon Me,

and you will come and pray to Me,

and I will hear and heed you.

Then you will seek Me, inquire for,

and require Me [as a vital necessity]

and find Me when

you search for Me with all your heart.

I will be found by you, says the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:12-14a amp

Taking One Step Forward

2011-03-25T12:29:00.001-04:00

Therefore humble yourselves

[demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation]

under the mighty hand of God,

that in due time He may exalt you,

Casting the whole of your care

[all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all]

on Him, for He cares for you affectionately

and cares about you watchfully.

1 Peter 5:6-7 amp

•

Oh man, was I sinking down into the depths this morning!

It started with a quiet time that just wasn't clicking.

I was doing all my usual things,

but I just wasn't connecting

with Jesus.

And, then, from there, it

seemed like a normal morning,

but somewhere along the way

things started just getting

bigger

and

heavier

and

growing

out of proportion.

Way out of proportion.

I was mad at my kids for not wanting to cooperate with me,

I was overwhelmed by my "to do list",

I was sick of picking up,

cleaning, directing kids,

redirecting kids, getting groceries,

making meals, washing clothes, etc., etc., etc.

I wanted to crawl back into bed

and stay there.

I started visualizing a

remote,

beautiful

beach

where I could just sit

and listen to

and watch the waves.

As I started to cry,

my two year old

barged into my room

and hugged me tight.

"It's OK, Mom."

she said in her cute little voice.

I knew the right thing to do,

I knew Jesus was right there with me,

I knew I just needed to cry out to Him,

but it was like I just couldn't.

So, I emailed my husband.

I told him I was having a hard day.

And, I asked him to pray for me.

He must have,

because I was able to start

looking up.

I went back into my room and

literally cried out to

our Father.

I poured it all out,

dripping all over His feet.

And then, I was able

to take the next step forward.

I chose a praise song to play on You Tube

and cranked it up,

and danced around the living room

with Ruthie.

Finally, I was able to gather the girls together

for devotions in the living room.

I love that we are using the kids' version of

Jesus Calling

because I get to do a review of what I

read on my own in the morning.

And did I ever need a review!

This is what it said:

"Grumbling and complaining are not what I want from you.

When you grumble, you are telling Me that you

don't like the way things are going in your life —

that you hate My way of doing things.

And when you complain, you are showing

an ungrateful heart."

GULP!

"Thankfulness is your protection against the

sins of grumbling and complaining.

Being thankful also keeps you

close to Me."

There was my theme for the year... gratitude.

And then....

While the girls and I were having a really

good discussion about the devotion and the verses,

a car pulled up outside.

It was the Jehovah's Witness lady

who has visited me in the past.

I hadn't seen her in a while,

but when she comes,

she wants to read a verse or two to me.

I had to smile as she knocked on the door.

I knew God had a verse for me.

And He did.

The verse He delivered to my door this morning was:

Therefore humble yourselves

[demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation]

under the mighty hand of God,

that in due time He may exalt you,

Casting the whole of your care

[all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all]

on Him, for He cares for you affectionately

and cares about you watchfully.

1 Peter 5:6-7 amp

•

Humbly I repent of my ungrateful heart.

I acknowledge I was not liking the

plans He had for my life,

and I confess that I was clutching onto my cares

with both tightly clenched fists.

Thank you, Jesus, for caring for me affectionally

and for caring for me watchfully.

Thank you that I can cast all my cares on You.

Smashing What I Created

2011-03-17T09:35:00.000-04:00

I have strength for all things

in Christ Who empowers me

[I am ready for anything and

equal to anything through Him

Who infuses inner strength into me;

I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

Philippians 4:13 amp

•

This calf you worship, O Israel,

was crafted by your own hands!

It is not God!

Therefore, it must be smashed to bits.

Hosea 8:6 nlt

•

We call Abraham "father" not because he

got God's attention by living like a saint,

but because God made something out of Abraham

when he was a nobody.

Isn't that what we've always read in Scripture,

God saying to Abraham, "I set you up as father of many peoples"?

Abraham was first named "father" and then became a father because

he dared to trust God to do what only God could do:

raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing.

When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway,

deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do

but on what God said he would do.

Romans 4:17-18 msg

•

...when they knew and recognized Him as God,

they did not honor and glorify Him as God

or give Him thanks.

But instead they became futile and

godless in their thinking

[with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning,

and stupid speculations]

and their senseless minds were darkened.

Romans 1:21 amp

I am an idol craftswoman.

All along I thought I was "doing it right" or at least trying.

I have been setting my eyes, my focus, my attention on how much I want to be a beautiful, godly woman, with my home in order as well as my life, and my children's lives. Yesterday, I was determined that I was going to get myself disciplined (in a day...) and get my home clean, organized and sparkling. On top of that, the kids and I would do devotions, get school accomplished, and whip all their character flaws into submission... as well as my own.

I can laugh now, as I type that out, but let me tell you, by 8:30 last night, it was not a pretty picture. I was a big crabby mess.

This morning as I sat before the Lord, I knew that I needed Him to show me what was going on. I asked Him to. And the swiftness and the unexpectedness of His answer brought tears streaming down my face.

Before I even finished asking Him to take my mess and show me what He wanted me to see, the words to Hosea 8:6 came into my mind.

This calf you worship, O Israel, was crafted by your own hands! It is not God! Therefore, it must be smashed to bits. -- Hosea 8:6 nlt

Have I made an idol of the picture I have in my mind of who I should be, what I think I should say and act like and feel and desire?

Wow. I really didn't see that.

And yet, our loving, never-forsaking Father, had allowed me to see, and start sinking down into, my failure. He was allowing me to see the impossibility, the falseness of what I was trying to sculpt - to create - in my life.

As I am typing this out, I am realizing that what has been going on in me is nothing new. It seems to be a pattern with me... not too long ago this was my share... l And I'm sure that if you spend some time looking through my blog posts, you will find many more that are just like this.

So, I have been an idol craftswoman.

But the Spirit of the Most High God lives in me.

He has called me His own.

He has called me a new creation.

When I refuse to honor Him and glorify Him and give Him thanks in my life, that is when I become futile in my thinking (Romans 1:21). That is when I start crafting a new idol - or a replica of the same old one I seem to create.

I am so thankful for His patience with me. I am thankful for the promise that He, Who began this good work in me, is faithful and will bring this work to completion. (Philippians 1:6)

Cooperating With God

2011-03-10T09:26:00.001-05:00

As for God,

His way is perfect;

the word of the Lord is flawless.

He is a shield for all

who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30 niv

•

God has been showing me a lot about

putting my focus on Him,

trusting Him,

and giving Him thanks.

I want so much just to get it...

to be perfect at

keeping my focus on Him

all the time.

I want to be able

to just walk through my day

and see His presence

all over the place.

Because He is there.

But then I find myself

in the midst of a

very normal day.

You see, my kids

haven't gotten with the program.

They're not cooperating with me.

They've not gotten the memo

that now that their Mom

is on this holy quest to be perfect,

they need to be perfect.

I mean, really,

that would make my life

so much easier!

I blow it

ALL THE TIME.

I just am finding

keeping my focus on Jesus is

so much harder than it sounds.

Wow, that can be discouraging.

But, this is a journey, right?

The Bible is full of illustrations of

how long it can take to

cultivate and grow

spiritual fruit.

I'm really hoping that I

don't have to go live in the

wilderness for forty years.

Or even forty days.

I know that I am a child of God.

I know that He has put His Spirit in me.

I know that He has begun a good work in me,

and will carry it to completion.

My hope and trust is in Him.

I just need to be patient and cooperate.

•

"When God assures us of a promise,

He desires for us to respond by cooperating

in the fulfillment of that promise.

Sometimes that means battle;

at other times God directs us to sit and wait.

Wisdom involves learning to know the difference.

Whether God tells us to sit, stand, or move,

He calls us to respond with

a spirit of cooperation."

Beth Moore in David

•

I have a choice

to fight Him or cooperate with Him.

I can choose to try to go it on my own

or take refuge in Him and

rely on His strength.

•

If the Lord delights in a man's way,

He makes his steps firm;

though he stumble, he will not fall,

for the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Psalm 37:23-24 niv

Knowing and Remembering

2011-03-03T11:10:00.000-05:00

"I love you for who you are,

not for what you do.

Many voices vie for control of your mind,

especially when you sit in silence.

You must learn to discern what is My voice

and what is not.

Ask My Spirit to give you this discernment.

Many of My children run around in circles

trying to obey the various voices directing their lives.

This results in fragmented, frustrated patterns of living.

Do not fall into this trap.

Walk closely with Me each moment,

listening for My directives and

enjoying My Companionship.

Refuse to let other voices tie you up in knots.

My sheep know My voice and follow Me wherever I lead."

-- from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

When he has brought out all his own,

he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him

because they know his voice.

But they will never follow a stranger;

in fact, they will run away from him because

they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

John 10:4-5 niv

"You may be going through a confusing time.

You may not know how God is going to use a situation in your life

or why certain things have happened to you.

But you can be encouraged and strengthened by

recalling what you know about God

in the midst of uncertainties. In confusing times,

recounting what we do know refreshes us."

-- from David by Beth Moore

BLESSED BE the Lord,

my Rock and my keen and firm Strength,

Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight--
My Steadfast Love and my Fortress,
my High Tower and my Deliverer,
my Shield and He in Whom I trust and take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.

Psalm 144:1-2 amp

Out of the Darkness

2011-03-02T09:17:00.000-05:00

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise Him,

my Savior and my God."

Psalm 42:5 niv

•

It was getting so dark, cold, tight.

The weight on my shoulders was growing.

More, always more...

More to do,

More to be,

More to fix.

But I was doing the right things.... right?

I was reading my Bible every day.

I had praise music on my Pandora account.

I even listened to it and sang along.

I finished reading One Thousand Gifts and started my list.

I read Jesus Calling every morning and

try to focus on Jesus in the midst of my days.

I am reading A Praying Life and trying to pray more.

I am in a Salt and Light group

and am getting back into memorizing Scripture.

I thought I was doing everything right.

But I was sinking.

I didn't even realize it... at first.

But it got to the point yesterday that it was way to real to ignore.

This morning, I did what I always do:

I grabbed my iPod, my Bible, my notebook, Jesus Calling

and settled down into my chair.

And I was honest.

I told God that I couldn't feel Him and that I needed to.

Kim Walker was singing

"Let the light of Your face shine down on me and let me feel it!"

into my ears and my heart was crying those

words back to Jesus.

And that's when I knew.

I had been hiding from God.

I had been talking to Him,

but I had fallen into my old pattern

of cleaning up what I was saying to Him.

I wasn't pouring out my heart to Him,

I was giving Him the Sunday School Cliff Notes

version of what was in my heart.

I was hiding, and pretending and trying to do it all myself.

And that is why I was sinking.

•

"My heart has heard You say,

'Come and talk with Me,'

and my heart responds,

'Lord, I am coming!'"

Psalm 27:8 nlt

•

I was taking truth and agreeing with it

and then trying to walk it out

in my own strength.

And then, when I was failing at it

I was ashamed, so I was hiding from God.

All the while, still trying,

still praying,

still singing,

still writing my list of gratitude,

still sharing with friends,

still going through the motions.

I am so thankful for the darkness of where I was

because it helped me see.

•

"I waited for the Lord;

He turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire.

He set my feet on a rock

and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God."

Psalm 40:1-3 niv

•

Receiving Means Giving

2011-02-24T12:57:00.000-05:00

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church. -- Ephesians 5:31-32

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I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My life makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble and afflicted hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. -- Psalm 34:1-3

•

I will do my best to communicate what the Lord is showing me. It may be difficult to express, for I feel that I, myself, am only just beginning to catch a glimpse of all that is there for me to grasp onto and grown into.

This morning I finished reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. The Lord is using this book to transform me and completely change the way that I think and see.

Through this book, God has been teaching me so many things. Some of those things are that if He is good, He is always good. That He loves me and wants me to be in union with Him. To be in union with Him, I have to accept His love and receive the ways He shows His love for me. I receive them, by seeing them, accepting them and giving thanks for them. I need to let Him love me.

The picture He gave me was of me standing in my kitchen working at getting supper ready for my family. This is a time that my husband likes to come up behind me and wrap his arms around me and burrow his face into my neck. He is showing his love for me. All he wants me to do is to accept it and respond in a loving, grateful way. He feels loved when I receive his love. But, the majority of the time, I shoo him away, telling him that I am busy and that he is keeping me from getting what I need to get done.

Was God trying to show me that all around me, every day, He is showing me He loves me, but was I rejecting His "advances" because I didn't like how He was showing me His love?

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. -- Isaiah 55:8

Fortunately, God does not do things the way I think He should. And for now, while I am on this earth, I see things through a clouded glass. So, I do not always see how what He is allowing in my life is good, or evidences of His love. But He is ALWAYS good. He will never stop loving me. He works everything together for my good. He will never leave me. He will never forsake me. I am never out of His care.

I can trust Him.

How do I show Him love?

By giving thanks.

Pulled Away

2011-02-10T10:14:00.000-05:00

I am in the midst of learning several new things.

The Lord has so evidently led our family to do Classical Conversations — a community of families learning to educate our children in the Christian Classical Education method. We are in our third week and we are happy there. We fit. But, it is a new learning curve. It is stepping up and working daily on our Memory Work and English Grammar and Writing and Presentations and Math Facts. While the kids are happy at CC, this is a new learning curve for them as well, so I am needing to encourage them, and work with them as they learn new things (hmmm sounds like homeschooling/life, huh?)

The Lord also has been teaching me about living a life of gratitude. I am working at learning to open my eyes to see evidence of Him through out my day/life.

Also, I am working at learning how to stay more connected with Jesus through out my day.

I've been working at being more compassionate and empathetic, because recently, I have been reminded that I am not very good at either one of those qualities.

I have been working at training my children and working on character issues they each are having.

Do you see a word that is jumping out? (hint: it's bolded)

I love CC, I want to be closer and more connected to God, I am doing things God wants me to do.... I know it.

BUT

As I sat in my chair this morning ready for my quiet time (with my toddler in tow) I felt tired and sad and overwhelmed. I began to wonder if possibly I was on the edge of depression, something I have struggled with in my life. I wondered if there are so many good things in my life, and I was working at staying more connected with Jesus and working at being more purposeful in being grateful, why was I so sad and tired and overwhelmed.

I just started to share my thoughts with Jesus. And asked for help. I pulled out my iPod and my headphones and found the worship song we sang at CC on Tuesday morning, "Our God is Greater", and sat and listened and then began to sing along. Worship drew me in and opened my heart and my eyes.

As I read from Luke this morning, these verses popped off the page.

She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word He said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. -- Luke 10:39-40a msg

I had been pulled away from Jesus by all I had to do.

I had taken over, working in my own strength, my eyes focused on my "work", on my failures, on all that I "had" to do.

"I will instruct you, and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." -- Psalm 32:8 niv

I had followed Jesus to CC. I had followed Him to begin learning about gratitude and focusing on Him. But somewhere along the line I took over and went my own way. I wasn't following Him any more, waiting on Him to show me the next step.

He will show me each step to take, He will give me what I need, He will give me rest. I need to sit at His feet and hang on His every word.

•

Keep your eyes open for God, watch for His works; be alert for signs of His presence." -- Psalm 105:4

God is Love

2011-02-07T09:17:00.000-05:00

Painting by Gracie, age 6

This morning I feel a little melancholy,

maybe it's the grey, drippy weather,

or maybe it's because I didn't sleep well last night,

I don't know. I just feel a little blue.

As this year has begun,

and we are now into the second month,

God has been whispering

His Words to my soul.

He is calling me to draw closer to Him,

to rely on Him more,

to unclench my fists and let go,

to open my eyes and see Him all around me,

to give thanks and give thanks some more,

to choose joy every day,

and to trust more and more.

This morning He used my sister

to send a reminder

of all that He is teaching me.

As I read, tears came

and a picture of His love for me

developed in my mind's eye.

When I was a little girl

going to school was so hard for me.

In kindergarten, I cried every morning.

I just wanted to be home,

I just wanted my mom.

This morning I had this picture

come to mind.

I was a little girl again

standing outside a school.

It was grey and drippy,

and I had to go inside.

Jesus was standing there with me,

and for just I moment

I expected Him to say,

"Go on, you need to go in by yourself."

But instead,

He gathered me up in His arms

and tucked me close to His chest

and carried me inside.

I am not supposed to

take a deep breath and

gather all my strength

and march forward into

my day.

I am supposed lift my eyes

up to Him.

I am supposed to lift my hands

up to Him.

I am supposed to

lean hard into Him,

relying on His strength

to do His work in me

and through me.

•

"God is love and His love will never fail me."

-- The Innocence Mission

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‎God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel:

"your salvation requires you to turn back to me a

nd stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.

Your strength will come from settling down

in complete dependence on me!"

Isaiah 30:15 msg

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And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord,

you must continue to follow him.

Let your roots grow down into him,

and let your lives be built on him.

Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught,

and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7 nlt

May the Mind of Christ, My Saviour...

2011-02-06T12:06:00.000-05:00

My prayer for today and always....

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

-- Kate B. Wilkinson

Live in the Radiance

2011-02-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

Keep your eyes open for God,

watch for His works;

be alert for signs of His presence.

Psalm 105:4 msg

•

Today's entry Jesus Calling by Sarah Young:

"Bring Me your weakness, and receive My Peace.
Accept yourself and your circumstances just as they are,
remembering that I am sovereign over everything.
Do not wear yourself out with analyzing and planning.
Instead, let thankfulness and trust be your guides
through this day; they will keep you close to Me.
As you live in the radiance of My Presence,
My Peace shines upon you. You will cease to notice
how weak or strong you feel, because
you will be focusing on Me.
The best way to get through this day
is step by step with Me.
Continue this intimate journey, trusting that the path
you are following is headed for heaven."

•

The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.

Psalm29:11 niv

•

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26 niv

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But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.

Psalm 13:5 niv

Learning to Breathe

2011-01-24T10:58:00.001-05:00

I bless God every chance I get;

my lungs expand with his praise.

I live and breathe God;

Psalm 34:1-2 msg

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Today I am going to do this

on purpose

I am going to choose to breathe God

blessing Him

every chance I get

•

I am thankful for:

1. blue skies

2. Gracie-girl's laughter

3. chores faithfully completed

4. a toddler's view on life

5. Heaven-directed music filling my home

6. my tall boy-man, finally rising

7. my faithful, ever-strong husband

8. more strength, more words, more healing for Melody

9. The Solid Rock

10. the plow turning my soul-soil

11. reality revealed, mercy poured, cleansing

12. a new beginning

13. a new commuinty

14. old friends

Heart Cry

2011-01-24T08:47:00.000-05:00

Reality bubbles up between the cracks

of my heart

Days of sunshine

can hide

what is underneath

Drifting along

on the stream of comfort

confidence grows

in the facade

As the storm hits

the paper tears in the wind and rain

What I thought was real

and planted deep within

hadn't taken root

Was still on the page

Break up the dry ground, Father

This love for myself runs so deep

Pull out the roots

Scatter Your seeds

Send the Rain of Your Spirit

Be Life in me

•

This is what the Lord says

to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:

“Plow up the hard ground of your hearts!

Do not waste your good seed among thorns.

O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power.

Change your hearts before the Lord...

Jeremiah 4:3-4 nlt

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The Lord will send rain

to water the seeds you have planted--

your fields will produce more crops than you need

Isaiah 30:23 cev

Living Water

2011-01-10T09:43:00.000-05:00

You, my people, have sinned in two ways--

you have rejected me, the source

of life-giving water,

and you've tried to collect water

in cracked and leaking pits

dug in the ground.

Jeremiah 2:13 cev

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The Fear-of-God is a spring of living water

so you won't go off drinking from poisoned wells.

Proverbs 14:27 msg

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He cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

Rivers of living water will brim and spill

out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way,

just as the Scripture says."

John 7:37 msg

•

Never again will they hunger;
   never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
   nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
   he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 7:16-17 niv

Cry Out

2011-01-05T07:25:00.000-05:00

I cry out to the Lord;
      I plead for the Lord’s mercy.
I pour out my complaints before him
      and tell him all my troubles.
When I am overwhelmed,
      you alone know the way I should turn.

Psalm 142:1-3 nlt

•

He is there.

Always.

He wants you to come to Him.

To lay your burden down.

•

Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
      for my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
      my fortress where I will not be shaken.
My victory and honor come from God alone.
      He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
O my people, trust in him at all times.
      Pour out your heart to him,
      for God is our refuge.

Psalm 62:5-8 nlt

•

Don't hold it all inside.

Cry out to Him.

He longs to be gracious to you.

This is NOT a New Year's Blog Post

2011-01-04T14:15:00.001-05:00

(The photo above doesn't really have anything to do with this post, I just think this sign is really funny.

And, by the way, it is a very real sign, right by John's Pass.)

I just wanted to drop by and say "Hi!"

And let you know that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth.

I just don't have much to say.

Honestly, I'm not reading many other people's blogs

right now, either, although I am skimming through

blogs with lots of pretty pictures to look at.

That is about all I feel like doing right now.

So in this time of year when everyone is talking about

the new year, new things, new this, new that

I don't have anything to contribute, really.

As the excitement and noise of the recent holiday

fades away and the rhythms of life

return to a more sustainable pace,

I am taking deep breaths,

and finding pockets of quiet

to renew and refresh —

to find the path I am to follow

as the Lord shows me the next step to take.

This is what the Sovereign Lord,
      the Holy One of Israel, says:
   “Only in returning to me
      and resting in me will you be saved.
   In quietness and confidence is your strength.

So the Lord must wait for you to come to him
      so he can show you his love and compassion.
   For the Lord is a faithful God.
      Blessed are those who wait for his help.

Isaiah 30:15, 18 nlt

From Self-Centered to God-Centered

2010-12-15T09:39:00.000-05:00

Finally, Saul the son of Kish was chosen.

But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.

The people prayed, "Our LORD, is Saul here?"

"Yes," the LORD answered, "he is hiding behind the baggage."

1 Samuel 10:21-22 cev

But some scoundrels said,

“How can this fellow save us?”

They despised him and brought him no gifts.

But Saul kept silent.

1 Samuel 10:27 niv

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"Self-consciousness constitutes the opposite of God-consciousness.

Rather thank gratefully rejoicing in the privilege

God was freely extending to him,

Saul's concern ran to himself

and what others would think of him."

-- Beth Moore from the study "David"

This stuff of self

pulls and drags

holding me down,

miring me in the muddiness of this world.

Pleasing people

is an endless rat-race,

running on an endless wheel

that exhausts and does not fulfill.

Living up to the pictures in my head

is impossible and so defeating.

I cannot do it.

Focusing on self

brings death.

What is the remedy?

What brings life and peace?

"You can't worship two gods at once.

Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other.

Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other.

You can't worship God and Money both.

If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship,

it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes

or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion.

There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach,

more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.

Look at the birds, free and unfettered,

not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God.

And you count far more to him than birds.

What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax,

to not be so preoccupied with getting,

so you can respond to God's giving.

People who don't know God and the way he works

fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,

and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes"

Matthew 6:25-26, 31-34 msg

Passionate Patience

2010-12-13T10:27:00.000-05:00

There's more to come:

We continue to shout our praise

even when we're hemmed in with troubles,

because we know how troubles can develop

passionate patience

in us, and how that patience in turn

forges the tempered steel of virtue,

keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.

In alert expectancy such as this,

we're never left feeling shortchanged.

Quite the contrary—

we can't round up enough containers

to hold everything God generously pours

into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Romans 5:3-5 msg

O how I wish I could say

those Words above are mine.

Patience is not my first choice,

especially in the midst of chaos,

when my tension is rising,

things need to get done,

and kids need to be kept on track.

I feel the pull down

into the whirl of it all

and far too often I lash out.

My discomfort

becomes all I see.

Oh Lord,

You are right there

waiting for me to come to You,

to wait on You.

If I choose patience

You will build endurance

and that endurance grows into character.

Please help me to choose to

hold my tongue and wait.

Help me to choose patience.

But that's not all! We gladly suffer, because

we know that suffering helps us to endure.

And endurance builds character,

which gives us a hope that will never disappoint us.

All of this happens because

God has given us the Holy Spirit,

who fills our hearts with his love.

Romans 5:3-5 cev

I asked the LORD for help,

and he saved me

from all my fears.

Keep your eyes on the LORD!

You will shine like the sun

and never blush with shame.

I was a nobody, but I prayed,

and the LORD saved me

from all my troubles.

If you honor the LORD,

his angel will protect you.

Psalm 34:4-7 cev

I Have Nothing

2010-12-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place.

When he finished, one of his disciples said to him,

"Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

He said to them, "When you pray, say:

" 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

And lead us not into temptation. ' "

Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend,

and he goes to him at midnight and says, '

Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and

I have nothing to set before him.'

"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me.

The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed.

I can't get up and give you anything.'

I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread

because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness

he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

"So I say to you:

Ask

and it will be given to you;

seek

and you will find;

knock

and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives;

he who seeks finds;

and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish,

will give him a snake instead?

Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

If you then, though you are evil,

know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your Father in heaven

give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Luke 11:1-13 niv

I was reading the verses above

this morning.

As usual, floating around in my head

are the concerns I often

think about.

Mothering is a huge task.

As I read the verses above,

these words jumped off the page:

"I have nothing!"

I want my kids to speak to each other in love.

I want peace to fill my home.

I want my kids to hunger for God and

live their lives in His power and strength.

I want to produce Spirit fruit in my life.

I have nothing

that will cause any of this to happen.

Over and over in His Word

God tells us to come to Him.

He knows I have nothing.

He wants to give me

everything I need.

I simply have to come to Him.

We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven,

and he is Jesus the Son of God.

That is why we must hold on

to what we have said about him.

Jesus understands every weakness of ours,

because he was tempted in every way that we are.

But he did not sin!

So whenever we are in need,

we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God.

There we will be treated with undeserved kindness,

and we will find help.

Hebrews 4:14-16 cev

•

We have a great high priest who is in charge of God's house.

So let's come near God with pure hearts

and a confidence that comes from having faith.

Let's keep our hearts pure,

our consciences free from evil,

and our bodies washed with clean water.

We must hold tightly to the hope that we say is ours.

After all, we can trust the one who made the agreement with us.

Hebrews 10:21-23 cev

Exactly as He Said

2010-11-29T08:40:00.000-05:00

He said, "Don't be afraid.

I know you're looking for Jesus the Nazarene,

the One they nailed on the cross.

He's been raised up; He's here no longer.

You can see for yourselves that the place is empty.

Now—on your way.

Tell His disciples and Peter that He is going on ahead of you to Galilee.

You'll see Him there, exactly as He said."

Mark 16:6-7 msg

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Bewildered,

they were completely shocked

that You weren't there.

You had already told them

what to expect.

You told them You would be killed,

You would be dead for a little while,

but that You would come back.

You told them You would meet them in Galilee.

You did exactly as You said.

Thank You, Lord, that I can trust You and Your Word.

Thank You that You do exactly as You say You will do.

Help me to hear Your voice.

Give me a heart that seeks You,

listens to You

and believes what You say.

Keep Choosing Life and Peace

2010-11-28T11:03:00.000-05:00

My dear friends, we must not live to satisfy our desires.

If you do, you will die.

But you will live, if by the help of God's Spirit

you say "No" to your desires.

Only those people who are led by God's Spirit are his children.

Romans 8:12-14 cev

•

It's voice is always there

telling me how to feel

telling me to look out for myself

telling me to make myself comfortable,

"I deserve to take a break...."

"Why do I have to do it all?"

"What about me?"

Listening to my old self

leads me down a dark road

lined with false promises of comfort

and happiness and relaxation.

But that road leads to shame

and death.

Having feasted on the flesh

I stand covered in carnage.

Hanging my head

filled with despair

"What have I done?"

Will I ever end this love of myself?

•

People who are ruled by their desires think only of themselves.

Everyone who is ruled by the Holy Spirit thinks about spiritual things.

If our minds are ruled by our desires, we will die.

But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace.

Romans 8:5-6 cev

•

I have a choice.

I do not have to do what my feelings tell me to do.

I have the power in me;

not my power, but the power that raised Christ from the dead —

the Holy Spirit —

to turn and do what He wants me to do.

Then I will be filled with life and peace,

instead of death and chaos.

•

This is what the Lord says—
      your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
   “I am the Lord your God,
      who teaches you what is good for you
      and leads you along the paths you should follow.
¹⁸ Oh, that you had listened to my commands!
      Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river
      and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.

Isaiah 46:17-18 nlt

•

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said,

“I am the light of the world.

If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness,

because you will have the light that leads to life."

John 8:12 nlt

Deciding How to Live

2010-11-26T09:31:00.000-05:00

When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway,

deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw

he couldn't do but on what God said He would do.

Romans 4:18 msg

•

Abraham was certain that God could do

what He had promised.

Romans 4:21 cev

•

There has never been the slightest doubt

in my mind that the God who started

this great work in you

would keep at it and bring it to

a flourishing finish on the very day

Christ Jesus appears.

Philippians 1:6 msg

•

No, we neither make nor save ourselves.

God does both the making and saving.

He creates each of us by Christ Jesus

to join Him in the work He does,

the good work He has gotten ready for us to do,

work we had better be doing.

Ephesians 2:10 msg

It comes so easy:

the despair

the overwhelmed feeling

the dullness.

Looking down,

looking around,

looking within,

all is lacking.

It is so easy to see.

What is not seen is real.

It is solid,

it is what I can depend on.

I must decide how I will live,

each day,

each moment.

I am not the source,

You are.

You created me.

You saved me.

You gave me work to do.

You do the work in me

and through me.

Only You can make

something out of nothing,

speak life into death.

So I decide to look up,

to trust,

to believe.

Just as I am, He loves me

2010-11-18T09:11:00.000-05:00

Peter blurted out, "Even if everyone else is ashamed of you

when things fall to pieces, I won't be."

Jesus said, "Don't be so sure. Today, this very night in fact,

before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times."

He blustered in protest, "Even if I have to die with you,

I will never deny you." All the others said the same thing.

•

He came back and found them sound asleep.

He said to Peter, "Simon, you went to sleep on me?

Can't you stick it out with me a single hour?

Stay alert, be in prayer, so you don't enter

the danger zone without even knowing it.

Don't be naive. Part of you is eager,

ready for anything in God;

but another part is as lazy as an old dog

sleeping by the fire."

•

Now Peter got really nervous and swore,

"I never laid eyes on this man you're talking about."

Just then the rooster crowed a second time.

Peter remembered how Jesus had said,

"Before a rooster crows twice, you'll deny me three times."

He collapsed in tears.

Mark 14:29-30, 37-38, 71-72 msg

I know so well that eager desire,

jumping in, signing up, ready to be and do

all that God wants me to.

I think I am so much more than I am.

Just like Peter, sometimes.

Yes, Lord! I'll give my life for You!

I'll do it!

I'll go!

Here am I, send me!

My heart leaps in excited joy,

thinking of all that I will do for Him.

But then, reality hits.

There in the shadows, around the warming fire,

I am questioned,

the time has come to show my allegiance.

Shaking and quaking, I back away.

I am unable.

Humbly I see how unwilling I truly am.

I seek comfort.

I desire the warmth of His presence,

forgetting that it is not always felt.

But it is always there.

Trust God, my friends,

and always tell him

each one of your concerns.

God is our place of safety.

We humans are only a breath;

none of us are truly great.

All of us together weigh less

than a puff of air.

Don't trust in violence

or depend on dishonesty

or rely on great wealth.

I heard God say two things:

"I am powerful,

and I am very kind."

The Lord rewards each of us

according to what we do.

Psalm 62:8-12 cev

Embracing This God-Life

2010-11-16T12:06:00.000-05:00

Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life.

Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you."

"That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything,

ranging from small to large.

Include everything as you embrace this God-life,

and you'll get God's everything.

And when you assume the posture of prayer,

remember that it's not all asking.

If you have anything against someone,

forgive — only then will your heavenly Father

be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins."

Mark 11:22, 24-25 msg

Faith grows when I embrace You.

Circumstances loom so large

jumping in my face

my sight is so limited

when I see only when is in front of me.

I was created for risk.

Safety comes from following You,

not shrinking back,

hiding in a box.

"Bring it all to Me.

Every single, little bit."

Looking around

I want so much to point fingers

to compare

to blame.

"Forgive them," You whisper.

"Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

I am not the judge.

Do I know what is deep inside?

Planks block my view.

Take my hand

let's go together

to the only One who can

make things as they were meant to be.

Help My Unbelief

2010-11-11T08:33:00.000-05:00

And Jesus said, [You say to Me],

If You can do anything?

[Why,] all things can be (are possible) to him who believes!

At once the father of the boy gave

[an eager, piercing, inarticulate]

cry with tears, and he said, Lord, I believe!

[Constantly] help my weakness of faith!

Mark 9:23-24 msg

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Oh how strong my faith seems

as I sit in the quiet

alone with You.

My faith may seem to tower

as I type out what

You have whispered to my soul

from Your Word.

Standing in worship

surrounded by fellow believers

it is so easy to sing out

my trust in You.

But as the day wears on,

and the tests and trials come

my responses reveal what I

truly believe deep down in my heart.

Worries whirl in my head

as I lay in the darkness.

Complaints spill from my lips

when things don't go

the way I want them to.

Fear creeps in

taunting me,

calling me to follow.

Humbly I join that father

on his knees before You.

I do believe.

Please, help my unbelief.

Dear God, my Master,

You created earth and sky

by Your great power —

by merely stretching out Your arm!

There is nothing You can't do.

Jeremiah 32:17 msg

True Rest

2010-11-08T14:44:00.000-05:00

The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus

and reported on all that they had done and taught.

Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves;

let's take a break and get a little rest."

For there was constant coming and going.

They didn't even have time to eat.

So they got in the boat and went off

to a remote place by themselves.

Someone saw them going and the word got around.

From the surrounding towns people went out on foot,

running, and got there ahead of them.

When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd.

At the sight of them, his heart broke—l

ike sheep with no shepherd they were.

He went right to work teaching them.

When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough—
it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted:

"We are a long way out in the country, and it's very late.

Pronounce a benediction and

send these folks off so they can get some supper."

Jesus said, "You do it. Fix supper for them."

They replied, "Are you serious?

You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?"

But he was quite serious.

Mark 6:30-38a msg

It all just seems too much

this clambering crowd—

their endless needs,

always one more thing to do,

one more meal to make,

one more mess to clean up.

I need my time.

I deserve it.

When I want it.

How I think it should look.

Right?

I work hard.

I'm with them all day long.

I should be rewarded.

Right?

Where do I find the strength to do one more thing?

And taking the five loaves and two fish,

He looked up to heaven and, praising God, gave thanks

and broke the loaves and kept on giving them to the disciples

to set before the people;

and He [also] divided the two fish among [them] all.

And they all ate and were satisfied.

Mark 6:41-42 amp

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"Bring what you have to Me."

That is what I hear You whisper

to my heart.

Look up to heaven,

praise Me,

give thanks for what you have been given.

I can provide all you need.

Let me lead.

•

Then he told them what they could expect for themselves:

"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead.

You're not in the driver's seat—I am.

Don't run from suffering; embrace it.

Follow me and I'll show you how.

Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way,

my way, to finding yourself, your true self.

What good would it do to get everything you want

and lose you, the real you?

Luke 9:23-25 msg