Seed!

This Christmas, my husband and I bought a new camera.  We had needed one for a while, and we realized that neither one of us had any great desire for anything....so we decided to spend the majority of our Christmas gift money on a new camera.  I had really wanted one with multiple lenses and so that is what we invested in.  

I took it with me when I went to Nashville last week.  I also, as habit dictates, lost one of the lens covers. What!  Not the end of the world, of course....just a minor annoyance....I mean the camera is not quite a month old!!  

On to the present.  Tuesday I wrote about intentionality.  And then got tested on it withing  a couple of hours.  My husband does not like to hang up his coats, sweatshirts......drives me crazy, just like most married couples I guess...we are at opposite ends in this equation.   I want everything put away...he on the other hand, well lets just say if I didn't keep up, we would have piles upon piles of this, that and the other thing gracing the flat surfaces of our home.  So I took the coat out of the dryer...and there came the thoughts....well, I don't want to hang this up...he never does, why should I. Hmmmmm, not very loving, right?  But then I heard that little voice inside of me....sow a seed of intentional love.  Okay, so I went to the closet and put the coat on the hanger and away it went.  And then came the Lord's response....a camera lens cover dropped at my feet!  It was so awesome, like an angel just hit if off the shelf.   I believe God answered my act of obedience with a positive encouraging gesture to show His approval and happiness at my obedience.  Both were just small acts in this physical realm, but large in the spiritual realm.  I'm thinking obedience is always big in the spiritual realm no matter how insignificant the behavior might seem in our natural eyes.

What a great encouragement for me.  And hopefully for you too.  I know that every time I sow a seed of obedience I am not going to have such a tangible sign, but I guess the Lord wants to encourage me down this path of intentioality.  

Thank You Lord for cheering me on, for the blessings seen and unseen that happen when we obey.  Help me to keep walking.  

I Can't

Wow.  What a great teaching Angela Thomas gave last week.  What a blessing to be in the audience and be a part of this wonderful Bible study that will go out and help myriads of people on July 1.  We were asked not to reveal Angela's expansion on the topic of "Redeemed" on social media.  Angela and her team want it to be fresh and new for all who do the study when it comes out in July. What I can share are some of the impressions, and precious gems the Lord gave me as I listened to this gifted lady share with passion the subject of Redemption that God laid upon her heart.

The first statement that came welling up in my heart as she spoke was, "Lord, I want my life to be a reflection of Your redemption."  It is my heartfelt prayer that people see the beautiful work of Jesus' cross mirrored in my speech, my actions, my attitude, my life.  I am so far from that goal most of the time....but that leads me to the second statement that rose up in my heart...."I can't, but He can."  I can't change myself, improve my behavior, grow up.....I am naturally self-focused, wanting my own way, sometimes a bit lazy....but God.....God can replace this fruit of the sin nature inside of me with the fruit of the Spirit.  Galatians 5:22  But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.   I can't, but He can. 

Thirdly, Angela spoke a word that really jumped out at me.  INTENTIONAL.  And that led me to a new word...intentionality.  This word, this concept, needs to and will play a big part in becoming that reflection of Jesus' work in my life, shining His light and His love to those around me.  For example, I have a problem loving others.  I want to love the way God asks, but self, pride, laziness, annoyance...can get in the way.  I mean it's easy to love others in abstract, love those across the world from us, want to help them, right?  But when it comes to our own families,  the annoying coworker, the guy who steals our parking space, the everyday familiar....well those things, and those people... they get on our nerves, right?  We don't feel like it, we have our own thing going on, they don't deserve it; whatever the excuse or reason we give ourselves to act in a less than loving way.  But what came to me during the teaching was if I intentionally and in obedience act in a loving way....God will use that as a seed in my heart for His love to grow and overwhelm any of the sin nature that I carry around.  His complete, intentional love will spring forth in me.

One of my favorite verses is Romans 8:29.  It comes after verse 28 (duh), that oft quoted comfort verse for the times of hurting and hardship we all face in this life.  But it's 29 that speaks to me...it tells us the purpose of God's plan.  Romans 8:29  For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among may brothers and sisters. Verse 28 tells us that...God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.  But it's in Romans 8:29 that we are given the reason, the hope, and the promise...the answer  to my prayer...We are to become like Jesus, to reflect Him and His salvation,to show our family resemblance.  Me, you....we are to be a reflection of His redemption.

2 Corinthians 3:18  So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.  And the Lord--who is Spirit--makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.  This is the verse I came across in my daily devotional yesterday....The promise that what the Lord says is true...He can and will cause us to reflect His glory, His redemption.

Thank You Lord for this wonderful study, for Your words of hope and promise.  Help me, all of us, to set our intentions on obedience, on following You.  Let each of us be a reflection of Your redemption.  Thank You so much for all Your gifts, and the love Your pour out on me, Your child.  I am so blessed.

Just Say Jesus

Last night as I drove home from work, I was overwhelmed with a burden to pray for certain people in my family who I know are in deep and dire places.  My heart fills with sadness thinking of the desperation of their lives and hearts.  Where is the hope and the help?  What more can I pray?  With these thoughts swirling in my head a beautiful and timely song came on the radio.  God is so good in giving life and breath to our prayers, even the ones we can't articulate.

Of course God wasn't finished yet...LOL  I hear the ping of a text come through on my phone.  Since it was late, I wondered who would be texting me at that time, so I glance to see who it was from.  It was a pray chain message.  When I got home I read the verses in it and at the end of the message it says: "PRAYER MATTERS."   What a terrific confirmation for my heart cry forregarding the lives of those I love!! God hears.  God cares.  God has the answer.  Prayer matters.  Keep praying everyone!!

I will be going to a Bible teaching with my oldest dear friend this week.  What a blessing.  We will be hearing Angela Thomas speak on "Redeemed."  I will not be posting Thursday, but know I will have lots to write about when I get back.

I pray for those in my family, those of my friends who have lost their way in life, who struggle and search for meaning.  Lord help them to find Your hand.  Keep them safe.  I ask in the most powerful, only deliverer, Name of Jesus.

Continual Presence

I'm always thinking that I forget God throughout the day.  I get caught up in the busy, the to do.  I'm distracted by the chores and the needs and the activities of the day.  This was the thought assailing my mind as I walked to my car, closing out another busy day at work.  And then.....I heard the still small voice...."but we talked all day long."  And I realized...yeah, you know we really did.

I kind of think of "having the Lord's presence" in my day should seem like some big feeling....being overwhelmed with peace, angels singing the hallelujah chorus, warm light all around...I don't know, something more than just going through the normal.  And so I go around believing that I lose Him after prayer time.   And that's not the case.  And it's taken me alllllll these years to hear that message from Him.

As I go through my day, I yap at the Lord.  I discuss, ask, thank, praise, complain, grouse, get happy, get irritated....all of it, directed to Him.  Imperfect?  Yes.  A regular flow of dialogue?  Yes.  And so, His Presence is with me.  And I am aware of it, just not in the way I was thinking.  I was looking for the constant mountain top experience, when the Lord just wants me to walk the rocky path of the valley with Him.  Through the busy towns, and the arid wastelands, the times when all around is beautiful and peaceful and the days when it seems obstacles keep cropping up....the normal road through life.  It's not in the "AHA  head in the clouds moments"  but in the mundane, everyday routine that most of of live in daily, that we are to stay in contact and live in His presence.

I am so happy that the Lord finally cleared this up for me. Happy dance!!  I'd like my conversations with Him to steer more away from the complaining aspects, and I am working on that with the Holy Spirit.  But I am also thrilled to know that what I've been looking for all this time has been with me all along.  Who knew?!?!

Thank You Lord for Your continual Presence in my life.  Open my eyes further, wider....I want to see more clearly.  You are so good to me.

Psalm 139:7-12  I can never escape from Your Spirit!  I can ever get away from Your presence!  If I go up to heave, you are there; if I go down to the grave, You are there; if I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guild me and Your strength will support me.  I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night-- but even in darkness I cannot hide form You.  To You the night shines as bright as day.  Darkness and light are the same to You.  

Author And Perfecter

I was jogging one day last week (yes I am trying to get into a regular exercise routine again...yaay me!!) and as usual the Lord chooses to speak His words of truth, encouragement and affirmation...all while teaching me it's Him who's at the center of it all.

I'm jogging along (at my comfortable, slow pace) and listening to a Joyce Meyer podcast....the standard operating procedure for my run time....and something prompted a question to arise in my head. Now it's commonplace for the Lord to put great, albeit sometimes unnerving, questions into my heart and mind, but this time was different.  This was a question that immediately brought condemnation and doubt.  I heard in my head, "Do you just love God because that is what you were taught to do?"  Ugh. Growing up in Catholic schools, being brought to church by my parents, was any of this faith and belief mine alone?  Was it because I wanted to love God, or just did so out of habit because it's what I was taught and what was comfortable?  Did I worship and serve the Lord because I loved Him as a person, or just because it's what I was told was the right thing to do?  Oh my!!  Such questions...and doubts arising....Very disturbing indeed!!

BUT GOD....lol, that's a great little phrase, isn't it?  BUT GOD, had another answer for me.  And it was one that I had come across in the day preceding the "Big Doubt Causing Question."  (Just love how He does that....gives the answer before you need it!)

Hebrews 12:2  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Hmmmm...see what it says there...Jesus is the author of our faith.  It doesn't matter how we came to Him, He is the one who plants the seeds of faith, He is the one who started belief in our hearts.  It wasn't my parents, my teachers, the priests or nuns...it was God Himself who placed this faith in me and in you.  Yes, they may have been the instruments He used, and I am so grateful for the background that I have, but it's God who works in us to will and for His good pleasure.  It is God who will also perfect and finish this faith He has sown in our hearts.  What a wonderful answer to all those questions and doubts that arose in my heart.

 A legacy of faith is a beautiful thing to have in a family....whether you are on the receiving end, like me or you are the first in your family to serve the Lord and will be the one leaving it to your children, or relatives. But it all comes from the Lord Himself...We love because He first loved us, the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:19.  With that heritage comes responsibility though.  2 Timothy 1:5-6   I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice.  And I know that same faith continues strong in you.  That is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.  I need to continue strong, by spending time with the Lord in study and prayer, and thru being obedient and using the gifts He gives for His kingdom and glory.

What a wonderful inheritance!  The faith we have is a gift from God. However we got there...it's Him who started it all, and also will finish it!

Thank You Lord, for starting this garden in my heart...a garden of salvation, peace and joy....one that through the work of the Holy Spirit will grow to give You glory and be a blessing for others.  Lord, I know that process is sometimes very slow...and it's easy to get discouraged when we see no progress, but help us to remember that if we keep working with You, the flowers will bloom, in Your perfect time.  Help me, help us to keep our eyes on the faith giver.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Another Jewel On The Chain

Okay, so I just finished with the last blog entry, closed down the computer and went on to read my daily devotional....Once again God sent confirmation, affirmation and another little gem to string on His jewelry for me....He is so truly so amazing!!  Today's "Jesus Calling" subject.....sound the horns please:  The discipline of thankfulness!!  LOL  How's that for the Lord combining His plans and desires for me.

Thank You Lord !!!  You rock!!!

Discipline, From Mom

Discipline

1 Corinthians 9:27  I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

To train by instruction and control.

Biblical concept:

Positive                                                  Negative

instruction                                              correction

knowledge                                              punishment

training                                                   reproof

Hebrews 12:1-11  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame.  Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne.  Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people, then you won't become weary and give up.  After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.  And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children?  He said, "My child, don't make light of the Lord's discipline, and don't give up when He corrects you.  For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child."  As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children.  Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father.  If God doesn't discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all.  Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits and live forever?   For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how.  But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in His holiness.  No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it is painful!  But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.  

Give me grace to cooperate with You, so that I may be trained  to become what You want me to be, to fulfill the plans You have for me.  I ask this in Jesus name. 

From me:

This was Mom's study on discipline.  Accepting the correction of our heavenly Father and learning from it, becoming the holy child He desires.  I'm  thinking the more we use self-discipline, the less divine discipline we are going to need!  But that would be the easy way!!  LOL  I overeat and then wonder why I feel so tired and yucky and my clothes don't fit.  I complain and gossip, and wonder why I don't have a good witness.  DISCIPLINE.  It takes discipline to begin a regular time of study and focus on the Lord each day.  It takes discipline to go for a walk instead of warming the couch (for just one more day, I swear!).  It takes discipline to walk away from a group of people at work who are disparaging another employee, especially if you agree with them!  Discipline is good.  

So many times I find myself in turmoil....unhappy with what is around me, aggravated and annoyed with others...Perhaps that inner turmoil is God's discipline for me.  I am miserable because I am not focusing on Him and keeping hold of the peace He left for me.  I set it aside to be annoyed with someone who's not doing their  fair share of the work, or who is driving to slow.  I am not obeying His command to love and pray for those who hurt me, so I am experiencing spiritual disquiet, and emotional upset.  Interesting thought.  Perhaps a "God visit" seed !!  I am wondering where this little jewel of an idea is going to lead....

Lord help us to love discipline, self and divine.  Lord, I want to be a fast learner, but I am glad that You are patient with me, because I am usually not!!  Thank You for loving us enough to correct us.  I am so excited to see where this new nugget of truth goes.  You are awesome!!  

Healing

Jeremiah 30:17a  The Lord has declared that He will restore me to health and heal my wounds.

1 Peter 2:2:24 He, Himself bore my sins in His body on the tree, so that I might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds I have been healed.  

I have these two verses on an index card I carry around in my overfilled, unorganized mess of a pocketbook.  So it was purely by "accident" that the index card with these two specific verses fell out and into my sight.  Accident or God's providential plucking out of the messy black hole that is my bag....hmmmmm, I'm thinking the latter.

So I mulled these verses over, ran them around in my head and couldn't for the life of me figure out how they were to fit into my day.  Healing...well yes, I have some physical issues, aches and pains, some things that will require more than just a little rest and an aspirin....but I didn't get anything in my spirit about this being a physical healing God was referring to.  It just didn't seem to jibe.  Okay, what are You talking about Lord?  What are You trying to say to me?  I know things like this happen for a reason, they are not random.  And after a day or so I got it!

I have recently written in this blog on how I believe the Lord is leading me to a year of thanksgiving. A year to focus on the blessings and turn my eyes away from what I consider problems A year to replace that negative way of looking and seeing with an attitude that trusts God and sees His hand on every circumstance, good or bad, seeing His blessing in all.  This was the healing my heavenly Father was referring to.  Wow.  Awesome.  Finally!!  Ahhhhh, sigh of relief and release!!

I've struggled for so long with complaining, faultfinding....to be free of that, to be healed....well I say I don't have dreams, (I gave them up long ago), but I guess this would qualify...a dream to be a grateful person, one who doesn't complain and murmur....Oh my heart just jumped for joy
to think on this!!  Going around in a constant state of disquiet, unhappiness, making petty problems into major upsets....always on edge....this is no way to live, and certainly not the peace Jesus said He gives us.  I can and will become a peaceful, thankful, contented Christian!!

Once again, God was stringing visits together, like a beautiful necklace draped around this new year to come.  From "Jesus Calling"--"Come to me with a teachable spirit, eager to be changed...Do not cling to the old ways as you step into the new year..."  And then the next day--"Relax in my healing presence...." And then finally last night, I started a new book a dear friend sent me..."Fresh Start" by Joel Osteen.  The first chapter was entitled, "Be on the Lookout for God's Goodness."  In this chapter Joel teaches on thanking God for everything that happens, big and small.  Look for even the tiniest of reasons to give thanks.  This last week has been like a connect the dot book for me lately!  And as I connect these dots, I see God's plan and the picture of a grateful child of God will emerge!

God is so good in His teaching and leading.  I am so excited over these visits and to see how this new year plays out.  I know I will struggle against my negative nature, and probably fail many times...but thankfully (lol) our God is patient and full of mercy.  He never gives up.  I am so happy to be leaving that miserable existence of a complaining, bitterness of soul.

So this is my goal:  gratefulness.  Philippians 4:11  I am learning how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.

I received a new daily devotional book....it's more like on sentence inspirations for the day, "a thought a day journal" it's called.  And on December 28th, the thought was "You begin to move mountains away when you start carrying away small stones."  What a great and manageable way to look at removing the mountains in my life!!  One small stone, one small step at a time.

Thank You Lord for this new year.  And for Your new beginning for me.  Help me to reach to goal You have for me.  I want to keep my eyes on You.  Thank You!!