Let Go

Tomorrow we fly back to see family in NY.  Today is d-day...finishing packing, clean up the house, pay the bills, set up the cats, on and on and on.  Of course my first reaction is to get stressed.  "I have so much to do!!"  And then God.....

I sat down to do my prayer/study time.  My desperately needed time to connect with my Father.  And the peace that came from my reading in "31 Days of Praise" today was nothing short of a miracle.  In this reading I was reminded of His care for me, and that I could let go of the burdens of my heart and of my day to Him.  I was also reminded of something we just learned in our BSF group study of John.  Jesus lived His life in "moment by moment" dependence on the indwelling Holy Spirit.  And that is available to us as well. Romans 8:11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.  He walked out the Father's plan for each of His minutes by the power of the Holy Spirit.  He took time to meet with His Father daily to gather the details and strength for each day.  Jesus was fully human and had the same frailties as me, a human.  And as He needed this time, so do I. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

John 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

1 Peter 5:6 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Lately, I am finding it easier to just rest in His Presence.  And I think that is one of the most valuable of lessons.  It's so peaceful when I do.  Life can be chaotic and filled with to dos and stressors...but it is also filled with beauty and joy and moments of wonder.  Taking time to sit at Jesus' feet will prepare us to search out the hours for those moments.  Our mindset will be different as we gather our strength from Him each day.  It does take practice.  This sitting and seeking.  But if I can do it (and I am definitely the proverbial "Martha," worried about so many things lol) I know you can too.  Pray for it, pray for this time to just sit in His Presence and absorb all the Father desires to bless you with.  Pray for the Spirit to quicken you to the little joys of the day.  

Lord, we all need to come into Your Presence with thanksgiving and praise.  We all need to sit quietly before You.  Thank You for working this in me.  I pray that You work it in those reading this as well.  You are so patient in Your teaching us.  And You never give up on us slow learners.  What a wonderful God we have and serve.  Help us to breathe in Your Presence as never before, to rest in You, our shelter and covering.  You hold us in Your hands. Remind us of Your glory and beauty.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Practice sitting before God.  

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving all!  I hope your day was filled with joy and reasons to be grateful to our glorious Lord and Savior.  I know sometimes it's hard to feel that gratitude.  Those who have lost loved ones and are experiencing the holidays without them for the first time often struggle to look up, to feel joy and enjoy the days of this season.  My heart goes out to them, I've been there.  When I lost first my Dad many years ago, and then my Mom a few years back those empty chairs were a glaring reminder of that loss.  Others are sick, fighting illnesses they can't see and reeling from the news of that illness and the treatment that comes with it.  Job loss, tight times, etc...all can be overwhelming to our sense of thankfulness.  It's hard to focus on the positive when the negative seems so big.  

All that being said I know there is still plenty to be grateful for.  Our God is bigger.  He is with us in the hard and the easy, the low and the high.  I am so grateful for that in my life.  

I watched a video on line a couple of days ago which reminded me to count the blessings I do have.  In this video a woman lived in what didn't even amount to a shack.  The floor had holes, the roof was tarp and broken pieces of wood made up the sides.  The front was completely open to the elements.  This was no real shelter.  It humbled me.  I have so much, I can't count high enough to thank God for all that He provides.  Every person in my life, past and present, every shingle on my roof, each piece of food, the Bible I so freely carry, and especially the salvation I so easily take for granted.  I could go on and on and never stop with all God has given me.  

I've gone through those hard holidays, the ones where the memories of the past brought tears instead of joy, but eventually that changes.  And until it does, as we go through the losses and the difficulties we can bless God by being thankful.  I think when we are thankful in the hardest times it is a sweet smelling sacrifice to our Lord.  It says, "God this hurts.  I hate it.  But I trust You and am grateful You are here."

Psalm 107:22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

Psalm 116:17 I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.

This takes extra looking and fortitude.  It takes a deliberate choice mixed with faith.  It's hard!  But I can testify it is so worth it.  It brings us up and out.  It pleases God and obedience always lightens our load.

Lord, be with those this holiday season that are hurting.  I know so many that struggle, I've been there myself.  I know You plan good for each and every one of Your children. Help us to find the blessings when our worlds fall apart...they are there I know, because You never leave us nor forsake us.  Please provide for the needs of Your children and take care of that women in the video.  No matter what happens You are good.  I pray this in the Name of our Savior, Jesus....whom I am so thankful for.  Amen

Make a gratitude list.  Every day!

Habits

Yesterday I went for a walk.  I am trying to make a new habit of getting some exercise,  which I've been really neglectful of the last six months or so.  Somewhere, some how this time of fresh air, sunshine and God has slipped on my priority list to almost nothing.  

I opened up my Joyce Meyer podcasts and saw the set on Breaking Bad Habits.  Well, I definitely have a bunch of those so I decided to take a listen.  One of the things that Joyce says its is that maybe we should look at it as making good habits rather than breaking bad ones.  

So this morning I got my coffee and came into my office to spend some time with the Lord.  I start off with "31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers.  Lo and behold the reading today was on transforming ourselves.  Ruth reminded me that it is not I that do the work, but Jesus.  My job is to make the choices that the Holy Spirit presents as good, and He does the transforming inside.  

Ruth writes, "Thank You that, instead, You are at work in me and in my situation to break old patterns of thought and action, to create within me both the desire and the power to do Your gracious will...and to make me a joy to you in new ways."   Philippians 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.  

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  As we spend time in the Word and with God, our minds are transformed.  Transforming the way we think is the start of changing the way we act.  In God's Word we learn what He wants, what pleases Him and what doesn't.  I have a real bad habit of complaining (and God hates this...not me, but the complaining).  In  reading the Bible I learn how God feels about complaining and grumbling.  Ugh.  He is not happy with it!  So my strategy is to replace complaining with something that does please God....thankfulness.  1 Thessalonians 5:18  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.  My goal is to replace a bad knee jerk reaction with a good one.  Like Joyce reminded me in her teaching yesterday, we overcome evil with good.  Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

In the mornings I usually get up, take care of the cats, empty the dishwasher and grab a cup of coffee.  I then proceed to play on my phone, maybe do a small chore or two...then I get into my time with God.  Well, I've been convicted a few times lately that this is not what the Lord wants for me. In fact a few of the ladies at my BSF group admitted they had the same struggle with their mornings.  But I feel the Lord  wants me to make our time a priority. So my goal is now to take care of the necessary and leave the trivial.  I do not need to play a few games on my phone before I spend time with my Father.  I do not need to wipe down the kitchen or deep clean the dishwasher first.  I've been doing this since Monday.  I've heard it said that if you do something for 21 (or 30 depending on who you're listening to) days it becomes a habit.  Well I'm working towards that goal with prioritizing my time with the Lord.  I'm even working on my downtime in the evening to include more sweet fellowship with my Lord.  I think that's even harder then the mornings because I'm tired then.  LOL  But the Lord will help me prevail!  

Another way to break bad habits is to be around people who encourage you in the faith.  People that hold your accountable and speak wisely the things of God.  Hebrews 10:24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.  

Recently I spent some time with people that are not walking with God.  I can tell you it was an eye-opener.  As much as I love this person, I missed my Christians sisters.  The conversation was so different.  I  missed the joy, the upbeat nature, the peace that comes from being with fellow believers, even when we are talking about heavy things.  There is a difference and that difference is Jesus.  We may struggle and go through awful things, but we have hope because we stand on the Rock.  And that security and knowledge infuses itself with every conversation.  

So today, I seek to make my good habits the norm in my life. I know I have the Holy Spirit to guide, lead, correct and empower me to do this.   I'm glad I can't wear Him out with all the correcting he needs to do when it comes to me!  LOL  Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

We're going to do this!!

Lord, thank You that You are the author and finisher of our faith.  We are not saved by You and then just given a list of dos and donts and told to go on and work it out.  No, You lead us, You teach us, You give us the right desires and the ability to carry them out.  And You never tire of us!  Thank You.  Help us all to make good habits starting right now!  We love You and want to be pleasing in Your sight.  We want to live lives worthy of Your Name, lives of peace and joy and fruitfulness.  It's in Jesus Name we pray.  Amen. 

Make one good habit starting today.  

New Song Alert

 I’ve have just been loving this song. Enjoy!

Big and Small

This past week we lost our cat Spot.  This is an extremely difficult loss for us as this was a one in a million animal.  I could regal you with stories of his personality and lovingness but I will just tell you that I have not had but one other animal with the caring and sensitivity this little cat had.  He has left a huge hole in our lives.

Now, most people know I do believe there are animals in heaven...and I have stated before why I believe that, with Biblical references.  I won't do that here.  What I will tell you about is the reading I read today in my "31 Days of Praise" book by Ruth Myers.  The sadness of Spot's loss has been overwhelming to me.  I know the "right stuff" in my head, but my heart is yet to catch up.  But God is sweet, compassionate and caring...He is the most loving of Fathers.  And today's reading gave comfort as only He can give.  

From the book.  "I praise You for Your sovereignty over the broad events of my life and over the details.  With You, nothing is accidental, nothing is incidental, and no experience is wasted...Every trial that You allow to happen is a platform on which You reveal Yourself, showing Your love and power, both to me and to others looking on.  

My pain has not escaped God's notice.  Matthew 10:29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.   And in Matthew 10:30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  The smallest details of our lives are important to God.  

Yes, the sadness is here in my heart.  But one of the verses the Lord has been bringing to my mind this week is Matthew 6:19-21 19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.  Spot is just another treasure in heaven, waiting to be enjoyed again.  I feel like God was telling me that our loved ones, even our animals, are part of the treasures He holds there for us. Just another reason to focus our hearts and eyes upward and away from the things of this world.   

We have such a caring Father.  I am in awe of His care this week,  Today's Bible verse of the day on one of my apps was Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.  A time to be born and a time to die.   A time to plant and a time to harvest.  It was Spot's time.  And that's okay. It is the way of this world.  Jesus is with us through these losses and through the sorrows of living here on earth.  But this time here is but a whisper....we have treasure in eternity!  The best of course being God Himself!  

Lord, You know my heart is empty and heavy all at the same time.  I know  others reading this have felt this as well.  Please comfort them as You have comforted me.  I know You take care of the details in our lives, that everything is according to Your plan and timing and filtered through Your intense, personal, complete love for us.  One day You will wipe away every tear.  I love You Lord.  In Jesus' Name, amen.  

Please pray for safe travels for me this week as I am going to visit a friend who has also suffered some deep loses in the last few months.  Pray I can share the Father's comfort with her as well.  

Timing is Everything

In reading John 6:16-21 I was reminded of a time when I was a child and my family and I were at a large park.  I can remember my Dad going to get our car and it seemed to my childlike mind that he was taking a really long time and I got this big idea to go look for him.  I slipped away from my Mom and family and went in search of Dad only to find myself lost.  When my parents found me, boy was I in trouble.  

In John 6, Jesus had just finished miraculously feeding the crowds of people from a young boy's lunch.  Wow!  5000+ people eating from a few loaves of bread and some fish and leftovers!  After this we are told "When Jesus saw that they were ready to force Him to be their king, He slipped away into the hills by Himself."  John 6:15

I imagine the disciples did not know what to do now.  So they waited.  Can you imagine the conversation between them?  I mean they just witnessed a major, large scale miracle and now they were left to wait for their leader.  And the day dragged into evening, darkness fell and still no Jesus?  Where was He?  What was happening now? In Mark 6:45-46  we see Jesus give instructions.   45 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. So the disciples finally decided to get in the boat and head to Capernaum.  Like me, they took it upon themselves to go find the head of their group.  They had their own plan and their own timing to catch up with Jesus.  

And what happened?  As they rowed to Capernaum a mighty gale swooped in on the Sea of Galilee.  Rough seas soon surrounded them and they tried desperately to row to safety.  But here He comes.  Walking on water toward them !  Who was this walking across the turbulent seas as if on a smooth road into town toward them---defying the laws of nature and all things sane?  

Jesus called out to them, "Don't be afraid.  I am here!"  John 6:20  I'm sure as I child, in the terror of being lost and separated from my family, when I heard my parents call my name and saw their open arms I felt overwhelming comfort and relief.  I am sure the disciples felt the same way as I did...safe, relieved and loved.  In verse 21 we are told, "Then they were eager to let Him in the boat."  

So often we get ahead of our Lord.  Or drag behind.  We take things into our own hands only to find ourselves in a boatload of trouble.  We only need to look back to the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar to see this played out in the Bible and in the world today.  To this day the animosity between the sons of Sarah from Isaac, and the sons of Hagar through Ishmael continues to fester and create chaos throughout the world.  We continue to see wars and consequences from the actions of this ancient couple.  We see it in our own lives when we fail to wait on the Lord.  Finances suffer, we get into wrong relationships....we end up on the stormy seas of life desperately trying to fix things on our own.  

But like in the case of the disciples, Jesus will come and Jesus is here.  He will not leave us nor forsake us and He will  make our waves go calm, and safely bring us to the other side of our problem.  Yes, it may take some time of desperation, but He will never let us sink or drown.  In Isaiah 43:2 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Bad choices, going ahead of God may bring difficulties, but God doesn't desert us.  He teaches us, and comes to us and carries us to safety once again.  We learn to wait on His timing.  Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.  These times of waiting are not times when we need to be fretting about what to do next, but a time when we should be resting in the Presence of our Lord, renewing our strength, restoring our energy and refixing our mind on Him so we can be ready to soar with Him.  

Lord, we are an impatient lot.  And we have so many big ideas and solutions.  We seek the, "Let's do it now!" solutions and see through very human eyes, very limited eyes.  Lord, teach us to wait on You.  Teach us to do what You say and keep doing it until we hear the next step from You.  Show us how to be still when we need to and renew our minds and strength as we wait on You.  Thank You that even when we get ahead of You, You come to save us.  Thank You that Your love is greater than our mistakes and impatience.  Let even those things bring You glory and show Your power.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen