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“PROJECTS!!!”

It seems projects can be so overwhelming most of the time.  We know it is a project that needs to get done but it just seems too overwhelming to even get started.  And when we do get started it seems things don’t go how we have planned.  It often takes longer than we intended, as well.  Have you ever felt this way?

I experience this on a regular basis.  My most recent one is preparing my son’s house, he just bought, for renting out.  Every day we go to do what needs to be done but it seems that we don’t accomplish what we really wanted to get done that day.

Here are a few tips that I have learned over time that has been helpful to me.

  1. Keeping a right attitude is key.  No matter what we are trying to accomplish in life if we go into it with a negative attitude we won’t get very far.  Even if we go in with a good attitude and things don’t go how we want and we have a bad attitude, it destroys our day.  It is amazing how our attitudes can change a situation.  We need to continue to be grateful no matter how things turn out.  What I have found is the attitude I tend to have; I actually fulfill what I really don’t want to have happen.  Our minds are a very powerful tool.  Stay positive.
  2. Set goals for the project.  Before you actually start a project lay out a plan.  Then at the start of each day, that you have dedicated to this project, layout what you are going to do that day.  If at the end of the day you didn’t finish everything on the list, that’s okay.  When your making the list over achieve but at the end of the day be grateful for what you have accomplished.  This leads to the next step.
  3. Give your day to the Lord.  So many times we can head into our day with our own agenda.  But God has a different agenda for us.  So as we make our list for the day we need to always be ready for God’s leading.
  4. At the end of the day, be grateful for what you have accomplished.  If we are giving our day to God, we have made our list, then at the end of the day, we should be grateful for what we have accomplished.  This will keep our attitudes where they should be.  A lot of times it can be hard to be grateful.  But it is a habit that we need to cultivate.   Here is a routine that I have started each day to help me stay focused and grateful.
  5. In the morning, I write down 3 things that I am grateful for.  Remember it does not have to be big things.  We need to be grateful about all things.  As I started to do this it was hard at first but it gets easier.  We take so much for granted.  Just the fact that our heart is still beating is amazing.
  6. Also, in the morning, I write down 3 things that I will do to make the day great.  This could be projects you want to accomplish, habits you want to change, or even attitudes you want to change.  Whatever it is that you think would make the day great.
  7. In the evening, I write down 3 things that made the day great.  Now these three things can be different from what I thought would make the day great.  When we give our day to God, He can do amazing things.
  8. Lastly, in the evening, I write down what I could have done to make the day even better.  This could just be, having a better attitude.

I have found these things to help me to keep my prospective where it should be.  It is also great to be able to look back and see what God has done.

Dear Father,

Thank You so much that You are there for us.  You will make our day great, if we give it to you.  You have told us in Your Word that we need to live our lives with a thankful heart no matter what our circumstances.  We humility ask for Your help and guidance to do it.  Thank You that as we surrender to You, You do the work in our hearts.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

I challenge you today to take up the attitude of thankfulness.  It will change your life.

Have you had a time where you have chosen to be grateful through hard circumstances and God gave you victory?  What has having a grateful heart done for you?

 

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“WINDMILLS?”

Depending on what age you may be, your thought of windmills may be different.  When my grandparents were coming out west I imagine they had a certain thought of what windmills looked like.  If they saw the ones of today they probably wouldn’t even know what it was.  I imagine a barn and next to it a wooden windmill.  The windmill would be used to pump water, which made it so much easier than pumping by hand.  There would usually be a trough not far away for watering the cattle.

Things have changed a lot in what a windmill looks like but the idea is the same.  Now a days it is used more to utilizes the wind to create electricity.  Of course, the more wind the more power that is generated.

The wind that is created for the windmills reminds me of the trials and temptations that come into a Christian’s life.  The trials that come actually create a good thing, if we allow it.

It reminds me of the verse that says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:30. I don’t know about you but at times when I am going through a trial, I am tempted to wonder how I can bear it.

As I was watching these windmills it clicked for me.  Just like the windmill produces more power when there is more wind, our lives, when we have more trials our character becomes more refined so that we produce more power to go forth and do the work that Christ has for us to do.  It is only through the trials that we even have “electricity” to supply to people.  The more trials we have the more power God supplies to us.  We may feel we can’t handle it, and we can’t on our own.  But it is the temptations and trials, the Lord helps us through, which give us the ability to reach out to others.  We all have something we can give because the trials have given us something to share that nothing else can.

Dear Father,

It is not always easy to say thank You for the trials.  I do thank You because I know that the trials are there for us to learn to trust You no matter what, so that we can produce an “electricity” to benefit others around me.  Continue to guide and give us the power to overcome all that comes our way.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Let’s allow the trials to produce “electricity” in us so we can be a blessing to others.

Love you all.

Do you have a story about an old windmill?  Maybe it was from your grandparents’ farm.  Share your reminisce story about windmills.

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“WHO NEEDS A REMODEL?”

I think that there are many of us who go through life realizing that we have many flaws. We wonder how we can make changes in our lives but we’re not sure where to begin.

My oldest son has invested his money by buying a house.  As we have looked over the place we have seen all the flaws that need to be dealt with.  There was a couple of windows that had broken glass, dirt and stains on walls, carpet, and cabinets, there were nails everywhere that needed removing and holes to fill, along with many other repairs here and there.  It can seem overwhelming at first.

We started with evaluation.  We made a list and then we have been going through things one at a time.  If you keep your eyes focused on the whole picture it gets overwhelming but as you take a step at a time you accomplish more and you don’t feel as stressed out and worried.  And it actually feels possible.  As long as we are moving we are accomplishing the work and that is what matters.

It is the same with the Christian walk.  We need to see the big picture, which is to be ready when Jesus comes through the clouds.  We need to see what “repairs” need to be done in our lives so that we are ready.  But we also need to make sure we are keeping our focus in the correct place.

I remember when I first started driving; I had the tendency to keep my eyes on the road right in front of the car.  But my dad told me that I needed to look straight ahead.  It did not make sense to me but when I did it I found that I could actually drive straighter and stay to my side of the road better.

The same is true in our Christian walk.  If we just look at what is right before us, we will start swerving over the road, and may even go off the road all together.  But if we keep our focus on Jesus, straight ahead, we will be able to keep on the straight and narrow.

As we stay focused on Jesus, through study, memorization, and prayer, we will see our flaws.  But as we give those flaws to Jesus, He will do the repairing, as we continue to surrender to Him.  This remodel job will continue until Jesus comes. And what is so great is that we are not on our own to do the work. As we cooperate with Him, He does the repairs.

Dear Father,

Thank You for the repairing that You do in our lives, as we continue to surrender to You.  Thank You that no matter how damaged we are, You love us and will recreate us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Surrender all to Jesus today and let Him repair and clean you up.

Love you all.

I know that I have been thankful to God for the repairs that He has done in my life.  How about You?  Have you felt the forgiveness and repairs from God?   Write yes below or share your experience.

 

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“I’M SUNBURNT!”

Have you ever made plans but because you didn’t understand the conditions you were up against, you did not plan right? Our family experienced this last year when we planned a hike.

This year we have had way more snow than last year.  I believe it was in April and it was still cold.  We decided to take a hike that was 6 miles into a glacier mountain lake.  It was a beautiful day but we felt sure we would run into snow.  We dressed really warm because it was so cold and we knew we were going up in the mountains.  What we did not bank on was how hot the sun would really be.

We did run into some snow as we neared the lake but most of our journey up the mountain was in the beating hot sun.  We did not have to worry one bit about staying warm.  But what we did get is sunburnt.  We were not as prepared as we should have been.

As Christians we are on a “hike” to heaven.  We think we know what the “climate” will be like.  But do we really know?  How do we need to prepare?  Some of us may think we know how to prepare and still others may be in a quandary.

How can we know that we are covering the entire basis?  Or are we not be prepared for what is a head and get “burned?”  We are up against a lot more than we realize at times.  There is a real battle going on for our lives.  We need to put on the armor of God.

Here is some tips for preparing for Ephesians 6:14-18.

  1. We need to be “girt about with truth.”  We need to surround ourselves with truth.  We can be so bombarded with ungodly things.  We need to be diligent in what we allow to surround us.
  2. We need to have on “the breast plate of righteousness.”  We need to protect our heart with right doing.  Our hearts are tender and we need to protect them so that they do not become hardened toward God.  Every time we stray away from right doing our hearts become hardened.  That is why it is so important to be careful what we take in.
  3. Cover your feet “with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”  We need to be living the gospel.  It is not what we say that matters the most it is how we live, how we walk.  The best witness we can be is how we live.  When others see our joy, peace, and love they will want to know how we can have peace in the midst of such turmoil in this world.  Then we will have the answers for them.  They will believe us because of what they have witnessed in our lives.
  4. “Taking the shield of faith.”  We need to have full faith and trust in God’s Word to us.  If we are not grounded in Christ we will not be able to stand the fiery trials, ridicule, or what ever may come our way.
  5. “Take the helmet of Salvation.”  We need to protect our minds.  We need to be meditating on God’s Word day and night.  We need to keep the garbage of this world out of our minds.  We need to be giving a thoughtful hour each day to what Christ has done for us, focusing mostly on the last scenes before His death.  He did all of this for us.
  6. Take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  This is where memorizing Scripture is so important.  The only way we can combat the devil and all the evil that may come our way is through, “It is written.”  We have to have our sword ready.
  7. “Praying always.”  We have to be much in prayer in order to stand.  We need to be in the habit to praying, so in any given situation we automatically turn to prayer just as the flower turns to the sun.

Dear Father,

Thank You for Your plan of protection.  We may not be always equipped as we should but You have given us all we need.  Help us to go forward with Your plan so that we don’t have to suffer from “burns”.  Thank You for Your patience and love.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

God has given us all we need to be protected.  Let’s go forward and us it.

Love you all!

Do you have an experience that you could share about how God’s way of protection has worked for you?  I would love to hear your story.

 

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“THERE’S MICE IN THE BOX!!”

Have you ever been so afraid of something that you went to great lengths to get away from it?  This is the story of my mom with mice.  She hates anything rodent, like rats and mice.  My dad, in every house we have lived, has had to make it mouse proof.

I remember one particular time, when I was a kid, where my mom went crazy.  Anybody watching her would have thought she was out of her mind.  And, as far as her family goes, we were laughing.

My dad had gotten into one of our sheds.  He pulled out a fairly large box, as I remember it.  The box was properly about 3 to 4 feet tall.  In the bottom of this box were a mother mouse and her babies.  They were so cute.  The box was empty except for them.  The box must have been lying on its side in the shed because there were no holes chewed in the box to get in it.  With the box standing upright they were contained inside.

When my mom realized there were mice in there, I don’t remember her even looking in at them, she began to scream and run away.  When we looked up she had run probably 60’ away and was up on a step that probably stood around 1’ high.  Of course we were laughing.

We kept watching the cute little mice and saying she should come and look at them.  When we looked up again she was no longer on the step so we looked around to see where she was.  And there she was perched at the top of the ladder that went to our slide.  I don’t know how many feet up it was but definitely several times higher than the step.

We may hear this story and laugh and think that she is absolutely crazy. But what would life be like if we had the exact attitude toward sin?  What if we were so afraid or repulsed by sin that we would flee to the highest level to get a way from it?  Will people laugh and think that we are crazy?  Will they make fun of us?

Gradually sin has become more and more acceptable, even to Christians.  Who would have ever thought that, as a Christian, we would watch the things that we watch, read the things that we read, or listen to the things that we listen to today.

We did not have a television when I was growing up but when I went to my grandparents they had the television on all the time they were home, even if they had company.  I remember being so frightened by what I seen and heard.  When you are innocent it seems really bad.  But then as an adult I started to watch the “good things.”  At least I thought they were.  But as time passed the “good” line started moving.

Then the Holy Spirit convicted me.  Has it been easy? No.  But doing right is never easy because it goes against our grain and against the majority, which often brings laughter and ridicule.

Often people wonder, “how do I know if it is good or bad?”  This is the first and foremost question.  And God’s Word has the answer.  Does it fall into the commands of Christ?

There can be many factors but I am just going to address one of them with a question.  In the TV shows or movies you watch how many things go on that should only be going on between married couples?  It may be a true story but the actors are just actors they are not married to each other.  You may think that I am being picky but for me I have to be.  I want to be ready when Jesus comes and I have found that as I do these things the bad starts to not look so bad anymore.

I believe reading can come into the same category.  What am I reading?  Is it drawing me to Jesus or does it have things that would be condemned by God’s Word.

What about our music?  Is it the same kind of music that is used to call the evil spirits to the worship of the devil, with Christian words?  It is easy to start with something pretty mild but eventually the line moves because things don’t seem as bad as they use to, with time.

I am not here to condemn your choices I am just here to share my own experience.  What I do want you to do is to pray and study God’s Word for your own conclusion.  God will lead you.

Here are three steps to help you in your journey:

  1. Study God’s Word.  I know that I keep emphasizing these points but they are the answer to all things.
  2. Spend time in prayer.  As we pray the Lord will guide us in His Word to those things that will help us make the right decisions.
  3. Memorize, meditating on God’s Word day and night.  Having God’s Word hidden in our heart is the only way we can conquer the temptations.

These things are like the box around the mice of sin.  It is what protects us.  When we are going through our day what needs to be coming to our mind is these three things.  A lot of times we are having ungodly scenes, from a book we read, a movie we seen, or music we’ve listened to, coming to our mind, instead.

Dear Father,

Help us to realize our need of you.  Help us to realize how dirty and filthy “mice” (sin) is.  We need sin out of our lives.  Continue to show us and guide us.  Thank You for Your unfailing love for us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

I want you to know that I love you all.  I am just sharing what the Lord has convicted me to share.  I just ask that you consider what I have shared here and study it for yourself.  Whatever your decision is, I am not pointing fingers.  We are all on a different journey.  We are living so close to the end of time.  We need to be sure to protect ourselves from the enemy.

Also remember not to let a hole get chewed in your box. Those holes can be so tricky and get larger with time.

Love you all!

What journey is the Lord leading you on?  Please share!

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“IT’S ROTTEN!”

Have you ever picked up a piece of fruit that is so beautiful but when you opened it up it was rotting on the inside? Or maybe you get a piece of fruit that looks so disgusting you think it must be starting to rot but when you open it up it turns out to be one of the most delicious pieces of fruit you ever had?

I remember when I went on a mission trip to Mexico. We were in the process of building a church. Every day the ones in charge would bring a huge gunny sack full of oranges. The oranges were so ugly that it was in question whether or not you would want to eat them. I did try one and I was so glad I did. They were the most delicious oranges that I ever have eaten.

There was also bananas. If there is one thing that I have never liked, it is an over ripe banana. The bananas, where we were in Mexico, looked over ripe, so I would not eat them. I was told later that they were the most delicious bananas but I missed out because I could not get passed the skin.

The question is what kind of fruit are we? Do we look good on the outside but we are full of rot on the inside? Has sin is so polluted our lives that it has taken over our lives but we try to put on a Christian face?

Then there is the other side of things. How do we look at other people? If we like how they look on the outside we think they must be wonderful. But if they don’t look the way we think they should we just decide they are rotten on the inside.   We cannot judge people by how they look on the outside.

We have such a tendency to look and to judge others. Some how that makes us feel good about who we are. And the reality is we may have some real rot on the inside. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” Proverbs 23:7a

We may look at someone and judge about the way they are eating but we are cannibalizing people. We may judge someone who murders, even little babies, but we hate someone. In God’s eyes it is all the same. Every person on this earth is His child and He knows their needs, he knows their, circumstances.

I have found that as I start to look at someone, to judge him or her, I have to stop and look into my own heart. I would say a lot of the time when we go to judge someone else we can find something in our own lives that is not any better or a lot of times, worse. The devil wants us to focus on others so that our focus is not on examining our own lives. He wants to make us feel uncomfortable with examining ourselves.

I want to make a disclaimer here. There, obviously needs to be some watch care or judging if you will, for keeping our children and us safe and that is not what I am referring to here. But even in those circumstances we need to be careful not to bring a hate toward the person but a forgiving love. And stay away from what can harm.

The question is, what can we do to not judge others by their book cover, or just not judge a person at all? It takes discipline because it is not an easy thing. But God is able to accomplish it in us if we are willing.

  1. When you want to judge, look at yourself. I have found this very revealing at times. When I start to look into my own life I find a lot of times that what I want to judge in someone else, I can find underlining issues in my own life. Maybe I am thinking they need to be obeying God in this area but I am disobeying God in another area.  What’s the difference?
  2. When you look at others look through the eyes of Jesus dying on the cross for them. This changes the perspective. We are nothing special to God. He loves us all the same. Even though we don’t say it, when we look at people and have the disgusting attitude we are having it toward God. We are all His children. How do we feel when someone judges our child? We tend to want to defend. And God has one up on us because He can see everything and know the ends and outs of every life, so He can judge rightly.
  3. We need to pray for the ones we want to judge. God is working with them just as He is working with us. We are all on a journey and we are all at different stages. We need to leave room for God to work instead of taking it into our own hands. Somehow we think we can do it better than God, at least that is the way we act.
  4. Only God can give us the love we need to have for others. We definitely cannot do this on our own. As we spend time in God’s Word, in prayer, and in memorizing Scripture, we will become more like Him. When we struggle He is there to give us the power to overcome, all we have to do is ask.

Dear Father,

We all struggle so much with wanting to judge others. Give us more compassion. Help us to love as You love. Open our eyes to ourselves and show us what we need to change in our own lives. Thank you for Your patience with our stubborn hearts.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Keep close to Jesus; He is the only one that can change us from the inside out.

Love you all.

 

Have you struggled with judging others? What has helped you in overcoming that habit?

Maybe you have been judged, what pain has that brought to your life? And what did you do to get healing?

Share so that others can be blessed.

 

 

 

 

 

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“ICE CREAM, PLEASE!”

There are those days through life that come to us that seem very special. I remember such a day when I was a kid. It was my birthday and I remember my dad asking me if I would like to go to work with him.

My dad was running his own painting business at the time. I thought of it as a privilege to be able to go with him for the day and help him. Even though I had to work, just being able to be with him made it worth it.

At the end of the day I came home to a special supper. I actually don’t remember what we ate. What I do remember is the ice cream that my mom and brother made for me. That was back in the day where you had to crank it by hand. There was definite work to having ice cream.

This memory makes me think about our relationship with our Father in Heaven. We need to so desire to be with Him that it doesn’t matter that we need to work, it is worth it all because we get to be with Him.

I also was thinking about the ice cream. If you left out one of the components for making a good soft but firm ice cream, it would never firm up. You have to have the ice and salt. But that isn’t all, if you just let it sit there with the ice and salt you would not get the results that you want. You have to crank the hand, by hand, it doesn’t automatically happen. If you crank the handle and you have no salt or ice you will crank for a long time and you will feel like you are just spinning your wheels, never accomplishing what you’re wanting.

The same is true of being a Christian, it does not happen automatically. If you just keep “cranking” (reading your Bible) you will not grow without “salt” (prayer) and “ice” (meditating on Scripture day & night). It does take work, but as you continue to work, your character will become soft and firm in the truth. Only then will your character be so reflecting Christ that when people have been with you they will feel like they have tasted a wonderful “ice cream” (the presence of Jesus).

Dear Father,

Help us to realize, as we work in cooperation with You, the outcome is beautiful. Continue to prompt our hearts to know that without prayer we cannot understand the Scriptures and without memorization we cannot have Your Word hidden in our hearts so that we may not sin against thee.

Thank You for Your unfailing love and patience with us as we learn and grow.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

It may seem like work at first to do these things, Prayer, Study God’s Word, and Memorize. But I have found that as I consistently do these things, it no longer seems like work. I long each day for my time with God and if something happens I miss it, I can feel my “ice cream” melting. Keep steadfast and it will change your life.

Love you all.

What things do you do that you find meaningful in spending time with God? What things have you found that draw you closer to Him?

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“AN AGONIZING NIGHT!”

With my son being held in India, it was a couple of rough days. When he was told by the Embassy that they could not issue an exit visa until he had a ticket, I felt discouraged.  When he was able to secure his ticket, I was so grateful.

He was going into the Embassy at a particular time so I thought we would hear something within a short time. I decided that I did not want to go to bed until I heard from him. I knew what time his appointment was so as the hours passed I started to get worried.

It was past midnight, as I was agonizing with God in tears. I knew that the Lord had a plan but I was struggling with wanting to know that plan. I had already almost lost him from illness in India, so now what was He doing? It was probably about thirty minutes after I started to really agonize with God, that I received a message from my son saying he had secured the exit visa.

My son was questioned for several hours. They wanted to know what he was doing in India. He had to answer all the questions very carefully; otherwise he could have ended up in prison. I was so grateful, to the Lord, for helping him through the situation. After paying a fine he was finally able to secure his exit visa. And I was finally able to go to bed and get some sleep.

Now, as of yesterday, we were able to pick up our son from the airport. I watched anxiously, as the people were coming through the gate, for my son. And when I saw him what a joy I had in my heart. I believe my son was relieved, in his heart, that he was finally home.

This made me think of the Christian walk. We are living in the time of the judgment and God is our judge. Our lives are being “questioned”. “Why are we in this country?” “How are you living?” What people are you involved with?” “What kinds of things are we allowing into our lives?” What are we sharing with others?” etc.

I can picture Jesus, as He is agonizing over His children, in prayer. Pleading with His Father for us, as we come to Him with repentance. He is interceding for us so that we can get out of this country, where we are foreigners.

Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit.  “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26

And Jesus “is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25

My experience with my son made me realize how Jesus longs for us to be home. He is agonizing over us. He wants us to choose Him so that He can be with us again. He loves us so deeply. He wants us to succeed and win the battles that we have here in this foreign land. He is there for us to reach out to for help. He is interceding for us. Are we willing to accept the conditions to leave this country so we can go home? Are we willing to pay the “fine”?

You might be asking the question, “I thought salvation was a free gift?” You are absolutely right. But there is also a “fine” to pay. To some it is a very high price to pay. The question is “Do you want to get out of this foreign land? “Do you want to secure and exit visa?” I do want to get out of this country. But I can say I struggle with the price at times. So what is the price? The price is full surrender to God, giving God full control of our lives. This price, for some people, is too high and they choose to stay in the prison of this world.  Is the price worth it for you?

Dear Father,

Give us the courage and the strength to surrender all, because even in surrendering we need Your help and strength. Thank You for loving us and for agonizing over us. Help us to realize the pain that we cause You every time we choose the “prison” of this world. Thank You for Your grace and that it is sufficient for us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Jesus is longing to greet us with open arms. He wants to transport us from this country to our home. He wants to wrap His arms around us and welcome us. He will be so relieved when we arrive. I know that each of us will also be relieved to have finally made it to a better country.

Are you willing to pay the “fine”, surrendering all to God? I can say by experience, when I surrender all to Him, it makes life better. Does that mean all the struggles and trials go away? No. It just means that as I surrender to Him, He is able to help me through the trials. His ways are so much better than mine. But I still have my times of taking control back again but God is so loving and gentle. He knows how to get our attention. Surrender all to Him today.

Love you all.

Do you have an experience that God has brought you through, where you can see His hand at work? Please share I would love to hear about it.

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“I’M BEING HELD IN INDIA”

Have you ever felt helpless, feeling like your hands are tied? You want to be able to do something, to help make things better, but it seems that there is nothing you can do.

I experienced this yesterday when I got a message from my son, who has been in India for the last couple of months. His message was, “Hey, not to freak you out but I’m being held in the country.”

He had applied for two 30-day visas. But apparently the second visa was not acceptable. He did not know this until he arrived at the airport to get on the airplane to come home. They would not allow him to board the airplane home. At that point his ticket was no longer valid. He was in a hard place at this point because now he has not ticket and no money. It turned out that they considered him being in the country illegally for 30 days, which a lot of people were amazed that he was able to do that.

He had to wait until the next morning to go to the Embassy to work things out. He filled out the appropriate paperwork but they would not issue him an exit visa until he got a ticket.

It amazes me every time how God works. A few months ago my son went with a friend to an event in another state. This friend gave him an emergency credit card to use if he ever ran into any difficulties. He hasn’t had a need for it until last night. He needed to get the ticket and he had no money but he was able to get it because he had the card with him.

It made me think about the verse that says, “…Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24 He is always there to answer even before we ask.

My son still doesn’t have his exit visa at this writing. I do know that God has not brought him this far, to let him down, He has a plan. His goal is to teach each one of us that no matter what is happening in our lives we need to trust Him.

How can we learn to trust Him? It seems so hard and scary at the same time. I can tell you from experience that it is easier to talk about than to actually do. But I am going to share a few ideas that can help in bringing about this trust.

  1. Get to know God. This seems almost elementary but this is profound. We need to be in His Word and reading how he has led. See His ways. We tend to put God in this box of our own earthly experiences of trusting other people. God is way bigger and loves you way more than any human is even capable of doing.
  2. Claim His promises. We need to claim His promises. We can’t see His purposes for what comes into our lives but we can claim the promise of Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”
  3. Spend time in prayer. We need to agonize with God at times. I don’t believe agonizing is for Him but for us. It is hard to give up our control and let Him have control. We want things to go the way we think is best. God knows things that we do not know.
  4. Reach out to others to pray for you. There is power in prayer. And the more people who pray the more power. This gives others the opportunity to share in the blessing of answered prayer.
  5. Let go and let God. After we have done all that we can do we need to let go and let God. As I said before it is easier said than done. This is the only way we can have peace through the storms of life.

Dear Father,

We all struggle with trusting You. Give us courage and strength. Thank You for Your patience and unfailing love.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

It can be a struggle but remember you can pour out your heart to God and He understands all. He is a big God and He can even handle you being angry with Him. The peace that comes in trusting is worth it all.

Love you all.

Have you had a hard time trusting God? Has there been a time when you did trust God and it was worth it all?

Please share your experiences no matter how big or small. This helps all of us build trust in God.

 

 

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“HELP, MY FAUCET’S LEAKING!”

Do you feel like your finances are out of control? Do you have more outgo than come in? Do you feel like it just keeps flowing out?

“Fix the leak, please.”

Recently we started having trouble with the faucet in our kitchen. Every time you turned it on a little water would come out where it shouldn’t be. It wasn’t a big deal at first. But then it got to the point that I had to leave a towel on the backside of the sink.

I came in one day and there was water sitting all over the counter. The faucet had gotten to the point that it was leaking even when the handle was not lifted. It was out of control. At this point something really had to be done. I took some things apart to look at it but I couldn’t figure out the problem. My husband finally took a look and was able to fix the problem. Now there is no more leaking. The solution was easy. The problem was just doing what needed to be done.

This made me think of finances. Our money can be like the leaking faucet. It seems like it disappears, just flowing out. We wonder where it is all going. How can we fix the leak? It seems to start out gradual but then it is just pouring out of control. We are not sure what to do so we try to keep ignoring it. But finally it is so out of control we have to take notice and do something about it.

It definitely takes making a decision. Whether you are single or married this is a very important decision you need to make.

One bit of advice that I would give to those that are single, before you get married make sure that the one you are going to marry and yourself agree on how to handle finances.  This is one of the biggest problems in marriages today, so start out right.

I am going to give you 5 ways that you can use to help get started in fixing the money leak.

Make God a part of your decisions. It is so important to include God. Remember He owns everything. We are His stewards. He is the One that understands the leak and can help you fix it. It does take self-discipline and you need His power to help you.

Create a Budget. Sit down with your spouse or if you’re single find a friend that can help you brain storm, and create a budget. This can take some time. You should do this every month until you get it tweaked just right. Then follow it closely, which leads us to our next step.

 Have an accountability partner. This may be a spouse but if you both have different expectations it may be well to have someone who is well-disciplined in their finances to be the person you are accountable to as a couple. And if you are single find a friend or someone who you know that will hold you accountable, it could even be a mom or dad.

 Start Saving. Make a list of things that you need to have in the future or things you would like to have and start saving for them. It is so easy to just go out and buy on a whim and not really think through it and before you know it money has leaked out. Which leads us to the finally step.

 Start buying as much as possible with cash. There is something about buying with cash that makes it more painful. It is so easy to swipe a debit or credit card without even giving it much thought. When you start buying with a cash only system it will be a very effective way to control spending.

These steps are not exhaustive but will get you started in the right direction.

Dear Father,

I pray that you will guide each one of us as we choose to follow You in our finances realizing that everything belongs to You. Give us the strength and courage to take this step and allow You to fix the leak. In Jesus Name,

Amen

Take courage and start today in allowing the Lord to help you in taking these steps.

Love you all.

What steps have you found that have helped you in getting your finance problems under control?