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God’s Grace is Sufficient

Creation

I don’t know about you, but when I read the story of God creating this world, I start to imagine.  No matter how vivid our imagination, it is a feeble attempt.  Just think of the perfect temperature, the beauty of the flowers and trees, the transparency of the rivers, lakes,  and streams of water, and how the animals, with their majestic beauty down to the creepy-crawly, presented no fear.
For those who love to plant a garden, can you imagine how easy it could be to grow anything?  It would be a gardener’s paradise.  We wouldn’t have to worry about the soil being too hard or rocky; there would be perfect nutrition in the ground, no need to weed, and an automatic watering system that took no work to set up.  It sounds like heaven to me.
And what about the animal lovers?  I would be in that category.  There are so many animals I wish I could enjoy.  I have always loved horses and the thought of having one and being able to ride.  Having a monkey as a pet has been a dream of mine.  Throughout my life, mostly, I have stuck to cats and dogs, which I love dearly.  The pain and suffering when one passes away are heart-wrenching.  But in the new creation, there was no death or fear, only life, love, and peace.  It is hard to imagine a life absent of fear and full of love and peace in our world today.  God created Adam and Eve to enjoy the beauty of His creation.  They had no fear or sadness; peace, joy, and love were all.

Then came sin

I think all of us have probably questioned at one time or another why Eve would make a choice that would destroy her peace and happiness.  Eve had everything that she could have possibly wanted.  But the devil caused her to believe that she was missing out on something great!  And Eve believed him.  The reality is that we are no different.  If we trust God and the Word He gave us, why do we go in another direction all the time?  The bottom line is that we think we might be missing out on something.  And we are not trusting that God has our best interest in mind.  We are not any different from Eve.  Many times in our lives, we allow the convincing words of others or circumstances to convince us that something is okay.  And after the fact, we realize this was not in God’s plan.
On the other hand, Adam decided to eat it when he was presented with the fruit, knowing it would be wrong.  He knew it would be wrong to eat the fruit; even though he may not have understood the consequences, he knew it was wrong.  How could you know what death is if you have never seen it?  But he should have trusted God’s Word that it was not a good thing.
Imagine what must have been going through his mind.  He had to be concerned about what would happen if he didn’t eat the fruit when his wife had already eaten it.  If he chose not to eat it, he could lose her forever.  He was not choosing to love God above anything else.  But again, we are not any different.  How many times do we put other things before God?  God has to be number one in our lives at all times.  We can not let people, things, circumstances, any rabbit trail, whether of a religious sort or not, or even ourselves get in the way of making God number one in every area of our lives.

Then comes…

If we didn’t know the end of the story of Adam and Eve, it would appear hopeless.  But then came grace.  Their choice had significant consequences, but God’s love and grace gave them a second chance.  Their choice to sin should have brought instant death.  The grace of God, willing to give His only Son as a substitute, and Jesus willing to accept the consequences of sin, gave Adam and Eve and each of us another chance.
Imagine what it must have been like for them.  Adam and Eve had never experienced death.  They had never seen anything die.  God, in His mercy, sacrificed a lamb in their stead.  The lamb would have been their friend.  All the animals would have been like pets to them.  And to see two of these precious lambs dying because of their sin must have been excruciating.
The only way we can even come close to getting a glimpse is to think about one of our pets.  I relate primarily to our dogs.  It would be excruciating if one of our dogs had to be put to death for my sin.  We love our pets so much.  But they also had to realize that this sacrifice pointed to the One that would ultimately take the consequences of sin.  What joy they must have had that Jesus was willing to do this for them while simultaneously being sad that they had caused so much pain and suffering.
It pains my heart as I write, thinking about myself and how easy it can be to bring hurt and pain to the One that has done so much for me.  God loved the world and gave His Son so that I may live.  Why is it so difficult to remember what He has done for me?  I don’t think I am the only one with this problem.  We get so caught up in daily life that we forget to contemplate what He has done for us.  Yes, we may go through the motions of daily Bible study and prayer, but we fail to connect with God fully.  Spending time with God, going to church, or any religious thing we may be involved in can become just a ritual and lose all meaning.

God’s Grace

I love God’s promise: “My grace is sufficient for thee:  for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Our weaknesses are His strengths.  This is the most exciting news!  No matter how weak we think we are, He is even stronger.  We can’t create; we can only submit to God creating in us.  As David, we can say, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalms 51:10).  We can’t clean our hearts!  No one can empty themselves of self.  The only thing that we can do is consent for Jesus to accomplish the work in us.
It is easy to look around at others and be like the Pharisee, thanking God that I am not like “those” people.  But I want to be as the publican, “standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner” (Read Luke 18:10-14).  We are all sinners in need of God’s grace and mercy.  And “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him (Jesus), seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).  God through His Spirit is the One that draws, convicts, forgives, cleanses, makes the changes, recreates, He does it all.  Our job is to consent, and we will find rest when we consent!
Dear Father,
Please, take my heart; I can’t give it to You.  You created me; my heart is Your property.  I need You to keep it pure.  I am so weak, selfish, and unchristlike; please save me despite me always getting in the way.  You are the potter, and I am the clay; mold and fashion me, so I love Your pure and holy presence so that I can feel the rich current of Your love flow through me.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Surrender fully to God today and let Him do the work within You.
I love you all!
When have you felt the closest to God?  I would love to hear your story!  Comment below or private message me.
Note:  This platform for my blog will be going away soon, so if you would like to continue to get my blogs, message me.
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Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps

Work, Work, Work

I am sure we have all heard about just pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and getting it done.  We all seem to get caught up in this trap.  No matter what is happening, we are going to do this ourselves.  It doesn’t matter whether we are going to school; we are a salesperson, construction workers, healthcare providers, mothers or fathers, homeschooling moms, and many others; it is all the same.  We try to make the sale, get the building built, take care of people, be a good mom or dad, and get our kids educated, whether homeschooling or helping them through traditional schooling.  We are determined to make it happen, but it doesn’t work.  What happens is that we become physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted.  We get discouraged, maybe even depressed, and the worst part is that many give up even trying.
I remember so well as a homeschooling mom wanting to stay on schedule.  And then one of my boys would do something crazy, get hurt,  and I was off to the doctor.  I would be under so much stress because I had to throw my schedule out the door, and how would I make everything happen.  And then there is running your business.  My husband and I have done so for 33 years at the time of this writing.  We now have three companies that we run, and the stress can be crazy at times.  How do you keep the work coming in but not get too much so you can’t accomplish it all?  Me, I also have a part-time job working away from home.  And when I get to work, I plan out what is before me, and it seems that things will go great, and then a wrench is thrown in.  I feel this tension starting to rise within me.  I am trying to pull myself up by my bootstraps to make everything happen.   But I am failing and getting exhausted in the meantime.  Can you relate?

And then

And then there is my Christian walk with the Lord thrown into the mix of everything.  I need to make sure I am doing all the right things.  Somewhere in the mix, I need to be making sure I spend time with the Lord in Bible study and prayer.  I need to be going to church and make sure I am helping out.  And I should be doing all the right things, like eating right, dressing right, forgiving, no hatred toward others, etc.
The other thing we need to focus on is taking care of our health.  Often our health gets laid aside because we are too busy trying to put in all the other things in life.  I mean, where do I have time to exercise.  And I walk at work, so isn’t that enough?  And what about just having time for myself, doing something relaxing.  Is it selfish to do something that helps me?  These questions have run through my mind many times.  And to even think about it can be overwhelming.  I can quickly get discouraged if I dwell too much on these things.  What about you?  Do you feel what I am feeling?  And the even bigger question is, are there answers?
It is the trap of Satan to keep us running so hard that we don’t have time to think.  He also doesn’t care how he keeps us busy as long as our focus is in the wrong place.  He can keep us engaged, even doing good things by helping out our church, helping out people who need it, and many other things while neglecting the people closest to us.  We can ignore our family or even ourselves.  We can’t help others if we are not physically, emotionally, and spiritually stable.

God has the answer

I know the answer to all of this, but it is hard to do.  Somehow we as humans think we have to be in control of everything.  But what God is trying to teach us through every experience of our lives is to trust Him.  He has a plan for our lives beyond our wildest dreams, but it may not look like we have dreamed it out.  So does that mean I keep trying?  Why make a schedule if God already has a plan for my day.  Planning is a part of life, and without planning, nothing gets done, and life is chaos.  But when something happens that is not expected, we need to trust and rest in God.
What I like to do each morning is lay all my plans at God’s throne of grace.  And then I ask Him to use me today in His service, asking Him to abide with me.  I need Him to direct my path for the day, so I ask Him to lead my way.  As I do this, I know that if anything comes unexpectedly, He has everything under control if I give it to Him and let Him lead.
Let’s break this down a little more.  Right now, I am focusing on the material things in our lives.  Although, what is happening in our spiritual lives affects everyday life.  But let’s look at our jobs, for instance.  As a construction worker, you need a plan for the day.  Now it depends on whether you are the boss or the worker.  But both have to have a plan.  The boss has to lay out the day to keep his employees busy and understand each job.  As an employee, we have a job to do, and we often plan out how we will accomplish what is in front of us.  Now for each, it can suddenly change for whatever reason.  It can be unclear if our boss changes things, but sometimes we can see why changes happen.  It throws a wrench in our day and smooth plan.  The moment comes when we can choose to get angry and frustrated or trust God.  All of this does not blindside God.  So are we going to trust Him?  We can’t see everything that could happen, but He sure can.

What about

There are so many other jobs out there; I can’t address every one of them, but what about those trying to sell something.  Selling covers many jobs, you might be trading cars, houses, products, insurance, dental care, printing (I work at a print shop), and the list could go on and on.
Selling is a struggle for me.  I desire to be of service and be a blessing to others, but I sometimes feel this pressure to sell because I have to make money, too, right?  We all need to make a living, and there is nothing wrong with doing it.  But there can be this guilty feeling at times.  How can I be of service to others and still sell?  Through His Word, the Lord has shown me that I have to take myself out of the equation.  It is not about me and what I can do for others.  I need to think about what God can do.
It doesn’t seem easy to know how to put this into words.  But I have found that God works out all the details as I give my day to Him.  Does that mean I don’t make a plan?  No, but my goals I give to Him.  I have a schedule planned out each day, laying it before God and asking Him to use me in His service and abide with me so that all my work will be for His glory.  And I am always willing to take up or lay down any plan.  If I do this, I don’t have to get frustrated, angry, anxious, or any other negative emotion because I have given my day to God.  Now, do I always give Him my day without taking it back?  No, of course not; I am human and often get in the way.  If my heart is open to service, can God bring me those I can be of service?  Absolutely!  And if I share with someone what I believe can be a blessing to them and they say no, I don’t need to feel frustrated because I have given this all to God.  So no matter what you might be selling, remember that God can lead, guide, and bring the right people to you.  As I try to force things to happen, not only is it exhausting, but it is discouraging and doesn’t help anyone.

Let’s look further

Now I want to switch gears a little, and let’s look further at our spiritual lives.  Do the same principles apply to our spiritual lives?  Let’s start by looking at what it was like growing up.  The authority over us was our parents or a guardian.  We were to do and follow whatever the house rules were without question, and if we didn’t, there were consequences.  And as we became parents, we have done the same to our children.  So we have all grown up and been taught to obey authority.  We pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, grit our teeth (make sure no one sees us), and obey.
Many of us obeyed the rules out of fear of the consequences than out of love, and we even started our relationship with God this way.  We do all the spiritual “rituals” in obedience to our parents, but we often don’t understand them.  We learn about all the do’s and don’t’s and follow them as obligations rather than a relationship.  So we go into adult life doing the routine but don’t have a genuine connection with God.  Some give up on God, and others continue the “rituals,” study the Bible, go to church, pray, and the list goes on.  But there is no real peace.

How can we

So how can we have peace?  I believe we can have peace in our everyday work whether we are working for someone else, self-employed, or whatever work line God has given us, like a stay-at-home mom, which is a powerful job.  Is there work we have to do?  Do we have to plan and schedule?  The answer is yes.  You know how the saying goes, what gets scheduled gets done.  If we don’t make plans for our day, we won’t get our exercise, time with God, prayer time, work, school, or anything done.  But how we go about it makes a difference.  We might get fired if we get to work late, but who will fire us if we don’t spend time with God or exercise.  It is easy to allow things to slide in our physical and spiritual lives.  We have to have a plan.
I can’t even explain the peace when I give my day and life to God each day.  It is the most amazing peace.  But I don’t know about you; I keep taking it back.  I keep trying to make my day go well.  And then I try to be a good little Christian, what a disaster.  Does it mean that every day I give everything to God, there will be no disasters?  no, there is a devil!  He wants to discourage us and get us to take back our day.  But I have found that God works out the details if I don’t take it back into my own hands.  You might be saying, “You make it sound so easy.”  It isn’t easy because the fight with self is hard if we do it independently.  And how many of us start doing it on our own as soon as something goes wrong?  Remember our “heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jerimiah 12:9.  We don’t even know our hearts.  But God knows our hearts, and He can even change the desires of our hearts if we ask Him.

Simple faith

We need to become as little children; they have a trusting faith.  They have no fear that we will drop them or let them down.  A little child has complete faith and trust in the person who takes care of them.  We need to have the same faith and trust in God as little children.  Nothing we do outwardly can take the place of simple faith and the entire giving up of self.  And we can’t even empty ourselves of self.  We can only consent for Christ to do the work in us.  We can pray, “Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it.  It belongs to You.  Keep it pure because I cannot keep it for You.  Save me despite my weak, unchristlike self.  Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Your love can flow through me.”  God is the only One who can change our hearts, but we have to allow Him to have peace.  “Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”  Philippians 4:6,7.

My experience

My experience trusting God with my time is fantastic if I keep trusting Him.  And where it has started for me is making a plan.  My plan begins in the morning, spending time with God in prayer and the study of His Word.  It makes me tear up as I write this, thinking about how powerful God is, and I wonder why I often fail to trust Him.  He is more powerful than I can ever imagine.  God spoke, and things came into existence, and His power continues to sustain everything.
When I start my time with God, I think I lack time, so I will have a quick prayer this morning and then move on to read or study what I have before me.  But God keeps convicting me of how important it is to pray.  I need to pray for my children, family, friends, enemies, our country, and the list can go on.
How can I have time to pray?  I don’t know about you, but I can spend much time praying.  And in my humanness, I can’t imagine how I can have time for all of it.  But here is where the miracle happens if I trust Him.  Every time I trust Him with my time and start with prayer, it always works out.  I get so caught up in worship that time goes by me.  As I come to the end of my prayer, I realize I am probably out of time and won’t be able to spend time studying.  No matter how many times this happens to me, I am always blown away.  As I look at my watch, I am shocked to see how little time has passed and how much I still have left to spend in the Word.  How does God do it?  I don’t know!  But every time, it shows me the power of God.  He is all-powerful.  Why do we fret and worry?  He has our back.  If God is so powerful that He can multiply bread (Matthew 15:32-39), He can multiply time, money, or whatever we need.  We can trust Him!
Dear Father,
Thank You for being so patient with me as I struggle to trust You.  Continue to give me Your promptings to trust You fully.  As I trust You and give all to You, I know I have the most incredible peace.  Please help me and guide me because without You, I am nothing.  I have no strength without You.  Continue to strengthen me as I fumble my way through this life with the hope of the coming life that is soon to come.  Thank You for Your continued love for me.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
I encourage you to trust the One who loved you so incredibly much that He gave His life for you.  He will help you and strengthen you on the journey.
I love you all!
Do you struggle with trusting God?  Do you have an experience that showed you the amazing miracles when you trust Him?  I would love to hear your story.  Please share below in the comments.
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I Was Devastated

Life goes on

You know how life goes on each day without much thought.  We have our routine that we go through and often we don’t allow much to change those routines.

A good example is our dogs, they love to receive love from us.  They want our attention daily.  I know for me when I sit down there come one or two of the dogs to sit beside me on my chair.  It often doesn’t require a whole lot of time but I don’t have the time.

One dog, in particular, is a struggle.  Prince sheds a lot and if you don’t want to go off to work with your clothes full of hair you best keep your distance.  It has been difficult over time because I just love it when he comes up and sits on the back of my neck when I am sitting on the couch.  He keeps my neck warm and lays his chin on my shoulder with such love.

We eventually started to train him to not get on the furniture due to his shedding.  But he would often sneak, when no one was looking, to curl up on a chair or the couch.  And he loves it most if there is a piece of clothing he can lay on that belongs to one of us.  But if we see him we chase him off, wiping off the furniture or shaking a piece of clothing.

I remember that morning

There was one particular morning I found him laying on my coat.  I quickly chased him off and shook out my coat.  But I wish I would have picked him up and just hugged him.  We often chased him away due to his shedding hair.  And we do it without much of a thought.  Because we think today is not going to be any different than any other day.  And this day was no exception.

Every day when I come home from work all 4 of our dogs start barking.  I don’t even really think about it much anymore because it always happens.  So I did notice that only 2 dogs were barking.  When I came into the house there to the left of me, in the entrance to one of our bathrooms sat Cuddles, one of our other dogs.  He appeared to be leaning over like he was choking on something.  But as I came nearer to him I realized he was soaked.  He was trying to walk with his head laying on the floor.  At that point, I realized he was wounded and in major pain.  I didn’t know if his neck was broken or what exactly was wrong.

But then it hit me, where is Prince.  I frantically went to his little bed as I called his name but no Prince.  Then I rushed into the living room where he has another little bed but still no Prince.  I headed for my bedroom where I could look out the window and see the area where we have a fenced-in dog yard.

I was devastated

There lying on his side just before the steps, was Prince, his body had been torn open beyond repair, he was dead.  I was devastated, to say the least.  Grabbing my phone I called my husband crying and hysterical.  I was not sure what to do.

I knew I needed to deal with our dog Cuddles but was not sure how to approach the situation.  He was in such pain I couldn’t pick him up.  I was afraid to make whatever was wrong with him worse, especially if his neck or back was broken.  I am so amazed at how dogs are so intelligent.  Cuddles knew I was trying to help him.  So when I got a box that had low sides and told him I needed him to get into the box, he jumped right in.  I was able to carry him to the car so I could take him to the vet.

Thankful

I was grateful to find out that Cuddles did not have a broken neck or back.  He had several puncture wounds but they didn’t want to stitch them but allow them to drain.  The doctor gave him a muscle relaxer painkiller and an antibiotic for him to take.

Cuddles was in major pain and didn’t do a whole lot for a couple of days but he has recovered.  It did change him and he will never be the same but that is what life experience does to all of us.  Just like us, when injuries happen they change our lives.  Cuddles also lost a friend and you could see the pain in his eyes and the depression that came over him.

It made me think

It started me thinking about the verse that says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:8.  He is seeking to destroy each one of us.  Satan has a goal in mind and it is not in your best interest.

How vigilant are we?  I know I can say for myself I am not as vigilant as I should be.  He can be so subtle.  I am sure that Prince wasn’t suspecting that he would die that day.  And when we start our day we don’t often don’t suspect that our spiritual walk will suffer that day when we feel too busy to take time with the Lord.  But without even seeing it coming our spiritual life is dead.

And the reality is that we can even be spending “time” with God and still be spiritually dead.  Has it just been a duty to spend that time or a routine that you know you should do?  Or are you having an intimate connection with God during that time?  We need to check ourselves and make sure we are connected and if not take the time to reevaluate our life and make changes.

Why me

Then there is another question.  How many people around us have been torn up spiritually by that roaring lion and need help?  But is that my responsibility?  Why does it have to be me?  How do I do it and what is the priority?

Thinking back on my situations with the dogs maybe there is an answer.  There was a dog torn, bleeding, and dead and there was a dog wounded and in much pain.  There was absolutely nothing I could do for the dog that was dead but bury him.  I couldn’t miraculously bring him back to life, only God can do that work.  As I saw it, the emergency at hand, was to take the one that was wounded to the person that could help him in his time of crisis.

I believe the same is true of those around us.  If there is someone that is wounded but still hanging on to a thread of life, it is a crisis and an emergency.  If you don’t deal with it immediately, spiritual death is imminent.   We need to go into immediate action and bring them to the Great Physician for spiritual healing.  It will take time for recovery just like it did for Cuddles.  We have to realize it will take much care, love, prayer, acceptance, and most importantly time, they can come around.  It may not even be in our lifetime but we know God is able and we trust His healing powers.

I remember

One person that was a real praying person in my life was my grandma.  And I remember how she prayed for her children, particularly one of her sons.  Many years after she had passed away her son, on his deathbed, gave his heart fully to God.  Each person has the power to choose and God can’t force anyone but as we continue to pray He will continue to work.

It brought me comfort to know that she prayed for all of us and how much faith and hope she had in God and His ability to answer her prayers.  And although she is resting in the grave until Jesus comes I believe God is continuing to honor her prayers for her family.  I believe prayer is the key to opening the storehouses of heaven.  In other words, God will pull out all the stops for the salvation of just one person.

But what about…

Now the question is what about Prince, the dead dog?  How can I apply this to someone dead spiritually?  Can they be brought back to life?  Well, for Prince my son made a special box for the burial, dug a hole, then we had a moment of prayer and buried him.

When it comes to death, spiritually speaking, it will take much prayer, love, compassion, acceptance, and time.  It takes the same formula as for the wounded that are hanging on spiritually by a thread.  Often it is the faults of others that have caused a person to be devoured by the roaring lion, Satan.  It is a time for reflection and making sure we are in alignment with God and His love.

What can we bury

Is there something we can bury when it comes to someone dead spiritually?  I believe there is more than one thing that needs to be buried.  Let’s start with self.  It is so easy to look at others and see the problems and we think we have the answers, “if they would just do this or that.”  Or maybe we think they need to change and we have the answers for them.  Let’s bury those thoughts right now.  We need to get back to thinking, “What would Jesus do?”  Yes, we have all heard this saying and it has become a saying without meaning.  But the answer is still there.

If we dig into the Word and study the life of Christ on earth, we will find how He treated people that had serious problems.  The people with serious problems, whether physical or spiritual were drawn to Jesus.  Are people with serious problems drawn to you?  This is a question we need to ask ourselves.  And by the way, the majority of the time the physical problems will go away when the emotional and spiritual issues are addressed.  We can see this process in the life of Christ and His ministry.  It takes much prayer, love, compassion, acceptance, and time.  It is God that does the work, we are just His instruments.  He is the one that knows the timing and what is fully needed for any particular person.

What else…

You may be asking the question, “Great but what else needs to be buried?”  Eventually, the person you’re praying for, loving, showing compassion to, and making them feel accepted through their struggle, will want to bury something.  There is something that has died that they will want to bury so that it doesn’t come back.

They have been torn and they have been bleeding and death has come to their spiritual lives.  But because of your prayers, love, compassion, and your smile of acceptance, they are ready to bury those things that have wounded them.  The things that have drained the last bit of life out of them, they are ready to let go of and let the love and blood of Christ fill their souls.  It is us allowing the power of Christ to work through us.

So many…

There are so many souls that are hurting, ready to end their life forever.  The numbers seem insurmountable but you can start right here.  There is someone within your sphere that is experiencing either just barely hanging on for dear life or is dead spiritually.  And being dead spiritually will eventually bring physical death sooner than we want to have it happen.

Let’s put our time into that soul that is closest to us.  Don’t worry about what others may say or think about your choices.  This can become the most important focus you have and others may not understand.  But there is One that does understand.  Let Him lead and guide you.

Much prayer is needed.  We need to be praying for God’s leading in our lives so that we can see the wounded and dying around us.  It is so easy to just go day to day without thought or notice, oblivious to those around us.  When we are told to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), there is a reason.  We need to have our thoughts so connected with God that at any moment we will be lifting up a prayer when needed.  And being connected is the only way we will hear God’s voice as He leads us.

Dear Father,

Thank You that You are always there for us and that You see all our hearts. Give us eyes that see people as You see people. As we go through our day, give us Your love to extend to those in need. Continue to prompt our hearts to stay connected with You so that we can reflect Your love.

Be with those that are hanging on by a thread or are dead spiritually. Surround them with Your Angels, protecting them from the devouring lion that seeks to destroy them. Protect us and guard us so that we don’t become a source of their discouragement but only reflect Your love. We know only You can read hearts but we sometimes forget and judge anyway.

Thank You for Your continual grace and mercy toward all.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Keep your eyes on Jesus and stay so connected that you reflect His love. Let’s not let another day go by letting someone slip away.

And if you are just hanging on by a thread or even feel totally “dead” reach out to someone that can help you through this difficult time.

I love you all!

What about you? Have you struggled at times where you have felt like you are hanging on by a thread? What helped you through your situation? Share in the comments. Are you going through hard times right now? Share your story so that we can be praying for you and there may be someone here reading that can relate to your story and be of help to you.

I am working on moving my blog over to another platform where I post blogs that cover every aspect whether spiritual, physical, or emotional health.  If you would like to continue getting these blogs please go and subscribe at Revitalizing Your Health

 

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Are You Ready For What is Coming?

Ready or not

We have all heard the saying, “Ready or not here it comes”.  This is so true when winter is coming.  It is going to come whether you are ready or not and it is up to you to be ready.  This was my experience this winter.

The weather app was predicting snow.  And it wasn’t just like 25, 30, or even 50% chance.  It was predicting a 100% chance of snow and with an accumulation.  We had known this for a few days.  And I even said, “I need to get my studded tires on.”

Now I know for those that don’t live in snow country and mountains you may not even know what I am talking about but for where I live it is necessary.  For me to get home, I have to either have studded tires or put chains on to go up to our mountain home.  I put chains on for a few years but I have no desire to do that anymore.  And I don’t even own chains for my car.

Yep, it happened

You know you always question and wonder if the weatherman is right.  Are you going to trust what he says or just take your chances?  Well, some people keep hoping for another day and don’t follow through with what really needs to be done.

The morning of the prediction I went to work as usual.  No snow and the roads were fine.  But when I came out of work there was a good 5 or 6 inches of snow on my car and I knew that meant even more where I live.  I did have a coat and gloves but I was not equipped with boots (always a good thing to carry with you in case you can’t make it home and you have to walk).

The frustration kicked in as I started to clean my car off, knowing I would have to drive home with tires that were not fit for winter driving.  The roads were one aspect but the worst was being able to drive up our long hill to our house.  But I had no choice at this point.  Thankfully I made it home without a huge amount of trouble.

It made me…

My experience made me start to think.  We knew the snow was coming but made no effort to get prepared.  What about Jesus soon coming?  We know it is coming!  We don’t know exactly when He is coming but we know it will happen.  The same is really true of the snow.  There may be a prediction but a lot of times they are off by hours and sometimes days.  But we know the season and recognize the signs that winter is coming soon.

The reality is that we also know the signs of Jesus coming and it is at hand.  Are we preparing like He is coming or are we too caught up in life to notice?  We might even be ignoring it because we aren’t ready and we don’t want to take the time and effort at this point in our lives.  I think we need to start rethinking our priorities, at least I know I do.

I didn’t get my tires on in time and it was a struggle to get home but I made it.  But if we are not prepared when Jesus lays down His Priestly duties of interceding for us to come and get us to take us home and we are not ready, what a sad day that will be.  I can feel that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think about it.  But does it make us seek Him more?  Are we ignoring the signs?

This hit home

For me this illustration God showed me hit home hard.  It is so easy to get caught up in day-to-day life that we miss the signs or just plain ignore them.  And it is so easy to get distracted by the things around us.

So what should we be doing?  Should we be keeping up with all that is going on around us so we can “see the signs”?  What about my job should I quit?  Should I stop doing and living a somewhat normal life?

Although I don’t know whether God would want you to quit your job and do something different, one thing I do know is that we do have to keep living even though things around us may seem to be falling apart.  I still had to go to work even though I knew it was going to snow, but I could have been prepared.  And just like I should have been prepared for the snow I can be prepared each day for Jesus coming.  We never know when our last day will be, we have to be prepared always.

Dear Father,

We know that Your coming is soon.  But it is so easy to get caught up with all the things around us that we don’t even give You the time of day.  Surround us with Your Angels that can keep back the one that wants to distract us.  Prompt our hearts daily with your Spirit, helping us to keep our eyes focused on You.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Come to the cross each day and surrender your life to the One who can bring you through.

Love you all!

Share a time when you should have been ready for something because you knew it was coming and you weren’t ready? What did you learn?

 

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Nature and Faith

Nature!

I love to spend time in nature.  It seems like there is an endless amount of lessons that can be seen through the observation of nature.  What is my favorite part of nature? It is hard for me to choose just one thing.

One thing that I have been thinking about lately is the colors in nature.  What would it have been like if God would have made the colors different than they are right now?   For example, what if the sky was red, the grass and trees were blue, and the branches and tree trunks were green.  Now, you may be thinking that’s crazy.  But the reality is that if God would have created it that way we would not have known any better.

I can’t imagine the sky red.  Just to think about it makes me feel totally on fire.  I mean red is not a relaxing color by any means and it just makes me feel anxious.  It seems that God has made the colors to reflect what He is and how He wants us to be.

Colors

Blue is a representation of the law of God.  And I love that our sky is blue because it makes me feel God’s protection.  We often think of the law as something bad.  I have to do this or that or I can’t do this or that.  But how do you want to be treated in life?  Do you want to have others steal from you or kill you?  To me, the law is a law of protection.  God loves us so much He wants to protect us from all the bad and evil.

I am grateful for God’s law of love.  He wants to have fellowship with us.  And not only does He want to have fellowship with us He also wants us to have fellowship with each other.

The law of God is all about love, love to Him, and love for those around us.  So when I look at the blue sky, it reminds me of love and God’s protective power.  And then there is the beautiful red that streaks the sky at sunset or sunrise.  It reminds me of the blood that Jesus shed, which brings me back to the love that, leads to wanting to obey His law.

Green is another lovely color that God has given us.  And as many know green is one of the most relaxing colors.  A lot of us know what it is like to go out in nature and sit amongst the green trees on the green grass.  The feeling I get when I do this is so relaxing.  The cares of the world seem to melt away.

Green

I think of green as a very significant color that God has given all around us.  He has made it one of the most prevalent colors around us, at least most of us.  I don’t think it is just because it is a relaxing color, although it plays a crucial role.  I think it is because green represents faith.  He is reminding us all around to have faith in Him.

What is the most relaxing thing that you can think of in this world today?  Well, for me, I think it is faith.  And without faith, it is impossible to please God (See Hebrews 11:6).  If we have total faith in God and His plan for our lives we can be the most relaxed people in this world, no matter what chaos is happening.  It sends chills up and down my spine when I think about it.  But I struggle to have this kind of faith.  Yet, God has given us so much to remind us what He wants for our lives, a life of rest and peace.

What is faith?

If without faith it is impossible to please God then we better know all about it right?  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1.  Here is how the Revised Standard Version states this verse, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

I looked up some things on faith and what it means and here is a summary of what I found.  Faith is an assurance or belief in something, and also a conviction of whatever truth we believe in.  I can have faith that when I sit down in a chair it is going to hold me up.  Most of us never even think about it or fear before we sit down, we just sit down.  Because our belief is so strong in the creator of that chair, the fact is, we don’t even think about it.  And believe it or not, we don’t even know the creator of that chair.

What makes us believe a chair is going to hold us up?  Maybe we trust the place we bought it from, the reputation a company has, other people reviews of the product, etc.  I don’t even know if I have given it much thought of why I have faith in a chair to hold me up.  And there are many more things we have faith in every day, our cars, that our house will stay standing, or the building we work at has been built to continuing standing, that most people are competent drivers so that we don’t shake in our boots every time we go out on the road, how about an airplane, etc.  I could go on and on.

So how does this play into our faith in God?  It is kind of silly when you think about it.  Why would we trust a chair, car, or airplane manufacturer that we don’t know or even investigated but we won’t trust a God who loves us?  He has given all this green around us to say, “Trust Me!  Have faith in the plan that I have for your life, even though you don’t understand or know why just trust me.”  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding” Proverbs 3:5.

It is so…

Why is it so hard to have faith in a God who loves us with an everlasting love and yet we have faith in a chair, car, airplane, etc?  I think that this is a question that we need to chew on.  I know I do!  Believe me, as I write these things I am talking to myself.  When we go to buy a chair or even food for that matter, do we question whether it is safe?  Do we investigate the company to see if we can have faith that what I am buying is safe?  I can say for the most part I don’t.

How many of you order online?  When I order online I will often look at reviews.  But even those are not always helpful.  As a matter of fact, reviews can be downright discouraging.  And why is that?  Because you get these people that say how wonderful the product is and then there can be a small percentage that just is downright cruel about the product.  We have all see them.

The same can be true with Christians.  If we were to look at people’s reviews on Christianity we would get the same thing.  Some have had a great experience and some have not.  So how do we know?  When it comes to buying something the best way to know is to experience it yourself.  Even with reviews, you need to read between the lines.  Why don’t they like it?  Is it because it is not what they were expecting or wanted or was it because something was wrong with it?  Some would say that if the majority thinks it is good then it probably is safe to buy it.

Majority

When it comes to our choices with God should we seek the majority reviews about God?  Is there safety in the opinions of the majority?  Or is it safe to make our decisions based on what we see in other “Christian’s ” lives?  I would say not.  Just because a person claims to be Christian does not mean that they are truly like Christ.  True love gives everyone the freedom to choose whether they want God in their lives or not and whether they want to obey His laws.

Even though nature is marred by sin, it obeys God’s laws.  We are marred with sin as well but we can choose to obey God’s laws.  We can choose to have faith in His Word and the promises that He has given us.  He has given us so much evidence that He loves us.  Why is it so hard for us?  I can speak for myself, I am so much happier in my life when I have faith to lay my life in His hands. Trying to do everything on our own is such a miserable life, why do we choose it?

Look to Jesus

Why shouldn’t we look to people for our guide?  We are all sinners and make mistakes in our judgment, so there is no safety there.  The example that God gave us in Jesus Christ is the only perfect example for us to follow.  So the safest place for us to keep our eyes is on Jesus.  Read about His life, study His life, and then allow Him to emulate His life in you.

Every day as you see the green of the grass and trees bring to mind the faith that you can have in the One that is the most trustworthy.  God has put so much green around us to help us remember.  But often we pass by it all and don’t even see what He has to offer us.  God has put nature around us to remind us of Him and His power to save us to the uttermost if we come unto Him by Jesus, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for us (See Hebrews 7:25).

What is our part?  Our part is to choose Him.  When we are studying His Word and we learn His ways we choose His ways but He does the work to change our lives.  Nature obeys God but it is God’s power that makes nature grow, makes the rain to fall, or the sun to rise, etc. (See Ps. 147:8, 16-19, Matt. 5:45).  And as we choose Him and His ways God will make the seed of truth to grow in our hearts and He will make us more like Him.  He will change our hearts.

Dear Father,

Thank You for giving us the beautiful things of nature to remind us of Your power and love for us.  Help us to see that full faith in You and the plans You have for our lives is the safest and happiest place that we can be.  You are the One that can help us choose You and make us like You.  Help us in the choosing process today.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Have faith and trust in God today!  You won’t regret it!

Have you had faith in God through a tough situation and God came through for you amazingly?  I would love to hear your story.  Share below in the comments.

 

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Mice, Birds, & Cats

Animals

I am sure most of us have had a cat sometime in our life, especially if you live in the country.  We want them around to get rid of those unwanted creatures called mice.  Mice are so dirty and germ-filled.  And I don’t want them around, especially in my house.

I don’t know about you but I struggle with the fact that they also want to have birds.  We have had a bird feeder over the years and I love to watch the birds eat.  It is also enjoyable to have your window open and hear their wonderful songs.  When I see the cat stalking a bird I try to get their attention on something else.

It seems they have such an attraction for birds because they are more visible and moving around more, especially this time of the year as they are building their nests.  The eye of the cat catches the movement and they are excited to have a bird.  They are going to stop that bird from having a life of abundance.  And if the bird is not diligent about watching his back he will be taken down.

Then the thought came

How can I think of this spiritually?  God can reveal to us amazing things through His nature.  I am so grateful for nature.  It is like a book and can be read.  Just like God can help us understand His Word, the Bible, He can also help us understand His Word, as spoken through nature.

I don’t know about your cats but ours seem to enjoy the birds more than the mice.  I think it is because the birds are more active and visible so it catches their eye.  As I was thinking about it I was thinking that birds could represent those that are striving to follow the Lord and the mice could represent those that do not know the Lord.  And of course, the cat would represent Satan and his evil angels.

Feeling attacked

Do you ever feel like your life is being attacked?  I mean you look around and see people that don’t seem to be following the Lord and their lives seem not so difficult.  At times this can seem frustrating.  We can even start to get discouraged and there are many that end up giving up on God because of it.

Let’s get something really clear here.  We can’t always see from the outside what is really going on in a person’s life.  They may look like they have everything and they have the world by the tail but they can be miserable.  How many times have you heard about someone who committed suicide and you were shocked because you thought they had it all together?  Looks can be so deceiving.

I believe everyone goes through struggles.  But it is true that if someone does not truly know the Lord the devil doesn’t spend as much time on him or her.  He feels he already has them in his grasp so he puts his focus on those that are striving to follow the Lord and those that are on the fence.

More visible

It seems that, just like the birds, if you know the Lord and have a connection with Him and you are more active in serving the Lord, you are more visible to the devil.  But we need to think about the fact that we are also more visible to those around us.  There should be something different about us that will attract people’s attention.  I mean how often are we attracted to the beauty of a bird versus looking at a mouse?

The beauty of a true Christ-like person attracts the attention of those around them because they feel a love that they have never experienced before.  But the devil also notices.  He doesn’t want us to attract people to the love of Christ.  So he gets in and tries to disrupt the followers of Christ in many ways.  He may get us so busy we do not have time to spend with God each morning so that we have that connection to help us through the day.  The devil sends things to try to trip us up so that we are not the witness we should be to those around us.

There is another thing that he does also, he tries to discourage us and even make us look at God as unfair and unloving.  He wants to do anything he can to get us to take our eyes off of our Lord and the love that He has for us so that he can pounce upon us and destroy us.

Others

Just like the mice are not left alone by the cats the devil doesn’t leave those who don’t know the Lord alone.  He still brings trouble into their lives to try and destroy them as well.  The devil doesn’t want them to notice that there is a better life.  Many are miserable and discouraged and don’t know where to turn.  They may even feel alone and that no one cares.

It doesn’t matter what a person’s status is in this world they can have a life that is so miserable and unhappy that they want it to end.  And without the knowledge that someone loves and cares about you, it would seem hopeless.  There are so many that are feeling this way, even more, today than normal.

Hope

There is hope for all.  There is hope for those that know God and are discouraged or angry with Him.  And there is also hope for those who do not know our loving Savior.  God is there to comfort and strengthen us.

What do we need to do?  The one thing that we have to do is trust God.  This can be difficult to do!  I still struggle with this concept at times.  This can be very difficult for someone who has never had anyone in their lives that loved them or they could trust.  How can a person understand the love of God?  It can be difficult.

I come from the perspective that the Bible is the Word of God.  I believe His Word has come from Him and that, “…Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” 2Peter 1:21.  And then they wrote it down for us to be able to read and study.

There are so many stories that show us how much God loves us.  And the most amazing of those stories is the story of Jesus.  God loved us so much “…that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” John 3:16, 17.  What amazing love!!

The best place to start is in the gospels.  Here is where we can learn more about the love of God and His Son, Jesus.  And we can also learn what kind of life we should live.  It is a life of love.  We should be showing to others the same type of love that Christ shows to us.  But we can only do this as we allow Him to work through us.

We need to realize that no matter what the devil has to throw at us we still belong to Jesus and He will make “…All things work together for good to them that love God…” Romans 8:28.  This is a great promise to cling to when we are going through rough times, realizing that when we come out the other side we are as gold tried in the fire.  “…When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” Job 23:10.

Dear Father,

Help me to be grateful for the trials.  I do want to thank You for the promises that you give me to cling to during the time of trial.  Thank You that You love me so much that You continue to allow things that refine my character even though I may not like it.  Help me to realize that as I become more active in Your service that the devil wants to bat me down but that You are there to defend and fight for me.

Thank You for loving everyone no matter where they are in their Christian walk or even if they don’t know you yet.  And I am also grateful that You even continue to love those that have rebelled against You and that You continue to woo their heart to You.

Thank You for all You do for me and continue to direct my path.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Cling to Jesus today no matter what the devil is doing to try and bat you out of the air.  When you know the Lord you are His and He will fight for you as you lean on Him so that you can keep flying and singing the beautiful song of salvation.

If you haven’t met Jesus feel free to reach out to me and I will help you learn about Him.

Love you all.

As a Christian, have you ever felt like the devil is trying to bat you down?  What did you do about it and what was the outcome?

Share below we would love to hear your story.

 

 

 

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“I Am Glad You Have…?”

Sick!

I don’t know anyone that likes to be sick.  Now there are those that may pretend to be sick to get off work or school.  But if they are truly sick they are definitely not excited!

Recently, my daughter got sick.  And not only was it not exciting for her I was not too happy about it either.  Now is not the time to get sick with anything because of the pandemic that is taking place right now.  It causes your life to turn upside down.  Life changes and there is nothing you can do about it.

I had to call my work and let them know what was happening.   Naturally, they wanted me and my son, who also works there, to stay home.  “Until we know what she has we can’t allow you to be here and possibly put the rest of us at risk.”

And what did they do?  They scoured the place, Lysol, alcohol, sanitizing wipes, you name it they did it.  Because there is a fear of getting the deadly sickness that can change your life.  There are a lot of sicknesses that can be contagious and it can be good to take precautions so that you don’t get sick.   The biggest one is to keep your immune system strong.

Now one thing I want to be clear about here before I go on.  I am not writing this to take any side about what is true or not true about what is going on in our world today.  But what I want to do is derive a lesson that we can learn.  And in order to derive that lesson we are going to assume in this writing that what is being said is true, this sickness is deadly and you don’t want to get it.  I am not saying I necessarily believe that I am trying to show a spiritual lesson that we can derive from anything that comes into life.  And there are many!

What do I do now?

After calling my work and being band I wanted answers.  I was not going to sit around for 14 days to see what the outcome was I wanted to be proactive on getting this resolved so I could go back to work.

My next step was to call our family physician!  I told them, “My daughter has a fever and a really bad sore throat.  I need to figure out what the problem is so I can go back to work.”  I was informed that a nurse would need to call me back and ask some questions because they were not allowing anyone in the office with certain symptoms.  If she had certain symptoms I would have to take her somewhere else to be tested.

I waited for several hours for a callback but it finally came.  The questions were simple and because I could say no to all three they made an appointment for me to bring her into the doctor’s office.  We were grateful when she was diagnosed with something that you would normally not rejoice over.  But with what is happening in our world today what she was diagnosed with was better than the alternative.

It made me think

Then I got to thinking about sin in the life.  We often look at sin as if there are different categories.  We may think the sin of gossip is not as bad as murder so we are grateful that we may only have the gossip issue.  There are so many other examples that I could give but I think you get the idea.  But in God’s eyes, all sin is the same.  The sins that we think as “little” can be more dangerous to our spiritual life.  It can eat away at our spiritual life little by little without detection.

A disease of the body is like a sin to the spiritual life.  No matter what disease or sickness you have it takes you down physically.  The same is true with sin.  No matter what the sin is it has an effect on our spiritual life.  And just like some physical illnesses are contagious sin is contagious.  That is why it is so important to keep our immune systems strong and keep things out of our lives that lower our immune systems.

Now what?

What is the answer to our dilemma, whether it be physical or spiritual? The answer is really the same.  You need to build your immune system and do things that will support your immune system, whether physical or spiritual.

I am not here to talk about the physical or spiritual immune boosting ideas in-depth but I want to give a snippet to what is coming.  What about our physical and spiritual immune systems?  What can we do to help keep ourselves physically and spiritually well? I have an acronym that I have created to help us look at what things we can do to keep our immune systems strong, whether it is physically or spiritually.  We have to have a B A L A N C E D life in both of these areas.

Physical                                            Spiritual

Bed Time                                        Be open to the Holy Spirit

Aqua                                                 Acknowledge that you’re a sinner

Light                                                 Lament for your sins

Air                                                      Allow God to work in your life

Nutrition                                         Nourish yourself with God’s Word

Control                                           Commune with God

Exercise                                         Exercise faith in God

Dependence on God               Draw strength from God

God has no fear

When it comes to our physical or spiritual lives God has no fear of us coming to Him.  We don’t have to call up the Great Physician and ask if it is okay to come to Him.  He has no fear of “catching” what we have. We can come to Him at any time and He will be there for us.  There is nothing that is beyond His knowledge or control.  What a blessing!  He can take care of any disease, whether it is of a physical nature or a spiritual one.

God does not always promise to heal us physically but He does promise to heal us spiritually.  Spiritual healing is the most important.  If we die physically we have a great hope of the resurrection but if we die spiritually we have lost that hope.  I want to be healed spiritually!  How about you?

Dear Father,

Praise Your name that You are the great healer and You can heal us both physically and spiritually.  I am so grateful that I can trust You with my life.  And I am grateful that nothing comes into my life unless You allow it and it is for my good.  Thank You for Your unfailing love.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Keep your spiritual immune system in tacked by connecting with God each day.

Love you all!

What do you do to help keep your spiritual immunity up?  Share below.

 

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“What?!! Trust Who?”

Trust?

In the world in which we live it seems very difficult to trust.  A young person has a hard time trusting their parents for multiple reasons.  Parents struggle with trusting their children.  It can be difficult to trust a salesperson and you wonder if they are caring about your needs or just trying to make the sale.  Social Media? Some people seem to think if they see it on Facebook, Youtube, etc., it must be trustworthy.  I have news for you it is not a good source to trust.

What about the young people of today?  Why is it that they have such a hard time trusting their parents?  It seems that this is a problem within the church as well as outside the church.  And I think a lot of people are wondering why.  Our young people should feel that they can trust their parents.  There is a lot more trust in us when they are very small but things seem to change as they get older.

Parents

God was the most perfect parent and He still had children that didn’t trust Him.  But I do believe that there would be fewer young people leaving the church if they had more godly parents. You might be saying,  “Well, the Bible says, ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.’  And that is exactly what I am doing.”  This sounds good but my question to parents is are you training up your children in the way they should go?  Or are we training them like we would a horse or a dog?

I don’t want you to get angry with me or think I am pointing fingers.  I am writing this just as guilty as anyone.

My parents taught me all the dos and don’ts.  I was a more compliant child so I did what they taught me.  I am sure they showed me all the reasons and they felt that the reasons were good enough.  But when I left home I was doing the right things but did not have a saving relationship with Jesus.  My parents even today would tell you how they wished they would have understood more.  But that is what growing in Christ is all about.  We don’t have it all together.  We grow!

As a parent right now you may be doing all the right things in your life.  I am not saying that you are claiming to be perfect but you have the fundamentals of right and wrong down.  But I hate to break it to you, that is not going to save us and it will not encourage or teach our children to follow Christ.  It may even turn them off.  Especially since a lot of us may be trying to get them to do the things we are doing and we are really forcing it on them.  They may be compliant but still in a lost condition.

Answers

I have to say here that I don’t have all the answers.  And I definitely don’t have it together either.  But as I study more and more I see what the answers are and want them in my life.  It may seem discouraging and I may wonder if it is too late to rectify the influence that I have been on my children.  But I know that I can trust God’s promises.

Reaching our children or anyone around us starts with us.  As parents we are missionaries and our home is our first mission field.  And what we say doesn’t mean as much as how we live and what we reflect.  Who is the one that is the accuser?  Who is it that wants to condemn?  It is not our loving Savior.  Our Savior is compassionate, forgiving, merciful, loving, shows no anger, etc.  Even when Peter denied Him He looked at him with love.  How do we look and treat our young people when they do not do what we want them to do?

If we are trying to do what is right in our strength we are going to be pointing fingers, getting angry, frustrated, and not showing love and compassion to our children or anyone that does not do what we think they should be doing.  When they see us filled with anger and frustration, or a condemning spirit it doesn’t draw them to Christ.

It starts with us

The answer starts with us.  We may be doing all the “right” things but they mean nothing if they are done in our strength.  When we do things in our strength that is when anger, frustration, no compassion, etc comes in.  We have to allow the Lord to have control of our lives and let the Holy Spirit do the work in us.  If the changes in our lives are not through the power of the Holy Spirit we are not in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  And we cannot reflect Him to others.  Our children will not see Jesus in us and be attracted to a better way of life.  When we are doing it in our strength they see such a struggle in us they want no part of it.

Keeping the law

You may be saying, “I keep the law of God!  I worship God and don’t take His name in vain and I keep His day holy.  And I show my parents honor.  I do not kill, steal, commit adultery, bear false witness, or covet.”  I hate to break it to you that it is much deeper than this.  We may think we are not taking the name of God in vain, using swear words but if we are not reflecting Christ and claiming to be Christians we are taking His name in vain.

And we only have to break one to be breaking them all.  “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” James 2:10.  And Jesus said, “Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 5:19.  The teaching is done more through our actions than through words.  And if any of you are like me, we have failed bitterly.

Prayer

We need to be in much prayer.  Praying for the Holy Spirit to fill our lives and to change us.  I read once about what a young man had to say about his father and I pray we all can have this said about us by our children as well as others.  He said, “Father, I knew you then and I know you now.  I have seen such a change in your life will you mentor me?”  If we allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives our children will see a change in us.  As we perfectly reflect Him they will see it.

Dear Father,

You have promised Your Holy Spirit to all who ask.  I ask for Your indwelling Spirit to change my life.  I pray that everything I do will be through Your power and not my own.  And as I allow You to have full control my children will see something better and will be drawn to You.  Thank You for working in my life and the lives of my children.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Allow the Holy Spirit to do the work in your life so that your children will not see you but Jesus.

Love you all.

Have you had an experience where you know you allowed the Holy Spirit to work instead of you pulling yourself up by your bootstraps?  Can you share how the difference feels?

 

Note:  Life has been a little crazy and changing in my life thus the break from writing but I hope to be getting back on track.

May the Lord continue to bless each one of you.

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“How Can You be Grateful?”

How can you…

Have you ever wonder how can you be grateful?  There are so many things that are going on in this world of ours and even within our own lives.  So how possibly can we be grateful?  Someone just lost his or her job maybe that is you.  There are some people that have had someone very dear and near to their heart pass away.  And there are some whose physical body has given up.  There are some that are living each day with someone they hold near and dear to their heart that is not well.  And they never know from one day to the next if they will be there.  There are so many sorrows in this world that I can’t even mention all of them here.  But how is it possible to be grateful through the mist of so many depressing circumstances?

God’s lesson book

God gives us so many examples in nature.  Being grateful reminds me of my daughter’s dog.  Although the dog belongs to her he loves me the most.  I go to sit down in the living room and I get 2 dogs that run and jump on my lap and start to quarrel over who gets to sit there.  Eventually, the one ends up sitting curled around my neck on the back of the couch.  And my daughter’s dog Cuddles snuggles as close as he can get next to my lap or on my lap if I don’t have something laying on it.

Cuddles shows me many things.  He isn’t perfect but I often think that the things he does do wrong are so small compared to what we may do.  You can tell when he is sad or when he is grateful.  When he is happy it is like he has a smile on his face.  His whole countenance just glows.  If you have a pet I am sure you know what I am talking about.  He doesn’t want much except to be fed and loved.  I would say that he doesn’t sit around worrying about whether or not we are going to feed him or love him.  But I can see the sadness in his eyes when I ignore him or shove him away when I am too busy.

Cuddles knows when I am sad, angry, or happy and he cares.  He tries to comfort and calm me by trying to nuzzle me.  Or when I am happy he wants to be a part of those happenings as well. He wants to go with me everywhere I go and can often be underfoot.

When I take a shower he comes into the bathroom with me.  He loves it when I lay down my housecoat for him to lie on.  But if I forget he doesn’t complain.  He just curls up on the bare floor and is content.  I can see the sadness in his eyes when I ignore him but he still tries to stay as close as possible.  He doesn’t seem to worry when I forget to feed him, he seems as happy as always to be with me.  When I realize I forgot I feel so bad but he just seems to be grateful just to have me present.

…Thinking…

When I gave it some thought it made me think of God.  I am kind of like God to Cuddles.  He has to trust me to take care of him, feed him, and love him.  Cuddles loves me no matter what I seem to do.  He must think I love him enough to not let him starve to death or leave him out in the cold.

Of course, there is a difference between God and me.  God is perfect in every way.  He as perfect love for us.  My love for Cuddles is not perfect.  God never shoves us away because He doesn’t have time for us.  He is always there.  But even though He is always there we don’t always think He is.  Sometimes we feel that he has abandoned us.  We also feel like we are being “shoved” away by Him because of the trials that He allows to come into our lives.

We need to have the love and trust that Cuddles has for me for God.  Cuddles seems to know when he has done something that upsets me.  Do we realize the pain that we bring to our Lord when we do some of the things that we do?  And do we even care?  Every time we do things in our lives we should have so much love for God that we wouldn’t want to hurt Him.

We need to put our trust in God so fully that no matter what happens we can still be grateful.  Because we know that He loves us so much we can trust Him for the outcome.  Just like Cuddles always wants to be with me and follows me where ever I go we need to do the same with God.  The great thing with God, He will never consider us in the way or underfoot. We need to “cuddle” up as close as we can get to Him and stay connected.

Grateful

It seems as Christians we have so much to be grateful for.  I think if Cuddles could talk he would talk only about the things that he loves about me and how grateful he is for my love. The love he feels out ways any bad that may come his way.

My biggest gratefulness this Thanksgiving is God’s unlimited, unending love.  It doesn’t matter what I do He still loves me.  But He loves me so much that He doesn’t want to see me stay where I am.  He wants me to grow.  And I can trust Him to take care for me.  He is never late with answering my prayers although it may feel like it to me.  I can trust Him fully.  It may not feel like it but I can claim His promises and know by faith that He will fulfill them.

I am grateful for family.  As each year passes I realize how grateful I am for parents that love God.  And I am grateful each day that I have them.  So each Thanksgiving that comes I am so grateful to still have them with me.  My father has been a spiritual guide for me.  And I am grateful for each day that the Lord continues to sustain him.  Because each day I never know if he will still be here.  I try not to think of these things but be grateful for each day God gives me with him.

I am so grateful for friends.  Friends can bring such love and comfort through hard times.  And I am grateful for the prayers that ascend to the Father on the behalf of my family and me.  Knowing that others are praying for you is such a comfort.

I think that often we don’t look at the everyday blessings and give thanks.  We just seem to expect it.  I am grateful for every breath I take, a roof over my head, food on the table, being able to walk, see, and hear etc.  There are so many things that I could write down but I think you get the idea.  We need to make an effort toward thinking about the positive things that God has blessed us with instead of always focusing on the negative things that may happen.  God is so good.

Dear Father,

Thank You for another day of life.  I am so grateful to You for all you have done in my life.  I know that all things work together for good.  You have blessed my life with great things and I pray You will help me to focus upon those things rather than the negative things.  Thank You for nature and the lessons that You teach through it.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Make sure to be grateful and not just on Thanksgiving.  Be grateful all year long.

Love you all!  And have a great Thanksgiving!

What is something that you are grateful for?  Please comment below.  Let’s see how many things we can get listed.

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“The Question is, How Long Will He Live?”

Life…

There are so many people that are hurting today.  I am sure that as you read this you can think of someone in your circle of family and friends who are sick and dying or maybe has already died.

The older I get the more I realize that life is short.  We are not given that many years on this earth to live.  For some of us, the time is shorter than others.  But nonetheless, we have all been given the opportunity to live for a time.  Do we realize the importance of savoring every moment with those that we love?

Family

As I write this I have an Uncle who is dying.  It has been hard on my mom, as she has lost her family members one by one.  Although I have memories of my Uncle they are very few. We didn’t live close together so did not spend a lot of time with him.

One memory I have is going to my grandma’s and stacking wood.  I don’t remember my age but I do remember how much respect I had for my uncle.  We were tossing wood onto the stack.  My uncle threw a piece and as it landed on the stack a piece came back and hit him in the mouth.  It hurt really badly but he did not say a “word”.  It was so bad that it actually destroyed at least one tooth but it may have been two.  He was so calm about it despite his much pain.  It may have been because I was there but it still had an impact on me.

Another memory was when I was so sick with Lyme disease.  I don’t remember how far I was into it but he came for a visit.  He came specifically to fast and pray for me, he has such a heart of gold.  In the two days that he spent with us, he spent most of the time praying for me.

I love him and it is hard to see him suffering.  As I write this I know that he may be gone before I actually submit this writing.  I pray that God will be merciful with him in his suffering.  I am looking forward to the day that I will see him again.

Friends

We have a dear friend, while I am writing, that has passed away.  We have known this family for over 30 years.  They have been a special part of our lives, although, in the last few years we have not spent as much time together.  It seems that when you don’t live as close or go to the same church each week you kind of lose touch with people.

Oh, what memories we have.  We visited him a few weeks ago and were reminiscing about things we did together.  One of those memories was snowmobiling.  When we were younger and only had a couple of kids we would go snowmobiling to a cabin with this couple.  There were 3 of us couples that would go once or twice a winter.  If I am remembering correctly it was a 30-mile ride to the cabin.  It was so beautiful.

We would arrive on a Friday evening.  This cabin was not a place that had all the conveniences.  There was a generator for electricity.  A wood stove for heating the place and a wood cookstove for cooking.  There was running water you could have after turning it on but no hot water.  There was no refrigerator but that was no problem because there was snow.  Our refrigerator was out the back door in the snowbank.  Also out the back door was a path to the outhouse.  When you went out to use the outhouse you had to scrape the frost off the toilet seat.

Time together

But what fun we had.  We would sit around and visit together on Friday evening while we warmed up next to the wood stove.  Our family slept upstairs and how hot it would get.  But once that fire went out it would get mighty cold.

The next day we would gather something together for a small lunch and then we would go out for a ride in nature.  The beauty was spectacular, to be able to look across the snow and see miles of white with the beauty of the green trees.  It reminded me of what Christ wants to do in our lives.  “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” Isaiah 1:18,19.

Sometimes we would eat out on the trail and sometimes come back and eat lunch and then go for a walk.  To be honest some of the memories are a little fuzzy but the reality is we had a great time.  Then Saturday night we would play games and just had an amazing time visiting.

Those were weekends I will never forget.  This man was an amazing person.  He may not have been old enough to be my dad but I felt the love of a dad from him.  He always wanted to be sure I was okay and taken care of.  My heartaches that distance and the business of life kept us from getting together much later on.  He will be missed greatly by many but most especially his wife and children.

More remembering

Another thing that we did with our friends one summer was going to Rosario Beach near Deception Pass.  My husband remembers this time as being a very special time for him.  I know we did several things together but I can’t remember what they all were.  But the real special times were just sitting around, in the little cabin they rented and visiting.  You could not be with these friends without having a great time.  We spent time in laughter!  It was always so great to spend time together.

The Lord was important to our friend.  He had not been a Christian all his life but when he allowed the Lord to change him, He shined through him.  He was always willing to help us when we had a need, which he did more than once.  And I know that he helped many others as well.  He was a leader in his church and always did his jobs faithfully.  I knew that he was in love with the Lord.

How long…

Once you find out someone has cancer the question always comes, how long will he or she live?  But what does this question mean and what part of the question is most important?  I believe the most important life is eternal.  Physically dying isn’t easy but if you are ready spiritually it is nothing to fear.  “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” Matthew 10:28.

There is no fear of death for my uncle because he is so close to God.  He knows that there is a better land.  There is nothing to fear when his physical body is gone.  He knows in whom he believes.  And when the time comes when he goes to sleep he will go to sleep in Jesus.  Our friend is now sleeping in Jesus.  He has no more pain or worries.  Although I know he didn’t want to leave behind those he loved he is now at peace.

So how long will my uncle and friend live?  I believe they will live for eternity.  Someday soon Jesus will come and raise up all those that have kept the faith.  This is the most important event and I want to be ready for it.  And I want to be reunited with all those that have gone before me.  I am looking forward to my daughter being placed in my arms.  It will be such a blessing to be reunited with grandparents, parents, family, and friends.  What a day that will be.  And I think it is closer than any of us realize.

God has promised us this amazing promise, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:  and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words” 1Thessalonians 4:16-17.  And I am looking forward to its fulfillment.

Dear Father,

How I long for the day of Your coming.  I am looking forward to no more pain or tears.  Please comfort those who are hurting.  We thank You for Your love and care.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Remember He knows your sorrows.  He will be carrying you.

How has the Lord helped you through losing a loved one?  Share words of comfort.