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I should not have been surprised today when I searched high and low for an important paper for what it seemed like eternity. Finally I prayed and asked the Lord to help me find this paper and lo and behold I found it within seconds. I could have saved myself a lot of time by just simply asking God first to help me find the paper.
He tells us in Matthew6:33
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you."
Those are not just words, but God's promise to each of us.
The Lord urges us and encourages us to seek Him first in all we do and His righteousness. As we seek Him first and walk in right standing with Him, we can be confident the needs in our life will all fall into place accordingly.
I desire to want to put Him first in every part of my life. He is the one I long for and want to draw close to. He is my God that will meet my every need if I will but fully look to Him every second, minute and hour of my day.
I totally gleaned from my incident today of my "mad search" of an important paper. My Lord stays true to His Word and will fulfill it just as He says He will.
Seek the Lord Almighty first and you will not be disappointed!
(Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. ~~Maria Robinson)
It is not where I start
It is where Iend
Being eager to follow my heart
And, with that core, courage and given grace I should blend.
Where I am going
must be clear
Following the path which He leads me will I tread
I will be brave and have no fear
Keep moving toward
to what
is ahead.
But wait, I need to stop
and plan
A blueprint of my strategy
Of what to do in my future time span
In my design I need to
prayerfully consider.
So I head out with
confidence
I made a scheme on how to proceed
Reaching out to Him with good conscience
For a fresh good ending new shoots God will help me to reseed.
Very often we are victim to our self evaluation that we are guilty. It starts at a very young when in the socialization efforts of well meaning parents and teachers use discipline that in the end can affect our feelings of self worth for a long time. Children rely on people in their life to help them know what is good and what is not. However, when parents and teachers are not careful to choose words that teach the brand of the discipline has a negative effect. Children look up to parents and believe what they say. They do not have the maturity to realize that what they are hearing may not be anchored in absolute truth.
There is hope here for adult "children" who faced this kind of discipline as a child. There is hope for the adult who has made poor choices in life and may believe that their situation is hopeless. This could not be farther from the truth. You only know what you know when you finally know it. The secret here is to pray about it, get the lesson and let the lesson show you how to be / what to do. At this point, you can repent, forgive yourself, and move on.
Remember, it is not where you start but where you are when you reach what can be your glorious conclusion.
The hopeful eyes of the young woman watched each of the investors as she waited to hear her fate. Would they invest in her idea? The West Texas Investors Club (a show on CNBC-similar to the popular Shark Tank show on ABC) made her an offer. For a certain percentage of her business, they would become her partners. She cried and laughed at the same time and everyone hugged. After she left the room, one investor commented, "I think she really just needed our friendship" while the other one nodded in agreement.
I was struck by the observation and the sincerity of those investors. How amazing would it feel to have someone say to you, "I like you, and I am going to invest in you"? How would each day, week, month, and year, be different if each one of us knew that there was just one person who would always be there for us?
As much as we would love that feeling, and appreciate a relationship where someone invested in us, this cannot be one way. Just like the investors who form partnerships - there are responsibilities and expectations for both sides. We can't always be on the receiving end. We have to give love and respect to receive acceptance and care.
One time a friend said, "Hey, I haven't heard from you!" Before I could reply, he said, "Of course, I could have called, too."
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly,
since love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8 ESV
Dear Lord, thank You for loving us with Your everlasting love (see Jeremiah 31:3) and for choosing us (see John 15:16). Please give us wisdom and understanding on how to choose to care for others with love and respect. Please help us to recognize that we are choosing relationships and how to let go and allow others to make their own choices in relationships. Help us to get past our own busyness and reach out to others when we think of them. We know it is not just the thought that counts because actions speak louder than words. In Jesus Name, amen.
Rejoicing in the Lord seems like an easy task. At least it is when things are going well. But what about when things are difficult? Sometimes it is even hard to remember that God promises to be with us through everything, or that in the end if we are faithful and called to his purpose, he will work all things for good. But what about during those trials? Is it ok to feel sad, angry, or hurt? Does that show a lack of joy or trust in the Lord?
Actually, those feelings are normal. And if you try to ignore them and just stuff them deep inside, they are bound to come out in inappropriate times or ways. Even Jesus was sad or angry at times, but he did something about those situations and moved on. We can feel those feelings, do all that we appropriately can about the situation with God's help, and then leave the rest in His hands. That is a healthy way to deal with trying times. You can visit difficult feelings during times of trial, just don't unpack your bags and stay there!
The biggest challenge for most of us is not just rejoicing in God in the good times. It's not just rejoicing after the hard times have ended when we can see the ways God used it for good or the positive things that resulted in spite of the troubles. The hardest thing is actually rejoicing during the trials. It takes a broader view to see that these things are insignificant compared to the glory that awaits us in heaven. It takes a faithful heart to remember while the upsetting difficulties are still occurring, that we can also be thankful and praise God throughout those days. We have many examples in the Bible of rejoicing even during duress.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NIV) "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights."
Dear Father in heaven, thank you for being with me through all of my days - the good, the bad and the ugly. Help me always to be able to rejoice in you and all that you do for me. No matter what this world and Satan throw at me, may your Spirit continue to build my faith and help me climb to the heights. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, who with you and the Spirit are one. Amen.
"My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.
Do
not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;
for they are life
to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body."
Proverbs
4:20-22
One of my biggest frustrations as a nurse is how compartmentalized medical care
has become. I grew up in the days of a general practitioner who came to
the house for emergencies and managed the family's total health needs in his
office.
I realize that knowledge has grown exponentially and no one physician can know
it all anymore, but there are areas that need attention when a person is ill
which are often neglected. One significant area is the spiritual.
Since we are composed of body, mind and spirit (soul) we cannot fully care for
our bodies if we neglect the mind and spirit. God expressly says that
knowing His Word means health to a man's whole body. We generally become
what we think about.
You can choose healthy thought or always focus on the negative and watch your
body react either way. You will be blessed with better health if you
think as God's Word suggests -- on whatever is right, pure, lovely, admirable,
excellent, and praiseworthy. Thin on these positive and uplifting things
and you will be less stressed, more relaxed and peaceful, and ultimately more
happy.
God is my rock, and He works so incredibly well for me. I am having a hard time staying positive
today about my work situation. It is so
hard to face these people with a positive attitude each day, when I know that
they have a plan to let me go. Yes, I was
told it would be at the end of next tax season, so most likely in May of next
year. However, the way it has been handled, along with the personality of the
person calling the shots is not a really a comfortable daily stroll for me
currently.
My goal is to make it through this situation one day at a
time, with the most positive and happy attitude that I possibly can. I know I can with the love God puts in my
path. Today is a wonderful example. I am really struggling with bitterness, and
when I reach for God….See what fabulous nuggets he shares with me.
Anyone who meets a testing
challenge head-on
and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate.
For such
persons loyally in love with God, t
he reward is life and more life.James 1:12
(MSG)
He Gets the Last Word
Keep a cool head. Stay
alert.
The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better
than to
catch you napping. Keep your guard up.
You’re not the only ones plunged into
these hard times.
It’s the same with Christians all over the world.
So keep a
firm grip on the faith.
The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long
before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ
—eternal and
glorious plans they are!
—will have you put together and on your feet for good.
He gets the last word; yes, he does.
1 Peter 5:10-11
(MSG)
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your
heart.
Psalm 37:4
(NIV)
Content Whatever the Circumstances
I’m glad in God, far
happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong
concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just
had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything
personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances.
I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve
found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands
empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the
One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to
me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.
Philippians 4:13-14
(MSG)
I was feeling quite discouraged with my situation so I
decided to go log on to my Twitter account which I have set up with solely
inspirational postings.Well, I love God’s
timing.All of the above scriptures were
posted within a few minutes of my logging on.I also saw this amazing post that I so needed to see:
“Your
value doesn't decrease based upon
someone’s inability to see your worth.”
The above quote was the perfect statement for me during this
time as well. I have been critically
judged because my thinking is not inline with theirs, which has made me
question my value and confidence. I
realized a few weeks ago, that I have allowed them to do that to me. I am a Daughter of the Most High King, and I
am of great value in so many ways. These
people may not have been treating me at my true value, but, I know that God has
a much better plan for me, in which I will be given respect as well as be
valued according to my true worth! Thank
you, my precious God above!!
All of these scriptures, as well as the quote, are so
crucial for me to remember, not just during this season of additional challenge,
but throughout every day of my life. God
is always there, always loves and will never let me down. He is holding me higher than I can even imagine. There truly is nothing I can’t do when I have
God on my side!!
As she rises from her nocturnal divan behind the eastern hills
Not intense yet as clouds of sleep Still shroud the luster of her arrival
To launch another nuptial day.
Like a bride she peeks out from behind a wedding veil of foggy lace
Still dimming the blaze to come
As she slowly opens her amber cyclopean eye.
It is a day for glory this
And nothing will be able to hold her back
As she blesses the waiting world below
Bringing her Master’s warmth and life
Carrying His devotion and protection
To all who wake to greet
Her golden, glowing arrival.
They bask in the radiance of her wake up call
But only few can see or even understand
The intensity of protection and provision
The delivery of His gift of affection brings.
Few ponder a sunrise and comprehend
Even fewer still appreciate or recognize
That the incredible splendor of this gift
She delivers for Him each day
Is the radiance of the our Groom’s good morning kiss.
(C)Corinne Mustafa
Because God has created in such a way that the sun rises and sets each day, we can see a reflection of the life cycle of a person in it. A person is born in the morning, and enjoys her first sight of the things of earth. Her mother's face...her father's loving touch...the feelings of safety that are found from the rituals of time as it spreads out.
Every morning the day dawns. Whether sunny, cloudy. or rainy, whether the sun can actually be seen in a blue sky or hidden behind clouds, the sun is there giving life and warmth from her heated furnace.
I had the vision of the sun as a messenger from God that greets us daily like a groom and brings the warmth of His love to His bride. It can be likened to a wedding day when the groom sends love and messages to his beloved to rise and shine just as the sun has does every day when it rises. He sends a "kiss" of love and warmth to welcome us to our day which blesses us throughout the day.
Lord help us to slow down and hang on to our Groom's gift all day, every day. Please let it direct our passage throughout all the days of our lives until we go home to the ultimate warmth of You, God who is calling us there for eternity.
This past week I have had numerous opportunities to be offended. Each situation I have chosen to not be offended with those individuals.
Not only will I choose not to be offended, but to each one I have chosen to forgive them and extend God's grace, mercy and love.
Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 simply says,
"Do not take to heart all the things that people say,
lest you hear your servant cursing you!
Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others."
I am fully aware that many times my heart has not been right towards others and I needed to make things right with them and the Lord. I am also aware if I choose not to take Godly actions, I am not in a good place.
If I have ought towards others, there is no way that I can experience rich joy, thanksgiving and peace. In essence I am being robbed of God's blessings.
I will make it a daily habit to extend God's rich grace and mercy every day in place of offense. I desire to receive and walk in all the fullness of Christ!
9/22/15 I learned something that I had not known this Sunday. Image that...just when a person could be thinking she knows it all, she gets a little tweak of her ear...LOL! I am going to quote some scriptures that our Pastor Larry gave us this morning to read, and, when you are finished reading them, you will probably know what I am talking about.
Come close to God, and God will come close to you.
James 4:8(a)
He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you,
but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
2 Chroncles 15:2
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matt 7:7-8
Did you get it figured out? I am sure you did. It seemed as if one of my big questions and the answer to it suddenly flashed on an AH HAH light for me. Sometimes I look at others who are telling of their insights or things that they feel God has given to them. I am not saying that I never have any AH HAH moments or insights, and perhaps I am never satisfied. The point is that a person can never get enough of God. So I know that God is there with countless bits of input, but I have a role in it as well. If I want more of God I need to seek Him with all my heart, come close to Him, and knock on His door and He will open it. Of course God will act when He sees fit, but He loves it when we come to Him regularly.
The cafeteria had been practically empty for the whole shift. Spring break was just around the corner and few students were eating in. As the student staff cleaned and chatted a man who appeared to be homeless came in and asked if they had anything they could give him. The sweet young woman at the register said she was sorry but she couldn't help him. The other students reminded her of the food that would be going to waste. Resisting their pressure and pleas she turned the homeless man away.
She did her job. She was diligent and faithful. But what about the food that would be thrown away? As she properly kept the rules did she miss an opportunity to do good? Of course, it wasn't her food to give away. Could the group of students have pulled together and paid for him to come in and eat a hot meal? Listening to this true story, I thought of our pastor's message about the art of rule breaking. That same young woman has a heart for missions and hopes to be able to go to a country that is closed to missionaries. She will probably have to break a few rules to teach about the love of God. She will no doubt sacrifice financially to fulfill this call of God in her life. As I consider the struggle to balance between doing what is right and following man-made rules, I wonder how I am doing in my own life? I have no right to waste other's resources that are in my care. But am I recognizing and acting on opportunities God sends my way to do good? I wonder.
To love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding
and with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
Mark 12:33
Dear Lord, thank You for the opportunity to do what is good. Please give us eyes to see and hearts to understand and recognize what You are showing us. May we use our hands, our smiles, our resources, to do what is good each day. In Jesus name, amen. Written by Mary M. Wilkins
There is a saying that a truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery while on a detour. This always reminds me of a time when we were stuck on a highway in a huge back up of traffic for miles and miles. There is no other highway connecting the place we were leaving with our home destination. So we took the first exit we could. Much to our initial dismay, the paved road ended about 500 feet off the highway. Luckily, however, we had recently bought a vehicle with plenty of clearance underneath, and a GPS. So we decided to take a chance on it. The further we got, the dustier and narrower the dirt roads became, yet every turn and fork in the road were on the GPS map. So we kept going... and going. Since we had confidence in our GPS and our vehicle, I started laughing with each new encounter. First it was a wide spot in the road with one building and a town sign that said "Population:6", followed by a one lane bridge, and a herd of free range cattle in the middle of the road with us! We were enjoying every minute of it, for a full 20 miles, until we finally found a way back on the highway (which by this time was wide open and moving freely). I have absolutely no recollection of the other happenings of that day in the city we visited, but I will never forget the detour on Bloody Basin Road (yes, that really is the name of it!)
Hopefully we can keep this kind of outlook whenever we face trials in life. In spite of the tribulation, if we keep our eyes on our Savior, Jesus Christ, and put our full confidence and trust in him, we can laugh in the face of difficulties. We will be able to keep moving forward, in spite of not knowing what might be around the next bend in the road. And our faith will be strengthened along the way. So when the going gets rough on the detours of life, if we remember nothing else of the trip, remember to be faithful in God's merciful forgiveness, guidance and help to make it through. And enjoy the scenery along the way!
James 1:2-3 (NIV) Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Dear Father in heaven, thank you for giving me the free gift of your forgiveness and salvation through faith in your son, Jesus Christ. Help me to remember that I can rejoice in all things, because you are there with me and will never abandon me. Forgive me when I forget and make the detours more difficult by struggling against them or having a poor attitude. May my faith through the detours be a beacon of hope for others going through difficulties. In Jesus' name, Amen.
and righteousness
will be the scepter of your kingdom."
Hebrews 1:8
We think the world is in turmoil and embroiled with so much going on that we
can't keep up with the news. Things change so rapidly in society and with
technology that we can barely keep our heads above water.
News flash! There is more going on in the heavenly realms than on
earth. God controls it all -- the seen and the unseen worlds. Jesus
sits at the Father's right hand to rule and reign.
Now of course, if you don't believe in God or heaven or hell you will have
difficulty connecting to this. Satan and his demons are real in the
atmosphere above the earth, waging spiritual warfare with all of us.
God's throne is in a heaven above that, enveloped in light, from which He rules
and controls all that is going on in the entire universe. This is the
realm where angels reside to do God's bidding and where the spirits of the
departed saints live. This realm of the unseen must encompass more than
on this earth.
This sounds mysterious and far away, and yet God is close to those who believe
in Him and seek His presence. So how do we reach up to God and catch His
listening ear? We do this through worship and prayer. God wants us
to recognize who He is and that we have our being in Him. Praise and
thank God for everything and you'll find He will come to dwell in your heart.
I love God and how He works!
So, I have been having quite an emotional two weeks after finding out
that I will not have a job in about six months.
Obviously, I was very hurt, scared, in a panic, angry, etc. and
etc. After I got over my initial “freak
out” with feeling that I have to figure it all out right now, I remembered who
is in charge. J
Do Not Worry
“Therefore I tell you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you
will wear.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look
at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about
clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one
of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here
today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe
you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or
‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all
these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek
first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:25-34
(NIV)
God is so great!! It
has been incredible the amount of love that I have received from my sisters in
Christ. The prayers and the encouraging
support has just been such an amazing gift.
All I can do is just praise God for taking care of me. I know that He has got this for and He has a
much better plan.
For I know the plans I have
for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans
to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
I am keeping my eyes and heart in the hands of Jesus. With Him there is nothing that I can’t do….there
is no mountain too high or valley too low.
Yes, I am having my highs and lows through all of this. Quite a roller coaster and not the kind I
like! However, I do know that I will
come through this season shining. I am
covered with His grace and filled with an amount of faith that I didn't even
know was possible for me to attain, all because I have seen Him working in his
miraculous little ways that are just incredibly huge to me right now.
