We Are Daughters...

I was reading the other day in Genesis chapter 30 and my heart was touched by the fact that Leah so desperately wanted to be loved by Jacob, that she would do most anything for him to love her. I couldn't help but think of some women today, doing whatever they can do to earn the love of a man...or anyone. If only we could learn at a young age that we are Daughters of the Most High God and we never have to sell our selves out or compromise ourselves for love.

I think there are many women who feel that they have to be something other than what or who they are, to earn love and acceptance. It’s sad, but I must say I have been there. Although I learned an earthly example of my Heavenly Father’s love through my husband, I felt I always had to earn love from other people by what I did.

There were some hard lessons through the years, but God taught me and worked with me to see that I was of value to Him just because I was His Daughter. I still can fall into the Enemy's trap of wanting to be loved and feel like I have to do things to earn it. When that happens, the Lord will prick my heart and remind me that I don't have to do that because love should be given freely.

Poor Leah, she was never loved they way that she desired. She wasn't a perfect woman she certainly did many deceitful things. She reminds me of the woman who is unlovely, difficult to love, the woman who is always left out.. the underdog. The kind of woman who always strives to be loved and yet is always on the outside looking in. These are the kinds of women that always touch my heart and I find myself drawn to them.

Oh, please if you find that I have described you in this post won't you please realize that you are of value and you are LOVED because you are a Daughter of the Most High God...He created you!

"He created us because He delights in us."

~Beth Moore~

Nothing's Impossible...

My reading this morning was in Genesis 18. Verse 14 says, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" The Lord was reminding Abraham and Sarah that He had promised them a son. As I thought about this verse it came to me, that at times I think things are impossible. Why do I think these things are impossible? I think it's because in my human thoughts and reasoning and in my human strength...they are impossible. Luke 1 :37 tell us, "For nothing will be impossible with God."

If we know God is asking something of us...then He will equip us, enable us, and give us strength...When we rely on and depend on Him, we can see the impossible happen before our very eyes. Yes, we have to do our part, but we are also told that we can do all things in Christ who gives us strength.

I am going to take a page in my prayer journal today and write at the top of the page, "Nothing Is Too Hard For GOD." I am going to list the things that I have felt were impossible, or things I have given up on, or even things I feel God wants me to do... and commit them to prayer.

How about you? Have you felt that there are things in your life that are impossible? Take a few minutes today, sit a spell and reflect on these words, " Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

"You do not have because you do not ask."

James 4:2 NASB

Gifts Of Faithfulness, Mercy and Grace...

At this end if this day 2009 will be over ushering in the new year of 2010. How did this happen? Weren't we just concerned about Y2K? So much life has gone by and many changes have been made to each one of our lives the last decade. My mother and my father in law both went home to be with the Lord in this decade, I have four beautiful grand daughters, I 'm not in my forties anymore and my fifties are almost behind me. They say a woman changes the most physically in her fifties. Terrific. These past ten years have been some of my worst years and yet some of my best. I am thinking some of you might say the same thing.

We are living in perilous times of uncertainty. We are still at war and our sons and daughters are still serving in counties that their lives are in danger every day. Lost jobs, homes foreclosed, divorces, illnesses have become part of our daily lives.

And yet....

"...He remains faithful..."
2 Timothy 2:13

God gives us the gift of faithfulness everyday as a gift. In that gift of faithfulness is mercy and grace amidst whatever circumstances we might find ourselves and our loved ones in. We often times, fail to recognize these gifts when things are falling apart around us. I am guilty of this at times.

If I could wrap up a little gold box and give one to each of you to put where you could see it everyday, I would. Maybe you'll want to wrap a little gold box for yourself as a reminder...God remains faithful...no matter what!

Elisabeth Elliot said;

Sometimes when I was a child my mother and father would say. "Shut your eyes and hold out your hand." That was the promise of some lovely surprise. I trusted them so I shut my eyes instantly and held out my hand. Whatever they were going to give me I was ready to take. So it should be in our trust of our heavenly Father. Faith is the willingness to receive whatever He wants to give or the willingness not have what He does not want to give."

Whatever the Lord places in each of our hands this year, one hand should be open in trust to the One who loves us most. In the other hand, let's embrace the gift of His faithfulness, grace and mercy.

These gift are ours because they were bought and paid for by the precious blood of Christ. Will it be this decade, this year, this day that He will return for us? We can look forward with much anticipation to all the things God will do for us and in us because of His faithfulness.

God bless you, dear friends, may He bless your New Year!

Happenstance...

"Nothing happens by happenstance.

I am not in the hands of fate, nor am I the victim of man's whims or the devil's ploys. There is One who sits above man, above Satan, and above all heavenly hosts as the ultimate authority of all the universe. That One is my God and my Father.

~Kay Arthur ~

I was sharing with a friend the other day that the trial she was going through has come as no surprise to God. Sometimes those things come into our lives that almost suck the very life from us. It has been my experience that those very things can draw me closer to God and if I abide in Him and surrender to His will, a deeper work will be done in me. The work that was done that took me deeper and deeper with Him, wasn't anything I could put into words. It wasn't anything that I could teach on or write about or even explain...it was a hidden work of the Spirit. Oh, the change is there and people will see it, but yet they won't be able to put their finger on what it is.

Nothing happens to us by happenstance. Our Father is on His Throne and he has all authority over all things. What comfort that brings us in a world full of chaos and uncertainty.

"...If God be for us, who can be against us."

Romans 8:31

Reflections Of You...

The last three posts have been from a message I gave at our Woman's Tea, entitled, Reflections Of Beauty. It's not the enire message but parts of what I spoke on. It's been edited just because it was too much for a blog post. Today's, post is.... Reflections Of You.

James 1:23-25 “ For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”

Some of you might have mirrors that magnify bigger than a normal mirror. I Have one that magnifies 8x’s larger. It’s really cruel to do that to myself. I see things on my face I can’t see with a regular mirror. I see things that were not there yesterday.

I’m one of those women that just can’t go without make up. Every flaw flashes like a neon light. If my husband comes home and I have make up on he wants to know where we’re going or did I go somewhere today. He calls it a miracle transformation when I put make up on.

We look in a mirror to see how we look on the outside. When we look in the mirror of God’s word it shows us how we look on the inside. It’s easier to cover up the flaws on the outside with a little makeup. When God shows us the flaws on the inside, it’s a work that can only be done from within. It too, is called a miracle transformation.

Even though, God’s word reveals to us the flaws in our hearts and our character; He lovingly shows us how to change. Even when I knew God was relentless in showing me my need for change….I was not condemned but lovingly convicted. It’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. Intimacy with God brings about change.

Many times we as women compare ourselves with each other. Satan wants us to compare..he wants us to think other women are better. He will taunt us to compare, envy and covet what another woman has. He especially wants us to think we can’t have that love relationship with God that others do….

He wants us to think something is wrong with us and it’s not attainable for us. But I am here to tell you that each one of us can have all we want in our relationship with the Lord. God is not a respecter of persons but the enemy wants you to think that. We all have the same opportunities to be intimate with God. It’s our choice.

Jeremiah 29:13 says…
“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”

If we look in the mirror of God’s word not only will we find him but we will find ourselves. We are daughters of the Most High God; we are daughters of the King!!To God each one of us is uniquely beautiful. He fashioned and formed us to have a beautiful face that will reflect His love, beautiful hands that will help others, beautiful eyes to see his beauty that surrounds us and beautiful lips to tell of God and His love for us. I am not talking about physical attributes.

This is how God sees us. Your hands maybe calloused and wrinkled from years of hard work..but God see the beauty of those hands in all that they did for others in His name.

We may not see ourselves that way, but God does. We at times compare ourselves to the world’s standard of beauty so we don’t see the beauty God created in us. The beauty of “beauty idols” will soon be forgotten. God will work wonders in our lives to perfect the beauty he desires to see in us.

That kind of beauty will radiate to others and change lives. When God’s work is complete our

character will show off the beauty marks to all those who know us and love us.

Joni Earekson Tada says, “I will find in every person that facet of the Lord’s loveliness that only he or she can uniquely reflect.”

My reflection will always be me. Oh, when I look in the mirror over time, my physical reflection will change… there will be more wrinkles and the shape of my face could change, hopefully thinner…. my hair color probably isn’t going to change. I don’t want any physical reflection; I want the refection of Jesus. It’s the trials and circumstances of my life, the valleys and the mountain tops…that God will use to bring about that unique reflection.

It took me many years to figure out that God made me unique. That he made my personality just for me. There is such freedom in being who God made you to be, rather than who you think you should be..or be like. Never being happy with yourself and always wanting to be like someone else...Is a form of bondage.

By God’s transforming grace we can reflect beauty in our lives. Each day as we walk in the Spirit our faces will increasingly reflect the beauty of Jesus. When we have Jesus living inside of us nothing can dim the beauty that shines from within.

The circumstances and trails of our lives past and present do not need to tarnish our reflections. They can, but they don’t need too. I am not minimizing what those circumstances have been or are presently. We each have our own stories to tell.

It’s our choice what we want to reflect. We can choose to reflect all of our hardships and trials or we can choose to reflect the Jesus in us. Each one of the circumstances in our lives was designed to bring about that perfect luster that only God can accomplish through the buffering and polishing of His Holy Spirit.

You are Daughter's of the Most High God. You are His precious treasure hand made to reflect beauty. You have a unique beauty that the Father has only given you to reflect. The choice is yours in whom you want to reflect….Ourselves or Jesus?

It is my desire this morning that when you leave today that you will feel special to the Lord and see how just how beautiful you are. You are his chosen daughter to live right here and now to reflect His beauty to a world in chaos and to each other……Because we as women need each other.

So as we close this morning with our hearts hopefully challenged to be a reflection of beauty, a reflection of Jesus Himself.. Let me leave you with these few words….

May the Jesus in me, see the Jesus in you!

Work To Do...

"God did not save us so that we could look attractive on Sundays. He saved us and left us here because He has work to do...very specific work. He has a mission to accomplish for kingdom gain in every generation...all planned in advance and perfectly timed. In His sovereignty, God has chosen to do His work through us. If we miss our ministry, we will miss our entire purpose in remaining here."

~ Beth Moore ~

Living Beyond Yourself

What is our purpose, what is our ministry? Each one of us have been called and left here on this earth for very specific reasons...to fulfill the ministries that God Has entrusted us to do. Each one of us has a mission to accomplish for kingdom gain and eternal benefits.When our work on earth is done, then God will take us home.

God doesn't call everyone into full time ministry. For the most part our ministry is centered around our daily lives and those people we come in contact with. There is kingdom gain in anything God places before us to do. When those things are done to the glory of God, there is a ripple affect that reaches beyond our four walls. It could be that silent witness to unsaved family members in your home or extended family. If we are dong what God has placed before us to do, to the glory of Him..He will produce the kingdom gain. We need only do what he has called us to do.

I have heard people say when someone dies that their work on earth was finished. It always seemed like just words to me, but I have really thought about it lately. Every day that we get up and take a breath we have the opportunity to influence someone's life. Raising children to love the Lord and supporting our husbands is a part of kingdom gain...being a reflection of the Lord, wherever we find ourselves out in the world, is used for kingdom gain. God wants to work through us..that is our purpose for being here.

There are different seasons in our lives where we are used in different ways. At different times in our lives, God gives us different things to do. I taught women's Bible studies for years, now I write a blog and teach a little here and there. The opportunity that God puts before me more than anything else, is encouraging women. Ministry doesn't always stay the same. God uses us in whatever season we are in, if we are open and surrendered to His purposes. These are trying times, please don't miss the purpose God has chosen just for you, for kingdom gain.

"Whatever you do in word or deed,

do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

Colossians 3:17

Slow Down...

The holidays are over, do you feel like you need to slow down and concentrate and focus on tending to things around your home? I do. I have shared many times that I love a simple life. I don't do well when I am busy all the time. My home doesn't do well, my health doesn't do well..nothing seems right when I am on the go all the time.

I can't help but think that God does not want that fast paced life for any of us, well, me for sure. When I'm busy, my mind is busy thinking of the next thing that I have to. When I get up in the morning and my feet hit the floor running, my quiet time is the thing that gets neglected. Or how about...when I get up in the morning and the first thing I do after I have said good bye to my husband... I turn on the computer. I have decided that I will not turn on the computer until I have a quiet time and my bed is made.

When I am too busy to hear when God whispers to me, it's time to slow down. Even children don't have to be as busy as they are these days. Most kids are run from one activity to another. They don't have time to slow down and be a kid. A lot of kids don't know how to entertain themselves without the TV or DVDs or someone entertaining them all the time. I love it when I see my granddaughters play with dolls or dress up. Kids need to slow down too..how will they learn to be still before God when they are older, if all they know how to do is be on the go when they are young?

Nurturing takes stillness, both physically and spiritually. We have to be still before God at times to be nurtured by the Holy Spirit. We have to slow down to hear the direction God wants us to take. People get sick with colds and flu because they are so tired and run down from being so busy. People have to work, it's all the added busyness that we need to re-examine to see if we need to slow down.

My Grandma told me once, "If the devil can't get you with idleness, he'll get you with busyness." That is so true! It's subtle too...we don't even recognize that some of our busyness is a distraction from the enemy himself, to keep us from the things of God. I know I have found that true in my own life from time to time.

So many people have said that they want peace. The only true peace is a relationship with Jesus Christ. For those that do know Christ and still cry for peace, maybe they are just too busy to recognize that they already have it. I am slowing down, how about you? Selah....

Resolutions VS. Obedience...

"Now I declare new things;

Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.

Sing to the Lord a new song,

Sing His praise from the end of the earth."

Isaiah 42: 9-10

Is there something God wants you to do? Is there a new challenge or task that He is asking of you in this new year ahead? Is there something stirring in your heart that only God could have placed within you to do? It doesn't have to be a BIG thing..maybe just be more organized, or prepare healthier meals...things that have to do with our everyday life.

Maybe He has placed a BIG thing before you to do. I do know that be it big or everyday things..God will equip you to do it. When we are obedient, He will take us one step at a time to fulfill what He asks of us to do.

I am so thankful for God's grace and His mercy. They both are never ending and new everyday. What an awesome God we serve. We don't ever have to wait for a certain day to begin anew. Each breath that we take is a new breath, given only to us by our Heavenly Father. The thought overwhelms me.

I have turned my thoughts from New Year's resolutions to thoughts of obedience. There is such joy in obedience and not the dread and drudgery of fulfilling resolutions. Not only is there joy, but there is freedom. Freedom that only Christ can give. He bought and paid for it...it's ours, we need only walk in it.

Don't get me wrong, I have some goals written down. But I truly believe they are Holy Spirit inspired, so if I work on those things that He has shown me, I will be obedient. Because of the baby steps I have taken, I already feel joy and freedom! Hallelujah!

Let's each one of us look expectantly to what God has for us in the New Year. May God bless and keep you..

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Is My Heart In Stable Condition?

The stable. I always thought it seemed like such an unsuitable place for the birth of the King of Kings.

The stable did not offer the same comforts as the inn, but it had one thing the inn lacked. Room. There was room in the stable where the Son of God could be born.

At times I wonder, " Is my heart like that inn...so crowded that I miss the presence of the Son of God? Am I so filled with the cares of life, stress, busyness and selfish desires that no room is left in my heart for Jesus?"

As I have watched theChristmas story reenacted through the years, I have often thought of the innkeeper. Why didn't he make room for the expectant mother, then allow others a place? I realize the innkeeper did his best to accommodate Mary and Joseph.

Each day I am faced with opportunities to allow God's blessing and power to fill my heart. When I have meditated on His Word and communicated with Him in prayer, then as the events of the day unfold I am able to handle each situation in the wisdom and strength that He provides. If I fail to read His Word and pray, then my life becomes packed with overwhelming circumstances and Jesus is crowded out.

My busyness and cares can be put in their proper place as I pray, "Lord, keep my heart in stable condition so that I have room for Jesus."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have used this devotional by Judy Seabaugh for many many years and each time reading it, I am shown I have let too many things creep into my heart during the Christmas season. Not so much physical busyness, but the busyness of my heart and mind. My mind goes a million miles an hour this time of year. You too? There can't be any room for Jesus when we are too busy to open the door to let HIm minister to us in only the ways He can. If you feel your stable doors have been closed, open them up and let the Son come in!

God of All Comfort...

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

There are so many people this time of year walking around with discouraged and hurting hearts. One may even be you. I think sometimes, we feel the need to hide how much our hearts are wounded and hurting. When we do that, we only allow that heartache to hurt all the more. There are other people that have gone through similar circumstances and trials and God wants to use them to minister to you.

Last Tuesday night I was able to share the same comfort God had given me, to a sweet sister in Christ, who just found out her son and his wife were having a baby with a cleft lip and palate. Our little granddaughter Rachel was born 4 years ago with this and I was able to encourage and tell her it would be a journey....a journey of God's faithfulness. The other thing I was able to tell her was, that I never would have dreamed all that God would do for Rachel. I never ever thought the Doctors would be able to do so much to repair her little face. God is so faithful in the journey, any journey we might find ourselves on right now. He does exceedingly abundantly more than we ask!

God comforts us in times of discouragement, heartache and grief....in all things, if we let Him and look for Him in the midst of the circumstances. Many times He will use someone that crosses our path to comfort with the same comfort they received in their time of need. If we don't want to be comforted and want to stay in that place of despair.. then we will. But when we look to God, and we earnestly seek Him, we will find Him.

What we go through in life will never be wasted... unless we choose to squander it in self pity. God will bring opportunity after opportunity to us, to use us in the lives of others, who now walk down familiar paths that we have walked down. We can share the love and faithfulness of God, to those who need just a glimmer of hope, to endure what is set before them. If our hearts are open, God will bring those in need to us to share the same comfort that we received from Him. To God be the glory!

"Bear one another's burdens..."

Galatians 6:2

Broken Pieces...

"He heals the brokenhearted and heals up their wounds."

Psalm 147:3

The box dropped...I heard the clinking of broken pieces. I knew what was in that box...of all boxes, it just couldn't be that box. I opened it carefully hoping it was minor..maybe something that wasn't my favorite. Sigh, it was my collection of Christmas tea cups. I have had them for years, given to me from special friends and some I bought myself.

A few days passed and I was putting out two adorable houses that friends had given me for my birthday one year. My fingers just gave out, and it was only the size of a shoe box. Oh my gosh! The damage was minor this time, only a chimney broke off. But still. I was disappointed about all the things that had broken this season and we are barely into it.

I was reminded it's just stuff. Indeed, it is just stuff. This made me think upon the broken people who live in that broken state every day of their life. What about the people who have broken hearts this time of year as they remember the losses in their lives as a result of losing someone, or even the people here in California who lost everything recently to the California fires, and the terrorist attacks... there is heartache all around us. Broken people, broken pieces...brokenness that only the Savior can put back together.

This second day of December...can you think of anyone that needs a touch of the Savior because they are broken. They aren't just stuff to be tossed away. The Lord will show us those people who need that touch that only He can give. Let's all be on the lookout with our Holy Spirit eyes, looking for opportunities to be part of the solution of helping mend broken lives. People don't always look broken on the outside. it's not always obvious to others when one is broken. Some people may just need a smile to get them through the day or a kind word to ease their pain just a little. Each thing we do can possibly be the building blocks leading that person to finding wholeness in Jesus Christ.

~People are not just stuff.~

The Hard Thing...

"Unparalleled joy and victory come from allowing Christ to do the "hard thing" with us."
~ Beth Moore~

I had to stop and be still before the Lord when I read this quote ...was there a "hard thing" in my life that I was to learn from right now? Oh yes, I really didn't even have to get all that still to know. It came right down to OBEDIENCE. Such a word. DISOBEDIENCE..ouch, another word. Sometimes we find ourselves in those hard places because God has asked something of us and we fail to obey. We can obey for awhile and then find ourselves slipping right back to where we were before. Forgetting all the while that it was God who spoke these things to our heart in the first place.

Through the years in my walk with the Lord I have found that nothing can bring more joy than being obedient to the things that God has asked of me. Walking in the things I know to be true, obeying when I hear the whispers from Him in my heart, surrendering those things He asks of me...sometimes walking in those things means they become the "hard things". It all comes down to allowing Him to have His way with us, all for His glory.

Victory is mine in Christ, bought and paid for by His blood. At times, I don't always feel it or walk in it. When I have been obedient, I feel victorious. Oh what a feeling! There is unparalleled joy and victory in the hard things when we allow Christ to have His way with us.

Are you experiencing a "hard thing" right now? Is there anything God is asking of you while you are in this hard place? It can be ever so small and doesn't have to be a big thing. I think of when my kids were young and I would tell them to do something and there would be that, "Why." Because I said so, I might reply. Even in the small things God has a reason for asking us to do or not to do something. Why? Because He says so. We don't have to always understand, we just need to obey, and then....joy will follow!

"For it is God who is at work in you,
both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

Philippians 2:13

Quitter Or Obedient?

" The enemy tries everyday to get us to quit...then he calls us a quitter."

I was going through my night stand next to our bed and I found this slip of paper that I wrote the above quote. I don't remember writing it. I had to be watching a DVD of Beth Moore's or listening to the radio and jotted it down.. I really needed that encouragement the day I found it. God knows when we need those special touches.

It's so true..he, Satan does everything he can do to have us quit the things that we do in obedience to God. He puts every obstacle in our way that he knows will discourage us. Sometimes those things come right after another like waves, knocking us down so we can hardly catch our breath. We have probably given in and quit before so he knows what tactics will work in our defeat. He whispers, You can't do this." "You have never succeeded before, why try again." "Your life is too busy to do this." "Everyone is smarter than you." Oh my gosh, the whispers that he plants in our minds continues, sometimes until he wears us down and we quit. Then...he calls us a quitter. How fair is that? Remember, the enemy doesn't play fair. He comes to rob and destroy us. He is such a deceiver.

Is there something in your life that you want to quit? Are you hearing whispers from the Lord or the enemy? If it is the Lord telling you to quit, He will call it obedience. If it's the enemy...he will call you a quitter. Then he lays on the guilt. See what a vicious circle it is?

We have to walk in the Spirit everyday to recognize the tactics that are individually designed just for us. When we do, we won't walk in the flesh and be tricked by the enemy. This quote stirred up my righteous anger...to think he would chip away at me day and night and when I had been pecked enough, to then think he would call me a quitter! Grrrrr.

Be wise and be aware of whose whispers you are listening to.

Roots That Go Deep...and Flourish

"But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

They are like trees planted along a riverbank,with roots that reach deep into the water.

Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.

Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit."

Jeremiah 17:7-8

This verse really spoke to me last week when I was preparing a devotional that I had to give. We live in perilous and uncertain times. We don't know how this next Presidential election will affect us, the economy is going down, jobs are lost everyday with almost sure promises of more people losing their jobs. Foreclosures on homes are taking place in every neighborhood. Yes, these are uncertain times.

This verse in Jeremiah says that if we put our hope and confidence in the Lord, we will be like a tree planted a long a riverbank. Trees by a riverbank have roots that go deep in the waters edge.. They are strong because of the foundation that they have holding them up. They are constantly nourished from the river's water.

These same trees will not be bothered by heat or long periods of drought. They are connected to the living source of water. They will stay green and never stop producing fruit. Some fruit trees just never seem to flourish and produce delicious fruit. But once they get the proper nourishment they produce quality fruit.

What's this mean for us in these perilous times of uncertainly? It means that we must put our trust in God, take the time to drink in the Living Water of His Word. And like those trees planted by the river bank, our roots will go deep.When our roots go that deep we can't be shaken or stumbled by the chaos of uncertainty. We can flourish amidst that uncertainty. This verse says when we put our trust in God, we will bear delicious fruit. Isn't it a wonder thought that during times of hardship we can still bear fruit? Delicious fruit! This is because of the nourishment we take in from the water of His Word.

It's a choice for all of us to make that decision for or roots to go deep. Having that deep rooted foundation in Jesus Christ is what will get us through any rough roads ahead. To get that deep foundation we must drink in His Word letting it fill us up and give us all we have need of.

This is fruit that we can multiply it forward into the lives of those around us...friends family and those who are struggling in an uncertain world.

We don't know what is ahead of us in our chaotic world of change. But we do know when our hope and confidence is in God, the winds of change will not blow us over or cause us to wither. Drink in...and flourish it's a choice we all have to make.


Heavenly Father, in these uncertain times draw us to yourself, cause us to drink from your Word that we might be a source of encouragement and hope to those who live with uncertainty in their lives. We want to flourish in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. To God be the GLORY!

Crooked Paths...

" The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out." Proverbs 10:9

When I read this verse this morning, I saw the similarities in a story I read by Amy Carmichael. In her book, God's Missionary, she writes of an Indian woman who was disgruntled and bitter towards the missionaries because she thought that they said one thing and did another. She wanted to know, "who can say you missionaries live specially holy lives? We Indians observe. We observe you not only when you are at work, but when you are off work too. Is there anything remarkable about you? Are you burning- hot people? We look to you to show us patterns, and you are showing us crooked patterns."

To say the least this was not wholly true. But it is a question we can ask ourselves as Christians...are we showing crooked patterns to those who observe us? Is there anything, even if it seems small, that might stumble someone who is watching? We aren't perfect people, but we are here to live holy lives. Lives that bring glory to God in every aspect of our lives.

We can't walk down crooked paths or show crooked patterns, someone might be following and watching. We never know when we walk down a path, if it will be the path that leads someone to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, Help us to look at our lives and see if we are showing crooked patterns to anyone who watches us. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear..anything that we might do to stumble those around us. In Jesus' name, Amen

Carrying Stones...

A story is told of Jesus and His disciples walking one day along a stony road. Jesus asked each of them to choose a stone to carry for Him. John, it is said, chose a large one while Peter chose the smallest. Jesus led them then to the top of a mountain and commanded that the stones be made bread. Each disciple, by this time tired and hungry, was allowed to eat the bread he held in his hand, but of course Peter's was not sufficient to satisfy his hunger. John gave him some of his.Some time later Jesus again asked the disciples to pick up a stone to carry. This time Peter chose the largest of all. Taking them to a river, Jesus told them to cast the stones into the water. They did so, but looked at one another in bewilderment. "For whom," asked Jesus, "did you carry the stone."

I read this story in Elisabeth Elliot's book, These Strange Ashes. I had to ask myself after reading this story..For whom do I carry the stone entrusted to me? We don't always choose the stone that we carry, but we CAN choose the attitude that we carry it with. A stone, especially a large stone, can get pretty heavy as we walk the journey God puts before us. It can make a big difference if we walk with the right attitude.

Another way to look at this story is...when we pick up a stone to carry, are we carrying it for ourselves or are we carrying it for Jesus? I've been looking back over my life and asking myself, did God ask me to carry that? Or did I pick it up on my own? Was I self-seeking or surrendered?

I only want to carry a stone that Jesus has asked me to carry. If He has asked me to carry it, He will equip me for the journey with grace and strength. If I pick it up on my own to carry, it won't be too long before that the burden is too heavy to bear.Are you carrying stones? For whom do you carry them?

Encourage and be Encouraged...

"For I long to visit you so I can share a spiritual blessing with you that will help you grow strong in the Lord. I am eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other." Romans 1:11-12 NLT

In this verse Paul speaks of wanting to go to Rome to visit. He had wanted to go for a long time, but he kept being prevented from going. So much of Paul's life is an example to us how to live godly Christian lives. And here we find another example for us to follow.

So many times we look for opportunities to be that encourager to someone. But in these verses Paul not only wanted to encourage the people of Rome and impart a spiritual blessing with them...he wanted to go so he could be encouraged by them as well! Paul admitted, I want to encourage you, but I also want to be encouraged by you.

"As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend."

Proverbs 27:17

Encouraging someone, be it in small things or big things, hard times or good times, is what a good encourager does. Paul looked expectantly to go to Rome to be encouraged. Encourage and look to be encouraged, should be something we should desire. When we encourage someone, we sharpen them. When we are encouraged, we are sharpened. We spur each other on in our Christian walk when we encourage. Paul wanted to be sharpened in his faith and theirs, when he went to Rome to visit the believers there. Our prayer should be, "Father, use me to be an encourager today, and Lord, I'd be blessed if I could be encouraged today too."

"...those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed."Proverbs 11:25

Reflections...

"As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man.

"Proverbs 27:10

What do we see when we look in the mirror? If it's a magnifier mirror we can see all kinds of imperfections. I have a mirror that magnifies 8X's bigger. It's scary! It's easy to see the imperfections on our outside body. With a little make up, comb and hair spray we can make ourselves look rather presentable.But what about our inner man? We fool ourselves if we think what's on the inside doesn't show to others on the outside. It's revealed in the way we speak, act and even our body language.

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."Proverbs 23:7

David asked in Psalm 139 for God to search him, and and see if there be any wicked way in him. It's important everyday that we ask God to search us and reveal to us anything that is displeasing and sinful to Him. But also, we must be willing to have a teachable and contrite heart to listen and to change. It can be painful to have God reveal the ugliness of our heart. Too many times we live in denial of that ugliness. But God sees it and so do others

Let's ask God to reveal to us today, "What does the reflection of my heart reveal about me?" And when He answers, let's be teachable and change!

Generation to Generation...

"For the Lord is good, His loving kindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations."

Psalm 100:5

I have a quilt that my great grandma started when she was young. It was passed down to me from my grandma. It wasn't finished at that time but, eventually I finished the quilt and put it on my bed. I was looking at it the other day and running my fingers along some of the pieces. When this quilt was made the pieces were cut from used clothing that had worn out. I couldn't help but wonder whose clothes some of the pieces came from. From there my mind began wander... Did my great grandma know the Lord? Did her children? If so, did she pray for her children or future generations of her family? That the seeds of her faith would be passed from generation to generation.

When my children were very young I began praying for their future spouses. Not everyday but regularly. If the Lord tarried in his return and it was His will for them to marry, then I would pray asking God to be shaping and molding my children, as well as their future spouses. It is weird to think when you are praying for a five year old that possibly their future mate was somewhere in the world that very moment. I didn't have names or faces, but God did. I prayed all the things a mother would want for her children. Through all those formative years God was working in each of them, making them into the spouses that each would need. God hand made them for each other. By God's grace, good kids and a hopefully a Mother's prayers, each of my children married Christians and their homes and their families reflect that.

I have four young granddaughters. If the Lord should tarry and if it be His will, they too will marry one day. And my mind is wandering again....Will I one day be a great grandma? Will those great grandchildren ask, "Was she a Christian, I wonder if she prayed? Did she pray for us?" The answer will be "Yes! She prayed!" Maybe they will ask those questions as their fingers run along the pieces of one of my quilts. And the seeds of her faith were passed from generation to generation. Lord, please let it be so.....

His Eye Is On The Sparrow...

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered.
So, don't be afraid; you are worth more than sparrows."

Matthew 10:29-31

It was an early, summer Southern California morning, with the sun coming up over the mountain at the end of our street. Everything was quiet and still. All the windows were open, letting in the morning coolness. The heat of the day would soon settle in and the air conditioners would begin humming. This was the day the reports would be back from a biopsy taken on our Cocker Spaniel's ear. She was 13 years old and she had been a part of our family ever since she was a puppy. As I spent time with the Lord that morning, I prayed for our pet and asked God to touch this growth on her ear. Was it silly to pray for a pet? Would it matter to God? What was this growth on a pet's ear in light of eternity? As I pondered these thoughts, Matthew 10 came to mind, and I remembered that God cares for the sparrows and He knew when each sparrow fell to the ground. Yes, I could pray for a pet! Not only did God care for the sparrow and my dog, but He cared because it was a concern to me. Nothing was insignificant to the Lord, if it concerned me.

In the stillness of this morning, I heard whistling. I sat still and strained to hear. Who was up and out this early? As I listened, I recognized a familiar hymn. The whistling continued to get closer and closer. I walked to the screen door. As I stood listening, I saw an older man out for his morning walk and he was whistling, His Eye Is On The Sparrow. I knew instantly God had planned this moment just for me. My heart was over whelmed at the goodness of God. He wanted me to know that He had heard my prayer, and if it mattered to me, it mattered to Him. I didn't know what the outcome would be with our dog, but what I learned that morning would stick in my mind forever. Nothing was insignificant to the Lord, if it concerned me. He may not always answer in the way that I would desire, but I could come to Him with any need.

It was nine years later, and I was standing at my kitchen sink praying, asking the Lord what to do about the care of our Yellow Labrador Retriever. The Vet said a decision would have to be made. I turned from the sink to turn on the radio.....and once again, God wanted me to know that He had heard my tearful prayers. The song playing on the radio was, His Eye Is On The Sparrow. Oh, the goodness of God!

Don't we at times have difficulty asking God for the little things in our lives? Aren't there things in our daily lives that we could go to the Lord with, but we don't take the time to ask? Or maybe think that those things are too insignificant to ask God for?

"You do not have because you do not ask God" James 4:2

"The Lord will accomplish what concerns me." Psalm 138:8

Our Heavenly Father loves us more than the sparrows in the air. Won't you take the concerns of your heart to Him today and allow Him to meet those needs, no matter how insignificant they may seem? The chorus of this old familiar Hymn rings true in our hearts today.....

"I sing because I am happy, I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me."

The words of this hymn were written in 1905 by Cirvilla Durfee Martin. When visiting their friends Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle, DR. and Mrs. Martin asked Mrs. Doolittle how they kept such an attitude of cheerfulness and brightness despite their afflictions. Mrs. Doolittle who had been bed ridden for almost 20 years and Mr. Doolittle who was wheel chair bound replied, "His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me." Mrs. Martin said, "The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn, His Eye Is On The Sparrow, was the outcome of that experience."