So, David cries out "where can I hide from your presence?" We can all imagine making our way up, up and not away from God's presence, or down , down and, again, not away from his presence. But what about in? What about in our depression, anger, grief, loneliness, fear, guilt and so on? Are we hidden from his presence there?
It seems easier to imagine a child playing hide & seek on the mountain tops, or in a cave and relate that to the foolishness of thinking one could actually be hidden from God Most High. The reality is, however, that we do play the game. When you are down and loneliness seems to scream in your ears, do you feel separated from his presence? What do you do? Listen to the voice of the enemy or reach for truth found in the word of God? Nothing can separate us from God! And continue that to nothing can separate us from the love of God, let that sink in. God loves you and nothing can get you off his mind, out of his sight or away from his heart! You are not separate from God at any time, in any circumstance or in any place.
Get into God's word and make up a few note cards with verses addressing his undeniable constant presence with you. Tape them up in your bathroom or at your desk and read them often! Enjoy knowing he is with you always, even to the end!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Will of God
So, my friends like to comment that I haven't written in a while...its true!
My kiddos have been my focus this summer. Now, we are home schooling & that is definitely taking up my time! I mean what about all the things I wanted to get back or just into doing when they were finally school aged? What about me going back to school or just having a lunch with a friend? Well, it turns out that nothing can compare to being in the LORD's will - not even a good cup of Joe enjoyed while still hot! LOL. At least I can nuke my cup a few times, if I remember I was drinking coffee in the first place!
Anyhow, life is good? No, God is good! And life lived in obedience to him is good. I fought this assignment from him to home school for the entire spring. I made plans - in my head - of what this fall would look like for me, my little girl & our dog...this was not it! But this is good! I have 4 days of schooling my boys, learning so much more about them! Learning so much about teaching them all of us growing closer as a family. How could I have seen this outcome?
Well, what a good reminder for me! Being in God's will is more than being saved, helping at church or teaching my kids about him. Its more because it requires me to listen, expecting him to actually speak to me. Its more because it requires me to lay down my own agenda for my life, my children's life and my husband's life... O, did you catch that last one? Yes, I have good ideas and well organized plans that can be easily carried out, or maybe carry me out of God's will.
What is the LORD's will for my life? There are those who lean to the side of the general biblical references of worshiping him, obeying him, loving others and so on. Then, there are the ones who say that you have a specific call on your life, something you were made to do. I say they can both be right. Paul was clearly called to do something specific, as was Moses, Adam, Mary the mother of Jesus and Esther. Then there are those who just did what was right by the LORD's standards, such as ...well all those who were encouraged to continue doing what they were doing and do it unto the LORD...slaves, masters, husbands, wives and children.
When I sit before him and listen there are times he is very specific about what I am to be doing, or not doing. Then, there are times when he is reminding me that I am to be doing what ever I am doing in the light of Jesus. That teacher, baker, or home maker, I am to reflect his son to the world.
So, Dear Reader, I hope you are encouraged to seek both the LORD's specific direction for your life and his across the board directions for all Christian households!
From one mom sorting all this out to another ~
April
My kiddos have been my focus this summer. Now, we are home schooling & that is definitely taking up my time! I mean what about all the things I wanted to get back or just into doing when they were finally school aged? What about me going back to school or just having a lunch with a friend? Well, it turns out that nothing can compare to being in the LORD's will - not even a good cup of Joe enjoyed while still hot! LOL. At least I can nuke my cup a few times, if I remember I was drinking coffee in the first place!
Anyhow, life is good? No, God is good! And life lived in obedience to him is good. I fought this assignment from him to home school for the entire spring. I made plans - in my head - of what this fall would look like for me, my little girl & our dog...this was not it! But this is good! I have 4 days of schooling my boys, learning so much more about them! Learning so much about teaching them all of us growing closer as a family. How could I have seen this outcome?
Well, what a good reminder for me! Being in God's will is more than being saved, helping at church or teaching my kids about him. Its more because it requires me to listen, expecting him to actually speak to me. Its more because it requires me to lay down my own agenda for my life, my children's life and my husband's life... O, did you catch that last one? Yes, I have good ideas and well organized plans that can be easily carried out, or maybe carry me out of God's will.
What is the LORD's will for my life? There are those who lean to the side of the general biblical references of worshiping him, obeying him, loving others and so on. Then, there are the ones who say that you have a specific call on your life, something you were made to do. I say they can both be right. Paul was clearly called to do something specific, as was Moses, Adam, Mary the mother of Jesus and Esther. Then there are those who just did what was right by the LORD's standards, such as ...well all those who were encouraged to continue doing what they were doing and do it unto the LORD...slaves, masters, husbands, wives and children.
When I sit before him and listen there are times he is very specific about what I am to be doing, or not doing. Then, there are times when he is reminding me that I am to be doing what ever I am doing in the light of Jesus. That teacher, baker, or home maker, I am to reflect his son to the world.
So, Dear Reader, I hope you are encouraged to seek both the LORD's specific direction for your life and his across the board directions for all Christian households!
From one mom sorting all this out to another ~
April
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Salt Shaker
Have you ever wondered what the word means when it speaks of us being salty? Do you picture grains of salt and wonder how that was meant to be applied to you? I have and for years I though it was just something I'd never fully or even partially be able to really understand or apply. Salty verse seem to be shaken just a bit here or there, never expanded upon very well. That's just like salt - a little here and there but never the main, or side, dish. So I went digging & here is what I found...
You are the salt of the earth. But, if the salt looses
its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
Matthew 5:13 NIV
Salt is good, but if it looses its saltiness, how can you
make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves and be at
peace with each other. Mark 9:50 NIV
Let your conversations always be full of grace,
seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:6 NIV
Now, without doing any research on culture at that time here is what I got out of all this - salt is not just our words, but grace in our speech. In any relationship you can loose salt by loosing grace in your words - anger, gossip, lies, and so on poison our speech. How can we regain the trust and confidence of others? How can our words be trusted to be genuine and not just another deceitful manipulation?
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,
but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,
that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 NIV
If we are to be salty, then we are to guard our words and our thoughts. Unwholesome talk takes our saltiness away and how can it be regained? Time and lots of humility are needed to rebuild a trustworthy tongue my friend. Maybe more time and humility than we can afford in some cases! We need to be trustworthy and live n relationship with one another daily. Be mindful of your thoughts and words that they may be seasoned with grace and not loose the saltiness they are meant to have.
For most of us we have walked through the loss of grace in our speech at some point. There were consequences, and some that we still live with. Do not loose hope, God is a restorer and a helper. He will show you the steps to walking in gracious words and to walking in repentance. Remember he is slow to anger, abounding in love & longs to be gracious to you! Ask him where to go from here and for the strength to resist the temptation to just 'say it like it is', when really there is so much more salt in the Maker's shaker.....
Thursday, April 9, 2009
This Blog's for You!
First, let me begin by saying hello to a dear reader who is really going through a tough time. I am praying for you & asking the Lord how we can help. Please keep calling and thank you for trusting me within your need. You are a precious sister and a great Mom!
What is going on? I have a dear friend in Florida who is in a heartbreaking situation and has almost no one to help her. What has happened to the church & family that reaches out to help the hurting in a way that is inconvenient for itself? Was is convenient for Moses when God choose him? I think not. He was a stranger to his own people, respected by few & out of town with a new life. How about Samuel? His mother pleaded with God for him, then took him to be raised by Eli, convenient for Eli - hardly! Finally, the many Jesus heard literally crying out to him as he was on his way somewhere else... like me. My point is that helping others is not about what is convenient or easily done by us. It is about going out of your way, beyond your comfort zone & stepping into someone else's junk for their benefit, not ours.
Often I hear that people have looked for help & either gone a way that was not intended to be a strong support for real hurts & needs or they have been pushed away by those in the church who are just unwilling to go there. So, if you don't know anyone in need its probably because they don't think you are going to come through anyhow. Ouch! They are out there, looking for help. But the messages they are getting is that they are just too much, have too many needs and would just inconvenience your little routine & drain your vacation budget. Either way it will not stand in the judgement when we are asked why we did not help the person who was in our reach & in need.
If we are to shine our light in the darkness, then that carries with it the implication that we are to go into the darkness.
My challenge to you is to take a good look around. Maybe you are already helping - great! Don't stop because you feel like you've done your part! Maybe you already know someone who needs a bit of help, maybe you know quite a few and are unsure where to start or who to help. Well, what do you have to give? Are you a good listener? Call them up and just listen for a while, then commit to pray for them and call back to check-up. Do you enjoy children? Offer to have the kids over for a few hours a week. Do you like to cook? Drop a meal by one evening or two a month. Are your finances abounding? Pick up a grocery store gift card or call the local electric company & pay part of their bill.
Ladies, we are amazing! We each have so much to give! We are kind & loving & funny. Give your friendship and help to someone who cannot give, or pay, it back and you will be surprised at how much you really do receive from them!
What is going on? I have a dear friend in Florida who is in a heartbreaking situation and has almost no one to help her. What has happened to the church & family that reaches out to help the hurting in a way that is inconvenient for itself? Was is convenient for Moses when God choose him? I think not. He was a stranger to his own people, respected by few & out of town with a new life. How about Samuel? His mother pleaded with God for him, then took him to be raised by Eli, convenient for Eli - hardly! Finally, the many Jesus heard literally crying out to him as he was on his way somewhere else... like me. My point is that helping others is not about what is convenient or easily done by us. It is about going out of your way, beyond your comfort zone & stepping into someone else's junk for their benefit, not ours.
Often I hear that people have looked for help & either gone a way that was not intended to be a strong support for real hurts & needs or they have been pushed away by those in the church who are just unwilling to go there. So, if you don't know anyone in need its probably because they don't think you are going to come through anyhow. Ouch! They are out there, looking for help. But the messages they are getting is that they are just too much, have too many needs and would just inconvenience your little routine & drain your vacation budget. Either way it will not stand in the judgement when we are asked why we did not help the person who was in our reach & in need.
If we are to shine our light in the darkness, then that carries with it the implication that we are to go into the darkness.
My challenge to you is to take a good look around. Maybe you are already helping - great! Don't stop because you feel like you've done your part! Maybe you already know someone who needs a bit of help, maybe you know quite a few and are unsure where to start or who to help. Well, what do you have to give? Are you a good listener? Call them up and just listen for a while, then commit to pray for them and call back to check-up. Do you enjoy children? Offer to have the kids over for a few hours a week. Do you like to cook? Drop a meal by one evening or two a month. Are your finances abounding? Pick up a grocery store gift card or call the local electric company & pay part of their bill.
Ladies, we are amazing! We each have so much to give! We are kind & loving & funny. Give your friendship and help to someone who cannot give, or pay, it back and you will be surprised at how much you really do receive from them!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Love
I am always amazed at the depth of the LORD's love for us & for others...
There is always an opportunity to love someone more. Daily I am reminded of how far I am from being a loving person and how caught up I can be in making a poor judgement instead. Rather than focusing on peoples hang-ups, I should be looking into how I can love them more in their imperfections. After all, God loves me wholly every day & I am far from having arrived. Its so easy to contemplate someone else's stuff while putting my own on the shelf as I seek to be loved. Each of us have our areas of struggle where we duke it out with the flesh, this is one of mine.
So, where do I go? How do I overcome? I go to the LORD, on my knees and HE overcomes the sin in me! I cannot fight or love on my own strength. This isn't some event, its a lasting battle and I need the LORD's endurance, power, strength and love to see victory in my own life. I encourage you to go to him. Even if you have nothing to say, he is OK with your silence! The bible says he rather likes our silence in his presence, imagine that. LOL. I know he will meet you at your needs or knees. He already knows your junk, so go and hear what he has to say about how precious you are to him and be amazed as he kindly leads you to repentance and his favor.
Be blessed with His presence,
April
There is always an opportunity to love someone more. Daily I am reminded of how far I am from being a loving person and how caught up I can be in making a poor judgement instead. Rather than focusing on peoples hang-ups, I should be looking into how I can love them more in their imperfections. After all, God loves me wholly every day & I am far from having arrived. Its so easy to contemplate someone else's stuff while putting my own on the shelf as I seek to be loved. Each of us have our areas of struggle where we duke it out with the flesh, this is one of mine.
So, where do I go? How do I overcome? I go to the LORD, on my knees and HE overcomes the sin in me! I cannot fight or love on my own strength. This isn't some event, its a lasting battle and I need the LORD's endurance, power, strength and love to see victory in my own life. I encourage you to go to him. Even if you have nothing to say, he is OK with your silence! The bible says he rather likes our silence in his presence, imagine that. LOL. I know he will meet you at your needs or knees. He already knows your junk, so go and hear what he has to say about how precious you are to him and be amazed as he kindly leads you to repentance and his favor.
Be blessed with His presence,
April
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
What I need from You
This is a great country! We have the freedom to study the Bible without fear. I am so very grateful for all the churches and ministries that are working hard to make studies available to us all through the many avenues of their pursuing.
Currently I have found myself needing more though. I need more than an in-depth study of the temple, more that a weekly discussion of a book I have just read and more than a coffee and chat about your kids. What I need is you to pray over me to listen to me to share life with me on a deeper level. I need to trust you with my pain and fears. I need to know that you are being real and remaining faithful to follow the Lord. I need to be able to call you when I am in the middle of it all and know you are going to stop and pray for me then and there. I need to know that if the Lord gives me counsel for you that you aren't going to brush it off, but trust it is given with consideration of you and in obedience to the Lord. I need the opportunity to be available to you for prayer when you are in the middle of it. And, yes, I do want to have coffee with you and hear about your kids.
So what do you need from those women in your life who flit by on Sunday or Wednesday church gatherings? How are you going to go about meeting those needs? And when are you going to do it?
April
Currently I have found myself needing more though. I need more than an in-depth study of the temple, more that a weekly discussion of a book I have just read and more than a coffee and chat about your kids. What I need is you to pray over me to listen to me to share life with me on a deeper level. I need to trust you with my pain and fears. I need to know that you are being real and remaining faithful to follow the Lord. I need to be able to call you when I am in the middle of it all and know you are going to stop and pray for me then and there. I need to know that if the Lord gives me counsel for you that you aren't going to brush it off, but trust it is given with consideration of you and in obedience to the Lord. I need the opportunity to be available to you for prayer when you are in the middle of it. And, yes, I do want to have coffee with you and hear about your kids.
So what do you need from those women in your life who flit by on Sunday or Wednesday church gatherings? How are you going to go about meeting those needs? And when are you going to do it?
April
Updates
Sorry for the long break in writing! I have had so amny changes in the last few months that the time to write never seemed right. My Mother is now living with us and that is goig well. She is a joy to have in the house and a great help! My hubby graduated and is now working at the job we moved for. His first day of orientation only lasted 2 hours as the hopspital was 3 CRNAs short and he had to work all day, instead of get a tour and find the bathrooms! Yeikes! We also have a young Mom living with us. She has a month old baby girl and has been here just over a week. In all the changes and preparations for those changes we were on the hunt for a church to attend. So far we have come up short. Lots of great congregations in our area, but not the one we see the Lord leading us to commit to.
Whew! I have learned alot in these past months and I am still learning thingsd daily. I need the Lord so much more than I could ever imagine! He is a delight to me and I pray you also know the joy of being in His hands!
April
Whew! I have learned alot in these past months and I am still learning thingsd daily. I need the Lord so much more than I could ever imagine! He is a delight to me and I pray you also know the joy of being in His hands!
April
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