Tag: Devotions

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Through It All

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Well, if you are like us, you are probably about 7-9 days into being stuck in the house, oops, I mean, being blessed to be privileged with your precious husband, and/or kids/or both.  For some reason, when I got up this morning, the old song, sung by Ray Boltz but written by Andre Crouch, Through It All, was running through my mind:

‘I’ve had many tears and sorrows

I’ve had questions for tomorrow

There’re been times, I didn’t know right from wrong

But in every situation, God gave blessed consolation

That my trials come to only make me strong.

Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus I’ve learned to trust in God, Through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.

I’ve been to lots of places, and I’ve seen a lot of faces, There’ve been times I felt so all alone, but in my lonely hours, yes, those precious lonely hours, Jesus let me know that I was His own. Through it all, yes, through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.’

This great song just keeps going through my mind as we wake again each day not knowing how long this trial and difficult time will last. But….we need to also remember that Joy Comes In the Morning!

This morning as i sat and watched GMA for a few minutes while drinking my Dr Pepper, it was just so sweet to see families who were coming together in ways that they had not done previously. As I sat there and watched, I was struck by the memories of years ago when my daughter came back from a very difficult time in our lives. She and I would sit and think about those hard years but also for what those hard years taught each of us. As she and I looked back at that time, we both, were thankful for the things we learned about each other and about relationships and the work that it takes to grow them and to allow each other grace. That was what I thought about this morning as I watched these precious families on TV. The laughter that was coming from the homes. The closeness and the togetherness that was so evident. Yes, we will all be so thankful when these hard and difficult days are behind us. But….may we come out on the other side being different people. People who are grateful for the little things, once again. People whose hearts are bent toward showing thankfulness and grace and enjoying others. For  awhile after 911 churches were filled and Bibles were being read. That didn’t last very long. My prayer is that this time, we will truly learn that the things we are experiencing are hard; but they are good in that it is teaching us to look through the eyes of others. To appreciate people and to share our hearts and God’s love and kindness to people.

Truly, may we never forget…….never!

Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in God!

 

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Praying In The Parking Lot

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As so many of us have been ordered to stay home as of yesterday, I thought this precious testimony would remind us that God loves us personally and sometimes sends others into our lives to not only bless us, but to be a blessing to others. When I received this today in my email from a precious friend, it made me cry. It convicted me, first of all, of the times when I felt that nudging from the Holy Spirit to go and be obedient to get out of my comfort zone and pray for someone or at least go and see how I could encourage them. We never know what others are going through. They might be struggling physically, spiritually or, as we will certainly be seeing in these coming days, financially. But God…..is still here and still loves us and still wants to bless us. So many times we think that blessings should always be financially, or health related or have things that make our lives joyful and pleasant. But blessings can come in many forms. As this story will tell us, 3 lives were blessed this day because of one women’s obedience.  The blessing  was for one lady, the chance to be used of God to bless another. The recipient was blessed to know that God cared enough and loved her enough to send someone to just encourage her. The 3rd lady, the “witness” of this event, was blessed by seeing how God orchestrated this to show her friend that God was still in the business of loving and caring for His own. I am using just the initial of the lady telling the story, as she does not want the focus to be on her. We will just call her S. This is her testimony…

“My Dear Praying Princesses,

I miss you a lot and hope that you are safe and protected under the shadow of His wings, in spite of all that is happening around us. I am so sorry that I missed last Thursday’s prayer time with you, but your prayers still resound in my heart.

I wanted to share with you something that happened to me last Wednesday, March 11th at my local Aldi store, 2 days before the President declared the National Emergency. I was shopping for my weekly groceries, just the essentials and there were not many customers in the store. I was weighed down with my own financial worries, school closing and trying to find healthy food for the kids. I was standing behind a middle-aged woman (must be in her 60’s) at the checkout line and she was having a hard time taking items out of the cart. I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to ask her if I could help put her items on the counter. She said, “yes” and showed me her left hand which was bent. She told me she had a problem with her hands that she could not move her fingers. She could not drive and her friend had brought her to the store.

I remembered Sister Cora’s prayers and Sister Kathy’s story about comforting strangers in our daily life and the Holy Spirit whispered to me in clear words to pray for her. My automatic reaction was…”no Lord, not today…I have so many things to worry about.”

I spent the next 5 minutes ignoring the voice of God within me and hoping that I would be done with my checkout soon but the Lord delayed the cashier for another 5 minutes. We both checked out, the lady was still inside the store bagging her groceries and as I was putting my groceries in my car, I started arguing with God. That is never a good thing because that opened the door for the devil to join in the conversation. I told Jesus that I will pray for her silently in my car, but the Lord said a firm, “NO”, I want her to know that you are praying for her. I want you to lay your hands on her and pray in my Name.” The devil reminded me of the virus, the social distancing, the 6 feet apart rule, worst case what if she is an unbeliever. And a whole list of reasons why this was a bad idea. The Lord replied that we were both protected from the virus by the power of His blood. That shut up the devil. While I had been arguing with the Lord about this, I felt the Lord speak to me that she was His daughter too and that we both will be protected by His blood.

SO  I waited in my car, waiting for her and her friend to come out so I could pray over her in the parking lot where I wouldn’t be too embarrassed if this did not go well. She came out of the store, helped by her friend and amazingly, they had parked their car near mine…I only had to walk 5 steps. (I love how God directed even this small detail).

Finally, I pick up my courage and walk up to them and blurt out something like this. “excuse me Mam, I am a Christian and I belong to this prayer group of Sisters and the Lord has asked me to pray for your hands. Is that ok?” The lady just burst into tears, grabbed both my hands and cried, “YES, YES, Thank you Jesus. I have been a Christian missionary all my life. I have 12 kids and I am suffering because of my hands.” I don’t remember what exactly I prayed, but just that morning, I had listened to a sermon about how Jesus healed the man with the withered hand in the Synagogue on the Sabbath day. I let the Holy Spirit take over my mouth. I prayed for her hands, her family, the promises of Psalm 91 over her for protection  against the virus and I blessed her in the powerful and Almighty name of Jesus.  Her name was Claudia and she was so happy and cried tears of joy.

Claudias’ friend who also joined in my prayers was also in tears and told me “you picked the most deserving and the best person to pray for, she really needed this today. Thank you”.

I went back to my car, fighting back my own tears and ask the Lord for forgiveness for not obeying Him promptly.  I was so busy swimming in my own pool of self-pity and selfishness, that I would have missed the opportunity to be a blessing to someone else. Almost missed the chance to be His voice and His hands, in such a time as this.”

What a great testimony and encouragement for us to be salt and light to a very hurting world right now.

As we have this fresh in our minds may we stop and ponder what all the Lord is trying to tell us!

May we all be reminded to surrender our days to Him and even now, with the restrictions in place for so many of us to not leave our homes, we need to remember that we serve a God whose ways are not restricted by anything. He can and does move in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. He is the Great I am.

In listening to a sermon yesterday by Jim Cymbala from Brooklyn Tabernacle in NY city, we heard the Pastor preach on Ezekiel 29  and how the Israelites were turning to Egypt for security in the hard and uncertain times. As a nation, are we doing the same?  In God’s Word, Egypt is a symbol for worldliness, are we turning to everything that should be helping this virus stop? Car manufacturers making surgical masks, distilleries making hand sanitizer? Businesses closing for social distancing? What if we looked to the One thing that could actually stop this? The God who could stop this in the blink of an eye. What if, as one people, we acknowledged our sin and bowed the knee before Him asking Him to forgive us for throwing Him out of our government, our families, our schools and invite Him into our lives again? Are we better than the Israelites who kept rebelling against Him and going after other gods? Why do we think that God will not look upon our sin, as He did with His own people?

Yes, we do need to thank God for a government that is trying it’s best to help our Nation and leaders who are trying to stay on top of this awful virus.  We are grateful for companies who are going the extra mile in developing the needed supplies.

Yet, God loves us and desires our love and obedience to Him.

May Ezekiel 36 26 be our prayer in this time of needing to come back to our first love…

“And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new obedient heart. and I will put my spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatsoever I command.”

Verse 37 -38″This is what the Sovereign Lord says, I am ready to hear your prayers for these blessings and I am ready to grant them their requests. I will multiply them like the sacred flocks that fill Jerusalem’s streets at the time of her festivals. The ruined cities will be crowded with people once more and everyone will know that I am the Lord.”

I know this is a very long post today, but the Lord laid upon my heart to share these words, that they may bless you and encourage you to be a blessing to anyone He puts on your heart, even today.

 

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Friends & Funerals

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You must be thinking by the title of this post that it will be a downer to read, but that is not my intention! Today sitting and honoring a dear lady that I truly did not know well but wanted to honor her life!

As I sat there and listened to the minister that did know her well, a sadness crept over me! Yes I realize that is normal for being at a funeral, but this was different. It was a sadness that made me want to change my outlook and my everyday living of how I see people! As we sat there and heard stories of Carols life and the person she truly was, why did I not know all this? The answer to that questions is truly very simple! I never took the time or trouble to find out! As it brought so many memories about my dad and how I never gave him a real chance to be involved in my life, it all came back that I have lived so many years with always just being drawn to folks that I felt were just like me. Loud, impulsive, excited about every adventure that comes, sometimes (and this is hard to admit) “surfacy”, always ready for fun and games, wanting to be involved in everything around! And those are my good qualities! Don’t think you are ready to hear about my bad ones! But looking back because Carol seemed quiet to me when I saw her at church, I figured that she would not enjoy a person like myself, because she appeared more serious that I am! Had I got to know her, I would have found that she was truly a lady who lived and loved adventure! She ran marathons, loved the beach, loved to travel and did so quite often! She was a nurse and loved children and worked in the children’s dept at church for years! She went up in a hot air balloon! But most of all, she was a sweet servant to her precious family and loved the Lord! kIn fact, it was her kindness and faithfulness that won her husband to the Lord, just by watching how she lived. Why is it that because others may seem different than us, we tend to think that we don’t need to take the time to really know them! We are content with passing by with a simple hi and how are you and always  gather to the friends who we have already connected! Maybe the quiet one in the corner is content to not have to be the center of attention, but is still quite entertaining, if given the opportunity.

This was our  morning devotion this morning and seems so reverent to what I am trying to say.

*taken from The Passion Code by O.S. Hawkins

“Only “one of them returned” Luke 17:15 in thanksgiving. This leper, like the others, had a family to get back to, a business to tend to, but something was more pressing. We are not told his name. He belongs to that vast throng who live their beautiful lives and preform their selfess deeds in often anonymous ways. We may not know his name, but he is shouting to us today. “get back to Jesus. Be grateful. Give thanks for all He has done for you.”

This scripture and devotion portrays the life that Carol lived. She lived in purpose. To serve, give thanks for God’s goodness and by her actions and life, shouted to so many lives, “get back to Jesus. Be grateful and give thanks for all He has done for you.”

Carol, It is my regret that I did not get to know you better. But will one day walk the streets of gold with you and will then thank you for living for Your King and Savior. I bet you have already heard Him tell you, “well done, good and faithful servant.”  

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In The Belly of A Whale

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October, glorious October when everywhere we look there are pumpkins around every corner. Fall….the most wonderful time of the year. My oldest son called from New York this morning, where they have gone to attend a wedding. As he began to describe the beautiful leaves that were changing and how the cool air was just so refreshing, it was easy to remember that soon, we, here in Texas will finally get to enjoy that most wonderful cooler air and the feel of Fall.

When Randy (oops, sorry, Peter Pumpkin and I are known as Peter and Penelope Pumpkin during this time of the year) aka, Peter and I began to realize that our travel time for 2019 was drawing to a close back in July and it was time to settle down here in Dallas, we had been praying about the church we would be attending, once we were here. In our minds, we knew that the church where we had belonged for 12 years was probably not an option as we were living in a totally different area of Dallas now. So we began to visit the churches around our new location. There were four churches which we felt would be possibilities. Like everyone, we had a checklist of things that were important to us. Did the church have Sunday School? Did it have a choir? Was it a church that preached that the Bible was the infallible Word of God and were they mission minded? Did they have a traditional service where there was a good mixture of hymns and praise songs?
Were the people friendly? As you can see, we certainly had a list of things that we had told God that was important to us. Why is it, when we are trying to find answers to our needs and questions, we tend to think that we need to tell the Lord what we need, as if He doesn’t know exactly what it is that we need?
As time went by, we had marked off a couple of churches that we did not feel drawn to or that just did not feel was doctrinally correct. But, we still had First Baptist Dallas which we had begun to visit. We loved everything about it. We loved the preaching that was truly so Biblically correct. They music was just amazing and the orchestra, do not even get me started on how this music major loved the beautiful music that was such a huge part of the worship service there. They had terrific Sunday Schools and it was not far from our home. One by one, we would check items off our mental check, each week we visited there. Each visit there we felt brought us closer to thinking that this would probably be the church we would grow old in. BUT God………..you would think that by this time in our lives, we would remember that sometimes our plans are just not lining up with God’s perfect plan for us. We think that just because we have found a place that seems “right”, it might not be what is right for us. This week, on FaceBook, a friend of mine posted a little slogan that has meant a lot to me the last couple of weeks’ Discernment is not the wisdom of knowing right from wrong, but the knowledge of knowing right from almost right.
Was there anything wrong with us making First Bapt Dallas our home church, no. Was it almost right as opposed to right? Well, here is how the Lord spoke to my heart Sunday, Sept 22nd.
We had gone to church that morning as we had the previous 3 Sundays at First Bapt. Wonderful sermon on Revelation and such amazing music. We left there on cloud Nine, and we talked in the car on the way home that we certainly loved the worship time there. But why were both of us not feeling like we should be there? We came home after having lunch and Randy laid down for a nap. This gave me a chance to work on my Bible Study lesson, which is a book on Elijah that I am attending on Wed mornings with a group of women. As I read about Elijah in 1 Kings 19:15-18 when God told him to go back the same way he had come,to fulfill some assignments God was going to use him for, these were the words that jumped off the page to me.
“Sometimes God moves us in new directions, but often He tells us to go back and stay the course. He sends us right back into the same group of people with fresh vision and purpose.” I began to weep. I sensed in my spirit that God was telling us to go back to Prestonwood, our home church before we had moved to California and Arizona. We truly had no intentions of going back there, when we knew we were moving back. It seemed illogical for us. It wasn’t close to where we were living. Why would the Lord call us back? Didn’t He know that it was 20 miles up the tollway? Didn’t He know that we wanted a church that was close by that we could drive our wheelchairs to as time went on? The church has so many new folks that have joined? Why would He ask us to go back? Had I, like Jonah, in the belly of a whale tried to run from God in fulfilling His purpose for us? Did we really think that we would know better than He where we should go?
When Randy woke up I shared how I felt that God has spoke to my heart about this and he agreed that the least we could do was go visit the next Sunday. So visit we did. What joy filled our souls. We left there excited and couldn’t wait for Wednesday night to get here so we could go back to the Wednesday night service they hold the first Wednesday of each month. So night before last, we attending that First Wed service. We got in the car and Randy looked at me and said, that was such a sweet service.” We knew in our hearts that we were being called back there. For what reason, we don’t know yet. But to see friends we have known for years and to just be loved on was such a great blessing.
As the Elijah study continues and I finish the book of lessons, this was in yesterdays study.*”Though we should always be open to new relationships and friendships, we should be careful to treasure the history we have with loyal friends.”
But God….we had prayed for months asking for direction. We knew He would be faithful to lead us and direct our paths. But we still tried to tell God what we thought best. You would think by this time in our lives, we would quit doing that. So thankful that those two little words, “but God” can change our perspective, our knowledge to know that He cares and is involved with the small and large details of our lives. But God…He will always lead us to not just to what is almost right, but what is perfectly right…every time we lean on Him and wait on Him to reveal His perfect plan.

* Elijah, Spiritual Stamina in Every Season by Melissa Spoelstra

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Soap Opera Marriage

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This post is a little different from previous posts. Next week I will be starting a new Bible Study of the life of Elijah from 1 & 2 Kings in the Old Testament.
Looking through the new study book for this course, one of the questions ask is,
What things in todays world is discouraging to me?” As I thought about that question, one of the things that came to my mind are the many marriages which are struggling. It seems that each week brings a new story of friends or acquaintances whose family is being torn apart by divorce. As I think back about my life and the struggle which resulted in divorce and the pain it caused for those in our family and friends, it made me stop and think about things we hear and know which certainly have not helped in today’s marriages. Yes, today’s marriages seem to be so different from the marriages of years past. What I am writing today is part my story and partly, stories of what I hear from friends whose kids are in the midst of trying to either save a marriage or trying to reconcile to the new season of being a single parent. Hopefully this post will allow someone to see themselves or someone they love and know that there is hope and there is a Heavenly Father Who is there to walk with them through what will be a very tough time.

As I listened to a friend the other day talk about one of their children’s marriage, we began to think back over our lives from when we were the age of our kids and what we felt contributed to some of the problems we had as young marrieds.
In the 70’s, I remember watching soap operas during the day while doing housework or taking care of babies. Thinking back over those years, it came to mind that as I would sit and watch, the addiction began that I couldn’t just watch one; as one ended, another would begin and I would tell myself that I would just watch one more. It became something that I found myself adjusting my housework or meal prep for times that I could sit down and watch my programs. When my husband began to tell me that my mood changed depending on what had happened that day on my “soaps” I laughed. But after a while I began to look at my marriage as one which did not look like the one on TV. My view of marriage became distorted. I began to expect my husband to be like the one I watched everyday in a world that definitely was not real. Reality became blurred.
Yes, there were other problems in the marriage, but this loss of reality certainly did not help. I remember a friend talking to me about my marriage and was I doing everything I could to make it whole. Yes, the old saying that “it takes two” to make it good or bad is true. But what was I really doing to help make it “good”? At the time, I thought I was doing my part. I kept a clean house, always had meals ready, took care of the kids and was always up at the school volunteering for anything needed. But, what was I doing for my husband and I? Now, when it is so easy to see some of the things that we now know were certainly not contributing to a healthy marriage, it would be so great to be able to help young marriages by using the wisdom gained through the years.
Looking back, when our marriage was deteriorating, I choose women for my friends whose marriages were falling apart. Instead of choosing wise Godly women who would have helped me and been able to guide me with God’s Truth, I choose the ones who sometimes encouraged me to divorce or would sympathize with me to the point to where I thought it was all my husband’s fault. It is so easy to criticize the younger generations today in saying that they are the “entitlement” generation which thrives on wanting everything they feel will make them feel better about themselves. But didn’t I do the same thing all those years ago? Now, it is easy to see that I wanted it to be all about me and what I needed and wanted.

Also, I did not do “everything” I could have done to help the situation. Reading today’s devotion from Jim Cymbala led me to think so much of our young marrieds. So many make decisions that hinder not only their spiritual growth, but hinder God’s working in their marriages. It’s not only the younger marrieds but couples who have been married for years. When we are facing battles in our lives, why don’t we turn to the Lord, instead of to the world? Why do we think that the world and friends who are not walking with the Lord, can give us the Godly wisdom which will insure that we can truly say, “we are leaning on God and His guidance? We don’t live in a sin-free world and we do know that Satan is out to destroy families and marriages. Knowing this, why does that not make us lean on God that much more? We struggle with daily life decisions. We struggle with daily relationships. We struggle with knowing how and what to do to help our kids have a life that allows them to see how important God is to us.
All these struggles are real. BUT…there is an answer. That answer is Jesus Christ who wants our hearts, our lives and our worship. Why do we think that we can walk in the world, yet expect Him to work a miracle in our life? As I mentioned in this mornings devotion, Pastor Cymbala wrote, “God is ready to radically change things because no obstacle is too difficult for him. Possibly you face a dilemma of some kind today. Maybe it is related to your marriage or a son or daughter who is not serving God. Or possibly you need the Lord to heal you in the realm of your emotions. Whatever the case, remember that we have a God who can “break out” and supernaturally help us. And it all begins when we slow down and humble ourselves in prayer. We must bring our individual circumstances before God, as David (in the Psalms) did, with a yielded will that desires to know what he wants us to do. “Break Outs” begin not with noise and clamor, but with a surrendered heart.” *
Why not commit our lives to daily walking in His ways, read God’s Word, surround ourselves with people who lead us to the Cross, not away from it. Attend a Bible believing church and allow ourselves to have Christian friendships which will walk with us in our struggles. Begin our day asking the Lord to guide us into ALL TRUTH and then use us for His Glory, not our own.
Soap opera marriages are not real. But God Is…trust Him and depend on Him wanting to “Break Out” of our old patterns and expect Him to do mighty and glorious things.
*taken from Jim Cymbala Daily Devotions

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10th Floor View

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As we come to the close of our time here in Orlando, we have so many precious new memories, not only with our kids who live here, but with each other and with dear friends who we had almost lost contact with in preceding years.

This morning when I was looking down to the view below and commenting to Randy that I will greatly miss waking up and looking down on the lake which is on one side of the condo, but also the Orlando skyline which is on the other side. When standing outside this morning looking across at the different scenarios of the peaceful feel that you get looking at the lake, as opposed to the feel that comes from watching cars race by headed to work or activities, this thought came into my mind…..”is this all I want?”

This question was posed to us last Sunday in church where we attended several times with our kids while in Orlando. I hadn’t thought much about that question until this morning. As the preacher was talking to us on Sunday and told us to turn to someone and ask them, “is this all you want?”, he went on to talk to us about the Christian life. Is just coming to church on Sunday, sitting in the pews and singing some songs, listening to a message all the Christian life we desire. Or do we want more? Do we want to live the abundant life that Christ has promised us? Do we want to live to glorify Him? Do we want to love Him more than anything we know or have. What is our reason for wanting to be a Christian?
We read Luke 7:43-50 where Jesus is giving us the story of the women who washed Jesus feet with her tears and hair. She didn’t worry about what others thought of her. She surrendered herself and her heart to Him in a way that none of the religious men in the room had done. Probably at the time when she was on the floor, bowing before Jesus, where her tears fell upon Jesus feet did she even realize that she was indeed washing the feet of God.
The service last Sunday was ended with listening to “My Alabaster Box” and as we heard the words of the song, it convicted my heart of the question that was ask of us at the beginning of the service. “is this all I want?” Do I want more of Jesus?
This morning as I stood out on the balcony looking below at the different views, that questioned lingered. Yes, it is easy to stand 10 floors above and look down upon the quiet, peaceful lake across the street and think, “wow, what a great life it would be to have everyday tranquil, peaceful with no ripples to my day.”
Then walking around the corner looking below at the cars rushing to wherever they are going, I start to think about the people in those cars. Do they ever think about God? Do they ever ponder what their lives are about? Do they question why life is what it is? Is there a purpose to my life?”
As I stood there this morning, thinking about this, it dawned on me that yes, I do want more. I want to be used by God to tell others the Good News. I want to fall in love with Jesus more every day and fulfill the purpose of why He allows me to wake up each morning. I want to live each day desiring to be His Heart, HIs Hands and live in such a way that others see “Christ in me.”

As the days grow closer to Easter this year, we will be in Florence, Italy having the blessing of attending Easter services there. Lord, help me to have greater desires to be used by You and that others will see Your reflection when they look at me.

Alabaster Box (Written by Janice Sjostran)

I can’t forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days
Poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box
I thought I found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul with the wonder of His Touch

So now I’m giving back to Him
All the praise He’s worthy of
I’ve been forgiven and that’s why
I love Him so much

And I’ve come to pour
My praise on Him like oil
From Mary’s Alabaster box
Don’t be angry if I wash His feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren’t there the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped His loving arms around me
And you don’t know the cost
Of the oil in my Alabaster box

Lord, please help me not to be satisfied with just sitting in a pew on Sunday mornings, but to be out there, living for You and being surrendered, that You will use me to share Your love and Good News with whoever You bring into my life.” Help me to get off the balcony of life and onto the streets.

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Heart Control vs Gun Control

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This past week has been one of which America has watched 13 people die from being shot in a place where they never imagined anything but going and having fun. This hit close to us as we have friends whose daughter goes to that same place on college night for line dancing. Another one of our friends knew the guard who was shot and killed during that tragedy. Last night, as we watched the news, a lady whose son was one of the victims who died that night was shouting, “do not send me prayers, give me gun control…I do not want to know you are praying for me, just pass more gun control.” My heart went out to her as you could feel her anger, her frustration and hurt and as a mom of 3 son’s, I can’t imagine loosing any of them, especially through no fault of their own.
We are living in a day that is continually bringing to light more and more scenes just like the one mentioned above. Will more gun control eliminate the violence? Will more rules eradicate the problems which seem to be overtaking our world?
We have continually pushed God out of our lives. We have decided that we do not need Him in our homes, schools, work places and government. We have replaced the worship of the Creator with worshiping ourselves. We now live in a world which seems to think that everything has to be about “what makes me happy” without regard for others. Our kids are being raised to think that everything has to be about their rights and are entitled to what is “rightfully” theirs. We, (and I am so guilty of this) as parents have allowed our kids to take priority in our lives, even over God. We didn’t do it on purpose, we just wanted them to be happy and to give them things that we didn’t have. But in that process, we have taken away their ability to discern what life should really be….we were created in God’s image and were created for His glory, not our own.
In the past, when families were family and kids were taught right from wrong, we had the same laws regarding guns, but why the difference in then and now? We have more rules now, but more shootings and anger.
Are our hearts different now? We keep shouting for more gun control, but what if we were out there shouting for more heart control? What if we, as Christians were out there showing God’s love and power over evil. That maybe if our lives showed the kind of love that we are suppose to be living out to others, maybe that would draw others to God and what His love could do to our hearts. As a Christian, I sit there in worship service every week and listen to how we should be living lives that would make others want what I have. That I need to be living in a way that would show the world that being a Christian is indeed a blessing to have God in my life that helps me bear my burdens and can change my heart. A heart that loves others in spite of our differences. A heart that cares enough about others that I can go out of my way to help, when needed.
We have allowed children to sit for hours and play video games which kill others. I’m not saying that every child who plays these games will grow up to kill someone. But maybe some are losing discernment between reality and fantasy?

The scripture that comes to mind is: “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

Are we living our lives in such a way that it is hard to “think on things that are pure or noble or lovely”? Are we teaching our kids to not only respect themselves, but others as well?

Whether Democrat, Republican, Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Muslin, Catholic, Baptist; what are we teaching the next generation? We lash out in hatred to others who do not believe as we do. We insist on our rights, at the cost of others. We try to handle all our own anger, burdens or issues ourselves when we have a God who understands our needs. Why not trust Him to handle our lives, and in so doing, surrender to the One who gave His all for us.

Maybe we should allow Him to have more heart control over our lives, and in so doing, maybe gun control would never be an issue……

Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

One Word

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

For a few years, I have taken the advice of Debbie Stuart and prayed that the Lord would give me a word for the year. The word which He gives you is a word that will amazingly appear in places you would least expect and you know in your heart that the word you are given is for a reason. For 2017 my word was Tenacity. I had begun to pray and ask the Lord what word He had for me for 2017. One morning in early December I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and tenacity was the word that was in my mind. I had to go look it up because I truly never remembered using it ever, nor did I know what it really meant. When I looked it up, I discovered that it meant “learning to be content with circumstances and to persevere, going forward. For the next few mornings I would wake up thinking that word. Looking back over 2017, I know why that word was the word that I was suppose to study, to take to heart and to apply to my life. 2017 came with some struggles of circumstances which I had never thought would come across my life. God was faithful and provided His grace and sufficiency to me in areas that I needed to grow up, not only spiritually, but mentally. Fast forward to 2018.
Reading an email from a friend who was talking about what she felt the Lord had given her as her word for 2018, I suddenly realized that I had not even begun to think about praying for this year’s word. So I quickly began to pray and ask the Lord what word He had for me this year. Past years’ words for me have been,
“tenacity” “restore” “serve”. So when I was praying, I expected my word to be something along those lines. But once again, on December 6th I woke up thinking about the word “kindness”. I thought about that and wondered why that word was on my mind. But again the next day, “kindness” would just pop into my mind. IT was then that I begin to ask the Lord if that was indeed my word. On December 8th, I woke up and came into the living room and opened up my devotion book as I do each morning. As I opened up Streams in the Desert for December 8th, this was the scripture at the top of the devotion, “Colossians 3:12, Put on as the elect of God, kindness.”
It was the story of an old man who went around town who carried a can of oil everywhere he went, and if he passed through a door that squeaked, he poured a little oil on the hinges. Anyplace he went that needed a touch of oil to stop squeaking or lubricating, making the hard places easier for those who came after him, he oiled them. The devotion went on to say:
“Have you your own can of oil with you? Be ready with your oil of helpfulness in the early morning to the one nearest you. (oh boy, that meant that I had to be continually “kind” to my husband for a year,) It may lubricate the whole day for him. The oil of good cheer to the downhearted one-oh how much it may mean…our lives touch others but once, perhaps, on the road of life; and then, mayhap, our ways diverge, never to meet again.
It ended with “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love.” Romans 12:10
About an hour after reading this, a dear friend from California texted me with this message;
“thought of you this morning as I was reading Streams in the Desert……….hope you have a blessed day” She had never written to me about a devotion before and here she was writing about the same one I had just read.
Then on December 13th, a blog I read from time to time called Two Chums popped up in my email. For “some” reason, I opened it that morning and this was what it opened with, “above all else, be kind”. It was at this point that i quit asking God for more confirmation and declared that my word for 2018 is Kindness. I don’t know why yet and I don’t know what circumstances will be in my life this year. Sometimes it might be hard to fall on the promises of God that “I can do all things with God’s strength” and “nothing is impossible with God” But I can rest assured that “my God will supply all my needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus”, even His strength to help me show kindness to everyone, no matter what!

If you have never ask God to give you a word, begin to pray about that. It will be amazing how He will reveal it to you and how He will use it for your spiritual growth. Also there is a book called “My One Word” by Mike Ashcroft.
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Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

He Goeth Before Me

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This morning’s devotion brought back a memory of a poem that I saw years ago. As I was substitute teaching at First Bapt school Jr High in Dallas, TX, I was walking around the room looking over some of the students projects they were working on. As I stood behind a young lady, who was working on a poem, it was so powerful and spoke to my heart that I have remembered it all through the years. In todays devotion from Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith, it once again, came to my thoughts as I read the following:

“He goeth before you into Galilee, there shall ye see him, as he said until you.” Mark 16:7

“Where he appointed to meet his disciples, there he would be in due time. Jesus keeps his tryst. If he promises to meet us at the mercy seat, or in public worship, or in the ordinances, we may depend upon it that he will be there. We may wickedly stay away from the appointed meeting place, but he never does…
where two or three are met together in my name, there am I. He doesn’t say, “there will I be, but ” I am there already.”
Jesus is always first in fellowship. He goeth before you. His heart is with his people, his delight is in them, he is never slow to meet them. In all fellowship, he goeth before us.”

It was these words that brought back the poem, which I remember so vividly to this day. The young lady was writing a poem about a young man who was in a cafe, waiting for his fiancé. After a couple of hours passed without her showing up, the waitress ask him if he would like the check for his drink so he could leave. His response to her was, “oh no thank you, I”m sure she will be here, as she promised to meet me here today.” So he waited. Hours passed without a sign of her. Many attempts from the waitress to give him a check so he could leave always brought the same response, “oh no thank you, I will just wait, as she promised she would come and meet me.” At the end of the poem, the man in the poem was Jesus. The fiancé he was waiting for was you and I.
It brought tears to my eyes thinking about how many times had I promised the Lord I would meet with him in the morning and then got busy doing my own thing, and thinking, that maybe the day which dawned before me would slow down a bit and I would take a moment to sit down for a minute to read my Bible and pray. But then, it never happened.
Yet Jesus, God’s Son, has promised us that He will always be there waiting for us, as He has said in His Word. What is keeping you and I from meeting Him today? What is truly more important that meeting with the King of the Universe, our Creator? The answer to that question is nothing. Nothing should take priority over our meeting with our Lord, yet, then we wonder why He doesn’t speak to us. Where is God when we need Him? He is always there and will always meet us at our point of need, “he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.”
Before going into where ever your Galilee is, let’s take time to meet with Him that He would have a chance to speak to our hearts. He is the lover of our souls. “And we shall see him, for he promises to come to those who believe him, and to manifest himself to them. Rest assured that it will be so, for he does everything according to his word of promise…and be assured that to the end he will do for you as he said unto you.

Desserts · Uncategorized

Around The Bend

Chocolate Castles8 Comments

Each morning before my feet hit the floor, it is my intention to just tell the Lord, “”good morning and thank You for the day” before reading Streams in the Desert or the Bible verse of the day. It just helps me to remember that the day belongs to Him, not me, and thatI need God’s guidance and direction each and every day. This morning, I began to go back over the last 3 weeks of adventures we have encountered along the roads which has taken us to 10 states, thus far.
Because we have had such a blessed time, it made me think about all the blessings which have been ours since we packed up and headed out. Because it has been such a time of rest and just being able to go where we wanted, seeking out new places, I started wondering about this time. Yesterday, after Randy pulled off the road to allow me to take a picture after I just stated, “man that would make such a pretty picture”, he pulled over and said,”is this a good spot?P I quickly looked over to him and ask him if I was dying and he just hadn’t told me. In fact, I began to think back over the 3 weeks of travel and remembered that this entire time, Randy had been overly thoughtful, to the point that he lets me choose where we eat, what sightseeing spots we go, the hotels that I suggest, and even saying, would you like to buy this souvenir? It would look so cute in our new kitchen.” I began to get suspicious. I must be dying and he is just not telling me. It made me compare my feelings to how I feel when God pours out His blessings to us. Why God, are you being so good to me? Are you getting ready to take something away, or what bad event will be around the bend? Why is it that we pray and ask God’s Hand of blessing to be upon us, only to question Him when He gives us times of refreshing? Why do we continually question His goodness to us all the while thinking “o wretched man that I am.” because we know our hearts and thoughts, we don’t deserve His grace or goodness? It makes me stop and remember that, in fact, no, we don’t deserve His grace or goodness, EVER, no matter how good we think we are. But because God loves us, He pours out His grace to us. We truly might not know what bends in the road there might be, but no matter the bend, we have the Master of our Souls to carry us through. I need to learn to just accept that love and grace from God the Father and from Randy. I don’t deserve either one, but am truly blessed to be loved by both.