Letting Go..... Moving On.....

33 For He is not a God of confusion and disorder but of peace and order. As [is the practice] in all the churches of God’s people1 Corinthians 14:33 Bible (AMP)

32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free John 8:32 (AMP)

"Surrender . . .sacrificing my life or suffering in order to change what needs to be changed"
― Rick Warren

"It is what it is", "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear", "if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, flies like a duck - its a duck".

Yes, these sayings are overused and somewhat annoying. However, there is truth behind each cliche mentioned. How many times have we tried to "rationalize" our thoughts or behaviors and not accepted reality for what a person is, a situation is, etc? Realizing truth is a simple and uncomplicated act. Hard to do, mind you - but simple. Its only when we complicate things by : doing what we want to do instead of doing God's will/doing the "right thing, wanting to build someone, a relationship, a job up instead of accepting "truth" that life becomes messy.

So, how do we keep ourselves grounded in God's will for our lives? Difficult to do at times when we "want what we want". However, communication with Him through bible study and prayer can aid in getting a "reality check". From past experience, if I do these things regularly; something inside me tells me when situations, people aren't truly what I think they are or want them to be.

Father God - Thank you so much that you never steer us (Your Children) wrong. Help us to find the truth, hold on to it and use it to make wise decisions about what to "hang on" to and what to "let go". Encourage us to not think about what's lost but what we will be gaining up ahead, through Your power and love. Amen.

　

　

　

Confronting Challenges with the Power of Christ

 

But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. "Let’s go at once to take the land," he said. "We can certainly conquer it!" Numbers 13:30


What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:3

"Whatever we run away from, God will make us run back into until we confront, solve and heal" Joyce Meyer (love Joyce Meyer )

When I say the name Moses, what do you think of?

Man of Faith?
Great divider of the Red Sea
Great leader of Israel out of Egypt.
Great lawgiver of the Old Testament.
Extraordinary man of God?

Moses was an ordinary man and God had an EXTRAORDINARY plan for him. He dealt with self doubt, lack of faith, low self confidence, etc. Does this sound familiar?:)

To increase Moses' faith, God rescued Moses from death as a baby and was rescued by an Eygptian princess, turned Moses' staff into a serpent, showed Himself to Moses as a burning bush AND the list goes on.......How many signs have we gotten from God to help us make a move, make a right decision?Moses was focused and fears and obstacles instead of having faith that God knows what he is doing.

When we are afraid sometimes, we stop thinking. Moses is focused on his fears and his fears are hindering him from doing what God is leading him to do.

Fear can keep us from doing things God wants us to do.

This can apply to our relationships, past hurts, jobs, work in the church, etc. Instead of focusing on the FEAR of what can be lost, focusing on FAITH when we confront and move forward can illuminate the path that we are to take with God's direction.

Father God - Thank you for giving us strength to confront challenges past and current hurts that come across our paths. Remind us that some of the strongest leaders, such as Moses, had pattern of running away from problems instead of confronting.However, You were able to turn his weakness into strength in Your time. Encourage us that it is never to late to confront and move on to healing. Thank You for Your limitless patience and Your love. Amen

Gratitude - Understanding Our Past, Peace for Today , Vision for Tomorrow

We are assured and know that [[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose Romans 8:28

"No matter how messy our "mess" is, God is good and works everything to His Purpose" Joyce Meyer

Woke up feeling frustrated. Have you had those mornings? Thinking about a million things. Wondering what's going to happen? Wishing that things were different? yada yada. Well, that was me today. In the midst of applying for a teaching license, getting paperwork together, applying for teaching positions, I felt a sense of frustration. Wish I knew what was going to happen "NOW" this instant! Why can't God work that way? lolol

So after spending some time on paperwork this morning, I decided, after putting it off for a while, to do the treadmill. . And "lo and behold" - Joyce Meyer was talking of having "gratitude" instead of complaining about our circumstances! Was she talking to ME? :-)

We can choose focus on the obstacles in front of us or we can choose to focus on progress we have made, through God's support and love. He wants us to grow in the midst of frustration and "waiting" (isn't my strong suit - is it yours?). However, if we look back when we "seek His will" things work out. Maybe not in "our" time or in "our" way but all things work together for His purpose.

Father God - Thank You for knowing so much more about our lives, our circumstances than we do. Remind us to have faith in You instead of grumbling because things aren't going the way "we want them to". Help us to focus on the things that You have given us and being grateful for today. Amen

Laughter - Medicine for the Soul

22 A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength. Proverbs 17:22

If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane." Robert Frost - lol

　

Yes I'll admit. I've been having the case of the stir crazies this last go around of snow/ice. You know the feeling - desperately wanting to go out and do something "anything". Having watched everything you wanted to watch on "netfilx" :-), catching up on the laundry, balancing the checkbook..... then thinking "what else is there to do"? Have you been there? lol

My dad, stepmom and I decided to get together and play cards. Something I know I haven't done in 10 forevers. And did we have fun - I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. They did too:-).Boy did I need that! Don't you believe that God "knew" we needed laughter to get through rough patches, restless times, times we couldn't control? When we are able to tap into the humurous side of life, the erupting laughter becomes a mighty healing stream. - "medicine for the soul". Many believers cannot accept that laughter is part of God's relationship with us.

Father God - Thank you so much for creating us to laugh with each other- to heal, to get through restless and tough times. Remind us that we need "each other" in fellowship to help each other through. Remind us that when we think of Your Love for us that we can be joyful of the purpose that You have for us. Thank you for being our Creator. Amen.

God - The "Weaver" of Life's Tapestry

and give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus. 1Thessalonians 5:18

"There are no 'if's' in God's world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety - let us pray that we may always know it!"― Corrie ten Boom

We live in a world, a country where self-reliance and "self sufficiency" is rewarded, admired, looked up to. "Pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps" is viewed as strength. However, when does strength turn into "pride" and NOT relying on God's direction.

Personally, this is something that has been a struggle for me. Making decisions, doing what "I' believe is necessary has led me down some rough roads in the past. As I get older, I realize the importance of asking God for direction, praying/meditating before making a move. Makes life a little easier/the journey a little smoother. God wants us to be in the middle of His Will for the greater good of His Children - not just what we want to do or what we feel is necessary in the "temporary" situations. God is "the weaver" of the tapestry of our lives. Lets trust him to make our tapestry beautiful with every thread/every situation that he allows us to be a part of. Let's have faith enough in Him to have strength in all circumstances.

Father God - Thank you so much for wanting to guide us for good in all things - if we have faith and rely on you. Help us to acknowledge when we want to "take the reigns" and come back for you for direction and strength. Please help us grow in our humility knowing Your way is the only way. Thank you for your strength and guidance. Amen.

Destiny is Shaped By Our Decisions

If you wander from the right path, either to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice behind you saying, "You should go this way. Here is the right way."Isaiah 30:21

"Once you decide to do right, life is easy, there are no distractions." ― William Edgar Stafford

Decision-making. Something we all do daily and appears somewhat mundane. However, daily decision making is something that is SO important. Decisions about career, relationships, school. Decisions about "making and doing the right choice" vs. deciding to do "what pleases us". When we break it down, these little decisions/choices that we make shape our path for the future.

Convictions, beliefs, standards in this day in this age get a bad rap, in my opinion. "Do what you feel", "go with the path of least resistance", etc encourage us to decide with what "pleasures" us. However, when we accept God's guidance in decision-maing which usually results in delaying gratification; we can reap rewards that He provides for us.

Is it easy to have convictions/standards? NO. Is it a daily battle? YES. Will we make wrong choices? OF COURSE - we are human. However, when we notice we are heading down a wrong path; its never too late to call on God to help us get back on the right path. He's waiting and wanting us to lean on Him because we are His children.

Father God - Thank you so much for "establishing our steps" for good, wanting good for us. Help us to listen and lean on you for daily decision making to ease or path in life. If we stray away, help us to run back to You for guidance and decisions. Thank you for loving us so much. Amen

Respect is Earned, Loyalty is Returned

 

17 A friend loves you all the time, but a brother was born to help in times of trouble. Proverbs 17:17
Loyalty. A virtue difficult to come by nowadays, in my opinion. Instant food, instant access to movies, disposible water bottles, plastic bags. Its so easy to throw away things nowadays. However, isn't it nice to have stability? To know something or "someone" is going to be there for a long time? Whether it be a good friend, your partner, family, something "material" that stands the test of time?

At work, we were looking through the "urban dictionary". I will admit that I am "old" and some of the things the kids at school say I have no idea about and am "way out of the loop" of slang. However, on a positive note; they had a definition of "loyals" in there. Great that our young adults have a way (though not coventional) to define loyalty:

loyals

These are the people you can trust to have your back all the time, you can close both eyes when sleeping and they got you covered or turn your back on them and you know nothing will happen. They will never abandon you.

How many "loyals" we have around us? How many people are we "loyal" to? How are we demonstrating loyalty to others ?


Father God - Thank you so much for NEVER leaving us, even when may have left you for a time. Help us to grow in loyalty to people in our lives that support us, love us and are truthful to us when we need it. Help us to do the same to our friends, family and partners. Thank you for your awesome love. Amen