I decided to start this blog (2010) because my son, John-Robert gave me a One Year Bible for Christmas, the New Living Translation... reading it has changed my life... I post a daily Bible verse on my Facebook page every day and it has been well received... I thought that this would be a wonderful way to share part of what I read each day!... I hope that you enjoy it.



This Year 2012 I am going to do things a little different... not much...just a little. I am again reading through my One Year Bible (for the 3rd time). But I am also using "The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word" by Joyce Meyer. This book is divided by putting scriptures under different categories so they can be used to speak over our life situations. Each day I will read a category of scripture and pick a scripture in that category to write about.



Hugs

Jeannie







Saturday, March 31, 2012

3.31.12

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 “When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.  This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

My Thoughts
God expected the kings of Israel to read, every day, what He expected of them.  So that it would be in their hearts... it would be formost in their minds when they made desisions.  It would keep them humble. These readings would keep the kings of Israel on the right path.... Reading these instructions would make them great Kings!

If reading daily, the instructions of God, would make these men great kings... wouldn't reading daily God's word and instructions for our lives make us much better people? God tells us that He has given us instructions for our lives, that we should learn it... that we should write God's word on our hearts. We are told this in Proverbs 3 and 7...and in many other places in the Bible.  God says here that it will make a difference in the kings of Isreal...and knowing what God ask of us in our lives will make a difference in how we live too! We do have an instruction book for life... the Bible.

Friday, March 30, 2012

3.30.12

Jeremiah 6:16 This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

My Thoughts
I love this!!  We we seek God...when we read our Bible and learn about what people did in the past.... then we make the choices that give our souls rest!!  We so often make choices that make us worry later...that keep us from sleeping... But when we ask God what we should do...when we take time and wait for his answer...the follow His direction... our choice will be a choice that is easy to live with...it will not make us worry and toss and turn and loose sleep. God only chooses what is right for us!  So off then we make our choices then ask God to help us with the consequences. Here it tells us to stand and look and ask what the good way is..then to walk in the good way!! Wouldn't we save ourselves so much trouble if we would just ask God first!!


Thursday, March 29, 2012

3.29.12

Deuteronomy 11:13-15 If you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, the he will send the rains in their proper season, - the early and late rains- so you can bring in your harvest of train, new wine, and olive oil.  He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.

My Thoughts
Look what God promises us if we put Him first... he was talking to all the Israelites as they were about to enter the land he was giving them. When our forefathers came to America it was so that they could worship God the way they wanted to worship God.  Look how far we have come since 1776... that is not a long time at all for a nation to grow and prosper like we have... God made us great because we loved and worshiped Him!! 

Have you ever built a tower with blocks...they fall so much faster than you can stack them... As a country we can fall so much faster than we were built.  We have taken God out of our schools.... our of our work place...we have moved Him over and let other people who worship other gods move in... our country actually welcome them as we push God aside. Yet we wonder what is happening...we blame it on congress, and the president...but it is the responsibility of each one of us as individual to put God first...and to stand up when others try to push God out.  One person took prayer out of school while a host of Christians stood aside and watched it happen. Prayer from a nation of people that believe in God... prayers putting their faith in God are stronger than any congress or any president. We can't keep passing the buck...we have to do our part and get on our knees...we have to do our part and be in protest lines when somebody is pushing God out. We have to love God and make choices that God would have us make if we want to see change! We have moved our country outside the protection of God when we got off our knees ... when we chose politically correct over God. Politically correct would have never had a wedge to open a gap if we had been living under God's law and treating people the way God ask us to. Politically Correct started with the treatment of people...and evolved into including removing God from everything!

In these verses God tells us that if we love God with all our hearts and are careful to obey His commands that our land will prosper!!  God will protect us!  The change doesn't start in the White House...that is passing the buck.. it starts with me and it starts with you... loving God and obeying his commands then standing up for what God would want in our country!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

3,28.12

Deuteronomy 9:1-3 “Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky!  The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Who can stand up to the Anakites?’  But recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised.


My Thoughts
In the next verses it goes on to say... God is not doing this because they did something to deserve this... God did the for these people because they were His people...and they were going up against evil.... God was going to drive out the evil for His people!  The moment we accept Jesus into our hearts we become God's! We become God's special possession... God goes to work fighting evil for us!!  There are so many things in this world that are too big for us...but, NOTHING is too big for God!   When we us the scripture to call out to God, God hears us... and God sends down His angles to protect us from evil!  We may have battles that we are fighting...and we may feel down for the count... but we can have faith that in the end God will have His victory.

Several times the Israelites went into battle without God's blessings and they were defeated...but each time they went into battle with God's blessings God always won the battle. There will be battles to fight...they may seem too big to win...but when we remember nothing is too big for God... and when we give God control..because he loves us, He will defeat evil. God is bigger and stronger than anything we face!!






Tuesday, March 27, 2012

3.27.12

Deuteronomy 7:6 For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God.  Of all the people on the earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.

My Thoughts
I love this!!  "The Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure." What a thing to read this beautiful morning!!  I have been really down for the last three days ... everything has made me cry... I felt myself falling into a deep depression... I have been sick and have not felt good at all... last night I was suffering from a scary tummy ache, a headache and such despair.... I called out to God and said please take this pain away!  I was talking about my tummy and my head... God knew that depression was a pain too... this morning I woke up to a beautiful day that made me feel like singing!.. I stopped and thought I am not hurting or sad anymore! I thanked God! Then I read this morning that I, me, I am chosen by God to be his own special treasure.

You might want to argue that this verse is in Deuteronomy... that God was talking to the Israelites...and here he was. But as soon as God made sure you knew...or I knew about Jesus...and about His great love for us... that is the moment God was choosing us to be His own special treasure. 

I hope to put this verse to my memory...so that next time I begin to feel useless...and unimportant to the world I can just repeat over and over out loud...so the devil can hear me!... so I can hear me... "God has chosen me, ME to be His own special treasure!"

Monday, March 26, 2012

3.26.12

Deuteronomy 5:29 Oh that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever!

My Thoughts
If we don't love ourselves enough to do what God ask...we could start by doing if for our children and our grandchildren..... in the end we will find that we are loving ourselves!

Sunday, March 25, 2012

3.25.12

Luke 6:45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.  What you say flows from what is in your heart.

My Thoughts
Oh Wow!!  This says to me that when I find my words not being what they should be, I have some work to do!!  I have noticed the more time I spend in God's word, the more time I spend in prayer, the better I like what comes out of my mouth!!  I need to be totally aware that when things come out of my mouth that would make God sad with me, that I have work to do!!  I have studying to do! I need to spend some time in prayer! Growing in God is a process... it doesn't always happen all at once.... I have my part to do.  My words show me exactly what I need to work on! The devil loves to try and sneak evil into our lives....so when I find myself in the middle of saying something I shouldn't say, and I stop...I show the devil that God is who I choose to be in control of my life.  If I make the transition from saying something to stopping in the middle off a paragraph.... to stopping in the middle of my first sentence.... the next step is keeping my mouth shut all together.... when I do this I am growing in God.  Each time we get a little bit better God smiles. When we become aware of exactly what is coming out of our mouth..... and take time to notice if it is good or if it is evil... we start to weed out the evil....eventually the treasures in our hearts will be only good!  And the good in our lives come straight from God!

Saturday, March 24, 2012

3.24.12

Luke 6:35-36 Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid.  Then your reward from heaven will be very great and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

My Thoughts
I think this is one of the hardest things, as humans for us to do.... love our enemies, do good to them!!  In Matthew 25:40 it says whatever we do to the least of these you did for me.  Isn't it just as true the other way around ...what ever we do to the least we also do to our king, God. Yet God continues to love us, to be kind and compassionate to us! If we expect God to love us, no matter... we have to love others no matter what they have done to us. Even when, especially when it is hard!

Friday, March 23, 2012

3.23.12

Proverbs 11:24-25 Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper: those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

My Thoughts
God calls us to do for others.  He blesses us with provisions so that we can in return bless others...when we give to others, we are giving to God.  When we do what God ask of us, God will take care of the rest. We can invest in ourselves, in worldly thing...or we can do what Matthew 6:20 says, we can store up our treasures in heaven. I believe God wants us to take care ourselves and our family and that God loves for us to have things that make us happy, because He loves us so much.  But God also gives us extra so that we can do for others, so that we can make a difference in their day, maybe in their life. When we do that God takes care of the rest!!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

3.22.12

Proverbs  11:23 The godly can look forward to reward, while the wicked can expect only judgment.

My Thoughts
When we choose to do the right thing...when we walk with God...when we do what God ask... we are making the choice to live under the protection of God. When we do evil... when we make choices that exclude God and what He ask of us...we make the choice to live outside the protection of God. The choice is ours to make... God gives us free will ... God loves us so much that when we choose to do the right thing he even rewards us. God even gives us second chances. But it is always our choice to do what God would have us to do. It is like God is saying... "Come with me, I have so much for you!  Please come with me, if you don't I can't protect you!" The choice is ours!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

3.21.12

Proverbs 11:22 A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig's snout.

My Thoughts
This so reminds me of the saying I taught my children... pretty is as pretty does.  My grandmother was probably not a beautiful woman.... but I never saw her as anything but beautiful! She loved God...she loved people!... She took many a person into her home that needed a place to stay...and treated them like they were her own. At visitation when she died I heard several of these stories from the people themselves. They loved my grandmother as much as I did. At 96 she was still just beautiful.... her eyes were so kind... her smile would light up a room.

We have all know those people that we thought were beautiful...then after we got to know them... we wondered why we ever thought they were beautiful.  They didn't look the same anymore, even from across the room.

We can buy the most expensive clothes... learn from the experts how to do our make-up just right.... adorn ourselves with beautiful jewelry ... we can exercise until our body is "perfect." But, if we don't have the love of God in us... flowing through us to others, others will never see us as beautiful.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

3.20.12

Psalms 63:6 I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.

My Thoughts
I wonder how many times when we can't sleep, that God is just trying to get our attention. I know so often when I wake up and can't go back to sleep... as soon as I turn my thoughts to God and start saying my prayers I fall fast asleep! What if that inability to sleep is just God's way of telling me to repent of my sins, because God wants me right with Him?  This makes me think that every time I wake up in the middle of the night that the first thing I need to do is start talking to God... it should never be the last thing I think of!! How many more hours of restful sleep will I be able to have? God wants us at peace, it is one of His gifts to us. God is where our peace comes from. So when I am awaken by anything... the first words I should think or say is "God is that you? I am listening!"

Monday, March 19, 2012

3.19.12

Psalms 62:1 I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.

My Thoughts
I have learned to give a lot of things to God!  But I still have so much I keep on keeping for myself!!... I want to learn to give God everything, my days, my hours, my minutes... my words, my actions, my work.  I just need to give it all to God.  I know those things I still wish for victory over, if I look at them closely and am honest with myself, I have not given them to God yet! So many things I say "God, help me do this!" then I go about making my plans instead of waiting quietly before God for the answer. I need to give God each and every task I attempt in a day... I need to give God my sleep at night!! I need to give God my words when the phone rings, before I answer it. I need to give God my prayers before I pray them. If I want victory in my life... I need to give to God my everything and wait quietly!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

3.18.12

Luke 3:8 Prove by the way you life that you have repented of your sins and turned to God (John the Baptist).

My Thoughts
We show God that we love Him back by living the way that he ask us to live. Jesus even left us with the Holy Spirit to live inside of us when we are saved, so that we can know the difference between right and wrong. We are to listen to the Holy Spirit as He prompts us! It is important that we confess our wrongs, by name, so that we ourselves recognize what we are doing that is not pleasing to God. When we start recognizing our sins we are able to start making the changes by the way we live our life.  We we just ask vaguely "Dear God forgive me of my sins." we often fail to notice just what we are doing wrong. When we are unaware of just what we are doing wrong we don't make necessary changes in our lives. God already knows our sins,  whether we speak them out loud or not.  It is important that we recognize those sins so that we can change! So that we can live a life that proves we love God, that we are children of God. God knows that we will be happier if we life right! He wants us to live right because He loves us so much. He wants us to repent each and every sin so that we can begin to make changes that will improve our quality of life. We need to be aware that God's rule for us... or so that we will have a life that is abundant. When we recognize sin...and change our behavior, it makes God happy...because God knows it will make our lives better! And God wants only the very best for us!

Friday, March 16, 2012

3.16.12

Psalms 59:16 But as for me, I will sing about your power.  Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.  For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.

My Thoughts
I find that when I keep praise music in my heart... on my lips ...that when I am in distress and I don't know the words to pray,  I find my peace in God when I just start singing those songs of praise. God gives us so many ways to call on Him! We can call on God with prayer, with music and song, with praise...we can call on God by sending up our thanks.... we don't have to have the perfect words because God knows our needs...we just have to call out. When we do God will be our place of safty when we are in distress!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

3.15.12

Proverbs 11:12 A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are turstworthy can keep a confidence.

My Thoughts
This verse means that we can't tell even one other person we trust, somebody's elses secret. Not one single person. We are more trustworthy, if we know we know we can't keep a secret,  to be honest and say don't tell me...than we are if we tell just one other person a secret somebody has told us. God expects us to be turstworthy.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

3.14.12

Luke 1:45 "You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said."

My Thoughts
This was Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist) talking to Mary when she went to visit after she found our she was going to have Jesus.  I just loved this verse.. it so stood out to me... "You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said." God blesses just for believing what he tells us!  I love this!!  God loves us so much that he wants to shower us with his blessings. 

I think God made us parents so we could better understand how He takes care of us. We love showering our children with things.... we would give them the world if it was ours to give... the only time we don't give our children things, aside from being able to afford those things, is when we know what they want is not good for them. When we know it will get them hurt... or make them act in a way the shouldn't act. God is like that with His blessings for us... he loves us so much .... and God has so much more to give us than we could even imagine.  God gives us blessings as we grow.... as we get mature enough as Christians, as Children of God, to handle what He has in store for us. Our first step is simply to believe.... then we need to learn and grow in God. We need to trust that God knows best and be thankful for all we have...and for all that God has in store for us!

We are blessed because we believe.... wow!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

3,13.12

Numbers 20:12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, You will not lead them into the land I am giving them."

My Thoughts
This verse really got me thinking this morning... so much so that I had trouble concentrating on the rest of what I was reading.  Moses was such a mighty man of God!  Then he lost out on so much because he failed to trust God. I so wonder what we miss out in today's world, in our lives because we fail to trust God? I have learned to give so much to God ... but still there is so much I fail to trust God with. I am sure that I am not alone... how much have we missed out on?? There is no telling... we already have so much, so many blessings from God!  Imagine what  life would be like if we had given it all to Him... if we just trusted God with our all!! We need to wake up each morning and say "I trust you God with this day!" and then not take any of the day back. "Here are my words God I trust you with them." "Here is my husband and my children God, I trust you with them." "Here are my hands and feet God, I trust you with them." "Here is my job God, I trust you with it." "Here is my money God, I trust you with it." Look at all God gives us when we forget to say thank you..when we forget to trust Him. I know how much richer my life is now that I have learned to give God so much more than I use to.... I am so looking forward to giving God more of me!!

Monday, March 12, 2012

3.12.12

Numbers 16:11 The Lord is the one you are your followers are really revolting against! For who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?"

My Thoughts
The leaders of the Church were compiling about Arron..they were leading rebellion against him.  They were demanding the priesthood. Look what Moses says in verse 11... "The Lord is the one you are revolting against!" God has put our pastors in place in our churches. This verse says to me that when we grumble and complain about our pastors we are grumbling and complaining about God. What I have learned is that God is in control and if we leave things to God, God will take care of any problem we have... but we have to give those problems to God.  God will also take care of putting somebody in the church that will lead his people in the right direction .. if they are truly seeking God. When we rise up against the people that God has put in charge of leading us in the right direction...leading us in doing what God ask us to do....then we are rebelling against God himself.  We need to be very careful to support our pastors, the leaders of our church... listen to what he is telling us and teaching us... we need to show our respect. We need to remember that the respect that we show our pastor is also respecting God. When we do what God ask... God takes care of everything else!

So often when there needs to be changes in a church people are quick to blame the pastor of that church... when actually the changes that need to be made are actually in the hearts of the people.  We have pastors to lead us.... they are not wholly responsibility for what we know and learn... we need, ourselves,  take the responsibility for our own lives and spend time every day in God's word...and on our knees. Too often the people of the church think that their whole responsibility is to show up on Sunday morning.  The church is a family...we are to work together as a family... learning and growing... being supportive of each other... doing our part to make the church successful.  A family would fall apart of everybody was depending on one person to do it all... so will a church. So next time we see a change that needs to be made in Church... or something that needs to be done..lets not complain... lets ask ourselves "How can I be a part of that change?" or "What is my part in accomplishing what needs to be done?" When we all work together, as a family, all doing our part, our Churches will begin to grown in leaps and bounds!! And if we all did something a little more than "show up" there wouldn't be too much for anybody to take care of!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

3.10.12

Numbers 14:11 And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the maraculous signs I have done among them?

My Thoughts
Oh wow God was upset! He had taken these people out of slavery... he had done amazing thing for them to see, like part the Red Sea.  He has sent Manna down from the sky each day for them to eat. He had taken care of them!  He had done everything He promised them he would do.  Now He as gotten them to the Promise Land... a beautiful place, full of everything they needed and more. He said this is your land I am giving it to you... you will defeat the giants living there.  But the people refused to enter...they let there fears get the best of them...and instead of taking concerns to God they complained.  The complained to each other...they didn't trust that God would do what He said. God was angry.... he was so angry because the people didn't trust Him or believe Him.

I couldn't help but thing how much grumbling and complaining we do today.  You can't go anywhere without hearing people grumble and complain.  About jobs if they have them... about not having a job if they don't. About gas prices and food prices... husbands complain about their wives and wives about their husbands. Kids about their parents and parents about their children. People complain if their spots team looses. People complain that their is not enough time in a day...and about being board if they don't have something to fill up their day.

We have so much in America...even when times are hard we still have so much.... I know times have been really, really hard for some people these past few years.. people have lost so much.  And it is hard.  So often we feel like we have to vent or burst.  God was not upset at these people for venting, David vented all the time... the difference is that David vented to God.... not to the people around him.  When David vented to God... God quited Davids soul and David knew that all would be well.  David trusted God so much that he even carried his frustrations to God. We know from God's word that God was pleased with David. 

The difference in the Israelites and David is that David, even when he was afraid,  trusted God and did what God asked... David took his worries to God and not to other people.  When we take our worries to God instead of other people God can tell us what to do about those worries... God can tell us that He will take care of us. People, they tend to water our worries and make them bigger. God weeds out our worries and makes our hopes and dreams grow, even in the face of great, big obstacles.

God was not upset at the people for being afraid... God was upset at the people for grumbling and compiling and for not trusting Him. We need to go about our days building each other up.. giving each other hope..showing each other love... and when frustrations enter our world we need to take those to God and trust him with all that we are and all that we hope to be. 

God loved the Israelites so much and He had a present for them.. a wonderful land, that had all they could ever want... instead of taking that gift the people complained. Oh what God must think of us ...after all look at all we have been given. We need to make sure that we don't walk around acting like the Israelites. We need to make sure that we look around at what we do have, constantly thanking God...and then we need to reach out and embrace the next thing God has planned for us.

Now if I can just get better and better and better at putting in to practice all that God is teaching me in His Word!!

Friday, March 9, 2012

3.9.12

Mark 14:41 When he returned to them the third time, he said,"Go ahead and sleep.  Have your rest.  But no--the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

My Thoughts
This is the first time I read this and saw it just this way!  Jesus was the Son of God born to man.  Here when Jesus refers to himself, he uses the term "The Son of Man." The Son of Man was betrayed... but the Son of God would have triumph over any betrayal of man... He would rise again on the third day!

When Jesus left this earth He left the Holy Spirit to live inside each and every one of us.  Because Jesus died for our sins we get to have victory too. How exciting!!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

3.8.12

Psalms 51:4a Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;

My Thoughts
Wow oh wow! This says to me that we should treat every person in our lives, every person that we come in contact with just as if we are entertaining God. The devil is responsible for all the bad in the world. All the goodness in the world comes straight from God.  All love in the world comes from God! We are all created by God, He loves each and every one of us! We are a part of Him. When people mistreat us we need to send up prayers for them because the devil has used them for his evil. That mistreatment is the devil trying to get two people to sin by using one of them to create an angry situation.  When somebody loves us, when somebody is good to us it is a gift straight from God. When we are loving and kind we are allowing God to use us.  Even if the devil gets a hold of somebody else first and cause them to mistreat us, we should never allow the devil to use us by making us think we have "the right" to treat somebody the way they have treated us. I don't think we have to stand and be mistreated by somebody...but we don't ever have to act in a way that would make God sad with our actions either. 

One of the best examples I can think of is when somebody is angry or upset with us...and we can't see anything we have done wrong. If it were God standing in front of us we would say, no matter what the situation, "God I am so sorry that I did something that hurt you." We could, we are able to say that to the people we know, instead of getting on the defensive.  If we act in love, if we apologize even we have truly done nothing wrong, God will take care of the rest! God will put it in that person's heart... God will make sure all is right with us... if we make sure that we walk in God's love. If we treat people with kindness, respect and love. If we give people the benefit of the doubt always!  God will take care of the rest.

The thing is when people go about mistreating others..they are so in a place in their lives that the devil can get in and wreak havoc on their lives.. he has gotten them so out of control they no longer know right from wrong. Our loving response to them my be just the thing they need to set them back on track. We need to always treat people like who they are, Children of God... we need to treat each person  like we would if God himself were standing there in the flesh, holding their hand. That is just how we need to see each and every person, like the were standing there, with God, holding His hand. If we could see people that way, it would change forever how we acted toward everybody.

We may not can change the whole world with our actions... but we can change our world with our actions. If we change our world into goodness and love... people will see what we have and want it! We need to be a witness of God's love by how we live. We need to treat all that we do as if we are doing it for God Himself... because we are. What we do to others we do to God. If we can let this fact drop down into our spirits we will forever be changed. Oh and just imagine how wonderful that change will be!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

3.7.12

Psalms 50:14-15 "Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.  Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory."

My Thoughts
Make thankfulness our sacrifice!! We don't have to grow and feed and nurture a perfect lamb or bull to sacrifice to God... we just have to be thankful, truly thankful! We just have to remember to say "Thank you, God" and to keep our vows we make to God. That is all we have to do...so little compared to what the Children of Israel had to do! So little! Yet we can get through a whole day... with food to eat, with a warm house, with clothes on our back, with jobs, with a car that has gas in it, with our families!... with the technology to be in touch with our families when they are far away, many of us take medicine each day that keeps us well... we hear birds singing outside our windows.... we have entertainment at the touch of a fingertip...we have vast knowledge at the ends of our fingertips...and yet we forget to say, "Thank you, God!"

God says right here, "All you have to do is remember to thank me, and to do the things that you tell me you will do..then I will help you when you are in trouble." "Thank you God!" can it get any simpler than that??

Each time we see the faces of the people we  love we should say "Thank you!"  Each time we eat we should say "Thank you!" Each time we get in our cars and arrive somewhere safe we should say "Thank you!" Each time we take a pill that keeps our bodies working we should say "Thank you!" Each time we sit down to watch a show or movie on our TVs we should say "Thank you!" Each time we find the answer to a question when we type in just a few word, right in the comfort of our own homes, we should say "Thank you!" Each time a person smiles at us, or hugs us, or cares for us, that is a gift straight from God, we should say "Thank you!" Each time we ask forgiveness we should say "Thank you!"

With all those many words that God gives us each day, we should probable use half of them up with "thank yous" That is the only sacrifice that God ask us to make... a simple "Thank you!"

I know that I, myself need to get much better at this. I need to get so much better at this that it isn't a line in my prayer journal, because I do it so often that it doesn't have to be done at prayer time. It needs to be engraved on the inside of my glasses so that I am reminded constantly to say "Thank you" to God!

How many times will you say "Thank you, God! today?

 


Tuesday, March 6, 2012

3.6.12

My step-mother is in the hospital...they keep having to put her surgery off because things keep happening... please keep her in your prayers.

Numbers 6:22-27 The the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: 'May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on  you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.' Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them."

My Thoughts
All the promises of the Bible become ours when we become God's.  All the things God ask of people in the Bible, He also ask of us. As I read this blessing I thought of how many people are missing out on blessings because we forget to pay attention to what God ask us to do. I was thinking of how many times lately, now that I am learning, that God has asked me to pray for people that I come in contact with... how many times he has give me the opportunity to say a prayer with people. I will learn this prayer! What better thing could you pray over anybody than God's blessings and protection... God's smile and God's favor... God's peace.

I have heard this prayer... I have read these verses... but today is the first time I thought of it as my responsibility to ask for God's blessings on people...I as so often for God to do things for people that I know and I love... but I am not sure that actually asked for these things that are so special.

This morning I thought I really need to pray this over my sweet husband who I love so much. Who God loves so much. I held his had and prayed this simple prayer over him. Of all the people in the world that I know I want God to bless Robby.  I will pray this prayer over my children soon too...when I can hold their hands.  And when God asked me to pray for someone I will pray this prayer over their lives!  There are so many people that I want God to bless. Now I have the words to ask for those blessings!!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

3.4.12

Proverbs 10:25 When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.

My Thoughts
I love this verse... it is so comforting to know that God is there for us to get us through anything that comes our way!  I don't want to be whirled away... I love having that hope that comes from God.  I love calling on God when things get hard. The more I know God the more I feel Him near me in the hard times... the more I know God the more I want Him with me through the good times. God is so good. We are so blessed to have a God that loves us so very much! We are so blessed to have a God that wants so much for us!

Saturday, March 3, 2012

3.3.12

Proverbs 10:23 Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.

My Thoughts
This can apply to so many things...but money is what gives me the best example of this.  If when we get paid we ignore our obligations that we have set up for ourselves.  You know those pieces of paper that we sign that say "I promise to pay this back in full with interest." or "I promise to pay my water, power, gas bill." Anyway we  ignore them completely...forgetting that a portion of this paycheck is vital to paying all the bills this month. We go and play, play, play spending money like a crazy person... it feels fun at the moment...then when the bills roll in we are left with such worry...by being a fool we end up with days and days of worry...sometimes months of worry all for one day of "fun."

If we live wisely, money wise, we set up a budget so that we can take an honest look at our money... we put back what is needed to pay our tithes,  all our commitments, we put back for those unexpected bills and if there is some left over we have a little fun.  Sometimes we have put ourselves in such a spot that we have to save a few weeks for fun, but that is OK. When we have lived sensible we get to enjoy the whole month...we have peace because we have done what we were suppose to do...then when our fun envelope builds up we get to go and have a blast, worry free!!

We have a choice here... living with pleasure all the time...and some fun, fun moments that don't worry us to death later.... of having some immediate fun and living in worry and strife.

Before we act on something "fun" we should always ask ourselves "Is this the wise thing to do?" (Andy Stanley) If the answer is no then we need to rethink our plans.  When we learn to say no to ourselves our lives get so much better... we have the opportunity to feel pleasure.

I need to ask myself... "Is it wise to knit now or should I do some housework first?" I would so enjoy my knitting if I got something out of the way first!  What do you need to ask yourself??

Friday, March 2, 2012

3.2.12

Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds on sorrow to it.

My Thoughts
God adds no sorrow to the things he gives us!!  I wonder how many times we jump into something without waiting on God's blessings for us. How many times do we jump into a job... or a huge purchase without consulting God...then so much begins to happen with what we have go out and gotten into on our own.  If we had only consulted God first... then waited on His answer... we would have had no sorrow added to it! 

This applies to so much... how many times would we save ourselves sorrow if we just asked God first and waited on our answer? If we just ask God to please bless what we are about to say? If we ask God if we should make a purchase? If God blesses what we do... He adds no sorrow to it!! 

This verse has really touched my heart today!!  I can see clearly how God was not in so much of what I have done in life.... I know how much God has blessed me over the last couple of years!  I just need to make sure that I put God into everything, great or small.... I need to ask God for blessings over all that I do. I need to ask God and listen to his answer He has for me!

God is so good!!  God only makes good decisions for our lives... if God tells us no.. it is because he is protecting us...often from ourselves.

How many times we we change the choice that we are about to make if we stopped and said first "God please bless this thing that I am about to do." "God, please bless these words I am about to say." and if we thought about our words when we said, "God, Please bless this food I am about to eat."  God blessing are life changing!!  We need to call upon them in all that we do!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

3.1.12

Proverbs 14:30 (CEV) It is healthy to be content, but envy can eat you up.

My Thoughts
Have you ever put something on the counter and it stayed there so long it became so much a part of the room that you quit noticing it? Of course you have most all of us have at some point. Our homes, our cars, the stuff we have all becomes this way when we don't stop to think about it...we get up and get dressed...do all that morning stuff and out the door we go never really seeing what is in front of us.  Then somebody comes along and has something that is new and shinny and we start wanting what they have! Often to the point of thinking "I never get anything we want, and it's not fair!"

As humans we do silly things...we have such silly thoughts all because we don't stop to look at the big picture! We could be the person that gets a new car every two years and be jealous of a person that drove their car until it was held together by wires when they finally get them a new car. We so often don't stop to think before we start to want!!

I believe that one of the reasons that God ask us to send up thanks to Him for all we have is so that we will take time to notice all that we do have!! We often have so much that we have storage buildings full because our houses won't hold what we have been given by God.  There are yard sells everywhere on pretty weekends where people are selling what the "had to have" so that can buy that thing "they can't live without."  Commercials on TV tell us "Look be jealous your neighbor has more!" "It's okay to spend money you don't have!" even if it is something we don't even need.

We make ourselves craze with envy!!  We exhaust ourselves paying for things that yesterday we "had to have!"  Sleeping pill companies can pay a fortune for commercials to compete with each other because people can't sleep from worry, worry about how they are going to pay for things they have already sold in yard sells. All because we get caught up in envy!

So much of what we put ourselves through could be stopped in its tracks if we just learned to be content... If each morning before we went out the door we stopped and thanked God for 100 of the things we see around us... A hundred things? Everyday? I bet if we listed 100 of the things we see in our houses each day, that it would take a lot longer than you can imagine to get through the list of all that is in our homes. It could take some people I know more than a week of thank you's to get through their closet.

Say you are a shoe collector... I collect knitting looms myself... LOL. But say you are a shoe collector, you love shoes!.. how much easier would it be not to envy somebody else's shoes if that morning you had looked at each and every pair of shoes you had and thanked God for each and every pair? It would so change our perspective!!  I know that if I were to take a "grateful inventory" of each and every loom I had I would find that I didn't need a new loom...I have one that will accomplish what I want. As much as I love my looms I forget to notice they are there and that I need to thank God for them!

Proverbs 14:30 tells us "It is healthy to be content, but envy can eat us up!"  We have medicine for that envy, it is called thankfulness. So next time we see a "pair of shoes" that somebody else has, lets stop and make a mental picture in our heads of each pair of shoes we have and thank God individually for every pair. Even if we have to wait until we get home to remember them all. Let's be thankful before we act on that compulsion and see if our envy goes away.