11.6.14

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

My Thoughts

This can be so hard for me to do at time, I don't know why, God always, always takes care of me when I let Hin. I think it comes form so may years of not knowing how to trust God. Whatever cause me not to trust God at time, I wish i understood, because life is always, always better when I do.

Recently Robby and I went through something that had not been put into God's hands for a very long time, the minute it was given to God you could see Him working at ever turn along the way. In a matter of hours we knew all was going to be find and in a matter of days the problem we had been facing was solved. God was mighty once we invited Him into the matter. 

God knows the end from the start, we only see just what is in front of us. We are funny humans that God proves Himself over and over and over, then we go avout still trying to solve things all by ourselves. 

I so want to grow to the point in my life where at the beginning of everything I say, "I don't understand God, but you do, so here it is I am giving this to you and going about my day with no worries because you have this."  God always , always does a better job with my life than I do, I just need to let Him. 

10.28.14

Psalm 100:3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people the Sheep of his pasture. 

My Thoughts

"We are his people the sheep of his pasture!" Don't you just love that line! When I read this I could not help but imagine just how perfect, safe, beautiful, far reaching God's pasture must be. How full of angels to help keep us safe. I couldn't help but think how fast God puts us back on our feet if we fall down. And how He goes out to find us if we are lost searching until He brings us back home. 

Then I thought of the stark contrast the pasture that Satan is over. Full of traps, grass that looks green but makes you sick. I thought of how Satan can't wait for us to fall down so he can stand over us and laugh. And if we get lost he could care less. His only interest in us is to keep us away from God.

We so have to learn to trust God, to quit relying on what our eyes see. Wanting what looks good. I can just see Satan spray painting the dry grass right outside God's pasture where the grass needs to grow. Luring us over to what looks like green pasture, just as God calls and tells us that we have to move over to the other side of His pasture. We are all full and ready for the travel to lush, green pasture planted and cared for just for us. But we want one more bite and we get pulled to the other side, the place that looks easiest, only to be fooled. But you know what? God always comes to find His lost sheep. I can picture Him overjoyed, taking us in his arms and saying, "There you are! I told you you need to be so careful. Listen to me sweet child so I can keep you safe. I love you always. Let's go get you clean, and full, so you can rest safely by me." 

9.18.14

Psalm 23:17-18 Don't envy sinners, but always continue to fear the Lord. You will be rewarded for this; your hope will not be disappointed. 

My Thoughts

When I read this I thought instantly, "We are all sinners!"  Then I reread it and the line' "your hope will not be disappointed."  I thought we don't need to ever hope we have what others have, we need to hope always to be more like Jesus. This is the only hope that doesn't come with some kind of disappointment.  That is powerful! The words "I hope" should always be followed by what God would want in our lives. 

9.13.14

Psalm 57:1 Have mercy in me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.

My Thoughts

Oh that I would learn to do this the moment I sense danger. The moment I sense the attack of Satan in my life in any form. Once I get upset I seem to loose all my ability to think. When all I need to do is open the pages of my Bible and rest in the safety of God! I don't have to know what to pray, or what to think, what to say.  I just have to rest in Him as He covers me with His wings. And when it is safe to come out, God will have prepared my heart, my words and my actions. I must remember, just pick up my Bible and hide in God's word! 

9.8.14

Psalm 51:4a Against you and you alone have I sinned; I have done evil in your sight.

My Thoughts

Oh my! We have all reacted to someone who did something to upset us in a way we knew was unkind. In fact I did this just yesterday in my frustration to a family member. I could look at it as pouting and try and just brush it off.  I could thin that the person that wronged me just a little deserved it. But my sin was not against a person, it was against God. 

The lesson to be learned from these few words is that we should always ask ourselves before reacting, or acting, "Would I act this way toward God?" If the answer is even an eye squint of doubt we should rethink our action. 

Forgive me dear God for I have sinned in this way so very many times in my life! My heart hurts that I would do this to YOU, to anyone that You love. Please forgive me and please help me have a better attitude. In Jesus Name, Amen.

8.25.14

Psalm 40:5 O Lord my God, you have preformed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.

My Thoughts

How wonderful it would be as parents to hear our children list just a few if the things we do . It would thrill our soul to know that they noticed. Here David says that God's wonderful deeds are to many to list.  How often do we dwell on stressful things in our lives, or things we can even control?! So often! Jus thin if we started listing the things God does for us, or the epwonderful things we know God has done for others, people of the Bible or people we know. It would draw God near to us, just like it would draw us near to our own children if they were praising us as parents. It would get our minds off of our troubles. 

Every good and perfect thing comes from God, His word tells us so. So what if we started listing the things others have done for us. It would be praising God and lifting up our feelings about the people around us, all at one time. This simple act could clear our mind of stress while it built our faith in God and in our friends and family. It would even build our faith in Strangers around us. 

Life changing! God's word changes our lives if we only let it. 

8.22.14

Psalm 37:37 Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful  future awaits those who love peace.

My Thoughts

I read this and thought of how wars were started with words. Oh what destruction words can do. The more I thought about this verse, the more I realized that we only truly love peace, only truly understand peace, when we learn to live at peace with the words that go on in our thoughts. How different would our lives be if we ask ourselves when we think something, "Would I say this out loud?" If the answer is "no" then we are not living in peace in our most private thoughts. True growth, or maybe ultimate growth is when we leant to love God's word in our minds. When we are totally honest not only with others but with ourselves. When we love to be at peace with our every thought. Can you imagine how much we can look forward to each new day with our thoughts at total peace? 

If you think about it, the future only exists in our thoughts. Because once tomorrow arrives, it is today, the present. So if we can learn to make our thoughts peaceful thoughts our future will always be wonderful. Complete rest of thought. God tells us not to worry about tomorrow. That tomorrow has enough worries if it's own. So if we can learn to start out our "today's" thinking only on what we can accomplish today, giving our "today" to God, focusing on acting in love just for today.  Taking control of only ourselves in this one day. If we could learn to be peaceful in just today, which is so doable, then we could so look forward to all our tomorrow's!

If we can learn to live in peace, at peace with ourselves, with our days that peace will flow over to our relationship with others.  

8.21.14

Psalm 37:28-19 Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that will last forever. They will not be disgraced in hard times, even in famine they will have more than enough.

My Thoughts

I love this. There was a time I read it and was actually terrified, I am so not innocent! But the more I know God the more I understand how he sees me as innocent when I love him! When I ask for forgiveness and learn and grow and do my best to be better! Now I read these words and think , no matter what comes my way, God will make sure I have food, that my tummy is full. If I live my life loving God the best I can. If I declare that God will take care if me, he will prove Himself by taking care of me.  That comforts me and gives me the determination to do my best! How awesome it is to be loved so much by our all knowing, all powerful God! 

8.20.14

Psalm 37:7 Be still in the presence of The Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

My Thoughts

How often do we get lost in worry about the evil going on around us?  How often do we forget that God is bigger, stronger, in control? Here it tells us that no matter what is going on around us that we just need to get ourselves in the presence of God and wait patiently. We don't need to do anything else... Just draw god close with prayer His word, songs of praise! We only put off what God has planned when we think we have to take action. We just have to give it to God and be patient while we wait in His presence. God has our back. 

As I typed, "God has our back." I got a perfect picture in my head.... Us on our knees with our face to the ground, only our backs exposed. Isn't this the best way for God to protect our all? 

8.12.14

Psalm 32:3-4 When I refuse to confess my sins, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.

My Thoughts

I wonder how often we are hurting and exhausted because we are choosing to walk in sin? This verse made such sense to me when I thought of times when I have been upset at a situation in my life that it consumed me to the point of exhaustion.  I can look back now at the thoughts I was having over the situation, at my actions, and know that I was waking right in the middle of several sins, and I was not asking for forgiveness at all. Literally exhausted in the justification of my feelings. To the point of bringing on sickness in my body. Please don't judge me, we have all done it. Satan loves to set the wheels in motion in a situation that he knows will get our goat. He pushes out buttons. We, WE choose to live in the thoughts Satan puts in our heads. When our choice can be to confess our sins, actions or thoughts and walk in forgiveness towards others.

These verses tell me that the minute I feel all my energy leave my body to examine myself, my actions, my words, my thoughts and see where I am sinning. To confess those sins and move forward    behaving  like a child of God. Even if the people around us choose to act in a way that feels hurtful, we can choose not to heap more pain on ourselves or others by our actions. And we can choose to act in love by praying for the person or persons that we have been hurt by.  

The absence  of energy in the absence of hard work is our red flag to do better. Wow! This is huge. 

6.27.14

Psalm 145:10-12 All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign.

My Thoughts

Oh wow! What this said to me today is that if I am not talking about how great God is, if I am not desiring to praise God then I have moved. God never moves. I am not close enough to God if my desire to talk about Him is not there. If I am not telling of the wonderful things God. is doing in my life, I don't have my eyes on Him, I have my eyes on the world. God needs to be so much a part of my day that if I talk about my day my conversation will include God. 

5.20.14

Psalms 138:3 As soon as I pray you answer me and encourage me by giving me strength. 

My Thoughts

I love this! I love how God renews our strength. I have physically felt strength return to my body. Sometimes I miss out on a day or two or three of that strength by not moving on what God has told me to do when I prayed.  Then the minute I moved toward what God said I could feel myself be renewed by His strength entering my body. 

So often when we pray we expect everything to just be better because we ask. We forget to listen to what God tells us to do. I know I am so guilty of that in my despair. There is nothing Satan likes better than to zap us completely of our energy. He doesn't have to get us to do wrong if we are doing nothing at all. As soon as we feel energy leave our bodies from the stresses of the world that is our red flag that we need to call on God and ask Him what we need to be doing. Sometimes the answer may be a simple, "rest." Other times God may tell us to forgive, or to act in love (which we should always strive to do but sometimes we need reminding). Sometimes it may be as simple as get up and move, clean the kitchen. It may be to pick up the phone and call a friend. It may be to get started on that project you have put off. What ever it is, when We involve God, and move into action based on what He tells us, we will always feel strength return. 

Dear God please give me the wisdom to ask for your guidance and listen for the answer the moment I feel strength leave my body. In Jesus name. 

5.3.14

Psalm 121:1-4 I look up to the mountains-- does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth! 

He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.

My Thoughts

We may ask when we read this, why do I stumble all the time then? Because God gives us free will, and we so often don't put God in the mix, we don't let God in on planning our day, we call Him in after our plans have failed. 

I love that God never sleeps, this means that when we wake up in the middle of the night planning our tomorrow, we can ask Him what we should do.  Imagine how often we could fall right back to sleep if we just asked God what we should be planning for our tomorrow's.  Then imagine how much better our day would go because we consulted God with our planning. 

So often I ask God what I should do in my day, and my day is given to me just as I planned it. But then God is a part of that plan and my day goes so much better because I invited God to be a part of all I did that day. Then some days I am stubborn, I am afraid God will tell me something different so I don't invite Him to help me plan my day, what do I miss out on in those days?  God holding my hand and keeping me from stumbling. The wonderful thing about God is that he is there 24/7 and He in all His love will still help me through the mess I made by not including Him. He is there when I call out, I just have to get much better at calling out while I make plans, so I don't have to call out while I clean up from my mess. 

5.29.14

Psalm 119:98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies; for they are my constant guide.

My Thoughts

We all long to be wise, to make smart choices. We all want to be smarter than the people that come against us. Right her God's word tells us how. If we learn what God teaches us in His word we will make wise choices. Don't you just love that!?!

On of the things I noticed most after I started reading my Bible and knowing what it says, is that my life is so much simpler! My choices are so much clearer. And even if someone does not like my choices, they tend to not be able to get us let at me for making a choice that goes align with God's word. I can make decision so much faster, because knowing God's word elimates so many of the things I use to think were a choice. After I make a choice in line with God's word I can go about my day without worry. 

Each new day in God's word brings more wisdom the growing never stops... That amazes me every day. What a blessing that God tells us how to make better choices! That He honors and protects us when we rely on His word. 

5.23.14

Psalm 119:29 Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instruction.

My Thoughts

Wow! This says so much in so few words! I have always heard the worse lies we tell are the ones we tell ourselves. David knew that lying to himself would only cause him harm. He also knew that knowing God's word, God's truth would help him not lie to himself. Knowing God's word also helps us to not believe the lies that the world tells us or that Satan tells us. 

The world tells us we need, need, need, God's word tells us that we only need God. The world can tell us we suffer many mental illnesses, God's word tells us that we are given a sound mind. Satan tells us we don't matter, God's word tells us that if God cares about the Lillie's of the field that .god cares even more for us. The world tells us that no one understands us, God's word tells us that He knitted us together in our mothers womb, which means God knows every part of our bodies and our minds. The list goes on and on.  When we believe what the world says about us and what Satan says about us, we are lying to ourselves. David knew he needed to know the truth, that the truth would set him free of so many things and set him on the right track. It also sets us free when we believe what God says about us. remember  God is the author of truth. When we believe the good God says about us, our lives begin to change in amazing ways! 

5.13.14

Psalm 109:27a Let them curse me if they like, but you will bless me!

My Thoughts
How often do we choose to please man because it will make our life easier? We choose to please man in so many ways, some of them are just by a preparing to agree when we don't, when we shouldn't. Some times it's by not walking away from a situation or conversation when we should.sometimes it's in huge ways. How many blessing from God do we miss to be people pleases? There is not one blessing that man can give is that is greater than a blessing from God. Deuteronomy 11:26 tells us that we choose blessings or curses.  We make the choice. Today as you are faced with choices choose God and watch for His blessings in your life! 

5.2.14

Psalm 102:26-28 They will perish, but you (God) will remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment and discard them. But you are always the same; you will love forever. The children of your people will live in security. Their children's children will thrive in your presence.

My Thoughts

I felt a bit alone in the world when my mamma died, I often think of how that I don't want my children to feel alone, I don't want to leave them alone one day. God gave me such strength during that time, I can't imagine not having God and getting through the loss of a parent. The best thing I can leave my children, that will impact my grandchildren as well, is to love God. To express how much  God loves me, and them. To teach each them by example about what God can so in our lives. So that they can learn to see God working in their lives, learn to know Him, learn that He is ever present.

We work so hard at giving our children what the world says they need, what the doctor says they need, what other parents say they need, what the magazines say they need. We work at making sure that they have what their friends have because they "need" to fit in. We get exhausted from meting all those needs then we stay home on Sundays. We miss out on the opportunity to teach them about .god who is the one who can meet all their needs. The One that can be there for them in the places where we can, when we are no longer here.  Only God can be the constant generation after generation. 

4.22.14

Psalm 89:17 You are their glorious strength. It pleases you to make us strong.

My Thoughts

This verse made me smile. This verse is evident in my life, so evident! Satan keep me down for most of my life this far by telling me how weak I was. How I couldn't handle things. He didn't even have to spend much time in me once he whispered in my ear those words, "You cant! You are not strong enough! Life is hard and you can't handle it!"  

But then you know what happened? god put a One Year Bible in my hand...and amazing things began to happen in my life! God delights in making me strong! Now when Satan tells me that I can't... god has taught me that  Satan is just worried, I am about to learn something, God is about to do something in my life that is amazing! Something that increases God in me...and the bigger God gets in my life...the more powerful I become! Because God's amazing power is working through me.

Sometimes it may take me a few days, I may fall into those habits of believing Satan's lies...but then God's truth stares me in the face and it tells me that I can! I grab hold tight and get so excited with anticipation of something wonderful ahead! 

If God can do that for me... He can do it for anybody! 

4.11.14

Psalm 80:3 Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then shall we be saved.

My Thoughts

I immediately thought of Mark 9:12 where the father is asking Jesus to heal his son and Jesus ask, "Do you believe?" The father says yes then adds, "please help my I belief!" That man wants nothing in the way of his child being healed and he knows that Jesus can help him even with unbelief. I love that verse and this one!  Both of these verses tell me that I can go to God with anything, I can ask God to help me with believing in Him, to draw me closer, to strengthen my faith, to help me with any inforgiveness I have in my heart. I can say'  "God help me understand!" I can tell God that I want to believe but am having a hard time and I need His grace. God answers our prayers that say I don't know how, that say believing is hard, that say loving is hard, that say I am far from you pull me back. All God needs to know is that we want Him in our lives. The word, "God help me!" Tell Him that...then He can help us with every thing else. Don't you just love it! 

I love the line in the song "Oh How He Loves Me"  where it says, "If His grace is an ocean, we are all sinking." His Grace is so much bigger than anything we face and God will help us with anything. We just have to ask! 

4.1.14

Psalm 73:2-3 & 19 But as for me I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. 19. In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors.

My Thoughts

Terror is defined as "extreme fear."  In verse 19 an "s" is added to terror...meaning many extreme fears. Have you ever done something you knew was wrong? Spent money you didn't have, said something you shouldn't have said? Then had a fear in your gut about that at night when you laid down to sleep?  We probably all have. Some people live in such sin, and Satan rewards them with so many things that their lives look good from the outside looking in. Asaph the author of this Psalm admits to almost getting drawn in to all that "stuff." But look here, despite having all that stuff, these people are swept away by terrors. You see one of the things that Satan can not give us is peace. He may be able to tell us how to have stuff, but his ways of having do not include peace. In fact Satan's way of having stuff will lead to terrors. Bernie Madoff his way of "having it all" was taking from people with lies. How many nights did he lay in bed unable to go to sleep because of the terrors in his head? I bet as horrible as it was to be found out he was relieved to finally be able to sleep when it was all over. 

My mom and I use to love to drive around and look at really nice homes and dream. All it would do is make us feel like we were missing out. One day as we talked about this feeling we would ultimately feel she wisely said,  "we should never wish for what others have without knowing their story. Without knowing if we would want to do all it takes to have what they have. We don't even know if these people are able to sleep at night, are they drowning in debt?" We talked for hours about that... And never went "dreaming" again. We were like Asaph we got so caught up in wanting. I am sure that some of these fine houses were blessings for hard work, honest living, loving, giving lives... But I know too some of these houses where gotten by dishonesty... By using what Satan says is okay. Some of these people were living in terror.... We didn't need to be wishing for what they had. 

God is the giver of love, peace, joy, blessings. The things that come from God do not give us terror. Satan likes to deceive us, to whisper in our ears we deserve this, or we deserve that....he tells us things like, "It's okay to lie, you will get the house you deserve." God instead tells us how, to have what we need, how much is enough while we are able to love in His peace. God' sword gives us instructions on what is good and honest and right. When we keep our eyes on God we will always have enough, and peace to go with it. My mom and I learned how to look at our homes and see all the blessings that came with just what we had. I am so grateful that God gave me the gift of seeing my blessings or laying me down at night in peace.