Alive!

Today is a great day to be alive.  Yes it is very cold.  Yes it is very windy.  But we do not have 22 " of snow.  I am so thankful to be living in God's world and that I have the opportunity to serve Him in my job.  It is a blessing to work in a church with people who love God and desire to spread His word to a hurting world.  It is also a joy to work with people who love to laugh and who care about others.  So 'thank You, Lord, for the simple pleasures You place into my life every day."

"Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory!"

One of my verses this morning was 1 Peter 1:8. "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:" (emphasis mine).

That's how I want to live; believing and rejoicing with unspeakable joy and full of God's glory. I want people to see the difference being God's child makes in my life. Yes, I have troubles, sorrows, and trials. Yes, there are days when I would love to be able to stay in bed. That's the human state.

I want to live by grace, not by works. I can't do anything to make myself be the kind of person I want to be. God's Spirit living in and through me makes me that person. When I allow Him to fill me up I then overflow with His love, mercy, and grace which spill out onto people with whom I come into contact.

When I allow God's Spirit to flow in and through me, I am filled with "joy unspeakable and full of glory". What a wonderful way to live!

Game of Life

I spent yesterday afternoon playing with my 5 yr old granddaughter, Jena. We play her games with her rules. They often change as the game progresses. She hates to lose. She doesn't see the big picture. She only sees and feels what is happening to her right then so losing is a big deal. As her Memaw, I don't mind losing to her, but I also want her to learn to lose gracefully because, she is going to lose. That's part of life.

How often do we as God's children do the same thing? We want to play our life according to our rules but then we don't like it when we lose, which we inevitably will. Then we want God to bail us out. We don't want to suffer the consequences.

Or we try to follow the "rules" man has ordained as God's directions. But we cannot do this. We are born with a sinful nature and will slip from time to time no matter how good our intentions. Then we feel guilty and think God is angry with us. So maybe we quit trying.

How much easier and more productive it would be if we allow our Creator to direct our steps; if we allow Him to order our days according to His purpose and His will. We don't have to follow "rules". We need to develop a deeply intimate relationship with God. He is the One Who makes us more like Jesus. His Spirit convicts, corrects, guides, and molds us to be the person God created us to be.

In this game we call life, God has already won the victory. Jesus did that on the cross of Calvary. Sure, we'll suffer losses in this world. But if we keep our eyes on the prize, those losses will be "light and momentary" as Paul said. (2 Cor. 4:17). In the end, we who belong to Him win. I pray that Jena will realize that her greatest victory will be in knowing Jesus and in allowing God to guide her steps in this game we call Life.

Thoughts

I have not written on here for a long time. Actually, I haven't really written anything for a long time. I've been struggling with whether I'm supposed to write and, if so, what I'm to write. I've decided several times that the writings I did were for that season of my life. But somehow, the thought that I should write sticks to me. So I've decided to just write what comes to mind and see what happens.

On Dec. 7 I had my right hip replaced. I was walking with a cane and in great pain. Some days I was tempted to ask for a wheel chair. The x-rays showed my hip joint was bone on bone. No wonder I hurt. Then the surgery! They got me up that day and the pain in my hip was gone. I couldn't believe it. The only pain I've experienced from the surgery was my incision and it has quickly healed. I can walk without pain. I can sleep at night without pain. What a blessing this is. I am so grateful for God's provision of good doctors and of healing in answer to my prayers. God is so good. All the time!

My goal for 2011 is to deepen my relationship with God. I know that I too often take Him for granted. And I make Him too small. He is God! Almighty, powerful, loving, all-knowing, merciful, forgiving, holy, awesome God! He is my Best Friend, Husband, Master, Teacher, Guide, Comforter, and Constant Companion. I want to know Him more and become the person He created me to be. That is my prayer.

"Father, You alone are God. Teach me to live in the moment You have given to me. Sweeten my spirit and open my eyes to opportunities to serve You by serving others. I am so thankful for Your abiding presence in my life. I love You! In the precious Name of Jesus, Amen."

"Purpose"

For the past few years, I have searched high and low for my "purpose". I have prayed, sought, and begged for God to reveal His purpose for my life. I have gone places, read books, and sought people's advice. And I have grown and learned from all of this. However, I still didn't know what my "purpose" was. I thought I had found it a couple of years ago and it was a good purpose. However, it was not my purpose and that door soon slammed shut. That was it! I gave up. I decided to live each day, each hour, each minute. And a strange thing begin to happen. God began to reveal things to me I didn't know I was looking for.

First He revealed the words, "Live, Laugh, and Love" to me. That has become my motto. I try to live each day to the fullest. I make sure I laugh often. God has surrounded me with friends who share my love for laughter. I also seek to share God's love with family, friends, and strangers.

Then He revealed to me that my job enables me to be an encourager to others. I may be the only Jesus they see or talk to that day.

He also has allowed me to enjoy my personal ministry of sending cards to those whom He places on my heart. This is as much if not more of a blessing to me than it is to those who receive my cards.

A few years ago, I memorized Psalm 37: 3-4. "Trust in the LORD and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely. Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart's desires." I memorized it but I don't think I really grasped it's meaning. Then this morning it was one of my quiet time verses and amazingly, God revealed a wonderful truth to me. I may not always know my heart's desires, but He does. He placed them there and He will give them to me in His time and in His way. That's such a comforting thought. I don't have to struggle. My responsibility is to stay in His word and in His presence. As His child, His Spirit dwells within me. I can quench the Spirit or I can allow Him to be a living fountain of life-giving water that spills out of me into my part of God's creation.

That, after all my seeking, is God's purpose for me. To trust in the LORD and do what is good; to dwell in the land and live securely. And to take delight in Him.
God may have a special purpose for me as He did for Deborah, Esther, and Ruth. Maybe not as grand or glorious, but a purpose. However, I now realize that living each day, each hour, each minute in His presence as He leads is purpose enough. And if He does have a special purpose for me it is through these days, hours, and minutes that it will be revealed. This is such a freeing and life-changing revelation for me. What a wonderful God we serve!

Prayer: A Last Resort?

I've been thinking about prayer lately. God's Word says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6 (NIV). In my quiet time Saturday morning, I heard, "Turn to Me first in all things." Earlier that week I had read a prayer request to "please pray for this one item because I can handle everything else". I also hear people say, "All we can do is pray." I don't believe that is how we are to look at prayer. Prayer should be the first resort, not the last. It is the first, second, last, and best thing we can do. And we are to pray about everything. And then we are to trust that God will answer that prayer when and how He sees best. And since He sees and knows everything, His best is certainly what is best for me. So today, present your requests to God. Trust Him to do what is best and right for you. So simple. So profound.

Make it Real!

Lately I've been asking God to "make it real". My faith has not wavered, I just grow weary of the world. The fussing and fighting about things that are so temporary. And the loss of respect for life of all kinds in this world. I need to know that God is in control. That He is real. Today I in my quiet time I pleaded, "Let me hear Your voice!" This is what He whispered in my spirit. "I am in you. Think about that. I am God and I choose to dwell in you. Does that not amaze you? You are my child. Think about how much you love your children. I love you so much more than that. You can let go of them but not your love for them. I NEVER let go of you. I hold you in the palm of My hand. Does it get any more real than that?"
My response was, "Wow!" I decided today to live the life He has given to me. I will not worry or fret about my "purpose" or why I am here. I am here to live, laugh, and love. I am here so that God can dwell in me and through me make a difference in my part of this world. That's all I have to do. I have been making it so difficult when it's really so easy. Live. Laugh. Love. That is what is real.