566

Bear Fruit for VBS, 16JUN

In Mark 11 (see below about the fig tree and the temple),  Jesus humanly is frustrated at the withering of the people who are capable yet do not bear fruit… and He speaks and acts out. “And His disciples heard Him say it.”

This scripture set is about many things including Jesus very upset that the people forgot to honor the temple, it’s anger at the people who charged extra money for the doves, which were intended as sacrifices that the poorest of people gave (according to author Michael Card)…

Jesus curses the tree, even if it is out of season, that bears no fruit,  the people won’t either until they realize that they should…. the people with “empty works, empty words – that lights the fuse of Jesus’ smoldering frustration”

I pray people who do get it then try to give it,  try to help faith grow… VBS time is an opportunity to use resources to teach, provide, and give comfort to parents and direction to children… Our jobs are to give the doves away, let the children’s spirits shine,  set them up to blossom and fruit… that’s my prayer for VBS, the fruit we already bear is also to be used for His purposes!

VBS brings children’s energy into the church… that’s the spark to our faith – we get to see the fruit already being placed EARLY on these children of God – a church without children will wither..

We can be those children too,  we can bear the fruit that was drying – we can rehydrate – we can find the seeds that are in the fruits we were gifted – then we can plant those seeds… (and lo and behold God will hang more fruit)…

At VBS we send the seeds HOME too – seeds sprouting and seeds planted and preserved for future sprouting… in the children, and in all whom they meet…

Thank you all for your prayers and plantings, THIS IS YOUR/OUR MINISTRY – thanks to the children’s garden of VBS – it’s never too early to bear fruit,  it’s never too late to bear fruit,  it’s God’s timing of course….

God is NEVER out of season…

AMEN

---

12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ ”

18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

565

Open the Gift, 10JUN

I just now saw a beautiful photo of a beautiful daughter and Mom, both women strong and bold… I know some of their story;   I know it’s the Lord who made them strong!

It got me thinking about why God picks certain times for us to become strong not just for ourselves, but for Him…

It is seemingly as if the time we spend growing is so that we gather the strength and fortitude to stand up to the world – and I know so many in this world may not know it is strength grown from Him… So, when we realize His gift of time to heal, to grow, to shine, then how much MORE grateful we can be (I am) that He found us weak, then He grew us strong.

He Himself chooses us to be His messengers, sometimes subtle or over the top, humble yet direct, soft yet certain, and always thankful!

And He places us in the company of folks that He needs His message sent to… our brokenness not crippling but purposeful… His healing right on time…

He chooses to make us stronger by healing us, if we accept AND take time for His ways.

He gives healing and strength as a gift. When we receive gifts we could and should say thank you, because since it’s a gift we have nothing to do with its gifting – and yet it is up to us to actually open the present up!

Open the present, His present, as in a gift package, and open the present, His present, as in time…

Open the gift and gift it back to Him!

HIS LOVE, HIS PLAN…

HIS present

HIS presence

HIS PURPOSE becomes our purpose…

Open the gift of strength, of time, of healing – and then gift it back to Him!

AMEN

564

Jesus Crossing Guard, 01Jun

The crossing guard at school this morning had such a stern look as she gazed down the road. She took a long view to see what was coming and what was going. Was she potentially looking for kids or watching the traffic? It was the most focused look you could imagine, not mean but very discerning… I’ve watched the same crossing guard for 6 years now and when the kids come she checks everything, she’s very thorough, and while her stop sign is up and the kids are crossing in front of her, her face changes and she smiles and greets them and is so happy to see them. She is a crossing guard who does just that – guards – protects – focuses on the task at hand – but she does not forget the joy of the children that she is tasked to take care of. Greeting and guarding go hand in hand.  She needs those kids to pay attention to her just as much as the cars need to pay attention to her. The kids need to cross safely, not hop across the intersection until permission, or jaywalk right into traffic.

That’s Jesus right there!! He is tasked with a mission. He wants us safe. He is our crossing guard – daily and eternally watching, discerning… It is through His cross that we cross to eternal life… It is His guard. He watches and protects. And it is thru His engagement with us that He can share Joy and peace loving smiles…

And Jesus has that long view of a crossing guard… He knows our past, He knows our future, and He’s ever vigilant to watch out for the big and the little things that can trip us up.

And Jesus does not forget to SMILE. Jesus wants to see life, see the joy of His children when they realize they are protected, when they realize they are being taken care of, and when they are crossing and walking WITH HIM.

The handheld stop sign which a crossing guard lifts does not prevent errant cars from speeding, it does not prevent people from completely being out of touch, it does not prevent all the evils in the world… Nor does it stop children who are not paying attention from cutting corners in the road – and in life… We are still children – we are still walking thru a broken world, a distracted and disheveled world, it is a messy world for sure…

Here’s hoping the stop sign for Jesus will catch our attention and we can look at our own actions and learn how to behave in all situations using His LOVE for guidance… Here’s hoping we know to move forward within His gaze.  Let’s hope we make it thru – and not lose our joy.

Remember Jesus has a long view – He sees our sin all the way back to original sin before we were even born – He sees it all, yet He does not judge it – and He forgives it all…. Since we do not even know all the sins we have committed, He forgives us… Since we know sins we still commit, even while we know Him, He forgives… And since we have no idea those sins we will make the future, He forgives.

Jesus has a long view in knowing that we need Him, He keeps that stop sign up and keeps watching, urging us to stay in this narrow path towards Our Father… No one crosses to the Father except thru Jesus – stray off the road and you might get delayed and lost without seeing the guard standing there ready to help.

Jesus will make sure those cars don’t block the box either when we cross, He wants to provide an open walkway – and then, while we are face to face with Him we can see His focusing Love and see His JOYful smiles to see us gazing directly at Him…  Jesus gives us the JOY of the Lord that we can hold on to now – and eternally…

Thank You for the cross Lord Jesus – the cross, the crossing and the crossing over  – thank you for our guiding path now. Greeting and Guarding – we will keep walking toward and with You.

Amen

 

563

Let He Who Boasts, Boast in the Lord, 31May

Sometimes I wonder if I write too much,  but then I read my favorite verbose Paul…. he and I would understand each other… I’m thankful to know it’s a trickle effect of faith from one to another…. God “confirming testimony”…

I’ve been thru trials, but I’m BLESSED. I’m always thinking: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” when I recount my many blessings… People might see me as a Pollyanna, or even ignorant, but I know whose HOPE I hold on to…

1 Corinthians 1 New International Version (NIV)

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God… 4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you.7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord…..

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

562

God Watches, 26May

My friend said I could share this true story that shows God is watching out for us even if we are not doing the right things…

After a band gig, a friend’s husband was putting his equipment in his truck. He always locks his truck in between runs because his equipment is expensive. So on one run he comes out and his door is wide open and someone is inside passed out in the driver’s seat, so the cops came and took the man home. Turns out the passed out man mistook the truck for his and after he couldn’t start it he passed out   But my friend’s husband insists he had locked his truck, he said he remembers doing it – so how did he get in? Everyone says someone’s life was saved that night because if that man had gotten into his own truck and driven he certainly would have crashed….

God watches she says, she wonders how the truck got opened, but surely she doesn’t wonder why… 😉

God watches…

God saves…

God is cool…

WOW GOD!

Amen

561

Spirit Heal Thyself, 24MAY

I try not to childishly whine, still do, I try not to complain, but that lack of venting out my soul is not good…. I realize as humans we have an internal bubbling volcano of emotions… as a vocal person, venting volcanoes keeps them from exploding….

Without whining, internal and external vocalizing also makes me realize how much others have similar and worse problems,  perspective is priceless… yup, I’m good Lord… I’m going to be fine… I rather should be complaining then acting about injustices in the world – I should be in the world, not of it, but  still walking thru it to work…. (Micah 6:8)

We need to be God’s hands and feet and mouthpiece of PEACE.

So that I can get back to my peace work, I will vent here,  then for the sake of your ears I will delete it all…. yes for privacy too, and yes also because you don’t have time to read all my vents… ready?

Sweet Jesus, here it goes…..

…….

……..

… whew …

Whew, I feel much better. Whether you know what my vents are or not, I feel much better spilling them out from clogging up my soul (but I’m glad I didn’t burden you with reading them!)…

You know what? All of our vents, desires, complaints, praises, and explosive moments, spoken and not, are heard and felt by the SPIRIT… God knows even our wordless groans… (Romans 8) (and they are loud and clear!)

Some folks barely sleep, but when I sleep I am out cold… like that collapse in the couch exhaustion sleep for forever… I praise sound sleep, I’m so grateful… isn’t that amazing that the body and the spirit need rest at the same time and couch coma sets in?… Why mentally are we required to sleep? Jesus wants us to find peace… even in small chunks… Without sleep and without peace we cannot live!

At 2:30 AM, waking me up a few years back, it was as if the SPIRIT said: “now just you and me have time to work things out”… Apparently I needed to question, ponder, praise and feel like I was being heard (by myself?) – but at 2:30 a.m.? …. But yea at 2:30 a.m. and at 4:00 a.m. and at 6:00 a.m. and at high noon and midnight, and every second in between, the SPIRIT IS heard…. God knows all…. who knows everything and is listening? God says “I AM” !!!

God says “I AM”

Jesus says “I AM” your friend, you must remember me!

The Spirit connection says “I AM” ready for healing… physically mentally emotionally spiritually blessedly healing is found in PEACE.

The SPIRIT is ready to move you and work you for God’s PEACE.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11.

Rest your vents, random moments and dreams in the healing SPIRIT of PEACE.

Rest in His PEACE and keep walking…

God loves your PEACE – because He loves you…

Amen

——

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6

560

Be STILL the Child Jesus wants you to be, 19MAY

The Little Children and Jesus

13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10

It’s raining – not super cold but dreary – I’m waiting for the warm up to my day, my life,  my future… I’ll get there, just take a moment to think about it first…  it’s a rainy day for a reason, even if I don’t see it… it’s a rainy day for thinking in… the future is filled with God’s plans, take the rainy day moments as a GIFT. Not a hindrance but an opportunity… be an opportunist for God’s work in you,  His child.

Jesus needs to feel the LOVE of the little children, as much as they need Him, we do too… As He needs them… He needs us too… hugging Him back…

Start to think about the message of a rainy day to regroup – as Jesus’s GIFT to us is too – recapture our inner child – not in childish ways but childlike wonder! Childlike innocence! Childlike JOY! Childlike LOVE!

If our doubts prevent ourselves from running like children into Jesus’s arms,  Jesus will rebuke those doubts for us. Remember we CAN run the race, let the Lord handle the rest… let no one steal your Joy!

So childlike “Receiving of the Kingdom of God” – what does that mean?

So many things…

Receiving the kingdom of God is receiving a heart that LOVES…

Receiving the kingdom of God is receiving a SPIRIT that connects to others…

Receiving the kingdom of God is receiving the opportunities that await us…

Receiving the kingdom of God is receiving it NOW, acting NOW like we are in the Kingdom of God – because we are!!! Maybe that garden is weighed down by the worldly things, but children deal with it and keep being children anyway – in awe of the kingdom…

Being a child is having seemingly endless energy… but needing the most rest…

We don’t always know how to deal with the world – a child just takes the world as it comes – deals with the moment – even sometimes tired, cranky (think grocery store moment of a toddler who needs a nap), and needy – a child who gets rest can then get back up to recieve the world in JOY once again… recharged… a child says “No” emphatically when someone tries to take away their JOY…

We have JOY in the Lord; don’t let anyone take away your JOY!

We need to rest our worldly troubles in the Lord, we need to regroup, retool, rebuke evil… We need to relax, rest up in His Love… wake up in His LOVE.

Children run into arms for joy and excitement, children run into arms for protection and reassurance. Are we those children too?

We need to RUN into Jesus’s arms to absorb His LOVE for us to know it’s there… We need to RUN into Jesus’s arms to absorb His LOVE for Him to know we love Him…. We need to RUN into Jesus’s arms to reshare His Love for His people…

Kingdom LOVE comes from within and it’s always present… children share LOVE without hindrance…

The everlasting kingdom might be here now – OR – the kingdom might feel like a long ways away…. But remember, the kingdom ALREADY has a King! The kingdom already has the LOVE!

Let Love reign over, rain on, rein in His children… We are children of the King!

Be still His child…

Be His child still…

Be still and know LOVE…

Amen

559

Transplant, 13MAY

I’m amazed at how God connects us – His timing – His flock – His connections…

We believers should and do cling to each other to strengthen our resolve to put on the armor of God and get back out into the world to do His work… God pairs us up to double time, encourage, stand by, witness in His work… collective prayers are synergistic…

I know it’s a messy world, but we can witness God working the system… I don’t know how better to explain God living in each of us than the fact that He works us to work His system… we have to know that God is not external but intrinsically woven thru our dust particles.

I got such emotional healing as I read thru some beautiful comments in get well cards that I asked the folks at a recent gathering to sign for a local child, who just got a life-saving liver transplant… I saw an opportunity to speak to the 200 plus congregation and I took it – and I asked them to pray for this child and her family and her donor’s family… I didn’t mean to get emotional, but oh I cried instantly when I told them that she has her whole life ahead of her – because she does – and yes we do too – our whole life ahead with God leading – that opportunity to live makes my spirit sing!

Often I feel placed in an open praise loop in life, and at this moment God helped me slip into and thru this 15 second time slot opportunity…. my tears and emotion with my words welled up and instantly there was a smiling soul, right in front of me who enthusiastically said “I had two liver transplants and a kidney transplant!!” –  Oh, how does God do that?! Both giving me the “coincidence” moment, and the support, and thankfully the fitting conclusion to my plea of prayers which got me to finish this 15 second opportunity… it was a loop of praise that I completed –  a HOPE loop – healing on the go… I smiled internally and externally and that pulled my tears back in enough so that I could keep moving…

Oh, that recovery moment for me and that connection placed by God made me smile and realizing that God did that – He did that – I witnessed that connection – I still do… That moment make me weep even more to feel and see and hear an overflowing presence of SPIRIT in front of me (with me in it!)… God works to refill our cups… my spirit-fill to balance the overflow then re-absorb my tears and rehydrated my soul.

I am blessed to be but a transplant of His Spirit where He puts me – YES, God places each of us where He needs, therefore I surely pray to be off to my next spirit-led place… spread tears here and smiles there and Spirit connections everywhere… How wonderful to witness the spirit moving so that we ALL get to cleanse and recharge our many sections of this ONE body of us all together…

God works His system and we are but transplants thru it… He moves us thru the whole body – one body – one SPIRIT – so very many moving parts…

Transplant – we are gifted opportunities to see where we fit – we are gifted opportunities to re-gift how our lives are spirit-charged and recharged… by witness and presence…

How can I help, Lord? – sometimes it’s to take action, sometimes it’s simply to have the pause in deep healing tears to rehydrate the system…

Sometimes to “just” remind us all that we are HIS spirit-moved transplants – the SPIRIT moves us to move…

Happily I got the cards signed, and in doing so, I also got my SPIRIT lifted – I got my hope renewed – I got to step back to see the body of Christ function while also being in the system…

I have faith that this is so normal for God, and so unbelievable to me….

We are called to work the system because God works us in the system!

We are His hands, feet, voices, eyes, transplants…

Where are we going today, Lord?

558

It should NOT surprise me how GOD WORKS…

I misheard a song lyric today at marvelous retreat wrap up service, and it’s now the most powerful praise burst that I must write about,  so strong I had to write the lyric on my hand… bugged me all afternoon to write… I will write then rest (like dough)… let the rest lead to a good rise…

ONE LOAF, 12MAY

One Loaf – no, that’s not the lyric, but that’s what I heard!, because I think the Lord loves reminding us all being a part of “ONE LOAF”.

“One bread, one body,

one Lord of all”…

Instead I heard: “One bread, one body,

ONE LOAF of all”…

ONE LOAF – we are all in this together… we collectively are together, vine together, dust to dust together, and as ONE LOAF (like of bread, NOT meatloaf, LOL) we grow and rise and transform together…. connected in a gooey way that grows, then matures into the whole body of Christ…

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it”. 1Corinthians 12:27

No division – all together – supportive and sacred connections… all tears of JOY and angst equally mix into everyone else’s…. all lost and all found are together… all bowed knees and rocket ship like reaches are together… all made in ONE SPIRIT…

ONE LOAF

Are you still feeling on the edge of your connectedness? Like crumbled cracker meal, not stuck in a nook and cranny? You are NOT; you are within the ONE LOAF…

Are you burnt toast? Branches burnt, crumpled and fire toasted scrapes? You are NOT; you are just losing what hinders you, you are within the ONE LOAF…

Are you undone sticky dough under God’s fingernails? You are NOT forgotten; you are maturing and you are within the ONE LOAF…

Are you tucked and buttered inside the warmth of a nook and cranny? Take a moment to feel the heartiness of God, yes thank You Lord! Then, perhaps in a new way, you need to seek out those who need you as Christ’s messenger the MOST, stretching the loaf in new ways of LOVE, you can and will stick to some connections that God makes and pray that they can also find their own way, to realize they too are within the ONE LOAF…

“God has so composed the body,……. that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

ONE LOAF – together – with – for – in – thru – Christ – ONE LOAF broken so that Christ could work us back in to Whole…

Grain TOGETHER – The LOAF is ingrained into the WORD – and the WORD is ingrained into you… “gathered together for all”…

One bread, one body, One LOAF, LOVE, LORD of all

Love never ends. LOAF never ends

ONE LOAF – ONE LOVE

AMEN

——-

1Corinthians 12:12-27  For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

—-

Lyrics:

One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.

And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.

Verse 1. Gentile or Jew, servant or free, woman or man, no more.

Verse 2. Many the gifts, many the works, one in the Lord of all.

Verse 3. Grain for the fields, scattered and grown, gathered to one, for all.

557

I’m Tired Lord, 11MAY

I’m tired Lord. You woke me up 20 minutes before my alarm.

I’m tired Lord,  SNOOZE…. 5 more minutes…

I’m tired Lord,  it’s Friday… TGIF, SNOOZE… 5 more minutes…

I’m tired Lord, yet those birds sound happy, spring has sprung, SNOOZE… 5 more minutes…

I’m tired Lord, these covers are so nice, the house is warm, the sun shines in brightly, SNOOZE… 5 more minutes…

I’m tired Lord, my daughter’s alarm is now going off, she’s such a hard worker, she needs 5 more minutes to SNOOZE… 5 more minutes…

I’m tired Lord, my son’s alarm clock is actually me, he’s tired too, he did so great at his band concert… In addition to his trumpet playing, I’m even more proud and happy watching his social banter with the kids next to him, his smiles and laughter, he needs and gets 5 times 5 more minutes to SNOOZE… 5 more minutes…

I’m tired Lord, the kids are tired, they were up late laughing,  playing with the cat,  filling the house with life and how awesome hearing such intellectual chat, they are so grown up and yet still so wondrously wild!!!… they need 5 more minutes to SNOOZE… 5 more minutes…

I’m tired Lord – the cat’s meow – the crab’s crawl – the house stirs – I’m in awe Lord even if I’m not moving…. I’m listening Lord and I hear life…. that’s You Lord knocking on my head, You rustling Your leaves, You hustling me into the day…

I’m up Lord!!! I’ll take a couple of 5 minutes to write praises – I’m still comfy and warm, tired but happy… I’m still in awe Lord, always in AWE…

Sometimes, like last night, I withdraw, realize I am too quiet and too tired to be my normal social self, the circle of the day slows so that I can see the circle of life…. even tired I was still being Mom, I don’t know any other job that compares in benefits… I’ve worked hard as a mom to give my kids the best, but You gave them their SPIRIT, I take no credit there…

Well, there’s one way that I’m even more in awe – The only additional job to being a Mom, is being a child – more than a child of my parents is especially being a child of God – working for You Lord as Your child…. there is no better 5 MORE minutes or 10,000 MORE years in awe to know I am Yours….

I am awake now Lord,  thanks…. time to begin the day… tired but TGIF…. 5 MORE minutes to praise…

The kids say I’m late now, figures… “Come on Mom! Let’s go!”…  THANKS for making me a Mom,  thanks for the hustling me, Lord…

5 minutes – is that too many to use to write? 5 minutes – is that too many to rest in the PEACE of Our Lord? 5 minutes – is that too many to praise? I don’t think so…

5 MORE minutes…

5 MORE minutes…

THANK GOD! I HAVE 5 MORE MINUTES!

THANKS Lord for 5 more minutes and the all the REST!

AWAKE, ALIVE, A CHILD

Now I’m ready to GO!

Thanks God…

Thanks

556

Encounter to Encourage, 26APR/06MAY

555

It is God – it is not me, 03MAY

A big take home message from scripture over and over again is that God wants the credit… why? God wants others look to Him too –  and only to Him rather than worldly wins and woes!

A wiki page for Gideon recounts that: “God informed Gideon that the men he had gathered were too many – with so many men, there would be reason for the Israelites to claim the victory as their own instead of acknowledging that God had saved them.”

OH….. that is what speaks to me – when I payoff  a bill, when I make a deadline,  when I can take a moment to rest and SMILE … God found the way for me to get to that point – to get thru life… I have to still put in the effort,  and I have to pay attention… and I have to give credit where credit is due… yes it is still good to fear the Almighty Lord – as a Father – a loving Father –

God wants us to acknowledge that God is the one who saves us both here on Earth and eternally – and that is 100% the truth… we enter our lives with limited power of our own – and sometimes we are distracted and confused too – but GOD IS STILL WITH US…  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9