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Include Me Lord, 25FEB

It’s one of those times when I can’t sleep until I get thoughts out…

I barely get to read news, but my Facebook overloads with news and posts about the recent church controversies…

My favorite peoples and pastors are totally split onto one side or the other. These peoples are the most passionate peoples I know for Christ and I’m sorry to witness such angst on both sides. What I do see is the bridge of Jesus to both sides… I pray that it’s the bridge of Jesus that helps keep them teaching, sharing and loving… we are to help everyone working towards completing togetherness with the Lord. One body…

I pray to learn where I stand. Actually I pray to kneel, not stand, and be quiet about this so that I can hear what God is saying – I have no doubt that I hear Jesus talking to those folks on both sides – and I realize that I have been placed to see both sides and points of view and realize that it is my place is to also be a peacemaker as a bridge for the Spirit flowing through both sides.  This is also true for all issues that threaten to divide our concerted efforts to work for the Lord. As for the Lord, He would rather you be hot or cold but never lukewarm…

I think I hear Jesus saying:  “stop standing to argue and keep moving to follow”.

The place where each of us stands is not defined by our views of how to love God’s people as much as it is by Jesus’s love of us despite and because of our views… actually I don’t even get a chance to stand or kneel because where we all are is treading water, below Jesus’s hand, dipped in the water, outside the safe boat, and swimming like a fish – hoping to make our way by focusing on His way – focusing our eyes on Him. We are all sinking and rising people.  We are all bridged to the Lord by Jesus’s work… Watch for Him… Work for Him no matter what…

Include us Lord in Your healing…

A rainbow is the symbol of God’s promise that He would not flood the world again… therefore, as I know that God is keeping His promise, we are not experiencing rising waters, as we have already been in the water, and being forever being fished by our Savior Fisherman…. if we were in the water, we would not even notice rising waters because we would already not be able to touch ground… Reach for Jesus and help Him find others… Jesus is the Light that shines… if we look forward, towards the light, we can hold on… if we sink, we can rise…  God’s plans for us are already ordained, just keep walking… share your maps with others… help navigate…

Lord, I pray for healing for my friends, my cousins in Christ, but mostly I pray for continued reaching.  I pray for rising.  I pray for walking.  I pray for sharing… I pray for obeying the Truth that I pray to continue…. “You were running a good race, who cut into you to make you stop obeying the truth?”

We are on a Great Commission Lord.

Yours…

The truth is You – the action is the Great Commission – the argument is none.

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Why is it Taking So Long, Lord? 25FEB

Time is a funny thing – we say that all the time… Today is Christmas in February – the 25th – doesn’t feel like Christmas was only 2 months ago or as much as 2 months ago… to me it feels like a lifetime ago…. but then I noticed the Christmas blankets still on the couch, the Christmas gifts that I’m still moving around.. the wreath still on my door… the most beautiful Xmas card that I will keep on my microwave all year…

Time is as crazy to figure out as much as it was before we had synchronized time devices… Time in our heads does not match our lifestyles – we’re lucky if we can figure out if we are coming or going or even what happened yesterday…

Was time on the minds of the apostles with sundials as wristwatches? Was time on Jesus’s mind?  In our modern definition of time we could say that time was NOT on Jesus’s human side. We know He only had some 3 years to teach on earth, that’s less than a college education takes today.  We know He wept coming into Jerusalem as the people shouted Hosanna! Things in the prophesies probably told Him more would have been finished by then… He wept for the lost sheep – He wept asking mercy and forgiveness for God’s lost sheep… He thought more would have been finished by then…  He still does weep for us today. Does that mean He stops to weep? I doubt that. I think that He weeps “on the go”… He also wipe His tears and continues to spread Love, every step of the way, every tear of the WAY.

Jesus finished the best part of our story – securing our eternal life – so why does the news travel seemingly slow, especially with our fast time schedules?

Why do we waste time arguing when we should be out teaching, loving, working and showing the peace that knowledge of Christ can and does indeed give us… why are we seeing times of strife? In comparison, our modern strife may seem so peaceful compared to olden times but it’s all relative…

Is Jesus still weeping? Yes. but is His weeping stopping Him? No.  Jesus is on His way to catch up with all of us, God’s children… Surely if we remember that Jesus said to the disciples: “I MUST leave so that the Holy Spirit can come!”, then we know that He is even more active in the world the Word travels faster by Spirit than by foot…

Jesus knew this going into Jerusalem – the events for Him were set like clockwork –  Even though we don’t know the end time for when Jesus will return again (not even Jesus knows) we know it’s on the agenda… we have time now, entering Lent to take account of our time to prepare our hearts… walking now by earthly steps toward our Easter…

God revealed to Jesus the steps He was to take to the cross – it was FILLED with teaching and works….  So, has God revealed a path for us? Yes. We have a walk to take. Jesus’s path was so busy that there’s not enough books or time to record it all according to John… our paths should also be filled with doing His work…

If you look at God’s timing for your life – would you thank the Lord for your next minutes and memories before they even happened? Would you thank Him for the future just as much as looking back at the good ole days?

Perhaps in God’s timing we are to remember to not stop – to plow forward – to work hard to overcome the strife… If one was on one’s deathbed, would one take time to mend old wounds and strife? Possibly? Probably… what about one’s future, would it be better to prevent new wounds by practicing peace? Possibly? Probably? Definitely!

JESUS said always be prepared for the day that this earthly world will end – Jesus said always be working in the world to share the good news – ALWAYS… that means practicing peace today.

Jesus, in my opinion, is probably urging the Lord – ‘one more day Lord,  please more days to let the Spirit work, one more chance for spreading the Good news to Your children’… if I were Jesus,  that’s what I would humanly say to the Lord… I would ask to stretch time…

And yet I would also long to see the end of time where all nations end, all knees bow, and see wholeness for the Lord.

We know the end of the story, and, like Jesus urges, we need to go out there and find all the pieces of the peace…

Now as God sent Jesus to share love, Jesus sends us…

Jesus would likely tell us: You know the plan, now get out there and make it come true…

Lent, Jerusalem, Heaven awaits – TIME IS SHORT – keep busy on your journey with Jesus. Wipe the tears and Love every step of the way.

Amen

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Text from Paul to the Philippians: 2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

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Be Still Everything, 24FEB

Be Still and KNOW THAT I AM GOD

BE STILL

Be still everything

Be still

Be still praying

Be still playing

Be still alive

Be still feeding the cat

Be still sitting on the couch

Be still planning the day

Be still pursuing peace

Be still singing

Be still living life

Be still jumping into the ocean

Be still you

Be less of you and more of Jesus

Be humble

Be kind

Be welcoming

Be beautiful

Be SMILES

Be holy

Be blessed

Be loving

Be still within God’s plan

Be Jesus and Love

Be filled with the Spirit

Be relieved

Be still everything

Be LOVE

Be

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Part 1, what I thought God would say to me… 17FEB 23FEB

Thank you for letting me share

This is long…

You don’t have to read it…. I had to dump old processing….

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What I thought God would say to me is a better description of these thoughts rather than saying that God spoke these things to me…  especially since I heard what He eventually said to me after I stopped talking….

Do I now discard these thoughts? I brainstormed them on paper after my physical mental brainstorm, so do I crumple that paper? No…. Do I take the time to cry over these things? Do I cry in relief? because Jesus says ‘let these things go!’ – “Lazarus, it’s time to go” – biblical and from a favorite song of mine… pull it together and move forward… no one who looks back is fit to serve..  keep looking forward,  time is pulling your life forward – focus…

Do I acknowledge my humaness? Do I need Jesus? More than ever…

More than ever… to accept one’s Savior is to accept one’s humaness… to realize His love… then work together to serve the Lord…

Of all things I wish people could feel, see, understand, hear about Jesus is that He urges: ‘I understand, I’m not judging you, but I see all these things running thru your brain, I want to take them and make your burden LIGHT.  I got this!’…

Maybe walking on water with Jesus is first best done by walking thru one’s own tears.  Jesus’s human tears are from people not knowing Him and not knowing that the Kingdom of God has already been calling for them.  Walking thru my tears is because He pulled me thru myself into His net – He had to fish thru my head because He had always had my heart.  He found the right tools  the right bait, He studied me and studied me… if that doesn’t make one cry, I don’t know what will… Jesus saved me because He’s been tasked with saving every lost sheep… I was, I am sheep number 100 – I was lost in myself – Jesus knew where to look – He still does…

Here’s “Part 1” – a dump of my brain from default thoughts – has it been an overwhelming 4 years of being saved?… Wow. WOW doesn’t even begin to explain God, the continued healing of me saying “WOW LORD! REALLY LORD?” phenomenon that’s been exploding in my head for years now… flooded into my head in an hour and a half car drive at the end of a long journey then I dropped my brain on paper and went to bed… I now pour myself a cup of tea and grab box of tissues… and write:

What I thought God would say to me:

BE STILL – the Brownian motion of all your molecules are supposed to be reserved for the Holy Spirit to act upon and motivate,  rally, and move you. “Be still” means not to move yourself when I need to move you. Be still and know that I am God.  This means to know that I have the better plan.  My timing, My plan, My children… Are you in My plan? YES! Be Still and know that I am God, Psalm 46…

1Peter 2:9

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

I am the one who called you out of yourself. Be humble, be discerning, be free of your burdens but be MINE. You are already MINE. I have a gold mine better than gold, I have you, all of you, My children. YOU WORK FOR ME – Jesus reminded you that the Holy Spirit will help you, you have a job to do to share my Word, My Love, My Hope. I will heal you… I will heal the world…

I am the one who gave you discernment – use it.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”

1Corinthians 6:19

Yes, as you have been discerning, with help from discussion friends who are My children too, your weight loss was all from My focus. More importantly, your whole awakening was from Me. Be a Temple for Me and as you awakened to learn, I want you to fill your head with My Word. Your thoughts, your health, your life – feed your Temple in all these ways, because it’s Mine.

Yes, as you discerned, your ability to sing is because of Me. You know that you had no voice (and have recorded proof) until you heard My voice and I made your spirit pour into a musical feeding frenzy… I have a plan, you see only a small sliver, you saw a glimpse of serious miracle Holy movement that seriously shifted your mind and life and body into My service. Why did your head explode? Because I am faster than the speed of sound.  God time, God movement is bound to make an explosion or two – but the one in your head was and is so that you stop listening to yourself and start listening to Me!

SMILE !

Your awakening was earth shattering to you because it was NOT from the earth but from Me. You have a spiritual gift for encouragement – use it – tell people that if your joy is seeming incongruous with the situation that you are thinking bigger picture – I have already finished your story – you will have eternal life – and yes, yes, I hear you pestering me to be an angel who gets to spread joy from Heaven – don’t worry, I’ll keep you happy busy in Heaven, so just keep happy busy here on Earth for my time… that’s Heaven on earth, you know,  feeling My love.

If people think you are boasting, try to remember to give me the credit that I am due. Even if they don’t believe you, you know that i heal the brokenhearted – this is what I did for you…  and the whining, I hear that from you too… be aware of how you share.

Yes, you awakened because of Me.

You didn’t believe in Jesus, now you can’t get enough of Him.

You started writing because of Me.

You are an encourager because of Me.

You began singing because of Me.

You are a child of God with an amazing family, life, career, because of me and because of all the prayers and hard work of those who came before you.  Remember that you are a fulfillment of their prayers for you.

You have beautiful children because of Me.  (The teenager’s phenomenon I will explain when you get to heaven. Just hold on tight and keep the faith that this phase will pass. You got awakened just in time, right? That was all Me. My thinking was that you would need My guidance for you.  I was right. And you know how right I am, they are amazing kids turning into amazing adults.  I know because I made them).

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Those glimpses when you thought I was using you? You were right, you followed your gut – you were not the miracle maker,  I am… the drifting trucks and the Subaru and the amazing grace song… the old man about to get hit by a car… your Subaru horn was the tool, but Me catching your eye and Me giving you the drive to make a difference was all for My purpose to use My children to help My children.  You didn’t even think, you just acted. That’s my timing.   Those times I saved you miraculously from yourself? Also for My purposes. How about that big FedEx truck you would have smashed into, huh? That soccer mom’s car you almost hit? That kid you didn’t see in the dark? All those saves were from me… keep focused and make it easier on me. OK?

Show your faith not your flaws.

Mercy.

Mercy for all those things that you could have done…

Mercy for your slowness and your rushing…

Mercy for your ignorance and your self-fulfilling life…

Mercy for making the right, wrong and no decisions…

Mercy for:

Everything that My guidance walked you thru that… you knew that… you know that… move forward…

25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27 “Yes, it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.”

I am so grateful for mercy in my life.  Jesus giving mercy… Jesus for being both the advocate to argue my case and the one to walk me thru my own tears… I thank you Lord for being able to be still and watch how You moved me thru many things, many helpers,  many reminders of mercy… even if the world is not our home, Your helpers helped me walk thru this earth,  they still do… things fell into place in a way that helped me share the grace You shared with me…

Mostly I saw that when even I was the bottleneck to your will, Your decision was forced upon me and You took over the timing, I saw that windows that opened for me were lit by Your light guiding my next steps – windows require a lift to be lifted thru – open the window of my future and let the spirit sweep me forward…

The washing away of worry…

Lord, I know that earthly things are not heavenly, but I thank you for the peace of mind of gifted stability on earth. I do have children to raise, college students soon Lord… time to pray is also for visualizing the good things…. reflection of future thankfulness before you even get there…

Oh Lord, the devil – how do we defeat the devil? We don’t, You do. Our job is importantly to NOT let him get a foothold into the cracks of our lives.

If I think of the Devil as the toilet paper stuck to Jesus’s foot when He walks into my heart,  then l thank You Lord for pulling me thru the trials that washed that Devil away – I will need this forever  I know it is only by Jesus holding my hand as He pulls me out of the water when I sank when I lost focus – I will sink again, as I am human… I will continue to look for and see the light when I remind that devil (by reminding myself) that Jesus defeated him and that we are not going to let darkness invade… “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5

Forever we are not cheated from eternal life… remember the devil is real, conniving, and slips into the cracks when we give him the opportunity… but because the devil is nothing compared to Your power Lord, we can see Your triumph… we still have to walk thru the mud… dilute the devil by pouring in more and more living water…

“13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

When have I seen the devil? When I let a crack in my humanness wide open with no armor of God… did God make some temptations easy to see were bearable? Oh yeah – just one example here – the guy in the other car hitting on me while we were driving 70mph on the highway, 5 times approaching me, motioning,  like who does that? The devil’s influence into the world.  Was it my thoughts just prior? Yes likely I also let the devil in and he took an opportunity…. And yet what he tried was so silly,  dangerous,  obvious… Who makes it obvious that that is the devil trying a foolish thing? I mean on a highway??? Anywhere? God does.  God reduces the devil, remember that…

To wrap up this writing – My most important observation of God is DON’T PIGEON HOLE HIM!

DON’T doubt His supremacy nor His amazing ways.

DON’T let anyone change your mind about God. God is the only One allowed to change it. Let God change your mind and you will see your future, one lighted step at a time. Don’t rush but if you fall off the path, let Jesus take hold and pull you back on. Hold on to His hand!

DON’T let anyone or anything make you feel that God doesn’t have control.

Don’t doubt that God has already made the plan for the future. Don’t doubt that God reveals His plans all the time.

Don’t forget that if God can make the world, then He can surely make your day.

Don’t worry, just pray.

Listen Live Learn Love

Let go… Let God…

There is more to this processing – because processing is a process – how could it not be.

Process that God has made the plan and you will be able to process the warmth of His love…

Don’t worry about processing God as much as letting Him process you… and let Him help you find your savior to get you Home.

God will see you thru

I believe in You

God l, I Love You

Amen

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Fulfillment as God’s Chosen Children, 21-22FEB

The bible messages bring ourselves into the stories of how we are to live life today…

The story of Deborah in the bible is so much about knowing that we have a role in God’s plan – and then just actually fulfilling it.  That’s a message for us – Fulfillment in His Perfect Love. Everything in the bible pertains to some aspect of what we need to learn about how we can live and also how we can serve God.

Deborah, a judge and Godly woman, prophet of Israel, had discernment. Discernment is probably the trait that I pray for the most. She shared that discernment with Barak – she shared the TRUTH that was revealed to her – that God had already won the battles big and small – that He had gone ahead of Barak – plus a reminder to us to neither take credit nor shy away from participating in His plan.

“Go!….. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” Judges 4:14

Our desire for fulfillment could and should be pulled from discernment of the Lord’s plan – then executing it. The task is not to wonder if we made a difference as much as to know that God already finished the big plan… We still have to finish our parts (Remember, God is holding the big picture in His sight – holding the lid to the box for this puzzle of life – and holding the box too)…

Deborah, the prophet, discerned that God called individual people for certain tasks – that He equipped the called and stripped down the chance that others could take the credit. The battles big and small that were hurdles to man, as well as perceived achievements, they were all to be pursued for God.

We too are called. Don’t worry, just do your best to fulfill what God is calling you for. Study God’s plan for your life then just do it.

I have been blessed to sing in a praise band, I have to practice – we need to all practice and equip ourselves to use His gifts of skills – our skills are going to be called into use for His Purposes.

I appreciate that the name Deborah means Bee in Hebrew – a song video found me – Keith Green (lyrics below) speaking that God is the God of the small and the great…  and singing about how God tells us that everything has already been done for you…

Deborah, the prophet, encourages you thru the Word – fulfill the plan that God has already made.

This Debbie, the bee, encourages you (and herself) too – my busy bee thoughts are for us to use our God-given gifts to live in and share His love and to reach whoever is in need of knowing Him…

His Love has already won…

Amen

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“When I hear the Praises Start” 1977

https://youtu.be/fIgVU_5FsqA

“My son, My son, why are you striving
You can’t add one thing to what’s been done for you
I did it all while I was dying
Rest in your faith, my peace will come to you

For when I hear the praises start
I want to rain upon you
Blessings that will fill your heart
I see no stain upon you
Because you are my child and you know me
To Me you’re only holy
Nothing that you’ve done remains
Only what you do for Me

My child, My child, why are you weeping
You will not have to wait forever
That day and that hour is in My keeping
The day I’ll bring you into Heaven

For when I hear the praises start
My child, I want to rain upon you
Blessing that will fill your heart
I see no stain upon you
Because you are My child and you know me
To me you’re only holy
Nothing that you’ve done remains
Only what you do in Me

My precious bride, the day is nearing
When I’ll take you in My arms and hold you
I know there are so many things that you’ve been hearing
But you just hold on to what I have told you

For when I hear the praises start
My bride, I want to rain upon you
Blessings that will fill your heart
I see no stain upon you
Because you are My child, and you know Me
To me you’re only holy
Nothing that you’ve done will remain
Only what you do for me”

Songwriters: Keith Gordon Green / Melody Green

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A Fishy Tale – part 1, 20FEB

I can’t believe that I NEVER heard this fish story before – maybe I have been living under a rock but wow – never heard it!… Simon Peter is asked if his teacher (meaning Jesus) pays a certain tax – so Peter says yes (whether he thought about it or not) – Jesus later said (privately) to Peter: ‘we don’t really have to pay as we are children not strangers – but let’s pay it anyway so that we don’t offend them – and just go down to the shore and the first fish you pull in will have the coin in his mouth – enough for paying for me and for you’…

SAY WHAT?  WOW !!!  Matthew 17:24 – never heard it – that’s so fishy… and a thousand questions: why does the fish have to have the coin – why make it that elaborate and not just find a coin under a rock nearby? hmmm…

This story is only in Matthew and I am so very appreciative of these Michael Card books – (I even bought extra sets of them on ebay for $5 each so that I could lend them out – what a great way to methodically step thru the 4 gospels…  cool…)

Matthew 17:

24 When they arrived at Capernaum, the tax men came to Peter and asked, “Does your teacher pay taxes?”

25 Peter said, “Of course.”

But as soon as they were in the house, Jesus confronted him. “Simon, what do you think? When a king levies taxes, who pays—his children or his subjects?”

26-27 He answered, “His subjects.”

Jesus said, “Then the children get off free, right? But so we don’t upset them needlessly, go down to the lake, cast a hook, and pull in the first fish that bites. Open its mouth and you’ll find a coin. Take it and give it to the tax men. It will be enough for both of us.”

I’m will take some of my own time wrecking my brain about this fish story – but I read ahead to some of the interpretations – I shouldn’t even be writing at this late hour – i am tired – but I write anyway and I appreciate the many interpretations that I read – turns out that there are so many non-agreeing messages for this set of scriptures – I don’t even want to give you some of those fabulous answers – they all sound plausible… but even the different translations seem to have a different take – Michael Card is no exception – I like his explanation but I am not going to share that yet either…

What I will say is that all I read never questioned that Jesus could do this – no one doubted …  Jesus is sovereign… the rest is up for interpretation- especially the facts left out of the story!!!

I’m going to let this one root around in my head and hope it does in yours too – and then when I am rested I will revisit and share the many explanations of the story – and new insight that I have already starting in my head…

It is always good to give your brain a chance to think – to catch your brain on this hook of scripture – to fish for your own answers – maybe Jesus sent Peter to the fish to give some time for Peter to think…

What do you think this story gives for some meaning in your life? 

Part 2 of a Fishy Take – a Fishy Tale –  coining soon – coming soon…

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Biblical Judge Deborah, 20FEB

A friend sent me this nice description of Deborah in the bible and a podcast study on Deborah – from the book of Judges. Now, I was not named after Saint Deborah – I was named after movie star Debbie Reynolds – LOL – yeah I really was… my brother’s name is Eddie, named after our grandfather and so when I was born it was cute – Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds – yeah – I am the mother to Princess Leia Carrie Fisher too – “May the force be with you”!

An excerpt from the bible study:

“as someone who faithfully and humbly served God in a time when the days were evil. There is much we as women can learn about how to navigate our days from this “mother in Israel.” …her humility and courage and devotion to her God and His purposes, to the people of God, and how rather than grasping for power and control herself, she instead honed all of her self (her gifts, her intellect, her will) to serve the leaders that God had called to lead Israel in that time period. She continues to be a mother to us even today through the pages of Scripture and call us to humbly do the same in our generation!”

And this is a short summary from what I heard: Deborah was bold and she spoke to Barak a message to inspire him: ‘this is the day the Lord has given – it is already done – the Lord has already gone out before you’… that is a message for us today as well: to fight sin and evil in the world we have the best, we have God! God has given us  His presence – and His victory is already won – we can proclaim the GOOD NEWS with boldness because God has already won…  and that we have to ask the question: “Do we submit to God now and work for Him?”

Deborah also has a song celebrating God’s work in His people….  He was the one who did all the work – give all the credit to God.

“So may all your enemies perish, Lord!   But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.”

No enemy can stand against God – but we don’t wait passively – we work actively like Deborah – with humility – be submitted and be committed to faithfully speaking His Word…

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What is God saying to me?, 17-18FEB

A new friend suggested that I pray and write down what God is trying to tell me.

I’m so very appreciative of the new friends that God drops into my life as we all walk in our faith…

I’m so appreciative also of the old friends who are so amazing and fill my heart with JOY.

I’m so appreciative of the Lord…

After reading his advice, the first part flooded my brain during the hour and a half car ride home (a gift of processing that kept me awake in changing weather conditions after a long day with reduced sleep)… as soon as I got home I jotted down brainstorm on actual paper… and then let myself collapse in sleep… part 1 was backlog of what I thought the Lord wanted to say…

The second part was written from deliberate prayer after solid sleep… of what the Lord (hopefully) wanted me to write…. one big take home message that I can give you when speaking with the Lord is to take the time for listening too – and it’s good to get yourself into a position and state to actually hear – for me that is getting time for solid sleep – so that I can wake to think – that’s my daily gift of peace for processing…. rest – Listen – hear – think – Love…

I’m going to write out part 1 later from those notes, but that’s later – it’s meaty stuff for sure – but here’s Part 2 – that’s MORE important to share with You!

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What is God saying to me?, Part 2 – while praying:

My Child – I LOVE YOU. I KNOW YOU LOVE ME. I LOVE YOU.

Don’t sweat the small stuff…

Don’t rush.

Rest.

Don’t act, worry, rush, write, conclude, when you haven’t taken enough time to pray on things… you need rest.. You will do all these things when you haven’t prayed either – and I do love you regardless.

If you wait and watch, I often will show you that I’ve got better plans…

Count your blessings.

I am bigger than all your issues and bigger than the worse things of everyone’s lives

I am bigger than all the world and YES, I hold the world in not JUST My hands but in My Heart.

Be BOLD.

Be brave.

Be at peace.

I’ve never been distant from you – you already knew that – tell your friends who feel distant from me that I’m right here – not over there but here within them. Tell the world that I am so close that all they have to do is close the circuit and pray. Life without prayer is an open circuit in each of you – bring your hands together- bring your heart and head together and pray and feel connected with the flow of energy thru you – this prayer is for both you and for you being the rechargeable battery in My world – go share your energy – recharge – keep sharing – keep praying – keep using MY energy for MY people.

Yes, this is about Me, Your Lord, because I am ALL – and therefore I am ALL about you too…

It’s good for people to see Me in and thru you, it’s more important that they know the source – keep giving Me credit…

You weren’t always a Jesus junkie, like now you are.  You don’t have to be shy about that, but just don’t freak My people out – they are on their own timelines just like you are… keep walking with them as they are walking with you… keep being the cog in the turning of the world – it’s My world and I love each and every one of you. I ache for the world, but I don’t stop loving the world…

You held your hands on cold 911 steel in Feb 2015, praying for 3000 people to have found me that day, they did.  You prayed to be like Peter and touch 3000 lives – keep praying – you set that goal because of My love – you will achieve that goal not alone – because you don’t speak of my love from you – you speak it from me – and Love is giving and shown and life-changing when shared in concert with others because WE together are a NET of LOVE, not a hook of LOVE but a NET…. BUT don’t take any of your time counting to 3000, because I am the one doing the counting, I am good at that.  You just keep loving… You have seeds of faith to plant, you know where to get more. Keep loving. Keep listening. Keep going…

You want to share this amazing feeling of Love that comes from me – I am LOVE!

You are, you can, you will…    Just be

Yes, it is because of Me that you want to share LOVE because I am the Love you want to share – Yes, that is the point – Yes, I AM the LOVE.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t clog the conduits of LOVE ACTION PRAYER with distractions.

Don’t hide the grief from the world but don’t clog the conduits of JOY. JOY, LOVE, HOPE – they need to win over it all – don’t stop fighting for LOVE to WIN.

You read the end of the book, remember that I wrote it and I have it handled – for sure your prayers will make a difference… your devotion to the Word adds words, adds love, adds more… so much love that I am scribbling down the sides…. Keep writing LOVE…

Jesus already has His orders for the end of the world, but He is NOT simply sitting on a cloud just waiting!!! No! And neither should you!!!  You are to be like Jesus and stay out in the world working the net, sewing the net, handing ropes to the next person in this NET and TOGETHER WE WILL WORK THE NET that We are…

See, JESUS IS SEATED ON MY RIGHT HAND, but is MY Right Hand keeping silently still???? NO!! My Hand is moving, can you even imagine how active We are? Jesus threads the NET thru each person’s heart with the gifted security of a Savior. I move thru Spirit to move you. You now have a glimpse of how I work, I have always had it all in My sight.

JESUS is working with the Holy Spirit flowing through the world – the same is true for you – you need to be working too… You are held in my heart, and you gave been committed by Me to be flowing through the world like My blood flows thru My heart – directed thru My Arteries and Veins out into the world and back – you are touching My world because I want you there…

I AM in you and you are in Me.

I AM

I AM LOVE

YOU SHOULD BE LOVE TOO

YOU SHOULD BE YOU

I MADE YOU

I LOVE YOU

TELL THE WORLD THAT I AM LOVE

I will tell them too.

PEACE is for them, PEACE is for you

Peace thru LOVE

Go be you

Go be Love, My Love

Go Be You

Go BEE You

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God is This Way, 16FEB

I don’t doubt that the Lord has a Way… I don’t doubt that some of us need a God vortex to keep us from losing our way.

This Way… His Way…

Of all the scriptures I have learned, it’s that if I am too self-conscious about my “image” then I have missed the point of Jesus teachings… missed the point of Jesus being the bull in the China shop… missed the “first must be last” notion and command of less self… missed the point that I am NOT supposed to be worrying about MY image…

We are to REFLECT HIS IMAGE…

Jesus was perfect, I am not.

Jesus was exacerbated by the disciples slow to understand who He was, what the plan was and is, and what to do after He died and rose and left…

Jesus was exacerbated and sad for His lost sheep and apparently, I am not exacerbated enough by this…

Jesus wept while riding into Jerusalem… why am I not weeping enough? Perhaps I am to take His tears as grease in the cogs turning… even Jesus kept walking…

When I look into the mirror, I am not supposed to look for myself at all…
I am to mirror Jesus.

The best mirror is NOT aimed at yourself, but at Jesus to see all sides of His Image…

The best thing to do is serve the Lord…

The best image for ourselves is a reimage of Him…

The best way is His way…

The worst way is saying “no way, that’s not me”… we have to get out of the way…

The ONLY way, in all our flawed ways, is finding a way thru the very narrow gate…

We can only point others to the Way, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life…

We can just hope that everyone comes this Way…

His Way…

That’s a prayer for focus – every day…

Point to His Way…

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What’s in your Basket? 12FEB

Perfect provisions or an abundance of bread? How about faith? How’s your basket of faith? Can you share some?

Jesus broke just a few loaves of bread and kept feeding thousands of curious people – at least two big crowd events were mentioned in Matthew 14 and Matthew 15 – Jesus fed them bread, fed them sustenance for their faith… Jesus taught in parables which surely fed the deep conversations on the long walk home. Even the leftover crumbs of bread were placed into use. Both tangible and faith crumbs were mentioned by the Canaanite woman begging mercy to save her daughter, stating that even accepting the crumbs of mercy (like puppies get crumbs of bread) would be a nourishment. Yes, Faith feeds…

There was a miracle feeding of thousands from a little bit of bread and the apostles were all called to work hard to feed the crowd – the provisions started small, but growth was provided by merciful Jesus, who knew the crowd would need the nourishment for their journeys. Jesus actually always wins praise for the Father, never for Himself – God provides all. Jesus as the Word tells us of God’s Love.

I am intrigued by the insight of author Michael Card (Biblical Imagination series) who points out that the leftovers were placed into 2 different sized baskets after each mass-feeding event – he points out that the baskets were described with different words in Hebrew/Greek. The first feeding gave lunch pail sized baskets as leftovers, he speculates that those carry just enough for the disciples to eat after feeding the thousands – perfect provisions and not too little or too much.

Then in the second feeding the leftovers were big man-sized baskets – so much bigger, the leftovers much more abundant.

Jesus provides reminders of God’s power and yet we forget… the disciples participated and even they forgot just as quickly!!!… In Matthew 16:9, Jesus chastises the disciples (after they said they didn’t know what to do since they had no bread) for not remembering the previous two miracle mass-feedings. Disciples sometimes even forgot the miracles they performed by themselves in God’s name… Clearly the disciples were human. We are human. We need reminders. When we share we see the connection to His abundance we are to remember that we too are blessed. God provides this knowledge in perfect provisions.

Jesus wants you to realize God’s work, to have perfect provisions and to have abundance – and especially wants you to realize you need to share it.

But did you bring any bread?

Do you even have a basket?

Do you have something to share? Will it multiply when you share it?

Do you hold on so stingy to what you already have that it rots rather than multiplies?

Do you have holes in your basket?

Do you think God needs your help to help others first? YES! Will there be enough for you? YES!  I am sure Jesus would say “have you no faith?” “Don’t you realize?”

When Jesus shows frustration with the disciples, He is urging them to realize His teachings… Likewise, is Jesus urging us to wake up too? To realize that we have been provided for – in bread? In faith? In teachings? In peace? In salvation? In All in All?  Then – when we realize that, do we realize that we are supposed to share it?!

What’s in Your Basket? (Remember God actually provides the good baskets too!)

Don’t worry about your provisions – just bring the basket anyway… Remember that a basket is a tool for bringing everything you have to the table of sharing, and realize that you are also to be planning ahead for gathering an abundance of overflowing leftovers that won’t go to waste – you will be responsible for picking that up and sharing it somewhere else.

When you realize God is feeding you faith, you won’t go hungry.

Can you use your skills to share what was gifted to you?

You can.

Are you fed from feeding?

You are.

Have you ever visited a homebound person, a nursing home, and felt even more blessed yourself from the visit? Fed the hungry and be filled with faith and warmth? Have you ever smiled and gotten smiles back?

The spirit flowing through you will feed you too…

Keep sharing your faith and your faith will abundantly grow in you. It will not go to waste. The spirit that begun a good work in you will complete it… keep weaving strength into your basket…

Jesus says just keep feeding and keep believing… share the Good News…

What’s in your basket?

Amen

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God-Confidence, 09FEB

I know it is a cool feeling when God is letting us know when He is using us.  We often doubt that is occurring, but not from a position of low self-confidence but from our position of low God-confidence… We need to develop more God-Confidence.

It’s nice to see Him in action, it’s COOL to feel the WARM Spirit gearing us up, using us in His service… So, why do we doubt that He is using us? He wants to use our flaws and fears and fabulousnesses… God is using us – we are “cogs in something turning” like Joni Mitchell sings… It is up to us to notice it and thrive on it – “we are stardust, we are golden, and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the Garden…”

Yes, we need confidence in God. How can we not? He has confidence in us!

An old high school photo of mine popped up, really from forever ago… if I could go back 35 years to tell my 15-year-old self something, it would be to urge myself to be more self-accepting, to have more self-confidence… I wonder if I would have been a different girl then, if I were more confident. Confidence is not something we act – we have to actually be confident.

Fast forward to recent history…  in hindsight, I can see when God had taken over where I failed to appreciate my blessings to be used for His purposes. Now as my nearly 50-year-old self, I do have more God-confidence of how He will use me.

In foresight, I should NOT be surprised or afraid for how God will use me today… actually I smile at the opportunity. I have gained confidence in God – actually I have gained confidence in understanding that God wants the best for His children by gathering them back to Him.

I question: In the future, will I have the hindsight to be appreciative of where I am now? Will I realize where God used me for His plan? Probably, so why wouldn’t I now strive to be used by God more? I want more God awareness.

I am sure that we are to drop self-awareness and make our lives about God awareness…

Our thirst for knowledge, of how we fit into life, is a default thirst – a result of Eve being tempted to bite that fruit. She was tempted to gain wisdom, to learn the difference between good and evil… Of course it seems that we want that too – but MORE IMPORTANTLY, we have to WANT TO SPIT that knowledge out of our systems and simply trust that God will take care of us…

Let us drop our thirst for self-knowledge and drink in the thirst of how God’s plan and how we fit… We only need to rely upon Him.

Let us spit out the forbidden fruit and instead drink in pure living water…

Pray that God is the apple in our eye… Long for Him… Smile…

God gave you a smile in His Image… Be Confident in God.

Amen

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Crumbs of Faith, 08FEB

Even the crumbs of faith… some of my insight from Michael Card’s Biblical Imagination series in Matthew…

Precious story – Jesus and a Gentle woman, a Canaanite, even the disciples wanted to get away from her – from her loudness and persistence… the crowds were overwhelming everywhere and He had to get to the places He knew He had such short time to get to… Jesus is stern to the woman here, He was human in His attitude and Godly in His teaching – and it’s amazing how one short encounter can teach us so much… I have learned so much from this one passage…  This woman longed for mercy – Jesus NEVER refuses the call for Him to provide mercy.

Matthew’s Gospel are writings to the first Christian communities – they are so new in their faith…

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15)

Mercy

Jesus NEVER refuses the call of Mercy…

Matthew describes the ever-present crush of people seeking Jesus, He is trying to get away – it’s like the rock star or sports star crushed by the crowds and yet a small puppy of a persistent person catches their eye with a small gesture or huge sign… all in the crowd wants anything and everything, but this one person just wants a smile, a wave, an acknowledgment… oh just the crumb of connection…

This Canaanite woman would not be brushed off by the disciples, she is smart and very engaging in her direct conversation with Jesus. We need to be that way too. She has faith that the Lord, her Lord, could save her daughter.  We need that faith too.

Even if she knows she is on the outside, this woman is going to try anyway… persistent… begs for mercy – giving it all she has… that is us too saying “I have to try”… saying “I have to talk to Jesus”… she believes in His mercy… we can too… Jesus takes pity… Jesus says ‘all you need is faith’… Jesus says ‘it is your faith that heals you’…

Crumbs are what the puppies will take… they have to try…. we do too… crumbs at the bottom of the bag, they still taste sweet… can you savor your life, your situation, your faith too? Can you enjoy just a crumb and be satisfied? Is a crumb enough compared to nothing?

Crumbs… the last few crumbs of your hope… a last-ditch effort… try and try – and know your faith will bring you to Jesus’s mercy…

We have to try…

We have to believe…

If we don’t believe in Jesus, we won’t look for Jesus…

If anyone can help us, Jesus can.

Jesus does.

Jesus NEVER refuses a sincere cry for Mercy. Seek Him. Follow Him. Be like Him.

Everyone, no matter what, can ask for mercy.

I know I do…

How about you?

Jesus loves you.

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Empowerment into the Family Business, 04Feb

We are all working for God whether we know it or not…

A dear 98 year old from our church passed away this morning, she was a tremendous organizer, mover and shaker – Betty was a servant and child of God. She was so tremendous that you could easily say she was a saint on earth.

Actually, she was “empowered” to work for God. Earth-empowered and Heaven-sent. She worked in the Family Business. (God makes an offer we can’t refuse!)

Many of us try to do the right thing, many of us sometimes fail – that’s because we are human beings and distracted by the world of us, rather than the world of God.

Many of those times that we chose to do right and then we long for a sign that we did right by God…. we want encouragement and we want feedback… It doesn’t always work that way – and as God is supreme, it is IF and WHEN God lets us glimpse into the plan – when that happens, oh how intensely our hearts are warmed… How amazing to work for the Lord!!!  We always work for Him, if we wake up we are still on this earth for Him. If we mess up, we are still on this earth for Him. We can NOT mess us His ultimate plans.

And isn’t that the TRUTH – we actually DO know the plan – even if we don’t know the minutia – we actually know and can read the end of the book – GOD WINS!

Maybe we simply need to feel empowered. But we are. Maybe we want to feel it and realize it, but we already ARE empowered….

You are a child of God – therefore He IS our Father!

If you take care of a pet or any animal, you already are empowered to do that… if you take care of your children,  you are already empowered to do that… If you smile at joy and spread joy, you are empowered to do that too… If you feel willing and have the finances to help a charity or anyone with a gift of money, you know that is the right thing to do, but what you don’t always know is how much of a blessing it is to them – that’s OK – we don’t always have to know… God knows…

If you take time to pray for people on the other side of the world, you are empowered to use your power of prayer. If you take time to pray for yourself, you are asking the Lord to use you better for one more day. Your prayers are heard. Pray, just Pray!

All the way back to Genesis, scripture lays out empowerment – not entitlement – empowerment that we are to be caretakers… God provides all we need, now we can work for Him KNOWINGLY…

Micah 6:8 reminds us to keep walking, keep working, keep learning, keep making the difference in the world – one little step at a time…

You are EMPOWERED because you have been gifted the Holy Spirit.  You have the same power that was entrusted to Jesus – and now you are able to make a difference… “you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:22

You are a Child of God.

Smile.

Welcome to the Family Business!!!

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Ephesians 2

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork,created in Christ Jesus to do good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do.

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19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

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Call Out – Seek to be Saved, 02Feb

I have been reading about disciple Peter and how he was sinking in the water, from Matthew’s gospel account out of Michael Card’s Biblical Imagination book…

Peter called out to Jesus from the boat, then crawled out, expecting Jesus could help him walk, but soon after, Peter started to doubt!  Peter just as quickly learned that Jesus could save him, after he called out to Jesus the second time. Yes – two calls – once to seek Jesus and once to be saved. Two important lessons within the shortest time span. We have to understand our faith requires calling out in both ways – to seek and to be saved – in both we have to initiate the calling out to Jesus… He is divine thru and thru and this enables us to see all our humanness in between… Our humanness requires us to seek and to be saved.

It is our faith that tells us that the Lord calls us and our faith to say that we will be OK if we do not lose our focus. It is our humanness to know we need Him, oh we are so very human…

When we are sinking in doubt, and Jesus is in the process of rescuing us, that the dip in the water is the continual cleansing that Jesus gives to our souls, the needed dip to rinse and repeat – just like shampoo…

Blessedly, Jesus has a net for us.

We should ask the Lord to use us for whatever He needs for furthering His work – sometimes we work repairing sections of His net, sometimes we work on new sections, we are blessed to be part of the net that caught us…

Working the nets… fixing the nets… growing the nets…

Calling out for directions from the Foreman of all.  Jesus knows where the fish are.  God knows how best to build the net.  We best to listen…

Call out! – then Listen!

Seek to be Saved!

Reach!

Praise!

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Matthew 14

25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

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Note – I realized it was 4 years ago, yesterday Feb 1st 2015, that I had my realization of this amazing awakening that had brought me 100% believing in Jesus… it was a process… I wrote out my processing… crazy huh? It is individual to each of us for being in the great realization of being looped into God’s net by Jesus… am I done? No, I’m now in net-work, His network to do work on His net… my 100% is a beginning not an end.

You are also a work in process – our beginning is not an end, but a continuous walk – keep walking!

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The Other Shoe, 02FEB

I felt good today until I realized that I made mistakes today, and this week – they were not earth shattering, but stupid enough – mistakes from rushing and other moments of ugh…

I write now because my mistakes meant that I learned more insight into my faith and a reminder of why my humanness, everyone’s humanness really needs Jesus as our healer, the forgiver, the divine…

“To forgive is divine.”

After my realization of my mistakes, a friend comforted me by saying: to forgive is divine. I said “It’s hardest to forgive oneself…”

And yeah, then I realized I need forgiveness for that statement too… because the basic fact that I can’t actually give myself forgiveness, I can only be the one to ask… yup… Forgiveness is a divine gift as well as a directive.

Forgiveness is divine not human in origin…. yup… we are to forgive but give credit where credit is due…

Forgiveness of human self is the message of Jesus’s reconciliation…

Not forgiving myself is forgoing the mercy Jesus desperately wants to give… I need Jesus… and I can be grateful that I even realized that I went wrong today… humbled by my humanness… grateful that I can try to make amends… blessed that Jesus paused to say “i don’t condemn you, but you realize what you did, right?”

Such insight can be gained from sleepless nights… “maybe a thousand sleepless nights is what it takes to know You’re near…” the song lyric resonates (“Blessings” from Laura Story)…

My missteps were the result of rushing, trying to do the right thing, but I stumbled. Tripping over myself for trying too hard… maybe someday I am going to be grateful for this trial… or forget it all together… yet right now I feel humbled…

See, it is important to know that God does not “drop the other shoe” in our bubble-bursting moments – the “other shoe” is for us to put on and walk with Christ in our humbled humanness… and then to reach for forgiveness… “if the shoe fits…”

We have 2 shoes – JOY and HUMBLENESS – we have to put BOTH shoes on to keep walking…

Even IF I wanted to stop living in joy, because of my sadness, I have to keep walking, stepping out to serve the Lord in Joy.

Even IF I wanted to ignore my humanness, and go back to spreading wonderful joy, I cannot ignore how very human I am – and therefore I have to keep walking, stepping out to serve the Lord in humbleness.

If “the other shoe” fits… it’s because God dropped it in front of us so that we put it on and keep walking in His narrow but sure path…

These steps are for you and you alone (but not alone, we walk WITH the Lord)…

The shoe fits…

Jesus carries the day…

Thank You Jesus…

Amen

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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 6:8

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NOTE: now that I have had some time to reflect on those issues – they seem so small in comparison to life – and I have to say that to walk humbly with the Lord means that we ALSO have to put our own issues into perspective and not make a mountain out of a molehill! in other words, keep walking and don’t let your perceived problems overtake the problems of the world – don’t ignore issues but don’t dwell on them in a selfish way – let them go and get back to the Lord’s work…

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Nothing to Write About is EVERYTHING, 31Jan

Lord knows, He wakes me up early, refreshed, ready to write. But this time I don’t think I have anything to write about!

As I turn over comfy, warmed, I am thankful to have slept well and especially to have found a corner of peace to allow myself this luxury of enjoying peace.

I am so thankful that I am THANKFUL…

Nothing to write about means I have EVERYTHING to thank the Lord for…

Lord, I’m so thankful witnessing that You give us strength and direction and for knowing that “These things will pass” – they actually did pass. They did and I am here to praise Your healing – physical, emotional, and healing thru time fading away the pain.

The moon, the stars, the sunrise are so beautifully distracting this morning – and You are even more beautiful than everything that You made beautiful. Thank you Lord for You – for being a focal point of a new day in Your service.

If I am in a holding pattern of peace it is because You made me look here for peace among the struggles, You focused me to count my blessings and YOU WERE RIGHT.

I did not foresee where I am now, but Lord you knew how to get me here. I have tried to make the best choices – and even if I didn’t, I have prayed for You to use me best You could… I fear You Lord in respect, You know when I feel humbled.  Thankful for my trials, I thank you for Your guidance thru them.

You are the best Lord, nothing I could have imagined compares to knowing you…

I am sorry when I forget You.

I am sorry when I rush You.

I am sorry when I fail to seek You.

I am sorry when I hesitate to serve You.

I’m sorry when I should have shut my mouth.

I’m sorry when I failed to open it.

I am sorry when I got shy and should have shouted.

Do I have work to do for You? Am I too complacent? Oh yeah… I have Your issues in me to work on and yet You allow me to feel Joy. I have Your issues in the world to work on and yet You allow me to stay here with my little section of puzzle (for now)…  You give me rest and You allow me perspective. I will never run out of Your Work. You need me to understand Your pace, and my place… then You need me to work for the benefit of Your place at my pace…

Thank You for allowing me to rest just now, regaining my strength…

Actually, You remind me that I need to look for Your strength not mine… Your agenda not mine… Your joy not mine. Your wings are not just to hide under but for me to soar on.

You are my JOY.

Oh Lord You’re Beautiful…

“if I’m doing good, please help me to never make a sound, except to give all the glory to you.” Keith Green 

Nothing to write is everything to praise!

Thank You for giving me pause to praise.

Amen

 

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My favorite Keith Green song, it is in my head so much…. Oh, Lord You’re Beautiful (Live)” on YouTube https://youtu.be/uVgPQm06g2c

 

Oh LORD you’re beautiful.

Your face is all I seek.

For when your eyes are on this child.

Your love abounds to me.

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Oh LORD by body’s tired.

But you keep reminding me.

Of many holy tireless men,

Whose split their blood for thee.

—

I want to take your Word and shine it all around.

But first help me first just live it LORD.

And if I’m doing well help me to never make a sound,

But to give all the glory to you.

—

Oh LORD my faith is small.

And I need a touch from you.

Your Book of books lies undisturbed.

And the prayers from me too few.

—

Oh LORD please light the fire.

That once burned bright and clear.

Replace the lamp of my first love.

That’s fueled with holy fear.

—

I want to take your Word and shine it all around.

But first help me just live it LORD.

And if I’m doing good, please help me to never make a sound,

Except to give all the glory to you.

—

Oh LORD you’re beautiful.

Your face is all I seek.

For when your eyes are on this child.

Your faith abounds to me.

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“STRENGTHEN YOUR HEARTS,  FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD IS NEAR” James 5