Jeremiah 29:11

How often are you reminded that God really is in control of everything?  Lately, it seems, I am reminded every day...and yet He still allows me to have a choice.  It's a blessing I can not even begin to understand (or describe) AND one that causes me to stand in awe and wonder in the light of His mercy and the glory of His grace!  The greatness of God is far bigger than I can comprehend...still, He cares for me more than I can imagine.  Each intricacy of my day and life are in the palm of His hand.  He has the power to change my heart and turn my head...BUT...he allows me to choose...He doesn't force me...He waits.  He knows the end result, but I get to choose...

It's something we can not venture to speculate...a miracle SO BIG it can not be contained within the finite matter of our brains...  The coolest thing, though (I think), is that this same power is ALIVE and AT WORK IN ME!!!  When we accept the gift of Jesus into our lives and begin to follow Him with our whole being, His Spirit moves into the house of our heart and begins to clean and rearrange to make our hearts more inhabitable (for Him and for us).  I am such a better person since allowing Jesus to take hold of my heart...changed in so many ways.  And, it's all thanks to God.

Every time that I am reminded that God is in control, I remember the miracle He has done in me, and I let go.  (It sounds easier than it is...and I struggle and whine each time...but the peace and joy that follows CAN NOT be surpassed!)  SO...when everything's going right, or it all comes crashing down...He's got it under control.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Indescribable

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God
-Chris Tomlin

I Will Praise Him Still!

Fernando Ortega sings:

"When the morning falls on the farthest hill,
I will sing His name, I will praise Him still.
When dark trials come and my heart is filled
With the weight of doubt, I will praise Him still.

For the Lord our God, He is strong to save
From the arms of death, from the deepest grave.
And He gave us life in His perfect will,
And by His good grace, I will praise Him still."
This song, on this day, seems to say so much.  Weather in the trials of life or the trials of attack...or the joys of prosperity, the words and depth and feeling of this song ring so true.  That through everything we will PRAISE him still!!!  God is perfect and God is good and he never changes...therefore, everything he allows in His plan is ultimately PERFECT.  No contest.  So, as they say, 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.' ...I don't like lemonade very much...BUT, (the point is) God makes ALL things GOOD.

Bearing Fruit

I read this today:

 "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have served, and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life— that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us —  what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may have fellowship along with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete." 1John 1:1

God makes our joy complete.  Not our job.  Not our wallet.  Not our relationships.  Not our deeds... nor any number of things we are told to value.  No.  God makes our JOY complete.  In EVERY circumstance.  Though it is so hard to find and hold on to that joy.  To escape is so much easier, in fact, it doesn't take much at all to get lost in work, lost in a relationship, lost in our sadness and fear, lost in a book, lost in the television, etc, etc...

But, brothers and sisters, we have been found!  All we need to do is ACCEPT that finding, accept the one who calls after us through EVERY moment of EVERY DAY!  And our joy will be made complete in Him.

Joy is not happiness, I have found.  I don't know if we can be truly happy this side of heaven.  Truly Joyful.  Now THAT is attainable. To be joyful and content is not to be without worry.  Worry finds it's way in like a cockroach.  Like a snake looking for a warm place to hide.  The ONLY hope of escaping worry is turning to God.  I admit, I have not turned to Him like I should recently, and I see the fruit of that...  How revealing it is to take a step back and look at the fruit your souls bears...how good is it really?  Do you polish the outside to make it appear better than it is?  Do the branches of your souls need tending?  Do your roots need to be healed of the Sin Disease?

Take an inventory with God today.  Do you only allow the good to come in?  Or do you take the good with the bad?  Do we think we can give the good with the bad also?  With Christ comes good fruit and with good fruit comes Joy.

  

Trusting the "Unknown"

This Saturday comes with a Hurricane!  Although I am much too far inland to feel the greatest effects, we are experiencing some rain and A LOT of wind.  I have always enjoyed watching storms progress.  Watching the clouds move across the sky and the rain take many forms as it is whipped about by the wind and crashes into the ground...Rain has always been my favorite weather :)  

I recently have rediscovered my love for reading and am currently reading a book called "The Hidden Flame" by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke.  It's the second in a series about the growth of Jesus' followers following his Crucifixion.  It was while reading this morning that God spoke to me...  Here's what I read:

"...'Please, God, just let me serve,' she prayed silently as she sat, hardly aware of the crowd that streamed by, but her words brought no feeling of peace.  No sense that he was listening.  She couldn't have explained which pained her more--a troubled heart or an injured leg.  But even as she struggled a quiet voice inside whispered that here was a new opportunity for her to trust her Savior.

Again she prayed.  Not merely for wisdom, but for submission.  Would she ever be ready--and willing--to let God work out the details of her future?...'help me trust you, Lord,' she prayed..."

We've all been there (whether the situation or circumstances are the same or not).  Praying to a seemingly unlistening hearer...with no comfort of peace, no answer, no quick fix, no sign that we are even heard...and yet, in a quiet whisper, "...here is a new opportunity to trust your Savior..."  Every moment of every day is a NEW opportunity to TRUST your Savior!  I often find myself feeling as this character feels...wondering "Would she ever be ready--and willing--to let God work out the details of her future?..."  It's so difficult in our flesh to trust our future to the "unknown"...  BUT, it's NOT UNKNOWN!  True, the outcome may not be known, we may not know what exactly to expect, we may even be tempted to take care of things in our own power because we struggle to wait...    STOP for a second...    We DO know that Christ came and died and ROSE again!  We DO know that He works all things to the good of those called according to His purpose! (Romans 8:28)  So, we DO know what to expect, friends!.. We can EXPECT GOOD!!!!!  And we can ask God for help!  We can ask anything in Jesus' name (according to His purpose) and it's already done in Heaven! (John 14:14, 1John 5:14)  So ask.  Pray for wisdom.  Pray for submission to His will.  Pray for trust.  Pray for his help.  (...yet you do not have because you do not ask.-John 14:14)  And remember, sweet friends, every event in life (good or bad) is a new opportunity to trust our savior!

Church

There is nothing more soul refreshing than time with the Body of Christ!  I tend to forget this.  The world tries to make us believe that all we need to "be refreshed" is a good night's sleep or another coffee or an hour at the gym or some meditation or a yummy plate of food or 3 mindless hours in front a the TV or reading a book or whatever thing the world tries to fill you with...

The truth is, none of these things can truly satisfy.

The truth is, all of these things are ways the enemy tries to pull you away from encouragement.

Granted, all of these things can be good in moderation, but, God created us FOR relationship with Him and with His body (the church).  The Church can mean many things; a close friend, a sibling or parent, a group of friends on a Friday night, or Church on Sunday morning.  The thing we need to be aware of, be on guard against, is that Satan tried to convince us that we don't need this (and sometimes he succeeds).

I know that I am never more refreshed than when I wake up early and get to church...and I know that's because CHURCH is what I am created for...  Reading the Bible is good, and we are called to store up the word of God in our hearts, BUT, we need relationship and help in this world!

When I lack some kind of "Body Gathering" during the week, everything suffers.  I become more short tempered.  I bristle at anything anyone says or requests of me.  I have no desire to help or to be a help.  I can not love as Christ loved.  The body teaches us and reminds us of the ways of Christ so that we can be filled and overflow to those outside the body.  What keeps you from the body of Christ?  From Church?  Are you beleiving the world when they say you can get by without going to Church on Sunday (or any other day)?

Do not be discouraged...

This week has been pretty good but pretty difficult! ...SOMETHING good is BOUND to come...  That's my prayer anyway!  God can do ANYTHING!

I've committed to reading through the Bible...no set time frame just going through at my own pace...I just started the book of Joshua.  What miracles the Lord did before the eyes of the Israelites!  Joshua 1:9 has become somewhat of a mantra for me this week:

"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.”

Sometimes the fact that He IS with us is the only comfort we have...and it's all the comfort we need!  There is NOTHING to be fearful of, no matter WHAT is going on in life because God is with us.  Death has been defeated!  The battle is won!  And even death (as scary as it is) is more gain and triumph than we could ever imagine because we have erternity to look forward to!  Life on this earth is difficult...it's the only garuntee we have.  But, be strong and courageous!  Live life FOR Christ, allowing HIM to overflow from your heart into your actions/conversations/relationships, and there is NOTHING to fear! (Easier said than done for sure)  That's why God gave us the Holy Spirit and Prayer!  Talk with God.  Listen.  Only He can and WILL give you the strength to carry out the good work he has started in you---and he will cary it through to completion! (Philippians 1:6)

love and prayers,

XOXOX

Victory in Jesus!

Here we are on Sunday again...I'm sorry this isn't as consistent as I want it to be, thank you for bearing with me :)

I am always amazed at how the Enemy can pick out just the "right" lie for each and every day.  Some days it might be how you look..."you're not pretty...that doesn't look good...why are you even trying?...," he says.  And, wouldn't you know it, that's JUST what causes you to have a bad day.  Or maybe he attacks your job performance, or your relationships, or your mood, or any number of things, but each time he chooses the ONE thing that keeps you from puting one foot in front of the other that day (and it may be different every day).  The POINT is, that's his goal.  He wants you to fail.  He wants you to be upset, cower in the corner, snap at your friend, tell yourelf you are any less that what God made you....  The TRUTH is, we have already won the victory(1 John 5:4: ...for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith)!  God has given us the power to say:

"Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Matthew 16:23

And the cool part is, Satan HAS to listen!  (I so need to hear this today!)  Satan's hateful half-truths have been coming at me from all sides...and it's hard to say "no" to him (John 8:44: You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.)  But, God has given us the power!  Praise the Lord!  Even though it's hard, it IS possible...and sometimes we need to tell him more than once to remove his influence from out path...all the while guarding our hearts and minds from his constant attack!

So, tell that bad day to get behind you and move on in JOY!  Chirst has won!  The victory is ours!