Tag Archive | choice

Perfect Timing

May16

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Today I had an opportunity to do a couple of things I really love doing.

I got to meet with an amazing group of ladies for Bible study, and then with some of those ladies, I got to participate is some pretty in depth conversation at our Directors meeting. Those women help my brain go where it won’t go on its own. What a blessing.

In the Bible study we read from Galatians 5:13-26. We talked about the lists in these verses. The first items listed are detestable, the state of our hearts. The second list was much more palatable to my senses.

After discussing the way we were born into this world, and how we get to choose to become the second list instead of the first, we could wonder why after all these years we are not further than we are.

When I arrived home, I heard this quote on the Revive Our Hearts program with Nancy Leigh DeMoss ~ One of her past mentors said it t o her ~

“Maturity.  It’s not where you’re at.  It’s the direction in which you’re headed.”

You have perfect timing God, always.

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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

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Don’t Stop !

May9

 

 ark

I have recently toyed with the idea of building another ark, and ACTUALLY have pumped lots of water and replaced the water heater. Well, I didn’t replace the water heater but my husband and his friend did. The furnace was saved, and I am grateful.

God supplied, in the middle of all that rain, a beautiful weekend for my husband’s non-profit to have a very successful National Rebuilding Together Day. It is a day annually, when almost 200 affiliates nationwide make repairs to homes of Disabled American Vets, the Elderly and families with small children.  All who fall well under the poverty line. These are the ones that fall through the cracks, the ones with no hope.

I find my husband’s passion to be not unlike the passion of all who work in the ranks of the Erika Kate Foundation.

I am blessed to be able to participate with the Erika Kate Foundation.

To be a shining light, a glimmer of hope to those who have given up. To show even these, that they have worth, and that they matter.

The Erika Kate Foundation has a vision for providing financial, physical and spiritual assistance to families in the midst of medical crisis, working with social workers in pediatric heart centers nationwide. They let these ones know about the Hope that lives in us. Christ in us, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27.

At the beginning of April, I asked my team to please consider what they have been sowing into their passion. If the things they have been spending their time on, were feeding into that passion, or taking away from it.

Since that time, I have not only been spending time feeding into my husband’s passion, Rebuilding Together, taking care of the widows and the orphans, James 1:27, but considering what my passion for studying God’s Word, and how I might share His truths with those I come in contact with.

I have found myself distracted. I am distracted not only by my own thoughts, but by the wants and needs of others and a plethora circumstances beyond my control.

I said all that to say this;

Don’t stop. Continue to drag yourself (sometimes literally) to the places and things and people who can breathe life and energy into you.

Forget not, that God is waiting in the Secret Place for you. He is there whether you are feeling very strong, or very weak.

The people that God has put in your life, He has put there on purpose. Iron sharpens iron. Proverbs 27:17. They also carry your cot when you are not strong enough to carry it yourself.  Mark 2:4, Luke 5:19.

I know that this has been my experience for the last little while. I am confident that someone who is reading this now is facing the same thing.

Guess what? This means you are doing it right!

If you are seeking God’s face, Psalm 27:8, then these things will come upon you to make you stop. 1 Peter 4:12.

Don’t give up !  Keep seeking !

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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

 

New Observations

Mar14

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Just this week I began reading the New Testament again
Just one chapter a day, not really looking for anything in particular, just whatever God might want to show me.
In chapter two of Matthew it talks about the Magi coming to visit Jesus after His birth. The notes in my Bible say that they were probably members of a learned religious class from the region now called Iran and that they specialized in astrology, medicine and natural science. Dictionary.com says that they were the Zoroastrian priests of the ancient Medes and Persians, and were probably sorcerers or magicians.
Either way, they were intelligent men, independent thinkers and men of some great means. When these men heard of the birth of the Christ child, they considered Him to be worthy of their thoughts, time and treasure.
Did they really believe that He was the Savior of the world, or did they just want to feed their extensive intellect some more? We cannot know for sure, we are however told, that they did believe Him to be the King of the Jews.
A couple of verses lit up my heart and mind during this read.
I had never before considered the REACTION of these notable men when they learned of this birth.
For one thing, women always have babies. That is what they do. This is not an oddity. So something had to light up their hearts and minds to even think to make the trip to see, and worship this … baby.
Here is what “Lit up” for me.
1. They were over overjoyed see the star that would guide them v.10
2. On seeing Jesus and His mother Mary, they bowed down and worshipped Him v.11
3. They opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts v.11b
4. They had been warned of Herod in dream and so returned by another way v.12
Here, I believe, is how it pertains to you and me.
1. God has given us His Word, His Son and the Holy Spirit. Should we not be overjoyed? A sign that He wants to guide us? Having been raised in a family that went to church every week it is easy for me to be lazy and think, “Oh that.” Bible? I probably have five of my own, and access to hundreds more. Many have given their lives for just one page.
2. We humans give glory to movie stars, sports teams, TV shows, doctors, writers, apparel, and sin. Should we not instead bow and give homage to the Holy Lamb of God, who became human so that He could take away the sin of the world? One should sound crazier than the other to us.
3. God created the earth and everything in it. It is His. Yes, it is ours as well, but only because He gave it to us. In our gratitude, I believe we should be willing to open our treasures back to Him for His use, and His glory. The Bible plainly teaches that He WILL NOT share His glory with another. We so don’t want to be guilty of stealing His glory and replacing it with something of far lesser value. It will not bode well for us to be selfish in this way. Instead, let our time and talents be used to help others to achieve greater knowledge of Him and all He has given us.
4. When we find ourselves filled with the knowledge of who He is, we can then turn a different way. Instead of always seeing the negative in a situation, we can see it as an opportunity for growth. When we see where we have been wrong, He will allow us to see how we can do things a different way. The path of our lives can be changed. When we open our hearts and minds to Him, He will show us great and mighty things that we did not know. His ways are most often completely opposite of the way we did things in the past, but that should be the fun of it. What an adventure to learn new and better things all the time!
So with all that, I’ll end by asking you these questions;
1. Are you overjoyed with your life?
2. Have you bowed your knee in worship to Jesus?
3. Have your opened your treasure box and offered your gifts back to Him?
4. Have you turned from your sin and gone another way?
5. If you have ……… Amazing, well done.
6. If haven’t ………….. Would you like to?
Just say something like this to God;
Dear God,
I lack Your joy in my life, I would like to experience it. Please show me how I can honor You and give You glory. Help me to turn over to You the key to my treasure box so that all you have gifted me with can give You glory. Help me to turn from my wrong doing, to set aside my earthly knowledge, and to trade it for Your heavenly knowledge. Help me to go a different, the way that keeps me close to You. I thank you in advance being on the path with me, and for bringing along others that will help me to see the path more clearly.
Amen.

God bless you today – For you are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.
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