Tag Archive | Significant Encounters

Fall Thoughts

Oct23

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Quiet time this morning was a bit different.

Instead of watching the sun rise in the east as usual,

I sat my my window to watch it rain.

Not much rain, just sparse, big drops.

Big drops, dropping on yellow maple leaves.

The drops caused some of the leaves to look like they were shivering.

Some other big drops caused the leaves to come loose from their branches,

and fall gently to the ground.

Hypnotically I watched as each leaf fell.

Some floated straight down while others appeared to drift off to the side.

What are the things in my life that hang on, and continue to shiver though dead?

What are the things in my life that let loose when hit with the water of the Word?

What are the things that fall straight away?

What are the things that drift off to the side, hidden from the path of the rake?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  2 Corinthians 5:17

What will it take to shake loose the useless parts of my old life?

Those things that crowd out the newness that Christ created for me.

What will it take  to shake off the old to make room for the new?

Those things that no longer fit in my life.

If all things are new, then I am I holding on out of habit?

I get to CHOOSE to let them go.

It’s already been done!

He has made me new.

All I need do is accept it,

To CHOOSE it.

He has raked away the old to make room for the new life that is already waiting inside to bloom.

What do you think?

Are there any old leaves hanging on to your life that need to be loosed and raked away?

Are there any habits left that will slow the blooming process that awaits you?

Please join the “Rescue” tab at the top of this page if you would like some help with that.

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Fearfully and wonderfully made.

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The Invitation

Oct15

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I’ve been given an invitation.

It’s a special invitation.

It’s an invitation that fills my heart with joy.

It is an invitation to a secret place.

No.

 It is an invitation to a sacred place.

This invitation is from a dear friend.

She has invited me to join her in her secret place.

She has invited me to her sacred place.

The place where she meets with ……………..

God.

Alone.

The place where she encounters God.

 

What an honor and a blessing.

Her invitation is a reminder to me.

A reminder that my Dear Savior longs for me to come to that secret place with Him.

Reminds me that He is waiting in that sacred place.

Reminds me that He wants to have an encounter with me,

as much as I need an encounter with Him.

 

You Dear Reader,

If you don’t not have such a place,

A secret, sacred place of encounter with God,

I strongly urge you to get one.

Find one.

Make one.

 

Make a place where you can rest with your Savior.

A place where you can abide with Him.

A place where you can go daily.

Be it early before your day begins,

or late and at the end of your day.

It may even be when your children are napping.

 

No matter.

Just do it.

 

When you encounter Father God there,

even your problems will seem to have an air of grace in them.

 

Remember the line in “Field of Dreams”?

“If you build it, they will come.”

 

Well if you make this place for Him,

He will come.

 

My own secret place is not fancy.

This chair belonged to my Mother.

It is older than I.

It sits next to the window in my office.

It only has three legs with an empty can from some dark chocolate

rolled wafer sticks serving as its fourth .

 

When I place myself in that seat,

even for a few moments.

He comes.

We encounter each other,

and joy fills my heart.

 

If you make  it,

He will come.

I promise.

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Fearfully and wonderfully made

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You. God’s Creation

Oct12

What is it exactly that God created you to be?

Do you know?

If you do,

Are you living up to it?

If you do not know,

Would you like to?

I’ve reposted a quote from a post by Billy Coffey.

A post I read at the beginning of the year.

Here closer to the end of the year I am re-reading and re-evaluating.

Having just returned from an amazing conference in California held by Aglow International,

My thoughts return again to this topic.

Billy said something in this post that caught my attention.

Again.

My mind goes in and out and around this thought many times over during the course of a year, a month, a week or even a day.

The old sound track of my life tries desperately to play yet again.

Here’s the quote;

“He said something else to me then. It was soft and swallowed by the wind, but I think he said that he will always win so long as we believe we are ordinary. I’m almost positive that’s what he said.”

It is my firm conviction that even when we think we know what God created us to be,                                that we do not, oy, cannot understand it.

We fall in to believing we are ordinary.

Not strong.

Not smart.

Not useful.

Not whatever.

You fill in the blank.

I can stand firmly in this because I have known for a while what my calling is.

That thing about me that is not ordinary.

I can also say that God , in His revelatory nature,

is adding more to this knowledge slowly.

He is revealing more of Himself in me slowly over time.

As I go.

As I can handle it.

As I process it and re-process it.

As many times as it takes for me to understand each point He is trying to make.

Then we move on.

When I get it,

We move on to the next.

The time between one revelation and another seems to be shrinking.

Maybe I am more open to the process or maybe,

I think,

The time of His coming is near,

and there is much to be done.

Here are some Bible verses for you to consider.

Does one or more of them “jump off the page” to you?

Does one stir something in your heart?

Does one make you want to find out more about it?

Good.

Go with that.

Look it up in all the versions of the Bible you can find for a clearer picture of what it is that God is saying concerning you.

His amazing creation.   (That would be you!)

Read it over and over again.

Until it sinks in and makes its home in your heart.

 

Have you been told you are of little or no worth?

Psalm 139:14 NIV 1984 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,  I know that full well.

Have you been “un-chosen” all your life?

Colossians 1:27  NIV 1984 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Has there been no one to truly love you?

Song of Solomon 6:3 ESV  I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.

Have you struggled finding your place of belonging?

Romans 9:25 ESV As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”

Have you felt weak in your body or your mind?

1 Corinthians 1:27 KJV But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.

Has the pain been too much to bear?

Isaiah 61:3 New KJV  To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

Could your victory story be the one to comfort another and draw them into victory for themselves?

2 Corinthians 1:4 New KJV  who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Are you ready to give up?

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV 1984 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.

My prayer is that the words here will begin a new sound track in your heart and mind.

Allow God to speak to you through the Holy Spirit.

His answers may appear on the printed page.

His answers may appear in some social media you visit.

His answer may appear through some “chance” encounter with someone.

His answer WILL come by reading His Word, the Bible,

with the intent of knowing Him better.

Remember  ~  You are NOT ORDINARY.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

You are made with a purpose.

You can read the rest of Billy’s post here; http://www.billycoffey.com/2012/01/new-years-with-the-devil/

You can find out more about Aglow International by visiting here; http://www.aglowinternational.org/

You can find many Bible versions here; http://www.biblegateway.com/

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Fearfully and wonderfully made