You are good!

Psalm 119 vs. 67-69 & 71 "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees" Notice the before and after here. There was the time of going astray, the walking away from God - then there was the affliction which brought about obedience to the Word.

But I love vs. 71 "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." It was a reminder to me that the affliction that I went through brought me closer to Jesus - thus teaching me more about Him. I would not trade the life changing relationship I have with Jesus for anything. Allow Jesus to teach you through your circumstances. He will never stop shaping us and teaching us his decrees. Be open to his shaping though - don't be afraid of what he might find in you. He knows your heart; he loves you anyway. Remember that Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery, he only told her to "go and sin no more." Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save the world - to save you! I love the song that I am putting on this blog. (I have used it in a previous blog.) The words are right out of scripture. This is what the Lord has put on my mind today. His kindness - he draws us to repentance, but he is so kind to us. His goodness draws me....he is all I want in my day. HE IS ALL I NEED! He is so good, never forget that. Close your eyes as you listen to this song. Meditate on the words, ask Jesus to fill you with his presence. He will - he loves you and desires to spend time with you. We can get so caught up in the business of our days, the to do lists and forget to spend time with Jesus. If we say that Jesus is #1 in our life, then our time with him should be #1. His promise is to be with us. "Draw near to me and I will draw near to you."

He wants to love all over me and you. Commit your ways to the Lord. Every part of your day. Take him with you wherever you go. Don't give him just a little devotion time and then run off doing your own thing. As you go about your tasks, continue to draw close to him. You will be amazed how much closer you will be with Jesus.

The love of my life!

So today Angela and I went to spend the afternoon with Emily in her apartment. This was the first time I visited her since she moved in. It was such a treat to hang out in "her place" as she made me a cup of tea and pancakes. I can tell that she is proud to be on her own, although I'm pretty sure she misses me/us to hang out with when her roomate is gone. I know that she is not use to being completely alone. I found it so cute to watch her do dishes and wash away cobwebs that were bugging her.

She took us to a place for tea. There is a small magnet board that I had been wondering about since she talks about it often. It is filled with magnet letters and words. Since I am not very good at poetry I put it on my lap and just stared at the words. I figured I might as well give it a shot - it was pretty hard to do since there was nothing with "Jesus" on it. In an attempt to leave a message to the next person that may pick it up I looked thoughtfully at the letters and the words and 40 minutes later came up with this. Sorry the picture is a little blury.

I believe that everywhere we turn there is a person who is in a storm. Jesus gives life! Jesus brings you out of the pit. I know that from personal experience.

To be perfectly honest, even though this recent move has had the hand of God wrapped all around it, it's actually been kinda hard. Lots of changes in my life, still so many unknowns, a mom thinking about her children and all the changes that they have faced. It's not always easy and I don't always have it all together. When I try on my own that is when I stumble. Remembering that Jesus is essential, he is life, he whispers honey, he is power, he is music............what more do I need than a Savior like this!!! Jesus is the love of my life.

Remain in His Love

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." John 15:9

I loved reading this today. First the depth of Jesus love for me, then the reminder to remain in his love. Jesus continues on by saying "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." His love - in us - so that we will be filled with joy. And where does our joy come from? From Jesus alone. We cannot find joy from the world. The world hated Jesus, but our joy comes from the love of Jesus that we are to remain in. The overwhelming power of his love in my life is such a wonderful gift. His love washes over me when I need it the most. When I am feeling pitiful in my humanness, his love comes and washes me. My heart begins to feel his presence when I draw near to him in prayer and in the word.

I was feeling pitiful this morning - then I did some cleaning up I finally sat down and read the scripture. It was there that Jesus filled me with his love. It was in my time with him that he showed me his love. When life seems hard, when circumstances seem out of our control, remember that the God who created the universe is also the God who loves you and me. He will guide and direct everything. He does not grow tired and weary as I sometimes do. "When I am weak, then he is strong."

Thank you Jesus for filling me with your love and power and strength as I read your word.
You are awesome.

Side note: Angela is 17 today. Strange that my youngest daughter has grown up. She is a precious gift from God. She is a daughter of the King!!! I love you Angela!

Emergency

Last night Tim and I went for a walk in our new downtown area. Neat street to walk down with cute shops, restaurants, cafe's and such. As we were coming up to a crosswalk there were a couple people on each side of the sidewalk. They each had a stack of paper and were passing things out to passerbys. On that corner was a little restaurant. As we walked by they handed us a sheet and said "we are having an information teaching on Buddhism." Of course, we did not accept it. On our way back, we passed them again - someone else tried to hand me one and I told them "Jesus is the only way." I was hoping to get some kind of response but I didn't. Just a smile. It was so sad to me that worship of idols is more important than Jesus. As I read through the scriptures this seems to have been an age old problem. Think of the Israelites - they saw the miracles and God's provision, yet they still made the golden calf. It is so sad to me what people are deceived into believing. How can a fashioned idol help your life? Jesus came to seek and save the lost - to testify to the truth. Our job is to be his instruments. This is an emergency - people all around are being taken in. Colossians 2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosphy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." People need the truth of Jesus and we need to share it. No more being wimps about it. Time to get out there and share Jesus with people. Peoples lives depend on it.

Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life." If you are a Christian - you already have heaven, pass the news on to someone who doesn't have heaven yet. It is the truth that will set people free.

Jesus, fill me with your power to share you with more boldness. Pour your Spirit upon your people to take your message to those that are right around us.

Undignified

"David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets."

Now keep in mind here that David was King. He took off his kingly outer garmets. His wife was so embarassed and said he was being vulgar. David's response: "I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humilitaed in my own eyes."

David didn't care what other people would think. He didn't need to be "above" others, even though he was the king. He just wanted to celebrate the Lord! Sometimes I think about what other people will think of me. Sometimes I just want to dance and sing for the Lord - but people would think that I was undignified. David didn't care - he didn't mind being humiliated. It's not about me, it's about Jesus and praising him for all he has done. It's about being so passionate for him, and not worry about what other will think of me. Now David's wife thought that the slave girls would think he was like other vulgar men. On the contrary, he would be held in honor by them. So when we think that others are thinking poorly of us as we celebrate Jesus, remember that you never know who will see Jesus in a whole new way because of you.

When I first heard this song it I didn't really like it. Something about it sounded disrespectful - until I re-read this story about David. When I realized it was right out of scripture it made so much more sense. Laying my pride down to just celebrate Jesus.

Not much

So I feel like I should blog today but it has been so busy the last couple of days that I have not had the time. I wish that I had something profound today but I'm tired. My grandson is absolutely adorable. He is more and more fun to play with all the time.

Tim went golfing this afternoon with our new neighbor. He is 88 years old and invited him to go with him. He even beat Tim. We are adjusting well in our new home. It feels like home to us already - even though we don't know how long we will live here. That doesn't matter right now, what matters is the day that God gives us and the tasks that we have for that day. Whenever I try to think or look too far in to the future my mind gets all muddled. That's not worth doing since God has all that in his hands anyway.

With that little bit said I will close for tonight!
Sorry about the blog background changes, I can't seem to find one that I really like. I think this one will have to go soon.

Don't go it alone!

This morning my heart ached for pastor's and their wives that have gone through and are in so much pain. That is behind me but I have not forgotten it. Even if you are facing another pain in your life the following scripture will help you.

"In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?...It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man." Psalm 118

As I read these verses this morning they reminded me of those difficult times. They reminded me of the times when I feared man. I daily had to come to the Lord because what I could see of man was only bringing pain. Hold on tight to the Lord - I remember asking the Lord to shape me - asking him what did he want to change in me. "The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death." Wow - seems like that fits for where I was. The fire, which I have spoken about before is like the chastening. Even when I was in the middle of the chastening, the intense fire and I felt like I could bear no more I knew the Lord was right there with me. Now I look back and see how much God strengthened me. My core is stronger. Sure at the time I wondered why the Lord was taking me through such intense fire. What did I do Lord to endure such hurt. All the questions.

Now here is the big one - I've said it before and I will continue to say it! How big is God to you? When your situation looks bleak and you see no way out - stop - close your eyes to focus on God for a while. Ask yourself if you really believe that God could deliver you from your situation. That you could be set free from yourself. Do your really believe that God could do a miracle in your life? "I believe, help my unbelief." God is bigger than what our human minds can even comprehend. I can tell you that when you lay all of who you are down before the Lord, I mean everything, he will do things that you can not even begin to imagine or comprehend.

He loves you and will not leave you. If you are reading my blog and feel afraid or alone, drop me a comment. I will not post it but will write back to you and I will pray for and with you. You do not need to go it alone!