Complete Trust~ you will find rest in 2014!

There I go again...

~ trying to figure things out 

~ forcing solutions

These behaviors will NEVER unlock the door to peace.

P~E~A~C~E is where I desire to abide. I can only find this in completely trusting in God. Everyday seek His face and walk in the way of my Savior.

•I have learned you cannot change another person. 

•I  have learned people are responsible for their own decisions. 

•I know truth is~ someone else's actions or lack of~ is none of my business and should not affect my happiness.

(That one is difficult, because I still choose to allow it to affect me ~ sadly more than I want to admit.)

 First step in recovery is... 

•awareness

•acceptance

•action

It appears I sometimes still get stuck on the second step 'acceptance'. When I am having trouble with acceptance I am really having trouble trusting in God...bottom line.

The answer is....If I want complete rest...I must have complete trust in God to handle my problems, concerns, situations, difficulties, etc. This is where my CHOICE comes in~ I choose this year to continue my growth in this area and I lay it down again at your feet Lord. You are the great 'I Am' and I am not. 

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Is there something you continue to struggle with again and again. It is a New Year~ new beginnings ~ ask yourself what attempts to steal your P~E~A~C~E? Then ask yourself what part do you play and choose to completely trust and rest in Him in 2014!

~Cast out the Angel of light~

This Thanksgiving the Deceiver comes even as we thank God for His goodness and whispers (not audibly) "You are being prideful ~ bragging by being thankful." Many may stop there, even if their motives are pure and not give God the glory for the great things He has done. All due to fear of man.  Or maybe the Deceiver whispers, "Your future is uncertain focus on that. You don't have time to be thankful. Too many problems to figure out."

The Deceiver is crafty and will stop at nothing to keep us from thanksgiving. Do you know why? Because God Almighty inhabits the praise of His people ~ just praise Him now for all He has done and see that He is there. There is no greater power than the presence of God. Don't let the Deceiver rob you! Lock the back doors of your mind and keep your mind set on things above. He is an uninvited guest! Instead Shout your praises from the hilltops, because God deserves our praises. A thankful heart is a happy heart!

 Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I BURST out in songs of thanksgiving.

 

Overcoming~ Is not "self will" ~it is "dying to self"

I want to lay down my pride and live in humility because I know how I have tried:

 

- to fix

- to control

- to figure out 

This leads to frustration, anger which equals "loss of peace". 

Jesus came so we may have peace abundantly and overflowing. The power of the cross that saved me is the same power available to me to overcome difficult situations, people and circumstances that I have no control over. By trusting in God whose word is truth...I know He cares for me. He cares about everything I face in this world. He knows my heart seeks after Him - To be like Him. So when my actions are in opposition to my hearts desire, I am on the wrong track and I cry out to the Lord, "Help me." 

I understand what Paul said in the Bible, paraphrased, "I do the very thing I don't want to do." Well I use to think in terms of big bad things- but Paul hungered after righteousness. He was just like us, who are believers in Jesus, who long to do the right thing,  but fail. For example I become inpatient or irritated by someone else's actions that effect me. I sometimes fail to see my part in the scenario and irritation grows into anger and anger leads to bitterness and resentment when it is fed. This is where God is helping me to see my choice: 

- to react or to trust in Him

- to worry or to trust and pray to Him

- to control or to let go and let Him

- to force a solution or to take it easy 

Everyday many things occur that are out of our control and we do not have to behave as we always have, we have choices. God is right there ready to lift you up and through the situation every single time! To be aware of our choices we must not focus on the problem, because that will lie to us every time! I have been experiencing lately as I seek after God more deeply in this area that the problem does not disappear, but it miraculously, suddenly, supernaturally losses it's power over me. It is beyond me, because I can still be pretty worked up~ and I stop and thank God! Yea, I have been known to get it stirred up again by simply talking about it, because the problem is still there. But God knows I hunger after Him and want my heart pure and I believe He intervenes supernaturally and helps me to let it go! Again and again...if need. 

I give the praise to God, for I am SO thankful. He has guided and led me patiently along this path, as I have followed Him. Not perfect have I been, but faithful and longing always for a deeper walk, that I could not do on my own. Sometimes it is possible to appear and act politically correct, but if my heart is not right then it is to no avail. Because the heart is deceitful above all else and pride is the root of all evil. Jesus is the only one who can cleanse a heart and make it pure. This is where I am...many people don't know the struggles and "crosses we carry" but God knows. 

I pray now too as Hope prays often, "Lord, give me a new heart, cleanse my heart." My precious girl, she knows too her heart is not pure without Jesus. 

Thank you Jesus for a clean heart! Help me as I walk through this day after You!

Verses: 

Luke 9:23, Proverbs 22:4, John 14:26-27, 1Corinthians 1:18, Romans 7:15-25, Matthew 5:6, Romans3:10,Titus 3:5, 1Petet 5:7, Philippians 4:6,7,13,Matthew 6:25-27, Psalms 121:1-2, Proverbs 3:5-6, 1Corinthians 10:13, Ephesians 4:2-3, Hebrews 12:14-15, Isaiah 55:8-9, James 3:13-18, Proverbs 11:2, 1 Corinthians 13:4, Jeremiah 17:9, Psalms 51:10, Matthew 5:8, John 5:30, Hebrews 4:15-16

Beautiful. . .

I have been blessed to be the mother of a daughter who never concerns herself with appearances!  Living in our society in this day and age this is HUGE. Hope never request to look at herself in the mirror. I never happen upon her staring at herself in the mirror. There have been times although she has wanted to wear makeup and she puts it on herself...yikes! Hope has taught me much about self acceptance, not by what she says, but by her actions. There is no preoccupation or concern for what others approve of or think of her.

Have you seen the commercial for Sonic's crispy chicken? Two guys are in the car talking about the crispy chicken and one guy says, "It (the crispy chicken) has taught me a real important life lesson." Second guy asks, "Like what?" He answers, "It is what's on the outside that counts!" Second guy says, "No one says that. Everyone says it is what is on the inside that is important." First guy, "No It's all about appearances."

That is funny, because we all know truth is . . . it is what is on the inside that really matters. Beauty is only skin deep. . . we have all known people who were pretty until you knew them and their personality made them not so much. However, I also believe it is true that we as a society have fallen into the deception ~ what is on the outside is what is most important. I don't know about you, but I never go to work without makeup on. I look in the mirror many times throughout the day and freshen up. I have a magnifying mirror that sees it all! I don't believe there is anything wrong with looking our best and taking care of our bodies. What do you see in the mirror? Are you comparing or criticizing yourself? "I look old." "Look another wrinkle." "I have gained more weight."

Reinforce the truth of God's word each time an untrue surfaces:
 

"Your beauty should be the invading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4

Charm is deceptive, and beauty fades; but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised. 

Proverbs 31:30

Here is to the most beautiful girl in the world to me and I don't think I am partial! :)

 

 

We are all like grasshoppers?!

I was running this morning when I heard a verse I had not paid attention to before...

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. Isaiah 40:22

I stopped running and looked it up on my Bible Gateway. Grasshoppers? It really hit me funny! It kinda reminds me of how my husband and I like to look in people's window at night (as we drive by houses on our way from here to there~ not peeping as a hobby!) and the lights are on and you see people moving around and living life. We reflect on it every time. . .maybe that is how God looks down on us as we go hopping about as grasshoppers? I know it is being used metaphorically and I like the picture. I believe it puts our life into God's perspective and if we allow it to penetrate our mind we will know "He has got "this" under control. 

I believe it is a message for today with everything that is gong on in the government, all the unknowns, insurance costs...expense of living growing to be more than what we earn. The path our country is taking = many unknowns and anxiety is rising. I could see it in the parking lot at the grocery today. People are distracted in a hurry, not paying attention. We as Believers do not want to walk in fear, because we know who holds the future and our worries, frustrations, anger, rage add nothing only take away our peace of mind. We can trust in Him who has always been. Let God's word saturate your heart.

Isaiah 40:21-31 
Do you not know? 
Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
He it is who reduces rulers to nothing,
Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. 
Scarcely have they been planted,
Scarcely have they been sown,
Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
And the storm carries them away like stubble. 

“To whom then will you liken Me

That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One. 

Lift up your eyes on high

And see who has created these stars,

The One who leads forth their host by number,

He calls them all by name;

Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,

Not one of them is missing. 

Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,“My way is hidden from the Lord,

And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”? 

Do you not know? 

Have you not heard?

The Everlasting God, the Lord,

 the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired.

His understanding is inscrutable.

 He gives strength to the weary, 

And to him who lacks might He increases power. 

Though youths grow weary and tired,

And vigorous young men stumble badly, 

Yet those who wait for The Lord

Will gain new strength;

They will mount up with wings like eagles,

They will run and not get tired,

They will walk and not become weary. 

He is above All things ~ and NOTHING is hidden from Him ~ not even the grasshoppers. 

If you don't know Jesus as your Savior then today is the day, for tomorrow may never come. Simply pray "Jesus I pray knowing you are the one true God and you died for my sins, I repent of my sins and ask that you forgive me of my sins that I may live for you and someday live eternally with you in heaven." You will never be alone and as you pray and seek after God with all your heart He will lead and guide your steps. Read and obey His word daily. 

God's love ~ extremely personal!

We are not invisible to God and our comings and goings are not in secret. He is the lover of our soul and He pursues us with that love.

Following our church service yesterday a woman stopped My husband and I. She had been seated directly behind us during the service and we were wearing our Sons of God MC colors. It was her first Sunday to church in many years due to circumstances and personal struggles. She said, "When the usher seated me directly behind you I knew I was in the right place." She told us about her son having a brain tumor many years ago when he was very young. They had lived in NJ at the time and there was a benefit for him. She remembered the Sons of God motorcycle club showed up and ministered to her in a very special way. Her son did not survive and through the years she has struggled to know God's love for her. As she shared her story tears filled her eyes and ours too. She came to church this morning by herself, seeking after God. It was no coincidence ~ God had ordered our seats!

Every moment of our life is an opportunity ~ To be honest as the usher seated us up front I felt uncomfortable. I wanted to pick my own seat more toward the middle where I am comfortable. As I submitted to the usher and sat where he directed I had not given it a thought that something so simple was exactly where God wanted me.

I am in awe of our Father in heaven who is not too busy ~ He sees us and He knows us. Psalm 139 He says He knows the number of hairs on our head. (Matt 10:30) As much as I love my daughter I do not know how many hairs are on her head. This woman was seeking after God and just as He has promised in Jeremiah 29:13 ~you will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. God kept His promise and whispered in her ear, "See how I love you, my child."

Walking, living image of God~

We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. As a believer and follower of Jesus I want to be conformed to His image more everyday. I believed on Jesus in 5th grade after attending a camp. A missionary spoke about hell and I knew I did not want to go there for sure. I loved Jesus and knew He was the truth. Since that day I have never turned back. What started out as a simple step of faith set my life on a path toward my heavenly home. Not that I have lived a perfect life, but I have desired after His way for my life. It is amazing to me how much growing I still have to do. There will never be an end until I see the Gates of Heaven til then I am still in the race.

After watching Schindler's List again the other night as it was on TV, I cried and cried at the end:When Oskar Schindler broke down realizing how many more Jews he could have saved from death if he had denied himself simple pleasures of life. Read Below:

Oskar Schindler:I could have got more out. I could have got more. I don't know. If I'd just... I could have got more.
Itzhak Stern:Oskar, there are eleven hundred people who are alive because of you. Look at them.
Oskar Schindler:If I'd made more money... I threw away so much money. You have no idea. If I'd just...
Itzhak Stern:There will be generations because of what you did.
Oskar Schindler:I didn't do enough!
Itzhak Stern:You did so much.
[Schindler looks at his car]
Oskar Schindler:This car. Goeth would have bought this car. Why did I keep the car? Ten people right there. Ten people. Ten more people.
[removing Nazi pin from lapel]
Oskar Schindler:This pin. Two people. This is gold. Two more people. He would have given me two for it, at least one. One more person. A person, Stern. For this.
[sobbing]
Oskar Schindler:I could have gotten one more person... and I didn't! And I... I didn't!

What is really important in life? It is a good reminder. . . Life is what is important. Life everlasting ~ this life is but a vapor.
James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Let us run this race with the end in mind~ sharing the hope that lives within us with the lost along the way.

Following in His Footsteps

     If there was anyone that ever walked the face of this earth that was justified to stand up for his rights against all the injustice done to Him it was Jesus. This past week at church our pastor shared about Jesus suffering prior to His crucifixion. We all know how He was horribly beaten, whipped, mocked and a crown of thorns pounded into his scalp, spit on and then crucified on a cross. But really stop and think about His reaction~ He said not a word in His defense...

I have thought about His silence all week ~ He did not say:
"Do you not know who I AM?"
"I am doing this for you! Unthankful people!"
"Stupid people, how can you not see 'I am the Messiah' you are studied in the Law in the prophecies of my coming!"

     He said nothing! He did not respond with self-righteous indignation or in self-defense. When He did speak, he said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." His speech was NOT filled with anger or irritation. His heart was full of compassion and love. Wow!

    Yes, He is God and we are human. However, we have the same power available to us to overcome. To walk in the power of the cross. I want to walk in Jesus footsteps. He said not a word and when He did speak he prayed.

    I thought about how Jesus prepared himself for that day. . . what happened before He suffered on the way to the cross. He went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. He said to his disciples "my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." He asked them to stay with him and pray. He prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

     The challenges I face seem insignificant in comparison, but the truth is Jesus suffered so we can live and have life abundantly. It is for Him I live. So in difficult situations, trying situations (I am really thinking of difficult days at work- which I have had recently) I need to be prepared ahead of time ~ knowing what lays ahead of me. Jesus example encourages me. I will not fail to call on My Father in Heaven to help me. His will not mine. Fill me with your compassion and love overflowing so I am prepared in the 12th hour, when my human strength is weakest. We don't have to do it on our own. Jesus has overcome the grave and we can too! There is peace, power and victory. I will look at each difficulty as an opportunity to love someone and become more like Christ Jesus my Lord!