When it rains it pours…

It never ceases to amaze me how a bad day can quickly turn into a horrible day in just seconds! Have you been there? I'm pretty sure we've all been there before. The way I see it, I can either have a pity party, you know, whine about my day, complain, feel sorry for myself or I can do something else. I can refuse to get down and stay focused on God. When I stay focused onGod then my day is smooth. Instead of focusing on how wonderful or awful my day seems I'll focus on His joy. Joy. Yes. Let me focus on God's joy.

Joy is different from happiness. Happiness is a feeling. Joy is from the Holy Spirit. It's more awesome than happiness! Joy is sustained no matter what's going on around you. It doesn't mean you'll walk around with a constant smile and an upbeat mood because you have joy. Joy means that you can withstand whatever life throws at you with a positive attitude. "But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely." Galatians 5:22-23 (MSG)

I’ll choose joy. How about you?

Thanks for reading this post! Praying for you! God bless you.

I can't see!

The type of garage door that we have has a remote. When you open the door with the remote a light in the garage automatically turns on. After some time I have become accustomed to this light. You see, the garage is very dark at night and without a light you can barely even see your hand even if you place it right in front of your face. Well, this light that I have grown so accustomed to automatically being there for me has gone out. It needs to be replaced. It's not anything difficult to do but, it just hasn't been done yet.

I have stumbled several times or have banged into something during my short walk from the car to the door that leads into the house. I know this is not a serious problem, its just a nuisance. I miss the light because I can't see well without it. I miss the light because I like to see what's around me. I want to know what's ahead of me before I step into that direction. This way I know I'm not going to trip or hurt myself or knock something out of place and break something. It's the same with everything else in life.

I like to know ahead of time what's in front of me so that I can plan accordingly. I like to know what I'm about to face before I face it so that I can be ready. I like to be prepared. Except, life isn't always so neat. Life is full of twists and turns that we can't always be ready for. We all have a journey that we're on in our lives. As believers in Christ this journey will ultimately end up in the same place, eternally dwelling with the Lord. Until we get there though what do we do when we know we are on the "right road" in life but yet we can't exactly see what's beyond the bend. Be it an illness, loss of work, problems with relationships, a death of a loved one.

Until one of us actually remembers to go to the hardware store to buy the little light bulb to replace the light that has gone out I have come up with ways to find other sources of light. Sometimes I leave the headlights of the car on while I walk over to the main light switch. Other times I leave the garage door open and use the dim light that filters in from the outside to guide me to the door. Other times I remember to tell the family to leave the light on for me.

When we encounter the unknown bends in the path on our journey of life there are different things the Lord does to help us see more clearly how to handle the circumstances we are in. He knows what's going on in our lives and His ways of getting through the "bend" is the best way. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) "Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes." Ephesians 3:20 (TLB) Oh, precious God, thank you for being a light that will never go out!

"Okay, where did I put...?"

Sometimes I wonder if I could literary forget where I put my head if it could actually be detached. The days I seem to be most forgetful are the days that I am super-stressed! Do you know what I mean? On those days that it seems as though there are a million things to do, and the list just keeps getting longer and longer, are when my mind becomes most absent. I'm not the only one that gets stressed, right?

It's when I'm looking for my keys or my purse or my eyeglasses for the umpteenth time that I feel exasperated. Now there's a great word, exasperated. According to the on-line Miriam Webster dictionary the definition for exasperated is, "to make (someone) very angry or annoyed." Sometimes we can exasperate ourselves. It sounds a bit funny but its true.

What to do when we're feeling exasperated? Take it out on our loved ones? Take it out on our co-workers? Take it out on the guy that keeps honking the horn at you even though you can't move because you're on the school pick up car line and he doesn't seem to get that...! Okay, yes, that last one just happened to me the other day. The best thing to do is to literary stop and pray.

Prayer is the best way to handle any kind of stress. It helps to refocus. When we refocus we remember that it's not about us. Life for that day is going to be okay because God is with us. No matter how sad, angry, grieved or excited we are our, day is going to end when the twenty-fourth hour hits and a new day will start at hour one. The "bad day" will end and another day will begin. "God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done." 2 Corinthians 9:8

There is freedom in Truth!

Truth is powerful. It brings life. It has been here since the beginning, and it still exists today. Truth is available to all who seek it in the person of Jesus Christ. Even though our society tells us that it's narrow-minded to believe in ultimate truth, there's lots of evidence that says we should run after it with all our hearts. Christ says the truth will set us free. And that promise is true for all time. 

"Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” John 8:31-32 (MSG)

Always going!

I don't know about you but I am busy. I'm busy pretty much all of the time. Life is so busy for everyone. I love learning about Jesus and about His ministry. He was always going and He still is actually. There isn't a day that passes that Jesus isn't doing something on behalf of you and me. Thing is He had a pattern that we should all emulate. He always started His day with His Father in prayer. He ended His day in prayer. He prayed a lot. He was always seeking His Father's guidance. God was (and still is) involved in everything and anything Jesus was doing. Jesus led a God-focused life. "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." John 5:30 (NKJV) Every word He spoke was centered on His Father, "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak." John 12:49 (NKJV)

Am I saying we should be praying 24/7 and not do anything else. No! That's not what Jesus did. He lived a life centered on His Father. God was not only first in His life, God was in all parts of His life. That's a God-centered life. What does this have to do with busyness? Sometimes we get so busy that we forget to include God in all areas of our lives. We forget sometimes to include God in the small things and not just the big things. God wants to be involved in all areas of our lives. He wants to be the One to guide us through this life that can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, exhausting, frustrating. Life is hard when we try to handle everything on our own. Life is WAY MORE manageable when we ask and follow God's guidance.

I pray that we all remember to always live a God-centered life. That we include Him in all areas of our lives, not just a select few. I pray that we will remember to look up when we get super stressed out with whatever is going on right now and ask God to help us. I pray that we remember Him when we're happy and all is well and when we're sad and hurting too. That we remember Him no matter how busy we are.
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Thank you for reading! God bless you! Please feel free to share this post with your loved ones. 

SPEAK UP!!!

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) Many believers either know this verse or know of it. This is a very popular passage in the Scriptures but, even though it is very popular few follow it. I know I didn’t. I believed that this command was to be followed by the Missionary or the Pastor. Thankfully, by God’s grace, mercy and patience with me I know longer reject this command or any part of His Word. If we say we believe that the Bible is the Word of God then we have to accept ALL of it as His Truth.

When sharing the gospel keep in mind you have the Holy Spirit with you. You are not alone. We also have to power of the Bible. There is power in the Word of God! It changes people forever! The gospel in and of itself is powerful and can cut to the heart that is willing to receive. The very first sermon with the gospel message ever given was by Peter. He was speaking to a large group of people from many different parts of the world. They all had one thing in common. They were all Jewish or Jewish converts. They all knew that Jesus had been crucified. They all knew that something was very different with Peter and the others standing with him. They mocked them just like people mock believers today. “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel…” Acts 2:14-16 By the end of his sermon there were three thousand who were converted on what we call the day of Pentecost!

That was an amazing day. It is amazing when one or three thousand come to Christ. The Bible says there’s a celebration in heaven every time someone comes to Christ. It is amazing to be a part of it! Are you part of it? Do you share God’s Truth with others? Have you spoken up? If you have, AMEN! If you have yet too don’t wait any longer, speak up!

Please keep in mind that you do not have to take any courses or be trained on how to share Christ with others. You can start doing so immediately. If you would like a helpful guide there are various tools that can help you. There’s the “Romans Road” at http://christianity.about.com/od/conversion/qt/romansroad.htm. There are also apps that can be downloaded on your Smartphone to help you. Of course, all of these help tools are great for you but, nothing beats the guide of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

Thank you for reading this post! My dear friend I am praying for you. May God continue to bless you!

Waiting

The definition for praying, according to the Oxford on-line dictionary is, “Address a solemn request or expression of thanks to a deity…Wish or hope strongly for a particular outcome or situation.” I was curious about how many Americans pray. The Washington Post had an article posted about this entitled, “Most Americans Believe in Higher Power, Poll Finds, by Jacqueline L. Salmon (Washington Post Staff Writer, posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008; Page A02). It stated that most “Americans believe that angels and demons are active in the world, and nearly 80 percent think miracles occur…The study detailed Americans' deep and broad religiosity, finding that 92 percent believe in God or a universal spirit…More than half of Americans polled pray at least once a day.” 

I wonder how many of those that pray are willing to accept one of the three answers the Lord gives to prayer which are, “yes,” “no,” or “wait.” Of the three answers the one that everyone seeks most if not all of the time is the “yes” answer. The Lord knows best. He knows when “yes” is for your best and when it is not. He also knows when “wait” is the best answer for the time being. Are we willing to wait though? Are we willing to remain obedient when God’s answer of a “yes” or “no” is not being given as quickly as we would like?

The Bible is full of stories of people that were unwilling to accept a “wait” answer and the consequences they received for their disobedience. I’ll share one example about Abraham. God promised him a son by his wife Sarah even though they were an elderly couple. They were unwilling to wait for their son which brought on a lot of bad consequences. Did they ever receive their promised son? Yes, twenty years later. “Then God did as he had promised, and Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a baby son in his old age, at the time God had said...” Genesis 21:1-2 (TLB)

The Bible is also full of people that did wait on the Lord. Hebrews 11 is known as the “Hall of Faith.” It lists those that lived in obedience and how their faith is the reason why they were successful. Can you imagine what would have happened to them if they had not waited on the Lord? Would Joshua and the people of Israel had been as triumphant when going into the Promised Land? Would Esther have been killed by her husband, the king, and in turn the people of Israel annihilated had she not waited for the appropriate time to speak to the king? Would Gideon and his 300 men have been successful if they had not waited on the Lord? What would have happened to Mary, the mother of Christ, if she had not waited on the Lord? She was an unwed teen-aged mother. She would have been stoned to death had her secret been let out. 

“Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14 (NASB) I know I have had a hard time waiting on the Lord many times in my life but, my dear friends let me share this Truth with you. Every time I have waited on the Lord for His answer, the right answer, it was always attached with His blessings, love, peace and joy. When I chose not to wait what I received were headaches, frustrations, anxiety and heartaches. How about you? May we always wait on the LORD. May we live our lives in obedience, waiting…waiting for God’s answer. 

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Thank you for reading! My dear friends I pray these words may be of a blessing for you. I am praying for you. God bless!