November

4 11 2013

Backyard Fall Bloom

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

 

A little less than two months are left in the year and a chance to revisit the “to do” list for what we wanted to accomplish in 2013. Most of us have a list whether it is written down or if we have kept a running mental tally in our head. My list had an itemized outline about how I was going to move forward in my health, relationships, career and my spiritual life. Some things I was able to check off while others still remain prominently on the list. So at the 11th hour or in the 11th month, I review the list to see what is still doable. I have some work to do. Maybe you have a few items left on your list too. Thankfully if there are not things we can fully accomplish, there may be a way to move it to the next level. Maybe we can do the research for the project we wanted to start or maybe you can find out what it really takes to enroll in the class we wanted to take. It might be a good time to reach out to a loved one for reconciliation that should not drag on into the next year. We can ask God for the strength and direction to move where He is leading. I am so thankful for God’s blessings. He provides mercy and grace and the opportunity to move things forward. Thankfully, there is a little more time for the “to do” list for this year.





Gratitude

1 11 2013

 Seagulls over LA beach

 

Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts. Psalms 107:21-22

 

 

 

I am so thankful for another day. The blessing of health, life and strength are available to me and I am so thankful.  I woke up with energy and the ability to get ready for the day.  My heart is filled with gratitude.  I am so thankful that I can see God’s handiwork in me and in my life.  He is so merciful.  I am thankful for His goodness, His mercy and His grace that continues to encircle my life.  I can see God working in my heart and mind and He continues to perfect that which concerns me.  It is a day to be grateful.  It is day to return these blessings by blessing my Savior’s name.  I bless Him with praise and with the fruit of my hands.  I dedicate today to Him with a heart full of gratitude.  I am thankful. 





Live and Breathe

31 10 2013

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I bless GOD every chance I get;
my lungs expand with his praise.
I live and breathe GOD;
if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:
Join me in spreading the news;
together let’s get the word out.
GOD met me more than halfway,
he freed me from my anxious fears.
Look at him; give him your warmest smile.
Never hide your feelings from him.
When I was desperate, I called out,
and GOD got me out of a tight spot.
GOD’s angel sets up a circle
of protection around us while we pray.
Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—
how good GOD is. Blessed are you who run to him.
Psalms 34:1-8 MSG





Forgiveness and Healing

30 10 2013

IMG_1179He is the one who forgives all your sins, the one who heals all your diseases.

Psalm 103:3 God’s Word

The gifts of forgiveness and healing are eternal gifts from our Heavenly Father.  The acts of asking and receiving forgiveness bring restoration to our relationship with Jesus Christ. He is faithful and just to forgive us when we have fallen short, whether we are on the first day or the 10,000th day of our journey with Him. What a blessing of love and mercy that God has for us.

The sincere words of “I’m sorry” or “please forgive me” can bring a world of good to our earthly relationships too. Most misunderstandings can be turned in the right direction with the petition of forgiveness. We pray today for new and restored relationships with the Father. We also pray for the blessing of healed relationships between family, friends and wherever it is needed.





Getting a Life

29 10 2013

Bluff Clift Lighthouse 2 MV

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10

Jesus came that we might have abundant life. My vision of this life is full of peace, love, joy and contentment. Amazingly it does not include fear, anxiety and hate that seem so commonplace today. I have reached a time in my life where discovering meaningful ways to spend my time and energy are at the forefront of my mind. I have previously walked in ambiguity but I believe those days are behind me. I am excited about the road ahead because I believe our Father is faithful to provide the clarity and direction for moving forward. He can show us how to move into our purpose, providing the gifts and resources to bring it to pass. It’s a journey into the satisfying life He intends for each of us.





Guide My Feet

28 10 2013

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Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.   Proverbs 3:5-6 (New Living Translation)

 

 

Guide my feet, while I run this race – cause I don’t want to run this race in vain. On life’s journey we have to make many decisions. Each step of the way, we are compelled to ask God to direct our steps based on His will for our lives. This scripture and the words to this old spiritual are recognition of the importance of God’s leading in our lives. Even though we may be tempted or convinced to do what we feel is right in our hearts, if it is not aligned with God’s word or His direction, we must think again.  Yielded to His will, we are able to make Godly decisions that create the blessed life He intends for each of us.

Hold my hand, while I run this race – cause I don’t want to run this race in vain.

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105





The Master Weaver

25 10 2013

blue quilt

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God—those whom He has called according to His plan.    Romans 8:28

 

Life is often a series of varied experiences that with a naked eye it would be hard to believe that one thing contributed to the other. I am sure that many of us go through some things in life and wonder how this could possibly be a part of His plan for me. And it may be true that some things are not His perfect will for our lives. We may have made some choices not based on His Word and some hard lessons may need to be learned. Or maybe someone else’s poor decisions may have negatively impacted our lives. Despite all the things that we experience, once our situations are given to God, He is able to take the remnants of all of our experiences and weave them together for our good. This blessing from God I liken to a beautiful quilt that is composed of the shapes of our experiences. The individual shapes are colored with a spectrum of our joys and our pains. Standing alone an individual shape may be incredibly undesirable and ugly but in God’s hands woven with His grace and His mercy, stitched with His love, His peace and His joy it becomes a part of the beautiful fabric of our lives in Him.

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 26-28 MSG





Our thoughts, His Words

24 10 2013

In the breeze

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

Our thought life is an important aspect of our walk with the Lord. The conscious and sometimes random thoughts that go through our minds throughout the day have a powerful influence on how we live. What we think and ultimately the words that we speak have both the power of life and death. We have heard it before but often say careless things about ourselves, our circumstances and others. As His children, we desire that our thoughts and our words should please our Heavenly Father, reflecting His will for our lives. Consider your thoughts and your words. If negativity and uncertainty are a continuous theme, remove them from your vocabulary. Not sure what to say, use His words. The Holy Bible is full of direction and assurances for His people concerning every aspect of our lives: relationships, healing, direction and God’s plans for us.

Think and speak life today!

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14





Wade in the Water

23 10 2013

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For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. Mark 4:5

 

 

 

Freedom and healing are in the water. I imagine that is what the witnesses who sat by the pool of Bethesda thought. Water was a path toward freedom for the Israelites who were leaving the bondage of Egypt behind. These biblical accounts create vivid images for anyone who suffers from illness or bondage that another state of healing and freedom are possible. Enslaved Africans were inspired to “Wade in the Water” as they used the rivers of the South to travel undetected to places of freedom. These longstanding stories are relevant today, as many continue to seek healing and freedom for their lives. Jesus gives the Living Water that can provide healing for our souls. He is the one that can provide deliverance for our hearts and minds. Wading is an act of faith to come closer to Him and to immerse ourselves in His goodness and His mercy. The healing that we are seeking can be found in Him. The deliverance we are looking for is available in him. Come closer, step in and be made whole.

Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” John 4:10





Blessings

22 10 2013

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I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. Psalm 116:17

Blessings are all around us.  We have so many reasons to express our gratitude to our Heavenly Father.  We can thank Him for all that He does to meet our essential needs of life, health and strength, food and shelter.   We can thank Him for the blessing of friends and family who bring so much love and friendship into our lives.  We can thank Him for the tremendous blessings that extend beyond our needs and provide for the desires of our hearts.  He blesses us with satisfying work of our hands and visions for higher heights in service to Him.  We thank Him for the simple pleasures of the sunrise that start our days and the rain that feeds the earth.  We are thankful that He meets us at our point of need, a revived spirit, a healed body a strengthened inner man focused on Him.  We give thanks for all these blessings.   As we consider each one, we can feel His love and concern for us.  We can face a new day with praises on our lips and gratitude in our heart for all His many blessings to us.  He is worthy of all the honor and all of the praise.