Overflowing With Thankfulness

Hi friends, I reached back in my archives and pulled out our Today from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving last year….and there’s a thank you… modern technology!  I’m just so excited today, silly I know, but couldn’t seem to settle down with a new thought……so many thank yous running through my mind….I know that each of us have certain struggles going on, but for the next few days, let’s try to focus on the positives…..lift our hearts and minds in total praise and see what happens….let’s remember our prayers of comfort for those mourning, healing for loved ones with health problems, peace and rest for troubled minds.  Chiming in with apostle Paul in his words from Thessalonians….”Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks!  1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18.

 

Good Morning Friends! Thankful, oh so very Thankful to be loved by HIM wonderful Wednesday!!!  The Johnson family has always had a family reunion at Thanksgiving.  Kim and I have not attended since we moved to Oklahoma, but oh I have some great memories of our Johnson Thanksgivings.  As I sat in the quiet darkness this morning having my morning chat with our Heavenly Father, my thoughts went to Thanksgiving…..being thankful, grateful, I asked for a true attitude of gratitude, I felt so blessed and undeserving of all the blessings I receive day in and day out…..Thanksgiving attitudes should be everyday….Father forgive us when we forget in between.  Well, anyway the Johnson reunions kept coming into my mind and I thought about my sister-in-law, Rita.  Rita is from Germany, Kim’s brother met her while he was stationed there many years ago.  She is a wonderful, kind, unselfish woman….worthy of thanks!  Well, what I really remember about Rita at Thanksgiving is that she always cleaned the turkey carcass…..yes the most dreaded, awful job of the whole meal and Rita did it (sure she probably still does) every time, without asking, without griping… with a smile.  Rita would stand as long as it took and pick the meat off the carcass so we could make something tasty, she never missed one speck.  Lots of times we were done with the rest of cleanup and ready for pie and Rita would still be picking…..smiling, chatting with her heavy German accent…..love just oozed from Rita as she completed the most dreaded job of the day!  You know….we don’t have to do great things to serve……it’s what’s in our hearts…..Rita’s heart reflected God’s love as she worked on the carcass….she knew the rest of us hated that job, dreaded it, so she lovingly took the job from us….Rita knows what Thanksgiving is all about……Father help us see that there are so, so many ways to serve You, to show You how grateful we are for all you do for us.  Father thank you for Your greatest gift….Your SON… who took our sin from us.  Fill us with love and gratitude.  To You be all glory, praise and honor!  A quote from Roy Lessen, “It is not how busy you can be for the Lord that makes a difference, but what the Lord does through your obedience to Him that really matters.”  Father, help us to listen and obey.

 

Rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.  Colossians 2:7.  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.  Psalm 118:1.  Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (s)!  2 Corinthians 9:15.  May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.  2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.

Praying your Thanksgivings are blessed with His best. Love and peace to each of you.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!!

 

You Better Not Pout...

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully loved by Him, Tuesday!  Cooper is out of school today, so Papa has his favorite helper!  I’m not sure who was more excited Papa or Cooper, but I do know who was quite mad about the whole deal!  Oh my, Miss Katy wanted to stay with Papa too and she did not hold back on her emotions one little bit.  I grabbed my robe and ran outside to say hi to her…..Well, let’s say it was definitely a one way conversation and Katy was not a part of it! From the confines of her car seat she did not even look up at me when I excitedly called her name, waving like only a crazy Nana can…..she sat perfectly still and glared at me…eyes squinted, mouth stern and stiff….a look, that to anyone but a Nana, could have actually seemed hostile!  Bless her heart she just does not understand why Cooper can stay with Papa, but she can’t….she loves going to Grammi’s (where she stays while mommy works), but it’s just the thought of missing out on Papa fun.  I keep seeing that look on Katy’s precious face……Katy, just a young child, doesn’t understand……but how about us…..How often do our faces display an attitude that is not becoming…..hostile….unwelcoming….When our Heavenly Father looks at us, what does HE see?  I know that we can’t be running around grinning from ear to ear all the time….but did you know that it is proven that smiling makes us feel better!  More importantly than sporting a smile on our face is what our heart looks like….When our Heavenly Father looks into our hearts, what does He see?  Does He see unselfishness or greed?  Does He see envy or encouragement?  Does He see anger or self-control?  Does He see trust or stress?  Every day we encounter situations that may be stressful, hurting, promote anger, cause worry…..how we handle these situations depends on what is in our hearts……Does He see love?  If our hearts reflect HIS love we have everything we need to get through the worst of situations (even if it means not staying with Cooper and Papa)!  His love is our strength, our guidance, our hope…..our everything!  Father, remove our pouting faces, fill our hearts with YOU, and help us to share Your love….Father when people look at us….let them see You.  Thanksgiving and Praise to You, our Loving Father!

 

The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.  The Lord protects the simple hearted; when I was in great need, He saved me….I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord.  Psalm 116:5-6 & 17.  Co not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  Ephesians 4:29.  A happy heart makes the faith cheerful.  Proverbs 15:13.  A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.  Proverbs 15:30.  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13.

Love you all!

 

Ice, Ice, Baby!

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty Awesome is our God, Monday!  Most of you know that my husband and I moved here from California fifteen years ago.  I think that for the most part, I have acclimated quite well to my rural Oklahoma life……yep, I can worm and vaccinate sheep with the best, feed the cows, haul hay, clear pastures, load firewood (and I keep a mean fire in the woodstove), a master of tick patrol, stay by myself during a tornado watch, why I can even fry a pretty darn good pan of okra….but there’s one aspect of Oklahoma living that this California native just can’t get mastered…..driving in inclement…..icy……weather!  Usually at the first hint of sleet, ice, or snow I hitch a ride to work with my good friend Linda.  She lives in Clarita so we hook up in Tupelo; Linda is an expert driver in the worst of conditions!  When I realized last Friday, that Linda was off today……I immediately began to panic…..bad weather predicted through the weekend and into Monday…..oh my…..however will I get to work!!!  We didn’t have ice in California….I hate it….I’m not good at it…..Oh my what will I do (are you feeling real bad Linda,  lol).  Well sure enough we had weather…..I checked the weather channel throughout the day yesterday, stewing and fretting about driving in today…..I got up at 5 as usual and looked out the back door….yep….it had snowed or something during the night, didn’t look like much but there was a layer of white.  Too early to call inclement weather, but on the dot of 6 am I called our Inclement Weather number for work…..”all offices open on schedule” was the report!   At 6:03 am I texted a neighbor that has to be to work in Ada at 6 am.  He said the roads were just wet, but be careful of ice on bridges and over passes.  Ok, I can do this… I fearfully told myself over and over….as I headed into town I called Cooper’s daddy, he had worked all night and would just be getting home, so I could get an update.  Charley said, roads are good, just watch bridge by Owl Creek, little icy!  Clenching the steering wheel I proceeded with caution…..saying a little prayer for God’s protection….after just a few minutes….the light in my fearful mind came on……I remembered our talks from last week on being thankful….Then, bravely, feeling less stressed and more confident I said a thank you prayer….Father, thank you for my safe trip to work!  And here I am….fear….is the devil’s advocate that’s for sure….and the sure way to fight the devil is by staying hooked up to our Father…..keeping HIM foremost in our hearts and minds all the time…..ceaseless conversation with HIM…..letting go and letting HIM do the driving!  Father, forgive me when I fear first…..increase my faith so that I come to YOU first when the roads are icy!  Thank you!!!!

 

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel:  “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the fame scorch you.  Isaiah 43:1-2.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  1 John 4:18.  Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.  Proverbs 29-25.  The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7. 

Emotional Intelligence

Good Morning Friends!  Forever His, Friday!  Yesterday I attended a customer service class entitled “Emotional Intelligence.”  The main gist was how we use our emotions to best serve our customers and co-workers, including tips to recognize and deal most effectively with their emotions.  I really enjoyed the class, learned some new things about myself and others that I will apply in my job, but it wasn’t until this morning, while reading a meditation with a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. that I realized the lesson I learned in class yesterday, certainly doesn’t just apply to my job!  King said, “The time is always right to do what is right.”  Wow! …..One more time, “The time is always right to do what is right.”  That was the very essence “Emotional Intelligence”  it’s always right to give the very best service that we can….always.  Sitting in my chair this morning, pondering King’s quote…..I realized that God’s lesson for us is “emotional intelligence”…… Treat others as you want to be treated, love our neighbor as ourselves, do what is right in God’s eyes…..be kind and compassionate to one another. Eph. 4:32…. be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Rom. 12:10……Father, clear our hearts, minds and desires of the “me, me, me” attitude and replace it with “Emotional Intelligence” of YOU…..Love each other as YOU loved us!

 

As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Colossians 3:12.  Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:2.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.  Galatians 5:22.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.  1 John 4:12.

Love you all!

Giving Thanks Day

 

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in His love, Wednesday!  Well, better late than never, Kathyrn and I finally finalized our plans for Thanksgiving last night….Not a big crowd, but still good to be organized right!  Everybody is talking about their plans, all the sale papers full of ads for turkey, ham, cranberries, pumpkin, stuffing, you know all the good traditional stuff….Thanksgiving…….I was thinking this morning that the name of the day needs to be changed to “Giving Thanks Day.”  Giving thanks….oh how slack I can be in that department…..This morning I was reading in the book of Acts, Paul was talking to the people of Ephesus about his work there and encouraging them to carry on in the faith when he leaves…..it was the words of our Savior, he quoted, that got me to thinking, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  Acts 20:35.  Blessed to give….think about it….These are the words of the GRANDEST GIVER of all time!!!!  He gave HIS LIFE for us….HIS LIFE…..and says, “It is more blessed to GIVE than to receive”  That thought is almost incomprehensible to me……We received the gift of Eternal Life and He is blessed…..I feel, sad at my smallness, but energized to GIVE more….starting with THANKS…..I am blessed with so much and yet so often complain, envy, feel discontent……I am giving thanks that for that I am forgiven for each of those….thankful that I have a chance to do better……thankful for food, clothes, a warm home, car that starts, a good job….especially thankful for the love and support of family friends in this life……thankful that I have so much to give…..and thankful that my giving will be blessed through the love of our Heavenly Father.  Father, help me to always be a cheerful giver, I simply share what you have given me.  Thank you Father for the GREATEST GIFT.

 

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful give.  (what more motivation do we need).  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  As it is written; “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”  2 Corinthians 9:7-9.  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.  Enter His gate with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.  For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.  Psalm 100.

Love you all!

Our POWER is UP!

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Tuesday!  I wanted to go to the bank before work today, so I exited on Cradduck instead of coming in on the loop as usual.  Good grief!  Road construction big time…..and you know that with road construction comes lots of warning signs….uneven lanes….right lane closed ahead….power lines with an arrow pointing up!  Warning signs are a good thing you know, they keep us from getting into predicaments that could cause us problems, accidents, damaged car, tickets….So I always watch and heed the warning signs….It was really the “Power Lines”  that got my attention.  One after another the bright orange signs heeded the warning that the overhead power lines were hanging low.  After passing 3 or 4 of them I got the giggles…..POWER LINES UP……go figure!  First the warning signs….uneven lanes….oh life’s lanes can be most uneven at times….and how we struggle when the lanes are closed……but not to worry……the POWER is UP!!!  Our strength and hope is UP!!!!   Our comfort and healing, peace and rest are UP!!!!  When we are hanging low with “life’s construction” stress, sickness, worry, depression…..when we are hanging low…..Our POWER is UP!!!  Up into the loving arms of our Heavenly Father….UP where He is waiting for us to come to Him for rest, peace, and hope…..UP where He is anxiously waiting to lift our burdens, heal our pain…..lead and guide us through the construction zones.  Father, thank you for being our omnipresent  Power and strength.  We are weak Father and don’t always heed the warning signs, forgive us, increase our faith, enable us to always come to you for every need.  To You, Oh Awesome Father be all glory, honor, and praise.

 

God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.  1 Corinthians 10:13.  Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.  Psalm 55:22.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this:  He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.  Psalm 37:5-6.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7.  Do  not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been please to give you the kingdom.  Luke 12:32.  The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Deuteronomy 3:8.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Romans 12:12.

Love you all!

The One Who Never Changes

Good Morning Friends!  Freely forgiven, forever loved, Friday!  Gosh, remember last week we talked about how beautiful it was outside, fall leaves against the still green grass and then the glistening frost….Oh how quickly things change!  As I walked outside this morning the site that greeted me was….well, not so beautiful???  The flowers planted in pots for me by grandchildren last spring had frozen to death……Yuck what a sad site and then driving in the beautiful green grass…..gone…..so quickly the green grass, because of the frost had turned browned…..so many changes so quickly…..and not the most pleasant ones….Like our lives….the changes that happen at times so quickly are hard on us……changes at work cause us stress, change in prices of gas and groceries burden us, health changes can be devastating…..quickly the beautiful green in our lives turns to dismal brown……anxiety and worry consume us…..But hold on friends…..there is ONE who never changes….ONE who is always green with life everlasting….ONE whose love for us is constant and overflowing…..”Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  Hebrews 13:8.  Jesus Christ, our Best Friend’s love for us has been the same since the beginning of time……A love so strong that He gave His life for us……a love that encourages us to come to Him and unburden ourselves of life’s struggles….He will carry them for us…..How blessed we are Father to be loved by a changeless God.

 

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.  Psalm 55:22.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5.  Jesus said, “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20.

Love you all!

Ten Ways to Love

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Thursday!  Well, for the second day in a row I am going to share an email I received from a friend….just too good not to share!  “Loving” isn’t always easy is it…..be it our spouse, child, friend, or…..God says love our enemies…..at times we just are not in the mood to be “loving.”   However….we do have a very important command from our Best Friend….Jesus said, “My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.”  John 15:12.  Wow….that definitely puts a different aspect on “I not in the mood today.”  What if, our Father wasn’t in the mood to hear our prayers, heal our sicknesses, comfort our sad hearts, heck help us get through Walmart…..What if….OK, scroll back up to the top of the email and read the list again, closely please.  Each one has an important message for us….tips to help us “love each other as Jesus loves us.”  Each one has an important message for each of us for sure, but maybe one really hit a little closer to home than the others….start with that one….give it to HIM and remember HE forgives without punishing and gave HIS only Son for us…..”You yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.”  1 Thessalonians 4:9.  No, it’s not easy to love like our Father loves us, but we can give it our very best with HIM guiding and directing us…..And oh the returns are great….worth the effort.  Father fill us with the desire to love others, like You LOVE us, even when we are not in the mood.

 

Keep on loving each other.  Hebrews 13:1How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together I unity!  Psalm 133:1.  Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:2. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one anothr, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.  1 John 4:12. 

Love you all!

He is Our All in All

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully cared for by our Awesome God, Wednesday.   I am fighting off a cold, so I feel kind of groggy this morning….hadn’t had a clear thought for us to share until I read the poem below by Roy Lessen…..my sweet Texas cousin shared  with me.  Go ahead, take a minute and read it a couple of times……What do you think…..please be still for a minute, close your eyes…..clear your mind of everything but HIM….breath……I am serious….please, .trust me on this…..whatever you are doing….be still….let HIM in……just for a minute…..HE IS OUR ALL IN ALL our EVERYTHING…..EVER PRESENT…..ALWAYS.  Eternal Father…..how blessed we are to be Your children, loved and protected ALWAYS……

 

He Is-

The Almighty One and your Might,
The Provider and your Provision,
The Giver and your Gift,
The Protector and your Protection,
The Warrior and your Victor,
The Healer and your Health,
The Blessed One and your Blessing,
The Eternal One and your Ever-Present Help in time of need.  Roy Lessen  

 

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for you Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”  Luke 12:32.

Love you all!

Putting God's Teachings Into Practice: Philippinas 4:8

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty is our God, Monday!  This morning my time in God’s word led me to Philippians 4:8, Paul’s words here really got me to thinking, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”  Wow, you might want to read that again….true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy…..simple words at first glance but Paul encourages us think about them, in verse 9 he says, “put into practice” all we have heard from him…..I have read that verse a hundred times I’m sure, but this morning the words really spoke to me…..I had to think of my actions…..gosh yesterday at church I snapped at a friend….plain rude…..nothing lovely or admirable for sure….As I finished reading and began my prayer time….I decided I was really going to work at having my thoughts and actions reflect Paul’s advice to us…..while sitting in the quiet of the morning, praying, it was easy….talking to God is the one time of day that my thoughts are right and pure….but then the morning began, time to get on the floor and do my exercises….I felt a grumble coming on….and not a lovely one…..a discussion with Kim about a problem we are having with neighbor caused thoughts that were definitely not noble….A call from Cooper warning me of the thick fog, strongly suggesting I leave early for work…..got me in a rush and my actions weren’t praiseworthy.  Getting into the car and heading out I could tell it was going to be a slow go….Immediately I felt grumpy and anxious…..irritated at the thick fog and the dangers it could present….Then I heard Him…..felt Him…..my thoughts…..that were not praiseworthy, or admirable or pure…..were slipping away…as I focused on our Father….His presence and love…my not so admirable thoughts changed…as I listened to HIM….leaned on Him…..talked to Him…..my thoughts could be right, pure…..lovely…..The praiseworthy….giving that one to our Heavenly Father!  He is the ONE holding me up, leading and guiding me….to HIM all glory and praise!!!!  Father, forgive us when our thoughts and actions are not a reflection of You……help us!

 

The Lord knows the thoughts of man;   Psalm 94:11a. Be kind and compassionate to one another.  Ephesians 4:32.  As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Colossians 3:12.  You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.  Psalm 16:11.  Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before Him with Thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.  For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all Gods.  Psalm 95:1-3. 

Love you all!

Fall: A Showcase of God's Magnificent Palette

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Thursday!  My goodness, this morning it seems that the beginning of winter may have touched our beautiful fall……Yesterday on my drive in I was just in awe of the beauty of fall around me….we have been so blessed with frequent rains that the grass is still green and the green grass with the fall colored leaves  framing it is simply spectacular….the reds, yellows, oranges against the green…..Our God is an awesome God….And did you notice the sky yesterday, my gosh pure white clouds sharing the bright blue sky with clouds of every shade of gray……breathtaking….I had intended to write about all that beauty yesterday, but the day got away from me, so this morning….Well, this morning when I got into my car and headed to work…..the scenery was even more impressive, intense….This morning the green grass glistened….sparkled….danced...with the first frost gently covering every blade ….the sun in the clear morning sky shining so brightly  the grass appeared to be covered in tiny sparkling gems….Breath taking….Our God is an awesome God!  How could anyone wonder about HIS existence!  As I drove, my heart over-flowed with love and gratitude to our Father for the beauty of His world, for the blessings that fill each day, for family, friends, job, home, church, for struggles that make me stronger and draw me closer to HIM……I was seeing His love in the sparkling grass……and I want to sparkle for HIM.  Father, our Creator….thank you…..Your world is magnificent, help us to be good caretakers and Father help us to sparkle with Your Love.

 

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.  But he way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.  My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart (and sparkle with them); for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Proverbs 4:18-22.  The Lord their God will save them on that day as the flock of His people.  They will sparkle in His land like jewels in a crown.  Zechariah 9:16.  Jesus said, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears, let him hear.  Matthew 13:43.  RISE, SHINE, GIVE GOD THE GLORY!!!  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth……AND IT IS GOOD!  Genesis 1:1.

Love you all!

Driving Through Life in the Dark

Good Morning Friends!  Totally His, Tuesday!  So, how do you like this time change?  Most people are griping about it….messed up their sleep, dark too early…I didn’t like feeding my critters in the dark last night, but I am loving driving to work in the light!  The last couple of weeks before the time change, it was plum dark on my drive in and there’s just something about driving to work in the dark that I am not crazy about.  Have to be so careful watching for deer and all the other critters out and about and frankly my vision isn’t that good in the dark, so I am really enjoying my morning drive the last couple of days.  Even today, with the clouds and rain, it was still light….makes my drive so much less stressful.  “Oh Father,”  I felt the familiar tap….”Oh yes…..I do get it.  Driving with You to light our way, the stresses are much easier to handle.”  So much of the time we drive through our lives stressed out, worried, anxious about the future, concerned about the present, troubled about our kids, family, friends, work…..dark….we are trying to drive through life in the dark….Why do we do that….we just cause ourselves so much grief and heartache that could so easily be avoided if we turned on the LIGHT!  The LIGHT of hope, peace, and love that is ours for the asking if we just go to HIM….the LIGHT of the world….the LIGHT for our lives, each one of us….individually….When we go to HIM through prayer and His word we are surrounded with LIGHT….our drive because much less stressful…oh there will always be potholes and critters to watch out for, but you will have the LIGHT of the WORLD to guide you through.  Father, thank you for lighting our way.

 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His WONDERFUL LIGHT.  1 Peter 2:9  When Jesus spoke t the people, He said, “I am the LIGHT of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the LIGHT of LIFE.”  John 8:12.  Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.  Isaiah 2:5.  The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.  Isaiah 60:19.  The Lord is my LIGHT and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?  Psalm 27:1. 

Love you all!

Is Your Worship Off Track?

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty awesome is our God, Monday!  Our church organist was out of town yesterday, so in her absence, Pastor ( he’s quite a good organist as well) recorded the whole service, liturgy and hymns on our awesome organ.  I don’t understand it all, but he records everything in order and then someone (Deb you’re the best) pushes the buttons at just the right time and we have our music!  It had been awhile since we had been without our awesome organist, so we were a bit rusty at the routine.  We are so programed by our organist to have just the right music at just the right time…so we go through the service virtually thought free….Yesterday, however things were not quite so on track…..during the liturgy we would all be doing as usual…singing with no thought when all of a sudden there would be no music….I have never heard so many deep breaths getting ready to belt out the words….big breath and nothing….the organ had not caught up with us…time and time again we would flub up….just not thinking….so used to things just going as they are supposed to.  At one point I looked up at Deb at the organ and we had to smile that “oops” smile at each other.  At that point I thought….my gosh, think Kathie…..you are in church, your worship should not be routine….use the pauses to reflect on God’s love, to thank Him for the blessings of the day, for the joy of being in His house, for His grace and forgiveness.  Use the pauses to bless Him….I enjoyed the rest of the service so much, looking forward for a chance to pause, to rest in His love and say, Thank you Father…..As I left church I asked our Father to help me to consciously pause throughout my days….to take a break, find rest and peace in Him, to thank and praise Him every chance I get!  Father, help us to never take You and the blessings you provide for us for granted….Thank you for the rest you provide when we come to You.  All glory and honor to You!

 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1.  Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.  Psalm 62:5.  The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Exodus 33:14.  Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.  Psalm 116:7.  Taste (pause) and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.  Psalm 34:8.  That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.  Ecclesiastes 3:13.  Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7.

Love you all!