January 15, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Totally trusting in His care, Tuesday!  My sister gave me one of those daily inspirational calendars; each day there is a verse from one of the Psalms….I love Psalms don’t you.  Today, as I tore off yesterday’s and read today’s…...a sweet peace came over me……a quiet strength…..I could feel worries being lifted…..The verses are from Psalm 139, “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”   I sighed….a deep cleansing sigh……Oh silly me….how can I for even one second think that I am alone…..”in the uttermost parts” of the pile of bills…….of health issues…..cranky husband….wayward child…..aging parents……grief……Take my hand and lead Father, holding 0nto You I am safe……trusting and believing in Your power in my life……according to Your will.  Thank you Father, all glory, honor, and praise to You.

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…..Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?...If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you…..How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them they would outnumber the grains of sand.  When I awake, I am still with you…..Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  From Psalm 139.

Love you all!

January 14, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Marveling in His mighty love, Monday!   I usually buy groceries on payday Friday, but last Friday things came up and I just couldn’t get to it; so Kim and I decided to come into town late Saturday afternoon, get groceries, and then go out to dinner!  It was really cold, so I dressed appropriately…or so I thought.  Warm coat, gloves, stocking hat and my warm, all- weather, Ugg type boots.  About half way through our list it sounded like jet airplanes were right on top of us….was actually a torrential downpour!  By the time we finished shopping and headed to the car it was barely sprinkling, but of my gosh!  The parking lot was flooded….and it was cold!  I was so glad that I was dressed for the occasion (or so I thought)  feeling so smug in all my outer wear I drudged right into the flooded parking lot…..OH NO!  THERE’S NO WAY!!!  THESE BOOTS ARE WATER PROOF!!!!......or so I thought.  Within a matter of seconds, my feet were soaked…..my boots leaked….my boots that I was so sure were all weather…..leaked…..I thought I was ready for anything and my boots leaked….within seconds!  Later that evening after we got back home and I was removing my wet socks and trying to warm my feet I couldn’t help but think that the smug feelings I had about my “all weather” boots carries into my life.  How often do we carry on like we are untouchable….that will never happen to me….we go about our daily lives with little contact with our Heavenly Father, smugly thinking we are prepared for things on our own and then….BAM!!!!  In a matter of seconds our life feels like it is flooded with worry…..one minute we are smug and confident and the next minute “our feet are wet” with stress and worry……alone in the blowing wind and rain…..drowning…..in just a matter of seconds!  Good news!  Doesn’t have to be this way, nope!  We just need to stay dressed in God’s word, praying and talking to HIM daily….heck hourly…….That’s where we get our strength, our protection from the “bad weather” this world can dump on us……Spending time, regular time with our Heavenly Father we are prepared for the storms……Father, we know that life will always have its storms, but we are so thankful that You are there with us when we call on You!  Help us to stay “dressed” in You every day in every way.

For nothing is impossible with God.  Luke 1:37.  For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. Philippians 4:13.  The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him  Daniel 9:9.  Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11.

Love you all!

January 9, 2013

Good Morning Friends! Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday! The rain is wonderful, so needed and I thank our Heavenly Father for every drop, but I have to admit that my drive in this morning seemed dreary….so dark, a heavy, misty fog limited visibility causing a sense of gloom to drift in. It’s against my nature to be gloomy, just hate it, so I said a little prayer asking for a gloom lifter……Life does get gloomy at times doesn’t it…..so much sickness, finances….so dang much to do and so little time….life’s gloom limits our visibility….limits us from seeing, experiencing the light of God’s love….My first duty in the mornings is to go over the newspaper for relevant articles. I always read the “Today’s Prayer” on the front page of the OK Paper…So today as I opened the paper and found the prayer my thoughts on my drive in came perfectly clear…..”The comfort of returning to You, Lord, follows the sorrow of our time away from Your words. Amen.” Oh my…..yes….the Light…..the gloom is lifted…..I feel HIS love…..when I return…..when I am with HIM……I am comforted. Thank You Father for comforting us through all of our gloom. Keep us focused on Your Light!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4. Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13. Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with great joy than when their grain and new wine abound. Psalm 4:6-7.

 

Love you all!

January 8, 2013

Good Morning Friends!!!! Totally taken by HIS love, Tuesday! Have you ever had a problem, want, need, issue that you just prayed about and prayed and prayed…weeks, months, years……friends praying with you, but dang seems like nothing is happening? God isn’t listening…..He just doesn’t feel my pain……I have a good friend that has been in this situation for a couple of years…..we have faithfully prayed for God’s guidance and help with her problem……nothing….Yesterday I had a chance to visit with her for a few minutes; we had not talked in a couple of weeks….my goodness she just glowed! She jumped up, clapping her hands together, hugged me and whispered in my ear the most beautiful answer to her prayers…..I was so excited for her....I shouted out loud, “Oh thank you Father for hearing our prayers.” What seemed like a long time to us….was God’s perfect time……so often she would be so discouraged, wondering why. I always tried to encourage her, emphasizing that we must pray harder….we have to give it to HIM! But I too would be discouraged for her…..And then all of a sudden…BAM! Her problem is fixed…..oh there will be other problems for sure, but yesterday renewed my faith, strengthened my perseverance….uplifted me and humbled me…..Father forgive me when I lose hope, or feel ignored by You….Thank you for hearing all of our prayers and answering them in Your Perfect Time with Your Perfect Plan! Help us be faithful in our prayers for others.

 I wait for you, O Lord; you will answer, O Lord my God. Psalm 38:15. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16. “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear,” says the Lord. Isaiah 65:24. “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 33:3. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears t God. Job 16:20.

Love you all!

January 7, 2013

Good Morning Friends! Magnificent Monday, loved by HIM! Seven years ago I was given a very special gift from a close friend of my daughter Stacy’s. It is an Italian charm bracelet; she had several charms on it for me. SRK, Stacy’s initials, HIK, my granddaughter Hayden’s initials, an angel and a heart…..a beautiful gift at any time for sure, but a most precious gift to me because it was given to me on the day that Stacy and Hayden were laid to rest…..7 years ago. Other than when I am working on the ranch, I have worn that bracelet almost every day! Silly, I know, but slipping it on my wrist gives me some kind of comfort. Yesterday, sitting in church, head bowed, my eyes focused on my bracelet…..I tenderly touched the charms….the initial charms are worn almost completely smooth…....have been for a while now….I thought about replacing them, but only for a fleeting moment; I really don’t need to see the letters to know what they represent…..they are in my heart. As I sat there, in God’s house, beautiful music coming from the organ, surrounded by loving Christian friends, I smiled to myself……silly thought once again…..my beautiful bracelet with worn out charms….is like our faith…….I have never seen God, but I know that He is there. I wasn’t there at the manager to see Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, or at the cross to witness His death, or there to see the empty tomb, but I know…..I believe that Jesus died and rose for me……God’s only Son, my Savior……my faith is rooted in Him without ever seeing Him……I gently rubbed the charms, thanking God for the gift of His Son and asked Him to keep my faith strong. Thank you Father, all glory, honor and praise to You.

We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1. Thought you have not seen Christ, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9.

January 3, 2012

Good Morning Friends! Totally trusting in His will Thursday! Happy New Year everyone! Although we never really know what even the next minute is going to hold for us, it seems that the beginning of a new year is always a time for reflection……things that happened in the last year and what lies ahead in the new. Times in our world seem to be unsettled…..stressed…..full of anger…worried about cuts in our paychecks….health care……world unrest…It would be easy for us to feel forlorn, depressed….but we are not alone, nor will we ever be…these are times we must truly draw on our faith, pull closer to our Heavenly Father…..hear His words…."Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:5-8. He is our refuge and strength……don’t leave home without HIM! Remember the sparrows I told you about the other day, frolicking in the rain puddles….not a worry in the world…..”Consider the raven: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” Than the birds…..how much more are we worth to our Heavenly Father…..Oh friends, like the angles told the shepherds so many years ago, “Fear not!” We are not alone, for goodness sake….He knows how many (or not) hairs we have on our heads! We are His adored children….now and forever! Heavenly Father, thank you for the promise of being with us every day in every way….helps us to totally trust and believe in Your will for us. This is the day the Lord has made……let’s get to rejoicing!

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:34. Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemptions. Psalm 130:7. I love Psalms, don’t you!

 

Love you all!

December 31, 2012

Good Morning Friends! Mighty and Awesome is our God, Monday! Last night when I got up to go to the bathroom I was greeted by the sound of rain on the porch roof…..it was just before midnight….I said a thank you prayer and thought what a wonderful way to end the year of terrible drought conditions….in so many ways. I headed back to bed, as I laid down and snuggled in I could hear the rain…..I drifted off to sleep thanking God, thinking of the new year ahead. I was so excited to find it was still raining when I got up….Wow, THANK YOU FATHER! We do so need this gentle rain. I got ready for work and headed out the door where I was greeted by lots of sparrows. Happy sparrows frolicking in all the puddles in the driveway. I stood under the ledge for a minute just watching them…..been a long time since we had puddles in the driveway and the little birds were thrilled…..they jumped from puddle to puddle….I could feel their delight, they were going to experience every puddle. I headed to the car, my thoughts on the new year, the rain, the puddles and the birds…..God’s love rains on us every day, even when we feel like our life is in drought conditions His puddles of love are everywhere just waiting for us to frolic in……just waiting to splash us with His perfect peace, mercy, grace, forgiveness….HIS LOVE is always there....2012 is almost over, 2013 just around the corner…..only our Heavenly Father knows what’s in store for us, but one thing for sure HIS LOVE is constant…..in the rainy season or during a life drought…..there’s a puddle of love, blessings, comfort waiting for you……You don’t even need an umbrella or goulashes…….Father, thank for the many blessings of 2012 and the many times You lovingly spared us from our sinful selves. Be with us as we begin a brand new year…..rejuvenate our faith, help us to resolve to serve You bigger and better…..All Glory, Honor and Praise to You!

Praying that each of you find your special “puddle” in this New Year…..Happy, Blessed New Year! Love you all!

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13. He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32. My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and bot be faint. Isaiah 40:31. 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. 

 

Consider the birds of the air……