Blessings - Word Filled Wednesday

Give us day by day our daily bread. Luke 11:3 NKJ

This picture was taken some years back and the memories have lingered. During a visit from my sister, her granddaughter was fond of calling us to dinner. She would say “come on Aunt Linda is going to say the blossums."  Before their visit ended blossums became “blessums."

Word Filled Wednesday is now being hosted by Internet Cafe Devotions. Grab your coffee and click over there to see what others are saying.

How Shall I Be?

How I long to be like a deep rooted tree planted by streams of water, with my fruit bearing in its season and my leaves not drooping. How I long for whatever I do in goodness to prosper.

How shall I be these things? Writing this portion of the psalms in this manner helps me to make the word become my own. Please read the top paragraph again allowing the pronoun “I” to become personal. Do you not long to grasp the promises of God? Do you not long to simply be a deep rooted tree drinking from the streams of water that never runs dry?

How shall I be these things? I shall not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. My delight shall be in the law of the LORD, and on His law I shall meditate day and night.

Eugene Peterson author of the Message bible has a way of getting right to the nitty-gritty of the truth. Here is how he says it. “How well God must like you - you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College.  Instead you thrill to God's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night.  You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.” Ps. 1:1-3 the Message

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. Ps. 1:1-3 NKJ

 
 
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Where Do You Place Your Trust?

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;

 But we will remember the name of the Lord our God

Psalm 20:7

We often find ourselves trusting the things of the world instead of the Creator of all. We place our trust in our husbands, friends or even our children when it comes to our happiness (peace) instead of Jehovah-Shalom. We place our trust in our jobs instead of Jehovah-Jireh. We place our healing in the hands of doctors instead of Jehovah-Rophi. And the list go on and on... Where do you place your trust? "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Jehovah-Shalom - The Lord of peace (Romans 15:33; Eph. 2:14)
Jehovah-Jireh - The Lord will provide (Genesis 22:14)
Jehovah-Rophi - The Lord our healer (Psalm 103:3) - He says of himself "I am Jehovah, thy Healer"

Keep On Holding On

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t go on for another week, another day or perhaps even another minute? Admitting, I have more times than I care to reveal. However, that is when I have found that prayer is the answer to my woes. God tells us to cast our cares on Him for He cares for us. There is no need to go before God as if nothing is wrong – as if you don’t have a care in the world. Quite the contrary, He tells us bring on the problems I’m big enough to handle them. Listen, sisters He already knows ALL about us. Prayer is a way of saying “ok I cannot handle this on my own – Lord I really need you here!”

This morning I just want to urge us to keep on keeping on in faith. Do not let the devil, anyone else or anything else tell you to give up the fight. Fight the good fight of faith. The battle is won – the finish line is in sight and the prize is waiting!

Remember the old Carly Simon song: 
You had better hold on, hold on to what you’ve got
You had better hold on, hold on to what you’ve got

Keep holding on to what you’ve got – the very promise of God. “I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. 12 "When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. 13 "When you come looking for me, you'll find me.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 (The Message)

This is My Story - Blessed Assurance

The last time I heard this old hymn was probably in childhood. Believe me when I say that was a long time ago. How could my first waking thoughts be “Blessed Assurance”? My feet have not yet touched the floor, my eyes are only half way open and the words blessed assurance are gently rolling over and over me like a gentle wave beating on the shore. How can we know how the Holy Spirit works? Perhaps it is not for us to know but to simply enjoy and certainly obey. And so this morning with a glad heart I wish to share this beautiful hymn with you….

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

O what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

[Refrain:]

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long;

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

Angels descending bring from above

Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Misty Lowland

Words have become my way of expressing myself both with voice and pen. There are times when we are so concerned with OUR words that we forget to share the words of another. And so today I want to share words that spoke so loud and clear to my heart that they leaped off the page at me. They come from Francis Chan’s book titled “Crazy Love.” While I am not necessary promoting this book, I will say it has been an inspirational, challenging one for me. These words are the beginning of chapter six being credited to A.W. Tozer. After reading most of the book (almost finished), I feel sure he nor Mr. Tozer will not mind my repeating this prayer to God. God is the one after all that gives us our words, is He not?

“O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire, O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love with me. Say to my soul, “Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.” Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long.”

While we live on top a hill called "South Hills", often I too find myself in misty lowlands longing for more of God.  My hope today is that you too will long to repeat these words to our Lord and Savior.

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Photo of misty land from photobucket.com.  Clicking on picture will lead you to that site.
Prayer from "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan

Beauty Along the Way - Thankful Thursday

Today I am simply thankful for the beauty God allows us to see along the way!

 

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Chosen - Word-Filled Wednesday

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

Word-filled Wednesday is now hosted at Internet Cafe Devotions

One Eye Opened

Have you ever woken up in a funk? You know one eye opened seeing only the bad but the other refusing to see at all.  Webster’s dictionary defines funk as being in a depressed state of mind or a state of paralyzing fear. Well this morning, I got my precious husband off to work, came downstairs to my office and just stared out the window. The sky was dreary gray as rain blocked my view of anything remotely green. This morning I would not being watching the birds fly in and out of the bird houses. Even they didn’t seem to want to finish building their nest for the soon to arrive time of nesting. Finally I clicked opened my emails and began to read my morning devotions. Still there was a funk, a lingering question “what for”. You know the feelings of the same old – same old again today.

For those of you that know me, you know that I refuse to allow Satan to hold me in this bondage for long. God delivered (healed) me of major depression some 14 years ago. Still Satan will always temper us with our past. He cares not if he has to use the same old – same old time and again.

Everyone has a remedy for the “funk”. Here are a few I read of today.
1. Light up the room – turn on every light if the skies are gray outside.
    Personal side note: it has been proven that depression is greater during dreary winter months and long        rainy seasons.
2. Some say “chocolate” - sorry I don’t do chocolate
3. Read about a life that is way worse than yours. – Sorry but that would just depress me more as I would want to fix it for them.
4. Exercise – What’s that?
5. Plow on!
6. Good uplifting music.

All of these suggestions are good. Well maybe not the chocolate if you are given to be depressed for long periods of time. Too must chocolate might lead to yet another reason to be depressed, if you know what I mean.

Funny thing is I sit here writing this I am remained how quickly I left my comment about this thing called depression on a lady’s bog just the other day. If my memory serves me well, I said “Aren’t you glad we no longer live by our feelings? For whom the Son sets free is free indeed.”

Guess Satan wanted me to see how free I was this morning. I am happy to report Satan did not win nor can he win. If God says we are free then we are indeed free. If God’s word says “But God, who encourages those who are discouraged”, then I’d better seek God for encouragement. And so I end this post by giving us God’s word – His promise of wholeness.

“But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.” 2 Cor. 7:6

“I will rejoice because of the LORD; I will be happy because of the God who delivers me! The sovereign LORD is my source of strength. He gives me the agility of a deer; he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.” Habakkuk 3:18-19

“But the godly are happy; they rejoice before God and are overcome with joy.” Ps. 68:3

“One may experience sorrow during the night, but joy arrives in the morning.” Ps. 30:5

Join others over at Chatting at the Sky to see what they have unwrapped today.

Testify

Did you ever attend a church that had “Testimonies Services”? Perhaps you still do. Still this type of fellowship is few and far between. How I love to hear testimonies of God’s loving grace! Sitting still is not one of my better suites but I could sit for hours, upon hours listening to, reading about and telling of God’s love for His daughters.

What Shall I Tell Them?

Lord, what shall I tell them when they are lost and cannot even seem to make a step in the right direction?

Tell them “I Am the Way.”

Lord, what shall I tell them when they are daily faced with liars full of deceit?

Tell them “I Am the Truth.”

Lord, what shall I tell them when they feel only despair in their lives?

Tell them I will give them hope and new life for “I Am Life.” Oh, and tell those in the darkest of places to look up for “I Am Light”, they only need to call upon me.

Join others at Spiritual Sundays

Peace

Fireflies lit up as they danced across the yard, candles softly flicked on the porch, the happy babble of water spilled over in the man (husband) made pond as the peace of night fall enveloped me in its cocoon. I gave God praise for the small things that brings a weary soul peace….

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!  Isaiah 26:3 NLT

  Join Jan for more simple but thoughtful post!

What a Dance!

The spiral staircase almost seemed to beckon me as I was about to walk past it. One step, two steps my pace is hurried not knowing why. Soon I was about to come to an unbelievable new knowledge. Fifth step, a voice that seemed to be outside me whispered my name. In my office at the top of the stairs the praise music is softly playing. As I finished my climb, the music now seems like a backdrop. The voice so gentle and calming continued "come dance with me." That voice I’ve heard it before on several occasions but never as gentle as this. Not a person to be seen, yet I feel my hands being taken in His. As we sway to the music, I can now see my feet on top of his scarred ones and the white of his robe is touching my wrist. The love of my father is more real than I could ever imagine but a love I will forever remember!

Perhaps, I should go back some years. So often I have heard girls speak of learning to dance on the feet of their fathers. That would never have happened in our home. As I grew up I was always envious of my friends that had a healthy relationship with their fathers. This post isn’t meant to be about my childhood woes. I simply state these facts so to better explain the miracle of my dance with my heavenly father. I was raised in church but home was not like what I heard the preacher and teachers say a family was to be. So when I was old enough to make my own decisions I put God on a proverbial shelve and crossed over to the other side. Over time the bridges just seemed too long and untrusting to get me back to the right side of life.

Years have passed since that day the Lord whispered “come dance with me”. And just as He has moved me up spiritually, He has sent us to yet another physical place as well. But I will always be thankful for the voice at the top of that spiral staircase calling me to dance. Abba Father and His little girl danced.  And what a dance it was!

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."  Romans 8:15

Iris at "Grace Alone" is hosting Thankful Thursday this month. 


Picture above is my wonderful husband dancing with our granddaughter.

Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. James 3: 5

James tells us that our tongue is a fire that corrupts and sets the whole course of our life. Matthew Henry’s Commentary explained the verse in this manner: “We are taught to dread an unruly tongue, as one of the greatest evils. No man can tame the tongue without Divine grace and assistance. The apostle does not represent it as impossible, but as extremely difficult.”

Now let us consider this – what a “Spiritual Fire” we could set if we used our tongue (voice) to both encourage others in their walk with the Lord and to reach the lost; offering the truth of God’s love. Can not you imagine the spark starting a fire (revival) neither man nor demon could put out?

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A Time For Prayer

A Time For Prayer A Time For Prayer


Click on the above link to view.  Forwarded by Franklin Graham.

This Little Light of Mine

Maybe it’s because my birthday is right around the corner that all these old songs and childhood memories are surfacing. Last night this post just popped into my mind and remained clear as a bell this morning. So here goes….


Days in children’s church singing “This Little Light of Mine”, were those not the days? Days full of hope, dreams of popsicles, puppy dogs and the new boy down the street. Later the dreams became hopes of what we become, where we go in life and who we would marry. For some of us our dreams were of doing great things to make the world a better place for our kids. For many the dreams have come true. For others, not so much!

Do you remember singing this song as a child?



What if for those who think their dreams are dead, for those who think all hope is gone – what if they caught a glimpse of your light? What if we as Christians truly let our light shine? Imagine what one candle light in a dark room can do. Now imagine three. Think larger what could a group of candles do? Do we truly realize the tremendous privilege God has given us? He has given us the ability, the tools and the light we need to shine in the places where it seems dark will never end.

This little light of mine – I’m gonna let it shine; let it shine, let it shine! This little of ours, we’ve gonna let it shine; let it shine, let it shine!

Join the other gals over at Tuesdays Unwrapped know you will enjoy reading the great stories told by them.

Introducing "Testify"

What would it be like to have a "Testify" Monday? Maybe we could do as the psalmist says “Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.” (Psalms 96: 3 NLT)


Please join me and “Testify” by using the link provided below. This week my “Testify” is listed in the link.  Thank you for joining - Let us “Testify” of His goodness!

Sing a New Song

There was a time in my life when country music and love novels had the power of slavery over me. To briefly explain allow me to simply say every “cry in my beer” song was in my mind about ME. Every love novel left me in search of the perfect man. Both the search and pity were Satan’s chains of regret, lust, hopelessness and a cycle of unhealthy sinful relationships.

Today I sing a new song! At times I hear some of the old lyrics in my heart and mind but now they ring out true love, the love of Christ. An example of that would be “Have I Told You Lately”.

Have I told you lately that I love you

Could I tell you once again somehow

Have I told with all my heart and soul how I adore you

Well Jesus I'm telling you now

My world would end today if I should lose you

I'm no good without you, anyhow

This heart would break in two if you refuse me

Well Jesus I'm telling you now

His love in return is true and pure; for He will never refuse us. So this morning I ask, are you singing a new song? No longer let the songs of regret or hopelessness fill the spot that God so wants to fill. Lift your voice and sing a new song, one of love for the true LOVER of your soul!

“Sing a new song to the LORD! Let the whole earth sing to the LORD! Sing to the LORD; bless his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.” Psalms 96:1-3 NLT

Nothing but the Blood

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Don't you just love that old hymn? I love when the Holy Spirit wakes me up with a song on my lips. This morning it was loud and clear!  Isn't it great to know that nothing we do can earn us salvation?  It has already been bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus.  Good deeds, money nor any of our self righteous acts rewards us salvation.  Are you not glad that on that day thousands of years ago, He shed his blood for you and for me?

“And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. (Verse 28) so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”            Hebrews 9:22 & 28

Linked with  Spiritual Sundays

Thankful Thursday - You've Come a Long Way

Okay so I’m probably going to give away my age here but bear with me. Do you remember the old cigarette ad for Virginia Slims; “you’ve come a long way, baby”? And before any of you ask, NO I do not smoke. It's bad for your health…

Sorry for going down that rabbit trail, back to the topic at hand. I was thinking this morning how far God has brought us, women. We have indeed come a long way. There was a time when we were limited to how conversations were made between one another. Women of the bible met at the wells talking (I’m sure) as they filled their vessels with water. Can you hear their voices as they whisper “did you hear what God did through Esther’s life?” Or perhaps as Deborah sat at the foot of the tree she listened to many stories from women wanting to know how to find this God of Wonders. How thankful I am that we today can share the testimonies of God’s goodness in so many ways. We are not limited by time or distance. We no longer have to let our fingers doing the walking only through yellow pages but we can now allow them to walk across key boards.

Please do not underestimate the power of your testimony. Someone needs to hear of God’s love and mercy. And so finally I am thankful that today we can be a witness via email, internet web pages and blogging.

Please join others at Grace Alone to read more "Thankful Thursday" posts.

Word-Filled Wednesday - Prunning

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:2

Pruning of this tree became necessary for safety reasons. The experts say there are three reasons to prune a tree; safety, health and aesthetics.

In John, Jesus himself tells us of God’s pruning of the branches (you and I – those in Him). Perhaps this morning you would join me in saying I am being pruned. Could it be our actions and words have become unsafe for those around us? Could it be that diseased, sin-infested branch must be removed or maybe it just for aesthetics? Perhaps God simply is giving us a more pleasing appearance or effect.

Lord, as you prune today I trust in you. Take away all the unsafe, diseased, sin-infested branches of my life. Prune me that I may be pleasing in your sight first and foremost but that I may also have a pleasing effect in the lives of others along the way.

Word Filled Wednesday is now being hosted by Internet Cafe Devotions .  Grab your coffee and click over there to see what others are saying.