I, again, have neglected this blog! Life just seems to take more time. Humm? Not sure why either because kids are grown and gone and it is just me and my hubby, but seems like life just takes more time.  So, here we go again. 

I am writing because I have a need to put into words what God lays on my heart so I won't forget.  Yes, my forgetter works very well, unfortunately.

 I Thessalonians 5:18

In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

 

 

WOW!  As I read it again and again God really shows me this verse.  In all things give thanks.... that part is kind of a no brainer, right? we know that.  we know how to do that.  that is Bible Study 101.  but it is the rest of the verse that grabbed me and made me feel so convicted in a matter of 2 seconds.  I stumbled across the verse, yes stumbled, while I was reading my daily devotion.  it was actually not even in the devotion I was reading but in an older post.  i'm not even sure what the actual devotion was about I just know that God showed me the verse He needed me to see. My bible actually had the little blue ribbon in that page of my bible! I know right? God really wants me to see, learn and apply this verse today. 

 

In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God....I have read this about 10 times now. It is the will of God that I give Him thanks right now for every thing! For health issues, for job stress, for things in my life that I try to control who in turn control me, for friends, for family, for sickness and headaches, for aging parents as well as all my own aches and pains, in good times and bad, happy and sad, glorious and uneventful, in all seasons, even 100 degree weather when God sometimes seems so far away, for crying times, laughing times, times of complete indifference, I could go on and on but I get it, do you? IT IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS CONCERNING YOU.

 

ok, let me just say that when I am studying my bible I have to look up a lot of the words because I don't want to assume I know what the meanings of the words are, so I looked up a few:

 

The will of God : loosely defined as the choice of God or God's desire.  Concerning: regarding, towards

So, in all that exists, to all that is important (every thing) God's choice and desire for me is the give him thanks, gratitude, gratefulness, appreciation (in all things) regarding or concerning me.  so if I am living this verse, I will be doing the will of God. Hummm(me pondering)

 

This verse sets in among several other "How to" verses in 1 Thess, which are also great by the way, all of God's words are, but today this one just reached out and grabbed me and convicted me and made me want to hid these words in my heart.  no matter what or where or who we are, God loves us and watches us.  If we have accepted Him as the Lord and Saviour of our life and have asked Him to forgive us our sins and cleanse us, We are His! He watches over our souls.  If God isn't your Saviour and you have never asked Him to come into your heart and forgive you of yours sins, please do it now.  if you are reading this, God wants to watch over you as His child. He wants you to call on Him.  He says, "For whosoever shall call upon His name will be saved" Romans 10:13. Ask Him today, no promise of tomorrow, an hour from now, a second from now....Right Now!

 

Thank you Lord for your words this morning.  Thank you for what they bring to my life.  Thank you for showing me Your will, no matter what may come my way, Give Thanks!









Yes, it's Monday....again.

So...I was looking at my blog and realized I hadn't added anything since February 2014! Good grief, where has life gone? It seems the older I get, the faster time flies by without me even noticing.  I have a lot on my mind and heart and just thought it might help me to spell them out.

Because of Menopause, my brain just doesn't seem to cooperate with the rest of me.  It seems to want to think all the time, in randomness and for anyone who knows me, that is just not how I roll. I am a very detailed thinker.  I can totally decorate a room, or house for that matter all in my head. I can keep the budget on task and make sure all appointments are made and follow through complete. But lately, that just isn't the case.  I have let my Jesus time suffer as well. I know it my heart that He knows what's going on inside me, but I miss the quiet time in His words every day. I feel like I'm going uphill all the time without His words ringing in my ears. It is so hard for me to feel this way because I can not live life without Jesus and His words in my head and heart.  I really think that is part of my problem so I am going to start with just working on one verse and engrafting it into my heart and knowing it in my heart. 

I am going to participate in an online bible study and stay focused on being involved.  I am going to get back in to my prayer journal and remembering all those who have reached out to me for prayer.  I am going to be more committed to my Sunday School class and our studies.  I am going to be more of an encourager to those younger ladies around me who need my prayers and guidance. 

Praying for anyone who reads this and feels the same way today, that it's Monday and it is time to get back on the right track.  It's time to invite Jesus back for coffee in the mornings and lunch and dinner.  It's time to spend more time in His words than in Facebook or Pinterest or TV.  It's time to get our brains focused on Godly things and not on selfish things. Join me........

ANNIVERSARY #31

31 years ago today I was getting up and getting things moved to a new place.  I was beginning a new life with all new adventure and situations.  I was young, silly  and a little too confident.  I look back today at that girl who spent her wedding day moving and she is so not the woman I see in the mirror today, thankful for that!

I married my boyfriend 31 years ago today at 6pm! I can honestly say, and he would confirm this statement, that we aren't the same 2 young kids we were long ago.  Marriage is not easy. Sometimes it is sad, horrible, hurtful, fun, draining, disappointing, memorable, tiresome, trying, and last but not least, a wonderful institution giving by God.  If you had asked those 2 kids 31 years ago if the they knew what their future would hold, I am sure they would have stared blankly at you just hoping to get through that first week of married life!

My life is so different than I thought it would be, more blessed than I thought it would be, more cherished than I thought it would be.  It is not these things by accident, it isn't these things by chance, it is through the grace and patience of God and my hubby! So many times we seemed to be working hard to destroy all we had built in our relationship. But we knew how to do one thing that saved our marriage from us.....Prayer.  The only thing we knew how to do when all else failed was pray.  I can't tell you how thankful I am that God gave me a man who though young and immature(its ok, he would tell you the same thing) knew that the only thing that could help was praying to our Father in heaven who can and could get us through.  I am not sure if it shamed me so much that we had no choice but to go to God with all our stupid issues or what, but I do know it caused me to grow closer to my hubby and today I know that was God's plan all along.  That is what it means to cleave to your husband or wife.  To leave everything behind and with God work it out.  It means that no matter what you are fighting about now, God is bigger and He has the answers. 

I wouldn't say that Hubby has changed a lot over the past 31 years except to become stronger in Christ which is a wonderful thing, but I have changed.  God has shown me how important it is that I follow this man, that I show respect to him and that I always allow him to lead me and not push against him.  Yes, that is submission, and I can hear some women groaning, but it is what God wants.  Prove me wrong! ha, you can't, trust me.  God created me to be under the protection of my husband, and he is under the protection of God.  If I try to do things without that protection, I always end up hurt or out in the cold.  God made me to be Hubby's helpmeet. To work, pray, play and love him.  To encourage him and comfort him.  There is no higher calling! Of course I love my children and grandkids, but my highest calling is being a child of God and being a Godly wife to my husband. 

SO from a wife of 31 years I have advise to any new or worn wives:  Put God first, Love your husband and follow after God's word for all your needs. Lead your children to always respect your husband and be an example to them of what a Godly marriage looks like.   If you do not have a Christian husband you have a bigger job because he needs to see Christ in you.  You need to pray for his salvation and that God would touch his heart and help him find salvation in Christ.  If he is saved, you need to support him and encourage him to love God more than he loves you.  You need to respect his decisions and work.  If you don't agree with him or have doubts about anything he decides to do, go to him with a loving heart and with a gracious attitude with your doubt.  If you pray about what you need to say and do, God will guide your hearts and your words.  Always encourage the work Hubby does for God.  Whether it is teaching a Sunday School class or leading a study group.  He is laying up treasures in Heaven when he does these things.  He is also following God's callings for him. Never be a hinderance to his God given responsibilities.  The job of being a wife and mom are mine and not his  and I have tried to remember that throughout our lives.

So in summation, ha ha, sounds fancy right? I love you Hubby, for all you are, for all you are going to be and for how you make me feel.  You show your love to me each and everyday by going to work and earning a living, for thinking I am the most beautiful woman you know, for thinking I look better now than I did 31 years ago (I personally think your bifocals need adjusting) and for being my soulmate, best friend and inspiration every day.  You show me how to love God and how to pursue Him on a daily basis.  You are intentional with your service to God and I am so glad and feel so blessed that you love God more than me.  I would marry you all over again! And someday I am going to mister!!!!!

Two beautiful white wedding dresses hanging in my closet. It is an odd thing to me because, I never had a wedding dress or even daughters who had wedding dresses.  But something wonderful happened as I was cleaning out my closets this time and moving the dresses once again to another location.  I saw those 2 beautiful dresses in a new and blessed light.  I saw the two beautiful girls in the dresses. I saw the handsome young men stand next to them and promise to love, honor and cherish them in front of God, each other and me.  I saw what a precious gift I was given on each of those special days. 

God has so blessed my life in ways that I could never express. It is one of those things that I can only ask Him to look at my heart as only He can and see how grateful I am for all of the blessings He gives. 

Mother and Daughters In Law get a bad reputation sometimes of not getting along and always being in competition with each other.  They trash each other and so many times cause unrepairable emotional damage.  So what is my take on "The In-laws"?  I am blessed!

Let me first say that my girls are totally opposite to me. We have some similar likes and dislikes, but personality wise, we couldn't be more opposite. Even though I may not know exactly how the feel about me, I know one thing for sure, they love God, my boys and my grandbabies.  They chose to join  our family, they chose to love my boys and choose to have my beautiful grandchildren.  They are the girls that I never had and I am so thankful to their parents for raising such wonderful young women for my 2 young men to marry. 

I guess after looking, yes, I had to open the bags and look at the dresses, I just remember how blessed I am.  How much God loves me and blesses my heart each and every day.  Even just a  white wedding dress hanging in my closet reminds me the God loves me and choses to bless my life.  The question on my heart today is, "Do I choose Him today? Do I choose to serve Him and not the world? Do I choose Him to spend my quiet time with or do I choose the world, who doesn't love me and only wants to bring negative thoughts and feelings into my heart.

Joshua 24:15
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell:  BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.

It is a choice you have to make every second of every day.  You have to choose to serve God and his will  for your life or you will serve the world and all of its selfish wants and needs.  It isn't easy and it will take sacrifice and discipline on your part, but the payoff is awesome.  Your life will be blessed and wealthy, not with money and things but with peace, love and joy of knowing that God has your back and is watching over you if you CHOOSE HIM and not the world. 

I am praying that anyone who reads this will see God and how making the choice to Love Him, Seek Him and cling to Him is so much better that the temporary things the world has to offer!

Matthew 5: verses 31-34: "Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ ³² For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be ^]added to you.
³⁴ “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

These verses were in one of my devotions that I receive in my email each day.  I really have no clue what the devotion was actually about, but this verse just reached out to me and to my heart.  Why do we worry about clothes, food, what will happen tomorrow, what are we going to do if something terrible happens, are we prepared, what about paying for the kids college or taking a family vacation....blah blah blah!  Look at what it says: Do not worry...... for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things....BUT seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.
That last part is what got me.  In the mornings is usually my devotion and private study time with God, but over the past few weeks, because of the surgery and taking pills for pain, I have really neglected my time with God.  I am feeling better and returned to work this week but still haven't been seeking Him first!
Last week was VBS and I did read my bible and prepared for my class but that is totally different than pouring my heart and thoughts out to God.  I need to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first.  Before daily laundry and pick up the house time.  Before making Walmart lists and cleaning out the fridge.  Before anything, I need to seek Him First!
Maybe I am the only one that sees this message in the verses above and maybe they were just for me, but I pray that tomorrow, I seek His kingdom and righteousness first, then continue my day. 
Verse 34 of this chapter was good too:  Don't worry about tomorrow, it will take care of itself. Nothing we can worry about and fret about will change anything.  And Jesus reminds us that each day is trouble all its own and doesn't need us to worry about it!

Thank you Lord for your words and for your leadership.  Help me tomorrow to be more aware of my need to spend time with you and the word before I start anything else in my day!

God has given me a beautiful day today. I am sitting in my living room looking out my very dirty, needs to be cleaned, front windows and it is breathtaking to me. God has given us such a wonderful view if we just take the time to look around us. I get so busy in my life that I forget to look around and enjoy God's scenery.  I am still recouping so I am able to sit and look instead of rushing to do the 50 million things I want to be able to do and really just physically can't yet.  I have been thinking of how busy I have let my life get and how sometimes I have even been too busy for God. Hummmm....something to think about isn't it?

I could have died a few weeks ago, no not an exaggeration, a fact.  I am not saying this to evoke sympathy or anything like that, just truth.  The situation that lead to my most recent surgery was life threatening and even though I am not sure I understood it fully at the time, I certainly do now and am grateful for God's intervention to spare it.  I know without a doubt that God isn't finished with me and has more work for me to do here on earth for Him.  So now that I am fully aware of this fact, am I going to change things? I am certainly going to try to be more in Him and less in the world.  I am certainly going to put my life on His plan for me and less on me. I understand the seriousness of all of this and I was ready to die if that was His plan for me, but He obviously wasn't done with me! Has nothing to do with me or my life, but everything to do with Him. Always remember that our lives are not ours if we are His children, our lives should belong to God.  Everything we do should point to Him, whether at our jobs each day, hanging with friends, time with family or even just doing a load of laundry! If we are His children, then we ought to act like it.  Just my observation for my life...

My verse for today and yesterday is in Titus 2:3,4,&5 (NASB) "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored."

Wow! Powerful verses for us older women! The way we live and the examples we set in the world affect those young women around us. Hum....Is my life something that they can look at to see how to love their husbands and their families and to pattern their lives after? Is my attitude one that I want them to take into their own selves and use? Is my life an honor to God or to myself?  I can't answer these questions for anyone else, but I can answer for my own.  I pray that my life shows Christ, I pray and strive that I am the example He wants me to be and I pray that my attitude is always Godly and prayerful and not snotty and worldly.  I pray that when the world tries to take over my heart and life that I immediately turn to God in prayer and bible study to pull my heart back to Him. 

None of us are perfect, far, far from it, but as Christian women, we do have a responsibility to show a life dedicated to God and His service.  I have always known this but until recently it was not as real as it is now to me.  I just have one final question.......What kind of example are you and I to the world?  Are we inspiring young women to want God in their lives or the world?  Are we living so that others know what we believe and what we stand for?  Are we showing Christ?  Just something to think about today, I know I will.

Ok, so I started out strong in writing in my blog, and then life just caught up with me. I am sitting here at home, having to take it easy because of recent surgery, and thinking on all the things swirling around in my head.  For those that know me, this is a very scary place sometimes. My brain tends to run faster than the rest of me and I often wonder if it ever turns off!

I can't believe it is June and only 6 months till Christmas.  See how my brain works.  I am working on Vacation Bible School and even though it starts next week, I am still thinking of and coming up with great things to do ( which will most likely not materialize because due to the surgery, I am a little out of commission by Doctor's orders, ugh!)  I love VBS. I have since I was a kid.  I love spending a week so focused in on God's word and memorizing scripture and now as an adult, sharing Jesus with kids who may never hear the story of Jesus and all He wants to offer to them.  Some people think VBS is a waste of time and money and it is just a free babysitter for a week, who cares!!! I can't think of a better time than sharing Jesus with these kids. I understand that not everyone has the same fire and excitement that I have, but that's ok, if you can't or don't want to join in then pray for all those that do and for all those little faces and hearts that your words (hopefully and prayerfully) will touch. 

Having to be off work for a few weeks has been very weird to me.  I am a self proclaimed workaholic and not being able to do everything I want is cramping my style a lot!  I know that God is using this time with me to help me grow and to change my heart about things in my life and to also make me more appreciative  for all the things He has given me.  I get so tangled in the things of the world sometimes and this time of rest and doing nothing has made me so aware that I want to be tangled in the spiritual things in my life, not so much in worldly things.  I have people in my life that chose, even though the proclaim to be children of God, to lean on their worldly friends and not on God.  They are mad at God(sorry, whole other issue or post for another time), they don't want to be in God's word or with God's people.  It breaks my heart because I know how this will all end, I know what will eventually happen to their lives.  All I can do is pray. Pray for them and pray that God will work in their lives and then stand back and let Him.

As I said, my brain is on overload today thinking of all the things I want to do and take care of but I think I will just pour me another cup of coffee and read my bible before I start on this day. 
My verse for today is Philippians 4:8:
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

In everything I do today, whether thoughts or words, Lord, help me remember these words that I keep my mind and heart on You today and not the world. Amen