Choose to Rejoice!

Today I was reminded of Psalms 118. I do love this chapter! This chapter begins with “Give thanks to the Lord, for His is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” and ends with, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

The verses in between speak of distress, fear, and suffering and I am reminded that no matter what circumstances I find myself in today that I can rest in the knowledge that God is good. I can rest in His lovingkindness.

There is so much truth packed in this chapter I want to encourage you to read it. Reflection on it. Pray through it. As you do remember that God is good. He is your strength, your salvation. He, The Lord God, has given you light! So today choose to rejoice in Him.

Today, even if nothing else seems to be good, choose to rejoice and be glad because He alone is good.

He Delights in Me!

The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. Psalms 37:23-24 NLT

Oh Father you direct my way. You, not anyone else, knows that path I should walk. You know my purpose. You know the plans You have for me. And Father, You delight in every detail of my life!

Oh how that brings a smile to my face, that you not only know the plans you have for me, but that you delight in those plans. Father help me to come to you for advice, for direction and purpose and not those around me. Help me to seek your wisdom in the path I should choose. And when I stumble Father, I know you will be there, holding on to me so that I don't completely fall.

What a beautiful picture Father! You and I walking hand in hand along the path that You have chosen. As we walk together we are laughing and delighting in one another. You take full pleasure in your daughter!

But there will be times that I  trip over the terrain, but it is alright,  for you still have me by the hand. You will pick me up, brush me off and send me on my way again.

There will be no scolding, just love and delight. Oh Father you fill me up with love when You speak your words to me. Thank you for your faithful watchfulness over me.

2015: A Year of Grace

“True grace produces joy and promotes godliness.”

I am not sure where the above quote came from but it has really stuck with me. I came across it at some point in 2014 as I  was focusing on the word joy. For the most part I could sum up the year with this, “Joy in our circumstances come when we focus on Jesus not our suffering.” As I intentionally tried to focus on Jesus in the midst of the various sufferings that 2014 brought, and often failing, I would often come across the word grace. Grace is needed in order to produce joy. I can’t manufacture joy on my own, nor grace for that matter. Grace is the merciful favor of God which keeps me bound to Christ. It’s God’s grace that pours out upon me that helps me to even want to have joy in the hardest of circumstances.

Grace I have realized is something that I lack. My heart is too often a bit too judgmental, critical and self focused to really be a heart that flows with grace. So here is the problem, if I want to walk in joy I must focus on Christ, not my circumstances. But joy will elude the heart that is critical. The only real hope for a critical, judgmental heart is grace.

Grace changes us.My heart needs to change. My heart has a great propensity towards legalism. Legalism breeds a judgmental and critical heart. If we are stuck in legalism, judgmentalism, or have a critical heart we can not live a life that offers grace to others. I don’t know about you but I want my life, my heart, to reflect grace. I want it to reflect Christ. But it will never reflect Christ if I don’t allow the grace of God to change it. I must learn to live in the overflow of grace. To be grace-filled. Oh how I long for that!

But you nor I will ever be able to offer grace to ourselves or others if we do not first fully accept and understand God’s grace at work in us. This is where my journey begins in 2015. It begins with grace. Actually I began a few months back when I did 31 days of seeking Grace, well… I actually only did 24 days. But, October was a hard month. I was in the hospital and then we lost my mother in law so I didn’t get though all 31 days. Regardless though, as I began to understand grace I realized just how much more I needed to understand, embrace and grabbed hold of it. So my word, my focus for 2015 is GRACE.

Fill My Empty Cup

She walked alone down the street unsure of where she was going. She was a pitiful looking little thing with her dress hanging just below the knees, threads hanging down from the hem which was coming loose. It was barely a dress; it looked more like a potato sack that had been made into a makeshift covering. She had no shoes on. Her straggly hair, hung down to her lower back and looked like it hadn’t been combed in weeks. Her tear streaked face was dirty. Her eyes spoke of heartache and loneliness. If you looked long enough into the depths of her eyes you could see the longing of her soul.

He watched her as she approached a young boy. She pulled from her pocket an old dirty cup. She held it out to him and asked if he could please fill it for her. As he filled it with parts of himself, her eyes began to shine and she smiled.

"Thank you very much sir," she said as she skipped away.

It wasn’t but a short distance until she became that same sullen, lonely little girl as before. Time and time again He watched the girl walk up and down the street asking to be filled by anyone who might pass her way but the joy she received never lasted very long.

He waited until He knew she was becoming weary.  He approached her and ask, "What is it that you need child?" She looked at Him with big sad eyes and said, "My cup won't stay full! Every time someone fills it with love and happiness it just flows out."

"Oh, my child," He said with love and tenderness, "you are filling it up with all the wrong things. Do you not know that if you would allow Me to fill it up with all that I am that it would never be empty again?"

Holding tightly to the cup she eagerly held it out to Him to be filled. "No child, you must let go of the cup. You must surrender it to me. Once surrender then I can fill it to overflowing and you will never feel empty again."

Quickly she pulled the cup back and held it tightly to her chest. How could she trust this man with her cherished cup? What if He took it and she still felt empty inside? At least with the cup there were moments of happiness, even if they were fleeting.

She looked up into His eyes. They were kind eyes, soft, and filled with such love. She looked down at her cup. It was empty, again. The ache in her heart was painful and she was growing weary of trying to keep it filled. Maybe she could trust Him. Maybe she would try.

Hesitantly she lifted the cup up to Him with her hands open. He took the cup from her and as He did she felt a joy deep inside that felt so wonderful that she thought she just might explode.

His eyes danced with joy as He watched her transform into a child that flowed with love, beauty and a joy that quickly become contagious to those around her.

The girl instantly became clean and filled with laughter. She rushed toward Him and held Him tightly, tears of joy streaming down her face. She was no longer empty. She no longer felt alone or unloved. She was filled to overflowing with His love. She was filled with Him.

 

“but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.' Acts 2:28

A Life Lived

Dreams dreamed.

Hope whispered.

Promises spoken.

Joy felt.

Love embraced.

A life lived.

 

Dreams forgotten.

Hope lost.

Promises broken.

Sorrow comes.

Love rejected.

A life lived.

 

We dream of Heaven.

Our HOPE.

Our PROMISE.

Our JOY.

Our LOVE.

Jesus is life.

Endurance

I hate days like today.

Feelings

Insecurity

Doubt

Wondering

Fighting the battle is difficult.

Endurance

Joy

Contentment

Peace

Lies and Truth seem inseparable.

Stand

Fail

WORD

Emotions

Every day is a choice.

Life

Death

truth

Lies

Today I choose LIFE and TRUTH.

Regardless of EMOTIONS and LIES.

Changes Ahead

Change. It’s apart of life. Change comes, sometimes wanted other times unwanted.

Change can bring heartache, great joy.

I am sitting here reflecting over the last fifty years of my life. I have been through so many seasons of change. As we all have.

Each season is important. It’s necessary for our growth.

The seasons of Spring have been times of awakening. A sense of newness. Freshness. Seeing the world, myself and my God anew!

Times of Summer when there was much joy, sunshine and laughter. A time of soaking in all the blessing in my life.

Then there have been times things seemed to begin to die. In the dying I could see such beautiful colors in my life. I think the seasons of autumn are times of great change. Hard changes. Beautiful changes.

Nothing though is as hard as the seasons in life that are dead, cold and bitter. Winter is always the hardest. With very little sunshine, warmth or visible signs of life. Times I have felt I would just die. Times when it seems I was forgotten, alone and left for dead inside.

But what I didn’t know, what I didn’t see is that during the winter seasons there is so much more going on deep inside. During winter, deep inside, everything was growing, changing and preparing to break forth into something new. Something beautiful.

The seasons of our lives come and go. Each one brings beautiufl changes.

As I sit before the Lord today and reflect over my life I am fully aware that change is coming. Again. The beauty of it is that every season before hand has prepared me for the season I am about to enter.

I feel it, God is working and the season is about to change.

I wonder, what season are we about to enter? I wonder where we are going? What is God doing?

I don’t know. I only know that the season is about to change in my life. And while I would prefer Spring or even summer it really matters not.

For as I look back I can see, I KNOW, that God is always there working in me, changing me, molding me, refining me to be more like Him.

So even if it’s fall or winter I will be content in the knowledge that my God is with me and He is always working in me to create something new. Something amazingly wonderful.

What about you? Do you see God in each of the seasons of your life? Do you see the changes He created? Can you rejoice in each season of change? Even the winters?

Our God is good in all things. He is good to us, His children.

He is good to ME.

Father thank you for always being there through each change that comes along. Thank you for your work in me. I pray that this next season of change will be one that will draw me even close to You. One that causes a deep desire to know you. Father help me to lay aside all that might keep me from the joy You have for me in each upcoming season. I just want to be where You are, where You desire for me to be…..

The Joy of Discovery

Several years ago my husband and I went to Sedona, AZ. I had seen pictures of the area and it looked beautiful. The various colors and shapes of the landscape was amazing. But when we arrived in Sedona I quickly realized that no picture truly did justice to magnificent beautiful of those red rock mountains.

To stand in the midst of the mountains and see, smell and hear the landscape for myself was awe-inspiring. I couldn’t help but worship my Creator God. The one who painted the colors of all that lay before me.

Oh the JOY of discovery such beauty for myself. Photographs give us a second hand experience.  They capture what the photographer saw, what she experienced. And while it may be beautiful you haven’t experienced the joy of the experience for yourself.

God’s word is like that also. Sermons, Bible Studies, devotionals, conferences and the like are wonderful experiences and we gain much from them. But we are only experiencing what they have already discovered. We are seeing truth through their eyes, their experiences. In a sense it is second hand knowledge and while it is still truth and we can learn from it what we have missed is the joy of discovering truth for ourselves.

You might wonder if it really matters how we get the truth as long as it’s truth. It’s a good question. The answer is YES! There is something totally life changing about studying the Word of God and experiencing the truth of His words as HE reveals it to you. It’s personal. He speaks to you in a personal ways opening up hidden truth and treasures in a way that transforms your life.

Imagine the God of the universe, the One Eternal God sitting down with you and opening up the truth of the scriptures to you personally. Truth is revealed, not through someone else’s experience of study but your own study.

When I began to study the word of God on my own I began to see scriptures come alive. There was an excitement and a hunger to know more about God. Reading the Bible was no longer dry or boring, but fascinating and my desire to study grew.

Oh how I wish you were sitting here with me and could see the joy on my face. And hear the excitement in my voice as I talk about the Word of God and experiencing the truth of it! Oh how I want to grab you by the hands, jump up and down shouting we GET TO study God’s word for ourselves!!

We GET TO know God!! Not what others are learning but what God is teaching us about Him! Don’t you find that so totally amazing!!

Oh I do! Not only is it amazing it’s totally life changing!

 

Check these testimonies out…

 

 

If you want to know how to study the bible for yourself email me and I will gladly help you with some basic steps.

Or you can work through Lord, Teach ME to Study the Bible in 28 days.

Only God Could Know!

I remember precious moments of rocking, kissing cheeks, cuddling, singing, praying, and just watching you growing, explore and learn.

Who knew that you would touch my heart they way you did? Who knew that a heart could be filled with so much love?

I never imagined that one so tiny could change the heart of a young woman and give her the heart of a mother.

I never knew you would come into my life and change my world?

Even now as I think back over the years and I can’t help but be so very thankful for the gift of you.

Every moment I have as your mother has such precious memories. I wouldn’t trade a single one of them, not even the hard moments.

Moments forever pictured in my heart. Moments of laughter and silliness. Moments of watching you play and grow. My heart is filled with so many tender moments of just loving you…and…you loving me.

There were moments of sorrow and pain. Times of struggling between the our wills. But there was always love, always forgiveness, always grace.

We learned through the hard times and it made us stronger. It made us who we are today.

I made mistakes, a lot of mistakes, sometimes making me feel that I had totally failed at being your mother. You were always so forgiving, so understanding when I came to you and told you how sorry I was. I learned that God’s grace was sufficient for those moment of “felt” failure.

You may not know it, but you helped me to grow up. You taught me so many things. I learned patience, perseverance and most of all, you taught me about love.

There are not words enough to share the love that is in my heart for you even now, though you are adult men you can still bring such joy to my heart.

Who knew that my precious little boys would grow up to be such wonderful young men? Men who still love their momma!

Oh and boys you were! You both were all boy! Running, wrestling, playing Cowboys and Indians, bringing home snakes, climbing up trees, scrapped knees and elbows, broken bones, stitches, running into deer with cars, camping, hiking, bikes, basketball, soccer, track, oh and lets not forget the mud and dirt, running in the creek, falling into a frozen pond and those loud unexpected noises!

Such memories, so precious to a mother’s heart.

Now you are men with homes of your own, with precious family and I am so proud of you.

My heart is still filled with such love and wonder as I watch the young men you are growing into.

Who knew that a young girl with so little to give, could learn to love with such a great love?

Who knew? God of course! He knew that by placing two precious little boys into my arms I would grow, learn and love with a heart that is full. God knew that as my love and understanding of being a mother grew my understanding of God would grow.

I am so thankful for you both. I will love you forever and always.

May God be glorified for the work He has done not only in the heart of this mother but what he continues to do in her heart and the heart of her sons.

Adam David your name means “first born, beloved” and you are my beloved first born. I see in your heart such love and compassion. Always remember that you are very much loved. You are loved not only by your mother and father but you are very much loved by God. You are so very precious to Him and He calls you His beloved son. Thank you for bringing into the mother’s life three precious grandchildren to love and hold. Thank you for giving me a beautiful daughter-in-love, who is an amazing mother to her children.

Joshua Mark your name means “Jehovah is salvation, defender” and you are a defender of those less fortunate, you have compassion for the hurting. Always remember that you are very much loved. Jesus is your salvation and He is your defender. You are so very precious to me and to God. Never forget that God calls you HIS and you are beloved of God. Thank you for giving me another daughter-in-love who is so precious and beautiful. Watching the two of you begin your lives together just warms my heart as I see the love you have for one another.

THANK YOU God for entrusting these two precious boys into my heart. I am forever grateful. Forever changed.

 

(This is an edited post from last year but wanted to repost this year.)

Girl, Let’s Raise the Roof

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones ; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.  Psalms 32:11

When was the last time you just laughed? For some of you the answer is easy for it happens often. But for those who tend to be deep thinkers or serious types the answer might be a bit harder. If you take life too serious it’s often hard to laugh about it. 

Being married to my husband has taught me to see the lighter side of things. When we were first married most of our arguments centered on him not being serious enough! Through the years I have learned the importance of taking the time to laugh – I mean really laugh. To share joyful times together.

But lately I have forgotten. I don’t laugh much anymore. I don’t know exactly why. I mean really life is too serious, who has time to laugh? Who has time to sit with a friend, a child or your husband with the purpose of just sharing joy in one another?

Life is too busy for joy! Okay, so maybe not but it does often appear that way.

But I wonder – what was Jesus like? He was busy. He had a very serious mission. He was single-minded in His purpose. He knew what His Father had called him to and was very serious about saving and setting free mankind. But do you think He ever laughed? Did Jesus and His followers ever just sit around the fire and rejoice in one another?

I’d like to think so. In fact did you know that the word joy is in the Bible over 170 times and rejoice is in their over 145 times? I didn’t do an in-depth study of them all but did read over many of them. Most often we are reminded that we are to have joy in the Lord and rejoice TOGETHER over what He has done in our lives. We are to encourage, and share our joy together.

So when I say when was the last time you just had fun, I do mean when was the last time you raised the roof with a girlfriend over what God was doing in your life? When was the last time you celebrated with someone over what God was teaching you?

I could be wrong for I honestly haven’t really studied this, but I don’t think God intended us to be all serious about our work and not celebrate all He is doing. It’s time to laugh, to rejoice in what God has done in our lives. Let us celebrate together.

I have forgotten.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had time to just sit with a sister and share in the joy of what God is doing in our lives. The reality is life’s circumstances has made it difficult to connect, to share, and to celebrate together.

I think it’s time to find the time again.

An Empty Nest Filled with Blessings

Today as I reflected on my family, my empty nest and what to share God brought to mind my blessings. I am a very blessed woman and mother.

Yes my little boys have grown into men and flown away. They don’t need their momma watching diligently over them any longer. Those two little precious boys once filled my heart with so much love and filled my life with dirt, Legos, cars, trucks, mud, snakes and so many more little boys things. Today they still fill my heart with so much love.

They fill my heart with love and grandbabies, grandpuppies, beautiful daughter in laws and so much more.

So today instead of focusing on the unknown future I want to focus on my many blessings. Instead of looking at my nest as empty I am choosing to look at it filled with blessings.

My nest is filled with two grown sons who love the Lord, their wives and children…and their puppy! It’s filled with young men who desire to pursue God’s will for their lives. It’s filled with daughter in laws who love the Lord and also desire to follow after Him. And it’s filled with three precious grandchildren and a puppy.

My encouragement to other Empty Nester’s today is to focus on the blessings God has given you during this season. I know for some that may be difficult for you are dealing with hard issues like prodigal children, or terminal illnesses. But even in the darkest of times I believe God can help us see even the smallest blessing, if we just look.

 

These are my blessings… 

  

 

Join me every Friday for Family Friday!

Seasons of Change

Change. It’s apart of life. Change comes, sometimes wanted other times unwanted.
Change can bring heartache, but also joy.
As I reflect over the last almost 50 years I recount all the seasons of change.
There have been times of Spring when my life seemed to be a time of awakening. A sense of newness. Freshness.
Times of Summer when there was much joy, sunshine and laughter. A time of soaking in all the blessing in my life.
Then there have been times things seemed to begin to die. In the dying I could see such beautiful colors of my life. I think the seasons of autumn are times of great change. Hard changes. Beautiful changes.
Nothing though is as hard as the seasons in my life that were dead, cold and bitter. Winter is always the hardest. With very little sunshine, warmth or visible signs of life. Times I have felt I would just die. Times when it seemed I was forgotten, alone and left for dead inside.
But what I didn’t know during much of that time spent in winter is that inside, deep inside, everything was growing, changing and preparing to break forth into something new. Something beautiful.
The seasons of our lives come and go. Each one brings changes. As I look back I realize I have survived many changes, many seasons.
As I sit before the Lord today and reflect over my life I am fully aware that change is coming. Again. The beauty of it is that every season before hand has prepared me for the season I am about to enter.
I feel it, God is working and the season is about to change.
I wonder, what season we are about to enter? I wonder where we are going? What is God doing?
I don’t know. I only know that the season is about to change in my life. And while I would prefer Spring or even summer it really matters not.
For as I look back I can see, I KNOW, that God is always there working in me, changing me, molding me, refining me to be more like Him.
What about you? Think back over the seasons of your life. Do you see God in each of them? Do you see the changes He created? Can you rejoice in each season of change? Even the winters?
Our God is good in all things. He is good to us, His children.