A New Thing

"Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it?" Isaiah 43:19

Do I ever get really tired of doing the same old thing all the time? I want to do something different but I either don't know what to do, or I am afraid to do the new thing I am thinking about doing.

I often get into ruts. I do the same thing all the time even though I am bored with it because I am afraid to step out and do something different. I would rather be safe and bored than excited and living on the edge. There is a certain amount of comfort in sameness-I may not like it, but I am familiar with it.

God has created me to need and crave diversity and variety. I require freshness and newness in my life. As this year and this day come to an end, I will make a quality decision to step out into the new thing God has for me...and I will not forget to enjoy myself while I do it!

Trust's Many Treasures

"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

God of hope, Your promises are many and good. When I let go and trust You with my problems, You send me the solace of peace. When I go about my daily life, enveloped in Your peace, I feel a quiet joy.

When I let go, I am finally able to look up and enjoy the good things You've placed around me. By Your Holy Spirit, I feel hope and renewed strength. God of hope, I pray I am quicker to trust next time.

How Good You Are

"Then the Lord God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine." Johan 4:6

You have blessed me in mighty ways, Lord. While I sweat and toil and whine and cry and rebel against possible discomfort, You are shaping something new and wonderful in my life. It will grow out of this situation, and it will gain strength from my weakness. This new creation will wind its way around the framework of days and blossom with fragrant fruit.

I stand beneath this vine of goodness and abundance, and my eyes are shaded from the sweltering sun. I can now see the horizon ahead of me.

Scanning the Horizon

"But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster." 1 Kings 5:4

I'm still looking for what might happen next. What trouble awaits me around this corner or behind this decision? Who is preparing to bring me bad news this very moment? Lord, I am struggling to take a breath even when You give me room to breathe. My doubts fill every crevice of this life. I want to purge them from this time. I want to believe.

Thank You for this time of solace and silence. Give me the courage to rest in it as a believer. May this be a time for me to restore my hope in You.

Where Can I Sit?

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him."

Psalm 62:

It's as if I have been playing musical chairs for a year. But my reflexes are slow any my instincts wrong. I never get a chair. I stand! I wait for the music to begin again. My feet are tired, my head hurts, my heart aches, and all I want is to sit for a few moments and regain my bearings.

You saw me standing in the center of the circle looking dazed. Lord, You offered me Your chair, a place by Your side, and a chance to recover. I shed tears when You bent down to wash my feet. I could not stop crying because of the love and relief. This is what resting in You feels like.

Leaning on You

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."

Proverbs 3:5

I have tried to stand tall with my feet planted in certainty...but my will is fading, Lord. I look to You and see the pillar of strength and comfort. Your grace rises above my circumstances, and yet You understand my very human worries and anxious moments.

You gather me and my concerns into Your arms. My body melts into the eternal grip of Your loving embrace. I don't pretend to be brave or all-knowing. My resistance and pride give way to understanding all I need to know...that You are here for me.

Waiting for the Light

"For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30

Okay, Lord, I'm ready to share this with You. I know I have said it before, but this time I mean it. Last time I held on to a little bit here and a little bit there. You showed me that my faith was halfhearted. The child in me wanted to cling to what I knew best, but I was only making it harder on myself.

Lord, this time the situation is Yours to mold, shape, pare down, and whatever else needs doing. I give You my heart and, in return, You give me a life that is eased by love and grace. You lighten my load so that I can follow You with sure steps. Thank You!

In Your Strength

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." Psalm 18:32

I don't feel up to the battle of pushing through this trial. I stand outside walls dividing me from the other side of my struggle. They seem huge, thick, and cold. I like the idea that You, Lord, arm me with strength, but it must be strength I am not aware of yet.

I will give myself and my situation to You, so that You can dress me in the armor of Your strength. Though it is my hope that Your perfect way for me will involve a door with a simple latch and a sign reading "For You." I realize it might not be that easy. Prepare me for all that is to come.

Guard My Worries

"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Each morning my problems are opened up slowly and deliberately. One by one I life the difficulties up to the light, examine them, and decide what to do. But there are more problems than time. It seems I have tomorrow's troubles in with today's batch.

Lord, I'm getting it. I'm grasping Your provisions and the lessons I am to learn. I will unwrap only those decisions, choices, and hurdles for today. The others that remain in my mind and on my heart will be wrapped tightly and handed back to You for safekeeping. Hold them please. I will not give them a moment's worry today.

I Speak Your Name

"For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great." Psalm 25:11

You speak my name. I have heard it on the wind, beneath my own voice, and in my ear when I needed encouragement. Your forgiveness covers me, lifts me up, and pulls me forward. I am so grateful. Your grace is mighty, Lord, and it is given to me with love.

I speak Your name, Lord, because this is a time pf praise. Thank You for spreading Your arms wide and accepting all of me - including the hurts, the complaints, the tender places of pride, the sins, and the flaws.

I Wouldn't Dream of It

"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."

Proverbs 27:1

I have given up guessing what is in store for me. Lord, I used to think I had life all figured out. I thought Iunderstood Your ways completely. But that was ignorance on my part. Forgive me for the times I bragged about what my path would become.

Lord, I no longer believe I won today or tomorrow. They are Yours alone to shape and to give. I wouldn't dream of filling my days predicting what will happen next. And You don't ask me to. You only ask that I trust You with every breath, every today, and every tomorrow.

True Dependence

You can achieve the victorious life through living in dependence on God. People usually associate victory with success: not falling or stumbling, not making mistakes. But those who are successful in their own strength tend to go their own way, forgetting about Jesus. It is through problems and failure, weakness and neediness tat you learn to rely on Him.

True dependence is not simply asking Him to bless what you have decided to do. It is coming to Him with an open mind an heart, inviting Jesus to plant His desires within you. He may infuse within you a dream that seems far beyond your reach. You know that in yourself you cannot achieve such a goal. Thus begins your journey of profound reliance on Him. It is a faith-walk, taken one step at a time, leaning on Jesus as much as you need. This is not a path of continual success but of multiple failures. However, each failure is followed by a growth spurt, nourished by increased reliance on Your Saviour. Enjoy the blessedness of a victorious life, through deepening your dependence on God.

A message from God

Softly I announce My Presence.

Shimmering hues of radiance tap gently at your consciousness, seeking entrance. Though I have all Power in heaven and on earth, I am infinitely tender with you. The weaker you are, the more gently I approach you. Let you weakness be a door to My Presence. Whenever you feel inadequate, remember that I am your ever present Help.

Hop in Me, and you will be protected from depression and self-pity. Hope is like a golden cord connecting you to heaven. The more you cling to this cord, the more I bear the weight of your burdens; thus, you are lightened. Heaviness is not of My kingdom. Cling to hope, and My rays of Light will reach you through the darkness.

What Does Healing Look Like?

"I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security." Jeremiah 33:6

I want to be whole, Lord. Instead, I feel broken in places. My heart is shattered and slowly, slowly mending. Some mornings I barely have energy to get up. All along I have had this picture of absolute healing and health. It is a perfect picture filled with a flawless, energized version of myself.

But, God, I was forgetting the healing I experienced to get to this place. I had forgotten to look behind me and notice how far I have come. More and more I experience moments of peace and trust in Your ways. These snapshots of time make up the picture of healing. They shape the image of hope in my heart.

Laundry Day

"I said, O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you." Psalm 41:4

Don't we all have dirty laundry that we hang out for other people to see? Some days I walk around littering every place I go with my spiritual dirty laundry. Is it that I do not care what people think? Or that I do not care about my spirit enough to carry my sin to You as You call me to do?

Lord, receive me and my dirty laundry today. I know it is quite a pile. I was chatting away about grace to everyone instead of actually coming to You to receive that grace. I was talking up salvation to my unsaved neighbors, while privately ignoring the urge to praise You and ask for forgiveness. And as they say, all these dirty items in my life are starting to smell to high heaven. It is definitely time for a laundry day.

Save My Heart

"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish." Psalm 25:16-17

Look at me, God. I am sad...lonely even. It takes so much for my heart to feel alive these days. I am so distant from those things that used to bring me joy. Look at me, Lord. This is not who I want to be. This is not who You want Your child to be.

Turn to me, Lord. Heal my brokenness so that I can hold my faith in the warmth of the sun and carry it with me throughout the day. I do not know when I changed so drastically. But I do know that You have not changed. You are the Healer of wounds inside and out. You are the One who sees me and sees my trouble without turning away. Turn to me. Let me feel the sun. Turn to me and save my heart!

Always True

"But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."

2 Thessalonians 3:3

When the lies of deception envelop me, I doubt all that I have, all that I am, and worst of all...all that You are. When my loss or hurt seems insurmountable, I wonder who I am and who cares for me. As sorrow covers me, I lose sight of the colors You have painted across the sky and the land.

God, You are faithful. I say this not to make it true, but to bring truth back to my perspective. I know that this is always fact. When I am weak, You are strong.

Lifeline

In my need, I have reached for many lifelines. I am embarrassed to confess, Lord, that I sought out help that was not of Your strength. What was I thinking? How weak is my resolve to be solid in my faith and my commitment to You!

I was forgetting how committed You are to me. I don't deserve this grace, this mercy from You. Nevertheless, You give it to me with love and guidance. You don't shame me for trying to be strong on my own. But I sense that You smile like a knowing parent when I return, once again, to take hold of Your wisdom and call it the only true lifeline!

Through Your Grace

"All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth." Colossians 1:6

What is the meaning behind this sorrow, Lord? I'm not asking "Why me?" but I do wish I could see beyond my immediate pain to the plan You are shaping. What good will come of this burden? I must have faith in the faith that brought me here. Truly, when I first discovered Your love, I didn't need to see the whole picture. Standing in Your presence and receiving Your grace was enough.

Let it be enough for me now. The message of Your love and mercy spreads broad and deep-not because I believer, but because You are in charge. Through Your grace I will find peace in the not knowing.

On Your Watch

"But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast." Hebrews 3:6

Lord, You are the faithful one who oversees Your father's house. On Your watch there will not be loneliness, pity, hurts, regrets, or endless suffering. You open the windows to this house, to this life, and let the hope pour into every room.

You give me courage to rest in this place. There is peace where I would have expected turmoil. Protection where I had feared harm. May this hope be glorified in my life, and may it be what I hold on to all of my days.

Turn

"Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O Lord God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved." Psalm 80:18-19

Keep my feet grounded right here. I want to stand in front of You forever. When I am tempted to turn away, guide my steps back to this place. My healing will not occur elsewhere. Inspiration and faith will not follow if I wander away.

As Your face shines upon me, I am hopeful. I understand that I am Yours, and You call me to Your presence. I love You, God. You never turn from me, Your child.

No Foe Too Strong

Lord, I often feel out manned. Life's complications, wounds, and battles are daunting as armed foes. They are too strong for me. But they are not too strong for You.

I know You are there for me on my own disastrous days - frequent as they are. Thank You, Lord, that You are not just a rescuer, riding off after the victory is won. You are a constant support all the days of my life.

Waiting

I keep waiting for my old life and my old self to return. Even though You have brought me through so much. I wake up in the morning and think, "Maybe today everything will be as it was." God, I don't know what restoration will look like. It could lead to a life that is very different from before and from now. Will I ever feel complete healing?

Lord, help me trust You. I doubt my return to wholeness will see "normal." Give me a new heart to suit the new version of my life. May I fall in love with the gifts You provide.

See It All

Well, I might as well face it; By now You know me and my faults. You have seen me yell at my spouse, neglect someone who needed attention, take the easy way out to avoid commitment, etc. And these are just the faults I am willing to speak of today. The fact that You know me so well and still love me is one of life's greatest mysteries. I realize that I still try to keep my transgressions from You sometimes, I even try to keep them from myself.

But here I am, asking for You to see it all...the good, the bad...and show me what is next for me. Now that You know me, I pray to become the person You know I can be.

Words to Reach

When I cannot think of anything to say, please give me the words that are needed. There are people in my life who need advice, counsel, wisdom, and help. When I search my mind for the perfect thing to say, I draw a blank. I can only turn them toward You. May they see my dependence upon You so that they will have confidence in the words You give me to share.

These people are the ones I pray for most. You know them and their personal journeys, and I am thankful that You entrust them to me...people for me to know, to pray for, and to care about.

Heal Me

It is easy to break as a human. As a being made of earth, water, and breath, it is easy to crumble and develop holes. Lord, You made me. You know what it takes to heal the places that are broken, underused, and weak.

I give to You my physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds and ask for Your touch, Your breath, Your mercy to cover them. Heal me. Lord!

Your Strength

There are times when I feel there is an army just outside my front door waiting to take me down. The fear builds up because I am focused on my strength and not on Yours. God, help me to rely on you and turn to You even when I feel the fear building. Do not let me fall back on my own ability when I have the source of Your might to pull me through. I am so thankful that You do not ask me to go it alone. When I look to You for direction and encouragement, I have already won the battle.

Does it show?

My spirit feels drawn and thin. My bones ache from nights of restless sleep. My mind seems out of time from too much thinking. I've been avoiding mirrors. I didn't want to see the damage of internal strife in my outward appearance. But I caught a glimpse of my reflection today, Lord. And I was surprised.

I didn't pay attention to whether I had more lines, wrinkles or gray hair because I could see the transformation You made happen. You have given me an air of peace and wisdom. At some point I settled into my own skin, self, and life. It wasn't a look of resignation on my face; it was the look of understanding and security that faith brings to its holder.

My Provider

All that I need, God will provide. Sometimes I try to exert my will rather than pursue His will for me. When my energy is running low, I get desperate and reach for anything to fill the void before I have to feel it. I eat, I watch television, I follow any distraction that pops up, and I doubt joy. Lord, strip me of my prideful desire to do it on my own. Cause me to feel the emptiness and depletion so that I can feel the complete joy when Your sustenance starts pouring in. And when the void is overflowing with abundance, may I remember my Provider.

Make a Choice

Beneath the pain, behind the eyes that look out on hard circumstances, and under the current of anxious thoughts there is the me that God loves and the me who knows strength in faith. Between my past and my tomorrows there is today, and today I choose to praise God and stand firm in my belief that He still sees me. He knows what courage it takes just for me to write these words. He sees the value of who I am even before the lost is found, the hole is filled, and the questions are answered. I choose to look up and to celebrate the blessings that God has given me and not allow the shadow of sorrow and sin to cloud my view. For regardless of circumstances, we always have a choice.

Sing Like a Bird

While I place the Band-Aids of worry over my wounds, God covers my fragile heart with a shield of hope. I visualize this shield and the protection of faith and belief. It helps me face the days with courage. As I pray, I sense the presence of loving arms around me.

My trust in God has brought me joy. I am noticing flowers and colors and the comfort of the breeze. I catch myself smiling more often because I am less afraid of disappointment. I am ready to join the song of the birds above; they know how to give thanks.

Fly High

I want to express myself, Lord. I want to be free of all inhibitions, negative self-talk, and the fear of how other people view me. How many times have I squelched something that is of You because I did not want to be viewed as a maniac, a fool? I believe You speak to us in a language that sometimes is wild and out-of-the-box. After all, You created the world beyond the box that we have created for ourselves.

Let me fly high with a sense of song and creation. Give me the courage to be inspired. Encourage in me the blossoming of more ideas, more adventures, and more life.

The power of words!

Our words are the power that we have to create. Words are the most powerful tool we have as a human being. Our words can create the most beautiful dream or destroy everything around us. Knowing the awesome power of our words, we must understand and respect the power that comes out of our mouths!

Gossiping has become the main form of communication human society. It has become the way we feel close to each other. It makes us feel better to see someone else feel as badly as we do. When you judge someone based on gossip, you see the person through the eyes who gave you that gossip.

Be cautious with your words!

Thank you for waiting

It has taken time for me to remove my layers of pride, ignorance, defensiveness, and emotional baggage. My personal transformation is taking place slowly, but it is happening. You amaze me , Lord. While I was cursing my burdens, You were polishing them and changing them into good things. How did You take such brokenness and turn it into hope? When I started this walk I was so far from You and Your heart. I was too scared even to trust my Creator. Through faith, I have been given freedom. Through trial, I have been give a new life. Thank you for waiting Lord!

Never too tired

Even the strongest people get tired at times, but God's power and strength never diminish. He is never too tired or too busy to listen and help. His strength is my source of strength. When I feel all of life crushing me and cannot go another step, I need to pause and remember to call upon God to renew my strength.

Before the rainbows

When rainbows appear after a rain, it is a sweet reminder of God's faithfulness. As a child, I always focused on the brillant colors. As an adult, I understand that it first takes the storm before we see evidence of the beauty that follows. I need to seek the shelter of God's love during the thunder and the lightning of life. Perseverance will bring me to higher ground where the view is bright. Then my eyes can be opened to the color and brilliance of the hope ahead.

Just Watch

I have naysayers in my life. I allowed them voice because I was sure it was the Christian thing to do. But over time I realized they only desired to heal themselves, to engage in conversation that drained and did not uplift, and to take rather than give. I speak of God but they shake their heads and change the subject. Please help me to rely on Your strength and understanding so that those who doubt my belief and hope will not have power in my life. When they see the joy I have during times of hardship, they will know my contentment comes from You alone.

Perseverance

I look at old photos and think about how I look, what I was doing, who my friends were, and what life was like. Maybe what I should examine are the lessons God was teaching me at that stage of my life. I pray to be taught God's will through the wisdom of other people and the experiences that come my way in order to move me forward toward higher and more level ground in my walk of faith. It takes perseverance to go from the lowlands to the top of the mountain. I pray that as I piece together the times of my life from memory and wisdom, I will have a greater understanding of how perseverance is not only possible, but is a natural and necessary part of my faith journey.

Last Forever

This life is not all there is. This life is preparation for the next. I was made to last forever. God designed me in His image, to live for eternity. One day my heart will stop beating. That will be the end of my body and my time on earth, but it will not be the end of me. My earthly body is just a temporary residence for my spirit. My relationship to God on this earth will determine my relationship to Him in eternity. Death is not the end of us. Death is not our termination, but your transition into eternity.

Feelings of Home

We carry a yearning in our hearts for the community we know has been lost - a closeness, a quality of connection to other people that sings with vibrance and shines with vitality. This feeling calls out to us of a time and place of belonging, of comfort, of being nestled in the hands of unquestioned love and embraced by the warmth of acknowledgment and understanding - a place we can be ourselves and have impact on others - a place that feels like home.

Fearless

I can feel my muscles grip with tension and fear each time I think of the uncertain things in my future. It is useless, this worrying. Yet I invest much time and energy toward it. I cannot know what is around the bend, but I am under the care of the one who does know what will come and what will happen. Lord, Your voice envelopes me, and I am ready to listen to your words of peace and security. You do not reveal secrets of what is to come, but You say, "Continue without fear. We take the next steps together." Thank you for that comfort!

Follow the Plan

My Heavenly Father knows my needs and my abilities and He provides for me based on His timeline (not mine). The Lord has a plan for me - a purpose. I pray daily that God keeps me on the road that He has paved for me, that He patiently takes my hand and guides me. Sometimes it becomes difficult to have the faith and trust, to be patient and wait for God's plan to unfold - to resist the urge to step in and try to take control myself. Thank you Father God for loving me, even during those times when I may not be loveable. You gave me my life - I want to use every minute of it to the fullest and at such a quality that I can offer it back to you. Help me Lord to be the person you want me to be!

Be still...

Quiet down the mind. Know that God, within and without, takes care of all things. Most of our problems arise because we push against life instead of going with it. We try so hard to keep ourselves from being uncomfortable that we create the exact situation that we fear.

Cedar Ridge Ranch

Yesterday Jerry and I spent the entire day at CRR. It was a beautiful day, very little wind and perfect temps. We spent the day working of our walking paths...hard work, but totally enjoyable. Reminds me of the hours that my dad and I use to spend together cutting wood. Here again, it was hard work, but times that I treasure. My dad taught me a lot down in the timber area...not just about cutting wood, but what it meant to love and respect nature. To this day, I would not trade my time outdoors. These are times when I feel so close to God and to my dad. I could hear my dad whistling and see him sitting there on the old Ford tractor as I worked yesterday. My dad has been gone for seven years now, but I can still feel his presence with me. No, this does not make me sad, it actually puts smile on my face...for how do you miss someone who never leaves you?

Can you believe it?

Who would have ever though that this ol' woman would be creating a BLOG! Thank you DeAnne for opening this door for me. Who knows where it might lead :)