Sunday, September 26, 2010

Discontent?

The definition of "discontent" is...a restless desire or craving for something one does not have.  Do you ever have those feelings?  Well, I do and I am not at all proud of it.  I desire to be content with what God has given me and where He has placed me.  The quote below makes a lot of sense to me. 

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”  ~Greek philosopher, BC 341-270

Yes, what I now have is something I prayed and hoped for.  Actually, what I now have is different than how I pictured it, but in reality it is better than what I hoped for.  The Lord has a way of making our dreams come true in a way that we never imagined possible.

The future looms ahead and other dreams beckon to me.  I get excited, but I need to wait.  As I wait I need to enjoy where I am.  The Lord does not move us on so quickly that we do not get to stop to smell the flowers.  As you continue to dream and hope for the future remember these words...


"The vision is yet for the appointed time...Though it tarries, wait for it, for it will certainly come, it will not delay.  ~Habakkuk 2:3


Even if we are in a place that is hard.  A place we never imagined we would be, fear not for the Lord is there.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  He is right by your side and even in the midst of the trial you will find blessing because He is absolutely amazing.  And this too will pass and as always the future lies ahead with hopes and dreams.  Here is a verse to comfort your soul:


"Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage.  Yes, wait for the Lord.  ~Psalm 27:14

Saturday, July 10, 2010


"Hope is a thing with feathers.
That perches in the soul.
And sings the tunes without the words.
And never stops at all."

(Verse from Emily Dickinson poem)

Monday, July 5, 2010

Psalm 119:105

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

"There will be times when God only gives us enough light to take a few steps a few steps in front of us."  ~Charles Stanley

Monday, May 24, 2010

Psalm 34:19

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

I happened received this verse in my Bible promises box the other day.  I have read this verse before, but the Lord brought a few things to my attention this time.  First it says "many are the afflictions of the righteous".  Okay, so if I am righteous, I can expect to have trials and tribulations.  Second, thing that stood out to me was "but the Lord delivers him out of them all."  The ALL never stood out to me before.  It doesn't say "some" nor "a few"...it say ALL.  So there is therefore no tribulation or trial that the Lord will not help me to overcome.  Isn't that such a relief?

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is with you,
       He is mighty to save.
       He will take great delight in you,
       He will quiet you with His love,
       He will rejoice over you with singing.

Isn't this precious to your heart?  That our Lord takes great delight in us?  I especially like the part that says He will quiet me with His love.

Monday, May 3, 2010

To be known is to be loved...

I am sure that all of us have felt the painful sting of rejection.  We all deeply long for someone to accept us despite all our unsightly behaviors or ways of thinking.  Thankfully, God has provided a way for us to be accepted in the midst of our mess.  He sent His son, Jesus, to wash away all the yuck.  God provided this way of escape not because of anything to do with us, but based on Himself (being love).  Jesus truly knows us and despite all that He loves us and laid down His life to prove that love. 

This past weekend I went to my first ladies retreat.  It was awesome!  It was a chance to experience the Lord in a deeper way.  A chance to see and experience love in action.  To be blessed beyond imagination.  When we put the Lord first and love Him we then become filled, and His love overflows out of us and abundantly to others.  

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Hardships

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia.  We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.  In deed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.  But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead.  (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

This little bird is hanging on to a reed as the soft wind blows against him.  The reed bends and moves to and fro as he continues to hang on.  He seems unmoved as he sits in place and moves with the wind.  He is not afraid.

The above scripture verse really spoke to me the other night especially since I feel that I am enduring a trial that is far beyond my ability.  As Paul says in this verse, it happens so that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who is all powerful.  So therefore my trial is set in place that I may continue to seek Him.  It is His way of loving me, keeping me close.  Looking with spiritual eyes I can see the real reason behind it all, and I can rejoice in His LOVE.  Beloved, He loves us in ways that are high and lifted up, He never leaves us and does not want us to leave Him.  He loves us beyond what we can understand.  As the little bird that clings to the reed in the blowing wind, I can endure the wind as long as I hang on to Him.  I can rest and let the billows flow over me, confident that He love me.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Jeremiah 33:3


Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.

Friday, April 16, 2010

A New Direction

"He knoweth the way that I take: when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10)

This is the verse I received this morning in my little promises box.  I take out a little card every day and seriously the Lord really does use these little cards.  He speaks to me through them and I am always eager for Him to speak to me.  There have been a lot of internal trials going on within me.  The Lord has been pointing me through various people to a path He has personally picked out for me.  He wants me to experience greater joy and LOVE in my life.  He has set me in Colorado to walk on this path and according to the verse today, He has promised that I shall come forth as gold.

Father, I accept this journey, this path you have set me on, I want to come forth as gold and glorify your name.  Thank you for all your awesome blessings.  In your son's name Jesus, I pray.  Amen

Monday, April 5, 2010

Be Thou My Vision


Be Thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart
Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me Lord
Thou my great Father and I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

Riches I need not, nor man's empty praise
Thou mine inheritance now and always
Thou and Thou only first in my heart
High king of heaven my treasure Thou art

Be Thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart
Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

High king of heaven, my victory won
May I reach heaven's joy, bright heaven sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, oh ruler of all

"I finally get why Paul and Barnabas set to song when they were jailed in prison in the book of Acts. Sometimes to hear the words of God sung are the healing balm that diverts you away from deep seated sadness to that of a communal spiritual holy God sanctioned power that almost can not be defined in words." (quoted by john146only)


With sadness in my heart for all the loss I have endured, I seek the Lord and His comfort.  For true and lasting comfort comes only from Him.   ~Rebecca

Sunday, April 4, 2010

O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus


O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of thy love.
Leading onward, leading homeward to thy glorious rest above!

O the deep deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore.
How He watches o'er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o'er them from the throne!

O the deep deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
'Tis an ocean vast of blessing, 'tis a haven sweet of rest!
O the deep deep love of Jesus, 'tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up the Thee!

This Easter my heart has been filled with song...hymns of praise.  Won't you sing the above song and fix your thoughts on His love for you?  Click here and sing along.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Thought for the Day

The point of prayer is not always to get answers from GOD, but to have complete and perfect unity with HIM. ...so endure the day with PRAYERS! A Blessed day to you all.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Godliness with Contentment

"But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."  1 Timothy 6:6

Here I am in Colorado, living in a rental house.  We had to sell our house in California and move to Colorado for my husband to keep his job.  Our Little Blue Cottage in California was small, but very cozy.  I was quite attached to it and I admit, I enjoyed all the treasures I had collected up.  Sometimes I longed for a little bit bigger house, my sons wanted their own rooms, I wanted my own bathroom and a bigger living room.  I told my sons that if they wanted a bigger house they needed to take that request to God.  So they did.

So here we are in a big house in Colorado.  It is the biggest house I have lived in since getting married.  As I sat in the huge living room with a cathedral ceiling, boxes and junk all around me, I looked down at a slip of paper that had the above verse on it.  Looking around at all the boxes of stuff I brought from my house in California, I began to see the meaning of what this verse was saying.  Yes, I can see how living with less can actually bring greater contentment.  Things can be a burden and this move has taught me that.

Jesus said in Luke 12:15, that our life does not consist in the abundance of things we own.  So giving up my house and many of the things I have owned over the years is a pathway to Him.  Letting go of my things means I have more room for Him.  When I lived in my little house I thought I was so close to Him, but this move has shown me how much more I need Him and how much more He has for me.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

"At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed..." Numbers 9:23

The Lord orders our steps.  He tells us when to pick up and move and when to stay parked.  For now I am parked in a place I do not want to be.  You see I used to be parked somewhere else, I had a cute little cottage in California where I felt safe, comfortable and happy.  I enjoyed the company of friends and family, warm weather and year around gardening.  On top of that I had my favorite shops and places to enjoy myself.  Then one day it was all taken away when my husband came home and said that we had to move to Colorado to keep his job.  So we sold our cottage, left our friends and family and journeyed to Colorado where everything feels strange.  Nothing smells right, there is snow and ice and its cold!  On top of that, I am renting a house on a hilltop that I do not like.  I feel like this is a bad dream and I want to runaway.

Yes, I had a home in California.  I am homesick for it, but I did not always want to be parked where I was in in California.  There was a time when I was itching to move and the Lord told me I would move to Colorado, but I was to wait on Him about it.  As I waited on Him (for years), I learned to be content with where He had me parked in California.  Once I became content, that was the time I was moved to Colorado.

Psalm 27:14 says "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart."  So I need to wait again, wait on Him and be of good courage.  Waiting on Him brings strength to my heart. I hope that one day I will feel contentment in my surroundings, I wait on Him to bring that about.

Praying, resting, waiting trusting ~
These are words that tell a story;
As we wait for God to lead us, 
He responds, "Just seek my glory."

~Hess

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Attractive Things

"As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Because of that cross my interest in all the attractive things of the world was killed long ago, and the world's interest in me is also long dead."  (Galatians 6:14)

The attractive things of the world, what are they for you?  It may be an expensive car, a large home in a nice neighborhood, quality clothing, fancy dishes, etc.  There are many things in this world that attract our attention.  Our society is built around the accumulation of "goodies", moving up to bigger & better whatever that may be.  But what is truly essential in life is our relationship with Jesus.  We can have all the other goodies, but be desperately poor & naked because we do not have Him.  No matter what your situation, if you have salvation you are truly wealthy indeed.

As followers of the Lord Jesus, our desire for Him should increase and our desire for the things of this world should decrease.  Through my experience of my husband losing his job in California and getting relocated to Colorado I have come to see things in a new light.  I saw the Lord's hand in all that happened.  I had to put my sweet little cottage up for sale.  Then two of my pets passed away.  I learned that even the pets He gives me are blessings from Him.  And that they are not mine, they are His and He lets me care for them.  I learned that my house is not "mine" it is His, I am just the care taker and He can give my house to whoever He wants.  He provides all and as Job said "The Lord gives and He takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord."

Father, I ask in your son's name, that you please make my desire for YOU increase and the desire for the things of this world decrease.  Let me be content with where You place me and what you give me. Let me bless your name always.  Amen.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Like Jonah

This morning I heard a message about Jonah which was just what I needed to hear.  You see, we recently moved to Colorado from Southern California due to my husband being relocated because of his job.  Selling our home of 18 years, leaving our friends and family behind was heartbreaking.  Escrow closed, going away parties were held, goodbyes were said.  We hopped on a plane and in two hours we were whisked away to another world.  The shock of it all was overwhelming to my whole system.  It was not what I wanted.

We went to see our rental home that we found on Craig's List.  I was disappointed with it in some ways.  It was not what I had dreamed about.  I was angry and wanted out of the deal.  I lamented the sale of our house and the decision to leave California.  With these feelings rising up in me I realized that I did not want the moving van to show up at that rental house.  Why?  Because I knew that once it did, my fate was sealed.  Well, the dreaded day came and I obeyed God.  I went to the house, I directed the movers on where to put our furniture and boxes thus sealing my fate to live in Colorado.

Now listening to the Sunday sermon I realized I was being a Jonah.  My eyes were more fixed on 'my' desires rather than my lovely Lord.  Dear Lord, please forgive me for seeking delight in the things of this world rather than in You.   

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Obedience

"All who are able to forsake things, to not seek anything for themselves, but to choose the difficult part, have a tremendous power in them, even as Christ had.  Because of that power in Him the Lord Jesus could refuse the evil and choose the good."  (Watchman Nee from The Messenger of the Cross pg. 64)

(Philippians 2: 5 - 8) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

"It requires great power to be obedient!  If God does not fill your heart first, you will not succeed, no matter how you try externally.  We need to learn to draw near to God daily and receive from heaven both butter and honey (the grace & sweetness of love from the Lord) so that day by day we may live on earth choosing the good and refusing the evil."  (Watchman Nee from The Messenger of the Cross pg. 68).

Monday, January 18, 2010

Drama Queen?

These days I have been feeling like God has it out for me.  My husband has to relocate to another state to have a job.  We have to leave our home where we have lived for all our lives and live away from family and friends.  On top of that we lost two dear pets in the midst of selling our home and I have been having health problems.  Is God, having it out for us?  I know that is not right, but I sure can relate to what Job said in his time of adversity.  Then, I think of that book called The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.  All the hardships of WW II that Corrie and her sister Betsy endured, okay, I think I have cornered the market on the phrase "Drama Queen".  Being that our country is in a recession, what is happening to our family is not unusual.  Because of this trial, I now know the pain and suffering of others in the same situation, I can relate.  Verses like:  "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God..." (Romans 8:28) and "Be glad for all that God is planning for you , be patient in trouble, and prayerful always. (Romans 12:12) become more dear.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

You have got to read this!!

I don't know about you, but I am definitely seeing more sexually explicit smut on TV.  One minute I am watching a decent show and then BOOM a totally sexual commercial takes over.  It is horrid and getting worse if you ask me.  I am a member of AFA and One Million Moms and I get emails alerting me of what is going on out there in media world.  It is overwhelming.  But every now and then something surprises me, like Brit Hume saying Tiger Woods needs Jesus on air in front of all of America. LOL  Check out this article on-line and get the whole enchilada, its GREAT!