Comfort, Peace, Good Things

Yesterday, the start of my quiet time began with this-

Stop trying to work things out before their times have come. Accept the limitations of living one day at a time. when something comes to your attention, ask me whether or not it is a part of today’s agenda. If it isn’t release it into My care and go on about today’s duties. When you follow this practice, there will be a beautiful simplicity about your life : a time for everything, and everything in its time.

But wait here’s the best part!

A life lived close to Me is not complicated or cluttered. When your focus is on My Presence, many things that once troubled you lose their power over you. Though the world around you is messy and confusing, remember that I have overcome the world. I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have Peace.

I told you that I was using “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young. Did I tell you that she takes bible verses and makes them like it’s Jesus sitting with you talking to you? Did I tell you that most days it seems like it fits my day and the circumstances of my life. Isn’t that how God is? He comes to you where you are and He is everything we need!

That paragraph about a life lived close to Him is not complicated or cluttered-Oh how true! And things that once troubled me have lost their power.  OH how thankful I am for His Peace.

Last week , one afternoon , I came home and read this book.

Amazon describes the book like this:

Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.

Told by the father, but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle.

It is a must read. The book can really make you think about heaven and makes you want to think for yourself what a day it will be when our Jesus we see!!! I could not put it down  and it was comforting to read.

Now, I am going to get busy with some good stuff like hopefully seeing some grandkids, taking care of things I need to do, spend some time with friends. Did I mention that my quiet mornings will soon change when my daughter and her 3 gorgeous girls and my son-in –love of course, come to live here for a few months while they build their house just 7 doors down the street.

Have I told you lately GOD is good!

Be blessed,

Adversity can be a witness!

How well I know this…not only is it making us stronger, and it is temporary. But people are watching to see how it affects us. How we let it make us or break us.

2 Corinthians 4: 17-18
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

My recent adversity is truly temporary. I know that I will be working soon and I am even praying that God has a specific job for me, not one I have planned , but one he has planned for me. I’m fixing my eyes on what I can’t see and waiting. Today in one of my devotions “40 Days with Jesus” He said this to me…Let My Love enfold you in the radiance of My Glory. Sit still in the Light of MY Presence, and receive My Peace. These quiet moments with Me transcend time, accomplishing far more than you can imagine. Bring me the sacrifice of your time, and watch to see how abundantly I bless you and your loved ones.

So before I start each day I am sitting with Him and when this old girl gets back out there I will be different!

I saw this wonderful quote on my friends Betsy’s blog today-

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way,

you will command the attention of the world."

George Washington Carver

1864-1943

First, let me say this is definitely a statement about Betsy, because she is definitely uncommon sharing her life, mother of four, with grown triplets who are Autistic. She shares everyday in a beautiful way and she has an uncommon way of living out the day to day with character, beauty and grace.

BUT, when I saw this statement on her blog, I thought about my best friend Juju.

It’s been two weeks and two days since she lost her husband Robert. Every day since that time she has been showing such Faith, such Grace, such Strength (that comes from the Lord) and such Peace(also from HIM). Sunday as our Pastor was preaching , he shared that she has truly lived her Faith in this adversity and that it is a joy to see. It has truly impacted me to walk beside her , wanting to lift her up , when she is the one lifting me by her example.

I feel I failed when I let a little old job situation knock me down for several days, when I see my precious friend stand from the first moment until now as she has faced her adversity. But I’ve learned some things for my next trial, and I got back to the HEART of the Matter, by going to the right source-God and His word.

Next time, I’ll be better prepared and I will be uncommon as far as this world sees!

Life is full of learning and how sweet when you can learn by walking with a friend!

Thank you Lord for your blessings on me!

Be blessed!

I’ve been learning and loving!

So as of yesterday, I have been home for one month.

I remember what I was doing this time one month ago, I was sitting in this same chair-

but I was crying and  feeling sorry for myself. I had been forced away from a job I loved with people I loved.

Alot has happened since then.

I have traded my sorrow for joy, and  my mourning for praises.

  He will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
   a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
      festive praise instead of despair.
   In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
  that the Lord has planted for his own glory. Isaiah 61:3

I have been able to stay with these precious people many days…

 

I’ve spent every morning in this book

 

and this book

I have had time to minister to my friends and family.

I have had my family over for dinner that I did not have to rush.

I have slept late and stayed up late and done things I wanted to do.

Today I was watching Joyce Meyer and she gave me some good words to soak in- Love your enemies –they are forcing you to grow up and they are turning you toward God so he can do good things in your life.

So for right now life is good and I’m waiting to see what God has for me. I’m waiting to see what I’m going to be when I grow up.

I think of the word’s of the sweet children’s song- “He’s Still Working on Me”

He's still working on me
To make me what I need to be
It took him just a week to make the moon and stars
The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars
How loving and patient He must be
'Cause He's still workin' on me
There really ought to be a sign upon my heart
Don't judge me yet, there's an unfinished part
But I'll be better just according to His plan
Fashioned by the Master's loving hands.

In the mirror of His word
Reflections that I see
Makes me wonder why He never gave up on me
But He loves me as I am and helps me when I pray
Remember He's the potter; I'm the clay.

Come on Lord- Mold me!

Be blessed!

I know it’s been a long time…

So much has happened~ you better put on a seat belt this could be a bumpy ride.

Have you ever been going along in life  thinking okay things are good, Thank You Lord, even bad days are good, because it’s just little bumps that come along-then wham out of nowhere comes the crash. That was the way my 2011 was going- I was busy at work, but I like challenges. I love my family, my church , my Sunday school ladies, life is good. I was working on my health and losing weight. I thought the winter with its snow was just wonderful.

BAM~ I walk into the job that I love and have poured myself into for going on 6 years, the job I thought I would stay in until I retired and then began to play there. The place where I loved the Seniors and loved everyday of driving to work. On this day –I heard leave today and every negative thing they could possibly say. I‘ll just say I was wrongfully terminated and the people who were my superiors did not show superior working skills in my termination meeting.

So, in the midst of that I told my daughter it was a blessing in disguise and God who knows everything has better plans for me. Sitting here today 3 weeks later, I feel ashamed because I think of the souls in Japan who would be thankful for the day when the worst thing that could happen would be losing a job. I’m put in my place when I stand beside my best friend who lost her life partner after  34 years without a warning. I need to put on my big girl panties and remember the countless blessings I have that I never deserved and just put on my running shoes and get to work. Work on sharing God’s love and mercy of which I have been a long-time recipient. I need to be so thankful , that at this season of my life I have some time to do things that are important like draw closer to God, with QUALITY quiet times I rushed through before, for opportunities  to go to Bible Study during the day, for the ability to have the time to minister to people I love and also people I have never met.

Forgive me Lord, for my pity party. I am now over it. And just like all the other major hardships I have gone through , let me find the good and let go of the hurt and any other emotions that will not edify my life to hang onto them. Let me remember each Senior that I loved and the sweet memories and the things they taught me. Let me be thankful for the things I learned that I can carry on through life and be better because of them.

Okay, enough  about me- please remember my best friend Juju, she lost her husband last Wednesday and she definitely has a new road to go down. I have to say that walking beside her through the whole experience has been an inspiration to me. She is the epitome of Grace and what Faith can do when it is the center of your life. She has always been an example of love and goodness to me, but even more so this past week.

This is Barbie, Juju and me. Juju is in the middle –she is the oldest and wisest of the three of us and I am so blessed that she is my soul-sister. I promise to walk beside you Juju and hold you up, just like our favorite verses from Ecclesiastes say.

⁹ Two are better than one,
   because they have a good return for their labor:
¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
   one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
   and has no one to help them up.
¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
   But how can one keep warm alone?
¹² Though one may be overpowered,
   two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Our strand of three is actually four-we are the three musketeers with the Lord as our guide. We are all surrounded by the best most loving families so we are quite a force!

If anybody is still reading this I want to leave you with the verses God planted in me during this trial I am going through and all I can say is-I’m ready!

Romans 12-Placing my life before God!

^1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

^14-16Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.

^17-19Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."

Be blessed! I am!