loving life part 9

I love my life.

Jesus came to give us life abundant. (John 10:10) He didn’t die so we would be miserable.

What will today hold? I know what is on the schedule for today but I do not know how it will play out. God does. Trusting God means just that trusting Him. I can enjoy today because God has me in the palm of His hand. He loves me. He loves you.

It doesn’t matter what happens today. I am still responsible for my actions, reactions, attitude, and words. My attitude plays a huge part in whether or not I will love my life.

It is so much easier to love your life when you meditate on scripture.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 ESV

Guess what? Love wins!

Love wins. When I love the life Jesus died for, when I see obstacles as opportunities for Christ to shine through, when I let love guide me – I can truly say I love my life.

til next time

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enjoy today

Continuing from yesterday.

 

I enjoy my life. It is very full – which is how I like it. I vaguely remember being bored back when I was a child. My dad took care of that quickly. By the time I was 7, I was the only child at home. Learning how to entertain myself was a wonderful gift that has carried into my adult life.

 

I enjoy life, yet, there are times that I find myself worn out – exhausted. (I’m not talking about the tiredness that comes with my current health issues but a mental exhaustion.)

 

Truth is that each time that occurs, I can trace it back to not spending enough time at the feet of Jesus. Unforced rhythms of grace is only possible as we walk with and work with Jesus. He teaches us how to rest and how to live life freely and lightly.

 

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matt 11:28-30 MSG

 

Are you tired? Jesus is calling you to come away for awhile and sit at His feet. The most important thing you can do today is to spend time with Him.

 

“Cultivate an awareness of His presence.” (Curtis Girod)

 

He is with you always. He is able! He is greater! Allow Him to fill you to overflowing with renewed hope!! (Romans 15:13)

 

 

Loving the life Jesus has given you is one way for you to show your gratitude! “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!” Phil 4:4 MSG

til next time

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attitude

How’s your soul? (will, mind, emotions)

My morning started out a little rough.  Did you know that you can change your day by changing your attitude?

My attitude was heading south. There are a ‘million’ things I could focus on concerning my health and the way I am feeling BUT I want to enjoy this day. There are no do overs. So as with anything in my life – I took it to God.

Maybe you need to pray this prayer with me.

“Good morning God. This is the day You have made and I am wanting to choose to rejoice in it. In order to do that I need Your help. Help me to not fixate on the pain, the ‘now what’, or the ‘how’, but to keep my eyes on You. You are good! You love me and You are working all things out for my good. Yes, even this pain. Help me to see beyond myself, to see the opportunities You have for me today. I can do what you set before me this day because You are with me. I choose hope! I choose You, Jesus! (Psalm 118:24, 46:1, 2 Cor 10:5, Heb 12:2, Rom 8:28, Col 4:5, Phil 4:13)

I also looked to God’s word to speak to my heart. If you haven’t read Ephesian 3 lately, I encourage you to read it.

My take on a few of the verses:

V6. God’s plan is that we belong to Him

V7. it is a privilege to serve God

V14 because of Jesus and our faith in Him, we can come to God boldly and confidently. We don’t have to have it all together or say the right things but we come just as we are.

V14-15 there is something special about kneeling before God – surrendering to the Creator of everything

V16 is my verse to hold on to today!

V17 trusting Christ (in the good and the bad, health and pain) sinks our roots deep in God’s love and that keeps us strong – I want that!

V18 God’s love – nothing greater (wide, long, high, deep) Makes me want to break out into song “Oh, how He loves us so. Oh how He loves us.”

V19 we don’t just know of His love, we experience His love

V20 God gets the glory! He is able to do more than we can even imagine

Yes, I am now ready to face the day as a mighty child of God.

What about you?

til next time

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give me Jesus

Wrong side of the bed?

Are you crabby this morning? Maybe a little owlie or grouchy? Some could even say you got up on the wrong side of the bed.

I have found a sure fire way to start my day off right. Before I get out of bed, I start my conversation with God. Yes, it is just that simple.

“But as for me, I will sing about your power.
Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
For you have been my refuge,
a place of safety when I am in distress.” Psalm 59:16 (NLT)

Sometimes I’m awake long before I have to get up. As I am talking with God, I may fall back asleep. That is not a bad thing.

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,
for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk,
for I give myself to you.” Psalm 143:8 (NLT)

It’s not too late. Take a few moments right now to connect with God. It will change your day..

Starting with Jesus,

til next time

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shine

Today, let them see You in me.

Today, let me walk in Your love.

Today, shine through me!

God’s Love Wins!

til next time

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don’t wait — start today…..

• Today:
• Make the choice to believe God
• to stand on His Word
• to apply that Word to your life.

“This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Choose joy! Choose peace! When we decide that our joy and peace are not dependent on our circumstances but instead upon God and what He says — what a difference that makes.

Don’t wait until you ‘feel’ like being glad. Chances are you will keep looking at your circumstances and sometimes there isn’t anything glad about them.

But God!

But God is greater than your circumstances. But God is for you. But God is with you. But God will make a way where there seems to be no way.

You can choose to be glad because you know what God’s Word says. He is who He says He is.

Awhile back I was walking in the woods and the trees were swaying and the leaves were rustling. It was beautiful. The trees were doing exactly what they were created to do.

What about you? Are you doing what you were created to do?

 

• Today is a new day:
• Choose to say Yes to God!
• Choose Joy!
• Choose Peace!
• Choose Love!
• Choose God!

til next time

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what’s stopping you?

Sometimes all that is stopping me is me.

My thoughts

my feelings

my partial understanding of a situation

my ‘rights’

fear

laziness or overly busy

complacency

avoidance

These things can all stop me in my tracks.  They can also greatly affect my joy, peace and hope.

So what to do?

Get out of my own head — get into the Word. Purpose to live this day walking with Jesus — that means laziness, complacency, avoidance, and fear has to go. Overly busy needs to be re-evaluated. (To help with priorities, I highly recommend the book “The Best Yes” by Lysa Terkeurst)

For me, planning down time is a necessity – right along with scheduling exercise. Rarely do either of those two things happen by chance. Yet, both are valuable to living a healthy full life.

I don’t want to live my life in a small way.

So for today I am entering the wide-open spaces. I choose to live this day openly and expansively.   I wonder what will God be up to as I unfold this day with Him?

What about you?

What will you choose to do with your day?

til next time

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i choose….

Today!

A new day is beginning. I have heard it said and believe it to be true that life is 10% what happens and 90% how you handle it. Before the day really gets started, I make a choice to trust God with whatever comes my way. He holds all things together and that includes me.

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17 NASB

Today is a gift.  There will be no do overs.

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (KJV)

Notice ‘we will’ — it is a choice made ahead of time. I choose joy!  I choose trust!

“From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised!” Psalm 113:3 (ESV)

Sometimes life is messy. Sometimes life is down right hard. A key to maintaining my peace and joy as I go through hard times is praise. Praise changes me. It takes my eyes off of whatever is going on and puts them back on Jesus – the author and finisher of my faith. (Hebrews 12:2) When I turn my eyes upon Jesus, He speaks peace. Hope is renewed. What a difference it makes to praise God throughout my day.

“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17 (KJV)

Another key is prayer. Reminding myself to cast my cares (1 Peter 5:7) and talk with God as I go through my day helps me to stay centered. Prayer should be our first response not our last resort.

So a new day is beginning – how will you choose to handle it?

Me?  I choose Jesus!    My hope is built on Him!  On Christ the Solid Rock I stand!

til next time

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today……………….

Would you classify your life as busy?  Maybe too busy?

Do you find there is more to be done than time or energy to do it?

Are the primary emotions you are feeling frustration, anger, or dread?

Are you excited about a new project only to quit half way through it?  (I remember an afghan that I started in high school and finally finished it 10 years or so later – only to  get rid of it because the colors were horrible. Lesson learned.)

When it is time to fulfill a commitment you made, do you find that you dread the thought of it?  (It is fun to say yes and have others happy with you but at what cost?)

Do you feel your worth is wrapped up in what you do?

He leads me beside still waters —   who is doing the leading in your life?

When my ‘waters’ seem anything but still, I need to ask myself ‘who is doing the leading?’ Then I either need to say “Jesus take the wheel” or if He is at the wheel then ask Him to calm the storm – either the one raging outside or the one raging inside. It can be so easy to shift my focus to the raging waters instead of to the one who calms those waters.  Seeing all that needs to be done can cause me to take back the wheel.

Yes He leads me beside still waters and sometimes He even makes me to lie down in green pastures. Why does He ‘make me?’ Because I can tend to be task orientated.

I have a list of things that ‘must’ be done today.  My knee is not cooperating.    I was a bit frustrated because I made choices this week-end that should have helped.  We didn’t take in the parade or fireworks.  I did have my foot up and iced it, but this morning it is demanding rest.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures”

Last summer I spent the entire summer taking a 20 minute bath 4 times a day for a very painful issue.  Now that will put a halt on any to-do list.  This morning it hit me.   (Don’t you just love it when God has to bonk you on top of the head because you just wouldn’t get it any other way?) I need to take that time (20 minutes/4 x’s a day) to ice and prop up my leg.  Maybe then I will get the numbness to go away and the swelling to go down.  You think?  Sigh — but who has time for that.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures.”

I was also reminded this morning that part of what I feel compelled to do (and yet am not doing) is increase my reading.  Twenty minutes four times a day will help with that.

I am in need of calm waters and green pastures.  God has provided them for me.  Will I take advantage of them?

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He MAKES ME lie down in green pastures;
He LEADS ME beside quiet waters.
He RESTORES MY soul;
He GUIDES ME in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3

Today I purpose to slow down – which is a good thing as I don’t seem to have a choice.   I do choose to  notice the beauty around me, relax in the green pasture, and enjoy the gift of today!

What about you?

— looking for the fingerprints of God – they are everywhere! Lord open my eyes!

til next time

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i.woke.up.this.morning

This morning I turned on the tv in hopes of getting a little more sleep.  I just wasn’t ready to try to get out of bed. The ringing in my ears is most annoying first thing in the morning.  The tv helps.

This morning was different.

What??  What did they just say?  Where’s that remote?  Rewind.

Nine killed last night in a church in South Carolina?

Only moments before I was wondering if I would be able to walk this morning, if I would need to go get x-rays, if I had re-injured my elbow, how much damage was done to my neck,  and how long before I would not feel like a truck had run over me?

Perspective.

I.woke.up.this.morning.

That’s right.  I woke up this morning and so did you since you are reading this.

My heart goes out to the families of those nine people and to all those who witnessed this horrendous act of violence.  There just are no words.  I am so glad that God can read my heart because I don’t even know how to pray about this.  My heart is grieved.

I, too, was at a Bible Study last night.  The spiritual battle that is raging was made very evident to me before Bible study.

Here is what happened.

I was up at the church 1 1/2 hours before practice doing the usual stuff when I fell on the platform landing hard on my left knee and both wrists.  I then proceeded to fall off the platform (18 inches or so) landing on my back.   My first thought was ‘my phone is on the piano (that is where I put it when I am playing) and there is no way I can get to it.’  Then I reached for my pocket and it ‘just so happened’ that I hadn’t taken it out yet.  Thank you God!!!

I called my husband.  No answer.  I called the house phone and left what I am sure was a rather panicked message.  I did tell him “I have fallen” and even though my mind immediately went to ‘and I can’t get up” and even though that was true, I did not say it. Only later was I able to see the humor in all of this.  I am sure it would have won America’s funniest home videos if only someone had recorded it.  No, I am not going to repeat it for any amount of money.

Fast forward — Curtis and Andrew show up.  There I was on the floor just like those commercials.

Curtis did not like the angle of my foot.  He wanted to call the ambulance.  I would have none of that.  I don’t know how many times I had him pray for me.    What I know is that I was eventually able to move my leg a little by little and the angle of my foot was better.

Chris showed up and we had a family moment.  I have a three great men in my life!!

Here is why I wouldn’t go to the ER.  I just knew it was a spiritual attack.  Yes, I had physical issues but there was so much more going on.

I am not one of those die-hard leaders that says practice must go on.  I have been known to cancel practice.  BUT this week I was doing a new thing.  Three additional singers were joining the team to do a 6 solo special for Father’s day.  Without this practice that song wouldn’t happen.  I am confident that the song idea came from God and I was just as confident that the enemy of my soul wanted to take me out.  Just as in Job, he could only go so far.  By the way, my right leg is the leg I need for the piano.

Andrew and Curtis got me up and to the piano where I remained until after prayer time was over in Bible study.

The special?  It was all I envisioned and more.  POWERFUL!!!

So this morning I woke up.   I can move.  I can walk.  I can even walk without the assistance of the cane I used last night.   I have pain but pain does make me know that I am most certainly alive.

Perspective.

Again my heart grieves for all those who lost people they loved.  May God pour His comfort, peace and assurance into their hearts.

Evil is running rampant.  There is a spiritual battle raging.  The enemy knows his time is short.  He is seeking to devour, steal, kill, and destroy.  (1Peter 5:8,  John 10:10)

Jesus came so we would have life and have it abundantly.  (John 10:10) God is an ever-present help in trouble.  (Psalm 46:1)   Let God arise and His enemies be scattered.  (Psalm 68:1)

Let’s go out and make today count.  We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

til next time

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