When all is said and done...

Nurturing doesn't mean worry, it means to care for. Big difference. p.93

 

 

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin. Matthew 6:28

This is especially hard with children or family members that we care for, it is so easy to want to control the situation that they are going through in life, but so hard to stand back and let God's will be done.


For the days I want to worry I have to reach a little higher and trust a little harder. God takes care of the worry. p.93

These days new sheets mark the fact the old ones are worn out.  I'm content on the comfort of well-worn sheets. p.94


As women in Christ, we must learn to stand on our victories, they become our testimonies, but not hold on to them so tight that we allow ourselves to continue to be burdened through them.  When God gives us the grace to overcome, we, like Lot in the bible, must never look back, but must continue to press on for what God has in store for our future.

I'd eventually have to clean out the closet, let go of the stuff...I'd just freed up a lot of space. Gotten rid of years of clutter--given God some elbow room. Still empty is empty and it tends to leave you at a loss wondering what you'll use to fill the void p.94

God doesn't always tell us every step in the long road ahead, but He does guide our steps.  We must walk in the word and use that as our fulfillment and not our immediate future trusting God will lead us.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalms 119:105


Perhaps a set of new sheets would offer her a new outlook on the future. A new start. p.95

We must use our triumphs with God as testimony to encourage others around us in their faith.

God has shaped me through the years taking me from worn to worthy...I'm far from perfect and God knows that, but He has a plan and tomorrow we go shopping together...for new sheets..What I am, is continually under construction and constantly searching... God is a God of forgiveness and grace.  In Him we have a second chance again and again.p.95

 

We become whole in Christ when we choose to walk with him, we will continue to need his forgiveness daily as we are still sinners in need of a savior, but thank God for His daily grace, when we stumble and fall He is there.  When we are at the top of the mountain overlooking valleys, He is also there cheering us on to run the race and fight the daily fight for Him while we have the opportunity to enjoy an abundant life through His awesome love He has given us.

Prayer

Today I thank you Lord that my hands could be used to hold the hand of someone in need.

My feet could be used to help someone to take the next step to proceed.

My words could be used to encourage someone to overcome difficulties when days don’t seem so bright.

Help me Lord to always be a light and acceptable in your site.

Assisting the people that cross my path in the fight for life…

And all year through, help my caring touch represent you.

AMEN
 

(JD 3/28/13)

Thank you for your participation in this online study, I pray God continues to bless each of you as you walk in His ways and seek His will for your life.

DAYS 29-30 Exchanging Worry for Waiting

Thoughts from Cindy...

Anticipation is the pits.  It's also the land mind of lies.  When anticipation starts, [one imagines] all sorts of things that might happen...Things sometimes seep into my head I can't excommunicate. (p.91)

Trust usually runs a distant second to anticipation.  Trust in the Lord. Easy words spouted but hard words lived..Don't let worry for tomorrow stall you.  If you find yourself pacing, go bird watching. See if they worry..Don't worry, be happy. (p.92-93).

Often times we rely on worldly things to supply our needs for comfort...when situations don't feel right it is easy to get up and walk away failing to see God's plan in it..if only we were to wait for His timing.

Jesus put it well when He tried to teach us not one additional minute would be added to our life if we worry.  Still it's hard. (p.93).

Dr. Stanley's thoughts on faith.  Great faith is knowing God has already done what He promised He'd do...Nurturing doesn't mean worry, it means to care for.  Big difference.  For the days I want to worry I have to reach a little higher and trust a little harder.  God takes care of the worry. (p.93).

VS. Waiting

I've learned waiting on man is fruitless.  Only disappointment comes from that.  But waiting on God...now that's different.  Waiting on Him works.  It's His joy to give us the desires of our heart but He does it in his own time.  While I wait, He teaches me to trust.  Teaches me to rely on Him and He grooms me to wait on what is right and good...God's timing is well worth the wait. (p.89).

I completely get it's my time to wait...but sometimes I grow weary...when you grow tired and wonder if your time will come... [Remember] His plan is perfect and His timing is magnificent.  It's certainly not my timing that bring about the solutions just when I need them most.  When God makes me wait, I learn more than patience.  I learn just how much He loves me. (p.90). 

Are there times in your life where you grow weary?  When its hard to tell up from down and encouragement around you seems sparse.  Surprisingly, these are some of the main times God speaks to us..perhaps it is our desire to have an answer..desperation..or maybe that when things are good our lives are too loud to hear the still, small voice calling us to sit in His presence.  Well just as Cindy describes waiting is always better than worry and choosing a life guided by Jesus leaving behind traditional law and self-righteousness is the only way to have freedom.  So today on this Easter Sunday Just Give me a Large Dose of Jesus..because I know He will fulfill all my needs.
Listen to this video from the daughter of Billy Graham, Ann Graham Lotz...then sit at the feet of Jesus as you meditate on who Jesus really is and what that means for you and me.

Happy Easter!!!

DAY 28: CHOSEN

MATTHEW 22:8-10,14

 

8Then said he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9Go you therefore into the highways, and as many as you shall find, bid to the marriage. 10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests....14For many are called, but few are chosen.

 

 

What do you think about Cindy's thoughts on Day 28?

 

Can you relate below?

 

 

Set aside time for those who move your agenda ahead...My goal wasn't to advance upward, but to expand outward...This kings's friends were too busy to attend the banquet so he opened the doors to everyone...Sadly enough, more chose to be too busy than those who chose to make time...Jesus, in His unconditional love, welcomes me to His banquet. (p.86-87).

 

Standing my Christian ground sometimes leaves me standing in the rain..real Christianity doesn't bring us great success (in the wordly sense)...Earthly goals are good, but it's the spiritual ones that carry the weight. (p.88)

 

 

As Christians our goals should not be to do all and be as wide as possible or as high as possible in positioning, but to have deep relationships that challenge us to expand our lives into becoming more like Christ, closer to God, and to live inspired by His example and encouraged by Godly men and women.

So often people use not having time as an excuse to not be challenged (Can you believe the king's friends didn't have time to attend?), not step into their calling, and not step out of the box which currently impairs God's calling on their lives.  It takes courage to make new friends, pursue the relationships that count, and continue to grow with God..but God calls us by name.  He knows our potential and we just have to step into it.  Many are called, but few are chosen, is a verse that should cause us to rise above, reevaluate our priorities, and be obedient to God even though at times initially it may not make sense to our carnal minds.

 

Or perhaps you are living the chosen life and your friends have not shown up yet...Well, invite some guests to join you on your journey.  You just may find yourself to be surprised as with God's divine intervention, there is no mistakes on our journey with Him.

 

Are you like Cindy?  Is it easy to pursue upwards and not outwards?  How often do you check your priorities?  Do you talk about church, but have trouble living out God's love or calling for your life?  Take time today to re-evaluate priorities in your quiet time, make a list of your top 10, and where your pursuit of God is?  Is it number 1 or 10?  And if its in a place somewhere near the back burner, I encourage you today to begin cooking up a new pursuit with God.  Don't wait till tomorrow..today has enough sin in it-..begin asking God for a new revelation, a new time, a new longing for Him.

 

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

 

Days 26-27 He is the Word

I thinks sometimes we can love something so much we lose sight of it.  Our intentions are pure, our heart right, but we trip all over ourselves...H sees our effort but what must hurt Him is our failure to see the obvious...Him.  He's the Word, given to us in unconditional love and yet we miss His presence...miss His love. p.82

God is obvious in scripture but often we thumb through the pages never grasping that the Word is Him.  Instead we search for Him in the most difficult places. p.82

Still, God is teaching me and it's not an easy process. I've fought words all my life..Lies.."you could do better, you're not part of the group, go away," or the most infamous..."Can you help?"...Folks like you for your abilities then drop you after..the project is done.  I still fight words just like this. p.84

The real AH moment in this is not only that the word was with God, but the Word is God.  When I carry it with me, I carry Him everywhere I go. p.84

I am His BRIDE..saved by His GRACE..confident in Him..wonderfully made..His treasure..I am TRANSFORMED!P.84

I'm learnind I don't label myself the same way God does and just because the lies of the world attack me does not mean God loves me less.  His words are amazing becaus He is nothing short of Almighty. p.84

 

Have you ever had a ring on your finger get stuck to where you couldn't get it off?  When it just wouldn't go past your knuckle...it is almost as if the ring becomes part of you..As we dig deeper into God's word and continue to meditate on His goodness and faithfullness everyday it will also become part of us, staying with us as we walk through our lives.  Soon our reactions are not the same, our intentions change, and our behavior reflects the transforming word within us as we continue to write his commandments on our hearts..If the word was WITH God and the word WAS God then as the word is written on our hearts then God is able to touch our life and the lives of others because the word is alive in us...As we are only weeks away from Easter remember Jesus died, but we celebrate Easter on the third day because He is alive, resurrected, and we each have an opportunity to grab hold of Him and His living word.  Do our lives reflect Jesus' resurrection and the living word within us?  Traditions may come and go, but it is THE WORD in us that will remain the same tride and true to deliver us every day from the world's chaos.  We just have to take the first step..commit our ways to Him and begin the path of obedience as we read his word and it consumes our walk with Him.

 

What words make a difference in you life?  Let Christ be the only Word that counts..p.85

Day 25 The Peace of God

 

 

When the world around us seems desperate, when the winds blow from every direction around us, there is a still small voice whispering "Peace be still" in our storms.

 

Mark 4:39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Psalm 122:7 New International Version (©2011) May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." In Psalm 122:7, we have "peace" and "prosperity," and in 35:27; 73:3, shalom (Hebrew) it is translated "prosperity." (http://topicalbible.org/p/peace.htm) (Also can be translated health and safety). In the world, when someone has no peace, they have nothing no matter what materials one can obtain in a lifetime..no peace means no life..at times confusion..discontentment..and ultimately may mean misery.  Indeed, I can understand how peace = prosperity for many when we as Christians have the peace of the Lord throughout our lives...even though the waves rage around us it is the idea that our boat is guided by a captain who has a plan for us, perfect planning, and was willing to die for us so that we didn't have to sink in our own sin. It is the peace of God that Cindy describes as she goes through the roller coaster of divorce, single parenthood, meeting her kids needs, and the transition into a new marriage.  It is a peace that keeps her on her knees wanting to be connected to her creator, craving more time with Him.  It is a peace that gives her strength and hope knowing God holds her in His hands and loves her like no one else could.  Are you connected to His perfect peace?  Peace as we learned today can mean both security and prosperity.  Lamentations 3:17-26 NIV I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. Quotes from Cindy: p.80  Peace is comforting. For lack of better words, it's the aftermath of acceptance [which] leads to prosperity.  Not always the monetary type of prosperity, but abundance, growth, and well-being... Once I handed over any stinky issues to [Christ], it was like a good hard scrub with Mr. Clean.  The cleansing brought acceptance.  The acceptance brought me peace and prosperity--that abundance, growth, and well-being I needed. p.81 When I'm at my stinkiest, God sprays me with His aroma of grace and forgiveness. What are your thoughts on peace?  Does God's peace bring acceptance, prosperity, or security to your life? I encourage you to listen to Vickie Yohe's song again entitled Mercy Seat...run into the arms of a savior that wants you to have perfect peace in your life as you fully surrender to His divine control.

Days 24 God's Love...Grace in Action

He sees the deepest crevices of my heart, knows my fears and still finds me loveable. (p.53)

 

Cindy describes early on how God sees all our secrets and chooses to love us anyway and even die for us..that's some kind of love, huh?

p.75 We're all His spokesmen.. He's given us each a story to tell.  Some are amazing while others are steadfast, but until we utter them as worthy words, they cannot be heard and others cannot be touched..if only for a minute, speak with grace. God will bless.

Phillipians 1:9-11 ^(message)  

So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.

 

Many times I think of grace as love in action.  When we meet people we should extend grace not knowing their story while using grace to share our own.  If we are so worried about being right then our righteousness will trump our grace card and much like the advertisements for visa and mastercard we should not leave our homes without our gracecard...it is truly priceless.  Much like Christ's death for us on that cross was just that...priceless!

p.79 Promises are easy to make but hard to keep.  Choose your promises wisely.

When God does allow us to help others we must do so gracefully doing our best to keep our promises as we are an example of Jesus in our community.  When we share the love God has placed in our hearts we function much like a window that light beams through.  The light does not initiate in us, but we are a tool so that the Sun (Son) can shine through our glass panes (pains).

 

 

Days 22-23 His Way is ALWAYS better than our way

 

 

It's funny to think about how our lives would turn out if they were always governed by our thoughts.  I like how Cindy starts out with this scripture from Isaiah...It is quite clear to the reader that God's thoughts are not equal to our own..The scripture even uses the visual picture of the heavens compared to earth when describing HIS THOUGHTS vs. our thoughts..

 

Do you think that our thoughts become more like His as we study His word?

 

 

As we seek to know God more we find that no matter how close we get we are astounded with the realization of the magnificence of a God who at times has plans that we may not even understand...  As we seek Him though, we find Him in every aspect of our lives if we look hard enough.

 

Are you dealing with a time in your life that you don't understand this week?

 

Have you asked in prayer for a Godly perspective as you move throughout your day?

 

Are you seeking His will or relying on your own thoughts...?  It could be the difference between Heavenly and earthly thoughts according to this scripture in Isaiah above.

 Let go and leave it to God you may be surprised that in the midst of chaotic days He fills you with peace and happiness as you acknowledge and appreciate that He is always in control of your situation whether you realize it or not.

 

 

A Look at Cindy's thoughts

 

p.72 I understand my way is not always the right way or the only way and gaining what I want in an instant may not be the best for the future.

 

p.72-73 Even when its hard, God knows best and my concession to Him is not weakness but obedience.

 

p.73 Sometimes being right is not always what is best.  As you look over your own life, decide the times being right is really right.  There's something to be said for humility.

 

p.75 That's the amazing thing about God.  Sometimes He makes us wait to the ultimate last moment.

 

Do you struggle with some of the same thoughts as Cindy describes in these two chapters???  Are there other thoughts that go through your mind when you think of God's way vs. your own?