Jesus is Jesus

Ephesians 4:1-7
      As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make ever effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to one hope when you were called- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.  But to EACH ONE OF US grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

      I had to ask for forgiveness AGAIN.  I let myself get upset by the actions of someone else, and instead of praying and asking God to show me what to do, in my head (and heart), I took the exact action as the offender.  Have you ever done that?  I think I do it on a regular basis.  I was instantly upset and hurt at someone, and I mirrored the action.  Though silently, and to myself, I still did it.  When will we realize that Jesus is Jesus and He doesn't care how we worship Him, as long as we do.  There is no right or wrong way to do it.  There are no rules.  As long as we are worshipping only Him and it is from our heart, He doesn't care.  He just wants us.  All of us. 

      So I ask God and anyone who reads this to forgive me for falling short once again.  I pray right now that the unity in spirit and our churches will grow.  I pray that we can all put aside our differences and focus on the issues at hand, reaching the lost for Christ, and showing His love to everyone, not just the people who are like us. 

    

Provided

      We have all gone on trips, whether short or small.  I like the ones that have a brochure that tell me what is provided, however, most of my trips don't have that and we have to prepare.  Some make lists, some just pack everything so that they forget nothing, some wing it and get what they need when they get there.  I am a list maker.  At some point, before most long trips, you'll find a list with items crossed out and some not.  The ones crossed out are the things I have packed or decided not to pack.  The ones still visible are needed right up until departure day and are put in the bag as I use them to get ready to go. 

      It never fails though.  I get to my destination, and I have forgotten something, and I have to go get it.  Its ridiculous.  I was reminded by a friend today that we are to be anxious about nothing and we not to worry about anything we need. 

      Jesus states in Mathew 6:25, 33-34, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?...But seek first His righteousness, and all these tings will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do no worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

      Philippians 4:6  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

      These words are a song to my heart.  They sing a melody.  Everything I NEED is PROVIDED.  He also wants us to present our prayers and requests to Him.  The things we want.  He still wants us to ask for them.  He knows best and may not give me what I want, but He has my back in all things.  I will never be without the things that I need.  It is sometimes difficult for me to remember this.  I'm working on it.

It is Well

      Have you ever had conversations with yourself?  I admit I do it all the time.  It sometimes goes like this,  If "this" happens, then I will say "this", and then I'll say "this" and this will happen, and then "this" will be the result, so then I'll say "this"... get the picture? 

      Here lately it has been like this all the time.  Telling myself to quit worrying and to trust God in all things then its immediately back to, "I need to try harder and if I do "this then maybe I can do that, blah blah blah.  Then I turn it into a discussion prayer with God like, " I do want Your will in my life.  I know it is better than anything I could ever want for myself, but You also said its okay to ask You for the desires of my heart."

      My question is, where is the fine line between being happy with what God has already provided, ( and I am thankful) and not feeling bad for asking for something else?  It has been like a tight rope game in my head for two weeks. 

      Just now a song came into my head, and though there is no sorrow in my life or heart right now, there is a place of unsettled ick that I just can't describe.  So this is going to be my prayer and my thanks and my praise until I can get through it.  Here are the words.  Maybe some of you know the song.

      When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
      When sorrows like sea billows roll;
      Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
      It is well, It is well with my soul

      And Lord, haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
      The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
      The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
      Even so, it is well with my soul

Have a blessed week.

Can I Wait?

      Do any of you have trouble waiting?  I'm just going to tell you I do and get it out there.  I am not good at it.  If there is something I want, I am so impatient.  Sometimes I pray and think I receive an answer and I run with it, only to find out that is is something that "I" wanted to be the answer but it isn't.  Right now is one of those times.  I have been praying for a certain thing in my life to take off, thinking that if I just had more time away from work, I could really make a go at it.  I have been praying that something would come along that I could make the same amount or more and not be in the work place as much.  There are several people around me that have jumped into this "thing", and it is going great for them.  I admit it, I am quickly losing my patience.  I am asking anyone who may read this to pray with me and for me that I can bow to Him and "wait".  I need to wait.  I think the answer may be in the waiting. 

      If any of you need me to pray for you, please let me know.  I will be happy to do it.  Isaiah 40:31...but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings like eagles: they shall run, and not be weary: they shall walk and not faint.  On this rock I am trying to stand. 

Redemption

      It is a sunny April morning.  I am sitting at my computer looking out the window watching squirrels jump from the tree to the fence.  I am watching birds build nests and take care of the babies in them,  This time of year is always so wonderful to me.  Spring is when everything comes back to the green and living.  Its wonderful to watch.  The tulips pushing out of the ground and reaching for the sun.  It makes me think of my life. 

      As the fall season makes me think of all the bad things in my life that needed to die away, the spring makes me very aware of the grace given me in the redemption of my life.  I was talking to a friend at church this week, and it seems at times, I still lose sight of the fact that my life has been and will continue to be redeemed!  Redeemed means, bought back, won, freed from what distressed or harmed, freed from captivity, and even Miriam-Webster got it right with, FREED FROM CONSEQUENCES OF SIN.  I was talking to my friend about knowing that I have to deal with the consequences of my actions, and that even though I know I sinned and I know that I'm forgiven, there are still things in my life that I am dealing with that are directly correlated to the actions and decisions I made years ago.  He told me, " you know God can and will redeem all of that."

      Wow!  He is literally taking the ugly pictures I painted and turning them into His artwork.  Job 19:25a And as for me, I know that my redeemer lives...  Looking at my life, it is very apparent.  Even though I am dealing with things in my life that are hard, my God will take that and turn it into good.  My daughters love the Lord. Redemption.  I am being used by God in ways I never thought possible.  Redemption.  I have been blessed with a loving, supporting, husband.  Redemption.  The list goes on and on.  Thank God, I have been redeemed!

Does My Appearance Look Brighter?

      Have you ever walked into a room and looked around at the people in it?  In doing so, have you ever noticed a difference in the way some stand or sit?  Some may look you straight in the eye and smile.  Some may look up then quickly look back down.  Some may not look up at all.  In the past, I really didn't observe this.  Today, however, it seems to be the first thing I do.  I used to be that person who wouldn't look up at all.  I think there was something inside of me that said, "don't look at them, they'll figure you out."

      Are you afraid?  I know I was.  There was a time that I thought anyone could see my mistakes, almost as if they were written on my skin like nonfiction.  Like there were people standing around reading me, saying to each other, "look at chapter 3," or, "did you get to chapter 8 yet?"  I can giggle at that now.  I want people to read my autobiography.  You know what, I'll read it to you if you would like.  You might find it interesting.  Before, however, I was not about to let anyone know. 

      Let me tell you a little story.  There once was a woman who grew up thinking God was like a principal.  He had an office in heaven that you got sent to by parents, teachers, etc., when you had done something wrong.  She tried every day not to do anything wrong.  Every day, she failed.  She just knew that the number of check marks after her name on the big blackboard in heaven were going to send her right down to the pits of hell.  She walked around with her head down, her shoulders slouched, and made jokes about herself so that people would be too busy laughing to confront her sin.  One day, she got so tired, she cried out to God and asked Him why He was so mean.  He answered her.  You know what he said?  He said, "I love you.  You are forgiven, and I can't wait until you get here so I can spend more time with you."  Then He said, "While you're still there, why don't you read my book.  Its a good one.  It will help you understand me.  When you're done reading each day, why don't we sit awhile and talk about it."  The woman said, "Okay, sounds like a better plan than mine."  She read and read.  The more she read, the more she wanted to read, and the more she wanted to talk to God.  One day, she went into work.  Something strange started happening.  People were talking to her.  They were saying, You're glowing.  What is different about you.  There is a radiance about your face.  She ran to the mirror.  There was a smile there.

      Ecclesiastes 8:1
Who is like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things?  WISDOM BRIGHTENS A MAN"S FACE and CHANGES ITS APPEARANCE. 

      I know the truth and my appearance has changed!  The face in the mirror is smiling because it knows that God is love and truth.  I know that he has forgiven me and the change in appearance is to get your attention so I can tell you all about it.

Its the Little Things That Seem Big

      I wanted to tell you all a story.  I work with a lot of women.  I have for the last twenty years in different salons all over the Dayton area.  Last week was a  time I was humbled by a story that one of my coworkers shared with me.  I will not be putting names here, but you know who you are.  I want you to know that seeing you blessed and without words blessed me more deeply than had this happened to me. 

      A friend of mine got off work and walked out to her car only to find a pretty bad scratch on her car door.  A dent and a scratch, and, you guessed it, not a soul in sight.  Now we all know how this goes.  We grumble, we may even cry a bit, and then come to the conclusion that it is only a car and worse things can happen.  (someone like me stays mad for longer than that)  Anyway, she went home and figured at some point, I'll get it fixed. 

      Three days later, (how cool, three days at Easter) there was a letter at the front desk for my friend.  Addressed to the owner of the little grey car at the salon.  This was all typed.  There was a letter inside wrapped around 102$.  The letter said, " I am sorry I scratched your car.  I don't make much money.  I went to the bank and this is all I had in my savings.  I hope it helps with the repairs." 

      My friend came over to my station and shared this with another friend of mine and myself.  We both just stood there.  All three of us with tears in our eyes.  My friend, the owner of the little grey car said, " its the two dollars that is getting me the most." 

      When I sit and dwell on my problems,  I am going to ask God to bring this story to my mind.  After three days we were all forgiven of all our sins and got the chance to start again.  To the person who sent the money to my friend.  She says its all cool!