"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." When I was a little girl I memorized Psalm 13. At that time, all it meant was earning a bible. I was so excited when I received that black bible with my name engraved on it. The words I'd memorized meant little to me as a child of six. Only in recent years have I looked back at these words and found comfort and peace. These nine words are like a soothing salve to heal small doubts and fears.
The Lord is my shepherd - He leads me where I should go. He is always with me. He has a purpose for my life. He is my salvation.
I shall not want - He will provide what I need. I needn't worry about storing up warehouses full of gold and food, for the Lord knows my needs and He will provide. My faith needs to be fed continuously and He provides those opportunities in abundance. He is my salvation.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Jesus--Picture Him
I have been taking the Beth Moore Bible Study, Jesus the One and Only, and what a blessing. My mind has opened to the phenomenon of Jesus as He might have looked when God sent Him to save us.
Imagine Jesus as a baby! He would have appeared as our own little babies did. Can you imagine Mary cuddling this miracle? She probably counted all his toes and fingers, nuzzled his hair, kissed his cheeks and fingers. A real live child. And he grew as all other children do. He would have gone through a gangly stage before growing into his body. He would have lost teeth, skinned his knees and elbows. And He worked as a carpenter. Hard, skilled labor. His arms would be muscled, his body strong. He would have dark skin, dark hair, dark eyes, facial hair. I'm sure his legs were strong and muscled as well from walking not only around his village, but later as He journeyed far and wide to teach. His feet would have been very dusty, his beard thick and his face dry from the sun.
When I close my eyes I can picture Jesus, the baby, Jesus the man. Can you see Him?
Imagine Jesus as a baby! He would have appeared as our own little babies did. Can you imagine Mary cuddling this miracle? She probably counted all his toes and fingers, nuzzled his hair, kissed his cheeks and fingers. A real live child. And he grew as all other children do. He would have gone through a gangly stage before growing into his body. He would have lost teeth, skinned his knees and elbows. And He worked as a carpenter. Hard, skilled labor. His arms would be muscled, his body strong. He would have dark skin, dark hair, dark eyes, facial hair. I'm sure his legs were strong and muscled as well from walking not only around his village, but later as He journeyed far and wide to teach. His feet would have been very dusty, his beard thick and his face dry from the sun.
When I close my eyes I can picture Jesus, the baby, Jesus the man. Can you see Him?
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Worry Not, But Walk in Faith
I was saddened to hear that my son-in-law lost his job last week due to downsizing. Right now so many are unemployed and the numbers keep rising. Knowing how first-hand how difficult the situation, I was appalled to hear this story yesterday.
A senior manager at my place of employment told the story about having to rent Escalades complete with drivers for some "big wheels" who were coming to Ohio to visit our locations and promote new products. Fourteen people are flying in on a private jet to be escorted in these large vehicles to our location and they will have a huge catered lunch. Rather than ask them what they want to eat, the caterer has been instructed to bring fourteen steaks, fourteen fish, fourteen chicken, etc. The waste and pretentiousness sickens me when I think of how other employees in our facility struggle just to make enough money to feed their families.
Wealth makes greed. It is the devil's delight.
For me, I take comfort reading Luke 12 22-28.
"Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food to eat or enoughclothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. ANd you are far mor valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?
"Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"
God, please bless those who read this message today. I pray they turn to you and walk in faith. Amen.
A senior manager at my place of employment told the story about having to rent Escalades complete with drivers for some "big wheels" who were coming to Ohio to visit our locations and promote new products. Fourteen people are flying in on a private jet to be escorted in these large vehicles to our location and they will have a huge catered lunch. Rather than ask them what they want to eat, the caterer has been instructed to bring fourteen steaks, fourteen fish, fourteen chicken, etc. The waste and pretentiousness sickens me when I think of how other employees in our facility struggle just to make enough money to feed their families.
Wealth makes greed. It is the devil's delight.
For me, I take comfort reading Luke 12 22-28.
"Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food to eat or enoughclothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. ANd you are far mor valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?
"Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"
God, please bless those who read this message today. I pray they turn to you and walk in faith. Amen.
Free Inspirational Fiction Books
Fellow authors from White Rose Publishing are hosting a contest where you can win free inspirational fiction ebooks. Each week for the next seven weeks, you will have an opportunity to visit author websites and blogs and find a colored mug filled with white roses. Identify the mug color and send your answers via email. One person will win one of the ebooks listed. This will continue for seven weeks. At the end of the seventh week, everyone who entered in any of the weeks will get their name entered in the Grand Prize drawing. The Grand Prize winner will win one of our White Rose Publishing mugs, nine e-books, a box of organic White Rose Tea, and a basket of Arbonne beauty products.
Visit www.whiterosesinbloom.blogspot.com to read the details and enter the contest.
Romance should be all about the wonderful joy of finding one special person. With our books, you'll experience the sexual tension as our characters fall in love with each other, but never will they make love outside of marriage, and if the couple is married, such scenes remain behind bedroom doors, not on the pages.
Our books convey life as it is lived, or could be lived, by people of faith.
I hope you decide to check out what we have to offer at White Rose Publishing.
Visit www.whiterosesinbloom.blogspot.com to read the details and enter the contest.
Romance should be all about the wonderful joy of finding one special person. With our books, you'll experience the sexual tension as our characters fall in love with each other, but never will they make love outside of marriage, and if the couple is married, such scenes remain behind bedroom doors, not on the pages.
Our books convey life as it is lived, or could be lived, by people of faith.
I hope you decide to check out what we have to offer at White Rose Publishing.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Habituation
To habituate is to become accustomed to something. For instance, when I was seven years old, our house was situated next to a railroad track. The trains traveled by quite often during the day. The floor would tremble and the clickety-clack of the cars passing by soon became an ordinary sound. I became accustomed to the noise. It was part of everyday living and really quite ordinary. I could sleep without waking, even though the engineer would blow the whistle as a warning before reaching a cross road. I heard the train so much that I had become habituated to its presence.
Have you ever had such an experience? What about your spiritual life? Have you prayed for something and not received an answer? Or have you become habituated to God's voice? God speaks clearly to us if we listen.
When Samuel was a young boy, his mother took him to he house of the Lord at Shiloh. There Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli's tutelage. One night the Lord came to the temple and called Samuel. Samuel though Eli had spoken and went to where the old man slept and said, "Here I am; you called me." Eli told him he had not called and ordered him to lay back down and sleep. After the third time the Lord called Samuel, Eli realized what had happened. He told Samuel that if God called again to answer, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." Samuel did as he had been instructed, and the Lord revealed what he was about to do. The Lord was with Samuel from that day forward and all Israel eventually recognized the Samuel was a prophet of the Lord.
Sometimes we become so busy with our lives that we forget to stop and spend time speaking and listening to God's word. Today, I pray for you, dear readers, that eyes might be opened to the answers contained within the Bible, and that you ears will be opened to hear God's word.
Read: 1 Samuel 3:1-21
Have you ever had such an experience? What about your spiritual life? Have you prayed for something and not received an answer? Or have you become habituated to God's voice? God speaks clearly to us if we listen.
When Samuel was a young boy, his mother took him to he house of the Lord at Shiloh. There Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli's tutelage. One night the Lord came to the temple and called Samuel. Samuel though Eli had spoken and went to where the old man slept and said, "Here I am; you called me." Eli told him he had not called and ordered him to lay back down and sleep. After the third time the Lord called Samuel, Eli realized what had happened. He told Samuel that if God called again to answer, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." Samuel did as he had been instructed, and the Lord revealed what he was about to do. The Lord was with Samuel from that day forward and all Israel eventually recognized the Samuel was a prophet of the Lord.
Sometimes we become so busy with our lives that we forget to stop and spend time speaking and listening to God's word. Today, I pray for you, dear readers, that eyes might be opened to the answers contained within the Bible, and that you ears will be opened to hear God's word.
Read: 1 Samuel 3:1-21
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Intruders
Lately we've had spiders of various kinds invading our home. They are silent intruders who show up in the least likely places to freeze my progress. I'm so afraid of spiders. I don't know where the fear came from, but it's truly debilitating. I've had a hard time learning to stand up to the challenge of banishing these eight-legged intruders. Once they are gone, the fear, too, is gone.
The devil works in the same way. Throughout the day he sets intruders on a path to invade my thoughts. Negative thoughts lead to self doubt. Self doubt is the devil's joy. But the threat is unseen. With spiders, the threat is visible. Spying the devil at work inside me is difficult. The devil sets his intruders on a treadmill inside my life that moves me in a path opposite of the path Jesus would have me walk.
But I have the ultimate weapon. I have God. God lives in me and through me and walks with me. With Him, I have the power to banish the devil. I speak aloud and tell the devil he is not welcome and that I will walk with God. I pray. I feel the power of His eternal love and the warmth and hope that replaces the self doubt.
Hope is eternal.
May the joy of the Lord fill you today.
The devil works in the same way. Throughout the day he sets intruders on a path to invade my thoughts. Negative thoughts lead to self doubt. Self doubt is the devil's joy. But the threat is unseen. With spiders, the threat is visible. Spying the devil at work inside me is difficult. The devil sets his intruders on a treadmill inside my life that moves me in a path opposite of the path Jesus would have me walk.
But I have the ultimate weapon. I have God. God lives in me and through me and walks with me. With Him, I have the power to banish the devil. I speak aloud and tell the devil he is not welcome and that I will walk with God. I pray. I feel the power of His eternal love and the warmth and hope that replaces the self doubt.
Hope is eternal.
May the joy of the Lord fill you today.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Prayer for Breakfast?
How often do you pray? Do you make it a daily ritual or do you just send up a prayer when you are in trouble?
Making prayer a daily ritual has brought many blessings into my life. Each morning, I begin my day by spending time with God, with His word and by praying for those on my prayer list.
Today, I am praying for you, my readers. I pray that God blesses you richly today and that you will pay the blessing forward by praying for others.
Last night I started a new Bible Study, Jesus The One and Only, by Beth Moore. I met new friends who will walk the journey with me. We'll be studying the life of Jesus as He walked the roads in Jerusalem. I'm excited to take the journey and I hope to bless each of you with the discoveries made along the way.
Making prayer a daily ritual has brought many blessings into my life. Each morning, I begin my day by spending time with God, with His word and by praying for those on my prayer list.
Today, I am praying for you, my readers. I pray that God blesses you richly today and that you will pay the blessing forward by praying for others.
Last night I started a new Bible Study, Jesus The One and Only, by Beth Moore. I met new friends who will walk the journey with me. We'll be studying the life of Jesus as He walked the roads in Jerusalem. I'm excited to take the journey and I hope to bless each of you with the discoveries made along the way.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Dealing with Difficult People
In my life, I come across people who are difficult to work with. This causes an internal struggle to "bite my tongue." I have a tendency to be sarcastic...my family can attest to this.
The hardest thing to remember is that we are all unique individuals. We think differently, react differently to different situations, and what we hear is a matter of perception--our perception.
When I get into a difficult struggle with a person or situation, I try to remember the Serenity Prayer. Repeating it several times always helps me to clear the fog and focus on what God would have me do.
God bless, and thanks for reading.
God grand me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Amen
The hardest thing to remember is that we are all unique individuals. We think differently, react differently to different situations, and what we hear is a matter of perception--our perception.
When I get into a difficult struggle with a person or situation, I try to remember the Serenity Prayer. Repeating it several times always helps me to clear the fog and focus on what God would have me do.
God bless, and thanks for reading.
God grand me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Amen
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