God's Grace and Blessing

What an amazing first day in Belgium!

We are having a great time. We walked all over Namur today and got to know the city - and the chocolate! Tonight Kevin and I had a late dinner at an amazing little cafe on the street with John and Jackie. We laughed and laughed at our attempts speaking French with a waiter who only knew French, German, Greek, and Arabic.  We were a sorry sight, but had an amazing meal and relaxing time.

It is so funny to me here. Growing up going to Epcot at Disney World has spoiled me... I can't get over the feeling that I am at Disney and not actually in Europe! I can not wait to see how God is going to bless this trip for He has already answered so many prayers: Even since we have left.

Thank you all for your prayers and support/. We are blown away at your generosity and love. I can't wait to inform you of even more of the wonderful things that are going to happen here!

Trust

Today I am trusting God.

I'm giving Him my children...
   and He's using my mother's help.
I'm giving Him my health...
   and He's blessed me with a few wonderful doctors.
I'm giving Him my time...
   and He's asked me to go bless some friends and their city.
I'm giving Him my nerves...
   and He's teaching me to rely on Him in everything.
I'm giving Him my logic and reasoning...
   and He's proving to know so much better.
I'm giving Him my concerns...
   and He's giving me peace.

I've given Him so little... and He's giving me joy, peace, security, and love: For eternity!

Expectation

Do you have a dessert, food, or activity that you rarely get to enjoy, but absolutely love? Isn't it odd and sad that when you build it up in your head too much that it just doesn't meet the expectations and you then become disappointed in it? As I was driving around today, that's how I began to be afraid it would be for this upcoming trip to Belgium. God's hand is in it so evidently, and we have so much anticipation, that I began to fear nothing much would happen and I would be disappointed.

Then I realized I was wrong.

I am to wait expectantly on the Lord. Psalm 37:7 It's not like He can't fulfill anything and everything. I then questioned my motive: Why was I expecting this trip to be so great through Him?  (1.) Because He is making a way, and, (2.) because I want to bring Him exponential glory.
Those are both solid Biblical reasons.

So?
God will work in great ways in the coming week. I know it. Now, I just need to experience it.

Being Stuck

Yesterday I had a detox session, and one of the procedures was a hand bath. Both of my hands were submerged for half an hour without being able to take them out at all. Basically I was stuck there. When it's a foot bath at least I can read or study. You just don't realize how dependent you are on your hands until you can't use either one of them. You also don't realize how often your nose itches...

This time, however, was perfect timing. I told you Sunday that I wanted to learn Psalm 139 by heart, and this was my first chance to take me at my word: Was I really committed to it, or not? So I opened my Bible beforehand and laid it next to me. And for the next half hour God and I enjoyed a precious time as we engraved the first 6 verses on my heart. It was a beautiful time of worship. Those first few verses led splendidly to a meditation of love, devotion, and encouragement, that truly can not be described.

This is what I prayed and poured out to Him in love through the words He gave another thousands of years ago. How marvelous His works and words that they still ring so true!


¹ LORD, You have searched me and known me.
    ² You know when I sit down and when I stand up;
    You understand my thoughts from far away.
    ³ You observe my travels and my rest;
    You are aware of all my ways.
    ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue,
    You know all about it, LORD.
    ⁵ You have encircled me;
    You have placed Your hand on me.
    ⁶ [This] extraordinary knowledge is beyond me.
    It is lofty; I am unable to [reach] it.
Psalm 139:1-6

Engrave

Today has been a sweet time with God once again.
In the past, I was never one to underline and write in my Bible, but over the last several years I've begun to underline. I love opening His Word and hearing all He has to say to me in this way. It's like little love notes He's left as a passage jumps from the page and has made me long to have those words engraved on my heart even more.

So today I have picked a passage to memorize. It's actually a whole Psalm- that makes it easy and in a neat little package. Psalm 139 in particular really spoke to me this morning and is a good reminder and teacher as well.

Take some time today to find a passage to engrave on your heart. Let them become joy to you.


Your words were found, and I ate them.
    Your words became a delight to me
    and the joy of my heart,
    for I am called by Your name,
    LORD God of Hosts.
Jeremiah 15:16

Praise Him

When you are satisfied in God, praise Him.
When you are confused by the circumstances of life, praise Him.
When all the world is beautiful to you, praise Him.
When pain is your constant companion, praise Him.
When you are overwhelmingly depressed, praise Him.

In all circumstances of your life, every emotional high and low, before every corner you turn whether in fear or with great anticipation - you can never go wrong and will always be encouraged... when you praise Him.


Psalm 148
Creation's Praise of the LORD
 ¹ Hallelujah!
    Praise the LORD from the heavens;
    praise Him in the heights.
    ² Praise Him, all His angels;
    praise Him, all His hosts.
    ³ Praise Him, sun and moon;
    praise Him, all you shining stars.
    ⁴ Praise Him, highest heavens,
    and you waters above the heavens.
    ⁵ Let them praise the name of the LORD,
    for He commanded, and they were created.
    ⁶ He set them in position forever and ever;
    He gave an order that will never pass away.
    ⁷ Praise the LORD from the earth,
    all sea monsters and ocean depths,
    ⁸ lightning and hail, snow and cloud,
    powerful wind that executes His command,
    ⁹ mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars,
    ¹⁰ wild animals and all cattle,
    creatures that crawl and flying birds,
    ¹¹ kings of the earth and all peoples,
    princes and all judges of the earth,
    ¹² young men as well as young women,
    old and young together.
    ¹³ Let them praise the name of the LORD,
    for His name alone is exalted.
    His majesty covers heaven and earth.
    ¹⁴ He has raised up a horn for His people,
    praise from all His godly ones,
    from the Israelites, the people close to Him.
    Hallelujah!


How I long to praise Him with all of creation. To see the mountains praise Him will be such a wondrous sight! What part of His creation are you excited to see praise Him?

What Fault Did You Find?

God asked me a very interesting question today from the book of Jeremiah:

"Here is what the Lord says:
   What fault did your fathers find in Me 
   that they went so far from Me, 
   followed worthless idols, 
   and became worthless themselves?"
Jeremiah 2:5

What fault do we find in Him that leads us to go astray? The answer is, None.  There is no fault in our God, the Creator of all things. Therefore, the fault must lie in us. The sinful nature now born in each and every human being, turns us from Him. How interesting that our soul which longs so desperately for Him is at constant war with the sinful flesh which can not stand to be in the presence of His holiness. (James 4:1-7)

I am reminded today that every time I find I've been following anything other than God, it is worthless. "Repent!", I am reminded. Otherwise I will become as worthless as they.

"Don't collect for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don't break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.... No one can be a slave of two masters, since he will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You can not be slaves of God and money."
Matthew 6:19-21, 24

"Day" Dreaming

Today I've been daydreaming about the Day. The day I will get to see Jesus face to face.

At first I think I will study His toes. Granted I don't really know what will happen, but I think most likely I will fall at His feet. Perhaps I'll even be allowed to wash them as the prostitute did with my tears of love and gratitude. (Luke 7:37-50) I kinda hope so. He has forgiven so much...

Ooooh..., and we'll eat! (Luke 22:15-16)  I've been waiting a few years for a good meal with Him, but Jesus has been waiting for me, and you, since just before He was crucified: What a joyous meal that will be! (Revelation 19:6-9) Perhaps I'll even get to dance with Him.... and dance before my Father.

There is just so much to dream about for that great Day.

And I can't wait to hear Jesus laugh....

That Thang That You Do

Why?

That is the #1 question in our house.
Truthfully, it's always been my number one. I want to know why.
It has helped me to understand my youngest. When I/he ask why we should do something we are told, it's not out of a challenge of authority. We just want to understand the principle behind the matter so that the best course of action can be accomplished both now, and in the future without having to be told again. (Well, I doubt the 7 year old has thought it out that far yet, but I have.)

So when I ask, "Why study/read the Bible?" I need more than the "Because you're suppose to" answer. Is it the best course of action? If so, which is the best method? When are the best times? And so on and so forth... Why? is the smallest question one can ask, which essentially asks it all.

There is actually one other question you need to answer - completely honestly - first: "What is your main objective in life?"

What were the first two or three things that popped in your head? Most likely, though we hate to admit it, one of them is your main goal. The honesty comes in realizing that. So now we can ask, "Why should I read/study the Bible?"

Were your main objectives raising your children, to provide a good home for your family, to make something of yourself, or to learn all you can? Well, then the Bible can help- but not like you think it will. The principles in the Bible are great because they were written by the Creator of everything. He knows how things work best. If that is the only, or main, reason for you to read the Bible, you might as well place it on the shelf with every other self help for dummies book. The Bible was not intended to just help with your goals.

As a Christ follower, our main, #1 purpose in life should be to glorify God. This perfect umbrella covers the spreading of the Gospel, worship, serving Him, learning His Word, listening to the Spirit, humbling ourselves, and any other Christian principle you could think of as a Sunday School answer. And yes, it even applies to raising our children, providing for our family, and making something of ourselves. The only difference is that it comes from the viewpoint of God's eternal kingdom instead of a few decades on this current earth. When I think of it that way, am I so selfish as to only want to provide good for those I know and love for a few years? Or am I concerned with their eternal state?

So, I ask again...."Why?"

 ²⁰ From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. ²¹ For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. ²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.
    ²⁴ Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Romans 1:20-25

So In Love

Close your eyes and think about this... (Figuratively, of course. You'd have a hard time actually reading that way.)

What is it like when you tell your spouse, a family member, or a close friend, "I love you"?

Now, picture the difference in saying to them, "I am so in love with you." Honestly, might that not cut out a few of the people who you would have said "I love you" to? There is a difference in the emotion and devotion of those two phrases.

It is the same with our exclamations to God. We more easily tell God that we love Him, but how often have we sat back and declared to Him, "I am so in love with You." I've been blessed to have a few of those precious times in the last few weeks and they are quite vivid in my memory. Yesterday, I even had a member of my Life Group class mention that same concept. It was important enough a thought to bring it up aside from any lesson that may have been a reminder. It was as fresh on his mind as it was mine. I love when God works that way...


We need make sure to not fall into the rut of religion and forget the passion of our devotion.

Jesus said to the Pharisees and scribes who questioned Him about breaking rituals, "...Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. They worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commands of men." Mark 7:6-7 They told God they loved Him. But were they so in love with Him? No.

Let's take some time to stop, think about it, and be so in love with Him today.

A "Scary Mary" Kinda Religion

I'm in visual mode.

Have you ever had those moments with God that just need a visual, or perhaps something tangible? That is where I am. So here is a video lesson:

What is Christianity?

As a slave of Christ Jesus, I know that it is merely a title given to those who have accepted Him as such, and a way to identify to others the relationship I have with Him. To the majority of the world, however, Christianity is what they have been told. Some are told that it is a cult. Others believe it's a crutch for fools who know no better. Still others see it as the mask untold horrors have been "justified" through in the name of.

This trailer is a great example of how most the world see the Christian faith. For the very few of you who have never seen the Disney movie, Mary Poppins, it's a sweet, funny musical with lessons about family values, love, discipline, and viewpoints. But, change the music and lace together specific cuts of footage and you have what seems to be a horror film. This, my brothers and sisters, is the image of Christianity being shown most the world by other religions, media, and - unfortunately - those who call themselves Christians but have seemingly never actually read the Bible or who think they can pick and choose the Scripture they want to follow.

I say all this to remind you that we need to have some compassion on those who view us in this light. They have never seen the real thing. Just a doctored trailer...

Tim on Hand Sanitizer

Been a little heavy lately, so thought this might be a little fun.

This is too funny!

Work Out

I was blessed to be able to go to a workout Boot Camp this morning in the gym of my church. It was excellent! Not only was I challenged to push through, but found my limits and accepted them: Well, after just another 30 seconds...

As my legs wobbled down the stairs to my van, do you know what I was grateful for? Weakness. I'll be honest- at first it really bothered me. I use to be able to do a lot of exercise and was in excellent shape. I remember when I lived in Alaska and taught myself to ski. I would go and go until my legs literally gave out and I had to slide down the mountain. But I did it! From bunny slope to double black diamond in three months. Back then I felt there wasn't anything I couldn't do! Do you know what the one thing I wasn't doing though? Leaning on God for my strength.

That's what I was pleased to be reminded by God about this morning. I am weak. Those little twinges and wobbles let me know that God is there to keep me standing strong- not me. The achiness let me know very well that my body is certainly not perfected yet and I am on a journey.

He also let me know how very worth it the pain is. Not only does it remind me to lean on Him for my strength, but that the pain is proof there is a refining process going on in me. I'm growing muscles/ strength (Romans 4:20), balance/steadiness (James 1:6), and endurance (Romans 5:3-4). He reminded me that when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).

What an opportunity!!

Questions For Confirmation

Have you ever had God confirm something to you over and over? The point then becomes: Now what? What do you, or I, do about it?

The easy "Christian-church-goer" answer is: Well, you just do it.
Really? Even if it made you look crazy? Even if you feel others would never understand? Even if it meant you were all alone in it?

Seriously: What if God laid it on your heart to stop all the extra curricular activities you have for your kids such as, sports, dance, scouts, and anything of the like, and wanted you to focus on teaching your children the Bible and taking them to help with local mission projects? Would you do it?

What if He wanted you to give away things you needed, buy things you didn't have the resources for to give to others, or give money to a group or organization even though it meant having to do without more than just your latte for the week?

Here is the main question which must be answered: Are you really willing to give everything up for Jesus Christ? Not, just what you feel like He's "called" you to give up... Everything.

Until you are truly willing, can you honestly say you are living for Christ as His slave?

Worst Burglar Ever

Every time I watch this I laugh at how much this is like sin.

We get the hints that it's wrong, yet we trip over ourselves insisting we continue to follow those fleshly desires. Once we've fall into the full pattern- we're stuck. Good thing Jesus Christ came to set the captives free!

Enjoy :)