PEACE and Quiet

My oldest child is enjoying father/son time doing “man” stuff.  My youngest is napping.  I’m sitting on my porch starring out into God’s creation.  What’s that I hear??  NOTHING!  It is PEACE and QUIET!  I don’t get that very often at my house.  The tranquility of the moment reminds me of God’s perfect peace.  My soul often longs for that peace.

I don’t believe it is God’s plan for His children to get so overwhelmed with life that we end up having panic attacks, severe depression, and only hanging on by a thread.  I’ve been there…my freshman year of college.  At my lowest moment, God spoke to me and reminded me that my mind was not fixed on Him.  In my case, my depression stemmed from the death of my brother.  Instead of grieving, I was trying to stay busy so I wouldn’t have to face reality.  Maybe you’ve experienced some of these same feelings.

Isaiah 26:3

“ You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You.”

We can choose peace!  Our peace should not depend on our circumstances.  Choose today to cast your cares, anxieties, and fears upon Him and receive the abundant life He offers!  Do not dwell in your difficulties any longer.

Think about how Jesus calmed the wind and rain in Luke 8:22-25.  If He can speak peace to the storm, He can definitely speak peace into your life.

Perfect peace is promised.  It may be difficult to imagine, but I encourage you to pursue it.  God will make a way for you when it seems there is no way.

I recently took my children to Chuck-E-Cheese.  Amongst all of the children’s squeals of excitement and joy, I heard Dawson’s cry.  As I looked up, I saw him at the top of the slide.  He climbed up, but was suddenly afraid when he looked down.  Scared to climb down or to slide down, he cried out for help.  When Tad heard his cry, he dropped his tokens and tickets and ran to Dawson’s rescue.  Calmness came upon Dawson when he saw Tad coming and they embraced when Tad arrived at the top.

I immediately thought about the way God loves us.  Don’t you think He wants us to run to him with open arms?  I’m sure we too could experience calmness and serenity!

Dear God, Prince of Peace, Thank You for caring for us and bestowing upon your children a peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7).  Help me to be anxious for nothing, fix my eyes on You and remain in You.  Thank You for promising a perfect peace!  Amen. 

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A Thankful Heart - part 2

ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING IN YOUR HEART, ENTER HIS GATES WITH PRAISE! (Psalm 100:4)

Does that put a song in your heart?  It does mine!  I love to hear the choir sing this!

I challenged you last week to begin a thankful list.  Have you?  What's on it?  Please share with us! (Click here to read A Thankful Heart - Part 1.)

My children working on their "thankful" tree.

Tad & Dawson show their completed trees.

(Dawson has permanent marker on his lip!)

If you haven't began your thankful list, maybe it is because you don't feel very Thankful at the moment.  We all face trials in our lives which sometimes give us the blues.  

Do you remember Paul and Silas?  Acts 16 tells about  these two men being beaten and imprisoned.  As they sat in the prison with their feet chained, they began to sing hymns to God.  They praised God even through their horrible circumstance.  

Even though you may not feel like praising God for your current situation, praise Him for what He has already done.  He died on the cross and rose again.  He will supply all of our needs (Phil. 4:19), not just some.  Give thanks for what is already accomplished! 

Why?  Because the Bible tell us to!

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with THANKSGIVING, let your request be made known to God."

Philippians 4:6

Dear Heavenly Father, El Shaddai - God Almighty, 

I praise you!  For You are worthy! 

I pray that like Paul, I will learn to sing your praises during whatever trials I face.  God...if anyone reads this blog with a hurting heart, please put Your comforting hands upon them and guide them to rest in You.

Amen

Don't forget to leave a comment with something you are thankful for!

A Thankful Heart

I love the holidays - any holiday…Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter…!  They make me think of spending time with family, eating lots of good foods, and not to mention time OFF work (one of the perks of being a school teacher)!

With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, I’d like to prepare my heart for what this holiday is all about – being thankful!  At the top of my list is “being chosen”.  I’m giving thanks to God for choosing me to be his child. 

John 15:16 (NIV) In this scripture Jesus clearly states, “You did not choose me, but I chose you!” (OK – I added the exclamation point, but that’s how I imagine Him saying it!)

What or who are you thankful for in your life right now?  I encourage you to start a list today.  Write something down every day until Thanksgiving.  Encourage your family and friends to do the same thing.  Read it aloud during your Thanksgiving meal.  It is amazing how your heart changes when you intentionally focus on being thankful.  The little things don’t seem to matter as much. 

Dawson, my 3 year-old son, made a list like this last Sunday in Sunday School.  Even though he did not list his mother & father on his list, he did list his big brother Tad.  As Tad read Dawson’s list, his faced BEAMED!  He was overwhelmed with the love of his brother.

Your thankful list just might touch another person’s heart in a special way!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for choosing me to be a daughter of the King.  I pray that my heart will overflow with thankfulness during this thanksgiving season and that I will focus on you and not the things of the world that try to steal our joy!  Amen

Come back for part 2 of "A Thankful Heart".

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A Blog about Blogging!

I have had many readers ask me what it means to follow and how to do that.  So, here is a little info you might find helpful!

What does it mean to be a follower?

Being a follower lets the author know that you are a fan of his/her blog.

How do I become a Follower of a blog?

There are several ways to become a follower of a blog. One of the easiest ways is to visit a blog that has added the Following widget and click on the "Follow" button under the "Followers" widget. (LOOK AT THE RIGHT SIDE ON MY BLOG.)
You can sign in using your yahoo, google, or twitter account.  If you don't have any of those accounts, click create new account and enter your email & password info.

You'll then see a popup window with the options to either follow publicly or privately:
Select how you'd like to follow the blog, then click the "Follow this blog" button. It is that simple, you are now a follower of the blog! If you elected to follow the blog publicly, your profile picture will be displayed on the blog with a link to your Blogger profile.

Hope this helps!  THANKS FOR FOLLOWING!

Indwelled

“Whenever you feel lonely, and need a little loving from home, just press your hand to your cheek and think Mommy loves you.  That kiss will jump to your face and fill you with toasty warm thoughts.”  As an elementary school teacher, I read many children’s books to my students.  One of my favorites to read at the beginning of a new school year is The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.  It tells of a little raccoon, Chester, which is leaving his mother for the first time to attend school.  Being very nervous about being away from her, Chester’s mother teaches him a little secret.  She kisses the palm of his hand and tells him that her love would always be with him.

A mother’s love for her child is very deep, but the love God has for us is far deeper.  It is hard to fathom isn’t it?  Sometimes I find myself feeling a little jealous of the disciples.  They were able to walk with Jesus and talk with Him.  They could see His earthly body.  They witnessed His miracles…healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons and many more.  They heard His teachings and were literally able to sit at his feet.  Oh how I wish I could have been Mary and taken in His every word. 

However, even though Jesus has returned to heaven, he did not and will not forsake us (Psalm 9:9-10).  He gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us (John 14:16). We have the same ability to walk with Jesus day by day and learn from His Word.   Do not miss that quiet voice of the Holy Spirit when He speaks to you.  Learn to trust Him, rely on Him, and deeply love Him. 

Just like Chester raccoon, when we are feeling anxious, depressed or lonely or even when you are experiencing a mountain top joy, never forget the Holy Spirit is with you. 

Dear Lord, Thank you for dwelling within me.  You are the Truth.  I will cling to You daily.  Guide me through this roller coaster we call life.  I can do nothing without You. Amen 

Wedding Day

As a little girl, I can remember planning my wedding day.  My bridesmaids and groom changed many times as I grew up but my colors and flowers stayed the same.  I always imagined what that day would be like.  Would the church be full of my family and friends?  Would my prince charming sweep me off my feet? 

No matter how much we long for the love of our life, a human mate will never be able to totally satisfy our hearts.  We were created to be filled by a Holy God. 

Matt 9:15  Jesus is called the Bridegroom.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples (John 14:2-4) he was going to prepare a place for us and He will come back for us.

Do you ever imagine the Bridegroom's return?  I imagine hearing the trumpet and seeing amazing sights coming down from heaven.  Will I be so overwhelmed that I will cry?  Will I be so excited that I will laugh?  Will I be so surrounded with a Holy God that I cannot utter a sound?  The Bible tells us that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those in heaven, of those on earth, and of those under the earth and every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord…So maybe I will fall to my knees crying, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!”  What a day that will be! 

Does your heart ever feel burdened for those people around you who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?  Judgment Day is real and it is coming!  The Bible tells us of this day in Revelation 20:11-15.  So as my pastor would say, "GO TELL IT!"  Tell the good news of Christ!  It is not God's will that anyone be left behind on that day.

I would like to invite you, your family and friends to Judgment House at Greensboro Baptist Church. Judgment House is a drama performed by our church members.  This year's title is "Behind the Family Portrait."  It will take place on Saturday, November 6^th and Sunday, November 7^th.  You can come anytime between 6 and 10pm on Saturday or 6-9pm on Sunday.  I hope to see you there! 

 If you are reading this and you are not sure where you will spend eternity, scroll to the top and read about salvation.  We are not promised tomorrow!