Make it Work

We are 60!

September 21

We used to live blocks away from each other and could walk everyday after we got our children off to school. Now we live in different towns, she's back working full-time, and it's a juggling act to get together.  Monday ended up to be the best day for us and we were meeting at our regular halfway point restaurant, when she had the brains to call and see if they were open and Mondays. They were not. I had the brains to grab a picnic basket and we found a park and had a most delightful lunch by a pond!

We choose what we want to make work and what/who is of value.
Where does Jesus rate in our "make time with someone special" scale?

"Who is the man who fears the Lord?  He will instruct him in the way he should choose."

Psalm 25:12 

You Know You're Old...

This gorgeous creature brightened my day by sharing where he and God were hanging out.

September 20

You know you're old when your children start ministering to you!
Our son sent this to jump start my day.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. 

Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. 

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. 

I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 

Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Such Godly advice.

Things that Make Me Know

 

September 19

Walking alongside someone in a painful situation, I was encouraged as this text pinged across my phone Sunday morning while I was setting up post at our church welcome desk. The thing that blew me away was the fact our praise band was practicing and singing "You make all things work together for my good" at that very moment. I was able to video them and send the recording right back to the person who had texted me!  Amazing!  These are the things that make me know God is aware of every detail, every moment of our lives.

Wish I could figure out how to post the video, but here's a youtube of the song.  You have to go to 3:28 to hear the chorus, but the whole song is amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIIN3EiEZec

I'm praying right now that as each person is reading this they are aware that God is up to good and working on the details of their lives! Love you!

He Walks With Me

This grandson's smile makes me smile!

September 18

Bible Study Fellowship has just kicked off its study on Romans.  Whew!  So much meat in that book!

As I read Paul's intro to this book about Good News,  it made me happy! 

"Dear friends in Rome: This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ’s slave, chosen to be a missionary, and sent out to preach God’s Good News. This Good News was promised long ago by God’s prophets in the Old Testament. It is the Good News about his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who came as a human baby, born into King David’s royal family line; and by being raised from the dead he was proved to be the mighty Son of God, with the holy nature of God himself.

And now, through Christ, all the kindness of God has been poured out upon us undeserving sinners; and now he is sending us out around the world to tell all people everywhere the great things God has done for them, so that they, too, will believe and obey him.

And you, dear friends in Rome, are among those he dearly loves; you, too, are invited by Jesus Christ to be God’s very own—yes, his holy people. May all God’s mercies and peace be yours from God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 1:1-7

 Lifting my nose out of my Bible I said to Jesus, "I love you because you walk with me, you talk with me and you tell me that I am Your own!" 

Jesus' Chair

This was Jesus' chair.

September 15

The other day I made a date with Jesus. We went on a lovely walk through the woods with praise songs playing on my phone and the sun shining through the trees. Then we came down to the river and sat quietly, so I could listen to Him.

"The one thing I want from God, the thing I seek most of all, is the privilege of meditating in his Temple, living in his presence every day of my life, delighting in his incomparable perfections and glory.  There I'll be when troubles come.  He will hide me. He will set me on a high rock out of reach of all my enemies.  Then I will bring him sacrifices and sing his praises with much joy."

Psalm 27:4-6 (TLB)

Pull out your calendar and schedule your date with Jesus today!

Wondering Why?

This little one is wondering why we've put him in this uncomfortable contraption.

He lives in Tampa and just road out hurricane Irma with his mama and Florida grandparents.
His Daddy is working in Israel this month.
Bet he did some wondering about all of that!

September 14

Revelation 4:11 says, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, 
for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

Do you ever wonder, "Why did God create us?"
Sometimes I think, "We've got to be a headache for Him. Who needs the hassle?"

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers...what is man that you are mindful of him, the son go man that you care for him?" Psalm 8:3-4

He didn't do it because he was lonely.  He had company with his Son and the Holy Spirit.
He didn't do it to establish a peer group. "The Lord is God, besides him there is no other." Deut.4:35
He didn't do it because he needed us.
"The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth...nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all thing;"  Acts 17:24-25

God definitely was aware of what he was getting into.  Like an artist He enjoys creating.
Colossians 1:16 says:
"For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him."

So, He created us for his pleasure.  Not like puppets to be manipulated, but as children/friends in His image to have relationship with Him.  Are we doing that?  Are we investing in the relationship?

"For the Lord takes pleasure in His people..." Psalm 149:4

Stop and reflect on the people you genuinely take pleasure in being in their presence.
The ones you can't wait to welcome in and hug their necks.
Do we allow God the time to take pleasure in being with us?

"We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  Ephesians 2:10

We can't get our marching orders without listening to His game plan.

"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."  1 Corinthians 10:31

So, let's scurry away now to a quiet place and whisper to our Creator, "I love YOU!  I am here to worship You and learn from You."

Every Hour We Need Him

You can't say no, no matter the weather when people ask to be baptized!!!!

This grandmother in the center asked to be baptized and then
her granddaughter wanted to follow in her footsteps. Sweet family affair.

What an incredible blessing Monday afternoon was after 2 weeks of hurricane heartache.

September 13

I'm having some aggravating health issues and have had some awful sleepless nights Four people were baptized here at Shiloh Monday, so I think my pain is Devil dart related. While crying out to Jesus, there was the realization that there are mighty lessons to be learned through the pain. Lately, I've had a boatload of prayer needs for family members. Like the Dead Sea, I recognized I've been in a one way flow to God. All my requests have been going out, but I haven't been sitting listening to God's plans within and what he wants me to pour back out.

We did go with His flow hosting this baptism!

Sitting with God yesterday, He showed me how there are times he has to allow "the overload" in my life to get me to lay my burdens down and look to him.
We need to remember..."Every hour we need Him!"

Be blessed by Matt Maher  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e37m3I5eH8g

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls."  

Matthew 11:29