Joyful Expressions

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T07:51:00.000-08:00

It is a beautiful morning with a very orange-pink sunrise. God is so good! He is ever faithful.

God's Mercy
“His father saw him - there were eyes of mercy;
he ran to meet him - there were legs of mercy;
he put his arms round his neck - there were arms of mercy;
he kissed him - there were kisses of mercy;
he said to him - there were words of mercy;
Bring here the best robe - there were deeds of mercy;
Wonders of mercy - all mercy!
Oh, what a God of mercy he is!”
Matthew Henry

As we are busy celebrating Thanksgiving today, let’s do it with a thankful heart. If preparing the meal, getting ready for company, having a change in our routine starts to get to you remember to show each other mercy. I think the number one thing I am thankful for today is the heritage dad and mom left us kids of knowing the Lord and how to have a thankful heart.

Colossians 2:7
Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with THANKSGIVING.

Father, we thank you for your love and provisions to us not only today, but every day; help us to have thankful hearts I pray.

by these things men live!

2008-11-24T08:48:00.000-08:00

Last night in church my pastor read some scripture in Isaiah 38 in continuing with his message; however I read a little beyond and it seemed like the scripture just jumped out at me. Here is what I read.

Isaiah 38:16-20
16 O LORD, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.
17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.
20 The LORD was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.

We who are living are able to offer praises unto the Lord. So it would appear to me we need to do that as much as possible, as the day will come when we can no longer offer praise to our loving Father. In addition we need to show love and praise those around us while we have the chance. I no longer want to wait and then after our loved one is gone to say “I wish I would have told them more often what they meant to me.” Now while we are alive give love, and praise freely to each other, and most importantly to God.

Father we thank you for your Word. Thanks that we can read it with understanding. Our HOPE is in you Lord. Our STRENGTH is in you Lord. Our LIFE is in you Lord. How awesome to be your child.

Standing Firm!

2008-11-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

“On a daily basis we’re faced with two simple choices. We can either listen to ourselves and our constantly changing feelings about our circumstances, or we can talk to ourselves about the unchanging truth of who God is and what He’s accomplished for us at the cross. Far too often we choose to passively listen to ourselves. We sit back and let our view of God and life be shaped by our constantly shifting feelings about our ever-changing circumstances.” C.J. Mahaney

Psalms 1:3

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brought forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doth shall prosper.

My days go so much better when I stand firm on the Word of God. When I don’t let the circumstances around me surround me, but I hold onto the promises of God, knowing that He is at work on my behalf and will not only see me through the circumstances, but will give me joy, peace, and the strength to come out stronger and victorious. That makes me excited. Sing!

Thanks Father for your love. Thank you that we can come to a place in you that no matter what is swirling around us, we know you will take care of us and we can rest in that knowledge.

What doth the Lord Require of You?

2008-11-21T04:33:00.000-08:00

Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

Another way to read this verse is to put your name in place of Israel,

And now, Joy, what doth the Lord thy God require of you? I need to fear the Lord, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, and to serve Him with all my heart, mind, body, and soul. When I do this then I am being obedient to His word and He is able to bless me. The same applies to each of you. God loves us and wants to bless us.

“In Jesus are riches – if you are poor; Honor – if you are despised; Friendship – if you are forsaken; Help – if you are injured; Mercy – if you are miserable; Joy – if you are disconsolate; Protection – if you are in danger; Deliverance – if you are a captive; Life – if you are mortal; and all things – if you have nothing at all.” James Meikle

Thank you Father for showing us what you require of us so we can walk closer to you. Help us to seek you more, praise you more, and share you with others.

Beating great odds!

2008-11-20T11:31:00.000-08:00

“Beating great odds is God’s specialty. It’s one way He proves that He can do the impossible. Don’t accept defeat if what you’re standing for is consistent with God’s Word and His ways. Persevere, believing God. Ask Him to fight for you and show Himself mighty!” P165-Daniel by Beth Moore

God is so awesome. I just can’t get enough of Him. He is everything and all things to me. He gives me the courage to go on when I don’t have the strength. He sends others along to give encouragement. How special to know and feel the tangible love of God.

Psalms 33:18

Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy.

Sometimes thoughts and feelings get so full within me that I feel like I am about to explode. To put those thoughts and feelings into written word is a little harder. But to know God’s love, to feel His eyes of mercy upon us, to experience His peace in the midst of the storms of our lives, to walk in the fullness of His joy, is to be fully alive!

Thanks God for filling us with your peace, joy, and love. Help us to extend yourself to all those around us. Love you!

Resting In Him!

2008-11-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

“May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow. May the soft winds freshen your spirit. May the sunshine brighten your heart. May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you, and may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.”

I may have used this before, but just felt with what several of you are going through that I would remind us that God is enfolding everyone in the mantle of His love. He is ever present and wants to make our burdens light.

Matthew 11:28-30 (AMP)
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.
30 For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

God is just waiting for us to come to Him so He can take our burdens and carry them for us. His desire is for us to rest in Him; knowing that He will work all things out for our good. Yes!

Thanks Father that you love us so much you are willing to carry our burdens and sicknesses yourself. When we come to you, we can lay them down and pick up peace, joy, and rest. Praise Your Holy Name!

Our Tears!

2008-11-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

Good morning,

It is a somewhat sunny morning here on the timber farm. Life is so good. God is great. All is well with my world.

“The poor broken-hearted sinner, going into his bedroom, bends his knee, but can only utter his mournful cry in the language of sighs and tears. Look! that groan has made all the harps of heaven thrill with music; that tear has been caught by God, and put into a vase made especially for tears, to be perpetually preserved.” C. H. Spurgeon

I think the above statement could be made for those who already know God, but are too brokenhearted to know how to pray so they just utter a groan or tears and God interprets it for us. God bottles our tears I have a song “Tears are a language God understands.”

Psalms 56:8
Thou tellest my wanderings; put thou my tears into the bottle; are they not in thy book?

God cares about us so much, He even stores our tears. It can’t get any better than that.

Thanks God for your mercy, grace, compassion, and your unlimited love toward us. Knowing you and loving you is an awesome privilege. I praise your wonderful name.

Have a great day!

God is Good!

2008-11-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

God is so good. You will hear that a lot from me as I firmly believe that God is good.

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

I took a brief respite and went with Sis to take the dogs for a walk. It was very refreshing. Everything smells so clean.

“The measure of a Christian is not in the height of his grasp but in the depth of his love.” Clarence Jordan

Mark 12:20
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment.

In reading the above verse I decided I needed to love the Lord with everything that is within me. In order to love myself or those around me I need the love of God first. When I love Him with my mind, heart, soul, and strength, then He will give me the love I need for those around me.

For me loving God is a way of life. I don’t know any other way. I am thankful that God gave me the desire as a child to love Him and walk with Him. The great thing is no matter how old we are or the things we’ve done, God still loves us.

Thanks Father for loving us. How awesome to bask in your love.

Refuse to be average!

2008-11-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

Good morning,

It is a watery, sunshine morning here on the timber farm. All the trees are shrouded in a misty, mystery cloak. It makes me want to go explore even though it is wet.

Today is a day of remembrance of all the soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom; and to all soldiers who came home. Perhaps we need to take a moment in our day, pause and give thanks to them. If you see veterans give them a hug.

“Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will.” A. W. Tozar

“In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth, God is pleased when we're pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our maker's praise without anxiety.” A. W. Tozar

Psalms 69:34
Let the heaven and earth praise Him, the seas, and everything that moveth therein.

Psalms 96:11-12
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof.
Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice.

Have you ever been our walking in the woods when the wind began to blow? Did you ever hear the trees sing? I have. I love to stand on my deck in a wind storm and listen to the fir trees praising the Lord. Their branches seem to wave praises to the Father. God has blessed us with so many things to help us enjoy life more than any tree, yet how much of our day is spent complaining instead of praising? Do we really accept what God says in His word when He says to fret not, but to trust in Him? Today I am going to try to be as free as a bird soaring and singing my maker’s praise and not worry about anything.

Father, I thank you for a worry free day. I pray that you would give the same to everyone reading this devotional today. I pray that they will grasp your love, and then share it with others.
Thanks

Have a praise filled day!

A Thankful Heart!

2008-11-08T08:41:00.000-08:00

"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supplies." Hudson Taylor

“A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” Maya Angelou

Sometimes we don’t have the answer, but we can still sing praises to our Father. He delights in the praises we give Him.

Psalms 75:1, 9

1 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks; for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.

9 But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

Do you ever notice when reading scripture that sometimes He is the God of Abraham, sometimes the God of David, here He is the God of Jacob. Sometimes I put my name in place of theirs.

1 Chronicles 4:10

And Jabez (Joy) called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him (me) that which he (she) requested.

God delights in blessing us. His hand is on us protecting us, He will keep us from wrong when we ask Him to. We can walk in close fellowship with Him. That just thrills my heart.

Yes God!

Thank you God for your many blessings to us, help us to love and appreciate you more.

Have a great day!

Living Faith!

2008-11-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

Gray skies are not always gray; blue skies are not always blue; but one thing is true, Jesus loves you!

“If my car was inoperative and I went to the mechanic for help, I would have to hand over the keys. That is my action of trust in the mechanic. It is fides vive – living faith. Without doing that, all my talk about the competency of the mechanic results in nothing. And so, without our giving the keys of life over to Christ, we have never really trusted. This is Bible belief simply stated.” Jim Elliff

I know I do a lot of devotionals on faith, however a deep, unmovable faith in God with the absolute assurance that He is in control is what will keep us up and going in victory in the days ahead.

Romans 1:16-17
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith.

In God and thru God, we have the power to believe for the salvation of our families, friends, and whom ever God puts in our sphere.

God loves us and wants only the best for us. That makes my heart sing.

Thanks God for your love and protection. You take such good care of us; even in the midst of troubled times and sickness you are still there taking care of us. It can’t get any better than that. You are a mighty God!

Enlighten our Eyes!

2008-11-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Good morning,

After I described the morning as being gray and dismal; I got this reply back from one of my nieces.
Damp and dismal; you may see gray with your eyes... close them. What do you smell? What do you feel? What can your hear? It is a glorious morning on the timber farm isn’t it? To which I replied yes!

What we perceive and describe may to another have a totally different view or memory.

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

No matter what we do, the most important thing to others is to show them love, and that you care.
When we extend the love of Jesus toward others, then it rebounds back to us. Isn’t that super?

Ephesians 1:18
“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,”

Psalms 112:3
Wealth and riches shall be in his house; and His righteousness endureth for ever.

Father, help us when we look at the world around us with our natural eyes, that our spiritual eyes be opened to receive your love and beauty into our hearts.

Have a great day!

My Wish For You!

2008-10-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.”

If we could just grasp what is being said in the above quote, all of us would be healthier, full of joy, not depressed, able to feel love and be loved. We would go around with a smile on our face and fun in our eyes. Yet isn’t that what Jesus wants for us? He desires us to live above our circumstances not under them.

I Thessalonians 3:12
And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men. as we do toward you.

Thanks Father for giving us your Son who loves us beyond our comprehension. He wants to comfort us, to place a deep joy in our hearts. God you want only the best for us. Help us to see that even through the darkest night of our life. Praise Your Holy Name!

Have a great day!
p.s. smile at someone you don’t know today.

Walk by Faith!

2008-10-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

Sunday on my way to church I got to thinking about faith. I believe in order to have faith in God you have to have absolute trust in Him. Much to my surprise our Bible study teacher was teaching on faith. When pastor got up to preach, his message was on faith. Guess God wanted me to have a faith based day yesterday. The interesting thing we all had different scriptures and thoughts on Faith.
“Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.” Helen Keller
Romans 5:1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sometimes it is a good thing to use a scripture over again to continue to encourage you to keep the faith. To help you have strength to overcome the things you are struggling with. If you have truly repented of the issues in your life that are not of God, then leave them with Him and have faith He will help you change. God wants you to live a victorious life. The only way you can do that is to have absolute trust in Him. When the enemy comes against you, rebuke Him and praise God. You can make it!
Thanks Father for helping us over come the temptations of this world. Thanks for the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin. Increase our faith. Let us walk worthy of being one with you.
Have a God Blessed Day!

A Rainbow!

2008-10-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

“No cloud can overshadow a true Christian but his faith will discern a rainbow in it.” Bishop Horne

No matter what we are going thru, we need to look beyond it with faith and find the good in it. That is really hard to do, however when a person looks to the Lord for guidance, it helps change the circumstances.

Luke 6:36-37
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven;

Isn’t it awesome that our Father put verses in His word that shows us how to treat others? Whereby, by doing so we ourselves come out winners. His word is amazing. I am finding the more I get into it the least I know. It is an exciting journey to learn from the Lord through His word.

Father I again thank you for your word. Thanks to all the men who were inspired of you to write it so we could have clear written instruction on how to live for you.

Have a super day!

The Keyhole!

2008-10-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

“A Christian is a keyhole through which other folk see God.” Robert E. Gibson

Sometimes we don’t know the number of people watching us to se if we practice what we say about our love for God. If you are saying you love God and your actions don’t show it, pretty soon people will question your relationship with Him. Once that happens I believe they loose faith in whatever you try to tell them.

Psalms 119:15-16
15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
I am finding there are a lot of scriptures in the Bible that start with I will. Some of them are God’s promises to us, but most are our commitment to Him. What we will do when we love Him and want to walk in obedience to Him.

Thanks Father for your Word. Thank you that we can walk a victorious Christian life. Help us to be the example to those watching us. Praise Your Holy Name.

Holy Amazement!

2008-10-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

It is another gorgeous fall morning here on the timber farm. Well I took my walk around the farm yesterday morning with camera in hand. I decided to take my dog with me. She did really well until I stopped to take some pictures in the pasture by the pond. The next thing I knew she was swimming. So my picture taking was over. I spent almost an hour giving her a bath.

Makes me think of how we sometimes stray off the path the Lord has us on. At times we end up into the wrong things and God has to clean us back up. I wonder if He gets tired of picking us up, cleaning us off; only to have us slip again. I am so glad He is a loving, patient, and merciful Father.

“We are never nearer Christ than when we find ourselves lost in a holy amazement at his unspeakable love.” John Owen

Psalms 47:6-7
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing ye praises with understanding.

We can never praise God enough for what He has done for us. However, it is awesome to be in His presence through praise.

Thanks God for putting into our hearts the attitude of praise. Help us to put aside grumbling and complaining and to go about with praise on our lips to you.

Have a super day!

Follow The Leader!

2008-10-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful sunny fall morning here on the timber farm. It rained in the night so everything has raindrops and a sparkle to it. I’m going to go take pictures after I do the devotional.

I was thinking in the night about some of the games we used to play as kids, tag, annie annie over, simon says, steal the bacon, follow the leader, and sometimes when some of us was out hiking or playing we would pretend we were lost. One of us would climb a tree and let the others they could see the house and to follow them. They would get us home. It made me think of our spiritual walk. When we think we are lost all we have to do is tell Jesus and He will guide us home. The Bible gives us clear directions on how to be ready to go to our heavenly home. I don’t know about you, but I want to be very sure I know the way home and not end up eternally lost.

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 1:4
In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.

“Jesus Christ is both the most absolute grace and the most perfect law; so that to believe in him is to embrace at once both law and grace.” Alexandre Vinet

Thanks God for giving us your Son to lead us out of darkness and into your marvelous light. It is wonderful to know that you love us and care about everything that goes on in our lives. It can’t get any better than that.

Have a great day!

Ransomed by Jesus!

2008-10-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

“Have questions you want answered? Read the Book with all the answers! BIBLE

“The greatest answer to prayer is that I am brought into a perfect understanding with God, and that alters my view of actual things.” Oswald Chambers

The ladies in our church are having Bible study. I asked the Lord for a Wycliffe Commentary (I had been using this online) and a good Bible dictionary. Yesterday Evelyn gave me both. Isn’t that just like God? He blessed me with other books as well.

You can’t teach something you don’t know. How can you get someone to believe in God if you don’t know what you believe yourself?

God wants all of us to have a personal relationship with Him. He is a loving Father, who delights in our communion with Him.

Mark 10:45
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Ransom is a price paid to receive a person or thing from one detaining the same.

A ransom is that which is substituted for the party. Jesus did that for us. He gave Himself that we might go free. How awesome is that?

Thank you, Jesus for giving your life as a ransom that we might go free. You are a loving, kind, and super big brother. Praise Your Holy Name.

God's Cake!

2008-10-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we wonder, 'What did I do to deserve this?' or 'Why did God have to do this to me?' Here is a wonderful explanation! A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, 'Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.' 'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers. 'Yuck' says her daughter. 'How about a couple raw eggs?' 'Gross, Mom!' 'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?' 'Mom, those are all yucky!' To which the mother replies: 'Yes , all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! ' God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful! God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

Psalms 34:1
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

You cannot complain and praise the Lord with the same breath. It has to be one or the other, but you can’t do both at the same time. I choose (it is an act of will) to praise the Lord.

Thanks Father for the opportunity to be able to praise you and to bless you. It is an awesome privilege to know we can bring a sacrifice of praise to you and you in turn bless us beyond measure.
Have a great day!

Our Crown at what Expense!

2008-10-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

God is so gracious to us. He loves us and wants only the best for us. I know that without the shadow of a doubt. I feel in my heart that there are those of you who need to hear the message of God’s love and acceptance of you until you get it so deeply planted into your heart that the enemy can’t beat you up anymore.
“Christ uncrowned himself to crown us, and put off his robes to put on our rags, and came down from heaven to keep us out of hell. He fasted forty days that he might feast us to all eternity; he came from heave to earth that he might send us from earth to heaven.” W. Dyer
Psalm 118:19-21
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:
20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.
21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
I am so glad that God made a way for any and all to come to Him; and to know His Son and His love.
Thanks God for the sacrifice you made in sending your Son to the cross that through Him we might live.

Apologies

2008-10-17T19:06:00.001-07:00

Just a note to say I'm sorry for not being obedient in my devotionals. I got a little behind and decided to give up on them. I let the enemy tell me no one reads them anyway. However, regardless of who reads them or doesn't read them, I wasn't being obedient to the Lord who told me to do them in the first place. So with His help I will strive to once again be faithful in my devotional.
In a book by Elizabeth George "A Woman after God's own heart" which by the way is super; I am trying to become one. In order to become a man or woman after God's own heart we have to be in communion with Him. Part of that is thru prayer, reading His word and being obedient when He asks us to do something.
It's not always easy, especially to apologize, but I feel the need to do that so I can move forward into the center of God's will for my life.
Proverbs 4:23
Keep thy heart will all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
I want the fulness of God in my life 24/7, how about you?

Creation!

2008-09-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

“Before man can work he must have both tools and materials, but God began with nothing, and by His Word alone out of nothing made all things. The intellect cannot grasp it. God “spake and it was done, He commanded and it stood fast” (Ps. 33:9). Primeval matter heard His voice. “God said, Let there be… and it was so” (Gen 1).” A.W. Pink

About 2:30 this morning I was awake so I got up and went out onto my front deck. The stars were so bright, the wind was slightly blowing and the frogs were croaking big time. I stood there, just enjoying all that God has created. My soul was rejoicing so much that it was almost 5:00 before I went back to sleep.
Sometimes I get busy and don’t take the time to enjoy all that God has for us to embrace.

God gave us so much, we need to take time to enjoy it and let Him know we appreciate it.

Psalms 111:3-4
3 His work is honourable, and glorious; and His righteousness endureth for ever.
4 He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

I am so glad the God is gracious and full of compassion toward us. No matter what we do, or how far we have walked away from God. It only takes one step to come back to Him. No matter how much money we have or don’t have, no matter how smart we are or simple, God still loves us. Whether we are tall, short, heavy, or thin, God loves us all the same. That makes my heart rejoice.

Father, I thank you for your creation. Thanks for your love and compassion. I pray your blessings on all of us. Amen

Have a super day!

Dear God, Am I a reflection of you?

2008-09-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

One of the comments in the Dear God book can be applied to all of us:
Dear God,
Am I a reflection of you?
“To be a reflection of God means to be like Him, to show others what He is like. When they look at you, they can see a little bit of Hi,! That’s why we should always act as God wants us to.

Deuteronomy 7:6
For thou art an holy people unto thy God. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

Knowing God loves us, and we are His then the question Am I a reflection of you? Should be an automatic YES! If it is not, then we need to examine ourselves to see where we need to change so we represent God in the fullness of His love and character.

For some it will take more work than others, depending on how your walk with the Lord is, and how close to Him you want to get.

Father, I thank you for your word. I also thank you for all the people who have written books to help us grow in you, and to start the day with a laugh. Laughter is a medicine, so help us take it often.

Have a super day!

Earth’s crammed with heaven!

2008-08-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

God is so good. I just can’t get away from how awesome He is. Not because He supplies my need, or the many times He has healed me, but just because of whom He is. The more I read His Word and spend time communicating with Him, the better I’m getting to understand His love.

“Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.”
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Quoted from the book “The Shack”

I don’t know about you, but I am taking off my shoes, not plucking blackberries and discover some of this heaven on earth. God is everywhere and in everything so we shouldn’t have to look very far to find Him or His handiwork.

Psalms 94:18-19
“When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me.
When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.”

Father, I thank you for this beautiful place you made just for us. May we appreciate it. I praise you. You are worthy of all praise. The deer Sis and I saw yesterday are beautiful. Thanks for giving us so many wonderful things to enjoy. Open our eyes to look for your beauty that surrounds us.

Have a great day!