Be With Jesus

   Acts 4:13 - "Now when they (the rulers, elders, scribes, Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were family of the high priest - we will call them "the religious ones" from Acts 4:6) saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they (Peter and John) were uneducated and untrained men, they (the religious ones) marveled.  And they (the religious ones) realized that they (Peter and John) had been with Jesus."  This verse snagged my heart this morning because I want those I come in contact with every day to realize that I have "been with Jesus".  I want them to know by my actions and words that I know Him personally and that I have "been with Him" that very day. 
    How can a person "be with Jesus"?  I believe one of the ways I can "be with Jesus" is by reading my Bible.  I have learned something over the past month and that is if I consistently set aside the time and put forth the effort every day to read God's Word He meets with me, teaches me, and changes me to be more like Him.  I get to "be with Jesus!"  I challenge you to read each book of the Bible all the way through, chapter after chapter.  Some books can be read in one sitting and others will take a few days.  If you try this method, what I can promise you is that the words of Scripture will come to life, the story will penetrate your heart and mind, and you will begin to hunger to read more of it.   I don't have to be one of the important "religious ones" (like in the verse above) or have a master's degree in theology to be able to "be with Jesus". I just need to read His Word.  I pray that you will take some time to "be with Jesus" today.

Faith

I praise You today, Lord, for FAITH. Because You are always faithful, I can trust in Your plan even when I don't understand it. You've got my back. 

Psalm 90:10, 12, 14, 17

"Our lives last 70 years or, if we are strong, 80 years. Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow; indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away. Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. Satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days. Let the favor of the Lord our God to be on us; establish for us the work of our hands--establish the work of our hands."

Worry or Face Down?

     The thing that Jacob was so worried about in Genesis 33 never happened!  Most things that I worry about never happen either.  God is with me through the happy times, the hard times, and He will meet my every need if only I will ask.  His answer might not be "my will", but it will certainly be "His will" and it will be what is best for me. 
     So, what must I do when I stand at the threshold of a situation that I could very easily worry about?  I go "face down" on the ground and humbly yield myself before Almighty God.  I was directed to go "face down" during a ladies Bible study over a year ago when the writer of the study encouraged this exercise.  The study is long past, but I have continued the exercise of going "face down" because for me, it paints such a picture of surrender in my mind and heart.  When I am "face down" I picture myself before the throne of God Himself and I say to Him, "I bow, I surrender, I yield, I submit ___________" and I fill in the blank with whatever my issue is.  When I say "Amen" and get up from that position, I go throughout that day believing that God heard me and I anticipate  His answer. 
     Sometimes, I get an answer that day and other times I have to take that need day after day after day, but that's ok! because it's teaching me to take my needs to The One who can give me answers.  I choose to go "face down" instead of worry and I hope that you will too!  Blessings to you for a "worry free" day.

Happy New Year!

I am determined that 2015 will be a great year!  I started my new year this morning with Bible study and prayer, so I know that I have the right focus for day one of 2015.  I am working through the book "Whispers of Hope" (10 weeks of devotional prayer) by Beth Moore, as well I am reading through the books of Psalms (5 chapters a day) and Proverbs (1 chapter a day, corresponding with the calendar day).  Today my prevailing thought has been from Proverbs 1:7 which says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline." To begin this year, I recognize that God has always been, He made all that is, and He wrote the book on how to live life well.  I think the word "fear" in the verse means that we are to be in awe of Him, to deeply respect and reverence Him as the creator and preserver of life, and to obey whatever He tells us to do in the Bible.  In order to know God, we must read The Book that tells us who He is and what He wants from us.  If I have learned anything at all from the past year it is that God loves me deeply and wants me to know Him and love Him as well.  "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)  Happy New Year!

All 8G's do not a blond make.

I was "getting rooty" so I went to the store to buy some hair color.  They were out of my brand and I didn't have the time or the energy to go to another store, park, walk in, find the hair color, and so on.  I bought another brand thinking, "if you've tried one 8G you've tried them all, right?"  WRONG! My usual 8G is a caramel blond and I love it, but I am now wearing a strawberry blond and it's quite a difference.  I have tried for two days to think of some way to spiritualize it but haven't been able to think of anything that made sense.  So there you have it...just another kookie day in the life of one who is Biblically blond!  Smile at someone today - they may have used the wrong hair color too and just need a smile. :)

God Knows

Psalm 35:24 says, "Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me."  In every prickly situation God knows who is at fault and whose hands are clean.  We can trust Him that eventually, the truth will be known.  If you have a strained relationship and you are feeling attacked by a fellow Christian, I encourage you to read all of Psalm 35 for it will give you courage and strength to face your day.  The Lord is the avenger of those who are following Him.