It Only Took A Couple Of Bites!!!

                               

                             Psalm 63: 1-8

1 "O God,  Thou are my God, I shall seek Thee earnestly;  My soul thirsts for Thee,  my flesh yearns for Thee,   In a dry and weary land where there is no water. 

2 Thus I have beheld Thee in the Sanctuary,  to see Thy power and Thy glory.

3 Because of  Thy lovingkindness is better than life,  my lips will praise Thee.

4 So I will bless Thee as long as I live;  I will lift up my hands in Thy name.

5 My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods,  and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

6 When I remember Thee on my bed,  I meditate on Thee in the night watches,

7 For Thou hast been my help,  and in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy.

8 My soul clings to Thee;   Thy right hand upholds me.

I recently was visiting my family in New York  for a week.   If you are new to my blog site than you would not know that I have lost over 100 pounds in the last year and a half.   The journey has been a day by day experience with the Lord leading, pruning and healing many many areas of my life.   Having lost the weight and now trying to bring some balance into my eating plan....I have been amazed at how easy the sweets and fats can take control again and call my name LOUDLY and CLEARLY!!   Seriously folks....this will always be an area of my life that I will have to surrender daily to and keep closely in check.

     Now...back to New York!   I had an opportunity to try for the first time some frozen custard  (yes...I know, it's been out there for ages) !   I can't even begin to tell you the amazing texture, flavor and whole experience that was happening in my mouth!   I have had great ice cream and wonderful frozen yogurt....but never have I had such awesome frozen custard....who knew?!    Obviously I'm still not over the whole experience yet...which is the reason I'm even writing about it.   It only took a couple of bites and I was hooked...line and sinker.   After that night....I kept thinking about it and wondering if I was going to get to have it again before heading home to Texas.   Well...I did get to have it again and the experience was the same.  AWESOMELY AMAZING!!  

     Now...I'm back home and telling everyone who will listen about this frozen custard.   Do you see the problem yet????

     I was reading Psalm 63 during my devotional time and I was struck with such an understanding of what it means to be totally satisfied!   Verse 5 says..."My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods,  and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips."   I have to tell you friends...I was singing praises about that custard to anyone who would listen and to a few who didn't ;) !   

     Psalm 63:1 says.."...my soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee,..." .   My flesh yearned and thirsted for that custard.   

When I think about the psalmist and his desire to be satisfied only with the Lord....I am brought to my knees in repentance.   I never ever want to find more satisfaction in food, material things or a person than I do with my Heavenly Father.   

     My heart has been turned once again to the ONE who satisfies my heart so completely!   I'm sure there will be other things that will vie for my attention and comfort...but there will never ever be a contest where anything will come close to my Heaven Father.

     Have you been drawn away from your satisfaction in the Lord? Have you found yourself giving more praise and attention to a food or material item than you do to God?   Trust me my friend...this can be a dangerous area for all of us and the enemy knows exactly what item to dangle in front of us to grab our attention.   

     Let our hearts cry out like the psalmist..."O God,  Thou art my God,  I shall seek Thee earnestly;..." !

Who is the Center of Your World?

Who is the Center of Your World?

I was so encouraged after listening to this radio program from "Revive Our Hearts" with Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  My prayer is that you will be encouraged as well.  

Do you feel like your prayers are going unanswered?   Do you feel like God's ears are closed to the needs you see in your husband or marriage?    Rest assure my precious friend....God does hear, see and knows all your needs and is active using them to bring about growth and humility in each of us.   I don't want to miss one moment of receiving God's teaching in my life through my marriage, husband and family....do you????

Joni Eareckson Tada Speaks at the 2013 NRB Convention

I am reminded that God wants to use every part of our brokenness for His purpose and glory.  I love what Joni says at the beginning of this video...."God permits what He hates, to accomplish that which He loves!"    I pray you are as blessed and inspired as I was watching this video.

FB Posting by Dennis Jernigan

Dennis Jernigan

Yesterday

We will go through dark times in our life, that is simply true. But the greater TRUTH is that even in those times of darkness, our God is Light for us. When I walk into the night to check whether the doors are locked, all I need is enough light to show me my next step. I use my cell phone for that, lol! But when I do not have my phone, I know my house well enough to know where to walk. As in life, my spiritual walks through dark times are no different. All I need is the Light of God’s Word to help me take my next step…and even when it seems there is no light, I still know my Father well enough to trust Him for my next step. Let us walk in the Light of Christ today by simply trusting Who He is and by walking in our true identity as a new creation.

Do not rejoice over me,
O my enemy.
Though I fall I will rise;
Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.

Micah 7:8 NASB

Dennis Jernigan

Something to remember as you go through your days, trying to discern whose voice you are really hearing!

My Shepherd....My Rest! Psalm 23:1-3

                 
                            Psalm 23:1-3

" 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.   2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;  He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul;  He guides me in the paths of righteous-ness for His name sake. "


Peace...rest....contentment...can these even be achieved in today's world?   This is the question that I asked myself as I read these verses the other day during my devotional time.   Our days are filled with stress, frustration and over commitments!   We rush here and rush there with a thousand things on our minds.  We often collapse into bed....not able to calm our minds and relax our bodies enough to fall into a sleep that is deeply needed.   So as I thought about these verses and the shepherd David who wrote them....I came to an amazing understanding about our true Shepherd....God!  

Matthew Henry wrote:
"I shall be supplied with whatever I need; and, if I have not everything I desire,  I may conclude it is either not fit for me or not good for me,  or I shall have it in due time."

What does "...I shall not want."  mean?    In my younger years,  I struggled with materialism.   If I went into a woman's home and it was nicer than mine...I would come back home frustrated and discontent with my own home.   This could last for days and it would bring about such disharmony within my home and family.    Each time the Lord showed me this "sin" in my life....I 
eventually was able to seek forgiveness and restoration.    I can still go there at times....but at least now I recognize it quickly and turn away from that mind set.   I'm saying all this with the purpose of opening our eyes and hearts to the areas that are causing us to be discontent and emotional unstable.

Why would David write these words..."I shall not want"?   Some scholars say that this Psalm was probably written while he was King.   I'm thinking that as a King, David would have just about everything he wanted...so those words could  reflect more of the spiritual need and wants then that of material.  

My next question was "How do I get to that way of thinking?"    Well,  as I continued to read the next couple of verses....it popped out at me!!    David is saying that when the Lord is truly our Shepherd (our protector, provider and sustainer )  we will not want....because we are at peace, rest and we are contented!   Wow...that is huge ladies!    

There are so many woman today....young and old who are deeply discontented with their lives.   Discontented with being a stay at home mom...discontented with being a working mom....discontented with their home, car, clothes, church....I could go on and on!    We have become a nation of discontentment and I believe  it has a lot to do with our relationship ( or lack there of) with our Heavenly Shepherd !

Our understanding of "want" and God's understanding of "want" are completely opposite.   We don't only see what God's view of want is but more importantly...how do we get there!

The next thing I read in this Psalm is that the reason we will not be "in want" is because our Shepherd helps us to find "rest".

Psalm 23:2  "He makes me to lie down in green pastures;  He leads me beside quiet waters."  

When the Lord is truly my Shepherd...then as I release all my stress, cares and concerns to Him,  I am ushered into a place of rest and contentment.   How do we release these things?   Lets look at this "rest" in a better light.  

Sheep do not lie down when eating....they lie down after they have been fed.....feeding in the lush green pastures would allow them to eat till full and satisfied.    Don't miss this!    We are told to feed on God's Word til full and satisfied....it is after this spiritual feeding that we can then "rest" in full peace and contentment.   These two,  feeding and resting, go hand in hand.   

David, I believe, drew a beautiful picture of what this rest looks like....

Just looking at this picture makes me feel calm and refreshed!

Psalm 23:3 "He restores my soul;  He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name sake."

As we read verse 3... we find out that while resting in the Lord ( releasing our stress, frustrations and discontentment to Him and picking up His mind set through His Word and prayer)  our soul is restored!!   RESTORED....I love this word and I can testify that I do truly feel restored after spending time in God's Word and in prayer!

So...the final question I asked while reading these verses was...."Why does  our Shepherd do all this?

Psalm 23:3b  "...For His name's sake."

Our Shepherd does all these things for His name sake....so that His name will be gloried and praised!    As the world around us witnesses such rest, peace and contentment....their eyes will be lifted up to the heavens.   

Praise the Lord!

Paradoxes of Prayer

We are studying the book of James in our Ladies Bible Study....this is how Elizabeth George ended chapter 4....

PARADOXES OF PRAYER
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey....
I asked for health, that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things....
I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty that I might be wise....
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God....
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things....
I got nothing that I asked for~
but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered~
I am among all, the most richly blessed!

Unknown Source

Everything....Really? Romans 8:28-29

           

                             Romans 8:28-29

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God,  to those who are called according to His purpose.   For whom He foreknew,  He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,  that He might be the first-born among many brethren."

We have heard this verse spoken over and over again with the understanding that God uses everything to work together for good for those who love God and have a personal relationship with His son Jesus Christ (which is one of God's purposes for us).   This is one of those verses for me,  that have become so familiar, that I can read it with out really grasping hold of all that it is saying.  I hate that.  I hate it when verses become so familiar that we just read right over them without even giving them a second thought.    It's like when you read a Psalm that has become a popular worship song and you can't read it without singing it in your mind!

This new understanding came to me while I was reading Elsye Fitzpatricks book... "Love to Eat, Hate to Eat".    I will do my best to relate to you my take on these verses and how it has changed my view of everyday living.

It's one thing to say that God uses all things in our lives for good....but do we really believe that God uses ALL THINGS FOR GOOD?    Everything....the good and bad....the big and small.....joyous and tragic....everything.    I have believed this since early in my Christian walk,  when I was taught this verse in a bible study I was apart of  with my church.   But to be honest....I must admit that I have never really thought any further about it....until recently.

I believe that God uses all things in our lives as "tools".    Tools that He uses just like a sculptor uses to create works of art with clay or other mold-able material.   Tools that will chisel away excess areas that are not needed in order to create something precious and beautiful by the Creator!     
Get the picture?

God doesn't only use these tools....but also uses water to keep the clay from turning too hard and cracked.    Prayer,  Bible reading or study,  fellowship and ministry/service are what I believe God uses to keep us pliable.   This is why it is so important for us to actively pursue God daily...to help keep ourselves pliable in His loving hands!   So that in this softened state...we are looking at our daily lives,  the good and bad....joyous and tragic through spiritual eyes.    

These verses give us such great HOPE....hope that God will accomplish the task of transforming us into the "image of His Son".    Because I really believe and have such hope...I am no longer asking "Why...God...why?"....but I'm saying "Don't let me miss You in this, God!" !!

To God Be The Glory....Great Things He Is Doing!

www.elysefitzpatrick.com

If I Belittle.....

If , in any way, I belittle those who I am called to serve...if I talk of their weak points in contrast, perhaps, with what I think of as my stronger points...if I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting to consider the wisdom of the voice that asks me, inwardly, "Who made you different from the one you are criticizing - and what do you have that you have not been given?"... if I can easily discuss the short comings or the sins of any man or woman...if I can speak in an off-handed way, even of a child's wrong doing...

than I know nothing of Calvary love.
                                                        
This came from the devotional (see below for infor. on devotional) that I was reading today.   It took my spiritual breath away.   After reading that one paragraph...I shut my book, Bible and notebook and went before my Heavenly Father in repentance....seeking forgiveness for any wrong thinking....any wrong attitude or behavior towards those I have the honor to share Christ with, at our Open Gym Ministry.

Pride is the tool that the enemy uses to wedge open the door to our heart, mind and soul...so he can get his foot in the door.  We must be daily guarded against our motives and attitudes when doing what God has called us to do....go and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through serving and loving.

We can not do this on our own...in our own flesh.  We must press in to the Lord...filling our minds and hearts with His Word and seeking His presence daily.   In doing this...we go out prepared and strengthened against the enemy's advances and attacks.  

Whether we are serving our family, friends or strangers...lets be the example we are called to be.

With Valentines Day coming up....I can't think of a better way to celebrate then with the true understanding of the greatest LOVE there is....GOD'S LOVE!  John 3:16


 Amy Carmichael
 "I Come Quietly To Meet You"
 David Hazard
 IF: PP:13-14