God Wants To Protect You

My eighty-four years old mother, shared with me recently, that a few weeks ago a storm came through and left sticks and brush all over her yard.  She had decided to gather it all up by hand to dispose of it.  About the time she was getting started, my cousin stopped by.

Spiritual Hydration

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

Last week during a doctor’s appointment I discovered that the reason I had been feeling fatigued and drained of energy was due in part to dehydration.   It’s amazing how important water is to our bodies and to our physical existence.  While doing some research on water, I discovered the following benefits:   Drinking water reduces headaches, improves our memory and our mood.  Water flushes the body of waste.   Water reduces the risk of kidney stones and bladder infections.  Water also promotes healthy skin.  It energizes our muscles and it also lubricates our joints as well as helps to maintain our blood pressure.

While doing this research, the thought came to me, that we can be spiritually dehydrated just as we can be physically dehydrated.  I thought of the woman at the well in John 4:10.
¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

Give Thanks For Nature’s Beauty

Psalm 107:21-22
²¹ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
²² Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.
Psalm 107:8
⁸ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
Psalm 95:2
² Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
Nehemiah 9:6
⁶ You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Last week my husband and I drove around town, to look at all of the beautiful trees.  We enjoyed looking at all of the various shades of golds, reds, yellows, and oranges on the trees.   My heart was absolutely filled with gratitude as I was taking it all in.  It was actually like seeing the fingerprint of God on every single tree.

I remember saying to myself, how could anyone deny that God existed, and especially this time of year when there is proof everywhere.

As I looked at the trees, and the warm sunshine was peeking through our car window, I couldn’t help but smile as I reminisced on the past Falls during the years when our daughter was a little girl.

You see I have always loved the Fall.  It is my favorite time of year.  When my daughter was in Pre-school, I would make a big deal over how beautiful the trees were, as I drove her to and from school.  During that time she was so young that she was still riding in her car seat.   It was important to me, that she grew up appreciating the extraordinary work of God.  I didn’t want her to miss it, so I brought it to her attention early.   I wanted her to be thankful that we get to experience the beauty and artistry of God’s awesome work through His creation.  I wanted her to love it as much as I do, and I am happy to report that she loves the colorful trees and Fall also.

During this season of Thanksgiving, remember all of the many things that we have to be thankful for.   Not only has God blessed us with eternal life through the sacrifice of Christ dying on the cross, but He has blessed us with our health and strength.  We have been blessed with our family and friends, as well as material blessings.   And if that wasn’t enough, He has surrounded us with the beauty of His creation for our enjoyment.

If for some reason you are having a hard day today, I want to encourage you, to get out of the house or office and just look at the beauty that surrounds you this time of year.  Take it all in.  I know that your spirit will be instantly lifted and your heart will say thank you, God, for His wisdom in all that He has blessed us with for our own enjoyment.  I am sure that you will join me in saying, what a mighty and awesome God we serve.  He is so worthy of our praise and our gratitude.   He is due to our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving!

Mark 11:23
²³ “Truly^[a] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.
John 15:7
⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Matthew 21:22
²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Matthew 7:7
⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Philippians 4:6
⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Luke 11:13
¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Recently I was talking to God, and I asked for something, not knowing whether it would actually happen or not.  It was just my desire and I shared it with God.  A few days later my prayer was answered with a yes.

Now we all know that yes is not always God’s answer, but it was this time, and for me it was huge!  Although it was something simple, it is going to make a big difference in my life. What I learned from this, is that we don’t know what
God’s answer will be when we ask for something, our job is simply to ask.  He takes care of the answer, as well as the when where, and how.  So many times we come to God tiptoeing and fearful, or just sharing our hearts honestly and asking for what we really need or want.  Remember, He already knows what we need before asking.  He loves for us to come to Him and ask because when we ask it is an act of faith.  It is saying that we know that He has the power and the ability to meet our needs and our desires.  When we ask we are also saying that we believe and trust Him.

When a child goes to his/her father and asks for something, there is never a doubt about whether or not they will receive what they ask for.  They ask fully expecting to receive, exactly what they ask for. They believe and they trust.  It is no wonder that God says that unless you come to Him as a child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  It is their innocence and their ability to trust and believe without question, that pleases the heart of God.  We must trust and have that same type of faith, and expectation that a child has when we pray.  When we bring our petitions to God, we must remember that He is our Father, and just as our earthly fathers want to bless us with good things, so does our Heavenly Father.

If you do not have a consistent prayer life, I encourage you to make a decision today, to start communicating with God.  It will truly change your life for the better!

Here are a few things to consider when praying:

1.  We must ask.  It’s never too small or insignificant to come to God in prayer over.  If it matters to you, it matters to God.

2.  No problem or concern is too small or large for God.  In a crisis remember, that God is far bigger than any problem that you or I could ever have.

3.  Don’t assume that God won’t answer your prayers. Every prayer is always answered in one of three ways. The answer may be waiting, or yes, or even no. Have faith and know, that even a no is what’s best for you. God will only do what is best for you.

4.  Trust that God’s timing will be what’s best for you. He is always right on time.

5.  Trust God’s judgment on how He chooses to answer your prayers.  Answers don’t always come in the ways that we expect, but again they will be what is best.

6.  Make praying a daily habit.  Talk to God regularly throughout your day.   He is your best friend and He loves to hear from you.

Have a prayerful and joyful day!

 Proverbs 19:17
¹⁷ Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
Colossians 3:12
¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Galatians 6:10
¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Acts 28:2
² The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.
Romans 12:10
¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Twenty-six years ago this past August my husband and I moved to the town that we currently live in.   Our move came with mixed emotions.  We were excited because this move was due to a promotion that my husband
had received, and we had prayed and prayed for this.  It would mean more money for our family, and since I was seven months pregnant with our first and only child it would definitely come in handy.  We had decided beforehand that when and if, we were blessed with a child, that I would stay home to care for our little one.

Although the promotion was what we had prayed for, we really missed our church family in Texas that we loved so dearly.   We had so many wonderful friends there, that we actually grieved being away from them.   These were established friendships that we had enjoyed for several years.  Our church family was such a big part of our life.  We not only went to church with these people, we did life with them outside of the church as well.

When my husband and I moved we knew that we had to get plugged into a church immediately.   One Sunday night after visiting a church here in town for a few weeks, a couple came over to us and said that their Life Group was going to be stopping by a local Braums for ice cream.  They asked if we wanted to join them.  Well, they had us at ice cream, so of course, we agreed to join them.  This was our first invite to anything, and we were excited to make new friends.

When we arrived at the restaurant, my husband sat with the guys and I sat with the ladies and visited.  Everyone was so kind to us.  That night they also invited us to come one Sunday evening to check out their Life Group Bible Study.  We joined them the following week, and we decided that it was the perfect group for us.  We didn’t have to look a bit further.

Until this day, twenty-six years later we are still friends with the people who were in that Life Group.  All of this started with one simple act of kindness.

Many times we go through life rushed and in a zone, focusing only on ourselves and our own agenda, and we fail to look around at the opportunities to extend a little kindness and joy to someone else.  You never know what your one act of kindness can mean to someone else’s life.

I encourage you to seek opportunities to extend kindness to someone each and every day.  By doing this, you become the difference-maker in their life.  Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest difference to others.

That simple invitation to have ice cream that Sunday night, has blessed my family over and over again.  Who will you choose to be kind to this week?    I know that we are all having to practice social distancing right now due to Covid,
but we can make phone calls, we can zoom and we can send sweet cards in the mail.  Why not make a list of the many things that you can do, that will not require physical contact during this strange season that we all find ourselves in right now.   When you see an opportunity your list will be ready, for you to select the appropriate act of kindness for that particular situation.

Remember, the wonderful thing about spreading kindness is that you can’t bless others without being blessed yourself.  Have a great week spreading kindness everywhere you go!

Colossians 3:23
²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

Colossians 3:17
¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Galatians 1:10
¹⁰ Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Honor God With Your Best

There are times when we are called to do things that we may not particularly care to do, or feel like doing, but we have to do them.   During those times our attitudes may not be the best, simply because our heart is not in it.

I remember several years ago attending a Women’s Bible Study, where each Tuesday evening they had a different speaker come in and speak.  On Tuesday night a lady who owned a Cookware store came and spoke to
our class.  Her presentation made me totally re-evaluate the way I considered meal preparation for my family.  It was as though she had been peeking through my windows.  You see I had become very tired of the same old routine, of working all day and then having to figure out what I was going to prepare for dinner.  Knowing that I would have to go through the same thing again the next day, and the day after that didn’t help the situation.  It had become a boring routine for me.

After hearing her speak, I realized that I had the wrong attitude.  I was not honoring God in the way that I was handling this situation.    The speaker explained what a blessing it is to have an opportunity, first of all, to serve our families. Secondly, she explained the opportunity we have to nourish our families physically, as well as to nourish them spiritually over a meal.   My eyes were opened to the importance of this daily intimate gathering.

She explained that when we prepare each meal with thoughtful planning and love, we are truly serving our families, and most importantly we are serving God…  Even though this may seem routine, when we do our very best, we are bringing honor to God.  God simply wants us to work wholeheartedly at whatever we do.  Yes, even cooking!  Remember, as the scripture says we are doing it unto Him not unto humans.

I must say that it is amazing how things change when we see them from a different perspective.  That evening I went home with a different attitude about preparing meals for my family, I got my excitement back, and I take joy in knowing that my family truly enjoys and appreciates every meal that I prepare for them.

Whether we are on our jobs, or home cooking or cleaning, or even doing work for our church, we are to do it wholeheartedly.   When we do things wholeheartedly, it means that we care. It means that those who will benefit from
it will receive our best.

There are times when we may not want to do something for someone for whatever reason.  If we can just remember during those times, to do it as unto God, because we desire to please Him, it will help us to align our will with His. This will also help us to quickly adjust our attitude, and to our surprise, we will be blessed with great joy, because honoring God, and knowing that we are pleasing Him brings us not only peace of mind but joy.

My prayer for you today is that as you continue to serve Him by serving others you will experience a joy-filled life!

Beautiful Fall

 Daniel 2:21
²¹ He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Jeremiah 5:24
²⁴ They do not say to themselves, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’

Psalm 104:19
¹⁹ He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.

September 22nd was the first day of Fall this year.  Fall is absolutely my favorite season of the year. Although it hasn’t arrived just yet, I love the crisp Fall air and all that comes with Fall.

However, this year most of the things that come with Fall may have some restrictions due to COVID, and the need for social distancing.   Football games, Fall Festivals and even some family gatherings will look
different this year.

How wonderful that even though we may still have to stay inside for a bit longer,  we can enjoy some of the great foods that come with Fall, such as a slice of warm pumpkin bread straight from the oven,  or a slice of pumpkin pie. Let’s not forget that hot apple cider and hot chocolate are also considered real treats this time of year as well.  I am sure we all have special memories as far back as our childhood of these wonderful treats that make this season special to us.

The other thing that is very special to me about this time of year, is looking at all of the beautiful Fall decorations that people adorn their porches with.  The door wreaths are colorful and there are pumpkins, colorful mums, and bales of hay and the resemblance of Fall and Harvest season is everywhere.

My favorite thing of all is taking a drive to look at the trees as the leaves start to change colors.  The vibrant hues of oranges, reds, and burgundy’s are just another testament to just how wonderful God is to give us so much beauty to admire as the seasons change.  His power, His versatility, and His artistry are reflected in all that we see as the seasons change.

I hope that as this beautiful time of year lingers for a few more weeks, that you will take a minute and fully take in its beauty, and just stand in awe of God.  He has given us so much to richly enjoy through nature, that it would be a shame to allow the busyness of life to cause us to miss the beauty of this season.  Just look around at all that He has created for our enjoyment.  Don’t you feel blessed?  I know that I do, and I plan to enjoy every minute of it, and I hope that you will too.

 Happy Fall!

Ecclesiastes 3:1
3 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

Your Time of Waiting Is A Preparation

Psalm 27:13-14
¹³ I remain confident of this:   I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Isaiah 40:31
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord  will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Micah 7:7
⁷ But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
    I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

In April of next year, if God says the same, I will be with the company that I currently work for, for twenty-five years.  I remember thinking when I first went to work for this company, that I did not just want to sell the products, but that I wanted to go into management and become a Sales Director.  In order to become a Sales Director, I had to go through a qualification process.   The qualification process had to be completed within a four-month time period.  I tried several times and did not make it.  I was determined that I would not give up, no matter what.  This was my goal and I was going to make it happen.  In my mind, giving up was not an option.  I even wrote on my bathroom mirror in bright red lipstick, Quitting Is Not an Option!  I was serious about this, but what I didn’t take into consideration, was that God had a purpose in delaying my victory.

I know now that God was preparing me through this process for leadership.  He was building my character in the areas that I needed to grow in.  I wanted the position, but I didn’t realize that I hadn’t been fully willing to pay the price.  It was in the trying, failing, praying, and waiting, that God revealed more and more to me about myself and my character.  During the waiting period, and after much prayer, God revealed my weaknesses to me. He also revealed the areas that I needed to grow in if I wanted to become a leader.

Many times we want what we want, and we want it now!  If we will patiently wait and spend time with God, in time He will reveal the things that we need to know or the things that we need to change so that our blessing won’t be a short-lived one.  How many times do we see things happen quickly for someone, but it’s not sustainable, because of how it was achieved?

There are times when it seems like God is not listening, because we don’t see His hand moving, but I can assure you from my past experience that He hears every prayer.   Some things that we ask for simply require a period of preparation, and we will not receive them until we are prepared to receive them.  Also, not everything that we ask for is good for us at the time that we ask.  We must trust God’s timing, His will, and His divine purposes.   We must trust that no matter how bad we want something, He still sees further down the road than we can see.  He sees the big picture and he will only allow what is best for us.

I am happy to say that after praying and asking God to bless me with the position of Sales Director for six years, He finally said yes.  By God’s grace, eighteen years later I am still holding the position of Sales Director and I get to lead an incredible team.  I can honestly say, that I don’t know if that would be the case if He had given it to me when I initially asked.  God knew that even though I thought I was ready for leadership, I was not.  He protected me from myself and I am grateful for that.  He prepared me for the position and then He said yes.

What have you been praying or pleading with God for, that maybe you are not ready for just yet?  Are you willing to trust God’s timing and His reasons for asking you to wait a little longer?   Remember, your waiting period is a time of preparation.

Proverbs 3:5-6
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.^[a]

Psalm 37:7
⁷ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 130:5
⁵ I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

Matthew 6:33
³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Proverbs 8:17
¹⁷ I love those who love me,  and those who seek me find me.

Psalm 9:10
¹⁰ Those who know your name trust in you,   for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 34:10
¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Lamentations 3:25
²⁵ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

Psalm 14:2
² The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

Life gets so busy and demanding at times that we forget to seek the kingdom of God first.  We set out to accomplish things under our own power and in our own way,  and in our own self-designated time frame.
Many times completely forget to seek God’s will or His counsel in the matter.  It’s not surprising that when things go awry we are confused and sometimes even upset.

Today I want to encourage you in the ways that you can seek God first, and trust Him to add the things that you are striving and stressing for your life.  Remember,  they will only be added if He determines that they are what is
best for you.  If they are not added it may be for your protection, or because it’s not best for you at the time.

The following questions will help you determine where you may need to improve as you strive to seek the Kingdom of God first.

1.   To seek God first means, what matters to Him is important to you and you live your life accordingly.  You value first and foremost the principles and guidelines that He has left in His word for us to abide by.

2.   You go to Him first for council before anyone else.

3.   Your prayer life is consistent and frequent.

4.   He is the first person you spend time with each morning.  I suggest that you make a plan to start and end each day with Him.  You will be so blessed by doing so.

5.   He is the authority and the standard that you make your decisions by.

6.   Pleasing Him is a priority in your life, and as a result, you are blessed with joy.

7.  You share your testimony with others of how God has worked in your life so that they are encouraged to give their lives to Christ. This aide in kingdom building.

8.   You take time to study and meditate on His word daily.

9.  You honor Him by doing for those who are less fortunate.  You find time to make yourself available to be there for those who are in need.  You desire to be God’s servant.

10.  Your monetary gifts reveal your commitment to God’s kingdom as well.  To see if you are on the right track, take a look at your bank account. Where are your dollars going?  Are you tithing?   Our giving is a true sign of our trust in God’s ability to provide for us.

Trust that God’s words are true.  Seek Him first and you will be taken care of. You will have all that you need.   The question is, will you trust Him?

Psalm 119:2
² Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart—

1 Chronicle 16:11
¹¹ Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

2 Chronicles 7:14
¹⁴ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

^{Philippians 4:8
8} Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Proverbs 23:7
⁷ for he is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost.^[a]
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,  but his heart is not with you.

Romans 12:2
² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

We live in a world that is bombarded with negativity.  It requires a conscious effort, and sometimes a mental fight just to remain positive.  If you are not careful you can easily get pulled into the deep dark hole of fear, doubt, and despair and this is exactly where the enemy would love for us to reside.  This is why what we are thinking is so important.  We must choose our thoughts wisely.

When my daughter was away attending her second year of college, my husband and I decided to surprise her with a new car.  We made the long eight-hour drive to her campus.  When she saw her new car, she was over the moon excited and we were excited for her. This was her first time having her very own car, so you can imagine just how excited she was.

It wasn’t until she had to make her first trip home through 5 PM Dallas traffic,  that I started to think maybe her having a car was not such a good idea. The very thought of her driving through Dallas traffic at the height of rush hour made my heart race.  She had only had experience driving in our small town.  I was paralyzed with fear!  I was as close as I could possibly be,  to having an anxiety attack without actually having one.  My mind was going crazy with the What If’s.  I prayed every two minutes.  I am telling you, I was a nervous wreck!   She is a great driver, but all I could see was my baby out there with all of those fast driving maniacs.

Finally, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, I knew her before you ever knew her.  I love her more than you are capable of, and I will take care of her.   At just the perfect time, God responded to my prayers with those comforting words.
Everything shifted for me at that very moment.  I was reminded that I was not the only one that loved her so very much.  God loved her too, and He would protect her.  My soul was flooded with peace in that very moment, and it was all because I went to our Father in prayer.  He knew that I was a mother in anguish over my baby girl, and He showed compassion towards me.

Just as my thoughts were running away with me, I am sure you have experienced this also from time to time.  We start to think, what if this or what if that.  It is amazing how in those times,  our minds always go to the worst-case scenario, instead of thinking of all of the great things that could possibly happen from the situation.

I am learning that before I go crazy trying to mentally resolve things on my own, that maybe I should just whisper a prayer.

The battlefield truly is the mind.  We have to constantly protect our thoughts, and replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts immediately when they pop up.  Lots of self-talk is key.  It helps to refute those ugly negative thoughts out loud,  so you can hear yourself shut them down.  It is the only way to have a life of freedom.  Your thoughts control your life.  Negative lies from the enemy hold us in bondage.   There is only liberty and freedom in the truths and promises that God has given us.

Don’t fall victim to Satan’s traps of doubt and fear or false accusations against you and your character.  You are a child of the Most High God, and He has given you the power to walk with faith and courage, and He says to us all through His word: Do Not Be Afraid or discouraged.  He says this because as long as we have Him on our side, we don’t have to live in fear or be discouraged.  He is our protector and our provider.

So stay positive and remain hopeful, because it truly is the only way to live a peaceful, stress-free life.  Ask yourself from time to time, What Am I Thinking?  It will help you to understand why you are feeling, what you are feeling during that time.  Remember your thoughts and feelings are definitely connected.

Remember to choose your thoughts wisely, you have the power to change the way you think.  Choose to think and believe all that is good, true, and pure. Be Blessed and remain hopeful with the promises of God’s word.

2 Timothy 1:7
⁷ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Ephesians 4:22-24
²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.