The Great I AM

God is the only Great I AM!

I am faced with a big decision.  It is not a decision that came from me.  I have felt for a few years that God does not want me teaching in a school.  I truly believe that he wants me writing full time.  A full time work from home writer and mom.  I have faith, I know God will provide.  I just don’t want to mess up with God’s timing.  The thought continues… what if I am wrong?  What if I want this so bad that I am imagining everything?  But I am not.  I was forced to slow down by getting pneumonia last fall.  I was forced to lie still and listen to God.  He has been on me to write for years upon years.  I have only recently begun to listen.  But not enough.  When I was stuck, ill and forced to be still, I heard God.  He gave me instructions for a series of books, that was September.  It is now December and the first book of the series is already in the publishing process…

I have been bombarded with hints and direct statements from all parts of my life that I am supposed to quit my job.  But what a leap of faith.  I want to wait on God’s timing.  I want to know our future is secure before taking the step.  I am praying that God will make it possible.  And I know he can.  But what if he is waiting for me to show him that trust, that extreme measure of faith.

After getting yet another clear message that I am not where God wants me to be, I sat down and began writing all the things I have heard from different areas of my life concerning my job.  I also included the doubts.  My pencil was flying, trying to record all of my thoughts before they were gone.   

HERE IS MY POINT!:  At the bottom of the page I found myself writing this: “I am our income.”  “I am our insurance.”  I stopped short – look at those words… look at the words I wrote.  That was a blow.  “I am…”    Well, it really hit home then because I know that only God is the great I AM.  I, personally, am NOT!  I am God’s servant – that is all that I am.  God is the only Great I AM.  God said, “No, I AM your income, I AM your insurance.”

Let God be the I AM of your life.

Exodus 3:14

God replied to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you."

John 8:58
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!”


Revelation 1:8
"I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end," says the Lord God, "I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come - the Almighty One.”

Cozy Blankets

Do you have a cozy blanket?

There are tons of blankets on the market now that are softer than baby kittens!  I have a new blanket that is literally the softest thing I have ever felt!  I am sitting here all wrapped up in my fluffy, cozy, and warm blanket and had a thought.  A cozy blanket is like God.  Whenever we are cold we can curl up in our cozy blanket.  Whenever we are afraid, overwhelmed, content, whatever we are feeling at any time, we can come to God.  God will wrap his arms around us; cover us in grace, mercy, and love.  He will enfold us in his warmth and through our faith, make everything else disappear.

Does life get in the way?

Life Just Gets in the Way

I woke up early today,

but life just gets in the way,

I had to wash my hair, make coffee, make a list,

life just gets in the way,

I needed to check for new posts, you understand,

life just gets in the way,

Then I got this Twitter feed from my favorite star,

life just gets in the way,

I am so busy, I have so much that needs done,

life just gets in the way,

I need to sweep my floor, and wash my clothes,

life just gets in the way,

I meant to find solitude to study and pray,

but life just gets in the way,

I just don’t have time to get away,

life just gets in the way,

I really did want to talk to you today,

life just gets in the way,

Now, I really just don’t know what to say,

life just got in the way.

Does this happen to you?  Do you put off communion with God because the life he has gifted you with is so full of things that ‘simply must be done’?  What happens when our children have a gift we have given them, a toy or game, which takes up all of their time?  It takes up so much time that they don’t keep their grades up, or don’t do their chores, or never come to talk to you.  We take it away, we limit its use.  What do you suppose will happen when we leave God out all the time.  He could take the blessings away, or worse yet, he could take himself away.  Our focus, our top priority, should be on him, everything else is just frosting.

Use your Guidebook

Everyone makes mistakes.  No one is perfect.  I have heard that Amish will leave a flaw in every quilt they make, because no one is perfect.  So, if no one is perfect, why do we emulate other humans?  I often find kids at school waiting for others to answer and then parroting that given answer.  This is a very common coping mechanism to appear busy and focused, or intelligent and interactive, and yet still not do any work. I don’t want them to follow other students – it is like the blind leading the blind.

Matthew 15:14 “So ignore them.  They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

There is also a habit I have noticed of putting authority figures on little pedestals.  What we MUST keep in mind is that they are human too.  They will make mistakes too.  While they can often offer wisdom in a situation – we should still go to God first.  We should always seek our guidance from God before anyone – sound familiar?  Thou shall have no other gods before Me?  The commandment.  We often take the words of others, including a Pastor or teacher’s words, as law and true.  But teachers, pastors, elders, any authority figure – they are all human too.  And they CAN make mistakes.  God should always come first, in everything, even advice.  Who better can we ask for advice?  Who can offer us the best guidance for our situation; who knows our unique situations better?  GOD DOES!   Sometimes he will send us someone to bring us clarity, or direct us to someone who can help.  Trust God, just like the widow trusted God enough to feed Elijah from her last bit of food, and Elijah trusted God enough to continue to refill the food – we must trust God to lead us the right way.  (Read more in 1 Kings 17)

We do have a choice.  We can follow Jesus.  The right way to handle every situation is right there in front of us in the bible; in the Sword of the Spirit!  Jesus IS perfect!  His ways are shown to us in the pages of God’s Word.  We should be emulating Jesus in our choices, and behaviors, and words, and actions.  HE is the WAY!  God has given us our own instruction manual to life, our own guidebook for the wilderness of the world today….  We just have to choose to use it.  Don’t fall in the ditch.   Don’t copy the kid who blurts out the answers; copy Jesus!