The Sword of the Spirit

Are you down hearted?

Are you depressed?

Are you overwhelmed with your to do list?

Are you under a lot of stress?

Do you wish your life was different?

Turn to the one stop cure,

The stress blocker,

The peace promoter,

It is not a pill,

Not a drink,

Not a program.

It is the bible,

It is the word of God.

Open it up, and dive in to detoxify your life

and leach out the poisons of the world!

A Thanksgiving Thought

Here is a little something for you to think about this Thanksgiving.  We have all heard that we should be thankful for our trials and problems.  But when you are faced with an astronomical issue in your life it can be easy to reject.  It is hard to see anything good, anything worthwhile in the worst times of our lives.  I want you to think about Squanto.

Squanto has an astounding story.  Squanto is certainly an example of someone who endured misery.  He was kidnapped, enslaved, taken far from everything he knew, far from his home and family.  When he did manage to return to his family and tribe, they were gone.  Completely wiped out by diseases brought by the very people who had kidnapped him.  Squanto had endured misery.  But to what end?  Squanto spoke English.  Squanto brought life back to a dying settlement.  He brought education of how to survive, he brought food, to a group of people that were starving and slowly dying out.  He saved the pilgrims – one of the first settlements of our nation.  Squanto will never be ‘just some indian’, he represents blessing from evil, forgiveness, and compassion.  He is historic proof that we can never guess God’s plan in our lives. 

God used this one native, put him through true life horrors, and enabled him to save a nation.  He enabled Squanto to give life to this community that trusted in God, he enabled them to have a bountiful harvest, he enabled them to truly feel what true thanksgiving is.  Can you imagine how much they must have thanked God for sending someone to them who spoke their own language and could teach them how to survive in this new and strange land?  Can you imagine the amount of forgiveness it took for Squanto to help them?  Can you stretch your mind to comprehend how God worked in the lives of Squanto and the pilgrims?  Can you stretch your mind to comprehend how God works in your life?

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD!

Romans 5:3-5  We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment.  For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

A Dose of Faith

It’s amazing what a little dose of God can do.

Our God is not little, he is awesome, huge, wonderful, amazing, and bigger than life!

What I mean by ‘little’ is a little dose.  God does such amazing things in our lives.  Even the small doses make such an amazing difference in our day!

I have been having a bad time in school with a particular class.  I am angry, depressed, frustrated, disgusted, (the list can go on and on) when I leave this classroom.  Whether I am giving instruction, or they are working on an assignment, or collaborating there is noise and disruption.  No matter how many talks, kind lectures, angry lectures, and detentions… nothing works.  I don’t like myself in this class, I don’t like who I am when I leave the class.  I don’t like the depression that overtakes when I think of the class…

Then I realized…

I wasn’t taking God to class with me, I was trying to do it on my own.  I never prayed before or during this class.  I didn’t ask God how to handle this class.  I didn’t go to the bible for instruction on how to teach this group…  I am not big enough.  But even the smallest dose of blessing, the smallest dose of God’s peace that prayer brings, the smallest direction from the bible… makes a massive difference!

I prayed, I asked God.  God helped me maintain myself, my own spirit and personality, he helped me be strong and not let that 45 minutes take away my sanity.  He gave me a new way to handle situations in class.  He gave me strength and support.  The class was not miraculously better, I have to learn the lesson God wants me to learn through this class.  He wants this trial to grow me.  But the victory I saw in the first day… I left class as myself, not someone I hated, and not depressed or stressed or frustrated.  I left the class victorious.  I left the class hand in hand with Jesus.

Pray, go to God, it is amazing!

A closer look at Isaiah 40:31

Isaiah 40:31

Isaiah 40:31 is one of my favorite verses.  It speaks to me.  I didn’t find it on a T-shirt or mug, I found it about 10 years ago, in my bible.  I even had the reference along with a small pair of wings tattooed between my shoulder blades (again before I saw the wings on everyone).  It was a few years after I attached to it that I began seeing it everywhere.  Apparently it speaks to a lot of people.  If you are not familiar with it – it is written write above this blog, on a banner across the top of the page.   It is about the rewards of putting your trust in the Lord.

Anyway, what does it mean?

In the first line of this verse, God promises to give us strength if we trust in him.  We need strength for our daily lives, strength to keep our faith and trust. 

He promises we will soar on wings like eagles.  Imagine soaring the clouds, looking down far below.  The eagle flies peaceful and serene.  An eagle may feel separated.  Trust in the Lord and we can look at our problems from a new perspective, with the separation and peace and serenity that comes from trusting the Lord.  Everything has a different look to it when you step back and relax, when we soar above.

God promises that we can run or walk and not get tired or faint.  We can go through our lives at a fast run or determined walk, no matter the pace of our lives, we will not be worn down if we trust in the Lord.

Our faith will remain strong, our peace secure, our life secure in God’s loving arms.  Trusting in God means trusting His plan.  Trusting His plan means peace!  God gives us the peace and serenity to soar gracefully, absorbing his light and reflecting it to others.

Isaiah 40:31

Slow Down and Look Around

  I was listening to a morning devotion on iDisciple as I got ready for work this morning.  The broadcast was only 10 minutes long and called A Wife’s Top Priority, by Gary and Barb Rosberg.  They were talking about a letter or call they had received from a woman who gave her husband a list and asked him to rank in order of importance the things on the list that she could do.  The list included things like, make sure there are snacks around, lunches made with fresh homemade bread, and a spotless home.  She wanted to know what would make him happy.  His reply of what he wanted included things like: always know that he loves her, be kind and happy when dealing with the kids and himself, and that he doesn’t mind a when things are left undone so she can be rested and happy.  The list was more precise and very sweet.  Apparently, she had herself so busy doing things for her family, that she forgot to be there FOR her family.  She was worn out and tired and snappy with the very people she was trying to show love too.

And it hit me.

I have my self so busy with all the ‘need to dos’ that I am not taking the time to relax and enjoy the life and blessings God has given me.  Jesus is the bridegroom of the church.  Yes, we need to serve Him, and honor God in our works.  But one of his works is creating this beautiful world, blessing me with these beautiful children.  Ever since I began writing the Our Legacy series, I get up early and I write.  I am always thinking about getting in the writing time and what needs done for the book.  I want to serve God.  I am thinking about what needs done for my job, this blog, the house, my family, our finances.  But what I have left out is myself, and focused time with my family.  My life is so full of the ‘have tos’, that there is little time for the ‘want tos’.  Have you ever considered that part of serving God is to be still, listen to him, enjoy the life he has blessed you with, enjoy the world He has created, and enjoy the blessings he has given you?  How would you feel if you gave your child this amazing gift, and he was so busy doing chores for you or homework that he never got to play with it?  He really, really wanted to enjoy the gift, but he just didn’t have time.  It would break your heart.  You would appreciate the child’s responsibility and dedication, but what we really want is for our kids to be happy and enjoy their lives and their gifts!  What do you think God wants?  Yes he appreciates my dedication in spreading His word, but I am saddening him by not enjoying the wonderful gifts He has given me!

The broadcast was about a husband wanting his wife to slow down, have sometime for her own sanity, and know that he loves her unconditionally.  While listening to it, God made me realize that he wants us to slow down, take some time for our own sanity, listen to Him, and know that He loves us unconditionally.

Matthew 11: 28-30

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Ecclesiaties 8:15

So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

 

Proverbs 17:22

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Ecclesiastes 2:24

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,

Ignore the 'wind and the waves'

The bible says to pray for our enemies.

Who is your enemy?

Anyone or anything that causes your gaze to switch to the wind and the waves rather than staying steady on Jesus is your enemy.

Anyone or anything that causes you to veer out of what is pleasing and right to the Lord is your enemy.

What happens when you allow your gaze to stray away from Jesus and focus on the wind and the waves?   

You sink.

The waves surround you,

 they block out the light,

 and the love 

of Jesus.

                The wind blasts into you, knocking you down again and again,

 you don’t see the rock steady hand of Jesus reaching for you.

You begin to sink into the dark abyss.

                Pray for all the things that threaten to shift your gaze or change your focus.

 Cry out to the Lord for your enemies

and He will hear your cry.

                                                                                                                                                              

He will turn to you.

 His light will shine on you.

 His love will surround you.

  His hand will reach for you.

He will pull you from the muck and the mire.

  He will set your feet on solid ground.

He will steady you as you regain your footing.

He will hold you.

He will love you.

He will adore you.

Jesus is always there to hold, love, and adore you.

                You just have to notice Him waiting patiently at your side.

Not later, Now!

Good morning!

Do you have a dream, an aspiration, a wish?  I am going to teach a lesson to one of my classes that involves bringing long term goals down to short term goals – one step at a time.  (It is a study skills class, hopefully motivation to want to learn to study well.)  It got me thinking.  What are your goals, or dreams, or aspirations?  What do you find brought back into your mind again and again?  You are thinking it right now, I know you are.  That’s the way it works, those dreams and aspirations, those… callings….  Yes, callings.  Have you ever heard the song with the lines in it that say “…listen God is calling…”?  Do your dreams and goals line up with scripture?  Then listen, God is calling.   Sometimes, many times, it seems too, big.  You find yourself saying ‘Really God?  Me?  I can’t do that.’  Well, no, you can’t, BUT GOD CAN!  Scripture states, “Nothing is impossible with God!”!  Here is my lesson.  Break it down.  Draw a set of stairs, write your calling on the top (you may need to change the numbers of stairs in your staircase periodically).  Now what goes on the bottom step?  The bottom step is ‘pray’, talk to God about it!  What about the second step?  You may be surprised, on that second step write, ‘tell someone’.  Tell someone your calling, acknowledge it!  Do you know how long I felt the nagging, yes it felt like nagging, to write?  About 15 to 20 years!  I didn’t acknowledge it, I felt embarrassed, because I thought I would fail, I thought I wasn’t good enough!  Listen to me now!  God decides who is good enough, not you!  If He is calling you to do something, he will MAKE you good enough!  Now, tell someone – leave it in the comments if you want – then tell someone else.  Fill in the first few steps to your goal, think of the now, the today, the this week.  Ask yourself what the steps are, if you don’t know, then your third step is to find out.  I chose this blog as my third step to being a writer, hey and do you know what?  Today, today, is the release date for my first book!  I have not reached the top of my staircase yet, but I am on my way, and God is here, helping me to that next step whenever I get tired.

So, get up, and get going!  What are you waiting for?  Start now!