Month: February 2023

Making It Yours

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“God blessed them and said to them, “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:28

God made everything for us. Everything that exists was made by God and given to us. That’s how much our God loves us. We came into this world with nothing and we will leave with nothing. I used to just lie in bed in the morning and thank God for things he gave me. Like air to breathe, and breakfast that I didn’t have to make or clean up. But I could lie there all day long and never come near thanking him for everything. Plants, animals, places and food, you name it, and God made it. He made it for our enjoyment while we are here on earth. Tomorrow morning when I wake up the sun will come up and it will be another beautiful day. A cool winter day for me to enjoy. Because God loves us. He wants me to enjoy what he has made. Life isn’t always perfect and problems and troubles arise. Trials and pain are guaranteed in this imperfect world but he promises to always be with me and will help me through. “What can I do for you?” Something he always asks. He cares about every detail of our lives. He loves to talk with us about whatever is on our minds. The older I get the more I love to sit and talk. So I have begun to just talk throughout the day just as if he was sitting right next to me. Like I used to do with my family. I am always thanking him for things. An especially good meal, or a idea to try pops into my head. The solution to a game I’m playing. I know it’s him. It may come to me through someone else but it all comes from him. It’s his way of saying I love you. I care about you. I have learned to enjoy simple things like a sudden rain shower this morning Or watching birds on my back patio. My grandson playing with his monster trucks. Listening to my daughters talk about their vacations and all they did. I don’t want to miss these opportunities. Life is what you get out of it. It is all mine to enjoy.

Beautiful Tapestry

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I was reading the other day about how God sees things so clearly because he can see the whole picture. The beginning from the end. It is like a beautiful tapestry. On the bottom we see all of the knots and problems. We can’t see ahead to the finished piece that he sees. You have to remember that he has been working on it for thousands of years. He’s not in a hurry though. Figuring just how and when to send Jesus to earth took a few thousand years. He is always working behind the scenes in so many different lives. God is the creator of so many beautiful things. Landscape scenery is so full of vibrant colors. People have been posting some awesome sunsets and sunrises. With pink, purple, blue, and white with yellow and orange mixed in. There are so many shades of color just like there are so many different people God created. All different and unique. Let’s say one man might be dark and brooding so let’s say he’s a grey thread. Mary might be bubbly and cheerful, a yellow thread. But when woven together they are quite a striking pattern. Same as God using evil for good. Remember how Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. But God placed him right where he would be able to save many people from starvation. I have done some really beautiful puzzles and you really have to focus on patterns and shading to put them together.God knows just the right person to put into your life at just the right time. People can come together and change each other for good or bad. But we learn and grow by these experiences. Challenges and trials may come through others but it can strengthen us. God is using everything and one day we will see clearly and it will be awesome. Right now it’s a jumbled up mess but I know the one in control and one day it will be a masterpiece.

How To Be Blessed

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“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8

Oh how powerful this simple verse is. The most important thing to God is our hearts because out of our hearts comes life or death. He knows our hearts, every crack and crevice. How we think, what we know and what we will do. He said that good and bad come from the overflow of our hearts. Every day we get more information to cram into that little heart. The secret is knowing if, one day, you want to see God? The answer will change everything you let into your mind and your heart for the rest of your life. To see God one day I will want to be pure. He knows everyone’s hearts and true motives. If you love the Lord and want to spend eternity with him, you will want to be intentional. I personally love to listen to praise music. It strengthens and lifts me up to listen to songs about my God. I don’t listen to much other music because it doesn’t do anything for my soul. I do like other music but what gives me peace and gets me closer to heaven? I don’t own a TV any more. I watch Christian movies all the time. Tv brings me down and I prefer being up. I might watch a Hallmark feel good movie occasionally but I do not miss tv. There is too much in life I don’t want to miss like friends and family. A beautiful sunrise or sunset. I’m retired so not having to work frees me up to do things I enjoy. I’m over complaining and just want to focus on living. Everyone needs to carefully examine what they allow into their lives. What I may do is not what you will do and that’s fine but guard your heart if you want peace. Throughout my day I can feel my spirit saying to do this or say that. Go here or try this. I always listen because I want the road I’m on to lead me home one day. Fifteen years ago I never thought this way but I also wasn’t a very happy person either. I just want my life to get better and I believe intentional living is the way to see that happen. I talk to God a lot. And I can feel his presence throughout the day. So I can talk to him just like I would my family throughout the day. I read the Bible and like to memorize scripture because it is kindling to keep that fire burning in my life. This little light of mine will burn brighter everyday for a lost and dying world. One day I will close my eyes for the very last time. And when I open my eyes, I will see Jesus.

Thank God For The Silver Lining

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“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” Jeremiah 17:7

As humans living on a broken and corrupt planet we will have troubles but if you know the one who has all the answers you will be blessed if you let him take care of them. In the beginning of 2022 I decided that if I couldn’t do anything about what was happening and going on in my life. I would trust that God would take care of it. My job was to focus on him and his love for me. That turned out to be a very wise decision. People in general like to focus on the negative. For example: I lost the crown off my tooth and chewing became difficult because there wasn’t anything hard to chew with and my jaw was sore. I could complain and focus on that but in Phillipians God tells us to dwell on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. So I always try to refocus when trouble comes on something good. Like the beautiful weather we have been having and the delicious breakfast they brought me this morning. I seldom have pain but I have learned how to overcome and stay focused. When someone doesn’t understand me and I get frustrated I try to find ways to show them that I am just trying to help make their job easier and not being bossy. After 17 years of being taken care of I do know what does and doesn’t work for me. I try very hard to make things simple if I can. People like to do things their way and that’s fine. But maybe I have an easier idea that someone else tried. Some days I just go along with whatever and the job gets done. But everything is not in my hands but Gods. I know he loves me and will take care of me. I have started memorizing scriptures again. Because I have found that speaking scriptures encourages me and lights a fire in me. I believe God’s word and though some seem impossible, God proves them true every time. Better than I can imagine. And the cherry on top is that one day I will get to live with God forever and no eye has seen nor ear has heard nor could we even imagine the things he has waiting for us and I can imagine some amazing things.