Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
(Psalm 25:5)

The more I study the Bible, the more I learn and the more hopeful my life becomes.  The Bible is the ultimate source of truth and I need to open my heart and my mind to listen to God, while putting my own "truth" behind me.  The only real truth is God's truth!

They charge like warriors;
they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,
not swerving from their course.

(Joel 2:7) 

God Bless America!

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
(2 Timothy 4:7)

Indy 500 today....fast cars...fast race.....but only one winner.  I'm thankful that I'm a winner too, and it doesn't depend on my skills, or for that matter, anything else that requires special talents or good works.  I'm a winner simply because I believe, and for that, I'm humbled and grateful.

“Teach me, and I will be quiet;
show me where I have been wrong.
(Job 6:24)

I think of myself as being a quiet person, but that really only applies to an outward trait.  Inside my quiet personality is a mind racing at a mile a minute, not necessarily listening to anyone or anything except my own agenda. 

God wants me to quiet my mind in order for Him to be able to  teach me what He wants and needs me to know.  I must work on quieting my thoughts so that I'm able to receive God's will for me and that takes practice and a conscious effort to still my mind.  

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
(2 Corinthians 9:12)

We never really retire, do we?  Moses surely didn't!  We continue to serve in ways that are pleasing to God.  The little things that we do to serve are just as important as the bigger, life changing ways of serving.  The point is to be of service to all people, believers and non-believers, and give back to the One who served us all, Jesus Christ.  

Frustration is better than laughter,
because a sad face is good for the heart.
(Ecclesiastes 7:3)

This is kind of an odd scripture today, but I found myself very frustrated today for several different reasons.  Once the situations resolved themselves, I was much more appreciative of how nice it is when things go smoothly.  It was a good learning experience.....and a good lesson in patience.

So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.
(Isaiah 28:16)

As I watch the devastation of lives lost and homes destroyed by the tornados, I'm praying that the victims will rely on the only foundation that cannot be shaken, that of our Lord and Savior, as they grieve their losses and begin rebuilding their lives. 

Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons
or lead out the Bear with its cubs?
Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?

(Job 38:32-33)

 

My day was filled with the miracles of God's amazing creatures.  I was humbled to be able to observe three baby robins, mouths wide open, waiting for mama robin to bring dinner.  I also met a lost snapping turtle that will be returned to the river tonight.  He was crossing the road and as slow as he was creeping along, his chances of reaching the other side were slim.  Some people would look at a leathery, craggled turtle as not-so-pretty, but I just see the amazing, perfect creature that God created. 

 

God's creativity, especially when it comes to nature, is astounding!  He gave each of us a purpose, from the birds to the turtles and everything in between.  All we have to do is open our eyes to see the creatures of the world, each one of them unique and miraculous! 

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
(Ephesians 6:16)

I like thinking of fighting off the devil with my mighty shield held high, deflecting those flaming arrows.  It's a visual reference that comes to mind when I'm being confronted with temptations and other obstacles put before me in my daily battles.  I may not be holding a real, material shield, but the shield that I am holding is much more powerful and stronger than any real shield could ever aspire to be!

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
(Mark 1:9-11)

We had an interesting sermon at church today about baptism....who?...how?....why?  We were directed to several scriptures for reference, only one is written above.  The debate is still out there over the "how," but scripture tells us that baptism is required as part of our salvation and that the baptism should be a submersion, not a sprinkling or other water gesture.  In the scripture above, Jesus comes up out of the water, clearly indicating that He was submerged.  The Greek word "baptizo", taken from the original Biblical writings, means submerge, drown, dunk.... again clearly indicating a submersion. 
For further scriptural references, here is a PDF link for "41 Reasons You Should Be Baptized."

 

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
(Hebrews 12:11)

The discipline of studying the Bible has become a pleasant ritual for me. It hasn't always been this way, as the Bible appeared to me as a book of complex mysteries that seemed too deep for my simple brain to process. However, the more I've studied the Bible, the easier it becomes, the more pleasant it becomes, and the more life changing it becomes. I now look forward to opening this amazing book and searching for scripture that offers me hope in all circumstances. The discipline and perseverance of Bible study reaps priceless rewards!

If you are new to Bible study, don't give up and don't get frustrated with yourself if you have trouble understanding the scripture. I'm not the sharpest crayon in the box and I have gained amazing insight, slowly but surely, by trusting God to open my mind to the scripture that fills my needs. The discipline of continued study will fill you with peace and understanding, one scriptural nugget at a time.

Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.
(Job 8:7)

No matter what our living situation may be right now, our future will be blessed beyond anything our human minds can envision.  Everything will pale compared to our future with God!

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. (Philippians 2:3)

Don't we all want that pat on the back when we do something special? I think it's OK to respond with a gracious "thank you" when you have done something for someone, but we need to make sure that our motives behind the action were not for the reward of that pat on the back, but simply done for the benefit of the receiver. Most importantly, we need to forward the "thank you" to the Lord, who enabled us to do the action in the first place for His glory, and His glory alone.

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

Blessings
Lyrics by Laura Story

After hearing this song on the radio for several weeks, I finally found out who wrote and sang it from friends on Facebook. Only the last chorus is written above. The entire song is very comforting and uplifting, as it directs our "pity me" thoughts to the reality of hidden blessings. Just a lovely song!

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
(Acts 3:19)

Just like a cool shower after a long day of working in the yard refreshes and restores your body, true repentance will wash away your sins and give you a fresh slate of forgiveness.

You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
(Matthew 7:5)

I'm not even going to explain or describe my behavior today, but hypocrite pretty well sums it up. Jesus was nowhere to be found in my thoughts and words this afternoon.

Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.
(Deuteronomy 32:2)

It's raining today.....a beautiful, soft, all-day rain. It's been raining for most of April and now several days in May. Many people get tired of the rain, but I always find it cozy, comforting, and peaceful...my favorite kind of day.

Just as the spring rains quench the new season of plants, the Word quenches my thirst for God.

Blogger is still not working properly and I have no idea when it will be fixed. I've already missed one day of posting, so I need to continue with this blog, regardless of Blogger issues.

My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

(Psalm 130:6)

I'm not good at waiting, as you can tell from my comment about waiting for Blogger to resolve their technical issues. But waiting anxiously for God is a good kind of waiting. One that is filled with hope, joy, delight, and anticipation. Waiting for God gives me the strength to tackle today, knowing that tomorrow will be filled with God's mercies and tenderness. I'm ready God....beam me up!

Posted: 12 May 2011 01:03 PM PDT
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

( 1 Corinthians 10:13)


Temptations lurk around every corner and we have to keep our eyes open in order to even recognize some of them. Many are quite subtle. God equips us with whatever we need to resist the temptations, but my problem is that I may forget to ask for God's help. I know I can't go it alone. Through prayer, God will keep me strong and focused on the task at hand.


(Blogger will not let me change font size, so I'm publishing this anyway. I'll edit later if Blogger has the problem fixed.)
Blogger is still not working and was down for over 16 hours. When it came back on, this post was deleted. I'm reposting it, still without being able to edit and change fonts. I hope they get things straightened out soon, so that I can continue with a daily post.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

(Romans 3:19-20)

Today was my last day of BSF and the study of Isaiah. We are now dismissed for the summer break. BSF gives me worldly accountability. I'm always accountable to God, and I know that, but it helps me to have friends in my daily life that keep me grounded in scripture.

I will miss my weekly BSF meeting and the discussions with my BSF small group, but I'll keep myself accountable with continued Bible study, as well as this simple little blog that leads me back to the Bible to search for a daily scripture or thought that helps me stay in the Word. I may have a summer break from BSF, but I don't ever want a break from seeking God's word.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
(Matthew 6:34)

A beautiful concept....but one that I fail miserably. And I'm fully aware that worrying about tomorrow ruins the joy found today. So many things are out of my hands anyway, so why worry? I know the answer..... my faith isn't strong enough for me to turn it all over to God and trust that He will take care of it for me. And even if the worst happens tomorrow, God will be there to help me through the trials.

Alfred E Neuman had it right..."What, me worry?" I need a pinch of Alfred's attitude combined with a whole bunch of faith in God's protection and plan for my life!

When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.
(Proverbs 10:25)

If we trust and obey God's commands, He will keep us firmly planted during the storms of life.

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
(Proverbs 1:8)

Both of my parents were wonderful life coaches. I may not have realized it at the time, but they had my very best interest at heart with each lesson taught. On this Mother's Day, I send a special thank you to my Mom, who is missed a little more each day.

Joy is not jolliness. Joy is perfect acquiescence in God's will because the soul delights itself in God Himself.
H. W. Webb-Peploe

Webster's dictionary says that joy is the "source of happiness." In my book, that means that joy is a synonym for God!

Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
(Psalm 27:6)

The Lord will take care of our enemies in His own way and in His own time. It may or may not coincide with our own agenda, but we must trust that everything is in God's capable control and justice will be served.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
(James 1:5)

I don't think "wise" is a word that someone would use to describe me, yet I'm very guilty of not turning to God for the wisdom that I may need in certain circumstances. He is always there, waiting and wanting us to turn to Him for all of our needs, including wisdom. I need to tap the amazing resources that God provides, knowing that He will not find fault with me, but will gladly guide and direct my paths.

God sets the lonely in families..
(Psalm 68:6a)

But what is a family? I've come to learn that family can be anyone that God brings into my life to help support and love me. My immediate family is no longer living on earth, yet I still have many people in my life that I consider to be my family. We may not have a blood connection, but it simply doesn't matter. They are my family and I love them as if we had shared parents and memories of days gone by. We make new memories, we share new stories, we support each other during tough times and we laugh with each other through the best of times. Family is what and who you make of it. :)

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
(Hebrews 13:5)

Hebrews is such a wonderful book of scripture. Many practical, applicable words of wisdom. I find that the more I immerse myself in the teachings of the Bible, the less "deprived" I feel. I may not have much in this financially dependant, materialistic world, but I'm extremely blessed and quite satisfied with what I do have. Thank you, God, for providing a rich, abundant life that has absolutely nothing to do with possessions and money!

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
(Hebrews 12:14)

The peace-makers are those who are at peace with God and who show that they are truly children of God by striving to use every opportunity open to them to effect reconciliation between others who are at variance.
R. V. G. Tasker

Bin Laden is dead but evil will thrive until the day the Lord throws Satan into the lake of fire.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The Bible is not an old fashioned, outdated book designated to sit on the top shelf of the bookcase gathering dust. It's a living, vital, applicable resource for living in today's world. I'm blessed that I can open its' sacred pages whenever I want practical living lessons to guide and direct my thoughts and actions. What a gift!