Anticipation

As we just opened our last window on our Advent Chocolate calendar, God just reminded me what it was all about. Let me share with you what I have found out during this advent season. Eating the chocolate behind the daily door was a treat. Counting down the days with my daughters was joyous. But the most important lesson that God taught me wasn’t until today when we opened door number one. It is now over. Tomorrow we celebrate Christmas. The anticipation has turned into a reality. Before the birth of Christ, in a dark and cruel world, a group of people were waiting for their savior to come. They were waiting to be saved from their sins. Each day the question was asked,” Is today the day our savior comes?”  I wonder did they think he was never going to come. That was well over 2000 yrs. ago and yet today we find ourselves in the very same position. The only thing different is that YES our Savior has been born! YES he has died! YES he has RISEN! We are now awaiting his second coming. Once again the world has grown dark and evil. Once again a small group of people are waiting for their Savior to come. Do we wake up each day joyously anticipating his arrival or do we get so busy with our lives that we forget to think about our Savior at all? I wish you nothing but peace and happiness this Christmas season, but please remember to reflect on the reason for the season and remember he IS coming again soon. Merry Christmas!!

BLESSED

I am not feeling well today so I was lying in bed focusing on God. Funny how he has to put us on our backs sometimes just so he can talk to us. While I was lying there thanking God for all that I have he brought to my mind the homeless. I have a nice bed to lay in while recovering from my sickness. They have benches or the ground to lay on when they are sick. I have my bathroom to wash in to help me feel better. They have a public restroom or a shelter if they are lucky. I have such a heavy burden for them today. Maybe it's because I can relate to them. We too were homeless at one time. Thankfully we had family that opened their home to us so we wouldn't be on the streets. How many more are not so Blessed? I have a lengthy scripture to share today but it is worth every second it takes to read it.
Matt 25:35-45 (KJV)
 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Jesus said the son of man  hath no place to lay his head. He didn't have a permanent home here on earth yet he did SO MUCH. Why then do we who have homes, food and family yet do so little? Join me today in praying that those who are homeless have someone put in their path to tell them Jesus loves you and will take care of your needs. Reach out to those less fortunate and not just tell them about Jesus but show them.

THE WORLD OF SELF

I haven't had time to sit down and write my blog. I can't witness to people today I have to many problems of my own. I can't help out at the mission today because I have other things I have to get done. I.. I... I... I... I see the pattern? Satan gets us so distracted in our world of self that we lose sight of our purpose. To share the love of Jesus with others. I am as guilty as the next person. We have gotten so wrapped up with our home repairs, school and other things that we have forgotten the most important thing of all, spreading hope to others. That is why I think God put on our hearts to go help out at a homeless shelter in Nashville. He has to take us far away from our surroundings so we can only focus on him and his mission. I for one think that is so sad. Sad that I can't help those around me because it would just become another task on my list instead of the Blessing it should be. So many times we see the work of the Lord as another "Chore" on our list of things to do. We think we are too tired to do the Lord's work. That is a lie from the devil himself. Let me show you a scripture : And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. Ex 33:14 (KJV) Where the presence of the Lord is there is rest! If we would only seek his presence in everything we do we would have complete REST!! It would eliminate the need for worry. So my next thing on  my to do list today is to seek the presence of Lord so I will find rest. Have a Blessed Day my friends.

Not Good Enough

Ever wonder why we have feelings of inadequacy when it comes to God? I feel inadequate all the time. I worry that I can’t live up to what he wants from me. I worry that I will fail him when it really matters the most. Then he revealed to me the other day something that was very important. Phil 4:13 says I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  I have read that verse for what seems like a million times and just now really got it. I can do all things THROUGH Christ. Not by myself. Not with my family’s help but THROUGH Christ. I am a perfectionist. I never knew this until recently because most people who know me know that my house stays a mess and I have absolutely NO ORDER. I used to think this was due to me being lazy, worthless and no good. All lies of the the devil. If he can get your mind confused he can keep you off the path that God has chosen for you. He is the author of confusion. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. James 3:16 God is a God of peace.  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 1 Cor 14:33

I didn’t get anything accomplished because no matter what I did it wasn’t good enough according to my standards. I am so thankful that God’s ways are not my ways. His ways are much better. I will never be perfect. There is only one that was perfect. His name is Jesus. Now does that mean I can mess up constantly and say well its ok I am not perfect? Of course not, we can be perfect THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.  Remember the verse I started with? We can be perfect with Christ in our lives. He is what will make us whole and complete. If y our life starts to seem like it is coming apart at the seams, then stop and look around. Are you trying to make everything perfect or are you letting Jesus work perfection through you? When you see things through his eyes, you see perfection in the making.

Lord Jesus, help me to see through your eyes today. Help me to know that perfection comes through you and not from me. I thank you for all you have done in my life and what you will do in the future. May you cover all who read this in your love and perfection. Comforting them as they walk with you daily. AMEN!!

A Clean Heart

I had an incident yesterday that really made me think of the saying WWJD. I had a person yell at me, belittle me and condemn me for no reason at all. I apologized for making them angry, even though I did nothing wrong. I assured them that in the future I would do my best not to offend them again.  Let me tell you that without God in my heart I would not have been able to do this. My first reaction was to rise up and defend myself. The flesh wanted to yell back and tell them hey I did nothing wrong! Thankfully, I had been feeding my spirit regularly so it was stronger than my flesh. Which brings another saying to mind, you are what you eat? If I had not been reading my bible regularly and praying on a daily basis, then I would not have had the strength to be like Christ. The bible tells us Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  2 Cor 5:17 (KJV). As with any new thing if you don’t take care of it and keep it polished, it will dry rot and become useless. I have heard it said that it is better for a house to be lived in rather than have it sit empty. That goes for our house as well. Our body is a temple of the Lord. If we don’t dust out the cob webs and open the window to our soul, we risk it getting dusty and cluttered with sin. God can’t dwell where there is sin. So the next time you are cleaning or polishing something you love remember to do the same to your temple.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalms 51:10 (KJV)