February 2009 – Page 3

February 10, 2009

In Spite Of Opposition I Will…

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I heard a co-worker talking today and she said, “where there’s a will, there’s a way”. Tonight I ask who’s “will” do we sway under. For so many years I followed my own will and have paid a high price for much of my wasted time and effort. When I had enough disappointments I finally asked the right question. “God, if you can hear me I need help.” He actually did help me; the same night I asked, I was given hope and comfort.

There are times when I desire to still follow my own will and my heavenly Father loves me enough to let me learn another lesson. In return for my efforts I get the exact definition of what it means to follow my own will…..the power to arrive at one’s own decision and to act upon it independently in spite of opposition.

I didn’t pull that definition out of a bible, it’s in a Webster’s dictionary. There is truth in what it says. “In spite of opposition” isn’t highlighted or even in a bold font but it should be. Opposition for me pretty much meant, “if it could go wrong, it did go wrong” and even when I thought I was winning the hand, I was losing the game.

Now when I hear someone toss out the phrase, “where there’s a will, there’s a way”, I am mentally snuggling up closer to my Big Daddy to keep me from the harm of my own will.

Matt 6:10 (NIV) Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

February 9, 2009

Liquid Reminder

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I have listened to this song many times but I needed a physical reminder today to bring me back around to understanding how much was paid for my redemption!

Liquid – Lyrics by Jars Of Clay

Arms nailed down,
are you telling me something?
Eyes turned out,
are you looking for someone?

This is the one thing,
The one thing that I know.

Blood-stained brow,
are you dying for nothing?
Flesh and blood,
is it so elemental?

This is the one thing,
The one thing that I know.

Blood-stained brow,
He wasn’t broken for nothing.
Arms nailed down,
He didn’t die for nothing.

This is the one thing,
The one thing that I know.

February 8, 2009

In The Company Of Children

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Okay so I’ve been fighting a cold bug of some sort and if actions are any indication than I am on the winning side. I have remained ambulatory when I long ago would’ve expected to have taken to my bed. My only answer for why has to be expectation and joy. I spent a few hours in the presence of children, lots of them!

This is not something I get many opportunities for or should I say I haven’t been seeking them out. Most activities taking up my time center around “grown-up” stuff. Being with children reawakens something deep inside about dreams and hopes, excitement and laughter. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child is a place I need to come to often.

February 7, 2009

Rock Dancing

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Beneath open skies this morning, I stood in the rays of early morning sunshine and looked down into the valleys around me. They are so green right now. Clouds were coming in pretty quickly so I enjoyed this window of bright light and hopped up on a boulder to stand even taller.

I had some ear buds in and as I’m standing on this rock a new tune starts and the lyrics sing “On Christ, the solid rock we will stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” What could I do but laugh and hold my hands up in surrendered joy of His mighty glory. The urge to dance was so strong, but looking around I could see there were people hiking about here and there. “What would they think?” As quickly as the thought came I shoved it aside and began my dance on that rock!

There was no way I was going to pass up an opportunity to dance and praise before my KING; I had to dance like David danced!

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2 Sam 6:14a (NKJV) Then David danced before the LORD with all his might;

February 6, 2009

Open Spigots

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I made it to my car a couple minutes before a real downpour let loose. I had my Bluetooth on and I was listening to a friend pour out his heart from across the other side of the country. His pouring seemed to symphonize well with these huge drops of rain. Stopping for a while, I turned off my wipers and just listened to the blend of his voice and the rain.

This was not sadness of any kind! I was listening to hopes being fulfilled and it was as though the heavens had loosed what had been held back until now. Our dry land is getting a much needed drink of water.

There are so many thirsty people. The spigots need to be fully opened for pouring enough out from the reservoir. Are you a spigot? Are you fully open and ready to serve your purpose? Will you help the thirsty find a drink of living water?

Rev 21:6 He said to me: “It is done, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.”

February 5, 2009

Winged Words

Our words carry so much weight and yet most of us don’t stop for even a second before we let fly with whatever comes into our pretty little heads. I have this picture in my head of seeing words with wings. Often what we speak is so much fluff the “little wings” carry them off into the breeze never to be seen again because they just didn’t say anything.

Other times the words coming out are so negative and pointed they fly full speed at others like a honed arrow making sure to land square in the middle of that person’s hopes and joy, leaving a flesh wound.

The truly blunt words offered from a place of pure poison fly out of the lips with muscular wings ready to land on the intended and beat them down so hard they may never recover, but instead carry that beat down for the remainder of their days.

The sweetest words we could ever speak are sent with love. These words fly about the person like a natural fluttering of beautiful butterflies, ever gentle to land upon them. When I am listening to my heavenly Father’s words, all I desire is to hear more. I want to be covered in precious butterflies.

Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

February 4, 2009

Wonder Woman

I wonder what life is like without hope? I wonder what life is like without friends? I wonder what life is like without love? I wonder what it would be like to live on the streets? I wonder what it’s like to not know how I was going to eat? I wonder what it’s like to always be cold? I wonder what it’s like to live in constant fear? I wonder what it’s like to not know what is going to happen to me when I die?

I wonder if my life is offering enough witness to others that Jesus can deliver?

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

February 3, 2009

Lullaby & Flower

When I am feeling an insatiable amount of loneliness, I know full well there is nothing of this earth to satisfy what I desire. I actually had to learn the hard way about such a craving. Money, friends, things, family, hobbies, loves….none of these could fulfill what I lacked. Even today I seek what I desire with everything I am, knowing full well I will be incomplete until I am returned to the heavens I belong to.

In the meantime I seek those quiet places where I can be alone; enjoying a soaking in the love of my Creator. I desire to seek His heart and am assured He already knows my own. He sang me a song today like a lullaby, so I wrote of my love for Him in the journal He enjoys reading. When it came time to come home, He pointed out the flowers I had seen a few days earlier which were not yet bloomed. I verbally asked Him if it would be alright to take one home…..He chose for me the most perfect of them all.

February 2, 2009

Examples Of Natural Trust

In the waning light I steeled my eyes to look towards a grassy knoll for a backdrop of deep green color. The last rays of sunlight reflected off tiny bodies of insects flying back and forth in a dance of joy I long to feel in my soul. To fly in and out amongst their gathered body, trusting each and every one of themselves, knowing none would crash against each other causing pain.

Such examples of the heavenly Father’s natural designs of nature fascinate me. I long to stop being an observer of possibilities and I ache to be a participant.

February 1, 2009

I Love My Trainer

The horses passed by and we could see these magnificent creatures only partially through trees and bushes. They were so tall. I was walking with my mom on this morning and I didn’t know why it was so important to share this experience with her but everything felt right. As we made our way back towards where I had parked the car, the horses we had seen pass us earlier came trotting down into the meadow area.

One was white but not shiny or pure white, simply like a cloud of white with tiny specks of color in its coat to almost make it off-white. The other horse was tan with a blond mane and tail. The riders separated these horses and this is when the real show began. It was like watching the warm up exercises for an equestrian event. These creatures of might and power displayed their graceful steps, tossing about their heads in a real show of beauty. What training must have gone into these two gorgeous creatures? They were loved.

I was once given a word about a beautiful show horse who was jumping over stuff for her Trainer and this show horse loved doing these things for her Trainer. I think back on that now and I can’t recall when my heart has ever felt so full of love for my heavenly Father. May He continue to have my steps always be in grace so they are graceful when I am being “observed” by others who long for this same walk.