Seems Easy Enough

Psalm 1:1-3 
Blessed is the man
         Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,  
         Nor stands in the path of sinners,  
         Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
 ² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
         And in His law he meditates day and night.
 ³ He shall be like a tree
         Planted by the rivers of water,  
         That brings forth its fruit in its season,  
         Whose leaf also shall not wither;  
         And whatever he does shall prosper.  

Most people think how fortunate it is to work in ministry because you get to have a job that allows you to read your Bible, pray, and meditate. Actually, it couldn't be further from the truth because if you are involved in ministry you work so hard and so much you are lucky if you have time to read your Bible, pray, and meditate. It just seems impossible when trying to get the work done! We justify it by thinking that we are reaching the masses by our work at the price of our own soul, such a small price to pay, right?

Actually God created us first to worship and then to work but it is easy to get our priorities out of order in the name of the church or ministry. The scriptures are clear above in Psalm on meditating in the Word and living according to His Word in order to be prepared like a tree planted by the water. I have been so full of myself over the years in believing what I was doing was so important that God would overlook my not meditating on Him only to find the wind knocked out of me and wondering why ~ could be that I just chose NOT to hear His still small voice!

It is so important to put God first and keep our priorities in order daily....it's a daily walk with Him!

 This picture was taken in Toledo, Spain when I visited in 2007.

Looking For Sunshine

Many times as a young mother I would plan a fun-filled day for my kids. The best of plans would go awry with just one of them waking up in a mood. It's difficult to expect 3 children to all wake up pleasant. Maybe it would be an accident where one of the kids would have an injury or we all woke up to an epidemic of illness.

By the end of the day I would just want to sit and cry from my own disappointment and that of the kids. It would be one of those days that would be so out of my control leaving me feeling helpless and questioning my ability as a mom. To say I was discouraged and frustrated would be an understatement.

There were a few things I would do to help us turn our awful and depressing day into a good one: Singing silly songs with the kids would always make them laugh and laughter changes everything. Building a fort in the middle of the living room for everyone of us to sleep and bringing all our mattresses to lay on. Makes the fort more comfy! Reading stories together as we all lay in my bed and having the older kids read aloud too. Baking something fun and festive that makes it feel like a holiday. Creating crafts always seems to be something kids find stimulating and enjoyable. Even a simple trip to the library together made the day brighter.

There are so many ways to make a day pleasant even though it didn't work out as planned. Keep looking for the sun on your next cloudy day!

A picture I took of a storm approaching the coast and

 the sunshine and blue skies just beyond those clouds.

The Best Plans

Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. Genesis 6:14 

God asked Noah to plan ahead by building an ark which measured over one and a half football fields long and took the best part of one hundred and twenty years to complete! I would call that a "long term plan!" Noah didn't focus on the problems and circumstances of the day but instead just reported for duty. I find that my prayers are more about the circumstances of life instead of the plan God has for my life! Satan uses circumstances to take our focus off of what we should be doing. 

Let's pray each day in spite of the circumstances about the plan God has for our life. Let's not let circumstances dictate our lives. God can overcome any and all problems and do something in us and through us that we did not know was possible. It will build our faith as we follow Him! 

As a parent, we see the endless possibilities for our children. We encourage them in their training, lessons and education to grow in areas where they are gifted. It is so easy for us to see how their dreams can be achieved even before they do because of our own knowledge and experience. God is our parent and He wants to do the same for us. We have to be eager to listen and obey! God will direct us in the same way a parent does their child. 

Let's be open and receptive to God's call on our life! Like Noah, God has called us to change the world. Take a step today to bridge the gap between your present circumstances & where you need to be.....

This picture was taken of me with my youngest daughter at Stone Mountain in 1999.