Our Constant God

Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of
your heart." In Philippians 4:11-13 Paul writes, "...I have learned to be content what-
ever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have
plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether
well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through
him who gives me strength." In other words, our circumstances don't matter. This isn't
saying what's happening in our lives doesn't matter to God. Everything about us matters
to Him. What I believe it is saying is that our circumstances change but who we honor,
who we thank, who we praise never changes. We are to ALWAYS be thankful, ALWAYS
give God praise because just because our lives change, that has nothing to do with WHO
God is and what He does for us. He is ALWAYS good, ALWAYS forgiving, and ALWAYS
merciful. What comfort we have because of Him. Walk today blessed by the Lord and
highly favored. Our constant God is with us.

The Indescribable Gift

This is indeed the week we spend the most time considering thankfulness;
how thankful we are for family, home, health, friends, food, job....the list
goes on. But as Christians, we have been given the most "indescribable gift"
ever and it warrants our thanks every day of the year. 2 Corinthians 9:15 says,
"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" By calling the gift "indescribable"
it describes the gift perfectly. Jesus. Given through grace to the undeserving.
It's hard to describe perfection. Not enough words, not enough time. Psalm 30:11-12
says, "You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed
me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will
give you thanks forever." Let us not be silent this season as we lift our thanks for
all gifts, but especially the "indescribable" one. Be blessed by the Lord and highly
favored.

Leaves Like Blessings Fall

It's Saturday morning and as I sit and finish my coffee I am quietly appreciating the view from my window. It's nothing extraordinary; just a fenced yard, trees, and at least a million leaves. But what I'm enjoying about this view today is the way the leaves are falling. It's like they are being picked off the branches one by one and dropped carefully to the ground. There is no wind and yet they fall, as if  my eyes were watching in slow motion. It occurred to me that the Lord's blessings come to us much like the falling leaves. The Lord constantly and faithfully "drops" blessings on us until we, like my front yard, are covered in gifts from Him. On a windy day the leaves virtually rain down by the hundreds much like when we have "rainy days" in our lives, the blessings, the strength, the wisdom- everything we need, come to us and cover us. I will choose to see this as a season of blessing...regardless of the circumstances of my life. (I'm glad I don't have to rake all the blessings I get every day!) Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.

Devoted as a Dog

If you've ever owned a dog this may sound familiar. I don't own one right now but the six month old standard poodle puppy next door often stays with us while his people work during the day. This dog is one devoted animal. He is always at my feet. He follows me like a shadow. He waits for me. He wants to be where I am. If he or I wander away from each other, we both come looking for the other. With me near, he is calm, content, loving and peaceful. When he's not here, I miss him. And he's not even mine! I could be describing the Lord and me. I seek to be with Him and follow Him. I wait for Him. With Him near I can be calm and at peace. And He IS mine and I AM HIS! I love this little dog and he is truly devoted to me. How much more does my Heavenly Father love me...and I love Him. I will walk today as a devoted child of a loving Father. Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.

I'm Not Settling

We have a cat. He's not really OUR cat but belongs to my daughter and he temporarily shares
our house. Because my daughter is at work all day and I am home, he has decided I am his new
best friend. Every time I sit down he hops on my lap. If I'm not available he sits on my husband.
He does adapt. This morning I couldn't accommodate him so he settled for sleeping on  my
sweatshirt on the couch. Guess that was the closest he could get to the real me. He settled. What do we settle for in our lives? Do we always strive for the best? Do we always have to have the best?
I can settle for an off brand of soup or a cheaper grade of gasoline but some things I just will not
compromise. Like Jesus. He wants all of me and I want all of Him. Everything I do all day should
be dedicated to Him. He should be first in my thoughts and foremost in all my actions. I shouldn't
compromise my decisions, my attitude, or my heart. He is the one place I cannot afford to settle. I
pray you have the strength to settle for nothing less than Jesus today. Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.

Can You Change Your Own Heart?

Is there something about you that you would like to change? We all have characteristics
that others would probably admire but we are all human as well and exhibit characteristics
we probably aren't proud of. C.S. Lewis once wrote, "The best way to acquire a virtue, is to
act like you already have it. It will change your heart." Think about it. If you need to adjust
your acceptance or even love for a certain student, what if you acted like you already DID love
him? The same could be said about a colleague, or a principal, or a parent. Acting like we
want to be, or feel, will change us until we really DO feel like our heart has been changed.
Jesus was able to love the sinners no matter who they were or what they had done. So we can
practice what He did the first time around and sooner or later, His love will fill our hearts so
we can love like He did. Let's try to act on C.S. Lewis' words this week as we model our
behavior after Jesus. I think both Lewis and Jesus got it right. Be blessed by the Lord and
highly favored.

Am I Being Fed?

I was not very attentive to filling the bird feeder last summer. I figured the birds would survive and in good weather they would find other food sources. But one day recently after I decided to fill the feeder, I sat back on the porch and watched and waited for them to return. They had stopped looking a long time ago and I began to wonder...Where are they? Will they come back to check my feeder?
It's free food. What are they waiting for? Don't they remember where I am? I really do love watching them and want to help care for them but I've been a bit lazy. Do you suppose the Lord ever feels like that? He sends His food to us daily in many different ways; Scripture, other believers, music, worship services, to say nothing of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Could He ask the same questions? Where are they? Free food. Free salvation. Nourishment. Don't they remember where I am? What are they waiting for? The one thing He will never say is, "I want to care for them but I've been a bit lazy." God is not lazy nor does He ever take a season off. Lamentations 3:22 says, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.