God – Page 3 – B Is for Blessed!

Let It Go!

With the year’s end looming, many of us are reflecting on the pains and gains of 2017. Or, we are thinking ahead to what the New Year may bring.

Last year was a rollercoaster of extreme highs and lows for me, and most of it is still a blur. I sit here typing at the end of December as I’ve done annually for the last decade pondering what I can do differently next year.

At the end of 2016, I could sense a significant change was imminent though I had no idea of just how substantial those changes would be. We were anticipating a graduation. I was pondering retirement. I never anticipated the loss that would follow.

I don’t think I am alone haunted by “should have, could have and would have,” creeping into my consciousness.

The reluctance to let go of past hurts, affronts and disappointments can make us stagnant and complacent. There is a danger in becoming so comfortable in our pain and discomfort that we don’t dare move away from the very things that make our hearts ache.

It takes more than resolve to lose weight, become fiscally responsible or keep any other resolution that enables us to move forward. Prayer and discipline are often vital to relinquishing the old, so we can grasp something new.

Whatever is wearing on you, let it go and leave it behind in 2017. Don’t drag your “baggage” into 2018. Trust me, I’ve a few things of my own I plan to leave as well.

We often fail to walk away from a job, a position, or a relationship even when God’s anointing is obviously gone. Many of us desperately hold on to something lifeless rather than become empty-handed.

Where is the wisdom in that?

What are those things you prayed for that you need to make room for?

Let go of disappointment.

Let go of regret.

Let go of the past!

Anticipate answered prayers.

Hold yourself accountable.

Grab hold to God’s unchanging hand!

Happy New Year!

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 NIV

…and the Ivy

In the Christmas carol The Holly and The Ivy the characteristics of the holly reference our Savior Jesus Christ. The ivy is barely mentioned at all!

I’ve given this a bit of thought and wonder if there is a lesson here. For the most part, the carol refers to the holly. Only the smallest snippet is given to the ivy.

I’ve read all about the pagan rituals and the symbolism of holly and ivy and the contest between men and women. But I’ve got another take on this carol and its inclusion of the ivy. Maybe, this song lends itself to offer a deeper message.

What if we are the ivy?

Ivy requires support if it is to climb higher. It is often found clinging to walls or trees. It can’t reach any height on its own. Ivy has three “points” to its leaf. Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

Ivy is hardy. It’s tough to kill and its roots dig deep. We must be “hardy” to survive the perils of this life and still thrive. We have to have roots that can “dig in” to sustain us.

Ivy prefers growing in the shadow of larger trees that can protect it from the heat. I know I desire our Savior’s protection. God has saved me from many “hot” situations in the past. I certainly trust Him to save me through eternity.

The references to the holly in the song’s lyrics overshadow the ivy. Shouldn’t we allow our Lord and Savior to overshadow us? Rule over us? Should we not depend on Him (and not ourselves) if we are to ever reach the heights God intends for each and every one of us?

I may be reading far more into this carol than the author intended.

Or, God may be using my love of Christmas and all things green to once again reveal His truth to me. Jesus must be the most prevalent influence in my life. I must allow my will to be diminished and submitted to Him if I am ever to meet the heights He desires for me. I must cling to Him for support.

And live in His shadow.

One of my favorite carols is not about the ivy. It’s all about the holly!

Life is not about me. It’s all about Him.

Take this Christmas Season to enjoy your friends and family, eat great food, meet, greet and be merry.

Yet… it is all about Him!

Merry Christmas!

Joy to The World!

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,” Luke 2:10 KJV

These words were spoken on the very first Christmas. The message the angel brought was a joyful one. This verse precludes, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord,” Luke 2:11 KJV.

No matter what trials we may face or are forced to endure, our situation is temporary. Not eternal. Yet many of us become overwhelmed, frustrated and despondent by situations, people and circumstances. The very fact that we indeed have a Savior is reason enough to be joyful!

Though we must deal with those situations life brings upon us, it is important that we keep them in perspective. The odds are great that the very things that bring out the very worst in us now, will be inconsequential years later.

In this Christmas season, if each of us makes a concerted effort to be joyful, it would be a greater testimony than any scripture we could quote or sermon we preached. If we allow our conduct to become a testimony, especially as we walk through our fires, how many more people would be interested in learning about our Savior, the only One who can offer true joy?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,”
Galatians 5:22. KJV

If we would allow ourselves to be overcome by the Spirit instead of overcome by the world, we could turn others toward the one true God. As Christians, our testimony should include behavior that others would strive to implement not circumvent!

We should draw men toward the Light, not repel them with pessimism, condemnation, or a critical spirit. Who wants any of that!?

A joyful heart invites people to want to learn more about our God Who provides peace and joy even when circumstances aren’t necessarily peaceful or joyful. The increasing stresses of this world do fight us at every turn. I readily concede it is not always easy to be joyful. Thankfully, we aren’t relegated to doing this in our own power.

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost,” Romans 15:13. KJV

Allow this Christmas Season to be a joyful one. Focus on the Source of all true peace and joy. As followers of Christ we have something to be joyful about! Let us allow our joy to overflow onto others, especially those who don’t know our God. May our love, joy, peace, gentleness and goodness draw men toward the Light.

Merry Christmas!

“But let all those who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.” Psalms 5:11 NKJV

“that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy,” Colossians 1:11 NKJV

“Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy,” Psalms 126:5 NKJV

Restoration!

^{A few weeks ago, in my mother’s house, I found a Christmas ornament from 1996 that was lost in her office. Unlike the others, this one was never wrapped up and put away each year to annually find its way on the Christmas tree. Two decades of neglect left it looking more like a relic instead of something to ring in great tidings of joy!}^{Still, that not so shiny silver bell somehow managed to minister to me.}

^{As we come to the end of this year, many of us are at a loss trying to figure out what happened to 2017?}^{I’m confident that I am not alone with “to dos” left undone and more than a few things that fell by the wayside.}

^{As I polished the “lost” ornament, I was reminded that God restores us as well. Through Christ, we can not only renew our minds, but God can restore whatever we may lack including the time lost for those things He purposed for our lives.}^{The sin that continually tarnishes us and would keep us from our destiny, our Savior’s blood wipes away.}

^{It may have taken twenty years, but “Christmas 1996” is finally on a tree.}

^{Never give up on your goals and aspirations that seem long-lost. Whatever we lose (or was stolen) our Father’s love can surely restore!}

^{Our faith.}

^{Our family.}

^{Our finances.}

^{Our hope!}

^{If you feel like you’ve lost more than can ever be found, I challenge you to trust God.}^{Our Savior descended from Heaven not only for an eternal promise, but that we can live fruitful and meaningful lives now.}

^{Amazing Grace!}^{How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind but now I see.

John Newton 1779}

^{My times are in Your hand;

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,

And from those who persecute me.

Make Your face shine upon Your servant;

Save me for Your mercies’ sake.

Psalm 31: 15-16 NKJV}

^{He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake

Psalm 23:3 NKJV}

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Traveling over the river and through the woods or staying close to home, give thanks for blessings large and small; with God we are never alone.

B Blessed!

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! 1 Chronicles 16:8 NKJV

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 NKJV

Great and Grateful…

Living in the “Bible Belt,” I read many a church sign. Some of them are witty, and others are downright weird.

I did come across one that I did like. It read “A GRATEFUL MIND IS A GREAT MIND.”

As I reflected on that particular sign, I thought about my various “states of mind” on any given day.

Some days I am focused.

On others not so much.

On occasion, I can keep a clear train of thought and accomplish much in record time. Then there are days I’m left looking around having nothing substantial to show for my efforts.

Yet, when I focus on counting my blessings, I gain the clarity that at other times alludes me.

When I am grateful, it puts into perspective all the minor and petty things that don’t matter. Annoyances, headaches and temporary trials don’t compare to God’s great grace, mercy and favor.

If I did not continually count my blessings, I would become bogged down in nonsense, drama and mired in things that bear no fruit!

We must renew our minds daily to magnify our God instead of our problems.

When we make a habit to appreciate how good God is to us, we are compelled to offer mercy, compassion, and kindness as we have received it. The knowledge of what we have received from the Father should compel us to love our neighbor/brother enough to not just pray for him but actually “do” for him.

In this season of thanks, don’t settle for being grateful, do something great!

Allow gratitude to manage your attitude.

Be kind.

Be generous.

Be a blessing!

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:11-12 NKJV

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Psalm 100:4 NKJV

Burning Bush!

God and The Garden

And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush [was] not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Exodus 3:2-4 NKJV

“Here I am.”

God called Moses by name and revealed Himself.

God does the same for us. We may not experience anything as spectacular as a burning bush yet God calls us just the same.

God knows our names. We were born for a purpose. We can choose to obey the call He places on us or we can…

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For Better or For Worse…

By the time you read this, I should be well on my way to celebrate my twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. My “ride or die” and I are off to spend some quality time together as we reminisce upon our better and our worse, the rich and the poor and appreciate the fact we are in relatively good health.

We are no longer the wide-eyed twenty somethings who were engaged in just six weeks. Twenty-five years later, we have been through some things.

Births and deaths.

Gains and losses.

More grey hairs.

Still, I can thankfully say the “worse” made us better instead of bitter.

We learned to compromise and admit our faults. We can now balance our strengths and tolerate our weaknesses. Most importantly, we learned to rely on God instead of ourselves.

Through two kids, five homes, six cities, eleven pets and too many career choices to mention (both his and mine) we managed to keep it together.

And sometimes “together” is more than enough.

We now find ourselves back where we began, just the two of us.

Another cycle of life. Sunrise, sunset.

Happy Anniversary Rod Raphael!

Our “better” has far exceeded our “worse.”

We truly are blessed.

And now, we are off on another adventure. Hubby and I are headed to view some amazing sunrises that we may cherish them later in our sunset.

God willing, together.

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 NIV

Sunrise, Sunset…

“Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears”
–Fiddler on The Roof

These lyrics came to mind today as I sat on the porch and thought about all the changes my family managed this year. Life as an empty nester is finally sinking in as there are no dishes in the sink, or crumbs on the floor and the cats are looking to me for food.

It has been a year of both sunrises and sunsets for us. We celebrated a graduation and both kids are reaching new levels of independence. Yet, we also loss of both of our mothers and I felt it was best I retired.

These events force me to acknowledge how precious time really is. I have an ever-evolving perspective as I consider how to spend the rest (and optimistically, the best) of my life.

There are a few writing projects I want to pursue. I have a huge collection of books unread. I hope to become a better photographer too! Yet, as much as I desire to do these things, I am no longer preoccupied obsessed with them. I’m trusting God that I’ll get around to them, eventually…

I want to live, not just exist,
I long to thrive and feel the bliss
to live by faith, not out of fear,
With time to cherish all who are dear;

With each sunrise, I seek to see
And do the work God has for me
May each sunset find me content
The time I spend, God finds well spent

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens: Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

Keep it moving…

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.
Exodus 13:21 NKJV

Last week I endured enjoyed a “road trip” with my oldest who is now safely deposited in Iowa. This week, I’ll drive to sunny Orlando to get the second born tucked away as well. Racking up the miles, I recognized similarities between life and various portions of my “road trip.”

Driving I-75 to Nashville, the mountains of Tennessee reminded me that we all have ups and downs. Sometimes the journey is perilous. Often, roads are winding and we can’t see what’s around the next bend. There may be times where there is no exit when you need one. We may be forced to maneuver, white knuckled and all, around two-ton hazards and pray for the best.

Moving on to St. Louis demonstrated there is always the other side to the hardest part of any journey. Life eventually evens out. We may face inclement weather and unexpected delays. Still, if we plod along, we make it through our storms and find our dark clouds behind us.

Finally, riding along US-61 we came upon blue skies and bright clouds. The sky was picturesque as Cam and I rode through lush farmlands and took in vistas unlike any other.

We don’t always know what awaits us at the end of our journey, still, we will never find out unless we have faith enough to continue.

We may experience fender benders or catastrophic collisions. We can become blindsided through no fault of our own.

I pondered all of this after I was safely home watching the clouds go by.

The ups and downs, twists and turns, hazards and detours forced me to concede life isn’t always easily navigated.

“You can’t move forward if you keep looking back.” I heard deep inside.

I’ve been looking back alot these past months, reflecting and pondering “could haves” and “should haves.”

Analysis paralysis, holding me captive.

I’ve traveled thousands of miles these past few weeks but not really moving forward.

It’s time to get moving again.

Forward.

What about you?

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV