Are you listening?

When we travel,  we will stop and pick something up and keep on making the miles.

On one recent trip we stopped at this place -

Hubby parks and I went inside to place a to go order. It wasn't a difficult order, but I found it interesting that the young man who waited on me was not listening. He heard me, and even repeated what I ordered, but he was not listening. 

So when my order arrives, I ask is one coffee decaf? "Oh you wanted a regular coffee too?" he says. Yes one regular and one decaf.  And then I ask, "is one oatmeal only with butter?" He looks at me, "you wanted one with only butter?" "Yes" I said.

So the young man goes back and fixes another oatmeal, and pours a regular coffee.

Now I've been to many fast food places in my time, and sometimes they don't always get my order right. But this young man heard what I said but was not listening. 

Is that what I do with God? Do I sometimes think I hear the voice of the Lord, but am I listening?

For two years I prayed fervently about a situation. Every day I implored with my Heavenly Father to intervene. In my prayers I felt confidant that the Lord would hear my prayers and answer the way I wanted.  But in the end, it was not so. I felt disappointed and discouraged. Why had God not answered my prayers? Doesn't the scripture say "seek and you shall find, ask and it will be given unto you?"

You see, this was someone that is very close to me. And I wanted so badly for this person's life to turn around and return to the obedience of God's will. Yet every time I questioned God about this outcome, I sensed Him saying, Do you trust Me? Yes, Lord I trust you. But see, this is someone close to me, and this person knows better. But do you trust Me? Lord, I do trust you, but ...  Do you trust ME?

Chuck Swindoll once said, " God does not greatly use the man who He does not first greatly wound." Do I feel wounded? Yes, hurt and wounded. But I do know that God is faithful, and I CAN TRUST HIM!

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for HE who promised IS faithful." Hebrews 10:23

For me to live is Christ

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."   Philippians 1:21

These very profound words had such an impact. As our Pastor was preaching from this passage one Sunday he began to cry. He said that as he studied this passage, the realization of his mortality grabbed him. He wrestled with the fact that he really wanted to see his children grow up. He wanted to be here with his family. And yet, the scripture teaches that to die is gain.

Day by day, as we each walk the pathway we are to go, life just seems to keep going. Until we are stopped in our tracks with the loss of a loved one or friend. It is then that we start thinking of the "other side".

 15 years ago, on a Sunday morning, during the middle of a raging hurricane, my BFF lost her battle with cancer and walked into the arms of Jesus. I have missed my sweet friend all these years, but on that Sunday the Pastor's message brought a sense of peace to my heart. You see, Diana was such a special friend. She walked beside me for almost 20 years, encouraging me, always with love and a smile. It is selfish of me to want her to be here, when she has gained so much more. As she reached out her hand that Sunday morning, she left behind her tired body to walk with Jesus. I can almost picture her in my minds eye, looking back at all of us and saying, "It's all right, I'm whole now."

Mark 8:35 states: “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it” (ESV).

 

Jesus Christ offers you the greatest freedom - in learning how to die, we learn how to live.

May We Never Forget

In the United States, Sept. 11 has become a day that haunts the nation of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Since the attacks, the day has been called Patriot Day and serves as a day to remember those who lost their lives. The day was passed by Congress on Oct. 25, 2001 and was signed into law by then President George. W. Bush. 

 "Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew." -- President George W. Bush

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:13

Un-aging youth

For close to 30 years, I looked forward to the start of school.

Whenever school supplies started showing up at the stores, a little thrill of excitement quivered through me. The kids and I would mark our way towards the hunt.

 New pens and pencils.

The smell of glue and the right pair of paper scissors.

Crayons and colored pencils in every hue of color. With new ones appearing every so often.

 Paper, paper, paper.

And of course a new bag to carry every little thing.

The school year marks the progression of time. We grow older and we leave behind the things of our youth. We learn and move onward towards being an adult. Making our way in this thing we call life.

Yet spiritually, we never grow old. Even with the passing of years we hover in un-aging youth. Totally opposite of natural life. If we study God's word, seeking to be more Christlike, we become more like a little child. Simple. Childlike. Trust. Inevitably, we grow younger instead of older.  Revelation 22:13 states, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."  When we trust Jesus with child-like faith, we begin the journey of eternal childhood. It is my desire to lean on my heavenly Father with the faith of a child. 

 

Trusting. 

 

Learning. 

 

Loving.

Names

You know that sometimes a name will conjure up pictures in your mind. Past experience will start the mind computer and run the video.

A rose will conjure up this -


For sewers the name Bernina or Singer brings something like this to mind -


Let's just say "Paducah" or New York City, what do you think of?? Well if you have been to Paducah, and you are a quilter, you think of the annual Quilt show. Or New York as the City that never sleeps. We don't tend to think of all the historical background.

Or if I were to say Ford or Chevy, somehow I don't think this is the picture that you would conjure up in your mind ..........

And of course there are some double meanings for certain names.

Names are important. They hold in place either a person, a place, or even a thing. And they bring to mind a history or a memory.

I have read somewhere that a person's name is the sweetest sound. Have you ever noticed when you are in a crowded room, that if someone calls your name, you will turn and look. Or respond in some way.

I have an unusual name. It has always caused a tongue stumble for most people. I remember when I was a little girl how people would stumble over my name.  I've learned through the years to just answer if they are anywhere close. I have a nickname that I'm called by my family and friends, but there is always an explanation that goes along with it.

I guess for years I did not like my name, but it was mostly because it was different and people would butcher it. I liked my nickname as it was easier and I felt like it could just roll of the tongue. So much so that now when people call me by my "real" name it sometimes feel odd, or like it isn't really me. As I have gotten older, I am feeling more comfortable in my own skin and now I enjoy my name. It is unique, and you don't hear it everywhere you go.

So I hope you don't mind my little bit of banter :-) It's nice to have a place to share thoughts.

Have a wonder filled day.

God's unlimited promises

Prayer is such a powerful tool.

We pray to communicate with God our Heavenly Father. I have a lovely little book called "For the Family" by Sylvia Gunter. She shares Steps to Powerful Prayer.

1. Worship God -
"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise" Psa 100:4

2. Be Still -
"Be still and know that I am God" Psa 46:10

3. Confess -
"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord the Lord will not hear me." Psa 66:18
"But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

4. Submit -
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time." 1 Pet 5:6

5. Believe -
"Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Heb. 11:6

6. Do battle in spiritual warfare -
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms." Eph 6:12

7. Listen to the Holy Spirit -
"no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him - but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit." 1 Cor 2:9-10

8. Ask God what He wants you to pray about. -
"I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it." John 14:13-14

9. Join together in agreement with other believers -
"If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them. Matt 18:19-20

10. Persist until the answer comes! -
"Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find, keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you." Matt 7:7

11. Praise the Lord that He has heard -
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him." 1 John 5:14-15

12. Act on what God has revealed to you -
"Do whatever He tell you" John 2:5
"If you abide in me and My words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will and it shall be done unto you in My name." John 15:7

I hope these verses are an encouragement to you. Remember that God's promises are unlimited, but God's fulfilling it may depend on our abiding in truth (2 Cor. 10:6)

Writing conference

Have you ever been to a writing conference?

 

I have not, although I had always hoped to be able to attend one day. I've taken an online course, and have read many books on writing. But the truth is, I don't know that I'm ready. I don't know any authors. And since I wrote my two manuscripts, I've not been able to find help with cleaning them up.

So when I read about this opportunity, I wanted to take a chance and see if I could win the set of mp3's of the 2019 ACFW conference being held in Texas.

So tell me are you planning on attending? There is still time to sign up.The dates are September 26- 28 in San Antonio Texas. You can find the link here ACFW

Hope you see you there one day!

 #2019acfw