In His Lovingkindness, God often reaffirms in my day what I share in the morning. Yesterday, having chosen to pray rather than share from my heart, I posted a picture that said, “Where God Guides, HE PROVIDES.” …and He did.

First, I was privileged to be asked to help last Spring with a committee; but when they decided to meet on Thursday night, I was sick. That is the one night of the week that is completely booked for me. My work is open until 8 every Thursday night, so I usually split the month in rotation unless I arrange with a coworker to take it; also, my Bunco group meets once a month on Thursday; and my prayer group that I have committed to meets on Thursday so every opportunity, I will be there.

I immediately told the chairperson of my conflict and suggested that she find a replacement. She said it would be fine and that it could work out; and I had made a commitment, so I agreed to swing by when I could…but I knew it wasn’t best for anyone involved. Yesterday, I was told that someone had stepped up to take the position…I cannot tell you how thankful I am for God’s Provision.

And when I got home from my prayer group, I saw a pile of debris on my car pad. I remembered that the city had hauled off the 3-foot high mound that I had stacked there from working in the yard Monday, so I immediately knew that my friend had come by and cleared out the last with his chainsaw as he promised. It was dark, but I ran into the back yard to see…and he had not only done exactly what I asked, but he hauled it all away instead of leaving it for me and Brandt as I had planned…and I was Blessed once again with God’s Provision…and I was gently reminded:

That is so like God…when we are Faithful to obey in an area of our life that He brings to our attention…He will be Faithful to Bless. And God doesn’t Bless in “part”…He is a God of detail… so His timing is Perfect and His Provision is Complete. And what an amazing journey it is to step out in Faith and TASTE and SEE that the Lord is GOOD…for where God guides…HE PROVIDES. 🙂

“But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Genesis 22:11-18 NKJV)

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” (Psalm 42:1, 2, 7, 8, 11 NKJV)

I had yet another “Super” Tuesday…but, yet again, not as I planned. I hit a glitch with my first priority, so I moved on down to knock out the list. And I got the quilt hung in my bedroom…so my heart was smiling when I left to go to my networking luncheon. I absolutely adore how God has placed me in a wonderful group of women who are dedicated to what they do and helping others.

Afterwards, I was visiting with one gal about some things I need and she mentioned how she reads my fb and that she understands my Faith. Then she looked at me and said, “You have a different energy about you…” She just met me in the Spring, but she could see it…and the fact that she cared enough to mention it made my heart smile. There is something amazingly different about living this kind of Faith walk. I can feel it on the inside, but it blesses me that others have begun to see it on the outside.

I thanked her and told her that God has been showing me some things that I should change…let go of….in order to receive all that He has for me. And I have taken it to heart. And as I have been Faithful, He has been Faithful to provide exactly what I need…exactly when I need it. Of course, that doesn’t mean everything goes “right”; but whatever the circumstances, there is a Peace that passes understanding and an inner Joy that I’ve never known….and, to be honest, I don’t ever want to live without again. My Bible study leader calls it “living in the sweet spot”…and, man oh man, is it sweet.

Then I ran some more errands; and soon after I got home, the doorbell rang. It was my friend I called the day before when I was beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed in the yard. He has a chainsaw that he doesn’t loan out because it’s 20” long and could easily cut off an arm…so he swung by on his way home to see what I needed done. Getting back out in the yard, I worked some more on the back porch. And when Brandt got home, he joined me to help bag up the debris; and he mentioned with pride, “Wow, it’s amazing what can happen in just two days–how things can change.” I smiled as a grabbed a “teachable moment”.

Then I ran to Bunco and enjoyed visiting with precious friends who have seen me through so much and have watched this most recent inner transformation and celebrate with me. And when I got home, I jumped on fb to wish someone happy birthday….it’s the second birthday in two days for someone who is winning a battle with cancer…and I have been thrilled to have the privilege of wishing them blessings for a new year. After I posted my “birthday song”, I quickly scanned my homepage to see what I missed for the day…and was stunned to read about the loss to cancer of one of my grade school friends.

I knew she had battled cancer a few years back and she had just posted at the end of last month about a praise that she didn’t have a brain tumor…but I had no idea she was as ill as she was…so her passing shook me. I jumped onto her page while it’s still up and looked through her pics….praying over her husband, all three of her children and the extended family.

And as I was browsing through pictures of her past few years, my eye caught one comment. It was a picture of only my friend, but she had tagged someone with an Italian name. My friend traveled the world singing with her brother’s Christian band, so I wasn’t surprised…what surprised me was that the date of the pic was in 2009…but the tagged friend replied yesterday…”You are with God!!!!!” and then added something in Italian….and as her words sunk in, I was gently reminded…deep in my soul…:

That is why it is so important to me to actively pursue all that God has for me…because I am not promised “tomorrow”. And I’ve learned that it’s not about my “achieving”…because that implies that I am responsible for the results. No….I am only responsible for making a DECISION to step out in FAITH and RECEIVE what He has in store for me…for I simply can’t receive more of HIM until my hands are free of what I cling to and my heart is open, rather than afraid. And living a life that actively CHOOSES to follow Him in FAITH…is when HE walks with you. It’s the kind of life that finds rest and peace from what lies behind you; protection from what surrounds beside you; and victory in what lies ahead…as He goes before you to prepare the way.

And it’s far greater than any of your favorite books…there is adventure in the battles knowing you serve the victorious King; more mystery discovering all that He has in store; and romance beyond all that you can imagine because your heart is free to truly LOVE…because the Author and Creator of ALL that is….IS …WITH you… And just as my friend now knows in FULL…Our God is an AWEsome God. 🙂

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:1, 6 NKJV)

“Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: ‘Behold, it is I.’ ” How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God. Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the Lord. For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 52:6, 7, 9-12 NKJV)

I woke this morning with three verses running through my mind, like my blood running through my veins–repeating over and over to give me sustenance–“This is the day that the Lord has made; rejoice and be glad in it.”–not so hard for an Expressive like me to embrace; “Be STILL and KNOW that I am God.”–a tad bit more of a challenge for an Expressive like me to embrace… ; and “Taste and SEE that the Lord is GOOD.” ….and always, when I think of that verse, I remember the first women’s retreat I attended at a precious church–the Women’s Leadership team knew I am an Interior Designer, so I was asked to chair the decorations committee.

I laughed (much like Isaac’s mother, Sarai) that I would, but I didn’t know anyone to join my committee so they offered to find volunteers for me. I asked for a florist, a crafter, and a quilter–and God provided.

We were doing an “old fashioned” theme to enhance the speaker’s message; and I felt lead to do three small scripture quilts for “decoration” to add to the hanging quilts that we were being loaned. Having been “found” and asked to chair the committee rather late, I think we had less than 12 weeks to pull it off and there was concern that I was expecting too much so I was assured that it would be okay to just have posters. But I was determined that God was in it …and my subcommittee of three of the most precious women I’ve ever had the privilege to meet rallied.

The beautiful scripture quilts were finished with mere moments to spare. And, of course, very few ladies actually knew the “miracle” it took for them to be hanging in the building that weekend–but they were each greatly admired. And I was asked several times if they could be purchased. But I felt there was a different plan for those quilts.

When the retreat was over, we gifted one to the facility cafeteria since it was a Christian retreat. The kitchen staff beamed their approval. The second was gifted to be hung in the church kitchen. And the third was gifted to the Women’s Ministry Director. She was stunned because she knew how precious they were; and she graciously assured me that I should have that one because my Faith had seen it through. I assured her it belonged to her.

But I always admired the quilt when I would enter the church kitchen; and when a remodel was mentioned, I went to the gal in charge of the kitchen and asked to have the quilt if it wasn’t going to continue to be displayed. She apologized that it was slightly stained with use and then gave it to me. Looking at it, I only saw the faces that took such pride in serving the Lord in that manner and the look of no less than pleasant surprise on several faces who weren’t certain it could be done in time. It was a definite Faith experience for all involved.

That was several years ago, and I have kept it safely tucked in a closet until I could find a place to hang it. This morning when I woke with those scriptures and I thought of the quilt, my eye looked up to a completely empty wall in my bedroom…and I was gently reminded: God wishes to give us rich blessings; but we must be willing to step out in Faith and RECEIVE them in order to ENJOY them. So I just pulled out that quilt and I’ll be hanging it today. When I move one small picture, it will be just what that space needs….and I will be able to enJoy the tremendous Blessing of the Miracle of the Quilt… Oh, yes…TASTE and SEE that the Lord is GOOD, oh my Soul. 🙂

“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24 NKJV)

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah” (Psalm 46:1-3, 7-11 NKJV)

“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.” (Psalm 34:4, 7-11, 14, 15, 17-22 NKJV)

Yesterday, I wrote of how God Blesses Faithfulness; and I mentioned that Faith is the assurance of things unseen. At least for me, that is the key. Certainly, I receive Blessings when I act in Obedience…as any good parent would, God longs to say, “Well done!” But, to be honest, some of my greatest Blessings have been given when I am Obedient in FAITH–not after everything has “turned out well”…but when my Faith is at it’s strongest–when I’m CHOOSING to Believe in that which is UNSEEN. And that is exactly where I am now…

I recently wrote of how I how jumped back into online dating. Anyone who knows me, knows I would welcome a relationship. But not just any relationship–God has to be at the CENTER of it. As I want my life to testify of God’s Grace, so I desire my relationship to do the same.

When I met the triathlete, his Faith was slightly different than mine; but he made it clear that he wasn’t interested in dating just for the sake of dating. He wants marriage–and he was firm in his Belief that he wanted God’s best for that relationship. So, yes, he was sorry to hurt me when he broke things off–but I graciously assured him that I appreciated it because we both want God’s best. So that hard decision simply freed me up for God to bring someone else into my life.

I was disappointed, of course. But I am learning to no longer look to the man–but look to God. My confidence is in HIM; and my HOPE is in HIM. So I asked Him what I was to learn from that brief experience–and He graciously showed me that I don’t have to wait until the kids are completely grown and gone to begin to enjoy some hobbies again. But I have to get out of my “busy-ness” that I have built around myself in order to free up my time. He showed me that I’m not freed up to do some of the things that I LOVE because I’m too busy doing things I HAVE to do…following through on commitments that take my time. That was the gift that tri-guy gave me–it was for my gain, not for “loss”. God used that experience to teach me about myself–and I’m so very thankful.

And as for a relationship, I kept my FAITH. I knew that I may have “lost” him; but if God has a relationship for me, I hadn’t “lost” it. So I stood firmly on that Faith….and four days later, I met an amazing Christian man. And we began an intense relationship, one like I’ve always dreamed of but never known.

Last week, after much prayer, God said “no”. We both realized that God has some things to work out in our lives before we will be truly ready. So, once again, I am facing “loss”…and once again, I am walking by FAITH….CHOOSING to Believe in that which is UNSEEN….and once again, God is teaching me much about myself. This experience, too, was meant for my GAIN and I am so very THANK-FULL.

So finding the “lost” screw exactly where it was “meant to be” was even more precious to me…because in His Lovingkindness towards me, God was saying…”When you walk by Faith, you cannot “lose” what I have for you. When the time is right, you will not have to search for it. You will find it where I placed it…exactly where it belongs.”

And I BELIEVE and it is counted as FAITH…and Blessings are showering down upon me as I walk in the “Confidence that has great reward”. God is an AWEsome God. 🙂

Confidence, both to STAND on and to REST in:

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise…” (Hebrews 10:35-36NKJV)

“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:6, 9-11 NKJV)

“I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.” (Ecclesiastes 3:14)

“Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.” (Job 42:1, 2 NKJV)

“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24 NKJV)

I had a fabulous day Tuesday. I had prayed for favor on my day and for my time to be multiplied–and I spent the early morning in prayer as I worked fervently in my home. I was looking forward to my plans for the day; but I also didn’t want to end such a precious time. So I was in the shower getting ready for two meetings and I prayed that I could have enough time to do all that I had on my list. I didn’t “see” how I could with my commitments, but I just begged the Lord for time.

Then, literally as I was getting out of the shower, my cell phone was ringing–my second meeting had to cancel. She was so apologetic, but I smiled as I assured her we could reschedule. And that call reminded me of another business call that I had to make that morning–it took longer than I anticipated so by the time I got off, my plans were completely changed for the day.

I sat down to regroup and then prayed again over my time and my list–and proceeded to rock it out. It was such an amazing experience–I literally felt like I was being carried through my day. As my burden lightened, so did my heart. And I truly rejoiced–giving God the praise for His Faithfulness.

I woke yesterday morning still on a Joy high…then as we were loading into the car to get kids to an early meeting…the garage door stuck. Brandt and I worked together to get it open manually and the kids made it just in time. When I returned home and couldn’t fix it, I just locked it and parked out front. I was disappointed to add yet another thing to the house “to do” list; but I didn’t allow it to steal my Joy. I figured, it “just is what it is”….and I was at Peace knowing my home was secure, so I was Thankful.

Later in the morning, I was walking back to my desk to make a tear sheet for a client when I looked down and saw a familiar earring laying on the floor. Surprised, I felt my ear–I had lost my earring and didn’t even know it. I thanked God for allowing me to not lose one of my favorite earrings–and that reminded me to tell my coworkers of my “miracle” the day before.

Months ago, I was changing out the light bulbs in my office. The fixture is original to the house, so it’s kinda cool but not very easy to work with. I had intentionally purchased some of the “new” bulbs that promise to last up to five years–not–these didn’t last a year. So I was already slightly frustrated, when I dropped the screw as I was trying to put the fixture back on.

My brother heard me huffing and puffing from the den as he was watching a basketball game. With a typical male expression, he came into my office and asked if I could use some help. We both searched all over the floor for the screw but couldn’t find it. I even tried another screw from my tool box in the garage, but it didn’t work. So I placed the fixture on my drafting table with the one screw inside it…and walked away.

Last week, I began working on the last phases of organizing my office and remembered that I should be watching out for the screw as I went through the open boxes to sort. Then for no apparent reason, I looked up–and saw a screw resting in the fixture. It surprised me to see it so I looked into the fixture–the remaining one was there just as I left it. I wondered if I’d simply left the extra screw from the garage up there; but that’s not like me and I clearly remember returning the screw. At that moment, I didn’t have time to deal with it so I just went on about my business.

But Tuesday afternoon, once Mags got home, I got up on the ladder to check out that screw–I could see immediately that it matched the one in the fixture. So I had her hand the fixture to me…and I put it back in place. I have no idea how that original screw got put back exactly where it belonged…I was simply THANK-FULL.

Then last night, I was helping Brandt take out the trash since the garage door was broken. I unlocked and raised the door manually, then went back into the kitchen. A few moments later, I heard the garage door lowering. Stunned, I ran into the garage to find Brandt grinning that he fixed it. I tested it out a few times and praised him…then I thanked my Heavenly Father. And later, I smiled as I read a post from one of the Pastors that I follow…he told the story of Esther–how God took the evil intention of Haman and turned it into GOOD, so He can take the “evil” of our day and turn it into Blessing.

And with the activity of the past few days, once again, I have been gently reminded: God not only gives the Blessing of Peace to those who walk by Faith (and not by sight); but He can also restore all that the locust has eaten… He can turn what the enemy intends for harm into good…and He can do above and beyond all that I can ask or imagine. He promises to in His Word.

And each new experience is a reminder to me that as I walk in FAITH-FULLness, His Will for my life will not be “lost”. And I have learned to be confident in that ASSURANCE (Faith is the assurance of things unseen). And just as the Pastor wrote about last night, I am learning to “rest in the finished work of Christ”. He is my PROVIDER, my PROTECTOR, and my HOPE.

And as I am learning to walk by Faith, I am learning the JOY of expectation in seeking Him. Not MY feeble expectations–but looking for HIS Promises. Of course, God is God–we can’t “manipulate” Him–but He is moved by a heart for Him and intentional FAITH. The Bible says that Faith as minute as a mustard seed can move a mountain. And God is bigger than any mountain–but a life of FAITH MOVES Him.

Honestly, I can’t tell you “how” certain things happen to me–but I just keep adding them to the growing list of my testimony for Him. Mine is a life with times of struggle that test and grow my Faith, and times of Blessing beyond my explanation. A life that is a testimony of His Grace… that I promised as a small child to SHARE…so I may not know “how” things happen to me…but I DO know WHY. 🙂

“Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the Lord for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” (Isaiah 55:6-13 NKJV)

One of the many items on my to-do list yesterday was to complete a spirit wear sale from last week’s HS Open House. A family wanted to purchase two more items for their daughter, but she is petite so a small is all that fits her–and they are sold out. When I saw her disappointed face, it dawned on me to look over at the display case–I had used small sizes to better fit in the cramped cases, so I told them that I would come back to the school the next time I was off and get it for her.

When I called the Mom last night, she very graciously assured me that I didn’t need to go to the trouble to deliver the clothes–they could wait. But I laughed, “Thank you; but I’ve gotten so much done today and I want to mark another thing off my list.” She laughed in understanding and gave me directions to their home.

When I pulled up to the house, the daughter came outside looking confused. But when I rolled my window down, she recognized me; and her face lit up as she rushed to bring me the check and get her items.

She thanked me with a huge smile on her face for going out of my way for her…and it made my heart smile. Not because a teenager was gracious–that’s not what made her gesture special. It’s because that huge smile was on her face that has been almost entirely burned off–and although reconstructed, it still is very apparent. And it’s hard for me to “see beyond” the scars and reconstruction–I can’t imagine what she endures on a daily basis….and I was gently reminded:

The world puts so much value in “beauty”–but the Bible says it is valuable, yet fleeting. So our focus should be on our inner beauty–that does not diminish with the relentless passing of time. Outer beauty is too fragile to place our “value” in…just ask anyone who has “lost” it. When we seek God, He will make us truly beautiful–and we will no longer live a life in “vain”. 🙂

“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:17 NKJV)

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. ” (Proverbs 31:30 NKJV)

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. “(Romans 12:2 NKJV)

As always, I had an amazing visit with my prayer accountability partner yesterday. We spoke of how we all fall short in obeying God; and of the resulting battle in our mind of what we feel we “deserve”…..and I was gently reminded:

The enemy’s greatest strength is deception; and he knows our weaknesses. It’s as if, during a rainstorm of life, he draws us in to play in an “innocent” mud puddle. Then once we are mired in filth and our eyes are blurred by the stinging mud, he brings out the “big guns”….he makes us believe we are no longer “worthy” of Christ. The weight of sin and consequences can be a terrible burden; but if we reach the end of ourself, and accept Christ’s loving intervention we can have Victory.

But…often, the battle is still not “over” in our minds. So we MUST stand on the TRUTH of God’s Word that says we have been “washed white as snow by the blood of the lamb”. Our feeble mind’s belief that His blood is sufficient isn’t what makes it sufficient. God’s ACCEPTANCE of it is what makes it SUFFICIENT. And we can rest in that TRUTH….IF we let ourselves…

In visiting with her, I saw so clearly how the world tells us that we “deserve LESS” because of what we’ve done. BUT GOD…HIS GRACE is SUFFICIENT…and isn’t it so like GRACE…to give us His BEST…when we don’t believe that we “deserve” it. And although it flies in the face of earthly “reason”, it is perfectly sensible in God’s eyes…because we do “deserve” His Best–not by anything that we have done but through the work done on the cross.

And when we receive His BEST, it is a much more beautiful testimony…because HE gets the GLORY. So Trust God and hold out for His BEST…and let God’s GRACE be SUFFICIENT enough for you.

That’s what the enemy desperately wants us to never realize…because that is where true Victory lies in overcoming his lies. 🙂

“T here is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1, 2 NKJV)

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV)

I’ve had similar conversations several times recently, so I really believe I should share this. The Bible says that we now “only see in part”…so the things of God are certainly beyond what we can currently begin to comprehend. Yet, we can claim the TRUTH that is found in God’s Word.

The reason I say that is because, often, we find it hard to “Believe” WHO we TRUE-ly ARE IN Christ. Pain from past situations can alter how we feel about ourselves and what we think we “deserve”. BUT…that is feeling. FAITH is NOT a feeling. It’s a DECISION.

So how do we “decide” to “believe” what God says when we don’t “feel” it?

We simply RECEIVE it because God doesn’t lie, so His Word is TRUTH. And receiving it by Faith allows God to begin to work it through in our life…as with little baby steps, we learn to Trust more and more until we can finally TRUST it and BELIEVE.

God’s Word says that the enemy has no power over us. God’s Word says we not only become “new creatures in Christ and the old is no more”; but that we are the RIGHTEOUSNESS of Christ. Christ became our High Priest and He sits at the right hand of the Father. And we have all the promises of God’s Word through the work done on the cross. Christ is our HOPE for “winning the race” in this life, and for entering Glory in the next. And when God sees us, He sees the work that was “finished” on the cross and calls us “Righteous”.

As Christians, that’s who we ARE. That is TRUTH. The question is, will we receive the benefits on this side of Glory? The best example I can give is if someone owns a two-story home, but never went upstairs. I, for one, want to play upstairs…the view is amazing. 🙂

“For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:13-15, 17-20 NKJV)

I have several of Stormie OMartian’s books on the Power of Prayer. Falling asleep last night reading one, the last words I read were that the most powerful prayer you can pray to be effective in praying for someone else are: “Lord, change me.”

…and I woke up being gently reminded: The Bible exhorts us to “Pray without ceasing.”..and if our hearts are constantly in an attitude of prayer, we are in constant unison with the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His Disciples that He would leave a Helper for them. So for our hearts to be in constant partnership with that Helper is the strongest position that we can face life with, not only for prayer for others but for our own attitude, provision and protection throughout the day. But in order to have that kind of heart that is in partnership with God, the Lord has to “change me” from being devoted to MY ways…into being in Devotion to HIS. 🙂

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 NKJV)

I received a phone call from Brandt’s school yesterday evening. I was busy making supper, and distracted as I answered the phone–expecting the Nurse about having received another updated copy of his medical records. So when his Drama teacher introduced herself and said she was calling just to tell me how much she is enjoying having him in her class….I was no less than stunned.

Then as soon as I got off the phone, as if right on cue, Mags and Brandt came into the kitchen to show me his latest rendition of Robin Williams’ hysterical voice dialogue from “Mrs. Doubtfire”…he nailed it and we all burst out laughing.

He’ll be the first to tell you that he “does voices”; but that’s an understatement. He recently taught himself how to speak with an Australian accent; and the first time I heard him “do a voice”, he was less than three years old sitting in his carseat in the van and nailed “Pull the lever, Kronk. WRONG LEVEHHH!!” from the movie The Emperor’s New Groove….I almost drove off the road in hysterics.

And remembering that moment in the van from almost a decade ago…I was gently reminded:

This, too, is a part of the Biblical exhortation to “raise up a child in the way they should go”….to look for and encourage the gifts that God has placed in their life. But it’s not just the job of a parent or a wonderfully awesome teacher…to appreciate and encourage the gifts we see in others is part of being a loving friend, child, sibling and significant other. And it’s a wonderful gift in itself because it takes that kind of maturity and inner confidence that allows us to look beyond our own nose and truly “see” someone else…that kind of self-LESS awareness and compassion that is tragically lacking in our busy society today.

But when we can enCourage others to be all that God made them to be…we become like a refreshing summer rain in a life journey often filled with long, hot draughts…and leaving you with more Strength and Courage than when they arrived is a Blessing…and a Wonder-full way for them to go. 🙂

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 NKJV)

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,” (Hebrews 10:23, 24 NKJV)