June 30, 2016

Colossiana 2: 8  "See to it that no one takes  you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spriits of the world, and not according to Christ."  Paul wrote this letter to the church at Colossae to encourage them to not be lead away by the very real threat of all the false teachers in the community.   Paul claims that the philosopical teachings of the time are outside of God and brought only by human tradition.    He warns that the church body should not be tricked into believing any religion outside of the teaching of Jesus Christ.   Friends, I believe that this is a message that is very true to us today as well.    We are faced with much human tradition and teaching that is outside of the will of God every day.   We must not fall prey to that, just as the church that Peter is writing to must not.    How do we know what to avoid?   How do we know what is true?    We must be familiar with the Word of God.    We must know scripture... or at least know where to find the right scripture.   Take this summer to get back into the Word on a regular basis.   You will be glad you did!  

June 29, 2016

I am still struggling with how God wants me to be a godly woman. I know that God has made me to be a "doer".  I am the one at the committee meetings who always feels frustrated because things are not moving fast enough.   I am the one who always wants to quit planning and discussing and just get started!   Can anyone give me an amen?   Well friends, that is not always a good thing.     We need to be doers, yes!   But we need to make sure we are doing the doing that God intends and doing so in a godly way.  James 1:23-25 tells us "for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man (woman) observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.   But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be bleseed in what he does."   Please God, tell me clearly what you wish for me to do and keep me focused on that today and tomorrow.      

June 28, 2016

Jeremiah 29:11-13  "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.  "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.""  This scripture has been on my mind for several days now.   I have been wrestling with God a bit recently asking Him to show me what his plans are for me.   I have been asking Him to make sure that I clearly hear his answers to my questions.    I have been dillegently requesting God to make my direction abundantly clear.  Do you see all the verbs in the last few sentences?   I have been, I have been, I have been.    No where is there a sentences that says - I sat quietly and listened to what the Lord has planned for me.   Hm.....maybe that is why I have not heard his directions.      

June 27, 2016

Back home again in Indiana!  We had a wonderful visit in the mountains, but it is always so good to come home again.   The two little gals that house sit for us left everything in great shape:  horses were happy, flowers were beautiful, house was in order.   It was fabulous to be home!  I feel like I am back where I belong.   This is the same feeling I have when I have stepped away from time spent in building my realtionship with God.   You know the way that life sneaks in and robs you from your time in the word.   Or you find yourself on that busy tread mill of life and can't squeeze in intentional prayer time with the Lord.  Suddenly you are too busy to volunteer at church events or take your ill nieghbor a dinner.   But then, something changes, usually God gets a hold of you, and then you "come home".  You remember that happy feeling that you always get when you are right where you belong and doing right what you should be doing.       Whenever we are working at improving our relationship with God, we are where we should be and all will seem right with the world.   God created us to have relatiosnhip with Him.    That should be our single most significant job and when we are doing it well, we bask in the comfort of "being home".  I John 3:1  reads "how great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!"   Thnank you, Father, for bringing me home!        

June 26, 2016

Psalm 37:5-6  "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this:  He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of  your cause like the noonday sun."  Wow, this scripture is a difficult one.   Commit your way to the Lord means we give Him everything, everyday.   It means we entrust everything to our God:  jobs, family, health, possessions.    But look at the benefit.   When we commit all to Him, He will let others see us as His beloved.    He will allow us to shine brightly for Him.   I want that friends.   I want people to see a godly woman when they look at me.   How about you?

June 25, 2016

Back on the road, heading back to Indiana.    What a wonderful trip we have had, and how nice it will be to return home.   I am never ready to leave when we have been trail riding, but I do so miss family and grandkids back in Indiana.  I look forward to getting back into routine.   I have missed my church friends and Vacation Bible School will be starting up next week.  I can't wait to squeeze on grandkids and wave at the neighbor as I get back into my walking routine.  Although I have kept up with Bible study on the road, I am excited to discuss it with my dear friend over lunch when we return.   God has blessed me with a wonderful life and that makes me desire to bless others.   As we stop for fuel and sandwiches I try hard to give those I pass a smile and a kind word.   I will never see them again but maybe at that moment they need a touch of Jesus.    When we encounter an accident or a person stopped onthe road, I send up a prayer that all will be well.  Again I will never know the outcome of that prayer but I know that God is in control and He willanswer prayer so I can rest in that assurance.  Share a blessing with someone today.   You don't have to know their name to bless them.   Try it.  Better yet, make it a habit!  2 Thessalonians 1:11.  "With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling."

June 24, 2016

My husband and I are still in Colorado but we are winding down our stay.   Yesterday we rode our horses in the Rocky Mountains for seven hours and felt so close to God and his creations.    We saw so many amazing, beautiful things.   God has blessed us with so much beauty on this earth.   But in the midst of the beauty I realize that these mountains can be very dangerous as well.   We have been very careful to carry water when we venture out and always have a map of the trails with us. Last evening a big - mountain size - thunder storm rolled through.   We were back at camp and safe, but those storm s can pop up so easily, with little warning sometimes.   This experience has made me think about life in general.  God has given us so many wonderful things, but if we do not use them in the right way, and pay attention to the dangers, we can lose our way all too quickly.   Peter tells us in Acts 3:19 to "repent then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."  This repentence brings refreshment for our soul as well as the refreshment my husband and I have found in the mountains.    Thanks for that reminder, Peter!