Experiencing a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day service this year I think that the word that rings prominent is HOPE! I have to remain strong and continue to understand that I have to please Him and not others around me. That my hope has to be in Him. 2000 years ago there was a sweet baby boy who was brought to earth in a very hopeless situation. There was no place for his family to stay in their emergency situation. The only place provided was a stable. A stable with a feeding trough for a bed. Don't know about you but if I was giving birth I think that I would feel hopeless if I had to go through that process in a barn.
But give thought to it all. God knew exactly what he was doing. He had all the time in the world to choose where and when, and he choose to have the Messiah brought into our world at a very hopeless time to Mary and Joseph. Just as I heard yesterday at a service he brought hope to our world on a day when they felt no hope. We can learn from that. In our times of despair and confusion there is hope for tomorrow. We don't know where our next day will take us. We don't know what situations will arise, but live in the daily remainder that there is Hope.
We all know Jeremiah 29:11, which should bring hope to our lives. "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper your life and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future".
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Checking off that list...
"Are you now trying to give God a to do list?".. This is a question that I was asked this morning. I was taken aback because in all actuality that is in fact what I was doing. I was thinking that there were things that I wanted Him to do or things that I thought He should do.
Do you find yourself being overwhelmed with list during the holidays? You have to be here, you have to be there and your list becomes longer and longer. We make lists that have lists inside of them and then one by one we cross off the things that we complete. We don't always get everything done do we? Somethings take more time than others. I think that is how God works. There are things that He wants to cross off, but he just isn't done. He has more plans for where he wants us to be spiritually. Therefore He isn't ready to cross off that thing yet. He knows the plans for our lives way before we do. He isn't here to harm us, but he doesn't promise that it will be an easy drive either. There are nice Sunday drives, then there are flat out slamming on the brake days.
So I have learned in the Sunday drives that I am to be thankful, but also when the brakes are slamming we have to be thankful. Our Daddy knows what he is doing and he loves us more than we can ever imagine.
So in our pain today friends that we are experiencing we have to be thankful and not have a to-do list for Him. He has his own to-do list and in his timing he will cross off those things, whether it brings pain or happiness. We are all made in a manner that is amazing to Him. He knows us and knows our pain and it breaks his heart also. So try to rest in the pain, if at all possible. Try to look for the smiles, try to find the peace in it.
From a Dear friend today:
"God never said all your experiences would be good. These include the experiences of pain and failure, along with spiritual, religious and victorious experiences. God can and does hit some straight licks with crooked sticks." - Unknown...and awesome.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts
Do you find yourself being overwhelmed with list during the holidays? You have to be here, you have to be there and your list becomes longer and longer. We make lists that have lists inside of them and then one by one we cross off the things that we complete. We don't always get everything done do we? Somethings take more time than others. I think that is how God works. There are things that He wants to cross off, but he just isn't done. He has more plans for where he wants us to be spiritually. Therefore He isn't ready to cross off that thing yet. He knows the plans for our lives way before we do. He isn't here to harm us, but he doesn't promise that it will be an easy drive either. There are nice Sunday drives, then there are flat out slamming on the brake days.
So I have learned in the Sunday drives that I am to be thankful, but also when the brakes are slamming we have to be thankful. Our Daddy knows what he is doing and he loves us more than we can ever imagine.
So in our pain today friends that we are experiencing we have to be thankful and not have a to-do list for Him. He has his own to-do list and in his timing he will cross off those things, whether it brings pain or happiness. We are all made in a manner that is amazing to Him. He knows us and knows our pain and it breaks his heart also. So try to rest in the pain, if at all possible. Try to look for the smiles, try to find the peace in it.
From a Dear friend today:
"God never said all your experiences would be good. These include the experiences of pain and failure, along with spiritual, religious and victorious experiences. God can and does hit some straight licks with crooked sticks." - Unknown...and awesome.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts
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