Morning Run: My Alone Time with God

Lately the events in my life have become
 M-A-J-O-R! Yesterday on facebook I posted a status that said,

"I have experienced it firsthand--if you are obedient to God, He will rain blessings on you. For this, I am so thankful for!"

And it is so true. As I discover my walk with Christ, it is so much easier if I follow His direction. I have been doing that. I pray to hear His voice. I pray that I am sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I pray for wisdom and it all seems to be what is best for me.

I decided to get back on the running bandwagon. I actually do love it--although in high school I couldn't run anything over a 400m or I would feel like I was dying. (I was a typical teenage drama queen!) But when I run, it's my alone time with God. Honestly I'll share with you later my testimony but needless to say it had a lot to do with running. So it's like I'm re-igniting an old flame. This morning I woke up at 6:00am and ran 4 miles. It's difficult for this old body to exert so much energy but when I'm finished, it is the best feeling in the world. There is nothing better than the sound of my feet hitting the pavement and my thoughts running wild. At the end of my run, my once jumbled thoughts are aligned, my questions are answered, and I sit back and watch what God has planed for me that day. But the highlight of my run is seeing the sunrise because I feel God's Spirit on the earth.

What are some of the ways you spend alone with God?

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday. In the beginning, I thought why is it called Good Friday? Then I realized that today is such an important day that marks His love for us. He died on this day. We remember the sacrifice He made for us. We no longer have to sacrifice animals to cover up our sins. He fulfilled His promise to us. "He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) The list goes on an on and that is why it is good. I am thankful for all the promises He has kept and His love for me.

I found this incredible video about His crucifixion and a talented sand artist. I hope you enjoy your day and remember all that He did for us.

Have a Good Friday!

Rejoice in Today

Upon waking up this cold and snowy morning, I thanked God for today. I am well aware that none of the situations were resolved last night and that's okay with me because it's not my timing, it's God's timing. I also thanked Him for giving me another day/opportunity to live this life and to fulfill His plans. I look around and give thanks for all that I have and even the things that I don't currently have. I look at all the love I have not only with my family and friends but also the many pets that sleep with us and I am very thankful for all of them. 

As I was driving to work, I couldn't help but smile when the sun is in my eyes because there are many days that I don't get to see it and feel its warmth. I am glad that God is full of grace and mercy because every time I make a mistake (which is a lot) I know that He's there ready to forgive me of it, once I ask for it. I am learning that just because one part of my life may be heading south doesn't mean the rest of my life is. So be glad in the good things in life, and most importantly be glad in the bad things in life because that's God's way of helping us grow and shaping us to be the person we are supposed to be!

Wednesday Devotional

Lately, I've been experiencing God working in my life....tremendously. He's definitely moving and making things happen. On the other hand, I can't help but notice some people taking for granted all the blessings they have been given and not very appreciative of all they have.

This is always a touchy subject because I don't want to come off as nagging. So I turn to prayer. I pray that the Holy Spirit will enter them and change their heart so they can see the world differently. I pray that they can be thankful for all the little things in life. I pray that they would see the big picture and want to change their entire outlook. This would be a huge undertaking for any given person--but not for God. So I sit back and be patient.

I am leaving you with a wonderful devotion to help clear up any complaints. Because yes I've been there and seen it all. Even the shelters and the soup kitchens.

Mumbles and Murmurs

"There are inveterate murmurers who complain, going after their own desires." Jude 1:16

Sometimes it seems the whole world is complaining. There is so much grumbling and murmuring and so little gratitude and appreciation. People complain about their job and their boss when they should be thankful to have regular work and appreciate the fact they are not living in a shelter for the homeless or standing in a soup line. Many people would be thrilled to have that job, despite its imperfections. They would be more than willing to put up with a not-so-perfect boss in order to have a regular income, live in their own home, and cook their own food.

Maybe you need a better paying job or perhaps you have a boss who treats you unfairly. That is unfortunate, but the way out is not through complaining. Give God thanks tonight for every blessing He has given you.

Tuesday Devotional

This weekend was a whirlwind. Without getting into too many details, my husband and I had to exercise our parental rights and discipline his child that was in no way acting God-honoring. I am so very thankful that God gave us the wisdom to handle the situation and hopefully time will tell if the situation has been corrected and we can slowly rebuild the trust again. I can't help but think how many other Christian families are struggling raising their teenage children when God has been absent for a majority of their lives. I was never raised with God in my home and my step-child has been 13 years without it.

Here's the silver lining: We didn't have to do much but stand our ground, listen to God, and work as a team. Despite the negative situation, God was moving so much that weekend. I saw it, my husband saw it, and most of all his child saw it. God definitely convicted her of her bad decisions and I'm so thankful to have witnessed it. Believe it or not, it has made our marriage stronger and my husband has really stepped up being the spiritual leader in our house. I can only praise God for that and I'm so proud of my husband for doing so.

I plan on making a copy of this and taping it her room so she can be reminded that we may not be there to always push her to make right decisions, you have to ability to choose for yourself and when in doubt, ask God.

A Heart of Flesh

"I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 11:19

God puts a sense of right and wrong deep within your conscience, but if you rebel too many times, you can become hard-hearted. If that happens, you need to let Him soften your heart so you can be sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

The only way to develop a heart of flesh is to spend time with God. You must be in His presence on a regular basis to hear what He is saying. God often speak gently, and those who are busy doing their own thing will not hear His still, small voice. Tonight as you spend time in the Lord's presence, ask Him to soften your heart so you can receive His direction at all times.

Tuesday Devotional

Listen for God's Voice

"And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it...." Isaiah 30:21

Most of the time, God does not speak to  us in an audible voice, we hear Him in our hearts. Sometimes He speaks by reminding us of a truth or principle from His word; sometimes He gives us thoughts or ideas we would not have had on our own; sometimes we simply have a strong sense of knowing what to do. We need to quiet all the noise in our lives and become sensitive to God's still, small voice. We need to choose to listen to God because he will speak to us.

God does not only speak in the urgent or important matter of life. He also guides us in the most seeming insignificant situations. I was on my way home one day and intended to stop and get a cup of coffee, when I had a strong impression that I should call my secretary and see if she wanted a cup, too. When I called, she said, "I was just standing here thinking, I would love a good cup of coffee right now." You see, God wanted to give her the desire of her heart, and He wanted to work through me. I did  not hear a loud voice or see an angel, nor did I have a vision; I simply had an inner sensing that I should offer her a cup of coffee. As a result, we both experienced great joy in knowing God cares about the smallest details of our lives.

Quite often we ignore little things like this. The more we do, the harder it is to develop sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. If someone is on your heart, I encourage you to pray for that person or call him or her and say, "I was just thinking of you." You never know how a seemingly small thing like a phone call can alter a person's day or maybe even change someone's life. Let me encourage you today to keep your heart sensitive to God's voice. He will speak to your heart and lead you in the way you should go.

Trust in Him: Remember this; each time we disobey God, it becomes more difficult to hear Him the next time He speaks; but every time we trust Him, it gets easier to hear and be led by His Spirit. What is God saying to you today?

Being Content with What You Have

This past weekend I started to look at my home and all the things in it from an entirely different perspective. I used to always look at my home and wish I had better decorating abilities. Fancier furniture. Prettier appliances. Then it went even further and wishing I had better clothes in my closet. I recalled Luke 16:10  “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

That’s when a light bulb went off. I have been blessed with my home and all the things in it. Do I really take care of my home? Do I have too much stuff in it that makes it harder to keep clean? Why ask God for something better if I don’t take care of what I have? That was my weekend revelation.

God is so amazing in helping me understand His principles. The hardest thing for me is to act on them. Next is to explain to my family why we don’t need this stuff. The irony of this entire revelation is my house is looking more and more beautiful, with less stuff in it. And as a bonus, the people at the local Care and Share are getting some things to help people in need.

So today's question.....are you content with what you have? Are you taking good care of what God has given you? I know I need to take take care of my body better but that's an entirely different post.

What an incredible God we serve!

You Want to be Blessed?

“You want to be blessed….give yourself to being a blessing.” Those are true words spoken by Allen Jackson of World Outreach Church (God Perspectives, Jan. 6 2013). In what ways can you honestly say that you are a blessing to others? I know that in the beginning, I was so selfish and it’s hard not to be—we are born that way. It’s the power of the Holy Spirit that will break down our selfish walls and be a joy and a light for others to see.

I actually enjoy helping others but I’m the first to admit that I don’t do it as often as I should—let me rephrase. I don’t help as many strangers as I should. I always try to be a blessing for my family and friends, but to complete strangers that may be having a bad day….I don’t do it as much as I should.  My goal is not to guilt trip. My goal is to make people aware (myself included ) that it’s not always about me or my feelings.  It’s about helping others and spreading the love. The love of Jesus Christ.

Today’s self-assignment: be a blessing to someone today. You never know the impact of what one small thing can do.