IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS

It seems these days, you only have to look a short distance to find someone who seems to be facing what appears to be an impossible situation.  Impossible, that is, in the eyes of man.

God, however, does not see things as we do.  He sees beyond our circumstances to what He envisioned when He allowed those circumstances into our lives.

One thing God keeps trying to drive into my head is IT IS NOT ABOUT ME.  No, rather it is ALL ABOUT

H I M !!!

We have a good friend who is battling terminal cancer.  Yet his and his wife's attitude is amazing.  Why?  Because they know  that it is all in God's hands, not theirs and not even the doctors.  Yes, they go to the doctor and they are seeking the best medical advice and treatment possible.  But they still understand that ultimately our lives are in His hands. 

I read the blog today of a young family whose young son just had major surgery and is now battling for his life due to an unforseen infection.  They are calling out to God, trusting Him for the outcome.  Is it hard? Absolutely!  But they have known Him long enough to know that He is trustworthy.

How about YOU?  If that were you in either of those situations, would YOU trust God?  Do you know Him well enough to know He is faithful?  Cause I can tell you, if you don't, when YOUR desperate situation comes on the scene of your life, you are going to have a really rough time.  In fact, I wonder how you will even make it .

God teaches us through our daily struggles that He is faithful and He is enough.  Each time we face a crisis of any proportion, He is there.  And when we learn to lean on Him, to wait for Him, to trust that He really does know what He is doing, we are building spiritual muscle.  Then one day, when the totally impossible situation arrives in our lives, we will not wonder, rather we will KNOW that JESUS is big enough!

I read a devotional in the One Year Women's Devotional that spoke so eloquently to this.  The writer, Leighann McCoy wrote about her experience of learning she had colon cancer:


"You might have hoped that God gave me a "word" and that I smiled and quoted it aloud to my medical frieinds.  But that's not what happened.  For fifteen minutes I wept like a baby.

But as soon as my husband and I got in the car, a deep peace rose up in me like the tide rising around a Caribbean island.  The peace that passes all understanding swallowed up my tears.  When peace moved in I didn't know if I would live or die.  I didn't know if the cancer had spread.  I didn't know what tests I would have to take or what appointments I would be making or canceling.

But what I did KNOW put all that I didn't know into its place.  I knew that God was on His throne.  I knew that He was still good and I was still loved.  I knew that Jesus took care of death for me a long time ago on an old rugged cross.  And I knew that He was with me every step of the way."

Friend, if you are facing an impossible situation today, it really does not matter what you DO know, unless you know JESUS.  For He is the only one who can get you through it, no matter what.  I pray that you do know Him and that you KNOW that He can be trusted.  

My friend whose husband is battling cancer said to me that she knew it sounded crazy, but that they had experienced more blessings and seen the faithfulness of God in more things than she could ever have imagined.  Yes, I told her, those are the "treasures of darkness" that God promises us in Isaiah 45:3.  So even when we find ourselves in difficult situation, IMPOSSIBLE situations, we must remember that God is in the midst of those situations and He will work all things for His good!!

OVERWHELMED BY LOVE

"Oh God!   I am SO overwhelmed by your amazing love for me!!!.

Thank you so much for loving me the way you do .

You will never abandon me.

You will never reject me.

You ALWAYS have time for me...even when I have neglected to have time for You.


I will never be too old, too fat, too ugly, too talkative, too quiet, too weird, too nerdy, too eccentric, too troubled, too needy, or too clingy for you.


You always have time to listen, even when I make the same complaints, beg for the same things, or ask forgiveness for the same sins again and again and again.

You always care.

You always say "Come"; never "Come back later, I'm busy" or "Could you hurry it up?" or "Haven't you already been here once today?"


You never turn a deaf ear.


Oh God, no one will ever love me like YOU do!!

How grateful I am for your constant, abiding love.  


It is infinite, immeasurable and unconditional!!


Thank you, O God, the lover of my soul, for loving me!!"


"Hear me, O Lord, for thy lovingkindness is good; turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies and hide not thy face from me"  Psalm 69: 16, 17
















 

GOD NEVER CHANGES

Saw a great sign in front of a neighborhood church this week:

NEW YEAR

SAME GOD

I liked that!  

How thankful I am that I serve a God who NEVER changes.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever more.

Think about that.....

Someone you love may stop loving you....BUT GOD NEVER WILL.

Your finances may change....BUT GOD NEVER WILL.

Your location may change....BUT GOD NEVER WILL.

Someone you trust may betray you....BUT GOD NEVER WILL.

Your circumstances may change....BUT GOD NEVER WILL.

Your health may change....BUT GOD NEVER WILL.

The world situation will change....BUT GOD NEVER WILL.

Politicians will change....BUT GOD NEVER WILL.


"For I am the Lord, I do not change....." Malachi 3:6

I am so glad to know that I can trust my life and my future to a God who never changes.  Aren't you?

"CHANGE AND DECAY ALL AROUND I SEE.  O THOU WHO CHANGEST NOT, ABIDE WITH ME."----Unknown

TIME TO DECLUTTER

I do not know why, but this has been the most difficult CHRISTmas to clean up after ....EVER!!!  I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or because I'm suffering from perpetual brain fog, but I can't seem to stay focused long enough to get anything accomplished.  It took me DAYS to get my den back to normal...something that used to take me at most ONE full day.  Seeing all that clutter and all that disarray really ruined my day. 

Then in the bedroom, all of my CHRISTmas presents got piled to the side of the bed.  It took me over a WEEK to get to them.  UGH!!!

And, last but not least, my office is just indescribable.  Because everything that got collected from the other rooms that needed to be sorted, investigated, filed, etc. got dumped there.  I look around and am just totally overwhelmed, trying to think "Where do I even begin!?"

So when I saw a  post on Facebook this morning from one of my favorite sites, PROVERBS 31 MINISTRIES, it jumped off the page at me.  It was about "Decluttering".  When I read it, I so related.  So I thought I'd just pass it along to you because I think we ALL have some areas of our life that need "decluttering".  Maybe not your house, but maybe some area of your life.  And, as we begin 2012, there is no better time to begin.  So I hope you enjoy!!  I've already signed up to follow her beginning the 9th.  Maybe you will want to join us.

Encouragement for Today

Daily Devotions for Women

January 3, 2012 Living Clutter-free Glynnis Whitwer

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 (NIV 1984)

My friend was desperate. I could hear it in her voice as she talked about her disorganized house. She was disgusted. Her husband was frustrated. Every day was a challenge to get the kids ready, find clean socks and cook dinner.

The chaos in her home was affecting her emotionally. She felt like she was falling apart. Why couldn’t she get it together? she wondered. After all, she was an intelligent, educated woman.

She was also embarrassed. So when I told her I’d love to come over and help, she put me off. It wasn’t a bother at all, I said. Second to finding a litter of kittens needing me to rescue them, I love helping friends organize something. Eventually I wore her down and we set a date.

Walking into her house that morning with a cup of coffee for her in one hand and some boxes to sort things in the other, I immediately realized organization wasn’t her problem. Clutter was. There was no point trying to organize anything. We needed to uncover and reclaim her home.

She wasn’t a hoarder. Life circumstances had converged and overwhelmed her. Plus, the amount of visual mess was draining her energy and causing confusion. She couldn’t identify what to keep and what to let go. And she was afraid to file anything in case she couldn’t find it later … but that wasn’t working either.

I could relate to my friend’s situation. What happened to her happens to most of us at some time. In fact, if she had come by my house a few years before that, she would have seen a very cluttered home. At the time, my husband and I had three little boys. We were outnumbered and I couldn’t keep up with everything.

I’ve discovered that in most loving and lively homes, there is going to be a lot of clutter. It can be a sign of activity, intelligence and curiosity. Books from the library, art projects and magazines speak of minds and hearts that long to explore and create. However, left untended, clutter becomes a prison. And that is where my friend was. She just needed someone to come and help her get out.

Together we were able to quickly sort through stacks and piles. We discarded broken toys and dishes, recycled loads of paper and identified what was important. We didn’t get much “organizing” done that day, but we sure did lighten her load – physically and emotionally. That was just the jumpstart she needed to continue bringing order to her home and life.

My friend did the right thing in sharing her situation. By admitting she needed help, she was able to get unstuck. The clutter had rendered her frozen in indecision, which is what happens quickly. It becomes like a prison, affecting our schedules, finances, homes and sometimes even our relationships. And that is far from the life of freedom God desires for us.

Galatians 1:5 tells us that Christ came to set us free. Free from sin. Free from legalism. Free from judgment. Basically, free from whatever holds us back. Jesus frees us from all this so we are free to live a simple, alert life. A lighter life. One where our minds are clearer, our focus sharper, our priorities evident and lived-out. Truly it’s a life of freedom.

It may seem like a harmless pile of paper, or just a stack of clothes needing mending. In reality every area of clutter in our lives can be a link in a chain, holding us back from freedom. It doesn’t have to be that way. Will you join me today in embracing God’s gift of ordered and clutter-free life? I might not be able to bring you coffee, but you’ve got my support.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your freedom…freely offered in every area of my life. Please show me areas of clutter I have, and ways to clean them up to best serve You and those around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Starting January 9th, Glynnis will be featuring a 15-Day Clutter-FREE Challenge on her blog. She’ll be addressing ways to reduce the clutter in our minds, schedules, offices and homes. If you’d like to join her, visit her blog today for more information.
I Used to Be So Organized by Glynnis Whitwer

NEW BEGINNINGS

2012....a brand, spanking new year!! 

Don't you love new beginnings?!  I do.  A new year is like a fresh start, a "do-over" if you will.  A chance to make some needed changes, re-think our possibilities, take on new challenges, and just plain wipe the slate clean and start fresh.

We used to have an English teacher when I was in high school.  He was a quiet man, very learned and one that did not allow you to get away with anything.  But he was very respected and when he spoke, he was like E. F. Hutton....EVERYONE listened!  Whenever he got ready to give a pop test (in case they don't give those anymore, those are tests you probably were not prepared for, that he just "popped" on you at the last minute, usually with only 2 minutes left in the class) he would say "Now....get out a nice....clean....sheet of paper."  I always think of that when I think of new beginnings. 

Our new year can be like that nice clean sheet of paper.  No blemishes.  No bad marks. 

God is the God of new beginnings.  He loves to wipe our slates clean and give us clean ones to try again.  He is all about forgetting the past and looking toward the future. 


"Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old.  Behold I will do a new thing..." Is 43: 18, 19

"but this one thing I do...forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which lie ahead I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Jesus Christ." Phil. 3: 13, 14

"Put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."  Ephesians 4: 22, 23

Today as we embark upon a new year, may we lay aside all that hindered us and weighed us down in 2011 and begin anew today.  May we not hold on to past hurts, past grudges, past failures, but may we LET THEM ALL GO and move forward, trusting God to light our way so that HIS light might shine through us to all of those around us.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

NO OTHER FRIEND....

I have been blessed over the years to have many precious friends.  Each brings something special to my life.  I have friends that have lasted through the ages...we have a shared history.  We have shared the highs and lows together.  I have friends that I've only known for a short time, but have become so dear to me that I can't imagine my life without them.  Friends add so much joy to life.  They adorn our lives, giving it rich color and they add sparkle to dreary days.

Many friends come and go as our lives and circumstances change, distance separates or they were meant only for a season. 

Yet friends are only human.  Their capacity to love and give and care is limited.  Their ability to share your burdens can be compromised by their own problems, time constaints or simply friend fatigue.  

But there is one friend who will NEVER leave you or forsake you....JESUS.  His love is limitless!  His shoulders are broad and He invites us to give Him all of our troubles.

Yes, no one cares for me like JESUS.

As the song writer penned "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear.  What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer."

When friends grow weary of our tears and our burdens are too heavy to carry any longer, He is there.  All of our burdens He will bear. 

He will walk with me through the darkness, my candle He will be. 

He thinks about me constantly.  He never forgets me.  He is never too busy.  His door is always open.  In fact, He yearns to spend time with me.  He wants me to pour my heart out to Him, even if I've already told him 100 times already.  He never grows weary of my coming.

Take my hand, Jesus.  Walk with me today.  Whisper your love to me.  Calm my fears.  Wipe away all the tears.  Plant YOUR joy in my heart.  Fill me with your peace.  Chase away all the fearful thoughts.  Reassure me you are in control and all is well.  Walk with me Jesus and hold my hand.  Never let me go.  Til my time on earth is done and my heart beats its last, then open the gates to Heaven and walk me through the door where I will FINALLY be home with You for all eternity.

GOD IS IN THE LITTLE THINGS

"So I will praise you as long as I live; at Your name, I will lift up my hands.  You satisfy me AS WITH RICH FOOD; my mouth will praise you with joyful lips." Psalm 63: 4,5.

I call this my TRUFFLES verse.  I can't think of any richer food than truffles and the psalmist declares in this verse that is how God satisfies me "as with [truffles]".  Now how sweet is that?!! (No pun intended)

Yes, God satisfies me with so many truffles, sweet little things that are just blessings many would never notice.

Let me share just a few from the last few days.

Thursday I was getting ready to leave for Bible study and I reached for my white jacket.  It was not in my closet nor was it in the coat closet.  Puzzled, but no time for searching, I got in the car with a quick glance over my shoulder to be sure it was not in the backseat and headed off to church.  Bible study.  A lunch meeting.  Then waiting to meet with our women's director while I casually chatted with a friend.  I had not mentioned the missing jacket to anyone.  As we are standing there talking, in walks a gentleman who works in the kitchen.  Guess what he was carrying?  You guessed it!  My white jacket, neatly hung on a hangar!!  He had come to ask my friend who works at the church if she knew who it belonged to.  She had no clue.  But I was astounded to see MY jacket in HIS hands!!  He had no idea it was mine!  So totally a God thing!!  And how sweet of God (one of those "truffles",don't you see) to have it hand delivered to me even on a hangar!!

Today I had planned to attend a writing retreat.  I have had it on my calendar for months.  But today I was SO tired, had so much that needed to be done at home, so many other things I could be doing that I almost talked myself out of going.  Yet I sensed that I was supposed to go.  I knew no one who was going, which also made it a little less appealing.  Still, I decided I needed to go. 

I headed off to Bartlett with my Mapquest map in hand.  Somehow though it did not jive with the road signs and I took several wrong turns before finally locating the church.  Oddly, we were meeting at an outdoor sanctuary for opening worship.  I couldn't quite feature that and was not overly excited at the prospect.  (Like I said, I was tired).  But oh did God have a treat (aka "truffle") waiting for me.

Out from the parking lot of this church was a gravel path that led to a wooded area at the rear of their property.  As you walked through the gate, you walked into an open area surrounded by trees... a perfect sanctuary in the woods!  At the front was a large wooden cross.  To the side was a stone fire pit which was burning to chase away the chill and to the right of that was a stone pulpit.  The area was even equipped with a sound system and lights for use at night! 

As we sat in that little piece of Heaven, tucked away beyond a concrete parking lot, the musicians played worship songs and we sang praises to Him.  A gentle breeze blew through the trees as a shower of golden leaves fluttered about, drifting ever so quietly to the ground.  Such a peaceful place.  Such a respite from a busy, hectic week.  I knew I was where I was supposed to be.  Praise God I had not turned a deaf ear and chosen to stay home to do laundry. 

After the  music, a young woman came to speak on Psalm 103.  I love the book of Psalms so she definitely had a captive audience with me.  She was a great communicator and God blessed again as she spoke, reminding me that I am a beloved daughter of the King and He desires to give me the desires of my heart.  Another truffle for the day.

Inside we made our way to tables to begin the "learning" part of the day.  A woman approached my table and said "Don't I know you?"  Her face did look very familiar and we soon realized that she had been in one of the Bible studies I had led a while back.  She joined me at my table and we had a great time together, both sharing our love for writing and later, sharing our joys over being grandmothers.  What a sweet time we had!!  I was so thankful that God had brought her across my path again.  I have a feeling that we will be keeping in touch in the future, and I look forward to getting to know this sweet sister in Christ even more.

Later in the day, we switched tables.  Here I met an older woman who teaches at the University of Memphis.  She had spent most of her life writing professionally in line with her career, but now is enjoying writing children's books.  Her latest project is writing about tea parties for little girls.  Are you ready for this?  My oldest granddaughter LOVES tea parties and I'm hoping my youngest will, too, in another year or so.  She told me all about her plans for this delightful series of books which will be designed for little girls to teach them in a fun way about manners, social graces and being feminine.  How sweet of the Lord to introduce me to this dear lady.  She has taken my information with a promise to email me as soon as they go to print. 

Yes, I truly believe that God is in the little things.  The seemingly insignificant things of life.  But nothing is insignificant when lovingly handed to us by our great and gracious God.  I am so thankful for the way He touches my life, handing me truffles on an ordinary Saturday morning for no other reason than the fact that He loves me so!!

Have you had any truffles today?