The Expectations Of Faith

"True faith is never found alone; it is always accompanied by expectation. The man who believes the promises of God expects to see them fulfilled. Where there is no expectation there is no faith."  -Tozer

I'm a coffee drinker... a serious coffee drinker. I wake up in faith expecting to get my coffee brewing.The other morning my coffee maker died- a sad ordeal for me.  All of us wake up with expectations. My little Evan and Aaron expect some snuggle time while the older children expect breakfast. We get up and dressed to start our day expecting to accomplish a slew of projects we've jotted down in our day planner. We jump into our vehicle turning the key expecting the motor to turn over and the engine to start purring...and off we go!  Basic 'life' stuff here!

There are expectations in relationships- honesty, unconditional love, respect and understanding to name a few. These hold true for our marriages, friendships and with our children. The expectations of parenting are so deeply rooted in faith. 'Wherein doth thou faith lie?' you ask. It lies in believing that what we have set out to do in love will reap something positive... we believe in faith that all the efforts we have put into raising these children will not be in vain. This is what motivates us to keep pressing on even when it seems like... like it's just going nowhere. We have faith that someday they will mature to the point of understanding parents are humans with limitations... we make mistakes... say things we regret... but despite all of this...we love them with every ounce of our being...

 Are my expectations realistic?  Do they fit in with the purpose that the Lord has for my life and my children's? Do I have the faith in Him to trust that He will care for me and them no matter what the storms of life deal us?

I hardly felt I had anything to add to this quote, yet my heart was flooded with this feeling that I knew it had to be shared here...  May you expect your faith to be fulfilled through your expectations of a faithful Father....

...my faith looks up to Thee,
Until next time,
Jean

   

Unconditional Love

I saw a man die tonight.  I was on my way to the writer's workshop I've been taking and I witnessed a car drive right into the back of a semi... He died shortly after the collision.  I was about to pull out behind that semi, but as I looked at the oncoming traffic the car seemed to be moving at a very high speed... I chose to wait.  As the car passed by me I thought, "Surely he is going to slow down!   Is there a passing lane on the other side of the semi I'm just not seeing?" Smash! Glass everywhere... fire.... I got out and immediately called 911... neighbors came with fire extinguisher... they told him to hold on, help was coming... he was crushed, head hung... grey hair, big fellow...
Siren's and lights coming in the distance... I can't believe this is happening... a different decision and I would have been right there in the midst of the glass...and death...

What is unconditional love? I've thought a lot about this the last while...Do I love only when things are being done to my specifications? Do I withhold love when disobedience or rebellion rise up against me? Spouse, children, friends... do I treat them differently?  When I think about conditional love and how I expect it to be given to me, I wonder if I 'do unto others'...

Tonight someone got a phone call... a most dreaded phone call... Were angry words left undone, or will this sudden good bye bring pain yet not regret of hurts neglected?  If we were to be taken suddenly, would we leave pain to a loved one or mostly happy memories?  None of us have an assurance for tomorrow. That man didn't wake this morning thinking he would not slip back into bed tonight... but he's not. We don't know when our time will come and not everyone will be given the opportunity to make wrongs right.

Lets take this day and realize what really matters and why...
Until next time,
Jean

     

Tomorrow...

The other night when I was tucking Evan into bed he asked another one of his so sweet & innocent questions... "Mommy, is it tomorrow?"... I smile and put my hand on his cheek and tell him, "No Ev an, it's today, but when you wake up in the morning it will be tomorrow."  "Oh! Good, I can't wait then!"  And that was that and he snuggled in close and fell asleep. I just had to think, "I wonder if he'll ask me in the morning if it's tomorrow!"  At the ripe ole age of five, Evan has no concept that tomorrow will be today tomorrow and today will be yesterday tomorrow.

Isn't that the way it is though? Time ticks on day after day and where are we going? Evan had big plans for 'tomorrow' as he drifted off to sleep... dreams of setting up his play farm in his make believe pasture... dreams of building a snowman with big brother Kyle... dreams of spaghetti for lunch... We all have dreams and hopes... not only for ourselves but for our children. What are we doing to make those dreams come to fruition... hopes, dreams, inspirations... they are the well spring of our lives... they keep us looking into tomorrow with that continual 'hope'. That's what it really boils down to... hope which in turn needs faith...

"Life is a highway on which the years go by, sometimes the road is level, sometimes the hills are high. But as we travel onward to a future that's unkonw, we can make each mile we travel a heavenly stepping stone!"  Helen Steiner Rice

Until next time,
Jean

Attitude With Gratitude

"Simple gratitude helps us experience God at work in every moment of every day." Harriet Crosby

We have so much to be thankful for in our lives... most of us have very little that we 'want' for ... 
With an attitude of gratitude we can look on in faith and not allow the distractions in life to move us... We can remain grounded in Him and trust that each wave that wants to crash over the joy cannot move us because we stand on the Rock.  With the Lord carrying us through we can be thankful for not only the good days but be joy filled when trials come as well.

Today being a day that is set aside to give thanks, what do we think of? As I ponder on this I thought it would be enlightening to make a list...

I am thankful for...
My Lord and the salvation that He has provided for me through His shed blood on Calvary...
That salvation through grace was available to a wretch like me...
That no matter how many times I fail in my daily life, I can turn to Him with a repentant heart and know that He is there for me with open arms... 
That my God forgets...

I am thankful for my family...
For the smiles that greet me each morning...
For the cuddles and the hugs from the little ones...
For the 'thanks' and 'I love you too' from the older ones...
For the love and the laughter we share...
For shared dreams and desires... and the tears that are given me with shared inner fears...
For the "I prayed mom..." from those young tender hearts...

Oh that my life would be one that shows all those around me a thankful heart... A heart that is an out pouring of His perfect love in every situation... An example to my children that no matter what He is there for them...

"That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works." Psalm 26:7

Until next time,
Jean

Dragonflies and Garden Wrens...

"Faith is knowing there is an ocean because there is a brook." William Arthur Ward

My favorite insect is the Dragonfly and my favorite bird is a Garden Wren...  and God knows that.  I believe that He will let us know He is there with us by showing us Himself in things that might not mean anything to anyone else, yet speak clearly to each individual. I always say how faithful the Lord is and I mean it from the bottom of my heart...

I had mentioned several posts ago about the dragonflies I saw at market... the seven mating pairs... for several more Saturday's there were always several of them right behind our booth simply hovering about...well those were not the only sitings... All summer long where ever I was, in the backyard, the field, front garden or where ever, there was always a dragonfly flitting about...
Here are a few of the more special ones.
~ We took the children up to Houghton Lake over Fourth of July and as we were out on the pontoon one came right into the boat and landed on my lap... it stayed with us for some time, even climbing on mine and Ryan's fingers...
~Neil & I were on the freeway in Ohio stuck totally in a traffic jam and there all of sudden was this big, beautiful dragonfly just hovering over the center, grassy median right beside our car...

Well last week as I was on the phone with one of my dear friends, I was standing looking out the dining room window and all of a sudden a little Garden Wren landed right on the porch railing.  Now for you bird enthusiasts you know that wrens like wooded areas and don't really come about like that... Yes there are lots of woods across the road... about a quarter mile and behind us about half a mile... but not in my yard. You see the dragonflies are gone now with the cold weather... God knows that too...

I don't think God is in either the dragonfly or the wren, but I do believe they are His creatures that He created and He can have them do His will... I also believe that He will show me He is with me in little reminders like these... not common situations at all, but quite the contrary... He will show me He is with me in ways that I will know in my heart... He will show me He cares about me by bringing little things that bring a smile because He loves me... He reminds me of His presence in ways that I cannot mistake for anything else...

 

As I seek Him, He will find me...  As you seek Him, He will find you...
Until next time,
Jean
 
    

Bluebirds in Fall...

The other day as we were getting ready for market I noticed what looked like a Eastern Bluebird flying around the front garden. I thought surely not, not in the fall... but sure enough there were not one but two~ a pair I imagine! They were going over to the bird house that was meant for them, but get bullied out of each Spring by the sparrows... and again they were being harassed by them. They must have been migrating South and happened by our yard for a rest and bite to eat... either way, it was extremely special to me on such a busy day.  As I stopped to watch them for awhile, they were busily in the garden looking for bugs along with the Gold Finches eating sunflower seeds with the Blue Jays... it was really enchanting... a bit later the Bluebirds, Gold Finches and Sparrows were all bathing and drinking out of the same puddle in the drive way... we got rain all night! I thought about how nicely they were all getting along now compared to earlier with the bird house.  I think the difference was there is just one bird house compared to multiple puddles... (or 'muddles' as Evan calls them)... and food opportunities.   We can be a bit like that too, can't we? 

Everything is going along just fine, we're all getting along famously and then...  There are two friends competing for the same job position... or a family member just got another new car~ (the third in four years) while we drive the same old one we've had for the last eight years... or the neighbor just got a new roof and windows when ours are leaking and drafty... fill in your situation here...  We all can because we are all human and have wants and desires and dreams... we also have needs that sometimes we may not feel are being quite met accordingly by friend, family member or spouse...

What it all boils down to is vanity though... what we want that is.  Sometimes we just have to let go of the wants and understand that if we can't be content with the situation at present, we probably won't be content with the situation we think we want.  That's the way want's go... 'much want's more'.
As we trust Him with our life and allow Him to determine our path the consequences are sure to fit just right... that is with His perfect plan for us...

"The only way I will keep a pliable, obedient spirit in the larger decisions is to look to Him and to obey in the smaller ones."  Catherine Marshall

Until next time,
Jean

     

God's Tears

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there  be any more pain;..." Revelation 21:4a

When I was little I always believed that when it rained it was God crying because of the bad things that happened on the earth... then His tears would water everything thereby having purpose....  it's a sweet, childish notion.  I don't know that God cries, but I believe he sorrows for His lost children. 

As parents we take great care in teaching our children about not wandering away from us and getting lost. If you have children of your own or have ever been a care giver you know exactly what I am talking about...

A couple years ago Neil and the boys were at market when Neil found himself looking for Ethan, then eleven years old and couldn't find him.  After about a half hour of desperate searching for him by many vendors, our market master and Neil, Ethan couldn't be found.  To say the least Neil felt hopeless as did all of our market vendor friends.  The decision was made to call the police... a sicking feeling to say the least.  After a bit more time creeped by, Ethan was found... he was in the Ace Hardware store right across from the market looking at tools... Of course, where else would our mechanic be?  Neil didn't call me during this episode but waited to tell me when he got home.  I looked at my son and thought how thankful I was to be able to look into his deep blue eyes... I just cried at the thought of never seeing him again... the thought of wondering where he was... My mind raced at 'what could of happened'. I just hugged him and cried... Neil said he had grabbed hold of him and just cried too when he was found. Ethan had no idea what fear and grief Neil felt when he had thought that our son was lost ... the emotions that went through his mind thinking about telling me... Ethan had no idea the relief that was felt when he was found.

To loose a child would be heart wrenching... I realize there are folks out there that don't get that feeling of relief and thankfulness when a lost child is found. There are folks out there that have lost a child in accidents, kidnapping and worse.  My mother heart can't imagine that pain...

God is our Heavenly Father and He loves us like that... a love indescribable... a love so great that He sent His only son to die for us... He has so many lost children out there that His heart is aching over... If you are lost, He is there waiting with out stretched arms... fly into them now.

Until next time,
Jean






     

Heart Conditions...

“And I will give you an heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

Charles Spurgeon is such an inspiration to me.  I love reading his devotions and sharing them with my readers when I feel led.  This was one of my devotion's  yesterday and I just had to share.  Gods word talks about when we are so distressed and know not what to pray, that the Holy Spirit will intercede with moaning's... our Heavenly Father knows our every need and He is there each day as we seek Him...
I pray you will be as blessed by this as I...

"A heart of flesh is known by its tenderness concerning sin. To have indulged a foul imagination, or to have allowed a wild desire to tarry even for a moment, is quite enough to make a heart of flesh grieve before the Lord. The heart of stone calls a great iniquity nothing, but not so the heart of flesh.

“If to the right or left I stray,
That moment, Lord, reprove;
And let me weep my life away,
For having grieved thy love”

The heart of flesh is tender of God’s will. My Lord Will-be-will is a great blusterer, and it is hard to subject him to God’s will; but when the heart of flesh is given, the will quivers like an aspen leaf in every breath of heaven, and bows like an osier in every breeze of God’s Spirit.

The natural will is cold, hard iron, which is not to be hammered into form, but the renewed will, like molten metal, is soon molded by the hand of grace. In the fleshy heart there is a tenderness of the affections. The hard heart does not love the Redeemer, but the renewed heart burns with affection towards him. The hard heart is selfish and coldly demands, “Why should I weep for sin? Why should I love the Lord?” But the heart of flesh says; “Lord, thou knowest that I love thee; help me to love thee more!”

Many are the privileges of this renewed heart; “‘Tis here the Spirit dwells, ‘tis here that Jesus rests.” It is fitted to receive every spiritual blessing, and every blessing comes to it. It is prepared to yield every heavenly fruit to the honor and praise of God, and therefore the Lord delights in it. A tender heart is the best defense against sin, and the best preparation for heaven. A renewed heart stands on its watchtower looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus. Have you this heart of flesh?"
                                 Charles Spurgeon

Until next time,
Jean

God made man...

"God made man in His own image and He keeps the longing after eternity and a desire after everlasting life there within the hearts of men."  Tozer 

I have always believed that people are in a constant inner battle... one where their soul and flesh are ever struggling against one another. The soul has a constant yearning to go back to Heaven from which it came while the flesh loves to indulge in the things of the world. 

When I read the above mentioned quote in one of my devotions I immediately thought about this... As parents we strive to teach our children right from wrong... we try to keep them out of harms way... we try to protect them from the dangers all around... we try to teach them to obey and be kind... we work at all these life lessons for a multitude of years until one day they go out into the world on their own.  Then we stand back and watch... what decisions will they make when mom and dad are not their telling them what they may and may not do? I believe that a child's heart want's to please it's father and mother and be obedient, but it's flesh wants what it wants... and so starts life's battle at such a young age.  As we grow older and realize our need for a Saviour we still have this battle... now it is us who earnestly longs to obey our Heavenly Father, but our flesh want's what it wants... hence the spiritual battle. 

In another recent devotion this statement was made,  "God created man with a God shaped void, and only God can fill that void."  Once we have experienced this feeling of the Holy Spirit filling it is such a complete and peaceful lifting of ones soul... words cannot describe.  Yet the spiritual battle rages on and we must strive to reach that Heavenly goal until one day we shall hear, "Well done my faithful servant, enter in..."

May we fight on victoriously,
Until next time,
Jean



   

God walking in the garden...

“The voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.”  Gen. 3:8

I was doing my devotions last evening before bed and this was what the Lord gave to me... He is so faithful and always knows just what I need... He knows each of our hearts... better than we ourselves... He has a goal for my life and for yours...

"My soul, now that the cool of the day has come, retire awhile and hearken to the voice of thy God. He is always ready to speak with thee when thou art prepared to hear. If there be any slowness to commune it is not on his part, but altogether on thine own, for he stands at the door and knocks, and if his people will but open he rejoices to enter. But in what state is my heart, which is my Lord’s garden? May I venture to hope that it is well trimmed and watered, and is bringing forth fruit fit for him? If not, he will have much to reprove, but still I pray him to come unto me, for nothing can so certainly bring my heart into a right condition as the presence of the Sun of Righteousness, who brings healing in his wings. Come, therefore, O Lord, my God, my soul invites thee earnestly, and waits for thee eagerly. Come to me, O Jesus, my well-beloved, and plant fresh flowers in my garden, such as I see blooming in such perfection in thy matchless character! Come, O my Father, who art the Husbandman, and deal with me in thy tenderness and prudence! Come, O Holy Spirit, and bedew my whole nature, as the herbs are now moistened with the evening dews. O that God would speak to me. Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth! O that he would walk with me; I am ready to give up my whole heart and mind to him, and every other thought is hushed. I am only asking what he delights to give. I am sure that he will condescend to have fellowship with me, for he has given me his Holy Spirit to abide with me for ever. Sweet is the cool twilight, when every star seems like the eye of heaven, and the cool wind is as the breath of celestial love. My Father, my elder Brother, my sweet Comforter, speak now in lovingkindness, for thou hast opened mine ear and I am not rebellious." Charles Spurgeon

If ever man's words spoke my heart's longing these are them...Be blessed
Until next time,
Jean
    

"A soft answer turneth away wrath..."

How I wish I could incorporate this into my life as much as I would like too... because it really does work.  I have been on both ends... an angry answer as well as a soft answer... and I can honestly say the later works better.  Some people hurt others with words, others with a silent treatment while others use hateful tactics to defame others... which ever, they are all wrong.  How do we practice a loving and tender way to others when they hurt us?  How do we turn the other cheek when we want to hit back?  How do we give them our coat when they already took our cloak?  These principles are taught in the New Testament by Jesus and they are a basic guild to help us love our enemies... whether they be a total stranger, the neighbor or a family member... we must love as Christ loved. The Christian walk is a daily trial... one that is filled with testings along with peaceful walks in the valley... it is a constant growing and maturing. We are children of the Heavenly King, and we need to act as such... even when it is really hard. 

But what about when we fail and fall flat on our faces... what about when we do the things we try so hard to not do... what about when we have done our best but it just isn't good enough...

We need to look up... He will lift us back to our feet as we cry out, "Abba Father..." He will wipe the tears away... He will say, "Let's keep pressing on together, I am by your side..." 

As the song goes, 'Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey..."
Until next time,
Jean
       

What a beautiful day

"This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.." Psalms 118:24
What a beautiful day... I love summer!  Honestly though I can't believe we are already to coming to the end of June... where does the time go?  Soon we will be looking at the beautiful colors that Autumn will bring and then for me the dreaded snow of winter.  But let's not focus on that... I am in my summer and I am happy to be here.
There are a lot of things to get us down in the dumps... but there is so much more if we only take the time to look that will bring joy into every day... Right now I hear the birds chirping away... saying 'good morning' to all who will listen... the sun is shining... the sky is blue... there is a gentle breeze that is making  the tops of all the plants flutter about... and then there is the quiet all around... a simple quiet that allows my thoughts to focus on higher things... thoughts of all I have to be thankful for...
A cheery thought...
"You are never alone... there's truly nothing we need know if we have faith wherever we go.  God will be there to help us bear our disappointments, pain, and care, for He is our Shepherd, our Father, our Guide.  You're never alone with the Lord at your side."   Helen Steiner Rice
Until next time,
Jean

Our Speech...

... is a true reflection of our hearts... the Bible says it is, so it is.

As I reflected on this, I thought deep and hard and sought the Lord and wisdom for myself... for as I have mentioned this is my weakness.  Each day I long for the Lord to 'keep a guard over my mouth...'  Each day I strive to think before I speak... He is faithful even when I am not. 

As I pondered I thought about the truth in this... often times what goes on in our thought's isn't necessarily what we want to come out of our mouths... we don't always think 'nice' things.  Then stresses come along... frustrations...  we get diverted out of our 'positive' thought patterns and... oh no, why did I say that?  happens again.  Sometimes our thought patterns are not what they should be... sometimes we don't want to hurt others with our true feelings... sometimes we are just mad...
How do I find victory in these things is my constant question and longing... I need to concentrate on the Lord and what His word teaches...

Here are some helps that I treasure...

What is Peter’s advice?
"Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing: knowing that ye are
thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile" (I Peter 3:9-10).

Who does the Apostle James say is a perfect man?
"If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body" (James 3:2).

How do our words reflect the condition of the heart?
Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things."

His word is true and will bring life to those who seek it's truth,
Until next time,
Jean
    

The Courage of Faith

"Be still, and know that I am God... " Psalm 46:10a

"The Courage of Faith is consistent with Commonsense. Even though Paul had God's assurance, he felt that he must do what he could, as though all depended on his sagacity. Faith ought not to make us act presumptuously or foolishly. Holy calm and stillness rule in the heart of him whose mind is stayed on God.  We are likely to encounter many storms in our life before we anchor in the Fair Haven of Eternity, but in the heart of every cyclone there is a point of rest; and in the fiercest storm that sweeps our world, we may hide in the secret place of the Most High, and sing Psalm 46:1-11."*

Some days it takes a lot of faith to endure the storms of life... When I was reading this it just reached down into the depth of my soul and filled me with a peace that can't be described in words.  He is ever faithful as we allow Him to be in our lives.  We are so human and we fail so easily, but if we allow Him, He will catch us before we fall.  The flesh is quite willing to stray, but our souls long for that intimacy with Him... our souls came down from Heaven and long to return home with our Saviour.
 
What do we do when we come to a cross road in life? Do we take the narrow or the wide way... Only the narrow way will lead to life everlasting... look up and believe... have faith... trust...

"By day and by night, in life and in death, may I ever be true to Thee, O Lover of my Soul, my ceaseless Friend, my unchangeable Saviour. Into Thy hands I commit my spirit! AMEN."*

*Taken from e-sword Daily Devotionals, Meyer, June 17th, 2012

Until next time,
Jean

    

Expectations and Thankfulness...

Life is filled with expectations that don't always pan out...

When we experience tribulations and trials what do we do?  Do we turn to the Lord, but when He doesn't answer us as quickly as we think He should or not quite how we wanted to we turn to ourselves... the world around.... God says in Isaiah that His ways are not our ways, and our time is not His... can we trust in that?  

When a child is born it is a demanding creature... it needs to be... it is totally dependent upon the caregiver for food, warmth and all of it's basic human needs.  It has to be able to let us know when it needs changed and is hungry... Children as they grow older still can be demanding and they still  have expectations.  They expect that when they wake up in the morning they are going to have clean clothes to put on, toothpaste to brush their teeth, warm water and soap to take a shower and a nice fuzzy towel to dry off with... then they will expect to have a nice breakfast waiting for them and of course a cheery 'good morning!'  Their lives are filled with expectations that are more than likely fulfilled  by their parents.  Younger children have no concept of how any of these things get there, they simply trust that they will be.  As they grow older they start to understand that dad and/or mom 'work' for all this stuff and hopefully are learning to not so much expect, but more appreciate and be thankful that the stuff is always there....

The teaching of this thankfulness can be the real job at hand... teaching children to understand how things are acquired needs to be shown through both example as well as practice on the parents part. 

It is like that as well with our Heavenly Father... in the beginning of our christian walk things are a bit easier and things come a bit more quickly. As we mature and we are not such babes in Christ, the trials become a bit more... this is to help us grow in trust and faith...  growing pains can be difficult, but we must believe 'that He will never give us anymore than we can bear and He will always make a way of escape for us...' 

Trust builds faith, faith builds trust,
Until next time,
Jean
     

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give" Winston Churchill

Boy time has a way of ticking on by... I can't believe I haven't been here in several days... I absolutely love my blogging but I love being outside even more... strolling through the gardens, picking a weed here & there... walking hand in hand with little Evan and Aaron and smelling the flowers.  The other day I was watering the porch pots and Aaron wandered over to the front garden where I have a row of peonies... there he was very carefully clutching each bloom, which by the way were almost the size of his precious little head, and sticking his wee little noes way in to take a big whiff... so innocent & sweet. 

On Sunday at church the minister gave this quote:  "Satan would rather have us to do good things and not be good people.  God would have us to be good people so we do good things."  I thought that was interesting... and then the above quote by Churchill was on the bottom of my journal page... how fitting I thought, and very true indeed.  We are always on the way to do this or that and life has a way of getting ahead of us... then all of a sudden we realize that we missed some important stuff along the way.  Our children won't always be little and we always won't be young...

Today was our second child, first son, Kyle's first day of driver's training... wow, how time flies.  I can still see him taking his first steps and toddling about in a diaper... now he is behind the wheel of our truck... they don't stay little long.  I want to take the time to be what they need... what my husband needs... what God want's me to be... I want my family and friends to remember me for what I gave in the way of my time and love, not what I accomplished in life.

Take time and smell the roses... the blooms fade fast.
Until next time,
Jean

Sorrow Upon Sorrow...

"Wealth... good health, good humor, and good sense, no one is poor with this defense."
                                              Helen Steiner Rice

I often think of the life of Job... he was a man that was tried to the depth of his soul, yet he never forsook God and never charged Him as doing anything wrong... that is faith.  There have been many Job's since him and I think that the Lord allowed his story to be told in His book so that all of us may look to it as an example as to how we should behave during the trials in our life.  Faith and trust... the two go hand in hand... and when we have the Lord Jesus dwelling in our hearts and active in our lives, we need not worry for tomorrow... He takes care of the sparrow and He will surely take care of me.

The above quote states that good health is part of wealth, and I do believe that this is true, but I believe that poverty and illness can also we wealth in a life devoted to Him... most of us reading this probably don't know what 'true' poverty is... folks who went through the depression would have a pretty good idea I do believe... but for the most part we all have it pretty good.  Yes we may run late on some bills occasionally and can't do a vacation every year or get the latest and greatest... but we are far from living in an ally in a cardboard box.  Illness too, if allowed will draw us closer to Him... it can bring a peace knowing He is in control of it all, and will do what he knows is best...

...what is wealth...Wealth to me is a life that is filled with the Holy Spirit dwelling within... a life devoted to serving Jesus in all I do... a walk that is so close to the Father that I can feel His protecting arms... wealth has nothing to do with the checkbook, it has everything to do with the soul...
Life is filled with both sorrow's and joy's and we are taught that 'in all things give Him praise'...  What more can we want when He is filling our everyday with love.

Until next time,
Jean
     

"What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner!" Collette

What a thought provoking statement... I wonder how many people at some point or another think this very statement.

There are people out there that have had some tragic things happen to them in their lives... things I can't imagine in my wildest nightmares.  I personally know some folks who have endured such horrible instances that it makes my skin crawl. To think that any human being could do to another person some of the evil things that happen doesn't seem possible... it  doesn't seem real... except to the victims... it is very real to them.  There is a sadness and despair that must be overwhelming at times... life is not so wonderful.

Then there are those who 'seem' to have been born with a silver spoon in their mouths... everything always goes their way, life treats them seemingly fair, there don't seem to be a whole lot of bumps in the road... but there still seems to be a sadness and something missing. 

We hear about healing and therapy and yes all this is well and good and most definitely necessary. Often times I have heard people say that a loving God would never allow these kinds of things to happen.  I always say that it is not His perfect will for such horrific instances to happen but we live in world that is filled with sin; He has given us all a free mind to make choices and act accordingly... unfortunately sometimes bad people hurt good people...

But God is there for each hurting soul... every person that has suffered He is waiting with outstretched arms, waiting to heal and bound up the broken hearted... He is faithful and loving as we cast all our cares upon Him, for He careth for us...  He want's us to be able to say we've had a wonderful life... with Him.  Don't delay, He is waiting.

Until next time,
Jean

God wants us to believe...

When we talk to our spouse, children, friends or complete strangers we want what we say to be believed.  As Christians, lying is not an option, although telling the truth is not always easy.  I believe that there is never a time to tell a lie... before I was a Christian this was not so.  My children would be shocked~ I hope~ if they thought I lied about something.  I believe that the relationship I have with my friends who are not professing Christian's would also be shocked as well as disappointed in me if they felt that I had not told the truth in a matter... in my heart I would never want to offend anyone by lying.

What about 'little white lies' as some are often called... well if you are planning a surprise birthday party for your best friend, spouse or child and they directly ask you I think you can re-word things still as not to tell a lie.  What about misleading people to believe something that isn't true?  Again, what is the motive behind your answer?  A lie is a lie I am afraid.

We want people to believe our words... we want to be trusted... this is our human nature.  Well God want's us to believe too... He wants us to believe in Him and His son Jesus... He wants us to let others see His work in our lives.  As I mentioned earlier, before I was a Christian I didn't think twice about lying... now, thankfully it is different.  I want people to see His good work in my life and believe in Him because they can see His love in me...

Life can be a challenge and telling the truth can be sometimes as well, but the rewards of honesty are by far greater....

Until next time...
Jean
    

Wisdom in Faith...

"Within the oldest books of the Bible is the story of Job. This book is the account of a righteous man who is allowed to suffer enormous loss, grief, and difficulty. Job pleaded for God to reveal why he was suffering but God did not answer Job's questions. Instead, God pointed to His own creation, power, and knowledge. In this way Job was reminded to trust God and his purposes."
"As part of this dialogue, God asked Job if he had ever entered the springs of the sea. We now know there are such springs off the coasts of Greece, Italy, Israel, Syria, and Australia. In 1976, the U.S. Geological Survey also found fresh water in the Atlantic Ocean along the seacoast from New England to Georgia. How could the writer of the book of Job, which was written thousands of years before ocean exploration, have known there were fresh water springs in the sea?"   (Taken & Adapted from, 'A Study Course in Christian Evidences' Page 128) 

I got the above quoted literature in a daily devotion that I receive and thought how interesting this was.  You know we often just 'read' the Bible, yes I do believe that we get a blessing from reading it and looking into His word for direction, courage, revelation and encouragement... of course, but there is some really interesting historical and archeological facts as well. 

It just show's me once again how little I am in the whole scheme of things... how unimportant a lot of 'stuff' really is... how small the world is... and how big and great my God is.  There is wisdom in faith in God because He is creator of all...

Until next time,
Jean