CHURNING WAVES OF LIFE

Some of you may remember that old soap opera from years and years ago . . .As The World Turns!
John always called it "As The Stomach Turns!"

When I got privy to this term - Churning Waves of Life, I thought about that right away.

A friend of mine sent me a really neat quote that is on my facebook.  But I am going to put it on here myself.

F E A R   H A S  T W O

MEANINGS!

'FORGET EVERYTHING AND RUN'

OR

'FACE EVERYTHING AND RISE!'

THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

DEUT.  33: 27

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.  He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, Destroy him!"  

Right along with that goes PS 112: 7  "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed trusting (leaning on  and being confident) in the Lord. "

Psalm 5: 3, 11, and 12

In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare (a prayer, a sacrifice) for You and watch and wait (for You to speak to my heart).  But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them;  let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits.  For you, Lord, will bless the (uncompromisingly) righteous (him who is upright and in right stading with You); as with a shield You will surround him with goodwill (pleasure and favor).

There is a wealth of information in these verses.  Reread them.  Everyone of us has something in our lives that has caused surprise, churning waves, and great pleasure.  Life is very full today.  Pastor Stu talked about all the surprises in life especially within the family unit.  Things we just didn't see coming.  Some have lost their jobs recently at the age of 57 and they are head of the household.  That would surely take your breath away.  I haven't been to an alter call for years.  But hundreds of us responded to that alter call yesterday and went forward.  We all need God as a refuge and to keep our eyes focused on Him and our hearts trusting that He will work all things together for good.

Stop Churning and start trusting.  It takes a lot of focus and attention.  But God's Got It!  Let us not lose site of that.

ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN AND ONE FOOT ON EARTH?

There are several reactions to a statement like that!  I have read in the Bible to not straddle the fence.
It means to not be in the world and play all goody, goody.  It could mean talking out of both sides of your mouth (heart).  Today I am sharing an interesting devotion I read yesterday out of Jesus Calling.

Giving the high lights of that devotion, Jesus is saying:   Trust me, don't worry.  I am your strength and Song.  Even when you are feeling wobbly and looking at difficult times that loom ahead. . .STOP
measuring them all against your own strength - I am your complete strength.  I will give you the strength fo heandle each task as it comes.  Because I am your song, I can give you joy as you work alongside Me.

KEY ISSUE:  If you magnify all these troubles and worry, you cloak yourself in the dark with unbelief.  However, when the hope of heaven fills your thoughts, the Light of my Prescence envelops you.

Though heaven in future, it is also present tense.  AS YOU WALK IN THE LIGHT WITH ME, YOU HAVE ONE FOOT ON EARTH AND ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN.

22 Corinthians 10: 5

Hebrews 10: 23

Exodus 15: 2

I don't know about you - but I embrace this concept with all I am.  I love that vision.  it is much more positive and true.  It does, however, require focus and priority.

Are you making Him your priority today, every hour, every minute?

Where do you want to be caught walking when He comes back?

TO HUDDLE IN THE PUDDLE. . .

OR NOT!!!!

I heard myself saying that a few weeks back.  I truly meant that too!  Come huddle in the puddle with me!!!  Puddle of tears, pull hair with me, feel sorry for me!

How silly!  It is okay you know to have a melt down into the puddle?  Right?  It is okay to take a minute or two and get right down in the very bottom of that puddle and actually want someone or ones to join you, right?  Yes, I do.  Some of you don't.  Some of you are very grown up people and you wouldn't think of letting anyone know you have had it.  Well, I called it in this week and let it out.

Psalm 27 -  Psalm 27 is all about this.  So if it is in God's Word, it is our Sword of the Spirit.


I am going to switch things up a little here.

Psalm 27: 7  Hear my voice when I call O Lord;  be merciful to me and answer me.
Psalm 27: 8  My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"  Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Psalm 27: 9  Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger;
      you have been my helper.  Do not reject or forsake me, O God my Savior.

Psalm 27: 11  Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. 
12:  Do not turn me over to the desires of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing violence.

Psalm 27: 1  The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid

Psalm 27: 14   Wait for the Lord;  be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Forgive me Lord for taking things in a different form and out of placement.  But, I do know He is my stronghold, but sometimes the body decides it has other methods or strategies for how you take in stress.  For 7 days, I took on every form, right down to the TMJ - now as a professional I know what that means.  It means you are clenching over something.  Instead I blamed my chewing gum.  Funny.

It took my best ever chiropractor - Sarah to figure it out and she gave me a story about her own life and what she had to do.  Counseling.  Oops!  The counselor needs a counselor.  God and I are working on that one.  But, what a revelation to sit down and have a melt down in the puddle, and God answered it within 24 hours.  He used several things and two people.  What an awesome time to dump out the pain, stand up from the puddle and see the blue skies.  Clarity after the pain.  Acknowledgement - Conviction - Commitment and Change.

Think about it!

SEPTEMBER BEGINNINGS!

Summer is over for me and after Labor Day I always like to revisit my serious side.  It was my decision to bring into the house a black fur ball named Jax (Sir Licks A Lot) "Dude" Souder.  In that decision was housed the desire to focus on him and not on a lot of work, hobbies, or vacations.  It has been a wonderful time.  Most people thought I was nuts taking on an 8 week old puppy at my age.  However, when you go through a breeder like Cathy Brunner who raised them from a box hotel set up in her home, I knew it was going to be a breeze.  When I brought him home, he could sit and do a high five.  He was not afraid of thunder, neighborhood gun shots, the vacuum, or anything.  He was chasing and fetching the first week he was here.  He has been so much fun and received by everyone.  I have loved it.  He has been through 5 obedience trainings and is 6 l/2 months old already.  So, now I can concentrate on other things.  It is true I said there would never be a dog like Dakota, but I have learned another valuable thing about life, via God.  You can love differently and deeply people and animals - even after said relationships have left us.  I would have missed this wonderful bright, and loving little boy with a fur coat.

NOW:
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It is a beautiful day and they have been quite stunning for several days.
John and I celebrated 44 years and the ACD weekend is over and onward and upward.

It is time for harvesting now.  I love how the sun comes down this time of year and my walks and devotions have been so deep and intense.  Due to a family situation, I became quite hopeless.  I don't usually buy into hopeless.  It was quite a smack in the face.  I read and reread Psalm 112: 7 hoping to get some peace and strength.  
"He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord."

I just kept escalating in my fear and anger.

After letting it all out there, I got busy and left with Jax for awhile, went to obedience class, came home and felt different.  Friday, Saturday and Sunday were full of special verses, prayer time and confirmation that hmmmm!  You aren't trusting God for your future and how He will take care of you.  He hasn't answered this one thing, so evidently I am just not important enough.  
Proverbs 11: 18 Came up -  "The wicked man earns deceitful wages, but he who sows righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) shall have a sure reward (permanent and satisfying"

Whoa!

Then Mark 4 1/20.  Be sure you read all of that.  Its the story of the seeds being sowed on different parts of the land, some fell off, died quickly etc.

Sow a thought, reap an act;  Sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character;  Sow a character, reap a destiny.

What I noticed about reading Mark and these comments from the Daily Bread, I was mortified to realize, that I need to form a better relationship with trust.  We trust God alright, but that word covers all kinds of trust in all kinds of situations.  If we have seen Him do you TRUST when you haven't seen certain things happen.  Can you honestly say you put the right seed down on the right part of the land.

That led me to thank God for the day I drove into Fort Wayne Bible College. WOW!  I couldn't figure out why God was leading me into the driveway at Fort Wayne Bible College around 1975.  I still remember that day.  I walked in and said I am 35 years old and too old to be here, right?  I was too old to take the entrance exams so I was grandfathered through.  Had I not had that experience with having to know the Word, put it on recipe cards and learn over 100 verses, I would not have had the seed so firmly planted that when things happen I do tend to water and fertilize.  I get it.  I have to ask for forgiveness, but I get it, cause its there.  I understand the doomsday people when they say BE PREPARED.  I see it as being prepared with God's WORD planted deeply in my brain and spirit.  That seed must be watered and fertilized so we
don't lose it.  Think about yourself today on this gorgeous fall day!!!
What are you doing to be prepared in God's Word and then triple that!

My poor flower drooped, but it came back to life quickly.  GET yourself the book "Jesus CAlling"  Fill your mind constantly with His Word and what others write from Him.