Life's Funny Ways? Or Is There More To It?

 

The above graphic is mostly true of our lives. We go through sadness to understand the times we are happy. Chaos to appreciate to the times that are peaceful. The loss of those we love or maybe even those things that we love, so we understand what their presence means to us.

But the one thing thing that sticks out at me is that it is not just life that causes these things to happen. It is God that does.

He allows these things to happen to us, so that we turn to Him. And the way he does them, can be simple or complex. We can understand some but not others.

We can understand some because if we doing something that is wrong, we can know why we are sad. The Bible says we are not to sin. 

David faced this dilemma when he had Bathsheba's husband killed after he had an affair with her. He had had a son with her which died and all told, he was very sad and depressed. Psalms 13:2   2 Samuel 12:18

But he rejoices in God and sings Him because He is good. Psalm 13:2-6 

God allows that sadness in us when we sin, so that once we confess it, we can be happy and not sin again. Of course, like David had, we will never be perfect, but we always have God to run to. Sadly, David's losing his son meant that he would not be with him on earth, but he would one day go to be with him in Heaven.

Psalm 12:23

And so we can sometimes understand that our sin can make us sad, but when we confess it, we can again be happy. 

Yet there are times that we do not know why sadness, chaos and loss happens into our lives. And that is where trust comes in God comes in. 

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.

That scripture says it all. When we are crying out "to God, "Why?" or "Why Me?", that is when we need to trust Him, because for now, what ever we are asking that for, it is not for us to know right now. But God does and He is taking care of it, for us because He loves us. 

No, it is not life alone that lets things happen to us. It is God, in our lives that does. And it's because He has His reasons.

Thanks for coming by, Friends. Have a blessed day

"An Anticipated Ending..."

 It has been a long year. Not only because of the pandemic, but because in and about September of 2019, we moved from our home state to a southern state. It had been quite a struggle to get here. Cleaning out a house up north and trying to decide what to get rid of and what to bring.

And the fact that we are Seniors, did not help since we both have health issues and have needed to find doctors. Thankfully, we have adult children that already lived here with their families, that has helped  us through it all.

We had had some work done to our home up there and all of that took time throughout this year. And finally just a couple months ago, it was sold and we could move forward with what we need to do here.

The decision to move down here did not come easy. It meant leaving what we knew best. I love my home state and never really thought I would ever move from it. Especially because now at this stage in our life, I wasn't sure how we were going to manage it.

We had thought about it for a couple of years before one day actually making the decision to follow through. Had I really thought we would do it? How would we do it? 

I mean we are Seniors and don't have a lot of money. We would be leaving a lot behind. Mostly not material things but memories and loved ones, and yes-snow.

The most important thing we would leave was not a thing, but a who. In fact, several who's. And that was my three precious grandson's and their mom and dad. Would I ever see them again?

I remember the day when the final decision to move came. It came to me. And I thought I was going to have to convince my husband of it. But I didn't. He had agreed. Wow! A meeting of two minds! A rare occurrence in the 50 plus years of our marriage, I can assure you. lol.

The why of the whole situation  was not so hard anymore. We needed it to happen to be able to get us down here around our adult kids because if something happened to us, we would need them. Plus they had been wanting us to move down for a long time.

And more importantly was the fact that I knew that it was God's answer to the dilemma of why we needed to come here.

The how and when though was another matter. I had pretty much come out of a bad depression the year or two before and this was a lot to struggle with. 

When I grew anxious about it, my thoughts would go to the scripture in Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the thoughts I have towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

As I write this, I looked up the word 'expected." Not that I didn't know what it meant, but I wanted to see just what the dictionary said about it. And it says, one definition means: anticipated. 

And in this case of selling our home and moving down here, even though it was unknown to me at the time, the how's and when's of it was anticipated. God was going to do it and he had gotten it started.

Now over a couple years later, and having actually lived down here for over a year, and being on this side of it, I can look back and I am still amazed at how God did it. Financially, and giving us all the help we needed to get it done.  

Truly amazing! And why should it be. God had fulfilled his promise to us, and I should have expected it.

Oh yeah. There were times of struggling, worry, stress, exhaustion, and a few arguments thrown in...I told you about the meeting of two minds, or the lack there of...lol. 

But through it all, God was and still is faithful. Our expected end has come At least of this phase. And now, we are ready to go into the next chapter, which is that with the house up there finally sold, we can find another home to purchase. And we have already started that. But even when we finally get to the point into moving into it, our expected end, hasn't quite ended yet. Not in this situation, anyway.

It won't come until we get all we brought down here that is being stored in two different places and get it moved into our new home.

Thank the Lord, we have help!

And so my message for today is, when you are struggling through your own situations in life, and don't know how they are going to end up, look to that scripture in Jeremiah that promises you that God will get you to an anticipated ending. If you truly believe and hang on to it, He will. I know because he said it and did it in my life.

Thanks for coming by today, Friends. Have a blessed day!

r

Prayer Changes Things!

Hello, Friends

I don't have much time to be on here today as our day is pretty spent before it has even begun. But, I didn't want to leave my post empty so I found a prayer for the New year that I would like to share with you and perhaps you can make it your own to pray to our God that blesses us with His Good things. In the meantime, I should be back tomorrow. Have a wonderful day and may God bless you!

Prayer for Blessings in the Year Ahead

Father, Thank you for your great love and blessing over our lives. Thank you that your favor has no end, but it lasts for our entire lifetime. Forgive us for sometimes forgetting that you are intimately acquainted with all of our ways, that you know what concerns us, and you cover us as with a shield. We ask that we would walk in your blessing and goodness today. That your face would shine on us. That you would open the right doors for our lives and for our loved ones, that you would close the wrong doors and protect us from those we need to walk away from. Establish the work of our hands and bring to fulfillment all that you have given us to do in these days. We pray that you would make our way purposeful and our footsteps firm out of your goodness and love. Give us a heart of wisdom to hear your voice, and make us strong by your huge favor and grace. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Source:    10 New Year's Prayers for 2021 - Faith, Hope and Blessings for New Year

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Thanks for coming today, Friends! 

If Jesus Isn't Enough.....

I saw the following on a church sign a few days ago and want to share it with you.

If Jesus isn't enough, then nothing will ever be enough.

Have You Ever...?

Have you ever felt discouraged at the beginning of a New Year because there is so much to get caught up on?

In todays story we find a lady by the name of Carol Kukendall as she comptemplates the new year, probably very much the way we do or have at sometime or another and still have left over responsibilities that we cannot avoid. 

Source: Encouragement for the New Year | Guideposts                              

 Read on....

Encouragement for the New Year

Leave your worries and fears in God's loving and capable hands.

by Carol Kuykendall

“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.” Exodus 23:20 (NIV)

I sometimes think New Year’s Day comes at the wrong time of year. I’m usually facing a bunch of tasks left over from the old year, like taking down the Christmas tree and putting away all the decorations, writing thank-you notes and dealing with decisions about what to do with the stack of Christmas cards. Throw them away? Save the ones with pictures? Check the addresses? Then there’s the thought of trying to catch up with all the work I put off during the holidays. I’m behind before the New Year even starts.

“Who can think about new beginnings or inspirational goals in the midst of old concerns?” I asked my lawyer-husband Lynn as he came in the door after a quick trip to the office to complete a couple of year-end responsibilities.

“Let me show you a gift I just received,” he said, pulling an attractively wrapped package out of his briefcase. On it was a card: “To Lynn. May this gift encourage you in the coming year.” It was signed by a friend in his Bible study group.

Lynn tore off the paper and lifted out a beautifully framed message, penned by a professional calligrapher. The message read:

          Lynn,

         Trust Me. I have everything under control.

                    Jesus

He set the frame down amidst the clutter on the kitchen counter so I could see that simple message as I went about my tasks. Slowly those words began to change my frame of mind. If I needed something to help me carry my old concerns into the New Year, I’d just found it … the determination to face each day’s concerns, trusting in the words of this promise from the Source of all comfort and strength.

Father, each day in this new year, please help me remember that You are in control of everything.

🙏

As we look ahead to this new year, may we remember that Jesus does have everything under his control, even when it doesn't look like it to us.

Thanks for coming by today, Friends. Have a blesse day!

  

A Brand New Year

It is a brand new year. And a brand new day as I write todays blog. For  those of us that did not want a new administration in Washington and believe our freedoms are now at risk greater than ever, I thought that we needed a scripture from God's word to mediate on today as we contemplate on the coming year. The one I chose fits with Psalm 119:11 where David wrote, "Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I may not sin against thee."

The Psalmist David loved God with a deep biding love and trust that no matter how sinful he was, or what he went through, he trusted his Maker. He had had his share of enemies that could take his very life, if God allowed them. But they couldn't take his trust in God and the very things in his heart that he had hid there.

Nor should we allow our enemies take what God has given us, His Word. But place it in our own hearts, safe from all that might try.

In Isiah 43:14-19 we find the same hope for our situation as that of the Children of Israel that God had given them so long ago.

14 Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.

15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.

16 Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;

17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.

18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Indeed, a sinful generation of his people had hardly deserved God's blessing and yet His love covered their sin just as he does our today for those that know him. 

Last year was  a painful one for many people. Not only because of Covid-19 and all it was about. But we have heard the grumblings and worse, of angry people, old and young, rich and poor, on all levels around us. 

But that year is gone. Will God fulfill his promise of "doing a new thing" for us, this year? I don't know. 

But here we find that God will bring down those that are against Him, and provide for those that are for Him. And yes, he will do those things for us, in His own time

He is up to something for sure. And just as he promised the Israelites, he will do a new thing for you and I when he deems it to be. 

How can we know that for sure? Because of what Malachi 3:6 tells us:

"I am the Lord, and I change not...."

He will do for us, what he did for them. No matter what disease may hit us. No matter who claims Washington as their right to lead our  government. 

Our hope is in Him alone because just as the Psalmist, and Isaiah and all of the people that have followed after God's heart, he will save and keep us until our time comes to no longer be on earth. 

He is up to something, and He will do a new thing. It is a promise we can take to our bank of heavenly treasure where nothing can corrupt or steal it. Mathew 6:1921. 

Thanks for coming by today, Friends. May God give you his perfect peace today and every day!

Happy New Year!

 

Jesus Is Lord!!!!!