Is God Egotistical?

 https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10224258989603279&id=1259222846

We were not made to worry

Situations come to our mind.... not for us to worry and fret, but to PRAY and to PLAN.... and to trust.  We were not made for worry.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10224113831014405&id=1259222846

 

WASHING WITH THE WORD

A habit that I started a few months ago... that has brought great results in my life.... is giving more place in my liffe to the God's Word.  

I am always looking for easier ways to do things in my life.. and this is one practice that has done that for me.  

Sleeping.  I usually keep white noise in my earbuds when I sleep.  I work nights and sleep days... So this practice keep things consistent for me.    

But.. I have added listening to the Bible with the white noise.  It is amazing the peace and cleansing that takes place continually in my soul because of this practice.  

The very first Bible verse I ever memorized was Joshua 1:8

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

This verse has proven so true and accurate in my life...  And now... after all these years... I can look back and see that giving attention to God's word has brought great succes in my life... (of course.. if you read any of my posts.. you know my #1 focus is a vibrant and practical relationship with God's Holy Spirit).  It takes both to live the life that The Father desires for us to live.  If you want more info on how to have that relationship with the Holy Spirit... please message me. 

Some additional points about frequent use of the bible.

Jesus said, Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you (John 15:3)

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Psalm 119: 9

So... the practical side of listening to this word... You can do it anytime of course... While you sleep... getting up and getting ready for your day... Driving... etc....

Download the app. YouVersion
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sirma.mobile.bible.android

Open the App

Bottom left tap Icon that says READ

Tap Top left for the place in the Bibile you want to start listening to

Tap the 2nd icon on the top left for the translation.  You have to choose from the translation like KJV etc.. that has the little speaker 🔊 icon next to it

You might have to download the version of the Bible you want to listen to.

It will open up the Bible passage for you...

there will be a play button ▶️ about 3/4 of the way down the page... Click on that button... and listen away.  

It should play continually... until you push the stop button. ⏹️.  If it doesn't play nonstop,  just repeat the above process and it should read to you continually.

if you need help with any of these steps.. please let me know. I would be glad to help.

I Leak

 I leak... 

Most of my life... I have lived with the realization that I am broken.  I have prayed for healing.  Some areas have been mended at best.

After 58 years on earth. I have come to the realization that I am who I am.  

I have heard the story about the broken bucket several times in my life and that story comes to mind this morning. 

If you don't know that story.. I will summarize... (if you know this story, jump to the end to read my application.... 

A young child was assigned a chore.   Each day, she would walk to the well.... fill up two buckets and then make her way back to the house. 

Day after day she would do this task but noticed when she got back to the house that one bucket was half empty. 

One day, her father noticed that his daughter was sitting on the porch looking dejected. When asked, why so downcast she replied, "I can't do anything right!" The father asked her to explain.

She told him of her dilemma. 

The father  took her hand and they walked slowly to the well. Along their walk he showed his daughter that what she thought was a failure,  unknowingly to her, had created a wonderful display of beauty.  You see,  as she walked that path with the leaky bucket, she was watering flowers unnoticed by her because she was focused on her failure.

     🌻**************🌻

I have come to the realization that God has used me more in my brokenness than He ever could have if I was totally whole. 

Embrace who you are!

Allow God to use you in your brokenness.... and.... feel free to unashamedly leak every place you go!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10223770573313177&id=1259222846

The Death of Fall

A friend of mine reminded me of something a posted a few years back. I thought I would share it again....... There are so many current events where this could apply. Let's let go of those things we need to let go of.. in order to allow for new life.. and new beginnings.

"I love the fall... the cooler temperatures. The lower humidity. Football season. Knowing that my favorite holidays are coming. The beauty of the falling leaves. But there was always this nagging thought of death and decay because of the falling leaves and the drabness after all the leaves were gone.

Well... this is my 2nd day in the woods doing a three day backpacking trip in Zaleski State Forest and a paradigm shift came to me about this morbid part of fall. I am sitting here eating my lunch and taking a break from the trail... and leaves are falling all around me. I was thinking again about this dark side of this wonderful season.. and then it hit me. It is not about death at all..... it is about letting go. You see.... the trees are not dying. The trees are merely letting go and making way for new growth in the spring. Sure it looks like death. Sure it looks like nothing is happening. But the trees are just allowing a natural part of life to occur. Letting go and making way for the new growth.

We should learn this important lesson from this season and the trees. We need to so readily let go of things in order to make room for newness to come. There might be a "death" type season where nothing is happening. But WE do not die. It is just the things that are no longer needed. They drop off in order for the new to come. So... let go.... new life is coming."

Why I Journal (or One of The Greatest Practices in My Life)

I highly recommend journaling. One of the greatest things I do in my life. (see comments below)

 I journaled for years. I use an app called Diaro.

 I have one file that i use to write down the biggest realizations in my life. It might be a key insight. Or something that I really want to incorporate in my life. When I am struggling with something, I go back through that file because chances are.. there is a "ta da" moment recorded in that file that I have forgotten to utilize. Instead of reinventing the wheel (which can take hours or days) I find the answer (because I have been keeping this file for years) to what I am facing in that file.

 I am convinced that we forget most of the realizations (revelations) that we get if we don't write them down. It is sort of like James 1:23-25 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. 





 One of the nice features of using a computer to journal is that you can do easy searches. Yesterday.. I was facing something... it was dealing with spiritual warfare. Usually.. I would just pray... think.... pray.. think.... and spends hours and possibly days.. just wrestling with something.. and eventually revelation would come and I would get the victory. Well.. the thought came to me.. why not just search my journal notes on spiritual warfare. Voila!!! There was an answer within seconds.. So... instead of wrestling for hours.. I simply stepped up into the lesson that I had learned several years ago... and I got the victory. I chewed on that revelation from years ago and got some deeper learning from that lesson.. But... it saved me time, energy and possibly some heartache. Amazing!


 My kids all journal. They prefer writing theirs down. Me. I like digital format... I can lock it with a password. Maybe one of these days.. my kids can have it... and search it. They can each have their own copy...


 One thing that has come out of this journaling as well is a timeline for my life. I have started writing dates and brief title of things that have happened. Sometimes I will even reference if there is a journal note for that event.


 It is very cathartic for me. If I'm going through something... I can just pick up my chromebook, or my phone.. I can type... or I can dictate to it. Just the act of recording my thoughts usually clears my mind and emotions and answers typically come during that process as well.


 Here is this article in facebook form. Please feel free to share your experiences with journaling. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10222802309707192&id=1259222846

Same Old, Same Old (Gratefulness)

I am sitting here in my chair looking out my living room window on a beautiful sunny Saturday morning clear blue sky... and one of the first thoughts that came to me.. is "this is the same old same old.. it is rather boring" but then.. the very next thought that came to mind is this... "no... I am grateful for this thought.. I live in southern Ohio.. it is peaceful... in so many other places of the world it is not peaceful... there is turmoil. there is destruction... people are not happy... but I have this!! probably the majority of other people would love to have this. they would trade what they have for what I have in my life right now.. there is not a reason why I should not be happy with this.