WHEN SOME BASIC NEED IS LACKING - time, energy, money - consider yourself blessed.

Really?

Yes.

When we find something lacking in our lives it brings us back to the reality that we need God. There is no shame in our dependence. God's power is made perfect in our weakness.

"But he said to me, "My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me."
2 Corinthians 12:9

I want God's power perfect in my life. I need to take this season of my life to train myself to rely wholeheartedly on God because when we succeed several years down the road with the Dave Ramsey program and are financially stable I don't want to forget how much I need God.

Father God thank you for always being there for me to rely on.

LET ME TEACH YOU THANKFULNESS.

Sometimes it's hard for me to remember that nothing I have belongs to me.

Garren... not mine.
Ryker... not mine.
House... not mine.
Car... not mine.

Everything I have has been given to me by my heavenly Father and I am only a steward of it. It is not my own. Oh how much my Father does love to spoil me!

AS YOU LOOK into the day that stretches out before you, you see many choice-points along the way.

My job every day is to focus on God rather than those choice-points along the way. If I lose focus and start focusing on the surprises or difficulties that arise, I might flounder. However, if I stay focused on God then I will know that He has fully equipped me for whatever may come my way during the day. 

The LORD is good to those who trust in Him, to the one who seeks Him.
- Lamentations 3:25

Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the one who takes shelter in Him!- Psalm 34:8

GOD is GOOD! There is no need to worry when our focus is on the One who loves us.

Father God thank you for this reminder just when I need it.

REST IN THE STILLNESS of My Presence while I prepare you for this day.

Rest, what's rest?

In life it seems we are trained to not have idle moments with nothing going on. If you do (gasp), quickly fill them with something to kill the time! Even when I think I'm resting I've still got all these imaginary balls in the air that I'm juggling and thinking about. God desires me to stop juggling and rest in His Presence. His Presence is a gift that He freely gives us.

The devotion caught my attention when it stated, "There is both a passive and an active side to trusting Me."

I had never put much thought into it being that complex but it completely makes sense. We are passive as we just rest and soak in His goodness and glory. We are active when we respond to our lives circumstances with complete trust towards God. Things that make you go hmmmm.

Praise you Jesus for NO CONDEMNATION! When I fail again at remembering to take shelter in You and find rest when I'm weary, thank you for not condemning me. Or for that matter all the things I fail to remember.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON ME, not only for direction but also for empowerment.

I recognize this and yearn for more of it in my life.

How often have I thought I should do something God's calling me to do? Or how often have I missed doing something God's calling me to do? I'm sure it's much more than I realize.

At times I've been so desperate to hear from God in what direction to take. However, how can I expect to hear a clear answer when I've only glanced His way occasionally in the last week or month. I need to have my eyes fixed on Him at all times. It seems like the healthy perspective would be focused on Him and then all else that is necessary would be happening in my peripheral vision.

By training my eyes to focus on God I will be receiving necessary direction and empowerment for the tasks I take on. If I can succeed in this task I know there will be absolute joy and sheer delight as stated in Psalm 16:11.

Father help me train my eyes to focus on You so that I may follow Your will for my life with more success.

I AM CALLING YOU... to a life of thankfulness.

I'm starting to feel like this devotional is redundant. Not that I mind in the least! I think it's a great to be reminded over and over again to be thankful and rejoice. Many of these life lessons we have been learning over and over again since we were children in Sunday school.

I know that my mind is dense and needs prodding to be reminded to be thankful. How often I forgot this lesson and find myself grumbling in the middle of, what I deem to be, lame circumstances.

When you criticize or complain, you are acting as if you think you could run the world better than I do.

This quote is what I need to remind myself of. I have NO desire to run the world. I cannot even run my household without complaint from the other inhabitants that live here with me.

God thank you for taking on the world so that I don't have to.

TRUST ME, and don't be afraid.

Today's devotion stated,

When you are shaken out of your comfortable routines, grip My hand tightly and look for growth opportunities. Instead of bemoaning the loss of your comfort, accept the challenge of something new.

Fail.

Just this morning I was trying my darnedest to make it to church early. (Making it on time is a feat for me most Sundays.) However, this morning Garren and Ryker were both moving up classes and I wanted them to feel settled and not rattled by the late start they would get if we arrived at our "normal" time.

I did it! The boys were dressed, fed and in the car at a quarter 'til. We were going to show up about five whole minutes early! Then I realized I hadn't brought in our dog from the backyard. I left the car running and ran back in the house to let him in, but he didn't come when I called him. He had once again escaped from the confines of our fence and was out terrorizing the neighborhood.

I had two choices.

1. Go to church and hope he doesn't get hit by a car or 
2. look for him. 

The boys and I spent the next 15 minutes driving around whistling and calling for him out our windows. I admit I was out of my comfortable routine and I was not looking for growth opportunities. I was livid that for once I was going to make church on time and this had to be the day the dog ran off. Maybe God was letting me know that attitude is more important than being on time. Sure being on time is important... it's just that going to church with an attuned heart is more so. 

I am glad that I chose to be responsible and find the dog. Without taking care of that first I'm not sure how much I would have been paying attention otherwise. Today was a message worth hearing... MERCY. 

Father I need your mercy to get me through each and every day. Thank you for always extending it my way. 

HEAVEN IS... both present and future.

We can taste a small portion of heaven every day we are in our earthly bodies by knowing the of God. Every day we come a little closer to spending eternity with Him in heaven. He already knows the time for each of us.

It's hard to fathom. Sometimes He calls some of us home, what most of us deem, too soon. It doesn't seem fair for an infant to only live hours or days. Nor does it seem fair for a young mother or father to pass on while they still have small children to raise. However, He assures us that it is His perfect timing and it is neither a moment too soon or too late that we are taken.

We are all descendants from the first Adam. Therefore, we all will die just as he did. We who have accepted Christ are called His children. As His children we will also all be brought back to life just as Jesus, the Second Adam, rose from the dead.

Father thank you for your nearness and the promise we have in You to be alive with You in heaven after our earthly lives are finished.

WHEN I GIVE YOU... no special guidance, stay where you are.

Living life victoriously in Him is not doing exceptional things everyday, but it's seeking Him daily in everything we do. By seeking His face we are transformed more into His likeness and are more capable of overflowing His love and grace onto those around us.

I don't have to pound the pavement of downtown evangelizing to all I see in order to have victory in Jesus. I just need to have a heart that seeks after His own heart and live that out to my family, friends and acquaintances the best I can. Sure I'm expected to make mistakes. I'm also expected to deals with those mistakes in an acceptable way that is pleasing to God.

Father remind me that each and every task I take on, that I am to act as though I'm doing it for You.

THIS IS THE DAY THAT I HAVE MADE.

We are to rejoice and be glad with each and every day we are given. The book states, "The best way to handle unwanted situations is to thank Me for them."

I need to remember to rejoice when my boys have disagreements. Rejoice when we run out of money and there's more month left than we have budgeted for. Rejoice when I'm sick in bed. Again and again I should rejoice, not just in the good times.

This time in my life where we are a young family and broke most of the time. It will seem like a short period of our lives down the road, but right now it feels as if I'm in the trenches. This too shall pass and I need to rejoice while it's here.

Praise you God! There is abundant life in your presence today!!

TRUST ME IN EVERY DETAIL OF YOUR LIFE.

This was a perfect message for today! I needed to be reminded.

Garren is in a lottery for one of the magnet schools here in town and I am trusting that God will place Garren in the school that will be best suited for him. We find out tomorrow if he is part of the lottery that will get to attend next year. I found myself thinking about it a lot today. I don't think it's so much that I want him to get in... rather I just want to know where he will be going. It will be settling for me to know one way or the other because I'm a bit of a planner and I like to know things in advance.

I also enjoy being reminded that even the mistakes we've made or will make are not untouchable by God. He can transform them into something good that can glorify Him. Praise His name! I'm so glad that He's capable because I know I'm not.

"Having sacrificed My very Life for you, I can be trusted in every facet of your life." It's another excellent reminder.

God thanks for allowing me to trust you in all things. I pray that you would reveal any other areas of my life that I need to turn over to you.

I AM THE POTTER... you are MY clay.

Isaiah 64:8 illistrates for us that God, our Father, is the potter and we are His clay. We are the product of His labor. However, we are only the product of His labor if we're trying to follow His instructions. What kind of masterpiece would we turn out to be if we never allowed for His interventions in our lives?

I had never put much thought into how our personal will works, but the idea brought up in the book fascinates me. To think that when things are going smoothly and I feel in control of my life... I'm not. It's just that for that season or time in life my will just happens to be in line with God's will for my life. It suddenly makes a heck of a lot more sense now. I'm never in control (thank goodness for that) because God can see further ahead into my future and He's steering me where I need to be and doing what is best for my life.

Thank you God for taking control of my life. You do a much better job than I would even when I try to second guess You.

I Have Promised.. To meet all your needs...

April 2
The peace of the Lord is a huge desire of my heart. It is a guide in my life for making decisions, but sometimes I get it wrong (because I can be head strong) The peace of the Lord, I've found, is directly related to trusting Him. Boy oh boy do I need to let some things go, and just trust in Him, because He knows far better than I do!

Bring Me The Sacrifice

Wow... Keeping to this is harder than it sounds. I find myself so easily slipping into a rhythm, school, homework, work, piano practice etc. that I find myself taking it all for granted.
I had quite the revelation last night. I was checking my phone constantly this week, waiting for a certain cowboy to call me... (which he never did by the way ;-) Last night, I realised that my phone had not been out of arms reach in a week! Not such a big deal in and of itself, I suppose, but the reason I was checking ALL the time was because I'm quite fond of being wanted. I know this isn't necessarily a bad thing, however; I would prefer to be with someone mediocre than be alone! CRIPES! So, I'm taking this single season to be thankful for the time I have for myself, and to wait for someone AWESOME! (remind me of this if you have to!)
I am thankful for my family
I am thankful for my friends
I am thankful for my beautiful home
I am thankful for a God who died on a cross for MY sins!

BRING ME THE SACRIFICE... of your thankfulness

God wants us to be thankful in all circumstances. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

The book mentions to take nothing for granted, not even the sun rising. We could easily continue that...

Top TEN things (including the miniscual) I'm most thankful for right now:

1. Air to breathe
2. Fresh water from the tap
3. Flush toilets
4. My family
5. My friends
6. Snow
7. Skis
8. Technology
9. Food
10. Health

There that probably took me no more than a minute... but how often do I actually take time to focus and give God thanks for even the little things and not just answered prayers? Sadly, it's never that I thank God for the air I breathe or flush toilets. There's a reason for the saying, "You don't know what you have until it's gone."

I like one paragraph so much I want to copy it all, I can't just pick and choose because it's all good.

When you focus on what you don't have or on situations that displease you, your mind also becomes darkened. You take for granted life, salvation, sunshine, flowers, and countless other gifts from Me. You look for what is wrong and refuse to enjoy life until that is "fixed."

(Now I'm thankful for typing too.)

I can imagine the life I would have if I started giving thanks for everything in my life. I want to do it! Think of what a change of outlook and life transformation we could have. Also think of how much joy would replace the darkened "want" spots in our lives.

Father God THANK YOU for the life I've been given. I pray that it would be a pleasing sacrifice unto You. I love you!

LET ME FILL YOU...

I had never thought of our lives in such a way as the book puts it.

"Though you are an earthen vessel, I designed you to be filled with heavenly contents."

We are not designed to hold on to the garbage this world kindly offers us. It makes sense why when we hold on to the things (I suppose we could just label the things=SIN) that we're not programmed to that we malfunction. In the past I've tried to operate in a web of lies... didn't work out so great for me. It wasn't until my balancing act failed and I finally turned to God to pick up all my pieces and put them back the way He intended. It was a painful process, but definitely necessary. I've learned from my past and it's made me who I am. It has also allowed God opportunities to work in my life and show me His grace.

By trusting God rather than ourselves for the daily strength we need, we not only have more peace but we are also filling our lives with heavenly content which will ensure we function properly.

Thank you God that your grace and strength is abundant enough for me.

I was sitting behind a Jeep at the stoplight today and their spare tire cover had the "Life is Good" logo on it. A still small voice in me agreed that Life is Good, but as a Christian we can claim that Death is Better.

I MEET YOU...

He seeks us out to meet with us, but we have to do our part as well. We must take time to calm our souls so that we can hear the precious words He wishes to whisper into our lives.

The still small voice that we long to hear will only find a way to us when we take time to wait for it.

Father, thank you for the reminder that I am not seeking you alone but that you are seeking me as well. Thank you for acknowledging all my attempts to create a quite space in my life for you, no mater how meager they may seem... or how distracted I may become with little bodies interrupting me.

IN ME YOU HAVE EVERYTHING.

It's true. There is nothing that I will ever need that God doesn't provide for me already. I might not have the cute dress I want or get to indulge in dinners out as often as I want or possibly work in the profession that pays a ton. But that's all it will ever be... WANTS and nothing more. Everything I need is taken of care of.

Thank you God for providing for all my needs and going even beyond that. I should focus on all that I have and know that you love me and show it to me daily. Sometimes I just forget to look. I need to take the time and look more frequently.

I HAVE PROMISED

God continually makes promises to us. His promises are always for our good and He never breaks them!

Today's devotion says that our deepest and most constant need is for His peace. I get it. Without peace in my life I'm a mess. Peace gets me through trying times and calms me. If we're not careful peace will easily get lost when we are living away from the fruits of the spirit.

I Am Calling You!

This is so pertinent to my 'right now'.
I'm sitting on my bed, with a 'to do' list on the back of my devotional. Just last night I was encouraging mum with their work situation, that she needs to find the joy of the Lord in all circumstances (I was absolutely preaching to myself also!)
I've recently been thinking how simple my life is at this stage. I have very few things biding for my time, very few things to worry about, and yet, I still don't make much time to talk to God. Today's devo said to talk to God about every aspect of my life, including my feelings. And that I need to keep communications open with Him. This is something I really need to work on.
I need to be more open, letting the Holy Spirit guide me, not my foot long to do list!

I AM CALLING YOU

To be in constant communion with God... when I first read this I thought it sounded like a life of utopia. A life filled with bliss. After pondering and mulling it over in my mind I realized that to be in constant communion with my maker is not the easy path of life. Rather it is the path that will lead us in the right direction through the chaos and provide us with hope and joy as we travel it.

I love how the book points out three key things:
1. "remember that your ultimate goal is not to control or fix everything around you; it is to keep communing with Me"
2. "a successful day is one in which you have stayed in touch with Me, even if many things remain undone at the end of the day"
and
3. "do not let your to-do list become an idol directing your life."

Talk about changing my perspective! This is so freeing!! As a mother to two young boys and a wife I often feel as though I failing miserably during the day. There's always something I could be working on around the house and then there's a million things that Garth thinks I should be doing and rarely do I get around to finishing everything. Now, to be reminded that it doesn't matter... the weights have just be lifted off my shoulders. Not to say that this gives me a free pass to not do anything. I'm just relieved from feeling unaccomplished. We're only here for a short time and shouldn't we be storing up our treasures in heaven? Wouldn't communion with God be considered one of the biggest treasures of all? Even if I don't finish my to-do list all that matters is that I was chatting it up with God all day long. Telling him about my frustrations, telling him about my excitement, letting Him know when I'm tired and exhausted, letting Him know I need His strength more than my own.

I hope that I can look back on today while I lay in bed tonight and think, "God and I held a conversation through the entire day." SUCCESS!