Grateful

Today I'm just grateful. Grateful for: a beautiful day, a wonderful husband, awesome children, amazing friends, my home, the privilege of homeschooling my children, the fact that I can wear sweats to 'work', creativity, music, my 5 senses, good food, coffee (yes, definitely, coffee), babies, laughter, modern conveniences, and most especially, for the Lord and His gift of salvation, free for the taking!

Philippians 4:13 Week

This has been a Philippians 4:13 kind of week. A week full of caring for a sick spouse and children. But the funny thing is, it is well with my soul. The Lord has been so gracious to give me His peace and help me lean on Him.

My usual M.O. is to be anxious and fret through these trying times. I am so thankful that, in recent months, He has been enabling me to lay my burdens down at His feet and to trust His sovereign decisions and care for me and my family. I am SO grateful for the change He has created in me in this area.

I am praying for my sick loved ones, of course. And I am praying for His continued strength. (Phil. 4:13) And I am praying He continues to enable me to trust Him. Because I KNOW that apart from Him, I can do NOTHING! (John 15:5) I know as soon as I begin to think I have anything to do with handling this well, I will fall flat on my face. It is God Who is sustaining me. (Isaiah 46:4)

Thank You Jesus!

George Muller

I am reading The Autobiography of George Muller. I was reading about his primary motivation for beginning his orphanages. I was expecting that he did it because of the great need of the children or because of his great love for them. However, this was not the case.

His main motivation was to have a tangible vehicle by which to display God's faithfulness to answer prayer and to provide for His people. He had repeatedly tried to counsel believers to trust God's provision but could not seem to fully encourage them to do so. He knew that God's provision for the orphans would be a highly visible way of showing God's activity in behalf of His children who trust Him fully.

INCREDIBLE!!! And very convicting!

Waiting Patiently

Waiting! Yes, patiently waiting!
Till next steps made plan shall be;
To hear, with the inner hearing,
The Voice that will call for me.

Waiting! Yes, hopefully waiting!
With hope that need not grow dim;
The Master is pledged to guide me,
And my eyes are unto Him.

Waiting! Expectantly waiting!
Perhaps it may be today
The Master will quickly open
The gate to my future way.

Waiting! Yes, waiting! Still waiting!
I know, though I've waited long,
That, while He withholds His purpose,
His waiting cannot be wrong.

Waiting! Yes, waiting! Still waiting!
The Master will not be late:
He knoweth that I am waiting
For Him to unlatch the gate.

J. Danson Smith
(Streams in the Desert)

Trust

I cannot know why suddenly the storm
Should rage so fiercely round me in its wrath;
But this I know--God watches all my path,

And I can trust.

I may not draw aside the mystic veil
That hides the unknown future from my sight,
Nor know if for me waits the dark or light;
So I can trust.

I have no power to look across the tide,
To see while here the land beyond the river;
But this I know--I shall be God's forever;
So I can trust.

(Streams in the Desert)

Perfect Paradox

I love the amazing paradoxes God has us walk by.

Though it seems you have every reason to worry, don't.

Though you sin all the time, if you belong to Jesus, He sees you as 'white as snow.'

And my favorite one is the result you get when you put John 15:5 and Philippians 4:13 together.

John 15:5 "Apart from Me, you can do nothing."
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me."

Colossians 1:29 goes right along with these. "...I labor, struggling with all HIS energy, which so powerfully works in me."

These verses are my constant companions, helping me through each day. As I walk knowing I am incapable of doing anything by myself, I lean on His power and ability to help me do all He wants me to do, trusting Him to strengthen me.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12)

Never Waste Your Pain
by Dick Innes

Dear Lord,

Please grant that I shall
Never waste my pain; for...
To fail without learning,
To fall without getting up,
To sin without overcoming,
To be hurt without forgiving,
To be discontent without improving,
To be crushed without becoming more caring,
To suffer without growing more sensitive,
Makes of suffering a senseless, futile exercise,
A tragic loss
And of pain,
The greatest waste of all.