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Life has been complicated, busy and downright tiring lately. I get tired just reading the "news" that the media spews forth on a daily basis. There seem to be troubles everywhere and sometimes it's hard to stay positive. I have a daily devotional flip-chart on my desk that I have had for years. Even though I've used it all this time, there are days when a devotional just jumps out at me. Yesterday's had this: "But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10 The Lord, our Great Refiner, sometimes uses the fire of trouble to refine our lives. Fire does not harm gold, it only separates the impurities. God is never in a hurry as He works in our lives, for it takes time to process pure gold. He never leaves us in the fire longer than necessary, but watches over us carefully and lovingly, ready to turn off the heat when He sees the perfect reflection of His face in us. Did you know that you are gold? You are precious in His sight, even with your imperfections. Are you going through the fire? Hold onto Him - don't let go and don't ever give up - he's refining you and changing you from one glory to another. Remember, Jesus told us - Be of good cheer for I have overcome the world. Thank you, Father, for your grace and mercy. Thank you for never leaving us or forsaking us, no never.
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Our California summer has arrived - oppressive heat, water conservation efforts and all. We are trying to keep from running the a/c as I can only imagine what our electric bill will be this summer due to the high gas prices. Don't you just love OPEC? My two younger daughters are done with their school work; the oldest is wrapping up her freshman year with a term paper and the last Biology unit. We take the summer off from formal schooling - actually the girls do - I'll be spending the next couple of months working thru what curriculum to get for the next school year and planning for the first few months of the new year. Normally this would be a pleasant process, but this year I've also got to hire/train a new person for our office. This means that the juggling between home and work continues...Lord Jesus, help me to be sweet and kind though I long for rest. What are your plans for summer? |
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Debi Pearl makes a great statement in "Created to be his Help Meet" - Discontentment is not a product of circumstances, it is the state of the soul. Ouch! Boy, how I like to blame others or where I am at at any given point for the "problems" of life. To think that the bitterness and discontentment in my life is actually the state of my soul is painful indeed. Since my soul state is driven and influenced by my thoughts, it is no wonder that the Lord has written so much in His Word about thinking the right things. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is" To change my thoughts will obviously take a conscious effort - it's one of those dying to self things, picking up my cross to follow Him things...but what a wonderful opportunity to leave behind the discontent and bitterness --- to have a different soul-state. "A merry heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones" Prov. 17:22 This is my goal for the next month - to be aware of His presence each day, to allow Him to change my thoughts and give me a merry heart. |
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I finally picked up my "Created to be His Help Meet" book again a couple of weeks ago. I read it through quite awhile back and I must confess my spirit recoiled from much of what I read in there. There are no women in my past or current life who portray the demeanor of a help meet as described in this book so I have no mentor or example from which to work. Though the Lord has tempered me a lot over the last few years there is still the typical wife mentality that often rears its ugly head - at least typical in the wives that I've been around - and that is the controlling, resentful, negative or bitter woman that often drives the husband away physically, emotionally or both. As He so often does, the idea to pick up this book just kept "popping" back into my head in various ways and I knew that it was time to obey all these promptings. This time I'm trying to take things chapter by chapter and actually work on the study suggestions at the end of each. And guess what? So far, it hasn't been too bad I'm sort of at a meditation period just thinking about the most recent items in there about having a merry heart. You must understand that this is a foreign idea to me. Now I'm not a complete sour puss or anything, but my life has primarily been a serious, worry wart kind of life - being so concerned about "what might happen if...." So in my Scripture reading associated with this merry heart idea I come across: All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances]. Prov. 15:15 Now that reference to anxious thoughts and forebodings is EXACTLY what I've done all my life. And God right there shows me that because of that I've felt despondence and affliction - READ: worry, depression, fear. No wonder He wants me back in this book!! Why is it that sometimes we come kicking and screaming on the inside back to a place where He wants us to be? Hmm...this will require more meditation on this merry heart idea.... |
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Yeah!!!! I figured out how to add blinkies to my blog today |
Once I got it, it wasn't as hard as I expected...