All in Quiet Time
I looked out the back door window enjoying the country view of pine trees.
Something blurred my vision… I could see fingerprints.
I had just cleaned the glass… but there they were… again.
I recognized the hand pattern.
Hmmm… I knew who the fingerprints were from.
God has fingerprints…
My heart broke when I heard her story.
Pain and difficulty caused by others and sometimes herself.
The struggle to forgive.
Then my heart jumped for joy when she shared the difference Jesus made in her life.
His heart hurt, he was frustrated.
I asked, “What are you going to do?”
He said, “I am going to thank God anyway.”
As I sat at a crossroad, I was unsure of which direction to turn.
I have never had a good sense of direction.
If anyone gets lost… it’s me.
Can you relate?
The words just spoken over me tore a gash in my heart.
Harsh words can hurt.
In a moment… I had a decision to make… How am I going to respond?
Do you like to share your dessert?
It can be a nice way to have a tasty treat by sharing a small amount.
But what happens when the group partaking becomes selfish… and the spoon almost seems a weapon?
We used to think we could get more done by multitasking, but the latest research shows this to be false. According to numerous studies, multitasking causes more errors than focusing on a single task.
Usually when I start something new, there is… training.
Typically, it is from someone who has been there before me.
And often, I am very thankful for the training.
But it can be a challenge for both the trainee… and the trainer.
Life with Jesus is like a puzzle.
There are all these pieces to life… but they don’t always make sense alone.
Walking through fields of beautiful flowers… amazing!
I don’t have to know much about gardening to enjoy it… thankfully.
I know that if mixed correctly, flowering plants, dirt, sun, water, time… out comes beautiful flowers!
God does the growing!
I don’t have to know all the details of how… I can just be amazed by the results.
Baby steps are so cute!
Little pudgy feet, wobbly, trying to move forward… step by step.
But think about spiritual steps… of the baby… of the mature.
As I think about what mine looks like, what about you?
Am I growing?
This is a good question to ask yourself.
Just like a flower growing up tall in the bright sunshine… in Jesus I grow too.
But are you?
Have you ever heard the term “white lie”?
It means a small lie that doesn’t do any harm.
Is there such a lie?
In storms of life… fear escalates… becoming more intense.
When out of your element, in a storm, the enemy has an advantage… fear is a strong weapon.
Do you know what to do in that situation?
Do you like to please people?
Most of us do… it just seems right somehow.
What about pleasing God? I want to… but look at this truth…
How important is prayer in your life? As your schedule gets busier, do you find less time to pray and sit alone with God? I am guilty of that at times.
Luke records a busy time in Jesus’ ministry. More and more people started to hear the news about Jesus. Crowds were coming to hear him teach. Sick people also wanted him to make them well (Luke 5:15 EASY).
Do you have projects that you have started, but stopped?
What made it stop? Confusion? Unclear direction?
When confusion sets in the mind, it can stop a project… bringing it to a screeching halt.
The enemy knows this scheme.
Do you journal? Write?
I use writing to process my thoughts.
God can use it to show you something that He wants you to see.
God told Jeremiah to write down His message for a purpose… for change…
Often, I don’t feel very strong… but I want to be strong.
Look at what our heavenly Father does… Paul prays…
I fall to my knees and pray to the Father … I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. (Ephesians 3:14-16 NLT).
Today, when I don’t know an answer … I admit it … I google.
But is Google always right? Can I trust Google? Sometimes.
