19 His Chosen Delights

 I sometimes think I must sound like a broken record.  But really I am just walking, and learning, walking and learning, and once in a while I might have a word or two that will encourage you, strengthen you, or just make you laugh.  Haven't had too many blogs that have brought merriment, but soon I am going to start "A Merry Heart" number one.......and just set out for a laugh.  

Watch out Greg it just might be about you.   

But that is not today.

I was quite dry this morning, and wondered if I would get an inspiration for my blog.  So this afternoon I started reading the beginning of this journal.   Do you know what I saw?  No of course you don't (smile)  But I saw a pattern in my entries.  Time and time again I would be writing about how I try and be faithful to my Quiet Time, and trying to 'practice His Presence', and how I fail, again!   

I am seeing over and over, that the enemy of my soul is at work on my mind with condemnation.

I want to say right now, I feel there is a good guy (God) and a bad guy (devil) and if it is good it comes from God, if it is bad it comes from the devil.   Maybe you think that is too simple, but that's the way I see it.  I'm a very simple person.

Now about this condemnation thing.....if I as a Mother saw my boys try and try to please me, but they mess up somehow, am I disappointed?  No, I see they are trying to please me.  Love covers a lot!

So why do I think every day as we are walking this long, hard road, Greg, that I am not walking good enough, or I don't spend as much time  'practicing His presence' as I should.....and that God is not pleased by this?

I think He jumps up and down with joy, when I do take the time, and He relishes that time.   

He said I/you are the apple of His eye, He says He CHOSE us!

Eph 1  (Living Bible)  sez He chose us because He wanted to!  It goes on to say,   

"Moreover, because of what Christ has done we have become gifts to God, that He delights in!"

 ...It also sez in that same chapter, 

"I want you to realize that God has been made rich because we who are Christ's have been given to Him."

I am a GIFT to God, that He delights in?    God was made RICH because we were given to Him?  

I am concerned about your health...your kidneys (or lack thereof).....your heart.....your eye.. (or lack thereof) your moving date (by the end of the month) your very life!!!

Why do I think God is disappointed in me because I feel like I am not trusting Him enough?  Who do you think is telling me this?  The devil, because God sez in Rom 8:1 

There is no condemnation for those in Christ.

Father I see that you are pleased, very pleased with our progress....you know how human we are, you made us. 

It is not that I am not trusting, but 'ole slewfoot' sez , "yes , but you aren't trusting enough."  he is trying to make us think God is disappointed, and  that we don’t do better....well we are improving and we are better, but not as good as we will be!!!

My Father loves me, you too Greg, and He is not at all disappointed in us...

He sees and knows our hearts....remember He was concerned for His Mother while He was on the cross?  He said to John, 'Behold your Mother, and to His Mother he said,'behold your son.'  Help us to keep this uppermost in our minds, and  stop worrying.....He loved us enough to die for us!

Well, again....hang in there, hang on  tight to His hand, and we'll see you here, there or in the air.

Cray, the key word....is secret.  ;)

Nanny

18 LIFE-DEATH-LIFE

Pretty ominous title there....but what is life?  

You wake up when you are born.....live your life....then death comes...you go to sleep....and wake up REALLY ALIVE!!!!  Since our dear friend, Dawn, went to sleep yesterday, and woke up in Heaven....that is pretty much what I am  dwelling on today.

Every morning I wake up, (and that is a blessing) sometimes Cliff comes down the hall, telling me (in a not so quiet voice) that the coffee is ready.  I try to have that first cup with my most Precious Friend Jesus, and start my day.  But mostly I am up, feeling good, not too many aches and pains, and thankful that I can walk, talk and move myself....as

opposed to Sug, who can still do these things, but with a very limited ability.

This life thing is pretty interesting....the other day I was reading about how God knew us BEFORE we were in our mothers' womb.....which is pretty deep in itself,  but He also said, before you were in your mother’s womb, 'I carried you.'......well!!!   What is that all about?   I don't have a clue!!!!    However, when He says He carries us between His shoulders, to me I get a picture of Him carrying us like a child, in His arms, or literally 'on His back'.

Is He trustworthy?  Absolutely!!!   He is omniscient, omnipotent, sovereign, and very much EVERYTHING else.....He can do all He says He will/can do.....

He has it all planned out, from the very beginning,  and He knows the end of the Story as well .

So what is birth, death and life?  When you think about it, we do not have any of the answers.  But He does, and He is so willing that we know as much as we can learn, HOWEVER, He is past finding out, so stop trying, and start Trusting, stop running, and try Resting.

My heart is not heavy this a.m. even tho' not much has changed about your condition, Greg.  They put in a stint in your eye to relieve the pressure and it has.  At this time, they took the option of removing your eye off the table.  That is a blessing.  You have to move next weekend  (and can't lift anything for 30 days...smile, could it be any more difficult?) so I guess we just wait and see just where this move is going to be, and how it is going to happen.  Maybe He will send angels to help, that IS a possibility, you know...but maybe He will send angels with 'skin' on to make this happen...Just keep your eye (eyes if possible, smile)  on Him, 'Who doeth all things well!'

Dawn has her wedding garments on, and is sitting at the feet of Jesus, this is what we are all waiting for eh? Maybe she has seen Andy....think?

So hang in there, hang on, and look up...for He is coming soon, and for you that don't know Jesus and the wonderful Hope that we have about Heaven, what are you waiting for...Jesus is your ticket out of here and into His presence...

See you here, there or in the air!!!!

Crayola, thank God for the Hope we have in Jesus!!!!!!!

Nanny

17 Thought Patterns

Today I am back in Romans 8...(a replay isn't bad. Smile) In vs 5.....it sez,

“Those controlled by the Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.”  

We are BUSTED from the start, because Ps.90:11 sez,

 “The Lord knows our thoughts...”

Isaiah 55:8 sez,

“My thoughts are not your thoughts...”.  

Very interesting!

So according to the Scriptures, our thought life makes or breaks our Daily Day.

But always, God makes a way out and Phil 4:8.  proves this......

”Fix your thoughts on  what is , True--Honorable--Right--Pure--Lovely--Admirable...Think on these things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Normally I have a plaque above my phone that sez just that....I need daily, hourly to be reminded.  smile

Phil 4:6 sez...

”Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank Him for what He HAS done.”  (already)

Phil 3:15…

”For God is working in you giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”

Father, how, how, how do we do this? How?

As a baby, as you learn to walk, you don't just say at 1 month, 2 months, or 3...o.k. now I am going to walk.

(what came first, the chicken or the egg, an age old question, but I know the  answer, and so do you.  God created all living things, in the beginning.  The Word sez he started  all, with grown, mature things, animals, trees, bearing fruit...there you have it, the chicken came first....my trivia for the day...SMILE)

So as a baby you learn the teensiest, things...focus your eyes, get that arm moving so you can touch things with your hands......In time we put you on the floor, and THEN you walk....no…not yet. Finally you can lift your head and hold it steady...the you learn to roll over, and THEN you start walking?  No again...I think you get the drift, though he will, he will!

Practice.  Practice, practice...

The same with our Christian walk,   First you read the Word, and start realizing what the Word teaches us, then with a lot of prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit, you learn....to do.....Today I am centering in on our thought patterns, Greg, with which at 82 3/4 years old (smile) I am still learning...so take heart, you will learn, also.

So as a defeating thought comes our way, the Word sez,  

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

...so resist the negative thought and think of something lovely...pure....

 Hard work? No!  Just consistency....most of our Walk, is just

being consistent....day by day, hour by hour.

Remember in this Holy Week, that the battle was fought at and on the cross, and when Jesus said, "It is finished",

IT IS FINISHED!!!!

He finished it without me having to fire a shot!   So do as I am trying to do, not to sweat the Big Stuff, let God take care of that, you have things to do, and we can do it, can't we?      

Oops....song coming up.....

"God is able,  more than able, to  accomplish what concerns me today,

He is able more than able, to handle anything that comes my way.

He is able truly able to do much more than I can ever dream,

He is able, more than able, to make me what He wants me to be."

Oh, Greg, (I don't know how we happened to get purple ink just now, but I don't know how to stop it, so let’s just let it be something beautiful to my eyes, since this is my favorite color)  How you keep walking this week and next, where you will move to,  I don't know!!!!!!  But God does, and...give us GREAT grace, Dear Father, to follow you, stumbling, seemingly blind, to what you want us to do.....and TRUST....this is soooooooooooo hard, ‘cause as your Mom I want to fix....fix.....fix...and as My Father, God wants to fix... fix...fix...and He is so good at fixing.  We'll be praying tonight at 7p.m. my time....5 p.m. your time..............God answers prayer!!!

O.K. time to relax in Him, hang on, look up, and see what God has for you.

You are firmly in His grasp...  We'll see you here, there or in the air.

(You too, Cray)

Nanny

16 Coincidence?

It is no coincidence that Cliff and I are reading 'Job' this a.m. in our quiet time.  It is also no coincidence that my private 'quiet time' had me in Romans Ch. 8.  There are no coincidences with God’s timing.  I just don't have a clue who I am, or where He is in this situation…(mainly your situation, Greg)...But of course I know who I am, I am God’s Chosen Treasure,  and so are you, and I know I am, like you, on this earthly walk, that won't last forever,  (tho' it seems like forever, now) but how we handle this, WILL last forever!!   God promises!

This day it is hard to write, because my emotions are sooooooooo high. But I have been searching the Scriptures, and I see all these Precious Promises, and I think, are they for us, Greg?  It must be My prayers that are hindering a break-through for you....How much more stress can your heart handle, as well as the rest of your body? You have been in the hospital 4 times in the last month, the last was your heart, they said "stress”, not a blockage.

Now your lease is up, and they have taken the stance, 'it's up, and we have chosen to not renew your lease.'  So be out by the end of the month????? Where are your Mercies, Lord, that are new every morning? 

The promise that,  

“I will contend with those who contend with you?”

I have never had depression, like I've seen with others, and what you have been through…(and I hope it is through!!!! smile )   I wake up with a song in my heart every morning, that is who I am, and will be....but there have been times that I have said to myself, 'I am ready to throw in the towel, and I was, except I didn't really know just what that meant...It didn't mean I was going to end it all....I just couldn't see how I could handle any more.   I see you at and beyond this point, and my heart breaks.

God IS in control, and He sees out into eternity, He also promised me that

“Greg is going to be all right.”  

I have to trust Him, who else could I go trust?  We just need HELP as we walk thru this valley...spiritually, financially, mentally...for

you especially, Greg.  Where are you, (meaning the rest of the Body of Christ?)  You know that if you break your little finger it upsets the whole body?...well your whole body is broken, where are you Church?

I am only just preaching to the choir, because the only ones reading my blog are near and dear friends and family.  But perchance God will lead someone to this blog that will be 

'that hand extended, reaching out to the oppressed, let me touch him, let me touch Jesus, so that others may know and be blessed.'  

 

Music is my heart, and that of course is a song.  smile    

Please pray for Greg, for a kidney, (which by the way has been put off for another 2 years, because of all the other problems in his body) healing for his eye, (been in the hospital 3 times in the last 60 days for surgery on his eye, 2 times for laser treatments to relieve pressure) heart, which he has had 3 stints, and 3 heart attacks, in the last few years.

God, we have a big problem here, and I know you are on the throne....Your promises are true,  

'you are God, you cannot lie' , 'you are the same yesterday, today and forever,' ' when you  cry unto me, I will answer.'   'You have a plan for Greg, plan to prosper etc...'  

Hide us behind the cross, calm our fears, Isaiah said,

'the work of righteousness is peace, the effect of righteousness confidence and assurance forever.’   

Well we know it is not our RIGHTEOUSNESS, but yours, that we can stand before the Father and claim these Precious Promises, that are your Word, O God, not ours, so we know they are true!!!

Forgive me for whining, Father, and give us MUCH GRACE, to serve you effectively.  The devil wants Greg to be incapacitated, but You  know what you have for Greg to do.....don't be discouraged, Greg, for my long goings on this a.m.; just be encouraged that He will supply!!

Boy am I hanging on, tight, this a.m.....you do the same!  

He's coming soon, and we will meet you here, there or in the air!!  

You too, Cray.

Nanny