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Posts Tagged ‘Where did you find God today’

In a phrase…or two, wait – three

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on February 22, 2013| 4 Comments »

Two sleepless nights. The worry monster sat on the edge of my pillow. It crops up every now and then since I’ve become widowed and lost the safety net of my husband’s income. Each time when it looks like I am running out of money, something, a definite God-thing happens.

Yet, I still go through the ritual toss and turn as each worry floats to the surface of my thoughts like a Magic Eight Ball phrase on the floating triangle.  I haven’t been able to find a job, the freelance work is drying up, the books need to sell more, I should be speaking more, I got denied a lower rate of insurance because I have occasional muscle pains? Really??    . . .  yah-di-yah, yah.

Last night, even my cats snuggled close and purred comfort–or maybe it was because it got below freezing and the cold air was seeping through their pet door in the window near my bed.

Anyway, this morning my daily devo hit my mailbox. Often when I write for this site, people tell me my words were exactly what they needed to hear. Today, I was on the receiving end of Becky’s words. She wrote that God’s grace is what gives us the courage to stay the course and we should embrace the challenges we have and ask God to give us endurance while His plan is being revealed.

(Here is a link to the whole thing – it’s a good read: http://powertochange.com/blogposts/2013/02/22/receive-his-grace/)

Then, a new blogger buddy, Steve  with iChristian,  who sends a thought for each day to my email popped up with this:  “Sadness, disappointment, and despair have to flee in the presence of hope.”

Next, the daily psalm verse that pops up on my cell phone read- Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God,  for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.   Psalm 42:5

I had to laugh. You see, God always seems to speak to me in threes.  I get it.

Hope = Having Optimistic, Positive Endurance.

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On A Bird Feeder

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on February 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Fort Worth gets winds- gusty winds that whine through my windowsills like a stubborn child in a tantrum. Incessant.  It seems to last forever.  Actually this time, it has been going on for three days.

Before the latest winds hit, I put up a little bird feeder on the tree outside my patio. It was on sale and so was the seed. Within 24 hours I heard the cheeps and saw two finches perched on it, announcing to their feathered kin and friends that they had found free chow. Then a few sparrows, and my favorite, the timid turtle doves appeared.

dreamstimefree_97858While writing at my computer, I noticed the little feeder tilting in the wind. On it clung a determined purple finch, timing its pecks to the gusts. It’s little feet curled tightly around the pole. Wings flapped to maintain balance. But, no matter what, that tiny bird was staying on that feeder so it could have the seeds. As the feeder tilted, some of the seeds fell to the ground, greeted by opportunistic doves below.

I smiled – that’s me on that feeder.

If you picture at the feeder as God’s blessings and the winds as life, can you see the analogy?

Life can get a bit gusty and wobbly at times. We cannot control the winds of change. But we can redirect our sails. That is what a magnet on my fridge that my late mother gave me states.

God gives us abundant blessings. We, though, have to choose to ingest them into our life. When our world turns gusty and we feel tossed about a bit, we can still cling to those blessings.  That takes determination and tenacity. But God continues to provide – that feeder of blessings will never empty all the way.

And here is the best part. When others see us clinging on, a bit of those blessings may spill their way as well. People gather around a person who perseveres. They watch and ask, “How do they do that?”  Our tenacity and can-do attitude attracts others. Just remember to tell them whose feeder you are on and why. You never know where those seeds of blessing will fall.

And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.   (Matthew 13:3-8 ESV)

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In a Box of Chocolates

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on February 15, 2013| 1 Comment »

????????????????????????????????????????Raise your hands if you  gave up chocolate for Lent on Wednesday, then realized the next day, yesterday, was Valentine’s. Are your really going to tuck away that red heart shaped box filled with mouthwatering choices?  Can you withstand the temptation? Are you going to claim Sunday as a “king’s x” day and gobble down a few of them after church? Or will you chew now and confess later?

How easy is it to make resolutions and vow to make a change. How easy is it to be tempted at a drop of the hat to not keep that vow, or to find wiggle room in the rules to, well, have our chocolate in life and eat it, too. But what are we risking in return?

We all have good intentions when it comes to our Christian walk. We want to change, be more Christ-like, and bend to God’s will. Adam and Eve knew that push-me pull-you feeling. So did Paul.

For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. (Romans 7:15)

Human nature. We can’t  do it on our own, can we? Paul goes on –

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (vs 18, 20)

But Christ shows us a higher road, a better way that He has not only paved, but traversed.  We only will  succeed when we let God’s will control our thoughts and actions.

…because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

That’s a vow God makes to us, and He, though tempted while on earth, never gave in.

It’s not about what’s inside that heart shaped box of chocolates–it is about what’s inside the heart itself.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

 

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Bible vs Cell Phone

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on February 13, 2013| Leave a Comment »

This is Ash Wednesday- the beginning of Lent. Lent was the time the early Christians spent in study, reflection and penitent contemplation before being baptized on Easter. Today, it is often a time of taking on new things to replace old negative habits.

I heard a woman speak at a conference recently about how modern day life can eat into our spirituality. She handed out the following questions.

What if . . .

We treated our Bible like our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day looking for messages – and then responded back?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we treated it as if we’d be lost without it, afraid to be out of touch?

What if we gave it to kids as a gift?

What is we used it when we traveled, and In Case of Emergency (ICE)?

My pride balloon inflated because I have a daily Bible verse on my favorites’ screen and the whole Bible as an app on my cell phone.  But, when she asked if I looked at it as often as my text messages and email, it popped. With each question I saw the pieces float down in humility. How about you?

Unlike our cell phones, we don’t have to worry about our Bible being disconnected – Jesus already paid the bill.

Unlike our cell phones, we don’t have to worry about it being stolen.

Plus, with Christ, there are no  dropped calls. You always have 4 bars- at least.

Can you hear Him now?

 

 

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In Someone Else’s Wrting

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , on February 10, 2013| Leave a Comment »

A friend emailed the following to me. She doesn’t know the author. Evidently it has been floating around the internet through email boxes and the name was lost along the way.   I pray whoever wrote this doesn’t mind me sharing it. I have left in the original typos.

It is still very well written. When I read it, I pumped my fist and said, “Yes”.  My cat, who happened to be snoozing  through his third nap of the day on my desk, jolted.  I petted him. “Sorry, Buster. Another person has found God today.”

Enjoy.

You Can See God

I sat at my desk staring at the letter for a long time. It was written by a friend of mine who was going through some difficult times. It listed problem after problem and seemed full of despair. It ended with these words: “I would like to have faith, but I have always had a problem in believing in what I can’t see. You can’t see God, you know!”
After awhile I still hadn’t thought of how to answer my friend’s letter and help him. Hoping a walk would help, I put a lease on one of my dogs and headed out the back door. The warm, golden sunshine of Spring warmed my face as soon as I stepped off the porch. A fresh breeze carried the scent of a thousand budding trees on it. A butterfly danced above a patch of dandelions floating from flower to flower. Robins were flying back and forth to the Maple tree in my backyard carrying fresh grass and twigs to reline their nests. Across the road my new neighbor’s children were playing in her backyard with a big ball. It was such a delight seeing her toddler chasing after it with such joy.
I felt a nuzzle against my leg and looked down to see my dog cuddling in for a hug. I smiled and scratched his head while the laughter of the children and the sound of crickets in the woods blended together to create a unique and beautiful music. I started to walk back inside and saw my own son grinning at me from the window. Most of the world could only see his mental handicaps, but when I looked at him then his eyes sparkled with a divine light. I waved to him and laughed when his older sister snuck up behind him and wrapped him in a loving hug.
When I got back inside, I knew what to write. I went to my friend’s letter and wrote of everything I had just seen, smelled, heard, and felt in those brief moments outside. Then I finished by writing this:
“I think we all can see God! We just need to know where to look!”

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In him…and all believers

Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , on February 5, 2013| Leave a Comment »

This was emailed to me –

it is a commercial entitled Stethoscope.

You won’t guess what they are promoting until the end – for a hint, well, see the title of this blog. Sorry if I gave it away.

Anyway . . .Just click on this link and enjoy –

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/stethoscope.html

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In Me?

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , on February 4, 2013| 2 Comments »

I have a daily Bible verse app on my Droid cell phone. Today’s is this:

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his spirit.  1John 4:12-13

No one who has ever walked the earth has ever seen God, except Jesus when he looked in the mirror. Or, did He see just the human flesh He came to dwell in — that would bleed and die on the cross — staring back at Him? Could He physically see Himself as God or just be acutely aware of that part of Himself dwelling inside the flesh and bones?

Today, we believers are His hands and feet on earth. Can anyone “see” God in us or just sense His presence when we exhibit His love? Is that why people say God is reflected through us? That is a mystery which has been debated by those far more knowledgable than I throughout the centuries.

???????????????????????????????????????But this I know is Truth — if you have taken Jesus into your heart, He is there, living in you as His temple. Others can sense that, even if they are not believers. God draws people to Himself through believers. And, when we are not doing what Jesus would do, and love the way Jesus would love, it can repel them.

When we act in love as Christ would, then that love is made perfect because it makes God more tangible for others. John says God has “given us of his spirit”.  We don’t contain all of God’s spirit (we are too finite for that)  but we have enough of it shing through us be detected by other’s soul-eyes. AND maybe, we contain enough to detect shining with our own soul-eyes when we look in the mirror. Then we can see beyond the added ten pounds we have yet to get off our hips after the holidays, or the bad hair day, or the blemish that is pushing through onto our cheek.

Where did I find God today? Was it possibly in me?  Was I that loving? Did His Spirit reflect through me?

 

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In Blogs

Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , on February 1, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Several friends have written particularly piercing blogs this week. I want to support them. (I hope they will not mind).

 

GodGirlGail wrote about howling monkeys and challenged us to voice our witness further.

DiAn Gates had a guest writer, Katie, on her blog who wrote about kudos for yourself versus praising God for the talents He gives you and letting Him, as it says in the Gospel of John, become greater while you become less.

Linda wrote about how God can rebuild lives if we only turn back to Him.

Shelly wrote how God has blessed her through blogging and multiplied her witness of His Good News via the internet.

 

What do they all have in common? They point to God.

When we put God first, then He will bless us, use us, and rebuild us.  We can see Him more clearly moving through our day, like a comforting shadow a few paces ahead.

Be blessed this weekend and uplifted by reading these excellent blogs. You just find God whispering to you today in one of them.

 

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In a Message

Posted in Biblical, Christian, tagged , on January 28, 2013| 1 Comment »

It was missionary Sunday with a twist. Our missionary came back with her fiancé, well now her husband of one week. They were married while here on furlough. He spoke to  the congregation. She sat back and smiled, letting him have the limelight and giving us a chance to get to know him better. Smart lady.

He was the one with the message we needed to hear, and I believe if her homecoming had overshadowed him, we would not have been as blessed by that message. And what was it?

It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to do it, if God is calling you, it will happen. So you may as well get out of the boat and walk waterlopen_grttowards His voice.

You see, that is how they met. He was pushed, shoved, volun-told and finger-waggled by his pastor that he go to this missionary conference . He swallowed hard and finally agreed since the pastor was more than adamant. He had been told by a visiting preacher that he was to be a missionary ten years earlier when he was in high school. He resisted, and resisted. This time it was evident he could not resist anymore.

At that conference, his eyes locked onto hers and the rest, as they say is history. God joined not just a man and a woman, but a missionary couple who will double the efforts in Cambodia to safe house women and girls from human traffickers.  God, in the perfect timing only He knows, brought it all to fruition and two people from two different countries ,but of the same denomination, are now united.

Has God been whispering in the back of your soul, but you have been ignoring it? Or maybe He has given you the desire, but  is letting you know it not the right time yet. Perhaps you have some soul-stretching to do and some faith toning before you run this race that is being laid out in His plan.

The first step is to acknowledge He is calling you. Then step out of the boat and start moving toward His voice. Like Peter, fix your eyes on Him and you won’t sink. Let Him set the pace for the goal He has in mind. Easier said than done.  But it is the only way to not get worn out battling the waves.

I am worn out. I am tired of no results.  I am  weary of brick walls that will not crumble. I’d already given God my resignation. Let someone else write for You.  No one is listening to my words anyway. I am through.

This missionary’s  message spoke to me.

Yesterday, He had handed me the pen again.  I climbed out of the boat.

 

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What Say You?

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , on January 25, 2013| 1 Comment »

A dear Christian friend and writer, DiAn Gates, wrote this in her blog –

Stuffed in my ears and heaped in stacks around my feet. From hands-free devices to flat screens. TVs. Phones. And books. Zillions of them. A constant barrage of words. All day, every day and into the night, words surround me.
But is anyone listening? Does anyone really hear my words?

                           (check out her blog at  http://dianegates.wordpress.com/)

I often wonder if anyone is reading my words?? Do they hear the witness of my voice calling through the screen of their computer?

SO…. I want to know if you are listening (reading), so I can listen to you through reading your words.  Yes, I really want to know – because what you have to share is very important.

Where have you found God in your life recently?

It is in telling each other that each of us is bolstered with faithful hope. Your example may just be the answer to someone else’s prayer.

Please share your story in the comment section below or email it to me at juliebcosgrove@gmail.com and give me permission to post it next week.

May you feel Him so close to you today that it seems as if His breath is on your cheek as He draws you to Himself.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

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