Blessings or Bruises?

Hello, Dear Readers-

Start with a Clean  Slate

We’re half way through the first month of the new year. They say we start with a clean slate, but do we? Or do we drag our giants from the previous year over the edge of yesterday and into today?

David Facing the

Giant Goliath

A lot can happen to us in 365 days. There’s a top ten list of the most stressful things that can happen to a person. One year I had everything except the death of a family member and a divorce occur plus a few things that I think should be on that list. Though I was battered and bruised, when I got to the end of that year I breathed a sigh of relief and praised the Lord that by His grace I made it through.

The little boy, David, in the Bible fought a giant. A real, nine-foot, nine-inch-tall giant named Goliath whose coat weighed 125 pounds. David had been tending his father’s sheep when he was called on to take some food to his brothers on the front line. Goliath started taunting the Israelites trying to stir up a fight. David stepped forward with faith in His God and his slingshot and a few stones. Overcoming all the odds, David won the battle for the Israelites. How can David’s approach to his giant help us with ours?

1)      Approach life from a spiritual perspective: Ask yourself, “What does my situation look like from God’s perspective?” David knew that nothing was impossible with God. It wasn’t David standing there staring Goliath down. In David’s mind, it was God standing there with slingshot in hand.

God Always Keeps

His Promises

      2)     Have a personal, practical faith: God is faithful to keep His promises to His children. It is not in His character to break a promise. Have you had a personal experience with the God of Heaven where you asked Him to be your Lord and Savior? You are part of His family and part of your inheritance can be found in the promises of the Bible.

3)      Focus on God’s Glory: Is your focus on self-glory or God’s glory. Little David was sure and certain about His God and took no credit for the outcome of the battle. He gave all glory to God. I have no doubt that regardless of the outcome, David would have done the same.  Is your focus on your blessings                                                                  or on your bruises?

You can read David’s story here to see for yourself how he handled the giant that was looming over him. It takes great courage to stand and face our giants, but with the lessons we learn from David, it will be much easier. And, hopefully, we can focus on the blessing of victory as we overcome what the world throws at us.

Going out with joy today-

Cathy

Day Eight of 2018, and I'm a Week Behind!

Happy New Year, dear Readers-

Does Running Behind

Count as Exercise?

It’s day eight of the brand-new year, and I am already a week behind. I started the year with some kind of evil virus that attached itself in the wee hours of the morning on December 29^th and dragged me right into 2018. I’m almost back to 100% and, yesterday, was finally able to do some of the things I have on my January list (yes, I am a list maker).

I gave up making resolutions long years ago. It seemed like such a waste of pen and paper, and that’s a mouthful for a list maker to say. I do like having a word for the year though, and it’s amazing how the word I chose is woven throughout the whole year. It’s like having Jiminy Cricket resting on my shoulder whispering my word to me at opportune times.

The Lord has been dealing with me about this year’s word since mid-November. I’ve gotten lax in several areas and I’m counting on this year’s word to help me snap out of it.

And the word is: INTENTIONAL

I WILL be intentional with God. I want MORE of God this year. I aim to be intentional about the

Deep Study of the Scriptures

adds Depth to Life

time I spend alone with Him each day. I want to talk to Him more and dig deeper into the scriptures, not just surface read so I can check Bible Reading off my list.

I WILL be intentional about my health. I want to make better choices when I eat; more protein and veggies and water. I want to be aware of how much I move during the day and take steps (no pun intended!) to move more; park farther away from the door in parking lots, do some stretches throughout the day to overcome stiffness. I was running a 5K a couple of times a month but that fell by the wayside over last summer. I may not get back to that, but I’d like to be closer than I am right now.

Healthy Living

I WILL be intentional about my writing. I was so slack with my writing in 2017. I am mostly a seat-of-the-pants writer, not much on planning ahead. This year, I have a calendar where I have penciled in topics to write about in the next few weeks. I’ve lost hold of so many good writing ideas because I didn’t capture them somewhere and they escaped.

My plan is not to be too rigid with myself, but to have that word circulating in my consciousness reminding me gently that I have choices. I’d love for you to share your plan for 2018 with me and my other readers. Leave a comment. It might help us all.

Going out with joy today, thankful that I feel good-

Cathy

Our Godly Character

Hello, dear Readers-

Nearing the end of our time in Los Angeles, we felt good about what we accomplished. To our understanding we had completed everything we were sent to do, and more.

On Friday night we returned to the hotel after a long day and just as we were pulling into the parking lot, we received a text from the airline saying our flight for the next morning had been cancelled. We all went to our rooms to pack and get ready to leave the next day, just as we had planned to do, assuming there was an error that would be corrected by morning.

During the night, Sam our team leader, texted back and forth with the airline to no avail. The flight was back on, then off again, delayed 20 minutes, back on time, delayed 30 minutes. That was how it stood as we woke up that morning.

As I was spending some time in prayer before I got up to dress, the

Lord told me, “This is your opportunity to show your Godly character.” I laid there and thought about that for a few minutes. What did I have within me that could be considered Godly character? Then He brought to mind, Gal. 5:22-23, the Fruit of the Spirit.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

I shared the challenge to “show our Godly character” with the others.

By the time we arrived at the airport the flight had changed again. It was back on regular time, then cancelled again and then on again, but without us. Sam talked to three different airline employees, going higher up the chain of command each time, while the rest of

Airport Lobby

us sat across the lobby praying. The spiritual warfare was intense. He finally came away with two choices: leave on the same flight the next day (but they wouldn’t help us find a hotel to stay in or help get us there and back or pay for the extra meals we’d need. Option two was to stay in the airport and leave on a flight that night, changing planes in Chicago instead of Denver. Twelve hours in the airport is a long time but we got the distinct feeling that God was keeping us from harm.

Something like this doesn’t happen every day, but other things happen that might test our Godly character. Many times since then I have heard that wee small voice reminding me that “this is an opportunity to show your Godly character.”

There are some of God’s character traits that we cannot, as humans, show. His omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence and His position in the Trinity. Being sovereign, immutable and rendering judgement are reserved for Him. But He has allowed us to take on other character traits to make us better people and make the world a better place.

Gal. 5:22-24 from The Message says it well:

^22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

^23-24 Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

What about you? Has God given you opportunities to show your Godly character? How did it go for you? Leave a comment below. I’d love to know how He works in your life.

Going out with joy today to experience His plan for me-

Cathy

Why, God?

Questions for God

Greetings, Dear Readers-

Do you ever wonder why God asks you to do some of the things He does? This question has rolled over and over in my mind since my return from Los Angeles. So far, the answers have been vague. Here’s what prompted the question:

Near the end of our time on Hollywood Boulevard, on the second day of our trip, we stopped at the entrance to a shopping mall to pray. As we were deep in prayer, a lady came near and took a seat on a wall, seemingly waiting for someone to arrive. Sam felt God nudge him to pray for this lady, but while we were still in prayer, she walked away. He prayed that God would bring her back if she, indeed, needed prayer. She came back. Finishing our prayer, we approached her and tried to have a conversation with her. She was from Holland and only spoke Dutch. We couldn’t understand her and she couldn’t understand us. She seemed okay with us praying anyway.

Echo Park Entrance

On Friday, we returned to Echo Park (more on the park next time) to pray. We all had the feeling we weren’t quite done yet. I felt God urge me to go pray for a man scrunched down behind us painting. I left the prayer circle and approached the man only to find he couldn’t speak English. Through some hand signs, I discovered he came to the park to paint canvases which he later sold on the street. He knew the names God and Jesus but I don’t know if he had a relationship with them. He allowed me to pray for him. I returned to my friends who were still praying.

So, my question is, “Why would God send us all the way to Los Angeles and have us pray for people who couldn’t understand what we were saying to them?” What do you think, my dear readers? I’d love to have your insights in the Comments Section.

Prayer Circle

The only thing that has come to me is that it was a question of obedience. Would we back away or follow through, given this barrier? Maybe God translated our prayers into their own language. He did that in the Bible. Both of them had an aura of peace about them when we parted. Did we witness a modern-day miracle and didn’t even know it?

Going out with joy today, waiting for my next set of instructions-

Cathy