Intercession

Mother was a prayer warrior--a real intercessor. She was always praying for so many. She went to many prayer meetings--often in the wee hours of the morning. Lately I have felt like her. There are so many needing prayer. I frequently wake up in the night and pray for all my friends/family that have needs. My very active temperament is finally slowing down enough to intercede for the needs around me. God help us--help me--to continue to pray for others!

Fear and Trust

In our Beth Moore study of Esther, we are learning we must trust God even if the thing we most fear happens--not just trust Him that it will not happen. I've been dealing with worry (fear) and God has been trying to teach me to trust Him. Beth says "We don't just trust Him to let us avoid what we fear most. We determine to trust Him no matter what, even if our worst nightmare befalls us. We have no greater victory and can render Satan no harsher blow." She continues with "as hard as trusting can be, living with constant fears is harder." AMEN to that!!
I appreciate the Bible studies and the reading I am doing but still resort back to those fears. God please help me to learn this lesson!!!

Spring!

My precious son suggested I try to write weekly. I am going to do my best to write more often.

Today is the first day of spring--and we had snow!! We have been enjoying the nice warmer weather which is coming back in a few days.

I've been reading Max Lucado's Come Thirsty. I'm currently in the chapter Worry? You Don't Have To. What a great lesson. I wonder if I will EVER learn this?

"Don't worry about anything: instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7

We sing this song in Sunday School. Don't worry, instead pray. It is based on the scripture above and has all the words of these verses in it. A terrific song!!

Max talks about some of us having postgraduate degress from the University of Anxiety. That is me, for sure. I probably have several postgrad degrees in it!! Worry is irrelevant. It alters nothing. You can't solve anything by worry.

The things we worry about:
40% never happen
30% regard things of the past we can't change
12% focus on the opinions of others that cannot be controlled
10% center on personal health, which worsens as we worry about it
8% concern real problems that we can influence

WOW!! Don't worry!!!!!

Marching into March

I'm sitting here listening to the rain late in the evening. It was 59 today!! My husband and I just returned from a trip to Tennessee. We left the last few days in February and returned early in March to less snow and warmer temperatures. It really looks like spring will be here soon!!!

The ladies and I are enjoying our study of Beth Moore's Esther. What wonderful treasures there. Last week Beth taught on meanness and that meanness always has a history and a perceived threat. Never heard anything like that before!!

I am enjoying the quiet evening and I am very peaceful. I am thankful for all that God has done for me and for all of my family! I am sorry I haven't been blogging--during a time of year that I wasn't so busy. Maybe I didn't have a lot to share. I will try to be better about writing more often. God's blessings on all of you --and please send me comments. I love hearing from you!!

January Thaw

I can hardly believe that January is almost over and I haven't been writing! This has been a very very quiet month--maybe I didn't have anything to say???
Things are going quite well--our Bible study with Elisabeth George just ended and we are in the process of planning what direction is next. We are seriously considering Beth Moore's study on Esther.
I write things down that I find in my reading and here is something recent. I'm sorry but don't remember the source. "God has no problems, only plans. We ought to think not of problems but of purpose. We encounter the obstacle, we make a choice--always with the goal in mind."
"Life is full of things we can't do anything about, but which we are supposed to do something with."

Christmas 2009

I spent a very quiet day today with my wonderful husband. We had a delicious steak dinner and relaxed. Because of the ice, it just didn't make sense to try to go anywhere. Tomorrow family members will be here to celebrate and I look forward to that "busyness." I haven't written in awhile and I'm not sure why--guess the time just went by quickly. God has been helping me to take my focus off "my problems" and try to think of others--particularly in my prayer life. I have a whole list of people that need prayer. I also note that many have problems that are far more serious than my own. I plan to spend more days quietly at home this winter--I often do less in winter but have made some conscious choices that will keep me at home and I hope to work on crafts/pictures and some cleaning/organizing projects. I also hope to have the energy to invite people over for dinner or dessert in the quiet winter months. God's blessings for 2010 on everyone reading this. May we love, serve, and model Jesus to the people we meet.

Joy

My husband and I just finished off the production of It's a Wonderful Life that we were involved with--he playing the part of George Bailey and I directing. It was fun seeing a project come to life and interacting with the other participants.

About Thursday of this week circumstances seemed to look better (after a really terribly trying week) and I seem to have found my joy. I am so sorry to admit that I have been despondent the past 2 1/2 months. I was adjusting to new meds, I had the flu for a couple of weeks, and circumstances were very bleak. Problems kept piling up one on top of the other and I was having difficulty with all this. I know that "joy" comes from the Lord and that in spite of the circumstances He is doing good in my life and those around me but I really was struggling. I'm thankful to God for lifting my cloud and giving me this season--however short it may be--to not be concerned about problems.

I am just now going to get ready to do my preparations for Christmas. I haven't done any decorating, shopping, or even planning. I want to enjoy this time and not rush around "doing" so we'll see how I can do just taking my time. I love decorating the house and want it to be fun and not a chore.

Thank you Jesus for restoring my feeling of joy. I know I had the joy of the Lord all the time but I wasn't feeling any joy in my heart!