Lean Not

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; but in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

That verse is what I have been saying over and over this past week. It’s a verse we can hold on to, one that strengthens us each time it’s said.

I don’t understand a lot of things that happen, but what we must learn from this passage is this:

When something happens to us or around us, through God’s word we learn to trust in Him that there are times we may think we know what’s happening but in reality God has the plan, he sees the bigger picture and our job is to trust him and acknowledge that His will be done no matter what the outcome or the circumstance.

And Romans 8:28 tells us;

And we know that in in all things God works for he good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

“lean not on your own understanding”... God’s got the plan, we trust him and we acknowledge his ways are better than ours.

Have a good week and always remember to look up!

Take Heart!

Last week Pastor Gary Simons gave us a message on living from victory to victory not  crisis to crisis, the scripture he used was from John 16:33. It says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Jesus is telling us to take heart with an exclamation mark !.

He’s encouraging us to be brave and courageous, that what ever we may be feeling is not lost, but to keep hope.

I for one, need that reminder. I for one, need to live victory to victory knowing that God will give me peace in midst of the storm.

⁴ You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1John 4:4

Have a good week and always remember to look up!

Having Compassion

Yesterday I stood at the front of our local market and handed out brochures for Operation Christmas Child. My goal was to try to get our community involved in this ministry. The longer I stood there the heavier my heart became. As people walked by I asked, “would  you like to pack a shoebox for a needy child”? Their reply was pretty much the same, no thank you. But what got my attention was how it was so easy to say no, not now. My whole being wanted to cry out– WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO, NOT NOW? THIS WORLD IS HURTING AND YOU SAY NO-WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE? You say no yet comment on how beautiful the tree standing by the door is.

I think you get the picture on how it was. I really came close to tears a few times.

I was reminded of Jesus so many times as his heart cried out for the people of this world and how he was moved with compassion. I know what I felt yesterday doesn’t compare to what Jesus must have felt and probably still does.

 

³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Matthew 9:36-37

 

Have a good week and remember to always look up!

 

Planting

So the other day I found out something that really bothered me. I found out that something I tried to do 3-4 years ago was being done by someone else and my 1st thought was WHAT? They can’t do that!                    I was the one who thought of that idea, I was the one who tried to get people involved, they have no right–

but I heard the Lord softly say to me one man plants another waters.

I began to ponder that and ask forgiveness for I know God was right.

I then called the person up and told them what had happened and began to share the vision I had a few years ago. I also shared what God had put on my heart. I told them I would be praying for them and that to keep our church in mind if it is offered again next year.

I am just a servant and the Lord is the one who makes it grow.

⁵ What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.  1 Corinthians 3:5-7

Have a good week and always remember to look up!

Be Blessed

The following are just a few quotes I came across this week. All powerful in there own way.

 the silences of the Scripture were as much due to divine inspiration as were its statements - F..F. Bruce

 

Remember this today: the smallest things you do or say sometimes have the greatest impact on others.

 

"God does not command that we do great things, only little things with great love." ~Mother Teresa

 

Have a wonderful week and remember to look up!                                               

Trusting

Thursday night Ohana group discussion was on stewardship of time, money, gifts and was grounded in Matthew chapter 25 verses 14-30.  We talked about this passage and what it meant regarding money and talents (gifts that God had given us).

But there is something that wasn’t mentioned and that was the Master and his character in this parable. The master, as it says in verse 14 called his servants and entrusted his property to them. In other words the master trusted these servants.

So if we look at it a little differently we see this man was full of kindness, wisdom and was respected. We also see him as someone who didn’t ask these servants to do anything with the money he gave them. Yet two of them did and one didn’t.

As I continued to think about this I thought about the parallel of this man and Jesus. I thought how this man trusted his servants and that Jesus freely gives us the gift of salvation, He trusts us to take that gift and tell others about him.

Why then, is it so hard for us to trust Him with the things in our life? Have we become  the servant in this parable that is afraid of sharing, afraid of investing our time or even afraid of speaking God’s truth? 

 

2Timothy 2:15 tells us,

¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

 

Have a good week and remember to look up!

 

B.A.S.I.C. (Be a Servant in Christ)

Last week the message given was on Serving. The vital keys given in that message were:

1. Be Available

2. Be Grateful

3. Be Faithful

 

This week I had the pleasure of taking dinner over to one of our church families and while there taking one of them to the emergency room.

As I traveled home that evening I started thinking about that message and how God uses circumstances to teach us. My heart rejoiced as I had the opportunity to be available and serve gratefully and with faith. I am so amazed at what God brings together when we obey him. 

 

Matthew 20:28 says..

Just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.

 

That about sums it up.

 

Have a wonderful week and remember to look up!                           

Gifts

When a person tries to be someone they aren't, it’s like trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Not only does it require a bigger hammer, it’s also a waste of time, energy and talent.

That’s why when my husband sees a hammer in my hand he starts to worry. You see, he knows that carpentry is not my gift, but it is his. That’s why I leave the carpentry up to him. If I didn't then my time and energy are wasted and I end up feeling frustrated and worthless. However, when I work through my own gifting, God works through me to accomplish His own purpose.

God deserves our best and I believe He expects us to make the most of what He’s given us, instead of worrying about what we don't have, or wanting what others do have.

God has given each of us different gifts that we use to further His kingdom.

Are we using those gifts?

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let  him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of  others, let him give generously;  if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.                 Romans 12:6-8

have a good week and always remember to look up!

Out of the Storm

You remember the movie Forest Gump? There is a scene in the movie where Forrest saves Lieutenant Dan and rather than Lieutenant Dan being grateful he was bitter and full of despair. Lieutenant Dan eventually joins Forrest on the shrimp boat and one day a fierce storm comes and Lieutenant Dan climbs the top of the mast and cries out to God and vents his rage and despair. The next time we see Lieutenant Dan he has a calmness about him and he’s swimming in the water.

Job tells us in chapter 38 verse 1, Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm.

When I’m troubled I tend to be meek and don’t really voice my troubles to God because I think He has better things to do than listen to me and my struggles. But God wants us to cry out to him. Job did, and God answered him. He will do the same for us.

It may be time for you to climb that mast as Lieutenant Dan did and voice your heartache, your pain and anguish, then allow God to speak to your heart.
He did mine.

Have a wonderful week and remember to look up!

God Is Waiting For Us

My oldest daughter really hurt my feelings this week. It’s hard enough just trying to get her on the phone and when she finally decides to call back, her first words are, “I really don’t have time to talk, what do you want.”
So with an attitude like that it begins to hurt.
I shared with my husband on how she made me feel and he replied, “she’ll come around in time, she will wake up one day and need her mom and then she will express all her troubles to you”.
As he was saying this to make me feel better, God whispered to my heart.
I started thinking we do the same with God. We push Him aside until we are ready for him. We hurt Him each time we ignore His desires for us, thinking our way is better. And then there are those times that we only call to him when we need him.

I then had to ask for forgiveness– because I’ve done the same thing to someone who loves me very much-Jesus.

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 33:20-22

Have a wonderful week and remember to look up!

Are You Hungry?

Last week Pastor Frank challenged us to get in the word and let God speak to us through it.
I must say that every day I wake up, I wake up hungry for God’s word, hungry for his fellowship.
Then there are times something else happens when I arise. I feel the world begins to crash in around me and before I know it the day is gone and I have to ask myself what happened; I was ready to spend time with the Lord when I woke up. The day passed but the yearning to be with God still persists. The tug is still there. You know there is something more God wants to give.


Jesus tells us in John 6:35; 35 …, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

I think God is always ready to fill us, we just have to be hungry enough to want it.

Have a wonderful week in the Lord and remember to look up!

Separation Anxiety

My granddaughter Lily is going through some separation anxiety at school and to be honest I never thought she would be that way. I keep wondering what is going through her mind when she gets dropped off at school and what she is afraid of. I told her that we all get scared but we need to remember we aren’t alone, that Jesus is with us. I’m sure this didn’t help as it was the last thing she would think of when her anxiety level is up and the tears are flowing. As adults we are the same way, when we are going through a tough time and the tears are flowing remembering Jesus is with us is hard to hold onto. Just like my daughter who holds her hand out to my granddaughter for her to trust; Jesus does the same for us. He wants our trust. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4

Casting Your Cares

A few weeks ago I did a sermon about “Blurred Vision” and how certain things can cloud the way we see things. I also know that God is trying to tell me something when I prepare a sermon. This time it took a few weeks to sink in… The other day I was at my doctors office. Most of you know I suffer with a lot of endocrine problems and it was at this doctors office that I was crying my heart out telling her how bad I felt and why couldn’t I just feel better.. The doctor sat there calmly as she listened to me and softly said, “Ephesians 2:14 tells us that Jesus is our peace, and that Psalm 55 tells us to cast our cares unto the Lord.” My 1st thought was wow, I have a doctor that knows scripture and is encouraging me not through medical terms but through the Bible. As soon as I got home I read what she quoted and my blurred vision became clear. What we go through in this life can bring us down– but God is our strength in all situations. I encourage you to read Psalm 55; David is going through some rough spots but towards the end of the Psalm God gives him clear eyes.. Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Just Look Up!

Not sure where this first originated but I thought I would share... THE BUZZARD If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top. THE BAT The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash. THE BUMBLEBEE A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself. PEOPLE In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! That's the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem... just look up! Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up! Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and trust in our Creator, who loves us.

Desperation..Desire..Expectation

Following Jesus-What does that mean to you?    Someone once asked me, “so if I give my life to the Lord does it mean I wake up in the morning changed? Does it mean the desires I have now, will be gone when I wake up?” My reply was no, but God could do that.  The change comes as you grow in the knowledge of God, your old desires don’t seem that important anymore. Your heart begins to change and you begin to want more of what He has instead of what the world has.                                                                                                                                                                                  Following Jesus takes on a whole new meaning, it fills you with compassion, hope and a desire to serve Him. It’s a desperate feeling, like the woman in Matthew 9 who said to herself, “if I only touch his cloak..

Desperation.. Desire.. Expectation                                                                                                                    

20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”  22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”  And the woman was healed at that moment. Matthew 9:20-22

If I only touch his cloak!

Wellspring

Myself and a few others went to the WOW Women's Conference in Hilo, and our first evening there was a time of prayer. They did several alter calls for the type of prayer you might be in need of and I remember saying to one of the women who went with us that I felt like I should go down to each alter call as I was dealing with each of the issues they called to pray over. I did go down... twice.

I had two different encounters with two different women praying with me, but what I want to share is this;
I was told by each of them that God was getting ready to pour a wellspring into my life and that I had a multitude of angels encamped about me, there were other things said but what I held onto was the wellspring.
How’s that for a word of encouragement to someone struggling just to put one foot in front of the other? I walked away picturing in my mind all those angels about me, but I started wondering what is a wellspring and what does God mean by that, so I looked it up. Then I received Pastor Frank’s message and his key verse was Proverbs 4:23-
Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.
I felt confirmation when I saw his message.
I guess what I’m trying to say to you today is that no matter what you may be going through, God sees it, and He cares about you and if you are patient He fills you when you least expect it and gives you strength to continue to put one foot in front of the other.

Oh, one more thing:

Wellspring:
the place where something begins, where it springs into being; an abundant source;

God's Love

February 14th, Valentines Day. As I walked into the grocery store the other day my eyes caught the things being sold for Valentine’s Day. There were heart cookies, cupcakes, chocolates, teddy bears, balloons, and flowers and this was right when you walked in the door. I was overwhelmed by the amount of things there. Then the other day came across an article about Valentine’s Day, “that it’s a day reserved for romance and relationships” and it listed all kinds of ideas to make the day perfect.

As I thought about all the ideas they listed I began to think about how God pursues us, how He wants a relationship with us. That He loves us and desires us. What greater love is there? The bible flows with His love and as we read we begin to recognize His love letter to us. I believe until we see our Heavenly Father we will never comprehend all the love that He has for us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

Trusting God

My son and his new wife left on Thursday. The last few days my emotions have been all over the place. The one thing that keeps coming to mind is that I saw a boy 2 weeks ago but when he left I saw a man. The day he left he brought me into his room and asked me to mail certain books and things to him and to throw away other things. While going through the stuff he wanted me to throw away I ventured across some old journals. As I began to flip through them I figured I would read everyday stuff a boy might write, but what I found was something much more than that. What I found was a young man whose heart was being poured out to God. His thoughts were poured into these journals and his love for God flowed through every page I read.
I felt so blessed.

Sometimes we don’t see what God is doing in a persons life, but we trust God knowing that He has their best in mind. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Trust in God—He knows what he's doing.

Mighty is the Lord

1 The LORD is king! He is robed in majesty.
Indeed, the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength.
The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.
2 Your throne, O LORD, has stood from time immemorial.
You yourself are from the everlasting past.
3 The floods have risen up, O LORD.
The floods have roared like thunder;
the floods have lifted their pounding waves.
4 But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,
mightier than the breakers on the shore—
the LORD above is mightier than these!
5 Your royal laws cannot be changed.
Your reign, O LORD, is holy forever and ever.

Psalms 93 (NLT)


Have a good week and let the Lord lead.