CHOSEN

I want so much for you to hear this today and to take it in and make it your own. I am so excited to finally have this in my heart I just want everyone to know this truth.

Have you ever been chosen first for something. Maybe it was to be picked in school to be on the winning team. Maybe you ran for some position in High School and you were selected by your peers to represent them. Perhaps you were chosen for the choice job at work. CHOSEN, makes you feel good doesn't it? Makes you feel very special.

Do you know if you are a  Christ follower, God, the Creator of all, has CHOSEN you. You may have thought that you made a decision to choose God but He was the one that chose you before you were even here on earth!

If you go to Romans 9:10-12 it makes this so plain. I have looked it up in so many translations and they all tell you the same thing, God CHOSE you before you were here on this earth. It doesn't have anything to do with what you have done, who you have become, how terrible you were or how good you were. God chose you and he has a plan that he designed just for you.

Does that make you feel wanted? Special? Take your breath away! Chosen by the King of kings. A special direction to go, a job to do that only you can do, words spoken at a time when they are needed.

Why would we want to look like someone else, or be different than who God made us to be. They have their own road to travel. You on the other hand are traveling a path with God walking along side by side. He is never going to leave you or say you need to be like someone else. He takes delight in YOU and He, {the Creator of all, the mighty Warrior] sings over you!

The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Are you seeing this? Do you see just how wonderful you are? God's word is true. God is rejoicing over YOU. 

What a glorious way to start the day knowing your were CHOSEN for the most important thing, to be a child of God. 

Whose Plan are you on?

We went on a vacation recently and I am the navigator, you know the person that tells you to turn here or make a right at the stop sign. I need to stop a moment and tell you I have developed cataracts that need to be removed. [Now for those of you that don't know what this means let me tell you. I can't see very well and what I do see is not what is. Example: I tell my husband look at the elk! Come to find out it is a big rock.] Life is so exciting when things aren't as they seem.

Back to my story. I was so worried that I couldn't see the map to give correct directions that I got on my trusty computer and went to Google Maps and had them plot the course then I made the print GIANT size, so no mistakes or wrong turns.

The only problem was I had printed round trip which had a few extra pages, and without my seeing eye dog I got them a little mixed up. So I told my husband, as we were leaving it would take us about 5 hours to go in the direction we had chosen. Wow, he said that sure seems like a long way, something doesn't seem quite right. I was sure, as I had made the computer follow the plan I had laid our for it. But just let me double check, [I have been known to make a mistake now and again, more again than now]

As we are traveling toward out destination I realize that I had been looking at the round trip with the pages a little askew. I made the adjustments and realized it would take us about 2 hours to get where we wanted to go. Disaster avoided and vacation was a blast.

I seem to have the same direction challenge in life as I do on the road. I have been following some one else's path. Thinking my friends have wonderful grown adult children, their life seems to be in total control and running along so smoothly, so mine should follow theirs.Except mine has been turbulent, ups and downs that would challenge any roller coaster for supremacy. So I  must ramp it up and work harder or something.

As I was moaning my whoa's to God I got very quite and you know what? God didn't tell me I needed to work harder. He didn't tell me to get my act together. He didn't tell me everything would be rosy.

No, as I was quietly listening for that still small voice, This is what God spoke to my heart, "That's not the plan I have for you!"

As I replayed those words over and over in my head such freedom and peace enveloped me. I didn't have to strive to MAKE my adult children anything. I didn't have to be the perfect person that see,s to have it all together. {one look and that little secret is out.} No, I was the navigator of my life  and I had the plan but you see I was looking at the wrong plan and with cataracts. No, the author of my life had the plan. He knows the way. I had gone on my own seeing things not as they were but what I thought they should be.

My friends may have perfect children, but their testimony  is different than mine. There are some people out there that need the words of instruction my friends have and need to share.
There are also people out there that need to hear how to continue loving and praising God through the mistakes, wrong turns, and traveling with the wrong direction.

God has a plan for each of us, our very own plan. Don't look at your friends and neighbors and want the plan or route they are on. God says in Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for YOU," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper YOU and not to harm YOU, plans to give YOU hope and a future." [Caps. mine]

WOW just think about that for a bit, God has a special plan he has drawn up just for YOU! Let that free you.Happy traveling.

Smell my Shoes

I don't know if where you live is like here, but all the stores are shouting "Back to School" At this time of year it seems to have a buzz from the children every where. It is almost like Christmas. [almost]

Being a retired school teacher this was always an exciting time for me also. To get my class room set up and ready for all the excited and expectant faces for their new grade and new year of learning.

There are new clothes to buy. And oh those lovely school supplies. Just to touch the paper and the notebooks. To find that "just right" pencil or pen. Markers of every color and backpacks with every imaginable design on it that just beg to be handled and purchased.

My one grandchild starts school for the first time this year. She is a quiet excited. She doesn't talk much about it unless you ask her and she give you the desired response. Yes I am excited Nana.

We live in an area where the big box stores are over 2 hours away so shopping on line or Walmart are the only options. Her mom is an online shopper so yesterday some of her school clothes arrived, her shoes to be exact. She came into my study and proudly wanted me to see her 2 new pairs of shoes so she had one of each on her feet. Then she instructed me to smell them because they smelled so good! I smelled nothing but she was sure they smelled good so they would be ready for that first day at school.

After we leave school for the world of work do we still see each new year with such expectation and excitement? For that matter do we greet each new day with the wonder before us. Sometimes I do sometimes I don't. {you too?} Sometimes the reside of yesterday is still left over and it doesn't "smell" so good or feel good for that matter.

Our heavenly Father has planned a wonderful and exciting day and sometimes we miss it. In Lamentations 3:22-23 it says this:

"Because of the LORD"S great love we are not consumed, 

for his compassions never fail.

They are NEW every morning,

Great is your faithfulness.

God's compassion is new every morning. Let's not miss it. We need to thank him each day and get excited {just like it is the first day of school}. Wake up and just take in the beauty he has planned for your day. Give him thanks. Smell the shoes, or just take a big breath of the fresh air! God loves you, he adores you.