Just Plain Exciting!

We are preparing to move and some things are hard to do and others are just plain exciting. In the time we have spent in this place we have met so many wonderful people and for so many different reasons. We have made some life long friends at our church, we have made friends with the nurses that treat my husband once a month, I have met the frozen food lady in Wal-Mart and the Subway lady that share their stories a little at a time with me once a week. These are just a few examples of the people God has placed in our path.

Now there are hard things to do, like saying good bye to the ladies at my Bible study. These are ladies I was privileged to get to know and share life with. No judgments, just love. [isn't that what we all long for?] Things like going through all the "junk" we have collected and don't need, that's hard in a different way.

Then there are things that are exciting to do, like creating little gifts to give to that shine the light on God. They all have to be thought out and planned ahead of time. All the recipients don't have a clue and that is why it is so exciting and fun to do. When I give them their small gift I just love to see the surprise and wonder on their face, that someone, that only knows them once a week, would give a gift.

That got me to thinking about how God does all these little surprises for me. {us} Like my husband finding a $10 bill as he was weeding around our little lot, or when I called to check on a bill that was already paid. How about waking up to see the sky with its beautiful pink and golden hues to start the day or have your grand daughter grab your face with both tiny hands and pull you close and gently give you a kiss. Oh yeah, God has such wonderful surprises, well thought out and planned ahead of time. Wonder if He gets excited to see the surprise and wonder on my face? I think He must. He must love to hear his "kids" laugh and just say thank you, that was so awesome!

When I look at all the things above it comes down to love. We love to get good gifts and we also love to give gifts.

John 13:34-35

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

 

This certainly wasn't my idea! It comes straight from God. That must be why it seems so natural and exciting to do. God has loved us so much and it is impossible not to love others. Have you been caught by surprise today with the love God has given you?

 

Coffee for Your Heart

 

 

Circumstances

How many times I have asked God to change the circumstances in my life! Asking to be removed from hurtful words, get me out of this broken mess etc. Have you struggled with this? I have great news if you have!

Well, just recently I have been in a 'tight' circumstance. By that I mean a time when breathing comes hard because of all the things happening around me. It seems like my whole world was caving in. Family trials, moving or not moving, sickness, house problems. It just seemed like every facet of my life was being effected with some sort of trial or terrible circumstance.

I had prayed to hear God's voice and know which direction we were supposed to be going. I have found there is nothing worse than heading away from God for the solution.[think Jonah!] As I prayed it seemed like God was sitting as silent as a stone. So I reached out to a friend that knows the 'circumstances' in my life and asked her to pray. [I think in a small part of my brain I was sure that God would speak to her and not me.] When I saw she had answered back I stared at the closed email for awhile thinking, will this influence my thinking, or is this from God. I didn't open it right then but prayed.

When I finally opened the email it wasn't what I had expected, not a solution to all this drama in my life. I thanked her and then went on to my devotions. And wouldn't you know it, God was there in my devotions. This was the paraphrase of what He told me.

Don’t let circumstances distress you. Rather look for the will of God for your life to be revealed in and through those circumstances.

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Don’t ask God to change the circumstances to suit our own needs. We need to conform our will to His!!

I don't know about you but this revelation made me jump for joy and want to run around telling everyone just how great our God is. He cares about you so much. He has a perfect will for your life and mine. He is willing to share it with us, a perfect plan, all we need do is ask and trust that He is able to complete it. 

Coffee for Your Heart

A Better Plan

Have you ever planned a fun activity or a super outing with family only to have things fall apart? Well this just happened to me. I saw an invitation for children to go to a Wilton class to learn how to decorate a cake. I thought what fun, right? So, I asked my granddaughter if she would like to try it out. She was excited so I called and made reservations.

I got the list [more things than you need for a weeks vacation in the Bahamas] of things that would need to be purchased before attending the class. I went out and bought all the needed items. I think the wait was as hard on me as it was for my granddaughter. I would check the calendar to see how many days we had till then. She was asking her mom is it today? So we were both in such high anticipation for our outing together.

There was a clause in the registration that stated if they didn't have enough people the class would be canceled. I understood this so I called  a week in advance to make sure the class was still on so I could prepare my granddaughter if things didn't pan out. They weren't sure but advised me to call back in a few days as they were taking it to the meeting for discussion. Hmm wonder what that means? The wait seemed to be an eternity but I called after waiting 2 days, [now only the weekend separated us from the class] only to find out the class was canceled because they couldn't find a teacher!

I had all the things [any pastry chef would be thrilled with the items] but had no idea how to use them or for that matter what they were needed for. {Why would you need 100 toothpick to decorate a cake?] So as not to disappoint my granddaughter told her the class was canceled but we would do the decorating at her home! She was thrilled, I was nervous!

I called a friend that had done amazing cakes and decorated award winning designs for advice. Since she had moved 1000 miles away she suggested YouTube. Of course, why didn't I think of the that? I studied all the women in the world that demonstrated how to decorate a cake and was now more confused than ever. I was apprehensive at our success at a happy outcome but plunged ahead.

I arrived with my heavy bag of tricks to my granddaughters excited little face. It perked me up and we dove into the adventure. I pulled out all the supplies [which took quite awhile] as she asked what all that was for. I said we will see.{as I wasn't quite sure myself!} Excitement built.

We experimented with the decorating tips and then she took off and had the time of her life. The end results looked nothing like the picture of a month ago in the ad, but it was something that was HER masterpiece. She had a blast doing her own thing and spending the morning with me. She told me it was way better this way and she had a great time. Know what, so did I.

Sometimes my life seems like this. I have these great plans that are anticipated with great excitement only to have them changed by circumstances beyond my control. But when I give those plans to God they turn out surprisingly wonderful, "way better His way".

Proverbs 19:21

New International Version

^" Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails."

Coffee for Your Heart

 



Based on what?

So many times I have based my happiness on what others think, or the ways they respond to me, or to my words or actions. This week that was made so very clear to me. I was feeling down because a member of the family that I thought should have contacted me didn't. This is were the thread of doubt started. Did I say something wrong? Was I supposed to call? Have I done something I shouldn't have? All these crazy thoughts and others like them swirled in my brain till I had a headache. Have you ever been there?  Was I seeking approval from a family member? Did I need that approval to be happy? It sure seemed like it. I was fretting until I made myself crazy. [not a long trip]

As I did my devotions God impressed on my heart that I was seeking approval in the wrong place. He reminded me that He is my joy. [Psalm 42:11The Message]

¹¹ Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

He alone is the source of my joy? Yes, I need to be kind and loving but I can not make decisions for other people. I can not dictate their behavior. I need to choose each day, [for me some days it is each moment] to "fix my eyes on God" and praise Him. The next line tells me exactly what He is going to do;"put a smile on my face".  I had to tell myself a couple of time that the "joy of the Lord is my strength" that day but you know what, He did put a smile on my face! It doesn't matter what others think of me [when I am striving to do God's will] it only matters what He thinks of me! It is the same for you, don't let others govern how you feel each day, allow God to put a smile on your face!

 

 

 

Coffee for Your Heart



Unique

I think sometimes we need to be reminded of just how unique and special each one of us is. We are bombarded with what we should look like, smell like, and behave like that we forget who we are. It seems that we are not to look our age as wrinkles are out. [have you seen the aisle that has all those regenerative lotions in it?] Your teeth need to be whiter so now the toothpaste aisle is overflowing with tubes that claim whiter brighter teeth! Don't even get me started on the diet selection that is available now. Belly fat, body fat, who knew there was so much fat to worry about!

I am all for personal hygiene but things are so out of hand and why? So we can look like the women on the magazine? Why are they the women we should seek to be like? We were each created by God. I don't think He created one and said "oops that doesn't look too good, or yikes that is a mistake!" No, God said that his creation of man and woman was "very good". There are so many verses in the Bible that tell us Who created each of us and why. In Jeremiah 1:5 it says, "I knew you before you were born and I designed YOU for MY purpose." How about Psalm 119:73 "I created YOU with My own hands," This one is very special, 2 Samuel 22:20, "He brought me {you} out into a spacious place, He rescued me because He DELIGHTED in me {you}" I have added the caps so you wouldn't miss what it says. God the created of all things delights in YOU. Just think about that for a moment. He doesn't think you need to look like anyone but you, and on top of that He delights in you.

I heard a pastor say  that "there is no win in comparison". We are not to compare our skills, our looks, our finances, anything to anyone else. Yes, we need to look our best, and be our best but we need to check to see who we are doing all this for. Not to impress the neighbor or anyone other that our Creator. Since He delights in you shouldn't you delight in being you? You are one of a kind, carefully and wonderfully made.

Coffee For Your Heart

 



Labels

Everything these days has a label. It seems that many have gone to the label that can't be chopped away with the scissors but is embedded into the fabric. There are no more pesky labels that scratch the skin off my neck or rub my waist raw. Instead, they are still there just not as painful as before.

We have labels that either we give to ourselves or others have so "generously" given us. Labels like ugly, bashful, not enough, lazy, uncaring you know THESE kind of labels. These are the pesky labels that scratch the skin right off our hearts and minds as they rub us back and forth through out the day.

I was watching an Andy Stanley video the other day that was talking about this very thing! {imagine God's perfect timing!}He mentioned some important things to think about. The only one that had the right to put a label on one of those T shirts or purses or whatever was the manufacturer, the owner of the product line, the one that created the product. Not the purchaser or the one looking at the product! Hmmm! Does that make you think a little deeper?

We are not our own. We are created in the image of God, He is the creator and only He has the right to "label" us. You don't have the right to even label yourself! Guess what He labeled us?

2 Corinthians 6:18

“I will be a Father to you,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”

 

Did you catch that label? He labeled us a "daughter" to the King. I think that makes us a "princess". This is one of those labels that is not something that is able to be cut out with a pair of scissors but is embedded on our hearts and minds. Why don't you toss out those "other" labels and believe the one that was given by the Creator. It is the only true one, the only one that counts! Live like  you believe the "label" given to you by God,

 His Child,

His Daughter,

His Princess!

 

Coffee for Your Heart



If Only. . .

Do you have certain things you like to read over and over again? I do. I am rereading the story of Esther. Awesome book of the Bible. If you are not familiar with it here is the short version.

There was this king who got rid of his queen because she wouldn't parade around in front of a group of drunk men with only her crown on. Then he had the kingdom send all the beautiful young girls to the palace to find a new queen. Enter Esther. She has a year of preparation! {now that is a lot of pampering} of course she is selected or the name of the book would be someone else. All is well in the kingdom until {duh duh da enter the villain} Haman enters the picture.

Now Haman is one of those guys whose cup is half empty, maybe even three quarters empty. The king thinks he is the greatest thing since sliced bread and that isn't enough for him because of this ONE guy named Mordecai who is a Jew and won't bow down to him.{God is the  only one to bow before}Now the rest of the kingdom bows before him but one man refuses. {the plot thickens}He convinces the king that all the Jews are a threat and that they should be wiped of the planet and the king who isn't paying much attention say ok do what you think is best. The date is set.

Haman is called to a banquet with the king and queen, just him, and they also want his presence the next day for another banquet! Now, he is so elated until he spies Mordecai, who still won't bow, on his way home to tell his wife about his good fortune. He moans to his wife all is terrific IF ONLY that guy Mordecai wasn't around.

I will let you read the rest for your self, it is a spell binder. Any way I was thinking about how sometimes we can be like Haman. We look in the mirror and say, IF ONLY I didn't have that . . . or we look at our lives and say IF ONLY  I was more like . . . Perhaps we look at our children and groan IF ONLY  they would . . .  { and you thought you would never identify with the villain}

If you have ever fallen into the trap of the IF ONLYS you are looking in the wrong direction. We need to look to Jesus and not ourselves. God is in charge. He created us to look exactly like we do. We are to compare ourselves to no one else. He loves you just the way you are. He adores you for that matter. Don't get caught up in thinking IF ONLY but praise God you are the ONLY one like you.

 

Coffee for Your Heart