Singleness

John 4:10"Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and He would have given you living water......13 Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him the spring of living water welling up to eternal life."....17 I have no husband , she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband.  The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is quite true."    I love this account of the woman at the well.    It makes me think of my own fantasy that if I had a husband my life could be better.   I grew up with the fairy tales of Cinderella and the like.  My mom strongly wanted for us girls to have good husbands.  So I tend to hold the fantasy that if I had one life would be better.    I have a great life.  Yet, I hope longingly for a mate.    It's a thorn in my side.  When I do this I'm not letting God fill me with His living water.   If I try to get quenched from anything other than the love of Jesus.  I thirst again. Personally, I have already had two husbands and in my youth many" boy friends" none of which could fill me.  (It’s not an other persons job to “fill” another person). Many of my single friends have the same fantasy, about being married.    Truth is only His living water completely fills our souls.   It takes two whole people in Jesus to make a successful Christian marriage.  Two broken people coming together trying to complete each other without Jesus rarely works. what well are you drinking from?  Are you being filled with His living water?

Seek and TRUST

Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."    I have a plaque on my wall that says, 

“gratefulness makes what you have enough".     When I seek first God, I am grateful for what I have and TRUST in what I don't have.    He Knows what I need and desire, He will take care of everything.  Today, let's do our best to seek and TRUST Him first😇🙏♥️💃

No back of Pack with Jesus

1Timothy 4:7 Have nothing to do with god less myths and old wives tales; rather train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."   Thanks everyone for your prayers.   I had a great Birkie week!!   I finished all of my races well.  The best part was having my son at the finish line cheering me on!!  I can’t tell you how happy that made me.   All the races and events of this week were amazing but truly personal connections and spreading the Love of Jesus was the Best part!!  I used to be someone that finished in the winners  circle. I really struggled to be so average, in the pack, because my identity was being a great athlete.   Now my identity is being a child of God.   There is now back of the pack, when you intentionally give your moments to Jesus!!! I Thank God for this wonderful Birkie week.  He gave me a really good motor, with a huge desire to run with His glory in mind.  😇🙏💃♥️. Being able to quote Bible verses during the difficult really helped me keep on keeping on!!   Today be a champion in what is in front of you by using His word to fuel you!!!😇🙏

Go to the heights

Habakkuk 3:18 "yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go to heights."  This week is Birkie week.   It's an epic cross country ski event week in Hayward, Wi.   I really enjoy skiing and volunteering at multiple events up here this week.   It a blast to be around so many enthusiastic athletes!!  I will be skiing again today and some of the hills are challenging.   I like this verse for that.    We all have hills in our lives.    Hills that we feel like giving up in the middle of them.   But we are not called to give up.   He gives us the strength to finish the race.   His strength is made perfect in our weakness.   Today, let Jesus be your strength, let Him make your feet like the hinds of a deer and enable you to go on the heights!!!😇🙏💃

Pride says… I’m not prideful

Ezekiel 28:5 "By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth your heart has grown proud.......17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.   So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings."    Pride,  it is one of my downfalls.  Lately,  I have been confronted with my limitations, which is helping me not be so prideful.   When I walk in pride I can be "judgy ".  It’s really hard for me to see my own pride.  When my friend points it out, I get a little irritated.  Which is my pride.  These verses are reminding me to try my best to walk in humility, knowing every gift I have is not my doing but Jesus doing in me.  He gives me the talents and He gives me His Holy Spirit that inspires me to use His talents.    None of what I have is actually mine.  It’s all His.  Currently I’m handling my moms “stuff” she left behind.   Clearly none of it belongs to her.   Even her talents of kindness and hospitality only live on because of Jesus working in her.   Crazy how everything we have, everything we are, is His.    Will you be a good steward of your gifts today, in humility?

Go bear fruit!!

John 15:16 " You did not chose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last.  Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  17 This is my command: Love each other."    

Let's go bear fruit today that will last!!!😇🙏♥️💃

Wash and walk on!

John 13:8 "No", said Peter, " you shall never wash my feet."  Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

Washed clean by Jesus!! " Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."    This really stood out to me today.   It's not our works that cleanse us from unrighteousness it's His blood.  Believing in my heart that Jesus paid the price for all my sins on the cross, washing me clean, putting me in good standing with God despite my continuous failures is the hope that helps me keep on keeping on.   It's how I " Shake Off" the old stuff and put on His new stuff.  It’s His free gift that washes us clean  daily.    When I was a little girl I went barefoot a lot.  My feet would get so dirty.  My mom would make me, " wash my feet". Today I'm seeing how washing feet reminds me of getting dirty over and over again, but also getting clean over and over again.     Today be inspired to let go of your sin, accept the forgiveness Jesus died to give you and BE clean.  When you need to, simply wash your feet in the blood of Jesus and keep walking in His direction   😇🙏♥️ We are defined by His righteousness not our failures.  Go wash your feet and walk on!!!

Do t forget to extend this cleansing to others!! Unforgiveness I poison in our souls.  

Embrace!

1 Corinthians 12:4 "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men."

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."

......11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines."    Wow! Such a beautiful chapter!!   We are each uniquely created, with His plan in mind!! None of us are accidents our talents are for His glory, to work together for our collective good.   When I read this today, I'm convicted to appreciate others and myself more, embracing our differences, similarities and  things I wish could be different. I know that even the things I don’t like about myself and others, can be used for His glory. Be inspired to be all God created you to be, encouraging others too.   It easy to look at what’s wrong but God can take what’s wrong and make it right!!😇🙏♥️

Anger is one letter short of danger

I'm reading Dr David Jeremiah's devotional today.  In it is a quote, "Anger is one letter short of Danger."unknown author     Psalm 37:8 "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil."    Do not fret!!   Proverbs 19:11 “A man’s wisdom gives him patience, it is to his glory to overlook offense.”  In order to not get angry do not take offense!!  Jesus says in Matthew 5:44 “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”    Pray for those who persecute you!!  It’s hard to be angry with people you are praying for.   I desire to practice forgiveness with intentional love in all my relationships.  It’s not easy to do.  I don’t think it’s humanly possible.  Therefore I pray, intentionally asking God to help me love when I have anger, bitterness or mistrust in my heart.   We are all fallen people, we each suffer with a plethora of sin. Let's look at what is right with each other, loving others as Jesus loves us. One of the people we have to intentionally forgive and love is ourselves!!😇♥️🙏💃

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Happy Valentines Day💘♥️💝🙏😇

1 Corinthians 13 is all about love.   In some translations love is referred to as charity.   Charity is a selfless act. Love is a word I associate with being reciprocated.  Charity is a word I think of as being deeply from a pure heart.  Expecting nothing in return.  Today I am evaluating if I love with a pure heart.   1Corinthians 13:3. “ If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

1 Corinthians 13:4 “ Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth.  7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails….”

I fail often, especially if I love conditionally.   Happy Valentine's Day!!!😇💝💘

Hardship makes character!

“It is commonly thought that protected ease is the most favorable for life, where as all the noblest and strongest lives prove the contrary that the endurance of hardships is the making of men, and the factor that distinguishes between existence and vigorous vitality.  Hardship makes character! “ ( This is a selected quote out of “Streams in the Desert”).  Hardship makes character how true.   One of the many, “best guys I worked with” on the Fire Department was named “Lindy”. He was a happy, kind, generous character.   He stood out, above the rest even though he was a physically smaller man.   I mentioned that to an old timer when I was a rookie, He told me, Lindy had more hardship than anyone else he knew.  He too marveled at Lindy.   How are you doing in your hardship,   We all have it, it’s weather or not it has us.   Romans 8:37 “ In all things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”

Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. “

Nothing separates us from the love of God

Romans 8:5 "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."   This passage is helping me look at my motives today.  Only by prayer and reading the Bible can I really know which way to go.   It's often hard for me to be still and wait upon His direction.  But when I do, it's always better.   

Sometimes my sinful nature makes me feel separated from God.   Christ came and died for each of us while we were yet sinners.  Romans 8:38 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angles nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neitger 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."

Break the chains

Psalm 31:3 " 

Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead me and guide me. 4 Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me O Lord, the God of Truth."  

Free me from the trap that is set before me ....  old habits, old ways of thinking are hard to break.   It took me 29 years before I could stop thinking I could control my drinking.   I had to hit a huge bottom for me to stop.   I have other issues I deal with daily that I want to rid myself of,  but even though I start out with a conviction and tell myself not to "break the rule" I go ahead and do what I didn't want to do and not do what I did want to do.    This life is a constant try.   I just keep trying.  I Know God can and will set me free from the trap that is set before me.   Today be inspired to keep on keeping on no matter how many times you fail.  He is with you always!!!😇🙏♥️

Empty today?

"Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength—carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength."
Corrie ten Boom

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Matthew 6:34

Jesus said, Peace o leave with you my peace I give to you.   Peace.   So much better to walk in😇♥️🙏

Take heart!! Fear Not!!!

Psalm 31:24 "Be strong and take heart all you who hope in the Lord."    Be strong and take heart!   Take heart has also been referred to as Fear Not!   Be strong, take heart,fear not!   When I am in worry I am in fear. In fear I am a coward.  In faith and hope I am courageously strong!  My strength comes from the Lord!! Today, I chose to walk in faith and hope, not worry and fear.  Let’s Fear Not!!! Let’s walk in Faith not fear!! Worry is fear.   Worry is not trusting God.

True repentance shows

Mathew 3:8 "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."  When I first quit drinking my boys said, "yeah, whatever mom". They didn't believe I would stay quit. They didn't believe me when I said, “sorry”.  I had apologized hundreds of times, yet still repeated the same behavior.  They couldn't trust me.  If they did, I would hurt them again.  Trusting me hurt their hearts so very very much.  They thought I loved drinking more than I loved them.  That is what my behavior showed.  Truth is I didn't love drinking I was enslaved by it.  When you're not an alcoholic it's hard to understand why the person just doesn't quit.   It's that way with any addiction the addiction seems ridiculous to the people watching.  But for the addict it's all consuming.  Sincere repentance came when I turned from my addiction and turned to Jesus.   I showed my repentance by not repeating the behavior.  It has taken years, not days, not months but years for my family to trust me.  I still struggle with some behaviors I thought would go away when I quit drinking but praise the Lord I'm able to stay clean and my children trust I will do my absolute best to do what I say I will do.   Matthew 3:8 "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."

Out of Lack

Luke 21:3 ""I tell you the truth." He said, "this poor widow has put in more than all others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.""  She gave all she had!!   Do we do that or do we just give God our left overs?   I am contemplating that today.   I recently listened to a sermon on on Christ centered living verses self centered living.   I am certainly guilty of self centered living.    Today, I will try to give my best, to God out of my lack not out of my abundance.  I can feel a lack of time, energy, desire and finances.  My lack is not a lack at all, when given to Jesus!!😇🙏♥️ Let’s give it all we have today to love and serve our Lord, with all our heart, minds and souls.