Sunday, November 16, 2014

The God Question

I don't know if you read the headlines-but this week a comet made news. Scientists were able to discover sound from a comet...wow...and it was beautiful!
Birds sing.
Cattle bellow.
Cats meow.
Dogs bark.
Bugs...make bug noises...
Wolves howl.
Leaves rustle.
Brooks bubble.
Rain patters.
Lightning.
Thunder.
Wind whistles.
Waves crash.

All of the sounds in nature sing.
They sing about the One that created them.
I wonder if we had ears to hear...what would they be saying?
NOWHERE ON GOD'S PLANET IS THERE
A PLACE WHERE GOD'S VOICE
IS NOT HEARD.
HIS CREATION SHOUTS HIS PRAISES
AND GOD 
THE CREATOR 
OF THIS VAST UNIVERSE 
DESERVES OUR WORSHIP.

****

******

" The heavens declare the glory of God' and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard."  ~Psalm 19:1-3

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

A Woman's Hurdles...

Competition and Comparison ... the 2 things ALL women struggle with. We want to be perfect. Gals, we are killing ourselves and those around us. 

As we look into the topic of "sadness" in the Jennie Allen study this week--boy-oh-boy does this message hit home. 

We get 
depressed 
angry
 sad 
disillusioned 
because we
compare
and 
compete
with others...

WE
destroy
defame
degrade
others
because we must preserve
false sense of 
identity.

it.
has.
got.
to.
stop.

we. are. stuck. in. it...and it is choking the life out of 
-our children
-our husband 
-our friends
-our churches
the list could be endless...
not to mention--it is choking the life out of us.
EXPECTATIONS. UNMET.
dreams. unfulfilled.
loss.
rejection.
hurt.
so we lash out...
because we don't know how to love.

Oh, God...
 HELP. US.GET.UNSTUCK


Monday, November 3, 2014

Feeling Overwhelmed

o.v.e.r.w.h.e.l.m.e.d.
tiny.little. word.
oceans. of. feelings.
" Is it possible we have complicated our lives until there is no room for Him and no space to hear the plans He has for us?" ~Jennie Allen
YUP.
Our lives get really busy totally out of control.

We run like the wind! Our schedules are so full that one little minor mishap and the house of cards collapses. American moms are crazy absolutely insane by juggling a mountain of things at once. Sports schedules-school schedules-church responsibilities-social responsibilities-relationship building--laundry-taxi service-cleaning-cooking...and all with a smile. (snarl)

What if---I said 'no' to the mountain of things that put such pressure on me and begin to
P.R.A.Y.
about where God wants me.
What is my purpose here in this big world?
What am I called to do?
What is wasting my precious time?
What if I am missing out on the very thing God wants from me because I said 'yes' to a bunch of dumb stuff?

So-I challenged our group to a week long technology fast...YUP...ouch. That hurts. The goal other than self torture???...taking time to hear from God...and taking time to talk to God. I had a very interesting week.




So, this morning I opened my devotional and was 
O.V.E.R.W.H.E.L.M.E.D.
by God.

November 3rd am  Morning and Evening devotion by Charles Spurgeon...without the old english!

"...behold, he prays." 
~Acts 9:11

"Prayers are instantly noticed in heaven. The moment Saul began to pray the Lord heard him. Here is comfort for the distressed but praying soul. So often a poor broken-hearted one bends his knee, but can only utter his wailing in the language of sighs and tears; yet that groan has made all the harps of heaven thrill with music; that tear has been caught by God and treasured in heaven. "You put my tears into your bottle" implies that they are caught as the flow. The suppliant, whose fears prevent his words, will be completely understood by the Most High. He may only look up with misty eye; but 'prayer is the falling of a tear.'. Tears are the diamonds of heaven; sighs are part of the music of Jehovah's court, and are numbered with "the sublimest strains that reach the majesty on high"; Don't think that your prayer, however weak or trembling, will be unregarded. Jacob's ladder is lofty, but our prayers shall lean upon the Angel of the covenant and climb its starry rounds. Our God not only hears prayer but also loves to hear it. "He does not forget the cry of the humble." True, He doesn't regard high looks and lofty words; He doesn't care for the pomp and pageantry of kings; He doesn't listen to the swell of martial music; He doesn't regard the triumph and the pride of man; but wherever there is a heart big with sorrow, or a lip quivering with agony, or a deep groan, or a remorseful sigh, the heart of Jehovah is open; He marks it down in the registry of His memory; He puts our prayers, like rose leaves, between the pages of His book of remembrance, and when the volume is opened at last, there will be a precious fragrance spring up from it.
'Faith asks no signal from the skies, 
To show that prayers accepted rise,
Our Priest is in His holy place,
And answers from the throne of grace.'

And Charles-I would rather be overwhelmed
by The God that hears my prayers
than a calendar
that rules me.
God, overwhelm me with your presence.