Growing Deeper

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains, where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth.   Psalm 121:1-2  In the words of that 1960's song .."What the world needs now is love, sweet, love....no not just for some but for everyone"...  To love unconditionally as God does, that's a mountain!!  But nothing is impossible with God. How can we love:                                  the unlovable                                  the ungodly                                  the atheist                                  the criminal  an...

"Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not (merely) his own interests, but also each for the interests of others."  Philippians 2:4  AMPC      Many years ago on Thanksgiving Day, I was in a  fix.  I had a large turkey to roast, and to my dismay, that morning, my oven quit working. The turkey was thawed, and  I had just  finished stuffing it when I discovered the oven wasn't getting hot. I didn't know what to do. I only had a few hours to go before my husband would be home from working of the farm. He would be thinking about that turkey dinner all day, I would have hated to disappoint him.    We weren't having any company, but we were a family of 5 and everyone was expecting a nice turkey dinner.  I had baked the pumpkin and apple pies the night before. And the potatoes and green beans could cook on top of the stove.  I was pretty desperate so I  called a close neighbor, a dear friend, who ...

Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is to his glory to overlook an transgression or an offense.  Proverbs 19:11    It's the holiday season. Many of us will be quite busy; shopping, cooking, having lots of good times with people in our families that  we may not see much at any other time of the year.  Theres alot of good things to share in these holidays. It's good to remember that any time there are people together for any length of time, situations may arise. We all are a bit different in how we manage our lives and our family dynamics, with parents and children.  There are also  other situations causing higher stress in your life, especially on the cherished Black Friday!  The cashier looks really tired from that Black Friday swarm of lined up patrons. She's slower than you think she should be, and she snaps at you when you give her  that look. Your feet are killing you from running all over town to get all those great deal...

"The light in the eyes [of him whose heart is joyful] rejoices the hearts of others, and good news nourishes the bones."  Proverbs 16:30   You can always tell a happy soul, when they look at you, their eyes are smiling,and everything is upbeat, you can feel their positive energy!    They are like a battery charger, filling you up and making you smile and full of hope that, yes, life IS good! and yes GOD is good!!!   For believers,that light is from deep within. Jesus lives in the heart of the believer and His light shines through the eyes of those who really do believe in all His precious promises.     Yes, life is hard at times, but even truer is that Jesus promises to always be with us and lead us and keep us hoping for His best plan for our lives!!

  " If it had not been for the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say, if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us, then they would quickly swallow us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us."   Psalm 124:1-2     A person at work didn't like me. I had just been hired at a new job. I later learned that her attitude toward me was because she had been hoping to receive  the position that I had been granted. She was a very hard worker. Even so, the owner of the company stuck to his decision for me to have that position,   For many weeks she was rude and talking about me behind my back to my coworkers. I had no idea why she was so nasty. I was very disheartened by her innuendos toward me. I prayed about it and grieved over it. I really felt this was my calling and I loved my job, but she was making it miserable.   I finally asked her what is the problem. She came out with her explanation, about her beef wit...

                  "The Lord is close to all who call upon Him"  Psalm 145:18 When we pray, God is listening . This is really a blessing to contemplate. Wow! Lets think about this. Little old me, talking to God, sharing my feelings, and concerns. Who better to bring them to, than the One who knows all the ins and outs of  EVERYTHING!! Who better than the One who can orchestrate things in our lives that will bless others and us, all for His glory!   How precious to realize that our prayers are not just going nowhere, or are something we have conjured up to make us feel better. They are communion with the Maker of all that is seen and unseen and all that is and ever shall be!   I am so glad that prayer was God's idea! He wants us to come to Him and stay awhile!          

Over the years, I have come to realize that quiet time is very important for the christian growth. I remember when I was first saved, my really good friend told me that this is very important.  She was discipling me, and this was the first thing she drove home to me. You need  to block out time in  your day to spend with God. Its imperative for growth and a relationship with God.  Ideally, everyday would be great, and is MOST effective, and a great goal, especially for new believers; but don't let it discourage you if you aren't able to have alot of time, just do what you can to begin with; and over time, the quiet time will have different looks. Some days quite awhile, some, not much time at all. God knows our hearts and our schedules. But knowing that He wants this time with you, will help you to try harder for that time with him!   In this busy world, it might seem impossible. But priorities take pre-eminence in our lives. If its important to us, we will m...

"Roll your works upon the Lord [ commit and trust them wholly to Him. He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.                                                                                                                         Proverbs 16:3 AMPC   God so much  wants us to know His will, He will cause our thoughts to...

 " I the Lord, will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will counsel you with My eye upon you."  Psalm 32:8   What a precious promise! We don't have to wander through our lives wondering what we should be doing.  We can go to the Father, and ask for direction, seek His face and know that He has all the answers for our individual lives.   We can know His will through prayer and from reading His Word. Should we work here, live there,buy this house, marry that person? How do we answer that person who is not so pleasant to us?   How can we be the best Mom, wife, coworker, and friend?   God DOES know all the best answers. He is desiring that we would just seek Him and trust Him, and His plan. He sees all things that our finite eyes cannot see, from beginning to end.   I am so glad He included prayer and His Word to bring us our best life! And ultimately, GLORY to His name!

"A word fitly spoken and in due season,is like apples of gold in settings of silver" Prov. 25:11 Oh, words!! They can bless can't they.  The right words at the right time. Not too many so they run on with no one really listening- and not too few so ones point is not lost.   Oh to be wise enough to say things appropriately and lovingly. To tell someone when you think they need to look again at a situation, maybe from a different"angle". To assure someone,when they have experienced tragedy, or great disappointment.   How to speak to that lost one who you greatly respect, but they have no idea about Jesus' love, and their need of Him.    God help us to be Your mouthpiece- justice, mercy and love compiled in our conversation - to reflect You, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

I am starting this blog to share insights and short devotions that I have put together to hopefully encourage others to grow in their walk with the Lord..   I believe that quiet time is of utmost importance to grow "deep roots" And I'm hoping this blog will: 1) in small effective ways,help others to develop a transformed life by the "renewing of our minds". (Romans 12:2) 2) encourage other women to make time in their busy lives for quiet time,that ultimately  will make them strong 3) share my testimony at different stages of my walk with the Lord In good times and in times we find we will need to withstand the storms of life, growing deep roots in Gods love  (Ephesians3:17) will sustain us.  Among the things I will suggest are some ways to start a "quiet time" and tools that I have used in times past and some I use now.   Bear with me on this, it's all new to me, but I am hoping it will become something to be helpful and encouraging to tho...