On The Road Again

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4-5

Off on the road again visiting family. We returned from visiting with two of the children and one grandson, only to turn around and set off to visit the oldest son and his two boys. We went to a wedding and played some golf during the first trip, now we will have a marathon of high school baseball games during the second! What a joy to be with all these special family members God has given us. (Cannot leave out that I will also be seeing my sister!)
Being with my family is such a blessed way for me to see God's ways and truth. Love just flows out like a big old river. We talk some about the past, and discuss and plan a bit for the future, but mostly, we just enjoy the moment. All day long we support, laugh, listen, love. Just like God supports, laughs, listens and loves us.
My prayer is that I use this time to learn more about God's path for me and see God's ways of loving.

Prayer Friday Psalm 65:9-13

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are cover with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing. Psalm 65:9-13


Blessed Creator, Living Christ, Guiding Holy Spirit,
Hear my prayer.
Thank you for this week's rain. In the natural world, this Psalm fits like a glove. You have soften the soil, watered the pecan trees, wetted down the crops, filled the arroyos and river, greened the desert plants. My skin, nose, ears, eyes have felt the touch, smelled the moisture, heard the sounds and seen the wonder. Thank you.
Take me deeper into this Psalm to use it to water my soul and spirit. To soften me, level me. cover me, drench and crown me.
You flow in my life, I need your nourishing love. Thank you.
Amen

Tagged!

For where your treasure is, your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

First off a little message to Flojoe...I miss your blog!

Epiphany, over at www.Myroad,asItravelit.blogspot.com, tagged me with the question "What are your passions?". It has been a while since I sat and ponder that question, so I appreciated the push to do so. Here they are, sorta in order.
1. Clearing the fog to see the truth. I am really passionate about traveling a path that gets me as close to behind the veil as I can get. I want to peel away the false parts of myself to get down to the perfect soul and spirit God made and wants me to be. I try to follow Christ's way to get as close as I can to my Creator. To find God's will in my daily life.
2. Family. I am blessed with a wonderful, hard working, happy family. We have some bumps now and then but we are solid. I love being THE MOTHER-IN-LAW.
3. Loyalty and faithfulness. In all dealings: business, family, friends, church, etc..
4. Prayer. I could not survive without my prayer life. It gives me strength, hope, love, peace and calm. I am a total believer in intercessory prayer. Paul said to live your life as a prayer...that is my goal.
5. Weather. I love weather, all weather. I love its changeability, its sweet softness and its raging storms. Bring it on!!
6. Isaiah and Jeremiah. Cannot so without those fellows' books.
7. The following truth and guides: "You reap what you sow". "Treat all with dignity." "Love your neighbor as yourself." What a wonderful world it would be if we lived those!!
8. And of course golf and reading. When my husband cannot find me he looks behind a book or on the course.
9. Sister Friends. God has given me some of the most outstanding women to call friends. All unique and all loved beyond mere words.

Thank you Epiphany for this opportunity to write on this tag. Now, both Epiphany and I would love to hear from you out there reading this. Respond here, there or anywhere, but remember what you treasure is where your heart is so fill it with love. God Bless you and yours.

Monday Of Hope

May the God of your hope so fill you with joy and peace in believing (through the experience of your faith) that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Romans 15:13 (Amplified)



Back after a long while, or so it seems! I have been out of town and had some company so things have been busy.

During a round of golf, if you play as I do ;), you can be faced with a number of challenging shots. Seems as if all shots don't necessarily put you in a happy place for the next one. We even saw some of that over the weekend at the Masters! When this happens to my very good friend PL she approaches the disappointing lie with eternal hope in her heart. She always says...well, let's see what we can do with this one, how can we recover here? Love her hopeful nature.

I love the Monday after Easter. I like to spend this day looking for the situations in my life and the lives of those close to me to see the hope. There are a bunch this morning. One member of my family has been given great hope involving a medical problem. One is starting a new semester this morning. One is beginning a path to read the Bible while listening to it on tape. Two are starting baseball season at school. One of my best friends (she would kill me if I said my oldest best friend) welcomed her first grandchild this week. Hope is just bubbling up and overflowing, as I know that all of these situations have been prayed for and are the result of God's amazing and wonderful grace.

Look around you, where do you see the hope. Don't tell me there is none, it may be very small or look very insignificant, but it is there. Use this Monday to start over. Start over and look for the hope. How can you recover from the previous "bad shot"? You can, there is always hope. It is a grace from our Creator. God bless you today.

Still Here Gathering Manna

So they gathered it every morning, each as much as he needed to eat; for when the sun grew hot it would melt. Exodus 16:21

I love the story of the manna God provided for the Israelites. Everyday they were to gather what they needed and use it, it was not to be saved as there would be an ample supply the next day. It was an everyday task. Sometimes I get bored or lazy about our everyday tasks. Do you?

I have been gathering the last two weeks better than usual. Each day I have been reading and letting the day's lesson soak into my life. Then taking up the reading the next day and finding new and important thoughts that fit for that day.

Amazing how it works when you do what God asks you to do.

Look for and gather your daily bread, it will be there for you everyday. Use it up for you will find just the correct portion. Know in your heart and soul that you will find more tomorrow.

That doesn't mean I have put the golf clubs down. Played in two scrambles tournaments last week: first in one and tied for second in the other. A lot of fun and good times. I love scrambles because of the team work.

Prayer Friday

For all that are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Romans 8:14

Loving Creator, Living Christ, Moving Holy Spirit
Lord that about says it all. Loving, Living, Moving...
Thank you for the opportunities You give me to know my true self and the true self of those around me. Please, forgive me for the times I get so into the world that I forget this.
May I live in Your peace and love today. May I remember that I am here to spread that peace and love with all that You put in my path. AMEN

Prayer Friday Psalms 1

Happy is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or taken the path of the sinners, or joined the company of the insolent; rather, the teaching of the LORD is his delight, and he studies that teaching day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, whose foliage never fades, and what ever it produces thrives.
Not so the wicked; rather, they are like chaff that wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not survive judgement, nor will sinners, in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD cherishes the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed. Psalm 1

Loving Creator, Living Christ, wise Holy Spirit, Thank You for my being.
I am what You willed, may I learn to walk in that will.
May I study Your teachings, which I find all around me, all day.
May I be mindful of Your Presence all day.
I do not want to be chaff in the wind, I desire to be a producing being. A love producing being that brings Your peace and calm to my family, friends and the world.
Thank You for all You have given me, all You have taken away, and all I am left with.
AMEN

Love, Day by Day

Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures. Corinthians 13:7

This coming year I will mindfully stay in the present, with love as my guide.

May God bless you and yours every minute of every day and may you be open to receive and respond in kind.

My Manger

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19

I live in this day because my Creator wants me to. Today is special. I will love the situation in which God has placed me. I will love my manger.

Waiting for Him

You will be with child and give birth to a son, you are to give to him the name Jesus. He will be great and be called Son of the Most High. The Lord will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. Luke 1:31-33

God bless us while we await the birth of a new Spirit in us, AMEN

Prayer Friday

At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth." Matthew 11:25

Loving Creator, Living Christ, Wonderful Holy Spirit, please hear our prayer.
We are blessed with such a beautiful day to which we wake up. Thank You for all the opportunities You will put before us. We are surrounded with Your love every second of this day.
Lord, thank You for all of the workers in the health field. We know that it is with Your wisdom that they are trained and the skill they have comes from You. You are not only the healing, but the healer. Thank You for the discovered knowledge that guide these people, and for the wisdom yet to be discovered. We are truly blessed by these workers.
Please be with all that are going though medical test today and those that are being treated.
We are aware all day that You give us our breath, don't let us waste it. In the name of the Living Christ, AMEN.

A Little More on Witnessing

Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Isaiah 46:9

The tournament is over, I was nothing but consistent, improved one shot the second day! But, I had a great time. I really enjoyed the three gals with whom I was paired, there was a lot of laughter.
A couple of thoughts about yesterday's post...witnessing is a perfect time to "remember the things I have done". Not only do you have a chance to lead another closer to God, you yourself have a chance to remember, as you relate your beliefs, all the things God has done for you. All the times God has shown you the way. So it is a two way path, side by side; tell/remember. What a beautiful path to walk.
Also, keep in mind your witness is added to all the other ones God has arranged for this person. It is not all up to you, you may be the first to share with the other or the last, so don't get discouraged. You are one of a great cloud of witnesses. That always gives me comfort and strength when I tell some one else the Great Story.
We don't have to shout or get in someones face...we just need to listen for the right question, remember what God has done for us, answer the question, and then thank God for the opportunity and all the others in the cloud with you.

His Patients

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you. 2Peter 3:9

I am slowly getting back into shape after a while off from golf because of my ankle. Slowly getting back into shape after two many meals consumed on the trip to New York. Slowly getting the house back into shape after too many days away. I control the "slowly" in these sentences. I can speed all of them up by my actions or throw myself a curve and slow them down. I have done both.
How impatient do you get when you turn a problem over to God and it is not resolved quickly enough for your satisfaction? Do you stew, worry, whine, pout? Are you going thorough one of those waiting periods right now? Are you waiting for a healing in your body, mind, spirit; deep down in your soul?
"The Lord is not slow". Wait, pray, wait, pray. Your Creator loves you and will take care of you with love and grace in God's will. Don't count your impatiences as God's slowness.
Step out in faith that you are loved and God is and will be with you in every step.

...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:21

I love most golf courses. I find the diversity interesting. Some are green, hilly with lots of trees. Some are brown, flat and treeless. Some are a mix of those pieces and parts of nature. They all have sand traps, greens for putting, tees for driving, paths and trails. I love most churches. I love mine most of the time. Sometimes I am let down and sometimes lifted up until I seem to soar.
Today, after church, I have been reading A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God, The Human Thirst for The Divine. On page thirty-six he wrote the best words I think I have ever come across about church and the church. I'll let him tell you what I feel.
"The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of his presence. The instant cure of most of our religious ills would be to enter the Presence in spiritual experience, to become suddenly aware that we are in God and God is in us. This would lift us out of our pitiful narrowness and cause our hearts to be enlarged. This would burn away the impurities from our lives as the bugs and fungi were burned away by the fire that dwelt in the bush".

Prayer Friday Ephesians 4:3

Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3



Thank you to wayfarerjon at http://walking-with-father.blogspot.com/ for the reminder of this verse. His story will lead us into our weekly prayer.

Loving Creator, Living Christ, Bold and Caring Holy Spirit,

Thank you for all the blessings that have flowed into my life this week and every week. I am sure I have not noticed many because I was too busy or inattentive to recognize them. But they are there.

I want so much to keep the bond of peace alive in my life at every breath. I know it starts with me. Help me do nothing to endanger the love that should and can flow between and in all of your creation.

I believe in the Living Christ and the Body of Christ. I will do no harm. I will look for those you have put in my life to help keep the unity. I will make every effort to guard my mind and my mouth from doing anything to upset the Peace beyond all understanding.

Amen

Prayer Friday

The God of peace be with you all. Amen. Romans 15:33

Most Loving Creator, Living Christ, Guiding Holy Spirit,

Thank you for blessing me with this day. Thank you for the many people you have put in my life to love. Thank you for the time to pray and enjoy your creation.
Lord, let me be ever mindful this week of living in and spreading your peace. I was made in your image and you are the peace and love of creation. In every conversation, in every action, in every thought lead me deeper and deeper into your peace.
Amen

In the Presence

May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:21

That is my intention today. Christ expects me to be in Them today, so today I am going to stay in this awareness of Them. That means living this day in Love. No dwelling in the past, no grudges, no worry about tomorrow. Walk my talk, practice what I read and believe. Act in love not react in judgement. One breath at a time, be aware of the Love in the Trinity.
Breathe with me today. OK?

Pain In The Back

Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. Job 5:17



Cannot play golf today because my back is having spasms. I strained it last week leaning over to move something heavy out of the way. I know I made my back vulnerable by driving over 7,000 miles in four weeks. All that sitting and the stress that settles in your lower back can only cause you problems.

Now, I didn't chose that Bible passage because I think that God smote me in the back. I think the Creator fashioned this human body I live in and God made it so that, with the choices of free will, I can take care of it or harm it. My pain is the indication that I did not treat it well. Same with my life. If I make the wrong choices, I usually see it in some form and level of discomfort.

God corrects me by letting me feel some pain. I do not despise the pain in my back. I am relaxing it and stretching it out in a swimming pool. The Creator pulls me back with some discomfort, yet leads me to lay down the stress or problem and rest.

The quest is to live here on earth trusting that my Creator wants me feeling peace and joy and comfort. As the rest of the passage goes: his hands also heal.

Garment of Praise

...and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:3

I try to never miss a day checking in on Lorna at see-through faith. She is an inspiration to me and always makes me think, stretches me. This morning she is talking about praise. Too much, not enough, good reading. I thought about the friends with whom I play golf. One, I have played with for a long time, praises every shot even before it gets off the ground. I mean immediately. She has no idea where it will go, if it is going to end up in the sand, fairway, rough, on the green. She does not take the time to see any results, you just hear her say "Good shot". Needless to say it becomes a phrase you tune out. On the other end of the continuum, is another player that never, and I mean never, praises you on a shot. I could hit a hole in one and she would not open her mouth to compliment the shot. Too much, too little, none at all...what is praise anyway?
To me praise is showing that I appreciated the gift or talent another has received from our Creator. It is a way to bring love into the world. If a child or grandchild has made an A on a spelling test, your praise is an acknowledgement that God has given this person an intelligent brain and memory, or perseverance to learn something. If a friend can take apart an engine and put it back to gather, that is a praise situation. A good golf shot shows practice and good muscle memory. God gives us gifts and talents and the ability to see them in others. Use that recognition as a way to praise God by praising your friends, family and anyone else.
Isaiah said that the spirit of the Lord was on him to bestow a garment of praise on those who were grieving in Zion. So like Isaiah's gift, put on a garment of praise and let it shine. Bask in the praise of others and hand out that praise that is deserved. You are thanking God for the blessings, gifts and talents that you can recognize. When you praise God's creations you are praising God.
Have a blessed day in Vancouver, you know who you are.

Pick A Psalm

Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Psalm 17:1

OK, so I miss calculated on the days to go through Psalm 16! Pick another Psalm and continue until I get back, I am going to!