Relax

Relax. I think cup of coffee, book, comfy clothes, and a spot to breathe, sunshine on the deck, quiet, still, prayer. What is "relax" to u?
Plasma 116:7. Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

I find comfort today as I relax in God's presence. We don't take enough time during the days and weeks to just relax and enjoy what has been given to us. Today is here, yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is still yet to come; stop and relax in today.
Praise. Thank. Smile. Laugh. Grieve. Cry. Trust. Enjoy. Pray.

We have been given this day, this hour, this moment. Don't take it for granted. Relax and savor what is happening in the now.

Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. We are blessed. Continue to remind me to just stop and savor the moment. No worries. You are an almighty Father who has grand plans and I will keep working on relaxing and enjoying all that is to come. Amen

Courage

Today God told me..."that all is well. All is going according to plan. Trust that there is a bigger picture. Trust that life is unfolding as it should."

When I think of the word courage, the first thing that comes to mind is the lion on Wizard of Oz who needed a new heart of courage.  Here he was a big tough lion who everyone should be afraid of, but he didn't have the confidence and courage to really be who he was.  

I guess I can compare myself to the lion these past few months.  I have lost confidence and courage in who I am and what I am supposed to be doing.  I know God is there.  I know God wants me to trust.  I know God does have a plan for my kids and I.  I know that all is going to be OK.  I just don't know when He is going to show this great plan of His and what this plan exactly is.

God gives us sooo many stories in the bible about courage.  Just off the top of my head I think of  Daniel, Jonah, Joseph, Moses, Noah, Esther, Ruth, Abraham, Hagar, Hosea, the list goes on!  Even when I was reading the story of Joseph and his brothers to my kids the other day, I had to smile and what Joseph said when his brothers came asking for food.  God planned for you to treat me as you did.  God knew that I would be the one to later help you, but if you hadn't done what you had, none of this would be.  

While reading that, I knew that it may not be months or even a year before I knew God's plan, but He does have a plan.  I took Joseph apx. 15 years to see God's plan!  And what a grand plan it was!

It takes courage to really be who you are on the inside.  You know you can't make everyone happy.  You know some people are not going to like you.  You know not everyone is going to agree with your decisions.  And you know people WILL judge you.  It takes courage to know all of those things and still be who you are, making decisions that are right for you and your family, making decisions that lead the life God wants you to live, and make decisions that are also right for others.  

Now, having said that, I have am still learning to live by those words.  I am working on my courage.  THere have been quite a few events in the past year that have taken courage.  I have also let others influence me enough to take away my confidence and courage.  I am going to take that back.  I made some big decisions this week that needed confidence in myself and trust in God that this was the path to proceed down.  I pondered and prayed 

and decided to trust this is what God wants...

1 Corinthians 16:13  Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

1 Peter 3:13 - 14  ¹³ Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats^[a]; do not be frightened.

Heavenly Father, give us courage today and every day to do Your will, to follow the path you have laid before us, and to trust in Your plans.  Five years ago today, we lost a dear friend because he had the courage to help others.  He is now with you and doing Your work in heaven watching over us.  Thank you for the blessing of his friendship.  THank you for strength, confidence and courage.  Help us to find it within ourselves to not cast judgment on others and give us the courage to carry out what you have planned for us.  I will continue to trust in You, lean on You, and turn to Your presence for peace and courage.  Thank you Father for all You have blessed us with.

In Your Name we pray, Amen

Delight

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.  

Psalms 40:8

The unknown is always soooo difficult.  The unknown is where the words worry, doubt, anxious, nervous all come from.  I have faced these words quite a bit over the past year.  I probably faced them numerous times before but wasn't aware enough to recognize them.  A wise friend told me that when we are feeling these words, we are not feeling God.  These words and feelings come from Satan.  When we have these feelings and hear these words we need to cast them away.  Give them to God - He will take them from us.  It comes back to trusting and our Faith.  

Not an easy task all the time.  The knot forms in my stomach, the constant spinning goes around in my head, and the lump in my throat that contains the worry doesn't always just disappear.  But when I really try.  When I really focus on Peace, Joy, Happiness, and Delight, that lump does disappear.  The feeling is absolutely amazing!  That Peace that we can only fully receive when we have given our complete Trust and Faith in God is the most amazing feeling!!  

I chose the word delight because my wise friend had given me this word a few weeks back.  Last year she had given me the word BLISS, and this year she sees my world as DELIGHTFUL.   

Delight/Delightuful

High degree of gratification;  joy;  extreme satisfaction

Highly pleasing

As I was looking at the definition, I found it fitting that one of the synonyms for delight is BLESSED.  I love scaffolding my lessons in the classroom, and it's even more amazing when they naturally happen; I guess Blessed and Delight were meant to be together!

I will live my life to the highest degree of gratification!  Naturally, we are human so there will be tough days, but to lump it together with the word DELIGHT instead of the ugly words I mentioned earlier?  Talk about extreme satisfaction!  

I challenge you today to think about what it takes in your life to live to the highest degree of gratification?  What will bring your life extreme satisfaction? 

I will work on my list today and post tomorrow...Instead of the icky knot in my throat I have excited bubbles in my tummy! :) 

Heavenly Father, Thank You for this day.  I will continue working on giving you my worries and focusing on the Delight in my life.  I Thank You for all the delightful things you have given me.  Please shine that delight onto others.  Show us all of the gratification you have given us.  Amen 

Blessed

It's been months, but I really felt the urge to get back to my blog....When I opened up my account, I found this unfinished post - it was the day before my birthday.  Even though the timing doesn't quite fit now that it is four months later, I feel that it is a perfect place to begin....So, in italics you have what I began on April 19th; to follow, you will have what is written August 16th.

A year ago this week I made a huge decision that would change my life forever.  I didn't know the hows, whens, or wheres, but somehow the pieces all fell into place because I trusted God would take care of my children and myself. 
I turn 31 tomorrow.  I'm not one whose big on age - it's just a number - I really think I will remain 25 forever - but I do look at my age in years as markers on a timeline. 
18 - graduated
22 - married, started teaching job
25 - twins were born
28 - Little Man born
30 - separated, moved, started new job
31 - new beginning?  moving forward....not sure what 31 will bring yet, but I do know this for certain -
I am VERY BLESSED -
Things have really changed since I began this post.  A week after beginning this, I was officially divorced.  Two weeks after writing this, I was informed I would no longer be teaching in the district I had just spent the last year getting acquainted with.  All that I had put my heart into was now being taken from me.  The picture that I had finally started forming in my head of what this new beginning and life was going to look like for my kids and I was suddenly ripped away.  Now What?!?!?!  What could possibly be next??  Haven't we been through enough changes?  Wasn't this where You wanted us to start over?  Wasn't I supposed to make a difference and help others here?  Wasn't this supposed to be my new community?  What about my kids??  What do I tell them??  What about my students?  What about all I was going to do this summer and next year and continue to do in this classroom??  Why God???  The questions never stop....  The tears continue to pop up on me and surprise me at random times.  Why is this happening?  What am I going to do?  What are You trying to tell me???
31 - unknown - what I do know is that I trust in God and that is the only thing that will get me through.
My reading for June 27th from Sara Young's book Jesus Calling, the night that it was confirmed I would no longer be in the same place I was all last year, said this:
"Rest with Me a while.  You have journeyed up a steep, rugged path in recent days.  The way ahead is shrouded in uncertainty.  Look neither behind you nor before you.  Instead, focus your attention on Me, your constant Companion.  Trust that I will equip you fully for whatever awaits you on your journey.  I designed time to be a protection for you.  You couldn't bear to see all your life at once.  Though I am unlimited by time, it is in the present moment that I meet you.  Refresh yourself in My company, breathing deep draughts of My Presence.  The highest level of trust is to enjoy Me moment by moment. I am with you , watching over you wherever you go."
God was telling me once again to TRUST Him.  He gave me this last year for a reason.  He gave it to us as a small piece to help get us to the next step up the ladder of life.  He doesn't show us the whole ladder and each step above because we "can't bear to see all our life at once!"
We are Blessed.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.  Ephesians 2:8  

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus
Philippians 4:19

There is soooo much to be thankful for.  God is Good.  We are blessed.  The words I tell myself when I begin to worry and get discouraged:  When you think you've got it bad, it could always be worse.  

Blessings!  :)

Strength

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

Philippians 4:13

This summer I prayed these words every single day - "Lord please give me Your strength to get through whatever is thrown at me today"  Some days I just asked for His strength to get up and be productive.  Other days I asked for His strength to get me through specific events. 

Although I can say I am honestly the "strongest" I have ever been in my life, I haven't gotten their without seeking God's strength. 

On January 31st, I had a very important day that would lead to some very important decisions to be made out of my control.  The passage for the day in Jesus Calling  was this:

I am your Strength and Shield.  I plan out each day and have it ready for you, long before you arise from bed.  I also provide the strength you need each step of the way.  Instead of assessing your energy level and wondering about what's on the road ahead, concentrate on staying in touch with Me.  My Power flows freely into you through our open communication.  Refuse to waste energy worrying and you will have strength to spare.....My Presence watches over you continually, protecting you from both known and unknown dangers.  I am with you and will watch you wherever you go. 

Look to the Lord and His strength; seek his face always. 

Psalm 105:4

I think I have posted this song before I get a little bit stronger  by Sara Evans  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22zB6Soc2Gk

Woke up late today and I still feel the sting of the pain
But I brushed my teeth anyway
I got dressed through the mess and put a smile on my face
I got a little bit stronger

Riding in the car to work and I'm trying to ignore the hurt
So I turned on the radio, stupid song made me think of you
I listened to it for minute but I changed it
I'm getting a little bit stronger, just a little bit stronger

And I'm done hoping that we could work it out
I'm done with how it feels, spinning my wheels
Letting you drag my heart around
And, oh, I'm done thinking that you could ever change

I know my heart will never be the same
But I'm telling myself I'll be okay
Even on my weakest days
I get a little bit stronger

Doesn't happen overnight but you turn around
And a month's gone by and you realize you haven't cried
I'm not giving you a hour or a second or another minute longer
I'm busy getting stronger

And I'm done hoping that we can work it out
I'm done with how it feels, spinning my wheels
Letting you drag my heart around
And, oh, I'm done thinking, that you could ever change

I know my heart will never be the same
But I'm telling myself I'll be okay
Even on my weakest days, I get a little bit stronger
I get a little bit stronger

Getting along without you, baby
I'm better off without you, baby
How does it feel without me, baby?
I'm getting stronger without you, baby

And I'm done hoping we could work it out
I'm done with how it feels, spinning my wheels
Letting you drag my heart around
And, oh, I'm done thinking that you could ever change

I know my heart will never be the same
But I'm telling myself I'll be okay
Even on my weakest days
I get a little bit stronger

I get a little bit stronger
Just a little bit stronger
A little bit, a little bit, a little bit stronger
I get a little bit stronger

I know where that strength comes from.  It doesn't happen instantaniously.  I compare it to physical strength; I've been lifting and toning and working my tail off to increase my strength (and metabolism :)), it doesn't happen overnight, in a week or in a month even.  But one day you realize the same weights or workout just aren't as difficult.  Just as one day you wake up and the same events that used to upset you and ruin your day or week, really don't cause you to even twinge.  It's called strength.  And all the prayer and effort are sooooo worth it.  God's strength gets you through anything.

Psalms 28:7  The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

Genesis 28:15  Behold, I am with you and I will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land.  For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.



Gratitude

Each day when you greet someone, meet someone, or cross anothers path, you ask "how are you?"  Most reply with good, fine, great, tired, etc.  A gal I knew always responded with the word grateful.  This sticks in my head because it reminds me that no matter how we are feeling at that time of day on that certain day, we should always remain grateful. 
A friend told me last week that even though she was soooo very busy and felt like she was constantly on the go, she was overwhelmed with gratitude.  The word has been sticking to me since.
I enjoy searching for bible verses that relate to the word God has led me to focus on.  I think that is His way of guiding me to His words.  Today this one struck me:
Psalm 136:1“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”

Last week I received an e-mail that reminded me how grateful I am to be me. 

May there be for today peace within. 

May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith, within yourself and others. 

May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content with yourself just the way you are. 

Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love. 

It is there for each and every one of us.

My goal is to change my response to "how are you?" from good/fine, to grateful within this next month.  It is such a powerful statement to others and ourselves how content and happy we are in the life God has given us.  

It's pretty easy to let the hard things in life make you feel ungrateful, but I have learned to quickly focus on something I am grateful for each time something hard comes about.  It's amazing how you can stay much happier this way! :)

I like to send God gratitude messages every once in awhile.  It's just my way of saying thanks for where I am and where I have come.  Most often my gratitude conversations include being grateful for:

my kids, family, friends - new and old, my job, laughter, health, faith, exercise, books, hugs, food, sunshine, friends again, and the list goes on.  What do you include in your gratitude conversations?

Lord, I show my gratitude to You for all You have given my family.  Some days are harder than others, but there is not a day where I am not able to be grateful.  You have given so much, I think what we all need to be most grateful for is what You gave to us in giving us Your son.  My gratitude list could go on and on and on; it would include the very small minor things, to the very large major things.  Be with those who need reminded that life is full of reasons to be grateful.  Help them to see through the hard things and focus on the things that bring them joy.  Continue to help me through this process also.  I thank You for bringing me to where I am today.  In Your Name, Amen

Phillippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” 

Grace

Amazing Grace Lyrics
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

  

T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.
   Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.

  

The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...
as long as life endures.

  

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.

  

When we've been here ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun.

  

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,  
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-mNT0axB9U

GRACE:

a. Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people.

b. The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God.

c. An excellence or power granted by God.

a.  the free and unmerited favour of God shown towards man

b.  the divine assistance and power given to man in spiritual rebirth and sanctification

c.  the condition of being favoured or sanctified by God

d.  an unmerited gift, favour, etc., granted by God

1. elegance and beauty of movement, form, expression, or proportion

2. a pleasing or charming quality

3. goodwill or favour

4. the granting of a favour or the manifestation of goodwill, esp by a superior

5. a sense of propriety and consideration for others

It's been awhile since I've written.  I actually began this post on January 13th, but put it aside in the draft box for awhile.  I was asked by a friend yesterday why I haven't written in awhile; another dear friend e-mailed me today and told me to really listen to the words of Amazing Grace; and if that wasn't enough signs to get back to the blog, my other dear friend finally started her own healing blog....  http://bkissesfromheaven.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-time.html 

Grace

G =God's

R =Riches

A =at

C =Christ's

E =Expense

I've tried for a long time to summarize Grace.  I still don't know that I completely grasp it, but the best I can say is Grace is God's eternal love.  Grace is our ticket to heaven.  Grace is forgiveness.  Grace gives me hope. 
The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...
as long as life endures.
NB had a reason for telling me to listen to Amazing Grace - this verse keeps sticking out at me.  In searching the Bible on grace, I found this passage:

1 Peter 5:10And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

I'm not perfect; and it brings tears to my eyes to think about all the imperfections in my past, present, and those to come in the future.  One thing I am learning is to not dwell on those imperfections, to get over my past disappointments, to live for today, and to surround myself with people who do the same.  I am learning to accept God's Grace and truly embrace it. 
  "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,  
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

 

Thank you Heavenly Father for Your gift of Grace.  I am a wretch who has been saved and am also the happiest I have been in many years.  As the story today said; be the coffee bean - use the turmoil around you to make the ugly better.  I thank you for Your Presence.  Continue to bless my children and comfort them when things are hard.  Help them to understand tears are OK and healing. 

In Your name,

Amen

Praise

I'm going to do this a bit differently.  Today I really need to journal as I'm talking to God, writing a letter to Him, praying.....

I praise You each day Lord.  I thank You for things seen and things unseen.  I am grateful each day for the life You have given me.  Some days I want to just cry and complain...I want to let myself go there at times....but then I come back and remember how fortunate I am and that I need to trust You.  You have plans....The road is layed out, but no one ever said it was going to be a paved interstate.  There are days when I feel the joy of riding down the interstate (in a convertable :)) with the radio cranked, smile on my face while the wind blows warmly around me....It's really quite easy to thank and praise you on those rides!  THen there are days where I feel like I am climbing mountains on narrow bumpy paths that are covered in ice in a rickety old buick....Even on those days though, I thank you that my car is still running and I have gas in my tank - although my smile is not quite as big....
Last   Thursday in Jesus Calling, You talked about praise.  It is impossible to praise or thank Me too much.  I inhabit the praises of My people.  Sometimes your(my) adoration is a spontaneous overflow of Joy, other times your praise is more disciplined and measured - an act of will.  When you thank Me for all the pleasures I provide, you affirm that I am God, from whom all blessings flow.  When adversity strikes and you thank Me anyway, your trus in My sovereignty is a shopiece in invisible realms.  Fill up the spare moments of your life with praise and thanksgiving. 
I have had a hard time writing to you this past week.  Each time I've sat down to voice my thoughts, the words are jumbled and they don't come out.  I've been in the mood of "needing a break" - whatever that means.  A break from life?  A break from my kids?  A break from work?  A break from You?  A break from reality?  Why have a felt this way?  Maybe that's why my words weren't available...The timing wasn't right.  Today I feel better!  This past week has been miserable!!  I took a break from my relationship with you, and in doing so everything suffered.  Don't get me wrong, I prayed to you, I talked to you, but my heart wasn't in it.  I had let satan get the best of me for this past week.  I didn't like how I felt, what I thought, or who I was. 
I knew today was different.  I knew when I sat down to share with You, my words would come.  Maybe that week break was what I needed to realize how lucky I am to know You and have You in my heart.  Not that You wanted me to take that break, I chose it, and it was the wrong choice.  I am back to praising You with my heart and not just my words.  Thank You for showing this to me.
Now I have some requests.  I have some close friends who really Need You right now.  Some are struggling with day to day life, others struggling with the demands of others, some the loss of loved ones, and some just needing to feel Your strength surrounding them.  Please be with these friends and all others who have these needs...I will continue to add them to my prayers.  Thank You for taking care of us....

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

—Psalm 92:1   

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
save me, and I shall be saved,
for you are my praise.

—Jeremiah 17:14

 

Amen

Question?? continued.....

Dear Lord, please bless this day of ours.  Help me be the mother, teacher, friend, and person You have intended for me to be.  I know I have so many questions, and I know over time, with patience and guidance, my questions will be answered.  I will continue to turn to You for the answers.  I will continue to seek out Your presence and allow You deeper into my heart, for it is You alone who can take my burdens and give me comfort.  Thank You for this.  In Your name, Amen

John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

I think my questions come because I need reassurance.  I want to be at that place where I know my reassurance comes from God.  I have to admit I am continuing to get there, but find it easier to have my questions answered by a person I can see and directly hear.  It seems as though I have to work so hard to hear God right now.  I know this will get easier as I continue to turn towards Him with my burdens, questions, accomplishments, and joys.  I know this. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJlVWvCCicE&playnext=1&list=PL910354BFD64B7CCF&index=19
This song says it soooo well.  Happy Matthew West
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRIQxBJCRWU  More Matthew West
I had this song flagged as a favorite and when I went back to listen to it, it brought a smile to my place.  This is how I feel God feels about me!  How could any love be better???!?!?

We all have questions.  My job as a teacher is to answer questions every day.  I am constantly answering questions as a mom.  And each day I love them more... my children, my students, my family, my friends, and most definitely, my GOD.  Questioning is OK.  It is good.  It keeps us growing.  It is how we learn.

Question??

Last night I had to question God.  I was struggling.  I just didn't understand why certain things were happening and how in the world it could work itself through.  I wrapped my prayer shawl around me and REALLY PRAYED.  I mean closed my eyes, hands over my head, bent over and PRAYED.  I needed answers.  I needed bits of doubt and confusion to be cleared up.  I needed ANSWERS!  And I needed GODS answers.  Directly from HIM.  I wasn't satisfied with what I was reading, I wasn't satisfied with what I was trying to interpret.  I wasn't satisfied with trusting myself.  Well, that was my problem.  This is what came to me - what God spoke. 
Staci, Listen to ME!  Staci, Staci, Listen to ME.  Trust Me.  You cannot figure this out on your own.  You cannot do this on your own.  You need ME.  You need to turn it over to ME and let Me take care of you.  I have plans.  Follow my path....Depend on Me....

WOW.  Pretty incredible.  After that, I read my book Broken Into Beautiful by Gwen Smith.  Matthew Simpson  describes mosaics he saw..  God is picking up the little worthless pieces of stone and brass that might be trodden underfoot unnoticed, and is making of them His great masterpiece.  Gwen says, "It reminds me that when the broken pieces of our lives are placed in the loving hands of our extraordinary God, they can be transformed into divine work of beauty.  Oh, how it causes me to wonder why God would even care to hold my broken pieces, let alone arrange them, polish them, and gently transform them into something whole...something beautiful."  Ken Gire in his book, The North Face of God: When suffering shatters the carefully kept vase that is our lives, God stoops to pick up the pieces.  But He doesn't put them back together as a restoration project patterned after our former selves.  Instead, He sifts through the rubble and selects some of the shards as raw material for another project - a mosaic that tells the story of redemption.  Gwen goes on to say.  "You may find it hard to hand over hurts.  I get that.  It's hard for me too.  But difficult as it may be, it's time to hand them over and let our masterful Lord create a stunning work of beauty in you.  And He's going to need all of your broken pieces to complete the mosaic."

Too be continued....

Patience

James 1:12  Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
This summer I was looking online for a daily devotion that would just appear in my inbox each morning.  I came across Girlfriends in God.  www.girlfriendsingod.com  Each morning I couldn't wait to open my mail to see what I would learn and what God was telling me.  I kind of felt like this devotion was the telephone between God and myself.  I used GIG to open my heart and mind to my Lord.  I didn't know it at the time, but now I see how God used this devotion to open my heart and mind to a direct relationship with Him.  I still look forward to reading GIG each morning, but I don't rely on it the way I used to.  I don't need the telephone to hear God anymore.  I know how to talk without having an interpreter.  I know how to listen without a middle person. 
Mary Southerland is one of my favorites.  Her last passage from Friday, December 31st, talked about Patience.  It made me stop and really think about how to practice patience AND how once again, things are not in my control.  Mary says  "What is patience? To be patient is to have the ability to endure, but it doesn't stop there. Patience must also have the capacity to be wronged and not retaliate. In other words, patience is love persevering and love waiting. We are not only to be patient in the way we face difficult situations but in our relationships as well."  Wow, she says it best - kinda sums up life doesn't it? 
The first time I REALLY opened my ears and heart to God and REALLY heard HIM speak to me, He said "Be strong little one, you will persevere."  My stomach did flip flops!  I couldn't believe I had ACTUALLY HEARD God talk to me?!?!?  After that, it became easier to really HEAR. 
I have however been running out of patience lately and haven't heard God for awhile.  I know it's not because He's not trying to speak to me, it's because I have been sooooo impatient and am not taking the time to really listen. 
Yesterday's reading in Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young talked about God's presence and how we must completely let go of ourselves and the control we feel we need to have and let God take the reigns.  Why is that so hard to do? 
In Colossians 1:11, the apostle Paul writes, God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient!

I can do it.  You can do it.  We can do it.  Through God, patience, and perseverance. 
Be strong little one; you will persevere.

Change

The first day of the New Year - 2011.  What is in store for this New Year?  A great friend told me this
"Each year you make a resolution to Change yourself....How about this year you make a resolution to Be yourself..."  So, So, So very true. 
Life is full of so many changes.  Some that are in our control, and many that are completely out of our control.  In the past 6 months my own life has been through some of the biggest changes I had never imagined until they became my reality.  Learning to do things as a single person, changing homes a couple times, changed jobs, changed towns, and changed my way of living.  Many of my relationships with people changed also - that was probably the toughest of all the changes.  Life is to short to not be who God made us to be.  Sometimes things need to change in order to live that life fully. 
No one said change is easy.  In fact, I think I've said more than once that change is hard.  A few years ago, our school was working at changing some of the ways we teach in order to implement the best instruction for our students.  After teaching the same way for 20 - 30 years, changing things was difficult for some; and why wouldn't it be?  Just as I ask the question what is in store for the New Year, we ask ourselves what will this change have in store?
This I am certain of; change is necessary, life is full of change, change is both controlled and uncontrollable, God however IS in control of change.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let
God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Then you will learn to know
God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
Romans 12:2 (NLT)

What I've learned is the best change we can make for ourseleves is "to BE ourself".  It's not always easy, but it is the only way God wants it.  Back to my favorite verse.
Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Heavenly Father, Thank You for this New Year.  Thank You for the opportunity to be ourselves.  Continue to bless us with Your Presence and Guidance.  You are the only One who knows what lies ahead.  Help us to trust in You and the changes You present in our lives.  Allow us to be proud of who we are and what is important to us in Your eyes.  Thank You again for ALL You have provided.  In Your Name, Amen.