Hebrews 12: 1-2
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Cup of coffee, receipts, Burger King crown, mounds of papers, Relevant Magazine, stapler, cords, box of tissues, cup of pens, rubber stress basketball, masking tape, a Gideon pamphlet, three ink pens, calculator, space heater, princess crown, notebook, three devotional books, business card, car keys, purse, note cards, Vacation Bible School lesson plans, and a DVD i am showing for Bible Study on Wednesday. These are just a few things i have on my desk right now. It is a wonder that I even have room on my desk for my laptop.
I am surrounded by clutter. I am a clutter magnet. I am not proud of it. I have taken large steps to overcome my cluttering. I love the feeling of having a clean desk and a clean office. When I am surrounded by clean instead of clutter things are so much clearer and it is so much easier to work. So then there is the question that has to be asked: Why do we clutter? If it feels good to work in clean... why do I surround myself with clutter?
Clutter happens! (It really should be a bumper sticker). Clutter is not something that you create intentionally.. it happens over time. Over time I accumulated far too many useless things on my desk and then chose to push it off to the side instead of putting it away. After i finish writing this blog, I fully intend to sort through these things and decide what needs to stay and what needs to be put away. What is essential to the productivity of my work and what slows me down.
What if we did that in life? What if we listed everything that is in our lives and then figure out what is productive to our walk with Christ and what is slowing us down? When I have studied this scripture before, I always think of strong addictions and burdens that slow us down. I always thought of the big events that served as a dark cloud in my life instead of the small things I have accumulated over time. I think i have more clutter weighing me down than really big life shattering events.
What are you surrounded by? I love the thought of being surrounded by a huge crowd of witnesses. A huge crowd of people running the race with me. I am so blessed to be surrounded by an incredible church family, lots of amazing friends, and great family. Sometimes I am distracted by all of my clutter that I am not able to run the race fully with everybody.
Sins and other priorities take the place of our crowd of witnesses. Piece by piece gossip, guilt, and physical clutter sits in the way of my faith productivity. I focus on huge pile of clutter in my life and get overwhelmed that I don't realize that I need to just sort out each piece and think about how it is contributing to the productivity of my race with Christ.
We are all invited to run the race whether we want to acknowledge it or not. The only difference some choose to run the race with 10 pound ankle weights of clutter, some stand at the starting line waiting for their calendars to clear up so they can fully commit to the race, and some run with a slow and steady pace cautious of every step that they take.
How do you run the race? What are you surrounded by? Do you have clutter in your life that you need to go through piece by piece? Maybe its time to do a little spring cleaning for Lent. I am adding it to my To Do list right now :)
Monday, March 1, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
How do you spend your 24 hours? Philippians 2:12-16
Philippians 2:12-16 (New Living Translation)
Shine Brightly for Christ
12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.
What would the world be like if we all adopted verse 14 as our motto. What if we actually lived a life without complaining and arguing? How would life really look?
I am an over critical person. I criticize everything and everyone. Nothing escapes my critical eye! (What are blogs for if you can't be honest right). I acknowledge my criticalness to the point where one time I actually went on a criticism fast for several days. During that time I was forced to see the world differently. No more could i point fingers at a situation or at a person without first pointing the fingers at myself. For a few couple of days I think I experienced what this scripture is talking about.
Each day we are given 24 hours to live life to the fullest and not in vain. For 24 hours we are given opportunities to serve others, to be living examples of what it means to live clean lives, and to be the hands and feet of Christ to others. In a given day I might spend a half an hour truly living a clean life and the 23 and a half other hours are spend complaining about how others need to clean up their lives. What kind of light am I shining?
I am encouraged by this scripture to let every hour count! I am encouraged to live with out fear and with happiness. Today I am going to be open for opportunities to shine the light of Christ to others. The thought of living a life in vain just makes me feel sick to my stomach. The thought of living a useless life is enough to encourage me to find areas to be used by Christ.
Today I will be intentional about living out verse 14 to the fullest.... and take advantage of each hour I am given to reflect his love.
Shine Brightly for Christ
12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.
What would the world be like if we all adopted verse 14 as our motto. What if we actually lived a life without complaining and arguing? How would life really look?
I am an over critical person. I criticize everything and everyone. Nothing escapes my critical eye! (What are blogs for if you can't be honest right). I acknowledge my criticalness to the point where one time I actually went on a criticism fast for several days. During that time I was forced to see the world differently. No more could i point fingers at a situation or at a person without first pointing the fingers at myself. For a few couple of days I think I experienced what this scripture is talking about.
Each day we are given 24 hours to live life to the fullest and not in vain. For 24 hours we are given opportunities to serve others, to be living examples of what it means to live clean lives, and to be the hands and feet of Christ to others. In a given day I might spend a half an hour truly living a clean life and the 23 and a half other hours are spend complaining about how others need to clean up their lives. What kind of light am I shining?
I am encouraged by this scripture to let every hour count! I am encouraged to live with out fear and with happiness. Today I am going to be open for opportunities to shine the light of Christ to others. The thought of living a life in vain just makes me feel sick to my stomach. The thought of living a useless life is enough to encourage me to find areas to be used by Christ.
Today I will be intentional about living out verse 14 to the fullest.... and take advantage of each hour I am given to reflect his love.
divided loyalty James 1:5-8
James 1:5-8 (New Living Translation)
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
Who would ever say "I am a disloyal person"? Most people, including myself, would like to say that loyalty is one of their best traits. I pride myself on being loyal. I have worked at a total of four different places my whole life, I have had the same friends for a very long time. I have even remained loyal to the type of toilet paper I use.
This scripture really made me start thinking about loyalty. When it comes to faith, I have divided loyalty.
I love that this scripture all starts with wisdom. I rarely take the time to even ask God for wisdom and when I do, I often don't stick around for the answer. I let God into my wisdom instead of asking for Gods wisdom.
This world has a lot to offer. If the world was one terrible mess, it would be easier not to fall into its trap. This world is full of "wisdom" and answers. We can google anything. We can text, email, and call our friends and family in a moments notice. The world does not shy away from providing wisdom. The true answers are found in our loyalty. This scripture challenges us to not only ask for Gods wisdom, but wholeheartedly stay focused on God.
Loyalty in God provides stability in a very unstable world. Loyalty requires endurance,patience,focus, and faith.
I pray that I stop and pay attention to what God has in store for me and my life.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
Who would ever say "I am a disloyal person"? Most people, including myself, would like to say that loyalty is one of their best traits. I pride myself on being loyal. I have worked at a total of four different places my whole life, I have had the same friends for a very long time. I have even remained loyal to the type of toilet paper I use.
This scripture really made me start thinking about loyalty. When it comes to faith, I have divided loyalty.
I love that this scripture all starts with wisdom. I rarely take the time to even ask God for wisdom and when I do, I often don't stick around for the answer. I let God into my wisdom instead of asking for Gods wisdom.
This world has a lot to offer. If the world was one terrible mess, it would be easier not to fall into its trap. This world is full of "wisdom" and answers. We can google anything. We can text, email, and call our friends and family in a moments notice. The world does not shy away from providing wisdom. The true answers are found in our loyalty. This scripture challenges us to not only ask for Gods wisdom, but wholeheartedly stay focused on God.
Loyalty in God provides stability in a very unstable world. Loyalty requires endurance,patience,focus, and faith.
I pray that I stop and pay attention to what God has in store for me and my life.
The process of prayer Colossians 1:11-12
Colossians 1:11-12 (New Living Translation)
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.
I was asked to write a prayer for a youth prayer guide and the thought of sitting down to write a prayer is just a bit overwhelming. Why is that? How can I sit down for 8 days (very proud of myself btw) and write a blog about scripture... but I have a hard time writing a prayer that will bring direction and guidance to teenagers.
Sometimes I wish I prayed like the Bible people prayed. It seems like their prayers had it all together. Paul wrote amazing letters describing the prayers he was praying for others. I love the fact that Paul didn't really pray for quick solutions. Instead Paul prayed about the process that people had to go through during their times of trouble. He prayed for patience, endurance, and joy.
When my friends, family, or youth are going through something rarely do I pray for them to have endurance and patience. I cut to the chase with God and I ask God to remove the obstacles in their way. I pray for instant comfort and relief instead of joy in the process of healing.
Maybe Paul was onto something. Maybe the process is the most important part of prayer. I am a fixer. If i see somebody hurt I want to fix them immediately. But sometimes a band aid prayer is not what is needed. Maybe instead of asking God to remove pain, I can ask God to prepare my loved one for the pain that they will have to endure. Instead of asking God to wave the magic wand, maybe I need to ask God to bring patience to my youth who are facing adversity. Instead of yelling at God for all of the wrong in the world, maybe I need to ask him to show me joy in all situations.
I believe with all of my heart that God can heal instantly. I believe that God has the ability to wave a wand and remove pain. But I also believe that God is not a god of quick fixes. Sometimes we need to feel pain so we understand each others pain. Sometimes we need to endure situations to experience the fullness of the blessing God has waiting for all of us.
Today I want to pray for all of you to be "strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light."
I am going to print out this scripture and pray it the rest of the week as I pray for others.... and I want to challenge all of you to do the same.
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.
I was asked to write a prayer for a youth prayer guide and the thought of sitting down to write a prayer is just a bit overwhelming. Why is that? How can I sit down for 8 days (very proud of myself btw) and write a blog about scripture... but I have a hard time writing a prayer that will bring direction and guidance to teenagers.
Sometimes I wish I prayed like the Bible people prayed. It seems like their prayers had it all together. Paul wrote amazing letters describing the prayers he was praying for others. I love the fact that Paul didn't really pray for quick solutions. Instead Paul prayed about the process that people had to go through during their times of trouble. He prayed for patience, endurance, and joy.
When my friends, family, or youth are going through something rarely do I pray for them to have endurance and patience. I cut to the chase with God and I ask God to remove the obstacles in their way. I pray for instant comfort and relief instead of joy in the process of healing.
Maybe Paul was onto something. Maybe the process is the most important part of prayer. I am a fixer. If i see somebody hurt I want to fix them immediately. But sometimes a band aid prayer is not what is needed. Maybe instead of asking God to remove pain, I can ask God to prepare my loved one for the pain that they will have to endure. Instead of asking God to wave the magic wand, maybe I need to ask God to bring patience to my youth who are facing adversity. Instead of yelling at God for all of the wrong in the world, maybe I need to ask him to show me joy in all situations.
I believe with all of my heart that God can heal instantly. I believe that God has the ability to wave a wand and remove pain. But I also believe that God is not a god of quick fixes. Sometimes we need to feel pain so we understand each others pain. Sometimes we need to endure situations to experience the fullness of the blessing God has waiting for all of us.
Today I want to pray for all of you to be "strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light."
I am going to print out this scripture and pray it the rest of the week as I pray for others.... and I want to challenge all of you to do the same.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Pick your battles..... and make the right choice Proverbs 17:14
Proverbs 17:14 (New Living Translation)
14 Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate,
so stop before a dispute breaks out.
"Pick your battles".......... I had a conversation with somebody a couple weeks ago and this phrase was said toward the end of our conversation and has stuck with me ever since.
What does it mean to pick your battles? What battles are worth picking? What is my battle line?
I have always had a hard time figuring out what is worth battling and what I should let go. At one point in my life I always took one for the team. I have never really been the fighting type. As I have grown more confident in who I am and what I believe in.... I have had the opportunity to stand up for myself and my beliefs. When I start to disagree with somebody the battle line gets blurred and I have a hard time figuring out what I am disagreeing about.
I love the serenity prayer:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
--Reinhold Niebuhr
I think picking my battles means that I need to accept the things I cannot change in a situation and have the courage to change the things I can change. I just wish I slowed down enough to sift through the quarrel or stressful situation to figure out when to apply serenity or courage. When we don't slow down and see where we fit into a situation, we open up floodgates and more often than not, say things that we shouldn't say or do things we shouldn't do.
My actions and words can provide opportunities for anger, frustration, and hurt... and I have the responsibility to control my words and actions before the floodgates open. Stopping disputes before they even happen means taking responsibility for your side of the street and realizing that the other person or persons may never clean up their side of the street. We need the serenity to know that when the other side of the street is dirty, we don't need to focus on that dirt. We need to focus on the future.
God can do amazing things in the midst of stress and conflict. Picking my battles means picking the Christ-like behavior and not the worldly solutions to conflict. Picking my battles means seeing the whole street and not just the "other" side.
God builds up walls for a reason. These walls are set in place for us to respect and love one another as Jesus did. When we start chipping away at these intentional walls........ the flood of anger, frustration, judgement, and fear come pouring out... and things are done and said that we can never take back.
14 Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate,
so stop before a dispute breaks out.
"Pick your battles".......... I had a conversation with somebody a couple weeks ago and this phrase was said toward the end of our conversation and has stuck with me ever since.
What does it mean to pick your battles? What battles are worth picking? What is my battle line?
I have always had a hard time figuring out what is worth battling and what I should let go. At one point in my life I always took one for the team. I have never really been the fighting type. As I have grown more confident in who I am and what I believe in.... I have had the opportunity to stand up for myself and my beliefs. When I start to disagree with somebody the battle line gets blurred and I have a hard time figuring out what I am disagreeing about.
I love the serenity prayer:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
--Reinhold Niebuhr
I think picking my battles means that I need to accept the things I cannot change in a situation and have the courage to change the things I can change. I just wish I slowed down enough to sift through the quarrel or stressful situation to figure out when to apply serenity or courage. When we don't slow down and see where we fit into a situation, we open up floodgates and more often than not, say things that we shouldn't say or do things we shouldn't do.
My actions and words can provide opportunities for anger, frustration, and hurt... and I have the responsibility to control my words and actions before the floodgates open. Stopping disputes before they even happen means taking responsibility for your side of the street and realizing that the other person or persons may never clean up their side of the street. We need the serenity to know that when the other side of the street is dirty, we don't need to focus on that dirt. We need to focus on the future.
God can do amazing things in the midst of stress and conflict. Picking my battles means picking the Christ-like behavior and not the worldly solutions to conflict. Picking my battles means seeing the whole street and not just the "other" side.
God builds up walls for a reason. These walls are set in place for us to respect and love one another as Jesus did. When we start chipping away at these intentional walls........ the flood of anger, frustration, judgement, and fear come pouring out... and things are done and said that we can never take back.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Day 6: The unexpected ordinary....
Psalm 89:11 (New Living Translation)
11 The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours;
everything in the world is yours—you created it all.
Last night the Lord truly expanded time so that I could finish some much needed housework. I am not sure why I put off doing housework because once I start on my housework I am reminded about all that I have.... and all I have to be thankful for. For instance I am very thankful and have a huge appreciation for the new Bounce Dryer Bar that you can use in the place of dryer sheets. I always forget to put in dryer sheets when I am changing over the laundry. As a result, my laundry is stricken with static cling and my clothes don't smell as April fresh as I would like them to. The Bounce Dryer Bar has honestly changed my life. Every single time I open my dryer... I am hit with the smell of clean clothes that are free from static and mediocrity.
As I was folding the laundry last night, I caught myself saying out loud "Thank you God for Bounce Dryer Bars". After I said that awkward phrase, I really started to think about the words. Rarely to I find the love of Christ through random laundry supplies.
Jesus is our everything. There is a song written by Tim Hughes that speaks to me every time I hear it:
God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping
God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting
God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing
Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything
Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
Be my everything
How many of us find God in our laughing AND in our weeping? How many of us can sit in line at the grocery store or doctors office and happily say to ourselves "God is in my waiting"?
This song and the scripture found in Psalm 89 remind us how huge God really is. We say God is big, but until we start thinking that God can be our everything.. big is a word we can't even start to use to describe God.
Is God your everything? Is God in everything that you do? When you laugh do you think about how God is in your laughter? With each breath that you take, are you reminded that God is the one who gave you breath in the first place? When you are about to fall asleep after a long hard day, do you think about how God is there in your sleeping? When you do the laundry and your clothes are not sticking together or stinky, do you think about how God is in your laundry products?
We think its silly or juvenile to really think about how big God is let alone thanking God out loud for things. This scripture reminds us that EVERYTHING is God's. We don't own anything. Everything we have has been loaned out to us for a short time. When we stop the daily routines we have created for ourselves, and start thinking about what we are doing with what God has given us... and acknowledge his presence in everything, we are able to just see a small part of what Christ has prepared for all of us.
I want to issue a challenge to all of you who read this, look for God not in the extraordinary, but in the ordinary today. Look for God in the unexpected instead of the expected. Once you find God in the unexpected ordinary... comment on this blog and tell about where you found God. May God be your everything.......everywhere!
11 The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours;
everything in the world is yours—you created it all.
Last night the Lord truly expanded time so that I could finish some much needed housework. I am not sure why I put off doing housework because once I start on my housework I am reminded about all that I have.... and all I have to be thankful for. For instance I am very thankful and have a huge appreciation for the new Bounce Dryer Bar that you can use in the place of dryer sheets. I always forget to put in dryer sheets when I am changing over the laundry. As a result, my laundry is stricken with static cling and my clothes don't smell as April fresh as I would like them to. The Bounce Dryer Bar has honestly changed my life. Every single time I open my dryer... I am hit with the smell of clean clothes that are free from static and mediocrity.
As I was folding the laundry last night, I caught myself saying out loud "Thank you God for Bounce Dryer Bars". After I said that awkward phrase, I really started to think about the words. Rarely to I find the love of Christ through random laundry supplies.
Jesus is our everything. There is a song written by Tim Hughes that speaks to me every time I hear it:
God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping
God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting
God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing
Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything
Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
Be my everything
How many of us find God in our laughing AND in our weeping? How many of us can sit in line at the grocery store or doctors office and happily say to ourselves "God is in my waiting"?
This song and the scripture found in Psalm 89 remind us how huge God really is. We say God is big, but until we start thinking that God can be our everything.. big is a word we can't even start to use to describe God.
Is God your everything? Is God in everything that you do? When you laugh do you think about how God is in your laughter? With each breath that you take, are you reminded that God is the one who gave you breath in the first place? When you are about to fall asleep after a long hard day, do you think about how God is there in your sleeping? When you do the laundry and your clothes are not sticking together or stinky, do you think about how God is in your laundry products?
We think its silly or juvenile to really think about how big God is let alone thanking God out loud for things. This scripture reminds us that EVERYTHING is God's. We don't own anything. Everything we have has been loaned out to us for a short time. When we stop the daily routines we have created for ourselves, and start thinking about what we are doing with what God has given us... and acknowledge his presence in everything, we are able to just see a small part of what Christ has prepared for all of us.
I want to issue a challenge to all of you who read this, look for God not in the extraordinary, but in the ordinary today. Look for God in the unexpected instead of the expected. Once you find God in the unexpected ordinary... comment on this blog and tell about where you found God. May God be your everything.......everywhere!
Monday, February 22, 2010
God's exchange policy...
Philippians 4:6-7 (New Living Translation)
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Its honesty time...
I am stressed out! Work is crazy right now. My house is a hot mess. I am just stressed. My mind is filled with what ifs and what nows. My to do list is long and my fuse is short. I am on edge about pretty much everything.
Needless to say, if there were ever a time for me to not "worry about anything, and pray about everything" it is today. Thank goodness God placed this scripture in my lap.
Here is what I need....
I need direction. I need peace. I need to know what to do next.
Wouldn't life be easier of this scripture said: "Amanda, don't worry about work, I have it all covered. All you need to are these three things and you will feel so much better... in fact take some time off and I will send somebody to your house to clean it and do your grocery shopping... I am God... I have this covered!"
I am not telling you anything new when I say, life is not easy. But I think sometimes we make life harder than it needs to be. We sit and worry.. instead of exchanging that worry for peace. Its all about our focus. I choose to focus on what needs to be done instead of what God has already done to get us to this point.
This scripture clearly states two things: 1. Tell God what you need 2. thank God for what he has done.
I don't have a problem with #1............ but many times I lose focus on #2.
It should be like this: "Lord I need direction with what I need to do with work, but I want to thank you for placing me here and surrounding me with loving people and an amazing place to work"
-Or-
"Lord I need you to expand the time for me to get all of my laundry done for the week, and I want to thank you for providing me with every item of clothing I have and the ability to do laundry in my home."
I am very blessed. The Lord has blessed me with an amazing job with amazing people. I have more than I could ever ask for and more than I could ever need.
It takes scriptures like this one to help you focus your heart and your mind. The peace from God is an amazing gift that is always open to us.
Lord I need your peace... thank you for the unconditional love you have given me and this time that you have provided for me to focus on you and your word today.
I feel better already. :)
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Its honesty time...
I am stressed out! Work is crazy right now. My house is a hot mess. I am just stressed. My mind is filled with what ifs and what nows. My to do list is long and my fuse is short. I am on edge about pretty much everything.
Needless to say, if there were ever a time for me to not "worry about anything, and pray about everything" it is today. Thank goodness God placed this scripture in my lap.
Here is what I need....
I need direction. I need peace. I need to know what to do next.
Wouldn't life be easier of this scripture said: "Amanda, don't worry about work, I have it all covered. All you need to are these three things and you will feel so much better... in fact take some time off and I will send somebody to your house to clean it and do your grocery shopping... I am God... I have this covered!"
I am not telling you anything new when I say, life is not easy. But I think sometimes we make life harder than it needs to be. We sit and worry.. instead of exchanging that worry for peace. Its all about our focus. I choose to focus on what needs to be done instead of what God has already done to get us to this point.
This scripture clearly states two things: 1. Tell God what you need 2. thank God for what he has done.
I don't have a problem with #1............ but many times I lose focus on #2.
It should be like this: "Lord I need direction with what I need to do with work, but I want to thank you for placing me here and surrounding me with loving people and an amazing place to work"
-Or-
"Lord I need you to expand the time for me to get all of my laundry done for the week, and I want to thank you for providing me with every item of clothing I have and the ability to do laundry in my home."
I am very blessed. The Lord has blessed me with an amazing job with amazing people. I have more than I could ever ask for and more than I could ever need.
It takes scriptures like this one to help you focus your heart and your mind. The peace from God is an amazing gift that is always open to us.
Lord I need your peace... thank you for the unconditional love you have given me and this time that you have provided for me to focus on you and your word today.
I feel better already. :)
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