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But God

We had a wonderful time yesterday while on our family camping weekend. We visited a local attraction known as the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch. The animals were amazing and we had a great time. (I’ll tell you more about this in another blog.) While feeding the animals I was particularly focused on some of the birds that we hand fed.

A few days back I reminded you that God’s love for us is so much greater than His love for the birds, and since it is, we can trust Him in all things. He is rich in mercy and love. Anytime things seemed stacked against us, remember this, BUT GOD! God is in control and He loves us so deeply. How can we not come out a winner when we know that no matter what happens BUT GOD?

“But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) 6 Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace. 8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.” Ephesians 2:4-8

There isn’t a problem too big or a reward so great that they aren’t solved or enriched by BUT GOD. The enemy of every Christian is satan and he sends many challenges and problems to discourage and destroy BUT GOD… Then we also have rewards and opportunities that look too good to pass up BUT GOD will show us if they are traps to get us off course or if they are really opportunities He is sending to bless us.

The old saying no ifs, ands or buts about it, was used to drive home a point that something was solid or unchangeable. The Lord is our miracle worker and nothing is impossible with Him.

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things.” Romans 8:31-32

As you go about your day, when things come up and they will, remember BUT GOD and know that He is for you so anyone or anything that is against you has to face no one else BUT GOD!

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Stacking Stones

My morning Bible reading has been in the book of Genesis. The last few days I have been reliving the experiences of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jacob is a very interesting character. He’s a conniver, a schemer – a real con man. And then he has a personal encounter with God; in his sleep he dreamt he saw a ladder leading to heaven.

“The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. 19 He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz. 20 Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.” Genesis 28:18-22 NLT

Joshua also stacked stones as a memorial for the people of Israel when they crossed in to the Promised Land. Jesus is called the chief cornerstone. Stones were used to mark important occasions in the Bible. They were permanent, they couldn’t be destroyed.

When we moved to our home in Southern Arizona I enjoyed looking at the yards of our neighbors as I would be out on a walk. Most of the yards had stacks of rocks piled at one corner of the property. Some stacks were tall, others were just 3 or 4 large rocks set one upon the other.

One day I asked a neighbor why the rocks? He told me that is was something that had been done in our area for hundreds of years. It was a way of marking a particular area. He wasn’t sure why, but they decided to place a traditional stack of rocks in their yard.

The stones that Jacob stacked had meaning. He even named the place so that all who came that way would know of his meeting with God. Through the years the stones were a testimony of God’s goodness. They spoke of Jacob’s faith in God.

There are things in each of our lives that should be memorialized. Times when the Lord has met us in a special way. We should tell our children and our neighbors of God’s goodness. The first big stone we place can be a reminder of when God showed us His overwhelming love and brought us into relationship with Himself. Then there could be more stones stacked throughout the years; healing, deliverance, baptism of the Holy Spirit, protection, provision, etc.

We have placed a stack of seven large stones in our front yard. It took seven years to sell our home in Montana and move back to Arizona. Those stones commemorate God’s faithfulness to us.

“Then Joshua told the people: Years from now your children will ask you why these rocks are here. 22-23 Tell them, “The Lord our God dried up the Jordan River so we could walk across. He did the same thing here for us that he did for our people at the Red Sea, 24 because he wants everyone on earth to know how powerful he is. And he wants us to worship only him.” Joshua 4:21-24 CEV

I’m sure you have plenty of reasons to make your own stack of stones. Don’t stack stones as a matter of tradition but as a source of testimony.

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A Trusted Friend

Who is your most trusted friend? Your spouse, someone you’ve known for years or someone new in your life? This is the person that you know would never lie to you…when they give their word, they keep it even if it is detrimental to their own well being. They know you are counting on them and they would never let you down.

Think about them for a minute. I’ll wait…(silly fact, I am sitting here waiting for you to think).

Now let me share with you what I found in God’s word this morning.

“We believe what people tell us. But we can trust what God says even more, and God is the one who has spoken about his Son. 10 If we have faith in God’s Son, we have believed what God has said. But if we don’t believe what God has said about his Son, it is the same as calling God a liar. 11 God has also said that he gave us eternal life and that this life comes to us from his Son. 12 And so, if we have God’s Son, we have this life. But if we don’t have the Son, we don’t have this life.” I John 5:9-12 CEV

We can trust what God says even more than we trust our closest friend. When we read God’s word and hear what He has promised do we believe He is telling us the truth; that it really will happen or are we just wishing and hoping that God’s word is true and going to work for us?

How would our relationship with that “trusted” friend be hindered if they knew we weren’t really confident that they were going to do what they said they would? It would weaken the relationship for sure.

I’m encouraging you this morning to strengthen your relationship with the Father. Don’t hope His word is true – spend time talking with Him, watching Him and listening to Him speak through the pages of His word and then confidently trust Him to do what He says He will do.

I grew up with the mindset that we hope for the best but never really know what to expect from God. We just never know what He might do. Yes, God’s ways are higher than ours. He never lies or misrepresents. He doesn’t mislead by insinuation. His thoughts and ways are so much better than anything we can imagine.

Can you imagine if you had been David facing Goliath and only “hoping” that God would show up and things would work out right? Or Moses standing at the edge of the Red Sea with the Egyptians behind him and hoping that God was going to provide a way across to safety? These men had trusted God, taken Him at His word and they knew God would not lie.

Trust, complete trust, should be our response to God’s word. It has never failed and it never will! That’s why I’ve chosen Numbers 23:19 as my favorite verse in the Bible.

“God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.” ERV

When we make God’s word the final authority in every area of life we will never be disappointed. His counsel is trustworthy.

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Working Together

I love to bake and quite frankly my family and friends like it when I do. They become the recipients of the cinnamon rolls, banana breads, dinner rolls and cookies. It works well. Most of the time I find myself working alone in the kitchen but I really enjoy having someone there with me, working side by side.

That’s the way it is with the things of life; the load is lighter, the chore becomes more enjoyable, when we have someone to do it with. Washing the car turns into a child like experience of playing in the water; yardwork becomes a nature lesson and house cleaning can become a dance party.

Can you imagine a loaf of bread with no leavening? It would just be crackers. All the ingredients are necessary to accomplished the desired end. A car may look pretty but without fuel it will go nowhere; garden soil can be properly prepared and planted but without water and sunshine the harvest will be limited.

The same is true for us who call ourselves Christians. We need one another. The Apostle Paul said we are one body, each with different parts, working together to glorify Christ Jesus, who is the head of the body.

“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Ephesians 4:15-16 NLT

There’s really no reason to be jealous of what someone else can do. We have all been given special talents and abilities to help those around us grow. We are God’s one-of-a-kind design and no one else can do our part as well as we can.

Ask the Lord to show you who you can help today. Who needs a word of encouragement, who needs a helping hand? When we work together we are an example of His love.

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Loyal & Faithful

Recently I saw a post by a woman who talked about the faithfulness and loyalty of her canine friend. Those of us who have dogs know the wonderful love, devotion, companionship and concern that we receive from them. The saying goes “dog is man’s best friend”.

I don’t know that I would take it quite that far but I do know that my Glory is such an amazing example of faithfulness and love. When I see how she is always there, wanting to be close, concerned when I am away and constantly by my side when she knows I am upset or unwell, I have a small glimpse into the faithfulness of God.

People let us down. But we will never experience that from the Lord.

“We are still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends. 23 Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal (faithful)! 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my God, and I trust him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 ERV

Every morning He is always here! Even when we are unfaithful to Him, he remains faithful. Before we put our feet on the floor He is waiting to spend time with us. Before we have our first cup of coffee the Lord is here waiting to start our day with us. He is faithful!

“Lord, your word continues forever in heaven. 90 You are loyal (faithful) forever and ever. You made the earth, and it still stands.” Psalm 119:89-90 ERV

The word faithful or faithfulness is translated in these verses as loyal. But it’s more than that. A dog can be loyal but when God is faithful it means He is “faith – filled”. He is faithful to all generations.

His faithfulness is who He is and what He does. He created the earth and said light be. Today, He is still faith-filled and so the light continues to shine. God, the Father, IS love and as such He says He endures all things and thinks the best of us at all times. He is faith-filled and His love never fails.

“Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.” I Corinthians 13:5-7 ERV

He is faithful to forgive, which means He chooses to forget our sins and our failures. He only sees the best in us!

Let’s live like the Father, be a “faith filled” person. Look at others through eyes of faith and see them the way the Father sees them with their sins covered by the blood of Jesus.

He is faithful!

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Nothing Is Impossible!

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time I hope you have seen one reoccurring theme – God is good and He loves doing good!

It is so easy to become weighed down with the circumstances of life. When we try to do things on our own we will come up short. We may accomplish success and achieve victories but when it’s done in our own power and strength we will also find ourselves stressed, exhausted and sacrificing those things that are most important.

“O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you! 18 You show unfailing love to thousands,” Jeremiah 32:17-18a NLT

“Now that I am old and my hair is gray, don’t leave me, God. I must tell the next generation about your power and greatness. 19 God, your goodness reaches far above the skies. You have done wonderful things. God, there is no one like you.” Psalm 71:18-19 ERV

My hair is gray so I guess that qualifies me to speak of God’s goodness and power!

It is the Father’s desire to show His strength on our behalf. He isn’t looking for us to fail; He’s not seeking revenge or retribution for the things we’ve done wrong. It is His desire to show us His unconditional love.

“For by His loving-favor you have been saved from the punishment of sin through faith. It is not by anything you have done. It is a gift of God. 9 It is not given to you because you worked for it. If you could work for it, you would be proud. 10 We are His work. He has made us to belong to Christ Jesus so we can work for Him. He planned that we should do this.” Ephesians 2:8-10 ERV

What challenges face you today? Give them over to the One who loves you and whose goodness reaches above the skies. With Him, with our loving heavenly Father, nothing is impossible!

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Don’t Lose Heart

How many of you keep a list of things you’ve prayed about and are waiting to see the answer? I have such a list. On it are situations and circumstances that I have prayed about; there are the names of friends and family who need miracles in the health and personal/business dealings. Then there are the things in this world that need God’s touch.

On that list I mark the date when I see the answer come. I draw a line through the name or circumstance and put a date out beside it. I love crossing things off the list. Someone is given a clean bill of health, another receives a new job or promotion and still another comes to peace with a troubling situation.

For almost eight years Dave and I lived waiting for our house in Montana to sell so that we could return to Arizona. Some mornings I would get up and be so discouraged. I would find myself saying “when Lord, when?”. Other mornings I would get up full of joy saying “thank you Lord we are one day closer”. I’m glad to say there were more joy filled days than frustrating ones.

I’ve just finished reading about Abraham and Sarah and the birth of Isaac. God had promised Abraham he would have countless descendants twenty-five years before their son was born. I imagine he had days of discouragement during that time but he held on to God’s promise. His faith in God’s promise was greater than his circumstances.

“Abraham believed he would be the father of many nations. He had no reason to hope for this, but he had been told, “Your children will become many nations.” 19 Abraham was about one hundred years old. His body was about dead, but his faith in God was not weak when he thought of his body. His faith was not weak when he thought of his wife Sarah being past the age of having children. 20 Abraham did not doubt God’s promise. His faith in God was strong, and he gave thanks to God. ” Romans 4:18-19 NLV

Let me encourage you today. Don’t lose heart; don’t be overcome by discouragement. Be confident, trust God; He is working where we can’t see. He will keep His promises.

“Do not throw away your trust, for your reward will be great. 36 You must be willing to wait without giving up. After you have done what God wants you to do, God will give you what He promised you.” Hebrews 10:35-36 NLV

We are one day closer to seeing God’s answer! Don’t lose heart.

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O What A Beautiful Morning

The title words are from one of the main songs in the musical Oklahoma. O, what a beautiful morning, O, what a beautiful day. I’ve got a beautiful feeling everything’s going my way…

What decision have you made about today? Where I am, it’s still dark. The sun has yet to come up. There is the glow of the moon but with my natural eye I can’t tell what kind of day it will be.

However, in my heart I know that today will be a good great day. Yes, a great day! My heart is filled with song for no other reason than I know that Jesus loves me and He is planning my day and ordering my steps.

The lyrics of another song were the first words I heard flowing from my heart when I woke.

“Give Me Jesus”

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

When I am alone,
When I am alone,
When I am alone,
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

We make the determination of what we focus on – we can imagine the beauty before it’s ever seen with the natural eye and we can set our hearts on heavenly things that we’ll not see until we depart this earth.

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3 NLT

Oh, what a beautiful morning – Lord, there’s nothing I desire more, just Jesus!

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Lessons in Your Closet

It’s so strange what’s on my mind this morning. I’m thinking about my closet and in particular the hangers. Now before you assume I am going to talk to you about cleaning out your closet, let me put your mind at ease. I’m not.

Our closet has two kinds of hangers. Dark and light. The light ones are for my clothes and the darker ones are for Dave’s. When I take shirts and pants out of the dryer the hangers are there in the laundry room and it makes it simple to grab the right ones. I know that everything will have a hanger when I do it that way. I guess there’s a bit of OCD there, however, that’s not what I wanted to talk about.

I wanted to talk about the way the hangers are placed on the rod. They should all be going the same direction. The hook should go over the top of the rod, facing to the back of the closet. If they don’t, they get all tangled and the clothes get jammed in and wrinkled. It’s very frustrating, to me anyway. And if I see backward hangers I have to turn them correctly before I close the closet door.

Those hangers are like our thoughts. Sometimes, our thoughts get backwards and it throws our perspective off. It takes the order out of our thinking and creates confusion. Just one or two misplaced thoughts can ruin an entire day.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. 7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8 Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8 NLT

When we commit our plans, our thoughts, to the Lord He will lead us and our path will be right, even if we fall He will lift us up and provide us with strength.

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives. 24 Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. 25 Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.” Psalm 37:23-25 NLT

Let’s take time to examine our thoughts today. Is there something out of order? God will show us how to correct our thinking; get everything going the right way – His way! That’s the best.


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My Favorite Place To Be

Where is your favorite place to be?

Dave and I spent quite a bit of time watching YouTube videos of people who RV full time. It gives us a great perspective on different areas of the country and helps us with our “wish list” of places we would like to travel. We were telling our neighbors about the place I refer to as my favorite place, Virgin River Recreation Area. It’s located on the border of Utah, Nevada and Arizona. It’s gorgeous! The rock formations are absolutely beautiful. After talking about it for several months, they booked a trip for the end of the month. Dave and I plan to go in March sometime.

However, when I really began to consider my favorite place or places this wasn’t it.

“You will teach me the right way to live. Just being with you will bring complete happiness. Being at your right side will make me happy forever.” Psalm 16:11 ERV

My favorite places to be are in contentment, relaxation, peace, safety – in the presence of the Lord! The list of places I desire to travel will lose their appeal and the experience of being there will be lacking if I’m not focused on His presence.

“The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. 5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.” Psalm 27:4-5 NLT

Each day can be the most wonderful vacation spot when we focus on the Lord’s presence. King David said that life can be like a green pasture and a quiet stream when we let the Lord lead us.

Where will you go today? Make it a place where you recognize God’s presence and then you will be filled with joy!

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