Category: Peace

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The Birds Were Still Singing

(continued from yesterday) Have you ever noticed how you try to quiet your mind and body for sleep and all the “what ifs” come rushing in? It happened to us that night. It was a beautiful, cool, mountain night. We were tired but as soon as our heads hit the pillows the questions and doubts came knocking.

“The night may be filled with tears, but in the morning we can sing for joy!” Psalm 30:5 ERV

Joy comes in the morning. And it did. I few weeks ago I told a friend that Jesus teaching on His Father providing for the birds is one that I live every day. Every morning I awaken and shortly thereafter I am greeted by the birds singing their sweet song of thankfulness to the Lord. It was no different in the mountains.

Sleep had been restless at best; getting used to the sleeping bags and cot, hearing the noises outside the tent, the thoughts of the days activities. But right before dawn I woke with a smile, there is was, the bugle of an elk off in the meadow. His day was starting with joy and then the mountain birds began their song. Each morning started with these joyful songs and they reminded me once again of my Father’s love and care.

“So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat, drink, or wear. Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are?” Matthew 6:25-26 ERV

We determined we would not worry; we would enjoy our time together. We had been looking forward to this camping trip for the last several months and we wouldn’t give it over to worry. We started and ended each day with prayer. We gave praise for where we were, who we were with and that our Father was in control.

We walked – miles each day. We read, I haven’t taken the time to read in ages and while we were there I finished two books and am half way through a third. We played cribbage. We fished…but caught nothing. We laughed and went on site seeing excursions.

Now it was Friday, the day the truck was to be ready. It wasn’t – the new transfer case hadn’t arrived. I will admit it was a bit of a scramble. We had to called the rental car company and get an extension, no problem, and they gave us a weekly instead of daily rate. Call the campground reservation line and get that extended. It’s the weekend and the birds are still singing…

One of the books I read was Vanished Arizona. It was the story of an Army Lieutenant’s wife who came to Arizona in 1874. She came from San Francisco on a steamship around the tip of Mexico and up the Gulf to the Colorado River. Then boarded a paddle wheeler and came up to Colorado to Ehrenburg. From there they traveled by ambulance and on foot to Prescott and then across the Mogollon Rim to Fort Apache. It took months for them to go what now only takes a matter of a couple of days.

Her life was hard. When we would want to complain we would look at each other and say “Just think of what it was like for Martha, we have no reason to complain”. And the birds were still singing.

I was wanting to share this all with you from the mountains but the Lord had me on “radio silence”. Only two mornings was I able to get out with postings. Our signal was so weak. I could get out with a few texts but couldn’t add any emogi’s or they wouldn’t transmit. But I did have my computer and was able to write another chapter in the book I’m working on.

We had a fun weekend doing more of the same. Walking, talking, fishing, playing cribbage and reading. We even got to have a nice warm shower at the bath house. Tuesday came and we got a text. The part had been taken off the truck in Phoenix and not loaded back; it wouldn’t be here until Wednesday.

Our hearts sank. Really? Frustration began to creep in. We weren’t angry with anyone just frustrated. We called the Enterprise and extended for one more day. We already had the camp site until Wednesday so we talked to the camp hosts and told them we may be checking out late on Wednesday, no problem. We found a Mexican Restaurant, that let Glory come in, and had a nice dinner and headed back to the lake.

We got back to camp and started packing up as best we could. Everything we wouldn’t need for the night or the next morning got packed. Tyler, at the transmission shop, told us the truck would be ready by noon. We believed him…and the birds were still singing, a constant reminder of our Father’s provision.

“Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.” Matthew 6:34 CEV

Wednesday morning we got up to sound of the elk and the birds. God was in control but our minds had so many what if’s. We talked through each one and knew that our heavenly Father would direct our steps and we found peace.

We broke down camp and headed to town. A few miles down the road we had a good strong signal so Dave called Tyler. They were working on the truck. It would be done by 12 or 12:30. Yes!

Thank you Jesus.

We got to Enterprise to turn in the truck. Eight days of truck rental ended up costing us $30 more than a five day rental – thank you Enterprise and PJ. Now on to the transmission shop. We were concerned about the cost! We had received an estimate for the work and it was high. (side note: financial issues have always been a big deal, we have known extreme lack and its not fun) The work was complete and Tyler had our final invoice. He showed Dave the bill and it was $1000 less than the estimate! Thank you, Tyler and Southwest Transmission. I almost cried and Dave jumped for joy.

Now to head back and load up the black truck and come home! Home, sweet home!

To you, our camping story may not seem that big of a deal. You have faced worse, so have we but this time we came through without fear or overwhelming worry. We stayed in a place of trust.

What I want you to know is that God is faithful! That’s who He is! So no matter how large a problem you have in your life you can trust Him to take care of you and bring you through it.

“But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him.” II Chronicles 15:4 NLV

If you listen carefully this morning the birds are still singing and God is in control!

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It’s Important to Cuddle

We knew our kids would be heading home right after lunch yesterday. We visited and played for most of the morning and then it was time to gather things up and start moving them out to the car.

I was putting out lunch in the kitchen, the little ones were playing, Kaci was packing and Stephen was loading out. Kristine was doing fine until her Daddy carried out her shoes. She followed him to the door but she had to stay inside. Her Daddy was gone and so were her shoes.

Kaci picked her up and put her in the high chair so she could eat before they left. Brother Sam was already eating. She wanted nothing to do with that, she just kept looking at the door and then the tears started to fall. It’s hard to imagine what might have been going through her little mind – I’m tired and I just want a nap; are they going to leave me; why can’t I go outside too.

I lifted her out of her high chair and began to rub her back. She started to calm down and cuddle in. I held her as her Momma and Daddy sat down to eat their lunch with brother. She snuggled in more as I sat down and then she fell fast asleep.

This scene replayed in my head this morning. And then I read this verse as part of my morning reading.

“You know that we treated each one of you the way a father treats his own children. 12 We encouraged you, we comforted you, and we told you to live good lives for God. He calls you to be part of his glorious kingdom.” I Thessalonians 2:11-12 ERV

We could almost replace that word “comforted” with the word cuddled. Paul had learned from the Lord the importance of comforting and encouraging. That’s what the Father does for us – He doesn’t abandon or desert us. When we feel vulnerable He is there to lift us up and give us peace.

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

Maybe you need a good cuddle today, come boldly to God’s throne. He’ll pick you up and provide peace. Or maybe there is someone you’ll encounter today who is having a rough go of it; God might use you to act in a “fatherly” way to bring them comfort and encouragement.

Just remember, sometimes we could all use a good cuddle!

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Peaceful Cuddling

Yesterday we came to the Phoenix area to spend some time with our girls and their families. Kaci and Stephen are off on an anniversary weekend; happy anniversary. Kim and Austin have Sam & Kristine at their house for a weekend of fun and we came to help out and play.

I was holding Kristine yesterday afternoon and she started to get sleepy. She cuddled in to my chest and was content to fall asleep there. Awww! That feeling of peace, security and the ability to rest. It’s enviable.

I can’t help but think that is what our heavenly Father wants us to do – cuddle in and rest. He wants us to fall asleep resting in Him and He wants us to wake up and start our day the same way.

What was the first thing on your mind this morning? Was it thoughts of joy that kept your heart at peace? Or was it the kids, your job, health, finances, a relationship, the world crisis? Whatever it was, the Lord has a solution.

God cares for you, so cuddle in and let Him handle your worries. His lap is cozy enough for you to snuggle up and draw strength from Him.

“God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.” I Peter 5:7 CEV

His Word is powerful enough to change the course of rivers and set the boundaries in the sky; so at His word your world can change from disorder to order. Don’t let anything hold you back from enjoying the Father’s presence, His power and His word.

“The rules you have given me to follow will be mine forever. They give me great joy. 112 More than anything I want to obey your laws always, until the end of my life.” Psalm 119:11-112 ERV

Don’t rush, settle back, close your eyes and feel the Father’s warm embrace. In Him, all is well!

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Delivered From Down Days

I’ve been asked on a couple of different occasions if I ever have down days? If I’m completely honest, I have to say not often. I’m pretty much a half full, life is good, kind of girl.

That doesn’t mean I have never experienced depression because I have. Ugly, dark, not wanting to go on, type of days. However, the Lord brought me through that time and completely assured me of His love and HIs calling on my life.

It was a life changing moment! Almost as dramatic as the day that the Lord gave me new life in Him. You see, I knew Jesus loved me enough to die for me and save me but I just figured He pretty much left me alone to figure things out here on earth. I didn’t know how to handle life and the failures and disappointments I was facing. There was no one to encourage me, no one to turn to. But God had a plan…

“My son, pay attention to what I say. Listen closely to my words. 21 Don’t let them out of your sight. Never stop thinking about them. 22 These words are the secret of life and health to all who discover them. 23 Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life.” Proverbs 4:20-23 ERV

God’s plan became clear when I heard Dale Evans Rogers talking at a college assembly. She told of some of her heartaches but she quickly added that the Lord had always been there to be her strength and carry her through. I came away from that assembly knowing that I would never be alone again. If it was just Jesus and I for the rest of my life, that was more than enough.

“Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” 6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6 AMP

This became my go-to verse when I would start to feel down. Now, 55+ years later, there just aren’t any down days. God has been faithful. I started to say “so faithful” but there aren’t degrees of faithfulness. Either you are or your aren’t and God is! It’s like love – either you love or your don’t, there isn’t more or less. Love is love and God is love!

It’s nice to have friends come along side and encourage us when we are having a “bad day” but ultimately we are the only ones who can bring our thoughts to the place of peace by trusting God.

“Further, David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all of them were embittered, each man for his sons and daughters. But David felt strengthened and encouraged in the Lord his God.” I Samuel 30:6 AMP

King David was in a tough place. He and his army returned to their town to find that their wives and children had been kidnapped and their town burned to the ground. His men were distraught and blaming David. They were talking of killing him. He had lost everything. There was no one to encourage him, no one to tell him it would be alright; he encouraged himself in the Lord.

I know I often share the lyrics of songs with you. I’m going to share an old hymn with you this morning. I really hope the words of this song bring you hope and reassurance.

I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus,
Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true;
I would tell you how He changed my life completely,
He did something that no other friend could do.

No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There’s no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.

All my life was full of sin when Jesus found me,
All my heart was full of misery and woe;
Jesus placed His strong and loving arms about me,
And He led me in the way I ought to go.

No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There’s no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.

Ev’ry day He comes to me with new assurance,
More and more I understand His words of love;
But I’ll never know just why He came to save me,
Till some day I see His blessed face above.

No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There’s no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.

The words of this song are the words of my life! I hope you will make them yours.

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I’m Alright!

I woke up this morning with the words to the chorus of a song running through my mind as I prayed and read my Bible. When I’m talking with the Lord and hearing His words come from the page of my Bible I know I’m alright.

I’m all, I’m all, I’m alright
It’s a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight
So I I guess I’m doing alright
I’m all, I’m all, I’m alright
by Jo Dee Messina

Life is messy sometimes. Things get hectic and cluttered, sometimes it seems that our boat is about to sink but the Lord has a message for us all.

“Do not trouble yourself because of sinful men. Do not want to be like those who do wrong. 2 For they will soon dry up like the grass. Like the green plant they will soon die. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good. So you will live in the land and will be fed. 4 Be happy in the Lord. And He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Give your way over to the Lord. Trust in Him also. And He will do it. 6 He will make your being right and good show as the light, and your wise actions as the noon day.

7 Rest in the Lord and be willing to wait for Him. Do not trouble yourself when all goes well with the one who carries out his sinful plans. 8 Stop being angry. Turn away from fighting. Do not trouble yourself. It leads only to wrong-doing. 9 For those who do wrong will be cut off. But those who wait for the Lord will be given the earth. ” Psalm 37:1-9 NLV

Trust the Lord. Rest in the Lord. Do Good. Be happy in the Lord.

Yes, the Lord will make all things right. He has the master plan. He wants us to trust regardless of what the circumstances look like. He is the circumstance changer. His is a plan to bring us good and not destruction.

Yesterday I heard a message from the book of Daniel. You know, Daniel in the Lion’s den. Circumstances didn’t look good for Daniel. All of his peers plotted against him; there was no alternative, the king had to punish him for breaking the law. The lion’s den was the death sentence.

“The other men tried to find something wrong with the way Daniel did his work for the king. But they could not accuse him of anything wrong, because he was honest and faithful and did everything he was supposed to do. 5 Finally, they said to one another, “We will never be able to bring any charge against Daniel, unless it has to do with his religion.” Daniel 6:4-5 CEV

But God…

God intervened and closed the mouth of the lions. Daniel rested in a place meant for his destruction.

“At daybreak the king got up and ran to the pit. 20 He was anxious and shouted, “Daniel, you were faithful and served your God. Was he able to save you from the lions?”

21 Daniel answered, “Your Majesty, I hope you live forever! 22 My God knew that I was innocent, and he sent an angel to keep the lions from eating me. Your Majesty, I have never done anything to hurt you. The king was relieved to hear Daniel’s voice, and he gave orders for him to be taken out of the pit. Daniel’s faith in his God had kept him from being harmed.” Daniel 6:19-23 CEV

If I were writing these verses this morning I would have Daniel singing – I’m all, I’m all, I’m alright.

If God could protect Daniel from the lions he can certainly protect us from the situations and circumstances that we will face today. We need to follow the examples of Daniel and David; stay focused on God’s promises and His power.

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ERV

Say it with me – I will trust in the Lord. I’m alright!


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Told You So

Don’t you just hate hearing those words! They generally come when you’ve made a mistake and the person saying them tried to warn you about the outcome but you didn’t listen.

A few days ago I was reading about the Apostle Paul and some words of advice or warning that he gave to a ship’s captain. He told the captain not to set sail but his words of advice were ignored.

“Men, I can see that there will be a lot of trouble on this trip. The ship, everything in it, and even our lives may be lost!” 11 But the captain and the owner of the ship did not agree with Paul. So the army officer accepted what they said instead of believing Paul.” Acts 27:10-11 ERV

So they sailed on. Paul had no choice, he was a prisoner and was being escorted to Rome. Shortly after they set sail they ran into a terrible storm. The storm was so severe that the crew began to throw things overboard. They went days without seeing the sun or the stars. There was no way to navigate. They had lost their bearings but worse than that, they had lost all hope!

Hopeless!

“For many days we could not see the sun or the stars. The storm was very bad. We lost all hope of staying alive—we thought we would die.” Acts 27:20 ERV

And that’s when Paul stood up and said “I told you so”.

“The men did not eat for a long time. Then one day Paul stood up before them and said, “Men, I told you not to leave Crete. You should have listened to me. Then you would not have all this trouble and loss. 22 But now I tell you to be happy. None of you will die, but the ship will be lost. 23 Last night an angel came to me from God—the God I worship and belong to. 24 The angel said, ‘Paul, don’t be afraid! You must stand before Caesar. And God has given you this promise: He will save the lives of all those sailing with you.’ 25 So men, there is nothing to worry about. I trust God, and I am sure everything will happen just as his angel told me. 26 But we will crash on an island.” Acts 27:21-26 ERV

Kind of a good news/bad news situation. We will be saved but we will crash. Wouldn’t you love to have Paul as your traveling companion? (I say that tongue in cheek)

But here is the good news. Paul got a message from the Lord for all on the ship. Don’t be afraid – there’s nothing to worry about. I trust God and everything will be alright!

You may be in a storm right now. It seems like it has been going on forever. You’ve lost your bearing and all hope is gone. You are sure you will crash on the shore and all will be lost.

But God…has a different outcome!

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

“Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11 Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. 12 We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. 13 So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.” Ephesians 6:10-13 CEV

If we trust God’s word, keep it as our primary focus, we will still be standing when the storm is over. Let God’s word be your final authority! He will save us from the storm.

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Stuck, Really Stuck

Dave and I have been watching a show made for Australian television that focuses on a ranch run by women and the struggles they face. They have both cattle and sheep. It seems they are always out on a muster. At least once of twice a season they come across a sheep that has gotten stuck in the deep mud at the edge of the creek. It takes a lot of hard work to get them out. That happened again when we were watching the program last night and it made me think of a verse in Psalm 40.

I shared with you from the middle of Psalm 40 yesterday. These verses at the beginning of the chapter had a greater impact after watching the struggle of both the shepherd and the sheep on that show.

“I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. 3 And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord. 4 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who makes the Lord his refuge and trust, and turns not to the proud or to followers of false gods.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You! If I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered. 6 Sacrifice and offering You do not desire, nor have You delight in them; You have given me the capacity to hear and obey [Your law, a more valuable service than] burnt offerings and sin offerings [which] You do not require. 7 Then said I, Behold, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me; 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; yes, Your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:1-8AMP

It amazes me how often King David talks about being in a miry pit (adverse circumstances) or facing enemies (personal or spiritual ones) and how over and over again he thanks the Lord for delivering him out of them all. It’s always something to sing about. David drew on his work as a shepherd as a correlation to the way the Lord provided for him when he faced troublesome times. He saw the Lord’s deliverance on more than one occasion; he lived it daily.

God was always faithful! And David was always ready to do what God had asked of him – he delighted to do God’s will. He had learned that in doing God’s will there was protection, peace and provision. It was a place of blessing.

The Apostle Paul’s greatest desire was to share the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ with others. He was always ready to share when given the opportunity and he prayed for opportunities. Paul faced many obstacles on his missionary journeys. He was thrown into prison, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, lied about, mistreated constantly but he said the hardship couldn’t compare to being able to share the Gospel.

“He answered me, “I am all you need. I give you My loving-favor. My power works best in weak people.” I am happy to be weak and have troubles so I can have Christ’s power in me. 10 I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:9-10 NLV

Paul knew that Christ would be his strength. He knew that there was no situation where he was weak that the Lord wouldn’t strengthen him. Maybe you feel like you’ve been stuck in some pretty deep mud. Immobilized by your circumstances. Don’t lose hope! God is there and He will bring deliverance and strength.

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

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Recovering From A Storm

Our last few days have been anything but quiet! You all know how much I enjoy the peace and tranquility that I have here in our neighborhood. It has been disturbed in a big way.

Some of you will remember we had a huge hail storm back in October. The hail was the size of golf balls and it pelted us for almost an hour. The trees and shrubbery were stripped of their leaves, cacti had holes shot through them and the cars were dimpled with hail marks. Window screens were shredded and one of our sky lights were broken. It was a hard storm.

What we didn’t realize until a couple months ago was damage had been done to our roof. First one neighbor and then a few others called their insurance companies to have adjusters come assess the effects of the storm. It was quite wide spread in our area. When we called, we found that our roof needed to be replaced because of the damage that had been sustained from the hail.

Two days ago the workers came and began stripping away the old roof. Our home is a flat roofed, Santa Fe style home. They spent all day peeling away the damaged roofing material. Yesterday they came and began laying the new roof. The banging, pounding, deconstruction and reconstruction was almost deafening. There isn’t a picture in the house that is hanging straight. Little bits of dirt and dust that had lived in the vents for thirteen years was now on my furniture and floors. David even put pillows under some of our hanging lights in case they fell.

After the workmen left yesterday I sat in the living room enjoying the quiet. The peace had returned. However, they will be back again today to finish the job. Sitting here my heart was filled with empathy for those who live in areas that are ravaged by floods, tornados, hurricanes, fires and devastating earthquakes; those who face complete loss while I only experience a few days of inconvenience.

These storms may destroy physical property and possessions but many experience the loss from storms that devastate their emotions, their sense of inner peace and their spiritual well being. In these cases it’s important to remember the one who can repair the damage and restore the peace.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. 2 He sent me to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness, when our God will also punish evil people. He has sent me to comfort those who are sad, 3 those in Zion who mourn. I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. He sent me to name them ‘Good Trees’ and ‘The Lord’s Wonderful Plant.’

4 Then the old cities that were destroyed will be rebuilt. Those ancient ruins will be made new, as they were in the beginning.” Isaiah 61:1-4 ERV

This was written about Jesus and told what He would do when He came to earth. He came to heal, deliver, comfort, bring freedom and rebuild. He came to restore us who have suffered loss and destruction.

“You, Lord God, bless everyone  who cares for the poor, and you rescue those people in times of trouble. 2 You protect them and keep them alive. You make them happy here in this land, and you don’t hand them over to their enemies. 3 You always heal them and restore their strength when they are sick. 4 I prayed, “Have pity, Lord! Heal me, though I have sinned against you.” Psalm 41:1-4 CEV

“I know what you are like! But I will heal you, lead you, and give you comfort, until those who are mourning 19 start singing my praises. No matter where you are, I, the Lord, will heal you and give you peace.” Isaiah 57:17-19 CEV

I don’t know what storm you have been through. I don’t know the destruction that has come to your heart but God does! He comes with a promise of comfort, healing, restoration – peace. If, when, we come to Him he promises to give us peace and rest.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.” Matthew 11:28 ERV

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Heart To Heart

Technology is wonderful. We can send an email and receive a response in a couple of hours. Better yet, we can text and get an answer in a matter of minutes. These forms of communication are fine but nothing can compare to hearing the voice of a dear friend.

Video chats are nice, phone conversations are great but sitting and talking face to face is over the top!

Face to face conversations involve touch, eye contact, voice inflexion and quality time. These times are the best when building and keeping a relationship. That’s why I love my morning quiet times so much. I get to sit and talk with my heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In my heart and through God’s word, I can hear them speak to me. There’s nothing that compares to these intimate moments of personal communication.

Heart to Heart!

The Father wants to hear what’s on my heart and He wants to share His loving thoughts with me. The depth of that is almost incomprehensible but it’s true. Loving, Almighty God wants to speak with me.

“Call to Me, and I will answer you. And I will show you great and wonderful things which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 NLV

The Creator of the Universe is waiting to talk to me and show me the wonderful things that He has done and that He desires to do! And then, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come to remind us of the things that Jesus had taught while He was here. He knew that sometimes we have memory failure and forget so He sent the Holy Spirit to be our helper.

“I have told you all these things while I am with you. 26 But the Helper will teach you everything and cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name.

27 “I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.” John 14:25-27 ERV

When we find ourselves worrying over a particular situation; work, children, health, finances, relationships, if we pray about it and ask the Lord to remind us of what we need to do, He will be faithful to give us the answers we need. He will bring peace to our lives.

We can talk heart to heart.

I’m sure we all have those close friends whose word we trust. We know they will tell us the truth, they won’t lie. We can place even greater confidence in what God says to us. In all of time, He has never lied and He never will. I remember the first time I read these verses written by John. They seemed too good to be true.

“We believe people when they say something is true. But what God says is more important. And this is what God told us: He told us the truth about his own Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the truth that God told us. But people who do not believe God make God a liar, because they do not believe what God told us about his Son. 11 This is what God told us: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life, but whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

13 I write this letter to you who believe in the Son of God. I write so that you will know that you have eternal life now. 14 We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about what we say. 15 He listens to us every time we ask him. So we know that he gives us whatever we ask from him.” I John 5:9-15 ERV

When we place our confidence in Jesus and believe that God sent His Son to be our Savior we receive new life in Him. And if we know that we have new life in Christ, God’s word says we can come to Him, with no doubts, and ask Him for the things we need and He will give them to us. God isn’t looking to withhold things from us; He wants to provide for us and fill our lives with blessing.

“Jesus has the power of God. And his power has given us everything we need to live a life devoted to God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus chose us by his glory and goodness, 4 through which he also gave us the very great and rich gifts that he promised us. With these gifts you can share in being like God. And so you will escape the ruin that comes to people in the world because of the evil things they want.” II Peter 1:3-4 ERV

When we talk to the Father, heart to heart, we won’t be asking for things that are selfish or displease Him instead we will be asking for things that will make our relationship with Him stronger. That pleases Him greatly.

I want you to look at the face of the woman in this image. Do you see the contentment and joy? She is at peace spending time with Jesus. This sense of well-being doesn’t come with a quick text, a short email, a brief call; it comes from spending time face to face and heart to heart.

I’ve prayed for you this morning that you will know that same peace.

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I’m Going Fishing

Have you ever been through a time of crisis? I mean the gut wrenching, heart breaking, all hope is gone, kind of crisis.

It could be the death of a loved one; the end of a marriage you were trying to save; an attack that devastated your health and physical well-being or perhaps it was a financial situation that left you destitute.

Seeing the news of the last few days, I find myself praying for those who are losing everything to the floods, tornados, and snow storms. Homes are gone with everything that was in them; the livelihood of farmers and ranchers are lost; entire towns are being evacuated. What to do?!

I hope you will find comfort in this. I want to tell you about a man who had lost all and was fearful that he would be arrested and possibly killed. He went fishing. Yes, fishing! He went back to what he knew before his life was turned upside down. He went fishing. Some friends went with him.

“3 Simon Peter said, “I am going out to fish.”

The other followers said, “We will go with you.” So all of them went out and got into the boat. They fished that night but caught nothing.

4 Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore. But the followers did not know it was Jesus. 5 Then he said to them, “Friends, have you caught any fish?”

They answered, “No.”

6 He said, “Throw your net into the water on the right side of your boat. You will find some fish there.” So they did this. They caught so many fish that they could not pull the net back into the boat.

7 The follower Jesus loved very much said to Peter, “That man is the Lord!” When Peter heard him say it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself. (He had taken his clothes off to work.) Then he jumped into the water.” John 21:3-7 ERV

You know the background to this story. Peter and the others had been following Christ for three years. They left everything to be one of his disciples. They saw Jesus do miracles; they did miracles. They believed Jesus was the Messiah, God’s Son, and then they saw Him die. The Pharisees and religious leaders hated Jesus and his disciples. They were on the “Most Wanted” list.

Jesus had appeared to the disciples a couple of times after His death and yet, here they were. Floundering from their loss. They were emotionally undone. Where should they go from here? In true Peter fashion he declared “I’m going fishing”. I’m going back to the familiar, back to what I know. I’m finding something that will distract me and I’m going to a place of comfort.

Wow!

Some of us crawl into bed and pull the covers over our heads. Some find comfort in alcohol or drugs, they need to forget. Others find consolation being with others who have also experienced the same type of loss.

I want you to notice something from this story. In their loss and desperation the disciples didn’t go seeking the Lord. They went fishing and the Lord found them. He not only found them, He helped them catch a boat load of fish, cooked them breakfast and served them hope!

“The other followers went to shore in the boat. They pulled the net full of fish. They were not very far from shore, only about 100 yards.[b 9 When they stepped out of the boat and onto the shore, they saw a fire of hot coals. There were fish on the fire and some bread there too. 10 Then Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish that you caught.”

11 Simon Peter got into the boat and pulled the net to the shore. It was full of big fish—153 of them! But even with that many fish, the net did not tear. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat.” None of the followers would ask him, “Who are you?” They knew he was the Lord. 13 Jesus walked over to get the bread and gave it to them. He also gave them the fish.

14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his followers after he was raised from death.” John 21:8-14 ERV

We can trust Jesus to meet us in our time of crisis. He sees the hurt and brings comfort. He sees our fear and brings peace. He hears our cries for help and comes quickly to our aid.

“Jesus came to Nazareth where He had grown up. As He had done before, He went into the Jewish place of worship on the Day of Rest. Then He stood up to read. 17 Someone handed Him the book of the early preacher Isaiah. He opened it and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me. He has put His hand on Me to preach the Good News to poor people. He has sent Me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent Me to tell those who are being held that they can go free. He has sent Me to make the blind to see and to free those who are held because of trouble. 19 He sent Me to tell of the time when men can receive favor with the Lord.” Luke 4:16-19 NLV

This was Jesus life mission; healing, saving, restoring and forgiving those who were without hope and purpose.

“For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering].” Hebrews 2:18 AMPC

Maybe you have “gone fishing” because of the overwhelming circumstances in your life. If you look around, you’ll find that Jesus is there. He’s come to bring comfort and assistance.

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