Where are You???

This morning God and I had a wonderful conversation. One, that in the midst of it, brought me to tears. I didn't have any other choice but to surrender and allow the tears to come. I believe that those times of vulnerability are some of the best times spent with God. No walls, no defenses. My tears flowed, not out of any feeling of sadness, but out of my pure and utter love for Jesus and my amazement of how great my God is!!

Among the many things I needed to speak to God about this morning, I had one question for Him and boy did He have an answer for me!! My question was "God, where are you in the midst of all of this?"

I am sure I am not alone in asking this question. I am sure that I am not the only one that struggles some times to see God in times of uncertainity or trouble. Lately, I have been struggling with some circumstances in my life. Some of my own choosing, some not. It is in these circumstances that I am struggling to see God's hand.

For instance, last evening my husband informed me that some of his co-workers had been told to pack up their desks - they no longer had a job. The dire state of our economy was hitting a little too close to home! After saying a quick "thank you" to God that this had not affected my husband (yet), I began to do what I normally do in these situations - figure out how I am going to deal with this (not how is GOD going to deal with this) and worry!! It was in dealing with this circumstance that God spoke to me this morning and answered my question. This is what He said:

• You know those birds that I send to your feeder every morning for you to enjoy, I provide for those birds. I tend to their every need. I provide food and shelter for them. If I do that for them, what makes you think that I won't continue to provide for you? Look at the birds and you will see me there.
• Did you have to tell your heart to beat this morning and your lungs to fill with oxygen? When your heart beats and you feel yourself breathing, remember me and you will see me there.
• Remember when you went to the grocery store this week? Remember how you had enough money to pay for everything you purchased? Look at the cupboards and full refrigerator and you will see me there.
• Were you warm this morning lying in your bed? Did your children have a soft bed to sleep in? Remember the warmth and softness of your beds and you will see me there.
• Did you and your family have clothing to put on this morning? When you get dressed for work, remember me and you will see me there.
• Do you see the school buildings that your children attend every day? I have given them a sound, healthy mind so that they can learn in those buildings. They are not mentally or physically challenged. They are bright and healthy. When you drop them off in the morning, look at those buildings and you will see me there.
• Did you feel the love that your cat showed you this morning when she curled up against you under the covers? Unconditional love. Remember that she is my creation, and you will see me there.
• Is it by chance that your paths are clear and free from obstacles and accidents on your way to work every day? When you get to work safely and without incident, remember me and you will see me there.
• When I closed one door and felt disappointment and hurt, didn't I open another this is bringing you joy and a renewed sense of purpose? Remember me in that circumstance and you will see me there.

At this point in my conversation with God, I had been so humbled that I felt like I wanted to hide. How could I take for granted all of these things? How could I for even one moment forget that God is present in all of the mundane, seemingly insignificant things, AND the big things in my life? How could I forget that He has always been there? His hand has been ever present in my past, my present and my future - I just have failed to acknowledge or remember it.

So, my prayer today has been for God to open my eyes to all of the places He is in my life and in the lives of those I love. You would be surprised at how God will reveal himself to you when you take the time to purposefully look for Him and thank him for his many blessings!

Thank You God, and forgive me for being so blind!!!

God is Good, All the Time!!

Jesus Loves You, But I Am His Favorite

Those are the words written on a shirt that I received as a gift this Christmas. The giver of the gift said that she immediately thought of me when she saw it. At first, I didn't know if I should take that as a compliment or not. I questioned for a moment if she immediately thought of me because I give off a sense of "being better" than others. After she assured me that this is NOT why she thought of me, I felt a little better and laughed along with everyone else about the message on the shirt.

But ever since then, I have been thinking about that shirt (and have worn it a few times to the gym) and what lesson I can draw from it. Kind of silly right? A lesson from a shirt? Well, I don't think so.

Think back when you were a student. Were you ever the "teacher's pet"? I can definitely remember several classes were I could have been labeled the teacher's favorite. Remember how that felt? Remember the special privileges that you sometimes received because the teacher liked you so much. Remember how special you seemed, not only to the teacher, but to the other students? Or, maybe you weren't ever the favorite. Maybe you longed to be the teachers pet. Just once, you wanted to know what that felt like.

Guess what the shirt has reminded me of? I/YOU don't need to WISH to be His favorite. I ALREADY AM Jesus' favorite. And, so are YOU! I AM the Teacher's pet! And, so are YOU! And guess what else I am reminded of? I need to live like I believe that!!! I need to live like I am special!!!

No, I am not suggesting that we give off an air of conceitedness, but I am suggesting that we need to be living as if we TRULY believe the things Jesus says about us. For instance, and just to name a few:

• I am a child of God (John 1:12)


• I am a friend of Jesus (John 15:15)


• I am justified and redeemed (Romans 3:24)


• I am a fellow heir with Christ (Romans 8:17)


• My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in me (1 Corinthians 6:19)


• I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3)


• I am God's workmanship created to produce good works (Ephesians 2:10)


• I am a citizen of Heaven (Philippians 4:7)


• God loves me and has chosen me (1 Thessalonians 1:4)

WOW! Can you imagine what people would see in us if we started to live as if we believe those things? Don't you think we would ACT differently, THINK differently, and FEEL differently? I think we would be acting as if we WERE someone's favorite, like we had received special privileges from the Teacher! We would stop wishing!

So the desire and prayer of my heart is that I (YOU) remember and know that I am Jesus' favorite - even when I am not wearing the t-shirt as a gentle reminder. Thank you Jesus (and Connie) for the gift!!!

God is Good...All the time!!

Where Have I Been?????

I have been with God!!

It has been over a month since the last time I posted here. And I must say, what a month it has been! Thanksgiving came and went and the time that I was able to spend with my immediate and extended family was memorable. As I get older, I cherish those times more and more - especially times with my aging parents. I know that my time with them is limited. My camera never got a rest as I tried to capture every moment!

The Christmas season whirled in with its' usual stresses and quite honestly I didn't know if I really wanted to deal with it this year. However, as the season progressed I came to realize that this Christmas was going to be different. Different because God was working (sometimes to my annoyance and fear) in my life this year and He wasn't going away. He was making sure that THIS Christmas I didn't miss Him!

Now, this may seem surprising to you. SHOULDN'T God be present in our lives at Christmas??? Well yes, he should! But that doesn't always happen with me. Most times I am so caught up in all of the "trappings" of Christmas and all of the "to do's" of Christmas that many years Christmas comes and goes and Christ has been so excluded that the only evidence that He was a part of it, sits in the form of a statue in the Nativity set on my piano.

Not this year. No, not this year! God was VERY present this year. God was stirring in me. And, He wasn't going to be quieted or packed in a box until next year!! You see, my life has changed dramatically over the past month. Many "constants" have changed. After serving in my church as the Coordinator of Christian Education and Jr. & Sr. High Youth Leader for approximately 15 years, God has called me to a new church and to new possibilities.

It has not been without its' struggles and its' tears. I have wrestled and struggled with God over this one. But my God is a persistent God and He wasn't going to back down on this one. This decision came with many convictions that where I WAS is not where God NEEDED me, or WANTED me to be any longer. There are many "reasons" why this is so. Reasons that I don't need to share here. But the greatest thing, and the thing that God planned for me in all of this, is that He has stirred and renewed in me a desire to seek Him like I have not sought Him in the recent past!! Isn't God cool that way!!! He ALWAYS turns something that we perceive as bad into something so good that we often cannot see it until our unbelief and doubt is erased by His faithfulness and mercy.

Now don't get me wrong, there have been many times over the past few weeks when those questions of doubt have raised their ugly heads. But in those times, God has spoken loud and clear that I need to trust Him and believe Him for those things He has promised me through all of this. He has closed one door, but another window has been opened. He has promised me that He will never leave me and that He will reward me for my "earnest" seeking of Him through all of this.

My prayers for myself, as well as for you, are that we would be "God Seekers" in 2009. I want to search out and seek God's direction and His will for EVERYTHING in my life. Stayed tuned as I see how God continues to work through and in me over the next few weeks, minutes, seconds....

God is Good!!