"Not many of us are living at our best. We linger in the lowlands because we are afraid to climb the mountains. The steepness and ruggedness dismay us, and so we stay in the misty valleys and do not learn the mystery of the hills. We do not know what we lose in our self-indulgence, what glory awaits us if only we had courage for the mountain climb, what blessing we should find if only we would move to the uplands of God."
J.R.M.

The Power of a Day

     One of my favorite things to do is watch the sunrise. My window faces east, so as I get ready for the day I get to watch the sunrise.

(Taken by my Daddy at the beach this last summer)

    There is such a stillness about the morning. Little ones are still in bed, you receive his new mercies, and as you take in the beauty of the sunrise, your ears are open and ready to hear the words of God.

"In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

Psalm 5:3

     It is usually in the morning when the Lord lays a song on my heart.

"It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp."

Psalm 92:1-3

     There is this song that my Dad and I used to always sing (and still remind each other of) in the morning. These are the words:

     This is the day! This is the day! That the LORD has made! That the LORD has made! I will REJOICE! I will REJOICE! And be glad IN it. And be glad IN it. This is the day that the LORD has made! I will REJOICE and be glad in it! This is the day! This is the day that the LORD has made!

     As you probably noticed, this song is from Psalm 118:24

"This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."

     With the sunrise, you are given a gift: A new day.

    When I went to the "FLOOD" conference this last September, one of the men who taught has a seven year old daughter. He said that one night he was tucking her in to bed and she said "Today is the best day ever." He asked her why. Her answer was "Because Jesus lives in my heart." We call some days bad and some days good and sometimes we say that we had the best day ever or the worst day ever. But what makes a good day? Maybe unexpected kindness, good grades, free time, joy, love from the ones we hold dearest to our hearts. What makes a bad day? Bad grades, a snooty remark, pain, overwhelming work...The list could go on and on. But is that seeing with our physical eyes, or our spiritual eyes?...What makes the best day ever? Jesus in my heart. Such a simple statement, but that simple statement has a very extraordinary meaning. So, if Jesus lives in your heart, shouldn't every day be the best day ever? But what about the bad grades, or the snooty remark, or the pain you are feeling in your heart? Well, then my question to you (and myself) is are you living from Jesus in your heart? Not living from your heart because the heart is deceptive above all things (see Jeremiah 17:9). If you live from your heart you will have the worst day ever....let me tell ya. But what if you lived every day from Jesus in your heart? To do that, you have to give him the steering wheel. That means you have to crucify your flesh, which is nothing easy. But it is always, every single time you do it, so very worth it. So, what would the results be if you lived every day from Jesus in your heart? Well, the answer to the snooty remark would be better:

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Proverbs 15:1

     That overwhelming work might not be so overwhelming because you serve Jehovah Shalom, the God of Peace. In fact, you can even choose to enjoy that work:

"So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?"

Ecclesiastes 3:22 (emphasis added)

     And for your emotional pain, or perhaps physical pain. Joy. It may see impossible but...

"For with God nothing will be impossible."

Luke 1:37

"...for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Nehemiah 8:10 (B)

     These are just a few examples, and they are very simple. I personally think you have the best day ever when you live from Jesus in you.You get to see God working with his power in your weaknesses, his joy overcoming your pain, his hand and words guiding you, and SO much more! So, why don't you try it? Why don't we try it. Try it for one week and see what happens. I am sure you will find it turning into weeks, then months, then years, and then the rest of your life. Why let a day go by wasted? Every day is a gift, and every day is the best day ever. Why shouldn't it be? He made it, and he made you in it.

     There is something in every day he doesn't want us to miss: HIM.

     Come be the rhythm of our hearts today Jesus, be our eyes when we can't see. Fill us. Show us your wisdom, your truth. Guide us. Be our vision. We trust in you.

Thankful Thursday

This Thursday I am so thankful for.......

1. Sunny days
2. Running shoes
3. The window in my room: I get to watch the sun rise
4. Red birds
5. Jehovah Shalom-The Lord is Peace
6. Making music with my sister
7. THIS SONG: My Lighthouse (click on the title to go to the link)
8. My Daddy and who he is
9. My Mom's wise words
10. His creative spirit in me

What are YOU thankful for this Thursday?........

"Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

Psalm 32:6-7

Christmas now past, New Year's parties done, we step into a new year. First off hit with sickness that nearly all are fighting against: the flu. But not deterred; our God is bigger than it. Sometimes I wonder how time goes by so fast, at others I wonder how it could go so slow. Christmas break done, we are getting back into the swing of it all. Getting ready to face our coldest months, little ones crossing their fingers for snow. And still, I wonder. You can have the best snow ball fight, and laugh and cry at the same time because your fingers are numb and your feet are wet but you just can't stop because you're having so much fun. And still, time slips through our fingertips like water in a cracked bowl. We just don't have the power to hold it in our hands for very long. I serve the God who created time. He has the power to start it and to stop it at any time he likes. He is the beginning and the end. The Alpha and Omega. And He is constant. Never changing, never ending, never failing. Do you trust that tomorrow will come, or that Jesus is coming any time the father decides? Are you ready?

How Many Kings

STAND

          No one would ever go into battle without his armor on, yet normal Christianity walks into their schools and work places without any armor on and walks out wondering why they couldn't stand. A man that goes into battle without armor and weapons is as good as dead-- he puts himself into the hands of evil, merciless men. No one in his right mind would do that, yet everyday they are.
         Scripture gives us ways to stand in this battle that is raging. In the next few months I will be doing a series about how scripture tells us to STAND.