Entering In

As we prepare to usher in the new year, many thoughts, phrases and verses are swirling around in my mind.

"I will enter into His gates with thanksgiving in my heart! I will enter His courts with praise! I will sing this is the "year" the Lord has made! I will rejoice for He has made me glad!

"He's turned my mourning into dancing, He's lifted my sorrow. I can't stay silent, I must sing for His joy has come!"

All of our woes are turning to "Whoas!"

God's promises are tried and true. He is not a man that He should lie.

Praises usher in the promises of God.

With God, ALL things are possible! There's NO such thing as impossible!

"Dream the impossible dream."

Live a Supernatural life.

Live big. Dream big. 

The phrases go on and on. But they all come down to this:   God IS Good!

Everything means "something".

Nothing happens by chance.

God is in control.

And for those who love Him

and live by His Word,

all things work out for GOOD!

Here's to hoping you have a wonderful New Year celebration and that the peace which comes from knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior will fill your heart as you enter into 2011!



No Matter What

No matter what, I praise God for all that He is because He is worthy. No matter what, I choose to see the goodness around me. No matter what, I praise Him for ALL things, both good and adverse.
Because of the promises in His written Word and because of the promises He daily whispers to my heart, I can say that I thank Him for it ALL!

Many would say that this has been a "bad" year and that they are ready to move on to better things. I say, this has been a year with both difficulties AND triumphs! Because I am in Christ Jesus, I can claim the promises of God. One Scripture that comes to mind is Romans 8:28 which promises that God works ALL things for GOOD to those who are in Jesus and who live by His Word.

Since the promises of God are true and trust-worthy, those who know Him as Messiah have no reason to be fearful or worrisome. Because nothing is impossible for Him, we ARE able to overcome every adversity. His Spirit is living and breathing. God in Heaven is not a god made of stone. He is flesh and blood, encompassing an ever passionate, beating heart.

Dear one, I pray that you may take comfort in these words; the promises of God. If you don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior, I encourage you to call out to Him. He WILL answer.

With a heart full of love, prayers and blessings - Merry Christmas to you!

Leisure

Today I got up at 6:30a.m., fed the animals, then went back to bed and stayed there until 9:00a.m.! Now, it's 10:30a.m. and I'm sitting in my pajamas, messing around with my blog! OH! The blessing and necessity of leisure time!

Relaxing and participating in leisurely activities is something I am still learning how to do. My "personality type", in the past, has not allowed me the gift of leisure. However, upon realizing that God never intended me to fit into a "personality type" and in my quest to seek to be all that He desires for me to be, I am learning that He does, in fact, allow me leisure time. Not only in my quiet time with Him, but in my daily responsibilities as well.



My mom and dear friend
enjoying each other's company
Christmas 2008



I have a friend who asked me a couple of years ago what it is that I enjoy doing "for fun". Sadly, I could not answer her. I was so busy and caught up in the responsibilities of life, that I had actually forgotten what it is that I like to do. To be honest, I don't know if I every really even knew to begin with! EEK.



My son enjoying conversation with a friend
June 2009



I have realized that many of us get caught up with the idea that constant activity is some form of piety. At some point, my perception of leisure became synonymous with laziness. I have now realized that it was a trap in my thinking, set by the enemy, in order to tangle me up in religiosity. Oh how thankful I am for God's grace and the revealing of His Spirit in my life!



All of this to say, I have thoroughly enjoyed my leisurely morning, am thankful for it and blessed by it.
I wish you a very blessed day and hope and pray that you are better at enjoying your leisure time than I am!