WISDOMS WAY OF LEARNING

Pictures of the three girls I had drawn represented FREEDOM. Freedom from the tyranny of urgency, peoples opinions of me, just like I was letting my hair down and flowing with life. The way I believe God wants me to live.

Wisdom way of learning for me is the Holy Spirit. Those nudges where you are on the right track, keep going. Or even keep waiting even though you aren't sure.
Leaning on His understanding is not always easy because I'm impatient and I want control. Learning to wait is hard! Is anyone tracking with me here? I'll say it again! Waiting is hard! Not having clarity in your path is hard. Yet God said when we lean on Him for understanding, He will make our path straight.

So I need, a God confirmation. Do you? A sign! Is He real! The Jews agreed with Jesus when they saw the miracle, signs and wonders. Do I do that? Jesus corrected them when they wanted that more than Him. When they couldn't just see Him for who He was without the miracles.

It is so cool though to see His presence in a situation when you really can't see Him physically.

I got a stirring before Christmas arrived. My Christmas prepping creeps up every year with such a delightful surprise. A word or catch phrase that resonates deep within my soul. So deep that everywhere I go it appears, like in a song or on a billboard or a note/text from a friend.
In the past Oh Holy Night, each day leading to Christmas was anticipation imagining that baby in the manger. Last year was Join the Triumph of the sky. My artwork has been correlating with the words. It usually starts with the Christmas card message and grows into my own personal love words to start the next year. The words grow into a question, how will we triumph for Jesus in the next year? I remember through the year the words rang true in my ear. When the enemies of life try to derail me God counter acts with a triumph. He trumps that downward spiral and never let's me fall, He makes my feet steady and we triumph together. Another triumph was when person acknowledges that Jesus is truth and they take Him as a friend. Jesus, a friend, yet God himself. The creator of that person who connects the dots. Jesus, the angels in heaven, those shepherds out in the field all TRIUMPH IN THE SKY. CELEBRATE! I pictured myself celebrating with the heavens as they worship Jesus.

The picture of the girl represents this celebration!

I was doing my scripture reading the word Light jumped out more than usual. Right there next to it quite frequently dark! THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD! Jesus! People starting sending me verses with the word in it. Podcast appears where a pastor is revealing His word for the year, before he reveals I say , "Watch it's the word Light." Well, it was! I giggle of course it was! God wants to reveal himself. He doesn't stay hidden. He says we are without excuse if we believe He is not real, because he is all around us. A message I got texted to me this morning, "We met and prayed for you today. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men." John 1:4, Hallelujah for the Light!!! (three exclamation points)." Of course, she will never understand how much that meant to me. A message from God. I'm here!

I was praying God what should I do? My identity comes from you. I get that. Yet I am feeling a little dry over here. I had been taking my recent artwork with me while I visit with others. Got a text, "I would like to purchase some of your cards. A request to draw a new picture. Wow! I just asked in the past days, "What should I do?" My journey is continuing. Yet I still am very close to taking the control back. To rushing ahead in my own strength. Help! Do you do that? I keep getting that verse in my head, "But when you are tempted He will help you find a way out." Oh Jesus, thank you for rescuing me from myself.

A text from a friend "A big distortion in human thinking is if we have a calling it will be easy, there won't be obstacles."

Good grief, do I want it to be easy?! I am arrogantly confessing, yes! Waiting on God being empowered by God involves opposition from people and situations. The stories of God confirm this, remember?

John the baptist had God's approval, Jesus said, "there is anyone greater than John the Baptist." Yet some people were not excited about his work. People live by the paradigm that only certain people are qualified to do the work.

Moses, Nehemiah, Joseph, Daniel, most importantly Jesus, he was questioned, "By what authority are you doing these things?".

Jesus wasn't following certain mans plans and they didn't like it.

Desire to please God must be stronger than your desire to please men.

PRAYER:  Lord, equip me and help me not to fear. Help me to stand strong. Amen.

PSALM 136 HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER

Feeling a little parched?  Dry?
Do you feel like David when he cried out "Oh God, you are my God; earnestly I seek You, my soul thirst for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

I cry Out with David. I say David, "You had this 1000 of years ago and still today some us walk around dry!"

Void of people wanting to praise God out loud, or even talk about Jesus. My blood pumps because of Him and I want to find others who want to talk feel free to say, everything I have is because of Him or I prayed today...or just a simple declaration of Praise God for....!

There is more talk about what celebrities are doing and what this author says about life. I hear less and less, "God said, or God's love, or God's compassion, or God's help."

I challenged me and a friend to read Psalm 136 with the understanding and hope that we would understand and develop the sense of God's love for us. Go deeper! As I read the faith stories of the Israelites I can sense my own personal stories bubbling up within me. I caught myself saying, "od yes, when you got me through this and that, YOUR LOVE DID ENDURE FOREVER. Thus the challenge to pray and ask God to help me make my own Psalm Love endures forever!

Be ready! Once you pray God will delight you with stories popping up all times of the day! That's a Good God! I suggest you put them in a notebook page in you phone, because God really likes this game and the thought of each story continues to come...but make sure each story ends with His love endures forever.

On of my favorites.
My dad's aunt was a nun in a retired convent home and when I visited a nun friend of my aunt asked me, "which daughter are you? (I answer) Oh! yes you are the one with childhood asthma." I had been prayed for my whole life. My aunt updated these sweet nuns regularly and they really prayed for me. I had prayer covering my whole life! Well that explains so much. HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Are you getting this game?

Well, I pray you will feel as loved as I do from God. He showed up so many ways through my life.
Amen. Thank you Jesus.

No dry and weary land here.

A WAY OUT

"God is faithful." He will not allow the temptation to more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13"

When you want to go off on someone, when you want to quit, when want to give up and also the temptation of addictions.

Problems with relationships, work...etc...

People can pursue you all they want, fill your head with worldly philosophies. Beware! What does God have to say about that. Get out of their company as fast as you can.

When someone comes fast into your life and you think oh maybe I have space for them. Then chaos, confusion and disorder starts showing up in your life. Ask; what does God think about these relationships...is he calling me back to them? You can rationalize and reason all you want, but here are somethings that was brought to my mind lately. (by the way, this is why we should memorize scripture)

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, mind your own business (Do you need to know everything someone is going through? All those answers lead to you giving space in your head that you may not even have right now), work with you hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 1 Thess. 4:11."

"If it is possible (sometimes it is NOT possible) as far as it depends on you live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18"

You may say, "I can trust them with my heart!" Can you? NO! Never trust anyone with you heart. Your heart was given to you by God. Not out there for someone to mess with. Only trust God to guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6-7). You can pray that people be gentle with your heart. People fail us.

"Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing (that word meaning is so powerful=formal promise) what is to come.

He has everlasting love for me.

Hands held out facing down, I give each person in these relationships to God.
Hands held out facing up, What do you have to say Jesus?
He helps me find a way out.
You have tried. I see you have tried. Let me take over. I have been trying also. I got this.

"God and stand in the presence of the Lord for the Lord is abut to pass by...he is not in the wind, earthquake or fire (He is not in the problem, struggle, trouble, confusion, chaos, or disorder.
I AM IN THE WHISPER 1 Kings 19:11-12).

I don't know about you, but as I get older my hearing is getting worse. I really have to get quiet to hear.

In John 1:4-5  "In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome."

In this way out journey, light and darkness has been constantly in my mind. Many verses keep popping up about light and dark.

This is so reassuring, "for He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

I sat in my car and felt the light of the sun. Take the time to savor its richness, basking in His golden lights. Yes! Love this image! Know this light!

Exodus 33:14 "My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.

Two times in one day I see this reminder, "Philippians 4:8 Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, think on such things.
Still sitting in the sun, Isaiah 60:1 "Arise shine, for your light has come, and the glory of he Lord rises upon you."

In Daniels captivity he used him. Daniel was seeing so much. Processing so much. God allowed that. When I am processing, and seeing, God is working it together for good, He is allowing it!

Why is God allowing this all?

For His glory! For our legacy together! For the next generation.
There's the perspective. I now am finally sitting with Jesus in the whisper not in the struggle.

Dear Father, help me to find a way out. Amen.

What's your way out? Journal it. You will be amazed over the course of time of how much God is working.

MY PLATE IS FULL

Showering at the park district pool at the same time I was trying to pray and reflect on Jesus. I call it resting my soul. Then it happened!
A song in the air...what a beautiful name...
I'm like the next word is Jesus...sure enough...filling the whole locker room was a very nice rendition of the worship song by Hillsong Worship-What a Beautiful Name...
I began to sing it with her in a whisper. I wasn't going to attempt to try and keep myself on key. For just one moment I thought it would be cool to join in and let her know I was there. It was heavenly. I finally checked around to see if this was real. The person did not see me. I think she thought the locker was empty, but it continued. A gift.
Never saw her and got to talk with her.

Ask yourself does that scripture hold true in Romans 1:20, stating, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

I see Him in all things. A precious baby born this past week. A little girl, welcomed into the world. She was a 1% baby. Meaning her parents were given a 1% chance of conceiving a baby. !%! They had been trying for years. Did the medical stuff! and the final word from that Doctor was, 1% chance.

Well Jesus had the last word in their lives....

I'm believing each day in the small. MY PLATE IS FULL! Therefore, as I run around and taking time to rest. I need my sweet Jesus. I know He is present...but this is my personal relationship with the creator who wants me to have fun! Fun!, by a person showing up randomly and singing His praises...a taste of heaven...a boost for the day... way way better than a protein power bar!
The name of Jesus.

I can't make this stuff up!

When I think...or even attempt to say...I can't...HE CAN!

Is your plate full?

You can do all things with Christ. You can see Him in the midst.
Men of the bible in John 1:35 saw Jesus. They recognized, turned around, and started to follow Him...Jesus said, "What do you want?" They replied, "Where are you staying?" 
Jesus replied, "Come, and you will SEE!"

We can see Him in the small mundane life.
Please remember this today.
Jesus can never be interrupted. You Never bother Him. JESUS ALWAYS HAS TIME FOR YOU.

Reflect:  In life the people always...feel as if you are interrupting them, bugging them, (after all they have full plates).
Jesus NEVER feels that way.
Go ahead!
Interrupt Him any time.

He loves you! He is there for you!

Another story:
Been drawing elephants like crazy for a project I am doing. Out of the blue my three year old grandson (he doesn't know about my project, but Jesus does!) As we are drawing on a white board He says, "Oma, draw an elephant!" I reply, "Of course you asked me to draw an ELEPHANT.

Only God.
It meant alot.
Many times I think unhelpful thoughts like, "You can't do anything." Jesus responds by asking me to draw for my grandson what He has commissioned me to do draw a His creature and Elephant. One of the most compassionate and memorable animals God created. If you do the research they cling to those they love for life. They never forget. They have a great memory of others who are kind and they respond to them for LIFE!

Of course...ONLY GOD... do you believe.
Don't be a skeptic. That diminishes the love and passion God wants to give you!