PROMISES

 When we see God work, it fills our heart and helps us carry on.

Starting the day with "The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. Jer. 33:14

God wants us to look upward, where does our help come from, it comes from Him.

After reading this I had a time with Dad. We held out our hands and declared together your promises are here (hope, love, forgiveness), we trust you today Lord.

PRAYING MANTIS

 Dear Friend:

Pray what to do today.

I meet with a dear friend. It is a beautiful, sunny warm day and the trees are a full peak for changing color so the walk is so inviting soul filled. I mean out of no where a praying mantis appears on the sidewalk and we pause and fascinate over seeing it. You know I can not even think of the last time I saw a praying mantis. They have that prayer-like stance. Within in us both praying people we sense God calling us to pray. Pray for the things we talk about.

What now presents itself to be a Holy Spirit adventure we continue to watch, see and admire creation.

We approach a Bald Cypress tree and from afar in the fall it has such a gold brown fall color scheme that just is amazing! We discovered when you get so close to the tree it looses all of that amazing color that you see from a distance. It really is one of my favorite fall must sees, but now I discover best viewed from a distance. What does that mean? Isn't it just like life, close up you view all the flaws and the muddled chaos? Then you back up and gain perspective and you can see the beauty. 

Sometimes we need to back up and take a look and breath let God work on the close up. He wants the honest real close up point of view. Don't worry he's got this! He promises. Do you trust Him.

I love how our souls are awakened to receive the messages of the Lord. He is alive and real, don't doubt it.

Sometimes we can't see it because we are at the close point and we don't back up and take a look.

I'm an artist and this also works with art. When you are on top of the drawing and don't take the time to back up and breath, check it out. On top you are discouraged back up, pray, breath.

We agreed, God was good to show us these things. It was a blessed walk.

Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this. 

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.

YOU NEVER KNOW

Racing to the computer with excitement to tell the God story of the recent!

Let me explain:

My son had a big home improvement going on and he had concern of the finances for it. He had the money but would be draining his bank. Anxiously he kept saying, I don't know what to do, we have to finish this project. How will we replace the money? His wife and I kept saying, "You have to have faith, where is your faith?" We have a dog name Faith, we are not talking about the dog! lol!

We prayed! The very next day, I kid you not, I was sitting in Costco and a elderly lady was being chatty and she says, I grew my family in Osh Kosh, WI, You know the big air show that goes on in July, she explains that it is a long standing tradition over 35+ years. She would take her family and vacate the house for the week so the pilots could stay at her house. She continues, "At the end of the week there on the kitchen table would be a $6000.00 check! You know what it would pay for? My taxes! Can you believe?" Believe!? I asked her if she was a Christian, to which she answered, "Yes!" God provides!

Where does finances come from? The Lord provides! You never know! I could not wait to get out of there to call my son. When he calls me finally back a day later I am in a Uber and I tell him this is a faith story for him. I encourage him to remember "You never know, where the money will come from but we need to just remain FAITH FILLED!" I got off the phone and the Uber driver heard the whole story and commented with FAITH, "Yes God provides!" He too is a believer! He drives me to my destination the whole way we are talking about the faithfulness of God. 

God truly does work in mysterious ways! I can't wait the write a story of how he will help my son!

For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. Galatians 5;5

It is with all nine fruits of the Spirit we can "wait", love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, self-control. Galatians 5:22.

Let us pray:

Lord I hear you sing, wait upon me. I will wait upon you Lord for each moment that I am awake. Amen.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

 I woke up thinking of the past days that were filled with focus and confidence, but today is a different story there is nothing on my schedule. 

Do you have trouble deciding what to do? 

So many choices rolling around my head, closet cleaning, housework, visits with friends who I keep saying, "Let's get together!", join another exercise class, play pickleball...decisions, decisions.

Ever have days like that?

Let me tell you what I said to myself, "Sit down, visit with Jesus." 

BUT MY BRAIN WAS SAYING-

You have to keep busy, keep going, you'll be old one day and not be able to do what you can do now-so let's go!, don't stop or you will drop! (Where is that chatter coming from?)

If I am going to go somewhere I have got to get dressed and get going!

Stop! Put down the phone! Get off social media! (The instagram influencers, tik tok influencers, news media, the pop up infomercials are becoming more of my forward thinking than what Jesus has to say. Do you get what I am saying? Please say yes and validate me! I know some of you are struggling and these things are invading the most important space in our brain, JESUS words!)

Today I choose Jesus and of course (hit my head with the heal of my hand) it was worth it! 

Let me explain:

I am always talking to Jesus and  even greet Him when my eyes open. I do a 5 minute devo in bed.

My brain needs more of HIM! I recommend, find a devo or recent reading that peaks your curiosity. For me it poses questions. The verses that did this for me TODAY,

 "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? ”He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:1-4" Change and come! What does a lowly position look like and how would one act?

Humility is the word that comes from this verse. How do I live with humility each day?

Biblical definition:  Acknowledging our need for God and submitting to His will. It involves trusting in His sovereignty and walking in obedience to His commands.

Think of examples. When I think of David I always think of humility. I always caution the worlds definition of a word verses the bibles definition. When I hear things like it's the opposite of someone who is arrogant, I agree. But it borders on the worlds definition of arrogance and confidence. In Jesus book David did not put confidence with arrogance. I am saying this because upon looking up the word humility I found a article of someone combining the words confidence and arrogance and it almost seemed as if ones humbleness is a weak person, vulnerable, like a child. A child's need for a parent doesn't make them weak but is a pathway to strength, as it allows one to rely on God's guidance and grace. When we are humble we can be gentle enough to embrace God's strength and go to HIM.

Parents raise children to grow in grace, guidance, strength, and wisdom. A sign of good mental health is ones honesty of their ability. Many people have told my grandson he should be a engineer. Since he was 2 years old we have seen his ways and thoughts wired to maybe an engineer. We are not teaching Him to be arrogant in HIs abilities but confident.

I like David's writing, THE SONG OF DAVID in 2 Samuel 2:22, his honesty praising God and declaring the abilities God gave him and the great list of accomplishments is astounding. Just go through this Song. David, he wrote: 

HE (God)...PARTED, MOUNTED, SOARED, MADE DARKNESS His canopy, SHOT, REACHED, DREW, RESCUED, BROUGHT RESCUED, DELIGHTED. 11 things starting with HE. After each of the above words David explains God's power.

The Lord thundered from heaven, the voice of the Lord resounded.

David: The Lord has rewarded me.

David's accomplishments list, I have:

I have kept the ways of the Lord

I have not turned away from your decrees.

I have not done evil by turning away from His decrees.

I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. 

4 things of I have! The world may call this boasting about himself, but it is humble because David gives full credit to the Lord. 

The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight.  He says, "You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.

David continues.

He (God) is a shield. He describes God as a rock, arms us with strength and makes David's way perfect. He makes my feet like deer, He trains my hands for battle.

You (God) give victory, you broaden the path beneath me. 

David tells of His strength given by God.

I pursued

I did not turn back

I crushed

David goes back to God

You armed me

you made my adversaries bow

you made my enemies turn

David's bold statements:

I destroyed my foes.

I beat them as fine as the dust

I pounded and trampled

Back to God:

you have delivered

you have preserved as head of the nations - People I did not know are subject to me, and foreigners come cringing to me; as soon as thy hear me, they obey. 

He exalts God:

The Lord lives! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!

He is the God who avenges me, puts nations under me, 

who sets me free from enemies.

You exalted me

You rescued me

I will praise you

I will sing praises to your name. 

BACK TO the beginning 

He gives his king great victories.

He shows unfailing kindness to His anointed, to David and His descendants forever.

Go back and read this SONG OF DAVID. 

I emphasized the ebb and flow of David and it all shows 

HUMILITY, HUMBLENESS like a child. 

I have heard kids say things they have accomplished, simply but true!

Let us pray:

Thank you for today.

I praise your name and exalt you for slowing me down and seeing things your way God.

You move us around, you keep us in place, you quiet us all for the purpose of growth and a pathway to heaven. We can't earn heaven by being good, we must depend on God's love shown by Jesus, death, resurrection and life. In Jesus mighty name. Amen!

Hours have past putting this article together and I still am not dressed for the day, but that is okay because this is exactly what I am suppose to have done today. God gave me the words and observation, it excited me to revisit THE SONG OF DAVID and remember:

Jesus' beloved children, choosing Jesus leads to making decisions! Humility comes from spending time with Jesus.