Posted on Jan 16, 2014 in Along the Path |
Unsettle me.
These words have been reverberating in my head ever since I read them as part of a prayer in my daily devotional. Unsettle me? Why would I pray that prayer? Isn’t that just the opposite of what I want Him to do? Shouldn’t I be praying for God to settle me down so that I can have peace in my life? But as I kept reading, the truth leapt off the page. I have areas of my life that I’ve settled in. Areas that, while not exactly “sin”, keep me from being the complete daughter of God that Father has created me to be. Read more…
Posted on Jun 12, 2013 in Along the Path |
What is your usual reaction when you face trials in your life?
a. Fear/anxiety
b. Anger
c. Joy
d. Self-pity
Be honest. How many of you picked Joy? Don’t worry; it wasn’t my first choice either. But James 1:2 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds . . .” So, there’s got to be a way to approach the trials we encounter along the path with rejoicing. Read more…
Posted on May 25, 2013 in Along the Path |
Sometimes life sucks!
Pardon my French.
Yesterday I got an email that said, “Although we were impressed with your qualifications, we have identified other candidates who better meet our requirements for this position.” This was a position that, in my opinion, I was waaayy over-qualified for . . . and I still didn’t meet their requirements! This isn’t the first response like this that I’ve gotten in the past ten months. But this one hit me hard for some reason. I sat on my bed and cried. I got in the shower . . . and I cried. Even now, over 24 hours later, I still cry when I think about it. “Why, God? When is it going to be my turn?” Read more…
Posted on May 2, 2013 in Along the Path |
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life . . . Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? . . . Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6: 25, 27, 34
In my first blog post a month and a half ago, I referenced Matthew 6 where Jesus told us to stop worrying about our life because our Father knows what we need even before we ask. The Father values us so highly that He has already provided everything we need. In the span of 9 verses, Jesus tells us 5 times not to worry and that worrying doesn’t get us anywhere. But wait! There’s more. In Philippians 4:6 Paul tells us we shouldn’t be anxious about anything, but to pray. And Peter says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV). There are countless other scriptures that say “do not be afraid,” “fear not,” “don’t let your heart be troubled.” Why is this repeated so much in the Bible? Because the Father knows that worry is exactly what we naturally do when we can’t see a way out of our circumstances.
Read more…
Posted on Mar 26, 2013 in Along the Path |
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:11 NIV)
This has become one of my favorite verses. I so desperately want to know the path of life and experience the Father’s joy and presence. However, sometimes the path of my life becomes dark and cloudy. I have cried out to God, “Whatever you’re doing feels hard and lonely.Can you give me some clues about what’s going on?” I once joked out loud, “How come God never speaks to me through a burning bush?” Think about it. Scattered throughout the Bible you see phrases like, “the angel of the LORD said,” or, “the LORD said unto . . .” Doesn’t it seem to you that God spoke so clearly back in the Bible times and the person He was speaking to heard Him without any problems? (I will pause right here to say that hearing Him and obeying Him are two completely different things. Just ask Jonah.)
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Posted on Mar 18, 2013 in Along the Path |
I’ve always been a planner. Just ask my mom. When I was young girl, I would make list after list weeks before I had to pack for church camp. Now, when I was nine or ten, I didn’t have a very big wardrobe (I shared one small closet with two sisters!). I had yet to earn my nickname of “Imelda” because of my love of shoes. Packing for camp didn’t require a lot of planning. No, I just wanted to be prepared. I didn’t want to get up to camp and realize that I had forgotten something.
Nothing has changed in the intervening years. I like to have everything planned well ahead of time. I like to see where I’m going and how I’m going to get there. I don’t like surprises. I want to be in control with a tight grip on the reins. I don’t like giving up control to someone else because they might miss something vital only I know about.
Read more…
Unsettle me.
