Day 4: Tests

Happy 4th Devotional Day! All in all, I had a pretty good day today, although I admit it was a little sad taking the Christmas decorations down. But still celebrating nonetheless!

Today's Scripture:

For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.
~2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT)

Toda's story is about Hannah Whitall Smith. She and her husband were both raised by Quaker families, but decided to leave that particular faith. Hannah's parents said she was a "renegade" and told her to leave. Regardless of their rejection, Hanna wrote, "...like an outcast from my earthly father's house. But not from my heavenly Father's house." Now, I have no clue why Hannah left or whether or not her decision was the best one, but maybe it was God's intention for her to leave. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have written her book The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life (among others). The most important thing is she didn't walk away from God, she just approached Him in a different way--a way that helped her have a closer relationship with Him.

Metal is heated, beaten, and plunged into cold water as part of the process to make a strong piece of steel. In the same way, trials are necessary to develop a strong Christian.
Do you feel beaten by testing? Allow these trials to drive you to Christ. Though not pleasant now, in years to come you will see these as necessary to build your Christian character.

Tests are a part of everyone's life, particularly a Christian's. I know I get tested. And yes, there are certain things I get tested on more often... still walking around a few mountains. And while these tests can be daunting--some more than others--I know that they are helping to shape me into a better person. God wouldn't let me go through any trying situation if He didn't love me. Good parents carefully correct their children's behavior because they love them and want the best for them. I know I get frustrated at times and take another lap around, but I need to remember that it's the tough times in life that bring me closer to God. I'm never alone in my trials. Jesus went through the ultimate tests for me, and He is with me every step of the way. Jesus paid the ultimate price for me because He loves me, and the knowledge of that one fact alone should be enough to get anyone through ANY test
no matter what!

God, I thank You for putting me through all of these tests. I know that I rarely (if ever) seem grateful at the time, but I know that You are using them to teach me to be more like Your Son Jesus Christ. To quote a very good movie, "Whatever You do, You do because You love me." At the time of some of the tests, I would have liked it if they weren't so long or arduous, but in retrospect, I wouldn't change anything (except maybe my attitude through it all). But God, You were with me. Your Son Jesus was with me. The Holy Spirit was with me. You always WILL be with me! And I know that whatever comes my way, You will see me through it and make me a better, stronger, more equipped daughter of Christ too!

Thank You so much, God, for all of the blessings You have given to me, my family, and my friends. Please guide me in all of Your ways, Jesus, each and every day; teach me how to be a better person. I love You so much, God, and I want to do whatever You have planned for me because I KNOW that it's going to be good! I want to serve You, God, by serving others and making even a small piece of the world a little bit better place. Thank You, thank You, with all my heart. In Jesus' precious name, Amen!



Love and God Bless,
M.C.


P.S. Happy 100th post! Woot woot! ;) May God make it possible for me to write a few hundred more! :D

Day 3: Doubt

This morning was a little hectic, so I didn't get a chance to write. But I'm here now, and that's what matters.

Today's Scripture:

Nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life.... Our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow... nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
~Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

The topic of today's excerpt is a woman I've heard of, but didn't know a lot about: Harriet Beecher Stowe. I knew she wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, but that's about it. Turns out she was raised in New England by a God-fearing family led by her father, a Puritan preacher. Her faith ran deep when she was a child, but as an adult, things changed a bit. She began to have doubts when one of her children passed away, her husband was put in a sanitarium, and she was left to take care of six children on her own. But through it all, she trusted God. She even wrote a beautiful hymn for Him:

Still, still with Thee, when purple morning breaketh,
When the bird waketh, and the shadows flee;
Fairer than morning, lovelier than the daylight
Dawns the sweet consciousness, I am with Thee!

I'll admit, I've had doubts: Am I doing what God has planned for me? Am I going in the direction? Am I the right person for this? Am I good enough? It's depressing and makes my head hurt, but I shouldn't dwell on such thoughts.

It is no shame if you, like Harriet, are tempted at times to doubt God's ways. Most Christians deal with confusing doubts now and then. However, Jesus does not leave you in these times, nor do your doubts separate you from God. Even when you don't sense His presence, Jesus' hand remains firm in yours.

God doesn't make mistakes. God will both open and close doors to guide me; He will put the right people in my life and take out the one's who will hinder me. Even if something bad happens in my life (or any life), God can turn it around and use it to bless me even more--I trust Him for that. If God didn't think I was the right person for the job, He wouldn't have put the dream in my heart. But God did choose me, regardless of me being "good enough." I would never be "good enough" without the forgiveness of my sins through Jesus Christ; I am nothing without Him. Thanks to Jesus, I can reach my full potential, and He can make me more than good enough for the task(s) in front of me. Through Jesus Christ, I am "more than a conqueror."

Actor Chace Crawford says, "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your beliefs." I couldn't agree more.

In Jesus' name, God, please extinguish whatever doubts arise in my heart, soul, mind, or spirit. I know that You are always with me, and You will never leave me. You know the desires of my heart, and I trust that You will make them all come to pass in Your time. Dear Heavenly Father, I love You with all my heart, and I always will. Please continue to watch over us--my family, friends, myself, and all of Your children--and bless us with all that we need. Please guide the lost, heal the sick, and comfort the hurt. And whatever You need me to do, Dear God, let me know and I will do it. And please continue to guide me in all of Your ways and teach me to be more like Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank You so much for Your grace, mercy, and love, and all of the other blessings You have given to me. Thank You, Jesus, for life and for making it so beautiful; with You, it always will be. In Jesus' precious name, Amen!



Love and God Bless,
M.C.

Day 2: Let Me Know

I can't tell you how excited I am about this new devotional reflection blog. Let's just say I wanted to read and write about DAY 2 last night. Nevertheless, I was patient and waited until this morning because I don't want to try to do it all at once and fizzle out in a week. I'm hoping to do this every day regardless. But I digress. Today's Scripture:

But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children." And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
~Matthew 19:14-15 (NLT)

So, today's reading is about Lillian Trasher. When she was little, she and her family moved to Georgia where she got to be friends with their neighbor who was a good Christian woman. Lillian hadn't believed in God before this, but after her neighbor told her about God and Jesus and how they wanted to be her friend, Lillian accepted Jesus into her heart (YAY!!!). Lillian prayed, "Lord, I want to be Your little girl. If ever I can do anything for You, let me know and I'll do it." When Lillian grew up, God called her work in a faith-owned orphanage, and later He called her to be a missionary. Both times she followed God's call regardless of the lack of monetary support. She ended up going to Egypt where she began her own orphanage where she was later dubbed "Mother of the Nile." When she died in 1961, her orphanage had cared for more than 8,000 children! None of this would have happened if Lillian's neighbor hadn't nurtured and encouraged her as a young child to love Jesus Christ.

As children show an interest in God, His church, or the Bible, bless them, support them, and encourage them. You cannot imagine the marvelous feats God will do through the dedication of even one child.

This sort of ties in with what I talked about yesterday: doing what God has called you to do. I am very thankful that God blessed me with a good Christian family. They never forced me to believe a certain way, but they always were there to answer the questions I had and they raised me by good example. I fell in love with God and Jesus at an early age, and I'll admit, as a teenager, I wasn't perfect (although I think I was pretty mild compared to a lot of teens; my problem was mostly attitude not actions, but that still doesn't make it any better). There are times when I wish I would have been more careful with my words (like not be sarcastic), however, when I look back, I know that there were certain things God intended for me to go through to make me a stronger person in Christ and realize what I was called to do to honor Him. Perfection belongs with God, and it is through our imperfections that we can learn to be closer to God by Christ's ultimate sacrifice.

When I was little, my parents recognized that I had certain God-given talents (like art) and they nurtured me and encouraged me to do what I loved to do. By second grade, I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. At first I wasn't sure what I wanted to teach, but by high school I settled on math, mostly because there's always a demand for math teachers. However, after a year of college, my first formal art class made me realize that I wasn't doing what I really wanted to do. I talked it over with my parents and they said that I needed to do what I was called to do and they would support me 100%... and they have just as they always have. God opened doors and put the right people in my life, and He still is. I feel like Lillian--I may not have money to dole out and say "I want this, this, and this," and get it, but I have God on my side, and HE is the one who can make my dreams come true. Money is fleeting, but God is forever. If God can make it possible for Lillian to start her own orphanage in Egypt, He can make it possible for me to start something amazing too! In Jesus' name, I believe Him for that. It may not happen today or tomorrow, but in God's time and by His will, it will happen! And it all started when a little girl started drawing pictures for her parents. God gave me these gifts and I have given Him my heart, and I want to use my talents to honor Him and serve others.

God, I love You. I'm not perfect, but I want to let You know that if You can use me, just let me know and I will do it. Please continue to guide me in Your ways and teach me to be more like Your Son Jesus Christ. I want to grow in You and Your Word, God. Please help me to be a blessing to others; I hope to be a witness to those who are lost and yearning for something more--the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. God, please bless all of Your children, and open their eyes, ears, and hearts to Your Word. Bless our government officials with good decision-making skills for the moral betterment of our society. Bless our troops and their families with safety and strength. Heal the sick and hurting. Comfort those who are mistreated and misunderstood. And please watch over my family and friends and bless them with all that they need. Thank You so much, God, for Your mercy, grace, and love. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to earth to bear the weight of the sins of the world so that we could be saved. I am so grateful that I am saved, and I am proud to say that I am a child of God; there is no better blessing! Whatever plan You have for my life, God, I will follow You and honor You forever and ever because I love You! In Jesus' precious name, Amen!



Love and God Bless,
M.C.

Day 1: New Year, New Me

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm back! It's sad that it's been so long since my last post, but 2011 revealed other plans for me and my family. Yes, it was stressful and at times downright frightening, but God got all of us through every minute of it; for that I am thankful beyond the capacity of words. Things are still highly unpredictable--when are they not?--but the coming of 2012 has brought a feeling of newness and freshness, like being handed a blank journal longing to be filled and a brand-new set of pens just waiting to be emptied. I look forward to doing that both physically and metaphorically (meaning on here too).

How do I plan to do this? Well, I've been wanting to come back to this for a while, but I didn't really know which direction I wanted to take it in. But God has a time for it all, and I just had to wait. That waiting ended when my best friend gave me a book, Daily Devotions for Women by Jewell Johnson, when we met to exchange gifts just after Christmas. "This isn't included in your Christmas presents," she stated while I sat there looking confused. She went on to explain that she had had it for a while and meant to give it to me during one of the few times we got to see each other in the past three or four months, but forgot to bring it every time. In my opinion, it was the best Christmas present she gave me, whether she intended it for Christmas or not.

I just read DAY 1 about an hour ago, and lo and behold, it spoke right to me. First, there is a line of Scripture:

Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
~Psalm 124:8 (NIV)

After this is a short but true story. Today's story is about a woman named Gladys Aylward who, in 1932, wanted to be a missionary in China, but the mission board director told her she was under-qualified and that the Chinese language would be too difficult for her to learn. But that didn't keep Gladys from giving up on the plan God had for her. Instead, she paid her own way to China and ended up being appointed by the governor, or mandarin, of the Central Government to inspect women's feet--it was at this time that the government decided that foot-binding needed to stop--and he said that she was the only qualified woman because she had "big feet." She traveled to villages all over and did her job, but after hours, she told the Chinese people about Jesus and his love... in Chinese! Yes, she learned to speak Chinese. And not only that, she learned SIX different dialects! Talk about God paving a way!

At the end of the excerpt (a quick read since it's just one page), a question was posed:

What difficult task are you called to do? Like Gladys Aylward, God may be asking you to learn a skill that seems beyond your ability. The One who made heaven and earth is your Helper. With Him, you will accomplish the impossible.

Yes, there is a task that I know deep down in my heart God has been calling me to do. And yes, it's going to be very difficult. I'm going to have to learn at least a few skills that I am almost clueless about: business, leadership... being decisive. But God called me. He chose me to do it--I may not be the first one, the last one, or the only one to do it, but I know that He will show me step-by-step how succeed for His glory. On my own, I can't, but with God, I can do anything: I will have the ability to run a business, lead a team, guide those in need of guidance, and make decisions with my team through prayer based on the Word of God.

God, I trust that You will show me the path You want me to take. You will put the right people into my life; people who will believe in every aspect of this dream and be able to contribute their own strengths where I am lacking. You will provide a place to build (or rebuild); a place where You are needed, and where this idea will work to bring You glory.

Dear God, I am so excited about this, and it just feels so right. It might be a change in the direction I've been taking, but it isn't a far cry from what I thought I would be doing.

And I tell you, ask and ye shall receive! As I was thinking about what else I wanted to write, I checked my email and read one from a business-type site I'm subscribed to. One of their articles was Five Resolutions for Aspiring Leaders. Coincidence? I think not.

Many leaders of the baby boomer generation have failed in their responsibilities by placing their self-interest ahead of their organizations. In so doing, they have failed to serve society's best interests. As a result, more young leaders from Gen X and the Millennials are being asked to take on major leadership responsibilities. To be prepared for the challenges you will face, we propose the following resolutions this New Year's:
* Find a trustworthy mentor
* Form a leadership development group
* Volunteer in a civic or service organization
* Work in or travel to one new country
* Ask more questions than you answer

The final line of the article said, "There's no better time to get started than the coming year." I agree. :) I feel like I've been putting this off for too long.

I know that God works in His own time, but goodness, this is just amazing! Thank you, God! I trust You and I know that whatever happens, You will make it work for good. I will trust You and follow You, God. I love You! Dear Heavenly Father God, please guide me each and every day, please bless me with the abilities I need like discernment and good decision-making skills, please give me the words I need to say at the times they need to be said, and please bless my family and friends with everything that they need so that we may be a blessing to others. And I pray for the best for everyone: blessings for everyone in Christ, revelation for those without, guidance for our leaders, and safety for our troops. May you all have a healthy, prosperous, safe, blessed, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! In Jesus' precious name, Amen!



Love and God Bless,
M.C.

Day 96: Winds of Change

I've been praying a lot lately... not saying that I didn't pray as much before, but I guess it just seems like it. One of the things I talked to God about was this blog. I've been asking Him to show me which way I'm supposed to go, what I'm supposed to do. Whatever His reasons may be, I can't say, but I think He's telling me to go in a different direction. This blog has helped me immensely, but I also believe it has served its purpose in a sense. That being said, I'm not going to give up writing. If God speaks to me, I will write down what He says. I want the words to be of Him, not of me. Sometimes my words didn't come easy; they felt forced. I don't want this blog to be like that. I don't want to write for the sake of filling a daily "requirement." I want to write if and when God tells me to write. I am still learning so much about His Word, and I don't want to get so far into writing that I misinterpret or miss the point of a verse or a chapter. That wasn't the intent of this blog. I started it to have a new way of exploring God's Word and applying it to my life, and it worked... but He has brought other inspirations into my life that I feel I should pursue. I need to spend more time reading God's Word and asking questions about it before I attempt to interpret or even teach (if God wills it). As I said before, I'm not giving up on writing, especially about God... I'm just leaving it to God to decide when and what I should write. I've been planning on writing this post for ten days, but it wasn't until now that I had the words to finally say what I felt.

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
~Luke 11:9

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
~James 1:5

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, so I asked God. If you ask God in earnest what you are supposed to do, He will show you. I've found two verses that say so, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if there were more verses in the Bible that did. Yes, I know that I said that I was going to read more before I analyzed, but this is one thing I do understand. If what you ask is in earnest and of God, He will show you the answer in His time. Be patient and know that God just wants the best for His children. It's okay if you don't understand something right away. Just keep your heart and mind open to God and He will show you the answers when He knows you are ready for them. Just trust Him and stay on His path the best that you can, for God is forgiving and He loves all of us who seek Him out.

Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for answering my prayers and showing me the way You want me to go. Thank You for my family, friends, and pets; please watch over them, bless them, and keep them safe, strong, happy, and healthy. Lord, thank You for all of the blessings You have given to me. I ask You please continue to bless me as You have. Please cleanse me of my sins and continue to guide me down Your path of righteousness. Lord, please watch over those who defend Your name and this country; please watch over them, bless them, and bring them home safe. Please also watch over their families and friends, and please comfort them in times of separation and/or loss. Please shine Your loving light on those who are misjudged, mistreated, misunderstood, lonely, confused, in need, sick, weak, scared, or in any way lacking faith in You. I ask that You please work through those who know You to bring those who may not closer to You. Lord, I know that every day with You is a good day, and every day I am closer to You. Whatever You have planned for me, I will gladly and graciously do no matter what because I love You with all my heart and all my soul and all my being and I always will forever and ever. Lord, please come into my heart and guide me to do Your will so that I may do what honors You. You are my one and only Lord and Savior and I will serve You all my days. You have brought me so far, and I know You shall always be with me in all that I do. I love You, Lord. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.


Love and God Bless,
M.C.

Day 95: Defense

In all honesty, I've felt a little stuck lately. Maybe it's because it's summer--things are more laid-back. Don't get me wrong, I like summer and I'm thankful for the decrease in work, but it's made me feel like I don't do much that's really worth while. Am I supposed to go out and search for something good to do or am I supposed to wait for God to bring something to me? It's difficult to know for sure. Lord, I humbly ask that You please reveal the next step in Your plan for me, whatever that may be. Only You know exactly what is right for me, and I certainly can't do this on my own. I just don't know enough--no being does but You.

The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.
We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.
Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.
~Psalm 20:1-9 (KJV)

God listens. He knows how we feel and what we think, and He understands our words regardless of what language(s) we speak. I've said it countless times before and I will say it again: God knows what is best for us. Even though we His children may know this, we still need to be wise enough to ask Him to show us the way we need to go at each turn in our lives. If we don't, we may start to think that we can attain the best on our own which is far from the truth. With God, we will always receive what is best for us no matter what because God can do anything. God lifts us up and sets us above all others even though we as sinners don't deserve it. But God loves us unconditionally. He is our only unfailing defense. He loves us so much that He gave up His one and only son, Jesus Christ, for all of our sakes. That's amazing. That's true love.

Lord, thank You so much for everything. Thank You for showing me the way down Your path. Thank You for all of those You have placed in my life. Please watch over my family, friends, and pets; I ask that You please bless them and keep them safe and strong, happy and healthy. Lord, please watch over the men and women who currently defend or have defended Your name and this country; please bless them and bring them home safely. Please watch over their families and friends and bless them with peace and strength in times of separation and/or loss. Lord, please watch over all those who need strength, defense, love, and guidance; please keep them safe and bless them with family members and/or friends whom You can work through to bring them to and keep them on Your path. Lord, please watch over those who are less fortunate, and may we be ever mindful of them so that they may be in our prayers and share our blessings with them. Lord, I ask that You please cleanse me of my sins and continue to guide me down Your path. I humbly ask that you please continue to reveal Your plan to me one step at a time so that I may continue to learn and grow in You, my Heavenly Father, and Your Son Jesus. Please guide my heart, Lord, and teach me how to share Your love with others. Lord, I love You with all of my heart and soul and I always will no matter what. I will follow You, Lord, forever and ever and I shall never let You go. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.


Love and God Bless,
M.C.

Day 94: Just Forget It

I have a fairly good memory... sometimes too good. I have a tendency to remember things that I'd rather not remember. I'd have to say that that's one of my biggest faults. As of late, I've been thinking a lot about past mistakes--things I wish I could have avoided, things I wish I would have handled differently, and things I wish I would have just done. I need to learn to stop dwelling on such things. If God wanted something to happen a certain way, then it would have happened that way. Whatever has happened in my life was supposed to happen for a reason--God's reason. In knowing that, I should be content with the fact that God is my unfailing Guide and that He has much more important things in store for me.

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
~Isaiah 43:18 (KJV)

Whatever plans I make are subject to flaws. God's plans, on the other hand, are flawless. Whatever mistakes I have made in the past have been forgiven by God by the blood of Jesus Christ because I have proclaimed him my Lord and Savior and have asked forgiveness. According to the Bible that if I ask God for His forgiveness of any sins I have committed, and if His Son is my Savior, then He will wipe my slate clean as a whistle. And if God has forgotten what I've been forgiven for, then what reason have I to remember such things? There's a great quote, though, that says, "When the Devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future." So if an undesirable memory happens to pop up out of the blue, just remember that if you ask God's forgiveness through Christ, it's gone. There is absolutely no reason to think about it anymore. Instead, think about your future walking with the Lord and all the wonderful possibilities He has in store for you!

Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for all of the blessings You have given to me. Lord, thank You for my family, friends, and pets; I ask that You please watch over them, bless them, and keep them safe, strong, happy, and healthy. Please watch over those who defend Your name and this country, and I pray that You bless them and keep them safe. And please bless their families and friends with strength and serenity in times of separation and/or loss. Please watch over those who need defending and guidance most of all, and please bless them with family members and/or friends whom You can work through to bring them closer to You. Please let us be ever mindful of those who are less fortunate, especially in our own times of prosperity so that we may share with those who have very little. Lord, I hope that You work through me in such a way that I may spread Your gospel and Your teachings, but no matter what, I am eager to do what You have in store for me. Lord, in Jesus' name please cleanse me of my sins and please continue to keep me on Your path to righteousness. Lord, please teach me how to not dwell in my past; please help me to forget all that You have forgiven. Thank You again for all that You have done for me, Lord. I shall follow You and only You forever and ever. Lord, I love You with all of my heart and all of my soul and all of my being and I always will no matter what! In Jesus' precious name, Amen.


Love and God Bless,
M.C.