Turning The Page

 Turning the Page, “What does this look like, Lord?”

While reading the other day, I had questions about what I’d just read. I write in my books, that’s why I don’t like to borrow a book from anyone. I wrote my questions in the margin, like I usually do – in pencil. After reading another page or two, I found the answers to my questions. I went back and erased my question, because now I understood where the author was going with her line of thought.

I can be quite argumentative with the authors I read. Of course, they never know it. I challenge a lot of what I read. Just because someone wrote it, even someone I trust, doesn’t mean I’m going to agree with it. Feel free to disagree with anything you read that I’ve written, too, please.

As I completely erased my question, I was thankful to have discovered the answers I was looking for. I smiled. And – I could have sworn I heard God say to me, “This is how it is when you argue with Me, too. When you turn the page, you’ll find the answers. Keep looking.”

Great Word – however, just what did He mean by turn the page? That’s the question I’m looking for answers to, now.

We’ve been pondering a move for quite some time now; pretty much since Dave retired from the police department. Questions about this move consume our prayers often. When Lord? And where to?

We’re quite comfortable where we are. It’s beautiful here in Colorado. We have a great church family; we have plenty of friends and a nice home. We have family nearby. We have mountains to hike through whenever we’d like. We have a great healthcare plan.

Maybe it’s all the moves we made with the military, but I’m kind of feeling like we need another move. We’ve been here in Colorado for the likes of 30 years now. That’s the longest either one of us has lived anywhere.

We have family in Tennessee and in Ohio, and other places as well. Wouldn’t it be nice to live closer to them now? Yes. It would. We miss them so much!

We’ve weighed pros and cons. It’s actually more affordable to live where we are than in many other places. Plus, the cost of moving will be steep. There’s the headache of selling our home and buying a new one and settling in there.

The bottom line for Dave and I is: where does GOD want us?

What does God want us doing in this season of life?

If He wants us here, we need to be content here and be all about our Father’s business.

If He wants us to move again, we need to be patient and wait on His leading and His direction. I’ll admit, I’m not as patient as Dave. I feel like I’m spinning my wheels here.

But what if there’s more God wants to do with us here and He wants us to stay? What if there’s more to do here BEFORE we move? Plenty of questions.

Now I’m thinking those questions are answered on the next page. We need to turn a page.

Could moving be the page we turn?

No. I don’t think so. We need answers before we turn THAT page.

Please, join us in prayer as we pursue this.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths.” – Proverbs 3:5

“Wait on the LORD, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” – Proverbs 27:14

We know this very well.

 

What's That Word?

 

Futility. That’s the word that came to mind. Yet upon looking it up to make sure I was using it correctly, I was wrong. Futility means pointlessness or uselessness.

Then the word redundancy came to mind. That one technically means ‘the state of being not or no longer needed or useful’.

So, no, that’s not the word I’m looking for, either.

Sometimes we find ourselves stuck in a rut where we know that what we’re doing has a point and is needed and useful to someone, somewhere.

Shout out to all my factory worker friends, those who stand on an assembly line doing their part; forever playing your role in the production of something useful to someone else, but perhaps never seeing or using the end product yourself.

I mentioned to a friend that sometimes it feels like we’re all cogs in a giant clock, each pushing the next cog forward one click at a time.

Maybe I’m just longing for a glimpse of the big picture. And I hear this whispered into my heart:

“Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” – Psalm 27:14 NKJV

I feel like I have my spoon in a lot of pots, stirring up others to fruitfulness, while watching from the background. Maybe that’s my role. Maybe I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

But I can’t help but feel like there’s something more for me. Somewhere. A new pot to stir?

Is it just time for a change?

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

All those years as a military wife were filled with upheaval and moving from time to time. And you know what? I loved it! Now I feel like I’ve been sitting in the same chair for too long. I need to get up and stretch my legs, if you know what I mean – before I get too old to get up out of the chair at all.

Right now, I feel like I’m pacing around in Limbo. Waiting. Not even knowing exactly what I’m waiting for.

But you know Who’s right here with me, waiting alongside me? You know Who knows the whole plan and sees the big picture? You know Who’s got His hand on my shoulder all the while calming my anxiousness? You know Who’s holding me on the faint days and dancing with me on the days I feel more ready to go than I am?

Yep. My Jesus. He’s with me.

I’m still fine. F.I.N.E.

[Finally, and] forever in need of Emmanuel.

I’m anchored in the Rock of Ages.

If you’ve ever been to the lake or an ocean and walked along the shore, you may have noticed large rocks or pieces of concrete with big metal links anchored deep into them. I have no idea what they may have been used for, but something was chained there for its own safekeeping. It was protected from drifting out to sea or from being lost in a storm or dashed against the rocky shoreline.

Jesus is my Rock. I’m safely anchored in His peace, living in my purpose. – Even when I can’t see the whole picture.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.” – Isaiah 26:3-4 ESV

I guess the word I was searching for is TRUST! I’m TRUSTING GOD!

Sing Over Me

(musicgrotto.com)

There are songs our hearts need to hear. What song is your heart longing for today? When you quiet your thoughts, do you hear it? Maybe it’s a song of comfort. Perhaps and song to energize your day? A song of rejoicing? It might be a song to distract you from everything that’s overwhelmed you today.

As I sit down to write this blog post, I hear a chorus echo through my thoughts, whispering, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him Christ the Lord. It’s so familiar it could roll through my brain without much contemplation. But when did I last intentionally take time out of my busy day to close my eyes and just worship Him? Have I even slowed down enough today to adore my Savior? No. I haven’t. And you know what? He isn’t mad at me; He’s not holding a grudge against me or sitting up there in the heavenlies pouting on His throne because I once again allowed myself to get too busy for Him. He decided a long time ago to love me, no matter what, with His never-ending love.

Would He like me to turn to Him with my every thought, my every care or worry? Would He like me to include Him in my excitement and happiness? Absolutely!

Just as we like to be included in what our friends are going through, He too wants to share in everything we think, say and do. He wants us to honor Him with our thoughts, our words and our deeds. But He’s not going to punish us for getting too busy. He’d like to help, if we’ll let Him.

Whether He’s quietly calling us to Himself, or showing off in some ridiculously crazy way to get our attention – He’s waiting on us.

(psiloveyou.xyz)

And guess what else! The Bible says He never grows weary. Even I grow weary of my busyness, or my laziness or my forgetfulness. Any reason I can give for going on with my day without Him is no excuse at all. At bedtime when I lay my blurry-eyed head on my pillow, He’s patiently waiting on me. And if I fall asleep without thanking Him for my day, still, He waits on me.

He loves me no more or no less than He loves anyone else. Does He deal with us differently? Yes. Just as my children are all different and respond to me differently, God’s children are all individuals with their own personalities, needs and love language. He knows them all; every one of His children, their quirks, their joys, their needs and how they best give and receive love. None of us is beyond His reach. Not a single one of us slide under His radar, He loves us all.

No need to stand before Him with shame, Jesus took care of all of that on the Cross.

How would you like your child to come to you? Would it bless you if they poured their heart out to you? Would you love a hug? Would you like them to honor you, to receive from you all the wonderful things you’d like to give them? Would you like them to look lovingly into your eyes?

Before you close this blog post, share something with Jesus. He’s ever so patiently waiting for you.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”                                  -Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)

(thedodo.com)

My Word

photo from thequotablecoach.com)

 

Waiting on….a word. Waiting for the right word to resound within me. The word I’d choose doesn’t fit quite snugly enough. The word I seem to be running from, keeps running after me.

You, or friends of yours, may hear a word that quickens something within them and they claim it as “their word” for the new year. Some may choose a word that they want to claim as their own, others may receive this word from God. Some may have no clue where the word comes from, but it somehow becomes their word.

It could be a word to arouse hope. It could be a word the describes what you’re looking for in the upcoming year. It could just be a word that nags at the back of your mind until you accept it.

If you have no clue what I’m talking about, your love language may not involve words, or you’ve just tuned in to what I’m referring to.

(Photo from willowtree.com)

Any way you have it, you somehow lovingly embrace the word, even when it’s not a word you’d choose if the choosing was yours. Even when it’s a word that normally conjures up visions of the not-so-pleasant; words that may not fall into the category of your favorite words. Such is the case with my word this year.

It seems like I’ve been waiting on myself, waiting on God, waiting on prayers to be answered or weight to be dropped, or energy to be infused.

Yes, my word encompasses the waiting of all waiting. But, not just waiting like dry bones lying in their grave, waiting with eager anticipation. Waiting with a joy-filled heart. Waiting with promise. Waiting with hope. And yes, waiting – with the Son of God, Himself: Jesus.

My word is not a passive word. My word can be an energizing word if I allow it to be. My word is an empowering word, if I so choose. My word, like any word, relies on what I do with it.

Do I bury it in the ground and hope it grows into something beautiful? Do I invest my word in the lives of those I love?

It’s totally up to me.

What will become of it this year?

My word is……….

       Patience.

(picture from pinterest.com)

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” – James 1:3-4 (KJV)

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified.., for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)

“And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious uto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.” – Isaiah 30:18 (KJV)

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

  

(picture from pinterest.com)

What is your word for this year?

Wait Just A Minute Now

(edudemic.com)

I used to wait – for the kids to be born, to walk, to be potty trained, to be in school; till the work day was done, till the kids were old enough to leave at home on their own, till the kids graduated, till we “settled down” instead of moving from base to base….

Now, we’ve retired from the military life. The kids are all grown with kids of their own; some of the grandchildren are almost ready to graduate from high school.

Now, hmmmm….. what was it I was waiting to do?

(edudemic.com)

Or, I’d buy a pretty dress and save it in the closet for a special occasion; when an occasion finally came along I deemed worthy enough for the special dress, alas, I’d either gained or lost weight and it no longer fit me.

Even short term waiting sets us up for failure. I’ll wait for just an hour to go for my walk, until the sun is hotter or the clouds roll out. Alas, that hour turns into several hours and other things crowd into my day; no time for a walk today. I wasted all that sunshine piddling around indoors.

Even waiting to make that mad dash for the ladies room can be detrimental, if you know what I mean.

Yes, sometimes we need to wait. If we pull the cinnamon rolls from the oven after just a minute or two, the dough will be raw and uneatable. If we pull the clothes from the dryer too soon they’ll be too wet to wear. If we drive away while the gas is still pumping into our tank, God only knows what disasters that could create.

But, sometimes waiting is just an excuse; putting off the inevitable until it’s too late. We’re either rushed to fit in our plans, or our plans are completely ruined. We shake it off and wind up playing the same game the next day.

Procrastination.

(lifestyleot.com)

What are we waiting for? The proverbial “engraved invitation”? Are we waiting for someone else to do it for us? Are we waiting for someone else to run with that great idea we had, or thinking that no one else would come up with it?

Are we waiting for “the right time” or “waiting on God’s timing”? Sometimes that’s legit. Sometimes God is waiting on us! Sometimes, yeah – it’s just another rut in our path that procrastination makes deeper. If we let putting things off create enough deep ruts, our road to success will become harder to travel; and that can lead to giving up completely.

Although we can have lots of fun in this life, it’s not much of a game when we’re sitting on the losing end of all the potential we’ve been given. Yes, there’s a time for everything. And our time is NOW!

Rise and shine, Buttercup! Today is not a day for sitting around waiting. 

(xochi.info)

“…I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” – 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV)

“This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” – Romans 13:11 (NLT)

“For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
    A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
    A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
    A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
    A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
    A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
    A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
    A time for war and a time for peace.”

~Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NLT)

                                    

(eventbrite.com)

All I Need

(photo from justbetweenus.org)

“The riches of Your love [O LORD] will always be enough…” – a line from a song we sing in church, got me pondering.

Are the riches of His love ever enough for us? For the most part, we’re a pretty discontented people.

When we women fall in love with the man of our dreams and he becomes our husband, we pledge “…as long as I’ve got your love, that’s all I’ll ever need.” Very romantic, but, soon we find ourselves realizing we also want a secure roof over our heads, good food on our table and as many of our tangible needs met as possible. We may also discover that in married life, the man of our dreams may not pour out his love in ways we recognize as love. Sure, he may work hard to provide for his family, but what about the affection and attention we assumed we’d get, too? Or hey, what about a little help with the half a dozen kids you helped me bring into this world? And, oh yes, I need some “me” time, please pencil that into your schedule.

(picture from layoutsparks.com

As wives, for the most part, it’s probably safe to assume that we believe most, if not all of that comes with the marriage package. (Not to imply that we can’t help make all of that happen.) Am I wrong? Most of us don’t think we’ll be sheltering under a bridge or waiting in lines at a food pantry or taking care of the kids like a single mom, or starving for affection like the single girls at the club. After all, isn’t marriage about provision, too? Now, of course, I realize catastrophes come into our lives; lost job, disabilities, etc. But, when we vow “for better or for worse” – who seriously imagines “the worst”?

(photo from sheknows.com)

When we enter into the relationship with God that redeems us, it’s tempting to expect things to be all rosy and sunshine as we walk with Him and grow in Him. But, being a Christian doesn’t mean life’s path will always take us where we think we need to go.

“The riches of Your love will always be enough…” While in essence, this is true, the riches of His love is truly all any of us need, for in those riches we have everything, yet, as humans, most of us continue to want more than we have. It can be hard to be content right where you’re at, especially for long periods of time in less than ideal circumstances.

Sometimes we expect God to change the will of those around us. Yes, He gave us freedom of choice, but, those around us don’t make good choices like we do! (Yes, I say that jesting.) But, wouldn’t life be easier if those around us didn’t disagree with us so much, or if they could see what we perceive to be the “greater good”? This is where we take on a God complex, thinking (consciously or subconsciously) that if we were God, we’d run things more smoothly here on Earth.

Sometimes we expect God to “get us that promotion” because, after all, we’re His children. Or we may expect that convenient parking place to open us just as we get there, because, yes, we’re His child. Or maybe we expect our teams to win, whether at sporting events or in games of chance. Maybe we just think life shouldn’t be “so hard” for us if we’re “in His Word”.

(photo from examiner.com)

In reality, the riches of His love will always be enough… is only true when we let God be God and bring ourselves into His plan, instead of wanting to write the plan for Him.

Paul tells us in Philippians 4:12 (NIV) “…I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation….”

We can learn contentment, too. It comes with trusting God, without reservation.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

“As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’S word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.” – 2 Samuel 22:31 (NIV)

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.” – 1 Timothy 6:6 (NIV)

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)