Sunday, July 19, 2015

Renewed Focus

“Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

What is it I value in this life? Do I treasure the things of this world or do I seek to accumulate treasures in heaven? Honestly, I think some days I accumulate things the world values and other days I stay focused on my eternal home.

A couple of weeks ago, I had spent little time in the Word and I was distracted when I prayed. As I asked the Lord to heal my Cousin Bill's body, I thought I need pineapples, raspberries, and spinach which brought perspective! I needed to purposefully return my focus to the Lord and open up my Bible and read. I decided to read the Bible in 90 days for the second time this year. I also need to spend quiet time with Him. No music, no devices, no distractions - solitude.

We have examples of Jesus spending time with the Father in the Gospels:

Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

Now it was during this time that Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent all night in prayer to God.

Thankfully, the Lord's mercy is great and His love is never ending.

A new week with renewed focus.

Blessings to you, my sisters in Christ.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

3 Amigas

Karen, Wendy, and I meet for lunch most Wednesdays for an hour of conversation, laughs, and a book discussion. Currently, we are reading Searching for and Maintaining Peace - A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart by Father Jacques Phillipe. It is an excellent book so far.

As I grow older, the peace of the Lord becomes more and more important to me. Life brings constant change. Change can be good, but it can also be horrendous. God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. An important key to peace is abiding (Merriam-Webster defines abide as to stay or live somewhere, to remain or continue) in the Lord.

Ladies pray, stay in the Word, and keep your eyes on Him. The Bible tells us:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.

Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

And to all these virtues add love, which is the perfect bond. Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.

SSMT July 1, 2015

My verse is:

For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith.
Romans 12:3 NET

I think it can be hard at times not to think too much of ourselves or at times think too little of ourselves. Society certainly wants us to think very highly of ourselves. I think we need to focus on what the Lord thinks of us. Do I live for Him or myself? Easy answer - I live for Him some days and for myself other days. At times, I am led astray be feelings which cannot be trusted. Fatigue and stress can be stumbling blocks as well.

So this day, I commit to living for Him. Ladies, let us use the faith He distributes freely to us and serve Him with joy.