Life With Jesus

The next writing prompt from “God is My Happy Place” is:

“The older we get, the more we realize we don’t know. What is something you would like to learn more about?”

Right now I’m into learning about Operation Christmas Child, which is a program started by Franklin Graham, which sends out shoebox gifts to children around the world & sharing the gospel with them. There were over 2 million decisions for Christ last year because of this program.

My husband and I will be helping with this outreach at our church this year. We got to go to a training a couple of weeks ago & we have an event at the end of the month to learn more. We are so excited about it. We’ve already started packing our shoeboxes. We’re starting to ramp up to be prepared for collection week, which is the 3rd week of November.

You can follow the link below to find out more about it & to send your own shoebox.

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

Some things can look overwhelming. If I can just find a starting point, it starts to come together.

I’m going to illustrate this with an example of my coloring.

I start with a blank coloring page. This one I got from Dover Publishing.

Sometimes I have pictures that I’m not sure where to start. If I can find a starting point, I can usually then start to see a course of action to get the rest of the picture done.

Sometimes it’s only a little at a time. But as I take each step, I can at least see where to make the next one.

And the next one.

Each step revealing the next one.

Then the final result.

Our destination, heaven, is far more exciting than this coloring page. God reveals my journey a little at a time. My starting point should always be asking God where to start & what each of my steps should be. I need to seek His direction at every turn & He will reveal every step at the time I need to take it. The final picture of my life will be amazing.

God is making a mastepiece out of your life. One detail at a time. He knows exactly where to take you. I urge you to listen to His voice & follow His direction. He won’t steer you wrong.

Blessings to you all.

I have just finished reading the book “Really Bad Girls of the Bible” by Liz Curtis Higgs.

It is an amazing book. I enjoyed every word & I learned a lot as well. This book was hard to put down. I wanted to soak in what was being said, yet really wanting to know what was next.

Each chapter starts with a modern rendition of a Bible story. Then she takes you through the story in the Bible, verse by verse. After that is a lessons learned section, followed by questions.

This book helped me see these stories from a different angle. There are still lessons to be learned, even from characters commonly viewed as bad.

I am not being paid for this review. I only want to share what I’m reading with you. I want to start sharing more book reviews. So as I finish books, I will write reviews.

The next writing prompt from “God is My Happy Place” is:

“What is your favorite childhood memory?”

I don’t really have one specific favorite.

However, some of them are playing cards & board games with my maternal grandparents, camping with my cousin, bottle feeding a calf at my paternal grandparents farm.

There are other memories that I have more because I’ve heard the stories.

One such memory is going with my paternal grandfather to his fields, when I was really little, & looking for green bugs. There was a little magnifying glass he let me use to try and find them. I was too young to actually remember, but I have heard the story so many times. Recently he sent me the little magnifying glass in the mail. I’m so glad he did. It came with the note “This in case you have green bugs. Popy”. 💜

I’m sure there are more I could sit & think of. But these are some of my favorites.

The next writing prompt in “God is My Happy Place” is:

“Word of the Day: Focus. What do you need to focus on today?”

Focus.

Straight ahead.
No worry about the past.
All that woulda shoulda coulda.
Leave it behind.
Lose my past identity.

Think life changing thoughts.

Goals to become healthier.
Think healthier.

Writing goals.
Set aside time to work on it.

Relationship goals.
Define & work on what needs to be done

Spiritual goals.
Seek the Lord

Striving towards them, instead of apathetically letting life happen.

God is the primary goal.
His will be done.
Focus on Him.
Everything else will come.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.6.33.NIV

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/rom.12.2.NIV

He is always with me.

Yesterday, after work, I discovered that my car battery was dead. Not fun. After texting the wrong person, I was able to get in touch with my husband, who was able to come get me. I had to wait on him to get there. Ironically, I was just complaining about how cold it was in the office. Then I get outside and have to wait about an hour and a half in the heat.

However, I was blessed that it wasn’t 120 degrees outside & I wasn’t stuck on the side of the interstate during rush hour traffic.

My husband picked me up, we went to a couple of places to price a battery. Those places being more than we could afford right now.

We made it home & ate some dinner.

On the way to work this morning, we stopped at another place & discovered that it was way cheaper there & we were able to get the battery before Friday. We purchased the battery & my husband took me to work.

After work, I was able to change my battery. We didn’t have time before work.  I’m a  little proud of the fact that I changed the battery myself.

The car started right up & I made it home safely.

God kept me safe through the whole thing.

No one wants to have their car break down. But I love that God had his hand in all of it. He knew it was going to happen & set up the right circumstances to keep me safe.

God is so amazing. He gave me peace through the whole thing.

I had all sorts of contingency plans in my head about how I would have to alter my work schedule this week to take care of the car. God had plans to get it taken care of without having to miss work to do it.

I had plans to go home & get some things done at home on Monday. But God had plans to get the car fixed.

Proverbs 16:9 NIV

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.

Somehow God never ceases to amaze me.

The next writing prompt from “God is My Happy Place” is the following verse.

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
2 Corinthians 3:5 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/2co.3.5.NIV

I’m not good at things, by myself. As the verse states, my competence comes from God. If I’m doing things right, it is because of Him. I can never be good enough by myself. I can do nothing without Him. If I have any talents, they are from Him. He gave them to me.

In the past I have worried about doing things right or being competent. I would have panic attacks & fear severe consequences for not knowing things or doing something wrong. About 6 months to a year into my relationship with God, I asked Him to take away the anxiety attacks & He did.

I still have anxiety from time to time, but it is nothing like it used to be. I don’t have to have a lot of accolades, but I do like to know I’m on the right track & doing things correctly.

However, I know I’m not perfect. God is. As long as I rely on Him for my competence, then all will be fine. It is actually comforting to know I don’t have to do it alone. Jesus is right there with me. He is my friend who never leaves me.

The next writing prompt in “God is My Happy Place” is:

“Who is the most intriguing person you have read or heard about? Why?”

I know this is the typical Sunday school answer, but it’s true. I think Jesus is the most intriguing person ever. 💜💜💜

He is perfect. He died for me & you. He always did what God asked Him to do. He never wavered. He is the same yesterday, today, & forever. He loves no matter what.

This is so at odds with the world.

I have read stories about many people that are intriguing. I enjoy reading biographies. But none of them are as intriguing as Jesus.

And I get to have a relationship with Jesus. I get to know Him more & more each day. I don’t want to let a day go by that I don’t talk to Him. I don’t have to be in a specific place or at a certain time. I can talk to Him anywhere anytime.

I can study Him as much as I want & follow Him all my days. I’m free to serve Him. There is no such thing as too much Jesus.

I know you may be thinking “well, duh…”

But is it always that simple?

I once made a mistake of touching a cactus. I was fascinated by the fruit that grows on them. I wanted to see what they felt like, so I delicately tried to put my fingers between the spikes to avoid getting poked. Well, that didn’t work. I still got stuck a little. They were small ones & I was able to get them out pretty quickly on my own. I got to the car & noticed I missed one. It was small, but I didn’t have tweezers on me. So, I drove all the way home holding my finger out. When I got home I used the tweezers, which only partially worked. I couldnt figure out how to get to the tiny piece so I decided to do a chore or two & figure out what to do. The rest of it came out while I was doing dishes some how.

I learned a few things from this.

Sometimes we want to flirt with sin. Maybe just see what it feels like to do or touch something we shouldn’t. You know, just dip the toe in the water.

Then we follow through with the desire.

Sometimes there can be good things that come. Such as answers to questions and learning from our mistakes. Ot can also feel good in the moment.

But was it worth it? All the pain to get the answers to your questions or momentary pleasure.

Even a little sin can corrupt.

“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”
Galatians 5:9 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/gal.5.9.NIV

Even though there is no intention to get hurt, there always seems to be something. I didn’t plan on getting hurt, but I ended up with a little more than I bargained for.

I didn’t get hurt very badly by the cactus, but there are plenty of times when I have just wanted to try something I knew I shouldn’t do. Some of those things include bad relationship decisions & bad financial choices. I have been taken for rides I did not anticipate, simply because I was blinded by desire.

When we realize we have sinned & need to get out. We need to go back to God & continue going after Him & He will help us get out of it. God always knows what to do. Following Him is the best way to go.

And there is always prevention. Put on the full armor of God in order to stop it before it starts.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Ephesians 6:11 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.6.11.NIV

I’m not saying that everything we desire is bad. But we do need to put desire aside in order to make wiser decisions.

11 JULY 2019, 09:20 PM
The next writing prompt from “God Is My Happy Place” is:

“If you could describe yourself in five words, what would they be?”

Beloved daughter of the King.