Prescription for Peace

Hey friend!

It’s been a while.  SORRY!!  I have been having QT’s, but not enough time to share them.  I have been feeling a lot more lethargic than I was a few weeks ago.  My stress level has risen (naturally with camp ending and the boys being home with me 24/7), and also, the level of my yeast (which is a product of sugar intake - PLEASE pray for me to overcome my longing for sugar). 

Today, God blessed me with an alarm clock (in Matt leaving for the gym) at just the right time for me to wake up and enjoy some quality time with him.  It has truly been a blessing.  I read a couple of passages that I thought would help me out today. 

Galatians 5:16-25 and Philippians 4:4-9 - I focused the majority of my time on this…

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all, the Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding wil guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:4-7

I made a list of each thing…

1 - Rejoice in the Lord

  - In all he has done to bring me this far - his direction

  - In his patience to work with me

  - In his wisdom and unimaginable plan for my life and the lives around me

  - In his mercy and love - forgiving me, giving me my family, and SO MUCH more - Most of all, salvation!!

2 - Be gentle in a way that is evident to all.

3 - Do not be anxious

4 - Pray and petition, present your request to God

  - For our week (family fun week) to be amazing, bonding and fun!!

  - For me to feel good, GREAT even!!  For my health to improve and my waistline to shrink.

  - For us all to desire and watch less tv and electronics and enjoy more outside, imagination play and fun together - mostly, for us all to be tightly knit, great friends and always love being together.  This is a big one for me, as it is not common in my family!

  - Wisdom in parenting, training the boys with careful precision

  - More time with God - early wake up without a problem

  - Wisdom to share my faith and study the Bible with friends!  Open hearted people around us!  Victories in sharing our faith and family.

  - Church (especially house church) to feel like home and family.

  - A clear direction on how we can serve God in our family and outside our family. 

5 - With Thanksgiving

  - For our health

  - For fun family week

  - For our salvation

  - For our boys

  - For the church

6 - God’s peace will guard your heart and mind.  AMEN!!

 

My Life = God's Delight

Hey Friend!!  

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to him and he will do this: He will make you righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.  Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…Refrain from Anger and turn from wrath; Do not fret - it leads only to evil….Those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land….Better the little that the righteous have…The Lord upholds the righteous.  The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever.  In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty…If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand…” Psalm 37:1-24

What does God delight in?  How can I make my life something he delights in?

"Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."  1 Samuel 15:22 

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it, you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."  Psalm 51:15-17

"The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."  Psalm 147:11 

"For the Lord takes delight in his people; He crowns the humble with salvation."  Psalm 149:4 

"Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight."  Jeremiah 9:24 

Wow!  So much to think on!!  So much to strive for!!  I was just thinking about What God really wants from my life.  He simply wants my all, fully devoted to him.  I really need to get back to a place of moment by moment checking my heart and choosing to live each moment of my thought life and my actions to glorify him.  I have not been striving for holiness and I want to change that today.  I needed a heart check!  Love how this passage challenged me today!

Love you!  ash