Tune Tuesday: Make my heart Your home...

Monday Musings: Trusting God!!

I suppose it is a good thing when a key verse in the sermon directly applies to your heart...even when the Pastor doesn't go that way with his exposition of it.  Although he spent a lot of time connected this to verse 11...and speaking of justice and how christians cannot beg ignorance as an excuse to not do right....this  one key verse stuck with me and I found myself pondering it hours later.

Proverbs 24:10

If you fail under pressure,  your strength is too small.

I was convicted that I wasn't trusting God.  So I decided to do a word study on trust, trusting and trustworthy.  Generally, this means I go to biblos.com and copy and paste a bunch of verses.  Then I look them up (what comes before and after being of utmost importantce)...and I try to be quiet (er) and let God work.  And He is always faithful to do so.  Beware...this is often painful.  If you ask to see your yuck...He is very very faithful.

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be you dismayed: for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
I am commanded, not merely comforted or coddled, to be strong and courageous.  If I know The Lord my God is with me I have no cause for distress or fear...in present or future.

2 Samuel 7:28 And now, O Lord GOD, you are that God, and your words be true, and you have promised this goodness to your servant:
David had great plans for God...but it wasn't God's will or purpose for him.  Rather than pout, David acknowledges that The Lord is God (and not man)...He reminds himself that God's Word is true (and will come to be, is perfect, etc), and that although different from his own plans, God's plans are full of promises and goodness...to His servant; a devoted and faithful follower.

Psalms 9:10 And they that know your name will put their trust in you: for you, LORD, have not forsaken them that seek you.
This is how God deals with His dependent disciples.  "I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name."  God doesn't forsake me when I seek Him.  I'd better make sure I'm constantly seeking Him and not just doing what I think is best.

Psalms 13:5 But I have trusted in your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I have trusted in His compassion and forgiveness where punishment is deserved.  That is His salvation...and my heart should rejoice.  Talk about a change of focus, eh?

Psalms 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
This is good for me in light of military/political issues especially.  Aside from every invasion...strength of any army (for or against)...The LORD, my God...He is to be remembered as Sovereign and in control.  Watching the news and getting all uptight is wrong...Remembering His name is right.

Psalms 31:14 But I trusted in you, O LORD: I said, You are my God.
Even after overhearing the enemies plans (vs 13)...I will trust in the LORD...and trust Him with my future (vs 15)

Psalms 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in you.
What time?  WHEN...it's gonna happen.  What will I do?  Trust in you.  I will praise Him for His promises and remember that mere mortals can not harm me.  (vs 4)

Psalms 84:12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in you.
Lord of hosts (of angel armies)...He is our sun and shield, giving us grace and glory and withholding no good thing from us (vs 11)...we have blessings and joy when we trust Him.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and he'll lead you in the right way to go.  (vs 6)...My understanding of things is not full or perfect...not by a long shot.

Proverbs 11:13 A talebearer reveals secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit conceals the matter.
Trustworthy=faithful spirit...the wise keep quiet.  No gossip.  Have you prayed about it as much as you've talked about?

Proverbs 11:28 He that trusts in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.
But God provides far more security than any earthly investment can ever give.  When I learn this I will be fruitful.

Proverbs 28:26 He that trusts in his own heart is a fool: but whoever walks wisely, he shall be delivered.
My insights are shortsighted, at best...and foolish.  Walking in God's plans for me will keep me safe.

Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Jehovah---God of holiness and eternal self existence.  Again, no reason for fear...Know God, Know peace.  I will have strength and I will sing His praises.

Isaiah 43:1 But now thus said the LORD that created you, O Jacob, and he that formed you, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are mine.
The only reason I'm still gadding about is God's sovereign grace over my life.  That's both humbling and comforting.  I've been ransomed.  "Jesus paid it all...all to Him I owe...sin had left a crimson stain...He washed it white as snow."

Jeremiah 7:8 Behold, you trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
I shouldn't be thinking that I'm not going to suffer for my disobedience.  Listening to such lies is going to be a rough road.  Repent often and listen only to Him.

Daniel 6:23 Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found on him, because he believed in his God.
Not a scratch.  I'm gonna guess that if the his friends didn't smell like fire after walking about in a furnace, that he didn't even smell like big kitties either.  Why such miraculous salvation (no more miraculous than mine?)  Belief in God.  Fully, completely...regardless of earthly outcome.  Not wavering.

John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.
Faith (complete trust and confidence) in him can stop the heart from being agitated.

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
God is the source of hope, He will fill me completely with joy and peace because I trust in him. Then I will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Revelation 21:5 And he that sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
God always speaks truth.  He is trustworthy and true.  He makes all things new.  Eternity with Him.

Note:  I'm attempting to blog via my ipad...I'm still new at this...and formatting is giving me fits.  Please be patient.  Sorry if things aren't as put together as normal.  There is only so much time I'm willing to give to blogging.  Formatting anymore wasn't in today's schedule.

Foto Friday: Clouds

Thoughtful Thursday: No worries...

Have you ever had one of those moments where your worries fall upon you... leaving you almost literally gulping for air? I happened to be flipping through Pinterest when I noticed my tight neck and shoulders and tense breathing...and as I gulped, I prayed...and pinned some things worth sharing.

There is nothing better to hold onto than Scripture...and sometimes in my flustered flutter I can't think of where to go...this is useful...

How often I've thought what a great pray-er I'd be if I did pray in place of worrying.  Seems like such an obvious point when I know the one accomplishing nothing and the other is the answer to everything.

So often my worries are centered around my being a control freak and wanting information about the future that I don't have...might never have.  Waiting on the Lord is hard...but I love this poster.  I want to use times of waiting to consider his glory and grow stronger and courageous.

I love this doodle...cuz I tend to do this with verses I'm trying to memorize.  It's a visual learner thang.  Oh, how I desire to be confident...strong, full of heart...as I wait on the Lord.

Praise the Lord that He uses His Word...even through the Pinterest channel...to calm my worries and encourage my heart.  So often, we hear about media as a source of evil...but today, I have proven this false.  It was merciful sweet dreams for me.  God is good.

Hodgepodge Memories

1. What summer activity most takes you back to your own childhood?

Reading.  I spent countless hours of my childhood reading...especially in the summertime.  Now that my two Sweet Boobahs are readers I'm enjoying all of us reading together.  So sweet!

2. What's your favorite summer smell?
It's between the smell of grilling out or campfire roasting marshmallows.

3. It's beach season in the US of A...so how do you feel about sand?
I wish I'd found out years ago that baby powder takes sand off.  My van would have appreciated it.  I enjoy sand while I'm on the beach...but not where and how it lingers later.

4. Sun tea, SunChips, sunflower seeds, Capri Sun, Sunny Delight, Sun-Maid raisins, sun-dried tomatoes...your favorite food or beverage with sun in its name?
Sun-dried tomatoes

5. What's your favorite way to cool off on a hot summer day?
I like running through the sprinkler with the kids...and I like sticking my feet in a bucket of cold water...and I like using ice cubes wedged in specific spots inside my shirt...*ahem.  Bwahhaha...built in air conditioning.  Okay...and I really like REAL air conditioning.  I don't think I could deal with Indiana summers otherwise.

6. Share a favorite song with the word sun or sunshine in it's title.
Walking on Sunshine...

7. Tell us about a time you had an exceedingly good or truly awful customer service experience. If it was awful, did you report it? Ever go back there again?
When the kids were little I had the greatest garbage man EVER...he'd wave and dump the bucket...every.single.time.  We knew his name...gave him presents...So, one day I called and "reported" his good behavior.  It was actually kind of funny...I don't think they'd ever gotten a call like that.  When they lost their bid for our neighborhood John actually came and said goodbye.  *sniff sniff*

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Swimming lessons started this week.  Guess I might actually get a tan ...that is if I manage not to burn.  They cut down the tree that used to hang over the pool.  I understand this from a practical standpoint but I'm bummed just the same.  

Tune Tuesday: Paving Over Paradise...

Last week, Mom and I drove past a large and very new parking lot next to a Walgreens.  My Mom said they knocked out a bunch of beautiful statues to make space for it.  She mentioned a song with the lyrics, "paving over paradise to build a parking lot."  I thought I'd heard it somewhere...and today on my new Amazon Music Player it came on.  I was very surprised...and excited.

So, here it is Mom!  Strangely enough, it's called Big Yellow Taxi and Joni Mitchell made it famous.

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

With a pink hotel, a boutique

And a swinging hot SPOT

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

‘Til it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

They took all the trees

And put them in a tree museum

Then they charged the people

A dollar and a half just to see 'em

Don't it always seem to go,

That you don't know what you've got

‘Til it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

Hey farmer, farmer

Put away that DDT now

Give me spots on my apples

But LEAVE me the birds and the bees

Please!

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

‘Til its gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

Late last night

I heard the screen door slam

And a big yellow taxi

Come and took away my old man

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

‘Til it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

I said

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

‘Til it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

Monday Musings...Reading...

I enjoyed this post of reading pictures and quotes about reading...HERE!

A great article, "You are what--and how--you read"...Here's my favorite paragraph..."In short, we honor God with our reading diligence. We honor God with our reading sacrifice. If you watch two hours of TV and surf the internet for three, what would happen if you abandoned these habits for reading the Bible and the Puritans? For real. Could the best solution to the sin that enslaves us be just that simple and difficult all at the same time? We create Christian communities that are safe places to struggle because we know sin is also "lurking at [our] door." God tells us that sin's "desire is for you, but you shall have mastery over it" (Gen. 4:7). Sin isn't a matter of knowing better, it isn't (only) a series of bad choices—and if it were, we wouldn't need a Savior, just need a new app on our iPhone."

Another great article, "Three Reasons To Diversify Your Reading"...my favorite point, "Reading more broadly allows you to have another connection point with non-Christians that helps you to have meaningful discussions (whether at work, the gym, traditional or online book clubs or Starbucks) that can also lead to opportunities to share the gospel."  Amen!!  Enough with hiding in the Christian bubble...POP!

This is interesting...about how much time people of various ages spend reading.  I admit I was surprised by this data.  But, I also have a question...Is any of the "screen time" data actually screen reading time?  I read ALOT on my ipad...which is technically a screen.  Just sayin'...