While I'm waiting

     I imagine life as one long hallway. Every day you're walking down this hallway trying to reach the door at the end. On either side of you the hall is lined with doors. Some are good and others are bad.You have no idea what's on the other side of that door, but He knows. He knows that on the other side is His great plan for you. But only by taking the side doors will you reach that door. Day by day the Shepherd beckons you saying, "come My child. Walk with Me." As you walk you pray, praying for your Guide to open the right doors, and He does. But every now and then He opens a door that looks so right, but the moment you try to step through, He slams it shut again. "But it looked so right Lord!" you say. "Yes My child, it did look right, but that is not what I have for you" He says, "Just wait. Be patient. I have something far better in mind." 

       Everyone has a "plan" for their lives, but so does God. We need to seek that plan, for our earthly dreams cannot compare to the beauty of His heavenly plan for us. For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are His ways higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. (Is. 55:9) God already has a plan for us, we just need to wait on Him and follow Him. One thing we all know is that God will NEVER lead us astray. Not seldom ever, but NEVER. So trust His plan. Trust the One Who made you to never lead you astray in life. Wait on Him.

While you're waiting what are you going to do??

    

~*~*~

 The plans of the heart belong to man, 

but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

 Proverbs 16:1

"For the glory of the Lord!"

Lessons from Ruth

  Widowed at a young age she abandoned her home, her family, her religion and all that she loved to follow her mother-in-law to a land and people that were foreign to her. There she took up the faith of her mother-in-law and took it upon herself to care for her in her old age.

 

       The story of Ruth. Ruth's story is a short one, yet one that is packed with wisdom for women attaining to be Godly wives. My sister and I have recently been studying Ruth with a couple friends in our weekly "wife prep" Bible study. One of the things that really stuck out to me about Ruth was her patience in waiting. All of us who are single are in that season of waiting, but none of us fully know the joy that lies ahead. Ruth did. She knew what she was missing in life, yet still she was patient in her wait and trusted God. Can we say the same?

 

 "The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor....

All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character." 

Ruth 3:10-11

 

    What a legacy! How I pray I develop the same legacy! This is a legacy we should all attain to: to be known for our virtuous, Godly character and strong morals. The fact that the entire town knew of her virtue and noble character, shows that she was worth talking about. Ladies, what kind of legacy do you want to take into marriage? Do you want to be known as Ruth: a woman who waited for and prepared for her man, a noble and virtuous woman; or a flirtatious and impatient woman? Godly Christian men are attracted to women like Ruth, not the women of this world. We don't want to settle for God's second best, but His first choice for us. The one that will love us forever as Christ loves His church. We want to be his pearl of great price, his rarest treasure. So let's strive to be Ruth, and God will bring us Boaz.      

~*~*~*~

"Time slips by,

Trusting God has become important above everything else.

His timing is perfect and all His ways are best.

Would I truly love you in such a deep way if I wasn't waiting?

Would I grow if time had not taught me the value of obedience? 

Though I have never met you, I am faithful to you.

Though I am single my heart is yours already.

The one I give my heart to, is the one I marry,

safely stored in Christ until God brings us together.

Single I stand proud that I have not settled,

grateful that God has taught me to wait.

You're the right one, the one God has chosen is worth the wait,

no matter how long. 

I will no settle for ok, I wait for God's perfect fit."

~ Unknown~

~* ~ *~ *~

  

Success in stagnation

     You ever feel like you're standing still in life while everyone around you is moving forward? I have. I do now. It's that weird feeling of stagnation, where life is still as busy as ever yet you feel as if you're going nowhere. Like your life is stuck on pause. I have a couple awesome jobs and am involved in some great Bible studies, yet it feels like I'm not accomplishing anything in this season. I know there is a time for every season, but I wonder, "what is this season for?" When all around me people of my age group are getting married or going off to college, it is easy for me to feel that I'm not accomplishing anything in this season. I struggle at feeling successful.

      Though I am very happy at home and am loving my work, I find myself wishing something exciting would happen in my life. Something to make me feel successful during this season. While I was praying about this the other day, the Lord convicted me on this. He alone knows the plans He has for me (Jer. 29:11) and it is mine not to question but to obey. Who am I to think that I can question what He has in store for me, or the purpose of this season? God is the only one who can see my future, who knows what the outcome and blessings of this time will be. From past experience I've learned that it is most often in the quiet of the still seasons that He reveals Himself to me the most. It is in seasons like this, that I grow in Him and learn about Him.

      Success is a matter of perspective: God's perspective. I am successful in this season because I am right where God wants me to be and am rejoicing in His will. Being successful in life is all about following God's plan (or so I think) and being content in it. In this season I will rejoice because I know He is here with me and has a purpose for this.

 
"There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens"
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Say a prayer

              “Mama! Maaaaamaaa! Maaama!

     I smile as I hear my little niece’s voice squealing for her mama. It was bedtime but Blessing was strongly protesting the fact that she had to lie down. As I listened to her continual squawking, my thoughts turned towards the orphans of the world. My heart breaks as I think of all those little ones who are crying out for a different reason tonight. I bleed for those precious children.

   I often think of the stories I’ve heard and the things I’ve seen about orphans. Though I’m home and can no longer be hands on with them, I have by no means forgotten them. Seldom a day goes by when I do not think of them. My heart cries out against the injustices and pain they face. There is NO reason a child should suffer the way they do.  It makes me sick to my stomach to think of what they go through. 

  Tonight my little niece goes to bed with a full belly, her thirst satisfied with clean water. She sleeps in a warm bed. She's sheltered, loved, and protected. She’s healthy and secure in this family who adores her and seeks to take care of her. Does not every child deserve the same?? Do they not all wish for that??Each one has a dream and each dream includes being loved and secure.

   We might not all be able to adopt or fly somewhere to take care of an orphan, but we can ALL be doing something to help. We can pray! I beseech you tonight, DO NOT FORGET THE WORLD’S ORPHANS! Pray for them, please. Even if you can’t do anything else, pray!! Do not forget them.

“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;  

maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.”

 Psalm 82:3

 
"For the glory of God!"

Be still!

“Be still, and know that I am God!” 

This verse screams at me from it’s place above the living room mantel as I arrive at work. Psalm 46:10.  The boldfaced letters that jump off the wall into my heart.  A convicting reprimand from the Lord. 

 “Oh you of little faith! Why are you crying out for guidance, yet will not be still before ME? Am I your GOD or not? When will you recognize your need to be still at my feet?! Where was Mary when I was in her house? Where are you when I'm waiting for you?!” 

    I feel this rebuke and wonder, “when was the last time I was still before the Lord, coming to Him just to sit at His feet, to be near Him and filled with Him?” Sadly, most of the time I am Martha. I get so caught up in life that I neglect to spend time with Him for no other reason than to hear from Him. I’m done being Martha. I’m ready to be Mary, to sit before my King, to dwell in His presence.

 

“Be still, and know that I am God” 

   This time it is a gentle whisper in my being reminding me to be still and watch the Lord work. To remember Him, to sit in His presence.To be still. 

"Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome” 

Nehemiah 4:14

"For the glory of God!"

Finding perspective

  A wise friend once told me that she believes joy is a matter of perspective, that one has to first learn to see the beauty in a situation before they can acquire joy in that situation. Wise words.

God is a God of beauty and emotion, and when I say beauty I'm not referring to beauty that the eye can behold (though He does make people and scenery beautiful). I'm referring to the beauty of the love and joy He surrounds us with; the very beauty that gives meaning to this world and lightens the burdened soul. To obtain this kind of joyful attitude one must make a conscious habit of looking beyond the spectrum of the situation to discern the beauty within. Not every situation is beautiful, nor is always what we want it to be, and often it is very difficult to find any joy in it. But we must remember that because God allowed that situation into our life, there is beauty in it and when we find it, that beauty will bloom into a joy that only God could give us. His beauty is all around, beauty that turns to joy when we find it. I have found it in my life.

 I see it in the joyful seasons and the hard seasons. I see it when I'm facing disappointments and when I'm receiving blessings.

 I see this beauty in the laughter we share around the dinner table, in the silence that enfolds us as Daddy prays for the meal.

 I see it in the joy that sparkles from my sisters eyes as she runs to greet her man at the door.

I hear it in the thunder of little feet that rush to greet me as I come home from work. I feel it in the bundles of joy that burst from the door to throw themselves upon me. 

I see it in my Lolly as she gazes at me with luminous brown eyes, and feel it as she wraps her arms around me.

I see it in the fingers that grasp mine as I rock Shandie, and hear it in the sanctuary as the church lifts up their voice before our God. 

    I see it in all the little things that often go unnoticed, yet catch my eye, heart or ear and cause me to notice the beauty within.  These are the things that my heart thrives on, the things that cause me the most joy and give me a greater glimpse of my Savior.

Will you stop and survey your life to find this hidden beauty?

"Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

 Psalm 37:4

"For the glory of God!"

What love really means

    Love. How does one even know the true meaning of love in this world? This day in age when someone refers to love they are referencing the generic kind of love that Hollywood sells. A love that revolves around lust and "love at first sight." The world has taken a God given thing, the very thing that made this world beautiful, and turned it into something fake and short lived. In this whirlwind of romance and emotion, people have completely forgotten the true meaning of love. They have forgotten what it is to truly love. They rejected God's perfect and selfless love for that which is as empty as the air. How has that worked for people? 

    Somewhere in Africa there is a child in an orphanage, crying for the love of a mother who is never coming back. 

In India a child sits begging in the streets because her father has abandoned her.

The teenager in jail weeps for the deeds he's done. All he's ever wanted was to be loved and accepted for who he is.

The man on the sidewalk, trying desperately to keep warm, hasn't been shown love in months. 

    

      God is a God of love. He created love and designed that His people would live in love. Daily His heart is grieved for those who are "unloved." He cries out to His people to bring back that kind of love and awaken the world unto Him through His love. The world would be a totally different place if we have but the courage to love as He has loved. But where has that love gone??





   

     

Why are we not reaching out with unstoppable love?? Why have we let the world trample us and rob us of our courage? Where is our faith to do these things??

^" Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 

"For the glory of God!"