The Heart of Worship

Like so many others, I need to come back to the heart of worship. For too long I  allowed the troubles of this worldly life to interfere with my primary purpose, worshiping our Father. Instead of focusing on HIM, I erroneously focused my time and energy on the trials and tribulations of my life. My "to do" list and a long list of worries have occupied my mind. I even found myself putting off my devotion time in favor of getting stuff done.

Clearly, I had made a tremendous mess out of things. I was putting both my chores and my troubles before my God. In fact, my troubles were becoming like a god to me.

The commandment to "have no other gods before me" sounds simple enough. In fact, I'd bet that a vast majority of believers may think that commandment is one of the easier ones to obey. After all, they only worship one god, the true God. But if you think about that, it is not always so. A number of people worship things of this world without even really thinking about it. Or they allow the things of this world to get so important that they, like me, neglect to worship God.

Open our eyes, Father, and make us realize that we need you everyday. Not just when it's convenient. Not just in a crisis. During the good times and the bad times. We are called to Worship You. Truly, honestly, with our whole heart and soul. Worship.

Here is a definition of Worship that I recently found :

 "Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His Beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose - and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin".

William Temple’s (1881-1944)    Readings in St. John’s Gospel.


May I suggest that each of us spend some time and reflect on the fact that Jesus made it possible for us (that's you and me!) to have the privilege of being able to to come before the throne of God. The throne of God! There is not one person worthy of such a privilege. But we have the opportunity to do so every day. 


Have no other gods before me........What do you have in your life that is preventing you from spending  time worshiping our Father. Is it your job? Your family? Your hobbies? Money? The Internet? TV? Are there things that somehow seem more pressing? Don't be fooled into thinking that the things of this world are more important than your relationship with God. Because they aren't. And they will never be.

Come back to the Heart of Worship. Because it is All about Him.

There're No "Buts" About It!

Do any of these sound familiar?

• “Forgive me, Father, for losing my temper but  he provoked me...”
• “I know I shouldn’t have done it, but the temptation was just too great.”
• “Lord, I know I need to be patient, but...”
• “Forgive me, Father, for feeling envious but it’s been the desire of my heart...”
• “But why?”

The word “but” is so annoying. How many parents count to ten when they hear a child say, “But everyone does it!” Or how about, “But it wasn’t my fault, honest!”

It is foolish to think we can justify our behavior to the Lord. He’s not interested in our excuses. And He certainly does not want us to blame someone else for our own misdoings. Instead, He wants us to be accountable for our thoughts and behaviors. He wants us to acknowledge our sin and to stop playing the “blame game.”

Life is a Tangled Mess

Imagine, if you will, five skeins of yarn all clumped together in a tangled mess and you've been asked to untangle the clump. Looking at the clump some folks will automatically assume the job is impossible and will just throw it out without even trying. Some will make a feeble attempt and give up almost immediately. And some, like myself, will launch into the project with frenzied determination to solve the puzzle.

Converting a skein of yarn into a ball is advised by many before one attempts to start a project. As long as the skein is without snags, rolling up a ball of yarn is often an easy task. It's accomplished automatically and without any particular fanfare. With skill and a little imagination, all kinds of beautiful things can then be made.

In Sickness and In Health

 I just love weddings.

The hope. The promises. The look of love in the couple’s eyes.

I love to listen to the vows. Often I’ll reach over and squeeze my husband’s hand as I remember that precious day in October 1984 when we proclaimed our love and made promises before God and our families. …..”to love, honor and cherish, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health...”

Sadly, the joy felt at weddings does not always last. The divorce statistics tell us that! The challenges of every-day life get in the way and the next thing we know the hopes, dreams and promises are shattered. This is especially true if one of those every day challenges happens to be a chronic illness or disability. A staggering 75% of couples faced with a chronic illness or disability choose to end their marriage.

How can we reverse that trend? Why is it so much harder to stay married in these circumstances? What does the Bible say we should do? How can we safeguard our own marriages from this deplorable statistic?

Learning to Be Content

Philippians 4: 12-13  Paul writes:
I know what it is like to be in need. I know what it is like to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.


Over the past year I have been part of a growing number of people around the US. I have been unemployed. After ten years at the same organization, my position was eliminated. My husband is disabled so our family had been dependent upon my wages to make ends meet. So, like so many others, I can honestly say that I know what it is like to be in need especially as the bank balance dips dangerously close to zero.

To the outside world, it looks as if my family is "poor." We have had to learn to "make do" or simply "go without." It has been a couple of years since our television has served as anything other than a means to watch an occasional  DVD. My dryer had been out of commission for about seven months, forcing us to utilize the clothesline. It got fixed about three weeks ago and ironically the washer died just  the other day. Our one and only computer has 3 keys that no longer work and so we use the on-screen keyboard to compensate. My husband's recliner does not recline....the list is quite long, actually, of things we used to take for granted and cannot use at this time.

One lesson we've learned is there is a difference between our "wants" and our "needs." God provides our "needs" just as He provides the needs of the sparrow! We are not hungry. We have our home. We have each other. We truly are abundantly blessed!

Christmas is Coming!

Christmas is coming! Hooray! This year I have not gotten caught up in all the gift buying/holiday preparation frenzy as we honestly cannot afford such extravagance. Instead, I'm focusing upon the meaning surrounding this blessed season. And my heart is filled with joy!

There have been challenges galore in 2011 for my family. The heartache and struggles we've endured have enhanced  my testimony to how God has worked and is working in my life. Praise the Lord!

A number of years ago there was a popular story passed among Christians called "Footprints." I have it hanging in my kitchen as a matter of fact. Basically, it's a story about a man who takes a walk along a beach  with God over a course of his lifetime. Two sets of footprints are evident during his lifetime except during times of trial. God explains that those were the times He carried the person. What a marvelous illustration! God carries us during our times of trials, just as a loving parent carries a child. We are HIS children.

He sent HIS SON to live among us teach us His ways and to save us. That's what we celebrate at Christmas!

Do not let the circumstances of your life take away the joy in your heart as you anticipate the arrival of the Christ child. And please don't get so caught up in all the secular rituals of the season that you forget that God gave US the perfect gift already. You're not going to find it at the mall! Instead, you will find the perfect gift in a manger in Bethlehem. Jesus. Emmanuel- God With us. I cannot think of a better gift.

My wish for you at Christmas is that you, too, can experience the joy in your heart that comes in knowing that God loves you! He's there during all the storms as well as all the triumphs. Praise the Lord!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Follow Him Faithfully

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Give Thanks in All Circumstances

Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (Emphasis mine)

All circumstances??? At times that is almost impossible for us to imagine, let alone do. How do we give thanks when a natural disaster like a tornado or fire destroys our home? How do we give thanks when a loved one (or even ourself) is diagnosed with a life threatening illness? How do we give thanks despite the pain and heartache when our world seems to be crashing all around us? I can hear my mother tell me to look for a silver lining or look on the bright side. Oh, that is so much easier said than done!

Be Still, and Know That I Am God

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

I know there are some Bible scholars who will cringe at my simple interpretation of this verse, but I often think of this verse and imagine a loving adult speaking to a small child. Be still. How many of us have admonished a youngster when he/she is wiggling, popping up and down, touching things off limit, etc.? It could be the child is anticipating a delightful event like a circus to begin. Or he is curious about his environment, or simply bored. The adult might have a smile in his voice as he encourages the child to sit still and wait. Patiently the adult tries to calm the child down. Or maybe the child has a "boo-boo" that the adult needs to examine and treat. Be still. Again, the patient plea as the child wiggles and squirms. Eventually, if the little one doesn't settle down, the adult may have to speak in a firmer voice to get the child to focus.

Isn't this also true of our Heavenly Father? He wants to calm our anxious spirit, treat our "boo-boos" and delight in our joy. But he needs us to sit still and listen, just as that small child needs to do.

Know that I am God. He's in control. He is God. He's got this covered. Know this in your heart. Let there be no doubt whatsoever that He has a perfect plan for all of us.

Sometimes we just need to wait quietly and simply let Him do His work in us and for us. Being still is a challenge, that's for sure. But isn't it reassuring to know that He is God and He has everything under control?

Don't Let Your Burdens Weigh You Down

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Ever feel over burdened? If you're like most of us, the answer will be, "Yes." As a matter of fact, my answer is more like "When am I not?" Too often I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders as I go through the day. And frankly, that really is not necessary.

There was a day not too long ago that despite being over tired and achy I decided to do the food shopping on my way home. Feeling exhausted I muddled through the experience and loaded the car with oodles of bundles that included a 50lb bag of dog food. A feeling of dread accompanied me on the drive home as I thought about how I was going to have to unload the car and put all the stuff away. Then, pulling into the driveway I realized I had three choices:

1. Do it all myself without asking the family for help.
2. Ask someone to help me but still do the bulk of it myself.
3. Ask the family to take over the task and go inside and rest.

If I did it all myself, the feeling of being over burdened would only increase as would my physical tiredness. If I asked for help but did not let go of the task I'd feel a little relief but not enough to be restored. I figured out I needed to just let others carry my load.

Isn't that the same with God? Don't we have to give him our burdens and trust that He can carry the load? Trust that He wants us to relinquish our burdens so that He may be Glorified!

A Simple Beginning to Blogging

So, here I am, ready to share some random thoughts and ideas with the rest of the world.

As a Christian woman, I know firsthand how awesome our God is. It is my hope that my posts will convey to the readers a sense of just how often He is at work in our lives and how He can transform us.

Quite often the desire to share has been overwhelming. It is at that time I believe the Holy Spirit is prompting me to write something that can perhaps encourage others. At the very least, it is a way to share my testimony about the Lord's mighty blessing upon my life and upon my family.

I pray that you, too, will

Follow Him Faithfully