Guided by a Watchful Eye

Cats are amazing animals. They love to curl up on a couch or bask in a sunny window. Although many owners love keeping their cats outdoors, I prefer to keep my own cats indoors. My own cat Beau is one of my indoor cats and his antics keep me entertained. He has his own condo near the large picture window which is his television to the outdoors. He is intrigued with the squirrels, raccoons, and other cats who are infringing on his territory as they lounge on the deck or search for food. These intruders are infringing on his territory and he slinks along the floor waiting to pounce on them. He loves watching the birds outdoors who come to eat at the feeder located just outside the window. He chatters and talks to them and again he attempts to catch a feathered friend or two. And should any insect come inside the house and fly around the room, his eyes never stop studying the “bug”. He plans his method of attack carefully and usually manages to get a delicious meal when they land nearby.

Just as much as Beau is fascinated with the outdoors, he is insistent on showing me that he is the one who is in charge at home. When I sit down to watch a program on television or get comfortable with reading a book, I can expect my cat to jump up on my lap and find a way to curl up in my arms and sleep. If I take time to sit down and try to use the computer, he jumps up and works hard to gain my attention. But should I want to pick Beau up and hold him, he seems disinterested. He is the “boss” and I have to play by his rules. I am the one who has to learn his language. Perhaps that is the reason that I love cats. I like their independence. They teach me their language and habits. They show me how to relax and to slow down the busy pace of life. Even in taking a nap, the cat stretches and totally relaxes his muscles. Yes, the lessons that a feline can teach me are invaluable.

In my spiritual walk, God is the instructor who teaches me how to lean upon Him. Psalm 25:4 states “Make your ways known to me, teach me your paths” My Christian walk needs to focus on following God’s pattern. He speaks to me through his Word and shows me how to trust in Him. Proverbs 9:21 reinforces the interest God has in man. “For a man’s ways are before the Lord’s eyes and he considers all His paths.” (Proverbs 9:21) God has a special interest in me and just like I take time to watch the cat and learn from his little quirks, God watches over me and guides me with His love. Learning to step out in faith and follow his leading gradually shapes my life so that it will begin to conform to His likeness. God is My instructor who shows me the pathway along life and keeps His eye on me (Psalm 32:8). Yes, this is the way to peace and a fulfilled life that will remove the stress and worry from my day to day living. Guide me with Your eye and let me follow your counsel.

*All passages are from the Holman Christian Study Bible

God's Grace in my Life

When I hear the word “grace” I always make the association to the phrase “unmerited favor”. These words are found in the song “No Other Word for Amazing” which was popular several years ago.

God’s grace means that no matter what I have done in life, God accepts me for what I am and where I am, forgives me when I ask and then saves me so that I am a child of His kingdom. All of these things are part of His love for me and there is nothing that I have ever done or could do in the future that would deserve His love. It is grace that paves the pathway for me to become a Christian. His umbrella of love keeps me close to Him and protects me from the “punishment” I deserve for all my sins.

There is no way I can comprehend that type of love. When we see people do things that are wrong we know that the justice system is designed to make them accountable for their actions. And when we are careless and drive over the speed limit, forget to stop at a stop sign, or make a turn from a wrong lane and cause an accident, we have to answer for our actions. Although we have an idea of what should be done with others who do wrong things, God forgives everyone who comes to Him and asks for forgiveness. Man and the judicial system may hold you accountable but God’s love can wash away the sinful act and make you clean.
I tried to think of an easy way to remember the word “grace”. The solution I found was:
G---God’s
R----Righteousness
A----Accepted at
C----Calvary is
E----Everlasting


Lean on His shoulders, take comfort in His arms and be at peace. I don’t have to run around feverishly trying to accomplish something. I won’t feel exhausted and worn out but I will be at peace with God knowing that He cares for me.

Emptiness

Trying to set aside time to write each day isn’t always easy. For me it seems that my ideas come in a flood and I will write feverishly for a couple months and then all of a sudden my mind seems completely empty. So many times I have found myself caught up in other responsibilities that have to be done and my passion gets shoved into the background. When that happens day after day my mind loses its focus and putting my ideas down on paper is harder. That is where I am right now.

All the ideas that have been jotted down and all the various directions that I wanted to pursue on paper have little or very little meaning to me now. Yes, I can relate to what I was thinking about and have some ideas about how I planned to develop a story but the inspiration is gone. I miss it but don’t want to lose it completely. Putting just these few thoughts on paper is a way to try to push beyond the writer’s block. I miss the writing and enjoy the person who can write and draw spiritual applications from simple and often overlooked events.

I have spent so much of my life hiding in the past and doing everything for others that my dreams and goals in life no longer seem important. God, help me to get back to a point in my life where I feel appreciated and loved by you and can find my focus. Let me feel your presence and bring me back to a point where I can sense your spirit and power moving me forward to a new and brighter future.

A Time for Thanksgiving

It’s been quite a while since I have taken the time to post anything on this site. But with Thanksgiving just around the corner it seems appropriate to think about all that God has done for us this year.

*I have become more involved in the music ministry of our church and am looking forward to returning to playing the flute. I am grateful to be able to serve in an area that prepares each person’s heart for the message each service.

*God has allowed me to spend quality time with my granddaughters and we have been able to develop a very close bond. I am grateful that God has given me time to share in their activities.

*Meeting Holly, Jason’s fiancée was super special and although we were only able to spend a few days with Jason and Holly we got another glimpse into the way that God is blessing our family.

*I’m grateful that each of our boys is able to provide financial support for their families.

*I’m grateful that Terry has been able to work through medical issues and be able to gain new strength.

*I’m thankful for wonderful friends who have been available for me during the years. The blessing of friendship can never be taken for granted and God has given me one very special friend who is always there for me.

*I’m thankful for the financial blessings that God has given to us. Things may be tight from time to time but knowing that Terry has a job and can keep up with his work responsibilities is another way that God has blessed us.

*I’m thankful for the introduction to Christian writing through the internet and have enjoyed putting my thoughts down on paper. The opportunity came at just the right time and I appreciate the way that writing has extended my focus and challenged me.

*I am thankful for the soldiers who work so hard to keep our country safe.
*I am blessed by the array of liberties that are freely available to Americans and for the opportunity to live in a country like the USA.
*I am grateful for the beauty of the God’s creation and the evidence of His hand in the world around us.
*I am thankful for cousins, aunts, uncles, and other family members who were there for me while growing up and who still keep in touch and pray for me.

The list could continue for quite some time but the main focus I think is important is the heritage we have through our forefathers, the love that God has given to each one who is willing to accept His gift, and the time to just reflect on His blessings and His provision for each of us through His Son.

My wish for each of you reading this is that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and that you can relax for just a short time and look at what God has done for you. That is what I plan to do. I know that God deserves all the glory and praise for all that He has done for me both now and for what He will do in the future.

I Want to Be Confident but.......

I recently had a chance to write on the topic “confidence” in a weekly writing challenge and my first inclination was to approach the topic on a positive note. You know, you are confident and want to do what is right or you attempt to overcome your inhibitions to do something that may scare you. It may simply be a difficult situation that tests your endurance. Everyone wants to be confident about something in life. The problem is how to be confident but not overly confident. How do we gain confidence? And where does that confidence come from?

Our family made several moves from state to state and it wasn’t easy. Trying to be confident that we were making the right decision and then following through and learning to make new friends took some time. It was hard to leave the comfort of the area where we lived and we certainly missed all our friends, but more than once the move was necessary. Eventually, after we moved and settled in, we adapted and our confidence increased as we learned to navigate throughout the new area.

Overcoming a fear such as the fear of heights is an area where our confidence may at one time have been shaken. There is a choice: always be afraid of heights or try to work through the problem and gain new confidence as you overcome the fear. I, for one, am not fond of heights and it was something that started when I was a young child. Once I was married and having children I tried to work through the fear. It took several baby steps at first and a lot of jittery feelings inside whenever I looked down, but I gradually learned to overcome my fear. Once I overcame my fear, I can handle most things such as climbing to the top of a mountain on a hike, relaxing while on an airplane trip, and being able to feel comfortable with greater heights. I can feel myself tense up inside when the height is too great and at that time I usually move to a place that seems safe.

In our Christian life we can be confident that our life in Jesus is secure if we have fully committed our life to Him. When things get bumpy along the pathway, we can place our trust in God. He can guide us to make good decisions about churches, questions about right or wrong issues with family life/morality and he can calm our fears when we face uncertain times. For me, this is probably the one area where I have the most confidence. I may make mistakes but when I falter I know that God will pick me up and set my feet on the right path. If He weren’t there for me, I don’t actually don’t know what I would do. I need someone to talk to when things get rough and knowing that He is there calms my inner spirit and gives me the confidence to go forward.

But what about the times that we are confident but actually wrong in our process of thinking? We don’t like to think about those moments but we all have them. Perhaps the one area I can relate to was when I was growing up. Say the word “test” and most students give a long groan. It is a necessary evil in learning material in school and it always meant a lot of studying for me. I usually didn’t have too much trouble coming up with the right answer. But there were times when I answered a question and was 100% certain that I was right only to find out that I was completely wrong. My confidence was slightly shaken and I learned an important lesson. You can be confident in what you are doing or trying to do but you CAN be totally wrong.

The one thing that I think everyone can associate with is the proverbial shortcut while driving from one point to another. If we are honest, we all have made the mistake of making a wrong turn or taken the scenic route and gotten lost along the way. Ever discover a “detour” sign and decide that there wasn’t really a detour there after all? Yes, if you decided to tempt fate you probably discovered that the sign was there for a reason. All the time you expected to save by ignoring the sign was lost when you had to turn around and follow the actual detour.

Everyone has probably found themselves in a traffic jam while coming home from work or driving to work in the morning. When you either left work or home, you knew pretty much how long it took to get from one place to the next. But an accident, road construction, or a closed lane can change the timing. I don’t know about you, but for me it was always at the time when I had to be somewhere at a specific time. Music lessons, dental exams, play rehearsals, and sports practices are all different after school activities and with each obligation, you are expected to be there on time or within a reasonable time after the appointment (probably 5 minutes or less). I know what I should have done but I felt that I could “control” everything so that I wouldn’t be late. Overly confident but wrong in my evaluation of the situation at hand.

On another occasion I was waiting at a stop sign so that I could move across the intersection. I had several cars behind me but when the highway was clear I began to accelerate only to discover that my car was in reverse rather than in drive. I forgot that I had decided to move back just a little when another car seemed too close while driving past. I was confident that I knew exactly what to do but I was totally wrong. If I hadn’t caught my mistake I could have ended up causing an accident and facing an upset driver who would never have really understood why my car was in reverse.

I could elaborate more but I think the message is clear. Being overly confident can be totally unpredictable and give me a result I never expected. Placing my confidence in Christ and letting him guide me is the only way to, shall I say, stay out of trouble.

Proverbs14:16 "A wise man fears and departs from evil but a fool rages and is self-confident"
(NKJV)

Comfort in God's Arms

On a trip to the city of Shreveport, we had the opportunity to have some much deserved time as husband and wife. It always seemed that things were so busy at home that we never got any peace, hence the out-of town trip. We had been able to enjoy the evening so much that the time had gotten away from us. It wasn’t until 1:00 AM that we realized we had missed dinner. We found a restaurant near the hotel lobby and waited our turn for a table.

While we were waiting there was time to look at the surroundings. On a large wall of the hotel there was a complete exhibit of African cichlids swimming in an environment much like the natural habitat of Lake Malawi. It was peaceful to just watch the movement of the fish and to look for the baby fish hiding in the rocks and crevices. Since we have a tank of African cichlids at home I enjoyed the view even more.

In a separate area near the restaurant was a band. The guitar, bass guitar and drums resonated in the hallways. The lead singer was a young girl about twenty-four. Three young men played on the instruments. Several people were mingling and appeared to be having fun, butt for me, it was just too loud and noisy. I simply wanted to find a spot away from the night life that attracted so many people.

In the area to the right of the restaurant were a series of boutique shops that lined the hallway to the elevator that opened out to the parking garage. I turned my head to my immediate right and noticed a table of young people. The boys were wearing white tuxedos and the girls had a palette of spring color prom dresses. Everyone was laughing and enjoying the evening. What caught my attention and left a memory in my mind was the couple sitting near the back of the table. The young man looked very stylish and debonair in his white tuxedo and his date was wearing a burgundy gown with a beaded top. What I noticed most about this young lady was that she had her head resting on her date’s shoulder and her eyes were closed. I’m sure that she must have had a busy evening and a wonderful time, or at least I would like to think so, but now there was a peaceful look on her face, a look of contentment and happiness.

The scene kept my attention. It made me think of God and the way I need to rest in Him. I’m usually going in so many directions that I seldom take time to rest and let God take all the cares and worries of this world on His shoulder. This was particularly true of the time period when my children were in school. I taught in a Christian school and had four boys at home all of which had homework and wanted to be in sports. Eventually I burned out and had to take a break to rest and renew my physical body. I was trying too hard to be a super mom rather than let God have complete control of my life and its direction. If I give Him control of my life, then I can rest peacefully in his arms. I have no reason to fear or be anxious.

For some people it is easy to think of God wrapping His arms around us and holding us protectively against the problems of our world. For me it wasn’t so easy since the home environment was one that didn’t openly show love and affection. I seldom saw love expressed with a hug or kiss and at times I lived in fear of an angry parent punishing me

John 3:16 is a key verse that I need to remember. “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God’s gift to the world was His son. No one can really experience the pain that God must have felt while he watched His son take the sins of the world upon His shoulders, but a love like that only comes once in a lifetime. Since He gave so much I should trust Him completely. When I give Him complete control of my life, I can rest my head on His shoulders, take comfort in His arms and be at peace. I don’t have to run around feverishly trying to accomplish something. I won’t feel exhausted and worn out but I will be at peace with God knowing that He cares for me.

Burdens or Blessings

Q. How do you handle life's problems? Are events blessings or burdens and how that does that relate to how others see you? Do you try to witness to others during this time?

My one aim in life is to have others see Christ in me. This means being consistent in everything I do and willing to apologize to others if I slip up and do something that is not Christ-like. I have to realize that my life is a microscope that others are watching even when I don’t know about it.

Blessings and burdens are part of our Christian life. The blessings are the wonderful ways that God answers our prayers. Often they come after a period of trials that have tested my ability to put all things into the control of Christ. Receiving money to pay bills that are due, having a family member recover from a serious sickness, and safety on the highway during long trips are just a few of the ways that God shows me His face.

For me, during the really rough times I seek out someone who is a sincere Christian so that I can talk through things. The person I choose has to be someone who can keep confidences and will pray with me while the problem exists. Others may notice that I am quieter during these times and wonder what is going on. If I can keep a calm outward look even though I am struggling inwardly others will notice and realize that there is a difference in my life. When that happens, I can share Christ with them. To say that I always turn my problems over to the Lord is to deny that I am human. I make mistakes but problem-solving is in God’s hands.

Whether my life is going through a period when I am struggling with problems or a time when I am receiving blessings, I should be assured that Christ is always by my side. That needs to be my one constant part of life, security in Christ. Hopefully others will see Him in me through both the bad and good times.