Follow The Leader

If we are looking, God can use the simple every day things of life to teach us about Him.

As I was walking our dog this morning, there was a family of geese - Dad, Mom, and seven young geese.  One parent, let's say it was the dad, was in the front, and mom was in the back with the seven young geese in between.  This family of geese walked across someone's front lawn, and started to cross the street.  Dad sensed some alarm and immediately turned around and the whole family turned around and headed back to the yard.

I couldn't help but think how God does the same thing for us.  He wants to lead us and direct our steps.  There are times when he turns us around and leads us in a different direction.  We may not always understand why but He always has our best interest in mind.  God will never lead us into tempation, but He will always deliver us from the Evil One.  Our job is easy... we just have to follow Him.

"For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard."  Isaiah 52:12

One Desire

There is one thing I desire
There is one thing that I seek
A longing deep within my soul
A fire burning deep
Lord, I finally realize
You are all I need
I lift my eyes to heaven and
I seek Your face with my whole heart
I'll be satisfied when I look in Your eyes
Gaze into Your beauty
In Your presence I abide
When I awake, when I awake
In the likeness of You, in the likeness of You.

~Me

I wonder sometimes how different life would be if I truly lived like Jesus was all I needed.

In His Grace...

Always On His Mind

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?  For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor."  Psalm 8:3-5

I am not famous - I do not know any famous people nor have I met any famous people.  I did get close enough once to snap a picture of Mel Gibson when he was in town filming Conspiracy Theory.  Dearborn Street was packed with people wanting a glimpse of a Hollywood star.  I remember people trying to get an autograph or shake his hand.  And I was one of those people.  I thought it would be so awesome to have Mel Gibson's autograph.  I didn't get my autograph, but I did waste an hour of my time waiting and hoping.

Mel Gibson may not have paid any attention to me, but God does.  I am always on His mind, and that is exciting to me!

Elohim, the Creator of the universe, the One who made the heavens and hung the moon and the stars, knows me.  He does not just know about me, He knows me inside and out.  He formed me in my mother's womb, He knows each hair on my head by number, He knows my thoughts.  And He loves me and wants a relationship with me.  He wants to be more than a  handshake or an autograph.  He wants to be my everything.  He wants to be my

• Healer
• Provider
• Counselor
• Hope
• Peace
• Joy
• Refuge
• Best friend
• Lover of my soul
• Abba Father or Dear Papa Daddy
• Shoulder to cry on
• Help
• Savior
• Redeemer
• Confidant
• Giver of good gifts

He is crazy in love with me and He cannot stop thinking about me.  What more could I ask for?  Nothing... He completes me.

With My Whole Heart

I want to love You more

I want to love You more

I give myself in sweet surrender

Totally to You

I want to love You more.

I wrote this little chorus years ago, but lately this has been the cry of my heart.  We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, and so often I don't even come close.  There are days when He is not in His rightful place in my life.  There are days when my priorities are out of whack.  Some days I am laying up earthly treasure, not heavenly treasure.  Some days He does not have my whole heart.

I am grateful for His mercy and grace and unconditional love.  His kindness and goodness and faithfulness create in me a longing to love Him more deeply, to worship Him more sincerely, to serve Him more willingly.

So as I start my 21 day fast today, this is my desire, to love Him more each day, to hunger and thirst for His righteousness and to live in His presence where there is fullness of joy.  I want to live in His love.

In His Grace...

Let God Determine Your Usefulness

The other day I reached for my towel to dry off and realized there was no bath towel on the rack.  I hate when I do that!  I was about to yell for help when I spotted the hand towel on the counter.  That would do the job.

Now I would never choose a hand towel over a regular bath towel intentionally.  Hand towels are for hands, and bath towels are for bodies, beach towels are for the beach.  Each towel is designed for a specific purpose.  But that doesn't mean they cannot be used outside of their intended purpose.  Ultimately, I decide what the purpose will be.

And I think that is how God feels about us.

Too often I feel inadequate or under qualified.  I may feel like there are others more suited and equipped for the task at hand.  And there probably is.  But God (I love those two words!) is not concerned about my qualifications, just my availability.

He created me, and He determines my purpose.  He chooses how I will be used.  My job is to remain on the Potter's wheel and let Him mold me.  That is not always easy, but always worth it!

Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the  plans I have for you..."