Category Archives: SPIRITUAL INTEREST

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God Speaks, We Listen, and I’m Not Kidding

This year I’m doing things a little bit different than other years. I’m reading five chapters a day in the old testament. I started in the prophets and just finished with Malachi. Now I’m reading in the Psalms.

Things Are Changing

It’s weird but the world seems worse than before the pandemic. It may not be worse but it sure seems to be. Or maybe I’m just on the media thread too much. Whatever, I get discouraged if I listen to the common thread for today. People need the Lord.

But One Thing Hasn’t Changed

God is still in control. Let’s not forget that He is in charge of the world. But why doesn’t it seem like it? you may ask. There’s a mixed bag of answers for that question. We are losing our way but make no mistake, God is still bringing people to find Him. I listen to some YouTube videos that prove God is still at work.

God Is Still In Control

Start looking and you will find Him. Through videos He speaks loudly. However, the message is being delivered in many unique ways. I listen on the YouTube videos to a variety of Christian messages intent on sharing the gospel of Christ. It is being shared far and wide, from coast to coast. His word speaks loudly.

Intention To Listen Well for Him

People are being bold with their message, but warm in sharing the grace of God. When you figure it out, you become intentional. You decide to be careful with what you watch. If you aren’t careful, you get stuck listening to stuff that leads to despondency. So, you must determine what you will allow yourself to listen to.

God Meets Us Where We’re At

God waits for us until we’re ready and willing. We think we’re waiting until God is ready but in reality God is waiting until we’re willing and able to carry that cross. In many respects we are ready but there are things we don’t quite understand or grasp. And, maybe, it’s just not the right time.

Follow God Through It All

Often the following is hard for us. We get ahead and work it out the way we think it should go. We don’t even realize we’re doing it because we’re so focused on doing it right. Learning to lean on His directing and facilitating makes a world of difference. God brings things about in His way and according to His purpose. Our eagerness causes wrong impressions and may lead to troublesome actions.

In My Life

I have had this problem big time. I mean well but I do it my way. God has slowed me down. I have learned to listen and wait. But the wait is active. I don’t just sit and twiddle my thumbs. I am waiting while I learn and listen. LEARN + LISTEN = WAIT. God is constantly teaching us. He waits and wants and wishes for our attention, but He never forces His way.

We Can Do This

The more we listen, the more we ascertain His wishes, the more we learn to follow His lead, the more we step into His fulfillment in our lives. It’s kind of uncanny how it works. God leads, we follow. Simple, yet difficult. Good, but hard. Yes, sometimes we are unsure. We aren’t sure when we’re leading or following. Ask Him. He will guide you to find the answer. He uses His Word, people, or circumstances to bring the issues into focus in ways we can understand. It’s really beautiful the way in which He teaches us.

If You Aren’t Sure

There’s a lot of confusion about some of these things. We aren’t sure of God’s plan for us. Lean forward, lean inward, and lean outward. Look to God. Make yourself open to Him. Be honest. Be willing. Invite Him in. Trust Him. Confess your problems. Open up to Him. Seek His way. Rest in His truth. Obey His word. Really, take some time and look to Him. In every way you know, you are His child and precious to Him. Always remember this. He loves you.

Go With His Plan

You can do this. He is with us. We are God’s children. We mean the world to Him. He means the world to us. We’re in this life for a reason, and part or all of that reason is to glorify God. We don’t feel adequate but that doesn’t matter. Give your all to Him. How do you do that? Give your whole self, bit by bit, thought by thought, to God.

We Are No Mistake

God us our most precious Father in heaven. Tell Him you love Him. Maybe you already have. God’s love is the most precious thing we have on earth. He has a far-flung mission that you may not realize. . .yet, it’s in a beautiful plan of God. He wants to use us, but He waits until we are willing. Though, we must be willing and without any reserve. As our Father, He knows and keeps us in the palm of Him hand. So glorious it is to be used by God in the world in which we live.

God be with you.

Take a look > https://meridianwoman.blogspot.com/2020/11/judging-others-hurts-us.html

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The Lord is Good

The Lord Helps

Whether we are current or behind, God always is with us. I know there are times when He seems far away. Those times are hard. They may last awhile. You keep on plodding. You keep on hoping. You keep on, keeping on. Maybe you give up . . . for awhile. Maybe you try to better your game . . . for all its worth. Maybe you aren’t sure what to do differently. It is really, really, really hard at times. I’m sure you’ve had a few or many such times if you’ve been a Christian for over a few years.

It’s been told to me that God keeps us moving forward. That makes sense. But sometimes we can’t tell where He is at. We struggle to find Him if we’re honest about it, but we are afraid to admit that that is the case. People have said that God sometimes is invisible to us. When He is this way, we are fearful that He has left us, and maybe for good. We can’t quite figure it out, though we may have tried and desperately given it our best. What to do?

I don’t have the answers. It seems that God is taking us on a long journey. Each person He brings a unique way. I can’t say what God is going to do for you, even when I think I know. The Lord helps us, I do know that. We must trust Him, even when we don’t know the reason why. Take some time by yourself with God. Start perusing you path in reverse. Look to Him as you probe the contacts and decisions you have made. You may come to a place where you find what you’re looking for. He brings it up to your eyesight, for you to take notice. You do, and He does. It’s an uncanny thing.

The Lord Keeps

One thing I am always thankful for is that I know my Redeemer. I know He lives, cares, and guides. At times though He appears to be far away, I speak and I know He hears me. So uniquely He strives to bring me Up, to listen to and for Him, to trust Him and not doubt. Always He is teaching us. We learn to trust Him through the good and also the hard times.

A week ago I decided to take down my journals. I looked at them and couldn’t make up my mind whether I wanted to review them or not. Did I want to read through that old stuff? I started journaling in February, 2002, a couple weeks after my mate had decided to leave me. My five kids were Josh at Western Baptist College for his freshman year, LaVonne during her senior year at Chico Senior High, Thomas was getting his driver’s permit, Forrest was at the end of grade school, and Glorianne was in preschool at Hamilton, where I was P/T teaching.

I decided to read the first journal. It took me three days. Then I read it again. I was getting it out and reading it closely. There were things I had written that I didn’t remember and visa-versa. It was amazing, really. I haven’t looked at them in a long time, and I didn’t think they would be of interest. In fact, I had been embarrassed by my writing, cuz it was painful and I hoped for things that never came to pass. I wrote a lot, and I wrote from the heart. And I wrote a bit what the kids had to say. I’m so glad I did.

The Lord Remains

It’s odd now that so much time has passed. Neither one of us has remarried. He lives on the east coast now. I’m still in Chico. Reading the journal now brought it all back. I was a mother, a worker in the church, a part-time school teacher, an orchardist in Dad’s walnut orchard, and a student at Chico State University, for my refreshed credential and my reading credential. I was way busy, but I had to be. I was also afraid my work would be stopped in the church, but Pastor saw it appropriately.

I saw my kids differently than I had before. Divorce affects you children. Pastor gave me wise counsel that stood up through the many years of then and after. Each child took it differently, but they all grasped the enormity of it all. I didn’t give up, though I should have. The first journal took me through the months of separation. I saw the strength of my kids during the reading of it. They wanted their dad to get right with God. I’m glad for that, and that it was the truth.

I sent a little text to Josh. I wanted to thank him for being so good, kind, and thoughtful during that time. And he was all that. God was by my side through it all, but I couldn’t always see Him. I was extremely broken, harshly hurt, and terribly mixed up. I had tried so hard, but it hadn’t been enough. I didn’t understand. All I can say is that God knows. He has helped us through it all. I’m so very glad He did.

The Lord Reminds

“Trust Me.” Those two words mean the world to me. When I wanted answers, I got “Trust Me.” I had to learn to trust in Father God for everything and as often as I crumbled, grumbled, and complained. I couldn’t live life the way I wanted to, and I could only live the ways God directed me. For three years God answered all my prayers with those two words, “Trust Me.” It took awhile but God slowly and thoroughly took me over the hill with His assurance that He would meet my need.

I ended up losing my job during my separation. I still had the orchard but I also had University bills. I learned to trust God. Really, I had little choice but to give it all to Him. My siblings were helpful, just and kind. Often I spoke with them and was encouraged by their awareness and kindness. My brother helped me get a good attorney. He gave me practical and precious advice. It meant so much to me for I was deeply devastated. He probably kept his words to himself out of necessity. He made it possible, when I saw no possibility. Basically, Paul held my hand and walked it through with me.

Eventually I got my job back at Hamilton Elementary. I taught a bit, and then moved into the reading specialist job when it came available. God took care of us the few months I wasn’t working. He brought us through many months of sorrow to times of peace and joy. There is more to this story than I’m sharing, but I only speak of the few months of the separation. I spent a counseling session with my husband’s counselor. He wanted us to speak of the hard things. He shook his head and said, “There’s been so much suffering. Why have you kept at it?” He looked at me when he said that. It is hard to answer, but I cared.

The Lord Reviews

Now it’s twenty years past. We’re all living a better life. But the impact still shows. I’m not going to go into that for I think it’s better not to go there. But there are some good things that The Lord Reviews. Some things I see more clearly now than I did back then. God teaches us when we listen. God uses people, family, friends, and children, to shape our lives. We will always learn if we keep our ears open.

We’re all learning. We’re all growing. We’re all listening. Some of us are reading (!). Some of us are eagerly looking forward to what’s ahead (I am most of the time). Some of us are able to touch others where they need touching. Bravely, God speaks His truth. He’s worth listening to. God never disappointed me, though I disappointed Him. Today I would have put my thoughts on Youtube and had my own channel. Just something helpful like that.

Last of all, I want to get your attention for a moment. I hope something I’ve said will be meaningful for you or help someone in need. None of us can handle it all, at least I don’t think so. I’d love to pray for you, help you, or lend you my ear. I do care. That’s why I still write. I would be glad to help you, even if it is just to sort things out. If not, know that I pray for my readers.

The Lord bless you.