Simply Life

Last night we had visitors.
Not visitors from another planet.
Oh wait. You weren't thinking that were you?
:o)
We had a visit from 3 people from the church we've attended for three weeks.
Sharon, Wes, and Gary (the pastor) were their names. I add that for my own benefit.
I have absolutely no memory usually.
They came over at 6:30 pm and didn't leave until 8:00 pm.
We talked about the church, opportunities there, but mostly about us.
Normally, I would be uncomfortable talking in front of strangers.
However, I opened up immediately.
I began talking about my entire life and faith.
We all did actually. It was amazing though. It completely reminded me of the moment
I truly became a Christian. Not that I had forgotten. But, it brought back all the intense emotions.
At the end, they prayed for us and it was inspired.
Today was the best day I've had in awhile and I cannot help but think that last night is the reason!

Let me preface this by saying I don't think God would say the titles in this manner. (i.e. "shut up") but it makes it's point. And, I love reading scripture. So, I hope you like this!

1. Wake Up !!
Decide to have a good day.
"Today is the day the Lord hath made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up !!
The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.
A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at outward appearance;
but the Lord looks at the heart."
I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!!
Say nice things and learn to listen.
God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant
for us to do twice as much listening as talking.
"He who guards his lips guards his soul."
Proverbs 13:3


4. Stand Up!!...
For what you believe in.
Stand for something or you will fall for anything..
"Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time,
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..."
Galatians 6:9-10
5. Look Up !!...
To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up !!...
For something higher.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not unto your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him,
and He will direct your path."
Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up !!...
Your Prayers.
"Do not worry about anything;
instead PRAY ABOUT
EVERYTHING."
Philippians 4:6

This life is not all there is!

“God has…planted eternity in the human heart.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

Life on earth is just the dress rehearsal before the real production. You will spend far more time on the other side of death—in eternity—than you will here. This life is preparation for the next.

You have an inborn instinct that longs for immortality. This is because God designed you, in his image, to live for eternity. Even though we know everyone eventually dies, death always seems unnatural and unfair. The reason we feel we should live forever is that God wired our brains with that desire!

Matthew Henry said, “It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our final day.”

Everyone’s life is driven by something!

“I observed that the basic motive for success is the driving force of envy and jealousy.” Ecclesiastes 4:4 (LB)

What is the driving force in your life?

Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason. There are five great benefits of living a purpose-driven life:

- Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life…

- Simplifies your life …

- Focuses your life …

- Motivates your life.

- And knowing your purpose prepares you for eternity.

Many people spend their lives trying to create a lasting legacy on earth. Yet, what ultimately matters most will not be what others say about your life but what God says. Living to create an earthly legacy is a shortsighted goal. A wiser use of time is to build an eternal legacy. You weren’t put on earth to be remembered. You were put here to prepare for eternity.

You are not an accident!
Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it. God never does anything accidentally, and he never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything he creates.
 “Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love.” Ephesians 1:4a (Msg)
Why did God bother to go to all the trouble of creating a universe for us? Because he is a God of love.  This kind of love is difficult to fathom, but it’s fundamentally reliable. You were created as a special object of God’s love! God made you so he could love you. This is a truth to build your life on!

It’s not about you!

“For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, …everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” Colossians 1:16 (Msg)

“It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power.” Job 12:10 (TEV)

You were made for God, not vice versa, and life is about letting God use you for his purposes, not using him for your own purpose. Focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.

The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life’s purpose: Ask God.

Andrei Bitov, a Russian novelist, grew up under an atheistic Communist regime. But God got his attention one dreary day. He recalls, “In my twenty-seventh year, while riding the metro in Leningrad I was overcome with a despair so great that life seemed to stop at once, preempting the future entirely, let alone any meaning. Suddenly, all by itself, a phrase appeared: ‘Without God life makes no sense.’ Repeating it in astonishment, I rode the phrase up like a moving staircase, got out of the metro and walked into God’s light.”

You may have felt in the dark about your purpose in life. Congratulations, you’re about to walk into the light

1 Corinthians 10:31
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Leah remembered the question her pastor had asked, 'What do you think God wants you to eat?' At first, it had seemed like a silly question, but the more Leah thought about it, the more she realized there really wasn't any food God didn't want to let her have. It was the quantities and frequency of consumption that Leah realized God would disapprove of. Moderation in everything was the rule she needed to follow. She felt so much better. Her diet didn't need to be a lot of heavy sacrifices. All she needed to do was develop some self-control, and with God's help, she would. Today's thought: Let my eating and drinking offend no one, especially God!

Below is a list of people & things I am praying for. Please join me in prayer. I will pray for you too, just let me know. :)

Marty & Shelly (brother & sister in law): Moving into a rental house from their apartment. Moving in a big hurry.

Us: House inspection tomorrow pray that they don't request HUGE & EXPENSIVE things to be repaired. We can't really afford to fix anything. Although, I don't see what could be wrong with our house seeing it was built in 2003.

Tom: A new job for him, one that he would love & know that God has called him to.

Mom: She will be doing the route at her new job ALL BY HERSELF until the 13th or so. Typically, there is one or two people helping do the routes during the day. They both are either on vacation or personal leave.

Betty: She fell off of a trailer backwards, and cracked her head open. She has at least 4 stitches.

Us all: We are in the process of selling the house, packing (not any done really), and fixing up the new house. I don't see at this point how on earth it will all get done in time! (screams in panic) but I have a problem with having blind faith so....

Steve (my brother in law in Oklahoma): He has had gall stones they tried to get him to pass them but it didn't work. He's had three surgeries  and 2 infections. He has a 103 temp He's in ICU right now and not doing too well.

*I believe not so much in the power of prayer but in the power of God. I believe He will never leave us, and that He hears every word we say. I know His plans are better than mine, and I trust that His timing is greater than mine could ever be.*

When I am tempted to doubt my faith, I think about him. This little baby, Joshua Aaron, is not simply a child from an e-mail that I received. He lives in my state. He is my good friends son. Last year, my friend Nell was pregnant. She was expecting their second son at the end of June or July. On February 23, she delivered Joshua. She was 25 weeks along.
He weighed only 1 lb. 12 oz. and was about 12 inches long. Of course, the situation was very serious. I still have the 30+ e-mails that they sent out faithfully to keep us all informed of his condition. Occasionally, they would send out pictures. Like this one.

Just so you know, the gold band on his wrist, is Sean's wedding ring. I keep trying to think of just how tiny he was. There were problems with his breathing, has had surgeries, blood transfusions and more. Still, through it all, they would sign their e-mail saying "Knowing God is in control".  They would ask for prayers for the other families in the NICU in the midst of their own struggle. It was a major roller coaster they were on.

After 4 long months Josh was able to go home. They were able to walk out of the hospital on June 1, 2004 with their two sons in tow. I got a letter from Nell yesterday. She updated me a bit on Josh and sent pictures. She said he has taken a few steps. Would you like to see Josh now?

Here he is! Isn't he adorable? What a miracle baby! Everytime I think about him I realize that miracle do happen. God answers prayer. I know that not all stories end this way. But, as difficult as it is, I believe there is a reason for every thing that happens. And, I cry with those that have different experiences. If this is you, I am sorry, and I will be praying for you.

Often my life has been like the weather tonight.
Extreme wind catching the branches of a frail tree.
Brilliant lightning ripping through the sky.
The threatening of a downpour.
I have been known to be afraid of storms, both internal and external.
Why?
The unknown.
The unpredictable nature of a storm.
I should be reveling in God's wonders.
Shaking my head at his wisdom.
The storms of life tend to bring along the most beautiful of mornings.
I need to try to remember that in the midst of the turbulence.