Has this been a good day for you?

This is a Sunday.  The last one in October.  Has it been a good day for you?  Did you go to worship somewhere with those you love and who love God?  Did you really worship?  Or, did you just exist as many of us seem to do at times.  We get in this "rut" as Pastor put it today.  We like the familiar.  We like the easy road.  But with a few more "digs" that rut becomes a grave.  Is that where you want to be in service for our Lord?  I surely do not want to be there.  I want to be one that He can count on to work for Him.  To share His love and grace and mercy with those who are desperately looking for something or someone to fill that empty hole in their spirit and lives. 
God has proven Himself over and over again to be faithful. What He has said, He will do.  His promises are new every morning.  He desires for us to grow in our relationship to Him and to others.  To stand on His Word and proclaim it loud and clear. 
I would ask that you check out your spirit.  How are you feeling towards those that are the unlovely?   The "outcasts" as the world would call them.  Are you reaching out in love to help meet their need?  Or are you shrinking from contact with those that are not just like you.  God wants us out of our pews and out of our comfort and out into the world.  Set apart, yet, part of the world.  So. . . .go and shine your light for others to see.  May you have a blessed week as we enter into November.

THIRSTY FOR GOD

Psalm 63: 1-7 "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee; my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longs for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. (vs. 1) A popular soft drink company once claimed that its product "deeply satisfies." That may be true as far as beverages are concerned; but God, and God alone, satisfies our spiritual thirst. David recognized this truth during two turbulent periods in his life; once when he hid in the Judean wilderness after fleeing from Saul and later when he was forced to flee Jerusalem after Absalom's revolt. David knew the lack of water and the difficult terrain made the wilderness a place of trial and testing. But instead of thirsting for water, David longed for God. He used physical imagery to describe his desire to see God's power and glory, just as he had seen it in the sanctuary. God's loving-kindness would satisfy his soul. As a result, David could lift up his hands and rejoice in praise. Even in the wilderness, David could find comfort and satisfaction in the shadow of His wings. Both early in the morning and late at night, David meditated on the Lord. God alone satisfies our spiritual thirst. At all times God is faithful. (excerpt from Open Windows). So what about you? Are you thirsty for God? Will you go through trial and testing and still "long for God?" I pray that is true of all of you who take the time to read this blog. May He be your All in All. May He be the one to satisfy your soul. May He be the one to guide, protect, and encourage you along your spiritual path.

Many ways of Worship; Have you found a way to express how much you love your Lord?

I have been learning a new way to worship. Several years ago I went on a Ladies Retreat and observed an awesome woman doing sign language to the music. I was fascinated as we (my husband and I ) had done interpretive dance in the past and it tugged at my hearts strings to go back and visit that experience. I remembered how closer to God I felt while doing this type of worship. In order to "sign" a song, I had to first learn the words to the song. Then I needed to look up the word in ASL so that I would be interpreting it correctly. As I struggled to learn the song and add this next dimension I found that great joy was to be had. I learned a new way to express each word as I put the knowledge into the music. Sometimes I could not find the word in the ASL Dictionary and so I would go to a thesaurus to find a word that had the same meaning as the one I was attempting to sign. Sometimes as in "sovereign" there would not be a sign. But it means "authority, power, one and only one". This would cause me to be able to sign a word with the same meaning. As I continued on with each verse, each chorus, I found myself enjoying the song more and more as I learned a deeper level of understanding of the writers words. I would encourage you, who want a deeper worship experience, to find an avenue, a way, to liberate you; to cause you to "dig" into the words of a song, the words of a verse of Scripture and really find out the meaning for your daily walk. As you seek His way and His will in your life may you be drawn ever closer to His heart. I believe that music is very much an expression of the heart of God. May you begin a new expression, even today, of your love for your Savior.

Aren't You Glad Your Worse Day Doesn't Define You?

I heard that statement the other day. Ever have a bad day? A day where nothing seems to go right? You get up in the morning. . . the coffee maker isn’t working and so you don’t get your morning brew before you head out the door to begin your day. You get in the car and rip your jacket on the door handle. As you travel along the road to the interstate you hit every red light. Of course, you were late starting out that morning to begin with! Now you are really going to be late. You finally make it to your job and find out that your Head Nurse is out sick today and no one was able to replace her. So, you become the Head Nurse. Your day goes on and on and on and on. Never seeming to end. When 3:00 finally rolls around you are so anxious to get out of there. You give your report to the next shift and go to your office and begin going through the pile of work that had accumulated all day while you were working as Head Nurse. Could the day get any worse? You drive home after stopping to fill up the gas tank. You walk in the door and there are the breakfast dishes staring at you – still on the kitchen table. Eggs crusted on the plates. The garbage is overflowing. The kids arrive home from the school bus and you find out from your 2nd grader that he is to take 24 cupcakes to school TOMORROW. As you check your pantry you realize that you do not have all the ingredients to make the treat. Heard enough? I know many people go through life with the above scenario or a similar one. You sometimes feel that you are just unlucky or that things just don’t go right for you – EVER. You have tried and tried to plan better! You make lists and hope to accomplish even one on that list so you can mark it off completed. But things (your life) never seem to get better. No matter how hard you try. It goes from worse to worst without even a blink. Or so it seems to you as you are in the midst of the struggle. But there is someone who has been there all along. God knows!!!! He has been there through the work day. He has been there through the traffic and the messy house. He is with you now wanting to encourage you to look to Him. Scripture says, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed, perplexed but not in despair, sometimes persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed” 11 Corinthians 4:8-9 You see, as a Child of God, you are going to have rough times. You are going to have times where it seems like the enemy is getting the best of you. But rest assured, you have the promises of God that say, “you will not be defeated”. Jesus has already won the battle for you. So take heart. Pick up your armor. Strengthen yourself in His mighty Word and press on. Don’t give up in the midst of the struggle and difficulties but look to God. Allow Him to direct your steps and you will be the overcomer He has created you to be. God Bless you, Leola Stotts