Trusting His Promises

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3: 22-23

May today be a day to proclaim the Lord’s Great Faithfulness and Love! May waking up groggy, achy, tired, worried, scared, ill-tempered or bad-humored not hinder our ability to praise Him for the gift of a new day to be fully His! May His compassion and mercy be evident to us today, particularly when we are having a hard time getting through life’s winding paths.

This day I am most grateful for His promises, which are true and eternal. It does not matter when He proclaimed them…it doesn’t matter if I don’t believe them…they are as true today as they were when He spoke them. And as His children, we are as blessed to receive them now, as those back in time were when they first heard them. 

And the promise I cling onto at this hour is the one in which He reveals to us that…

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelations 21:4

The words come directly from the One Seated on the Throne, who loudly announces that He makes all things new…as He vouches for His own Holy Word. What more do we require? He whose Words are actions can take care of it all and lift us up on wings like eagles. He can pull us out from any circumstance, even the most dire. We are never consumed, no matter how hot the fire! He, Who Is Love, dwells in us…so His Greatness protects us…and for that, I am most grateful.

“Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord onto me…”

Praying with Friends

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-7

Yesterday I went to brunch with one of my dear friends who took time out of her busy schedule to share it with me. She is one of my prayer pillars, whose thoughtfulness, kindness, love and knowledge of The Word make her into one of God’s wonderful instruments here on earth. 

Cindy and I met several years ago under rather interesting circumstances which are outside the scope of this post. The most interesting part is, however, that prayer brought us together. We held a few two-people, highly intense and eternally rewarding prayer meetings on selected Saturday afternoons a few years ago. Those were wonderful –informal times of praise and prayer within an attitude of worship and thanksgiving that allowed us to lift up to Him all our concerns, petitions and supplications. 

I remember the refreshing feeling I used to enjoy after our two-warrior gatherings. Yesterday, as I listened to her praying on my behalf, I was reminded of that at our “brunch fellowship.” And I was also reminded of the fact that not only the Holy Spirit prays and intercedes for us in Divine prayer when we can’t do it ourselves; but our sisters and brothers in Christ do it as well. (see The Holy Communicator)

My friend prayed over a pretty comprehensive list of requests for my life which astonished me since she mentioned things I had pushed to the back of my mind by now due to other items making their way to the top. She showed me that in her caring nature, she remembers my needs in ways that even I cannot. 

It was very moving and I didn’t have words to express my gratitude in person. As I came back home in the afternoon, I knew that God had arranged for our meeting yesterday and that His hand was upon us as we shared together in His presence. He was sitting with us in our rustic booth at that humble dinner. 

I thought many times that I should pray for her concerns as well, but the words just wouldn’t come out of my mouth. As the Lord joined us in our private gathering; however, He touched Cindy to utter the words and minister to me in my moment of pressing need. I felt selfish on my part, but then I realized that as God arranged this meeting, He had a plan and the same way, He will arrange for another one where the plan will be different. We are never exhaustive in prayer. Prayer renews itself every time; hence, the command to praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5: 17). We are to lift each other up, always, non-stop, with prayer, praise, petition and thanksgiving so the gentle breeze of peace which comes out of nowhere, can sooth our weary souls…and for that, I am most grateful.

Linking with:  Whole Hearted Home and Little R and R

The Holy Communicator

Today, I am praising God for His Word, and for the fact that in it we find the comfort we need at every junction of life. In this case, we learn in Scripture that even when we don’t know what to pray for or how to pray, The Holy Spirit intercedes and He, Himself, in all His divinity, lifts us up in Holy prayer.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8: 26 (NSV)

What an amazing concept. It is such an unfathomable idea that our human brain short-circuits trying to ponder it. Hence the “groanings” for it is all way too “deep for words.” It goes beyond anything we can humanly express; therefore, the need for the assistance of our Holy Helper, The Paraclete, Greek term that defines the Holy Spirit as our Advocate and Helper.

He comes to our aide when the pain, despair, frustration, anxiety, fear, exhaustion and agony are so intense that words are not enough to communicate them. At that moment, the Holy Guest that dwells in our soul comes up and in unutterable groans, presents our prayers to The Heavenly Father on our behalf. He is the Only One capable at that point to do the communication, as we rest and wait in Him.

I cannot depend on my own capabilities to do anything. I must lean on Him in every situation, even for effective communication!

We have a Father who thinks of all these details in advance. He knew, since before He created us, that there would be a day when we wouldn’t know what to say. Therefore, in order to avoid the breakdown in the lines, He installed a Heavenly Server who does it for us. And for that, I am eternally grateful!

Linking with: Counting Our Blessings and Titus-2sday

All Things in Christ!

Well, I think that from today on, I am going to write posts in the spirit of Thanksgiving for a change. I’m not sure how much I will be able to write, but until Thanksgiving arrives, whatever I write I will resolve to write with gratefulness in my heart.

Right now, for example, I’m going to write about a recent memory that brings a smile to my face every time I remember it. It was a few days ago, early in the morning. I was saying goodbye to Grant as he was leaving out the door to go catch the school bus, when Dylan came downstairs (a rare occurrence since he doesn’t leave for another hour after Grant is gone).  When he saw his brother was leaving, he said: “Bye, Grant. You can do all things in Christ…”

My heart jumped for joy when I heard my young son say those words in his little voice to his brother. I laughed aloud and completed the sentence: “who gives you strength!”

The thing is that I say Philippians 4: 13 to my sons every morning as they leave for school. A couple of times, Dylan has asked me why I say that to him all the time and I have replied that it is because I want him to remember that even when he doesn’t think he can do something, he can always pray to Jesus. He will give us what we need to do what we have to.

Some other times, Dylan has just said something like, “yeah, yeah…I know…” which makes me really angry. And most times he’d just walked to the bus as if he had not heard a word I’d said. That morning, however, I realized he has been listening, and the realization filled my heart with gladness and thanksgiving.

Perhaps, they will remember some of the things we are trying to teach them. I don’t know. But for today, I am grateful that my little boy is finally learning one of the most amazing verses in Scripture…one that I cling onto fiercely every single day of my life. And for that, I give thanks!

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4: 12-13

Linking with: Monday Musings and Candace Creates

Never Crushed...

Once again, the Lord shows me His faithfulness in beautiful ways.  Today, a day in which sadness overflows from my pores as I live through the first anniversary of my dear Father's passing while trying to navigate through life's challenges, God allowed me a moment of respite when, in the still of the early morning, I opened my devotional and I read the following:

"Completely surrender your hurt to Him, withholding nothing, and invite Him to work miracles from your misery."

At first, I kind of chuckle...then, I sighed.  Finally, I did invite Him to work His miracles out of my state of ... well... misery.  He is the only one who could do it.  I cannot pull myself out of this one on/by my own.  Only He has the plan and the tools to carry it through, so that I can come out victorious on the other side. Therefore, I must surrender my hurt, all of it, to Him...withholding nothing.  He can handle it.  And as He handles it, He gives us a way to handle it too from our end.  He gives us Himself, whose presence is the source of all peace. He gives us His Word, which comes alive in times of trial!  He gives us His children, our brothers and sisters in Christ, to walk with us and be the manifestation of His love here in this world.

Therefore, one thing is for sure, we will overcome!  Because, even though we might be in the middle of tough circumstances, we shall always remember...

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4: 8-9

Linking with:  Be Simply Better and Essential Thing Devotions

It's Not Just An Act

“-What do you do when you are not strong enough?”

“You act as if you are…”

This was a dialogue between a couple in a older TV show we were watching a couple of nights ago. The exchange stuck with me, and today it came back to my mind as I was coming back home from work. I remember when I watched that scene; I immediately discarded it in my mind thinking that this was one more of those secular, “rely on self” type of argument. I thought: “I don’t need to be strong enough…I don’t need to, because there is no way I could be. I just have to rest in the arms of the One who IS!” Today, however, I’m re-thinking my perspective.

I think that, whereas it is true I don’t have to be strong enough, simply because I am not, there are circumstances in which I may have to act as if I am. I know this sounds controversial, but the specific case I am thinking about is how I act in front of my children. 

This year I have faced my biggest fears: cancer and job loss. I have been terrified by those two things ever since I was very young. Just thinking about either of them would send me into a rather paralyzing-self-induced state of panic and anxiety. The thing is, I’m not a young girl anymore. I cannot allow myself the luxury of letting my emotions and feelings run wildly until they leave me in a semi-catatonic mode. I have little ones to take care of, and they are watching me. They are watching my every move. By watching me, they are learning how to react to things, big and small, easy and hard, scary and happy. And my responsibility as their Mother is to show them the way to Christ, and how we are to rely on Him in every and any situation, no matter how hard, scary or big it may seem. 

I know that there will be a point where I will break, and it may happen in front of them; which will also be OK since they need to learn that it is OK to have melt downs, for we are not made out of steel. But for the most part, I believe that I need to act strong in the midst of challenges. However, one thing I do have to do is to constantly tell my boys that the strength I may show does not come from me. Any demonstration of strength they may see comes from the Lord who makes all things possible, and who is made stronger when we are at our weakest. 

So when my youngest son asks me, “are we going to be OK,” I most confidently reply, “yes, we will be OK, because God takes care of us, always. We rest in Him and we wait in Him.” Even if I am scared inside, there are times when I should definitively act strong for the sake of the faith walk of those around me.

This doesn’t mean I am going to pretend to be strong in the outside. It means that my outward attitude will reflect my faith. I will be honest about the fact that I am scared; but I will also express that I will not let my fear paralyze me, for I know that He will remain Faithful, and He will not abandon us. 

He is Faithful and He is Love; therefore, He cannot disown Himself. He cannot go against His own nature, and I rest in that truth, and because of that truth, I act strong (and in Him, it isn't just an act).

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37: 7

Scared Pumpkin

Well, the other night we were surprised...I was surprised, I should say, by our first snow of the season.  I say I was surprised, because, though not completely unexpected, once on the ground, the snow did surprised me.  It really hit me when I woke up and I saw everything covered by the white stuff.  Facing the reality was a lot harder than hearing the forecast.

That morning, when we looked out the window, we saw the pumpkin my husband and youngest son had carved a few weeks earlier, looking like this

Of course the scene was hilarious...but at the same time, it was a vivid representation of how I felt or how I would feel a day later...today...after I found out my husband lost his job of almost 13 years.

Here I am/we are, entering yet another storm that, though not completely unexpected, once we entered it, the reality of it feels a lot different...a lot harder.

I find rest in remembering, however, that He is the Lord...even in the storm...because He is the Lord of all storms.  And He has never abandoned me before.  And He will not abandon me now.  That's why today, I claim and hang on to the words in 2 Samuel 22: 29-31

You, Lord, are my lamp;
the Lord turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.

The impossible is now doable.  In Him who is Light, I will advance against any and all troops...though I am no spider woman...with My God, I can even scale a wall!  I certainly do not understand His plans nor begin to comprehend His ways, but I know that they are the only ones I want to travel.

“As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.

So even though I may look/feel like the scared pumpkin on the floor of my deck, I know that it will only be for a little while, just until He turns darkness back into light.

Linking with: Whole Hearted Home