God is in control

1 Peter 5:10 - 11 But God shows undeserved kindness to everyone. That’s why he appointed Christ Jesus to choose you to share in his eternal glory. You will suffer for a while, but God will make you complete, steady, strong, and firm.
God will be in control forever! Amen.

Thinking this morning about Joseph, and how God used his sufferings for great good. How he learned forgiveness and humility; living an upright life.

Difficult to learn without suffering.

My prayer is that I accept the 'suffering' I go through (which is not much, really: just loss of pride and reputation; loss of friendships and relationships; loss of confidence...) rather than trying to control my circumstances to suit myself.

And perhaps I can begin to pray Jennie Allen's prayer 'anything':

Anything. God. Anything.
And in that one little word we turned in everything for God’s anything.
Every dream for our lives.
Every dollar and possession.
Every safety and comfort.
Every person’s approval.
Every ambition.
Everything.

And we opened our entire lives up to anything God had for us.
Any risk.
Any country.
Any act of obedience.
Any dream God had for us.
Anything.

And Christine Caine: He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. — Psalm 147:3

I had to tackle many challenges from my past in order to step into my God-given destiny. I was left in a hospital unnamed and unwanted when I was born and am living proof that no matter how you start in life, you can take charge of your life and run to win. We do not need to live like victims; rather we can appropriate the truth of the Word of God in every area of our lives and experience complete healing and wholeness.

If I had not allowed God’s Word to bring healing into my life, I would not be fulfilling my destiny now. Despite having the God-given gifts and talents that I needed, I was so weak emotionally that my soul would not allow me to go where my gifts could take me. It was crucial that I dealt with all the areas of brokenness in my heart.

Our inner world totally affects our outer world. If there is a disparity between what’s going on inside our hearts and what’s happening in our external world, we will eventually implode; our lives will break down or blow up. The Bible is full of examples of people who did not run their race and finish their course because they did not deal with issues of their soul.

Ensure that you allow God to work deeply in you so that he is able to work powerfully through you.
Moment of Reflection

Is your inner world affecting your outer world in positive or negative ways?

Godly advice

I love godly advice. I soak up the wisdom and experience of others, longing to hug it so closely that it becomes part of my DNA.

Yet more inspiration today from a woman who has been married nearly 50 years. It is wonderful advice on how to live...I'm not as far on in life stages as she is - empty nesting, but no grandkids yet - yet I found myself nodding in recognition at ". . Practicing simple things, like grace before meals, gathering with community, worshiping each Sunday and saying ‘thank you, thank you, thank you’ — to God, to one another, to anyone who offers help or kindness throughout our days. And learning to say ‘help me, help me, help me’ with less embarrassment, more humility and a surer sense of our own need.

. . . Knowing, deep down, that the biggest and best moments are not at all what we thought they would be when we were in our 20′s and 30′s. No. More often than not, it is the smallest, most common and least sensational moments that bring the heart-sighs, the teary-eyed smiles, the down-to-your-toes sense of satisfaction and delight. ...the angle of the light as it hits the window pane in the kitchen; the sound of the fountain burbling in the night air; the knowing look across a crowded room when it’s time to turn for home and bed.

. . . And of course, realizing in new ways that there will be an end to this life we share. 2015 will be our 50th. How is that even possible, we say. It was only yesterday, we remark. We’re still so young, surely we are, we insist!

The mirror, the creaky joints, the nightly handful of pills tell us otherwise, of course. Yet in the center of ourselves, we are still every age we’ve ever been, aren’t we? Our over-confident 20-something selves, our over-tired 30-something selves, our over-drawn 40-something selves, our over-joyed 50-something selves and our over-done 60 and 70-something selves – we’re all here. And even though the years ahead of us are fewer than the years behind us, we’re looking forward to every single one."

I am reading Anything by Jennie Allen. About how to give everything to and do anything for God. What an adventure - I don't even feel as if I've begun yet.


Lysa Terkeust has some good advice and a great prayer. Adapted from Dr. Louis H. Evans’ Marriage Prayer for Bride and Groom. - See more at: http://proverbs31.org/devotions/devo/a-wedding-prayer-a-marriage-prayer/#sthash.GYs93TCP.dpuf

'Anything' begins...

Starting the Good Morning Girls summer study with a selection of Bible verses each week and chapters of Jennie Allen's book 'Anything'.
Today was John 8:1 - 11 - the woman caught in adultery.  And as I read these familiar verses, I wonder... why did Jesus write in the dirt?  Why did he use his finger? What was he trying to do? Buying time? Ignoring them, hoping they'd go away?
And don't you marvel at his grace and forgiveness and lack of condemnation for this woman who had nearly lost her life.  I wonder...what happened to her next? Where did she go? Back to a life of condemnation by others, or did she become a changed person?  If Jesus told her to 'sin no more' then perhaps there was no choice about it - his love compelled her to obey.  I wonder...