Monday, April 20, 2015

Jesus on The Mainline

Psalm 85: 7-8
7 In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You,
For You will answer me.
8 There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works like Yours.

Jesus on the Mainline

Do you realize that you can call on Jesus anytime day or night and He will answer?  Now I am not saying that He will always answer the way you want Him to but He will answer the way He sees best for your life.  There is an old gospel song that came to mind when I read these two verses.  It is called Jesus on the Mainline.  It reminds me that no matter what I may be experiencing today I can call upon Him and tell Him anything.  He hears my cry and my prayers.

My prayer today is that He hears my cry when I am exhausted & hot from the temperatures this week.  
That He knows my heart for the people of Nicaragua.  
That He sees the love I have for my husband and my children.  
That He knows my concerns about moving to a remote area of the country to begin a clinic/hospital.  
And that He will go before me in every situation where I must speak Spanish.  

I have to admit that here lately I have been struggling with many different emotions: anticipation, anxiety, frustration, happy, content, nervous, stressed, weary are just a few.  As I look back on this list of emotions I notice that only 2 out of 8 are positive emotions.  I am no different from you.  I struggle in many of the same areas that you do.  I desire to change to be more like Christ everyday.  I don’t want to struggle with certain emotions.  I will tell you that today will be a new day though!

Today, I will call Jesus on the Mainline and tell Him all my emotions and then give it all to Him.  If I continue to go through this day trying to be in control of everything then I am not giving it all to Him.  I cannot give it all to Him and still have finger holding on.  I must trust Him with everything.  I must be in constant communication with Him.  As Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.“  So today, if you are like me and find yourself experiencing many of the same emotions, turn to God in prayer and give it all to Him so that you can have that weight lifted off your shoulders.  We are not alone in this walk.  He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).  If He has called you to a new place in your life then He will go before you to complete His good work in you (Philippians 1:6).  Trust!  Surrender!

My Prayer for each of us: Father, You know our hearts.  You know our deepest fears.  Take away any anxiety we may be feeling today.  Give us the strength to do what You have called us to do today.  Go before us and give us the words to speak, no matter what language it may be in give us the words.  May others see You in our actions and words.  May I give you praise no matter what circumstance I find myself in today.  IN Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.

What Am I Doing With My Days?


Psalm 90: 12

12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

Yesterday was my dad’s 70th birthday.  I cannot believe he is seventy years old.  He does not look seventy.  Don’t ask me what I really think it should look like but he does not look seventy.  My dad is very active and has many years ahead of him.  But as I read this particular Psalm, this verse jumped off the page.  It spoke to me in such a way that I can’t really describe.  I think as I get older, the thought of death becomes more real.  I know it sounds crazy, right!  Well, it is true that is becoming more real to me.  I know that we are all going to die but I now realize more that what I do with these days is so important.  

I remember writing a while back about the dash in your obituary is what matters.  If you missed that, here is a quick recap.  When you read someone’s obituary, you always find the date that they were born, a dash, and then the date that they died.  Well, in my opinion, it is the dash that is most important.  

What did they do with the years that they were alive?  
What am I doing with my years? 
What are you doing with your years?

Am I using everyday to bring glory and honor to God?  Am I trying to pour God’s word, His truth, and His love into my children and those around me?  Am I being an example to others?  Am I trying to be more like Christ each and everyday?  Do I have a heart of wisdom or a heart of stone?  I am so thankful for all my days up to this point.  Everyday has molded me into the person I am today.  Yes, I do think about what I would do differently if given the chance but that won’t ever happen.  I have learned to appreciate all my days.  We must live each day as if it was our last.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow.  So today, make sure that you have told your loved ones how much they mean to you.  Pour God’s word, His truths and His love into those around you.  In everything you do, bring glory and honor to God.  Seek His will for your life, not your own.  Life goes by so quickly.  You blink … and your baby is not a baby anymore or your loved one has gone on to be with the Lord.  

My Prayer for You: Father, teach each of us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.  Help us to bring glory and honor to You each and everyday.  Show us where we have done wrong and help us make it right.  May our dash between our years be what pleases You.  In Your Son’s Name I Pray, Amen.  


Here is a song to start your day:
Blink by Revive

Thursday, April 16, 2015

He Is...

Psalm 84:1-3
1 How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
3 The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.

I stand in awe of God’s creation everyday.  My favorite time of the day is first thing in the morning when the sun is attempting to peek above the horizon.  It cast an array of colors on the horizon that causes me to stop and take it all in.  And just like clockwork, as the sun rises, the birds begin their singing.  Now I have to say that sometimes at 5:00 am I am not the one that is so chipper like these birds because I would like to roll over and go back to sleep until my alarm goes off at 5:30.  But I find that once I do get up and get moving that I feel just as the birds, alive and ready to sing praises to our Lord.  

When was the last time you took the time to listen to the birds in the morning or witness the sunrise?  Or are you too busy rushing around getting ready that you either forget to stop or just think that you don’t have time.  In the big scheme of life, I have realized that life is short and we must begin to take time for the simple pleasures in life.  Just like setting appointments for work or going to the doctor, we must set an appointment to meet with Jesus every day.  

He is the one who can make sense of the mess.  
He is the one who goes before you in your appointments.  
He is the one who is there when you receive the news you did not want to hear.  
He is the one who gives you the sunrise and the sunset.
He is the one who gives the birds their song to sing.

I love my time in the mornings, reading His word and discovering new things.  It is a time to reflect on His glories and be reminded of who is in control of everything.  So, don’t get so caught up in what you have planned for the day that you miss out on the blessings along the way.  God gives us a gorgeous sunrise and sunset everyday.  He paints the sky with beauty and gives the birds a melody to serenade us.  He places the right people in your path to give you hope.  He will run to the ends of the earth to find you.  Take time today to spend in His presence.  

Listen to this song by Phillips, Craig and Dean
No Matter How Long It Takes


My Prayer For You:  Father, go before my friends today and give them discernment in their meetings.  Help to see where You are in their life.  Hold them tightly during those difficult decisions that have to be made.  Give them hope when they are feeling hopeless.  Place the right people in their path today.  Help them to know they are loved!  In Your Son’s Name I Pray Amen.  

Thursday, April 9, 2015

God Knows

Psalm 78: 72
And David shepherded them
with integrity of heart;
with skillful hands he led them.


David was the chosen one.  He was a man after God’s own heart.  However, he was not the one his family thought would be king.  He was the youngest of all Jesse’s sons and ruddy.  He was fine in appearance and handsome features.  But the qualities that we look at on the outside are not the same qualities that God looks at on the inside for someone to be able to shepherd his people.  David may not have been a perfect man.  Nor was he a man without sin but God still used him in mighty ways.

In this psalm, Asaph is giving the history of the nation to warn the future generations against repeating the same sinfulness and unfaithfulness.  He is trying to remind them of all the times that God was there for them and remind them of their ungratefulness during their Exodus.  He shared with them that their “hope rested on God’s new choices of Judah ( replacing Ephraim), Zion (then in enemy hands), and David (a Shepherd lad).  I can only imagine their thoughts at this time.  What can this lad do for us.

But God knew David deep in his heart and He knew that David would be the right man for the job.  The way that David cared for his sheep would be the same way that he would care for God’s people.  He would shepherd them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he (would lead) led them.  Trust God today that He has the right plan for your life.  You may not see the potential that you have to do great things for the Kingdom of God but He can see your potential.

As I sit in a hotel room in what seems like the middle of know where I must remind myself these same things.  We arrived yesterday afternoon in a small town called Siuna. (Take a moment to look on a map where we are in Nicaragua.  We are in the RAAN region where it is not as heavily populated.  Let me know if you find it.)  We are meeting with the Director of SILAS today at 8 about our desires to begin a clinic/hospital in the Rosita area.  This meeting is so important and I need to be reminded that God has a purpose for our lives here in Nicaragua even when I can’t see them.

Even today, God is leading each of us in the directions He wants us to go in order to fulfill His purpose for His kingdom.  Trust in Him today for your immediate and future plans for your life.

 “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.“

Prayer: Father,  Thank you for your perfect plan for our lives.  Help each of us to see where You are at work so that we may join You.  In Jesus Name I Pray Amen.