WHAT IS GOD ASKING YOU TO GIVE UP?

That particular Sunday morning began like any other; the same routine. My husband and I were getting ready for church while our kids ate their breakfast. I stood in front of my mirror ready to put on my jewelry for a final touch before heading out the door.

I'm not much of a girlie girl, choosing not to spend the money, or the time, and not having the fashion sense to get dolled up. But, my red cross necklace was an infrequent splurge and made me feel pretty. In front of my mirror with necklace in both hands ready to clasp behind my neck, I heard God speak to my heart and ask me to give away my necklace. I paused. I sighed. I looked at my reflection with one eye brow cocked wondering what God was doing. I returned the necklace to its place, told God we would talk about this later, and went to church without my special girlie adornment.

My conversation with God in the car sounded something like this: "God, it's my favorite necklace. And you know I don't have that many anyway. It's the only piece of jewelry that matches my red blouse."

I would like to say I immediately obeyed, but I argued with God for two weeks while he patiently waited for me to surrender. A missionary friend traveling to Peru requested jewelry donations as gifts for the Pastor's wives. So, I donated my favorite red cross necklace to an unknown Peruvian 'princess' whom God wanted to bless.

Another seemingly ordinary Sunday arrived. Again, I stood in front of my mirror adding final touches before leaving for church. With an earring in one hand and the back in the other, I started to put them into my ears...then God stopped me. It seems I conveniently forgot my prized necklace had matching earrings. Again, I reasoned with God, "Whoever, gets my necklace probably doesn't have pierced ears and won't be able to wear these."

This time, I surrendered more quickly, and with less of a fight, and donated the matching earrings to my missionary friend.

What is God asking you to give up? This time for me, it was a prided necklace. But, maybe He is asking you to give up an unhealthy friendship, or sugary sweets, or a television show. God is asking us to surrender someone or something because He loves us and wants to enrichen our lives, not because He wants to take things away. When we surrender, God will usher in something better.

I purchased another necklace, but this time I thanked God for letting me borrow it until He asks me to give it away.

Today, hear His voice, obey, then trust God.

God Bless,
Theresa

MY DAILY GPS - Why Morning Prayer is Important

How do you travel to unfamiliar locations? Some people use a GPS like Garmin and others use a map search engine like Google maps. If you are old-school, you refer to an atlas. It would be silly to get in your car and start driving without clear directions to your new destination. This would leave you wandering aimlessly with little chance of arriving where you intended.

If you are a parent of a young child, Dora the Explorer's familiar question sings in your head, "Who do we ask when we don't know which way to go?" That's right, the map!

Each day is unchartered territory unless you are stuck in the movie Ground Hog Day. Without clear direction, our days often lack focus leaving us wandering aimlessly unable to be fully productive. I recently felt this way when the afternoon rolled around and I had gotten little accomplished - me and my children had eaten breakfast, gotten dressed and I checked my email. Some days, it's acceptable to be foot loose and fancy free, but this was not one of those days. I had a list to cross off, deadlines to meet, and no time to waste.

As I stood outside watching my kids play, I asked myself, "How did the day get away from me?" Then I realized, I had started my day without consulting my map - God.
Psalm 5:3 says:
In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

Seeking God upon waking helps my day run more smooth, makes me more productive, and gives me peace that God is in control and what doesn't get accomplished, wasn't meant to be. If you aren't a morning person (like me), make your prayer simple and sweet. Longer conversations with God and reading the Bible can wait until we are fully awake.

If you have a habit of starting your day without God, this week I encourage you to surrender your day as soon as you roll out of bed when your feet hit the ground, while you are brushing your teeth, or during your shower. Thank God for your new day, praise Him for who He is and what He does, then wait in expectation until you arrive at the end of your day to count your blessings.
God Bless,
Theresa

WAITING ON A SEED

I love nature. The outdoors invigorates me. Digging in the garden, planting flowers or veggies, and general yard cleanup is great therapy for me. While reading a magazine to help prepare my yard for spring, I found a quote I adore. Henry David Thoreau penned these words: “Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”
Mr. Thoreau was speaking of a seed in nature. As he said, he has great faith in a seed. Why? Rarely does a seed planted in soil disappoint or surprise. Seeds sprout in the toughest of conditions; sometimes in spite of their circumstance. Look around your outside world for evidence. Notice trees growing in a rocky cliff or weeds thriving in your lawn despite heroic efforts to eliminate them. Also, seeds produce their own kind. No surprises. Plant a tomato seed and yield a tomato harvest. Plant a sunflower seed and expect a sunflower. God planned it this way (Gen. 1:11).
This quote has become a great faithbuilder to me in the last couple weeks. I have been consistently doing the right thing in particular for several weeks with no apparent good result. Have you ever been there? Can you feel my pain? I have been planting seeds of persistence, determination, and discipline but have yet to see the fruit of my labor. However, I can rest in the assurance God provides for those who do the right thing. God’s word says in 2 Thess. 3:13, “…do not become weary or lose heart in doing right (but continue in well doing without weakening).” If seeds in nature rarely disappoint, how much more must seeds of the Spirit reap a harvest. If you are like me and keep doing the right thing but haven’t seen improvement yet; keep the faith! Take heart, have courage and rejoice when breakthrough comes. We have planted our seed; therefore, expect wonders.
Blessings,
Theresa