Trust

Small little word, but packed with so much behind it!  Trust sounds easy enough, but is so difficult to really do!

I never trusted until I really believed God's Words.  Did you hear me?  It's true.  I was sitting here this morning pondering when did I let go of fear and trust God?  Well, it wasn't until I truly believed the Words that He gave us to cling to.  One of the reasons He left these words was for us to truly get to know Him and them to develop the relationship and believe!  Again, sounds easy doesn't it?  It is, if we pick the Words Up.  I had the Bible for years on a coffee table, in Sunday school, in Bible study, but to pick it up and just read it ~ not so much!  Until one day I finally heard the words about reading His word being the key to feeling Him, to knowing Him and believe me it's true.

So do you have trust issues?  Well pick up His Word and perhaps check out part of the reading today from Proverbs 3:5 ~ Trust in the LORD with all you heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take.

It's true!  Pick it up and try!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Useless

Today I want to begin with a question:  When you make decisions on your own without prayer or without the LORD somewhere in the process how did it turn out? Speaking from my own experience NOT GOOD!  Perhaps differently for you, but overall I would think most would answer not very good.

Well, Psalm 127 spoke beautifully to everything is useless without God.  I wish that each of us would honestly answer the question above and realize that as a whole we are in trouble in the U.S.  We are leaving God out of too many things and we aren't doing very well.

Solomon wrote this Psalm and we know that from God's Word that Solomon is the wisest man around in 1 Kings 4: 29 -30 these words about Solomon ~ God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.  In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of the West.  Well that about covers how smart Solomon was and he wrote these beautiful words in Psalm 127 about life being nothing without God.

Unless the LORD builds a house, the works of the builders is wasted.   

Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him.

Children are born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands.

How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!

He will  not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

Nothing is useless that God does!  

Blessings,

Debbie

Hear...

Today,  our reading from 1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 5, 6 with the Ark being brought to the temple and Solomon blessing the people and offering prayer the word "hear" just jumped off the pages at me!  Maybe it is because the last few days I've been alone with two dogs in Colorado off the beaten track from others just listening to the sounds of the house and nature.  Do you know how many sounds you hear when you are alone?  I miss out daily on unique sounds around me in the busy work of daily life!

I don't hear all the things I need to hear such as birds chirping, wind chimes playing, or God speaking through His Word. Let me share that I also have imagined a few sounds that were not what I imagined!  Wow, I've grown over this special time alone in one of my favorite places with the Lord! Trusting in Him and Him growing me at the same time!  So special and treasured time with the LORD.  So this morning, I heard the word "hear" over and over reminding me what am I hearing?  Am I hearing things that matter or not?  

In 1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 6, Solomon offers the words over and over to God, hear from heaven and forgive.  Count them for yourself and then ask are we asking God to hear us in heaven and most important are we on our knees asking forgiveness for the times we fall short?  Today, I am reminded it's so important that we ask these words LORD, please hear us and please forgive us, but also help us to make better decisions or the choices that You desire for our life!  Thank you Father for the fact that indeed you do hear our prayers and most important that you love us so much that you do forgive us!

Loving God,

Where do you live?

  I have been listening to a book of cd, while driving here in Colorado by the man that wrote "The Shack" and it is very good!  Can't recall the name at the moment, but one of the lines just hit me between the eyes.

One of the characters ask another "Where do you live?"  The response was I live where I am!  Do you hear that?  Are you living where you are right now?

After the storms of the past week and more expected today, the question just resonates with my soul ~ Are we living where we are?  Are you living each moment as if it might be your last?  We all take this for granted and think well we have a lot of time...well none of us know the answer to how long we have!  So let me suggest that we all begin to live our journey right where we are every moment!  Beginning now!

Pray for the people in Oklahoma the ones that lost loved ones, those that lost belongings, the first responders that witness things that none of us ever want to witness, but most of all please call out to the one that will get you through - Call out to Jesus!  Ask Him to hold you and get you through!

Things are replaced and I know this because of a home fire, but our loved ones are different.  Enjoy your families, hug them a little longer, spend a little more time just being, call them and tell them you love them!  Also, be sure that they really know where to store their treasures!  Be sure to share Jesus by the way you walk the talk, the way you love on them, and with His Words of Love.

Blessings,

Debbie

Take Down the Walls and Open Up

Over the past several days, I've spent a lot of time studying God's Word, watching HGTV, and really spending listening to what God is trying to teach me.  Yes, me and perhaps one of you. through the reading He will speak to you as well.

When the Lord showed me that He wanted me to begin Journey of Sisters, it was pretty obvious through different situations and times that it was about bringing down walls!  Walls that we humans build such as race, economic, denomination, judgments, well you name it and we are able to build walls to keep some people in and some people out.  Don't you agree?  Ponder it for yourself and think about it. 

Many of you know that I closed the shop portion of JOS because I really felt the LORD telling me to get my focus back on Him and He would guide my steps.  Well, the process is beginning over the past several days I've heard many times about bringing down walls to open up a room on HGTV and then I brought the new study by Priscilla Shirer on Gideon and she speaks to this topic as well.  She speaks beautifully to unity in our churches about how unintentionally statistics show that Sunday morning is still one of the most segregated hours in America divided by denomination, culture, race, and worship style!  Hello are we listening???  Unintentional she points out on the churches part, but still allowing separation to happen and the enemy to attack through the cracks!

I love the way God works!  I have gone off to be quiet, to listen and spend time in God's Word and in His Presence and guess what He shows up to remind me to what He called me to in the beginning!  He still wants me to help bring down walls.  I forgot to focus on Him and He would do the rest.  Yes Indeed it is about being open.  Open, but standing strong in HIS Word allowing Him to do the tough work.

Open you ask?  How?  Well, He continues to show me through this special time that we (Christians) need to show love and compassion.  How is that shown?  Is it shown, when we are sitting with our arms folded in judgment or when we are sharing God's Word by being His arms and legs in this difficult time period?  Well, of course He lead me to some very special words in 1 Thessalonians 3:  11 - 13 ~

Now may our God and Father himself and our LORD Jesus clear the way for us to come to you.  May the LORD make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.  May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of Our God and Father when our LORD Jesus comes with all his holy ones.   

Big words we are to increase and overflow in love for each other ~ even those difficult to love ones.  The people that are different from us!  You know the ones we are keeping on the other side of the wall?

Jesus is coming back one day and this particular scripture is speaking to what we need to be doing in the meantime!  WE need to be loving more and showing more compassion.  How?  Well, I believe He spoke some words to me on this topic too...show them God's Word!  Share His Word not our WORDS!  I mean we are to love and show compassion and continually allow His Words to speak to the situations in the world surrounding us.  I want to say right here before any of you that read this post today I am a sinner!  I need forgiveness just like everyone in this world needs forgiveness ~ none of us are without sin!  So let's bring down the walls by loving on each other and holding God's Word up as the way!  Point to His Word today and allow love to increase and overflow out of each of us!  Isn't it beautiful to think about all the walls that would come falling down, if we followed His instructions found in this particular scripture?

Well, in the words popular on HGTV let's bring the walls down and open up the rooms or our hearts!  After all, the heart of our home is God or at least He should be!

I'm excited to see what He shares next...

Opening up,

Debbie

You formed...

Happy Mother's Day!

Today the reading from Psalm 65 touched me in the most special way!  God the Creator glorified in such a special passage of scripture!

Psalm 65: 5-8

You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior.  You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas.

You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength.

You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations.

Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders.  From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.

Yes, indeed!  Shouts of joy!  On this beautiful Mother's Day for the women that bring beautiful children into this world to the One that created it shout for joy!  Celebrate God's glory through creation of all that surrounds us to one another!  God takes care of all of us!  God cares enough about the smallest details that hope is everywhere with Our Savior!  God cares enough to water the earth for harvest, for blooming flowers, to feed the animals that HE INDEED cares about you and me!  Shout and sing for joy on this Mother's Day!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Smile on us, Lord!

Today's readings about David instructing Solomon with his final words and then sharing his last words were very touching.  1 Kings 2:1-12, 2 Samuel 23: 1-7, 1 Chronicles 29: 26-30, Psalm 4, Psalm 5, Psalm 6, Psalm 8, Psalm 9...so many verses just were beautiful to me today!

To pick a favorite I went with Psalm 4: 6-8

Many people say, "Who will show us better times?" Let your face smile on us, LORD.

You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.

In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.

I absolutely loved this scripture.  In today's world, statistics show we like our stuff.  We think the stuff is the answer to all the problems that surround us, well probably it helped to get us where we are right now ~ (U.S.)  We have forgotten that it is the LORD we need to trust and remember that He truly is what brings joy to our life!  I say this knowing because I've lived it myself.  Stuff doesn't bring happiness the LORD does!

Don't you love the smile in the photo above?  I did and it just spoke GOD to me!  Just like in Psalm 8 ~ O LORD, our LORD, your majestic name fills the earth!  

Blessings,

Debbie

Praised forever and ever!

Today, the scripture from the Chronological Bible that spoke to my heart was about praising God!

1 Chronicles 29: 10

...O LORD, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever!  O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty.  Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom.  We adore you as the one who is over all things.

Yes, let's praise God today and everyday!  Always forever and ever!

Blessings,

Debbie