Live Joyfully in the Midst of Struggles

This is what I read in Sarah Young's "Jesus Today" today.... #116

"I am calling you to live joyfully in the midst of your struggles.

You yearn for a freer, more independent way of life than you're currently experiencing.

You pray fervently--and then wait hopefully for the changes you desire.

When I don't answer your prayers according to your will, you sometimes get discouraged.

It's easy for you to feel as if you're doing something wrong--

as if you're missing out on what is best for you.  

When you think that way, you are forgetting a most important truth:

That I am Sovereign.

I am in control, and

I am taking care of you."

This past weekend was very stressful for us.  As most of you know, we take care of my 93 year old mother in law on the weekends, and she is getting progressively more fragile, dependent and extremely needy.  My time is consumed with caring for her needs, and by the end of the weekend I am pretty well exhausted.  I was so much so this past weekend that I am still feeling the effects on my body and in my spirit.  Those of you who have cared for elderly loved ones can relate.  Our whole family is affected by this in a negative way, and we know that some changes are going to have to be made soon.  But we are reluctant to take those steps, and I find myself praying that God will intervene for her and on our behalf...and be merciful for His children's sake. I know God understands my heart in this, and I don't believe He thinks badly of me for having these feelings.  But He wants me to trust Him to do what is best for all concerned.

This is part of the reason I believe I was directed to choose the word "REST" for my "One Word" for 2017.  Not only is it for a spiritual resting in Christ, but also for a physical rest...which actually coincides with the spiritual.  Because when our physical bodies need rest, our spirit usually needs rest as well.  

Today I was uplifted and blessed to be a part of our monthly gathering of our "Lovely Ladies of the Lord" group.   After we meet for a time of prayer, Bible study and sharing our concerns and joys, we usually continue our fellowship at a local restaurant for lunch...

I know the Lord planned this gathering for this week, because I truly needed this time of respite and joy in the midst of my struggles.  These ladies always give me a blessing just by their words of love and comfort and prayer. We are there for each other...and I am humbled by the true beautiful hearts of these dear women of the Lord.  We all learn so much just from sharing our burdens and cares...and laying them at the feet of Jesus. 

I have come away from this meeting today with my burdens lifted, knowing that, 

Yes, God IS sovereign, and yes, God IS in control, 

and most definitely God IS taking care of me!

And I can live joyfully in the midst of struggles!

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord,

for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever!"

Psalm 118:1

Amen.

It's a New Year...and I'm Going to....

Rest!

Yes, my friends, it is a New Year...and I am going to REST!  That is my "One Word" for 2017!  I "labored" over what my new "One Word" should be...and my mind grew weary with trying so hard.  Then this morning I opened my "Jesus Today" devotional book by Sarah Young, and this is what I read:

"Find Rest in Me alone, dear one; 

Your hope comes from Me. 

You have a restless mind. 

It skips and scampers about continually, rarely taking time to be still.

Listen, and you will hear Me saying,

"Come to Me."

I am the only resting place for your mind that will truly satisfy and strengthen you.

Take time-make time-to direct your thoughts to Me.

Whisper My Name and wait in My sacred Presence.  

You are on holy ground.

This provides refreshment not only for your mind

but also for your soul."

(Jesus Today, #108)

And this message confirmed to me what I was already thinking...it is time for me to 

find REST in Christ alone.  

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

my hope comes from Him."

Psalm 62:5

In keeping with this idea, my mind was already spinning (not resting!) with ways in which I could accomplish this idea of resting.  Doesn't sound like I've quite learned anything about it yet, does it?  But hear me out, please.  

You see, my son sort of started it when he gave me this wonderful surprise gift for Christmas:

Here we are on Christmas morning, as my son Scott explained to me that he found this bench, in pieces in a dumpster, and he knew he had to bring it home and rebuild it for his mom!  And so, after he'd get home at night after work he was secretly laboring over this project outside when I was totally unaware. I was warned to stay away from the lean-to in the yard, but not told why.  And so on Christmas morning he revealed this beautiful park bench to me, which is still not quite completed, but good enough to show me...and I immediately started thinking about where I was going to put it so I could enjoy it the most!

I've had a dream of establishing a little "secret garden" in our back yard...even wrote about it once before I think...(Click HERE for that story...three years ago!)  but I never really got that project off the ground.  I was still working and going through other difficult things in our lives, and the secret garden kind of just faded into the weeds...(ferns mostly)

and even the spiders found a home there:

But now that I am retired...I feel God nudging me to set aside this special place where I can go and find REST for my soul...my own little "Secret Garden" where I can meet the Lord in the morning or the shade of the afternoon...whenever I feel the need or prompting of the Holy Spirit to steal away into a quiet place and meditate on Him...

I found this quote on Pinterest today...and it expresses my sentiments exactly....

and so one of the first things I have set in place is a gate that opens wide into my secret garden:

It is actually an old iron headboard that I found in the old shed on our property...so I painted it and we set it in place...permanently in the OPEN position, so that nothing will hinder me from entering this secret garden...and you are welcome too!  The beautiful glass flower ornament is a Christmas gift from my sweet hubby! He didn't know this would become the first thing to decorate this special place...he just saw it at the flea market and knew I would like it!

He was so right!!!! He knows me better than I realized!

And so now that I have embarked on this new project...it is supposed to help me find "REST"...but first I have work to do so that I CAN rest!  (Something wrong with this picture? Perhaps...but I can't rest until I know everything is in place...) so stay tuned for future developments....(Now you may understand why God wants me to learn how to REST).   

By the way, last year my "One Word" was GRACE...(Click HERE for that story)...and I must admit that God has shown me His loving grace in so many ways this past year...as well as I have had to  learn how to be filled with grace as I have helped to care for my mother in law as she progresses in her physical and mental needs each week...that is still a work in progress for me.  

So perhaps the time of REST will help me to fully understand just how great is God's Grace.  

Psalm 46:10 says:

"Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

This won't be the first time the Lord has tried to teach me to be still and meditate on Him.  I pray that this year I will do exactly what He is teaching me to do...and just

Rest!

Post Update: Linking up with Deb and friends over at Breathing in Grace to share our One Word for 2017!  Check it out and see how the Lord is leading others in this adventure to draw closer to God in 2017...

Opening Another Advent Window (Updated)

This is a rerun of a post from a couple of years ago.  I must say that I still love to read from the devotional book "Jesus Calling" every morning, along with its companion "Jesus Today", also by Sarah Young.  I received that book from my sister as a Christmas gift that same year.  It is amazing to me to see how these little books have an appropriate message just for me every day...and then they lead me to passages in the Bible that further show me God's message for the day. This is a marvelous way to to start each day all year long, not just during the Advent season!



The original post written on 12/2/13 begins here:

If you recall reading about my "Jesus Calling Experience"  a couple of weeks ago, you will recall that I had finally responded to the "call" of Jesus to pick up the little devotional book, "Jesus Calling",  written by Sarah Young that I found in my church library...and then a dear friend said that she wanted me to have my own copy as a gift.

Well, today was the day.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with humility upon receiving a gift from someone when you felt like you should be the one giving a gift instead?

That's how I felt.

This is my Open Advent Window for today.

As we prepare for the coming of the Christ Child, the Babe in the Manger,

remember that He is the Divine Gift to us, we who are so unworthy. 

But He came down to earth for us,

to rescue us from our sins,

and to save us for all eternity

to live with Him forever.

What does He ask from us?

Nothing really...except that we love Him

with all our hearts.

Here's a little song I remember hearing and singing at Christmas time:

In the Bleak Midwinter (click on title for link to song by Gloucester Cathedral Choir)

Christina Rossetti (written 1872, published posthumously in 1904)

"In the bleak mid-winter Frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow, In the bleak mid-winter Long ago. Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him Nor earth sustain; Heaven and earth shall flee away When He comes to reign: In the bleak mid-winter A stable-place sufficed The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ. Enough for Him, whom cherubim Worship night and day, A breastful of milk And a mangerful of hay; Enough for Him, whom angels Fall down before, The ox and ass and camel Which adore. Angels and archangels May have gathered there, Cherubim and seraphim Thronged the air, But only His mother In her maiden bliss, Worshiped the Beloved With a kiss. What can I give Him, Poor as I am? If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb, If I were a wise man I would do my part, Yet what I can I give Him, Give my heart." Thank you to my friend today for the wonderful gift of "Jesus Calling".  This gift is helping me to prepare my heart for Christmas. How about you? Is your heart ready for Christmas? Could Jesus be "calling" you?