TXT3

Almost 5:30 PM and I just had my “quiet time”, which really wasn’t that at all.  I am enduring work stresses right now, and I slept right through my morning reading and prayer time.  You know, this is really hard to admit I failed to you joining me!  Even more so, it is harder to admit to God that I gave him such a small part of me today.  Of course I had a bad day…I started off trying to handle things on my own.  I remember my grandmother had a little plaque on her kitchen counter right next to where she stood to have her coffee and watch her hummingbirds every morning that read, “Lord, help me to remember that nothing that is going to happen today that you and I together can’t handle.”  I know most of you probably have seen this quote somewhere before, too.  I used to think that it was a ‘cheesy’ statement that old school Christians (no offense, please!) liked to see hung or placed in guest baths or wherever.  But, I realize now (maybe I’m getting older, maybe just wiser in my faith) that this is such a simple yet amazing statement.  And, I wish I had taken the time, even though I am so busy, to at least pray that little prayer before I started this day. Verse 80 says, “May my heart be blameless toward your decrees, that I may not be put to shame”.  I desire to have this blameless heart, but I know by the number of times I feel shame that I am falling short.  I will continue to follow the psalmist’s lead in my prayer to not just read but LIVE God’s word and let it infiltrate me and my life.

“My troubles turned out all for the best-they forced me to learn from your textbook.” (119:71, The Message)  That is the truth!  Sometimes what we are dealing with in life does force us to turn to the one place where we will find the right answer.  It all comes back to seeking the truths God has already given to us.  I think of how some people spend their lives searching for something, anything that makes them feel complete but never really attain that.  We as believers never have to feel that way.  Everything we need to know, how to act, how to live, what to do with our money, how to raise our children, how to worship, pray, etc…it is all right here.  No need to waste our time looking for any worldly answers.  I pray to remember this truth each day.

Playing catch up!  It was nice to be away for the holiday weekend with no computer, but I honestly was missing this blog.  It has been a busy weekend, and keeping up with quiet time has been a challenge, but with good rewards.  I mentioned something last night at txt3, but I know many were gone for vacation.  I really have found after this first week that for me the blessings that we are promised in this Psalms that will come from reading and applying what we learn from God’s word are not what I thought them to be when I started on Monday morning.  I was thinking, “Awesome, I can’t wait to see what blessings I am going to receive by doing this.”  Maybe something great will happen at work?  Maybe financial?  Maybe my parents will come and take my kids for a week just because they know I need a break?  How selfish and shallow my thoughts can be at times.  But, what I have learned is that these blessings aren’t necessarily ‘things’ or ‘events’.  I have found they are ways to handle LIFE.  When I ran into problems this week, I found myself feeling close to God and knowing He was alive in me and helping me handle things the way He would have me.  What a blessing to feel His spirit working in me.  And, it has made my prayer time so much more meaningful and easy!  Which, perfectly, takes us into the focus of this week’s sermon from Kelly…prayer.  I really loved Kelly’s point last night that we don’t always have to pray to thank God and ask for things.  Sometimes we should be silent in our prayer and wait for God to speak to us.  I can’t wait to have my quiet time tomorrow morning and see what He has to say to me.  Happy Memorial Day!

More wonderful words this morning.  I love the way the first few verses begin with psalmists command to God, “Teach me,…Give me understanding,…Direct me,…Turn my heart…”  Of course, they are followed by a promise to keep His laws and serve Him. And 37 really stands out to me, “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.”  In other versions, worthless things was also referred to as idols and idolatry, vanity, toys and trinkets…all of these things are great examples of distractions of the world that can kill our time with God.  I know for me personally I have had times in my life where this was happening and I did not even realize it until once I was consumed and having to exert the extra effort to get out of yet another pit.  The best and most recent example would be the one that got me into this commitment.  “If the Devil won’t make you bad, he’ll make you BUSY.”  That is what he did to me.  Yes, for me business became a sin, because I let it affect my time with God.

I am not going to be able to blog tomorrow and most likely not untillater Sunday, because I will be away without internet access.  I promise to keep my quiet time these mornings.  Please feel free to still comment on the next sections, though!  Thanks for all of your comments so far; they are all encouraging!  Have a great Memorial Day Weekend…

Getting a late start today.  I read first thing this morning, but am just now having an opportunity to write.  I wrote an e-mail to my husband today, and I would like to quote part of what it said, “This has been refreshing, and I am glad i am doing it, but it has also been really hard.  Trying to consume my thoughts with what I’ve read and make changes in my life and having so many other things going on and bothering me is a constant struggle.  Huh…I have done my reading but not my blog yet…maybe I could just use part of this…” 

That is the truth of how I am feeling.  I don’t regret being called to this task, but it is so not easy!  Getting life back into rhythm seems alot harder than just letting it get that way in the first place.  I’m sure you can understand this and have felt the same.  Seriously, my phone has ramg 5 times and I have 2 new text messages just in the time I have been writing.  This is a lesson learned that Kelly pointed out on Sunday.  There needs to be a rhythm to our lives, just as there is a rhythm in all that God has created.  And, quiet time needs to be done in the early morning!  Once we get going in our day it is hard to slow down and take time away to be in the Word and really talk to God.  I am going to make sure I continue to follow Jesus’ example while on earth and pray in the early morning.  God deserves all of us, even if it is only for a few minutes a day, without distractions and worries of this world. 

I have reread verse 30 about 10 times…I have chosen his way of truth, and I continue to set my heart on his laws.