The Promised Land

This morning I was reading Deuteronomy in preparation for teaching and I read the end of the book. I cried when I read the part detailing how Moses was not allowed to cross into the Promised Land.

Obedience comes with a price. There is nothing easy about it. As a dear friend used to say "If it was easy, anybody could do it!" Obedience usually calls us out of our comfort zone, it usually pushes us our of our safety zone, it sends us to the place we are not familiar with and then it leaves us to totally rely on God.

Sometimes it is not fun, it is not secure but it is real...and so is our God. That's why we can travel the road of obedience. Sometimes we fail in our walk and have to face the consequences but we believe our God, sometimes we lose faith in mankind or friends but we believe our God, sometimes we feel completely lost but we believe our God...that is what gets us through.

We have a choice, we can chose to believe God's promises and pursue righteousness and obedience or we can give up and choose our own way. Speaking from experience, I can tell you that today, I live a precious, protected, vibrant life as a result of choosing obedience. I could not see it at the time. When we are fragile, we don't see any good options, but when we turn it over to God and we depend on him to guide us one second at a time; one minute at a time; one hour at a time; He will strengthen us and honor that obedience.

I choose obedience because I want to see that Promised Land!

Then the Lord said to him [Moses], "This is the land I promised an oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacov when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it. Deuteronomy 34:4

Am I Second?

Today as I was driving home from the Academy, I was listening to a local radio station KHCB. It is a radio station that my father listens to daily and I find that I like alot of the programming.

Today however, they got on a kick of "I am Second." Pardon my ignorance but when ever I saw that on facebook, I thought it had something to do with my church. I would briefly skim some of the stories that came across facebook....no I never read Josh Hamilton's or Scott Hamilton's story, that would have been a dead give away. I never really knew what it was about. In fact, thinking it had to do with my church, I wondered how our church chose these individuals to "give their story."

Today KHCB introduced a man by the name of Brian Welch. He was a band member of the group KORN. While I never listened to that group, I gathered it was some sort of heavy metal. Mr. Welch's story of forgiveness and redemption brought me to tears. Following him was Michael W. Smith. Mr. Smith is a Contemporary Christian singer and song writer. His story also impacted me deeply.

As I listened intently, I realized that my story is also as impacting and I thank God that He brought me through. Redemption is freedom! However, I analyzed my walk and a favorite verse came to mind. I do not know if I am Second uses this verse, but it rang true for me. It speaks of me decreasing so that He can increase.

Analyze that....I can't be first! If I am going to follow Christ, if I am going to put him first, then I can not keep getting ahead of Him. I must sit back and allow me to decrease, shrink, minimize so that He can shine through.

I have to ask myself, "Have I put God first? Am I second?"

I guess in today's "technology terms" that would look like this...HE> ME< He must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30

As a side note I must add this:

Today, I went to my usual Thursday morning Bible Study-Designer Woman. A lady by the name of Elaine Hastings was going to be speaking on "Prayer Whispers." I knew the class would be on prayer but I did not know what direction she would be taking. I have to admit, she was phenomenal. I had just come in from a wonderful "Spiritual Gifts" taught by Ms. Betty Carpenter last week and frankly, I was "still full" from that lesson.

As I sat there and listened, Elaine captivated me with her knowledge of the Bible. It was so obvious to me that God had prepared this lady for today. It is always a good lesson when God convicts me in a specific area. She spoke of praying because "God commands us to." What a concept.

Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication ACTS....Thank you ladies for wonderful lessons and thank you Ms. Dottie for trusting God!

Undivided Heart

A friend shared an idea she found at Pinterest and I decided to try it. The idea is you draw the outline of a heart, then you fill it in with what occupies it. I got two index cards and gave one to my husband. I told him the idea and then we went off into our own corners to complete our project.

When we met back up, the comparision was neat and fun to do as a couple. I reviewed my heart over and over. It was filled with things like: Learning, teaching, pets, kids, desserts, friends, boat, beaches, and much more. I used every single inch of the heart.

At the center I had drawn another heart and it simply said "God." You see, I believe that if I have a heart for God, it must be an undivided heart. It can not compete with the things I had listed. It must be a heart completely dedicated to serving and loving God.

I sat back and looked at the finished product and I liked it. Today is Valentines Day. Whether you are single or in a relationship, I want to tell you...you are loved. You are loved by the one who gave His life for you. Won't you give Him an undivided heart?

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you , O Lord my God with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love for me. Psalms 86:11-13

True colors

This morning there was some urgency to my step as I prepared to take my mom to the medical center. I woke up extra early in order to have time to pick her up and drive her. It was not my usual "leisurely" morning. I poured my coffee, flavored it up and put it down as I got busy with the things of the morning.

I went to my son's room to wake him then returned to my bedroom. As I walked into my bedroom, I began looking for my coffee cup. I thought to myself "Now where did I put it down?" I saw my black DPS cup, my black HPD cup but no black "counter cultural" cup. I was stumped thinking "I know I put that black cup in here somewhere."

Then it hit me. At the beginning of this series Counter Cultural Happiness, our pastor introduced some items we could purchase from our book store. They included a "counter cultural" coffee mug that was temperature sensitive. When the cup was empty and at normal or cool temperature, the cup remained black. When a hot material like coffee is poured into the cup, the cup turns white.

I was looking for a black cup. My cup had turned white and blended into the rest of the surroundings where I had placed it. In other words, it got lost in the atmosphere. When the cup was placed with other black mugs, the change was clear to see but when I placed it in an open area, it was more difficult to locate.

We will not always be in Christian surroundings. Our careers, family associations or social groups may take us out of that element. It is important for us to remember that even when the heat is turned up, we will demonstrate that we are not "like all the others" and regardless of where situations take us, we will not succumb to the social culture but resort to our faith and foundation. We are to be the light of the world...different!

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5: 14-16

In step

This afternoon I went to visit my father-in-law. We sat and chatted for a while about various things. I then left my husband to talk with him as I was on a mission. I was looking for a box that would accomodate a project I am working on for Thursday.

I then got him set up with his medication and cleaned a little. Again, I sat and chatted with him. He is a writer and has written several poems composing two books beginning four years ago when my mother-in-law passed away. He loves to write and he loves to talk. He told us of several cousins that he knows are still alive in Salado, Tx that he wanted to go visit. Unfortunately, technology allowed us to see that they have all gone on. My father-in-law is that last of that generation.

We make every effort to go there a couple of times a week. Why do we find it so difficult to get there? He lives less than 5 miles from our house. Housework, obligations, extended family, other aging parents, careers, all keep us from stopping and visiting. He just longs to be with us. He has other friends that visit. Many are just around the corner in the neighborhood but it's not like a son or daughter visiting.

It made me think how similar that is with God. He longs to get a visit from us. He longs to hear from us, he desires that we connect with him...he just wants us to visit more than once or twice a week and yet, we are too busy, too tired, to overcommitted and there just isn't time.

As we left my father-in-law, I know he wondered when we would make it back. I walk out of his house and I jog to my vehicle because it was cold. My husband follows and then I hear it...the shuffling of the soft mocassins trying to catch up with us. It makes me stop in my tracks as this thought enters my mind:

His Steps First....that's what this blog is about-FOLLOWING God and yet we often get ahead of him, sometimes running. I heard the soft shuffle of the feet of a 97 year old man, trying to catch up and it impacted me. I wondered, "do I follow" or does God long for me to slow down.

I want to follow God. I don't want to hear the shuffle of feet because I am not in step with God. I want to walk in the steps he has prepared for me.

Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps. Psalm 85:11-13

Self Help

The other day I went to one of my favorite stores in Humble. A lady in my Bible Study class had recommended a novel and I went in search of it at a local bookstore. Once I located it, I wandered around looking to see what else I could put in my basket.

I don't have a whole bunch of time to read right now, but I do have a whole lot of material to read. I had a specific topic in mind-one to support a class I am currently teaching so I headed to the "self help" section. At one point I saw the same books or I should say a few copies of the same books.

I continued looking and observed fifteen copies of the same book! It made me wonder..."So did the book help?" You see, I do not throw books away and I rarely give my books away. I will often purchase several copies of a good book to give away if I like them that much. I often share books expecting to get them back and have always gotten them back but this was a self help book. So my question was "did the book work so well that people wanted to share them by selling them back or was the book a total flop and everybody sold them back for pennies on the dollar."

My self help book contains 66 books within a book. It gives me direction, guidance and counsel. I would not give that book away and I can assure you, you would not see it on a bookstore shelf. Looking for direction? Try God's Word.

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8

Give it your best shot

The time has come. As part of my training, I still have to qualify and demonstrate proficiency with my weapon. This year I am very apprehensive since I took a nasty cut to my dominant hand, cutting through to the tendon. Not being certain of complete healing or potential reprocussions, I went to practice today.

I was prepared. I walked in, put on my eye and ear protection and proceed to "take my best shot." About ten minutes into it, five men walked in. Two took their place to my left, three to my right. Being in my own stall, I was not phased. I was concentrating on my target and could not tell you how old they were, how they were dressed or anything else about them. They in turn could not see my face as I was deep in the stall.

Even with ear protection I could hear their conversations. I continued to hit my target and then I heard them in action. The three fellas to my right started laughing and criticizing their friend who hit every shot outside the X ring and on the outer boundaries. All the targets were aligned in the range for everyone else to see and since only one could shoot at a time, the other two were just watching. It did not affect me until one of the friends spoke in spanish and said "The old lady shot better than you!" Laughter broke out but I maintained my position and continued proving the friend right.

As they broke out in laughter, I thought to myself "I can assure you I am anything but an old lady!" Then I asked myself "Why does it matter?" God created me and whether I am young or old, he has a purpose for me. He used Sarah when she was and "old lady" to have Abraham's heir, Isaac [Genesis 18:11] and He used Elizabeth when she was an "old lady" to have John the Baptist [Luke 1:7]. God had a purpose for me when I was 20 and He still has a purpose for me now. So you want to call me an old lady, I say "give it your best shot" because for some of us, that's when life begins!

Likewise teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine. but to teach what is good. They they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Titus 2:3-4