thank you for the reminder

"Day by day, and with each passing moment

Strength I find to meet my trials here

Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,

I've no cause, for worry or for fear,

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure,

Give unto each day what He deems best,

Lovingly it's part of pain and pleasure,

Mingling toil with peace and rest."

Random Tidbits

Father, God of heaven and earth,

Thank You for being the Almighty One; the One in control of everything. You are so big, yet You care for the so small. I sit in Your creation amazed and in awe of Your creativity.

Thank You for your many blessings. Thank You for providing me with daily needs. God, thank You for teaching me to know that You are my life line; I am living for You. That there is nothing I need to worry about when I follow You closely. Thank You for answering prayers. Thank You that You and I can communicate directly and You look at the heart of what I am saying instead of how well it's said.

May I live every moment in Your presence, O Lord. May I walk along side with the Holy Spirit and be a part of Thy will being done.

In Jesus' holy name,
Amen.

_____________________________________________________________________
Just some random tidbits:

-I asked for help in rising early and sleeping early, and the Lord has helped with that. Not only has He put people in my life to remind me, but He wakes me in the morning. =)

-The job I have is a blessing. Sometimes when it's crunch time, I fail to remember that the Lord is providing for me and teaching me things along the way. Rejoice in the Lord, always! Again I say, rejoice!

-Loving some people is so difficult. But I think it get's all clouded over when I find them difficult because I'm judging them upon my expectations. I need to learn to see each individual as a person hand crafted by God-- oh boy do I need help on this one.

-Reconciliation is something a friend and I have been talking about and we've recognized that it's something our church really needs. But we also know that it needs to begin with us. There are people in our lives that we need to reconcile with. Yet, after having that discussion and praying about it, and even having a little action plan, we've yet to carry through. Why are we so weak? God, I know You would want this... please present us with those opportunities again and may we have courage in You to do this.

-The financial part of being a grown up is not so fun. The past few months I've been crunching numbers in my head, on paper, spreadsheets, etc... But I know God provides just enough for me each month to do what He wants me to do. If I don't have money to do something, either I'm not supposed to do it, or something I did earlier in the month wasn't what God intended. God helps me balance my books. =p

-Time off from being a part of a ministry at church as been a struggle. At first, it was so difficult to tear myself away from all that I loved doing. But that might have been the exact problem God's been trying to point out to me: I love doing. This past while has been a time of learning how to 'be'; being instead of doing. As the days go by though, I am very slowly inching to enjoy my quiet down times, especially my quiet moments with God in the morning. It's also helped me refocus a bit of what ministry really is. My life is a ministry... at least that's a concept I'm chewing through. =) We'll see what revelations I get...

-In a few days Chris and I will be celebrating one year together. It seems that time has really flown by; it certainly doesn't feel like a year has gone by. But thinking about it, a year is just 365 days. Thank You, God, for bringing us together. It's been a wonderful year of many blessings. Thank you, bunches, for loving me just as I am. =) As we continue walking side by side on this journey with the Lord, may we be faithful to His Word and let Jesus Christ shine brightly through us. And may that 365 days multiply to four billion infinity plus one! *wink wink!* =p

-Sitting back and thinking about my life has been good this morning. =) Thank You Lord for putting things back into perspective.

-I'm know off on another day of work. It's crazy time at work because exams are coming around the corner. Micah 6:8--He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Amen, to that.

Deut. 9-11

Jesu Juva...

Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?

Deuteronomy 10:17-22
For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19
You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today;
and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.

God, I believe that every day you bring me upon Your words for a reason. And no doubt today what sticks out is that I don't carry Your words with me at all times; not only physically carrying a Bible, but not in my heart, and then not reflective in my actions because of such. I am ashamed Father, and I ask for forgiveness. I desire to grow in You, God. May I meditate on Your Word day and night, wherever I am. The teaching them to future generations also strikes a chord in me. How am I thinking that I could teach these young ones when I myself don't have things to teach? Is Jesus shining through me?

Am I a witness of God's will or am I going to be a witness for God's will?

Soli Deo Gloria.

Deut. 7-8

Jesu Juva...

Deuteronomy 7:6-11
"For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face. Therefore, you shall keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them.

Deuteronomy 8:2-6
You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.

Manna, because He wanted them to know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. Hmmmm... food for thought.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Deut. 5-6

Jesu Juva...

Deuteronomy 5:7-10
You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Deuteronomy 5:13-14
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

Deuteronomy 5:33
You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:13
You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.

Deuteronomy 6:16
You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.

Deuteronomy 6:25
It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the LORD our God, just as He commanded us.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Deut.3-4

Jesu Juva...

O Lord, You are my God and my King.
and I will always bless Your Holy Name.
Singing alleluia, "Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!"

Deuteronomy 3:22
'Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.'

Help me, God, please help me fight all these battles waging in me and around me.

Deuteronomy 3:28
'But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you see.'

Moses pleaded with God to let him cross into the promise land but the Lord was angry with him. I wonder if Moses did all that he did in hopes that God would change His mind about letting him in to the Promised Land.... hmm.... I don't like that thought though. Let me read on and see... =)

Deuteronomy 4:7
For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him?

Deuteronomy 4:9
Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.

I need to remember all that the Lord's taught me and use those things to help me make future decisions. I'm going through a phase of many transitions in my life. Sometimes it feels like I'm at a complete loss as to what to do. But let me not forget, God, all that You've taught me; You are faithful and will show me... let me be faithful and follow You.

Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 4:29
But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

With all that is in me, o Lord, I yearn for You. Thank You for loving me just as I am; no matter how dark and ugly I am on the insides, You love me. But I know that You desire for me to be more Christ-like. Jesus was sinless, and You desire for me to sin less and strive in Christlikeness.

Deuteronomy 4:31
For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.

Deuteronomy 4:39
Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Deut. 1-2

Jesu Juva...

Deuteronomy 1:17
You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's.

Deuteronomy 2:7
For the LORD your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.

These two chapters so far has been a time of reflection. A good example of what we need in our lives; sit down and think back to all that the Lord has done. So many transitions right now in my life... I'm reminded of Henry Blackaby's concept of "spiritual markers". I need to look back and see how the Lord has built and shaped me, and grasp it and go! The scary part for me right now is that "go!" could really mean that I need to just 'go' and be still.

Lord, You continue to ask me to be still and know Your presence; to know Your Spirit and His dwelling within me. It feels almost that 'doing' is me, and 'being' is You and I need to stand firm. Give me strength, O Lord, because I know that I will continually be challenged by this.

Soli Deo Gloria. Amen.

Num. 32-36

Jesu Juva...

I've come to the end of Numbers. Looking back, it wasn't as bad as I had imagined it to be. Yes, there were lots of names, but I found it interesting how important the tribes were; it was so crucial to stick with your tribe. I think about nowadays and when I think of tribes I think of divisions by last names. I know in North America it doesn't matter really what your last name is; we're taught equality in this land. In other parts of the world, however, there are still many distinctions by last name, whether it be where you live, what social class you belong to, etc.

On a different level, tribes also remind me of all the different denominations we have under Protestant Christianity. We travel in our little groups claiming acceptance of our ritualistic differences, yet in reality having a difficult time sometimes when we see our differences played out.

At the core of it all though, all the tribes knew that there was only one true God. Sometimes I wonder if we have this snobbish hierarchy of denominations... "such-and-such group is better than "such-and-such"... or ..."this group is more 'sound' than this group"...

Lord, let everything that has breath praise You. It doesn't matter what our skin colour is, what our background is like, what groups we belong to...
Throughout the endless ages, You will be crowned with praises, Lord, Most High.
You will be exalted in every nation, sovereign of all creation, Lord, Most High.
Please, may You be glorified.

Soli Deo Gloria. Amen.

Num. 28-31

Jesu Juva...

Numbers 30:2
If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

The Lord takes my words very seriously... do I take my own words that seriously?

Lord...
Soli Deo Gloria.

Num. 24-27

Jesu Juva...

Numbers 27:15-17
Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, "May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep which have no shepherd."

Moses set an example for us in looking for leaders. During this time as our church is trying to find new leaders, may we take up this example and pray to the Lord; pray that God will appoint this person to guide like Our humble Shepherd.

Numbers 27:18-20
So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight. "You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him."

I found this interesting. I always thought of commissioning someone as a 'send off'. But as I was reading this part about how Moses should 'put some of your authority on him' it makes sense that this transition of leadership requires some process. Passing the baton with process gives the past leader some closure and gives the new leader some authority because the past leader is entrusting the congregation into new hands. Hmmm.... more thought needed.

Soli Deo Gloria.