Be Still & Give Thanks to our Big God

I've noticed that I get more fearful and worrisome, less hopeful and optimistic when I don't have my mind focused on Higher things. When I'm not in the Word, when I get busy and distracted, and wander from quiet time with Him, being still before Him. This week, and namely this morning I've been confronted with several words/messages pointing me back to communion with Him. When I'm not in that communion, I'm less faith-filled. And likely therefore less faithFUL. Less hopeful. I get caught up in 'what ifs' and the 'whys'. Why can't we get ahead? You get a step ahead only to get knocked back again. Why this...why that...  I get too caught up in me. When the reality is...it's all about Him! So easily forgotten when I get my eyes off of God and turned on myself! Plus...ya know what? That 'stuff'...it's just life. 'Stuff' happens. Always will. But God is bigger! Bigger than all of it! Can't let it get me down. God is meeting our immediate needs. As my husband said this morning, for example. Instead of complaining about rising cost of living expenses cancelling out the pay raise, think in a different way: God was thinking ahead, providing for our needs that we didn't even know about yet. He was preparing us. If He hadn't provided the raise, we wouldn't have money to cover the rising expense(s)! There may or may not be much leftover (for now), but He's providing for our basic needs, and that is BLESSING! I just have to keep myself hidden in Him, arm & guard my heart with His word, and always - always - return thanks and praise to Him!

Just a few link-ups to some of the words around me this morning:

Be Still/The Restless Heart (LifeChurch.tv/Pastor Craig Groeschel, Soul Detox, Message 1)
"Be still, and know that I am God..." Psalm 46:10

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning..." Psalm 130: 5-6

Our Great Big Ole' Sky by Cindy Beall :  Have you forgotten how big our God is?

Day 2 Soul Detox Reading Plan/Devo by YouVersion:  To battle against your toxic thoughts, you must identify and reject them. As 2 Corinthians 10 tells us, the battle against our toxic thoughts is like none other. It is not a physical battle, but rather it is a spiritual battle that requires God's help in fighting.
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." v. 5

"We'd worry less if we gave thanks more." Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts/A Holy Experience

I played this over and over again this morning. AWESOME song to get ya going:

Good Morning by Mandisa

"Good morning, You give me strength, You give me just what I need, and I can feel the hope that's rising up in me...it's a good morning!"

And another favorite of Mandisa's that lifted me this morning, Stronger:

"Cause if He started this work in your life, He will be faithful to complete it, if only you believe it...Believe me, it'll make you stronger, stronger, stronger..."

Be blessed and encouraged today!

OUR GOD IS BIGGER!

THANKFUL

I had a thought a little while ago and thought I'd just come in and jot it down.  I got to thinking of all that I'm thankful for, and the list was so long.  Then I realized that there really isn't much that I'm NOT thankful for!  Even the bad/hard stuff - though it isn't fun to experience - shapes us, teaches us and brings us wisdom and perspective.  Besides, appreciation of the good stuff is only made richer by being familiar with the bad stuff too, right?  May God find me grateful not only on this day, but always and in all things! 

GOD IS GOOD - ALL THE TIME - AND ALL THE TIME - GOD IS GOOD!

BE BLESSED!

MORE

"More" is a running theme in my life lately.  We need more money.  We need more of (or replacement of) this and that.  My 2-yr-old is always wanting "maw" to eat...and becoming very stealth in her acquisition of it when she decides Mommy or Daddy's "no" is unacceptable.  My 5-yr-old son wants more toys and more of his own way.  I could use more exercise in my life.  More desire for exercise in my life!  I want more time - to get more done, to do more things I want to do.  And so much more...

But there's been another "more" theme floating in the air over the last week or two that's caused me to finally stop and take notice:  God's whispering, "More of ME."  He wants to be the "more" of my life.  The other stuff is just 'stuff'.  It has no eternal significance.  He is the Author and Creator of this world, this life. The Alpha and the Omega.  And He asks to be first above all else. 

The choruses of two songs have kept popping in my mind that drive it home:

  Enough (Jeremy Camp version): 

"For all of You, is more than enough for all of me...For every thirst and every need...You satisfy me with Your love...And all I have in You, is MORE THAN ENOUGH

I Need You More:

"I need You more, More than yesterday...I need You Lord, More than words can say...I need You more, Than ever before...I need You Lord, I need You Lord. 

More than the air I breathe...More than the song I sing...More than the next heartbeat...More than anything.

I need You more..."

 He wants me to love and seek Him more than anything or anyone else.  So He's drawing me close.  And I want to snuggle up beside Him, and tell Him how much I love Him.  And listen intently as He tells me, "I love you, child. It's going to be okay.  More than okay.  Trust Me.  Remember what I told you:

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the unbelievers run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
(Matthew 6: 25-34, The Message)

Here's to MORE of Him and MORE of what He has in store!