Trusting God

I haven't posted anything on this blog or my other in a very long time. That doesn't mean I haven't learned anything. God still has continued to work in me and teach me. A lot has been going on in my life in the past several months--good and bad.
The past several months there have been many people I know, care about and love, who are struggling. Some have been finances. Some have been emotional. Most of them have been physical. I am one, which isn't good, who tends to be a worrier. I like to know what is going on. I hate surprises. That goes back from when I was a little girl, and I would even unwrap then re-wrap my Christmas presents. I hate surprises.
However, God allows things to happen to His children. He doesn't always give us the outcome. We can't 'unwrap' and see what the outcome is going to be. We have to wait. We have to trust God. One day a couple of weeks ago, I was praying about a personal situation then going through my prayer list of my family and friends who are suffering and need prayer and God's grace. God gave me a verse. I was like, 'duh!' This verse is probably one of the most common verses in the Bible. In fact, I teach my first graders this verse. It is:
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
Told you it was common! But, I sometimes forget to do it. I forget to trust. We often trust people, which is needed. However, they can let you down, even if they don't mean to. However, God never will. He's the ONE the only ONE that knows the outcome of any situation. He knows our needs.
Several months ago maybe even about a year ago now, I was really struggling with some trial. I have alluded to that trial on here previously. During that time, God heard many of my tears. Praise the Lord, He's healed and worked in that trial!! But during that time it hit me, we (or at least me) have no problem trusting God with our salvation. To me, it was easy and is easy to know my salvation is secured in Christ. I've confessed my sins, and He said He would forgive them. I believe what He says. His Word says, "...Thy word is truth." John 17:17b I have no problem trusting Him with my salvation- my eternity. But how hard it is for us to trust Him for our daily needs? our trials? For me, pretty hard! If I can trust Him with my eternity(my salvation), why can't I trust him for finances. Or, why can't I trust Him when I'm praying on the behalf of a friend who has cancer or whose child is sick? Isn't that crazy?
It was just a thought I had one day. It sometimes still comes into my mind. I need to trust God in all things. I cannot lean to my own understanding. I tell my first graders when teaching about Abram and Sarai that Sarai helped God. She was impatient for waiting for a child. So, she decided to help God. When we 'help' God, we make a mess. Sarah did. I'm so thankful to have an almighty, sovereign God to trust.
If I can trust Him with my eternity, I need to trust Him for my daily needs and concerns. He is truly able. I need to learn to lean on God's arms more. How about you? Do you struggle with trusting God for your daily needs? Are you like me when it is so easy to trust Him for your salvation and eternity but get scared and worried when it concerns our day to day life. We may not know the outcome, but we know the ONE Who does. That truly is a blessing! Let's pray and ask God to help us trust God for all our needs.

Some of My Favorite Bible Verses

Hello there!
If this is your first time visiting my blog, Welcome! I hope you enjoy it and come again.
I'm linking up to Kelly's Korner @ www.kellyskornerblog.com . I've never done this before. I usually just keep this blog on things I've been learning in my Christian walk. Some of the Show us Your Life entries she has aren't things that I feel like I should link up to on here(they aren't bad just not the purpose of this blog!). But when I read Show Us your Favorite Bible Verse--- I was like YEAH!! I can do that! I've learned so much, especially lately, from God's Word-- the Living Word. I want to share with you some of my favorite verses and a brief description on why they are so dear to me.

One is: "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10
I love that verse! I love the reminder on how He will be exalted among all-- no matter what. To me that is saying, don't worry. Trust Him; He is God! I wrote about this verse in a previous entry on this blog, if you care to read it.

Another one which has become so dear to me in the past few weeks is:
"As for God, his way is perfect:...." Psalm 18:30a
That verse is a blessing to me! It encourages me on how God's way is perfect. We will not always like, want, or agree with what He allows to happen in our lives. I don't! But, I know His way is perfect for me. No, it is not easy; He doesn't promise that. He just says it is perfect for us- according to Him.

Another one is: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Isaiah 26:3
He promises to give us peace if our minds are 'stayed' on Him-- if we trust Him. I've been doing my devotions lately about Abraham and Sarah. The devotional book I'm reading mentions that an evidence of walking with the Lord is trusting Him and His Word. He will keep us in perfect peace if we saturate ourselves (our minds) on Him.

Another..... "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." Psalm 56:3
I teach in a Christian school. This verse is used often in our curriculum. That is how I first learned it. Many times when it is mentioned it is talking about storms or things such as that. I do use this verse for those times(I hate storms!), but there are other times that we get afraid. All we have to do is to trust God!

One last one for today.... "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." Psalm 145:18
What a blessing! God is near to us when we call to Him. I don't know about you but I've called upon Him. There are times in my life that I've really needed Him. He's there! He's always close to me. He is never too busy for me. What a blessing!

I could write much more. But, I will limit myself to these. I've written about other verses that are special to me in previous posts, if you are interested in reading. I hope that these verses which are a blessing to me, may be a blessing to you.

My Faithful God

Friday a few weeks ago (May 14) marked a year of something that occured in my life. I've mentioned in previous posts that the Lord has allowed a situation/trial happen in my life. This has been the second hardest year of my life, after the year my daddy was sick then passed away. I've told someone that I can view it that way, sadly, or I can view it that I haven't had many hard times in my life- considering others who have.

In reflecting back, I've learned so much. Part of the reason why I started this blog was to share. If you know me, I'm a talker if I'm comfortable with you. I don't mind sharing, usually, what the Lord has shown me/taught me. I think that is so important. I believe the Lord uses situations to help others. I've been praying that the Lord will use this situation and time of my life to help others. Now this is a trial for me, but praise the Lord, it is not as hard of a trial as some have endured i.e., losing a loved one (I've done that!), suffering with a fatal disease, etc. But, it is a trial.

I can tell you so many things I've learned. I've shared some already in previous posts. But, what I wanted to share today is about God's faithfulness. We have such a faithful God. I try my best to be the best person I can be. I try to be the best Christian I can be. I want to be the best friend, the best sister, the best daughter, the best teacher, the best employee, the best co-worker, etc. I can be. But, as a human, I fail.... often. We all make mistakes- I sure do! But, I'm so thankful that the Lord never leaves me. He just forgives me.

I love that I can go to the Lord and cry to him(pray or sometimes literally cry!) anytime. He is always there. I've been blessed with people who love me. I have a great family and great friends. But, there are times that they are too busy, or to be honest, I just don't want to share with them. I do share things, but I've learned there are sometimes there has to be just God and I(sweet time!).


So, I wanted to just Praise the Lord for His faithfulness. He has never left me nor forsook me. I can tell you something with sure certainty, He NEVER will leave me nor forsake me. That is such a huge encouragement to me. Things change. People change. Relationships change. Life changes. But, I can say GOD NEVER CHANGES!!!.... neither does HIS love for me! You can't help but be encouraged by that thought. I wrote in a previous post about God not changing. That, truly, is a blessing to me. I love how HE is always there. He is ALWAYS faithful!

People leave. Jobs get lost. Lives change. People get hurt. But, no matter what, God is there. He is always faithful! His love for us never change. He forgives when we mess up. He is there when we hurt. He is there when we do not even know how to pray. Main point- He is always there! Praise Him for that.

Has there been a time that you can remember God's faithfulness to you? Would you care to share? If you don't know Jesus as your Savior, you haven't seen His faithfulness to you. You can, though. God's Word says in I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." He promises to be faithful to forgive your (our) sins. If you have any questions about that, please leave a comment. I would love to explain further about my faithful God. His faithfulness to me is one way I am "Learning to Lean on God's Arms."

"Be Still..."

I have a lot of things going on in my head right now, which can be a scary thought (ha!). No, I've been learning a lot. There are so many things I want to share/write. But, I think I'm going to write about something that I've been learning about for the past year. Truly, I'm still learning it. I guess I am a slow learner.
One of my favorite Bible verses is: "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10
I want to emphasize the beginning of that verse. "Be still..." Now, I'm not a momma, but I am a teacher. There have been times, many in fact, that I have told my students to "be still." It is hard for people to be still. It is hard, by nature, for us to sit or stand without fidgeting. It is hard for me to physically be still.
In thinking of that, it is hard for us (people) to "be still." In thinking of being still, I relate that to trusting God. As I've mentioned in previous posts, God has allowed me to go through something (a trial) for the past year of my life. During this year, it hasn't been easy; however, I have learned many things, and I'm still learning.
One of the main things I've learned is to fully trust God and to wait for Him. It is so hard for people to wait on God. Like I said previously, it is hard to "be still", especially for women. Several months ago (at the beginning of the school year) I was on the phone with one of my school parents. Her daughter is new to our school this year. She was struggling. The mom was stressed because of it. She told me, " I have to be still. If I'm not still, I'm not trusting God." I was like, "Wow!" I thanked her so much for that comment. I haven't forgotten that, and I may never forget that. I told her that I needed it, but I didn't explain the situation on why I needed that. But, that is so true! If we aren't still and if we "help" God, it is us not trusting God. We think we can do better. I know that is not true!... at least for me.
Like I said before, being still is hard. It is hard for children and us. But, wait, we are God's children. We are in His hands. He knows what is best. Not only does He know what is best, He knows when is best. What a blessing! To go along with that thought, this summer my Pastor said something in one of his sermons that I don't think I'll forget, either. I cannot remember his message, but I remember what that one sentence was. It was, "God is punctual!"
So, to me the verse, "Be still, and know that I am God" and the sentence "God is punctual" are great reminders for us to just wait and trust the Lord. He is in control of all--- our happiness and our sadness.
So, do you have a hard time "being still?" If you do, you aren't alone! Remember, you can go to God any time. That, truly, has been the greatest blessing in my life during this trial He has given me, which has helped me to "learn to lean on God's arms."

"He is not here: for he is risen,..."

My favorite holiday is Easter or Resurrection Sunday, which is what I like to call it. I've always loved this time of year. I love celebrating Resurrection Sunday. Usually when people talk about their favorite holidays, most of the time it is Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Christmas, too. Of course you have secular things about holidays that make each holiday fun and enjoyable. Christmas has presents. Who does not like to receive presents? Easter has egg hunts and candy. Come on, who doesn't like candy? In fact, my favorite candy EVER comes out only during Easter time.
Today, I was exercising (walking my neighborhood with my dog). I love walking because, honestly, that is a time when I do my deepest thinking and praying. Today as I was walking, it came to my head that this day over two thousand years ago Jesus was dead; He was buried. He was in the tomb. I am so thankful that the story does not end there. On the third day He rose again.
I want to share with you one of my favorite passages: "And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." Matthew 28:5-6
I, obviously, believe that the Bible is true. John 17:17b says, "....thy word is truth." So, I rejoice in the fact, the truth, that Jesus is no longer in the tomb, but He indeed has risen from the dead.
You see, Christmas is a great holiday. It celebrates the birth of Jesus. I'm not a parent, but I know when a family has a child they have the child to rear, to love, and for the child to be a part of their family and to have a happy life. No parent has ever had a child so the child could die. However, God the Father sent His Son to be born so that He could die, so that we could have eternal life. How amazing! How loving!
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, and Easter (Resurrection Sunday) celebrates the death of Jesus and HIS resurrection. God loves us so much that He made a way for us to go to Heaven. The way is through His Son Jesus Christ. John 14:6 says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
I am so thankful that Jesus died for me, but it didn't stop there. If He was still in the tomb, He would be no different than any other person. But, Jesus rose again. He is ALIVE!! Praise the Lord! Because of His resurrection, I can have eternal life.
That is the true meaning of Resurrection Sunday. That is why I love it so much. Like I said previously, this day over two thousand years ago Jesus was dead and in the tomb. However, over two thousand years ago tomorrow Jesus rose again. He is risen! He is alive! Let's praise the Lord for His resurrection.
If you have questions about what I've shared and what has been on my mind and on my heart, please feel free to leave me a comment. I would love to help in any way that I can. I share things that I have been learning or reminded of recently. If I can be a blessing to anyone, I would love to be. I love the fact that I can "lean on God's arms." Of course, I can only do that because He died for me and rose again for me. He did that for you, too. It comes full circle, doesn't it? We have an amazing God!

"Lovest Thou Me?"

I have the opportunity to teach at a Christian school. Each morning, the teachers have a teacher's meeting. Each day our principal reads a passage of scripture. One day last week, the passage was familiar to me, but SUCH a blessing. I want to share it with you. It is John 21:15- 25. But the verse I want to focus on is verse 15b ".... Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs." If you read the passage, Jesus asked Simon a total of three times (which reminded Simon Peter of the three times he denied Jesus) if he loved Him more than 'these'. Each time Simon said yes. Simon was grieved when Jesus asked him these questions because it did remind him of his thrice denial.
Now, I like this passage even though it is hard to read. There are so many things in our life that "come up" that we love. There are people in our lives that we love. Loving/enjoying things and people are not wrong. God wants us to love! However, if we put things above the Lord that is wrong. So, I've been thinking, are there things that I love above the Lord? I mean if Jesus asked me if I love Him what would I say? Well, I would say, "Yes." I do love my Lord. But, do I love him for than 'these'? The word 'these' means different things to different people. Like I said, it could be people, clothes, electronics, etc.
So, here is the question/ thought for today's blog. How is your love life with the Lord? Yes, you may love Him, but do you love Him more than the 'these' in your life?
I'm enclosing words to a song that I love. My mom used to sing this to me when I was a little girl. Every time I read or hear this verse passage, I think of this song.

“Modern times have brought us many comforts, people live in wealth and luxury; but the Master still asks this question, lovest thou Me, lovest thou Me, more than these? Lovest thou Me, more than these, my child, what will your answer be? Very few who will say oh precious Lord I love thee more than all of these, more then wealth, more than fame, more than the world."

So, what is your answer? Just a thought that I've had that is teaching me to 'Learn to Lean on God's Arms."

Promises

On Sunday evening, as I was driving to church I saw a beautiful rainbow. It made me so happy. I mean, honestly, I was smiling and even laughing because I saw a rainbow. It made me immediately think of the promise in the Bible when God put a rainbow in the sky to promise Noah that He would never flood the world again. Every time I see a rainbow I think of that promise God made to Noah and to us.
God gives us many promises in His Word. I once heard the number of promises that are in the Bible, but I have forgotten. But, there are a lot. God gives us these promises to help us and encourage us and, of course, because He loves us. He is truthful and faithful. He keeps His Word all the time.
I've shared in some previous posts about a situation/trial that the Lord has allowed me to be in the past several months. Like I've said previously, I hate this situation! However, I have seen God more through this situation. He has become more real to me. I've drawn closer to Him through this. Drawing closer to the Lord through this situation is the only good thing I can see that has come from this situation in my life. His Word and His promises have become much dearer to me in these times. I want to share with you a few of my favorite promises that God gives to His children (me!).
One verse that I've known for a very long time but has been a blessing to me is: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Jeremiah 33:3 This verse does not mean that God will answer us the way we want/ask Him to; I've learned that! But, He will show us great things, better things than we can imagine. That is a comfort to me! My God loves me, and even though I don't always understand how He answers me, He has a better plan for me than I imagine. What a blessing!
Another one of my favorite promises is: "... I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5 b That is such a sweet promise! No matter what is going on in life or if you feel alone, God is always there. He will never leave us!! We can make the biggest mistakes in life, but God is still there. How sweet is that!
Another promise that I want to share is "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." Psalm 145:18 This verse also has a special meaning. The Lord is nigh (close) to His children. Like it says in Hebrews 13:5, God will never leave us. He is close to us. If we call upon Him, He is there. He never is too busy for us. What a comfort! Family and friends are great, but you have to admit, sometimes they are even too busy for us. But, with God, that is not possible! He is never too busy, and He is always close to us. WOW!
Here is on last promise I will share tonight: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5 I love that verse, too. Have you ever felt like you have no idea what to do? I'm sure you have, and so have I. But, God will give us wisdom if we ask Him. I love that! He gives the wisdom we need- just enough, in fact, possibly more than enough-- He gives it to us "liberally."
Well, there are many more promises in God's Word. I just shared a few with you. God gives us much more.
Do you have a favorite promise in God's Word? Do have one that means a lot to you? Please share with us a promise that God has given to you and that you claim.
Remember, God always keeps His Word. What a blessing!!

A Good Reminder for Christians

I didn't write this. I've read it before; however, this week it was forwarded to me again. So, I thought I would share it with you all. It is a good reminder for us Christians--- and a rebuke.

A Christian
Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.' When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change ..'The driver, with a smile, replied, 'Aren't you the new preacher in town?'
'Yes' he replied.'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday..' When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.'

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself 'Christian.'

Watch your thoughts ; they become words.Watch your words; they become actions.Watch your actions; they become habits.Watch your habits; they become character.Watch your character; it becomes your destiny...

Changes

Change. Change. Change.
The world and life are full of changes. There are good changes, and there are bad changes. A birth of a baby, a beginning of a marriage, a new job/ministry- those are just a few examples of good and happy changes. Death of a loved one, loss of a job, divorce and loss of a relationship/friendship are just some examples of bad and sad changes. Of course, people can change, that can either be a good or bad change- depending the change.
Right now, our weather/season is changing. We are saying goodbye to winter and hello to spring-- which I am so happy about. I love waking up in the morning and hearing the birds sing. I love walking outside and not having to wear a big winter coat. So, there is change (I think it is a good one!).
I'm one that is not too comfortable with change. Honestly a lot of changes at once scare me. I mean, I can handle it when it actually arrives. However, the anticipation of change (if change is planned), is what scares me. Of course, sometimes you do not know change is coming. It can be very hard.
Recently, I've been thinking a lot about change. There has been a lot of change in my life in the past year. There have been happy and sad changes. My brother got married this past year-- that is a happy change! I got a sister! I've grown closer to some people regarding our friendships. That has been a good change and a blessing. I've had to deal with a physcial condition, so that has been a bad change, but at the same time, it has been a good change, too (God's diet plan for me!). I've lost a friendship, that is a bad and sad change- one of the biggest ones in my life in this past year. Like I said, I'm not too good with change, even some happy ones. Now, I'm not the most organized person (ask anyone that knows me), but, for some reason, I try to plan my "feelings." I try to prepare myself when changes come. I try to prepare myself/my feelings. A little over five years ago, my father was sick and passed away. When he was sick and close to dying, I tried to "prepare" my feelings. I had to mentally get myself ready for that. I would go through scenarios in my head, and I would decide how I would react when he actually did pass away. I knew that would be a change-- a big, sad change.
Now, changes are hard, both good and bad. Now, I'm not married or have children, but I have friends that are and do. I know when people first get married or when a first child is born, it is a happy but somewhat hard change. There are a lot of adjustments. It is the same thing with bad and hard changes.
Now in my thinking of changes, there is one main thing that doesn't change. There is a constant in my life. God's Word says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." Hebrews 13:8 How comforting is that! When life feels like it is spinning with changes that you may love or may hate, God is the same God as ever. He does not change. The same God who created the world with His voice and calmed the sea just by saying, "Peace be still", is the same God today. He will never change! If He can calm the seas, He can calm our hearts when they feel like they are spinning with changes. We can always count on God. What a blessing! That is another thought that is helping me to learn to lean on God's arms.
How about you? Have you had changes in your life recently? Have you felt like your life is spinning with change-- good or bad? Remember, God is there. He does not change! If you have never accepted the Lord as your personal Savior, the way to get to Heaven hasn't changed either. All you have to do is accept Him. Ask Him to forgive your sin and to come into your heart. If you have any questions about that, please leave me a comment. I would love to show you how you can get saved, so you can be a child of THE FATHER Who doesn't change. He's the only ONE that can give true peace. Remember, He calmed the raging seas-- Mark 4:35- 41, and He can give peace and calm our hearts. What an amazing God!

What Kind of Difference Are We Making?

Earlier this week in my personal devotions, I read one Bible verse that I try to claim. It is Jude 22 "And some having compassion making a difference." Now, I love people. I do! However, I am the type of person, I think, that chooses who I'm going to love. What I mean by that is, shamefully, I love people but not all people--- the right way-- how Christians should. I mean, I care about people, but, truthfully, I'm praying and working-- need to work on-- loving people more. A few weeks ago I was doing a Bible study in the book of I Peter. It talked about how to love. It said we should love: sincerely (not just play act), fervently (intense, limitless), and heartily (with my whole heart). I guess what I meant before about "choosing" the people I love is that I do love people but not always fervently and with my whole heart. I love many people in those ways but not all people. We, Christians, should love all people in those ways.
I've been praying and learning and asking God to help me love as He loves. I've also been asking Him to let me see each person as a soul--- it could be a lost soul.
Now back to what I was saying about Jude 22. I try to claim that verse in my life. We need to love (have compassion), so that we make a difference in lives. We always make differences in people's lives. It just depends on what kind of difference we make. I mean, am I making a good difference in the lives of others? Are people better off knowing me? There has been times, even recently, that I have not made a good difference in the lives of people. There is one in particular that I don't think this person is better off knowing me right now (which breaks my heart!). But, I'm asking God to help me make a good difference in the lives of people.
So, one thing I'm "Learning to Lean on God's Arms" about is to love more. Also for my love to be for all people and to be like the love of God, so that it makes a difference. The difference I want to make is a good difference. Of course, that will be only through God's help.
So, what kind of difference are you making in the lives of people? Are people better off knowing you? I've had these questions on my heart and mind, so I wanted to share and give you something to think about, as well.