LACED WITH GRACE...Whose plan is it anyhow?

I shared the following devotion with the readers of LACED WITH GRACE today....

No-one likes last minute changes. Whether it is the carpool schedule or a vacation cancellation, making changes really can mess us up.

It not only inconveniences us but last minute changes just messes up our plans.

As a pastors wife, I see it all of the time. Just change the order of service on Sunday and watch who all will get messed up because of your change. It will throw the worship team off. It will mess up the plans of the ushers. It may even throw the preaching off alittle bit.

But not all of our last minute changes is bad. In fact, sometimes changes that are unexpected can be good for us. Problem is that WE want to be in charge of the changes in our lives. God sometimes will make a last minute change in our life that may seem out in left field, but when He makes the changes, everything will always fall into place.

As a young woman, I had a dream to buy a house in a certain historical part of town. For years my dream did not happen until one day, God opened a door and my husband and I were able to purchase what we deemed our "dream" house in the historical area that we wanted. We thought we had everything that we ever dreamed of. We had each other. We had 2 sons. and now we had the house we would raise our kids in and retire in. Life was great!

Until a few years later, when God opened a door for my husband to take a job transfer with his company. 800 miles away from our dream!

I remember thinking, "How could God make these last minute changes?"

God does that sometimes. Nothing is last minute to Him though, every change and every detail is a very well thought out plan on His part. Even though we plan, we sort, we organize...God has a much bigger and more organized plan than we ever could. Sometimes God uses our life circumstances to change our plans so that He can use us in different situations.

Psalm 118:8 “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

So, don't worry if plans get changed...whether you are the one who plans the schedule or the one who sings the Sunday morning special, trust God to use the last minute changes for something even better.

It is ok to make plans...but trust Him when He chooses to change them.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...it is not about a day!

Dear Friends,

I wanted to speak to you from my heart today.

 I am late getting my TT post up today as I just spent the past two days at hospitals, labs and doctor offices with our 18 year old daughter. To be honest with you I am drained physically from what this week has brought.

 I woke up on Monday morning as usual, got dressed like usual, went to work like usual. Nothing out of the ordinary. But by late morning, everything about my ordinary day became un-ordinary and confused and scary and unsure.

My daughter's skin turned a strange green color and her fingers and toes went numb. She couldn't feel them. Within a short time she had difficulty breathing and had chest pains. My ordinary prayer now became an urgent prayer, as doctor after doctor looked at her in wonderment and confusion.

Today, as we still await test results on my daughter, I am reminded that even though this time next week we will all be celebrating Thanksgiving Day with our families, that Thanksgiving is not a day...it is a condition of our heart.

Even in times of the un-ordinary...we CAN have an attitude of thanksgiving. I choose this day to give God praise and thanksgiving for EVERYTHING...the good, the bad, the ugly - the everything!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Today I am hosting THANKFUL THURSDAY and today of all days, I have so much to give thanks for. I have been blessed with one more day to give Him praise and nothing will keep the praise due Him from my lips. Not sickness. Not bad doctor reports. NOTHING!

How about you...what are you thanking Him for today?

 

THANKFUL THURSDAY...lingering in His presence

One of my favorite things of coming together with my church family is before or after service, lingering around the hallways fellowshipping with each other. It is the one time of the week that I can catch up with my brothers and sisters in Christ and receive encouragement from them.

I have noticed that sometimes it is easier to linger in the presence of our fellow believers than it is to linger in the presence of the One Who died for us.

Oh how I love (and long for) worship, enjoying His fresh touch. But often times, we are consumed with our time restraints and rush right out of our time with Him. Instead of just lingering in His presence, we brush right past and lose out on that special fellowship time with Him.

What I am thankful for today is that we have the freedom and liberty to worship Him anywhere, anytime. A freedom that not all countries experience. While I am thankful for it, it is my prayer today that I will stop, drop and roll .. stop what I am doing, drop to my knees and keep my praises rolling! May His fire consume me!

"Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him." -Psalm 37:7

Today, I am hosting THANKFUL THURSDAY and I invite you to share what is on your grateful heart.

*I apologize that my TT post did not go thru last week. I just noticed that it didn't upload. Computers are great until they get glitzes in them. Glad you made your way back this week!

DAILY DEVO...How is your spam filter doing?

I really hate spam mail. It is so time consuming to delete it but luckily I have good software that allows my computer to filter the phony emails.

Wish we could have that kind of filtering in our lives. Satan tries to use the same tactics as spam mail...offering us things that might fix things, but only making things worse.

Jesus gives me reassurance that satan has no power over me...

"Go Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'" - Jesus (Matthew 4:10)

? for today...what kind of spiritual spam protection do you have?

Don't fall for the plots and schemes of the enemy. He is a liar and he has NO power over you! Tell him to get behind you!

DAILY DEVO...Halloween, what are you going to do with it?

DID YOU KNOW that the yearly observance of Halloween amounts to a multi-billion dollar industry. Second only to Christmas!

I dont know what your take is on the traditions of halloween, I hope that if you are a Christian, that you recognize the pagan rituals that are associated with this holiday and you keep your distance.

I have heard the debates of whether Christians should tak...e part in this fall tradition, and whatever side of the fence you find yourself, I would like to share this scripture with you...

"I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ." -1 Corinthians 9:22

No two people will always agree, but I believe that you can use opportunities like Halloween to bring the gospel to those who are lost.

What a great way to meet your neighbors as they go door to door. And no better opportunity than Halloween to talk to people about heaven and hell. Instead of handing out candy..why not hand out something more life altering like a Christian tract.

? for today...it's Halloween time again...what will you do with it?

DAILY DEVO...preparation time is not wasted time!

Have you ever been unprepared for a test?

How did that work out for You?...

David had a test to prepare for. Except in his case, his test was not one he could cram for the night before. David was destined to be the king of Israel, his entire life was his preparation for kingship. One test at a time.

Often times, we see tests as a waste of time, but spiritually speaking, every test is a way to equip us for "the good works that God has prepared beforehand." (Ephesians 2:10)

The funny thing about tests though, is you will only get out what you put in. If you don't try, you will probably fail. If you do your best and prepare, you will do better than you ever imagined.

? for today...how well have you prepared for tomorrow's test? Not your history test...your life test!

"Be prepared...in season and out of season."

DAILY DEVO...SHHHHH can you keep a secret?

TODAYS DAILY...

Shhhhhhh
Can you keep a secret?

Not everyone can, but Jesus' mother could. She spoke to angels, became pregnant as a virgin, was blessed by prophets, received gifts from Magi and escaped the genocide of firstborn sons.

By a very young age, Mary had alot of secrets. But she kept them to herself...

Luke 2:19 "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."...

Often times I think we miss out on a blessing from God because we are so eager to tell. Read about it in Matthew 6:1-4.

Some things just need to remain in our heart, not on facebook, not on the news, not even told to our closest friend. Some things are for God's ears only.

? for today...what little secret do you have for God today?