It's already in your hand

Faith is the channel by which all grace and blessings are received, and that which is accepted by faith God bestows in fact.  Being filled does not always lead to exalted feelings, but God always keeps His word.  We have to just look to His promises and rest in them, expecting their literal fulfillment.  Some put asking in the place of accepting.  Many wish it were so, instead of believing  it is so.

We have never to wait for God to give, for He has already given us His all.

James Hudson Taylor

We have a bunch of changes going on in our personal life right now, and I must admit, I have been distracted and anxious. For example, the other day I was on my cell phone talking to a friend, when I realized there was another call I needed to make. While still speaking to my friend, I began searching through my purse, trying to find my phone. As my phone wasn't in my purse, I began nervously searching through my car. Pathetically, this little scene went on for a good 30 seconds. Not until I was about to tell my friend I had to get off the phone because I couldn't find my phone, did I realize my own craziness. ..

MY PHONE WAS ALREADY IN MY HAND!

The thing I was looking for, the thing I was becoming frantic over was in my hand. My busyness and near panic were just hiding it from view. And so I sat there, nervously searching for something I already had.

Be Still

Be still and know that I am God - Psalm 46:10

To be still (Hebrew raphah) meaning:

to go limp, to allow to slack, to drop ones hands from work.

In my last post, I mentioned  my daughter had her tonsils removed. Although her surgery went very well, she unexpectedly hemorrhaged a few days following the procedure. This required emergency surgery which was very frightening.

As they prepped her for surgery, things moved at a hectic pace. Unlike the first surgery, nurses weren't explaining what would come next. In fact, the OR Nurse began the IV process without saying a word. Unfortunately, since my daughter was already losing a good deal of blood and was dehydrated, the process proved difficult.

Back away from the shears

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 

 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.

I recently shaved my dog.  It wasn't a pleasant experience for either of us... for me, because it took over three hours... for him, well, because I don't know what I am doing and I ended up nicking him several times.

When one of my friends saw my dog, she looked at me and slightly chided, "You know, there are professionals for this."   Point taken.  I have no business shaving my dog, but as I explained to her, his shedding hair really annoys me and when push comes to shove, I  just want to be rid of it.

Of God and stink bugs

Isaiah 45:9

What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator.

Does a clay pot argue with its maker?

Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying

'Stop, you're doing it wrong!'

Does the pot exclaim,

'How clumsy can you be?'

My youngest daughter despises stink bugs.  If one is spotted in the living room, she leaves screaming, refusing to return until you produce proof the thing is dead.  This becomes difficult as she actually wants to see the corpse, but will not get close enough for fear she might smell it.   Saying she is afraid of them is a bit of a euphemism; petrified fits better.

Although she is little, and they are little, to her, the fear is very, very real.  Hence the reason the following was so very, very neat!