Rejoice! And Again, I Say Rejoice!

The joy of the Lord is what keeps me alive; His joy keeps me going when I want to die.

He has shown me the "joy of the Lord" is His joy!  It's one of His attributes, one of His gifts that He freely gives to me. He pours out His joy from the cross where He died.

It does not begin with me.

I am so thankful this walk does not depend on me.

The only "work" I have to do is to enter in.

I must choose daily.  I reach out, but discover He has never let me go!

It is in the choosing and the reaching that I am given eyes to see the Truth:

There is no place I can go from His presence. 

Meditate on that!

He surrounds me , He indwells me, He upholds me, He transforms me.

He is my Light, my Way, my Truth, my Life!

He brings me to the Father and covers me with His Blood.

As I meditate on these realities, I am transported into a wellspring of JOY!

Movie Wisdom

Awhile back, Jack and I watched the movie, “Facing the Giants,” and I was struck by two things. 

The first was the story the coach told about two farmers.  There was a drought and both farmers prayed for rain, but only one of them went out to prepare his field for the rain.

How often is our faith in God’s answer to our prayers like that of the farmer who only prayed but did nothing to show his belief that the rain would come?

I will never forget Dodie Osteen’s testimony, how after she asked her husband, John, to “get rid of this cancer,” he prayed and then helped her up to go make his breakfast!  She was at death’s door, sent home to die, but she refused to act like it.  Now, several decades later she is still going strong for Jesus!

The second was a scene in which the coach makes his star player do a "death crawl” an exercise where the boy is made to crawl down the field on hands and feet, while carrying another boy on his back.  The boy told the coach that he thought that he could do thirty yards but not with anyone on his back.  The coach then blindfolded him and had the kid do the crawl, saying give me fifty!  The coach then urged him on over and over saying don't quit on me!  Give me all you got!  When the boy finally collapsed, he was in the end zone!

As I think about those two illustrations and about my life goals, I am reminded of the truth that I must live my life flat out _ as if what I desire, what I have asked God for, is definitely on its way; working as hard as I can when the answer tarries as I do when I see it.  I want to be remembered as the most joy-filled, faith-filled, loving follower of Jesus Christ; a person who made a difference in others’ lives for eternity.

As we walk in faith, let us rejoice; overcome evil with good; sow kindness, love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, mercy, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control.  And be blessed, for our Father has given us the keys to the Kingdom of God!

Is Anybody Out There Listening?

Proverbs 18:2

A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart.

Years ago, one of the desires of my heart was to learn to be a really good listener.  It is not an easy task.  We in our humanness  have a desire to be known, to share our heart, our thoughts and opinions about the particular topic at hand. 

Have you ever been with people in a conversation and not been able to get a word in edgewise?  How does it make you feel? 

It makes me feel invisible, discounted, unloved.

I wanted to become a good listener because of those bad feelings I experienced by not being listened to myself.  But today, as I was reading this proverb, the word fool jumped out at me.  I hear the heart of my Father telling me that unless I truly delight to understand my brother or sister's heart in my listening, I am a fool.

To be a fool is a terrible thing.  To be a fool does not just mean your are doltish or stupid or idiotic, but it is used of one who mocks God.

Wow.  I have really been given a depth of desire to be an even better listener.  Abba Daddy is showing me that when we do not listen to another, to have an understanding of them, of their heart, of their desires, we are actually mocking our maker.  When we discount our brother, we are discounting the One who made them.

Today, I want to listen more than I speak.  Who is with me?

Blessings, Anna Marie

Overcoming Fear!

Fear has always been the greatest enemy of my soul.  As I sat in silence with the Lord, these words came to my heart. I pray they will bless you. (I think it's meant to be a song, I have a melody in my mind)

Oh Lord, You are my Lord.
I trust in You.
When shadows overtake
I run to You.
In the Silence
Cause my raging heart to still,
Then I'll live and move and breathe
Within Your will.

Oh Lord, You are my Lord.
I trust in You.
As I live within Your Light
I rest in You.
There is no lie or fear
That stands before Your gaze,
Jesus, my heart, my life
To You I raise.

Transform me now.
Transport me now,
Into Your heart and likeness, Lord,
My Jesus show me how.
It's by Your grace,
And through Your suffering for our sake,
Create one heart,
Create one mind;
Your life I take.

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