Fall is here...

We all have seasons in life. Yes, spring, summer, fall and winter. If you are like me, maybe you have certain seasons you like better than others. I prefer spring and summer having grown up in the southwest, we didn't have snowy winters. We didn't have the gorgeous changes of fall either. We had green and brown, that was it. I have come to love fall and all the 'changes' and yes, I am finding things about winter that I enjoy too.

Yet, there are other kinds of 'seasons' also. I am talking about seasons of life. Life is a process. We go through many changes and seasons. How easily we enjoyed 'childhood'. I loved my dolls. I loved my friends. I loved to play 'house' with anyone who would play...even my brother. Hours spent playing house and having tea parties and making mud pies and of 'pretending'.

Then came adolescence. Something inside 'woke up' and the reality that I was no longer a child. Life was no longer about dressing my babies and finding someone to play with. Junior high was not my best school years. I did not fit in. I had to wear corrective shoes when all the other girls wore flats. In fact I remember very little of those years except for a few 'bad' memories. One very bright memory though, probably the 'BRIGHTEST' of my life, was becoming a child of God. Oh how happy I am that God saw fit to shed HIS love abroad in my heart as a 12 year old.

Seasons......of growing in the Lord too. We never stand still in our relationship with our God. We are either growing.....or wilting.

I love to garden. I see so many analogies in the world of gardening. I have two pots on my walkway by the front door. They are pretty, I think so anyway. They have to be watered 'everyday' in the summer. Everyday!!! Our house faces south and the sun beats on them. If I skip a day or forget to give them water, they wilt. They revive and are pretty once again when I pour water on them. No, they do not die, even if I miss two days. But they sure wilt .......waiting for me to give them water.

Over the summer God revealed to me that I am just like those plants. If I spend time with Jesus everyday, reading His word, praying and talking with him, I am not wilted. But when I neglect or forget to spend that time, I wilt. I do not die, but I wilt. The more days I forget to 'water' my inner life, I wilt more and more. As God pours on His life giving words to me, I revive.

I woke so many days in the summer with the first thought, I am thirsty for you God. His mercies to me. I spend much time reading and rejoicing in who he is.....I loved it, cherished those moments.

Do you ever feel 'thirsty' for hearing God's words to you?? Start with five minutes and read one Proverb for the day. Today is Sept. 26th. So read Provberbs 26. Or read Psalms 26 and add 30 to that number all the way through Psalms. (26, 56, 86 etc.) I have a Bible Reading Plan I follow for the year and I love it. I have tried many different ones through the years and right now I am using The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan. If you want a copy, leave a message and I will mail you one. (more about this later)

For the summer I did not blog. It was a season of rest from writing! I love to write and write often in my journal. (How fun starting a new one too) I felt the Lord asking me to 'let it go' for a bit. What a great summer HE gave me. So much fullness of HIS love in my heart.

So here I am towards the end of September and I begin blogging again. I am excited to see all God will do in me this fall ~ for HE is faithful! 2Thessalonians 3:3

Want some cheese with that 'whine'?

When I began my blog, I said I would would keep it short and sweet. Last night I was looking at my 'posts' and was surprised at how 'not short' many of them are! What happened? Did I forget, or am I long winded? I will try to do better!

Here are some thoughts from my friend, Nancy Leigh DeMoss. They convicted and encouraged me to run to Jesus!

"Gratitude is the overflow of a humble heart, just as surely as an ungrateful, complaining spirit flows out of a proud heart. Proud people are wrapped up in themselves. If people or circumstances don't please or suit them, they are prone to whine or become resentful.

A humble person thinks much of God and others and little of himself. He recognizes that anything he has is better than he deserves. He doesn't feel anyone owes him anything. He doesn't feel entitled to have more, or for life to be easy, or for everyone to love him and treat him well. He's grateful for the least little kindness that's extended to him, knowing it's more than he deserves.

Make a list of anything you can recall "whining" about recently. How does your complaining manifest a spirit of pride, entitlement, and expectations?" (Taken from Nancy Leigh DeMoss)

Take a few minutes and sit quietly before God and confess any pride that manifests itself in complaining, irritability, anger, or resentment rather than giving of thanks! I did and I am glad! With a grateful heart, hugs, Lynette

Growing in Gratitude~

I want to be a thankful person. God wants me to be a thankful person. How far I have to go in this goal. I am becoming more and more alert to the many reasons I have to be 'thankful' and 'grateful'. In Ephesians 5:20 we are told to be thankful in everything! I am thankful inside so many times, yet I do not express it. Then there are all those little things I forget quickly. "Everything". Yes, I have a long long way to go!

Since 'everything' is a gift from God (James 1:17), 'everything' is something to be thankful for. "IF tomorrow's supply depended on today's thanksgiving, how much would I have tomorrow?" Kinda makes you think, doesn't it?

I have a number of 'gratitude lists' in my journals. What 'little things' can I add to those lists today? How about clean water, toothpaste and my teeth. I don't think I have ever thanked my heavenly Father for my teeth (and all the money my parents spend on braces for them, many years ago) ! So much taken for granted! How abundant the blessings are and so little my gratitude.

So for today, I will 'think' about the little things. I will stop and thank my wonderful GOD for everything ~ even the little blessings! And in the process I will thank those around me too, for I realize as I think about 'everything' I have taken certain people in my life for granted.

So let's all say 'thank you' in some way today! Let's grow in gratitude!

Delighting in Jesus, hugs, Lynette

Preaching to myself again!

I preach the GOSPEL to myself everyday of my life. I 'talk' to myself. This is what I say to myself. Why? Because I can't live without it! So how do I preach it to myself everyday? I remind myself what it is! What is the GOSPEL?

The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy.

1. God created us to have fellowship with him every moment of every day.

2. But like Adam and Eve, I am a sinner. Everyone knows this, whether they admit it or not. Even one lie proves it. So then I don't have fellowship with God.

3. Jesus came, lived a perfect sinless life and gave his life for ME, a sinner. The sinless (Jesus) one died on the cross for the sinful (me) one.

4. Jesus righteousness is accounted to my account. When God the Father looks at me, he sees Jesus blood and righteousness covering me.

5. All my sin is forgiven, past, present and future sins are in the deepest sea. I am different, a new creation in Christ.

6. Because I am forgiven, I forgive. My heart is forever aware of the sacrifice given for me. The Holy Spirit lives in me, bearing fruit unto righteousness, and providing fellowship with God who is my loving, heavenly Father.

7. I have JOY! Well, better said, HE is my JOY!

So everyday I preach the gospel to myself. HE loves me. When I am happy, when I am sad, I preach the gospel to myself. When someone 'hurts' me, I preach the gospel to myself. When I mess up, I preach the gospel to myself. When others do wrong, when my kids disobey, I preach the gospel to myself. When I am afraid, I preach the gospel to myself.

I love the GOSPEL because it is my only HOPE! You see~ the GOSPEL really really is the GOOD NEWS! The BEST NEWS ever told, so I tell myself everyday!

Delighting in Jesus, hugs, Lynette

Humble Christians------

So about my journal.....here is my first day entry in my "Pink Book" that I will shortly be finishing. Started-
July 26, 2009

--Humble Christians--
1. Love & Respect their Elders 1Peter5:5
--do I ? Do they know I love and pray for THEM?

2. 8 questions to ask myself:
a. am I teachable?
b. how do I respond to correction? defend or humble myself?
c. do I repent quickly/thoroughly?
d. am I considerate of others?
e. do I serve & receive service well?
f. do I consider GRACE of GOD in my life?
g. Do I disagree agreeably? Am I winsome?
h. how much attention do I require when serving?
Upset when not noticed?

3. Make good leaders 1 Peter 5:6
a. I must follow well 'first' to lead.
b. humility or humiliation?

4. Humble Christians understand their life.
1 Peter 5:7

5. Humble Christians BLESS their Church.
1 Peter 5:12-14

Lord, hear my prayer and teach me your ways. Forgive my pride, lead me, my perfect and loving Jesus Christ!!! I love you.

BTW--This was an unusual day for me as I mostly write out my verse for the day and then my prayers and application of God's WORD to my heart.

So, I ask you. Do you journal? Do you have a 'gratefulness book'? Do you write down "I spies"? Begin today. Start small. It becomes 'your' book of rememberance ~ God's faithfulness, God's goodness, Jesus' dealings with your heart.

Signing off for now, hugs, Lynette

Page ONE in my 'Blue Book' ~

Here are the first 2 pages in my book Peggy gave me! (If confused, look at yesterday's BLOG)
Page 1
Things I am grateful for:
--Sunshine
--Jesus, my salvation
--Dave, he loves me
--My kids (list & qualities)
--Dave was patient at WalMart
& helped me find book for recipe
cards.

Page 2
Things I am grateful for:
--The Lord's sweet salvation
--All my sins are forgiven
--I am the KINGS daughter
--He enabled me to scrub the tile
in two bathrooms.
--Peggy gave us a huge bag of squash,
cucumbers, and zucchini.

I smile at the simple beginnings! As I grew in my journaling, things changed. I do 'journal' different these days.

I still write things I am grateful for(Choosing Gratitude), although it has its own section. I now write my verse for the day and the application to my heart, day by day. Yet I have seen the wisdom of breaking my spiral notebook into sections for efficiency and time saving help. Now I have lists of prayer requests. I write verses that speak to me, or I want to further study (study section) I write my struggles, my goals, my dreams, my thoughts. I also have a section of 'quotes' I enjoy. One tab is lists of books I have read over the year. Just this year I started keeping all my SERMON notes I take on Sundays, and glue them into my journal.

I cannot tell you how many times I have gone back and read how the LORD worked, how HE answered prayer, how HE helped me see that struggle was really silly! I have grown! I have benefited from Peggy giving me that blue book and starting me on the wise path of 'counting my blessings' all those years ago. I miss her. In fact, I have 3 months of no entry in (my next book 3 times down the line) my book because she was in heaven and I was not!

If you can read and write...please take 5 minutes today and write what YOU are thankful for! 10 years from now it just might encourage you! Do it once a day, do it once a week...just do it! I did and I am the one GLAD!

Signing off for now, hugs, Lynette

~~My Pink Book~~

I write in “my pink book” everyday, well just about everyday. I am on the ending pages of this small spiral book shortly. I already have my new one. It isn’t pink this time, it is coral and black. I am excited to begin writing in it soon. This has not always been the case.

My close friend Peggy met me at the door of Pathfinders one Tuesday night and said, “ Sherry, I have something for you!” It was a ‘blue book’! Let’s each start a ‘GRATEFULNESS JOURNAL’ she said excitedly. “What?”, I sighed. She said “Remember we were talking about writing a journal ? We both admitted we do it for about a week and then we give up. Well, I think we should do a 'gratefulness journal', she beamed. All we need do is at the end of the day we write 5 things we are grateful for on one page. The next day we do it again on the next page. I bought a book for me and I bought a book for you. On Sundays we will ask each other, ‘did you write in your book this week?’ ” So we did! Yes, we did ask each other--not every week but almost! I smile to myself when I remember!

I since have many ‘pink books’ although they aren’t all pink. One is blue, one is tan, one is yellow. I have come a long way. I just recently came across my first book Peggy gave me. What a wonderful loving gift she gave me, much more than just my first book. She gave me something of true value. Peggy and I learned to ‘count’ our blessings. To write them down. To TELL of His mercies. To remember how God works. To SEE HIM!

Tomorrow I will tell what my first page looked like all those years ago!

Signing off for now, hugs, Lynette