Doing things with my whole heart

I confess that I have not always done things with my whole heart. I thank God that He has not given up on me and is still teaching and pushing me in my later years. He has constantly been stirring me not to be satisfied with my lack of ability but to realize "I can do all things through Christ" just like the Bible says.

He wants us to constantly expand our borders, push ourselves to the limit, take ourselves out of our comfort zones. And many times he allows us to be put in hard circumstances just to challenge us to climb out.

Colossians 3:23 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men"

This applies to:

Worship: Put my all into worship. It blesses God, it blesses me and it blesses others
Work: Do my best at my job. Do it with a good attitude. Improve my skills. Advance my knowledge.
Talents: Practise and improve. God want my best

One of the ways God is helping me to learn that I can strive in a greater way is through the Christian based company we are associated with. The links to it are here on my blog. I can't begin to tell you the personal growth it is encouraging in me. To be around positive people who believe in putting God first, personal growth and helping others is fantastic.

Here is a quote from the CEO, Mike Jackson, who is so personable to all and yet expects your best:
"I appreciate the underlying meaning when I hear someone say they have been trying real hard, but in truth, trying is no substitute for doing. When you fail to study for a test, try as hard as you will, the answers will not come. When you procrastinate and fail to train, trying is fruitless on the day of the race. If you watch TV when you should be practicing the trumpet, trying hard at the audition probably won't amount to much. Mostly, when people say they are trying their best, they are covering for a lack of preparation, a failure to do what should be done when it should be done. "

I cannot be half hearted in anything I do and expect God to cover for me. Now when God sees me giving my very, very best he multiplies my abilities.

Jesus is soooo Close!

It is hard for me to start this post. God is helping me to see how close He is and it is hard for me to explain. This morning as Rick and I prayed together, I agreed with his prayer and he covered what we needed to say but I prayed on telling God I just felt I needed to talk to Him out loud. Then this afternoon I read an email from someone in Ecoquest about expressing ourselves out loud to God and reading the Bible out loud. She gave this scripture: " In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare (a prayer, a sacrifice) for You...and watch and wait (for You to speak to my heart). Psalm 5:3 Amplified Bible. She was saying how important it is no matter how many appointments we have or jobs to do, we need to make sure God is our first appointment.

But even more than that, this morning as prayer was finished I wished I could stay there in more prayer and Bible study instead of going to work. But right when I got up I felt God reminding me that He would be here right beside me all day. He has been reinforcing that all morning, "I'm right here beside you". I thought how hard it would be if Rick were to pass on, we are one and that would be like half of me. But if he does, God is right here beside me. As I sat in my new dentist office, feeling uneasy because the dentist chair is one of my phobia's, God said "I'm right here beside you." He reminded me of the scripture I learned many years ago: Psalm 27 "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When my enemies came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise up against me in this will I be confident."

Boy was David confident and I can be too! There are some days when I feel hounded by the enemy. But when I keep on running and trusting God, the next thing you know, the oppression is lifted. Evidently God caused him to stumble and fall. How many times has God given us the experience like the Israelites hovering around the enemies camp with lights and the enemy was handled by God. We take it for granted and don't even realize what He did.

I just looked up candle trying to find that story and got stopped by Psalm 18:28, 29 "For thou wilt light MY CANDLE: the Lord my God will enlighten MY darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall." Praise GOD!

The dentist chair is nothing compared to other things that I am facing. I have to laugh at myself because it was only a cleaning! But we're talking an antique phobia, like 50 years old!

God said He is closer than a brother. He is right here beside me, all day long. Hallelujah!

Essentials for Life

In our home business one of our products is Essentials for Life, a nutritional supplment. As I was praying this morning at my bench I told God how essential He is for my life. To feel His presence in a quiet place. To have His strength settle over me. There is no other way for me to exist except through God, His faith, His hope, His love.

Also I have been reading and meditating this week on I Cor 1: God chooses and uses the weak and foolish and despised things of this world. Jesus had compassion on those that were cast out by others.

In Acts 10 Peter saw the vision of the great sheet let down from heaven with various animals and a voice telling him "Rise, kill and eat" Peter's response was "No, I have never eaten anything common or unclean" God's response was "Don't call common and unclean what I have cleansed".

God wants us to bestow more honor on those members of the body of Christ that seem less honorable. Through Isaiah, God admonished His people for having the attitude of "Keep back from me, I am holier than thou."

My Hope is alive because God cares for me in spite of my nothingness. The email was sent this week about the cracked water pot and and how it was used to water the flowers along the path because of the crack. That's me, a crackpot!

Rick spoke at the rest home tonight. He brought one of my favorite scriptures, the story of the Good Samaritan. When he was young, he was in the children's home in Xenia, OH after his mother died. At age nine, he had a Christian lady that was over his dorm of about 12 boys. She was older but took care of them and introduced the boys to devotions and church. He remembers her care for him when his asthma would put him in the home's hospital. Even though she was older, she would carry him on her back to the hospital.
The memories of someone reaching out to help you are a breath of fresh air. Especially when at other times of your life you have felt the scourging heat of neglect by someone.
Through the years of working at the rest home we have come in contact with some sweet people that love the Lord. They are very loving and appreciative of the little that we have to give to them. Some words of scripture, some gospel songs and a few moments of conversation. I always come away from there encouraged.

A Southern Breath of Fresh Air

Well, thank God for another breath of fresh air. I have been real pressed today, but still pressing on. I have been working my new business today with Rick, my husband, this morning and then some on my own. I also went to Hickory just to window shop and have some me time. It has been a long time since I did that with gas being so high but I just thought I was worth it today. Lunch was packed in a cooler (my healthy enzyme shake) and a couple drinks. A big splurge on an early supper was enjoyed from Subway. Another big splurge on an almost 100 degree day, a raspberry iced tea from Sonic and 3 cheesecake bites. Without air conditioning in the van the cloudiness that cooled down the air on the way home was a welcome breeze.
I was listening to Ponder, Sykes and Wright on the way home: "He whispers sweet peace to me" God is such a faithful friend. When all else fails He is still available. And the teardrops fell.
Then after all my frustrations of the day, the sweetest southern lady called me this evening and asked for a placement. She was so apologetic at not being able to get back with me sooner. Not only was she sweet but she had a old fashioned southern drawl. What a breath of fresh air from an unexpected source.
She reminded me of Brother and Sister Peters, the elderly pastor and his wife from the church of my teenage years. A 15 year old girl learned enough from them to go to an altar and say "I want to be saved". Both with white hair, he a retired Anderson Church of God minister, they spent many evenings with my sister and I in their home talking about the Lord and having prayer. Unfortunately I lost touch with them a few years later and it has been many years since I've seen 15 so I am sure they are in heaven. I hope they can look down and see me being appreciative of their labor. "Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a soul that was saved, thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad you gave".