May 14, 2011

Greetings My Friend,

On FB today I saw a discussion on worshiping God. My heart has a struggle on what worship is, why we need to do it. In my book On the Way to Wholness I question this step. It is Accolades and we need to tell God how wonderful He is. I ask, "Doesn't God know He is the most wonderful, awesome....etc." I want to but I don't always understand.

As I go along in years, I am starting to "get it." God does know that He is perfect. He knows He is great. We need to put God in the right spot in our heart. By telling God He is perfect really helps us put Him right where He needs to be....at the center of our heart.

I liken it to my letter writing to Junior. I write to him what I admire in him. I knew what losing respect looked like and I didn't want to do that again. I tell Junior all the things I admire in him. I do it more for me, that said he loves it. When I focus on the good....I don't have a tendecy to see his awful traits. They are there but I am learning that telling him his good traits really builds him up, I see the real good guy he is and my respect grows by leaps and bounds. Men....want respect....it is what is dearest to their heart. When they are respected.....they feel worthwhile, valuable and it is "love" to them.

I often ask God to open my heart to Junior's. When I let God show me the real neat guy Junior is...I fall in love over and over. So it is with God. When I begin to see what God has done, the love He has for me and so much more...I learn to put God at the center of my heart. I have a deep love for Junior and I want no other man in the man/ wife kind of way. I don't want to stray because I love him to much to do so. It is the same way with God.

Part of my prayers is to be thankful. When I am thankful, I see all that God has given me. Yes, God makes sure I have physcial things and yes I am grateful, but He has held me tenderly when I hurt real bad. He has given me strength when I had none. He has shown me how to handle real rough situations and sooooo much more. I find myself ever so grateful for those moments when God has helped me to say/do the right thing.

Sometimes I don't pray the prayer format ACTSS. I sometimes hurt and I go directly to God and pray "Lord I'm hurting real bad." God hears my cry. I often get tenderness when I need it most. God loves me and people have made a point of telling me what a loser I am and....I have hurt beyond words. God though, He tells me that I am not a mistake, I am not a dumb blonde even though I make fun....sometimes I feel that dumb blonde.

I have been hurting to the point of being raw in my heart lately. God has directed my steps and shown me why I shouldn't go, do whatever. I have saved myself even more grief by listening to God and not going.

God has even brought a special person back into my life. I wanted to give up, call it quits and at the lowest I've been in a while, someone walked back into my life. Pretty amazing. God's timing is always right on time.

When God walks beside me like that I find it hard not to say thank you over and over and over again. I find myself real grateful, beyond words and telling God about it brings joy and peace and again I learn giving God the glory is really for my good.

If I am right when I am this thankful....I am worshiping God. When I tell God, thank you for the help, the provisions and so many more things...that is an act of worship. That has been a struggle for me to learn. I've learned through the years that music is an act of worship....I didn't get how to worship God in other things....so acknowlding God seems to be an act of worship as well.

The neat thing about God is He realizes we don't get everything the day we say the "sinner's prayer." We need to grow and as we grow our worship changes. In my heart....God is looking to change me from where I was to where I am going. I can only change when I give God my heart. He changes me and I am not the woman I once was and I am not the woman I am now in the future because God is still working with me/changing me. It is pretty exciting.

As I end this.....my question is have you thought to thank God lately.....have you looked at what you have and realized God's provision...maybe it is time to say "Thank you Lord."

May God bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you.

Love
Janet