September 23 2013

September 23, 2013 Greetings My Friend, I am about to go crazy with itching myself silly. It takes the energy out of me because the time I spend itching is time I could have done some cleaning. This season should be over with soon! Lately I’ve been thinking about Scripture. I can’t remember chapter and verse but at the same time I have those pieces that float back to me as I go through life. I find myself calming down when I begin to ponder these verses. Sometimes the Holy Spirit lays a Scripture passage on my heart and I find myself being calmer. It helps me to no end. As a child in Sunday school I remember reading the 23rd Psalm. It often is one that I go back to when I am struggling with a problem and I often am quieted. “The Lord is my Shepard” that always reminds me that I am not alone in this big wide world. I find comfort as I read “beside still waters” or another Scripture passage that brings me comfort is “I know the plans I have for you, to prosper you, not harm you.” When I feel beat up and unwanted these verses remind me that I am important to God and I am His special lady. I am one of many but being one of many I still feel like I am closely God’s as well. As I have learned to quit making my children my whole focus and allow God to be my whole focus I find I am able to move through life so much easier. I no longer care if I am in the “in crowd.” God loves me and that is enough. As I read “Be imitators of God” I find a focus on whom I’d rather learn to imitate. I learn Agape love all over again. God wants my highest good. That always feels super good. As I understand that God wants my highest good, I find myself seeking the highest good of those I come in contact with throughout my day. As I seek life outside myself I find that life is sweet. Junior is consistently seeking my good. I like that as well. The more he seeks my highest good, the more I seek his highest good. Details move me. As I consistently remind Junior of various things he begins to see that I am not trying to nag him but that in my “Janet” way that I am seeking his highest good. It feels nice and I am able to do what I truly love to do, focus on the details in life and Junior focuses on his strong point of seeing the big picture. Between us we then are accomplishing so much. Yup it feels good. The more we talk to God about each other the more we are able to see the true intent of our spouse’s heart. As hard as I attempt to not be an overly detailed person I find I can’t stop. If Junior begins to understand that helps because I truly am not trying to be bossy or whatever else his mind can conjure up. Many in the world find me annoying. It saddens me because I am truly trying to please. When I allow myself to be swallowed up in God well I find I don’t deal with tender hurt feelings near as much. I find that I am able to get up and enter into each and every day. I find each day to be a joy even when all kinds of junk from the world is flying at me. Right now my skin is itching. I believe it from something in the air. I feel like I am going to lose it at any moment with all the itching. Scripture comes back to me and I find myself tolerating the irritation. I again believe that a daily time in God’s Word allows me to remember. Sometimes when I am struggling I find a passage coming to mind. I believe it is the Holy Spirit helping me. The more I read the Bible and learn of the people and their struggles I begin to see how to deal with my own life. King David loved God a whole bunch. He screwed up and slept with another man’s wife while he was at war. She got pregnant. King David was embarrassed so he had the husband killed in battle. Next he married the woman. One day the prophet came to him with a word picture story. King David was angry and wanted the person punished. The prophet then said it was about him. David could have denied it. He did not. He immediately repented and asked for forgiveness. Later I see that King David was again choosing to follow God. I see that God gave to David again. That always helps me. When I screw up I remember this and then I remember that God isn’t going to beat me up forever for the wrong I entered into. I mainly need to accept that it was wrong and ask God to forgive me. If I am able to admit my wrong to God I find that I am forgiven. For the longest time I found it hard to admit my faults. As I continued on my faith journey God asked me to name what I had done wrong. I named it and asked God to forgive me. As I allowed myself to ask God to forgive me by naming my wrong I began to feel a peace. Again Scripture comes to mind. God will remove our sins as far as the east is to the west. I have learned that east and west never meet up. That is very comforting to me. My sin is forgotten completely. I love learning the Jewish understanding of the lessons they have been given. God spoke to them in a way they understand. So I find myself wanting to understand the Bible from a Jewish perspective. The more I am able to understand from the Jewish perspective the more I begin to hear God’s teachings. Yeast comes to mind. I hear it often as I read the OT. When yeast is mixed with dough it begins to make the dough rise. Many times I hear God saying to the Israelites to worship him without yeast. It is a way for God to show that yeast keeps rising in the dough/their life and can contaminate all that it touches. By getting rid of the yeast or their sin they can find “true life.” Where is your focus? On the world, on God? May God bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you. Love Janet