January 30 2016

January 30 2016 Greetings My Friend There I was, preparing to do my morning devotion, Bible study time. I can hardly wait for this moment most mornings and I miss it when I can’t get to it for a day. I finish my wake up time on Facebook, check out e-mails, eat breakfast and have a cup of tea. (Coffee does not agree with me lately). My mind is beginning to engage and I am able to think so I enter into my Bible study time with excitement. I pull up the day’s Scripture reading from an on-line study guide for the ESV Bible. I write out the headings for my journal starting with “What is on my mind today.” I like this part because I am able to journal for a bit about the things that are bothering me or I find interesting etc. The next heading is “What can I talk to God about today?” Sometimes I talk to God about a problem, sometimes I am thankful and sometimes I have a prayer request. The journal is teaching me that even the littlest things are important to God. I am learning that much of my walk with God is not going and doing, He likes to be alone with me to give me rest. I am learning if I am still and quiet I will know what work He wants me to do and I am able to let go of frantic activities for the sake of doing. My walk is becoming more focused. In the jumble of my thoughts I come back to the thought “I have a need an urge to study, to learn and to grow. I have a need to be a student.” I again notice that I derive the most enjoyment out of my study in the Word. At first I did Bible studies written by others and I enjoyed them. Our move to Virginia seemed to dry up study guides because where we are at. I went online but I made the most headway when I found the current journaling format on Pinterest. Recently I have liked the idea of scrapbooking so I did another check on Pintrest for Bible studies using the scrapbooking idea and I found one. I am just starting to add this to my journaling. Some do the scrapbook idea to their Bible. Since I have started journaling I felt this was where I wanted to scrapbook. I have been learning to do some crafting and I find that my crafts seem to taken on my passion of faith. I believe that I am making a commitment to walk with God with the expression of faith I use in my creating. I wear jewelry that reflects my Christian walk with Jesus not to brag but to remind myself to the decision I have made years ago. I am learning to give God my all. I recall growing in God’s ways more and more and then one day God asked if I would give Him more of myself to Him? My first thought was “I am!” The more I reflected on this I discovered how hard it was to say “yes.” I began a discussion with God that went like this.”But Father, I ….” God told me, “Just do it.” He was not allowing me to use any excuse. Finally I told God I would and that is when the anxiety started to leave me. Next I discovered that I was not worrying as much about what so and so thought. I was more worried about what God thought. After a lifetime of attempting to please people it was becoming less important. I know that I have many more lessons to learn, a lot more work to do and I am excited to continue my education in God’s university of life, not man’s. May God bless you and keep you make His face shine on you. Love Jane