We were studying about Martha in bible study last nite. You know how Jesus was at her house & she was busy working, trying to make things perfect & get everything done & her sister was sitting, listening to all that He was saying. She was taking it all in. Well Martha was getting upset & she finally said something to Jesus & here's what He said: Luke 10:41&42- "Martha, Martha," The Lord answered, "you are worried & upset about many things, but few things are needed--or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, & it will not be taken away from her." It kinda reminded me of Snoop (my 1st lab) which then reminded me of me, but Snoop, when we 1st brought him home, used to bring me "presents" all the time. Dead deer carcass, other peoples shoe (I say shoe-as in 1 b/c I never got a pair) buckets, blankets & towels. It got to where the neighbors would call & say, "did Snoop happen to take my beach blanket off the line? I can't find it." I'd go on the front porch & find the pile of "gifts" by the door. The vet said he was trying to please me--show that he was glad to be where he was. So I said, "okay Snoop, you don't have to bring all these things to me. You are my favorite dog ever & I am so glad your here!!!" I like to think it was my talk w/him that stopped the gift giving, Monte seems to think he just grew out of it. Either way, he became comfortable w/ his spot in the house & the gifts stopped. So all that to this....I can be like Martha & Snoop. I'm trying to "do" all this stuff for God or "bring" Him all these gifts, "look God!! Look what I have for you? Isn't it nice? Look what I did? Don't you love it?" Yes, of course He does. He wants us to serve Him, but He doesn't want that to be all we do. He wants to spend time w/us!! He wants us "to be still" (remember that verse?) to be like Mary & just take Him in, listen to His teaching, get our fill of Him & not what we do for Him or bring to Him. So think about that this morning...are you more like Martha & so busy working & trying to get it all done, that even though what your doing is for Him, your missing out on Him? Or are you like Mary & sitting w/ Him, taking your time w/ Him, listening to Him!!! Let's do our best to make sure we're being like Mary & taking time to be w/ Jesus & get our true identity in Him & not just in what we do!!! Because losing ourselves in Him & then finding who we are in Him....that is the best way to be always!!!

I've kind of gone back & forth on what to write. I feel like I've had a couple things going on that would, hopefully, give you encouragement. But everytime I go to say something the thing that seems to be the strongest on my mind is Peace!! I went to the movies last night & saw The Shack, wonderful movie!! I read the book years ago & it also was wonderful & so the movie followed course. I cried & cried, just about from the moment it started. I guess because I kinda knew what was coming, but when it was over I just felt peace. I thanked God all the way home, into the night, & this morning for that peace. The verses that kept coming to my mind were John 14:26&27- But the Councellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things & will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave w/ you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled & do not be afraid. Aren't those such wonderful verses to have in your mind!? We are never ever alone. God has given us the Holy Spirit to remind us of the things He teaches us, of the things He's said. I'm glad He doesn't give like the world gives...superficial & only looking out for it's self. God gives so that we have strength, courage, that we feel His love, & that we have His peace. There are going to be things that come up in our lives that we're not going to understand or that there isn't any good answer for, but we don't have to be stuck in confusion. We don't have to let those things consume us or define us. What we need to do is keep going to God, let Him be what comforts us & consumes us. As we do that He just covers us. His love is mighty & He gives us His peace, & those are the things we need. Those are the things that are going to get us to the place God wants us to be. Not stuck in despair, but going forth w/ encouragement. So if your feeling like a hot mess, remember God has not left you alone. He's given us His Holy Spirit to remind us to not be afraid. I hope that this gives you the peace that it has truly given me & you will go forth today filled w/ the Holy Spirit & ready to do what God has asked!!!

In Sunday school we were talking about how important the bible is. I was supposed to be the teacher but I'm telling you the girls taught me way more than I ever did them!! They're teenagers, 17, juniors in high school. I've had them for many many years in youth group, well 1 of them I'm raising lol. But you know how it is w/ that age. They may know stuff but you wonder how much is head knowledge & how much is heart. So one of the questions is: "what's your favorite bible story & why?" I thought I'm not telling them mine b/c they'll just be like, "oh yeah, mine too." Well 1 of the girls says, "I like the book of Job. My favorite part is in Chp 39 where it talks about all God does for the horse & I know if He does that for the horse He's going to do way more for me!" Oh Wow!!! Okay, I was not expecting that. The other 1 liked the book of Ruth. The way she followed & trusted & waited. She said, "but my favorite verse is Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. I like that. I like to think about that." Wow, wow, wow. That's all my mind kept saying. I honestly thought I was going to be met w/just your typical teen answers or lack there of, but no!! These girls know God. They don't just know "of" Him--they know Him!! With their hearts. They may not always understand, which at 47 do I always understand His answers or His leading? No. But they know His works are good & His plans for them are great. I walked out of Sunday school, reading that chapter in Job & looking at it the way she did. Thinking of the book Ruth again & thanking Him for the example that not only she was but Naomi too. God is so amazing the way He works & the way He teaches. I pray that we can all take time to get away & read His word & apply it to where we are right now in our lives. That's why we have His word...so He can speak to us. Let's take time & really listen & then as we hear...obey!! Psalm 119:9&10- How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

2Samuel 6:14 & 23- David was dancing before The Lord w/all his might. "I will become even more undignified than this, & I will be humiliated in my own eyes....this is one of my favorite stories. David was excited!! He was bringing up the ark of God & he was rejoicing!! He didn't care who was around or watching he was filled w/ Gods joy & he didn't care who knew or who saw him. Of course when his wife found out she scolded him for how he acted & that's when he said, "I can get EVEN MORE undignified!! What happened there...that was nothing!" He loved The Lord & he was going to celebrate & he did!! Well as I'm waiting for my mom to get out of surgery, there were quite a few different people also waiting. Well this one lady was very animated in a lot of the things she talked about & did. But all the sudden the news came on & she stops what she's doing & is listening intently to the story. Well she got so excited b/c of one of the stories. She was praising God--with hands raised!! She was thanking Him for answering her prayer for this situation. Thanking Him for watching over & taking care of the people involved. She probably told me 4 or 5 times how she was praying for this boy. It was starting to get to the point that others were looking at her--she didn't care. She kept saying, "thank you thank you thank you!!! You are good!! You are so good!!!" As I'm watching & listening to her I thought, "well she's a little over the top." Then, of course, God reminds me of this story. I sat there for a few minutes just thinking about David, thinking about this woman that I will never see again & thinking, "we should all become undignified for God." When our prayers are answered--why not say, "YYEEESSS!!!! Thank You Father!!!" Why not dance before The Lord, uninhibited. Okay maybe we don't do it right there in the hospital waiting room, especially if your a little funny about that kind of thing, but why not, atleast, be thankful right there--where people might see. God is good--so good!! He answers prayers & He takes such good care of us. He is "a good good Father. That's who He is & we are loved by Him--that's who we are!!" Let's celebrate Him! Let's become undignified & tell of His great works & love!! I'm thankful for that woman & her love for the Lord & that she didn't care to share it & let those around her know of Him. I think....I know we'll never ever be sorry we shared that great news!!

I'm sitting here this morning trying to drink my coffee & wake up & there is this fly that will not leave me alone!! Now this isn't any ordinary fly--it's HUGE!! I'd say the size of a baby chick!!! Okay, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic, but it's not like a small fly that bugs you when your trying to have a picnic outside in the summer. At first I thought it was a wasp, but it landed & stared at me & I realized it was just a fly!!! So I'm looking for something to kill it with & I'm thinking, "why did God make him? He's annoying & he's getting on my nerves!!" I was so afraid he was going to land in my coffee and that would have been the worst!! Wasting a perfectly good cup of coffee over this dumb fly!!! So as I'm asking God what the purpose of this fly was, the chorus, "You make everything glorious, You make everything glorious, & I am Yours..." kept playing in my head. And I thought, "really?? It's a fly & it almost got in my coffee!!" So I looked up the verse & here is what it says, Ecc 3:11- "He has made everything beautiful in it's time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Wow, okay so maybe it's a little more than this fly bothering me, it's about God reminding me of who He is, all He's done & continues to do, & most importantly how He feels about me!! He loves me, created me to do good works, & I am His!!! My heart has been in a weird place for a little while, nothing concerning just trying to figure things out, & I've cried out & cried out & don't you know God used this annoying fly to remind me of...Him!!!! To quiet my loud thoughts & calm my aching heart. To bring back to me the peace I've been missing, longing for. He's so good the way He takes care of us!! And for some reason I'm now thankful for this fly--again, God changing my thoughts!! So this morning if you've got something annoying bugging you remember this verse, keep it close & maybe look at what's going on & really see all that God is doing around you & most importantly in you!!!!! Oh & the fly--well I'm pretty sure when I picked the swatter up, he went somewhere else!! So no flies were harmed in the writing of this devotion!! Lol

Yesterday a friend of mine said, "I'm going to tell you something b/c I need you to pray." So of course I said yes & I knew that also meant don't ask to many questions b/c they couldn't really say. Which is fine, I just really need their name & I'll pray. They were saying that their friend was going through a hard time & in that time had made some choices that weren't necessarily the best & definitely weren't God lead. So anyway I said yes I would be praying. Well I couldn't get them off my mind. I kept thinking how often I've made almost the same mistake. I've been caught up in peer pressure or my own selfishness & have made not so good decisions. I'm sure we all have been in similar situations. As I was praying I thought, "what would I say to encourage them?" God said, "my grace is enough!" What!? So I went to 2Cor 12:9 & this is what it says, "But he said to me, ' My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" Yes, we mess up & we (as my good friend says) are knuckleheads at best, but we don't have to stay there. God offers His love, His forgiveness, & His strength. We can know that on our own things are bad & can get worse, but w/ God all things are possible & He will provide exactly what we need. So that's some of what I would say to my friends friend & as I was praying that God would let them know that, I had to just thank Him, b/c I most certainly needed that reminder too. I was thankful to go to His word & at the very end of the chapter, v.10, read these words, "For when I am weak, then I am strong!!" Remember His word always & when mistakes are made don't beat yourself up, go to God, go to His word & let that be what helps & encourages you. His grace is always enough for each of us & He offers it so freely!!!

We were talking in Sunday school about how important it is to look at ourselves the way God looks at us. I never really thought about how important that is. He created us in His image. He loves us, cares about us, & he died for us, then He rose again...for us!! I know it's easy to get caught up w/ how others think or w/ the images we constantly see on tv or magazines, they tell us we aren't good enough. But we've got to remember we have control over it--we can keep things in perspective w/ Gods help. So let's know that God created each of us w/ potential & He will use us if we let Him--if we give our lives to Him. He loves us as we are, not for what we think we should be. So let's go forth w/Gods mindset being what pushes us forth!!! Psalm 139:13&14- For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb. I praise you because I am fearfully & wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.