"The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession." Deuteronomy 7:6
We are His treasure... because He says so.
have a joy-filled day!
veneal
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
the call
"'You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, ' declares the Lord, 'and will bring you back from captivity.'" Jeremiah 29:13-14
The call... most of you know what i'm talking about.
The past eight weeks, my co-worker, Hayley, struggled with her Momma's deteriorating health. The prognosis... heaven bound. I completely understood and encouraged her to spend all the time possible with her Momma, but inwardly i fought resentment. Picking up her workload wasn't the issue; jealousy was -- jealousy of precious time she got to shared with her Momma. Then the time came; i got the call from Hayley -- her Momma had gone home to our Father.
The call unleashed even deeper emotions in me, like the sudden eruption of a volcano. Three years ago this month, i loss my Mother unexpectedly. I remember receiving the call telling me she would not make it through the day. That moment is seared in my mind and heart forever, from where i was standing to what i had own. The pain of not sharing final thoughts, wishes and good byes still burns intently in my heart... the unanswered questions, the empty hugs, the whys, the emptiness. And then, there's the continuing frustration of unresolved, family issues and deteriorating family relationships due to her absence. The call has the power to crumble our world to meaningless dust. But it does not have to be that way. It certainly isn't God way.
As painful memories surfaced like fresh, i felt myself losing control. But, i was exactly where God intended me to be... totally in need, dependent on Him and His provisions. After the call, i was facing the most demanding workday of the week -- while weak in my mind, body and soul. AND THIS IS WHAT I SAW THAT DAY FROM HIM:
* I was blessed to work side-by-side with a substitute teacher, a strong sister-in-Christ, who filled my empty soul with loving encouragement from above
* prayer from other sisters who saw my distress
* special coffee for the morning from Little River Roasting
* delicious pumpkin bread, left from the day before
* the finding of a homemade book marker saying, "find Faith in everything you do"
* after not listening to any CD for over a year, accidently (not) listen to a CD, "Audience of One", that ministered to my hurting soul with each word and note it offered.
The call unleashed even deeper emotions in me, like the sudden eruption of a volcano. Three years ago this month, i loss my Mother unexpectedly. I remember receiving the call telling me she would not make it through the day. That moment is seared in my mind and heart forever, from where i was standing to what i had own. The pain of not sharing final thoughts, wishes and good byes still burns intently in my heart... the unanswered questions, the empty hugs, the whys, the emptiness. And then, there's the continuing frustration of unresolved, family issues and deteriorating family relationships due to her absence. The call has the power to crumble our world to meaningless dust. But it does not have to be that way. It certainly isn't God way.
As painful memories surfaced like fresh, i felt myself losing control. But, i was exactly where God intended me to be... totally in need, dependent on Him and His provisions. After the call, i was facing the most demanding workday of the week -- while weak in my mind, body and soul. AND THIS IS WHAT I SAW THAT DAY FROM HIM:
* I was blessed to work side-by-side with a substitute teacher, a strong sister-in-Christ, who filled my empty soul with loving encouragement from above
* prayer from other sisters who saw my distress
* special coffee for the morning from Little River Roasting
* delicious pumpkin bread, left from the day before
* the finding of a homemade book marker saying, "find Faith in everything you do"
* after not listening to any CD for over a year, accidently (not) listen to a CD, "Audience of One", that ministered to my hurting soul with each word and note it offered.
WHEN WE SEEK HIM, WE FIND HIM. He nourished me mentally, emotionally and physically.
Why am i exposing my heart so openly to you today? Because maybe someone needs to be reassured GOD IS WITH US, through our turbulent days. God wants to care for our every need and hurt, we need only turn to Him. He can and will remove and save us from whatever holds us captive. In Him, we will be free!! Thank You, Jesus!!!
have a thank-filled day!
veneal
Friday, October 5, 2012
the brightest Star of all!
And Jesus said...
"I have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches, I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." Revelation 22:16
Father Above, You are my Eternal Shining Star…
When life is hard, you guide me through the jungle of fear.
When life is dark, you hold me close and Your Light fills me with warmth.
When life seems hopeless, you sustain my spirit with Your Peace.
Thank you, Father, for always giving me what I need.
You are truly the Light of salvation for all!
I will tell others of Your glorious love!
veneal
"I have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches, I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." Revelation 22:16
Father Above, You are my Eternal Shining Star…
When life is hard, you guide me through the jungle of fear.
When life is dark, you hold me close and Your Light fills me with warmth.
When life seems hopeless, you sustain my spirit with Your Peace.
Thank you, Father, for always giving me what I need.
You are truly the Light of salvation for all!
I will tell others of Your glorious love!
veneal
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Mighty Word - Unity
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of UNITY among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 15:5
Grumbling divides a group and evaporates their strength… leaving Satan as the only victor with their defeat.
have a unified-filled day!
veneal
Grumbling divides a group and evaporates their strength… leaving Satan as the only victor with their defeat.
have a unified-filled day!
veneal
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
SEEING stars
"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so you... shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..." Philippians 2:14-16
Through whose eyes do you SEE? Ever since God tapped my heart with a telling-mission, i've experienced a change in my eyesight. When He placed a desire to inspire and encourage teachers, He also provided me with new eyes. With them, i constantly wonder how God SEES what i am SEEING. His Presence is ever before me; and therefore, His Peace is too. The difference in perspective is God-mazing.
With the world demanding less tolerance of our Father in public, do we have a choice in our response? Would you like to SEE more of God in your daily life? It starts with our heart and vision. It is possible to SEE Him all day, no matter where we are. For example, walking down the hall at school recently, a bulletin board caught my eyes. The headline, "We are stars, watch us shine", had AMEN! written all over it. Can you SEE what i mean? If not, let God know you want to SEE more of Him in your world too.
He wants to be in everything we do. When we SEE Him, others SEE Him too through us. Then, we will all be SEEING stars.
have a God-mazing-filled day!
veneal
Through whose eyes do you SEE? Ever since God tapped my heart with a telling-mission, i've experienced a change in my eyesight. When He placed a desire to inspire and encourage teachers, He also provided me with new eyes. With them, i constantly wonder how God SEES what i am SEEING. His Presence is ever before me; and therefore, His Peace is too. The difference in perspective is God-mazing.
With the world demanding less tolerance of our Father in public, do we have a choice in our response? Would you like to SEE more of God in your daily life? It starts with our heart and vision. It is possible to SEE Him all day, no matter where we are. For example, walking down the hall at school recently, a bulletin board caught my eyes. The headline, "We are stars, watch us shine", had AMEN! written all over it. Can you SEE what i mean? If not, let God know you want to SEE more of Him in your world too.
He wants to be in everything we do. When we SEE Him, others SEE Him too through us. Then, we will all be SEEING stars.
have a God-mazing-filled day!
veneal
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
a Mighty Word
Jesus said...
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21
Is there a way to survive failure and disappointment from myself and others? Absolutely.
When we make God the treasure we seek, our heart will be at peace and rest. Thank You, Father!
have a rest-filled day!
veneal
Monday, October 1, 2012
Communication BREAK~down
"We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts know the mind of the Spirit..." Romans 8:26
He was speaking Chinese to me, but not really. Even though he could have... being our school's Chinese teacher. Yet conversing English-to-English with each other, we struggled to communicate. His spoken need fell on my confused ears. The more we tried to understand each other, the worse it got. With mutual embarrassment, we both gave up.
Lord, how thankful i am for your Holy Spirit and Your understanding of my every request and word, no matter what flows from my lips. Whether it's words, cries, moans, whimpers, or even screams, You hear it all. You know and understand my heart and all within it precisely. What incredible confidence and peace i have knowing You hear me and will respond in a way that is best for me! Thank You, Lord.
have a understanding-filled day!
veneal
He was speaking Chinese to me, but not really. Even though he could have... being our school's Chinese teacher. Yet conversing English-to-English with each other, we struggled to communicate. His spoken need fell on my confused ears. The more we tried to understand each other, the worse it got. With mutual embarrassment, we both gave up.
Lord, how thankful i am for your Holy Spirit and Your understanding of my every request and word, no matter what flows from my lips. Whether it's words, cries, moans, whimpers, or even screams, You hear it all. You know and understand my heart and all within it precisely. What incredible confidence and peace i have knowing You hear me and will respond in a way that is best for me! Thank You, Lord.
have a understanding-filled day!
veneal
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