Following Gods Way

I am going to be honest.....I would like God to write out a plan for my life, give it to me , so I could then decide if I liked the plan, would consider the plan, then decide if I was going to follow His plan.

Well it doesn't work that way(and I am actually thankful for that), God wants us to trust Him each step of the way, known or unknown, revealed or unrevealed, we are to always choose His way step by step.

I have learned that following God and His ways is a daily decision, and often the season I am in, it might be a moment by moment decision.  Even David in Psalm 86:11 says "Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth."

I am also learning that very rarely does God show us the future.  I feel like I am often guided along strange roads, not knowing what is just barely ahead or right around the bend, struggling to have faith and believe that God is taking me along the best road or path.

I have been in a long season, on a long bumpy, rocky, curvy, full of hills and many sharp curves road for awhile, and while I don't know the whole road and the end destination for this season I do know that I can completely trust and depend on God to lead me His way.  As I follow His way I see that obedience doesn't come easy or naturally for me, I have had to give up things that I thought was right and good.  It is not easy, but I know following Gods way will lead me to where He wants me to be, doing what He wants me to do.  All He asks of me is faith and obedience and trust.  And with that promise I know I am going in the right direction and will end up at the right destination.

Deanna

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord"  Isaiah 55:8

The Race....

Yesterday was Allison first Cross Country Meet....actually it was her first time participating in any competitive sport.  I was excited for her, proud of her and of course nervous for her!  Allison's decision to participate in a sport especially one that required a great deal of physical movement surprised me...she tends to be a more sedentary person(like her parents)she has always preferred to read, draw, color, be on the computer, play her DS, so when she announced that she was going out for Cross Country my response was "Now you realize that you actually have to run, run alot, it isn't like a hundred yard dash..."  Yesterday she finished the race, she stuck with it probably when she really just wanted to quit...but she stayed on course and finished, no she wasn't first, second or even third, all that mattered to her was she finished and that she did.

As I sat and looked at the pictures last night I reflected on the race she ran and the race God has for us.  I looked at the picture of the runners at the starting line and saw their eagerness to get started, they had one goal in their minds for the at moment...to make it their best run and to end at the finish line.For many, like Allison, this was their first time, made me think of new Christians how when we made the decision for Christ and were eager to get out and  go running with our new found faith.  Then I thought of the ground the kids had to run on, some of it was smooth, other areas very bumpy with little dips here and there, some areas nice and green with grass, others muddy and slippery from the recent rain, part of the course dipped down into a small ditch like area, this area was seen by us spectators, for minutes our runners were out of our site, and were were left wondering where they were at, how were they doing...I compared this with our walk as Christians sometimes we are on smooth ground "running" smoothly, then there are times we hit those bumps and dips, valleys,  hit the slippery muddy areas and sometimes fall completely onto it, then we get back up and find the smooth grassy areas.  For the out of site time I thought of the times I felt lonely like God was the one out of site, not by me, I couldn't see  Him didn't know where he was....but I have learned He is never out of site, if there is any moving or lonliness it comes from me not Him. 
As the runners came back to site,  I felt the relief and peace knowing they were all ok, still on course, still running for the finish line.  That relief compares to the times I seek and look for God and feel his presence and am assured that I am still on course.  As the race continued, some just couldn't keep going and walked off the field, others grew tired and had to walk, but they refused to give up, others stayed strong.  This made me think of the the story in the bible about the strong roots  and the weak roots, how some walk away from the faith and God when the course gets bumpy, slippery and tiresome when trial after trial comes.
Another thing I noticed was those on the sidelines, us parents, teachers, coaches, friends, grandparents were cheering every child on, even if they weren't on our team, even if they were weary and tired and walking, we stood there clapping and cheering each child on to the finish line.  And once they crossed it hugs from parents and friends, team mates,  and the encouraging words of "well done" ," you did good", "you ran a good race", "I am proud of you".

So where am I going with this story?  It made me think of my own walk with Christ, when I was a new Christian I was eager at the starting line, not sure what the course would be like, all I knew is I wanted to get  running!  Then over the years came the bumps, slippery ground(causing many falls), green smooth patches, trials that would come and go quickly and trials that wouldn't and trials that after 2 years I am still in, there have been times when I have had to walk instead of run as I have been weary, times I wanted to walk off the course and stop running the race, but I have been blessed with Godly friends, who are standing at the sidelines cheering me on, helping me stay on course.....I "see" and "know" what my finish line is, it will be the day that I come into the presence of the Lord, until then I must stay on course, no matter the conditions of the course I have to keep my eyes on the finish line.  I also know for the times when things get bumpy, slippery, when I feel like I am in last place, all alone and instead of running I am walking I know I also have God there cheering me on......So I have my eyes on the heavenly prize...I will continue to "Press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."  And when I cross that finish line my hearts desire is  to hear "Well done good and faithful servant" Matthew 25:21

Deanna

2  Timothy 4:7   I have fought the good fight,  I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Just Enough Light...

Just Enough Light....
(by Stormie Omartian)

Sometimes only the step I'm on,
  or the very next one ahead,
     is all that is illuminated for me.
God gives just the amount of light I need
   for the exact moment I need it.
At those times I walk in surrender to faith,
  unable to see the future
  and not fully comprehending the past.
And because it is God who has given me
  what light I have,
       I know I must reject the fear and
      doubt that threatens to overtake me.
I must determine to be content where
      I am, and allow God to get me where I
            need to go.
I walk forward,
           one step at a time,
                 fully trusting that
                       the light God sheds
                             is  absolutely sufficient.


......come and let us walk in the light of the lord.
      (Isaiah 2:5)
     

Seasons....

Yesterday I had seasons on my mind.  Seasons of life.  It came to me after being inside the school and seeing many moms and dads dropping off their little ones for the first time at pre-school.  For many there were tears as this was their first season doing this.  I remember that season with Allison like it was yesterday.  As I was driving to work Ecclesiastes 3 came to mind about the different seasons of life.  Some seasons last only minutes, others last hours, days, months or years.  I then started thinking about friends and family who are in different seasons of life, some are joyful and some are not, many are facing various trials.  I then lifted up each friend/family  that are in seasons of sadness, mourning, uncertainty, knowing from my own season experience there is a Heavenly Father who is with us every moment of every Season and will always be there to carry us through, as we walk through each season with faith trusting in Jesus.


Ecclesiastes 3:1  "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."

Train up a child.........

I am sitting here once again with mixed emotions.  Tomorrow Allison will begin 4th grade, each milestone in her life makes me happy and sad at the same time.  I receive such joy watching her grow and learn, and also at times feel sadness because each step of independence and growth she makes, feels like I am needed just a bit less.

I am excited for this school year, excited to watch her grow and learn, excited to see what God has in store for her not only for this year, but for her life.

Miss Meyer sent home a paper where parents had to write down 3 goals they had for their child for fourth grade.  My first goal was:  1.  To continue to grow spiritually. To continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of  Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.  For Allison to have a servants heart.  I remember so clearly years ago my friend Merri saying "you can teach your children all the academics you want, but if you don't capture their hearts then it will be worth nothing."    I have hidden her words of wisdom in my heart.

Deanna

"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he grows old he will not turn from it."
Proverbs 22:6(NIV)

My ways are not His ways

I orginally started creating a blog that would be dedicated to my love of knitting, beginning sewing adventures and scrapbooking.  However, everytime I worked on the blog it just didn't look right, couldn't get the lettering right, colors right, pictures posted right...so I gave up.   But not for long, I came back again to it and still the same results, this time though it was a work night and around midnight I was so tired, but so determined to finish what I started, then suddenly it came to me the blog I was trying to create wasn't the one God wanted me to create.  After seeking His wisdom and leading this is where He has led to me to at this point.  I will still post about knitting, sewing and scrapbooking, but my way of doing it wasn't His way. 


So now my blog is dedicated to my walk with my extraoridnary God(borrowed extraordinary God from Lisa Smith), accompanied with  various gifts he has blessed me with. 


Deanna


"Whether you turn to the right or to the left your ears will a voice behind you, saying, this is the way; walk in it."  Isaiah 30:18