PEACEFUL PONDERINGS

Lysa TerKeurst has faced the realities of suffering in her life, from physical to emotional betrayal. She expresses these in seeing beautiful again. 

It's not always an easy read, but she weaves hope and peace in her entries.

• In the midst of struggles, others watch our reactions. (CONVICTION, mine) Responding in gentleness is a better reminder. (Philippians 4:5) (p. 48) Responding in peace is always preferable.
• When  something moves our focus from right to wrong....a slight and seemingly innocent amount of skewed thought can take root. (p.50) Skewed thoughts will rob us of our peace. (DAL)
• Your hurt will not be wasted. (p.56)
• Though others hurt you deeply, allow peace to flood your heart. "Peace that allows you to live like you are loved." (p. 62) God's word reminds us of that in Zephaniah 3:17.
• "Fear, pain, and insecurities can really do a number on our hearts." (p. 64) As Jesus said to the disciples,  "My peace I give you." (John 14:27b) As His present day disciples, we have access to this peace as well.
• THERE IS A PLACE TO ATTACH OUR HOPE, BUT IT'S NOT TO OUR DESIRE FOR CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES, Mark 14:36.... ends with strongest statement of trusting God that I can find in the whole Bible: Yet, not what I will but what you will. (p. 70)
• When TerKheurst wrote of her emergency colon surgery she learned that, God loved her through the life-saving pain. God's silence was part of the rescue. Psalm 145:18. (p. 75-76) Relief is a peaceful response.
• "His words are a lifeline to me. A whisper from my God. A personal note. A treasure......More important than just reading (just, my addition) His words, we must choose to receive them and live them! (p. 77, 80)  (emphasis, mine)

May these words and scriptures bring you peace and comfort this weekend.

GOD'S PLAN----KEEP ON KEEPING ON

Keep On Keeping On. Four words I first heard spoken by Kay Arthur, in Chattanooga at a Precept Bible Study weekend many, many years ago. All of this came to mind as I was reading this morning's entry in seeing beautiful again. A reminder that God's ways are often not "my" ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

It's hard

 to continue marching

 when we don't see God move

 the way we thought He would. (p.42)

Keep trusting. Keep taking step after step after obedient step obedient step. (p.43) Keeping on in God's plan is obedience!

Or........as Kay Arthur said 46 years ago at Reach Out Ranch, as hubby and I sat on the back row with the Ennises, "Keep on Keeping On."

RECIPE FOR LIFE

I began my 5th Monday Meditation from Lysa TerKeurst, seeing beautiful again on August 2, the day after a friend's husband died. "Consider" it pure joy....(James 1:2-3) This past Monday, after visiting a rehab center and an assisted living center with round the clock care, I attended his funeral. 

The service gave glimpses of joy in the midst of the grief and hurt. (p.30) Sorrow and celebration were co-existing, not mutually exclusive, as  one might think. "Mixing them together is part of the recipe of life." (p. 35) 

Returning home, I read devotional #6 in TerKeurst book and the title was so "spot on", Why Would you let all this Happen, God?" Meditation quickly ensued as the two entries seemed to have so much in common. Younger friend (1) dying, older friends suffering cancer set backs (2), mixed generations (5 ) undergoing chemo or radiation, and (2) falls that led to blood clots, one had no hospital room, available, 3 needed hip surgeries, 2 younger gals needed female surgery, 3 adult children of dear ones have made poor choices that are breaking hearts....I could go on & on but after further reading it's easy to see the "God is Good Pattern." In essence, as believers, we can easily say we trust God but in reality do we trust in the plan we are praying God will follow? When it doesn't, we often want to turn and run and hide. (Elijah in 1 Kings 18 &19) (p.37)

God's plans don't always have to match our plan for them to still be good. (p. 39)

Perspective is key in trusting God in the experiences of life we all wish we could avoid.  

"God is good. God is good to me, God is good at being God." Say and Repeat. (p.36)

Recipes of a life of faith often come from those wilderness experiences God allows in order to deepen and even sometimes sweeten life on the other side of the bitterness/disappointments.

WORDSMITH WEDNESDAY--APOSTROPHE

SO MANY PUNCTUATION MARKS....many like the comma are often over used. Apostrophes, ( ' )  not so much. Apostrophes can be used as possession singularly or without having to use a double or triple "s" . For me, the apostrophe is a much used punctuation mark indicating omission of numbers (ie, '21) or letters.  Y'all, the main second-personal plural pronoun in Southern American English, is a big part of my writing----. Even Siri understands my usage. 

Remember apostrophes go between letters. They are not diacritical markings which go above letters to aid in pronunciation.

Lysa TerKhurst, (seeing beautiful again, p. 28) introduced me to the "possibility" of seeing the word impossible in a whole new way! (Think a creative contraction which totally changes a meaning by just adding an ' after I.) Follow those first two letters with a pertinent space and you can go from impossible to I'm possible.   I'm possible! 

Don't you love it. 

God is the Great I AM.....(Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 32:7, Psalm 73:23, Psalm 146:6, John 14:6) 

He is my possibility  for hope and healing....a much more comforting way to look at anything that feels quite impossible! 

ESSENTIAL TRUTH REMINDERS

"News and truth aren't always one and the same." (Terkeurst, p.27)

9 words jumped right off the page as I opened seeing beautiful again. 

These days news and truth could also be labeled opinion and fact. Opinions nudge us from the nightly news. If a celebrity name is included it seems to carry even more weight. We seem to get sucked in to what others think, without any substantive basis. For me God's word is the basis.

The ESSENTIAL TRUTH is salvation through the sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Unity must be centered here.Yet, I see disunity even in our churches over non-essentials.....music styles, political "opinions" and worship styles. There is liberty in the non-essentials. Don't judge or condemn these difference. These can vary.

Essentials--UNITY

Non--Essentials--LIBERTY

In ALL Things--CHARITY 

(Dan Martin, Allen Bible Church, 7/25/21)

Within the body of Christ are believers who desire to please God, not to judge other believers.

Stop focusing on non-essentials.

Start focusing on loving one another and serving one another!

Loving God and serving others well. That's the truth that pleases God!

WEARY WORDS

Lord, I'm so weary and yet you blessed me with an incredible week with family! ALL 17 of us!

Then....I opened, seeing beautiful again. There it was. God's word! 

The very words I needed for my day!

He gives strength to the weary 

and 

increases the power of the weak. (Isaiah 40:29)*

Strengthen me by the power of your might today, O Lord that I might walk worth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.....regardless of my physical and emotional fatigue!

*Font used was "Dancing Script" to remind me to start dancing again----right after my nap!

YIELD TO GOD AND PARK YOUR MIND THERE TODAY!

MINDSETS,  a July 8 blog entry  keeps coming to my mind.  Lisa TerKeurst's, (Chapter 2, p.17) in seeing beautiful again, had me at the title,  "The Best Place to Park Your Mind Today. 

Scripture, Philippians 4:8 was an added bonus! Finally, brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely--if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. (my memory) 

Remember this verse Quad Squad/Pi Phi friends!

Thinking is a mindset and thoughts based on scripture are the best place to "park your mind."

Yield to Him and His word for you!

Yielding is a choice. Think about this as your thoughts "drive" you to ponder life's realities---frustrations, disappointments or a pity party. Zip ass those "messy" thoughts and let the Lord steer you to Him and park there. 

It's a mindset parking lot set up for His children.

As TerKeurst says, "When we set our minds in the things of God, we will have direct access to the peace of God. A parking lot of peace in our own minds " (p. 21) ----what a great place to be. 

Reserve me a spot!

PROCESS PROCEEDS PROMISE

"The Process before the Promise" is the first chapter in my new devotional book of 50 devotions, seeing beautiful again, by Lisa TerKeurst. As a weird reader/wordsmith, the fact that the chapter title was alphabetically correct as well as contextual spiritually, was a great hook. BTW, I chose the verb, proceed  in this entry title because it can indicate moving ahead---ie. to continue and it keeps the title alliterative and in ABC order. Though, I admit, precede would definitely work & probably more definitively, except for my alphabetic idiosyncrasy.  

What follows are my journal jottings. I have decided I cannot do one chapter per day, rather I  meditate on just one chapter, with its scripture correlations per week.

• Sufferings seem  present for a long time; long-suffering is not always long enough to match the suffering from the struggle. 
• TerKeuherst's "Hurting but still  hoping--" (p.14) touches my idiosyncratic tendency of alphabetical order. For me: Hoping in spite of the hurting. Hoping is what helps us get through the hurt. (Though I clearly understand the author's context.) 
• Great reflection on Psalm 40.
•  Psalm 40:1-10--David is praising the Lord---a perfect basis for hope being able to flourish.....regardless. He is waiting patiently---it's part of the process. 
• Hope is a continuous action part to the process. Sometimes repeated over and over.
• David continues to focus on God's goodness, even in the struggles/low places, reinforcing his belief in God's goodness to continue. 
• Psalm 40:11-17--David continues crying out to the LORD, recounting his need as well as his trust. David remembers the Lord is his help and deliverer. 

Application---aka "Do it, Dots" 

The Lord put David upon a rock. God kept His promise that He is with those who trust in Him. As He did for David, He will do for me "On Christ the solid rock I stand." He is my Hope. Live it out so that others may see the hope within especially during the hardest times.

Waiting is a part of the process. 

W orshipping

A s

I

T rust           (my acronym)

How we wait shows our testimony lived out..... of the One in whom we place our hope because of HIs promises. He works all things together (Process -->  Promise) for our good and His glory, regardless of the circumstantial or relational outcome in our lives.

SNIT, TWIT, OR WRONG SIDE OF THE BED

Have you ever started a day feeling off-kilter. At 2211, in my early years, Mother would say, "Looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

Lysa TerKeurest said, "I woke up one morning in a twit." Embraced devotional (p. 259)  I, too, as Terkheurst says, am not even sure what a twit is unless one adds a "ter" to it. These day everyone knows what twitter is. 

TerKhurst describes a twit as "all twisted up with irritation sprinkled on top."

To me, that's a snit. I can wake up in a snit. Even a slight traffic delay, computer snafu or 45 minute hold on the phone can throw me into one. 

Regardless of the word choice for irritation/agitation, there's a real "choice" to be made! 

Choose to focus on God and not the "bum circumstance." Pause--inhale, exhale! Then choose.

 

His presence can unleash peace--enough peace for any snit, twit or wrong side of the bed! (Philippians 4:7)

s l o w i n g VERBS NEEDED

Wordsmith Wednesdays seem to frequently have me exploring verbs. I have spent several years focusing on dance in both the verb and noun parts of speech. However, the last 2 years I have focused on a single "action" verb each year. I know because in 2017 I logged over 200 "choose" blog entries. Sunday, I reread a "choose" entry on nearness of God as I was praying for others through Psalm 73. 2018's verb focus has been "consider" and I've learned in all my actions, it's important to "consider" Him first! (Hebrews 12:3) 

I might need to focus more on Him today as I seem to be  growing weary and losing heart, as the rest of the verse states. Lysa Terkeurst's Embraced, stated, "We run at a breakneck pace to try and achieve what God wants us to slow down enough to receive. (p.19)

Maybe I need to focus more on "to be" verbs ----verbs of being, not action.

Maybe for me, a compromise is needed---action verbs indicating a slower speed.

Amble. Linger. Relax. Soak. Be still. Bask. Be refreshed.

Pause before speaking.

Pause before seeking.


Slowing verbs might be just what I need. How about you?
.

SABBATH SNAPSHOT : peculiari-TEA"

Folks who know me, know I have a peculiar way of reading---especially a work of non-fiction. If I'm using a book in preparation for a literature-type workshop or a Bible Study lecture, I begin with skimming and scanning. That method, coupled with a Table of Contents or a good index can get me to what I need quickly. The downside---missing out on "goodies" that aren't on my "need-based" reading. If I'm reading a work of an author who is grounded in God's word, writes well & often infuses her writing with personal reflections, I end up reading beyond my need......and that can be entertaining.

I might have missed Lysa TeKeurst's  Made to Crave-satisfying your deepest desire with God not food, account of taking out her pony tail holder on "weigh day"& saying, "hey it's gotta weigh something." Or "Two and a half cinnamon rolls later, I decided tomorrow will be ... better day.....to eat healthier." (p. 27) Wow, can I relate to that struggle. I still remember her "tankles" story. (p. 78)
Relating to the reflective aspects of an author's life in a work of non-fiction, are a plus for me. I prefer "realness" to dryness. 
TerKeurst is NOT dry. Just reading her "Contents" will draw one in. I went first to "The Curse of the Skinny Jeans chapter. I skipped around to a few more chapters with notebook in hand and then realized that this was a come back to "cover to cover read---without my notebook.....but maybe a few © Post-It bookmarks.
Personal and practical while interspersed with God's truth. A good combo.

As I often do, if I find an author whose work seems to "speak to me," I check out his/her works. That's how I found TerKeurst's Radically Obedient, Radically Blessed. This small practical book had just the chapter I needed on "Hearing God's Voice" that offered 5 questions" I could offer to some gals who continue to need answers to hearing God's voice. 

But a further perusal led me to Chapter 5, a chapter "just for me." Dealing with "Foes of Grace (naysayers) "The Great Dance" and Choosing to Worry or Worship" those sections spoke to my heart. That's "my" chapter but I'm sure there is a unique one for each reader.....or, I can share mine, if your need-based reading peculiari-TEA is to discover what keeps you from radical obedience.