at-TEA-tude

See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the WILDERNESS and streams in the wasteland.  (Isaiah 43:19, NIV)

Do you not see it? One can "altitude their attitude" by looking up. Seeing the Lord afresh by refocusing on Him. Reclaiming one's faith, by taking God at His word is an action of an upward attitude.

A fresh brew left the dregs of yesterday's anxi-TEA behind as I opened, Streams in the Desert (1/4) and read a quote from George Mueller. 

"The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety."


Regret looks back.
Worry looks here, there and yon.
Faith looks up.

A new at-TEA-tude as I savored time with Thee.

anxie-TEA

 "Fret not.........Fret not.......Fret not.." (Psalm 37: 1, 7, & 8, ESV)

Anxie-TEA. Not a tea to recommend. Certainly not a tea to sip and savor. Bitterness is left with every swallow. Dregs of regret, self-pity, frustration and fear are left sticking to one's insides. Why does one keep swallowing it?

What happens when one pours herself an anxious cuppa? 

Tea with Thee indicates the need to turn to the one on the throne of one's life. Is it Me? Or Thee? Decide. Then, turn inward to self and more fretting or upward to the One who offers peace.

Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. (Psalm 37: 4-5)

Time for a re-brew. Choose a new cup. Fresh water and new tea leaves. Discard the dregs and bitter "over-brewed" remnants. 

Sip afresh and "fret not."

Possibili-TEA: a 2nd cup

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13, NLT)

Mulling the possibility of change of any kind, can have one second guessing every decision. When one is pondering a change concerning spiritual matters, second guessing seems to intensify. 
Desire to do God's work, God's way? Desire to edify believers and glorify the Lord? Desire to change?

The change must be His work. "...apart from me you can do nothing."(John 15:5) Apart from God, there is no good thing. (Psalm 16:2) "not adequate in ourselves but our adequacy is from God. He is at work in us." (2 Corinthians 3:5)

Those were my ponderings this morning over a cuppa of possibili-TEA, sipped and savored during my "Time with Thee."
The desire is there. Now the power will come.....if it pleases Him. 

What a thought!

What a possibili-TEA!

Possibili-TEA

Possibility is often about choice.

....fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness......choose this day whom you will serve,.... as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:14-15, ESV)

A possibilty, for.....this blog....this year, is to focus on devotional-type entries. Entries to be taken from life lessons as I experience them. One cup at a time.

Thus, "Tea with Thee" entries each week will focus on said experiences as I "see" them. Wordplay with "tea" will be added to emphasize the crux of the message---possibly aiding recall of key lessons. Sort of a grammatical aspect of homiletics (think, divergent spelling) to help one remember the preaching/teaching gleaned from time alone with the Lord and in His word.

Universal lessons with uniques applications. Devotionals with a "tea" theme based on seeing God at work in life. 

"Tea With Thee"----a real 2014 possibili-TEA. 

***FYI---January is National Hot Tea Month---a great time to start a tea blog, don't you think!

New Year's Eve 2013

12/31/13 "Frozen," an animated movie, with a grand. A yummy "build your own pizza" from Pyros. Hats and horns "before" midnight. A fun farewell to 2013.

SWEET AROMA

12/30/13

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, "Prayers of God's people are as sweet to Him as incense, even though we come before Him unfit to pray." He calls the Holy Spirit the "Believer's Apothecary." (my Bible marginalia) Prayers "dispensed" by the Spirit seem to me to be the prayers with the sweet aroma that pleases the Lord.

In Revelation 5:8 one is reminded of that aroma of believers' prayers...."and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

Twelve Christmases ago, I received a gift with a special tag. So special, it still resides in my NIV Bible. Everytime I see it, I meditate on the scripture because I'm convicted of my responsibility as a Christian to be a fragrance of Christ to the world and to the Lord as I pray for others in the household of faith.

 An "aroma from life to life" from one believer to another.

For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.....(2 Corinthians 2:15)

Incense. A sweet aroma that comes from Him. 

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: Prayers & Squares

12/19/13 Prayers & Squares. What a ministry of Roswell Presbyterian in Georgia!
The church quilters create prayer quilts for those in need. These tie quilts have an extra facet---extra ribbons to be tied by pray-ers. Those praying people include not only the quilters and other church members but also the recipient's family and friends as well. Prayers over the quilt for the one who will receive it begin at its inception and are continued each step and journey through the church itself.
A quilt created with love, hope and prayers.

Prayerfully sent, those prayers are continued at the recipient's home. That's how I came to tie a square knot on the "perfect" color and theme quilt of my special friend and sister in the Lord, Claudia. Thanks to Aunt Mary Manhardt and the quilting ministry along with  the pastors, staff and congregation of Roswell Presbyterian Church for that prayer privilege.

In loving memory of Claudia Lee Roberts Parlow---August 12, 1944-November 30, 2013

LIGHT vs Darkness

12/28/13 Gift to hubby---tickets for both of us to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Definitely not my kind of movie, BUT God showed me me truths of the faith imbedded in it---stark similarities between Tolkien's fantasy and the reality of good and evil as it exists today.

Evil is afoot. Darkness is always looking to find a foothold in Tolkien's Middle Earth as in our world as well. 

Such is the nature of evil. "In time all foul things come forth!  We will hide with in our walls, live our lives without light and let darkness descend. We've been blind, and in our blindness, our enemy has returned." 

Smaug who is a "devil" of a dragon states, "The darkness is coming. It will spread to every corner of the land.""I am fire.. I am death!"

But Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins offer hope for the dwarves with daring and encouragement. Valuable assets even in these times.

Gandalf: Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay... small acts of kindness and love. 

Like Gandalf, I see the power of God in the land of the living. (Psalm 27) In the lives of His people is where goodness resides and takes action----even in the little acts of ministry, one step at a time. God's goodness and the kindness and love of His people give light and hope to others.

Light dispels darkness---(John 1:5)

Christmas Greetings 2013

12/25/13 Merry Christmas from our gang to yours!

MORE LIGHT

12/24/13 On the day Pastor Cole was preaching about the"life who is the light of all men," (John 1:4) I read the 12/22 entry by Dr. Sue Edwards in the DTS 2013 Christmas devotional, "In the Fulness of Time."Her reference to Simeon's revelation gave "light" to the fulfillment of God's promise to him. Simeon, a devout and righteous man saw Jesus in the temple and knew that this Child, brought for dedication by his parents, was the Messiah.
Praising God, with Jesus in his arms, Simeon prophesied ......a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people, Israel. (Luke 2:32)

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2)

May the "Light of the World" shine through believers this season, in order that many will come to the light.

More "light" for more people---what a Christmas that would be!