FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS

Fellowship. A step up from friendship!
Fellowship among God's children begins with Christ (Romans 8:16) as they share a heart's message motivated by the "mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Sharing and caring are the manifestations of such a fellowship; it's life sharing!
With this group, FUN would be added-----------
----------along with a cup of tea for the T-Cups!

MINDFUL!

Are you mindful of what your mind is full of?

Yesterday's Jesus Calling, 4/22, spoke of the need for freedom from compulsive planning---OOPS!! "When your mind spins with a multitude of thoughts, you cannot hear My voice." (Oh my, I think Sarah Young's been reading my mind!)
The previous (4/21) entry identified "...your mind is the last bastion of rebellion." 

I certainly need to relinquish "control of my mind" to the Lord because I'm certainly doing a lousy job of it. Sarah's scripture citation supported the positive result--peace.
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6
Who wouldn't want to reap a mind full of peace by being mindful of Him first!

**Should have posted this yesterday....but finding it in my drafts, today, I just changed a few adverbs that needed changing. I thought I was through with this "mindful" message!
But God .....showed me this morning, a "new to me" scripture* which I have embraced for today and hopefully days ahead! He defined for me a faint spirit.
A faint spirit would include all of the "if only" regrets, "what if" fears and whys of life of a compulsive planner, who works so hard to plan life so that he/she can "help God"---by serving others. People, with a faint spirit, (think, in one's own strength) lose courage, become despondent and can burn out.

Today, may I wear "a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit." (*Isaiah 61:5)
How's that for a "mind full" of being mindful of Him through praise!

FEARLESS

The fearless have courage.  They are the brave ones.
I am more likely to possess that trait in the daylight hours.

The "fearful" talk that I  hear in my head between 2 and 4 am seems to come down from the ceiling---similar to a night in a ER hospital room when I heard announcements for a doctor, or a code blue.
A jolt of words that seem to "rattle" me and stay with me. Hard to get out of my head.

I, like a few other folks, need to fear less and trust more especially during the night watch. Those hours when the thoughts in one's head can resurrect fear.
More often than not, they are thoughts of which I have no control over the outcome---think worry. (Philippians 4: 6-7)

To be fearless in the wee hours, I need to fear less of those things which I cannot control and trust more in the One who controls everything.

Tonight's bedtime story will be the twenty-third psalm---

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

Celebri-TEA---smallest cuppa is more than enough

Author, screenwriter, TV star, Alan Alda, is truly a celebrity. Just his name brings his face to mind. Just a glimpse of his face or the sound of his voice usually brings his name to mind.

But....what I appreciated in his book, Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself, was his understanding of the impact of celebrity on our lives---not always in a positive way. 

Celebrities are affirmed by # of hits on their FB or number of retweets on their twitter accounts, to mention a few. Name recognition becomes key. Everyone "knows" the Kardashians, who are famous for being famous!

USA Today keeps us abreast daily of WHO is "trending." Naturally, celebrities are always the ones trending! That's what trending is----more media exposure.

"Google Trends" in 2005 had Angelina Jolie trending back and forth as a popular search term with Hurricane Katrina (Oct.) When she and Brad Pitt announced a baby, (Dec) the search term, Angelina, got more attention ("hits") than the Iraq war. (Alda, p. 185)

Familiarity. Their names can be bantered around as if they are family members or BFFs. Politicians used to court celebrities---now they try to become celebrities themselves. Name Recognition is so powerful.... (Alda, p. 186)

Felons have been elected to office because their name is known----at least in our town and in DC. 

In our culture, these days celebrities can win without qualifications. 

That's a cuppa celebri-TEA I don't want to serve to anyone, much less sip for myself.

But God....reminded me of my responsibility--thanks to Lo's scripture choice during our prayer time.

This small pre-election cuppa celebri-TEA was more than I could swallow during the debate debacles.
Once the election winner is confirmed, I will honor Titus 3:1, regardless of the outcome---celebrity or not.

A Picnic is a picnic is a....

....PICNIC!

A picnic is.......

• An outing 
• FOOD--folks bringing their own indigenous dishes 
• Sunny and Breezy 
• Scenic landscape 
• Mississippi River lapping the rocky shore 
• Squealing kids
• Friendship
• FUN!!!

Laughter, squealing, lip smacking eating.....are the same in any language.

Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7)

When our city, in all its diversity, prospers----we prosper---so enjoy the picnic!

"SIRI"--ous Mistakes

Siri gets so many things wrong. Dictation becomes an edit nightmare.

Owen, which I type often, becomes Ah wind, Alan, Oh-and, or Oh win. Maybe it's my southern accent.

Dotsy is often Ditsy. Even prayers can be pears.

Do you ever feel like people don't hear you as well? Don't listen? Misunderstand?

But God.....listens, hears, and understands. 

• God listens. (Psalm 54:2) 
• God hears. (1 John 5:15) 
• God understands. (Job 28:23) 

He even intercedes when we don't have the words to pray and guides us in wisdom. 

God intercedes for us. (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25)

God wisely guides. (James 1:5, Psalm 31:3)

Today I grateful that I can depend on God---not Siri for understanding, "Her" mistakes can get personal. Ditsy Dotsy knows!

A Cuppa Acceptance....

For every season there is a time for every activity under heaven.....a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to grieve and a time to dance....(Ecclesiastes 3:1-4)

Laughter can be the best medicine. It's good for the soul. Often just what the soul needs---a little levity in the midst of life struggles.

A cheerful heart brings good healing---so needed by one who is crushed in spirit. The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? (Proverbs 18:14)

The perfect "happy" from Wynellen. A brisk cuppa with an apropos quote. 

The need for a merry heart must be a universal need as it is mentioned twice in Proverbs.
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. (Proverbs 15:13)  A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.(Proverbs 17:22) 

The cup says it all. Sometimes we just need to accept life just as it is, with all its struggles.......and laugh---AND....it's much more fun to laugh with a dear friend! 

JEOPARDY!

Friend Jerrie's gift, a Jeopardy! 2016 Calendar, has become a fun part of "our" (hubby plays too) morning routine. Just like when we know the answers during the TV show, it brings a bit of excitement to the day---not to mention competitive fun! What a thoughtful gift.

In Jeopardy! TV series, there is a risk everytime you "ring" in and there is always "double trouble," a hubby term, when you choose the "daily double" square, and have to decide if your confidence in the category allows you to make it a "true daily double." Risking everything ($$$) you have accumulated so far. Is the risk worth the loss? The final outcome could be on the line!

The answers on the calendar version, as always, are in the form of a question but how easy it is to just turn the page over when you are stumped. And you don't risk loss of anything---unless losing face with your spouse counts.

There written out in large bold print and "all caps" is what you need to know. You can't miss it. 

Answer given. Problem solved.

Don't we all wish our life questions were that easy to figure out! Those that really stump us. The "whys" we don't understand. The "what ifs" when we are trying to make the best decision. 

For me, there are so many parts of life that I don't have an answer for---but God reminds me, to call unto Him. (Jeremiah 33:3) He is the answer. 

I don't risk anything when asking. (James 1:5) 

There is no JEOPARDY!-type consequence when asking, (Romans 8:1) just forgiveness and wisdom.

Wisdom freely given by the ONE who is the answer.

I might not know the answer but I know the One who is the answer. 

GLORY-GIFTS

Glory-gifts---a Sarah Young term for love, peace and joy. (Jesus Calling, April 5)

Along with Sunday's emphasis on God's glorious gifts of grace, love and fellowship from the benediction to the Corinthians, I considered His surrounding glory seen in creation.
I thought of all the glory of His nature around our 901 town---urban parks, Mississippi River sunsets, azaleas, cherry trees, dogwood and even the invasive wisteria!

Enjoy a glory-gift from my camera----look up and gaze on the glory of the wisteria!
Wisteria covered silos----God's glory-gift to me every spring as I drive to church---it fills me with peace and love as I begin the day in fellowship!

ACCEPTANCE--a sereni-TEA sweetener

My Gratitude Journal's "word of the month" is "acceptance."

Key to waiting is acceptance. Acceptance of the present over the perfect.
What one "has" might be different from what one "wants." A statement that one needs to give credence to in order to move away from self-absorption and go forward.

There are NO perfect relationships, NO perfect physical health for the aging, NO perfect night's sleep every single night, NO emotional health without hormones, etc.---at least not ALWAYS.

Life can be full of head "noises" and random aches, and troubles galore. Expect that fact.
Perfection in life is an unrealistic expectation.

But God....know that God can be in the midst of all these struggles and provide the peace that calms one's heart as one's life questions, without answers, whir by and circumstances remain the same.
Answers one so desperately wants. Accepting that answers might not be ours to have at this time. Refocusing. Getting eyes off of self and on to the Lord and others.

Shakespeare said it well, " God's goodness hath been great to thee---Let never day or night unhallowed pass but still remember what the Lord hath done."

So...as I steep my cuppa acceptance each morning this month, I'm going to reach for the sweetness that can accompany it----sereni-TEA---not an artificial sweetener to gloss over or deny. A true sweetness with truth from His word. (Psalm 119:103)
Tasting and seeing His goodness as I approach each day knowing that inner peace is possible even if the outward conditions do NOT change.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests......mental, emotional and physical health....look to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4)