BEST BOOK REVIEW!

Is a book worthy of a great review? How does one remember?

Usually my faves are filled with jottings on almost every page.

This book has no jottings---just lots of post-its!

Why? 

Because the pictures are as exquisite as the words are 

"spot-on".....and it was a gift from a dear friend who knows both my     heart and my needs. 

As it says in the book, "The gospel binds our hearts together to a lifeline of grace!" (p.123)

A book worthy of a GREAT review both visually and with incredible

word choices anchored in Scripture.

SEEKING!

Seeking?

Ask yourself this question.

What am I seeking after? Truly seeking!?

1)One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after:that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.(Psalm 27:4)

2)You have said, "Seek My face." My heart says to you,"Your face LORD, do I seek."  (Psalm 27:8)

3)But seek first HIs kingdom and His righteousness. and all these things will be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

Still Seeking?

Be still and listen to what the LORD is saying to you as you read the above verses aloud. 1, 2, or all 3!

BECKONING!

Beckoning! Appealing in a way as to be inviting!

I think of a "pull toward" spiritual activities; yet, could also be a pull toward things of the world. Distractions.

Distractions...unique to each individual. Golf tourneys might not be mine but a good book or crossword puzzle could easily beckon me. 

"Set your affections on things above not on things on earth." (Colossians 3:2)

Some places seem to beckon. Do you have a place that calls you? 

Seek first the the kingdom of God....(Matthew 6:33)

A place to beckon you before God's throne of grace!

Go their first and all the rest will fall into God's place.....unique for you!

SPIRITUAL ORDER!

ORDER??

Alphabetical? Branding/ Focal? Spiritual?

The lines at Everett Street Diner in Bryson City, North Carolina are long even before 7am opening time. 

Why? ESD has reputation as the best breakfast in town!

Their mug branding attests to this. It's all about food!

Though food is the focus....family and faith are all so included.

I might consider spiritual branding first, which would also include alphabetical correctness, also important for a "word nerd." Faith first.

FAITH. FAMILY. FOOD.

"Through faith the righteous have life" to enjoy the other above mentioned components. (Hebrews 11:6)

Always put God first. Spiritual order counts in life!

SEEKING

Are you seeking? Busy day ahead? What should one seek first? 

The answer for me was found in the prayer room at church when I was there all alone.

Big! Bold! In plain sight!!

Does that answer your question? It did mine!

MOMENT BY MOMENT

One of the great challenges of life is just the simple task of living in the moment, this very moment. Living a “present tense life". Why is this so hard for me. I can teach it.......but when it comes to living it out, I really struggle!

Jack (17 months) in the moment---enthralled with bubbles. Ah-h-h-h...to experience that.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.(Matthew 6:33, KJV)

Not concerned with earthly treasures---I just want to fully relish momentary pleasures.

"Moment by Moment, O Lord I am Thine."

ACRONYMS OF ADVICE

In times when one is overwhelmed---even trying to read a newspaper or text full of acronyms---of which one doesn't have a clue---KISS comes to mind.

K eep 

I t

S imple

S weetie

Just yesterday a friend sent a text explaining acronyms for "senior" (OLD) citizens. I needed a laugh so the timing was perfect.

Will continue this thought on more of a spiritual realm as I recall and reflect on two personal acronyms as I have focused meditating on words lately---SEEK & FOCUS!

I will share those two acronyms of advice soon. 

MY ONE WORD #3

Choose. (2017) Consider (2018) ????? (2019)

I have been mulling over my 2019 choice for My One Word since last June's "Summer Refreshment" book study. I was pretty sure "seek" was going to be the right "choice." A word of focus. A right focus. An action word. The right action. A transitive verb. A "doing" word for a "do-er".

A word for prioritizing my life. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God..." (Matthew 6:33) A word with 100 individual Bible references in multiple verses in both the Old and New Testaments.

"But God in his love and mercy".....brought another word to my attention---more than once. I gave pause to his leading. Gentle nudges. A son's sermon. Being vs Doing debate. Not one or the other but intertwined. Hubby's suggestion about my "packed" schedule. An intransitive verb---now that would be a first.
I did an acrostic on both words---many similarities found.
Put                   Set aside superfluous
Aside                Enjoy moments God gives
Unnecessary     Embrace eternal truth
Selections         Keep on keeping on
Everyday

I think I was looking for a skywriter to show me the right word. Instead God gave me 3 words to reflect on---in stone. At least painted on concrete. That seemed to seal the deal.
When one takes time to "pause" the 3 Rs come forth. one can linger long enough to relax, which brings about refreshing of both mind and soul so that she is able to refuel with God's truth and then take action. "Seeking" is a doing word. (Think transitive.)
"Pausing" is a being word for one who needs to practice "being" a be-er. Are you confused yet.

 

76 times in 3 versions of the Bible was "pause" found---all but 5 of those were in Psalms as Selah--reminds one to pause and calmly think of that. Hmmm....only 6 different verses.
I am joyful expectant to see how ow God will use this word in my life.
Decision made. Break out of the mold. Go outside the box. "Pause" for the first 1/2 of the year or until the Lord guides to transition to "seek".
Wow that's a biggie for me, a rule follower! I'm considering ('18) choosing ('17) 2 words for My One Word! YIKES!

**Remembering 2009---10 years ago today, Heard the word biopsy, as it pertained to me, for the very first time. 

CHOOSE: MY ONE WORD

"CHOOSE: MY ONE WORD." This entry title says it all for me. Literally.

My One Word, as Franklin Graham calls it, "is a refreshing approach to NewYear's Resolutions..."
Kyle Idleman calls it, a lens that can change every area of your life....more than a to-do list....more than a New Year's resolution.

It was a book that I had never even heard of until last Friday---a gift from visiting friend, Angie.
A book I have since devoured although the recommended approach is a slow one.
The premise is choosing one-word for your year's focus. Just one. The choosing occurs after prayerful consideration over a period of time. Friend and blog reader, Margie H, leaned over and said, "I bet your word is going to be joy." Actually that came to my mind as well.
After all, I blogged on January 1, "In 2017 may I choose joy!"

But God....obviously had a different word in  mind. It all started as I looked back at that very first entry. The fact that I even had continued blogging in 2017, is still somewhat of a mystery to me.
Being as OCD as I am, I began reading in order all the titles of "dotsydetails" entries since January 1. There was one word consistent in all 37 entries and it wasn't joy. The word was choose.
So many of my responses in life, even in my thought life, are of my own choosing. Though I'm not sure where all this word choice will take me as I begin to focus but the Lord has already provided a good foundation. Two verses will begin my "choose" project. The first is from Joshua 24:15, "Choose this day whom you will serve...."
The second verse is "Seek ye first the kingdom of God...."(Matthew 6:33) Though "choose" is not stated in the verse, to me, it is "understood." One must choose to seek. Seeking Him is a choice. God showed me that choosing to seek is a volitional concept of an intended action. In other words, by an act of my will, I make daily choices----whether of not I choose to seek Him first or to serve Him, the choice is always up to me. The ball of "choice" is in my court! I hope to share throughout the year what God teaches me as I focus on my single word choice!

Choose is "my one word." That word says it all for me for 2017.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Pray---then plan. 

Is it because I think and even dream in alphabetical order that I tend to reverse this order, more often than not?

I need a reminder! In all caps, as it were. 

PRAY FIRST, THEN PLAN!!

TEA WITH THEE : a TEA-sentation

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33, ESV)

TEA-sentation might be a bit of a s-t-r-e-t-c-h but what else would you call a presentation about taking tea as part of one's quiet time. He Cares, a special ministry of First Evangelical Church, is designed to meet the needs of our homebound seniors as well as giving care givers a break. As always, the "senior" audience, some who are younger than yours truly, was gracious as I sought to encourage them during their worship time.

TEA-sentation set-up

I'm sure that I left them with "tea" words whirring in their heads but hopefully they realized the importance of daily time with the Lord. Seeking Him first. Allowing Him to fill their "cuppa." Otherwise, the "world will fill their life's cuppa.

The world often pours out---stressors of anxi-TEA, feelings of inferiori-TEA, negativi-TEA and hoi-TEA, Toi-TEA attitudes of people who think that they are better than others.

The Lord pours out---chari-TEA (love) generosi-TEA, humili-TEA, integri-TEA, sensitivi-TEA, and sereni-TEA....to name a few.

Daily choices---cuppas brewed afresh---and served by the Lord are an encouraging way to start one's day. 

My encouragement came after the presentation when Charlie Martin told how Terry Parlow, my blind paralyzed friend, whom Charlie had assumed was too sick to attend, made an effort to come so he could hear, Dotsy. When the van lift would not work, his care giver "Miss Ronnie" pushed him in his wheelchair from his condo all the way to church. The distance isn't far UNLESS you're the one pushing big ole Terry in the wheelchair---"uphill" most of the way according to him.

I "puddled." 

I can't remember when I've been so encouraged. Isn't that so like God---we try to minister to others in His name BUT we are the ones who are truly blessed!

Intentionali-TEA

'For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.' 

(Jeremiah 29:11, ESV)

Last night after H2H Bible Study, several of us discussed the importance of "intentionality" as a part of our spiritual growth. Intentional seeking of Him---which involves spending regular time with Him. For me, it's my "Tea with Thee" time. By whatever name it is labeled, such a quiet or devotional time helps one intentionally focus on knowing Him and His agenda for one's day. Offering "my" plans or schedule to Him for His direction or altering as needed. (Proverbs 16:9) He knows the plans He has for us, thus we can trust His interruptions.

Fast forward to this morning....I had a packed agenda. Meditation reminded me that if I was going to be accountable to my spiritual sisters, I needed to slow down and refocus. Intentional slowing coupled with prayer. Walking my talk.

Intentional about seeking Him first, not just spur of the moment. (Matthew 6:33) Intentional = God's way. Driven =  my way, too often. But....not today!

My timetable was altered several times. God's interruptions allowed me to laugh & "catch up" on the CANDY aisle, with dear friend Margie. Adding fun to my day and 1/2 price chocolate to my basket. 

Several schedule shifts, coupled with that delightful aside, altered my intended hair washing before meeting Katherine, another dear friend now living in Atlanta. But God....reminded me of Katherine's gift of dry shampoo she provided for all the ladies on our church's Mexico mission trip 6 years ago. I don't have that shampoo but I had something similar. 

So....I didn't have shiny clean tresses for our lunch---think the old "mini-poo" look---BUT I knew Katherine would not care. She cared about our time together---and so did her sister Kristi. River Oaks' "Chef's TV Dinner" was a sumptuous treat...unlike any TV dinner I've ever had. Probably one of the best meals I've ever had anywhere! 

A delightful time was had by all, especially me!

A cuppa intentionali-TEA blended with accountabili-TEA---a necessary priori-TEA for spiritual growth. Also...a whole lot more fun than my original schedule! Go God!

anonymi-TEA

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (Matthew 6:33, NIV)

Pay it forward. Random Act of Kindness. (RAK) These contemporary terms describe unselfish giving of gifts. No thank you note required when the donor chooses to remain anonymous. 
At Hattiloo's Overton Square grand opening this past weekend, I noticed lots of "big" Memphis names and corporations who were etched into the wall of this black repertory theater's entry. But....what caught my eye was the simple one, "A Friend of Hattieloo." No fanfare. No accolade. No strings attached.

Such a gift was "downright" biblical. (Matthew 6:33) In the area of black arts, there has been a tremendous need for a platform for many Memphis actors "of color," as a former HHS student of mine shared with me.  Not just on the stage, but behind the stage expertise as well. So a "shout-out" of "Hooray" to that "friend of Hattieloo."

In the spiritual realm, anonymous giving is more than just a way to reignite one's faith in human kindness, it's a way to follow the examples set in God's word.

Certainly a cuppa anonymi-TEA in gift giving can brighten the day of the recipient or recipients, but it can brighten the "givers" day as well.

"Priori-TEA" Time

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33, KJV )

Priority Time. A new brew for an old familiar term, Quiet Time. Karin Conlee "coined" this term, or at least presented it to me and a "packed" room, at the Downline Women's Summit. 

Fellowship with Father God. A time to be with Him. Spend time with Him. Seek that first AND then all else is added. God can even redeem the time. There is NO substitute for this time.
Jesus set that example when he slowed His own pace of ministry----teaching, healing and discipling, to pull apart and spend time with His Father. (Matthew 14:23)
Even as one matures, this time is just as important, if not more so.

There is a need for intimacy with Him---to know Him better, that we might love Him more & be enabled to love & serve others well. That teaching has resonated in my mind over the last 6-8 months. From books, various pulpits, blogs, and messages from friends, I know God wants me to pay attention to this GREAT commandment. (Mark 12:30-31)

Intimate time in fellowship with Him is key to embracing this truth as a part of my daily walk. A time just for  me. Me and Thee. Not an accomplishment time.

So.....it can no longer be just a quiet time----it must be a "priori-TEA time" AND it might even get a little NOISY with praise and singing.

There's already been a good bit of caffeinated cuppas consumed during my "Tea With Thee" time, synonymous with a "prioi-TEA" time, so it can "rock, " on occasion.

A priori-TEA cuppa serve with a little sweet bread and a lot of truth from the Bread of Life.

Saturday Snippets (#3) of Simplicity

5/18/13 Simplicity, is hard to describe as it will vary for each individual. There are countless ways of expressing a "simple life." The manifestation will be an overflow of one's relationship with the Lord----not a series of "DOs and DON'Ts."

Therefore set your mind on things above...(Colossians 3:2) and this "kingdom thinking" (Matthew 6:33)   will add all the rest unto you----including spiritual guidance to what your simplicity should look like!

Speak, Lord...

5/13/13 Can you say as Samuel did, "Speak, Lord for your servant hears?" (1 Samuel 3:10)

Lately, many of my e-mails have continued to ask about "hearing God's voice." One in particular stated, "I know I should 'run to the throne, not to the phone' but I need an audible voice with godly wisdom." Being such an audible voice for a friend in the faith is a big responsibility. It becomes even harder when "google translator" is needed to translate from English to Russian.

Haven't we all longed for that audible voice, a light going off in our head or "feeling" God's hand on ours as He leads us to HIS answers to our questions? 

In my life, rarely has the Lord granted me that kind of answer BUT that doesn't mean I should stop asking or stop listening for His answer. Our "hearing" improves every time we "obey" that which we have heard through His word. That repetitive aspect of discipline seems to have us ready to wholeheartedly say "yes" to the Lord because our hearts are more attuned to hear. Then, His nudges in our spirit seem to speak loud and clear.

Simply center on Him as you ask the Lord to speak. You are asking from your center, that inner part where His presence dwells. Then, in His timing, you will hear from Him---whether audible, through His word, through circumstances, or through  godly counsel from others.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

Within the context of the verse, the "all" refers to the necessities of life. To me, a necessity in the Christian life is hearing the voice of the Lord. Seeking Him first enables one to confidently approach His throne of grace with a listening heart. Approaching to "hear" from Him----a hearing that goes beyond listening. As with Samuel, it's "hearing" with the intent to obey.

Blog, Under Consideration.....

1/2/12 .....or....Blog, under construction. Along with considering my verse for the year----with leanings toward one in Ephesians, I began to question my blog rationale, design and random posting schedule. Why am I still writing? Should I have exact days to post? Is "Seeing God's Hand" an integral part of the format? Is "Seeing God's Hand" of benefit to readers or is it just a spiritual diary of sorts for me? If so, has it outlived it's purpose since I'm no longer "cancer ridden" and my physical health  update platform is no longer needed?

Sometimes I struggle with that "suppose to be daily" aspect of the blog. It's hard to be relevant for others when it's just my personal stuff. SGH's postings, this past month in particular, have been difficult? Is that a sign to reformat?

As these thoughts whirled, I opened my "God Tube" jottings from last weekend to this sentence.

We can look for God’s hand and miss His heart, but we will never miss His hand when we listen for His heart. (God Tube, 12/29/12)

Conviction was immediate followed by more "spiritual" consideration. Though the answer isn't immediately clear---an action plan of Matthew 6:33 could lead to His conclusion for all my blog questions.

Time Concept

11/7/12 Sweet "faith friend" Sally Klinke told me that as a young person her mom was always telling her that she had NO concept of time. I, on the other hand, have been told by my family members that I am time compulsive. We are both "working" on these areas.

In recent years it seems that all women are driven one way or another by time---living (or struggling) by another's idea of perfect timing, dealing with amounts of time, too much time taken up by "urgencies of work or needs of others, too little time for all the world says we SHOULD accomplish and much too  little time available for relationships with family and friends. And oh yea----did I mention God!

God's "time economy" is different from ours. There is always enough time to accomplish all that He requires---time allotted for His purposes.

I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
    and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
    for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
    and shower righteousness upon you.’ (Hosea 10:12, NLB)

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added (given) unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

All things. Even time. Previous verses in that chapter remind us that it's the Lord who grants our life span (time). 

This week within the time which He granted me, I found that seeking Him first (before the onslaught of    my virtually impossible schedule) resulted in an amazing conclusion. Time redemption. It wasn't why I sought Him, but God....gave it to me anyway.

A new concept of time. Time Redemption. It's His to give and He does, when we seek him FIRST!

Meditation Monday, simply

3/12/12 Today's "God Calling" reminds me that "Simplicity is the keynote of the Kingdom. Choose simple things always." In this entry, one is even advised to always choose simple things and to love the simple. Is that why I have no phone or internet access at home. Should I "thank" Comcast instead of berating them.
What are the simple things I should choose. This week it's a houseful of grandboys.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all else will be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

Now there's a Bible promise for today that is well worth considering.