FLOURISHING FAITH!

How does one recognize "flourishing faith" these days? 

Flourishing like a palm tree....flourishing in the courts of our God. 

(Psalm 92:12-13)

Think thrive.

Delighting in the LORD. 

Yielding fruit. (Psalm 1:3) Even in old age. (Psalm 92:14)

Think Biblical optimism. Living your best life regardless of circumstances.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD (Jeremiah 17:7, NKJV) 

Trusting God at all times is a base camp for a flourishing faith!

Never be lulled into self-sufficiency.

Exercise daily "trust-steps" to the straight path. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Make the LORD your trust. (Psalm 40:4)

Many will see the LORD in your flourishing and put their trust in the LORD.

WAY OF PEACE!

I "know" God is with me. So..........why do unexpected circumstances throw me off course? I "know" the answer. I respond to the wrong stimuli! 

Sight and sound. Those loud thoughts of mine that bombard my mind as I try to live "without fear!" The last two hours of talking with medical folks on the phone and seeking info from recordings & portals......not people, have me desiring to have the "sky-writing" type affirmation from the LORD!

ALERT to self! Today is "Thankful Thursday"!

Though I might have struggle living without fear, a sign on cancer center windowsill, reminded  me to live with "faith over fear!"

A mere 2 days ago, I had "wall writing" at a doc appointment. A great summation of truth!" 

There is always, always, always Something to be Thankful for.

It might not be skywriting & it might end in a preposition....but it's a clear declaration of His way of peace. 

Trust in Him paired with gratitude for His steadfast love, is God's will for us in Christ Jesus! (1Thessalonians 5:18)

MUSING ON BENDING GOD'S EAR

"Bending God's Ear in Times of Trouble" *was Allen Bible Church's sermon yesterday!

Pastor, Buddy Liles, assured the Texas congregation and those of us listening via livestream, that King David's, Psalm 86 "pressure cooker prayer," can give believers a vocab to express our trust even as we are troubled.

From our lips to God's ear. Whether he bends down to listen to my cry for help, (MSG) or inclines His ear as it says in Psalm 116:1, I know that when My anxious thoughts multiply within me, it's His consolations that delight my soul." (Psalm 94:19) Sounds like comfort to me.

How thankful I am that because of his goodness, God is eager to bend his ear to hear our cries for mercy and offer comfort. Whenever I'm in trouble (or distress,) I pray, knowing you will listen. (Psalm 86:7, CEV)

As we pour out our hearts to him in times of suffering we can trust Him to be our refuge.(Psalm 62:8).....an ever present help.

*link will be provided when it becomes available of YouTube

A PICTURE OF 14 WORTHY WORDS!

WORDS COUNT!

Every word of scripture counts!

For I will satisfy the weary soul, 

and every languishing soul I will replenish.

(Jeremiah 31:25)

These 14 words of scripture "count" for every languishing soul for whom I have prayed in the last 4 weeks.

Those words of Jeremiah say it all!

HA!.....ha....haaah

Hope you are able to make a "right' turn onto this road until I return from Mississippi to finish writing this entry. I know.....it's so me! I keep forgetting to make the "right" turn myself!

For dear friends, Aubrey and Gayle, its' just a right turn and a left turn to the right turn onto Laughter! (Though in MS the word rhymes with slaughter---but not for me!) 

Laughter is contagious. Unlike many COVID19 strains and Omicron BA.5 variants and subvariants that are floating around these days, laughter is worth "catching."

I wish joy and laughter were as easy as a drive down a road. Folks dealing with chronic pain would have this address in their GPS. More often than not....they wear "guilt" over their inability to choose joy as they live with said pain, day in and day out. Pain is no laughing matter!

Old wives tales say it takes more muscles (53) to frown than to smile (12) David H. Song, Chicago plastic surgeon, gives the numbers smile (12)  frown (11). Regardless of the core numbers it takes more effort to frown.

Most folks in ongoing physical pain are not worried about numbers of wrinkles at this chronic stage. Sufferers are grateful for every laugh line that appears!

Relief is at the top of the list. Plus, for Christians, acceptance is key.

Choose joy. We're trying.

Learn life lessons. Okay will try today & ask my prayer warriors to pray. (Psalm 30:2)

Trust God. We're still trusting. (Psalm 62:8)

Share what you are learning as a way to encourage others. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Today for my suffering friends I prayed that "joy came with your morning"....despite the pain. (Psalm 30:5) and your "mourning was turned to dancing as our Lord clothed you with gladness for your day." (Psalm 30:

CAPTIVI-TEA

A cuppa captivi-TEA is often needed to calm one's soul---or at least one's anxious thoughts.

Topsy-Turvy times call for a cuppa to soothe.....and to take captive those overwhelming thoughts of fear, and questioning thoughts of why?
Thoughts are just words in our heads. 

Proverbs 25:11-13 reminds that words fitly spoken are worthy---valuable to an obedient ear and refreshing to the soul. 

Encouraging thoughts give birth to encouraging words. Maybe the truth of that counts even when one is talking to herself. I know it counts when I'm talking to God.

Pouring over Gods word in Psalm 62, I'm reminded that when I pray I pour out my heart to God. His thoughts become my thoughts.

Tea is to be sipped but these days I seem to need to pour out a big cup and take a BIG gulp of captive-TEA, sweetened with acceptance......to soothe both my soul and my anxious thoughts. 

CHOOSE: TO PASS THE "LOVE" TEST

Most all of us know the answers to the "love' test......but it takes enact of the will to live them.

Spiritual telepathy from Katherine Abraham----the perfect LOVE card to be a title for the "test."

Deuteronomy 13:3 says that "God gives us tests." 

The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

LOVE TEST--Pray and proceed.

1. Do you know Jesus? The answer can be found in John 3:16 & 1 John 5:1.
2. How is your walk? Does it reflect your love of the LORD?The answer can be found in Galatians 5:16 & & Ephesians 5:8.
3. Do you worship Him and Him only?The answer can be found in Deuteronomy 5:7, Psalm 16:2 & Psalm 27:4.
4. Do you have fellowship with other believers? The answer can be found in Psalm 55:14, Acts 4:42, 1 John 1:7 & Hebrews 10:25.
5. Is all your joy in Him? The answer can be found in Nehemiah 8:10 & Psalm 16:11 & John 15:11.
6. Is the LORD your refuge? The answer can be found in Psalm 46:1, Psalm 62:8 & Psalm 91:2.
7. Is the LORD your hope? The answer can be found in  & Romans 15:13 .

Why 7 questions you ask. See what God's word says the number 7 represents.

I choose to pass the test and hope that's your choice as well.

CONFESSIONS

6/20/10 I know it’s Sunday, not Wednesday, but I have a confession to make. I’ve been running on empty lately. (I know I’m not suppose to be complaining.) However, fatigue and complaint seem to be going hand in hand around here. Missing my hormone probably didn’t help either---but I should be passed all of those crutches!

“Look, look, my heart is an open book” is what Dean Martin used to sing. That’s sort of the way I feel about my life when I blog. It’s open for folks to read and “know” about me and I don’t like it when I regress yet again in this area of trust. What kind of testimony is that?
I plan and plan and life (as I desire it) still falls apart---from shoes and reservation snafus to hair blotches to STRESS & too many others to mention, partly because I‘m embarrassed. Probably a big part of the problem is focusing on my desires and not God’s.

I just can’t keep it all together for everyone. I guess I really never could; I just thought I could. Today I added guilt to the mix because I felt I’ve not been living what I espouse. Aren’t you (reader) tired of me going back to square one in my spiritual growth?
Why do I have to keep working through these things when I know better? But Dotsy…..that’s my problem. Where’s my “But God”….in this? I tell you where He is. He never moves. He’s in His word.

Trust in Him at all times, O people Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. (Psalm 62:8)

Singing (prayerfully) the praise song at church today, I was grateful that God does take me as He finds me and fills my life again. Again and again! I just had to “fess up” to Him.

So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again. ("Mighty to Save" lyrics)