NEW BEGINNINGS

New Beginnings……

When you first hear those words, what kind of thoughts or feelings does that illicit from you?
–Feelings of happiness?
–Feelings of dread?
I think it might depend on 
–If you are instigating the new beginning
–Or if someone or some event is responsible for the new beginning
Your response might also be related to
–If you think it is a good, new beginning
–If you think it will be a difficult, new beginning
–If it might first appear like a “bad” beginning
What new beginnings have you experienced recently or stand out in your mind?
–Maybe starting a new school
–Maybe starting a new career
–Maybe starting a new church
–Maybe moving to a new state
–Maybe starting a new ministry
–Maybe starting a new life without a loved one
–Maybe starting a new team sport
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Photo credit by BK under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)
What would make your experience of any of these new beginnings a good experience?
–Maybe be welcomed with open arms
–Maybe having at least one person you already know
–Maybe having confidence knowing you will do a great job
–Maybe knowing the Lord opened the doors for you
–Maybe knowing there were others supporting you in prayer
–Maybe knowing you are never alone; the Lord is always there with you
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When Jesus died on Good Friday, did you ever stop to think how Mary, Jesus’ disciples and friends must have felt? They lost their son, teacher, friend; they watched him being tortured and hung on a tree, left to die.
Can you relate to the sense of “abandonment” they must have felt – as they were left behind? They probably  thought their lives could never go on. The feeling of helplessness they must have felt.
Mary, Jesus’ disciples and friends had to face a new beginning in their lives…Life without Jesus in their midst.
But as time passed, I think they realized that terrible event, Jesus dying on the cross, had to happen and had a much larger purpose. All who give their lives to Christ can enjoy eternal life!
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With recently celebrating the Easter Triduum, it  made me think about Jesus’ last days on this earth. Holy Thursday was a new beginning in Jesus’ life. The beginning of His most difficult last few days on earth.
Jesus was going to leave this earthly life He had known for 33 years, the people He knew intimately and loved, and endure much suffering and pain. How did Jesus prepare for this new beginning that He knew had to happen since it was God’s will for Him?
–Jesus went alone to pray to God the Father
–He accepted what was to come
–He endured it all to set us free from our sin and bondage
–He bravely walked the hills to Calvary
–He endured great suffering being mocked and even spat on
–When Jesus knew the final moment came, He said “It is finished!”

When we are faced with new beginnings in our lives, may we stop to think about Jesus’ example to help endure whatever our new beginning is.

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Photo credit by Sapphire Dream Photography under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
What can we learn from new beginnings?
That it is good to grow and stretch ourselves
That the Lord is always there to guide us
That change can be a good thing despite it being hard sometimes
New beginnings are not unique to people only!
With spring quickly approaching, flowers are starting to bloom, the grass is getting greener and the birds are returning from the south.  All of creation experiences new beginnings!
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  –Isaiah 43:18-19  (NIV)

GOALS

These thoughts this week are actually a kind of continuation from a post I did about a year ago entitled, “When Your Best Isn’t Good Enough.”
A quick synopsis of that post is:
–My youngest son loves baseball
–Very disappointed to not make the modified school baseball team in 7th or 8th grade
–Night of notification of not making 8th grade team made a list of goals
Pondering the events of this past year regarding my son and his baseball adventures made me see how God’s hand has been working in his life through the year. When his best wasn’t good enough to make the modified, school baseball team last year, he turned it around into something positive by working on some goals.

In my sharing the events of this past year with you, it is my hope and prayer that you will be able to relate to some issue in your life where your best wasn’t good enough, yet you saw God working in your life through that adversity.

It was such a blessing to see how his travel team coaches were so understanding and supportive of my son when they learned he did not make the school team. The main coach would let him come down to the indoor complex anytime he wanted to practice and play baseball with his son that was always down there.
That actually led to my son being able to help out and coach a few of the younger teams to help share his love and knowledge of the sport with younger boys. This is helping him build some leadership qualities and to be a role model for others.
It was also at this time that the two travel team coaches thought it would be a great opportunity for my son to start playing the catcher position for the team. My son had been a catcher just a few times in Little League but not really for the older leagues. Not making the school team allowed him time to practice in this new position.
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Another blessing was that the coaches had extra equipment that my son could use…they just gave it to him to save us that expense. They said being a catcher is actually one of the most important positions because you have to be aware of everything going on and knowing what to do when is so crucial as a catcher.  They felt confident my son would handle the pressure well.
My son picked up the position rather quickly and became 2nd string catcher. His confidence has definitely grown over this past year in that position with the extra practice time he gets as well.
Seeing the growth in confidence in my son through the opportunities afforded him by not making the school team last year was very rewarding as a parent. Sometimes I think we need those things in order to grow more. It might not be our plan, but ultimately the Lord knows and wants what is best for us. It reminds me of my favorite Bible verse, Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”  (NIV)
When the indoor baseball started up again in October this year, it was great to see my son be confident enough to kind of “lead” the team, especially since there were many new players on the team with only four returning members. The voice yelling the number of outs, where the play should be, etc. will be my son.
With the travel team this year being extended to younger age groups, my son has gotten to be “friends” with a few other coaches. What a blessing it has been to see the support and encouragement two particular coaches have been for my son. I am so in awe of these “mentors” that God has placed in my son’s life.
It made me think about what a gift we can be to others as mentors in others lives…whether spiritual or for a sport or art.

Can you be a blessing to someone or have you thought of and thanked some special mentors in your life?

This is the picture of the goals that my son came up with a year ago:
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—As with most people, he was working very hard on the exercise routine in the beginning but as time went by, that kind of fell off.  But, he  continues to lift hand weights sporadically to try to gain more strength.
—Though my son didn’t make his weight goal this year, he is definitely in better shape than he was a year ago. He has thinned out which has enabled him to be faster in his running and moving about the field.
—I would say his goal of being primary third baseman was pretty much met.  He is versatile in just about any position so he had opportunities to play in every position.
—During the travel team baseball season last year, my son started out well with his hitting goal but that kind of fell off.  At some points, he was actually the lowest rank in hitting.  But, he continued to keep fighting through and with the support of the coaches, things eventually improved little by little.
A week ago my son had JV school baseball tryouts for four days. They do a lot of running and the one day he related the story that he was probably in the bottom four of a pack and at the end he sprinted out ahead of that group. He thought the coach saw that, hoping that would be a good thing for him to see his determination and putting forth the extra effort.
My son also wasn’t going to try out for the pitcher position because he feels he’s not as good as the other people, but I’m happy that he changed his mind at the last minute. When he asked if he should, I encouraged him saying that maybe if he did, it would show that he was more versatile.
Last week, my son was quite surprised, pleasantly surprised and so excited, to learn that he actually MADE the JV school baseball team as a freshman!! He was in shock, but oh, so happy.  He actually seemed to beat the odds of political school issues as well!

What a huge blessing to see that my son’s ultimate goal from his goal list from last year….

 MAKE THE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TEAM!

is met!

In fact, we still have that white board, which I see included a few extra goals during the year.
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After finding out he made the school team, he headed to the indoor complex for practice with the travel team there. The first person he ran into was one of the two mentor coaches. Right away, he gave my son a huge hug through the netting separating the field and walk area. The two guys were just so happy for him and gave him some peps talks to help boost his confidence. It sure made this mama’s heart happy to see that encouragement from the coaches and thinking about what a blessing we can be in other’s lives.
My son admitted to the one mentor that he does honestly feel he has the “weakest” arm on the team. The mentor is willing to help him, on the off season, to come up with a weight training program where he will be able to work on that. He said by next year, he will be just as strong as the others on the team.

When you experience times when your best isn’t good enough, look to see if there are some goals you can work on to maybe make your best good enough next time.

And, remember it is good to be working toward some goal or goals though we might not always meet or exceed them.

Working to improve ourselves is a good thing…..little by little we can be different, be better, and shine more for the Lord.

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  –Philippians 4:13-14  (NIV)

SHINE YOUR LIGHT

Have you ever been in a situation where YOU were heavily burdened, in a room full of people and yet you felt so totally alone?

The people were busy chattering and nobody seemed to notice you?

Did you need someone to be Christ in the flesh to you?

Lonely, hurting, burdened people are all around us.

What will YOU do about it?

How can YOU be Christ for someone who is hurting?

Christ told us that WE are the light of the world.

We are to shine brightly, so that all people will see our light.

We cannot afford to hide our light–it is so needed in this world.

One way to let our light shine is by being there for one another during the rough times, and being truly concerned about them.

We should be attentive enough to see when someone is heavily burdened, and then care enough to listen to them with our heart, not just our ears.

Then, we may begin to understand the situation they’re facing, and what perspective the person has. It is then that God can use us to help them through their problem.

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Photo credit by listentothemountains under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Is there someone you know who…

 

…needs some prayer to help them through a rough patch? Maybe they just don’t have enough faith on their own.

…could use a few dollars to buy some food?

…could use a ride to church or to the store?

…needs some handiwork done around their house?

…just needs to talk over coffee or lunch?

What are ways you can shine your light and be Christ to those in need?

 

…Can you pray for them?

…Can you encourage them through a kind word or note?

…Can you share some of your treasure with them?

…Can you share some of your time with them?

…Can you share some of your talent with them?

The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”  –Matthew 26:40  (NIV)

When the time comes and we meet the Lord face to face, I can’t help but wonder if some questions He might ask are…

 

…Did your light shine enough to care about others?

…Were you there for them?
…How much of the Christ that is in you did you share?

…Did you sacrifice your comfort to be Christ for others?

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You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. –Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

PONDER THESE THINGS

A phrase from the Bible that has sparked a chord in my heart (no pun intended!) recently is that
“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered all these things in her heart.”  Luke 2:19 (NIV)
and
“His mother treasured all these things in her heart.”  Luke 2:51  (NIV)
The background to the first line is shortly after Jesus’ birth when an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the fields nearby bringing them the good news of great joy for all people announcing the birth of Christ.  Once the shepherds saw Jesus lying in the manger, they spread the words that the angel told them.  How amazing is it to think that Mary, the mother of baby Jesus, took time and pondered all these things in her heart?
The passage from Luke 2:51 is when Jesus was about 12 years old and Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover.  When Mary and Joseph were heading home, after a day into the trip, they suddenly realized Jesus was missing. They headed back and THREE days later they found Jesus teaching in the temple.  Jesus told Mary, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”  Luke 2:49  (NIV)  And, again, Mary treasured all these things in her heart.
I think we can relate with Mary on many levels.
…Her willingness to do what God asked of her–to be the Mother of Jesus…not telling God she would not do it.
…Pondering in her heart what Jesus’ life would be like…not announcing to everyone that He was the Holy One.
…Treasuring the thoughts of what Jesus would do for His Father…not getting angry at Jesus for not being with them.
…Knowing that Jesus was really here to do God’s will she had to release Jesus back to God.  Imagine watching your Son suffer an excruciating, painful death being hung on the cross…
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Have you ever thought about the hardship Mary endured as the Mother of Jesus experiencing these things? Yet, she left us a wonderful example.  If she, being the Mother of Jesus, pondered and treasured all these events in her life, how much more should we ponder and treasure the words and parables Jesus shared with us?
Do you ever “ponder” things in your heart or “treasure things in your heart?”  I think that is probably a natural thing to do especially if you are a parent.  Different milestones in your child’s life might be something you ponder or treasure.
How about even Scripture passages or prayers for people? Do you “ponder” or “treasure in your heart” those things? How about the many “God incidents” you experience in your life? Do you share them with others to strengthen their faith too?

Here is a link to a song, Mary Did you Know, that I think is truly beautiful and makes one ponder what Mary was thinking. Listen and be blessed.

Mary lived a gentle, humble life pondering and treasuring even the little things…..Let us strive to be more like Mary in our lives.
2 Timothy 2:7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

THERE IS HOPE

Shattered dreams,
   broken hearts,
       lonely people passing us by every day.
People without hope,
   searching for happiness–
       a lost and dying world.
 

What can we offer these people?

This world we live in seems to offer happiness to them in the form of

riches,
  fame,
    sex,
      drugs,
        alcohol.
But, this happiness does not bring them anything to hope in,
    for these “worldly” pleasures last but a few fleeting moments.
They don’t offer anything lasting and real,
    and there is nothing to cling to.

In this world, the only true hope is found in and through Jesus Christ.

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 Photo credit by Lex McKee under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)
With Christ as the center of our lives, we can possess a lasting happiness that will carry us through this life.
Christ gives a peace that surpasses all understanding despite all the trials we may be facing.
He is our best friend and will never, ever leave us even though others may desert us.

Our greatest hope is in the day we will meet Jesus face to face, and then spend eternity with Him.

This (Christ) is the lasting hope we can offer people as we live it and walk it each day. As Paul states in his First Letter to the Corinthians, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1 Cori 15:19)

Christ is the hope we need to offer others–it will change their lives forever!

I think the song, Cry Out to Jesus, by my favorite Christian band, Third Day, is such an inspiring, encouraging song that talks about the hope that Jesus provides.  Take a listen and be blessed!  Let the words penetrate your heart and soul.

Remember…
There is HOPE for the helpless…..
    REST for the weary.
        And LOVE for the brokenhearted.
                                –Excerpt from Cry Out to Jesus by Third Day
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  –Jeremiah 29:11

GOD’S CALL FOR YOU

God calls each of us to do different things for Him in this life.
We are each called to be different and do special things with our unique, spiritual gifts that He has equipped us with.

God gives us examples of many people in the Bible who were called…

….Mary was called to be the Mother of Jesus….the “tabernacle” for God’s only Son.
….John the Baptist was called to prepare the way for Jesus; to preach repentance and a baptism with water.
…Abraham was called to be the Father of all nations.
…Samuel was called as a youth to proclaim God’s word.
…Moses was called to bring God’s people out of Egypt.
…Esther was called to save God’s people, the Jewish from annihilation.
…Jeremiah was called by God when he was a youth, and even before he was born, to be a great prophet for Him.
…Isaiah was called by God as a prophet to speak to a corrupt generation.
…The twelve apostles were called by God to heal the sick and be fishers of men.
…Paul was called by God to preach to the Gentiles.
…Peter was called by God to eventually be the beginning “Church.”
…Jesus was called by God to bring salvation to all who believe in Him.

In many of these callings by God the people did not feel worthy to do what God called them to.

…Mary asked God, “But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”  –Luke 1:43  (NIV)
…Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”  –Exodus 3:11 (NIV)
…John the Baptist said, “…But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.”  –Matthew 3:11  (NIV)
…Isaiah said, “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”  –Isaiah 6:5  (NIV)
…Peter said, “…Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”  –Luke 5:8  (NIV)
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As I was reflecting on these things while writing this, and with some inspiration from a pastor I was sharing with, it occurred to me that being called by God does really involve two major things.

1-Loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul.

Jesus replied:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”   –Matthew 22:37-39  (NIV)

2-Going and making disciples of all people.

After Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to the disciples, He instructed them, “…Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  –Matthew 28:19-20  (NIV)
I believe all the people mentioned in the examples above that were called by God, did indeed love the Lord and their calling was to help make disciples of all people.

Wow….we have been called by God to do those exact things with our lives!!  What a great commission God has called us to as well!

As we live day by day, in what ways is God calling you?
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When I was a teen, I remember being in church one day and feeling such a closeness to God knowing that He truly did have some plan for my life…that I would do something special for Him.
Sure, I do think living daily for Him and even doing the “little” things for others like sending cards to the sick, helping the poor and broken, praying for others, and words of encouragement is a call from God.
But, sometimes maybe we need to stretch ourselves and look to see if there are even bigger things we are called by God to do.  We might have to put aside our feelings of unworthiness and stop making excuses for NOT doing what God calls us to do.
In my own life, I think God is currently stretching me, despite my feelings of unworthiness, in two different ministries that I feel He is calling me to do for Him. It is a great, rewarding feeling to finally get to that point in my life.  I am so grateful for the people God has placed in my path to help get me started upon this journey.
When we are doing what God has called us to do in our lives, we will experience the peace and joy that He provides. We will know in our heart that it is what He is calling us to, and He will clear the way for us.

It reminds me of a saying I’ve seen….“God doesn’t call the qualified….He qualifies the called!”

This other saying I just saw seems to be fitting too…“Stay where you are until God calls you into something new. God calls us into things, not just out of them.”

I pray that you may find God’s call for you in your life and that you experience the many rewards that He blesses us with.
It would be a blessing to hear some of the ways God is or has called you in your life. Please comment below so others may be blessed too.
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You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  –John 15:16  (NIV)

PRECIOUS ANGEL

This reflection is dedicated to all the parents who have lost a baby or child, no matter what age. These words come from Jesus’ heart. May you be comforted by Him and others who care. I think the thoughts are also fitting for anyone who has lost someone special.
Every life is so precious to me
  No matter how small the child
Even the tiniest baby within its mother be
  is a treasure and special “angel” in my plan.
I know every tear you’ve shed
  Every dream you’ve dreamed
I hear every prayer that is said
  And I know how much your heart aches.
Though many sacrifices and pain
  You have endured
Know that they were not in vain
  They are steps that were part of my plan.
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Photo credit by Scripture As Art under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
I know the burden is hard to bear
  And the pain is great
But know that I care
  And I bring you comfort.
Some day soon you will see
  Your “angel” in my heavenly kingdom
But in the mean time be
  Assured that your “angel” is safe in my arms.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  –Matthew 5:4  (NIV)

SECOND CHANCES

As I was watching this final season of American Idol, the theme of SECOND CHANCES resonated with me.
I thought about how bittersweet this final season is for many of the contestants. It is their one last shot of trying to make it to fame and notoriety.
From what I’ve seen so far, I think this final season has definitely inspired many younger people, as in the 15 to  17 age group, to audition for the show. It makes sense that they figure they might as well try out since it is their last chance with this type of venue. This is a great opportunity for them to give it their all and see what happens.
The show has highlighted some people who have come back this year, who for them, is providing them with a second chance at making it to Hollywood.  Some have even previously made it all the way to Hollywood when their dream came to an end. They want to see if they can get even further this year.
And with this being the final season of American Idol, many are saddened by the fact that they will never have an opportunity for a second chance like others have in years past.

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All these thoughts of SECOND CHANCES made me think of our relationship with the Lord.
 
I think it is a good thing to reflect on how God gives us SECOND CHANCES in our lives.
Think about the most important time in your life when God provided a second chance for you.
That point in your life when you were ready to accept Him into your life and heart.
At that moment, He forgave you from all your sin! That is the ultimate reason why Jesus came to this earth….to give us a second chance to live with Him forever in Heaven.
It would be nice if once we accepted Jesus, we did not sin anymore, but Jesus is the only person who walked this earth that did NOT sin. That is because He is also God.
But you know that He appeared so that He might take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. –1 John 3:5  (NIV)
As much as I think we humans strive to be “perfect” and not sin, that is not possible on this earth. It seems like because of this, everyday we are given second chances.
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Maybe SECOND CHANCES can be viewed in two ways…
….One being more where we have wronged someone in some way
….One being opportunities where God’s intervening is evident
What SECOND CHANCES has God given you today where you have wronged someone?
…the time you caught yourself gossiping about a co-worker?
…the time you caught yourself cursing at the driver who cut you off?
…the time you lost your temper with your child or spouse?
…the time you were speeding because you were running late?
…the time you ignored the homeless person on the street because you were in a hurry?
These are times when our second chances are opportunities to ask the Lord and maybe another person for forgiveness.
We can start each day anew with a renewed love of the Lord and others. In doing this, we can once again experience the fullness of the blessings of the Lord .
What SECOND CHANCES has God given where you have seen Him intervene in your life?
…A chance to renew a strained family relationship?
…A healing with a health issue?
…A freedom from an addiction?
…A pursuing of a new career path for your life where God is calling you?
…A protection from a disaster that you saw coming?

These second chances are pure blessings from the Lord to help increase our faith and show the Creator’s mighty power.

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May we strive to live as Jesus loving and serving all we meet and giving it our all, just like the contestants on American Idol.
May we always be thankful to the Lord for ALL the second chances He provides for us,  just like the contestants on American Idol who are so thankful for their second chances.
May we always strive to live in peace and honor the Lord in all that we do.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. –John 3:16 (NIV)

GOD’S PERFECT TIMING

Have you ever noticed and experienced how God’s timing is always perfect?
It strengthens my faith to see God work things out in His perfect time which might NOT be our time.
It seems even more amazing to me because I’ve heard recently and thought about how…
God is not bound by time.
God is outside of time.
God created time.
Despite these things, God is still in charge and God’s perfect timing rules in our lives.
This past week, at least three times this theme of God’s perfect timing revealed itself in my life.  They are “small” things, but I love being able to see God at work, which makes my heart happy and strengthens my faith.
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For those that may have noticed, my goal is to post a writing either late Wednesday or Thursday depending on my schedule. Last week, I ended up working an extra day and I was waiting feedback on my rough draft. God is slowly teaching me to be patient and not be so concerned with WHEN I post.  If it isn’t until late Thursday night, it is still okay.
That is exactly what happened last week. It ended up being Thursday evening before I posted.  It seemed like it was within a half hour of when I posted, I got a Facebook message from a Third Day Gomer friend who said she just read my post and that it was just what she needed at that moment!

I thought….

Wow…Isn’t God awesome?! God’s perfect timing!


Posting when I did was all part of His perfect timing!  This gal needed that encouragement right at that moment.

The friend and I conversed a few times, and she shared about some things she was struggling with. I told her I would be praying for her.
She sure blessed me with sharing how she was encouraged through that writing and other ones, and I believe that her knowing I am praying for her is helping her through things too.
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God’s perfect timing once again occurred on Sunday at church.
There were two Bible passages from my blog post last week that were read in church. That seems to happen a lot, and I think….Wow….Out of ALL the Bible verses, the one I just chose is one that is mentioned?

Wow…Isn’t God awesome?! God’s perfect timing!

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perfect timing
Photo credit by Sara Gillins under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)  Words added by hopetoinspireyou.wordpress.com

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A few weeks before Christmas, I was at a local store. The cashier and I got talking and I learned that the Dr. wanted her one child to have a feeding tube. She really felt they shouldn’t do it, and I shocked myself by saying I agreed with her. In talking with her, I really felt her mother’s intuition was the right thing. We actually talked longer than my order and when I left I told her I would be praying for her.
Just yesterday I was at the same store. With God’s perfect timing, I was so happy to realize that I was in that same ladies line that I talked to before Christmas.  I asked her about her son, and I got an update for which I was thankful. So far they have not done the feeding tube.  She thanked me for asking about her son, and I said I was going to continue to pray.

Wow…Isn’t God awesome?!  God’s perfect timing!

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A few weeks ago the same gal I referenced in my first sharing above tweeted me a message out of the blue, saying she was thinking of me.
It was actually at a time I was feeling stressed about things that were going on. It brightened my day and made me see God’s love through her.

Wow…Isn’t God awesome?! God’s perfect timing!

 

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What examples can you think of in your own life where you have experienced God’s perfect timing?
So, though God is not bound by time and God even exists outside of time, God’s perfect timing reigns in our lives!

Let us try to not be so concerned with OUR timing, but God’s perfect timing.

We need to continue to be faithful, serving others in prayer and deed.

God is above all, knows all, and is in charge of all!  We need to trust Him!

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”  –Revelation 1:8  (NIV)

YOU ARE NEVER ALL ALONE

Have there been times in your life, like in mine, where you have felt like you were all ALONE in this big world? Think of all the people you know and are in this world, yet you still felt totally ALONE?
…Maybe no one seemed to understand you, so you felt all ALONE
…Maybe you experienced a difficult time in your life, so you felt all ALONE
…Maybe you just lost a dear friend to cancer and the grief was overwhelming, so you felt all ALONE
…Maybe you just lost your job and didn’t have money to pay your bills, so you felt all ALONE
…Maybe you were physically abandoned from others for some reason, so you felt all ALONE
…Maybe you were suffering through a health issue where you just felt so awful that you could not even function, causing you to feel all ALONE.

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Isn’t it interesting to reflect on that fact that since Jesus was both God and HUMAN, in Jesus’ humanness He experienced the feeling of being all ALONE in this world too? That was when He was hanging on the cross bearing the sins of the whole world.
“About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  –Matthew 27:46  (NIV)
 
Though the humanness part of Jesus felt all ALONE, Jesus knew He came to do the will of God, the Father. His whole life purpose was fulfilled in this self-less act of love. God was still with Him through His suffering.
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Photo credit by listentothemountains under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
The key, when we start to feel all ALONE, is to remember that though we may FEEL we are all alone, we are NEVER truly all ALONE in this world.  
In spite of all of our pain, sorrow, misunderstandings and the actual feeling that we are all ALONE, God’s presence is always with us. He never, ever leaves us nor forsakes us. Once we accept Him into our lives He is forever with us.
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  –Deuteronomy 31:8  (NIV)

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When we’re feeling all ALONE, we can reach out to feel God’s presence through…..

…Reading His Word
…Listening to some inspiring Christian music
…Praying.

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I find that sometimes it helps to experience God’s presence through another human.  WE are called to be God in the flesh….called to be there for others in their time of need.

Yes, we are ALL a part of Christ’s body.

 “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”  –1 Corinthians 12:27  (NIV)

We are called to be there for others and to bring Christ to others.

“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” –1 Corinthians 12:26  (NIV)

Sometimes God’s presence, revealed through another human, reminds us we are never all ALONE. God’s presence can be felt through….
….The touch of a friend
…An encouraging word
…Knowing someone is lifting you in prayer.
Sometimes, we just don’t have the capacity to do it on our own; we need someone to lift us in prayer to the Lord.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  –Galatians 6:2  (NIV)

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Can you think of times when God revealed His presence to you to let you know you weren’t all ALONE…either through an encounter directly with Him or through another human?

What times can you recall where maybe YOU were instrumental in letting someone else know they weren’t all ALONE?

Feel free to share answers to these questions in the comment section below. It will be a blessing to see ways that God revealed you are never all ALONE in this world. It just might encourage another to reach out to others so they know they are never all ALONE in this world!
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So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  –Isaiah 41:10  (NIV)