Under the Snow

 

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Snow, snow every where snow!  Some where buried under the snow out there is my deck.  The snow is beautiful but preventing me from going out.  My roads aren’t plowed nor my driveway.  Fortunately Karsten and Collin made it back to their schools before the storms hit.  Buried inside my house here I have been cleaning.  It’s nice to have everyone home but I like it when they are gone.  I can clean and it stays clean!  I’ve done the bedding, organized, including the game closet.

closet cleaning

Behind the closet door it used to be a mess.  You’d never know unless you opened the door.  I did a good job hiding it.  We do that with our hearts.  I remember a few years ago I was going through a time of extreme stress which lead me to cry at the drop of a hat.  Neal asked me to go see the doctor to get some help.  I was sitting inside the exam room and outside the door I heard someone say, “She always looks so together.” Yah, no I wasn’t all together.  I was falling apart on the inside.

I was reading about the story of Job in the Bible.  He lost his livestock, his wealth and his family.  Job cursed the day he was born, begged for death, abandoned all hope and concluded God’s hand was against him.  He assumed incorrectly that God’s hand was against him.  BUT, he never turned his back on God or cursed him.  When we are suffering, we question God.  It seems unfair.  How could God allow bad things to happen to good people?  Let’s not forget, what was fair about sinless Jesus hanging in the cross?  That was undeserved suffering.

In the midst of Job’s suffering he had peace. (Job 19:25-27) When Job lost his prosperity, he was able to draw from his previous experiences of God’s faithfulness.  That’s what preserved his conviction stated in Job 19:25,  Ï know that my Redeemer lives!”  In the midst of Job’s circumstances, God’s peace is what kept him from destruction.

If we want God’s peace, we can’t just expect it to show up in the moment of crisis out of the blue.  God’s peace must be a regular companion.  Job 1:1-3 tells us that Job was a man who lived in Uz.  He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion.

We are blessed when we get our inside world- our mind and hearts- put right.  Then we can see the outside world. (Matthew 5:8)   Get our inside put right by keeping a grip on the promises of God’s Word.  They are true and never fail.  The snow will come and go but the Word of God will always remain.

Is your inside world- your mind and heart- put right?

On the journey,

Trish

snow

Post ID 511

Happy New Year 2014

A new year.  When I say “2014” its seems that 2012 was so long ago.  I can’t say anymore, “Neal died last year.” It’s almost been 1 1/2 years.  It’s hard to believe it’s been that long.  Every day still seems to bring changes.  That’s my new “normal.”  Change is good.  Some of my changes involve decisions.  How to spend my time.  What to read.  How to spend money.  How to help my kids.  God has given me this opportunity in life to use my time and energy differently than when Neal was alive.  I want to use it wisely.  “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…Therefore do not be be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17

To  make wise decisions I need to allow Jesus to have influence on my decisions.  I shouldn’t focus on what I can’t do since Neal’s death or what I should do, but, ask “what is the wise thing to do?    “7-9 The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear  and point out the right road.  The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.  The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes.  God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee.   The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree.”Psalm 19:7 The Message

I want what God wants for me, showing the way to joy.  God’s reputation comes with a lifetime guarantee.  How awesome is that!

On the journey,

Trish