Valley of the shadow…

Ever had one of those days?  You know one of those days where it seems nothing is going right?  You miss or sleep through your alarm, you can’t find any clothes that match, the car runs out of gas on the way to work, you left your lunch at home, and don’t know where your wallet is…  And it just keeps going like that…  Mishap after mishap, bad thing after bad thing and it seems like it is raining on the parade…

Most of us have been there for a day, maybe even a week, but what about a month, or longer?  What would you do if it felt like every where you turned the world was caving in on top of you, and no matter what you did, it seemed like the world was against you?

On my ride to the office this morning I was listening to Peder Eide and the song ABBA I Belong to You came on.  And it just struck me, that is all we need.  There is no fear, there is no worry, there is no concern if we truly can say and believe, “ABBA I belong to you.” The first verse of the song is I Kneel Now, And Feel How I’ve Felt Here Before. This Pausing, Is Causing My Heart To Explore. Why When I’m Weary So Often You Seem Far Away, Still I Will Say – ABBA I Belong to YOU!

Even in the valley where God seems to be on the other side of the universe, we still belong to Him and He told us – He would never leave us or forsake us.  He is with us and will help us.  So say it load and clear ABBA I belong to you, daddy I belong to you.  And He waits for you to sit on His knee and to let Him take all your cares away…

Fill my cup…

I received this image this morning in an email and loved it!

Think of it as coffee or tea with Jesus. What a great idea!

May the LORD Fill Your Cup……

May your cup be filled so you can share with others. So many times we have to give and give and it seems like we are not getting refilled, those are the moments we must completely give it all over to God and allow Him to fill us up. If we will only allow ourselves to “Let go and Let God” have control, then we will always have a filled cup, so that we can let it over flow into other’s lives…

May God fill you cup and bless you this day and ever more!

Changing the World We Love to Hate | revelife

Changing the World We Love to Hate | revelife.

This is an interesting blog on why we Christians want to change the world…

Do you want to change the world because it is bad/evil?  Do you want to change the world because it could be so much better?

Are you ready to change the world, but not ready to change “your church”?

A modern day Parable

THE MAN AND THE BOULDER

Once upon a tizzle, there was a man living in a cabin in the woods who, one night, woke up to see a bright light shining in the cabin.

“Tinkerbell?” queried the sleepy-eyed cabin man.  “No, dork.  It’s God.” said the light.  “There is something I want you to do.  Get up.”

The man inquired what it was, and God responded, “There is a big boulder in front of your cabin. I want you to go out there every day and push, and push, and push against that boulder.”

“Are you serious?” the man asked.  “That sounds like a terrible idea.  And besides, there wasn’t any boulder out there yesterday.  Why did you put that there?  Am I being punked?  Ashton!”

But the man took God’s instructions seriously. Day after day for many, many weeks he pushed against that boulder. But he couldn’t budge it an inch. After awhile an idea came into his head, which he understood to be the voice of the devil. “Look, you don’t have to bother with this. You have done your best. You won’t succeed at this. Accept that you have failed. It is useless. Then just take it easy and do the least amount of work you can.”

Before the man would take that advice, however, he decided to pray. He prayed and prayed and prayed. “God, I have done what You asked me. I have been very faithful. Every day for hours I have been pushing against that rock, but I have not budged it an inch. I have failed.  Thank you for taking my self esteem down a notch.  I needed that.”

Then God, with great compassion, answered. “Son, you are not a failure. I asked you to push against that rock, and you were obedient. I never asked you to move it. I asked you to push against it.

“Because you have pushed faithfully and diligently against that rock every day, notice how strong your arms have become.  It’s like ‘Whoa, welcome to the GUN show!’  Your back is brown and sinewy, your legs are massive; you are in such better shape now than you were. You have learned a lot because you have been faithful and obedient.”

Then God said to the man, “You have trusted me. Now I will move the rock.”

That is the way God does things.

So, when life is getting you down, PUSH. When you’re having trouble on your job and things are not working out, well,…QUIT.  But then start PUSHING in your OWN business. When the bills are high and the money is low, PUSH. When people aren’t responding to you in ways you hope and want, PUSH. When people don’t understand you, PUSH.

There is more happening than you realize.

Make it a great new year.  And may all your boulders be moved in light of your previous efforts and God’s grace combined.

Punishment for Parents, by their Second Graders | Todd Agnew

Punishment for Parents, by their Second Graders | Todd Agnew.

Very insightful, I know I am at fault  for spending too much time on the little box that is suppose to make us more accessible, but usually takes us away from where we are.

I have tried to make a conscious effort to not look at it while at dinner or in meetings, or with people…

Can we give up our cell phones, and go back to a simpler time? is that really even possible?