First in Everything

"That in everything He might have first place." (Colossians 1:18)

I'm going to begin with a radical statement: You will never experience the fullness of joy that you were created to know until Jesus Christ has first place in every area of your life.


Now hang onto that for a minute. First place.

* First in your home.
* First in your choices for entertainment.
* First in the way you use your money.
* First in your career.
* First in your thoughts.
* First in your decisions.
* First in your marriage.
* First in your singleness.
* First in your relationships.
* First in your dreams for the future.

Say it now: "I will never experience the fullness of joy that I was created to know until I put Jesus Christ first in every area of my life."

I think a lot of people would intellectually subscribe to that statement, but I wonder how many of us would truly embrace it in a way that affects our behavior? Doing so doesn't come easily.

Colossians 1:16 says, "All things were created through Him and for Him." Through Christ and for Christ. Some people have a hard time with that. They're like, "I can handle the fact that He created the universe, but I have a hard time with Him creating the universe for Himself. Who does He think He is? His glory? His pleasure? His purpose? Is that ever prideful! How self-centered can you get?!" Listen. The amazing thing is not that Jesus Christ created us for Himself. The amazing thing is that He cares at all. The amazing thing is that He has chosen in His incredible grace to love us, to dwell with us, to forgive us? The list goes on.

Think about your life. Think about His persistent love. Think about how faithfully He pursues you in spite of yourself. The next time you sin, reject or ignore Him, how amazing is it that He just doesn't walk away and say, "Forget you!" We are here to bring Him glory and to make Him known. He is our purpose and we find our greatest joy when He is at the center of our lives.

We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

The Measure Of The Family

"Says the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people." (Jeremiah 31:1)

WE ARE FAMILY...

When someone rises to a high position in world leadership and influence, the first information the world wants to know is,"What is the family history?"

Upon reading just a few of the volumes of biographies of well~known people, we will quickly sense that indeed the family ~ the home and the individuals in it ~ or the lack of family ~ greatly influences the actions and life~changing decisions of adults and young people. It makes them who they are, and, in turn, the family molds and shapes future generations.

Name the person or persons who have shaped our world in art or music, politics or science. Look beyond those persons to the families and homes that molded them.

We cannot fully measure the effect of the family, any family. Like the wake of a ship that leaves an unending ripple in an enormous sea, a family influence can extent far beyond our sight or knowledge.

How can you and I measure the influence upon us of the families that lived before our time? Our ancestors? Or even those who are not in direct line, but whose lives affected those who were?

Something to think about...God Bless You and Your Family!

Give Time To Quietness

"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)

The fight that we have been called to is not an easy fight. we are touching the very center of the enemy's power and kingdom, and he hates us intensely and fights hard against us. Without being disciplined soldiers, utterly out~and~out and uncompromising, men and women of prayer...we have no chance of winning in this fight. These battles belong to the Lord, He wants to fight them for us and through us.

To do so we first and most important, must give MUCH time to quietness. We have to get our help directly from our God. We are here to help, not to be helped, and we must learn to walk with God alone and feed on His Word so as to be nourished.

Don't only read and pray, LISTEN. "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

Don't evade the slightest whisper of guidance that comes. May God make you very sensitive, and very obedient.

Fill up the crevices of time with the things that matter most. This will cost something, but it is worth it! "Seek ye My face, My heart said unto thee, Thy face Lord, will I seek." Psalm 27:8)

All this will be, if you walk with Him as with a visible Companion, from dawn through all the hours until you go to sleep at night. And your nights will be holy, too, for He is watching over your sleep as your mother watched over it when you were a tiny child.

"He will give His angels charge over you." (Psalm 91:11)

Restoration

Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock. (Jer. 31:10)



Restoration is the reason Jesus came to earth. He came not only to redeem us from the fall ~ as essential and wonderful as that was. Redemption was just the first step in God’s ultimate plan for us. Redemption was not the end but only a recovery program, incorporated to return us to God’s large purposes, which He planned from the beginning. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us. (Luke 1:69) Salvation is an all-inclusive term. It means “to deliver, protect, heal, preserve, make whole.” In other words, “restore.”

God wants to make us whole, that is why Jesus suffered and died! Jesus, the Creator of the universe, died to restore that which He created, and He bore more than just our sins. He suffered death that we might experience peace, healing, and a sense of purpose or destiny, all of which are necessary for wholeness. Restoration is at the heart of the gospel because it expresses the very heart of the Father.

I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (Phil. 4:11)

Paul, denied of every comfort, wrote those words in his dungeon. A story is told of a king who went into his garden one morning and found everything withered and dying. He asked the oak that stood near the gate what the trouble was. He found it was sick of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine.

The pine was all out of heart because it could not bear grapes like the vine. The vine was going to throw it’s life away because it could not stand erect and have as fine fruit as the peach tree, and so on all through the garden.

Coming to a heart’s~ease, he found it’s bright face lifted as cheery, as ever. Well, heart’s~ease, I’m glad amidst all this discouragement, to find one brave little flower. You do not seem to be the least disheartened. No, I am not of much account, but I thought that if you wanted an oak, or a pine, or a peach tree, or a lilac, you would of planted one; but as I knew you wanted a heart’s~ease, I am determined to be the best little heart’s~ease that I can.

They who are God’s without reserve, are in every state content; for they will only want His wills, and desire to do for Him whatever He desires them to do; they strip themselves of everything, and in this nakedness find all things restored an hundredfold.

Here am I Lord, restore me I pray.

A Mother's Heart

What can I give you my child, my baby, so small and fragile? Only your love and care, mother, for a mother’s love conquers all.

What can I do for you now my child, now that you are in school? Make sure I learn my lessons, mother, for I’d rather be nobody’s fool!

What can I give as a gift, my child, now that you are to be married? Give me support and advice, mother, but allow me to live my own life.

How can I help you the most, my child, now that your a parent? Share love, laughter and wisdom, mother, tell them what it means to be free.

What can I give you of mine my child, now that I’m old, to show you I care? Only a kiss, with your blessing, mother, and the memories of good times we shared.

I wish I had given you more, my child, but our time here on earth is too short. You taught me all of life is a gift, mother, and the things we prize most are not bought.

Her greatest achievement in life… her five children, loving and raising us like she did. A mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom.

It’s been five years since my mother passed on. I still want to buy a card for her,write a special note, sign it, seal it, and send it, but, heaven doesn’t have a post office.

Being a mother and grandmother, I still miss my mom very much. I miss our talks. I learned so much from her as I listened and watched her. I miss the stories she shared about her growing up years, riding horses, swimming, cooking with her mother. Oh how I miss her cooking, and boy could she cook, she loved to cook for everyone! And the smell of her fresh hot cinnamon rolls filled the whole house. I miss her hugs, her cheery laughter, her sense of humor, her love.

When I look around my house, I see her in many places. Pictures in different rooms, when I’m looking through my cookbook, I see her hand writing on cards and the pages. Oh how precious now! I see her when I make my coffee in the mornings…it use to be her coffee maker. I see her when I curl up on the couch wrapped up in a quilt she made by hand.

When I look at these things it reminds me of the love and comfort God gave me through my mom, Marlene.

On Mother’s Day, I will be at my son and daughter-in-laws. She is fixing me and her mother dinner. To spend the afternoon with the child I love, his wife and my grand~children will bless my heart greatly.

This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:27

Resting In God's Love

PaPa God has me in a "be still" and "seek ME" season...to refresh myself, heart, mind and soul in Him so I can effectively go out and refresh and restore others in Him and His love. He is bringing restoration in our family situations...that is very exciting for us!! Generations will sing of His praise, He will be exalted forever more!!

I will not forget all His benefits!

I was driving to my sisters yesterday and asked PaPa God how long He wants me to “be still?”...His response; “you draw near to Me, seek My face, and watch Me work on your behalf. I don't want you getting in my way.” WOW!!

Like in Gen. 15, God's Covenant with Abraham, He wants me to prepare a sacrifice Myself) and bring it to Him (which is me, letting go of busyness and sitting at His feet).

Like Martha, I sometimes get so busy "doing" that I can't be what He wants us to be, therefore keeping me from effectively "doing" what He wants us to do. It is very hard for me to "be still," there's work to be done. But now I am sitting at His feet. I don’t want to be so busy striving to please Him that I won’t be able to relax enough to just sit back and enjoy the relationship with Him.

Martha made that mistake spending all her time treating Jesus as a guest when what He wanted her to do was relax and simply be with Him.
(Luke 10:38-42)

“For I know the thoughts I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace not evil, to give me a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11)

Still Small Voice

Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted above the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10)

How hard is it for you to be still? I know it is very difficult for me to. But that is what my Father has me doing...being still for a season. I am thankful that He wants to have a relationship with me and that He wants to guide me in life. And part of that relationship involves my being able to "listen" to Him.

Like Elijah, in the depths of our fear or despair, we too may think at times that we are the only one serving God.

The sooner we focus on Him and His power, the quicker we'll see relief from our fears and self~pity. Both the clashing cymbals of our failures and the loud trumpeting of our successes can drown out God's still small voice.

The time has come for me to quiet my heart to "listen" to Him as I meditate on His Word. To tune into His voice I must tune out the world's noise.

God didn't speak to Elijah in a mighty wind, and earthquake, or a fire. He spoke to him in a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:12-18)

We can miss the still small voice if we are always going after the emotional stirring and the dramatic signs. We need to train our spirit to discern His voice.

Keep listening for the "still small voice" if you are weary on life's road ~ the Lord will make your heart rejoice if you will let Him take your load.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as easles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.' (Isaiah 40:31)

Any great work of art takes time to be perfected in the hands of the master artist.