You Know Me

I often wonder if I will ever get to where God wants me to be?  I was reassured today as I read Psalms.

Psalms 138:8 "The Lord will work out his plans for my life-for your faithful love O Lord, endures forever...."

God truly knows me.

Psalms 139:1-18   A psalm of David.

¹ O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
² You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
³ You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
⁴ You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
⁵ You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!

 ⁷ I can never escape from your Spirit!
    I can never get away from your presence!
⁸ If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave,^[a] you are there.
⁹ If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.
¹¹ I could ask the darkness to hide me
    and the light around me to become night—
¹²     but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
    Darkness and light are the same to you.
 ¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.
 ¹⁷ How precious are your thoughts about me,^[b] O God.
    They cannot be numbered!
¹⁸ I can’t even count them;
    they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
    you are still with me!

Recharging

    With summer comes vacations and travel.  A perfect time to recharge! 
    When I talk of recharging I am not referring to recharging cell phones, laptops, or other electronic equipment.  I am referring to the rest needed by our bodies and minds to get us through the daily life of climbing mountains, overcoming hurdles, conquering valleys, and resisting temptation.  As we fight these battles on our knees, with God leading, we also need to be aware of His mighty presence in restful times.  We need to continue to listen for his voice in the quiet moments of recharging as we enjoy a peaceful summer sunset,  the calming ocean waves, the rushing sound of a waterfall, or a simple stroll through winding flora-filled paths.    

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

 he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake,

 ...thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.    

                                      Psalms 23

Happiness...continued

     Yesterday I talked about the "Ten Things To Let Go Of To Be Happy" which I had found on a Facebook posting.  Today, I would like to share ten more things which I believe will help people find happiness, with number one taking priority.

1.  Accept Jesus as your Savior:  John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

2.  Pray daily:  1 Thessalonians 5:17-18  "Pray without ceasing.  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

3.  Read the Bible daily:  Psalms 18:30 "As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.

4.  Show love to God and to one another: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.   Love never fails."

5. Watch your words and also do not gossip:  Let your speech be kind:  Proverbs 15:23 "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!"  Proverbs 18:8 "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts." Proverbs 20:19 "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much."

6.  Seek righteous behavior above worldly actions:  Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

7.  Avoid the ways of unbelievers: Psalms 1:1-2 "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord.

8.  Let go of fear and worry:   Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you: do not be dismayed, for I am I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."   Matthew 6:24-35 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

9.  Trust God with all things:  Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

10. Let your treasure be found in your heart, in God, not in earthly possessions:  Matthew 6:23 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

There is so much that can be found in the Bible regarding ways to be happy and joyful.  My next blog will continue with The Be Happy Attitudes ....  



  

 







 
    



















  


 
 















































































































 

  







   

Adore Him

     I often find myself complaining about so many little things until I begin to admire all that surrounds me in "A Friendly Shade".  It is then I stop and think my Lord for all the wonderful blessings He has bestowed upon me, and I feel ashamed for my doubts, fears, and complaints.  God has indeed been so gracious and showed me so much love, not just for my current blessings, but for His amazing deed and willingness to die on the cross for a complainer and sinner like me. 
     So often I fail to give Him praise and adore Him.  As I remembered the song "O come, let us adore him," I decided to write my own praise to glorify His name.



Adore Him

Glory and honor belong to Him;

God first, foremost, my daily hymn.

Let me adore Him with song;

My Keeper the whole day long. 

Let me adore Him with thanksgiving;

The One for whom I'm living.

He reigns!

Fills the land, the fields, the plains.

The sea is His; He who formed dry land,

Then stamped it with His mighty hand.

Glory and honor belong to Him;

He who wipes my tears till sorrow grows dim.

My Rock, my strength;

Peace that comes at length.

Come! Let us adore Him;

For the cross; the blood shed from limb to limb.

Adore the One from whom love shines,

His life, the Trinty that binds.

Glory and honor is His alone;

A Savior, my sins to atone.

Oh, come! Let us Adore Him

Till joy fills us to the rim and our eyes grow dim. 

                                                       Mary Crisp Jameson

Psalm 95:1 "O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our

   salvation."

Psalm 96:1 "O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth."

Psalm 97:1  "The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof." 

Psalm 98:1 "O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right

   hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory."

 

 

    
      

New Year Resolutions

        I did not sit in "A Friendly Shade" and prepare a list of new resolutions for 2016.  "Why do them?" I thought.  I never keep them anyway.  So out with trying to lose weight, eat healthier, and exercise more.  Instead of reshaping my body,  I will simply work on reshaping my mind and thoughts.  Let me just be thankful for waking up to God's presence and going to bed with thoughts of Him.  I believe if I will put God first in my life then all the other lists of improvements that I could strive for may just fall into their proper place. 
     The In Touch devotional for January provided some good ideas to replace goals, along with scripture verses.  Below is a condensed version, and I used The Living Bible version:

* Do A  Clean Sweep - Rid the mind of attitudes and behaviors that hinder spiritual growth and relationships.
      Colossians 4:5  "Away then with sinful, earthly things; deaden the evil desires lurking within you; have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust and shameful desires; don't worship the good things of life, for that is idolatry."
* Talk Less, Listen More- Listen to understand others rather than listening to simple respond.
     James 1:19 "Dear brothers, don't ever forget that it is best to listen much, speak little, and not become angry;"
*Bark Less, Wag More - Replace complaints and criticism with thanks and praise.
     Philippians 2:14 "In everything you do stay away from complaining and arguing," 
     Philippians 4:4 "Always be full of joy in the Lord, I say it again, rejoice!"
*Celebrate Each Day- Find something special to rejoice over each day for every day is a gift from the Lord.
     Psalms 118:24  "Blessed is the one who is coming, the one sent by the Lord.  We bless you from the Temple."




    

Friendships

     There are a lot of friendship quotes and many get posted on facebook. 
     Speaking of facebook, this social media provides a way to have zillions of friends, but how many do we actually know on a personal level?  Sure we click "like" and make casual written memos, but do we really talk to them or know their hearts? 
     I didn't mean to get off on facebook, so let's get back to the friendship quotes and review some thoughts on who can really be a best friend for life.  Below are just a few sayings I found on the internet.  It was hard to stop with just a few for there were so many good ones.

"A true friend is someone

who sees the pain in your

eyes while everyone else

believes your smile."    

God gives us many promises and among them is the promise to be with us through painful moments. "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." Isaiah 43:2   What better friend is there than the One who sees our pain and walks with us through it? 

 

"FRIENDS UPLIFT THE SOUL"                        When we make mistakes, do our friends turn away?  God doesn't.  He continues to love us and stands waiting to lift us up.  He is always willing to forgive and help us walk in a new light. "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." Isaiah 43:25  Then again, as we read of His power, we realize He is a friend who will give us complete rest.  "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11:29

      "A true friend is someone who

accepts your past, supports your

present, and encourages your future."       Nothing gives more peace than knowing there is a Friend who we can go to regardless of our past.  He has forgiven us, if we have asked.   All we need to do is forgive ourselves and walk into the future with Him.  "The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalms 121:7,8

"There are some

people in life that

make you laugh a

little louder, smile a

little bigger and live

just a little bit better."

 God's Word uplifts, and His word is a way of getting to know Him.  If we have been saved by acknowleding His Son, Jesus, and His death for us, then we have laughter, joy, and peace.  "The entrace of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." Psalms 119:130  What better friends would we want than the One willing to send His only Son and the One willing to freely lay down His life for us?  Knowing we are saved gives us joy; we can smile through our problems, and we are given a desire to live just a little bit better.
 

"Friendship

is an umbrella that shields
you from the strongest of
thunderstorms.
All you need to do is
hold onto it. "                 Isn't it wonderful that our Friend provides us with an umbrella against the storms in our life?  "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."  Ephesians 6:16         "For thou, Lord, wilt beless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield." Psalms 5:12    No other friend can protect us like our Heavenly Father. 

 "A true friend is someone who thinks you are  a good egg, even though he knows you are slightly cracked."           Finally,  God knows all.  He sees our flaws, our faults, and our deeds, even our thoughts.  He created us in His own special way, and He is willing to accept us just like we are.  "But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." Luke 12:7 

The Gardener

     We often don't realize what we have until it is not there anymore.  Adam and Eve lived in a paradise until they disobeyed.  Just like them, people today often see what they believe to be something "greener on the other side of the fence" until they actually get there and realize differently. 
     As I sat in "A Friendly Shade"  I pray, "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law."  (Psalms 119:18)  and in your land.  

Morning by morning,
   day by day,
   night by night,
   the earth yields a beautiful site.

The Gardener handles all with tender care;

   a beauty He wishes to share.
A wonder! Lush, green, landscaped,
   planned, and shaped.
A splendor for all-
   inspiring, enchanting, a luscious exhibit hall.

All around,

   there are sites to astound.
The mountains and hills
   peak with jagged frills.
Trees sway stately,
   budding forth, donned ornately.
Flowers ascend to sing
  a song with the coming of early Spring.

The Gardener waters and nourishes;

   the landscape flourishes.
Where once thorny bushes grew,
   new life sprouts anew.
Where once the land lay dark,
   sunshine sends bright rays to leave its mark.

Morning makes way
   for the dawning of the day.
Forests of fir, pine, and oak
   amaze the eye with their colorful cloak.
By day, fields of wheat and oat
   dance beneath clouds that gently float.
By night the moon makes way
   for light to brighten the grey.
A flight of birds with feathered vests
   return to nature’s given nests.

The Gardener cares for it all,

   through winter, summer, spring or fall.
Cold, hot, drab, or bright,
   there’s something always to delight.

Morning by morning,

   day by day,
   night by night,
   the earth yields a beautiful site.
                             Mary Crisp Jameson