Day by Day – MAY 2010
We fall in love, fall fast, take the fall, free fall, fall for it. There are the fallen angels, falling rain, our fallen soldiers. We enjoy Fall’s splendor, fall from Grace and fall by the wayside. Whatever the fall, God’s Grace and Mercy is in every single one. May we gratefully fall into His hands and be lifted above it all. – Becki
The lines have fallen
to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. - Psalm 16:6
I woke at 6:30 this morning. I’ll probably be sleeping around 11:30 tonight, possibly midnight. Eighteen hours. That seems like an incredible amount of time, yet I know I’ll most likely finish the day with many things left undone that I would like to have seen happen. And, what’s more, with all my wants and desires, God is calling. In scripture He asks for my time, my devotion, my commitment, my desire. 10% is all. Yet if I look at 10% of my day, that would mean I would have to devote almost two hours of my day for Him, just Him. . .with no distractions. And, being a fair and righteous God, He leaves the choice to me. How deeply do I want to serve my Creator, my Redeemer, my reason for life itself? It is up to me. – Becki
But Yahweh’s faithful love for those who fear Him is from eternity and forever; and his saving justice to their children’s children; as long as they keep His covenant, and carefully obey His precepts. – Psalm 103:17,18
Before belief comes confirmation. But the question remains “what are you founding your confirmation on”? Is it the voice of others or the voice of the source? We have available to us truth given in traditions, history, and scripture. Before you trust in a rumor or hearsay, it would be good to seek confirmation by going to the source of truth itself. In prayer and contemplation, with the Word opened before you, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit within, let God be your guide and you will find truth. – Becki
Blessed is anyone whose conscience brings no reproach and who has never given up hope. – Ecclestiaticus 14:2
How often
do we ask Jesus to go along with us in our life’s journey, ask Him to show us
the right path, the right way, just to turn around and question His motives,
not willing to change our own? Our Lord
has all answers. We must place Him as
Lord of all our being, having faith to follow in every step. – Becki
But the
Lord said to him, “You Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while
inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools, Did not he who made the outside make
the inside too?. – Luke 11:39-40
Lord, let
me love. In love, energize me. Create a
passion, a direction, a hope. Enable me
to climb over every obstacle and push away each mountain. Let me be Your child
and walk with my hand in Yours. But
release my hand. . .just long enough for me to learn; to touch your beauty, to
feel your creation, to mold my belongings, to enrich my soul. And let me rejoice. Let me dance and sing, totally uninhibited
in Your Glory. Let me bask in Your
Light. Let me shout with praise and
thanksgiving, uniting with Your Spirit. Let me be one with Your Will. Let me
know You. Let me love. – Becki
No, a man
is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,
by the Spirit, not be the written code.
Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God. – Romans 2:29
It is always good to turn the last
page of a book of a well-read story. One usually emerges with a sigh, a feeling
of satisfaction and completeness. Yet
in closing the book, it inspires us to travel on. Either the message itself is inspirational or encouraging,
touching us close and personal, or the book leaves a lingering intrigue that
makes us yearn for more. Either way,
finishing begets a new beginning. As
you close the final pages to one saga of your life, look up and be
inspired. Take the strengths from your
experience and turn it into good.
Reflect on the sorrow and pains, and turn them into strengths. But do make certain to finish. You will never know the full grace of God if
you close the book mid-story. The steps before you may not be totally clear,
but if you allow Christ to be your partner in your journey, the experience will
be fruitful and filled with Grace. – Becki
When someone finishes he is only
beginning, and when he stops he is a puzzles as ever. – Ecclesiasticus 18:7
In the beginning of all beginnings, God envisioned His creation. He thought out the universe, the planets, the earth and the life within it. He created all of this for one purpose, to have you and I spend an eternity sharing His love and goodness. And, in order to reach this final goal, we have to have “moments”. Each moment in our life, every millisecond of our existence, is molded by God to bring us closer to the understanding and readiness for His eternal Kingdom. How we accept each moment is up to us. We can try to analyze it, manipulate it, dissect it, ignore it, make more of it than it should be, or we can accept it and open our minds and hearts to the enlightenment of God to seek its purpose and grow closer to our Omniscient Creator – Becki
Good and bad, life and death, poverty and wealth, all come from the Lord. - Ecclesiasticus 11:14
Temptation is one of life’s greatest complements. It means God finds you worthy of refinement. For every temptation is a step to do good. Every choice you make to turn away from sin brings you closer to the likeness of Christ. He endured every single temptation that you face, every one. The difference is that Christ chose to turn away from those temptations, not follow the path of Satan. We cannot lead a life of self-absorption and expect things to go well with ourselves. We have to step out of our comfort zone, say no to life’s temptations, and turn our lives toward the joy of Christ. The choice is yours, the reward is eternal. - Becki
Then if you call to me in time of trouble, I will rescue you and you will honor me. – Psalm 50:15
Years ago, our apartment
buildings caught fire. We quickly grabbed what we could carry and made our
escape. Luckily, our unit was unharmed and we were able to return with
everything in tact. We stood looking at the bounty we had saved:
our oldest clothes, the jewelry box, and photo albums. In our haste we had put
value to our existence and defined life in an instant. Our basic needs took
precedence over the frivolous; we clutched only the least burdensome of our
possessions; and we grasped the priceless gift of memories. When the time comes
to stand before Jesus, what will we carry: a life heavy with burden and
squander? Or the beauty of time spent in building memories and glorying in the
goodness of God? - Becki
Everything is permissible for me - but not everything is beneficial. Everything
is permissible for me - but I will not be mastered by anything. - 1 Corinthians
6:12
There are days when we
just don’t feel 100%. A flue, late night, too active lifestyle . . . all this
wears on us physically and mentally.
But even as we withdraw to our bed, or our office, or our room or house,
let us remember the space we occupy is also God’s. Even when no one else is around us, God is. Take the time, even
in weariness, to read, pray and contemplate our Lord’s purpose in your life.
And after our rest, not only will we be physically stronger, but spiritually
renewed. – Becki
God is able to make all
grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you
need, you will abound in every good work. – 2 Corinthians 9:8
There are moments when it is hard to follow God’s lead. Naturally self absorbed and inwardly focused, we must choose instead, to look into the face of Jesus. We must make a conscience effort to see beyond the apparent and search for the joy of life, not just immediate pleasure. When we seek forgiveness for a slack heart and choose to stand firm in God’s direction our life’s journey will be blessed beyond measure. – Becki
Those he led through the arid country never went thirsty: he made water flow for them from the rock, he split the rock and out streamed water. – Isaiah 48:20
God is free with graces for those who serve Him. He goes before us, stands beside us, reveals His Truth and His Way to us. Yet He can only work through us if we are willing. If we fight against His Truth, if we slip into poor habits and choose a path and surround ourselves with people who lead us away from Him, we loose the most precious gift of His Holy Spirit. Christ said that if we love Him and keep His commandments, He will ask the Father to send us the Paraclete. Let us always choose Christ. If we follow in His path, giving Him the best we know how to give and earnestly, diligently seek to love Him, He will dwell within our very being as the Holy Spirit, our giver of life eternal. – Becki
If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Paraclete, that He may abide with you for ever. - John 14:15,16
Sometimes it is not your turn to
be the motivator. There are times when
you need to be lifted by friends, colleagues, and mentors. But in these moments we sometimes feel
failure, a lack of control, and even shame that we need the help. But it is
through others that God is able to manifest His greatest mercy, love. Open up and accept the hand that God
extends. Rejoice in His mercy and count yourself worthy because God has called
your name and is ready to lift you into His glory. – Becki
Pride comes first, disgrace soon
follows; with the humble is wisdom found. – Proverbs 11:3
It is amazing to think that an
entity so powerful that it brings me my very life is the same entity that prays
for me. The Holy Spirit is not placed
within us as a cleansing force that enables us to be worthy. The Holy Spirit is placed within us to pray
for us and bring us into the presence of God.
This is our advocate, our portal to the God Head, the union with the
Holy Trinity. In moments that you feel
insignificant, unworthy, incompetent, even in remorse and repentance, rejoice,
for you have within your very being the force that brings all things to
light. You are a child of God and He is
praying for you every moment of your existence. – Becki
Never worry about anything; but
tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through
with gratitude, and the peace of God which is beyond our understanding will
guard you hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4,5
Too often, we allow something or
someone other than ourselves to dictate our mood. We must remember that in all things, God stands directly before
us. When we concentrate on His essence
above the moment, we can gaze into the face of God and smile. – Becki
May God show kindness and bless
us, and make his face shine on us. – Psalm 67:1
Does your day bring praise to God? Do you lift a thankful heart for everything He brings you? What about that obstinate child, or the touchy co-worker? Do you thank Him for that person while you are being tested? Perhaps you feel colder today than you want, or possibly hotter . . .is your focus on grumbling or contemplating the mysteries that cause the weather? True praise puts God at the front of every situation. You may not be comfortable or find pleasure in the moment, but by trusting in God, giving him thanksgiving for trusting you with a trial, and turning your thoughts to ones of joy, you will bring God the ultimate praise, a life of true devotion. – Becki
Why be so downcast, why all these sighs? Hope in God! I will praise him still, my Savior, my God. – Psalm 42:5
My
daughter does not stop at stop signs. She rolls through, slowly and cautiously,
but she does roll through. She has been told she should come to a complete
stop, but has not mastered this. She goes slow enough that this has never
presented a problem, so I've let this go and have concentrated on the more
obvious needs of learning to drive, like speed, lane changes, passenger safety,
etc., I felt the stop signs would correct themselves with
experience. However, time ran out on us and she brought home a traffic
ticket. The violation: rolling through a stop sign. She must now
face the consequences. Many instances in life are like this. We let a
petty wrong go on unchecked, thinking it insignificant and harmless. We
concentrate on making ourselves better for the big picture
and do not take the time to do any deep cleaning. In God's
eyes, wrong is wrong; a sin is a sin. We must bring ourselves to complete
holiness, willing to put all in front of God before we can receive all from
Him. - Becki
And God
is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times,
having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. - 2 Corinthians
9:8
Ministry touches many walks of lives: sorrow, destitution,
anxiety, joy, passion, regardless of social or monetary status. It avails
itself in strangers, friends, and in ones' own home. In making ourselves available
to others in a time of need, we actually bring Jesus into their lives.
Joseph Cardinal Bernardin wrote in his book "The Gift of Peace",
". . . by caring and being present to them, Jesus enabled the people to
experience salvation from God in some way. . .Through authentic ministry people
encounter the living God." -- Becki
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for
everyone else, just as ours does for you. -- 1 Thessalonians 3:12
There is a saying, "Success is 1/3 preparation, 1/3 opportunity, and 1/3 luck." I pray that when God blesses us with that incredible moment to succeed, that we are fully prepared in mind, body, and spirit, giving our all to make the moment our best. -- Becki
If
a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble
purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
-- 2 Timothy 2:21
Life
is hard. There are struggles and challenges. Many surprises usurp our day. But there are many great moments. In each of
the great times, whether minuscule or colossal, our earth rocks. We feel the euphoria of success, the
satisfaction of accomplishment, and in this we find hope and inspiration to
carry on. You are a child of God, a
child of the universe, created superior to all of God’s creations, including
the moon and the stars. When the power
of God is allowed to flow freely through you; when His Holy Spirit fills an
accepting, trusting soul; this is when we feel the true greatness of our God
almighty. Then the challenges and
surprises we find along the path become ok.
Not necessarily great, but at least ok.
We can face another day. We can
take on the next snag. For, reminded of
the greatness of God, we will rock on. – Becki
God, when you set out at the head of your people, when you strode over the desert, the earth rocked…you rained down a shower of blessings, when your heritage was weary you gave it strength. – Psalm 68:7,8a,9