Good-Bye and Hello

Well, today is the last day of the Old Year. At the beginning of this year I set out to write and draw everyday. I did that 238 times in 365 days... I am ashamed I didn't do it everyday as I hoped, yet I am also glad I had the opportunity to do it as often as I did. God blessed me in many ways this year and even though as I look back through these post I see the unfaithful attitude I had at times, I know that even then God was with me. He had me go through some of those things to make me who I am today and who I will be tomorrow, even if I don't see that now.

I am going to continue to blog, not everyday, maybe not even weekly... I will write, and share the things that God lays on my heart to share... I will be coming up with a new title for this blog since if I am not writing daily I can't have that name...

It is my prayer that this new year will be a trek filled with wonderful things that God has planned for me, for you, for all of us. Good or Bad, Happy or Sad, life can be lived in Faith, Love, and Joy...

Now Good Bye to the Old and Hello to The New!

Thank you Lord for the world of possibility that lies before us!

HUNGRY

Yesterday I read a devotion that spoke about this verse in Hebrews 4:12

"For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart."

After I read that devotion I read the passage from Proverbs for the day (Proverbs 27) The quote today is from that chapter. It always amazes me when things all come together in a way that can only be from God. Like going to Sunday school and learning about something that touched your heart and then the service being about that same thing, something you needed.... This was a similar event and happens quite often to me. I will read one thing and then the next will go along the same line... so here is what I am getting from these two passages.

The Bible says we are to be content (Philippians 4:11, I Timothy 6:8, Hebrews 13:5). This I think is speaking of our physical lives. To be content with our jobs, our living situations, and anything else that may come our way in this life. In our spiritual person, we should always be striving to be who God wants us to be. The word of God will help us to seek "perfection" to grow continually in the spirit. So spiritual we should not be content. The Bible talks about the milk and the meat of the word (I Corinthians 3:2,  Hebrews 5:12-13, I Peter 2:2). We should want to get to the meat of the word, deep thoughts and profound ideas that will bring us closer to the Christians God would have us to be.

If we become content with our lives spiritually then like the quote says, the "satisfied" soul loathes the honeycomb... They don't want the sweetest parts of the word anymore or any part for that matter. They are fine just where they are... "satisfied".

We should be like the person in the second part of the verse who is hungry and longing to learn and grow in the meat of the word, even if it is tough, bitter, hard to handle. Even if it steps on our toes and makes as want to hide. The word is what helps us grow and learn to be who God wants us to be, if we become satisfied with who we are spiritually we grow stagnant, and God has a hard time using us.

Lord, I long to never be content spiritually, I want to always be learning and growing in your word and your life for me. I do need to learn to be content in my circumstances so that those outward things of this world do not make me forget to look for the spiritual things you send my way. Thank-you for your word and your guidance in this world.

The Quote:

"A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet." ~Proverbs 27:7

The Drawing:

 

CHIRSTMAS

The Quote:

"There is born to you this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." ~Luke 2: 11

We do not know the actual day or hour that Christ was born. It happen many years ago in Bethlehem. God came to earth to live a perfect life, to teach us how we should live. He lived on this earth as a lamb without blemish, so that He could be the Last and most perfect sacrifice for us all! On a tree many years ago, our Savior died to set us free. He paid the ultimate price so we would not have too. I am so glad it didn't stop there.... He rose from the grave and is sitting at the right hand of the Father, waiting for all who will believe in Him to join Him!

God had such magnificent Love for us, even though we had turned our backs on Him many, many times tthat he gave us the most precious gift anyone can get.... Forgiveness.

May God bless you and keep you this Christmas Season and throughout the years to come.

Lord, I pray that you love would be manifested in each of our lives in a way that can only come from you and that we can share that love will all we meet! Thank-you for your most precious gift!

THANKS

Today is Thanksgiving here in the US. We have so many things to be thankful for in this country,in this world, in this life!

First, there is life. On November 30 last year I had my second heart attack. God has blessed me so many times by keeping me alive. I have no idea why or what He has planned for me that He is keeping me around. I know I want to be willing everyday to serve Him and to help those in need He brings my way, any way I can.

I have a place to live, to work, and to go to church. I am free (at this point) to do, to worship, and to live the way I want to as long as it is lawful. God has blessed America to stay a nation for over 200 years, and I believe that it is only because there are God fearing people who pray daily for it. I believe there will come a time when we will have to ask God like Abraham did... "Would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" Suppose there were 50 righteous in the city; would you destroy the place and not spare it for the 50 righteous that were in it?" (Genesis 18: 23-24) Today, we are safe, tomorrow may be a different story.

I have a Daughter who is beautiful in so many ways. God blessed me good when he gave her to me. I have a brother and a Dad, a step-mom and many many other aunts, uncles, cousins and so on... I love them all and I am glad they are in my life. I have a half-sister out there somewhere that I wish I could meet and get to know. I love her also even though I have never met her!

I have friends in many places all over the world and they are all very special to me! Some of them more than they know. They all have a special place in my heart and I am thankful for them!

I am Most thankful for my LORD, my Savior, my God! He is my all, without Him I am nothing. He is the air I breath and the song I sing. I do not live up to His will for my life on a daily basis, yet I know He still loves me. He sees my heart and knows the good and evil in me. I pray He will continue to guide me through this life.

I am Thankful that I have the ability to write this blog. Sometimes it does not make any sense I know, yet I share my heart here, and I am glad I can. Thanks to all of you who read it.

Lord, help me to be thankful every day of my life, not just on this one! You are so awesome and have given me so much! Thank-you!

The Quote:

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." ~ I Thessalonians 5:16-18

The Drawing:

STUFF

Stuff happens! I have tried so hard to keep this blog going and really I thought that I would do much better. Things just get in the way, it is hard to get motivated sometimes. Even today this is not an easy task. I know I haven't written in a while, I want too.

Stuff can mean a lot of things.... You could look at it like a closet filled to the brim that someone has opened and everything has fallen out on top of them. At times that is how my life feels like an avalanche of unusual odds and ends tumbling into my space and making it hard to function.

Stuff can be a boulder or log in the road that makes you turn around, causing you to detour from your chosen path. Those hindrances are often large, time consuming, unexpected, and at times hazardous, yet they can most often also be something that is needed to get us back on the right path.

Stuff can be a dead end! No where to turn it seems because there is not enough room to maneuver, and backing up is rarely an option. Yet. in those times a way out is provided even if you have to crawl through a tight space or climb a high mountain.

Most of the stuff that comes our way we bring on ourselves. The words spoken or the actions taken without thinking can cause stuff to pile up. We make choices whether we think that all is well or we know it is not, we do them anyway.... then we complain about the stuff that is in our way. There are times it is the stuff of others that has gotten in our way somehow, we still allowed that to happen....

So lately, my stuff and the stuff I have allowed to get in my way has kept me from writing and drawing and spending much time being creative. I hope that I can get back on track... I am trying... just need to push some stuff out of the way!

Quote:

"Same old stuff, different day." ~Anonymous

The Drawing:

WORKMANSHIP

The Quote:

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

Every time I see the word workmanship in the bible I think of a sculptor. God created each of us in His image, and for His glory. When we become Christians, we become a new creation in Christ and God starts to chisel away all the bad things in our lives that hinder Him from using us the way He wants to.

God doesn't do anything half way, it is all or nothing with Him. We are either going to allow Him to use the chisel on our lives and work a wondrous work or we are not going to let Him. We can not stand on the fence, we can not be lukewarm. When God works on us it may hurt, it may cause us pain and suffering. In the end it will all be worth it.

Lord help me to be a new creation in you, your workmanship for your honor and glory. I know it is going to hurt, I am willing to be put through the pain. Lord, I want to be used by you. Thank-you Lord for taking the time to help me become more like you.

PS: Here is the link to a video by the Skit Guys about this.... http://skitguys.com/videos/item/gods-chisel

The Drawing:

NOT

The Quote:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourself; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

I God's eye I am saved because of His grace and faith. I have a gift that no one else could give me, only God.

It is NOT something I can do for myself. If I had to save my self I would still be on my way to hell. I am NOT good enough. I am NOT strong enough. I do NOT have the knowledge or the power to make it to heaven on my own merit. Without God's gift of love and grace I would NOT be saved.

I can NOT do anything to earn the gift. If I could it would make the gift nothing. Once God gave me the gift it was mine forever. NOT one thing can take the gift God gave me away. I can NOT do anything to lose the gift God has given me. I might hide it or cover it with new sins, God looks right through all that and sees the gift. I can NOT hide it from God.

This does NOT mean I can go out and do whatever I want. It does NOT give me a license to sin. I can NOT stop working for God's kingdom just because I have this gift. Well, I could do these things.... I should NOT want too.

Lord, help me to NOT take the gift you gave me for granted. Help me to NOT forget to share your love and grace with others. Help me to be the person you see me as and NOT the person I think I am. Thank you Lord for the gifts you have given me.

The Drawing: