On this 22nd day, I’m blessed that although my couch and ottoman are covered with folded laundry, we have plenty to wear. And even though I still have dishes in the sink from last night, we have plenty to eat. And even though we never have enough time to spend with everyone we would like to, we have friends and family that we love and miss. And although my to-do lists never get complete before more is added to them and I often feel overwhelmed and stressed about getting it all done, I have an amazing life. THANK YOU JESUS FOR EVERYTHING!!!

Yesterday the weather was so nice! It was absolutely beautiful outside. Today, not so much. So I’ve decided that I’m gonna start referring to the weather as our hokey pokey weather. Then it occurred to me that too often we have hokey pokey faith. We sometimes put our problems in God’s hands but then pull them out because we think that we can handle them ourself. Or we’ll give him our praise but then turn around and take it away by reminding others how great we are. We’ll put one foot on the path of righteousness but then take it out if we think we’ve found a faster track in this world. We’ll put one hand in to reach out to a friend in need but then pull it back out when it’s someone that we don’t think deserves our help. We’ll put our head in but then pull it back out so we can hear the latest tidbit of gossip. But once we put our whole self in, God will turn our life around. And THAT’S what it’s all about!!!

Last Sunday was Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday represents the day that, as Jesus rode into the city, he was greeted by people waving palm branches and praising Him. By Friday, some of these same people were yelling, “Crucify Him!!” So why do we refer to a day that brought such pain and suffering to Jesus as Good Friday? Because without it, we would have no hope. We received the greatest gift ever through His death. Because, although He suffered greatly….He loved even more. He carried our burdens on that cross. He bore our punishment. He died our death. And He did it because He loves us that much. So…is the life you’re living, worth Him dying for?

Pride. It’s been said the center of pride is “I”. We all have it. I’ve seen it destroy marriages. I’ve seen it tear families apart. I’ve seen it split churches. I’ve seen it divide nations. It’s the attitude that, “I’m right no matter the cost!” But when you look back at some of the best people in your life, you will usually see that the reason that they were good was because they were also humble. Even when you’re right, you can be the rightest of rights but if you go about being right the wrong way…you’re wrong. THE best…the only…sinless man, could have stood up and yelled to the world that He was right and that everyone else was sinners, and that the only way to get to heaven was to believe in Him! But instead He died for them….for us. We all have pride, but the question is, does pride have us?

Although I’m thankful for so many things every day, I can honestly say that I never thank God enough for all of my many blessings. So on this day, which has seemingly been a disaster since I woke up, I thought it appropriate to begin this month with a thankful heart. So today, I’m thankful for bad days, because without them I wouldn’t fully appreciate the good ones. I’m thankful for tears because if I didn’t shed them, then it would mean that my heart had hardened. And I’m thankful most of all for God because I know that no matter how bad things get, He is always right there with me showing me the good when I can’t seem to find it for myself. Because even on my worst day….I have more blessings than I could ever deserve. But all that doesn’t mean that sometimes I’m not also really thankful when day is almost over…but it does mean that I’m so very thankful when I wake up and God has blessed me with a whole new day.

On this last day, while I’ve spent most of the month thinking about things that change, I’ve spent most of today thinking about things that never change. God never changes. He is the same today as he was when His Son died on the cross to save us.

On this 29th day I’ve been thinking about how relationships change. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Everyone changes throughout their life. They have to or they wouldn’t grow mentally or spiritually. But as long as God is your one guiding and unchanging force, then He will help us deal with those changes. Everything and everyone changes except Him. He is the one constant that we can always rely on.

On this 22nd day I feel that God is preparing me for some awesome changes in my life! Change is always an adjustment but is not always bad. I feel quite certain that He has GOOD changes planned for my life that will allow me to better serve Him. My natural instinct is to reject change but with prayer it has turned to an exciting curiosity. Unfortunately He is also giving me a lesson in patience which is not one of my strong suits…lol. Therefore, in my time of learning patience I am trying to prepare my fields for the seeds that He will be planting.

On this 19th day, the winds remind me of just how quickly a beautiful day can turn into a storm….much like life. But it’s during these times that we need more than ever to praise Him in the storm.

On this 18th day…I want to use the wind as a reminder to myself that gossip is like a flame on a windy day and we are leaves. If the flame catches me…am I gonna let it burn out or am I going to spread it to other leaves and allow it to turn into an inferno? Problem with fire is that someone always gets burned. Perhaps if we spent our time worshiping and dealing with our own problems instead of concerning ourselves with other people’s problems…maybe we wouldn’t have as many problems to deal with…or fires to put out.

There are a lot of different paths you can take to get to the grocery store. But nonetheless, if you want to buy a package of ground beef in my hometown, you have to take at least one of those paths. Chances are pretty good that you don’t always take the same one every time. Although Jesus Christ is the only path to salvation, there are many paths that you can take that will bring you to a closer relationship with God….prayer, church, scripture study, fellowship, daily devotion…..Problem is, Satan knows every single one of them. We expect him to attack us through certain directions, but some we don’t expect at all. We forget that even our family, friends, our church, and even our own minds, are not off limits because Satan doesn’t respect boundaries. So how do we move forward when we have been attacked….even when there has been no repentance? We forgive. Even when we’ve been hurt. Even if when it feels like someone we love has thrown us under a bus. Even when there is no repentance. Even when we just don’t feel like it. We forgive and we move forward. We may be bruised. We may be sore. We may even still be hurt. But we continue moving toward one destination…God.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:6 NKJV

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk They have secretly set a snare for me.
Psalm 142:3 NKJV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV

I heard once that bad moments don’t make bad mothers. Thank goodness because I’ve had my share of bad moments! But I just keep trying to remind myself that it’s not the circumstances that define you. It’s how you handle those circumstances. So when I was standing calf deep in the mud…freezing…tractor stuck…wanting to cry…I looked around, realized that God allowed me to accomplish what I needed to before I managed to get it stuck, and the tractor was just as happy parked there as it would’ve been at the house. So I thanked Him for giving me enough sense to put on my muck boots and trotted myself back up to a warm fireplace to thaw out.

The people who are unhappy are the ones who have put their faith in someone or something. The people who put their faith in God will never be disappointed and even in difficult circumstances will usually accept that God has a plan and something good will come. So…even when I have bad moments…as long as I hold tight to my faith…they will remain moments…not hours…not days…and certainly not a lifetime!

Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.
Psalm 146:5-7 NKJV

It would probably make for a sad ball game if a baseball coach just walked out onto the field and picked a team out of the crowd. We probably wouldn’t watch many games if that was how it worked. Athletes train hard to perform their best. They practice and work hard, building muscle, and improving skills and knowledge. They eat a specific diet. Sleep an appropriate amount of time. They suit up in the appropriate clothing and equipment. All so that they are ready for the big game. So why do we think that we can flex our spiritual muscle one day a week and assume we have a strong relationship with God? We should live our life being in constant spiritual training by praying, reading our bible, praying, worshipping, praying, praising, doing all things for the glory of God, and suiting up in the armor of God every single day! (Yes I know I said praying 3 times but it’s just that important). That way, when the time comes for us to play in the big game, we will be ready.

Went out to feed the horses yesterday. All but one came up as soon as they heard us. So we fed the ones that came up and headed out to look for the one that didn’t. We finally found her all the way at the back of our property. She had found a patch of grass back there & was content burrowing her nose through the snow to eat it. I thought, “You silly horse”! Little did she know that I had a big bucket of yummy feed and half a bale of fresh hay for her. She was missing out on the good stuff because she thought she had found something better. Once she realized what I had to offer, she forgot all about that snowy patch of grass. But aren’t we all pretty silly sometimes. We wander away from God because Satan tells us that we can find something better somewhere else when all along, God has the good stuff and will give us everything we need if only we could just keep our noses out of places they don’t belong and our eyes on Him.

On this 15th day, I LOVE my crazy life! Even though we have a tendency to bite off more than we can chew, over-schedule our week, and make life changing decisions at the worst possible time, God manages to carry us through! Very thankful that although I had things to do this weekend, God allowed me some much needed rest. Now…to hit the floor running in the morning!