It's How God Works!

This morning, after our yoga class had ended, the instructor and I lingered to visit with the woman working the desk at our wellness center.  We learned her family was facing a difficult time, since her husband's job had recently been terminated.  My heart ached for her as she shared their burden and we shared a hug.  It felt good to open our hearts and be available to offer a listening ear.

Several Bible verses came to mind as she pondered whether they would have to move and where they would be going.  The verses I shared were first revealed to me at a time when our daughter and son-in-law were contemplating a move.  Housing was tight in Williston at the time, and as a mother I was agonizing about where they would live.  It was then my Bible reading took me right to what I needed to hear:

"From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the exact places they would live.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.

Acts 17:26-28 (NIV)

 

Hopefully, the words of these verses would also be a comfort for my new friend as she realizes God already has everything figured out!  Further discussion was about how to hear God's voice, and sort out the many thoughts which travel through our brains.  Arriving home and checking Facebook, I found it interesting how the first message seemed very applicable to our earlier discussion. The post was written by my daughter, sharing thoughts she had been contemplating:

 

 “I know that sometimes it seems the voice of God is hard to hear, hard to discern, and often I question whether it is really Him speaking or something/someone else that I am lending my ear to. But this I know as 100% truth: He NEVER speaks fear. His words regarding fear are ALWAYS “Fear not, for I am with you.”

What great words of advice to share with my new friend!  Later, as I was sorting through "piles of stuff" in my computer room, I came across a bookmark with more encouraging words:

Fear not those things which God has sent, though troublesome they seem

For He knows best what must be done to lead you to your dream.

 

He'll test your strength to make you strong, for what's not used grows weak,

And strip you of what pulls you from the highest goal you seek.

 

He'll show you that where faith is placed, a harvest soon is grown,

And what you'll learn is that in time you reap what you have sown.

 

For all that's His belongs to you to do with as you will

But when you give it back to Him, He does your dreams fulfill.

 

 

In another pile were pieces of paper with a quote and Bible verse about faith.  At this point in time I don't even remember why I had copied them off.  Perhaps it was to share at one of our Women's Ministries meetings.  Who knows?  But interesting it should surface right at a time it could be shared with someone facing a difficult time:

 

Faith is:

     Following without knowing where,

          Waiting without knowing when,

               Believing without knowing how,

                    Trusting without knowing why.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

                                                                                                                ~Hebrews 11:1

 

God never ceases to amaze me.  His timing is always right, even when it involves me putting off organizing my piles!  He seems to know just when we need to receive a particular encouraging word, whether it be for our own situation or to pass on to someone else.  It's just how He works! 


 

 

 



 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Reminders of a Fantastic Fall!

Last spring I dug up my tulip beds, fully intending to replant the bulbs in October.  We are now at mid-November and I finally got them back in the ground. . .on a rare "high 50's" day in November!  It was a good feeling to finally get the task finished, and in the process start a new tulip bed.  Spring will determine how successful my attempt at expanding will be!

It was amazing to be planting tulip bulbs in the midst of snap dragon plants still blooming.  About a month ago, when there were threats of frost, I cut in the remaining snap dragon blossoms and shared them around town in bouquets.  How amazing it was to find the plants still producing buds and blossoms!

Earlier this week there were other reminders of what a fantastic fall we have been enjoying:

Candy Corn Vine

H

Double Calibrachoa

Dianthus

In North Dakota the weather can often be unpredictable, but this year it has been a treat to enjoy "warmer than usual" instead of "colder than usual" for a change.  What about you?  How is the weatherman treating you? 



Blogging, Is It Worth It?

Seems my commitment to blog hasn't been holding up as of late.  Sometimes I wonder, "Is it really worth the effort I put into it?"  Then I hear a small, still voice saying, "It's not about you, remember?"  Oh, yes.  My commitment to write is not about what I get out of it, but rather what God can do with it, despite my commitment or lack thereof. 

There is an interesting part of the "BlogSpot" system which allows one to track how many have been reading your posts and also where they are from.  Checking today, over the course of the past month I have had 123 readers from the United States, along with 15 from Russia, 2 from France and one each from Canada and Spain. 

It makes me wonder how they happened across my blog and what their thoughts were after reading it.  Then, again, I'm reminded it is not about me, and my thoughts are just recorded for whatever purpose God might find to use them.

Another feature connected to my blog is the ability to comment.  It seems my readers are not ones who choose to comment, but it would be fun to find out more about them.  If you are reading this, and feel brave, take a moment to comment and share your thoughts with me.  It would be interesting to learn who is on the receiving end of my random thoughts!