Are you thirsty?

In An Ordinary Coffee Shop
2 Feb 2010
Marybeth Whalen

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6 (NIV)

I sat down with my cup of green tea and breathed a sigh of relief. My kids were occupied for the morning and I was looking forward to the brief respite that I had coming. Three hours of quiet—no one asking me for anything, no one fighting, no one complaining. Just some good old-fashioned peace and quiet. I planned to make good use of my time by making an appointment to meet with God. But could I trust Him to show up?

I had originally planned to use this rare time alone to "get things done." I had even made a list of all that I hoped to accomplish. But after frustration with my kids, angry words exchanged with my husband, and a nagging feeling that something just wasn't right, I felt God whisper to my heart: Put away that list and spend some time with Me. I knew that was exactly what I should do.

The coffee shop was far from quiet. Loud jazz music played on the speakers and the voices of patrons and machines intruded on my thoughts at first. Could God speak over all the noise? I pulled out my journal and began to write how I felt, what was on my mind, and asked God to speak to me in the midst of this most ordinary of places.

I wrote down that I felt dry, barren, like my soul was cracking from lack of refreshment from Him. I confessed that I had not made time for Him like I should and that my soul felt the gap that had formed. And then I wrote "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening…" and I waited for Him to do just that.

I turned the page of my journal to find Psalm 107:9 written at the bottom of the next page: "For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." Astonished, I found the verse in my Bible and began to cross reference the word "thirsty." I had come thirsty. I had come dehydrated. I needed Him to water my soul.

And He did. Frantically I scribbled what He was speaking through His Word. Again and again that morning I was astonished and amazed by what His Word had to say—the many promises of what He would do for those of us who come thirsty. Two hours later, I closed my Bible and journal with a big smile on my face and a full tank of the joy that can only come from spending time with Abba. Like Moses stumbling upon a burning bush in an ordinary desert, I had had an encounter with the Living God in the midst of a most ordinary place.

Do you need Him to meet with you today? Are you wondering if He will keep the appointment? I can promise you that there was nothing special about the way I approached Him. I didn't have a magic formula or extra special direct line to Him. I simply came to Him thirsty—parched and desperate for His living water. I opened up my heart and my life to Him and then I listened to what He had to say. It was that simple and that complex all at the same time. I am grateful that I put away my to-do list, cleared my calendar for that morning and kept the appointment I had made. God showed up and changed my life all over again. All in an ordinary coffee shop.

Dear Lord, thank You for being the God Who Is Near. Thank You for meeting with me wherever and whenever I seek You. Thank You for Your word, which speaks to me, reminding me of Your promises and refilling my soul. I need Your living water, Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Wow, I'm still here

Holy cow it's been a long time!!! February was the last post!! A lot has happened since then. Nothing extremely exciting, but a lot nonetheless. I'll just touch on the latest thing - a family Reunion on my Mother-in-Law's side. It was absolutely a blast. We stayed at his Uncle and Aunt's ranch in Westcliffe, Co. we roasted marshmellows and made s'mores, 7/8ths of the family hiked the side of a mountain nearby, while those of us with youngins 'hiked' the short trail (3 mins.)and let the kiddos play by or in the stream by the bridge where we were to meet up with the rest of the fam (45 mins. later). The kids were asked by Auntie to look out for walking sticks on the hike because they were going to decorate them later in the weekend. We also had gunny sack races, three-legged races - kids w/kids, kids w/ adults and adults w/ adults; horse races (Auntie had these adorable plush horse 'costumes' that the kids slid on over their shoulders), made gak, lassoed 'bulls', had church in a barn, and decorated the walking sticks, went to Garden of the Gods and went to The Royal Gourge (which we happened to get in free because we went in the south entrance and the woman working that 'gate' was awesome!!!!!) My family and I got to sleep in the Greenery? I can't remember if that's what it is called. We used a Port-a-Potty all weekend, had some yummy food, and saw some family that we hadn't even seen in years. It was nothing short of a blessing!

Take Back the Reigns

I was working on finishing up a Beth Moore study that's been done for quite some time, when I a song washed over me. The lesson that that I last finished was on the Power of the Tongue, how we can use it "to praise our LORD and Father, and use it to curse man." (James 3:9) I have tongue issues, as verse 2 and 8 state, we all do, and at the end of the daily portion of the lesson, it asks you to bring your issues to the LORD and let him know what's on your heart and how He can help. I am a nurturer by default, so much so that I want to fix things, mainly people. Sometimes the only part in their mending I should have is to just be ears, or a shoulder. James 1:19 asks us to take note of this: "to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." Three areas that are my weakest when it comes to my mouth.

Back to the fixing thing. I am utterly and completely guilty of trying to fix my husband. I have been convicted, many times, of being in God's way of growing my husband. This is not a good lesson to be stubborn about learning! I really pray that I would GET OUT OF THE WAY, for good. Not only am I causing myself heartache, but also damaging my relationship with my husband because I think I need to fix it. Are there any doctors who'll staple mouths shut? Sign me up!

I love how in James 1:19 the first thing that we are to note is to be "quick to listen." Which if you rearrange the letters also spells SILENT. Not a coincidence. I'm not always the best listener, especially when I get passionate about something. Whether I'm right or not is not the point, it doesn't matter if I don't have love for the other person to listen to what they have to say as well.

Now, back to the song that washed over me. One of my past Youth Minister's and his wife made an album and one of the songs on the album is entitled 'Give me the Reigns' and which the words to are:

Jesus' time had come to give his life.
He said, "Everything will be different now, but that's alright.
I will go to Jerusalem and declare who I am.
I will go to my Father and prepare the way for man,"
but Peter said, "No! Lord I know best, give me the reigns.
LORD listen to reason this isn't a game
I have decided, to give it my all, do it the best
show everyone that I'll stand up to the test,
do what I can, never will fall, never will stumble, but I'll always stand tall
go it alone, never with you, LORD you don't know what I've been going through
And I still wonder why it does wrong.

Take off your shoes, Moses.
He said, "I've chosen you to lead my people.
You will go to Pharoah and declare who I am.
And I will go there with you and reveal to you my plan,"
but Moses said, "No! And I wonder why, when I'm on my own
it never turns out the way I planned?
LORD, why, when I'm all alone? I just don't understand."

Don't make me go, Sprit.
There's so much more I need to know about my future.
My life seemed so wide open till you came with your call
but LORD it's not that simple just to give to you my all
I want to say, "Lord you know best, take back the reigns.
Lord give me your reasons, I'm living in pain
I have decided
to give up control, only to you
fall on my knees, chasing only what's true
take it to heart, learn that I can't
find that on you I can depend till the end
show you my love, that's all I know
LORD, please lead me where you want me to go
Jesus oh Jesus, show me your way
Show me Your way

I often "wonder why." Why "it never turns out the way I planned?" Hmmm, as easy as it is for me to believe satans lies that I'll never get "it" - getting out of the way, so why even bother. I know that I have the victory!!! He that is in me, is greater than he that is in the world! (1 John 4:4) And as long as I'm faithful to the One "who began a good work in me," He will be faithful to "carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus"

I pray that I would see the obstacles in my life, not as discouraging stumbling blocks, but as empowering spring boards. I can either chose to praise my LORD and Father or curse man with my tongue, "As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD!" (Joshua 24:15b) I chose to give back the reigns, what will you chose?

It's been a long time, but that's okay, things have been busy. But I've just got to share. My sweet Kelby did the most sweetest thing last night. I was on the computer checking mail and such, and Kelby starts putting the dishes from the dishwasher away. At first I was like, "Oh hunny, no, no, no, those aren't cleaned yet...." But then I realized they were and let him proceed. I helped him put a couple of the plates away, but other than that, he did it all! And he wiped the table down too! He asked me "Mommy, do you know why I'm doing this?" "No baby, why?" "So that you don't have to." My heart melted, as you could imagine. I then asked him if he wanted water or lemonade and he said lemonade. So, I made him some. He asked me if I was getting him some lemonade because he was working hard :oD, "Yes sweet boy, you are working hard." I pray that that selfless servants heart continues to grow. I pray that I can nurture it respectively. That was a beautiful way to end the day.

"God's Mirror"

This is part of an excerpt from the book I'm Not Good Enough by Sharon Jaynes. You can read the rest of the excerpt by clicking on the title of the this post. Wow!!! I'm hooked!

When we look into God’s mirror, His incredible love letter to us we
call the Bible, we discover the truth. God does love you (Colossians
3:12). You have an entire cloud of witnesses cheering for you (Hebrews
12:1). You are God’s masterpiece…a work of beautiful art (Ephesians
2:10). You are good enough because Christ lives in you (John 14:20).
You are a chosen, holy, dearly loved child of God. Th at’s the truth.
Let’s get out of the house of mirrors and start seeing ourselves as God
sees us.
In one of John’s letters, he wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear
that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4). I believe that
God has no greater joy than to know that His children are walking
in the truth. When we are walking in the truth, the lies are exposed.
We can recognize the lie, reject the lie, and replace the lie with truth.
Th en, and only then, can we be all that God has created us to be and
do all that God has created us to do. We can experience the abundant
life He planned all along.

Three Years Ago Today

Wow, it's been a while! Well, today is my now, three year olds birthday! It's finally here. Not that I was wanting it to get here fast, but actually thankful that it's gone by what seems to feel like, slowly. She's actually 3 going on 13. She's quite the ham, but also has a very shy side. And when she wants to, she can wrap you around her finger in a matter of seconds. She's a charmer, just like her Daddy ;o). Even though she can be sweet, she also can get an attitude that is nothing shy of ugly. I hope, and pray that I can consistently and effectively harness that attitude. There are some goods things intertwined in there - she recognizes her boundaries and her space. Now, I just need to teach, and learn myself, how to appropriately express those boundaries without being cold, rude or mean. Praise God his mercies are new every day!! And despite my faults, God still uses me to plant healthy seeds in my children.

Happy Birthday Clara Jean!! Mommy loves you!!!

"Winning Over Worry"

I so needed this today!!!

December 30, 2008
Winning Over Worry, Part 2
Mary Southerland

Today's Truth
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

Friend to Friend
In Philippians 4:4-7, Paul gives us the promise of peace. However, there are conditions to be met and actions we must take in order to experience that peace and win over worry.

Action one: Choose joy

Action two: Be gentle

Philippians 4:5 gives an unusual directive concerning worry. "Let your gentleness be evident to all." "Gentleness" literally means "humility, softness and tenderness" and seems to indicate that part of dealing with worry is related to the directive that we must be gentle with everyone. The Living Bible translates "gentle" as "unselfish and considerate". Any way you look at it, this truth is in direct opposition to the viewpoint of the world in which we live. Power and assertiveness gain respect while gentleness is often viewed as weakness. In God's eyes, gentleness is harnessed strength, and a controlled power. What does gentleness have to do with eliminating worry? Paul is saying the way we treat people affects our peace. Many of us have lives filled with worry because we have relationships filled with conflict. When we are not gentle, conflict is the inevitable result. Worry and anxiety thrive in the atmosphere of conflict. What does it mean to be gentle in our relationships?

· Gentleness is willing to give up control.

James 3:17a "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and full of quiet gentleness. It allows discussion and is willing to yield to others." Gentleness can always find a patch of common ground, giving people room to grow and change.

Gentleness doesn't control but is willing to yield or submit to one another in love.

· Gentleness is love in action.

James 3:17b "Gentleness if full of mercy and good deeds." When gentleness sees a need, it does something about it. It is compelled to take action!

· Gentleness forgives.

Colossians 3:13 "Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Gentleness is quick to give and to receive forgiveness, always taking the responsibility to initiate forgiveness.

· Gentleness wages peace.

Hebrews 12:14 "Pursue peace with all people." "Gentleness" does not retaliate but pursues peace instead. The goal of gentleness is unity. I've read that when thoroughbred horses are under attack, they stand in a circle, face each other, and with their back legs kick out at the enemy! Donkeys do just the opposite. They face the enemy and kick each other.

We are called to wage peace. When we practice gentleness and pursue peace in our relationships, there will be less conflict, more unity and fewer footholds for worry.

Action three: Be aware of His presence.

Philippians 4:5 "The Lord is near." We often pray, asking for God's presence when our prayer should be, "Lord, make me aware of your presence." He is near but many times our lives and hearts are too crowded to see or hear Him. The more we are aware of God's presence the less we will worry. We become aware of His presence through:

· Bible

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword."

The most powerful weapon against worry is scripture. Read it. Memorize it. Immerse your life in it. The word of God grounds us, repelling worry. When worry comes - reject it! Deflect it with the shield of God's word.

· Prayer

1 Peter 5:7 "Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you."

Prayer is simply conversation with God and a powerful weapon against worry. I read of a widow who had successfully raised a large family of eighteen children, twelve of whom were adopted. Yet, she never seemed to worry. During an interview, a reporter asked the secret of her peace and confidence. She said, "I'm not alone. I'm in a partnership with God. Years ago, I said "Lord, I'll do the work and you do the worrying! I have had peace ever since!"

· Friends

Ecclesiastes 4:12 "And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

When you share your fears with others, they grow smaller because someone has gotten under the load with you. A shared load is a lighter load. We tend to hide our fears in darkness where they grow and strengthen, instead of bringing them out into the light where they will die. When we try to be "lone-ranger Christians" and handle our fears on our own, we are susceptible to attacks that will defeat us. When we stand together, our strength is multiplied and we are not easily beaten.

· Experience

James 1:17 "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow."

The more we know Him, the more we will understand that He really is who He says He is and that He is willing and able to work in our lives. We will naturally begin to trust Him and soon discover that He is faithful.

So much worry is buried in the unknown. The "known" victories of yesterday can destroy the fear of today's "unknown" circumstances because He is always the same. What a security comes when we realize that we can truly count on Him. God's presence empowers us to win over worry. When you are tempted to worry, stop and go back over the books, remembering the victories and celebrating them once again. The God who delivered you yesterday will deliver you today and tomorrow! The experiences of life prove Him true and underline His presence within.

Let's Pray
Father, help me to handle the relationships in my life with gentleness. When there is conflict, give me the strength to confront it in Your love. I long for Your presence in my life. Help me to be more aware of Your hand at work.

In Jesus' name, I pray
Amen.