Month: January 2016

Today…God is in the Details

A Sunset
A sunset at the end of a day’s journey.

God is in the details of our everyday lives. “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” In my reading today, I have been so blessed by the reminders from my fellow bloggers of whose I am. In reading the Scripture posts and the stories of triumph, overcoming challenges and resting in Him, it is nice to know that we really are the Body of Christ. One such reading is about indecision. This blogger is a great inspiration to me and I enjoy reading her posts. She encourages from the Word of God. I believe that the Holy Spirit transcends time and distance. That said, it is evident that when following the Lord’s direction for your life, you are blessed things that may seem small to us but are significant to God. God is in the details of our lives.
Read more about God in the details…!

Who’s Report Will You Believe?

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Seems like chaos…

You know you have made the right decision to pursue a certain way and then chaos comes to throw you around. You know God has opened a certain door and it seems that the enemy sends distractions to take you off course. This is exactly what is happening to me. I am still working out all the nuances and at this point, I can only be patient. Who’s report will I believe? I will continue to believe the report of the Lord. Read more…!

This Week’s Frenzy…Trying to Figure it Out

Deep Thought
Trying to Figure It Out

This post culminates what I has resonated from reading other bloggers over the past couple days and this week’s frenzy. I mention a couple of these bloggers as well as their article and site links in this post. I have been in a frenzy within myself. Bills need to be paid and I am frustrated with that because not having enough on hand is irritating. (Of course the irritation is fueled by the countless reminders that a bill is past due. Do we have to have them text two to three times a day?) Finance has been a serious struggle of mine, especially being a single parent. The economy has not always been this crazy for lack of a better term. Have I always made the right financial decision? Of course, not. In the vicious circles that play through my head, I try not to end up making the wrong decision. I was reading this post and saw the whole truth of the what we put ourselves through. (https://analindenblog.wordpress.com) The mental cycles that we take ourselves through just to make a final decision, hopefully right decision. I tend to see an end result and want to try any means necessary as the best course of action. That, of course, is not how it always plays out. Finance is a major area where God requires trust. Read more of this week’s frenzy…!

Key Takeaway from My Blogging 101 Experience

<a href=”https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/key-takeaway/”>Key Takeaway</a>

I would say this has been an enriching experience. The key takeaway is that you learn at your own pace. The assignments are great! They are challenging and force you out of your comfort zone. Although there are bloggers who have been at this quite some time, there is always room to improve and move forward in your blogging journey as they have shown. While the key takeaway is learning at your own pace, I must say that the second takeaway, for me, was getting involved in the blogging community. There is such rich material out there and people who want to share their journey of living, laughing, crying, healing and creativity.

One of the best things that I received is the acceptance. I can write my own story. I don’t have to compare myself to others and I get to read some amazing stories from the other bloggers as well as engage. I have learned so much and saw photos that were brilliant. The support from the staff and other writers has been phenomenal. I have been writing a while but was never involved in a community like this. I have found quite a few bloggers to follow and have received quite a few followers myself. My commitment to writing this year started off with bang. Blogging 101 helped to reinforce the commitment and while my writing is far from over, this has been a great foundation.

I still have a couple of assignments to finish. The learning is based on your time. Having a job and other life events occurring, it was challenging but I accepted. The assignments to finish involve tweaking my site and that, to me, is a continuous process. As I grow in this blogging journey, I must say that I do appreciate immensely this stop on my way.

 

Courage is Moving Forward in Spite of Fear

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God’s Hand

Mandy stood staring as she watched her spirit disappear into the floor. She felt hopeless and alone. This week things had gotten worse. “As if they could,” she thought morbidly. The work to maintain any semblance of peace in this relationship seemed futile. She then turned and went to put away the laundry she had done.

As she folded clothes, the thought occurred to her that she had never been in a relationship where things were so bad. She actually married this man. What was she going to do? Even the relationship between her young son Luke and Terry had gone sour. Blended families were so hard. The fear of leaving gripped her even though she knew that things would only get worse. Terry had no desire to change. He couldn’t on his own and did not see the need for help. The conversation to get counseling went sour so what was the point of trying again? She had already done all that she could to make this marriage work.

The violent outbursts were really getting overwhelming. She realized that the nervous stomach she had and that Luke had were because of what was going on in the household. Something had to be done. The service at church was okay. It wasn’t what she needed. Maybe because the anointing of the Holy Spirit wasn’t on the pastor. She hated thinking like that but the truth was the truth. She couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong. Something was amiss.
Continue reading more about Mandy…!

No, Really No?

No, Really No?

“You cannot go, Essie.” Marie had been through this so many times with her teenage daughter. Wanting to go places that just were not a good idea, especially with questionable characters. She went back to her room to grab the basket of clothes she had to put in the washer.Nature declares the glory of God...Back in the kitchen, “Mom, please. I can take care of myself. I won’t do anything that you don’t allow.” Once again, Essie was back at it. “She is the persistent one,” Marie thought to herself, “but came by it quite honestly.” She remembered having these same conversations with her mother. Not quite as persistent, though. Or, maybe it just seemed that she wasn’t as persistent.
Continue reading…!

Faithfulness

Nature's Beauty
The Faithfulness of God in Nature’s Beauty

My comfort today in the Lord is so much stronger. It has been an interesting January. The commitment to writing has been mentioned. A narrower focus, concentrating on my gift and being consistent or faithful has kept me appreciating all that He does for me. Faithfulness is an interesting word because it automatically lends itself to the subject of faith. However, it is not just about faith in God but also about faith in the things you do.

 

Faithfulness is defined by such terms as

  • strict or thorough in the performance of duty; true to one’s word, promises, vows, etc; steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; constant
  • reliable, trusted, or believed
  • adhering or true to fact, a standard
  • full of faith; believing (By the way this is listed as an obsolete definition. I tend to believe there is nothing obsolete about faithfulness.)

In looking at the above definition, it is definitely necessary to build this character trait. In noticing the difference and changes in myself after committing to a particular thing, I can look back and see that when I was all over the place, I was in a chaotic place. There is definitely something to be said for faithfulness. Keep reading on God’s faithfulness…!

Freedom to Rejoice

High HeelsToday’s post is kind of short for me but to the point. “This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)

Today, recognition blesses my soul and that keeping my commitment to the present, the now is wrapped up in this Scripture. I believe that I am truly living now because I have surrendered my gift of writing to Him. Embracing and using this gift to share with others has been a rewarding and eye-opening journey of self-discovery. There’s more, keep reading!

Everything Changes

Daily Post Prompt: Everything Changes

Strolling to the next shop to sightsee, I see a folded piece of paper that looks inviting. Maybe the fact that it wasn’t dirty caught my attention. This meant that the paper hadn’t been there that long. I speed up a little just to make sure no one else reaches it before me. Approaching the paper, I reach down and pick it up. Excitement building for some unknown reason about this piece of paper that everyone else seemed to miss. Could this be a message just for me?
Keep Reading!

Gratitude, Thankfulness and Appreciation

This Life
God Is in the Details

Sounds like these three are all in a boat together, having the same meaning. There are subtle differences in these three words that increase understanding of God being in the details of life. In reading this morning, all three of these words were used. I use Psalm 100:4 to express my understanding these subtle differences.

Thankfulness_conscious of the benefit received (mindful)
There’s more to these three, keep reading!