Fun For You!

So, what is it? What is it that makes your spirit soar - your insides smile while your outside beams?
I call it fun. And, I have found a key to fun in my life. Dancing. Moving to music - usually in a quick beat - mouthing words to a song and jumping around on the floor in some sort of rythym - FUN.
Now, that may not be fun for you. You may like another form of smiles - but I just want to encourage you to have fun.
When I was growing up, expressions like "act your age" stymied me - caused me to think before enjoying myself - "Was what I was about to participate in age appropriate?"
Cartwheels and handstands were given over to an appropriate age -
But, not any more. Now, I don't know if I can still do a cartwheel or handstand very well - but I may try as soon as the green grass is soft for a landing.
For today, though, I do know that when I dance, my spiritual, physical, mental and emotional being receives a burst of joy.
So, I will continue because I think that means God created me that way.
Here is a toast to you - and whatever you enjoy - may you participate in it fully and may your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual being receive bursts of joy :)
Have a blessed day!

Reading

I love to tell stories. How much fun is it to enjoy a good story with a happy ending?
Now, the Bible is so full of so many stories, my favorite being about Our Lord and Savior paying the price for us to be righteous before His and Our Father. Sweet!
But, I learned a new one today.
Now, I have read the Bible a lot and it never ceases to amaze me. How can I read a verse and learn something new - when I know I have read it before?
Boaz is a sweet character in the Bible - he married Ruth - who the book of Ruth is named after. I have always loved the book of Ruth and would sometimes call David "Boaz" :)
Boaz married Ruth and they were used by God in the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Today, I found out who Boaz' Mom was - and to think that she was a harlot before being spared by Joshua and then marrying an Israelite, Salmon.
WOW - amazing how God put that together.
Joshua sent spies to Jericho, (before the walls fell down) and Hagar, the harlot, hid the spies from her townspeople. They promised her refuge when the city fell - gave it to her and she remained alive and well - along with all members of her family - when everyone else in Jericho lost their lives.
So, before a harlot - then, redeemed by God's people - and given a place in history of importance (see the first chapter of Matthew).
I am so grateful that no matter what our past involved, once we come to The LORD, He can make something beautiful out of our lives.
Amazing!
Now, you Bible scholars, feel free to correct me - but I do like what I think I learned :)
Enjoy your reading!!

Gratitude

Have you ever cried tears of gratitude? What a wonderful gift God has given us in life - and the wonderful people we are able to celebrate it with.
I am so grateful that God chose this century for me to live - so grateful for the lives He has poured into my life - people I call family, friends, neighbors, teachers, etc.
So grateful.
Sometimes, I look at a picture of some people in my life and cry - just cry with tears of gratitude that I get to be associated with the people in the photo.
May we all enjoy who we spend time with each day - through relationships on the phone, in person, in writing or in memory - and remember that they are a gift from God.
What an amazing God we serve.
May Jesus' gift of life be appreciated :)

Wham?

Well, we can just go about our day and - wham - there it is - a memory that takes us someplace else. Now, I was in a good place - even though I made mistakes today, I was able to live with them and believe God was teaching me something that I would eventually learn.
Then, deciding to hang pictures on a different wall - there it is. A wedding photograph. Now, there are very sweet photos I am blessed to own. Very Sweet. I am grateful for every photograph.
But, why, when I focused on my wedding photograph from 1995 - why did the thought enter my mind to take a hammer and break the glass?
Where do those type of thoughts come from?
Wow - taking every thought captive - yes, that is what The Bible asks us to do - and make it obedient to Jesus Christ -
Now, I know that breaking the glass is not obedient to Jesus Christ.
So, as I try to hang the picture, I thank God that I ever got the chance to spend time with this wonderful man that I was married to - and I softly place the picture on its nail with a gentle hand.
Taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Jesus Christ.
A much sweeter life :)

Mission

I've decided that we are each on a mission. Kind of like Missionaries from God - sent to earth - with His desire to have a relationship with us while we carry it out.
So, we go about our days - and forget we are on a mission.
At least I do. I start to think about what I think my life should be like.
My focus should be: "What would God want me to do today? With what He has given me - my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual state - how can I use them best to honor Him? Make Him glad He sent me on this mission?"
It has finally dawned on me that David completed his mission. Now, I want everyone's mission to be 80 or so years long. I think God loves that we love life. :)
But, I have no idea what their mission is on earth - only God knows.
In Psalm 139, it says that "every day ordained for me was written in your book before one of them came to be." He orchestrated the mission.

Now, we can do things in the hopes of living each day as well as we can - like taking care of our bodies by eating healthy and doing exercise - taking care of our minds by learning - taking care of our spirits by praying, studying the Bible, and relating to others. I do believe that God encourages us to take care of ourselves so we can serve Him better during our mission. And, we do have an enemy that tries to thwart God's purposes for our mission.
But, as I do my part in enjoying the gift of life, I also recognize that my mission is simply to serve an Amazing God that chose me to be His so He could walk with me through my mission - and make it more joy-filled - because He defeated the enemy already.
So, thank you Lord.
Thank you for my mission on earth - and for the mission of all those that I get to share life with - what a wonderful group of people to know and love.
We are wonderfully made -
Enjoy the way God made you and your mission :)

God Eternal

I am trying to wrap a part of my brain around a bit of A.W. Tozer. For me, he is one of those writers that, when I first begin to read, I think "Better slow down with this" and take what he knows very slowly - kind of like chewing on a really tender piece of "pink in the middle" filet mignon.
This is what I was trying to digest:
"The mind looks backward in time till the dim past vanishes then turns and looks into the future till thought and imagination collapse from exhaustion; and God is at both points, unaffected by either."
It is from a chapter trying to shed more light on the thought of the Eternity of God.
It comforted me.
To think that the God who loves me knows the past and the future and is "unaffected" means, to me, that His Love covers it. If His love covers it, what concerns do I really have? Really? Do I have any?
The chapter goes on to say "He sees the end and the beginning in one view." And, later on I quote "For NOW and THEN coincide in the circle of the wall of Paradise."
Now, that says it all!
Okay - so as my mind spins, trying to focus on what I can grasp of this - I know this much -
God knows each day of my life - and yours - and He promises He will never leave nor forsake us!
It seems to me to be a little bit like taking someone to a movie I have already seen - and, if they get concerned during a scene, I gently whisper in their ear "It is okay. I know how it turns out - don't be concerned."
Wow, can I sleep in peace. He has already seen the movie.
Have a blessed night's sleep.