Thankful

Do I remember to give God thanks for my blessings?  How about for my trials?

In 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 it says to rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Give thanks in all circumstances.

In everything?

Yes, in all circumstances.

When I'm running late and I get stuck at another red light?

          Thankful for an opportunity to speak to Him.

When I burn dinner?

          Thankful that I have food to eat.

When it feels like everything that could go wrong is going wrong?

          Thankful I have Him to lean on when life is too heavy to bear alone.

It's easier to give thanks when life is going my way.  When it fits in my pretty little box and goes according to my plan.  It's easy to be thankful when my dinners turn out fabulous, my kids aren't whining, my husband gets home from work early, and the puppy is behaving well.

But, am I giving Him thanks for those small things?  Am I taking the time to thank Him for my small blessings.

Today, take some time to thank Him for your blessings and your trials.

Jesus, we thank You.  We thank you for everything in our lives.  The good, the bad.  We lay it all out before you and give thanks.  We know that You will use all things to work together for our good.  And we trust in You, now and forever.  Amen.

Blessings,
Megan

Oak Trees

I suffer from "hurrying sickness."  I always feel like I need to be going, doing, going, doing.  Over and over again.  My to do list never ends.  I mark one thing off and add two more.  I am constantly moving or doing something.  I feel unproductive if I'm not.  But, that's not what God wants for us.

Listen to the story of Mary and Martha.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman 

named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the 

Lord's feet listening to what he said.  But Martha, was distracted by all the preparations 

that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has 

left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but 

few things are needed - or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not 

be taken away from her."

Luke 10:38-42 NIV

Jesus told Martha that what she was doing wasn't important, it wasn't necessary.  That what she needed to do was let go of it and sit down and enjoy the time with Him.  When is the last time you were able to made time to sit down and enjoy His company.  To really spend time with Him.  

Can you do that today?  Can you put everything in your mind aside and spend time with Him?  

Sometimes God calls us to be doing more and sometimes it's less.  Last week I talked about feeling stuck and how there is freedom in letting go and embracing where God has called you to be.  

Since I am always going and doing I think that should be the way my spiritual growth should be.  I do something and it should stick right away, right?  Wrong.  It takes time to solidify our spiritual growth.  We have to put in the time with Him and work.  Then we have to give it time to stick.

Friends, what if the "stuck" times are the times we are solidifying our growth.  When God wants to make a squash He takes six months.  When God wants to make an oak tree He takes one hundred years.  He takes time to make squash and oak trees.  He takes time when it comes to our spiritual growth too.  

In the Book The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith he states the following.

"Some years we may experience tremendous growth, and some we see very little 

change.  An oak tree has only a couple of months of actual growth each year in terms of 

measurable expansion, says Strong.  The rest of the year, the other ten months, are spend 

solidifying that growth."

So embrace your slower times.  Let them be the times that solidify all of the work He has done in you. 

I'll end with a prayer from The Good and Beautiful God.

Patient and loving God, when you want to make a squash you take six months, when you want to make an oak tree you take one hundred years. You created us, O Lord, to be eternal spiritual beings, more immense than we could ever imagine. Stretch out our arms to embrace the rhythm and pace that you have created the universe to operate at. Through our reading and discussion today and through the on-going practices of our faith may we be healed of hurry sickness. Amen.

Peace,

Megan

The Good Life

The Casting Crowns song has been going through my mind all day, all week in fact.  Seek Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly with your God.  Over and over again.  So, I have one verse on my heart today.  That verse is Micah 6:8.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  (NIV, emphasis mine) 

In the Message the verse reads like this;

But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women.  

It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, 

and don't take your self too seriously - take God seriously.

Maybe you know this verse, maybe you don't.  This defines what our walk with the Lord should look like.    So what exactly does it mean to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly?

Act Justly- a commitment to fairness in relationships, do what is right

Love Mercy- a heart response to the needs of others which compels a person to help, love kindness and live with compassion toward others

Walk Humbly- remain responsive to God, submitting gladly to His will

By doing these three things, Micah says, God's followers will please Him and live happy lives.  Simple lives.  God honoring lives.

Friends, the good life is simpler than we think.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength and love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:30-31, NIV).  

Blessings,

Megan

One of Those Days

Have you ever had one of those days weeks that just seems like nothing could go right.  I'm having one of those this week.  It's the first full week of summer vacation and I'm glad my kids are home, but it's been raining.  A lot.  We even went to the pool yesterday and it rained while we were there.  So we've been stuck inside. A lot.

This week it feels like nothing is going my way.  I feel like bursting into tears and have several times.  You know at great times like driving to the pediatricians office or to the grocery store.  I'm just emotional.  I'm worn out and I'm tired.

But that right there "nothing is going my way" is probably my biggest problem.  I'm trying to control my life and my situations and when they don't go my way, I pout.  Maybe I even through a fit.  Isaiah 55:8-9 says "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.  "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Yesterday I decided to forced myself to do an audio Holy Yoga practice with Brooke Boon.  It was on my mat where I heard Him say this.  

Why are you trying to do this alone?  Why are you trying to rely on yourself to get you through this?  I'm right here waiting for you to let me help you.

Bam!  How true is that?  Why don't I rely on Him when the going gets tough?  Because I know from experience that it's going to get tough.  Life is one big roller coaster with ups and downs.

Matthew 11:28-30 says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

He wants to bear the weight of my loads, of your loads.  He wants to help us through the thick of it and get us to the other side.  It won't be easy, it will take work.  But He will give us rest.  He has a plan and it's a good one.  I just don't know what it is.  But, if I take the time to be with Him every chance I can I might start to see little bits and pieces of it.

"For I know the plan I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Can you lean into Him with me today?  Can you trust Him enough to let go of your plans?

Blessings,
Megan

His Plans {Holy Yoga Message}

You may recognize this picture from this post or from seeing this labyrinth at the Holy Yoga retreat in April at Spirit in the Desert .  

Do you stumble through life trying to keep control, but knowing that if you gave up control to Him it would be so much greater than anything you could imagine?  That's me... join the club.  It's not a club I want to be in, but I'm human.  I make mistakes.  I try to surrender and it's hard.  It give into fear and hold on to control. I'm learning that when I do let go it truly is so much better.  His plans are always better and greater than the plans that I think are good for me.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (emphasis mine)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Friends He doesn't want to harm us.  He wants to prosper us, give us hope and a future.  What do we have to do?  Call on Him and pray to Him and He will listen.  He will listen to our prayers, the desires of our hearts.  He will show us where He wants us to go.  What path he wants us to take.  Trust Him.

Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in a persons heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

It is His purpose that will prevail.  Ask Him what His purpose, His plan is for you.

Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

His Word lights our paths.  We need to read it, digest it in our souls.  When we're lost or confused it's what He's given us to look to for answers.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.

Trust.  Surrender.  Sacrifice your life to Him.  Daily.  Hourly.  He is there for you and He wants to help you. You have to let Him help you.  He won't help without your permission.  

Our job is to focus on the present, not in the past or the future.  Be here with God in the moment.  He's forgiven our past and He has the future in His hands.  Trust in Him.  We're on His path.

Blessings,

Megan