Refocused

Good evening to all of you~ It’s Wednesday! Hang in there:)

Would you come over here and sit down with me - just for a few. Wanna tell you about my morning - if that’s okay. Please make yourself comfortable - there is coffee, tea, apple juice:) - whatever you like it’s there. Sit back - put your feet up - go ahead and rest for a few minutes.

I have shared with you that I work with preschoolers. I love being with them - helps get me through the day. They have such a different view of life then we do. It helps me keep things in proper perspective - or try anyway.

One of the things I get to do is what we call Motor Development or Motor Movement. I love it!  It gives me the chance to work with all the kids and it is “our” time together.

We do lots of things with this time. It is a time to learn about balance and running and how to bounce a ball; etc. We do so many different things and though it is “learning stuff” the kids see it as play time with Miss Sheri:) I love it! I love watching them progress through out the year and begin to “do” the things that they could not do at the beginning of the year.  It is such a sense of accomplishment for them to become successful at the things they are being taught.

So why did I bring this up you say? I heard that question:) I bring it up because of what the lesson plan was about. One of the things they had to do - they had to walk sideways across a 6 ft board. Might not sound hard but for 2 and 3 year olds it is rather tough! And they had to keep their eyes up. They couldn’t look down at their feet - they had to keep their eyes on me as we walked down and then walked back to the other end.

It was quite comical to watch how some of them didn’t even attempt to keep their eyes up - those are the ones I had to reach over and lift their chin up and hold their focus where it belonged. Some of them kept their “faces” up but the eyes would sneak “down” and peak so that they could see where they are going:)  some would go back and forth - sometimes looking down and sometimes looking up.

One was trying so very hard not to look and not having much success so with one hand I held her chin up and then held her hand with the other. Man was that hard! She wanted so badly to look:) - So, I told her that if she held her tongue just right - that would help:) And she did it and it worked! lol go figure

Anyway - you know where I am going with this right? Whatever God asks of us will usually require trusting Him beyond what we think is possible. It might even require Him holding up our chin:) He does that you know~ Did you know that? He does - sometimes He does it through His word~ Sometimes it is His Spirit that lifts our gaze back onto Him. Sometimes He brings a brother or sister in Christ who comes alongside at just the right moment. They can’t walk it for you but they stand in front of you or beside you - cheering you on - Lifting your chin so that your eyes stay where they belong. Sometimes even making you laugh so that even for a brief moment the path doesn’t seem so bad:)

This most certainly was longer then planned - sorry for taking so much of your time. I pray that some how God uses it to speak to you tonight. Good night and God bless~ 

Originally Written 1/30/02

Unfailing Love

Good evening~ How are you tonight? I’ve prayed for you today - did you feel it? Were you able to sense - even in a small way that God was right there beside you? Maybe you didn’t - then I will keep praying.

For some reason as I sit down to do this my heart is sad - sad for those around me who are hurting. Sad for the changes coming in their lives. Sad for the changes coming in mine.

So what does one do when one feels that way? Well I don’t know about you but one of the things I tend to do is turn on some praise music and open up His word to the Psalms. It helps me put that focus back where it belongs.

I must admit that there are times when as much as I know that I need to be in His word and putting my focus on Him - It is the hardest thing to do. Sometimes the grief or the sadness is so strong that it would be much easier to just put it aside. Sometimes it would be easier to just run away and hide.

But you know~ God doesn’t want either of those options for His children. His love for us is never ending and He never fails us. Never!

As I am writing this there is a song playing in the back ground and it is one that has touched my heart many of times.

You know~ I think if it’s okay with you I’ll put the words here and leave you with it to ponder on. I pray that it will touch your heart and that you will know tonight beyond any doubt that His love is never ending and unfailing.

Good night~

“When the darkness fills my senses. When my blindness keeps me from Your touch - Jesus come ~ When my burden keeps me doubting. When my memories take the place of You - Jesus come~ And I'll follow You there - to the place where we meet. And I'll lay down my pride as You search me again. Your unfailing love, Your unfailing love, Your unfailing love, over me again!”

Originally Written 1/29/02

Priestly Garments

Good evening or morning - depending on when you are reading this. Hope this finds all of you resting in the presence of your Father. If not - I pray you will soon.

I needed to take a break from my studies - too much thinking required:) But God gave me something tonight and I thought you might enjoy it. Please... grab your bible and come sit with me - think you’ll like this.

I think I had shared with you recently about the description of the tabernacle in Exodus. Think there was also talk about the priestly garments that were made. They used blue and scarlet and purple fabrics - fine linen. The thread that was used was pure gold. They had a breastplate that had precious stones - representing each of the twelve tribes - Turquoise, Sapphire, Diamond, Ruby, Topaz, emerald, jacinth, onyx and jasper. Each stone set in settings of gold.

So here you have these beautiful garments with gold thread glistening in the light with this breastplate with these magnificent gems. All for the men who would serve in the position of high priest wore these garments.

It made me think of how Christ who being our High Priest took on the human garment of sin so that I could someday take on His robe of righteousness. What He did for you and me on the cross was in a way - laying down His beautiful, perfect priestly garments and He took my filthy rags, the stench of my sin and bearing it all so that I wouldn’t have to.

Open your bible to Isaiah 61:10. Go ahead - read it - I’ll wait......

Do you see it?

Do you see where it says that He will clothe you with garments of salvation?

Wrap you in robes of righteousness?

Stop and think for a moment what those garments might look like.

Will they be as beautiful as what the Priests wore in Exodus? Maybe?

You know if Christ paid the price and He sees me as washed - clean - is it possible that the garments He will clothe me in will be spotless white? Think that is a very good possibility~

Wow! By accepting Him as my Savior allowing Him to wash me white as snow, I then am privileged to wear His robe - His pure spotless garment. As beautiful and magnificent as the priestly robes were - what Christ has to offer is far better - and we don’t have to be a priest to wear it - it’s ours because of what He did for us.

Next time you are looking at the clothes hanging in your closet think about the garment you can’t see - the robe that Christ has given you.....

Good night~

1/28/02