Sunday, May 3, 2009

God Is In Control

April 27 - May 3, 2009:

I have been trying to get to my blog and make a post today, covering the highlights of my past week, but it's been an absolutely beautiful day out, with a temperature of about 70....perfect. So we were out and about on the golf cart today, with the doggies. They like to play "sheriff"...feeling like they are in control...telling the squirrels off when they run in front of us, letting other dogs know who's the boss, chasing after rabbits and prairie dogs, showing no mercy on any cats we might see...all of this from the safety of the golf cart seat and my lap, of course. The dogs, like me, think that riding the golf cart is what "camping" is all about. This is the life!!

Well, we are finally budding out here in lower Michigan. The lilacs are coming out in full bloom and scent, and Bradford Pear trees are blooming. The leaves are coming on, as well as the rose bushes. Grass is getting hard to keep up with in all the rain. We've had nice days, cooler nights, but spring is definitely in the air. Our snowbirds are almost all back home for the summer, and this past weekend was opening day in our RV park. We had a pot luck dinner with the RVers and the 45 volunteer youth workers, grilling hamburgs and hot dogs to supplement all the side dishes. Lots of work done on the grounds yesterday and in our tabernacle, thanks to all the volunteers. This is an exciting place to be as we see life returning in all shapes and forms.

I'm proud of a couple of guys in my life...one traveling for his company to represent them at an annual conference, the other passing his GRE with a perfect math score. I'm excited to know that summer is only a month or so away, and our granddaughters will be visiting us for two weeks. And, in the midst of all the disturbing news in the media, God is still on the throne and still at work in our world. In Him I have peace, I have a future, and I have hope. What more do I need?

Now to my journal notes from this past week. I'm going to list them this time by putting the title of the Book first and then the highlights of what God has brought to my attention this past week.

Unto The Hills, Billy Graham (see reference at right):

1. Wealth is not measured by an abundance of possessions, rather, how few the wants.

2. "Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." (Matthew 6:33 NLT)

Putting the Pieces Together, Louie Bustle (see reference at right):

1. Christian Perfection is characterized by:

  • living without sin, for sin is a choice to deliberately disobey God. No one can force us to sin...we choose to sin. We must make the right choices and live without sinning.
  • loving God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.
  • having the purest of intentions/motives, even if our actions do not always turn out well.
  • if God has set a standard for us to obtain, he will also make it possible for us to live it.
  • "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48 NLT)

2. Holiness can be described simply as loving God with our whole heart. The more we love him, the more we want to please him, obey him, do his will, consecrate/submit our entire life/self to him. God wants our love more than anything else.

3. The best gift God has chosen to give us is the indwelling of his Holy Spirit. We have within us Someone on call 24/7 who will guide us, comfort us, strengthen us...whatever our need is. However, in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we must first ask God to cleanse our hearts, as he cannot dwell where sin resides.

"The Word For You Today" (see reference at right):

1. When life knocks you down, the winners are the ones who get back up.

2. When we look hard enough, we will see good in every situation. No matter what we go through, God will get the glory, and will work it out for our good.

3. What happens in you is more important than what happens to you. Jesus living in us will help us to be overcomers in this life.

4. It's not what others do to us that determines the outcome or future...it's what we choose to do. We must accept responsibility for our own actions and reactions.

5. "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39 NLT)

A neat thing happened in my life this week to let me know that my Heavenly Father knows and cares about me. This is a tight month financially. I pay my bills at the first of the month, then I know what I have left for daily living for the rest of the month, and somehow I have to make it work. I knew as soon as I paid the bills, for there were extra ones this month (insurance, quarterly sewer bills, misc.) that it would be a difficult month if not for God's intervention. So, the day after I wrote all the checks, including the tithe checks for the month, in the mail comes an insurance reimbursement check for a situation that occurred with our van back in 2007. Two years have gone by, and I had pretty much forgotten about it, certainly never expected a reimbursement...and along it comes just when we needed it most. That's the faithfulness of God. That's why I know I should never worry, as long as I put Him first in my life. I can trust Him. Therefore, I can love Him!! And I do, make no mistake about it. He is Supreme in my life!

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