Focus Not Fog...

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.   ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Do you ever have those times when anxiety seems to creep up on you for no real reason? I find that the busier I am the less anxious I tend to get. There is always cleaning, decluttering and organizing to do, but… I love it when it’s done, but I have to be in the mood to do it! 

I joined a group once for decluttering and putting perfectionism out of my life, called FlyLady. One of her articles was talking about driving in the fog and how if I get antsy and overwhelmed while trying to clean and organize my home it is like driving in the fog. 

I was thinking about how it is the same when I let my thoughts and emotions overwhelm me and cause me to be frustrated in my life spiritually! I take my focus off God and put it on the junk going on around me or the thoughts and questions I have going through my head.  I am guilty of using distraction to keep me from staying on task! Anyone else have that problem too??? I listen more to the enemy’s voice in my ear than the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart.  

There is no good way to get through my day in a fog… maybe fog stands for Free Of God??? WOW! Why would I want to live a life in FOG?  I don’t!  Waiting… being still… trusting is soooo hard for me to do so many times.  I have always been a doer and I know God has spoken to my heart about that so many times in the past.  Maybe this time I will actually learn something.  

The anxiety can so easily build up in me because my flesh says God is not moving quickly enough… He is not showing me the next step… He is causing my frustration and loneliness.  But in my spirit I know none of those things are true.  In these times I have to take a deep breath, confess my unbelief, and remember it is not about me anyway!  It is my fault for taking my eyes off Him! Don’t be like Peter when he stepped out of the boat. He was walking on water while he kept his focus on Jesus, but what happened as soon as he looked away? (Matthew14:22-33) God’s timing is perfect!  How many times does the Bible say to be patient?

Remember… if you are standing firm in your faith… then courage, strength and love should come more easily... it’s a good way to see what you are really standing on. Focus on Him!

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

No Fretting Allowed...

I pray quite often about trusting in God for the plans He has for me... how that

even though I do not know what in the world He is doing in our life situation His plan is to prosper me, not to cause me harm, to give me hope for a wonderful future.  How about you? Once again, I need to remind myself of the things I do know so I don’t let myself get frustrated about the things I don’t know.  I was thinking how not knowing is a really hard part for me, but if I did not trust the One who knows it all, that would be the hardest part and my biggest mistake!

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. Jeremiah 29:11

Psalms 37 has come up a lot this week… today verse 7 especially jumps out at me, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.”  

I have to rest in the Lord and His promises! I get to wait patiently for Him! No fretting! I must keep my eyes focused on Him and not on what others maybe doing around me!  Fret… one of the definitions is “to wear away or corrode the surface of something, or become worn away or corroded.”  When I fret it does start to wear away my joy… it does cause my “shininess” to become dull.  And after awhile I will be all pitted and corroded, like when you use coarse sandpaper on shiny metal.  Fret is just a different word for plain old worry!  I don’t want to be a fretter or a worrier!

Praying for each one of you that have come across my blog today... may God open up your heart to all that He has for you... and most importantly to trust Him! Remember... NO FRETTING!

Rejoicing in Truth, 

Carin

Shining in the Dark...

I was reminded this morning of a very dark time in my life. It was 7 years ago, my mom was very sick, and I was not able to physically be near to her. There really was nothing I could do anyway, expect pray of course. It is so scary when darkness comes in the form of sickness… it feels like it will swallow you up. I was also reminded that on this same day my heart was prodded to thankfulness! Thankful that no matter the circumstances of life… I am loved by a great God who never leaves me alone… not even when the darkness surrounds me.

When you walk into a dark room, what do you do? Do you cry and complain about the darkness or do you take action? Do you search out the light-switch or light a candle? And where is that flashlight when you need it??? You could sit in that dark room with the source of light right there waiting for you to connect the power to light, or you could reach out to the light and let it illuminate the room!

What a picture this is! As followers of Christ we have the source of light always with us… not just the source, but the actual Light! When the world around us seems to get darker and darker… that is the time to let His light shine the brightest! How do we connect the light in our lives?

                ~ Abide in Him! Stay close to the Son and the warmth of His love! “I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” ~ John 15:5

                ~ Be in the Word! The best place to connect to the source of light is in the living Words of God! “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” ~ John 1:14

                ~ Identify yourself by what God calls you! Christ proclaimed that His followers are the light of the world because we have Him living in us! “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see you good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” ~ Matthew 5:14-16

                ~ Declare God’s Truths over the dark situation! In those times when I do not understand what is going on in my life… I always know I can claim God’s promises and what I do know to be true! Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” ~ Mark 10:27

                ~ Experience calmness and peace even in the dark. Even when the light is not shining as brightly as you might hope… redirecting your thoughts to praise and thankfulness to the Father can help to make the darkness not seem so dark. “Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” ~ Psalms 30:4-5

Life is not easy! Good news… the darkness will not swallow you up! Even on those days when you feel like you barely have a spark left… that is enough to light up the darkness! Just ABIDE… Abide, Be, Identify, Declare, Experience! And watch the light grow brighter in you… bringing Him glory!

“On this mountain He will remove the veil of grief covering all nations. He will swallow up death forever. The Almighty Lord will wipe away tears from every face, and He will remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. The Lord has spoken.” ~ Isaiah 25:7-8

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin