Heartbeats Part I

It's Tuesday and True Woman 2010 in Chattanooga has come to an end.  See the photo of our final session below.  So much to digest and begin recording.  The speakers blessed our socks off.  Women from all over the world gathered together to receive the call to radical living - biblical womanhood.  To live how God has designed us to.  To read about the entire conference check out http://www.reviveourhearts.com/ and the link to True Woman.

My task in the days ahead is to transcribe all that the Lord impressed upon my heart as it pertains to the path He has carved out for me during this season of my life.  This blog is part of that path and what He wants me to share with you the reader to encourage you.

As this day draws to a close...my mind returns to a portion of scripture that I've read many times:  Philippians 4.  When we read Paul's exhortation to the believers in Philippi he begins by writing to them to "stand firm in the Lord".  In verse two he urges Euodia and Syntyche to  "live in harmony in the Lord" and asks the brethren to help these women; women who have shared his struggle in the cause of the gospel.  Verses 4 through 8 are often quoted as instructions on how to live daily:
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice!
Let your forbearing spirit be know to all men.  The Lord is near.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."

On Sunday morning the Lord took me back to these verses with special emphasis on verse 8 and I heard him speak to my heart - "It's time to apply this as I mean it in your life - oh, you read it, recite it and teach it but I'm afraid you just don't get it!"  He sent me to the Amplified bible and instructed me to "wrap this verse around your mind and over over heart for the next 30 days."
His questions are thundering in my heart - "What am I saying to you for this present season of your life?? What's at stake ? How do the verses fit together?" He's given me a hint -"I want you to take out your magnifying glass Judy.  This assignment isn't pertaining to anything other than your relationship with me and your role as wife."
I invite you to join me on this journey into His word.  What does the Lord want to teach us about loving Him and loving our husbands?
Stay tuned for Part 2 and hold tight to Him.

In His love,
Judy

God Said

Good morning dear ones!
I received the following this morning and WHEWWWWW!! I really needed it!! I had recently advised someone else to look at blessings when tempted to sink into a pit of negativity, and earlier this morning the Lord revealed to me that I needed to look at how I was looking at my life, specifically those testing times ... uncomfortable times.. and how I was "looking" with stinking thinking! Then, as He so often does.....He drives home His Truth by sending me the following!! (courtesy of 411.God)

Dear Judy,
We get caught up in life sometimes. And then the commute, the workload or the homework all start to feel like chores. We get mad because someone drives too slowly; we get frustrated because we have work to do. But, sometimes, we just need to stop and think about how good life is, how much we have, and what we're really called here to do.
               1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 (New Living Translation)
14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.
15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
           We are blessed, and sometimes we take that for granted. It's time to raise the bar. With good and joyfulness and prayer and thanks. Raise that bar and start living.

Now I ask you.....Is there ANYONE or ANYTHING else we need when we are loved by this GOD....the King of Kings and Lord of Lords????????? Me thinks NOT!!!!!

Lovng Him and you today!
Judy

Turning on The Light

There's a stairway in my home that was a primary reason we purchased our townhome nearly 30 years ago.   The stairs descend from the second floor into the middle of our downstairs living space with walking/viewing room through and under the stairs.  Not only are the stairs  practical as they provide access to the upstairs but also a tool to stay healthy as I travel this route many miles in a week's time.
Stairs can be a hazard in the dark however.  Several years ago I arose in the dark one morning and rounded my bedroom doorway and quickly placed my feet on the first step....oh my, a screech as my left foot hit soft fur with Peaches, the cat, nearly flying off the step and me?  My feet left solid ground and I fell....ka-bump, ka-bump..down 12 stairs, all the way to the floor.  No broken bones just bruises to that part of our bodies that they can not splint, or cast.
It was a wake-up call.  As a matter of fact given through the lips of my worried husband -
                "Don't wander around in the dark - Turn on the light!!"
God says the same in His Word-
                   "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." John 1:1, 4
         Have you allowed Jesus to illumine your life with His light? 
                     "Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, 'I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." John 8:12
                     "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." Ephesians 5:8
Thank you Lord for life lessons that remind us of your Word!
Judy





                     

Facing Fear

Reently I was sitting in the Marriott's restaurant in Indianapolis after a non eventful  flight from Tampa and a "nail-biting" trip in a cab from airport to hotel.  I was decompressing after a bout with fear as we traveled through the dark in a strange city on a route that was taking considerably longer than our assumption.  I am not a fan of surprises, I admit it.  Since a child I have fought many fears and lived through years of nightmares. Always when I think I have FINALLY grown beyond this thorn, that the enemy pricks me with when I least expect it...there I am again, that 5 year old, shaking with fear.  AS I peered deep within my heart, one more time..I recognized this fear.  It was like hundreds of nightmares I've experienced.......always in a car.....driving, driving, driving...terror gripping my heart...not able to find my way.

This morning as I revisited my journal entry after returning home....I was struck with these thoughts: "Driving in circles (thinking in circles- sometimes to the point of panic/anxiety); I've been so busy "looking for", "planning" MY way..that I'm prone to wander out of "my own lane" (the narrow path) and find myself outside of the Lord's protection.  Simply put - YOU, Jesus, are "The Way"
                                                         .....The Right Way........
                                                         ......The Best Way.....
                                                         ........The Only Way.......
to joy, contentment and peace.

These thoughts landed hard on my heart and I heard my Savior say - "Why must you search for the right, the best, the only ??- I AM all of these rolled into one... right beside you, every minute.  If you would "Be still and Know that I am God....." (Ps 46:10) Then you will be able to sense my breath on your face my daughter and the sound of your heart beating in tune with mine.  Remember, (as John Newton penned ).."you once WERE lost, but NOW are FOUND.  I AM your destination!  Stop looking around!  Look at ME!!!

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind" 2 Timothy 1:7

With head bowed and a heart refreshed I'm fixing my eyes on Jesus and thanking Him for this lesson taught through my fears.

Judy

Of Wind and Rain

Rainy and windy here today and as I sit in front of this screen I'm thinking about all of you who might read this blog and I wonder:  what's the weather like where you are today??

So many parallels when we think about our "weather reports" aren't there??  It can be raining like crazy outsde and you can experience great peace in your heart..OR it can be sunny, warm  and calm outside and your heart can be heavy with life storms raging around you.  The photo below is from Spring Break last year when the wind was roaring and the temperature was not springlike for sure.  Our son and family drove down from Atlanta and our daughter and grandsons along with us joined them on Madeira Beach.  This was a prime example of the weather not matching the condition of our hearts!  It was one of the very best times our entire family has had together.

 

Not your typical beach day but one of the best in my memory! 

And how about that question and the "weather" where you are....would you send me your report?  While you're at it....when the weather threatens to dampen your heart what brings sunshine to your part of the world?

Comfy here in my prayer chair..listening to the rain.
Love & Hugs,
Judy

When Is The Renovation Complete ??

The sound of saws, sanding machines, tile cutters and hammers has ceased.  The contractors have gathered their supplies and tools and left the building. My guy Ron and I are walking from room to room with huge smiles on our faces and amazed at how a fresh coat of paint and a new room configuration along with updated furniture can lift one's spirit.  I don't have "before" pics but trust me....both rooms needed an overhaul.

Our room has become a real sanctuary.  Below you can see that I'm really spoiled with a spot by the window.  It's a perfect place to read and meditate on the day.

As I ponder these last few weeks and the happy outcome I'm reminded of how God is in the business of renovating (transforming) his children, one heart at a time!!  The apostle Paul stands out as one whose heart was turned inside out to follow Christ. His conversion is one of the best-known and miraculous of conversions. He went from a persecutor of believers of Christ into what many would describe as a "key figure" in delivering the gospel message to Jews and Gentiles.
Paul, himself, describes His heart change in Gal. 1:12-17 -
"For I did not receive it (the gospel) from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation from Jesus Christ.  For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I persecuted God's church to an extreme degree and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond my contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.  But when God, who from my mother's womb set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, so that I could preach Him among the gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.  I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus.  Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas  (Peter), and I stayed with him."(Read more of his conversion in Acts 9:1-22, 22:4-16, Acts 26:9 - 18, 1 Cor. 9:1, 15:7-10a.)

Unlike our home renovation a heart transformation can not be seen at first glance.  Yesterday as I was pondering how to put this blog on paper a familiar verse of my daughter, since high school days,  kept running through my brain  - 1 Samuel 16:7 NCV -

"People look at the outside....but the Lord looks at the heart."

During a break I ran out to Lifeway and when I went to check-out with my purchase I was taken aback by a gift bag hanging on the wall:

I love when the Lord keeps bringing me back to what he wants me to hear:  "remind them my daughter, that without the right foundation we can "beautify" our homes and ourselves but it will not last.  What was once new and shiney (physical beauty) fades with age.  It's what's on the inside that counts!" Houses are built and renovated according to the state building code.  When we give our hearts to Christ, He gives us a new heart and keeps making it more beautiful ( like His) according to His Word, the divine building code, with every year we follow Him.

As grateful as I am for God's gift to me as I enjoy my refreshed home spaces, may I remember that keeping my heart closely aligned with Christ brings the greatest gifts of all!

I'd love to read your comments and reflections, sooo...."When you think of the construction going on in your heart and life what verses come to mind?"

Loving Jesus,
Judy