God Speaks Anywhere, Even in the Bathroom

I have talked with many who have been able to recount a time when God spoke to them, either through a dream, a voice, in the stillness of their head. I've had a few instances where my thoughts have been guided by the Holy Spirit, but the other day I experience God speaking in a way unknown previously to me.

I had spent a bit of time in his Word, preparing for our bible study this Saturday morning. I had a great time digging into scripture as I always do. God reveals so  much to me through his word and I get excited about spending that time with him. But I had other things to get to and so I closed my books for a bit and was in the bathroom brushing my teeth. Usually while I do that I'm staring into the mirror. And I noticed for a small space of time, my mind was totally blank. I was able to notice that because it was an odd feeling!! My mind is never just blank space. Never. I've yearned for it, tried to stare at one point to focus my mind into blankness many-a-times to no avail. So I noticed this blankness!

And then it came into that empty space:

'There is justification for you. There is no justification for your sin.'

It was a morsel of wisdom, on the very topic I was building and supporting for our bible study group, and it was straight from the mouth of God! Uber awesome.

The other time God met me in the bathroom was not in such an obvious way. But my husband and I have this ongoing discussion over toilet paper. When I go to get the groceries, I look at the square footage of the toilet paper to see which one has more. And although Scotts is not the softest toilet paper, it is the 'longest' and so I buy that. And it will last through at least one week of groceries, if not another half a week. But when he goes, he says he looks at the number I do, but he thinks that Northern Quilted has more square footage. So that's what he gets. And the package never lasts an entire week. But after two trips to the store and the same discussion, I just let it lay and left him to his own choosing; it's not worth ruffling feathers about really. But it is kind of a bummer to have to make a TP run mid-week when it runs out. So this time, before he went to get groceries, he let me know he was going and we made our list which included TP. At some point in that day before I was going to the bathroom, noticing we were on our last roll of TP and it was not that big and I thought, I wish he would just get the Scotts TP. But I simply took it to God. I know that if it's God's will he get Scotts, it'll happen. And I know that when I delight in God, he'll give me the desires of my heart.

Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

So I just prayed, 'Lord, if it be your will, please have him bring home Scotts.' And I left it at that. No need to bring it up or try to drop hints about it. It was a silent prayer between God and me. And later that evening, he came home with the groceries and I saw it... the answer to my prayer.  And this prayer was not about an answer to a problem, per say, or a need that needed to be met, or a miracle or anything. It was really just asking God to fulfill a promise: if I was truly delighting in him, that he would give me the desires of my heart as he promises. And it was not about winning a debate, in fact, unless he reads this blog, my husband will not know about this God-moment because I will not boast in it to him and to me it was not an argument, but rather simply his point of view and my point of view; it is not a life or death issue we needed to come together on. I desired this brand of toilet paper, simply to spare our budget, to be able to see our toilet paper last longer, plain and simple. My motives were pure and I delighted in God. And he was faithful.

When we delight in God, he is always faithful. Always.

Tiny Morsels, so so 'tasty'

Often, I'd dreamed of having home-schooled children, but the thought of me doing that homeschooling always scared me. See, my perspective on school was teaching my children, exactly as they are taught in a public school, which seemed way beyond my league.
But God opened up a whole new world to me, when he brought the opportunity to my daughter to be home-schooled in someone else's home. What a concept, I had never contemplated that before. And I soon began to realize, once I saw inside to the world of home-schooling, is that it's not about schooling exactly like public school. So much can be learned in the home, about life, and all that is important, and sometimes, most times, that looks nothing like 'school' - through the eyes of the public school system.

I became inspired to start doing school with my youngest. A bit daunting at first, but I came across many great resources online and through the library, all free, that have given us a stepping stone. He is learning things that I take for granted, things I know, that of course at some point had to learn, but I never thought I was the one to teach him.  They learn that in school, right?!

But spending that time with him, is not just about learning, it's about bonding, playing, having fun, showing him he's got my attention for that time, undivided. And it's a heck of a lot better than pretend playing with tools, cars, war sounds, gun games and whatever sounds little boys can make that my mouth just does not do! I like that I can enjoy our school time and I'm not dreading disappointing him because I can't make the right sounds while we play.

So each time we do 'school' we begin with a prayer for the day and then a devotion out of his preschool devotion book. And this may sound silly or whatever else you might call it, but that little book has some fantastic, very easy to understand wisdom in it! It could be that my eyes are just now being opened, too. Either way, I have learned A LOT from this time in school with my son, and in school with my brother, Jesus.


For instance: Treasures in Heaven

Matthew 6:¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Many times, I've heard this verse. When the devotion message was treasures in heaven, it clearly told me how to store up treasures in heaven. My AHA moment ~ you store up treasures in heaven by doing good things FOR GOD. And if I'm doing good things for God to store up treasures, that means my heart is wholeheartedly following God. AHA!

Or how about: Delight in God

Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Note this says, the desires of your 'heart' not your mind! Very important distinction.  This is another verse I have heard many many times. How is it, exactly, that you delight in the Lord? Well, now I know: 1) Love God more than anything else in the whole world 2) Obey him happily (willfully without complaining) 3) praying to him.   These are three very clear, concise ways to delight in God and then your will will be his will, so that the desires of your heart can be realized.


Another great one: A Clean Heart 

Psalm 51: ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God,
         And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

Another simple but profound message for me. We clean our bodies with soap and water, but we can't clean our hearts that way. Our heart is on the inside and we can't clean that ourselves. But who is the only one who can clean our hearts?  God. And how does he clean it, wash it and make it pure? When you tell God you are sorry, he washes your heart. 

And these three examples, which are just a few that I have clung to, by his design all have to do with one thing: your HEART.  And here's what the bible says about your heart...

^{Matthew 12:35} A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

 
Proverbs 27:19 As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man.

 Your faith is not about anything LESS than a complete heart transformation. If your heart is not right, it will show. So take to heart these tiny morsels of wisdom, the miracles of my mornings, and allow the miracle of a heart transformation to be done in you.

Imposters???

Genesis 1:27

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

Colossians 3:10 

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Today was an amazing, heart-stopping, beautiful day. Blue skies, a nice breeze, 83 degrees, sunny ~ who says it has to be fall-like during Fall?

Instead of filling my head with 'garbage thoughts' of the day, things like, 'I wonder how long this will last?' 'I wonder what is happening in the atmosphere that's allowing these awesome, abnormal temps?' 'It's probably going to be freezing in no time.' 'The snow will be here next week because that's how WI is,' We filled our day with praise and delighted in God.  For a split second when I woke up, I felt like I needed a to-do list because I didn't have one for the morning, not even school with Gabriel was on the list today. Instead, today we truly lived by the moment.

It started out with an unplanned trip down memory lane with him, strolling through picture albums of births and his older siblings as babies. He took so much pleasure in seeing his siblings as babies and knowing now that they are 'big'. He loved seeing grammie and grampie and his auntie, like they were at our house in person. Then we took a nature walk to the library to have 'school' working on colors and that started out with an ubber-intense display of the Creator God, a snake, right in our own front yard! Ah!! But we made all the right moves and survived the encounter, unscathed. And the snake was identified as matching our yellow block. Bonus! We shared our love with neighbors on the way, pointed out creation matching other colored blocks, found the perfect walking sticks and enjoyed a morning of perfection in our small little town, we've affectionately called 'home'.

Our day was overflowing with love from our Creator, not only in the abundance he provided, but magnified in our own hearts as a result of recognizing Him as the source of all this goodness and in the undeservedness of it all.  

A day where, although it began feeling 'off' because I did not have a to-do list, it quickly turned into the most peaceful day we've had in the last week. We've no doubt had a busy week, as have many of you, I'm sure. But by accepting my assignment to let myself be free of a list, we live our day as close to 'the image of the Creator' as I feel we could have.

And there is wisdom in the bible that shows us, this is not a random phenomenon of a day that I have experienced ~ for those of you who think these types of days can't happen to you because you are simply too busy: (again in Colossians)

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

When we ask Jesus to be the savior of our lives, this peace is available to us, every day, at any time. And by thanking our Creator, God, for our days, our hours and minutes ... the peace that passes understanding is ours to bask in daily.  When you trust in Jesus to be your savior this should be your reality:

Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Hidden in Christ

Are you walking around an imposter of who you are really meant to be? Do you have a shell of this world? Can you recognize these behaviors in your life daily ~ negativity, anxiety, impatience, greed, a gossiping tongue, sarcasm, bitterness, disdain, a lack of gratitude, a split-personality depending on the circle you find yourself in, excuses, 'it' is never enough....

Maybe you can intentionally bury the imposter and come back to who you are in Jesus - and that is none other than FREE. We are made in his image, we are hidden with him and we don't need to posture to make it through this life.

Christ is Peace. And Thankfulness (directly to him and for him) is our path.

There is no other way. If you want to chat about Jesus, I'm here for you.

Sometimes a simple list will do

Not every moment needs a profound explanation, a long, detailed account to prove a point. Sometimes, a simple list will do...

This weekends miracles:

an unplanned, last minute campfire night allowed God to work out the previously hairy details of a group of women coming together to know him more

said campfire also connected a woman with a gym just after finding out her classes were cancelled at her long-standing gym due to lack of participation

and said campfire continued to forge new relationships built on the foundation of God

weekend landscaping continued to forge new friendships, refresh a tired yard and it's owners, new skills were learned, truly good-hearted people served a landscaping crew they hadn't previously known, and maybe even some free Badger tickets were acquired...


a last minute outdoor cookout provided deepening of wonderful friendships and great wisdom was shared in a loving environment

said cookout also revealed God's majesty in the sky - an amazingly bright and awesome double rainbow that just kept growing in the sky as the rain slowly let down

Faith was tested, prayers were prayed, babies were covered in prayer, fires were ignited for Christ and doors were set in place ...

waiting to be opened.

Aliens and Strangers on Earth

 

 ^{Hebrews 11:13} All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.

'These people' were not living for the red part, as Francis referred to it. 'These people' are the righteous ones recounted in the 'Hall of Faith' - Hebrews chapter 11. They knew what was in store for them in the part after the red part of life. 

Many times feeling like Aliens and Strangers in this land, as far as human tradition goes, means there's something wrong with you.. maybe you're depressed, need to have some 'fun', need to go spend some money, need to find some one/some way/something to give you love or for you to love...

I honestly love feeling like a stranger in my own land and do not want that to change. Knowing that my heart does not jive with this world and the human tradition in this place brings joy and comfort.  I do not belong in a world of broken pieces, as the song goes.

But being human, made of flesh that is sinful and rotten, I am broken and there are days where the world suffocates and overwhelms and then that feeling of alienation turns on the self-pity and the oppression and I feel some sort of victim. These are the days when, leading up to, I have not concentrated my time on living for Jesus.  Leading up to these spiritual droughts, I have taken on my own agenda, like my master plan is so much better than God's.  'Have you not heard?! Do you not know?' (Isaiah 40 comes to mind!)

I read Hebrews 11: 13 yesterday, the Spirit foreshadowing the trials of today. And I was slow to listen. I did not hear with my ears. 

And a lesson has been learned. Mental note: I am not living for the red part. And any time this world wants to pull me back into that red-part-thinkin', I will now train myself to shout back to the darkness - 'I am an alien and a stranger on this earth, and you can't take that away from me!'

What part of the rope might you be living for? At the end of the day, was all your striving for your agenda or for God's?

Throw Away Pride, Accept and Yearn for Wisdom

 Seeing the miracles in a day is all about accepting the Truth found in the wisdom of God.  Miracles come in small packages and the small packages add up to one big, mighty God. But there are too many things in this world of darkness that can keep us from ever seeing those miracles, that can keep us from seeing God.  We must pray that our souls yearn for wisdom from the one True King.

This is a wise woman: When it's hard to find time for God & prayer

I want to echo Ann's wise words today to you so that you can take a step closer to seeing God for who He wants to be in your life.

In case you wonder, this is how God works!

Last year I was able to find this bookshelf/desk for our daughter on craigslist; love cragislist ~ we ended up with a desk, chair and matching dresser for $30! It was one of those shiny off-white lacquer looking with funky old gold/white plastic handles kind of piece from 20 or so years ago. And this weekend, we were able to transform it, for less than $3 worth of paint and some miscellaneous hardware samples from grandpa into a really cute piece of furniture for her room.

But ever since finding this piece for her, her older brother has been wanting a desk. And I'd still been searching craigslist periodically for a desk we could afford that was decent looking or had potential, as this one did.  And finally I found one on Thursday night and it was only $12!! So I emailed it to my husband and asked him if it was something we could pursue. So he took care to send an email and find out if it was still available.  And we waited... for a day.. and heard nothing. So I sent an email, letting them know my husband had emailed and maybe they didn't get it, but we were interested and was it still available. I'm so used to my emails not getting through, it's not even funny! I think about 80% of my emails get lost in cyberspace somewhere. So I heard back right away, and they hadn't gotten my husband's email but someone was coming to look at the desk that morning and they'd let me know if it was still available after that. This was Saturday, and that night I heard, the desk indeed was taken.  So now, at this point in my life, I know that meant God had something else in mind and that this desk was not meant for our household.

So Sunday morning we went to church on our usual route, around 8:30. We went to get a few groceries and then to church for a few hours and then headed back home the same way. And at our Pine Bluff turn, where we had just been not more than three hours earlier, there on our side of the road outside the lovely bar (ha!ha!) on the corner, was this desk! Almost EXACTLY like the one we fished for on craigslist, just wood instead of metal looking. My husband was talking to me and out of the corner of my eye and in his sideview mirror I nearly shouted, I was so excited, "Did you see that desk!?!" He was mid-sentence and I literally threw the truck in reverse and sped back to it! Hazards went on and less than three minutes later we were headed home with a perfectly good conditioned desk for our eldest.

The first thought or feeling I felt was the surest sensation that this desk was almost dropped there from heaven just for him. I just felt the love in this gesture from God. How he knew that we couldn't truly afford the craigslist desk and that he had another one in store for us, just that next day for free.


We are big fans of putting things out on the curb with 'FREE' written on a sign for them. We know God has someone in mind for each piece we put out there. Being on the receiving end of that, and KNOWING it came from God, is just as awesome a feeling as being the giver. Whether the person who put it there felt moved by God or not, we KNOW this was His gift to us, a very sweet gift.  Be still and KNOW that I am God, he said. 

Do you chose to 'KNOW' God and watch to see how he works? Or do you chose to think all is 'coincidence'?


ALL IS 'gift and grace'. Christ is ALL and is in ALL. What an awesome confirmation of God's love that filled our Sunday.