The other day I was shopping for something at a craft store and on my way out, as I was waiting in line, I saw this magazine, Where Women Create and I decided to get it and started to pick it up and then put it back. But I thought I would like to have it so I picked it up again. I am so glad I did. I was praying yesterday what the will of the Lord was for my life. I know that He has a plan for me but there are so many directions that I want to go I just wasn't sure. Well as I was reading this magazine I came across an article about a woman named Holly Snelling. She had tried many things in her life time but nothing seem to be right until she started a business called "The Hobnob Market." She has different vendors come in and display there things and the money that is made from selling the items go straight to the vendors. This way she feels she is helping the community, the vendors, and herself.
What got my attention in this article was in a small paragraph in Holly's article that mentioned a blog called Life in Grace and one of her favorite posts was called how to find God's will for your life. That is just what I needed, so I went to the blog. I got answers and much more information. The Lord answers prays in strange ways. On this blog there are many different categories to chose from and here is the link to it: lifeingraceblog.com. I can recommend it with confidence you will receive many blessings and find a new friend.
The other day I was setting in my car waiting for my husband to fill up the gas tank. As I was waiting for him I looked out the driver's side of the window and in the next lane was a truck with a dog in it. For some reason I always talk to animals like they are humans so even though the dog could not hear me I asked him how he was doing? He just starred at me and quickly turned his head. If a dog could talk I can just imagine what it was thinking, "What a crazy lady that is sitting in the car next to me!" The dog turned his head back to me and I could tell my his eye movements he didn't want to look at me again. His eyes would turn to the left, then to the right, he would lift them up but he would not look straight at me. Finally the dog gave a big yawn and then the truck left. I laughed so hard because when I am talking to people they always end up yawning too. I thought it was so funny that the dog yawned too. I hope I am not that boring. Thought God wants us to have a good time. It may seem strange to talk to animals but times animals too like attention as much or even more than people. Be kind to an animal today. Most important be kind to people today. God will be pleased.
The other evening my husband and I went to visiting hours at a funeral home. After paying our respects and crying a little over the pictures that were set up--we left. As we went down the street it brought back lots of memories as my husband's Aunt lived on the street of the funeral home. Then when we went around the corner trying to decide where we were going to eat we went on the street that my husband walked on to get to school. We also passed the hospital that I usually go to and the one my husband was born in and and also all our children. I remember saying, "I hope we don't have to go there again soon!" We came to the end of the side street we were on and there was a lot of traffic and no street light. It was dark and raining. A car motioned us to go and so we started across the street. However we were very nervous as we had to cross traffic and we could not see if any traffic was coming. We finally started across the street and sure enough as we pulled out there was a car almost on top of us. Of course I tried not to scream for if the car had hit us it would have been on my side of the car right in the middle of the door. I said, "Thank you Lord," as we got safely into the parking lot. Also a lot of cars were behind the one that would have hit us so there would have been a lot of other people hurt also. We decided the safest and best way to get to this Restaurant again would be to go down a few more side streets and come out at a light and turn left and go toward the Restaurant that way. Maybe I shouldn't have said, "I hope we don't have to go to that place again, meaning the hospital." I am so glad that the Lord protected us.
As I was waking up this morning I was thinking about the dream I just had. It brought me to talking with my Heavenly Father. All week long I have been hearing messages on getting the desires of my heart. And this week I was asked the question what do I value in life? One of my answers was to have a closer relationship with my God. This morning I knew in my heart for sure what one of my desires was and that is to be a better Prayer Warrior. Every time I think about it my mind overloads. Then the Holy Spirit put a thought in my mind, I want to give praise where praise is due. Since I like to do crafts the idea was to write on a pieces of lined paper the names of all the people and ministries I want to pray for. Then after I have them written down, cut out the names and fold them over once. Then I have a canning jar that I am going to label PRAYER and place the names in the jar. Then I can pick out however many names I want and prayer for that person, place, or ministry. When I am finished place those names in another container. When my PRAYER jar is empty start over again with those in the second container. This idea is good for me as my attention span is not very long as I have ADHD. So this way I feel and am taking action in an area that I need to grow in. Maybe an idea like this will help you not feel so overpowered and at least you can work on praying for someone or something each day. Prayer Thank you Father, Holy Spirit, and Jesus for giving me this idea. It is a great one for me and I pray that maybe it can help someone else who wants to pray more, but feels overwhelmed with this part of being close to You. I pray it in Jesus' Name believing that you will bless this prayer and I will have joy in my heart and become closer to You.Thank you for showing me how I can start with this one desire and move on to the others that you have given to me.
The other day I spoke of one way of putting a smile on God's face and that is by reading His Word and sharing it. Today I learned of another way of pleasing God. The answer is found in Romans 8:1-11. I need to type all the verses for you to see the whole picture. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Chirst is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." So the way to put a smile on the face of God is by living in the Spirit. Thinking of the things of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires and keep in step with the Spirit. How About You? Are you walking in the flesh or in the Spirit?
Even though I was not able to hear the whole program this morning on my local Christian Radio Station I was able to hear enough to know that the prayer I prayed last night was answered today. My prayer was how I could make the Lord happy. One way to make the Lord happy is not to keep things to myself, but I am to share with others. Sharing Bible verses is one way to make the Lord happy. So one of the verses that I want to share is found in I John 3:18 "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." God is all about love. If we love God we will love others even though they may be unlovable. We are not just to say we love them, but we are to show them we love them. Love is an action word. So one way I learned to make Jesus happy is to love others no matter what. How About You? Does this verse encourage you to love others and make Jesus happy?