Don't compare!

I love this quote.....!  I found this quote on Pinterest.   "Don't compare your chapter 1 to someone else's chapter 20."   Maybe women more than men do the comparison game.  I'm not sure.  I was good at playing that game all too well.   We compare our successes, our failures, our talents, our strengths, our pain, our joys, our gifts, our children, our homes, our cars, our abilities, our jobs, our education, our obedience, the list goes on.   Why is it we always want to compare our inner places of the heart to someone else's outward performances.   It's so easy to do.  The comparison trap will most of the time send us into a tail spin.  One that spins and spins out of control. Comparison has a crippling effect on our souls.  It's never a fair game.  Mostly it causes us to lose perspective.   Thankfully Jesus doesn't look down at us through the comparison lens.  He sees us in the light of how he uniquely designed us.   He sees us through the lens of perfect love.   He sees our value.   He shouts down that we matter to Him.   When we can begin to take hold of the truth of how God sees us we can change the comparison game.   Our perspective shifts, soul work begins.  He shouts into our hearts you are my beloved!  It's then we hear the call to praise and glorify the one who sees us.   So thankful that God sees us and calls us His beloved.   I am my beloveds and He is mine and His banner over me is love.   Amen!

Genesis 16:13

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me

1 Chronicles 28:9

“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him.

Song of Solomon 7:10

 “I am my beloved’s, And his desire is for me.

What about change!

Emotional pain is sometimes what can or will challenge us to change something.  Often the pain that enters our life will force us to do life differently.   But sometimes it's the very thing that we need in our life.  Accepting the pain is not easy but it might be what is needed to see the very thing that God had been intending for us all along.  We often can't see it until we've gone down the road a few miles.  Often it will become much clearer to us what God was offering.  But quite possibly we will never understand the significance of the struggle or pain.  I  remember someone once said to me that one thing you can count on in this life is change.  Change is hard.  Even though we experience much change and people around us change.  We know that God never changes.  His word never changes.   That is a constant.  Something we can depend on.   Blessed!

James 1:17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

My Norwegian Ways!

Vintage Norway

Lessons from Brooklyn!

Being thankful is not always my first thought or reaction.  It's way easier to feel slighted or feel discontent.  I have to remind myself everyday to count my blessings..... for which we have many.   My desire is to live a grateful life.  But that doesn't always come easy.  I know that having a grateful heart can be life changing.   I need a daily reminder.  My sweet granddaughter Brooklyn reminds me to be thankful.   She shows me how to be thankful.  She teaches me how to be thankful.   I only need to see her smile and I'm on my way to a grateful heart.   But Brooklyn continues to challenge the depths of my heart.    She grabs my hand and leads me around, she tells me where to go, where to sit, how to love.   She teaches me how to include, because that's what she does.   We sing together at the top of our voices.  She gives the best hugs ever.   She loves me because I'm her Ama.  She runs to the door to welcome me in.  She teaches me without words, how to be thankful.  She speaks and smiles through her heart and into my soul.  I'm so grateful for Brooklyn's life.   Brooklyn has special needs, but she's simply beyond amazing.   God has put an abundance of life into this little girl.  Isn't it just like God to use a little girl to teach us profound things, to change us, to create a thankfulness in our souls that we probably thought we never had the capacity for.   I realize the blessings when my heart is open to His teaching.  My perspective changes, my heart grows and  I'm blessed beyond measure.   Thank you Brooklyn for reminding me.  You are so very special!

Colossians 3:15-16

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

John 10:10

Amplified Bible (AMP) I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance to the full, till it overflows.

Winter time 2014

Ordinary self seeking the one who is able!

As I reflect back on this past year, I remember thinking that maybe God would do something new in my life.   Maybe He would use me in a more unique way.  It doesn't appear from my mind that God has done anything unique in my life.  But I wonder, what was I expecting God to do?   I prayed fervently that God would use my life.  I remember committing myself over and over to His will.  I questioned and doubted my talents and or gifts that He gave me.  I even studied spiritual gifts to hopefully realize once again that I have something for God to use.  I am so thankful for each and every day he gave me.  God was good to our family.  But nothing really seemed to change for me.  I never felt that I had done or tried to do anything great for God.   I would struggle with my purpose and question God's ability.  But I continue to pray, seek and ask God to once again use my life, my gifts, talents this year for His purposes.   He promises that He will.  It just may not look like I think it should.   In October of 2009, we found out our 2 grand babies Jayden and Brooklyn were diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome.  It was a painful and difficult diagnosis that would leave us speechless and paralyzed.  But God would remind me over and over again that He was inviting me to experience His grace.  I would see Him showing up in many different ways during that period of time.    I just didn't know that it would look like Sanfilippo.   I remember questioning what he was doing.  Was he still good?  So even though  I didn't understand, God was still drawing me into His presence.  We are not always going to understand.  Sometimes it won't make any sense at all.  But is God still able to change, move, grow us?  Yes, but it's in His timing.  Again this year my prayer is the same.    I place my ordinary self in the hands of an extraordinary God and who knows what He will do.  It's all up to Him.  Our job is to continue to seek Him with all our heart.
Psalm 9:10

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you

Psalm 14:2

The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

Psalm 27:8

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Psalm 34:10

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Psalm 40:16

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!”

Listening to His voice

I tell myself that I need to sit and write something even if it seems like nothing.  I'm just practicing writing.  It's about the practice.  When I was a little girl I began taking piano lessons at about age 8 and in the 3rd grade.  I really hated to practice.  I had to force myself or my mom had to force me to practice. So I practiced and practiced and practiced.  It took a long time to come to the place where I enjoyed my own music.  But it happened, I began to enjoy my playing, so I played and practiced more.  I played in church my whole life almost every week for over 40 years.  But without practice I wouldn't have ever made it very far.  I wonder if practicing piano is anything like practicing writing.  Whether yes or no I will do my best to practice writing this year.  So one of the things I want to do this year is begin a few new habits.  I'm not making resolutions.  I'm so not good at keeping them anyway.  I think we certainly mean well with our plans and our desires to be better in some way.  I often begin a year with great exuberance, but it rarely lasts long and I become discouraged and forget what I intended.  God bless those intentions.....but I don't waste my time anymore.  My hope though for this year is to take time and write whats on my heart.  My desire is to listen to my heart.  Listen to the voice of God.   Allowing him to stir my thoughts and move my heart to respond in a new way.  Asking God to use my words to change my own heart.

Isaiah 28:23

Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say

Psalm 84:8

Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob.

Fresh Fallen Snow

As we begin 2014 I'm excited to be able to turn a new calendar page.  I love fresh starts.  Not that it really feels fresh, but my desire is to look at the new year with fresh perspective.  It's easy to keep the old ways of thinking, the negative thoughts that continue to spin around in our minds.  It's often that those negative thoughts capture our hearts and spin us out of control.  Maybe for me it's been too much time spent on things that really don't matter or thoughts spent on worrying about what others think.  Really....it's not something you can control anyway. Why waste the time worrying about what people think. I wish I could have back all the time wasted worrying about things that I have no ability to change anyway.  So just like the new fresh fallen snow.....the purity of the winter season, that's the mind set I want to keep and fill my heart as I turn a new calendar page.  I know cold weather brings its share of struggle and frustration.  It's easy to dread the winter, but I really want to make this a winter to be thankful for.   So as we turn the pages lets let the fresh spirit of God pour into us like new fallen snow.  Fresh, white, clean snow!

Psalm 51:7

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.