We're Not Meant to be Alone

In a World that can often be very lonely, it is hard to remember that God has never meant for us to be alone.  So much communication takes place these days via electronics, that some days we don't even actually speak to another human being.   This can lead to a feeling of isolation and loneliness.

 

I had a day today where I felt very alone.  I reached out for help and no one was there to listen.  I tried to connect with people, but only felt pushed away.  In many ways today was a "lonely" feeling day for me.

 

On my drive home though, I was blessed to hear this amazing new song from Tenth Avenue North, called "No Man Is An Island"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t8ORnWNSfQ 

 

Listen, and enjoy the amazing encouragement given to all "lonely" people, through this song, and by the Lord.....

 

The Lord will STAY with us!  We were not meant to be alone, and God has never left us alone!

 

We are NOT alone!

Psalm 34:17-19 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

John 16:32-33 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Today, join me in finding Peace in the reminder that You are NOT alone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anxious

Today a dear friend was confiding in me about how anxious she is about what lies ahead in her life.... I felt a deep desire to help her through this, to have the right words to say.....but, I kept thinking to myself, "How can I possibly give advice on beating anxiety, when most of my own days are filled with it?"


I sought an answer from scripture.

Romans 8:26-28 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

What a powerful verse! 
Even when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit does it for us. Even when we can't explain our anxieties, the Spirit prays for us.
My friend is overwhelmed with anxiety, but she does not need to figure it out herself, because she is not alone! The Lord will just wrap her in his arms and take care of the burden!  
When we cry out and ask God to take away a burden, he does!   He covers our fears with his love.

Sometimes when we are anxious, we neglect to hear the voice of God..... The small, calm voice that tells us everything will be ok. "I've got this, child."

Faith should allow us to END anxiety.  We all need to try harder to turn things over to God.  He does, in fact, make all of the decisions anyway!

God knows what is next in our lives. Any amount of worrying that we do is useless, and will not change His beautiful plan for us. Click to Tweet
He knows what is best for us!  


So, I close tonight with this thought:

God IS going to be up all night 'worrying' for us, planning for us, lining things up for our days to play out as He plans. So, don't go to bed with any anxiety tonight; turn it all over to God!

Wishing you all a peaceful night's sleep, and many to come!

Today's theme = Love

Today's theme was first formed in the middle of the night, while up with my son; and he said "Mommy, I love the way you love us".    Awwww.  My heart was mush right then! 

Next, while eating breakfast, my daily devotion was titled "The Definition of Love". It cited

1 Corinthians 13, the best Bible verse about love (of course I think that, because that is what was read at my wedding!).

Then, all throughout my day at work, there were little tidbits of caring, sharing, & smiles that made my day great!  In the morning I had a conversation with a coworker about the motivational speaker that spoke to our staff just yesterday...  We discussed his stressed importance of "community" within the workplace, and how we both felt that the information learned yesterday could help us move forward into a great, new atmosphere with our coworkers! Then, I had lunch with a group of coworkers that I do not get to hang out with very often, and it was very pleasant and refreshing!

So, I found myself thinking, as I drove home this evening "Today I have received a strong message of love of fellow man and of friendship!"  The importance of encouraging each other and holding each other up is not something to be taken lightly!  It felt so good for me to feel a sense of team, belonging, and importance today in my family and my workplace, that I vow to try and continue spreading that feeling on to others, to make their days as bright as mine was today!

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

And after finding the above verse, I also came across the following and thought, wow, isn't that the truth!  If more people of this world were focused on "team" success rather than "self" success, and we were all 'helping one another up' every day, what a difference that would make in the World!

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another

Tired!

Wow!  Yesterday was a very tough day of motherhood for me! My boys did not listen to a single rule or a single word out of my mouth (or so it seemed)! They made me 20 minutes late for work while throwing fits, they physically hurt the babysitter (by accident, but doing something against rules), they refused to school shop with me and gave me a snotty "we don't care" when I said I would just pick all of their school supplies myself....wow, this day was not one of my finest! 

Last night I felt so very defeated.  So exhausted and wondering what I have done wrong to raise such rude children.....

Parenting can be really really hard sometimes. There are days when you wake up in the morning already tired, and this is how I felt today, after a day like yesterday.
Thankfully, we can always look to God's word for help in tough times. I searched my online Bible last night for keyword, "tired". And this is the first verse that was on top:

"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:3

Wow! Thank you for speaking to me so clearly Lord! I have been receiving great opposition from little men. Ha!  But not even comparable, not even mentionable, to the opposition our  Savior Jesus faced on earth!  This verse spoke to me and  told me to "buck up, stay strong, and not lose heart", which is exactly what I needed to hear!  

Oh, and by the way, I bought all gray notebooks, black pencil bags and folders, and plain tan pencils. Those boys will just have to deal with it!  Darn kids! :-) ha!

The Beginning

As I Sat on a little bench on top of this hill, I decided that today is the day to start my blog. I have wanted to start blogging, but the time has not felt right until this moment...after a completely sleepless night, due to thunderstorms and 5 inches of rain.

I began my hike this morning under many dark clouds. I wondered as I climbed this hill, "why does it have to be so gloomy today, why must I hike when its cold out, poor poor me" (feeling cranky)...

But once on top of the hill, I was immediately struck by the awesome beauty of the sun shining on the horizon. Just on the other side of the lake, the sun was shining brightly. I realized then that my day was about to turn around.

So there I sat cold, on this wet bench, thinking to myself, "isn't that how all of life works... God gives us all challenges, or hills to climb, but there is always a brighter horizon on the other side. The challenges that we face, no matter the size, always have a reason. God leads us through the hills and valleys of life, so that we can enjoy the sunnier, other side."

When in the midst of climbing the many hills that I have thus far in life, I don't usually understand the reason that God has given me a particular challenge, until I reach the top and see the beauty on the other side. God knows, and has always known, what he wants for each of our lives. His plan is carefully laid out. So, the next time that I stand at the bottom of the hill, facing a new challenge, I am going to try my best to face it with wonder and excitement to see the beauty that God has planned for me on the other side.

Always remember the beauty of God's Plan!   Have a Blessed Week!