someone to laugh with.

Today Father I am grateful for friends to laugh with. In the midst of a stormy season what a blessing this is. A good belly laugh is always a good thing. In the valley of a heavy season, it is a great thing. Lord, only your timing can provide such necessary relief from sorrow.
Thank you for friends I can laugh with. Thank you for opportunities to serve. Thank you for the many many blessings you have given to me and those I know. Laughter is indeed one of my favorites.

Be careful little one .

Be wary child, watch for deceit, watch for danger, keep your eyes on the heavens for surely that is where your peace comes from.

As God gives me directives I must be so very careful not to allow my flesh, or even worse, satan trick me into not submitting faithfully.

God says "Lisa, eat for health to sustain a body ready to serve." Flesh says "surely God wants you to enjoy a treat or two, after all you have been good all day".

God says" Lisa, chocolate is an addiction of yours, give it up." Satan whispers" Surely God did not mean ALL chocolate, after all dark chocolate is now said to be good for you".

My best is God's only intention, therefor if God says it, it must be the best. Be wary child not to allow my mind, thats made up of the world, to re-invent God's path for me. Be careful not to allow my mind to bend HIS word, HIS directive for me to make my path easier for a moment.

If I begin in any moment to twist or bend, alter in anyway what I know is from HIM may I recognize the craftiness of satan and turn a deaf ear to him. For some these tasks may seem simple, to me maybe not at all.

Today Father am I ever grateful for your word that says you will never ask of me what you have not already equipped me to bring to pass. Lord, that you go before me and with me to every place You send me. God thank you for the ability to see satan and call him on his deceit. You have given me the power to not run from him, but instead covered me in your armor to defeat him. Today Lord, thank you for telling me to keep a watchfull eye and ear out for him, as surely as you give me a task he will try to prevent me from doing as You ask. Thank you for warning me that he is there, and Lord thank you for the power to defeat him :)

oh my goodness !!!!

Sometimes I see pictures like this and am in awe. So beautiful are the blues and greens. So powerful is the horse as it runs thru the water. Some of my favorite times are out in nature, completely separate from man's creation, totally surrounded by HIS creation. Lord today I am grateful for the display of YOUR love for us, in the colors YOU created for us. For the flowers, mountains, skies, waters. YOU could have made it any old way, but instead YOU have given us sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound of YOUR majesty in every direction we could see. Father thank YOU for the glory of YOUR creation. To see YOUR work is humbling, makes a woman weep, tears of awe as I sit back and see YOU. Oh how very beautiful a place, YOUR tender heart in every trace.

Graceful

While my ways may not appear full of grace, make no mistake my Father has been generous with me in His grace. The very reality that He is there for me, to walk with, carries me when I stumble, brushes the gravel from my knees, and places me square on my feet after I fall, is proof in real life that He is with me. To watch me struggle with flesh is like watching this bird do its best to fly. You already know I can not soar with eagles on my own. But have you seen my spirit soar? Have you felt my heart when I am connected to Him? This beauty is not visible by my flight, but by my spirit. My joy leaps from me in song, it floats in me when I'm in His word. My spirit is an event like I've never known. The audience of angels praise Him, my flesh falls to the floor in His presence. The Holy Spirit rejoices within the walls as we gather together to praise Him. Yes, to see me you may see this awkward bird flapping away trying to gain flight, but yet your eyes are on me, as your spirit along with mine have hope that yes I will fly, because if little ol' unworthy me can catch flight than you can too. Fear not for me, for my Lord has taken me to new heights, challenged me into new flights, stays with me as I try, and try and try......

a month of Thanksgiving :)

Digging deep for gratitude when none is at the top of my mind is hard, fun, challenging, necessary. Yes, I have much to be grateful for, the list is not too far from my mind. Yet on days when I'm not feeling it, where is my focus?

These are the days I must begin with everyday things, things I should be humbled by. Am I not grateful for health when so many are ill? Am I not grateful for food, when so very many are hungry? Am I not grateful for the freedom to worship, so many are in prisons for seeking this same freedom?

Today Father I am grateful for life, love, and for Your generous Spirit. Father today I pray for the faith of the hungry, the faith of those that are sick, Father for the faith of the imprisoned. Today I am grateful for faith when so much is going great for me. May I continue to have faith in a season of loss? Father today I am grateful for all the blessings You have given me, Your love humbles this unworthy sinner, I love you, amen.