growing can be NO fun

This picture goes from being beautiful to me, than not so beautiful. Today -I get this picture. Today I feel the process of learning a lesson can make you feel buried, make you feel surrounded by dirt. Growing can make you feel physically changed, mentally beat. But ah.....wait ???

Growing means you are expanding into more wisdom, growing means you are being taught a lesson. I can see where I will be grateful to have learned such a lesson, I can see where I needed to change, to grow. Can I say I like the process? No. Can I say it's been easy to praise Him throughout all this? No

Can I see a light at the end of this? Yes. Well okay maybe I can not visually see a light, or even the end of this, but I trust that it will end, I trust this life lesson will have an end. I trust my Father to take what has been hard, really hard for me and make it something beautiful. I trust I will look back at this as a small price to pay for a greater understanding of my ways and where I made a mistake. It is this trust I hold onto, it is this fact that He will prevail I hold dear. It is this complete faith in God that will give me strength to keep going, pushing my way thru the dirt to bloom one day. I am HIS, and HE will bring me to bloom for HIS purpose, I promise you this is fact.

Today God I am grateful for learning, I am grateful YOU teach me, I am grateful for love so powerful satan must bow down before it. I am grateful that satan can come six guns a blasting and God has offered me HIS full armor. What an honor, to be saved , to be loved, to be a child of GOD.

Oh that HIS ear is on me I'm humbled to my knees.

Today I am grateful for friends that pray for me and with me. I'm grateful to God for being quick to convict me when I'm just not paying attention.
I have begun this my third attempt at posting and words fail me. Yeah if you know me you too are shocked by this. God is directing me to listen more, again.
Clearly I remember the beginning of the year when I was beginning a new study and God told me to shut up. He did try asking me to be quiet repeatedly, but, well like an over excited child I did not hear him thru all my chatter. Clearly I began to hear Him say shut up Lisa, listen to me speak directly to you thru these people. Listen for it, you'll know it's me the minute the words are spoken, but ya gotta shut up and listen.
Today Lord I am grateful when you take extra time to reach me, when I miss the first few attempts you do not just blow me off, you continue to reach out to me and offer help.

Today Father that I may be more tuned into You is my heart-felt prayer. That I don't miss your direction while attempting to find my own way. Lord I'm grateful to be able to reach up to you and know that forever your hand and heart are right there eagerly awaiting me to come to you. Lord, Most High I am grateful for a love I am unable to comprehend or feel worthy of, yet know is there.
When the cold wind blows and the snow falls, when barely another creature sees me and knows I am chilled to the bone, You Lord know me and see me. You Lord offer me shelter and peace. Thank you Lord.

Turkey day without apple pie?

The table was beautiful, family was just finishing dinner, and out came dessert. Now keep in mind God asked me to not eat anymore chocolate. 1st pie, chocolate silk pie, pies 2 and 3 chocolate custard type pies, pie 3 pumpkin cheesecake turtle pie, with chocolate and pecans on top!!!! Oh Lord, am I to go dessertless on Thanksgiving? Is that allowed? I think there's a law that mandates dessert on Thanksgiving. What am I to do?
Then my hubby seeing the panic in my face, the room I had saved for dessert was at risk of not being filled. He casually scrapes the beautiful topping of pecans and chocolate from the pumpkin cheesecake and I slice a sliver for my "dessert place".
Today Lord I am grateful for a husband that may not agree that you spoke to me about chocolate, but supports it anyway, and without hesitation helps me out.
I need to ask, has tradition gone so far away that pumpkin and apple pie have been replaced? I loved that part of the meal just as much as I do the Turkey. Next year I am probably not making either, but I will certainly buy both!!!!

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......