All Things New - Being Intentional About It!
As we move into 2015 today, I can't help but send out hope. Change, transitions, good or bad, are hard. I don't do well with any change of any kind! But we have this true promise from God! He is always making things fresh and new through every situation. Our family looks for these gifts, that's why we collect the stones for our candle. God gave us the idea many years ago. I share it as an encouragement as we begin a new year, but more importantly, it is really just a new day, and His mercies are new every morning. We must be intentional about seeing the good, even in the hardest places. Our daughter is on her way to a funeral today and a wedding tomorrow. How do we hold both of these things in our hearts?
God shows Himself in the dark places! It is easy to find the good on a wedding day, but so hard to grieve the loss of a loved one! Every time a believer goes ahead to heaven, the waves of loss are felt and shared, and there is no way to short cut that. But it never ceases to amaze me how God uses the life of one HE brings home to shine the brightest on their home going! When one leaves for Heaven, the angels rejoice with God, and the saints on earth count the glimmers of Heaven seen in the life of the one who goes ahead. There are countless stories of miraculous light that shines through the darkness, unlike those with no hope of eternity with Jesus. We will see the good in the suffering, we will.
We know that any answer from God is a “God moment,” whether it’s a yes or a no. We decided to focus on “big” things that we were believing Him to do, or decisions we were asking Him to make. It's fun to watch the pile of rocks grow, and we have a visual of God’s work in our lives. We love taking turns adding the rocks, and sharing stories of God working in our situations. The stones are not always born out of happy stories, but miraculous light from the darkest places. We must PRACTICE HIS PRESENCE in every situation. We must point each other to this truth. We still do this even as our kids are in high school and college. It is truly a faith building exercise for all of us! God told all of us to remember His works in the book of Joshua. I do not pretend always do this well. But my heart seeks to do this, and God promises to respond to the seeking heart.
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13
Joshua 4:19-24
19 “The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jericho. 20 It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River.”
21 “Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. 24 He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.”
We will keep looking for God's promises, and how He demonstrates them. We will collect stories in 2015! We are so blessed to have this awareness, so many have no hope! I pray we give "hope" at every turn. I pray I'm a better "hope giver" and "promise" teller to you, my family and friends.
"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19
God shows Himself in the dark places! It is easy to find the good on a wedding day, but so hard to grieve the loss of a loved one! Every time a believer goes ahead to heaven, the waves of loss are felt and shared, and there is no way to short cut that. But it never ceases to amaze me how God uses the life of one HE brings home to shine the brightest on their home going! When one leaves for Heaven, the angels rejoice with God, and the saints on earth count the glimmers of Heaven seen in the life of the one who goes ahead. There are countless stories of miraculous light that shines through the darkness, unlike those with no hope of eternity with Jesus. We will see the good in the suffering, we will.
We know that any answer from God is a “God moment,” whether it’s a yes or a no. We decided to focus on “big” things that we were believing Him to do, or decisions we were asking Him to make. It's fun to watch the pile of rocks grow, and we have a visual of God’s work in our lives. We love taking turns adding the rocks, and sharing stories of God working in our situations. The stones are not always born out of happy stories, but miraculous light from the darkest places. We must PRACTICE HIS PRESENCE in every situation. We must point each other to this truth. We still do this even as our kids are in high school and college. It is truly a faith building exercise for all of us! God told all of us to remember His works in the book of Joshua. I do not pretend always do this well. But my heart seeks to do this, and God promises to respond to the seeking heart.
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13
Joshua 4:19-24
19 “The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jericho. 20 It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River.”
21 “Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. 24 He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.”
We will keep looking for God's promises, and how He demonstrates them. We will collect stories in 2015! We are so blessed to have this awareness, so many have no hope! I pray we give "hope" at every turn. I pray I'm a better "hope giver" and "promise" teller to you, my family and friends.
"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19
Maker of the Day, Mark Harris
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