Who Hung the Moon?

uP

and 

Down,

emotions

try to take me on a rollercoaster ride

of fret and worry...

My heart has been heavy for several days and I've been

 fretting. Praying and fretting. It is something a mom has 

to deal with, dad's too, I'm sure. It's a laying down of 

control and a letting go of our adult children. Allowing 

them to make their own way, their own decisions.

 Trusting, not fretting. Trusting and praying and knowing 

our Father God will walk with them and teach them 

through right decisions, and wrong ones, 

just like he does for us.

 

 As I walked through the woods earlier with a friend, I 

realized there was now more peace 

in my heart than worry.

 Through the day, the prayers I'd breathed, 

and the prayers of family and friends

were obviously heard by divine ears, 

by a Father heart,

 and they were answered. 

 

I'd cried out,

Father! Please, help me trust You, 

Help me relax in to You. 

You hung the moon...

You keep it steady and constant

as it circles this place we call home, 

at least our home for now.

You hung the moon, the stars and brilliant sun

and You are able to hold me, 

my children and all of mankind.

You've inscribed us in the palm of Your hands.

You won't forget us or leave us alone.

Your love is more than enough.

 

 

 

Philippians 4:6-7

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all ^[a]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 ©Marie Nease 2012

 

 

 

Parched...

Spirit parched, 

soul dry,

panting 

for this thirst

to be quenched.

What am I thirsting for? 

I thirst for companionship, for soul connection, for souls to be mingled.

I thirst for creativity to flow out from me, as a rushing river, refreshing, encouraging others 

and glorifying God.

I thirst for the nail scarred hands of Jesus

to hold me through night and day, through tears and laughter, in the midst of trials and celebrations of joy.

I thirst to walk daily in the gifts and callings God has given, strategically fulfilling His will 

on earth, as it is in heaven. 

I thirst to sing a song of Zion,

even when my heart is heavy, to praise 

my Abba, my Father though my 

soul cries out, enough!

May my spirit, soul and body

thirst for You, O God!

I know you are thirsty

your tongue is parched.

You're desperate.

I hear you...

I will answer...

I will not leave you thirsty.

I'll open up rivers 

for you

on the dry, barren places

of your heart.

I'll spring up fountains 

in your lowest valleys.

I'll turn your wilderness days

into a cooling pond

you can splash for joy in!

I want you to know for sure that I did this for you. I don't want you or those around you to miss that it is a gift I created and personally signed, 

With love,

God

Isaiah 41:17 (Amplified Bible)

17 The poor and needy are seeking water when there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. 

18 I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.  

Isaiah 41:17-20 The Message Bible ~ "The poor and homeless are desperate for water, their tongues parched and no water to be found. But I'm there to be found, I'm there for them, and I, God of Israel, will not leave them thirsty. 18 I'll open up rivers for them on the barren hills, spout fountains in the valleys. I'll turn the baked-clay badlands into a cool pond, the waterless waste into splashing creeks. 19 I'll plant the red cedar in that treeless wasteland, also acacia, myrtle, and olive. I'll place the cypress in the desert, with plenty of oaks and pines. 20 Everyone will see this. No one can miss it - unavoidable, indisputable evidence That I, God, personally did this. It's created and signed by The Holy of Israel.  

Empty Tomb - Full Heart

Being Perfected...

Whew, my brain is full.... I'm in my fourth week of training for my new career with Sage. (Sage makes life simpler for small to medium size businesses. I'm a lead generation specialist with their merchant services products for credit card processing and also their gift and loyalty cards. Sage also can integrate your credit card processing with accounting software which is so cool! http://www.sagepayments.com/ http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/) 

Spring has sprung and summer quickly approaches. I think of sundresses and shorts and find myself longing, needing to get in better shape. I'm cutting back on my food portions, walking, biking and stretching. I'm in physical training!

 Our spiritual training and growth is much more important than training for a new career or physical training. 

We're being trained in righteousness. How can we successfully train ourselves spiritually? 

I like how the New Living Translation puts it in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches 

us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."  

The NIV version puts it this way: 

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 

so that the man of God may be thoroughly 

equipped for every good work."

So immersing ourselves in God's Word and allowing it to convict us, affect us and change us is a vital part of our spiritual training: It cannot be ignored or forgotten. 

1 Timothy 4:8 reminds us that "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

Every day this week, I've had the opportunity to walk away from cookies or... not... Our trainer at work has been very generous. She ordered lunch for us every day. Included with lunch was cookies, every day. I'm exercising self control and working on losing weight and shaping up. 

Eating cookies will not help my efforts! 

1 Corinthians 9:25 encouraged me. "All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize."  I must be disciplined and though the cookies smell divine, the better choice is to walk away. Spiritually, various temptations we experience may attempt to seduce us. Our prize is eternal, when we are disciplined and walk away from temptations.

Very recently, I had the opportunity to win an eternal prize, or to lose it. An old boyfriend, who I'd grown to love, but who wasn't healthy for me or a believer, re-entered my life, partly through his communication and partly mine. I came to find out he was no longer single. He's a married man... 

Red flags are waving, yet subtly I found myself drawn in to an occasional conversation about our career changes and life in general. A friend said, "It's okay to just be his friend." Permission granted to have more conversations. The enemy of my soul was at work. I know better, and if you ever asked me if I could be tempted in this area, I'd say a loud NO! Yet in my humanness, I was truly tempted. 

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit worked on my heart and quickly woke me up from the enemy's tactics that were luring me into a dark place. I sensed the Lord saying, "RUN!" So, I sent an email to this previous boyfriend, shutting the door to any further contact. Period. 


Titus 2:12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,  
New International Version (©1984)

Titus 2:12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,

New Living Translation (©2007)

 I'm in training. I'm learning. I'm growing! 


It's our job to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and to obey Him. It's a work of the Spirit, not of self effort. 
HE perfects us. 


New International Version (©1984)
Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
New Living Translation (©2007)
How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?



Oh Father, I find such peace just knowing that You draw me... You woo me closer to You, You convict me of sin, You change me. It's a Spirit work. Not a fleshly work. I'm so thankful You are making me into Your image. I can rest in that...

Wingdreamer

2 Corinthians 3:18

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁸And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.

God Sings

There is something about mockingbirds

 that just gets to me... 

mysteriously their songs touch my heart 

and bring such peace. 

Through the years, there have been times

when circumstances were bleak,

when life was challenging,

when I was hurting,

that a mockingbird would 

sing to me

from their nearby perch. 

One time in particular, the mocking bird's song 

was so incredibly comforting to my soul.

I was in the midst of a time of separation and divorce. 

My heart was raw. 

My eyes, puffy from abundant tears. 

I pulled into my driveway, windows still down, 

allowing the spring breezes to fill my car, to fill my senses. 

A mockingbird's song, floated my way, on the breeze. 

I couldn't move. 

His notes echoed in the night air. A quietness filled me that 

went beyond words. I sat in my car simply immersed in 

peace, this mockingbird's gift. 

After some time, I went inside my home. I opened the

 windows in my bedroom so I could hear this 

song I found so mesmerizing.

It was too faint. I gathered pillow and blanket and 

ended up sleeping on my living room 

sofa just so my ears would continue to be filled with 

this gift of song that brought my saddened soul such 

incredible calmness and comfort. It felt like God was

singing peace deeply into my heart, through a bird.  

I will never forget that night. 

I fell asleep being serenaded 

by God, through a bird.

~~~~~~~

I started a new job this week. I've experienced excitement 

as well as apprehension. I want this job to be one where I 

just fit, where I am successful and contribute to the 

company's bottom line. I'm ready for a company 

I can work with for years.  

Yesterday and today, 

the air was permeated with the mockingbird's song, 

both at home and at work. 

As I took my lunch break today, my heart was 

once again comforted by the gift of the mockingbird's song.  


Perched on the topmost branch, the mockingbird sang


his exuberant song, as if it was just for me!

I stepped outside again,  for an afternoon break. 

I smiled at the familiar song as I walked among

beautiful surroundings; trees blooming, grass greening. 

Could it be a consequence that the mockingbird's song fills 

the air again in the midst of this season of my life? 

Perhaps, but I don't believe in consequences.

Marie ~ Wingdreamer

~~~~~~~

Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Don't give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; he won't leave you." 

The Message Bible

^{Psalm 104: 12} "The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
   they sing among the branches."  NIV

 Matthew 6:26
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" NIV

Around the Next Bend in the Road

Barn on a country road in Roswell Georgia

We don't know what's around 

the next bend in the road...

...but Jesus does.

Isa 45:2 (AMP) I will go before you and level the mountains [to make the crooked places straight]; I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron.

Happy Trails to You

All of us long for Happy Trails

to be the paths we travel on.

We need the wind to catch our sails,

guiding us toward a brighter dawn! 

We desperately want to fly above clouds,

higher than we can imagine,

 to hear God's glory, shouting loud!

God cannot be contained,

yet He chooses to dwell

within us

if we ask Him to.

Then, even if the roads we travel

are difficult and steep,

they will be happy trails

because He walks with us

and dwells inside us.

Happy Trails! 

Wingdreamer