Morning Coffee – Golden Rays of Light

Two quotes from today’s devotion in Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.   

“I am with you and all around you, encircling you in golden rays of Light.”

“The human mind is the pinnacle of My creation, but so few use it for its primary purpose – knowing Me.”

Both thoughts are reassuring and very helpful to me. 

Doesn’t encircled in “golden rays of Light” feel both comforting and energizing at the same time?  I love the thought of my going through my day this way, encircled in an aura of golden rays of Light.

And the second thought helps keep me focused on my #1 purpose in life - using my mind for knowing God better.  That’s it!  In a nutshell!  Whatever I do today – use it for knowing God better.  I love succinct thoughts and this is as succinct as it gets.  If I use my mind for this ultimate purpose, everything else will fall into line.  This is where it all begins. 

I believe I’ll pour another cup and seek His all-encompassing rays of Light this day.

~~~

Morning Coffee - Golden Strands of His Presence

Jesus Calling  

Enjoying Peace in His Presence 

by Sarah Young ~

September 27th

“Go gently through this day, leaning on Me and enjoying My Presence.  Thank Me for your neediness, which is building trust-bonds between us.  If you look back on your journey thus far, you can see that days of extreme weakness have been some of your most precious times.  Memories of these days are richly interwoven with golden strands of My intimate Presence. “

¹³ I remain confident of this:
   I will see the goodness of the LORD
   in the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
   be strong and take heart
   and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:13-14

What a beautiful prayer to begin a day with!  Time to refill my cup and count those "golden strands"!

~~~

Mesothelioma Awareness Day!

Mesothelioma Awareness Day!

Goal: Eliminate all asbestos in society!

Fact: The latency period from exposure to onset of symptoms can be up to 50 years.

Fact: Mesothelioma is a nasty and aggressive cancer.

Help raise awareness!

~~~

Fall Outing

A trip to the Garden Center on a beautiful Fall day. 

Definitely a spirit lifter!

The Girls and the big Mum to take to the Cemetery

Two very cute Pumpkins!

 Grandma and her favorite Granddaughters!

~~~

Morning Coffee - FIRST AND FOREMOST

LIVE FIRST AND FOREMOST in My Presence.  Gradually you will become more aware of Me than of people and places around you.  This awareness will not detract from your relationships with others.  Instead, it will increase your ability to give love and encouragement to them.  My Peace will permeate your words and demeanor.  You will be active in the world, yet one step removed from it.  You will not be easily shaken because My enveloping Presence buffers the blow of problems. 

This is the path I have set before you.  As you follow it wholeheartedly, you experience abundant Life and Peace.

Psalm 89:15-16; Psalm 16:8

2 Peter 1:2

Jesus Calling

Enjoying Peace in His Presence

by Sarah Young

I am not nearly as close as I should be to living “FIRST AND FOREMOST in His Presence”.  But I am much closer than I used to be.  And I can attest that as I focus more on Him and less on the world, the blows of my problems are buffered. 

Most often my problems tend to start and end with ME; how I am affected/hurt/changed/inconvenienced etc etc.  However when I keep God FIRST AND FOREMOST, problems take on a whole different perspective and I find that they are really not about me at all.  And maybe they aren’t really as much problems as they are simply new opportunities to live in HIS PRESENCE. 

Time for another cup of coffee as I prepare to accept the opportunities of this day.

~~~

Morning Coffee - God's Full Purpose

The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, peace of mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born BY his purpose and FOR his purpose.     ~ Rick Warren

I have always loved this quote by Rick Warren from A Purpose Driven Life.   Prior to September 3^rd though, I focused on the words  fulfillment, happiness, careers and dreams.  Certainly my Godly purpose trumped these things.  Now however the words family and peace of mind are front and center – and these are not nearly so easy to accept. 

Time to refill my cup and contemplate on my full purpose rather than my personally selected purpose.  There is a big difference. 

~~~

Because He Said So!

Yesterday I received in the mail a Devotional book – Jesus Calling, Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young - from a friend who thought I might find it helpful.  She had received a copy herself when her husband was ill and continues to use it now for her daily quiet time.

This morning I began with the September 16^th message which offered in part:

“Though I may lead you along paths that feel alien to you, trust that I know what I am doing.  If you follow Me wholeheartedly, you will discover facets of yourself that were previously hidden.  I know you intimately – far better than you know yourself.  In union with Me, you are complete.  In closeness to Me, you are transformed more and more into the one I designed you to be.”

“…trust that I know what I am doing.”   I don’t know how many times Jim and I talked about this very idea.  Trust God – because for whatever reason this is the path chosen for us.  We may not understand – or even be glad that we were chosen – but it is our journey and we have to trust that it is best for us.  And I know that both of us discovered – and are still discovering – facets of ourselves that were previously unknown; even unfathomable.

God does keep his promises! He is faithful!   Which makes the promise of my completeness even sweeter.  I truly want to be the one He designed me to be and if I stay close to Him, I will be.  Because He said so!

~~~

Jim

James Meyer

April 30, 1942

September 3, 2011

The Blue Flannel Shirt

by Edgar A. Guest

I am eager once more to feel easy,

I'm weary of thinking of dress;

I'm heartily sick of stiff collars,

And trousers the tailor must press.

I'm eagerly waiting the glad days--

When fashion will cease to assert

What I must put on every morning--

The days of the blue flannel shirt.

I want to get out in the country

And rest by the side of the lake;

To go a few days without shaving,

And give grim old custom the shake.

A week's growth of whiskers, I'm thinking,

At present my chin wouldn't hurt;

And I'm yearning to don those old trousers

And loaf in that blue flannel shirt.

You can brag all you like of your fashions,

The style of your cutaway coat;

You can boast of your tailor-made raiment,

And the collar that strangles your throat;

But give me the old pair of trousers

That seem to improve with the dirt,

And let me get back to the comfort

That's born of a blue flannel shirt.

~~~