Nasty? Try adding some faith to make it great!

A mouthful of salt, nasty. A mouthful of pepper, nasty. A mouthful of garlic, nasty. A mouthful of oregano, nasty. A mouthful of basil, nasty. A mouthful of crushed tomato sauce, eh? A mouthful of raw beef, nasty. Nasty, nasty, nasty, that is until you combine it all together, making spaghetti sauce with meatballs then it taste great.

Just curious, is your experience with God missing something? Does it leave a bad taste in your mouth. Could you be missing that one thing that brings it all together? I'm talking about faith. It is that one special must have ingredient that makes it all great! I don't care how much religion you have, until you add faith, there is nothing that great. But adding faith to something that doesn't exist, is not faith at all but foolishness. It leaves your soul empty and desperate for something more. Now add some Faith in a living God that does exist, now now your talking about something great!

So, what do you get when you add faith in the right God? You get the "aha!" moment of "that's it, that is what I have been looking for, that is all I needed." Maybe you are asking, "what is it that makes the aha click." That's simple, you receive the Holy Spirit within your heart and soul. You literally have the one true God living within you, affirming each and every moment of each and every day, that He is alive and He is great!

Ephesians 2:8 for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Acts 2:38 Peter replied, " repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

God does not need your faith to make Him great, you do. He is great no matter where you place your faith. Just like an airplane does not need your faith to fly, neither does God. You need the faith that the plane will fly so you will get on it to begin with. You want to experience God, then add a little faith and jump right in.

Hebrews 4:2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His Love!




Bill Butcher www.j14twentyseven.blogspot.com

What is a Blessing?

Has your idea of what a blessing is robbed you from recognizing daily blessings? When asked what you call a blessing, what is your first response? A better job, a raise, a good marriage, a new born baby, health, friends, unexpected gifts...?

Sure these are all blessings, but what about the in your face blessings you experience every day? Eyes to see, ears to hear, nose to smell, tongue to taste, heart that feels, 3 dimensional world instead of a 2, vibrantly colored landscapes instead of black and white.

Think about all that God has done so that we can experience pleasure with all of our senses. Think about all that God has created and offered to stimulate our experiences. Did He allow it all just to please us? I think not. I can't help but think that our pleasures are just a perk of experiencing all that God is and has done.

I'm pretty sure He has done it all to get our attention and bring our focus back to Him. Think about it like this, when your kid draws a picture, what do you do? Hang it on the refrigerator? Post it on Facebook? Whatever you do, what is the purpose? Brag on your kid, right? It's all about, look what my kid did!

Guess what, all creation from the simplest of senses to the grandest of gifts, it is all on display all around us each and everyday proclaiming "Look what the LORD did!" You are surrounded by blessings everywhere you turn. Imagine a world where all that you take for granted is gone. Kind of a Twilight Zone thought isn't it?

Count your blessings today and give God the glory for all the great things He has done!

John 1:16
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

My Prayer:

LORD,
I ask for your wisdom, your strength, your eyes to see, your ears to hear, may I have your heart to love, and your hands and feet to serve. Give me the voice and words to speak that I may proclaim the whole gospel. I need your courage to stand firm, and your endurance to persevere. Bless me with your reach and expand the ministry you have chosen me for. Allow my life to bring you even greater glory than the day before. Make my life be a reflection of you so that others will be saved by your amazing mercy and grace.

John 15:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.

Sacrificing Without Defect or Stench

I was reading in my quiet time the book of Leviticus. Chapter 1 starts off with Burnt offerings. A few things caught my attention and got me thinking. Here is what the LORD shared with me:

First, offerings were to be without defect. It got me thinking; without defect would mean it was the best. Am I giving God my best? Or am I giving Him what I have with flaws? Flaws like holding back in quality or quantity, giving but grudgingly so, offering out of duty but not desire or devotion... Am I really giving my best without defect?

Secondly, what got me thinking was the offering made by fire. If an offering is made by fire, then that means you don't get it back. Am I giving to the LORD with no anticipation of getting back? If I'm giving an offering and expecting return, then I am not offering or sacrificing anything. In fact I am making an investment hoping for a better return. Will the LORD bless me for giving, offering and sacrificing? Yes He will if I give without defect that is. Expecting return is a defect in giving. Me personally, I give and sacrifice because of what Christ has already done for me. I deserve no return.

Thirdly, the phrase "an aroma pleasing to the LORD" made me think as well. Now I have received gifts before and my first thought honestly was "wow really this stinks." Is God thinking the same thing with the giving, offering, and sacrifices we are or are not making?

Fast forward now to the new testament era, after all that is the era we live in. Thank goodness we don't have to make blood sacrifices anymore. However what we are called to offer and sacrifice is so much harder. Why? Well because we are not called on offer up outside of ourselves. Sure it's easier to give of a life that is not yours, especially an animal. But to give up yourself, yea that's hard. Sacrifice of our time, talents, personal income, deeds, desires, service, sleep, days off, pride, daily living... As Christians, we are called to die to sin, take up the cross of Christ upon ourselves, we are literally called to sacrifice ourselves and live for Jesus Christ. Do it with defect, reap with defect. Do it begrudgingly, reap begrudgingly. Do it stinkingly, reap stinkingly. Get the point?

May I recommend giving, offering, sacrificing, whatever it is do it at your best. Do it without expectations, and make sure the LORD doesn't think "wow, that stinks!" When you sacrifice without defect, without expectations, nothing stinks about that. Although it will cost your life, the rewards are eternal! Besides, Jesus Christ already died for you, what more could you give?

Exodus 1:3,8 ...without defect,...an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

Surely the Devil Hates You.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

As the LORD Commanded

In the last few chapters of Exodus, the Israelites finally do as the LORD commanded. Repeatedly you read that they built and prepared the tabernacle "as the LORD commanded" Upon final inspection Moses confirmed it was all done "as the LORD commanded." That is when the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. New Testament confirms that our bodies are the LORDS sanctuary. So I must ask, are you filled with the LORDS glory? Are you living as the LORD commands? Or are you living as you yourself has commanded? Do you really want to experience the LORDS glory in a very tangible way? Not some emotional experience but real true Shekinah glory? Yes, then do as the LORD commands. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, act and treat it as such.

Exodus 40:34 Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

The Sabbath, keep it Holy or perish spiritually

My heart is so burdened for those who say they love the LORD yet they refuse to attend church on Sundays. I understand some people can't attend because of health issues and even at times work obligations.  I'm talking about those who can, but have excuse issues.  God specifically said remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.  That means we are to gather in His house and worship Him.  We are to devote the Sabbath day to the LORD.  God never said you can devote the Sabbath on your terms and your definition. It was, and is, and will always be on His terms if you intend on keeping it Holy.  In doing so, God will not only reveal himself to you, He will make you holy. He will keep you spiritually alive!

I can't help but notice, those who can but don't attend church on Sundays always seem to be fading, dying in their spiritual walk.  The further from the Sabbath they get, the further from holiness they become.  Now I am not judging, I am just simply making an observation based on the evidence expressed by those who have chosen to walk away.  All you have to do is read their tweets, follow their status's, and view their instagrams.  I even hear it firsthand in personal conversations.  

Are you one of the many who can honestly say to yourself, "I do feel like I am dying spiritually.  I am not where I use to be."  I have a suggestion, remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.  Your bed, your couch, your boat, your deer stand, your favorite restaurant, wherever that place is, if it is not Gods house, it is not Holy.  Understand this as well, not every church is God's house.  Only those who truly worship the living God and bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ his son.  If their sermons are not pointing you to the cross, you may want to consider finding a Holy house that does. Whatever you do, don't avoid the Sabbath because you think others are hypocrites.  At least they are in church where the LORD can speak to their hearts.  

This is a picture of a church outside
our hotel in Granada, Nicaragua at night

Exodus 31:12-14 

Then the LORD said to Moses,13 "Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.14 " 'Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST!

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST!!!
Clay Thornton Maples had a bone marrow aspiration today, the results will determine if they can proceed with chemo and the bone marrow transplant! Praying for positive results and that the chemo and transplant will go as planned.

Bessie Maples

Stand Firm, God Will Step In and Fight

A few years ago, I went back to college to earn my associates degree in nursing.  Before I could enter the nursing program, I had to complete the pre-requisites.  One of those was English comp 1101.  I am just saying, “I hated that class.”  I am absolutely stupid when it comes to grammar and compositions.  I’ll never forget the first day of class; the instructor asked me what genre was.  I was like “Huh? What? Who? Is this French class? Is genre a guy or a girl?” That was my thoughts what I said was “Ma’am, I am sorry, I have been out of college for nearly 20 years and I honestly do not know.   The teacher then proceeded to humiliate me because of my ignorance before the entire of the class.  She said something like this “Those of you who don’t not simple things like what genre is probably do not need to be in this class.”  I knew from that day forward there was going to be a battle that semester.

As the class went on, I learned what genre meant.  Throughout the class we read different genres of literature and journaled about what we had been reading.  Standing firm in my faith, I always related the material to my faith.  It was evident that my instructor was not very agreeable to my perspective on things.  At one point in the class, she introduced a genre that was rather risky in my opinion, basically it was pornographic. 

I felt convicted to not read the literature she had assigned to us.  Anyway, I went to class one afternoon and asked in front of the entire class if I could be assigned an alternative.  Our instructor mockingly asked me why I felt I needed an alternative.  I stated “Well ma’am, I am a Christian and I have four children at home.  I do not feel comfortable reading material that appears pornographic in genre.  It goes against my faith.  How do I explain to my children why I am reading material that directly goes against our core beliefs?”  Her reply “If you do not think you are mature enough to handle the assignment, then you will simply receive a zero for those assignments.  Basically you will fail this class.”  I stood my ground and stated “Well, I refuse to read the material and journal on this particular genre.  If you refuse to offer an alternative, then I guess I have to accept a zero. 

The next day, my English instructor proceeded to mock me before her much larger day class.  I guess she thought she might make herself look cool and make some Christian guy look like a fool.  I don’t know what she was thinking or what she was trying to prove.  However, I am glad she did what she did.  To my surprise, a number of students in her day class raised their hands and said that they agreed with my position and that they to were requesting an alternative genre to read and that they refused to continue with the assignments as planned. 

Long story short, I stood my ground.  I am so glad I did because it gave others the courage to take a stand for what they believed and together we got our alternative assignments.  That was not the end of the battle, but it was one of many victories that semester.  I’ll share another story tomorrow about this same instructor. 

Here is my point, as Christians we must stand our ground if we intend on winning any battle related to our faith.  When we stand our ground, God steps in and fights the battle for us, He never leaves us standing alone when we face any battle on His behalf. 

This is a picture I took of a Bull Elk
in Estes Park, Colorado.
You talk about standing firm in battle.
Bull Elk can be pretty bull headed
when they decide to stand their ground.

2 Chronicles 20:17

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

Husbands Love Your Wives, Even If You Are Not Married Yet

Ok men, are you loving your wives like Christ loved the church? Nurturing, loving, lifting up, meeting needs, giving up your life for her. Staying faithful and not adulterating your commitment. Are you doing all you can to be the man she needs and can trust? Are you inspiring and nurturing your wife spiritually?

I can hear it now? "Um Bill, I not married. I do not have a wife." Do you plan to be married some day? You say "yes", I say "then you have a wife out there somewhere, your just not married yet. You still need to be faithful and preparing yourself to be the godly husband you are commanded to be."

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Secret to lasting love!

Do you want to know the secret to a marital love that lasts? Know the LORD loved you first, love Him back, and let Him love your spouse through you!

I chronicles 16:34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Are You "UN" Guilty?

Have you ever not done something and regretted it?  Like not get your oil  changed, and then your car broke down.  I bought a car once from a neighbor.  He was kind of a tight wad so he skimped on oil changes.  I did not know any better so I never check the oil before buying the car, let alone ask about service history.  Well guess what? The next day, the cars engine froze because it had no oil in it.  Very costly "not doing" a $30 oil change cost a couple thousand dollars.  Fortunately my neighbor was gracious and have me my money back and that covered the repairs to the car.

Here is the deal for Christians, we are guilty of "Un's" lots and lots of "Un's." the unbowed knee, unrepentant sin, unfriendly attitude, unconvicting heart, unfaithful worship, unfilled church pew, unopened bible, unconfessing tongue, and so many more "Un's." yep we are guilty totally without any excuse "Un" guilty.  

Unlike my car, the repercussions of our guilt is far more than money.  Our guilt leads to moral failure, social failure, spiritual failure, and even the loss of savable souls.  This isn't a broke down car that can be fixed or replaced it is a life, a priceless life that could be lost for eternity.  It's time for the "Un" sins to come to and end.  It's time for Christians to step up and do what they already know they should be doing.  I don't know about you, but I don't ever want to be "Un" guilty again.  

Heading out on medical mission.
Providing care for those who
otherwise would never get it.

James 4:17 

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do 

and doesn't do it, sins

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

Lying

We are so quick to associate lying with words, but how much quicker we lie by our actions or lack there of. What I mean is, we turn down our expressions of faith amongst mixed company. It is so natural we don't even think about it.

How many of us will pray over our meals at home, but not when we are in public. What is your behavior like during a Sunday school fellowship as opposed to a work party? I can go on, but hopefully you get the point.

If you get my point, then here is the plain simple truth; our actions lie for us, to us, and about us. Either you are in Christ or you are not. Either way we need to quit lying to others or quit deceiving ourselves. If you truly are in Christ the don't just talk like it act like it as well.

Colossians 3:9-10
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Jacked Up On Jesus, Not Caffeine

Are you dependent on coffee like I am? I feel like I have to have coffee every morning just to get going. If not I am just tired and weary. Without caffeine I just drag on slowly mentally and physically.

Something else that makes me tired and weary is serving my LORD. I have this hunger and passion to go full speed in my faith. I just want to go and go and go. My heart says keep pressing pressing on, don't quit. My mind says whoa. I get to feeling so drained and worn out. When I am spiritually worn satan gets in my head an begins to speak believable words. Things like "See you can't do it, your not strong enough, you can't afford it, your not good enough, maybe someone with more energy should take your place, take a break, relax, besides you do more than most people, besides your not good enough." Lies and more believable lies. And yes I question myself, question God's plan for my life, and the walls of doubt begin to build.

What I have discovered is that in the weariest of times when I have nothing left but to turn to the LORD, I find an unexplainable strength. It has been in the most worn out times that God has moved the most powerfully in and through me. Why? Well it's because I come to the place where I have nothing left but my faith. These are the times when hope is truly put to the test. If my hope remains in me I fail. If my hope is truly in the LORD, I sail to heights that only Christ can take me. Literally my Hope is like caffeine for my soul.

Why wait until I'm tired and worn to get my daily dose of soul caffeine, when I can have it totally free? I should not be more faithful to a daily dose of coffee than a daily dose of Jesus. Neither should you be either. Get jacked up on Jesus each and everyday. He is a perfect fix for a wearied soul.

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

I Had Heard But Now I Have Seen Moose are Real and Jesus Is Alive

Back in July of 2007, my family and I went on a vacation up into Montana and Canada.  We visited Glacier National Park in Montana and Waterton Park in Canada.  During our adventure, I wanted to see a real live moose in the wild.  I was so desperate to see a moose, I was even hallucinating.  If a tree branch looked like a moose antler, I got excited.  If I saw a rock shaped like a moose silhouette, I got excited.  If I heard a crunch that sounded like a moose foot, I got excited.  Needless to say, I got excited a lot.  The more excited I experienced the more disappointed I became.  Every moment of excitement was always a huge disappointment.

While we were in Waterton National Park, Canada, Carri found a brochure for a boat ride that would take us to the backcountry of Glacier National Park in the USA.  In big bold letters is said "See the Moose."  My excitement was exponential! This had to be a sure thing.  We loaded the kids up and headed for the boat dock.  The ship took us down Waterton Lake and landed us on the shores of the backcountry.  We were in the heart of  "Moose Country."

Once we got off the ship, we found a park ranger and asked the golden question, "Where do we need to go to see the moose?"  He replied, well we have not seen much of the moose lately, but your best chance is to hike this trail…..and you might be fortunate enough to see a moose or two.  My first thought, "You have got to be kidding me, not seen much of the moose lately.  Just my luck." 

Determined to find a moose, we set out on the adventure.  Just like before…oh moose antler, not, it was just a stupid branch.  Oh moose, not, it was just a stupid silhouette.  Oh, wow moose noise, not, it was  just a stupid squirrel.  Let me be honest, in my mind I was acting like a child.  I was thinking, "There is no such thing as a moose, they don't exist.  Moose are not real.  Ok God if moose are real, then show me one.  Ok God if you are real show me a moose."  Ok maybe I exaggerated my thoughts a little bit, but I really was being doubtful about seeing a moose.  And yes I really did use the God show me card. 

After about 9968756893472 miles of hiking, my son said "Dad I see a moose!"  My immediate response "No you don't, moose are not real."  "Yes dad, I see a moose for real."  "Brenton, you better not be messing with me, I'm not in the mood."  "Dad! Look in the lake, there is a moose, for real."  I looked down the trail into the lake and like glory rays of light beams, there stood a moose. 

We made it to the lakeshore and there before us was not just one moose, but fourteen.  Yes, there were fourteen moose scattered in the lake and on its shores.  At first, I could hardly believe my eyes.  I had heard all about the moose and how majestic they are, but now I was seeing them with my own eyes.  Everything I had heard about moose in the wild was so minimal and paled in comparison to seeing them in real life.  I was finally a believer, moose are real.  My childish doubts from that point on were left behind.  I had heard of moose before, but this time my eyes had seen them. 

Here is the first moose we saw

Isn't God the same way for many of us?  Sure, we have heard of God, but since we do not think we have seen him, we doubt He exists.  Maybe we are looking for Him in our own illusions of what we think God should look like.  You know, the tree branch shaped like a moose antler, or the rock silhouette, or even that so called voice that ends up being a lie.  Here is the truth, you have to put all your preconceived ideas aside about what you expect God to look like and just ask Him to show you who He is.  You will see Him, even in the storms of life. 

There was a time in my life when I doubted God existed.  Sure, I looked for Him, but in all the wrong places.  I expected God to be what I wanted Him to be, I thought God was suppose to look like what I thought He should look like. I never saw God as long as my life and eyes were covered in sin and lies.  It wasn’t until I went to where God was that I finally saw Him for the first time.  Where you ask? At the foot of the cross.  When I saw myself for the unredeemed sinner that I was, I looked up onto the cross. There I saw my sins being redeemed by the one true God who loved me in spite of my doubts and failures.    He was calling my name.  There is where I heard His voice, saw His face, and that is where I became a believer in His great name. 

Oh yea, my ears had heard a thousand times before, but this time my eyes had seen.  Now that I know my redeemer lives, I can see his face every day.  I know now what He looks like, what He sounds like, and I know without a doubt the things He does.  I am a believer not because Jesus Christ died, but because He is alive.  I live, not because of what I do, but because He is alive within me.  Jesus is alive!

Job was such a witness to this fact.  Job lost everything, literally everything.  He ended up living in a trash dump covered in sores.  Job refused to quit looking quit looking for God.  He knew God was real and he was going to find Him.  In the end, God rewarded Job's faithfulness.  One of Jobs final words was this, "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you."

And here is another moose.  

Job 42:5

My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

Hey Look, That's One of ?'s Kids

Have you made anyone's life feel peaceful lately? Please don't tell me that you create a lot of unrest in your circle of life.

I live in a small small town and its funny how you can pick out someone's kid either by the way they look and even behave. When people see you and experience your behavior do they say "hey look, that's one of God's kids!" If they do, consider yourself blessed.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Confidence That Does Not Fail

One of my heroes as a kid was Evil Knievel.  He was well known for his incredible gravity defying stunts on a motorcycle.  I remember watching his stunts over and over again.  Evil made it seem so easy, virtually effortless.  The more I watched the more convinced I became that I could do things just like he did.  I'm just saying, that dude had a  lot of confidence. 

One winter while living in Naperville Illinois, I decided I was going to perform my own stunt.  First, I built a wall of snow right on the edge of a snow bank that dropped off on to our sidewalk.  Then I built a ramp out of snow about five to six feet away from the snow wall.  For the stunt, I was going to ride my bike at a high enough speed to launch myself into the air off of the ramp, bust through the snow wall, and then land upright on the sidewalk. 

After the setup was complete, I got my bike.  I took it to the top of the hill by our house and envisioned my stunt.  I saw myself riding mock speed onto the ramp, launching myself in a gravity defying flight, blowing the wall into a million pieces, then landing upright with my bike onto the sidewalk on the other side.  I had seen Evil Knievel so many times repeat stunt after stunt without any hitch.  I had replayed my stunt over and over inside my head so many times without a hitch, I was beyond confident.  I knew that I knew I was going to succeed. 

In my undeniable confidence, I headed towards the ramp.  The wind was blowing, cameras were rolling, crowds were cheering, and the girls were all on the other side waiting to kiss the new hero on the block.  Well maybe not, but the wind was blowing.  As soon as I hit the end of the ramp it collapsed and my bike flipped forward throwing me head first into the now Ice glazed wall.  You see I made the wall first and it sat long enough that it had turned to ice.  On impact, I remember hearing a crack, crunch, and then a cry.  The crack was my head hitting the wall, the crunch was my neck being compressed from the impact and the cry… well it was me.  In spite of all my confidence I failed miserably and painfully. 

Sometimes we can make total fools of our selves because of our self centered confidence.  Or maybe it should be called arrogance.   When we put only self at the center of our confidence, all we have really done is set ourselves up for eventual failure.  Sure self confidence can be a good thing, but it can never ensure the certainty of success. That kind of assurance has to come from something greater than ourselves. 

How many of us can control our future? Who of us can control our surroundings? How many of us can control the unforeseeable and unpredictable? None of us can. 

If you could have a certain confidence that would undoubtedly not fail, would you want it? Of course you would.  Well guess what, there is a confidence that you can have.  It is confidence in knowing that God has a plan for you and He will be faithful to complete it.  Also know this; His plans are not to harm you, but to prosper you and give you hope and a future.

This is a photo I took a few years ago.
It is from a ministry event.
The group was called Real Encounter

Philippians 1:6 

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Jeremiah 29:11 

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

Sometimes I Just Need to be Still and Know He is LORD

For the past few months, we have been baby sitting a little boy named Jesse.  He is a little over a year and a half old.  Jesse has been such a blessing to our family.  Two of our two oldest girls have graduated high school and have moved off to college.  We still have two other children at home. It seems like life is flying by and our babies are growing up so fast and moving on.  I sure do miss the days when my kids were little and so much easier to cuddle in my arms.  Jesse has been that blessing for us.  The more time I spend with him the more I want grandkids.  In God's timing of course.

So today I was pondering what to write about on the blog and felt entirely blank.  Writters block I guess you could say.  Then It came to me as I was thinking about Jesse.  Jesse loves to cuddle especially when he is tired.  Usually I have to rock him, pat his back, and even rub his head.  That usually does the trick and he falls asleep.  The other day, that was not working.  The more I rocked, the more I patted, and the more I rubbed his head the more restless he became.  I knew he was exhausted, not feeling well and needed sleep.  I sat down on the floor, flipped Jesse onto his back and laid him against me.  Very quietly,  I just rubbed his belly in complete silence.  Within a few minutes Jesse was sound asleep.

For whatever reason, that day all Jesse need was to be still.  He did not need the rocking, the patting, or even any humming.  All he needed was to be still. 

In my walk of faith, I feel like I always need something to keep me going.  A verse, a message, an inspiring song, revival, a mission activity, hear the voice of God, an encouraging word, just something tangible.  There are also times I feel so desperate for that one thing from God at that momement,that day, or even that season.  Desperately searching and only hearing satan speak lies into my mind. Then I become restless and aggitated.

When I come to that place of restlessness and aggitation, I have to remind myself to be like Jesus.  What did Jesus do when satan spoke lies? Well for one He quoted scripture and two, He spoke this simple command "Get behind me satan, you do not have in mind the things of God."  But thats not all......  no this is not an infomercial.  Jesus sought solitude, a quiet place.  I can go to my quiet place, be still, and know He is LORD.  Just like Jesse, sometimes I just simply need to be still and quiet.  That is when I am at rest in the arms of my LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

Pslam 46:10

 "Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

Matthew 16:23

"Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me;

you do not have in mind the things of God,

but the things of men."

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!