Control.
I have to admit, I like it.
Just the other day, when I went to the gym, the stair masters that I normally use were all taken. I saw a friend on a machine I’d never tried, and I hopped up next to her.
“What level do you usually do?†I asked, not familiar with the buttons. “Does it have a manual setting?†I looked at her and laughed. “Because I like to be in control!â€
And as I worked out, I thought about just how true that is.
The same way I like to be able to push the buttons on the workout machines (instead of having them shift levels without ME telling them to), I like to be able to control what happens in my life.
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Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! (Isaiah 30:18 NIV)
My husband’s grandmother, Mema, has filled several china cabinets with antique glassware. One cabinet in particular contains milk glass, which was very popular in the 1950’s and 60’s. Some of Mema’s collection always belonged to her, while other pieces she acquired at various sales. Some of the bowls, pitchers, and creamers in Mema’s cabinet are valued at more than $250.00, yet she never paid that amount of money for any of them.
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Have you seen an in-car GPS (Global Positioning System) that tells you how to get from one place to another? They give directions like:
“in 50 meters turn right”
“at the second exit turn right”
“turn right now”
A friend of mine was driving through western Australia and was quite amused when her GPS said “in 200km, turn right.” Wow, 200kms of straight road! I think it would get a bit boring after a while – and possibly a tad irritating when every 20kms the GPS interrupts with “in 180km, turn right” “in 160km, turn right”.
Wouldnt it be nice though if we had a GPS for life!?
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Wow, July is already almost half over! Are you feeling like summer is all too quickly sailing by?
We have been going full swing again for a month and a half. We hope and pray that you have been blessed. Have you taken a moment to subscribe to Faith Lifts? If not, I encourage you to do so by clicking on the link in the upper right hand corner of the site.
I don’t have a ton of news this month, but I wanted to mention that quite some time ago we had a great award here at Faith Lifts called the Spotlight of Faith Award.
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“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.†Colossians 4:2 NLT
Last week, I was reading a devotional and this verse really hit me. It made me stop and think… how DO I pray?
Am I alert and focused?
Or do I pray when I’m in bed at night falling asleep, or when I’m in the car and there are a million distractions?
Do I pray with a thankful heart, taking time to appreciate God’s love and blessings? Or do I dive right in, asking for help with whatever situation I’m facing at the moment?
Hmm.
I have to admit, when I asked myself these questions, I didn’t like the answer.
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“Take the helmet of Salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” Ephesians 6: 17 (NIV)
Shhh. Come close, I have a secret to share. Ready? Here it is. Not everyone likes me. Not a shocker? I didn’t think so. Reality. It’s harsh. And as a recovering people pleaser, my skin isn’t very thick. I know that it is trendy to be strong and blow away insults with a single confident puff followed by a quick hair toss, but that’s not me. And truth be told, I don’t think that is suppose to be me either.
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My husband and I recently celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary with a trip to Niagara Falls. We had a wonderful time. Friends who had previously visited the falls tried to describe how beautiful they were, but their description didn’t come close to seeing it with my own eyes. It truly was a sight to behold.
As we approached our hotel which overlooked the falls, our driver asked if it was our first visit. We told him it was, so he drove right by so we could get our first glimpse of this awe inspiring creation. It was breathtaking. We stood amazed as we watched 3,160 tons of water per second spill over the second largest waterfall on the globe.
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Life is tougher than usual for many people right now.
Finances may be tight and stress may be high.
We’ve all heard the saying, “Attitude is everything.†But, when things aren’t going our way, or our future seems uncertain, it can be pretty easy to become consumed with worry or complaining.
Yet if we can remember that, no matter what is going on in our lives, God’s in control, this truth alone can help us stay focused on what’s important. And it can get us through the tough times.
“Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise. Psalm 48:1
Knowing that God is great—that He knows the plan for our lives and that He will never leave us—can give us peace in the midst of any storm.
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