Because..... 5 Minute Friday

Because of other's choices, I needed a new place to go

October 23,  1993

Because he wanted what God wanted, I was found

Because he loved me and God, I was given a chance


Because he was not afraid to endure, I learned unconditional love

Because of this man, Guy Milroy, I was given a fresh new start in life

Because life is not fair and death is part of our world,
 he was called home to a better place

Because of his absence now, my heart aches and misses him dearly

Because it is September and two years since he left,
  I think of him and what he did for God and me

Happy 2nd Anniversary in Heaven. Pops! Love you & Miss you immensely!

http://katemotaung.com

Patterns to Learn From

Have you read the 

Old Testament? Take time!

Listen to lessons from the kings'

Downfalls. Many started off well, but

In their selfishness & sin, came

Tumbling down, down to a very sad end!

A Lesson From Amaziah

Each morning I read one chapter in the Bible. My goal has been to read straight through in an effort to understand who God is and how He really deals with His children. I began last fall in Genesis and I am currently up to the 25th chapter of II Chronicles. What a soap opera! It's also pretty bewildering to read how quickly people can change their alliance, even after God has done something great for them. I must admit, I have been guilty of that also. 

Today I felt impressed to HOLD ON after reading about one of Judah's many kings. It is also a take off on the 5 Minute Friday prompt.

 II Chronicles 25:5-12
Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered those twenty years old or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service, able to handle the spear and shield. 6 He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents[b] of silver.

7 But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim. 8 Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.”

9 Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?”

The man of God replied, “The Lord can give you much more than that.”

10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage.

11 Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. 12 The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.

biblegateway.com

Hold on, help is 

On the way

Look to God alone to

Deliver you from the enemy

God gave Amaziah an amazing victory over his enemies. Yet in the same chapter, he is found to be looking elsewhere for his support.

II Chronicles 25:14-16

When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. 15 The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?”

16 While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?”

So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.

biblegateway.com

It's good to stop and take inventory of where we are and to what or with whom our alliance lies. I am thinking though that sometimes our greatest enemy is not one that resides outside of us, but within.

Hold. 5 Minute Friday

Hold me in your heart
Hold my hand each step of the way
Hold my dreams carefully, God
Please don't let them break!

Hold my heart close to yours
Let me dance in the rain
Hold me, Jesus, forever
Hold back the water, let the waves not break

I hold my breath and wait


5 Minute Friday

May I Be Ready to......

More thoughts of being READY. Amazing how one word can inspire so much and stir up the pool a bit. This came to me during today's sermon as I listened to readings from the gospel of Mark when Jesus fed the five thousand and accomplished many other miracles in the sight of man.


May I be READY to have God..............

Revitalize my

Expectations of Him, the 

Almighty, so that I 

Drop unrealistic ones of others and

Yearn to expect from Him

Ephesians 3:20 -Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. (NIV)

Am I Ready?

That word from 5 Minute Friday got me thinking some more. Today I felt challenged to ask myself-


                                  Am I ready to............




Release

Expectations of others and

Abandon all I'm feeling deserving of,

Die to myself and

Yield to Christ?


This came to me after talking and spending time with loved ones today. Some older and some younger. One of the younger ones asked me, "How do you like your new home?" He showed interest and liked hearing about my life and talking with me. Another one didn't even say hello. One forgot she made a breakfast date with me and never showed up. She felt horrible and was very apologetic.

I don't know which I did more of when I was younger. I would have to ask. Perhaps I showed interest in others. Perhaps I was pretty caught up in myself or life with my friends. Perhaps it was even a little bit of both depending on my mood and the day.

What I do know, now that I have entered a new decade, is that everyone is insensitive or forgetful at times. Each one of us can be pretty darn selfish, just plain careless, or overwhelmed by life.  I don't know what it was like to be a parent raising me all those years ago. I do know I would not want to do the teen years over again. Too much change and for a lot of it, too much pain. Now I realize I could of and should of said thank you a whole lot more for the sacrifices others made.

I also realize, I shouldn't make other people pay when I'm having a bad day. I can and should be pleasant and friendly. I don't always succeed at that. God knows I have failed many times. We all have, haven't we? We all have something that's hard for us. We've all been scraped by the prickers on a rosebush when we've stopped to smell them along our way.

As I have read some of the other posts on FMF, I understand more and more, we really are all in this together. Unless I know someone personally, or they tell me what's really happening in their everyday life, I cannot fathom the struggles they endure or the miles they've walked. Nor can they of me.

It is better to be kind to even the cruelest of strangers than become disgruntled or annoyed. Each and everyone of us at some time, needs a whole lot of grace.

So, I ask myself "Am I READY? Am I willing? Am I able to release, abandon and die to myself? Am I really ready to love God's way?

1 Corinthians 13:5 " (love) does not act unbecomingly ; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered"

READY! 5 Minute Friday

Ready to relax

                      Ready to reflect

Ready or not

    Here it comes

                                       It?

It can be anything

                          Anything is something

Good or bad

Makes you feel great

          or

Makes you mad

                                                Here I am

Ready for what?

A new opportunity I've been longing for

                     or

news that the worst of the worst has finally arrived?


A sudden downpour to make me feel alive

                                                Ready?

             Perhaps


                                 Perhaps I need to just relax

Whisper- 5 Minute Friday

Whisper sweet sounds in my ear
Beckon me far away
Leaving the hustle and bustle behind
Refreshing my soul each day

Whisper words of comfort or challenge,
something to make me think
Lift up my spirits and awaken my senses
Let my heart see Him smile and wink

Whisper my name and a command
speaking with authority from above
Lord, help me find my way in the dark
Pour out your grace and love.

5 Minute Friday!