P: Patience, persistance, perception, perspective...

Trying to come up with a title for this post...Anyway, I'm in the midst of my fasting.  And while fasting and really drawing in closer to God, the devil will throw more stuff at you to shake you up.  I led the Women's meeting for our church Friday night. I prayed and studied for two weeks trying to come up with a lesson. To no avail. I had a couple of devotions I printed off to read. We never got to them. I prayed God would just lead me by His Holy Spirit and He did. We sat and fellowshipped (is that a word?). And each woman got to give a little of the "lesson". I enjoyed it. It was different than our usual meetings, but good at the same time.
I'm still trying to get "through" my mully-grub. Hate that my situation is bothering me, while I look at what others are going through and my stuff is so trivial. Yet at the same time I am still waiting for God to move. I know He will. I have faith. I believe. In the midst of the battle is where I am. And you know we win, everytime, with God on our side. 
While I'm waiting I'm learning about perspective. And Perception. My perspective on things is not always the same as someone else's. And the way I perceive something is most always not perceived the way someone else sees it. I find that even though I don't intend something to be taken wrong, sometimes it is. Even without me knowing it.
I'm learning that the closer I get to God, the harder the devil tries to take your focus off God. He tries to get you to focus on your problems instead. So, I stand firm and keep my eyes on God and not my problem. I get weary, weepy, and emotional. But, I keep turning to God. I keep turning it over to Him. I keep going back to Him. Trying (really hard) to give it to Him. And trying (really hard) not to pick it back up. 
So, I'm gonna praise Him everyday, all day. I 'm gonna continue to wait. Be persistent. And patient.

He has a hundred different messages to give you during a hundred different dungeon experiences. He knows just the right message at just the right time, and all it takes to receive it is a sensitive, obedient, trusting heart. A heart that says, "Lord God, help me now. Right at this moment. Deliver me from my own prison. Help me to see beyond the darkness, to see Your hand. As I am being crushed, remold me. Help me to see You in this abandonment, this rejection." Pray that prayer. Turn your trial into trust as you look to God to tenderly use that affliction, that dungeon, that abandonment for His purpose.

May He give you the grace to endure.
From Day by Day by Charles Swindoll

Random devotional

I'm studying and reading and praying for a message for my "women's meeting". I'm waiting for breakthroughs in areas of my life. I'm looking for guidance to teach my Jr. High youth group. I'm being a wife, mother, friend, housekeeper, and business owner (barber)...What else?
But through it all, I am learning. And while I'm pouring my heart into my study this morning, one of my devotionals touched me and i wanted to share.

Remember Paul and Silas who shouted praise songs through the halls of a dark prison? Your situation depends mostly upon your personal attitude. Perspective is everything. So what has you staring blindly, trapped and immobile? What are you afraid will happen if things change? Pray that God will give you a new perspective to see your problem through his eyes.

Once again, I see "through His eyes". Praying for "eyes to see". And praising - no matter what the situation at hand looks like...dark grungy prison or financial strain or what ever.  And "perspective": do you see the mountain you're staring at as "a mountain or a mole hill"? Do you perceive things getting better? Or worse?


I have so many topics and ideas to blog about. I hope I can keep up. I hope they will touch someone else's life the way they are intended. Not for my glory but for God. He gives me the ideas. I am just the vessel. I give Him the credit and glory.

So keep checking in. I have several more blogs to come. No set days, times, etc. Just random. If I get more organized or by some miracle have more time, I will try to make it certain days or time. 

Tata for now. 
By His Grace.