Light of the World

Your daily dose of encouragement.

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Peace

Peace is trusting God to take care of the things you have no control over.

Sunday, June 26, 2005

Candy Surprize

Glory to God in the highest,
So I was working the evening shift tonight and one customer asks me if I want a candy. Now I probably would have said no, but he said that it has a scripture verse on the wrapper. So I immediately accept. "All things are possible to him that believeth." Mark 9:23 I'm so encouraged! This verse was so uplifting because I am definetly believing for some things that simply seem impossible to me, but then again all things are possible with God.
May the peace of God fill you and rest within you.

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

God's Timing

This is a lesson that I've already been aware of for at least a few months now, but God has decided to solidify it in my mind again by giving me a clear example of this in my life. So Sunday night I was having one of those rough nights due to circumstances that I will eventually reveal to everyone at the right time. But before I had gotten into one of these moods my dad had asked me if I'd be able to read a chapter in a book that he was reading and explain it to him. So on Monday I decided to read a the chapter on God's timing. Now after reading this I could no longer be discouraged in my situation, even though it is extremely difficult for me, because of the fact that one of the points made in this chapter was that if we are doing everything we can in order to move forward and out of bad situations and into good ones, if we are not moving foward then we need to trust in God that we are still in those situations for a reason. Perhaps some of the people who are going to help you in your success aren't ready for that success, or the ones who are going to help you with your problem aren't equipped to deal with it yet. Resting in God is when you take your eyes off of the situations in your life and trust that God is taking care of what you are unable to take care of.
May you receive grace and peace throughout your day and into eternity.

Saturday, June 18, 2005

A Prayer

I received the following in an email which a friend of mine translated from Albanian:

I don’t recognize myself; I’m nothing compared to Your Light. I like to feel proud of myself in my thoughts, but when I turn to you, I don’t know where to hide. Inside the things made for You it is necessary to have Heart, Obedience, Faith, and Persistence, because life is with You every day. I am tired of my thoughts which are such a mess; order is not in my hands. Would You take my mess o God, the lack of action, the unconsciousness, the laziness, the self-satisfaction in me, and replace these with Your virtues? I don’t know how to remain in silence, teach me o God! I need Your wisdom so that I can discern things, I UNDERSTAND THAT WISDOM IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE SEEKED IN YOU What am I? And what will I remain if I don’t fear God? If I don’t respect His Word as the top priority, when I know that it is THE WHOLENESS OF MAN.

I was reading something in the library (sorry I can’t translate the title) and I wrote this prayer in my notebook. In fact, God isn’t only of Yesterday, but also the God of Today. He is available to show Himself to this generation or to any generation that will seek Him. When we read about His great deeds in the past it’s breathtaking, but let’s not forget that HISTORY IS MADE TODAY. There is no difference between the people that God has used, and me and you. We were all created from dust and in dust we will return. IT IS THE LIFE OF GOD INSIDE OF US WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE AND BRINGS HOPE. OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD DICTATES OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH ONE ANOTHER. OUR PROBLEM IS NOT INSUFFICIENT EDUCATION, BUT THE REBEL HEART.

This is me my dear friends, and my thoughts – the messy ones and the clearer ones. I am sure that if we share these thoughts with one another, we will be a practical, real help to each other, brothers and sisters.

Friday, June 17, 2005

I know. I know. I know.

I know. I know. I know.
I know you. I know your heart. I know where you are going. Trust me and listen for my voice. You know Me. You know My heart. You know where I AM.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

I'm here.

"Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water...Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after"
On no, my baby fell.
Who are you, Liz? What have you let identify you for this long? Life down here is but a breath.
-you can overcome and stand up again-
no matter how far you have tumbled. you have seen what i can do. you have heard me speak tenderly. now i speak in power.
i know. i know. i know.
i'm here. i'm real. i understand.
i don't tempt you. i don't punish you. i don't ignore you. i see inside where no one else has gone. i'm pleased with your efforts to cleanse, to prepare yourself like Esther.
i see you that beautiful already!
please listen. don't fold your arms infront of Daddy, don't leave my presence so soon. Let Me cleanse you. let Me exterminate and purify and LOVE YOU -I LOVE YOU-
every part! every song, every journal, every time you've thought,
"I want to make a difference, but I'm told I'm not good enough"
"time is passing, life is passing me by..."

Don't strive to get on my lap-let me pick you up and place you there.
you're too tired.
Enter into a different kind of rest and peace.
--------------------------------------------
I'm here. I've heard you.
I'm real. Remember.
I understand. I know you.


Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Don't Get Discouraged

Grace and Peace in the Lord Jesus Christ,
How do you measure success? Do you measure it by your failures or by the progress you've made? We need to stop beating ourselves up with our mistakes and start focusing on the progress that we've been making everyday. If you aren't making progress then you need to start praying and focusing on God so that you can get headed in the right direction. If you're doing those things then you're making progress even if you don't see any difference.
We need to be aware of the cause of the problem. If we don't look to the root then that tree will just keep growing. Maybe it will show up as something else, but it will still grow into something unfruitful. At times we need to stop attacking the action and heal the inner emotion. We need to deal with the sources of our problems so that we can have a permanent change instead of a temporary victory.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.