Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Every once in a while I find we have overspent in an area and need to pretty much put a hold on all spending until the next paycheck comes in.... totally forgetting we have plenty of money in savings. That money can be easily accessed, I just have to remember it's there.
I also tend to forget I have untold spiritual riches, easily accessed if I just remember to seek it out. I live like a spiritual pauper when my Father is the King!  For those who love the Lord spiritual richness is His desire for us. For the follower of Christ, everyday, every minute is payday. All we have to do is seek Him. Proverbs 8:21 says "That I may cause those who love Me to inherit wealth. That I may fill their treasures."
Fill me up, Lord!

Trying Again

I'm so bad at blogging. I start out with good intentions, all fired-up and excited about it... and a few days in - the fire is out. But, as they say, "if at first you don't succeed: try, try, try again!" Soooo....

What is God showing me today?
Put first things - first. Which means time with Him. Devotion to Him. So much of this life is filled with things, good and bad, that draw our time and attention away from the One we claim is Lord. But if He is not the most important part of our lives, then really our claim is just a lie...a lie we tell ourselves.
Lord, help me not to just give You small pieces of myself. Help me to stay with You all day, in and out of prayer. Moment by moment, in all I say and do. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

Gossip is good for you!

Gossip is good for you? What?! OK, here's the caveat: gossip is good for you IF you learn from it. When you have been hurt by gossip yourself, it shows you how damaging it can be to others. A recent round of gossip has done that for me. After the initial sting, it left me feeling the need to repent from the seemingly "harmless" gossip I have participated in as either a speaker or listener. It has given me a new resolve to fight against this ...let's call it what it is..sin that so easily engulfs the church.
I read an article online that has helped me gain a new perspective on this whole gossip thing and I'm adding the link.... http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/david-burchett/there-is-a-vaccination-for-the-deadly-gossip-virus-11541711.html I love this quote from the article, it's my new motto; " Gossip is a parasite that requires a host organism to survive. Don't give gossip a place to live." I give anyone who reads this permission to stop me in my tracks the next time they hear or see me taking part in gossip. Look me in the eye and say, "What ever you do to the least of my people, that you do to Me"...ouch!

Today is enough

God seems to be teaching me to live in today, don't get caught up in tomorrow.

It was Spring, but it was Summer I wanted:

The warm days and the great outdoors.

It was Summer, but it was Fall I wanted:
...
The colorful leaves and the cool, dry air.

It was Fall, but it was Winter I wanted:

The beautiful snow and the joy of the holiday season.

It was Winter, but it was Spring I wanted:

The warmth and the blossoming of nature.

I was a child, and it was adulthood I wanted:

The freedom and the respect.

I was 20, but it was 30 I wanted:

To be mature and sophisticated.

I was middle-aged, but it was 20 I wanted:

The youth and the free spirit.

I was retired, but it was middle-aged I wanted:

The presence of mind without limitations.

My life was over,and I never got what I wanted

 From the Women of Faith conference, Luci Swindoll.  So I'm trying to live each day as it comes, enjoying the gift God has given.