But if not...

God has made everything beautiful in His time. He has also set eternity in our hearts and we cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

If you are in the valley, know you are on the way to the top of a beautiful mountain. God has the power to show you landscapes that you never knew existed; high above the valleys you may have visited in your lifetime. Sometimes I get discouraged, overwhelmed, or just plain "down in the dumps.” Sometimes I have a valid reason for my unhappiness; but other times I just can't quite figure out what is going on. My "woe as me" attitude is a miserable way to start the day and if I am not careful, I can be a stumbling block to my friends and family. But let me encourage you today that "this is the day that the Lord has made" and no matter what we are going through, we should rejoice and be glad! There are no second chances when we let our days pass by without seeing the beauty in both the valleys and mountaintops. Today will be a memory...tomorrow. And if we aren't careful, our memories will not be ones worth remembering because we will have allowed our circumstances to determine our attitude.

Have a little faith in God and you will see miracles happening around you every day. He is the God on the Mountain...but like the song says, He is also the God in the Valley. If you want things to go right, you must believe that He WILL solve your biggest problems. Maybe He doesn't answer your needs when it is convenient for you, but He will give you what you need in “His perfect timing.” Every valley is a pathway to reaching the top of a mountain.So we pass through the valleys and mountains in our lives continuously. I read once that, "Blessings and lessons abound in life's valleys and mountains". Make no mistake, its God, from whom all blessings flow; that allow you to endure some valleys. Without some valleys along the way, we cannot appreciate the mountaintop view. More importantly, we cannot understand the importance of having a close relationship with God. No one wants to experience the hard times; but when we survive them, we learn to appreciate the simple blessings in life that we often overlook. It also helps us to see the importance in seeking God; rather than to lean on our own desires.

Allow God to change you in the good times and the bad. God will not give us exactly what we want all the time; but He is able to remove the strongholds in our lives. Get "eyeball to eyeball, even Steven" with the One who made the sun stand still and stopped the moon for Joshua. Yes, God already knows what you need; but He may be waiting for you to seek Him with the faith of a "mustard seed" before He leads you to the beautiful scenery on the next mountaintop.

I leave you with this last verse…

"If that is the case,our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. BUT IF NOT, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." Daniel 3:17-18.

There was no revelation or prior knowledge of what was going tohappen to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. It was a true example of faith because they were unwilling to worship Nebuchadnezzar's gold idol. These faithful, God-fearing men and their "mustard seed" faith gave God an opportunity to show up and intervene on their behalf. That is why "But If Not" is so powerful. By seeking God and asking Him to give you what you want, you are listening to Jesus' commands in Matthew 7:7 when he says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." If God does not give you what you want, He has something much better planned. So ask; but be prepared to respond with, "BUT IF NOT" and place your circumstance or person or whatever it may be that is causing you to remain in the valley at God's feet. He is a loving, kind and merciful God; who wants to see you and me rise above our valleys and allow him to do what He is going to do anyway...move mountains in "His timing".

Today

As I left for work Wednesday morning, I held onto Steve extra tight. I saw our reflection in the closet mirror. He's so strong and handsome! I said a quick prayer about how much I love this man and ask God to protect him while we are apart. Something I do often. I am so clingy and it must drive him nuts. Steve will use his funny sense of humor and say, "Get off me!" but I know it's his way of saying, "I love this attention, don't stop". Anyway, this all familiar goodbye is short lived just as it is every morning. I gave him one extra squeeze and told him how much I love him and he playfully says, "Yep!" as he smiles and walks away, stops at the door and says, "I love you too! Be careful! Leave school and get home!" It feels good to hear that while others may think, "I don't want a man controlling me." I feel blessed to have a man that takes care of things. I often wonder how on earth I would ever survive without him.


Then life quickly takes over. I'm fighting traffic, trying to get to work and start on my very long list of "to do's" that I should've done yesterday. I enjoy a few moments with friends, chat a while, laugh and enjoy the beginning of my day.


Speaking of the beginning of the day. Did you ever notice that the bible speaks often of doing things early in the morning? Mark 1:35 says, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." There are so many verses that mention the early morning and praying. It is only my opinion but Jesus prayed early in the morning because that is when he was refreshed and at his best. I believe God wants our best and if I wait until I am ready to go to bed to pray, then he's going to get the least of me. This is what my prayers are like when I get bogged down with life and wait until 10 pm to talk to God.


 Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for my...Zzzzzzz!


So I try to seek him all throughout the day thanking, praising and yes asking Him to keep my husband safe from harm and to direct his path.


So back to my story...


I'm overwhelmed by the constant needs of my third graders and report cards that are due by lunch and I hear my phone beep. I don't instantly check it like I normally would because I'm too busy to slow down, I feel overwhelmed. Yet, something tugs on me to make sure everything is okay.


I am shocked by what I read from Steve. I have to reread the text. It was one of the most beautiful texts I've ever gotten from Steve. I hope he will forgive me for sharing it; but I was so moved by his humble attitude that I wanted others to see just how amazing my husband really is and how God can show up at any moment and work miracles that you and I cannot possible understand.


"Man, oh man... I have a story for u. I helped a lost 4 year old wandering, back to his home. Wow! The guy who helped me said he had lost his 8yr old n a 4wheeler accident and thanked me so much. As soon as I leave, I get a Joel Osteen email (which I've never got b4) sayin "Today is Your Day"... Holy crap! I could not stop my self from crying!!"


Fast forward to that evening when Steve reminds me that he had cancelled the subscription to Joel Osteen months ago and had not received one since...until this day. We were shocked. He then tells me the whole story and how the little boy was about the size of one of the kids at church. The image in my mind of this little boy causes a lump in my throat, I want to cry. Steve says he walked hand in hand with this little boy and another guy who was taking him to his mom. The little boy, without a care in the world goes right along. By the time they get to the boys house, his mom is crying and thanking Steve. Praise God this child made it home safely when so many children are not as fortunate.


Makes me think of the blessings in my life and how God has provided for me in good times and bad. Where do people get their strength when they do not have God in their life. I just can't imagine doing it my way. I'm not capable of creating my own heaven, but I would be pretty qualified to create my own hell. Nah, I think Ill let God lead my path and continue to seek him in all things. It is a promise that I know God will fulfill.


In this crazy world, that baby was wandering around and crossing a major highway. The possibilities of what could have happened are endless.


I ask about the devotion that he got that day and before I read the second sentence, I am tearing up. It was titled, Today is Your Day!


Dear Steve,


It’s so vital to receive what God wants to freely give you! It’s simple, but so many people believe exactly the opposite. Instead of receiving from the Lord, their mindset is, “God has better things to do than think about me,” or “I don’t deserve God’s blessing” or “Everything good always happens to somebody else but not me.” I know it’s easy to feel that way, but don’t let your heart and your words go there; don’t agree with this way of thinking. God is for you! And He desires for you to have every blessing and every good thing that He promises to you in His Word.


The Bible calls this “favor.” At some point in our lives, even if we didn't recognize it, we have all experienced God’s favor. Favor is the undeserved, unearned, unexplained goodness of God in your life. Favor causes you to reap even where you’ve not sown. Favor protects you; it promotes you. It opens new doors — that should taken years to open — in a single moment. Favor takes you places you could never go on your own.


I declare today over your life that in the coming days and weeks ahead, God will unleash His unprecedented favor on you. Favor like you’ve never seen before. Unprecedented means “unmatched, unparalleled, for the first time.” You've seen God’s favor in your life in the past, but what He’s about to do is bigger and even greater. You just have to be willing to receive it and get in agreement with God. If you will believe God and stand on the promises of His Word, He promises you will see incredible and wonderful things happen. His unmatched, unparalleled, for-the-first-time favor is for you.


When I finshed reading the devotional, I turned and looked at Steve and thought "Yes, today is your day!"


I am so blessed to have such an amazing man who loves me. I don't deserve the things he does for me and I know I take for granted how wonderful he is to me and our boys. So I wanted to end this by saying how proud I am to be his wife and to thank God for unimaginable blessings. Today (Wednesday) was truly Steve's day! Thank you Jesus from whom all blessing flow; that He put Steve in the right place at the right time to keep this little boy safe.

The "Pins" of Others

                               

For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength 

I need. Phil. 4:13  

I have strength for every situation. If you are like me, it seems the devil is waiting on every corner to confuse and abuse me. He loves to bring the power of destruction on our lives. The more we focus on what is wrong with our lives, the bigger he smiles. He roams this earth looking for people in moments of weakness so that he can devour their last bit of hope. Today's picture is the reason why I am writing this post. Surrounding this picture are pins that make you question what people are thinking when they decide to share with others. It seems that if you focus too long on the "earthly" things, you get sidetracked and take your focus off the things "above". For example, I saw a pin that said, "Oh look, my cup of care...it's empty!" When I see that, my initial reaction is, "That's right!" All of a sudden, I feel the need to start pinning such things in hopes that it will give me some sort of vengeance against someone that has treated me just exactly the way the pin describes. You may have situations in your life that you struggle with daily and you just can't understand why someone acts, thinks, talks, believes or feels a certain way. It may not line up with your ideas; but they don't have to. You see God had a purpose when He created little ole' me and you! We are not called to seek vengeance on others. God said He would take care of that in Romans 12:19.  He has no intention of letting evil have the upper hand. So you and I do not need to feel responsible for changing the outcome of someone that wrongs us. We are quick to anger, quick to react, quick to judge and quick to pin but we need to be what James says in verse 1:19, "You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." I know what you are thinking...if only it were that easy. 

You may not realize it yet, but God is working on our behalf (yes, even those that do not live for the Lord) to change us into the very creation he intended...in His image. His image is the end result. If we can learn to love others as we want to be loved; then we won't let daily circumstances or other people's "pins" get us discouraged. I for one know that, every day that I live, I am one step closer to being with my creator, the one who wants to make my life complete. It isn't a 10 step program or quick fix book. God does not make mistakes. Since we all fall short of the glory of God, we have to rely on His amazing handiwork. Ephesians 2:10 says, "We are God's masterpiece. If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" I think the answer we seek daily is in those very words, "If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" Sure we will face people in our daily living that are determined to throw us off the train; but thanks to God's son and the blood he shed for you and for me...nothing is going to take control of us; unless we are willing to give that control away. Paul said we are "not controlled by our sinful nature; but by the Spirit of God living in you!" Wow! Paul, a Roman citizen who admitted his role in crucifying Christians suggests in Romans 8:9-11 that you and I allow Christ to live in us so that we do not live in sin. That is a pretty powerful promise that gives me a purpose to live for while I wait for the One who died for me to return and make things new.

We are all in the same boat. God provides a way to get safely to shore if we give our burdens to the Lord (Psalm 55:22). He will not leave us because He is the light of our salvation.   God rescues us every day. Imagine how often He intercedes on our behalf and supplies our needs. Philippians 4:19 reminds us that according to HIS riches, He will take care of us.   Whether we like it or not, we are all children of the one and only living God. Sometimes I act like I am a child of God and other times, I act like I am Satan's twin. I am blessed to know a God that is willing to rescue me from my own destruction. He never gives up on me no matter what evil I bring on myself or no matter how ugly my outward appearance can be. We are all part of God's family. God is our defense attorney but make no mistake, He is also our judge. So we do not need to punish others for their wrongdoings. After all, God has forgotten our sins of today and he will forget our sins of tomorrow...so it say in Hebrews 8:12. 

I leave you with one last thought. If you aren't sure why you have to endure the hard times and why the good times pass by too quickly... just "place your hand on your heart, know your alive and don't give up." You are a complete, whole person when you allow God to be the ruler and authority in in your life. Thank you Jesus for giving me a second chance everyday. I certainly need those second chances to meditate on Your word and praise You in every circumstance...even when the "pins" of life discourage me.  

How much baggage do you carry?

Worry weighs a person down. Proverbs 12:25

I have a lot of bags, suitcases, purses, etc. They hang on every hook, closet, and often times take up temporary homes in the kitchen, bathroom and the middle of the living room floor. I carry big bags everywhere. For some reason, I think I need to bring all this stuff to get even the simplest job done. I'm often amazed at how heavy my bags can get and how little I get done with the things I keep carrying back and forth between home and school. Today I was thinking about my beautiful bags and the contents inside. I brought home my usual "baggage" which consisted of 2 very large utility totes roughly they measure 12 X 22 X 10, my purse, lunch bag, printer, and laptop. Believe it or not, it all fits inside those two big bags. I have so much stuff inside them that I sometimes have to use a rolling chair to bring them to my car.


I have considered downgrading to a smaller bag but the thought of deciding what to leave at school and what to bring home creates a feeling of uneasiness. Steve estimated the weight of each bag is about 30 pounds. Yes, I know what you are thinking. Why are you carrying 60 pounds of baggage around every single day?


That is a really good question. Just like the weight of my bags, we all carry around baggage that weigh us down. Maybe you do not literally and physically carry that much baggage but figuratively speaking, I am sure you can relate to what I am trying to explain. When I worry, the effects can weigh me down. I can become discouraged and negative. I have even been known to say a thing or two that I without fail, live to regret. You can see it on my face, my shoulders slump, and I look like I lost my best friend. And you know what? When I worry, I do just that...lose my best friend, a.k.a., my connection with God. He did not create us to walk around with the weight of the world on our shoulders; but to be happy and live in peace. When I let worries creep in, Satan takes his opportunity to throw in a little discouragement, doubt and discontentment. Satan, the master of deception uses these weaknesses as tools to get us to take our eyes off of God and onto our circumstances. Pretty scary, huh?


There is good news, God gave us the most powerful weapons to overcome the worries in our life. He tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to "Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." It is impossible for us to live a healthy life and stay strong during life's storms if Satan is invited into our minds. Get rid of those heavy bags...God has a lighter load for you to carry and he is just waiting for you to call on him.

You and I were not a part of the master plan that God created but it was created for us and we have a direct line to the Creator Himself. He wants us to draw near to him in every situation and we can do this by remembering that God is still on His throne and there is hope. God encourages us to set our minds on thing above and not on the earthy things. We cannot always change our circumstances but we have the power to change how we let those circumstances affect our lives. John 16:33 reminds us that "in this world we will have trouble".

If we aren't careful, we will miss out on all God has to offer...like an opportunity to focus on the things that truly matter. Remember when Mary of Bethany and Martha were preparing for Jesus' visit? Martha was frustrated that Mary was at Jesus' feet rather than helping her work to get things ready. Jesus was pretty blunt when he told Martha in Luke 10:41, "You are worried and upset about many things". Mary was doing what you and I need to be doing...focusing on things above! Do not forget that He is Jehovah-Jireh...our Provider. He has the power to change our circumstances and in the process change us.. 


Next time you have a momentary "brain freeze" like I did tonight rely on God to handle things. Speak loud enough for the whole world to hear you say Jesus' very words in Matthew 16:23, "GET BEHIND ME SATAN! YOU ARE A STUMBLING BLOCK TO ME" Then think about something positive or say something positive to someone that needs to hear it because their baggage is too heavy. Run the Devil and all his evil twins out of your town (mind). Be prepared, they will be back to try and destroy the good work that God has started in you; but you will have the necessary tools to send him packing every time. Remember El-Shaddai (Almighty God) is the ruler of heaven and earth. Satan's job is to tear down the Kingdom of Heaven. You can build it up by not letting him have access to your baggage.  God wants very little from you...seek Him in all your ways. He will bring someone into your life at the right time to encourage you and get you back on track. Thank you Dawn for being the encouragement I needed tonight! God is without a doubt...AN ON TIME GOD! 

A Night to Remember!

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle?  Job 38:22

It wasn't long ago that my mom gave me 2 CDs with her favorite songs. As I drove away and the children began to doze off in the backseat, I slid in the first CD. It didn't take long before I was overcome with emotion. The words were familiar but the effect that it had on me was different. There were only a couple of songs that I had never heard before but even those brought on an emotion that was unexpected. 

Growing up mom would play music like this throughout the house. Since receiving this "treasure" from mom, they became a constant source of inspiration to me. This week I had listened to them again after being consumed by the political news over the past few weeks. There was one particular song that I found myself playing over and over yet I had no idea what the name of it was or who sang it. All I knew was that it made me feel a little bit closer to "the way things used to be". If I had a penny for every time I have listened to this particular song...

Friday afternoon my dear friend, Brenda invited me to an event happening that night at Grace Fellowship. I was tired and it had been a long week at school. I had been out sick a day and was overwhelmed by the work I was going to be bringing home. With it being short notice, I didn't really want to go. My plan was to go home and rest so that I could get up early Saturday and get busy working on next week's plans, grading papers, and all the household chores that I had fallen behind on. Something was pulling on me to go and despite my not wanting to do anything but go home I said yes. I had to be there at 5:50 which I already knew would be difficult since I don't get out of school until 4:30 but even then it would take longer to pack up my things and get out the door. Then another 45 minutes to get home, clean up and change clothes. It made me tired just thinking about it. I rushed home, THANK YOU JESUS for lining things up just right so that my speeding did not result in a ticket or wreck. 

By the time I arrived at Grace, I felt the affects of a hectic week and couldn't wait until I could lean back in my recliner and just relax. I decided to enjoy the evening with my friends. There were so many people (women) and more food than I could have imagined. I still had no idea what I was about to experience.  

Brenda began to explain that the lady who was singing used to sing with the Gaither's and she was a cancer survivor. I told her that my mom and grandparents loved listening to the Gaither's and that my dad had even taken them to a homecoming concert right before he died. Now with my Papa fighting cancer for the second time, I felt blessed to be at this event and I knew this was going to be a night to remember. If only I had been able to invite my mom and a couple of friends from work to come share this night with me. 

As we moved into the sanctuary, I started to get excited. I saw a very attractive lady pictured on the screen. I still didn't know her even when she walked onto the stage. I thought to myself that I probably wouldn't even know any of the songs she would sing. The lady that walked onto the stage was Janet Pascal. 

As she began to sing, chills ran down my spine as I heard the familiar sound of the song that I had played in my car over and over since my mom had given it to me nearly a year ago. When she sang the first words, I struggled to hold back the tears. It was such a surreal moment.

 "Must have felt strange to end up stranded; between an army and a sea 

they must have felt forsaken wondering why

God wasn't all he said he'd be. 

When your backs against the wall; thats the hardest place of all. 

But somewhere between provision and impossibilities

God will make make a way when there seems to be no way

Forever He is faithful

He will make a road when you bare a heavy load

I know God will make a way.

By the time she finished that song, I was crying and so was everyone else in the building. It was amazing. She talked about some of her experiences with the Gaither's and read some from her book, Treasures of the Snow. We laughed, we cried...there wasn't a dry eye in the place. To think I nearly missed out on this opportunity is too much to imagine. 

Then she read from her book and I realized that I was among a large number of cancer victims just like my Papa. It was painful trying to hold back the tears. I didn't want embarrass myself and the 150+ women that filled the sanctuary. She went on to explain that  after finding out she had breast cancer, her sister was diagnosed as well. She asked a show of hands from those who were surviving with cancer and the hands that went up were astonishing. I said a quiet prayer and thanked God for making sure that I did not miss this and that I was so amazed by the coincidences that continued to happen on a day that I assumed would be uneventful. 

It was truly a night to remember. What a blessing to have been able to hear Janet Pascal's story that seemed to be so close to my own home. My last post discussed Job and his sufferings. Much to my surprise AGAIN, Janet's book discusses the conversations between God and Job, which is where the title of her book comes from.

 Thank you Janet Pascal for coming to little, old "Hog Mountain" to share your amazing story. You have been an inspiration to me and I am forever changed. 

Hiding Place

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.  
Psalm 32:7


Where is your hiding place? As you can see from the picture, my friend Aimee is hiding inside a rather large Thirty-One bag to show just how much can fit inside. I bought this bag to take on the women's trip with my church. Dawn (another close friend) and I were discussing how big the bag was and Aimee decides to climb inside. It was one of those rare times that a picture would be worth a thousand words.  I ran to my room to get my camera and felt a rush of excitement about the endless possibilities of how I could use this picture. Of course some obvious jokes on Aimee came to mind; but on my way home that afternoon, I found myself thinking about something very serious. I started to think of the storms of life that we face and how they can leave paths of destruction that take years to repair. It made me think about how quickly my daily circumstances and inconveniences can affect my desire to seek a hiding place in God. But God offers protection from the things that bind us and hold us back and I know that in His presence there is joy beyond all measure.

God provides shelter and protection if we seek Him in all of our ways. Seems so easy to say but I have moments where I want to be in control. I want to take care of my circumstances. I want to tell someone how much their words or actions hurt me. Instead of seeking God's will, I can get caught up in "Celane's will". The results of my will can be very damaging, especially when I decide to take matters into my own hands. 

I'm reminded of the story of Job. God allowed Job's suffering because He knew Job had the strength to endure the hard times while remaining faithful. The pain that Job suffered is something that you and I cannot fathom, but that is not the lesson to be learned from this story. Something was going on behind the scenes that we know nothing about. We question God; but we don't see the full picture.  Job's suffering was allowed because God had a plan. God was then and still is...in control. Psalm 18:30 says "As for God, His way is perfect". So we can trust that whatever is going on in our lives is part of the plan God has in store for us. It is also a reminder that whatever Satan intends for evil, God is constantly at work to turn things into "His perfect ways". We are safe with God. It is the only hiding place where we can get away from our enemies and their constant schemes meant to destroy the "good"work that God has created in me and in you.  Our responsibility is trust and obey and submit to His will. 


As my favorite day of the week approaches and I prepare the song sheets for church, I feel hopeful in the last part of Psalm 32:7..."surround me with songs of deliverance". This morning, I woke up humming this song from Psalm 3:3. 


Thou oh Lord
Are a shield around me
Your my glory
Your the lifter of my head.


Let God be the lifter of your head. Seek a hiding place in God's word so that you can find solace in the midst of troubled times that are sure to come.  

My Plan or God's Plan

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.  

Proverbs 16:9

This verse from Proverbs has been a source of inspiration to me for some time now. I've always enjoyed writing, especially when I've needed to talk to God. I've tried to write over the years only to find myself consumed with life's demands and another notebook with a lot of blank pages. It seems I always look for a pen in a time of need and after pouring my desperation or excitement out onto the clean, crisp pieces of decorative paper, I am no longer interested. So I place it on a shelf determined to continue later.

It's the story of life...my life anyway. The hustle and bustle of each day sometimes leaves me thirsty for a conversation with someone other than the 22 third graders I have been so blessed to teach!

So year after year, I keep "planning" to start that blog again that I keep quitting...like the many unfinished notebooks that still line my shelf. You see the problem is not my plan...it's my timing. My inability to be patient and not be consumed by things that get in my way of doing what God has in store for me. Now I'm not saying God wants me to blog; but I do believe that this desire is no coincidence. Because of his great love, I should be waiting for His direction, His timing so that I can share with others my daily walk (sometimes crawl) with God. My plans fail (daily) but God is always there waiting and willing to direct my path...in the right direction.

And so it is with much determination and hope that I can create a blog that provides a little reading pleasure that might bring some joy to some one's life. 


The goal: Sit back, let God direct my path and keep up the good work he has started in me. In other words, keep this blog going!