Like a Tree

~

He will be like a tree

 planted by the water 

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green,

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17:8 

~

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Like a Tree

*****************

Grow me Lord

 like a tree

that reaches upward to You

and outward to others

with roots anchored

securely and deeply

wrapped around

 your Rock of Truth

~

Grow me Lord

not rigid as a pharisee

or rootless

like a tossing tumbleweed

blown this way and that

by winds of time

but living and limber

moving graciously

 within your love as mine

~

Grow me Lord

 to thrive through

all seasons of your will

and like a tree

a place for sojourners to rest

 an aviary of nests

where newness blossoms

to encourage others

by your Spirit’s power

to walk with You

 in faithfulness.

~

Wendy/2013

~

There have been difficulties brought upon some Christians who are being lured into doctrines that focus not on the Solid Rock of Christ but on either words, works, or wonders.

If we stop and remember how Jesus reacted to both legalism and those who sought signs and wonders, we will recognize that to pursue either is not to seek God.

How sad that the watching world does not always find the church busy about the Father’s business. Let us love Jesus and set aside anything that hinders our wise walk with our Lord.

We are to worship God and not faith, not doctrine, or anything else.

~

On Christ the Solid Rock Blessings ~ Wendy

~

~

My All in All

 ~

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own

understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths

straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

~

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My All in All

******************

All my sins have been forgiven

All my guilt has been released

All my debts He’s paid out entirely

None but his grace saves you or me

~

All of my heart needs to trust Him

All my ways must acknowledge his Truth

All my ideas should submit to his leading

None of his guidance should be refused

~

All my circumstances require thanksgiving

All my days should be covered with prayer

All of what happens can be of benefit

None of God’s children are bereft of his care

~

Wendy/2013

~

Perhaps it is the age I am or maybe the fact that my husband and I are parenting teens

that I frequently wake up at 2:30 am wide awake.

So I turn my thoughts,

from the storm clouds that always seem ready to dump on my spirit,

to the Son of Light.

This refocusing fills me with his peace

and I fall back to sleep.

~

This past week the verses I have turned to are Proverbs 3:5-6

I was meditating on them one afternoon

and I noticed how the word all was used.

 Considering how all-encompassing God is…

it makes sense.

There is nothing half-hearted about our Creator.

Lukewarmness is despised by God…

He is repulsed by it (that Revelation verse is so sobering).

~

Imagine a half-hearted suitor pursuing the hand of a fair maiden?

How about a half-hearted superhero?

Would you vote for a half-hearted politician?

I wouldn’t  want a lukewarm surgeon removing a cancerous tumor from my body.

So why should God be interested in mediocre worship and service?

I am not talking about charismatic stuff – I am talking about the heart.

~

Here’s another verse that emphasizes the need for all:

_________________________________________________________________

  ‘Love the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your strength

and with all your mind’

Luke 10:27 (in part)

_________________________________________________________________

I’ve noticed that his perfect peace does not fill me if I ask halfheartedly…

He answers when I seek him with all of my heart.

I needed this reminder.

 I need to remember it all the time.

I guess this is where those storms clouds I referred to come in handy…

they drive me to seek God with all I’ve got.

Have you got an all-encompassing verse you’d like to point out?

~

All Time Blessings ~ Wendy

~

PS – You may be curious to check out

how many times the word all shows up,

and is inferred,

in The Great Commission ( at the end of Matthew 28).

~

At Day’s End

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

********************************

At Day’s End

********************************

At the end of the day

it’s our relationships that count

not a garage full of “toys”

nor our bank balance amount

~

Have we given of our time?

Do our children feel loved?

When they’ve grown up and left

what will their memories be of?

~

Let these times of shared respite

as we gather at the beach

spending our love on each other

show we’ve lived what we speak.

~

Wendy/2013

~

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One of my sons asked me to take him to the beach recently.

 As I prepared to go, everyone else decided to come along too.

My eyes welled up with tears of thankfulness,

because we are blessed to have a family that wants to spend time together.

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Togetherness Blessings ~ Wendy

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~

Where is/was your family’s favorite place to hang out at?

~

Maker of the Seas

~

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:31

~

**********************

 Maker of the Seas

**********************

They’re rolling in again

waves higher than my craft

threatening to topple all

and be done with me at last

~

I’m lulled into the surf

focusing on white-capped giants

forgetting the God of all comfort

in whom should be my reliance

~

I shout into the storm

“Why must I be here again?”

while letting go of oars

doubt’s become my sinking sin

~

Then I recall a fisherman

who walked on water a bit

until his eyes wandered

and he sank beside his ship

~

He shouted to his Master

“Lord, save me from this sea!”

and of course the One who made it

could rescue so easily

~

So each storm is but a trial

each wave is just a test

If I keep my eyes on Jesus

no gale can ruin my rest.

~

Wendy/2013

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The last few weeks have been so testy that I keep waking up at night with a sinking feeling in my chest. Each time I grasp onto a bible verse as my lifesaver. Then I fall back to sleep.

Yesterday, I specifically asked God for his peace to return fully. I told him that I missed it so much. When I was about to get into bed I remembered how encouraging the songs had been at church on Sunday and how an idea had come for a poem. So I wrote the rough draft for this poem and then went to sleep.

It was the most restful sleep I’ve had in weeks. I woke up with a heart full of peace. The storm is still here; but I am not sinking. My eyes have been refocused onto the Maker of the seas.

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Do you have a favorite bible verse that you say to yourself during stress?

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Peaceful Blessings ~ Wendy

PS – Toby Mac is great to listen to when you need a lift… here’s a link to click on: