Nostalgia

This week I read a sentence that got me musing

GOD IS NOT NOSTALGIC

First I looked up the meaning

1. The state of being homesick

2 a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for

 return to

Or of some past period of irrecoverable condition

GOD S NOT NOSTALGIC

and I don't believe He wants us to be either!

Yesterday in Bible Study we talked about "cleaning out"

And the hold  our "stuff" has on many.

Like we know I can easily make decisions about your stuff

 but mine is a different story!

What are we to do?

First of all God is our Provider

Second I believe as Pilgrims we need to travel light

Third in this blog I'm referring to the things 

That keep "getting in our way"

Those things that occupy our minds and cause us to be unsettled.

Pictures, passed down stuff, memrobelia. 

I'm not by any means saying we must live stark, bare lives 

but more that we just

Need to

MAKE A DECSION!!

Our society is one of STORAGE UNITS

Storage units OFTEN are filled with nostalgia

Things that I simply cannot...

or CHOOSE not 

to make a decision about.

Things that are COSTING me something every day

Matthew 5:37 says

"Simply let your yes be yes and your no be no"

So my friends....this blog is for me!

I'm pulling things out.....

Those things that I'm often not even seeing anymore.

the stuff tucked away

Or maybe, although under my nose,

 I don't see anymore.

Actually, we were discussing the story of the rich young ruler in Matthew 10:21

who Jesus told to 

"sell all that you have and 

GIVE YOUR MONEY TO THE POOR 

and you will have treasures in Heaven; 

come accompany Me 

and walk the same road that I walk"

Ok ...I know right where I'm going to start...

I'm going to start a Blessing Fund

I will post whatever is worth anything ..

give it two weeks to sell 

if it does then the money will go to Bless Someone,

if it doesn't,

the items will go to a nearby thrift store 

and it will still be a blessing to someone!

Anyone with me?!

Today

JUST MAKE A DECISION!

COMPROMISE.

THERE SEEMED TO BE NONE IN HIM!

thinking about Daniel 

 Just a Young male called into duty.

How did that happen?  

who raised him? 

how was that foundation laid to be so sturdy?  

He was a young man at the beginning of the story...

yet he had an unwavering character 

Its not mean to expect something from your children.

 During the same conversation the topic of all the stuff (imput) that comes at us on any given day.  what do we do with it all? How do we decipher and discern what we believe and what we throw away?

The picture I got was the mailbox   

I saw myself take out a large stack 

and carry it into the house.  

I opened the trash compactor and one by one sorted the pile.  

Keep, throw, throw, throw, keep etc etc

Now mind you 

I do not open the throw away envelopes!  

I toss them!  

A friend was having difficulty with her aging relative 

who would open every piece of mail, 

read it and promptly write checks to all the senders.

"No its not junk!  

It has my NAME ON IT!  

they are writing to me because there is a need!"

Friend the HUGE MAJORITY of stuff coming your way whether it is mail, news or just information is not all to be saved.  Much of it is junk.

Take a short cut....sort over the trash.

there 

DONE~

Junk Mail

So much arrives daily in our mailboxes.  
Junk Mail.  
What a waste of time
paper, 
postage etc etc....
just someone trying to sell you something,
get your attention.  
A bait thrown out in front of you 
With hopes that one day 
you just might take a bite.

I talk with many people 
who struggle with junk mail. 
Their tendency is
to open it and read it.  
Many file it or leave it 
in a pile on the counter.  
But even then its taking up space!  
Why do we have such a hard time dealing with it?
 
One of the first things 
I have to do 
is show them and convince them 
that its JUNK

That, just because it's addressed to them,
does not mean 
that they have to open it!  
One lady said 
"But you don't understand! 
When I open it
it's addressed to ME
..MY NAME is on it. 
 Its PERSONAL.  
Ah Yes. 
Just another tactic of our enemy 
to tie us up and waste our time.  

When I go get the mail...
I carry it to the kitchen, 
open the trash 
and sort it IMMEDAILTELY.  
I open ONLY what I recognize 
as personal and important 
and ALL THE REST 
goes unopened into the garbage.  
I make short work of it.  

I guess Im working hand in hand 
with the Scripture 
that encourages us to
"Cast Down VAIN IMAGINATION 
and everything that tries to exalt itself over the knowledge od God"
2 Corinthians 10

Please take some time 
and consider what you're doing 
with the STUFF that makes its way 
into your "box". 
Please don't waste your time!

Don't be consumed by lesser things
Marnie

Start by Stopping

 Tonight while talking to a guest 

I heard this piece of counsel 

come from my mouth

"Start by Stopping"

we had been chatting 

about how to turn around a negative 

and sometimes "devils advocate" attitude 

with a little bit of eyore thrown in. 

An attitude that had become the norm 

and God in His wonderful way 

was opening her eyes to it.

"What do I do to stop this?  

It is just "who I am" and so natural ."

I was reminded  of a time 

when I was struggling with my mouth...

(hard to picture I know!)

I Told the Lord 

I felt it was a demon who was pouncing on me 

when I least expected it 

and it "made me" become a reactor ...

The Lord simply said to me, 

"If I (or any other friend for that matter) 

were sitting at your table 

would you have control?

well Of course I would!  

I stood with no excuse...

Remember Friend 

HIS work on the cross FINISHED it all!  

We stand with NO excuse.

We need to take HIs Grace and Strength 

We need to start by Stopping.  

Do what we need to do.  

Confess and repent. 

Ask the Holy Spirit to change us

 into What He intends us to become.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!  

https://youtu.be/rpJ4u0QbQwc

Are You Easily Swayed?

Are you easily swayed?

I heard a story tonight of a woman, who sold everything and bought a Winnebago. She travelled by herself, led only by the Holy Spirit.  

She was parked for a couple weeks on a lovely southern island with people that she was enjoying getting to know.

But just like that story of old, one morning early she felt The nudge of the Holy Spirit to pack up and move....today.   As she was mulling over these directions a couple friends stopped by with a wonderful invitation for a park clam bake.....TONIGHT.

you know what it is to feel torn right?

"Let me see,  wow I'm feeling that I need to pack up and leave today....but maybe early morning would be ok.  I mean what a great way to leave all of you, after a great night of fellowship!"

Long story short....she heeded to His Voice and left

A terrible storm came in that night and washed out the bridge and took out power as well.....

but she was safe on her way...

We both know it likely would not have been the end of the world if she had disobeyed (and that our Father will work all things together for good) BUT.....what do we miss by not obeying immediately?  Is it really a big deal?

Lord ...help me not to think this is not a Big Deal...Hone in Me the desire to Obey You FIRST.....above all others.  Streamline my walk by prompting me to take Your path FIRST.  Light my path with Your Word so that whether I escape a storm or You choose to take me through one....I will be able to say I listened and obeyed!

 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light until my path

Unwavering