Todah

Todah.

Thanksgiving.

Another school year is done and summertime is upon us. The sun is high in the sky. RV's and campers dot the highways on their way to the mountains for summer excursions. Local pools and lakes are teeming with those ready to enjoy some summer time water fun. It may seem a bit premature to be thinking about Thanksgiving. I mean really, it is still roughly 5 months away. It seems that November rolls around and we are all suddenly ready to really focus on the things we are thankful for. But what about during the rest of the year? Are we thankful? Do we pause to even think about all the things we can be thankful for? 

Each and every day, God blesses us. He doesn't have to. We certainly don't deserve his blessing. But he chooses to continually bless us with his love for us; with his mercies; with his grace. I am thankful for a tender, loving God. I am thankful for a God who is wise, just, sovereign and above all else, immutable. He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever! Just the same God every day. What an amazing thing to be thankful for! In spite of my shortcomings and my "human-ness", God continues to love me! He loves you too! 

Toda leCHa elohim 

(Hebrew for thank you God).

The voice of God speaks.

Todah.

On this morning, in the middle of the year, I pause to give thanks for a few things that I am thankful for. I am pleased that in the stillness of the morning, I can hear the voice of God. He whispers through the rustling of the leaves on the trees. He reassures me that HE is in control. That no matter what good and goodness, no matter what trials or troubles come my way, that he has already gone ahead of me. He has it and I am in the palm of his hand. 

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, 

I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

~ Isaiah 41:10

Just as we take care of our children, when we follow God and his ways, he takes care of us. He has a plan for us He will guide us every step and help us navigate the things that come our way. 

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose

of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will..." 

~ Ephesians 1:11

In my excitement for this summer that has finally arrived, I anticipate so many wonderful things and I am thankful. I am filled with thanks for the time off from work and for down time to focus on my family and faith. As I pray and write this morning, I am overcome with emotion as I think of the ways God has blessed my life and the lives of my loved ones! I am thankful for the time this summer to focus on the exciting things that lie ahead. 

  ~ We are in the midst of wedding planning! My oldest daughter will be getting married on August 1. I am forever grateful for Katie and the wonderful, christian man she will marry. God truly knew what he was doing when he brought these two together! I look forward to soon having Aaron as my son-in-law and to the celebration of their marriage coming soon!

Photo credit to Photography by Lisa.

   ~ As I write this morning, my daughter Aubrie is somewhere over the Pacific Ocean on her way home from a seven week teaching and mission trip in Indonesia! I am forever grateful for the time abroad she has had to follow God's will for her life and share the love of God around the world. I cannot wait to welcome her home tonight and to hear of God's amazing work.

Princes and Princesses of the one true KING! 

And so summer is here! I am ready to enjoy it. God has provided this time as respite from work and I will use it. I am blessed. Blessed beyond measure. By a God who loves me more than I ever deserve. Thanking Him ever so much on this beautiful June day in the middle of the year! 

Take some time this morning to pause, to think, to pray and to give thanks to God for the wonderful ways he has blessed your life. 

Be blessed.

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" 

~ Psalm 107:1

Toda leCHa elohim.

Meet with God

My meeting place with God at our mountain prayer retreat.

"My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God?
 ~ Psalm 42:2"

Where do you meet with God? Do you meet him in the morning? The evening? In the small, quiet places? In the great big outdoor spaces? Where do you meet Him? 

Or, do you meet him? Do you take the time for Him in the hustle and bustle of our busy world? Do you really meet with Him and talk with Him?

The scriptures teach us that God really wants to meet with us. Individually. He longs for us to desire a personal, one on one relationship with Him. He wants us to make time for Him ~ Just like we make time to watch football, go to the movies, use social media, hang out in the gym, or whatever the things are that we do that consume our time. Time that God would LOVE to have us share with Him. He longs for us to come to Him in prayer and petition. Likewise He loves for us to praise Him for the wondrous deeds he performs in our lives. 

" ...in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ~ Philippians 4:6"

He commands us to pray. To Him. The one and only true God. He is a loving God. He is a passionate God. He is passionate about His relationship with us. He desires for us to depend on Him. To trust Him. He simply asks that we become one with Him.

"I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. ~ John 17:22"

We live in a society that simply wants to be wealthy without earning the wealth. Much the same way, so often we expect that God will bless us without earning the blessing. Even Moses experienced this with the Israelites! In Exodus 19:17, Moses led the people from the camp to meet with God. God wanted the people to experience His presence and power and to know that they could meet with Him. While God was indeed providing for Moses and the people by delivering them out of Egypt, "God's first purpose was to bring them to the mount so that they could get a revelation of Him. Israel feared and stood far off. People want the promise of provision without first meeting God. The emphasis today is not any different. ~Pastor George Belobaba." 

In order to truly experience the blessings and the grace that only God can give, we must make time for Him. We must meet with Him. We must go to Him. God doesn't care "where" or "how" or "when". He simply wants us to make the time. I want to be like David and the other writers of the Psalms. I want to pour out my love and gratitude to my God who gives me life, breath and all that I have. I want to drop to my knees and come before my God in prayer and petition for the things of this life and world that trouble me. I want to be consistent. I want to make the time. I want to be one with God by giving Him the time he commands me to give. 

"I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;

I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.

I will be filled with the joy because of you.

I will sing praises to your name, O Most High." 

~ Psalm 9:1-2 

My view last evening while meeting with my God on a sunset worship walk. 

If you are like me, you meet with God all throughout your day with small prayers and praises as you go about your work or play. Those are the easy times. When a thought or person pops in to my head, I pause to speak to God. However, there are those times each day when I just need to sit and be quiet and meet with God. It is usually in the quiet dark or dawn of the early morning where I find it is easy to open up my heart and soul and mind and pour out my thoughts to God. 

My most favorite place to meet Him is on the trail. It is where I find peace. It is where I feel the closest to God. Whether walking, running or hiking, there is nothing like absorbing all of God around you and being able to praise him with all of your heart and soul while the wondrous morsels of his creation penetrate your heart, soul and mind.

It does not matter where we go to meet with God. What does matter is that He wants us to meet. He calls us to meet. He is ALWAYS there waiting for us! Let us meet with Him. 

As I make my way through these 40 days of Lent on the way to a wondrous Celebration of God's gift of his resurrected son, I profess to make more time to meet with my God. To slow down enough to give him the time. To fill my heart and mind with more of Him and his glory. To set aside some of the things of this world and let God lead me to the ways he wants me to spend my time. I am excited to see what God has in store and how He responds to my faithfulness. 

Won't you join me? Let's meet with God!