I woke up really early this morning. If you know me very well, then you know that 4:45 a.m. is very very early for me. My dog woke me up first…she’s a 6 year old toy poodle that occasionally likes to wake me up so that she can go out and graze like a horse.

Usually I go take her out, but being that my husband was going to be getting up shortly to go play basketball, I asked him nicely to take her. I thought I was going to go back to sleep. God had other plans.

My heart began to just ache for those who are going through different trials in their lives. There are so many that I know personally, who are facing difficult times. I can’t just forget about it…my heart actually gets burdened for their sorrow. I think…NO..I KNOW that is how God wants us to be. He wants us to love on the hurting. He uses us to comfort those who are hurting or uneasy.

I know that when I have suffered. When I have been hurting. When I have cried out to God in my lowest times..those times when I felt like I couldn’t go on… God heard my cry. He heard me! AND…He used people to comfort me.

People. Like YOU and ME. Ordinary people to do HIS work.

Back to this morning….

Names were placed on my heart. I began to pray. As I prayed, I weeped. As I weeped, I was overcome with HIS GOODNESS. (those of you who know me..also know that I am not a big “weeper“) Not that there is anything wrong with crying.. It’s just that I am the girl who when my Daddy was walking me down the aisle..and He was crying..I got tears in my eyes too..but I wouldn’t let them fall. Guess I have a problem with trying to be strong. That is another topic, for another day though.

Words to a song also came to my mind. So, I did what most of us do…I Googled some of the words. The song, by Matt Redman…”O This God” is the song that I know God put in my head. See…HE knew that many of you needed it. Songs are a great way to Worship our Savior God. They have a way of just running through our head all day, don’t they?

Then, two passages of Scripture were put on my heart. Read them..Study them. Let them soak into your soul. Believe them. Rest in these words. May they bring comfort to you..whoever you are…

Matthew 28:20 (NLT) ~ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

   Psalm 34:19 (NLT) ~ The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.

   I don’t know if you will think that I am sharing too much with you about my time with God this morning. I write. That is what I do. When my heart is heavy or when GOD gives me a “word” ….I write. I share. Because I feel that HE wants me to. So, when I share these personal times with you..It is ONLY to bring glory to my GOD.

Before I attempted going back to sleep, I told HIM that I wanted MORE of HIM and LESS of ME. That even though it hurts sometimes, that I WANT my heart to ALWAYS break for what breaks HIS heart.

   When trouble comes, I pray…I plead with you…Please.. TRUST HIM. Rest in God. HE really does hear your cry.

Here is the song. Listen and enjoy!

10 O This God

   Until Next Time,

Life is filled with changes.

It is definitely a fact that nothing stays the same. We age. We grow. Our minds change. Our bodies change. (not always a good thing.. ) Our opinions change. It is just a fact of life. CHANGE.

Change is not always fun and exciting. Sometimes it’s welcomed and anticipated. Other times, change can be really scary to us.

Changes in our health can be very scary. Changes in the health of those we love can be just as scary.

The thing about change, is that we have a choice in how we respond to it.

Life is filled with CHOICES.

Our Awesome God allows us to make our own choices. He doesn’t force us to love Him. He doesn’t force us to follow Him. He gives us free will. We get to choose to love and follow Him.

 Changes and Choices

 Two things that evoke a lot of emotions.

 Who do you turn to when you are going through a change?

 Who do you turn to when you need to make a choice?

God wants us to turn to Him. He promises to guide us. He is Sovereign, Good and Fair.

Psalm 48:14 ~ For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

 HE tells us to come to HIM…all of us..who are weary..burdened. HE promises to give us rest.

Matthew 11:28 ~ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

 Do you need to rest? Do you want rest? Are you weary? Are you burdened?

If you are, now is the time to make a change…make the choice to cry out to Jesus and give it all to HIM. To pray. To intercede on someone else’s behalf. To trust that God has got whatever you are facing. To trust that no matter what, God’s way is right. To rest in the shelter of The Almighty.

Psalm 91:1 ~ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

We will ALL face a valley in our lifetime. Some may face several valleys. Those times that we are at our lowest. I’m not trying to be gloomy. It’s just a fact.

I couldn’t imagine making it out of those desolate times without my Jesus holding my right hand and walking with me. Carrying me at times. HE alone is my strength.

Isaiah 41:13 ~ For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Do you know my Jesus? I pray that if you do not…that you will seek HIM now. You aren’t reading this by accident.

Life is filled with CHANGES and CHOICES. It’s up to each of us to make the right ones.

Until Next Time,

P.S.

This post was originally written on 5/21…but for some reason, I didn’t feel that it was the time to publish it. I do believe that now is the time.

I have a special prayer request. I am asking all of you to join me in prayer for a friend and her husband  from my church. They received some unexpected news this week about his health and would greatly appreciate your prayers! I would rather you hear any details from her..so go to her blog at www.amygking.com for updates and info. You can sign up on that site as well to receive her posts by email.  Thanks in advance for your prayers. You will be greatly encouraged by Amy’s faith .