Home › View all posts by jamie › Page 47

Author: jamie

By Posted on Posted in hearing God, trusting Him No Comments

I sat down the other morning to read my bible for a minute and was led to Psalm 25. I read through it like a prayer, and I felt like I had a direct line to Jesus. I began talking to Him about all of my failures… and then I grabbed a pen to begin writing down all of the thoughts that flooded my mind. I don’t regularly have these kinds of thoughts, so I knew they were coming from God.

You are not a failure. The truth is that you are being transformed. I have plans for you. I am trying to teach you and grow you.

Your transformation does not come from performing or doing. It comes from letting My Spirit work within you.

So do not mourn over your present state. There will always be sin, there will always be room to grow and failures to learn from. There will always be impossibilities to face. Just keep your eyes on Me and let Me transform you.

Confess your sin and let it go. Let it go! I want to change you and heal you– stop trying to fix and change yourself. You cannot! It just creates more worry and frustration.

Will you trust Me to work in you and make you more like Me? Will you trust Me to work out the details of your life? Will you trust Me to bring healing where you so desperately need it?

Are you not broken?  Sinful?  Weak?  Stop trying to perform and fix. Confess to Me that you are powerless and that you need Me to work in you. I am the One who will transform your situation – your heart – your relationships.

This negative cycle of despair that you are in comes from your attempt to change yourself and your life… but your inability to make any progress.

Hope and peace come when you let Me work. Watch Me work. Rejoice in My work. Give praise to Me for My work.

I love you.

By Posted on Posted in endurance, God's word, homeschooling No Comments

What a striking contrast between last week and this week. I felt better, loved better, taught better, and ate better last week. I made a conscious effort to read my devotion and the bible first thing each morning. This week, I was more hit-and-miss…. mostly miss.

I really felt the difference! I was frustrated, impatient, emotional, and I ate like crazy this week. My prayers were mostly composed of whines and demands. Why? I was empty, but yet I was running around trying to do life without the proper perspective and preparation. Clear as day, once again I was able to see the difference in my life when I put God first each day.

The icing on this dismal cake came last night. My oldest daughter informed me at just past 6:30 pm that she had math homework, and she needed my help. (She takes 6th grade math on campus through our homeschool academy.) While trying to teach her how to solve percentage equations, my nearly 11 month old was hollering about the dinner I gave him.  My blood sugar was low because I hadn’t slowed down enough to eat my own dinner.  Time was ticking by, and the start of my husband’s home bible study was quickly approaching.

Pressure. Hunger. Fussing baby. Loud TV from the other room. Percentages. Blank stare from 6th grader. I lost it. I threw the calculator that was in my hand and walked toward the kitchen to find some kind of food that would silence the grouchy baby boy. On my way, I saw it.

The red bucket.

It sat on the floor, full of toys. It wasn’t bothering anyone, but oh my word, everyone was bothering me!!! So I kicked the hooey out of it. Apparently, when you pay $5.99 for a plastic bin in the seasonal department at Target, you don’t get a product of the highest quality or durability. The poor thing shattered into a dozen pieces and toys rocketed in all directions.

Boy, it felt good…. For about 10 seconds. Then I felt embarrassed for losing my cool. (Yet remarkably grateful that it was a bucket and not one of my precious children.) Of course, the entire family had to come running to see what happened. Oh, the look of horror on each face was priceless. I think they realized…even the baby… that they had pushed this momma too far.

Yet, it was MY responsibility to keep my cool. It was MY responsibility to make sure that I was sane enough to handle the challenges of the day. That morning had come and gone without time set aside to read my bible and pray in a focused manner. I was reminded again that I had been coasting on fumes that day instead of soaring in the power of God. I hadn’t bothered to connect to my power source.

I kicked the bucket… and it woke me up from my deadly slumber. A hunger for God’s presence and His Word burst into flames within me.

This morning, I was a few hours into my day when I finally opened up my devotion and bible… but I got there!

“Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly,
but the proud he knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
with your right hand you save me.

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.

Psalm 138:6-8

When I read this passage, I knew that God was speaking to my heart. He said, “Jamie, I am not done with you yet. I am going to fulfill My purpose in you. I love you.”

And that was all I needed.


By Posted on Posted in endurance, trusting Him 1 Comment

Ever feel stuck?

I was really feeling it last night.  Going around the same mountain again and again. Nothing’s changing. It looks like a break-through is coming, then disappointment comes instead. Same old junk, same old road blocks.

I woke up today feeling low. Nursing my baby in the early morning darkness,  I poured my heart out to God. “You have to do SOMETHING!”

A short time later, I found a minute to read my devotion for the day. Here’s most of it:

“Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” Exodus 14:13

This verse contains God’s command to me as a believer for those times when I am confronted with dire circumstances and extraordinary difficulties. What am I to do when I cannot retreat or go forward and my way is blocked to the right and to the left?

The master’s word to me is, “Stand firm.” And the best thing I can do at these times is to listen only to my Master’s word, for others will come to me with their suggestions and advice…

Despair will come, whispering, “Give up–lie down and die.”

Cowardice will come and say, “You must retreat to the world’s way of acting. It is too difficult for you to continue living the part of a Christian. Abandon your principles.”

Impatience will come, crying, “Get up and do something! To stand firm and wait is sheer idleness.”

Stand firm. I must maintain the posture of one who stands, ready for action, expecting further orders, and cheerfully and patiently awaiting  the Director’s voice. It will not be long until God will say to me, as distinctly as he told Moses to tell the children of Israel, “Move on.” (Ex.14:15)

I made a decision this morning to stand firm and stop worrying about my problem. God promised that He had a provision and I would see it soon.

Just a bit ago, I was perusing the facebook status of my friends, when I came across an internet  link. It was just the thing I have been waiting for. An open door that might lead to much-needed growth and healing.

Thank you, Lord.