Category Archives: Action

Sep27

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 27, 2014 by lsgrlr

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 14. “Then his father and mother said to him, ‘Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?’ And Samson said to his father, ‘Get her for me, for she pleases me well.’ But his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel” (Verses 3-4). In the bible I have to be honest when I say that Samson is my pet peeve. He reminds me of a spoiled brat (sorry if that sounds harsh). He is like a little kid that just wants what he wants and can’t see (or chooses not to see) anything beyond his own need. What is interesting though, is that despite all of that God still used him to accomplish His purposes. Note that when Samson’s parents where upset about his choice in brides, it was actually God who was allowing the union, because He had a different plan. What’s my point? God can even use our disobedience to accomplish His will. Yes, you read that right. I did NOT however say there wouldn’t be consequences for the sin itself, read the entire chapter, Samson’s sin had consequences. Here’s the deal God will ALWAYS accomplish His purpose. He is GOD. Just in case you didn’t understand, I’ll say it again. HE IS GOD. But our obedience or disobedience determines where we fall on the scale… blessed or cursed.

Sep26

DAY 268 (2014)

Posted on September 26, 2014 by lsgrlr

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So true!

Yesterday I went for an interview. It is for a really good company, I previously applied for the same position with the company. I even went as far as flying to NY from Florida to do the testing. However, a week after I was informed that I was no longer a candidate for the position. I was disappointed, but I let it go. Yesterday when I sat with the interviewer he pulled up my info and then got this rather quizzical look on his face. His expression said, “What the heck?!” So I asked, “Why do you have that expression on your face?” He laughed and said, “I have never been able to control my expressions. I have gotten in trouble a lot for that.” I told him I’d like to play a game of poker with him… 🙂 . He laughed and then said this, “I don’t understand why you didn’t make it through the last time. You passed the testing.” Huh… we continued the interview (I did not have to take the test again… Yay!). On the drive home I started to wonder as to why God had closed a door that could have had me moving to Western New York with a job to come to? Then my mind ran across my friend Karla. Why is this so important? I wrote a post about her recently (not sure of the DAY). She is a friend that I had invited to church on multiply occasions, each time she told me no. However, she finally said yes in July. Had the comapny hired me I would have left Florida in March, never attempting to ask her again. Then my mind ran across Miss A. Miss A was a patient who previously had gone through chemo, was found to have resolution of the disease. However, several months later in April was diagnosed with a new very aggressive form of cancer that literally has a six week window of life expectancy (that is the standard prognosis for most people diagnosed with this form of cancer). During that time I bought her a devotional because I felt that God told me to do so. It is now September and Miss A is not only is alive, but walking and talking on her own (which is miraculous). Here’s what I realized God had a reason that was BIGGER than I could have imagined. His purpose was eternal. Today Karla has inherited a peace that she says she can’t explain. Miss A’s husband once told me that both he and his wife read the devotional everyday. It’s the first thing they do every morning. Yesterday the interviewer said something else that floored me. “When a door is closed it is ALWAYS for a reason”. He’ll never know how true his words were. God had a much better plan.

“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open” (Revelation 3:7).

Lesson: Let God shut and open the doors as He wills. The outcome will always be worth it.

Side story: Today I got a phone call for Final Interview… God’s got a plan 🙂

Sep26

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 26, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 13. “So the woman came and told her husband, saying, A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’ Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, and said, ‘O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.’ And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, ‘Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!'” (Verses 6-10). I love Manoah’s wife. She didn’t keep it to herself, everything God shared with her, she shared with her husband. At no point did she think, “This is crazy I can’t tell someone else this”. As crazy as it sounded she said it anyway. Many times fear keeps us from sharing what we believe, or what we have experienced with God. Fear of how people will react, how they will perceive us. I like that none of that mattered to her. She adhered to God’s voice, shared what she learned and her, her husband, and ultimately all of Israel were blessed due to her obedience.

Sep25

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 25, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 12. “Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, ‘Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!’ And Jephthah said to them, ‘My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?’Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, ‘You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites'” (Verses 1-4). Ephraim did not help Jephthah go to war, but wanted a part in the glory of what God had done in Jephthah. It wan’t that Ephraim felt bad for not participating, as much as a “How dare you win without my help” attitude. Instead of repenting for their lack of compassion they opted to war against God’s judge (bad idea). God will use whosoever is willing, Ephraim was NOT willing and Jephthah was. If you don’t want to miss out on what God is doing, then be a willing vessel.

Sep21

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 21, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 8. “Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, ‘Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.’ But Gideon said to them, ‘I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you'” (Verses 22-23). I love these words. Why? Gideon didn’t believe the hype. He knew exactly who had rescued Israel, he knew who the TRUE leader was and thus he proclaimed, “not me, but GOD.” Have ever heard a really good pastor/teacher? One who just brings you into the presence of God, one that just makes you want to open your bible, and go over every word he just said? Here’s a newsflash, it is not the pastor, it is God’s spirit moving you to a place of communion with Him. However many times we mistakenly think it’s the vessel and not the one pouring into the vessel that deserves the praise. Sometimes to the determent of our pastor/teachers who are just as human and we are, and therefore prone to believe the hype. Remember Gideon’s victory? Well so did he. He was totally aware that he had nothing to do with the win, and that God had everything to do with it. Here’s the lesson: Our pastors are just the vessels, it is God who deserves the praise.

Sep16

DAY 258 (2014)

Posted on September 16, 2014 by lsgrlr

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First step gets you to the door, second step gets you through it.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

So today I had this thought. “The first step is scary. But the second step gets you through the door.” I am not sure where the thought came from (well that’s not 100% true. Duh, God), but it has permeated my day invading my thoughts. I have accomplished a lot more in the last three weeks than I have in most of my adult life. I let go of my past and took the step necessary to grab a hold of my future. That’s quite an accomplishment, that is not to say that where I came from was bad. On the contrary I left a great job, great patients, and great friends to embark on a journey to find God’s “best” and not just live in “great”. Now that I have made the first step, moving. It is time for the second step, acclimating. The culture in Western, NY is a lot different from South Florida. For example last night I left my house at midnight to run out and get something. I was shocked to find that there was no one on the road. WEIRD!!!! I mean that literally NO ONE was on the road, just me (this makes me wonder why they have 24 hour anything here). Midnight in Florida the roads would still have tons of cars, and not from people going home, but from people going out. Clearly this part of New York is the part that does sleep, a lot. As I have been thinking about the things I miss the most, ie., my church home, my hairdresser, and my friends. It dawned on me that those are things God wants to give me here as well. Granted they won’t be a replica of what I left behind, but they will be exactly what I need for this leg of the journey. How do I get them? Take the next step. Step one gets us to the destination, but it is the second step that gets us through the door. This is not just true of life, but of our walk with God as well. Many times we’re comfortable with the first step, asking God for help. But it is the second step, doing what He says that tends to give us pause. Life is about the journey, that’s true. But journeys are meant to bring us to a destination. Don’t just take the first step, take the second as well. Don’t just arrive, thrive.

“Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:1).

Lesson: The second step is just as important as the first. The first gets you to the door, the second gets you through it.

Sep15

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 15, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 2. “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger because they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths” (Verses 10-13). Here’s a question: How did an ENTIRE generation grow up not knowing anything about God? They knew nothing about their past. What kind of example were their forefathers? The truth needs to be spread, it needs to be told. The purpose of the truth isn’t to hoard it and store it up for ourselves, no, the purpose of the truth is to share so that others can be saved. Joshua’s generation served God, just has he taught them to, but they did not teach their children, nor their children’s children and thus that generation did not respect or follow God. Mmmm…. this sounds so familiar. Ahhh, it sounds like today. This country was founded on Christian morals (albeit somewhat selfish in nature), the exit from England was due to religious freedom, The motto: In GOD We Trust. While this mantra still prevails on our dollar bills, it is not a part of our hearts, or our culture. We don’t trust in God. We trust in self and as we look around we can clearly see the results of our selfishness. This devotion is not meant as a bash to Israel or to the generation I currently inhabit. Instead let it be a reminder that all we have was gifted to us by the Creator of the world. Let’s remember who He is and what He has done. Let’s obey, and let us teach it to the generations to follow. Because if we don’t… they may not survive the consequences.

Sep14

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 14, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 1. “But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor. Nor did Asher drive out those living in Akko or Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob. The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out. Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain. And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the tribes of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond” (Verses 27-36). This for me is the beginning of the end. Almost every verse contains these words, “they were unable to drive out…” “Neither was… able to completely drive out…” “To this day… still dwells among them.” Why are these verses important? God’s command: COMPLETELY wipe them out. Does that sound like, forced labor to you? Don’t grow weary in well doing. Don’t get tired of doing what God has called us to do. Because then we allow things that need to be exterminated to dwell with us and become apart of our lives. When we allow things into our world other then what God wants no matter how careful we are we are still interacting, still being influenced. Don’t be blinded, don’t believe that the things that we hold on to after God has said let go isn’t affecting us. Flash forward because Israel did not completely accomplish what God said, they are now surrounded by enemies on every side. Today we need to honestly take a look at our lives and ask this question: “What surrounds us?” Then make a choice to get rid of what shouldn’t be there.

Sep12

DAY 254 (2014)

Posted on September 12, 2014 by lsgrlr

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The fences of our past aren’t meant to keep us out. No, sometimes they are saying…fight to get in.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Looking back. Remembering. Today I had an interview. It was a phone interview and it lasted for about an hour. During the course of the interview the interviewer and I covered much ground, but the longest portion of our talk pertained to my past work experience. Questions such: “Name a time when you had to deal with an irate patient, how did you resolve the situation?” In my working life I have had to deal with angry, irate, happy, sad and sometimes crazy patients. I have lots of stories, however, the moment the questions started coming my mind (which is normally full) went BLANK. 🙂 . I started a little mini panic on the inside. But God (I think I have said it before that is my favorite phrase in the Bible), reminded me of the verse He gave me in my morning devotion John 14:27. He reminded me that He had given me His peace, the peace that passes all understanding. I took a deep breath, thanked God for the reminder, and the stories came flooding in. I answered all her question with actual work examples. The interview ended, she thanked me for my time and told me I would have an answer in about a week. After hanging up I breathed a sigh of relief. I had given it my best and now it was in God’s hands. As I sat reflecting on the answers I had given, I realized something: we need to remember our past experiences. Why? Our past not only reminds us of how far we have come (or not come) it also helps to shape our future. That is part of the reason earlier today I posted my blog from a year ago. On that day I was thankful for new beginnings for new life, today I am thankful for a new journey, a new road to travel, and a possible new job. Some of us have painful past (trust me I know, I have had very dark days) and because of that we hide our past or feel ashamed of it. The problem is that once we start hiding we are always hiding, and we are never comfortable or secure enough to be who we really are. That is not what the past is meant to do. Our past whether beautiful or scary is meant to propel us forward, it is meant to be the stepping stone to something better. If our past is good then we have a good foundation on which to build. If our past is bad, then we have the opportunity to change our circumstance and fight for a brighter day. Never be ashamed of where you come from, but also don’t live there. Life is all about the growing forward and growing up. Today my past help me with my interview, it helped me crack open the door to my future. Let your past do the same for you.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).

Lesson: We all have a past and whether it be amazing or horrifying God wants to use it as a blessing for our future.

Sep9

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 9, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Joshua 20. “Then the Lord said to Joshua: ‘Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled'” (verses 1-6). We all need a refuge, a place of safety we can run to when we make mistakes, when we fall short of the goal. God provided such a place for Israel. In biblical times the motto was: An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. There was no grace, no mercy, and definitely no innocent till proven guilty. Laws are different now. But grace still only comes from God. Today instead of fortified cities, Jesus is our refuge. We can run to Him in our times of need and He will provide rest, comfort, and safety. In need of refuge? Cry out to God, He has provided it in His Son.