Be Still

https://www.theodysseyonline.com

 Be still and know I am God,

I will be exalted among the nations.

I will be exalted in the earth!

The Lord of hosts is with us,

The God of Jacob is our fortress

Psalm 46:10-11 (ESV)

David tells us words God spoke to him. The Lord tells us through David to come into His presence and listen for what he has for us. God Almighty then tells us He is with us and that He is our strength. 

Be still

A part of prayer is listening to God. We are to give Him our requests and wait to hear from Him.

I enjoy the quietness of our home in the mornings. I can concentrate on God. I can reflect on what He has done for me and how He answered prayer. I feel close to Him when I have spent time listening to what He tells me.

know that I am God.

We have to recognize God for who He is, the many roles He plays- among them, He’s our Creator, our Comforter, and our Sustainer.

When we are troubled we need to get quiet and communicate with the LORD. (I learned a few years ago that communication with God involves talking and listening.) When we do this, God strengthens us, guides us through the issue, and gives us peace.

I will be exalted

God will be praised by all the people groups of the earth, by all the governments of our world. Jesus told scribes and Pharisees, “If people keep quiet, the rocks will cry out” (Luke 19:40) It is God’s desire to be praised.

How can we praise God more?

Dear Father God; Thank You for Your presence in our lives, for listening to our requests, and for guiding us through the issues that enter our lives. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen

Are Our Words Pleasing to God?

https://www.allposters.com

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you,

 Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (CEB)

When we attend church on the Sabbath, we should strive to retain what we learn in our places of worship as we go through our week. Yes, sometimes it takes effort on our part to put this in practice. However, we must strive to live for Him in our homes, our neighborhoods, in the marketplace, and among our friends. As the time for Jesus’ return to earth draws nearer, I believe we should make living for Him a priority in our lives.

Several years ago, I heard the adage that we might be the only Bible people read. This always makes me pause and think about how I measure up to what God expects from me.

As a young mother, I heard the children’s song, O’ Be Careful Little Feet Where You Go!

O be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little eyes what you see

For the Father up above

is looking down in love

So, be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little ears what you hear

For the Father up above

is looking down in love

So, be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little tongue what you say

O be careful little tongue what you say

For the Father up above

is looking down in love

So, be careful little tongue what you say. ⁽¹⁾

There are some who would say this is a children’s song My response to them is: Aren’t we all children of God?

Do you have any thoughts on this?

1.) Metro Lyrics(http://www.metrolyrics.com) accessed 9/18/2018

What God Says about. . ..

cecelialester.com

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the LORD’. Romans 12:19 (ESV)

Paul writes these words to the believers at Rome. He gives sage advice from which we can learn.

In today’s world, we hear of and see road rage. Someone accidentally makes an error in driving. Another driver becomes offended and reacts. That reaction can lead to a dangerous consequence.

Interpersonal issues can start out small but sometimes escalatebecause both parties believe they have to have the last word and each retaliates. The disagreement can build as each person fights back with harsh words. Think of two boys fighting on the playground at school.

We need to learn not to ‘add fuel to the fire’.  Paul tells us to leave it to. . . God. This may sound difficult but we need to put this into practice as we strive to live for Jesus.

What can we do to model Paul's admonition before others?    

When We Need Peace

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Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV)

Be careful for nothing,

 Paul tells believers at Philippi and us not to worry about anything. I know it is hard to follow this advice but let’s see how we can follow his counsel.

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God

Paul also tells us to pray about everything, no matter how small it may seem. A friend and I pray when we discover we have misplaced our car keys.  We sometimes hear of or face circumstances that we can’t do anything about except pray for that need.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding 

Paul describes God’s peace as being far greater than we can imagine or understand.

shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

Because we learn to rely on God, that peace we receive will protect our hearts and our minds through His Son, Jesus Christ. When we receive that peace, we feel better about ourselves and those for whom we pray.

When We Need Patience

MYBIBLE.COM

Cease from anger and forsake wrath: fret not in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37: 8-9 (KJV)

These are words penned by David. He writes that we should refrain from being angry and not seek revenge for any hurt inflicted on us.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Romans 12:19 (KJV)

Paul tells us in the anew Testament no to act out our anger. When we react to hurts, we go against God’s Word and retaliate we sin and even risk creating bigger issues.

Both of these Biblical heroes tell us not to get angry or to seek revenge.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. Matthew 5:38-40 (KJV)

Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us to not resist the one inflicting the pain. He further tells us to take that pain. He also tells us to give up more than asked for when we face a lawsuit.

When my patience runs thin, I get frustrated. I know this about myself. I try to not allow myself to become frustrated because the next emotion I feel is that of anger. I have to remember the words of Paul In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, Ephesians 4:26

We all need to practice patience in our daily lives. The presence of road rage is due to our people having no patience. The antidote to our not having patience is to step back, take a look at the circumstance and pray to God for His guidance to get us through the situation.

End of August Thoughts

http://www.2018calendarwithholidays.com/august-

I sit here writing this post with excitement mixed with some fear. I have built a website for my writing ministry. I chose to do this in order to further establish my branding as I try to build my writing platform.

My website is entitled Cecelia Lester Author; its web address is cecelialester.com I have been working on it off and on for a month, trying to add sections to it that are attractive and informative about me and about my writing. I have cross-posted a few of my entries from here. I have to decide on a posting schedule.  I hope and pray that you will visit my new home as you can.

In September, I have two speaking engagements at area institutions, a nursing home and an assisted living facility in my immediate area. I also have contacted a couple of other places in search of finding opportunities to share God’s word. I will be using some of my blog posts and the columns I have written for another site.

In November, I will be giving a “Children’s Moments” message at our church. I haven’t done anything like this in quite a while (think years). Our Children’s Ministry Director has some added stresses with family illness.  Some of us know the stress she is under doing both and wanted to relieve a bit of it.

A Visit from a Humor Writer

Jeanette Levellie. com

Today, we have with us one of my favorite authors, Jeanette Levellie, who happens to be a friend. She comes to share with us about her book, The Heart of Humor which is going into a second edition. Let’s get started.

Quiet Spirit: Welcome Jen! Can you give us an overview of The Heart of Humor?

Jeanette Levellie: By all means! Here is the back cover copy, which took almost as much time and thought to write than the entire book:

Welcome to a vacation from stress, worry, and global whining. Learn the secrets of how laughter can help you:

©      live healthier & longer

©      deepen your relationships

©      trust a God with the sense of humor that gives a 90-year-old lady a baby.

 In her sassy yet down-to-earth style, award-winning author and speaker Jeanette takes readers on a fun trip through 45 short stories with titles like: An Outhouse to Celebrate, Confessions of a Jailbird, and Swimsuit Shopping Stress. Accompanying the stories are comical drawings by a professional animator, articles, and lists revealing the superpowers of humor such as Got Pain? Laugh it Away, Everybody Loves Dummies, and Ten Ways to Help Yourself Laugh.

QS: How did the idea for this book come about?

J L: I’d been writing humor columns for a Christian magazine for five years. I had so many on file, I decided to compile the best ones into a book. After writing articles about the benefits of humor and compiling lists of humorous quotes and the best funny movies, The Heart of Humor was born. In this second edition, we’ve added 8 cartoons and a new cover, which has a laughing redhead who looks suspiciously like me!

QS: What other books have you written? Can you share a bit about them?

Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top, my best seller, is a humorous devotional focusing on God’s bottomless heart of grace. Comical drawings from my son accompany nine of the chapters.

Shock the Clock is a fun time management system that focuses on different personality types. A great feature of this book is the list of time management tips by well-known Christian authors, agents, and editors.

Touchable God features 25 personal stories about how I developed a friendship with God through talking to him. The final 20 chapters are actual prayers for friends in crisis.

Here are links for all four of my books:

Scoops of Grace: http://amzn.to/2e5qOjl

The Heart of Humor: https://amzn.to/2LDX5h8

Shock the Clock: http://amzn.to/1XQ3F3t

Touchable God: http://bit.ly/2aNFaS0

My website: www.jeanettelevellie.com

QS: Thank you, Jeanette, for stopping in and sharing the news about the re-release of your book The Heart of Humor. I might add that the re-release date for The Heart of Humor is tomorrow, August 28, 2018. May God continue to bless you and your writing.