A LENTEN CHALLENGE!

Easter Sunday is just about a month away as we journey through the changing of winter to spring back to winter again. 

You are preparing your heart.

Easter to me, and to many of us is a familiar "routine" in our lives.

BUT EASTER IS more than a routine in the Christian Calendar
 this is THE DAY.
 
THE BENCHMARK OF OUR FAITH

ETERNAL LIFE overcame death and evil FOR ALL OF US

This is the CELEBRATION DAY

 the day most churches get it RIGHT!

It is a day of pagentry and beauty

How can you be a blessing to someone who does not know this reality?

Think for a moment today of what Easter might mean to them if they do not know Christ.

Easter is also a day when many people who don't have a home church

WONDER

It is a day when those prodigals who feel shunned by the church they left

WONDER

It is a day when those who long to belong

WONDER

It is a day FOR YOU TO SEEK OUT someone

and STOP THEIR WONDERING....

Who do you KNOW that

does not have a home church

feels hurt and lost with no church home to receive them

that have never felt the Love of GOD?

We all know people, or know of someone....

sometimes

it is people we work with,

it is people in our own families

it might BE US!

AS YOU ARE FASTING OR PRACTICING THE TASK GOD HAS GIVEN YOU

- are you open to HOW HE IS LEADING YOU?

I was going to write about something completely different today,

BUT GOD STIRRED ME to bring this up.

YES HE wants you to draw closer and be more intimate with HIM...

BUT WHO DO YOU KNOW that doesn't know how to receive HIS LOVE?

WHO SHOULD YOU BE PRAYING FOR?

Today I challenge you to get on your knees

It is a challenge to add on to your lenten practice to

DILIGENTLY PRAY FOR SOMEONE -

 and I ask that you ask the LORD TO NARROW IT DOWN TO JUST ONE,

 and then for them consistanly through Easter and perhaps beyond

and name them to GOD EVERY DAY

and pray that

GOD WILL MAKE A WAY IN THEIR LIFE RIGHT NOW.

Will you do this with me?

It's certainly not for me,

It's not even for you,

It's for someone who is hurting and longing

to connect with someone who LONGS TO HEAL THEM!

It's about a journey through trials,

It's about Christ enduring for ALL THE SINS OF THE WORLD on that CROSS,

BUT IT'S NOT EVEN ABOUT THE SINS will be covered,

ITS ABOUT THE LOVE that covers us all

THAT NONE OF GOD'S LOVE WOULD BE WASTED...

THAT ALL IN HIS IMAGE WOULD BE DRAWN TO COME TO HIM...

 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them"  John 6:44a

a prayer,

Lord, I know how i fall short and in my journey towards you I just feel overwelmed by my sins and how YOUR LOVE is so amazing.  Thank you for a love I cannot earn covering a debt I can never repay...

Help me Holy Spirit to know who else needs to know that LOVE that covers all.
Lord, today I pray for ______________.  I ask that they would be open to the love that you are drawing them toward.  I pray for You to show me how to pray for them for the next weeks each day, that you would increase their awareness of their need for YOU. That you would guide myself and others to simply show them LOVE and be a freind that through serving you, they might see and know their need for more of you.  Lord in our praying for them we seek no Glory but your GLORY to shine in the hearts of all.  LORD WE JUST THANK YOU FOR ______________ in our lives and we remember YOUR LOVE as we seal this prayer in JESUS NAME AMEN...

It's Tuesday again, they are calling for rain and yes MORE SOUP!

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,   Romans 5:3-4 ESV


We are fully into this season of Lent and as I share one of my FAVORITE recipes today, let me tackle a few odds and ends. 

HOW ARE YOU DOING!?  Writing the blog has been more of a Lenten challenge for me than to limit the television!  As you might remember I told you my disciplines were to blog daily on Lent (and/or Walking with God in our daily lives) and to not watch more than two hours of television a day. 

Only once, (and actually it was yesterday!)  did I exceed the two hours of allotted time and it was really just a few minutes over!  But none the less, I am now confessing this to you.  Are you having any struggles with your discipline that you are practicing? 

Some of my friends have given up soda (pop) and they are realizing how much they desire it at times.  It is hard, but the idea is that in your weakness of wanting something you have given up, to cry out to God and let Him show Himself to you in your weaknesses.

Many folks have commented on the concept of "fearing God" that I spoke on yesterday, I too am learning and will be sharing more of this during our shared journey in preparation to be ready to celebrate the full meaning of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

This recipe is a typical Lenten dish from our European roots, the recipe is actually more of a guideline than anything else.  I am the fourth generation to enjoy this in America!  The ingredients are those items that would be staples in a household of rural folks in winter; potatoes, carrots, fat, flour, spices and to top it off those scraps of cheese that you want to use up. 

THICK SWISS POTATO SOUP

potatoes                     margarine
carrots                        flour
celery                         salt                         
onion                          pepper
water                          assorted cheese

Peel and dice potatoes into 1/2" - 3/4" pieces and fill a 2 quart saucepan just over half way. Chop up into similar size pieces the peeled carrots, celery and onion to your taste.  Cover all with water slightly salted and bring to a slow boil until cooking until vegetables are tender.  (DO NOT DRAIN THE WATER OFF THE POTATOES) In a skillet make a roux with 2-3 Tablespoons of margarine/butter. As the butter melts add1/4 cup flour and stir them together to mix and allow the flour to slightly brown and be "cooked".  

Add the roux into the potato pot and stir and cook until thickened.  Have cheeses cut up and  as each person gets their serving of this lucsious thick potato 'stew' they can bury their cheese under the stew or stir it in.  I like to add Lawry's or Old Bay seasoning salt to my portion with cracked black pepper.  We often enjoy this with cooked apples, which is another staple of a winter home during Lent. 

You can make your soup thinner by using less roux, you can boil your potatoes in a chicken broth for a different flavor.  You can of course add bacon bits, or parsley or chives or anything you like but for me and for lent I just like my soup thick and chunky with the ingredients I have dumped in!  This picture, I would consider to be a runny version of the soup, but you get the idea and its more a technique than a recipe. 

In my simple heart, this is pure comfort food that I likely would NOT prepare for someone outside my family.  This dish is not really very pretty, but it is full of nutrients and will satisfy the most hungry.  Hope you consider this a nourishing option for body and soul as you journey on toward the cross of Lent and the empty tomb of Easter!

Will just close with some great lenten quotes for you to consider today...

I live on good soup, not on fine words. 

 - Moliere (1622-1673) 

"How can we complain when He Himself was considered 'as one struck by God and afflicted'." (Isa. 53:4)
~   Therese of Lisieux

"Are you capable of risking your life for someone? Do it for Christ."

~Pope John Paul II

"Nothing, how little so ever it be, if it is suffered for God's sake, can pass without merit in the sight of God."

~Thomas a Kempis

Proper fear and a new cell phone!

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
   and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
 For through wisdom your days will be many,
   and years will be added to your life. Proverbs 9: 10-11

As I am reading through the book of Deuteronomy in my daily devotions, God, through Moses, keeps reminding the Israelites (and us) that we need to fear Him.

I soon will be beginning a Bible Study with a group of women using Francis Chen's Basic series http://basicseries.com/ that starts with the topic of properly fearing God.  (I think most of us, myself included have a lot to learn about what this really means!)

Like the proverb says, fearing God is the beginning of wisdom.

What is also amazing me about the instructions of the book of Deuteronomy are the instructions on  WHO NOT TO FEAR.

We are not supposed to fear false prophets.  They will come and they will try to scare you or make you question what God has already told you in His word, but DO NOT FEAR THEM for what they say is not true and what they predict will not come to pass.

We are not supposed to fear any armies that might oppose us or rise up against us.  It may seem on paper like they are gonna wipe us out, BUT DO NOT FEAR THEM for God said that He is going with us to conquer them.

FEAR MUST BE PROPERLY PLACED!

 FEAR GOD, nor men!

So as I am trying to walk spiritually and live out what I am writing, I had this little incident with my cell phone last week.  My wonderful (almost new) smart phone lost half the video display screen.

I did nothing to it.

It was in my jeans pocket and was fine, and then suddenly, it wasn't fine.

I immediately began to FEAR! 

OH NO! 

The phone was half working, the audio still worked and I could make and receive phone calls, but I could only read half of any messages, emails and app's.  You see I didn't have insurance and I FEARED the warranty had expired.

Right after I got off work that evening, I went to a local service provider.  The attendant was kind, but took one look at the phone while he was helping another customer and told me, "IT GOT TOO HOT".  "If you don't have insurance you will probably have to buy a new phone."

GRRRRR.  I knew that it didn't get too hot, but  I FEARED that is what they would choose to believe.   I FEARED that I  didn't have any hope in getting a customer service rep to understand what really had happened.

As most of you know, my funds are carefully budgeted these days and I hate to admit it, but I really contemplated the ethics of adding insurance since my phone was still working, so at least later if anything else went wrong, I would have the option of insurance.

I FEARED the future. 

For several days, I wrestled with what to do and on the morning when I had a doctors appointment in the neighborhood of the phone service provider's main store, I was told that a friend was offering to buy me a new phone!

WHAT?  I WAS COVERED!

I still wasn't happy about my phone, because I knew that nothing unusual had happened to it.  BUT MY FEAR about facing the phone provider was at least diminished because I knew if they didn't have any way of helping me - I had funds to take care of it.

You won't believe what happened next..........

As I walked into the store, the customer service attendant asked to see my phone and she immediately told me, "Miss, I have new phone for you, this is a rare occurrence, they have extended the warranty for this  specific situation, so sorry you had to make this extra trip!" 

Something in my phone that I couldn't see, she could and within 15 minutes she had transferred all my data.

In this I learned some valuable lessons. 

There is a reason why THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM. 


We need to ONLY FEAR GOD and work ONLY on positioning ourselves before HIM and then all other things do fall in place!

I WILL NOT FEAR THE PHONE COMPANY

I WILL NOT FEAR LIES  
I WILL NOT FEAR MEN


I WILL STAND IN AWE AND FEAR OF THE HOLY GOD MY CREATOR who taught me a simple and beautiful lesson through my red smart phone and a friend with a humble and generous heart.  Their kindness reminded me that once I FEAR GOD ALONE :

HE WILL COVER ME AND BE WITH ME IN ALL OTHER SITUATIONS!

Thank you Lord, for humbling us to realize those lies we want to believe are just that lies.  Thank you for teaching each day in the situations of daily living, AMEN.  It IS WELL WITH MY SOUL - and it is also OK with my cell phone as well!  PRAISE GOD!

Sunday's Song Day - IT IS WELL - with my SOUL...

So how's your Lenten journey going? 

 I am not going to get to the true songs of the passion season until next week as I followed a inspirational "rabbit trail" again this week. 

 Some of these hymns that we take for granted truly have the most compelling back stories.  The hymn for today not only has a rich history but it reminds us as Psalm 46 did yesterday, that walking in faith is not promised to be easy, but GOD PROMISES TO BE WITH US, especially in the most difficult times.

  I was going to type out the story, but when I found this video with such detailed photos and information, I  chose to let it tell you and show you the real deal of this amazing hymn that always stirred me.

I have viewed this numerous times and seeing the real pictures and hearing the talented choir sing that inspired arrangement of these remarkable words of deep faith fill me the warmth of God's love and provision every time I hear it. 


Here again are the written words if you want to take a closer look.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul. Refrain: It is well, with my soul, It is well, it is well, with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul! And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.

(The original manuscript has only four verses, but Spafford's daughter, Bertha born after this tragedy stated how later another verses were added and the last line of the original was slightly modified.) 


The music, written by Phillip Bliss, was named after the ship on which Spafford's daughters died, Ville du Havre.


And here is the after story of the Spaffords:


Following the sinking of the Ville du Havre, Anna gave birth to three more children. On February 11, 1880, their only son, Horatio Goertner Spafford, died at the age of four years, of pneumonia.  Their daughters were Bertha Hedges Spafford (born March 24, 1878) and Grace Spafford (born January 18, 1881). In August 1881, the Spaffords set out for Jerusalem with their family and others and set up the American Colony in what was still then the British territory called Palestine.

 Colony members, later joined by other Christians from around the world, engaged in philanthropic work amongst the people of Jerusalem regardless of their religious affiliation and without proselytizing motives--thereby gaining the trust of the local Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities.

During and immediately after the first world war, the American Colony played a critical role in supporting these communities through the great suffering and deprivations of the eastern front by running soup kitchens, hospitals, orphanages and other charitable ventures. (This was after Spafford had died, but his initiative in founding this group, led this incredible ministry to many)


Spafford died on October 16, 1888, of malaria, still serving God in the Holy Land and was buried in Mount Zion Cemetery, Jerusalem.

Today, of course that entire family is reunited IN HEAVEN, when "their faith shall be sight" they endured "Satan's buffet and the trials that came" the son, Horatio, who died at 4; the four daughters who went down with the Ville Du Harve (Annie at age 11, Margaret at age 9, Bessie at age 5 and Tanetta at age 2), mother Anna who was at first in despair for having been "saved alone", and the daughters born later who lived full lives.


The trials. They don't matter now.  They all realized CHRIST ALONE saved us all - each one of us -

Nothing on earth can stop this -


Fire, financial ruin.  Nope. 

KNOWING God and responding to Him, receiving the gift Christ brought on the Cross,

THAT MATTERS. 

 All our trials on this earth - in glory - we will see it from God's perspective. 

 We hurt along with those who hurt, we help as we are led to and are made able to by God.


 But let us look to GOD THIS DAY,

NO MATTER WHAT OUR SEA BILLOWS OF SORROW OR CIRCUMSTANCE ROLL

 and

PRAISE THE LORD

OH MY SOUL
PRAISE THE LORD!

In the midst of it all...

Most who call themselves "christian" usually manage to muster up some scripture to cite every now and again.   I tend to hear this particular verse a lot in that way.  It's a good verse, a verse I often share myself.

And in light of many happenings in the world and in individual lives right now. I think worthy of a deeper look.

"BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD"


I really don't have any problems with this beautiful verse, but I do often struggle with how we translate it. 

I see portrayed describing a picture of a calm lake or the sun gently breaking through in a mountain forest.  AH, God showing His strength in the calmness of creation.

Some different versions use different words to express our "being still"  NASB says "cease striving".  Peterson in the message says "Step out of the traffic".  These are some clues that perhaps we are supposed to do more with this scripture then enjoy the peaceful paces of sunrises and calm days....

I Invite you to read all of Psalm forty six including verse 10a in context.  As you read it, please note the environment in which this all transpires.  I am sharing from the New King James Version today, because it best translates the poetry with language in the most readable way.

Psalm 46

  ¹ God is our refuge and strength,
         A very present help in trouble.
 ² Therefore we will not fear,
         Even though the earth be removed,
         And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
 ³ Though its waters roar and be troubled,
         Though the mountains shake with its swelling.  Selah 
        
 ⁴ There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
         The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
 ⁵ God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
         God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
 ⁶ The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
         He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
        
 ⁷ The LORD of hosts is with us;
         The God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah 
        
 ⁸ Come, behold the works of the LORD,
         Who has made desolations in the earth.
 ⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
         He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
         He burns the chariot in the fire.
        
 ¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God;
         I will be exalted among the nations,
         I will be exalted in the earth!
        
 ¹¹ The LORD of hosts is with us;
         The God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah

WOW ! 

 I initially was stirred to look this up in the middle of the night while praying for the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear situation affecting the nation of Japan.  God led me right to verses 2-3.  God does not take away all the chaos, HE IS ACTIVE AND CALM IN THE CENTER OF IT.  

And look at verse 10 that we so often quote the beginning of, not only are we being commanded to BE STILL AND KNOW THAT GOD IS GOD.  He states, "I WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE NATIONS, I WILL BE EXALTED IN THE EARTH."

None of us can answer why earthquakes or any natural occurrences happen.  Some even misdirect anger at God for the things that we are told are part of the natural earth. 

 I don't understand why earthquakes happen. I don't understand why suffering happens, but I do understand that the world through our lack of obedience to God takes us further and further away from His purposes for us.  I do understand that Christ, who had no sin came to take away our sin by experiencing intense suffering (see 2 Cor 5:21). And I do realize that EVERY TIME in my personal suffering, when I turn to GOD - I experience HEALING, I sense PEACE, and I know that GOD WILL BRING ME THROUGH IT.

 But I do understand that in all things - we need to realize God is with us and our task, our primary task is to acknowledge His presence praise Him through the storm and to reach our and love our brothers and sisters through their intense trials

I know many people who are going through personal earthquakes, tsunamis and internal nuclear meltdowns right now and even as I pray for the nation of Japan, I pray for each individual to STOP, CEASE STRIVING, to FIND GOD'S REFUGE IN THIS TROUBLE for when they do, the will NOT BE MOVED FROM THE CENTER THAT IS GOD.

PRAYING WITH AND FOR THE WORLD....Lord God in the chaos of the all in the world and in our lives, help us to find Your refuge in these times of struggle.  We proclaim that YOU ARE THE LORD OF ALL and that AS WE PRAISE YOU, YOUR ways will be accomplished over all the earth.  Help neighbor love neighbor and let Your Glory and Light shine over all the earth til all your ways are accomplished. We pray specifically for the nation of Japan and all those directly affected by this, help us to know the specific prayers you want us to pray and actions you want us to take and most of all help each one FIND YOU in their storm, AMEN

HEART CHECK FRIDAYS!

Yesterday, in my daily Bible reading, I was in the book of Deuteronomy. 

 Oh how God's scriptures keep informing IF us we open our hearts as we open His word. 

 In Numbers it finally hit me that a whole generation was unable to see the promised land.  I have intellectually know this for many years: I am a seminary graduate after all!  But in my heart, as God commanded Moses to count the people (hence the name book of "Numbers" in our English translations)  a second time.  God knew that over the 40 years and numerous incidents of disobedience and the sad repercussions who was there and wasn't. 

 BUT for our sake He had the people counted, so we would KNOW.  GOD WILL HAVE HIS WAY!

  So in the book of Deuteronomy God and Moses review the last 40 years with this new generation, who know only the desert, who don't recall Egypt.

  "God, our God, made a covenant with us at Horeb. God didn't just make this covenant with our parents; he made it also with us, with all of us who are alive right now. God spoke to you personally out of the fire on the mountain"  Deuteronomy 5: 2-4 MESSAGE.

Another AHA moment for me - The whole book of Deuteronomy for THIS GENERATION.  RIGHT NOW!  IT IS CRITICAL FOR ME, TODAY!  FORGET THE 'practices' of yesterday.  I am ready start NOW, TODAY!

So as chapter 5 progresses Moses states the commandments of God again, as they were given to Moses and God inscribed on the stone tablets that are in the Ark of Testimony with the congregation.

The verse I want to focus on, struck me as a prayer from God's heart if you will, for our hearts.

 "Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever."  Deuteronomy 5:29 NLT

God's desire is that we would have a heart for HIM, that we WOULD FEAR HIM, and OBEY HIS COMMANDS. 

 I think that on the coming Fridays we are going to do some heart checks.  What does it mean to have a heart FULLY FOR GOD!  TO FEAR GOD and HOW DO WE OBEY HIS COMMANDS - as we journey in a land far from Horeb/Sinai? 

And God wants us to get this - for if we do as the verse states it will result in prosperity for us and our descendants.  But as I read and reread this verse - God knows where we fall short!  But yet this is HIS DESIRE that we try, that we love, that we make room for HIM.

Unfortunately I too, have more questions than answers, BUT I am learning about "practicing my practice" God desires that we try and He helps us as we do!

I am closing today's musing with the devotional written to go with the beautiful collage you are enjoying with the blog today.  Both art above and thoughts below are from Gillian Ross from Grace Chapel in Lexington Massachusetts.

An Undivided Heart
Whatever our lives look like from the outside, God looks on our hearts. Herein is determined our purity - or lack of it! So the 'heart' (in the painting) represents our hearts - our mind, will, emotions - the very 'fabric' of our lives, in all its multi-layered, multi-textured compartments. It is this heart that God longs to make pure, clean, undivided. This happens first through the 'washing by the blood' of Christ, signified here by the deep red, washing through every area of life, and continues throughout our lives as Christians as we are sanctified.  As we allow God into each area of our lives, the compartments become less distinct, and our hearts become more unified. The gold signifies the purification process, which is God's work… impurities are purged through the Refiner's fire.  As our hearts are transformed like this we can draw closer to Him: One day we will see Him as he is, and we do see Him now at work in our lives. The natural result of 'seeing God' is to worship Him - hence the figure in white in a posture of praise to God.
 
"Teach me your ways O Lord,
And I will walk in your path.
Give me an undivided heart,
And I will fear your name.
I will praise you,
O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever."
Psalm 86:11-12

Gillian Ross from Grace Chapel in Lexington Mass 10-26-07

Let THOSE VERSES BE OUR PRAYER as we learn and practice our heart songs of praise to HIM on the Hike 'O Life....amen

Practice what you preach - huh!?

 

Yep, if you are following this, you might notice that I am REALLY SLOW to get this posted today.  My practice is showing, eh?   For whatever struggles I am walking in today, I am determined that God is showing me some hard things by the daily discipline of writing these notes.

 

As I look at all the different dictionary definitions of practice, I just keep thinking of athletes (specifially baseball players, must be the weather today) who practice their skills from the very littlest T-ball players to the professional baseball players who still begin with a few months of preseason training and PRACTICE before the games that really count begin!

 

Their outcomes (practices, how they do) is based on their preparation (training practices, what they do).

 

But God is not looking for the same outcomes that we are, we tend to to look at outward victories (wins on a teams record or personal statistics) and He is looking at the effort we put into learning and applying (our hearts and our lives lived for Him in the process)

 

I want to share another verse with you from the beattitudes,

 

 

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst  for righteousness,  for they shall be satisfied"  Matthew 5:6 (NIV)

 

 

You see as Jesus spoke about our desire to PRACTICE righteousness, what does he say we have to do to achieve satisfaction?  Do we have to accomplish it?  NO! We simply are blessed for hungering and thirsting for it! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we hunger and thirst for something we try to taste it, perhaps we don't get it all right, but we are TRYING!

 

I have just one question for you today as you go out to practice what you want to practice - in other's words do what we day we want to do.....

 

Who gets more enjoyment of of playing baseball;a first year T-Ball player or a retired Major League player? 

 

This obviously could be a loaded question.  I tend to think that the satisifaction of the pure joy of the game continues for a lifetime.  I got to take my nephew to his traveling league workout the other week. I usually only see him at games with a serious "game on" look and watch him (usually) with the precision of a surgeon as he positions his glove or bat and gets the job done. 

 

 Waching him field and hit that night, I saw the delight of someone who loves to play and wants to keep trying, all while knowing how hard it is to get better and better. 

 

My nephew is not settling for a easy game, he keeps practicing and learning and when I commenting to him about what I saw that evening He smiled and just said, "yep, I had a great time!"

 

 

This throws the legalistic works bandwagon out the window.  But the key to our satisfaction is our humility of heart as we practice our practice.

 

God just wants us to want him!  That is what He want us to practice and practice and practice - wanting more of Him! 

 

None of us will ever be able to fully acomplish this on earth, but yet as Paul wrote we learn to "be content" in all kinds of situations as we simply practice wanting to love and obey Him. 

 

So friends - as you go out this day - may be you blessed as you practice and practice and practice and May God see the your practice of LOVE on this 'hike o life"