One Thousand Gifts...Days 52 ~ 59

Yesterday morning my husband got up at about 5:40, I heard him and woke up too.  He went and got a drink and came back to bed.  I got up and pulled our bedroom curtains back to look outside and everything was blanketed in this beautiful fluffy snow.  I said "did you see all that snow!" he gave a half hearted and somewhat annoying "yes," I was somewhat surprised he hadn't told me but more snow is the last thing a house framer wants to see.  But for me this was a blessing and I was thrilled and couldn't wait to get out and take some pictures. So I grabbed my camera and headed outside.  It was so beautiful, total silence, not a hint of wind...peaceful...majestic.

The day before we had just had another snow filled day.  My husband and I were out in the morning for a bit.  I took my camera with me hoping to get some nice shots of this beautiful winter day but it didn't work out and as the morning wore on the snow was more a mixture of rain and snow and so I only got a couple shots.  I was disappointed but then when I woke up yesterday morning and saw all that glorious fluffy snow I felt so blessed by God.  I know it's just a little thing...snow...annoying to many as we near the end of winter but to me it was a picture of such beauty.

This morning as I was doing chores I was thinking how I so much want my life to be lived in the center of God's will...I want my life to be lived fully for Him.  I can struggle with this especially since my kids are pretty much all grown up...what now...what is my purpose...what do I do?

As I was at the bottom of the hill scooping horse manure the song "All For Jesus" came to mind.  Here are the lyrics, just three simple little verses yet so powerful and so needing of me to lay down my will, my ambitions, my hopes and my plans into the hands of God the creator of the universe, the One who knows the beginning from the end.  As it says in Psalm 139: 16 "All the days ordained for me (for you) were written in your book before one of them came to be." 

Jesus, all for Jesus,

All I am and have and ever hope to be.

Jesus, all for Jesus,

All I am and have and ever hope to be.

All of my ambitions, hopes and plans

I surrender these into Your hands.

All of my ambitions, hopes and plans

I surrender these into Your hands.

For it's only in Your will that I am free,

For it's only in Your will that I am free,

Jesus, all for Jesus,

All I am and have and ever hope to be.

So do I trust Him, that He knows best, that His plans way out do my plans.  I thought again of the two snowy days we had this week, how I was disappointed that first day in not getting any pictures but God knew that the next day would be an even more beautiful snow covered morning, everything blanketed in pure white snow...every little branch...each square of the page wire fencing...everything.  I think for me this was a small little picture of God showing me that if I wait, if I trust in Him...there will be something better, that there is freedom when I am centered in His will for my life.  Oh it may not always seem that way and the world will pull me in it's direction and I will still fight with desiring the things of this world but nothing can compare to His ways.  

I think what God is impressing upon my heart is that He doesn't want me to settle for less than...that when I do things my way without His involvement...when I go after the worldly things whatever that may be I'm settling for less, I'm compromising the plans that He has ordained for me.  And that's why the lyrics from "All For Jesus" are so powerful.  

I have another little story from yesterday.  I had a friend over...a woman who loves the Lord deeply.  I wanted to bless her with a framed picture with some words of encouragement, I looked at what I had in my closet and nothing seemed to be quite right and I thought do I just give her one or do I wait.  I waited and felt if I had just given her one I would be settling for less than.  Well, when she arrived and came down in our  basement she noticed a picture I had hanging on the wall, and asked if it was one of mine and then she read the Scripture verse and said it was one of her favourites.  I knew then that she was to have that picture, it was meant for her...how cool is that, God is amazing!  He had something better in mind for her...He knew her heart.  

A Flickr friend of mine sent me a number of Scripture verses this morning and I wanted to share them with you.  They were quite meaningful to me...reminding me of the God I serve and the God who desires my heart...my soul...my mind because as it says in Ephesians 2:10 "I/we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for me/us to do."  And so even though I can struggle in knowing what my purpose in life is at this moment, I believe He is slowly unfolding His plans...His purposes all blanketed in His GRACE...that He would use a sinner such as I...

1 Sam. 12:16..... "...stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes..."

Luke 18:27......"The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Num. 23:19......"God is not a man, that He should lid.  Has He said, and will He not do it?"

Jas. 1:4 "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

Rom. 8:31......"If God be for us, who can be against us?"

2 Tim. 2:1......"...be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

Col. 3:2......"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."

Col. 3:23......"Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men..."

Josh. 1:9......"Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

2 Chr. 20:17......"You will not need to fight this battle.  Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you..."

John 16:33......"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Rom. 8:18......"...consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Rom. 8:37......"Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

Rom. 8:39......"(Nothing can) separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Rom. 8:28......"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

2 Tim. 4:7......"Fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith." (paraphrased)

Phil. 4:13......"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

1 Jn. 4:4......(You) have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he that is in the world."

Phil. 1:6......"(Be) confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ..."

Phil. 4:4......"Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I say, rejoice!"

Gifts journaled for days 52 ~ 59

154. Beautiful pink morning sky
155. Safe travels
156. A husband who is patient with me
157. GRACE
158. Coming together
159. Fellowship with friends
160. A daughter trying new things
161. Relaxing day
162. Jocelyne home safe
163. Freedom to worship
164. Observing the innocence and freedom of a child
165. A good day with my husband
166. God watching over us
167. Beautiful afternoon sun and mild temperatures
168. Listening to my girls laugh
169. The beauty of a single majestic tree in a snow covered field
170. Hint of Spring
171. The possibility of meeting up with a Flickr contact from Florida who will be in Ottawa
172. An amazing story of Salvation
173. A friend with cancer living each day grateful for the blessing of life
174. An encouraging husband
175. The most amazing snowy wonderland
176. That God would use me...
177. My chatty son