The Importance of Being Alone

Today I wanted to share the devotion that was in my "Streams in the Desert"book this morning. Liked it enough that I wanted to share it! 

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And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him

 until the breaking of the day(Gen. 32:24).

Left alone! What different sensations those words conjure up to each of us. To some they spell loneliness and desolation, to others rest and quiet. To be left alone without God, would be too awful for words, but to be left alone with Him is a foretaste of Heaven! If His followers spent more time alone with Him, we should have spiritual giants again.

The Master set us an example. Note how often He went to be alone with God; and He had a mighty purpose behind the command, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray."

The greatest miracles of Elijah and Elisha took place when they were alone with God. It was alone with God that Jacob became a prince; and just there that we, too, may become princes--"men (aye, and women too!) wondered at" (Zech. 3:8). Joshua was alone when the Lord came to him. (Josh. 1:1) Gideon and Jephthah were by themselves when commissioned to save Israel. (Judges 6:11 and 11:29) Moses was by himself at the wilderness bush. (Exodus 3:1-5) Cornelius was praying by himself when the angel came to him. (Acts 10:2) No one was with Peter on the house top, when he was instructed to go to the Gentiles. (Acts 10:9) John the Baptist was alone in the wilderness (Luke 1:90), and John the Beloved alone in Patmos, when nearest God. (Rev. 1:9)

Covet to get alone with God. If we neglect it, we not only rob ourselves, but others too, of blessing, since when we are blessed we are able to pass on blessing to others. It may mean less outside work; it must mean more depth and power, and the consequence, too, will be "they saw no man save Jesus only."

To be alone with God in prayer cannot be over-emphasized.

If chosen men had never been alone,
In deepest silence open-doored to God,
No greatness ever had been dreamed or done.

Vegan 101~ Scrambled "Eggs"

It has been several weeks since I went to my last Vegan 101 class - but I have been so busy I just have not had a chance to get on here and put together a post. Well I decided today was the day to finally get this typed up for you all. I hope you enjoy! 

We had breakfast. 

Simple and Easy Eggless Scrambled "Eggs" 

1 16 ounce block firm tofu 

1 med. onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 med. tomato, diced

1 T. olive oil 

2 T. Nutritional yeast flakes 

1 T. Chicken-style seasoning 

1/2 tsp. tumeric 

Dash of lemon juice crystals 

salt to taste 

1. Rinse tofu and pat dry with paper towel. Put in a bowl and crumble it using a fork or potato masher or your hands. 

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft. Add tomatoes and mix well. 

3. Add crumbled tofu, seasonings and tumeric. Stir and cook until tofu is well mixed with the other ingredients and flavors are well blended. Add the lemon crystals and salt to taste.

You can serve on toast or over cooked brown rice or eat it as is. 

Now if you don't have tofu you can make the same recipe using garbanzo beans instead- just smash up about half of the beans and proceed with the above recipe. 

 I really enjoyed both ways this was made.

If you are like me - this is the first time you have heard about Lemon Crystals - this is what the container looks like - it is sold at Walmart. I have not looked for it yet so I can not give any information about where you would find it in the store. If I find it I will try to do a post about it later to share more. 

Here was the whole spread. She made Waffles using pinto beans - what a great way to add fiber to your waffles- and they were very good!! And she made a delicious fruit topping to pot over the top of the waffles. Everything was very good! I had a friend go that is not even a vegetarian and she really enjoyed all the food as well - and that says alot! :O) 

Will run after us

“There aren’t many sure things in this world. But God’s love and goodness are something we can absolutely count on to be there with us... to follow us.”

(reference to Ps.23) The original Hebrew word actually means “to pursue” or “chase. “God‘s goodness and love 

will run after us all the days of our lives.”

~ Lysa TerKeurst in her “Uninvited” book

Making, Not Breaking You

“Hold fast to Jesus and remember: this breaking of you will be the making of you. A new you. A stronger you. Strengthened not with the pride of perfection but with the sweet grace of one who knows an intimate closeness with her Lord.”

The Lord is close to the broken hearted 

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

 Psalm 34:18.

Just a little something from my book Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst 

What a blessing this book has been to my soul! :O) 

He Can and Will Do It Again

Sorry I have not posted much lately - I have been dealing with some personal issues. It seems that I keep coming to some tests and I keep failing, but God wants me to pass and in His grace He keep allowing the tests to come. He hasn't give up on me yet...thankfully. Anyway I wanted to share just a couple of things that have really touched my heart lately. And I love how these two things go together so nicely. I hope that if you, too, are struggling that these little gems can help encourage your heart as well. 

You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north....7. For the LORD your God has blessed you in all that you have done. He has known your wandering through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.” 

~ Deuteronomy 2:2,7

Yes- these verses are speaking of the children of Israel, but they can also apply to you and I. I am so thankful for that! God knows what you are going through. He knows your pain and your sufferings. He has helped you in that past and He will do it again!! 

And the perfect song to go along with our theme today. Trust me - it is well worth your time and effort to really listen to this song and read the lyrics as it plays. I pray it will encourage your heart as well. :O)

Not "Have To", But "Get To"

So recently I have been trying to mix up my fitness routine a bit. It's good to mix things up every now and then so you don't get into a rut.

I have shared how I like to work out with Jennifer from Rise Up Ministries  I have the channel with Directv channel 378 I believe. But if you can always go to her website - she offers some workout videos there. Also I believe there are some on youtube as well. Lots of great options.

Well right after the Rise Up program comes Faithful Workouts. I have begun recording a few of her workouts. She has a whole lot of energy and moves quickly - it can be challenging to keep up with her sometimes. But I decided to start working out with her at least 10 minutes if possible and then go do my other workouts.

Anyway so on one of the programs Michelle shared about how several years ago she had a bad ski accident and was not able to exercise for a while. So she said it's not a matter of having to exercise now it is that she gets to exercise now. I think perspective is great to have. To look at exercise as something we get to do. If we have been blessed with the ability to exercise then we truly are blessed. If you have a good attitude about exercising, then you get so many more benefits! It is well worth developing a good attitude about working towards fitness.

So maybe you might want to mix it up a bit and try a work out from each of these sites! :O)

Not the Answer We Wanted

The mile look around the hospital gave plenty of time to pray for my sister and her team, all the patients and Dr there as well. I also had plenty of time to include everyone I know that needed prayers for healing. The brisk wind was blocked by my warm coat and the sunshine felt oh so good!

The walk also helped with my stress level which would come in handy later in the day. Sadly we did not get the news that we were hoping for. We wanted this procedure to take care of the issue and for her to get to feeling better soon. But that is not what happened. We were told she will need a major surgery and very soon. And when I say soon, I mean she was left handing the possibility of surgery any time. As of my typing this out at 11:50 am - we still don't know the plan is....

When it seems as if God answers our prayers with a NO, it can come across to our understanding as rejection. I have experienced enough of this personally on several issues for myself. It doesn't feel good to get a no on prayers- especially the ones when we have really poured out our hearts to the Lord. But instead of taking it as a rejection, we need to trust God. We need to trust that He knows the end from the beginning. We also have to remember that He knows how to work all things together for good. This situation from our vantage point doesn't look good, but God is not confined to a box, He has so many more resources and ideas and He will bless this situation above and beyond anything we can ask or think!!

~Romans 8:28
~Ephesians 3:20-21

Please continue to uplift my sister and her family in prayer. I really appreciate it! :O)

Join me for a prayer walk

In his book "Prayer Warriors" Ron Halvorsen  talks about prayer walking. He talks about walking around the perimeter of your property and praying for your family and all. Walking around your church while praying for the church and all its members. I bet you get the idea.Well this morning I plan to prayer walk around a local hospital. You see, my sister will be having a serious procedure done and as I was thinking about this, God brought Ron Halversons talk about prayer walking to my mind and I knew it was something that I needed to do.wont you join me? I know you can't physically join me, but you can join me in prayer for my sister. Thank you so very my Hair. It means a lot!

My New Mantra

I have mentioned that I have had many opportunities(quizzes) to utilize the things I have been learning in my "Uninvited" study group. During a week that had more pop quizzes than I thought I could handle - God helped me write the following:

When I feel rejected God responds with, "No one puts Lisa (replace my name with yours________________) in the corner, I created her and redeemed her. She is my precious child. Her value is not taken away by the behaviors of others, her value is as steadfast as my love for her is- and my steadfast love endures forever. 

Did you notice the reference to the movie "Dirty Dancing" When Patrick Swayze said "No one puts Baby in the corner"?  Well as I was thinking about the most recent pop quiz on how to deal with rejection - I felt set aside. And this quote came to my mind - but my name replaced "Baby" and I just began to write it down and was so happy with the results. I invite you to read through it but replace my name with your name.

I would like to also say that it is very interesting to look up the phrase "His Steadfast Love Endures Forever" in the Bible. There are quite a few verses with that phrase- just in case we forget - it is repeated over and over!

We may deal with many pop quizzes in this area of how to deal with rejection but God will help us and give us the strength needed. The best way to deal with the emptiness that is caused from rejection is the fullness of Jesus Christ. Spending time with Him and in His Word and in prayer. These are ways we can fill our emptiness with His fullness.

Lots of Pop Quizzes

Have you noticed that God loves to quiz us? I sure have. I have been involved with several small groups at my new church. "Uninvited" study group has been a challenge for me- especially the quizzes that have come along ever since this study group began.

The study "Uninvited"  is basically a study about learning to "Living Loved. When you feel less than, left out and lonely." It is about filling your emptiness with the fullness of God. It is a great study - I highly recommend anyone to do this study if you get a chance.

At our first session - as we went around the room - one lady said she really didn't know for sure why she was there and said she did not feel any rejection in her life. By the next session, a week later, she shared a situation in which she totally understood why God had led her to our group.

I think that most everyone has experienced some sort of rejection sometime in their lives. Rejection can cause us to have hurt so deep inside of us that when other people come along and say or do something that pushes those buttons of rejection - we react - we react because of the past hurts. When we realize that we are doing this - we can take those hurts to God and allow Him to heal us. And in this study that I am doing, reminds us that we need to be SO filled with Jesus Christ that the unkind words or deeds that hurt us so much - don't have the power to have the same effect on us any more.

As I mentioned earlier - it seems that God has given me(and others in my group) plenty of opportunities to practice what we are learning. We are facing situations in which we feel rejected. Lots of pop quizzes going on. Sadly I have to admit to not always passing these pop quizzes. Thankfully the Teacher also extents a whole lot of Grace!

Who are You Yoked with? Yourself, People, or God?

I really enjoying my "Uninvited" study group. Last week we did session 3 in the study guide. In it is a small section that I would like to share with you today. 

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"The yoke of people is the weight of their unrealistic expectations, their judgment, and their possible rejection. It's heavy and harsh. But the yoke of God is freedom from all that. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

Matthew 11:28-30 

We may wonder how Jesus could call any yoke easy. A yoke is a wooden beam that fastens over the necks of two animals and is then attached to a plow or cart that they must pull. Who wants to have to pull a heavy cart? The fact is, we all have a cart to pull, and the only question is whether we're going to try to pull it alone, whether we're going to try to get people to pull it with us or whether we're going to be yoked with God to pull it. 

Pulling it alone is really hard. Pulling it with people is unpredictable, because they have their own expectations and judgments of us, so we're often struggling to please them as we try to pull the cart their way or our way. But yoking ourselves to God and getting into  His rhythm of pulling means that the Lord of the universe is doing more than half the work. That's what makes His yoke easy and His burden light" 

~Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst Session 3 page 74

I had always wondered what this verse really meant. I didn't quite get it. And this small section of this wonderful Study Guide explained it very simply. Anyway I just wanted to share it with you so that you too could have a better understanding of this small section of the Scriptures.

Swimming Against the Current

It is said that some salmon swim hundreds of miles upstream, against strong currents in order to reproduce. They have a in born natural instinct to do so. So although what they are doing is challenging and difficult they continue on because that is what they are suppose to do. 

We have humans have natural instincts as well. The only problem is that many of our natural instincts come from the flesh and may not be the heathiest for us. In order to live a healthy life we find ourselves having to swim against a strong current. It's so much easier to find a quick meal that is not so great for us. Or its so easy to get so engrossed in what ever we are doing that we stay up way to late at night and don't get enough sleep. It is much easier to just do what we want to do instead of taking time to exercise and take care of our physical selves.

In order to take care of ourselves - physically, mentally and spiritually it will take swimming against the current. I think we will find the more we swim against the current the easier it will become. It will become like second nature to us. So let's persevere on as we swim against the current- we have everything to gain! :O) 

Choose Joy

Saw this on Facebook and thought it was perfect since one of my words for the year it "JOY." So I thought I would share it with you guys as well. Sometimes in life we may not feel like it but if we choose joy we will experience more of it!

Don't Be a Label Maker

Sometimes we can be our own worst critics. Sometimes we fall into the trap of criticizing others. Neither of these things are good for us, or others.

Many of us find ourselves talking negative talk to ourselves. We call ourselves all sorts of names - stupid, clumsy, loser, dumb, failure, outsider, fat, ugly, idiot, and the list goes on and on. Calling ourselves these negative names does nothing but put that label on us and reinforces those negative thoughts and beliefs.

Sometimes we put these labels on other people - and by doing you set yourself up to only seeing the negative attributes in them. And by doing so we probably treat them in a way that shows we do not value them. It can happen whether we are putting those negative labels on ourselves or others.

Contrary to the title - I would like to suggest that you can be a label maker if your labels include labels such as : kind, merciful, accepted, forgiven and loved so forth- you get the idea. If we choose to put a label on ourselves or others - lets choose positive ones. Labels that point out the positive character traits. Labels that will uplift us and others.

Our words are powerful - they can change the way we act towards ourselves and towards others. Let's choose our words wisely! :O)