Rod & Rose

  “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ~Matthew 7:4

Each morning, as I gather my thoughts to pray,  I always begin with Psalm 139…seeking wisdom and discernment. Before all else, I ask God to search my heart, knowing there is nothing good in my flesh. My natural tendency–on my own–is to be too quick to judge or criticize. I’m too quick to wag my finger in the face of my enemies. And too often, in the faces of those I love. So I begin my morning prayer with “Search me O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” ~Psalm 139:23-24

It’s not an easy prayer to pray. When I pray this way, I open my heart to allow God to continue his sanctifying work in me…a NEVER ending process! It’s a process that is never without pain…necessary, humbling pain. His holy fire burns off the impurities of my flesh that contaminate my deepest longing to be pure. When ignored, these impurities spill over  into my thought life,  the words I speak, and the choices I make. They influence the way I treat others.  

Jesus called these things that distort our perception and damage our relationships “planks.” These cumbersome planks come in all shapes and sizes: a haughty spirit, a critical tongue, or an unkind look of disgust. The list goes on.  Each plank, if left unattended, can potentially become an insidious habit.

So as I approach Papa God each morning, I must be willing to allow him to show me my own planks, before I can even begin to offer counsel to those in my circle of influence. God invites me to willingly surrender to him, and to allow him to surgically remove the unwieldy planks from my eye…the eye of my heart. For that is where the wellspring of life resides. His Word says,  “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” – Proverbs 4:23.

When I’m not willing to surrender my will for his……when I run away and hide from the truth, the wake of my pride and disobedience causes devastating consequences. But when my heart is aligned with his–truly aligned–God performs his best surgery with his holy Word. With it he corrects my vision, and compels me to restore that which I’ve damaged.  His Word penetrates deeply–it convicts, it corrects and it humbles me.  His Word resonates with compassion that’s just right, and mercy that enables me to open my heart to further understanding. His promises hold me steady as he puts things back into perspective…his perspective. He realigns me in a way that “hurts so good!”

Suddenly the speck that once seemed so large in my brother’s eye, now seems so small. I’m now looking at his heart and loving him just like Papa God loves me…unconditionally!

If you have a plank problem, allow Papa God to remove it from the eye of your heart.   In as much as it depends on you…give God the opportunity to begin the healing of relationships in your life. Let Papa God give you the courage to set the wrongs right… allow his love to refresh the vision of your heart!  ~ In His Strong Love ~ rose

Psalm 25:4-10 “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. …Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. …The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.”

I love toy train exhibits!  I recently had the privilege of taking two of my granddaughters to see the train exhibit at the Albuquerque BioPark. Surrounded by trees, nestled into a gardenscape of scaled-to-size mountains, tunnels, rivers, and bridges, it was a highlight of our visit to be sure!

As we watched the trains winding in and out of tunnels, up and down rolling hills and carefully maneuvering intersections, I stood in awe of the one person that managed it all – the exhibit conductor. He stood in a strategic location…at a distance, yet watchful of every train section that he himself had carefully set in motion. He watched intently as each train set out on its course.

Soon, he turned his attention to a train that had gotten off track. From where I stood, I could not see where the train wreck had occurred. But from his vantage point, he obviously could. He quickly reached down and picked up the train car that had derailed, assessed the damage and took it back to his maintenance table.  He fixed a wheel, made some adjustments, and before too long was able to set the train back on it’s’ track…back on course.

I paused for a moment to take in all the sights and sounds around me. The train whistles, the water sounds of the miniature river, the chattering of children leaning against the guard rails, watching in awe and anticipation as the conductor added more trains to the track. The “oohs,” the “ahhs” and the “yays” as he rescued a train that had gone off track.

It was then that I took a moment to look up through the canopy of trees that hovered above me. I breathed in all the aromas, listened to the wind as it whispered through the trees. With my heart full of gratitude…I thanked Papa God for towering over me…for being watchful in every season of my life! From the moment of my birth to the present, he has been with me. I thought of the times he carried me,  the times he has had to mend the damage caused by the choices I made that resulted in painful derailments…taking me off his intended course for my life. His tender mercies are evidenced in the masterful tapestry of my life.  What a patient, forgiving, faithful Father I serve!

“Oh how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on, all generations will call me blessed.  For the Mighty One is Holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things!” – Luke 1:46-51.

If you know you are off track…feeling  a little derailed, or perhaps a complete ‘wreck’… look up! He is there, ready to  mend the broken pieces. He alone can set you back on the right course…the course He destined just for you!  Thank him for his never-ending faithfulness! ~ Be blessed!  In HIS Strong Love! ~ rose

“Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:13-14).

I woke up with some heaviness in my heart…too many thoughts…anxious thoughts….the little frets that overcome me when I don’t see quick results to my prayers. It was pre-dawn…the usual time I begin my day with Papa God. I took my usual place on my window seat, the Word at my side, coffee cup in hand, iPad and laptop poised…not knowing if I would have anything to journal this morning.  Starring out the window, looking eastward in anticipation of the sunrise, I petitioned my Father….opening my heart to Him. Then I sat back and allowed His Spirit to awaken in me, listening intently to what He had to say. I began to read His Word.  The clarity of His voice in the passages He gave me resounded one distinct theme, “Patience…wait on the Lord’s timing”.

He took me to Acts, chapter 27. There I read the story of Paul’s warning to the officer in charge of the ship that was headed to Rome. “Men,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on – shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.” But the officer did not listen. As the story unfolds–as you may have guessed–Paul’s intuition is proven to be right. The storm raged to typhoon strength and the ship was blown out to sea. The Word continues…“The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. No one had eaten for a long time.” Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial. But there’s no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you there’ll not be a single drowning among us, although I can’t say as much for the ship – the ship itself is doomed…but don’t give up!”

Wow! Not only did Papa God say “wait patiently” in His Psalm, but also in the Book of Acts, He painted a clear picture of what to expect if I don’t wait patiently. Trouble ahead….a shipwreck of unparalleled proportion! Hope would be blotted out because of disobedience. And I would suffer from a lack of strength to resist the enemy if I didnt’ eat.

My Spirit smiled wide…the anxiety lifted and joy took its rightful place in my heart! The necessity of spending time in His Word…the need to daily “eat” the divine portion of His truth that will lift my doubt and carry me through any storm, penetrated my soul! And the blessings that He will pour out if I simply OBEY…and wait patiently!

Oh how I love you Papa! I love spending time with You…listening to Your voice!

As the sun rose and its rays warmed my skin, I began to praise Him, thanking Him for His everlasting presence in my life! O how HE loves me….how He loves me so!  Be blessed today…allow HIS SON to warm your heart….eat…be still and hear His voice! ~ IN HIS STRONG LOVE ~ rose

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Pivotal moments…cross roads along our journey. Rarely do they come as a surprise…more often than not it is what we chose yesterday that  impacts where we are today. To say that “we didn’t know” is often an untruth we  use to try to convince ourselves.

I believe our spirit senses the warning signals. Whether or not we choose to listen is often a matter of  whether or not we are in step with the nature of God. Have I been diligent in my walk? Am I practicing that which the WORD speaks? Or am I living for the momentary gratification of the flesh. To yield to the prompting of the Holy Spirit is not always an easy thing to do. More times than I care to count, I’ve reacted to circumstances in the flesh…choosing what feels good for the moment…what satisfies my carnal nature…the “old man”…instant gratification. Rather than being still and obedient to my Father’s calling, I do what feels right to ME. I ignore the fact that HE wants to lead; that His way is the best way.

I want to avoid the pain. I don’t want to be tested or humbled. So it is with many of us…we rush in, taking  the easy way out, the path of least resistance.  We make choices that change our trajectory. How foolish we are to think the impact is self-contained! We choose to ignore or reject the fact that our choices impact the lives of those He has entrusted to our care, whether they be friendships, family members or co-workers.  To “our care” you ask?  Yes….for we indeed are called to be “our brothers keeper.”

How difficult it is to abide in HIM! To simply trust HIM…to take a knee and humbly ask the difficult questions: “Papa how do you want me to respond to this situation? What is it that I’m supposed to say, or am I simply to be still and listen with my heart? Should I stay? Should I go? Should I buy or should I sell?” The choices are many. How we choose is simply a matter of either obedience or disobedience… “Not my will Father, but rather Your will be done.”  Is that my prayer…really? Is it?

Take a moment…be still and know that HE is God.  Recognize that your best interest is HIS heart’s desire:  Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. So today my prayer for you and I is to abide in obedience….to truly trust in His promises. May Papa God’s WORD resonate in our hearts today!

(Dear friends…Would love to hear your thoughts. Can you take a minute to leave a comment?)

~ IN HIS STRONG LOVE ~ rose

The storm rages, the winds blow, a blanket of darkness seems to envelope us. We enter into the valley and find ourselves desperate and alone. We thirst and hunger…our tanks are empty. Our anxious thoughts unnerve us. We make an attempt to run…to hide. We seek shelter from the storm, but to no avail. Our efforts eventually prove to be futile. The rain continues to pound…and we become weary.

We carry our  baggage around with us while we waste time seeking answers from man, rather than from our Creator. We’re burdened by our “what ifs and what could have beens.” We wallow in our own self-pity, wasting yet more time.

But then…something miraculous happens. Something breaks through the clouds. Are those prayers we hear? Is someone interceding on our behalf? Could it be?  The Light breaks through…the SON illuminates the sky and the rain clouds part!  We fall on our knees….humbled…broken. Finally…a moment of sweet surrender! We take our burdens to the cross and fall into the arms of the One who came to rescue us! We lift our eyes heavenward and cry out…”Search me O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, lead me in the way everlasting” Psalm 139:23-24.

And he gently and tenderly reminds us, “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing”  Zephaniah 3:17.  He takes us by the hand…dusts us off as we rise from the ashes–and illuminates our path once again. The sweet break through! We praise God for answered prayers! Hallelujah indeed! ~ IN HIS STRONG LOVE ~ rose