The Things We Live For

Friends, let's live a life and lifestyle, where Jesus gets the reward of His suffering.

Responding vs. Reacting

https://www.extremelove.com/2019/04/25/11147/

I’ve been pondering lately some aspects of prayer taken from practical parenting and life situations.  As a parent I’m continually challenged with my strong-willed children to respond and not react.  It used to be temper tantrums and now as we enter the teen years, motives can get more calculated. Often as a parent I will find myself in what I call a “swirl” and I am reacting to a situation instead of responding.  Responding tends to pause, take a breath and listen to the voice of wisdom. 

Have you ever thought of this concept in regards to prayer?  Sometimes the enemy of our souls, will throw something cruel at us or those around us and we react even in prayer. We may begin to pray out of anger, or anxiety, unbelief or fear.   These prayers will seldom produce good fruit.  But what if instead, we respond, and our response was focusing on the redemptive work of God.  We pause, take a breath and listen to the voice of wisdom, the voice of God and partner with Him. 

What could this practically look like? For me, I will begin to focus on the opposite of what is coming at me.  For example, say hate is manifesting itself around me.  I, in response, begin to pray and release love. Thanking God for His love, meditating on His love, declaring scriptures that illuminate His love. I begin to thank God for who He is and what He does that is the opposite atmosphere and circumstance of what the enemy is releasing.  God must get big in my mind and heart.  I must see my circumstances and that of those around me through His lens of what He accomplished on the cross in His death and resurrection.   When I keep God in the forefront of my mind, my confidence in His bigness and greatness increases and instead of reacting to circumstances and needs, I will respond.  This releases faith in my heart and I begin to pray from a place of faith and confidence in who He is instead of reacting in the heat of the moment.  

Grace

"Grace never gives permission for sin to be expressed.  

Grace always positions us to be empowered to live 

outside of human reach.

Grace is the enablement of God to live as Jesus would live."

~ Bill Johnson

Love This Song

We just started singing this song at church and I absolutely Love it!  It's one of those deep intimate songs between us and Jesus . . .

https://youtu.be/4BhTAJ49MQ0

Video:  Cody Carnes - "Nothing Else"

Julie's Spring Break

Our Julie got to visit from Washington for her Spring Break this year and we had a fabulous time together. There were tears when she left.  Aside from our memorable trip to Mexico, here are a few memories from our time together . . .

Mexico

We just got back from a  little family get-away to Mexico.  It was one of those wonderful trips where we were upgraded to a seventh floor suite with panoramic ocean views, three bedrooms and four bathrooms, an entertaining kitchen and an extra free night.  We took in the local shopping, food, spent hours on the beach, laid in the sun, fireside chats and trying to drum up a melody without a guitar, picked up sea shells . . . .so fun!  I have this thing for infinity pools and the place we stayed at had a beautiful infinity pool that started surrounded by cactus and day beds and ended at the ocean - so beautiful!  Loved the favor surrounding our time together.  It's always been Julie's dream to go to Mexico and so this was a "first" for her.  Here are a few family pics I thought I would share now that I am finally figuring out how to use google photos on my blog. :-)