CHANGES ~ {Good Things Thursday}

 

I have such an abundance of good things in my life, I thought I'd make Thursday the day to share some with you ............

 WELCOME TO "GOOD THINGS THURSDAY"



SEASONS CHANGE BUT THE LORD NEVER WILL







Today's GOOD THING is:

"JESUS CHRIST the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

Hebrews 13:8

     What a wonderful Scripture promise!  JESUS is the only stable force in our ever-changing world.  Changes are a fact of life and often we must accept the good along with the not-so-good.  However, as this scripture simply states, JESUS has never changed and will never change.  That's a promise we can count on!

    

     We all go through many "seasons" in our lives, accepting change when we need to, or at times, have to.   Depending on the situation, change may be the best thing in your life, or it may be a true test of your faith.  If you know the Lord, you can be assured of His presence guiding you through the difficult time.  

    

     I've had many changes and a few "seasons" in my life and I can truly say that the Lord has given me strength every time I needed Him.  At times I was so caught up in what was going on I barely recognized His guiding hand shaping the events in my life.  Then, when the crisis passed, I could see clearly that from the beginning the Lord had that situation well under control!   

We can always depend upon JESUS for whatever need we have,

in whatever circumstance we face, at whatever time in our life. 

To me, that's an awfully good thing! 

Hope you are having a good Thursday! 

Ageless Beauty & Grace

     I thought I would share with you two very special members of my family.  Both of these remarkable ladies are still able to live alone in their own place.  They, of course, have help with daily things like cooking, cleaning, etc.  While these ladies' bodies may have weaken with time, both still have minds that are "sharp as a tack"! 

 

Aunt Lucy ~ 100 yrs




     First, is my Great-Aunt Lucy, on my mother's side.  She celebrated her 100th birthday this month! Two weeks ago we attended her birthday party at the clubhouse in the apartment complex where she lives in Georgia.



Grandmother ~ 96 yrs.

     Then, last weekend I was at a family reunion on my father's side with my grandmother who turned 96 years old last April.  Granny lives in her own home in Florida.



 

    
      In Titus 2:3-5 Paul admonished older women to be "teachers of good things" to the younger women.   I believe that regardless of our age, we have a responsibility to be "teachers of good things...that the Word of God be not blasphemed."  And what better way to teach than by example. I'm thankful for the graceful and beautiful women in my family that loved me enough to teach by example the "good things" about the Lord.

     I hope your day is a blessing...thanks for taking time to stop by!

HEAVEN

Do you ever find yourself thinking about what Heaven will be like

and what we'll be doing there?

 

Mansions Galore!    

  I've heard sermons and read Scripture enough to know that Heaven is a wonderful place in which to spend eternity.  I believe when I see Heaven it will literally take my breath away!  According to John 14:2 my eternal home in Heaven is a promised place so special that Jesus Himself is preparing it for me.  "In My Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you."  What's more, according to the next verse, "I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."  Jesus will be my "chauffeur" to Heaven!

Uninterrupted Praise!

     What will we be doing in Heaven for eternity, do you think?  First of all, our bodies will be changed from what we are now...into just what body I'm not quite sure...but I do know this earthly body will be perfectly heavenly!  That's great news isn't it!  We will not be concerned about daily appointments, gasoline prices, or dusting furniture, so that's good.  All the things that we are busy about today will be forever done away with.  The things we dread doing (like dusting furniture!) will be no more.  Even the things we enjoy (like spending time with family) will be no more.  But, we will not be missing out on anything because our entire being will be worshipping and singing praises to God.  Today, our public and personal worship time can be interrupted by things that demand our attention.  In Heaven we will have uninterrupted fellowship with God.  We will be forever getting to know Him better. 

    

     My prayer is that you have certainty in your heart

that heaven is your eternal home. 

Time for Daily Devotions

    

     The key to finding time for personal devotions every day is not as much about time as it is about making a commitment to find where & when works best for you.  Of all the suggestions and ideas I read or heard about on maintaining a personal daily devotion time, there was always one common thing stated: 

SET ASIDE A TIME & PLACE IN YOUR HOME

FOR DAILY DEVOTIONS 

     I've heard some refer to it as a "prayer closet".  I call mine my "Bible Study Nook" because it just sounds cozier to me!  Your study nook could be as simple as a comfy chair, good lighting and a basket for your Bible study materials.  (You would not believe the baskets I bought, trying to find the perfect one!)  But, nothing I tried seemed to become a good habit for me. 



Bible Study Nook  in 2011

 "AHA" MOMENT

     I was not happy about how "hit & miss" my Bible study had become.  I prayed to God about it and when the answer came, it was in an unexpected way.  In February 2011 I took an online challenge at a scrapbook site to organize my supplies and that’s when I had an "aha" moment.    I began organizing by “zoning” all the different activities that I do in this room.  During the process I gathered all my Bible study books and materials that were scattered in several places into one pile on a desk and that’s when the light bulb came on!  I put together this little Bible study nook from a small bookcase and computer desk I was planning to discard.  The bookcase fit perfectly on top of the desk!  Knowing what a pack-rat I am, I made a promise to myself that only Bible study materials would “live” here.  It's almost two years later and this little area is still my “go-to” place first thing every morning.   As you can see from the recent photo, I've managed to find more study material!

                                                   TIME IS PRECIOUS

Bible Study Nook 2012

     How has this study nook helped me maintain my daily devotion time?  Everything related to my quiet time with the Lord is right in front of me.  I don’t waste any precious time  searching for my Bible and study materials.  When it comes to spending time with the Lord, only you and the Lord know the what, when, where, how & why unique to your needs.  Ask Him in prayer to help you find what works for you and your schedule. 

                                                                                         Wishing you daily Blessings, Pam

Please feel free to share your suggestions and ideas about your daily devotion time.  I'll cover PRAYER as part of daily devotion time in my next post.... 

Keys to Daily Devotion Time



A Pinterest pin

        Psalm 119 has the distinction of being the longest chapter in the Bible.  Most of its 176 verses are about the Word of God. Some of the things the Psalmist directs us to do with God's Word are: 
      believe it,
         hide it,
           use it,
              rejoice in it,
                find comfort in it,
                  meditate on it,
                     delight in it,
                        and most importantly, to love it. 
  
   In order to accomplish all that this Psalm instructs, we must set aside time DAILY for Bible study and prayer. So, here are my KEYS for beginning and maintaining a daily devotion time with the Lord.  They are easy to remember because they all begin with "D". 

DECIDE - DELIGHT - DISCOVER

 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
Psalm 119:11

• DECIDE to have devotion time daily.  That may sound basic, and it is, but unless you make a decision about your devotion time, it will not happen.  God will help you with the tools and the time, but YOU must decide that it is  essential for YOUR daily walk with the Lord.  I won't lie to you, it does take a certain amount of determination to set aside quiet time every day, but the rewards are huge!

"I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 

I will delight myself in thy statues:  I will not forget thy word."

Psalm 119:15, 16

• DELIGHT in the time you choose to spend with the Lord.  The whole point of daily devotion time is to feed on God's Book.  However, studying the Bible the same way day after day, month after month, could cause you to lose enthusiasm for its richness and beauty.  Don't get me wrong, nothing will ever take the place of God's Holy Word, but it's OK to try different ways to enjoy it!  Consider this, the Bible should always be your main course, but add side dishes like Christian books, articles, tapes and music to keep your daily intake of spiritual nourishment interesting.  Spiritual food is the same as any other food - we need a little variety in our diet to keep it delightful!

 "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."

Psalm 119:18

• DISCOVER the truths in Scripture.  No human will ever understand all there is to know about the Bible.  This wonderful, spiritual Book is God's conversation with His children and it has awesome power to enrich your life. I love to think of my Bible as a treasure chest filled with gems and jewels just for me.  My prayer is that you will begin discovering your treasures from God's Word today! 

I hope these keys help you to discover more of the precious blessings and promises of God's Holy Word. I'll cover making TIME

for daily devotions in my next post...