Be Still and Know...Then and Now

Travel Anxiety , do y’all struggle with it? Yesterday I was in the thick of vacation planning. We have some big plans over the summer and I was making reservations, printing off confirmations, searching the internet for things to do and basically making myself nuts. Terms like “non-refundable” and “Cancelation Fee’s” were rolling before my eyes. I felt the anxiety well up with in me almost to the point of tear as I watched my list of available hotels getting smaller and smaller. I had visions of us sleeping on the side of the road in our rental car, with nothing but the contents of our back seat cooler to sustain us for the foreseeable future. The endless list of things to do are wandering in and out of my brain, get the car adapter for the laptop, make sure we have enough batteries, do I have enough sunscreen in those small 3 ounce bottle to pass the airport security? Then in the midst of finalizing one last reservation the DD walks into the kitchen and looks at me and my husb...

Hold still, I said these very words to my DD as I helped her pluck her eyebrows a few days ago. Hold still…you say these words to your child before you begin the delicate procedure to remove a splinter from a finger or a speck of sand out of their eye. Hold still…you do this when you are afraid. Hold still…think of all the things that require stillness? The title of my blog “Be Still and Know” comes from one of the very first connections I had with God’s Holy Word, it is from my much loved Psalm 46 verse 10, “ Be still and know that I am God”. Being still for me is the core truth that defines my relationship with Christ. I have to be willing to hold still before I can know the greatness of God. I read a poem the other day in my “Streams in the Desert” (if you have a copy of SID the devotional is on June 20 if you would like to read the entirety of the poem, if not you can follow this link ) , it was a small verse in the poem that accompanied the devotion for the day. “G...

Over the last several weeks I have had this nagging feeling or this constant source of irritation whirling around in my thought life. You see I’m a muller, I’m a dweller, and I have this lovely habit of letting a situation have free reign in my thought life for days, weeks, and months even. The problem is that I may be temporarily distracted from these thoughts by something with a higher priority, but sadly when the priority is removed the difficult thoughts move back in and set up camp. I have often wondered why I have such a difficult time releasing these problematic thoughts and the feelings associate with them. Why can’t I simply let them go and move on? As I woke this morning I was so disappointed to find that the very first thoughts I was able to recognize were of “The Stuck in My Craw” situation I am currently processing. I had a fairly good idea of what this term meant but being the word junkie that I am I did a bit of Internet research and found the following. ...

Several days ago I was sitting in my living room and the world outside was transformed. It literally was transformed by these amazing hues of gold and orange. It was nearly time for the sun to set, yet there was a bright glow washing in my windows. If you have ever experienced the sudden shift in how the sky looks right before a nasty line of thunderstorms rolls though the south then you will understand. The sky takes on a hint of ominous color to it, almost like a small visual glimpse into what is about to happen. The smell in the air is even a bit different. Well given the fact that over the last several days we had been experiencing some very volatile weather, the night before as I lay in my bed waiting for my bedroom window to simply be blown of there casings, I was a bit concerned as I stood in my living room and watched the world outside shift into this amazing and strange color. I stepped outside and the humidity was thick and the golden color was washing over everything. There ...

From “Streams in the Desert” on June 5, 2008 As I opened my small devotional book this morning and read the few short paragraphs some of the words kinda flew off the page and whacked me in the face. ISA 7:10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 "Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." taken directly from today's devotion “We must continue to pray and “wait for the Lord” (Isa 8:17), until we hear the sound of his mighty rain. There is no reason why we should not ask for great things. Without a doubt we will receive them if we ask in faith, having the courage to wait with patient perseverance for Him and meanwhile doing those things that are within our power to do.” I have to say that each morning as I lift my son up in prayer I don’t think I am necessarily praying for great things to happen. Right now I am mainly focusing on prayer for his physical safety, and no grandchildren to spring forth from his romping’s. I also pray ...

This small sentence from today’s “Streams in the Desert” really spoke to me. “We must not overlook the fact that faith on our part helps God to carry out His plans.” I have to ask myself how many times does my doubt or my fear of a situation or possible my unwillingness to be obedient hinder God’s plan? The truth is that God never needs my help, but He always wants me to yield to His plan. He always wants me to be molded into a more Christ like person. I am the clay and He is the Heavenly potter. I must be willing to submit to His molding, I must be pliable and allow myself to be shaped into whatever vessel He would have me be. It is my faith in Him that gives me the strength to proceed with a difficult task I may be asked to do. It is my faith in God that gives me the perseverance to continue to pray over a seemingly hopeless situation. It is my faith that will eventually turn my perception of hopelessness into an eternal truth that God’s promises never fail ( JER 21:44). It is that...